Queen of the Darkness

"The bags were packed and set near the door." He swore softly, viciously. "Where in the name of Hell did she go?"
    "She went to Lady Luthvian's," said a young female voice.
    They all turned and stared at Jillian, Nurian's young sister.
    She hunched her shoulders and looked ready to bolt back into the eyrie.
    Hallevar pointed a finger at the ground a few feet away from him. "Here, little warrior," he said sternly.
    Scared now, Jillian crept to the spot, glanced at the large warriors surrounding her, then stared at her feet.
    "Make your report," Hallevar said in that tone that, although encouraging, had made every young male who had trained under him snap to attention.
    It had the same effect on Jillian. She stood upright and focused on Hallevar. "I was doing my stamina run this morning." She waited until she got Hallevar's approving nod. "And I thought I would take the path to Prince Yaslana's eyrie because I thought, well, maybe Lady Marian would want a little help with Daemonar, that I could look after him for a bit so she could get some of her chores done. It wasn't like I was shirking the rest of my workout or anything, 'cause looking after Daemonar is work."
    Despite being worried, Lucivar's lips twitched as he fought not to smile.
    "I was almost there when I saw Marian standing at the door talking to Palanar. He looked... sick. He was sweating hard, and ... I don't know. I've never seen anyone look like that. And then Marian jerked like someone had hit her, but Palanar didn't touch her. He said, 'Bring the boy.' She went inside and came back out with Daemonar.
    Daemonar took one look at Palanar and started howling. You know, that sound Daemonar makes when he doesn't like something?"
    Lucivar nodded. He felt a cold sweat forming on his skin.
    "Palanar grabbed one of Marian's arms. He kept saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.'"
    "Did he see you?" Lucivar asked too quietly.
    Jillian shook her head. "But Marian did. She looked right at me, and her face had the same sick look that Palanar's did, and she said, 'Luthvian's.' Then they left." Having finished her report, her confidence faded as she looked up at the grim-faced men.
    "You didn't report this to anyone?" Lucivar asked.
    Pale now, Jillian shook her head again. "I—Nurian wasn't home when I got back, and ... I didn't know I was supposed to report," she finished in a barely audible voice.
    And would have been reluctant to go to one of the warriors and be casually dismissed because she was female. A few months of living in Kaeleer weren't enough to overcome survival tactics that had been learned from the time she had gotten out of the cradle.
    "When a warrior sees something strange, he—or she-should report to—her—superiors," Hallevar said in a firm but gentle voice. "That's one of the ways a young warrior gains experience."
    "Yes, sir," Jillian whispered.
    "That was a fine first report, Jillian," Lucivar said. "Now go back to your chores."
    Jillian's shoulders went back. Her eyes shown with pleasure. "Yes, sir."
    None of them spoke until the girl had gone back inside.
    "Sounds like a compulsion spell," Falonar said quietly.
    "Yes," Lucivar replied grimly, "it does. Falonar, keep an eye on things here."
    "You're going to Luthvian's?" Hallevar asked quickly as Lucivar stepped away from them. "Then I'm going with you."
    "No, you're not," Falonar said. "Kohlvar, you bring everyone up close to the eyries. Hallevar, you have the most influence with the youngsters. Keep a tight leash on them."
    "And where will you be?" Lucivar asked too softly.
    Falonar squared off to face him. "I'm going with you."
     
    They found Palanar on the ground outside the kitchen door.
    "I'll look after him," Falonar said. "You go on."
    Calling in his Eyrien war blade, Lucivar kicked open the kitchen door and lunged into the room. The stink inside gagged him, reminded him too strongly of carrion.
    That thought catapulted him through the other downstairs rooms. Finding them empty, he surged up the stairs. He kicked the bedroom door open—and saw Luthvian. He probed the room swiftly to make sure no one was waiting for the moment when he dropped his guard, then he knelt beside the body.
    At first he thought she was still alive. The wounds he could see were bad, but there would have been more blood if she had bled out. When he brushed her hair away from her neck, he saw why there wasn't a lot of blood.
    He rested a hand on her head. All right. The body was dead, but she was strong enough to