Examining the brilliant sheen of the amethyst sent her mind wandering to a conversation she’d had with her employer. She had done what he’d asked. All she needed to do was contact him. The Eternal Flame would reward her services with an induction into Torel’s Dawn, something she’d been surprised to discover she wanted very much.
Her smile became a sneer. What would you think of that, Father? She shook her head, scattering thoughts and sending her black hair tumbling over her shoulders.
But what would become of Aidan? She couldn’t imagine any parents executing their own child, but the possibility made her blood run cold. She cared for Aidan. She’d cared about him for years. Tyrnen had trained Aidan with his mother. Surely the prince’s mentor could be convinced that leniency should be shown for...
The amethyst within her Band pulsed with a low, plumcolored glow. Swallowing, Christine pressed a finger to it, and the old man’s voice entered her thoughts.
—Have you found him?
Christine remained silent in voice and thoughts for a long moment.
“Not yet.”
She adjusted her blouse and left the room.
A door opened down the hall, and Garrett Lorden peered out. Clutched in a white-knuckled grip was one of the Torelian marks the old man had given him. It pulsed with a low, crimson light. A voice entered his mind. He nodded once, smiled, and disappeared behind his door.
Aidan arched an eyebrow as Christine stepped into the private dining room. “That’s warmer?”
She smiled and gave a little twirl, sending her skirts into a flutter.
“It serves its purposes,” she replied. Pouring herself a cup of warm cider, she sipped at her drink and sat in the chair beside him. For a time they sat staring at the flames, the silence broken only by the fire’s pleasant crackling and the creak of the inn as wind threw itself at the walls. Every so often, Aidan glanced over. Every so often, he caught her looking at him.
Aidan cleared his throat. “May I ask you something?
“Of course.”
“I felt a powerful vibe from the magic you used to defeat the whispers last night. All that training, especially with a guild as prestigious as the Den, and achieving Cinder rank... You don’t look old. Er, sorry, I mean—”
She giggled. “I’m one year your senior, young man. You’d better not think I look old.”
He laughed back. “I only meant that you’re obviously talented. Most Touched don’t achieve Cinder rank until well into their thirties. Did you ever want to do anything with magic besides simple tricks?”
Her grip on the mug’s handle tightened. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” he said hastily. “I just wondered what would make you go through all that education if you didn’t want to choose a creed. Truth be told, I wish I could do what you do.”
She nodded, and he relaxed. “After Garrett and I lost our mother, we decided we didn’t want to stay with our father. So, we needed to earn a living. I didn’t particularly want to stay in school, but it was something Garrett insisted I do. Garrett is not a Touched. He’s always been adept at tricks showcasing the sleight of hand.”
Her voice hardened. “Sallnerians, even mutts, have to scrape and claw for everything in this world. We came up with an idea to combine our talents and Spectacle was born. We’ve made a decent living from it, and we’re proud of it.”
“I’m looking forward to see you perform.”
She smiled. “Thank you. What about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“It was more than just my pure-fire that saved us. Where did you learn?”
“I trained in Calewind,” he said simply. That’s true enough.
She was silent for a few moments. Then she set her cup on the hearth and turned to him. “What are you running from, Aidan?”
He started to answer, then stiffened. “I told you, my name is—”
“I know who you are. I recognized you the instant I saw you at the Hornet’s Nest. Don’t worry,” she said as he started to rise, his eyes darting frantically. “Your secret is safe with me. You obviously don’t want to be noticed. Given who you are, that must be difficult, and I appreciate your desire to remain anonymous. That’s why we asked for this dining room; no one comes back here without Martha’s permission.
“To be honest, I wouldn’t have given you more than a second glance—you were quite dirty and travel worn—except that...” She picked at her skirt. “I’ve been an admirer of yours for quite some time. I’ve been to many of your appearances, even your Rite of Heritage. I was—”
“Outside Sunfall,” he said suddenly, the memory of the Sallnerian girl outside the southern entrance to the palace on his birthday rushing back to him. Dawn take me, how did I ever forget that face!
