Apprenticed to Pleasure Read online

  Ander shook with anger. He let go of Lady Tayanita and stood defiantly in front of the seraskier. “If you want a companion, go out to the barn. Try the pigsty.”

  Reincken roared and charged. Ander nimbly stepped aside and extended a foot as the man lurched past.

  Reincken crashed to the floor and landed heavily on an outstretched arm. A loud crack was followed by a howl of pain. The seraskier rolled onto his back, his right arm bent at an unnatural angle. He started to sit, then groaned and fell back.

  Reincken’s aide went rigid. “You attacked the seraskier! You’ll hang for this!” He started to reach for Ander, but Nicolai stepped between them.

  “It was an accident, that’s all. The seraskier is drunk, and he stumbled. We all saw it.”

  The aide’s face hardened, the show of outrage at Nicolai’s intervention more intense than his surprise at Ander’s action. “What I see is a peasant interfering with an arrest!”

  Stepping back, he drew a short sword from its scabbard. Nicolai was unarmed. The aide lifted his weapon to administer a summary execution.

  Nicolai dropped to the floor at the same moment Sorel reached for a sheath in his boot and pulled a throwing knife. Ander caught a blur of metal in the air before the blade sank to its hilt in the aide’s neck. The man gurgled, eyes bulging as he collapsed.

  A woman’s hysterical scream started a stampede for the door. Seraskier Reincken looked up enough to see the aide’s body in an expanding pool of blood. Swaying slightly, he used his left hand to grab a glass amulet hanging from a thin chain around his neck. He yanked it free and smashed it to the floor by his side.

  The amulet shattered. An oily black cloud spiraled upward, and a stench like burned meat filled the air. Reincken mumbled a few words, and the cloud swirled into frenzied motion. A shriek cut Ander’s mind like a razor. Everyone’s face but Reincken’s showed the same painful shock.

  “He’s summoning the guard!” Nicolai shouted, though the alarm was in their minds rather than their ears. “We’ve got to leave!”

  Lady Tayanita cowered on the floor with her hands pressed against the sides of her head. Ander crouched beside her. “You’ve got to come with us,” he urged. “They’ll arrest us all!”

  Lady Tayanita shook her head. “It’s you and your guests they’ll want. Not the rest of us. You have to get away. Take any horse you can find and get out of town.”

  “I’m not leaving you,” Ander insisted. The shrill alarm clamoring in his mind made it hard to think.

  “This house is my life,” Lady Tayanita said. “I’ll manage somehow. Now go before it’s too late.”

  Sorel put a hand on Ander’s shoulder. “There’s no time to argue. If she doesn’t want to go, we can’t make her.”

  It was agonizing, but Ander saw he was right. He glanced at Seraskier Reincken. The man watched him with undisguised hatred. If he allowed the town guard to catch him, Lady Tay would only be forced to watch while the seraskier ripped him apart.

  Nicolai had already retrieved their cloaks from a side room and grabbed a customer’s wool poncho. He tossed the black garment to Ander. “Let’s go! Now!” He started for the door, Sorel at his heels.

  “Wait,” Ander called. “The guard will be coming that way. I’ll show you the back way out.” He gave Lady Tayanita a quick embrace, then led Nicolai and Sorel into the kitchen.

  The two cooks stood aside while they rushed past the hearth filled with pots and the brick oven where odors of baking bread always lingered. The soundless clamor of the seraskier’s alarm was nearly as painful in the kitchen as in the main hall. Ander led them through a storage room at the back of the kitchen filled with baskets of vegetables and sacks of wheat, and they exited to a narrow alley. Its cobblestones were slick with snow and frozen garbage. Ander’s oiled leather moccasins stayed dry, but the cold penetrated quickly.

  “This way,” Ander said. He slipped the poncho over his head, grateful for Nicolai’s foresight, as they ran the short distance to the stable.

  The stable was a rugged timber structure like the establishment it served and had doors in both front and back. The stableboy had run off, but the seraskier’s alarm appeared to have had no effect on the animals. Nicolai and Sorel started to saddle their horses.

