The Welch house was near the south end of Arkose, but still on the west side of town. The house was an average size for the houses on this side of town. Lindell used the brass knocker, dreading how this was going to go. A young maid answered the door, paling when she saw Lindell.
“We need to speak with Ernest and Pearl,” Hector said.
“Who should I tell them is calling?” the maid asked, glancing at Lindell again as though he were a dangerous beast.
Lindell hesitated. “Lindell and Hector Fairweather.”
The maid led them into the parlor. Lindell and Hector sat on a stiff, uncomfortable couch while they waited in silence. Would their uncle refuse to speak to them? Lindell had never been so rigid. He quickly made an effort to relax his tail, which was wrapped tightly around his left leg. He somehow tensed even further when Ernest and Pearl Welch entered the parlor. The two paused in the doorway. Pearl scowled at Lindell, but Ernest’s expression remained carefully blank. The two sat in the over stuffed chairs that faced the couch. There was no fire in the hearth, and the windows were closed, leaving the room oddly cold.
Ernest ran a hand through his short dark gray hair. His eyes were light blue, just like their Uncle Garrett’s had been. Ernest was their mother’s oldest brother and would be fifty-one that year. As for Pearl, Lindell and Hector had never met her. She appeared to be twenty, maybe even a little younger. Her long light brown hair was tied in a tight bun. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she stared at Lindell, her hands resting protectively on her pregnant belly.
“You’ve certainly grown since I last saw you,” Ernest said, finally breaking the silence. He raised a brow at Lindell. “I see the rumors I heard are true.” He sighed suddenly, slumping in his chair. “When I heard about Constance’s death, I regretted shutting her out. But I heard Garrett had taken the two of you in, so I decided to leave things be.”
“You’ve heard about Lovro and Vern?” Hector asked, still stiff where he sat next to Lindell.
“I have,” Ernest said, looking suddenly tired. “As you know, we Welchs have lived in Arkose for many generations. Your mother grew up here as well.” He reached over and grasped Pearl’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Magic is unnatural. There is no doubt about that, but we understand that we must coexist with the witches. Lavern has gotten loud in his hatred of witches. Pearl and I are trying to pull away from him, but we don’t want to anger him. His new laws will only bring trouble, going against the spirit of the queen’s laws. I do not want to anger the witches, even if only for the sake of my wife and child.” He looked at her and smiled. “We have only been married a year, but I know she loves Arkose just as much as I do.”
Pearl finally looked away from Lindell, smiling back at her husband. “This is home, and I will not be driven out of it by Lavern’s foolish behavior.”
Ernest shook his head, letting go of Pearl’s hand. “I never approved of Constance’s travels, or of Errol in general. I still don’t understand what she saw in that man.” He looked lost in thought.
Lindell didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing. Hector also said nothing. They had already known Ernest didn’t approve of their mother’s traveling, and he had never liked their father. That was why their parents had moved to Shale.
Ernest frowned at Lindell suddenly. “Why haven’t you had your curse broken? Surely someone who works for Phoenix could easily get a curse broken?”
“It’s not a curse,” Lindell said.
Ernest shuddered. “It must be a powerful one to affect your mind…” he said quietly. He cleared his throat. “Do you have any other questions? We didn’t associate much with Lovro or Vern, and I avoid Floretta. She has gotten as vocal in her hatred of witches as Lavern.”
“We don’t have any other questions,” Hector said, getting up. “But be careful. The witch who cursed Lovro and Vern may see you as an ally of the duke, even if you are trying to pull away from him.”
“We will be careful,” Ernest said, his voice shaking as he looked at his wife, who was staring at the floor.
The Rune Master wouldn’t go after Pearl, would he? She was obviously pregnant. A chill ran through Lindell as he followed his brother, the maid leading them back out of the house. They knew so little about the Rune Master. For all they knew, he would do anything in the name of bringing down the duke. He might not even stop at cursing people. What if he moved on to murder? Lindell pushed that thought away quickly. At least it was warmer outside, even with the sun setting.
“Let’s find Donovan and tell him we haven’t found anything helpful,” Hector said.
The sun had almost finished setting when the two came across Donovan and Wilson at the harbor wall.
“I have no further leads,” Wilson was saying when Lindell and Hector joined them. “I’ll take care of this while you focus on the duke’s case.” He was frowning hard, and Lindell wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but Wilson sounded bitter. He turned and walked away.
Hector sneezed. “That man smells.”
Lindell and Donovan hadn’t smelled it.
“It’s just you, Hector,” Donovan said.
Hector frowned hard, looking away. Did it have to do with what had happened in Luna? Maybe his sense of smell was better than it had been. Lindell wanted to ask him, but if Hector wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, he didn’t want to push.
“Come, let’s talk about the case,” Donovan said.
Lindell and Hector went with him to the inn near the harbor, which doubled as a tavern. They sat at a table in the corner and a woman brought them water. Donovan took a deep drink from his water. He started to say something, but he went pale, frowning hard.
“Are you alright?” Hector asked.
