A Ragged Magic (13 page)

Chapter Thirteen

A
nother week goes by. Julianna doesn’t want to tell anyone about her pregnancy, not even Hugh. But now that I know, it seems obvious — she has been tired, and her gowns are getting tight. If she weren’t already curvy and pretty, it wouldn’t be a secret at all. When I point out that everyone will figure it out sooner or later, she waves me away and tells me to go learn something useful.

I worry she is pushing herself too hard, but I don’t know enough about it. I wonder if I should tell Hugh. Or Connor, or her mother. But it is her decision, not mine. I can’t bring myself to betray a secret she seems so determined to keep.

I tell Linnet to let out her gowns a little, and I think she guessed. But being Linnet, she just shrugs and rolls her eyes, muttering to herself. Probably insults.

I’ve decided if I can’t make them out, then I don’t have to respond. It helps. And snide comments about my lack of sewing skills are old habit from my family. Easy to brush off. Da made the same tired joke every time I got near unfinished fabric.

Linnet adds the gowns to her growing pile of mending, while on the sly making a tapestry, which is Julianna’s family present for the Solstice celebration in a few weeks. Julianna is avaricious about using Linnet’s talents with cloth while she has access to them. She’s planning several elaborate gowns and gifts.

This morning Julianna rushes around her rooms, getting ready for her ride to the hospice. Normally I would go with her, but today she wants me to stay and work on my Sight. I think she just doesn’t want me to nag at her to take it easy while Healing.

“Just find my gloves for this riding outfit, Rhia. And don’t tell me to eat again. Those eggs turn my stomach, and the oatmeal has gone cold.”

“They’re good for you, your Highness,” I try.

But she shakes her head. “Then you eat it. Bring me my riding boots, please.”

“At least eat the oatmeal.”

Julianna shudders. “Not cold.”

“It wouldn’t have been cold if you’d eaten it when I brought it up.” I stare her down. “And the goat’s milk, as well. You made me drink it.”

She scowls.

“Fair is fair,” Connor remarks from the doorway.

Both Julianna and I startle, although I at least don’t squeak. Julianna scowls at him.

“Connor! You can’t just come in here without knocking.”

“I did knock. You didn’t hear me. Possibly because of all the noise you were making about cold oatmeal. Rhia has a point, you know. About it not being her fault that it’s cold.”

“You did not knock, you liar.”

“I’m a royal liar: I only lie for the crown,” he says.

She sticks her tongue out at him, and he makes a face back.

I stare at the both of them, taken aback.

“Julianna, eat your breakfast. What would your mother say,” he teases.

“You wouldn’t tell my mother.”

“Watch me. Rhia, I need to speak with you when you have a chance.”

He winks at Julianna and leaves.

“He’d better not tell my mother,” Julianna says darkly.

I hand her the boots. “Did he — did he just make … jokes?”

Julianna plops herself down in front of the breakfast tray. “I hate eggs. What? Oh. Yes — he is capable of it, you know. He used to be a lot less stern before … before we all grew up, I guess. We used to have such fun.”

She smiles fondly. “He used to come up with the best pranks. But that was a long time ago. I suppose he has become rather serious recently. And you haven’t seen him under the happiest of circumstances, either.” She plays with the cooling oatmeal, sighs. “Can I get some that’s hot, at least?” She makes eyes at me, and I roll mine. “Please?”

“Fine, I’ll go get more. But don’t you dare leave before I come back.” I step out of her bedchamber.

Connor waits for me in the solar, staring out the windows into the gardens. When I walk in he turns to me, an almost happy expression on his face.

“I wanted to tell you first. Gantry and Orrin were spotted late last night on the road back to Haverston.” He nods when I open my mouth. “He seems healthy, from a distance. He’s getting in and out of the coach by himself, and speaks when spoken to. He’s quiet and keeps his head down, but that’s normal for him when he’s with Gantry.”

I feel dizzy with relief. “Oh, Connor, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you,” I say, my smile hurting my cheeks, it has been so long since I felt one there. “Oh, I could kiss you!”

He blinks at me a couple of times, starts to smile.

I flush and stammer. “I, I mean, uh, thank you, my lord, um —”

“I’m glad to give welcome news for a change.”

