The Scarecrow (Master of Malice Book 1) (34 page)

Despite her shock and horror, Sofira was moved. The witch must be vengeful indeed if she could turn a man like the Baron into such a deformed monster.

“Oh, Hezra.”

Sofira came close, took him in her arms. She could sense the truth of his words, for the scarecrow semblance was gone, replaced by his normal, if undernourished, body. How could she fail to help him, if this was the future he faced? He needed her strength and commitment as much as she needed his help to regain what she’d lost. They were bound by common goals, common suffering. Her heart had been deformed as surely as his body would be by the machinations of the Artesan witch. They both needed the healing the other could offer.

As she felt Reen’s arms around her, his breath upon her cheek, the room seemed to take on a subtle ruby glow, as if the very fire approved their plans.

+ + + + +

S
eth was panting hard by the time they reached the mansion. It had taken them a good hour to traverse the estate, but thankfully they didn’t have to divert their route to avoid meeting anyone. It was full dark and freezing cold and no one was abroad but them.

Seth’s long-suffering gaze was fixed on the uncaring back of his companion. The man hadn’t once offered to share Seth’s burden and the short respite after they emerged from the tunnel was long since forgotten. His muscles burned with pain and he was sure he now had one shoulder lower than the other.

He stopped as the vagrant held up a hand, realizing that they were in the private grounds of the mansion itself. His grinning companion turned, ignoring the hostility in Seth’s eyes.

“Come on, man, this is where your knowledge comes in. Where can we hide that till we need it? It has to be somewhere close to the house.”

He jerked his thumb at the dead whore. Seth dumped the body on the snowy ground, ignoring the vagrant’s hiss of displeasure. He took his time in stretching the kinks out of his back and shoulders before answering the vagrant’s question. He’d had enough of playing the donkey. It was time the wastrel realized Seth had worth and use beyond the obeying of instructions or the carrying of burdens.

“I’m not telling you anything else until you tell me exactly what you’ve got planned for tonight. You need me. You need me to get you into the house unobserved. You need me to tell you where the mistress is and where the housekeeper will be. You need help with what you have planned and you need to know I won’t betray you after. I think that deserves a measure of trust on your part, don’t you?”

There was silence in the freezing darkness. The wastrel never took his eyes from Seth’s defiant figure, standing as he was with his hands on his hips and a dead whore at his feet. Slowly, very slowly, a ruby-red glow appeared in the vagrant’s eyes and a sardonic grin grew about his mouth. The air around him seemed to shimmer and Seth’s eyes watered as the charnel reek of maggot-infested flesh entered his nose. An unwelcome memory of the wastrel’s ravaged chest rose in his mind and his own flesh crawled. He backed up a pace as the vagrant stepped closer, but an invisible hand closed upon his muscles, holding him firmly in place.

“Let me tell you a few truths, my friend.” The vagrant’s voice was low and calm, but menace lurked below it. Seth shivered, staring helplessly into the ruby depths of his eyes.

“It may surprise you to know that I don’t actually require your help for any of this. I have an intimate knowledge of the mansion, even to the bedchamber of the mistress where she entertains her unnatural lover. I can fulfill my instructions without your help. As to betraying me afterward, well, that would be a foolish move on your part. For the master knows where to find you, never doubt that! And he can work his will upon you even as he has upon me. Perhaps you need a reminder of what your fate would be should you choose to defy him.”

The vagrant’s hands moved to the cloth over his breast and tore it open. The stench that assailed Seth’s nostrils made him retch uncontrollably, and the sight of that crawling, rotting flesh churned his stomach. The strange hold on his muscles disappeared and he fell vomiting to the ground, hands clutching futilely at snow.

There was a low chuckle from the vagrant and the stench faded. Seth raised his sweating face, his mouth damp and vile. He picked up a handful of clean snow and bit into it, rolling it on his tongue until the worst of the bile was gone. He spat it out. A hand clamped on his arm and he allowed the vagrant to heave him to his feet. The man regarded him with what appeared to be sympathy, and Seth thought, just for a fleeting moment, he also caught the echo of a deep and desperate longing. Yet when he looked again the sardonic twist was back on the cracked lips, and he knew he was mistaken.

