Ash sat up straighter, his drink forgotten. “I didn’t. There was no rash. I gave him Uber berries.”
“No,” Rae said. “You must have given him leaches.”
“I didn’t! They told me he’d had a rash for ages so I put the leaches away. I guessed Uber berries, lucky it was right or we’d both be dead.”
Ash felt dread and confusion wash off of Rae and seep into his own chest.
“He was definitely poisoned by Lepodine. Uber berries wouldn’t have helped,” Rae said.
Ash swallowed, throat dry. “I gave him Uber berries and he got better.”
Rae bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder to where Sinder lay, covered in blankets. “Maybe he only got a small dose…”
“Yeah…” Sweat prickled Ash’s back. If Sinder had been given even a tiny drop of Lepodine he should have died without the leaches. So why was he still breathing when Ash had given him the wrong thing?
Rae cleared her throat. “Maybe the rash is just a coincidence.”
“Maybe.”
They sat in silence for a time. Ash tried to piece the mystery together but he was just too tired.
Rae scooped up one of the stones from the edge of the fireplace and held it in her palm. Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I wish this rock could stay warm,” she said. “We could take it with us and never feel cold again.”
Ash reached out and brushed his finger along the smooth stone. Heat warmed his fingertips. “Like the magician Sim took us to, Ferguson.”
Rae nodded and her hand clamped around the stone like a vice. “It’s not fair that they killed him.”
“I know.” Ash was too tired to remind her that he’d argued the same thing, had argued for revenge.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just tired.”
“Do you think—?”
Tup slumped down beside them.
“Thank Fel you managed to pull it off. I think Aldrick would have had both our heads otherwise.”
“Is Sinder okay?” Ash said.
“He’s going to be fine. His breathing is back to normal and he looks fine.”
“Good.”
“You should have seen him!” Tup said, turning to Rae. “I thought he was going to pass out.”
For the next hour, Tup spoke enough for all three of them while Ash and Rae sat lost in their own thoughts. Ash picked at a loose thread in his cushion and tried to fight the exhaustion sweeping every cell in his body.
In a rare moment of silence, Aldrick came over and clapped Ash on the shoulder.
“You did good, kid.”
Ash swallowed. “Uh, thank you.”
“But it’s just what you’re paid for remember. You’ll be compensated, but don’t think this means I owe you anything.”
“No, of course not.”
“Good. Enjoy your tea.” Aldrick stalked back toward the dais, tossing his dice from hand to hand as he went.
“That sounds like an invitation to leave,” Tup said. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.”
Ash and Rae mumbled goodbyes and stood. Ash’s tea had gone cold and he left it beside the fire for the urchins to clean up. He and Rae shuffled up the stairs.
A street away from the forge, Rae stumbled to a stop. “Holy swamp lizard.”
“What?” Ash pulled his knife. “What is it?”
Rae turned to face him, her skin pale in the moonlight, and opened her hand. The gray stone she’d taken from the fire sat on her palm, rough and speckled.
Ash let his shoulders relax and put the knife back in his belt. “You stole a rock. Don’t worry. I don’t think Aldrick will mind.”
“It’s not that,” Rae said.
“Then what?”
“Feel it.”
Ash reached out and touched the stone. Warmth encased his hand just as it had back at the Red Wave hideout. “It’s warm.”
“Yes,” Rae whispered.
“It was near the fire.”
Rae looked up at him, the whites of her eyes showing. “Yes. Hours ago.”
Ash swallowed, remembering his ice-cold tea. “That’s not the same rock.”
“It is. I’ve been holding it for hours and didn’t even notice because it’s so nice and warm.”
Ash’s heart clenched and he looked over his shoulder. “No way. You must have grabbed another one and not realized.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You mean…?” Ash’s mind raced.
“But I don’t know how…”
Ash placed his hand on the stone again and it burned hot as if it had just been taken from the fire. He drew his arm back and wiped it across his forehead which had sprung with sweat.
“We can’t jump to any conclusions. We don’t really know what’s happened,” he said.
“It would be better if we were back home.”
They hurried back to the forge and Ash’s exhaustion lay forgotten behind him as he and Rae sat, the stone held between them.
“How does it feel?” Ash said.
“The same.”
Neither of them could sleep for the rest of the night.
“You did magic,” Ash said.
“I can’t have.”
“What else could it be?”
Rae frowned. “But I don’t know how.”
“Maybe you did it accidentally. That must happen.”
They fell into silence for a time. Every few minutes, Ash reached out and stroked the rock, as if to make sure for himself that it was still hot. In the early hours of the morning, he touched the rock but something had changed.
“It’s colder.”
Rae cupped the rock in her hands and stared at it. “I can’t feel any difference…”
“It’s only slight,” Ash said. He made himself wait until he counted to a thousand before touching the stone again. “Definitely colder.”
“Oh no,” Rae said. “Do you think the magic has run out?”
Ash shrugged. “We don’t know anything about it. It can’t last forever, especially if you did it by accident.”
Their shoulders slumped and some of the excitement left their eyes. The rock was fast becoming an ordinary stone and they had no way to know how it had become magical in the first place.
