Arcanius (9 page)

“We made our way to Hamill Keep with Lady Olyva. But when they were summoned to the earl’s audience chamber, they realized he wasn’t really alive. He was being controlled by something, like a puppet on a string. They fought, and Tiberius killed the earl.”

Ennis sat back down, but on the edge of his chair. He leaned forward, looking Lexi directly in the eyes.

“You saw this?” he asked.

“No,” Lexi said. “I stayed below, in the blighted lands, guarding the horses.”

“Damn!” he said loudly.

“Tiberius told me all about it,” Lexi said. “He wouldn’t lie or even exaggerate.”

The old man looked as if he were trying desperately to decide on a course of action. Then he asked another question.

“How did they know the earl wasn’t alive?”

“Olyva knew,” Lexi said. “She’s different. She was changed in the blighted lands, and she could tell that something was wrong.”

“There was no other proof?” Ennis asked.

“The earl attacked them,” Lexi explained. “Tiberius broke the earl’s arm with his staff. Rafe stabbed the earl and slit his throat, but he didn’t die.”

“He didn’t die?”

“No, they said it was as if he didn’t even feel the pain. He didn’t cry out, didn’t bleed. And he was stronger than he should have been, even after they wounded him.”

“But you said Tiberius killed the earl.”

Lexi hesitated for a moment. She knew that Tiberius had used magic to destroy the earl’s body and while she knew that Ti had gotten the book of magic from the old man, she still felt reluctant to reveal that Tiberius was a wizard.

“Yes,” she said. “And the people of Hamill Keep rioted. Tiberius, Rafe, and Olyva were forced to flee along with the rest of the earl’s family in their sky ship.”

She hoped he wouldn’t continue to push for answers about how the earl was killed, but the old man was like a dog with a bone. He refused to let it go.

“Tell me how he killed the earl,” Ennis said. “It’s very important.”

“Why?” Lexi said, still trying to deflect.

“You want to know about the Balestone,” the old man said, “and I want to know how the earl died.”

“You know something about the Balestone?” Lexi asked.

The old man nodded. He didn’t say how much he knew, but the look in his eyes convinced Lexi that he wasn’t bluffing.

“Give me your word you’ll tell me everything you know about the Balestone,” she prompted.

“I promise I will do all I can to see that your friend knows about the Balestone,” he said.

“What does that mean?” Lexi asked.

“It means the information is not mine to give, but it is there.”

“You know someone who knows about it?”

“Yes,” Ennis said, nodding.

“Okay,” Lexi said, hoping she was doing the right thing. “Tiberius is a wizard.”

She waited for Ennis to react, but he just kept gazing expectantly into her eyes. When he didn’t respond to her revelation about Tiberius, she felt a little better, but describing magic was difficult. And she hadn’t actually seen what happened; she had only heard about it from Tiberius. And Lexi knew that Ti was notoriously humble when it came to talking about his powers. She doubted if she had heard the full story.

“He used magic,” she continued. “He set the earl’s body on fire.”

“How?” Ennis asked, the tension in voice almost audible.

“He cast a spell,” she explained. “He can conjure fire and control it. So he burned up the earl’s body.”

“You’ve seen him use this magic?” Ennis said.

“Yes,” Lexi said. “Many times. I’ve seen him do incredible things.”

“Like what?”

“I’ve seen him heal people. It’s unbelievable, but I’ve seen him do it. He can conjure fire, light, wind—even put people to sleep.”

Ennis sat back, a look of relief spreading across his face.

“What type of person is he?”

Lexi shook her head. She wasn’t exactly sure what the old man was asking her.

“I mean, would you say he was a good person?” Ennis asked. “Or is he cruel?”

“Tiberius is the best person I’ve ever met,” Lexi said honestly. “He’s humble and conscientious. He puts others before himself, always helping people whenever he can.”

“I have to meet him,” Ennis said. “Can you bring him here, tomorrow at sunset? Just the two of you.”

