Lisa Shearin - Raine Benares 02 (23 page)

In
the other balcony were two elves. I recognized both of them. Giles Keril, the
elven ambassador to Mid; and Taltek Balmorlan from elven intelligence.

I
swore silently.

Mychael
stepped forward. “I received a summons from the archmagus.” His voice was
perfectly controlled. “Where is he?”

“The
summons was in the name of the Seat of Twelve,” Carnades corrected him.

“Where
is the archmagus?”

“He
is unable to join us.”

“An
inquest cannot take place without the full Seat of Twelve—that includes the
archmagus.”

“This
isn’t an inquest, Paladin Eiliesor. My colleagues and I merely want to ask a
few questions. We are
unanimous
in that request.”

Mychael’s
face betrayed no emotion as he glanced at the balcony with the two elves. “And
your guests?”

“Have
a vested interest in the answers.”

Vegard
was standing by my right side, and bent to whisper in my ear. “Unanimous means
the boss can’t stop them from asking.”

“We
have received requests from our honored elven and goblin guests,” Carnades
said. “Most of these requests concern Mistress Benares. We acknowledge that she
is also a guest with us and under the protection of the archmagus. But as a
courtesy to our other guests, we have asked you all here to answer their
questions and hear their petitions in an open meeting—where we can all hear the
answers.”

“We
will hear our guests’ questions and petitions,” Mychael said formally.

“Like
we have a choice,” Vegard muttered under his breath.

Carnades
sat in his own chair, not the old man’s. I have to say I was surprised.

“The
legal representatives of the royal House of Mal’Salin and the Brotherhood of the
Khrynsani have filed a request with Ambassador Keril that Mistress Benares be
turned over to them for extradition.”

“The
archmagus and I are aware of their request,” Mychael replied coolly.

“Their
request has now turned into a demand,” Carnades said. “They claim that Mistress
Benares is an agent for elven intelligence.”

I
resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Do a little contract work for the agency
and it comes back to bite you in the ass,” I muttered loud enough for everyone
to hear. The human lady on the Twelve chuckled behind her hand. There was one
potential ally.

“Raine,
I will respond for you.”
Mychael’s
voice was terse, and inside my head.

“Maybe
later.”

I
stepped forward. “In the past, I have used my seeking skills to find kidnapped
elven agents and government officials,” I said, out loud. “The last time I
checked that kind of thing would earn you a medal, not extradition.”

“Our
Khrynsani guests do not share your perspective,” Carnades said.

“I’m
sure they don’t.”

Out
of the corner of my eye I saw one of the goblin lawyers stand. “Magus Silvanus,
if I may?”

Carnades
stiffly inclined his head. “Of course.”

“Our
presence here is to reclaim a treasured object that was illegally taken from
the goblin people. The fear of His Majesty, King Sathrik Mal’Salin, is for the
safety and very life of his trusted royal counselor, Grand Shaman Sarad
Nukpana. We have signed affidavits from the Khrynsani temple guards who were
with Grand Shaman Nukpana the night he was absorbed by the Saghred. Their
testimonies confirm that Mistress Raine Benares did knowingly trick our king’s
loyal counselor into touching the activated Saghred, resulting in his
imprisonment within the stone. The archmagus and the paladin have refused
numerous requests to return the Saghred to its legal and rightful owners—the
goblin people.”

Mychael
stepped forward. “The legality of that claim has been denied repeatedly by the
Conclave. The first such claim was made by your government nearly nine hundred
years ago. It was denied then, and I am very doubtful that judgment will change
now. As I’m sure you are aware, the Conclave of Sorcerers was founded to
control and prevent the abuse of magic. Keeping the Saghred in a controlled—
and neutral—location is the only way to do that.” He paused meaningfully. “I’m
sure you are also aware that neither goblin nor elven laws apply in matters of
the Conclave.”

The
Khrynsani lawyer slowly sat down, never taking his black eyes from Mychael.
Once seated, he spoke in hurried and hushed tones with his colleagues.

Carnades
looked to the two elves. “Inquisitor Taltek Balmorlan has petitioned the
archmagus repeatedly for permission to question Mistress Benares on behalf of
the elven government. His requests have also been denied.”

Inquisitor?
Oh hell.

I
looked up at Taltek Balmorlan and bared my teeth in a smile. “And just what
would you like to ask me?”

Unlike
the goblin, Balmorlan remained seated. “Our questions concern elven government
security and center on your continued association with a member of the
Mal’Salin family. This same person was recently seen in the company of a
high-ranking Khrynsani shaman.” He courteously inclined his head to the goblin
lawyers in the opposite balcony. “Begging your pardon.”

Tam.
I swore silently. “Who would that be?” I asked out loud. Act ignorant, not
guilty.

“Primaru
Tamnais Nathrach.”

“Tamnais
Nathrach
used to be
married to a Mal’Salin duchess. Past tense.” I kept
my voice even, and my tone reasonable. “I fail to see how an acquaintance with
a goblin can be of concern to the elven government. I’m sure you count goblins
among your acquaintances, as do most in this room.”

“Normally
such an acquaintance would not be cause for alarm,” Balmorlan replied smoothly.
“Concern, yes; but not alarm. It is your relationship with Primaru Nathrach
combined with your bond to the Saghred. Your actions in the square the other
day indicate that your abilities now match or exceed those of every mage on
this island. And according to testimony of Magus Silvanus, your soul has been
inside the Saghred itself on two occasions.”

So
much for what Carnades gleaned with his questing spell.

“On
the first occasion, you spoke with Eamaliel Anguis, who is also your father and
a known Conclave traitor.”

Mychael’s
hand on my arm stopped the response I really wanted to give Balmorlan.

