Plague of Shadows

by Michael Wisehart

  “Best we be getting back,” Veldon finally said, taking a step back. “Starting tomorrow night, we have our work cut out for us.”

  One by one, the members left the water and headed for the tunnel.

  Breen wasn’t exactly looking forward to spending his nights hauling Mangora’s wares upriver, especially when it meant having to lie to his brother to keep it secret. He wished there was something he could do to help Ty, but his brother seemed bent on refusing to let him.

  Chapter 68 | Ty

  “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” Ty asked Breen as his brother passed him on the way to the door. Breen was carrying his satchel over his shoulder, something he didn’t normally take unless he was planning on going hunting.

  “I’m going into town.”

  “At this time of evening?” Ty lifted his head from the sofa and looked out the front window. “The sun’s almost down. It’ll be dark before you get there.”

  Breen stopped, his hand on the door. “I’m . . . I’m meeting Fraya at the East Inn.”

  Ty lay back down, his head propped on the armrest. “When’s Father and Adarra going to be back? Weren’t they meeting with Barl?”

  “Father was,” Breen said, turning the handle and opening the front door. “You know Adarra, though. Any chance to spend time with Aiden.” Breen chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Don’t burn the house down while I’m gone.” With that, his brother walked outside and let the door shut behind him.

  “See. I told you, you couldn’t trust him,” the book said.

  Ty spun the glass ring on his finger. “He said he was meeting Fraya.”

  “And you believe him?”

  He shrugged as though someone were there to see. “He’s my brother.”

  “A brother who’s jealous of what you can do. Of what you’ll become.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  The distorted voice laughed. “I know much more than you realize.”

  Ty closed his eyes. “Oh?”

  “The knowledge I hold in my pages goes back millennia. I was created by wizards, breathed on by dragons. You couldn’t begin to understand the depths of the information I possess. Unless of course you . . .” There was a moment’s pause. “Never mind.”

  “What?” Ty asked, sitting up. “What were you going to say?”

  “No. It’s too dangerous. You’re too young. Too inexperienced.”

  Ty scooted to the edge of his seat and raised his hand to look at the ring. “I’m not too young! Tell me.”

  “Very well. There is one way to access my knowledge. But it requires a blending.”

  “A blending?” Ty’s heart was racing. He might not have to go to Aero’set after all. Why risk his life to bring back some mythical wizard’s keep when everything he needed to defeat Mangora could be right here? Was Nyalis simply using him to get what he wanted?

  “It’s a joining of the minds. My mind and yours.”

  “How does it work?”

  “You would have to open your mind, free your thoughts, and release your magic into me.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “You would start by holding the book in your hands and thinking about my pages. Blank. Nothing there but emptiness waiting to be filled. Your mind should be the same. Once you’ve freed your mind of all thoughts, then you’d release your magic into me, and I would do the rest.”

  “Does it hurt?”

  “I won’t lie. It’s a tricky spell. Conjuring it can be dangerous. Sometimes fatal.”

  Ty sighed and plopped back in the seat.

  The book chuckled. “But if it were to work . . . oh, the power you could have. I could teach you what it really means to be a faeling. Why the Tower wants you. I could even help you find your father.”

  Ty’s head shot up. “My father?”

  “Your real father.”

  “You mean the faerie?”

  “You didn’t think he simply vanished into thin air, did you? I can show you how to track him.”

  Ty wasn’t sure if he wanted to know where his father was or not. But his head was certainly swimming with other possibilities. The things he could do with such knowledge. He wouldn’t need Nyalis after all. He could find Mangora himself. Kill her. Make her pay for what she took from him. Then he could visit the Tallosians and put a stop to whatever it was they had planned. He could protect his family in a way he hadn’t been able to before. He stopped and took a breath. He needed to think. As tempting as this sounded, the potential of what this joining could do was a little intimidating, if not terrifying, especially considering the book’s warning that it could be fatal. “I’ll think about it.”

  “What is there to think about, boy? I’m offering you the wisdom of the ages.”

  “You just said that it could be—”

  The sound of hoofbeats caught his attention. He stood and walked to the window and looked out. He watched Breen ride down the drive toward the road.

  “Go on. You know you want to follow him. And when you see that I’m telling you the truth about him having secrets, will you consider the blending?”

  Ty took a moment to think about it. “Maybe.”

  “Then what are you waiting for?”

  What was he waiting for? Ty took off for his room and threw on his boots and coat. As fast as he could, he ran out the door and headed for the barn. He didn’t even give Waddle time enough to finish his feed before he had him out of the stall, saddled, and walking outside.

  Waddle blew out his lips in aggravation.

  “Fine. Here’s an apple to make up for it.” Ty held out the piece of fruit, and Waddle gratefully accepted. The horse barely had time to chomp it down, though, before Ty was in the saddle and snapping the reins. “Let’s go.”

  The sun had completely set by the time he reached the main road leading north toward Easthaven. And since the moon had barely had time to rise, Ty was forced to keep Waddle to a slow trot. He kicked himself for not thinking to grab a lantern; then again, it might have just drawn unwanted attention.

