by Karen MacRae
Lord and Lady Goldsmith shared a glance. They’d both read the report of the Shaper’s interrogation when she’d first arrived at Alsham Castle. This was the girl who would rather Heal than kill?
Spider, Sy and Seleste knew that Anna was still reeling from Aibreann’s death and everything else she’d been through in just a few short weeks. It was little wonder she’d retreated into cold logic when faced with the figurehead of all that was wrong with her mother’s guild.
Malik approved of the Shaper’s economy. There was no point in wasting a good weapon.
Finn didn’t notice. His mind was lost in memories of Aibreann.
The departure was low key. Handshakes and the odd hug were accompanied by reassurances from the Goldsmiths that everything in Alscombe was in hand. They had to focus on stopping Nystrieth’s spies. That was all that mattered.
As they rode, Malik filled the others in on all that Finn had been up to as Kai Geraint, the rich, handsome islander who’d inveigled his way into the money ring Novac ran for Nystrieth. Spider told the story of Bojek the Compeller and the chaos he’d caused in Alsham. The mood was sombre.
It was late in the day when they reached the Old Trawler inn on the narrow spit of land that split Alscombe Bay. They escaped the chilly sea breeze and stepped into the warm tavern to find four familiar faces had beaten them to it. Hew and Lachlan were strumming guitars while Jimmy beat a hand drum and sang along in a husky bass. Beitris’ voice soared above the huge Ionantian's in a surprisingly tuneful soprano. They were none of them even remotely in Luciado’s league, but it made for a joyful sound and the innkeeper and his customers were happily tapping along to the beat.
Smiles and nods were exchanged and the new arrivals took a seat to wait for the band to finish their song. To everyone’s surprise, Finn waved for ale. “We could all do with a night off,” he told them. “It looks like we’d have to haul the band away anyway and Jimmy’s nigh on impossible to move if he’s not willing.”
“He’s the big one?” asked Malik.
“Possibly the biggest,” laughed Finn. It was a welcome sound and the mood improved immediately.
Two songs and several raucous choruses later, the mugs were empty. “Another round?” Spider asked. “The drinks are on Cherry.”
“Since when?” spluttered Malik.
“Since you lost your bet. Anna emptied that tray!”
“You bet on me eating?” asked an astonished Anna.
“My brother will bet on anything; you must know that by now.”
“It was an unfair bet! You had prior knowledge and no way would anyone think that a wee scrap of a girl could eat that much.”
“A wee scrap of a girl? A wee scrap? Seriously?” Anna objected loudly.
Malik backtracked frantically. “What I meant was a delicate, fragile rose…”
Sy guffawed. “A delicate, fragile rose with an appetite like a horse!”
“It’s the Shaping. It makes me hungry!”
“It won me ten silvers, Anna. You keep it up.”
No one noticed Seleste slip off her boots and get up speak to the band. Anna noticed the music change to one of her favourite old love songs then movement caught her eye. She gasped and bashed Sy on the shoulder, nodding towards the band. He turned to see a miracle and elbowed Spider. Spider, Finn and Malik swivelled in their chairs. Spider’s eyes welled up. His sister was Dancing, for the first time in forever.
All conversation had stopped in the inn. The Dancer’s masculine garb made no difference to her grace and passion. All eyes were glued to the woman whose body seemed to bring the lyrics to life. The audience found themselves smiling when the lovers met and crying when they parted. They held their breath when the evil lord and the pauper hero fought and cheered when the two lovers were finally reunited. The applause was deafening. Seleste smiled and bowed then called the name of another song to the band. Two songs later and the inn was packed, passers-by coming in to see what all the noise was about. The innkeeper couldn’t believe his luck.
Anna looked at Seleste’s glowing silver aura with its brilliant whorls of colour and Read joy and abandon in it. Yes, Seleste was changing, but it seemed she was regaining what she’d once lost. A darkness was leaving her soul.
Spider grabbed Anna’s arm and pulled her outside. “What’s going on? What’s happened to my sister?”
