Shadow Magic (30 page)

Thorn grabbed her arm. “You ain’t making no sense.”

“Remember that zoo we visited? Maximilian’s Marvelous Magical Menagerie? I met a man there, looking after the animals. He had only three fingers on one hand.” She shook her head. “If you hadn’t walked off in a huff, you would have seen him!”

“No, it can’t be. He’d be a long way from here. He ain’t stupid.” But there was a mixture of hope and fear sprouting in Thorn’s chest.

“Tyburn told me he injured the man. It could be that’s what’s delayed your father. He’d have needed to rest up.” Lily’s brow furrowed. “And leaving’s not that easy. There are many rivers between Gehenna and the south and only a few bridges, all guarded by my soldiers. Tyburn would have ordered them to keep a lookout.”

Thorn gasped. “Tyburn’s been watching the ports, too. He found me at Port Cutlass.”

Could it be true? He almost didn’t want to believe it. That his dad could be so close, and he not know….Thorn tried not to let his hopes rise too high, but it was hard. “The fair was just a mile or two away. Come on, let’s go look!”

“The zoo left, Thorn. Two days ago.”

“Left? Why? Halloween’s tomorrow.” The zoo would have made most of its money then.

“I don’t know, but they’re gone. They were going south to the Sultanate for the winter.”

What to do? He had to find that man and see if…

“It don’t matter. I’ll catch them on Hades. They can’t have gotten far in their wagons.”

“Hades?” The color drained from Lily’s already pale cheeks. “Thorn, I thought you
knew
. Didn’t anyone tell you?”

“Tell me what? Nobody speaks to me, Lily! What have you done with Hades?” He was frightened down to his core. The bat was all he had left.

“A couple of the Solar squires were fooling around. That moron Gabriel put them up to it. One tried to get up on the bat’s back. The squire was thrown off and broke both his legs. He’s Gabriel’s cousin and…I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this.”

“Tell me what?” He was desperate now.

Please let Hades be all right.

“Duke Solar was furious. He complained to Uncle Pan and…Uncle Pan’s weak. It’s not his fault.”

Ice ran through Thorn’s veins. “Where’s Hades?”

“He got rid of him.”

“Rid of him? What do you mean?”

Lily bit her lip. “You know what I mean.”

Thorn shoved Lily aside and ran.

Murk Hall was empty except for a few bats flitting high in the roof, as lost and aimless as Thorn.

They were looking for Hades, too.

A few minutes later, Lily stumbled in behind him. “I’m sorry, Thorn. I really am.”

Thorn stared at the emptiness. He stared and stared. Stared until he felt dizzy, trying to gaze into the darkness, hoping to see the curve of a giant wing, the bristles of black fur, or the shape of a claw or fang. But there was nothing in the darkness now.

Hades was gone.

Lily hugged him.

How could it have gone so wrong? He stood stiffly in Lily’s embrace, getting no comfort from her closeness. Hades was gone. The man who might be his father was gone. Tomorrow Lily would be gone. The day after that, K’leef would die, and where would that leave him?

“Let me go home, Lily.”

She looked at him; their faces were inches apart. “Tyburn will come after you. I won’t be able to stop him.”

“Let me find my dad. He’s innocent, Lily. I can’t prove it, but I know it. Just like K’leef.”

Lily wiped a tear from his eye and nodded. “Then you must save them both.”

“There’s nothing I can do for K’leef. Tyburn doubled his guard.”

“There are ways in and out of the cells that only I know about, Thorn. I’ll help you. Take K’leef and go.”

“You’ll do that, for me? For K’leef?”

“You’re my only friends, Thorn. You must know that.”

He did, now. “I ain’t got none better.” Then he grabbed her hand as an insane idea sprang into his head. “Why don’t you come with us?”

Lily laughed. “It’ll be hard enough escaping with Tyburn chasing after you. If I go, you’ll also have Duke Solar and his paladins on the hunt. No, I’ll stay and do my duty.”

“You’ll be Solar’s prisoner, Lily. You said so yourself.”

“But there will be peace.” She sighed. “The menagerie will be headed for Port Charon. The ship sails tomorrow night. Your father, if it is your father, will want to take that ship. It passes near Herne’s Forest on its journey south.”

And if I don’t reach him, he’ll head home, not knowing that Tyburn’s men are waiting for him.

Thorn still hesitated. “What about the scarred man? You ain’t safe here, Lily. Come with us.”

“Not safe? The scarred man has a very unique face, so he should be easy to spot, if he is foolish enough to come within ten miles of here. I have my Black Guard. Baron Sable and all the other nobles of Gehenna, every one of them has sworn to protect House Shadow to the bitter end. And the Solars won’t risk me getting a hair out of place. Finally, there’s Uncle Pan. He’s always taken care of me.” She smiled, seeing the disbelief on Thorn’s face. “He may not be the hero he once was, but he still cares about me and my welfare.” She stepped back and fixed her dress. “Get two horses saddled. You’ll be leaving in a hurry.”

Thorn still held her hand. “I have to say good-bye, but I don’t know how.”

“Like this.” Lily kissed him. Her lips lingered on his long enough for him to take in her breath and her scent. It was dark and of roses. Then she stepped away.

