True Magics (31 page)

“Ambush,” said James, his breath hitching in pain. “Hit Michael on the head when we walked through the door. I managed to draw and stab one, but others came after me. I ran down the stairs and screamed for help.”

“Most of us were still at Mark’s place next door,” said Henry. “We came charging out. They’d already stabbed James pretty bad by the time we got here.”

“They had horses,” said Bruce. “They rode us down. That’s how James got the broken legs. He was already on the ground.” He shook his head, his face pale and grim. “Lucky the beasts didn’t step on his head.”

“They threw Michael over one of the horses,” said Kevin. “Rode off with him.”

“And of course they weren’t wearing colours,” said Thomas. Rage began building inside him, now that the fear was gone.
I will hunt them down, this time.

“They didn’t need to be,” spat Henry. “I recognized them.”

“What?!”

“Not all of them,” said Henry. “Just three.”

Eileen paled. “No.”

“Cormac, Anthony and Ethan,” said Henry. “King’s peace or not, they’re
mine
.”

“Do we know where they went?

“Evan ran after them,” said Kevin. “We dragged James in here, then I sent Marcus to get the healer and Mark to get the ones that had left, and John to George’s place, which you weren’t at.”

Thomas swore. “I’m sorry.”

“Can’t blame you,” said James, managing a smile through gritted teeth. “I’d take Eileen back to my place, too, given the chance.” He groaned in pain. “Can’t you do any more?”

Thomas shook his head, trying to clear it. “Not tonight. I’ll just pass out and be useless.”

“So what do we do?” demanded Kevin. “We can’t just let them get away with it!”

“We won’t,” said Thomas. He tried to think but his head was muzzy and the room was slowly trying to spin. “We have to…”

The darkness that hovered on the edge of Thomas’s vision closed in again. He could feel Eileen clinging to his coat, but couldn’t focus his eyes to see.

“We have to stay safe,” Henry was saying. “And we have to clean this place up before the blood drips on the neighbours below. James looks too healthy now to have lost so much.”

“What about the Watch?” asked Eileen. “I’m surprised they haven’t shown up yet.”

“They only show up at night in the rich neighbourhoods,” said Bruce. “Here they don’t come until morning, unless the screaming doesn’t stop or there’s a fire.”

“Then let’s get this place cleaned up before they come in the morning,” said Henry.

“That’s what, an hour from now?” asked George. He shook his head. “I have to get back to the smithy If I’m not open people will wonder what happened.” He stood up and looked down at his blood-soaked shirt. “I’ll need to change as well.”

“What about Thomas?” said Bruce. “He’s looking worse than James, right now.”

“Just what I need to hear,” said Thomas. The darkness faded to grey, then to light, and he could see again. “I need to sleep. Then I’ll be all right.”

“Put him in Michael’s room,” said Henry. “We’ll wake you when Evan comes back.”

Thomas let Eileen drag him to Michael’s room, and gave into the darkness.

“Get up, Thomas. Evan is back.”

Thomas opened his eyes and blinked until they focused. A faint, dull light was coming in through the window. “What?”

“Evan is back,” said Henry again. “How are you?”

Thomas sat up and waited to see if he would pass out. He didn’t. “Better. How long have I been sleeping?”

“Just over an hour. First morning bell has already rung.”

“Right.” Thomas pushed himself to his feet. “Did Evan manage to follow them?”

“All the way,” said Henry. “Want to hear it from him?”

“Oh, yes,” said Thomas.

He followed Henry into the main room. All of the Student Company were there. James was sitting in one of the chairs with Bruce helping him stay upright. Evan was in another chair. He looked pale, tired and incredibly angry. When he saw Thomas, his face twisted even further.

“Churchmen,” Evan spat the word out. “Dragged him right to their buildings behind the cathedral and hustled him inside.”

Proof,
thought Thomas. “We’ll get them out of there.”

“How?” demanded Evan. “Offer you instead?”

“We’ll think of something,” said Henry.

“This is all about Thomas!” snapped Evan. “The Church wants to convict him and they’re taking all of us to do it!”

“We don’t know that,” said Mark.

“We do,” said Thomas before Mark could protest further. “Evan is right.”

Evan rounded on Thomas. “You could have stopped all this!”

“No, I couldn’t.”

“They have our friends!”

“I know!” snapped Thomas. “But screaming at me won’t help!”

“Will handing you over?” demanded Evan. “Because I’m about ready for that!”

“Evan,” Henry’s voice was low and deadly. “That’s enough.”

“Then give me another idea!” Evan turned his glare on Henry. “What do we do?”

“Get sleep,” said Thomas. “And food. Everyone.”

“How will that help?”

“And when you’ve done that,” continued Thomas, “write your statements. All of you. Write out exactly what you saw and heard, in as much detail as you can remember.”

“We need to get them back!”

“We can’t do that today!” Thomas felt ready to collapse again, but knew that he couldn’t. “Today is the High Father’s Day. There’s no way we’ll get near the church buildings. So today we prepare and tomorrow we go to the Headmaster and tell him everything that has happened.”

And tonight, I’ll get them back. All of them.

18

Thomas led Eileen and Henry away from the student quarter to Sir Walter’s fencing salon. Eileen looked as haggard as Thomas felt. Even Henry, usually unaffected by lack of sleep, looked pale and exhausted.

The rest of the company had stayed together at Michael’s place. They were angry, scared and ready to lash out, but Thomas had convinced them to wait until the next day before they acted. He also ignored their questions about where, exactly, he was going. There was much grumbling, and Evan glared at Thomas as he went.

It’s all my fault,
Thomas thought as they climbed the stairs to the warehouse.
Why shouldn’t they be angry?

