"Tiberium. I could be executed, though I doubt it. They'll find some harmless job for me, but Julia will be safe in an Academy. Wulfston, will you try to make the transition as painless as possible for the people of this land?"
Wulfston went to Aradia, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, and sat down beside her, putting his arm around her. "We will hold your land as your regents until you return."
"I won't return."
Aradia, who had sat silently since Wulfston's entrance, now leaned into the protection of her brother's arms and said, "Father was right." Her voice was tense with controlled emotion. "Wulfston, do you remember? 'You would steal my daughter's powers,' he said. He called Lenardo 'the foul beast who would ravish my daughter.' ''
"Ravish?" Wulfston stiffened, all conciliation gone. "He tried to-"
"He succeeded. But he could not steal my powers. I stole his."
But Wulfston paid no heed to Aradia's satisfied tone. He rose, stalking Lenardo like the wolf that was his emblem. "You deliberately-you dared to-"
Lenardo could not answer-he could not move: Wulfston held him under Adept control.
"I should kill you," Wulfston said. "If ever I see you again, I will. But for Julia's sake, go."
Aradia asked warily, "Will you keep the child, Wulfston?"
"A Reader? How could I ever trust her? She is a child now, but she would grow up to be like her father. No, Lenardo. Take her back to your empire and let things return to their natural order. We are born enemies, and we must never again forget that fact."
Wulfston took Aradia's arm and led her out past Lenardo, who still could not move. He wanted to explain, but Wulfston would never believe in his sister's treachery. Even if Aradia had betrayed Lenardo, it was not without his full cooperation.
The spell lifted suddenly, and Lenardo collapsed to his knees. He wished he could just lie down and forget everything, but he couldn't. He must get Julia away before either Adept decided that she might be worth keeping after all. He changed quickly into traveling clothes and called for horses and food for a journey. His own packing was simple: the barest necessities. He was a Reader again; he needed no crown, "ho seal of office, no treasure. Even the robes of the Master Reader that he had worn at the festival he left in the chest. He had forfeited the right to wear them.
The wolf-stone pendant he left lying on top of the chest, for he no longer had any loyalty to Aradia. How neatly she had manipulated Wulfston today. Would she finally win her brother to her plan? And Lilith? It was no longer his problem. To the Aventine Empire, Aradia's plans could mean a chance to rebuild and recoup losses if she set the savages fighting among themselves. With his newfound powers, he could Read what was happening here, keep the Emperor informedIf he was once granted the opportunity to display what he could now do, he need not fear execution.
He was just leaving the room, when Helmuth entered. "My lord, where are you going? Why was I not told of your travel plans? You must have a retinue-"
"No, Helmuth. Julia and I are leaving. No one else."
"But it is not seemly, my lord. And messengers must be sent ahead, accommodations prepared."
"No, Helmuth."
The old man studied him sadly. "Something is very wrong, my lord."
"Yes. And the only way I can correct it is to take this journey. When I am gone, you do whatever Lady Aradia or Lord Wulfston says. Tell Arkus."
"But when will you return?"
Lenardo looked into the anxious eyes and Read the sincere concern for him. If he told the truth, Helmuth and many others would quickly guess that Aradia and Wulfston had driven him away. He did not want any kind of revolt, Adept punishments of his people"I cannot say, Helmuth. Take care of my people for me and obey Aradia and Wulfston."
"Yes, my lord."
Lenardo and Julia were seen leaving the city, of course, by the Southgate, where Lenardo had entered on his search for Galen-was it only four months ago?
People waved, and Lenardo waved back. He must make it appear that nothing unusual was happening. Once they were on the main road south, few people came near enough to recognize them. A man and a child in traveling clothes might be anyone, their fine horses indicating no more than that they had found favor with the Lord of the Land.
Julia was astonishingly silent as Lenardo set a pace to cover ground as rapidly as possible without overtiring their horses. Finally she asked, "Father, where are we going?"
"Home," he replied.
"But we just left home."
"We are going to my home, Julia, back to the Aventine Empire where I came from. There you will meet other Readers and get a proper education."
"You're not going to leave me there?"
He Read her panic, the normal child's fear of losing a parent, compounded by the terrible uncertainties she had known in her short life. "No, Julia," he told her. "I'm going to stay in the empire, too."
He didn't tell her mat once he placed her safely in Portia's hands, they would never see each other again. Once she touched the minds of her teachers and classmates in the Academy, she would forget him as quickly as he had forgotten his own parents. I will be the one who will sorely miss Julia, he realized sadly.
Lenardo intended to Read ahead, contact Master Clement, and have his message relayed to Adigia so that the gates would be opened for them on their arrival. He would not rest securely until they were within the walls of the empire.
Before the mysterious expansion of his powers, Lenardo would have had to ride to the wall, find a secure place to hide, and leave his body in order to Read all the way to Tiberium. Now, though still several hours from the border, he could contact Master Clement without even stopping.
But just as he decided to do so, he Read pursuit. Arkus and a troop of ten men were galloping along the road several miles behind them. Lord Lenardo, Arkus projected. Lord Wulfston wants you to return to Zendi.
I'll just bet he does. "Julia, we are being pursued. We must hide."
She didn't question him but followed him off the road into a patch of woods. In a few minutes the soldiers galloped past, Arkus still broadcasting his order.
Julia looked wide-eyed at Lenardo. //Why don't you trust Lord Wulfston anymore?//
//We dare not trust any Adept, Julia. I fear it is you he wants, to bend to his will… or to Aradia's.//
//They couldn't. I'm a Reader. I'd know-//
//You have forgotten already how Drakonius treated people to make them obey him.//
//Lord Wulfston's not like that. And anyway, a Reader can always get away, like we're doing.// They were continuing through the woods, pausing each time they had to cross an open area to Read whether anyone might see them.
//Galen could not get away,// Lenardo told her. //I've mentioned Galen, my student, who went over to the enemy, Reading for Drakonius and his henchmen.//
//Yes. That's why you came here-to stop him.//
//That's right. But Julia, Galen was not an evil person, merely young and very foolish. He blamed other people for his problems instead of trying to solve them himself. And I suppose that is why he allied himself with Drakonius, thinking such a powerful Adept would give him wealth and power in exchange for his services. But do you know t what Drakonius made him do, to test his loyalty?//
//No. What?//
//Help him attack Adigia, the town Galen had come from, where all his old friends were.//
Julia did not respond, trying to shield her thoughts as she pondered that. Then she observed, //If anyone did that to me, I would think it was wicked. But if I was trying to test someone's loyalty, what better way?//
//Child, you are far too old for your years,// Lenardo told her wearily.
//But what happened? Did Galen pass the test?//
//He Read a fault in the rock beneath the Academy at Adigia. By jarring it just a little, the Adepts could cause an earthquake.//