Trinity (23 page)

Peadar regarded him closely.
“My bothers have other duties to attend to.”

Nidan nodded and smiled as
though he accepted Peadar’s words. He knew what they had to mean:
as he had expected, word had spread about the attack on Blackoak
Tower. “Away from the town?” Nidan knew he was treading a thin
line, but he had to find out how much danger Kiana was in. He
gritted his teeth together to avoid grimacing, angered that he had
to regard the Guardians as a threat.

The muscles beneath Peadar’s
eyes had begun to twitch ever so slightly. “Yes. There has been
some trouble with Wolves to the west. Nothing to worry about.
You’re a curious sort, aren’t you?”

For the first time in his life
Nidan was glad when he felt his cheeks grow hot. He smiled
self-consciously. “My apologies if I asked anything inappropriate.
My mother always said my curiosity would get me into trouble.”

“
Has
it?”

“
Not yet!”
Nidan attempted to laugh, but the noise sounded flat and died on
the air. “I must go.”

He glanced
around until he located his boots, which sat neatly at the foot of
the bed. He saw no sign of his sword.
Skaric would have kept it, to defend Kiana.
Nidan silently thanked Skaric’s sense: the sword
would have betrayed them all. As he tugged on his boots, Nidan
could feel Peadar’s stare upon him.
I said
too much; asked too many questions
. He had
never felt uncomfortable in a temple of Pios before. He felt
sick.

Once he was ready, Nidan stood
and smiled at Peadar. “Thank you again for healing me.” His body
almost bowed out of habit.

Peadar nodded politely. “Let me
escort you outside.”

The old man had been right:
Nidan’s leg was slightly stiff, giving him a small limp. Despite
that, he had to force himself to walk at a slow pace beside Peadar
as they left the dormitory and headed across a courtyard into the
temple. The temple was not as large or grand as its sister in
Ironhold, but it was beautiful despite that. Sunlight poured in
through tall arched windows, illuminating the lofty ceiling, carved
stone pillars and green tapestries. Incense lingered on the air and
a sense of peace shrouded the hall, almost making Nidan feel at
ease.

Anxiety welled within him again
as they reached the entrance hall. Peadar produced a large metal
key from a pocket and unlocked the tall door with a clunk. He
pushed it open on silent hinges before clasping Nidan’s hand in his
own. The Guardian’s skin felt smooth and leathery.

“
The temple of
Miale is always open to those who need to talk.” Peadar released
Nidan’s hand.

Nidan blinked fiercely.

“
It’s obvious
that you are troubled,” Peadar said. He touched his fingertips to
his brow and then extended a fist towards Nidan.

Nidan quickly returned the
gesture and then froze. On the wall behind Peadar, there was a
painted map.

Peadar noticed Nidan’s reaction
and glanced round. “It’s very old,” he said. “One of the last maps
that still show what the land was like before the War of
Tears.”

“
It’s…
beautiful…” Nidan said. He found Linden quickly and then looked
east to where Orholt was marked on the map.

“
Yes.
Exquisite work,” Peadar said. “And very old. If we could move it
somewhere more secure, we would. Alas, we couldn’t remove the
bricks without damaging the plaster.”

Nidan narrowed
his eyes. He tried to block out the sound of Peadar’s voice as he
traced a path from their current location to Orholt.
What will it matter if Kiana is dead?
Nidan’s skin felt cold. He clenched his hands into
fists. He had already lost Brid; he couldn’t have failed Kiana
too.

“
The stables
are just to the right,” Peadar said. “Your horses were watered and
fed last night and again at first light. I wish you good luck with
your journey.”

Nidan tore his gaze away from
the map and smiled faintly at Peadar. “Thank you again.”

Peadar laughed. “I don’t think
I have ever heard someone give thanks quite so many times as
you.”

Nidan hurried outside and
jogged down the steps towards the stables without sparing a final
glance at the old Guardian. The guilt and fear that filled him was
simply too great.

