by Hylton, PT
Magnus lowered the stone he’d been brandishing. Clearly she had his interest. “Barskall?”
“Of course. You are a Stone Shaper. It’s time to start thinking big. After we conquer Barskall, we’ll take Kaldfell.”
He settled back on his throne and considered her words. “It sounds like you’re offering to be my advisor.”
“No, I’m offering to rule with you. Not as man and wife, but as equal partners. A King of Stone and a Queen of Storms. Together we’ll bring the world to its knees.”
She didn’t add that Magnus would likely be dead by that point. Once her fleet had been built and she’d won the Stone Shaper army over, she’d have no need of him. He’d suffer the same fate as Captain Tor and King Elias. But this time she wasn’t going to pretend the man was in charge.
“I’m not willing to share the throne of Gren,” he said carefully.
“I don’t care about Gren.” She tried to keep the venom out of her voice, but she wasn’t entirely successful. “I care about what comes after. Isn’t a partner who will win you nations better than a wife?”
Magnus grunted thoughtfully. After a moment, his eyes lit up. “I’d like to test your skills before I answer.”
Dahlia nodded. “Name the task, and it will be done.”
“The other Stone Shapers who live deep within Gren, the tribe I grew up in. They live simply, with nothing to distract them from their studies of stone magic. As a result, they are more powerful than we are.”
Dahlia smiled. “Consider it done.”
“I haven’t finished.”
“You don’t need to. They are more powerful than you, thus they can’t be allowed to survive. Give me your army and I will crush them.”
Magnus smiled. “That would be a very good start.”
Perhaps Dahlia’s patience wasn’t gone after all. She found herself content in the knowledge that it would take years to build an armada large enough to conquer Holdgate. That was fine with her. For now, she’d concentrate on the task at hand.
“It’s a shame the Tall Grass Raiders are gone,” Magnus said. “I would have liked to watch you crush them too.”
Dahlia thought for a moment. “I’m not so sure they are gone.”
* * *
“Let me start by saying there’s no way a non-Shaper could get into Magnus’ palace. There are no doors or windows. Not permanent ones, anyway. You could wait around for a Stone Shaper to open one, but they’re pretty diligent about closing them as soon as they’re done using them. Magnus would pierce the heart of any man who left a door open, up to and including his brother.”
As Abbey listened to Gideon speak, she realized he was never going back to his old life. That he never could go back.
They were gathered in the bunk area belowdecks. It was the only space large enough to accommodate them comfortably, and they were away from the ears of the crew there. They wanted to plan in private where they could have a healthy debate. They’d take the plan to the crew when it was settled.
The group consisted of the five who’d agreed earlier on the Storm Raiding approach, plus Gideon.
“You could try the roof,” Gideon continued. “Not easy to access, but with Abbey’s abilities, maybe it would work. Some Stone Shapers open holes in the roof to let light in.”
“We’ll be attacking at night,” Dustin reminded him.
“Still, some have been known to look at the stars. I’ll be with you, but I could easily take a rock to the head. I want you to consider other ways in if I fall. But you haven’t thought about what happens when you’re inside. Most of the palace isn’t even used, but the throne room, well, half the warriors in the city hang out there hoping for a chance to impress their chief.”
Abbey looked at her friends. Syd, Dustin, and Benjamin all wore skeptical looks as they listened to the Stone Shaper speak. She didn’t blame them. He was the chief’s brother, after all. They had to at least consider he could be a spy working for Magnus.
She held up a hand. “I need to ask you a question before we talk strategy.”
The Stone Shaper shifted in his seat. He looked nervous. “Anything.”
“Why didn’t you tell Magnus we were helping the Tall Grass Raiders?”
Gideon smiled sheepishly. “How do you know I didn’t?”
“Because Magnus would have destroyed The Foggy Day immediately after he heard that,” Benjamin said. “Answer her question. I was wondering the same thing. After all, you betrayed them once already.”
The Stone Shaper held up a hand. “That’s not exactly true. I was clear about my intentions from the start. I was there to find the Tall Grass Raiders. I never promised to stay in Baer Gigur just because they ordered me to.”
Abbey thought about that for a moment. “It’s a fair point. Still doesn’t answer the question, though.”
Gideon held up the stone in his right hand, but not in a threatening manner. He just stared at it for a long moment before answering. “The time I spent with you opened my eyes. I’d always been taught that Holdgatesmen were bloodthirsty killers who reveled in the pain of their enemies. I’d been told that Tall Grass Raiders killed Stone Shapers for sport. Once I discovered those two things weren’t true, I began to question other things too.”
“Why’d you run away from Baer Gigur?” Elliot asked.
Gideon shrugged. “Call it an aversion to being tied up and held prisoner, I guess. I didn’t really think about things until after I’d escaped.”
Benjamin stared at him for several seconds, then gave a nod. “That’s good enough for me.”
“Me too,” Abbey agreed.
If anyone disagreed, they didn’t say anything.
“Okay, so Gideon can get us into the palace,” Dustin said, “but won’t that be where they concentrate their defenses once the fog rolls in?”