  Ander hesitated, intensely uncomfortable at the prospect of stealing a horse, then bit his lip and selected tack from a hook on the back wall. Lady Tay would make it right with the customer, if she kept herself out of the dungeons.

  He saddled a roan mare while Nicolai and Sorel grabbed candles, sulfur matches, and extra saddle blankets from a storage chest. It wasn’t much, but there was no time to search for more supplies. Ander opened the stable door while they stuffed the provisions in their saddlebags.

  Clatter of horseshoes on cobblestones echoed along the nearly deserted street as they left the stable. It almost seemed to drown out the urgent clamor that still assaulted their minds. A few bystanders looked at them nervously, frightened by the alarm and not knowing its cause.

  “Where are we heading?” Sorel asked. “This doesn’t look like the fastest way out of the city.”

  “There’s a sentry post not far to the east,” Ander answered. “That’s where guards spend most of their time on cold nights like this. We’re less likely to meet a patrol on the northern road.”

  “It’d better not be far,” Sorel said. “That shrieker is going to have every soldier in the city looking for trouble.”

  “What is that thing?” Ander picked up the pace. “I’ve seen sorcery in the public tortures they make us watch, but I’ve never felt something in my head like this.”

  Disgust filled Nicolai’s face. “The zamindar has many secrets. Things you don’t want to know, not if you want to sleep at night. Let’s just say shriekers are made from men. Those who weren’t lucky enough to be condemned to public tortures.”

  Ander shivered. The tortures were horrible, intentionally so, and it was hard to imagine another fate could be worse. “We’re not far from the northern road. Once we’re outside the city, we can take a trail into the mountains. Let’s make a run for it!”

  “Not yet,” Sorel advised. “Better to be inconspicuous, if we can.” But as soon as the words were spoken, a six-man patrol stepped from a side street not thirty paces ahead.

  Black-helmeted heads swiveled toward them. Four soldiers drew their swords, and the other two lifted crossbows to their shoulders. Ander’s heart pounded as he looked for an escape route. There were no side streets close by and little chance of escaping the crossbows if they tried to turn. Without warning Nicolai and Sorel moved ahead of him, one on either side.

  “Stay behind us,” Sorel said as he passed. “And hang on to your horse no matter what.”

  The instructions seemed bizarre, but there was no chance to question them. Ander clutched his saddle’s pommel with his left hand and watched in bewilderment as Nicolai and Sorel closed ranks ahead of him. Once they were within reach, they leaned toward each other and clasped hands.

  The soldiers realized something was amiss and bellowed orders to halt. A blinding white flash cut them short.

  Ander shouted in surprise, his cry joined by the blinded soldiers. There was a clatter of weapons falling to the street, and then Ander felt someone grab the reins from his hand.

  “Hang on,” Nicolai yelled. “Now we run for it!”

  Falling forward and blindly grabbing his horse, Ander held on as they broke into a gallop. Screams and curses quickly faded behind them.

  His mind clamored with questions. Why didn’t the horses bolt at the light? How could Sorel and Nicolai see where they were going? But it was a bone-jarring ride, made far worse by his blindness, and there was no time to worry about anything except staying in the saddle.

  Chapter 2

  ANDER clung to his horse, his mind racing, as they rode hard and fast. They were outside the city by the time his vision returned. The first thing he saw when spots stopped dancing before his eyes only increased h
is curiosity.

  Nicolai and Sorel rode ahead of him, guiding his horse onto one of the trails that led into the mountains. A full moon glowed through low clouds and bathed the forest in silvery light. Snow sparkled in the air. But what caught Ander’s eye was a faint red glow that seemed to hover around his new friends, moving between them like the surf’s ebb and flow. He rubbed his eyes, groaning with frustration as his vision swirled, then looked again. The red glow was gone.

  Nicolai heard the groan and twisted around in his saddle. “You’re back with us now? I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you from the flash. There wasn’t time. Are you all right?”

  “I think so.” Ander squeezed his eyes shut, then reopened them. Everything stayed where it belonged this time. “What was that? Did you and Sorel set off flash powder? Why didn’t it scare the horses, or burn your hands?”

