Stained Glass Monsters

Chapter Twenty-Six

Going was one thing, seeing another. Rennyn had been taken to a bedroom not too far from the Hall of Summoning, but the healer had woken assistants to crowd every corner, all murmuring and bustling and fetching things in and out. Sebastian hadn’t been allowed more than a glimpse, and they’d ended up sitting on an ugly couch listening to snatches of conversation from the next room. They would, Kendall supposed, at least hear if Rennyn died.

"Sukata was there."

So he’d noticed. "Mm."

Sebastian picked at his trousers above the drying patches of blood. He’d ignored suggestions he go change, just kept worrying at the cloth. There was probably some way to magic it clean, but Kendall doubted he was in any state to cast.

"Tell me what happened."

That took a while. Kendall wasn’t sure how much he listened, attention only partially on her, straightening at every change of tone in the next room. Finally she said: "What was she trying to cast? All that did was make the Black Queen beat her up."

"Probably just a distraction." Sebastian shrugged. "The trigger wasn’t linked to her casting."

"Was the focus on her necklace always a fake?"

"No. I researched that concealment for her. Nothing to do with the Black Queen." Sebastian hunched his shoulders. "She just, she was worried our Great-Uncle would…do things to her."

The way the demon had touched her made it pretty clear what he wanted. Rennyn had hated that he’d bitten her. It was the most upset Kendall had ever seen her, outside when she’d told the Kellian she owned them.

"If she dies, the Kellian will belong to you."

"I’d inherit the ability to control them. That’s all." Frowning at the words, Sebastian worried his trousers again. "Did they hate her for it?"

"Not…hate."

"She’s dreaded telling them for years, even before we knew them. Perhaps after all it would have been better if we’d been able to stay hidden till we had to prepare the Hall of Summoning. Easier to mark them over a month, of course, but it was cruel that they grew to trust us."

"But that helped," Kendall protested. "They hated the idea of it, and what the Black Queen would do to them, but at least they knew what kind of person Rennyn was. Is."

Sebastian gave her a dark look, then said: "The kind of person who makes decisions for other people? Who takes their choices away from them?"

Kendall fought a flush which left her hot all over. "Well, she does."

"I know. You think she never asked herself if she was doing the right thing? Hells, she wasn’t even sure it was right to kill Solace."

Soft-hearted. Not liking what she was doing, but accepting she had to. What would have happened if the two Claires had simply packed their bags and left Tyrland rather than take on the Black Queen?

"I never thanked her."

“You went with her. She liked that.” Sebastian leaned back, eyelids sagging. “She liked you for not trusting her. It helped, just as saving you helped. All those little choices which kept her someone she can live with being.” He sighed deeply and fell asleep, head tipped awkwardly back. Days enchanted in the Eferum didn’t add up to much rest.

Kendall sat listening to the noises from the other room. The attendants clucked like hens, voices rising and falling with each new excitement, making it hard to tell real disaster from stupid fussing. Occasionally the healer’s voice could be heard, never hurried, not loud enough to make out any words.

"Lord Montjuste-Surclere."

The couch heaved under Kendall, and she realised she’d been leaning on Sebastian’s shoulder. Muzzily she sat up, rubbing at her eyes. The tall healer was standing in front of them.

"How is she?" Sebastian asked, his voice small and tight.

"We have stabilised her," the healer said, choosing her words with a judicious air. "Ordinarily I would give her a fair chance of recovery."

"But?"

"There are two areas of concern. This wound on her throat – I’m told it is an Eferum-Get bite?" Without waiting for Sebastian to respond, she swept on. "There is some property to the wound I cannot unravel. Perhaps a mild toxin which is resisting removal. That may have an impact on her recovery. There is a more immediate issue which I would appreciate your help with."

"Anything."

"Your sister appears to have been physically worn down before being injured, and then has suffered major blood loss. Replacing the blood has exacerbated the exhaustion. The major injuries – bruised organs, and badly broken ribs piercing one of her lungs – have been caulded and she is no longer bleeding internally. It is very important that she lie still and rest as much as possible. And she will not."

"Ren’s awake?"

"Not lucid. We removed the creature on her wrist, of course, and immediately she began to resist our enchantments. We even resorted to drugging her, a thing I would not ordinarily approve with a subject in such a depressed physical state, and this held her barely longer than the casting. She is counteracting everything."

