Canavan Trudi - The Traitor Queen

Lorkin frowned, then toyed with his rings as he considered.

“Savara says you may have access to them,” Lorkin replied. “If you let her know where it is, she’ll send someone over to guard it.”

Savara says? Dannyl looked at the rings and saw that Lorkin was touching one of the stones. Interesting.

Lorkin dropped his hands to his sides again. “Can you do me a favour in return?”

Dannyl shrugged. “Depends on the favour.”

“Get my mother to go home as soon as possible.” Lorkin grimaced. “She won’t deliberately interfere, but she will cause problems just by being here. I’m not talking about for me, but for the Traitors. They need to be the ones taking charge here.”

“Of the Guild’s Healers as well?”

“Did they put her in charge?”

“No, actually.” Dannyl shrugged. “They will report to their own leader, and then to me.”

Lorkin looked relieved. “So there’s no other reason for her to be here?”

“Other than to make sure you, me and Merria are safe… no. But Savara has put her in charge of the hospice.”

“It’s only for the night,” Lorkin said firmly. He massaged his temples and sighed. “Can you suggest to Osen that having her here will put a strain on relations between Sachaka and the Allied Lands?”

“I can convey your concerns and the queen’s wishes.”

Lorkin shook his head. “If Mother gets the slightest hint that it came from me she’ll be more determined to stay. It has to come from you, Dannyl. And… well… I’m not a Guild magician any more.”

Dannyl paused to consider the young magician he’d brought to Sachaka as an assistant. He really means to stay with the Traitors. He gave up everything for them. And for love, too, I suspect. I don’t think I could have done that. Not even for Achati. Would I have done it for Tayend, back when we were young and so dedicated to each other? He felt an echo of that feeling. Yes, I think I would have.

Lorkin looked down at his hands again. He took one of the rings and slipped it off his finger, then held it out to Dannyl.

“This is why you should have my mother sent home. This is why the Allied Lands should establish good relations with Sachaka.”

Taking the ring, Dannyl examined it. The setting was silver, and the stone within it was clear. “What is it?”

“A storestone.”

Dannyl’s breath caught in his throat. He remembered what Achati had said: “ If one should still exist, or was created, it could be terrible for all countries.”

“It contains the strength of only a few magicians. The trouble with storestones is that you can’t know how much power they can hold. Too much and they will shatter, releasing all their power. It would be safer to have several storestones holding a little power than a few holding a lot. But even then, it could be the solution to defending the Allied Lands without resorting to black magic.”

“So the Traitors lied. They did know how to make them,” Dannyl breathed.

“No, though they have stones that are very similar. I’m afraid I — we — gave them the idea to try. They have made only a few so far, but I can see no reason why they couldn’t make more, or improve the method.” Lorkin looked at the ring, then back at Dannyl. “Savara said you can keep it.”

Dannyl frowned. “A bribe?”

“The first payment for the Healers’ services.”

“How do I use it?”

“Touch it. Draw power as if you were taking it from another magician. You’ll have to use it straightaway, since you don’t know how to store magic. Strengthening it is the same. Just send it power as if you were sending it to another.”

“And don’t store too much power in it.”

“No.”

Dannyl let his hand and the ring drop to his side. He looked at Lorkin, weighing up all that his former assistant had said. Then he nodded.

“This will definitely persuade the Guild to order your mother home.”

Lorkin smiled. “Thanks. Though I’ll make sure I get the chance to spend some time with her before she goes. I do miss her. And my friends. And Rothen. Ah. And there’s something I wanted to ask you about Lord Regin. Are he and…?” He stopped and turned toward the door. “Ambassador. Did you find it?”

Tayend had stepped into the room with Lak and Vata. He held up a small ring, his connection to the Elyne king. “Exactly where I left it.”

“Good,” Lorkin said. “Now, do you want to stay here, or come back with me?” He looked at Dannyl. “By the time we get back we’ll know if Achati’s library is intact. The best way to prevent it being ransacked would be to occupy the building, and I think Savara will approve of her main links to the Guild and Allied Lands staying close by.”

Dannyl sighed with relief and saw Tayend’s eyes brighten with hope. “I’ll just grab a few things, then we’ll gladly take up your offer of accommodation.”

That haunted look has crept into Anyi’s gaze again, Lilia noted as she emerged from her bedroom. She knelt down beside the chair and wound her arms around her. Anyi sniffed once, and turned to look at Lilia.

“I know you buried him out in the forest, but it’s not right. We have to put him with his family.”

“Where are they buried?”

“I’m not sure. Gol will know.”

Lilia kissed her. As Anyi’s arms began to slide around her a knock came from the door and they froze. Lilia pulled away and sighed. Getting to her feet, she sent a little magic to the door to open it.

“Gol,” Anyi said with obvious relief, as the big man stepped inside with Lord Rothen. “How did it go?”

He sat down. “Things are going back to the way they used to be real fast. The Thieves stopped calling themselves ‘princes’ straightaway, and they’re taking back what they had control of beforehand — and anything else they can grab. If you want to take Cery’s territory, you need to move now.”

Anyi frowned. “Will his people work for me?”

Gol nodded. “Those I asked were keen. They’d rather you than any of the neighbours. It helps that you are Cery’s daughter, but in some ways it’ll make it harder. Cery had no favours left to call in, and plenty he owed, but he had money stashed away and was respected for keeping promises.”

Lilia watched Anyi’s face, her stomach sinking as her friend’s expression hardened.

“I’ll do it.” She looked up at Gol. “But only if you help me.”

Gol smiled. “I was hoping you’d want me. Not that I wouldn’t like to retire.”

“I am retiring you,” Anyi said. “You won’t be my bodyguard, you’ll be my second. Like you were for my father. I don’t know why he didn’t just call you that and be done with it.”

“To make me less of a target,” Gol told her.

“Well, you can’t pretend to be a bodyguard any more. Nobody’ll believe I’d choose a bodyguard twice my age.”

Gol crossed his arms. “I’d still beat you, any day.”

Anyi stood up. “Oh, really? Let’s see-”

“I apologise for interrupting,” Rothen injected, “but may I suggest you test that theory somewhere other than Sonea’s quarters? And the Higher Magicians will not look favourably on us arriving late, especially after we insisted this meeting take place as soon as could be arranged.”

Anyi looked at him thoughtfully, then at Lilia. Her expression was apologetic.

“I’m sorry Lilia, but if I am going to take my father’s place, I can’t go to this meeting.”

Lilia stared at her. “But… we need you to tell your story.”

“No, you don’t. It will make no difference whether I tell it, or you, or Lord Rothen.” Anyi’s expression was serious. “We know Skellin had allies in the Guild. Who knows which Thief has adopted or inherited those allies? If these spies don’t know what I look like, then I should keep it that way. If they do, I shouldn’t remind them.”