“I don’t know, I swear. Her aura’s lightened. It looks like a silver version of your bronze right now. She’s… I think she’s happy for the first time in a long time. I noticed her aura was brighter after I Healed her outside the mess and again after she helped Heal me from the housekeeper’s crested dagger, but I didn’t pay much attention. She seemed a bit more relaxed, but still herself. This time… Healing Finn… I don’t know. I didn’t mean to. I had no idea…” The Shaper’s voice tailed off, worried that she’d done something very wrong.
“We need to talk about this with the others. We’ve never considered side effects.”
Anna hung her head. “I’m sorry, Spider,” she whispered.
Spider pulled her into a hug. “Seleste’s happy. Why would I be mad at you? It’s not like you did it deliberately or that Seleste was unwilling. We just need to think it through.”
Anna nodded, still feeling guilty.
Inside, Finn was sitting back, quietly nursing his tankard of ale as he looked across the room at Seleste. He’d known the Peyton twins since they were children and recognised this Seleste of old but was wary of her. He didn’t know what had happened to Seleste to make her change all those years ago, but change she had. She’d gone from a fun-loving, light-hearted girl, much like Aibreann in personality, to a sullen, cold teenager and apparently emotionless woman. He saw Spider and Anna come back inside and the unshed tears in Anna’s eyes. He didn’t believe Anna had Shaped Seleste without her permission but Shape her she had. Would the change undermine Seleste’s role and her current mission? The King had others who could do his necessary dirty work, but Seleste was the only Reader assassin. More importantly, she was the only Reader in this group. She was the only one who could see if Anna was turning. Could this new Seleste be relied on to kill the King’s Shaper if it came to it?
CHAPTER 5
En route to Theatis
A nna woke early, well before the first bell. Her dreams had made her sleep restless, but Seleste changing into a Black Shaper was more than her sleeping self could bear. She’d woken in a cold sweat. She pulled on her clothes quietly then crept past a snoring Beitris.
The corridor outside the attic room was a shade off pitch black, the tiny window allowing in only a few rays of early dawn light. She made her way downstairs to the shared privy on the Old Trawler’s second floor. The water was cold in the pitcher, but plenty fresh enough for a quick wash with a surprisingly generous selection of smelly soaps and lovely soft towels. Clean and citrus-scented, she pulled her fingers through her long, dark hair, annoyed she’d left her comb in the bedroom, but smiling at the memory of Sy spinning her around for what seemed like hours. It had been a lot of fun.
The smile wavered when she remembered Seleste’s glowing silver aura. Silver, not black, she reminded herself. Was it really so bad to make someone happy? She looked at herself in the sliver of old mirror hanging on the wall. Yes. Yes, it was. It was utterly wrong for her to meddle with people’s minds unless it was a necessary Healing or for the good of The Kingdom.
“For the good of The Kingdom,” she murmured aloud. What did that even mean? How was one person supposed to know? She had no doubt anything could be twisted to appear for the good of the Kingdom. Was that how Shapers like Nystrieth were born? Did they start out meaning well? She shuddered. The author of the Art of Shaping, the old book in Alsham Castle’s library, had written about a Shapers’ code of honour. She was beginning to see the need. It would be useful to have a set of rules. For now, she would do what her mother had told her: no harm. Well, no lasting harm, she conceded. Unless absolutely necessary, she corrected sadly. There
was a war coming and she knew full well she was expected to do her part.
Another thought struck her as she closed the privy door behind her. Seleste had gained happiness. What might she have lost in the process? Anna didn’t want to dwell on it. Not on an empty stomach at least. Surely there was someone at work in the kitchen by now?
Anna was just passing the door through to the courtyard when she caught a glimpse of movement. She paused, wondering who was up before her. She expected a stable boy or a kitchen hand, but instead saw Seleste. She hadn’t noticed her bed was empty. She recognised one of the Seaskian martial art patterns that Spider’s sister had done every morning in Alsham. The movements were utterly controlled, sure of purpose and without so much as a tiny wobble. This was the Seleste Anna was used to.
“She’s flawless.”
