The Book of Maladies Boxset

by D. K. Holmberg

  Sam clasped her hands together and looked into her brother’s eyes, wishing she didn’t have to answer this. “If what I’ve been told is true, she is.”

  “What does that make us?” The question was laced with more than it seemed. It was the question she’d been asking for the last few months, ever since learning about Tray and what Marin had done.

  “It makes us brother and sister. It doesn’t change anything, Tray. Every memory I have is of you as my brother. Everything I’ve ever done has been to keep you safe.”

  “I’ve told you that you don’t need to do that anymore.”

  “And yet it doesn’t change me feeling that way,” Sam said. “In my mind, and my heart, you’re still my little brother. You’re still the little boy who chased me through the city, mad that he couldn’t use the canal staff like I could, or couldn’t climb up the sides of buildings the way I could.”

  “I don’t need a canal staff anymore. And I have no difficulty climbing up buildings.”

  Sam stared at him and didn’t know quite how to respond. What was the right answer for Tray? What would help him? “That still doesn’t change anything for me. I hope it doesn’t for you, either.”

  Tray watched her, unblinking, then let out a frustrated sigh. “Why would she do this to us?”

  Sam shook her head. “I really don’t know.”

  “If it was about hurting you, she could have done that anytime over the last ten years.”

  It was the same thought Sam had. It had to be about something more than simply hurting her. There had to be some reason Marin wanted Sam close to Tray, and some reason she neededs Tray to be important to her. She didn’t quite know what it was—not yet—but she was determined to find out.

  “Why were you at the university?” Sam asked.

  “I wasn’t there,” he said, then looked away. “Not until later.”

  “You were there, Tray. Alec saw you. You came into the master’s room. You were there the same time I was.” Sam’s heart started to pound. “She sent you, didn’t she? She wanted you to go in and get him, and she was surprised when I came out with him.”

  “Sam—”

  “No. I’ve known you well enough—and long enough—to know when you’re not telling me the truth.”

  Tray leaned his head forward, resting it on his hands. “She sent me. She said it was important so that she could help you.”

  “Help me?”

  Tray shrugged. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know anything. I’m still not sure what to believe.”

  “You can believe me,” Sam said. “You can believe that I have no hidden agenda. My goal is an obvious one. I want to find out why Marin did this to us, and I want to connect the dots with what’s been happening. In the end, all of that is to ensure that you and I can be what we’ve always been, brother and sister.”

  “Even if we’re not actually related?”

  “We are related. Everything we’ve done over the years has made us that way. It doesn’t matter what Marin—or Elaine—or anyone says.”

  Tray breathed out heavily, looking up to meet her eyes. “I don’t know what she wanted the man for. All I know is that he was important. She thought he was some sort of expert, and she needed his help.”

  “Why his help?”

  “I don’t know. She’s been studying the canals.”

  “The canals?” Sam repeated. “Why would Marin care about the canals?”

  “Like I said. I don’t know anything more than what I’ve told you.”

  Sam pushed off the desk and crouched down in front of Tray. She had the sudden awareness of how much larger he was than she, and how much more he was like the Thelns than he ever had been before. But he was something else. He was equally as much like her, having that part of him that was Kaver. That was the side that she needed to appeal to.

  He smelled different than he had before. There was something almost sharp about it. It was a strange odor that she never would have associated with Tray in the past. It was almost medicinal and reminded her of the smells in Alec’s apothecary shop.

  She sniffed him again. “What has she had you doing?”

  Tray shook his head. “Don’t make me tell you.”

  “What if she intends to hurt me? Is that what you want?” Sam asked. She jabbed him in the chest as she did. Would he react dangerously? She never would have questioned it before, but she began to wonder how much she really knew about Tray. So much had changed between them over the last few months, and she’d spent so little time with him, certainly not enough to know how he might respond.

  “She doesn’t intend to hurt you,” Tray said.

  “You still think that even after you saw her attack me?”

  “I…”

  “She’s letting dangerous people into the city, Tray. Possibly the same people who attacked you.” And maybe that was why Bastan had disappeared. “I need to find her before others get hurt.”

  “I think I might be able to find her,” Tray said. He started hesitantly and wrung his hands together as he continued. “I’m not sure if she’ll even be there, but I overheard her earlier when she was talking about the canal around the palace.”

  “Why the palace? With the guards there, it’s too well protected. She wouldn’t even be able to get close enough to do anything.”

  “I don’t know. Ever since you saved the princess, Marin has been angry about something. She blames the royal family.”

  “But you don’t know why she’s angry? What does she blame the royal family for?”

  “If I knew, I would’ve told you. The fact is, I have no idea. There are quite a few people in the city who don’t care for the royal family, Sam. You know that as well as I do. When you grow up in Caster, you see plenty of people whose lives would’ve been better had they not been lowborn.”

