The Shattering Song (Song Magic Book 2)

by Imogen Elvis

  From this high up, Briar could see everything. She swallowed hard and turned away from the sight of the empty stage. There was no time to worry about the execution. No time to imagine Kade, sitting in a cell somewhere, bruised and bloodied, preparing to face his death, not knowing whether they would be able to save him in time. Briar touched the song catcher through the fabric of her dress. They would save him.

  Lady Madella took her seat among her fellow council members, shaking her silky skirts out around her, exchanging quiet greetings with the people sitting around as she settled herself. Then she beckoned to Briar. “The song council is on the other side of the royal box.” She gestured with a slight tilt of her head. “You will need to go down a couple of rows before you can pass. See those guards?” Again, a slight head movement, this time indicating the circle of blue-coated guards ringing the base of the balcony, their eyes scanning the crowds around and below them. “They ensure no one gets too close to the royal family. No servant will be allowed near. Not even one of mine.”

  “Are there guards near the song council?”

  “No more than are guarding us here,” Lady Madella said. “Move quickly and with purpose, and they will leave you be.” Her eyes flicked away from Briar’s face and up towards the balcony as a fanfare of trumpets struck up. “That heralds the arrival of the royal family. You must hurry.”

  Sure enough, as the trumpets blared, a man and a woman stepped out of the castle and into view, taking their places in the two throne-like seats at the very edge of the balcony. Gold glinted on their heads, crowns that marked them as the king and queen. Queen Acacia sat with her back straight, eyes drifting over the crowd as if nothing here concerned her in the slightest. As if she wasn’t about to watch her son die.

  By contrast, the king was slumped in his chair, his chin sunk onto his chest, eyes half-closed, staring vacantly across the courtyard as if he didn’t really understand why he was here and didn’t much care to know. No wonder the council worked so hard to place another ruler in his place. Master Sachio had turned King Varik into a mere shell of a man.

  The ripple that ran through the crowd didn’t dissipate as the king took his seat though. It intensified the anticipation mounting. Briar hurried back down the stairs, descending through the rows of seating until she was sure that she would be able to pass the royal box without a guard challenging her. Sweat trickled down her back, and she picked up speed, head down, doing her best to slide past people without jostling them. Keep moving. Don’t draw attention. She passed below the royal box, her gaze firmly fixed on the stairs at the opposite side of the seating.

  Another blare of trumpets. The crowd roared, dragging Briar’s eyes down into the square. A row of soldiers marched out from the castle, parting the crowd like blades of grass, creating a clear path straight through the middle, all the way to the stage. Their blue coats stood out vividly among the townspeople. Behind the soldiers marched a couple of guards dressed all in black. And between them, held firmly in their grasp, was Kade.

  He held his head high, although his hands were chained behind his back, and his ankles had also been manacled together so that he could only walk in a shuffle. The crowd whooped and jeered, but it was as if Kade didn’t even notice they were there. Briar couldn’t see his face from this distance, but he held himself as proud as any prince could. Briar’s eyes were drawn back to him again and again, even as she wove her way through the seats, drinking in the sight of him, here, and alive. For now.

  The procession passed right through the middle of the crowd. Kade looked neither left nor right but continued in the same measured tread, eyes fixed straight ahead of him. As he approached the stage and began the careful climb up the steps, the cuffs around his ankles weighing down his feet, drums began to roll. Briar’s mouth went dry. They would read his crimes, and then he would be executed. They were out of time.

  Head down, Briar elbowed her way past the other servants attending the nobles and finally reached the steps on the other side of the seating area. A couple of indignant cries rose from behind her, but she ignored them. No time for manners now. Not when she had the song council in her sights at last. They sat in one long row at the very top of the tiers of seating. Two of the chairs were empty. One would have belonged to Mistress Rhosmari. After all this time, they were still waiting for a new master or mistress of beast song to be appointed. The other was Master Sachio’s. But of course, he would be up in the royal box, standing in the shadows and smiling as he took one more step towards the throne.

