by Todd Herzman
Marius
‘A blood mage is after you?’ Master Flynn asked. ‘Why?’
Marius’s head dropped. ‘I—I don’t know.’
The empty bowls and plates sat on the table, nary a crumb left behind. Marius was grateful for the food, but he didn’t want the questions. All he wanted was to sleep. He’d never felt so tired in his life. Whenever he thought of what had happened to Peiter the pain of his loss felt physical, and every other person Marius had lost came to his mind. The pain doubled, tripled—consumed him.
‘The blood mage wants his power,’ Lilah said. Marius and Master Flynn looked at her. ‘Obviously. You said yourself you can sense the boy’s power.’
Flynn’s bushy eyebrows narrowed. ‘There certainly is something’—he glanced at Marius, then back at Lilah—‘unique, about him.’
Marius remembered the thrall’s words. He hadn’t spoken them aloud yet, hadn’t let himself. ‘The thrall said…’ He looked at the table and fidgeted his fingers. ‘He was probably lying.’
‘The thrall said something to you?’ Lilah asked.
Master Flynn turned his attention to the boy. ‘Marius, what did he say?’
‘He said… he said he has my brother.’
‘Your brother?’ Flynn sounded confused.
‘Marius’s village was attacked by a blood mage and his raiders. His brother was among the captives.’
Master Flynn leant back in his chair. ‘This cannot be a coincidence. A mage powerful enough to control thralls from such a distance, with such strength, coming after a boy after his brother has been taken?’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘The Tahali Monastery is offered certain protections against blood mages and the like.’ He glanced at the seeker as he said the like. Lilah glared back at him. Master Flynn continued. ‘But, considering what happened to Peiter… I do not think whoever is after you will stop his pursuit at our gates.’
‘What are you saying? Can’t your walls keep them out?’ Lilah asked. ‘I brought him here to keep him safe.’
Master Flynn put his hands up. ‘I did not say he will not be safe here. However, we are a non-violent order.’ He touched a finger to the chain around his neck, a chain like Peiter had worn. His eyes drifted around the empty hall before shifting between the two of them. ‘There is someone I think can help.’
Marius inched forward. ‘Who?’
Flynn bit his lip. ‘Some years ago, a woman came to us. In our meditation, we sensed her power from miles away, coming closer and closer to the mountain. We did not know if she was friend or foe. When she reached the base of the mountain, and we were certain it was our monastery she was heading toward, we shored up the defences.’ His gaze turned far away. ‘We did not choose this mountain by accident. The caves within it are home to powerful crystals.’
He motioned at the walls and ceiling. ‘Not just the lavan you see here, crystals of great protective—and destructive—power. We already had protective crystals in the walls, but sensing the power from this woman, we used more.’
The monk went silent for a long moment.
‘And?’ Lilah said, her voice impatient.
Master Flynn looked at the seeker. ‘She walked straight through the gate.’
Marius frowned. ‘She opened it, despite the protective crystals?’
He shook his head. ‘You misunderstand. She did not open the gate, she walked straight through it, as if it were not there. As if the doors were made of air, not a foot of hardwood embedded with crystals and other magical defences. We scrambled. We did not know what to do. We could not attack her, that went against everything we believed. So, we stood, our whole order gathered in the yard, staring at the woman we had sensed coming a mountain away.’
‘What did the witch want?’ Marius was at the edge of his seat. Even Lilah couldn’t take her eyes off the monk.
‘Oh, she is not a witch. She is more than that, I think. A sorceress. We stood there, staring at her, when she did the strangest thing.’ Master Flynn smiled. ‘She apologised for the intrusion and asked us for sanctuary.’
‘Sanctuary?’ Lilah asked. ‘What does a sorceress need sanctuary from?’
Master Flynn looked at Lilah. ‘We did not ask. We serve those who need it, without making them tell us why. However… there is only one person someone like that would need sanctuary from.’ He glanced at Marius. ‘Someone all those who wield magic fear, far more than they might fear a seeker.’
‘The God King,’ Lilah said.