  Sam rocked back on her heels, wishing she could deny what Tray said, but she couldn’t. He spoke the truth, and before she had known what she was, she had no real affinity for the royal family. The only reason she’d agreed to help the princess was because she’d hoped it would somehow help her get Tray out of prison, otherwise she would have left her to waste away.

  “Come with me. We’re going to see what Marin is up to.”

  “I’m not going to do anything that harms her,” Tray said.

  “I haven’t asked you to.”

  “I want you to be prepared. If it comes to it, I’m not going to hurt her. She’s been kind to me.”

  “Even after what might have happened?” Sam said.

  “I have only your word for it. It might not even be true.”

  “It is true. I learned it from”—Tray watched her, a strange expression on his face. How could she tell him what needed to be said?—“my mother. She’s still alive. And she’s like me—a Kaver.”

  Tray stared, dumbfounded. “Your mother? A Kaver?”

  They had no time for this right now. Sam needed answers. “Yes. I can tell you more later, but right now, I need you to take me to Marin.”

  “But what if she’s not telling you the truth? How can you trust her after she abandoned you?”

  She shook her head. She wouldn’t argue with Tray about this. It wouldn’t do any good if she did. Besides, she didn’t need him to harm Marin, she only needed to convince him to go with her so that she could find Marin and figure out what exactly the woman was after.

  “I won’t ask you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

  Tray watched her, the darkness behind his eyes difficult to read, before he finally nodded. “When are we going?”

  “As soon as you’ve recovered enough.”

  34

  Appeal to the Masters

  Alec reached the university with Beckah hurrying behind him. He barely paused at the bridge leading to that section of the city and hurried over. Neither of them had spoken in the race toward the university, but there would be time for that later. Alec needed to help Beckah understand what it meant that she had Scribe ability, but
first, he had to get some answers, and neither of them knew where those answers would come from.

  They needed to reach the masters. After that, they needed to get to Sam and Tray before they risked themselves by facing Marin near the palace.

  Why had he agreed to come without Sam?

  He shouldn’t have. With each step, he felt a growing certainty that she needed him now more than ever before, but he needed to come here, and they both needed answers, otherwise they would continue to flounder in the dark.

  “What if they won’t see us?” he asked Beckah.

  She shook her head. “They’ll see us.”

  “How can you be so certain?”

  “You don’t see yourself the same way they see you. They might not be interested in me, but you present a different appeal to them.”

  “There’s no appeal. I think the fact that my father is an apothecary angers them more than anything.”

  “I don’t think it so much that he is an apothecary that upsets them, but the fact that he chose a different path for himself than what they chose.”

  His father still had secrets, and there was more that he needed to learn from him, but much like understanding what had happened with Tray and Beckah, it had to wait. Right now, there were more important things, though his curiosity was getting the best of him. Alec wasn’t good at waiting. He wanted answers when he had questions.

  They entered the university building and raced up the stairs toward the masters’ quarters. He’d already decided that he was going to try to find Master Eckerd, or even Master Helen, since both of them seemed willing to acknowledge him. As they rounded a corner, they encountered the master he least wanted to see.

  Master Carl frowned at him, his deep jowls seeming to draw shadows into them. He stood with a slight lean to him, tipping forward, almost as if his enormous belly was threatening to drag him down.

  “You shouldn’t be in the masters’ section.”

  “We’re looking for Master Eckerd.” Beckah stepped around him, speaking in a more confident tone than what Alec would have managed. She never seemed quite as impressed by the masters as Alec did.

  “Wait until his next class. Students don’t get to come and summon the masters.”

  “It’s important,” she said.

  Carl grunted. “I have no doubt you perceive it as important, but whether it is important is a very different thing.” Master Carl started down the hall, using his bulk to drive them along. He had a tendency to use his size to bully others, and it worked on Alec.

  Alec tapped Beckah on the arm. “We should go.”

  Beckah glanced over at him. “No. We’re not letting him get away with this again.”

  Master Carl paused. “Just what do you believe I’ve been getting away with?”

  “You’ve had it out for Alec ever since you saw him in class,” she said. “You didn’t like him for some reason.”

  Master Carl’s lips peeled back into a grin. “Is that so? Do you think that I care what happens with one of the students? I care only that the university continues to meet its mission.”

  “You care only that the university makes money.”

  Master Carl wrapped his arms above his belly and laughed. “You say that as if it’s such a bad thing. Without the university acquiring appropriate funds, we would not have the same level of scholarship. You should be thankful that we do and that we allow you to study here.” He arched a brow at her. “Perhaps you most of all.”

  “You think insulting me because the masters chose not to include me will work?”

  “Beckah—” Alec said.

  “No. If you’ve taught me nothing else, it’s that we have something we can offer to others in the city, and we do nothing other than restrict access to it.”

  “Restrict access? Is that what you truly believe?” Master Carl looked from Beckah to Alec. A sneer spread across his face. “How many do you think we could help if we offered our services to everyone? How many do you think would come, seeking healing, unmindful of the fact that others might need it more? If we use the ability to pay as a filter, it allows us to serve that much more.”

