Ant appeared right in front of me. “Hello, Legs. Glad to see you’re up and about.”
“I knew it! I knew someone was listening!” This from Amber up above.
“This concerns her, send her up,” Maverick said, tone leaving no room for questions.
“You heard the boss,” Ant said. “I’ll stay down here and keep an eye out.”
I nodded and went up the stairs to the top room. I’d only ever been in The Dome a few times. It was always accessible to the House members, but it was held as a bit of a sacred space, so people went there sparingly. It was also Maverick’s office, which made it awkward to stay for long periods. The tower itself was large, a twenty-five by twenty-five foot square. The stone walls continued up to around waist height as if this had once been an open turret. Perhaps the dome had been added later? The dome itself was clear glass, with a bit of a greenish tint. It began square at the base, following the line of the wall, then slowly morphed into the spherical covering. Outside it was dark, an overcast night. There were two large hearths in the room, on the east and west sides. In the middle of the room, close to one hearth, was a large desk and a couple free-standing book shelves. By the other hearth, was a large sitting area. The north side, where I was now, and the south side, were mostly open. In late fall, with no fires in either hearth, it was quite cool up here, especially for me in my nightdress.
As I looked around the room from the top of the stairs, I saw the source of the other set of tiny footprints I’d heard… a tiny grey and white mouse, keeping to the cracks in the stonework of the walls.
Hello Silence, I said internally and smiled. Apparently, he’d been listening in on all of this… probably from back at my room as well. He wanted to know what was going on as much as I did. I wouldn’t expose him.
Crane went and got a heavy blanket, which had been folded over the back of a long couch in the seating area, then came to me, draping the heavy cloth over me. “You’ll catch a chill, child,” she said, concerned, and helped me get to the heavy rug which covered the floor under the sitting area, my feet on the cold stones had been uncomfortable indeed.
Maverick snapped his fingers and a fire leaped to life on the logs set in the hearth by the sitting area.
I started at that.
So, that was his spirit-gift. I wondered what “fire” meant, what it was he “loved” to get that ability.
We all took seats.
Crane sat next to me, arm around me like a mother hen. She looked at me for a long time, lips pursed. “Do you know who wants to kill you? Or why?”
Ihadlearned a bit. “I know the mistweaver’s name is Hazra. She said…” I tried to recall more. My memory of the events on the ship was a bit fuzzy, probably from the lack of air to breathe during the encounter. “She said… she liked to kill, but… it was more than that. She… needed to kill me because I was… in the way?” No, that wasn’t right.
She said, “You’re in the way of our plans. Well, not yet, but you will be, and we can’t have that now, can we?”You were a bit distracted, but I knew if we survived, we’d want to know this.
Thank you, Auwei.
I repeated the words for the others.
“You’re not yet in the way, but you will be?” Amber muttered. “Then…”
“Yes, they have some means of seeing the future. Whoevertheyare,” Maverick said, jaw set hard.
“That is where I have a theory,” Crane said. She hugged me a little closer. “I think… other Nobles are behind this.”
Amber started, eyes wide with disbelief. “No!” she gasped. “That’s ridiculous. Nobles of Elista, trying to kill other Nobles? That’s madness!”
I only nodded. I didn’t understand yet, but I knew Crane would explain.
Oddly, Maverick didn’t seem shocked at all.
He knows something. Perhaps that’s why he remained in the capital for so long. Something’s going on with the other Nobles.
“It makes sense,” Maverick said, nodding. “It’s why they don’t want to kill the rest of us. Legs is in the way of their plans, whatever those plans are, but to kill off an entire Noble House… that would bring a lot of attention they don’t want. So, they need to kill one Noble very precisely and quietly without the rest of us being harmed… much.” He shook his head. “Bloody-stinking-bones. Those bastards!”
“You sound like you know who it is?” I said, curious.
He shook his head. “No. I don’t know, but I suspect a few.” He sighed heavily. “I think it’s time I told you why I’ve been away so long.” He took a long moment to collect his thoughts in silence. I trembled with fear and anticipation.
Maverick ran a hand through his rough, spikey hair and heaved another sigh. “What I’m going to tell you doesn’t leave this room. Understood?” He looked at me, hard, unyielding. “You’re new. I wouldn’t normally tell you this sort of thing, but it seems to involve you, so you’re in. But that means you have to keep this secret as well. You tell no one. Not the other members of our House, as it might unduly scare them. Not anyone outside our House because we don’t know who we can trust. Understood?”
We all nodded.
“I want to hear you say it,” Maverick insisted.
