by Krista Walsh
“You killed her, you son of a bitch! She’s gone because of you!” Venn cursed and threw herself against the bars, the lock rattling with her effort. Jeff backed up against the wall, his heartbeat in his ears, as she raged out against him.
Two guards hurried out of the room next door, weapons raised, and Jeff lifted a hand to stop them. Brady appeared in the stairway.
“Is everything all right? I heard—”
“It’s fine,” said Jeff. “Let her wear herself out.”
“You shouldn’t be down here, sir,” said the guard from before as she eyed the prisoner. “She’s not safe, that one.”
“Safe enough behind those bars,” Jeff argued. He approached the cell one step at a time, Venn backing away in time with him. He turned to Brady. “Can you give us a minute?”
Brady’s grey eyes stared at him, full of concern.
“Not like she can do anything, locked away in there. I just need to talk to her.”
The scholar hesitated another brief moment and then nodded. “We’ll wait in the guardroom.”
He led the two guards back through the door, and soon Jeff was alone with her again.
Venn pulled her shoulders back, hands balled into fists at her sides. She didn’t speak and Jeff made himself comfortable on the floor, leaning against the wall. He knew his story would stretch past the comfort of the stool.
“You want to know the truth of how Siobhan died?” he asked.
Venn’s hands clenched and unclenched, and Jeff saw how hard she was trying to keep control of her emotions. “I know how she died, you piece of gutter-shit. You shot her through the chest to escape your imprisonment because you weren’t man enough to wait it out.”
Jeff blinked. “Well, that’s an interesting interpretation of events. Where did you hear that?”
She raised a shoulder. “Word spreads.”
“Because, of course, rumour is the most reliable form of newscasting.”
“Fuck you.”
“Fuck you!” Not his wittiest repartée, but she pushed his buttons. “How about I tell you what really happened before you condemn me, and try to murder me over a bit of gossip.”
She didn’t say anything to that, but Jeff could hear her teeth grind together, in time with his own. He rubbed his thumb against the back of his hand to keep them busy so he didn’t go over to those bars and wring her bird-like neck.
“She caught me trying to break the barrier around Raul’s fortress and threw me in a cell a lot less nice than the one you’re in right now,” he started, determined to focus only on the words and not the memories they provoked. “She got off on coming to me with bad news about how my friends were under siege from Raul’s pets. How the fields and houses were burned, how Raul brought down Cordelay with a single attack.”
“You’re not convincing me of anything so far,” Venn mumbled.
“I’m telling you the way it is,” said Jeff. “Your sister was a bitch.” He stopped and took a breath, pulling up his knees and resting his elbows on them, focusing on his hands dangling between. “At first. The other guards did their best to drive me over the edge of insanity. They left me in the dark for two full weeks. My only company was the bugs and rats that crawled over me while I didn’t sleep. They fed me rotten food that, to this day, I can still feel crawling around in my guts.”
“Now you’re trying to make me feel sorry for you? Your story is weak and pathetic.”
Jeff felt his lips twitch into a smile. “Don’t I know it. But words were all I had. So I used them. Peppered the guards with questions. And each time I did, your sister would come, and eventually our conversation moved away from Raul’s schemes. We covered a lot of subjects there in the dark, but the story that stood out was the reason she joined up with Raul in the first place. The reason she left home.”
Venn hissed through her teeth. “She wouldn’t.”
“She did. She told me about the man her parents forced her to marry. Told me what he did to her. Told me what she did to him.” He raised his eyes and met hers. “She told me what you did for her.”
The fury and hate behind those pretty blue eyes wavered, and then grew stronger. Her whole body shivered with the heat of it.
“You know nothing. I don’t care what she told you, you have no idea.”
“And it doesn’t matter. But you were the one person she cared enough for to worry about. Did you know Brindley was next on Raul’s extermination list?”