  “Master Carl, we mean no disrespect,” Alec began.

  “You absolutely mean disrespect. Much like your father meant disrespect. You think we don’t know what he does? Do you think we don’t know that he sells services in such a way that he bastardizes what he was taught?”

  “My father has done nothing other than offer healing services. He’s never charged anything for those services, other than what people were able to pay.”

  Master Carl laughed a dark laugh. “Never charged? Your father never charged because he didn’t need the money. He had another source of income.”

  “My father doesn’t have any money.”

  “If he has no money, how do you think he has so many supplies? I seem to recall hearing about a fire in that section of the city. How can a man with no funds manage to rebuild so quickly?”

  “What are you saying about him?” Beckah asked.

  “You better be careful who you associate with, Ms. Reynolds. If you have any political aspirations, you might see them extinguished before they even have a chance to come to fruition.” Master Carl started toward them again and push them down the hall, pressing them with his size.

  They were forced backward. Beckah took his hand, and together they tried to resist. Alec looked over to her, desperate to find Master Eckerd—or even Master Helen—but they would have to get past Carl, and there just didn’t seem to be a way to do that.

  “Please, Master Carl. This really is important. I need to find Master Eckerd—”

  They had reached the top of the stairs that led down, and Master Carl did not relent in his effort to remove them. Alec took a step down but kept hoping the master would change his mind and be willing to at least listen, but he didn’t seem to care. And he clearly had something against Alec’s father. What did he mean about his father having money? Master Carl seemed more familiar with his father’s business than he should be. More questions for later.

  “Master Carl. What are these students doing in our quarters?”

  Alec breathed out a sigh of relief. It was Master Eckerd.

  Carl turned away from them, shielding them from Master Eckerd as he approached. “The students decided to violate the masters’ quarters.”

  “And after your room had already been broken into,” Master Eckerd said.

  Master Carl hesitated. “Indeed.”

  “Which students are you trying to force down the stairs using your considerable girth?”

  “It does not matter. You should return to your studies. I believe that you were quite concerned about the nature of the shortage of various healing compounds.”

  Alec had to say something now, or he risked not getting a chance. “Master Eckerd,” he began. “I came looking for your help.”

  Carl glanced over his shoulder, giving Alec a hard glare, but Alec ignored it.

  “Mr. Stross. It is awfully late for a visit.” Eckerd stood near Carl and looked over his shoulder. “And you brought Ms. Reynolds with you. The only person you’re missing is Mr. Jaffar.”

  Alec was glad they hadn’t involved Stefan and didn’t know whether he would even have been willing to come along with them. Maybe having him with them would have been helpful, especially if they were able to reach his grandma Helen. But with Master Eckerd’s fortuitous arrival, they now simply had to get past Master Carl.

  “I have a question that needs an answer,” Alec said.

  Carl shot him a look. “I could have answered any question for you, Mr. Stross.”

  Alec ignored him. “This one has to do with a particular paper, and the skills required to use it.”

  Master Eckerd watched him for a moment and then nodded slowly. “Why don’t we discuss this in class tomorrow.”

  “That isn’t soon enough,” Alec said.

  “Mr. Stross, you are a talented student, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought you in
to the surgical suite. But you get ahead of yourself.” Eckerd looked at Carl. “I think you’re right to send them away. Some of the students really do think more of themselves than they should.”

  Carl grunted. “You only now see that? What have I been telling you about his father for the last two months?”

  “And what have I been telling you about judging the son by the father’s mistakes? I think if anyone would understand the importance of avoiding that, it would be you.”

  Carl frowned at him before shrugging. He turned back to Alec and motioned for them to head down the stairs.

  Alec looked over to Beckah, a helpless feeling coming over him. What choice did they have but to comply? He had thought that coming to the university and finding one of the masters would give them answers, but it seemed the masters had no interest in helping.

  Could Eckerd be no different than Master Carl? Could he be only interested in how much money the masters could make?

  Alec followed Beckah down the stairs, having no choice but to do so. They reached the bottom and the entryway leading out of the university, and Beckah glanced back at him, shaking her head. “We can still try to help them,” she said.

  “I don’t know if we will be enough,” Alec said.

  “You’re going to try, though, aren’t you?”

  “I have to. Sam needs me.”

  As the door closed behind them, Beckah pulled him away from the building. She breathed out in a sigh. “I used to think that you had an unusual connection to her. After experiencing the power that I did, I’m beginning to understand.”

  They reached the courtyard and hurried toward the palace section. “I was hopeful that Master Eckerd might be able to answer—”

  “Answer what?”

  Alec spun. Master Eckerd was walking toward them, having come out of the building from a doorway that Alec didn’t even realize was there.

  “I thought you said we thought more of ourselves than we should?”