"Ren’s casting in her sleep?"

The way Sebastian leapt to his feet, almost shouting, told Kendall just how bad a thing this was. Even the graceful healer looked disconcerted.

"Thus far we have seen no effects outside her continued waking," she reassured him. "But I must ask you to try and calm her. She is killing herself. If she can see you, hear your voice, she may cease to fight against our castings."

"Maybe she thinks it’s the demon’s spell," Kendall said pragmatically, then pulled a face and followed Sebastian as he ran into the next room.

The bed made Rennyn look small. Nor was she moving about, but lay neatly tucked up and totally still. Kendall could feel the itch of magic, but could not tell what was the healer’s work and what was Rennyn.

"Is she casting?"

Sebastian leaned close over his sister. "I think so."

"That’s bad because she might melt the room, or something?"

"Yes. A Thought mage should never cast except with absolute deliberation. You can’t get drunk, or smoke that Haze Weed. Fevers are best avoided, though I haven’t heard of sleep-casting before."

"Stay with her," said the healer. "Talk to her. Even in sleep she will hear you and be reassured. Above all, keep her still."

As the healer left the room, Sebastian obediently picked up one of Rennyn’s hands and began murmuring to her. Kendall edged around the side of the bed for a closer look. One side of Rennyn’s face was a single, huge bruise with a scratch through the centre. Her cheeks were sunken and her bones stood out beneath the skin.

"She doesn’t look like she’s been healed at all. What does caulded mean?"

"Holding wounds or bones together. You can’t just fix a person with magic. Well, some healers have managed it, but more have killed their patients trying. Even if this one was arrogant enough to try, Ren’s too weak to stand it."

"Patch her up and wait, huh?"

Sebastian looked up, then felt around in his pockets and produced a square of crumpled, inky cloth. He was just the sort who would carry a kerchief. Kendall ignored it, wiping at her face.

Rennyn shifted on the bed. Kendall watched her, then peered closer to see beads of sweat on her face, though there was no flush to the skin. "She’s waking up."

Sebastian had already noticed, squeezing Rennyn’s hand as if that would help. "Can you hear me, Ren? It’s me. It’s over. We’re safe. You can rest, it’s all over."

Rennyn’s head turned toward his voice, her eyes opening to dark slits.

"Ren!" Sebastian said gladly.

But there was no recognition in Rennyn’s swollen face. Instead of being calmed by his words, she continued to turn her head, then tried to sit up, barely managing to raise her head.

"What’s she looking for?"

"Ren? You’re safe." Sebastian tried to stop his sister from moving. "Lie back. It’s over."

This didn’t help at all. Even though she didn’t have the strength to lift herself, and trying obviously hurt a lot, Rennyn kept struggling to move. Kendall looked about for the one of the healers.

"Did she just say something?"

Sebastian leaned over his sister, but when he lifted his head he just looked puzzled. "Liddan? Is that a place, a person?"

Kendall shook her head. "Something undone that’s worrying her? If she knows you’re alive, and that the Black Queen is dead, is there anything she needs to do?"

"Our – Solace’s second son," Sebastian said reluctantly. "Not in our original plans, of course, but I don’t think we can leave him out there. We’re going to have to deal with him."

"His name’s not Liddan."

"No. But there isn’t anything else." He tugged the blanket back toward Rennyn’s chin. "She was looking forward to that so much. To not having to study, to letting herself indulge useless whims. To travel and read novels and sleep in every day. To not have this huge duty sitting over her. She doesn’t want to be responsible for anything ever again, won’t even admit to worrying about the political consequences for the Kellian."

"Are they going to be all right? Sukata and the others who were there?"

He bit his lip. "They should be, since they survived the end of the casting. But we had no way to test it, no way to be sure if there would be any side-effects."

"And none of them are called Liddan either," Kendall said, adding doubtfully: "Captain Faille’s first name is a bit like that. Lieutenant Danress told me it once."

"Really?" Sebastian blinked, then looked worriedly back at his sister as she shifted and then caught her breath. Broken ribs.

"Stay with her, will you?" Sebastian said, and strode abruptly out of the room. Startled, Kendall could hear him speaking to someone outside, and then one of the healer’s assistants came in, already chalking on his slate, and brushed Kendall aside so he could cast some more spells.

