by Imogen Elvis
“We should get going,” Kade said after they had eaten and the remaining food was stowed in their packs. “It’s a long walk to Granton.”
Yes. It was a long way, wasn’t it? Briar trailed after Kade and Glissando, trying to finger-comb her tangled hair into a fresh braid in a vain attempt to feel a little more normal. The warm, golden rays of the rising sun chased away some of the early morning chill at least. Briar drew in a deep breath. This wasn’t so bad. Maybe it wouldn’t take as long as they thought.
Over the course of the morning, the trees around them thinned until they disappeared altogether and the group travelled instead through rolling grassland. The long stems of grass whispered in the breeze, and the sun warmed Briar’s face. Their destination was not where she wanted to be going, but at least this part of the journey was pleasant enough.
Around midday, Kade left the road, and struck out through the trackless, waving grasses, heading northwest.
“Where are we going?” Briar looked back at the road. “Isn’t Thorne that way?”
“Shortcut. If we go this way, we can bypass Thorne entirely and hopefully reach Granton a bit sooner.”
Wonderful. Hopefully, this would be more successful than their last shortcut. Still, the bright blue sky didn’t herald rain at least.
“Will we reach Granton today do you think?” Glissando asked.
“I’m not sure,” Kade said. “If not today, then definitely sometime tomorrow. Sooner than going by road at any rate.”
“I can’t wait to be home.” Glissando heaved a small sigh. “My family must be so worried by now.”
“You’ll be home soon,” Kade said. There was an awkward pause that stretched into an uncomfortable silence. Finally, he cleared his throat, as if unwilling to let the silence linger too long. “Where are you travelling from?”
“Mizra. I was there for the winter.” Glissando flicked a strand of golden hair over her shoulder. “I should have returned sooner, but it’s so boring out here. There’s no one to see, just my family. I would much rather be at court, even if it is unbearably hot in the summer.”
Briar’s heart ached. Mizra, the city where swans floated on the river and the houses were large and beautiful. Mizra, the place Ava had her heart set on seeing, and Briar refused even to consider it. Kade asked Glissando some further question, but Briar didn’t hear it. Didn’t care to. The sooner they got to Granton and deposited Glissando home, the better. Briar had so much to make up for.
They didn’t reach Granton that day but ended up sleeping another night on the ground. Even Glissando wasn’t looking quite so perfect on the second morning. She limped along in weary silence, her dress wrinkled and her golden hair wispy and dishevelled. Those little white slippers didn’t seem to be doing much for her feet either. If they had taken Glissando to Thorne, she could have ridden back with someone and avoided the blisters. But Kade was set on this. And he said she was stubborn.
The sun rose high overhead, and the air shimmered with unseasonable heat. Sweat prickled on Briar’s back and strands of hair stuck to her face. She tried to blow them away but gave up after the first couple of tries. It was too warm to care.
“Look.” Glissando pointed. “There’s Granton. At last.” Her voice echoed the relief Briar felt at hearing those words.
Granton was quite a small town. High stone walls, hewn from grey rock, surrounded the buildings, which sat in a tight circle. The road swept round from the east, a thin brown thread winding towards the gates.
“There. That’s my home.” Glissando gestured to a large building, sitting on a little rise a short way outside the main town itself.
“We can have you there by evening,” Kade said. “I just need to stop in Granton first.”
Briar sent him a questioning look, but Kade avoided her gaze, his face giving nothing away. Maybe later then, when Glissando wasn’t with them.
“Must you?” Glissando asked with a small sigh.
“I’m afraid so.”
Glissando pursed her lips, but let it go. Instead, she stretched, wincing. “I cannot wait to be home.”
“Sleeping on the ground isn’t much fun, is it?” Briar offered a tentative smile in sympathy.
“No.” Glissando grimaced. “I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own bed with my feather mattress tonight.” She straightened her shoulders, and a look of determination came over her face. “Well, come on then. The sooner we reach Granton, the sooner I can go home.”
