Doppelganger (32 page)
The two events were almost certainly related. Which meant she didn't have much choice.
Mirage cleared her throat and addressed Miryo again. "Were you familiar with Tari-nakana?"
"I didn't know her personally, if that's what you mean. But I do know who she was. Does this have to do with her death?"
"Very much so. She was assassinated."
Miryo's eyes widened. "She
what
?"
"By a Hunter. A Wolfstar." Mirage outlined their trips to Starfall and Vilardi, and Avalanche's role in the matter.
"So how is this related?"
"There's two angles. First, Tari-nakana was tracking my movements before she died. I know this because I found a list in her study that matched my recent itinerary."
Miryo's eyes narrowed. "So Ashin wasn't the only one who knew about you."
"It looks that way. The second angle, though, is… well, not dubious; we're fairly certain of our conclusions. But I don't know if they're tied in with our situation. We think the Wolfstar was hired by witches."
Miryo became very still. She did not so much as blink. Mirage, waiting for a response from her, doubted she was even breathing.
"An interesting theory," the witch said at last, and her voice was so carefully controlled Mirage could guess at the roiling emotions it was masking. "Would you care to back it up?"
Mirage explained their reasoning as thoroughly and carefully as she could. Miryo had to be reeling at the idea; it was comparable to someone telling Mirage that a Silverfire Hunter had killed the person employing him as a bodyguard. Not impossible, but certainly shocking. She owed it to her double to prove the accusation was well thought out.
Miryo listened, stone-faced. When Mirage was done, she closed her eyes as if in pain, then opened them grimly. "I see. I can't say I like the idea, but… well, a year ago I wouldn't have believed you at all. But there's something about the way Ashin disappeared—it's not unusual; vanishing without telling anyone where you're going is standard behavior for an Air Hand, but I still thought there was something off about it. As if she had not just left, but had… fled."
"Do you think she expects what Tari-nakana got?" Mirage asked.
"I don't know. But they both knew you were alive." Miryo looked pensive, then shook her head with a sigh. "I'll have to think about this. So what do you do now?"
"We haven't told our employer yet," Eclipse said. "There were a few things we wanted to take care of first."
"We were headed for Miest," Mirage elaborated. "We need to talk to Jaguar, the head of Silverfire. He's the one who tapped us for the commission; he may know something more about the situation. And, to be quite honest, we wanted our defenses in place before we started flinging accusations about."
"Defenses?"
"Our school is more than just the place where we learned things. If one of our people gets into trouble because of something he did in the course of fulfilling a contract, he can petition Silverfire for help. I don't know if we'll need it, but I'd rather be prepared."
Miryo nodded. A wry grin slipped across her face. "
Bo
you think they'd let me join you in hiding?"
"We'll make sure it doesn't come to that."
"I hope not. Since it'll take a while to be certain whom I can trust among the witches. And loyal though
"I could use sleep, too," Mirage said, touching the bruises on her face gingerly. "An afternoon of unconsciousness just doesn't cut it. When do you think you could be ready to go tomorrow?"
"I'm coming with you to Miest?" Miryo looked surprised.
"Not quite all the way. I'm not taking you into the school itself; you looker too much like me for that to be a good idea."
"And there's no way you could disguise me?"
"Remember that we're talking about a nest of people trained to notice things like that. If they saw through it, we'd be in more trouble than I even want to
think
about. Bringing a witch into Silverfire is not the way to increase my already scant popularity."
Miryo rubbed her eyes and yawned hugely. "All right. I can be ready by noon, I think. It would be sooner, but it's going to take me a while to explain all this to the Cousins. They've been unbelievably cooperative so far—and I've been doing some strange things—but this is pushing it. I have no idea what I'm going to say to them."
"They have a right to object?" Mirage asked, surprised.
Maybe Cousins aren't the mindless sheep I'd thought
.
"Technically, no. Some witches don't even like them to offer opinions. But I haven't demanded blind obedience from them yet, and I don't want to. The problem is, if they think what I'm doing is truly stupid, they may send word to the Primes."
Mirage was pleased to hear that Miryo treated the Cousins like people. Perhaps she'd even be willing to explain who—or what—they were. But that was a question for later. "What would the Primes do, if they knew?"
Miryo rubbed her eyes again. "I don't know. I'm kind of afraid to think about it. This little hunt wasn't a suggestion; it was an order. If they decide I'm a danger to those around me, they may try to resolve the issue themselves. They'd probably kill you on the spot."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not really. I'm just going to have to talk to the Cousins. I need to know where they stand before I can plan anything else."
She isn't comfortable enough with this situation to want me there. Fair enough; I would have preferred to talk to Eclipse in private myself. We'll learn to trust each other. Hopefully.
"Where should I meet you tomorrow?" Miryo asked. "Here, or where you're staying?"
