The Spirit Thief Part 5

"What are you talking about?" Renaud said. "You told me Josef Liechten had a ten thousand gold bounty of his own."

"He does," Coriano said, walking toward the servant's door, his boots quiet as cat feet on the stone. "But that's only if he's brought in alive." He gave Renaud a feral grin. "Some things are worth more than money, prince."

"There, at least, we agree," Renaud said, straightening his cuffs. When he looked up again, the swordsman was gone, the servant's small door swinging shut behind him. A second later, a soft knock sounded on the door connecting the parlor to the throne room.

Renaud gathered his patience and opened it before the second knock landed. When he faced the waiting crowd of masters, his smile was the picture of sad sincerity.

"Gentlemen," he said, "forgive me for making you wait. I had a lot to consider. I am sad to report that, for reasons of her own, the Lady Miranda has declined to aid us further."

"You must be mistaken!" Master Oban elbowed his way to the front of the group. "She promised to help us!"

"The Spirit Court is a single-minded organization," Renaud said gravely. "They care only for their laws and those who break them, not for the victims left behind. Honestly, we should have expected no less."

"But," the Master of the Exchequer clutched his ledger, "what are we to do?"

"There is only one solution," Renaud said, "in order to save my brother. I will meet Eli and make the exchange without her."

A swell of conversation erupted as everyone turned to his neighbor to remark at the selfless n.o.bility of this gesture.

The Master of the Courts alone remained calm. "And, my lord, should the thief betray you?" He glanced at the Master of the Exchequer. "The bounty request has already been sent, and Council law says we cannot change it for any reason once our pledge has been entered in the official records. Your bold claim is n.o.ble, but Mellinor can hardly afford to lose our king, our prince, and forty thousand standards in one swoop."

"That will not happen," Renaud said, glaring at the old master. "The Spirit Court may be willing to gamble a country's safety to catch a thief, but I am not one of their pet wizards. Though I was banished, I am a prince still, and my goal is the preservation of Mellinor. That is why, in all the world, I am the only wizard you can trust."

A cheer erupted at this, and the old Master of the Courts was overwhelmed by the waving hands of the younger masters, who thought this was all very grand. Master Oban caught the eye of the Master of Courts and the two of them quietly retreated to a corner of the throne room.

"The tide in Mellinor is shifting," the Master of the Courts said with a sigh when they were safely away. "I wonder if we shall like where it takes us."

"Wizard or no, he's a prince of House Allaze." The Master of Security shrugged. "In four hundred years, they've never led us wrong. It'll work out in the end, old friend." He said, "You'll see."

The Master of the Courts stroked his gray beard thoughtfully. "I pray you are right." He turned his eyes to the empty throne, standing high and alone on the marble dais. "We must all pray."

CHAPTER 9.

Miranda stormed into the stable yard, scattering the crowd of boys who had gathered to watch Gin eat the pig he had helped himself to from the swine pen.

"We're leaving," she said. "Now."

Gin looked sadly at the pig, then pulled away with a sigh, licking his mouth clean as he trotted over. Miranda stuffed the bag of traveling food that she'd frightened out of the kitchen staff into her rucksack and slung it into position over Gin's neck. Gin lay down with uncharacteristic meekness as Miranda clambered into her riding position.

"Get us out of here."

The hound rose swiftly, but before he could spring forward a familiar voice called out: "Lady Miranda!"

Miranda looked up in surprise as Marion jumped down the castle steps and hit the stable yard at a dead run. She didn't stop until she reached Gin, slamming into his foreleg rather than taking the time to slow down.

"Here," she gasped, and thrust her hand out. Miranda reached down and plucked the creased slip of paper from her fingers. As she unfolded it, her face lit up. "How did you get this?"

Marion grinned from ear to ear. "All important papers go to the library for storage. Sometimes being a junior librarian does have its advantages."

"Won't you get in trouble?" Miranda frowned. "You know I probably won't be able to get this back to you before they notice it's gone."

Marion shook her head violently. "So long as the king comes back, I don't think they would care if I raided the whole treasury."

Miranda smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I won't forget this."

Marion waved and pushed off the ghosthound's leg.

Waving back, Miranda gave Gin the go-ahead. The ghosthound sprang forward, leaving the boys gawking as he disappeared over the gates in a cloud of dust.

"How convincing should I be?" Gin said as they jumped the final gate of the city.

Miranda glared darkly at the rolling countryside as it streaked by. "And what makes you think we're not actually leaving?"

She could feel Gin's chuckle through his fur. "You don't normally lose this gracefully. The castle isn't on fire, so far as I can see."

"Smart aleck mutt." Miranda smacked him good-naturedly. "You're right, we're not leaving. I'll give up my rings before I let that jerk have his way."

"What jerk?" Gin panted.

