“A Seer? Is that as likely as a Lady’s Captain?” Jerrol asked with a wry smile.
“Good point,” agreed Silene. “Your odds are looking better, and there’s something else about you, I can’t see it clearly,” she said thoughtfully as she stared at him, “though it does mean that we are approaching a major event.”
“A major event?”
“Yes, when such mythical people like yourself begin to appear, if the Lady can intervene, then you know she is intervening for a good reason. Something or someone is trying to change the course of our history. You’ll find mention of them in the archives. Major events occur more often than you think and in the most unlikely of places!”
They were interrupted by Jennery having a sneezing fit by the fire. Silene looked over. “I think we need to get your friend to bed and dose him up with a hot toddy, catch this chill before it gets worse. He’s going to have a nasty headache by the looks of him. Ari will keep an eye on him.
“See if you can eat some stew, warm you up, then I think it’s best if you rest, and we can talk more later. Sit by the fire, Captain Jerrol. The heat will do you good. Reese, help Jennery to the back room,” she instructed as she walked into the kitchen to dish up the stew.
Chapter 16
Chapterhouse, Old Vespers
Taelia sat outside the Deane’s office and twisted her hands in her lap. She didn’t remember much from last night, but she did know that Torsion was home safely. That was one of her worries solved. She frowned in concern as she remembered how bitter he had sounded. Maybe his venture had not fared so well. He had been gone for many months.
She rose as she heard the door to the Deane’s office open. The Deane’s soft voice bid her enter, and she raised her chin and walked forward, her hand questing for the door frame. She stubbed her fingers as she found it and curled them around the wood. She entered the room.
The Deane spoke, her voice guiding her into the room. “Sit, Taelia.” Her hand guided her to the chair.
“Thank you, Deane,” she said, sitting in the offered chair. She heard the Deane sit and then clasp her hands on her desk.
“Taelia, do you remember what happened last night?”
A fleeting expression of bewilderment flashed across Taelia’s face. “Deane?”
“Scholar Torsion found you asleep in the courtyard. He said you were worried about Jerrol.”
Taelia stilled. Her expressive face was open and vulnerable.
“Do you remember what woke you?”
“I was frightened; something was wrong.”
“Do you know what was wrong?”
“No,” Taelia said hesitantly.
“Torsion said you were concerned for Jerrol.”
“He was hurt.” Taelia gripped her side. “I felt it.”
“Do you know where he is?”
Taelia shook her head.
“What made you go to the courtyard?”
“I needed to see the moon.”
Liliian refrained from making the obvious statement. “Why the moon?”
“The Lady was watching.”
“Watching what? What did you see?”
“I saw the Sentinals, led by their Captain. They wait, they have been waiting a long time.”
“What do they wait for, Taelia?”
“For the Captain to awaken them.”
Greenswatch
The morning sun crept around the house and blazed through the bedroom window, waking Jerrol. He lay still, basking in the warmth, assessing his body’s complaints; his shoulder ached, his ribs were a muted throb; otherwise, he felt fine.
As he ruminated over the earlier discussion, he sensed Zin’talia’s contentment, a soft embrace that meant he wasn’t alone. Magic, he thought; magic was leaking back into the world.
A result of shredding the Veil? Was it even possible to shred it, and if so, who could do it? He hadn’t realised the Veil was a physical thing. A question for Silene – and on that thought he got up and dressed carefully. Leaving his shirt loose and carrying his jacket, he went downstairs.
He found Birlerion sitting at the table, a half-empty bowl of left-over stew before him, impossibly playing with a blue flame, rolling it across his fingers, before lighting the candle and blowing it out again.
“How is that not burning you?”
Birlerion looked up, startled. Flushing, he relit the candle and picked up his spoon. “I thought I’d lost the knack, but it seems to be back,” he said.
“You’ve been letting me struggle all these weeks, and you could have lit our fires for us.”
Birlerion grimaced. “I thought it was a lost skill; it didn’t work, to begin with.” He rubbed his fingers, and the flame appeared again. “It’s only since the fire I’ve been able to do it again, and I did offer.”
Jerrol snorted. That wasn’t the only thing that had changed; it was as if something had relaxed in the Sentinal, he was certainly more talkative. “Without telling us how you were doing it, could you teach me?”
“I don’t know. If you don’t naturally have the ability, it’s unlikely to manifest now.”
“Well, who could do it? Is it a Sentinal thing? How did you learn?”
“Sit down and eat,” Silene interrupted them as she came into the room with another plate and a mug of coffee. “Eat and afterwards I’ll check your side.”
“How’s Jennery?” Jerrol asked, glaring at Birlerion as he obediently sat.
“Still asleep. He took quite a crack on the head, he’s lucky they didn’t just stick a knife in him,” Birlerion mused as he pushed his empty plate away.
“I think they were only paid for one death,” Jerrol said.
“Possible,” conceded Birlerion. “Reese and I went down and moved the bodies. They’re in the shed for you to take a look. I must admit I didn’t notice anything that would tell us who sent them, though we can guess.”
“Yes, it seems Kharel is getting impatient. I suppose the fact he is sending assassins means he’s determined to execute me. Though I think I’ll have to disappoint him.” Jerrol focused on his plate of stew; it was delicious. He relaxed
