Sufferance Ch. 10

*If she finds out the stone is mine, I'll only have more trouble. It's not worth it.*

*She won't find out.*

*Drider dung.*

*It's only a back-up, I may not need to use it.*

*What is at this last House that you need to listen so badly? You never asked this before.*

I suppressed a laugh. *What does that sapphire pendant mean to you?*

*Fuck you, Sister.*

*Anytime, mage.*

The only thing we'd ultimately been willing to trade for his readied bloodstone was some of my last remaining sneeze powder. Well, that wasn't true. The first thing he'd asked for was a promise not to molest him, ever, but I'd refused. So we'd gone with something on my belt that I would part with.

I waited now for Wilsira to call me back in, although when that call finally came, I was cautious going back inside, trying to see all details at once.

The two seemed to have only just stood up from two chairs set before an unlit hearth; Kerse was crouching nearly beside and slightly behind his mother. The Priestess smiled at me; her eyes were glittering with satisfaction. She certainly felt she'd gotten that for which she came.

Curgia herself didn't look so beaten down as before; she actually looked...hopeful. She was avoiding looking at Kerse, still, but I did see her touch the curve of her abdomen. She had the book in which she'd been writing now in her lap and she fiddled with the pages.

They'd come to an agreement of some kind, and at one point, Curgia had gone back to her desk where the bloodstone had been to retrieve her book.

I approached the three of them, and the Priestess indulged in another look at the pregnant Noble while Curgia avoided my eyes. By contrast, Kerse stared intently at me. When I glanced at him, he nodded once, barely, and I saw his arm move a bit, just enough to draw my eyes. Something was palmed in his left hand.

Hm. Well, I'd known he could sense those stones. Somehow I could imagine Kerse following Curgia, playing with her as the Priestess watched and chuckled, and the Noble yielding the stone to him. Now I just had to get it back.

"Are you ready, Priestess?" I asked.

"Indeed I am, Sister. I believe we are to meet the Matron for that tour before we dine."

That was a long and boring thing, that tour. Curgia had excused herself, pleading belly-tiredness, and so it was the Matron and Tulia who walked with us. I pretended to listen to the drone of detail, and I certainly guarded like I was supposed to, but I knew the grounds well already. Though I tried to catch Kerse's eye from time to time, to hint for him to slip the bloodstone back to me, he attended his mother with vigilant tenacity and made no such moves.

I supposed too many servants and hidden eyes were watching in any regard. Much better for Kerse to have claimed the stone first than Curgia—who very well may have used it for a bargaining chip, even though she had to know she was taking a risk when I'd told her not to touch it. Bargain with a Priestess for a Red Sister's possession? Only if you were certain the Priestess could, and would, protect you from the Sister's wrath...

Still, short-sightedness and greed was all it took to do stupid things. I knew that as well as anyone.

"Ah, Consort, good to find you here," Matron Itlaun said with her velvet timber.

We were touring the gardens now, which indeed were more impressive than the other two Houses at which we'd been, and Auslan had strolled out casually, studying a few of the sculptures and cultivated growths in perfect view.

I'd eat my bracers with spider jelly if that had been sheer luck.

"Would you like to join us in our walk?"

Auslan had smiled demurely and nodded. "I would, Matron. Thank you."

Tulia smiled widely and stepped up to greet the sire of her child, caressing his face although she did not kiss him or do anything particularly sexual. "You always brighten the darkness just with your presence, En—ah, Consort."

Tulia's mother had shot her an absolutely scalding look. Tulia had nearly used Auslan's private, given name for House Itlaun. Apparently the young daughter wasn't used to many visitors. I saw Wilsira cover her mouth to hide a laugh.

My Consort stayed dutifully close to the Matron and Tulia the entire time—aggravatingly, he was usually in front of me and my eyes were drawn to his backside on several occasions—and he did not do anything that would make it seem he was trying to get my attention.

Perhaps he wasn't. Not directly. He could just be taunting, paying me back for past harassment; striding ahead of me like that, so teasingly out of reach, his fingers intertwined with those of the second Itlaun daughter as they walked side-by-side.

