Blood Dawn

Gylorean Galee held court in the highest room of the restored mage tower; surrounded by the noble sycophants she had taken. Many of King Vansolo's most trusted lords now resided within her ranks, seduced into servitude with coercions firmly planted in the deepest levels of their minds. She watched her stolen courtiers flinch and wince at the sounds of her angels feeding above them on the rooftop.

Her divine body glistened in the torchlight as if oiled and her garments were fashioned to please her legendary vanity, clinging to every perfect curve, the bodice cut low to reveal the mounds of her breasts. A young, nude male knelt beside her throne in chains. Constant terror had left him dull-eyed in a state bordering on shock. Her fangs had made trails of scars on both sides of his neck and along the insides of his arms. She had not taken his mind yet because she liked to hear him scream. He was the king's youngest son, who had ridden off two weeks ago, heading for Gormond's Reach. King Vansolo, suspecting danger, had tried to send him to safety — but there was no safety from Galee.

This time nothing would be left to chance. Minnoras was not as large or as guarded as Creeya had been. She would return for Creeya. Yes, she would indeed. This time all would fall to her. The interfering yuwenghau Dynarien would die. His sister, God of Cussedness, little trickster, would also fall. Galee dreamed of it constantly.

Galee had begun to consider what types she would hold back as her cattle to breed. The Nine had provided good stock to work with when they brought settlers from distant worlds. Aberrant lineages needed to be weeded out, like the Sharani and the lineages of the three brothers. Dawnhand had prophesied her destruction by one of his descendants as he hung dying. That would not happen. Isranon was the last of them.

Her eyes swept her ranks of courtiers and fell upon Ulik, Hoon's former master of birds, who was sitting on a sofa looking torn between discomfort and unease. The activities in the chamber were slowly turning into an orgy with Galee's approval. Ulik sat beside a vampire who was feeding noisily on the daughter of a noblemon while her father looked on pale-faced and shaking.

"Ulik, come forward," Galee commanded. She turned to a servant. "Two glasses of the Special Blue. One for me and one for my good servant, Ulik."

Ulik rose and approached the throne she sat on. He dropped to one knee.

"None of that." She pointed to a cushioned stool near her feet.

Ulik sat and the servant gave him the crimson wine. His hands shook as he accepted the proffered glass.

"Drink. They tell me you wish to be a vampire as your reward for betraying Hoon. I am considering it."

"Thank you, Holy One," Ulik replied and tasted his wine. "It's an interesting flavor."

Galee gave him a venomous smile. "You'll get used to it. It's an acquired taste. Drink all of it."

Ulik nodded and downed the wine.

Galee's claws emerged from beneath her primary nails as she leaned very close to him. "I have given you your wish."

"What?" Ulik asked, startled.

Galee grasped his arm in a grip like steel talons and pierced the flesh, sending her venom through him. Ulik stiffened in anguish as it sped burning through his arteries. "Your wish," Galee repeated. "It was spiked with Ylesgaire blood. But first you die."

"Noooooo!" Ulik screamed.

"Yes. Lesser blood. You must fear the daylight, not enter unless invited. You will be an animal who knows only its hunger for five or six centuries before you regain some shreds of intelligence."

"Gods have mercy," Ulik sobbed, digging his nails into his blackening arm.

"I am your god," Galee purred. "Did you really think I would make you Lemyari after you betrayed Hoon? Give you that much power? I can't trust you with power."

Ulik sagged in her grip and she let him drop to the floor, where he lay gasping, and struggling to breathe.

Galee flicked her hand at Ulik. "Throw him in the sewers to die."

Two servants dragged Ulik away.

Then Galee spotted Mondarius. "Tell me, what of our servants at Hoon's estate? I have had no word from them."

Mondarius swallowed hard, dropping his eyes. "Timon destroyed them."

"Timon is alive?" Galee snarled, her face twisting completely out of shape. "Tell me they killed at least one of them! Mondarius!" She rose from her throne and backhanded the Divinator, sending him slamming into a wall. "Tell me they killed at least one of them."

Mondarius paled, dragging himself up with his back sliding along the wall. He moved unsteadily to a table, pressing both hands palms down upon it for an instant as he strove to recover himself. The Divinator took out a mirror, laid it on a table, and consulted it. "Isranon lingers, dying. There is no cure. The blades of the Master of Blood insured that."

"You had best hope he does not linger long. What of the assassins you sent after the abominant king's children, nephews and that fireborn prince?"

The Divinator again consulted his mirror. "They reached Rowanhart yesterday."

"Good." She gestured at her captain of guards. "See that Timon does not leave my city alive. My angels will accompany you. It nears time to make myself ruler, Mondarius. Shadow court no longer, but in full truth."

"I will not fail you, Holy One," Mondarius said.

"And what of the necklace with my spells upon it? I can no longer sense Anksha when I reach out to it."

"I don't know, Holy One. I gave it to her and she put it on."

Galee's face twisted again in displeasure. "Then she took it off and did something with it to block me. She should have found it irresistible. I intended to rip her mind through the necklace. This is your fault. I've dealt with demon-eaters before. You haven't."

"Surely, Holy One, Anksha cannot be a threat. You've killed the rest of her kind."

"So I have," Galee purred settling back in her chair with mercurial satisfaction. She stroked the captive prince beside her and felt him shudder. "But a demon-eater is always a threat. They were one of the Tinkerer's greatest weapons in the last godwar. You will see to her death also."

"Holy One." Mondarius bowed deeply, backing to the door, and then turned. Out of her sight his withdrawal turned to full flight.

GODWAR CENTRAL

Blood Dawn