“You’re awake,” Shareis said, holding onto the bars with both hands. “I hope you’ll be more helpful than your mother.”
She limped to the bars. “If you’ve hurt my mother in any way—”
“You’ll do what, exactly?”
“You’ll pay dearly.”
Shareis bit her lower lip. “I don’t think so.”
“What do you want?”
“I want my people to stop being treated like the muck raked from a stable. To get that, I have to play along with your megalomaniac cousin Vorea.”
“Then you see she’s crazy,” she said. “She must be stopped.”
Shareis shrugged. “Probably. Someday. But I’m far more interested in what she can do for me than what she’ll do to you.”
“You don’t care about the destruction she’ll bring upon the world?”
“Like the destruction you wrought against the people in that tavern? It is amusing how the supposed forces of both good and evil use violence to get what they want.”
“Vorea must be stopped!”
Shareis sighed. “Yes, well, some hero will stop her before she does permanent damage. That’s always how it works. Balance must be preserved. In the meantime, I can get what I want.”
“You are a fool for siding with her.”
Shareis’s face turned red. “Proctors make no alliances!”
“And yet you have.”
Shareis looked away. “I assure you, it is detestable. But it is only a temporary alignment.”
“Then I ask again – what do you want?”
Shareis took her dagger and ran it along the bars. “I suppose there is no harm in telling you. I am to extract as much information as I can before delivering you both to Vorea.”
She jumped when Mae spoke from the other cell. “You’d be wise to join us.”
“Ah, you’re awake,” Shareis replied. “Good. I was going to begin with you.”
“Begin?”
“Your mother has the most information, I’m sure.” Shareis started to unlock the cell. “Oh, if either of you attempt to escape, know you won’t get very far. There are armed guards in the next room.”
Mae moved back to the bench as Shareis entered. She pointed her dagger at Mae. “Where are Aiden and Frasie?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Mae replied.
Shareis rolled her eyes and shifted her weight. “Perhaps you don’t understand how this works.” She pointed the dagger to her throat. “I will ask the questions.” The tip of the dagger came to rest on the soft spot between Mae’s neck and chest. “And you will answer truthfully. Now where are Aiden and Frasie?”
Mae remained silent. Shareis pushed the tip of the dagger into Mae’s skin, drawing blood. Niv reached through the bars and cried out to stop her, but Shareis persisted. Mae remained motionless and directed a steady gaze of anger toward her assailant.
“Aiden, and Frasie,” Shareis repeated.
“I don’t know.”
Shareis dragged the dagger down Mae’s chest, cutting a gash to the edge of the neckline of her dress. Blood poured from the wound, covering the dagger and Mae’s clothing. She didn’t flinch.
“You are strong,” Shareis said as Mae clutched her wound.
“Please stop!” Niv screamed.
Shareis turned to her. “Will you tell me what I need to know?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t know. Leave us alone!”
“I can’t do that.” Shareis rapped the dagger against her other hand. “But I can move on to the next question. I beg of you both, please stop resisting. I have more questions and there’s only so much blood a person can lose before they become unconscious.” She returned her attention to Mae. “What is your destination?”
“Selandis,” Mae replied.
Shareis punched Mae, toppling her back to the bench. “Finally, an answer. But not a truthful one.”
Niv clawed through the bars. “That’s where we were headed.”
“Maybe, but I doubt you would go there now. Only a fool would parade into Vorea’s city without an army.”
“It isn’t Vorea’s city,” Mae said.
Shareis put her hands on her hips. “Alright, we’ll move on to the most important question, then. Where is Farius?”
Mae struggled to sit upright. “I don’t know.”
She tensed, fearing Shareis would hit her, or worse. Instead, she walked away.
“This isn’t working. I think I haven’t given you two enough time to think.” She fetched some rope and tied Mae’s arms to a hook on the wall.
