Exile (11 page)

The investigation failed to reveal any openings. Myac turned away from the pointless vigil, determined not to let the evening go to waste. With fresh purpose, he started toward another part of the education district in search of other sport. It had taken little effort to find out where her discarded fiancé, one Jayce Sendir, lived. With what he had gleaned from Serivar and from his sessions with her, he thought he had enough background information to confront the young lord. Now was as good a time as any to see what more of her past he could get access to and maybe stir up a little trouble in the process. Some pain from her past might be exactly the impetus needed to get her to turn to him. If he could only nudge the young lord in the right direction without implicating himself in the process, the rewards might be considerable.

Myac climbed the stairs of the proper residence and knocked at the door, a soft, tentative knock. When it opened, the man standing there glanced over his shoulder at the dark falling outside and scowled. At first glance, he was attractive enough, but the sour expression found a natural home on sharp features framed by meticulously trimmed hair. Irritation radiated from him, and there was anger beneath that, boiling anger, eager to attack the emotions of anyone who dared to press him. Myac got the impression, from the strength and depth of the emotion, that it always lurked there, right below the surface. In only a few seconds, he understood a whole lot more about why Indigo left this man and why she was hiding away in her own city.

“Lord Jayce Sendir?”

A puzzled frown curved his lips and he narrowed his eyes. “Do I know you?”

“Pardon me. I was actually looking for your fiancée, Lady Indigo Milan.”

Rage. A surge of pure, white-hot rage blazed forth as Jayce’s hand tightened on the edge of the door and he recoiled a bit as though accosted by a sudden foul odor. Myac pulled ascard in around himself, managing to muster the outward appearance of concern and some uncertainty while he prepared a few precautionary defenses.

Jayce clenched his jaw, taking control of himself. The young lord balanced on the knife-edge of a quick, dangerous temper. It was more than likely that he’d taken his temper out on Indigo in a physical way Myac realized, his jaw clenching with an unexpected surge of antipathy toward the man before him.

And why does that thought bother you so much?

He shoved the question aside, focusing on the task at hand and carefully controlling his expression.

“Indigo left,” Jayce stated, his tone frigid as a wind coming off the glaciers on Mount Serst in the heart of winter.

Myac manufactured an expression of surprise. “Oh. I’m terribly sorry. I haven’t spoken to her in about a year. I didn’t realize…”

Jayce regarded him for a minute, resentment warring with a jealous curiosity in his eyes. Eventually, curiosity won. “How do you know her?”

“I knew her before she joined the academy. We were close friends for a long time.” The jealousy flared again and Myac had to fight back a smile. It was so easy to bait him. “I’m Lord Edan Lindis.” He offered his hand when the silence lengthened.

Jayce’s eyes narrowed more. “She never mentioned you.”

Myac let his hand sink back to his side and picked at one sleeve, making a show of looking disappointed.

Jayce nodded as though he’d expected the response, and then he nodded again, more firmly this time. “Care for a drink, Lord Edan?” He stepped back to allow entry.

Hesitating, Myac lingered on the doorstep in apparent thoughtful silence so as not to look too eager, and then he shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

Myac followed him inside. It was one of the more upscale residences in the district, more than adequate for an active student of any status who wanted to be near their place of study. It was also painfully unkempt, something he suspected was a recent development. He couldn’t see Indigo living in such disarray. Jayce had to move a jacket, a longbow, and a quiver of arrows to make a place for Myac to sit. Hiding his disgust, he sat on the chair, a nice, comfortable piece made ugly with lack of cleaning. Jayce vanished and returned a moment later carrying two clay mugs of some rank-smelling alcohol. As he lifted the mug to his lips, Myac used a touch of creation skill to turn it into a complex wine more suited to his tastes, careful to mask the altered aroma.

Jayce sat in another chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his posture aggressive and demanding. Hazel eyes stabbed into Myac, hungering for something, perhaps a justification for the vile jealousy that coursed through him. It was a poison, that jealousy, and it was apt to kill him someday, hopefully sooner rather than later.

