Cold Magics (55 page)

“And Steven?”

“His father’s lands haven’t been touched, and are far from the attacks.” Henry shook his head. “He’s probably just in it for the chance to fight.”

“He must have been furious to miss the battle.”

“How do you mean?”

“The lords looked like they hadn’t slept all night,” said Thomas. “But none of them had blood on their clothes and none of them were hurt.”

“They changed?” suggested Henry.

Thomas shook his head. “Same clothes as they wore to the banquet. How did they stay out of it?”

“John would have given the order,” said Henry, his voice low and angry. “And John would have known how to let someone into the castle without being seen.”

He reached for his wine cup and found it empty. He stared at it a moment, then threw it across the room, shattering the clay against the stone of the fireplace. The noise woke George, who struggled to sit up, his hand reaching for a sword that wasn’t there.

Henry looked at the map one more time. “We need to find Richard.”

He didn’t make them leave at once. They finished the food first—George eating the lion’s share of what remained—then Henry ordered them to get their winter clothes back on in case Richard wasn’t in the castle. Thomas rolled up the map and handed it to Eileen.

“Are we ready?” asked Henry.

“Aye,” said Thomas. “I think so.”

“Then blades out, and come with me,” said Henry, drawing his sword.

It was a grim party that made their way through the hallways, swords drawn and at the ready. They first looked for Richard in the great hall, but found only the wounded and those attending them. Henry questioned several of the servants and tracked his brother to the duke’s council chamber. The door was open wide and Richard was inside with a half-dozen older nobles, looking over a map of the city and surrounding area. Two guards wearing full armour and the image of the bear on their chests stepped forward to block the door.

“Richard!” called Henry. “Ask them to step aside!”

“Why do they need to step aside?” asked Richard, still looking at the map. He looked up a moment later. “Why do you have a sword out?”

“To ensure we arrived in one piece,” said Henry, sheathing his sword. “I need a moment of your time. Family matter.”

Richard’s eyes went to Thomas. “If it’s about that one’s behaviour, it can wait.”

“No, it can’t.”

“Henry—”

“
Richard
,” Henry pushed past the knights and stepped into the room. “Whatever you are doing, this is more important.”

“He is arranging the defences of the city,” snapped one of the nobles. “I hardly think—”

“I’ve spent all night
being
the defences of the city,” said Henry. “And I need to talk to Richard.
Now
.”

Richard looked from Henry to Thomas and back. “Right, then. Gentlemen, we will finish this discussion later. If you will excuse me.”

“Your father—” began one of the barons, but Richard cut him off.

“My father is currently unconscious, having been burnt and cut open defending you,” said Richard. “So you will have to bear with my way of doing things until he regains his strength. Now, if you please…” He gestured to the door and the barons bowed and made their exits, several of them still grumbling.

“Now, what is it?” demanded Richard. “And it had better not be to defend Thomas there, because what he did—”

“Was arrest a nest of traitors,” said Henry. “And you let them go. Very clever.”

“Traitors?”

“Traitors,” repeated Henry. “Thomas?”

Thomas spread the map out on the table.

“Notice anything?” asked Henry.

“It’s a map of the attacks.”

“Aye,” said Henry. “Notice anything else?”

“No.”

“Thomas did,” said Henry, and proceeded to lay out all of Thomas’s speculations for his older brother. Thomas saw Richard go pale as Henry pointed out which nobles stood to gain lands and power from the attacks.

“That is… very hard to believe,” said Richard when Henry finished. He looked to Thomas. “Are you sure about this?”

“As sure as I can be without solid proof,” said Thomas.

“I see.” Richard chewed on his lower lip a moment. “All right, I’ll give the order to have your men released from arrest and the lords confined to chambers,” said Richard. “We will question them later today.”

“Sooner would be better,” said Henry.

“I’m a little busy right now,” Richard said. “If we don’t get the wounded treated, they’ll die, and if we don’t do something about the refugees, this city is going to go up in smoke. Or maybe you didn’t notice the riot?”

“I was in the middle of the riot,” snapped Henry. “And we need to arrest the lords and we need to arrest their leader before they let the enemy in the castle again.”

“Their leader?”

