by B. T. Narro
This seemed unlikely, especially after Aliana’s own mother had testified about what kind of man Luther really was. It was probably greed, the only explanation for the despicable actions of a man who already had everything an average man might dream about.
The king walked over to the girls’ side of the table and gestured for us boys to come to him. We picked up our plates and walked over.
I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but this brush with death seemed to dig out my heart from wherever I’d buried it. I sat beside Kataleya and was completely smitten when she put her hand on my arm, looked right into my eyes, and asked me in a caring voice, “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “You?”
She took back her hand. “Yeah, thanks to your healing.”
I had healed all of the sorcerers. Most only had cuts and welts that would soon be bruises, but Kataleya had a badly twisted ankle that needed some hefty spellcasting.
I was just now realizing how dramatic things had become while I was healing, when Josef had been bothering the king about receiving extra payment. It had happened in the courtyard some distance away from me, but I had seen it all unfold. I was reminded of it as I looked around the table to see that Remi was absent.
“I deserve double what you have given me,” Josef had argued. “My life was in danger.”
“Everyone’s life was in danger,” the king had replied. “That was the reason all of you were already paid fairly.”
“Fairly?”
“Yes, fairly. Now I will not speak with you about this any—”
Remi had come up on Joseph’s side and punched him square in his temple.
“Oof.” The fire mage had stumbled away, then shot a look over his shoulder. “What the hell are you doing here?” he’d asked Remi.
“I live here!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am one of the king’s sorcerers.”
Josef had glanced at the king, who’d nodded.
“I demand she be punished for striking me,” Josef had said. “Show that you are a fair king after all and do not offer leniency to your sorcerers when they break the law.”
“First, I’ll hear her reason for striking you…unless you want to tell us what you think it might be?”
Josef had appeared nervous at first, then angry. “I will be the better man and take my leave.”
“In no circumstance have you ever been the better man,” Remi had said. “Sire, he deserves to be thrown out of your city. He charges too much for his service, and he is a weak fire mage who takes advantage of people.” She’d glared at him. “In more ways than one.”
“You are lying,” Josef had grumbled.
“Sire, I think you know I am speaking the truth. Newhaven would be better off without him.”
As I recalled how the event had unfolded, I was starting to believe that Josef had done a lot worse to Remi than coerce her into a perverse trade.
The king soon banished him from Newhaven, following Remi’s advice. Josef had stuck around for a little while, arguing that with Pearson outed as a dark mage there was no other fire mage in the city. His services were needed now more than ever. People needed fire, he’d claimed.
I think I had begun healing someone else toward the end of this, as there were many hurting and I could not allow myself a long break. But I vaguely remember Remi saying something about how she would provide a fair service to anyone who required it, as soon as she was done dealing with the larger threat.
Josef had bickered with her, claiming she could barely light a lamp. I do remember very clearly what had happened after. She had produced an enormous fireball that she’d skillfully moved near him, taking my focus away from closing a gash down a guard’s arm. I had never seen Remi create such a large fireball. Even Josef seemed shocked as he fell backward and crawled away while covering his face.
“Get out!” Remi had screamed. “Don’t show yourself here again or I’ll do a lot worse.”
“You heard her,” the king had agreed.
“At least give me a week!” Josef had pleaded. “I need to get my affairs in order before I leave.”
“You will leave before sunset,” the king had said. Then Remi let her fireball disintegrate.
I now recalled her asking the king if she could have supper alone in her room. After he’d agreed, she’d walked off to the apartments. I figured I wasn’t going to see her again tonight.
I felt like I had a pretty good idea what Josef had done to her. Remi had not always been the powerful sorcerer she was now. She was a small girl, without much means of protecting herself. I imagined Josef took advantage of her in the same way the young man Remi had been forced to marry had taken advantage of her.
I pitied the girl. It was getting harder to believe she could be the one working against us.
Now, we waited for the king to speak, all of us quietly finishing up our supper with quick looks at his majesty. Nykal wasn’t usually at a loss for words, but he started a couple sentences in different ways.
“You all….” He paused. “Today….” He paused again.
“Sire?” Reuben asked. “Is it possible that one of the castle staff could’ve planted the callring in Kataleya’s room?”
“No. Most of the servants have been loyal to my family for generations. They keep close contact with each other. All instances of suspicious behavior has been reported and investigated. That should sound familiar.”
Yes, we had been doing the same. I honestly didn’t see how any of us could be organizing with our enemies when we all kept our eyes on each other and no one was permitted to leave the castle on their own anymore.
“Well it seems to me,” Reuben continued, “that Cason knew Leon would be taking most of us out of the castle. They had time to prepare smoke enchantments and ready their archers around the castle where we couldn’t see them preparing to strike. They were probably waiting for a signal.”
