Tormina: The Book of Maladies

by D. K. Holmberg

  But he said “soon.” So, they didn’t already have Alec. She needed to help him. To get word to him. But from here, there wasn’t anything she could do, not without some way to reach her augmentations. And that meant having access to easar paper. Somehow, she would need to find a way to get ahold of paper, see if she could use any of the dried blood that now stained the inside of her pocket, and add another augmentation.

  It was too much to achieve. It was unlikely to succeed.

  “And who is this ‘us’?” she asked. Maybe if she could keep him talking, he would reveal something about why he had captured her and what he wanted from her. Maybe it was about more than using her and her blood.

  The physicker approached and wiggled a finger at her. “This isn’t a discussion. Well, it’s not a discussion that I will engage in.”

  “Fine, then at least tell me where my brother is.”

  “Your brother? Do you still believe him to be your brother? I would have thought that she’d have told you the truth before now.”

  There was a familiarity to the way he said she. It seemed almost intimate, and Sam suddenly understood. At least, she understood more than she had before. “You’re her Scribe.” The man’s eyes twitched, the slightest movement providing acknowledgment of that fact. “I wondered what had happened to her Scribe. She never talked about you, so we all assumed you were dead.” It was difficult enough to pair with a Scribe to begin with, and once that person was gone, it was nearly impossible to find another Scribe to form the connection with. Thinking that Marin’s Scribe was dead was the most logical answer, at least to Sam.

  “Yes, well, I am most decidedly not dead.”

  “Why are you helping her? And why are you working with the Thelns?” That had to be the reason Ralun had brought her to the physicker, but where was he? She thought she could smell him, but maybe that was only her imagination.

  “For now, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.”

  “Poisoning the canals in the city was done on behalf of the Thelns. What was in it for her? Or you?”

  “You know very little. Perhaps I will educate you. Or perhaps I will wait for Marin to do it. She would relish that opportunity.”

  Sam licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. The threat terrified her, especially as helpless as she was. Marin had betrayed her, deceived her, and had used the Book of Maladies to tear her memories from her, forcing her to forget her own mother and forcing her to believe that Tray was her brother. There was darkness within Marin, and Sam had very nearly died at her hands.

  “Where is she?”

  The physicker cocked his head, frowning at Sam.

  “Marin. Where is she?”

  “She is with you. And you will get her for me.”

  Sam was more confused than ever. When she had seen Tray, she had presumed he had begun working with the Thelns, especially since they had attacked her and he seemed to just stand there and watch. And the Thelns brought her here, to this physicker, so didn’t that mean he’d know about Tray and possibly where he had taken Marin? But clearly this man didn’t know where she was, and for whatever reason, thought Sam did.

  That meant Tray was keeping what he’d done with Marin from this physicker—and maybe from the Thelns. He had to have a reason, and she’d find out once she tracked him down, but for now, she felt the best was to protect Tray was to assist him in his deception.

  And here she had begun to worry that Tray might have become something other than her brother. It was almost enough to make her smile, though if she were to do that, she would have other questions to answer.

  “What makes you think that I would be willing to get her for you?” Sam asked.

  “You value your freedom, don’t you?”

  “I’ve lived most of my life in service to someone more powerful than me. Why should that change now?”

  “Are you implying that you are offering your service to me?”

  Sam laughed. “To do that, I would have to agree that you are more powerful than I am.”

  “We have you captured. Isn’t that enough proof?”

  “You have me captured because you used Tray against me.”

  “And I will continue to use him against you if you defy me.”

  “Oh, I will continue to defy you. Tray has betrayed me. I owe him no allegiance, not anymore. The only thing I owe him is a beating.”

  The physicker smiled slightly. “Most Kavers prefer to avoid conflict with the Thelns, and for good reason. You are too young to know better, but their poison would be fatal to you.”

  “Would it? If you know Marin, then you know that I survived their poisoning once already.”

  She watched his face, trying to gauge whether Marin had shared that piece of information with him yet or not. Was it possible that Marin had not shared it? If not, it was reason for Sam to question the interaction between this man and Marin.

  Did he know about Tray?

  He knew that Sam believed him to be her brother, but did he know that he was Marin’s son? Did he know about how Marin betrayed the Kavers, and how she had used the Thelns?

  “No one survives Theln poison. To do so would be—”

  Sam shrugged. “Impossible, yes, that’s what I was told. But I did.” She glanced down at her shoulder. The scar was a reminder of her first exposure to the Thelns.

  The physicker stalked over to her and jerked on her cloak, pulling it off her back. He tore back the fabric of her shirt, exposing her shoulder. His movements were rough, but he was very clinical in how he assessed the injury. His fingers traced over her shoulder, pressing into her skin and into the bones, before circling around where the crossbow bolt had gone in. The scar had faded considerably, now little more than a faint dimpling of the skin. But it was enough.

