by Brandon Fox
Ander shrugged. “Are you surprised? Thane and Nicolai are enough to make even a companion swoon.”
Leif looked at the floor. “No, I’m not surprised,” he said softly. “I’d probably have gone with them myself if I’d had the chance.” He looked up, his gaze searching. “What happened, Ander? Have you started working for another house? Why didn’t you let us know where you went?”
Ander went to his side and wrapped him in a tight hug. “No house of companionship. I didn’t tell you where I was because I couldn’t.” Brushing aside the long hair, he kissed Leif’s neck. The tawny skin smelled faintly of mint. “I’m sorry. I came back as soon as I could.” Leif returned the embrace, his tense body slowly relaxing.
When Ander drew back, Leif opened his eyes and regarded him solemnly. “You’re in love, I can tell. With Thane? I remember the northerner already having a partner.”
Ander blushed, wondering how his old friend would feel about the depth of his attraction to someone else, but he need not have worried. Leif saw the answer in his eyes and smiled.
“I’m glad for you. You deserve it.” He tugged Ander toward the bed. “Braid my hair and tell me what he’s like. Aside from being the most beautiful creature in the kingdom, next to you. I can see that for myself.”
They settled onto the bed, and Ander began to braid Leif’s thick hair into a ponytail. The familiarity of the task brought a flood of memories. He shoved them aside and turned his mind to his new life at the lyceum.
“First of all, I didn’t leave here to be with anybody else. I had to flee when Seraskier Reincken got hurt. Everything that happened was unexpected.”
“I was still downstairs when Reincken picked the fight,” Leif said. “I saw it all. Where did you go?”
Ander hesitated, feeling awkward. “It’s really complicated. And… I promised not to talk about some of the things I’ve learned. You understand, don’t you? I can’t betray their trust.”
Leif nodded. “I understand promises. But I’ve got ears. You’re mixed up in politics, aren’t you? I heard Lady Tay talking politics this morning, and I doubt it’s a coincidence.”
There’s no reason to deny it. As long as I don’t mention the art. He continued braiding hair before answering, knowing the ritual would calm his friend. “You know how dangerous the zamindar is. I trust you, but my friends don’t know you, and I couldn’t lie to them. Do you really want me to answer?”
“I knew it!” Leif twisted around and looked at Ander anxiously. “Do you know the risk you’re taking? Do you want to end up gutted at a public torture?”
“I can’t deny the risk. I’ve already looked death in the face. That’s why we have to be careful. It’d be foolish to do anything that makes the danger worse.”
Leif took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Ander’s, then nodded slowly. “Maybe you’re right.” He put a hand on top of Ander’s, then turned around again. “So don’t tell me about politics. Tell me about Thane. What’s he like?”
“He’s brilliant and has been through more than I can reveal. But I can tell you that he had a lover who died in the zamindar’s dungeons. After being tortured.” His voice thickened as he thought of Thane’s long battle with pain and grief. “He’s amazing, Leif. And dedicated to a noble cause. He has many followers.”
“He must be exceptional to gain a following at his age. Or are they all just smitten by his looks?”
Ander gave the ponytail a playful tug, then finished the braid. “If you really want to be smitten, take a tumble with him. He’ll show you things you’ve never imagined.”
Leif flopped onto his back, resting his head on Ander’s lap. “I’m certainly willing to learn. And what about Nicolai? He moves like a dancer.”
“He’s an acrobat. Strong as a tiger, but gentle. He can do things in bed that even Thane can’t. He’s very… supple.”
“Supple?” Leif lifted an eyebrow. “You’re always so discreet. Go ahead, tell me.”
Ander tweaked his nose. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise. But I have a feeling he’d love to show you himself, if you’re interested.”
“I’m interested!”
“Then tell him, as soon as he gets back. You have to be direct with him, though. He’d never press you the way most people do. You know how northerners are.”
“They’re as horny as anybody else,” Leif said confidently.
