Mist Rising by Eve Langlais
Chapter Thirteen
“Someone’s coming,”the brat shouted from the alcove, her voice bright with excitement. With reason. People rarely visited.
“Describe them,” Hiix ordered.
“Metal suit that’s gray. Helmet on, so I can’t see a face.”
A King’s Elite. Agathe’s heart raced, even as she guessed who it was. It had been a while since she’d seen Baree and that first Vhampir. The good news? They no longer had children’s things lying around. The bad? Agathe had never looked younger. Would he notice that she didn’t seem to age?
He’d definitely notice the young acolyte with purple eyes, who had yet to hide.
“Get to the catacombs,” Agathe hissed.
“Or I could just go to my room,” the brat said with a roll of her eyes.
“Whatever. Just get out of sight before he comes inside,” she told the teen, who kept testing her patience. Then to Hiix, she said, “I’ll be in the office.”
In the Maeder’s office, Agathe smoothed her hair and pretended a calm she didn’t feel. She’d honestly hoped he’d not return, even as she wanted him to. Her hands were no substitute for what he offered.
Would he find her much changed? Younger, yes, but she could always claim the Goddess’s blessing.
Hiix knocked on the Maeder’s door, the position Agathe had assumed for the visitors that sometimes made it down the now-secured path. The brat had done a good job with the sigils. As the mist rose, so did interest in the Goddess. They’d even had inquiries about expanding their ranks. Thus far, they’d sent the acolytes to other Abbaes, claiming a lack of resources. But if they could find a way to mask the teen’s eyes, Agathe wouldn’t have minded some new recruits to revive the Ninth Shield and protect against the next wave of monsters.
Entering her office, Baree appeared as usual, cocky and confident, even harder than the last time. A scar marred his handsome face, but it wasn’t as jarring as the sneer.
“Soraer Agathe.” His tone held a mocking note.
Which might be why she rebuked him. “Actually, it’s Maeder now.”
His brows rose. “I see congratulations are in order.”
“For you, as well, Major Knight.” She indicated the new silver studs on his collar.
“The King rewards those who serve him well.”
“It’s been a while,” she said.
“It has. I’d assumed you and the other Soraers were long ago overrun.”
She felt pride as she lifted her chin and said, “We’ve risen to the challenge.”
“More than risen. I hear the path is safe even at night now, all the way down to the Ninth Shield.”
“The Goddess protects.”
“Or would that be her acolytes, playing with things they don’t understand?” he murmured slyly.
An icy stone formed in her stomach as she forced herself to laugh and reply with, “Our Goddess is good to her servants.”
“Is it your Goddess?” His expression hardened. “Or perhaps you have another secret.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Don’t let him see or smell your sudden fear.
“Do you really think me that dumb that I wouldn’t notice? You get younger each time I see you.”
“I take good care of myself.” She realized he needed distraction, so she came around her desk with a smile. “So suspicious. And here I thought us friends.”
“Are we, Maeder?”The inflection held a hint of anger.
She knew of one good way to ease him into better humor. “You seem tense. Perhaps I can help with that.”
The sex was quick for him, unfinished for her.
A first.
He shoved away the moment he was done, and she tugged down her robe.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, choosing to be blunt and now second-guessing the fact that she’d saved his life once before. He’d changed, and the knot in her stomach insisted it didn’t bode well.
“Nothing’s wrong, other than realizing how blind I’ve been. Have I ever told you I hate liars?” Since he stared at her, there was no doubt who he meant.
Agathe felt for the knife she kept in a pocket. Only to realize it was gone.
It appeared in his hands. He held it with a mocking smile. “Looking for this?”
“Give it back.”
“No.”
“You need to leave.” She inserted as much command as she dared.
“Not until I get what I came for.”
“And that would be what, exactly?”
“The source of your magic.”
“Magic isn’t real,” was her reply.
“Let’s test that theory, shall we?” Before she could react, he was on her. The surprise was great enough that he knocked her in the face.
The surprise blow threw her off. Stunned her. After all, while she’d trained and fought, she’d only ever killed monsters. When it came to hurting a man she’d cared for, who’d just been inside her, she hesitated.
He didn’t. He kicked out her legs and, even before she hit the floor, used his greater weight to pin her as he bound her hands. Only then did he yank her to her feet by the hair, drawing a sharp yelp.
“What are you doing? You can’t do this. You are in the shrine of the Goddess.”
“And? Your Goddess isn’t real, or she’d smite me.”
A logic that wormed its doubtful way through her. “This is a sacred place.”
“Not anymore. I know of your treason.”
“What are you speaking of? I’ve done nothing.”
“You lied to me. You know where the purple-eyed girl is.”
Ice ran through Agathe’s veins. “What are you yammering on about? There are no children here.”
“Are you sure about that? Because I have it on good authority you’re lying.” With a fist wound into her hair, Baree dragged her from the Maeder’s office into the communal hall, currently empty. Hiix would probably be in the alcove, making sure Baree traveled alone. Venna probably studied again, while the brat hopefully hid.
The tension on Agathe’s scalp eased as he dragged her to the courtyard and shoved her to her knees on the flagstone.
Baree bellowed, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
He drew the attention of Hiix, who clambered down the ladder, hand on the head of her hammer as she snapped, “What do you think you’re doing?”
The grip in Agathe’s hair returned, yanking her head back. “Where is the girl?”
“What—?” Hiix’s words cut off as a blade went to Agathe’s throat.
“Give me the girl with the purple eyes, or your Maeder dies.”
“There is no child,” Hiix stated.
“Liar.” The blade dug a bit deeper into Agathe’s flesh, hard enough to break skin. Warm wetness trickled.
“Stop,” Hiix huffed, clearly horrified as she took a step closer, hands reaching.
“No closer. Your Maeder doesn’t have to die. Just give me the girl.”
“There is no girl here.” Hiix spoke carefully. Cautiously.
The knife at Agathe’s throat eased, and for a moment, she thought perhaps he’d see reason.
Wrong.
He shifted the knife that he might plunge it into her.
She didn’t feel it at first and had to look down to see the spreading wetness and, from the center of it, the hilt of his dagger.
Hiix screamed. “Bastard!” She ran for him, hammer swinging.
Baree shoved Agathe from him and met the attack.
Face to the ground, Agathe could only hear—not see—the fight. But she knew who won when Hiix dropped to her knees, wailing, “Agathe! Hold on. I’ll get the brat.”
The minutes went by slowly, but her blood flowed quickly. Her eyes shut as she labored for breath, her lungs filling with fluid.
A scrape and then Baree’s leering face, one eye swollen shut, his mouth bloody as he stood over her. “Lying whore. Where is the child?”
“May the Abyss take you,” she spat instead.
His sword rose, and she could only watch it fall.
The last thing Agathe heard was the scream then nothing…nothing but a soft voice saying, “You served me well, daughter. Sleep now.”
