Canes and Scales Read online

  My perversity made me speak a few more words. “Why do you need to go?”

  As he spoke, Linden reached for his boots. His voice sounded flinty. “Alasdaire, if this truly is a terrorist affair, then I need to strike at the cause. As I said, if it is a tragic accident, then blame must not be used as a political weapon. Above all I need to show the people I care.”

  Anger filled me. I reached out and firmly grasped his shoulders. I knew I pushed him but my love forced me to ask. “Why?”

  Something broke inside my lover. He twisted back and knocked aside my demanding grip. His killer’s fingers gripped my bare shoulders to the point of pain. I felt determined not to wince. “You ask me why? Because no one else cares! I try to reshape this country into something special, something new, an entity that values the people beyond being cannon fodder. I personally need to see what happened in Acula. Does that answer your persistent why?”

  Not at all. We stared at each other in dull misery until Linden groaned in consternation. His fingers fluttered in dismay. Fast kisses graced my face. “Forgive me for bullying you but please, Alasdaire, I must leave. But understand I love you and I will return to free you.”

  I gasped. Linden’s words almost slaughtered my fear. I read the truth in his face but my stupid tongue trumpeted doubt. “Truly?”

  A crooked smile appeared. “Yes, you impossible beauty. This month with you showed me closeness and love beyond compare. You wanted to spell me and you did but in a far different manner than you ever imagined. You showed me unconditional love. You showed me trust. You opened to me and took me into your heart.” Linden hesitated until he shook his head. His calloused fingers stroked my cheek canes. “I feel ashamed to admit at first your power frightened me. What… harm could you perform if released from the Catch? Those petty worries halted me from immediately releasing you. I also feared my powers were not strong enough to free you. What if I harmed you? Now I feel like a craven coward for not summoning a Catcher to free you.”

  I grasped his tense arms. “My sweet Linden, never a coward. That you considered releasing me makes my heart sing. Return from your duty and make me yours forever.”

  “I will return and allow you to return to the world as my only lover.” Linden embraced me until we forgot time. Our frantic kisses sealed the promise. When he released me I sprawled back in boneless despair and watched my Prince finish tying his short boots. He stared down at me. I swore his violent stare drilled my soul. His light eyes reflected his anguish. “Here.” He fussed with his wrist, leaned down and adhered a slim silver bracelet to my wrist. “Remember my promise.”

  I held up the bracelet to the light and gasped in awe. “This is your Serpent Seal!”

  “Keep it safe for me, all right, my beauty?”

  “With all my heart, my esteemed Prince.”

  Linden’s weary grin forced tears to my eyes. “Then I know it is safe beyond words.” We exchanged another wild kiss.

  Wait. Feral pain drove into my flesh. I winced away from Linden. What happened to my arm?

  To my alarm, hard scales surged forth from the slender bracelet. The sharp mass attacked my forearm canes in silent destruction. No! I helplessly held out my bleeding wrist to my lover.

  “Cease!” Linden grabbed my arm. Sibilant words in an unknown language more suited to snake than man brushed against my flesh. To my amazement the loathsome scales retreated into the silver band. “I am such an unthinking fool! Worry not, my beauty, you are fine. My royal Serpent seal tried to conquer your Elven essence but I quelled the damage.” Commotion in the hall distracted my Prince until he nodded at me. “Remove the bracelet from your wrist.”

  The silver weight fell away. “Now return it.”

  The delicate silver scales encased my bleeding flesh but the bracelet remained inert. Linden sighed in acceptance and removed the bracelet again. “No matter how I rebel I need to accept my savage heritage. Listen well, Alasdaire, only we can remove this bracelet from your wrist. If anyone bullies you, go to Keith. He’ll understand.” He gently wiped the blood from my wrist before kissing the scratches. The silver links encased my flesh in more agreeable communion. Powers, cranky Anders would kill me for bloodying the sheets. “Now I must go. Do you trust my love?”

