Sleeping Roses

Venture Into The World

"What is a Remover?"

Kilan looked up from the wash basin, across the bedroom to Jeremy who was lounging on his bed.

It was almost a week since the assembly in town. After the Daily incident, Beldon had kept Kilan at home. The family hosted enough events that week for Kilan to still be used as a Storyteller, but Beldon didn't bring him to other events – as per Kilan's request.

He had to assess the risk of going out now that he knew he'd be in the same circles as Daily. On one hand, he had the protection of numbers. He was always surrounded by people, whether they be other servants or party goers. On the other hand, just knowing Daily was in the same house at him set his nerves on edge. He didn't want to test Daily's ability to get him alone.

He had returned before Beldon and Luka. Tobias, along with three other servants, had accompanied him. Beldon had said it was because they were finishing the first week and would be coming home shortly so there was no need for so many servants, Kilan wondered if it had something to do with keeping an eye on him.

He'd filled Jeremy in on the week as soon as he'd arrived that evening, just in time for dinner. Now, they were both getting ready for bed while Tobias – for the first time – lay in bed, already prepared to sleep, a book open on his lap.

He looked up at Jeremy's question and turned his attention to Kilan.

Kilan reached for his towel and died his face, straightening up.

"You keep mentioning them whenever you talk about Daily, I get that he's a Remover, but what are they?"

"They're the opposite of Collectors," Kilan said as he sat down on his bed and dried the damp ends of his hair. "So, where it's a Collectors job to record enchantment, Removers get rid of it. They wipe out magic; remove it from the order of the world. They kill Collectors if they come across them, and happen to know they're a Collector. Of course they find it just as hard to identify a Collector as we do a Remover."

"But Daily knows you?"

Kilan looked at the ground, the towel dropping into his lap as he thought about it. "Yes," he muttered, "yes he knows me, the only Collector he could probably tell on sight."

"Has he been chasing you that long?" Jeremy asked.

"No... we've just known each other that long," Kilan said, before he hung his towel out to dry and got up, locking the door and blowing out the wall candles.

Jeremy climbed into his bed and drew the curtains, as did Tobias and Kilan shifted his duvet out of the way and sat down, then stopped, looking at the flame of his candle.

"Would he really kill you?"

Jeremy's voice spoke up from the other side of the room and Tobias hissed at him.

"He would," Kilan confirmed, swinging his legs up and settling into bed. "It's his job," he added, turning onto his side to face the wall as the candle blew out behind him, closing his eyes.

He blinked and looked up at a sunlit ceiling. His eyes widened and he sat bolt upright. He was in the tower. He was right, he dreamt of this place when he was in the castle. It didn't work outside of the castle; he had to be within its grounds.

He spun around, rushing to his feet.

"Briar!" he called, running into the parlour and looking around. It was empty and he quickly threw open the doors to the dining room. "Briar?"

Again, nothing, she had to be beyond the hall door then. Running across the room, he pushed the door open and just as he opened his mouth to call for her again, he heard hurried footsteps on the floor above him and Briar appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide, her hair loose and wild – like she had just got out of bed though she wore a day gown and gloves, again with the gloves.