by Imogen Elvis
Ava.
Briar slipped out of the kitchen and into the hallway beyond. Everywhere she looked, she could see her sister. Skipping through the kitchen in the wake of the cook. Disappearing around a corner, apron strings flying loose. Giggling in a darkened stairwell. Briar’s breath caught in her throat. Stolen moments in the marketplace couldn’t hope to convey everything in Ava’s life. Maybe she hadn’t asked enough questions, hadn’t been interested enough. It all reminded her, with a fresh new pain, just how much she needed to rescue Ava.
After wandering through the halls for a while, Briar finally stumbled across a door someone had propped open, letting in a cool breeze scented with fresh grass and the sweetness of tamed roses. At last. Briar slipped out into the garden. It glowed gold with the dying rays of the sun as it set on the horizon. She closed her eyes and breathed in the air like fresh water. This was another thing she missed, the friendly evening breeze that skipped past her window in the dorm. She smiled slightly. Hello old friend.
Out in the garden, green lawns rolled away before her, bounded by square hedges, brilliant with new spring growth. To her right, a rose garden bloomed in subtle pinks and yellows, while to the left, a grove of trees formed a shady nook, already filled with the soft purple of twilight. Briar rambled aimlessly down the garden, drinking it all in.
Halfway along, the garden stepped down sharply, splitting into a lower level that was reached by a short flight of stairs. From here, sitting on the low wall that separated the top garden from the bottom, Briar had a perfect view of the sunset. Everything the golden rays touched glowed with an almost unearthly light. She swung her feet, relaxing into the beauty of the gathering evening.
“Mind if I join you?”
Briar turned to Kade with a welcoming smile “Plenty of wall for both of us.”
“Thank you.” Kade settled himself next to her, leaning forward slightly with his arms resting on his knees, hands clasped loosely.
They sat in silence for a while, eyes on the sunset. Briar let out a soft sigh. For the first time since they found Glissando amid the wreckage of her carriage, the knot of worry inside her chest relaxed. In the morning, she and Kade would get back on the road, meet up with Rowan and Lara, and be on the trail of the Nameless Ones in no time. It would be good to re-join the other two again.
“Do you miss Lara and Rowen?” she asked suddenly.
Kade looked up. “Yes. I suppose I do. We’re never together for very long though. I usually travel alone.”
“That must get lonely.” That could have been Briar, had Kade not taken pity on her.
“Sometimes.” There was a hollow ring to that word that said so much more. Kade let out a breath. “But that’s not important now. What is important is stopping the Nameless Ones.”
“If we even find them.”
“We will. They came through Granton only a couple of days ago. And they still had the children with them.”
Briar stared at Kade, her heart skipping a beat. “That’s what you were doing in town?” All this time he knew, and he never dropped even the smallest hint? She didn’t know whether to be annoyed or elated. “This whole time I thought we’d been going the complete wrong way. I guess it wasn’t such a waste of a shortcut after all.”
Kade smiled slightly. “My shortcuts usually work out in the end.”
“When they’re not trying to kill us. But why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I didn’t think we ought to let Gliss know what we’re doing.”
Gliss. That was such a familiar term to call someone you’d only just met. A few things clicked into place at the sound of that nickname. This was no grab for lost heroism after all. “You know Glissando, don’t you?” Kade’s face was so easy to read. There was history written all over him. The way the nickname rolled off his tongue so naturally like he wasn’t even thinking. His insistence on escorting Glissando home, no matter what. There was a past there.
“Yes.” Kade’s eyes flitted back to the horizon.
Briar frowned. “But she doesn’t seem to recognise you.” The way Glissando acted, Kade could have been anyone.
“She doesn’t. It’s been a while since she saw me last. We’ve both changed since then. I’d like to keep it that way. Which would be easier if we weren’t staying here.” A note of frustration crept into Kade’s voice. “You shouldn’t have accepted their invitation.”
“I wasn’t exactly able to refuse.”
