Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (92 page)

Her man hadn’t died as Lorcan thought he should have done, and she was glowing far brighter than she had at the beginning—did that mean she was nearly done or just starting? Did it mean anything at all? Probably it did, he decided remembering the same thing happening when she killed the brigand. One moment she had been an ordinary woman walking along a deserted city street—if any noble could be called ordinary—the next, there had been an intense flash of light surrounding her, or maybe coming out of her, he wasn’t sure which it was. That was when the lightning had struck. She made it happen. Witches could do that stuff and a lot more besides. She was a healer too. Maybe that made her a good witch, though he had never heard of such a thing. Everyone knew witches were evil, but she had promised to pay him. Maybe she would make the guardsmen let him go, but…

Lorcan sighed glumly when he realised that he couldn’t believe anything she had said. Ten golds she promised him, but then she said he could have anything he wanted. Maybe if she was a good witch, he could ask for a new pair of boots—a pair never worn by anyone else, and all for him. A pair made to fit him perfectly, and not taken from a dead boy. His old ones were too small and hurt his toes. Were boots worth more than ten golds? He had bought a sausage for two silvers once. That meant he had
fifty
sausages coming! Was a pair of boots worth more than fifty sausages? They couldn’t be. That many would feed him for nearly a season if he were careful. His feet were small, maybe he could ask for a pair of boots and ten sausages.

Lorcan was so caught up with the fantasy of eating huge sausages while strutting in his new boots, that he didn’t notice the ward collapse until a guardsman grabbed him. He stamped the man’s instep and pulled a dagger.

“Don’t hurt him!”

“
AEiiiiiiiiii!
”

Blood gushed over Lorcan’s shirt and the hand holding him withdrew, but before he could take advantage and run, another guardsman smashed him to the ground.

Everything went black.

* * *

“Don’t hurt him!” Julia cried.

“Don’t hurt him? What about my
hand?
” Sergeant Burke said holding up his hand where a dagger thrust completely through it.

Julia stood tiredly and examined the sergeant’s hand. “Brace yourself,” she said and yanked the blade out in one hard pull. Burke’s eyes popped wide, but he didn’t utter a sound. He was trying to be brave in front of her and his men.

“Ooh! I bet that hurt!” someone said and the others laughed.

“Hurts something fierce, eh sergeant?”

“Mind yer business,” Burke growled through gritted teeth.

“You reckon we might get the rest of the day off?” another man said and was answered. “I could do with a day in barracks.”

“You’ll get a tenday in the stables if yer don’t shut yer holes!” Burke hissed.

Julia ignored the catcalls and whistles from Burke’s men. They were only trying to take his mind off the pain. Besides, his wound wasn’t life threatening and she healed it very quickly.

One of Burke’s men lifted the unconscious boy, and another picked up Brian. Udall, poor dear friend, had already been taken away it seemed.

“Were they simple toughs, or were they paid do you think?”

“Both, Lady. They
were
brigands, but they all had five golds in their pouches. I sent everything back to the palace. The bow was good quality, so were the swords. I’m thinking you need a bigger bodyguard if you want to come out onto the streets, Lady.”

She pushed her hair back from her eyes and sighed tiredly. “I have to, Burke. They need a healer more now than ever.”

She took a quick look at the boy, but he didn’t seem badly injured. She would make certain later. They made their way toward the palace as if moving through enemy territory. They were in a way. Burke and two others stayed back with her while half of his men moved in front with heads swinging left and right looking for assassins. The other half did likewise behind her, but for the most part, they were walking backwards. Julia felt like the President walking through New York. Every corner might be hiding a man with a gun or in this case a bow.

Who wanted her dead? Ha! Stupid question. Nearly every powerful lord had a grudge against her, and would see her dead if they could. Those she had forced into supporting Gylaren would want revenge, and those supporting Ascol would want her dead because she opposed him. Then there was emperor Vexin who, it seemed, blamed her for his defeat last year even though she had been in Camorin at the time. His men had nearly done her in at Dirlston.

And now this. What a mess.

