Malator shook his head. “I can’t, Lukien. I can only guide you.”
“You know everything, don’t you? What was that monster? What’s this all about?”
“First,” said Malator, “I don’t know everything. I’ve told you that already. That monster was a demon, not of this world. Ask questions, Lukien. Follow the answers.”
“But you won’t give me answers!” I raved. “All I get from you is horseshit!”
“Then ask someone else. Who would know about the monster? Who is pulling the strings here?”
I shrugged. All I wanted was to be back to sleep. “Fallon?”
“Fallon indeed. He knows more than he’s telling.”
“Yeah, all right, but what about all this?” I looked around the room. “None of this has to do with anything. I can’t figure it out, Malator.”
“Food for thought, then,” said Malator with his cheerful grin.
I took a breath to clear my mind. Thinking was tough, though. My arm started to hurt. “I think I’m waking up,” I said.
“It’s almost dawn.” Malator sighed. “I should take you back now.”
“Wait, what about that other thing you said? About me crossing between the worlds?”
“Oh, you won’t remember anything about that when you wake,” said Malator. “That’s not for now, Lukien. For now, just eat what’s on your plate.”
“But-”
“No,” he said sharply. “I can take you back or I can show you more of this world. That’s all. Do you want to see more?”
“No, no more,” I said quickly. “Just. . take me out of here. It’s time to talk to Fallon.”
15
I awoke that morning just before dawn, before Cricket even, sitting up in bed with a shout that made my servants come running into the room. There were two of them, a man and woman, both beautiful, both assigned to me by Anton Fallon. It was they who had dressed my wounds, I quickly learned. Their names were Karik and Adela. I remembered this as I woke up-really woke up this time-from my long and fretful sleep. I had a thousand questions for them, but Karik and Adela gently scolded me to silence, pointing out Cricket still asleep in the nearby bed.
“What happened?” I whispered.
As the pair helped me into my shirt, they explained how Marilius and Cricket had brought me back to the palace on horseback. Cricket, it turned out, had spent most of the time watching over me. No wonder she was so exhausted. As I listened, the encounter with the monster returned to my memory. My arm had been badly burned, yet both of them marveled at how quickly I’d healed. I flexed my arm within the linen shirt, feeling remarkably good. I had Malator to thank for that. As Karik guided me down to sit on the bed, I hefted the Sword of Angels. While Adela put on my boots, I gave Malator my silent thanks.
“You should eat,” whispered Adela. “Come, and I will get you something.”
I shook my head. “I want to see Fallon. Take me to him.”
The pair shared a grimace. Karik helped me to my feet.
“Master Fallon is in the Great Hall,” he said. “But now’s not the best time to see him.”
“Too bad for him.”
* * *
As it turned out, Fallon’s palace was full of “great halls,” but the one where he was hiding was at the eastern end of his enormous home, far from the rooms he’d given me and Cricket. Like everything in the palace the hall was enormous, sparkling with marble tile and golden fixtures. Towering windows of painted glass flooded the hall with dawn light. At any other time the hall might have been a ballroom for a lavish party, but now it was choked with mercenaries. They stood shoulder to shoulder, so closely crammed they could barely move. At least two-hundred of them stood guard, some with weapons drawn, but most so sleep-deprived that they’d sheathed their swords or simply dropped them to the floor. They took almost no notice of me as Karik and Adela brought me into the hall, until one of them called out my name.
“Lukien.”
Marilius made his way through the crowd, pushing the others aside to reach me. One look at his bloodshot eyes told me he’d been up all night, too. His fellow mercenaries gave me the once over. I dismissed Karik and Adela as Marilius reached me. He studied my face, then my arm, then laughed.
“Those wounds might have killed someone else, but I shouldn’t be surprised to see you’re fine!”
“What’s with the army? Waiting for the monster to come back?”
“It was a quiet night,” said Marilius with relief. “Thank the Fate.”
“You do this every night? Gather around the hall like this?”
“There’s not usually so many of us. Anton’s been in a panic since. .” Marilius stopped himself. “You know.”
“Yeah. Since I got beaten.” I gestured toward the doors at the end of the hall. “Is he awake?”
“Are you kidding? He doesn’t sleep any more, Lukien.”
Marilius parted the mercenaries easily, leading me through the throng. The men posted outside the chamber opened the doors at once. I had expected another one of Fallon’s grand rooms, but was disappointed to see a shabby, windowless chamber. A fireplace, a few upholstered chairs, and a long wooden table were the only furnishings, as if everything else had been stripped away. Fallon himself was slumped over the table, sniffing at it. He jumped when we entered, and a puff of purplish dust erupted from the table top. He looked at me, embarrassed and angry.
“Well! My protector!” He wiped the purple stuff from under his nose with a dirty sleeve. “Up on your feet already. How fabulous.”
He was barely recognizable, his expensive robe stained and wrinkled, his face sallow. Even the black tattoo on his forehead drooped. His wobbly eyes strained to see me. That’s when I noticed the purple stuff, arranged on the table in sloppy little piles.
“What’s that?” I moved passed Fallon and stuck my finger into it. The stuff felt smooth, like powder. I sniffed my finger, appalled at the smell. “Ugh! You’re sniffing dung?”
“It’s acana,” he snapped. “It calms me.”
“Never heard of it. What is it? A spice?”
“Like a wild ginger,” said Fallon. “But different. Not as good as having a magic sword though.”
“You’re sweating.”
“Of course I’m sweating!” Fallon fell into the nearest chair. “That thing is still alive out there! You were supposed to kill it, Sir Lukien.”
“I tried, Fallon. The thing-”
He silenced me with a wave. “I know what happened. Marilius told me. Why do you think I have so many men out there?”
“But it didn’t come last night, did it?”
“No, no thanks to you.” Fallon slumped against the table, barely able to stay awake. “And if you expect me to pay you for that mission forget it. I’m already going broke.”
He looked pathetic, more frightened than angry, rubbing the tattoo and fretting over his mounds of spice. I knew Marilius felt helpless, too. I was glad we three were alone.
“Where’d that monster come from, Fallon?”
Fallon didn’t look up. “I told you. From Diriel.”
“It’s a demon,” I said. “It isn’t from Akyre or any other country. It’s magical. And you knew that all along.”
“Did I? Well, if you say it’s a demon, Sir Lukien-”
“How’d it get here?”
“How should I know? Ask Diriel! He’s the one who sent it here. He wants me dead!”
“That’s a lie.” I touched my sword pommel. “You forget, I have help. A spirit of my own, remember? So when you lie, I know it.”
For a moment Fallon groped for an answer. He looked at Marilius, then back at me, then wilted. “Oh.” He laid his forehead on the table and let out an enormous groan. “What’s the difference? I’m dead already.”
Marilius put a hand on his shoulder. “Lukien, you should go.”
I was itching for an argument. “Stop protecting him, Marilius. Stop lying for him. Why’d you keep me from entering the dell? What are you hiding in there?”
“There’s where the monster lives,” said Marilius. “I told you that.”