EPIC: Fourteen Books of Fantasy (66 page)

Mayor Vawdon nodded again. The men kicked the swords, and the weapons clanged down the stairway.

‘Now, to the attic,’ Klawdia ordered, pointing toward my bedroom.

‘What are you going to do with them?’ the mayor asked.

Klawdia said, ‘You go upstairs too.’

‘And leave my daughter alone with you and that blade? I don’t think so.’

‘If you don’t, I’ll draw blood from her neck.’

Mayor Vawdon looked at his daughter, and his eyebrows twitched. Emala’s lips quivered, her eyes watered, and her hands trembled as she gripped Klawdia’s arm. I wanted to tell her she was in no danger.

‘Do it, Father,’ Emala urged.

Scowling, he led the way upstairs.

‘If I hear one sound from up there,’ Klawdia said, ‘I will slit hers and Healer Euka’s throats. I wonder what the Meligna healers will do if their ambassador is killed in an enemy’s town?’

The mayor stopped his ascent, his shoulders tensed. He stood there with his back to us for a moment, and then he continued. At the top of the stairs, he entered my bedroom and closed the door, but the latch didn’t click.

‘All the way!’ Klawdia yelled. When the click sounded, she let out a lungful of air.

‘What if they smash the attic window, or signal to the town or something?’ Mother asked.

‘He won’t.’ Klawdia loosened her grip on Emala and turned the girl around to face her. ‘I’m sorry,’ Klawdia said, crouching. ‘Do you know why we have done this?’

Emala nodded, and the movement made tears fall from her eyes. ‘B-Because you don’t want Adenine to go.’

Klawdia did her best to smile. ‘Exactly. I have a plan. Do you want to help save your friend?’

Emala looked at me and said, ‘Yes.’ Her stare moved to Mother and then Jemely. ‘Please don’t hurt Father.’

‘We won’t,’ Mother promised.

‘Father always said if there was confusion in justice or law, the king would know best what to do,’ Emala said.

‘Yes, we must bring this to the attention of the king,’ Klawdia mused.

Jemely shook her head. ‘But we’ve kidnapped a Healer ambassador. We’ve threatened the mayor’s life, his daughter’s life, Klawdia attacked Healer Euka’s men, and Capacia lied to the mayor. The king will never see it our way.’

Mother sniffed. ‘We’ve all become criminals.’

‘If we can prove we had good cause to act how we did, then the king might be lenient.’

‘One thing is for certain,’ Mother said, ‘without you, Klawdia, Adenine would have been in Meligna by now.’

‘Father told me he wanted Adenine to go to Juxon City,’ Emala admitted.

Jemely snorted. ‘Yeah, a nice stopover in Juxon City before she’s ordered to Meligna.’

Emala looked at the ground.

‘Emala, we want to keep Adenine in Borrelia. The current laws of South Senya state that she must go. For us, the register is useless,’ Klawdia said.

‘I understand.’

‘Emala, Adenine said you overheard your father and Healer Euka discussing selling Adenine. The king will listen to this as proper cause for our actions,’ Klawdia stated.

Emala gasped. ‘You want me to go against my father?’ She looked at me for support, but I could give her none. Mayor Vawdon had forced us into the situation. It seemed strange to me that Mayor Vawdon had even accepted money from Healer Euka if he cared about my wellbeing, which I suspected he did, given that he’d spent the last few days trying to talk Mother into making me go to Juxon City.

‘Let me talk to her,’ I said.

Klawdia looked at Mother and Mother nodded. I ushered Emala into Mother’s bedroom and closed the door.

Neither of us spoke for a moment. And then I said, ‘I’m sorry you’re involved in this, Emala.’

She nodded. ‘Father has always been a good person. I don’t understand why he took that gold from Healer Euka. But if you go on that register, it would be for your own good. Father and I have argued about this. He says if Capacia signs it, he can protect you from becoming the property of the Queens.’

I thought about how Klawdia had taken healer girls from their beds. I wondered what had happened to them.

Emala burst into tears. ‘I don’t want Father to get in trouble, and I don’t want you to go to Meligna. This is so hard.’

I put my arm around her. ‘Why did you tell him about me?’

‘I thought you’d gone. You said you were leaving. I thought it wouldn’t matter if he knew. He said that he needed my help, that his position as mayor depended on it.’ She sobbed. ‘But he’s an adult. He should know better. You’re the innocent one in all this, Adenine, so I’ll do what’s best for you.’

‘You will?’

She nodded. ‘I have to. You’re my friend. If the king knows that a healer ambassador was buying healer children, maybe he will let you to stay in South Senya.’

