Chapter 9: The Ribbon

Cadoc held the ribbon between two fingers.

"What is it?"

"A message," I said. "In my father's steward's hand."

"Read it."

"I can't read it here."

"You'll read it where I can hear you, or I'll put you on the gate and let the river read it."

I looked at the gatekeeper, still hovering at the door with his hat in his hands.

He looked at the floor.

"Not here," I said. "Take me to your brother."

Cadoc studied me for a long moment.

Then he took my elbow, hard enough to bruise, and walked me out into the dark.

The tower stairs were colder than I remembered.

Cadoc did not knock.

Torren sat at the table in the bare room with a letter open in front of him.

He did not seem surprised to see us.

"This came across the ford for her," Cadoc said.

He set the ribbon on the table.

"She says she can read it. She says it has to be you."

Torren looked at me.

I stood in the middle of the stone floor with my gloved hands clasped in front of me.

My knuckles ached.

"It's a healer's order code," I said. "Every apprentice at Marrowbridge learns it."

"Then read."

I took the ribbon, and I ran it through my fingers.

I did not need to read it twice.

My mouth went dry.

"The sweet works slowest on the strong," I said.

Nobody moved.

"Touch the eldest daily. Burn this."

The words fell into the room like stones into a well.

For a long, terrible moment I couldn't breathe.

Then something shifted, behind my eyes.

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