The Scholar's Heart (Chronicles of Tournai Book 3)

by Antonia Aquilante

  “How are you feeling?” It was a stupid question to ask, but confronted with Tristan’s pain-filled face, Etan didn’t know what to say.

  “Not well. You?”

  “Not very well either.” He smoothed Tristan’s hair back from his face. “Do you want to try to sleep some more?”

  Tristan shook his head sharply almost before Etan finished asking the question. “Can’t. I don’t like the dreams. We should get up. See if Captain Loriot found anything.”

  Etan didn’t want to say that if Captain Loriot had found Bria they would know by now, but they should see if he had anything to report—progress, if nothing else. He nodded and slid from the bed, holding out a hand for Tristan. When Tristan took it, Etan helped him from the bed and walked with him to the bathing room. “Let’s clean up, and I’ll find you some clothes to borrow. We’re not so different in size.”

  Tristan went along with Etan, performing his morning ablutions and shrugging into the clothes Etan pulled from the wardrobe for him without a word of protest. As Etan thought they would, the clothes fit Tristan almost perfectly, certainly well enough that no one seeing Tristan today would realize they weren’t his own things. He doubted Tristan would care if people did look at him oddly; Tristan had barely looked at the clothes as he put them on, but he had far more important things to worry about today than what he wore.

  After they dressed, Etan wanted to sit Tristan down at the table for some breakfast, but Tristan wanted information and insisted on having it. Etan knew arguing with Tristan would get him nowhere. Tristan wouldn’t even try to eat until he knew what Captain Loriot had found overnight. He considered calling for breakfast and Captain Loriot at the same time, but he doubted that would help. Instead, he walked with Tristan back to Philip and Amory’s suite. Tristan wanted information, and they would be best able to get it for him quickly.

  Philip called out for them to enter as soon as Etan knocked on the suite’s door. He opened it and ushered Tristan inside ahead of him, following him in and closing the door behind them. Philip and Amory sat at the small table near the window, platters of breakfast food in between them and Julien playing with his blocks at their feet. Both Philip and Amory showed the same signs of a sleepless night as he and Tristan did. Only Julien looked well rested.

  Julien laughed when he saw Etan, dropping a bright red block and holding up his arms for a hug as he called for his uncle Etan.

  Etan scooped him up, giving him a hug and a snuggle. He looked up over the laughing toddler’s head to see Amory watching them, and he knew why Julien was playing while they ate. Etan doubted he would let Julien out of his sight if he were them either, not with their fear for Bria so strong. He turned back to Julien whose large dark eyes were shining, innocent and unaware of the turmoil the adults around him found themselves in. He whispered, “Have you eaten your breakfast?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes? You have?” He tickled Julien, delighting in his little giggle. “Then you get to play with your blocks.” He set Julien back on the ground near his half-built block tower.

  “Play?” Julien asked, and Etan found it difficult as always to refuse the imploring look in his eyes. But he had to today.

  “I haven’t had my breakfast, so I can’t play yet. You build me something.” He straightened, leaving Julien enthusiastically stacking blocks.

  “Sit,” Philip said. “Have something to eat.”

  “I can’t. I need to speak with Captain Loriot,” Tristan said from behind Etan.

  “We’ve just had a note from him. He’ll be here soon,” Amory said. “We were going to send for you.”

  “Let’s have some breakfast then while we wait for him.” Etan took Tristan’s arm and walked him to the table, pressing him gently into a chair. Amory set a plate in front of him as Etan took a chair next to Tristan, but Tristan just stared at the empty plate. So Etan began filling Tristan’s plate with food—fruit, cheese, pastry—before he even looked at his own, and he would get Tristan to eat it if he had to feed him himself.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  Etan expected the statement and kept filling his own plate. “I’m not much either, but we need to eat something. You need to keep up your strength for Bria.”

  Tristan just stared at him, and Philip and Amory said nothing, concentrating on their own plates and studiously not looking at him or Tristan.

