Draggah (24 page)

Leonosis had very little love for anyone.  He cared about his mother to a degree, and there was perhaps a hint of fondness for his brothers and sisters.  He had certainly never entertained the idea of treating them any better than strangers.  In fact, he had taken great joy in tormenting them for the most part, especially Tiberius.  His youngest brother was an easy target with his romanticized notions of honor.  Still, it felt like a betrayal to know that his brother had been dabbling in magic.

It also confirmed the suspicions Leonosis had about Princess Ariel.  She had been strange right from the start.  Leonosis knew something was amiss when the Princes had chosen Tiberius rather than himself.  No woman in her right mind would want to associate with a third-born heir when the heir apparent was readily available.  Yet she had seen something in Tiberius the rest of them had missed.  Then there was the incident in Leonosis
’
audience chamber.  He had known she had done something to him, and he had suspected sorcery, but it had been too fantastic to believe.  Now he had proof that both Ariel and Tiberius were breaking the most sacred laws of Valana.

“
You are certain?
”
Leonosis questioned the old man.

“
It wasn
’
t a complete copy,
”
he wheezed. 
“
I had fragments, probably foraged by my father from the purge.  He found a few pieces and insisted I sell them to him.  He paid me in silver for what I thought was worthless.  I should have refused, but it was more money that I had ever seen at one time.  I
’
m an old man, my lord.  I am sorry.
”

“
How much of the book did he possess?
”
Leonosis asked.

“
I
’
m not sure.
”

“
Don
’
t toy with me, old man,
”
Leonosis warned. 
“
I have no patience for your lies.
”

“
It was perhaps the first chapter.  The book wasn
’
t very big.  And perhaps the last chapter.
”

Leonosis stood up and rubbed his forehead.  The old man
’
s story agreed with what Robere had told him.  The elderly servant said he saw an ancient looking book fragment on Tiberius
’
desk.  Tiberius claimed the book was from the temple, but Leonosis
’
spies at the temple didn
’
t know anything about Tiberius using old books.  The real question was how much Tiberius could possibly have learned from the book.

“
When did this happen?
”
Leonosis asked.

“
A week before your brother was banished,
”
the man said.

A week wasn
’
t much time,
Leonosis thought.  But that meant that Tiberius could have learned something.  Then a realization struck him from out of the blue.  The Graypee attack.  The city believed that Leonosis had rescued Rafe and killed two of the legendary creatures, but in fact it was Tiberius who had saved his friend.  Leonosis had never thought Tiberius was up for that sort of challenge, but if he was already wielding magic, he would have been much more formidable.

“
Is there another copy of this book?
”
Leonosis asked.

“
No, my lord, I swear it.
”

“
Have you told anyone else about this?  Anyone at all, your wife, your lover perhaps?
”

“
No, sire, I have no family and very few friends,
”
Ennis said. 
“
I would never tell anyone.
”

“
Make sure he
’
s telling the truth,
”
Leonosis said to his spies. 
“
And find out more about the girl.
”

“
Her name was Lexi,
”
said one of the spies.  He was large with a thick black beard. 
“
She stole some items during the King
’
s visit.  Before that, she did mainly contract work.  The people that knew her said she was elusive.  She didn
’
t confide in people and didn
’
t seem to trust anyone.  There are rumors that she killed two other brigands, but no real proof.  The men were thieves, their deaths attributed to foul play, but the Paladins didn
’
t look very hard for the killer.
”

“
Yes, just disposed of the bodies and considered Avondale a safer place,
”
Leonosis surmised.

“
Just so, my lord.
”

“
Do we have proof of these robberies?
”

“
She was never caught,
”
the spy explained. 
“
But the day of the banishment, she fenced several items.  Then four horses went missing, along with riding tack from a stable near the barley fields.
”

“
So we know what she did, we just don
’
t know much about her?
”
Leonosis said. 
“
Or why she would do anything for my brother.
”

“
I knew Lexi,
”
Ennis said, his voice barely above a whisper. 
“
Not well, but as well as most.
”

Leonosis leaned over the elderly man.

“
You knew her?
”

“
She was a person who could get things,
”
Ennis said. 
“
She had a good reputation on the lower levels.  She could get what you needed without getting caught.  I never had need of her services, but I knew people who did.  She brought your brother to my booth.
”

“
They were often seen together around the city,
”
Leonosis said. 
“
If not for the fact that she left with him, I might believe he was just employing her services.
”

“
Lexi was never greedy,
”
Ennis went on. 
“
Which is why she never got caught.  I
’
ve never heard of her stealing more than one or two items at a time.  Usually just enough to pay for a room and meals for a week or two.  She never snatched large items, so it was sometimes days before her victims even knew their property was missing.
”

“
So she was smart, but that still doesn
’
t explain why she would willingly leave the city.  It
’
s almost as if Tiberius knew I was going to banish him.
”

Leonosis realized he was thinking out loud.  It was a bad habit and one he strived to keep in check.  He couldn
’
t guess how Tiberius would have known what was going to happen.  Then Leonosis remembered that he made the mistake of telling his younger brother that Rafe would be punished for his actions just before the King arrived.  What if Tiberius had been planning things all along?  It made sense; most of Tiberius
’
belongings were gone from his room when Leonosis searched it.  The book of magic was certainly missing.  Even if someone else had raided the room prior to Leonosis
’
search, news that the Earl
’
s son was dabbling in magic would have spread through the city like wildfire.  Perhaps the entire episode had been planned.  Perhaps Rafe and Olyva were never lovers, or perhaps Tiberius just used that offense to his advantage.  Still, the question remained—why would Tiberius want to be banished?