I nod, and he takes a deep breath. “It seems unlikely that your vision was a true one, given his evident lack of injury.”

I hadn’t thought of that. But I’m glad, even if it means my visions can’t be trusted. “I’d rather Orrin is safe, than be right,” I say. I reach forward and grab Connor’s hand. “Thank you for telling me. That was kind of you.” I feel his hand warm in mine.

He looks at them, our joined hands, and I realize I’m staring, too.

I whisk mine away, clear my throat. “When, when are they expected back?”

“Sometime late this afternoon, most likely. They broke their journey late at an inn. My informant rode into the morning to bring me the news.”

“Did he know where they’ve been?”

He shakes his head. “It’s likely they went to an old monastery up the coast. I have people checking it out. We’re looking for any evidence of what may have happened, anyone they may have met. But they are coming back.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for them. Thank you my lord!” I smile at him, my shoulders feeling more loose by the second, even with Gantry returning to the castle.

Connor smiles back, and I curtsey, practically skip to the door.

I have to force myself to remember what I was doing. Oh, yes. Oatmeal for Julianna. I’ll beg some spice, as well. I’m so happy I could sing, but I know I’ll be out of breath just going down and up the stairs.

I don’t care. Orrin is safe. I shake my head at myself. For the moment. But it’s a moment I’ll take.

～

The clatter of hooves on cobblestones snaps me out of my reverie; I’ve been standing on the castle walls, staring at the road out of town for some time. Only I guess I’ve let my mind wander.

A carriage rumbles into the courtyard below. I try to seem casual as I make my way down the inner stair near the stables.

Gantry steps out of the carriage first, waving irritably at the castle guards. A kirche guard makes his way over, and Gantry begins gesturing, speaking to him. I hang back, eyes on the carriage door.

After a few moments, Orrin makes his way slowly out. He stands behind Gantry, head down. I keep hoping he’ll look up, but he doesn’t. I don’t know how to catch his eye without catching everyone else’s, too.

He looks exhausted. His dark skin seems papery and gray, even at this distance, and his shoulders slump. He grips his own hands as if he were holding himself together. Whatever happened, it wasn’t pleasant.

I start walking quietly past the stables, toward the courtyard. He doesn’t look up.

I’m not looking, either, it turns out, as I bump into Connor.

He steadies me, then offers his arm. “Shall we stroll, cousin?” he asks. I venture a small smile.

“It is kind of you to walk with me, cousin.” Our strolling near the stables is a little odd, but no one seems to be paying attention.

Orrin still doesn’t look up, even when the carriage is led off behind him.

“Something is wrong,” I murmur.

“Give it time, Rhia. You don’t know what part he’s had to play these last weeks.” We continue our stroll into the gardens.

I sigh with frustration when I can’t see them anymore.

Connor shakes his head. “Give it longer than that. In fact, wait until dinner, then wait at the tunnel stairs. He’ll likely look for you there.”

I look at my shoes. “I will, but something is wrong; I can feel it.”

“Maybe. But until we know what that is, there’s nothing we can do. I’ll have people keeping eyes on them. Try to use your Sight, if you can. But fretting about information you don’t have won’t help anyone.”

I resist the urge to scuff my feet, but only just. Scowling, I admit he’s right. “Fine.” I’m not very gracious about it.

“Go on inside. If you can’t be discreet, go wait at the stairs now.”

I let Connor’s arm go with little grace, and head indoors. After half-heartedly wandering around the library for a time, I head for the stairs. I wait for hours, but Orrin never comes.

～

I wait for Orrin at the rendezvous stairs for hours every day over the coming weeks. I wait in vain.

Connor shakes his head when I ask him if he’s spoken with Orrin — but Orrin is almost never out of Gantry’s presence these days. And Gantry almost never leaves his rooms, except to go to the Inquisitor’s building. Father Matthew continues with the chapel services, telling us Bishop Gantry is preparing for the Solstice celebration.

Connor’s people report to him that the monastery is abandoned and crumbling, but it’s obvious people were staying there recently. They found remains of food and charcoal in a fire pit. And a lot of dried blood and bandages. My heart sinks when he tells me.