“John,” said Henry. “John let the enemy into the city, and he let them into the castle.”

Richard blinked. “John?”

“Who commands the young nobles?” said Henry.

“John,” repeated Richard, looking at the map. “Of course. Of course it was him. How stupid…” he stopped, staring at the map. “Right. This goes no further than this room, understand? We tell no one anything until I speak to John.”

“Last I saw him, he was lying on a table in the great hall, last night,” said Thomas. “He looked pretty bad.”

“He was,” said Richard, “but not so bad that he didn’t insist on going back to his apartments. And now I know why. Little bastard wanted to hide until the smoke had cleared. Probably was hoping we’d both be killed in the attack.”

Richard struck the table with a fist and then turned away, stomping to the end of the room and keeping his back turned. “Henry.”

“Aye?”

“How is the city?”

“Calm for now.”

“Put your men on rotating watches and then get some sleep. Thomas, you too. If there are any of the enemy left in the city, they’ll probably hide during the day and attack tonight. I want you both fresh and ready.”

“Right,” said Henry.

“Thomas?”

“Aye?”

“I’m assigning two knights to watch you at all times while you’re inside the castle. If John has any idea that this is going on, he’ll be coming for you.”

“Aye. I mean, yes, my lord,” said Thomas. “What about George and Eileen? He might come after them, too.”

“George will be with the Wolves,” said Richard. “He’ll be as safe there as anywhere on the battlefield. Eileen can stay with you for the time being.” He looked past Thomas’s shoulder. “From what I hear she may be suitable to be one of your bodyguards. Now go and sleep, all of you. I’ll see you in the evening.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“And Henry?”

“Aye?”

“Send in my knights.”

“Aye.”

Henry did as he was told before leading the others back down the hall. “Thomas, go see your men. Tell them they’re released under Richard’s orders, and that if they are smart, they’ll get themselves some food, then get back and sleep the rest of the day. George and Lawrence, come with me.”

“You be careful, all right?” said Thomas. “The last thing I need is to have to go rescue you lot.”

“We will,” promised George. “You, too.”

They split up. Thomas and Eileen headed to the students’ barracks. Thomas argued with the guards at the door, but they wouldn’t let him in. It wasn’t until the arrival of one of Richard’s knights with a message setting the students free that the guards opened the door and left. Thomas stepped in, Eileen beside him, closing the door to keep the cold out.

Mark turned first to the door. “Thomas!” he cried, bringing all those who could walk to their feet. “What’s going on? Why are we locked in here?”

“Stupidity,” said Thomas, “now resolved. The door is open, the guards are gone, and the lords that I had you guarding are now under arrest.”

“What for?” demanded another of the students.

“Letting the enemy into the city and the castle,” said Thomas. His eyes finally adjusted and he found that all the surviving students were there, including the wounded and a man he didn’t recognize. “And you are?”

“Lewis,” said the man, standing. “A healer.”

“Thank you,” said Thomas. A quick survey showed eleven men in condition to fight, though all had cuts and bruises. Seven others were injured and lying on the beds, including the one who lost his hand. Another man—Wilson, Thomas remembered—had a bandage covering half his head.
Which means six dead
, Thomas realized.
What are we going to tell their parents?

He would ask Henry later, he decided. To the healer, he said, “How bad are they?”

“Some are worse than others.” He said. He pointed at Wilson. “This one will live, though his eye is gone and his face is badly damaged. These two,” the healer indicated the men on the beds, bandages wrapped tightly around their midsections, “had their bellies opened up. They may or may not live.”

“And the others?”

“Should live, if the Mother allows.”

Thomas nodded. He looked to the two severely wounded ones. “How long do they have?”

“Don’t know,” said the healer. “Maybe two days, maybe a week.”

“Today?”

“Unlikely,” said the healer. “The wounds are stitched as best I can, but the body poisons itself when the intestines are opened. The fever will be what takes them. If they had more blood in them, perhaps they might survive.”

Thomas stared at the young men on the beds. He could heal them, he knew, at least partially, but to do so might leave him too weak to do magic if the enemy came again.

“I thank you,” said Thomas. “And will ask you to keep vigil on them tonight. Do what you can to keep them strong.”

