Lies of Golden Straw by E. L. Tenenbaum

Author:E. L. Tenenbaum [Tenenbaum, E. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781680467109
Publisher: Melange Books

Changing Course

Despite my exhaustion, I became instantly alert at the faint echoing of footsteps in the passageway. Carefully, I shook Merlin awake, pointed to my ear, then gestured toward the door. Merlin’s eyes widened in immediate understanding, and within seconds, he was a beautiful purple-backed starling. A purple-backed starling with a broken wing.

I cradled him gently in my hands, dropping them behind my drawn up knees, shielding him in my lap from the incoming guards.

The captain poked his head in first and, though I would think he could no longer be surprised, the sheer number of bobbins lining the floor of the room widened his eyes in disbelief. He halted the guard coming in behind him and grunted an indecipherable command. The guard ducked back out and the captain remained in the room staring at the parade of golden thread for what felt like a very long time.

What must have been just minutes later, Kirkin returned with about a handful of other guards, each pushing a long wheelbarrow. There were five in total and even then, the bobbins were stacked high to fit. I watched them silently, all the while focusing on the weak, but steady beat of Merlin’s bird heart.

Kirkin stacked his barrow then came to crouch beside me with a concerned look. “Everything all right, Miss Millie?”

I barely managed a nod. “It was a long night,” I replied, knowing he’d interpret the answer simply.

Kirkin nodded sympathetically. He started to offer me a hand then noticed what was occupying mine. “What have you got there?”

I looked down at Merlin sadly. “A friend.”

Kirkin fidgeted. “Don’t know that you can bring him with to the king,” he said gently, “seeing as he shouldn’t be here.”

I didn’t know then how much Kirkin knew about magic, didn’t know if he recognized the purple feathers for the telltale sign they were, or if he even knew how much an apprentice mage could do. It was very possible he only meant that I couldn’t bring a broken bird with me to the king.

Seeing no other recourse, I offered the bird to him, forcing him to take it from me. “Please look after him,” I whispered. “Until I’m back.”

Kirkin looked at me in surprise, then glanced over at his wheelbarrow, just the first of his reasons for hesitation.

“Never mind that,” I told him, digging deep for strength to stand up and make a beeline for his barrow. “I’ll present this to the king myself,” I informed the captain, with a defiant jut of my jaw.

The captain looked to Kirkin, who merely shrugged in response. The captain passed the shrug on to me, and I took that as my cue. I grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow and pushed it forward, willing my body to find enough power to shove it all the way to the throne room, to the very tip of the king’s mahogany throne.

This time, I led the way out of the room myself, taking great strides down the hall, knowing that if I faltered a moment my strength would leave me.

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