The Blood of Whisperers by Devin Madson

Author:Devin Madson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-12-10T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

I went in without announcing myself, halting a moment on the threshold while my eyes adjusted to the darkness. After the smells of the swamp, sandalwood smoke was a vast improvement.

I blinked. Malice was watching me. He was sitting at the same low table exactly as I had found him the night before, his chin propped on his hand, long fingers pinching the top of an Errant piece. In this attitude he had frozen, one eyebrow raised, his long hair loose and pouring over his shoulder.

‘Endymion,’ he said, his lips smiling though he did not look pleased.

‘Malice,’ I said.

His other brow went up and he let go of the Errant piece. ‘I see you have found your voice, yes? How miraculous. I had not expected it to happen so soon.’

I sat. Jian had long ago taught me it was rude to sit without being invited, but Malice made no complaint.

‘Well?’ he said after a long stretch of silence. ‘I hope you have a reason for bursting in upon my game, yes?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I want to know why you sent your men after me.’

‘Would you have preferred to remain a prisoner? To find yourself working as a slave, exiled far beyond the borders of your homeland?’

‘Did I say that?’

We stared at one another. Malice was the first to smile. ‘You’re not afraid of me, yes? That is refreshing.’

‘No, I’m not,’ I said, though it was not entirely true. ‘You haven’t given me any reason to be.’

‘Have I not? How remiss of me.’

‘You still haven’t answered my question.’

Malice leant forward, resting both elbows upon the table, his face close enough that I could see every imperfection in his skin and knew him for a man as real as any other. ‘There are not many of us,’ he said at last. ‘Empaths are rare creatures. It would have been madness to let anything happen to you, yes?’

‘And how did you know I was an Empath?’

‘You would be surprised at how much I know, Endymion.’

‘You know who I am.’

‘I know who you are, yes. I also know who your parents were and I know the name you were born with.’

‘Will you tell me?’

Malice leaned back, tapping a fingernail upon the edge of the Errant board. ‘Is that all you want? The past?’

‘No. I want a way into Kin’s court.’

‘Revenge against Darius Laroth?’ he asked, touching his cheek.

‘My business is my own, but I’m not stupid. You want something from me. We can make a deal.’

He sat back, and, untying the bone-ribbon from his wrist, began to gather his long hair. ‘Do you believe in the gods, Endymion?’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you believe that they exist? Or, that they do everything they are said to do? It is two different things, yes? Do you believe the gods watch over us?’

‘I can’t imagine there is much else worth watching.’

‘Not quite what I meant. Do you believe they hear our prayers? That they receive our sacrifices?’

Beginning to wonder where this line of questioning was leading, I said: ‘I suppose so.

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