Outlaw: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Enforcer of the East Book 2)

by Annabel Chase

  “The smoke monster was two of the king’s aides?” I queried.

  The guard remained emotionless. “Some djinn can shift in this way. Do they not educate you properly in your realm? And here I was made to believe that witches and wizards were intelligent.”

  She marched ahead and I followed her down the empty corridor. We entered an arched doorway and I knew immediately we’d been admitted into the throne room. Glass and gemstones seemed to dominate the room. The resulting sparkle was almost blinding. The king and queen sat in adjacent thrones made of brightly colored metals. It gave the impression of a jewel-toned backdrop. The king wore a gold tunic that stretched across his burgeoning belly and matching tights and shoes. His crown was translucent. Too impressive to be mere glass but insufficient sparkle to be crystal or diamonds.

  “This is the witch?” King G’lur asked.

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” the guard replied, and took a step backward.

  The queen observed me coolly. “She does not look like much, does she?” Queen Enova wore an emerald green dress that trailed to the floor. A braided gold belt hugged her hips. Her simple yet elegant crown matched her husband’s.

  I raised my chin. “I am Cerys Davies, earth witch and future Enforcer of the East of the AMF. Release me or suffer the consequences.”

  The queen offered a pleasant smile, as though I’d just invited her to tea. “The consequences? Oh darling, she is sweet, is she not? I had no idea witches could be so endearing.”

  The king’s gaze remained fixed on me. He seemed far less amused. “Cerys Davies. Do you know why you are here?”

  “Because you blame me for the death of Lumin Nasaaf,” I replied.

  The color in his cheeks deepened to a crimson. “Naturally, I blame you. That is inevitable when you are responsible for killing him.”

  “Sire, remember your blood pressure,” a familiar voice said. “You must not get overly excited.” Zane Amon stepped out of the shadows, clutching that hideous serpentine staff. I knew exactly where I wanted to shove it right now. Bryn would be proud. It was the kind of thing she would say. Out loud, of course.

  “It is impossible to stay calm during these trying times,” the king said. His expression softened for a brief moment. “Any word?”

  “Nothing to report, Your Majesty,” Zane said, lowering his gaze.

  The king returned his attention to me. “This is the witch, yes?”

  “Correct, Your Majesty,” Zane said. “They refused to give her up, though I do not see why. She appears rather common to me.”

  “Zane is my legate,” the king explained. “He serves as my most trusted general.”

  “And your delegate messenger, of course, Your Majesty,” Zane said with a slight bow.

  “Indispensable,” the queen agreed.

  I didn’t care if he was Zeus himself. Right now, I only cared about my return to Spellslingers. “What do you intend to do with me?” I demanded.

  “What do you think, witch? Execute you for your crime,” the king said.

  I swallowed hard. “What proof do you have that I committed a crime?”

  “Your confession,” the king said. “And we have a sample of Lumin’s remains that came from the AMF.”

  The queen released a world-weary sigh. “Lumin was a treasure. A bard of great talent. He will be missed.”

  “He was an actor?” I asked. That explained the old-fashioned yet new clothing.

  “Famous around the colony,” Zane interjected. “The Shaitans will be clamoring for blood over his death.”

  “If he was so beloved, then why was he imprisoned in the opal and dumped in Terrene?” I asked. “That doesn’t seem like any way to treat a colony treasure.”

  The king’s expression crumpled. “I do not know. His disappearance had plagued us until his remains arrived. He went missing from here last month. Reports of roaming Ghuls were under consideration.”

  “He disappeared from the theater,” the queen added. “He missed his last performance of the evening.”

  “I had nothing to do with that,” I said. “I’ve never even been to this realm before. And as a former kidnapping victim, I can promise you that I would never, ever do to Lumin what had been done to me.”

  The queen contemplated me. “You were taken against your will?”

  “Much like I was today,” I said pointedly.

  “Not the same,” the king boomed. “You were brought here to answer for your crime since you refused to come willingly.”

