Keeper (First Ordinance #2)
Connie Suttle
Chapter 1
Avii Castle
Quin
Jurris was pale, weak and alive.
The Kondari had abandoned their attempt to destroy Avii Castle.
For now.
I knew High President Charkisul, his son, Berel, and Hadris Jem were prisoners of a new Kondari regime, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.
Master Cook Nina placed a cup of hot tea in my hands as I sat on the floor away from Jurris' bed, shivering from shock.
Justis sat at his brother's bedside, talking quietly with the King. Ordin and Gurnil hovered nearby, as did two of the King's personal guards.
"Can you stand?" Nina asked softly. "Dena is waiting outside the King's chambers, hoping you will join her."
"I'll come," I said, embarrassed that my voice quavered when I spoke. I was grateful that Dena waited for me; I needed her support to get back to the Library.
Amlis, Omina and the others waited there; Omina and Fen needed healing. I worried that my strength would not be enough to save either.
*
Amlis studied his surroundings—row upon row, shelf upon shelf, of books stood about him. Two yellow-winged servants had brought blankets, hot drinks and food, but his mother refused anything except the blanket.
She'd lost so much blood already; her body trembled with shock and he worried that she'd die before any healing was offered by their winged hosts. Sofi tended the Queen as well as she could while Yissy, standing close by, looked on in silent curiosity.
Fen accepted a cup of hot tea, working around the wound in his left shoulder. "I never thought to be here and still living," Rodrik muttered as he sipped the tea he'd been given. Beatris, who'd hidden in the belly of the ship during the trip, shivered beside him before wrapping the blanket tighter about her body.
Amlis snorted a reply. His mind still played about Finder's image—she had wings and helped rescue him and the others from the sea. It puzzled him, too, as to who'd attacked their vessel, with devastating weapons he had difficulty comprehending.
"It was the Kondari," Finder walked in with assistance from another—a yellow-winged woman who cast worried looks at Amlis and his companions. "Normally they wouldn't have done that, but there was a coup."
"Finder, will you heal the Queen?" Yissy's voice was high and innocent.
"If I don't faint, first," she replied.
*
Quin
Omina's wound was the worst and if she weren't tended soon, it would be too late. Already, she'd lost much blood.
"I will assist," Daragar appeared, causing Sofi to utter a half-shriek of terror. Yissy hid behind Sofi's skirts at the sight of the tall, blue-skinned Larentii; Rodrik's hand went immediately to where his sword would be, had he been wearing it.
"You should never offer violence or offense to a Larentii," I held up a hand to stop Rodrik from stepping forward. "You have no idea what you see before you."
"I have never seen such," Amlis gripped Rodrik's arm to pull him back.
"You have seen such now, young Prince," Daragar said. "Allow me to help Quin, if you wish your mother to live."
"Quin?"
"A better name than Finder," Dena huffed, offended on my behalf.
"Please, no bickering, save it for later," I said and walked unsteadily toward Omina. That's when I discovered how Daragar intended to help. He didn't plan to do any healing; he only intended to give me strength.
I imagine it was a highly unusual sight that met Ordin and Gurnil as they walked into the Library. I healed Omina's wound—a Larentii holding onto me as I held my hands on Omina's side, all of us bathed in golden light as the wound sealed and infection disappeared.
Fen's wounds were nothing compared to hers.
"Thank you." I wrapped my arms around Daragar's neck before he left me that night. He smiled at me, his bright-blue eyes shining brighter before he nodded and disappeared.
*
"You're confined to the Library for the moment, but you may wander the terrace outside," Gurnil informed our guests the following morning. He was right—Justis had posted two guards outside the Library doors, changing them every four hours or so.
Breakfast had been brought and Dena, thinking to provide support for me, stayed and ate with us.
Justis had also confiscated any weapons left with Rodrik, Amlis and the others, including small eating knives—they had nothing left except hands or fists with which to harm anyone. Amlis didn't like it, I could tell, but this wasn't his castle or his kingdom.
I wanted to ask Justis whether any communication had come from Kondar, but held back—I was afraid to know how things stood there.
High spots of color appeared in Omina's cheeks whenever she met my gaze, as brief as those moments were. Rodrik, too, failed to look at me for any length of time. After all, Justis, Commander of the King's guards and brother to the King, had touched my shoulder moments earlier and nodded to me before leaving the Library.
They thought me more important than I actually was. Justis was merely conveying his thanks to me for saving his brother's life; I would hold no sway over the King when Jurris demanded to see our guests.
I hoped he wouldn't command their deaths—these had no connection to Camryn's and Elabeth's assassinations, after all.