Queen (Brotherhood of the Throne) (35 page)

Brenna jerked awake, the scream
echoing in her head. She whimpered as she stared wide-eyed at the three men who
stood over her.

“They’re hurting him,” she
whispered. She sat up and cradled her knees. “They’re hurting him.”  

“Brenna,” Pater said and sat down
on the settee beside her. “Can you find him?”

She reached out through the old
steel looking for Kane, sifting through each flicker of life she was aware of
and although she could feel him, feel some of his pain, she couldn’t find him.

“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t
know where he is.” She gasped as she felt another sharp jab. And closed her
eyes and searched again. “He’s not near his sword,” she said. “And he lost his
knife earlier. Why can I feel him but I can’t I find him?”

“Lass,” Pater said. He pulled her
to him and stroked her hair. “Ye mustn’t wear yerself out. Or if ye want to
keep searching at least take strength from one of us.”

“No.” Again she shook her head. “I
won’t. I won’t put any of you in danger.” Not even to save Kane, she thought
and another whimper escaped her throat. She would never forgive herself, never
be able to look at Kane again, if she sacrificed someone else for him. But she
would
find him.

“I’m all right now,” she said. She
eased herself out of Pater’s embrace and lay back down on the settee. “I’ll just
rest now.” And she closed her eyes. But not to rest.

Prepared now, she waited for the
pain. When it came she grabbed onto it and followed it. She felt herself flow
out of her body and spiral away from Whitehaven across the mountains towards
Kingsreach.

She pictured her map, the old map
she’d stolen from the library so long ago, and let the points of light she saw,
the Brothers and their old steel, fill out the terrain. She was over the
mountains now - they were dark since few Brothers were in Comack. As she neared
Kingsreach she saw more old steel - first individual weapons and then small
knots of lights.

That cluster there, that would be the
second wave of Gaskain’s army, on foot, a day away from the city still. And
then she was over Gaskain’s main army - she recognized Jemma’s knife. She
caressed the weapons as she went past and they burned brightly in her wake. She
looked back - all of the old steel weapons glowed red hot. She looked down at
herself and saw her own body shape itself out of light. Arms, legs, torso, head
- all were made up of tendrils of light that reached up to her from every
single weapon she’d touched on her way past. And she felt the power pour into
her from the old steel, felt the blood of her ancestors join with her spirit.
And Brenna wept - tears of joy and power and hope. Then she reached out to all
the old steel all across Soule and gathered the power to her - the power and
magic that had been forged into old steel so many years ago.

She turned her attention back to
Kane’s pain. Now she saw where he was. And close to him there was one more old
steel weapon, one that she hadn’t tapped into, one that resisted her because
its bearer resisted her. She dove into it.

 Thorold watched in glee as Kane
Rowse arched his back in pain. Other than the one scream he’d not uttered
another sound. But he would Thorold thought, he would. A strangled oath sounded
behind him and he turned.

“Captain Barton …” his reprimand
died on his lips as he saw Barton struggling to unsheath his sword. Once it was
free he threw it to the floor and Thorold watched in horror as the blade turned
black, a deep flat black that seemed to draw all the energy from the room into
itself. Then the sword shattered and he was blinded by a light so strong, so
bright, that his eyes watered even through his closed eyelids. When he opened
his eyes his mouth dropped open.

“
Hello grandfather
.” He
heard a voice,
her
voice in his head. “
You have something of mine. I’ve
come to get him back
.” The light dimmed and he could make out a figure inside
it. It walked over to Rowse, who was looking up at it with clear eyes and a
wide smile.

“Be gone demon!” High Bishop Valden
said. He threw a knife at the figure enveloped by light and then he charged it
holding an iron poker above his head, ready to strike.

The figure reached a hand out to
the knife and it hung, suspended for a moment before it melted and dropped,
sizzling to the floor. Valden brought the poker down onto the head of the
figure, and then he let out a cry. Thorold was transfixed as the light crackled
down the poker to the High Bishop. A tendril of light twisted up the man’s arm.

Valden fell to the floor clutching
at his throat as the light encircled his neck. A glowing hand was held high and
slowly, the fingers pinched together. The light faded from the High Bishop’s
neck and arm and he rolled onto his side, dead. The figure of light turned back
to Rowse and Thorold stepped back towards the door, shouldering Barton aside.

