by K.N. Lee
“That’s easy enough,” Anna said. “We simply allow Erov’s justice to deal with Tom.”
“But he didn’t do this,” Gilly said.
Her sister raised her arms in frustration and pulled away from her husband.
“But mama says you found him with the knife, Gilly,” Skye said. “That he could have killed any of us.”
“He said he didn’t do this,” Gilly told her.
“That’s all it takes?” Her sister stared at her as if she were the Madwoman of Nadym. “The word of a drunkard convinces you he’s innocent despite the evidence of your eyes? Skye, come here. Now do you believe me when I say she’s a bale short?”
“Anna!” Marton said
“Mama,” Skye said, “please don’t say that about Gilly.”
Gilly raised her shoulders and let it drop, shaking off her hurt. Fear had brought out the old Anna. This wasn’t her sister who was beginning to like her. Who hadn’t told Marton that Gilly could do magic. Who, at first sight of that bloody dagger, hadn’t run away, but had instead taken Gilly’s hand and tried to tug her from the site of danger. She had come to learn that with Anna, her actions often spoke truer than words.
“I agree that we should let Erov’s justice take its course, Anna,” Gilly said, seeking to reach the new, more approachable Anna. “But please don’t convict Tom before he’s had a chance to speak on his own behalf.”
Her sister bit her lip, her gaze narrowed.
Gilly left her sister to think that request over.
The rest of the day dragged on. Confined to her room, Gilly had nothing to do but think and her thoughts were not pleasant. A girl brought her food but refused to be coaxed into staying to talk to her. Two silent Erovians stood guard outside her door. She tried lifting the material at the back of her room but couldn’t budge it from the floor. Finally, exhausted by all that had taken place, Gilly fell asleep on a bed of soft pillows.
She awoke the next morning to several girls scurrying about her room. The previous day’s welcome smiles were replaced by shared nostalgic images of Aton that brought tears to Gilly’s eyes.
As she dressed, like viewing a flurry of wild flower petals drifting in the breeze, scenes of him going about his daily life flitted by her. In one, he taught young children to read, in another, he tenderly helped an elderly man rise, or spent lonely hours recording the events of Ryca. Then she experienced his joy at first sight of his baby boy.
The girls’ sorrow at Aton’s death enveloped Gilly’s heart with anguish until her chest was as thick and heavy with grief as when, at ten years of age, she finally accepted she would never again be with her mother, brother and sister.
“Lord Jarrod awaits you,” one girl said.
“Lord Aton’s son?” Gilly asked, anxiety fluttering in her tight chest. “I thought he was in the Makakala Range. How did he get here so fast?”
“Hurry.”
They refused to listen to her assurance that she was perfectly capable of dressing herself. Gilly gave up the struggle and allowed them to care for her. The dress was slipped on, shoe ribbons tied up her calves, while a girl brushed out her long red locks with gentle strokes.
She still couldn’t understand why it was necessary for so many to assist her. After yesterday’s events, she was surprised they still wanted to dote on her. At least Mayla wasn’t among this group. She wasn’t ready to deal with Aton’s daughter-in-law-to-be yet. Nor his son.
Once ready, the women escorted Gilly from the room, constantly whispering to each other in their musical tongue. Their presence was strangely comforting as if she were once again held safe within her mother’s arms.
She arrived at the room where her party had dined the day before. A younger version of Aton sat at the head position. Lord Jarrod. She put him as barely having passed twenty summers. So young to have lost his father. Her breath caught in her throat as her worried glance flew toward Tom. He sat beside her family and was not clapped in chains. A good sign surely.
Her party had taken their previous seated positions on pillows placed around the three-sided table. This time the room was packed with Erovians standing around the inside edge of the tent.
Anna gave an annoyed glance at the bevy of women who had accompanied Gilly as she stepped into the room. Had these girls not helped her sister dress, too? Of course they had. Her sister was probably irked that Gilly warranted the same attention. She lifted her chin in defiance and approached the empty place beside Tom.
