Greythorne (Bloodleaf 2)

As I said it, Jessamine put her finger to her lips to quiet me, then lifted her candle, motioning me to follow her into the gambling hall. All the tables and chairs had been moved to the walls, and the rest of the room was full of sleeping children by the dozens. I knew some of them: children from Greythorne. Some refugees, some the daughters and sons of the village folk. All of them younger than twelve.

Jessamine led me out again, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders. “The Tribunal took over Greythorne first, then started to spread out, raiding every house and farm in the vicinity, claiming they had the jurisdiction because they were looking for the missing king. They arrested almost everyone. It didn’t feel like they were worried about the king—it felt like they were collecting prisoners. When they came here, Hicks had us girls hide in the secret cellar room, like you did. When we finally came out, everyone was gone.”

“But the children. How did you . . . ?”

“They showed up on our doorstep not a day later, led by a little blond imp who reminded me a lot of you.” Jessa’s mouth quirked into a smile. “We’ve been taking care of them ever since.”

“Where’s my brother?” I asked. “Is he all right?”

“Yes,” Jessamine said. “Better than all right. He’s the reason any of these children made it here. It’s thirty miles between Greythorne and the Canary, and he led them the whole way on his own. I still can’t believe he did it.”

“I can,” I said. “Tenacity is a trait he inherited from our grandmother.”

Delphinia came down the stairs. “Jessa? What’s the—?” Seeing me, she gave a great sigh of relief. “Rafaella! Lorelai! It’s Aurelia.”

They all ganged up to hug me, and I let them. I basked in their affection. These wonderful, beautiful women had been there for me in some of my darkest hours, and now they’d done the same for Conrad. I didn’t deserve their friendship, but what person with a truly wonderful friend ever could?

“I’d like to see him,” I said finally. “My brother.”

“He’s sleeping in your room,” Lorelai said, dimpling. “He likes that horrid little closet nearly as much as you do.”

“Be warned, though,” Delphinia added, “he discovered Hicks’s collection of puzzles and knickknacks.”

Rafaella said, “They’re everywhere.”

Conrad was tucked into my old comforter, his curling locks splayed out on my pillow, his chest moving in and out in a soft, rhythmic motion. Someone—probably one of the girls—had cleaned up the glass from my smashed mirror, but that was the only way in which the room had improved since the last time I’d seen it. It was now covered on every surface with wooden toys and other whittled contraptions. I had to step carefully to get to the bed.

I touched my hand to my brother’s hair. “Conrad,” I said softly as he stirred and turned to look at me.

“Aurelia?” he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

“Hello, little brother,” I said.

“You’re here.” He yawned. “I told them you were coming, and now you’re here. Are you going to Greythorne?”

“I am,” I said.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“No,” I replied.

“You’ll be fine,” he said reassuringly. “You’re brave.”

“So are you.”

He nodded. “I know.”

I kissed his forehead and curled up next to him on the narrow bed as his eyes began to flutter closed once again, only to get a sharp poke in the ribs. I had to stifle a grin when I realized that, tucked under his blanket and hugged tightly to his body, was the funny little nine-sided box.

I wondered what sweet childhood treasure he might have hidden in there, but the thought lingered only for a moment before I, too, drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I got up before anyone else in the Canary did, slipping into an old pair of trousers and worn-in boots, braiding my hair into one long plait over my shoulder. I was just about to tiptoe from my room when I saw a folded piece of paper on my dresser. Tentatively, I unfolded it to reveal a charcoal sketch.

Zan had been drawing something the night I went in to him, drunk with sombersweet wine and emotion. Everything had happened so fast after that, all thoughts of his sketch were erased from my mind until now. That it was here waiting for me meant that he must have come looking for me after I tore from the room, only to find me gone.

My chest tightened, imagining it.