  “We know a few tricks.” Nicolai dropped back so he was riding next to Ander and handed him his reins. “Can you see well enough to go faster? That patrol will be recovering about now too. They’ll likely send cuirassiers after us. We need to stretch our lead.”

  Ander shivered. “You’re right. We’re dead for sure if they catch us. Let’s hurry.”

  “Good. I’m not sure where this trail goes, but at least it heads north. Let us know if you can’t keep up.” Nicolai spurred his horse into a trot, and suddenly Ander was busy dodging branches as they negotiated the trail. They rode silently, Sorel in the lead, all of them concentrating on making the best possible speed.

  Night deepened and got colder. Ander wasn’t dressed for it and, despite the strenuous riding, was soon chilled. His anxiety increased as the desperation of their situation sank in. Nicolai and Sorel seemed more mysterious than ever. And they knew something about sorcery, a terrifying subject. He remembered the red glow he’d seen around them when his vision returned and for the first time began to wonder if they were dangerous. But they had stayed with him after blinding the soldiers even though they would have made better time if they’d left him. That seemed like a good sign but didn’t answer any of his questions.

  Before long Ander was too cold to think about it. He rode silently for two hours, shivering and blowing on his fingers to warm them. Finally he could barely hold the reins. “Stop for a minute,” he called softly, his teeth chattering. “I have a problem.”

  Nicolai and Sorel reined in their horses, letting Ander move between them. Sorel’s eyes widened. “Barca’s balls! I got distracted thinking about the seraskier, forgot how you were dressed. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “We had to get away. I didn’t want to slow us down. I’m all right. Just cold.”

  Sorel glanced around the forest, assessing options. “We could make a lean-to against a fallen tree, but I don’t like leaving the horses in the open. Too easy for cuirassiers to see if they search this trail.”

  “What about that bluff we passed a few minutes ago?” Nicolai asked. “There was a good overhang, and it was off the trail a bit. Cuirassiers might overlook it if they come this way.”

  Sorel nodded. “I saw it too. It’s worth a look. No telling how long it might take to find something better.”

  Ander hated to backtrack, especially since Nicolai and Sorel could easily have gone ahead and ridden through the night, but he was too numb to argue. He followed as Nicolai led them back the way they had come. The only consolation was that snow was already concealing the tracks they had made a few minutes earlier. Their trail would be hard to see.

  Ander was close to falling off his horse by the time they reached the bluff. Nicolai had to help him down from his saddle. He stood on wobbly legs and stamped his feet, gritting his teeth to keep from moaning as sensation returned and thousands of tiny needles pricked his flesh.

  Grimacing with each step, he followed as Sorel led the horses beneath the bluff’s deep overhang. The hard ground was smooth underfoot, and rock loomed above. Light faded behind them until it was nearly impossible to see.

  “How far back do you think this goes?” Ander asked. He’d had enough of being blind for one night and halfway feared he might see Nicolai and Sorel start glowing again.

  Nicolai stopped abruptly, causing Ander to bump into him. “This is too deep to be an overhang,” he said, putting a hand on Ander’s shoulder to steady him. “We’d better light a candle before going further. Caves can be dangerous.”

  Ander shivered. He’d been brought up on tales of monsters and wizards who lurked in underground lairs, waiting to trap anyone foolish enough to blunder into their domain. He started breathing hard. Though he hadn’t taken those stories seriously since he was a small child, he’d known a boy who went exploring in one of the region’s many caves and was never seen again. The thought of his friend, lost and starving in the darkness, had haunted him for years. Lady Tayanita had always advised him to stay out of caves.

  He heard rustling noises and made out a faint glimpse of Sorel rummaging in a saddlebag. A few seconds later, a match scraped against dry rock and blue flame flared. A whiff of sulfur made the horses snort, but Nicolai quickly calmed them. Sorel lit a candle and held it overhead. Inside the entrance, the cavern opened into a large chamber with a downward-sloping floor. The chamber narrowed where a passage descended further into the earth.