“Why, then?” he croaked, his throat raw from the bile. “Why bring me at all if you don’t need me?”

The vagrant shrugged. “The master thought you’d like a chance at revenge. He needs to know who’s loyal to him. When he returns, he’ll need trusted retainers to help him hold his power. Why he chose you, I’ll never know. But he did, and now it’s up to you. You can either make up your mind once and for all to follow my directions, or you can leave. Make your choice, but make it quick. I have other concerns this night.”

Seth stared at the vagrant. He knew exactly what he was going to do. He’d just wanted a measure of respect from this wretched creature before they continued. Now Seth realized his mistake. The man wasn’t his own master. Far from acting under his own direction, he was a puppet, a tool, no longer a man at all. Seth had no desire to end up the same way. He would treat the wastrel as if he were the Baron himself, and was only glad he had been shown the truth before he’d gone too far.

“I’m with you,” he said. “There’s a storage barn next to the stables where we can hide the body. The stable boy’ll be at his home eating supper and won’t return until later to check his charges. And the barn is hidden from the servants’ wing. Shall we go?” He heaved the whore’s body over his shoulder without being told.

The wastrel grinned and waved him forward to lead the way. Seth trod carefully over the deep-packed snow, making for the back of the mansion. He could see firelight reflected in some of the building’s windows, and lamplight glowing in Jinella’s bedchamber. There were no fresh hoof-prints in the snow of the yard, so he knew Taran wasn’t with her. Whether the Court Artesan featured in the wastrel’s plans, Seth didn’t know, and he wasn’t going to ask any more questions. He would concentrate on what he was told and leave it at that. He led the way into the storage barn and deposited the cold, limp body onto a pile of clean straw.

+ + + + +

S
ir Regus and Lady Corina were on their last legs, too weak even to shiver by the time they saw Loxton’s Forest Gate looming out of the darkness. Corina, who had been sobbing with cold and exhaustion for the past half-hour, gave a faint cry of relief and swooned in her husband’s arms. Sir Regus grunted under her weight and staggered onward. He cried out, “Ho there, the gate!” but couldn’t make his voice carry. The gate was thick oak timbers; the guards in the gatehouse couldn’t hear his cry.

Fury and frustration fueled Sir Regus’s last steps as he staggered up to the gate. He propped his lady against the wood and searched until he found a stout, frozen branch, then pounded with all his might against the frost-slick oak.

“Guards, guards!” he yelled as loudly as he could. When he heard the welcome sound of the postern being opened, he followed his lady’s example and slid bonelessly to the ground.

“It was brigands, I tell you, and they robbed us of everything we had! It’s disgraceful! You’re supposed the keep the forest safe for innocent travelers. Call yourself a soldier? Well, man, what are you going to do about it? My coach and team are gone, as are my rings, my lady’s diamonds, and my gold. I demand recompense! I demand retaliation! I demand you give me their heads on a plate! I demand—”

Two of Denny’s men called for a coach and escorted Sir Regus and his lady up to the castle from the Forest Gate. The exhausted pair found themselves fussed over and tended most gratifyingly on the ride up to the castle. Denny received them in the courtyard and called instantly for Elias’s physician to see to Lady Corina, who was taken to a warm bed in the section of the infirmary reserved for the King’s household. Her husband demanded the right to present his complaints to Vassa and Levant before he would even consider being checked over, so Denny brought him to Levant’s apartment, where Vassa and Taran joined them.

Colonel Vassa held up a hand to forestall the noble’s rant.

“Sir Regus, calm yourself, I beg you. You will cause yourself harm if you don’t desist. Sit here by the fire and drink your brandy; it will do you good. You’ve had a bad experience, there’s no doubt, and you’ve been valiant and strong in the defense of your lady. But you’re safe now and there’s nothing we can do before first light. So please, calm yourself and let us help you. Taran, hand him that brandy, will you?”

Taran extended the crystal glass tumbler toward the shivering man. He exchanged a glance with Vassa over Sir Regus’s head as the furious but exhausted man collapsed into the offered chair and took the spirit. He cast a look at the Adept and muttered ungracious thanks. Sir Regus was one of those nobles who were highly suspicious of Artesans and he didn’t much like being beholden to one.

The door opened and Major Denny stood there. He caught Vassa’s eye.

