The Temple of Forgotten Secrets Read online

  "I don't recognize him," Rhys said. He turned to his men, but they shook their heads.

  My heart sank and I resumed eating. I was joined by Dora, wringing her hands in her apron. "How is the cleanup operation going?" she asked.

  "Slowly."

  "Where have the survivors gone?"

  "Some were taken in by families in the village who have room to spare. Others are on the street, unfortunately. Hopefully something will be built to house them over winter."

  She looked as though she believed that would happen as much as I did. "They say the governor started the fire so that the Deerhorns’ plans for the land could be implemented. Is that true?"

  I took her hand in mine. "It's likely."

  "How could someone do such a thing to other human beings?"

  I shrugged, too heart sore to tell her the Deerhorns and governor probably didn't see the people in the slum as human beings. To people of their ilk, those in the slum were something less, lower even than their horses and hunting dogs because those animals had a use.

  I looked up and noticed the hall had filled with servants. Word had got around, and there was great interest in the warrior priests.

  Andreas suddenly shot to his feet, tipping back his chair. "Amar!" He rushed towards the gardener Theodore ushered in. He was about to embrace him, but the forbidding look on Amar's face warned him not to.

  The other priests crowded around, speaking over each other at Amar. His startled gaze darted from face to face.

  "Amar, you are one of us," Rhys said. "You and Balthazar. Your home is in Tilting in the temple of Merdu's Guards."

  "I'm not a guard," Amar said. "I'm a gardener."

  One of the priests laughed. Amar took another step back. This time his limp was pronounced.

  Balthazar ordered everyone to give him space. "Don't overwhelm him. Amar, come sit with us. It seems you and I knew one another, once. We knew these men too."

  Amar hesitated before joining Balthazar and the priests at the end of one of the long tables.

  I left the dining hall to go in search of Kitty. As I crossed the commons courtyard, a figure sitting on the edge of the fountain looked up.

  Brant.

  I hesitated. If I kept going, he might follow me outside. With everyone inside the dining hall, I would be alone, vulnerable.

  Brant bared his teeth in a sneer. He understood my predicament. He was an expert at hunting prey and sensing fear.

  Chapter 9

  "Run along, little Josie. I can't attack you today." Brant pulled up his right shirtsleeve to reveal a bandage wrapped around his forearm. "Your lover did this after the last time you were here. Hammer," he bit off.

  "Are you surprised? You used me to try to force him to give you the gem. Is it broken?"

  "What do you care?"

  "If it is, the bone needs to be set so it can regrow properly. I can do it for you."

  "It's not broken."

  "And your leg where I stabbed you?"

  "It was just a prick." He looked away. "Leave me alone."

  I hurried out of the commons and entered the palace through the door the servants used. The flames of the wall torches danced in the drafts of the service corridor. I thought it empty, but a maid nodded a greeting as she passed me on the stairs. When I reached the door leading to the ducal corridor, another maid carrying a blue silk dress stopped me.

  "I heard Theodore was looking for one of the gardeners," she said. "What's going on?"

  "The warrior priests recognized Balthazar and suspected the gardener was their missing brother."

  Her breath hitched. "And?"

  "He is. It's Amar."

  "I know Amar. Handsome fellow. Not as handsome as the priest called Andreas, or Master Rhys." She flashed a grin, revealing a chipped tooth. "I wish I could go to the commons now, but the Duchess of Gladstow's maid asked me to clean one of her gowns." She indicated the dress. "She spilled wine on it."

  "Did you see the duchess?"

  She shook her head. "Just her ladies' maid. She's a mean cow. I don't know why the duchess keeps her."

  I knew the woman she spoke of, and she was indeed mean. It would seem Kitty hadn't managed to remove her from her entourage. "Can you do something for me?" I asked. "Can you lure the maid out so I can speak to the duchess alone? I'm worried about her."

  "I'll try."

  We passed through the hidden door. I continued to the far end of the corridor where I pretended to rearrange flowers in a vase. The palace maid knocked on the duchess's door.