“Thomas,” Eileen began, “Couldn’t you…”

“No,” said Thomas. “Not now.”

“Couldn’t he what?” asked Mark.

“Nothing,” said Thomas even as Eileen opened her mouth. “There’s nothing I can do for them now. I will look in on them tomorrow morning.”

“Assuming they’re alive,” said one of the other students.

“Assuming any of us are alive,” said Thomas. He looked over the remaining students. “Right, since all squad leaders are alive, we’ll turn into three squads of four. Marcus, you’ll partner with me. Anyone else who doesn’t have a partner, find a new one.”

“What about Alex?” asked Mark. “Will he partner with you?”

“Alex is staying in the castle tonight,” said Thomas. “Lord Henry’s orders.”

“Lucky you,” said another student. Eileen looked at her shoes and said nothing.

“Chances are nothing will happen tonight,” said Thomas, as much for Eileen’s benefit as for the students’. “Even so, get as much rest as you can, and make sure you get your dinner. There’s no sense going hungry if we don’t have to.”

They trudged back across the courtyard, Thomas feeling weary to his bones, despite the four hour nap. Eileen, walking beside him, was staring at the ground. When they were halfway across she asked, “Why wouldn’t you heal them? You could.”

“Not now, I can’t,” said Thomas. “In four hours the sun is going to be down and the raiders may be coming again. I need to keep whatever strength I can until morning.”

“You said chances are the enemy wouldn’t come.”

“Chances aren’t good enough,” said Thomas. “You were there last night. Do you really want to face that without magic?”

Eileen didn’t look happy about it, but didn’t say anything else. They went back inside. Thomas, remembering Richard’s warning, put his hand on the grip of his rapier and kept it there. Eileen did the same and the two walked as casually as they could manage through the great hall and into the corridors beyond. No one stopped them or accosted them. Thomas led Eileen up the stairs to his tower and stopped. Two knights in the livery of the Golden Bear stood at the door, looking bored.

“Gentlemen,” said Thomas. “Here already?”

“Lord Richard’s orders,” said the first. “You are to be protected at all times.”

“Well, we will be inside the tower for the remainder of the afternoon,” said Thomas. “So if you wanted to come back before supper tonight, I will be here.”

“Can’t do that,” said the second knight. “But thanks just the same.”

“Very well.” Thomas unlocked his door. “We’ll see you at dinner time, then.”

“Aye, Captain,” said the knight. “See you then.”

Thomas led Eileen inside and closed the door, locking it and throwing the bolt. He leaned back against it and closed his eyes. He was utterly exhausted, still, and had only a few hours before he had to go back out, leading his men.

 “Now what?” Eileen asked. Thomas opened his eyes. Eileen was standing in the middle of the room, running her hands through her hair and looking at the remains of the food and wine. “This place is a mess,” she said. “Someone should clear it out.”

“I know,” said Thomas. “But I don’t care right now. Did you sleep last night?”

“The same as you,” said Eileen. “Maybe less. “

“Then you take the bed,” said Thomas. “I’ll sleep in the chair.”

“Don’t be stupid,” said Eileen. “It’s your bed. Besides, you have to go out again.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re not tired,” said Thomas. “Take the bed.”

“Are you really going to make me stay in tonight?” Eileen asked.

“I really am,” said Thomas gently. “Henry won’t allow you back out, anyway. Not after last night.”

“I know.” Eileen sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. “I just hate it.”

“More than you hated last night?”

“Yes,” Eileen’s head came up. There were tears in her eyes again. “I wasn’t alone, last night.”

Thomas didn’t know what to say to that, so he hugged her instead. She let him hold her for a while, then pushed him back and wiped at her face. “Gods, I’m tired.”

“So sleep,” said Thomas, standing.

Eileen caught him. “You can’t sleep in the chair.”

“I can.”

“You don’t have to,” said Eileen, still holding him. “Please?”

Thomas stared at her. “Um…”

Eileen laughed, the sound thin and exhausted, and quickly fading away. “No. By the Four, no. Not that. But we’re both tired and there is only one bed and neither of us should be sleeping in the chair.” She pulled him close, leaned her head against his belly. “And I really, really need someone to hold me right now, all right?”