Black dawn (31 page)
"You didn't tell me one thing," Maggie said suddenly. "What'd they call
you
when you started working here? What was your job?"
Jeanne snorted.
"Second Assistant Stable Sweeper.
everything. "
Maggie didn't think she could possibly sleep in a
place like this, but after the three of them had sat
quietly for a long time she found herself dozing. And when the rattle of the dungeon door startled
her, she realized that she'd been asleep.
She had no idea what time it was-the flare was
burning low. She could feel
Aradia
and Jeanne
come awake beside her.
"Dinner?"
Jeanne muttered.
"I just hope it's not PJ.-" Maggie began, and
then
broke off as firm, determined steps sounded on the stone floor of the corridor.
She recognized the stride and she stood up to
meet
He stood outside the cell, the dying torchlight
flickering on his dark hair, catching occasional
sparks off his golden eyes. He was alone.
And he didn't waste time getting to the point.
"I came to see if you've decided to be reason
able," he said.
"I've been reasonable from the beginning," Mag
gie said quietly and completely seriously. She was
searching his face and the slight link she felt be
tween their minds at this distance, hoping to find
some change in him. But although she felt turmoil
that was almost
anguish,
she also felt the steel of
his resolve.
I won't let you be killed. Nothing else matters.
Maggie felt her shoulders sag.
She turned slightly.
Aradia
and Jeanne were still
sitting on the bench,
Aradia
motionless, Jeanne
coiled and wary. But she could tell that they both
felt this was her fight.
And they're right. If I can't do it, nobody can
...
But
how?
"They're people," she said, gesturing toward the
other girls, but watching
how to get you to see that. They matter, too."
He hardly glanced back at them. "In the time of
darkness that is coming," he said, as carefully as if
reciting a lesson, "only the Night People will sur
vive. The ancient forces of magic are rising. They've
been asleep for ten thousand years, but they're
waking up again."
A low voice, not belligerent, but not afraid either,
came from the back of the cell. "Some of us believe
that humans can learn to live with magic."
"Some of you are idiots and fools and are going
to die,"
He stared at Maggie. She stared back at him.
They were willing each other as
hard as possible
to understand.
And I think he's got a stronger will, Maggie
thought, as she broke the locked gaze and looked away, thumping the heel of a clenched fist against
her forehead.
No. That's not right. I'm Steely Neely and I never
give up.
If I tell him that some things are worth dying
for...
But I don't think
he's
afraid to die. He's just
afraid for me. And he just won't listen if I say that
I'd
rather die than see some things happen. But
that's the truth. There are some things that you just can't allow to happen, whatever the cost. There are
some things that have just got to be stopped.
She froze, and the cell seemed to disappear
around her.
She was seeing, in her mind's eye, an equally
dark and uncomfortable little cart. And her own
voice was saying,
Jeanne. It's got to stop.
Feeling very light-headed, she turned toward the
bench. "Jeanne? Come over here."
Jeanne straightened and walked up doubtfully.
She looked into Maggie's face.
Maggie looked at her and then at
"Now you show him," she said in a voice that
was like her own voice, but older and much grim
mer, "what his Night People do to slaves who try
to escape.
Like you showed me."
Jeanne's expression was inscrutable. She went on
staring at Maggie for a moment,
then
she raised
her eyebrows and turned around.
She was wearing the same slave tunic she had
been wearing for the last four days. She lifted it up
in the same way and showed
He took one look and reeled back as if she'd hit him.
Maggie was braced, but even so the backlash of
his shock and horror nearly swamped her. She
grabbed on to the iron bars of the cell and waited
it out, teeth gritted while her vision went from
black to red to something like a normal gray.
"Who did this?"
his eyes, which looked black in contrast.
"Who?"
Jeanne dropped her tunic. "I thought you didn't care about vermin." And she walked away without
answering him, leaving him speechless.
Maggie watched her sit down,
then
turned back.
"Some things have got to be stopped," she said
to
you just can't let go on."
And then she waited.
I knew he didn't know that kind of thing was
happening, she thought, feeling vaguely glad in a
very tired, sad, and distant way. But it's good to
see it proved.
The silence stretched endlessly.
hand through his hair at some point; it was dishev
eled and falling over his forehead. The skin of his
face seemed to be stretched, very tight and his eyes
were burning gold.
He looked as if he'd completely lost his bearings,
and he didn't know what to trust anymore. And then he looked at Maggie.
She was still standing there, waiting and watch
ing. Their eyes met and she realized suddenly that
she'd never seen him so vulnerable-or so open.
But if there was one thing Prince Delos had, it was resolution. After another moment of help
lessness, she saw him straighten his shoulders and draw himself up.
And, as usual, he got directly to the point.
"You're right," he said simply. "And I was wrong.
There are some things that have got to be stopped."
Maggie leaned
against the bars and smiled.
"I'll get the key," he said, and then went on,
briskly planning. "I want the three of you out of
the castle, at least, before I confront Hunter."
"You can't do it alone," Maggie began.
She
should have known he'd immediately start arrang
ing everybody's life again. "Especially not with your
power blocked-"
"There's no reason for you to be in any more
danger than you have to be," he said. "I'll send you
off with some of my people who can be trusted-"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," a voice said
from the corridor.
It gave Maggie a horrible jolt. They were all tired,
and all caught up in the moment, and none of them
had seen the figure until it was almost behind