Page 44 of Ryld's Shadows
Chapter Ten
The aelfe loved their white horses, so Kai was pleasantly surprised when the one the stable hand brought out to him was coal black, some sleek human breed instead of an aelfe battle steed, of course. Elven horses generally did not survive the crossing, and the few that did seemed unable to breed.
He’d changed into leathers and boots, which were perhaps not the most appropriate clothes for a court visit, but he wasn’t ruining good wool slacks riding. The horse shied from him until he spoke to her, assuring her that he was no threat even though he smelled of strange places. His guide, a young aelfe, equal parts nerves and contempt, was not so easily won over.
“She’s very fast. Are you certain you can stay in the saddle?” the youngster sneered as Kai vaulted onto his mount’s back.
Kai was far too tired already to waste polite conversation on him. “Child, I was riding for centuries before you were born. Horses. Tzok lizards. A giant spider who liked my company. Lead on.”
The guide blinked in shock, but with the bravado of the young, kicked his horse into a gallop as if daring Kai to keep up. Leaning over his horse’s neck, he whispered in her ear, and she leaped to follow, through the trees and the gathering dusk. The dense forest gave the impression of being impassable, but there were paths hidden in the undergrowth and the aelfe youngster obviously knew them well. They rode for perhaps an hour before they reached another huge clearing, though no beautiful palace rose up to greet them here.
The ground had been rising steadily as they rode and at the far side of the clearing it rose sharply to steep-sided hills. Several arched entrances had been carved into these hills, precisely and with meaning to their shape and angles. The entrance to a drow court, written in the stone for any who could read it.
“I don’t go in there.” The guide nodded to the cave mouths. “An hour. I’ll wait that long. No more.”
“If you make me walk back, Lady Jessamine will not be best pleased.” Kai tossed his reins to the aelfe and slid from the saddle. “But I don’t think this will take terribly long.”
He was watched. He knew that. Though the sentries were far better concealed than the aelfe in the trees had been.A bit of swagger, then. It never hurts.
He took the central tunnel down, the one clearly marked as the way to the court proper, steeling his resolve, pulling all his arrogance around him. Quite frankly, he was scared out of his mind.
The tunnel opened up here and there to other passageways, other rooms, but none of those distracted him. Down and down, into the heart of the earth, until he came to a guarded door of black metal and silver.
“Kai Hiltas,” he told the guard. “She’s summoned me.”
The drow guards nodded, polite enough, and opened the heavy door for him. The cavern beyond glittered with quartz and mica trapped in the stone, a soaring chamber big enough that the edges were lost in darkness. Not her, of course. She sat in the center under the lamplight, on a high seat as white as bone. It might havebeenbone—such was tradition.
Kai had never spoken with this queen in person before either, not even on a video call, although he had had correspondence with her. And of course he knew what she looked like because research was after all what he did. The photos didn’t do her justice. She was a young queen, younger than Kai at least, but not as young as Ryld. She could have been a direct relative. She looked so similar to Kai, midnight skin and crowned with snowy white hair. Her eyes were a more common red, although so deep a crimson it was like looking into heart’s blood.
She did not stand on ceremony and welcomed him herself, rather than the traditional announcements and scrapings of court. “Well met, Kai Hiltas,” she said in drow.
Not to be rude, he answered in kind, with a hint of a bow, “Lady Ksatha, an honor. I came as soon as I was apprised of your summons.”
One of her slim brows rose. “Summons? More of an invitation.” She paused. “Ah, I see. Read the note I sent for you, did she? Jessaminedoeslove her dramatics. No matter, thank you for coming so soon. I hear you have a young drow in your company?”
“Yes.” No reason to deny it. She knew already. “We will be visiting with the aelfe for a short while.”
“I’m aware of your goals, even if you didn’t seek my advice.” Her lips twitched into a sardonic half-smile. “She’s promised her sorcerers can bring your silver drow to heel, is that not so?”
“Lady Jessamine has promised nothing,” Kai said, as neutrally as he could manage.
Ksatha shifted her indolent slouch in the throne, leaning in more toward him. “Come now, there is no need to be so stiff and guarded here, among your own.” Her words poured into Kai’s ears like warm honey. “You are a mage of some renown. If you’re seeking the help of the aelfe with a weapon the drow created, the situation must be quite desperate. How mad is he?”
His blood screamed at him to fall to his knees and spill out all the thoughts in his head. This was no pretender, but an actual drow queen, young though she was. But his blood could go sing to someone else. “He is not mad, my lady. That much is certain. Though they tried their best to make him so.”
“Control through fear has its uses in the short term, but I’ve found it exceedingly limiting. Long-term loyalty is best earned through other means.” She smiled. “I can see you don’t believe me, but don’t worry. I don’t blame you for your mistrust, no matter how nobly you try to hide it. I take it the silver born was too terrified to come with you?”
“I would not have brought him in any case.” Kai tipped an eyebrow up at her. Eyebrow for an eyebrow. “Your interest in him is far too transparent, my lady.”
She laughed, not true mirth, but a shivering power in the sound that made Kai lock his knees. “Yes, well. You would mistrust my intentions either way so why go to the effort to hide them? I don’t wish him any harm, though I dare say that won’t set your mind at ease. I will say I’m not the only one that seeks to tempt him to stay here in Elvenhome.”
Point to her ladyship. Kai inclined his head in acknowledgment. “I’m well aware of such possibilities. The courts will always be the courts, wherever they happen to be transplanted. He is not here to stay. I intend to continue to make that clear until we depart.”
“I’ll make no move to force the matter. However, I have an offer. I would like you to spend some time here, in my court, while the aelfe pretend they know how to teach a drow his magic. When they fail, and if you find my home safe enough, I’ll help him.”
There was a subtle insult hidden in her gracious words. As if Kai hadn’t tried to work with Ryld himself. As if Kai weren’t enough of a mage to teach him, but Ksatha thoughtshecould. Offense was not something one showed in a drow court, though, unless one was in a position of unassailable strength.
“My lady, it is not a matter of my endorsement. Or my approval. Ryldwillnot. The circumstances of his upbringing make such a thing impossible.”