Damn him and his perfect ass. I did not feel as much envy for Tulia's swollen belly as I felt knowing what had been required to make it so. I was quite sure that if I lifted his garment right now, he would be as nude as he had been when I'd bent him over that table with a root stuffed in his mouth. I knew I wouldn't have to penetrate him to force an erection on him now, however; it would happen of his own free will and desire.

I concentrated on my breathing and looking around at other things. The Consort may not be the most threatening figure here, but he was fast approaching the most deadly source of distraction.

It would be my own fault if the Matron, the Priestess, or her son realized that.

I focused instead on Kerse, glancing periodically to see he still palmed the wizard's bloodstone. It may contain a very interesting conversation and I truly needed to get it back. The Draegloth had proven he was not an idiot; what would he want in exchange? He certainly seemed willing to deal.

The unspoken tension within the tour group was broken suddenly when a small, furry piglet exploded from the foliage. It squealed as it came from the right, bolted right beneath our feet in the middle of our group to punch out the other side.

I'd already drawn a pellet and had my arm back ready to pitch it. Once thrown down, it would catch the piglet in sticky webs, but I didn't have the chance to let enough distance grow between the target and our group before Kerse roared and surged after it, instinctively trying to catch it.

The main problem with Kerse's charge was that Auslan and I were both in his way.

He shouldered into me first, his hands shoving at my middle from the side, and I could only use the momentum to catch hold of the Consort and get us both out of the way while trying to avoid breaking the pellet in the process. The last thing I needed was to be wrapped up in sticky webs while lying atop Auslan.

We knocked into Tulia as well, and though she stumbled she did not fall. I heard Auslan grunt in pain when we landed but managed not to crush the pellet in my palm.

"DRAEGLOTH!" Wilsira's voice boomed, "DESIST!"

His snarling stopped abruptly and he whined in apology. His mother was furious at the embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Auslan finally up looked at me, his face flushed with bright energy, his copper eyes wide in a fright that I did not believe was as genuine as he'd have his mistresses believe. We caught each other's scents again—oh, Lolth, he was tasty—and I forced myself to get off him just as I realized he was starting to stiffen beneath his wrap.

I helped him get to his feet, holding his elegant hand for a moment as I yanked him up with more force than necessary, knowing he was much sturdier than spun glass. He hunched over holding his side as if he was sore, deftly hiding his partial erection.

"Consort, are you okay?" Tulia cried, quickly checking him for injuries as I stepped back. She was barely willing to touch him in case that alone was too much for him to handle, or perhaps because I was standing too close for her liking. She did glance at me; I dared her to accuse me of mishandling the Consort, and she looked away quickly.

"Yes...yes, Mistress, I'm fine," he gasped. "Just had...the wind knocked out...."

A loud slap sounded behind me as Wilsira struck Kerse across the face, hissing low at him that none of us could quite hear. He nodded and whined an apology again, acting completely subservient. He'd actually caught the piglet, though, and his fingers were covered in blood as he'd seized it with both hands.

It was at that point that I became aware of what was decidedly a source of pain. Then I felt an odd-shaped, hard object prodding at the wound...

I turned so I had the benefit of my cloak to cover my hands and searched my right side. I was astonished to find the bloodstone that he'd once been palming, now wedged behind my belt and, amazingly, shoved down my pants.

The Draegloth had forced his way up and under the armor, and his claws had ripped my leathers and my skin. I was bleeding, though not badly enough for it to have flowed onto Auslan the brief second I'd been atop him.

Kerse had used the distraction of the piglet...to give the bloodstone back to me?

Without asking anything from me first?

Though it had solved one of my immediate problems, it made me feel much more wary of Kerse's motives as a result. And now I also had to think about how to heal the claw marks well before to the next time I was required to strip naked in front of the Priestess. I didn't want to take my final healing potion for something this small; there had to be another option...something topical.

"I apologize, Priestess, I had not realized your son was so hungry," the Matron said apologetically. "We can have the servants prepare that piglet, and more, right now if needed. We are just about finished with the tour, anyway."

Gracious of the Matron to give Wilsira such an easy way out; the Priestess was aware of it but paused as if she were somewhat hesitant to accept.

In the end, however, she nodded her head. "A bit early for your House dining, I know, but he will be less distracting if he eats first, as he will be attending. Our thanks, Matron."