  On the stage below, a small man with a shining bald head unrolled a piece of parchment. A hush fell over the square as he cleared his throat and began to read, his voice ringing off the stone walls. “Levi. Former crown prince of Kerr. You stand here accused of many crimes, including high treason against the crown, plotting against the life of the king, conspiring with a hostile nation…”

  Briar didn’t wait to hear more but climbed faster, her eyes fixed on the song council. Master Talor hadn’t seen her yet. He leaned sideways in his seat, speaking to Mistress Brynn, the wind singer who’d sacrificed her powers to stop the children. The woman who’d inadvertently killed Ava. Briar’s stomach clenched. The mistress’s face was pale and huge, dark shadows like deep bruises ringed her eyes, but she sat as straight and proper as any of the council. All Briar had to do was get the catcher to Master Talor, and then everything would be up to him.

  A murmur rippled through the crowd, interrupting the reading of Kade’s crimes. Briar glanced back as the man reading out the list faltered. A lone figure leapt between the guards at the bottom of the stairs, scaling the stairs at a rapid pace. Briar’s eyes widened. Lara? She was supposed to be waiting near the stage, ready to protect. What was she doing?

  “Sachio,” Lara yelled. “Come out and face me, you coward.”

  Every eye turned at the sound of her voice, including Master Talor’s. For the first time, he saw Briar, his eyes widening slightly. With everyone so distracted, Briar took the opportunity to edge closer to the council, her fingers pulling at the chain around her neck which held the catcher. Almost there-

  A group of guards rushed down from the royal box. They cleared a path through the nobles, who had risen from their seats to see what the commotion was, and the servants running their errands. In their hurry, the soldiers pushed Briar off the stairs. She stumbled back into one of the rows of seats, almost falling into the lap of an older noblewoman, her mouth too red and her eyes tight with disapproval.

  “How dare you!” the woman exclaimed. “Don’t touch me.”

  “I’m sorry.” Briar didn’t glance back. The soldiers lined the stairs exactly where she needed to go, leaving no way to reach Master Talor. They drew their weapons, the blades of their swords catching the sun as they set themselves into a defensive formation between Lara and the royal family.

  Lara slowed as she approached. Her eyes were narrowed, and wisps of dark hair had escaped her braid to blow around her face. She too drew a sword. Where had she found a weapon in such a short time? She wielded it now as if she meant to use it.

  “Hiding behind your guards again, Sachio?” she called as if facing down four heavily armed royal guards meant nothing at all to her. “Are you afraid of what I can tell people about you? About what you’ve done?”

  Briar edged away from the older noblewoman who squawked some other protest that fell on deaf ears. If she could just get around the guards… But they shifted as Lara mounted the next few stairs, and Briar was pushed back again.

  Master Sachio stepped out of the royal box. “Stand aside.” He motioned for the guards to clear a path. “I will deal with this myself.”

  “But sir-”

  “Let me through.” He sounded so calm and in control of everything. Hate burned inside Briar just looking at him, but at the same time, she cowered behind the guards, too afraid to let him see her. “Lara Brockhurst. Have you come to face your own sentence?”

  “Have you come to confess to your c
rimes?” Lara countered.

  “Crimes?” Master Sachio let out an amused chuckle, coming to a halt a few steps above Lara, his head tilted to one side as he regarded her with amusement. “I have nothing to confess to.”

  “You killed my brother,” Lara cried. “Did that slip from your memory?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Rowen never did anything wrong, and you had him killed anyway. Stabbed through the heart. He died, choking on his own blood. My brother. You had him tied up and made helpless, and you just killed him.” Lara took another step towards him, her eyes blazing. “You’re a murderer.”

  “I never raised a hand against your brother.” Master Sachio shook his head. “Lower your weapon. Surrender, and our king may yet be merciful.”

  Having seen the king’s face, Briar doubted he would even recognise Lara, let alone remember what mercy was. Maybe Lara realised that, for, rather than lowering her sword, she raised it, shifting on the balls of her feet. “Shall I tell everyone what you’ve done? The crimes you’ve committed? I think everyone would be interested in hearing how you’ve lied to them, and manipulated them. Maybe I should tell them how the attack two nights ago was carried out under your orders.”

