Queen (Brotherhood of the Throne) (33 page)

Kane turned his head and followed
the direction of the Guard’s gaze.

The High Bishop, his red robes
stained black in places, stood holding an iron rod over a red-streaked body. Beldyn.
He lay on the same slab of rock that had previously held Neal Ravershaw and
Kane swallowed. As with Neal, a priest huddled near the slab with a bowl and a red-stained
cloth. Three more Guards were stationed around the room. When the one holding
Kane motioned, another Guard drew his sword and came forward.

“What about this one?”

Kane was jerked backwards by the
first Guard.

“Leave him. You’re harmless enough,
aren’t you old man.” The second man gave Kane’s beard a tug and he grimaced at
the pain.

“You’ll come back quickly?” the
High Bishop asked.

The second Guard pushed Kane to the
floor before replying. “We’ll make sure you and the King are safe,” he said
then they were gone, shutting the door after them.

“Bar the door at once,” the High
Bishop said. “We’ll let them in when it’s all clear.”

A third Guard moved to door and Kane,
on his knees, looked up into Beldyn’s open eyes. A single blink told him that
Beldyn was conscious and aware and Kane felt relief flood through him. He stood
up, slipped his cloak from his shoulder and drew his sword and knife.

“Untie your King,” he said. He
pointed his sword at the guard by the door and forced him away from it. “A true
Kingsguard
would never allow his
king
to be treated in such a
way.”

“And what would you know about a
true Kingsguard anyway, old man,” the Guard sneered at Kane. “I bet you can’t
even use that sword.”

Kane stood quietly, his hand steady
as he leveled his sword at the Guard’s throat. The man swallowed nervously and
sweat beaded his upper lip. Kane smiled.

“Why don’t you tell them who I am
Beldyn?”

“This is Kane Rowse, former Captain
of the Kingsguard.” Beldyn’s voice was hoarse, as if he’d only used it to
scream lately. “And nephew of a former Captain of the Kingsguard. He’s more a
true Kingsguard than you could ever be.”

“Rowse!” the High Bishop yelled.
“Kill him.”

Kane flicked his gaze eye to the
man he held at sword point before he looked over at the High Bishop, the priest
and finally the other Kingsguard. Neither Guard had moved at the High Bishop’s
order.  

“I suggest you keep the priests
under control if you want to live through this,” Kane said quietly. “You and
your partner here.” He twitched his hand and his blade flicked just enough to
break the skin on the Guard’s throat. A small bead of blood welled up and the
man swallowed again.

“I said kill him!” the High Bishop
screamed. He threw the iron rod he held.

Kane ducked and the rod smashed
into the Guard behind him with a sickening crunch. The man crumpled to the
ground, his skull dimpled in, and the rod rattled to the stone floor. Kane
sprang sideways when the High Bishop grabbed at the tools on the rack beside
him. With a downward thrust of his knife, Kane caught the left arm of the
priest when he launched himself at his legs. The man screamed in pain and Kane
kicked free of him, moving toward the High Bishop.

Kane turned and a second iron rod struck
him in the back. He winced and sucked in a breath. He switched his knife to his
right hand and in one smooth movement he rose and spun, throwing the knife with
all his strength. It caught the High Bishop in the right hand, the force of his
throw sending the blade through the flesh and into the wood of the rack with a
thud. The High Bishop screamed and clutched at the knife with his left hand. Blood
ran from his hand and pooled on the floor. Gasping for breath, Kane raised his
sword at the last Kingsguard who faced him, sword drawn.

“I have no argument with you,” Kane
said. “I simply want Beldyn. But if you fight me both you and the High Bishop will
die.” The Guard turned to look at the High Bishop, who still clutched at the
knife that held him trapped. He looked back at Kane, nodded and lowered his
sword.

Kane warily stepped over to Beldyn.
With his sword he carefully sliced through the ropes that bound him and gently
peeled them away from his raw skin.

“Can you stand and walk Beldyn?”