"You and he are quite welcome."

Tulia was inexperienced enough to show a touch of dismay at the thought of trying to eat with the Draegloth staring at the everyone at the table, but Matron Itlaun's grace almost made up for it as she actually acknowledged Kerse in her bow and nod to the Priestess. It appeased Wilsira well enough.

With the bloodstone—stained with my actual blood, both humorous and unsettling in a way—now tucked safely in a pouch, I still had the problem of unclean claw marks pulsing a mild but constant irritation beneath my armor. Kerse had been paying attention to how my armor was put together to have been able to dive at a chink with such precision at a moment's charge; but then, he'd had a lot of opportunity of late to observe.

It was a long meal of which I could not partake as I stood behind the Priestess, again present but tacitly ignored. I might wager that some at House Itlaun figured a Red Sister never ate at all. The one time my stomach did rumble, so did Kerse, and no one heard it over his bass.

It was somehow irritating to have him helping me so much...though in truth, it was only irritating because I did not know what he wanted in exchange. It would be something, but he had thus far refused even to admit that the something existed. I got the feeling he wanted me to believe the sex was enough, that he was trying to show his gratitude, but...I didn't believe it. He's proven not to be so simple in his head.

Once the early meal had finished with stomachs quite full, earlier established patterns helped me once again.

"I will escort you back to the room, Priestess, but then I must go to the kitchens to eat as well."

"Of course, my guardian. I continue to be impressed with your vigilance and power of intimidation."

I gave her a sidelong glance but forewent treading over old conversational ground.

At the kitchens I grabbed several of the mushroom hand pies, stuffing the well-stewed and spiced treats into my mouth and chewing quickly. I would be foolish to pass up the opportunity and hurt my alibi in the process, but my primary purpose for leaving the Priestess's side wasn't simply to eat.

Saving the last pie for later, I slipped into the wing that held the Consort's bedroom. Unlike the previous two Houses, I knew exactly how to get inside unseen. Trade secret.

Auslan was wary when he saw me emerge from the deep shadow in one corner of his room. He had lit a single candle by the vanity, more to my advantage casting so many shadows, because he had been looking himself over recently though he was fully clothed now. He quickly touched his wardstone near the main door and murmured the command word, thus affording us some privacy from any who might press their ear to the door or try to peak in a crack.

The Consort said in that smooth, lovely voice, "It is early yet, Red Sister. I could still be visited. They will wonder why the ward is up."

I grinned. "We must be quick, then."

His brow lowered in confusion as I approached him, his expression turning slightly toward alarm when I lifted my belt and tugged down one side of my pants. However once he saw the injury, he seemed to understand and he relaxed a bit. He nodded and turned toward his vanity without being asked.

I'd long since thought that his high attention to the details of his appearance wasn't alone his own desire and obsession, but that he viewed it as absolutely necessary for his function.

Perhaps it was also one of his best weapons, when the female in question wasn't bending him over tables and stuffing roots in his mouth to gag him...

The Consort had selected a bottle and a cloth, gently tugging out the stopper before offering both to me.

I held my equipment out of the way, smirked and said, "You do it."

He blinked at me. "A fair bit of trust, isn't it?"

"I know you tend your own occasional scratches to keep your skin perfect. And if you wish to try some betrayal, Consort, go ahead. Just hope you succeed and I don't get my hands on you."

He shrugged off both my comments and wetted his cloth with the acrid-smelling potion inside the bottle, then slowly lowered himself onto one knee, eyes glancing at me warily from time to time. He gently wiped at the claw marks on my flank. I felt first a sting, then the warmth and itching associated with the skin beginning to heal and I sighed.

It felt good, and I thought... wasn't this was the first time he'd reached out to touch me? Of course, that was because he had been told to, but at least I hadn't needed to grab his wrist and show him what to do.

He replaced his bottle and I claimed the blooded cloth for my own, for I would not leave something like that here in his room. He studied me for a moment more as I tucked it away.

"Why do you not have a topical healer yourself, with all those pouches on your belt?" he asked.

I arched a brow; I'd expected him to state the obvious about how the claw marks had gotten there. This question made me smile. "A scratch is not usually so important to me as it is for you. Other tools better justify the space. I cannot carry everything at once, Consort."