He expected Venn to be stunned, shocked, but her glower didn’t fade. “So? That place is a heap of shit. It’s too bad he didn’t roast it.”
Jeff, thrown by her reaction, stumbled over his words. “But—weren’t you there?”
Again she fell quiet.
He decided not to push the matter and paused to gather his thoughts. “Siobhan helped me escape because she wanted to protect you. She wanted to get me home so that I could stop Raul in my own way. Get him to leave Brindley alone so that you would be safe.”
“Lies,” she said, but the fire of her conviction had ebbed.
“Not. We went up to the tower to break the barrier spell around the fortress. She was Raul’s second in command, and very proud to hold that title, but you were more important to her even than that. We were still in that room when the guard came in. He’s the one that shot her. He didn’t have to. He didn’t even do it because of her betrayal. He did it to get her place by Raul’s side.”
Tears Jeff didn’t think she realised had fallen streaked through the grime on Venn’s cheeks. He ran his hand over his throat, passed his fingertips over the seam of the cut, and lowered his voice as he said, “The last act your sister did was to push me out of the tower. Whether she figured it would kill me, I don’t know, but she did whatever it took to make sure Raul didn’t get his hands on me again. Not for me. It had nothing to do with me. Everything she did was for you.”
As if she picked up on the sympathy he let come into his words, Venn spun around on her butt so her back was to him. She drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them, hunching forward.
Jeff’s story finished, he rose to his feet.
“No doubt you have your own story to tell, and when you’re ready to tell it I want to hear it.”
He called out to Brady, and he and the guards came back out. Jeff searched the scholar’s eyes to see if he’d been listening, but Brady’s expression was clear.
“Make sure she’s given enough to eat,” he said to the guards. “And decent food, not scraps.”
“Who do you think you are, giving orders?” the same guard asked with a sneer. The other guard didn’t appear as ready to question Jeff’s position, his gaze glued to his partner in horror
Jeff faced the first guard fully, filled with an unusual degree of assertiveness. “I created you. Cross me, and when I get home I will—” he faltered, his mind going blank. Desperate to finish his thought, he said, “write you out of the story. Ask the scholar, here, if you doubt me. Got it?”
The guard nodded, and Jeff backed down. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Venn listening with curiosity. Not wanting to provoke her again, he ignored her, marching back up the stairs with Brady at his heels.
“That was interesting,” the scholar said as they reached the top. “What made you try and talk to her?”
“Because I know why she tried to kill me. You know the guard who helped me escape from Raul’s prison?”
“The one who died?”
Jeff nodded and jerked his head back down the stairs. “That’s her younger sister.”
Brady’s brow knitted together, and he rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip. “Was she there when it happened?”
“No, she was supposed to be in Brindley.”
“Then why does she think you killed her? How does she know you were involved at all?”
“Someone’s spreading rumours,” said Jeff.
“Someone looking to cause trouble?” Brady asked. He passed a hand over his face and smoothed his creased br
ow. They started walking up the stairs towards Brady’s rooms. “Questions for tomorrow, after we’ve had time to think it over. Three hundred scouts rode out tonight down every possible road. Jayden was hoping the girl could narrow it down, but I guess that’s not likely. Still, it might be worth questioning her again. If she’s been on the road gathering rumours, she could know something.”
“And me?”
“Maybe best you’re not there. She’s not exactly soothed by your presence.”
Jeff resigned himself to the truth. “You’ll keep me updated?”
“Of course. If you’re still here.”
“What do you mean?”
Brady paused outside his door, hand on the doorknob. “I expected you and Cassie to see Maggie tomorrow. Look at going home.”
Jeff opened his mouth to contradict him, and then closed it again. Brady was right. He’d wanted to solve the mystery of the assassination attempt and he had. Nothing left for him here.
“I guess that’s true,” he said. “Go back to figuring out my own problems, minus someone who wants me dead.”
“Won’t that be a nice change,” Brady replied with a smile. He opened the door and stepped inside. “It was nice to see you again.”
