Storms of Magic Boxed Set: Books 1-4

by Hylton, PT

  Abbey wasn’t so sure. Trusting Syd’s brother was one thing. He’d proven himself to be a person who cared about bringing justice to the people who’d been mistreated in Gren for so long. Trusting a Barskall warlord was something else altogether.

  “I already told you,” Ragnar said. “This is my punishment. I’m to live out the rest of my life in Horg. I’ve been here quite some time, and I’ve learned my way around.”

  “No, I understand that. Where I’m having trouble with is the fact that you know the way out. Why don’t you just leave? We could have used you out there in the fight against Magnus.” There was anger in Elliot’s voice as he spoke to his former leader.

  Ragnar marched silently through the tunnel, torch held high, for so long that Abbey thought he wasn’t going to answer. Finally he did.

  “I can’t leave, Elliot. It’s a matter of honor.”

  The Tall Grass Raider clearly didn’t like that answer. “Honor? Are you kidding me? Was it honorable when Magnus lured you to Ammaas under the pretense of negotiation and then captured you?”

  “Of course not.” The Barskall warlord’s voice was harsh. “But it’s not about what they did. It’s about what I did. What I tried to do. I tried to conquer both Barskall and Gren, and many died in the process. My punishment is just.”

  “And what about the good you could do if you were out here? You could stop Magnus.”

  “Wish I could. But I vowed to stay in Horg, and I intend to keep my promise.”

  Abbey chuckled. “How are they going to feel when they learn you helped their prisoners escape?”

  “Not great, I imagine. But I never vowed to make you stay in Horg.”

  They continued for a long while in silence. Abbey had lost all track of time. It had been night when they’d entered the tunnel with Ragnar, but she had no idea how much time had passed since then. It might have been two hours, or it might have been five.

  After what seemed like forever, Elliot spoke. “How about Sika and the council? They promised to go after Magnus and drag him and his followers back to Horg. Will they follow through even though we ran off?”

  “I expect they will,” Ragnar said. “It’s not about you. It’s about the people of Gren. The Stone Shapers of Horg are surprisingly honorable. Not like Magnus. Or Dahlia.”

  Elliot chuckled. “That’s a name I haven’t heard for many years.”

  “And thank the seas for that,” Hekla interjected. “I did my best to forget about that evil bitch.”

  Abbey and Clemens exchanged glances.

  Elliot turned to Abbey. “Consider yourself lucky you haven’t had to deal with her.”

  Ragnar grunted his agreement. “Magnus is bad, but at least he was honest in his nasty intentions. He wanted to rule Gren, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. Dahlia, on the other hand, was willing to switch sides at the shifting of the wind. Whatever served her purpose.”

  “The Queen of Storms.” The contempt was thick in Elliot’s voice. “That’s what Magnus and his friends called her. They’d never seen storm magic, so they practically considered her a god.”

  Hekla scoffed at that. “Little did they know she would betray them moment it suited her, like she did Ragnar.”

  “She’d promised to help me take Barskall,” Ragnar explained. “Apparently Elias offered her something better than I did, because she sold me out.”

  Abbey grimaced. That wasn’t the story she’d heard from Dahlia—not that she ever trusted anything that woman said.

  “Thank the seas she’s an ocean away,” Ragnar said. “I’m not afraid of much in this world, but I am afraid of her.”

  Abbey glanced at Clemens. He quickly shook his head, his eyes wide. He didn’t want Abbey to tell the truth about Dahlia, but she wasn’t about to lie to these people. Not after all they’d done for her.

  “She’s not an ocean away. She’s aboard our ship. She’s the one who showed us how to find Ammaas.”

  Elliot stopped in his tracks. “You’re kidding. Tell me you’re kidding, Abbey.”

  “I’m not. It was the only way to find you.” The look of shock in his eyes made her continue quickly, “But don’t worry. We’re keeping her drugged. There’s no way she can use her powers.”

  Ragnar grimaced. “If you think stormcalling is her greatest power, you don’t know her very well.”

  Abbey bristled. “I’ve faced her twice. The first time I killed her partner Captain Tor, and the second time I helped destroy her fleet. I think I know her.”

