“She right. Big man dumb. Plenty room to look around here. No need panic.”
William chuckled and looked at the ground, shaking his head. “You’re right. I just...I feel responsible. Riley is getting worse, and we’re running out of time.”
William couldn’t remember the last time he had cried, but as he thought about Riley back in that wagon, emotions rose in him that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Guilt. Anger at not being able to fix her.
Worth’s large hand touched his shoulder, the bald man having moved closer. “She magic. She be okay. Trust Worth. We find sorceress, then we beat mage.”
William gritted his teeth, pulling himself out of his emotions. “Okay, then. Alexandra, you’re the one who wanted to come here. What do we do?”
The Chosen’s queen was quiet for a second as she looked at the gently lapping waves. “Worth and I will look tonight. Perhaps then we’ll be able to find her.”
“You two will look? Without me? Ha! Not happening!”
Alexandra rolled her eyes. “William, all you will do is walk around cursing and surely scare away anyone who might be wondering who we are. Let’s be honest; your magic use is rudimentary at best. Worth and I will look because we’re searching for someone who uses magic.”
“You just better hope neither one of you need to use a sword, because you’ll be shit outta luck then,” William retorted.
“Nope. Worth do that too.” The mage grinned.
“All right, enough.” William glanced at the small wagon. He was just glad to have made it here. Eric’s camel had been a real bastard about pulling the wagon. “I miss horses.” He shook his head and started walking back toward Eric. “Let’s get situated somewhere besides right here.”
Riley was his only concern right now. This mysterious sorceress was only a means to an end, the end being that Riley ended up in good health. If this didn’t work, William would be damned if he’d give up. He’d march right back to wherever Rendal was and kill the sonofabitch if he didn’t take this hex off.
The four worked their way down the beach. The lost city lay to the right, with many tall buildings like William had never seen before. They looked nothing like New Perth’s, nor Sidnie’s.
“The city’s from before the World’s Worst Day Ever?” William asked.
“I imagine so,” Alexandra answered. “The Chosen have never been here. We’ve only heard of it.”
“Gives me the fuckin’ creeps,” William growled as he looked at the dead buildings.
He saw no people. There were a few birds perched atop them, cawing every now and then, but other than that, things were silent.
They finally found a small, only half-ruined shack. William refused to go into the city, but this building was close to the beach.
They removed Riley from the wagon, William staring at her as he carried her inside. The roof was partially caved in, but the remaining portion appeared sturdy enough. It would keep the sun off Riley, and any inclement weather.
Finally, with the Right Hand resting safely, William turned to Eric. “You and me ain’t good enough at magic according to these two elitists, so we’re gonna have to find something to do while they go stumbling around that dead city. You know how to play cards?”
Eric grinned. “I lived on a ship for most of my life. What do you think?”
“I think you’re gonna lose a lot of money to me, kid.”
Night fell across the beach, moonlight streaking across the now-black ocean.
Alexandra and Worth exited the shack.
“You better find her!” William called from inside.
He’d grown grumpier with the passing hours, but Alexandra understood. He was concerned about his friend. She was concerned about her savior.
“Where to?” Worth asked as they looked at the fallen city.
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Better. Worth smarter.”
Alexandra glanced at the bald mage, seeing a smile across his face. “Yeah, yeah. Lead the way, then.”
Worth’s drinking had completely stopped since Riley’s illness. No one said anything, but they all understood. He was as concerned as everyone else, and he obviously wanted a clear mind to help bring her back.
He began walking, and Alexandra followed. Neither of them could be sure the woman was here, but what other choice did they have?
“If she’s anywhere, she has to be hiding in the buildings,” Alexandra remarked.
“Worth know. That why Worth head that way.”
“You trying to replace William’s dickishness?”
“Dickishness not word,” he responded. “People say Worth don’t know language. Alexandra don’t know language.”
Alexandra grinned as the two reached the first line of buildings. Roofs were caving in, balconies had fallen, and large stones littered the ground around them. Grass grew tall. Alexandra could see trees inside the structures, glassless windows now having branches sticking out of them. She watched a lizard scurry across the cracked pavement.
“You feel her?” Worth asked.
“I feel something.”
Alexandra hadn’t felt it earlier, but she did now. The place had felt empty when they first arrived, but her psychic magic was detecting...something new. She just didn’t know what it was.
Worth’s eyes became red, then bright white light left his arms. It shot into the air and hovered high like a spotlight before disappearing into the clouds above. It almost looked as if a light from the heavens were falling instead of the other way around.
“Know we here now,” he said.
They walked down the cracked and broken roads. Nature had reclaimed much of this place, and in another decade or so, these roads would not exist. Perhaps in another hundred years, even the buildings would complete their crumbling.
An unseen bird chirped in the distance.
The two mages walked for an hour, neither say anything. Alexandra’s feeling that someone was here grew stronger. She sensed a presence, although she couldn’t pinpoint it or find out anything about it.
“They strong,” Worth said. “Definitely stronger than Alexandra. Probably not Worth.”