  “On what grounds were you taken?” The queen appeared more concerned than outraged like her husband.

  “A demon from the underworld decided that I’d make a lovely bride,” I said. “He stole me away and shackled me so that I couldn’t use magic to escape.”

  The king and queen exchanged glances.

  “No doubt a lie to make her seem sympathetic,” Zane said. “You know as well as I do that a witch cannot be trusted, certainly not when her life is at stake.”

  “You don’t know anything about me,” I said. Anger surged through me. “I only wanted to help Lumin. Because of what I went through as a captive in the underworld, I couldn’t bear to see someone in a similar, helpless position. He couldn’t even tell us what had happened to him. It was awful.”

  “The report states that he appears to have been spelled not to speak or communicate,” the king said.

  “That was our experience,” I said. “I thought if I could free him from attachment, that any related spells would also break. I still don’t understand what happened. I performed the spell perfectly.” Although I didn’t usually share Dani and Bryn’s confidence, I’d felt certain of my prowess during the ritual. His death had been a horrible shock. Still was.

  I felt the queen’s penetrating gaze on me. Then she turned and whispered something to her husband. Zane seemed to understand the quiet exchange because he immediately objected.

  “I do not think it wise, Your Majesty…” he began.

  The queen cut him off with a defiant look. “Make no mistake, Zane Amon. You advise the king, but you do not rule him.” Her fingers slotted together and rested in the folds of her dress. “You are not in the underworld now. Tell us, Cerys Davies. How did you free yourself from the marital bond?”

  “My friends came to rescue me before the ceremony could take place,” I said. “If it weren’t for the help of others, I’d still be there.”

  The queen’s body grew rigid. “You are very fortunate then.” She looked at the king. “Do this for me, my love. We suffer enough during these dark days.”

  King G’lur appraised me. “The execution will be stayed.”

  My knees almost gave out. I wasn’t sure what prompted this turn of events, but I wasn’t about to argue.

  “For how long?” I asked.

  “You have one week to prove your innocence,” the king replied.

  “And what if I can’t?” I asked.

  The king’s mouth tightened. “Then you will return here to be executed.”

  “And if you do not return of your own free will,” Zane interjected, “we will find you, just as we did this time.”

  One week. Seven days to prove that I wasn’t truly responsible for what happened to Lumin Nasaaf. It wasn’t much, but it was better than no chance at all.

  Shouts echoed from another room and the guard that brought me in rushed in front of the king and queen with her weapon at the ready. Zane raced toward the doorway.

  “Out of my way,” a familiar voice said. A burst of cold air flooded the room and Chancellor Tilkin brushed past Zane and strode forward in her blue-grey feathered cloak. She must have used the ancient cloak to teleport here. Her white-blond hair was uncharacteristically loose and her eyes blazed with anger. She brandished her staff like a weapon. “King G’lur, I demand that you release this witch into my custody at once.”

  The king shot to his feet. “How dare you make demands of me in my own territory.”

  The chancellor was far from intim
idated. She stopped in front of the guard, her anger unabated. “You are in violation of inter-realm law, King G’lur, and you know it.”

  “On the contrary,” the king said, “I have been advised by my cabinet that I am within my rights to seek justice for the death of a Shaitan.”

  The chancellor pointed at me. “By abducting a witch from our realm without sufficient evidence? That is not the way.”

  “It is the djinn way,” the king insisted. “A resident of our colony was kidnapped from this realm, attached to a stone, and murdered. The handling of his death is not subject to your laws or those of Terrene. As his king, it is my duty to obtain justice for our beloved Lumin Nasaaf.”

  Chancellor Tilkin slammed the end of her staff onto the floor. “Enough! Unless you bound him to the stone as a form of punishment, we do not yet know whether he left this realm of his own free will or why he became attached to the stone and abandoned in Terrene. Until those questions can be answered, the responsibility for justice does not rest with you and Cerys Davies does not belong in your custody.”