Miranda gave him the short version of her meeting with Renaud. When she finished, Gin growled thoughtfully. "Politics and gold are human vices, so maybe there's something here I don't understand, but I have trouble believing that an exiled prince like Renaud is really that concerned over the recovery of the little brother who took his throne."

"My thoughts exactly." Miranda leaned over to scratch his ears.

"What are we going to do, then?"

"That part is simple. We're going to find Eli first." She pointed to the left, where a thick line of s.h.a.ggy conifers separated two fields. "Duck into that copse."

Gin picked up the pace, and a few seconds later they were hidden behind the small stand of pines. Miranda jumped down and, after checking the area for any stray watchers, pressed her thumb against the fat, smooth sapphire on her right index finger. "Allinu, wake up, I need you."

A moment later, a small, white spout of pure water bubbled happily out of the ring, forming a small pool in Miranda's cupped hand. When the water was up to her thumb, Miranda shoved the ransom note in. "Find this ink's source."

"Yes, mistress," the water whispered, and began to churn.

Miranda kept her fingers pressed as tightly as she could, though she knew it was not needed. Allinu was a mountain mist. She could stay together in a sieve if she needed to. Still, it made Miranda feel better when the water was splashing in all directions like it was now.

A few moments later, the note floated to the top, perfectly dry.

"I'm sorry, mistress," the water said. "The ink's been dry too long. It doesn't remember anything."

"I figured as much," Miranda said, shifting the water to one cupped hand and plucking the note out. She looked at it once more before stuffing it into her pocket. So much for that.

"The paper was a bit more helpful," the water added, almost as an afterthought.

Miranda's head jerked up. "The what?"

"The paper," Allinu said again. "I noticed a few rips on one side, so I asked it what had happened. Once it realized I wasn't going to drown it into pulp, it told me about the bird. Apparently, your thief had the note delivered by falcon. In the falcon's talons, actually, which the paper did not appreciate. Claws are very hard on paper, and-"

"Yes, of course," Miranda said. "Did the paper say anything else?"

"I was getting to that," Allinu sloshed, insulted. "It said, 'At least the trip was short.' "

"How short?"

"Two, three minutes from when the falcon grabbed him until the falcon dropped it on some guards," Allinu bubbled.

"That's more like it." Miranda grinned. "Thank you, Allinu."

The water rose in a white mist, swirling and then vanishing back into the sapphire, leaving Miranda's fingers damp and cold.

"Two minutes," Gin said. "That's a pretty big area."

"Not everything's as fast as you are," Miranda said, wiping her hand on her trousers. "Coriano did say Eli wouldn't run far. Besides, if he wasn't close by, how could he see the signal when they meet his demands? He specifically told them to fly it from the second tower, which is barely visible above the wall." She smiled at the castle rising over the city, less than a mile behind them. "Look, you can hardly see it even at this distance. He must be close, and when they give the signal, he'll need to send another note to set up the trade and deliver the king. When he does that, we'll be ready."

She reached into the neck of her shirt and pulled out a silver pendant of delicate spirals wrapped around a large, white pearl. It was a lovely piece of work. She'd had it made especially for the spirit she kept inside, before she caught him, which wasn't the normal order of things, but Eril had been worth it. The number of Spiritualists who kept wind spirits could be counted on one hand. Wind spirits were almost impossible to catch, and nearly as impossible to control if you did catch one. That was why she'd chosen a pendant to house him. It kept him close. A Spiritualist never forced her spirits to serve, but some spirits required more supervision than others.

"Eril," she said, holding the pendant out. "I need you."

At first, nothing happened. Miranda stood stone still, eyes on the pendant, until a soft breeze tangled the wispy hair around her ears. "You called?"

Miranda grimaced inwardly. Talking to a wind spirit was uncomfortably like talking to thin air. Eril, of course, took full advantage of this.

"I need you to keep an eye on the castle and all surrounding land for the next few days," she said, careful to keep her face in the determined but slightly bored expression that worked best with flighty spirits. "You're watching for a white flag from the second tower. The moment it flies, you'll be looking for a bird, likely a falcon, but it could be anything, with a note in its claws. I'll want to know where it came from, where it goes once the note is delivered, plus anything else of interest you might see."

"Bird watching?" Eril said and sighed dramatically, blowing Miranda's hair into her eyes. "That sounds so boring boring. Can't I do something else?"

"No," Miranda said firmly. "Don't forget to keep an eye on all all the surrounding territory-the city, the countryside, and the forest to the north where the king keeps his deer. I'll want reports on everything." the surrounding territory-the city, the countryside, and the forest to the north where the king keeps his deer. I'll want reports on everything."

"All right, all right, I heard you the first time," he huffed. "Never get to have any fun," Miranda heard him mutter as the wind began to die down.

Miranda stayed frozen even after the air was still, a scowl etched on her face.

"He's gone," Gin said.

"Good," Miranda said, giving herself a little shake. "He likes to hang around sometimes, just to see what I say about him. Gives me the jeebies."

