And then she’d used her as one.
Thana made a fist and held her temper in check. “Look, I can’texplain right now. I barely understand what’s going on myself, but we’re…nothreat to you.” They would probably continue to attract threats, but she madeherself keep that thought inside. “Please, have pity. We’ll be gone in themorning.”
She could see his shoulders moving as he breathed, and she prayedto the spirits of wisdom that he would back off. Finally, he shook his head andsaid, “You can sleep in the stable. Jamie, you come in the house with us.” Hepointed at Thana again. “Don’t try to follow us.”
She nodded, though anger burned in her to tell him that she andSylph could come in any time they wished, right through the wall, but she toldherself not to be cocky.
Guilt should keep her from that.
As Timmony hurried past her and knocked on the door, speakingsoftly to someone on the other side, Thana put her hands on her hips and lookedtoward the stable. It didn’t seem secure, but if the night had proved anything,it was that they weren’t safe anywhere.
And if the attackers came back, she and Sylph could ride awaywhile the manor was attacked again.
The thought satisfied her and made her guilty at the same time.She wouldn’t run if they needed her help again…though she wouldn’t be happyabout it. Maybe a little smug that she and Sylph could do what Timmonycouldn’t.
She shook her head. If a jumble of feelings told her anything, itwas that she was too tired to think clearly.
After a deep breath to settle herself, she helped Sylph into thestable. They didn’t speak, though Sylph leaned on Thana’s shoulder, so shecouldn’t be that upset. In the stable, a lit candle sat on a small box behind apartition, illuminating one of the groom’s beds: a blanket on top of a palletof clean straw. Thana lowered Sylph onto it and moved a jug of water and a cupcloser. Sylph only leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
Thana bit her lip but didn’t speak. She took the candle as sheleft the room. The horses were whickering and shifting in their stalls, eyesrolling, no doubt scared stiff by the noise and the smell of smoke, but theyweren’t kicking the place down, so Thana supposed they were all right.
She headed outside and set the candle near the captive’s head.She didn’t know if this was the one she’d felled, but it didn’t matter. Thisone was dead, his head caved in. Maybe Timmony had thought he still lived, or maybehe’d dragged him out in order to search for clues. Whichever, Thana wentthrough his pockets, trying not to think of him as a dead body, trying not todwell on the fact that she’d never killed anyone before that day, and now shehad several deaths on her conscience, and staying near Sylph might mean more.
This body had several more pyramids hidden in its clothes, so itwasn’t the person she’d hit. The explosion or smoke had done that one in, or hewas still lying unconscious in the forest. She didn’t want to look for him, notreally, didn’t want to know, but she took the candle anyway and headed into thesmoke. If he was alive, she could help, maybe get some answers, maybe assuageher conscience. If anyone else lingered, she’d make a handy target, but shedeserved a little pain for all of this.
But did she deserve to die?
After a sigh, she hurried but stayed low. She didn’t rememberwhere exactly he’d been. How could she possibly find—
Through a gap in the foliage, she saw a foot, the boot stillsmoking.
“Oh, spirits.” Retching, she turned and voided the countess’snice dinner into the bushes. As if summoned, the scent of charred meat waftedpast her nostrils. She threw up again, gagging. Meat, yes, it was only meat.Nothing else. Not a person, just an accident with a campfire.
She was almost tired enough to believe that.
In the clearing again, she sank to the grass and leaned her headagainst her knees, breathing, thinking. If she was a traitor, but not to thequeen, what was happening? Did other pyradistés consider her a traitor forworking with the Umbriels, the people who told the academy what they could andcouldn’t do?
She clenched a fist. She’d always considered herself part of thesolution. The more people who saw the Umbriels embracing magic, the fewerthought magic was something to be feared or outlawed. Pyradistés couldn’t bethe traitorous usurpers of yesteryear if the queen took them to her bosom.
Well…kind of.
After all, Queen Earnhilt had been the one to casually suggestkilling Sylph and locking away every other pyradisté “for their ownprotection.” Thana grimaced. Instead of staying and advocating for them, she’dtaken Sylph and ran.
And the other pyradistés didn’t know that Sylph was in danger. IfEarnhilt had begun her mass incarceration, the academy might think Thana waseither in on the plan or had run to save herself without warning anyone.
After she’d robbedthe head of the academy, no less.
She groaned, wondering what other shambles she’d left in herwake.
But, a little voice reminded her, the head of the academy hadn’ttold her about this new crystal, so he’d stopped trusting her long before she’dcomplicated everything. And then when she’d pilfered his pyramids, he’d made uphis mind to have her followed, captured, maybe even killed.
He probably thought she was out here recruiting nobles for thequeen’s anti-pyradisté cause or was arresting the pyradistés spread throughoutthe countryside, like Timmony.
Or it was simpler than that. The head had found out she’d heardabout the new crystal, feared she would tell the queen, and set thesepyradistés on her trail. Maybe he’d told them she was a traitor to get them togo, or they’d come to
