Call of Sunteri (Keepers of the Wellsprings Book 2) by Missy Sheldrake Page A

that whole time?” he asks.
    I watch him carefully. He watches me, too. I wonder why he’s asking questions he already knows the answer to.
    “Yes, sir.”
    More watching. More silence. His eyes bore into me. I look into them like Cap taught me to. Honest men are brazen. Only men with something to hide look away.
    “So, climbing,” he says finally. Slaps his hand on the table. My heart races. I can smell the smoke. Feel the stone through my gloves as I grip to scale the tower. “You like the aqueducts?”
    I look up. Meet his eyes again. I’m unsure what he means. “Sir?”
    “The aqueducts. The arches next to the castle. Along the river. You like to climb them?”
    I stare at him. Nod slowly. “Sometimes.”
    “It’s illegal,” he says sternly, then looms over me and speaks very slowly. “Against the law. You understand?” He leans back. Crosses his arms. Looks menacing. Relief floods through me. This isn’t about the towers. It’s about the arches. My secret wall.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t know, sir.” I try not to smile. Try not to grin. He’s not smiling. I’ve seen that look before. I wonder what the punishment is for climbing the aqueduct. I’m not afraid of lashes. I can take them. I took seventeen once.
    “Yeah, well…” his voice trails off. He’s still suspicious. “What are you doing in Cerion? Why’d you leave Sunteri, anyway?”
    “To get away from the dye fields.” It isn’t a lie.
    “You belong to someone back there?” He drums his fingers on the table. My mouth goes even drier. I don’t like this question. I shrug.
    “Answer,” he says.
    “Used to.” I stare at my empty plate.
    “Well, what’s that mean?”
    “Am I in trouble or not, sir? I climbed the aqueduct. I already said so.” Just punish me, I want to say. Punish me and get it over with.
    “You’re in trouble if you don’t answer the question,” he glares. “And watch your tone, you. What’s it mean, you used to belong to someone?”
    I eye my empty cup. He doesn’t fill it again.
    “I asked you what’s that mean?” he says again. He’s losing his patience.
    “She died. No one else to claim me, so I left. Before someone else could.” I meet his eyes. Don’t look away. It’s not a lie. Not all of it, anyway. He sighs. Shakes his head. Hides his pity quickly, but I still catch it.
    He asks me question after question. What did I see on the scout ship? What messages were passed? Do I have any reason to believe that Prince Vorance is involved in Sorcery? Did Cap pay me? What did I hear at Lady Ganvent’s? What did I see? I give him his answers. Mostly. Try to protect Nessa and her secrets. Even ask him if he’s got any news about her husband’s fleet. He hasn’t. By the time he’s through with his questions, we feel like friends. Until he gets up.
    “Let’s go,” he says briskly. I imagine it’s time for my punishment. I wonder what it’ll be. He takes out his keys. Unlocks the door. Barks a command at the guards outside: “Northwest Tower.”
    They march me along stone-walled corridors. Clean but rough. Low ceilings. The musty smell fades as we walk, replaced by citrus oil. The guards in front push open a door. I blink at the sunlight filtering in through the high windows. The drapes are open, but there’s no draft. Outside, snow billows past the windows. Lighthearted. Carefree. My boots slip on the polished wood. The ceilings are high here. Ornate. Carved with figures and faces that peer down at me. I feel small. Alone. I’ve felt alone ever since the cell. More alone than I’ve felt in weeks. It makes me more uneasy than the thought of the punishment I know is coming.
    A garden. Inside. With songbirds and flowers. It smells like wet earth and green plants. Reminds me of the jungles of Elespen. Of Saesa’s eyes. It’s warm in here. The air is thick and humid. I peer up at the glass ceiling and see men with brooms brushing away the falling snow to let the sunlight in. I slow my pace to