“Lady Saira-Gilly.” Lord Jarrod stood.
She was beginning to hate that name.
He motioned beside him, at the head of the table.
What was it with this family that they continually treated her as if she were some important personage? Or did he merely want to question her about Tom? Well, she couldn’t remain frozen to the spot.
Feeling every eye on her clumsy movements, Gilly approached Lord Jarrod and allowed him to assist her. Her blush was back as she tried to position her left leg comfortably. One of the girls hurried forward to lay a pillow beneath Gilly’s extended foot and heat rose up to Gilly’s hairline.
A gesture from Lord Jarrod, and Tom stood and approached the center of the room until he stood directly across from the new Chief Councilor.
“Tell me your truth,” Lord Jarrod said.
Tom spoke slowly, relaying the events of the night before. He’d come in search of Gilly. A young woman sitting beside her was diligently recording everything spoken. Tom finished by saying he had tried to save Lord Aton’s life but he had arrived too late and the wound had been too severe.
Lord Jarrod gestured to Anna.
Her sister stood, took Tom’s place and related the events as she experienced them. Thankfully, she refrained from making any judgments about Tom. Neither did she mention the other murder Tom had been accused of in Nadym.
Lord Jarrod then turned to his betrothed. His expression softened. Their connection could prove deadly for poor Tom. “Tell me your truth, Mayla.”
The girl spoke first in her language, then translating into Rycan. “The strangers were by Lord Aton’s body. That man Tom carried a dagger and there was blood on his clothing. The woman Gilly spent much time close to your beloved father, doing what unspeakable things I cannot speculate.”
Really? Unspeakable? That was her truth? Something else about Mayla’s account bothered her. And then she realized it was how Mayla addressed her. She’d called her Gilly, not Lady Saira-Gilly as everyone else from this city did. Even Lord Jarrod, who had just arrived. Why the change? Unless the murder had unnerved her and she blamed Gilly as well as Tom?
“The woman Anna said to the other two that they should flee.”
Gilly winced. She did not just blame her and Tom, but apparently their entire party.
Next, it was Gilly’s turn. She would have stood but Lord Jarrod bid her to remain seated while she gave her testimony. She thanked him and began her version of events.
“Tom did not kill your father.” Gilly put as much heart and certainty into that statement as she could muster. “He said he found Lord Aton’s body and tried to revive him. When Anna and I arrived, we checked as well to see if he might still be alive.” She glared at Mayla. “I did not do anything unspeakable to him!”
Releasing her tension with a sigh, she continued. “Unfortunately, Lord Aton had already passed through the gates of this world. In this life, for the short time I had known him, he was the kindest and most gentle man I had ever met. I wished him well. No one in my party wished him harm. Certainly not Tom. He did not kill Lord Aton.”
“Your faith in your friend is a testament to your character,” Lord Jarrod said. “But you have no proof, my lady. You may speak of your true heart, but it is never wise to gauge the purity of another’s, nor expect it to reflect your own.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked, trembling.
“Erovian law requires that the punishment reflect the crime. The penalty for murder is execution.”
/> Tom’s face blanched.
“No!” Gilly cried out. “You cannot.”
“It is our way,” Lord Jarrod said. “That is how we honor our dead.”
“But he is innocent,” Gilly said. “Please, give me time to prove it. You have no proof that he is guilty, either.”
“What more proof do we need than the blade in his bloody hands?” Mayla asked. “Merely because they are strangers does not mean they are exempt from our laws.”
“Lord Aton said last night that truth and love are one and the same,” Gilly said. “Well, I…I love Tom.”
Anna snorted.
Tom’s eyes widened.
“As a brother, or a friend,” she added.
“Me too.” Skye shot to her feet. Her mother shushed her and grabbed for her hand but she squirmed away. “I love Gilly and if she says Tom is innocent, then he is.”
