by Lisa Shearin
Mychael spoke. “Rest and you will.”
“Carnades’s whispered threat to you at headquarters wasn’t as quiet as he thought it was.” The old man’s eyes gleamed. “Lets people hear all kinds of interesting and incriminating things. He was in here just last night.”
“So I heard, sir.” Mychael didn’t sound happy that he’d only been told and not been here himself.
“Mychael, the son of a bitch would hardly incriminate himself if he thought I was listening to every word. Hell, he doesn’t even think I’m conscious yet.” The old guy winked slyly at me. “I’m saving that for a surprise.”
“I would love to see that.”
“I’m getting stronger every hour. Dalis says I’ll be sitting in a chair in a day or two. The day after that I plan to be on my feet and back in charge. Then Carnades gets to see me with my eyes wide open, and my bootprint on his backside.”
“Other than myself and Phaelan, the only people close enough to hear Carnades this morning were the fancy-robed mages with him,” I told Justinius. “And I know for a fact that my cousin hasn’t paid you a visit.”
“No, he hasn’t. And once Mychael here deems me well enough to lift a pint, I want to rectify that oversight. And I understand his father is in the harbor.”
“With warships.”
“And me in a room without windows.” He threw an accusing glare at Mychael. “My bloody harbor is teeming with pirate ships, and I don’t get to see a damned one of them.”
Mychael sighed. “No windows are for your protection, sir.” It sounded like he’d uttered that phrase a couple dozen times. And until the old man was back on his feet, he’d probably say it a few dozen more.
“You have ears in convenient places,” I told Justinius.
“Any more convenient, and they’d be in Carnades’s robes right along with him.”
“They?” Sounded like some of those fancy-robed mages might be with Carnades, but they were working for Justinius. Nice.
“I don’t do anything halfway, girl.”
“No, sir. I don’t imagine you do.” I felt my lips curl in a grin.
“Don’t take this wrong, but you’d make a fine Benares.”
Justinius laughed, a dry wheezing sound. “Nicest thing anyone’s said to me in days.” Those sharp eyes were on Piaras. “However, I will not have Carnades threatening my students.”
I swore silently. I hadn’t told Piaras about Carnades because we were doing all we could to prevent anyone acting on his orders.
Piaras shot a glance at me. “He threatened me, sir?”
“Just the usual-that you’re ‘tainted by my influence,’ ” I assured him. “He threatened all of us; you just got added to the list.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t a lie. “Don’t worry; he can’t act on any of it.”
Piaras looked at me as if to say what had happened tonight wasn’t bad enough.
“Okay, we won’t let him act on any of it.”
“Who’s we?”
“Me, Mychael, and my entire family.”
“Add me to that list, girl,” Justinius said. “Mychael and Ronan have told me what you’re capable of, Master Rivalin-without Sarad Nukpana at the reins. You’re the most gifted spellsinger to come through here since the two of them. And Katelyn told me everything you did this morning. You have my word that I will not lose you to Carnades’s ignorance, the Seat of Twelve’s arrogance, or Inquisitor Balmorlan’s greed.” His eyes narrowed. “Or Sarad Nukpana’s manipulations.” He pursed his thin lips. “I understand you’ve been doing more than studying.”
The old man could have meant any number of things by that, and Piaras was smart enough to keep his mouth shut until his brain had a chance to work through it. One, it wasn’t a question. Two, it wasn’t specific. Sleeping wasn’t studying, but the kid knew that wasn’t what the archmagus was getting at. And three, Piaras had been around me long enough to know the first rule of the Benares family: don’t confess to something you ain’t been accused of doing yet.
“Yes, sir. I have.”
Honest, yet admitting to nothing. Maybe my influence wasn’t all that bad.
Justinius’s bright eyes narrowed. “I understand you have used a containment spellsong against a class ten demon; a Volghul to be precise. And that you held it immobile, unable to summon reinforcements, or cast your song back in your face. And I understand that you did so until Miss Benares here could cram the purple bastard in a bottle.” He regarded Piaras in silence. “Do I understand correctly?” The old man’s voice sliced through the silence as smoothly as razor-sharp steel.