Time I don’t spend waiting for Orrin I spend in the library, or in the Star Chambers, trying to delve into Gantry’s mind. Sitting underneath the feet of the statue of Dorei, who smiles benevolently at me from her voluminous cape, I push my power to show me something, anything, of Orrin, or Gantry. I spin my power into thin threads, trying to wind Gantry’s thoughts around skeins of my making.

But all I catch are his vague mutterings of self-righteousness: he is ordained, the Star Lord speaks through him. Who is this witch to thwart him? I get no sense of what he plans, or if someone is planning for him. Only that he believes Julianna a vessel of true evil that must be removed from power.

I can’t sense Orrin at all.

Other visions contain themselves to glimpses of the past, or Gantry reading old books in languages I don’t understand. It isn’t helpful, as Julianna points out. She can’t remove Orrin without proof, although she did write again to Cardinal Robere.

“We have to do these things properly, Rhia. Wrong moves could ruin so many of our plans. The kirche is very powerful, in this country and others. We cannot risk offense.”

I don’t think she’s right: how could leaving Orrin in such danger be right? But I bite my tongue, try to find something.

Connor wants more information, as well. He wants Julianna safe. But Julianna waves him off, too. She doesn’t want to warn Gantry, and thus the rest of whatever conspiracy may be working against us, that she might be aware of them.

I push myself to headaches, all for naught. If I could only speak about the demons, that would be evidence enough, I feel sure. But something keeps me silent on that score. I’m afraid I’ve been cursed or tainted by the demon magic, and I don’t know how to find out. I’ve been looking for what the runes I bear mean in the library. So far I haven’t found anything that tells me. Maybe it’s a demon language. I pray to Keenan to intercede with Dorei for me. I pray not to be cursed.

Meanwhile, the servants whisper speculation on Princess Julianna’s Healing powers. She Heals the sick, but they often become sick again. Can her powers be for the Light? She is no ordained priest, but she is noble. Nobility is ordained by the Star Lord, some argue. But with so many turning toward a harder form of worship, Julianna’s Healing looks suspicious. Dark looks follow us on our outings to the hospice and away again.

I wonder what those people would think if they knew an ordained bishop was summoning demons.

～

The morning of the summer Solstice dawns dreary and cold. I can hear Dawnsongs being sung in the courtyard — I did not observe dawn services, and no one asked me to. Connor was going to go.

I curl into my blankets, not relishing the idea of today. What with the extra, outside services, and the feast later, it will be a long day. And it will probably rain.

Linnet isn’t in her bed — she either rose to go to Dawnsong, or she went to work on the tapestry for Duchess Marguerite and Hugh. Julianna wants to present it this evening, after dinner. It will be her family present.

I asked Connor for some pocket money, so I could find something for Linnet. She’s my only family, now. It’s the summer after her fourteenth birthday, so she should be getting something special. I couldn’t go into the shops to look — too afraid someone would recognize me. So Connor brought me a lovely little star pendant for her. Thinking of it, I rise and rummage through my drawer, find the linen package.

After washing my hands and face, I’m pulling on my dress when I feel a surge of magic. It dances along my nerves and chitters like demons. The whole room seems to hum with it, and I hear a cry from Julianna.

Tripping over my feet, I rush to Julianna’s bedchamber. I find her huddled in her bed, clutching her middle. She looks at me through tangled blond hair.

I can still feel the spell humming.

“Rhia, call for Hugh! I can’t — I need all my strength. Quick! Help me — help me fight this off. I have to concentrate on the baby.” And she curls further over.

I can see a blue aura surrounding her, through a haze of brown and purple fog that seems to be seeping into the room.

I start to send to Hugh, to work with the shields on the room as he taught me, and find those shields in tatters. I can feel the ends waving loose, the foreign spell charging through. My sending is not gentle. I feel him jump, start to run, his questions in my head.

What happened? Who is doing this?

Gantry. It must be
, I send, and I’m sure I’m right, but I have no proof. When he asks how, I try to send some thought of demons, but my mind blanks and I can’t breathe, and I’m holding the doorway for balance.

Julianna glances up. “What’s happening? Where’s Hugh?”

“Coming,” I gasp, and concentrate on trying to weave the ends of the room shield together, make a barrier for Julianna, push the demon spell out. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I work on instinct, which Hugh always tells me is my friend.