“What exactly is your relationship with Indigo?”

Myac finished his visual inventory of the room before speaking, though he continued a search with ascard, seeking anything that felt strongly of Indigo. The other man’s impatience infused the air with tension, but Myac pretended not to notice. Nothing in the residence held the signature of her power, but her neutral signature was present, if faint, in many places. There was nothing he could really learn anything from, which narrowed his purpose down to the one thing of possible use to him, Jayce.

Taking another drink, he finally met that intense gaze. “Are you studying at the academy?”

Anger flared, quickly quelled. How exhausting must it be to live with such rage? Was it always this bad, or had Indigo’s departure exacerbated the issue? Dissolution of an engagement, at least among the noble classes, was frowned upon in Caithin society. He could only imagine what a public disgrace like that would do to such a man’s ego.

“No. I do practice archery near here if you’re wondering why I still live in this sty.”

A sty you created
. “I was merely curious. It’s a nice place for this area.”

Jayce shrugged and waited, still expecting an answer to his prior question.

Myac cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, encouraging the other man to read discomfort in the actions. “Indigo and I were… close… before she moved here. We spent a lot of time together when she wanted to get away from her uncle’s sons. I’m passing through Demin, heading south to Leisburg, and thought it might be nice to see her again, catch up a little, and reminisce about old times perhaps.”

The jealously coiled in Jayce like a serpent ready to strike. To his credit, he sat back in his chair, taking a long draw from his mug, and managed to appear almost calm despite the storm of emotion raging inside him. Still, even if his emotions hadn’t been an open book to Myac, the cruel burn in his eyes would have betrayed him. With a lot of practice, the young lord might learn the politics of deception well, but he was playing the game against a connoisseur of the art. He stood little chance.

“I hate to disappoint you, but I’m afraid her training as a healer has become her only interest, to the exclusion of friends and family.”

The bitterness that oozed off him belied his casual tone. The words themselves rang false as well. Indigo was passionate about her studies, he had discovered that much easily enough. There was no reason in that for her to be in hiding as she clearly was. This man caused that and many of the other frustrating behaviors Myac now struggled to work past. He was a base and worthless creature, barely worth the power it would take to kill him under normal circumstances. Myac yearned to be away from him. This man had no great ambition, no higher goals, just a selfish need to control those around him and blame them for his failings. He was repulsive.

Myac drank more wine and sighed, giving no hint to his disgust. “That’s too bad. She always was an ambitious woman though. I admired that about her.” Jayce scowled at the praise. Myac continued as though he hadn’t noticed. “I’ll be here a few weeks before I continue on. Maybe I’ll get a chance to catch up with her before I leave. Perhaps I’ll try asking around the academy.”

Jayce arched an eyebrow, took another long draw on his drink, then said, “Slim chance of that. They don’t allow non-students into the training buildings. You can try if it amuses you though.”

“There must be some way to get in touch with her,” Myac persisted. “We have so much catching up to do and so little time.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting in touch with her myself,” Jayce said, managing a light tone. “I hate to leave things on the sour note they ended on. Unfortunately, I’m not sure where she’s staying. I haven’t had time to ask about much.”

Liar
. He had learned from his own investigations that Jayce searched for her incessantly the first few weeks after the force of healers and soldiers returned from Lyra. Indigo covered her tracks well and Serivar refused to meet with Jayce, brushing the young lord off on subordinates who didn’t have the authority to disclose information about students.

How infuriating it must all be for him
. The thought was strangely satisfying.

“I have a friend in the academy who might be able to find something out,” Myac muttered with a distant look to give the impression that he was only thinking aloud.

Jayce leaned forward, the intensity in his manner rekindled. “Perhaps you could let me know if you learn anything.”

Hunger and anticipation flowed off the man. Myac smiled inwardly. Jayce would be an easy tool to manipulate. That was all he needed to know. If things improved soon, he wouldn’t need to make use of this tool. Still, the young lord was dry grass waiting for a match, and Myac was willing to be that match if it became necessary.

Not yet.

“I imagine I could do that.” He finished off the wine and stood. “I should be going.”