“Thank you, Skye.” Gilly’s heart warmed toward the generous, loving child. She faced Lord Jarrod. “If what Lord Aton said was true, then our caring for Tom should prove his innocence. Please, give me a little time. In honor of your father.”
Mayla jumped up. “You have no right to use Lord Aton’s words against him. She is like the rest, no respect for our authority or for your father.”
Shame writhed inside Gilly. She had used poor Aton’s words in a bid to rescue Tom. But what choice did she have?
There was a moment of silence.
“Lady Saira-Gilly,” Lord Jarrod said, “you may have one day. After which, Tom’s fate will be decided and your party must leave our land. You, however, may visit with us longer, if it pleases you. We have much to speak about once this sad business is finished.”
Gilly blinked in surprise. His words were almost an echo of Aton’s from the night before. What could either of them possibly have to say to her that was so personal and important?
A quick look around the table showed the same surprise on her family’s faces as well as on Cullen and Talus. They too were all wondering what could possibly be her connection to Erov.
She didn’t have time to ponder the newest mystery among so many others in this strange city. What was important was that she had one day to prove Tom’s innocence. With that decided, she had something else to say that was long overdue.
She laid a hand on Lord Jarrod’s forearm. “I offer my deepest sympathy on the loss of your father.”
Tears flooded into his gray-green eyes and he squeezed her hand. “You are everything my father said you were,” he said quietly. “It was his honor to have met you before his death.”
How could Aton have spoken to Jarrod about her when his son had been away on his trip? Could those in Erov somehow communicate across vast distances? The girls had been able to send her impressions of Aton’s life. Could Aton have contacted his son in the same manner, even when the two were not in the same room? The other thing that bothered her about Lord Jarrod’s words was his statement that it was a special honor for Aton to meet her. How could that be, when she was but a simple goat herder from a strange land?
Everything about this place was confusing, from Erov’s mysterious appearance overnight, to their recording of Ryca’s history, to this uncanny ability to communicate without speech. Cullen would say somewhere at the heart of all this was the stink of magic.
To compound matters, before all this ended, she might need to cast a spell or two in order to save Tom. But it would have to be a last resort. First, she would question the people who worked in this gigantic tent with its multitude of rooms.
One of these Erovians might have been near the alcove before Aton was murdered and unwittingly seen something of importance. Something they might not even realize was pertinent to his murder. She bid Jarrod goodbye and hurried off in search of the girls who had helped her dress.
Chapter 6
True to Lord Jarrod’s word, Gilly was given freedom to roam within his city and speak to anyone she pleased in order to seek out proof of Tom’s innocence. He even suspended the guards around her family and travel companions’ rooms but he strengthened those around Tom’s quarters. There would be no running away from Erov with the supposedly guilty party.
While moving about this amazing city, she gained an impression of vastness. Each tent she entered felt bigger on the inside than it seemed on the outside. She could not explain it any other way than magic. Her growing concern for Tom, however, kept her curiosity from straying to explore that intriguing notion. For with every Erovian Gilly questioned, his or her answer was alarmingly similar.
“I did not see anything suspicious, my lady.”
“I know of no arguments.”
“The day was peaceful. Until that heart-wrenching cry.”
The only new information she uncovered was about the initial scream at the discovery of Aton’s body. It hadn’t come from Gilly’s throat. Or Anna’s. It had been Mayla’s shout that brought people racing to the bloody corpse.
By sunset, Gilly was out of time. She had no choice now but to tap her most dangerous option. Magic. Her questioning had failed to uncover the real killer so she crafted a spell to lead her inner sight to the murderer.
She returned to her room to scrounge for ingredients, from candles to herbs to touch stones. Finally, heart hammering, she lay in her bed and rehearsed the words of her spell.
Shortly after midnight, she crept into Anna’s room. She needed someone to watch her physically while her mind traced the killer. Her sister was aware she could cast High Magic spells and had not told on her. Convincing her to help, however, would require a bit of manipulation.