Master Flynn nodded. ‘Indeed. He never came for her, never knew she was here to begin with. Once she’d entered the monastery, she masked her power, telling us she had let us feel it so we would know she was coming.’ He stood. ‘I have a feeling she knows more about these matters than any of my monks might.’ He folded his hands together, the sleeves of his robes engulfing them. The motion reminded Marius of Peiter. ‘Come. I will take you to her.’
Marius jumped off his seat. Lilah stood more gracefully. Marius took a last look at the cavernous ceiling, the lavan glowing like stars in the night sky. Flynn headed out of the hall. Marius and Lilah exchanged a glance.
‘Do you know who this woman might be?’ Marius asked when Flynn was out of earshot.
‘Not a clue. But if Flynn is right, and the blood mage pursuing you doesn’t respect the monastery’s boundaries, we may need her help.’
We, Marius thought. ‘Thank you.’
Lilah blinked. ‘For what?’
‘For protecting me. For getting me here after…’ He shook his head and turned from her, his eyes watering.
‘It’s okay, Marius.’ Lilah put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her. Then she hugged him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been hugged. ‘I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re safe.’
Marius didn’t know whether to believe her. Promises were hard to keep, and people had a habit of dying around him. He hugged her back anyway. ‘Thank you, Lilah.’
‘Now come on. We don’t want to get left behind. Let’s find out who this woman is.’
They followed Flynn out of the great hall, having to half-jog to catch up. He’d left through an exit on the opposite side from where they’d entered. Their footsteps echoed off the tall walls. Lavan lined the tunnels here, too, but were sparser, making the light dimmer. The way was winding, and they couldn’t see Flynn ahead of them.
‘You’d think he’d wait for us,’ Marius said, walking fast.
Lilah and her long legs overtook him. ‘I’m sure he’s not far.’
They hadn’t been walking for more than a few moments when they spotted the short monk’s receding form plodding along in the distance. They caught up, and he glanced back at them.
‘It will be quite a walk to reach her,’ he said. ‘These tunnels stretch far into the mountain. We monks live somewhere in the middle, but she’s chosen to live on the other side.’
‘Isn’t that a long walk to the great hall for dinner?’ Marius asked.
‘She doesn’t eat with us. At least, not often.’
‘How does she get her food?’ Lilah asked.
‘Perhaps she conjures it up with her magic,’ Master Flynn mused. He glanced up, first at Lilah, then at Marius, with a small smirk. The smile looked strange on his usually placid face. ‘Or perhaps she just forages in the garden once per week.’
Lilah gave Marius a flat look, seemingly unimpressed with the monk’s humour. Marius shrugged.
They walked in silence much of the way. The tunnels wound this way and that. They passed more than a dozen rooms, each without a door. Marius peered into them as they went by. The rooms were sparse, each with a cot, a small desk, a scattering of books, some parchment, and spare robes hanging on walls. Whenever they came upon a crossroads, Master Flynn always seemed to turn left. Marius was glad they had the monk to guide them, he imagined the two of them would get lost rather fast in the dim tunnels.
‘It’s just around another corner,’ the monk said over
his shoulder.
Marius noticed a light at the end of the tunnel, reflecting off the walls and emanating from the right side. Flynn stopped when he reached the light, and the others stood behind him. He turned around, facing the two of them.
Flynn peered at Marius. ‘She has likely already sensed your presence. Perhaps she can teach you to mask your power.’
‘Couldn’t you teach me that?’ Marius asked.
Master Flynn pursed his lips. ‘If you decide to become an apprentice, and are accepted as one, yes.’ His eyes seemed to burn through Marius’s. ‘However, you have a lot to consider before you make that decision. I may not know all that is in your mind, Marius.’ He tapped the side of his head. ‘But I have had a glimpse.’ He looked to where the light came from. ‘Something tells me your journey does not end in the Tahali mountains.’
The monk pulled up his hood and walked back the way they’d come.
‘Hey, where are you going?’ Marius called out.
