Nineteen
Ruith woke to screaming.
He thought at first that he was still trapped in a dream and he had been the one crying out, but he sported no crushing headache, nor could he remember anything that would have wrenched that sort of sound out of him.
Nay, it wasn’t him. It was Sarah.
He threw back the covers, pulled on clothes, then sprinted out of his chamber and down the passageway, blessing Uachdaran for having put him next door to Sarah. He unbolted her door with a spell, pushed his way inside, then lit every candle in the place, along with the fire, as he rushed across the floor. He came to a teetering halt next to the bed, suddenly unsure what he should do. He didn’t think he had the skill to go into her dreams, though his mother had managed it often enough for him, but he also couldn’t allow her to fall deeper into where she was. He understood all too well the perils of that.
He leaned over, intending to take her by the arms and gently shake her, only to jerk aside when he saw the flash of a dagger in the candlelight. Obviously, he was not at his best, something he noted as he looked at the blade buried to the hilt in his arm. Feeling rather grateful that had been his arm and not his chest, he sat down on the edge of the bed and called Sarah’s name, repeatedly.
It took longer than he would have supposed, likely because he hadn’t thought to use a spell until she had stopped shrieking and had descended into racking sobs. He cast a spell of Camanaë over them both, a spell guaranteed to drive out all but the sweetest of dreams, then found his arms full of her. He tried not to wince as she jarred the blade on her way to throwing her arms around his neck, but he feared he hadn’t managed it very well.
She pulled back and looked at him in surprise, then gaped at his arm. “What befell you?”
“Ah—”
She blanched. “I did that?”
“I shouldn’t have leaned over you.”
“Did you?” She blinked, as if she couldn’t fathom why he was where he was and she had stabbed him. “Was I dreaming?”
“Don’t you remember it?”
She took a deep breath. “Only darkness.” She looked at his arm dripping blood down onto the bed. “I’m sorry I can’t fix that. Well, I could sew it—”
“Not to worry,” he said, ripping off his other sleeve and tying it above the wound. “Take your blade back, love.”
She pulled the steel free of his flesh, and he swayed in spite of himself. He rolled his eyes at his own inability to tolerate a small prick of a wound, then rose. He cleaned her knife on his shirt, then handed it back to her. “Bring your blades, and come with me. You’ll have my bed, and I’ll take the floor.”
She crawled unsteadily out of her bed, then accepted the dressing gown he handed her. She pulled it around her, then padded behind him on bare feet. He would have to remedy that sooner rather than later, but perhaps she wouldn’t mind if he attended to his arm first of all. He extinguished all he’d lit on his way in, held open her door for her, then followed her out into the passageway.
And into Uachdaran of Léige.
“Your Majesty,” he said, a little off balance.
Uachdaran looked at his arm, frowned, then looked at Sarah. “I don’t suppose,” he said in a tone that said he very much hoped he wasn’t supposing, “that you made that wound fighting off the wee princeling behind you.”
“I was having a nightmare,” she said faintly, “and stabbed him by mistake.”
Uachdaran peered at Ruith’s arm, then looked up at him. “Need a surgeon, do you?”
“A spell would be just as welcome.”
“Happily, I might have one or two of those,” the king said. “Put your lady to bed in your chamber, lad, then you’ll pull up a scrap of floor in my solar—though I can’t believe I’m inviting you into my private sanctuary.”
“If it’s all the same to you, Your Majesty,” Ruith said, because he had spent the last night of Sarah’s life without her in the same chamber as he found himself, “I would prefer to keep Sarah within reach.”
Uachdaran made a noise of disapproval. “I don’t hold to these newfangled ideals of too much togetherness before marriage. A visit or two is sufficient, to my mind, to check for crooked teeth and knobby knees.”
Ruith wasn’t at all surprised, but he managed not to smile. “I vow I will be, as I have been until this moment, a perfect gentleman where Sarah is concerned. I wouldn’t want to face my mother’s disapproval.”
Uachdaran considered. “Well, she did manage to raise six lads without any of you going off to follow your sire in his madness, so I suppose she instilled some decent character into you. Very well. Bring your lady along. I’ll have a look at her arm while we’re tending yours.”
Ruith didn’t ask how Uachdaran knew about the trail of spells in Sarah’s arm. There was little—perhaps nothing, actually—that passed within the dwarf king’s realm that he didn’t know. He took Sarah’s hand, spelled a pair of soft slippers onto her feet, then walked with her after the king. He was a little surprised to find he did indeed remember the way to the king’s solar, but he supposed that was something he should keep to himself.
The king opened the door, entered first, then held the door for them both. He saw Sarah seated in front of a fire that leapt to life at his approach, then motioned for Ruith to help himself to the stool next to her. Ruith did, smiling a little at being put in his place. Uachdaran went off to putter amongst things that smelled like herbs, so Ruith took the opportunity to look at Sarah.
