Queen of the Darkness (The Black Jewels #3)(62)
Author: Anne Bishop

5 / Kaeleer

Daemon watched Saetan pour a large brandy. "Can you drink that?" he asked, keeping his voice mildly curious.

"It gives me vicious headaches," Saetan replied, pouring a second glass for Daemon. "But I doubt it’s going to make the one I’ve already got any worse, so…" He raised his glass in a salute, then swallowed half the brandy. "Dejaal was Prince Jaal’s son."

Mentioning the tiger Warlord Prince seemed an abrupt change of subject. "Lucivar found the men?"

"And got the information we wanted before they were executed."

Daemon studied his father. Something wasn’t quite right here. Since he didn’t know what questions to ask, he voiced his own concern. "Jaenelle isn’t here, is she?"

Saetan shook his head. "She’s gone to Ebon Askavi— and has asked to be left alone for the time being."

"Are you going to abide by her wishes?" Daemon asked carefully.

Saetan’s look was steady and far too knowing."We are going to abide by her wishes. If she needs to remain cold in order to make the decisions that have to be made, forcing her to feel before she’s ready would be cruel."

Daemon nodded. He didn’t like it, but he could accept it. His thoughts went back to the three men who had been waiting to help Osvald abduct Wilhelmina. "Those men served Hekatah and Dorothea?"

"They worked for them."

He felt Saetan retreat, so he pressed. "Lucivar executed the men?" It wouldn’t have been Lucivar’s first kill, sothat couldn’t be bothering Saetan. Was there something different about a formal execution?

"The other males in the First Circle withdrew their right to collect any part of the debt that was owed them for the death of a Brother," Saetan said.

"What does that mean?" Daemon asked slowly.

Saetan hesitated, then finished the brandy before replying. "It means they gave those men to Jaal… and to Kaelas."

6 / Kaeleer

Fuming silently, Surreal glared at the four men in the High Lord’s study. She had snarled her way into this little discussion, only to be bluntly told that they would tolerate her presence as long as she didn’t interfere. Her opinion wasn’t requested or required.

If it had been any other men, she would have given them her opinion ofthat, probably delivered on the end of her stiletto. But Lucivar looked like he’d been pushed hard enough and wouldn’t hesitate to throw her out—throughthe door. And Saetan and Andulvar Yaslana weren’t the kind of men who would allow anyone to step on their authority as Steward and Master of the Guard.

What really bit her was that Falonar hadn’t looked at her once since she’d managed to win enough of the argument to stay in the room. She would have thought that he’d be grateful to have someone speak in his defense. But he …

Well, that was fine. That wasjust fine. She didn’t need to be there, wasting her time on a thick-skinned, hard-headed male who didn’t want her there in the first place.

She looked at Lucivar at that moment, saw the sharp amusement in his gold eyes, and knew that, now, if she tried to leave, she would be ordered to stay. So instead of cursing herself for her own stubbornness, she cursed Lucivar instead. And seeing his amusement deepen, realized he knew it—the prick.

Saetan leaned against his blackwood desk and crossed his arms. "Prince Falonar, please explain your actions this morning."

His voice sounded polite, only mildly curious. Surreal wondered if that was a bad sign.

Falonar responded. In Surreal’s opinion, the dry recitation of actions fell far short of an explanation, but the other men didn’t seem to notice that.

When Falonar finished speaking, Saetan looked at Andulvar and Lucivar, then back at Falonar. "You erred on the side of caution," Saetan said quietly. "That’s understandable—and, in a Warlord Prince, also unacceptable. You can’t afford the luxury of caution."

Falonar swallowed hard. "Yes, sir."

"You do understand that discipline is required?"

"Yes, sir."

Saetan nodded, appearing satisfied. He looked at Lucivar. "This is your decision."

Falonar turned to face Lucivar.

Lucivar studied him for a moment. "Five days of extra guard duty, beginning tomorrow."

Instead of looking relieved, Falonar looked as if he’d been slapped.

"Anything else we need to discuss?" Saetan asked.

Lucivar looked at her, then at Saetan, who, after a pause, dipped his head in the barest of nods.

Lucivar opened the study door and waited.

After bowing to Saetan and Andulvar, Falonar walked out. Since it seemed the proper thing to do. Surreal also bowed to the two men, then followed Falonar out of the study so fast she stepped on his heels.

Swearing, he lengthened his stride, finally stopping when he reached the center of the great hall.

Surreal caught up to him. "Well, that wasn’t—" The dislike and anger in his face as he watched Lucivar approach them stopped her.

"Five days of extra guard duty is an insult," Falonar said.

Surreal grabbed two fistfuls of her long tunic to keep from belting him. Fool. Idiot. He should be grateful it wasn’t worse.

"It’s not an insult," Lucivar replied mildly. "It’s fair. You made a mistake, Falonar. Some reparation has to be made for it. You acted, but you also hamstrung yourself by being too cautious."

"I realize what my caution could have cost."

"Yes, you do. Which is why the discipline is fair." Lucivar’s mouth curved in a lazy, arrogant smile. "Don’t worry about it. You’ll stand extra guard duty plenty more times before you’ve been here a year. I certainly did."

Falonar stared at him. "You?"

The smile sharpened. "Hard to believe that I would err on the side of caution, isn’t it? But I wanted to stay in Kaeleer, and I wanted to serve my Queen, so I kept my temper leashed as much as possible—for me. And ended up in that study, facing those two, more times than I care to count." Lucivar paused. "This is Kaeleer. Here, a Warlord Prince’s temper is considered an asset to a court."

Falonar took a moment to digest this. Then, courteously, "Extra guard duty doesn’t seem like much when a witch could have died."

"Well, there is another part to your… discipline," Lucivar said. He tipped his head toward Surreal. "You get to cope with her until sunrise. Since she looks like she’s going to break her teeth unless she gets to yell at a male, it might as well be you." The smile got even sharper. "Of course, you could always offer to warm her bed and see if that buys you any leniency."

Falonar choked. Surreal made a sound like a teakettle ready to boil over.