Free Dark Lightning by Janet Woods

have to learn to live with the body and nature we were born with. You are good and you’re sensible, and one day your heart will be filled with love for a man. He will sense the goodness and beauty inside you and he will love you true. This I promise. His eyes will see no imperfection in you.’
    ‘How will I know this man when I meet him?’
    ‘You will know.’ Azarine kissed the girl’s forehead and released her. ‘Now, let’s start to pack. Take only what we need and are able to carry on a small cart that will be left for us outside the manor walls. We will leave via the usual tunnel, so we won’t be observed. We must wear something sensible. I’ll don my dark blue robe. And I’ll take my ceremonial dagger. It once belonged to my father and has the name of his enemies engraved inside the steel. Cynan will be the first one to feel the blade of the avenger.’
    The dagger sang as she drew it from its sheath. Azarine’s lips touched against the blade ‘See how sharp you’ve kept, my dear. Be patient a little longer and we shall have our revenge, you and I.’
    Cynan had taught Azarine how to hate, and he’d shown her how to kill without remorse. She had learned fighting skills from watching him with his troops, and the best way of making a man suffer while keeping him alive as long as possible, from executions she’d been powerless to stop.
    She’d absorbed the knowledge while she had fed him with honeyed lies, so now her tormented soul would never rest until his life was taken from his body by her own hands, and she was absolved.
    From the direction of Cynan’s quarters came a muffled yelp of pain, and the sound of Helise sobbing. Accompanied by the guilt of his betrayal, Cynan was being rough with the girl in his lust. He would not thank Helise for enticing him from his chosen path and Helise would learn a valuable lesson.
    One thing was for certain. Her son would never be wed to Helise now. She smiled as she thought of Laek. He was about to be invested with his true power and knowledge ... as was her brother, Falcon Darkwater.
    She went into a meditative state and her mind sought them both out. She saw the aged storyteller in the market place and she scrutinized the shadows behind him. Her gaze settled on a young man and their eyes met. His had no definite color to speak of. It was as though they had a barrier across them to limit his vision. He began to make his way towards her. She couldn’t remember meeting him before, yet she knew him.
    She wondered, perhaps he was one of Cynan’s spies, and panicking a little she’d turned and hurried away, Esbel and Danea on her tail.
    Shaking her head to clear her vision she concentrated on Laek. But his mind wasn’t on her. He was seated on a rock overlooking a lake and gazing into the water, where the moon was reflected. She heard someone giggle, and her son smiled and trailed his fingers through the water, turning it into moonlit ripples. The giggle belonged to Jynx.
    Azarine had accidently intruded into Laek’s private reflections. She was glad to learn that, despite her troubles, Jynx’s irrepressible spirit had not been quashed by the troubles she and her brother now faced.
    She was about to let the scene go when Laek looked up from the water and smiled at her. She blew him a kiss, knowing he’d sensed her thoughts and had allowed her into his. 
    Esbel slipped inside the room, jerking her out of her reverie. ‘The deed is done, Lady. Cynan is completely absorbed with his new discovered prowess.’
    ‘Then we’re also done here. Let’s prepare to depart.’
    * * * *
    The moon was showing its dark side when they emerged from the tunnel.
    The true-bloods left Arles on foot in the dead of night, unobtrusively in ones and twos. Melting into the crowds, Azarine and her party walked unnoticed past the guards when they conveniently turned the other way.
    The cart they’d hidden was still there. They placed their food and chattels in it and trundled off