Sleep had obviously fled from her, which he couldn’t blame her for in the least. He’d never been able to sleep again after waking from a nightmare.
“Sing her a lay, Ruithneadh,” Uachdaran said, holding a glass bottle up to a candle. “Take her mind off the darkness. There’s a lute somewhere in here. I’d lay odds you know where it is.”
Ruith would have preferred to stick hot pins in his eyes rather than embarrass himself by demonstrating his lack of ability with anything bearing strings, but he could at least carry a tune. Perhaps Sarah would forgive him his very poor accompaniment.
He did indeed find a lute, tuned it, then looked at Sarah who was watching him in surprise.
“I had no idea you had so many courtly skills, Your Highness,” she said.
“Having them is perhaps a matter for debating later,” he said, “but I will concede that my mother did insist we all learn a few useful things. I do not play well, but if this could count as wooing, I might play better.”
“You seem to be lacking those ten princesses closely examined, Prince Ruithneadh,” she said pointedly, “before you begin to think of anything akin to that.”
“I believe we recently decided it was ten princesses danced with—and I believe that is much more than I agreed to at the start,” Ruith said, frowning as he plucked at the strings, “and I believe I danced with not one but two of our good king’s granddaughters this past night. That makes my remaining tally eight, not ten.”
“Well,” Uachdaran said, sounding as if he were trying very hard not to laugh, “the boy can do his sums. You must accord him that, Sarah, gel.”
“And I’m playing under enormous duress,” Ruith said, “with an arm that still bleeds. Surely that should earn me a concession or two.”
Sarah hadn’t begun to offer her opinion on that before Uachdaran had walked across the floor, slapped a dwarvish spell of binding on Ruith’s arm, then grunted at him before he returned to his work.
Ruith winced at the spell, but found its thoroughness to be quite admirable. He took a deep breath, then trolled back through his memories to things he’d learned as a lad. That repertoire was exhausted quite quickly, which left him attempting things he’d heard in other locales over the past decade, things he rendered quite badly. He looked at Sarah occasionally to find her watching him with a faint smile.
“I warned you,” he said simply.
She shook her head. “It’s charming.”
“Do you play?”
“Franciscus taught me a little, but my repertoire is limited to raunchy pub songs.”
Ruith laughed. “He should be ashamed of himself.”
“He should,” she agreed. “I much prefer to listen to you. It’s lovely.”
He was happy to humor her a bit longer, though equally pleased to set aside his lute when Uachdaran finished his work, crossed back to Sarah, and pulled up a chair in front of her.
“Let’s try this on your arm,” he said.
Sarah pushed up her sleeve and didn’t wince as he applied the salve he’d either found or made. The red that had faded with Soilléir’s spell had returned, leaving terrible trails up and down her arm. Uachdaran’s mix made no difference in the black, though the redness receded. He sat back, studied Sarah’s arm for another moment or two, then looked at her.
“Something has delved deeply into your flesh, my lady,” he said gravely. “It is difficult sometimes to undo too much digging, be it mountain or flesh.” He looked at Ruith. “What have you tried?”
“Camanaë,” Ruith said. “Master Soilléir attempted an essence change, but even that failed.” He paused. “Have you any suggestions, Your Majesty?”
The king shook his head slowly. “Thoughts enough, but no suggestions. I’ll consider the matter further, then see if another attempt might be made. Put away that lute, my boy, and go fetch your lady a pallet. We’ll put her here by the fire and watch over her until she sleeps.”
“If it’s all the same to you, Your Majesty,” Sarah put in, “I’m not sure I could sleep. Close my eyes, perhaps, but not sleep.”
The king nodded. “As you will, gel, for I can understand your apprehension well enough. Darkness that doesn’t abate can be quite terrifying. Ruith, fetch that blanket there and we’ll at least wrap her up well. Then you and I will discuss the state of the world.”
Ruith did as requested, then met Sarah’s eyes as he laid a blanket over her. “You’ve spent your last night without me within arm’s reach, my lady.”
That she didn’t protest said quite a bit about her distress. “As you will, Ruith.”
He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry for what will drive you there, but not unhappy to have you nearby.”
She smiled faintly. “I daresay you aren’t, but I shouldn’t expect anything else.”
He smiled in return, then moved his stool closer to her and sat down. He waited until she had closed her eyes before he spoke again, though he didn’t dare hope she slept.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said quietly, “for the attempt.”
Uachdaran watched Sarah for a moment or two in silence, then looked at Ruith. “How did she come by that?”
Ruith had to let out a long, slow breath. “Her brother had come by my father’s spell of Diminishing. Well, half of it. She reached out to touch it and the spell assaulted her.”