“Paladin
Anguis was one of the finest of our order.” Mychael’s voice was calm, but cold.
“He kept the Saghred safe for nearly nine hundred years.”

Carnades
spoke. “His previously honorable service record to the Conclave does not alter
the fact that he stole a Conclave artifact.”

“To
keep it out of the hands of four mages on the Seat of Twelve who wanted to
abuse that power,” Mychael responded.

“Mistress
Benares’s second time inside the Saghred was to meet with Grand Shaman Sarad
Nukpana.” Carnades’s voice was quiet. “He has referred to her as a partner and
a bond servant of the Saghred. As you can understand, Paladin Eiliesor, this is
of grave concern to the Twelve.”

Balmorlan
nudged Giles Keril. The elven ambassador to Mid stood and licked his lips
nervously. “Raine Benares is a member of the most notorious criminal family in
the seven kingdoms, and has been in an intimate relationship with Tamnais
Nathrach, formerly the chief shaman for the House of Mal’Salin.” He sounded
like he had actually memorized this. I wondered how long it had taken him. “Now
she is the bond servant of the Saghred. In the opinion of the elven government,
she needs to be in strict custody and control. If the Conclave Guardians are
unable—or unwilling—to provide it, the elven government will.”

So
there it was. Carnades thought I needed to be locked up and he’d teamed with
the agency to get it done.

Mychael
spoke. “There has been no indication that Mistress Benares has been affected in
any way by her contact with the Saghred. Unless any ill effects are proven to
Guardian satisfaction, we will not take her into custody, but will continue to
offer her our protection.”

“I
have spent my academic career studying the Saghred,” Carnades countered. “You
and the archmagus may not be fully aware of the effects contact with the
Saghred has on mental stability. They are seldom apparent to inexperienced
observers. Mistress Benares’s soul has been contaminated by dark forces.” His
arctic gaze came to rest on Piaras. “Dark forces that have seduced an innocent
into doing her will.” He said it almost too softly to be heard.

I
felt sick. “No.”

“Master
Piaras Rivalin’s sleepsong put nearly a hundred Guardians to sleep.” Carnades’s
eyes were on mine. “And he put them to sleep while you were in the same room
with the Saghred. I find it difficult to believe that is a coincidence,
Mistress Benares. I think it is a conspiracy to steal the Saghred—just like
your father did.”

I was
not believing this.

“Master
Rivalin is being corrupted by your influence, and he is far too powerful a
spellsinger to remain where you can use him again. For the boy’s own safety we
recommend that he be confined to—”

“My
care and protection,” boomed a voice from the doorway. It was the commanding
voice of a born orator, and of a really pissed-off old man. “Master Rivalin is
a minor and a student of this college.” Justinius Valerian’s bright blue eyes
landed on Carnades like a block of granite. “He came to Mid under Guardian protection
and he will remain there until such time as any charge against him is proven in
a formal—and open—court of law, not a clandestine gathering of rumor and
innuendo.”

The
archmagus turned to Mychael. “Is everything all right here?”

“It
will be.”

“Glad
to hear it. Mychael, you and yours, Master Rivalin, and Miss Benares are
dismissed. I need to have a few words alone with some of my esteemed
colleagues.”

“Seduced
an innocent?”

Piaras
was furious—and was having a real problem getting past those three words.

“Like
I don’t have a mind of my own and the sense to use it!” Now Piaras was furious
and pacing.

I had
fully expected Carnades to go after me. I didn’t know what he’d wanted with
Piaras, and now I did. At least some of his cards were on the table. But I knew
he and Balmorlan had plenty more cards in their hands they weren’t showing
until they were good and ready.

I’d
seen Carnades’s type before. He’d spent his life studying the horrors that the
goblins had inflicted on the elven people in past centuries. He was full of
hate and prejudice, and fed both of them three square meals every day. No doubt
he saw himself as a defender of the elven people. To him, I truly was a traitor
and a criminal and a danger to all he held dear. To him, Piaras was a corrupted
innocent. Carnades Silvanus believed every word he said. But the scary part was
that he was powerful and influential enough to convince others that he was
right.

Piaras
and I were in my room. Mychael was in Justinius’s office planning their next
move. I hadn’t insisted on joining them because I could plan my next move just
fine from here.

I’d
sent for Phaelan.

Mychael
wasn’t letting Piaras or me out of his sight, let alone out of the citadel.
Tonight’s recital would take us to Sirens, which was conveniently located next
to the harbor and our quickest way out of here if things continued to go sour.
The Benares family was good at a lot of things, but what we did best was elude
the law. I didn’t want to have to elude Mychael, but he was the law. If the law
told him he had to lock Piaras and me up, he would have no choice.

I
planned on acting while I still had the right and ability to make my own
choices.

I
took a deep breath. “Piaras, I need to ask you something.”

He
stopped pacing, but the fury was still there. Good. Carnades would claim that
what I was about to say was corrupting an innocent. And he’d be right; that was
exactly what I was about to do. Piaras had always known what the law could do
for
him—defend and uphold his rights. He idolized the Guardians and wanted
someday to become one. An hour ago, he’d gotten his first taste of what the law
could do
to
him—imprison him and take away his rights. And sometimes
guilt or innocence had nothing to do with which end of the law you got. I
muttered a word I rarely used. I saved it for special occasions like close
calls with death, or when I had to give someone really bad news. Piaras was
about to have his innocence shattered, possibly along with his dreams, and I
was the one throwing the rock.

“What
is it?” He perched on the edge of my bed, then stood restlessly like he was
looking around for something to hit.

I bit
back a smile. Just like a man.

“Mychael
and the archmagus are going to do everything they can to keep either one of us
from being locked up,” I told him, “but there is the possibility that they
won’t be able to prevent it.”

“We
didn’t do anything!”