“You, too,” said Jeff, meaning it.
The scholar shut himself in and Jeff returned to his room. He fell back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. His mind churned with questions, decisions, going back and forth and up and down and around in circles until the room spun, and he had to get up again.
Grabbing a cloth from the dresser, he dipped it into the white and blue basin beside it, holding the coolness against the back of his neck.
No matter how hard he tried to force his conclusions in the opposite direction, Brady’s comment had slammed home one very clear, very unchangeable fact: once again, Jeff had entangled himself in the problems of another world, and created others. He couldn’t leave things the way they were for his friends to sort out. As much as he hated it, he would stay here and see it all through. Again.
“Shit.”
Chapter Thirteen
Jeff awoke to a knock at the door. As had become the norm in his life, sweat had pooled in the small of his back and he couldn’t catch his breath. Startled out of his nightmare, he had no idea what it was about, but he felt like he’d managed all of thirty seconds of sleep and would have handed over his next book advance for an extra few hours. He threw back the comforter and lifted himself off the sofa, shuffling towards the door.
Once he opened it, he forgot all about being tired or depressed when he found Cassie on the other side.
“Hi,” he said, unable to come up with anything better.
“Morning.” She seemed embarrassed to be there, scuffing her toe between the lines of the stone, her gaze focused past his ear. “I thought I’d come and check on you, see how you were doing. Your neck, being back here, everything.”
“Wow. Thanks. Yeah.” Suave, Jeff. Suave. He stepped aside and held the door for her to come in.
She glanced towards the blanket strewn over the sofa. “Rough night?”
“Not really.” She raised an eyebrow at the obvious lie, and he cleared his throat. “Just a lot on my mind.”
“I bet. It’s not every day someone tries to kill you.”
“Not even in my life,” he joked.
The conversation lapsed, awkwardness and tension pressing in on both of them, making it impossible for Jeff to think of anything to say. So many words needed to be said, so few of them he knew what to do with.
“Jeff-” she started, and the same time he tried, “Look, I—”
They smiled.
“Can I just—” he began, while she said, “I want—”
They laughed, clearing the air ever so slightly. He gestured for her for continue.
“I wanted to explain. About the other night.”
“There’s no need. Really. I understand why you’re upset, and you have every right to be. I know I fucked up by keeping my issues to myself, but I’m still trying to make sense of everything, and I really don’t want to drag you into my garbage.”
“I know,” said Cassie. She moved closer to him, stretched out her fingers out as if to reach for his hand, but let them drop back again. “I know that’s what you think, but maybe there’s some way I could help you.” A tentative grin crossed her lips. “You know you’re not the best at figuring these things out for yourself.”
“Truer words,” he said, smiling back.
She tilted her head up towards him. “Maybe we could talk things out. Find some kind of resolution.”
Jeff’s mouth went dry. He wanted to jump at the opportunity, but the concern lingered that she had been right—that maybe he couldn’t get over his resentment. Could he take the chance and risk hurting her?
Cassie must have noticed his hesitation, because this time she did take his hand in hers. “But,” she said, dipping her head to catch his eye, “I won’t push you. I just wanted you to know that, if you think it’s a possibility, I’m willing to find a solution.”
Jasmine saved him from having to come up with a reply, knocking on the door and stepping into the room. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Cassie turned with a bright smile. “You weren’t,” she said. “We never got a chance to catch up last night. You look good.”
“As do you. Keeping up the ... Aikido?”
“Twice a week,” Cassie said with a nod, jokingly exposing her well-toned bicep under her t-shirt. “I think it’s going even better now that I’ve had some real experience. Future kidnappers won’t stand a chance.”
“I doubt they ever did,” Jasmine said with a grin.
Jeff rolled his eyes at the two of them. He had to confess that, separate, each woman intimidated him. Together, they were an indomitable force.
