Children of Chaos

darkness but showing nothing. Nothing except Benard, that is, which was a reminder that Ingeld must find time to rescue him from the bloodsucking Nymph.

Benard, Benard... Benard behind a bush? She knew that bush.

She jumped up and swept out through the arches into the garden, shivering as the cold air struck her heated skin. He was sitting with his knees up and ankles crossed, huddled in a dark blanket, almost invisible under the leaves.

'Just what do you think you are doing?'

'Waiting.'

'Get up!'

He rose, big and sheepish. The blanket cape did not quite conceal the shape at his side. Ingeld peeked and confirmed that he was armed with a dagger. A dagger with a jeweled hilt, no less.

'Where did you get that?'

He pulled the cloth from her fingers. 'Borrowed it. How long until he gets here?'

It was so pathetic she wanted to wrap him in her arms and comfort him like a child. Benard as killer? 'Who told you?' she said.

'Guthlag. The whole palace knows.'

'The whole palace knows my husband goes to his wife's bed? Is that so extraordinary in Kosord? Come inside before you catch cold.'

Benard said, 'No!'

'Sit here, then. You'll have a long wait. Horold has gone hunting. He won't be back before morning.' She stepped over to a bench by the pool.

He sat beside her, wrapping a meaty arm around her, so the blanket enclosed them both. 'I am serious, Ingeld. I know you aren't accepting him voluntarily.'

'And you really think you would have a chance against him? Oh, Bena, Bena! Even if you could creep up on him when he's—busy, let's say—which you couldn't, and even if you stuck that knife in his back, it would not kill him. He'd battleform, heal the wound, tear you to pieces, and go back to what he was doing.' She felt him shudder.

But it was wonderful to have that arm around her, someone who really cared. Cutrath was long gone. The man she had married had been transformed into an animal. Bena was all she had left.

'Surely your goddess doesn't expect you to endure that monster!' he said. 'Can't you curse him—burn him or something?'

She leaned her head on his shoulder. 'My holy mistress would not approve of husband immolation as proper wifely behavior. Horold is within his rights and Veslih is on his side. No, listen!' she said as he tried to protest. 'I'm getting old, Benard, but I still owe my city and my goddess a daughter to rule after me. Horold remembered that, or someone reminded him, and he wants to be her father. The seers will tell him whose child I bear.'

'Will they tell you what it's going to look like? Will it have hooves? Claws?'

'If you're going to shout you'd better come inside.' Ingeld rose and headed back to the hearth. She knelt on the rug, and a moment later Benard's big shape settled beside her. The firelight made him seem haggard, as if he had not slept for days.

'If you won't kill him or let me do it,' he said gruffly, 'I know how he can be distracted so he won't bother you.'

'How?'

'I have a friend who's a Nymph. She says she can handle any Werist, no matter what it looks like.'

Now Ingeld was on safer ground. 'Yes, I know all about your cuddly pet. Fortunately she cannot get into the palace. If the guard didn't stop her, holy Veslih would. I've been meaning to have a talk with you about her, Benard.'

'You needn't lecture me,' he said grumpily. 'It isn't what you think.'

'Yes it is. She's one of the nastiest gold diggers I've seen in all my years as dynast. She bleeds men dry. Believe me, Mistress Hiddi is going to be heading downriver very shortly.'

He sighed. 'I know she's greedy. So let her loose on Horold! Let her loot the palace. At least your bedroom won't smell like a pigpen.'

'Stop that! You have no right to speak to me like that!'

'Yes I do. I love you.'

'Benard!' Not daring to stay close to him, Ingeld scrambled to her feet and began to pace. If Horold asked the Witnesses what men had been in his wife's bedroom, what they had done, what they had said—they would tell him. 'You love Hiddi, remember? And Horold would kill her!'

'She swears he wouldn't. She says she's tamed much worse.'

'She's a Nymph, Benard. She's enthralled you.'

He snorted, a sound of exasperation. 'She's done nothing of the kind! Hiddi is in love with me.'

'Grow up, Benard! Don't you know her corban is to forsake love? Unlimited lust, but no love; that's the bargain she made with her god.'

'Ingeld!' He spoke softly, but he was wearing his stubborn expression, watching intently as she circled the hearth. 'I've never known you to be wrong like this before. Hiddi's corban is that she can never be loved, but she can love. She knows I can never love her. I'm sorry for her. We're good friends. I'm probably the only friend she has. Yes, we do what lovers do, but she knows it