Songbird (19 page)

Bran shook his head with displeasure, then shrugged. “I’m Ambassador Havil, this is my assistant Jax Weyland, and this…” he paused dramatically. “Is the king’s Songbird.”

Teya inhaled sharply. She hadn’t expected that. From the soldier’s surprised gaze, she knew he hadn’t either.

“You…?” The soldier glanced between them, his jaw flapping up and down without any words coming out. Recovering his wits, he spoke. “Come inside and I’ll get him. And…don’t go anywhere.” He held the door open for them, and hurried up a staircase to the second floor.

Bran turned to Teya. “I hope you’re not upset that I told him who you were, but I thought if I did, we would get faster results.”

Teya had time to nod before the soldier returned, breathless from his errand. “The Colonel will be right down. He asked me to have you wait in his office. It’s through here.” He led them down a hallway and opened a door. “Make yourselves comfortable.”

“Thanks,” Bran said. The soldier nodded politely and closed the door behind him. The colonel’s office was surprisingly well furnished with a beautiful dark wooden desk and plush chair. Several cushioned chairs were situated around the desk and a bookcase covered one wall.

At the other end of the room between two large windows, the wall was covered with maps. A long rectangular table with several chairs took up the space beneath the maps.

A door closed above them, and they heard footsteps hurrying down the hall toward them. The colonel burst through the door, still buttoning up his shirt. He swept a glance over them before addressing Bran.

“Ambassador Havil? I didn’t think you’d dare show your face here.” He shook Bran’s hand in a friendly manner, then turned to Jax and offered his hand as well. “This must be Jax. Rasmussen is frantic about your return, by the way.”

The man had hawk-like features and wavy silver hair. A protruding brow hooded his piercing blue eyes and Teya was instantly wary of him without knowing why. He looked them over, his eyes lingering on Teya, before settling on Bran. “You do know the trouble you’re in?”

Bran nodded before making a formal introduction. “Teya, this is Colonel Porter, acting commander of the army along the border, and also a ranking officer in our government. Colonel, may I introduce Teya, the king’s Songbird.”

The Colonel took her hand, his eyes flicking to her neck before he smiled at her. “Although it is a pleasure to meet you, I had not expected that Ambassador Havil would bring you here.” His touch was firm, but he held her hand longer than necessary.

“We’ve run out of options, Colonel,” Bran said. “The only way to avoid a war is to help Teya. Her people are being held against their will in our country, and that makes it our problem. We need to find them.”

“How is that going to stop a war?” Porter asked, with narrowed eyes.

“The Kalorians are my people,” Teya said, speaking up. “They have the magic you need to stop the king.” He didn’t respond, so she continued. “Believe me, the king’s soldiers are coming, whether you help us or not.”

Porter rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then turned to Jax. “I was serious when I said that Rasmussen was looking for you. He urged me to send you to him as soon as possible if you showed up here.”

Bran glanced at Jax. “I guess that means you’d better go. Give him a full report and ask for his help. I know we could use it.”

“Are you sure?” Jax asked.

“Yes.” Bran answered, and Teya knew something only they understood passed between them, then Bran turned his gaze to the colonel. “Can you spare Jax a motorbike?”

“Of course,” Porter said. “Tell Rasmussen to advise me if this changes our plans. He’ll know what I mean. Let him know I’ll contact him if we find out anything new.” Porter called to the guard outside the door and told him to see that Jax got whatever he needed. With a piercing glance at Bran, Jax left the room.

Teya wondered what was going on between them, but decided not to say anything in front of Porter. “Where were we?” Porter asked her. “Oh yes, where do you think the Kalorians are?”

“Somewhere close,” Bran answered, and wandered over to the wall that was covered with charts and maps. Porter followed and soon they were scouring the maps of the countryside nearest the city.

“Look,” Bran pointed. “This is an old monastery not three miles from here. It would be the perfect place to keep a bunch of people you wanted to hide from the world.”

Teya studied the map. “I think you’re right.” There wasn’t another place like it for miles, and from Jesse’s description, it had to be the right place. Excitement bubbled inside her. They were so close to her people. Soon, she’d see them and take them home.

“Ambassador,” Colonel Porter said. “The Songbird is supposed to go back to the king. You must realize that I won’t disobey my orders.”

Porter’s words sent a shard of panic through Teya.

“We can’t take her back,” Bran said, frowning. “She’s too valuable, and if we find her people, we will have an advantage over the king. This war can be averted. I’ve been charged with finding the source of
sym
, and I think the Kalorians are involved. We must find them before any other decisions are made. I’m sure Rasmussen will agree once he finds out about it. Jax will see to that.”

Porter glanced between Bran and Teya, and his brow creased in contemplation. “All right,” he grimaced. “You’ve made your point, and although it goes against my orders, I happen to agree with you. Since I’m already up, I suppose we can go check it out. Reinforcements are due to arrive this morning. If you’re right, this discovery will probably change things.”

He hesitated and pursed his lips. “I’m taking a chance for you Ambassador. My orders are clear that Teya be returned to King Thesald. You see what a bind this puts me in. If this doesn’t work out, I will have to abide by the terms of the agreement and send her back to avoid a war.”

Teya knew Bran would never agree if it meant sending her back to the king, but she didn’t think the Colonel needed to know that. She opened the bond to Bran and urged him to accept. He glanced at her sharply before he replied. “They’ll be there Colonel, but thanks for the warning.”

It wasn’t exactly the answer the Colonel was looking for, but he nodded curtly and led them down the hall toward the entrance. He beckoned to the guard who had just returned from helping Jax. “Lieutenant, get thirty men assembled immediately. I want them armed and ready for action.”

