Haunted (6 page)

"Can you walk?" Kestan asked, helping him up from the
floor.

"I think so," Aedyn mumbled through his split lip.

Kestan supported him all the way back to his room before setting
Aedyn down on the bed. He then began hunting through his clothes for
something for Aedyn to wear. None of Kestan's clothes would fit
properly, Aedyn being that much smaller than him, but they'd have to
make do. With Aedyn's sore arm, there was no way he was going to be
able to dress or undress himself and Kestan knew he was going to have
to help him.

"I'll have to take off your nightgown, Aedyn. Is that all
right?"

Kestan had never imagined that he might see Aedyn bare-chested in
such circumstances. This was no fantasy, but a reality too
reminiscent of a nightmare.

Aedyn nodded. The unbruised parts of his face were almost as pale as
the garment he wore. Kestan first gently pulled the nightshirt away
from Aedyn's back, the material had been sticking to the wounds and
Aedyn grimaced, but didn't make any other sign of his distress.

Kestan was not at all sure how to deal with the wounds he discovered
marring the young man's back. There seemed to be so many. "What
did he use?" he asked instead.

"A whip. He likes to whip me," Aedyn said breathlessly.

Kestan mopped up some of the blood with Aedyn's nightgown, knowing
they wouldn't be using it again. He tore off the sleeves and made
makeshift bandages out of them, wrapping them around Aedyn's torso in
order to stop the worst of the bleeding and prevent the blood seeping
through onto the new clothes. Kestan wasn't a healer, he had no
medical training whatsoever, he didn't even know any of the usual
healing spells. He'd been a battlemage; he had no affinity for
healing magic. Kestan didn't know if he would in fact be making
things worse. He had some laudanum which he used to help him sleep
sometimes and he offered some to Aedyn; it was the only thing he
could think of to do.

Aedyn took a sip and thanked him.

"You can't stay here any longer. We're leaving, now. Tonight."

Kestan had no idea where they were going to go but he could not allow
Aedyn to spend another second in this house with that awful man. One
day, Grunhall would end up killing him, Kestan could almost guarantee
that.

"I can't leave," Aedyn said softly. "He's always hurt
me more when I've tried to run away."

"We'll go somewhere where he can never find you," Kestan
swore. "He will not touch you again."

"You promise he won't be able to find me? That he won't hurt me
again?"

"I promise with all my heart." Kestan dressed quickly and
helped Aedyn dress in one of his tunics and a pair of his breeches,
for they couldn't very well travel anywhere with Aedyn dressed in
nothing but a nightgown. Kestan'ss clothes were too big for Aedyn,
but they made do by rolling up the sleeves of the shirt and the
bottoms of the trousers so at least he wouldn't trip over. Shoes or
boots were another matter; there was no way Kestan's shoes were going
to fit him. "Wait here," said Kestan. "Don't make a
sound."

Aedyn nodded and watched with frightened eyes as Kestan left the room
to go downstairs.

Kestan went quickly this time, knowing they had to leave as soon as
possible. Ordgar the Younger was around Aedyn's height and size and
Kestan remembered that he and his father always left their boots in
the scullery each night; so Kestan headed straight there and found a
pair of Ordgar's boots. It was another rush back up the stairs with
the boots in his hands. He found Aedyn anxiously pacing the room
awaiting his return.

"They might still be a bit large for you," said Kestan.
"But we can stuff the front with stockings to help."

"Thank you, Kestan. For everything."

"Thank me when we're far away from here." Kestan knew they
weren't out of the woods yet.

Aedyn sat down on the bed as Kestan knelt in front of it and placed
the boots on Aedyn's feet; the stockings did help, but they weren't
an exact fit. If Kestan managed to stay out of prison, he wanted to
make sure that Aedyn got to a tailor and a cobbler and had clothes
and shoes that fitted him perfectly. Aedyn deserved the best of
everything.

"I'm scared, Kestan," Aedyn admitted, looking down at him.

"I am too, but I won't allow anything to happen to you. I swear
it." Kestan reached up and caressed Aedyn's undamaged cheek, not
wanting to hurt him further.

"When my face heals, you're going to have to kiss me again,"
said Aedyn firmly. "That's the only promise I want from you."

"Aedyn, you don't know what you're asking."

