Amnesia: The Book of Maladies

by D. K. Holmberg

  He doubted it. He couldn’t even get out of the bed.

  Stefan had betrayed him.

  But why? What had Alec done to deserve such betrayal?

  Stefan was his friend, wasn’t he? But then, Alec had begun asking about Helen, and probably had asked far too many questions. Stefan had probably gone to his grandmother to share what Alec was asking.

  He had been a fool.

  What now?

  He rolled onto his side and tried getting up again but couldn’t. His body didn’t respond as it should.

  Alec let out a frustrated sigh. He was trapped here, and Sam had gone off to Caster, and would never know what had happened to him. Would she come looking for him?

  He suspected she would. Sam had proven that she was devoted to him, but in this case, he didn’t know that he wanted her to come after him. If she did, she put herself danger.

  He heard murmured voices through the door, and Alec debated whether to pretend to sleep or not. When the door opened, he didn’t react in time. He was lying with his face to the door, his eyes staring at it, and he jerked back involuntarily at the person who entered.

  He had never seen the prince, but everyone in the city knew enough about him to recognize him. The man was dressed in crimson and deep blue, stripes of color that demanded his attention. He was a striking man, taller than Alec, with wavy black hair that only had hints of gray streaked through it. His eyes sparkled, and he stared at Alec, seeming to weigh him for a long moment.

  “You are he?” the prince asked.

  Alec swallowed. His mouth was dry, and his lips were beginning to crack, signs he suspected were tied to the illness.

  “I am who?” Alec asked. His voice came out in a croak.

  The prince moved past the bed and out of Alec’s view for a moment. When he returned, he was carrying a glass of water and handed it to Alec. Alec tried taking it, but his hands weren’t steady enough.

  The prince frowned and brought it up to Alec’s lips, tipping it back. “Drink. You need water.”

  Alec took the offered water, trying to drink, but not sure whether he should trust the prince. What if he was working with Master Helen? What if they worked together to poison him?

  But then, he was already weakened, so there was no point poisoning him further. If she wanted to harm him, then all she had to do was wait.

  Alec drank, letting the water run down his throat. It was soothing, and he took a deep breath, trying to keep his mind focused. It was easy for him to feel overwhelmed, and to feel run down, and struggle with what had happened to him.

  “You are the one. The one who has been working with Helen.”

  The prince pulled the glass away, and Alec looked up at the prince. He knew him by reputation only. But if what he had learned about the Anders was true, then he would be a Kaver. That meant he would have to have a Scribe, wouldn’t it?

  Who would be his Scribe?

  Maybe it was one of the master physickers. With Alec’s luck, he would be connected to Carl.

  “I have been working with Master Helen,” Alec admitted. There was no point in denying it, given that it seemed the prince already knew what Alec had been up to.

  “Did you discover the way to do it?”

  “To do what?”

  “To make easar paper. That was what you were doing.”

  Alec took a deep breath, trying to infuse oxygen into his weakened lungs. “We weren’t able to come up with the key to the paper,” he said. “We tried, but nothing we did seemed to work, and the most recent attempt…” He took another breath. The most recent attempt had left him nearly dead. Did he share that with the prince? Maybe it would be how he could escape. Maybe he could find some way of using what had happened to him against those who would try to keep him confined.

  “Kyza,” the prince whispered.

  Alec smiled to himself. It was the same sort of thing Sam said, the same type of swear. Maybe it was something of the Kavers, and he suspected that Marin had taught her to swear that way. Bastan didn’t bring in the name of Kyza, not in the same way.

  “Why?”

  The prince stared at him for a long moment. Then he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, not anymore. What happened to you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The prince frowned. “Don’t know, or you don’t want to say?”

  Prince Jalen was next in line to the throne, though now that Alec had spoken to Master Eckerd, he no longer knew what that meant. What did the throne mean, especially when there were so many others who seemed to have power? If the university—at least the masters in the university—had a certain level of power, maybe even that which rivaled the palace, then what would it matter if the prince was next in line?

  “I don’t know what happened to me,” Alec said with a frustrated sigh. “I think Master Helen added something to the mixture that poisoned me, but I can’t be certain.”

  The prince studied him for a moment and said something under his breath that Alec suspected was another swear. “How certain are you of this?”

  “I don’t know how certain. All I know is that I was working on the recipe, and nothing in it should have been toxic.”

  “Are you certain?”

  Alec stared at him. “Quite.”

  “How long have you been at the university?” the prince asked.

  “A year or so.”

  The prince glanced over and looked to Alec’s jacket. “Not even a year, and you’re a full physicker?”

  Alec nodded. “I had training before I came. I was a little older than the average student.”

  “Evidently. What kind of training did you have?” he asked as he turned back to Alec.

  “My father. He studied at the university and left many years ago. He has been an apothecary in—”

  “The poisoner.”