“Lucky for you, Niv’leana, I don’t have enough rope to tie you both. You can sit in that cell and stew over how difficult you’ve made this.” She locked Mae’s cell. “You both get some rest. I’ll be back in the morning and see if you’ve had a change of heart.”
Chapter 21
Niv was jolted awake by a metallic clang. She bolted upright as Aiden fumbled with the lock. He noticed she was awake and secretly shushed her. Frasie stood next to him with her bow at the ready, watching behind them while he worked with the lock. After a few moments, he successfully picked the lock and swung open the door.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered. “Frasie is in no shape—”
“I tried to stop her,” Aiden replied.
“I’m feeling better,” Frasie said.
One look and Niv knew that wasn’t true. “No, you’re not.”
Frasie shrugged. “I’ll live. Less talking and more escaping.”
“How did you two get inside this place?” she asked.
“We’re in an old fort used during the Proctor Wars. The walls are crumbled, and the outdoor locks are so rusted they’re falling apart.”
“And the guard on the back door to the jail was drunk,” Frasie added.
She pointed. “Mae’s in the next cell.”
Aiden crept to the door on Mae’s cell and began to pick it. She and Frasie moved into the hallway to provide him cover. When he finished, she rushed inside and released Mae, who was barely conscious.
Mae was shaky but managed to stand on her own. “I can walk.”
“So,” Shareis’s voice cut through the dark and musty air. “This is the infamous Aiden and Frasie.”
Aiden took the pommel of his sword and rapped the Sorceress’s Tear, sending thousands of tiny green glowing shards across the hallway.
Shareis drew her dagger. “You’re not getting away.”
Niv opened her palm and tried to summon a fireball. Even though the stone had been shattered, its distracting pull was still present. Strangely, the all-consuming draw of the Sorceress’s Tear was even stronger than before.
“That’s not going to work,” Shareis said. She walked toward her and took a jab at her, narrowly missing her arm.
An arrow flew over Niv. Shareis tried to dodge it, but instead took a direct hit in her shoulder. Shareis doubled over in pain.
“Let’s get out of here,” Aiden said.
A swift kick to the face from her uninjured foot ended Shareis’s brief and haphazard attempt to block them. They made it to the front room of the building only to see two guards with swords drawn blocking their way. She tried again to use her magic, but the pull of the shattered stone was still too intense, even from the next room.
Aiden took a swing at one of the guards, meeting his sword in midair. The clattering of steel reverberated throughout the room. Frasie fired at the other guard, hitting him in the arm, causing him to drop his sword. She rushed to pick up the fallen weapon, but he stomped his foot on her hand, crushing it between his boot and the grip. Before she could pull away, he kicked her in the face.
Another arrow flung from Frasie’s bow, this time impacting the soldier in the chest. He reached for the projectile as he staggered, then fell to the floor. Aiden struggled with the other guard until another arrow from Frasie’s bow felled his attacker.
Shareis struggled to stand at the edge of the hallway. “You won’t
escape this!”
Shareis threw a small sapphire glass vial near the doorway. As it shattered on the ground, dark violet smoke emanated from the floor and created a large circular mirror-like object in front of the door. A strange force pulled all of them toward it. Aiden and Frasie helped wrench her away from the vortex.
Shareis shoved Mae towards the door. She tripped and fell and was now at the mercy of the vortex. She reached out and grabbed Mae’s hand, but the force pulled them apart.
“Go to Lahara. Find Cadrin and Narelle. They can help.”
“I’m not letting you go!”
Mae yanked on her injured hand, sending shards of pain up her arm. As Mae’s fingers slipped away, the broken bones shifted within her hand. The pain was nearly unbearable.
Mae relaxed her grip. “I love you, Niv. Don’t ever forget that.”
Aiden and Frasie grabbed Mae’s arm, but even their combined strength could not resist the pull of the magic vortex. They separated, and Mae was completely consumed by the portal. The entire emanation disappeared.
“No!” she yelled.
I just found you. And now you’re gone!
