Relic

by Bronwyn Eley

  I brushed a finger along Elias’ ring and glanced to Markus. He gave me a quick smile.

  ‘Whose ring is that?’ Aless shifted in her seat, tucking her legs under her.

  ‘It belongs to my brother.’ I held it up for her to see. ‘I’m just holding onto it for him for a little while.’

  ‘I thought it was a marriage ring.’

  ‘It is, actually. It belonged to my father originally. I made matching ones for my parents. They had given each other rings when they were married, but after having four children –’ I chuckled. ‘Both of them put on some weight and found their rings didn’t fit anymore. So I made them new ones.’

  ‘You made that?’ Aless gazed at the ring in wonder. ‘Could you make me one? With flowers?’

  I laughed.

  ‘Kaylan doesn’t have time for that, Aless,’ Markus said calmly, stealing away her excitement. She nodded glumly and resumed eating.

  I tucked away a smile. Had I known her in another life, I would have made her the most beautiful ring.

  ‘Tell Kaylan about your plans for your twelfth birthday party,’ Markus said. Aless launched into talk of music and decorations that would, as she put it, rival even Lady Jesper’s celebration.

  I kept my eyes away from Markus as she talked.

  ‘Anise, cinnamon, vanilla bean and cloves,’ Markus explained, an hour later, as he placed three plates of dessert on the table. ‘Best way to flavour the pears. The drizzle of honey was Aless’ idea, and now she insists upon it.’

  ‘You don’t make this enough!’ Aless exclaimed, picking up her spoon.

  ‘I have to keep things interesting, mix it up,’ Markus chuckled. ‘Otherwise it would be boring, having it all the time.’

  ‘I shouldn’t think so.’ Aless cut into her pear.

  ‘You don’t have a cook?’ I asked.

  Aless and her brother smiled at each other. ‘We don’t need one. Markus love to cook, and he’s teaching me.’

  I lifted my spoon, watching the honey melt off the sides, dripping back onto the plate. Aless began her welcome ramblings again. Markus and I ate in silence. The soft, sweet pear slid so easily down my hot throat. I sighed.

  ‘Have you never had this before?’ Aless asked.

  ‘Our meals are more basic,’ I explained. ‘I’m from a large family. We try to save money where we can.’

  ‘So you don’t eat dessert?’ Her question brought a smile to my face. It was the kind of question Kye would ask.

  ‘Only on our birthdays, and only if we could afford it.’

  ‘That sounds horrible,’ Aless mumbled, through a mouthful of pear. ‘I’ve never asked these questions of a lowborn before.’

  ‘Aless,’ Markus hissed.

  ‘What?’ She was clearly confused by her brother’s hard gaze. ‘I just want to know what it’s like down there.’

  ‘Its fine, Markus,’ I said, sitting forward and turning my gaze on Aless. With a triumphant smile, she continued.

  ‘What was your old job?’

  ‘My official title was Blacksmith’s Striker,’ I answered, not expecting her to know what that meant. The work here was dull at best. My hands itched for something heavy and hot, for cinders flying, metal yielding, the clang of tools and steel singing the hours away.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘I helped the Blacksmith do his job, basically,’ I explained.

  ‘So, you were his assistant?’

  I shrugged. ‘In a way.’

  ‘She’s a very talented Blacksmith,’ Markus chimed in, though he had no evidence of that. ‘And was being trained to take over her smithy in a few years.’

  ‘Aren’t smithies really dirty?’

  I rubbed my hand on my arm, remembering the way my skin used to itch from the dryness hot air and ash created.

  ‘Do you like your new job better?’

  A spoon clattered onto the table. I thought for a moment it was mine until Markus turned to his sister.

  ‘Aless, that’s enough.’ His voice was harsh.

  Her eyes dropped as she fiddled with her dessert. She reminded me of Elias. She had his overconfidence and his spirit, all of which used to be endearing qualities in him.

  ‘I didn’t mean –’ she began, but was cut off by her brother’s stern look.

  ‘It’s alright,’ I hurried to say, but inhaled sharply as sudden pain stabbed my chest. Markus tensed, shifting forward, Aless’ persistence forgotten. I let out a breath, shuddering as it went, and gave a weak smile.