Brian awoke just as they entered the palace grounds and insisted he take his post at her side. She agreed to keep him happy. Brian took charge of the boy, and together they entered her rooms. Burke insisted on stationing a guardsman on the balcony and two outside the door. This was going to be impossible. She had become used to Moriz and Halbert following her around and standing guard at her door, but she wouldn’t be able to move without tripping over guardsmen if Burke had his way. She would be glad to get back home to Athione where she was safe and didn’t need bodyguards within the walls of the fortress.

Julia snorted at the thought. When she had first arrived at Athione, having any guards at all was annoying, but now she was half way to accepting them all the time!

She gestured to her couch. “On the couch Brian.”

Brian dumped the filthy boy on her couch, and started searching him!

“What are you…” she broke off as Brian found another dagger.

She watched as Brian thoroughly searched the boy. In all he found three daggers secreted in little pockets sown into the urchin’s clothes. There was a gold ring and a few coins as well. In one pocket, he found a mouldy sausage. Julia hoped the boy hadn’t intended to eat it, but he probably had. While Brian took the boy’s weapons away, Julia asked one of her men outside to find a selection of clothes for him.

Brian hovered close while she used her magic to examine the boy. He was healthy enough for a half starved vagabond, but it was what else she found that had her heart pounding. The boy was a mage! He obviously didn’t know, or he would have used his magic to survive rather than a dagger. He might not have used his power for the first time yet. She was about to ask Brian to find Keverin, when her door banged open and Kev stormed in. He hugged her in relief when he found her unharmed.

“Are you all right? I heard about Udall.”

Tears for her friend welled up. Julia clung to Keverin not wanting him to see, but he knew. His stroking of her back and kissing of her hair in public told her. Brian had moved to the balcony to give them as much privacy as he could, but is was still public to Kev.

“It was awful,” she mumbled against his armoured chest. “Udall pushed me out of the way and the arrow hit him instead.”

“I honour him for his gift to you,” Keverin said sadly. “I pray the God finds him worthy.”

“He will. Brian and I killed two of the assassins. The boy took care of the other two. He’s only a child, yet he killed them as if he’d been doing it all his life.”

Keverin studied the boy from where he held her. “He’s probably been living day to day on the streets. It’s kill or be killed out there. I owe him a great debt.”

“How much?” the boy said abandoning his pretence of being unconscious.

Keverin grinned as the boy say up warily. “You’re awake are you? Good. I want to thank you for helping my lady. I’m in your debt.”

“I heard. She… Julia owes me ten gold. How much do you owe me?”

“That would depend on what you want.”

“I want a new pair of boots that fit just right, and ain’t never been worn by no one, and—” he broke off biting his lip in anxiety.

“Go on boy, what else?”

“Ten sausages—big ones mind!”

Keverin frowned. “Hmmm, only ten? How about two dozen?”

The stunned expression on the boy’s face made Julia sad. He was so shocked that anyone would give him so much just for killing two men. The world could be a hard and cruel place sometimes. The prospect of getting his hands on two dozen sausages delighted the boy. He nodded enthusiastically. Keverin clasped hands with him to seal the bargain.

Julia took the opportunity to bespeak Lucius and Mathius. *
Can you two come to my rooms?
*

*
Is something wrong?
* Lucius said in concern. *
We’re nearly at the palace.
*

*
Udall is dead,
* she said fighting to hold back the tears his name summoned. *
He saved my life, but that’s not why I want you here. I have someone I want you to meet.
*

*
How did it happen? Are you all right?
* Mathius said with anxiety clear in his mind’s voice.

*
I’m fine, Mathius. I’ll explain everything when you get here. Just come as fast as you can; will you?
*

*
We’re on our way.
* Mathius said.

*
Good,
* she said and released her magic.

The boy had seen her using her magic. He was warily looking around, probably wondering what she had done. She remembered doing exactly the same thing when she first saw Mathius use his.

“Can I have my money now?”

Julia nodded. “I remember my promise boy—what is your name?”

“Lorcan.”

“I would like to offer you a bargain first, Lorcan.”

“What bargain?”