He was grinning.
“Yeah, you’re definitely replacing William’s dickishness.”
Why are you here?
The words whispered through Alexandra’s head, and she knew from Worth’s immediate halt that he heard them too.
Alexandra didn’t know whether to speak verbally or through her mind but decided to respond in kind. She made sure Worth heard her too.
We’re looking for someone named Linda. The rumors are, she brought magic to this place, and then she disappeared. The rumors are, she came here.
Long seconds of silence passed. Neither mage moved.
Why do you want her?
Alexandra blinked, although she didn’t look at Worth. She wanted to portray strength right now, not any sort of nervousness or fear. If the rumors were right, this woman was a very powerful sorceress, and she might be able to dash both of them to bits without much—
“This bullshit. Come out. Quit hiding!” Worth yelled. His words echoed off the buildings around them, cracking the silence like a bullwhip.
Alexandra’s eyes widened, and she stared at the bald mage. He looked right back at her and shrugged. “Linda annoying.”
Alexandra laughed, unable to help herself.
“You should learn how to talk to your elders.”
The words came from behind Alexandra. She spun, her eyes immediately going red.
A woman stood thirty feet above them on the third floor of a ruined building. The window’s glass no longer existed, and she stood close enough to the edge that her toes nearly hung off the edge. Her eyes were red as well.
Alexandra stared hard, taking the woman in. She was old; the word “ancient” came to mind.
“No one’s ever called me that,” the woman said. “I don’t appreciate it.”
She read my thoughts, Alexand
ra thought, and did it so deftly, I didn’t notice.
“You should leave,” the woman called down. “And never come back.”
“You should shut it,” Worth yelled up. “Need help. Come down.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Who is this lout that talks to me so?”
“Worth,” he answered. “No time for games. Get down.”
“You speak like a toddler,” the old woman mocked.
“You look like skeleton,” Worth shot back.
A slim smile spread across the woman’s mouth and a blue flame came to life in her hand, a color that Alexandra had not seen in magic before, but which clearly showed the intensity of the heat.
“You should leave,” the woman said again, “or I’ll make you.”
Worth opened his mouth in a wide yawn, exaggerating the noise to clearly make a point. His eyes were blazing red as well. When he finished, he said, “Come down or Worth drag you down.”
The blue flame shot from the woman’s hand, a tunnel of fiery light that slammed into the ground in front of the two mages.
Alexandra whirled to her right as rocks broke apart and scattered into the air from the fire’s fury. Her hands were already working, blue ice shooting out in front of her and Worth. It built from the ground up, forming a thick layer that started melting the moment the fire’s warmth touched it.
Worth backed up, yet no magic flowing from him.
The woman stood still in her window, but the flames didn’t venture forward. Rather, they burned in the exact same place on the shattered road.
Alexandra quit shooting ice, the barrier now six inches thick.
“We no scared,” Worth called. “We fight, we must. Come down. Stop this childishness.”
Alexandra stepped up next to the bald mage. She waved her hand at the barrier in front of her and it cracked at once, tiny pieces of ice hitting the ground before melting away.
The blue flames still burned; Alexandra could feel the heat against her skin. If the old woman moved them a foot forward, the two of them would roast.
“You two are stubborn bastards, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Alexandra said. “We’re here for a very important reason, and both of us are willing to die for it.”
“Damn it,” the old woman spat. “You know how many years I’ve been here without having idiots like you coming to look for me? At least ones that I couldn’t scare away?”
“No. Don’t care neither,” Worth told her.
The blue flames died, leaving the three standing in near-darkness.
Sweat covered Alexandra’s forehead.
“You won’t leave?” the old woman asked.
“No,” Alexandra answered.
“I’m too old for this shit. I’m too old to be killing, and I’m definitely too old to be called upon. Ezekiel might have wanted to do this fucking crap for the rest of his life, but I don’t.”
“Too bad.” Worth grinned. “‘Cause we need your help.”
Chapter Two
“You sent William with them?”
Mason heard the disapproval in the old Prefect’s voice as he asked the question.
“Yes, Father. I don’t know what they’ll face on their journey, and Riley needs all the help she can get.”
Goland Ire nodded, his back to his son. It’d taken Mason five days to reach New Perth; he knew absolutely nothing of what was happening in Sidnie or what was going on with Riley. They’d blitzed their way here—him, Erin, the two kids, and Lucie.
The group had arrived two hours prior, and now Mason sat in front of his father, explaining the situation.
“And Verith. He didn’t make it?”
Mason shook his head. “No, sir. He didn’t.”
Goland turned around. His face was thinner than when Mason had last seen him.
“What do you think the outlook is for Riley?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. If they don’t find that woman—her name is Linda—it’s not good.”
Goland made his way to his chair, slowly sitting down. Tobacco sat on a small saucer, along with rolling papers. He began to sprinkle the tobacco in the yellow-tinted paper, not looking up. “Linda… I know the name, but not much else. It’s a crazy tale you’ve given me, son. People who live underground. This Linda woman somehow still being alive. I’m unsure what to believe. I’m unsure if perhaps Rendal didn’t scramble your brain during your time with him.”