“That could be true,” said the king, “but it could also be that they saw Byron remove Aliana’s mother from the place where she’d been kept. They knew we would come for Luther after that. And don’t forget that Pearson was among the men brought in to defend the castle. He might’ve been the one to send a signal of some kind.”
Leon was not present with us in the dining hall. He was most likely resting after losing too much blood. Jennava stood nearby, though.
“Pearson didn’t speak with anyone on our way to the castle,” she informed the king. “I don’t think he could’ve signaled.”
“Did you check his fingers?”
“He had many rings, but Barrett confirmed that none contained enchantments.”
The councilman nodded. He was another older adult standing around the table of mostly teens. It was an odd feeling, almost as if we were being protected, though the opposite was closer to the truth. It was up to us to defend the rest of them.
It was the first time I had felt young since coming here.
I asked, “Couldn’t Pearson have put the callring in Kataleya’s room? If he found his way into the keep through a window, he probably could’ve found his way into the apartments.”
“He broke a window today in order to get into the keep. Just like the windows in the apartments, they do not open from the outside. Someone would’ve had to let him in if he did not break it.”
The king took a long glance at us, holding his gaze on one of us at a time.
“Another mystery surrounds Pearson,” Nykal said when he was done. “I ask you, Barrett. How could a fire mage like Pearson train with dteria long enough to become more powerful than Cason without anyone finding out? I’m sure there are hundreds of people in Newhaven who have hired Pearson throughout the years. We’ve received more false reports of dteria than real ones, but not one false report about Pearson that I recall. Is this correct?”
“It is correct, your majesty. I don’t know how this could be possible, but it seems to be the case.”
The princess and queen
were absent from this meal, most likely eating in their own quarters like Remi. I hoped they were all right after everything that had happened, especially Callie. I was certain it was her scream that I’d heard from high in the keep before Pearson had emerged with the king’s chest.
“There’s something else at play here,” the king said.
“Are you implying what I think?” Barrett asked.
What was the king implying? The hearty supper hadn’t helped me recover as much as I’d hoped it would, my mind a jumble.
I was still sometimes gripped by sudden panic, remembering the voices of my peers calling out for me to heal someone quickly. I kept hearing them from the courtyard. Internal alarm bells drew my attention away. My mind thought there still might be injured lying out there, waiting for me to save them, someone we missed among the many dead bodies.
The king did not answer Barrett, though it looked like he wanted to.
I thought next about the bloodstain Calvin’s head had left on the wall of the keep.
There hadn’t even been many dark mages who’d gotten over the castle walls. The guards had pieced together that there were probably about six in the courtyard, including Cason and Pearson, and only two had been killed. Most of the men the king had paid to defend the castle hadn’t even seen an enemy until after the smoke cleared.
“No matter what the explanation is for Pearson’s powerful sorcery,” the king said, “he cannot get the gold to Rohaer on horse and carriage because the only road to Rohaer is snowed in. If Byron’s team does not find Pearson and recover what he stole, Pearson will likely divide the kingdom’s riches to the dark mages he trusts the most. They will help him carry these riches through the forest. It is a long trip to Rohaer, but the forest is vast. I do not expect them to be caught, though I’m doing everything I can to increase the odds.
“I want all of you to know, if these riches are not retrieved, I will have to impose a crisis tax. I no longer believe my taxmen will be walking into an ambush, as it has become clear that the enemies of this kingdom were primarily interested in coin which they have now obtained. We have expected them to retreat to Rohaer for quite some time, and I have no doubt that this is what they will do next.”
“I’m sure my family will do everything we can to help,” Kataleya said.
The king gave her a small smile. “I appreciate all the support from the Yorns. I always have. I hope you understand I was only doing what I had to when you came under suspicion.”
“I do, sire. It was difficult for a time, but I always understood. Does this mean I will be given the same freedoms as the others now?”
“Unfortunately, it means the opposite. Everyone is to be monitored as you have been. I believe there’s still a traitor within this castle, and they are now more dangerous than ever. If they were done with their plans, they would’ve left during the chaos. There is still something they wish to accomplish.”
“Sire, I hope you will not think this disrespectful,” Kataleya said, “but it seems to me that it should be quite clear that my family has only helped you. Luther is the one who has been working against you.”
Aliana looked down at her empty plate, her cheeks red.
“Yes, it does seem to be the case, but no one will be given the same freedom as before until after I am completely sure. It shouldn’t be much longer now. No one is to leave the castle without permission. If you’re seen doing so, it will be an admission of guilt. All of you keep an eye on each other and report any suspicious behavior. You will all be locked in your rooms during the night.”
I didn’t much like that idea. I never left my room during the night, but what if one of my peers was attacked? It didn’t seem wise.
“Sire,” I said. “I would like the freedom to leave my room during the night in case my assistance might be needed during an emergency. I don’t believe the rest of my peers would take offense to it.”
I seemed to be right, as no one argued against the idea.
The king curled his lips inward and had a breath. “All right, the lock on your door will not be altered.”