  Alec swallowed again and nodded toward the water, waiting until the prince tipped it to his mouth, allowing Alec to take a long drink. “It seems that way.”

  The prince frowned. “You didn’t know?”

  “Know that my father is a poisoner? Know that he has been using the knowledge he gained at the university to harm others? No, I didn’t know.”

  “But he has been working on our behalf. You didn’t know that?”

  “What do you mean your behalf?”

  “There have been assignments doled out from the palace. The poisoner has been given most of them, and he has been quite skilled at seeing them to completion.”

  “What sort of assignments?” Alec was starting to feel a little stronger and wondered if maybe it was just the water he needed, or if there was more. Had it been one of the medicines he took that was helping?

  “The kind the king’s poisoner would have been given,” he said.

  “King’s?”

  “As far as I know. I know my father has many poisoners, and they are often tasked with difficult responsibilities. They are assassins.”

  Alec shook his head. “My father should never have been an assassin. He’s a healer. An apothecary.”

  “Can you not be both?”

  “How?”

  “I can tell you from my experience that there are people who pose a threat to the city and need to be removed. Should they remain and risk the city?”

  “I don’t think that’s for me to decide.”

  “Then your father has decided. And he has determined the answer to the question is yes, at least for him.”

  Alec rested his head back on the pillow. He stared up at the ceiling for a long moment. “Is that why you brought me here? Did my father ask you to bring me?”

  “No. I brought you here because I heard you had success with Helen.”

  “I don’t know how much success I had. I thought I was following the right recipe.”

  “And how would you have known?”

  The prince took a seat on the bed next to Alec. Even seated, there was something of power to him. He seemed coiled, as if he was prepared to strike, and Alec suddenly
realized it was likely that the prince was augmented, even sitting as he was next to Alec.

  “Who is your Scribe?”

  “You’re quite forward.”

  “How is that forward?”

  “If a Kaver were to reveal their Scribe, that is considered quite forward. It would allow you to know the best way to challenge me.”

  “Do I look like I would challenge you?”

  The prince chuckled. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I suppose your time in the university has been too limited for you to gain an education like that. That is perhaps fortunate. At least for me.”

  “Why is that fortunate? And why would there be any sort of danger to you?”

  “The Scribes have often thought they could gain more power. Some resent the position they are in.”

  “What position is that?”

  The princess looked at Alec and stared for a long time. “Who is your Kaver?”

  “You’re quite forward,” Alec said.

  The prince laughed. “You won’t share that with your prince?”

  “My prince just told me that I was supposed to keep that information to myself.”

  “No, he said that it would allow another to challenge you. Do you think I might challenge you?”

  “I don’t know you. Maybe.”

  The prince grinned. “You are an interesting one.” He stood and faced Alec. “Now. Where is the Scribe Helen?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “If you’re keeping something from me—”

  Alec shook his head. “I don’t know. You could ask your father.”

  The prince frowned. “My father? Why would I ask my father where the Scribe… She’s his?”

  Alec licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry again. “You didn’t know?”

  “As I said, it’s not often that we get to know who is Scribe to whom.”

  “What about your sister?”

  His face twisted in a distasteful frown. “My sister? She is the first Scribe in the Anders family in generations. She thought it was best to reveal that so that everyone knew, and has made a point of flaunting that, as well as flaunting her Kaver.”

  “You don’t care for Elaine?”

  The prince shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, at least not to my sister. She already lost one Kaver and feels they are replaceable. She doesn’t have the same connection, the same bond, that many of us do.”

  “And who is your bond to?”

  “You continue to ask, but that won’t make me any more likely to tell you.”

  “I only thought—”

  “I know what you thought. I’m just telling you that I won’t be any more inclined to share simply because you continue to ask.” He glanced toward the door before turning his attention back to Alec. “You don’t know where Master Helen is?”

  Alec shook his head. “I don’t know. I was trying to find her. She disappeared after poisoning me. No one has been able to locate her. I need to get to her and ask her what she added to the mixture so I can try to restore myself.”

  “Restore yourself?”

  “I told you. While I was attempting to make easar paper, Master Helen added something to it that poisoned me.”

  “Ah, yes. I will see if there’s anything I can offer to help you.”

  “I know what would help,” Alec said. How would the prince react?

  “And that is?”

  “Eel meat.”

  “Eel? As in the canal eels?”

  Alec nodded. “Their meat has restorative properties. I just need a little bit, and it can help.”

  “The eel has restorative properties? I find that hard to believe.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not, it’s whether or not it works, and I can assure you it does.”

  “How do you know this?”

  Alec hesitated. “I’ve already used it. It was needed to help restore me when the poisoning first took place. I don’t know how often I’ll need to take it, but until I find a treatment that is permanent, I might need to use the eels.”