Physical pain provided a constant drumbeat for the tumultuous swirl of emotions rushing through her mind. Utter despair paralyzed her until seething anger overwhelmed her thoughts. She walked to Shareis and slapped her with her uninjured arm, then kicked her in the stomach.
She was drenched in sweat and her eyes were filled with tears, but she could clearly see what needed to be done. Her mind narrowed in on the task of extracting revenge for what Shareis had done to her mother. She knelt next to her and grabbed the exposed shaft of the arrow that still stuck out of her shoulder.
She twisted it.
Shareis trembled in pain.
Frasie and Aiden approached from behind. “Niv!” Aiden yelled.
“She tortured Mae,” she said, twisting again. “Nearly killed you, Frasie.”
“Yes, but…”
“But nothing,” she replied through gritted teeth. “I’m sure Shareis will understand. Balance must be preserved, right?”
“This isn’t you, Nivvy!” Frasie insisted.
“This is me,” she snarled. “I just haven’t let this side out.”
“She’s more helpful to us alive, as a prisoner,” Aiden said.
She continued to press on the arrow as Shareis became less responsive.
Aiden grabbed a sword and handed it to her. “If you don’t want to take her prisoner, at least put her out of her misery.”
Niv held the sword in her broken hand. Simply gripping it hurt, yet that hurt did nothing but fuel her anger. “This is too easy.”
Frasie grabbed her. “You’re scarring me, Nivvy!”
The physical pain intensified and overcame her senses. She screamed in agony, then threw the sword across the room. She grabbed Shareis by the shoulders and squeezed with all her might, channeling her anger and sorrow into her death grip.
After she had expended all her energy, she collapsed onto Shareis’s chest. She began to sob uncontrollably.
What have I become?
Chapter 22
Mae heard a familiar voice. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”
The beautifully decorated ceiling of her room in the Temple of the Ael’Shanar hung above her, filling her blurry vision with gold and silver inlaid stars and planets amidst a deep cobalt blue background.
One of the junior adepts, Cabrina, hovered above her. Cabrina examined her so closely that a lock of her blond hair touched her face.
Cabrina stroked her head. “You were in really rough shape.”
“I feel better,” she replied.
“I healed you as best I could.” Cabrina pointed to her chest. “But you’ll be left with a scar.”
Mae sat upright. “Thank you.” She tried to stand but felt dizzy.
Cabrina helped steady her, then fluffed and stacked her pillows so she could sit up in bed. “I don’t think you’re ready to walk around yet.”
Her head swam as she leaned against the pillows. Cabrina touched her shoulder. “Comfy?”
“Yes, thank you. Where’s Vorea?”
“She’s in the temple.” Cabrina looked away. “She wanted me to heal you and let her know when I was finished.”
“Odd for Vorea to be concerned about my health,” she observed.
“I don’t know,” Cabrina replied. “She’s been very busy in her laboratory.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Her laboratory?”
“Yes, well, you know that large room in the basement where we store the extra tables for banquets? She had us clear it out and move in everything from her office. The door is locked with a key she carries around her neck. As far as I know, she’s the only person who’s been in it.”
An ornate jade vase that Farius had given her caught her eye. It was usually empty, but it currently had a beautiful assortment of fresh flowers. “Did you put those there?”
Cabrina hesitated. “Yes. I’d love to claim credit for the idea, but Vorea asked me to freshen up your room.”
“How kind of her. Do you have any idea what she’s up to?”
Cabrina bit her lower lip. “As you know, Mae, I’m just an adept.” She shifted her eyes to a table across the room. “Many of the council’s dealings are above my expertise.”
A small, red-glowing crystal rested in a bronze setting gently and pulsed with magical energy. It was easy to miss to the casual observer, but Cabrina’s eyes easily betrayed its inconspicuous placement.
“I understand,” she replied.
“Can I get you anything before I go?”
“Perhaps some breakfast.”
Cabrina motioned to the window. The late afternoon sun streamed inside the room. “You mean dinner?”