“Diminishing,” Uachdaran repeated with a grunt. “That was just a fancy way of saying hello to a man before taking what he prized the most. Your father did have a way with words.”
“He did, Your Majesty.”
Uachdaran fixed him with a look. “You’re going to have to do something about what’s buried in her flesh, lad. If I can’t heal it, nor can Soilléir with all his mighty power, there’s something to worry about. Since the injury came from your sire, though, I think you may have to give more thought to trying something of his to remedy it.”
“I’m trying to discover the proper spell.”
“Not filched from my library, you aren’t,” Uachdaran said pointedly. “And you’ll need more magic than you have at present, if you want the entire truth.”
“I’ve recently become reacquainted with it,” Ruith said with a sigh, “which I’m realizing hourly was a score of years too late. Though the sources are powerful enough, I daresay.”
“They are indeed, my boy, but the sad truth is, your grandfathers on both sides are mighty oaks with centuries of magic making to their credit. You’re naught but a twig by comparison. When the wind blows—and it will blow, son—you won’t stand long against it.”
“Thank you, King Uachdaran,” Ruith said dryly. “Unfortunately there is no easy way to remedy that, so I fear I’ve no choice but to simply soldier on as best I can.”
Uachdaran sized him up. Ruith watched him do the like and felt something slide down his spine. He might have called it unease if he’d been the sort of lad to worry about that sort of thing.
“I believe,” Uachdaran said slowly, “that I’ll see you in the morning. In my lists.”
Ruith blinked. “Do you have lists?”
“Don’t you already know the answer to that?”
Ruith smiled. “I fear, Your Majesty, that your lists might have been the one place Prince Mochriadhemiach and I didn’t investigate.”
“Which is why seeing you there later this morning will give me an added measure of delight,” Uachdaran assured him. “We’ll spend a day or two honing your magic. It won’t build all the strength you’ll need for your task, but it will be a start. You’ll have to do the rest on your own.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Ruith said. It was a very generous offer, though he imagined his gratitude would only last as long as his strength—which he suspected Uachdaran would ravage within a pair of hours.
Uachdaran fetched mugs that turned out to be full of a deep, rich ale. Ruith enjoyed a few sips without hesitation. He imagined his respite wasn’t going to last long. He had his own questions for the king, but he didn’t dare blurt them out until the proper moment—and he was quite sure that moment wouldn’t come until he’d satisfied the king’s curiosity.
It took perhaps a quarter hour before Uachdaran seemed to be satisfied that Sarah had fallen into at least an uneasy sleep. He looked at Ruith.
“I’ve heard rumors that trouble me.”
“Tidings of the well?” Ruith asked.
Uachdaran shook his head slowly. “I’ll not diminish the gravity of that, but there are things in this world—old things—things that should have passed into the realm of memory but haven’t.”
Ruith took a careful breath. “My father’s spells, for instance?”
“Those, and other things. Mages, magic, mischief wrought by both.” He shrugged. “Things you might want to look into as you’re off roaming through these parts. But first tell me how it is you slipped out of the world’s notice for so many years only to reappear along with these unsettling rumors. Not,” he added, “that I’m accusing you of being the reason for any of it. You may be your father’s get, Ruithneadh, but you are not your father’s son. If you can appreciate the difference.”
“I can,” Ruith said, with feeling. “And I thank you for according me the benefit of the doubt.”
Uachdaran waved away his words. “Lad, I knew your father well. Not only do you not look particularly much like him—you look much more like your mother’s kin—you haven’t his heart. His damnable curiosity, of course, but not his heart.”
“Curiosity is what makes a good mage.”
“It also gets that mage’s fingers singed more often than not, but we’ll leave that for now. You were hiding who knows where—most likely in Doìre given your good fortune in finding that beautiful gel there—and something woke you out of your stupor and convinced you to move about in the world again. Go on from there.”
Ruith nodded, then gave him as much of the tale as was polite. He had no reason not to trust Uachdaran, though he couldn’t have said that about other members of the Council of Kings. He didn’t imagine he would have many more hints from him than he’d had from Soilléir, but each one might add up to something useful in the end.
He was completely frank about what he’d loosed in Ceangail, the fact that he’d discovered there that Franciscus of Doìre was a mage and that Urchaid, of places unknown and no doubt unpleasant, was a darkness that Sarah had seen clearly.
“And that was before Soilléir worked whatever magic he had upon her and opened her eyes,” Ruith said with a shrug. “I’m actually surprised at the things she was able to see before then.”
Uachdaran didn’t look at all surprised. “Shettlestoune is a place souls go when they don’t want to see. Or be seen.”
“I will admit it was a good place to hide,” Ruith said.
