***
When Alric woke up the next morning, Kyrin had moved to her side and was sleeping soundly under the covers. He sat up and looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“Kyrin?” he whispered, and touched her arm lightly.
She looked over at him.
“Are you okay?”
“Just sore,” she said, and returned to her side.
He wrapped his arms around her. “Is the punishment over?”
“I don’t know.”
“Please, tell me why he did this.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? You’re my wife, and I don’t like to see you punished. There better be a damned good reason for it.”
“I can’t tell you because I suspect it would anger Sithias.”
Alric frowned. “What he punished you for would make Sithias mad also?”
“No, Sithias would support what I did. I’m sure he would be mad at Daemionis, and I don’t need more conflict right now.”
“I wish you would tell me.”
“Well, now I want to know also.” Sithias’ voice rang out through the room, but when Alric sat up, he couldn’t see his god.
Kyrin sat up also and looked around.
“Why were you punished?” Sithias asked, still not visible.
“Do you just watch me all day? Is nothing private?!” Kyrin asked angrily.
“Why?”
“Answer me first.”
“No, I don’t watch you all day. However, I do know when my name comes up in a conversation and this one I wished to listen to.”
“Well stop! It’s private.”
“Your turn,” Sithias reminded her.
“No”
“You insinuated that if I told you, you would answer my question.”
Kyrin shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not telling you.”
Sithias’ form appeared, and Alric got to his knees, but Kyrin pulled herself to stand and face him. She was pale and drawn, which concerned the god, but he wanted to know why.
“It’s my right to know why you were punished in my own dimension,” Sithias said to her.
“It’s none of your business!”
He slowly circled her. “I’m curious what you would do for me that would be against what Daemionis would want.”
“I didn’t do it for you.”
“Then why did you defy him?”
She just watched him but didn’t answer.
Sithias smiled softly. “Either you are lying, or you aren’t as evil as we thought.”
Kyrin glared at him. “I’m not lying. I did it for Alric.”
Alric looked up. “Did what for me?”
“I’m not telling you! Just drop it.”
“Did Daemionis order you not to tell us?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Then why not tell us?” Sithias asked.
“Because I don’t want you to know!”
“I feel it’s imperative that I know.”
She looked on the verge of tears, even though Sithias had never seen her cry. “Then punish me. It can’t be worse than what I’ve already been through.”
“I don’t punish like that,” Sithias said. “I also don’t punish those who haven’t sworn to follow me.”
“Then drop it. I’m not telling you.”
Alric tried another tactic and gently touched her arm. “You do realize that as a married couple, we shouldn’t have secrets.”
“You mean like how babies come about?”
“That wasn’t exactly a secret,” he said, and then sighed when he felt her tense. “Are you about to shift?”
“No! I don’t run from confrontation. If you two don’t back off, then I’ll have to call for Daemionis.”
“He would probably tell us just to see your reaction,” Sithias told her.
“I doubt that. He’d see that I’m being harassed by another god.”
“Let’s just calm down and discuss this.”
“I can’t tell you, okay? Why won’t you just drop it?”
“Because I need to know if someone is being punished needlessly in my dimension.”
Sithias growled and disappeared just as Alric turned to the door and drew his sword.
“What?” Kyrin asked, drawing her flail.
“An evil has entered Valhara.”
She gasped. “Is it Daemionis? Is he not done?”
“I don’t know,” he said, and took a step toward her.
Sithias reappeared and was obviously angry. “That assassin is back.”
“Creteloc is here?” Kyrin asked, shocked.
“Find out what she wants and then get her out of here.”
Kyrin smiled. Creteloc was just who she needed to fend off Sithias and Alric. She nodded and then changed quickly into a tunic, pants, and the black shadow elf vest, and ran out the door.
“I don’t like that Creteloc is here,” Alric said to Sithias.
“Neither do I.”
“Do you think she’s here to finish what Daemionis started?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you shouldn’t leave them alone.”
Alric nodded and bolted for the doors.
“Creteloc?” Kyrin called once she got to the front of the castle. She looked around at the shadows but didn’t see any sign of her. Knowing the assassin wasn’t likely to come too close to civilization, she immediately mounted the only horse close and took off for the trees.
When the horse reared angrily, Kyrin slid off and looked around. “Creteloc? I know you’re here somewhere.”
“It’s that Holy Knight,” Creteloc said from the shadows. “I impede his peaceful dimension.”
“You could say that,” Kyrin said, and smiled. She was always relieved when Creteloc was around. “Did Daemionis send you to help me?”
Creteloc’s voice turned amused, “Is that permission to end the dear king’s life?”
“No! I just need Sithias and Alric to back off.”
“What are they asking?”
“They want to know why I was punished.”
“That’s actually why I’m here,” Creteloc said, and stepped out of the shadow. Kyrin was never sure how, but Creteloc had a natural shadow that somehow followed her and always kept her in darkness.
Kyrin tensed. “Are you to finish the punishment?”
“No, you have been punished enough.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To see if you are faltering.”
