Borrowed Magic (7 page)

“Really?” he sneered.

And then Daric and Philip were in front of
her. “If you touch Lady Maren again, you’ll have me to deal with
personally,” Philip said.

“You’ll have to get in line behind me,”
Daric insisted. Then he turned to the soldiers behind him. “Please
escort King Senred out of the hall. He’s no longer welcome.”

Once the doors closed behind them, Maren
leaned heavily against the table. That had hurt more than it
should, more than it would have a week ago.

“Maren? Are you all right?” Daric’s arm was
around her waist, leading her to the door.

She straightened. “I’m fine. He’s just…he’s
just awful.”

She stepped towards the door but heard
Philip call her name. She couldn’t deal with him right now,
couldn’t answer questions that were too painful, so she pretended
not to hear. Even when he called a second time.

“Philip, let her go,” Daric said, sounding
tired but resigned. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Six

It truly was an impressive sight.
Philip’s men, in their navy uniforms trimmed in silver, lounged
about the yard, waiting for the signal to form into perfect
columns. They were heading out to various corners of the kingdom
where Daric needed them as a result of the meeting with the kings.
It had only taken two days for all the visiting monarchs to leave.
It hadn’t even taken that long for rumors to spread about why – and
tensions were running high.

Earlier today, Daric had met with his ruling
nobles to discuss options for rebuilding the kingdom. Maren hadn’t
heard what was decided. No matter what role she played during the
siege, no matter that Daric still listened to her, even sought out
her advice, the Council had cut her off from anything official. All
she knew was the army was leaving today.

She looked over the soldiers, hoping to
glean some kind of information. Philip’s captains huddled together,
probably discussing locations and travel routes. Teige was there,
which accounted for the pain in her shoulder.

The only person she couldn’t see was
Philip.

A quick scan of the courtyard found him. He
leaned against a stone wall off to one side. His arms were crossed
over his chest and his lips were pressed into a thin line.
Everything about him said he wanted to be alone.

He stood as still as the wall behind him,
obviously deep in thought. Probably planning. Deciding the best
place to put soldiers, which captains should be assigned where.

Just like the day she’d seen him with his
men, she felt as if this were the real Philip, grown into the man
he should be. Realizing this was a Philip she didn’t know, would
probably never know, was more painful than she could have imagined.
It was as if she’d lost something she couldn’t live without, and
yet she had to.

She couldn’t watch anymore.

Moving towards where Daric and Adare stood,
she glanced over her shoulder one more time.

And that’s when Philip saw her.

He immediately shoved himself away from the
wall and headed her direction, a determined look in his eye.

Her heart raced and she kept moving, hoping
he wouldn’t catch up to her before she reached the others. She’d
avoided him since the meeting with the kings, hoping to escape his
questions about what happened while he was gone and the injury that
had sent her to the monarchs for help. And she couldn’t answer
those questions today, not after seeing him that way, not feeling
the way she felt right now.

“Maren.”

She didn’t stop, keeping her eyes on Daric
and Adare, who had just stepped out of the castle.

“Maren, I know you can hear me.”

Everything in her wanted to keep walking,
but she just couldn’t.

“Maren, please,” he begged. “You can’t avoid
me forever. I want to talk to you.”

She spun around. “What is there to talk
about? Daric already told you everything.”

He reached out and gently took her left
hand. He could have taken either, but he took the left, the one on
the side Kern injured. “Daric doesn’t know the answer to the one
thing I want to know the most.”

He squeezed her hand, not hard, just enough
to know he was in earnest. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me the other
day when I grabbed your arm and hurt you?” A brief look of inner
pain clouded his eyes. “And why did you do it? Why you? Why not
someone else?”

She looked down at his fingers laced through
hers and felt her heart constrict. But the words wouldn’t come. She
didn’t know where to begin, especially now, with people all around
them and her emotions so close to the surface.

“I...I don’t—” Whatever she might have said
next was lost as the pain in her shoulder bloomed worse than ever.
She stiffened and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Maren?” Philip was genuinely worried. She
could hear it in his voice, feel it in the pressure of his hand on
her waist.