  “I will see what I can do.”

  The princess started to leave, and Alec sat up. “You haven’t told me why you brought me here.”

  “Because you’ve been working with Helen.”

  “So?”

  “I’m determined to know what she intends. If she has figured out the key to easar paper, I would learn that for myself.”

  “She hasn’t discovered the key. We’ve tried, but we’ve failed.”

  The prince frowned. “That’s too bad.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if you can’t help me learn the key, you are otherwise useless to me.”

  With that, he headed out of the room, leaving Alec staring at the door.

  23

  Capturing the Captive

  Sam reached Caster, taking a roundabout way so that even were Elaine to have followed her, she would still have been unlikely to know where Sam was going. She’d first had to take the young girl back to the Dorand section, and that had taken some time. She wasn’t sure whether she should have, but the girl was too young to be involved in any activity of the Shuver. Maybe she felt that way because she was nearly the same age Sam had been when Bastan first involved her in his world. Whatever it was, Sam was determined to ensure she didn’t stay involved.

  Dorand was another peripheral section. The people there reminded her of those in Caster, and she suspected there was a Bastan-type in the section too. Maybe it was the Shuver. Maybe it was someone else. Either way, if what they suspected of Princess Lyasanna and the royals was true, it might be that Bastan would need to consolidate the outer sections, especially if the inner sections—the palace and the university—decided to make things difficult.

  It was late, and she was tired, and a part of her was concerned that she had made a mistake returning to Caster, especially knowing that Elaine was possibly following—and especially since she suspected that Elaine knew that Sam had Marin.

  If she discovered her location, what would Elaine do?

  How many Kavers would she send after Marin?

  It wasn’t really about how many Elaine would send, it was more about how many Lyasanna would send. Sam had little doubt the princess would bring everything she could to bear on Marin, especially if it meant protecting her secret.

  She climbed to a rooftop and started across the familiar buildings as she made her way through Caster, trying to remain hidden. From here, she watched the streets, looking for signs of anyone who shouldn’t be here. There had been another time when Sam had seen Kavers in this section, though then it had been for a very different reason. They had sought her then, as well, but only because they wanted to help her learn what it meant for her to be a Kaver. This time was different. This time, she needed to avoid them because she now knew what they were after, and if they found her, it would put her—and possibly Bastan—in danger.

  She reached the alley that held the entrance to Bastan’s cells, and she dropped down right in front of the door and knocked.

  It took a moment before the door opened, and Jonas glanced out. He had the same massive build as every other man that Bastan had watching the door, though quite a bit of a gut along with it. A wide smile greeted Sam. “Samara.”

  “It’s Sam.”

  “But Bastan always calls you—”

  “I know what Bastan always calls me. That doesn’t mean that’s what I want to be called.”

  “Fine. Sam. I think Samara is pretty.”

  “You can think it, but don’t say it. Is he here?” She pushed past him and entered the room, waiting a moment until she was sure he closed the door. He replaced the bar barricading the door, and Sam waved to him as she made her way to the next door. She wasn’t sure he would be back yet, since he’d gone off to find one of his connections. But at the bottom of the stairs, Bastan was coming out from the cells.

  “Samara. I understand yo
u decided to go confront the Shuver?”

  “I had two Kavers after me. I needed some distraction.”

  “So, you decided to use the Shuver as your distraction?”

  “There was a little bit more to it.”

  “You shouldn’t have gotten involved with him. You placed yourself in between him and his business with Aelus.”

  “I already put myself in between him and Aelus when I attacked his men. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t come after him again.”

  “That’s not the only reason you went.”

  Could the Shuver have already sent that much word to Bastan? She thought he would have sent some notification, but only because he had sent off one of his men. That would have been mostly for confirmation, and nothing else. The Shuver wouldn’t have anticipated that Sam would have attacked him.

  “I’m only making some preparations.”

  “And those would be?”

  “Those would be making sure that we have some way of defending ourselves if it becomes necessary.”

  Bastan studied her. “Samara, we don’t need civil war in the city. Whatever else is happening, we don’t need to create more difficulty. There are those of us who have worked on the edges for a long time. We want to remain working on the edges of the city.”

  “Bastan. What have you told me about how you defend Caster?”

  He frowned. “Why are you asking?”

  “Only because you made it clear that you will do anything necessary to defend the people you care for. Those people include all of the people of Caster, isn’t that right?”

  “I think all of the people would be a bit of a stretch.”

  “Fine. Maybe not all of the people, but you care about most of the people in this section. I’ve seen it. You may want to pretend that you don’t, but you have done everything you can to ensure that this section is as safe as it can be.”

  Bastan breathed out heavily. “Samara, one of the things I learned long ago is that when you live too far from the palace, they don’t care about what happens in your section. I’ve learned that if I want to keep the section somewhat safe, I need to be involved in that.”