“What?” Kyrin asked, frowning.
“You refused a direct request from Daemionis in lieu of making King Alric mad. It seems your loyalty may be waning.”
“It’s not though! I couldn’t do it, Creteloc. I’m on a mission here, and you know it. It was a direct violation of his own orders to ask me that.”
“They wouldn’t kick you out for such a small crime.”
“They wouldn’t have considered that a small crime,” Kyrin explained. “I could be hanged for that.”
Creteloc sighed. “Company is coming.”
“I figured they’d find me. Who is it?”
“The incompetent king and his minions.”
“Not Sithias?”
“No, Sithias has been watching since you got here.”
“He is?” Kyrin asked, looking around.
“Yes, but he hesitates to show himself around me.”
“I doubt Sithias is afraid of you.”
“Oh, he’s not,” Creteloc said. “However, I puzzle him and he finds me unstable, don’t you?”
Sithias appeared behind Kyrin and looked at Creteloc. “Deliver your message and get out of my dimension.”
“Maybe I’m here to stay.”
“No, that’s out of the question.”
“Maybe I’m here to see if Kyrin is leaning toward following you instead of our god.”
“I’ve tried, believe me,” Alric said as he walked up with Finn and twelve of the knights.
&nbs
p; “I’m not going to follow Sithias,” Kyrin told her.
“Then you should have given Daemionis what he wished!” Creteloc yelled. “You showed more dedication to that inbred husband of yours than to your own god.”
“I didn’t though. He has to believe me.”
“He doesn’t.”
“What exactly did she do?” Sithias asked, though he avoided looking directly at Creteloc.
“Creteloc, don’t!” Kyrin yelled.
Creteloc laughed, and it sent chills up the spines of the Valharans. “Daemionis requested she sacrifice that blubbering child to him.”
“The missing toddler?” Alric asked, surprised.
“Yes, she had it in her power to do so but refused because she was afraid you might expel her from Paragoy,” Creteloc said.
“That child is my follower!” Sithias said sternly. “Daemionis had no right asking for his death.”
“He was in the care of one of his followers. He has every right.”
“I didn’t refuse because Sithias was going to be mad,” Kyrin whispered. She was finding it hard to breathe as the knights looked at her, confused.
“Then why?” Creteloc asked her. “Is your devotion to your husband stronger than that of your own god?”
Kyrin simply shook her head.
“He trusted you completely, Kyrin,” Creteloc said, circling her. “I trusted you. Now you’ve betrayed him, and in doing so, you betrayed me. How will I be repaid?”
“Name it,” Kyrin said softly.
“No! This is not happening,” Sithias said. “She cannot be punished for protecting a child.”
“I wasn’t protecting that kid! Stop saying that before you make this worse.”
“Then what were you protecting?” Creteloc asked, seething.
“Why are you doing this in front of them?”
“Because you’re an evil, my young magic user. You shouldn’t care what they think.”
“I don’t care what they all think.”
“Just the king. I know.”
“Name your price, Creteloc. I’ve repaid Daemionis in blood. Now what do you want?”
“I want you to prove to me that you aren’t getting soft. Demonstrate that you aren’t becoming a Valharan and that your loyalty to my god isn’t failing.”
“He’s my god too. Stop talking like that.”
“Prove it,” Creteloc said, and it was apparent that she was smiling.
Kyrin nodded and then slipped onto her horse. “Let’s go.”
“Wait,” Sithias said angrily. “You cannot wreak havoc on my lands.”
“We won’t kill many. I assure you,” Creteloc said, and then disappeared into the shadows.
“Don’t do this, please,” Alric said, taking the reins. “If you saved that child, then you aren’t all bad, and I want you to prove that to me now.”
“Let go,” Kyrin said, and her eyes were now pitch-black.
“Please. I love you, and I need to know there’s good in you.”
“Ozehshiesh”
With that single word, every human froze in place, and Sithias looked at her. “I can protect you. Don’t do this if it’s not in your heart.”
She looked up at him. “You don’t know what’s in my heart.”
“I do, and I see good in you.”
“You don’t know what they’ll do to me.”
“I can protect you.”
“Not from them,” she said, and then kicked her horse into a gallop.
Sithias watched her go and his heart sunk. He truly believed she thought she had no choice but to follow the demon and his assassin. He just wished she trusted Alric enough to let him take over.
Sithias ran his hand before him and those that were frozen began to move.
Alric was the first to speak. “Where did they go?”
“They left Valhara.”
“So they went into Qualsax?”
“Yes, there I cannot follow without Erianah being alerted. If I’m there, she may find reason to track Kyrin down.”
“So we just let her go? She could kill someone.”
“I’m sure she will.”
Alric looked toward Qualsax.
Sithias sighed. “Don’t be mad at her for this. She’s trapped and saw no other alternative but to follow the priestess of Daemionis.”
“She did have a choice,” Alric whispered. “You offered to save her.”
“She doesn’t think I’m strong enough to go up against her god. Saving that child is proof to us that she has a heart beneath that rugged persona.”