  Master Sachio didn’t even flinch at the accusation. Lara knew too much, but who would listen to her? How much could she really say before they silenced her for good? Briar had to get this catcher to Master Talor. But there was no way to reach him. She clasped the catcher close, the smooth white crystal cool against her fingers. Someone had to stop him.

  Why not her?

  She had the catcher. And Master Sachio was right there, so close she could almost touch him. It only needed a magician to use the catcher. But she’d have to sacrifice her magic to do it. She’d have to give up everything that being a magician promised her, the life she had always wanted, the safety and security that came with belonging to the Order. The very idea of a life without magic was almost unthinkable. Her fingers tightened around the catcher until the edges of the crystal bit into her skin. How could she stand losing all that?

  But if sacrificing her magic was unthinkable, so was losing Kade. So was standing aside and letting Master Sachio take the throne unchallenged. So was throwing away months and months of hardship and heartbreak just so she could be selfish. When the crown sat on Master Sachio’s head, would he really be content then? Would he be willing to work for the people he had found so expendable? No.

  Briar could still walk away, but it would be to live in the knowledge that she was a coward. Her fingers tightened on the song catcher. She was no coward. What was it Master Talor had said? Any magician other than a song councillor would have to touch their target, and here Master Sachio stood, so close that she only needed to take a step to be able to grasp his arm. She might never get a better chance than this. Briar sucked in a deep breath and sent a quick prayer up, begging the Crystal Tree to lend her its strength one more time. Then she lunged between the guards and grabbed Master Sachio’s arm.

  The song of the catcher was cold fury bubbling from her lips. Every note was an icy shard, each one sharper than the last. The song latched onto Master Sachio and Briar with a thousand needle-like points. Master Sachio’s life song was warm with magic, blazing in the darkness. The catcher latched onto it, the cold music drawing the fire from his song, while the crystal in Briar’s hand grew hotter and hotter, burning into her skin until she could hardly hang on to it. The magic shed from Master Sachio’s life song like a snake shedding its skin, a thousand notes shattering around them.

  But his wasn’t the only song the catcher attacked. Its cold claws tore at Briar too. Ice flowed through her veins, drawing the magic out of her, first in a trickle, then in a stream, and then in a flood. It burned through her, draining her of everything she had. Briar didn’t fight it, didn’t hold back her magic. She let the catcher take what it wanted. A sacrifice in exchange for freedom, safety, life.

  There was nothing in the world now except for this one song. Pain stabbed at the very centre of her chest like a dagger piercing straight to her heart. Briar gasped, breathless and aching, exhausted by the effort. But she sang on, though every note was torture as it fell from her lips. If she opened her eyes, Briar felt that this song would be the only thing she would see, a myriad of sharp-edged notes swirling around her and Master Sachio. There was nothing in the world except her fingers curled desperately around his wrist, the song roaring in her ears, the magic ebbing away, and the pain wracking through her body. She would sing this song until it, or she, shattered.

  And then, like a door slamming, everything was gone. The song vanished, and the catcher in Briar’s hand was cold and silent. Her eyes fluttered open. She swayed on her feet, her tight grip on Master Sachio’s arm the only thing holding her upright. Everything was so bright, so loud. Only a moment or two had passed, and yet it felt like a lifetime.

  “You-you-” Master Sachio ripped his arm from her grasp, fumbling for words for the first time Briar could remember. “Seize her.”

  The nearest guard grabbed onto Briar, his fingers digging into her upper arm. In a way, she was grateful. If it weren’t for his grasp, Briar probably would have tumbled down among the seats to lie there, exhausted and completely drained. She forced her bleary eyes to focus on Master Sachio. Fury twisted his face into an animalistic snarl, and his eyes, usually so calm and calculating, blazed. Had the catcher done its work? Had it taken his magic? Briar searched his face with her blurry eyes. His skin was a touch greyer, and he did seem a little less steady on his feet, but there was nothing to confirm whether the catcher had actually done what she’d hoped. What if, after everything, she had still failed?

