The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [59]
Flattery was not as sympathetic to her plight as Giogi had been. In fact, the wizard was not sympathetic at all. "You should have stayed there and saved me the trouble of listening to your pitiful excuses," he growled.
Cat trembled for a minute. Olive thought the woman might be weeping, but since the halfling couldn't see the mage's face, she couldn't be sure.
"Continue," Flattery snapped.
Cat sniffled once and obeyed. "Giogioni Wyvernspur found me in the catacombs," she said. "I told him what I have told you, that I did not steal the spur only because someone else stole it first, and he believed me completely. His uncle, Drone Wyvernspur, had told him he would not find the thief in the catacombs, and he took the old man's word as prophecy.
"Realizing that Drone must know something more of the thief, I arranged to return with Giogioni, planning to meet Drone and wheedle his information from him. Drone died this morning, however, in a spell gone awry."
"The town heralds announced his death," Flattery said. For the first time, he sounded pleased. "Not that it came as a surprise, did it?" he chuckled.
"I don't understand," Cat replied with confusion. "His family seemed rather shocked by it."
Flattery snorted derisively. "You can be such a fool. I presume," he said imperiously, "that you have an excuse for not returning to me immediately after you discovered Drone Wyvernspur was dead."
"Drone left a message for Giogioni Wyvernspur instructing him to find the thief," Cat explained anxiously. "If I remain beside Giogioni, and he succeeds, I shall have the information you seek."
"By all reports, this Giogioni is an idiot and a fop. How can he succeed where I cannot? You are wasting both your time and my own," Flattery growled.
"Yet, Drone Wyvernspur confided in Giogioni and left the search in his hands. Didn't you tell me yesterday that Drone was shrewd?"
"Yes," Flattery admitted reluctantly. He sat, unspeaking, for several moments, deep in his own thoughts. Finally he asked Cat, "Under what pretext are you remaining beside this Giogioni?"
"I told him I was afraid to return to my master without the spur. He has offered me protection from you."
Flattery burst into laughter. The sound echoed unpleasantly through the carriage house rafters and made Olive's fur-clad flesh crawl. The wizard leaped down from the buggy, grasped the rear right wheel in his hands, and snapped it in half. As the axle crashed to the ground, Cat lost her balance. Flattery caught her in his arms and spun around wildly. To Olive, his treatment of the woman appeared not like a dancer swinging a partner, but like a vicious dog shaking a rag doll.
When he stopped his mad capering, Flattery fell back against Daisyeye's stall. Still holding Cat in his arms, he whispered harshly, "The Wyvernspur never breathed who could protect you should I find you've betrayed me. Don't ever forget that."
A dim beam of light illuminated his face, revealing the terrifying rictus grin he wore. Olive's heart skipped several beats, and she forgot to breathe for a moment as she stared in horror at Flattery's face. He had cruel ice-blue eyes, a hawk nose, thin lips, a sharp jawline-all the features of a Wyvernspur on a face younger than Nameless's and older than Steele's and Frefford's. The face of Jade's murderer.
"You trust me with so little. How can it be in my power to betray you?" Cat asked.
Flattery's eyes glowered. "Don't nip at me, foolish Cat. What's annoyed you now?"
"You did not tell me of the guardian of the crypt."
Flattery shrugged as he set her down. "What of it?"
"The guardian slays anyone in the crypt who is not a Wyvernspur. You told me nothing of this. You did not even tell me you were a Wyvernspur."
"So you've figured