"Even the pain suppressors are being countered," the assistant said, clicking his tongue. Then he noticed that Sebastian hadn’t followed him back into the room, and looked scandalised. Kendall pretended not to notice, and eventually the assistant finished his spells and went off, no doubt to say nasty things about heartless boys.

Rennyn was so still Kendall went back to the bed to check her. She felt almost as tired as Rennyn looked, and it made it worse that she had to lean close to be sure the woman was even breathing. But the bruises didn’t make her any less the person who’d shown up at Kendall’s door in Falk and told a pack of lies to get Kendall to do what she wanted.

"Why should I thank you?" Kendall asked softly. "It was all what you wanted. Saved my life to spare your own feelings. Dragged me about the country to distract yourself. None of it was about me."

There was no response, of course. Kendall picked up one limp hand tentatively, then put it down again. It felt like the kittens the Lippon cat had had too early, cold little bundles of skin and bone too weak to live.

"A hair’s-breath from death, and you’re still trying to get your way. Bossy to the end." Kendall wiped at her face again impatiently. "Don’t you understand? You mixed yourself up in everyone’s lives. Made yourself important to them. It’s not fair if you just go and die after all that."

Probably it was a good thing that everyone showed up then. Everyone in the form of Lieutenant Danress and three other Sentene mages, most of them battered around the edges. A tiny, grey-haired lady followed them in, Sebastian tagging at her elbow, with two of the healer’s assistants trailing them all, fussing away.

"If you would just wait until Magister Sorathar returns," burbled one of the assistants. "I am sure she will–"

"–agree that familiar surroundings will soothe Lady Rennyn," said the old lady, who looked like she was enjoying herself. "Even the smallest factor could make the difference to her survival."

"But to move her–"

"A delicate business, I agree," said the old lady cheerfully. "We’d best get it over with quickly."

While she’d been speaking, the Sentene had opened out a canvas stretcher, and used the sheet from the bed to transfer Rennyn. She’d been put into some kind of half-tied robe, giving a clear view of bruises and bandaging all down her front, but Sebastian was quick to cover her properly with a blanket. They were out the door before the assistants had done more than flap a few times and send someone running for their mistress.

The old lady giggled like a girl as soon as they were safely out in the corridor. "This is the first time I’ve had to resort to kidnapping a patient. Sorathar will be livid."

"Thank you for helping, Magister Arandal," Sebastian said. "I didn’t mean to make trouble for you."

"Not at all. Sorathar does consider the upper nobility her due, but the Lady Rennyn was originally my patient. The Surclere title makes little difference."

Sebastian gave the old healer a sharp look, but didn’t act surprised. "They figured that out, did they?"

"Ah, you knew, then?"

"Of course. Tiandel wasn’t the sort who’d give up all his titles. He had it set that he’d come back to resume Surclere once Solace was dealt with, but of course that never happened. Ren was hoping that the King’s copy of the arrangement had been lost. Being a Duchess doesn’t suit her plan to do absolutely nothing responsible or resembling work."

Duchess of Surclere. Fitting another name to Rennyn’s place in the world didn’t put any colour back in her cheeks. Having some title wasn’t going to fix her.

The first thing Kendall saw when they reached the Halls of Magic was Lieutenant Faral. The Kellian woman had surely been told at least part of Sebastian’s explanation, but whether she was upset about it was impossible to guess. She just nodded and led the way into the infirmary. A lot of the beds were in use. The Sentene and Ferumguard had taken too many casualties the past week. Even though it was nearly dawn, most of them were awake, and watched through the open doors of the small rooms as Rennyn was carried past. Kendall thought she saw Sukata, but they passed on to a room where only three of the beds had occupants, and settled Rennyn in the last. Everyone stepped back as if expecting her to suddenly be better, except the old healer, who began chalking on her slate.

"Are you certain about this Keste?" Lieutenant Danress asked, looking doubtfully at the bed next to Rennyn’s. Captain Faille lay there, as grim in sleep as waking.

"Illidian told us early on that we could not depend on his evaluation of Lady Rennyn," Lieutenant Faral said. "We were sorry for him. But glad it proved not such a hopeless case after all."

Lieutenant Danress looked about as disbelieving as Kendall felt. Rennyn and Captain Faille? When? They’d never so much as given each other a warm glance.

Not bothered by the general air of disbelief, Lieutenant Faral adjusted the blanket covering Rennyn. "Magister, do you not think it wiser to lift this casting? By fighting it she is doing worse damage to herself than anything she could manage moving about."

