Arcanius (33 page)

“You saw this?”

“I saw enough. He cares nothing for you or Avondale or anything except for power.”

“No one can be king without the support of the nine cities,” the earl said.

“
King
Leonosis,” Brutas said, emphasizing the word king again, “doesn’t need support. He controls everything and everyone around him.”

“Think about it, Father,” Tiberius said. “Leo goes to Sparlan Citadel, marries the princess, the king’s heir dies, then days later the king dies. And what’s even more incredible is that all the earls unanimously supported Leo as the new king. Something isn’t right.”

“No, it isn’t. There’s a reason why magic is outlawed in Valana,” the earl said angrily. “You were wrong to seek it out.”

“No he wasn’t,” Lexi said. “He was courageous. And his magic saved your life, remember?”

“How do I know that he didn’t use his magic to make me ill in the first place?”

The earl’s words were like a knife in Tiberius’ heart. He had never known his father’s love, but Tiberius had always been loyal. The fact that his father didn’t trust him now was devastating.

“We’ll leave,” Tiberius said. “But be warned. If you allow Leonosis into the city, he’ll destroy you and everything you care about.”

“He’s your brother,” the earl said angrily.

“And so is he,” Tiberius said, pointing to Brutas. “But that didn’t stop him from bringing the king’s soldiers into Avondale and putting you in chains. Leonosis will do much worse unless I stop him.”

“I won’t let you leave,” the earl said. “It isn’t safe.”

“Don’t,” Tiberius said. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other.”

“You are my son and you will do as I say,” the earl shouted, his face red with rage.

Tiberius was dumbfounded and just watched in silence as his father stormed out of the audience hall. Brutas cackled again, and his guards moved a little closer. Tiberius felt a sense of despair, but he tried not to let it show.

“Come on,” he said quietly to Lexi. “We can’t waste anymore time.”

They left the hall, moving as quickly as Tiberius’ back would allow, toward the long corridor that led to the city walls. Tiberius sent a servant to tell Olyva to meet them in the war ship. Tiberius didn’t want to fight his father or use his magic to hurt the soldiers who had sworn their oaths to obey Earl Ageus, but he wouldn’t let his father keep him from leaving Avondale.

“What are we going to do if he sends troops to stop us?” Lexi asked.

“Once we get to the war ship, it won’t matter,” Tiberius said.

“And if we don’t make it to the ship?”

Tiberius looked at her and then looked down.

“I don’t want to fight my father.”

“If he keeps us here, we may have to, Ti.”

“I know that,” he replied. “I’m just hoping that won’t be the case.”

“Tiberius!” came a familiar voice.

Ti and Lexi both turned to find Rafe hurrying toward him with Olyva by his side.

“You weren’t leaving without saying goodbye, were you?” Rafe asked.

“We don’t have much choice. We have to get to the war ship,” Tiberius explained. “My father is trying to stop us from leaving.”

“I know. He sent me to make sure you didn’t leave yet.”

“Rafe, please, I know you are serving my father, but you can’t stop us from leaving.”

“Think for a minute, Tiberius,” Rafe said quietly. “Your father knows what he’s doing.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Tiberius argued. “He refuses to believe a word I say.”

“Think about who was in the room with you,” Rafe said quietly.

Tiberius started to argue again, but then it hit him. What if Brutas was somehow communicating with Leonosis? He didn’t know how it could be done, but it was possible. And if Leo somehow knew about that confrontation, then he would believe that their father was opposed to Tiberius and Ti’s plan to leave in search of the other stones of power.

“We have to do this the right way,” Rafe said, his voice almost a whisper. “We don’t know who we can trust.”

“What’s he mean?” Lexi asked Tiberius.

“My father told you this?” Ti asked.

“He sent for me as soon as he left you in the audience hall. Tiberius, please come back with me.”

“Tiberius?” Lexi said.

“It’s possible that Brutas was somehow communicating with Leonosis,” Tiberius tried to explain. “And my father was simply pretending to be angry so that no one would know that we were leaving Avondale.”

Lexi looked unconvinced, but Rafe was nodding approvingly. Tiberius wanted to believe Rafe. He wanted to believe that his father hadn’t really turned on him and accused him of treachery, but he couldn’t be sure. Under normal circumstances Tiberius was almost positive that he could fight his way out of Avondale, but with the unhealed wound in his back, he could barely walk without support from Lexi. And if he was wrong about his father, he would be putting Lexi and Olyva at risk—perhaps even Rafe, too. And worse yet, even though he might be able to fight his way out of the city, he might lose the Balestone in the process.

He wasn’t sure what to do, and in his mind he struggled with so many conflicting emotions. There was part of Tiberius that wanted nothing more than his father’s approval. But another part of his mind knew that getting away from Avondale as quickly as possible was by far the best bet.

“I think maybe we should go back,” Tiberius said.

“Are you sure?” Lexi asked.

“No, I’m not sure, but if my father is willing to help, it might mean the difference between success and failure.”

“All right,” Lexi said. “I trust you.”

“Let me help him,” Rafe said, lifting one of Tiberius’ arms over his broad shoulders. “Why didn’t you just heal your back?”

“He can’t,” Lexi said.

“It’s the Balestone,” Tiberius explained. “I can’t heal anything it destroys.”

“I’m sorry I betrayed you,” Rafe said, as they shuffled back toward the palace. “I don’t know how that happened.”

“It’s the stone,” Tiberius said. “It’s evil.”

“And now look at you,” Rafe said. “You can hardly walk.”

“I’ll have time to heal as we travel south.”

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Rafe said.

“I wish you were going with me.”

Rafe looked down.

“I understand,” Tiberius said. “I don’t hold it against you.”

“I wish everything were different,” Rafe said.

“Me, too,” Rafe agreed.

