33. Keelan

Chapter 33

Keelan

A tikus put a hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me back down. “Just lie still. Let me look at you before you jump up like nothing happened.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Mom . I’m not going anywhere.” I looked up and caught Jess’s eyes glistening in the firelight. “Anything happen while I was asleep?”

I gave Atikus a pleading look.

“No. We were just talking about how terrible you and Declan were as boys. How you utterly wrecked the Mages’ Guild,” Atikus said, his gaze not leaving Jess’s. My Gift told me he guarded some secret conversation, but I was too woozy to care. “Enough of that. What happened, Keelan? One minute you were making dinner, the next you were hearing voices and passing out.”

I braved leaning forward again. My head swam.

“I don’t know. I’ve received Telepathic messages many times, but this felt like someone clawing inside my mind. I’ve never felt anything from Telepathy before.”

“What did the voice sound like?” Jess asked.

“It was a woman, I’m sure of that. Her voice was silky, almost seductive, but there was something underneath her tone, like she wanted something . . .”

Jess huffed. “Men always think we want something.”

“Trust me, I don’t think any woman’s ever wanted anything from me.” I grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound . . .”

Jess rolled her eyes.

“The voice called me by name. She said, ‘Help me,’ whatever that means. I don’t even know who this mystery woman is, much less how to find her. It felt like . . . like she was pushing—no, pulling me toward her. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never felt anything like that. If somebody’s in trouble and reaching out to me for help, she’ll need to be a little more specific next time.”

Atikus stroked his beard. “It sounds like Telepathy, but a few things do not add up. First, a Telepath should only be able to speak to someone they have met. You have not exactly met a lot of people since we crossed the mountains. And second, Telepathy does not evoke feelings. It cannot. There is something else at play here.”

“Could someone from Melucia be reaching out? Maybe somebody asking for help?” I asked.

“Most Telepaths could not speak across such a distance, but I suppose that makes more sense than some random person you do not remember. It still feels like we are missing something.”

“Oh, like who the mystery whisperer is?” Jess snarked.

“That is one thing, yes.” Atikus chuckled. “Keelan, I have an idea. I may be able to connect through my own Telepathic Gift next time. That would let me hear the speaker, possibly sense more about her magic. Grab my hand if she returns. Maybe I can even help you recognize her voice.”

I nodded. “All right, but my head’s pounding, and my eyes won’t stay open. Let’s get some rest and worry about our mystery gal tomorrow.”

“If she lets you sleep . . .” Jess muttered.

Morning bloomed late with winter’s laziness, giving me some much-needed rest. By the time I rose and wiped the clouds from my eyes, Atikus and Jess were finishing breakfast.

“Good morning, Great Protector.” Jess smirked from her seat by the fire. She shoved a piece of dried apple in her mouth. “There is tea on the fire. I am afraid the chef failed to prepare anything hot to eat this morning.”

I gawked. Jess hadn’t exactly been friendly to this point in our journey. “You are certainly in a good mood this morning, Majesty.”

She shrugged, winked, and took another bite.

My jaw dropped. She winked ?

“Here.” Atikus handed me a steaming cup. “We still have about a day’s ride to Bo. Jess has been telling me more about this area. I think we will need your professional presence as we get closer to the town.”

“Professional presence, huh?” I quirked a brow. “What do you think we’re riding into? If Rutin was any indication, we will likely see more of the war recruitment effort. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more men in King’s livery rallying crowds again.”

Jess grimaced.

“Sorry, Queen’s livery.”

“That was not what I was thinking about.” She snorted. “This whole war is insane. It is based on lies, but I can think of no way to stop it.”

Atikus spoke over the top of his mug, steam billowing with his breath. “I do not think you can at this point. The wheels of war turn slowly but are hard to stop once they are moving. If you stood in these town squares and told people to stand down, they would think you were coerced and would still demand war.”

“I cannot just do nothing. I am Queen now.”

“I have been thinking about that, actually,” the Mage said. “Perhaps we could use this time on the road to think about how you help both nations recover once the war is over. There will be death and destruction on both sides of the border. Families will be left broken. They will need help—and someone to believe in, someone to follow.”

I wandered over. “And who knows how much damage Melucian cities will endure? It’ll be a long time before trust can be restored between our countries, but helping with reconstruction would be a good start.”

Jess put her head in her hands. Her voice was muffled when she spoke. “This makes my head hurt. So many people . . . All I ever wanted was to be a good queen. Now, my whole reign will be covered in blood.”

“No one will blame you, Jess.” Atikus laid a weathered hand on her shoulder. “The people on both sides of the border will know you did not start this madness. You were dragged into it.”

“Talking about what’s next is great, but we still have to make it to the coast and survive the war.” I downed my tea. “We need to be on our way. I don’t like sitting out here in the open, in broad daylight.”

