Page 20 of Night's Templar (Vampire Queen 13)

"I prefer a man's touch, my lord." His voice had a hoarse quality. Keldwyn's eyes darkened.

"Good, Lord Uthe. Next time I ask you a question about your desires, do not make me pry it out of you." He sat back and picked up the thread of their conversation. The seesaw between emotional and physical turmoil was making it difficult for Uthe to find steady ground.

"There were those who thought Lady Lyssa's mother had Ennui, including Lyssa herself, but Brian is not so sure. After Lyssa was old enough to care for herself, Masako withdrew from the vampire world. He has collected data that suggests she started falling into melancholy. She also experienced episodes of violence where she had to be restrained to prevent indiscriminate harm to other vampires or humans. All indications of Ennui, but Brian postulated that the manner in which Lyssa's father died broke something within her, never repaired. Once she knew her daughter could handle life on her own, her emotions about that time of her life closed back in upon her and tore her to pieces. When she begged to embrace the sun, those caring for her permitted it. She did not go easily. She died weeping under its heat."

Uthe rose and moved back to his desk. "I need to finish packing."

Keldwyn's gaze went to the chest. "You must have been sure I would secure the Queen's permission."

"I was confident you would do all that could be done, but that's not why I'm packed. There is something I must do before I go to the Fae world. I can arrange to meet you back here when it is done."

"I will go with you. There is nothing to hold me here right now."

"That is not necessary, my lord."

"But is there anything to prohibit you from having company? Other than your wish to be rid of me?"

Whereas the Fae claimed never to lie, vampires had no problem with it, generally. Unfortunately, lying to Keldwyn and getting away with it was as difficult as getting a lie past Uthe himself. Plus, Uthe found he didn't want to lie to him about this.

"Nothing to prohibit you. But I see nothing to compel you. What you desire from me, you can get elsewhere easily enough during my absence and not have to endure this journey."

He'd said something that displeased the Fae, because Keldwyn got that tight look around his jaw. "Do not presume to know the shape of what I desire from you, my lord," he said. "But you are wrong. There is something to compel me. Your Lady Lyssa."

Uthe's gaze sharpened on him. "What do you mean?"

When Keldwyn turned his head, the leaf imprint on his cheek and temple enhanced the piercing quality of his expression. "Your Queen requested that I be with you throughout your charge, from beginning to end. She told me she would consider it a personal favor. It's a risky boon for a Queen to offer a Fae, though I'm sure she's well aware of the implications of it."

Uthe left the desk to stand before Keldwyn, his expression cold. "You will not obligate Lady Lyssa to anything. I will take on the burden. She should not be beholden to you. She is too important to risk such a favor."

"She is more important than your quest? You would risk owing me a favor rather than her, even if it jeopardizes what appears to be the reason for your existence?"

Uthe set his jaw. "Can a Fae have enough honor to tailor his favor so it does not risk something that could do great harm?"

Keldwyn's gaze narrowed. "A vampire, questioning a Fae's honor? Is that not like a sewer rat impugning the intentions of a--

"Pure bred poodle. With painted toenails and wearing a tiara?" Uthe swept his gaze over the Fae's finery, ignoring how appealing it looked on him.

Keldwyn came to his feet. As he did, a cold wind blasted through Uthe, sharp enough it stole his senses, blinded him, though for no more than a blink. When he focused again, Keldwyn stood before him in the far plainer but frustratingly no less tempting garb he'd worn to meet the Queen, the plain white tunic open at the throat, the snug trousers and laced boots. The tattooing was gone, leaving his face chiseled as smooth stone, his hair pulled back in a sleek tail to emphasize the harsh expression.

"Your anger is misplaced, my lord."

"Is it? How do you react to having your queen threatened?"

Keldwyn blinked. "I am no enemy to Lady Lyssa. I have never been her enemy. Favors form links, my lord. Those links often can be the only thing that keep us on the right path."

"Then consider the one she offered you another link in my chain to you, my lord. Release her from it. Whatever you need, I will give, as long as--"

"It does not countermand God's will. I know. I have an excellent memory."

