Five Lands Saga Box Set 1 (Five Lands Saga Box Sets), page 81
“Stop that,” Daniella said. “There’s no reason to lay blame. He wouldn’t have done that on purpose.” Even if Kenton was right, Jaeme couldn’t possibly have predicted that his uncle would be working with her father.
How could that even have happened? Her father didn’t have a presence in Mortiche. And for the two of them to end up together? The coincidence of that—
“On purpose,” Jaeme repeated, glaring at her.
Daniella winced. She hadn’t meant to side with Kenton. “I was defending you—”
“Thanks,” Jaeme said dryly. He turned back to Kenton. “Fine. Show me this body, then.”
Kenton waved a hand at the door. “Fine.”
“Fine,” Daniella added. “How did you come to find it, anyway?”
Kenton gave Jaeme another fiery glare. “I was trying to do his job.”
Jaeme just glared in return. Daniella hadn’t sensed so much hostility between them since Kenton had accused her of killing his father.
The three of them traveled past the cellars and away from the area where the dungeons were located down a dank, dimly lit tunnel. Cobwebs hung in a complex design crisscrossing the ceiling above them and down the walls. There was more than one set of footprints on the dusty floor, no doubt in part from Kenton’s recent snooping.
Kenton led them through a door with a broken handle to a fork in the stone corridor, then guided them to a second room with an iron door handle.
“It’s locked,” Kenton said. “I had to pick it.”
“You had to,” Jaeme repeated. “You couldn’t instead, say, not pick it? Because I can’t count the number of times I’ve passed this door and—”
Kenton stooped, bringing a pin to the lock, but as he twisted the handle to begin to manipulate the pins, the door pushed open.
Daniella blinked at it. It hadn’t been locked, after all.
“Breaking and entering, destruction of property, and you don’t know how to lock a door behind you,” Jaeme said. “Excuse me. I need to alert the guard that you’re no longer welcome on the castle grounds. Or the city. Or—”
“Enough,” Daniella said. As the door swung open revealing only an empty stone table, a chill traveled down Daniella’s spine—one that went deeper than surface temperature.
It was a chill Daniella recognized. It was the feeling of a soul being ripped to shreds, of power without thought or care—utterly devoid of joy. It was the feeling of incredibly powerful blood magic. She trembled in response and felt herself shrink back from the doorway.
“Okay, so where is it?” Jaeme smirked, a vicious gleam in his eyes. “Looks like a big empty room to me.”
Kenton cursed and stalked over to the empty slab and ran his hands across the thing as if looking for a hidden catch. He found nothing. “I don’t know where it went, but it was here.”
Daniella shuddered as she watched him. The body might no longer be there, but the evil residue permeated the very air around her. Something terrible had happened in this room—something relating to blood magic, she had no doubt.
“Awfully convenient,” Jaeme said, “that it’s magically missing the very moment that we come down here to look for it.”
“Inconvenient, I would say,” Kenton responded, “seeing as I came to find you as soon as I saw it, which means that someone noticed I found it and decided to expediently remove it.”
“If it was ever here in the first place.”
“It was,” Daniella said. She shrugged apologetically at Jaeme and pointed at the empty table. “Can’t you feel it? Someone’s been doing blood magic. There.”
Both men followed her finger and studied the stone. In the light, there appeared to be dried blood clinging to the corners. Jaeme ran his fingers across it, flicking away the flecks that came off on his skin.
There, on the corner closest to them, some of the blood was fresh.
“Okay,” Jaeme admitted, “so what if there was a dead boy here that was being used in blood magic rituals? And what if that person was talking directly to Diamis? You still have no proof that it was my uncle. Half the knights in Mortiche are in town, and half the dukes are staying in the castle. We can’t even begin an inquest into who it might have been, because you don’t have proof that the body was here. We have an empty stone table and some dried blood. It proves nothing.”
“Except that you are a blind idiot,” Kenton muttered.
Daniella shot him a dirty look before redirecting back to the topic at hand. “You’re right, it’s not proof, but it is still worrisome. It could be any of the knights or anyone under your uncle’s employ. Plenty of people might have had access to your letters.” Daniella looked meaningfully at Kenton. “Didn’t you say you were worried about them being intercepted?”
Kenton heaved a sigh. “I did.”
“But you didn’t even spare that a thought,” Jaeme said. “You just went after my uncle like a rabid dog.”
“It doesn’t matter who it is,” Kenton said. “We can’t stay here. If Diamis knows our every move, you can bet Erich is on his way.”
Another chill went through Daniella.
“He can’t march his troops over the border,” Jaeme said.
Kenton looked completely exasperated. “Jaeme. There’s a spy in your own castle. How can you be sure a few soldiers can’t slip through? They can ferret a body into your own castle, but not soldiers into the country?”
Jaeme turned to face Kenton, stepping into his personal space again. “You know what, Kenton? You’re right. You aren’t safe here. Go on, leave. You can go get Sayvil’s stone, and I’ll tell you what. If Kotali ever comes calling, I’ll get that Earthstone for you, have it sent right over. Hells, I’ll even tie a bow on it, especially for you.” His gaze turned cold. “Or maybe you’ll get lucky and find a better bearer on your way. Take your damned chances and leave me be.”
