It was a strain not to defend my so-called “flagrant” actions, but I stayed quiet.
“Irreplaceable books have been damaged. The walls need fixing. An officer’s finger was broken. Can you even tell me the worst consequence of your actions? I will give you a hint. It is not anything I have listed thus far.”
“You can’t trust me?”
He let out a sardonic laugh. “That is certainly true, but not the worst thing.”
“I’m sorry, sire. I don’t know.”
“Then I believe it will take an explanation for you to understand. You first must realize that people are scared of pyforial mages. To them, you are walking around aiming a loaded bow in every direction you look. My master of coin was not the only man to speak against me when I allowed you a pardon in exchange for joining the army, and now I am under scrutiny. Everything you do reflects on me tenfold. So when there is a poisoning in the castle and a fray in the great library, and they lead back to my pyforial mages, the response is pressure to get rid of both of you. I already have pressure to resume the sacrifices. I do not need any more.”
I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. “I had to get a book of antidotes from the library. Gram tried to stop me, but Shara was going to—”
“I know what happened down there. Help me understand this instead: Why was Shara in your room after what we discussed?”
Oh gods. “I hadn’t had the chance to speak with her yet. She must’ve been waiting there for me.” I paused to think about my words before I revealed something I’d regret. “The man who cut her with a poisoned dagger was there to kill me, not her.”
“And why would someone want to kill you?”
The truth almost spilled out. How easy it would be to tell him his master of coin was behind everything. To
tell
him, yes, it would be easy, but to convince him into taking action? Impossible.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. It’s why I’ve behaved like I have. I don’t know who to trust.”
Lying has gotten easier
. I glanced at the dead man in the cell with me.
Killing will as well.
What was I becoming? Why didn’t I fear it?
“Let me help you, then.” Quince unlocked the cell door. “Surely, you must trust your king. Tell me what you know.”
I came out and bowed. “All I know is that someone in the castle wants me dead. Shara said the attacker wore a mask of a smiling man with a thick mustache. She burned his right arm with a fireball.”
Fire came into his eyes. “And you wait until now to tell me this!”
“Shara mentioned it in the medical room earlier.”
“Even worse! Half the castle could know of this by now.”
I didn’t see the harm in that, though Quince supposedly was much wiser than I was. “Sorry, sire.”
He sent one of his two guards rushing out before us to seal the outer gate and send everyone to their quarters. Then he rounded on me.
“This
will
be the last incident within my castle. You will be here two more weeks, and I want you training every moment.”
“Yes, sire, but what happens after two weeks are up?”
“Two discrete contingents will return to Glaine. They will be combined and led south by Jaymes to meet our enemies. You will be with them.”
Quince turned to leave. At least Terren had given me some warning. I needed to kill Swenn before then, his squire as well. Shara wouldn’t be safe in the castle if I didn’t.
I hurried to catch up to the king. “What about my aunt in Cessri, sire?”
“We will receive news by way of pigeon before you go.”
“So if she needs help, there will be nothing I can do about it.” My hands came up. “I apologize.”
He seemed too concerned with other matters to care about my tone. “The man I sent knows to help her with whatever he can before coming back.”
“Thank you.”
He jerked to a stop and finally turned to look at me. “The man you killed raped four women and murdered three of them. It was only by luck that the fourth got away, eventually leading to his capture.”
“Is it wrong that knowing that doesn’t make me feel better for killing him?” The question slipped out on its own.
The king merely smiled instead of giving me the rebuke I expected. “It is never wrong to feel weight for killing a man.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Two weeks. Train hard. Do nothing else. If I am forced to speak with you again before you leave, chances are it will be to expel you from my kingdom or to imprison you.”
Quince certainly knew how to frighten.
The guard he’d sent ahead returned in a sprint. “Sire, trouble in the castle.”
They ran as I trailed behind. “What is it?” Quince asked.
“People are saying your master of coin killed his squire.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I stayed behind as the king ran with his guard. “Where is Swenn now?” his majesty asked.
“I don’t know, sire,” the guard replied.
