The Black King (Book 7) (36 page)

The soldiers led him around the palace to a gate he hadn’t seen before.

“I had a horse,” he said.

“The Black Queen said nothing about a horse,” one of the soldiers said.

“But I came on a horse.”

“Then you’ll have to negotiate its return in the morning. Our orders are to escort you off palace grounds.”

It wasn’t his horse. It was Coulter’s horse. He couldn’t face losing the horse as well. “Please. Let me have my horse. There’s a woman named Zayna. She’s the one who sponsored me here. She’d know.”

“You may see her in the morning,” the soldier said. “Leave us now.”

Matt stood in front of the open gate. He thought about the horse, the swords, the woman inside who wasn’t a woman at all. He still had the glass dolls in his knapsack. Maybe he could use the horse as an excuse to come here again. He could attack the Black Queen at the right moment, after he was sure Arianna and Coulter were here.

“All right.” He shrugged the knapsack over one shoulder and walked through the gate. He kept his head up as he stepped onto the cobblestone street.

The night was cold and the air had a dampness to it that made him even colder. All of the buildings had torches burning near their doors. The city was abnormally light.

Behind him, the gate closed. In spite of himself, he turned to look at it. He was shut out and he had nowhere to go.

Con had said he would take Arianna and Coulter into the tunnels below the city. There were dozens of ways to get to them, Con had said, but the easiest was through the ruined Tabernacle. At least Matt knew where that was. He would go there.

He wasn’t sure what side of the palace he had exited on. He turned until he saw the bridge. It was lit as well. The torches on it reflected in the water below. Across that bridge was the Tabernacle and a place to sleep. At least he had been feed well in the palace, and he still had food left in his knapsack. Not much, but enough to survive on for a few days.

He would have to take this day by day, moment by moment.

He had to walk past the palace wall to get to the wide cobblestone street. It was wider than the others and better lit. Lamps hung from poles spaced four buildings apart. This was a wealthy area, apparently, and someone believed the extra light would keep it safe.

The extra light made him uncomfortable. He walked closer to the buildings than he normally would have. He didn’t want to be seen—an Islander failure, tossed out of the palace before he had a chance to complete his mission. The Tabernacle seemed like a long walk. His father had taken this walk too, after fighting with the Islander King. After choosing to defend the Isle against the Fey instead of cooperating with Nicholas.

Matt hadn’t thought this much about his father in months. He wasn’t sure if it was the city that made him feel this way or his own failings. Or perhaps, for the first time, he felt as if he had gone up against an evil Fey, just like his father believed them to be.

Suddenly someone grabbed him, put a hand over his mouth, wrapped another around his chest and dragged him backwards. He struggled, but the hands held him tightly. They pulled him into an alley darker than the road. A thin trail of light from the main street looked like salvation.

Whoever held him was larger and stronger. Matt was going to have to—

The hand holding his mouth let go and formed the symbol for silence. The symbol he and Wisdom had come up with.

He turned. Wisdom stood behind him. Wisdom’s face was dirty, his hair—usually so beautifully braided—was tangled and matted. He looked even thinner than he had before. He put a finger to his lips and pointed toward the street.

Matt looked. Two Fey were walking in the direction that he had walked. They had no faces—or it seemed like they had no faces. Coulter had told him about those Fey. They were Spies.

They’re following me?
he signed.

Wisdom nodded. He took Matt’s hand and led him through the alley to the narrow street on the other side. This one wasn’t as well lit. They crossed it and went into another alley.

Wisdom led him to a small house. It was dark. He went to the east side of the house, and felt along its foundation. Then he grabbed something and started to pull.

Matt watched for a moment, feeling as if this were a horrible nightmare. Wisdom glanced over his shoulder, his face eloquent. He wanted help.

Matt reached down and found that Wisdom was pulling on a handle. Matt grabbed it too, and together they tugged. A large door opened toward them, knocking them back. The hinges squealed, and Matt looked around.

No Fey, at least that he could see.

Wisdom pointed toward the opening.

“What’s down there?” Matt whispered.

