When they returned to the bolt-hole inside the castle wall, the others crawled through. As he stepped back and prepared to slide the wall section on its rails back into place, Magiere grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing?" she asked. "It's time to get away from here."
"I can't secure this from the outside. If we leave it open, the castle could be breached. If something happened, the Varanj soldiers would be blamed."
She was about to argue, and he knew what she would say. Why should they be concerned about the Varanj? But Leesil leaned into the opening and kissed her quickly on the nose to silence her.
"I'll meet you at the inn… or beat you there. Now go."
He shoved the stones along the rail and pulled the lock lever into place.
For the second time that night, Magiere waited with Wynn in the room at the Acorn Oak. Dawn approached, none of them had slept, and Chap paced worriedly, glancing repeatedly at Wynn. No matter how the sage tried, she couldn't get the dog to touch the talking hide, much less answer questions concerning the woman in the corridor or this Master Ubad.
Magiere tried to remain calm, but her thoughts tangled with questions over and over. What if she delayed Leesil's search for his mother only to be led down another dead end? What if Osceline was lying? All Magiere wanted from this journey was the truth, and now that it might be within her reach, she was no longer certain she could accept it.
Wynn watched her from the bed, and Magiere read apprehension in the sage's eyes. Curious Wynn, the little scholar, also feared what they might discover next.
"No matter what happens, Magiere," Wynn said. "You are still just you, and we are with you."
The words were trite but welcome.
Leesil opened the door and walked in. Magiere breathed in relief.
"So you bluffed your way back out again," she said.
"Of course. " He wasted no time packing his toolbox and blades in the chest. "I know we're all tired, but we should leave straightaway. We'll take turns at the reins while the others sleep."
"Just like that?" Magiere asked. "We hunt down this Ubad on the word of a mysterious woman hiding in a castle prison?"
"Aren't you ready?" he returned.
"It depends on whether she was telling the truth or not,"
Wynn said. "We were looking for records of Magiere's father, and this is… a convenient coincidence."
"Osceline told us truths and lies, I'm sure," Leesil replied. "As to her 'master, her fear of him seemed real enough. He'll be dangerous if he commands that kind of submission at a distance."
"We know Vordana was watching for me," Magiere said. "And we know something arcane was required for my birth. If this Ubad was there, he was involved. If such as Vordana serve him, he'll be dangerous indeed."
Magiere studied Leesil for a moment, and then dropped her gaze, no longer able to meet his eyes. The moment Osceline demanded an oath on Leesil's life, Magiere had wanted to make the woman suffer for it. Leesil obviously thought nothing of such an oath if it got Magiere what she needed. Another added leg to their journey would cause him to wait longer before seeing to his own need.
"I didn't expect to go this far… this long," she said. "I'm so sorry."
"Sorry?" Leesil returned. "It may have taken longer than expected, but we might be less than six days from the answers to your questions. Don't be sorry when there's nothing to be sorry for."
Chap growled at him, but no one paid attention, least of all Magiere. There were so many thoughts whirling inside her mind that she could grasp hold of only one and cling to it.
"Wynn, see about the wagon and horses," she said. "Take Chap. Get us something hot to eat for the road, if you can."
"Some hot water for tea, as well," Wynn answered, and she got up to leave, Chap ambling along behind her.
Leesil closed the chest up tight. He started to pull it toward the open door, but Magiere shut it in his way, and he stood there staring at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Magiere put her hands to his face, and leaned her forehead against his in silence. Why was it so hard to say a few simple words?
"What?" he whispered.
She couldn't open her eyes as she spoke. "I love you… you know that?"
Leesil remained still in her hands. She felt his fingers slide up along her temples, lacing into her hair.
"Of course," he whispered. "I'm the one who came after you… dragon."
"No, I have to say it," she said, "when and while I can. And you have to remember… no matter what else there is of me to come, that's what you have to remember."
Magiere pulled his face to hers, pressing her mouth deep against his.
Chap watched the city walls fall behind as the wagon rolled out of Keonsk at dawn, well before anyone could discover the unconscious guards at the castle. The horses were well rested and kept a steady pace, and both Leesil and Magiere sat in front on the wagon's bench.
Wynn was already asleep under her blanket in the wagon's back, and Chap curled up against her. Even sleeping, the little sage's presence brought some comfort, though he felt uncertain what her place was in all this. It would have been far easier to keep his secrets without her constant curiosity about him. He no longer had complete faith in his own actions, but he had come to one decision of which his kin might not approve.
Although he could simply force Magiere from this path, he would not. And it was clear that he was unable to dissuade her. In spite of nightmare visions while under the undead sorcerer's spell, or perhaps because of them, he would help Magiere complete this journey.
At the very least it was the quickest way to remove her from this land and give them all a little more time before events started moving forward too quickly. And if they found Cuirin'nen'a-Leesil's mother, Nein'a as he called her- this might help to balance things as well.
The enemy was aware and watching. This was one of the few certainties left to Chap.
He would go with Magiere, face whatever came of her discoveries, and do what was possible in the aftermath. He would finish what he had started when he had connected Magiere's path to Leesil's.
Chap would have to trust Magiere, and trust Leesil… or at least trust in what he had created between them.
Chapter 13
T he patron in Welstiel's dreams sensed that he had fed, knew he was stronger, and whispered to him throughout his dormant hours.
The sister of the dead will lead you.
Welstiel was roused by Chane's soft knock on the door. He awoke disoriented, as he always did when communing with the roiling serpent coils. He looked about before remembering they had procured rooms at a decent inn. His door was locked, and he climbed from the bed to let Chane in.
His companion was already dressed in a white shirt and midnight-blue tunic. His height filled the doorway. He took in Welstiel's disheveled appearance and stepped back. "Forgive me. I assumed you were up."
"Come in," Welstiel said. "I will scry for the dhampir. It is possible she has not given up yet, stubborn as she is, but I prefer to keep track of her presence. You will not mind a few more nights here?"
"This isn't Bela, but any city is a pleasant change nonetheless."
Welstiel retrieved the brass dish and his knife, and sat at the table. Replenished as he was, all recent scars from cuts had faded, leaving the stub of his left little finger smooth. He cut it again and allowed a drop to strike the center of dish's dome as he chanted.