Serpent's Quest

Chapter 21: Seduced by Darkness

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SEDUCED BY DARKNESS

Claw,

Isranon doesn't want the child. He says that the child isn't his. That Merissa was sleeping with Troyes and other sa'necari who came through. He called her a slut. Isranon, says, that even if that were not so, he would never recognize a half-breed bastard boy as his own. He has called the boy an abomination.

He has changed a lot. Some months ago he embraced the darkness of the rites to save his life from the embedded spells on the blades that wounded him. He has embraced his birthright. The Rowdies and Lord Dawnreturning drove him out after learning this. I have no idea where he is now. But if he should, somehow, turn up in the valley, grant me a favor and kill him. He is no longer the boy I helped raise and train.

Nevin

"No." Merissa crumpled the letter and threw it on the floor. "This letter is a lie."

"Merissa, it's Nevin's writing, his code, his seal," Aisha responded, trying to put her arms around her daughter. Merissa twisted away from her.

"You should have expected it, Merissa," said Claw. "He's sa'necari. You saw what he did to Troyes. He'll do anything to stay alive. So he's crossed the line and committed the rites. That changes them."

"Will you repudiate his adoption into the clan?" Aisha asked, her voice quiet.

Claw growled wordlessly before answering. "Yes. And if he shows here, I will kill him myself and eat his black sa'necari heart."

"It's a lie! The letter is a lie." Merissa fled the room.

Kynyr reached for her as she ran past him in the hallway. "Merissa, what's wrong?"

"Don't touch me! Don't come near me! I hate you!"

He stared at her in confusion. "What did I do?"

Merissa spun about, snarling, hair sprouting along her arms, going wolf on him. "You've been trying to chase off the only man who ever truly loved me."

"Malthus?" Kynyr blinked. "He's not good for you."

"Because he's human? He loves me, Kynyr. If you touch him, I'll never speak to you again."

"Merissa..."

She turned her back on him, raced out of the manor into the yard, and scanned the gardens frantically, looking for an avenue of escape, not wanting to face anyone. Merissa blinked, trying to get hold of herself, realizing that people were staring at her, that the children had stopped in their play to look at her. All the gossip would start again, except that this time would be worse. Everyone in the valley and the village would be saying they had told her so, that sa'necari were not to be trusted, and calling her a whore and a slut behind her back – and the boldest would do it to her face. She saw Darmyk playing with Ros and Lyrri, which meant that Malthus was in the garden. For an instant, Merissa wavered as she spotted him sitting on a boulder beneath a spreading elm tree. Part of her wanted to go to him, part of her wanted to snatch Darmyk up and run off with him, while yet another part simply wanted to run until she exhausted herself.

He rose to greet her, and Merissa knew she had to make a decision: she fled.

* * *

Malthus sat on a boulder watching his nieces playing with the other children. The forged letter had arrived that morning and he had been here waiting for their reaction. Merissa was too emotional not to react in some spectacular and revealing fashion. He glanced when he saw the door open and Merissa came stumbling out with her hands over her face. He rose and headed for her. She wavered in front of him and then bolted past.