Chapter X. "Banishment"

There were only five Ash’abah at the house, and Xadoran sent two out to find Ella, leaving them with Salim, Ithko, and himself.

“The vampire is still out there,” he told the two. “Go to the river; those girls took refuge there.” The men nodded and headed into the woods without a word, weapons drawn and ready.

In the garden, Xadoran and Ithko were preparing a bonfire. A stone circle was laid out by the base of the juniper tree in the garden, and beside it stacked a pile of twigs and strips of dried bark that the Ash’abah had to carry under their cloaks to keep dry from the rain. Toren and three of Khara’s guards carried the marble tray of fire salts slowly across the garden. The salts needed no protection, evaporating the raindrops that landed on the tray, and plumes of steam rose with their procession like a smoky standard. Shaniera was brought behind them, escorted by Salim, Rodar, Hasan, and her cousin, Blane. All had their swords belted at their sides, different sizes and curves of scimitar and dagger, save for Blane’s; the straight and long blade he wore was a symbol of the swordsmanship he had learned from his travels to Daggerfall. Xadoran cautioned them to keep armed fighters by her side at all times before the ritual, though she didn’t seem like much of a threat. Shaniera walked in a daze, and had to be coaxed along by the two household guards, each gripping an arm. At the tree, Ah’zuli and Leanne stood uneasily, waiting for the ritual to begin. Ithko was uncoiling a long rope from a bag while Xadoran took out a bundle of pretty red flowers and began crushing them in a mortar and pestle.

“Satakal’s Blossom,” Ah’zuli whispered. “A rare flower from the Alik’r desert.”

Xadoran flicked his fingers together several times, the sound of the snaps abnormally sharp and loud, and then a spark of flame came up in them, and he held it in the ground-up flowers. Thin whisps of smoke rose from the bowl, and he set it down by the fire pit. Toren and the prince’s men reached the tree, straining to set the heavy tray down slowly. The prince himself was nothing of the refined man he had arrived as; his hair was a tangled nest, his eyes puffy from lack of sleep.

“Where is Gro’shuba?” Ah’zuli asked when Toren approached her side. “She should have been helping you carry that. And what of Barentho? Where has he run off to?”

Toren looked queasy. “My lady, Gro’shuba has fled.”

“What?”

“She and several other servants took off down the mountain a few moments ago. I tried to warn them against it, but they wouldn’t listen.”

“And Bary?”

“He is fled as well.”

“That wretched coward, damn him! I knew that man had no honor in him. The blood of old Yokuda flows thin in his veins.”

“Ah’zuli,” Blane said, approaching the cloister of them. He was her nephew by blood, the son of her sister who lived at the estate. “My mother wanted to leave as well, but I convinced her to remain. She is inside, keeping the children calm.” Blane’s two younger brothers had never held a real weapon before, and certainly shouldn’t have to witness whatever was about to happen.

“Good,” Ah’zuli sighed. “At least I know I can rely on your honor. My sister has children she fears for; I can forgive that.” Ah’zuli looked at her only child. Shaniera was arching her head back, her mouth wide open, trying to catch the rain as it fell. Her face grew more distressed with every swallow of water, confused as to why it wouldn’t slake her thirst. Any hope Leanne had of them stopping this ritual was dashed: it had been over an hour since Shaniera drank the potion, and her symptoms had only grown in number and severity, not one of them being a side effect of a disease-curing potion. There could be no doubting the wisdom of the Ash’abah, which meant they would continue to have the support of her mother. Ah’zuli’s grip tightened on the sword of her late husband, but she stayed silent as Salim took her daughter by the arm and led her away from Rodar and Hasan.

The juniper tree’s trunk split about eight feet from the ground, and the half that curved to the side stretched over the fire pit. Ithko swung the rope over the thick branch and brought one end over, and she and Salim began to bind Shaniera’s arms together. With the rope on her skin, the princess’s eyes sharpened, and suddenly the daze was gone.