  Elliot looked at her wide-eyed, as if he were seeing her for the first time. “You killed Captain Tor?”

  Ragnar spoke before Abbey could answer. “It doesn’t matter. As long as you keep Dahlia away from Horg, I don’t care what she does. If the Queen of Storms comes to the city of the true Stone Shapers, I think she’ll find a nasty surprise.” He gestured to where the path angled sharply upward. “This is it.”

  “Already?” Clemens asked. “Doesn’t seem like we’ve traveled far enough.”

  Ragnar scoffed. “Stone Shapers can cut a direct path through bedrock. Makes for much faster travel.”

  After a few minutes of strenuous climbing the opening came into sight; dim sunlight shone through. Abbey realized it must be morning. She hadn’t slept in more than twenty-four hours.

  Ragnar stopped and turned to Abbey. “I’ll leave you here. And I hope you don’t mind me saying I hope I never see you again.” He looked at Elliot, then at Hekla. “You two, on the other hand, are welcome anytime.”

  They said their goodbyes to Ragnar and headed for the surface.

  As they stepped through the exit, Abbey’s suspicions were confirmed. The sun was just peeking over the eastern horizon. It was early morning.

  “Abbey, look.” Clemens pointed at something just past the exit.

  The Stone Shaper guard lay unconscious on the ground.

  And just behind him stood Gideon. He grinned at them. “I was wondering when you might show up.”

  Abbey started to draw her sword, but then she saw Gideon wasn’t alone. Fannar and Olaf stood on either side of him.

  “He’s on our side now,” Olaf explained. “It’s a whole thing.”

  Abbey blinked hard. Even the dim morning sunlight hurt her eyes after so long in the caves. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “Come, my friends,” Fannar said. “Let’s head back to the ship. We have much to tell you, and not all of it is good.”

  * * *

  They stood near the prow of The Foggy Day, the five of them together for the first time.

  Syd the Captain. Dustin the Storm Caller. Abbey the First Mate. Benjamin the veteran warrior. Elliot the rebel leader. Whether officially or unofficially, they were the leaders of this crew, and they needed to decide what to do next.

  They’d considered including Gideon in the discussion, but Syd hadn’t decided if she trusted him. He’d betrayed them once already, after all. He’d explained himself to Abbey, Elliot, Hekla, and Clemens on the walk back to the ship. He’d told them how he couldn’t force himself to go back to helping his brother after the things he’d seen in that village. Still, the others didn’t fully trust him.

  It was mid-morning, and The Foggy Day was anchored two miles offshore a good distance north of Ammaas. They were safe, or as safe as one could be in enemy territory. Syd had picked up the other Tall Grass Raiders north of the city, and they were all aboard the stormship.

  The fact that she hadn’t slept in more than twenty-four hours didn’t cross Abbey’s mind. There was too much happening. All these people she cared about were united in one place and for one purpose.

  A strange mix of excitement, happiness at the reunion, and utter dread at Dahlia’s escape hung in the air.

  “I’m just going to say it,” Syd began. “We did what we came here to do. We rescued Elliot and his friends. Not only that, but Tomas and his Stone Shapers are on their way to deal with Magnus. There’s no longer a need for the Tall Grass Raiders. We’re done.�
��

  Dustin scratched his beard, as he often did when he was thinking. “You’re suggesting we go home?”

  “I’m not suggesting anything. We’re a team, and I’m not going to pull rank and dictate our course of action. I want to know what all of you think.”

  From a certain perspective, Syd’s point of view made sense to Abbey. They’d done the impossible. Again. They’d changed the fate of a nation, and they’d found Syd’s long-lost brother.

  “I don’t know,” Elliot replied. “Those villages are still hungry. How do I know they’ll be okay once Tomas and his friends take down Magnus?”

  Syd answered immediately, “You don’t, but you can’t babysit them the rest of their lives. You’ve given them a chance. Isn’t that enough?”

  Elliot didn’t answer. He just gazed at the open sea. Toward home.