Piaras was almost too stunned to respond. “Yes, sir. You do.”
Justinius’s next questions came rapid fire. “And do I understand that you did all this to defend your fellow classmates-and my granddaughter?”
“Yes, sir.”
“After giving little or no thought to your qualifications to act as you did, the consequences of your actions, your chances of success, or the danger to yourself or others?”
Piaras blew out a little breath and shifted from one foot to the other, finding a simply fascinating spot on the floor by his right boot.
“That was a direct question, Master Rivalin.” Justinius’s voice cracked like a whip. “I require a response.”
“Yes, sir. I know.” Piaras raised his head and met the archmagus’s intense gaze. “And no, sir, I didn’t.”
The old man’s eyes glittered like sapphires. “Didn’t what, Master Rivalin?”
“Think about any of those things, sir. I just acted.”
“And why did you ‘just act’?”
Piaras stood a little straighter. “No one else was doing anything, and if I hadn’t acted, more people could have been hurt or killed.” He paused and cleared his throat. “I did what I thought was right, sir… And I would do it again.”
The archmagus sat in silence, unmoving. “And you would do it alone,” he said quietly. “Just like you did this morning.” His next words were slow and precise. “There was no Sarad Nukpana in the Quad with you this morning-just your talent and foolhardy bravery.” The tiniest smile curled the corner of the archmagus’s thin lips. “You’re noble to the point of suicide, boy.” He glanced at Mychael. “Just like a certain paladin of my acquaintance.”
Piaras’s eyes flicked to Mychael, and he bit the corner of his bottom lip to stop a smile.
Justinius spoke. “Master Rivalin?”
“Sir?”
“Look at me.”
Piaras did.
I could feel Justinius doing the same kind of gaze with Piaras that he’d done with me.
After a few moments, the old man broke his gaze and chuckled. “Bukas. Brutal savages. A fine choice, Master Rivalin.” He looked at Mychael. “And you said they were solid, complete with roars?”
Mychael nodded. “Roars that took out all the first-floor windows on the Judicial Building.”
Justinius laughed, a bright bark. “Nicol and his office lackeys will have a hell of a cleanup in the morning. I’d like to see that.”
“I only meant to conjure one, sir,” Piaras hurried to explain.
Justinius waved his hand dismissively. “You got carried away with all the excitement; happens to the best of us.”
“But I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“Have you ever been attacked by elven embassy guards disguised as Guardians?”
“No, sir, but I-”
“Just because you’ve never done something before doesn’t mean you can’t do it, and do it well. There’s a first time for everything. It appears that the more you’re challenged, the more you’re capable of. Maestro Cayle told me the same thing about you.”
“He did?”
“I said so, didn’t I?”
“Yes, sir, but I didn’t know he thought I could-”
“When Maestro Cayle wants you to know what he thinks, and what he thinks you can do, he’ll tell you.” The old man grinned impishly. “Unless I t
ell you first.”
Piaras flushed slightly with well-earned pleasure. “Yes, sir.”
“In the meantime, I’m inclined to trust his assessment.”
Piaras didn’t respond. I could virtually see the wheels turning in his mind. “So Sarad Nukpana didn’t have anything to do with the bukas?”
“Not. One. Thing. Once again, it was just you and yours. Nice work, young man.”
Piaras looked like the weight of the world had just dropped off of his shoulders. “Thank you, sir.”
“Though apparently Nukpana was involved when you took on those elven embassy guards.” His expression darkened. “Disguised as Guardians. How many survived?” he asked Mychael.
“Two, sir. Jari Devent and an embassy guard by the name of Kasen Aratus.”
“Isn’t Devent’s brother the defense attachй at the elven embassy?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And his uncle is with elven intelligence.”
Mychael’s distaste was obvious. “Correct.”
“And Aratus… Isn’t that General Daman Aratus’s son?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Shit,” the old man spat.
“My thoughts exactly.”
