Poisoned: The Book of Maladies Read online

  “I remember you trying to chase me everywhere, Tray. I remember us running through the streets, knowing that we should be more careful, but never caring about anything other than where we went. I remember the first time I jump the canal, and you were there with me, watching, encouraging me.”

  “I’ll never stop encouraging you, but I don’t need you watching over me anymore. I need you to let me go.”

  The request hurt, especially considering what Sam had been through, things that she couldn’t share with Tray. But she had come to the determination that she wasn’t going to lose him. Regardless of whatever happened, he was still her brother. But she couldn’t force him to feel the same. If he was determined to have her stop watching over him, and if he wanted her to let him go, she’d already lost him.

  “Can you do me a favor?” she asked Tray. It pained her to ask like this, but then again, it pained her that he wanted her to leave him alone.

  “What’s the favor?”

  “I need to find Marin. I have a question for her.”

  “What kind of question?”

  Sam sighed. “It’s the kind of question I can’t talk about with you.”

  Tray watched her, and she worried that he would refuse, that he’d send her away, but he only nodded. “When I see her next, I’ll pass on word that you want to speak with her. Does that work for you?”

  If it worked, maybe she could figure out what Marin was doing before anyone else got hurt. Maybe she could find a way to keep the Thelns out of the city, away from her—and Tray.

  “Have her find me in Caster,” she said.

  “Where in Caster?”

  “Bastan has been offering me a place to stay. She can find me at his tavern.”

  Was that too presumptuous of her? If Marin came looking for her at Bastan’s tavern, there was a real possibility that Bastan—and people that he cared about—could be caught in the middle. That was the last thing that Sam wanted. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt as a result of her looking for Marin and seeking the answers she needed.

  “I can’t promise when I’ll see her next,” Tray said.

  “That’s fine. Just… Just let her know that I have a question for her.”

  “Don’t come after me again, Sam. This is something I need to do.”

  “I’m not going to stop caring about you,” she said.

  “That’s not what I’m asking.”

  “You know that I’ll always be here for you, Tray,” she said.

  Tray watched her and seemed as if he wanted to say something but didn’t. He only nodded and then started away from her, down the street.

  Sam watched him depart, and he sauntered off at a lumbering pace, one that picked up speed the farther he went, before practically turning into a run. When he disappeared around a street corner, nausea gnawed at the pit of Sam’s stomach. It took a moment for her to understand why. Watching Tray disappear down the street left her wondering if she would ever see him again.

  26

  The Dangerous Plan

  You intend to use my tavern to draw Marin out?” Bastan sat at his desk, his arms resting on the table, his face a rigid mask. He wasn’t angry, but she had a hard time determining what emotion he was feeling.

  “I need to know what she’s doing.”

  “Considering that Marin has not been seen in the last few months, I think that drawing her out will only lead to a potential altercation, especially if she’s involved in bringing these Thelns back to the city. And now you have summoned her to my tavern.” He drummed his fingers on the desk.

  “What if I stay here?” Sam had been thinking about how to make this work, and it was the only solution that she could come up with. If she remained at Bastan’s tavern, and if she remained available to respond, then she might be able to counter Marin if she ever did show up.

  Sam wasn’t entirely certain she would come. Even if Marin did show, Sam still wasn’t certain what she would say to the woman who had so betrayed her. Would she open up about her concerns with what Marin had held back from her? Would she demand to know what Marin had done to her mind? Or, would she confront her about Tray?

  Probably none of that, Sam decided. She’d probably say nothing, and only try to restrain Marin, and take her to Elaine.

  “I didn’t think you wanted to remain in Caster. I thought you enjoyed your new access.”

  Sam grunted. “My new access is only to help me learn how to use these abilities, Bastan. If you don’t want me to remain here…”

  Bastan’s expression softened. “You have always been welcome in my tavern, Samara. I would not chase you away. That doesn’t mean I have to like what you’ve arranged. You’ve invited trouble into my tavern. The people who work for me our family.”

  Sam chuckled. “Family? They’re your employees.”

  Bastan met her eyes. “I may compensate them, but you of all people know that I treat those under my employ well.”

  “Bastan, I of all people have seen how you create obligations. These people remain with you because they have no other choice.”

  “And what of you? You have another choice, yet you returned. Have I treated you so poorly that you feel that is a mistake?”

  “You’ve been nothing but decent to me.”

  Bastan grunted. “Decent. And in spite of that, your greatest desire was to escape from me. I still haven’t decided whether I should be hurt or impressed that you managed to fend so well for yourself. Perhaps I should feel pride. I like to think that I had some small part in your development.”

  Sam shook her head. For so long, all she’d wanted to do was get away from Bastan, and keep her and Tray safe from his influence, and now that she had, she thought she understood a little bit more about Bastan, and what motivated him.

  He was right. Because of him, she had become the person she was. A thief. And now a Kaver. Her skills had developed because of Bastan, even if he hadn’t known what he was doing at the time… unless he had.