"I do. I know what I want. I want you to kiss me again. I'm not
leaving this room until you promise me that."

"I can be stubborn too, you know. I can also lift you like a
sack of potatoes and carry you out of here if you won't go."

"You wouldn't dare!" protested Aedyn.

"I would dare anything to get you away from here."

"Please, Kestan. I can't stop thinking about it, how you kissed
me. How much I liked it. I want you to kiss me again."

"Very well. When you're healed, I promise to kiss you again."

Aedyn smiled through his pain. "There, that wasn't so hard, was
it?"

"You'll be the death of me," Kestan muttered under his
breath, knowing it could well come true. "Are you ready to go?"

Kestan stood and opened his bedroom door, glancing back at Aedyn as
he stepped out into the corridor.

Aedyn nodded and followed Kestan out the door. Kestan'ss heart was
thudding so hard against his ribs that he thought it would give them
both away so that Grunhall or some of the household would come
running and demand to know where they were going. But it seemed all
the household was still abed and no one stopped their descent down
the stairs. Kestan led the way unerringly to the scullery, Aedyn a
few steps behind him.

Kestan rummaged in the boot again to fetch the key; their freedom was
only a few moments away. He lifted out the large brass key and fit it
into the lock.

"Kestan!" Aedyn shrieked in alarm behind him.

They'd taken too long, or else they had been spied upon all along.
Kestan turned to see Aedyn pulled taut against Grunhall's bulk, both
of Grunhall's arms clamping tightly around Aedyn's chest. The young
man was struggling for breath, as well he might. Garom was standing
by the door leading into the kitchen, holding aloft an oil lamp like
a trophy.

"Let him go!" protested Kestan, feeling his own breath
falter at Aedyn's ragged gasps.

"Allow my nephew to fall into the hands of a sodomite? I don't
think so, Kestan! The town guard will be most interested in this,
don't you think? How my poor nephew, presumed dead for all this time,
lost his mind while being vilely assaulted for years by his
kidnapper, Master Kestan."

Kestan couldn't believe this was happening; they had been so close to
escape!

"You're one to talk about assault, Grunhall! With the boy
standing there with the bruises you inflicted on him! You whipped him
and left him for dead!"

"Oh no, not me. You were the one who did this to him, weren't
you? Isn't that right, Mr. Garom? You saw the whole thing."

"Indeed I did, Ser Grunhall. An animal, Kestan is. Attacking
your nephew and leaving you for dead."

"What? What are you talking abo–"

But Grunhall never got to finish his question as Garom smashed the
lamp against his head. Glass shattered everywhere as Grunhall made a
strangled grunt and fell to the floor with a loud thump. As soon as
Grunhall's arms released their grip, Aedyn was out of them and ran to
Kestan, wrapping his arms around Kestan's chest. Grunhall was
mumbling incoherently; the man must have the constitution of an
elephant to come round so quickly from such a blow.

"Run!" Garom snarled at Kestan and Aedyn as Grunhall
groaned again. "Get as far away from here as you can! Run!"

"Why are you helping us?" Kestan asked, even as he ran from
Aedyn and turned the key in the lock, his heart pounding in his ears.

"I saw him. I saw what he did to that Syldas boy and I can't let
him do it again. Run, for all that's holy, man, run!"

Chapter Seven

"Aedyn, we're here," said Kestan, caressing his head.

Aedyn had been lying down with his head on Kestan's lap, but he
hadn't been fully asleep. His back was far too painful for sleeping
through it. He enjoyed the comfort of Kestan'ss hands carding through
his hair and he sighed, unwilling to give it up just yet. They'd
spent the night in The King's Head before catching the coach to
Anterra City earlier that day and then took a public carriage to a
four-storey villa in a grand square; Aedyn could see it out the
window as he lifted his head from Kestan'ss lap. Small flurries of
snow still fell sporadically, but it didn't feel as cold in the
centre of town as it normally was in the tower.

Kestan opened the carriage door and helped Aedyn down onto the street
before paying the driver. The snow on the ground had turned to slush
from all the carriage and foot traffic and Aedyn stumbled on the
slippery surface. Kestan'ss arms were suddenly around him to catch
him before he fell. Aedyn bit back a scream as the embrace made his
back hurt even worse than ever. His teeth chattered and he started
shivering uncontrollably even with Kestan hugging him. Aedyn wondered
if there would be a time when he would ever feel warm again.