A brisk knock on the door made them freeze.
“What’s going on in there?” a girl’s voice inquired. “Are you awake, Ander?”
“Tannis!” Leif muttered the name like a curse. “She knows damned well you’re awake.”
Ander groaned, and Leif stared at the ceiling like an insulted cat.
“What is it, Tannis?” Ander asked. “Can’t it wait?”
The door cracked open, and Tannis looked through. Comely even without her makeup, she had brunette curls framing a heart-shaped face with large green eyes. At the moment he thought she looked like a harpy.
“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” she said insincerely.
“What is it?” Ander repeated. Leif gave her a look that would have been alarming in a dark alley.
She leaned into the room. “Lady Tay wants to know if you’ll join her for lunch. She has some questions about those friends of yours, I think.” She fairly radiated curiosity. “What have you been up to, anyway? Where have your friends gone?”
“Tell Lady Tay I’ll be there at noon,” Ander said, restraining himself with an effort.
“The intense one with brown hair, are his eyes really silver? I couldn’t get close enough for a good look. He wasn’t here before, was he? I’d have remembered him—”
“Thank you, Tannis.”
The girl sniffed, then gave her head a small toss. “You’re most welcome. You two can go back to sleep now.” She gave Leif a taunting smirk, then quickly closed the door.
“I’ll bet she was listening,” Leif fumed. He jabbed a rigid middle finger at the door. “Get an earful of this, Tannis!”
“Never mind, Leif. We were speaking too softly for eavesdropping. Come on, forget about her. Tell me what happened while I was gone.”
“You know about Lady Tay’s arrest? That caused a real panic around here.”
“Yes, I know about that. Anything else, though? What’s it been like around Pella?”
Leif thought for a moment. “Well, Tannis and Nestor had a big fight. You get different stories depending on who you talk to, but I think Nestor got tired of her bitching and started sleeping with Karl.” He paused and tugged on his ponytail a few seconds. “Too bad he didn’t come visit me. I could’ve told him a few things that’d keep Tannis from gossiping about him.” He wiggled eagerly at the thought.
“Remind me never to get on your wrong side. I hate to think of all the tales you could tell about me.”
Leif gave him a reassuring pat. “You’re the one person who doesn’t have to worry. All the scandalous stories about you would have me in them too.”
“True. But what else about Pella? How has the city guard been acting?”
“Come to think of it, that’s a strange thing in itself. The military trade has almost run dry.”
“Since when did you start sleeping with soldiers?”
“I don’t, except for Pavol. He’s not a soldier by choice, and he hates the guard. But I’ve heard the other companions talking about it. Aside from a few officers, there hasn’t been a soldier in here for a couple of weeks.”
“Have you heard where they are?”
Leif sat up, his expression tense. “I hear they’re stuck in the barracks when they’re not on duty. I hope they go crazy in there cooped up with each other.”
“I’m sorry,” Ander said softly. “I didn’t mean to remind you of your sister.”
Years before, Leif’s sister had been abused by drunken city guardsmen. They had been young boys when it happened, and Ander had comforted him during his rage and grief. They had touched on a deep le
vel and formed an unshakable bond.
“I’m all right,” Leif said. “But why are you asking these things?”
“You already know I’m fighting the zamindar. I can’t tell you how, because of my oath. But I think you might be able to help us if you wanted to.”
Leif closed his eyes and sighed. “Don’t torment me. I’m just a companion. A nobody. The only way I could defeat the zamindar is if you gave me a knife and then talked his army into my bed one at a time.”
“I think you’re wrong. If you could make a difference, would you fight?”
Leif fell silent, his eyes hooded. Ander could see the struggle between hope and despair in his face. He waited patiently to see if their long friendship would outweigh the seeming impossibility of what he was suggesting.
Leif took a deep breath, then slipped out of bed and crossed the room. He stood in front of the window and looked down onto the street. “Take a look at this,” he said.
