Daughters Of The Storm (60 page)

‘I left it to die in the woods. And the second. And the third and fourth. I was a woman for a while.' He smiled.

Ash fell to silence. Unweder had just admitted to murdering for his undermagic, so that he could unnaturally prolong his life. He had just admitted a preserved corpse lay under his floor. These, of course, were the reasons for the silence in the elemental field. Elementals were natural; Unweder's magic was unnatural.

Could she stay with him now that she knew his dark secret? Where else could she go?

‘Do you see why I need you, Ash?' he said, jolting her back to herself.

‘To stop your house from rotting?' she asked.

‘No. To stop
me
from rotting. Every time I change bodies now, it gets quicker. As the trees around me die, as the house starts to sag and mildew, I grow sick. I have been in this body only eight years, and already I have lost the use of an eye. My left hand grows palsied, my right is soon to follow. I need life around me again. I need the elementals back.'

Ash couldn't answer.

‘I know what you're thinking, but I never prey on good or decent people. This is the body of a vagrant drunk. Before that it was the body of a murderous whore.'

This is wrong.

‘It's no different from your sister hacking up anyone who annoys her.'

This is wrong.

‘I am discovering things that nobody ever has before. And I'll share it all with you.'

The prickle of curiosity. And desire. To be part of something so enormous. To live an unnaturally long life. A moment of incredible significance was upon her, heavy and thundering and real.

‘I'll stay,' she said, ‘and I'll help if I can.'

Willow stood at the kitchen bench, grinding meal to make dumplings for the afternoon's stew. She had spent the morning with Wylm and Eni by the stream, enjoying the sunshine. What a strange little family they made. Willow had started teaching Eni a basic trimartyr prayer, and he had managed the first ‘hail, Maava' to her immense surprise and delight. The twin pleasures of being with Wylm and being a good soldier for Maava had made her giddy and light. Returning to the house, to her heathen sisters and undermagician aunt, had made her feel oppressed and overly warm, as though she were coming down with a fever. How she longed to get away from them. For good.

But Bluebell and Rose were nowhere to be seen and Yldra was locked away with Æthlric and her foul magic. Willow got on with her chores, longing for the time when she could go back and be with Wylm again. She hummed in her head, listened to the faint whisperings of the angels, and tried not to think about what Bluebell intended for her future. Maava would find a way to help her, given the importance of the child she was carrying. The fire in the hearthpit had gone cold so she filled it with kindling and used her flint to light it, pocketing the flint in the front of her apron along with the little jar of fire oil she carried about with her when cooking.

A creak in the quiet. She looked up to see Yldra peering out of the king's bedroom. She fixed her gaze on Willow. ‘Where's Bluebell?'

‘I don't know.'

‘I need her urgently. Get her for me.'

‘Is it the king? Is he better?' Her heart thudded dully.

‘Just get her.'

Willow dropped her pestle and flew out the door and towards the stable. Rose, who was gathering herbs in the garden, saw her and straightened her back.

‘Willow? Are you all right?'

‘Yldra wants Bluebell.'

‘Bluebell went to town this morning. She should be back soon.'

‘She said urgently.'

Rose frowned, leaving her basket on the ground. ‘I'll come.'

Together they hurried back inside. Willow hung about by the door of the bedroom while Rose went in.

‘What is wrong?' she asked Yldra.

‘Where's Bluebell?'

‘She's out.'

Yldra sighed, ran a hand through her white-streaked hair. Willow had only seen Yldra in passing, but she had never seen her look flustered before.

‘What is it?' Rose urged.

Yldra ushered Rose into the king's bedroom, closing the door partway behind her. Willow inched a little closer to listen.

‘The spell is lifting, and I know who did this to Æthlric.'

‘Who?' Rose said, breathless.

‘The queen.'

‘The queen?'

‘His wife. Gudrun.'

Willow's heart iced over. She thought of Wylm, his mother, Eni ... good Maava, Bluebell would kill them, wouldn't she?

And she began to run.

Willow burst out of the house and was about to start across the field to the stream when Bluebell rode through the front gate, her long hair streaming behind her. Willow hesitated. Should she stay and see what happened when Bluebell found out? Maybe Rose would convince Yldra not to tell her. For it was certain that Bluebell would want to kill Gudrun, and everybody knew it. Wylm would know it.

Bluebell saw her and called out and there was no chance to escape. But then Willow had an idea.

She ran over to Bluebell and said, Æthlric is recovering.'

Bluebell's eyes popped. ‘What?'

‘I'll look after your horse.' She took Isern's reins. ‘Go. Quickly.'

Bluebell dismounted and ran towards the house. Willow watched until she had gone inside, then led Isern quickly towards the stream. Wylm and Eni would need a strong mount to get away.