*

After a fruitless visit to the
Wheel and Flagon inn, Nidan found himself pacing the streets,
leading the two horses. He had run through countless scenarios in
his head about what might have happened to Kiana and Skaric; hardly
any of them had good outcomes. The town was abuzz with the story of
the Wolf attack, but no one had any firm details except that it had
taken place in the graveyard. Almost every street had a patrolling
guard, though most looked nervous and green as though they’d just
been drafted in from the streets.

Nidan’s head pounded with
anxiety.

With so many
guards, he knew his companions would have found somewhere to hide.
Damn Skaric for bringing them to Linden in the first place, for
separating Nidan from Kiana. No. He couldn’t think that way. The
Wolves had been too close. Linden had been the only safe place, but
knowing that wouldn’t help him find his companions,
if
they were still
alive.

Nidan reached
for a sword that wasn’t there.
I should
have been with them
. He raised his eyes
skywards. Why hadn’t Pios granted the Guardians the ability to heal
themselves?

He stopped dead in the middle
of the main road that ran parallel to the river. He’d tried
everywhere he could think of: the bridge, back alleys; he’d even
nosed about in the stable blocks attached to each of the inns. With
each dead end he felt more frustrated and panicked. Kiana and
Skaric didn’t know the city. They would have stayed close to the
tavern; otherwise, there would have been no point in the message
Skaric had left with Peadar. But they weren’t there. They weren’t
anywhere within the city walls.

Unable to breathe, Nidan
stopped abruptly. He was barely aware of the throng of people
pushing past him or the heavy scent of cooked meat that flooded his
nostrils. What if Skaric was dead? What if the Wolves did have
Kiana and were dragging her back to their den in the mountains?
Nidan closed his fists around the reins, causing both horses to
toss their heads. He wouldn’t let the Wolves kill Kiana. Until the
time of Thanatos started, she was still alive and there was still
hope. He needed answers and there was only one place worth looking
for them.

Nidan made his way to the
graveyard. A pair of Guardians stood at the gap in the wall
alongside the city guard. They barred his way as soon as he
approached.

One of the Guardians gestured
towards Nidan’s horses. “If you want to leave, take another exit.”
His voice was gruff.

Nidan glanced past the Guardian
as he nodded. Even from a distance, he could see the hideous burnt
patch on top of the hill and the patch of dead grass that stretched
even further. The only thing unscathed was a headstone. Why would
Kiana and Skaric have strayed outside of the city walls?

“
I said move
on,” the Guardian said.

Nidan puffed
out a breath and took a chance; he
had
to understand what had happened.
“Whose grave is that?” He pointed towards the headstone.

“
Some
priestess of Miale,” one of the guards said casually.

Nidan bit his tongue. Both
Guardians shot the man a dark look, which was all the answer Nidan
needed.

He opened his mouth to speak
and then shut it. He knew how secretive the Guardians could be,
especially where Miale was concerned. Asking anything would arouse
suspicion.

Did that even matter? The
Guardians would help Nidan hunt the Wolves down. They would help
him save Kiana.

That isn’t
what Kiana wants
.

Nidan turned away. He had never
felt more alone.

*

Berend stared out over the flat
terrain, his arms folded over his chest. The Guardians were out
there, circling the town of Linden. The war leader and his men had
been forced to retreat several leagues out of sight of the town,
which meant more time wasted. The grass fire had already trapped
them for far too long, allowing Skaric and Miale to slip out of his
grasp. Berend kicked a plume of dirt up into the air and turned
back towards his pack.

“
They could
have already left the town,” he said. “Ysia knows which direction
they’ll head in.”

“
We’ll pick up
their tracks again,” Vali said calmly.

Berend glared at him. The nyxus
was really beginning to grate on his nerves.

“
Besides,”
Vali said, “Xaver and Hagan are still out scouting. Maybe they will
come back with news.”

Berend knew they would. His
fighters were far more reliable than a nyxus would ever be. “What
if they stay in Linden?” he said, snapping the words at Vali.
“They’ll be out of our grasp forever.”

“
Skaric
won’t
stay in a town.
He
will
leave and
when he does, we will find him and take him back to the
Alpha.”

