Coldmaker(69)

‘Enough!’ the other guard said.

I kept my eyes down and my arm nursed over my chest, as if it were too painful to let it hang freely. Dragging myself down the road, I made sure my whimpering was audible.

The taller guard thrust his spear out as I closed in, the point shining with menace. He waved it through the air to gather my attention.

I kept looking down.

‘Think he’s deaf?’ the guard with the crooked nose asked under his breath.

The shorter one shrugged and stuck out his spear as well, waving it about. ‘Stop there, kid!’

I pretended I was afraid, putting one hand up to defend my face, hoping I’d just look like another dirty Jadan. The Vicaress might have already put out a name and a description that could have beaten me here, and I had to be careful until I was inside with Cam.

‘I’m sorry, sir,’ I called, making my lips quiver. ‘I can’t hear very well! He pierced my eardrum. Said he’d pierce the other if I didn’t finish the errand tonight.’

‘Who?’ the short guard asked, with no sympathy punctuating the question. ‘Why? Talk louder.’

I let out a single sob.

‘Speak, boy!’ Crooked Nose barked.

I knew almost nothing of High Noble politics, but I did know from Cam that the Tavors had a strong rivalry with the Erridians, and so I decided that my best bet was to play on that. ‘I was g-given an er-rrand,’ I stammered out, careful to keep angled so the starlight wouldn’t reveal my face. ‘I have to deliver a message. To the High Nobleboy Camlish. Tonight.’

‘Where’s your token?’

‘What, sir?’

‘Your TOKEN,’ he said, exaggerating the movements of his mouth.

I let my fingers shake, pressing my hand against my ear. ‘He didn’t give me one in case I got caught. Didn’t want anyone to know who sent me.’

Short Guard pulled his spear back and pointed to a small table beside them. ‘Leave the message there. Then go.’

I let out another sob, sad that I had to play such a wretched creature. ‘I can’t, sir. I can’t. I wasn’t allowed to write it down. The High Nobleman from House Erridian—’ I stopped myself, eyes widening as I threw my hand over my mouth. ‘The message has to go to Camlish Tavor, personally. No parchment. I was beaten for every word I didn’t memorize.’ I lowered my gaze, letting my arm flop down. ‘I finally got it right, though.’

The guards gave each other a silent look, conversation jumping between their eyes. I could tell I wasn’t impressing them.

‘Please, SIR!’ I cried out, coughing at the end. It was a real cough, and in fact, I was starting to feel woozy from all the talking. ‘If he finds out I didn’t tell Nobleboy Camlish personally, he’ll kill me. Please, sir. I don’t want to die. I want to serve the Khat. Please. He told me—’

Crooked Nose let out a grunt of annoyance. ‘Fine, just stop whining. I swear, your generation is thin as soggy boilweed. A little blood and you go all soft. Wait here.’ He spun the numbers on the lock and the gates clicked open. ‘I’ll get Master Camlish.’

Short Guard kept a suspicious watch over me as his partner went inside.

What felt like forever passed, my heart hammering, but eventually Cam arrived at the gates in his silk nightclothes. I was glad he hadn’t taken a moment longer, because my head was spinning so badly I almost didn’t recognize him at first.

Cam’s eyes shot awake at the sight of me, and he rushed forward. ‘Spout! Are you okay?’

Crooked Nose gently put his spear between us. ‘Careful, sir. These Street Jadans are nasty. And he’s got many open wounds.’

The guard’s tone struck me as odd, as if his blood wasn’t as Jadan as mine. I angled my face, giving Cam the smallest shake of my head. ‘I don’t know what Spout is, sir. But I have a message for you. From my master.’

Cam paused, confusion thick upon his face. ‘But—’

I rubbed my ear. ‘It’s a secret message, sir.’

Cam thankfully seemed to pick up on the ploy. Scrunching his face in the most disdainful way possible, he exclaimed, ‘Shivers and Frosts! What is this nonsense?’ His spoiled tone was a match for my injured one. ‘You dare wake me in the middle of the night for a message, little slave?’

‘I’m sorry, sir,’ I called out, putting my head down. ‘I was told I had to tell you a message personally or else they’d kill my family and then they’d kill me.’ I knew I was laying it on thick, but now that Cam was here, I felt free to do so. ‘I’m sorry. No one else is allowed to hear it.’

I limped forward, keeping my head tilted to the side and in shadow.

‘Close enough,’ Short Guard announced when I was only a few paces away.

‘Very well, slave,’ Cam said with a sneer. He pushed the spear aside, making room to come through. ‘If my message is to be private, let it be private.’

‘Be careful, Master Tavor,’ Crooked Nose said. ‘He might have weapons on him.’

Cam waved a dismissive hand, walking forward. ‘Bah! These little Jadans are harmless. No spines at all. I’m in no danger.’

He came over to me and leaned in, both the guards stiffening instantly.

‘What happened?’ Cam whispered. ‘You look terrible. Why aren’t I supposed to know you? What’s going on?’