  Was it possible that Bastan was family to her?

  He sat motionless, watching her, almost as if he understood the emotions working through her as she tried to figure out what she should say, and what she should do.

  She’d spent the last ten or more years wanting her family, bemoaning the fact that her parents were both gone, and that she was forced to help Tray, but now that Tray had asked her to leave him alone, she thought that she understood Bastan a little better, and the fact that he perhaps saw her as some part of his family.

  “Bastan—”

  He raised his hand. “I’m not asking you to say anything here that would be out of character, Samara. Of course I will help. I don’t want anything untoward to happen to you, especially if Marin has betrayed Caster.”

  “There would be something else that I’d need,” she began. How would he react to her request for easar paper? If she and Alec had access to easar paper, she might be able to use it to augment her, and certainly could use it to keep them protected if Marin attacked.

  “You would like a supply of the paper.”

  “That would be helpful,” she said carefully.

  Bastan nodded. “I imagine that it would. But, as we have seen, that paper is quite valuable. What are you prepared to offer me in exchange?”

  “I thought you said you weren’t interested in creating obligations.”

  “This has nothing to do with creating obligations. This has everything to do with the value of a property.”

  Sam took a deep breath. She had known that there would be some price. With Bastan, there was always a price. Regardless of the fact that he considered her some strange part of his family, that didn’t change the fact that he asked much of her. But then, he’d never asked more than what she was able to provide. He’d never placed her in any real danger.

  “What do you need from me in exchange for the paper?” she asked.

  “I can think of several uses for your particular talent, Samara.”

  “Are you going to force me
to do these tasks before you will allow me to have the paper?”

  “Do you think you’ll need the paper to complete the tasks?”

  Sam wished she had her staff, but it was leaning against the wall. “Don’t make me hit you, Bastan.”

  “First you ask favors, then you threaten?”

  “Would you rather I threaten first?”

  Bastan sat back, a wide grin spreading across his face. “It will be nice to work with you once more, Samara. I’ve missed our banter.”

  Sam wished she felt the same. She appreciated all that Bastan had done for her but didn’t like the idea of getting deeper in debt to him. It wouldn’t surprise her to have him ask something of her that would place her new connections in danger.

  “What’s your request?” she asked.

  He smiled. “It just might be related to what you’re after. Besides, you have the necessary connections for this.”

  Connections. It was exactly what Sam feared. Bastan would have her use her connections to reach someplace that she did not want to.

  “First only the paper,” she said, “and then I’ll need to have you call Alec back to Caster.”

  “Why would I need to do that?”

  “If your task requires me to use the paper—”

  His smile changed, shifting from what had been nothing more than an amused grin to something a little more sly, and a little more devious. It was an expression that made her somewhat uncomfortable.

  “The task might require you to use the paper, but you don’t need me to summon your friend Alec.”

  “You’ve heard that’s how the paper works.”

  “Yes, but it won’t be necessary for me to summon your friend back to Caster. What I need from you requires that you travel to the university. There’s someone there I need you to find, someone who might have the answers we have been searching for.”

  With a sense of trepidation, Sam reached the bridge that crossed over to the university. She had little doubt that the papers she’d been given would grant her access. That had not been a problem for quite some time. What troubled her was the idea of risking Alec and his presence at the university. She didn’t want anything that Bastan might ask of her to place his status in jeopardy.

  She kept her cloak tied neatly around her, the canal staff tucked securely within it, not wanting to give any sign that she carried it. Revealing that she had the staff was a surefire way to demonstrate that she was not supposed to be at the university. She needed to get in, find Alec, and then complete the task that Bastan had asked of her.

  The task was not one that she thought would be easy, and Bastan had seemed practically giddy when he told her what it was.

  Somehow, Bastan was convinced that Alec would know the solution. It seemed something of a puzzle, but then again, Alec was incredibly smart, and would likely be able to solve Bastan’s stupid puzzle.

  It was near evening time as the guards waved her across the bridge, and still light enough that she could see everything easily. The massive building of the university loomed in front of her, and Sam’s anxiety increased as she approached. This was where Alec studied. This was a place of learning. And she did not belong.

  She was nothing but a lowborn, regardless of what Elaine tried to make her feel. She might have papers that granted her access to other parts of the city, but that was all she had. That didn’t make her a highborn, any more than Alec spending time in Caster made him a lowborn.

  She hurried toward the main entrance. It was late enough that the usual line of people seeking healing had already gone home for the day. In the morning, the line would re-form, and hundreds of people would approach, all of them carrying money, seeking help with whatever ailment plagued them. It still seemed ironic to Sam that Alec had been willing to come to the university, especially after his comments about their requirements that forced people to sacrifice so much of their coin just to get some help. That had bothered him so much from the moment she first met him, but he seemed more at peace with it now. Maybe it bothered him when he wasn’t a part of it.

