Their conversation was cut short by the timid knock of Ynarra. Madigan’s face lit up at the sound, which surprised Will. They were hardly starving.
Mad hopped up from his seat and grabbed their empty lunch tray from the table and held it up as Ynarra entered. She met his eye, flushed, then bowed her head quickly and shuffled forward, placing the fresh tray on the cleared table.
“Thank you, sir,” she said quietly. “But, as always, that isn’t necessary.”
“And, as always, it is my pleasure to help,” Madigan said with a smile.
Will’s eyes grew wide and a far-from-subtle grin broke out on his face. Ynarra flushed an even deeper shade before gently taking the tray from Madigan. She turned and darted from the room. As Madigan turned back to him, Will burst out laughing.
“What?” Madigan asked, mustering up as much innocence as possible.
“Oh, nothing at all, Mad, nothing at all.”
“I like to be helpful.” He shrugged as he picked up a roll from the tray. Then speaking with a feigned flourish, he said, “Good sir, you know that I love to be of service, when able.”
“Yeah, you’d like to be servicing something, alright,” Will said with a grin. The shock on Madigan’s face made Will laugh even harder and, after a moment, his brother joined in. For the remainder of the evening the pair joked and egged one another on.
They had a plan. They were regaining control of their situation.
And they’ll never see us coming, Will thought with a smile.
The next morning, after consulting with Madigan, Will prepared to set out for the map room. With both of them wracking their brains, they had been able to piece together the likeliest path that would lead him straight to it. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should be able to spend enough time inside that he could even bring paper with him and make his own notes while he was there.
Before long, Ynarra arrived with breakfast. She flushed bright red when she saw Madigan and Will forced himself to suppress a chuckle. I don’t think she gets too much attention, given the way she flits about when Mad smiles at her—I should go easy on them.
After she departed, Will ate a quick breakfast while Madigan began to pore over another tome from the library. Once Will judged that enough time had passed, he made his way to the entryway, grabbing his lock-picking kit along the way. No locked doors to keep me out this time.
As he opened the door to leave the room, something gave him pause. He halted, door ajar, and looked around. He couldn’t place it, a feeling of… what? He didn’t know. But he knew he wasn’t mistaken, there was definitely something awry.
He glanced around. There was something different about the halls outside. There was no one in sight, no one to see him, so he wrapped himself in his Shade. Immediately, the feeling intensified. His key was active, yes, but in a different way. The vibrations made him feel uncomfortable, sick, wrong. The walls were the same. The sourceless light still shone dully. There was no one else around and the dust beneath his feet showed only traces of Ynarra’s footprints coming and going.
That was it: The footprints, there was something strange about the footprints.
Will crouched. Why am I wasting my time staring at Ynarra’s tracks? Still, he couldn’t deny that there was something off about them. They were outlined in the dust, but the lines seemed almost impossibly precise. He ducked down for a closer inspection and saw that it was as if every single step Ynarra took had moved precisely the correct amount of dust. There was no dragging of feet, no shuffling, not even a gust of air to mar the print. It was the most perfectly proportioned footprint imaginable.
Scanning outward, he saw that the dust itself appeared somewhat different than the previous afternoon. There’s more of it, isn’t there? It looks…deeper. Sure enough, to the naked eye it appeared as if it had been months since his last outing. In fact, no trace remained on the ground of his own prints from yesterday or any of Ynarra’s prints from previous visits. All that remained were those left by Ynarra on her most recent visit.
Will paled. How many times had he heard that time worked differently here? Had something happened? How much time had passed? His heart suddenly seemed to be in his throat. Something’s wrong.
He felt a strange sense of vertigo, even within the Shade. He stepped back into the room and gently shut the door behind him. “Hey, Mad?”
“Library,” he called from the alcove. Will made his way there, tracing one hand against the wall for support. Madigan glanced up from his book. “Did you forget something? What did—” He stopped when he actually looked at Will. Rising to his feet, he clasped his hands together, his noctori at the ready. “What’s wrong?”
“This is going to sound crazy,” Will said, his voice shaky. “But, do you know how long we’ve been here?”
“Exactly?” Madigan cocked his head to the side and kept glancing behind Will, looking for any unwelcome guests. “No, I don’t know. I’m guessing it’s been about twenty-three days or so. Based on our sleep cycles and food schedules and the like, it seems the most accurate.”
Will did a quick mental count and then nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought too.”
The tension hadn’t left Madigan’s body and Will’s twitchy fidgeting didn’t seem to be going away. Will stayed quiet, obviously lost in thought, until Madigan finally dropped his hands in exasperation. “Are you going to elaborate or am I just supposed to stand here and stare at your furrowed brow and be lost in eternal curiosity?”
“Oh, yeah,” Will said. “Sorry.” He glanced behind him, making sure he had closed the door to the room securely. “It’s just weird. There’s something different out there. It’s going to sound crazy but…I mean, I couldn’t place it initially, but the dust on the ground and everything seems…more settled. Almost too settled, if that makes any sense.”
Madigan’s stance relaxed and he raised an eyebrow at his brother. “Dust is making you nervous?”
