The Spirit Stone - Katharine Kerr [115]
‘Bury it once and for all, will you? I would have claimed you both if I could have. Don’t you believe me?’
She ignored the question and glanced up at the sky, half-expecting to see Vandar’s white dragon stooping for the kill. ‘What’s wrong?’ Laz said. ‘Are you ill?’
‘No, you dolt, I’m terrified. First Evan, now the silver wyrm—I’ve got to go back to Zakh Gral. The silver dragon is one of Vandar’s servants in this world. What if he tells the prince of Vandar’s spawn or one of those Lijik Ganda rakzanir, the gwerbrotz, whatever they call them, about Zakh Gral? I’ve got to warn the fortress.’
‘Are the holy ladies going to believe you? “And how do you know about this dragon?” they’ll say. “Oh, a mazrak told me,” you’ll say.’ Laz tossed the feather away. ‘The rakzan of the fortress would have you raised on the long spear before you could scream Alshandra’s name.’
‘Hold your tongue!’ She heard her voice shaking. ‘I’ll tell them Alshandra sent me a vision.’
‘They won’t believe you. You’ve just been disgraced. Why would your goddess deign to warn you and not them?’
‘How do you know about that?’
‘I watched, of course, from way up high. The raven has sharp eyes, my love, and even sharper ears.’ He grinned at her. ‘And here you are, smelling of despondency, with all your lovely hair cut off, turned out onto the road to go wipe the spiritual arses of your believers over in Slavers’ Country, and a stinking lot of rabble they are at that. Your dear friend Rocca must be strutting like a bell mare in a herd of geldings.’
Sidro felt tears gather. She raised her hands and covered her eyes, trying to hide the tears, to force them back, to wipe them away, but they spilled between her fingers. She heard Laz getting up, walking over—a danger of another sort. She was only half-dressed, he naked, just as on that day so long ago when his mother had ordered her into the First Son’s chamber. She could remember walking in and seeing Laz lounging naked on his bed. She had known then what her duty would be, and she’d been so glad of it.
Glad then. Not now. Laz knelt in front of her and laid a gentle hand on her cheek. He took a deep breath, soaking in her scent. She knocked his hand away. With a soft laugh he sat back on his heels.
‘Ah yes,’ he said, ‘your holy vows.’
‘Don’t torment me. Please, Laz, don’t.’
‘Well, I didn’t come here to cause you pain. Don’t you remember when you were a slave in my mother’s house? I set you free then. I’m trying to set you free again now. Please, won’t you even look at me?’
He was smiling, but sadly, his brown eyes strangely shadowed as he leaned closer. She looked into his eyes and found herself unable to look away. All at once she yawned with a convulsive shudder. I’m exhausted, she thought. I hardly slept last night. Laz kept staring into her eyes.
‘Come with me, Sisi,’ he said. ‘I want you to come with me.’
‘I can’t. I swore a vow to my goddess.’
‘But I’ve got something I want to show you, something very special. It’s a crystal, a crystal with sorcerous powers.’
‘The goddess comes first. I’ve got to go warn her people.’
‘There’s no need of that. They’re safe. That dragon—he wants to kill us, not them. Come with me so I can keep you safe.’
His eyes seemed to have become great drifts of dust, blown in a hot summer wind around her. His scent enveloped her.
‘But Evan, he’ll tell someone.’ Sidro suddenly found it hard to remember just who Evan was. ‘Word gets around. Those lords of theirs. Lijik Ganda, I mean.’
‘Why should they care what happens so far west?’ Laz leaned closer still. ‘Zakh Gral’s perfectly safe. No one will harm it. It’s hidden, it’s secret.’
Sidro yawned again. The dust clouds returned, dancing and swimming around her. ‘Secret,’ she whispered.
‘Yes, we have our secrets, don’t we, Sisi? Don’t you remember them? Come with me. I’ve learned so many new secrets since we were separated. Don’t you want to share them?’
‘I suppose.’
‘Don’t suppose. You know you want to learn them.’
‘I want to share them.’
‘You want to come with