Not only was he there with his crossbow, Gram was as well, equipped with a bow. Far behind them, the door to the library was shut. Three men with their own bows hustled over to make it five standing before us.
Laney put up her one hand. “Don’t shoot.” Terror tinged her voice.
I lifted both of mine, the heavy book in my right, and looked at Gram’s cold eyes. Would he shoot us if we didn’t fight?
Possibly
.
“Storell Ampart, sir, I would never enter your library if it wasn’t important,” I said. “Shara has been poisoned, and Nurse Mayla doesn’t know the antidote. She gave me her key to retrieve this book. If I don’t bring it to her immediately, Shara will die.” I tried to ignore the thought that she might already have succumbed to the poison.
“They are liars and thieves, as we all know,” Gram said.
Laney gasped. “Liars and thieves? No, Neeko and Shara are honest and good.”
“Come with us, Storell,” I pleaded. “Mayla will vouch for me.”
“Put the book down,” Gram commanded.
“Why?”
He drew an arrow. “Put it down now.”
He’s looking for an excuse to shoot me.
“Storell, surely you can see I’m trying to save someone’s life and not causing conflict.”
The old keeper of the great library lowered his heavy crossbow.
But Gram notched his arrow. “Last warning. Put down the stolen book.” The other archers loaded their arrows.
“Let him pass,” Storell said. “I’ll speak with Mayla about my book in the morning.”
With his face set by determination, Gram started to aim. “It isn’t your decision.”
Even if Shara had the time, I couldn’t talk my way out of this. I awkwardly grabbed Gram’s outstretched arm with py and jerked. The arrow flew over my head.
Laney cried out aggressively and all of them stumbled backward as if struck by a great gust of wind. Storell dropped his crossbow as he fell to his rear. The arrow released, streaming upward between me and Laney and into the ceiling. I didn’t know how much more luck we had left.
I joined Laney in shoving them with py until all had fallen backward. We ran past them, dodging snatches at our ankles. Laney yelped and fell, caught by one of them. With her one weak arm, she couldn’t quite brace her fall. Her body turned as her hand slapped the ground, her shoulder and temple slamming next with a disgusting thud. She couldn’t possibly have screamed with more agony.
The terrible sound coming from her throat didn’t stop as she thrashed. I kicked off one hand clawing at my ankle, stomped hard on another reaching for me—Gram’s shout almost unheard beneath Laney’s—and then snatched her up.
Most of the men were back on their feet by the time I had her in my arms, the book nearly slipping from my fingers. I managed to find a way past them but knew I wouldn’t escape before they’d retrieved their bows and arrows.
“Let them go!” yelled Storell.
I glanced over my shoulder. Gram bumbled trying to load his arrow with his hopefully broken hand, but someone else already was pulling back on his string. I swiped and his legs came out from under him.
As I got the door open, an arrow struck the wall over my shoulder. Another arrow hit the door as I closed it behind us.
Laney whimpered, clearly in terrible pain. I kept up my pace all the way to the medical quarters, where I squatted and dumped Laney onto the floor as gently as I could without losing time. She spilled out of my arms and immediately coiled into a ball, shaking and crying.
I shoved the book into Mayla’s hands. Overcome by exhaustion, I collapsed to my knees beside Laney. I didn’t even have the strength to ask if Shara was still alive.
Mayla’s hurry answered my question, though, as she flipped through the pages, then ran to her potions. Thank the gods.
I asked, “Laney, are you all right?”
She sat up and crawled onto my lap, crying with such force that she couldn’t speak. She buried her face in my chest, her hand clawing my back.
I put my arms around her, feeling as if I could wrap them around her torso twice if I had the flexibility.
So thin and frail. How will she ever survive in battle?
I began to wonder what would’ve happened if Laney hadn’t come with me. If I’d killed Swenn, I couldn’t have hidden it. I would’ve been brought before the king. Even if I’d been given the chance to explain myself, they wouldn’t have believed me. I would’ve been punished, maybe killed.
I’d be dead already
. Without Laney’s help, I wouldn’t have made it past Gram and the other bowmen.