  “Please, just try to eat something.”

  After another moment Tristan nodded and turned to his plate. He began eating, slowly but eating nonetheless, and Etan let himself relax a little. “Have you heard anything?”

  Philip shook his head. “Just the note, and it didn’t say much. Captain Loriot has been in the city all night. I’m hoping he’ll have some news for us.”

  “But he hasn’t found them,” Tristan said. “If he had, we’d know. He wouldn’t have sent a note. He would just have brought them here.”

  Amory squeezed Tristan’s arm. “Wait until you hear what he says. He may not have them yet, but he may be closer to finding them.”

  Tristan nodded but said nothing. Etan ran a hand over Tristan’s back, hoping to comfort in some small way as he had last night, but he doubted he provided much. He wasn’t even comforted himself by the reassurances he was giving Tristan.

  They fell silent, eating desultorily. Etan’s thoughts turned again to Bria. She was only a helpless baby. He hoped Tristan’s sister was still with her. He was furious with the girl for following her mother’s orders and taking Bria—he was furious with Tristan’s mother too—but he hoped they were together anyway because then someone who loved Bria would be caring for her. He didn’t like to think of the alternatives.

  Chapter 15

  THEIR SILENT meal was interrupted finally by a knock on the suite door. They all looked up at the sound, Tristan dropping his fork to his plate with a clatter. Etan laid a hand on his thigh under the table as Philip called out for whoever was outside to enter. Captain Loriot strode into the room, wearing a uniform that he’d clearly been in all night. Weariness dragged at the edges of his face, but he wasn’t letting it slow him.

  Captain Loriot bowed, and Philip beckoned him forward. “Captain Loriot, come tell us what you’ve found.”

  “Do you know where they are?” Tristan asked nearly on top of Philip’s words.

  Etan thought he saw compassion in Captain Loriot’s eyes despite his stoic expression when he looked at Tristan. “No, sir, we haven’t found them yet.”

  Tristan sagged in his chair.

  “What have you found?” Amory asked, his voice quiet.

  As if to remind all of them of his presence, Julien chose that moment to throw a block, which thumped off Captain Loriot’s boot. The captain looked down at the little prince and smiled, not a trace of annoyance in his expression. He bent and picked up the block, handing it back to Julien. “You should build with those, Your Highness, not throw them. Not everyone has such thick boots to protect their legs.”

  The words were gently said, despite their scolding nature, and Etan wondered that Captain Loriot had said them at all to a prince. They’d sounded almost automatic, as if he was used to saying such things. Julien stared up at the man and then smiled his bright smile, so reminiscent of Amory’s, which had won over all of Tournai.

  Captain Loriot seemed to realize he’d admonished the prince as he straightened. He looked to Amory and Philip. “I’m sorry, Your Highnesses. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “No, we’re sorry. Julien shouldn’t be throwing anything,” Philip said, more parent than prince, which didn’t surprise Etan at all. “Let me bring him into the nursery.”

  He rose and lifted Julien off the floor, murmuring to him as he did. Etan caught only a word or two, but it seemed Philip was reinforcing Captain Loriot’s words about not throwing things. Julien looked over Philip’s shoulder and waved to them all in a small motion. Etan had to stifle a laugh. Even in the current situation, Julien was enough to make him smile.

&nbs
p; Philip returned quickly and seated himself again. “I apologize. Please, Captain, tell us what you’ve found.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. We put additional security measures into effect last night, searching everyone leaving the city at every city gate. So far, we haven’t found anything in the searches, but we’ll continue to perform them until Bria and Selene are found. We began by investigating the house and questioning all the servants. At this point, I don’t believe any of them were involved in the kidnapping. It also appears that Master Tristan’s sister did leave the house of her own free will with the baby. Savarin also investigated the house but found no traces of magic that shouldn’t be there. I’ve left men stationed at the house. Master Tristan’s brother Maxen was still there as well, and informed me he plans to stay. I see no reason why he shouldn’t.”

