Raven's Strike (Raven #2)(106)

Her gaze swept them all, and she stepped back. Without a word she commanded them all up the stairs and into the library, where they scattered among the benches, stools, and tables.

Lehr didn't think that Hennea intended him to hear her whisper to Mother, "You know, don't you? You know about me."

Lehr had found a seat, and so he saw his mother take in Hennea's reddened eyes and Jes's easy posture. He didn't think that she could tell what they had been doing, as Lehr had, but he didn't put it past her.

Mother smiled coolly, but Lehr could tell she was pleased about something - which, after all the lectures Papa had given both boys about how to treat women, he felt was a little unfair.

Then Mother said something very odd. "Hennea, you of all people should know that Ravens like secrets."

Papa sat on one of the tables, his legs crossed at the ankles. Phoran sat on the floor, and Rinnie curled up beside him and put her head down on his knee. Gura lay down on Phoran's other side with a sigh and took the other knee.

Lehr thought that the Scholar intended to stand with Mother, but she sent him off to a bench, too.

"I have had a productive day," Mother told them, her eyes dwelling on Papa's ravaged face. "But why don't you tell me what you have found? Jes?"

Jes smiled widely, and Lehr was momentarily horrified by what his brother would say. With Papa for a father they all had learned not to lie, but Jes was sometimes too honest.

"Found the Raven's temple," he said. "Not far from here." He glanced down at Hennea. "Different from the Owl's temple, all black-and-white stone, but the same idea."

Lehr saw relief cross Hennea's face and knew she'd had the same worry that he'd had. Unexpectedly, she met his gaze across the room, blushed, then gave him a rueful smile.

"Tier?" asked his mother.

"Lehr discovered what those damaged buildings are," Papa said.

Mother looked at Lehr, so he explained about the fence and the shape of the house that once had stood there.

"We'll take Rongier's mermora there tomorrow," was all she said when he finished.

"I thought you were of Isolde's house?" asked the Scholar suspiciously. "Why do you have Rongier's mermora?"

Mother gave him one of her looks. "I told you the Shadowed has been systematically killing Travelers. He killed the last of Rongier's clan a few weeks ago. The mermora came to me."

"Rongier's line is gone?"

"I hold two hundred and twenty-nine mermori," Mother said. "They are all gone."

The Scholar dropped his eyes. "I'll be able to work magic for you tomorrow afternoon," he said.

"Good." Mother looked at Papa and raised an eyebrow. "You look better," she told him. "I wasn't certain if you were going to survive the trip up the stairs."

He grinned. "All right, Empress," he said. "I had another fit. If Kissel hadn't been quick and caught me before I hid the cobbles, I guess I'd have a worse headache than the one I do. That's nothing new, love. Tell us what you've learned, we've been waiting long enough."

Chapter 17

"It happened like this." Seraph gave Tier a quick smile as she used the words that he began most stories with.

He was looking better - he could hardly look worse without being dead. Watching Phoran half-carry him up the stairs, she'd realized they were running out of time even faster than she'd thought.

She condensed the story of Colossae and left out as much of the drama as she could - it looked to her as if most of them had had all the excitement they needed for the day. She also left out the part about Hennea and the Raven being one and the same. It sounded as if Hennea, at least, had figured it out. She would check later to make certain Jes knew, too, and she would tell Tier because she didn't keep secrets from him. Hennea could decide if she wanted to tell anyone else.

As she spoke, Seraph's eyes kept trying to linger on Tier. She didn't use the new seeing spell she'd learned, because it would have taken too much of her concentration, but she looked and tried not to panic at how frail Tier's Order had grown.

He knew it was bad, too - she could tell by the lines around his eyes and the too-casual pose. Panicking the others more wouldn't help anyone, so Seraph didn't wring her hands or rage, though she wanted to do both. Tomorrow, Hinnum would help them if she had to hold his beloved library hostage. Tier could hold on one more day.

She finished the story, then gave them Hinnum's insights into the Shadowed, the Stalker, and the mess the wizards had made with the mermori and the library.

"So," said Phoran heavily in the silence that followed. "My uncle was right. They killed their children and saved the books."

"To be fair," said Tier, who was watching Hinnum carefully. A Bard, thought Seraph, had a way of seeing through illusions. "I imagine they were told their families had to die - and no one said anything about the books." Then he smiled at her. "But that's not all you learned today, you're too smug, Empress."

Seraph looked at Hinnum. She'd given Hennea the choice to keep her past to herself. Somehow it didn't seem right not to do the same for the old wizard.

"Introduce me to your family," he said.

"Sir, may I make you known to my husband, Tieragan, Bard of Redern." She caught Ielian's frown and realized she should have introduced Phoran first. It was too late to correct that mistake, but she named him next.