Queen of Darkness

with his teeth clenched to keep from saying anything. But that morning, he started fussing at me to take it easy, and I took it as a criticism that I couldn’t do my job. I threw a pot at him. Well, not really at him. I didn’t want to hit him, I just felt mad enough that I needed to throw something. It hit the wall about two feet away from where he was standing.

”He looked at the pot for a minute, then picked it up and went outside. I could hear him throwing it, and thought he was doing that instead of using his fists on me the way some Eyrien males would have.

”He came back inside, muttering, took one of the skillets, and went back out. A few minutes later, he dragged me outside. He said a pot didn’t have the right balance, but a skillet would work if it was thrown properly. I spent two months practicing slinging a skillet before he declared me proficient enough to suit him.” Marian grinned at the memory.

”What does he consider proficient?” Surreal asked.

Marian didn’t look amused now. ”Being able to break bone nine out of ten times.”

Surreal just gaped at her for a moment, and then started thinking hard. She was a damn good assassin. Just how much, under Lucivar’s training, could those skills be honed?

When they reached the practice circle, Wilhelmina hung back. Surreal pushed her way to the front. When an Eyrien warrior snarled at her for elbowing him in the ribs, she snarled back, pleased that he was the one to give ground.

She looked around, saw Daemon, and felt her breathing hitch. He looked calm enough, standing there with a mug of coffee in one hand, but his face had that set look that she’d seen when they were in the Coach on the way here. It wasn’t as bad as it had been then, but it wasn’t good.

Then Lucivar started talking, and she put her concern for Daemon aside for the time being.

”There are reasons why Eyrien males are the warriors,” Lucivar said, his eyes skimming over the women as he paced slowly down the line and back again. ”We’re bigger, stronger, and we have the temperament for killing. You have other strengths and other skills. Most of the time, that works out well. But that’s no reason for you to be unable to defend yourselves. And before you give me any shit about not being able to handle a weapon, I’ll remind you that most of you don’t have any trouble using kitchen knives, and some of them are as big as a hunting knife. They just look different. And some of you will want to wiggle out of this training by telling me that, no matter how much she knows, a woman can’t hold her own against a male. Right?” Looking at the other practice circle, he roared, ”CAT! Get over here!”

Wondering why he’d want a feline, Surreal looked toward the circle. Her breath came out in a hiss as the woman talking to Karla, Morghann, and Gabrielle turned around. ”Jaenelle,” she whispered.

She focused on Daemon again. He didn’t look shocked to see Jaenelle. Maybe they’d already had a chance to talk. Maybe… No, it was probably way too early to think about those maybes.

The other women strode toward the practice circle. Jaenelle came more slowly, her eyes fixed on Lucivar while she whipped the stick around her waist with enough force to sting the air.

Lucivar sidestepped to the middle of the circle, always watching her. ”Come play with me, Cat,” he said, giving her an arrogant smile.

She snarled at him and began to circle.

”Hallevar,” Lucivar said as he circled with her. ”Call the time.”

Surreal felt Falonar tense beside her.

”What’s time?” she asked, nudging him when he didn’t answer.

”Ten minutes,” Falonar replied grimly. ”He’ll beat her into the ground long before that.”

Surreal slashed a look at Daemon and started to sweat. If that happened, what would Sadi do? Easy answer. The hard question was, what could any of them do to stop him from tearing Lucivar apart?

The first clash of the sticks had her heart jumping into her throat. After that she wasn’t aware of anything except Jaenelle and Lucivar moving gracefully through a savage dance.

Seconds passed into minutes.

”Mother Night,” Falonar whispered. ”She’s making him work for it.”

Lucivar’s chest glistened with sweat. Surreal could hear his deep, harsh breathing. Her own sweat chilled her skin when she saw the wild look in Jaenelle’s eyes.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when, after half a dozen lightning-fast moves, Jaenelle lost her balance for a split second. Lucivar danced back just long enough to let her get her feet solidly under her before attacking again.

”He could have put her on the ground right then and ended it,” Falonar said softly.

”He wants to work her, not get her mad enough to really go after him,” Chaosti replied just as softly, stepping up behind Surreal.

Finally, Hallevar yelled, ”TIME!”

Lucivar and Jaenelle circled, thrust, clashed.

”DAMN YOU BOTH, I SAID TIME!”

They broke apart, backed away.

Hallevar strode into the circle and took the stick away from Lucivar. He looked at Jaenelle, hesitated, then backed off when Lucivar shook his head.

”Come on, Cat,” Lucivar gasped as he moved toward her. ”We’ve got to walk to cool down.”

Her head snapped up. She braced her feet in a fighting stance.

Lucivar held up his hands and kept moving forward.

The wild look in her eyes faded. ”Water.”

”Walk first,” he said, taking the stick away from her.

”Prick,” she snarled halfheartedly, but she walked with him.

”If you don’t give me a hard time about it, you can even have breakfast.” Lucivar handed the stick to Falonar as he and Jaenelle walked past. He took a couple of towels from Aaron, draped one over Jaenelle’s neck, and began to rub himself down with the other.

Looking around, Surreal noticed that Khardeen was also in the crowd, watching and alert. And she noticed, with a sigh of relief, that Saetan was talking quietly with Daemon.

Turning back to Falonar, she brushed her fingers against the stick. ”Do you think I’ll ever get half that good with one of these?” She half expected some dismissive comment, but when he didn’t answer, she looked up to see him studying her seriously.

”If you can become half as proficient with this as she is, you’ll be able to take down any male except an Eyrien warrior,” Falonar said slowly. ”And you’ll be able to take down half of them as well.” Then he looked at Marian. ”Are you all right, Lady?”

Marian let out a shuddering breath. ”I’m fine, thank you, Prince Falonar. It’s just… sometimes when they’re so intense …”

Falonar bowed just enough to show respect, then left them to talk with Hallevar.

”Are you really all right?” Surreal asked, drawing Marian a little ways away from the crowd.

Marian’s smile was a trifle strained. ”Lucivar’s always tense after he’s been at the service fair, and he’s been worried about Daemon.”

Looking back, Surreal saw Daemon walking toward the Hall with the High Lord. Well, that was one worry out of the way for the moment.

She also noticed the way Jaenelle kept glancing at Daemon while Lucivar piled food on a plate. She smiled.

”Usually I can help him relieve the tension,” Marian continued.

Her self-conscious expression told Surreal exactly how Marian helped relieve the tension. The woman had guts to get into a bed with a man like Lucivar when his temper was already on the edge.

”Since that wasn’t an option this time…”

No, Surreal thought as Marian gave her a speculative look. If Lucivar had never suggested an alternative to intercourse, she certainly wasn’t going to supply the information.

After a moment, Marian shrugged. ”Usually when Jaenelle is his sparring partner, they just keep working through the moves until he’s sweated out the tension. But this morning… Jaenelle’s relatives showing up like this has put her on edge, too.”