Heir to the Shadows

Jaenelle sat down, on air, hooking her heels on the nonexistent rung of a nonexistent stool, and gave him her full attention.

He remembered, too late, how unnerving it could be to have Jaenelle's undivided attention.

Saetan cleared his throat and glanced around the room, hoping for inspiration. Maybe her workroom, with the tools of her Craft around her, was the best place to talk after all.

He stepped into the room and leaned against the doorframe. A good neutral place, not invading her territory but acknowledging a right to be there. 'I'm concerned, witch-child,' he said quietly.

Jaenelle cocked her head. 'About what?'

'About you. About the way you avoid all of us. About the way you're shutting yourself away from everyone.'

Ice filled her eyes. 'Everyone has boundaries and inner barriers.'

'I'm not talking about boundaries and inner barriers,' he said, not quite able to keep his voice calm. 'Of course everyone has them. They protect the inner web and the Self. But you've put up a wall between yourself and everyone else, excluding them from even simple contact.'

'Perhaps you should be grateful for the wall, Saetan,' Jaenelle said in a midnight voice that sent a shiver of fear up his spine.

Saetan. Not Papa. Saetan. And not the way she usually said his name. This sounded like a Queen formally addressing a Warlord Prince.

He didn't know how to respond to her words or the warning.

She stepped off her invisible stool and turned away from him, resting her hands on the dusty table.

'Listen to me,' he said, restraining the urgency he felt. 'You can't lock yourself away like this. You can't spend the rest of your life in this room creating glorious spells that no one else will see. You're a Queen. You'll have to interact with your court.'

'I'm not going to have a court.'

Saetan stared at her, stunned. 'Of course you'll have a court. You're a Queen.'

Jaenelle flashed a look at him that made him cringe. 'I'm not required to have a court. I checked. And I don't want to rule. I don't want to control anyone's life but my own.'

'But you're Witch.' The moment he said it, the room chilled.

'Yes,' she said too softly. 'I am.' Then she turned around.

She dropped the mask of humanity – and the mask called flesh – and let him truly see her for the first time.

The tiny spiral horn in the centre of her forehead. The golden mane that wasn't quite fur and wasn't quite hair. The delicately pointed ears. The hands that had sheathed claws. The legs that changed below the knee to accommodate the small hooves. The stripe of golden fur that ran down her spine and ended at the fawn tail that flicked over her buttocks. The exotic face and those sapphire eyes.

Having been Cassandra's Consort all those years ago, he thought he knew and understood Witch. Now he finally understood that Cassandra and the other Black-Jeweled Queens who had come before her had been called Witch. Jaenelle truly was the living myth, dreams made flesh.

How foolish he'd been to assume all the dreamers had been human.

'Exactly,' Witch said softly, coldly.

'You're beautiful,' he whispered. And so very, very dangerous.

She stared at him, puzzled, and he realized there would never be a better time to say what he had to say.

'We love you, Lady,' he told her quietly. 'We've always loved you, and it hurts more than words can express to be locked out of your life. You don't know how hard it was for us to wait for those few precious minutes that you could spend with us, to wonder and worry about you when you were gone, to feel jealous of people who didn't appreciate what you are. Now. .' His voice broke. He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. 'We surrendered to you a long time ago. Not even you can change that. Do with us what you will.' He hesitated, then added, 'No, witch-child, we are not grateful for the wall.'

He didn't wait for an answer. He left the room as swiftly as he could, tears shining in his eyes.

Behind him came a soft, anguished cry.

He couldn't stand their kindness. He couldn't stand their sympathy and understanding. Geoffrey had warmed a glass of yarbarah for him. Mephis had tucked a lap rug over his legs. Prothvar had stoked the fire to help take away the chill. Andulvar had stayed close to him, silent.

He'd started shaking the moment he had entered the safety of the parlor. He would have collapsed on the floor if Andulvar hadn't caught him and helped him to the chair. They had asked no questions, and except for a hoarsely whispered, 'I don't know,' he had told them nothing about what had happened – or about what he had seen.

And they had accepted it.

An hour later, feeling somewhat restored physically and emotionally, he still couldn't stand their kindness. What he couldn't stand even more was not knowing what was happening in that workroom.

The parlor door swung open.

Jaenelle stood on the threshold, holding a tray that contained two small carafes and five glasses. All her masks were back in place.

'Draca said you were all hiding in here,' she said defensively.

'We're not exactly 'hiding,' witch-child,' Saetan replied dryly. 'And, if we are, there's room for one more. Want to join us?'

Her smile was shy and hesitant, but her coltish legs swiftly crossed the room until she stood beside Saetan's chair. Then she frowned and turned toward the door. 'This room used to be larger.'

'Your legs used to be shorter.'

'That explains why the stairs feel so awkward,' she muttered as she filled two glasses from one carafe and three from the other.

Saetan stared at the glass she gave him. His stomach cringed.

'Um,' Prothvar said, as Jaenelle handed out the other glasses.

'Drink it,' Jaenelle snapped. 'You've all been looking peaky lately.' When they hesitated, her voice became brittle. 'It's just a tonic.'

Andulvar took a sip.

Thank the Darkness for that Eyrien willingness to step

onto any kind of battlefield, Saetan thought as he, too, took a sip.

'How much of this do you make at one time, waif?' Andulvar rumbled.

'Why?' Jaenelle said warily.

'Well, you're quite right about us all feeling peaky. Probably wouldn't hurt to have another glass later on.'

Saetan started coughing to hide his own dismay and give the others time to school their expressions. It was one thing for Andulvar to step onto the battlefield. It was quite another to drag them all with him.

Jaenelle fluffed her hair. 'It starts to lose its potency an hour after it's made, but it's no trouble to make another batch later on.'

Andulvar nodded, his expression serious. 'Thank you.'

Jaenelle smiled shyly and slipped out of the room.

Saetan waited until he was sure she was out of earshot before turning on Andulvar. 'You unconscionable prick,' he snarled.

'That's a big word coming from a man who's going to have to drink two glasses of this a day,' Andulvar replied smugly.

'We could always pour it into the plants,' Prothvar said, looking around for some greenery.

'I already tried that,' Saetan growled. 'Draca's only comment was that if another plant should suffer a sudden demise, she'd ask Jaenelle to look into it.'

Andulvar chuckled, giving the other four men a reason to snarl at him. 'Everyone expects Hayllians to be devious, but Eyriens are known for their forthright dealings. So when one of us acts deviously…'