Anna recognised Malik’s voice. “I wouldn’t know, but it’s certainly beautiful to watch,” she told him.
“A gifted Dancer turned swordswoman and assassin. I’d love to know her story.”
Anna’s brain froze on the word ‘assassin’. She’d suspected it, but it had never been said out loud in her presence. She knew King Rybis had appointed Seleste her bodyguard. She’d never considered that the young woman might also be her appointed killer. Her heart sank.
“Have you managed to rustle up some breakfast?”
Anna shook off her dark thoughts and focused on her rumbling belly. “I was just heading to the kitchen. Shall I bring you something?”
“I’ll come with you. They’ll never believe you need so much for just two people,” Malik said with a straight face. “I’ll help you persuade them you eat enough for three on your own.”
“Hey!” Anna exclaimed. “Don’t you start too!”
Malik laughed. “Nothing wrong with a healthy appetite. I could eat a whole roast boar if it has that sauce Sy makes on it. In fact, I could eat a whole roast anything if it has that sauce Sy makes on it. Light, even if it only smelled like that sauce, I could eat a whole roast anything.”
Seleste could hear she was no longer alone. She came to the end of her workout and stood perfectly still, closing her eyes and gradually emptying her mind. The smell of the kitchen and stables, the uneven stone under her feet and the wind on her face, the faint sound of the waves, the rumbles of the onlookers’ conversation and the horses shuffling in the stables all dimmed until there was only her. She sent her mind to each part of her body in turn, inspecting the sensations in the soles of her feet right to the top of her head. She ached all over. Some of it was from Finn’s Healing. Some of it was Dancing. Joy broke through her focus. She allowed herself to revel in it for a few seconds then forced it from her mind. If Anna had been watching, she would have seen Seleste’s whorls of colour settle into pinpricks and the silver calm until there was nothing to Read.
A cool, composed Seleste joined the others for breakfast. Ten would be making for Shae. Vixen had sent the four Islanders with the others’ bags from Alsham, but also for their knowledge of the Islands and as extra muscle. Nystrieth’s spies would think more than twice before taking on ten well-armed, highly skilled enemies.
The group were quietly discussing the stupidity of keeping things that others might take advantage of. Loud clattering and laughter from the kitchen ensured the few others in the room couldn’t overhear them.
“They have to,” argued Spider. “The Channeller’s a puppet. She just sits there and occasionally opens her mouth to say whatever Nystrieth tells her to. Someone has to write it all down so they don’t get it wrong.”
“True,” added Sy. “Someone has to tell her when to eat and sleep for light’s sake. They can hardly rely on her recall.”
“So we can trust the intel?” asked Lachlan.
“We’ll be working under that assumption, yes,” said Finn. “But enough talk. The horses should be ready. Is everyone clear on the brief?” His question was answered with nine nods.
This was the first time Anna had ever done anything like this. She thought through the mission as she followed the others out into the courtyard. They had two main goals. The first was to stop Nystrieth’s agents from getting hold of peristone beads, especially black. None of them were sure black peristone existed, but Nystrieth thought it did. He also believed it was worth considerable resources to get hold of, so it was worth considerable resources to stop him getting it. Plus, if black existed, it stood to reason white did too, in which case they would try to get some for her.
The answers lay in Shae, the island at the far north west of The Kingdom. According to Lord Witheridge, it was unique. It looked much the same as the nearby islands but was the only place with accessible peristone and no Aurovian crystal. According to Lord Witheridge, the lack of crystal in the area should mean an absence of gifted, however, babes were regularly born with the gift of Stone Crafting. Not that it was of any use: the only customers for peristone were Aura Shapers and they’d not been buying for centuries. These days, the gifted relied on farming and fishing for their livelihood, just like the ungifted. No one knew if anyone there would even know what white and black peristone were.
The team’s other major goal was to acquire two books from the Quorum of Gifted library in Ionantis or from Nystrieth’s agents, if they’d already stolen the books. The titles were mentioned in Sesi’s documents, but there was no record of what they were about. One was called ‘Divining Purity', the other ‘Unforeseen Consequences of Balance’. It was probably a safe assumption they contained information about black peristone, in which case it was imperative that Nystrieth didn’t get hold of them.