“Indeed.” She looked up at the ceiling. “I have lost all track of time.”
Cabrina took Mae’s hand. “I’ll be back.”
After Cabrina left the room, Mae examined the smooth stone the adept had dropped into her palm. Cabrina wanted to help, but why? Why leave her with a Charolite stone, the magical mineral that allowed for storing memories and emotions? She slipped it into her pocket the moment the doorknob started to turn.
Vorea entered and pressed the door closed behind her. “Good afternoon, Maeva.” Her captor stood expressionless, waiting for a reply.
Vorea’s cold gray eyes betrayed not a hint of her machinations. As she walked toward the bed, her long, light blond hair flowed behind her. The silver robes she wore were not the traditional garments of the high priestess.
Mae remained cautious. “Good afternoon.”
Vorea approached and extended her slender arm. Cold fingers touched her face. “I pray you are feeling well?”
“Cabrina healed most of my wounds.”
Vorea examined Cabrina’s work. “I can see. Good, good.”
“Her help wouldn’t have been necessary if your mercenaries hadn’t injured me.”
Vorea smirked. “Well, well, you know how eager Lanica can be.”
“And Shareis?”
Vorea walked away from the bed. “Mistakes were clearly made.”
“Dammit Vorea, this isn’t some game! People are dying.”
“Regrettable,” Vorea admitted. “But this is entirely preventable.”
“Of course it is! Stop it!”
Vorea sat on the edge of the bed. “No, you misunderstand. You see, when faced with an overwhelmingly powerful force, for one to fight back is pure folly. It is suicide, don’t you see?”
“We should simply give up all efforts to resist and bow to your will?”
“I’m glad you’re starting to see reason,” Vorea replied.
“You can’t be serious.”
“But I am. Maeva, I intend on becoming the most powerful sorceress that ever lived.” Vorea wandered around the room, stopping briefly at the window. “We are in the Sign of Alchemy, are we not? The stars beg for change, and I am their agent.” She pointed to the grou
nd. “I intend on bringing order to this so-called order. Do you know how ineffective the Ael’Shanar has become? We could be wielding true power. Instead, the council pushes papers, hosts banquets, and debates the color of rugs. How useless is that?”
“I’ll agree the order has become somewhat bureaucratic, but—"
“Bureaucratic? Oh please, Maeva.” She put her hands on her hips and exhaled sharply. “I don’t expect you to understand. You are part of the problem.”
“Just what kind of wonderful things are you talking about?”
Vorea leaned towards her. She noticed, for the first time she could recall, a passionate flare in Vorea’s eyes. “We could consolidate power across this continent. Instead of fourteen separate governments with fourteen separate sets of problems, Selandis could rule them all under a new order.”
Mae scoffed. “Benevolently, of course?”
“Of course. Take the Jeweled Woods for instance.” Vorea chuckled. “Your daughter’s stomping grounds. The villages there are too disordered to form any kind of united government.”
“They don’t need a united government,” she countered. “Each village has its own unique culture. They run things as they see fit. They are just fine as they are.”
“They think they are. But they are too small to know what is really good for them. They are weak. Together, under my leadership, they can be powerful.”
She glared at Vorea. “Is that what happened with your mother. My sister? Was she too small for your grand vision?”
Vorea took a deep breath. “She would not see reason. Her power could be put to better use.”
“Who are you to decide how people use their power?” she sneered.
“There is a finite amount of power in this world. Those who misuse their gifts are wasting everyone’s potential greater good. If they have no greater vision, they must surrender their power, and will, to one who does. They may not be able to contribute due to their backward thinking, but they can contribute their power to one who will use it wisely.”
“In other words, you?”
Vorea nodded. “Yes. Me. But see, Maeva, I can’t do everything. I can’t be everywhere at once. That is where you and your daughter come in. If you can agree to my vision, you can join me and help channel the power of others so that we can achieve a level of unity and perfection this continent has never seen.”
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