Dark Realm: Book 5 Circles of Light series (36 page)

Chapter
Twenty

Word was out on the
streets before the official proclamation announcing the sad demise
of the Lady Mellia, eldest daughter of the Imperatrix. She had
suffered a short illness and no healers could save her.
Unfortunately, one maid had blurted the truth to another in the
kitchen of the young ladies’ apartments. Her rapid whisper was not
observed by Ternik and the tutor thought the details of Mellia’s
suicide successfully concealed once the three maids were disposed
of. But word was out, and spread like plague throughout the Citadel
and down into the City.

Drengle List heard of
it when he visited Snail. The news meant little to him, but he saw
that Snail wasn’t her usual self. Her edginess upset him and he
didn’t stay as long as usual at her establishment. He helped
himself to two pots of Snail’s cosmetics, one a luscious dark
purple, the other a brilliant lemon yellow. It showed how
preoccupied Snail was that she didn’t check his pockets before he
left, as she had learnt to do.

Drengle walked home,
humming softly. He used to whistle but having his teeth filed
precluded whistling these days. He took a route through alleys.
He’d been on the edge of the market when the guards swooped upon it
four days past, and watched them drag away a dozen or so people. He
knew Gossamer said nothing could hurt him now he was dead, but he
didn’t want to put it to the test.

He ambled through the
garden to the back door and noticed there were far more ghosts
around. He’d even recognised a couple of them. He went into the
kitchen and put his two purloined pots on the table. Then he sat
and admired them for a while until a whole cloud of ghosts swarmed
in. Clearly they were excited about something but he had no idea
what it might be. He started to open one of the pots and
frowned.

‘Snail said one of the
Imperatrix’s girls hanged herself.’

The ghosts became
still. Drengle surveyed them. ‘That what’s got you stirred up is
it?’

One of the more
substantial ghosts pushed closer to Drengle and nodded vigorously.
Drengle scratched his chin.

‘Well there’s nothing
to be done – girl’s dead.’ He looked from ghost to ghost then a
thought occurred. ‘She a ghost now, or gone to Simert?’

More vigorous nods.
Drengle scowled. ‘Well which? A ghost?’

Nods of approval.
Drengle felt rather proud of himself. ‘So she’s a ghost. She round
here then?’

An air of dejection
emanated from his audience.

‘At the
Citadel?’

The ghost who appeared
to be some sort of leader, came even closer, nodding
again.

‘Well that’s it innit?’
Drengle looked around the crowded kitchen and began to feel put
upon. He stood up, clutching his two pots. ‘You lot stay down here.
I’ve got things to do in my room. If you want that girl for some
reason, you go and get her. Nothing to do with me.’

He stalked to the
stairs and the ghosts trailed after him. But they stayed in the
lower hall while he climbed to his bedroom.

Tika and Sket were in
Chindar’s room waiting for Daylith. So when the door opened, they
were not expecting to see Shea and Corman enter. Shea looked rather
pale but there was an ominous set to her jaw. Corman
shrugged.

‘Lady Shea says she
will be travelling with you.’

Tika could think of a
great many reasons why the girl should stay here, but looking at
her determined face, she kept those reasons to herself.

‘Are you sure you want
to do this?’ was all she asked. ‘There could be great risk for you
if you’re seen.’

Shea snorted, a sound
copied from Gossamer Tewk, Tika suspected. ‘No one would know me.
I’ve never been outside of the Citadel and I saw only maids, guards
and tutors in there. And you will be much more noticeable than
me.’

Shea’s pallor vanished
under a furious blush and Sket turned away, overcome by a sudden
cough. Tika grinned.

‘I wasn’t planning on
going out once we’re there, but you have a fair point.’

Daylith arrived, saving
Shea further embarrassment, and she moved closer to Sket and Tika.
Daylith glanced at Chindar.

‘Do not stay if you
sense any immediate danger to yourselves,’ he said. ‘And we will
expect you back here by midday tomorrow, at the latest. Mother Dark
bless you and keep you safe.’