"But you would have a mere scratch healed now?"

"Maybe I just wanted an excuse to see you. Seeking healing was the reason I found you in the first place, you know."

He looked uncertain at that point; a fact I enjoyed, given how well I knew he could hide his thoughts, normally. And I needed the distraction; we would not discuss that I could not have such a mark the next time the Priestess saw me naked, or why.

"Will not the Priestess miss you now?" he asked.

Meaning he was trying to bluff my bluff. Calling back to our first meeting wasn't enough to make him stop wondering why I stood next to the Priestess in public since I'd gotten here.

"You assume I'm at her leave?" I cocked a brow.

Auslan smiled just a bit. "You're her bodyguard for some reason. I can see that much, Sister."

He still didn't know my name, and I could never tell him. And he had had many names in his lifetime, including the one I'd given him...

"I trust I am not found out?" he asked, showing that bit of fear in his eyes. "The Priestess doesn't know that you know me?"

"Give me some credit, Auslan," I chuckled, and I could see his face heat a bit on the shadowed side when I said the name aloud. I loved that he could react to it. "No, she doesn't. And she won't know. There is enough time for a report. Anything interesting happening at this House besides the new guests?"

He hesitated. "Yes, but will you give me some reason you are in your present company? That is not usual for any Red Sister."

I thought about it. "Do you know my present company on a personal or functional level?"

"Both," he said. "Wilslirathon is one of my sponsors at the Sanctuary. By extension, I know her son, as do all Consorts now alive. He is always with her and has been for centuries."

"And the wizard?"

Auslan smiled wryly. "The bitter one? Yes, I know him."

He said nothing more, of course, as he watched my face. Sadly, he may have read something.

"Who was your sponsor for House D'Verin?" I asked, side-tracking slightly to begin the dance of give-and-take we both sensed we could get. The time was right. "I will tell you something true about why I am here."

"Wilsirathon, also," he answered.

"Has she always been? You said 'one of.'"

He shook his head. "She succeeded in claiming the Consorts of my first Priestess, who met with a...misfortune. I have been gifted ten times, Red Sister, and only these last two by Wilsirathon, but power and rank changes regularly even amongst those in Sanctuary."

His beautiful face looked at me expectantly.

"You were right about Curgia's piglet," I gave him. "She was forced, and Wilsirathon is responsible for it. She is here to check on her."

Overt beauty notwithstanding, his eyes shown with intelligence as he worked that over in his mind. "Hm. Something has changed here recently. Curgia has seemed to accept the pregnancy."

I nodded. "Part of Wilsirathon's plan."

Or not. But he didn't need to know that. I still didn't know what was on the bloodstone, after all, and it had certainly looked like the two had come to some kind of agreement.

My Consort was not quite satisfied. "Who is the sire that Curgia would have to be forced by a Priestess? As I understand it, she sought an early pregnancy, and may have accepted if a Priestess had simply asked."

"Any guesses?" I countered.

Auslan thought about it but ultimately shook his head. Perhaps he was not aware of Wilsira's little penchant for impregnating vulnerable targets using her own son. Perhaps he wouldn't be if his giftings were only recently given over to her to decide.

"I'll tell you if you tell me what you know about the wizard," I offered.

The Consort hesitated for some reason. "First tell me what he is to you."

So he had read something. Damn.

"Oh? Do you care?" I teased.

He shrugged. "I've been trained to watch who is interested in who, Red Sister. I can only tell it is personal for you, though. Is that why you are here?"

I tried a useless bluff out of sheer stubbornness. "Personal? No, I'm on a mission. Of course, I do take my success personally, Consort, so I can see where you'd get that."

He smiled and let me see that he didn't buy it. I honestly didn't know what I'd done or when he'd had his little perceptive moment, but he knew I was lying. However, he didn't say anything on it and didn't try to demand the information he'd asked for. He answered my request instead.

"Shyntre is, as far as I'm aware, the youngest Drow child birthed by a Red Sister and given to the Priestesses. There have been no others born in my lifetime though there are older ones. I do trust my source back at the Sanctuary on that."

Unfortunately, Auslan could clearly read that I was stunned. No wonder he'd given up so easily.