The Vixen Trials

He'll Die

"I offer you all my blood"

Dakkoul

It was odd to eat without Malek hovering around. From his isolated table, Dakkoul watched the dining room hum with merriment. In the far corners of the room the soldiers banged their tables and shouted as they played Strike.

In front of him a crowd of slaves cheered Pipsqueak as he sang a ridiculous song about a rat in love with a widow and his offerings of rubbish to woo her.

Dakkoul's appetite soured. Why was Lord Rustavan keeping Malek so long? Unpleasant possibilities flicked through his mind until he picked up his untouched slab of cheese bread and stood up. It was time to find out.

He tapped on the Lord Rustavan's door in the rhythm that demanded Coleus.

Coleus inched the door open then crept out, swinging the door mostly shut behind him. "What do you want?" he muttered through swollen lips, his scar even uglier now the skin around it glowed red.

"Malek." Dakkoul held the bread up to his nose and sniffed it.

Coleus's eyes riveted to the food. "Gone. A long time ago."

Dakkoul frowned. Where could Malek be? Some romance perhaps? But he'd always been annoyingly dogged about fulfilling his duties before. He put the bread to his lips.

Coleus's mouth opened and his tongue ran back and forth across the bottom of his teeth. "I'll tell you anything you want just give me that."

"Where is he?"

Desperation tinged Coleus's voice as he leaned forward. "He beat me up on Lord Rustavan's orders, then they dined together. He hardly ate anything. Looked sick or something. That's all I know, I swear it."

Dakkoul put a corner of the bread in his mouth.

"There's something else you might want to know." The words rushed from Coleus. "Malek never says anything to get you in trouble."

"Really?"

A spot of drool appeared at the corner of Coleus's mouth as he recounted every conversation he could ever remember between Lord Rustavan and Malek.

The darkness inside Dakkoul lifted. Malek hadn't lied. He could be trusted. He was worthy of their father. Noble even. He recalled how a desperate, panting Malek had shielded Pipsqueak from the enormous She-Fox who sprang at them in the Fox Dance, her ferocious teeth just missing his arm and the clever blur of movement that somehow got Malek underneath her belly. Despite having no weapon, although he must have had one concealed somehow, he had been able to wound the She-Fox so badly she'd collapsed. Pipsqueak and two of the other slaves had lived, unheard of for a Fox-dance, and Malek had won the title of Fox-dancer. He was a son of whom their father would be proud. His father deserved a son like him.

Dakkoul tossed Coleus the bread and turned away so that he only heard the sound of rapid eating behind him as he left. Now to find Malek.

After searching everywhere else, he headed lamp in hand for the graying woods. No romantic sounds could be heard. Perhaps he was lying injured somewhere after a fight with a soldier.

Dakkoul got further and further from the house even as he doubted Malek could have wandered so far. It seemed more likely the soldiers had hidden him in the barracks for a joke. He was about to turn back when an eerie scream ripped through dusk then abruptly stopped.

He ran in the scream's direction and saw a figure pinned down by snap-leaves, writhing on the inner side of the outer wall. Dakkoul set down his lamp and unsheathed his sword, conscious of a cold satisfaction. He'd caught another runaway. That would prove his faithfulness to Lord Rustavan. Maybe he'd even get Tallie back.