Tomi shivered and closed his eyes in pleasure, savoring her ministrations.
For this moment, he could forget his family planned his death.
“Maybe, you misheard…” Kaya trailed off as Tomi levered his head off her lap and sat up.
She ignored his disgruntled expression and searched his eyes. “If you’re wrong--”
“What then?” he asked sharply, turning his head to pin her in place with one look.
She pushed black, silky hair off her face and raised her chin. “Then it’s a dangerous accusation against your own father and King.”
Tomi turned away to stare off into the distance. Kaya didn’t believe him.
Who would?
The reality of his existence as the Prince and heir was one he’d carefully hidden every day of his thirteen years. How could he have been stupid enough to confide in Kaya? Her father was one of the Chiefs and stood a lot to gain from his situation.
He forced a smile. “You’re right. I was joking. How can my father think to kill me.” Tomi threw in a laugh for good measure. “I’m his only heir.”
Kaya laughed and rose with a graceful leap, brushing the grass stains off her skirt. “You scared me for a second there. You don’t know how much I love our clan. The peace and security of having the most powerful ruler as King.” She grinned at him. “And an even more powerful son to take his place, we’re the envy of the other twelve clans, Tomi.”
The muscles of Tomi’s face tightened in a flinch. He shifted his gaze to the left. “You better hurry home.”
She searched his face for a moment, a frown pleating her smooth forehead. “Why do I get the feeling something’s off.”
“Maybe because you read meaning into nothing?” he asked dryly.
Tomi watched her go. What he wouldn’t give for someone to talk to about his fears. He glanced up at the heavens and prayed for the first time in his life. He had to be wrong.
But his head, his heart, every fiber of his being said his instincts were right.
The terms of rulership in Prewta was simple, the most powerful rules. As the most powerful ruler, his father King Maxid presided over the twelve clans.
As Kaya said, the terms were good because all twelve clans lived in peace and security, knowing their King could protect them and the throne since there was none more powerful.
But if the heir had no power, would the faith of the clans in the King be shaken? Worse still, could there arise a challenger? And would the King do anything to prevent this from happening?
Tomi shook his head sharply. He should ignore his treacherous thoughts and go home.
Tomi returned home to find his mother pacing. He’d barely taken a step into their compound when she rounded on him. “Is your father and uncle back?” Jena, the Queen mother asked, sounding unusually tense.
Tomi jerked his head at the hovering servant in dismissal. He frowned at his usually unflappable mother. “Is everything alright?”
She bit her lip. “No. Yes. I mean--”
“Easy.” Tomi reached for her shoulder blades and kneaded it awkwardly. He would have loved to take her into his arms, but they’d never had that kind of relationship.
“Come, sit down, Mother.” He led her to the nearest chair and ran a quick look over her. She didn’t seem hurt.”
“I’m sorry.”
The whispered words jerked his head up and Tomi studied her strained features. “What’s wrong, Mother?”
Jena shook her head, forced a smile and sighed. Tomi watched with an inscrutable expression and knew with a certainty that had a hollow feeling lining his gut that his mother was about to lie.
“I’m just,” she shrugged, “tired.”
Tomi tried to pick the lie from the truth. “You went visiting with Marie.”
Jena eyed him sharply. “How did you know?”
Marie was her best friend and Kaya’s mother. Tomi clenched his fists to keep from shaking the truth from her. “I’m friends with Kaya.”
“Oh.” A dark look sifted across her face. Tomi stiffened. What did that oh mean?
“Are you close?”
He shook his head.
“Oh.” She smiled.
Tomi frowned. Was that relief he heard in her voice?
Jena touched his cheek. Tomi felt his insides go liquid with fear. For the first time in thirteen years, his mother not only allowed his touch, she touched him. He should be elated, but fear closed an icy grip around his throat muscles and squeezed.
Tomi swallowed, hard. “Is something wrong?”
Jena hesitated. “I need to see the medicine woman in Chalgi.”
Tomi drew back. “Are you sick?”
She bit her lip. “Not really, I just need her skills for something else.” A strained silence followed. “She’s expecting me,” Jena added.
Tomi’s head pounded. “Why Chalgi? You could use the service of any medicine man or woman in our clan or others closer to us.”
“I’m going to see Wereu.”
Tomi rocked back on his heels. A sound like thunder ran past his ears in a dizzying rush and he struggled to stay upright. His mother wanted to see the witch so powerful, it rendered her mad. A woman his father despised.
A woman rumored to be more powerful than his father.
In one abrupt movement, he rose from where he knelt before his mother and moved to the door.
Jena pursued. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Tomi shook his head. “I won’t let you betray father.”
Her forehead knitted in a frown. “Why would I betray him?”
“He hates Wereu and you want to see her.”
Her blond brows rose. “He hates Kaya’s father and you’re friends with Kaya.”
Jena threw up her hands. “It’s not like I want to make her King, I really want to remain Queen.”
Tomi stared, indecisive and helpless. He was missing something but he had no idea what.
“Will you take me?”
“What of the guards or your personal maid?” Tomi asked.
His mother compressed her lips in disapproval.
Tomi found himself nodding. “I will go.”
King Maxid kicked a servant out of his way. “Where’s that bitch?”
