Blackbird Broken (The Witch King's Crown #2) - Keri Arthur Page 0,76
nodded and finished my tea. By that time, she’d drifted into an easy sleep. After pulling my sweater and wet jeans back on, I shoved my feet into her shoes and headed out.
By the time I returned just over an hour later, dusk had settled in, and the skies were ablaze with color. Red sky at night, sailors’ delight … I hoped there was some validity in that old saying, because we could really use some calmer waters right now.
The kettle’s whistling greeted me as I reentered the hotel room. Mo smiled. “You always did have perfect timing when it came to a cup of tea. What did you grab for dinner?”
She was, I realized with relief, looking and sounding more like her normal self. “Beef in ginger, garlic, and coconut, nasi goreng, and dumplings. I also grabbed a banoffee pie for dessert, because we both deserve it.”
She grinned. “Perfect—though I may not fit into my new clothes after all that.”
I handed her a couple of bags, dumped mine onto my bed, then headed across to the small desk to open the containers and set out the paper plates and plastic cutlery. As the rich aromas filled the room, I hurriedly stripped off my still-damp clothes and wrapped the towel around me again. I could shower later; my stomach was loudly reminding me I hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
Mo tugged on a loose, bright-yellow sweater, then joined me at the desk, tucking one bare leg underneath her as she sat down. “So, did you succumb to temptation and ring your brother?”
A smile twisted my lips. “No, but I did arrange a hire car.”
“Clever girl.” She grabbed the beef and spooned some onto her plate, then repeated the process with the nasi goreng and dumplings. “However, I’ve been thinking, and it might actually be prudent to contact him.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because if he is behind this attack—”
“Do you honestly think there’s a chance he’s not?” I concentrated on filling my plate, rather than dwelling on the sudden and stupid leap of hope.
“It’s possible,” she said. “If only because we still have our uses overall—he must know by now the sword he claimed is not the true king’s sword.”
“Why?” I repeated. “He obviously hasn’t tested it against the gate, because you would have felt it.”
“Yes, but as I explained earlier, the king’s sword is, in very many ways, something of a gateway itself. It is the only way the Witch King can seal—or indeed open—Darkside’s main entrance.”
And until that gateway was open, there could be no major attack, thanks to the fact the others were too small to allow a mass incursion. It gave us time. Gave us hope, however minute.
“Even if he is unaware that his sword might not be the real one,” she continued. “He has to feel the difference in its energy output. It wouldn’t fit the descriptions given in the great ballads.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What great ballads?”
She waved a hand airily. “The ones written after Uhtric’s victory, of course.”
“I think that part of my education is missing.”
My voice was dry, and she shook her head, her woebegone expression spoiled by the amused glitter in her eyes. “I find it very sad that the current generation knows so little about their history.”
“Hey, if you wanted me to know, you should have said so.” I pointed my beef-filled fork at her. “Especially given you were around at the time and could have provided a firsthand account of both the event and the scribes who wrote the damn things.”
“There are many things I currently regret not doing.” The laughter faded from her expression. “Not teaching you more about your history and even your powers are certainly two of them.”
“I haven’t got any powers.” Or, at least, I hadn’t. It was hardly her fault I was a very late bloomer. “And none of this addresses why you want me to ring Max.”
“If we don’t ring,” she said, around a mouthful of beef. “He may suspect we suspect.”
My smile was a little bitter. “I think merely suspecting him went out the window a few days ago.”
“Maybe, but given we can’t be absolutely certain of anything right now, we need to play the game.”
I sighed. “Fine. I’ll ring him after I finish this.”
I motioned toward my plate and she nodded. “Just don’t forget to play up how badly I was injured, and mention we’ll have to lie low for a few days. It might give us some breathing space.”