“Are you certain his squire is dead?”
“I’m not certain.”
“Where did the incident take place?”
“I don’t know, sire.”
“Then what do you know!”
“I’m sorry, sire, not much. The whole castle is in a panic. I found your squire and he told me—”
Someone called my name as I passed her prison cell.
I stopped. “Charlotte?”
“Yes.” She gripped the bars with both hands. “Don’t leave.”
A fear of abandoning her came on suddenly. I would never leave. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. What happened with you and Terren? You never told me, and now I need to know.”
“Neeko!” It was the king’s desperate voice. “Where are you?”
Charlotte grabbed my arm. “Come back when you can, but go now before he sees you talking with me.”
The fear of abandoning her switched—I couldn’t stay if I wanted to—and I ran toward Quince’s voice with tremendous relief. “Here!” I called. “I’m coming.”
Soon we were running together again. “I don’t want you lost down here,” Quince said, making me wonder if there were other secrets besides Charlotte’s imprisonment I wasn’t supposed to uncover.
It was only after some distance that I realized I’d been a victim of…what did she call it? Psyche, I believe. She
was
powerful, but I owed it to her and Terren to do what I could to help, for she wouldn’t be in that cell if it wasn’t for Terren helping me.
The people of the castle seemed lost without their king, the halls crowded with those gossiping and wondering what to do. At the sight of Quince, relief came over their faces.
By the time we’d ascended to the second floor, we’d grown a tail of a hundred people. “Make way for the king,” shouted guards as Quince tried to get through to Swenn’s quarters. Everyone stepped back against the walls, clearing a path but instantly collapsing back to the center after he’d passed, staying as close as they could to his majesty.
I noticed people stumbling around something just ahead of me. As I came close, I caught sight of a pair of scrunched legs with one arm around them. Laney.
Someone fell on top of her. She let out a frightened scream. The man straightened, finding purchase, then murmured something as he tried to help her up. She let him, slowly rising to her feet. But the moment he walked past her to follow the king to Swenn’s quarters, Laney sunk back to the floor.
It was no surprise to find terror on her face when I finally got there.
“Let me help you stand,” I offered.
She looked up, smiled somewhat bashfully, and held out her hand. Once steady on her feet, she clutched me.
Fear turns her into an incapable puppy
. I put my arms around her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I wanted to see.”
“You and the entire castle. If you ever get caught in a crowd again, don’t sit on the ground. You’re lucky you didn’t get trampled.”
“I was scared. Mayla’s calling for me, but I don’t know how to get there.”
I realized she was right. I could hear Laney’s name being called from somewhere farther down the hall, possibly past Swenn’s room. I put my arm around Laney as I led her toward Mayla, calling out that we were coming. Laney had just about as much shoulder on her left side as the width of my hand and didn’t seem to mind me touching it.
“Wait,” she said as we came behind the king. He stood in front of the closed door to Swenn’s quarters speaking with two men I didn’t know. “I want to see.”
I did as well but everyone around us had the same idea. A moment didn’t go by without someone bumping into us.
Two armored men with the king raised their arms and began to shout for everyone to clear the hall. The crowd collectively grumbled but obeyed, now pushing to file out. Laney and I soon came to Mayla. It was a shock to see her face red with anger. She grabbed Laney’s hand.
“Don’t ever run off again or Commander Jaymes will hear of it! Come on, we must hurry.” Mayla set into a jog, Laney and I easily keeping pace.
“I’m sorry,” Laney told the nurse.
“They need me in the medical room, yet I couldn’t leave you! A man is dying in there. That was very selfish of you!”
“Is he going to die?”
“You must stop asking this question!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Who’s injured?” I inquired.
“The master of coin, of all people!” Mayla huffed, running out of breath.
My gods, Swenn?
Before I had time to figure out what I was feeling, Mayla threw open the door to the medical room. Busy men and women in white hustled about, three tending to Swenn as he groaned on a bed. Shara lay sleeping on the other side of the room. I went to her first, Laney beside me.