Up close, Granton was quite a friendly little town. The grey walls might be high and thick, but the gates stood open invitingly. They led into a stone courtyard, in the middle of which stood a tree with broad, spreading branches that cast a dappled shade over the cobblestones. A few wooden benches were scattered around the tree. One was already occupied by an old man, a walking stick leaning next to him. A soldier stood nearby, watching the road, but he just gave Briar and her companions a friendly nod as they entered.
Kade paused inside the gates. “I have some business to see to,” he said. “But it won’t take long. Why don’t you two wait here, and I’ll re-join you when I’ve finished?”
Glissando considered this with her head cocked to one side, then nodded. “That suits me.” She sank down on one of the benches and shook her wrinkled skirts out around her, a look of relief flitting over her face. “I certainly prefer to drive this distance.”
“Kade-” Briar tried to catch his eye. What business did he have here? They were never planning on going to Granton before.
“I’ll be back soon.” Kade strode away, his cloak swirling around him.
Briar let out a small sigh and settled herself on the opposite end of the bench to Glissando, leaving as much space between them as possible. Sometimes, she could fool herself that she didn’t care what Kade was doing. And at other times, the secrets were stifling. Why in the name of the Tree did he want to put them to so much trouble for Glissando? Not that she didn’t deserve to be safe. But this was ridiculous.
“Well, if it isn’t Glissando Redfern.” The old man turned to the girls, his eyes lighting up with interest. “Afternoon.” He tipped his shapeless brown cap.
“Good afternoon.” Glissando nodded in his general direction, though her eyes never quite made it to the man’s face. Her back straightened and she folded her hands in her lap, suddenly the very picture of a well-mannered noblewoman.
“Thought you were still in Mizra.”
“I have just returned.”
“Ah. Trouble with the carriage, eh?” His voice was deceptively casual. Glissando shrugged and declined to answer. Her noncommittal silence did nothing to deter the old man unfortunately. “Who’s this you’ve got with you? Fired the other lass at last, hmm?”
Briar caught the tightening of Glissando’s fingers and felt a sudden stab of sympathy. The man’s questions were starting to grate already. Especially this last one, in the light of Mae’s recent death. Briar stepped in, casting the man a quick, empty smile, and deflected the question. “My name is Briar. I’m just passing through.”
“From where?”
Briar kept the polite smile frozen on her lips. “I’ve come from Osman. Beyond Trava,” she added as the man’s face crinkled in confusion.
“That’s a fair way for a girl to come. You a magician?” He gestured to her habit and medallion.
“As you see.”
“Ah, like Lucien.” The old man nodded sagely. “Well, like he’d be if he weren’t so proud and stubborn-witted, refusing to join the Order.”
Lucien? Briar glanced at Glissando, who explained, “‘Lord’ Lucien is my brother.”
“Lucien’d be running the magicians by now, if he could be bothered with all that training.” The old man tipped his head to one side. “Boy should rightfully be in the Order, what with wind song as powerful as all that.”
“My brother is needed here.” Glissando’s words were clipped.
“He’s a magician. He’s supposed to be trained by the Order,” the
old man retorted. “That’s why it exists in the first place.”
“The Order has many magicians. They do not need to take my brother as well.” Glissando met the man’s eyes. “My family are good friends with Lord Sachio himself. Lucien is in safe hands I assure you.”
“Lord Sachio.” The old man sniffed, seeming not at all impressed by Glissando’s name-dropping. “Spends more time travelling around on royal business than being magician, if you ask me. Living in that big fancy house up the north road instead of in an order house like he’s s'pposed to. Wouldn’t surprise me if he refused to wear the habit and medal one of these days.”
“How dare you?” Glissando’s fingers curled into a fist. “Lord Sachio is a good man, a member of the royal family, and a dutiful magician. How dare you speak of him with so little respect?”
