“A pity.”
I nodded. Bad news, indeed. For now, I could only hope at least some of our siblings were alive and in hiding. After all, we came from a big family. If Blaise and Aber had escaped, others might have, too. We would work on contacting them as soon as we had a safe place to gather our forces.
Aber looked around the room. “Where are we, anyway? This isn't Juniper, is it?”
“No, Juniper is gone. This is a small tavern in a Shadow cast by the new Pattern. If it has a name, I don't know what it is.”
“Are we safe?”
“As safe here as anywhere, at least for now. I wouldn't risk much magic using the Logrus, though, just in case.”
“Fair enough.” He stood. “I need to get cleaned up. I'll tell you everything else after a long, hot bath… I assume there are long hot baths here?”
“There you go.” I jerked my thumb toward the small basin on the washstand against the far wall “Jump in.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You're kidding, right? I want a real bath, with scented oils. Then a massage. Then a good hot meal—a light cream of mushroom soup, then salad and braised lamb chops, followed b—”
I couldn't stop laughing.
“What is it?” he demanded.
I said, “Do I look like I'm kidding? You aren't going to get any of those things here. If you're lucky, maybe the innkeeper can get you a bowl of whatever stew he's got simmering in the fireplace. You might be stuck with bread, cheese, and wine.”
“I'll settle for a steak if there's nothing better. Or I can always get it myself.”
“As I said, I don't think it's a good idea for you to use the Logrus here. What if Uthor has a way to track you when you use it?”
“Magic doesn't work that way.”
“Humor me.” I shrugged. “I never claimed to be an expert, just paranoid.”
“No bath. No servants. No food.” He shook his head glumly. “This isn't going to work, Oberon. There's nothing here. A Lord of Chaos could walk right in, kill us all, and destroy the Pattern.”
“First he has to find us. Then he has to kill me. And then he has to find the Pattern. It's not as easy as it sounds. It's been hidden, just like last time.”
“Where is it, then?”
“Safe. And it's going to stay safe from now on. I'm not telling anyone.”
“Even me?”
I chuckled. “Especially you. You were on King Uthor's payroll, remember?”
“Unwillingly! They threatened to kill me, remember. And anyway, look where it got me—hunted through the Beyond and a dozen other Shadows of Chaos,”
“Even so.”
He shrugged. “Okay. It's not like I need to know. Or particularly want to.” Rising, he started for the washstand. “If I'm going to avail myself of your so-called bath, the least you can do is find me some decent clothes while I'm getting cleaned up!”
“Would you settle for a towel?”
“I'll get my own.” He reached into the air and plucked a towel from nothingness—using that Logrus trick again to summon whatever he needed.
“I said no Logrus tricks!”
“Oh—sorry. It's instinct, I guess. I wasn't thinking.”
I sighed. “Just don't do it again.”
For the first time, I wondered if the Pattern would let me do the same sort of summoning-trick. I'd have to experiment with it later. Maybe I could get him to explain how it worked with the Logrus…
“I'll meet you downstairs,” I said as he stripped off his shirt and began splashing water onto his face. “I want to hear about everything I missed. And I'm sure Blaise does, too, whether she admits it or not.”
I carried Dad's sword downstairs with me and had Jamas put it away for safekeeping. Then Blaise and I passed a pleasant half hour sitting quietly at the bar, sipping a cool, fruity red wine and sharing a comfortable silence. We both had a lot to think about.
Jamas had just informed Blaise and me that his eldest son had left to fetch for Old Doc Hand when Aber trooped down the staircase and joined us. My eyes widened in surprise. He now wore a shimmering blue tunic, deep blue hose, and black riding boots with heavy silver kickplates at the toes. His brown hair, brushed straight back, glistened damply. With the dust and dirt scrubbed from his face and hands, he looked even more gaunt than before.
“Much better,” I said. Then I sighed. “But you used the Logrus again, didn't you?”
“Uh… sorry.” He gave a sheepish grin and pretended contrition. “Really, I couldn't help myself. I hate being dirty. Besides, no one can trace us when we use the Logrus. Ask Blaise if you don't believe me.”
“Blaise?” I glanced at our sister.
“How would I know?” She shrugged. “I don't care how the Logrus works. I'm just glad it does!”
“Considering our enemies,” I said, “I'd still rather err on the side of caution. They seem to know more about how magic and the Logrus works than anyone else here—including you and Dad.”
“True…” He sighed. “I'll be more careful. Besides, we aren't going to be staying here long, are we?”
“Just long enough to get Dad well.”
Aber took the stool next to mine, on the other side from Blaise. I caught a whiff of lavender—he'd even perfumed himself. I shook my head in disbelief.
“What are you drinking?” he asked, peering over the rim of my tankard.
“Stout.”
“I'll have a pint, too,” he said to Jamas.
“Aye.” Jamas squinted at Aber as he drew a pint from a keg.
“Didn't see you go upstairs, sir.”
“I'm pretty quiet,” Aber said with an half smile. “People don't notice me much.”
“Not quiet enough,” Blaise murmured to herself.
“Better quiet than blathering.” Aber glowered at her.
Blaise suddenly found it necessary to study her fingernails.
“Cut it out!” I told them both. “We don't have time for such childishness. If we're all that's left of our family, we will get along. Got that?”
“You're right, of course, dear Oberon,” Blaise said. She put her arm around my shoulder and gave a not-so-subtle wink. “I'm sorry, Aber,” she said. “You certainly didn't deserve that. I'll try to be more kind?”
“You're not my sister,” Aber said darkly. He drained half in stout in one long gulp. “The real Blaise would never apologize. It's not in her nature.”
“You don't know anything about her nature,” Blaise said. “My nature, I mean.”
“Whose nature?”
“You're an idiot!”
He brightened. “Now that's the Blaise we know and love!”
I sighed. So much like little children… I half wished I could spank them both and send them off to bed without supper. But Blaise would probably break my arm if I tried.
Better to simply change the subject.
“Tell me what I missed in the Courts,” I said to Aber. “What happened to you?”
“It's quite a tale.”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
“Neither am I,” said Blaise somewhat contritely. She leaned on the bar, pillowing her chin in her hands. “Tell us of your heroic cowering in basements.”
“Blaise…” I said warningly.
“Don't mind her,” Aber said. “No one else does.”
Chuckling, he drained the rest of his stout, then motioned for Jamas to refill his tankard. With a new drink in hand, he cleared his throat, leaned back, and launched into his story.
Chapter 9
After I left you and Dad at the Pattern,” Aber began, “I returned to our home in the Beyond. A week or more must have passed while we were away. The house was strangely quiet—it had that echoey, empty feeling a place gets when there's no one left alive. Even the torches had gone out.