I looked from one of them to the other. “What?”
Mychael answered me. “Taltek Balmorlan receives much of his funding from General Aratus.”
“One hand washes the other,” Justinius said. “And rumor has it that General Aratus can’t take a crap without permission from his new boss.”
That wasn’t exactly enlightening. “And this is bad how?”
Mychael sighed. “Raine, General Aratus reports to Markus Sevelien.”
Chapter 18
My mouth fell open and stayed there.
Normally news like that would have me blistering the air blue, or looking for something to throw or hit. Right now I was too shocked to do any of it.
And I felt too betrayed.
Duke Markus Sevelien was the elven intelligence agency’s chief officer in Mermeia. I’d done some work for him over the years that mostly consisted of finding abducted elves-diplomats, intelligence agents, aristocrats who’d gotten involved in something over their highborn heads. It was gratifying work and I was good at it. Markus had recruited me, and I’d only worked with him. And he’d made no excuses about why he wanted to me to work for him. Markus thought my being related to criminals helped me know the criminal mind. I wasn’t proud of it, but he was right. If it could be picked up, pried off, or in any way pilfered, my family would make off with it.
I liked Markus; he’d always been up-front and honest with me. And if I’d been standing face-to-face with him right now, he’d probably still be honest-his loyalties were to elven intelligence, not to me. He’d put any friendship we had to the side as an impediment to him doing his job. And I knew from past experience that Markus would do his job at any and all costs. Whatever was going on wasn’t personal; it was business.
It was the Saghred.
And since the Saghred had attached itself to me, that made me his business. I could almost understand that; the Saghred was a weapon that elven intelligence wasn’t about to let fall into goblin hands. That meant he couldn’t allow me to fall into goblin hands. Hell, I didn’t want to be in anyone’s hands.
But that didn’t explain the chain of command that led from Markus to Taltek Balmorlan to what had happened to Piaras. Markus had always made it his business to know what all of his people were up to. I was sure that included me. If General Aratus was one of his people, and Balmorlan his lackey, Markus had to know about Piaras.
And Markus had to know what Piaras meant to me.
Some last part of me refused to believe that Markus had ordered Piaras kidnapped for agency use. Piaras was just a boy. Okay, a young man. But Markus wouldn’t order one of his own people taken against their will.
Or would he?
I felt the rage building and did nothing to stop it.
“Girl, we don’t know that Sevelien ordered anything.”
Justinius had been following my every thought. I knew Mychael had. Good. It’d save me explaining why I was about to put my fist through the nearest wall.
“We don’t know he didn’t,” I said through clenched teeth.
“He’s the one you know, isn’t he?” Piaras asked quietly. “The one you’ve worked for.”
I swore silently. I’d never told Piaras about Markus because I didn’t want him involved in any way with the agency. The kid was entirely too good at listening when he wasn’t supposed to. Apparently my efforts at secrecy didn’t work. I took a deep breath, half hoping that it’d calm me down. That didn’t work, either. No sense denying it now. “Yes, he is.”
“I’m sorry,” Piaras said.
I waited a moment for that statement to make sense. It didn’t. “What for? None of this is your-”
“That’s not what I meant, Raine. I’m sorry that someone you trusted betrayed you.” His expression reflected controlled anger. A man’s anger. “No one should treat you like that. You don’t deserve any of this.”
Piaras wasn’t worried about his own safety or why Markus might want him. Right now all of his concern was for me. My vision blurred again. The old man’s fireplace was too damned smoky.
“Thank you.” It was all I could manage to say. I waited a few seconds until I was sure I had myself under control. “Mychael, let’s operate under the assumption that the general and Balmorlan took their craps because Markus told them to.” My voice was hard, my words clipped. “I want to know the instant Markus Sevelien sets foot on this island. I don’t think he’ll come, but if he does, I want to know about it. Immediately. I’ll be telling the same thing to Phaelan and Uncle Ryn. If Markus does show up, I will know about it, and we will have a talk.”