“Shut up,” Will said, embarrassment creeping into his already confused thoughts. “Yes, something about the dust. Something is just off. The hallway looks like no one other than Ynarra has used it at all.”
“Other than you, no one has, Will.”
Will fidgeted and glanced back at the door. “No, I know. This is different,” he said. “There’s nothing else, literally nothing. There’s no sign of movement from earlier, nothing from yesterday or last night or anything.”
“So what?” Madigan said and, resuming his seat, picked up his book. “You think they somehow got us to go all Rip Van Winkle or something?”
“I don’t know,” Will said, feeling even more insecure now he had vocalized his thoughts. “But something isn’t right. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go out there.”
Madigan set his book down on the table again and rose, passing his brother and heading to the door, muttering something uncharitable about younger siblings. Will followed, trying and failing to come up with an appropriately badgering response. Opening the door, Mad peered outside and glanced around for a moment, scanning the area before dropping to a crouch. After nearly a minute he stood and quickly closed the door and reopened it before returning to a crouch. He gave a slight “hmph” before he stood and turned back toward Will.
“Something isn’t right,” he said, his face set in its stubborn mask of concentration.
“That’s what I’ve been telling you for the past five minutes,” Will said as he pointed to the door. “Something isn’t right!”
“That dust isn’t moving.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Will said as he rolled his eyes. “Like I said, there is way more than there should be!”
“No, Will.” Madigan fixed his brother with a level stare. “I mean it isn’t moving at all.”
Now it was Will’s turn to get impatient. “Seriously, Mad. Did you listen to anything I said in the other room?”
“Did you blow on it?”
“What?”
“Did you blow on the dust?�
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Will stared at him in incredulity. “Why the hell would I blow on it?”
“Because blowing on dust sucks,” Madigan said. “It swirls around and gets stuck in the air forever. They always do it in movies and it’s fine, but in real life it just makes you sneeze a bunch.” He bent his head down to the dust and blew hard.
Nothing happened. The trace of Ynarra’s prints were still crisp and clear. Madigan’s gust had not changed a thing. He took a step back and closed the door before turning back to Will, his eyes darting back and forth in thought.
“I don’t suppose you have the ability to control dust?” he said.
“No,” Will said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Then, at a look from his brother, he thought about it for a moment. He had never tried to before. “I mean, I could probably make the air look dusty. But to actually create dust? No”—he shook his head—“not at all. All my stuff is just like an illusion. One that can also do some physical stuff, I guess.”
Madigan’s eyes narrowed a moment, then he nodded and began to move back to the library. “I think our little excursion plan is going to need to be put on pause.”
Will followed him. “You think they know I went out yesterday?”
“I’d hazard a guess that they’ve got a pretty good idea of it.”
Will cursed. How did they manage that? “So, they set out some kind of tracing element to be sure, to determine if I went out again.”
Mad sat down to his books. “I don’t think that they know for sure. If they did, I doubt that they would have done whatever they did. Apparently, they need to get proof for whatever reason.”
“But we’re probably being watched more than they’ve let on.”
He nodded. “That’s my guess. If it were me and I had two strangers in a tower, one with crazy abilities, I’d be watching them for sure.”
Will flopped into a chair, thankful at least that the paranoia he’d experienced wasn’t completely unfounded. The key was still making his stomach twist and he realized that he was still keeping a mist of the Shade about him. Releasing it, the sensation in his stomach lessened. Absentmindedly, he reached for the nearest book—Lightfall: A Stratagem—before idly opening it and haphazardly flipping through the pages. “So, lie low then? Back to the books and all that?”
“For now,” Madigan said. He was glancing between the door and the window and the rafters. He’s working through something, that’s for sure. “But, truth be told, I’m about ready to get out of here.” Will lowered the book and met his brother’s gaze. “Dangers or no, you and I need to get moving and the Crow, well, he hasn’t been the most forthcoming host.”
Will set the book back down on the table and leaned forward, suddenly very interested in his brother’s schemes. “What are you saying?”
Madigan ran his fingers through his hair and leaned forward, speaking quietly enough that even Will could barely hear him. “I’m saying that it’s time to start packing.”
18
Cephora
The brothers agreed to wait three more days before making any moves in order to hopefully allay any suspicions. During that time, both did their best to lie low, although Will was uncertain how that was any different than what they had been doing previously. With each meal, they began to ration and save the food Ynarra brought, gauging as best they could how to manage on so little for an indeterminate amount of time. Will, who always had a tendency to squirrel away snacks for later consumption, was perfectly suited to it, but Madigan was soon grumbling when he thought Will wasn’t watching.
Ynarra showed no sign as to whether she was aware of their violation of the Crow’s orders. She continued every visit as she ever had, the only noticeable difference, as far as Will could see, being that she seemed to stay a few moments longer than she had when they first arrived. That, and she smiled at Madigan more and more. Even engrossed as he was in their plans for departure, Will felt good when he thought of his brother falling for the serving girl.
