“Well,” she said, “I was taking Merritt to show him Baraccus’s tools, like I said. We were passing nearby, and I hoped to run into you. I wanted to ask you if you had found the man who had murdered Isidore, the spiritist.”
“Oh, the spiritist.” The general frowned. “No. We’ve not been able to find anything at all. Even more disturbing, she is not the only one to be murdered in such a horrific fashion.”
Magda let out a disappointed sigh. “I’m sorry to hear that the killer is still on the loose in the Keep. I was hoping he would have been caught by now.”
The general nodded grimily. “A number of wizards working in the lower parts of the Keep, and even a few a bit higher up, have been murdered.”
“Murdered. By ‘murdered,’ do you mean . . . murdered like Isidore was murdered? In that same fashion?”
“That’s right. Ripped apart. They aren’t the only ones. I’ve had two patrols killed as well.”
Surprised, Magda leaned in a little. “Patrols? You mean soldiers? Armed soldiers?”
He folded his meaty arms. “That’s right. One of the patrols had three men, then several days later a patrol of four men was also attacked and killed. They were torn apart. Blood, guts, and brains everywhere in the hallway where their remains were found. We didn’t even know which body parts went with which men. We couldn’t even identify the remains, and only determined who they were when we took a head count.”
“Dear spirits,” she whispered. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry to hear about this. And you have no suspects?”
“None. None at all.” His gaze had turned abruptly penetrating and uncomfortable. “And you say the man who did it, the man you saw kill Isidore, was a dead man?”
Magda shrugged, trying not to be argumentative. This was not the time or place. There were more important considerations.
“He looked dead to me. That’s all I can tell you. I suppose that maybe he was just disheveled and filthy. Maybe he used magic. Maybe that’s why he appeared so strong and could do what he did.”
“Ah.” The general nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense.”
“It’s quite frightening to hear that no one has been caught.”
He peered at Merritt for a moment and then again eyed Magda carefully. “Are you all right? You look . . . I don’t know, tired.”
“I am tired, I’m afraid. A lot has been going on in my life recently.”
His grin returned. “I understand.”
Magda could feel her renewed flash of anger heat her face.
“Well, I must be going. Merritt here wants to pick up his tools and be on his way. I probably should get some rest.”
“Of course, Lady Searus,” the general said with a bow of his head. “Once again, my congratulations on your imminent marriage to our soon-to-be new First Wizard. I’m sure that everyone else at the Keep will be just as happy and relieved at this news as I am. People think a great deal of you, and will be encouraged by your decision.”
Magda nodded. “Thank you, General Grundwall.”
Before he could say anything else, Magda turned and headed away. Merritt jumped to quickly follow after her and stay at her side.
Chapter 69
Magda fisted her hands in fury as she marched away. She and Merritt passed groups of soldiers coming in the other direction as she resolutely made her way down the stone corridor.
“What was all that about?” Merritt finally asked. He sounded about as angry as she felt.
“Isn’t it obvious? There must have been opposition to Lothain being named First Wizard. Apparently, he’s trying to quell dissent, shore up his support, and win people over. It appears to be working. Grundwall thinks it’s going to be good for the people of the Keep. Lothain is no doubt counting on just that attitude.
“He probably thinks that when I see how pleased everyone is, how it eases tensions and reassures people in a time of crisis, I will have no choice but to go along with his plan. He knows that I care about the people here. He’s trying to shame me into doing it for the good of the Keep.”
“But you’re not going to actually do it,” Merritt said.
It didn’t sound like a question. Magda frowned over at him. “Are you out of your mind?”
He heaved a sigh of bottled exasperation. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“To the dungeon.”
“The dungeon?” Merritt grabbed her arm and pulled her to an abrupt halt. He checked both ways to make sure none of the soldiers coming and going from the Home Guard headquarters were close enough to hear them. “Are you crazy?”
Magda squared up to him. “Look, Merritt, we’re running out of time. If that woman is still alive, we have to get to her before they execute her.” She threw her hands up. “I already wasted the entire day sleeping, we can’t afford to waste any more time.”
“It wasn’t a waste,” he said in a tone meant to calm her down. “It kept you from dying.”
Magda took a breath, trying to calm her anger over the things the general had said. She didn’t want Merritt to think she was angry with him, or blamed him for what they’d had to do. Merritt was the only one who believed her and he was trying to help. She lowered her voice.
“I suppose, and I’m grateful, I really am. You healed me, and I’m better. I know I need more rest to be back to myself, but right now it doesn’t matter how exhausted I am. We may never get another chance. We have to get to that sorceress.”
Merritt nodded as he visibly cooled off. “I understand and I share your sense of urgency. After all, I’m the one who told you about the sorceress defector in the first place, remember?”
“I remember.”
“So, how do you propose we get in to see her without General Grundwall? They don’t simply let people in to see prisoners.”
A group of soldiers hurried past, eyeing the woman in the midst of their domain. She flashed them a brief, polite smile of greeting. Most of the men returned the smile. Once they were past, Magda pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head and started out once more. She peeked around the edge of the hood at Merritt.
“You heard the general. I’m respected. It’s news to me, but maybe not to the men down in the dungeon. They certainly won’t be expecting a woman—the wife of their dead First Wizard—to show up in their midst in the middle of the night.”
Merritt looked to be getting agitated again. “And what good is that going to do you?”
“Surprise is sometimes the best advantage a warrior can have.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “Where did you hear that?”
“Baraccus told me.”
“He’s right, but this is different from what is typically meant by that saying.”
“That’s why this surprise will work to our advantage.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
Magda took his arm, leaning closer to him as they started down the stone steps of a broad stairway. Their footsteps echoed through the stairwell, so she kept her voice low.
“Merritt, we have to try. Time is working against us. If they haven’t executed her before, or even today while I was sleeping the day away, they will surely behead her soon, maybe even tomorrow. We can’t delay. If they’ve tried her and condemned her to death, they’re not going to keep her alive down in the dungeon for long—a few days at most. Every day we don’t get to her adds to the odds that we never will. Maybe she doesn’t know anything and can’t help us, but what if she does know something about what’s going on here at the Keep, or Emperor Sulachan’s battle plans?
“By the way she was tried without the public knowing about it, someone must have a reason to want to get rid of her. After all, why wouldn’t Lothain want to try her publicly so he could add another executed traitor to his list of heralded accomplishments? Could he be doing a favor? Or protecting someone? Maybe even protecting himself? Why was the trial conducted out of the public eye?”