Anna mounted Hope and sat waiting for the others to arrange saddlebags and various weapons. She thought of the envelope Lady Braxton had given her. Inside, Anna had found the spy mistress’ King’s medallion and a short note. It reminded her of her oath and the responsibilities of representing King Rybis. It also told her explicitly that her life was more important than any other. She was to return no matter what, even if others would lose their lives as a consequence. She’d been struggling with the very notion ever since she’d read it. She’d burnt the note at the first opportunity, as instructed, but it was imprinted on her mind.
Beitris and Lachlan began to hum a light-hearted tune as they left the inn. Malik added a decent tenor and the group set off accompanied by music. All expected the first part of the journey to be straightforward. They would finish crossing the Alscombe Isthmus and take the right fork straight to Theatis, the port where the King’s new flagship, Lealta, was berthed. The road was well-paved and well-maintained plus it was heavily patrolled by the King’s Guard so there’d be no trouble with bandits and they could safely travel after dark. All being well, they should be there by Firstday of next week.
The city was four hours behind them when Spider stopped to pull out an overcoat. “The weather’s going to change,” he called. “Best be prepared.”
Overhead, the sky was clear and a cool sun shone brightly. Everyone pulled out raincover regardless: they’d learned to trust Spider’s Instinct. Within a quarter hour, dark clouds had sped in from distant Valteira, the long-dormant volcano that loomed over the mountainous land between Alscombe and Theatis.
The rain came down in sheets. Everything was soaked within seconds and visibility dropped to about ten feet. Finn called a halt when they came to the King’s Guard Post at the fork in the road. The plan had been to continue onto the first Northern Post that day, but that wasn’t going to happen unless the storm eased.
Finn disappeared off inside the small reception area. Five minutes later, an attentive Captain ordered men to stable ten very sorry-looking horses. He personally ushered the new arrivals into the mess and yelled for caffe.
“Does Finn know everyone?” Anna asked Seleste.
“No, but they know what a King’s medallion looks like. Failure to support a medallion-holder is an automatic demotion, at best. I once heard a story about a General who told a Circler to go steal a horse because he’d be damned if one
of his men was having to walk. Rybis sent him to Tullen. Fair enough really - three men died because of his refusal, but, still, he was a General.” Seleste saw the shock on the Shaper’s face and laughed “What did you think they were for?”
Anna blushed. “Perhaps you’d better fill me in on exactly what being a King’s Circler entails?”
“Not a lot to it, from what I can tell,” said Beitris, who’d been eavesdropping without any pretence at guilt. “You do whatever the King or his spy masters tell you to and everyone else does whatever you tell them to. If anyone doesn’t toe the line, they’re off to Tullen.”
“But that’s… that’s terrible! What if what you’re told to do is wrong? What if someone’s working for the other side?”
“You’re forgetting something, Anna. Apart from the fact that most ordinary people haven’t a clue what a King’s medallion is or even what the King’s Circle is, everyone who carries the medallion has sworn the King’s Oath and proven their loyalty time and time again. As long as our King is just and true to The Kingdom, the Oath holds and those who have sworn it can only act in his interests. It guides everything we do.”
“But Mistress Manson had sworn the oath falsely. Even Lady Braxton thought she carried a genuine King’s Oath on her aura and she’s the finest Reader we have, but the woman was Nystrieth’s through and through.”
“And she could act as she pleased. I know. But she would never have earned a medallion. There are fewer than twenty in existence.”
“You’re telling me that I couldn’t… I don’t know… say… kill one of you if I wanted to? The oath would stop me?”
“Yes, if it wasn’t just.”
Seleste saw the disbelief on Anna’s face.
“I know it sounds crazy, Anna, but it’s true. The King’s Oath is more than a couple of sentences. It’s more than a promise. The King and his bloodline have the strongest gift of all. Loyalty. Once you swear, you’re his.”
