The Blight of Muirwood (Legends of Muirwood 2)

Lia shook her head in amazement. “I believe it. When I crossed the Apse Veil, Maderos hinted that he could take me other places and other times as well. So what have you done to Dieyre? You just mentioned having spoken to him.”

Colvin folded his arms, his face growing severe. There was the anger again, just beneath the surface, implacable and intense. Not fear – only anger. “He is alive though will not reveal where he had my sister taken. He knows that is his only coin to bargain with, and he is being greedy with it. I think she was taken or is being taken to one of his manor houses in his lands with orders to kill her if anyone tries to free her. She is his hostage.”

Lia sat forward suddenly and winced with pain at her side. He gripped her shoulders and pressed her back against the cushions. “That is a secret he cannot hide for long. When you are feeling better, then I would like you to take some knight-mastons and save her. With the orb, you can find her.”

“Yes,” she replied reluctantly. “I wish you had killed him. When there is a poisonous serpent about, it is not wise to let it slither. But for her sake, I am glad you did not. I heard what you told him, that you could perceive his thoughts and knew the trap he had set for you. What a cruel man, plotting her death as a consequence for his. What is being done with him? Please assure me that he is not roaming free.”

“Indeed he is not. His mood is surprisingly buoyant for a man whose plot had just met with unmistakable disaster. He is not as glib as he was, nor is he repentant. He demands a trial in Comoros. Demont is willing to oblige him and he will be taken to Pent Tower after Demont has secured the city. It is a prison for nobles. And as you may guess, he will be under guard constantly, as he is very rich and will likely try to bribe his way out of punishment. I am sure you will want to know about the Queen Dowager as well? I thought so. She is under guard and being kept in a room here in the manor house. When Demont arrested her, he took away her heirloom necklace. There was a kystrel embedded in the jewelry.”

Lia was not surprised. “She did wear a lot of jewelry. But I thought kystrels leave a mark on those who use them? Scarseth…his skin was ravaged by tattooes. Does she disguise it somehow?”

“You are right about the effect, but strangely, her skin was not marked. She does not hide it. She said, rather haughtily, that in Dahomey, her family’s line does not suffer the marks for using kystrels. They claim that it is the only true way to use the Medium and that we are corrupted in our use. After her failure, she railed against Demont, the Aldermaston, against us all and promised she would see every last maston killed. She ordered us to return her to her brother, the king of Dahomey, which we will not do until our mission to Dochte Abbey is finished. She did not take defeat…gracefully.”

Lia grabbed his arm, heart surging with hope. She had not brought herself to ask the question fearing what the answer would be. “What? The Aldermaston…he lives?”

Colvin smiled and patted her hand. “His heart did fail him and he collapsed at the gate, but he is still alive. And unconscious. Every time we try to Gift him with healing, the Medium forbids us to utter the words. His steward has not left his side.”

Lia was filled with relief and gratitude. “In my mind, I saw him fall. I am so pleased…so pleased we came in time.”

“Barely in time, Lia. Only barely. If Scarseth had not carried you to the Leering when he did, then the Queen Dowager would have won. For that reason alone I did not kill him, even though he stabbed you. But we do not know what to do with him. He does not want to be with the few survivors of the flood but we have no other confinement available. Nor do I trust giving him back his power of speech. He knows too much…especially about you. He was under the Queen Dowager’s thrall, there is no mistaking it. Demont thinks the Aldermaston should decide what to do with him after he awakens.”

Lia nodded. She felt a mixture of revulsion and compassion for the man who had killed her. What a contradiction. He stabbed her and then carried her to the Leering. She would not have been able to summon the defenses without his help. And she remembered his thoughts – his wild and pleading thoughts to help free him from the Queen’s grasp.

There was a gentle knock on the door. Colvin rose and went to it and unlocked the crossbar. In walked Pasqua with a tray of food as well as Siara, carrying a bundle of fresh linen bandages and a dish of powdered woad.

“She is awake?” Pasqua said suddenly, her voice rising. “And why did not you bother to tell us, you unthinking clod? She must be famished. Famished! I brought some broth for her and something for you to eat, but now I think I will not let you have a bite of it since you did not come and get me right away. Do not just stand there, young man, take the tray! I hope the soup sloshes on you.” She shoved it into Colvin’s hand and hobbled over to the bed where Lia winced with pain, expecting a hug that would hurt.