She let out the breath she’d been holding.
Now that the initial shock of the pain was gone, it was
bearable.

“I’ll be all right. It’s not like it hasn’t
happened before.”

“But—”

“Philip, I think we’re ready for you.”
Teige’s voice didn’t surprise her, but a look of annoyance crossed
Philip’s features.

“Of course,” he said. “I’ll be right there.
I just need to help Lady Maren over to the queen. She’s feeling a
little light headed.”

Teige was immediately all concern. “I’ll
come with you. The king wanted a word with us before he addresses
the soldiers.”

Philip pulled her hand through his arm. It
gave her something to lean on, but since Teige fell into place on
her other side, she didn’t get any relief as they made their way to
where Daric and Adare stood.

“Here,” Adare said, eyes creased with worry
and pointing to the chair next to her. “I’ve saved you a seat.”

Maren sank into it gratefully, both for the
relief and because it meant she didn’t have to be so close to
Philip – or Teige.

“So, is everything ready?” Daric asked.

“Yes.” Philip glanced her direction, but
only for a second. “Teige said you wanted a word?”

“Yes.” Daric motioned his guard and a few
others to leave them for a moment. Then he turned back to Philip.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk since the Council meeting this
morning, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t have any
questions.”

“I think I’m up to speed,” Philip said,
running a hand down his face. “Montagu is an obvious threat,
especially after how Senred behaved and knowing the relationship
between the two of them. Besides, Montagu’s always hated you,
always questioned your ability as king. Not to mention he feels
your father stole the crown from him. He definitely needs
watching.”

Maren thought Montagu needed more than
watching, but an army along the border would be enough for now.

“And Beaumont and Alton are also a concern,”
Philip continued. “Although I’m a little less clear as to why.”

Daric looked over at her and raised his
brows. “Maren?”

She took a deep breath and avoided looking
at Philip. “Montagu ignored Daric’s summon before the siege
started, but Beaumont and Alton were never even asked. They’re
greedy and selfish, but not quite enough to sell out their country.
Or destroy their own lands.”

Philip’s eyes widened. “So you only summoned
the Lords you were worried would betray you. They were the ones
trapped inside the walls.”

Daric nodded. “We knew the ones like
Beaumont and Alton had too much self preservation to see their
lands go to ruin. We also knew we’d need those resources if the
siege ever ended.”

“And now they don’t want to give you those
resources. Typical.” A small crease formed between Philip’s eyes.
“But Beaumont and Alton are an annoyance compared to Montagu. He
hates you. He wouldn’t come when summoned – as if he knew what was
coming.”

“Exactly as if he knew what was coming,”
Daric said and then paused, adding emphasis to his next words. “And
that no one would come to our aid.”

“Wait,” Teige said. “You believe the other
kings collectively decided not to help Tredare?”

Daric nodded. “Led by Senred, or bullied by
him. And with the threat of Lord Kern hanging over them.”

“And how did Montagu plan on dealing with
Kern afterwards?” Teige asked. “Did he think Kern would ignore them
once he’d taken Tredare?”

“We don’t know,” Daric said. “Maybe Montagu
planned on uniting the kingdoms at that point and fighting against
Kern.”

Philip folded his arms over
his chest. “Or maybe Kern promised them something if they left
Tredare to fight alone. It
was
Daric he wanted to hurt for trapping him in that
tomb.”

“Yes, it was.” Teige said, his voice tight
with anger, as if the thought of Kern taking revenge on Daric was
too much.

“So keep as many eyes as possible on Montagu
and make sure Beaumont and Alton stay in line?” Philip asked.
“Anything else?”

“No,” Daric said. “At least not for now. My
guess is that Montagu will stew in silence while he makes plans.
Beaumont and Alton may be a bit…louder.”

Philip chuckled. “They didn’t look too
pleased at the idea of contributing to the rebuilding process.”

Daric grinned. “I particularly enjoyed
Beamont’s expression when I told him I didn’t need to counsel him
before making the decision.”