  ‘It’s late,’ Markus addressed his sister. ‘You had best be off to bed.’

  She didn’t hide her discontent, scraping her chair back.

  ‘Aless.’ I held out my hand and gave hers a tight squeeze. ‘It was lovely talking with you.’

  Her eyes lit up. ‘Will I see you again?’

  ‘I hope so.’

  She gave me a quick smile before heading up the stairs, her little footsteps soon fading.

  Markus stood from his chair and moved to the one closest to mine. He pushed gently on my shoulders, forcing me to rest back in the chair.

  ‘I’m fine,’ I wheezed.

  Stupid, cursed lungs. Behave!

  Markus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass vial filled with dirt-brown, thick liquid. It didn’t move so much as ooze. ‘Take this.’

  ‘What even is that?’

  ‘Something to lessen the pain, I hope,’ he explained. ‘Though it doesn’t work for everyone, I’m told.’

  ‘Medicine?’ I took a better look. ‘From where?’

  ‘After seeing Keithan this morning, I stopped by to see the Physician.’

  I sighed. ‘Markus, I told you –’

  ‘This was before you wanted me to forget that you’re dying,’ he snapped, clenching his teeth together as soon as he’d said the words. ‘Which is impossible to do when you look like that.’

  ‘Ravishing?’ It was no time for jokes, but I couldn’t help myself.

  ‘You’re clearly not eating or sleeping.’ He tugged at my loose shirt.

  ‘I ate just fine now.’ I smacked his hand away and gestured to the near-empty bowl, suddenly realising that I had, in fact, eaten an entire meal, plus dessert. It was the most I had consumed in weeks. It seemed the pretending was working on one of us, at least.

  A smirk slipped onto his expression. ‘I noticed.’ Too quickly he shook his head, seriousness replacing any humour. I wanted that smile back.

  ‘Take it.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘No?’ He lifted the vial in front of my face.

  ‘There’s no point.’ I pushed his hand down. ‘It won’t stop it.’

  ‘You’d rather live in pain?’

  ‘I’ve become quite used to it,’ I muttered. ‘I’ll manage a few more weeks.’

  He sat back quietly. ‘Weeks?’

  His expression gave me pause. ‘I don’t know how long it will take, but –’ I faltered. ‘I think it’s almost over.’

  ‘Over?’ he snarled. ‘Kay—’

  ‘I thought we were pretending,’ I said lightly, smiling up at him. He said nothing, wide-eyed and tight-mouthed. It was another moment before he finally spoke.

  ‘I’ve never had –’ He paused, eyes clouding for a moment. ‘Something to fight for, besides my sister. It’s always been her. From the moment she was born, I was her parent.’

  I remained silent, listening.

  ‘She was my only priority. I keep her out of the magic’s reach as much as possible. I see to her education. I make connections for her. I even got her that position at Lady Sara’s – which isn’t an easy feat, mind you.’ His eyebrows quirked. ‘I kept my parents from interfering too much with her life – not that they were much interested, anyway.’

  Pain rolled from him like anger did from Rennard. It turned my stomach to imagine how he was raised. How they were raised. Despite that, look at what he had become.

  ‘I’ve been putting money aside, when I can.’ He shrugged. �
��To send Aless away one day.’

  I frowned, shifting forward in my seat. Why would he want to send her away?

  ‘When she’s old enough, I’m sending her to Stynos.’

  Stynos was the furthest city from ours, across the channel. It was also Jesper’s home. ‘Why?’ I asked.

  ‘It’s different there.’ A smile touched his lips. ‘Or so I hear.’

  ‘From who?’

  ‘Jesper, mostly.’

  ‘Different how?’

  His face turned serious. ‘More peaceful. Just. Fair. I hear the Lord there is nothing like Lord Rennard. And his city is the perfect place for someone like Aless. It’s alive with passion and opportunity, a place where she could thrive.’ He chuckled. ‘I hope to go with her, but it all depends on whether I can train someone to take over from me. Someone good. Rennard wouldn’t let me go that easily.’

  ‘How can you be sure? Maybe if you explained –’

  ‘I’ve already posed the idea to him, about what would happen if I ever left, and he sternly advised against trying. I am under his employ. He would have to release me from that obligation, and I can’t see that happening anytime soon. If ever. But Aless …’ He tilted his head to look at the ceiling. ‘Her, he has no use for.’

