Besieged by Rowena Cory Daniells Read Free Book Online

boy, perhaps five days old by the state of the cord.
    ‘A perfectly formed T’En boy,’ Vittoryxe acknowledged. She stepped forward before Egrayne could claim the honour and held out her arms.
    The young mother looked to be no more than twenty. Tears spilled unheeded down her cheeks. Sometimes the Malaunje mothers looked away at this moment. Sometimes they trembled, and their eyes darted about as if they wanted to run or protest. None did, all were too afraid of the brotherhood warriors.
    This young woman said nothing, but her eyes demanded much. Daringly, she met and held Vittoryxe’s gaze as she handed the baby over.
    Vittoryxe stiffened at the insult. ‘By giving him into our sisterhood’s care you do the best you can for the child.’ Although the words were ceremonial, she sincerely believed them.
    The taller of the gift-warriors unrolled a short scroll. He read off the father’s name, giving his rank in the brotherhood so that a choice-mother of appropriate stature could be appointed.
    Vittoryxe accepted the scroll. ‘We swear to protect this child with our lives. We swear to rear him to revere the heritage of the T’Enatuath and protect our Malaunje. His details will be entered into the sisterhood’s lineage book.’
    The young Malaunje woman swayed and the tall man steadied her.
    As soon as he touched her, Vittoryxe sensed the rise of male gift. One or both of the gift-warriors had slipped and lost control. It was only for a heartbeat, but it was enough.
    Male power, so different from its female counterpart, registered as sharp and abrasive on Vittoryxe’s senses; she’d never liked it, never felt the urge to arrange a tryst with a brotherhood warrior or scholar. That had been her mother’s failing, a liking for the men and their gifts; for one man in particular, who thought that two trysts meant he owned her.
    Anger fuelled Vittoryxe’s gift as it reacted to the threat of the male’s. Banking her power, she took a step back.
    The tall gift-warrior flushed. So it was he who had slipped. And now he’d been shamed in front of them. His wine-dark eyes glittered with anger, and the line of his jaw flexed as he ground his teeth.
    Vittoryxe’s heart hammered. She was hampered by the infant. If they resorted to violence, Egrayne would have to hold them off.
    While Egrayne was strong and combat-trained, the men were also trained and stronger. Egrayne could take one down, perhaps, but not two. To defeat them, she would have to drag both warriors through to the higher plane, where the female gifts were more powerful.
    Vittoryxe felt sickeningly vulnerable.
    Her gift rose and slipped her control.
    Both men inhaled sharply and the scarred one took an involuntary step forward. The tall one grabbed his companion’s arm, while manoeuvring the Malaunje woman behind him.
    ‘Steady...’ Egrayne said, moving in front of Vittoryxe. Egrayne’s left hand went to her knife hilt, while her right hand gestured for Vittoryxe to stay back.
    The two warriors backed up a step.
    Vittoryxe did likewise.
    Neither side turned their backs on the other, neither relaxed until they were off the bridge.
    By the time they reached Arodyti and the others, Vittoryxe’s mouth was so dry she couldn’t have spoken if she’d wanted to.
    The half-blood wet-nurse accepted the baby. She would care for him until they returned to the sisterhood’s palace and a suitable choice-mother was appointed.
    Vittoryxe’s fingers trembled so badly she could barely undo the strap of her saddle bag. Furious with herself, she put the scroll away, fumbled the bag closed and swung her weight into the saddle.
    ‘What happened?’ Arodyti asked. ‘I thought I caught the scent of male gift.’
    ‘The father lost control for a moment,’ Egrayne said, mounting up.
    Vittoryxe was surprised. But now that she thought about it, Egrayne’s guess was probably correct.
    ‘If he can’t control himself,’ Vittoryxe snapped, ‘he shouldn’t have come to the