“Because they would have been offended? Trust me, it’s far better they’re offended than that they figure out who I am.”
“It’s more than that.” Briar struggled to keep her voice even. She knew what she was doing. Why couldn’t he trust that? “Lucien was very suspicious of you. After Bren, I guessed you wouldn’t want him asking questions. And the more you refused, the more he was suspicious as to why.”
“Well, you’re the one who’s supposed to be good with people. Why couldn’t you find a way to refuse?”
Briar threw her hands up in the air. “You’re the one who knows him, not me. I was just trying to get us out of trouble. It’s not like I even know why you don’t want people recognising you. Next time, I’ll just let you do the talking, shall I?”
“That might be a good idea.”
Everything stilled. So that was where they stood then. “Very well. I’ll stop trying to help.” Briar turned away. “I was only trying to protect you,” she added in a lower voice.
“Briar-”
“It doesn’t matter.” Briar’s voice was as cold as the ice in her chest. “I know my place. You do the talking, and I’ll just follow. It’s not like you need my help anyway. I don’t know enough about anything to make decisions.”
“It’s not like you’re eager to share either,” Kade snapped. “It goes both ways.”
Briar shot to her feet. No, no it didn’t. “I have shared everything from my life that could possibly be important. You’ve seen my home. You know where I’m going, and what I’m doing. Your past, the secrets I don’t know, they affect everything we do. I don’t know what to do, or what to say. I just hope for the best and do the wrong thing because I have no idea what’s really going on. And you don’t trust me enough to share.”
Kade’s hands balled into fists. “I have reasons.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Briar hated the way she sounded, the way she felt, so harsh, so cold. But she couldn’t stop. “I thought we were starting to trust each other. I trusted you, with my life. I suppose that was a mistake.”
“Briar.” Kade stood. “You know what? Never mind.” He strode away, leaving Briar to stare after him, her eyes filling with hot tears.
Why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? The more she said, the worse she made things. First agreeing to stay, then arguing with Kade, and lashing out instead of accepting the blame. She should have kept the words inside. But it was too late. The damage was done, and there was nothing to do but watch as Kade hid inside his secrets, and shut her out entirely.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Briar stayed out in the garden until the sun sank below the horizon, and dusk fell in a soft, grey haze. Only once the last of the light was fading from the sky did she make her way back towards the house. The last thing Briar wanted was to bump into an angry Kade, but it was too dark to stay outside any longer. As she approached the building, Briar caught sight of two people crossing the garden in her direction. One, she recognised as Lucien. The other was a red-headed young man she hadn’t seen before. She quickened her step towards the servants’ entrance. If she wasn’t supposed to wander the family’s part of the house, she doubted they’d be pleased to meet her here either.
“Hey. You there.”
“Lord Lucien.” Briar dipped her head in a gesture of respect. She glanced at his companion from under her lashes. He at least looked slightly friendlier. A smile lurked under his neat, red beard, and the eyes that met hers were bright.
“Where’s that guard dog of yours?”
Guard dog? He must mean Kade. Briar shrugged as casually as she could manage. “Inside.”
“Good.” Lucien circled her slowly. Briar got the same chill as she did when being watched by the banewulfs. “You said you’re going to Thorne?”
“Lucian,” the other man said. “I don’t think that’s any of our business.”
“It’s my business if I say it is,” Lucian snapped. “Answer the question.”
“We are.” Where was he going with this?
“Why?”
Briar hesitated. What reason could she give that wasn’t going to sound like a lie? There was no way she was going to give him the truth. “We’re meeting friends there,” she said at last. Weak, but it was the only idea that came to mind in the moment.
“And yet you went right past Thorne to bring Gliss all the way back here. Because of course, every traveller would do that.” Sarcasm oozed from Lucien’s voice. “What, were you hoping for a reward?”
“I can’t speak for every traveller. But Kade and I didn’t want to leave her in harm’s way. Not after she’d already been attacked once. Being a lady, I assumed she would be at more risk if we left her.” It sounded convincing at least.
