Cascet of souls

CHAPTER 38. Grief

DESPITE Korathan’s continuing displeasure, Seregil and Alec were allowed to pay their respects at court the following morning. Elani sat with Alaya’s other relations by the old courtier’s bier in one of the great halls. All were dressed in rich black, with jewels of jet and onyx. Elani was dry-eyed as the mourners streamed past, but very pale. It was clear she hadn’t slept.

She gave them a sad smile as they reached her. “So kind of you to come. Alaya liked you both very much.”

“She was a great lady, Highness,” said Seregil.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Highness,” Alec added, looking down at the dead woman’s waxen visage. Alaya was dressed for court, and her hands were crossed in front of her, rings glittering on every finger, but none of that allayed the wreckage of sunken eyes and too-prominent bones.

“So much death this summer, and the whole war,” Elani murmured. “Grandmother Idrilain, and my aunt and uncle. And now this.”

Unable to offer any meaningful comfort, they stayed long enough to be polite, then bowed and took their leave.

The following morning, they went out again with Micum wearing different disguises and searched the neighborhood where they’d nearly caught the old woman and her guardian. No one had seen any sign of them, though, and Seregil grumbled about the timing of Alaya’s death. The scent seemed to have gone cold. Given the ravens’ previous

pattern, Seregil expected word of them being on the far side of the Harvest Market next and had Kepi spread the word to his compatriots that any news would be worth a silver half.

When they returned to the inn late that afternoon, Seregil noted at once that the horse yard was empty except for one exhausted, lathered black, and that there was no smoke coming from the kitchen chimney. Nor was there any of the usual bustle and noise coming through the open windows of the front room. Bad old memories of another too-quiet inn knotted his belly.

“That’s Kari’s horse,” Micum noted in surprise.

“I don’t like this,” muttered Seregil.

“Neither do I,” whispered Alec.

They approached the front of the house cautiously and peered in at the windows. The great room was empty, dishes and tankards still on the long tables as if everyone had left in a hurry.

Moving quietly, they went down the servants’ corridor to the kitchen and found Tomin whittling in front of the fire. He jumped to his feet as soon as they came in and Seregil saw a small pack at the innkeeper’s feet.

“What’s going on?” asked Alec.

Tomin fiddled nervously with his knife as he took in their beggar garb. “A woman came here with a little girl, and brought the sleeping death with her. Claimed she knew you, my lords. The house cleared as if it was on fire. I sent Ema and the baby to her mother’s house.”

“Where are the woman and girl?” Micum demanded.

“I put them in the front room upstairs.”

Micum was gone before Tomin had finished speaking, thundering up the front stairs. Seregil and Alec ran after him and caught up in time to hear their friend’s anguished cry.

Illia, dressed for play in the Watermead fields, lay on the bed, staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. Micum fell to his knees by the bed, clasping one of his daughter’s small hands in his big, callused ones.

Kari sat by the bed, pale as a ghost, her dark hair wild around her shoulders and dull with dust, as were her riding

clothes. She looked not at her husband, but at Seregil. “How could this happen?”

“It’s-impossible!” Alec gasped.

“Clearly not,” Seregil managed. “Kari, how long has she been like this?”

“I found her like this in her bed yesterday morning. Nothing we did could bring her around. We sent for the drysian and she told us of the sickness here in the city. She said-” Kari swallowed, throat so dry that Seregil could hear it click across the room. “She said no one has survived more than a few days. I thought perhaps if Valerius could see her, he might be able to do something. Seregil, you’ll send for him, won’t you?”

Seregil glanced at Micum, but he was silent, head bowed over Illia’s hand as if he were silently praying. Perhaps he was.

“Valerius hasn’t found a cure. Thero suspects magic.” The words felt like shards of glass in his throat as Seregil watched the fragile hope die in Kari’s dark eyes, just as it had in Eirual’s. “Have there been any strange beggars at Watermead?”

“Beggars? None that I’ve seen.”

“Are you certain? Could Illia have met someone on the road while she was out riding?”

“I suppose so. Seregil, what do beggars have to do with this?”

It was Micum who answered. There were tears on his stubble-covered cheeks, but his voice was deep and steady as ever. “There are beggars here, called the raven folk, who trade odd things with people, things they use to work this foul magic.”