“I suppose we should try to sleep,” Ash said. He tugged a blanket up over his shoulders. “I don’t think Aldrick will accept the excuse that we were up watching a rock all night.”
Rae sighed. “It still feels warm to me.”
Ash’s mind whirled and he couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting back to the rock that lay on the roof between them. It looked so normal.
When dawn’s first orange rays peaked over the houses, both Ash and Rae sat up. Black rings circled their eyes and all of Ash’s thoughts seemed to be wrapped in cotton wool, indistinct and untouchable.
“I should probably put this back in the fireplace,” Rae said, reaching for the rock. She gasped.
“What?” Ash said, dropping his blanket.
“It’s warm again.”
Ash fell to his knees at her side and laid his hand on the rock. The warmth chased away the morning chill from his fingers, as if he held them beside a roaring fire.
“I thought it had gone,” Rae said.
“So did I. But where is it getting the magic from?”
“Maybe the heat is coming from the fire,” Rae said.
Ash paused, turning the idea over in his mind. It was possible. “It’s using the heat from the fire there, to warm the stone here.”
Rae shrugged. “It makes sense. The heat has to come from somewhere.”
“But how did you attach it to the stone?”
“I have no idea,” Rae said. “Or I’d do it for every piece of clothing I own. Can you imagine having heated clothes? We’d never be cold again.”
“We could ask Ferguson.”
“You know we can’t,” Rae said. “He’d call the guards. Especially if he thought we were doing magic.”
“Maybe there are books on
magic or something that could tell us.”
“Trust me. Nowhere we’re going will have books like that. Not until we get to the Institute.”
“That leaves us in the same place as always,” Ash said. “We’ve got to get to the Institute.”
“And to do that we have to keep Aldrick happy. So come on, we have people to heal.” She tucked the rock deep into her jacket pocket.
As they got ready for the day, Ash noticed her hand kept drifting to it, cradling the stone inside her pocket, and her eyes took on a faraway look. A twinge of jealousy curdled Ash’s stomach. He’d wanted so much to have magical powers… now, even if he learned how, Rae would have got there first.
He pushed the thoughts aside; until they knew exactly what was going on, there was no point worrying about it. But try as he might, his eyes kept drifting to Rae’s pocket and the hidden stone within.
30
Ash gripped the stone in his hand, his knuckles white, and glared at it with all the force he could muster. Stars flashed at the edge of his vision and blood pounded in his temples but he continued to stare, willing heat into the rock, even the tiniest spark of warmth. All of his senses focused on the stone, blocking out the crackling fire in front of him and the boisterous sounds of people, even Rae, sitting beside him, faded into blackness until only the rock remained. He studied it until he’d memorized every scratch, every spot of color, and he willed it to heat up.
His head spun and he tilted forward, teetered on the edge of his chair. He gasped and sat up, blinking at the bright light of the fire and the sudden noise surrounding him. The rock in his hand hadn’t changed, if anything it felt colder.
He tossed the rock to the floor where it rolled to join the others around the fire.
“How did you do it?” he asked between gritted teeth.
Rae shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“It’s useless. Why isn’t it working for me?”
Rae bit her lip and looked around at their fellow gang members. No one seemed to be paying them any attention. “I don’t know. But once we get to the Institute I’m sure they’ll tell us more than we could possibly need.”
“That won’t keep us warm now,” Ash said. He held his chin in his hand and glared at the dancing flames.
“Here, hold this one for a bit. Maybe it’ll help trigger you or something.” Rae handed him her warm stone and he tucked it into his pocket.
“Thanks.”
“It’s getting late,” Rae said. “Let’s head home. Look on the bright side; with the forge beneath us we don’t need heating stones to keep warm.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
They trudged out into the night. People sung in the distance and wind rattled loose shutters.
Ash did his best not to dwell on Rae’s stone. It wasn’t her fault, and she was right; they’d learn the secret of magic at the Institute. They nearly had enough to make the journey and Ash couldn’t wait to leave Falconwall far behind.
Ash reached for the roof above the forge, stretching his arms high above his head. His fingertips brushed the edge—
Something solid slammed into his stomach and knocked him back onto hard cobblestones. Breath exploded from his lungs, leaving him winded, and his head smacked against the hard road. Stars danced across his eyes.
“Wha—?”
Rae screamed. A black shadow stood behind her, its hand wrapped over her mouth. She kicked but another broad arm wrapped around her middle and lifted her off the ground.
Ash scrambled to get up, to help, when another shadow loomed above him and kicked him in the ribs. Pain flashed through his chest and he curled into a ball, gasping for breath even though each one sent new pain through his body. Rough hands hauled him to his feet and a foul-smelling rag pressed against his face, filling his mouth. He tried to spit it out, to call for help, but the shadow behind him pulled the rag tighter so that it cut into Ash’s lips.
Someone snatched Ash’s arms and yanked them behind his back, pulling the tendons in his shoulders. He winced and twisted to ease the tension but the person behind shoved him forward. He stumbled on the uneven road, held upright only by the rough hands gripping his arms.
“I’d keep walking if I were you,” the man behind him said. The scent of cheap beer wafted over Ash’s shoulder and joined the moldy smell of the rag.