  I placed my hand on his arm, only briefly. ‘You’re a good brother.’

  He looked at me sternly, all lightness gone. ‘I have some money. I have some connections. I would only have to put off sending Aless away for maybe another year or two. I could keep her safe in the meantime –’

  ‘What are you saying?’

  I knew what he was saying.

  ‘I could get you out.’

  I sat back, shaking my head fiercely. ‘You can’t. It’s pointless.’ He scoffed, but I stopped him with a hand on his. ‘Your plan for Aless is wonderful. She needs that money, those connections, your devotion. I don’t.’

  ‘But you can have it –’

  I cut him off with a sharp shake of my head. ‘It wouldn’t work. Even if you found a way to get me out safely, it wouldn’t include my family, would it?’

  That gave him pause. He let out a sigh. ‘I only have enough for one set of legal papers. To do it illegally would be ... much more expensive.’

  ‘Exactly.’ I gave him a tight smile. ‘And I can’t go without them, you know that. I would never do that to them, anyway.’

  Markus slouched back in his chair, his expression pained, as though I had stabbed him in the gut.

  ‘You’ve done enough.’ I took the vial from his hands and placed it in my pocket. A peace offering. One I wouldn’t use, but he didn’t have to know that. ‘Your sister is lucky to have you.’

  He avoided eye contact. ‘I’m sorry about before.’

  ‘I have three younger brothers, remember?’

  ‘She’s just so young, sometimes.’ He rubbed his forehead. ‘I wish she would grow up already.’

  Markus looked tired. Tired beyond one bad night’s sleep. A tiredness that came from a lifetime of hard work and stress. Something told me his parents had nothing to do with raising either child. I doubted Markus had ever even been a child. He had a freeness about him, but it walked hand-in-hand with a sadness.

  ‘Don’t wish for that too soon,’ I mumbled.

  ‘There’s a story there.’

  Markus watched me patiently. He wanted to know me. I wanted to know him, too. I wondered about his parents, why the mention of them made his eyes sad. I wondered about the necklace he sometimes wore. I wondered why he wondered about me.

  ‘My brother, Elias,’ I began slowly, testing the words. I had only ever spoken to Shae about my difficulties raising a stubborn and destructive brother. ‘He’s sixteen. He’s a scullion at a very rough local tavern. When our father died, he took it the hardest.’

  I sighed. I had spared my mother from having that horrible conversation with her boys.

  ‘They were a team. He lost something more than just his father that day, I think. But he doesn’t talk to us the way he used to.’

  I shifted in my chair, trying to stretch my stiff back.

  ‘He was so young when it happened. He grew stronger over time, and for a while, we had our old Elias back. But he was working in this tavern, and the people there –’

  At first, he had hated it. Hated the men he worked for. Hated the crowd that drank there. At first.

  ‘One night, when he was fourteen, he came home drunk for the first time.’

  I finally met Markus’ gaze. His eyes were swimming with sympathy.

  ‘Tell me about your other brothers,’ he said. ‘They seemed like sweet boys. Kye –’ He chuckled. ‘Reminded me a bit of you, actually. While Rhey …’ He shook his head. ‘Also reminded me of you.’

  I smiled. ‘How so?’

  ‘Kye is free and spirited, the same spark I saw in you when you introduced me to Shae at the celebration,’ he explained. ‘Whereas Rhey seemed like he was afraid to feel too much, which makes sense, considering what he’s been through.’ He paused. ‘What you’ve been through.’

  ‘They’re very sweet boys. Innocent and unaffected. Then again, so was Elias.’

  ‘Do they have any skills, or hobbies?’

  ‘Kye likes gardening,’ I said. ‘Don’t ask me why.’ Markus chuckled. ‘One of our neighbours tends the gardens of a Nobleman’s house. Once a week, Kye goes with him to learn and help. We’re hoping that when he reaches working age, the Nobleman will offer Kye a job there.’

  ‘How old is he?’

  ‘He’s nine, our youngest.’ Was I lucky, in a way? To only know them as sweet, innocent boys? To know them before the world wrecked them? To have them see me only as their big sister, blind to the truths and flaws that Elias had eventually seen?