“Raine, I don’t think that’s a-”
“Good idea?” I snapped. “No, it’s not. Markus having anything to do with what happened to Piaras wasn’t a good idea, either.” My voice dropped to a hissing whisper. “And if he was involved, I will make him realize just how bad his choice was.”
“Son, you don’t need five hundred Guardians,” Justinius told Mychael. “Just point this one in the right direction and set her off.”
I couldn’t get my hands on Sarad Nukpana, but Markus Sevelien was flesh and blood. My reaction was violent and primitive, but I was a violent and primitive kind of woman and Mychael knew it. His eyes stayed locked with mine for the span of a few heartbeats. I had to force my breathing back to normal.
“Sir,” Mychael said, slowly taking his eyes from mine, “do you have enough strength to ward Piaras’s mind against Sarad
Nukpana? I’ll be assigning four Guardians to help him resist any impulse that may get through, but Piaras needs to know when he’s being tampered with.”
The old man snorted. “Of course I have the strength. Which four Guardians?”
“Herrick, Arman, Drud, and Jarvis.”
Justinius whistled and shook his head. “You’re not taking any chances, are you, son?”
“No, sir, I’m not.”
Piaras paled. “Who are they?”
“They’re the men who will prevent you from doing anything Sarad Nukpana tells you to do.” The old man’s eyes gleamed. “They’ve done this before-and they’re good at it.”
“Good at it, sir?”
“Exceptional.”
“What about spellsongs?”
“What about them?”
Piaras winced apologetically. “I’m kind of fast-”
The old man chuckled. “You’re not that fast, boy.”
Piaras gulped audibly. “This sounds painful.”
“Not if you stop when they tell you to.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “He can’t use any magic? Just how the hell is he supposed to defend himself?”
“Those four Guardians will defend him,” Justinius told me.
“And should they require any assistance-and that is highly unlike
ly-they’ll know the difference between Master Rivalin’s magic and Nukpana’s. They’ll stop the goblin, not Master Rivalin. They’re four of Mychael’s best.”
Mychael spoke. “I have the same hopes for Cadet Rivalin.”
The archmagus smiled in genuine pleasure. “Cadet? So you want to be a Guardian?”
“More than anything, sir.”
“Ronan told me as much.” He looked to Mychael. “That means an induction ceremony.” He grinned slowly. “Considering present circumstances, it would need to be public, wouldn’t it?” His grin broadened. “And it would need to be soon.” It was obvious that the old man was hatching something.
“And it would be best if you did the induction yourself,” Mychael said. “My men need to see that-and so do the Seat of Twelve.”
“To let everyone know that I didn’t try to kill you?” Piaras said.
“That, too. I’d hardly induct my own assassin, now would I? This way I kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”
“You’ll be using Piaras to show you’re back in power,” I said quietly.
“You see anything wrong with that?”
“Not a thing. The sooner you get out of that bed, the better.”
“Everyone who needs to know that I’m back in command will be there. Do it once, and do it right-prevents any rumor or doubt as to my condition.”
“I’ll have the papers brought for your signature,” Mychael told Justinius. “That will make it official in case our hand is forced before the ceremony; and I’ll tell Herrick and the others. Since they’ll be guarding Piaras, they need to know that he’s one of ours.”
I held up a hand. “Hold on a minute. If Piaras is a Guardian cadet, he answers to Carnades until Justinius is back on his feet. I don’t want Piaras under Carnades’s control for one second.”
“Which is why we’ll be keeping his new status quiet until the ceremony,” Mychael said.
“When I will be back in charge.” The old man sounded like he couldn’t wait to clean house once he was.
“Raine, I consider Taltek Balmorlan the greater evil right now,” Mychael told me. “He-and the people above him-are the ones pulling Carnades’s strings whether Carnades is aware of it or not. Piaras being a Guardian cadet protects him against arrest, prosecution, or extradition.” Mychael looked at Piaras. “Once you become a Guardian cadet, you will no longer be a subject of the elven crown. You’ll be subject to Guardian law and under our protection.”