Jaeme turned and began to march from the room, brushing by Daniella’s hand as she stretched it out for his. He strode away without a backward glance, and her chest squeezed.
Kenton threw her an irritated grimace. “That went well.”
She returned the look. “Wonder why, after the way you started it.”
Kenton sighed, and to her surprise, he nodded. “Will you talk to him?”
“Yes,” Daniella said. “But not for you.”
Kenton nodded again. “Fair enough.”
“What of the rest of you? Are you really going to leave?”
Kenton ran a hand one last time over the table before stepping out of the room. “I don’t see what choice we have. I better go find the others.”
Daniella hurried after Kenton as he strode down the corridor.
She didn’t want to be left alone in the cold.
Thirty-five
Perchaya strolled through the garden on Duke Hughsen’s arm, admiring the large grapes that hung from the latticework along the pathway. The night was warm, the air thick and balmy. The torches set on posts every few feet cast shadows of the various bushes and vines across the cobbled stone, which danced with the flickering flames, as if she and Hugh were walking through a menagerie of dark spirits.
“Tell me about Andronim,” Hugh said. “You said you met Daniella in Drepaine, but that’s not where you’re from.”
“I’m from Dov,” Perchaya said. She felt a bit sheepish telling Hugh about her humble upbringing, but it wasn’t as if she’d hid it from him, unlike the ring on her gloved hand. “It’s a farming town. We had sheep and cows. Wheat fields, when the rabbits didn’t ravage them.”
“That sounds lovely,” Hugh said, and he sounded sincere, though Perchaya couldn’t imagine that he was.
“Lovely?” she said. “No, this garden is lovely. This castle is lovely. I imagine Bronleigh is just as impressive?”
Hugh shrugged. “It’s not incomparable.”
Perchaya pulled him to a stop and smiled up at him. “Incomparable. Tell me, how many bedrooms does it have?”
Hugh bit his lip and looked a bit embarrassed. “There’s more to a place than size,” he said.
Perchaya gave him her best charming smile. “How many?”
He reached up with his free hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t—I don’t actually know.”
Perchaya laughed, her voice ringing across the stones of the far wall. “Ask me how many rooms were in my home in Dov.”
Hugh cringed. “How many?”
“Three,” Perchaya said. “Total. And it was far nicer than many of the houses in town. We weren’t well off by any stretch, but by Dov standards we were doing better than average.”
Hugh looked down at her in concern. “And does all of this . . . make you uncomfortable?”
Perchaya certainly seemed to have made Hugh uncomfortable, and she was sorry for that. “No. It’s just different. You’re right that size isn’t all that matters—er—” Her cheeks grew hot at the suggestiveness of her word choice, and from the bright look in Hugh’s eyes, he’d clearly noticed.
“The quantity of the accommodations aren’t the only measure of quality,” he said, then scrunched his brow, like he was trying to decide if that was actually better.
Perchaya’s cheeks burned, but unless she was going to excuse herself and go die in her rooms, there was nowhere to go but onward. “Exactly. I miss some things about Dov. But I always wanted to get out and see more. That’s one of the reasons I moved to Drepaine, for the opportunity. So I’m grateful to be here.”
Hugh smiled. “For your illustrations, yes? Have you found any inspiration in the castle?”
Perchaya was supposed to be working on portraits of the Bearers, but she had only a few inks with her, so she hadn’t done more than sketch them in charcoal. “I’ve been working on pictures of my traveling companions,” she said. “But a drawing of the castle would be lovely.”
“Have you seen the library? Perhaps there are texts there that might provide ideas for your illuminations.”
Perchaya had seen the library when Jaeme showed it to them. The others had perused the shelves, while Perchaya had spent nearly all her time with the beautiful illuminated copy of the Banishment Chronicle, whose pages were so big they covered the entire table on which it lay. The inks had been brilliant—probably imported from Tirostaar—and so precise that the illustrations had appeared more like stained glass than drawings.
“I’ll have to take another look,” she said. She remembered her thought that there might be texts there that Kenton hadn’t seen before, ones that might answer her questions about Diamis’ plans for them. “The books are in Mortichean though, so I’m afraid I could do little more than look at the pictures.”
Hugh shrugged. “There are priests who manage the collections. Any of them would be happy to translate for you, I’m sure.”
Perchaya smiled. If she could manage to keep her true purpose concealed, that might be workable. “Is this another benefit of living in a castle?” she asked. “There always seems to be someone available to serve.”
Hugh ducked his head sheepishly. “That’s true.” He paused. “Do you think you could be happy in a place such as this?”
Perchaya’s eyes widened. A place like this? He couldn’t possibly be suggesting that she might end up living in a castle.
Though it sounded for all the world like he was asking if she’d be happy in his. Her heart skipped a beat. “I don’t know,” she said truthfully. “I don’t know what will happen. There are still many questions to be answered before our travels are done.”
Hugh nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I hope at least I might—”
“Perchaya!” Kenton’s voice cut through the night air, and Perchaya wheeled to find him charging toward her down the path. Hugh put a hand protectively on her arm as Kenton approached and stopped just short of them. “We need to go,” Kenton said. “It’s not safe here.”
