The Ciphers of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler

Author:Jeff Wheeler [Wheeler, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781503947115
Google: Vp89rgEACAAJ
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

Simon Fox

Maia squeezed her grandmother and felt the embrace returned with equal vigor. Sabine smelled of salty sea and wood stain, and her hair was wild and windblown. She looked as if she had traveled a great distance.

“My dear one,” Sabine whispered, pulling away to cup Maia’s cheeks in her hands. She smiled at her with such tenderness it made the anxiety and ache of their separation even more poignant. This was Family. This was what she had craved.

“You were gone for so long,” Maia breathed. The Aldermaston and his wife smiled at them. Jon Tayt was there as well, off to the side talking to a younger man dressed in black with a felt cap that matched his clothes. The young man was stern, and he listened complacently as Jon Tayt prattled on.

“I am sorry, dear one,” Sabine said, taking Maia’s hands and squeezing them. “I have been at sea a great deal, giving directions to various Aldermastons to help them prepare for what is coming.” She sighed, wiped a few strands of hair from her eyes, and shook her head. “My son-in-law is making things rather difficult.”

“Where have you been?” Maia asked, drawing her over to some stuffed chairs in the corner of the room.

“Pry-Ree, Hautland, Dahomey. Other places as well.” She patted Maia’s hand. “I most recently visited Dahomey to seek King Gideon, only to discover that he had changed ships immediately to come to Comoros.”

“Then you have heard?” Maia asked, staring into her eyes.

“I have heard a great many things,” Sabine answered. She gestured for the others to draw near. As the young man dressed in black left the shadows, Maia saw that his velvet tunic was actually a very deep burgundy color, so dark it had appeared black. It was expensive and exquisitely styled, with ribbed sleeves that were black, and gold fringes at the sleeves and collar. Though he was a young man, he had a wispy forked beard paired with mild brown eyes that held a contemplative expression. He looked to be only a few years older than Maia.

“This is Simon Fox,” Sabine said. She rose and walked over to the young man, then bowed her head slightly to him.

“Greetings,” he said as he bowed in return, his accent distinctly Dahomeyjan. “It is a pleasure to meet you all.”

Sabine touched his sleeve and then gestured toward him with her other hand. “Simon is part of the Victus.”

Maia’s eyebrows lifted and a worried feeling bloomed in her stomach.

“He is also one of the spymasters of King Gideon of Dahomey. He was trained and mentored by Chancellor Walraven personally. There are some among the Victus who cannot condone the planned murder of the mastons in Assinica. Like Walraven, Simon risks his life to aid us with information. He has come here to speak with his master at Whitsunday, but I wanted to introduce you all to him first, so you would know where his loyalties truly lie. To the world at large, he is

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