“Good-bye, Thorn.” Lily joined the shadows and was gone.

Once again, Thorn didn’t pack much. Food and water for them both, some blankets, and besides that, he just went with the clothes on his back, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. They needed to move quickly if they wanted to catch up with the zoo. And save his dad.
If
the man was his dad.

If, if, if…

And if he wasn’t? They were still going home.

It was an hour after midnight when the stable door opened and a cloaked figure entered.

Thorn watched silently from the darkness.

The figure searched around, then snapped his fingers.

The lanterns hanging from the rafter flared into life.

Only one person Thorn knew could do that. He stepped out. “I’ve been waiting.”

K’leef lowered his hood and smiled. Then he crushed Thorn in a bearlike embrace. There was muscle under that padding of flesh. “Thank you.”

“Thank me when we’re home.”

“I can almost feel the sand between my toes already. My father will fill your pockets with rubies for this, Thorn.”

“That ain’t why I’m doing it.”

“I know, but it’s better to have gems in your pockets than air.”

“Sounds like the sort of thing my grandpa would say.”

K’leef spread out his arms. “I must look ridiculous. Dressed in this…color.”

He was wearing a squire’s black hand-me-downs, just like Thorn.

“It looks all right.” Thorn didn’t know much about fashion. He led out a beautiful pearl-white mare. “Your horse, m’lord.”

“Isn’t this Gabriel’s?”

“So?”

“They’ll hang you, Thorn.”

“They’ll have to catch me first.” Thorn led out Thunder. He was going to take Tyburn’s own horse. The executioner owed him that, at least. “Did Lily say anything about how to get past the gates?”

“Yes. We’re to take Skeleton Gate. There are only two guards there at this time of night, and she left them a barrel of ale.” K’leef didn’t look confident. “Getting out is one thing, but the castle’s surrounded. There are thousands of people camped outside because of Halloween. Someone’s bound to spot us.”

“Not if we go via the City of Silence,” said Thorn. “No one has camped anywhere near the graveyard.”

“And for good reason. You know the stories, about Halloween being the night the dead walk out of their graves.”

“Halloween’s
tomorrow
, K’leef, and by then we’ll be a long way from here.”

Thorn looked around the stables for the last time.

This weren’t meant to end like this. Me sneaking out like a thief.

He wasn’t sad about leaving, not really. He wanted to get far away from the cruel people who had killed Hades. But he did have one regret.

He wished he could write. He wanted to leave Lily
something
.

He took off his acorn amulet. Thorn couldn’t remember a time he hadn’t worn it. He hooked it over a nail.

K’leef smiled sympathetically. “Let’s go home, Thorn.”

H
alloween morning dawned bright and clear. Mary declared there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it would be a beautiful night for the masquerade, deep with countless stars and crowned by a crescent moon. Lily dragged herself through a miserable series of pointless duties. Nobles were greeted. Presents accepted. The kitchens visited, and the cooks and chefs congratulated on the roasting sheep and pies and endless platters of cheeses, cold meats, cakes, and tarts. Now she stood up on a stool, arms spread out to either side like a scarecrow while Mary, pins locked in her lips, made a few more adjustments to her ball gown.

Three maids fussed and whirled around the room collecting ribbons and threads. Each was more excited than the other. The whole castle celebrated the masquerade, and most would have preferred to spend all year preparing their dresses and making their masks.

“We’ve cleared the bats out of the Stygian suites,” said Mary. “Lord Ebon and his family are staying there tonight.”

“Lord Ebon?”

“Yes. You know, the one who had that unfortunate vampire problem a few years ago?”

“Didn’t Father stake half his family?”

“I wouldn’t mention that. He’s still very sensitive about it.”

Lily looked around her room and at the chests filled with her belongings. Three massive oaken crates held all her clothes, and there were smaller ironbound boxes for her jewelry and other valuables. Half the furniture was already on wagons, the rest covered in sheets to keep off the dust and cobwebs. Mary had it all listed in her red ledger, now open on the dressing table.

“I can’t believe I’m actually leaving,” Lily said. “What would Father think?”

“He’d think you’re safe. For all his faults, Duke Solar will protect you.”

Lily had once thought that magic would save her country. She had the potential to be a great sorcerer—more powerful than anyone else here, maybe even more than the duke. But what she’d experienced with Rose had scared her to her very soul. Magic wasn’t a gift; it was a curse. She would never use it again.

Now she realized the best way to save Gehenna was to leave. Lily was the last Shadow.

She wished she was dead. “Maybe they’re right. I can’t protect my people. Maybe the duke and his paladins will do a better job.”

“Rulership wasn’t meant for you, Lily. You’re just a—”

“Girl?”

Mary scowled. “What I was going to say was that you’re just a
child
. By the Six, I know I couldn’t cope. Organizing a handful of silly maids is more than enough for me.”

“Organize silly maids? You run Castle Gloom,” said Lily. “Ever since Mother died it’s been you, doing everything.”

“I wouldn’t say
everything
.”

“It’s true. I’ve passed your room late at night and seen the candles burning. You hunched over the red ledger, scratching away at sums and lists and who’s delivered what and how many sacks of flour goes to which village. How did you learn it all?”