Shadow Magic (29 page)

Then, without thinking, his hand tightened around one.

Thorn lifted it, sensing its balance, as if his muscles knew it. He felt a familiar pattern press against his palm.

Strange…

“Wade, bring the lantern here,” he said.

“I’m just trying to sort out these swords. Some help would be appreciated.”

“Bring the lantern!”

“All right, all right…”

Thorn’s nail circled the pattern. He shivered.

I’ve used this ax before.

He’d carried it a hundred times. He’d spent evenings at the fire sharpening it.

But that ain’t possible.

Wade joined him. Thorn grabbed the lantern and held it up.

The carved pattern was an acorn—just like the one on his amulet.

“This is my dad’s ax,” he whispered.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am.” The last time he’d seen it was on his dad’s shoulder as he went off.

His heart beat fast. What did this mean? His dad would never have left his ax behind.

“Hey, what about the swords?” asked Wade.

Thorn checked the acorn again. Why bother? It
was
his dad’s. The same hands that had carved the ax had carved his amulet.

Ignoring Wade, Thorn ran outside with the ax. Someone would know. Someone would tell him how
this
ax came to be here in Castle Gloom.

A few minutes later, he stumbled into the courtyard. The other squires were busy at work, attacking thick wooden posts with their blunt swords. Ten chops to the head and waist. Then the next boy. The courtyard echoed with the endless
thud thud thud
of steel on wood. Old Colm stood talking to Tyburn.

“This is my dad’s ax,” said Thorn.

He’d chopped trees down with it and even killed a wolf with it once.

No one paid any notice. Old Colm kept on talking, and the squires continued hacking.

Thorn marched up to the nearest post and swung the ax with all his might. It hit like thunder. “Tell me!”

The squires stopped. Silence fell over the whole courtyard.

Old Colm glared, his face lit up a livid scarlet. “You little troll! How dare you interrupt?”

Tyburn raised his hand, and Old Colm backed off. “What’s on your mind, Thorn?”

“This ax belongs to my dad.”

“And you want to know how it ended up here?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“You want to have this talk right here, right now?”

Thorn’s pulse pounded in his ears and he suddenly felt terrified. Did he really want to hear the truth?

“Tell me,” he said, steeling himself.

“I got it off a brigand. He’d been part of a gang of six outlaws, lurking in Spindlewood. His companions were dealt with, but he escaped, dropping this ax as he fled. I’ve spent the last few months searching for him, this sixth brigand. I didn’t find him, but I did find you, his son.”

Those five heads on spikes on top of Lamentation Hill…

“What are you saying?” whispered Thorn.

Tyburn’s gaze chilled him. “Your father murdered Lady Shadow’s family.”

B
y evening, everyone in Castle Gloom knew the truth, that Thorn’s dad was the last brigand responsible for the death of the Shadows.

The other squires now wanted nothing to do with him. They whispered as he went past, or muttered threats, and occasionally one would trip him, or kick him as he tried to rise, promising worse to come.

Fine. He didn’t care. He preferred working in the stables by himself.

Thorn stabbed his pitchfork into the hay. He hated them all. Everyone in Castle Gloom.

Except Hades. Thorn had gone to see him at Murk Hall, but the bat wasn’t there. Thorn assumed he’d gone out hunting and just hoped he hadn’t eaten some poor farmer’s whole herd.

Life must be bad if my only friend is a giant bat.

What about Lily? Why hadn’t she come to see him? Did she hate him, too?

Someone came to the stable door. “Hello? Anyone in here?”

Why couldn’t they leave him alone?

It was Wade, the only squire still speaking to him. He strolled over, sat down on a sack of oats, and handed over a wrapped package. “Missed you at dinner.”

“I ain’t hungry.”

“That’s because you haven’t tried this.”

“What is it?” Thorn asked.

“Fruitcake. It’s poisoned, so you can eat it and die and stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

Thorn took a huge bite, half hoping it
was
poisoned and he’d die and they
would
all be sorry.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” said Wade.

“I suppose.”

“If there’s a fault, it’s that the cake’s a bit dry. So I brought this.” He held out a small bottle. “Lemonade.”

“Is that poisoned, too?”

“Have a sip and find out.”

Thorn did, and the lemonade was acid sharp. But not
actually
lethal.

Wade took a swig and screwed his face up as the sour taste attacked his taste buds. “I’m sorry about your dad, Thorn.”

“He wasn’t like everyone says he was. He ain’t no killer, Wade.”

“If you say so.”

He doesn’t believe me.

Why should he?

“What are you doing here, Wade? The others won’t like you taking sides with me.”

Wade wiggled his nose. “Those lemons are deadly.”

“Are you paying any attention?”

“To your whining? No, not really.” He drew his fingers over his face. “Will you be at the Halloween Ball tomorrow?”

“I ain’t interested in your stupid ball.”

“C’mon. I’ve a spare mask if you’re interested. You can get up to plenty of mischief wearing a mask.”

“How can I be thinking about masks when they’ll be executing K’leef the next morning?”

“Tyburn said—”

“Tyburn don’t know nothing! The man’s mind is so twisted with treachery he thinks the worst of everyone. The world ain’t like that, Wade.”

“Your world, maybe. Things are different here.”

Thorn grimaced. “I should have known. He sees me and buys me, just like that. Why?”

“Certainly not for your good looks.”

“Shut up, Wade.”

“I was just saying that you’re no—”

Thorn clamped his hand over Wade’s mouth and listened. Growing up in Herne’s Forest gave you sharp ears. You needed to know if the rustling in the bushes was a deer or a wolf. The difference mattered.