I looked at my hands. The town’s people had learned to accept a blind girl, but would they accept a healer girl? Would I be safe? Klawdia had done punishable things in Borrelia, but maybe the king would pardon her if he understands her actions. ‘What if the king is angry at your father? What if he wants to imprison him?’

‘You think he would? Don’t say that.’

I hugged her for a while before leading her back into the living room and told Klawdia, Mother, and Jemely what Emala had agreed to do. Mother rolled her chair to Emala and scooped her up into a hug. Emala looked at me awkwardly.

‘So we call for a fair trial in Juxon City,’ Klawdia said. ‘Yes, this is the best plan we have. Or running away, I would prefer that.’

Mother sighed. ‘That would be the actions of guilty people. We’re not guilty.’

A murmur came from the storage room.

Jemely cocked her head. ‘Healer Euka is waking up.’

‘Let her,’ Klawdia said, and looked at Emala, ‘I have to take you hostage again. I won’t hurt you.’

Emala agreed, and Klawdia held her dagger to Emala’s throat.

Healer Euka stumbled out of the room. She looked at Klawdia. ‘Hello Ruxdor woman, Mother of Nallael, son of the deceased chieftain. Where’s the mayor?’ She shook her head. ‘Never mind him. I’ll be back with my own men.’ She pointed at me. ‘That girl is coming with me.’

The door upstairs opened. ‘Healer Euka?’ the mayor called.

‘What are you doing up there?’ Healer Euka asked. ‘That cowardly savage isn’t going to hurt your daughter.’

The group of men came downstairs. Klawdia’s grip on Emala tightened.

Emala played her part, looking scared and struggling to get away. ‘Father!’

Mayor Vawdon shifted uneasily. ‘What do you want?’ he asked Klawdia.

‘I would say to go free, but that would be useless,’ Klawdia replied.

‘Yes, it would,’ he said coolly.

‘We want a fair trial. We want your daughter to be one of our witnesses.’

‘I forbid it,’ the mayor said, looking anxiously at his daughter.

‘It’s my choice, Father. I’m going to testify. I know you accepted money in exchange for Adenine.’ Emala didn’t blink as she held her father’s gaze.

He regarded her for a moment. ‘You’d side with these lawbreakers? You’ve got it wrong, sweetheart.’

Emala looked away.

‘Lawbreakers? You are not worthy to judge us,’ Klawdia spat. She pointed at one of the soldiers. ‘I want someone from Juxon City to hear our story.’

The soldier looked at Mayor Vawdon, who nodded reluctantly, then went back to glaring at his daughter. The soldier left. I was relieved when Jemely moved to stand in front of Emala.

And we waited.

The day turned to night. My eyes grew tired. The mayor and Healer Euka rested in kitchen chairs. I occasionally stole glances at her eyes. They were striking, unforgettable. Was that how others felt when they saw me?

Jemely lit a fire, fed Butter, and locked him upstairs.

Mother finally said, ‘Well, there’s no reason for us to starve. Are we all hungry, then?’

Everyone nodded, and Mother looked at Jemely.

Jemely’s expression was unreadable as she rose and went to work in the kitchen, chopping and cooking. Her movements were a welcome distraction from the mundaneness of waiting.

‘It will take hours of riding before they arrive. Ten at least.’ Healer Euka moved over to where Jemely stirred the food and screwed her face up in disgust. ‘I won’t be eating that.’

Jemely gave her a murderous look, dipped the spoon into the half-cooked food, and forced contents into the healer’s mouth.

Food smeared across the healer’s face. She swiped at it and cried out, ‘Ugh, look what you’ve done!’

I suppressed laughter, and Mother also covered her mouth.

Jemely’s scowl changed to a smirk. ‘Your words are more rotten than anything
I’ve
ever cooked.’

Healer Euka stormed into the storeroom and emerged with some cloth, which she used to finish cleaning her face. ‘I never expected manners from a kitchen wench anyway.’

Jemely took four strides towards the Healer Euka and slapped her across the face. There was a distinct
thwack
.

‘Jemely!’ I cried, astonished by her behaviour.

‘Enough!’ Klawdia grabbed Jemely by the arms and took her back to where the pot of food boiled.

Healer Euka clutched at her face. When she removed her hand, her cheek was red and swollen. The healer looked at me and then smiled. ‘Do not worry, Adenine. Watch. In a minute, the marks will be gone and my skin returned to its smooth softness. We do not suffer the way they do.’ She pointed around the room.

