Stormcaster (Shattered Realms #3)(75)

Their guards were a cut above the usual as well, which had its pros and cons. They lacked the random cruelty and greed so often displayed by those in the trade. But they were strict, businesslike, impossible to chat up or bribe. Robert was a born charmer, but he got nowhere with them when he asked if the Matelon ladies were housed in the same building, or if they wanted to put a little money on a game of nicks and bones.

A day passed, and nobody put them to the question, or took them to the gallows or the block. Hal wondered if King Jarat had sent word to his father that he now held two more Matelons, arrested for spying, and invited him to the execution. Perhaps the king hoped that might prompt a bloodless surrender. Maybe he was waiting for an answer before he took further action against them.

Hal knew how his father would answer, and when. He would answer in the time it took his armies to march from Temple Church to Ardenscourt. Hal and Robert wouldn’t survive, but neither would the king.

Meanwhile, no doubt the empress was marching.

Look on the bright side, Halston.

Hal couldn’t find the bright side of this situation by torchlight.

That same night, just as Hal was deciding whether to lie awake in his bunk or worry upright in a chair, he heard a terse exchange of greetings outside the door, and then the bolts sliding back.

Robert pushed to his feet and stood, hands fisted. Hal closed his book and waited.

The door opened to reveal Destin Karn. He spoke a few quiet words to the guards outside, then entered, closing the door behind him.

He swiveled around to face them, looking them up and down. He no longer wore the black of the King’s Guard; he had changed into rich but subdued court dress, like a snake that had slipped from one skin into another. Whatever colors he wore, he was dangerous.

It was easy to forget that he was a mage, on top of everything else. But then, his hand inside his coat, he walked the perimeter of the room and began murmuring charms.

Hal and Robert looked at each other. Was the spymaster locking them in or soundproofing the room or what? Did he mean to put them to the question right then and there?

Finally, Karn settled onto the broad stone windowsill and extended his long legs in front of him. He crossed his legs at the ankles, the heels of his fine boots resting on the floor.

“Hello, Captain Matelon and Corporal Matelon,” he said, sounding amused.

That answered one question—the spymaster knew who they were.

“You’re a long way from Delphi. Wait—isn’t one of you supposed to be dead?” He rubbed his chin, then pointed at Hal. “You, I think.”

Robert said, “My brother has nothing to do with this. He just came to fetch me home. Let him go, and I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“Corporal, that is a brave thing to say, and exceedingly generous, but it’s no way to begin a negotiation, much less a conversation. For one thing, between the two of you, your brother is the more valuable prisoner, being more dangerous to the crown. For another, I have no doubt that if I asked you properly, you would tell me everything you know anyway, and wish that you had more to say.”

“You mean to torture us, then?” Robert folded his arms. “I don’t care what you do to me, I won’t tell you anything.”

“You would do well not to issue me a challenge,” Karn said, tilting his head back as if he were just a little bored by the situation. “You don’t want to arouse my . . . competitive spirit.”

“Lieutenant,” Hal said, “could I speak with my brother a moment?”

Karn waved his assent, and Hal pulled Robert into the far corner. “Did you mean it when you said you were sorry you got me into this?”

“Of course I am. But—”

“Then could you shut up before you get us into more trouble than we’re already in?”

Robert shot a look at Karn, then leaned in close and whispered, “Hal, listen, we can take him, I know we can. And then—”

“He’s a mage, Robert. We wouldn’t get within ten feet of him. If he questions us, he’ll use magic on us. I’d like to think I could resist it somehow, but I have no idea if that’s possible. Why don’t we find out what he wants? Don’t say no before he asks the question. When it comes to answers, I’ll speak for both of us. Is that clear, Corporal?”

“Yes, sir.” Robert stared straight ahead.

I’m so damned glad I’m not fourteen anymore, Hal thought, looking back from the high ground of seven—no, eighteen. He led the way back and sat on the edge of his bunk, his hands resting on his knees. “What is it you want to know, Lieutenant?” he said.

Karn gazed at Hal a moment, as if he could penetrate all the way to the bone. “You seem to be very hard to kill, Captain,” he said. “My father has some skill at killing, and yet he has tried and failed four or five times that I know of, maybe some others that I missed. I’m wondering if you can explain it.”

Hal couldn’t have said what he’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t that. He could feel the pressure of Robert’s stare. “Can I explain why he’s trying to kill me or why he’s failed?”

“My father has never needed much of an excuse to kill people, and I can think of several reasons he’d want to kill you.” Karn shook his head. “No, I’m wondering how you’ve managed to survive this long.”