The Charmer

34

Distracted from his ire, Keilor allowed himself to sink into his favorite chair. The leather had worn away on the armrests, but it was still serviceable. He couldn’t be talked into throwing it out.

Why was it that all the trouble in their lives of late came in the form of a woman? A woman, he thought angrily, who’d called the undefeated Lord of the Hunt to heel with one phrase from her traitorous charmer lips? Come to me… He closed his eyes at the humiliation of it. How could he insure the safety of what family he had left if the Haunt knew that their Warleader could be brought to his knees by the voice of a woman?

“And what is to be the prize in this ‘cost nothing’ tournament?” Keilor asked bitterly. “A chance to drink wine from the charmer’s cupped hands? A sash of scarlet embroidered with her name?”

Jayems laughed without humor. “Nothing so traditional, my friend.” He paused, knowing he was about to hear an explosion. “The victor receives a night with Jasmine.”

Keilor was on his feet in an instant. “No.”

“They will be chaperoned, Keilor. By two of the strongest Haunt I can find,” Jayems assured him.

“I said no!” Keilor shouted. The thought of another man being allowed so intimate a time with her, even with others nearby, sickened him. “I will not allow it.”

Jayems’ eyes hardened. “Who speaks to me now, Keilor? The Master of the Hunt, or the man?”

Stricken, Keilor clenched his fists and turned his back on him, a thing he had never done.

Jayems continued relentlessly. “You speak to me this way, and yet you have made no binding claims on the girl. Why shouldn’t I allow this? She needs a mate with all speed, and to find one, I must allow her time with any man of her choosing.” He paused to lend his words weight. “Make your claim or stand aside. I’ve been patient long enough.”

Keilor’s voice was hoarse with years of pent up anguish. “I will not be bound by a woman.” Just saying the words conjured dark memories

Jayems closed his eyes; hurting for the man he loved like a brother. “That was years ago, Keilor. Jasmine has nothing to do with it.” He softened his voice. “She’s nothing like Yesande.”

“Nothing?” Keilor growled. “What was tonight?”

Haunt did not tolerate self-pity. Jayems’ tone became implacable. “Then bind her to you. Make her ache for you. Seduce the charmer until she is the one waking in the night, crying out your name. But either way, let this now be finished.”

***

Jasmine wandered the halls, long after she should have been asleep. She never noticed when Keilor took the place of her guard, wearing the unadorned black uniform of a lower ranking soldier. Silent, he followed her to the moonlit steps she’d visited before. He watched as she chose a stair and bent one knee, her back against the wall. She stared at the moons for a long time.

“There is only one moon on Earth,” she said softly, at last. “It is very strange. It’s never really dark here in these Dark Lands. I think I’m homesick.” She took a ragged breath, and her head sank down to her knee. “I want to go home,” she whispered, sounding very young. She sat there for a long time with her arms wrapped around her knee, her breathing shallow and uneven. “I just want to go home.”

***

Jasmine sat cross-legged on the grass and waited for one of the villi to come to her. All she had to do was sit still until one of the tiny giraffe-like creatures decided she might make a good playmate; or so the morning maid had assured her. No one else had been about, and Jasmine assumed Rihlia and her mom were off on another shopping expedition.

She sighed, rubbed a thumb along her knee and glanced at the villi. Every once in a while one of the black and tan spotted creatures would eye her. They always went back to browsing on their long manger of brush.

It would have been nice to see a little more of the citadel, especially the merchants, but Jasmine never said as much. Sometimes merchants brought their wares to Rihlia’s room, but it wasn’t the same. Jasmine hadn’t bought much.

Even if she could have gone to the bazaar, she didn’t want to. Who could enjoy shopping with every male in the vicinity gawking at you? Thinking of males naturally brought Keilor to mind, and she slouched. She hadn’t seen him in two days, and tomorrow was the day of the tournament. She wondered if he would avoid the event, and her, altogether, or go just so he could cheer on the victor.

One of the villi lifted its head and stared her, then went back to its browse.

Against her vigorous protest, Jayems had upped the stakes of the tournament, and the entrants now numbered in the hundreds. Not only were the cadets she’d originally wished to thank invited, but several men she’d never heard of had also been asked to join the contest on the second day. The first was reserved for those who simply wished to prove their skill, though Jasmine would be awarding the prize.

The little villi that had stared at her took a step her way. It dropped its head to nibble at the grass as soon as it saw her looking.

Jasmine looked back at her hands.

She hadn’t liked it when she’d found out the tournament would be a trial by combat. She didn’t want men getting b****y over her.

Jayems had lifted a brow and asked what other kind of tournament there was. When she’d explained she’d been thinking of games, sports, he’d snorted disdainfully and looked back at his guest list. That had been the end of it.

Jasmine felt something soft graze her cheek and looked up to see the little villi. “You are a darling, aren’t you?” she murmured, and stroked his silky mane. “Would you like to come home with me?” To her surprise, the little villi reared and whipped his head back and forth.

Alarmed, she looked to her bodyguards, but they seemed unconcerned. The rearing turned to crow-hopping and she scrambled to her knees, prepared to run if the little guy got really rough. In her rush to get up, her feet slipped on the grass, twisting her leg. She crashed to the lawn and bit her lip on impact.

Dazed, she blinked up at the turquoise sky. Two Haunt faces and an inquisitive villi peered down at her. She gave them a weak smile. “Let’s just keep this one to ourselves, shall we?”