But Swenn would be dead as well, and so would Shara’s assailant.
“Is Shara going to live?” I asked.
Mayla didn’t answer, though I could hear her working, pouring this and grinding that. I wanted to stand to check on Shara, but poor Laney possibly might never let go. I stroked her head.
“Does it still hurt?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“I'm going to make it stop. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
I lightly kissed her temple.
The grip of her hand loosened on my back. I was certain I could feel blood where her nails had been. She seemed pacified, her crying in control. Leaning away from me, she showed me a smirk.
“You’re stupid.”
“It didn’t work?” I asked.
“Of course not!” She leaned back into me. “But do it again.”
Mayla finally spoke. “Shara’s going to live.”
I laughed and kissed Laney on the forehead three times.
“You can return the book now,” said Mayla.
“Not exactly.” I helped Laney to her feet as I explained the incident to Mayla, leaving out Swenn and his squire until I figured out what I would do about them.
Then I took Shara’s hand and felt her fingers waking up.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Shara, Laney, and I were all in danger, but I couldn’t get my mind settled on what to do.
Shara awoke that morning in unbearable pain as Mayla had predicted. She told Shara, “Your wounds will remind you of the incident for months, possibly longer.”
I asked Shara how she knew the poison.
“I smelled cinnamon as I came in and out of consciousness. It’s a side effect of several poisons. All but lofe require ingredients that can only be found in Eppon, so I assumed it had to be that one.”
“How do you know so much about poison?” Mayla questioned, her tone accusatory.
“I don’t remember how I know. Perhaps I read it somewhere.”
“How convenient.” Mayla spoke dryly. She asked, “What about your attacker? What do you remember of him or her?”
“
He
had on the mask of a grinning man with a thick mustache. It’s all I see when I close my eyes. And I remember shooting him in the right arm with a fireball.”
I would tell her later who it was, once we were alone.
Other members of the medical team soon came in. They tended to Shara, feeding her, then giving her something to help her sleep. They sent me to her room with Laney to retrieve fresh attire from her wardrobe.
Shara had an abundance of clothing and must’ve been allowed to leave the castle to purchase it. I was shocked at the exquisite quality of some of the garments. How much had she spent?
Laney thumbed through with too much excitement, soon stopping on the most elegant dress, light blue, tight at the waist, free at the collar, and with loose sleeves ending at the elbow where they opened wide like flowers blooming.
“This one. Definitely this one!”
“She’s not going to be dancing with the king, Laney.” I selected a more appropriate outfit, a comfortable-looking shirt and pants.
Laney wouldn’t let go of the dress, sadly glancing at me with a downturned bottom lip.
“When Shara is better, you two can try on clothes together all you want.”
“I’d like that!”
“Who wouldn’t?” I teased, but my levity was gone as quickly as it had come. I set Shara’s clothes on her bed and shut the door. “We need to talk about what happened.”
“Are you a thief and a liar?”
“No.”
“That’s what a liar would say.”
“Laney.”
“I’m sorry.” She set herself on Shara’s bed, fell onto her back, and rubbed her brow. “I need sleep.”
I was tired as well but there was too much to do. The king’s test was after breakfast. Charlotte was still somewhere in the castle; Terren would come for her today if she couldn’t get out. Would Swenn attack him? What would Terren tell the king? I owed it to Terren and his party to help as best I could.
Swenn
…I sighed. What was I going to do now?
His squire attacked Shara in my room, and I’m sure that poisoned dagger was meant for my stomach, not hers. She must’ve found him waiting there. No doubt the squire would kill me the instant he had the chance. I could say the same about Gram, maybe even others in this castle.
“So talk, Neeko,” Laney said, “before I fall asleep.”
“You sound much better than when we first met,” I realized. “You look healthier as well.”
“Mayla has been stuffing me with food…like a pig.”
I let out a tired chuckle as I came to sit beside her on the bed. She struggled to sit up, so I helped.
“The man that I choked. What do you know about him?” I asked.
Her brow furrowed. “Just that you want him dead.” She put her hand on my head and forced it back and forth as if I was shaking it to say no. “We don’t kill people, especially with py.”
