Queen of Darkness

8 Kaeleerspan

The golden spider studied the two tangled webs of dreams and visions.

More deaths. Many deaths.

It was time.

Remember this web. Remember every strand, every thread.

Throughout the cold season, she had been pulled away from her own dreaming, compelled to study the web that had shaped this living myth, the Queen who was Witch. And she had realized it would not be enough, because living inside the flesh had changed this dream. It was more now. And, somehow, she needed to add that ”more” to the web. Without it, Kaeleer’s Heart would be gone for too many seasons-and would not be quite the same when the dream returned.

She continued to study the webs.

The brown dog, Ladvarian, was the key. He would be able to bring her the ”more” she needed.

Yes. It was time.

She returned to the chamber within the sacred caves, and began to weave the web for dreams that were already made flesh.

Chapter Thirteen

1 Kaeleerspan

The First Circle of the Dark Court gathered at the Keep. At least, the humans in the First Circle had gathered, Saetan amended as he listened to Khardeen’s grim report about the attacks that had taken place in Scelt during the past three weeks. There had been attacks everywhere in the last three weeks. Maybe that was why the kindred hadn’t answered Jaenelle’s summons to come to the Keep. Maybe the kindred Queens and Warlord Princes didn’t dare withdraw their strength away from their own lands. Or maybe it was the beginning of a rift between humans and kindred. Maybe they were withdrawing from what they considered a human conflict in order to save themselves.

But he would have thought Ladvarian, at the very least, would have come so that he could explain things to the rest of the kindred. He would have realized the conflict wouldn’t be confined to humans. Hell’s fire, kindred had already been attacked.

But Ladvarian wasn’t there-and it worried him.

Two other things worried him: the flickers of grief and resignation he was picking up from Andulvar, Prothvar, and Mephis-who had all fought, and died, in the last war between Terreille and Kaeleer-and the fact that Jaenelle had been sitting there for the past two hours with such blankness in her eyes he started to wonder if she hadn’t created a simple shadow to fill a space at the table.

”Just defending against these attacks isn’t going to save our lands or our people,” Aaron said. ”There are Terreillean armies gathering against us. If the enemy who’s already in Kaeleer gains control of a Gate and opens it for those armies… We need to do something now.”

”Yes, you do need to do something,” Jaenelle said in a hollow voice. ”You need to retreat.”

Protests from all sides rose up in a wave of sound.

”You need to retreat,” Jaenelle repeated. ”And you will send all of the Queens and Warlord Princes in your Territories to the Keep.”

Stunned silence met that statement.

”But, Jaenelle,” Morghann said after a moment, ”the Warlord Princes are needed to lead the fighting. And asking Queens to leave their lands while their people are under attack …”

”They won’t be needed if the people retreat.”

”Just how far are we supposed to retreat?” Gabrielle snapped.

”As far as necessary.”

Aaron shook his head. ”We need to gather our warriors into armies to fight against the Terreilleans and-”

”Kaeleer will not go to war with Terreille,” Jaenelle said in her midnight voice.

Chaosti sprang up from his seat. ”We’re already at war!”

”No, we are not.”

”So we’re at war with Little Terreille, since that’s where these attackers have been hiding,” Lucivar growled. ”It’s the same thing.”

Jaenelle’s eyes turned to ice. ”We’re not at war with anyone.”

”Cat, you’re not thinking-”

”Remember to whom you speak.”

Lucivar looked into her eyes and paled. Finally, reluctantly, he said, ”My apologies, Lady.”

Jaenelle rose. ”If there’s time to retreat before the attack, do it. If not, keep the fighting to a minimum. Defend for as long as it takes to retreat, but don’t attack. And get the Queens and Warlord Princes to the Keep. There will be no exceptions, and I’ll accept no excuses.”

A long silence filled the room after Jaenelle left.

”She’s not thinking clearly,” Kalush said reluctantly.

”She’s been acting strange since the first attack,” Gabrielle snapped, then looked apologetically at Karla. ’

”It’s all right,” Karla said slowly, with obvious effort. ”She has been acting strange. I’ve wondered if healing me affected her somehow.”

”What’s affected her is her aversion to killing,” Lucivar snarled. ”But she’s usually clear-sighted enough to be able to see the obvious. We’re at war. Dancing around the word isn’t going to change the fact.”

”You would defy your Queen?” Daemon asked mildly, almost lazily.

Lucivar’s instant, razor-edged tension startled all of them.

What’s happening between them? Saetan wondered as Daemon and Lucivar just stared at each other. Seeing the sleepy look in Daemon’s eyes, he felt ice wrap around his spine.

”I don’t think the Lady understands the repercussions of her order,” Lucivar said carefully.

”Oh,” Daemon purred, ”I think she understands them quite well. You just don’t agree with her. That’s not sufficient reason to disobey her.”

”Considering what you’ve done in other courts, you’re not exactly a model of obedience,” Lucivar said with a little heat.

”That’s irrelevant. We’re talking about you and this court. And I’m telling you, Yaslana, that you will not distress her with defiance or disobedience. If you do…” Daemon merely smiled.

Lucivar shuddered.

After Daemon glided out of the room, Saetan asked, ”Is he bluffing?” He became uneasy when Lucivar just stared at the table. ”Lucivar?”

”The Sadist doesn’t bluff,” Lucivar said roughly. ”He doesn’t need to.” He strode out of the room.

”It would seem there’s nothing more to discuss,” Saetan said, rising from the table. A flick of a glance brought Andulvar, Prothvar, and Mephis to their feet.

Letting the other men precede him, he had almost shut the door when he heard Aaron say, ”What do we really know about Daemon Sadi?”

He closed the door silently. When he turned toward the other men, he saw the same question in Andulvar’s eyes- and he was no longer sure he had an answer.

2 Kaeleerspan

”What do we really know about Daemon Sadi?” Aaron said.