Wisdom pointed again.

“You first,” Matt said.

Wisdom made the sign for
all right
. Then he pointed to another handle on the inside of the door. He wanted Matt to pull it closed after them.

Matt nodded. Wisdom crawled inside the hole, his feet making solid thunks against a wooden stair. He disappeared into the darkness. Matt hesitated, then shrugged. He had had only vague plans, and they included going under the city. He had a hunch that was where Wisdom was taking him as well.

Matt got into the hole and grabbed the door’s handle. He climbed down, then pulled the door closed on top of him.

He couldn’t see anything. He felt slightly dizzy. He put his hands on the steps he had touched, and went down, tapping the next step with his foot before leaning on it. He couldn’t even hear Wisdom’s breathing. Matt’s heart was pounding so hard that he was afraid it would knock a hole in his chest.

But he went down, and he counted the stairs as he went so that he would know how far he had to climb if he were going to reach the door again. He didn’t hear anyone above him either, and he didn’t hear that squeal of hinges as the door opened.

They weren’t being followed, at least.

Why had the Black Queen sent those Spies after him? Had she known that he was lying? Or was that common procedure with anyone who wanted to be Enchanter to the Black Queen? Who did they think he would have led them to?

Matt shuddered. It didn’t matter what they thought. He would have led them to Coulter and Arianna.

A hundred steps down, his foot hit stone. He felt a hand on his arm and he felt the hand make the sign for safe. He raised his left hand and used an old spell that Coulter had taught him. A lightstick formed in his hand and illuminated the small space.

Cobwebs covered everything. Dirt hung in ropes around them. The walls, mostly made of stone, were crumbling, and piles of dirt covered the floor. The stairs he had just climbed down were rotted. It was amazing that they held his weight and Wisdom’s.

Now he understood how Wisdom had gotten so filthy. He had been hiding in the tunnels.

“You followed me,” Matt said.

Wisdom nodded. He signed,
Too dangerous to see alone
.

Their invented language had its weaknesses. Matt wished again that Wisdom would have let him repair his tongue. “Who is too dangerous? Rugad?”

Wisdom nodded.

“You knew I would fail?”

Wisdom shook his head.
Impossible.

“My failing?”

The mission.

Matt let out a small sigh. “They’re following me to see who I lead them to, right?”

Wisdom nodded.

“I was planning to go back tomorrow to get the horse and to see if I can use the dolls.”

We do it my way,
Wisdom signed.
We use the tunnels.

“I’m not sure the magick will work through walls,” Matt said. “Not with someone already in a body. We might get a random soul.”

I will help you. We will see him together.

“I thought you were afraid of him,” Matt said.

I owe him.
Wisdom touched his mouth. For the maiming, Matt realized.

“You could let me help you. The Domestics would have helped you too.” It was an old argument, but it was one they had never settled.

Wisdom shook his head.

“It would make things easier, especially now,” Matt said.

Wisdom sighed. He glanced up the stairs and then leaned against the wall. He signed,
Patience,
which was his way of saying he had a long explanation.

“All right,” Matt said.

Wisdom touched his mouth and shook his head.
You are the first true friend I’ve ever had. The first one who will do what I ask because you think it’s right, not because I have Charmed you.

“Well, we’re friends now,” Matt said. “You can talk.”

No. This mission must be your choice. If I have my Charm, I might make you do what I want.

“I’ll be all right,” Matt said.

Wisdom took him by the arms. It was his way of saying telling Matt that he wasn’t listening.

“All right,” Matt said. “Try me again.”

Wisdom let go of him, took a deep breath, and signed,
If you do what I ask you may die. We may die. It must be your choice.

“Would we destroy Rugad?”

Wisdom nodded.

“Then it’s my choice,” Matt said. “Let me give you your voice back.”

Wisdom looked at him.

“We’re friends for good, and if you can talk, you might be able to help us more. Will you let me do that?”

It is a waste of magick.

“No,” Matt said. “If we’re going to take risks, we use all of our strengths. I could have used some Charm this afternoon.”

Wisdom smiled.
How long would it take?