We’re going to have to kill people soon enough when we’re sent to battle.
“I know. But Swenn has murdered and won’t stop until he’s dead.”
“Who has he murdered?”
“If I tell you, how will you keep from telling others?”
“I don’t know. I need to talk. I need to. Without talking, I’ll die.” Some of her old desperation came back as she shook with fright.
“You won’t.” I put my arm around her. “You’re free now.”
“Because they need me. But what happens when they don’t need me? They don’t allow known pyforial mages to exist but in prison.” She grabbed my hand. “Maybe they’ll give you the same cell as me! I won’t be so lonely.”
Oh gods, what a thought.
I belied my worry with a smile. “They won’t ever put you back in prison, and they won’t imprison me either.”
“You know this?” Her eyes widened.
“Jaymes Jorgan told me,” I lied.
“Oh my gods!”
“But that’s only if you show you can act appropriately, otherwise they will put you back before the week is done.”
Terror struck her. “What?”
“Just make sure you do what they say. Try not to cry as often. And behave like an adult.”
“I am an adult. Older than you! That offends me.”
“Good. You should be offended. Any adult would.”
She smiled and lifted her finger. “All right, Neeko. I see what you’re doing.”
“Adults are able to keep secrets, especially when not keeping a secret could get people killed.”
“Yes, I get it. I’m an adult. I can keep your secret. What is it?”
She’d already seen enough to cause mayhem if she opened her mouth. I figured telling her the reason behind what she saw couldn’t make it much worse.
“Swenn wants to kill me and Shara. He’ll continue to try because we know what kind of person he is.” I almost told her about the murder of my mother, but it just seemed as if it would be too much for Laney. “And now you know what kind of person he is. There are others like us who know the truth. They’re at risk as well.”
“What do you mean ‘what kind of person he is’?”
“He’s a murderer.”
“And you know this for certain?”
“I do.”
“Can you tell the king?” she whispered.
“Quince doesn’t know what kind of man Swenn is. Without proof, he wouldn’t do anything to his own master of coin.”
“So get proof.”
“There is no proof.”
She looked disgusted, as if she’d bitten into moldy bread. “It sounds like
you
want
to kill him.”
I’d never thought about my own desire to do it, just that Swenn needed to die. She was right, though. I wanted to take his life. The thought scared me. Apparently it frightened Laney as well. She scurried off the bed to get away from me.
“He killed my mother,” I blurted.
She went still, regarding me askance.
I questioned, “Is your mother still alive?”
“I don’t know.”
“Father?”
“Probably.”
“What happened to them?”
“Nothing. I assume they’re still here in Glaine.”
“They never visited you in prison?”
“No.”
“They sound like terrible parents.”
Her face flooded with anger.
“I’m sorry. That was inappropriate.”
She shook her head as a tear slid down her cheek. “Damn. I don’t want to cry. Adults don’t cry.” She turned away.
“Sometimes they do.” I came to her and put my hand on her arm. “It’s not about whether you cry. It’s about trying to be strong.”
She wiped her tears. “I’m furious with my family. One of them told someone about my use of py. I’m sure of it. That’s what started the investigation. No one knew but my mother, father, and brother. But all of a sudden guards were following me without me knowing.”
“They took the world away from you. That isn’t fair.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Swenn took my mother away from me. Now he’s trying to take Shara.”
“I believe you.” She wiped her eyes. “I like you, and I like Shara. I’ve never had friends, even before my capture. Are we friends?”
“We are.”
She grinned, but her smile faded soon after. “Who was the man with Swenn?”
“His squire. Shara said she hit her attacker in the right arm with a fireball. Did you notice that man’s right arm?”
She sucked in a long gasp.
“I have enemies here,” I said. “And anyone who’s a friend of mine has the same enemies that I do, which means Shara has enemies and now you do as well.”
“I’ve had enemies my whole life.” She surprised me by clenching her one fist. “This is the first time they want more than just to tease me, but it’s also the first time I can use py against them.” The strength fell out of her as her shoulders sank. “I’m sorry I stopped you in the back of the library. I didn’t know.”