‘It has Dragonene lore on it, written in all four College lore scripts,’ said Denser, rehanging it on its chain. A brief smile touched his lips. ‘It will be incredibly useful to our research and, when we’re done with it, we can simply name our price. You would not believe what collectors will pay for a piece like this.’
‘And that’s it?’ asked Ilkar flatly.
Denser nodded. ‘We all need money. You of all people should know that research is not cheap.’
Ilkar inclined his head. ‘So what now?’
‘I have to get this piece into the right hands, quickly,’ said Denser.
‘Xetesk?’
Denser shook his head. ‘Too far and too dangerous. Korina. We can secure it there. You’re going that way, I take it?’
‘Yes.’
‘I would like The Raven to bodyguard me. You will be well paid.’
Ilkar gaped at him, making sure he’d heard correctly. ‘You have got to be bloody joking, Denser. After what happened yesterday? You’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that. Hirad still wants to kill you as far as I know. And even if the others didn’t mind, do you really think that I would ever stoop to work for Xetesk?’
‘I’m sorry you feel that way.’
‘But you can’t possibly be surprised.’ Ilkar got up and dusted himself down. ‘You’ll have to find someone else. There are plenty still here looking for paid passage back to the City.’
‘I would prefer The Raven. It seems the least I can do in recompense.’
‘We don’t want your money,’ said Ilkar. ‘I’ll be making a report to Julatsa when I get back to Korina. You understand there will be a representation from the three Colleges to Xetesk over this whole incident.’
‘We look forward to it.’
‘I’ll bet.’ Ilkar turned as he reached the door. ‘You hungry? I’ll show you the way to the kitchens.’
‘Thank you, brother.’
Ilkar’s embryonic smile disappeared. ‘I am not your brother.’
Chapter 4
Erienne sat on the double bed in the isolated tower room, a son cradled beneath each arm. Her body knew peace, however fleeting, and her children had ceased their crying.
But they had doubted her and the moment of their reunion would live with her for ever. Left alone at the top of the spiral stairway, she had grasped the handle and opened the door, half expecting to see them dead. Instead, they were sitting together on the edge of their bed, talking in whispers, food and drink ignored and cooling on the table that made up the only other furniture but for two chairs. Even the floor had no covering for its cold stone.
She’d taken them in in an instant, brown bobbed hair a little untidy, round faces, pale blue eyes, small noses, slightly jutting ears and long-fingered hands. Her boys. Her beautiful boys.
Their faces had turned to her in symphony and she’d held out her arms. It was then she knew hatred like she’d never felt before. Because for a moment they hadn’t seen her, their mother and protector. They’d seen a betrayer, someone who had let them be taken, let them be afraid.
And as she’d stood in the doorway, dishevelled in her bare feet, her nightgown stained and torn, her face displaying the effects of the brophane and her hair tangled, the tears had flooded her eyes and smeared a clean track on her dust-darkened cheeks.
‘I’m here. Mother’s here.’ They’d run into her arms, the three crying until nothing was left but to hold on in case they should ever be separated again. Now they sat, all three on the bed, the boys nuzzling her chest while her arms bound them and her hands stroked their sides.
‘Where are we, Mummy?’ asked Thom, sitting to her left.
‘We’re in a castle far from home, full of bad men,’ said Erienne, gripping her boys closer and glaring at the closed door, outside which, she knew, Isman would now be standing. ‘I’ve got to help them, answer some questions about magic, and then they’ll let us go.’
‘Who are they?’ Aron looked up into his mother’s eyes, lost and confused. She felt his hand grip at her back.
‘When we get home, I’ll tell you all about them. But they are men trying to understand magic and what men don’t understand frightens them. It always has.’
‘When will we go home?’ Aron again.
Erienne sighed. ‘I don’t know, my loves. I don’t know what they want to ask me.’ She smiled to ease the tension. ‘I’ll tell you what. When we get home, I’ll let you choose what you want to learn about next. What will it be?’
The boys leaned forward, shared a glance, nodded and chimed in concert:
‘Communion!’
Erienne laughed. ‘I knew you’d say that. Bad boys! Just so you can talk without me hearing you.’ She tickled their stomachs, the boys giggling and squirming. ‘Bad boys!’ She fluffed their hair then held them close again.
‘Now,’ she said, eyeing their plates with distaste. ‘I want you to eat the bread on those plates but nothing else, do you hear? I’m going to go and see about getting us home. I’ll be back to teach you later, so I hope you haven’t forgotten what I told you last week!’ She made to rise but the boys clung on.
‘Do you have to go, Mummy?’ asked Aron.
‘The sooner I do, the sooner we’ll all be home with your father.’ She hugged them again. ‘Hey, I won’t be gone long, I promise.’ They both looked up at her. ‘I promise,’ she repeated.
She unlocked their arms and went to the door, pulling it open on a surprised-looking Isman. The rangy warrior lurched to a standing position from his slouch against the wall, the flaps of his leather tunic clapping together over his worn brown shirt.
‘Finished so soon?’ he asked.
‘Just in a hurry,’ said Erienne brusquely. ‘I’ll answer your questions now. My boys need their father and their own beds.’
‘And we are just as anxious as you to see you are held here for as short a time as possible,’ said Isman smoothly. ‘The Captain will question you shortly. Until then—’
‘Now,’ said Erienne, closing the door at her back with one last smile at her boys, who waved at her.
‘You are in no position to make demands of us,’ sneered Ismam.
Erienne smiled and moved close to Isman. As she did so, her face hardened, the smile seeming to freeze on her cheeks.
‘And what if I walk past you now?’ she hissed, her face paling. ‘What are you going to do?’ Their faces were scant inches apart, his eyes flickering over her. ‘Stop me? Kill me?’ She laughed. ‘You’re scared of me because we both know I could kill you before your sword left your scabbard. And we’re alone, so don’t tempt me. Just take me to your Captain right now.’
Isman pursed his lips and nodded.
‘He said you’d be trouble. We had you watched for months before we took you. He said your kind knew much but were arrogant. ’ He pushed past her and led the way down the spiral stairs. He turned at the bottom. ‘He was right. He always is. Go ahead, kill me if you think you can. There are three men outside this door. You can’t get far. We both know that too, don’t we?’
‘But I’d have the satisfaction of seeing you die,’ said Erienne. ‘And I’d see the fear in your eyes. Think on it. Unless you watch me all the time, you’ll never know if I’m about to cast. Never know when you’re about to die.’
‘We have your children.’ The sneer was back on Isman’s face.
‘Well, you’d better see you look after them, then, hadn’t you? Don’t turn your back, Isman.’