now.”
Rafe could see the conflict in his father’s eyes. Grentz had spent his whole life serving Earl Aegus. They were close—not quite like Rafe and Tiberius, but Grentz had stood beside the earl and hated to see him struck down by illness. If there was a chance that Tiberius could save his father, Rafe knew that Grentz would support him, even if that meant accepting magic.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” Grentz said. “Go find a quiet place with Lady Olyva and live in peace.”
“You know I can’t do that,” Rafe said. “We didn’t set out to oppose Leonosis. He promised that Olyva and I could be together, then he double-crossed us.”
“So you want revenge.”
“No,” Rafe said. “We just wanted to survive. Olyva was sick, and we thought that maybe in Hamill Keep someone could help her. But when we got there the earl was different. It’s hard to explain.”
“We heard that Leonosis was appointed king by all the earls. There is no way that happened so quickly and without at least some of the earls opposing him.”
“Magic,” Rafe said. “When we went before Earl Marcus, he attacked me. Tiberius struck his arm with a staff, and I saw it broken completely in two, yet he never made a sound. Then he tried to kill Olyva, and I stabbed him. It was a killing stroke, right through his bowels, but he didn’t even seem to notice the wound. He broke my jaw, but not before I cut his throat with my sword. Yet he still didn’t die. He didn’t even bleed.”
“How am I supposed to believe any of this?” Grentz said. “No man can be mortally wounded and not die.”
“He was already dead,” Rafe said. “Something else was controlling his body.”
“That’s impossible.”
“No, I’ve seen the impossible. You will, too.”
“Rafe, you need to get your friend and get out of the city. It will be sunrise soon, and the king’s soldiers will see you escaping. What do you need? Food? Weapons? Gold?”
“We don’t need anything,” Rafe replied. “But Olyva’s family needs a safe place to take shelter. The king’s ships used fire bombs to try and destroy the Hamill Keep sky ship.”
“This is a bloody disaster,” Grentz said.
He was about to say more, but the door opened, and Tiberius waved Grentz inside.
“He wants to see you,” Tiberius said.
Grentz looked doubtful at his son, then slipped past Tiberius and into the earl’s bedchamber.
“Should we go?” Rafe asked.
“No,” Tiberius said, watching as Grentz slowly approached the earl’s bed. “He’ll recover, but I need rest.”
“Where are you going?”
“My old room. You coming?”
“No, I’ll wait for my father.”
Rafe watched Tiberius walk down the hallway. It felt oddly familiar. Rafe couldn’t remember the number of times he’d been on duty in the palace and watched Tiberius walking down the richly decorated hallways. Seeing him there now, after all they’d been through, felt surreal.
A few minutes later, Rafe’s father reemerged. He looked shocked, but he was working hard to hide his feelings. Rafe had seen his father acting the same way when Rafe had been banished with Olyva, only instead of shocked, his father had tried to hide his disappointment.
“How is he?” Rafe asked.
“He seems better,” Grentz said. “He’s asking for food.”
“That’s good, right?”
“It is,” Grentz admitted. “I’m not sure what Tiberius did, but it seems to be helping.”
“Ti can do the impossible,” Rafe said. “I’ve seen him.”
“Well, I need some time. You show up here, talking about magic. Leonosis is made king and sends warships to find you. Those ships haven’t been used since I was a boy.” Grentz grimaced. “Something isn’t right, but I don’t know what—or if I even want to know.”
“Tiberius thinks there’s something evil in Sparlan Citadel, but we don’t know what to do, either. We don’t know who we’re fighting.”
“Did Leonosis know that his brother was a
Rafe could see the conflict in his father’s eyes. Grentz had spent his whole life serving Earl Aegus. They were close—not quite like Rafe and Tiberius, but Grentz had stood beside the earl and hated to see him struck down by illness. If there was a chance that Tiberius could save his father, Rafe knew that Grentz would support him, even if that meant accepting magic.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” Grentz said. “Go find a quiet place with Lady Olyva and live in peace.”
“You know I can’t do that,” Rafe said. “We didn’t set out to oppose Leonosis. He promised that Olyva and I could be together, then he double-crossed us.”
“So you want revenge.”
“No,” Rafe said. “We just wanted to survive. Olyva was sick, and we thought that maybe in Hamill Keep someone could help her. But when we got there the earl was different. It’s hard to explain.”
“We heard that Leonosis was appointed king by all the earls. There is no way that happened so quickly and without at least some of the earls opposing him.”
“Magic,” Rafe said. “When we went before Earl Marcus, he attacked me. Tiberius struck his arm with a staff, and I saw it broken completely in two, yet he never made a sound. Then he tried to kill Olyva, and I stabbed him. It was a killing stroke, right through his bowels, but he didn’t even seem to notice the wound. He broke my jaw, but not before I cut his throat with my sword. Yet he still didn’t die. He didn’t even bleed.”
“How am I supposed to believe any of this?” Grentz said. “No man can be mortally wounded and not die.”
“He was already dead,” Rafe said. “Something else was controlling his body.”
“That’s impossible.”
“No, I’ve seen the impossible. You will, too.”
“Rafe, you need to get your friend and get out of the city. It will be sunrise soon, and the king’s soldiers will see you escaping. What do you need? Food? Weapons? Gold?”
“We don’t need anything,” Rafe replied. “But Olyva’s family needs a safe place to take shelter. The king’s ships used fire bombs to try and destroy the Hamill Keep sky ship.”
“This is a bloody disaster,” Grentz said.
He was about to say more, but the door opened, and Tiberius waved Grentz inside.
“He wants to see you,” Tiberius said.
Grentz looked doubtful at his son, then slipped past Tiberius and into the earl’s bedchamber.
“Should we go?” Rafe asked.
“No,” Tiberius said, watching as Grentz slowly approached the earl’s bed. “He’ll recover, but I need rest.”
“Where are you going?”
“My old room. You coming?”
“No, I’ll wait for my father.”
Rafe watched Tiberius walk down the hallway. It felt oddly familiar. Rafe couldn’t remember the number of times he’d been on duty in the palace and watched Tiberius walking down the richly decorated hallways. Seeing him there now, after all they’d been through, felt surreal.
A few minutes later, Rafe’s father reemerged. He looked shocked, but he was working hard to hide his feelings. Rafe had seen his father acting the same way when Rafe had been banished with Olyva, only instead of shocked, his father had tried to hide his disappointment.
“How is he?” Rafe asked.
“He seems better,” Grentz said. “He’s asking for food.”
“That’s good, right?”
“It is,” Grentz admitted. “I’m not sure what Tiberius did, but it seems to be helping.”
“Ti can do the impossible,” Rafe said. “I’ve seen him.”
“Well, I need some time. You show up here, talking about magic. Leonosis is made king and sends warships to find you. Those ships haven’t been used since I was a boy.” Grentz grimaced. “Something isn’t right, but I don’t know what—or if I even want to know.”
“Tiberius thinks there’s something evil in Sparlan Citadel, but we don’t know what to do, either. We don’t know who we’re fighting.”
“Did Leonosis know that his brother was a
Similar Books