“I think so,” Beldyn said. He sat
up and swung his feet over the side of the block. Kane grabbed the boy’s
shoulder to steady him. When Beldyn’s bare feet touched the ground his breath
hissed out of him.

“We need to go.” Kane looped
Beldyn’s right arm over his left shoulder, keeping his sword arm free. At the
door, Kane slid the bolt and maneuvered Beldyn through it. He grabbed his cloak
from the floor and turned and looked across the room at the High Bishop.

“Valden, I’ll gift my knife to you.
It’s old steel, just like the ones you had been collecting for Duke Thorold.
Perhaps he’ll be satisfied with that.”

Kane turned and left the room,
slamming the door shut on his way. The sounds of fighting were louder in the
hallway and he tensed when he heard booted feet on the stairs. He let Beldyn
slide to the floor and pushed the cloak over the boy’s naked body. Kane squared
himself in the hall, sword ready. And smiled when he saw gray uniforms turn the
corner.

Brenna paced the room, two steps
one way, two steps back. The room in the White Whale was way too small to hold
her anxiety. She gripped her knife hard, her hand white from the pressure.
Where was Kane? He should be out by now. He’d expected this to be quick, over
before she was due to dine with King Mannel and she was a half hour late for
that already. When they hadn’t been able to contact Martyn and Eryl, she’d been
worried, but now she was frantic.
Where was Kane
?

 She reached out through the old
steel. She could sense him, his weapons anyway, but there was something
blocking her, as if she was trying to find him in a dense fog. She knew he was
there but she could feel someone else as well, someone who made her skin
twitch.

“
Jemma
,” she called. “
Where’s
Kane
?”

“
He’s not here yet Brenna
,”
Jemma said, her tone soothing. “
I told you that Gaskain said the Kingsguard arrived
a few minutes earlier than expected but that he has more than enough men to
hold them off. They’ll get him out. They’ll get them both out
.”

“
But where is he
?” Brenna
asked. “
I should be able to feel him clearly, not this muddle. And what
about Martyn? I can’t feel him either
.”

“
Maybe you’re tired
,” Jemma
suggested. “
You’ve been at this for hours. I know I’m tired and you’re the
one using your power. Besides, you’d know if Kane was hurt, wouldn’t you
?”

“
Yes, I would. Maybe I am just
tired.
” Brenna severed the connection and went back to her pacing.

“No word yet?” Dasid asked from
where he sat on the bed. He’d been in the room’s only chair until Brenna had
started knocking into while she paced.

“No. Jemma says to wait.”

“Then we should wait,” Dasid said.

She glared at him for being so calm
while she was worried to distraction. There was no point going to King Mannel’s
yet, she wouldn’t be able to concentrate, let alone eat, until she heard from
Kane.

“
Brenna
,” Kane called and
she slid to her knees in relief.

“
I’m here. Are you all right
?”
He had to be all right she thought, he had to be.

“
I’m fine. Beldyn’s hurt but
he’s with me
. We’re safe
.”

“Kane and Beldyn are safe,” she
said out loud to Dasid.

“I’ll let the others know,” he said
and left the room.

“
Kane, what happened? I couldn’t
track you. There was something odd about your old steel
.”

“
Huh
.” She heard his grunt
of surprise. “
It could be my knife. I had to leave it behind
,” Kane
said. “
I used it to pin the High Bishop to the wall. That might have
confused you
.
”

“
His blood and his flesh
,”
she said. “
He’s still alive
?” An old steel weapon embedded in the living
flesh of non-Brother, could that be the cause of the murkiness?

“
Yes
,” Kane replied. “
I
didn’t want to risk Beldyn for the sake of killing the High Bishop
.
”

“
Of course not
.”

“
We met up with Gaskain’s troops
in the church
,” Kane said. “
We’re on our way to meet with Gaskain and
the rest of his force
.”