Hugh put a hand on his sword, but Perchaya stepped between them, not sure if Hugh meant to defend her from Kenton or the threat Kenton came to warn them about. “What’s wrong?”
Kenton shot a suspicious look at Hugh. “Come on. I’ll explain on the way.”
Hugh frowned. “Surely I could be of help. If Lady Daniella needs to be on her way—”
There were all sorts of things Kenton might want to say that wouldn’t be wise to say in front of Hugh, trust him though she may. “It’s all right,” Perchaya said squeezing Hugh’s arm. “If we do leave, I’ll come to say goodbye.”
Hugh reluctantly dropped his arm, and her own hand fell. “Very well,” Hugh said. “Goodnight, my lady. But if you require anything at all—”
Perchaya smiled. “I’ll let you know immediately.”
Hugh lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, sending tingles up her arm. Then he strode away past the garden’s torches, his own shadow flickering on the hedge.
Perchaya turned back to Kenton. “Well, what’s the emergency?”
Kenton stepped close and lowered his voice. “There’s a body in the basement of the castle. Duke Greghor has been using it to communicate with Diamis. We aren’t safe here.”
Perchaya stood for a moment, stunned, then grabbed Kenton by the arm and pulled him into a nearby gazebo draped with honeysuckle vines. “You saw this? Greghor communicating with Diamis?”
Kenton shifted uncomfortably. “No. But we found the body, and the description matched the one that Daniella saw in Drepaine and in Peldenar. And she said the area felt like blood magic.”
Perchaya shivered despite the warmth of the night. She was glad not to know exactly what that would feel like. “Do you really think leaving is the best option? Because if you didn’t see Greghor, we don’t actually know who’s been using it.”
“But Diamis knows we’re here,” Kenton said.
“We assumed he did, didn’t we? He’s always known where we are, and this time is no exception. His troops can’t reach us until we cross the border into Andronim.”
“Unless Greghor is a spy,” Kenton said. “It’s his men who guard the border between Grisham and Foroclae. If he lets them through—”
“We need more information,” Perchaya said. “Besides, Jaeme still has to find Kotali.”
“We can’t stay,” Kenton said. “It’s not safe, and—”
“Think about it,” Perchaya said. “Even if someone here is communicating with Diamis, he can’t march an army in here. If Greghor was working with Diamis, don’t you think he would have acted as soon as we arrived?”
“Not necessarily,” Kenton said. “He may be waiting for Jaeme to get the stone.”
“Jaeme’s uncle doesn’t even know he’s a godbearer,” Perchaya said. “Jaeme said he didn’t want his uncle to think he’d lost his mind.”
“Or,” Kenton said, “he does know. And he’s waiting for Jaeme to find Kotali before turning us all over to Diamis with the stone in hand.”
Perchaya couldn’t deny that was a possibility. “If that’s the case, then the best thing to do is to stay with Jaeme and protect him, and then when he finds Kotali, get out of Grisham as soon as possible.”
“If he ever decides to find it.”
Perchaya put a hand on Kenton’s arm. “Besides, we don’t know who’s been using the body, right? It could be someone else, someone who’s read Jaeme’s letters.” She thought about that. “Perhaps Greghor’s manservant, or Jaeme’s friend Stephan. He’s close to the family, isn’t he?”
“It could be Hugh,” Kenton said.
For the love of Kotali. Perchaya pursed her lips and gave Kenton a long look.
“What?” he asked. “It would explain why he’s cozying up to you.”
“Of course. Because the only reason for a man to be interested in me is because he’s secretly a blood mage.”
“Don’t start,” Kenton returned. “I already expressed that I’m also worried about his other motivations.”
“Yes,” Perchaya said, alarmed at the snappiness of her own tone. “You’ve been quite clear that neither you nor any man should want to touch me.”
Silence settled between them, thick as silt. “I mean—” Perchaya said, at the same time that Kenton stuttered, “I—I didn’t—”
They both fell silent again.
“My point,” Perchaya said quietly, “is that if we leave now, without learning if someone here has been communicating with Diamis, then we quite possibly leave Mortiche with a spy in its midst. If Diamis has people working for him here, then no doubt he has machinations for war already in place. All of Mortiche is at risk.”
Kenton’s expression turned considering. “A war with Mortiche would distract Diamis from us.”
Perchaya stared at him.
He looked up at her. “What?”
Perchaya pressed her lips together again. She could hardly begin to express how many things were wrong with intentionally letting the last holdout nation on the continent fall to Diamis on the hope that it distracted him from their quest.
She settled for just one. “People will die, Kenton.”
“I know,” he replied. “I’m doing everything I can to make sure it’s not my people.”
Perchaya squeezed his wrist. “I know. I think the best thing we can do right now is to attend the events of the tournament, watch and listen, see if we can figure out who the traitor is. You’re good at information gathering, and this will give you an opportunity to do it. Meanwhile, we’ll encourage Jaeme to search for Kotali.”
Kenton snorted. “That’s like trying to teach a pig to dance.”
