The Beggar Prince, page 18
part #1 of Unbroken Bond Series
“Did you now?” Thuridan replied as he handed his coat and hat to Albretcht. The venom in his words bore into all who heard.
“Is all well, Father?” Thalas asked.
“Where's Fallon?” Thuridan asked, his arms crossed behind him as he slowly walked towards Thalas. Thalas frowned in apparent confusion.
“I'd imagine he's up to no good with Durlin again. Did something happen to him?”
“He's dead.”
“Dead?”
“Yes, Thalas, dead. Do you know anything about that?”
“I…now hold a moment father, I didn't kill him! I haven't even seen him today!”
“Is that right?”
“Yes!”
“You haven't asked me how he died. I take it you already know, then?”
“Upon my honour, Father, I have no–”
By this time, Thalas as within arm's reach of his father, and as he spoke, the Grovemender patriarch reached out and clasped his hand about his son's throat. It was a light touch, but Thalas' eyes went wide nonetheless as, slowly, he was lifted off his feet.
“Now you listen to me very carefully, boy, very, very carefully. I will give you this one chance, this one sole chance to come clean. If you come clean now, I may forgive you. But if you do not, and I find out you are as involved as I think you are, Thalas, my boy, you will rue the day you were born.”
“Upon…my honour…” Thalas stuttered as his face reddened more and more. Abruptly, Thuridan let his son go, with Thalas crumpling to the floor.
“Very well.” Thuridan muttered as he marched past his son towards his reading room.
“How did Fallon die?” Thalas asked as he rose. Stopping, Thurindan turned to his son.
“He was killed trying to steal the Kin-Slayer.”
“What?”
“You heard me, he and five others. One of them, a girl, long blonde hair. Does that sound like anyone you know?”
“Neremi?” Thalas asked, frowning. Thuridan stared in response. At last, Thalas shook his head.
“She was with me the whole afternoon, it couldn't have been her.”
“If you say so.”
“Father, I have done nothing wrong.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes!”
“Did you know Tip was there?”
Thalas nodded. “He and the other one went with Davian to the Tower.”
“And did you know the thieves used him to steal Arenya's runic key?”
Thalas frowned. “She say as much?”
Thuridan laughed. “No, my dear son, she's keeping quiet. It's the witnesses who spoke. One moment, she was hugging the little thiefling close, the next, the raiders are searching his pockets for something.” Thuridan took a menacing step closer to his son.
“You and I are the only ones who know of his gift,” Thuridan continued, “so explain to me how these raiders knew to use him to take her runic key.”
Thalas swallowed hard at this. “Mardaley knew.”
“Mardaley? Mardaley's a lot of things, but he would never do something like this. So, that leaves who precisely?”
“Father, I swear to you, upon my hon–”
“You have no honour, be quiet!” Thuridan snapped, then he took a few more menacing steps forward.
“But do you know what's most irksome about all this?” he continued. “The Kin-Slayer should be a Grovemender artifact. Our family crafted her void sphere prison in the first place, and it was one of your ancestors who paid the ultimate price in entrapping her. I've been planning for years, decades, to finally make her mine. And you, you and your stupid, brainless, idiotic friends go in and not only ruin my plans, but actually release her! Of all the stupid things to do! That boy was the final key, the final piece! And now that creature has infested him! How could you be so stupid!”
“Father, upon my–”
“You have no honour!” Thuridan bellowed, his face a hair's breath from his son's. Sweating profusely, Thalas stood cowering before his father.
“How did he release her anyway?” Thuridan asked.
“Pardon?”
“They said the boy simply touched the sphere and Kin-Slayer was free. Is that true? That's all that happened? No spells, no incantations?”
Eagerly, Thalas nodded, but as he did so, his eyes went wide as he realised what he had just admitted to. In an instant, he dropped to his knees, his forehead touching the stone floor.
“Forgive me, Father. Please forgive me!” he pleaded, his voice quivering.
“You insignificant–”
“Father please, please forgive me! We only meant to take the boy and the girl, that was all. The void sphere was meant to be a diversion. We never planned to leave with it, but we knew if we took it the Tower would be too busy looking for it to give chase! That was all, I swear! We were going to leave it in one of the training rooms and make good our escape, we never meant to release her! Please father, I beg of you, forgive me!”
Thuridan stared at his son in disgust. “Would that you understood how much you've cost me today.”
Thalas looked up at his father. “Then allow me salvage this.”
Thuridan crossed his arms as he glowered at his son.
“And how do you plan on doing that?”
“We'll find her for you.”
Thuridan scoffed. “Do you honestly believe I will entrust you with finding her?”
“We know Merethia better than anyone, we'll find her.”
“What makes you so sure they're still in Merethia?”
“I spoke to Eldred earlier. He overheard his father saying the Matriarch had told the king, and all the roads leading into and out of Merethia are being watched. The same holds true for the other cities nearby. If they hadn't left immediately, they're still here.”
Thuridan stared at his son in silence for a spell.
“They haven't left. The teleport spell Kin-Slayer cast would've given Davian and that Marsha girl etheric poisoning. They would've needed time to allow the excess ether dissipate.”