  "The duke wants to see you by the inner forecourt fountain," she told the person who answered.

  "Why?" came Kitty's maid's voice.

  "Don't know. I didn't speak to him. The message was passed to me by one of the other maids, just now. I said I'd deliver it to you since she had to get to the other side of the palace in a hurry. She told me it was urgent."

  There was a pause before the door clicked closed. I glanced over my shoulder to see both maids walking away. When they were gone from sight, I knocked on Kitty's door.

  "Who is it?" she asked from the other side.

  "Josie."

  She opened the door, grabbed my hand, and dragged me into her apartment. "Thank goodness it's you. I thought it might be one of Lady Deerhorn's men come to murder me now that Prudence has gone."

  "She won't be gone for long," I said. "When she discovers the duke doesn't need her, she'll come hurrying back. Is she your jailor?"

  "Not quite." She glanced at the door. "But when I go out, Prudence escorts me unless my husband is with me. They think I'm going to run off, which is ridiculous. Where would I go?"

  "Miranda visited me after her departure," I said. "She told me to look in on you. She's worried."

  Kitty squeezed my hands. "That's so sweet of you both, but I'm all right." She nibbled her bottom lip and glanced again at the door. "Miranda said not to trust anyone, particularly the Deerhorns."

  "There are people here you can trust, Kitty. The captain of the guards, for one. If you become truly worried that something will happen to you, you must send word to him. Any of the palace servants will take your message."

  "But my husband or the Deerhorns could buy their loyalty."

  "They cannot be bought. They all need to continue working here and the Master of the Palace would dismiss anyone he couldn't trust."

  She continued to nibble her lower lip. It was unnerving to see this noble, elegant woman so afraid, and I desperately wanted to reassure her. Shrugging off the differences in our social classes, I threw my arms around her.

  "Trust me," I said. "Trust the captain and his men."

  She clung to me. "I will." She drew away and frowned at my dress. "What happened to you? You're filthy. And your arm looks sore."

  "There was trouble in the village, but it's all right now. My arm is fine." I'd not thought about it for some time but the abrasions still stung. I needed to clean and bandage it.

  I left Kitty and returned to the commons. The excitement had faded and many of the servants had left. Rhys and his three closest advisors sat talking to Balthazar and Amar with Dane and Theodore listening in. Dane spotted me as soon as I entered. I gave him a flat smile and scanned the faces for Quentin. He and Erik were talking to two priests.

  "Can you help me with this?" I asked Quentin. "I can't do it one handed. My pack is in the garrison."

  He puffed out his chest. "Of course. I'll clean it first and apply some Hollyroot for the pain then bandage you up good and proper."

  We stepped away from the others and made our way back to the garrison.

  "How was my diagnosis?" he asked.

  "Excellent," I told him. "Save the Hollyroot. I don't need it."

  "Not even a little?" He sounded disappointed.

  "Just make sure you clean the area properly before bandaging it. If it gets infected I'll have to buy anneece off Mistress Ashmole, and I'd rather face another angry mob than her."

  Some of the guards had made thei
r way to the garrison where it was quieter than the dining hall. They all slept where they sat, exhausted after being up all night in the village.

  Quentin picked up my medical pack and I signaled for him to follow me through the internal door. "We'll go to Balthazar's office," I whispered once the door closed behind us. "I don't want to wake them."

  "They should be in their beds, but none want to look weak in front of the priests. The priests are impressive, don't you think? Did you see them beat back the crowd? They made it look effortless."

  "The guards make it look easy too," I said as we rounded a corner into another corridor. "You're all excellent swordsmen. Even you have come a long way with all the training."

  "Not like them. They worked as a neat unit. Rhys hardly had to give orders; they just seemed to know what to do. He's masterly, isn't he? Master Rhys?"

  "They all were, but they've been in the temple for years, following a strict training regimen. You would all be just as good if you did nothing but train and pray every day for years."