Abbey smiled. “You’re right. It will, unless we give them reason to be elsewhere.”
“Here’s where we employ some Tall Grass Raider tactics,” Syd told them.
Elliot sat up a bit straighter at that. “I’m starting to like the sound of this.”
“We’ll split into two teams. One will cause chaos in Ammaas to draw as many Stone Shapers as possible away from the palace. I’ll lead that team. Dustin, you and the Barskall Storm Callers will come with me.”
“I can cause a lot of chaos,” Dustin assured them.
“Benjamin, you’re with me too.” Syd ignored Abbey’s sly look and continued, “I could use your firepower. We’ll have most of the crew with us as well. Which brings us to the other team.”
She turned toward Elliot and Abbey.
“Excellent,” Elliot said. “I’ve never invaded a palace before.”
“Your first time?” Abbey asked. “Amateur.”
Syd looked at Elliot. “Abbey’s going to be leading the team.”
The smile melted off Elliot’s face and a look of astonishment replaced it. “Wait. You’re putting your friend in charge instead of your brother, a former actual Storm Raider, who has been regularly raiding Stone Shaper villages for over a year?”
Syd’s forehead creased as her expression became hard. “It’s not about her being my friend. It’s about what I’ve seen her do. She’s at her best during a battle. I’ve never seen anyone who can improvise like she can.”
“Then you’ve never seen me.”
“This isn’t a discussion. This is my ship and my show. Are you going to follow the plan?”
Elliot stared back at his sister. “Absolutely. I just wanted to make my case.”
“Fair enough. You’ve made it. Moving on.”
Abbey remained silent. She understood where Elliot was coming from—he was used to being in charge, after all—but it still stung. She’d just have to prove to him she was worthy of the position.
Syd’s eyes met Abbey’s. “I’ll leave the details of your end of the mission up to you. You’ll want to take Gideon, of course. Other than the Storm Callers and your father, you’ve got your pic
k of the crew.”
Abbey nodded. “We’ll want to keep our team small.” She was already considering who she’d take. Fannar, Olaf, and Clemens, maybe. But what about Hekla and Sigmund? They were both fast and had raiding experience. She’d have to think about it.
“We attack tomorrow night.” Syd looked at each of them, and Abbey saw the seriousness on her face. “I suggest you get as much rest as possible between now and then.”
When the crew started to head topside, Abbey touched Elliot’s shoulder. “Hang back a minute?” She waited until the others were gone before continuing. Elliot stared at her, his face unreadable. “I want to talk to you about the team leader thing.”
Elliot looked away. “I’m sorry I reacted like that. I’m not used to anyone else being in charge.”
“I get that. I really do. It’s just…” She trailed off, wondering if she should soften her message. After a moment, she decided against it. It was stupid to mince words just because this guy had a cute smile. “I just wanted to make sure it’s not going to be a problem in the field.”
His eyes widened in surprise. She thought she saw something else there too. Respect? “No, of course not. I’d never question you during the raid.”
“That’s good to hear, because I’m thinking of adding Hekla to our team. But if you start shouting orders at her during the mission—”
“I won’t.” A slight smile appeared on his face. “Abbey, you can count on me. I have only one goal on this mission.”
“And what’s that?”
“Helping you keep your promise to Dahlia.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You’re doing it wrong,” Olaf told him.
Melwin paused at his task of tying a knot and glowered at the younger man. “What do you mean I’m doing it wrong? I’ve been sailing on this ship for nearly a decade. You’ve been a stormship sailor, what…a month?”
Olaf shrugged. “Give or take. Doesn’t change the fact that there’s a better way to tie that line. Captain Syd showed me back on Thunderclap when she was First Mate. Here, let me.”
He reached down and yanked the rope out of Melwin’s hand. His fingers moving quickly as he deftly tied the knot and tossed the line back to the other man.
Melwin stared at it for a long while before he grudgingly said, “I suppose that method does have its advantages.”
Benjamin softly chuckled to himself. He’d seen enough. “Olaf!” he called across the main deck.
The young sailor spun around at the sound of Benjamin’s voice. His eyes were alight with excitement. “Is it time?”
Benjamin couldn’t help but chuckle again. The kid was as eager as a puppy. “Aye, it’s time.”
He led Olaf to the place on the quarterdeck that Syd had designated for combat training. Today, however, he’d be training the young man in something else altogether.
“I’ve been practicing those hand motions you showed me,” Olaf said. “I work on them half an hour before bed and another half an hour when I get up in the morning, just like you said.”
The blacksmith nodded, pleased. “Let me see, then.”
Olaf furrowed his brow and stretched his hands in front of him. One by one, he ran through the complicated motions. Benjamin was impressed. He only had to correct him twice. It had taken Benjamin months to learn some of those forms, but the kid had mastered them in days.
It was the exact opposite of his attempts at teaching Abbey. She’d been disinterested in learning physical magic from the start, and yet he’d tried to force it on her. He wished he’d allowed her to follow her own path. Maybe she would have discovered her strange abilities sooner.
“That’s good, Olaf. Very good.”