“I can try, but I really don’t know how long we’ll be here,” she said. “What can you tell me about the Balestone?”

“I can only tell you that I have knowledge about the stone that your friend needs. Tell him I will do all I can to help him, but you must bring him here.”

Lexi’s intuition was screaming that something was wrong. There was no way she was willing to lead Tiberius into a trap, but she had no evidence that the old man planned to betray them. She had known Ennis for several years. They were acquaintances, little more than than two people who moved in the same circles, but he was well respected. And he wasn’t a powerful man. He was old, one of the oldest people Lexi had ever met. His body was frail, and he wasn’t known as a thief or ruffian. She decided she could bring Tiberius as long as they kept their guard up.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll bring him, but if you try anything, I’ll kill you myself.”

“You have nothing to fear from me, child,” Ennis said. “Now go. I have much to do if I am to help your friend.”

He unbolted the door and walked Lexi out. The sun was just beginning to color the sky a pearly pink. The air was damp and cold. Lexi gave the old man one last look, and he nodded reassuringly, so she left.

She didn’t go far, though. Instead she found a shadowy alley and hid there, watching the old man’s home. He wanted her to bring Tiberius, but she would stick around long enough to see what the old man was up to before she brought the man she loved back down to the lower levels of the city. Lexi wasn’t a warrior or a wizard, but in Avondale she had skills that would come in quite handy, and at that moment she knew exactly what she needed to do.

Chapter 10

Rafe

It was almost midday when Rafe’s father returned. Earl Aegus had eaten and was now sleeping again. His healers were encouraged by the earl’s newfound strength and will to live. Rafe said nothing about Tiberius’ ministrations in the night. His friend was resting, and Rafe was taken for just another of the earl’s soldiers. There had been a time not very long ago when Rafe was known by sight, but a month in the blighted lands had changed him. His normally clean-shaven face was concealed behind a scruffy growth of beard, and his hair was grown out as well. But most of all, people didn’t believe he could be the sword master’s son. Rafe had been banished, and it was believed that banishment was as good as a death sentence. The entire city had seen Rafe, Olyva, and Tiberius banished, and no one believed they still lived, no matter what Rafe’s reputation as a fighter had been.

“Have you eaten?” Grentz asked.

“No, sir,” Rafe replied.

“Anyone recognize you?”

“No, sir, I don’t believe so.”

“Good.”

He led the way down to the small apartment that Rafe had shared with his father over the years. When Rafe was old enough, he moved out and lived in the barracks with the other soldiers in the earl’s war band, but his father’s quarters had always felt like home. They went in, and Grentz found bread, cheese, fruit, and a canister of nuts. It was the kind of simple meal that Grentz preferred. Since Rafe had moved out, he rarely cooked, taking food from the earl’s kitchens occasionally but mostly just relying on simple foods that didn’t need much preparation.

As they ate, Grentz outlined his rudimentary plan.

“I think it would be a good idea to capture one of the war ships,” he said with no warning.

Rafe almost choked on is food. Once he was able to swallow, he asked a question.

“Why?”

“You’re going to need to get out of the city, probably quickly,” Grentz explained. “At some point the king’s soldiers will come en masse. You can’t hide here. And if you try to leave on foot, they can follow you. If we take one of the war ships, you could go anywhere. It wouldn’t be perfect, but the four of you could handle the ship, and they’re faster than the larger vessels. They even have weapons.”

“Okay,” Rafe said, still not quite sure what to think. “I’m not sure how we could do that, though.”

“You and I can do it,” Grentz said. “I’ll call to them, say I’ve got news from Sparlan Citadel. We get on board, kill all the soldiers.”

“Just like that,” Rafe said with a grin.

“Simple,” Grentz said. “The best plans are the simplest.”

“You do that and you’ll be a wanted man,” Rafe said.

“Not necessarily,” Grentz said. “You’re here, Tiberius is here. We make it known that you were here and you stole the ship. There’s no reason for anyone to think that I helped. I can just say I didn’t know anything about it.”