She stared at her husband. “Is that what Seregil called you into the city for?”

“Yes.”

Fury suffused her pale cheeks as she rounded on Seregil. “Knowing all that, you brought Micum into the midst of it?”

“It doesn’t spread through the air,” Seregil told her gently. “We haven’t made any trades, and neither has Micum. It’s

those who do that who fall ill. That’s why I asked about the beggars.”

Kari shook her head in disbelief. “If you’d only warned us, I could have told the children to beware of them. You could have said, Micum! You could have sent word!”

Seregil clutched the door frame as the weight of the words struck home. Another failure. “Micum didn’t know before he got here.”

“We thought they were only in the city,” Alec said softly, voice trembling.

Raw pain coursed over the bond to Seregil. He knew Alec must be feeling the same from him. Illia! That, combined with Kari’s anguish, and Micum’s, threatened to unman him.

“We will find a way to fix this,” he told her, but the words sounded weak and hollow.

“Then get out and find it!” she cried. “If Illia dies, I’ll never forgive you. Any of you! Get out!”

“Go on,” Micum told them, not moving from his daughter’s side. “I’ll be up later.”

Seregil and Alec climbed the steps to their rooms in silence except for Seregil’s strained voice whispering the words of passage past the glyphs.

Striding into the bedroom, Seregil threw off his disguise and pulled on a shirt and breeches.

“Maker’s Mercy,” Alec said as he did the same. “If Valerius had heard of any spread of the sickness outside the city, wouldn’t he have told us about it?”

“Yes. Something’s very strange here. First Myrhichia, now Illia. Does anything strike you about that?”

“The first time the sleeping…” Alec couldn’t bring himself to say the word. “Those are the only times it’s happened outside the poorer quarters.”

“Yes, but also to people associated with us.” Seregil squeezed Alec’s shoulder, then headed to the door. “Elsbet should be here with her mother. I’ll send Tomin for her.”

“I’ll wait downstairs for Micum.”

After assuring Tomin that the affliction was not contagious, Seregil ordered him to the Temple of Illior to fetch

Elsbet, but not to tell her why. When he was reasonably sure the man would do that instead of disappearing, he slowly climbed the secret stair back to his rooms.

Micum sat at the dining table with Alec, head in his hands, looking shattered. Alec didn’t look much better. Three silver brandy cups had been filled, but neither of the others had touched theirs.

“She’s right, you know,” Micum groaned. “I should have sent word.”

Seregil sat down and took his friend’s hand. “We had no way of knowing, Micum.”

Micum pulled his hand free and downed a gulp of brandy. “One too many secrets, after all these years. Something finally followed me home.”

They sat in glum silence for a time, then Seregil raised his cup and took a sip. “Go back to Kari. Stay with her.”

“She doesn’t want me there.”

“Maybe not, but she needs you. Alec, take him down.”

Alec took Micum by the arm and drew him from the room. Seregil set his cup aside and went to the window overlooking the front yard. The full moon was rising. Nearly two precious days had passed since Illia had been stricken. Seregil sent up a silent plea to Illior for her life.

Alec returned and closed the door.

“How are they?” asked Seregil.

“Kari let Micum hold her, thank the Light. Do you think she meant it when she said she’d never forgive us?”

“I wouldn’t blame her.”

“We failed Myrhichia-” Alec paused and swallowed hard. “We can’t lose Illia!”

A painful shiver crept up the back of Seregil’s neck at the thought, and a sick feeling cramped in his belly. “We’re missing something critical again, Alec. I feel like I’ve been blind in one eye all this time. Something is right there, staring us in the face, and we’re not seeing it. There’s more to them than mere beggars, especially that tall one. There’s something about him…”

“You think you might know him?”

“There’s just something about the way he moves. I don’t

know. I doubt that old woman is an old woman at all, though, the way she evaded us-and the old man that day in the Ring. And the way that one-eyed man went out the window and over the roof? I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

They heard Tomin return with Elsbet within the hour and Alec hurried down to meet her. The young woman was still dressed in her initiate’s white robe and smelled of the dreaming herbs used in temple practice, but her dark eyes were clear.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Your mother and Illia are here.” He took a deep breath and forced the words out. “Illia has the sleeping death.”