  My fingers grasped his graying mane. “Absolutely. I send mine with you to protect you from all evil.”

  Our next kiss sealed our words. Linden sighed against my lips and shook his head. “Keep safe until I return for you.” He pressed me into the sheets and departed.

  I stared at the empty room until I scrambled up and wrapped my robe around my trembling body. Linden ascended to the foyer. His guards encircled him, closing him away from me. Words like “dirigible,” “east tether,” “secrecy,” and “death” fouled the air.

  Glass walls sequestered me away from my torment until they shattered in silver truth. My Linden needed to stay here. I lunged forward and reached for him. “My Prince, no!”

  My Prince whirled from exiting into night’s bleak control. I ran toward my lover. Guards grabbed me. “Let him go!”

  Arms dropped way. Linden accepted my frantic embrace. My arms pulled his head toward my lips. I whispered my words to him. “Lover, there’s something wrong.”

  The pure sympathy in Linden’s eyes asked me to stop hurting him. “Alasdaire, please, I know you want me to stay here with you but…”

  How could I make him understand what dread I felt? “Linden, I feel danger around you. I don’t know how it is possible but I know what I feel. Do not leave the manor. Please listen to me!”

  “I must leave.” One finger stroked my cheek cane in sweet solace. Linden spoke into my ear. “Release me, my love. Release me so I can return to you. Know that danger always surrounds me. Your love and sadness make you oversensitive to my troubles. I love you all the more for your concern.”

  Helplessness overwhelmed my mind. My Linden needed to stay but he refused me. We kissed one last time, then I ran from him. The sense of danger surrounding him felt physically painful, like a damaged bruise spreading under my flesh. It bled into my skin. Why did I feel something so strange? I ran up the stairs. Below me Anders’s commanding voice beat against my tense back. Bastard. Leave me alone. The still warm bed cradled my shivering body. No one listened to a lowly slave. Even my considerate Linden thought my reaction stemmed from my love. It did but not as clearly he thought. Or perhaps it did. Nothing made sense to me. I felt shattered. Bleeding insanity ruled my broken world.

  Footsteps intruded upon my bleak sorrow. “You own no reason to remain in this room, slave.” Anders smiled in his cold, superior manner. I wanted to reach up and rip the ugly expression off his stiff face. Remove his mask and reveal the heartless demon lurking beneath. “Return to your room now.”

  Rebellion sparked my nerves. “Leave me alone.”

  His sneer contained acid. “Ah, I see your time with the Prince makes you act bolder than ever. Remember you are still a slave in this household; thus you answer to me. Return to your room now, you mouthy wretch.”

  I sat up. My royal blood demanded recognition. “Yes, my time with the Prince enlightened me since I was treated kindly. Your Prince treated me with respect befitting my heritage.” My finger pointed at the door. “Begone. I remain here for the night.”

  Anders leaned down and cruelly grasped my outflung arm. He halted in tugging me upward. His outraged stare saw Linden’s mighty gift. “You thief!”

  I pulled free with such force that loathsome Anders nearly fell on me. Disgusting! “No! You fool, the Prince gave me this bracelet.”

  “Base liar! Why would the Prince give a miserable slave such a valuable bracelet?”

  “Because to Linden I am not a mere slave.” Anders lunged for my arm again. I rolled away until I stood on the bed’s opposite side. My hands raised in silent threat. We performed a comic chase suited for a mummery stage, yet no laughter touched my soul. “You wicked man, I swear you have gone deaf. I am not leaving this room. I began
my night here and here I shall end it.”

  Something in my fiery attitude made Anders pause. He sniffed in cruel disgust. “Fine. This is a matter for Lord Keith to decide, you haughty slave.”

  “Yes, fetch Lord Keith and discover the truth.”

  Another cold, hard look pierced me. “It’s about time you discovered your proper place, you half-breed annoyance. I hope Lord Keith grants me leave to whip you senseless, then lock you in the basement until you beg for mercy.” Anders stalked from the room.

