His eyes sparkle. Thief language is universal. “On?”
“What’s happening around Cirilea, on King Atticus and what he’s been up to, that sort of thing.”
“Nothin’ good.” Seamus collects a peanut from a bowl on the table and cracks its shell between his thumbs. “For starters, the city gate’s been sealed since yesterday, with no one in or out, not even messengers, so I wouldn’t be runnin’ around, announcin’ you’ve arrived today. That’ll earn ya attention ya probably don’t want.”
I curse, hazarding a glance toward the bartender.
“Don’t worry. Lombard’s trustworthy. Somewhat, anyway.”
“What else? What about all these dead mortals hanging everywhere?”
“Aye, the king’s guard takes down one corpse and replaces it with two.” Seamus stuffs the peanut in his mouth. “Supposed to be scarin’ people into not takin’ the poison, but it’s not workin’。 People are feelin’ hopeless and gettin’ angry. And now that the caster’s comin’ around, testin’ mortals—”
“Wendeline?”
“Aye. The one who marked the tainted ones at the royal repast. The king rounded up all the others and executed them the next day. She’s all that’s left.”
No wonder the sanctum was so empty and cold.
“Honestly thought she was dead along with the rest of them. But then all of a sudden yesterday, they started bringin’ her around, from house to house, markin’ mortals. The ones that glow, they either throw up on a rope or haul ’em to the arena. Don’t know why the difference. Maybe they’re runnin’ out of lampposts. She’s at it all day and night. I assume it’ll be till every last mortal is marked.”
And every tainted one executed swiftly.
Damn Atticus. “How many mortals have been taken?”
“Enough to line the streets with bodies. But what’s worse is he’s takin’ the children. All of ’em. Any his guard comes across.”
“He’s hanging children?” I can’t hide my horror.
“Not sure what he’s doin’ with them, but they leave and they don’t come back. He’s probably keepin’ them locked up so they can’t be tainted.” Seamus chugs his mead. “People are scared. A lot of servants who aren’t tributaries took the doses, not wantin’ to get caught with the vials. They thought they’d be safe enough, and now the priestess is marking everyone. They made plans to escape before Hudem and hide in the hills.”
Memories of the marauders who captured Pan and me stir. “The hills aren’t safe.”
“Safer than what’s goin’ on in here.”
“They need to go north.” Jarek’s right. What’s the point of being a queen if I can’t share my haven with those Islorians who need it most? “There’s a city in the Venhorn Mountains that will take all of them. Every mortal. They will be free of this blood curse there. The queen who rules it will give them homes.”
Seamus grins. “That sounds like a fairy tale.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” That’s what it felt like the first time we walked through. “But it’s real. I’ve been there. Cordelia is there now.”
“Ain’t that somethin’， then. But it don’t matter unless the king opens the gate, and I don’t see that happenin’。” He looks around. “There’s been talk of raisin’ arms, of fightin’。”
“Against the king’s guard?”
“Aye. The Cirilean army left this morning, and the eastern army that was camped outside left yesterday, so the odds are better.”
My heart races. The taillok delivered our letter yesterday. Would he have responded so quickly? “To the rift?”
“Maybe. I could probably find out.”
“How many soldiers were there?”
Seamus notes the stack of gold sitting idly on the table.
I slide it across, and it vanishes in a quick swipe of his hand.
“A few thousand each, at least. The city feels empty without them.”
Zander needs to know to expect them. “Going up against Boaz is a bad idea. It’ll just get the mortals killed sooner.”
“I’d rather die fightin’ then hangin’ naked in the street.”
I check his hand. There’s no mark on it. If there was, I’d bet money that it would glow.
“And it’s not just the mortals. The keepers are angry for losin’ servants, angry for their young property bein’ taken away, and they’re blamin’ His Highness for not acting sooner.” He drops his voice. “There’re plans to storm the castle.”