“And for that, we are truly grateful.” The second man’s voice rang with deep emotion.
“Never mind about that, Markus. The point is, there’s something I don’t trust about your companion. So tell me, who is he?”
“Kade is my cousin.” The words were out before Briar had time to think them over. Inwardly, she cringed. That was an awful choice.
Lucian raised an eyebrow. “You’re travelling around Kerr with your cousin?”
“There’s no law against that.” Markus put a hand on Lucien’s shoulder. “Leave the girl alone, Lucien. They brought Gliss back. Isn’t that enough?”
“No,” Lucien growled. “I don’t trust them. I don’t trust anyone.”
“Things aren’t quite that bad yet.”
“Oh really, Markus?” Lucien turned on him. “The king is losing his mind. The prince betrayed us to the Beldrans. The council is filled with old fools who are lost in the past. Tell me, how are things not that bad?”
Markus shook his head. “You’re just paranoid. It’s perfectly possible to do a good deed and not have some other motive. Besides, if things were really as bad as you say, then good deeds like these should be welcomed, rather than doubted.”
“You’re so naïve.” Lucien’s hands balled into fists. “The only reason Kerr hasn’t fallen into chaos by now is because other people clean up the king’s messes. Why, if it wasn’t for Lord Sachio-”
“-who shouldn’t be involved in the first place.” Markus sounded tired, as if this was an argument they’d had many times before. “He’s a magician, Lucien. A brilliant magician, granted, but he has no business running a country.”
Lucien snorted. “Lord Sachio is the only strong thing about that court. If he were king, none of this would have happened in the first place. Varik isn’t fit to rule, and the sooner the council realises that, the better.”
That kind of talk was treason. Briar’s fingers curled around her medallion. If anyone heard Lucien even suggest that someone should replace King Varik, no matter how concerning his behaviour was, and the rumours were rife, then he would be in serious trouble. But the only people to hear his words were her and Markus, who didn’t so much as bat an eyelid.
“But Master Sachio can’t be king,” Briar said tentatively.
“What, because he’s a magician? Oh, please. Don’t you think that rule is a little outdated?”
“A king with magic is dangerous. That’s why they made the rule in the first place.” Briar couldn’t imagine the damage a soul singer could inflict if he decided to bend matters to his own will. How could anyone hope to advise him, or any meaningful negotiations take place when he could convince anyone to agree with him?
“What, and a fool is preferable?” Lucien’s lip curled “Or maybe you prefer we put the traitor, Levi, on the throne in his place. The only person we have to rely on can’t rule because he happens to be gifted with magic. It has nothing to do with his ability to be a good king. Your laws are meaningless.”
“Lucien.” Markus broke through his friend’s tirade, his voice a little too loud. “Doesn’t your mother expect us inside for dinner? We can finish this discussion later.” Gripping Lucien’s arm tightly, Markus manoeuvred him away, despite his protests. Glancing back at Briar, Markus mouthed ‘sorry’.
Briar watched them out of sight, chewing on her lip. Lucien may have been distracted for now, but the danger was growing ever more real. More and more, Briar wished Kade trusted her. Maybe then she’d actually understand what was going on. But that wasn’t important right now. She might not know Kade’s secrets, but she did know one thing. Lucien Redfern was not a person she wanted to cross. She needed to find Kade and warn him, now.
Kade was silent for a while after Briar finished telling him everything that had passed between her and Lucien. Briar settled her skirt over her knees, smoothing it down several times to fill the awkward gap. The whole conversation could have meant nothing. And yet, every instinct she had told her that Lucien was trouble, and she wasn’t keen on waiting around for whatever he was planning.
“We have to leave. Tonight.”
“So soon?” Briar looked up in surprise. Was Lucien really that dangerous?
“Lucien won’t let us leave if he works out who we are and what we’re doing. We need to go while it’s dark.”
