In the morning, Axis thought, I will shift this entire avenue south, and see how DragonStar can use us.
His good humour and hope dissipated the moment he rode back to the cart where Azhure and Katie had set up camp. (Zared had long since ridden back to the spot where the folk of Severin had established themselves.)
As he slid off Sal's back, he saw that StarDrifter was talking earnestly, almost angrily, to Azhure and that her face wore an expression of deep distress.
Axis almost hated StarDrifter at that moment. What had he said to so upset Azhure? Why couldn't he just leave well enough alone?
"Azhure?" Axis said, moving to join her where she stood with StarDrifter by a small campfire.
An iron pot swung gently on its tripod, the delicious smell of stew and dumplings rising up in heady waves from its interior.
"What's wrong?" Axis slid an arm about Azhure's shoulders, and shot StarDrifter a hard look.
"It's Wolf Star," Azhure said, and Axis forgot all his animosity towards StarDrifter in a well-remembered surge of ill-feeling towards the ever-cursed WolfStar.
Dammit, he'd forgotten him in the fear and haste of abandoning Sanctuary! Axis had left WolfStar in the care of the Lake Guard, but where was he now? Damned birdman! Left to his own devices for more than an hour and he could ruin the future of an entire realm without even breaking into a sweat!
"Where is he? "he asked.
"About half a league back," StarDrifter said, and Axis thought he must have turned Sal's head around to come back to the head of the column just before he would have reached WolfStar.
"And?" Axis said.
StarDrifter took a deep, distressed breath. His eyes suddenly, horrifyingly, filled with tears, and he looked at Azhure, unable to speak any more.
Azhure briefly closed her own eyes, summoning the courage to speak. How much of this was her own fault? If only she'd taken more care, more damned time with her children!
"Azhure?" Axis said, his voice tight, angry and fearful.
"WolfStar has got Zenith," Azhure said.
"What?" Axis exploded. "He's stolen her again?"
"What damn right have you got to say that?" StarDrifter shouted, stunning Axis into a shocked silence. "What damn fucking right? You abandoned Zenith when she needed you most —
curse you\ You encouraged WolfStar to pursue her, and to aid Niah in her frightful conquest of Zenith's body and soul. How dare you now stand there and pretend an indignation that WolfStar has her again?"
There was silence.
Axis glanced at Azhure, then looked down to the ground, studying the shine on his boots with a deep intensity.
Feelings of anger, resentment and horrifying guilt flowed through him. Anger at WolfStar, resentment at StarDrifter for putting the truth so baldly, and such deep guilt at how he'd treated Zenith that Axis thought he could hardly bear it.
Eventually he raised his eyes and looked steadily at StarDrifter.
"Tell me," he said quietly.
StarDrifter took a deep breath, steadying his own emotions. "I fought so hard for Zenith," he said.
"Fought for her and loved her when no-one except Faraday would do the same for her. Faraday and I saved her from Niah and WolfStar — and, dammit, no-one fought harder in that battle than Zenith! —
and, oh gods, the joy when we succeeded!"
StarDrifter had to turn away for a moment, his chest heaving, gulping down his tears.
When he finally had himself under some control, he turned back and continued. "Zenith and I became close after that. Very close."
Axis narrowed his eyes. "You fell in love." It was not a question. More than anyone, Axis understood the SunSoar attraction each to the other. Stars! He could remember the leap in his own blood when his grandmother, MorningStar, smiled at him with seduction in her eyes.
"And so you became lovers," Axis finished, and his tone was hard. His daughter had slept with his father. As with Azhure, his Acharite blood rebelled at the images now tumbling through his mind.
StarDrifter laughed, low and harsh and bitter, noting well the expression on Axis' face. "No. We have never slept together. Zenith could not ... could not bear me to touch her." StarDrifter paused, his eyes locked into those of his son. "For the same reason you now wear such blatant disgust on your face, Axis. She could not lie with her grandfather, despite what she felt for him. Every time I laid a finger on her, she would shudder with revulsion."
Such relief flowed through Axis that he could almost manage some sympathy for StarDrifter's frustrations.
"That must be —" he began.
"But she can overcome her revulsion enough to sleep with WolfStar!" StarDrifter screamed.
Horror overwhelmed Axis. "But... but..."
He felt Azhure take his hand, and finally understood the depth of anguish she, too, must be feeling.
"How?" Axis finally whispered. "Why?"
"She says," and StarDrifter's voice was as cold and impersonal as the interstellar wastes, "that she does not view WolfStar as her
grandfather. She says that she finds some comfort with him. Him! Her rapist!"