She smiled, pleased. “You noticed me.”
“Of course. You’re beautiful.” His throat instantly felt parched. Did I just say that?
“I am glad you think so.” She hesitated. “Forgive me for being forward, but I find you beautiful as well.” She laughed. “Handsome, I mean. I’ve watched you for years. From afar, of course. A Sallnerian can’t exactly walk up to the Prince of Torel and curtsy. But I have watched.”
She covered her face. “I can’t believe I’m saying this.”
“I’m glad you did.”
She lowered her hands cautiously. “Really?”
“Yes. Talking with you is easy. It’s hard to find that in a companion.”
“A companion?”
“A friend, I mean.”
“Oh, so I am your friend, am I?” she said teasingly.
“Well, yes, but...” He shook his head. “I believe you’re doing this on purpose, my lady.”
“You believe correctly. It amuses me to see such a prominent and handsome man so utterly tongue-tied.”
It was his turn to laugh, but he cut off abruptly as a thought came to him. “Does Garrett know who I am?”
“Yes. But he won’t tell.”
“There are posters of me hanging just outside this inn that give him many, many reasons to tell.” Aidan regretted the words as soon as he said them. Christine and Garrett had saved his life, and Daniel’s.
Christine didn’t seem to mind the slight. “Garrett loves his gold, but we make plenty. Your secret is safe.”
He relaxed. “Thank you.”
She nodded. “Aidan?”
“Yes?”
“I know what happened at Sharem. Is that what you’re running from? The war?”
He didn’t answer.
She reached out and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. Aidan’s heart danced a wild beat.
“I’d like to help, if you’ll let me.”
For a time Aidan sat, enjoying the feel of her touch. “I’m sorry, Christine. I don’t really want to talk about it. Just... things weren’t going well, and I had to get away.”
They sat in silence for a time. “I would like to come with you,” she said at last. Her stare was direct. “If you’ll have me.”
His smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Why did she have to want this now, when so many difficult and confusing things were happening in his life? He was interested in her. How could he not be? She was beautiful, independent, intelligent, and she liked him. But the timing just wasn’t right. Maybe someday, when he’d made things right with his family and his kingdom. And Darinia.
“I’m sorry, Christine,” he said again. “You’re a beautiful woman, but now is just not a good time.” Thoughts of the horrors of the past weeks bombarded him, crowding over his eyes, her smile, the touch of her clammy palm. “I’m very sorry,” he said again.
She considered him for a moment, then rose and sat on his lap. “I am a patient woman, Aidan,” she said, taking his hand again. “I can wait.”
The scent of the bath salts she must have used that morning filled him. Her closeness stole his breath. Not a good time, he’d said. The words struck him as ludicrous. War brewed around him.
Nightmares stalked him, ready to drag him into darkness. Would there be a good time? Maybe not. Maybe now was all the time he had.
He leaned forward and kissed her, and she kissed him back, looping her arms over his neck. They held each other, snug and cozy in front of the flames.
“Stay one more day,” she said softly, her arms tightening around him.
“All right,” he said without pause. Daniel needs rest, after all.
They sat that way for a time, letting the storm blow and shake the walls around them.
Chapter 21
Tide
WHEN THE DOOR CLICKED open some hours later, Aidan tried to scramble to his feet, but Christine didn’t budge. Garrett and Daniel crossed over and stood, grinning first at them then at each other.
“Enjoy your afternoon, Thomas?” Garrett said.
“I—” Aidan began.
“He most certainly did,” Christine said, glaring around defiantly. “And it’s all right, Garrett. He knows we know his name.”
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Daniel coughed and nudged Garrett with his elbow.
“Back home, we called him the Prince of Passion,” Daniel confided to Garrett. They doubled over in howls of laughter.
“They did not!” Aidan said, reddening.
