Lazar gave a sound of disgust.

But Beloch sided with his twin. It's true. I can't feel him at all. My attention was diverted when we arrived, but even then, whatever I felt was weak enough not to impact me.

What Ezram felt was obviously far more potent.

He was in full blazing power, I tell you. I felt unsteady from Lyana's rising, which provoked that power. Now there's nothing. And if he was still around, apart from the absolute fact that Luc would surely be dead, we would be fighting against his spell-making again.

You know, Iridor always told me that Maliz could not be killed by a mortal. Perhaps he was wrong. The woman Alzaria was definitely sickening. Maybe she is dead and he was lost with her? Lazar asked.

I can't believe that, but something strange has certainly occurred, Ezram said gravely.

Lyana is obviously up to something more cunning than Maliz ever imagined, Beloch said. All we can do is wait. What do you wish us to do now, Spur? I think our presence is too unsettling for everyone.

Where would you go if you could?

Back to the mountains, they said as one. He heard them chuckle softly.

Then go. Take the others as well. You have done more than we should ask of you, and Maliz is obviously biding his time, wherever he is, whoever he is.

We're never far. We can be with you in moments should you need to call upon us. When you're ready, we'll help you tear down the temples and rebuild them for Lyana.

Lazar nodded. The priests will not make it easy for us, so it will happen slowly. The Galinseans may need some transport back to Romea, by the way, he added, and I may need swift passage somewhere, too.

I'll get the Galinseans home, Ezram offered. Beloch can take you wherever you need.

Thank you, Lazar said. No sign of those riders?

No, Beloch confirmed. But if they're smart, they'll wait for dark.

Of course. And that's precisely what Arafanz will do. Nevertheless, alert me to anything suspicious.

37.

She watched him pace, the quishtar she had ordered and elegantly poured with her own hand left untouched to lose its fragrance and to turn cold. It had been two days since Falza had nearly taken her head off. She still couldn't prevent herself from touching her throat from time to time in some sort of lingering reflex. She had insisted on supervising Bin's corpse all the way to the palace morgue and had personally commiserated with his parents at the loss of their brave son. She desperately missed his calming way and Lazar was not helping her nerves one bit as she tried to figure out this daunting, exciting new role of hers.

"You know this wet nurse?" he suddenly said, startling her.

"Yes, she's not from the hospice. She's a woman I've known from my days as odalisque, Lazar." She saw his expression change. "No, she's not feeding Luc, obviously. It's her daughter, who seems to never stop giving my friend grandchildren."

"And you were there when she fed him?"

"Yes, I've said it before. She didn't even know what I'd called her there for. I kept to your strange secret arrangements to the letter. And she's here now, in the next room, under guard, feeding him. No one but myself or Elza will care for his needs beyond the feeding. What are you frightened of?"

"I can't go into it, Herezah. But precautions must be taken. The woman I spoke of, Garjan?" She nodded. "She was a danger to him. How he survived I still don't know."

"You haven't explained anything, Lazar. But I know you're grieving like me and I can forgive you your curious behavior. Listen to me, Lazar. Please pay attention and cease your restless pacing."

He swung around, exasperated. "What is it?"

"I am going to make you a promise today. I want you to know that I make it with great honesty. I have no intention of breaking it."

"Go on."

"It's about us. No, wait-you must hear me out." She forced him to hold her gaze, standing up and insisting he let her take his hand.

"Herezah, I-"

"Hush. Now listen to me. Percheron has entered a new era. I am part of it. You have made me integral to it. And I will not let you down, or my poor dead son, or the faith my husband, Joreb, showed in me at the outset. As much as he might turn in his grave to know that a woman leads Percheron, I think he would approve that it is me."

"I do, too."

"I know. And that is why I make you this promise that what has passed is now the past for me. As much as I desire it, I now realize you and I can never be together in the way I would like and I would rather call you friend and feel the warmth of your smile than call you lover and feel the coldness of an insincere kiss. I took advantage of you, Lazar, but you must know it was driven by a genuine need, a genuine love, even if I allowed my own ambition to cloud my good sense. I make no claim upon you. I will never make you feel uncomfortable or awkward around me. I want us to be friends. And by that I mean that I look forward to your companionship for supper now and then, to your advice and constant counsel. I make no other demands of you physically or emotionally. I realize no one will take Ana's place."

"Thank you," he said, and she heard the deep relief in his voice.

"We're raising your son together. He needs us both. I know you will want to tell him about his mother, as much as I must tell him about his 'father.' Will you ever tell him the truth?"

"I don't know. I can't think that far ahead. I am worried that he simply gets through this night, let alone the coming years."

"Stop worrying. There are Elim guarding all our doors. Your giants are never far. It's time for you to let the fear go, Lazar. Luc is safe. Percheron is safe. And I am safe, which-"

"Whatever makes you say that, Valide?"

They both swung in startlement at the sound of Arafanz's voice as he stepped lightly from the balcony into the chamber.

"Zarab save me! He has Luc," Herezah hissed, hardly able to credit what she was seeing.

"Zarab will not save you, Valide. Lazar, don't think of drawing that weapon. If either of you call out to the guards I will slit the child's throat."

"What, when you committed your life to this child sitting the throne?" Lazar sneered. But Herezah heard the fear for his son underneath his bravado.

"No, Spur, I committed my life to destroying the royal structure of Percheron. I wanted the faith changed, which I gather has already been discussed; the harem disbanded, which I hear will occur soon; and Joreb's only remaining spawn dead, which you seem to have done very ably for me."

"What does he mean?" Herezah asked.

"Didn't Lazar tell you everything that unfolded in the desert?" He made a soft sound of admonishment toward the Spur.