  “If it hadn’t carried poison, there would be no scar,” Sam said. She looked up, meeting his eyes. “My Scribe healed me. But the poison made it impossible to remove all signs of the injury.” She didn’t know if that was entirely true, but suspected that it was, especially when the physicker shifted her cloak, covering up her shoulder again. He seemed almost… annoyed by the fact that she had recovered. Sam figured that was about as much reaction as she might get from him.

  “Your Scribe should not have had the necessary training to do this.”

  “Maybe he should not have, but he did. His father taught him—”

  “To be an apothecary, I am aware.”

  “If you’re aware, then maybe you know how skilled his father is. From what I understand, he studied at the university.”

  “And washed out. He was deemed not fit to remain. Is that the sort of healer on whom you would hang your hopes of recovery?”

  Sam glared at him. “Rather him than someone like yourself who has betrayed everything that you claim to hold sacred.”

  “And you know exactly what I claim to hold sacred? You know me so well as to know those intimate details?”

  “I know that you’re working with Marin, and I know what she has done in the way that she has betrayed her vows.” That was vague enough—and especially true—that she could use it to anger him.

  The physicker turned away and retreated to the wall. Turning back around, his arms crossed over his chest, he stared at her. He watched her almost as if she were a puzzle. And maybe to him, she was. “You will help me get her. Whatever you have done to her will be undone.”

  “What makes you think that I’m willing to help?”

  “If you don’t, I have told you what will happen.”

  “You’ve threatened.” Sam leaned forward, testing the bindings around her arms. A chill began to wash over her, and she thought of Alec. She’d hoped that he would soon grow worried about how long she’d been gone. They had agreed that if that happened, he would grant her certain physical attributes, and she could use those in situations like this. “Nothing more than that.”

  The physicker continued to stare at her, and after a moment, his gaze dropped to where she pulled at the
ropes. The smile on his face remained fixed in place, but then began to fade slowly before disappearing altogether. He took a step toward her, but he was too slow.

  As the augmentation took hold, Sam jerked on the ropes, rigidity to her skin protecting her from injury, and her strength allowing her to break free. She leapt from the chair and glared at the Scribe.

  “And they were empty threats,” she said.

  Sam slammed her fist into his stomach, doubling him over, and caught him in the face with her knee, driving him back. He collapsed.

  She raced toward the door and pulled it open. She used more strength than intended, and the door came flying free from the hinges, ripped out of its frame. At least her strength was significantly augmented.

  She saw no one else in the small hallway. A door at the end beckoned, and she raced toward it, tearing it free as she escaped. Outside, she was greeted by the sounds and smells of the city. The stench of the canals loomed close—much closer than she expected. They hadn’t taken her out of the city.

  She glanced back to the building in which she’d been held. It appeared empty and unused. Did they own it, or did they just take advantage of an abandoned building and use it for their own purposes?

  She couldn’t race off—not yet. Augmented as she was, she wasn’t in nearly the danger she had been. And there was something she still needed to do.

  Sam hurried back into the building and ran down to the room she’d left, wanting to get there before the enhancements wore off. But the Scribe was gone.

  Kyza!

  She should have grabbed him as she escaped, but she hadn’t wanted to be burdened with him. Now he was free, and likely as much of a threat as Marin.

  7

  Return to the Palace

  The augmentation began to fade as Sam reached the section that led to the palace, and though she knew she could cross the bridge by just flashing her ring, she was feeling the need to stay out of sight. She jumped, but the remaining strength augmentation was not enough to help her clear the canal, and she splashed down shy of the other side. She swore to herself as she landed, frantically swimming, not wanting to be in the canal any longer than necessary. Even though she knew the purpose of the canal eels, she still hated the damned things. Kyza knew that they had practically chewed through her cloak once. She didn’t want to think what might happen if they managed to clamp onto her arm or leg. They had sharp teeth that could rip through anything.

  She swam quickly, the water cold and making her teeth chatter. Maybe Alec would grant her another augmentation since she’d yet to return. One more might be enough help her reach the other side and climb out, but she wasn’t quite lucky enough for that. Had he given up on her? Would he think to add an augmentation when he still didn’t know what had happened to her? She had returned to the palace rather than going toward the university where she would find him. Maybe it upset him.

  No. Alec wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t get upset by her not going to him. What would upset him would be learning that she had gone off and fought with a Theln without him. It wasn’t that Alec wanted to fight the Thelns; it was that he understood the role he played, the way he could add to her augmentations, giving her enough strength to actually combat them.

  When she reached the canal’s edge and dragged herself out of the water, she was greeted by a pair of guards. She looked up at them, smiling. She didn’t recognize either of the men, but that wasn’t uncommon, at least not here in this part of the city.

  “Can you let Elaine know that I need to speak with her.”

  One of the guards glared at her, but Sam put out her hand, flashing the ring that would tell them she was from the palace. They studied it for a moment before turning and stalking away.

  When she stood, trying to squeeze the extra water out of her cloak, she watched them depart. They could have at least helped her rather than leaving her to drip across the stones on her way back to the palace. Typical. These pompous guards would rather leave a young girl cold and shivering, dripping from stinking canal water, rather than lift a hand to offer her help.