  The queen rose and stepped down from the dais. “Chancellor Tilkin, yes?”

  The chancellor gave a curt nod. “Forgive me, Queen Enova. I mean no disrespect. Your kindness is known throughout the realms.”

  “And your reputation as an esteemed witch precedes you,” the queen replied. “You brokered a peace between two factions of our cousins in Terrene that lasts to this day.”

  The chancellor lowered her head. “We are fortunate to live in such a time of peace and prosperity. Its preservation is of the utmost importance.”

  “Then we agree on that score,” the king said. “The Colonies have enjoyed the same respite from unrest. Long may it continue.”

  “Change may be on the horizon, Your Majesty,” Zane interjected.

  King G’lur silenced him with a stern look.

  “You should know that Lumin Nasaaf was not bound to any object by this court,” the queen said. “He was a beloved bard in the colony. At my request, the king has generously agreed to give your charge one week to prove her innocence.”

  The chancellor craned her neck to look at me. “Is this true, child?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Cerys is only a Third Year at the academy,” the chancellor replied. “Her training is incomplete. How will she conduct an investigation alone in a foreign realm?”

  “She won’t be alone.”

  I whirled around at the sound of Callan’s gruff voice. Several guards closed in behind him as he marched into the room. The werewolf looked ready to tear the limbs off anyone who objected to his declaration.

  “Leave him be,” the king ordered. The guards immediately came to a halt and stood at the back of the room.

  Relief permeated every fiber of my being as I threw my arms around Callan. “How did you get here?”

  “I hitched a ride with the chancellor,” he said, kissing my cheek. “Man, that feather cloak itches.”

  “Why didn’t you come in with her?” I asked.

  “I kept the guards out front busy while she stormed the castle.” Callan looked at the king. “You really need better security out there. I’m a werewolf without magic, but I managed to intimidate them into submission with a few well-placed growls.”

  Chancellor Tilkin gave her staff a gentle shake. “I may have helped.”

  Zane scowled. “You are in the Shaitan colony now. The king does not worry about unexpected visitors.”

  “If your subjects are disappearing, then perhaps you should reconsider your position,” the chancellor replied.

  “My regular guards are otherwise engaged at the moment,” the king said. “These are replacements.”

  I noticed the queen wring her hands at the mention of the regular guards. Something had happened here recently. Something other than the death of Lumin Nasaaf.

  “I’m a member of the League of Local Paranormals,” Callan said. “I’m perfectly equipped to assist Miss Davies.”

  “On the contrary,” the chancellor said. She faced the king and queen once again. “Djinn will not freely speak with them. They will be at a distinct disadvantage.”

  “I will assign them my own personal guard,” the king said. “Riffat will accompany you.”

  The guard bowed in response to the order. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

  Chancellor Tilkin relaxed her grip on the staff. “I need assurances that nothing will happen to her while she is in this realm.”

  The king tapped his crown. “She is officially under my protection until the week comes to an end.”

  “Like Lumin Nasaaf was?” Callan asked.

  King G’lur glowered at the werewolf. “Lumin was not under any special protection. He was a regular citizen, living his life as normal until his unfortunate abduction.”

  The chancellor’s mouth tightened. “A proper investigation could take months. One week is hardly sufficient…”

  “I can do this, Chancellor Tilkin,” I interrupted. “I’ll find out what really happened to Lumin.” The djinni deserved that the truth be uncovered, not to mention that his abductor would remain free to harm others if the blame rested with me. We couldn’t afford to be patient. If I had to prove myself once again, then so be it. I believed in myself. It was time to make certain that others did, too.

  Chapter Eight

  The queen invited the chancellor to dine with them before her departure and the chancellor wisely accepted. She no doubt hoped their goodwill toward her would extend to me. Despite my circumstances, I had to admit that the king and queen seemed like decent royals. I could have easily lost my head by now if King G’lur had been a different sort of ruler.

  Although Callan and I weren’t invited to the royal dining hall, we were provided with a meal in the kitchen under the watchful eye of Riffat.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked. I held out a buttered roll.

