Tessellations [BOOK TWO]

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: sorry it took me so long to get around to posting this, dears! I spent the entire summer dealing with The Worst case of writer's block :( anyway, here's the next chapter, enjoy & hopefully i'll get the next one posted soon too!!

Take my hand then let it go

Skin like ice and eyes like snow

Dawn was nearing, but the shadows had not yet lifted. I was still shaken; Jasper stayed with me, sitting silently in the chair opposite mine, his gaze fixed on the gaping doorway. It appeared even more sinister to me now that the door had been blasted off; the darkness of the hallway beyond seemed full of eyes, staring, staring. When the maid finally came with a tray of tea, my hands were shaking so much that I could hardly hold the cup.

Jasper was insistent that someone be told about the attack. "Despite the fact that it was unsuccessful," he said, "it was still an attempt, and your guard is lying dead at the end of the hall. You aren't safe. Precautions must be taken."

But I didn't want him to go, nor did I think I'd be able to come along; I doubted I could even stand. My legs were as numb as if they'd been frozen through—a side effect of the elraender, Jasper told me. It would wear off soon enough.

At last, reluctantly, he stretched his telepathic link to contact Caleb. I could hear the echo of their mental conversation in my own mind; Jasper's thoughts were quiet, subdued, whereas Caleb's were confused and full of sound, rising to a dull roar of panic and anger as Jasper explained what had occurred. Only moments later, a door slammed further down the hall and I heard Caleb running towards us. "Bird!" he shouted, rushing into the room with wide eyes. "Are you alright?"

I gave a quick smile, gripping my teacup in unsteady hands. "I'm fine, Caleb."

He strode over to me, his face a mask of worry. "You're trembling." He glanced at Jasper. "Who was behind the attack?"

"I'm afraid we don't know. The culprit was incinerated and the weapon has been warded by someone far more powerful than me; it's impossible to discern by magic where it came from.

Caleb shook his head. "I don't like this. The danger was supposed to be over. No more mystery, no more murders..." He began to pace, then stopped and looked at Jasper again. "Is she safe? Will she be safe in this castle?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Then we need to leave. We can't stay here if we're putting Bird in danger."

"We can't just leave," I said. "We're expected to stay until the coronation. And in case you haven't noticed, we're half a world away from home! We can't just, just wish ourselves back to the North!"

Caleb's jaw locked. "Wizard boy," he said, "You can zap yourself from place to place, can't you? With that magic of yours? Couldn't you just—I don't know, snap your fingers and transport us all home?"

Jasper blanched. "All six of us? Over a massive distance like that?"

"Is it possible?"

"Sure it is, disregarding the fact that a spell of such proportions would likely kill me before we'd made it even halfway across the sea."

Caleb ran a hand through his hair. "Then we'll get a boat. The Lark, even. We'll get aboard and set sail before the day's end and leave the danger far behind."

"Will you really?" Jasper sighed and stood. "Even if a ship could be prepared at such short notice, you've no guarantee that the attacker wouldn't follow. Think. This was no half-hearted attempt; whoever's behind this is clearly very powerful and wants Bird, alive, for reasons unknown to us. Do you really believe this is something you can outrun?"