‘The sorceress will help you find your way,’ Master Flynn said without turning around. His footsteps crunched pebbles underfoot, the sound slowly dissipating the farther he walked.
‘Do you think he’s left us here to die?’ Lilah asked. Marius stared at her with wide eyes. She raised her hands. ‘Perhaps not the best time for a joke.’ She looked over his shoulder, toward the light. ‘We might as well introduce ourselves.’
Marius nodded. He glanced at Lilah’s swords. ‘Do you think I should go in first?’
Lilah looked down at the Starblade. ‘A sorceress and a seeker walk into a cave… that might be wise, little monk.’
‘I’m not a monk yet.’ He thought of what Master Flynn had said. ‘Maybe never at all.’
Lilah sighed. ‘Go on ahead, then.’ She leant against the cave wall and crossed her arms. ‘Holler if you need me.’
Marius’s mouth felt dry as he turned to look at the entrance. The air in this place was too stale. If he’d known how far they were going to walk, he would have filled his canteen back in the great hall. He let out a breath, then walked forward. She’s a friendly sorceress, he thought. He looked back at Lilah. She bobbed her head toward the entrance and raised her eyebrows.
He walked inside. The walls were covered in lavan, three times as many as in the tunnels. Except these lavan didn’t look as if they’d been attached to the wall, more like they were in the wall itself. According to Flynn, the lavan had been mined—along with other crystals—from the mountain, perhaps this vein had been left in the cave walls.
The lavan-filled tunnel widened. Marius had been so caught up staring at the lights he hadn’t noticed what was beyond them. A door stood wide open, as if the sorceress had been expecting him. Flynn had said she could sense him, so perhaps she was. Marius walked over the threshold. The room was nothing like the ones they’d passed. There was furniture beyond just a cot and desk, for one. Marius wasn’t sure how she’d gotten the furniture this far inside the mountain. He had trouble imagining someone dragging a giant tabletop through narrow tunnels.
Perhaps she conjures it up with her magic. Master Flynn appeared to have been joking, but Marius wasn’t so sure. The dining table was as big as some he remembered finding in inns he’d passed through with Peiter. The table’s entire surface was filled with potted plants of all types. He recognised some of them from his time in the forest with Ruben, others he wasn’t so sure about. It felt strange, finding plants here, and it took him a moment to realise why. No sun, he thought. How do they live?
There was a plush armchair in one corner, and a writing desk in the other, with quill, ink, parchment, and a small stack of books.
But there was no sorceress. He looked about the place until he saw another door. He walked to it, ready to knock, then paused. If she could sense his power, she would know he was here. She would come out when ready.
He walked to the desk and looked at the parchment. Peiter hadn’t gotten a chance to fully teach him how to read. Once they’d been attacked by the thralls, it became the last thing to worry about. The black marks on the page looked like nothing more than scribbles. He frowned and ran a finger over the marks, the ink long dry. He’d learnt a letter or two of the alphabet, but he didn’t recognise anything in this script.
The door creaked behind him. Marius pulled his hand from the parchment, feeling guilty for snooping. He turned to see a woman in a white dress standing in the doorway, staring at him. The sorceress. She was beautiful. Her hair was red with flowing curls.
‘Marius?’ the woman said.
Her voice stabbed into Marius’s memories, sending him back to when he was a child, playing in the back field, being called back into the house. To when he was sitting by his mother’s bed, watching her wither and die.
The woman’s eyes were forest green. He stared into them. His mouth dropped open; his legs weakened. ‘M—mum?’
Chapter 49
Ruben
The sun shone heavy on the castle gardens, reflecting off the small pond. Ruben sat on the bench, his arm around Taya, her head on his shoulder. He could see the blue sky on the water’s surface, and if he looked at the water just the right way, he could spot the fish darting about.
‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ Ruben said. Taya hugged into him but didn’t say a word. ‘It’s not so bad here. I know it’s not our home, our village… but, it is a castle. We have servants to bring us food, to clean our room. We don’t have to lift a finger if we don’t want to.’
‘We have to ask permission to come to the castle gardens.’
