Shadow Magic (22 page)

“Then what?” asked Lily, leaning closer.

“I got caught.”

Lily felt Thorn’s pain. Losing a few animals didn’t bother her much, but she knew of nobles who guarded their hunting rights fiercely, with terrible violence against any poachers. Hands were cut off, and worse.

“Local soldiers kicked down our door and found the carcass. Dad told ’em that he did it.” Thorn choked in a sob. “I was a coward. I should have told ’em the truth, but I didn’t. I let Dad take the blame. They whipped him so bad he could barely walk, right in the village square. Then they threw a rope over a tree branch.”

No one spoke, dreading what was coming next.

“They’d caught him poaching years ago and punished him for that, punished him bad,” said Thorn. “This time they was gonna hang him, and no one did nothing. Everyone was too scared. Including me. I couldn’t save my own dad.”

That hit Lily hard. It was the same dreadful sense of failure she felt.

Save my own dad.

Thorn clenched his fists. “Dad grabbed a sword off one of the soldiers. He fought and took a horse and rode away. Once he was in the forest, no one was going to find him.”

“So he escaped?” asked Lily. “That’s good, isn’t it?”

Thorn’s tear-streaked face now shone with pride. “They set the dogs after him, but we’re Herne’s folk. We know all the tricks of the forest. If my dad don’t want to be found, then he ain’t gonna be found. Not by men, not by dogs, not by nothing. Our local lord declared him a wolf’s head.”

K’leef sat up. “Wolf’s head? What’s that?”

“An outlaw—it means anyone can kill him for a reward. He’s got no hiding place, can’t trust no neighbor. It brings in men who hunt others for reward,” explained Thorn. “Dad snuck back a week later, late when everyone was asleep. He spoke to Mom, I listened from my bed. He told her he was gonna do some soldiering. Said there was always work for good archers and you got paid in gold, not coppers.”

That was true. Learning to shoot accurately took years of practice. Castle Gloom employed archers, and their wages were double those of the men-at-arms. In wartime, the best could make small fortunes.

“He said Gehenna and Lumina were always at each other’s throats, so he’d get work with one side or another. Then he’d come back with gold in his pocket and take us all far away. Start again with a farm or tavern or something. I ran down and asked to go with him, but Dad wouldn’t have it. He wanted me to stay and look after our family. He took his bow and ax and promised he’d be back before planting season. But he wasn’t. He didn’t come back by harvest, neither.” Thorn let out a bitter laugh. “Then we heard you and Lumina had made peace. That got us worried. Why wasn’t Dad back, then? So I went looking for him. To make things right. I thought I’d only be gone a few weeks.” Thorn’s face fell. “You know the rest. The slavers got me, and now I’m here.”

“I wish you’d told me all this earlier,” said Lily.

“I should never have left. It was my job to look after my mom and my brothers and sisters. My duty, y’know?”

Yes, she did. Lily knew all about duty.

His gaze dropped to the floor. “I’m a big, stupid failure.”

K’leef got up and sat down beside Thorn. He didn’t speak, just sat with him.

It didn’t matter that one had been brought up in a palace and the other in a hut. They were two boys a long way from home.

She went to her dressing table and took out her jewelry box. She held it out to Thorn. “Here. Have it. Go to Port Charon and buy yourself passage back home.”

“No. Thanks, but I can’t. We have a deal.” He nudged K’leef. “I think I’ve caught something from you: honor.”

K’leef laughed. “Careful it doesn’t ruin your life. My father says honor is like a weed. Once you’ve got it, you can’t get rid of it.”

“He sounds like my grandpa.” Thorn wiped his face, and he was back, cocky and sure of himself. He stood up in front of Lily. “I help you track down your poisoner, and then you pay me. Not before.”

Lily nodded. “I’ve got an idea that’ll cheer you up. Let’s go to the fair.”

“What about everything your uncle just said?” asked Thorn. “About the poisoner still being on the loose?”

“That’s why I’m going in disguise.” Lily pulled Rose from her chair. “I’ll need your clothes.”

Rose frowned. “We’re not swapping clothes just so you can sneak out.”