“I don’t know. I’ve never done anything like it before.” Matt stared at him. “But I’m willing to try.”

We do this,
Wisdom signed,
only if you agree to follow my plan before you finish fixing me.

“I don’t even know what your plan is.”

Wisdom nodded.
You must trust me.

“I do,” Matt said. “And I’m grateful for your help.”

Wisdom sighed, straightened his shoulders, and then opened his mouth. Matt stuck the lightstick in the wall and prepared to use a spell he had only read about in books.

TWENTY-SEVEN

SOMEWHERE UP THIS RIVER were the Eyes of Roca, the Cliffs of Blood, and the Roca’s Cave. Gift had once walked from Jahn to the Cave. It had taken him what seemed like forever, and he had gone across land. He had no idea how long it would take by ship.

He wondered if Arianna would have him followed if he went east up the Cardidas instead of west. He supposed she would. Bridge had used the word “paranoid” to describe her. It seemed accurate.

Gift gripped the ship’s wooden rail and leaned into the breeze. The air was cold and damp even though the sky was clear. The lights of Jahn prevented him from seeing all but the brightest stars. The stars had become familiar to him in the months he’d spent at sea. Losing them to the artificial light felt like losing old friends.

He heard a creaking behind him, and he turned. In the thin light from the shore, he saw a tall form behind him. The light reflected off the shock of white hair.

Xihu. She had been gone all day, summoned by Arianna.

So much had changed just in the last few hours. He didn’t know how he’d tell Xihu about Lyndred and Bridge. He doubted Xihu would approve. He wasn’t sure he did, but he felt safer having them here. Lyndred struck him as an impulsive girl who wasn’t used to thinking on a global scale. Her father was more sensible and, if Gift decided to trust him, might be the resource that Gift needed to help understand the rules of the Fey.

“Good to see you back,” Gift said.

Xihu came up beside him and put her hands on the rails as well. “Staring at the future?”

“Thinking,” he said. “I sent most of the Nyeians into the city to get us supplies. Everyone else is belowdecks. Unless you saw someone else, we’re alone up here.”

“And free to talk.”

He nodded. She probably couldn’t see that in this light, but he didn’t care. They knew each other well enough to understand each other’s silences.

“What did Arianna want?” Gift asked.

“What you had once hoped for.”

“She wants you as Shaman?”

“Yes.” Xihu did not sound pleased. “Arianna needs a pet Visionary.”

“So she is Blind?”

“She made a Shadowlands for me to prove she wasn’t.”

Gift started. He had so accepted Lyndred’s view, even while denying it, that the idea that Arianna could make a Shadowlands struck him as absurd. “It was a proper Shadowlands?”

“It was small and we didn’t go inside it, but it looked like a proper Shadowlands. Maybe her Vision has diminished. Or maybe she’s just tired of ruling with only herself for counsel.”

“If that were true, she would have accepted my offer.”

Xihu sighed. “You have to stop assuming that you know this woman. She is not the one you remember.”

“I’m trying to accept that.” The breeze shifted direction and blew a strand of hair across his face. He brushed it away. “Are you going to serve her?”

“Yes,” Xihu said.

Gift’s fingers tightened on the railing. When he left the Eccrasian Mountains with Xihu, he had told himself that she would become Arianna’s Shaman. But somehow, after Arianna’s transformation, he had thought that Xihu would turn the post down.

“She needs me more than you do,” Xihu said.

“She’s the Black Queen,” Gift said. “Of course she does.”

“I tried to get her to change her mind about banishing you.”

Gift held his breath.

“She said no.”

Of course she did. She was getting everything she wanted. She was taking away all that he had bit by bit.

“I almost decided not to serve her then,” Xihu said. “But I realized I might be of more use to the Empire at her side.”

“You certainly will. You can’t do much for the Fey from Leut.” He hadn’t meant that to come out as sharply or as bitterly as it had. But the words were there now.

Xihu put her hand on top of his. Her palm was dry and callused, the skin almost scratchy. “I told her I care for you and I didn’t like her.”