Straw rustled and he whirled, dragging out the only weapon he had, the small silver dagger.
Leiria stood there, mailed and fully armed. He nearly lurched at her with the dagger, but pulled back in time. Just as he'd feared he lacked the necessary hate.
"What are you doing here? he demanded.
Leiria held out her hands to show they were empty. He looked down and saw her sword was still in its sheath.
"I'm here to help you, Safar, she said.
Safar barked laughter. So I see, he said with heavy sarcasm. But to where? My grave?"
"I don't blame you for thinking that, she said. But you've got to believe me when I say I've never done or said anything to harm you. I told you once long ago I'd never betray you, Safar Timura. And I never have."
"What do you call spying?"
Leiria's eyes were pleading. If I didn't give the king and Kalasariz what they wanted, she said, they would have replaced me with someone else. Someone who didn't love you, Safar. And you know that I do. Even now, when your heart is with another woman."
Safar thought he saw truth, but he was desperately afraid he was seeing what he wanted, not what really existed.
"Besides, Leiria said, you never did anything wrong. You've never been a traitor. Never conspired. What did it hurt to tell them about your innocent excursions, friendly meetings, or all the long nights you spent studying books of magic? There's one thing I didn't tell them, however. I said nothing about the child. About Palimak."
"What are you saying? Safar said. They know he exists. It's no secret."
"They don't know he's part demon, she said. You kept it from me but I saw, Safar. I saw his eyes. What do you think Iraj would've imagined if he'd known that? His Grand Wazier in the arms of a woman with a monster for a child? Palimak's no monster, but that's not what Iraj would've thought. Especially after Kalasariz and Luka and Fari got to him. Whispering all kinds of disgusting things."
"I thank you for that, at least, Safar said. But it doesn't matter anymore. If I were you I'd get away from me just as fast as you can. Iraj and I are finished!"
"I know that, Safar, she said. You were finished before you met this morning. It'd all been decided. Iraj never had any doubt you'd refuse him. He just needed an excuse to bring you down. To declare Safar Timura a criminal. To blacken your name. He's afraid of you, Safar. He thinks you are his rival for his kingdom and the love of his subjects.
"But most of all, my dear, dear Safar, he's afraid and jealous of your magic."
She paused a moment. Saw the suspicion vanish from his eyes. Saw those eyes turn from icy blue to the color of the lake in far Kyrania.
He said, I'm sorry about Nerisa. He shrugged. I never meant it to happen."
"I know that, Leiria said.
"I thought she was dead."
"I know that too."
"I'm ashamed to admit that I've treated you badly."
"Never mind, Leiria said. There's no time for apologies or remorse now, my love."
She took a deep breath, then said, Hold on tight as you can while I tell you what's happened. I would have said it first, but I knew you'd think it was a trick. A trap.
"Nerisa and Palimak never left. They are still in Zanzair."
"What? Safar's voice came like a cry.
"She was betrayed by Abubensu, Leiria said. The carriage never arrived. He delayed her with lies until it was too late to find another. Now there are guards outside her home. Not many, but she knows they're there so she doesn't dare leave."
"How much time do we have? Safar asked.
"I don't know, Leiria said. A few hours at most. They would've moved sooner but it's you they want most of all. Besides, they have to gather their nerve and their forces to oppose you. You can be sure when they come it'll not be just with soldiers, but with Fari's best wizards and witch sniffers.
"That's how much they fear you."
Leiria indicated the horses. Everything's ready. We have only to ride."
And ride they did. A mad clatter of iron hooves, shouted curses and cries of alarm as they dashed through the streets. They burst through the busy market place, scattering shoppers and knocking over stalls. They tore through parks, leaping hedges and showering mud. But when they came to the hill leading up to Nerisa's mansion they hauled the horses in, dismounted as quietly as they could, and hid them among some trees.
Then they crept up the hill in full daylight, using every rock and stump and bit of brush for cover. A young nurse with two young charges in tow saw them and hurried away. A gardener came on them while they were lying in a hedge and Leiria took him captive as gently as she could and bound him with leather laces from her harness.
There were four guards patrolling the grounds. Three demons and a hulking brute of a human.
They killed all four, quietly and efficiently.
Then they were at the door.
"I'll get the horses, Leiria said and she turned and ran back down the hill.
The door came open and Nerisa rushed into Safar's arms.
"I was afraid you'd never come, she said. And I was more afraid you would. It's you they want, not me."
"I wish that were true, Safar said. But when the king condemned me he condemned you as well.
"Now, quick! Get Palimak. We have to flee!"
Then they were out on the broad lawn and Leiria was thundering up, leading two horses behind her.
Safar took Palimak while Nerisa mounted. The child was silent, trembling. Eyes flashing from yellow to hazel and back again.
Then Nerisa was fully mounted and she reached down to take the child.
Safar was handing him up when Gundara suddenly shouted, They're coming, Master! They're coming!"
He whirled, clumsy with the child still in his hands. Down the hill he saw helmed demons and humans kicking their mounts up the road. Then he heard the bay of the witch sniffers and saw the devil hounds bounding in front of the troops. He felt a blast of magic and reeled back, stumbling against Nerisa's horse, which shrilled and shied away. He heard her shout to him to hand up the child.
But there wasn't time, there wasn't time.
Another blast, stronger than the first, came at him like a great wind, shriveling the grass with its heat.
He managed a blocking spell, but diverted only part of it. He turned to protect the child, catching the force with his back. He felt it sear through his clothes, gritted his teeth against the pain and he heard Gundara shout, Shut up! and Palimak echo, Shut up! and then the pain was gone.
He set the child down and came about, clawing at his pocket. The witch sniffers were almost on him now, but he had time to hurl the pellets and they exploded, sheeting fire and smoke.
The devil hounds were scattered by the blast, shrieking in fear and pain.
Smoke cloudsred and green and yellow swirled all around.
Then he heard the thunder of the approaching troops and through the smoke he saw Leiria, sword in hand, charge into the mass, cutting left and right, leaving demon howls and human screams in her wake. She broke through, then wheeled her horse and came crashing back, her killing sword releasing rivers of blood.
And now Nerisa was off her horse and beside him, armed with nothing but a whip. A witch sniffer leaped out of one of the smoke columns, slavering jaws yawning. It came so fast it almost had him, but Nerisa lashed out with her whip, slicing through those open jaws and the creature's face became a gory mask and it slammed to the ground. So close that Palimak hit it with his tiny fist, crying, Shut up! Shut up!"