"Arafanz-"

"You see, Valide," Arafanz continued, moving deeper into the room, Luc nestled comfortably in his arms, making room for his Razaqin to enter. One was unhooded, and Herezah recognized him, her disbelief deepening. "I'm not sure how Lazar explained away the death of your son but whatever he did say probably didn't give you the ghoulish detail that it was he who murdered the unarmed Zar, cleaving his head from crown to neck."

Herezah let go of Lazar as if burned. "What?" She felt as if all her breath had been sucked from her. "Lazar?"

"Tell her, Spur. Tell her the truth."

"It's true."

She stared at him, shock and fright mingling to make her feel weak-kneed and dizzy.

"Herezah, I will explain it but you need to know that Boaz had suffered some sort of change. He planned to kill Ana, to kill me, perhaps even Luc. He'd entered a madness from which there was no escape."

"You lie," she said, shaking her head slowly.

"Of course he lies," Arafanz taunted. "He wanted Ana all to himself."

"Herezah, I have no reason to lie to you."

"He wanted his child on the throne, Valide. Imagine it-Galinsean blood atop the Percherese throne. Falza must love it!"

"I'm sure he does," Lazar countered, and Herezah heard the ice in his voice. Recognized it. Lazar spoke like this when he was supremely confident. He didn't feel at all threatened by Arafanz's taunts. "But if I merely wanted to put a Galinsean on the Percherese throne, I could have helped my father's cause and taken it myself. This new Zar is half Percherese and he will be raised by and will learn to govern from a Percherese grandmother, chosen by royals, whether he's blood or not. Does this sound to you like someone who simply wants a Galinsean on the throne, or does this sound more like someone who is following Lyana's wishes?"

Herezah didn't understand why Lazar was talking about bringing the Goddess into the fray but he certainly seemed obsessed with her, what with changing over the faith and tearing down the temples of Zarab. She couldn't care less about it but she watched Arafanz struggle to answer Lazar's challenge, so presumably the rebel knew what the Spur was talking about.

"We're on the same side, Arafanz. I did your task," Lazar said, "because I didn't know if you'd live to fulfill it."

"I'm here to finish it," the rebel said.

"What do you want?" Herezah demanded.

"Your death, Valide."

"Why?"

"My task was to destroy the old guard of Joreb's structure."

"It's already torn to shreds. Let her be. She will herald your new era, trust me," Lazar assured.

"Trust you?" Arafanz sneered. "No. Now make a choice, you two. I don't need this child on the throne. You're right, Lazar, the changes have already been rung in. His death makes no difference. I see giants roam the land again, which tells me Lyana has prevailed."

"What choice?" Lazar demanded.

"You, Valide, your death in exchange for the baby's life."

"This is madness," Lazar said. "Nothing will be achieved through her death. Nothing!"

"Satisfaction that I fulfilled my role. Now choose."

Herezah knew that Luc was too precious. His existence had made it possible to barter their peace with the Galinseans. His existence meant peace and empire for future generations. She was dispensable. Percheron was safe, Boaz was dead, Lazar would never be hers. She didn't allow herself another moment's thought, for fear of losing her nerve. She stepped fully away from Lazar. "Give the child to Lazar."

"And then I have no bargaining power, Valide."

"Herezah, wait!" Lazar cautioned.

"No. This is how it must be," she said. "Salazin can take my life as you hand the child to Lazar, Arafanz. Is that fair? Are you a man of your word?"

"Absolutely I am, Valide. I'm impressed by your heroics. I promise you both father and son will be left safe once you are dead."

She nodded. "How do I say 'do it cleanly' to the mute?"

Arafanz laughed. "He is not mute. You can tell him yourself."

It was just one more shock she couldn't be bothered to turn her mind to. Life had been enough of a blur these last few days. She stood still as Salazin approached, drawing a vicious-looking dagger from his belt.

"Arafanz! This-"

"Quiet, Lazar. Don't draw that sword. Here, catch your son."

Herezah held her breath in readiness but it all happened so fast. She watched Arafanz throw Luc at Lazar, who frantically grabbed for the child in the air. When she looked back at Salazin, he was empty-handed. She turned and stared at the rebel's surprised face, the dagger sticking from his throat. Arafanz just had time to switch his gaze from Lazar to Salazin.

"Why, son?" he gasped before he fell heavily to the ground, dead before he hit it.

"He had become dangerous," the young man said into the shocked silence. Then he said to Lazar, "I'm glad your son is safe," before he leaped off the edge of the balcony, escaping. Herezah felt her knees give and then her world blacked out.

She inhaled a deep breath of the balmy late-summer air and smelled the sweet jasmine in it.

"I walked through the harem today," she said. "It is a very lonely place. But then it was never a terribly happy place."

"You won't miss it."

"No, not one bit. And we shall find homes for all the girls. Some may return to their parents."

"How are you feeling?"

"Ridiculous with this huge bruise on my forehead that not even a wretched veil will cover. I'm sorry I fainted. I'm fine, Lazar, really."

"I plan to leave this evening."

"I wish you'd let it go."

"I can't. It must be done."

"I know. Well, I'm sure we're safe. Captain Ghassal takes no notice of me, anyway, so I presume you've left him with his orders?"

"I have. The city is calm."

"You're not going to explain any of it, are you? The desert, the fortress, Boaz, Arafanz, none of it."

"You said what has passed is the past. That is a fine creed. One day I will tell you what Arafanz put us through that terrible night and why killing Boaz was the kindest act I could show him. But right now it is too raw, Herezah. I have lost a lot of people that I cared about. I, too, must do some healing. Please believe me when I tell you that Boaz did not die in vain."

She nodded, far too pragmatic to continue her argument. Nothing would bring back Boaz. The Spur had no reason to lie to her, not now. She ruled Percheron. "Go, Lazar. Return safely to us."

"Only when I am satisfied that he is dead."