"You see, Majesty," Tabusir said. "After I spoke to you last night, I reported to your son. And he made me a much better offer."
He kissed her immobile face, rudely crushing his lips against hers.
Then Tabusir turned away and strolled off to see how the king was faring against his daughter.
Leiria ground her teeth impatiently as she waited for Rhodes to spring his trap on Jooli. From her hiding place in the rubble of a destroyed farmhouse she watched her friend lead the charge through the castle gates.
Sequestered in other nearby places were fifty Kyranian soldiers, all aching to join the battle.
On either side of her were Renor and Sinch and she heard their gasps of alarm as several enemy soldiers confronted Jooli. Then they sighed in relief when the warrior woman easily cut them down.
"Silence!" Leiria hissed. "You'll give us away!"
Not that she blamed them for displaying their youthful tension. She was damned tense, herself. They'd all crept out into the teeth of the storm several hours before dawn.
Drenched to the bone, buffeted by fierce winds, they'd had to fight a battle with the elements long before they were set to engage Rhodes. In the end they managed to set up a perfect double ambush-finding hiding places on either side of the road that Jooli would use.
And they were well back from the positions Leiria knew the king's soldiers would take when they made themselves ready for Jooli.
She hated to admit it, but the whole thing had been Iraj's idea. A master tactician, Iraj had immediately guessed what Rhodes would do after Lottyr reported back to the king that the Kyranians planned a surprise attack the moment the storm ended.
With Queen Yorlain as her slave, Lottyr had obviously overheard every detail of their planning session in Safar's quarters.
"He'll have a surprise attack of his own planned," Iraj had said, using his own voice. "But we'll be ready for him!"
"With me as bait for the trap?" Jooli had asked, eyes glowing at the prospect.
"Exactly," Iraj had said.
Leiria shuddered at the memory of that odd scene. Iraj's voice issuing from the lips of her lover. It had made her feel filthy all over.
She pushed those thoughts away. This was not the time and place for such weaknesses. But she couldn't help wondering for just a moment if she and Safar would ever have a life together.
Leiria bit her lower lip, using the pain to wipe that question from her mind.
Hells, most likely they'd all be dead by the day's end!
She concentrated on Jooli and her soldiers. Saw them fight their way along the road, leaving dead and wounded men in their wake. Saw the shadowy forms of Rhodesa€™ troops creeping in from every side.
Saw the defiant flag of Rhodes fluttering over his command post far up the hill.
Then, as Jooli and her troops reached the bend in the road, Leiria saw the enemy soldiers leap up on every side of her. She heard them shout shrill battle cries as they closed the trap.
"Now!" Leiria cried.
Drawing her sword she leaped to her feet and gave the signal that triggered Iraj's double trap.
Rhodes gaped like a village fool when he saw Leiria and her men suddenly leap up and attack his men from behind.
"Where the hells did she come from?" he shouted.
But there was no one to answer, for his officers were as stunned as their king to see such a perfect plan foiled.
It was all over in a few moments. There were terrified shrieks of surprise from his own men, mingled with the clash of steel against steel as the Kyranians worked their awful will.
And then the ambush site was reduced to a bloody mess of soldiers groaning their last, while the Kyranians stood around, leaning on their swords and laughing or slapping one another on the back, no doubt saying what clever fellows they all were.
He saw Jooli and Leiria meet, embracing like sisters. Then turning to look up the hill in his direction. He saw Jooli point straight at him and had no doubt about what she was saying to Leiria.
Rhodes turned and caught sight of Tabusir standing nearby, as stunned by the turnabout as everyone else.
"Send for my mother!" Rhodes shouted at the spy, all his fears and anxieties spilling over the cliffs of reason.
Tabusir gawked at him. "But, Majesty," he said, "your mother can't come, remember?"
"What did you do? What did you do?" Rhodes babbled, drawing his sword.
"Only as you asked, Majesty," Tabusir replied, edging backward, trying to get out of the king's range.
But two officers moved in on either side, grabbing him by the arms.
"Please, Majesty!" Tabusir begged, feeling his carefully built world suddenly crumble beneath him. "I only dealt with your mother as she would have dealt with you. I only did what you commanded!"
"Damn you!" Rhodes roared. "How dare you turn my own words against me? I am the king!"
And with one blow he cut off Tabusir's head.
Then he raced to his mother's litter, his men leaping away when the saw the agony in their king's eyes and the bloody sword in his hand.
Clayre was all alone in her litter. Her slaves had already fled, taking with them every valuable they could find in their haste to escape the king's wrath when he learned that his mother had been murdered.
Her silk robes were gone, rent from her frozen body, and she was half naked. Her purse and jewelry were absent. And her magical table was shattered, the gold-tiled pentagram having been ripped from the very wood it had been fixed into.
Even the litter itself hadn't gone unscathed-gilded decorations and jewels had been torn from their settings.
Falling on her and embracing her, Rhodes cried, "I'm so sorry, mother! So sorry! I slew the villain who harmed you!"
But when he felt her stone-like flesh he leaped back, as if she were a leper.
And he shouted: "I need you, mother, more than I have ever needed you before! Please, please help me!"
But the only answer was the startled look frozen upon Clayre's face. And the poisoned dart sticking out of her chest.
Rhodes fell to his knees, weeping.
Inside him, Kalasariz sniffed the blood of failure and rose from his nest like a great white shark shooting out of the sea's cold, dark depths to seek his moment of gory opportunity.
He had the demons, Luka and Fari, crying in his belly, but he was hungry. Oh, so hungry.
And the Lady Lottyr whispered from someplace close: You were right, Kalasariz. The king has failed.
The spymaster said nothing in reply, but only ghosted toward the throbbing souls she was offering him, like pearls set in sweet oyster flesh.
First he gulped down Clayre and, oh, she was good and, oh, she was tasty. He felt the fires in his belly explode with increased power and energy. Then he found the soul of Rhodes, which was still weeping for his mother. And that soul was even more delicious and more power-giving than Clayre's.
He felt strong, so strong. And his mind, which he'd always prized above all things, became all-seeing.
Kalasariz/Rhodes whirled around, bellowing to his men. They fell to their knees before his awful majesty.
And Kalasariz thought, This is good. This is very, very good.
Coming up the hill he saw Coralean riding a huge horse. The caravan master was so immense that his feet dragged along the ground. He had a small woman in his arms. And she held a bundle that Kalasariz couldn't make out.
Marching on either side of Coralean were Leiria and Jooli, their armor sheening under the Demon Moon.
Their troops behind them-Kyranian troops. Eager for the final kill.
And beyond them, hovering over the cone of volcano, Kalasariz could see the fabulous airship floating free. Ready to move in at a moment's notice and bombard King Rhodesa€™ positions.