Anna was fast asleep snuggled beside her husband. Marton was snoring.
Gilly laid her candle on the floor and gently shook Anna’s arm.
Her sister groaned and pushed her away.
“Wake up,” Gilly whispered. “I need your help.”
Her sister opened one eye. “Have you regained your senses and admitted to Tom’s guilt?”
“You were right,” Gilly said, with a sorrowful face.
Both her sister’s eyes were now open but her gaze was drenched with suspicion. “You’re just saying that.”
“Being wrong means I now need your help.”
“With what?” Anna’s whisper was supremely wary.
“I’m afraid I’ll make a fool of myself tomorrow when I tell Lord Jarrod I was mistaken about Tom.”
“You should have thought of that before you started defending the drunk.”
“Please, Anna. Help me word what I must say.”
“Oh, is that all? Fine.” She turned over and cuddled into her husband’s side. “Come see me in the morning.”
Marton shifted his arm, wrapping it around his wife’s waist and pulling her tight. Then his soft snore came again.
Gilly breathed a sigh of relief and tugged at Anna’s sleeve. “I must do it now.”
“It’s late.”
Gilly grabbed a pair of sandals from beside the bed and put them in her sister’s hand. “I can’t sleep. You always know the right things to say.”
Flattery worked where pleading failed and her sister reluctantly sat up and gave a heavy huff. “All right, all right.” She looked half asleep as she put on her sandals.
“Thank you.” Gilly picked up her candle, took her sister’s hand and led the way. Anna, probably still half asleep, didn’t realize where she was being taken until they arrived at the alcove near the tent’s entrance where Aton had died. Once she did, she came to an abrupt halt and pulled her hand free.
Now completely awake, she wrapped her robe tighter and looked around with fear. “I thought you were taking me to your room.”
“The fresh air will help me think,” Gilly said.
“Then let’s go outside.”
Gilly hurried her into the alcove. Inside, Aton’s body was gone and the floor cleaned of his bloodstain. If what they’d seen wasn’t so ingrained, she might never know that terrifying deed had taken place here.
“I don’t like it her
e.” Anna’s voice shook as she followed Gilly inside.
“It’s private and I don’t want anyone staring at us. We’re on everyone’s thoughts as it is.”
“But everyone’s asleep,” her sister said.
“How should I start my speech?” The switch in topic seemed to help. Her sister turned her back to where Aton had been found and suggested one phrasing after another.
Gilly walked in a circle around the alcove and dropped her herbs while mouthing the chant.
“What are you doing?” Anna asked as Gilly reached the end of her circular route.
“Setting a protective circle so no one will disturb us.” Chant completed, Gilly sat on the floor and pulled five candles from her satchel. She lit them before placing them in a smaller circle in front of her.
“You lied to me!” Anna pointed at the lighted circle. “You’re casting a spell. And after you told me never to do magic again. Have you lost your mind?”
Gilly was shocked at how fast her spell worked. Light balls floated upward from the candles and in their midst Aton appeared, and then another person. It wasn’t Tom! She grabbed Anna’s skirts. “A woman was with Aton that night in this alcove. I see them talking. Aton looks upset.”
Anna glanced around. “Gilly, you’re frightening me. All I see is the candlelight.”
“The woman’s face keeps shifting. It’s as if there’s something inside her, pushing outward. It’s hard to tell who she is but she resembles…”
The evil shade inside the woman broke free and, like a blazing dark star, swooped toward them.
“Anna!” Gilly said in warning.
But between one breath and the next, that demonic light struck Gilly full across her face. Her cry was choked and heat speared her eyes. She covered her face but it was too late.
“Gilly, what’s wrong?”
“My eyes burn.”
Anna’s skirts rustled and she guessed Anna knelt beside her. Her sister grabbed at her wrists and tugged. “Move your hands so I can see. You probably got dirt in them.”
