Fire In The Blood (Shards Of A Broken Sword Book 2) (13 page)

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know the seventh Circle would make the passage disappear.”

“What happened?” asked a deeper male voice.

Kako’s father, Rafiq thought. The man’s eyes were on him, thoughtful and faintly challenging. If those eyes didn’t have ingrained lines of good humoured amusement beside them, Rafiq might even have thought them hard. Nor was he native-born Shinpoan—so
that
was where Zen had inherited his eyes—though he spoke Shinpoan like a native.

Kako, who hadn’t noticed anything amiss, said: “We entered the seventh Circle. I’ve got an idea that the Keep did something very big while we were in there, because it wasn’t Constructs and copies of ourselves this time.”

“I died,” said Rafiq. He was becoming rapidly more certain that it was the truth.

“Me too,” Kako said, her mouth quirking in an involuntary grimace. “I think the Keep might have created several alternate timelines. That would take enough of its power to drain all the non-essential magics around the place.”

“We should be able to prove or disprove that,” said Kako’s father. He had forgotten Rafiq in his interest. “It’s far more likely that it’s a simple case of timeline manipulation, though. What other non-essentials were drained?”

“I haven’t checked yet,” said Kako. “And it
can’t
be manipulation, because–”

“Don’t let them start talking, mother!” said Suki in despair. “They’ll never stop!”

Rafiq found himself grinning. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to Suki’s plea: Kako and her father continued to argue back and forth about the relative merits of timeline manipulation and alternate timelines. Dai and Zen, who were both listening intently, occasionally interposed a question or comment. To Rafiq, it sounded like the same thing with a different name.

Queen Shiori, who must have been used to the babble of almost incomprehensible debate in the background of her days, smiled at Rafiq and said: “I’m glad you came through safely, my dear.”

Why was it, wondered Rafiq, that the queen always made him feel like a fledgling before its tutor? Not quite grown up and slightly gawky.

He said: “So am I, your majesty.”

“I’ve been drawing up citizenship papers for you. Do you still intend to remain here?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Well, we might have to go away for a little bit in a year or two,” said Kako, suddenly attentive. “Rafiq knows something about a magical artefact that might be very useful in chasing out the Fae. I just need to do some experiments on the bit I have, first.”

“We’ll talk about that in a year or two,” said Queen Shiori, her eyes flicking from Kako to Rafiq. “Now that I’m assured you’re safe, my little clever one, I think I really must return to my meeting. My darling, will you walk with me?”

She was addressing her husband, asking a question that Rafiq knew very well wasn’t the one spoken. He saw the brief passage of silent communication that passed between the two of them, and then Kako’s father nodded.

“How could I resist?” he said. There was a smile in his voice, but it was less pronounced when he said to Rafiq in passing: “We’ll talk later, I think.”

Rafiq nodded silently, very aware of the curious eyes of Dai, Zen, and above all, Kako.

“And Mee has lessons,” said Suki firmly. “So does Zen.”

Zen grumbled beneath his breath, but allowed himself to be shooed away to the door. “Wait for me before you start working on the shard,” he said beseechingly.

Dai, catching the pointed look that Suki sent her, said: “Don’t even think about it, Suki! My tutor doesn’t want to see me again until he’s had a chance to see if he can prove me wrong about time-release mechanics in preservative spells.”

Suki cast a look of weary long-suffering up at the ceiling and towed Zen and Miyoko away.

Dai collapsed languidly into one of the chairs and said: “Ugh! What a nasty little room this is.”

“I know,” said Kako, not at all offended. “Why do you think I don’t live here?”

“Well, why not fit it out for Rafiq? Open out a few of the windows and turn the dressing room into a flight-run?”

“Now
there’s
a thought,” Kako said. To Rafiq, she said: “So Mother has been drawing up papers of citizenship for you! She seems quite pleased that you’ll be here with me, actually.”

“Well, you’re a sort-of dragon and he’s a sort-of human,” said Dai, shrugging. “It’s a good match.”

“Match?” Kako looked startled and a little confused.

Rafiq’s eyes sought Dai’s in silent pleading. She was looking sarcastic and more than slightly malicious, but after a moment her eyes dropped.

She said: “Well, if you
have
to have someone in the Keep with you, he’s a good choice. He’ll be able to keep up with you, at any rate.”

Kako laughed suddenly. “Oh, there’s no doubt about that! What do you think, Rafiq? Do you think you’d like to live up here?”

Up or down didn’t matter, of course. So long as the Keep housed Kako, Rafiq would make his bed in the smallest and dankest of its rooms. But this room at the top of the tower– this room had enough space for a much larger dragon than Rafiq. Or perhaps, in time, two dragons.

“This will be just right,” he said.