He was through the door in two
steps, Barton right behind him and then he shuddered to a stop, his chest
pushed in by a piercing pain. He looked down to see a dagger buried in his
chest. And then his pretty little toy, the sweetling he’d planned to play with
later, stepped out in front of him and sneered.

“The Brotherhood wins,” she said
and spat on him as he slipped to the floor, his blood pumping out onto his fine
hand woven rug.

He looked up to see her crouch low
into a fighting stance, a knife dripping with blood – his blood - in her hand.
She stared at Barton, who shrugged with open arms and stepped over him. He
opened his mouth to order Barton back but only bubbles came out and then he was
cold, so cold.

twenty

Brenna stirred - her body ached
despite the soothing balm being spread over her.

“That hurts,” she said petulantly.
She heard a big sigh from beside her.

“Well, at least she’s coherent,” a
familiar voice said. “That’s a very good sign.” 

Brenna opened her eyes to see a
gray-haired figure sitting at her side. “Madelay!” she said and then she
coughed. Brenna winced - her throat was raw and stung.

“Hush child, be quiet. You’ve had
quite an ordeal. Pater, fetch some of that tea I have over the fire. And ask Cook
to hurry with some broth.”

Brenna closed her eyes and drifted
for a few moments. The aromatic scents of rosemary and sage wafted to her.

“Drink this,” Madelay ordered.

Brenna propped herself up to sip at
the hot liquid. At first it stung but after the second sip her throat felt soothed.

“What are you doing here?” she
whispered.

“Why you sent for me, Brenna.”
Madelay smiled and winked. “Well, you sent for Russel but it didn’t seem right
for the lad to travel alone. And you know I always wanted to travel.”

“And Kane?” she asked and Madelay’s
face grew serious.

“Dasid sent some men to Kingsreach
for news. It will take some time for them to get there though, now that the
weather has turned.”

“I think he’s all right,” Brenna
said concentrating on Kane. She tried to reach out to old steel but found nothing
- no sense of old steel weapons, no sense of the Brotherhood. But the coronet
sang to her loudly from her pack in the corner and the mortar and pestle hummed
in satisfaction from a table.

“You’re using the mortar and
pestle,” she said to Madelay.

“Yes, I hope you don’t mind. I
wanted as much help as I could get for you.”

“They seem very content - I think
you should keep them.” She smiled at her grandmother then she turned serious.
“How long has it been?”

“More than two weeks. I was worried
about you. What happened? Dasid said you could feel Kane but could not reach
him and then you fainted. He said your body got very hot. You actually steamed
when they put cold compresses on you to keep you cool. They kept you cool that
way for a full day, until your body cooled off. You’ve been unconscious ever
since. I arrived three days ago and you haven’t stirred much until now.”

“I’m not surprised my body was hot,”
Brenna said. She’d become a being of light, after all. “Two weeks? So long?”

“Yes,” Madelay replied. “Dasid has a
lot of questions if you’re feeling strong enough.”

The door opened and Pater came in,
smiling at her tenderly.

“Ye gave us quite a fright lass,”
he said as he carefully placed a tray on the table beside the bed. “It’s good
to see ye awake.” He bent over and kissed her cheek and she reached up and
hugged him tight.

“It’s good to see you too Pater,”
she said. Had Martyn been found, she wondered? Had he truly betrayed Eryl? What
would that do to Pater? Brenna closed her eyes for a moment then she smiled up
at Pater. She didn’t need to think about that yet.

“Thank you, Pater,” Madelay said.
“Please tell Dasid that Brenna will speak to him after she’s had some broth and
another rest. Then he can have a few minutes.”

“Yes Mistress,” Pater said and
winked at Brenna. “She’s a tough one yer grandmother. Just like you.” Pater
left the room, closing the door gently on his way out.

It took Brenna a long time to
finish the beef broth and by then she was exhausted. Madelay took the tray and
empty bowl with her and left, telling her to sleep as long as she wished. Dasid
could wait, she said, and Brenna needed her strength. Brenna lay back down to
comply. She did need her strength. She needed it because as soon as she could
she was leaving for Kingsreach. And Kane.