“Of course he is.” Briar laid a soothing hand on Glissando’s arm. She’d seen Master Sachio at work in Osman when they were recovering from the attack. His dedication to the Order couldn’t be doubted. Briar caught sight of Kade approaching, and stood with a rush relief. “Look, there’s Kade.”
“Excellent. I would like to go home now, I think.”
Briar gave the old man another strained smile. “It was lovely to meet you.”
The old man just grunted in reply and looked away. Glissando swept away from the benches, irritation in her sharp movements and the lines that creased her brow. Briar had to hurry to keep up with her. They joined Kade before he was halfway across the square.
“Are you finished here?” Glissando asked.
“Yes. I can take you home now.”
“Thank goodness.” There was real relief in Glissando’s voice.
And that was it. Kade led them out of Granton without so much as a word of what he had been doing, or a hint to suggest he would explain later. More secrets. It felt like, no matter how much faith Briar put in him, Kade was never going to share anything. Would he ever trust her the way she trusted him?
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
The word ‘house’ hardly did justice to Glissando’s home. The building was massive, at least five storeys high, and seemed to go on for miles. The windows sparkled with glass, each hung round with a garland of stone leaves and flowers, which added a touch of beauty to the otherwise stern exterior. Immaculate gardens spread out around the house, the hedges trimmed into smooth box shapes, the trees gleaming with new growth, and fresh spring flowers blooming in neat rows. The path swept past a flight of shallow stone steps, which led up to a massive double door. The whole place looked bigger even than an order house. And this was all for one family.
“My parents will be so glad to see us.” Glissando hurried up the steps ahead of Kade and Briar, holding her skirt with one hand. She pulled on a silver chain hanging near the door. Somewhere inside, a bell tinkled faintly. “I’m sure they will want to thank you. I can never repay your kindness.”
“That isn’t necessary.” Kade took a step back. “We should actually be on our way now.”
“Please stay. They will be so grateful.” Glissando turned large, pleading blue eyes on them both.
The massive front door swung open before Kade could say anything, revealing an older man in a dark uniform. He bowed deeply. “My lady. Welcome home. We’ve been expecting you. Lady Redfern-”
Whatever he had to say about Lady Redfern was lost as an elegantly dressed woman swept past him. “Glissando? Where have you been? We were afraid something had happened to you.” The woman frowned. “And where is the carriage?” Her eyes took in the empty space at the foot of the stairs. “What happened?”
“We met with some trouble on the road. The carriage was attacked.” Glissando hesitated. “Mae and Grant are-are dead.”
“Attacked?” The woman, who Briar assumed must be Lady Redfern, covered her mouth with a slender hand.
“They made off with the horses and attacked the servants,” Kade said quietly. “You’re lucky they didn’t take your daughter as well. My lady,” he added after a moment.
Lady Redfern turned a shade paler. It took a moment before she managed to compose herself again. “But how did you get back without the carriage, Glissando?”
“These kind people escorted me home.”
“On foot?” Horror flashed over Lady Redfern’s face, almost as much as at the thought of her daughter being kidnapped.
“We were hardly equipped with horses or a carriage of our own,” Kade said dryly.
“I doubt you’ve seen the inside of a cart, let alone a carriage.” A young man strolled out of the house, a bored expression on his face. But his eyes glittered with a sharpness that missed nothing. There was something about him that gave Briar the sudden urge to disappear. “Hello, Gliss. Finished gallivanting around the court at last?”
“I wrote and said I was coming home,” Glissando retorted. “And my misfortune on the road only delayed me a little, Lucien.”
“You could have returned with the rest of us and avoided all this,” Lucien said. “But no, you had to stay for one last ball.”
“The spring ball.”
“Ah, yes. Because nothing is more important than being seen at the spring ball.” Lucien raised an eyebrow in a bored yet judgemental way that brought a flush of pink flooding over Glissando’s cheeks.
