After The Rabbit (Waldo Rabbit Series) (29 page)

What would the songs say? Noble Sir Berrs fought the horde of unnatural things while Duke Theos Griffinheart cowered in his keep.

“Get up,” Theos snapped. “No one will lead the men but me. I will not give you such fame.”

Berrs stood. “I am thinking of the people, not about the honor.”

“How very noble of you. Go and organize the search. If you can recover my blade we will march. In the meantime tell the men to break ranks. They can help search or train.”

“Yes, my lord.”

XXX

Melissa had returned to the small village of Peabody and
finally
picked up the scent again.

“A White Mage travelling with a woman named Alice and an ogre. You’re certain?”

“It would be hard to forget,” Lorimer said. “They came by just before the solstice and rescued our missing children.” The man gave her a rough bow. “We are truly grateful.”

“I am glad he was there to help.”

Melissa was in an awkward position. She could not, under any circumstances, admit publicly that Waldo was an imposter. If the story got out that someone was pretending to be a member of her order then people would start to question if the White Mages they met truly were White Mages. It might also give other magic users dangerous notions. Minister Barrows had given her specific instructions not to reveal the fact Waldo was an imposter to anyone outside of the Order. In his judgment any harm Waldo caused could simply be denied and explained away as rumor. There were so many false tales about them already a few more wouldn’t matter. Compared to the problems a rash of imposters might cause it was better just to pretend he was one of their own. After all, how much trouble could one man possibly make?

Sooner or later she would track him down and that would be the end of his mischief.

Melissa was relieved to hear he had done some good. Saving those poor children and returning them safely was exactly what a true White Mage would do. But to go about with an ogre in his service? She could not begin to understand how he could he tolerate having that thing near.

“He didn’t accept any sort of reward?”

“Well, he made a couple jokes about taking one, but didn’t and set out right away.”

“Towards Norwich?”

“That’s right, Mistress Cornwall.”

Curiouser and curiouser, he had robbed her and Master Roger, but refused to take anything from these villagers. Did he only steal from fellow mages?
You are a strange one Waldo Rabbit.

“I beg pardon.”

Melissa saw a little girl of eight or so cautiously approach her. “Yes, child?”

“This is Jenna,” Lorimer said. “She is one of the children that Waldo rescued.”

Melissa smiled down at the innocent child. “Well how lovely, what can I do for you, Jenna?”

“Is it true the White Mages are plotting to take over the world?”

Lorimer gawked at her, then at Melissa, and then back again. “Jenna, you can’t ask Mistress Cornwall something like that.”

“It’s all right, I am not going to take offense,” Melissa gently patted the top of the girl’s head. “Tell me dear, who told you that?”

“Master Rabbit! He told us not to trust any White Mages except for him.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Do you know him?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact we first met just a matter of days ago.”

“So the two of you are friends?”

“Friends? No, no I am much more than that to him,” Melissa caressed her wand as she spoke. “I am his fate.”

XXX

Celton Poisondagger was returning to his quarters following another dinner where he was seated among children. Every meal was a public reminder of his low standing within the family, relatives cast smug looks in his direction and refused to acknowledge his existence. From talking to father he knew nothing was going to change. The knowledge did not make it any easier.

Outside the door to his rooms his younger brother waited.

“Murat.”

“Brother.”

“Do you want something?”

“Just a few minutes of your time.”

“All right.”

They went inside. As soon as the door was shut Murat got right to his point.

“Brother, when the time comes, I want you and your sons to support me.”

“The time for what?” Celton asked cautiously.

“Our father is hale and hearty, and you know I wish he could live forever.”

“Don’t we all?”

Murat spoke slowly, measuring each word. “Yet, we all know father will pass on at some point. When that sad day comes who knows what will happen? Wouldn’t it be better, wouldn’t it be
safer
if we were all united?”

Celton relaxed a bit. This wasn’t a conspiracy. Murat was trying to find allies and it only made sense that he would turn to him and his sons. The other family members were dangerous. It was logical to try and protect yourself.

“We share the same mother, and I agree we should be united. But don’t you think you should be supporting me? I am the older brother after all.”

“That doesn’t matter. Only strength counts.”

“I am also more skilled.”

“I am sure that comes as a great comfort as you listen to the little ones talk with full mouths.”