Donovan was breathing hard, frowning at his cup. “The water tasted strange…” His eyes closed and he slumped forward on the table.
Lindell and Hector were on their feet quickly.
“We should get him to Delia,” Lindell said. “He may have been poisoned.” But who had done it?
Lindell and Hector got the captain on his feet. The tavern had gone silent, everyone watching. At least the healer’s wasn’t far, as Donovan was hard to keep on his feet with him unconscious. His cuirass wasn’t making him any lighter. Delia was sitting at her desk at the far end of the room but stood swiftly when they came in. Donovan was waking up, but seemed out of it. They sat him down on a bed.
“Do you think it’s poison, or a curse?” Lindell asked.
Donovan didn’t answer, his eyes barely staying open.
Delia was almost as pale as Donovan now. “I found a note from the Rune Master just outside right before you came. It said he would bring down every ally of the duke’s.”
Donovan stiffened. “He was threatening you…” His words came out slurred.
“It might be a curse,” Delia said.
“I’ll find Cory,” Lindell said.
Lindell hurried out of the healer’s. The sun had set, so Cory might be back at the office. Cory had just reached the office when Lindell got there, and Eireen wasn’t back yet. Lindell told Cory what he knew of what had happened while the two hurried back to the healer’s. Donovan was still sitting upright when they got there, and he seemed less out of it, but something had happened.
His clothes were too short for him as he had gotten taller. He had gotten even paler than Tabitha, with faint blue veins visible all over him. He was also gaunt, like his skin was tight to his bones. His eyes were so pale gray they were almost white, with a ring of dark gray at the outer edge. He grimaced, showing sharp fangs.
“It happened right after you left,” Delia said quietly.
Cory glanced around, but the only ones there besides Lindell, Donovan, and Delia were the two unconscious nobles. Hector wasn’t there. Cory released his magic and put a hand on Donovan’s shoulder. Cory frowned hard, starting to sweat. He let go of Donovan and pulled his corruption back again.
Donovan’s shoulders sagged. “You can’t break this one without the stone either?”
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Cory shook his head. “Sorry. Any idea how it happened? It’s like the other two curses, different from a normal rune curse.”
“It was some sort of plant,” Hector said, hurrying back in through the open door. “I went to the tavern. A boy who works there admitted he put something in Donovan’s drink. A man in a red cloak threatened him.”
“He doesn’t know what he put in my drink?” Donovan asked.
Hector shook his head. “Only that it was some sort of plant.”
“A plant…” Cory muttered. “Maybe…”
“Maybe what?” Donovan asked.
“I think that’s how the curses are different,” Cory said. “The plant is a part of the curse, making it stronger, and making it more able to become a part of the victim.”
Donovan sighed. “We don’t know what plant he used. We might find out who he is if we knew. Tabitha’s is the only apothecary shop in Arkose, so unless he gathered it himself, she might be able to help.” He hesitated. “And now the Rune Master has threatened Delia too.”
“He may have left the note for you,” Delia said, but she didn’t sound convinced.
Donovan shook his head. “I need to get back to the barracks.”
Delia started to protest.
Donovan stood. “I feel better than when Lindell and Hector brought me here, even if I am cursed.”
-- --
Lindell, Cory, and Hector went back to the office. Eireen and Tabitha were there. They told the two what had happened to the captain, but there was nothing more they could do about it that night. Tabitha had dinner with them. Eireen had talked to her at the harbor earlier in the day and had invited her for dinner. Tabitha sat next to Cory, who was smiling more than Lindell had ever seen him smile.
Tabitha frowned hard. “I don’t know what plants could be used with rune curses. I didn’t even know that was possible. Unless we can find out what the plant is… I’m sorry.”
“The Rune Master is doing a good job covering his tracks so far,” Cory said.
Tabitha put a hand on his where it rested on the table. “Maybe we can figure out what plant it is. I can check my inventory and my ledger for any plants that look promising.”
“Thank you,” Cory said. “I’ll help.”
After dinner, in their room, Eireen sat beside Lindell on the edge of the bed. “Cory and Tabitha clearly like each other,” she said, holding his hand.
“Hopefully Cory will stop denying it,” Lindell said.
Eireen smiled.
Lindell didn’t want that smile to go away. He didn’t mention Wilson’s warning to him about the duke, trying not to worry about it himself. Wilson had said the man who murdered Giselle had worn clothes of fine cloth. So far, there was little to suggest it hadn’t been the duke who murdered Giselle. Would they find proof, or would the duke discover they were looking into it and silence them the same way?
Lindell lay awake that night trying to practice his illusions, but it was hard to focus, and it was hard to control his magic. They flickered out before taking much form, leaving him exhausted. His magic felt worse than before. Something was wrong, but he didn’t want to go to Vedrix for help. He was afraid to go to Vedrix for help. When he woke up the next morning, his head was full of worries and uncertainties. Even Eireen’s warmth beside him didn’t make him feel better. He didn’t mention the problem with his magic. They all had enough to worry about.