“If you two don’t stop it, I’m going to start crying,” Lexi said.

“And then I’ll cry,” Olyva added with a giggle.

“Maybe we’d all feel better after a good cry,” Rafe said in a mocking tone.

“Don’t make me laugh,” Tiberius said through gritted teeth. “It hurts too much.”

When they finally got back into the palace, Rafe took Tiberius upstairs to the earl’s private study. Earl Ageus was pacing inside, but when Rafe opened the door, he hurried over to Tiberius, looking relieved.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked with uncharacteristic compassion.

Tiberius nodded.

“Help him sit down,” the earl said, as he closed the door behind them. “We have a lot to plan for and not very much time.”

Chapter 37

Tiberius

Rafe helped Tiberius into the chair. His back was hurting so badly that it was hard to concentrate on anything but the pain. Lexi, Rafe, and Olyva gathered around Tiberius, but the earl paced. Tiberius couldn’t remember ever seeing his father look so intense, and he couldn’t tell whether the earl was worried or excited.

“I have a plan to buy you time,” the earl finally said. “I’m sending the king’s soldiers back to Sparlan Citadel with news about Brutas’ failed coup.”

“How does that buy me time?” Tiberius said.

“You wanted your brother to think you were here,” Earl Ageus said. “The soldiers will hear the rumor before they leave. I’ve already begun to spread the word that I’m protecting you here. Once night falls, we’ll secret you up to the remaining war ship. You can leave the city without anyone knowing.”

“That’s a good plan,” Rafe said.

“My only concern,” the earl went on, “is that you mentioned that your brother knew about this Balestone.”

“He did,” Tiberius explained. “When we arrived at Hamill Keep, I went up the mountain with Rafe and Olyva. But I left the Balestone with Lexi, who stayed below the mists with our horses. Yet Earl Marcus knew about the Balestone. He wanted to send me to Sparlan Citadel and he was adamant that I take the stone with me.”

“Yes, well, then we have to assume your brother—or whatever creature is using him—can sense this stone. If that’s the case, you may need to leave it here.”

“That’s not a good idea,” Tiberius said.

“Why not?” Rafe asked.

“Because the stone is evil,” Tiberius tried to explain. “It wants someone to wield its power and it will influence whoever has it in their possession.”

“It shouldn’t even be touched,” Lexi agreed.

“We could lock it away,” the earl suggested. “It would be guarded day and night.”

Tiberius was leery. His greatest fear was that the stone would fall into the wrong hands, but he knew his father had a point. If he could hide the stone in Avondale, it would lend credence to the lie that Earl Ageus was hiding Tiberius in the city.

“If I leave it, no one can know where it is,” Tiberius said. “Not even you, Father.”

“I accept that provision. Hide it wherever you like.”

“And if Leo comes looking for me, he’ll bring an army with him,” Tiberius went on. “He won’t be the same person you knew.”

“I feared that was a possibility,” the earl said. “But I need to try and persuade him to cast off this creature that is using him.”

“He might already be dead,” Olyva said. “My father was.”

“Yes, I know.” The earl sounded sad. “Yet he is my son, and I must try. Tiberius, for too long I have only thought about myself. I can’t say I’m glad you turned to magic. In truth, I’m still struggling with that, but I’m proud of the man you have become. I meant what I said earlier—when all this is over, you have a place here. Avondale needs an earl like you.”

Tiberius looked away so that none of the others would see the tears in his eyes. His father continued outlining the plan.

“Now, I hate to split you up, but I need your help. Rafe has already volunteered to stay with me. I will put him in charge of the defense of our city. But if your brother wages war on us, I need someone to lead our people out of harm’s way. Olyva, would you be willing to do that?”

Everyone looked at Olyva. Tiberius was surprised, but he could see the wisdom in his father’s plan. Olyva could lead the people of Avondale down the mountain and out into the plain. She was ideally suited for the task.

“It’s a good idea,” Tiberius said.

“It would give us a little more time together,” Rafe said. “And there is no one better to lead the city down into the blighted lands.”

Olyva didn’t speak. She looked from Rafe to Tiberius, the conflict she felt making her forehead pinch as she wrestled with the decision. Then she nodded.

“Good!” the earl said. “Are the blighted lands as vibrant and fertile as the Countess Mauryn tells me?”

“They are, Father, even more than she knows,” Tiberius said.

“We’ve been fools for so long,” the earl said to himself. “Well, it’s time we change that. We have so much to do, but Robere is seeing to your provisions, Tiberius. He’ll accompany you south. Once you find what you need to destroy the Balestone, you must return here. I’ll hold your brother at bay for as long as I can, but I won’t sacrifice the city needlessly.”

“I will,” Tiberius said.

“Rest yourself this afternoon,” the earl went on. “When night falls, I will see you out to the war ship personally.”

“Thank you, Father,” Tiberius said.

“Yes, thank you, my lord,” Lexi added.

“It is the least I can do. We cannot let Valana fall into the hands of a monster,” the earl said as he walked toward the door. “Even if I created it.”

He added the last sentence in a whisper, but Tiberius heard it. Even though he’d lived almost his entire life without his father’s love, it was hard to see his father so distraught.

“Nothing left now but to get ready,” Rafe said. “Unless you need me for something else?”

“No,” Tiberius said. “We all have things to do. Good luck.”

“You, too.”

Rafe escorted Olyva out of the room, and Tiberius was left with Lexi. She sat down in a seat opposite Tiberius’ chair. They didn’t speak for a while. Tiberius tried to keep his emotions in check. He was terrified of setting out on his own, but not because of the danger. He was afraid that he couldn’t do what needed to be done on his own. He was glad that Lexi would be with him, but it felt wrong to be leaving Avondale without Rafe and Olyva.

“I wish they were going with us,” Lexi finally said.