Isaac, silver for Wrexham, and gold for the King—and inserted it into the matching lock. Three clicks, and the coffer opened.
The King took hold of the stoppered glass vial inside it. “Here they are.” He raised the vial to the light, illuminating the tiny seeds within it. “The sole store of moonbriar left in the world. The rest has been destroyed, as I’m sure you know.”
I nodded. I had heard that the Council had taken this decision, and I approved of it. Moonbriar seed was one of the last things in the world that I wanted to see distributed widely.
For a fascinated moment, the King stared at the seeds. Then he lowered the vial and asked me, “Are you ready?”
“You have not told me which minds I am to read.”
“Why, the minds of those without alibis,” the King said. “I thought that was clear.”
“Yes, but where am I to start?”
“Here.” Wrexham did not hesitate. “With the Council. If there are any vipers here, we’ll roust them out now.”
“I find it hard to believe that anyone here would betray us, but I suppose it is well to be sure,” the King said. “Who among you shall go first? Wrexham has an alibi, but most of the rest of you do not.”
The question was met by unhappy silence. Everyone except Wrexham kept his head down.
Nat stood up. “Let it be me.”
I gaped at him. He’d been completely against using the moonbriar seeds, and I knew for a fact that he loathed having his mind read. Why on earth was he volunteering for this? Was it a bluff?
It was only when he came toward me, and I saw the desperate concern in his eyes, that I realized the truth: there was no bluff here, no subterfuge. Nat was simply trying to protect me in theonly way he knew how, the only way he had left. If you have to walk into someone’s mind, let it be mine , his eyes said. You know I would never harm you.
I couldn’t reach out to him; I couldn’t thank him. Too many people were watching us. Afraid they would read my emotions in my face, I looked down at the floor.
“Well, well,” said Wrexham. “You surprise me, young Walbrook. And it seems you have surprised the Chantress as well.”
“Well done,” the King said to Nat. “Now tell us, Chantress, what do we do next?”
“We prepare ourselves.” I pushed back my chair and turned to Nat, still not daring to touch him, or even to look straight at him. I backed away from the table and motioned to a spot an arm’s length away. “Could you stand here?”
To the King, I explained, “Once I have sung, I must touch the person whose mind I wish to read. Or, at the very least, touch something that belongs to him. But having the person close by is especially helpful.”
The other Council members came away from the table and assembled around us. The King handed the vial of moonbriar seeds to me. “You will sing now?”
“Yes.” I tried not to let my hands tremble on the smooth glass. Moonbriar, like all magic things, had music that was especially potent—and sometimes especially deceptive as well. Where would it take me this time? Would I be its master? Or would it overmaster me?
I eased the stopper a fraction upward, listening for the firstfaint strains of moonbriar song. The only music I heard was a muted strain from the Thames—and even that was surprisingly soft, given how close the river was. The walls here must be very thick.
Ignoring the Thames, I pulled the stopper all the way out. This time an acrid smell and a soft melody twined up to meet me.
I brought the open vial closer. Yes, there was a song here—but was it the right one? I didn’t recall it twisting and turning this way.
“There’s something odd about the music,” I told the Council.
“If it sounds wrong, then don’t sing it,” Nat said.
The King, however, simply gave me a long, hard glance. “Are you saying you can’t proceed?”
“I’m saying it might be risky, Your Majesty.”
Wrexham growled. “We all have to take chances,
The King took hold of the stoppered glass vial inside it. “Here they are.” He raised the vial to the light, illuminating the tiny seeds within it. “The sole store of moonbriar left in the world. The rest has been destroyed, as I’m sure you know.”
I nodded. I had heard that the Council had taken this decision, and I approved of it. Moonbriar seed was one of the last things in the world that I wanted to see distributed widely.
For a fascinated moment, the King stared at the seeds. Then he lowered the vial and asked me, “Are you ready?”
“You have not told me which minds I am to read.”
“Why, the minds of those without alibis,” the King said. “I thought that was clear.”
“Yes, but where am I to start?”
“Here.” Wrexham did not hesitate. “With the Council. If there are any vipers here, we’ll roust them out now.”
“I find it hard to believe that anyone here would betray us, but I suppose it is well to be sure,” the King said. “Who among you shall go first? Wrexham has an alibi, but most of the rest of you do not.”
The question was met by unhappy silence. Everyone except Wrexham kept his head down.
Nat stood up. “Let it be me.”
I gaped at him. He’d been completely against using the moonbriar seeds, and I knew for a fact that he loathed having his mind read. Why on earth was he volunteering for this? Was it a bluff?
It was only when he came toward me, and I saw the desperate concern in his eyes, that I realized the truth: there was no bluff here, no subterfuge. Nat was simply trying to protect me in theonly way he knew how, the only way he had left. If you have to walk into someone’s mind, let it be mine , his eyes said. You know I would never harm you.
I couldn’t reach out to him; I couldn’t thank him. Too many people were watching us. Afraid they would read my emotions in my face, I looked down at the floor.
“Well, well,” said Wrexham. “You surprise me, young Walbrook. And it seems you have surprised the Chantress as well.”
“Well done,” the King said to Nat. “Now tell us, Chantress, what do we do next?”
“We prepare ourselves.” I pushed back my chair and turned to Nat, still not daring to touch him, or even to look straight at him. I backed away from the table and motioned to a spot an arm’s length away. “Could you stand here?”
To the King, I explained, “Once I have sung, I must touch the person whose mind I wish to read. Or, at the very least, touch something that belongs to him. But having the person close by is especially helpful.”
The other Council members came away from the table and assembled around us. The King handed the vial of moonbriar seeds to me. “You will sing now?”
“Yes.” I tried not to let my hands tremble on the smooth glass. Moonbriar, like all magic things, had music that was especially potent—and sometimes especially deceptive as well. Where would it take me this time? Would I be its master? Or would it overmaster me?
I eased the stopper a fraction upward, listening for the firstfaint strains of moonbriar song. The only music I heard was a muted strain from the Thames—and even that was surprisingly soft, given how close the river was. The walls here must be very thick.
Ignoring the Thames, I pulled the stopper all the way out. This time an acrid smell and a soft melody twined up to meet me.
I brought the open vial closer. Yes, there was a song here—but was it the right one? I didn’t recall it twisting and turning this way.
“There’s something odd about the music,” I told the Council.
“If it sounds wrong, then don’t sing it,” Nat said.
The King, however, simply gave me a long, hard glance. “Are you saying you can’t proceed?”
“I’m saying it might be risky, Your Majesty.”
Wrexham growled. “We all have to take chances,
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