interested in what the others were saying. Grysha had been sent to buy supplies. Soterro and the cook had been helping themselves to the master's wine again and, believing she could not understand Merofynian, did not bother to guard their tongues.
'We'll be off home soon,' Soterro was saying. 'About time, too. The old king won't last long.'
The cook noticed Piro had finished. 'Brush the buns with milk and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the top.' He switched back to Merofynian. 'Palatyne'll be eager to get back to the king. After this victory the old man's sure to offer him a dukedom!'
'There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip.' Soterro grimaced. 'Palatyne trusts no one, especially not our master. Dunstany's noble born and bred and the overlord can't forgive him that, not when he comes from the wrong side of the Divide.'
'Put them into the bread oven, girl. We want the buns for supper tonight, not next summer!' the cook snapped, then turned to Soterro, returning to Merofynian. 'But when Palatyne is a duke no one will remember where he was born.'
'I don't think he plans to stop at duke.' Soterro's voice was heavy with meaning.
Cook's eyes widened.
The bell rang, signalling Dunstany's return. Soterro went to answer his summons. Just then there was a knock at the kitchen door.
'Don't stand there daydreaming, girl. Wash your arms, take off that grubby apron and answer the door!' Cook told Piro.
She hurried to obey. Opening the door she faced her old nurse with a tray of hot pies. Piro stifled a gasp.
'Hot pies, lovely hot pies for sale,' old Seela sang in a fair imitation of a street-seller. 'A copper a pie!'
'Hmm. What have you got?' The cook hurried over to take a look. He sniffed. 'They smell good. But my master expects the best.'
'There's eel, steak and kidney, steak and peas, bacon and chicken — '
'We'll take one of each. And if they're not up to standard you won't be getting my lord's custom again!'
The cook went out of the room to where he hid his money, to count out his coins.
'Bless me. It's good to see you, Piro,' her old nurse whispered. 'Quick now, while he's away, out the door — '
'I can't. Lord Dunstany just came back and he may have news of Byren.'
Before they could argue, the cook returned and counted out the coins as Piro transferred the pies to the table.
'If these are good we'll take some more tomorrow. Do you have any sweet pies, apple or blueberry?'
Her old nurse nodded. 'Whatever you wish.'
Piro hid a smile. The castle pastry cook was renowned for her pies. She'd be horrified to know they were being sold for a copper each.
'I'll be back tomorrow, then,' Seela said, catching Piro's eye meaningfully, before heading off.
'Well, shut the door, girl, you're letting the cold in!' the cook snapped. Just then Soterro returned. 'What news?'
'Mulled wine for two. The overlord's with him.'
Piro's heart skipped a beat. Another missed opportunity to poison Palatyne because she hadn't stolen the hellsbane. She should steal some tomorrow and kill Palatyne first chance she got.
Yes, that's what she would do. Then she'd run away.
Relieved to have a plan, Piro put cheese and bread on a plate while Cook checked the spiced wine. She dried her hands then picked up the tray to follow Soterro down the short hall.
When Piro entered she found Dunstany stood by the fire listening to Palatyne. Soterro poured the drinks and was dismissed, which left Piro to wait by the sideboard.
Dunstany sipped his mulled wine, clearly enjoying the delicate mix of spices.
'…so it looks like Cobalt will make a full recovery,' Palatyne was saying. He gulped his steaming goblet. 'I could use some good news. The Utlander can't get a fix on Byren Kingson. He claims you cursed Rolen's finger, says it will point to Rolenton and nowhere else.'
'I'd be a fool to do something so obvious. No, the Utlander seeks to lay the blame for his incompetence on me. He hasn't the skill to differentiate between living and dead kin, as we saw last night.' Dunstany laughed softly and Piro looked down, hiding her triumph. If only they knew.
'So much for the Utlander. What about you, have you found Byren Kingson?' the overlord asked.
'I spent all day nursing your puppet king,' Lord Dunstany pointed out. 'I will seek the youth this very night.'
There was a clatter of booted feet in the front room and someone rapped on the connecting door, then marched straight in. A tall thin woman, wearing the white of a Cyena mystic, entered. She was young, but her hair was completely white and her eyes were pale pink. Piro had heard of such people, born without colouring, but never seen one. Just looking at the woman made her shiver.
'Overlord Palatyne.' The mystic afforded him a shallow bow. 'I bring word concerning the kingsons.'
Piro froze, then schooled her face to look blank, since she wasn't supposed to understand what was being said. Luckily no one had noticed her slip.
'Here is a list of what was found in the abbey.' The Cyena mystic nodded to one of her escort, who presented a written dispatch that Palatyne did not bother to open. Piro wondered if he had to sound out the words to read.
'What news of the kingson at the abbey?' the overlord demanded.
'The bodies were carefully searched. There were many youths of the right age, but none of them wore the royal emblem.'
Palatyne frowned, while Piro cheered inside. Fyn could still be alive.
'It is most curious,' the mystic said softly, 'for no small boys were found, only old men and lads nearly old enough to be monks.'
'They're hiding.'
'Obviously.'
As the mystic's odd pink eyes skimmed past Palatyne, Piro realised the mystic was blind, at least blind to the Seen world. Her Affinity would give her Unseen sight. Piro instinctively reinforced the walls she had used to hide her Affinity from the castle's nuns and monks.
'We sealed the abbey and checked every chamber, but we found no sign of them. There was not a single sorbt stone in the mystics master's inner sanctum and we did not find the way into Halcyon's Sacred Heart with its recurring seep.'
'Perhaps it is a myth?' Dunstany suggested.
Blind, pink eyes moved towards the sound of his voice. 'Our spies report otherwise. Such a treasure would be well hidden. I suspect that's where the small boys are, along with the missing sorbt stones. Someone was quick enough to warn them and I suspect this missing kingson is hidden in some deep secret chamber under Mount Halcyon.'
Palatyne smiled. 'Well, they'll have to come out sooner or later, or starve. You.' He pointed to one of the mystic's escort. 'Go back. Tell Mulcibar's mystic not to leave the abbey until he finds them.'
The man nodded and remained where he was.
'Now!' Palatyne roared and the man ran out. 'As for you,' he turned to Cyena's mystic. 'You can come up to the castle and try your luck at locating Byren Kingson.'
'I'd be happy to.' The Cyena mystic reached into the folds of her long white robe. 'Meanwhile, I do have something for you.' She held out a drawstring bag.
Palatyne snapped his fingers at Piro. 'Bring it to me.'
She swallowed. The thought of approaching the albino mystic made her uneasy. But she went over and retrieved the bag, passing it to Palatyne. At least she was braver than him!
He tugged the strings open, tipping the contents into his palm. 'A foenix emblem? I thought you said — '
'No, we couldn't find the priestly kingson's body. This one belongs to the other kingson,' the mystic said. 'About midday, on the day after we took the abbey, a man entered the courtyard and marched into the stables