“
Release him,
”
Leonosis said, waving at Ennis. 
“
Report to me when you know more about this Lexi.
”

The spies all nodded, but Leonosis was already hurrying back up the winding staircase that led out of the dungeon.  His brother was up to something.  He returned to his own quarters, which consisted of a large anteroom complete with a large writing desk, fireplace, and a comfortable sitting area.  He passed through this room into his private retreat.  No one was allowed in the retreat.  His bedchamber was completely separate and he often entertained female visitors there.  His private retreat had large windows that looked out over Avondale.  From his private room, which was a long narrow space, sparsely furnished and ideal for pacing, he made his plans for the future.  There were maps of Valana and all of her Nine Cities on the walls.  The only furnishings were a comfortable chair at one end and a thick rug that ran the length of the room.  He enjoyed taking his boots off and walking barefoot on the thick rug while he paced.

Tiberius had a plan, but he couldn
’
t guess what it could be.  Why would his brother want to be banished?  He wanted out of the city, but why?  And why not just leave if that was his wish?  Leonosis could imagine that perhaps his brother wanted a different life than what had been established for him by their father.  Being a Paladin had some hint of prestige among the common folk, but it came at a high price since Paladins were sworn to a life of celibacy.

Leonosis kept coming back to the same notion, namely that Tiberius must surely want to be Earl of Avondale.  To do so, he would have to overthrow his brother, or have both Leonosis and Brutas killed.  Tiberius was smart, but not given to violent tendencies.  If Leonosis and Brutas died, there would always be those who believed that Tiberius had ordered the death of his brothers, even if no proof existed.  Not to mention the fact that Leonosis didn
’
t see his brother as the type to slay his family just to rise in position.  Tiberius was always a compassionate person, not calculating and ambitious enough to murder his brothers.

On the other hand, if he managed to return from the blighted lands, he would be a celebrity among the people of the city.  He would be the first to ever return from banishment, with stories of what lay below the mysterious mists that covered the lowlands.  Then, if something were to happen to Leonosis, it would be easy for Tiberius to step in and take his brother
’
s place.  If Tiberius had slipped away from the city quietly, it would be difficult to make a triumphant return.  There would always be lingering doubt as to his actual whereabouts.  Just because one of the Earl
’
s sons wasn
’
t seen in the city didn
’
t mean he wasn
’
t in Avondale.  The Earl had a palace on the lake, not to mention hundreds of rooms in the main palace.  People would speculate that Tiberius had just been hidden in one of those rooms, living a quiet life of luxury.  But, if everyone in the city had seen him being banished, especially for no crime of his own other than loyalty to a friend, his story would have instant credibility.  He would be the favored son of Aegus.  He might not even have to murder Leonosis; the city might demand that Tiberius be made Earl.

It was a risky plan to be sure, but if Tiberius had gained some magical powers, he might feel himself equal to the task.  And if he was willing to break the most sacred law in Avondale, what else might he be willing to do?  Could he raise an army from the wretches struggling to survive in the wasteland below the mists?  Could he learn to control the huge monsters that roamed the blighted lands?  What if he and the Princess knew something that Leonosis didn
’
t, he wondered.  Might she be helping him somehow?

There were too many unknown variables.  He needed to act while he was still in a position of strength.  The King
’
s heir was weak.  No one expected him to live.  Perhaps it was time for the Earls to gather and select a new ruler.  If Leonosis could show that the King
’
s daughter was a witch, the other Earls would call for the King
’
s head, and Leonosis, as the only person to reveal the King
’
s failure, would be in a prime position to replace the fallen monarch.  A smile slowly spread across Leonosis
’
face.  His brother may be crafty, but Leonosis was no fool.  If Tiberius was returning to Avondale, Leonosis would be ready.  And unlike his brother, Leonosis had no qualms about spilling family blood.

Chapter 18

Tiberius

The first day of travel went smoothly, but a little slow.  Everyone in the tribe was accustomed to travel, but most were tired from the night
’
s libations.  It took two days to reach the spring of water that Tiberius led them too.  On the plains, water was sometimes hard to find, and the new spring was little more than a trickle.  It bubbled up from the ground and flowed along a narrow track.  Tiberius guessed that if they followed the tiny stream, they would eventually find the point where it joined a wider one, but for the moment the stream was enough.