The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller

Author:Karen Miller [Miller, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Epic, Fiction, Fantasy, General, Fantasy Fiction, Kings and Rulers, Queens, Imaginary Places, Imaginary Wars and Battles, Exiles, Conspiracies, Princesses, Kings and Rulers - Succession, Toymakers, Enemies
ISBN: 9780316008365
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2007-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Zandakar was right about one thing. Hotas were hard work. They made her years of training with a foil seem like a giddy romp for infants. By the end of her first lesson she was panting like a bellows and running sweat as though she’d stood beneath a waterfall. Even her bones ached. He’d pushed her unmercifully. Shown no respect for her person. Swatted her behind so many times she’d lost count.

She didn’t mind. He took her seriously. It had become obvious, very quickly, that the fact she was female meant nothing to him. In his eyes, if they weren’t equal it was because she was a student—not because she wasn’t a man.

I like that. I like it a lot.

By the time they were finished she could tell she’d impressed him. His exclamations of tcha had started out impatient, scornful, but his last one had contained a note of reserved approval.

I wasn’t imagining it. I wasn’t. He thinks I’m not . . . bad.

And that was something else to like. A lot.

Afterwards, as they stood calf-deep in the cold stream drinking in great gulps and splashing water on their sweaty faces, she glanced at him and said, “All right. It’s time to talk. Who are you?”

He didn’t look at her. “Zandakar.”

“Don’t play games with me. Who are your people? Where is your country? Why were you a slave when Dexterity found you?”

Probably he wouldn’t understand all the questions but the words tumbled out of her before she could stop them. Not that she tried. She needed the answers. Before she reached Alasdair she had to know who Zandakar was.

“Zandakar?” she prompted. “Please. Tell me who you are.”

Now he did look at her, his face impassive again. The approval she’d seen there, and the restrained humour, were hidden away behind his mask. He shook his head. “Wei.”

She let out a hard breath. “Zandakar—”

“Wei,” he said again, and held up a silencing hand. “Rhian. I know name. I know hotas.”

It hurt, that he’d deny her. “And your wife was Lilit. Yuma killed her. You know that. Dexterity told me.”

A flash of searing pain in the clear blue eyes. “Zho.” He shrugged. “Wei more.”

She stared. “You can’t remember where you came from? Who your people are? Nothing else?”

He met her gaze squarely. “Wei. Yatzhay.”

Odd, to think that while he’d been learning her language, she’d been learning his. No. Sorry.

But was that true? Or was he lying?

And if he’s lying . . . what has he to hide?

God protect her, there was too much here unknown. Suddenly aware of his closeness, his overwhelming physical presence, suddenly feeling not quite so safe, she took a step back. Put some space between them.

“Yatzhay, Zandakar. I’m sorry, too. I’m very sorry you don’t remember.”

From the direction of the van came a plaintive shout. “Highness? Where are you? Zandakar? Are you near?”

Ursa. She looked at Zandakar and he looked back. For a moment she knew her expression mirrored his: guilty apprehension. “Oops,” she said. “We’re caught out. I think we’d better go.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.