Small Magics (67 page)

“Some,” said Thomas. “It’s faded, but it’s there.” The thought led him back to the standing stones, and the fight there. “Henry, have you told Benjamin’s parents?”

“I wrote them,” said Henry. “They came and cleaned out his room. They let Eileen keep the sword.”

“Good.” The thought of Benjamin’s parents having to clean out their son’s room freshened Thomas’s own grief. He felt his eyes welling up, and wiped at them as the front gate came into sight.

Eileen was standing on the other side of the gate.

Thomas took off at a run, leaving Henry behind and dashing over the last dozen yards. Eileen, under the eyes of the guards, barely managed to keep herself from doing the same. She practically danced in place until Thomas rushed through the gates and wrapped his arms around her. She squeezed him tight, tears from her eyes wetting his cheeks. He squeezed back just as hard and turned his face to hers. They kissed, mouths hard against one another in shared passion and joy.

Behind him, Thomas heard Henry saying, “Aren’t you going to do anything about that?”

George laughed. “They’d both have my ears if I did.”

Thomas ignored them and went on kissing Eileen. He would have happily kept at it for the whole day, but yells and catcalls started coming from the Academy. Breaking away from the kiss, he saw a dozen or more students whistling and applauding. Eileen began giggling. Releasing her from his arms, he took one of her hands, and turned to face her brother. George’s eyebrows were raised high.

“So, let you out did they?” George said, grinning. “Too bad.”

Thomas stepped forward and embraced his friend. George returned it, hard enough to make Thomas’s ribs creak. Thomas released his friend and stepped back. Eileen immediately caught his hand again.

“Well,” said Henry. “Now what?”

“Now, we go to the Broken Quill,” said Thomas. “We eat, we drink, and we celebrate me no longer being in gaol.”

“And after that?” asked Eileen.

Thomas smiled and squeezed her hand, knowing exactly what she was

thinking. “After that, we go home.”

***

A week and a half later, the road turned down a hill, the forest gave way, and they were home.

It was evening when they reached the town common. The sun was heading past the horizon, its light catching the edge of the buildings and lending a gentle glow to everything it touched. The people were closing up their shops or having one last gab with their neighbours before heading home for the night.

Thomas pulled his horse to a stop and watched them for a moment, then turned to his friends. Thomas had treated them all to new clothes before they left the city, and they all were wearing them. George still had the soldier’s sword at his side, though in a new scabbard, and Eileen wore Benjamin’s rapier. Thomas grinned at them, sure they all looked outlandish.

“Home,” George sounded immensely happy. “At last.”

“Aye,” agreed Thomas. He was nervous, he realized. “At last.”

Eileen caught his tone and cocked her head at him. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing,” Thomas said. “I’m just…”

“Afraid your father’s still angry?” guessed George.

Thomas nodded. “Aye.”

“He’ll be glad you’re back, now that all’s done,” Eileen said. “I’m sure of it.”

Thomas wasn’t. “I hope so.”

Eileen pulled her horse beside Thomas’s, leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. Thomas returned it while her brother gave his usual moan of disgust. Eileen straightened and smiled. “I’m sure of it.”

“Thomas Flarety!”

The three turned in their saddles. Bluster was coming out of the inn and straight towards them. Thomas pulled his reins, turning his horse around to face the Reeve, and kicked the beast into motion. The two met half-way, and the Reeve looked up at Thomas disapprovingly. “As I recall, I told you not to go anywhere.”

“Aye,” said Thomas, smiling, “you did.”

“And you saw fit to ignore me.”

Thomas shrugged. “I wasn’t guilty.”

“Then you should have stayed to prove it.”

“And there were these men trying to kill me.”

“So I heard.” Bluster shook his head. “You have a knack for getting into trouble, Thomas. I had to spread word through the county. The Academy even sent a messenger to see if it was true.”

“I know.”

“A lucky thing that woman came to her senses,” said Bluster. “You could have been at the end of a rope.”

“That’s what they told me in the gaol.”

Bluster glared at him, and Thomas smiled back. “Is Ailbe all right?”

“She wasn’t until a few weeks ago. Some sort of shock, made her insane for a while. The smith’s wife took her in, cared for her until she regained her senses.”

“Is she still here?” Eileen asked, riding up. “At our house?”

The Reeve gave Eileen and her brother a withering look. “And here’s the other trouble makers. Aye, she’s at your place.”

“We’ve got to go see her,” Eileen declared. She tugged at Thomas’s sleeve. “Will you come?”

“I’ll be by,” Thomas promised. “Maybe tomorrow, if all goes well.”

Eileen grabbed his sleeve and pulled him closer. “It
will
go well,” she said. “I’m sure it will.”

They kissed again, long and slow. From below Thomas heard the Reeve saying, “How long has this been going on?”

“Far too long,” said George, woefully.

They broke apart and Thomas gave a last squeeze to Eileen’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“There’s always a place under our roof,” George said, riding to Thomas’s other side. “Always.”

Thomas held out his hand and George took it. Thomas gripped it hard. “Thank you.”