Berend raised both his hands,
fingertips tensed as though squeezing the life out of something. “I
won’t be happy until…” He caught himself and turned away abruptly.
He hated having to maintain pretence in front of Vali. He hated
that Skaric and Miale were out of his reach.

“
Until what?”
Vali asked.

Berend looked over his
shoulder. The nyxus had moved to stand beside him, close enough to
be stabbed. Berend’s hand twitched on his sword hilt. “Until I’ve
delivered that coward back to the Alpha.”

Vali’s taut mouth twitched
slightly. He might have said something if the Wolf on watch hadn’t
shouted out.

“
Someone’s
coming!”

Berend looked to where his pack
mate was pointing. Sure enough, a lone rider was heading towards
them. Despite the distance, it was clear the man was a Wolf. Vali
walked away. Berend relaxed slightly. Frowning, he waited for the
warrior to reach him.

“
Where’s
Hagan?” Berend asked before Xaver had even had a chance to
dismount.

Xaver, pale-faced, slid from
his horse’s back and bowed deeply to the war leader. “Dead.”

The Wolves touched their hands
to their chests. “For the glory of the Wolves! For Ysia!” Only
Berend kept silent during the unified chant.

He raised an eyebrow as he
looked Xaver up and down. Xaver was filthy: dust, grime and sweat
covered his clothes and skin. But there was also a fine darkness
around his lips and nostrils.

“
He scouted
too close to Linden’s walls and got himself killed,” Xaver said,
squinting slightly as he looked Berend in the eyes.

“
And where
were you?”

“
Scouting in a
different direction. I caught a glimpse of the traitor and Miale.
They’re definitely inside the town.” Xaver’s words were smooth but
unnaturally hurried.

“
So, Hagan’s
sloppiness got him killed and resulted in a Guardian presence
outside the town?” Berend asked.

Xaver nodded.

“
It’s a wonder
you were able to escape.” Berend inhaled deeply as he finished. He
caught the faintest scent of smoke.

Xaver shrugged. “I was
lucky.”

Berend turned away as he nodded
thoughtfully. Did Xaver really believe that he was so stupid? He
curled his top lip into a snarl. No one made him look like a fool,
especially not in front of a nyxus. He tapped his fingertips on the
top of his pommel. “Did you have an opportunity to kill Miale and
capture Skaric?”

“
No.” Xaver
spoke with rehearsed promptness.

There was no need for any more
questions. Berend turned and drew his sword in the same action.
Xaver’s eyes bulged and his mouth dropped open as the sword was
thrust through his chest.

“
No
one
lies to me,” Berend said slowly.
“
No one
betrays
me.”

He pulled his sword free and
watched with grim satisfaction as Xaver’s body dropped to the
ground.

“
Was that
really necessary?” Vali asked.

Berend swung
round and levelled the sword point at Vali’s neck. “And
no one
questions me,” he
said, narrowing his eyes. “Especially… not… you.”

To his credit, Vali didn’t
waver. He folded his arms across his chest with almost unnerving
calmness. “Apologies. War leader.”

It took all of
Berend’s willpower not to strike the nyxus down. Why was he staying
his hand?
Because I might need him if
Skaric finds the balls to use his magic again
. He looked down at Xaver’s body, focusing on the dark stains
around the man’s nose and mouth: smoke stains. Perhaps Skaric had
already found that courage.

Berend slowly
lowered his sword, allowing Vali to walk away. Berend watched him
go.
I’ll play nice until we’ve caught
Skaric. Then I’ll kill you both
.

Chapter
Fifteen

Kiana’s anxiety had risen
throughout the day as she tried to work out a way to contact Nidan
without going back into Linden.

She and Skaric had been forced
to move away from the town when the search party had fanned out to
hunt the Wolves down. It hadn’t been easy to pick their way through
the darkness. With every sound, Kiana had been sure that either the
remaining Wolf or Guardians would descend upon them. Eventually,
they had discovered a disused storehouse. Once inside, Kiana had
allowed Skaric to collapse into unconsciousness whilst she clung
onto Nidan’s sword and kept watch.