Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #13 April 2015 | Page 84

down on the squirm of guilt in his gut. He’d have
preferred to use the fava-drul thorn to incapacitate
a guard or errant servant. Contrary to what he’d
said, it paralyzed but didn’t kill. Favriel would be
perfectly fine within a day, and the deception would
hopefully spur Abrodail to necessary action.
A crash snapped their attention to the kitchen
threshold, where Eogwen had dropped a clay jug
of cream. “Daddy!” She splattered a milky puddle
underfoot as she raced to Favriel. She must’ve cut
her sole on a shard, for a trickle of blood turned her
footprints pink.
Eogwen tugged at Favriel’s limp arm until Abrodail pulled her away. Abrodail hugged her weeping
child... Khellus’ child... and tried to hush her, assuring her everything would be all right. Daddy was
just very tired and needed another nap. She bustled
the girl upstairs, and soft sobs continued to float
down until they trailed off. Khellus loitered, assuming the Eogwen had cried herself to sleep.
Trying to be helpful, he dragged Favriel out of the
chair and laid him on the floor, positioned so the
man wouldn’t wake with a horrid crick in his neck.
He straightened just as Abrodail reappeared on the
stairs. She came down halfway and stopped to gaze
at him in aghast wonder.
“You really aren’t him anymore, are you?”
Khellus stepped away from her husband, hands
clasped behind his back. “No. Have you made your
decision?”
Her hand tightened on the rail. “Devils damn you
for this, Khellus.”
“I’ll accept that if necessary. Abby—” He paused
at her murderous look and corrected. “Abrodail,
there’s another killer out there already targeting
your lord, a monster even worse than I am.”

“Hard to believe.”
“Compared to him, I’m a kindly butcher that puts
down a fatted calf in a single blow. He’ll slaughter
the whole herd just to reach the calf, slit its belly
open, and choke it to death on its own organs. The
reality is Asmoran is going to die no matter what.
Best it be by my hand and by royal command rather
than by a brute who’ll leave the city in chaos. Believe it or not, I’m trying to protect you.”
“By poisoning my husband and terrorizing your
own daughter?”
“The former is a necessity. The latter would only
matter if she knew and if I cared. As you yourself
said, someone like me should never be responsible
for an innocent flower like herself.”
Abrodail came the rest of the way down to stand at
arm’s length from him. Favriel lay between them,
breathing steady. Her hand shook ever so slightly as
she pointed at Khellus.
“I want you to swear—not on your honour, because
you obviously have none—but on the very bond
you have to the king. Swear that once you’re done
here, you’ll leave and we’ll never see you again.
Ever. Not a glimpse, not a whisper.”
He made a shallow bow. “Done. Shall we get to it
then?”
She blinked. “Right now?”
He nodded at her husband. “You’d rather wait until
tomorrow, when permanent damage might’ve already set in?”
“Bastard.” She gritted teeth. “Fine. How do we go
about this?”