They had no time to
reply before Daylith plunged them into a Dark gateway. It was Tika
and Sket’s first experience of this means of travel: Tika found it
as exhilarating as Shea did. Sket felt dreadful. Daylith caught
Sket’s arm as they emerged into a comfortable sitting room, and
propelled him into the nearest chair. The sound of footsteps on
stairs beyond the room brought Daylith in front of Tika and Shea,
hand on his sword but the blade still sheathed.

The door opened and a
small round woman stood there, breathing heavily. Her fair hair was
heaped on top of her head and secured with several long pins which
stuck out at odd angles.

‘Mistress Snail?’
Daylith’s low lilting voice seemed almost a caress.

The woman put a hand to
her bosom. ‘Who are you?’ She tried to sound calm but the fear
underlying her words was apparent even to Shea.

‘I am a second cousin,
many times removed, of Seola.’ Daylith replied.

‘And we’re friends of
Gossamer Tewk too,’ Shea added with a bright smile.

The woman flopped into
a chair opposite Sket. ‘So Seola did take her.’

Daylith nodded. ‘And
the herb woman Nenat, Waxin Pule and his apprentice
Grent.’

There was a pause. ‘And
me,’ Shea added indignantly.

Snail flapped a hand in
front of her face to cool herself after her hasty dash up the
stairs. ‘And who might you be my dearie?’

‘A friend,’ Daylith
said quickly and received a glare from Shea.

‘No,’ she said firmly.
‘Snail is a friend. I am Shea. My mother, unfortunately, is the
Imperatrix.’

Snail gaped, stared
wildly at Daylith then caught a good view of Tika’s strange eyes.
She moaned. ‘I am glad you are well,’ she eventually managed.
‘Gossip had you murdered or kidnapped.’ Her round blue eyes grew
even more round. ‘They’ve always said you were simple. Don’t sound
simple to me.’

‘I’m not. But I fooled
everyone, except perhaps Kerris.’

Snail bit her lip. But
Shea had learned a lot, playing dumb, and she narrowed her
eyes.

‘What’s wrong? Have you
heard something of Kerris?’

‘Well,’ Snail looked
uncomfortable. ‘Your other sister.’

‘Mellia?’

‘There was a
proclamation saying she’d been taken ill, and died.’

Tika put her arm around
Shea as the girl stiffened. ‘And was she ill?’

‘A maid who worked for
the young ladies, she said, she said. .’

‘She said what?’ Shea
insisted.

‘She said they found
the Lady Mellia had hanged herself in her bedroom.’

A tremor ran through
Shea’s body and Tika held her tighter. ‘Is that something your
sister might do, Shea?’ she asked softly.

Shea gave a shuddering
sigh. ‘You mean would our mother have ordered her killed, don’t
you?’ She stared blankly ahead for a moment, then slowly shook her
head. ‘No. She was already arranging a marriage for Mellia. Mellia
is – was – scared of her – we all were. But Mellia always tried to
please her.’ Shea’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I think Mellia could
have done this if she had been frightened enough. Kerris must be
scared now. She followed me some nights, when I sneaked off to the
library. She never told on me though. And I didn’t even think of
her when I ran away. Or Mellia.’

Tika hugged her harder.
‘Then we’ll just have to get her now, won’t we?’

Daylith and Snail wore
almost identical expressions of horror but Sket, somewhat recovered
from that stars damned gateway, managed a weak grin.

Tika gave Snail a
blistering smile. ‘Is there possibly any tea available, Sket will
feel so much better if there is?’

Snail struggled out of
her chair. ‘The kitchen’s downstairs. Don’t worry, I have no
helpers here today. I gave out word I had an ague and was too sick
to work.’

She led the way down a
narrow staircase. They passed through a long hall with doors to
left and right. There was a strong smell of medicinal herbs, and
something else. The kitchen they arrived in was lit by two lamps
and the glow of a fire from a long cooking range. Heavy shutters
barred the windows. Snail swung a large kettle from above the range
and saw her guests studying the shutters.

‘I’ve kept all the
windows covered down here,’ she explained. ‘Shows I’m closed for
business.’ She set about making tea.