Ruben squeezed her shoulder. ‘For now, we do. But once we gain Renial’s trust, we’ll be able to move around more freely.’
‘Renial—you’re on a first name basis with the God King?’
He’s my grandfather, Ruben thought but did not say. He hadn’t shown her what magic he could do yet, let alone explained that he was related to the man who kept them captive. He wanted her to grow used to being here first.
He still wanted to escape. Eventually. One day. But for the moment, they were stuck here. For the moment, he wanted to make the best of this place. He wanted to help make Taya feel better, more comfortable… happy, like she used to be. She’d made him promise not to leave her, but would she want him to keep that promise if she knew what he was? If she knew what he’d done?
It wasn’t his fault Renial was his grandfather… but that wouldn’t stop the way she might feel about it.
‘I’m just saying’—he waved his left hand, motioning to the garden around them—‘it’s not so bad, being here.’
Taya went still in his arms. She didn’t believe him—she didn’t feel safe here. Ruben wished he could make her understand. Here, in the castle, he could keep her safe. Renial may want to keep him here, to never let him leave, but the man didn’t seem to want to hurt him. If anything, he’d helped Ruben. Renial had saved him from Malarin. Renial had sent Alyssa to teach him how to use his powers.
Renial had brought Taya back to him.
Taya said something, her voice low and mumbled.
‘What was that, my love?’ My love. They used to call each other that all the time.
‘I don’t want to live under the thumb of a tyrant. I don’t want to live in fear of becoming a slave again. What if the God King changes his mind, and hands me back to Malarin? What if… what if his hold on me isn’t truly gone, and I lose myself again?’
‘You won’t. I’ll make sure of that. I’ll keep you safe.’
‘How?’ she said, almost spitting the word. ‘How will you keep me safe?’
Ruben considered his next action. He didn’t want to frighten her, but he wanted to prove he could protect her. ‘Do you remember being on the ship?’
She went quiet. Ruben wondered if she’d heard him, till she finally spoke. ‘Bits. Much of it is a daze. I remember him taking me out of the cell, I remember serving in the kitchens… and…’ She untangled herself from his arm and sat straight up. ‘
There was man, a man on fire.’ She stared at him and inched back on the bench. ‘You… you set him on fire.’
Her forehead creased, and her eyes glazed before refocusing on him. ‘Ruben, what am I remembering? What happened on that ship?’
‘I escaped from my cell.’ He looked at his hands.
‘How?’
Best to just show her. The door back into the castle was locked. If she ran… there would be nowhere for her to go. He didn’t want to frighten her, but he could calm her down. She would see his powers were a good thing. She would know he could protect her.
‘I melted the lock.’ He raised his right arm. ‘I summoned fire to my hand and touched my palm to the metal.’ A flame sprang from his hand and coiled around it. He could control it better now, make it dance in ways flames weren’t supposed to dance.
Something thumped. Ruben turned his gaze from the mesmerising fire to Taya. She’d fallen off the seat. She must have drawn back, lost her balance. She lay on her back, fear fogging her eyes as she stared at the man she’d once called my love, and hopefully would again.
‘Y—you’re like them,’ she breathed. ‘Blood mage.’
Ruben stood. He sparked the flame, making it double in size. ‘I’m not like them, Taya. I’m still me.’
Taya scrambled to her feet and backed away from him. ‘I remember—you set a man on fire. You killed him.’
‘I was trying to escape. I was trying to save your life.’
She wouldn’t look him in the eye, her gaze locked on the flame. She shook her head. ‘No. Please, no.’
Ruben looked at the flame, then back at the fear in her eyes. He felt anger boil up inside. ‘You’re afraid of me?’ The fire flared. He took one step forward; she took three steps back. ‘How could you think I would ever hurt you?’
‘Ruben, why are you doing this?’
She kept backing away from him. Why couldn’t she see what this meant?
‘I’m trying to show you’—he raised his other hand, made fire burst from it too—‘that I can keep you safe.’ Ruben started to sweat from the heat.
Taya turned and ran toward the door back into the castle.