As the soldier left, Porter glanced at Bran. “To be honest, when I heard they suspected you of taking the king’s Songbird, I didn’t believe it. Now you’re both here seeking my help. Why didn’t you come back sooner? Rasmussen may have been able to smooth things over and we could have avoided this mess.”

“Not without taking Teya back to the king,” Bran said. “We can’t let that happen. There’s more to this than you realize. I think the Kalorians might have something to do with
sym
, so I freed Teya to help me find them. We went back to her homeland, but Teya’s grandmother was the only one left. It’s important that the Kalorians return to their home, and we’ve been searching for them. After we left the grove we ran into a man named Jesse. Apparently he tracks down Kalorians and brings them across the border.”

“He’s the one who told us that the Kalorians were here in Braemar,” Teya added.

“If
sym
is part of this, then I understand your involvement,” Porter said to Bran. “But why do the Kalorians need to return to their home?”

“It’s because of the grove,” Teya answered. “When my people left, the grove began to shrivel and die. Unless they return, it will be lost and magic will be taken from the land. We’ll lose everything without the grove. I can’t let that happen.”

Porter nodded, then glanced at Teya’s neck with narrowed eyes. “Is that a
kundar
you’re wearing? I thought it kept you from using your magic.”

This change of subject took Teya by surprise. Her fingers absently brushed against the metal before she spoke. “It’s…”

“We took the first one off,” Bran broke in. “But before we got away, Jesse put that one on her. I haven’t had a chance to take it off yet. I planned to do so once we got here. We also need to take the collars off all of the Kalorians.”

What was he saying? Teya tried to hide her confusion with a nod. “Yes,” she blurted. “The sooner, the better, if you ask me.”

Porter raised his eyebrows. “You’re going to take all of them off?”

“The Kalorians aren’t monsters,” Teya said. “They’re people just like you and me, and deserve their freedom. The magic they have can help us against the king if it comes to that, but I hope we can resolve things peacefully.”

“Yes, of course, that would be best.” Porter said. “If you’re sure they will help. I’d like to talk to them first, if you don’t mind. After everything we’ve heard about them, I don’t think that’s asking too much.”

“Fine,” Teya agreed, not liking the pointed look he gave her.

“Good. We should be able to leave in a few minutes. I imagine you’re tired and hungry. I’ll have my steward bring you something to eat and drink while I get my things together.”

Once he left, Teya lowered her voice and tugged on the
kundar
. “Why did you tell him this was real?”

Bran shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s a trusted aide in our government, so I’m probably overreacting, but I don’t know much about him and I’d rather not tell him everything.”

“That’s true,” Teya agreed. Her brow puckered. “There’s something about him that I don’t like, but I don’t know why.”

“Hmm...you’re probably picking up on his prejudice against your people. At least he’s willing to take us to the monastery, and his men will be able to help us if we need them. I just wish I had time to check it out and see what we’re getting into. I hate going in cold. There’s a chance that Korban will be there, so I want you to be extra careful when we arrive. Be ready for anything.”

Teya’s heart raced to think she’d face Korban so soon, but she wouldn’t be alone and that bolstered her courage. “The main thing we need to do is to find the Kalorians and release them. If Korban’s there, I won’t hesitate to use my powers on him.”

Her stomach clenched with nerves, but she was ready just the same. It was time for Korban to be held accountable for his actions. He was a monster, and he needed to be stopped.

A sleepy-eyed man carried a tray to them. “These biscuits are from last night, but it’s the best I could do on short notice. However, the wine is excellent.”

“Thank you,” Bran said. The man nodded and placed the tray on the small table, then left. Bran picked up a roll and poured glasses of watered wine. “I’m glad Jax was able to leave.”

“Is he really going to Rasmussen?”

“Yes. We need Rasmussen on our side, and if anyone can persuade him to help, it’s Jax.”

Reassured, Teya ate quickly. As she finished drinking her wine, the lieutenant came in and told them everything was ready. The food gave her some needed energy, especially since she hadn’t slept well the past few nights.

Colonel Porter joined them at the entrance and ushered them out to the cool night air. Teya stopped short at the sight that greeted her. Bran quickly explained. “It’s a motorcar. We use them to travel in, and believe me, they’re much more comfortable than riding on the back of a horse. Here, I’ll show you.”

He opened the door to the inside which held a cushioned seat, much like those in an open carriage, only both seats faced forward. The lieutenant climbed behind a round wheel in the front seat and the colonel took his seat on the other side.

“Get in, you’ll love it.” Bran clearly had no qualms about the strange machine, so Teya climbed in. The cushions were soft, and once she was settled with Bran beside her, the contraption started to move.

“There’s an engine that makes it run,” Bran said enthusiastically. “On a good road it can get up to fifty miles an hour, much faster than a horse.”

Teya felt her initial wariness turn into astonishment as they picked up speed. Larger motorcars both in front and behind carried several soldiers. She was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and efficiently they moved.

Braemar was full of wonders and she eagerly surveyed the passing countryside. In the early gray light of dawn, the rolling hills didn’t seem much different, but at the speed they were going it was hard to tell. At this rate they would be to the monastery in no time.

Coming over a rise, she glimpsed a group of buildings in the distance. “That’s it.” Bran pointed toward them. Trees and gardens with neat rows of well-tended vegetables surrounded the large compound of several buildings.

The main building stood two stories high, with a bell tower above it. It had to be their place of worship, while the other buildings were living quarters. She could picture the Kalorians inside the compound, held within its boundaries, and her heart stirred with anticipation that they were so close.

Her motorcar pulled up at the front of the main building and stopped, with the other two stopping behind them. She waited in anticipation for someone from the monastery to approach, but nothing happened, and her brows creased with worry. A few moments later, it was apparent that no one was coming.

“We’ll see if anyone’s here,” Bran told Porter.