Ash swallowed, forcing bile back down his throat, and stumbled forward after the disappearing shadow of Rae and her attacker. They were marched through the maze of Falconwall’s slums, twisting and turning into ever smaller and darker alleys until they reached a wooden, cellar door set into the floor below a dilapidated building. A third man waited at the door and swung it open as Rae and Ash approached.
The man carrying Rae hurled her down into the gaping darkness and Ash tumbled after her. He landed with a solid thud that jarred his twisted shoulder. He squirmed upright and rushed for the ladder that led back out onto the street but a filthy boot kicked him away.
Their attackers climbed down the short ladder to join Ash and Rae, knives glinting in the light of a dull lamp.
The door above them thudded closed and cut off the dull noise of the city outside.
Ash and Rae stepped back until their spines pressed against the cold wood of the opposite wall.
Rae ripped down her gag. “Who are you and what do you want?”
The two men stepped forward into the lamplight.
Rae gasped and Ash’s stomach clenched. Nate and Rusty. Nate leered at them and waved his knife back and forth in front of their faces. “Hello.”
Ash finally managed to free his hands and pulled the rotten rag from his mouth. He spat onto the ground at his side, but the foul taste remained coated on his tongue.
“What are you doing?” Rae said.
Nate shrugged. “Did you really think no one would notice what you two freaks are? Rusty and I are going to make quite a bit from selling you to the City Watch. Just you see.”
Ash’s legs trembled. “You’re supposed to be part of the Red Wave, an ally.”
Nate flicked the knife and rolled his eyes. “All alliances have a limit. That midget, Aldrick, should never have accepted your type. He brought this upon himself. Not that he’ll know of course.”
Rusty’s wide eyes stayed locked on them and he made the sign of Fel over his chest. He stayed a step behind Nate, closer to the ladder.
“Twins,” Nate said.
Rusty flinched and made another sign over his chest.
Rae opened her mouth.
“Enough!” Nate said. “I didn’t come down here to chat. You two stay here and keep quiet. You’re worth more to me alive but that won’t stop me killing you if you cause too much trouble. Rusty will be waiting just outside, so don’t try anything cute. And shut up.”
Rusty hurried for the ladder and scampered up, casting glances over his shoulder at Ash and Rae.
Nate followed behind. They tapped on the door and it swung open, letting in a brief breath of fresh air until it slammed closed again, leaving Ash and Rae alone in the dank darkness. Muffled voices sounded above and then crunching footsteps, followed by silence.
Ash let out a breath. “What the hell just happened?”
“Nate and Rusty turned traitor. That’s what happened.”
Ash kicked the dirt at his feet, sending up a spray that skittered across the floor.
“That lamp won’t last forever,” Rae said. “We’ve got to find a way out.”
Ash shook away his rage, Rae was right. He grabbed the lamp and held it high above his head, revealing a pile of rags and a broken box with rusty nails sticking out of it. They did a slow sweep of the room, examining all the walls and every inch of floor and ceiling. Rough, splinter-filled wood surrounded them on all sides with no hint of hidden doors.
They slumped to the ground against the wall farthest from the door.
Small rocks dug into Ash’s back and legs and a deep chill seeped in from the outside. He shivered.
“He
re.” Rae held out her heated stone.
Ash bit his lip and wrapped his hand over hers. Warmth spread up his arm, and into his chest, easing the shivering. “What were you saying about not needing to keep warm?” he said with a wry smile.
Rae rolled her eyes and the corner of her mouth quirked. They sat in silence. Warmth surrounded them as if they held a roaring fire in their hands.
“How long do you think we have?” Rae said.
“Not long. They won’t want to keep us any longer than they have to. They’re probably talking to the Watch right now.”
“The Watch will tell the Faceless Monks,” Rae whispered.
Ash nodded.
“So we’ve got to get out. And soon.”
Ash agreed but he couldn’t see any way of doing it. Short of a miracle they were trapped like sheep in a slaughterhouse. He bit his lip. “You could try… setting the door on fire or something.”
Rae lifted an eyebrow and turned to him.
He shrugged. “You managed to accidentally make a stone that never goes cold. Why not burn a door?”
“Because I have no idea what I did.”
“It couldn’t do any harm.”
Rae sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them she stared at the door, her eyes like hard flint.
Ash tucked the hot stone into his pocket and pushed his will and energy to join Rae, to help her with whatever she was doing. He could feel her focus, sense her attention like a physical force pushing against the door and hope fluttered in his chest. But despite the force of their combined focus, nothing happened.
Rae slouched back with a sigh and gripped her head. “I can’t do it. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to think about.”
“It’s okay; it’s not your fault.”
They had to think of something; time slipped away from them like water in the swamp, never to be seen again.
31
Ash picked at a loose strand of fiber that hung from his torn shirt and sighed. “After avoiding the Faceless Monks for so long… we end up getting trapped in a basement by some traitorous knuckleheads.”
Rae nodded. She sat on the ground with her knees tucked up to her chest. “I doubt Talon is going to help us out of this one.”
Shadow of a Slave (The Blood Mage Chronicles Book 1) Page 16