Daylith bent close to
Tika. ‘We have no instructions to venture out of here. In fact, the
opposite. How can you suggest we get Shea’s sister from the Citadel
itself?’ There was no charm in his voice now, only a deep
annoyance.

Tika regarded him
blandly. ‘Shea knows the way. We could just – pop in and pop out.’
She laughed in his outraged face.

‘Are you forgetting
there is a mage here who is alert to any use of magic?’

Tika frowned. ‘No. I
hadn’t forgotten, but can you really not open gateways that
quickly? If Shea is with us, her sister will not be afraid to
come.’

‘You should have
brought Gossamer,’ Snail commented. ‘Waxin Pule said the mage
couldn’t trace someone – erm, like her.’

‘You mean someone
dead?’ Tika looked thoughtfully at Daylith and noticed his eyes
were no longer gold but a nondescript brown. She must remember to
ask how he did that.

Daylith gave her an icy
stare. ‘Unfortunately, I am as alive as the rest of
you.’

‘There’s Drengle List –
he’s nearest.’ Snail blushed and looked rather pretty. ‘He was,
erm, murdered and cursed a few years after Gossamer. He’s not too
bright so she keeps an eye on him.’

‘They all said I wasn’t
too bright,’ Shea pointed out.

‘Hmm, maybe so, but I
think the description is quite accurate regarding Drengle,’ Snail
retorted.

‘Can you get a message
to him, asking him to come here?’ Tika asked, sipping the tea Snail
had given her.

‘He wouldn’t come. He’s
afraid of the dark.’

Tika stared. ‘You said
he’s dead.’

Snail chuckled. ‘Still
afraid of his own shadow, poor Drengle.’

‘It’ll be light soon
surely.’ Tika looked at the shuttered window.

Snail shook her head.
‘He was here day before yesterday. He misses Gossamer. But if you
want to see him, you’ll have to go to him.’

Tika sighed. ‘Tell us
how we get there.’

Tika and Shea both had
rough shawls pulled well over their heads. Snail had told them lots
of country women wore them, just so, when they came into the City
markets. They walked steadily through the Artisan Quarter until
Sket pointed out the house lurking in its overgrown garden. Halfway
up the path, Sket stopped abruptly. Tika peered round
him.

‘Oh.’

Wispy shapes flittered
towards them. Daylith groaned and stepped forward.

‘What are you doing?’
Tika grabbed his arm.

‘Sending them on their
way.’

‘But they might help.’
She couldn’t interpret Daylith’s expression but suspected it
implied a temper held in check. Just.

She moved alongside
Sket. ‘Can you see them too?’ she asked curiously.

Sket nodded. ‘Never
seen a ghost before, but that’s what they are, aren’t
they?’

‘I’ve never seen one
either but these are very clear. What about you Shea?’

‘I’ve always seen
them.’

Tika turned, meeting
the girl’s hazel eyes. Before Tika could ask more, several ghosts
rushed towards them. They moved rather like fog being blown by
gusts of wind, but there was no wind so they must be moving
themselves.

‘I know him,’ Shea said
suddenly. ‘He was often in the library.’

The ghost she indicated
grew a little more solid, enough that a face glimmered briefly,
eyes fixed on Shea. A clanking from the house startled Tika, and
the ghosts wafted away and in through an open door. They followed,
Sket loosening his sword in its scabbard. Now moans underscored the
clanking sound and Shea giggled. Two or three ghosts looked back at
her and smiles were momentarily visible on the wavering
faces.

Sket entered the house
first, closely followed by the others. They found themselves at the
foot of a flight of stairs: the sounds came from somewhere
above.

‘Drengle? Drengle List?
We are friends of Gossamer Tewk.’ Tika called.

Silence.

‘Drengle?’ she called
again.

A man appeared on the
landing. He was quite short, bare-chested and bald headed. Streaks
of purple seemed painted down his face, and circles of lemon yellow
decorated his body. He came slowly halfway down the stairs. Shea
pushed past Sket and stared up at him.