Thief (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 1) (34 page)

“But surely the king will …”

“The king is being poisoned,” Brenna interrupted the duchess. “He doesn’t have much time to live.”

“How do you know this?” Neal turned sharp eyes on her and Brenna held his gaze.

“Because I’m healer born and trained. My mother was Duke Thorold’s healer.” Brenna smiled grimly. “I believe Duke Thorold forced her to devise the poison, but of course we have no proof.”

“What about your mother?” Neal asked.

“She’s dead,” Brenna said. “She was killed by Thorold shortly after she gave him the poison.”

“Surely there’s a way to give the king an antidote?” Avery asked.

“We tried.” Kane ran a hand wearily through his hair. “Brenna made one and we left it with my uncle to administer secretly. But he was caught. My Uncle Feiren is dead.”

Brenna felt a sob catch in her throat and she looked down. She felt Kane grasp her hand. She squeezed his hand and looked back up at Duchess Avery.

“How did this happen and when?” Neal demanded. “We would have heard.”

“It was last night,” Brenna whispered, remembering. “I killed him. Thorold and the High Bishop were torturing him, so I killed him. He asked me to. Both Feiren and Kane asked me to.”  Kane’s grip on her hand tightened and she looked up at him through teary eyes. He didn’t seem to blame her for his uncles’ death, but she blamed herself. She should have been able to do more.

“Kane, I’m very sorry,” Avery said. “This is sad news. Feiren Rowse was a very fine man. How did you kill him? And how do you know it was Thorold and Valden?” Avery’s face was guarded.

“I don’t know how,” Brenna said. She couldn’t explain her affinity with old steel. They wouldn’t believe her anyway. “But I was there. I felt every cut, every bruise, and every drop of Feiren’s blood they spilt. I
saw
Thorold and Valden. I’m sure.” Brenna sank back into her chair. She was tired. Couldn’t they ask her their questions in the morning? Neal and Kane were both tense and glaring at each other.

“Stop it you two,” Brenna said. “I’m dead tired of fighting.”

Kane nodded and settled back into his chair. “You’re right Brenna. I’ve had my fill of fighting as well. Besides, we pose no a threat to Aruntun. We’re simply looking for refuge.”

Avery looked at Kane before her gaze finally rested on Brenna. “Come now, Kane. Of course you’re a threat. The former Captain of the Kingsguard, in the company of a Seer who happens to be the most powerful witch I’ve ever heard of?” Avery’s look was serious. “Do you want to know why we’re here, along this particular stretch of border?”

“I had wondered,” Kane said. “It’s quite a coincidence.”

“It’s not even close to a coincidence,” Avery said. “Two weeks ago, my daughter Laurel, who is a Seer, had a vision. She couldn’t be specific, which we thought unusual at the time but makes perfect sense now.”  Avery pinned Brenna with her gaze. “We’re not sure why, but one Seer can never clearly See events that pertain to another. It’s unusual to have more than two or three Seers alive at any one time and even rarer for them to have visions about one another. Yes, Brenna you are uncommon even in Aruntun.

“The vision showed the general time and place where we had to be,” Avery continued. “But my daughter could not determine anything else. And then last night.” Avery paused and Brenna saw her shudder slightly. “Those who are trained in the use of magics felt it the most but all of us who are sensitive felt a burst of uncontrolled power. There was so much power we feared the barriers along the border were destroyed.”

“Which is exactly what I thought when you two slipped past them,” Neal said. “But when the group following you was stopped I knew you were the reason we were out here.”

“And now you think I’m a threat,” Brenna said. “You say I have all this power. I don’t even know how to use it, really.” Brenna looked at Kane.

“Brenna’s not the threat,” Kane said. “But there is a great threat to Soule. I’ll tell you the same thing I told Duke Ewart a few days ago. You must go to Kingsreach. Take your rightful place at the king’s council table. Thorold has a complete hold on Valden and no doubt the new Captain of the Kingsguard will also be his man. While he’s still able to rule, Mattias must have voices of reason to council him.”

Avery sat back and sighed. “I must think about your request. Thorold’s note said that you resigned in disgrace over a mere thief. I see now that she is not a ‘mere’ anything.” Avery looked at Brenna. “And what about you, Brenna? What is it you want?”

Brenna licked her lips before answering. She and Kane had only discussed finding a safe haven in Aruntun. Hopefully some where they could build support with the Brotherhood. She couldn’t very well tell the duchess that without telling her everything else.

“I want to learn,” she said. “About magic, about Seeing, about healing. And anything else you want to teach me. I don’t want to be a threat to you or the people of Aruntun, and if I’m not trained properly, I always will be.” Kane squeezed her hand and she sighed in relief. Duchess Avery smiled and then she knew she’d said just the right thing. And she did want to learn. She promised Kane she’d use
all
of her abilities. How else was she going to defeat Duke Thorold?

“I think we can arrange that Brenna,” Duchess Avery said. “I know just who to put in charge of your training. Kane, I’m assuming you’ll go with Brenna?”

Kane nodded and Brenna relaxed. She hadn’t been sure he’d come with her. She thought he might need to do something more important, now that his uncle was gone.

Neal showed them where their packs had been placed and Brenna and Kane silently spread their bedrolls. Brenna took her small pack and tucked it under her head. She was comforted by Kane’s even breathing close by and the feel of the mortar and pestle and coronet beneath her head. She let her awareness of old steel expand out past Kane’s and her possessions, past their own campsite, with its pinpricks of light, past Barton, in the foothills close by, until she saw dots of light scattered all across Soule, this time including Aruntun. Brenna smiled and rolled over. In a few minutes she was asleep.

Acknowledgement

It’s true what first time novelists say – so many people helped me get this book this far.

Caro Soles’ ‘How to Write a Novel’ class at George Brown College was instrumental in helping me plot not just this book, but the entire 3 book series.

Deb, Rick and Soula – we never came up with a name so we always just called it “The Writing Group” – had the patience to wade through all the smiling and nodding my characters did in the very first draft. If there’s still too much of that, the fault is mine, not theirs.

Nalo Hopkinson and the Humber School for Writer’s helped me refine my style and characters.

My first reader – Heike Zabel – who made me change the ending “because you can’t end it like that!” So I did and it works better now, I think. (No one else is going to see that ending so you have to trust me.)

And to friends and family who kept asking how the book was going so I always had to have a good answer. (I gave up was not going to be an acceptable response – so I didn’t give up.)

JG Toronto 2012