Ander got out of bed and stood behind him. The scene below hadn’t changed much, except for the street becoming more crowded. “What? It’s just the usual merchants and servants doing their chores.”
“Look how they walk, how they huddle together when they talk. Things have gotten worse.”
Looking more closely, Ander could see what he meant. The spice vendors looked a bit tawdry, their clothes frayed around the edges and their faces shuttered. The air of joviality that usually filled the street was absent. “I see,” he said. “It has changed. Why?”
“Taxes were raised again last week. They’re afraid of losing their homes. And did you hear about the new torture?” Leif sounded sick.
“No. Did they find something even worse?” He put his arms around Leif, trying to soothe his friend’s distress.
“I was in the square, coming back from the farmers’ market. They’d had the blacksmith make a big tube of metal, two feet thick and six feet high. They filled it with burning coals until it was red hot. A guardsman held each of the prisoner’s arms, and they pulled him against the metal.” He shuddered with revulsion. “The screams! They did it again and again until all his skin was seared off. The smell of burning flesh…. I think I’ll never eat meat again.”
“What was his offense?”
“Sedition. He had complained openly about the new taxes. And I think they wanted somebody to try their new torture on.”
Leif turned away from the window. He held Ander tightly, almost desperately. “If anybody but you had said I could fight the zamindar, I’d think he was crazy or trying to trick me somehow. But you’re my best friend. I’d trust you with my life. So if you think I can help bring down the zamindar, I’ll join you.”
Ander returned the hug, moved by his friend’s trust. “It’s Thane’s decision, but I’ll be your advocate. And I don’t think you’ll have any trouble, um, impressing him.”
“Thane again! He has you enchanted, Ander. I can see why, but it’s still hard to imagine how he could unseat the zamindar.” His expression changed to curiosity. “Still, I feel something different about you now. Maybe it has to do with Thane. Will you be leaving again when he returns?”
“I doubt we’ll stay long in Pella. Leif… how would you feel about going with us, if Thane agrees?”
“I’m loyal to Lady Tay but never expected to spend my whole life working here. There’s too much more I want to see. I’d go.”
“Then I hope you get the chance. There’s more to see than you ever imagined. And if you’re going to find someone who touches your heart as well as your body, Thane’s band is the best possible place to start the search.”
“Now I’m really interested.”
Chapter 7
THANE collapsed on the thin mattress, exhausted and still hungry after their meager dinner. Nicolai’s collapse was more graceful, though he was no less fatigued. The attic was still warm. Dust motes spiraled through slanting shafts of light that poured through vents on the room’s west end.
“At least you weren’t stuck on a ladder all day,” Nicolai said as he stretched out on his front. “I had so much whitewash on me, the dinner tasted like paste. And I haven’t even finished the south side of the house. I don’t much like this honest work.”
“Quit complaining,” Thane replied. He scooted next to Nicolai and started rubbing his back. “My hands are scraped raw from rebuilding that damned stone wall. Why do they want a wall between the garden and the potting shed, anyway?”
“Maybe Ivan’s just trying to keep us out of the way.” Nicolai flexed his shoulders as Thane kneaded the sore muscles. “Still, it looked like you managed to do a little inquiring. I saw you huddled behind the well house with that scullery maid, when you got water for your mortar. Did you learn anything?”
“I tried. But information wasn’t what she wanted to give me. I had to spend half my time keeping her from pulling my pants off.” He huffed and knuckled the back of Nicolai’s neck. “I finally convinced her we’ll have a much better time if we find a room where we can meet at night. It gave me a reason to ask her about the house and where the guards are posted.” He stopped massaging and sprawled beside Nicolai. “But if we don’t find what we’re looking for soon, I’m in trouble. She’s going to steal a key to the attic. Once she does, she’ll expect me to spend the night with her. I won’t be able to evade her for long.”
Nicolai rolled onto his side and kneaded the sore muscles in the small of Thane’s back. “But she told you the lay of the house? Did she say anything that might help us?”