A blanket covered her. I felt her forehead for fever, but she was cool to the touch. No infection, at least not yet. Laney put her hand where mine had been. She glanced up at me curiously.
“Do you miss her while she’s asleep?”
“I don’t know.” I still felt as hollow as before. “That’s a strange question.”
“No it’s not. I miss her.”
I came as close to Swenn’s bed as I could without getting in the way. I couldn’t determine his injury, just that it was around his shoulder where everyone was huddled. Mayla came behind them. They cleared for her, allowing me my first full glimpse of Swenn.
Shirtless, he looked stronger than I’d realized. Though he wouldn’t be putting up a fight anytime soon with such a knife wound. He seemed barely conscious, still groaning but softer now, his eyes shut.
I checked the hearth. Sure enough, a rod sat within the flames.
Laney took my hand and dragged me to the corner of the room. “When they brought him in here, he said his squire attacked him. He was poisoned like Shara.” Her voice fell to a whisper. “Do you think that’s what really happened?”
“No, he probably attacked his squire but got stabbed in the process.”
“Are you going to do anything?”
I could feel my brow furrow. “What do you mean?”
“If he lives.”
Did she mean report him, maybe kill him? “I don’t know yet.”
“I like you, but you really should know these things.”
“I’m just tired.” I couldn’t think or feel much until I rested and knew Shara would recover. “What would you do if you were me?”
“Make him die.” She whispered it with malice, giving me a chill. “You made it clear earlier this is what you want.”
Even at a whisper, I didn’t feel comfortable talking about this in a room full of people. “Keep quiet for now. If any plan involves you, I’ll let you know.”
The king entered with his usual guards. “How is he faring?”
“He’ll live so long as infection doesn’t set in,” Mayla answered.
“When will he be lucid for questioning?”
“Hard to say, sire. The antidote has a heavy effect on the mind. By tomorrow, I’d assume.”
“Let me know if it is earlier.”
“I will, sire.”
Quince left the door open as he exited. “Both of your mages are in there,” I heard him say to someone.
“Thank you, sire.” Jaymes stepped in.
I hadn’t slept or eaten. He couldn’t possibly—
“Why aren’t you training!” he demanded, pointing at me from across the room.
I stopped myself from complaining, though the disparaging slouch of my shoulders couldn’t be avoided as I trudged over to him.
“Mayla, is my other mage ready?” Jaymes asked.
“Another day, sir.”
“Ready for what?” Laney asked.
“Training,” Jaymes answered. “She says you’re not ready. What do you say?”
Laney recoiled like a kitten discovering fire. “Do we hurt people?”
Jaymes seemed to take that as the answer he needed. He pushed me out of the room and closed the door without reply.
“Can I at least have some breakfast first?” I asked.
To my amazement, he nodded. “Yes and a nap if you want.” His voice was unusually gentle. “I heard about what happened. I know you were up the entire night.”
“Thank you, sir, but then why did you yell?”
“The king needs to know that I’m not letting you slip through my fingers anymore. You’re going to behave. Aren’t you?” His tone was fierce once again.
“Yes, sir.”
“Meet me on the courtyard after lunch. And Neeko…”
“Yes?”
“I recommend you arrive early from now on.”
It sounded like good advice.
I ate in the great hall and listened to Swenn’s name on everyone’s lips, which finally allowed me some peace. I hoped Shara wouldn’t awake while she was alone with Swenn in the medical room. What would that be like for the poor woman?
Laney will be there for her
, I told myself with surprise.
Should I really put so much trust in her? I suppose I already have by choking Swenn in front of her. No, that wasn’t trust, just me acting without thinking. Nonetheless, it forces me to trust her.
I stumbled up to my room, so tired that I knew my worries wouldn’t keep me up.
Don’t sleep too long.
I needed to visit Charlotte before training.
I hadn’t noticed Henry following me until I got to my door. The sight of him made me want to spit. I held the door open reluctantly. He tipped an invisible hat as he entered.
I shut the door and said, “I’m sure you heard what Swenn did to his squire.”