The hound snorted sympathetically. "How did you catch him in the first place if you couldn't see him?"

"I used smoke," Miranda said, untying Gin's pack and dropping it on the ground. "But even when I could see, it took me a solid month before I managed to catch hold of a wind spirit long enough to convince him to join me."

Gin shook his ma.s.sive head. "I will never understand how you humans manage to get through your short lives being spirit blind. That's probably why the Powers gave your kind the ability to command spirits. It's a survival mechanism."

"We get by well enough." Miranda pushed aside the thick branches for a better look at the castle. "It might have been a little much, sending him so early. The riders won't even reach the Council city until late tomorrow, and that's if they ride through the night. Then there's the wait while the bounty is approved."

"So what?" Gin flopped down on the thick carpet of pine needles. "I could use a break."

"Lazy mutt." Miranda grinned. Still, he was right. Ever since they'd gotten Coriano's tip that Eli was in Mellinor, they'd been constantly on the move. She hadn't had more than three hours of sleep in one stretch since she'd left the Spirit Court.

"All right," she said, slumping down next to him, "you win. But since you got to sleep while I was searching the castle, you get first watch."

Gin snorted, sending pine straw everywhere, but he moved to the edge of the clearing where he could lounge and watch the road at the same time. When he was settled, Miranda lay back, looking up at the deep blue sky through the tree tops. Eventually, they'd need to find a better hiding place, but this would do for now. Anyway, the sun was warm here. She closed her eyes. When Eli made his move, they would be ready. The thought made her smile, and with that, she fell asleep.

CHAPTER 10.

Josef glared at his opponent, watching for an opening. The smallest twitch could show the weakness that would turn his defeat into victory. A few feet away, Eli lounged in the sunlight, leaning against the branches that hid their tumbledown stone shack and grinning like an idiot.

The thief's eyes flicked down, and Josef saw his opening. "Match and raise," he growled, tossing two gold standards on the gra.s.s in front of him.

Eli's grin faltered a fraction, and he picked up a pair of oblong coins from his own stack. "You're showing a knight," he said, pointing at the face-up card by Josef's foot. "That's five points at least. Maybe you're confused, but in Daggerback, it's the lowest lowest hand that wins." He paused, twirling the coins between his long fingers, seemingly oblivious to the danger of taunting a man whose daily dress included over fifty pounds of edged weaponry. "You can take the bet back, if you want," he said, his voice positively dripping with generosity. "I won't mind." hand that wins." He paused, twirling the coins between his long fingers, seemingly oblivious to the danger of taunting a man whose daily dress included over fifty pounds of edged weaponry. "You can take the bet back, if you want," he said, his voice positively dripping with generosity. "I won't mind."

"No." Josef crouched behind his cards. "You're not getting me with that again."

"Have it your way," Eli said, tossing his coins into the pot. "Let's see who was right."

Josef threw his hand down, adding a bearded man with a staff and an old geezer with a crown to his gallant knight in the gra.s.s. "Bachelor party: wizard, king, knight. That's ten points," he said, grinning.

Eli smirked and deftly flipped his cards like a fan. "Wizard, king, and my lovely lady." He scooped up the queen card he'd laid face-up in the gra.s.s after the first round of bets, and his smirk became intolerable. "Nine points."

Josef glowered murderously as Eli rubbed his hands together and reached out to gather his winnings.

"Grand sweep," Nico said quietly, and the two men froze. "Hunter, weaver, shepherdess." She named each card as she laid it in the gra.s.s. "Three points."

Eli sighed and shoved the pile of gold toward Nico. Now it was Josef's turn to grin. "Too bad, Eli," he said, leaning back against one of the mossy trees that ringed their tiny clearing. "Next time, you should worry less about bluffing me and more about not losing your shirt."

"I don't mind losing to Nico," Eli said, tossing her the last of the coins. "She's a much better winner than you are."

Josef grunted and nodded over his shoulder in the direction of the castle, where the spires were barely visible through the thick trees. "Speaking of winning, have those idiots gotten back to us? We've been sitting here for almost a week, and if I have to spend another day playing Daggerback with you lot, the name might start to sound like a good suggestion."

"Actually, the flag went up fifteen minutes ago," Eli said casually. "I just wanted to see if I could win the rest of your gold before telling you."

Josef jumped to his feet. Sure enough, a large flag dangled from the top of the second tower, its white folds lying limp against the slate shingles, twitching in the breeze.

Eli winked at Josef's murderous glare and walked whistling into the hut.

The king was lying on the dirt floor, looking miserable as always. Eli had left him under the watchful flicker of the fire, which, in exchange for Eli keeping Nico outside for most of the day, was willing to make sure their royal prisoner didn't escape. Eli skirted the edge of the hearth and poked the king's shoulder with the toe of his boot.

"Almost done, your royalness."