Brenna was just finishing a bowl of
oats. Her first solid meal, Madelay had called it and Brenna had laughed when
she’d seen the watery gruel. There was a knock on the door and Madelay entered.

“You have a visitor,” she said
beaming. “Let me take that.” She scooped up the bowl and tray and left, leaving
Brenna to wonder if Dasid was finally come to ask her questions.

Kane walked through the open door.

In two steps he was at her side
holding her, finally, after two long weeks of not knowing, of barely eating or
sleeping as he pushed himself to get here. He winced as she touched his left
shoulder.

“You need a bath,” Brenna said and
kissed him.

He let out a big breath and gripped
her tighter. He’d been so afraid that what she’d done to herself, that what
she’d become in order to free him, had destroyed her.

“And you need some meat on your
bones,” he said. He eased her back onto the pillows and sat there, staring at
her. She looked fragile and there were dark circles under her eyes but the
spirit in them, the part that was Brenna, shone out brightly at him. He slipped
his boots off his feet and settled himself on the bed, Brenna cradled against
his sound shoulder, and felt all the worries of the past two weeks drain out of
him.

A knock on the door startled him
and he looked up into Madelay’s smiling face.

“Brenna needs another tea and you
need to get cleaned up,” she said. “And Cook has a hot meal for you.”

“Thank you,” Kane eased off the bed.
He kissed Brenna’s forehead and her eyes opened sleepily.

“You’re really here,” she said. “I
was worried I dreamed you.”

“I’m here. Your healer needs some
time with you and as you told me earlier I need a bath. I’ll be back later.” He
kissed her again and left the room.

As soon as he was in the hallway
Pater stepped away from the wall.

“Good to see ye Kane. Come this
way.” He led him through a door just a short way down the hall. The large room
was filled with fine furnishings and a steaming tub of water sat in front of
the lit fire.

“Pater,” Kane said. “I have news
for you, for you and Brenna.” He had to tell them about Eryl and Martyn. He
wasn’t looking forward to it.

Pater nodded. “It’s not good, I can
see that in your face. A few more hours isn’t gonna change the bad to good. You
get yourself cleaned up and fed.”

“All right,” Kane said. He gingerly
started stripping off his travel stained clothes. He sucked in his breath when
he partially pulled the dressing off his wound.

“You’re hurt,” Pater said. He
peered at Kane’s shoulder and shook his head. “I’ll make sure Madelay takes a
look at that shoulder.”

 “I don’t want to bother her,” Kane
said. “Not when she has to care for Brenna.”

He winced as he completely peeled
the dressing off. The wound was puckered and red and surrounded by the yellow
of a healing bruise, but it wasn’t infected. The worst had been when they’d
finally pulled what was left of the arrow shaft out. Between them, Thorold and Valden had pushed and prodded the shaft so much that Kane’s shoulder had felt
like it was on fire. The hot bath would help.  He stepped into the hot water
and with a sigh sank into it.

“She’ll make time,” Pater said.
“Asides, ye don’t want to cross her, that Madelay.”

“No, I don’t want to cross her,”
Kane agreed. He settled back into the tub, carefully submerging his wounded
shoulder. “How understanding is King Mannel now that we have well and truly
taken over his household? First Brenna, Dasid and you, then Madelay and Yowan.
And now me. What has he said?”

“King Mannel - he’s a smart man,”
Pater said pulling open a wardrobe. “There’s clean clothes in here for ye. He
likes Brenna and she was taken ill at his home so he’s done his best fer her.
But Mannel sees as soon as Madelay gets here that he don’t stand a chance
against her. Asides,” Pater grinned at him. “They brought that young lad with
em. Russel. He’s been keeping company with Mannel’s daughter and I suspect
that’s worth more to him than having a few guests underfoot.”

“Russel is here?” Kane asked.

“Brenna set it up. Seems Princess
Evlan wants to get married. The only reason Mannel even considered dealing with
Thorold was that he was promised Beldyn as a suitor for his daughter.” Pater
laughed. “Like I said Mannel is a smart man. He knows he don’t stand a chance
against his daughter. I’ll meet ye downstairs when yer finished up in here.”
Pater nodded and left the room.