Bluebell's heart was too big for her chest. She slammed into the house to see Rose standing uncertainly in the hallway to Æthlric's room.

‘Is he well?' she said, and it came out as though it were all one desperate word.

‘Bluebell, whatever you hear —' Rose started, but Yldra interrupted.

‘He isn't well yet, but he will be in a matter of hours, or at least by morning.'

Bluebell's body went limp; her legs shook under her. ‘Oh. Oh, thank the stars. Thank the stars.' She fell to her knees next to her father's bed and took his hand. Already a little pink was returning to his cheeks. He looked not so much like a breathing corpse.

‘But, Bluebell,' Yldra continued, and Bluebell's shoulders tensed once again, ‘I know who did this.'

Bluebell's head snapped up. In her relief, she had forgotten that burning question. ‘Who?' she asked.

Yldra didn't answer immediately, exchanging a look with Rose.

Bluebell's skin prickled. Searing wrath flared in her guts. ‘It was Gudrun, wasn't it?' Already she was on her feet, hand at her hip. Her fingers itched for the weight of her sword.

‘Don't rush off to do anything regrettable,' Yldra said. ‘Wait until Æthlric's awake, at least.'

‘I'm going to kill her,' Bluebell said, because they were the only words she could say. There were no other words in the world. ‘I'm going to kill her.'

‘She's your stepmother,' Yldra said, but even through the crimson fog of her anger, Bluebell could see the slight amusement at the corners of her aunt's mouth.

‘She tried to kill the king.
Nobody
survives that.'

‘Whoever did this did not intend for him to die.'

‘I don't give a fuck. I'm going to kill her.'

Bluebell pushed past Rose, who stood aside wordlessly. She hoped Willow hadn't yet unsaddled Isern. In two days she could be in Blicstowe, with a pool of her stepmother's blood at her feet.

Wylm was carving a dog — a skinny one — out of a twig for Eni, who was sitting by the side of the stream with his feet making circles on a flat, mossy rock. Something about carving made his hand and wrist feel better, more able. The small movements trained him for the large ones, he was certain. Every day, he was growing stronger. His destiny as
kyndrepa
could not be far away now.

The thought made him hollow with fear.

He looked up through the sun-dazzled branches to see Willow approaching, with Bluebell's horse. Curious, he stood, casting a shadow over Eni, who sensed the change in light and looked around.

As she drew closer, the look on her face made Wylm's blood tingle. ‘What is it?' he asked.

Willow caught a breath. ‘My aunt has removed the elf-shot.'

‘Æthlric is recovered?'

She shook her head. ‘Not yet, but soon. Wylm, Yldra says your mother made Æthlric sick.'

Wylm's heart turned to ice. ‘Oh, no. Oh, no.'

‘Is it true, do you think?'

‘Does Bluebell know?'

‘She was heading inside just now.'

Panic flapped like raven wings in his head. The time had come and he wasn't ready yet. His hand still throbbed and wouldn't curl or uncurl properly, but he needed to stop Bluebell before she killed his mother.

‘I brought you her horse,' Willow said. ‘You and Eni can get away. Back to Blicstowe to warn your mother.'

‘No, not Blicstowe.' Bluebell's retainers were looking for him. He had to draw her out elsewhere. He seized Eni by the wrist and pulled him to his feet. ‘Come on, boy,' he said.

‘Where are you going?' Willow asked.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. ‘I need you to tell Bluebell you've seen me. Tell her I have Eni and I've gone to Blicstowe.'

‘I thought you said you weren't going there.'

‘I'm not. I'm going to take Eni home.'

‘I don't understand.'

‘I have no time to explain. You must trust me. I will protect this boy with my life.' Or rather, Bluebell would protect the boy with her life. The instant she discovered he had Eni, she would head directly for the millet farm to find out what had happened to her lover. And she wouldn't know he'd be waiting with his magical sword and his living, breathing shield. He lifted Eni into the saddle and then mounted behind him. Willow stood anxiously, not comprehending.

‘I will explain all on the other side of this,' Wylm said, surprising himself by feeling pity for her. ‘For now, I need you to stall Bluebell for as long as you can. I need a head start. Just say “Wylm has Eni and he's gone to Blicstowe”.'

‘I'll do anything for you,' Willow said, on one breath.

‘This is all. This one sentence, but it must be perfect. “Wylm has Eni and he's gone to Blicstowe”. Nothing more or less than that.'

‘Wylm has Eni and he's gone to Blicstowe,' she said.

‘Good girl.' Wylm leaned down to offer her a kiss, but she missed the signals, staring up at him instead with her strange, flat eyes.

‘Goodbye, Willow,' he said.

‘Be safe,' she said.

‘I hope to see you again,' he said, and found that there was some truth in the statement. ‘And I hope it is a happy occasion.' Then he urged Isern forwards.