Keldwyn tried to conceal it, but as soon as the words left the Fae Lord's mouth, Uthe caught his subtle flinch, the flash of regret. Despite the sudden tension between them and the uneasy quagmire within him, Uthe couldn't help smiling. "It's good that one of us does. That is the first time I've seen you put your foot in your mouth, my lord. Perhaps having your cock properly serviced diminishes your cleverness. I'll have to remember that."

Keldwyn harrumphed at that, took a seat again. "Those are the only symptoms you've yet experienced with any significance, correct? Disorientation and occasional lapses in memory?"

"And serious lapses in judgment in the company I keep," Uthe muttered. From the corner of his eye he saw the male's lips twitch. Uthe moved to the sink, stared down at the pink stain his blood had left. It was too much to hope that Keldwyn would let the subject go. "Were you here with me, the other night?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"I was."

Uthe nodded, eyes back on his muted reflection. The relief that it hadn't been a delusion wasn't all because of his fear of the disease's progress. It was just...relief. And he was far too content that Keldwyn was determined to accompany him on this first leg of his task. He had no reason to doubt that Keldwyn was serving Lyssa's interests, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be serving his own Queen's. He could have multiple reasons for staying so close to Uthe's side. But Keldwyn looking after the Queen's interests was honorable, what Uthe would expect of him. It was part of what he required of himself in his service to the Council and Lyssa, his own code of honor.

A Fae's capricious nature might seem incompatible with the vampire idea of honor, but Uthe knew it wasn't. He'd stepped on Kel's honor now, just to confirm it. It was something he respected, even as he knew Keldwyn was capable of straddling multiple roles--ally, enemy, impediment, danger, risk...or necessary friend.

God guide us both. This is too important for me to fail because of a weakness of the flesh. But it wasn't Keldwyn's flesh that compelled Uthe so much. If it was, this would be far easier.

"So, this task you must do first." Keldwyn spoke at last and nodded to the chest. "Where are we going, Lord Uthe?"

Though the Fae Lord remained in his chair, the way he met Uthe's gaze when Uthe turned to face him made him feel much closer. Uthe took a breath.

"Syria."

Chapter Six

A private plane was not a problem. Negotiating foreign air space and landing in the remote area that was their destination, even less so. Uthe had maintained the necessary contacts to open doors as needed.

He'd seen a couple of documentaries--what Lord Brian derisively called junk science--that speculated on the secrets the Templars might have kept to the present day. As with most conspiracy theories, the truth was further off the rails than they supposed, and far less dramatic than they hoped. While there were organizations like the Masons that publicly claimed ancestry with the Templars, those descended from the original Order led normal lives with no traceable connections to the Templars, in order to be useful when needed: an air traffic controller, a pilot. As well as a government official who, when the key phrase was used, would make the proper adjustments, no questions asked, to ensure Uthe could fly into the country unchallenged.

Once used, the phrase was changed for all. It was communicated to those who needed to know in a variety of ways. Carrier pigeon, coded correspondence, a cryptic telephone call couched as a wrong number. In the 1800s, Uthe had received such a code change from a

young pickpocket with serious brown eyes and a face so burned he looked like he wore a mask. But his smile was happy and carefree, and he took the tip Uthe gave him with a grin before he disappeared into the crowd.

He suspected some of the descendants kept in closer contact with one another, working on more widespread efforts related to ancient Templar interests and influence, but he hadn't been part of any of that since the Battle of Hattin. He'd merely maintained the necessary connections to serve the singular charge he'd been assigned by Hugh. Early on, when he'd optimistically believed the charge would be accomplished sooner rather than later, he'd wondered what he would do after the task was done, how he could continue to serve his oath. Now he didn't have to worry about that, since his mind would not be reliable enough for anything by the time this was done. Well, amend that. God willing, it would wait until the task was done to become pea soup.

Not surprisingly, it was somewhat of a relief to have his second most closely guarded secret known by one other. It helped that Keldwyn had not remarked upon it further, nor treated Uthe any differently because of it. Rhoswen had only granted Uthe access to the Fae world for his official quest there, so he could not take advantage of the portals that Keldwyn could to make the trip from Savannah to Damascus. He and Keldwyn had parted ways at the Savannah portal, yet when Uthe stepped off the plane to make the connection to the private charter that would take them to their destination in Syria, Keldwyn was already waiting on him. Much like during Uthe's morning sun ritual, it was as if he'd always been there, a step ahead, waiting.

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