“We used to do it all the time.”

“And I always got into trouble.” Rose crossed her arms. “The answer is no.”

Lily wandered over to her wardrobe. “What are you wearing to the Halloween Ball? It’s not far away.”

“This.” Rose scowled down at the plain black shift she was wearing. “Mary has me working in the kitchens on Halloween. There’ll be no ball for me.”

“I’ll make sure you have the evening off.” Lily selected one of her own dresses and fanned it out in front of Rose. “Wouldn’t you rather wear this and go dancing with Fynn? I could arrange it. Mary doesn’t rule Castle Gloom, even if she acts like she does.”

Rose frowned, not quite convinced. But Lily could see the desire in her friend’s gaze as it fell upon the rippling silk. Lily brushed her fingers over the sleeves. “Why don’t you try it on? Just to see if it fits?”

Rose grabbed the dress and ran behind the privacy screen.

“And you two,” said Lily, pointing to the boys, “can turn around and face the wall.”

A few minutes later, Rose was in a dress of elegant black silk and velvet with pearls and silver on the collars and cuffs.

Thorn stared. “By the Six, you look…wonderful.”

Rose curtseyed. “Thank you, Sir Thorn.”

“What about me?” asked Lily, standing beside her and dressed in Rose’s outfit, faded by wear and tear. She spread out her arms. “Well?”

K’leef frowned. “You look like a noble wearing a maid’s dress, but it’ll be dark so you might get away with it.”

“We could mess up your hair,” added Thorn. “Snip off a few bits to make it more uneven.”

Lily stepped away from him. “You are not touching my hair.”

K’leef pointed at the door. “What difference does this make? Your uncle’s put two guards at the end of the corridor. We’re not going anywhere.”

Lily grinned. “Show them, Rose.”

Rose swept over to the wall and lifted off a full-length portrait of old Jamaz Shadow. “Ta-da,” she declared.

K’leef frowned. “It’s a wall. How does that help, exactly?”

Rose touched the top right corner of one of the stones in the revealed wall.

Dust motes filled the air as the wall shuddered. Old gears, hidden in the masonry, creaked to life, and a whole section, five feet in height and almost as wide, slid back. Beyond was an opening, framed by cobwebs and carpeted in dust. A red-eyed rat squeaked in surprise and scurried off.

“A tunnel. Very clever.” K’leef peered in. “And this takes us where?”

Lily took up a candelabra. “To the northern passageway. From there, it’s a short walk to Skeleton Gate.”

“Are there many of these in Castle Gloom?” asked K’leef.

“Hidden passageways. Air vents. Ways in and out,” said Lily. “No one knows how many, and half of them are closed off now. I used to explore them with Dante.”

“Mary would be furious,” said Rose.

Thorn was already standing in the tunnel. “What are we waiting for?”

“I never realized this dress was so tight,” said Rose, straining within her bone-framed corset. “How do you breathe?”

“As little as possible,” said Lily.

Rose turned in front of the full-length mirror, admiring herself from all angles. “Just wait till Fynn sees me in this.”

“You’d better stay here tonight,” said Lily. “If anyone sees you strolling about in my clothes, they may start wondering who’s wearing yours.”

“What?” Rose stopped twirling. “You mean I’m stuck here—”

“Sorry. But look at it this way, why spoil the surprise by showing Fynn the dress tonight? Think how amazed he’ll be when he sees you in it at the Halloween Ball.”

“I suppose….”

“He’ll probably want to marry you right there and then. In the meantime, try to enjoy your time off….” Lily said with a guilty smile.

Rose frowned and plopped down on her chair. “You owe me, Lily.”

“I know.” Lily took an apple from the fruit bowl on her way into the passage. This was going to be fun.

N
o one looked at Lily. No one paused and bowed or doffed their caps as she went past, K’leef on one side and Thorn on the other. The guards didn’t give her a second glance as she strolled through Skeleton Gate along with a dozen or so servants having their evening off to go explore the delights of the fair. Black bunting hung between the gates, and a group of squires were painting giant skeletons and swooping ghosts on the inner walls. Others were busy washing the weathered statues of some of Gehenna’s ancient rulers.

