The Unfinished Song - Book 6: Blood by Maya Tara

Author:Maya, Tara [Maya, Tara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Misque Press
Published: 2013-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

Tamio

Honestly, for once in his life, Tamio would have preferred serenity over excitement, but he had another visitor shortly after Gwenika stomped off.

Amdra entered the lodge. She ignored Hadi, who shrank back into a corner, but fixated on Tamio the moment she entered the room.

“What ghastly taste in relatives you have, young man,” she said witheringly. “You really could choose no better father than that?”

“I didn’t have a lot of choices. Are you offering me your father in exchange?”

“Vumo is my father.”

“What?” Tamio had never pegged Amdra for the jesting type. Her expression was distinctly sour.

“I assumed you knew.”

“How could he be your father? Isn’t your father the brother of the Maze Zavaedi? A great warrior? Vumo is just some drunk I met getting pissed in a no name clanhold.”

“That’s definitely him.”

Suddenly Vumo’s weird accusations about Tamio wanting to position himself as a potential War Chief of the entire Rainbow Labyrinth tribe made a lot more sense. Lineage was traced through mothers’ blood—only matrilineal relatives were considered formal kin. Paternity was slithery—“Rain falls on many patches of maize,” as the old adage noted wryly—so “rain-side” kinship was less highly valued, but that didn’t mean it played no role at all in alliances, trade, and war.

“Well, that’s swell,” he said, “Vumo is a bastard, but on the bright side, now you’re my sister, so it’s all worth it.”

“It’s not a new sister you need to worry about but new brothers. When Zumo finds out your claim…. The last male claimant to be a rain-side sprinkle of my father met an ugly fate. It’s really not a position you should aspire to.”

“Muck it all. I’d forgotten about Zumo.”

“Not wise. He’s cleverer than he lets on. And he doesn’t care for competition. Whatever game you are playing, Tamio, consider that you are outmatched.”

“Fa. I can handle whatever you throw at me.”

“You need to come with me to the ceremony.”

“I can’t handle that.”

Amdra crossed her arms. “It was not a request.”

“Gw…the Healer told me not to walk around.” Tamio gestured to his general proneness. “Have you noticed? I’m injured. Vumo can give you the details.”

“He already has. It doesn’t matter. Because of your claim, you now must accompany us to the ceremony. Your slave can help you walk. There will be a place for you to sit. You won’t have to stand. But you must come.”

“Fine.” Tamio waved at Hadi. “Come help me, slave.”

“I don’t like this, Tamio,” Hadi said in a low voice as he helped him to his feet.

“I was just kidding about the slave thing.”

“I think it’s less dangerous to be mistaken for a slave than to be mistaken for the nephew of a War Chief.”

Walking, even with Hadi’s help, was a struggle, especially since half of Cliffedge seemed to consist of stairs. Amdra did not offer to help Tamio in the least. She slowed her pace to his with visible signs of annoyance.

A man appeared to help Hadi, lifting up Tamio on the other side. Tamio’s eyes were watering from the pain, and he had to blink to be certain that it was indeed Vumo.

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