Free Starlighter by Bryan Davis Page A

gentle squeeze, Koren whispered, “My plans are the same. If I’m not back before Pariah sets, then you and Stephan should go ahead and try to escape.”

Five
    J ason fastened the clasp on his new cloak and sat on the marble steps in front of Prescott’s castle. With darkness blanketing the hill, walking home would be a lonely journey, especially in the forest. He had lost his fear of the woods long ago, but after being humiliated by snide remarks from several of Prescott’s friends at the Counselor’s invocation, he felt small and weak.
    Only an hour ago, the former Counselor, an elderly man who had reached mandatory retirement age, walked up to Prescott and said, “I see you have chosen another peasant for your bodyguard. I suppose if he dies defending you, it will be no loss. There are many more rats in the sewers who can handle a blade.”
    Not only that, the new Counselor, Viktor Orion, still dressed in his ceremonial silk, stopped by and looked Jason over, a smirk on his face. “He is a handsome lad, tobe sure, Your Lordship. Perhaps he will help us find the Diviner. It is said that the sultry witches are always on the lookout for a callow catch.”
    And Prescott just laughed at both comments, not offering a single word of defense. He should have known how stupid his silence was. A wise governor realizes that the warrior who watches his back is the warrior who keeps the daggers from flying there.
    Jason pondered Counselor Orion’s odd words. They seemed practiced, as if scripted for that moment. Was he trying to communicate a message that he didn’t want Prescott to understand? If by “the Diviner” he meant Elyssa, why would he mention her unless he thought she was still alive?
    None of that mattered now. While the speeches at the invocation droned on, the solution to the puzzle became clear in Jason’s mind. Prescott was the bear, and the key was on the ring that he kept in his tunic’s pocket, close to his heart. During the ceremony and afterward, he frequently reached into the vest pocket and fingered the keys, as if worried that they might have jumped out and run away.
    As thunder rumbled in the distance, Jason rose. One way or another, this would be his last day as that fool’s bodyguard. He would either quit or be fired. Considering what he planned to do now, there weren’t any other options.
    Jason marched back to the castle’s main entrance and approached Drexel, the door’s guard. “I forgot to give something to Governor Prescott,” Jason said. “It’s very important.”
    Drexel, a tall, thin man with a black handlebar moustache, scowled. “What could a peasant have thatHis Lordship would want at this time of night? Bodyguard or not, it had better be urgent.”
    “Oh, it’s urgent.” Jason pulled his copy of the Underground Gateway newsletter from his pocket and smoothed out the wrinkles. “I took this from someone in his inner circle. It appears that one of those crazy conspiracy theorists is within his ranks. Of course, I couldn’t interrupt the ceremony, but I forgot to tell him afterwards.”
    “You forgot? What kind of bodyguard are you?”
    “A new one,” Jason said, bowing. “I beg your indulgence.”
    Drexel reached for the page, but Jason pulled it back. “I must speak to him privately. It is up to His Lordship to decide what to do with this information. It would be a shame if I had to tell him tomorrow who prevented my access to him tonight.”
    “For a new bodyguard, you are a quick student of political maneuvering.” Drexel pushed a key into a hefty iron lock and released the door’s bolt. “Take care that you don’t maneuver yourself into a dangerous corner. There are people in the governor’s employ who are far craftier than you realize.”
    Jason brushed off Drexel’s condescending tone and gave him a friendly nod. “I will leave through the rear door. It’s closer to my path home.”
    “Very well.” Drexel almost smiled. “You will find a lantern in