“What are they doing that for?” asked Thorn.

“Castle Gloom needs to look its best for the Halloween Ball.” She finished her apple as she crossed the bridge and tossed the core into the moat. “Halloween is our biggest holiday of the year. There’ll be guests from all over Gehenna, villagers as well as nobles. Duke Solar’s even invited some of his relatives from Lumina.”

“They’ll be your relatives soon,” said Thorn.

“Say that again, Thorn, and I’ll have words with Tyburn.”

“Look up there,” said K’leef, his gaze on the battlements. “It seems the Solars are getting settled in.”

The black banners were gone. Instead, hanging from every flag post were the white-and-gold flags of House Solar.

Lily gritted her teeth. How dare they? This was
her
home. She would order Baron Sable to pull each and every one of them down.

A group of stable boys barged along, wearing masks of skulls, ghouls, vampires, and hideous jesters. They were laughing and pushing each other, eager to get to the fair. They boasted about the games they’d win, and discussed the shows and tricksters and magical animals at the circus. And the girls of the roaming folk.

They were different than usual. Relaxed. Unafraid. Looking around excitedly instead of gazing at the ground.

They are on their guard when they see me. Everyone is.

It wasn’t fear, not exactly. But the Shadow name had power. It created an invisible shield between her and everyone else.

No wonder she’d been so lonely. Whenever she’d played games with the servants, she’d won. Always.

Eventually she’d realized that they lost on purpose. No one was
that
good.

Devil’s Knoll reared up ahead. Even from here, she could hear the music. A grand tent hunkered in the center of dozens of smaller ones, like multicolored toadstools circling a tree stump. Flames shot in the air, and sparkling fireworks burst among the stars beginning to peek through the curtain of night.

“Hurry up!” said Thorn. “We’re missing all the good stuff.”

“Shall we just explore a little?” asked K’leef.

“Fine by me.” Lily headed to a ring of brightly painted wagons. Clotheslines crisscrossed the space between the wagons, creating a flapping wall of color.

The men wore baggy, striped pantaloons and embroidered waistcoats, with bandanas around their dark hair. Gold dangled from their ears and shone in their teeth. The women jingled as they walked, wearing ankle bells and skirts decorated with hundreds of coins. Rings and necklaces sparkled in the torchlight.

This was the best thing about the fair, seeing all the roaming folk. They were a tribe of all kingdoms. She saw women of the far south, skins so dark and shiny they looked as if they’d been carved from jet. There were men with feathered cloaks from beyond the Eagle Mountains, and even an old man with webbed hands and a suit covered in fishlike tin scales, honoring some House Coral ancestor.

Lily had never been beyond the borders of Gehenna, so it was thrilling to mingle with people who had been to all corners of the New Kingdoms and hear all their strange and beautiful accents.

K’leef pointed over to a line of wagons. “I want to see that.”

The big wagon in front had a dragon painted on it. A huge red beast with flames pouring out of its mouth and smoke coming from its nostrils as it glided over a green landscape dotted with tents and prancing animals. Also included were images of a unicorn, a manticore, and a massive three-headed dog. Across the top of this epic mural was a crudely painted scroll. Lily read it out loud.

“Maximilian’s Marvelous Magical Menagerie.”

“Menage-what?” said Thorn.

“Menagerie. It’s a posh name for a zoo.” She looked at the name. Maximilian. Why did it ring a bell?

Thorn frowned. “And you think this Max has a dragon?”

“That’s what it says.” Lily gazed along the row of wagons. “Maybe a small one?”

“Greetings!”

Lily jumped as a man stepped out from behind the nearest wagon. He performed an extravagant bow with three flourishes of his long-feathered cap. “Maximilian Milo at your service. Welcome, welcome to my humble yet tastefully sublime circus.” He looked them up and down. “Ah, from Castle Gloom I see. Excellent!” He swept his arms wide. “You’ll find a visit both entertaining and educational. And only five coppers each!”

“Five?” exclaimed Thorn. “Forget it. For five I don’t want to just see a dragon, I want to ride it.”