“Is that what this is about Murat? You think I’ve fallen and that means I will follow you now?”

“Brother, you
have
fallen,” Murat held a hand up. “I am not saying it is just, but father doesn’t need to be just. You’ve been tainted with failure. You are no longer a candidate. I am not the only one who believes that, the entire family thinks the same.”

“All of our positions change. We never sit at the same seat two meals in a row.”

“But none of the other contenders have ever been exiled to the end of the table. You are literally as far down as you can be. No one will follow you now.”

“Things can change.”

“Not enough.”

“You might be surprised.”

“Is that your answer then? You won’t side with me?”

“I agree we should make common cause, but you should support me.”

“The rest of the family won’t accept you as head, not now.”

“I think they will, and soon.”

“Being stubborn doesn’t change the reality of the situation, brother.”

“Murat, you and the family don’t know as much as you may think. My rise will be just as quick and spectacular as my fall.”

His brother shook his head. “Father never forgives that easily. For now at least, let us agree to be allies. We can sort out just who is following whom later.”

“I can agree to that.”

As his younger brother departed Celton had no doubt when the time for action came he would be the one in control.

XXX

Walter was lying naked on a table. On the chest, where the heart had been, the sewn up wound and seal were plain to see. Walter’s body consisted only of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen. Charred remnants of bone and flesh were all that remained of the limbs.

Next to the table was a cart with a pair of arms and legs that had been neatly severed and washed. Also on the cart was a saw, a pair of very sharp knives, an assortment of smaller hooks and scrapers, a large needle, and spools of thread.

Lilith was hovering over her son, carefully examining the damage. She would need to reattach the arms and legs as cleanly as possible or Walter would have difficulty using them.

“It doesn’t look too bad. Once I have the new ones stitched on I will reanimate them and you should be fine. I expect you won’t even notice the difference after a few days.”

Walter’s dead eyes stared up at the ceiling. It refused to acknowledge her.

“You know it’s fortunate zombies can’t feel pain. If you were alive I expect your screams would have been heard from one end of the castle to the other. Assuming you survived.”

Walter said nothing.

“As it is, in a couple hours I should be done and you will be able to walk out of here in perfect condition.”

She paused, but her son remained silent.

“You know Walter, you could at least be a little appreciative of what I am doing for you.”

That finally got a reaction as Walter’s head jolted in her direction. “Is that a joke? What should I be grateful for? You let Hera do this to me!”

“No,” she said patiently. “
You
let her do this to you. I taught you better, from the moment you were allowed to put on the black robes you were expected to protect yourself. That hasn’t changed simply because you died.”

“How am I supposed to protect myself when I’m a zombie and she is a necromancer?”

“Perhaps you should have thought of that before confronting and threatening her.”

“What would you do if she actually killed me?”

“You can’t be killed, you are already dead.”

“You know what I mean! What if she hadn’t been satisfied with my arms and legs? What if she had burned me up completely?”

Lilith shrugged. “I’d have had the servants sweep you up and scrub clean the hall.”

Walter stared at her. “Is that all?”

“What would you have me do? A soul can be summoned back to earth only once. That is why it is so important the container be protected.” With one finger she thumped the seal mark written in her own blood. “If the container is destroyed, or the seal broken, the soul is lost for good.”

“Would you at least have avenged me and killed Hera?”

“Why would I?”

His teeth snapped at her.

“Stop acting like a child. Children can cry about how unfair the world is. Adults are expected to know better. You are going to have to deal with things as they are, not as you wish them to be.”

“I thought she was going to destroy me, I really did. When she stopped she said it was only because she didn’t want to upset you.”

Lilith inspected one of the hooks. “You might want to keep that in mind from here on out. Hera is not going anywhere. If you want to survive you are going to have to stop antagonizing her.”

“You’re saying I have to treat her as if I were a servant?”

“What I am telling you is you have to know your place.”

“You can’t trust her.”

Lilith gave an annoyed sigh. “I don’t trust anyone.”

“But you’re sharing your secrets with her,” Walter whined.

“I am teaching her. I will show her only what I wish to. Believe me, I keep secrets from her as I do with everyone else.”

“You care more about her than you do me.”

She ran the hook against some blackened skin. It flaked right off. Lilith gave a satisfied nod and returned it to the cart. “Now you really do sound like a child, and a spoiled one at that.”