Michelle West - Sun Sword 06 - The Sun Sword by Michelle West Page A
Authors: Michelle West
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wouldn't want to be. I don't think Margret did."
"Oh." She absorbed this. "Many people want to be The Terafin."
"Why?"
"Because they think they'll have power. No. Because they
will
have
power."
"But they carry the weight of the family."
Her smile was bitter. "Not if they're like Haerrad, they don't. Or Rymark."
"I don't like Elonne much either," Carver volunteered.
"Whatever."
"Maybe this is why the men don't rule the families. Only the clans."
"Maybe. Men rule here. Sometimes."
"She doesn't want a man to rule. She wants Jewel." He hesitated. "And I want
her here as well."
"Why?" Teller spoke softly.
Adam shrank, his slender form folding to lose inches. "Because," he said
quietly, "it's the only peace Amarais will have."
Finch closed her eyes. Without sight to distract her, she listened to voice,
to movement, the shifting of weight on chairs that creaked beneath it, the
scuffle of boots against the floor. "Adam, it's
very important
that you
keep this to yourself. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Even among us."
He hesitated. And then he said, "Am I your kin, Finch?"
The question forced her eyes open. His were upon her, wide and unblinking.
Hunger, there. "Yes," she said softly. "Or you wouldn't be here."
His smile was hesitant, but it was there. "Margret won't like it."
"Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters."
"Well, we won't tell her."
He laughed. "She'll find out. She always does." And then his expression
shifted again. "Summon Jewel ATerafin," he said quietly. "Summon her now."
She didn't want to. Because she understood that when Jewel came home, The
Terafin was free, at last, to die.
But when she received the summons to the upper remove, she felt her resolve
harden. Ellerson bore the writ; Ellerson came with clothing suitable to such an
important meeting. She almost told him to put it away, but Teller gravely
accepted the domicis' choice, and she followed her den-kin's silent lead.
She left everyone else in the wing. Ellerson, she chose to take with her;
Gregori had already armed himself.
"Will you be okay with just one guard?" Carver asked nervously.
"We will have more than one," Ellerson said gravely. "Torvan ATerafin waits
without; he has at his side no less than seven men."
All of whom were of more use in a fight, and they all knew it. Carver nodded
curtly.
"Watch Adam," she told him. "Watch Daine."
Arann looked at them both, and they nodded. Just as they would have, she
thought, if she had been Jay.
Gabriel ATerafin met them in the library, and he looked mildly disconcerted
to see them there. They had been waiting a quarter of an hour in an increasingly
uncomfortable silence that stacks of books did nothing to break.
Finch looked at the right-kin's face; he looked as if he had gone without
sleep for over a week. The chiseled gravity and perfection of his somber
expression had at last given way to the roughness beneath, and his hair was
almost pure white. She was shocked, and said nothings-Teller rose immediately
and tendered Gabriel ATerafin a perfect bow. That perfection was Ellerson's
gift—if daily training and almost military criticism could be called a gift. He
had taken to it silently; she had taken to it with a series of bitter
complaints. Silence seemed to be more successful.
Gabriel ATerafin gathered his bearing quickly. "ATerafin," he said, returning
Teller's bow. "ATerafin."
Finch started to speak, but Ellerson's stiff expression had taken on an edge;
she closed her lips over the words, straightening her shoulders.
"You wait to speak with The Terafin?" Gabriel said idly.
Finch nodded; that seemed safe.
"I have word for her as well," he replied.
Morretz chose that moment to join them, as if he had been silently watching
from the gallery. "Right-kin," he said, his bow putting Teller's to
shame—although how, Finch couldn't quite say. "The Terafin is, at the moment, in
meetings with the magi. She sends her apologies, but she is unable to attend
"Oh." She absorbed this. "Many people want to be The Terafin."
"Why?"
"Because they think they'll have power. No. Because they
will
have
power."
"But they carry the weight of the family."
Her smile was bitter. "Not if they're like Haerrad, they don't. Or Rymark."
"I don't like Elonne much either," Carver volunteered.
"Whatever."
"Maybe this is why the men don't rule the families. Only the clans."
"Maybe. Men rule here. Sometimes."
"She doesn't want a man to rule. She wants Jewel." He hesitated. "And I want
her here as well."
"Why?" Teller spoke softly.
Adam shrank, his slender form folding to lose inches. "Because," he said
quietly, "it's the only peace Amarais will have."
Finch closed her eyes. Without sight to distract her, she listened to voice,
to movement, the shifting of weight on chairs that creaked beneath it, the
scuffle of boots against the floor. "Adam, it's
very important
that you
keep this to yourself. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Even among us."
He hesitated. And then he said, "Am I your kin, Finch?"
The question forced her eyes open. His were upon her, wide and unblinking.
Hunger, there. "Yes," she said softly. "Or you wouldn't be here."
His smile was hesitant, but it was there. "Margret won't like it."
"Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters."
"Well, we won't tell her."
He laughed. "She'll find out. She always does." And then his expression
shifted again. "Summon Jewel ATerafin," he said quietly. "Summon her now."
She didn't want to. Because she understood that when Jewel came home, The
Terafin was free, at last, to die.
But when she received the summons to the upper remove, she felt her resolve
harden. Ellerson bore the writ; Ellerson came with clothing suitable to such an
important meeting. She almost told him to put it away, but Teller gravely
accepted the domicis' choice, and she followed her den-kin's silent lead.
She left everyone else in the wing. Ellerson, she chose to take with her;
Gregori had already armed himself.
"Will you be okay with just one guard?" Carver asked nervously.
"We will have more than one," Ellerson said gravely. "Torvan ATerafin waits
without; he has at his side no less than seven men."
All of whom were of more use in a fight, and they all knew it. Carver nodded
curtly.
"Watch Adam," she told him. "Watch Daine."
Arann looked at them both, and they nodded. Just as they would have, she
thought, if she had been Jay.
Gabriel ATerafin met them in the library, and he looked mildly disconcerted
to see them there. They had been waiting a quarter of an hour in an increasingly
uncomfortable silence that stacks of books did nothing to break.
Finch looked at the right-kin's face; he looked as if he had gone without
sleep for over a week. The chiseled gravity and perfection of his somber
expression had at last given way to the roughness beneath, and his hair was
almost pure white. She was shocked, and said nothings-Teller rose immediately
and tendered Gabriel ATerafin a perfect bow. That perfection was Ellerson's
gift—if daily training and almost military criticism could be called a gift. He
had taken to it silently; she had taken to it with a series of bitter
complaints. Silence seemed to be more successful.
Gabriel ATerafin gathered his bearing quickly. "ATerafin," he said, returning
Teller's bow. "ATerafin."
Finch started to speak, but Ellerson's stiff expression had taken on an edge;
she closed her lips over the words, straightening her shoulders.
"You wait to speak with The Terafin?" Gabriel said idly.
Finch nodded; that seemed safe.
"I have word for her as well," he replied.
Morretz chose that moment to join them, as if he had been silently watching
from the gallery. "Right-kin," he said, his bow putting Teller's to
shame—although how, Finch couldn't quite say. "The Terafin is, at the moment, in
meetings with the magi. She sends her apologies, but she is unable to attend
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