  I sank to the bed. Shock coursed through my body. When he saw the evidence, Lord Keith would believe me. Linden told me to rely on Lord Keith. He’d know! My fingers toyed with the cool silver bracelet. Each scale reminded me of pressing close to my Linden.

  Voices sounded in the hall until Lord Keith entered the bedroom. “By the High, first my cousin departs the manor in soaring drama, now you are accused of theft. What did I do to deserve such a miserable night?”

  “My Lord Keith, Prince Linden gave me this bracelet. I did not steal it; how could I? He presented the Seal to me as a promise he would return for me.”

  “Let me see.” I obediently held out my arm. Lord Keith examined the narrow bracelet. A low gasp sounded between us.

  His voice snapped cold fury. “Anders, leave us.”

  “My Lord?”

  “Alasdaire is not a thief.”

  Anders bowed and murmured in bare civility. “Very good, my Lord.”

  Lord Keith slumped in resignation. A warped grin shone free. “Alasdaire, Alasdaire, what am I going to do with you? Here you sit wearing Linden’s royal Seal around your wrist. Quite a mighty gift to bestow but it certainly assures his quick return.”

  “I know, my Lord.”

  A long uncomfortable silence followed until Keith shook his head. “I have never known Linden to act so rashly, but so be it. I warn you not to mention this situation to anyone. As far as I am concerned, I never heard of his plan, therefore I will not inform your father. Also you no longer need to act in your capacity as house companion. This mighty Seal tells me my cousin does not want to share you, although it would have been considerate of him to tell me his grand plan.” Keith stared at the wall and then he shook his head again. The situation vexed his normally cheerful spirits. “In the upcoming days occupy yourself in the greenhouse and in the winery. Keep away from Anders. Worry not, I will inform the gruff old man you are no longer under his tender care.”

  How to show my sincere gratefulness? I struggled to speak. “To merely say thank you, my Lord, seems inadequate but I thank you for treating me well.”

  “If Linden believes in you, then I own no choice but to treat you well. You may occupy this room until Linden returns. I daresay he’ll return in haste to collect his valued treasures.”

  Gratitude, so sweet and overwhelming, made me remember not all men were cruel. My hands grasped Lord Keith’s fingers and brought the cool lengths to my lips. “Thank you, my Lord. No wonder your cousin favors you so well.”

  “Indeed. Do us both a favor and remain quietly in the shadows, eh?”

  “Absolutely, my Lord.”

  Lord Keith released a troubled sigh. “My cousin adores an unusual challenge. You certainly offer him both sides of the coin. I confess I will miss enjoying blueberries all year round.”

  Despite my sorrow I laughed in surprise. “My Lord, before I leave I shall persuade the plants to grow for your eating pleasure.”

  “Wonderful.” He rose and shook his head. “Time to see if sleep still awaits me. My wife is ready to toss all the guests out the door!”

  When the suite’s door clicked shut, silence surrounded me. My life often felt lonely but tonight felt horrible beyond reason. Linden’s open adoration ruined me. The emptiness surrounding me kept me awake even after I finished the remaining open bottle of wine. I used Linden’s glass. I felt like a romantic fool but touching where his lips touched comforted me.

  When weariness licked at my mind I curled in the bed. Linden’s familiar scent lingered on the sheets. I hoped I would smell it again in person.

  Oh, how I hoped.

  Yet how I feared this night.

  Why?

  Linden

  Betrayal

  Instead of resting in the small royal cabin, I remained in the command gondola studying the last reported comm news about the terrorist attack. The more I read the more confusion set in. Something felt wrong.

  My tired mind grappled with the problem. What details eluded me? I felt so old and exhausted. My two hours of sleep made my mind feel sluggish. Come on, what was I missing?

  Behind me Captain Ayers gasped in shock. A slight tremor infected his commanding voice. “Prince, there’s an airship closing in fast from the North.”