It was comforting to know I had earned everyone’s trust, including the king’s. I hoped soon they could feel the same comfort I did.
“That is all for now,” the king said.
“Sire?” I said as he was turning to leave our table. When he stopped and turned around, I asked, “Will there be a memorial for those who’ve perished during this battle?”
“There will,” he answered swiftly. “The friends and family of the deceased are being notified as we speak. The memorial will be tomorrow. Unfortunately, no one here will be able to attend the ceremony because it will be outside Newhaven, where the bodies are to be buried, and I need all of you defending the castle, my family, and keeping an eye on each other until we find Pearson or discover he’s gone to Rohaer.”
It hurt to be excluded from Calvin’s funeral, but I did understand that the king needed me here along with the others. If all of us had been in the castle during the attack, we probably would’ve been able to stop Pearson from escaping with the gold.
Then again, maybe not. There seemed to be no limitation to his magical or physical strength. Why hadn’t he taken off into the air as soon as he’d stolen the chest from the keep? Perhaps it was so he could aid Cason and the others in escaping.
“Is Cason being questioned?” I asked the king before he left.
“He won’t say anything for a while, Jon. He needs some time in solitude to see what his life will be like if he doesn’t cooperate with us.”
“May I try speaking with him, though?”
The king appeared concerned. “For what purpose?”
“I feel that he’s targeted me since I came here. Perhaps I could at least get him to explain why.”
“He could kill you with dteria by throwing you against the wall.”
I held back a shudder as I visualized it happening to Calvin.
“Then send an archer with me.” I knew all of the king’s archers had gone after Pearson, but there was still one left. “Aliana, would you mind?”
She looked up at me. I wasn’t sure she’d heard any of it at first, but then she answered, “I’d be happy to go.”
“I still wouldn’t feel comfortable,” Nykal said. “I would at least ask that a fire mage go with you too, but Leon and Remi are both indisposed. Tomorrow, Jon. I will have someone collect you, Aliana, and Remi tomorrow.”
“I would like a word with my father then as well,” Aliana said.
“Luther is being questioned right now. I can’t guarantee a meeting between you and him until after my interrogator is done. It could be a few days, if Luther remains difficult.”
“Did you know, sire?”
“Excuse me?”
It sounded as if Aliana was holding back emotion as she spoke again. “Did you know he was my father?”
“All I knew was what was on your identification papers and what you told us during your interview. Your father was unlisted. You didn’t know who he was. We assumed he might be someone powerful, and I will admit that we thought he might come forward and assist us when you gained prestige, but I did not base my decision to accept you into this castle on this notion. You were not treated any differently. We made a choice, Aliana. We could have investigated your family and pressured your mother to speak up, but we chose not to.”
His voice gained volume as he continued. “I have governed this nation through respect and trust, but my enemies have taken advantage of that benevolence. I have attempted to correct my mistrust of Newhaven’s people, and it is because of these changes to my administration that we have fared well against men like Cason and Pearson.”
I was a little surprised to hear him say we had fared well.
But then I had to correct my surprise. It was easy to forget that we had foiled all of Cason’s plans except the most recent one, and even then we’d managed to capture Cason. The king had lost his gold, but I supposed we had fared well considering h
ow outmatched we’ve been.
“However,” the king continued. “I understand all of you have concerns and personal interests invested in this now. Aliana, you wish to speak to your father. Kataleya, you want redemption for the accusation against your family. Jon, you want to be given trust and opportunity. All of you have goals, wishes, and desires. I’m sure they are all valid, but I don’t have the energy to discuss your personal interests any longer tonight. If there is a matter you wish to bring up, do so with Barrett.
“Jon, you will visit Cason tomorrow with Aliana and Remi, but training is to resume for everyone, and all of you—but Jon—are to be locked in during the night. We should be coming to the end of this struggle against Cason and Pearson very soon, which should buy us a lot of time to prepare for Rohaer. I’ve heard from Leon that everyone has shown great improvement, but you must keep it up now. Train hard and continue to follow my orders obediently, and we will get through this.”
He walked out of the dining hall the moment he was done, I assumed to check on his family. I wished I could say that his speech had moved us, but it was a quiet table he had left behind, most of us staring down at our near-empty plates.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
It took until after everyone finished eating for me to notice the blood on my shirt. There was no way to know if it belonged to some of the few sorcerers I had fought against or some of the many allies I had healed. I needed a bath, again. I was starting to get used to needing a second one daily. I just wished I had more energy to enjoy it.
I tried not to fall asleep in the bath, but it was hard with the room so quiet and the water so warm. The castle workers were the unsung heroes in my life. I’m sure one of them had noticed that I tended to take a bath before bed these days, as there was always a single tub with hot water when I entered the boys’ bathing quarters. One of these castle workers had even gotten the blood off my other set of clothes and sewed them up after I had left them outside my room.