Eagerly, Thalas nodded. “Then let us find her for you, before the king or the Tower does.”
Thuridan glowered at his son for a spell.
“That was your plan already.”
“Father I–”
“And, unless I miss my guess, you were going to offer her aid in exchange for her teaching you chronomancy.”
“Upon my honour, I–”
“Shut up, boy, just shut up.”
A deafening silence fell upon the pair as the father glowered furiously at the son. At last, he went on one knee, but only to grab his son's chin, forcing Thalas' gaze to his.
“You will find her, but you will find her for me. Betray me, and I will not banish you, I will not disown you, I will simply kill you. Do you understand?”
Once again, Thalas nodded eagerly.
“No, I don't think you do. It will take you years to master chronomancy to any real effect, maybe even decades. Within that time, I will find you, Thalas. Do you understand?”
Slowly, Thalas nodded.
“Good.” Letting go of his son's chin, Thuridan rose. “And bring your brother back alive, he must still be with them.”
“What will you do once I find her? How do you intend to control her?”
“You let me worry about that,” Thuridan replied as he turned away from his son.
Thalas moved to speak, but the tone in his father's voice forced a thought to the fore of his mind, one that was both ridiculous and patent in equal measure.
“You have a void sphere, don't you?”
Thuridan turned to glower at his son anew.
“And the girl?” Thalas asked after a moment's charged silence.
“I couldn't care less about her,” Thuridan said, sighing as he walked towards the door of the reading room. “Once Kin-Slayer's taken care of, she'll have outlived her usefulness.”
Hurriedly, Marshalla shuffled away from the door, and as Thuridan disappered into the reading room, all three watched Thalas grab his coat and leave. Quivering, Marshalla gestured for them to return upstairs, and all three returned in silence. None spoke till they were in Davian's room.
“That was unpleasant,” Anieszirel said at last. Both looked at her.
“Get changed,” Marshalla said at last.
“What?”
“Tip's old clothes, get changed.” With that, she hurried out of the room. Confused, Anieszirel looked at Davian. Smiling sadly, Davian walked over to a nearby cupboard and opening it, pulled out a neatly folded bundle and threw it at her.
“Ah,” she said, and duly changed into them. Before long, Marshalla returned, herself changed into different clothes, and with a bag slung behind her.
“What are you doing?” Davian asked, his worry plain in his words.
“Leaving. Now.”
“Good,” Anieszirel said. “With luck, we'll still be able to slip past the gate guards.”
“Didn't you hear Thalas?” Davian asked, frowning. “They'll be watching the gates.”
“Doesn't matter,” Marshalla replied, shaking her head. “She'll hide us again, we'll slip past.”
“But it's just an illusion of vision,” Davian replied, “not an illusion complete. If anyone bumps into you, they will feel it.”
“Worth a try,” Marshalla replied stubbornly, Anieszirel nodding in agreement.
“But it's you who'll die, Marsha, and Tip. Ani'll just find a new host.”
With an exasperated sigh, Marshalla glared at the little boy. “Got any better ideas?”
“I…”
“Hold, Tip wishes to speak,” Anieszirel said. An awkward silence fell upon them as Anieszirel stared into the ether. Then, Tip turned to stare at Marshalla, his eyes wide with excitement.
“Mardaley! He'll know what to do!”
Marshalla's gaze softened at the mention of that name.
“Mardaley hates us,” she replied at last. “Better we do this on our own.”
At her words, the excitement drained from Tip's features as he pouted at her.
“I'm coming with you,” Davian said suddenly.
“What? Why?” Marshalla demanded as she spun to face him.
“I'm not staying here.”
Smiling, Marshalla walked over and held his face in her hands. “Davian, you live here, your family–”
“My father is a monster, you were right from the beginning. He was using Tip, using you. And now he intends to entrap Tip in a void sphere of his own. He knows what that'll do to Tip, he must know, but he doesn't even care. My brother's no better either. I can't stay with them, I won't. If you don't let me come with you I'll simply run away.”
Marshalla looked at Tip, who looked from Davian to her.
“Ani says to let him come,” he said. “She says his father won't do anything stupid if Davian's with us.”
“Precisely!” Davian exclaimed. But Marshalla was not convinced.
“Let him come, Marsha. Please.”
Marshalla stared into the pleading eyes of Tip, and felt her resolve slowly crumble. She looked at Davian once more, then sighed.
“Pack light, take all the coin you can. Hurry.”
Grinning, Davian flung his arms about her, hugging her close, then turned to do as she'd bid. Marshalla and Tip watched as Davian darted all about the room, one with a happy smile, the other with a guilty frown.
“Uh-oh,” Tip said suddenly.
“What is it?” Marshalla asked, turning to him.
“He's coming upstairs.”
“Who?”
“Thalas.”
Eyes going wide, Marshalla turned to Davian, who had stopped and was staring at Tip. But as he looked at Marshalla, he resumed his gathering, only this time at twice the pace.
“Get Ani, Tip, quick.”
“Ok.”
Nodding, Marshalla looked over at Davian. He had a bag of his own, and was busy stuffing it with clothes and some other belongings.
“Light, Davian, light.”