Mirage looked to Eclipse, thinking it over. "Somewhere else," he said firmly.
"Outside the city," Mirage agreed. "We don't want to show up here, not if this is to be kept quiet, and we also need to make sure the Thornbloods aren't aware of what's going on." She smiled thinly. "Not yet, anyway. I have every intention of sitting Ice down for a little chat some day. At the point of a blade."
She was aware, as she said that, of a slight stiffening in Miryo's body.
Interesting. Another thing she's not comfortable with. Most witches aren't violent. I wonder if there's anything she does that will make me feel the same way
?
Aside from magic, of course.
"There's a line of six or so elms on the west side of the north road," Eclipse offered. "Would that work?"
"I can find it," Miryo said.
"Noon, then," Mirage agreed. "We'll see you there. But send word to us at the Cracked Oak if anything goes wrong. Or just come find us, if it's really critical."
"I will," Miryo promised.
Despite her exhaustion, Miryo did not sleep when the two Hunters had left.
I've done nothing physical today, yet my arms and legs feel like lead. First time I ever knew that sitting around doing nothing could be so draining. Then again, there was that tiny bit of excitement in the hallway. That would
never
have anything to do with me feeling like the walking dead. Of course not
.
She paced the study at a slower rate than before, more mindless wandering than steady movement. She clasped her hands behind her back and ambled around, staring at the floor, trying to force her exhausted mind to work.
Oddly enough, she felt liberated. Her problem had not gone away; on the contrary, it had complicated itself horribly. And they might still end up back at square one, if they didn't find a way through this. But the feeling of a sword hanging over her head had vanished. She might not have to kill Mirage. That single thought kept running through her head, lightening her heart. Miryo realized that she was humming under her breath, and the tune was a song of praise to the Goddess.
As soon as she realized this, something shifted. Miryo felt herself reaching for power, for what use she didn't know; she just thirsted for its touch. She cut herself off abruptly, sweating, and stood in the middle of the room trying not to shake.
No. No. You've made it this far; you'll damn well keep going. You will
not
pull power. That's just asking for trouble, and you know it
.
Intellectual knowing was one thing. The reality of the hollowness in her stomach was another. Miryo pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, refusing to let herself break down. She had gone twenty-five years without magic, and had only truly tasted it once since then. Surely another few weeks would not kill her. Surely.
But Goddess—I want it so badly.
Bitterness washed over her.
Why did Mirage have to do that to me? Bluffing me out like that, telling me to Mil her—damn her to
Void
for that. It could have been easy, over and done with. I might never have looked back. But I'll never know. She had to come along and make me think about what I was doing. Make me see her as a person
.
Miryo slapped the stones next to the fireplace, hard. The shock helped clear her mind. Then she sat down in one of the chairs and made herself take deep, calming breaths. She knew herself. Had she killed Mirage, doubts , would have plagued her for the rest of her life. Her doppelganger had done her a favor, even if it was one loaded with extra trouble. But that didn't stop her from yearning momentarily for the simple answer of a knife in the heart.
Well, I could always kill
myself.
That would take care of it
.
She was jolted out of that morbid thought by the door opening. Miryo leapt to her feet to find
Or maybe
she'll
kill me
.
"She's not dead," Miryo said, deciding on bluntness as her best option.
"Come in. Sit down. Do you want me to get you something—tea?" Miryo considered slapping herself, in the hope of finding more rational things to say. "Of course not. You want an explanation. Please, sit down, and I'll try to give you one."
She noticed the pronoun. I'm sure of it. Which means I'll have to tell her everything—or close to it. Not about Tari-nakana, I think. Not unless it's absolutely necessary.
"I was going upstairs to kill her. I caught her in the hallway—lucky, really, or she would have been gone. But… I couldn't kill her. And I don't just mean physically, although there was that, too. I just couldn't make myself do it."
Still
"Look, I know that the Primes know a damn sight more than I do. And I should believe them when they tell me this is the only answer. But in my heart, I cannot accept it—not without at least
trying
to find another way. I just can't believe that the Goddess intended this. Mirage is a
person
, not a thing. She's not just a copy of me. I had that knife in my hand, and I looked at her, and I couldn't do it Not yet. We're going to try and find another solution. And if that doesn't work, well, we'll go back to where we started. I can't possibly be at a worse disadvantage than I was in that hall, so I'm not really losing anything. And I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to find another way."
The Cousin stood and walked away, going to face a bookcase. Miryo bet she wasn't looking at the books. Several moments passed before
"I understand,"
Miryo nodded slowly, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "You'll report me, then."
"No,"
Miryo swallowed hard. She spread her hands in her lap, laying them on her knees, and was proud that they did not shake. "I understand."
"Sai will come with me,"