A Single Spark

by Tayvia Pierce

  Mother’s own demeanor grew cold, not appreciating my question in the slightest. “I was in Lund running some errands and arranging your wedding, Carys. The wedding you refuse to plan. It got late and I realized the others had gone home and so I decided to stay at the Inn rather than travel alone in the dark in the rain.” She said with a tone smooth as ice, daring me to argue with her.

  “Father was murdered yesterday, Mother.” I told her, my grief bringing a renewed ache to my chest and having no way to break it to her gently. I didn’t know what her reaction would be, any feelings she held to her family beyond the favoritism of my sister had always been carefully guarded, making her one of the most impersonal people I had known.

  She stared, an indecipherable look crossing over her features, though I saw a moment of regret flicker in her eyes. “What happened?” She asked quietly, moving further into the room to set her parcels down on the table.

  I only had the heart to give her the basics, my grief threatening to take what voice I could still muster. I saw no point in dwelling on the details of her husband’s cruel death, so I explained little. “I found him in the yard, his throat slit. He must have been there for over an hour...I’m not sure. We built a funeral pyre for him and committed him to the flames. We wanted to wait for you, but nobody knew where you were and we couldn’t just leave him…” My voice trailed off halfway through my explanation, not even sure how to explain this anymore. “We called the Watchmen; they are investigating.”

  Mother nodded slowly, looking more pensive than grief-stricken and I couldn’t understand why. “Who found him?” She asked quietly as she took a seat on the couch, the course of her thoughts a surprise, as I assumed she would want to know who might have done this as the rest of us did.

  “I did…” I answered tightly. “Did you even love him, Mother? You don’t look upset...why aren’t you more upset?” I wanted to shake her...she was my mother and his wife and it seemed as if she didn’t even care that he was gone.

  Mother’s lips formed a thin line as she turned to face me. “The truth? Carys, Llew and I were arranged to be married. He loved me, but I never shared those feelings. He was a good man, and a good father, and he was always good to me, but no...I did not love him. I regret his death, but he was a coward who ran away from his problems.” Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me, then added as an afterthought. “I’m sorry, I should not have said that, even if it was true.”

  It was so callous, the way she spoke of Father, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. He had fled his arrest, hiding in the woods until it was safe to return. We fled Taurova when rumors found us...He was a man who ran away. My eyes shut and I fought back the tears.

  The couch creaked as Mother rose, and she said. “I am going to begin packing up his things, then.” It was so matter-of-fact, but there was another emotion that ran beneath it, though I wasn’t sure what it was.

  “Oh, and Carys…” She stopped, turning to give me a look over her shoulder. “It seems Ben was in the city late last night. Rumor has it that he collapsed and fell from his horse just before reaching the Stag. If you are looking for your guard, he was taken to the Lund Infirmary.”

  My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Ben’s name, so much regret and pain now firmly attached to that name and I felt all of it keenly. I wanted to ask if he was alright, if she had talked to him or knew of his current condition, but I asked none of those things. I couldn’t bring myself to ask. The man was stripped from my life and was taking part of me with him. All I could manage as a response was a dull, “He isn’t my guard anymore.”

  Mother stood there, staring at me for a moment, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully before murmuring a shrewd, “I see.” She disappeared into the master bedroom, leaving me to stare numbly at the fire, throwing another small log onto it with the full belief I would never feel warm again.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Two weeks later found our family in better circumstances, each member slowly coming to grips with our devastating loss. The Watchmen had found no evidence, not that I was surprised. They agreed it was likely a professional assassin, though some of the more superstitious members of the Watch blamed the “Ghoul”, an imaginary monster that supposedly lived in the woods since the Devastation. There was no apparent motive and no evidence at all, and so the Watchmen apologetically had to let the case go, promising that if any further developments came to light, we would be the first to know.

  I had not gone to see Ben, though Rhian had been begging to go visit. She had been devastated when I told her that Ben had left and that I had released him from our service, and she barely spoke to me for a week. But her grief over Father, and the fact that Mother was barely around the house led her back to me. She reluctantly forgave me for what she called “My grievous misjudgment” and glumly remained near my side more often than not.

  The investments Father had set up during their week long trip finally brought us some coin, and I was now in the position of repaying my debt to Ben, and against my better judgment, rode into town alone to see him. I knew Rhian would be upset if she learned I went without her, but I was not about to try speaking to him with her as an audience.

  I certainly was not going to have Brynmor with me, and while Madox would have kept his thoughts to himself, I had spent too much time denying there was anything between Ben and I to need to explain my grievous misunderstanding of it.

  I entered the infirmary, the plump, rosy-cheeked nurse giving me a look-over as she smiled. “I am here to see Ben.” I told her and she nodded, pointing down the hall.

  “Of course, dear. He is in the second room. He was sleeping the last time I poked my head in there, so best not to wake him if he is still out.” She replied, adding with a good-humored chuckle. “He can be very ornery.” I nodded, lips twitching in agreement, offering the healer a little smile before I found my way to his room.