  Master Sachio finally tore his eyes away from Briar, turning to one of the soldiers. “Continue with the execution. And bring these two up to the royal box. I want them to have the best view.” He spun on his heel and started back up the steps.

  The soldier holding Briar twisted her arms behind her back and pushed her ahead of him up the stairs. She swayed on her feet. Even climbing the steps was almost too much to ask of her weary body. The edges of her vision faded in and out from black. She went quietly, too tire to struggle. Not so Lara, who, judging by the sounds from behind Briar, was making it as difficult as possible for her guards to move her.

  There were more guards in the royal box. Some stood sentry by the door that led into the castle, while others watched the stairs, and still others stood near the thrones, ready to protect the king and queen at a moment’s notice. Briar could feel their eyes on her in a thousand dagger-like points. She sagged. Even after all this, they seemed doomed to failure. Kade would still die. And what then?

  Master Sachio strode forward to stand behind King Varik, leaning on his chair to look out over the edge of the balcony, any pretence at deference gone. Behind Briar, two soldiers hauled Lara bodily up into the box, turning her so that she faced out over the square, right down to where Kade stood, before the execution block. She strained against their grip, her chin up, lips pressed together in defiance.

  The queen looked up at Master Sachio; two tiny frown lines appeared between her brows. “Is everything alright, Sachio?” Her eyes flicked from Briar to Lara, and the colour drained out of her cheeks. “Who are they? What’s happening.”

  “A couple of rebels.” Master Sachio’s voice was tight. “Nothing to worry about now.”

  “Are you sure-”

  “I said, there’s nothing to worry about.” He raised his voice. “Continue with the execution.”

  “-for these and all your other many crimes, you have been sentenced to death.” The man reading Kade’s crimes picked right up where he’d left off. Briar swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. They’d failed. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Kade, who still stood, back straight, head held high. Had he seen their defeat? Did he know that she’d failed him? Tears brimmed in her eyes.

  The two guards in their black uniforms, grasped Kade’s a
rms, marching him right up to the execution block, before forcing him to his knees. Briar couldn’t breathe. No. Please. After all this, all their travelling, their fighting, their sheer determination in the face of such monumental odds, she couldn’t lose him like this. And yet, there was nothing she could do but watch. The drums struck up a low, ominous roll that built and built as the two black-clad guards stepped back, leaving Kade kneeling, helpless, his head resting on the block. The executioner stepped forward. Even in the face of all this, King Varik didn’t so much as lift his head. There would be no mercy from the king, it seemed. The executioner took his position and hefted the axe. This was it. This was the end of everything.

  A single voice rose in song, thin, high, young, almost drowned out by the thunder of the drums. This voice was joined by another, and then another. Six children pushed through the crowd and swarmed up the stairs and onto the stage. The executioner paused, his axe still hefted, glancing at the children as if confused.

  A blast of wind whipped up, punching into the executioner and pushing him backwards. His feet slid over the boards. The man lowered his axe and strained to step towards Kade again. The two black-clad guards grabbed for their weapons, starting forward, only for the wind to push them back too, holding them fixed in place. Their clothes flapped around them wildly as the wind increased.

  The children approached Kade, where he knelt, forming a ring around him. Briar’s heart clenched. Was this too, a part of Master Sachio’s plan? But the children didn’t attack. Instead of facing Kade and turning on him, they formed a protective circle, their songs aimed against the guards on the stage, and those that rushed for the stairs.

  A flock of birds dove from the skies, pecking and clawing at the guards on the stairs. Rats and mice poured out of hiding to swarm the guards climbing the stairs. Their shrieks echoed through the courtyard as the vermin clambered over their skin and into their uniforms. The very boards of the stage cracked and splintered underfoot, crumbling as the frontmost soldiers forced their way towards the ring of children. All the time, the wind blew, forcing them to struggle as if wading through deep mud.