The Curious Fear of High and Lonely Places (Book Four of the Landers Saga) by Karen Nilsen

Author:Karen Nilsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: witch, renaissance, phoenix, firebird, court intrigue, psychic ability
Publisher: Karen Nilsen

Chapter Fourteen ~ Mordric

Jared's round face shone pale as the moon, the scraggly whiskers on his chin catching the candlelight in odd patterns as his exclamations and gestures became more frantic. Damn it, why hadn't Merius heeded my advice and taken Randel or me instead of Jared? I removed my spectacles and pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose, my eyes closed so that I couldn't see him, only hear his words--he liked to stab the air with his finger sometimes when he talked, and watching him was giving me a headache.

"So the upshot is, Sir Merius never came back for this." He handed me Merius's sword.

I set the blade before me, my fingers shaking. "And what happened to Undene?"

"Her Majesty's guards arrested the old witch."

"Why?"

"I asked them that, but they wouldn't tell me. Then I asked them where Sir Merius was, but they didn't know, so I went and asked the footman outside the queen's chambers if he'd seen him, but he hadn't. He had a shifty look, that one."

"Oh?" I slitted my eyes in Jared's direction. "How so?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Remember those grooms Sir Selwyn hired, the ones who ended up stealing all the horses in the Landers stable?" When I nodded, he continued, "This footman put me in mind of them, same overdone manner. You know, 'hail friend' and all that when I don't even know the man's name."

"I see. What happened then?"

"Well, when the footman told me he didn't know where Sir Merius was, I thought I'd go search for him, starting in the library. But then Her Majesty came out . . ."

All my sinews hardened into wires at the mention of Esme. I remembered that brief flash in her gaze earlier as she had looked at Merius--she had reminded me of King Rainier then, the way his eyes gleamed like oily water at the bottom of a filthy moat when he was plotting something especially nasty.

"I asked Her Majesty if she'd seen Sir Merius, and she was immediately all concern and woe and wringing her hands . . ." Jared's wry tone made me start--I knew he was intelligent but I hadn't expected him to have enough common sense to be so cynical when confronted with a beautiful woman like Esme. "She sure knows how to frost a cake, doesn't she? Just like my first wife did. Anyway, she said that she couldn't believe her guards hadn't told me when they arrested Undene, that she had ordered them to tell me, that she would upbraid them for being so discourteous . . ."

"Discourteous about what?" I interrupted with as much patience as I could muster.

"She said that Sir Merius had received some news that upset him and that he had left in a hurry, that Undene's arrest was part of it, but that she couldn't reveal more save to you or Lady Eden."

"Damn him," I muttered to myself. "How did he turn out so heedless?"

"Sir, I don't think Sir Merius ever left the palace," Jared said flatly.

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