  He lay still on the bed, his jerkin removed and set on the chair next to his cot. He lay perfectly still, by all appearances sleeping if his closed eyes and the gentle rise and fall of his chest was any sort of proof. His injuries had fresh bandages placed over the areas where new stitching had been required, his normally olive skin still more pale than it should be. I stepped into the room, peering over to judge his level of wakefulness as the floorboard creaked beneath my foot.

  For a man as badly injured as he was, he moved remarkably swiftly, hand ducking beneath his pillow to draw out his blade, sitting up in the blink of an eye and bringing the long knife around to defend himself from his would-be assailant.

  His blue-grey eyes had a wild and frightened look, much like a cornered animal, and I lifted my hands and jumped back, my own eyes widening with surprise. “Ben! It’s me...it’s Carys.. I said quickly, my heart hammering against my ribs while trying to put him at ease before he attacked.

  His eyes met mine, focusing for a moment before halting his defense. He sagged back down on his bed, the pain of his wounds now catching up with him to bring out a deep groan as he pressed a hand to the wound that spanned his chest. He panted for air as he stared up at the ceiling, finally muttering. “What are you doing here, Lady Carys?”

  This was a terrible idea. Alas, I was there already, and I would owe him nothing. “I only wished to deliver our repayment of our debt. You lent us money when we needed it, and now I am paying you back as promised.” I answered stiffly, awkwardly fumbling to pull the coin purse from my satchel. Hurried steps brought me to him to set the repayment on the nightstand.

  His eyes turned towards me, finding mine as he frowned. “I told you, that was a gift.” He grunted, looking even more displeased, if that were possible. “Keep it.” He growled softly as he slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed, his back to me as though dismissing me from his presence.

  “No, I accepted it only on the condition that it was a loan. I repay my debts, so I will not keep it.” I said stubbornly, pulling my coat a little tighter around me. “Do not argue with me.” I frowned at his back,
preemptively stopping him from doing so before he could become more stubborn than I.

  He was rigid, likely trying to decide how much strength he could spare to argue, though he must have decided he had too little and he merely shook his head and sighed, slowly pushing himself to his feet to slowly walk towards the window, staring through the glass pane intently.

  “Rhian would like to come see you.” I announced. “I haven’t said yes yet; I wanted to talk to you first.” I said, not sure how much he wished to sever ties with our entire family, or if it was just me. “I wasn’t sure about the policy on visitors…” I added lamely.

  Ben glanced over to me, brow furrowing a little, though he nodded slightly. “If she wishes to come, she may. I will not stop her.”

  I nodded and smoothed my coat out over my stomach absently, wishing I had something to do with my hands. “Alright, I will let her know, then.” I turned around to leave, the shifting of floorboards resounding behind me in the room as I took a step.

  “Carys…” Ben stepped forward, bumping the furniture awkwardly as he moved, wanting to stop me. I turned to look at him over my shoulder and his vaguely worried look turned to one of guilt as his voice lowered once again, now that I had stopped. “I only stayed because I worried she would hurt herself if left alone. She needed someone with her, I didn’t stay to...she climbed into my lap, I didn’t do that.” He let out a growl and murmured. “She needed someone, Carys.” I could hear the frustration in his voice, but it didn’t help my own ragged emotional wounds.

  “We all needed someone, Ben.” I said quietly, swallowing the hurt that he had roused, turning to face the doorway again. “Get some rest. I’m sure Rhian will be here the moment after I give her permission.” He said nothing, letting me leave without a further comment.

  I left the infirmary and headed up the street, though it wasn’t long before another fell into step beside me. It was Owain and he smiled down to me as he matched my stride. “Good afternoon, Lady Carys. I am going out on a limb and assuming you were just visiting your injured guard?” His tone was carefully polite and casual, but there was an undercurrent of something else, and the fact that he knew Ben was injured made me somewhat suspicious.

  “Yes, I was returning something to him.” I said vaguely. How much did Owain actually know about the elves’ attack? I wondered, a sense of dread settling into the pit of my stomach as I wondered who they suspected Ben was? As much as the man had hurt me, I still felt the need to protect him from harm.

  Owain’s smile faded as he looked down at me, murmuring gently. “I think the time has come for us to speak, Lady Carys.” He knew something, that was certain. I nodded to him, and several minutes later, we were seated in one of the back rooms of the Stag.

  I sat stiffly with my usual goblet of wine at the dining table, Owain taking a chair across from me. “I have heard that your guard suffered an attack some time ago, and then collapsed just outside the Stag two weeks ago. What happened?”

  I lifted my eyes to his, studying him intently as I considered my answer. Did he not already know? I chewed on my lip in thought, finally choosing to be forthright. “He was attacked by your elven companions.” I said truthfully. “They mistook him for another, and gave him no chance to explain himself before they tried to slaughter him.” I defended Ben with a brittle tone.

