A Fatal Voyage (Dumnonia Mysteries 2) by Clare Jayne

Author:Clare Jayne [Jayne, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Meroda Publishing
Published: 2022-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

20. Ship Gossip

MORVOREN SAT quietly as Drustan slept that evening. She had given Drustan a tonic to ease his pain and had sent Briallen home to rest. Drustan’s wound was healing well, so he wouldn’t need someone with him constantly after this night. Another healer had offered to take over from her, but she was content to remain here now. The shadow of what had nearly happened, that night when she hadn’t known if he would live or die, made her look on him with more affection than ever. She might not be the one he considered a mother in his life, but there was unlikely to be anyone closer to a son in hers.

An owl hooted outside, prompting twenty or so gulls to join in with their own high-pitched cries. Drustan mumbled something but didn’t waken, his expression remaining serene. When the sounds died down her mind drifted back to her earlier conversation with Theophano. Petronas had obviously seen or heard something about Lycus from his mother, but surely she couldn’t have seen much from the next house. Perhaps the people she worked for were friends with Lycus and his wife and had overheard a secret being shared. That sounded more probable.

She was sure Theophano knew what it was. Could he be the killer or was it someone he feared? What secret could have been so important that two people were murdered over it? Had the killer hated Lycos or benefited somehow from his death?

She still knew so little and it was frustrating.

Briallen returned before dawn and they walked into the hallway to talk without disturbing Drustan.

“There was no need for you to return so early. I said yesterday that we would only need to check his wounds morning and evening from now on.”

“He was so bored with nothing to do, so I thought it would help him to have someone to talk to.”

Morvoren wasn’t fooled, her apprentice’s eagerness to see Drustan again too obvious. “He is surrounded by his family and the warriors who serve him, who will be happy to keep him company. Have you memorised the Latin scrolls I gave you?”

“No.”

“Then you had better go back and do that.”

Briallen’s expression was pitiful as she turned away and Morvoren hated having to disappoint her. She had imagined that she and Briallen would be good friends and that she could gently steer her apprentice towards the path she needed to take. She had never expected that she would have to be stern, which she hated and was no good at, but why couldn’t Briallen see how imprudent she was being? Morvoren had never behaved like this... except for that time when she had. Why had she insisted on searching the tribe for an apprentice now, when she didn’t feel mature or wise enough to cope with moments like this?

Drustan awoke a little later and, of course, he immediately looked past Morvoren then, seeing no one else there, his gaze became downcast. Unlike Briallen, he did at least quickly

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