Broken Veil (Harbinger #5)(91)

When she was ready to continue, she untied the knots and brought the staff around to help her rise. The wood felt smooth in her hand. She began to stalk through the smattering of thick trees atop the islet. She could hear the faint notes of magic coming from farther ahead, toward the middle of the island. The feeling reminded her of the sound of Jevin’s hautboie. She thought she smelled a whiff of wood smoke in the air.

Dawn had risen at last, the sun an orange globe rising over the mountains in the eastern sky, so pale in comparison to the sight of Idumea. She walked purposefully but quietly, trying to mask the sound of her approach.

The feeling of magic grew stronger. Then she heard voices.

“It’s time to awaken,” she heard Jevin say. “We must go before the kishion finds us. Come now. We must hurry.”

Jevin wasn’t alone.

Cettie followed the noise, approaching a tighter cluster of trees. It struck her that she, and these others, would be invisible to anyone on shore. She couldn’t even see the shattered remains of the mansion any longer, obscured by the tall evergreen trees. Shui-sa trees.

“I’m cold,” Cettie heard a young woman’s voice say.

“I know. We’ll build another fire after we escape. Come, lass. We must hurry.”

Cettie saw movement through the trees. As she carefully approached, slowing even further to avoid alerting them of her presence, she peered around a tree. There was Jevin in a black cassock and a dark gray cloak. He looked haggard from the events of the night. His eyes were burning, feverish, and he kept looking over his shoulder as though he could sense he was being watched. “Come on, lass. Hurry.” He gestured again to a young woman wrapped in a cloak, his expression straining with impatience. Cettie saw dark hair spilling out. Then the girl lowered the cowl, and Cettie recognized her.

It was Becka Monstrum, Sera’s maid.

“Where are we going?” Becka asked, her voice worried.

“Where that murderer can’t find you,” Jevin said, holding out his hand to her. His other hand snaked toward his pocket.

Cettie invoked the power of the ring just as he pulled out the Tay al-Ard. She felt the magic link the ring on her hand to the metal of the device. It was yanked out of Jevin’s hand and sailed directly to her, binding itself to the ring on her finger.

He looked up in shocked surprise, a twist of fear on his face.

Cettie slipped the Tay al-Ard into her own pocket and then stepped away from the tree and started toward him.

“You!” he hissed, and she saw the furnace of hate begin to open once more. His momentary fear was blasted away by fury.

“You have failed in your scheme, Jevin Toussan,” Cettie said.

He bared his teeth like a wild animal.

Becka, whirling around, saw her. Her eyes widened with recognition, and she reached out a hand.

“Stay with me,” Jevin said, gesturing for her. “She is a kishion’s daughter. The one you saw murder that young man. Ask her to deny it!”

“Becka,” Cettie said. “Get away from him. I’ve come to save you.”

“She won’t deny it. She can’t deny it. She’s the seed of that man! I’m trying to protect you. Come here.”

Cettie continued to close the distance between them, brandishing the staff.

“You come at me with a pauper’s stick?” Jevin mocked. He drew a long dagger, its blade dusty with poison. It looked familiar to her, from some ancient memory not her own. An Oath Maiden in the past had faced a similar weapon.

“The kishion did sire me,” Cettie explained, keeping her eyes fixed on the dagger. “But he is not my father. Lord Fitzroy is.”

“And Fitzroy is dead. Murdered. Come, child. Come with me now.”

“He will destroy you, Becka, just as he almost destroyed me. He is a deceiver. An accuser. You mustn’t believe anything he says.”

Becka was on her feet now, backing away from them both. She looked like a mouse poised to flee.

“You think you can best me?” Jevin said with contempt. “I who taught you?”

Cettie gazed into his eyes without flinching. “Yes.”

He hefted the dagger, but then turned sharply as he flung it, aiming for Becka instead. The girl screamed in terror. It felt as if time slowed. Cettie rushed forward, spinning the staff. The end of the weapon caught the dagger midspin and knocked it away. Cettie turned, feeling as if she were underwater, and gripped the staff by one end, swinging it around.

Jevin ducked and struck out at her, his face contorted with rage. His hands joined together, he mouthed a word, and she saw lightning race from his fingertips to consume her. The jagged bolts were sucked into the staff, making it hiss and steam. Jevin stared at her in shock. He’d expected his magic to destroy her, but the lightning merely tingled against her skin. Traces of it danced on her shoulder blades.

His spell had been ineffectual.

Cettie lunged at him, striking him in the stomach with the knobbed end of her weapon. He bent double in pain but managed to grab the shaft of the staff. Smoke began to sizzle from his burning hands, and he let go at once, howling in agony.

Power surged inside Cettie. She charged toward him again, striking his collarbone, hearing it snap. Another strike hit his shoulder. He fell, only to roll and get to his feet again. His eyes glowed silver as he screamed at her, trying to grab her, to choke her to death as he’d attempted to do with Sera. Dark shapes hovered in and out of him, Myriad Ones just as intent on destroying her as their host was. Their magic, their envy, their malice hit her like a bludgeon. But she would not yield. She stepped forward into the murk, and struck him again. His body collapsed, fingers clawing at the small shrubs. He tried lunging at her again.