The Warden

Chapter 44

Vision refocusing, Charlan could have sworn a flash of movement had occupied her sight when her eyes had first opened. But then again her senses were notoriously unreliable when she first came back into herself each night. Annoyingly so, really.

One day I'll find a way to best you, Charlan thought at Wilo, knowing that the sun had just slipped beneath the horizon. The last remnant of numbness and paralysis his presence brought faded from her body.

"It looks as though your admirer has left a light on for you," Lord Markham said off to the side. "I suppose he didn't want you to awake in the dark. Isn't that sweet of him?"

Still lying on her back, Charlan swiveled her neck so she could look sidelong at the he-wight.

He had sat up already and now lounged on the edge of his bunk, hands planted on either side of him. Smug, almost childlike, he swung a leg. A smirk played on his lips, teasing Charlan's own mouth into a frown. At her displeasure, Markham let his expression open with mock innocence, acting as though he had no idea what would have provoked Charlan into such a state.

That smug little worm, thought Charlan, eye twitching.

She squinted toward the seeing-stone's pale blue light, annoyed that Master Elwith had come to light the thing when the very act risked their exposure. Maybe that bit of mesmer was having too strong of an effect. Beneath all his bluster and hard exterior, it appeared that Master Elwith was just a weakling. So overconfident that his outer defenses would protect him, he hardly examined his motives, thinking they were always his own.

Arrogance usually annoyed her. This arrogance was useful, so she put up with it. If her plans went the way she wanted them to, she wouldn't have to for much longer. All she needed was patience. Patience sufficient to endure two insufferable men.

It would require a great deal then.

"Lord Markham have you given any more thought as to how you will kill Lady Kyla?" Charlan asked. "It has been some time now and I know that most if not all of the inner circle along with myself have begun to wonder if you ever intend to follow through."

Lord Markham's legs stilled. His expression flattened. "I can assure you that I have not forgotten about my task, Mistress. I've given it quite a bit of thought, and I will execute my plans when I find the right opportunity. And not before."

Charlan shrugged, picking at a nail. "As you wish. But that right moment had better come soon and preferably while we're still on this unseemly contraption. With her out of the picture, taking the Domrae boy will be much easier." She looked to the she-wight, who had remained silent up to that point. "The last report, from Ascwin here, said that our people had returned from Asthurn, their task accomplished. Without your contribution to this whole endeavor the next stage will not go nearly as smoothly. Get it done."

Lord Markham rose, his actions stiff. "As I said before. I have a plan. I will execute it. Would you have me rush into folly?"

Only if it meant you would end up dead, thought Charlan. "Of course not, Lord Markham. You couldn't possibly believe that I would wish any harm to come to you. But I don't think I can emphasize this enough. Unless Lady Kyla is eliminated, we face a much more difficult time wrestling Masis Domrae away from her and the sovereigns. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly."

Charlan got to her feet, as Lord Markham sat back down.

How does it feel, Lord Markham, Charlan thought, having another bend you to their desires?

Did his skin crawl and his jaw tighten? Did his hands clench at the sight of her? Did he want nothing more than to tear her head from her shoulders?

Good, she thought, suppressing a smile.

Stretching her arms above her head, fingers splaying apart, Charlan groaned as her muscles shook off the last remnants of their immobility. She twisted through her middle, rocking up onto the balls of her feet, her muscles protesting pleasurably as she reached toward the ceiling. Eyes closed, body thrilling at the tension, Charlan inhaled deeply through her nose.

She paused.

All the talk about Lady Kyla must have gotten to her. For a moment, her unmistakable odor registered in Charlan's nostrils.

She took another breath.

She had not just imagined detecting Lady Kyla's scent. The woman had either been there or was still there. From the ever-renewing concentration, Charlan leaned toward the latter option.

Relaxing her muscles and stilling every part of her body, Charlan cracked her eyes open. Not moving her neck, her attention roved over the small enclosed space.

"Lord Markham..." Charlan began to say.

A piercing yowl cut her off.

A small, wild lifelight popped into being near the ceiling, but no physical form.

Of all of them, Ascwin jumped forward first. Unprepared, she was hit by the unseen person with such force she collided with Charlan, pushing both she-wights back against one of the bunks. Lord Markham, caught off-guard, stumbled forward as the seeing-stone smashed into his head.

Charlan, struggling to free herself from her underling's limbs, growled as Kyla's form popped into existence just long enough for her to jump up and latch onto one of the beams. Her lifelight flashed, and the wall whisked her away.

Flinging Ascwin aside, Charlan righted Lord Markham, still grasping the back of his head, and pushed him toward the wall where Kyla exited.

"I'd say the time is right, now."

Lord Markham shook his head once more before attacking the wall.