  His words startled me. “What? That’s impossible.”

  The usually stoic Ayers’s agitation told me the danger. “Prince, please, the sensors do not lie. The ship is running high and fast with no lights. Tealer?”

  Sergeant Tealer turned from his wireless and showed us a pale face. “The vessel ignores my comm hail, Captain.”

  My brief befuddlement vanished. My Serpent instincts illuminated the dreadful truth. I bellowed in frantic command. “Dive now! Dive or we die!” Too late; a sizzling glow arced toward our dirigible. Traitors!

  Captain Ayers bore down hard on his controls but our dirigible only moved so quickly. Luckily the sulfur bomb missed the hull by mere feet. My next order felt foul but necessary. “Abandon ship! We’re under attack by our own countrymen! Abandon ship!”

  So the royal struggle came to this end. I felt no surprise. Far below evil Edward laughed in demented satisfaction.

  Damn my trust.

  Damn.

  My guards scrambled toward the escape gliders positioned just outside the gondola. Jenkins roughly shoved me into the back seat before he thrust himself into the pilot position. I secured goggles and the thickly padded helmet to my head.

  Damaged thoughts swirled in my mind. Cowardly Edward finally moved to defeat me. He knew I detested dirigible travel, so how cunning to bait me with a so-called terrorist disaster. Cunning indeed. My brother forced me into a trapped airborne position and primed me for a simple attack. Helpless and trapped indeed. My useless rage felt justified.

  Jenkins shouted. “Away, Prince!”

  “Go!” The escape glider detached and lunged for cold freedom. Above us the next sulfur bomb scored a direct strike on the helpless dirigible. A gas-fueled inferno shot into the night air, the mass shimmering like a newly born star. Deadly yet beautiful. We raced landward. Terrible fiery rain fell around us, hot and hungry. Flaming debris slammed our small craft, pushing it on a whim. Red, orange and yellow flames billowed against the darkness. Their wrath licked around us in ravenous despair.

  Cold air battered my exposed skin. Our small glider sped down too fast! I shouted above the sizzling turmoil swirling around us. “Jenkins, Damn the Heavens, slow down! Use the brake.”

  My glorious Jenkins sounded calm as a spring sunrise. “Prince, the brakes are compromised. I fear they are sabotaged. I’ll try my best to find us a safe landing spot.”

  How droll. Damaged brakes, eh? Classic. Someone truly wanted me dead. I felt decidedly unpopular.

  Each of my bodyguards understood the glider controls. I placed my faith in Jenkins’s ability. What else could I do? I huddled and watched as red hell continued replacing black heaven. Ah, there, escape parachutes told me the crew floated to… I gasped in disbelief. Bright flame missiles ignited the parachutes. The traitors compounded their infamy.

  My rampaging thoughts shut down until my hatred focused on one man who, sadly, shared my blood. Ah, Edward, who helped you form this ugly plan? Sabotaging the brakes in the forward royal escape glider sounded too brilliant for my brother’s feeble wits. Killing the survivors, damn, how foul. Yes, Edward cultivated a few decadent nobles who decided I needed to die in a so-called accident. They made their final move.

  They slaug
htered me.

  Damn them.

  Fury and cold air hammered me. If I survived this assassination attempt, I would kill my brother. No question. If I discovered who piloted that airship, the traitor would spend long years praying for death for his cruelty toward my loyal men.

  We sped downward, fast, fast, all too fast. The escape glider shuddered and bucked in insulted protest. Clever Jenkins rode the mountain winds, trying to halt our downward spiral by soaring up into the snow-specked clouds. We rocked up and down, up and down through the chilly mountain air. Our small craft felt chained to a serpent’s writhing tail. Nausea set in. Yes, brilliant again to attack our dirigible in the high Cerdain Mountains. Few villages lurked in these barren mountains. An attack here guaranteed little hope of rescue. Any medical assistance would be primitive.