  Tristan became more and more tense under Etan’s hand with each word Captain Loriot spoke, but he said nothing. Etan began rubbing Tristan’s leg, hoping to soothe away the tension.

  “Go on,” Philip said.

  Captain Loriot continued, telling them of questioning Tristan’s mother and Dariela’s parents, of speaking with Tristan’s siblings. Captain Loriot was positive that neither family had taken Bria and Selene, which made Etan feel the captain’s time spent questioning them had been a waste, but Captain Loriot didn’t seem to think so. He only seemed encouraged by the information he’d received in his interviews.

  “I have men questioning everyone along Master Tristan’s street to see if anyone saw his sister leave the house. They’ll continue from there, questioning people along the route Selene would have taken home. Did she usually take a particular route when she walked home from your house?”

  Tristan nodded. “Yes, always. Mother insisted. She always wanted to know where Selene was, even though she usually wasn’t alone. If she walked to the house, she brought a maid with her. Mother didn’t like the idea of young ladies out walking on their own.”

  “No one said she brought a maid with her yesterday,” Captain Loriot said, seizing on the new piece of information.

  “I never thought about it since she always does.” Tristan shrugged, the movement almost helpless. “Perhaps they didn’t want to trust a maid to keep quiet while Selene took the baby.”

  “Possibly. It’s something else I’ll look into.” Captain Loriot made note of it in his small notebook.

  “Do you think you’ll find anything by questioning people on the streets?” Philip asked. Etan almost wished he hadn’t. He wanted Tristan to hold on to hope—he wanted to hold on to hope himself—and Philip’s expressing skepticism about Captain Loriot’s methods seemed as if it would undermine that goal. But perhaps being realistic was better.

  “I believe so, Your Highness. If we trace Selene’s steps, we may find out where they were taken from. And someone may have seen something suspicious that could tell us where they were taken.”

  Philip nodded. “What else?”

  “As soon as I leave here, I’ll be speaking with the people Master Tristan told me about yesterday—the owners of businesses that might be rivals. Savarin planned to come here and report to you himself. He should arrive soon. He wasn’t far behind me.”

  At that moment, another knock sounded at the suite’s door. Philip called out for the knocker to enter, and Savarin swept into the sitting room. Etan wondered if he planned his entrance that way but couldn’t imagine how he would know just when Captain Loriot would be talking about him.

  “Perfect timing, Savarin,” Philip said. “Captain Loriot says you have information to report to us.”

  Savarin bowed and then stepped forward to stand beside Captain Loriot. He glanced at Captain Loriot out of the corner of his eye but turned his attention back to Philip immediately. “Your Highness, I have some information to report and also some questions for Master Tristan. The answers will help me in my next steps to find his sister and daughter.”

  Tristan’s tension did not lessen, but he nodded to Savarin. “Of course. Whatever you need to know.”

  “Thank you, Master Tristan,” Savarin said. “I’ve searched through the house and found no magic or spells that shouldn’t be there. I’ve also walked a short distance in each direction from your house and found no traces of spells that might be used to aid in a kidnapping. Which means they either used no magic or took Selene and the baby farther from the house than that.”

  If anything, Tristan’s muscles seized up further. Etan squeezed his thigh gently before moving his hand low on Tristan’s back where he rubbed it in slow circles. Tristan didn’t relax, but he did lean into Etan’s hand just a little. Etan pushed back slightly, showing Tristan he was there, he wasn’t letting go.

  “What is your next step?” Amory asked Savarin.

  “I can continue to search the streets, though that will become less useful unless Captain Loriot can narrow down the area for me. And may be useless entirely if the kidnappers didn’t use magic at all.”

  “Or?” Etan asked. “I assume you have an alternate course of action.”