“It was almost as good as when you gave that
veiled threat to Montagu,” Philip laughed. “I wish at the time I’d
fully understood just how good it was.”

“Daric, you didn’t,” Adare scolded.

“I did,” he grinned. “I hinted that I knew
about his smuggling and ties with Senred and suggested there were
lesser nobles to whom I would gladly give his lands to.”

“Now that’s something I wish I could have
seen,” Maren said.

Daric walked over and put a hand on her arm.
“I can’t change hundreds of years of tradition overnight, Maren. I
wish I could. I wish you could have been there more than
anyone.”

“At least you tell me what happened,” she
said. “That’s something.”

He turned to Philip. “Well, I think that’s
everything.”

Philip nodded. “It shouldn’t be a
problem.”

“I’ll miss your company, Philip,” Adare
said, throwing a sideways glance Maren’s direction. “How long will
you be gone?”

He smiled. “Just a week or two. You’ll
hardly even notice.”

“I don’t know about that.” Adare smiled.
“But I’ll survive. A week or two isn’t long at all.”

Maren felt a week or two wasn’t nearly long
enough – but at least it put off Philip’s inevitable questions for
a little bit longer.

“Did you still want to address the
soldiers?” Philip asked Daric.

“Whenever it’s convenient.”

Philip turned to his army, now in perfectly
formed columns facing Daric. He held up his hand and immediate
silence settled over the courtyard.

Daric faced the men who had freed the city
and smiled. “I owe my eternal gratitude to Lord Philip and what
he’s done. Without his tireless efforts to recruit all of you, to
train you into such an efficient army, to show you bravery and help
you become the men you could be, I wouldn’t be standing here today.
I also want to thank Lord Teige, who I know was only second to Lord
Philip in accomplishing such a miraculous defeat over Kern.

“And now I’m sending you out to help us
again. This time not to defeat an evil mage, but to rebuild this
remarkable kingdom and celebrate a people who never lost hope.

“I want Tredare to be even greater than
before. I want a kingdom we can all be proud of. I want to be able
to forget Kern and what he’s done. I want it to be as if he never
existed, as if he never left such an evil mark on our lives.”

A huge roar went up from the crowd, and
Maren felt true hope for the first time since the siege ended –
until she saw Teige. He smiled, just like the rest of the crowd,
only it didn’t feel right. As if his mind was elsewhere. She
followed his gaze and realized it was fixed on Daric.

Something in that stare, an intensity she
couldn’t describe, made Maren’s stomach clench in apprehension.

She glanced at Philip to see if he’d
noticed, but he was looking the other way, and by the time she
turned back to Teige, he was cheering with the rest of the
crowd.

Had she imagined that look? Maybe she was
letting her pain, and the fact that Teige was the cause, color her
perception of reality.

A few minutes later, the last column of
soldiers filed through the gate. Teige had led them out. Philip
rode behind.

He looked back over his shoulder and bowed
briefly to Daric and Adare and then cast a last fleeting glance at
her before he disappeared. Seeing him, realizing he was leading
soldiers not into war, but almost certainly into hostile territory,
almost made her wish she’d answered his questions.

Because the overwhelming hope she’d felt for
that fleeting second was gone, replaced by an overwhelming fear.
And she didn’t even know what to be afraid of.

Seven

As hard as she’d tried, Maren
hadn’t been able to shake her unease about Teige and the brief look
she’d seen on his face. Part of her wondered if her injury was
making her delusional, allowing fear of what was happening to her
to affect her sanity. It had eaten at her for days, and she finally
decided to talk to Daric.

He sat around the Council
table with his advisors and looked more than restless. He’d always
liked
doing
better than talking.

Leaning back in his chair, his fingers
drumming against the table, he eventually glanced over and saw her,
smiling in a way that made her know exactly what he’d do next.

“Gentleman.” He placed his hands on the
table and rose to his feet. “Lady Maren needs to speak with me
about something that can’t wait. Would you please excuse us?”