Guardians of the Desert (Children of the Desert) Read Online Free PDF Page B

my decision,” he said a bit roughly. “Are you going to call challenge on me, then, Lord Rowe, over Nissa? Or bring it up as a Council matter?”
    He waited, his long hands clenched into fists, knuckles barely touching the table. The array of ebony and silver beads on the ornate bracelets climbing from wrist to elbow on each arm rattled and hissed; Scratha glanced at them, his frown deepening, and flattened his hands out to rest on the table, quieting the noise.
    Rowe studied the tall Scratha lord, a faint frown creasing his forehead. “No,” he said at last. “She wouldn’t thank me for getting involved.”
    Scratha let out a hard breath and relaxed, although his expression remained grim. “Thank you, Lord Rowe,” he said.
    The Sessin lord nodded and looked down at his hands, still frowning, as if regretting his decision.
    “The question of Pieas Sessin does, however, bring us to another matter of Conclave business,” Lord Faer said. “The investment of Lord Alyea.”
    As if he’d been waiting for that, Evkit sat up straight. “Challenge,” he said before anyone else could speak. “Irregular trials, invalid process. I challenge.”
    Alyea’s stomach contracted. Scratha shot her a hard stare and shook his head slightly, as if warning her to stay quiet; and nobody else seemed to react, as though this were simply more posturing on Evkit’s part.
    “She bears all three marks,” Faer pointed out.
    “Bribed,” Evkit said baldly.
    A shocked hiss sounded around the table, indifference evaporating; so this wasn’t routine political maneuvering. Alyea glanced at Deiq; his face remained serene, his arms folded across his chest.
    “You’re accusing Callen of accepting bribes?” Lord Rowe demanded.
    Evkit pointed at Deiq, the motion made threatening by the angular black lines that ran from his fingertips to just below his elbows. “He make arrangements,” the teyanin lord declared. “Who will argue with ha’ra’ha? He is too powerful.”
    Everyone turned to look at the tall ha’ra’ha sitting beside Alyea.
    Deiq blinked lazily and said, “She passed all the trials by her own wits and strength.”
    “All three trials, in less than two tendays?” Irrio said. He narrowed his eyes at Alyea, a half-smile on his lips. “Impressive, given that preparing for each trial normally takes years.”
    Azaniari raised her eyebrows and stared hard at Lord Irrio. “ Does it, now?” she said. Irrio flicked a hand in an apologetic motion.
    Aerthraim-Darden , Alyea remembered; the woman claimed two Families. Through marriage, obviously; and Irrio represented Darden, which meant Azaniari’s home Family had to be Aerthraim.
    Now, that was a story she’d be interested in hearing one day.
    Deiq spoke, and Alyea blinked back to the moment, wondering why she kept drifting; it seemed as though everything were moving so slowly, the conversations interminably drawn-out and the speech patterns drawling, ambling, boring.
    “It does make one wonder about people who need all that preparation,” Deiq said amiably, then glanced at Alyea and added, “If you doubt me, my lords, just look at her; she’s barely listening half the time. You’ve all seen that look on new lords before.”
    Alyea stiffened as every eye suddenly turned to her, squinting and intense. “Thanks a lot,” she muttered; Deiq just grinned.
    Scratha cut in, after a sharp glare at Deiq. “ I’ll speak to the legality of her trials. The Scratha Fortress ha’rethe upholds her claim. Are there any valid challenges remaining to Lord Alyea’s investment?”
    “What Family blood does she intend to claim?” Rowe asked.
    Scratha nodded at Alyea, granting her permission to speak; she cleared her throat and said, “None. As far as I know I’m not directly related to any of the desert Families.”
    Expressions around the table ranged from Deiq’s smug smile to Rowe’s thunderstruck gape.
    “Good gods, Deiq,” Lord Rest of Eshan Family said, speaking for the