We chatted and rode, exhausting the daylight hours before the first signs of life came into view. Rough crop rows now covered in a scattering of snow marked the beginning of farms surrounding a town’s perimeter. The day was cold but clear.

I squinted, hand shielding my eyes from the dying sun as I tried to make out distant silhouettes moving across the snowy land.

“Looks like somebody’s spotted us. I think there are two people watching,” I said.

“Time to greet the locals. Jess, I think it is best if you are my granddaughter for the rest of this trip. We are on our way back home, which is just outside Kitchton, all right?” Atikus said.

Jess nodded. “And who is the big lug supposed to be?”

“Hey!”

Atikus grinned. “Keelan has always been my son. So that is Uncle Lug to you.”

“Don’t encourage her.” I scowled in mock indignation.

It took another quarter hour to reach the farmhouse and our onlookers. A man in a rough-spun shirt and dark, mud-caked pants waved an arm and hobbled in our direction.

“Ho there!” he called.

Atikus and I shared a look, as if to ask, “You or me?”

I shrugged and turned toward the approaching farmer, one palm up in friendly greeting. As we came closer, I relaxed at the man’s easy posture and even easier smile.

“We ain’t seen nobody come by since winter set in. Good t’ see you folks.” He looked from Atikus to Jess, then back up to me. “What brings ya across my farm in all this cold?”

Atikus took the lead, adopting a rustic accent he must have heard long ago. “I’m takin’ these unruly kids home. It’s been a long trip, an’ I’m ready to be warm again.”

“My old bones sure know what ya mean.” The old farmer grinned.

“Keelan . . .”

I swayed in my saddle.

“Keelan, I need you. Help me!”

Jess grabbed my arm to keep me upright on my horse, but I pitched forward and struggled to remain conscious.

The farmer rushed over. “You all right, son? Let’s get you down off there.”

Jess hopped off Dittler and grabbed the reins of both horses while Atikus gingerly dismounted, his sore muscles straining against the cold. “Boy’s been havin’ dizzy spells for a few days. I’m not sure what’s gotten into him.”

I practically fell off my horse and into the farmer’s arms.

“Let’s get him inside. Young lady, why don’t you walk the horses to the barn over there.” He pointed across the lot to a small, well-kept wooden structure. “Don’t have stalls, but they’ll be all right for one night all together.”

Atikus winked as the Queen of Spires became a stable hand.

The farmer squeezed himself under one of my arms, as Atikus did the same with the other. Together, we hobbled our way toward the house.

“Oof. He’s a solid one,” the farmer said. “Surprised the army hasn’t snatched him up.”

Atikus scrambled. “He had one of his spells in front of the recruiter, so they passed him up on the spot. Said they only wanted able-bodied and able-minded soldiers.”

The farmer grunted. “Guess that makes as much sense as any of this mess.”

We made it a couple steps from the house’s front door when a short, spindly woman raced out. “Oh, dear Spirits. What have ya found, Lucas?”

“Boy’s banged his head or something,” the man said, giving his wife a long look.

She bustled over as the men laid me out on a well-worn, heavily cushioned chair. I looked up at Atikus. “I’m all right. It’s getting stronger, but a little easier to handle at the same time.”

The woman slapped a cool, damp rag on my forehead. “Here, son, lie back and hold that on your head.”

I did as instructed, unsure how else to respond. Atikus gave me a brief grin before turning back to the couple. It had been a long time since I was coddled like this.

“You’ve both been most kind. Thank you. I’m Atti, an’ this is my son, Lug.”

I snorted, but quickly turned my reaction into a coughing fit to cover my laughter.

“Now, that’s a name that fits a big fella like him!” The old woman chuckled. “I’m Tessa, and you already met my husband, Lucas.”

“Nice to meet you both.” Atikus gave them a shallow bow.

“They’ll be staying the night. Can’t have ’em wandering around with the boy’s head swirling like that. I can help ya make the extra dinner,” Lucas said to Tessa.

She waved him off. “I can handle a little cooking without you fumbling around my kitchen. You take care of them and stay out of my way.”

She swatted Lucas on the backside playfully.

The man blushed and looked at Atikus with embarrassment. “Careful, she’ll be bossing you around before long.”

“I heard that,” she called from the other room.

Atikus and Lucas shared a laugh. I managed a weak smile.

The door creaked as Jess’s head poked in and scanned the room.

“Come in, young lady. Get warm.” Lucas motioned to an empty chair across from me. “I’ll see if we can get some hot tea going.”

“You’ll do no such thing in my kitchen,” Tessa hollered. “I’m way ahead of you, old man.” She rounded the corner with a tray of cups brimming with tea. The strong, bitter aroma curled in wisps that filled the room. She turned, cup in hand, and noticed Jess for the first time.

