The Shadowhand Covenant (22 page)

Reena's lip curled. “If it was that easy, why didn't you do that when the toys were attacking us?”

Well, I wasn't going to say it. But she had a fair point.

“It was safer to bring you into the house with us,” Ma said. “For all we knew, the traitor was watching. If we'd destroyed the hardglamours, it could have exposed you.”

Maloch examined the beds. “Where are we? Is it another illusion?”

“This is the women's dormitory,” Dylis said. “We have a ways to go before we reach the Covenant chamber.”

With the hardglamour gone, we could now see two doors leading from the room. Dylis led us through the door
that went back to the kitchen. The moment we entered, spikes began to appear from the walls as the whirling blades emerged from the ceiling.

“Shedekk!”
Dylis called out, and the magical defenses disintegrated. We took a moment to restock our food supplies. When we were ready, Ma gathered us all close.

“Dylis, Ona, and I will lead the way,” she said. “You four hang back just a bit so Dylis has a chance to deactivate the defenses. Stay close to one another. Maloch, keep an eye on the rear. Don't want anyone sneaking up on you.”

Maloch nodded. I felt a twinge of jealousy that Ma had given him the job of guarding the rear. Then I realized that if we were attacked from behind, Maloch's screams would give Reena, Holm, and me time to escape. Suddenly, I felt better.

Dylis led us from the kitchen down an unfamiliar corridor. As the adults made their way cautiously ahead, Reena poked me in the side.

“So what did you find out last night?” she said in a whisper. “After Holm and I left.”

“Not much, really,” I said. She looked skeptical, so I
repeated everything Dylis had told us.

“Jaxter,” she said slowly, “you believe we're innocent, right? The Sarosans?”

“Of course,” I said. “That's why we're here: to prove it.”

“I've been thinking,” she said, “about the stolen relics. What if you
did
believe we stole them? Let's say you're the High Laird. Let's say you don't have any proof the Sarosans stole them. Why accuse us?”

I considered what she said. The High Laird had refused to say why he blamed the Sarosans. Why would suspicion fall on them?

“Well,” I said, “if I were the High Laird, I would notice that the relics were made from gold and onyx. That suggests they're magical. Since the Sarosans hate magic, I'd think you stole them to destroy them.”

“But there are magical artifacts all over the Provinces. Why would we choose the five that were the hardest to get, the ones in your vault?”

“Maybe because you found out they were really powerful.”

Reena grew more excited as she pieced things together. “The Dowager told you the relics had been in the vaults for hundreds of years, since the Great Uprisings. And all
information about the Uprisings is gone. So how would we even know about them?”

I remembered my discussion with Kolo about the past and how details of the Great Uprisings had been destroyed. If someone
had
sought the relics because they were powerful, they must somehow know something about the Uprisings. But the knowledge didn't exist. And if it did, it was unlikely the Sarosans had it.

“Fair point. Which brings us back to: the Sarosans couldn't have done it. So who else would want to destroy the relics?”

“I think whoever employed the Shadowhands doesn't want to destroy them. I think they might want to use them.”

“A rogue mage?” I said. The Dowager and I had considered it. It was rare for a mage to go rogue. When one did, the Palatinate Sentinels were specially trained to track that mage down.

“Maybe,” Reena said, but I could tell by her tone that she didn't believe it. “Or maybe higher up . . .”

I knew immediately what she was implying. “You think the Palatinate . . .”

“I don't know. I'm a Sarosan. We're naturally suspicious
of all mages, and the Palatinate aren't exactly our friends. But if those relics were locked away, they
must
be incredibly powerful. And only the Palatinate—”

I held up my hand. “If the Palatinate wanted magical relics from the vaults, all they'd have to do is ask. The High Laird trusts them. They wouldn't have to stage a break-in.”

Reena's eyes fell. “You're right. We're not any closer to figuring this out, are we?”

“Let's see what happens when we get to the Covenant chamber and find out who the traitor is. It's all we've got right now.”

We stepped from the corridor into a massive dining room with a large table and twelve chairs. Dylis yelled out in par-Goblin, turning away an army of hardglamour warriors in armor who had just started descending on us from the rafters above. We marched across the room.

“Well, this is a good sign, isn't it?” Da said brightly.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“All the defenses are active. Which means no one has been here for a while. I think whoever was looking for us gave up and left. Should be a breeze.”

We finally came to an armory where a lethal assortment of swords, halberds, and maces hung from wooden racks on the walls. Dylis pointed across the room to a short hall that led into the Covenant chamber. Maloch positioned himself in the archway that led back to the dining room. Reena, Holm, and I stood in the center of the armory. Ma, Da, and Dylis approached the Covenant chamber.

“I'll go on alone,” Dylis said.

“Can't we see the chamber?” I asked. To be here in the Shadowhands' hidden lair was thrilling enough. I'd been burning to see the innermost sanctum—the Covenant chamber—since I knew that was where we were headed.

Ma shook her head. “This isn't a defense Dylis can deactivate. Only a Shadowhand can enter the chamber. Anyone else who tries . . . Well, it's not pretty.”

Dylis took a torch, walked into the archway, and disappeared behind a sharp right curve. The rest of us waited.

And waited.

And waited.

“What's taking so long?” Maloch asked.