Jayce stood so fast that Myac’s defensive reflexes kicked in again, drawing upon more ascard. The young lord’s tension and anger was putting him on edge. Myac turned toward the door and stiffened, bristling with contempt when Jayce dared to stop him with a hand on his shoulder.

I could destroy you with a thought, whelp.
Biting back his temper, Myac turned and met that feverish gaze.

“Promise me you’ll let me know where she is. I really need to speak with her.”

“I will,” he said.
When and if it serves my purposes to do so.

Jayce gestured to the door.

As soon as he was outside again, Myac allowed himself a shudder of revulsion. Maybe he had been something more once, maybe not, but Jayce was nothing more now than a beast whose existence served no purpose. If Jayce didn’t die when he finally confronted Indigo, Myac vowed that he would kill the man himself.

Rather than head directly back to Serivar’s home outside the education district, he let curiosity lead him back to Indigo’s place. It wasn’t more than ten minutes off course, a perfectly reasonable diversion. The window was dark like the night, but it had never been any different. It was a black, lifeless mirror, and he was struck with the feeling that he was somehow looking through it back into himself. Somewhere beyond that window, life existed, vibrant life, somewhere that he could not touch it. Would he even recognize it if he did, or was he too far removed from that which he sought beyond the mocking darkness of the window?

He shook himself, casting away the melancholy that had swept over him. Beyond the barriers around the place, he could feel Ferin. The man was still there, in a state of relaxation that only alcohol could bring, a deep amused pleasure running below the surface. Did Indigo’s emotions reflect his? Was she finding the same easy comfort in the adept’s presence that he found in hers? Myac probed the barrier more aggressively and finally broke a tendril of power through. Through that breach, he felt Ferin’s emotions clearly and he partially left himself behind, riding in on his power to hear their words.

Laughter greeted him, gentle, like the soft trill of a flute, unforced and beautiful. Jealousy, much like that he’d sensed in Jayce, seared through him, breaking his focus as her laughter ended and she started to speak.

“You know I envy you. You…”

Her voice trailed off and Myac felt a whisper of power touch his own. Drawing back into himself, he laid a quick, false signature upon his working to distract her from his presence. Let her think one of their oppressive Ascard Watchmen was poking around her barriers. Not wanting to gamble on the effectiveness of his ruse, he moved away from the building, hurrying out of the education district.

A short time later, he stepped into the front entry of Serivar’s luxurious home. Discarding his jacket in a heap on the ornate bench inside the door, he walked into the front sitting room, seeking more wine to soothe his nerves. He caught the taste of Serivar’s presence a moment after he had already stepped into the room. The other man was sitting silent in the near darkness, a single candle flickering on the table as he sipped wine from a delicate, created glass.

Not willing to be put off by the headmaster’s unexpected presence or his long, accusing stare, Myac walked to where the decanter waited, also created glass, and poured wine for himself.

“Give it up. She’ll never come to you.”

Rage flared and his hand clenched around the glass, shattering the delicate piece. He dropped the remains and shook wine from his hand, already working ascard to heal the small cuts he’d earned with his fit of temper.

Donning false calm, he began to pour another glass and said, “I would have created them unbreakable.”

“You have nothing she wants or needs,” Serivar persisted.

Myac spun.

Serivar’s eyes shone, glazed with drink in the light of the single candle.

“You’re wrong,” Myac said, his voice a venomous whisper. “She needs someone as fire needs air. Fear, longing, and sorrow harry her every moment. She will wear down and her need for someone will become a need for anyone. I intend to be the one who is there for her when that happens.”

Not interested in Serivar’s response, he strode from the room, smothering the single candle with his power. It was an immature gesture, he knew, but it was still satisfying. Not nearly as satisfying, however, as it would be when he proved Serivar wrong. He stalked to the room he’d been lent and slammed the door, maliciously hoping to wake Lady Vera. Then he sat by the one window and took a long drink of the wine. Resting his head against the back of the chair, he closed his eyes to the darkness and played her laughter back in his mind.