“How is he, sir?”

Vassa left the shivering noble to Levant’s sympathetic ministrations and moved toward Denny, Taran following. The Adept watched the indignant Regus, who was reiterating his demands, somewhat revived by the effects of Elias’s best brandy.

The Colonel glanced at Sir Regus over his shoulder. “He’s all right. He’s more concerned about the loss of his gold and jewels than the danger to his person. But I have to admit, it’s a serious assault. They’re lucky to have escaped with their lives. We don’t stand a chance of recovering any of what they’ve lost, so Elias will have to recompense them from the Treasury. Denny, we must be seen to be doing something positive to stop these recent attacks. The King instructed me to send out patrols after Neremiah’s murder; he thinks the villain might be hiding in Loxton Forest. I want you to take two full details out first thing in the morning, no matter how foul the weather. Yes, I do know any tracks will have disappeared by then, but you might find traces of the carriage, or the clothes. Just do your best. And shut the city down, will you? I want double the security on the gates and no one to enter or leave without a search. Do you understand? No one.”

Denny whistled softly. “There’re a few nobles who’ll kick against that, Colonel.”

Vassa’s look was grim. “They can kick all they like. Just remind them of Sir Regus’s assault and His Immanence’s murder. Elias will deal with any serious complaints when he returns, if anyone’s foolish enough to challenge us. Go on, you’d best organize your men for the morning. I want those patrols out at first light. Taran’s going to pass this on to the General when we’ve finished here, and if he has any other instructions I’ll send a messenger to the garrison. I’ll see you in the morning for the final details.”

Denny nodded. “Tell Sir Regus the King’s physician is satisfied his lady has taken no lasting harm. She should be well enough to return to her home in the morning.”

Denny sketched a hasty salute and left, no doubt already picking which men would ride with him. Taran knew the Major would lead one of the patrols himself. He was affronted by the resurgence of brigands in the forest, seeing it as a personal slur on his abilities. Taran gave a small smile. Denny would see to it the ruffians were wiped out. By the time Elias returned, the forest would be as safe as the castle park.

When Vassa returned to the fireside, Sir Regus had finally run out of steam. The shock of his ordeal and the effects of the brandy combined to overcome his outrage. His speech was slurred and his eyes had glazed. Lord Levant shot a glance at Vassa as the Colonel approached.

“I think Sir Regus could do with an escort to help him to the infirmary. Let the physician check him over while he’s still awake. No, Sir Regus,” Levant continued as the noble tried to protest, “I’ve kept you from your rest long enough. We’ve already organized reprisals against those responsible. You can rely on Colonel Vassa to do all in his power to bring them to justice. We’ll also inform his Majesty and act on any instructions he gives us. I will personally visit you and your lady in the morning, if the physician allows it, and I’ll provide an escort to take you home when you’re ready to leave. Come on, man, up you get. Let’s get you to a warm bed.”

Two servants, summoned by Vassa, appeared at the door to take Sir Regus in hand. Levant closed the door on them and leaned against it with a sigh. “Poor beggar.”

Taran regarded Levant. “Shall I contact the General now, my Lord?”

Levant nodded, returned to the fireside, and picked up his own glass of spirit. “Better let Elias know as soon as possible. Not that he needs any more problems. He’ll have his hands full with Lerric’s usual complaints.”

Taran took himself to a quiet corner and stilled his mind. He was much more proficient at this now, but the murmur of voices could still interfere with his concentration. Levant and Vassa spoke softly as Taran communed with General Blaine.

Blaine approved Vassa’s arrangements with Denny, and Elias instructed Levant to make an inventory of everything Sir Regus and his lady had lost and to issue them with a promissory note from the Treasury. Taran then took the time to inform Sullyan at the Manor of the day’s latest events.

I do not like these developments, my friend,
she told him.
I do not like them at all. Tell Jerrim to be doubly on his guard, and tell Denny and his men to be careful. Loxton Forest is too easy a place to hide in. He will have his work cut out to find those villains.

Taran broke the link, Sullyan’s anxiety reflected in his own heart. He passed the messages on to Levant and Vassa.

“If you’re done with my services, I’ll go down to the garrison and see if there’s anything Denny wants me to do,” he said. Vassa waved him away.