"I am the leader of Zane's guards," he answered the falcon, gaze challenging but voice carefully neutral.

"A white viper, a crow from the Royal Flight, and now a raven exile. Strange companions for a cobra king. Valene, what are you doing here?"

"My Diente asked me to stand with him as an advisor," the raven answered.

"Your Diente?" Syfka repeated skeptically. "Last time I checked, you still had raven's feathers on your nape."

"Milady, surely your concerns are more pressing than how I word my answers?" Valene sighed, and the falcon nodded.

Syfka turned her ice blue eyes on me, and I was almost disappointed that she was no longer studying my companions. "What have you determined?"

"I've spoken to Danica, as well as members of the Royal Flight and the palace guard. If there are falcons in our midst, none of us have been able to recognize them  -  which Valene assures me will come as no surprise to you."

Bluntly, Syfka asserted, "There are certainly falcons among your people. Avian and serpiente armies have been favored hiding places for our exiles since the war began; the turnover and chaos is always helpful. It is harder to hide now that you've formed this hopeless alliance, but they are still here. The problem is finding the right one." My temper flared. Only too much time at the Hawk's Keep kept me from speaking my mind and offering dangerous insult. Instead, I asked, "If there are so many, then why put forth such an effort to find this one, at this time?"

Syfka shook her head. "The royal house of Ahnmik has reason to want this criminal back. That is all you need to know."

Trying not to lose my patience, and failing, I demanded, "If you will not tell us anything about the missing falcon, when he went missing, or what his crimes are, how can you expect us to recognize him?"

She shook her head. "I forget sometimes how helpless your people are. Whatever power you once had has become as diluted as your blood."

"Perhaps we're better for its loss," I challenged.

"Careful, cobra. You're as insolent as Kiesha herself  -  and are making all the same mistakes." I could not tell if the words were intended to be a threat, or just another insult. Syfka did not clarify, but instead demanded, "I'd like to speak to the members of both your armies, particularly Danica's elite  -  the Royal Flight."

"Surely you don't think one of your people could hide so close to Danica without being noticed," I said.

"Considering your activities until recently, the most useful skills falcons would bring to your people are our fighting abilities, which any falcon child learns early and learns well. Pride would keep most from staying a simple soldier for long, and talent would get one promoted quickly. Given the choice between serpent or avian, most would wish to retain the ability to fly. That makes the Royal Flight the first logical choice."

"Members of the Royal Flight are hand-chosen by the Tuuli Thea and the flight leader," I argued. "They come from well-known families, usually highborn ones. Masquerading as a soldier is one thing, but  -  "

"All that would be necessary," Syfka interrupted, "is to kill a son or daughter of one of those families and take his or her form, then go to the Tuuli Thea and ask for permission to join. A petty task."

Our conversation was interrupted as suddenly one voice in the market became louder than the others.

"Don't you dare!"

The command was given by a woman I recognized as an artist, whose eyes were wide with shock.

Raised voices in the market weren't unusual among serpiente, but it was my responsibility to make sure such arguments didn't get out of hand.

"It was just a thought." The woman's son shrugged, continuing the discussion more calmly. "I just thought she might be curious..."

"That kind of curiosity is likely to get you killed," the artist said bluntly. I started to turn away, when someone else chimed in. "Take your mother's advice; that girl is nothing but trouble."

"You don't even know her," the son replied. "She's  -  "

"A bird," his mother interrupted.

"Doesn't matter."

I smiled at the son's youthful optimism, but only until his mother pointed out, "She'll have a father, a brother and probably a mate. You touch her, and who do you think will have you on a spit first?"

"No mate," the boy replied, though his voice was subdued now.

"If she told you that, she's a liar."

"Why would she lie?"

His mother threw up her arms in frustration, swearing under her breath. "You think I understand a sparrow? Forget her, boy  -  you can be assured she'll forget you." Part of me wanted to interrupt them, but I wasn't sure what I would say. For all we had accomplished in the past several months, the two cultures still clashed  -  often. Stereotypes were hard to break. Many avian mothers and fathers worried about their innocent young daughters being exposed to immoral, womanizing serpents. That my kind generally was more demonstrative than theirs considered appropriate made convincing the matrons and protectors that they were wrong difficult. By our standards, their young ladies were perfectly safe. There was no harm in a youthful fling. By the standards of an alistair protecting the virtue of his betrothed...

Syfka was chuckling beside me. ""Well, well, well. Are things unraveling a bit in paradise?" she inquired.

I glared at her before I could help myself, and she only laughed again. "Half a year ago, that young man and the avian lady he fancies might have been enemies on the battlefield," I pointed out. "The inherent dangers of youth will never change. Volatile hearts and ill-advised flirtations can hardly be compared to the hatred and slaughter of war."

"Hmm," Syfka replied, sounding unconvinced.

"You were asking about my flight," Rei reminded her, wisely shifting the subject back to Syfka's original intent. "Though I can't imagine what you intend to accomplish, looking for traitors among that group." Rei turned from Syfka to address me. "Zane, you know there is not a member of my flight who is not absolutely loyal. Not one would hesitate to give his life for his Tuuli Thea or her alistair."

"How sweet  -  and unlikely," Syfka replied. "But where is the Tuuli Thea? Shouldn't she give the orders regarding her people?"

"Danica's people are mine as well, as I am sure you have heard," I said. "She is unavailable at the moment, but certainly trusts Andreios and me to make decisions regarding the Royal Flight."

"Well, then," Syfka said, relenting. "Crow, I assume you are capable of introducing me to the rest of the avian guards, so I can see for myself." Rei glanced at me for permission before replying, "I can gather those who are available, if you would care to meet with them this afternoon."

She nodded dismissively. "You do that."

At my nod, Rei took his crow form and shot into the sky.