“Maybe. She said to stay off the third floor. Anybody caught there is in serious trouble.”
“Did she say why?”
Thane nodded. “Somebody’s there. Eating meals but staying out of sight. She says there’ve been strange noises and lights at night. And the commander vanishes up there for hours at a time. I’d wager that’s his sorcerer’s lair.” A grin flashed. “It was hard getting her to talk about it, though. She was trying to make sure I’d know how to find her quarters once she gets me a key. She must think I’m really dumb, I asked so many questions.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s not your mind she’s interested in.”
“No. But I think she’s already told us enough. My guess is that we’ll find what we’re looking for on the third floor.”
“Why do you think so?”
Thane sat up and wrapped his arms around his legs. “The sorcerer in my vision was guarding something. You usually want to stay close to whatever you’re guarding. If we find the sorcerer, we’ll likely find the zamindar’s secret as well.”
“There’s one thing to our advantage,” Nicolai said as he got to his feet. “The sorcerer is watching the kei for magical threats. He’s not expecting a physical attack in the garrison commander’s own home.” He began to stretch, loosening his tight muscles.
Thane got up and went to the stairwell door. The last rays of sun fell on his back, highlighting dirt and specks of dried mortar on his leathers. He knelt in front of the door and took a long nail out of a shirt pocket. “Not the best pick, but it’s the best tool I could find in the potting shed.”
Nicolai crouched at his side. “I always knew you were a thief at heart.”
“Don’t look so smug.” Thane poked the nail into the keyhole and started feeling out the lock’s mechanism. “Sorel taught me how to do this. I understand you two had some profitable adventures before I recruited you for the lyceum.”
“I don’t remember anything like that,” Nicolai said blithely. “But then we were fucking most of the time, so how could I be expected to remember anything else? You know how distracting Sorel can be.”
“Extremely distracting,” Thane agreed. He jiggled the nail, then slid it forward and twisted sharply. The lock snicked open, and he rocked back on his heels. He turned to Nicolai. “We’ve got a few hours before it’s safe to explore. Why don’t we make some distractions of our own? I have an idea for working those kinks out of your muscles.”
“Somehow I’m not sur
prised.”
They leaned together and kissed. Not until well past midnight did their attention turn back to exploring the house.
THE ancient stairs threatened to creak at every step; they walked on the treads’ outside edges and felt their way through darkness. When they reached the third floor landing, they pressed ears to the door and opened their minds to any strangeness that might signal a magical trap.
All was quiet, but Thane’s scalp still tingled. “Do you feel it?” he asked. “Like someone lurking behind us?”
“Someone with a taste for blood,” Nicolai whispered. “Just a presence, though. I don’t feel a cantrip.”
“I don’t either. But we’re on the right track. I’ll go first.”
He pushed the door open a crack. The corridor that lay before him was lit only by moonlight coming from a row of windows. He opened the door the rest of the way and crept out, Nicolai close behind.
The third floor had obviously seen little use for a long time. Dirt and a few leaves littered the floor, and the windows were crusted with grime. The crescent moon, glimpsed through tattered draperies, looked mottled and corrupt. He sniffed the air. Mold and dust made him want to sneeze.
The first stretch of corridor yielded no signs of habitation, only decay. They turned the corner. The next corridor had doors on both sides and was dark as a moonless forest. He paused to let his eyes adjust.
“That feeling is stronger now,” Nicolai whispered. “Like a hunger.” He touched Thane’s arm. “Careful. It could be blood magic.”
Thane nodded, then started forward. At every step the air seemed to thicken. He stopped at each closed door and brushed his fingers lightly across its surface. Halfway down the corridor, his hackles rose. A ghostly presence floated just beyond his vision but close enough to cast a shadow on his mind. He put out a hand to signal Nicolai and knelt in front of the closest door. A faint light emanated from the keyhole. Choking back the loathing that filled him at the taint of blood magic, he put his eye to the lock.