  Owain’s brows rose and he leaned back in his chair, arms crossing loosely over his chest. “So that was who they attacked?” He murmured softly, growing thoughtful as his brow furrowed. “They said they heard an accent on the man’s tongue as he spoke, an accent typically found among our enemies.” His finger tapped on the side of his mug as he thought, but my jaw dropped slightly. I had heard only faint sounds of an accent when he was angry, but had never thought much of it.

  “But he is Velynesian, like you.” I was stunned. “How is he your enemy?” I demanded to know, furious that he was making such accusations without just cause. I struggled to recall what Ben had told me of his reasons to abandoning his heritage, but only his vague references to elven betrayal came to mind.

  Owain’s brow arched even higher at my tone, though he answered gently. “There are more than one faction of Velynesians, Lady Carys. We share a bloodline, but fight for opposing sides. There are two men...two kings...one representing each faction and both vying for the throne of Taurova, for whoever controls Taurova controls the world.” He said softly. “They are the Lightless, the Shadow’s Men who desire immortality, power, and wealth and they make their home in the far south among the Yehketim in the city of U’sharr.”

  The last words of the doomed man who had been hanged in Perinthas the day of Father’s announcement screamed in my ears. All of his words of the true king...I shook my head, trying to put together all the pieces of the puzzle without knowing what the big picture looked like. “There are only two factions? If he is not one of your people, he is automatically the enemy and must be cut down?”

  He looked apologetic and shook his head. “No...there are some..a very small handful of those who serve neither side. That doesn’t mean they can be trusted, though, Lady Carys. In my opinion, they are more dangerous than those who serve the enemy, for they can serve either side on a whim, making them the most treacherous of all.”

  He leaned forward, looking into my eyes intently as he asked his question. “Perhaps there is a way to know... What happened to your guard after the elves attacked him?”

  “He managed to get to my home where I tended to his injuries.” I answered, my stomach lurching a little with the memory of finding him nearly dead. “He was there recuperating until two weeks ago...that was when he collapsed and was taken to the Infirmary.”

  Owain nodded slowly, his eyes still intent on mine. “Did he have any markings? Tattoos?”

  The image of the sun with the crown of fire filled my mind as I realized the truth. Things my mind slowly began to click into place as I spoke. “When I tried to check his bandages, he wouldn’t let me pull away the blanket. It seemed like he didn’t want me to see…” Oh gods, what does this mean? “...He didn’t want me to see his tattoo. A sun with a crown of fire set within it.” There was only one reason I could think of why Ben didn’t want my to see it.

  My eyes closed slowly as Owain confirmed my deepest fear. “Many of the great Houses of the Lightless have such tattoos, though I am not familiar with the specific sigils of each house. That sounds very much like one of them, though in this moment, I cannot say for certain.” Owain let out a small sigh as a grim look covered his features. “Ben is a servant of the Lightless, Lady Carys, and a very dangerous man.”

  CHAPTER 59

  Ben. One of the Shadow’s Men. There had to be a mistake. A very large, horrible mistake. I started to laugh, not so much because it was funny, but because it was impossible. “You must be joking.” I finally said, sobering. “Why on earth would he be working as my guard if he was one of...them?” I shook my head. “It makes no sense.”

  Owain shook his head. “Lady Carys, it makes perfect sense. He was using your family as a place to hide...to blend in, and it worked. But why is he here? What has brought him so far North?” He looked at me, studying my face for any hint that I might know things...possibly things about the enemy’s plans.

  I shook my head, not willing to accept this suggestion so easily, though I couldn’t deny that it made more sense than I liked to admit. “He only told me that he was awaiting his Master here. He never spoke of his life, other than to say he had been trained since boyhood with the sword to be a protector, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a Lightless. You, for example, trained from boyhood for the same reason, didn’t you? And do you serve a Master?” I turned the tables on him, a surprised look flashing in his eyes, followed quickly by a humbled look. I added another alternative a moment later. “Or perhaps he has gone rogue, yet still bears the tattoo of his former allegiance.”

  “I trained from childhood and I serve my Chieftain, this is true, but I hold to my belief, Lady Ca
rys. I concede that you have a point and that he very well could have gone rogue, possibly hiding amongst your family to prevent his being found. So I shall reserve judgment on your guard until I have further proof, but if it exists, I will find it. Until then, I ask that you be extra cautious and vigilant while in his presence.”

  I nodded slowly, turning to look out the window as my thoughts began to tumble over each other, vying for my attention. Ben had earned my trust, taught me and pushed me past my limits so that I could be stronger. He had protected us, and tried to get me to think for myself and find some independence, not just blindly accept what I was handed. He listened when I needed to talk, and offered advice when he could. He had been my friend, but now he was my enemy, and that was not something I could accept.

  Owain’s head tilted, studying my face as though trying to guess my thoughts. “His people are both charming and manipulative. It is not your fault that he wormed his way into your family; he told you whatever you wanted to hear in order to gain your trust. But rest assured, it was a lie, Lady Carys. He was only playing with your emotions, and it would be best to keep that in mind.” He swirled his ale in his cup before adding. “I am going to station people near the infirmary in order to keep watch, but I only ask that you do not let on that you know the truth.”