  He chuckled. "Can you imagine Erik as a warrior priest? I think he'd rather die than give up women."

  Balthazar's door was unlocked. I poured water from the jug into the basin while Quentin rifled through my pack.

  "What is this for?" he asked, holding up a pair of forceps.

  "Pulling out babies that can't come out on their own."

  He made a face. "Glad I ain't a woman." He removed the roll of bandages and set it on the desk. "Why have you got these in your midwifery bag anyway? What do you need to bandage up down there?"

  "They're not for birthing." I put a finger to my lips. "Don't tell anyone, but I just like to keep other equipment on hand."

  He set to work. The position of the graze was awkward for me to see and I reminded him to make sure he cleaned it thoroughly.

  "You said that already," he said. "You don't want to get an infection. I know, Josie. I have cleaned wounds before. The men are always scraping themselves in the training yard."

  He finished, patted the area dry with a cloth, and wrapped the bandage around my arm. The door opened as he was tying the end.

  "This is not the infirmary," Balthazar said as his walking stick stamped into the floor with a regular beat. Dane and Theodore followed him in.

  "We don't have an infirmary." Quentin wagged a finger at him. "We should get one. We could turn one of the unused salons—"

  "No." Balthazar sat in his chair with a groan.

  "You look tired," I said. "You should go to bed."

  "I'm not tired from lack of sleep. This has been a long day and it's not yet midday."

  "It's been overwhelming," Theodore said gently. "You need time to take it all in and to think about what to do next."

  I eyed Dane, standing silently by the door. He watched Balthazar closely.

  "You're lucky," Quentin said to Balthazar. "You know who you are, now."

  "Knowing that I worked in Merdu's Guards' temple isn't the same thing as knowing who I am." Balthazar indicated the wine on the sideboard. "Pour me a drink, Theo."

  "Quentin," Dane said. "Leave us."

  Quentin wordlessly did as ordered, and Dane closed the door behind him.

  Theodore passed Balthazar a cup of wine. "It seems drinking wine is allowed in the order."

  "Were you going to deny me this if it was banned?" Balthazar asked.

  "No, but you'd have to keep it a secret from the brothers. Speaking of which, you'd better not go chasing any of the maids in the priests' presence."

  Balthazar grunted. "Very amusing."

  "At least we know the maids are safe from them," I said.

  Balthazar sipped his wine. He was about to put the cup down but thought better of it and drank again, deeper this time. Theodore sat beside me and Dane leaned against the wall by the sideboard.

  "Why didn't you tell them about the gem?" I asked. "And everything we know about magic?"

  "It's not wise to trust them completely," Balthazar said.

  Dane agreed, but Theodore wasn't so sure. "They're honest men dedicated to the god."

  "Are they honest? I don't know that. They said themselves that I left the temple without telling anyone where I was going. If I trusted them, why would I do that? Why not confide in someone?"

  Theodore looked to Dane. "You don't trust them either?"

  "They seem trustworthy," Dane said. "But Bal is right. He had a good reason for leaving in the middle of the night without telling anyone except Amar. Until we regain our memories, and find out what that reason is, we don't tell them everything. The gem is too important."

  It was a sobering thought that plunged us into thoughtful silence.

  Theodore finally broke it. "How long will they stay?"

  "Not long," Dane said. "If the village remains calm tomorrow, they might leave the following day. Rhys said he'll stay as long as they're needed, but he doesn't want to be absent from Tilting for long at the moment."

  "Why not?" I asked.

  "There's considerable lawlessness in the capital. Ever since the lords came here upon Leon's summons, the governor has been running the city as he wishes. It seems he's taking advantage of his newfound power."

  "Governors are the same everywhere," I muttered.

  Balthazar picked up his cup, drained it and set it down with a thud on the desk. "Rhys asked me to return with him. Amar, too. He says we belong at the temple in Tilting, not here."

  Theodore's swallow was the only sound in the ensuing silence.