  A mile or two up the road, Ty spotted Breen. His brother had just crested the East Bridge, heading into the city proper. Breen didn’t look to be in much of a hurry, which was surprising, considering he was on his way to see Fraya. Ty slowed even further as he entered the shopping district, not wanting to be spotted if his brother happened to look behind him. He knew where Breen was going, so it wasn’t like he needed to rush.

  River Street was fairly empty this time of night. Most of the windows in the surrounding buildings were shuttered, with light seeping through the cracks. Supper was over, and children were no doubt being tucked into bed.

  Ty kept to the edge of the street, letting the lamps guide his horse’s steps. The sound of Waddle’s hooves on the worn cobbles echoed off the front of the shops they passed, leaving him with an uncomfortable feeling. Mostly guilt for the sneaking around he was doing. Was he really so paranoid about his brother hiding something from him that he had to be spying on him in the middle of the night?

  He almost stopped and turned around, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that kept him going. What if the book was right? Anyway, it wasn’t much farther. He’d come this far; he might as well see it through. Once he proved the book wrong, he could go home and crawl into bed. The thought of sliding under his thick quilt had him yawning.

  Ty caught his first glimpse of the inn ahead and pulled back on the reins. He waited in the shadows of a building a couple of shops up from Orlyn’s apothecary. Ahead, Breen had stopped Acorn at the hitching rail in front of the inn but hadn’t climbed down. What was he doing? There were a number of other horses tied off, which meant the inn was busy tonight.

  This is getting ridiculous, he thought as he held up his hands to blow some warmth back into them. Was all this really worth it? Not only had he not brought a lantern, but in his mad rush to leave the house, he’d forgotten his gloves as well. Thankful his cap was in his jacket pocket, he quickly put it
on. Besides keeping his head warm, he needed to keep his white hair covered while in town.

  Ty heard the faint sound of another horse approaching from the other side of the inn, and a lone rider rode out of the darkness. Ty was too far away to see the person’s face, but he could tell it was a woman.

  By the time she pulled her horse alongside Breen’s, there was no doubt. It was Fraya. She was wearing another one of those colorful ribbons in her hair, something she generally wore whenever Breen was around. Ty shook his head. “See? I told you Breen wasn’t lying.”

  “Oh? Then why aren’t they going inside?”

  Ty’s eyes widened as his brother and Fraya turned their horses and headed straight for him.

  Quickly, he jerked Waddle to the right into a narrow alley stacked with old barrels, barely managing to squeeze between them. He lowered himself on Waddle and held his breath, waiting for them to pass. Fortunately, Breen was too focused on Fraya to notice Waddle’s backside sticking partway out of the alley.

  “Where are they going?”

  “How should I know? One thing’s for sure: it certainly isn’t where he said.”

  “Actually,” Ty corrected, sticking up for his brother, “Breen said he was meeting Fraya at the inn. He didn’t say they were going inside.”

  He could almost hear the book rolling its eyes. He didn’t believe it either. He didn’t know what hurt worse: admitting he might be wrong, or the reason for it.

  Quietly, Ty backed Waddle out of the alley and started after his brother. The farther they got from the inn, the angrier he became. Had his brother lied to him? By the time he reached the city square, Breen and Fraya were nowhere to be seen. Where had they gone?

  Frantically, he moved Waddle out from around the corner and spotted them on Wood Lane, heading east. He pulled to a stop, hoping they didn’t turn. Ty could only think of one reason why Breen would be heading down that side of Wood Lane. Surely, he isn’t . . .

  His brother stopped just between the spice shop and the fuller’s.

  “Why is he taking her there?” His stomach tightened as his brother directed Fraya into the all-too-familiar side street beside the spice shop.

  “I told you they were up to something.”

  Ty didn’t respond. He kicked Waddle, and they crossed Wood Lane, heading back in the direction of the East Bridge. He couldn’t leave his horse to be spotted, so he rode until he found an alley to hide him in, one large enough for Waddle to actually fit.

  He hopped down and grabbed the reins.

  Waddle jerked his head.

  “Come on. Quit being so difficult. I’ll be back.” He pulled Waddle deep enough into the alley that the streetlamps couldn’t reach him and tied him to a half-filled barrel of what looked like milled flour. He wasn’t sure why the chandler wasn’t storing it in his cellar as opposed to the alley, but from the rancid smell, he thought he could guess.

  Ty released a little magic and connected with his horse. He could feel Waddle’s unease. Waddle didn’t like being stuck in such a confined space. He also didn’t appreciate the smell. “Sorry, boy,” he said, feeling bad for leaving him tied to something that stank so bad. “Can’t be helped.”

  Ty took a moment to make sure no one was coming before stepping out from between the buildings and scurrying down the walkway. He stopped at the corner of Wood Lane, his breath misting in front of his face as he peered around the edge of the building. The street was empty. Perfect. Keeping to the shadows at the front of the buildings, he worked his way down the street.

  As soon as he reached the spice merchant’s shop, he stopped and listened. He could hear voices. He thought he recognized Orlyn’s. But why would—

  Then it hit him. They were moving Mangora’s stuff without him. Even after they told him they would be sure to let him know. His fists clenched tight enough for his nails to dig into his palms. They lied.

