looked reluctantly at the kneeling boy at Thanar’s feet. “Can you reverse what you’ve done?”
“Of course,” Thanar said smoothly.
“Then he should give us answers as quickly as possible,” Caemon concluded, holding up a firm hand to halt his sister’s protests. “So that this is over as soon as possible.”
Thanar nodded. “Very well.”
He turned to Thomas and asked, “Why were you trying to have the soldier called Kane killed?”
“To leave the Weathervane vulnerable,” Thomas said, eyes fixated on Thanar. “If the guard died by the frost giant’s hand, it would leave the Weathervane without two of her protectors.”
“Which Weathervane?” said Thanar with a frown.
Suddenly Thomas stiffened as if in apoplexy. He began to shake.
“What are you doing Thanar?” said Vana.
“It’s not me,” said Thanar as he knelt down in front of Thomas. “My powers are weaker than normal, allowing him to fight back for control of his mind.”
“Or someone could be trying to kill him before he talks to you,” Caemon said.
“Who has that power?” said Ciardis.
“The person who hired him,” answered Vana.
Gripping Thomas’s shoulders, Thanar shouted in his face, “Which Weathervane? The mother? The one accused of the empress’s death?”
Foam began to appear as Thomas mouth and dripped from its corners as he bit his tongue. Haltingly, he said, “N-not the mother. Ciardis. The girl. They want her weakened. W-want mother d-dead”
Ciardis said. “Thanar, stop this. If he continues to fight the bond like this, it will kill him.”
Thanar tightened his hands on Thomas, and a moment later he withdrew his magic. The darkness of Thanar’s power flowed out of the corners of Thomas’s eyes like a dark cloud. As the black receded he looked more normal. Moments later he slumped forward into Thanar’s grip, unconscious.
Breathing harshly, Ciardis reached forward to feel for Thomas’s pulse at his throat.
Unease settled over them all. Meanwhile, Ciardis was helping the revived Thomas to sit back. “What?” he said, looking around slowly and blanching at the sight of Thanar kneeling so close in front of him. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” Ciardis said.
Thomas shook his head in confusion. “No. Remember what? The last thing I remember is seeing you come toward me in the ballroom.”
Then he shook his head like a dog getting rid of water. “What happened to my stutter?”
They all exchanged dark looks.
“It’s gone,” said Thomas as he brought his hand up to touch his mouth in astonishment.
He looked around. “Where are we?”
Then he spotted the streaks of blood on Ciardis’s gown. “Did something happen?”
Chapter 6
A side from the rather unfortunate ruin of her new gown, not one of them looked the least bit sane. Vana had her knives out. Kane’s side was blood-splattered. And Thanar looked severely disgruntled at the interruption of his magic. Ciardis tentatively put her hand out to touch Thomas, but yanked it back as he skittered away violently. Unfortunately that only brought him closer to Thanar behind him. Thomas seemed to realize that as he scurried to the side.
“What about your powers? Why did you try to hurt Inga?” said Thanar as non-threateningly as possible. Which meant a thin, teeth-filled smile and a less moody glare. It didn’t really work.
“What? Who’s Inga?” said Thomas.
Vana swore. “This is getting us nowhere. He needs time to remember and we need to get out of here. Now. ”
Thomas swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed conspicuously as he said, “I hurt her? And him?” The pain on his face made Ciardis wish she could say no, that it was someone else.
“He’s in no condition to be left alone. We have to take him with us,” Ciardis said firmly.
Kane said, “Then let’s go.”
When Ciardis’s eyes lingered too long on the scar on his open chest where Inga’s sharp blade had torn into him, Kane flashed a wan grin at her.
“Of course,” Thanar said smoothly.
“Then he should give us answers as quickly as possible,” Caemon concluded, holding up a firm hand to halt his sister’s protests. “So that this is over as soon as possible.”
Thanar nodded. “Very well.”
He turned to Thomas and asked, “Why were you trying to have the soldier called Kane killed?”
“To leave the Weathervane vulnerable,” Thomas said, eyes fixated on Thanar. “If the guard died by the frost giant’s hand, it would leave the Weathervane without two of her protectors.”
“Which Weathervane?” said Thanar with a frown.
Suddenly Thomas stiffened as if in apoplexy. He began to shake.
“What are you doing Thanar?” said Vana.
“It’s not me,” said Thanar as he knelt down in front of Thomas. “My powers are weaker than normal, allowing him to fight back for control of his mind.”
“Or someone could be trying to kill him before he talks to you,” Caemon said.
“Who has that power?” said Ciardis.
“The person who hired him,” answered Vana.
Gripping Thomas’s shoulders, Thanar shouted in his face, “Which Weathervane? The mother? The one accused of the empress’s death?”
Foam began to appear as Thomas mouth and dripped from its corners as he bit his tongue. Haltingly, he said, “N-not the mother. Ciardis. The girl. They want her weakened. W-want mother d-dead”
Ciardis said. “Thanar, stop this. If he continues to fight the bond like this, it will kill him.”
Thanar tightened his hands on Thomas, and a moment later he withdrew his magic. The darkness of Thanar’s power flowed out of the corners of Thomas’s eyes like a dark cloud. As the black receded he looked more normal. Moments later he slumped forward into Thanar’s grip, unconscious.
Breathing harshly, Ciardis reached forward to feel for Thomas’s pulse at his throat.
Unease settled over them all. Meanwhile, Ciardis was helping the revived Thomas to sit back. “What?” he said, looking around slowly and blanching at the sight of Thanar kneeling so close in front of him. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” Ciardis said.
Thomas shook his head in confusion. “No. Remember what? The last thing I remember is seeing you come toward me in the ballroom.”
Then he shook his head like a dog getting rid of water. “What happened to my stutter?”
They all exchanged dark looks.
“It’s gone,” said Thomas as he brought his hand up to touch his mouth in astonishment.
He looked around. “Where are we?”
Then he spotted the streaks of blood on Ciardis’s gown. “Did something happen?”
Chapter 6
A side from the rather unfortunate ruin of her new gown, not one of them looked the least bit sane. Vana had her knives out. Kane’s side was blood-splattered. And Thanar looked severely disgruntled at the interruption of his magic. Ciardis tentatively put her hand out to touch Thomas, but yanked it back as he skittered away violently. Unfortunately that only brought him closer to Thanar behind him. Thomas seemed to realize that as he scurried to the side.
“What about your powers? Why did you try to hurt Inga?” said Thanar as non-threateningly as possible. Which meant a thin, teeth-filled smile and a less moody glare. It didn’t really work.
“What? Who’s Inga?” said Thomas.
Vana swore. “This is getting us nowhere. He needs time to remember and we need to get out of here. Now. ”
Thomas swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed conspicuously as he said, “I hurt her? And him?” The pain on his face made Ciardis wish she could say no, that it was someone else.
“He’s in no condition to be left alone. We have to take him with us,” Ciardis said firmly.
Kane said, “Then let’s go.”
When Ciardis’s eyes lingered too long on the scar on his open chest where Inga’s sharp blade had torn into him, Kane flashed a wan grin at her.
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