“Tell Ludovik that’s my window he’s staring at.”
Wenzel didn’t like that. “It’s not right that she sleeps in your room,” he said without looking up from his chopping board. “The whole town is bad-mouthing her. I know she doesn’t care what people say, but you should protect her from all the gossip.”
How? She was a shape-shifter. Sooner or later, all of Schwanstein was going to know about that as well. Definitely after Ludovik Rensman put a ring on her finger and discovered the fur dress she wore beneath her human clothes. He’s probably seen it already, Jacob. Not a good thought for his aching head. He suddenly had a vision of Fox crossing the square with a child’s hand in each of her own. No, that wasn’t the life she wanted. Or was it? Maybe not, but what she definitely didn’t want was her firstborn claimed by an Alderelf.
Wenzel stirred his soup in silence. He was probably as much in love with her as Rensman was. How could one not be in love with her?
“Your brother took the road to Hinterberg.” Fox was standing in the kitchen doorway so suddenly Jacob felt caught.
“Was Clara with him?”
“No.” She brushed the rain from her red hair. So beautiful. Set her free! She is free! No, she was not, they were just both quite good at pretending otherwise.
“But your brother wasn’t alone. He rented a horse from the blacksmith. The stable boy says a Goyl was with him. The description sounded like the Bastard. They rode away together.”
The Bastard and his brother? This was getting better by the minute.
At least this piece of news erased Jacob’s last bit of doubt over whether he should follow Will, despite Spieler’s threats. Hopefully, the Bastard hadn’t yet dragged Will off to some Goyl fortress or sold him to an Ogre as revenge for Nerron’s defeat in the Dead City.
“I have horses and provisions.” Fox dipped a spoon into Wenzel’s soup. He blushed as she leaned over his cauldron. “Oh, and this...” She reached into her jacket. “An answer from Dunbar.”
Reading was still hard on Jacob’s eyes, so Fox read the telegram aloud:
Alderelves STOP What has Jacob stirred up now? STOP Just arrived Tasmania STOP Long story STOP Assume it’s life or death again and can’t wait until I return STOP In admiration Dunbar STOP Is he treating you well? STOP
The last words made Fox smile. “Answer him—it can’t wait,” she said.
What was Albion’s most eminent historian doing in Tasmania? The colony to which they shipped not only thieves and murderers but also strike leaders and pacifists? It didn’t have libraries like Pendragon’s. It wasn’t often Jacob wished for an item from his world, but Robert Dunbar would’ve appreciated the portable knowledge of a computer. Though, of course, the secrets he was after were so forgotten, they weren’t even found on parchment rolls.
The Bastard with Will? Wouldn’t the Goyl regard it as dishonorable to avenge the sins of the elder brother on his younger sibling?
No.
Regardless
Chanute was still upset when Jacob came to say good-bye. That he still got unusually sentimental just showed how miserable he really felt. Sylvain promised to look after Chanute. Jacob was still annoyed he’d told Chanute about the mirror, but it was good to know the old man wasn’t going to be alone. Sylvain had offered to earn his keep by helping Wenzel—an offer Chanute had roundly rejected, stating that friends always stayed for free (which was news to Jacob). But after Sylvain ended a violent tavern fight by single-handedly throwing all eight brawlers into the street, Wenzel was convinced the man could be useful. It seemed Sylvain Caleb Fowler was settling to stay in Schwanstein, and he already fitted in like a piece of gingerbread on a Witch’s house.
Jacob hadn’t looked at Spieler’s card since it dropped out of his clean clothes, but as he waited outside while Fox fetched the horses from the stable, he couldn’t resist another look.
New words were waiting for him.
You’re declaring war?
Jacob had told Fox about the last message. If he was going to endanger her by ignoring Spieler’s warnings, she had a right to know.
“Didn’t he say his name is also his trade?” she said as Jacob handed her the card. “He’s distracting you from what you should be thinking about. What is his plan? Let’s find out. Let’s find Will.”
The green ink was forming new words while the card was still in Fox’s hand. Jacob already regretted showing it to her.
Did he tell you about my price?
Fox tucked the card into Jacob’s jacket pocket. “His price for what?”
Jacob was sick with rage. To have to remind Fox of the Bluebeard was almost as vile as the Alderelf’s price. The scars on her wrists already made it difficult to forget.
“Nothing. He helped me...once.”
“When?” Her eyes warned him: No lies.