  Abbey couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. There was something Syd was conveniently forgetting. “What about Dahlia?”

  “What about her?” Syd shrugged. “We leave her stranded a thousand miles from home.”

  “That’s not good enough,” Dustin said. “Not for a woman like her. She’ll build a fleet just like she did in Barskall. It will take a while, but a few years from now she’ll show up outside Holdgate with an army of Stone Shapers.”

  “Not to mention the effect on Gren,” Elliot interjected. “Having the Queen of Storms on his side would be mighty useful to Magnus when he’s fighting Tomas.”

  Dustin nodded. “And if Tomas wins, she’ll just switch sides. It’s what she does.”

  Abbey agreed with everything that had been said about Dahlia, but that wasn’t her real reason for wanting to take the woman down. “There’s one more thing. I made a promise. I promised her I’d kill her before I left Gren. I’m a woman of my word, and I intend to follow through.”

  Syd gave her a hard look, but it quickly melted into a smile. “Good. There was no way in hell I was leaving Gren while Dahlia was alive, but I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page.”

  Dustin barked a laugh. “Damn, Captain, you really had me thinking you were going to turn tail.”

  Elliot grinned. “This girl? Not likely. Remind me to tell you about when she was six and got cornered by three boys. She sent them home crying without even throwing a punch. I think she just snarled at them.”

  “And that was when I had hair.”

  Abbey turned to her father. He’d been quiet during the conversation, which meant there was something on his mind. “What about you? Care to weigh in?”

  After a long moment, he spoke. “I’d like to propose a different solution. I want you to leave me behind on Gren.”

  Syd raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”

  “Hear me out.” He held up a hand. “Dahlia escaped on my watch. I swear we had her drugged. I’d checked on her not twenty minutes before the fight broke out. I have no idea how she managed to do it, but the fact is, she did. That means she’s my responsibility. You should go back to Kaldfell and let me hunt her down.”

  “By yourself?” Elliot placed a hand on the blacksmith’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but that’s insane. One man wouldn’t be able to accomplish that.”

  Benjamin shrugged. “I might surprise you. Besides, it’s not going to be about strength. You think our fifty or so people would be able to take on the Stone Shapers in a straight-out fight? It’s going to be about wits and stealth. One man might actually stand a better chance than fifty.”

  Syd smiled softly. “Sorry, blacksmith. It’s not happening.” She turned to the others. “We all agree on what has to be done. We just need to find a way to do it. Thoughts?”

  Elliot offered the first suggestion. “Maybe we could find a way to draw her out. Isolate her.”

  “If we wait until Tomas and the inland Stone Shapers arrive, we could use the resulting chaos to our advantage.” Dustin hefted his staff. “I’ve wanted a one-on-one rematch with her ever since our showdown in Barskall.”

  Neither of those options sounded right to Abbey. They were fifty against an entire city of magic users. Her father had been correct when he’d said they needed to use their wits. She considered their resources.

  What did they have? A few Storm Callers. A Stone Shaper. A physical magic user. A...whatever the hell she was. Beyond that, they had stormship sailors and Tall Grass Raiders. How could they best use these things to their advantage?

  “Waiting is probably the smart move,” Benjamin agreed. “On the other hand, do we want to give Dahlia a chance to get herself reoriented before we make our move?”

  “No, we do not.” Abbey spoke emphatically, and all eyes turned toward her. “We have to act quickly. Dahlia is a master manipulator, and the longer she has to play her games, the more trouble we’re in.”

  “So what do we do?” Elliot asked. “I mean, it’s like—”

  Dustin held up a hand. “I know we don’t know each other well, but trust me: when she gets like this, you should really let her talk. She has the answer. Let her get to it.”

  Abbey continued. “We know the Stone Shapers fear storm magic. They named Dahlia the Queen of Storms, for fuck’s sake. We have a ship. They have a harbor.”

  Dustin’s face went pale. “You’re not about to say what I think you’re about to say, right?”

  Elliot laughed. “What happened to letting her talk?”

  Abbey ignored them both. “There’s only one way we can get Dahlia back in the next few days. We have to invade Ammaas, and we have to do it the only way we know how.”