Mason remained quiet, letting his father think.
“We do not have either of our Right Hands, and our greatest general is dead. From what you tell me, Rendal’s influence and power have grown tremendously. He’s no longer a possibility to be feared in the north, but an active threat coming from the east.”
His father started rolling the cigarette.
“Do you think he’s coming?”
“Yes,” Mason answered. “If he’s not here yet, he will be soon.”
“What do you think we should do?”
They were standing in his father’s chambers, and with that question, Mason walked to the chair in front of the desk. He sat down and crossed one leg over the other. “We could poison the whole city before he gets here. Kill everyone and leave him poisoned water to drink.”
His father looked up, one eyebrow raised. “Funny.”
Mason smiled, although it faded quickly as he considered the question. “We have two options. We can try to fight him, or we can surrender immediately and hope Riley and William return.”
“I’m going to die one day, Mason. Given the way I feel right now, it might be sooner rather than later. You’re going to have to make decisions, although you’ve known that since you were nine years old. Tell me the pros and cons to both of those ideas.”
“If we fight,” Mason answered, “he may destroy the entire kingdom, buildings and citizens alike. Yet, if we win, Rendal dies. If we surrender, we’ll save a lot of lives, but Riley may not return. Or if she does, she still might not be able to defeat him.”
Goland nodded. “You’re not as dumb as you look, son.” The old man grinned, then put the cigarette in his mouth.
“You saw Riley fight him. What do you think? If she returns, can she win?”
Mason remembered the cage. His time with Rendal had been a nightmare, but he’d sat inside those metal bars and watched Riley go toe-to-toe with the madman. She wasn’t as skilled as he was, and she didn’t have the sheer power or the knowledge of how to use what she had as he did.
Yet she hadn’t backed down. She hadn’t submitted. She’d fought him to a standstill.
“If she can’t, she’ll die trying.”
“That’s avoiding the question, son. We may all die trying. Can she succeed?”
Mason leaned forward in his chair, placing his elbows on his knees. “She can.”
“We’ll start preparations, then.” Goland took a drag on the cigarette, releasing the smoke into the air a moment later. “We’ll prepare for war and hope for peace.”
There was a knock on the door and Mason stood, turning around.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Goland said. “Come in!”
The door opened and a scout walked in, followed by a guard. The scout had a deep tan from his time outside the walls, and sand crusted his skin and hair.
“Your Grace, this is Bentley Little,” the guard commented. “He works the eastern perimeter. He has urgent news.”
“Go on,” Goland commanded. “Let’s hear it.”
“He’s coming, your Grace.” The scout was clearly frightened, his eyes wide and his voice strained. “His army… It stretches as far as I could see. It didn’t appear to end.”
Mason looked at his father.
The old man took another drag on his cigarette. “Bentley, did you leave your balls out there while you were scouting?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Buck up, man. We’re New Perthians, not cowards who shake in our boots. He may be nearly here, but that doesn’t mean we have to cower befor
e him. Show some backbone.”
The scout looked down at his feet. “Yes, your Grace. I apologize.”
Goland gazed to Mason. “All right, son. Let’s get ready to greet the bastard.”
Rendal didn’t just like what he saw; he loved it.
“Harold, have you ever in all your days viewed anything so beautiful? Nothing ever created looked better than this.” He smiled. “I must say, I have arrived.”
“Yes, sir. I would say you have,” Harold answered.
Before Rendal stood tens of thousands of soldiers, men and women alike. Battalion after battalion, some on camelback, some on foot. Some held swords, others maces. The archers were next; they marched close to Rendal, who rode above it all in a large tent-covered vehicle that towered above those he had mastered.
His best warrior mages surrounded him, teenagers that he’d personally helped train.
All of them ready to do battle.
And in front of this army? New Perth. Archers stood atop the kingdom’s walls, their arrows ready to fire at the Prefect’s word.
Rendal didn’t give a damn about those silly archers. He didn’t care about the force that awaited them behind the walls, either. He was a returning king, come to take his land.
“Harold, do you think we should just attack? I’ve been considering it. Just wipe them off the board with a sweep of my hand. Or should we allow them to surrender?”
“Sir,” Harold responded, “that’s above my pay grade.”
Rendal didn’t care one way or another what Harold thought about this. He was trying to keep his mind off the real problem, the one he couldn’t figure out yet: was Riley here? He understood what he’d done to her, and although he’d had no choice, he was regretting it now.
He hadn’t expected such power from her.
True, he knew her potential, but the way she’d fought him! For the first time in his life, he’d grown frightened, because she might be able to kill him. Not then, not back in Sidnie, but in the future?
Yes. Maybe.
She was most likely dead. It wasn’t what Rendal wanted, but what other choice had he had? She wouldn’t join him, and if her power continued growing unabated, who could tell what would happen next time?
Hand of Justice Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4): The Dark Mage, Chasing Magic, Magic Rising, Magic Unchained Page 57