  “I don’t know why you’re surprised. I keep telling you, but you don’t listen. They’ve been lying to you from the start. They have no intention of letting you anywhere near her magic. My guess is they plan to destroy it. You need to stop them before they do.”

  “And how exactly am I going to stop them?”

  “Blend with me and I’ll show you.”

  “I told you, no.”

  “What about the books? They’re going to take them as well. Do you really want to lose the wealth of information they hold?”

  Ty’s head was pounding. He did want those books, especially the one concerning the hidden magic of the Fae. He wanted to know more about his heritage. Where he came from. What his people were really like. He had never admitted it, but there had always been a part of him that longed to know who he was, and ever since finding out about his Fae lineage, that desire had only grown.

  “Do something before it’s too late.”

  He peeked around the corner. There was a wagon just outside her shop, and it was packed to the brim. He didn’t see Breen or Fraya, but he did spot Orlyn standing to the side, leaning on his staff. Feoldor was in the bed of the wagon, stacking crates of items that the others brought out to him.

  Someone else was leaving the shop with an armload of stuff. Ty craned his neck to see who it was. By the size, it looked like Breen. He dropped the load in the back and turned. Ty gasped.

  It was his father.

  Ty couldn’t believe it. His father had lied to him as well.

  “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but it’s better you see it now than later. You’re not like the rest of them. You’re not even human. The faeries enslaved this world when they came. Nearly destroyed it. Do you think they’re going to trust a half-faerie with something as powerful as the witch’s belongings?”

  Ty’s face was red. “How can I stop them?”

  “Blend with me.”

  Ty shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. There’s got to be another way. Surely with all that wealth of knowledge, you can help me get those books.”

  “It’s not that simple. The spells and conjuring you might need take time to learn. It would be much easier for me to just give it to you all at once.”

  “I . . .”

  The sound of reins popping pulled Ty from the conversation in time to see the wagon laden with Mangora’s wares heading up the narrow street in his direction.

  “Blazes!” He turned and ran back up Wood Lane for the first opening he could find to hide in. He’d barely started to squeeze between two buildings when the horses pulled out onto the road. Feoldor held the reins and turned the team to the right and away from Ty. He watched as the entire entourage made its way east down Wood Lane. Feoldor and Orlyn rode together in the front seat while Sheeva sat in the back with the merchandise. Behind the wagon, Fraya, Veldon, and his father kept their horses in single file.

  He had seen Mistress Reloria at one point during the loading, but she wasn’t riding with them. And where was Adarra? More importantly, where were they taking the wagon? He had hoped they would take it to the Harbor House—at least then he could sneak in and take a look through the stuff—but they were going in the opposite direction.

  Ty stepped out from his hiding spot and followed, trying not to get too close but not letting them get so far ahead that he lost them. The wagon turned left down Lynden, which ran parallel to River Street just behind the shopping district. Where were they going?

  About three streets up, Feoldor turned the wagon east toward the docks.

  Were they going to toss her stuff in the river? Surely not. Ty picked up his pace. He stopped at the corner of the street they’d taken and peeked around the side of the three-story home he was pressed against.

  Sure enough, they were heading straight for the docks. Keeping to the shadows wasn’t very difficult, since there was no lamp on this street to guide his way. The lack of light slowed his progress as he felt his way along the sides of the buildings, trying not to trip over loose crates and piles of trash sitting just outside the doors. He stopped and waited against the
last house on the left and watched as Feoldor and Orlyn pulled the wagon around in front of the second pier. The two men crawled into the bed of the wagon and started handing stuff down to the others.

  Ty’s hands were shaking. He couldn’t let them just throw it all in the river. There was a wealth of untold things there that could be used to help him fight the Tower. He had to stop them. He stepped out from the shadows, then stopped when he noticed someone standing in one of the boats. It was Gilly. Why was he—

  His father had the first armload, but instead of chucking it in the water, he handed it down to Gilly, who promptly dropped it in the bow of the boat. Ty stepped back in the alleyway and waited as the council members unloaded the wagon, stacking what was in it into three separate skiffs, leaving only just enough room for the members to sit. Ty watched as the three boats parted from the dock and started north up the river.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Follow them.”

  Ty ran down the gravel embankment to the boardwalk leading to the docks. A couple of flatboats and a few small sculls and dinghies were tied to the piers. Spotting one small enough for a single rower, he hopped in and released the rope from the dock shoe. Locking the oars into place, he started rowing.

  By now, the moon had risen above the trees, casting its pale glow across the water, leaving a sparkle across the top like millions of tiny glowing fish swimming just below the surface. The water was calm, which meant he didn’t have to fight too hard against the current, something his arms were grateful for.

  Up ahead, the river cut back into the Sidaran Forest, leaving Ty straining to see where he was going. Somehow, he’d lost sight of the other boats. He stopped rowing altogether, afraid of catching up to them without realizing it. Cocking his head, he listened for the sound of their oars. Other than the water, he heard nothing.

  Ty wanted to throw the oar in the water, or at least hit the boat with it. “I can’t see anything,” he said.

  “Which is why you need to blend with me, so I can help you.”