He rounded on his brother. “I promise to tear you limb from limb if I find out you had anything to do with her sudden and convenient disappearance.” He turned away in disgust. “First, Wereu somehow escapes, and now this.”
Tafaer smoothed out his britches. “We had this planned out for so long. Wereu, Jena, and Tomi gone. It should be simple.”
Maxid raked him with a glare. “Don’t be daft. Nothing about rulership is simple.” He eyed his brother coldly. “She must have told you her plans,” he smiled wolfishly, “in bed should do it.”
Tafaer went as pale as spoilt milk. “I don’t--”
Maxid laughed. “There’s nothing in the twelve clans I don’t know.”
Resentment boiled in Tafaer’s eyes. “Except Wereu’s location.”
Maxid inclined his head. “Except that. Now, where is she?”
Tafaer swallowed. “I told her we would get married--”
“Let me get this straight, you promised Jena marriage? How's that possible when she's already married to me?” King Maxid threw his head back and burst into laughter.
Tafaer gritted his teeth. “It was the only way I could control her.”
Maxid caught his breath. A cold, familiar gleam entered his eyes as he stared at his brother, from the top of his well-coiffed blond hair to his shiny boots. Their hard ride from Chalgi after their fruitless search for Wereu hadn’t put a dent on his appearance. He had often wondered, but after today, he was sure, nothing could make Tafaer look less than angelic.
And useless.
“You had one job, fuck Jena senseless and keep her in line and you couldn’t even do it.”
Tafaer turned away from his brother. “I know where she is.”
Maxid was too angry to hear. “Tell me something. Are you still jealous I have the power, the throne and the--”
“Powerless heir, that’s making us go to all these troubles?” Tafaer asked without expression. “No, I’m not jealous of that.”
Maxid growled and took a step forward. Tafaer held out a placating hand. “I’m sorry. The plan hasn’t changed. I get Jena away, you kill Tomi, marry the powerful Hama and get a powerful heir. It hasn’t changed brother. I told you I know where Jena will be.”
Unclenching his fists with effort, Maxid cocked an eyebrow in challenge. “Where?”
“No one has seen Wereu in thirty years,” Tomi said, “how did you get her to ‘expect you?”
Unsurprisingly, Jena remained silent. It was the fourth time in three days, Tomi would initiate a conversation and be rebuffed. He gritted his teeth and shifted his rump on the horse’s back, this was a relationship with his mother he was familiar with. Not that ‘I want you to go with me’ lie.
Why had she insisted he come along?
At the outskirts of Chalgi, the sound of approaching horses reached his ears. The riders were galloping so fast, the earth shook with every clump of the horse’s hooves.
Tomi glanced back. “Father!”
Before he could blink, his father and uncle had them surrounded. Tomi jumped down and ran to help his mother.
Jena kicked him off, a bitter look on her face. “Go on, run to your loving father,” she sneered.
Maxid jumped down, unsheathed his sword and stalked towards his Queen and son. He pointed the sword at Jena. “Bride meet groom,” he turned the sword on Tafaer smoothly, “I would love to officiate this union but I have pressing matters to attend to.”
“Father--”
Maxid hit Tomi with the end of the sword, he staggered and fell on his knees on the ground.
As pain burst through Tomi’s head, he caught his breath and struggled to stay upright. With just one blow, his father had sent him to the edge of unconsciousness. Numbing, welcoming darkness beckoned and Tomi blinked it away.
His father kicked his head up with an upraised knee. Their eyes met. Tomi stared into his angry eyes and let out a sigh of defeat.
Maxid caught his hair and gave it a rough tug. “You are not my son,” he grated, “no son of mine would accept death without a fight.”
Tomi forced his mouth to shape the words through the pain. “I won’t fight you, father.”
Maxid tightened his grip on his sword and drew his hand back. Tomi closed his eyes, held his breath and waited.
A loud animal-like growl had Tomi’s eyes blinking open and Maxid twisting around, sword paused in mid-swing.
Tomi gaped.
The creature stood at almost seven feet tall. With its wolfish ears, disproportionate arms, beast-like face and one eye, it resembled the mythical animals of old. The ewus of the old Priest’s stories from when the clans were without form and humans were not yet born.
Maxid’s face went slack in shock.
Jena and Tafaer took to their heels.
The creature stretched out his big hands and wrapped it around the King’s neck. With no effort, it began to squeeze the life from Maxid. The creature raised Maxid above his considerable height. The sword clattered from his grip to fall at Tomi’s feet.
“Tom--” Maxid gasped, “the swor--”
Tomi stared at the official sword of rulership and up his father’s dangling legs before landing on his bluish, straining face.
He was curious. He had never seen a man strangled to death before.
An unmistakable snap followed, like a twig breaking, and his father’s body landed in a heap on the ground.
The creature’s odd whistling breath and Tomi’s pants filled the silence as boy and beast stared at each other.
Fear left Tomi paralyzed and his eyes glued to the creature. As he watched the creature seemed to melt and shift. Tomi blinked. Before him stood an old, stooped woman.
She kicked the sword towards him. “I’m Wereu.”
Tomi swallowed hard past dry throat. “I-I-I’m the King Tomi,” he whispered.
She smiled, approval lighting up her face. “Go claim your throne.”
Thanks for reading