“We will give you two golds every tenday, if you swear to be Keverin’s man—”

Keverin turned to her in surprise. “Julia what—”

“You’ll see in a minute,” she said noting the worry on Lorcan’s face. “Do you know what swearing to a great lord like Athione means?”

“Course! We always used to pretend, but that was a long time ago, and only make believe. Why me? I ain’t nobody.”

Imagining this tough streetwise boy playing at guardsmen and lords with others his age made her smile. It was hard to visualise him as anything but what he was now, especially after seeing him dispatch two brigands so effectively.

“Do you remember when I said I’ll give you anything you want?”

“Yes, but you still ain’t said
why!
”

“I’m coming to that. You are very important to us. We, Keverin and I, will give you anything you want—” Lorcan’s eyes lit up and she hastily corrected herself. “Well not
anything
. We will give you two golds every tenday as your pay. We will give you a completely new set of clothes with boots. And yes, I’ll still give you the money I owe you. We will give you rooms to live in, all the food you want, a horse to ride. All those things if you will swear to be Keverin’s man until death. You must be loyal to him and obey him when he gives you an order. You must never betray him or anyone from Athione.”

Julia smiled at Lorcan and Keverin’s puzzled faces. “You are very special Lorcan, and because you are special, I have some friends who can teach you magic.”

She watched as Lorcan tried to understand his change in fortunes. He was having trouble believing that she was telling the truth if she was any judge of expression. He would be looking for hidden meanings in her words, and trying to find the catch. She would do the same in his position.

“Will you swear?”

* * *

Lorcan’s world had been turned upside down, and all because he had killed two worthless brigands on impulse. Maybe the God was watching over him after all. He shook his head in wonder. He was a murderer and a thief, but here he was, sworn to Lord Athione himself—
Athione!
Not just any lord, but the greatest lord of the greatest fortress in Deva! His life couldn’t get much stranger than this.

He eyed the fancy tapestries and such as he walked, but forced his itchy fingers to leave them where they were. Food was no longer the only thing of worth in Devarr. The Lady was feeding everyone, and gold was worth something again.

“Where are we going, Mathius?”

“I wondered when you were going to ask. I’m taking you to the rooms assigned to the men of Athione.”

The men of Athione. He was a man of Athione now, and he was going to be a mage, the Lady said. It seemed too good to be true, but lord Keverin had sworn to uphold his rights, and to protect him and his family as the stories said he should. He had no family now, but it seemed he might have one in the future at Athione. He wished his mother could have seen this day.

“When do we leave for Athione?”

Mathius smiled. “I’m not sure, Lorcan. The lords are here to elect a new king. Lord Keverin wants Lord Meilan to be king—Gylaren is a good friend of his. He would make a good one.”

“What happened to the old one?”

“He died,” Mathius said.

The King was dead. Why didn’t lord Keverin take his place? Athione was the most important fortress in the world, his father had told him that years ago. Athione made Deva safe from the bad men in the west. He sneered at the thought even as it occurred to him. Bad men in the west indeed! There were plenty of bad men right here in Devarr. He had killed a dozen of them himself. If Keverin wanted Gylaren on the throne, then that must happen. He was sworn to Athione, and Keverin was Athione in his eyes.

“Who else wants the throne?” Lorcan asked, and Mathius grimaced. It seemed Mathius had little liking for the lord who opposed Keverin.

“Lord Ascol is opposing us, but he would be a disaster. We are in the lead in the voting, but we don’t have enough to win, and neither does Ascol.”

Lorcan decided to find out where Ascol lived. A quick thrust with his best dagger would solve his lord’s problem, and they could go home to Athione. Mathius turned down one last corridor and entered a room. Lorcan followed. It was a large room filled with light coming through the open balcony doors. He stepped outside and found himself looking down into an overgrown garden. He stepped back inside and turned full circle noting all the doors.

“Which one is mine?”

Mathius smiled. “All of them of course. This is a guest suite, Lorcan. The bedchamber is through that door there, and the bath is through this one,” Mathius said pointing to each of the doors in turn. “We—Athione that is—claimed this entire section of the palace for our own. Lord Jihan’s men have the adjoining corridor.”