The Blessed Curse (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #4)(68)
Seth swallowed hard and bit back the sharp words he wanted to use. “Is Dashara dead?” he asked in the calmest voice he could manage. Hemlock laughed and pushed off the wall as he lifted Dominic into his arms and cradled the child against him. Seth’s eyes flicked to his son’s face and the look of terror that he wore. The child was only four and Seth doubted he even knew what was going on. He wanted to offer him reassurances, but he had never lied to his son before, and he wouldn’t start now.
“You know, I never guessed you to be a family man, Seth. This should be fun,” Hemlock said with a chuckle. He bounced Dominic against his hip and smiled down at the boy. “Your Daddy is in an awful lot of trouble, young man. Let this all be a lesson to you for the future. Violence begets violence.”
“Is Dashara dead?” Seth demanded, his words cracking through the empty stable with enough force to make Dominic jump.
“Tsk, Tsk, Seth. You scared him.” Hemlock shook his head in disapproval and then laughed again. “Dashara is still very much alive. She is waiting for you, in fact. Of course I need to explain the rules to you. Dominic already knows them. See how quiet he is being and so well behaved.”
Seth’s hand clenched at his side and it was all he could do to keep from throwing a dagger. Had it been someone else he would have, but Hemlock had a reputation as good as his own. It was possible the man could dodge the knife and then Dominic would suffer for it.
“Ahh. I can see the desire to kill me so clearly, Seth. Pity you aren’t strong enough to act on it. I’d like to know which of us would win in a fair fight. Avanti doesn’t want fair, though, he wants suffering. So here we go. Dashara is as good as dead, but you have a chance to save your children and maybe even yourself. The High Lord values your talents, but your loyalty is somewhat lacking.” Hemlock paused and traced a gloved finger down Dominic’s face. “Such a good boy, and his life is entirely in your hands, Seth. The key is your good behavior. We are going to go inside shortly and you are going to stand right beside me with every one of your weapons. I won’t even take your sword. You, however, are not allowed to move a muscle once we are inside. No talking, no twitching of fingers, and no tears. I have a bet that you won’t be able to do it, but Uindraely says you can. She seems to think you are made of iron, but personally, after watching your anger and panic in the past few minutes, I think she is wrong.”
“Less taunting, more explaining, please,” Seth growled. This was not going in a good direction at all, but if he had his weapons, he had hope. Even if it was slim hope, it was better than nothing.
“Fine. You move. I cut the child. You talk. I cut the child. You cry… Well, you get the picture. You fight, though. You fight, and I don’t just hurt him, Seth. I gut the little bastard and let him die a slow death at your feet. Understood?” Hemlock’s voice had grown low and Dominic whimpered faintly at his words. “Now, now, Dominic, we discussed this. You cry or scream and your little sister gets hurt, remember?” Hemlock’s voice grew gentle once more as he chided the boy and Dominic abruptly grew silent. “Manage to behave as Lord Avanti wants, and your children live, Seth.”
“He wants Dashara to believe I betrayed her,” Seth whispered hoarsely.
“I think it’s more along the lines of wanting her to believe you were betraying her all along. He wants her to die knowing you never loved her at all,” Hemlock corrected in an amused voice. “After all, how could anyone watch someone they love die without even making a sound?” Hemlock mused as he moved toward the door. “Follow along like a good little servant, Seth. From what I understand, you used to be the perfect dog for Avanti before Dashara spread her legs for you. Must have been damned good sex for you to turn your back on Avanti for this little rebellion. Too bad you f*cked up, eh? I mean, just think of how many people died because of you. Not only will your wife die, everyone that followed her will die, too. By the time this night is over, your entire rebellion will be an unpleasant memory.”
Seth followed behind in utter silence. He was certain the game had begun the moment they started walking toward the house, and he wasn’t about to let harm come to Dominic over Hemlock’s taunting. He had served House Avanti his entire life. There was nothing Hemlock could say that would make him break. Every painful word that could be spoken was already ground into his soul by the Avanti. The true test of his will would come when he faced Dashara. It would take everything he had to remain silent when she looked at him as a traitor.
The house was silent as they entered. Seth’s eyes scanned the small kitchen and the dining room as Hemlock continued on. Everything was neat and tidy as it always was. Dashara hated clutter and kept the house nearly spotless. His throat tightened as Hemlock paused in front of the bedroom door. The Assassin turned back to look at him with a wide smile showing through the shadows of his cloak.
“Better let me take a quick peek, first. I have to make sure they are ready for you and Dashara is decent. I think a few of the guards took a turn with her. No doubt they wanted to see if it was really worth a rebellion,” Hemlock whispered as he pushed the door open just far enough to glance inside. “All clear. Let’s get this over with, shall we,” he suggested as he pushed the door fully open.
Their bedroom had always seemed large to him before. Seth had lived his entire life as a servant and his quarters had never been as lavish as the home he shared with Dashara. Tonight, however, the room seemed small and cramped. Guards lined the walls while Donrey Avanti himself stood in the center of the room, looming like Death over his eldest daughter. Dashara’s eyes flashed to him and Seth watched with despair as hope lit her battered features. She was tied to a chair in the center of the room. Her beautiful red-gold hair was matted with blood and by the bruises and cuts on her beautiful face, she had endured several beatings before he arrived.