I needed to get away from the falcon myself, before I did something unfortunate, so I used our arrival at the palace as my reason. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you in Ailbhe's capable hands. He can introduce you to the palace guard before Andreios returns." Belatedly, something else occurred to me. "Danica and I are expected at the Hawk's Keep tomorrow, so we can speak to the rest of the Royal Flight then." Half of that group always stayed with Danica's mother at the Keep.

Danica and I traveled frequently between the two lands, acting as Diente and Naga to the serpiente and Tuuli Thea and alistair to the avians. The plans had almost slipped my mind in the chaos of Syfka's visit, but it wouldn't do to delay them  -  not with the falcon hovering about and news of our child to share with Nacola. Syfka nodded in agreement.

"Ailbhe," I said, "kindly keep our guest company, and answer any questions she might have about the palace guard."

"Yes, sir." The white viper sounded no more pleased to be left with Syfka than I would have been.

I turned my back on the pair, but had taken only a few steps inside when I heard the falcon comment to Ailbhe,

"There was a time when a white viper would be killed on sight if he dared to show his face inside these walls. How long has Maeve's kin groveled before these cobras?" Ailbhe retorted hotly, "Charis Cobriana trusted my sister and me to guard her kin  -  " He broke off. His sister had been loyal in her own way, but that loyalty had led to disaster. In an attempt to defend me, she had tried to kill my avian mate and had instead caused the death of my mother. "I endeavor to be worthy of my king's trust." I paused, wondering whether I should go back to the pair and forestall the argument that sounded ready to erupt. Syfka seemed to thrive a little too much on conflict in my lands.

"Black magic, "wasn't that the accusation that drove your kind from Anhamirak's cult?" Syfka asked. "The accusation that placed Kiesha's cobra km on the serpiente throne instead of Maeve's white vipers?"

I spun on my heel, preparing to return, but Ailbhe did not hesitate in his answer. "Zane is my Diente. The Cobriana are the royal family I follow, and to whom I will always be loyal."

"Your own sister was executed for murdering the woman you say trusted her," Syfka said bluntly. "Do you truly hold no hatred for that? Can you really not care?"

"I've been instructed to answer any questions you have about the palace guard  -  not my personal life." It sounded as if Ailbhe was grinding his teeth a little.

"Answer me one question," Syfka pressed. "Your fighting prowess is impressive, or you wouldn't have gained this rank. The mark of a white viper is obvious enough in your features that I saw it instantly; the magic may be dormant in you, but it is in your blood. If you learned to use it  -  as any falcon could teach you  -  you would be strong. If you had that chance, would you take the power you should have had by birth?" Ailbhe spoke softly, almost under his breath, the words cool with fury. "Treason, milady falcon, is in those words, and I'll take no part in it."

The falcon whistled low. "I could have made you a king... and you refused. It's good to see that Zane has such loyalty behind him." There was a pause, after which Syfka offered, "Surely you must understand my desire to test you a little. A white viper in the palace  -  "

"Test or not," Ailbhe interrupted, "I'm sure you'll understand when I assign a pair of guards to escort you while you're in serpiente territory."

"I would expect no less."

And I would expect no less than a push for treason by a falcon. I knew Ailbhe would approach me later about the incident. For now, I trusted him to do his best to keep our falcon's destructive tendencies in check.

My mother had been the first to accept white vipers into the palace, but so far Ailbhe and his sister had been the only ones to accept the invitation. Most still lived in chosen exile on the edges of our land, refusing to return to the people who had shunned them for generations  -  or to acknowledge a cobra as their king. Luckily, their numbers had always been too small for them to make a bid to take the throne back. Would it amuse Syfka to see them try? I wouldn't be surprised to know she might try to overthrow the Cobriana out of simple spite.

As I walked the halls, instinctively returning to the dancer's nest to check on Danica, another thought occurred to me: Was Syfka's lost falcon a ruse, an excuse to get close?

Might the falcon Empress have planned this interlude with Ailbhe?

If she had, casual offers of power were the least of our troubles. If a fight erupted, all the ability of the serpiente and avian armies combined might not win against Ahnmik's followers.

Chapter 6

That evening, we convened in the main hall to discuss our unwanted visitor. According to Andreios, Syfka had finished her interrogation of the Royal Flight and left only moments before. Though Rei stood at strict attention, the remnants of anger shone in his eyes.

Ailbhe paced near the doorway, his white-blond hair long enough to slip into his eyes and disheveled enough to belie his strictly worn uniform. Clearly his interview with the falcon about the palace guard had been no less frustrating than Rei's. Danica's brow was furrowed as she listened to Ailbhe's description of his argument with Syfka. Valene stood beside her, now wearing the clothing of a dancer, with shimmering violet scarves around her waist and a sigil meaning "peace" painted on the skin of her left temple.

"I don't think that Syfka will go seriously out of her way to cause trouble," Valene observed when Ailbhe was finished, "but I wouldn't put it past her to try to stir things up a little if left alone. From what I saw on Ahnmik, the falcons didn't seem that interested in our politics. Much of their magic revolves around stillness; they don't usually attempt to cause change, especially something as major as the unseating of a family that has ruled as long as the Cobriana." She seemed to consider her own words and after a moment added softly, "Though I don't know how they feel our peace affects them. The serpiente and avian people have been at war so long, the falcons may consider peace more of a disturbance than a change in the monarchy would be." Rei sighed. "Valene may be right  -  Syfka certainly makes no effort to disguise her disapproval  -  but I'd still like to think we could manage Syfka if we keep an eye on her."

"Toward that end, I'm assigning people to watch her in revolving pairs," Ailbhe said. "I wouldn't let someone in the guard who I thought could be swayed by the falcon's words, but caution is always a good idea, just in case."