George gripped back, then released Thomas and turned to his sister. “Time to tell our parents what you’ve been doing with the merchant’s son.”

“I haven’t been doing anything,” Eileen said, tossing back her hair. “Except the obvious.”

Thomas, knowing the words were not quite true, grinned at her. She smiled back.

“Aye?” George looked from one to the other. “Well, if you get home first, you might even make them believe that.”

Eileen’s jaw dropped, and she started to turn bright red. “You wouldn’t dare!”

George grinned. “See you!”

“You wouldn’t!” Her words were futile, for George had already turned his beast and was heading to their house at top speed. Eileen threw a quick glance back at Thomas.

“It’s all right,” he said, laughing. “Go! Go!”

She pushed her heels into her own horse and drove the animal after her brother. Thomas watched them go, smiling to himself. At last, he turned back to Bluster. “Is my mother still at the convent?”

“Nay. About five weeks ago your father went up and started apologizing. After three weeks of it she came home.”

“Good.”

The older man nodded. “Well, I’ll be off then.” He turned his piercing gaze on Thomas once more. “Get going, lad. He misses you.”

Thomas nodded and nudged the horse gently with his heels. He rode through the village, past the buildings and people he’d known all his life. Several waved hello, then turned and started whispering to others. He’d be the centre of the town gossip for a month to come, at least.

The sun was nearly down and in the near twilight, Thomas took a good look at the village and its inhabitants. It was dark enough for him to see each person’s inner light. They no longer blazed like torches in his sight, but glimmered faintly in white and blue and green and brown; the colours of the earth and sky.

Thomas rode out of the village and to his father’s house. The light of candles burning in the front window cast a glow out onto the yard. Thomas reined his horse in, tied it to the gate and stepped up the path.

At least my clothes are much better this time
, he thought.
Pity I’m still wearing the sword.

He reached the door and raised a hand to knock. After a long hesitation, he let it drop to the handle instead. It swung open and he stepped into the front hall. There was no one in sight. Three more steps took him to the parlour door. His father, mother, and brother were sitting together, talking quietly. His mother spotted him first, and whatever words she was about to say died on her lips. His father and brother turned, following her gaze to Thomas.

Thomas wanted to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. His mother and brother were rooted in their places, not saying anything either. Thomas watched his mother’s eyes dart back and forth between her husband and her youngest son. After a pause that felt like an hour, John Flarety pulled himself to his feet and stepped forward to meet his son.

“So.” John opened his mouth to say more but stopped. He tried again, stopped again. He looked his son up and down. “So,” he repeated. “New clothes.”

Thomas nodded, his mouth dry. “I bought them before I left the city.”

“They’re good.” The silence that followed was awkward, painful, and far too long for Thomas. John spoke again. “Still wearing the sword I see.”

“Aye.”

Neither moved, but the space between them grew immense. Thomas began to feel that the distance would never be crossed. Thomas’s brother was not looking at all happy and Madeleine Flarety started to open her mouth to speak, when John stepped forward and embraced his son. “Oh, lad, I’m so sorry.”

Thomas was stunned stiff at first, then relaxed and hugged his father back. “It’s all right, now.”

“No, it’s not.” John held his son a while longer, then stepped back enough to look into Thomas’s eyes. “I treated you badly. You and your mother and your brother. I don’t know why…”

“I do,” Thomas said. “And I’ll tell you all about it.”

“You do?” John smiled at his son. “I’m glad, because I don’t.” He gripped Thomas’s shoulders, hard. “I will make this up to you, Thomas. I’m not sure how, but I will make it up to you.
I promise.
”

On the last words, his father’s voice changed, becoming like fresh, warm honey. Thomas smiled, feeling his father’s magic wash over him. He could see John Flarety’s inner light shining brighter as he spoke the words. He looked to his mother and his brother, saw their own lights shimmering, brighter than the dim glow of the candles.

His father embraced him again, and his mother and brother came forward to join them. They held tightly for a long time. Thomas felt tears of relief and joy welling into his eyes. He let them flow.

“Right, then,” John Flarety stepped back and wiped his own eyes. “I’ll bet you’re hungry. We’ll get some food put together for you at once, then you can tell us everything that happened. Unless you have some news that can’t wait until we’ve fed you?”

Thomas thought about that, “Well, I’m courting the smith’s daughter.”

“What?” His mother was shocked. “When did that happen?”

“About three months ago.”

“And you didn’t tell us?”

“I haven’t told anyone. I’ve been busy.”

“I’m sure you have.” Thomas winced at her tone, and guessed that the explanations were going to take most of the night.

John Flarety intervened, laughing. “Come, we’ll get him food first, and then he can tell us.”

“All right,” his mother still looked sternly at her younger son. “But you will tell us everything.”

“Aye, I will,” Thomas lied, knowing of some things he would definitely keep to himself.

“Good.” John Flarety smiled at his son. “Come, then.” He turned and led them towards the kitchen. “And do take that sword off in the house.”

Thomas, feeling much better than he had in months, did what he was told.