The old lady must have agreed, because she finished writing up her slate, put some power into it, and immediately Rennyn began to shift about.

"I’ve removed the sleep and some of the pain suppressants, though I dare not lift them all," said the healer. "A delicate matter, because she is obviously resisting anything cast on her. She may dispel the caulding as well, putting her lung at risk of another collapse. We can hope that even a partial consciousness will keep her from casting."

Almost as if she’d heard, Rennyn shifted again. Her glazed and feverish gaze swept the ceiling, and she began the futile struggle to sit up.

"Ren?" Sebastian caught her shoulder, then touched the unbruised side of her face, turning her head a little toward him. "They’re alive. They survived it." He stepped aside so she could see past him to Captain Faille, still but breathing. "They’re just sleeping."

Rennyn didn’t respond, and Kendall couldn’t tell if she’d even understood, but she did seem to be looking at Captain Faille. She closed her eyes, and everyone held their breath, then let it out when she didn’t shift again.

"She wanted to know if they were alive," Sebastian said, and shook his head. "That’s all."

The old lady healer laughed. "Well, she’s had her way. Now let’s leave her to rest, a thing I’m sure all of us need. It’s over. Go to bed, the lot of you."

Dismissed, they shuffled off, the healer giving Sebastian an extra prodding when he looked like he wanted to stay.

Over. Done with. Finished. Just pieces to be picked up and tidied away. Kendall thought about just what those words meant as she went back to the room where she’d seen Sukata. Dawn was creeping through the window, giving the figures in the beds a milky sheen. She listened to them breathe, slow, deep and reassuring.

"At some point during all that, did you happen to save my life?"

Kendall glanced over her shoulder at Sebastian. "You notice a lot more than you make out."

He shrugged. "I saw the movement, but I wasn’t giving it a lot of attention. Thank you. Not only would I have hated to die right at the end, but if he’d killed both of us, our Great-Uncle would have control of the Kellian. His own private army."

"I don’t think he was particularly keen on killing you," Kendall gave Sukata one last glance then started out for the Arkathan. "Or not Rennyn, anyway. He wasn’t trying very hard."

"I guess not." She’d made Sebastian worried, and he shifted subjects probably so he didn’t have to think about what the demon had planned to do to his sister. "Are you going to stay?"

"The Arkathan’s not my idea of worthwhile."

"No. With Rennyn. You’re her student now, remember?"

"That wasn’t real."

"Since when?"

"It was just something for her to do so she didn’t have to think about how bad she felt."

"So you’re saying you didn’t learn anything?"

Kendall gave him an exasperated look. "No."

"Don’t have anything more to learn from her?"

"Don’t be stupid."

"Then you’re staying," he said as if it was settled, and added helpfully, "You can still pretend you don’t like her," then laughed at the expression on her face.

"You’re just as full of yourself as she is."

"Probably." Sebastian was inexplicably pleased.

Hunching her shoulders, Kendall looked up at the jagged wreckage in the middle of the Arkathan and then headed through the nearest door. "Do you believe Rennyn likes Captain Faille?"

"Who knows? The most she ever said about him to me was that he was dangerously intelligent. And I would have thought any kind of relationship with a Kellian was out of the question, that our inheritance of control would make us completely intolerable. But Lieutenant Faral wasn’t even surprised when I asked. None of the Sentene mages knew, but it looks like all the Kellian did. She said they were glad. Glad. Faral acted like she still was, didn’t she?"

"I guess. What she told them gave them the horrors, and I don’t see any chance that that’ll change, but they didn’t blame it on Rennyn. Maybe they won’t want to have much to do with her, but do you think it likely they’d hate her for saving them?"

"No." Sebastian breathed the word, then shook his head to banish whatever thought lay behind it. As they reached the dormitory he looked around as if he hadn’t realised where they were walking.

"Goodnight," Kendall said pointedly

He smiled. "I don’t think I have a hope of sleeping. But I’ll leave you to try. Thank you again. And, Kendall–"

"What?"

"It’s not that Ren needs students, or probably even wants them, but she likes you and so there’s a place for you if you want to be taught. All you have to do is decide whether you want that."

A place for her. Kendall thought about it for a long time after, and decided that Sebastian was definitely as annoying as his sister.