  My throat tightened once more. This time, it wasn’t from the pain. So much for pretending.

  Markus’ hands closed over mine. When I looked up, his face was close enough that I could see the few freckles on his nose. His breath moved the loose hair around my face.

  ‘If I could wish for one thing,’ he whispered, ‘it wouldn’t be that my parents were alive, or that they were even parents to begin with. I wouldn’t wish for our freedom from this place. I’d wish for yours.’

  We closed the small gap between us, our lips meeting lightly. Before he could deepen the kiss, I pulled back and wrapped my hands over his. ‘Thank you, Markus.’

  He nodded gently.

  ‘For more than just that,’ I continued. ‘Thank you.’

  Chapter 26

  On my way back to Rennard’s chambers, a pile of clean clothes bundled in my arms, the sound of Thorn’s hateful voice assaulted my ears. I slipped quickly into a nearby stairwell.

  ‘– throw your entire family in the dungeon if this doesn’t go perfectly, do you understand me?’

  They were coming down the hallway. If it had been Rennard, the Relic would have been pulsing with anger. As it was, Thorn’s tone instilled a deep sense of fear in me.

  ‘Yes, Captain Thorn,’ another man gushed.

  ‘This is a humiliation for us all, allowing De Winter to get this close to Edriast,’ Thorn continued. ‘Send the men to where Notth River meets our border and don’t let him –’

  Their voices faded. I strained to hear more, but they had moved too far. I stepped out into the hallway.

  Bellamy was near the city. I could see Notth River from the castle grounds. If he was coming here, did that mean Rennard was the last of his bloodline? Bellamy would be an idiot to make his move before then. I gripped the basket tighter to my chest.

  After leaving the clothes with the wash girl, I hurried to Jesper’s chamber. I only knew vaguely where it was, but found it eventually. The door was partially open; I peered inside.

  The room was cluttered with mismatched furniture and decorated with wilting flowers. Jesper had tucked herself beside the open window. The breeze moved her hair, but her body was still.

  A large, dark figure was crouched beside her. At firs
t I thought it was Rennard, from the intimate way he held her hand, but when he turned his face toward me, I recognised the guard who had taken my note from the rebel hiding spot. Anders.

  ‘Sorry,’ I mumbled, taking a step back into the hallway.

  ‘Kaylan,’ Jesper said softly, turning in her seat. ‘Come in.’

  I hesitated, unsure what I had just walked in on.

  ‘It’s alright,’ Jesper continued. ‘Anders was just leaving.’

  She turned to him. ‘Thank you for this.’ Jesper held her hand up, fist closed around something.

  Anders passed me quickly, his eyes straight ahead. I knew a guilty man when I saw one. What had they been doing? While I didn’t disapprove of Jesper finding comfort in another man’s arms, she would be playing a dangerous game doing so under the same roof as her husband.

  ‘It’s a shame you can’t see the gardens clearly at night,’ Jesper mused quietly. I moved to her side. Now that I could see her eyes, I saw how they matched the daze in her voice.

  ‘Jesper?’ I crouched down beside her. Her closed fist tumbled around in her lap, fingers fidgeting with what looked like a small glass vial. ‘What is that?’

  ‘Your brother has been released.’

  The information struck me in the chest and I stood up. I breathed out a shaky sigh of relief. ‘Thank you.’

  The large tree just outside the window cast dancing shadows over Jesper’s body. ‘I had nothing to do with it.’

  I scoffed. ‘Well, I’ll drop dead before I thank Rennard for anything, so I’m going to thank you instead.’

  ‘He needed the space,’ Jesper murmured, watching the swaying branches.

  I frowned. ‘In the dungeon?’

  She nodded. ‘I think Bellamy is nearly here.’

  She finally looked at me, a glaze over her eyes. On the side of her neck, a deep hand-shaped bruise bled into her skin. Anger lashed at my heart. ‘You can’t let him do that to you,’ I snapped.

  ‘It wasn’t …’ Her voice drifted away, her eyes following. A breeze rushed through the window, blanketing us both, bringing her back. ‘We were in bed.’ Her weak smile quivered. ‘It wasn’t like that.’