Olaf raised an eyebrow. “Wait, I’m doing them correctly?”
“Better than some of the Hunters I knew back in Arcadia.”
“Damn.” Olaf looked disappointed. “I don’t understand. If I’m doing it right, why can’t I produce fireballs?”
For a moment, the question puzzled Benjamin. Then it suddenly occurred to him that he was teaching this all wrong. He needed to rethink his approach.
“Let me ask you a question, Olaf. Why do you want to learn this kind of magic? And don’t give me that shit about loving fire. I know there’s more to it than that.”
Olaf stared at his hand, still held in the final position for casting a fireball. “I don’t know. I guess I just want to contribute.”
Benjamin frowned. He was going to have to push the kid at little if he wanted a real answer. “You contribute already. You do your job. You have your friends’ backs. Almost every time Syd picks a crew for a mission, you’re on it. That’s not because she likes your eloquent conversation, believe me.”
“Okay, look: everybody thinks of me as this big dumb guy who makes jokes and thinks he’s better than he is.”
Benjamin raised an eyebrow. “Wow. That’s actually pretty accurate.”
“And yes, I am all those awesome things. But I can be so much more. I want to be like you.”
The blacksmith was so surprised that he wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly. “Like me? An Arcadian?”
Olaf waived Benjamin’s words away. “So you’re an Arcadian. Nobody’s perfect. But look at everything you’ve done.”
Benjamin was genuinely baffled. What had he done? He’d hunted magic users in Arcadia. He’d set up a blacksmith shop in a city where he’d been forced to raise his daughter in near isolation. He’d let his wife die. “You don’t want to be like me, son.”
Olaf slapped his arm. “Are you kidding me? You moved to a new city where you knew no one and the people hated you because of where you were from. You built a business that was so good they had no choice but to respect you.” He nodded toward the main deck where Abbey was helping Clemens hoist the sail. “Best of all, you raised her. To produce a girl like that, you must have done one hell of a job.”
Benjamin didn’t know what to say. He was genuinely touched.
“My father was a drunk whose parenting method consisted of hollering and throwing empty mugs at our heads. I know I won’t ever be like you, but if I can learn your magic, that’s good enough. So why the hell can’t I do it?”
“Look Olaf, you’ve got the hand motions down, but that’s only a small part of it.” He tapped Olaf on the chest. “The rest comes from here. The place where you feel things. You know how it aches when you’re looking at a beautiful woman and how it burns when you’re angry? The place where you feel those things is where you need to draw from.”
“So I have to get angry?”
Benjamin considered that. “No—though it might help, especially at first. Magic is tied up with your emotions. They can give it the extra oomph you need at the beginning.”
The sailor sighed. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“I can teach you the hand motions and the theories. I can describe how it feels when I cast. But I can’t push you over the final line. You’re going to have to find the strength inside yourself to break through that last barrier. When you do that, you’ll be able to cast. Be patient. It won’t happen overnight.”
Olaf nodded. “Okay. Patience isn’t my strong suit, but I’ll give it a shot.” He paused. “Can you show me a fireball? Maybe if I saw you cast one it would inspire me to break through or whatever.”
Benjamin laughed. “Hell, no. We’re on a ship made of pine boards held together with pitch and tar. No way am I playing with fire here.”
Olaf looked indignant. “Then why were you teaching me how to do it here?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t be able to. Not yet.” He clapped Olaf on the back. “For now, keep working on those hand motions. The rest will come in time.”
“I’m going to prove you wrong. I’ll be casting fireballs the size of your head by the time we get back to Holdgate.”
Benjamin laughed again. “I hope you are. Just do us both a favor and keep the fireballs off our ship. If you set the thing on fire, Captain Syd will have both o
ur asses.”
* * *
Abbey slept more deeply than she had in weeks. In her dream, she floated over a land of rolling green hills. Even from the height at which she flew, she could see an ancient road cutting through the landscape like a wound.
In the dream, she could control her flight much more accurately than she could in real life, so she decided to follow the road to see where it took her.
The hills grew taller as she went, and soon she was in the mountains. Fog hung thick over their pine-covered peaks. Still she followed the road.
A village came into view. It was small; no more than twenty squat little houses gathered together on the mountainside. Something about it drew Abbey and she hovered over it, watching the people go about their business.
Suddenly every building in town burst into flames at once. Abbey wanted to swoop down, to help the people, but she was frozen.
A woman’s voice spoke, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. “This is happening, and it will happen again.”
Abbey began to move deeper into the mountains, toward the highest peak. She tried to stop, to go back to the village, but her flight was no longer under her control.
“This is just the beginning. The few who died in this village today are the first among many.”
She was moving faster now, speeding toward the peak. “No,” she muttered. “Stop.”
But she couldn’t stop. Up ahead she saw an impossible blackness. It was as if there was a gaping hole in the side of the mountain. The sight of it caused dread to rise in her.
The voice spoke again. “It comes from the darkness, and it will not stop. Those of us here have learned an important lesson. The monsters are real.”
The dream began to fade, but as it did, the voice spoke one more time. “We need help. We need justice.”
