“How is that possible?” she asked, frowning. “The Weaver saw nothing of the sky you created. I did, but he didn’t.”
“You’re certain?”
She nodded, then appeared to shiver. “He would have said something.”
“Interesting,” he said, allowing himself a small grin.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Last night, as I was walking toward you in the dream, I almost thought I could hear you calling to me, telling me to leave you.”
“I was, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“I know. I should have. I’m sorry.” He narrowed his eyes. “Did the Weaver hear those thoughts? Did he know I was there?”
“Of course not.”
“Then there’s your answer.”
Keziah blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“You already know how to hide your thoughts from a Weaver. You allowed me to see what you were seeing, to hear and feel all that was going on in your dream, without revealing me to the Weaver.”
“But my mind was closed to him.”
“Not entirely, not enough to keep him from your dreams. The words ‘opening your mind’ offer an image, nothing more. There’s no door in your head that keeps one set of thoughts separate from another. Opening your mind simply means allowing him to read all your thoughts rather than some of them. The secret lies in showing him what you need to while making him believe that there’s nothing more.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
“You did it last night.”
“Maybe, but I don’t know how.”
He reached out a hand to brush the hair back from her brow. “Somewhere inside, you do. You have to find that knowledge, Kezi, and you have to trust your power. If I could do this for you I would. You know that. But this is your burden. You chose to carry it, and now you have to live with that decision.” Or die with it. Grinsa didn’t say it. He didn’t have to.
She took a breath and nodded once more, a dull look in her eyes.
“I should let you sleep.”
“Where are you?” she asked, as if she hadn’t heard.
Grinsa winced. He’d almost forgotten again.
“We’re near Mertesse. That’s why I tried to contact you in the first place. To warn you. While we were in Solkara, we encountered Shunk jal Marcine, the minister who betrayed Kentigern during the siege. We escaped him, but I’m certain he knows I’m a Weaver. I had to reveal too many of my powers in getting away. I don’t think he knows you’re my sister, but if he decides to look for our family, it won’t take him long to find you.”
“You think he’s back in Mertesse?”
“As certain as I can be.”
“And what do you plan to do with him when you find him?”
Grinsa hesitated. “I was going to question him about the conspiracy. Beyond that… I hadn’t decided.”
“But you’ve considered killing him.”
The idea of it still troubled him, but he could hardly deny it. “Yes.”
“That’s what you have to do, Grinsa. If the Weaver contacts him we’re lost. Shurik will tell him, and the Weaver will learn in no time that we’re related. Don’t bother questioning him. I’ll find out everything we need to know about the movement. Just kill him and get out of Mertesse.”
He knew she was right, yet he couldn’t believe that she could speak so casually of murder, even when it concerned a man like Shurik.
“You’re surprised to hear me say such things.”
“I guess I am.”
She gave a small shrug. “This is the world we live in now. If Shurik had the opportunity to kill you, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Which means you have to kill him first.”
“I’m not arguing with you. I just worry that you’re changing so quickly. The Keziah I knew a year ago would have had trouble speaking those words.”
“I’m not the one changing, Grinsa. Eibithar is different, as are all the realms of the Forelands. A year ago you were traveling with the Revel, and Kearney and I were still in Glyndwr; Lady Brienne was still alive and Javan of Curgh was in line to be king.” She looked away. “I’m archminister to the king. I no longer have the luxury of being squeamish. We both know that Shurik has to die. I just happened to be the first of us to say so aloud.”
He gazed at her for several moments, though she continued to look away. Unable to think of any reply, he finally stepped forward and put his arms around her again.
She held him tight, pressing her cheek to his chest. “I’m afraid,” she whispered. “Of everything.”
“I’m afraid for you. But I know how strong you are. Trust yourself and you’ll be all right.” He kissed her forehead and gazed into her eyes for a moment. “I love you, Kezi. I’ll see you soon.”
He released her and a moment later broke the connection linking their minds.
Opening his eyes to the darkness of the Aneiran wood, he lay down near where Tavis slept and closed his eyes once more, falling almost immediately into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Grinsa and Tavis reached the north edge of the Great Forest late the following day and waited for nightfall before continuing onto the narrow open plain that lay between the wood and Mertesse. Grinsa was convinced that most of the Solkaran soldiers had returned to the royal city, but he didn’t dare chance being mistaken. For the next several days he and the boy traveled by night and rested during the day, taking refuge in the darkened corners of barns and abandoned shacks. Leaving Tavis briefly on the second day, Grinsa ventured into a nearby village and bought them enough food to last the rest of their journey.
On their fourth night out of the forest, they came within sight of Mertesse. Even from a full league away, they could see torches burning atop the great stone walls and towers of the castle. Tavis wanted to try to reach the nearest entrance to the city before the ringing of the gate-closing bells. Grinsa agreed that they had time enough to make it, but he argued against trying.
“We’ll be far more noticeable among the few who enter the city at night. We should wait for morning and enter with the shepherds, just as we did in Solkara.”
Tavis looked unhappy, but he let the matter drop, something he wouldn’t have done a few turns before.
They continued on until they were less than half a league from the castle before stopping for the night. There were no buildings nearby, but with thin high clouds covering the sky, the night didn’t grow too cold. They slept in the open, rising with first light to complete their journey to the city walls. When the gates opened to the pealing of the city bells, Tavis and Grinsa were among the first to enter the city. They crossed through the gate in the company of several merchants, their hoods over their heads and their eyes fixed on the ground. None of the guards seemed to notice them. Apparently, word of their escape from Solkara had not spread beyond the forest.
Once in the city, they made their way to the marketplace, which was already filling quickly with peddlers and their customers.
“What now?” Tavis asked, his voice low.
“I need to go to the castle and see if I can learn where Shurik is. The duke and his company should have returned from Solkara several days ago. I want to know if the traitor was with them.”
“And if he wasn’t?”
“I’d rather not think about it. I expect that he was, in which case it becomes a matter of waiting for him to emerge from the castle.”
“If he thinks you’ve followed him here, he’s not likely to come out any time soon.”
The gleaner nodded. “I know. Let’s find out first if he’s in Mertesse. Then I’ll worry about the rest.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Remain in the marketplace. We’ll find an inn later.”
“All right.”
“And stay out of trouble, Tavis,” he added. “We’re too close to Shurik to muck things up now.”
The young lord opened his arms wide. “Why do you always think I’m going to find trouble?”
Grinsa frowned and started to walk away without responding. The answer seemed as plain as the scars on Tavis’s face.