Now he could hear that something, or someone, was in the stables with them. Hiding behind the hay bales.

Thorn got up quietly. If it was a squire looking for a fight, he was going to get one. He slunk closer, taking care not to make a sound. Yes, definitely some creep lurking; he could hear their breathing and the rustle of cloth.

Thorn reached over and grabbed a fistful of hair.

“Ow!” Lily screamed as Thorn threw her across the floor. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Nice one, Thorn.” Wade cleared his throat and stood up. “Well, I’d love to stay, but there are chores to do, errands to run.” He performed a smooth, elegant bow. “M’lady.” Then he dashed out.

“W
hat are you doing?” snapped Thorn. “Spying on me?”

Lily held up her arm. “Just look at that sleeve! Torn. I’m supposed to meet Baron Gaunt in ten minutes.” She pulled pieces of hay out of her hair and tried to arrange her dress into something that wasn’t a total mess. “You’re an idiot.”

“Why are you here, Princess?”

“Do I need a reason? I can go anywhere I like. These
are
my stables.” She shrugged. “I wanted to see you. But you were talking with Wade, and you sounded so angry that I wasn’t sure that you wanted to talk with me. So I hid.”

“How did you get in here, anyway? I didn’t see the door open.” He peered around. “It’s one of them secret passages, isn’t it?”

Lily smirked. “Maybe.”

“Could any of them help me get out of here?”

“What do you mean?”

Thorn checked the nearby wall. Was there a hidden door among the bricks? If he pushed the right one, would a tunnel open up? “Why am I still here? Now that everyone thinks they know what my dad did, no one wants me around.” He pressed a few bricks. No luck. “Why not just let me leave?”

“Tyburn won’t permit it.” Lily looked conflicted. “I…I understand you want to leave, but you can’t. Tyburn doesn’t want you finding your dad and warning him.”

“Find him? How does he think I’ll find him?” That was stupid. Thorn had spent months searching for his dad, and all he had to show for it was several weeks as a slave and then this.

“You know what Tyburn’s like.” She glanced down at the bottle Wade had left behind. “Is that lemonade?”

Thorn handed it over. “Be careful. It’ll twist your tongue and close off your throat.”

Lily took a gulp. Then another. “Not bad.”

He was impressed, despite himself. “It ain’t too sour?”

“I like sour.” She looked at him. “I’m sorry about your dad, Thorn.”

“He’s innocent.”

“Men get desperate. They do desperate things.”

Thorn scoffed. “That’s Tyburn talking, not you.”

Lily sighed. “Tyburn found my parents and brother. What was left of them. He followed the trail deep into Spindlewood. He found the brigands’ encampment. He tried to take the assassins alive, but things got out of control. Five of them were killed, and the sixth fled, dropping his ax.” She touched the black pearls around her neck. “My mother’s jewels were found on them. What more evidence do you need?”

“I know my dad,” said Thorn stubbornly. “He’s innocent.”

“Then he shouldn’t have run away. Tyburn thought he was the poisoner, too, lurking nearby to try and finish the job he started. You even told us that you knew how to make life-bane.” Lily frowned. “So he’s probably long gone from here. On his way home.”

Thorn knew her well enough now to know she was struggling with something.

“What is it, Princess?”

She glanced back at the door, making sure they were alone. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Not now.”

Thorn went cold. “What do you mean?”

“Tyburn knows where your family lives. You told him. Stour, a village on the edge of Herne’s Forest.”

“So?” Thorn felt dread start to well up inside him.

“So he’s sent men there. Dangerous men. They’ll kill your father the moment they find him. I’m sorry, Thorn. If I could stop them, I would—”

“Why
can’t
you stop them? You’re Lady Shadow! Tyburn works for you!” Thorn was on the edge of panic; he took deep breaths to calm himself. Surely his family was safe. Stour was a thousand miles across the sea after all.

“I can’t! They left weeks ago! I didn’t know!”

Thorn started pacing back and forth. Lily stopped him with a hand on his chest and met his gaze with a cold fury of her own. “Your dad’s a criminal. He did what he did and has to pay for it. That’s the law.”

“The law?” He flung her arm away. “The law’s an excuse you people made up. I’m sick of you nobles. You take what you want and never give anything back.”

“That’s not true! I look after my people.” Lily glowered. “You wouldn’t understand. You have only one family to look after. I have thousands.”

“And when we try and look after ourselves, what happens?” Thorn closed his eyes, trying to shut down his rage. “My dad’s a poacher, but all that means to me is he’s tried to feed his family. Like I was trying to do when I shot that deer.”

“Poaching’s against the law.”

“And starving isn’t. My dad’s lost enough from people like you.” He held up his hand. “They cut off his first two fingers, did you know that?”

Lily stared at him. “What?”

Thorn continued. “First offense, you lose them. Second, it’s your whole hand if you’re lucky; your life, if you’re not.” He crooked his thumb. “That’s why I shoot the way I do. Dad was the one who taught me, and he couldn’t shoot the usual way.”

“I met a man with some fingers missing….” muttered Lily.

“It’s a common punishment. Half the men back home have only eight fingers.”

“Is your father good with animals, like you?”

“Better. Scared off a wolf just by whistling.”

Lily dropped the lemonade bottle. It shattered at her feet, but she didn’t notice. She just stood there, mouth gaping and eyes wild. “I…I think I saw him.” She stared at Thorn. “You look a bit like him. The eyes are the same. Why didn’t I realize? The hair. His is long, and yours is short, but the color…He also had a beard. It was as if he was trying to hide as much of his face as possible.”