Ginn Hale - Lord of the White Hell book Two

"You've said more than enough, Elezar," Javier growled. "None of this is Kiram's doing or his concern."

Elezar looked like he might argue but closed his mouth as Riossa approached.

"Why are you three looking so dour?" Riossa inquired. Her maid eyed the three of them suspiciously. Nestor followed Riossa, looking both protective and proud.

"Nothing worth lingering on." Javier gave Riossa one of his handsome, ingenuous smiles. "Certainly not when I have the construction of a water clock to oversee. I expect it will keep me late. When should I see the rest of you back at the Grunito house?"

"Not until evening. Kiram has promised to show us the Haldiim goat market. They hold races every Mediday," Riossa replied.

"That sounds quite entertaining, so long as you don't let Elezar lose too many bets." Javier bowed slightly to Riossa. "Doubtless you will have a lot to tell me about at dinner this evening."

Javier slipped away to train while Kiram occupied Elezar, Nestor and Riossa with the amusements of the goat cart races. Teams of goats whipped around the muddy track surrounding the open market while crowds cheered and wagers raged. Regardless of language barriers Elezar dove into the betting, placing money on teams for reasons that eluded Kiram but proved oddly accurate. Nestor and Riossa tended to cheer for the scrawny, weird goats that rarely won.

Between races they all drank spiced tea and ate candied fish. Nestor and Riossa sketched their surroundings and encouraged Riossa's maid to try Haldiim dishes, though she didn't seem to care for many. Elezar walked through the crowd at Kiram's side. He looked as if he had something on his mind but in typical Cadeleonian style remained silent.

"Is there something bothering you?" Kiram asked at last.

Elezar stole a quick glance to where Nestor and Riossa stood with Riossa's maid at a tanner's stall. They seemed deeply occupied with the kidskin vellum on display.

"Javier's up to something here in the Haldiim district," Elezar whispered. "He's doing something and it's changed him."

"Changed how?" Kiram asked.

"You should tell me. You're the one who brought him here, who keeps inviting him back," Elezar replied. His gaze was intent. "What's he been doing in the Haldiim district this past month? He's not just talking about some water clock, I know that. He comes back haggard with strange burns all over his body."

Kiram wondered how exactly Elezar had spied Javier's burns, but he didn't ask and Elezar went on quickly. "He's been avoiding chapel for weeks and the last three days I think he slept outside in an old oak tree. It's insane."

"He slept in a tree?" That was something from an archaic holy text, wasn't it? Javier really was embracing Alizadeh's Bahiim teachings.

"Yes, up in a tree." Elezar lowered his voice. "And it's not just that, when he's up in the branches I swear.." Elezar suddenly clenched his mouth closed.

"What?" Kiram demanded.

"You really don't know anything about this?" Elezar's expression was disbelieving.

"I've spent nearly every day with you and Nestor, not Javier. How could I know what he's been doing?"

Elezar sighed heavily and then nodded.

"He flickers." Elezar looked uncomfortable even saying the words.

"Flickers?" Kiram asked. "You mean-"

"It's the white hell. He sits up there in the oak with sparks lighting up and dying all around him. It's not just one little flash. It's like a cloud of fireflies-like he's pulling stars down from the sky." Elezar scowled as two women passed close by them, then went on. "Late last night he lit up the entire tree. The branches and leaves blazed white all around him and he looked like.like something from another world. Javier has always liked to show off with sparks and tricks but that wasn't showing off. That was something powerful and unholy."

Kiram remembered the image he'd seen in Calixto's diary of a luminous, tangling tree and Alizadeh talking about igniting the White Tree.

"Unholy"' Kiram repeated. To any Haldiim luminous branches reaching from the earth to the heavens would be just the opposite. But knowing that wouldn't be any consolation to Elezar. "No wonder Timoteo wants him to attend chapel."

Elezar nodded.

Kiram asked, "Do you think Javier is in real danger from the royal bishop?"

"The way things are right now, he might be," Elezar said. "Something's gotten up Lord Quemanor's ass and stirred him enough to think that he has the evidence to have Javier arrested. I don't think Quemanor is bluffing either."

"And if he convinces the royal bishop to move against Javier, what will happen?" Kiram asked.

"We'll give him one hell of a fight." Elezar's hand dropped reflexively to his sword hilt. "Atreau and Morisio are both here for the wedding and they've sworn to stand with him."

Kiram frowned at the thought of a small group of schoolboys holding out against the royal bishop's personal army. They'd be slaughtered.

"What about you?" Elezar asked. "Will you stand with him or run if trouble comes?"

"I'll fight for Javier, no matter what," Kiram said, though the prospect frightened him. The royal bishop was a prince and his men certainly wouldn't abide by the neat rules of a tournament.

Suddenly the scent of hay and goats, the sound of the surrounding crowd, and even the warmth of the noonday sun seemed distant and dull. The cold pain of his final duel in the autumn tournament rolled over him. His forearm ached as if the stitches had once again split apart. How much worse would it be to die in battle?

They needed to find a way out of this that didn't include battle. But why would the royal bishop want to arrest Javier at all when he wielded the shadow curse?

"Has Javier mentioned that Fedeles may be back with us again?" Elezar absently watched Nestor chatting with a Civic Guard.

"Back with us?" Kiram asked but something in Elezar's expression gave him his own answer. "You mean he's better?"

"Maybe fully recovered. If it's true, it would be good. Not that he was ever much of a fighter. But still, if he were here and well again it would mean the world to Javier." Elezar's expression softened for just a moment. Then he pulled himself back. "Morisio swears he saw him in Zancoda, walking with a magistrate and speaking very rationally."

"That's wonderful!" Kiram felt almost giddy with joy. Scholar Donamillo must have broken the curse despite his illness. Kiram had left his engine in working order with the scholar and he wondered if it had made the difference.

But even as Kiram spoke a dark thought came to him. If Scholar Donamillo had driven the shadow curse from Fedeles, then the royal bishop would have to alter his tactics against Javier. A cold dread gripped Kiram.

"If the royal bishop did decide to arrest Javier, how do you think he'd go about it?" Kiram's throat felt dry and his words came out too quiet.

"I don't know." Elezar frowned and for a moment Kiram thought he looked as desolate as Kiram felt at the prospect. But then some Cadeleonian reflex surged and Elezar gave a brutish smile. "He'll want to seize Javier while he's away from Rauma and his own men. If he's going to do it he'll have to move soon, before Prince Sevanyo can get word."

"Soon, and most likely here or at the academy?" Kiram asked.

Elezar nodded. "Even so, Javier has the white hell. The royal bishop knows that and I'd bet my left ball that scares the shit out of him."

Only Javier didn't really have the white hell now. From what Javier had told him, his control over it was touch and go.

"The bishop will need to find a way to restrain Javier," Elezar went on.

"He'll want Javier to go to confession." Kiram suddenly realized. "Once Javier has been given muerate poison he'll be vulnerable."

Elezar's face actually paled. "That would be exactly when he'd want to move."