Tessa froze for an instant, eyes wide, then recovered. “And who do we have here?”

Atikus coughed into his fist. “This is my beautiful granddaughter, Amelia.”

Jess didn’t miss a beat, taking the cup from Tessa and smiling warmly. “Call me Meli. Everybody does.”

Tessa looked her up and down, then reached out and rubbed her arms with both hands. “You must be freezing, child. Let me get you a blanket. Drink your tea. I’ll be right back.”

“We were just tellin’ Lucas here about Lug’s spells,” Atikus said.

By how he and Jess stared at one another, I was sure some Telepathic conversation passed from Mage to Queen.

Jess allowed a tiny quirk of her lips, which Atikus mirrored beneath his bushy beard. “Aren’t they just awful? I mean, Lug wasn’t the brightest one here to start with, but now he gets all dizzy, and, well, you’ve seen. Can’t half ride horses anymore, even.”

I leaned forward. “I’m sitting right here, remember?”

“You have to admit, she’s good at this. Those folks at court won’t stand a chance with her on the throne,” Atikus whispered in my mind.

“I don’t care what she says, if I don’t go help with dinner, we’ll never eat, and I’ll be in the doghouse long after you’re gone.” Lucas chuckled at the last words and vanished into the back of the house, leaving his guests staring at each other.

Atikus started to say something, but Jess’s urgent whisper cut him off. “Something’s not right. Their barn is immaculate. They have two horses that look better groomed than some in the Palace stables, and their saddles carry chevrons, like those of a highborn house. And . . . Dittler didn’t like their horses.”

I looked up with a lopsided grin. “I’m sorry. Did he tell you that?”

She raised her palms in mock surrender. “I know it sounds weird, but I can sense what he is feeling at times. It has been like that since he was given to me.”

“All of that is odd, but the house is modest enough. Did you not say Bo is the central trading village in this part of the Kingdom? Maybe they do well with whatever they farm,” Atikus said a little too loudly.

“Shh!” I motioned sharply. “Jess is right. Something’s off here. Neither one of them is telling us the full truth. I can sense it.” I gave Jess a pointed look. “It feels as though they’re giving us kernels but leaving out important parts. I don’t think we should stay here.”

Tessa’s shuffling against the polished wooden floor grew as she returned. “You’ll have to forgive me. I wasn’t expecting company tonight. All we have is stew with some bread I made yesterday. Hope that’s all right.”

“That’ll be better food than we would’ve eaten on the road, that’s for sure. Thank you very much,” Atikus said.

She started to turn away but stopped. “Oh, almost forgot. I sent Lucas into town for some herbs for the stew. It’s a quick ride, so he should be back shortly. You make yourselves comfortable while I work on dinner.”

As Tessa disappeared back into the kitchen, I pushed myself up by the arms of the chair and stood. “We leave now . I’d bet everything we own he’ll be back shortly with a team of Constables following behind him.”

“I will get the horses,” Jess said, darting toward the door as quietly as possible.

Atikus held up a hand to stop her. He pointed toward the kitchen, then held up one finger, then called out, “Tessa, we’re gonna go get our packs from the barn. Be right back.”

“All right,” she yelled back.

We bolted for the door.

Within minutes, the horses were tacked, and we mounted and slipped quietly away from the house. The sun had set, and the full moon in the clear night sky helped us pick our way across the snow-patched ground. There hadn’t been any additional accumulation in a few days, but the snow that lingered was now frozen solid and crunched with every strike of the horses’ hooves.

I pushed us into a trot but was afraid to go faster on the icy ground. Jess was still wrapped in Tessa’s blanket and pulled it tight around her shoulders.

Jess whispered to me, “Why are we going west? The coast is northeast, on the other side of Bo.”

I nodded. “That’s exactly the route they’ll expect us to take. This will add a half day but hopefully throw them off our trail.”

“Our greater fear should be how many men they alert in the town. We will not make it past them before Lucas has a chance to raise the alarm,” Atikus said.

“Be ready to make a run for it if we have to. Jess, you’re the most important of us, and Dittler can outrun any horse they’ve got. If they close on us, you get away as fast as you can,” I said. “If that happens, we’ll find you.”

“No.” Her voice was iron. “I let someone talk me into splitting up once before. Never again. We either get away together or we are captured together.”

Atikus gave me a smirk.

The Queen had spoken.

We made it around the west side of town seeing no one, but as we crossed the road that led between Marlon and Bo, a pair of torches flickered in the distance, streaking quickly in our direction.

“That’s not good. Normal folk aren’t out riding at this time of night, especially in winter,” I said, kicking my horse into a canter. “Don’t stop. Let’s get away from this road, quickly.”

Several hundred paces past the road, I glanced back over my shoulder. The torches were still, unmoving—until they lurched forward in direct pursuit.

“Here they come. Push!”