elsewhere at the moment. Roric was Avarsi. As was the custom of his people, he’d sliced those lines into his cheeks himself, both as a way of mourning for Loris and in promise of avenging him. The moment had been full of blood and rage and madness, and the rest of us had joined him in marking our pain on our flesh.
When we got close enough to speak without shouting, Siri extended her right hand and forearm to Jax. “Sister, it’s been too long.”
“SIRI!” replied Jax, leaping past the hand to wrap her arms around Siri’s neck and, literally, hang there—Siri being more than a foot taller than her old friend. “What on earth have you done with your hair?” Jax ran a finger through Siri’s smoking braids.
“That’s a very long story,” replied Siri. “I promise you all of it, but not till later.”
“Master Aral,” said Roric.
“Journeyman Roric.” I grinned and clasped forearms with him while Maryam did the same with Faran. Then we switched, while shadows mixed and mingled around our feet with a susuration of Shade voices. Next, I turned to Jax, who had finally let go of Siri, and bent to hug her. “Hey there.”
“You’re late,” she said into my ear while poking me in the ribs. “Clever, but still late.”
I let her go. “I . . . wait, what?”
“It’s been nearly two years since you said you’d come back to help me with the school once you killed the Son of Heaven. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you sent a letter to Faran asking her to meet you in Tien instead of comingto collect her yourself. You
knew
I wouldn’t let you leave so easy. Coward.”
I grinned at her. “First, I didn’t say I would come back, I said that I
might
. Second, the Son of Heaven isn’t dead yet, so even if I had said what you’re claiming I did, I’m still not in violation of my word.”
“Technicalities,” humphed Jax.
“Well, you did say I was clever, though I still haven’t figured out why.”
“Because of this.” She grabbed hold of Siri, who had just finished greeting the other two and pulled her up between us. “You brought me a Siri! Which means I’m not allowed to be mad at you for at least a day and a night.”
“Is that binding?” I asked.
“Of course, why do you even mention it?”
“Because of what else I brought you.”
“You can’t mean Faran. She’s a delight.” She put out her other hand and dragged Faran in for a hug as well. “And don’t think I didn’t notice the swords on your back, girl. I’m going to want the whole story on that. So . . .” She turned back to me. “What else did you bring me?”
I decided there was no way to sweeten it.
“Kelos.”
7
H ate looked at me out of eyes that once held love. All that I had said was a name, but it was enough to transform the smile on an old lover’s face into the merciless stare of an angry killer. The warm raucous sounds of reunion went utterly cold and silent.
“The whole, living, breathing Kelos, you mean? Not just his head or his heart?” Jax’s tone was quiet, almost joking, but I didn’t for an instant make the mistake of thinking she was anything but furious. “I presume that’s what you mean from the way you said it, but it seems so unlikely that you’d let him live. . . .”
“It’s not really Aral’s fault,” said Siri.
“Yours?” Jax turned hard eyes on Siri.
Siri held up her one hand. “No. Nor Faran’s either. You should know that Kelos is always and only ever Kelos’s own damn fault.”
“That, yes.” Jax nodded. “It’s the allowing him to live thing I’m having trouble with. . . .”
“Well,
I
wanted to kill him,” mumbled Faran. “But nobody would let me.”
“That’s not strictly true either,” said the shadowy phoenix who now formed herself from the shadows at Faran’s feet. “Aral said very clearly that he wasn’t going to stop you ever again.”
Jax reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can see this ugly little story
When we got close enough to speak without shouting, Siri extended her right hand and forearm to Jax. “Sister, it’s been too long.”
“SIRI!” replied Jax, leaping past the hand to wrap her arms around Siri’s neck and, literally, hang there—Siri being more than a foot taller than her old friend. “What on earth have you done with your hair?” Jax ran a finger through Siri’s smoking braids.
“That’s a very long story,” replied Siri. “I promise you all of it, but not till later.”
“Master Aral,” said Roric.
“Journeyman Roric.” I grinned and clasped forearms with him while Maryam did the same with Faran. Then we switched, while shadows mixed and mingled around our feet with a susuration of Shade voices. Next, I turned to Jax, who had finally let go of Siri, and bent to hug her. “Hey there.”
“You’re late,” she said into my ear while poking me in the ribs. “Clever, but still late.”
I let her go. “I . . . wait, what?”
“It’s been nearly two years since you said you’d come back to help me with the school once you killed the Son of Heaven. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you sent a letter to Faran asking her to meet you in Tien instead of comingto collect her yourself. You
knew
I wouldn’t let you leave so easy. Coward.”
I grinned at her. “First, I didn’t say I would come back, I said that I
might
. Second, the Son of Heaven isn’t dead yet, so even if I had said what you’re claiming I did, I’m still not in violation of my word.”
“Technicalities,” humphed Jax.
“Well, you did say I was clever, though I still haven’t figured out why.”
“Because of this.” She grabbed hold of Siri, who had just finished greeting the other two and pulled her up between us. “You brought me a Siri! Which means I’m not allowed to be mad at you for at least a day and a night.”
“Is that binding?” I asked.
“Of course, why do you even mention it?”
“Because of what else I brought you.”
“You can’t mean Faran. She’s a delight.” She put out her other hand and dragged Faran in for a hug as well. “And don’t think I didn’t notice the swords on your back, girl. I’m going to want the whole story on that. So . . .” She turned back to me. “What else did you bring me?”
I decided there was no way to sweeten it.
“Kelos.”
7
H ate looked at me out of eyes that once held love. All that I had said was a name, but it was enough to transform the smile on an old lover’s face into the merciless stare of an angry killer. The warm raucous sounds of reunion went utterly cold and silent.
“The whole, living, breathing Kelos, you mean? Not just his head or his heart?” Jax’s tone was quiet, almost joking, but I didn’t for an instant make the mistake of thinking she was anything but furious. “I presume that’s what you mean from the way you said it, but it seems so unlikely that you’d let him live. . . .”
“It’s not really Aral’s fault,” said Siri.
“Yours?” Jax turned hard eyes on Siri.
Siri held up her one hand. “No. Nor Faran’s either. You should know that Kelos is always and only ever Kelos’s own damn fault.”
“That, yes.” Jax nodded. “It’s the allowing him to live thing I’m having trouble with. . . .”
“Well,
I
wanted to kill him,” mumbled Faran. “But nobody would let me.”
“That’s not strictly true either,” said the shadowy phoenix who now formed herself from the shadows at Faran’s feet. “Aral said very clearly that he wasn’t going to stop you ever again.”
Jax reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can see this ugly little story
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