He had taken to dressing in the full garb that had been provided—hardened leather armaments and all—each day when he and Madigan trained. The threat of detection served one benefit: he stopped using his Shade when they sparred and realized just how much he had come to rely on it recently. As Madigan put it after one particularly painful bout, “You’ve gotten lazy, kid.”
He was right, Will knew, but Madigan did not show any restraint in reminding him of it. Will ended each session far more bruised than he ought to be, and he couldn’t help but berate himself for it. All those years of training without, undone in a matter of days? No, that can’t be it. I’m just too distracted.
When the third day arrived, Will awoke with a fierce anxiety gripping his insides. He made his way down from the loft and, with no guarantee of the next time he would have the luxury of running hot water, enjoyed a long shower. As he dried himself, he saw that Ynarra had been by and that Madigan was already turning his attention to the food.
Will dressed and met him in the library and the pair ate in silence, tucking the greater portion of the food away for later. They borrowed some of the more useful looking maps that wouldn’t weigh them down too much—Will reluctantly left The Veleriat—then set about checking their final preparations.
The plan was to wait until Ynarra’s second visit and store everything she brought. Hidden within Will’s Shade, they would descend through the halls soon after she left and make their way to the lower levels, using any shadows they could. Once low enough within the Nordoth, they would exit through a window and then skirt the edges of the courtyard closest to the mountainside. The walls would prove a challenge, but once they passed them it would be easy enough to disappear into Undermyre. “Or, at least,” Madigan said as he snuck another handful of nuts into his mouth, “I hope it should be.”
Will spent the next few hours double checking his supplies and attempting to stretch, to meditate, and focus. He was not so immediately concerned with what was about to happen but rather the part that came after. Their departure from the castle was going to be tricky enough, yes, but once they made it out into the city and the surrounding territories, that’s when the real challenge would begin. Two foreigners, alone on unknown roads and unknown lands with unknown dangers? Everything they had ever learned about survival would be put to the test.
Finally, he heard the entry door click. He made his way over just as Ynarra set down a fresh tray of food. She paused, looking around until she saw Will then raising her hand into a small wave. It was the most human, social interaction he had ever seen from her. He raised his own hand in return and she smiled and curtsied, glancing around the room once more with a brief look of disappointment on her face. As she collected the tray, Madigan stepped out from the library.
“Thank you, Ynarra.”
She nearly dropped the tray before breaking into a huge, beaming smile. “Oh! Sir, yes, of course, sir. It, um, it is my pleasure, sir.” She curtsied repeatedly as she spoke. “I mean, it is my duty, but, yes, thank you.” She curtsied again and set the tray down, rearranging the empty contents. “It has been a great honor. I mean, it has been very pleasant and, what I mean is, yes.” She curtsied again and picked up the tray once more before locking eyes with Madigan, her eyes brimming with tears. “Yes. Thank you. Yes.” She nodded quickly before turning and rushing from the room, locking the door behind her.
Madigan and Will stood together in a shocked silence.
“Did… did you tell her anything?” Will asked.
His brother shook his head. “Not a word. I have no idea what that was about.”
“So it’s not just me, then? That was bizarre to you too, right?”
He nodded. “She knows.”
Will cursed. “How the hell does she know?”
“I’ve got no idea. But we need to go. Now.”
They didn’t hesitate. Will ran upstairs and grabbed their packs from the loft while Madigan raced to the tray of food. Unceremoniously, he dumped the dry contents of
the plates into the smaller pouches and fastened them on their backs. Nodding to each other, they made their way toward the door. Will was just reaching out to grasp the latch when he heard someone try the door from the other side.
Will jerked his hand away and stepped back, looking to Madigan for guidance. At a sharp, heavy pounding on the door he snapped his head back around. A voice, the first he had heard that was not his brother’s or Ynarra’s in some time, called out from the other side.
“Open up, by order of the Crow!”
“That’s not good…” Will heard Mad whisper behind him.
More pounding. “I said, open up in there!”
“Not good at all,” Will’s voice was hoarse and his throat felt uncomfortably dry.
“Someone go get that blasted girl with the keys,” the harsh voice shouted from the other side of the door. Will heard footsteps hurrying away as the pounding on the door grew in intensity.
“They don’t sound too terribly patient, Mad. Thoughts?”
His brother shifted his pack and stepped backward into the room, turning and looking up to the rafters above. “Well, I don’t know how cordial behavior works around here, but to me that seems like a pretty rude entry request.”
“Well, obviously!” Will followed his brother as Madigan glanced back at the door. “So, I’m guessing our plans are changing on the fly?”
“Like the wind, kid.”
Will cursed again and loosened his knives while Madigan raced to the wall and leapt up to one of the ropes hanging from the rafters. Following him, Will grabbed the rope and muttered under his breath. The pair began to climb.
The pounding on the door stopped. Despite the distance, Will heard a sharp cry from the outside and the sudden turning of metal in the lock. He beckoned to Madigan and began to climb higher, moving amongst the rafters with ease. Mad followed, each step slow and steady, securing himself on each beam and entwining his arms in the ropes and draperies that led upward.
Shadowborne Page 19