“This is light!”
“He's up the stairs.”
Marshalla looked at Tip.
“Ani?” she whispered.
“Who else?” Anieszirel replied. “Oh wait, he's heading to his room.”
Smiling, Marshalla sighed.
“Oh no, no he's changed his mind and is now heading over here.”
“Davian!”
“Almost ready!”
“We have to go, now!”
“I need to get Kel's things!”
“He's at the door.”
“We have to go!”
“Money, the money!”
“He's turning the handle.”
“Forget the coin!”
“But we need money!”
“The door is opening.”
“Got it!”
“Now, Ani, now!”
Carefully, Thalas pushed the door open. No, there was no Davian. Instead, the room was a complete mess.
“Wishful thinking,” he muttered as he surveyed the room.
“The little lickspittle couldn't even tidy up,” he growled before slamming the door shut and marching over to his room.
Closing the door firmly behind him, he latched it before marching over to his bed. Once sat, he reached under and pulled out a small box. Opening, he took a deep breath and pulled out a smooth round stone roughly the size of a large fist. Holding it in both hands, he cleared his mind and stared at the stone. He stared till it began to glow a soft blue. Satisfied, he looked up and waited until a ghostly image of Neremi swam into view.
“Did you find anything?”
Thalas nodded. “Let's wait for the others first.”
They did not have long to wait, and before long the other four were standing about his bed.
“So, did you find anything?” Neremi asked the moment an apparition of Eldred swam into view. Setting the stone back in its box, Thalas sat further back as the others also sat.
“My father still knows nothing of what happened. And neither does the Tower.”
“Are you sure?” Thane asked.
Thalas nodded. “I'm positive. He has some theories, but I managed to convince him we're not involved.”
“So, we're safe?”
“For now, yes.” As he stared at the smiling faces of his friends, a great relief washed over him. He'd felt sure Neremi at the very least would've seen through his lie.
“So, we stick to the plan?”
Thalas nodded. “Yes. We find them before the Tower, or the king.”
“But where do we even begin?” Durlin asked. “It's all well and good to say we know Merethia better than them, but that knowledge doesn't really serve us that well unless you wish to search street by street.”
“We don't have to,” Thalas replied. “When they left Mardaley's employ, they asked Mardaley to take on one of their gutter rat friends. She's our key. By now they'd have made contact, get her to aid them. We watch her, follow her and have her lead us to them.”
“Brilliant!” Neremi exclaimed.
“It could work,” Eldred added.
“Why not just watch Mardaley?” Thane asked.
Thalas shook his head. “There's something about that old human, something…I don't know. Father had me watch him some time ago, and he more or less found me out within moments. No, we're better off watching their gutter rat friend away from that storekeeper.”
“If you say so,” Thane replied coldly. “We do have a complication though.”
“What?”
“I heard the Tower's having doubts about Arenya's innocence.”
“In what way?” Eldred asked.
“Has she spilled the truth?” asked Neremi.
Thane shook his head. “Not yet, but there are inconsistencies in her tale. Little ones, here and there. They're making Baern question her whole tale.”
Thalas frowned. “We'll need to do something about her.”
“I'll take care of it,” Eldred replied.
“And how will you bedding her again fix this?” Durlin asked.
“It worked before, didn't it?” Neremi quipped, prompting mocking chuckles from the others.
“I'll take care of it,” Eldred repeated.
“Very well,” Thalas replied at last. “You take care of your beloved. But know that should you fail, Thane and I will be paying her a visit.”
Both Thane and Eldred smiled, but one was a smile of evil delight, while the other was of mocking condescending.
“You do remember she is an archmage, right?”
Thalas smirked. “Yes, but she is no battle-mage. Thane and I can handle her.”
“I'll take care of it.” Eldred snarled after a brief moment's charged silence.
“See that you do.”
“I do have one thought though,” Eldred continued, “about your brilliant plan.”
“What?”
“What's to stop the Kin-Slayer simply killing us all once she's to safety? Or simply vanishing?”
An uncomfortable silence fell upon the group.
“He's right,” Durlin muttered. “We have no hold over her.”
“And once she's regained all her powers, nobody will,” Neremi added.
“Then we must stop that. We use her powers as our hold on her,” Thalas replied.
“And just how do you propose we do that?” Eldred asked.
Thalas held Eldred in a blank stare as his mind spun.
“Precisely.”
“Why don't we just bash the boy's head in?” Thane asked. “I heard tell if you do this to the host of a spirit, it traps them in their host. Perhaps it'll work with her.”
“And if we don't hit the boy hard enough?” Neremi asked in response. “I don't know about you, but I have no wish to have the Kin-Slayer for an enemy.”
“If she betrays us, we betray her,” Thane replied firmly.
“And if she chooses to vanish, what then?” Eldred asked, folding his arms as he spoke.
“If only we can entrap her somehow,” Durlin muttered.
“You have a spare void sphere lying around somewhere?” Eldred mocked.
“My father does,” Thalas said, a huge grin on his face. All four fell silent.
“How in the hells did he manage that?” Durlin asked.
Thalas shrugged. “I stopped wondering about my father's ways a long time ago.”