  She glanced behind her. There was a part of her that feared she might have been followed. If she had, she hoped it was Tray rather than Ralun. He might be working with them, but he still hadn’t told them everything. If he had, they would have known where to find Marin. Which meant Tray wasn’t lost—yet.

  Sam shook her head. There wasn’t anything she could do. If her brother was mixed up with Ralun, then she had to try to find a way to help him.

  By the time she reached the palace, she had mostly dried. She’d received no more augmentations, though she hadn’t entirely expected to. She started toward the side entrance when Elaine stepped out of the door, greeting her.

  Her mother shared a similar size. Neither of them was very tall, and they both had dark hair, and easily tanned skin. Her mother had wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and her jaw was sharp, lending to the severe expression she wore.

  “Samara. I understand that you were found near the water.”

  “I jumped over the canal. And missed the landing. And the stupid guards who came upon me after I barely made it out of the water didn’t feel the need to offer me any assistance.”

  “And why would you have needed to jump over the canal? You have the ring we provided.”

  Sam shrugged, looking behind her. There was that strange, unsettled feeling, again. Was she being watched? The itching between her shoulder blades told her she was, but that wouldn’t be possible, not on the palace grounds.

  “Well, I lost my canal staff.” Even with it, Sam didn’t think she would have been able to clear the canal. Using the canal staff to jump over the massive canal that separated the palace section of the city from the others would have been difficult if not impossible without any augmentations. With augmentations, she could clear the canal in a single jump even without her staff. At least she could with the right augmentations.

  “And how did you lose your staff?”

  The way she said it sounded so maternal, and it rubbed Sam the wrong way. Her mother had not been a part of her life for very long, so for her to act motherly felt… strange. And worse, it wasn’t even her mother’s fault that she had been gone. Not entirely.

  “I was attacked. There are Thelns in the city.”

  “I know.”

  “Tray was with them, and they captured me and… Wait. You knew?”

  “Do you believe that Thelns have never reached the city before?”

  “No. I know they’ve reached the city. I seem to remember fighting with several of them before I knew anything about them.”

  “And you wouldn’t have had to had you only left that to others who were more capable.”

  Sam glared at her. “More capable? You weren’t there. While the princess was dying, you weren’t there.”

  “I was searching for a way to help her,” Elaine said. Her voice was pitched low and dangerous, and Sam knew better than to challenge. She didn’t have many memories of her mother, but the tone that she took now was one that Sam wasn’t willing to challenge. She knew better than that, even if she didn’t know her mother that well.

  “Fine. While you were searching for a way to help her, I did help her. Just because I wasn’t trained doesn’t mean that I wasn’t capable of helping,” Sam said.

  “I’m very aware of exactly what you did to help her.”

  Sam met her mother’s eyes for a moment, before shaking her head. Was she trying to irritate her? No. Sam didn’t think that was quite it. It wasn’t that she wanted to irritate her, it was that she was…

  “What are the Thelns doing in the city? You said you knew they were here, so what are they doing? Why are they here?”

  “If you were captured by them, I imagine you know why they’re in the city and what they’re after.”

  “Marin?”

  Elaine nodded. “Perhaps Marin, perhaps something else. Whatever it is that they’re after, their presence here is dangerous to us.”
/>
  “I met her Scribe.”

  Elaine frowned. “Marin’s Scribe passed away many years ago.”

  “That might be, or it might be that he pretended to pass away. It wouldn’t be the first time that Marin deceived someone.”

  “What did he look like?” She grabbed Sam by the arm and pulled her into the palace. Sam’s cloak continued to drip, leaving pools of water across the pale white marble. There were tapestries hanging along the walls, pictures of royals that had once lived and served in the city, and Sam often wondered how many of them had been Scribes, much the way the princess was. There were few enough Scribes remaining, nearly as few Kavers.

  “I didn’t see him well, but I would recognize the voice. It was hard and angry.”

  Elaine glanced over, and her face was unreadable. “I was with Marin when her Scribe passed. There would be no faking that death.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “When I told him I thought he was long dead, he replied, ‘I am most certainly not dead.’ That kind of confirmed it for me.”

  But then she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Had he only said that to confuse her? Maybe Marin had found another Scribe.

  How often did that happen?

  “It could be a different Scribe. It’s possible that—”

  “Possible, but extremely difficult, especially while in hiding,” Elaine said, seemingly dismissing the idea that Marin had found another Scribe. “He simply let you get away?”

  “I don’t know that he let me get away. Alec gave me…”

  Sam flushed. She wasn’t sure she should admit that Alec had given her an augmentation, doing it remotely. Elaine wanted her to learn without augmentation, but she wouldn’t have escaped otherwise.

  “Alec gave you an augmentation. And how much paper do you have remaining?”

  That was the real issue, at least to Elaine. Easar paper was valuable and limited in supply. Before long, someone would have to try and acquire more. Sam didn’t know anything about the acquisition of easar paper, only that getting one’s hands on it was difficult.