“Does this have something to do with you and Glissando?” Briar immediately shook her head. “Actually, never mind. I don’t need to know.” They didn’t need to go over that argument again, at least, not yet. “What’s the plan?”
“We’ll wait for the servants to finish up for the night. When the house is quiet, we’ll slip out down the back stairs and go out through the garden. By the time morning comes, and they realise we’ve gone, it will be too late.”
Briar nodded. It was a solid plan. “You’ll come and get me when it’s time?”
“Of course.”
“Then I might go and get some rest before we leave. It’s going to be a long night.” Briar rose and headed for the door, then turned back. “Oh, and if anyone asks, I may have told Lucien that you and I are cousins. Sorry.” She stifled a laugh at the look on Kade’s face and hurried out of the room before he could reply.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
“It’s time to go.”
Briar flung back the blankets, suddenly wide awake. Kade stood at the foot of her bed, a candle in his hand. The flickering light cast strange shadows over his face. Briar swung her feet over the edge of the bed and felt around with her toes for her boots. She hadn’t bothered to undress, not when she knew they’d be leaving so soon.
“Is everyone asleep?” she asked.
“I think so. The house is quiet.”
Well, that was a good start at least. The more people sleeping, the less chances someone would notice them as they fled. Briar pulled the laces tight on her boots and stood. “I’m ready.”
“Our packs are probably still in the kitchen. We’ll need to pick those up before we leave.” Kade pulled open the door. “Lead the way.”
They crept down the hallway, single file. Briar held her breath as they passed the other bedrooms belonging to the servants. If someone were to wake up now and hear them… But, as Kade said, the house was quiet. Not a soul stirred as they snuck past the closed doors to reach the staircase at the opposite end of the corridor. The back stairs let out near the kitchen, on the bottom floor, and from there, they could easily slip out through the gardens.
In the dark, lit only by the wavering light of Kade’s candle, the stairs were filled with eerie, twisted shadows. The walls pressed close, stifling Briar as she made her way down. Not a sound broke the silence except the thump, thump of her heartbeat. She trailed her hand along the wall, partly to guide her feet, and partly to reassure herself that this wasn’t all p
art of some strange dream.
Once down the stairs, Briar turned right and pushed open the door into the kitchen. Someone had forgotten to close the shutters when clearing up for the night, and the window let in a shaft of silvery moonlight that lit the room in stark black and white. The flickering candle flame made the jars on the nearby shelves appear to shift and move.
“I’ll check this side, you check the other,” Kade whispered.
Briar nodded, and they split up, checking the shelves and corners for their missing packs. The servant girl had whisked them away so quickly Briar couldn’t remember where they had been stored. Kade set the candle down on the long table in the middle of the room, where it continued to flicker forlornly. This would be so much easier if she had a candle of her own.
“Here.” Briar hauled the packs out from under a bench in the corner. They moved too easily, and she grimaced. “They haven’t been filled yet.”
“We’ll make do.”
Hopefully, they still had some food left in there. Enough to reach the next town would be nice. Briar settled the pack on her back. The familiar weight was oddly comforting. She straightened, feeling more confident now that she had her own things again. “Lara and Rowen will catch up with us, right?” she asked.
“They should already be on their way.” Kade eased open the bolts that secured the kitchen door. During the day, it had stood open letting in the cooler air from outside to ease the oppressive heat from cooking. Now it was bolted fast, top and bottom. “We’ll cut across country and re-join the road away from Granton. I’d rather not risk someone in town seeing us and warning Lucien which way we went. We should get a little headstart before he follows us.”
“You think he will?”
Kade nodded. “Absolutely.”
Well, that was such a comforting thought. Briar stepped out of the kitchen and into the vegetable garden, which sat around one side of the house. A high wall surrounded it, a single gate the only way out. Single file, Briar and Kade made their way through the rows of plants. The gate squeaked as Briar pushed it open. She froze, but nothing stirred, and they passed through unnoticed.
