Kingdom of Shadow

Alone again, Kentril tried to finish dressing, but this latest news refused to sit well with him. Now both the necromancer and Albord had gone missing. The captain gave thanks that at least Jodas and the others had left when they had. If not, how long before all of them would have disappeared?

Disappeared?

Albord had been last seen escorting the rest…

"No…" Forgetting his garments, forgetting even Ata

Yet some churning feeling within would not let the captain accept what seemed a most reasonable possibility.

"Ata

He strode through the regal halls, ignoring the salutes of the helmeted guards he passed. Kentril had only one focus—Juris Khan's daughter—and for once he did not seek her for pleasure.

One of the almost faceless servants confronted him as he neared the grand hall. Before the pasty—faced man could say anything, Kentril seized him by the tailored collar and demanded, "Where's your mistress? Where's Ata

"Why, I'm right here."

Startled, Kentril released the servant and turned. The beautiful crimson—haired princess wore a robe similar to the one in which she had been clad when aiding in the release of her father from his curse. Far behind her, Kentril vaguely noted a door he had never seen before.

"What is it you want, my love?"

He had the greatest urge to take her in his arms, to forget his problems, but despite how simple it would have been to do so, Captain Dumon could not forget his men. At least three had definitely gone missing and possibly seven more, excluding the necromancer.

"Where were you?"

"Helping my father," she responded offhandedly. Her lips pursed in concern. "You look troubled, Kentril. Have I offended you somehow?"

Again he had to fight the desire to drown himself in her. "I want to talk to you" — Kentril recalled the servant—"in private."

"We're quite alone," she said with a teasing smile,

Glancing over his shoulder, the captain discovered the liveried figure nowhere to be found. Truly they were swift of feet and as silent as the night.

Ata

She led him toward the balcony where Lord Khan had made his appearance after being freed by Quov Tsin. Kentril wanted to question her even as they walked, but Ata

The air outside had a slight chill to it that caused the mercenary officer to shiver. How he looked forward to when Ureh could withstand the sun and the shadow of the mountain would only mean the aging of the day.

"I so enjoy it out here," his companion murmured. "I know we only sit upon a hill, but it feels like a mountain as tall as Nymyr!"

It could have been so easy to follow her lead, to let the mood take him. Kentril refused, though. He had lives to consider. "Ata

"Silly! You already are!"

Now he grew slightly angry. "Don't play games! This is important! At least three of my men are officially missing, and now another seems to be nowhere to be found. I'm even growing concerned about the six who left, not to mention Zayl. Too many people are unaccounted for, and that, in my book, means something terrible's going on."

She gave him an almost petulant frown. "Surely you're not saying that I did anything to them?"

"No, of course not. But something's amiss here, and I don't know what to think. Nothing is as it should be, not even Gregus Mazi—"

"Gregus Mazi?" Her gaze hardened. "What about that viper?"

Kentril decided he had to tell her. Surely Ata

"What do you mean? Father said—"

"Listen to me!" He leaned close, letting her see in his eyes that he spoke only the truth. "Ata

"What were you doing down there? How did you know where to look for him?"

Kentril glanced briefly over his shoulder in order to make certain that no one spied upon them, then answered, "Zayl found out. He'd been to Mazi's sanctum and there tried to summon the sorcerer's shade in order to question him about—"

Turning back to the view of darkened Ureh, Ata

Frustrated, Kentril spun her to face him again. "Listen to me! You know your father best. Has he acted at all different? Is there anything about him that might be of question to you?"

"My father is exactly the way I expect him to be."

"But something's not right here, Ata

She put a hand to his cheek, caressing him and making it hard for Kentril to concentrate. "Nothing can touch ushere. This is the palace of Juris Khan. I have you, and you have me, and that's all that matters, isn't it?"

How simple it would have been to agree. Her very touch thrilled him, made all else inconsequential.

"No!" As he shouted, he grabbed her wrist. "Ata

"You can't leave! I have you now, and I won't let you go!"

Kentril gaped, caught unprepared for the vehemence with which the young woman spoke. Her eyes held a fury he thought not possible.

She took a step toward him, and to his surprise the hardened fighter backed up.

"I asked Father for you, and he said I could have you! All I wanted was you. I didn't want the others. Just you, don't you see?"

The fury had abated, but in its place Kentril discovered an unsettling look, a look that seemed to cut through him, see him inside and out. Without thinking, he took another step back.

Her face softened. "It was so lonely there… so lonely save for him and the few others… and when they were gone, I yearned for something more."

Every hair on Kentril suddenly tingled. As Ata

"I want you with all my heart, my soul, and my body, Kentril," she cooed. "Don't you want me, too?"

He did. He wanted her. He wanted to give himself to her in whatever ma

But as Juris Khan's daughter reached out for him, something made Kentril throw himself forward.

The mercenary collided hard with Ata

And dropped over the rail.

"Ata