  “I already have,” Riffat replied stiffly.

  I glanced at Callan. “When did that happen? Hasn’t she been with us since we left the king and queen?”

  “I bet we won’t notice her sleep either,” Callan said. Admiration sparked in his dark eyes. “Now that’s an excellent guard.”

  Riffat said nothing while we finished our meals. She simply stood on the other side of the table in stoic silence. The cook came and went and they exchanged polite nods but nothing more.

  “I bet you make friends everywhere, don’t you?” Callan teased.

  Riffat’s lips remained in a thin line.

  “See?” I said. “I’m not the only one who doesn’t find you amusing.”

  He leaned closer. “Admit it. You find me amusing. I see it all over your face, especially when I…” I shoved another roll into his mouth before he could finish.

  “Where will we stay tonight?” I asked. Despite the chancellor’s request, the king had refused to provide us with accommodation in the castle. My temporary stay of execution was as generous as he was willing to be.

  “I know a place we can set up camp,” Riffat said.

  “Outdoors?” Callan asked. “Don’t get me a wrong. I’m a big fan of outside time, but will it be safe?”

  Riffat’s mouth twitched. “That is what I am for.”

  I chewed thoughtfully on the roll that Riffat rejected. “What kind of dangers do we need to look out for? Bandits?”

  Callan’s eyes danced with amusement. “Bandits? Where do you think we are?”

  My shoulders sagged. “I don’t know. Somewhere very different from home.”

  “There are wild animals, of course,” Riffat said. “And the occasional band of Ghuls will run riot through the colony, but they would not dare venture so close to the castle.”

  “But we’ll need to travel to Lumin’s village, won’t we?” I asked. We needed to start somewhere. Determining whether Lumin had any known enemies seemed like a good place to start.

  “In the morning, yes,” Riffat said. “The king has kindly provided us with mou
nts.”

  Callan winced. “Werewolves don’t really ride mounts. We prefer to act as our own mode of transport.”

  Riffat cocked her head. “You intend to shift? You will frighten the stallions.”

  Callan whistled. “Stallions, huh? The king is sparing no expense.” He shoveled more stew into his mouth and ate it hungrily.

  “Stallions are typical for this realm,” Riffat replied.

  I washed down my food with a glass of apricot-flavored water. “I thought djinn could transform into animals. Can’t you turn yourself into a stallion?”

  “Or move through the air,” Callan said. “Turn your bottom half into a mini-twister.”

  Riffat frowned at us. “I cannot do the things you propose. Not all djinn are the same, just as not all witches and werewolves are the same.”

  “Well, that’s disappointing,” Callan mumbled.

  “It would be helpful if I could use my magic,” I said.

  Riffat shook her head. “I apologize, but that has been expressly forbidden by His Majesty. Your wand has been stored in a safe place in the castle for now.”

  “Only djinn can use magic here?” I queried.

  “And non-criminals,” Riffat replied.

  Heat pricked the back of my neck. “I am not a criminal.”

  “That remains to be seen,” Riffat said with a casual shrug, as though I’d just denied that I could finish my meal in one sitting.

  “I want my wand back before I leave this place in a week,” I said.

  “That assumes much, witch.” Riffat busied herself with polishing the hilt of her sword.

  I debated whether to tell her about my earth magic. They didn’t seem aware of the full extent of my abilities. A quick glance at Callan told me to bite my tongue. He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking and shook his head.

  “A week isn’t a very long time to clear my name,” I said. Especially in a foreign realm. “We’re going to have to move quickly. I hope you can keep up.”

  Riffat scowled. “I should the same to you. This is my terrain.”

  Callan raised my hand to his lips and kissed it, leaving traces of gravy on my knuckles. I didn’t even mind. “Don’t you worry, lemon drop,” he said. “We’ve got this. It won’t even take a week. We’ll blaze a trail through this realm that leaves no stone unturned, no matter how many djinn we find attached to them.”