I looked at Ma, whose face was marked with concern.
“Maybe it takes a while to get to the chamber itself?” I replied.

Ma shook her head. “As soon as she rounded that corner, she was in the chamber.”

“Maybe she left through another door?” Reena said. It was clear that she didn't trust Dylis.

Again, Ma disagreed. “This doorway is the only way in or out of the chamber.”

We looked at one another, the same thought forming in our heads. Had Dylis gone in and come face-to-face with the traitor—a Shadowhand who'd faked their disappearance and was now just waiting to dispatch us all in the most grisly manner possible?

Ma brushed her hands together. “All right then. We've got no choice.”

She held out her hand to Da. He frowned, then reluctantly handed her a thin, long dirk. Ma turned and moved to the doorway.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Ma shushed me with a look. “I'm still bound to the Covenant,” she said softly. “Which means I can enter
unharmed. Now listen. If I don't come out, you won't be able to help me. You have to get out of here as quickly as possible. You won't have anyone to deactivate the defenses, so your best bet is to run as fast as you can to the exit. Understood?”

Da was clearly not happy with this, but he nodded. The rest of us joined him. Ma smiled brightly. “Won't be a moment. Carry on.”

She walked through the archway and rounded the corner.

Behind me, I heard a thud. I turned to find Maloch, unconscious on the floor, his hand gripping his neck.

“Maloch!” Reena called out, running to him.

“We have to go!”

I spun around and saw Ma, already returned from the chamber, face white as a sheet.

Da gripped her by the arms. “Dylis?”

“She's a glass statue. Had the Covenant in her hand . . . but it wasn't the Covenant. It was a duplicate with a shimmerhex.”

Shhk!

The sound came from the hall leading to the dining room. Now Reena was unconscious, lying over Maloch. Just
past them, hooded figures entered from the corridor, blowguns raised to their lips.
Shhk! Shhk! Shkk!

Holm crumpled over, followed by Da. The last thing I heard was Ma cry, “It's a trap!” before a dart sank deep into my skin, just below my ear, and the world went black.

“In the end, a skilled thief dresses as well as a castellan.”

—Ancient par-Goblin proverb

T
he Kolohendriseenax Formulary
lists 168 different combinations of plants that can render someone unconscious when ingested, injected, or inhaled. I'd been subject to two in as many weeks. I didn't like what that suggested for the days ahead.

When I awoke, a headache volleyed back and forth between my eyes. The spot on my neck where the dart had entered felt like it was on fire. My legs tingled. All these symptoms pointed to one cause: our assailants had used
yerrani to subdue us. A tricky poison. You had to use just the right amount if you wanted to render someone unconscious. Even a fraction too much and the result could be deadly.

Our captors knew their herbs.

I lifted my head and looked around. Terrific. Another cave. I was tired of caves. Just once I wanted to be held captive somewhere less dank. A dungeon, maybe. An island in a river of lava, perhaps. I made a note to avoid caves for quite some time when we got out of this.

If
we got out of this.

Reena's lantern burned bright, hanging from a hook dug into the earthen walls. Ma and Da were still unconscious, lying on the cave floor near a collection of stalagmites. Turning, I found that Maloch was awake, leaning with his back to the wall and struggling hopelessly with the manacle and chain around his ankle. I looked down and found a similar chain around my leg, the other end fused to a stalagmite. We were all wearing them. All except—

“Where are Reena and Holm?” I asked, scanning the area.

Maloch tugged at the manacle. “No idea. They were gone when I woke up.” He picked up a rock and began bashing the
chain. When he missed and hit his shin, he howled.

This woke Da. He propped himself up on one elbow, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. He shook his head. “Funny, I don't remember indulging in ashwine.”

“Better,” I said. “It's yerrani.”

Da wiped his nose. “Oh, lovely. That explains the pins and needles in my legs.” He looked at Ma. “Should we let her sleep it off?”

“No way anyone could sleep with you three nearby,” Ma grumbled, stirring. Da helped her sit up.

I looked around. “Doesn't look like the Dagger. Unless it's another hardglamour.”

Da shrugged. “If they used yerrani, we've been unconscious at least a couple of days. They've had time to move us. No telling where we are.”

“Who were they?” Maloch asked.

As if in answer, three cloaked figures in hoods stepped into the cave from a nearby tunnel. One held a torch, while the other two laid pitchers filled with water at our feet.

“Drink,” they said as one. Parched, we weren't about to argue. Da handed the pitcher to Maloch, who drank greedily. Just as Maloch passed the pitcher to me, one of our captors
unlocked the manacle on my leg and pulled me to my feet with a single, strong yank. He shoved me in the direction of the tunnel. With weak legs, I stumbled from the cave. The hooded figures followed, ignoring Ma's and Da's protests.

Yes, I was definitely giving up caves for a very, very long time.

The hooded figures led me into an egg-shaped cavern where stalactites hung like massive teeth. I looked around, and a wave of recognition nearly knocked me off my feet.

Half a dozen tents huddled in the center of the chamber. A circle of torches marked the boundaries of the site. It reminded me of the Sarosan camp, only much, much smaller. As if to confirm my suspicions, the hooded figures threw off their cloaks to reveal three very tall, lean men. Their sleeveless shirts, torn breeches, and long hair told me they were, in fact, Sarosans.