Chapter 6: Learning To Kneel

It was going to be a lazy day, a sun drenched lie-in on furs and silk followed by a ride out over the fields, the corn turning gold now, the sea sparkling and all the soft fruits coming ripe and succulent in the orchards and the glass and lead hot house. It was going to be a perfect summer day with my love, we would run together and lie naked and sweat drenched on the warped jetty, the wood damp where we lay on it. I would swim and splash him, and Kieran would tease me and call me Sea Dog. And it would be perfect.

But no.

No, rudely awoken early with a summons, a message on smoked glass, demanding our attendance, both of us, so there was not even the pleasure left in the knowledge that he would be sleeping on and dreaming of me. There are not many to whom we have to answer, but this was one of them. And so, up and washed and dressed in mismatched finery we went.

The place we had come to was like the gothic castle from a darker European fairy tale, all turrets and towers and fantastical gargoyles, leaded windows and a roof of shale and slate. Everything black, and even Death has more style. But almost no one is as important as this. Kieran reaches across the short distance between us and takes my hand. I smile at him. Kieran is never scared, and yet, here we are, shaking on the doorsteps of Kage's house. Inside the darkness is lit by old fashioned oil lamps that throw out a greasy light, not nearly as warm or friendly as the Naphtha we have at home, and we take care to walk along the black runner, so as not to make a noise of the dark stone floor. Kieran is barefooted and wearing a long Turkish coat of pale green cotton with a darker shade of trousers underneath. I am in knee high boots, a short grey tunic and a wide belted pleated kilt. It is cold enough here that our breath fogs in the air before us.

A glimmer of light helps us find our way, along with the chinking sound of stone on stone. He is in his study, the high backed chair hiding him from view. There is a chess set, granite against onyx, on a small round table and as we stand in the doorway an arm, black as a hole in the universe, reaches out to turn the board.

"Come in," It is a voice pumped straight into the skull without the courtesy of first visiting your ears, "Do not stand in the doorway like a pair of animals."

I hate him for that, a sly tease on the fact that he considers us less because we are not always bipedal. We come around and into the room. I lead and Kieran stands off to the side, nearer the fire that is glowing in the grate.

"Ah," he looks at us appraisingly. There are no eyes, but when his gaze falls on you, you know his looking, "Darkness and Shade. Not quite prompt I see."

I refuse to rise to the bait, but Kieran, never a great one at poker, gives himself and his impatience away with a snarl and a flick of his long tail.

"Indeed," Kage says in his slick voice, "Do either of you know why I wanted to see you?"

"No." I say, too fast, and then have to follow it up with "No Sir."

Kage laughs dryly, the lord of all dark looks deep into me.

"You are too brash young Shade. That still you do not know your place is unseemly in a servant."

"We are no servants of yours!" snaps Kieran, his voice full of hot anger, "you've no specific rights over us!"

"You deliberately disobeyed me!" Kage roars, "I told you not to meddle in the mortal world and what did you do!" Kage, on his feet, eight feet tall, punctuating each word with a gesture of fierce annoyance.

"We cared for them." I say, quiet enough to be heard, "I couldn't just stand there and let it happen. I couldn't do that."

"It was not your job! Death decides these things, and it is his Herald who must learn, and not you."

"It was our job." Kieran says.

"It was his job," Kage points at me, "But you have other responsibilities now, better ones, Death nurtured you and gave you much and Shamani and Yosui between them have led you much. But it is no longer your task!"

"I won't apologise for it." I stood there, suppressing the urge to shift and run away as fast as possible.

Kieran came to my side, his fingers wrapping over my wrist. In that second I saw, again and all at once, how beautiful he was, his blue eyes see through to the sky, an expression set in defiance and in defence of me.

"Kneel." Kage commanded.

We spoke as one voice.

"No."

"Kneel and submit."

"No."

Kage glared.

"None disobey me."

Silence fell over and around us like a blanket. Kage advanced and Kieran stood before me and Kage, without a single touch, cast him aside where he remained, somehow pinned against the mantelpiece. The black hand closed at my throat and Kage held me tight. All the strength left me, he sucked away the power I had to break and change and stroked my copper hair softly, his eyes evil. He placed me on a long wooden stool, rather like a clothes horse and as he settled my limbs he whispered words that bound me without ropes or chains, my legs apart and bent, my hands pinned behind my back. Kieran was snarling by now, struggling against the invisible restraints that held him throat and arm like a cat on leash.