Sir Walter was already at the warehouse, running through drills with a short stick. He frowned when he saw Henry and Eileen come in behind Thomas. “What are they doing here?”

“Looking for a place to fence,” said Henry. “You come highly recommended.”

“I pick my students,” said Sir Walter, looking daggers at Thomas.

“You have no students,” said Henry. “You’re the king’s chief spy and we don’t have time for this.”

“You know Lord Henry,” said Thomas. “This is Miss Eileen Gobhann.”

“I know,” said Sir Walter. He tapped the tip of his stick against his other palm. “Why are they here, Thomas?”

“Michael was kidnapped last night.”

“Went missing, you mean,” said Sir Walter.

“Kidnapped,” repeated Thomas. “By the High Father’s men and Lords Cormac, Anthony and Ethan. The entire company will bear witness.”

Sir Walter tucked his stick under his arm. “And you know the kidnappers are churchmen how?”

“Because Evan followed them back to the High Father’s building behind the cathedral.”

“This is a direct violation of the rights of students and the authority of the king,” said Henry. “It’s also a direct violation of the King’s Peace as sworn by Lords Cormac, Anthony and Ethan. The students are preparing their statements now, and will take them to the Headmaster and Master of Laws tomorrow morning.”

“Will the king demand their release?” asked Thomas.

Sir Walter wouldn’t meet Thomas’s eyes. “That is for him to say. Not me.”

“Our friends are being tortured!” protested Eileen. “You know they are!”

Sir Walter shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”

“That you’ll take it to the king. That he’ll sign a writ, and that you’ll get them out of there!”

“What makes you think a writ will get them out?” asked Sir Walter, his tone a bit more gentle than before.

“It got Thomas out!”

“A writ and two hundred armed students at the Church’s door is what got Thomas out,” said Sir Walter.

“I can get two hundred armed students in an hour,” said Henry. “By noon I can get a thousand.”

“The Church didn’t want a riot last time,” said Sir Walter. “This time, they don’t care and they have more cavalry in town.”

“So they’re hoping we’ll try something?” Thomas couldn’t believe it. “The Archbishop said he would wait!”

“They aren’t hoping
you
try something, but it won’t hurt them if you do,” said Sir Walter. “They’ll just ride you down and claim they were helping curb a riot.”

“Then the king has to intervene!”

“No, he doesn’t,” said Sir Walter. “In fact, it’s better if he doesn’t.”

“Not for our friends!” cried Eileen.

Thomas was seething. “So the king will not even try?”

“I will talk to the king, and I’m sure he will compose a writ,” said Sir Walter. “And given the pride he takes in his Academy, I have no doubt he will engage in dialogue with the Archbishop’s representatives.”

“Why not the Archbishop himself?” asked Henry. “Or does the Archbishop no longer come when the king summons him?”

“The Archbishop claims to be answering to a higher power at the moment,” said Sir Walter.

“What about the lords?” asked Henry. “They’re not protected by the Church.”

“They’ll be brought before the king,” said Sir Walter. “If we can find them.”

“They’ll be brought before
me
,” said Henry, his tone grim. “You tell the king that the Ambassador of the Duke of Frostmire has been gravely insulted and is demanding satisfaction.”

“But what about our friends?” Eileen was nearly crying. “We can’t leave them to be tortured!”

“It would be the wisest course.” Said Sir Walter.

Thomas looked out the window. It was drizzling now and showed no signs of letting up. The long night and the magic had taken a great deal of Thomas’s strength, and the walk over had sapped most of what was left. It was going to be a cold, miserable night to be out in the dark.

By the Four, I’m tired.

“We’re students,” Thomas said, bringing his eyes back to meet Sir Walter’s. “What possibly makes you think we’ll take the wisest course?”

Sir Walter didn’t say anything for a long time. At last, he nodded. “Do you even know where the dungeons are?”

“No,” said Thomas. “Do you?”

“Yes.” said Sir Walter. “Anything you do is without the king’s knowledge or consent.”

“I know.”

“Where can I reach you?”

“Our apartment,” said Thomas. “We need sleep if we’re going out tonight.”

“You certainly will.”

***

“Are you insane?” was George’s rather predictable response. “You can’t possibly raid the Church!”

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before,” said Henry. “We burned down Bishop Malloy’s house, last year.”

“And fought his troops,” said Eileen.

“And Thomas ran him through.”

“That’s different!” George protested.

“How?”

“There’s hundreds of them at the cathedral!”

“Not at night,” said Thomas. “The soldiers are in their barracks and they won’t have that many guards in the cells.”

“How do you know?”

“He doesn’t,” said Henry. “But it’s a reasonable assumption. You don’t put a lot of guards out, if you’re trying to keep your prisoners secret.”

“A reasonable…” George began turning purple. “You can’t do it!”

“Yes,” said Thomas. “We can.”

“Not you!” said George. “Eileen! You are absolutely forbidden to go!”

“What?!”

“I’ll not have you raiding the…”

“SHUT UP!” yelled Thomas, surprising them all. Before George could recover and start arguing, Thomas hissed. “The world does not need to hear our business, so keep it quiet!”

George was definitely purple, now, but he kept his words to a very heated whisper. “You are not taking…”

“I am taking who I please, George,” said Thomas. “I need Eileen and I need Henry with me. And I need you here and awake. You’re closer to the cathedral than any of us, so this is where we’re bringing them when we get them out.”

“You don’t get to give me orders, Thomas,” George’s voice had an ugly undertone in it.

“We’re bringing them here, George,” said Eileen. “And that’s that. They’re our friends.”