"I'm sorry," said Kestan as he helped Aedyn up a set of
steps to the white-painted house in front of them.

Aedyn breathed shallowly as Kestan rang the doorbell. He felt dizzy
and didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to keep his
feet. A girl around Aedyn's age, dressed in a black dress with a
white apron and cap over her curly hair, stood looking at them.

"May I help you?"

"I'm here to see the Earl Chadron," said Kestan, his arm
still supporting Aedyn.

"I'm very sorry, sir, but the earl is not at home. Good day."
The maid was about to shut the door in their face when another voice
was heard from deep within the house.

"Who is it, Hawise?"

"Someone wanting to see the Master, Mistress Jessamyn."

The door was flung wide and another girl stood there, this one
dressed in blue velvet.

"Master Kestan! My goodness! Come in, come in!"

Kestan ushered Aedyn through the open doorway. "Aedyn needs a
healer or physician, he's been attacked," said Kestan.
"Grunhall."

"Hawise, go and fetch Dame Nera straightaway!" said this
girl, who Aedyn guessed was no maid. "Hurry!"

"Yes, Miss," said the maid and hurried down the steps,
holding her skirts in her hand as she ran down the street. She hadn't
even stopped to get a cloak or a coat.

"Aedyn, this is Lady Jessamyn, the earl's daughter."

"How do you do?" asked Aedyn, even as he swayed on his
feet.

The world around him tilted sideways and he saw the flowery rug
coming up to meet him.

*

Kestan paced the bedroom anxiously awaiting the healer's arrival.
After Aedyn had fainted they were unable to rouse him at all; Lady
Jessamyn's smelling salts had no effect, nor did splashing him with
water. What if Grunhall had damaged him more than was apparent? Aedyn
was sweating now too, tossing and turning in the bed, moaning and
babbling incoherently.

"The healer shouldn't be long," said Miss Granger, trying
to put him at ease. "Her house is only a few streets away."

"A female healer?" asked Kestan in surprise. He'd heard of
such things but never thought he'd actually meet one.

"You're not one of those traditionalist, are you? That think
women are only good for childbrearing?" she glowered at him and
Kestan felt suitably chastened. He hadn't been around women very
much, but he knew they were just as capable, better even than men at
some things

"She's also very good at what she does. Aedyn will be fine, I am
sure of it."

Kestan wished he could be so sure. Lady Jessamyn turned from the
window. "Ah, here's her carriage now. I'll go and fetch her."

"Thank you, my lady. For everything."

She turned back from the door handle. "It's the least I can do."

A few moments later Jessamyn returned with the healer in tow. She was
a tall woman, almost as tall as Kestan; her brown hair was pulled
back into a severe bun with not a wisp out of place. Her outfit was
plain: a black skirt, white blouse and black jacket, but all of good
quality. On spying Kestan, she strode over to him, set down her
medical bag on the bed and shook his hand with a grip as firm as any
man's.

"Dame Nera."

"Kestan."

"This is our patient?" Dame Nera removed a hollow wooden
tube from her bag and listened to Aedyn's chest.

"Yes, Aedyn, his father was the Duke of Sapphire Lake."

"Do you know what happened to him?"

Kestan glanced at Jessamyn, unsure what he could talk about in the
young woman's presence. Some things were not for delicate ears.

"Jessamyn, why don't you arrange for some hot water and clean
cloths?" asked Nera.

"Yes, Nera."

Once she was gone, the healer turned once again to Kestan.

"He was attacked by his uncle. Whipped and beaten, and Creator
knows what else. I fear – I fear he may have been ill-used,"
Kestan admitted.

"Sexual assault? Are you sure?"

Her brisk manner was a surprise. Kestan had never even used the word
in front of a woman before. "I'm not sure, no. It's just my
suspicion."

"Very well, I'll examine him. Are you his guardian?"

From there, Kestan told her everything he knew. Of his term as tutor
at Grunhall Abbey, of Aedyn's imprisonment and how they escaped, and
finally of his suspicions that Syldas had been murdered.

"These are very serious allegations," said Nera, as she
pulled down the sheets and undressed Aedyn's prone form with the
dexterity of someone to whom none of this was new. "Do you have
any proof?"