  Sam shook away that thought. That wasn’t the Alec she knew. She could be frustrated, but she should be frustrated with herself.

  As she approached the entrance, she reached into a pocket in her cloak and felt for the sheet of easar paper she had put there. Bastan had offered her a single sheet, claiming that was all she would need, but she’d held out for more. If she had to face Marin, if she had to somehow confront her, she wanted a greater chance for augmentations. More than that, she wanted a chance to practice with Alec and would need more easar paper.

  Would Alec still even want to practice with her?

  It had been weeks since they’d had a chance to practice together. The only time they’d had together had been when Elaine had been injured, and Bastan had brought Alec from the university to help heal her.

  Maybe he was more intrigued with what he was learning at the university than practicing as her Scribe. He’d been very interested in working as her Scribe before he’d been accepted to the university, but maybe that had changed. Maybe the university held some sway over him that she could not. Maybe he would rather use his intelligence to learn things that could benefit others, and not just work with Sam, augmenting her.

  She had to stop thinking like that. Alec was her friend.

  There was nobody at the main entrance, and Sam tried the door but found it locked.

  She knocked. It was a heavy, thunderous sound. She waited, and moments passed before anyone appeared at the door. When the door opened, she was greeted by a young man wearing a simple brown robe belted with rope. She wasn’t sure if he was a junior physicker or a student. He looked at her, a hard frown on his face.

  “It’s much too late for any healing.”

  “I’m here to see one of your students.”

  “The students aren’t allowed to heal without a master’s approval.”

  “I’m a friend,” Sam said.

  “Who is the student?”

  “Alec Stross.”

  The man considered her a moment longer before he nodded. He disappeared, leaving her standing at the door, wondering whether she should follow him, or if she should wait.

  “Come along then,” he called out from down the hall.

  Sam shrugged and stepped into the entrance hall. The door started to close, and she took a few more steps to keep from being hit by it. The man waited in the distance, and Sam hurried to catch up to him, and he continued down the hall. The university was nicely decorated, but not nearly as nice as the palace. The stonework was well done, mostly marble. She winced at the thudding of her heavy footsteps, noting the young man’s steps were all but silent. Lanterns lit the hall, keeping it bright, and revealed sculptures placed periodically along the hallway. A few tapestries hung along the walls, as well, and her time with Bastan, and in the palace, had given her something of an idea of the quality of the various tapestries.

  He led her to a wide stairway, and up. He kept a steady pace and made no effort to speak to her, so Sam refrained, as well. He seemed more put out that she was there than anything, and she didn’t want to annoy him any more than was necessary. On the third landing, he veered off and down the hall. The university was enormous, and they made several turns, Sam quickly getting lost as she went, before he paused in front of a door and knocked.

  When the door opened, Sam saw Beckah standing behind it. “Can I help—”

  The woman cut off when she saw Sam.

  “I’m looking for Alec Stross,” the young man said.

  “He’s here,” Beckah said, pulling the door open.

  Alec sat at a desk and looked up from the book he’d been reviewing. His eyes showed surprise when he saw Sam in the doorway.

  “Sam?”

  “I need your help. Bastan asked—”

  Sam cut off and looked around the room, realizing that she needed to be more careful. If the message from Bastan was anything close to accurate, it might get Alec into some sort
of trouble, which she had no intention of doing. Regardless of whatever relationship was brewing between him and this Beckah, he was still her friend. And he was her Scribe. She needed to keep that in mind. There had never been anything more between Sam and Alec, regardless of what she thought she might have felt growing there.

  “She’s fine, Matthias.”

  Sam realized that Alec was talking to the man who had escorted her to his room, and Alec’s familiarity in addressing him by his first name told her he was likely a fellow student.

  The young man shrugged. “Students aren’t allowed visitors this late.”

  “She serves the princess,” Alec said.

  Beckah’s eyes widened as she looked at Sam with renewed interest.

  The fellow student glanced over, his mouth pressed into a disbelieving frown. Had it not been true, Sam wouldn’t have believed Alec, either. It was an outrageous claim, one that made no sense to her, even though in some ways, she did serve the princess.

  “Why would the princess send a servant here?”

  Alec met the man’s eyes. “Because I serve the princess, as well.” There was a clear disdain between the two of them, and that was likely the reason Alec shared as much as he did. He had never been so open about what she and he did.

  “I’ll make sure the masters know that you had a visitor,” Matthias said.

  “You do that. Make sure you inform Master Helen particularly.”

  Matthias glared at Alec before turning and letting his glare linger on Sam for a moment as he departed.

  When he was gone, Alec motioned her in. “Don’t mind him,” he said. “He’s not the nicest student. Smart, but he’s not always pleasant.”

  Sam glanced from Alec to Beckah, pushing away the questions that came to mind.

  “Alec, I need your help. Bastan sent me here with a message.”

  “Why would Bastan send you here with a message for me?” Alec asked.