Once he was clean and dressed, Kane
followed the smells of food to the kitchen. He poked his head into the bustling
room.

“Can I help you Master?” a woman asked
drying her hands on an apron.

“Yes please. Madelay said Cook
would have something for me to eat.”

“Ah, you must be the new arrival
then,” the woman smiled at him. “If you just make your way to the small
breakfast room, through that door there, I’ll bring it in.”

Just as Kane was finishing the
second of two excellent fish pies, Pater, Dasid and Wils found him. Cook
cleared the remains of his meal and kindly supplied them with a large pot of
tea.

“You told me that both Thorold and High Bishop Valden are dead then,” Dasid said. “Do you know how?”

Before he’d been allowed to see
Brenna, Kane had given Dasid a very brief account of what had happened in
Kingsreach.

“Brenna killed Valden. She somehow
used the magic of old steel to get to Kingsreach. Has she talked to you about
it?”

“No, she’s been too ill,” Dasid
said.

“She saved me,” Kane said. “Valden
was torturing me when this being of light came. It was Brenna. She could talk
to me the same as she’s been able to talk to me through the old steel, but it
was different some how. It was as though she
was
old steel.” He looked
up at Dasid’s face. “And when Valden attacked her she killed him.”

Pater grunted. “Bout time somebody
got ‘im.”

“What about Thorold?” Dasid asked.
“Did Brenna kill him too?”

“No,” Kane shook his head, glad
that Brenna hadn’t killed her own grandfather. “It was Carolie Brunger. She
knifed him as he tried to get away.”

“Carolie, what by the gods was she
doing there? You were at Thorold’s estate weren’t you?” Dasid asked.

“Is she all right?” Pater asked and
Kane nodded. “Good. I can guess what she was doing there, although Thorold’s
victims are usually from the Quarter.”

Dasid and Wils look at Pater in
confusion.

“He liked to use women hard,” Pater
said grimly. “Sometimes so hard they didn’t live through it.”

“Did you know this Kane?” Dasid
asked and he shook his head.

“I would have found a way to stop him
if I’d known,” Kane said. “As Pater said he chose his victims carefully. But by
spying for the Brotherhood Carolie put herself in his sights and apparently he
took notice. From what Carolie told me Thorold’s real plans for her were for
later that night. He called what he’d done to her so far ‘playing’. She was
covered in bruises and had a black eye. I don’t think he had any intention of
letting her live through it.”

“So she killed him. Good for her,”
Pater said. “Her father chose well when he picked her for the Brotherhood.”

“Yes he did,” Kane agreed. He
looked over at Pater. He’d chosen someone for the Brotherhood as well. “Pater.”
He waited until the older man met his eyes. “I’m sorry, but Martyn is dead.”

“Dead.” Pater slumped down into his
chair. “Poor lad. Does his mother know?”

“She’s dead too,” Kane said.

Pater covered his face with his
hands. He seemed to age in front of Kane’s eyes. He wouldn’t tell him the rest,
not unless Brenna asked him to.

“How did it happen?” Pater asked.

“It was after the riot,” Kane said
carefully. “The Guards rounded up Martyn and his mother and gave them to the
witch haters. Their bodies were collected by the Brotherhood and they were
given a proper burial.”

“Thank you,” Pater said. “Brenna
heard that Eryl was killed during the riot. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Kane replied. “Eryl died along
with half a dozen others. Without their help I never would have been able to rescue
Beldyn.”

“And what of the Brotherhood,”
Dasid asked. “What losses did we take?”

“Twelve men were killed and another
thirty were injured,” Kane replied. “But all the old steel weapons in
Kingsreach shattered that night. Gaskain said something flew past them and lit
all their weapons. The light streamed out from the weapons into the sky and then
the blades simply fell to pieces.”

“My blade shattered as well,” Wils
said.

“It was Brenna,” Kane said. “She
used up the magic that had been forged into them. It was a good thing that Thorold’s troops scattered when the news of his death spread.” Kane said. Larkly and Millen,
taking over from Eryl, had sent runners out to all parts of the city with the
news. “Gaskain’s men lost over half of their weapons.”