After breakfast, Cory left for Tabitha’s shop to help her search her ledger and inventory for any plants that could be used with a rune curse. Hector left after breakfast to ask around town if anyone had seen someone wearing a red cloak. It wasn’t a common color of cloak, and no one wore a cloak this time of year.
“Lindell, will you take care of this case with me?” Eireen asked, showing him a letter that had been in the box that morning. “Someone must have left this last night. A rune stone gone wrong, but it sounds urgent.”
“I’ll go with you,” Lindell said, glad to have something to do other than the Rune Master case.
Lindell and Eireen went down to a small house at a far end of the harbor. Eireen knocked on the door. A sweaty, pale woman opened the door right away.
“Phoenix?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” Eireen said. “We got your letter.”
“Come inside.” The woman opened the door further.
The house was one room and a washroom. A girl, maybe the woman’s daughter, was lying on one of two beds in a corner of the room. The girl wasn’t moving. For a moment, Lindell wasn’t sure she was breathing.
“I’m Edwina,” the woman said. “Here’s the stone.” She led them to the table, which had two chairs at it.
A rune stone sat at the center of the table. It looked like an ordinary rock, but with a rune carved into it. The rune glowed with a sickly green light. Lindell had seen runes of many colors, but this one was definitely not right. He didn’t feel malevolent magic from it, but the magic felt wrong.
“It wasn’t supposed to be a curse,” Eireen said.
“No,” Edwina said. “It was just for practice. It was supposed to help a plant grow, nothing more.” She shook her head. “It’s hard to practice like this, trying to keep it quiet. When my mother taught me, we had help from other rune witches. My family has always had strong rune magic. It’s hard to learn to control it.” She looked at Eireen and Lindell with tears in her eyes. “Please, can you break it? I tried, but it wouldn’t break. My daughter is barely breathing.”
Lindell let himself see magic. He saw the threads of dark green magic that were Eireen’s wrapping around the stone. The rune glowed brighter. Lindell focused and the threads disappeared, but he could still feel them. The magic in the stone wouldn’t feel Eireen’s magic coming. The threads flickered back into sight, and Eireen frowned harder. At last the stone cracked, then crumbled away into nothing more than dust. The girl on the bed breathed in sharply and opened her eyes. Edwina hurried over to her, hugging her tightly. The girl smiled, but she looked tired.
Eireen glanced at Lindell, frowning, but she said nothing. Had she noticed his illusion had almost failed?
“Thank you,” Edwina said.
She gave them a few coin. Eireen and Lindell left the house, going further down to the crowded part of the harbor. Eireen stopped at the wall, staring at Lindell. She had definitely noticed.
“Your illusion was falling apart,” Eireen said.
Lindell hesitated. His magic was a tight knot inside of him, burning and trying to break free. He realized he was holding it back as hard as he could. What would happen if he let go?
“So those rumors were true as well,” Irwin said, stopping at a distance, smiling unpleasantly at Eireen.
“Go away, Irwin,” Eireen said.
Irwin sighed. “Of course a beast woman from the forest wouldn’t have manners.” He looked at Lindell now. “Though I suppose a beast woman is a perfect match for you now.”
Eireen took a step closer to Irwin and he stiffened. “You blame Lindell and Hector for all you’ve lost, but it’s your own fault!” Her shout carried along the harbor. Most of the people stopped to watch. “If you didn’t want to be exiled, you shouldn’t have drugged nobles you didn’t like. You shouldn’t have tried to control the lives of everyone around you!”
Irwin’s face was bright red. He looked around at the crowd, who were all staring at him this time.
Lindell’s magic fought harder inside of him. It had never felt like this before. Irwin hurried away, shoving through the crowd to get away from the harbor. Lindell ran. He heard Eireen call his name, but he didn’t dare slow down or look back. He only stopped when he reached the office, fumbling with the key. Lindell dropped the key, but there wasn’t time to pick it up. His magic flared hot and wild. Fire raged along the walls of the alleyway. The cobblestone ground cracked, dark shadowy hands reaching through.
“Lindell!” Eireen ran past the shadow hands and the flames, not giving them a second look. She knelt beside him where he had fallen to his hands and knees.
Lindell closed his eyes, fighting hard against his magic. At last his magic calmed, pulling back as though it was as exhausted as he was. The flames, the cracks, and the shadows were gone, leaving no trace. Eireen unlocked the office door. She helped Lindell inside, to one of the benches at the kitchen table, where she sat beside him. He leaned on the table, too weary to move.
“What was that?” Eireen asked, her brows furrowed.
Lindell sighed. This was worse than he’d thought. He couldn’t keep this a secret. “Something is wrong with my magic. I haven’t been able to make a proper illusion the last few nights.”
Eireen grasped his hand on the table. “We should ask Vedrix about spirits. Maybe he’ll know something that can help.”
“No,” Lindell said quickly. More quickly than he’d meant to. “Not yet.”
Eireen raised a brow.
“I don’t know what he would do…” Lindell said.
Eireen’s shoulders slumped. “He is rather intimidating, being the God of Magic. Alright, but if this gets worse, I’m sending word to Vedrix.” She stared at him, waiting.
“Agreed,” Lindell said.