“I imagine you aren’t the first one to think that,” Uachdaran said, a little dryly. “So, you came to your senses in Beinn òrain, then decided you would pay me a little courtesy visit, is that it?”
Ruith smiled briefly. “Actually, Your Majesty, I was hoping to find my brother Keir.” He paused. “He is the only one left who remembers what spells were in my father’s book.”
Uachdaran stuck his chin out. “He was here, true, well over a se’nnight ago, with your sister and Mochriadhemiach.” He paused. “He went to see to their business with them.”
Ruith felt a chill descend, though there was no reason for it. The fire was hot and he had warm ale still in his hands. He looked at Sarah, expecting to find her asleep, but she was not. She was watching him gravely, as if she too felt his unease. He lifted his eyebrows briefly, took a deep breath, then turned back to the king.
“And have you had word of him since, King Uachdaran?” he asked.
The king set aside his cup and returned Ruith’s look steadily. “He is no more, son. From what I’ve been told, as he was holding the cap of the well open for your sister to find the final word of closing, he was struck from behind by an enemy.” He paused. “Prince Keir then perished inside the well, drawing its evil inside with him where it is now contained.”
Ruith bowed his head, because it was either that or make a noise of grief he couldn’t bear to. He hadn’t realized Keir was alive until recently, of course, so losing him should have been no great thing.
Yet somehow it was.
He lifted his head and took a deep breath. “I see.”
“He died so your sister—and the rest of us, I daresay—could live.” Uachdaran paused. “Your mother would have been proud of him, I daresay.”
Ruith nodded shortly. “She would have been.”
Uachdaran rose. “I’ll go fetch a bit of sweet wine,” he said quietly. “I’ll return shortly, children.”
Ruith was grateful for an old man’s discretion. He rose, then turned and put his hand on the warm stone of the mantel, grateful for the privacy to fall apart. He wasn’t sure he had wept, but he’d considered it. He looked up, after a time, to find Sarah standing next to him, watching him gravely.
“I’m so sorry, Ruith,” she said quietly.
“Nay,” he said thickly, “don’t be. Keir, of all of us, most wanted to see my father’s evil stopped. He was willing to give his life in return.” He managed a smile. “Indeed, I thought he had a score of years ago. This shouldn’t affect me.”
“But it does, because your heart is not made of stone,” she said. She stepped forward and put her arms around him. “I’m sorry for it, Ruith. No matter what your brother would have wanted.”
Ruith wrapped his arms around her and held her happily for several minutes in silence, then laughed a little. “I have been trying to get you into my arms for days, yet my late brother manages it for me with ease.”
“Ruith,” she said, sounding slightly shocked.
“He would agree, trust me,” Ruith said wryly. “He was nothing if not a realist.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. “What will we do now without him?”
“Make do,” he said with an attempt at lightness. “I had counted on his memory, but perhaps that was badly done. I think I can manage the feat myself.” He paused. “Thoir might be of some use there, actually.”
“Your cousin?” she asked in surprise. “Why?”
“He was interested in my father,” Ruith said with a shrug. “He and Keir had many conversations about my father’s intentions, if not his spells. It’s entirely possible that he might remember things I’ve forgotten. At this point, love, it might be our last hope.”
She patted his back. “I can see the spells, Ruith. We’ll find them all.”
He looked down at her. “Taking care of me now, are you?”
“Even the mightiest mage needs a nap now and again.”
“A quote from Soilléir?”
“My mother, if you can believe it. Usually said as she was drifting off to sleep in front of her fire after a morning full of mischief making.”
He laughed a little. “You had an interesting childhood, I daresay.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” she said wryly. She looked over her shoulder, then pulled away. “Here is the king with pallets. You sleep; I’ll keep watch.”
Ruith had no intention of that, but he wasn’t going to argue with her. He helped Uachdaran’s servants set up beds in front of the fire, then watched in surprise as the king pulled up a comfortable chair and sat.
“No sleep?” he asked.
Uachdaran shook his head. “I’m an old man, son, and don’t sleep much any longer.”
“Not even when contemplating a morning in the lists?”
Uachdaran snorted. “Take your rest, little twig. I’ll see to you well enough, I imagine.”
Ruith imagined he wouldn’t see to himself without at least a bit of rest, so he happily pitched his tent, as it were, with Sarah in front of the fire.
He didn’t want to think about the loss of Keir or Mhorghain’s success in closing the well. Both were simply too overwhelming for a proper contemplation at the moment. He couldn’t bring himself to even look at the possibility that he was the last hope for finding his father’s book in its entirety.
But he would have to look at it, and soon. He would, if he survived what he was certain would be an absolutely brutal stint with Uachdaran in some underground cavern where no one would hear him scream.
He felt Sarah take his hand and lace her fingers with his.
Sleep did not come easily.