Briar shifted awkwardly. It felt like intruding to stand here listening while Lucien and Glissando bickered. They should go. Perhaps they could make it back to Granton before dark if they left now. She tried to catch Kade’s eye and signal that they should leave, but he was so focused on the family he didn’t seem to notice.
“Come inside, my dear.” Lady Redfern drew Glissando towards the house with an arm draped around her shoulders. “Markus is here. He will be so pleased to see you’re safe.”
Glissando pulled back, turning to Kade and Briar. “Thank you for escorting me home. I don’t know what I would have done without your kindness.”
“You’re welcome.” Kade dipped his head slightly. “Come on, Briar, we should be on our way.”
“Oh, you can’t go now. It’ll be dark before you get to Granton. Let us give you a bed for the night. It would be the least we could do, wouldn’t it, Mother?” Glissando turned beseeching eyes on Lady Redfern.
“Of course.” Lady Redfern took the suggestion in stride as easily as if it were her own. “Oak, see to it that our guests are provided with food and beds for the night.”
The footman bowed. “Of course my lady.”
“That’s very kind, but it’s really not necessary,” Kade said hastily. “We should be on our way.”
“Why?” Lucien raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to get anywhere tonight. We’re offering a free bed and a meal, better than you’ll get in Granton, and you’re going to pass that up? What could possibly be so important that you need to rush off?”
“Please stay,” Glissando added. “If only to let me show my appreciation.”
Kade shook his head, seeming as stubbornly determined not to stay as he had been to get here in the first place. “Thank you, but no.”
“No?” Lucien cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. “You know, you look familiar. Where are you heading?”
It was like Bren all over again, only Lucien felt a lot more dangerous, and a lot less easily swayed by magic if Kade got him riled up. Briar jumped in quickly. “We came from Osman. We were on our way to Thorne when we came across your sister.” Technically not a lie. Just not the whole story either.
“This is a bit out of the way for simple travelling kindness, don’t you think?” Now that sharp gaze was focused squarely on Briar.
She feigned indifference with a shrug. “If we hadn’t stopped, someone less friendly might have come along. And after everything that happened, it seemed only right that we should escort her the whole way back to be sure she was safe.” All of a sudden Briar was using Kade’s arguments to justify their actions and the words sat oddly on her lips.
“Indeed. Regular heroes aren’
t you?”
“Lucien. Leave them be.” Glissando rapped him on the arm. “They’ve been very kind.” She turned to Kade and Briar with an apologetic smile. “Please, stay here tonight. We can give you a meal, and fresh supplies. You’d lose no time at all.”
Briar caught Kade’s slight headshake. She didn’t want to stay here any more than he did. But after all this, how could they refuse? Lucien was suspicious enough of them as it was. He would cause more than a little trouble if they continued to say no, she could feel it. So Briar smiled brightly and said, “Thank you. We’re very grateful.” Kade was just going to have to accept this. There was no way to refuse now.
True to his word, Oak made sure Briar and Kade were well fed, with a hot meal that was more than appreciated. While they ate, one of the serving girls whisked their packs away to be filled with fresh supplies. Briar savoured every bite. Sitting down to a meal in comfort at the end of a day was one of the things she missed most about Osman. That and Rayna. How she missed her friend’s smiles and the snippets of gossip she passed over the table, or in the hall between chores. Did Rayna ever think of her now?
“You can visit the gardens if you want,” Oak said when they finished their meal. “It’s better if you stay out of the family areas in the house, but the gardens are alright.”
“Thank you.” Maybe Kade would explore with her. But when Briar turned to ask, he was already gone. Oh well. She could visit the gardens just as well on her own.
Preparations for the family’s dinner were in full swing, and Briar felt distinctly in the way in the kitchen. The air was stifling. Not just with the oppressive heat from the huge, open hearth, and the excessive noise as the cook had a tantrum in one corner, and a kitchen maid sobbed in another. Not just with the smells of lemon and ginger, and the suffocating crush of bodies moving around each other in an intricate dance. But with thoughts, memories.