  Sorel lowered the candle; its flickering light left most of his features in shadow, a veiled vision of perfection. Once again Ander felt the erotic tension that had gripped him when he’d first seen the pair a few short hours ago. But the strangely compelling physical attraction was already changing into something more complicated. It mingled now with confusion, with anxiety at the sudden turn his life had taken, and with rapidly growing gratitude. They were taking risks for him even though he was the one who had caused the trouble. He turned away from Sorel and found Nicolai watching him. Blushing deeply, he blew on his cold fingers and looked at his feet.

  “We’re not likely to find anything better,” Sorel said. “And if we go in further, the temperature will rise.”

  “It will?” Ander’s eyes were wide. “Are there fires under the ground?” Visions of subterranean hells surged.

  “No,” Nicolai answered. “That’s the way caves are. The earth above is like a blanket, keeping the cold out.”

  “If you say so.” It sounded strange, but his companions were obviously more experienced than him. And it did feel warmer in the cave than it had outside.

  They followed the passage downward. As soon as they rounded the first bend, the cave’s entrance vanished. Total darkness surrounded them except for the candle’s flickering light. Nicolai soothed the horses, and the animals soon adjusted to the quiet environment. Occasional side passages, too small for the horses to pass through, gaped at them like open mouths. A cool breeze flowed from one of the larger fissures, and a sound like a waterfall rumbled in the distance. Ander was thoroughly nervous by the time Sorel used the stub of the first candle to light a second, but his new friends seemed to relish the exploration. “How far down are we going to go?” he asked. “How many candles do you have?”

  “Half a dozen,” Sorel replied. “We’ll keep going until we’ve used two or the passage gets too narrow. That leaves two candles for getting out and two if we have to go deeper.”

  Ander nodded, his heart sinking. The thought of all the rock and earth above his head made his heart race. But he couldn’t dispute Sorel’s logic.

  The passage had narrowed to twenty feet by the time the second candle was three-quarters burned. An ancient rock fall blocked most of the passage ahead of them. The left side was impassable, and rubble filled the lower half of the right side. The horses could go no further.

  “It’s time we stopped anyway,” Sorel said. “Any cuirassiers searching for us probably won’t take the time to come this far down.” He placed the candle on a rock ledge while Ander and Nicolai started unsaddling the horses. An eerie silence settled as they spread red saddle blankets on the ground and then laid out their cloaks and Ander’s ponc
ho to serve as blankets. The bed was hard but adequate. Ander dreaded the moment when the candle would go out and leave them in total darkness, but said nothing.

  Sorel retrieved the candle before settling onto the blanket beside Ander and Nicolai. He noticed Ander’s anxious gaze at the flame and carefully put the candle down beside them without putting it out. Its light painted their faces with golden hues.

  “Are you all right?” he asked softly. “It must be hard, having to flee your home.”

  Ander took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. And I’m worried about Lady Tay. But I think I was going to have to leave her house sooner or later anyway.” He looked down, blushing deeply. “I… I’ve never been much of a companion. Playing the guitar didn’t really earn my keep.”

  Nicolai put an arm around his shoulders. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Companions are fine, great fun when you’re alone or need a third, but I think you’re too sensitive for that kind of love.”

  Sorel picked up the candle. “Nicolai’s such a romantic. But maybe he’s right this time. I can feel depths in you.” There was a thoughtful look on his face as he blew out the candle. Inky blackness engulfed them, darker than anything Ander had ever experienced. His body stiffened beneath Nicolai’s arm.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Nicolai soothed. “It made me nervous too, the first time I slept in a cave. Just lie down between us and don’t think about it.”

  Ander let Nicolai coax him into a reclining position. His groping hands found Sorel, who was stretched on his side facing away. Resting his head on one of the saddlebags, he snuggled up against the warm body. Sorel’s hair smelled of pine forest. It was a comforting image to focus on, reminiscent of greenery and mountain vistas.

  There was a soft sound of cloth moving across cloth as Nicolai draped the cloaks over them. They were unexpectedly heavy. It dawned on him that the cloaks must be lined with pockets, and he wondered what was in them. But moments later Nicolai slipped beneath the makeshift blanket and pressed against his back, draping a muscular arm over him as they nestled together on the hard ground.