  "He begged me," Balthazar went on. "I told him no."

  "And what did Amar say?" I asked.

  "He didn't give an answer. He wanted to think about it."

  "You should too," Dane said.

  "This is my home now. It's the only place I know." Bleakness edged his tone and clouded his eyes.

  I reached across the table and touched his hand. He offered me a flat smile.

  "You should consider returning with them," Dane said again. "Our situation here at the palace will become increasingly precarious."

  "You'll keep it safe," Theodore said. "You and your men."

  Dane fixed his gaze on his feet.

  I stared hard at him, but he did not look up.

  "Hammer's not referring to the physical safety of everyone at the palace," Balthazar said. "He means we won't be able to stay here much longer. When the last of the lords leaves, a skeleton staff is all that is required. The rest will be told to go home or find work elsewhere."

  There was no work in Mull for the servants, and they had no homes to go to. If they were forced to leave, they would disperse throughout the kingdom.

  "It might be a good thing," Balthazar said. "Perhaps some of us should have left months ago in search of our pasts. If I'd gone to Tilting, someone probably would have recognized me."

  Theodore's eyes lit up. "Perhaps we're all from Tilting. Bal, I think you should return and find out more about your life there. You might learn something that could help the rest of us."

  Balthazar's eyes closed as if they were too heavy to keep open. When he did open them, he looked straight at Theodore. "Very well. I'll go. But you have to come with me."

  Theodore drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly. "I will. Like Hammer said, we'll probably be told to leave here soon anyway. The first one to lose his position will be the king's valet."

  They both looked to Dane.

  "I need to remain here," he said. "The situation in the village is too volatile. The guards will stay."

  "The guards can remain under the sheriff's leadership," Balthazar said. "I know you want to find out more about your past, Hammer. This is your opportunity to do so. Come with us to Tilting and investigate."

  Dane hesitated then shook his head. I felt hot and cold all at once as the gazes of Theodore and Balthazar settled on me.

  "Josie could come with us," Theodore said.

  Dane shook his head again. "Her home is here. Her friends are here and her work."

  Was tha
t why he was staying? For me? I suddenly felt as overwhelmed as Balthazar. I blinked watery eyes back at Dane, but he wasn't looking at me. He was once again staring down at his boots.

  Balthazar made a shooing motion. "You two go. Talk, but not here."

  Dane picked up my pack and we left the office. We exited the palace on the forecourt side and walked toward the gate in silence. Bright sunshine warmed my skin but my heart remained numb. I didn't know what to think, only that Dane wanted to be with me.

  But not at that moment. He strode quickly, as if he couldn't wait to be rid of me. He headed towards the stables and coach house, no doubt to send me back to the village.

  "You have to go to Tilting with them," I said.

  "No."

  "You want to go."

  "Don't tell me what I want," he growled.

  "Listen to me." When he didn't slow, I grabbed his arm.

  He finally stopped but wouldn't look at me. Very well, I would speak to his profile.

  "We both know you won't find answers here. Not now that Leon is gone. You have an opportunity to learn about yourself through Balthazar, and you have to take it." When he didn't respond, I tugged on his arm. "Say something."

  "I can't go," was all he said. "You're too vulnerable here in Mull. You need me here."

  I cupped his jaw. "I am not going to stand in the way when you have the perfect opportunity to find out more about yourself. So I'm coming with you."

  He finally looked at me, his eyes narrowed to slits. "No."

  "I will see my friends again when I return. As to my work… I'll talk to Mistress Ashmole about taking over midwifery duties. She'll require some training, but she has my books and she seems smart. She'll pick it up."

  "No, Josie. If I go, you won't be coming with me."

  I dropped my hand away. "You don't want me with you." I hated that I sounded forlorn. I wished it didn't bother me that he didn't want my company as he rediscovered his life, but it did.

  "It's not that. What if I find out I have a wife? If you're with me, it will hurt you deeply. Hurt us both."

  And his wife, too.