When Ravens Call: The Fourth Book in the Small Gods Epic Fantasy Series (The Books of the Small Gods by Bruce Blake (books under 200 pages txt) 📗

"It's my fault? For discouraging their interest in the ridiculous scroll?"

His eyes darted away from hers for an instant but, in the brief space of time, she became certain he kept something from her. She didn't speak, didn't so much as move her head, but knew he'd understand her intended response.

"Despite your choice of words, they are children no more. If their mother realized this and treated them accordingly, maybe they wouldn't be chasing a fanciful dream."

The queen's hands clenched into fists and she opened her mouth, but stopped herself. He may be her husband, but he was also her king, and some things shouldn't be said. She closed her lips, inhaled a deep breath, and reset her thoughts.

"Don't blame Trenan for this," she said. "He'd do everything in his power for Teryk and Danya."

Erral opened his hand, allowed the handle of the flagon to roll off his fingers and clunk down on the tabletop, then wiped his palm on his trousers. He stared at his wife before responding.

"Be careful in your defense of the master swordsman, my queen, or I might wonder why you are so adamant about his innocence."

A shiver ran up the queen's spine and she struggled to prevent distress from showing on her face. Old worries clambered into her mind, ones she found always with her but she tried to keep buried. They resurfaced whenever the three of them gathered in the same place. Did he see unintentional looks between them? Did he recognize the slight resemblance between their son and the swordmaster? With an effort, Ishla forced the worry back into the pit of her stomach where she'd carried it for so many turns of the seasons. She'd have to deal with it another time. Now, more important matters demanded her attention.

"Find my children. Please."

The instant she spoke the words, a thought entered her mind.

Because if you don't, I will.

She remained where she stood for a moment longer, ensuring she made her displeasure obvious without speaking before she turned and strode to the door. It required more concentration than she expected to keep her legs from shaking. A tremor quivered through her fingers as she reached for the door handle. Anger at her husband? Nervousness about what she might have to do to get her children back? Worry for their safety? All of it.

Ishla squeezed her hand into a fist and held it tight. When she opened it again, the quaking had stopped, so she grasped the handle and pulled the door open. Before stepping across the threshold, she shot a final glance over her shoulder at Erral, but the king had returned to other things, his attention diverted from his wife and, in all likelihood, from his children. She clamped her teeth together and stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, intentionally too hard. She turned to the right and found her new guard leaning against the hall's stone wall, a finger buried in his nose to the first knuckle. When he saw her, he yanked it out, wiped whatever came along with it on the front of his trousers, and straightened.

"Are you yet here? I thought I told you to leave."

"To leave the chamber, your highness. You did. And now you've left it, too, and no longer have the king to protect you. This is where I come in."

She felt not the patience to suffer this fool; she sighed, set her jaw, and approached him. When she came close, she leaned in to speak and unintentionally caught a whiff of him—it had been a long while since he last bathed.

"I don't need your protection."

She remained near him, holding her breath and intending her proximity to be threatening. The soldier swallowed hard, but the way his gaze darted from her eyes to the front of her dress and back made it clear threat wasn't what he felt. Disgust clogged her throat, and she almost forgot herself and drew some air. Despite his actions making the skin on her arms crawl, she didn't move away.

"Soldier?"

She spoke the word harshly, its sound surprising him; he jerked his gaze from where it had fallen on her bodice again. She set her expression to chastise and accuse him, but he only smiled.

"Yer my job, your highness, and I aim to take good care of you."

Frustrated, the queen sighed and swept by him, careful not to touch him as she passed. She stared straight ahead, trying not to think about the soldier and his intended actions, but she heard the ruckus of him hitching up his sword belt and following her. One more thing to worry about: if she was to find her children herself, she would have to lose her guard.

IX  Teryk - Shore

Teryk gasped for breath, inhaling a splash of water as he did. He gagged and coughed, the unrhythmic jerking motion slowing his strokes. His shoulders burned and the urge to peer back threatened to overtake him; the desire to see if the sea creature swam right behind him, mouth agape and dagger teeth ready to shred him swelled in his chest. He resisted, instead keeping his eye on the shore and Rilum waving him on frantically. The sailor's action told him everything he needed to know of the monster's proximity.

Waves lapped around the man's knees as he yelled desperate encouragement. The splash of his hands and feet in the water and the rush of blood in his ears prevented Teryk from understanding his companion's words. It didn't matter. If he intended to tell the prince the creature gave up the chase and he should relax, he'd behave far differently.

The wish to stretch his legs toward the bottom, discover if his soles might touch, burned stronger than the impulse to peek back. He couldn't walk