“
Stay safe
,” Brenna said. Relieved,
she tucked her knife back into its sheath. She was over an hour late for her
dinner with King Mannel. She hoped he would understand. She headed to the door
to track down Dasid and the others.

“
Brenna
.”  

She stopped in the middle of the
street and gripped her knife. “
Jemma? Are you all right
?”  Dasid, Pater
and Wils looked at her and Brenna waved for them to follow her as she ducked
into an alley. “It’s Jemma,” she said and the three men took up sentry
positions around her.

“
I have news
,” Jemma said. “
Bad
news. Eryl’s dead
.” Jemma paused. “
And Martyn is missing
.”

“Eryl …” Brenna said aloud. Her
legs gave out and Dasid grabbed hold of her. She leaned into him and closed her
eyes in grief. “
Are you sure
?” she asked Jemma. 

“
Yes. Guild Master Brunger sent
word. He had it from a man named Larkly who saw Eryl killed by the guard during
the riot. Brunger said it was a reliable witness
.”

“
Yes
,” Brenna replied. “
Larkly
has been in Eryl’s gang for years
.” She turned to Dasid. “Eryl’s dead. The Guard
killed him during the riot.”

Brenna wiped a tear from her eye.
Eryl, the first true friend she’d made in Kingsreach. When she’d arrived in the
city heartbroken and naïve after running away from Thorold and his murder of
her mother, Eryl had helped her.

“
Brenna, there’s more
,”
Jemma called. “
Eryl was disguised and only a few people knew what he looked
like. Martyn was one of them. This man Larkly, he said,
” Jemma paused again
and Brenna could feel her distress. “
He said that Martyn was the one who
pointed Eryl out to the Guard
.”

“
Oh no
.” Brenna looked over
at Pater. “
Are you sure
?” If it was true it would break the old man’s
heart.

 “
No
,” Jemma replied. “
Martyn
couldn’t have done such a thing, could he? Larkly swears he saw it. Martyn was
taken away by the Guard and they came after Eryl. No one has seen Martyn since
.”

“
Ask Marcus to keep looking for
him
,” Brenna said. “
Maybe there’s another explanation
.” Even as she
said it she didn’t believe it - as much as she disliked Larkly, the man
wouldn’t accuse another resident of the Quarter of something this appalling
unless he was positive. How many times had Eryl said that the Quarter looked
after its own? And now he’d been betrayed by one of its own.

Brenna turned to her companions. “Eryl’s
dead,” she said again out loud. “He was killed during the riot.” She reached a
hand out to Pater. “Jemma says that Martyn is missing. They’ll keep looking,
but they fear the worst.” No need to tell him that the worst included betrayal.

“He’ll turn up,” Pater said, his
voice hoarse. “He has to. His ma will be devastated if somethin’s happened to
him.”

“I hope he will,” Brenna said. She
stepped up to Pater and hugged him. “I hope he will.”

“Brenna,” Dasid said after a few
minutes. “I know it’s difficult but we really do need to go.”

“Yes, you’re right.” Brenna
smoothed her shirt over her knife. She closed her eyes and straightened her
shoulders. She’d have to mourn Eryl and Martyn later. Tonight she had work to
do.

Furious, Thorold strode down his
hallway, tying his robe as he went. Whoever had disturbed him had better have a
very good reason or be prepared to suffer. He pushed the doors to his salon
open and they banged loudly against the walls.

“What is the meaning of this!” he
demanded. “Captain Barton,” he said, seeing the blue uniform clad figure. “What
is going on?”

“Beldyn is missing and High Bishop
Valden has been injured,” Barton said and Thorold felt his heart clench tight.

“What do you mean Beldyn is
missing? He was under your protection! Yours and the High Bishop’s.” Thorold
sat down heavily on a chair near the door.

“It was Kane Rowse, my Lord. He
broke into the church and stole the boy away.”

“Stole the boy away,” Thorold said,
feeling his anger rising. “I thought you made sure the church was secure after
the last disaster with Avery’s captain.” He glared at Barton. “Well?”