“No!” Elsbet’s knees gave out and Alec caught her. “But how?”

“We’re not completely sure, but we’re going to find out, I swear by the Lightbringer.” He took her hand. “They’re upstairs.”

Holding her hand, Alec led Elsbet to the sickroom. Seregil was leaning against the wall outside the door, looking unhappy. He hugged Elsbet, then let her go inside.

Kari was asleep in the armchair drawn up to Illia’s bed. Micum had spread a blanket over her, and her dark hair was combed and braided. He sat on the edge of the bed, stroking his daughter’s brow. Illia looked so much like her mother it made Alec’s heart ache. Elsbet hurried in and kissed her sleeping sister on the forehead. Micum stood and embraced Elsbet, stroking her dark hair and murmuring something in her ear that Alec couldn’t catch. She nodded, wiping at her eyes, then knelt by her mother. Kari woke and embraced her as they wept together.

“Thank you,” said Micum, coming out to join Alec and Seregil in the corridor. “That was kind of you to think of.”

Seregil nodded. “I thought Kari could use the support while we’re out hunting.”

Micum’s eyes darkened dangerously and his knuckles went white as he gripped the hilt of his sword. “We were so damn close with the old woman!”

Seregil clasped his friend’s shoulder. “We’ll find them, Micum. We will.”

Elsbet suddenly appeared in the doorway, eyes wide with fear. “There are riders with torches in the courtyard. Bluecoats.”

“Bilairy’s Balls! They’re coming to take Illia to the Ring. Everyone upstairs!”

“You go. I’ll deal with them,” said Micum.

Seregil swept Illia up in his arms and headed down the corridor to the secret staircase in the storage room around the corner, with Alec and the women close behind. Just as they reached the secret panel they heard the sound of the front doors being violently thrown open and men shouting.

“I’m staying down to keep watch on Micum,” said Alec.

“Try not to be seen, tali.”

Alec peered around the corner of the corridor. The bluecoats came thundering up the stairs to confront Micum.

“Stand aside, you,” the officer in charge barked, taking in Micum’s disreputable-looking clothing.

“What’s this about?” Micum demanded, not moving.

“Vicegerent’s orders. All those struck down with the sleeping death must be quarantined.”

“Dumped in the Ring to die, more like it. That woman heard you were coming. She took the girl and scarpered.”

“We’ll see about that,” the bluecoat muttered, shouldering past him. “Spread out, men, search the place from attic to cellar.” Then, to Micum, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“I work for the innkeeper. He left me here to guard the place after everyone else cleared out. See that you don’t break anything or I’ll report you.”

Alec retreated hastily to the secret staircase and closed the panel. An instant later he heard someone enter the room outside. There was the sound of the boxes and trunks stored there being shoved about, then a man’s voice: “No one here. Let’s move on.”

He crept upstairs and found Seregil on guard beside the outer door, sword drawn. “Get your bow, Alec.”

Alec tiptoed across the empty room and into their rooms beyond. Glancing through the bedroom doorway, he saw Illia lying on their big, velvet-hung bed with Kari and her sister beside her. Both Elsbet and Kari had knives.

Alec grabbed his bow and took up his position at the top of the stairs, arrow nocked on the string, ready to shoot the first man who came into view. He strained his ears for any sound of approach, but all he could hear were the muffled thumps and shouts from the floors below.

“Sounds like they’re making a thorough job of it. How’s Micum?”

“Fine, last I saw.”

The sounds of the search went on for quite some time, but at last things went quiet again. Presently a sliver of light appeared at the base of the stairs as someone opened the secret panel. Alec raised his bow.

A hoarse whisper floated up to him. “Luck in the shadows!”

Seregil brought Micum up, then went to the window overlooking the courtyard. “They’re gone.”

Micum stood in the middle of the room, fists clenched. “I can’t just stay here, doing nothing!”

“There’s nothing to do, until morning,” Seregil told him gently. “The ravens don’t come out at night. No little children to cozen. All we can do is get some rest and start fresh in the morning. You take the couch. Alec and I can make do with the armchairs.”

Micum grudgingly lay down, but none of them rested well that night.