made Tobin run all the way back there in the first place? It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Tobin’s explanation … He sighed. Well, he
wanted
to believe it, but something just didn’t ring true. And whatever had ailed Tobin that night, something was different between them now.
Or maybe
, he thought guiltily,
he felt something different from me
.
The filthy accusations Mago and Arius had thrown at Ki that day in the stable, implying that he and Tobin did more than just sleep together, had cut deep. After that Ki had caught himself pulling away from Tobin sometimes. The hurt look on his friend’s face when he’d kept to his side of the bed at night came back to haunt him. Was that why Tobin had left him behind the day he ran off?
I was a fool, listening to anything those lackwits had to say
. In truth, with all the uproar of the past month, he’d all but forgotten it all until now. But had Tobin?
Guilt and uncertainty made his belly churn. “Well, whatever it is, he’ll tell me when he’s ready,” he muttered.
The air went cold behind him, and mean, whispery laugh raised gooseflesh on his arms. Ki spun around, reaching instinctively for the horse charm around his neck. Brother stood beside Tharin’s bed, watching him with hate-filled black eyes.
Ki’s heart knocked painfully against his ribs; the ghost looked more solid than he remembered, a starved, hollow-eyed parody of his friend. Ki thought he’d gotten used to Brother that night they’d traveled together, but all his fears came rushing back.
“Ask Arkoniel,” whispered Brother.
“Ask him what?”
Brother disappeared but his hissing laugh seemed to hang in the air where he’d been. Shaken, Ki pulled a chair closer to the fire and huddled there, feeling lonelier than ever.
Lost in his unhappy reverie, he was nearly dozing when the sound of shouting roused him. Flinging open the door, he nearly collided with Iya. They dashed to the hall and found Tharin there, holding Tobin’s limp body in his arms.
“What happened?” Iya demanded.
“His chamber, Ki,” Tharin ordered, ignoring her. “Open the door.”
“I have a fire lit in yours.” Ki ran ahead and turned down Tharin’s bed. Tharin laid Tobin down gently and began chafing his wrists. Tobin was breathing, but his face was drawn and beaded with sweat.
“What did Orun do to him?” Ki growled. “I’ll kill him. I don’t care if they burn me alive for it!”
“Mind your tongue, Ki.” Tharin turned to the servants and soldiers crowding in the doorway. “Koni, ride to the grove for a drysian. Don’t stand there staring, man, go! Laris, you set a guard on all doors. No one enters except members of the royal household. And fetch Bisir. I want him here now!”
The old sergeant saluted, fist to chest. “Right away, Captain.”
“Ulies, fetch a basin of water,” Iya said calmly. “The rest of you make yourselves useful or get out of the way.”
The others scattered and Tharin sank into a chair by the bed, cradling his head in his hands.
“Close the door, Ki.” Iya bent over Tharin and gripped his shoulder. “Tell us what happened.”
Tharin shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. Bisir took him upstairs, to Orun’s chamber. A while later Lord Niryn arrived with a message from the king. He soon came down again and I thought Tobin would follow. But he didn’t. Then I heard Bisir cry out. When I got upstairs, Orun was dead and Tobin was lying senseless on the floor. I couldn’t wake him, so I carried him back here.”
Iya undid the lacings of Tobin’s tunic and her face darkened ominously. “Look. These marks are fresh.”
She opened the linen shirt beneath, showing Tharin and Ki long red marks already darkening to bruises on Tobin’s throat. A thin abrasion on the left side of his neck was beaded with droplets of drying blood. “Did you notice any marks on Orun?”
“I didn’t stop to look.”
“We’ll find who did this,” Ki growled. “We’ll find him
wanted
to believe it, but something just didn’t ring true. And whatever had ailed Tobin that night, something was different between them now.
Or maybe
, he thought guiltily,
he felt something different from me
.
The filthy accusations Mago and Arius had thrown at Ki that day in the stable, implying that he and Tobin did more than just sleep together, had cut deep. After that Ki had caught himself pulling away from Tobin sometimes. The hurt look on his friend’s face when he’d kept to his side of the bed at night came back to haunt him. Was that why Tobin had left him behind the day he ran off?
I was a fool, listening to anything those lackwits had to say
. In truth, with all the uproar of the past month, he’d all but forgotten it all until now. But had Tobin?
Guilt and uncertainty made his belly churn. “Well, whatever it is, he’ll tell me when he’s ready,” he muttered.
The air went cold behind him, and mean, whispery laugh raised gooseflesh on his arms. Ki spun around, reaching instinctively for the horse charm around his neck. Brother stood beside Tharin’s bed, watching him with hate-filled black eyes.
Ki’s heart knocked painfully against his ribs; the ghost looked more solid than he remembered, a starved, hollow-eyed parody of his friend. Ki thought he’d gotten used to Brother that night they’d traveled together, but all his fears came rushing back.
“Ask Arkoniel,” whispered Brother.
“Ask him what?”
Brother disappeared but his hissing laugh seemed to hang in the air where he’d been. Shaken, Ki pulled a chair closer to the fire and huddled there, feeling lonelier than ever.
Lost in his unhappy reverie, he was nearly dozing when the sound of shouting roused him. Flinging open the door, he nearly collided with Iya. They dashed to the hall and found Tharin there, holding Tobin’s limp body in his arms.
“What happened?” Iya demanded.
“His chamber, Ki,” Tharin ordered, ignoring her. “Open the door.”
“I have a fire lit in yours.” Ki ran ahead and turned down Tharin’s bed. Tharin laid Tobin down gently and began chafing his wrists. Tobin was breathing, but his face was drawn and beaded with sweat.
“What did Orun do to him?” Ki growled. “I’ll kill him. I don’t care if they burn me alive for it!”
“Mind your tongue, Ki.” Tharin turned to the servants and soldiers crowding in the doorway. “Koni, ride to the grove for a drysian. Don’t stand there staring, man, go! Laris, you set a guard on all doors. No one enters except members of the royal household. And fetch Bisir. I want him here now!”
The old sergeant saluted, fist to chest. “Right away, Captain.”
“Ulies, fetch a basin of water,” Iya said calmly. “The rest of you make yourselves useful or get out of the way.”
The others scattered and Tharin sank into a chair by the bed, cradling his head in his hands.
“Close the door, Ki.” Iya bent over Tharin and gripped his shoulder. “Tell us what happened.”
Tharin shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. Bisir took him upstairs, to Orun’s chamber. A while later Lord Niryn arrived with a message from the king. He soon came down again and I thought Tobin would follow. But he didn’t. Then I heard Bisir cry out. When I got upstairs, Orun was dead and Tobin was lying senseless on the floor. I couldn’t wake him, so I carried him back here.”
Iya undid the lacings of Tobin’s tunic and her face darkened ominously. “Look. These marks are fresh.”
She opened the linen shirt beneath, showing Tharin and Ki long red marks already darkening to bruises on Tobin’s throat. A thin abrasion on the left side of his neck was beaded with droplets of drying blood. “Did you notice any marks on Orun?”
“I didn’t stop to look.”
“We’ll find who did this,” Ki growled. “We’ll find him
Similar Books