“Now, now,” Christine said, stroking Aidan’s cheek. “Don’t let them bother you. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion, don’t you think?”
“We were just talking,” Aidan said hastily.
“My apologies for interrupting your conversation,” Garrett said, “but my sister and I must prepare for this evening’s events. I do hope you’ll reconsider staying a little longer, Aidan. We have so many surprises planned for tonight.”
“Actually,” Aidan began, “I’ve decided to stay through the morning.” He ignored Daniel’s sound of surprise.
“Excellent,” Garret said, beaming. “We have a pleasant evening in store.”
Abruptly Christine uncrossed her legs and stood up to face her brother, her cheeks pink. “I don’t know that I can go through with this.”
Aidan frowned in confusion, but Garrett seemed unperturbed. “It is expected of us,” her brother said. “We will continue with the work as planned.”
Christine looked as if she had more to say. Instead she stalked out of the room.
“What’s the matter with her?” Daniel asked Aidan, who shrugged as if it were of no moment to him. But it was a moment— more than one. The most pleasant he had spent in his entire life. The sudden absence of her weight made him feel too light, his lap too cold.
He looked up to see Garrett glaring after his sister. At that moment Martha came bustling into the dining room, exclaiming over how anxious the crowd was for the show to begin. Aidan quickly stood and made a show of examining the hearth, keeping his back to her.
“The common room is practically fit to burst,” she said. “Everyone’s eager to see your performance after being cooped indoors with nothing to do for so long. We’re all waiting on you, dear,” she said to Garrett before hustling out of the room.
“All right then,” Garrett said. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” Aidan said, and moved to follow. Daniel placed a hand on his arm, then crossed to the door and locked it.
“I found our tunnel,” he said in a low voice, looking mistrustfully at the window and moving over to pull the shade.
Aidan felt his stomach drop. In all the excitement of the past day, he had forgotten all about the sneaks and their sneaky tunnels. Would Christine still want to travel with them if she knew they’d be burrowing around in the dirt?
—She should stay behind, Aidan, Heritage said. You need to continue on alone from here.
Disappointment welled up, but he swallowed it. The sword was right. He had already put her in danger. He would just come back for her. Maybe, when all of this was over with...
“You still want to use the tunnels, right?” Daniel asked.
Aidan squared his shoulders. “I do. How do they work?”
“It turns out there’s a tunnel entrance down in the cellar, behind a shelf of wine. We’ll go down, follow the trail to the waypoint, and you’ll take us to our destination.”
“And where is that, exactly?”
Daniel shrugged. “The sneak I talked to back at the Hornet’s Nest wasn’t very specific, but that’s because I wasn’t very specific. You don’t know exactly where we’re going, other than into Sallner, so that’s all I could tell him. We’ll just pop up in the south, I guess.”
“So a pack of vagrants can lop off our heads like overgrown flowers as soon as we peek aboveground?”
“I doubt it. Most tunnel entrances are well hidden. The sneaks don’t want just anyone stumbling into the underground. People get lost down there.”
“That makes sense, I guess,” Aidan said. “All right. We’ll plan to leave tomorrow morning after breakfast and run the tunnels.”
Daniel handed Aidan the parchment. “No, you’ll be running them. I’ll be holding on to you for dear life.”
Aidan blinked. “Me? I thought you said anyone can use the tunnels.”
“Anyone can walk through a cave, sure. But only the Touched can use the...” He bobbed his head from side to side, thinking. “The quick method, I guess you could call it.”
“Riding the shadows like a wave,” Aidan said, recalling Daniel’s words from the night before.
“That’s right.”
Now it was Aidan’s turn to lower his voice. “Daniel, I don’t know dark magic. You can’t tell me anything?”
Daniel spread his hands. “My humblest and sincerest apologies, Most Passionate of Princes—”
“I wish you’d cut that out,” Aidan muttered.