I turned away, embarrassed that she had spoken to me so personally. I wanted nothing in common with her.

‘What is your objection to living in Meligna?’ she asked me.

‘Don’t you dare talk to my daughter, or you’ll be locked upstairs,’ Mother said.

Healer Euka straightened her robe and perched on a nearby chair. ‘I would allow Adenine to visit whenever she desired. The king will judge in favour of the healers. He always does.’ She took her seat and sighed. ‘Everyone misunderstands us.’

Klawdia snorted, and Healer Euka threw her a bewildered look. Emala leaned against the wall next to Klawdia, her head buried into her knees. I wondered if she slept. Klawdia kept a firm grip on Emala’s arm, but her dagger rested on the floor.

‘Seeing as I’m not eating, I’ll sleep instead,’ Healer Euka declared, giving the bedroom a thoughtful glance.

‘Just ‘cause you’re all high and mighty with your flashy clothes and shiny eyes doesn’t mean you get the rights to
our
beds. You’ll just have to stay awake,’ Jemely snapped.

But Mother offered Healer Euka her bedroom.

‘I admire your commitment to remaining a thoughtful host,’ Healer Euka said to Mother. ‘But this doesn’t change the status of our friendship.’

‘I pity the person who sees all good deeds as requiring compensation,’ Mother answered.

Healer Euka frowned, strode into the bedroom, and closed the door.

‘She’s as precious as a hen, that one,’ Jemely said, glaring at the door.

Mother and I looked at each other and began to laugh.

‘Where do you keep linen?’ Mayor Vawdon asked, interrupting the last of our chuckling.

‘In the storeroom,’ Mother said.

‘Borgon,’ the mayor said to his soldier, ‘Fetch all of it, will you? Make us a place to rest. I will sleep after supper.’

Borgon nodded, lit a lamp, and took it into the storeroom. He fashioned two beds made from straw and linen.

‘Emala,’ Mayor Vawdon said.

His daughter raised her head, revealing swollen eyes.

‘Trust me. Don’t do this,’ he pleaded with her.

She lowered her head and nuzzled her face back into her legs. She scooped her feet in closer.

After we ate, fatigue slowed my mind. I put my feet up on the kitchen table, slumped down into my chair, and rested my head on my hand. Until recently, my eyelids had never grown heavy from sleepiness. When the stitching had still been in my eyes, I would just drift into nothingness.

I took one last look at Klawdia. She, of course, was wide-awake, not even a hint of tiredness on her face. Mother was gently snoring in her wheelchair, and Jemely stared at the fire. The soldier was awake, leaning against the wall, his eyes roaming across the ceiling. Mayor Vawdon appeared to be sleeping. Emala had not moved from her position, and I felt sorry for her. That led me to thinking about Uncle Garrad. Even though I had loved him, if I had to speak against him in the king’s court, I would have felt as much conflict as Emala did. I truly believed, though, that if Uncle Garrad had of succeeded in his intentions that night, it would have been an exchange of my life for his.

Chapter XXX

I 
SNAPPED
AWAKE
TO
THE
sound of a banging downstairs. The soldiers jumped to their feet and ran down the stairwell. I noticed the door to Mother’s bedroom was open. Mother gave me a questioning look, but I had no answer for her.

‘They’re upstairs,’ I heard Healer Euka say from somewhere in Mystoria. The royal guard must be there. Or so I hoped.

Mother rolled forwards, but stopped when Healer Euka’s golden eyes emerged from the shadows of the narrow passageway. An armoured man with a neatly kept beard appeared behind her.

‘Early morning it be. I’m Captain Festral. You’re all under arrest.’ The captain turned around and shouted, ‘The rest of you wait down there. Keep order.’

Mother seemed astonished. ‘Order?’

The captain’s eyes snapped to hers. ‘You didn’t know? There’s a gathering crowd in the town below. The people are frightened by the bad luck the healer witches have brought here. Or so they say. Some are calling for blood.’

Mayor Vawdon held out his hand to the captain. ‘It is a relief to see you, Captain. I’m sorry for the commotion.’

The captain stared at him for a moment, failing to extend his own hand to meet the mayor’s. ‘I’m not sure I agree with your sentiment given Healer Euka’s story here.’

Mayor Vawdon frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

Captain Festral looked at the golden-eyed woman. ‘She claims that you asked for money in exchange for this girl.’ He pointed at me. ‘Slavery is illegal in South Senya. And any money given in exchange for a human life
is
slavery.’

‘T-that’s not true!’ Mayor Vawdon cried glaring at Healer Euka.