She paused a moment. Saw the suspicion vanish from his eyes. Saw those eyes turn from icy blue to the color of the lake in far Kyrania.
He said, I'm sorry about Nerisa. He shrugged. I never meant it to happen.'
'I know that, Leiria said.
'I thought she was dead.'
'I know that too.'
'I'm ashamed to admit that I've treated you badly.'
'Never mind, Leiria said. There's no time for apologies or remorse now, my love.'
She took a deep breath, then said, Hold on tight as you can while I tell you what's happened. I would have said it first, but I knew you'd think it was a trick. A trap.
'Nerisa and Palimak never left. They are still in Zanzair.'
'What? Safar's voice came like a cry.
'She was betrayed by Abubensu, Leiria said. The carriage never arrived. He delayed her with lies until it was too late to find another. Now there are guards outside her home. Not many, but she knows they're there so she doesn't dare leave.'
'How much time do we have? Safar asked.
'I don't know, Leiria said. A few hours at most. They would've moved sooner but it's you they want most of all. Besides, they have to gather their nerve and their forces to oppose you. You can be sure when they come it'll not be just with soldiers, but with Fari's best wizards and witch sniffers.
'That's how much they fear you.'
Leiria indicated the horses. Everything's ready. We have only to ride.'
And ride they did. A mad clatter of iron hooves, shouted curses and cries of alarm as they dashed through the streets. They burst through the busy market place, scattering shoppers and knocking over stalls. They tore through parks, leaping hedges and showering mud. But when they came to the hill leading up to Nerisa's mansion they hauled the horses in, dismounted as quietly as they could, and hid them among some trees.
Then they crept up the hill in full daylight, using every rock and stump and bit of brush for cover. A young nurse with two young charges in tow saw them and hurried away. A gardener came on them while they were lying in a hedge and Leiria took him captive as gently as she could and bound him with leather laces from her harness.
There were four guards patrolling the grounds. Three demons and a hulking brute of a human.
They killed all four, quietly and efficiently.
Then they were at the door.
'I'll get the horses, Leiria said and she turned and ran back down the hill.
The door came open and Nerisa rushed into Safar's arms.
'I was afraid you'd never come, she said. And I was more afraid you would. It's you they want, not me.'
'I wish that were true, Safar said. But when the king condemned me he condemned you as well.
'Now, quick! Get Palimak. We have to flee!'
Then they were out on the broad lawn and Leiria was thundering up, leading two horses behind her.
Safar took Palimak while Nerisa mounted. The child was silent, trembling. Eyes flashing from yellow to hazel and back again.
Then Nerisa was fully mounted and she reached down to take the child.
Safar was handing him up when Gundara suddenly shouted, They're coming, Master! They're coming!'
He whirled, clumsy with the child still in his hands. Down the hill he saw helmed demons and humans kicking their mounts up the road. Then he heard the bay of the witch sniffers and saw the devil hounds bounding in front of the troops. He felt a blast of magic and reeled back, stumbling against Nerisa's horse, which shrilled and shied away. He heard her shout to him to hand up the child.
But there wasn't time, there wasn't time.
Another blast, stronger than the first, came at him like a great wind, shriveling the grass with its heat.
He managed a blocking spell, but diverted only part of it. He turned to protect the child, catching the force with his back. He felt it sear through his clothes, gritted his teeth against the pain and he heard Gundara shout, Shut up! and Palimak echo, Shut up! and then the pain was gone.
He set the child down and came about, clawing at his pocket. The witch sniffers were almost on him now, but he had time to hurl the pellets and they exploded, sheeting fire and smoke.
The devil hounds were scattered by the blast, shrieking in fear and pain.
Smoke cloudsred and green and yellow swirled all around.
Then he heard the thunder of the approaching troops and through the smoke he saw Leiria, sword in hand, charge into the mass, cutting left and right, leaving demon howls and human screams in her wake. She broke through, then wheeled her horse and came crashing back, her killing sword releasing rivers of blood.
And now Nerisa was off her horse and beside him, armed with nothing but a whip. A witch sniffer leaped out of one of the smoke columns, slavering jaws yawning. It came so fast it almost had him, but Nerisa lashed out with her whip, slicing through those open jaws and the creature's face became a gory mask and it slammed to the ground. So close that Palimak hit it with his tiny fist, crying, Shut up! Shut up!'
Nerisa scooped Palimak off the ground. Slinging him on her hip, she held him with one hand while she whirled the whip with the other.
Then the air shrilled and a dark swarm of arrows came lofting towards them.
But they were slow, so very slow. They reached the apex of their flight then down they came, down, down and down.
Just as they struck, Safar hurled himself on Nerisa and the child. His body, not magic, was their only shield. He heard them strike all around him, thought for an instant they'd been saved by a miracle or incompetence. Then he grunted as one buried itself in his thigh. Grunted again when another struck his shoulder. He hurt, by the gods he hurt, but he didn't care because he could feel Nerisa's warmth against him. Hear Palimak crying beneath her. And he knew they were safe.
He rolled away, purposely and painfully breaking off the arrows against the ground.
Safar came to his feet, calm and strong and gathering more power with each breath.
He slipped the dagger from his belt. Casual, as if he had all the time in the world. With cold interest he noted Leiria savaging the soldiers. She was here, there, everywhere, darting in and out, dealing out death as if it were the sweetest of gifts. But she was tiring, as was her horse. He saw the animal stagger once, saw her sword arm droop and the effort on her face as she forced it up again.
Then the great spell came, just as he knew it would. He could smell Fari, that damned old demon, behind it. Ah, and there was a little bit of Luka there. A whiff of arrogance. And Kalasariz? Where was he? He sniffed again, caught the sewer stench of conspiracy. There you are, you whore's son. But Fari would need more for this spell.
He'd need Iraj.
Safar imagined them tucked safely away in some dark room of the palace. The Necromancium, most likely. Fari was a cautious old fiend and wouldn't trust his wizards to drag Safar down. So just in case he'd create a mighty spell. He'd take a drop of blood from each. And build on the innate power all conspiracies hold. He'd take one from Luka for his poisonous hate of his father. One from Kalasariz, to confound. One from himself for real magic. And finally, one from Iraj, for there is nothing as deadly as friend against friend.
Asper had taught Safar that.
Then Fari would mix the blood in a potion. A potion he would've labored long and hard on well before this conspiracy had come into the open. And then they'd drink. Each passing the cup on to the other.
Poor Iraj, Safar thought. He probably didn't know the potion would seal him to the others forever.
Then Fari would cast the spell. But what spell would it be?
Ah! What else?
The Force of Four!
Another lesson learned from Asper.
He shouted for Gundara who leaped out onto his shoulder.