“—but I’m about as magical as a stick,” Daniel continued. “All I know is every sneak who rode the shadows was a Touched. I saw them juggle fire and everything else you, Tyrnen, and your mother can do.” He grinned. “Never saw anyone make dancing snowmen before, though.”
“I knew people would enjoy that.”
“You do know your public, O Passionate Prince of Kisses—”
Aidan fled the room.
A few minutes later, Aidan stood, hood back in place, Heritage at his side and hidden beneath his cloak, shoulder to shoulder against Daniel and the other onlookers who had packed the common room. Garrett and Christine stood at the hearth across the room. Conversation buzzed excitedly around them, and Aidan suddenly realized something quite pleasant. Christine’s oval face and dark, slanted eyes gave away the Sallnerian half of her ethnicity, but no one seemed to care. She was their girl, homegrown talent. They were just excited to see a show, no matter the ethnicity of the performer.
Christine looked around, spotted him, and smiled, actually blushing. Aidan couldn’t help smiling back. A shy Christine was an especially pretty Christine.
“Good evening,” Martha said.
The crowd responded, though they were decidedly less merry.
“These are tense times, I know. To many of us, war is nothing but tales told by old men—tales that are quickly becoming reality. Yet tonight, I ask that you leave your worries at home. Friends, I give you Christine and Garrett Lorden—the Spectacle!”
The assemblage had already burst into cheers, drowning out the duo’s last name. The shouts grew louder as Garrett stepped forward. He crossed his arms behind him then slowly withdrew one fist. He opened it, and when the crowd saw it was empty, they made sounds of disappointment. Then Garrett smiled and pointed to the other hand still held behind him. He drew forth a single red ball and began to juggle it with ease. The assemblage called for more. Garrett glanced at his sister, his face a question: Should I? She began to clap her hands in short bursts. The crowd joined in.
One of Garrett’s hands darted behind his back to produce a bright blue ball which joined the spinning ranks of the first. The crowd continued to cheer him on, and on every third rotation the balls made in the air he would produce anot
her from behind his back, until he had a dozen spinning in the air.
Garrett turned to face his sister before tossing a single ball in her direction. She pointed at it and let her finger drift toward the audience. The ball changed course, zooming out over the crowd where its mistress pointed. At the apex of its flight it popped open, sending colored ribbons streaming over the room. Adults laughed and cheered and children squealed with delight.
One by one Garrett tossed the balls at his sister, slowly at first then faster and faster. She sent each one sailing in a different direction, and the audience was soon covered in sparkles and strands of colored paper. The crowd roared with glee as the siblings took a bow. Straightening, Christine found Aidan’s eyes. A smile stretched across her face. He smiled back, and she returned to her work.
—Sorry to interrupt your fun, but there’s trouble. Look toward the main entrance.
Looking up, Aidan saw three muscular men in coats and trousers enter the inn.
So?
—Use the Sight.
He gripped Heritage and blinked. Sight’s white canvas draped over his vision; charcoal outlines appeared around the people filling the room. He looked toward the doorway then quickly cursed and looked away. The human heads of the three men had disappeared, replaced instead with skulls of vagrants. He blinked and removed his hand from the sword, returning his vision to normal.
—We must leave immediately.
He nodded his assent as he raised his arm to get Daniel’s attention.
—No, Aidan. I said earlier that you must go alone, and I meant it. No one can follow you.
I won’t leave without my friends.
—They are no longer safe with you.
He stood up slowly, blinked, and glanced again toward the front door. As expected the Sallnerians appeared fully human, comfortable in their duplicitous disguises. He peered sideways at Daniel, but his friend was too enchanted with the show to see what Aidan was doing.
—Get down to the cellar. We’ll use the tunnels.
Crouching, Aidan weaved through the crowd to the back door and slipped out.
From the front of the room, Christine watched Aidan duck out of the room. Never dropping her too-wide performer’s smile, she entertained the notion of informing Garrett that Aidan had escaped. But she did not.
Heritage: Book One of the Gairden Chronicles Page 18
