Raven's Strike (Raven #2)(67)

Behind Ielian, Phoran was watching her with vague eyes. She'd been learning that the expression really meant he was thinking very hard.

"When we found these maps - "

"I found the maps - " said Rinnie, who was efficiently chopping up greens.

"When Rinnie found the maps," Seraph corrected herself, "I read them with my magic and found these maps are from the time of Colossae. Moreover, that around two centuries ago a wizard held the city map in his hands as he stood outside the gates of Colossae. That is not legend, or women's stories. My own magic told me this."

"The city exists," agreed Phoran, leaning his elbows on the table and bracing his chin on his folded hands.

"Maybe it's near here," said Rinnie. "That could be the reason that the Path built its temple here."

"Volis told me that it was because of Shadow's Fall," Hennea said.

"He told me that, too," Seraph agreed.

"Fine," said Ielian, throwing up his hands. "The city exists. How is finding the city going to help the Emperor?"

Seraph wondered if he realized that Jes had unobtrusively moved until he was leaning against the wall just behind Ielian.

"I don't know. But if Brewydd, Lark of the Clan of Rongier the Librarian, tells me if we don't go to Colossae, Phoran will lose not only his throne, but his head as well - then I will go to Colossae. If something in Colossae can help us rid this world of the Shadowed, then I will go to Colossae."

"On the word of this bird woman?"

"Lark," said Seraph, biting off the ends of her words. "A healer who dedicated her life trying to save people in need. She died to save the people who killed her."

Hennea's sharp "Control, Raven" and Tier's "Easy, love" came one atop the other, followed by a thump as the heavy slab table lifted a handspan off the floor, then slammed down hard enough to vibrate the floorboards.

Seraph took a deep breath and fought to calm herself.

Ielian's next question was considerably more respectful. "Finding the city is the easiest way to discover who this shadow-man is?"

"He's not a man, not anymore," Hennea told him. "No wizard who drinks at the Stalker's well stays human for long."

"Mother, did the wizard have to go to Colossae to become Shadowed?" said Jes suddenly, and Ielian jerked - answering Seraph's questions about whether or not he'd noticed her son creeping up behind him.

"I don't know." Seraph was grateful to him for asking the question, though. This wasn't a subject likely to stretch her ability to control her temper. "I've learned a lot this summer from working with Hennea and Brewydd. They knew different things than I did - but some of the information we shared was contradictory. There are things we just don't know and others we disagreed on. A lot of Travelers believe that the Unnamed King was the Stalker of our oldest stories."

"Only stupid Travelers," murmured Hennea.

Seraph continued blandly, "I can tell you my grandfather was certain that the Unnamed King had never walked the stones of Colossae - something supposedly passed down Isolde's line, on my grandfather's mother's side, all the way from Kerine, who fought at Red Ernave's side at Shadow's Fall."

Ielian made a disbelieving sound.

"Ielian." Phoran's command was quiet, but Ielian nodded and subsided.

Seraph shrugged. "It doesn't matter what you believe, Ielian. Phoran came to us for help, and we'll do whatever we can for him. I believe finding Colossae is the best thing that we can do, both for Phoran and for my husband. I believe it because that's what an old, dying woman told my son." She looked at Phoran and softened. Ielian was doing his duty and trying to protect Phoran. She was glad that his men were that loyal.

"What I can tell you, Ielian," she said, "is that we will do our best to find the Shadowed and kill him or die trying."

Something, maybe the truth in her last statement, at last satisfied Ielian.

"All right," he said. "All right."

"Is Willon's map still in the packs you boys took?" Tier asked Jes, breaking the small silence.

Jes bestirred himself and went to his still-full pack and unearthed the map, set it on the table, and retreated to a wall nearer Rinnie than the people crowded around the table.

"Can't you go sleep, Jes?" Rinnie asked, not for the first time. "I can make dinner by myself." She tactfully refrained from pointing out that he was getting in her way more than he was helping.

"Go use our bed, son," said Tier, an invitation that held the force of an order. "There's room next to Lehr. If you can't sleep, you can at least lie down for a while."

Jes stiffened. "There are too many people here. I can't sleep with everyone awake."

That was probably true as well; Seraph looked thoughtfully at her son. "Would it be easier outside?" she asked. "Or does the sun bother you?"

Jes shook his head. She could tell he was feeling bad because his gaze carefully avoided touching anyone in the room.

"He's too tired," Hennea said suddenly. "If he goes to sleep, he'll sleep too deeply. He can't protect himself in the forest, and the Guardian won't allow him to try." She pushed aside the map she'd been looking at and continued briskly. "But he'll allow me to stand guard."