Rafe felt scared and honored. His father was the most feared swordsman in the nine cities, yet he had never acted as if Rafe were his equal. Now, he was plotting to help Rafe steal one of the king’s war ships and trusting that Rafe could hold his own, back to back with his father.

“What about the other ship?” Rafe asked.

“They don’t have to know anything about it,” Grentz said. “We wait until nightfall then dump the bodies into the mist. They’ll think that it’s still being crewed by their guys.”

“Won’t we need some help?”

“Not taking the ship. There isn’t a lot of room on those ships. Don’t get me wrong, they’re big enough, but with the catapults and rigging, involving more people will only make it harder. We’d end up getting in each other’s way. And you can’t use your rapier. It’s too long for close work. You need two short swords.”

“All right,” Rafe said. “When do you want to do it?”

“As soon as you’re finished eating,” Grentz said. “The sooner you have a solid way to escape if trouble starts brewing, the better I’ll feel.”

“Dad, you don’t have to put your neck on the line for me,” Rafe said. “I made my choice and I don’t regret it. But I don’t want to drag you down with me.”

“You think I wouldn’t die for you right now?” Grentz said. His jaw was set, and he glared at his son. “You think I didn’t go to the earl and beg for a pardon when Leonosis banished you? You think I wouldn’t have left with you that day if Aegus hadn’t assigned two experienced men to keep me in sight at all times until the three of you entered the mists?”

“No, I just…” Rafe wasn’t sure what to say. “I thought you were angry.”

“I was angry. I was furious over what happened, and with Leonosis, and with the earl. I was even mad at Tiberius, and all he did was stand up for you. But most of all I was furious with myself. I spent my whole life trying to make sure you could have a better life. Making sure that no matter who challenged you, you were prepared to meet them on equal terms. Protecting the earl and raising you were the only things I cared about once your mother died. And then you were suddenly thrust into a situation I had no idea how to fix. I tried every way I could to help you, but I couldn’t. I failed because I let my position and my stupid reputation hold me back. I’ve regretted that decision every day since. Now I’ve got a second chance and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it slip past me. I was angry because your choices took you away from me, but I was never angry with you. I admire what you did and how you did it. No, things didn’t work out the way any of us hoped, but you followed your heart and held your head high even when the earl’s family turned against you.”

“I didn’t want to leave,” Rafe said.

“Of course you didn’t. I know that. But now it seems like maybe your leaving was a good thing. Your mother always said things happen for a reason. I lost faith in that when she died. I just couldn’t imagine what reason there could possibly be for a little boy to lose his mother. And yet, with things happening in the capital the way they are, I think maybe you were meant to get out of Avondale. The kingdom needs you.”

“The kingdom needs Tiberius,” Rafe said. “I wouldn’t be here without him.”

“You two boys have needed each other since you were little. I’ve said that all your life and I was proved right when Tiberius stood with you when Leonosis made a spectacle of your banishment in front of the king. I was destined to be Earl Aegus’ man, and you’re destined to be Tiberius’.”

They went to the armory, retrieved swords, then donned cloaks so the weapons didn’t stand out. As they climbed up onto the walls, Rafe couldn’t help but feel as if he were moving backwards. His whole life, the walls of Avondale had seemed like such huge, impenetrable barriers, not just around the city, but around his life. Only now he had moved on and seen things that made the walls of Avondale seem small. The walls were familiar, but they no longer felt like home. And despite the sense of safety they should have provided, Rafe suddenly longed to be out on the open plains of the blighted lands once more. Just a good horse and his friends by his side—that was the future that Rafe wanted.

They didn’t go to the city gates, which were manned with twice as many soldiers as normal. Rafe noticed that the guard had been doubled all around the city. Instead they entered the massive watchtower and climbed the stone steps. Rafe was winded when the reached the top, but Grentz seemed fine. Rafe didn’t know why the air seemed so thin to him. It had never bothered him before, but he had trouble catching his breath.