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.My entire world was ruined that night.""So you zealously hunt down their killers?" Corinos asked softly, sheathing his sword.Fidel's eyes snapped to his, and Corinos stared implacably back."You know nothing about it.""Nothing about wanting revenge? You think I do not know?" Corinos replied."The man I love came home in pieces, all butbroken because he could only listen as mermaids attacked the ship he was on.The man I love had to tell me that he heardas my brother died, killed by creatures that probably ate him.I know all about wanting to kill, Fidel, but I cannot fight anocean.Wasting energy on it would have helped no one, least of all my prince.I let it go."Fidel said nothing, merely turned away and began to explore the camp for clues as to the attackers.Corinos sighed and set to work doing the same, but an hour later they had several corpses neatly laid out and no clues asto who had killed them or why - though the fact they were all Black Rose seemed enough to answer that question, at leastin part.If there was one thing Piedre knew better than anyone, it was death.Always they had followed the Basilisk, and even nowwhen he was all but gone, the prayers and ceremonies used while he lived were still employed.Kneeling, Corinos clasped his hands together and began one of at least a dozen prayers that would suit this situation - not agroup of zealots murdered in a forest by rogues unknown& but men killed far from home, where no one would ever know.Beside him, Fidel joined in the prayer, and as one finished they blended it into another, eventually into a third, fourth, andfinally fifth, in a manner that never failed to impress anyone who saw a Piedren give funeral rites.Precious few ceremonieswere as intricate - ostentatious - as Isabella's had been."We need to move on," Corinos said when the prayers concluded.He swiped wet strands of hair from his face and stood,brushing futilely at the mud now caking the top of his high boots.He pulled his sodden wool cloak more tightly around himand mounted his horse."How far are we from the meeting point?""Two days.Less if we hurry," Fidel said, mounting his own and turning them away from the grisly row of corpses."The wayonly gets more treacherous, however, so we dare not go too fast."Corinos nodded."Out of curiosity, how was anyone planning to take Culebra up the mountain? I assume that is the ultimategoal, though I have no idea why."Fidel shrugged."I do not know the reasons they wanted his Highness, only that they are paying us enough gold we couldretire, as Cortez says, in the heart of Kundou and never work again.""That's a lot of gold," Corinos said quietly, warnings going off in his head.The capital of Kundou was the most expensivecity in the world.Kundou was an island nation, and relied heavily on its import and export business to prosper.Whatever theheart desired, it was said, could be found in the ports of Kundou.If this Cortez he was growing curious to meet was makingnoises, even in jest, about retiring there&Who had that kind of money? To pay off two mercs for a simple kidnapping job? His mind reeled, to think of what a groupwith such funding could do.It made him cold with fear."Disturbing thought, isn't it?" Fidel said grimly, and by his expression Corinos knew Fidel had made the same realizations."Inever liked it, Cortez knew I wouldn't - but the whole thing to me screams of Black Rose.It may be my last chance& "file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/3.htm[9/25/2009 10:25:54 AM]AmaSour FictionCorinos glared at him."You are putting an innocent - his royal Highness - in danger because you cannot learn to let go ofwhat happened to your parents? I should beat you.""Go ahead," Fidel said bitterly."It is not as though we are true friends, is it?" He turned his head away, staring straightahead.Unhappiness settled like a dead weight in Corinos's gut, and a sour silence settled over the both of them.It shouldn't botherhim.After he retrieved Culebra, they would go home and never see the pair of mercs again.Everything would return tonormal, hopefully with the exception that it would be him rather than Ruisenor in Culebra's bed.That reminded him that he had not seen her for a while - not once while they were examining the corpses.Corinos lookedaround, grateful for the distraction from his tangled thoughts about Fidel, and saw no sign of her."Have you seen Ruisenor?""No," Fidel said, not looking at Corinos."But you've said before that she comes and goes as she pleases."Corinos nodded."Yes.Perhaps I am just on edge from the campsite.""That could very well be, my-" Fidel cut himself off so hard Corinos could hear his teeth click together.Fidel's face was thevery image of gloomy, and Corinos knew his was the same."There is no good reason we should be thinking of each otheras friends.""No, there is not," Corinos said slowly."We should not be getting along at all.""Yet we keep trying."Corinos sighed and rubbed the back of his neck [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]