“Looks like you’ve managed to keep this one in check at least.” Jasmine jerked her chin towards Jeff. “I know what a challenge he can be.”
“I’ve done my best,” said Cassie, keeping her voice happy and upbeat, in a way Jeff didn’t know if he could have managed. “He doesn’t make it easy. Anyway, I’ll leave you two to chat. We’ll catch up later.”
“Sure,” said Jasmine, her eyebrows raised in surprised at Cassie’s hasty exit. She looked from Jeff back to Cassie as the other woman left the room.
Jeff returned to the sofa and collapsed down onto it, burying his face in his hands.
“Girl trouble?” Jasmine said, sitting beside him.
“Mmhmm.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Jeff’s hands fell from his face. “Do I look like the type of person to talk about feelings?”
Jasmine smiled. “You look like a person who needs to. Don’t be such a man. Come on, haven’t you poked and prodded enough into my love life? It’s your turn.”
“I need food.”
Jasmine’s smile widened. “How about you tell me as we walk to the kitchens. We’ll both bury our problems in one of the cook’s mincemeat pies.”
She grabbed his arm as she stood up, hauling him to his feet. Jeff kept an eye out for Cassie once they reached the corridor, but it was empty of anyone except the odd servant appearing and disappearing in the rooms.
“So what’ve you done now?” Jasmine asked.
“I finally told her the truth. About what the Sisters did—what I did.”
Jasmine’s brow arched. “Only now? What took you so long?”
“Because I didn’t know how she’d take it. I thought she’d freak out.”
“How about feel honoured? Touched? You sacrificed a lot, Jeff. I’m sure she knows what it means and appreciates it.”
He dragged his feet down the stone steps. “Yeah, she does. I know that.”
“So I don’t get it. What’s the problem?”
They reached the main floor and crossed the foyer to the next flight of stairs. Jeff had never been in this part of the Keep before, which surprised him. The smells floating up from below
should have tempted him long ago.
“I don’t know. What if I can’t get over it?” he said. “I don’t want to turn into this mean bitter old man.”
“I think this is where I stop you and tell you to smarten up.”
Jeff blinked and nearly tripped as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “What? Why?”
Jasmine released an exasperated sigh. “Because resentment or not, you love her just as much, if not more, than when you traded your imagination in the first place. Work out your problems and try to be happy.” She stumbled over her next words, and Jeff saw how she tried to cover it up by inspecting a crack in the wall. “At least you still have a chance to be.”
They stopped outside the kitchen doors. Jeff didn’t want to push Jasmine’s confidence, so he stayed silent, encouraging her to proceed with a look.
She hesitated, and then said, “Corey.” The name fell from her lips like a weight. “He was my right hand for so long, and when he died I felt incomplete. Like I could never be the woman I was before, never be as good as I was. You have a chance to fix things, so do it. You may be special, Jeff, but not even you can go back in time and change your decision.”
She pushed the doors open to the kitchens, and Jeff’s jaw dropped at the four giant fires built into the walls. Meat on spits and the woodstove glowing orange with the heat of baking bread. He forced his thoughts back to Jasmine.
“And I wouldn’t,” he said. “Change my decision, I mean.”
He sat down across from Jasmine at a table in the corner, watching the cooks bustle about to prepare the day’s meals. Jasmine waved at a large smiling man, who nodded and opened the door to one of the ovens.
“So what do I do?”
Jasmine waited to answer until the cook set a pie dish down in front of them. The sweet smell of apples wafted towards Jeff’s nostrils. His mouth filled with saliva as the cook cut two pieces.
“Enjoy, my lady,” he said. “Fresh picked this morning.”
Jasmine took a bite and beamed up at the man. “Never leave us.”
He winked and left them. Once he was gone, Jasmine set down her two-tined fork and leaned forward. “Talk to Cassie. Be honest with her. It’s probably why she came to see you today, anyway. And if you want more advice, I say do it before that pretty man decides to step in.”