  She looked around, meeting each of their eyes.

  “We have to become Storm Raiders.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Magnus’ stone palace was bigger than she remembered. She supposed that made sense. It had been more than a decade since she’d last set foot in this city. He’d probably added onto it during the years she’d been away.

  The Stone Shaper chief finished giving her a rundown of what he’d accomplished, then looked down at her from his ridiculous throne with a smug grin on his face. “When you left, I was a new chief with a weak grasp on Gren. Now I’m a true ruler.”

  Dahlia tried to focus on what the man was saying, but she found it difficult. Her head was finally clear for the first time in more than a week; a week spent in darkness belowdecks on a subpar stormship. They’d kept her drugged, and they’d constantly threatened her. Even though her captors were unworthy adversaries, they’d nearly ended her life. She had no doubt the Arcadian girl would have followed through on her promise to kill her once Elliot was rescued.

  The thing that had saved her was not her own brilliance or her storm magic, but her captors’ lack of knowledge about the drug they’d been giving her.

  The first time she drank the potion, she’d fallen into a haze so deep she hadn’t known if she’d ever emerge from it. By the fourth time the effects had been noticeably less pronounced. The tenth time, she managed to stay awake for a full hour after her dose.

  Even through the medicinally-induced cloud in her brain, she’d realized the potion was becoming less effective with each dose. She’d worked very hard to hide that fact, and the previous night she’d finally seen her opportunity to act. She’d snuck topside when she heard sounds of fighting, and waited in the shadows. If the Stone Shapers had won, she would have shown herself. Unfortunately, The Foggy Day, the luckiest bastards in the Holdgate fleet, had somehow taken the day, and she’d been forced to improvise.

  Jumping over the side had been risky. She was still groggy, and she’d spent most of the previous week lying down. She didn’t even know if she’d be able to swim, but the cold water had brought her to full alertness and she’d managed to reach the shore, where she’d found Stone Shapers waiting to bring her to Magnus.

  Now, after sleeping in a real bed and eating a meal of solid food, she was ready to get back in the action.

  She smiled at Magnus. “It seems you’ve done quite well for yourself.”

  Magnus leaned forward and l
eered at her, not even trying to hide the way his eyes lingered on her breasts. “And yet I lack a bride.”

  She paused a moment before answering, “I can’t imagine that the chief of the Stone Shapers would have much difficulty attracting female attention.”

  “There have been many women, but none worthy of me. My choices here are grim Stone Shaper women or meek fisher girls. I want a queen.”

  If anything had been lost in her time as a prisoner aboard The Foggy Day, it was a bit of her patience. There was a time when she would have used Magnus’ obvious desire to her advantage. She would have led him on, implied she’d sleep with him if he won her affection by doing a few favors for her first.

  Those days were over. Magnus had been blunt in his statement of what he wanted, and she would be too.

  “I think not,” she said.

  Surprise blossomed on the chief’s face. “Excuse me?”

  Dahlia glared at him. “Let me state this plainly. Your chances of sleeping with me are less than zero. I’d rather bed a dog. And marry you? Please! I could have married King Elias. If I said no to a real king, what makes you think I’d say yes to you and spend the rest of my life in this backwater country?”

  Magnus raised his hand, revealing the stone he held. “I’d watch what I said if I were you. You’re in my home, surrounded by my guards. You’ll treat me with the respect I deserve.”

  It was all Dahlia could do not to roll her eyes. “You couldn’t catch a few dozen rebels, a task the crew of The Foggy Day accomplished in less than a week. What do you think you can do to a queen?”

  Magnus was almost shaking with anger. It was time to ease off a little.

  She forced her lips into a gentle smile. “I’m only being honest with you. You deserve that much. I won’t be your wife, and I won’t sleep with you, but I will help you.”

  “Help me how?”

  “Help you take control of your realm. The villages that allowed the Tall Grass Raiders to take advantage of them? They should be crushed as an example to others. Burn them to the ground and enslave the people. Then you need to start building an armada. With a fleet of ships, you could conquer Barskall.”