  “I do, which is why I need some help from Master Tristan,” Savarin said. “I can try to find Selene and Bria directly. There is a spell that can locate people—”

  “Then why haven’t you done that already?” Tristan interrupted, jumping from his chair. “Why haven’t you used your spell and found my daughter?”

  “Tristan.” Etan stood and gently urged Tristan to sit back down, but Tristan shook his head.

  “No. If he has that power, why hasn’t he found Bria?”

  “Because it isn’t that simple or easy,” Savarin said, his voice firm but not unkind. “I can’t just perform a spell and tell you exactly where she is, or very rarely does it work like that. Especially if whoever has them is trying to hide them using magic. If we had a general area where they might be, my chances of success would improve. Even if I knew where they were taken from.”

  “Which is another reason we’re trying to find where they were taken and if anyone saw which direction they went,” Captain Loriot added with a glance at Savarin.

  The fight seemed to go out of Tristan, and he sagged into Etan’s hold. He eased Tristan back into his chair and sat beside him again. “You said you had questions for Tristan.”

  “Yes, my lord. First, I need permission to take something of your daughter’s and your sister’s to use in the spell. It will help focus the spell to find them.”

  Tristan nodded. “Take whatever you need. I don’t have anything of Selene’s, but I’ll make sure my mother gives you something.”

  “Thank you. Does your sister have any magical Talents?” Savarin asked.

  “I—no, she doesn’t.”

  “You’re certain?”

  “Positive. My father had us all tested when we were younger. Mother didn’t want him to have Selene tested—she has rigid ideas about what’s appropriate for girls—but Father didn’t want her to get in trouble or potentially be in danger. Talents for fire and light run in my mother’s family. I have one.”

  Talents for creating fire and light were some of the most common Talents in existence, occurring quite frequently if in varying strengths, but they were also some of the most volatile Talents. Difficult to control without training, especially if the Talent was strong. Tristan’s father had been smart to have all of his children tested, if only just for safety. Etan doubted that was the only reason he did it; Talents could be useful and often lucrative, providing employment opportunities or just making life easier. Most people had their children tested if they thought there was a chance they might have a Talent.

  Well, except for the members of the royal family. Mostly they just waited to see if the family’s Talent manifested itself in a child. They couldn’t very well have royal children tested, not if they wanted to keep their Talent a secret. But a child of the royal family hadn’t possessed magic aside from the family Talent in hundreds of years. Etan would know—he’d made a study of it—but that was neither here nor there at the moment.
Etan forced his tired mind to focus on the conversation.

  “What about your daughter?”

  “I don’t know. She’s just a baby,” Tristan said, his face a mask of bewilderment. “Only a few months old. She’s too young to be tested and far too young to show any indications of Talent.”

  “Not always. There are instances of Talents manifesting in children still in the cradle,” Etan said without thinking and then sputtered to a halt when he found everyone staring at him. “It’s rare, though.”

  After a moment, Savarin nodded. “Yes, it is quite rare, but I had to check if you’d seen any indications.”

  “What does Bria or Selene having a Talent matter?” Amory asked, his brows drawn together.

  “If one or both of them did, it would be something that could help me in the spell. Magic calls to magic, or I can make the spell do so. Sometimes it helps pinpoint location a little more closely, but that isn’t to say I won’t be able to find them with the spell without their having Talents,” Savarin said. His manner was an obvious attempt at reassurance, but his words were said in his usual straightforward way. Etan wasn’t sure how Tristan would feel, but Etan had always appreciated Savarin’s lack of court pandering. “I can’t make promises, but I’ll do everything I can.”

  “Thank you, Savarin,” Philip said.

  “Yes, thank you,” Tristan echoed, the lost look in his eyes making Etan ache for him. He rubbed his hand over Tristan’s back again, hoping the connection, the touch helped.

  “You’ll both keep us informed,” Philip continued.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Captain Loriot said, and Savarin echoed him. “With your permission, we’ll return to the city to continue our investigations.”

  “Of course.”