by Lisa Cassidy
Alyx smiled. “Thanks.”
“I live to serve, mage-girl.”
Ladan’s scouts got them through the disputed area and into Tregaya in three days. Apart from a tense few hours holed up in thick forest as a Shiven patrol passed by within a stone’s throw of them, there were no incidents.
Once safely over the border, Ladan’s men barely lingered long enough to say a terse goodbye before they were gone, disappearing back over the border.
“We made it,” Alyx said tiredly. Her skin itched and she wished desperately for a bath. The thought of hot water soaking into her aching muscles almost made her swoon.
“We did.” Dashan was still looking back the way they’d come, across the invisible line that marked the border. After a moment he shook himself, then turned to his command. “Let’s keep going. I want to be well inside Tregaya before we set up camp. Nario, Josha, ride on ahead to scout a good place to stop.”
Alyx brought Tingo alongside Dashan as the tired horses lurched back into movement. “I should have asked this before, but won’t the Tregayan militia mind a group of Rionnan Bluecoats showing up unannounced on their doorstep at Weeping Stead?”
“I have letters signed by my father to give their garrison commander. It’ll be fine.”
Her eyebrows lifted. Dashan’s father was lord-general of the Blue Guard. “Cayr really was organised to get that for you. He didn’t even know I was leaving until just before I did.”
“That’s one thing you can say about our Cayr. He’s organised.”
The trace of bitterness in his voice was almost eclipsed by his flashing smile, but Alyx caught it nonetheless. “Dash…” She hesitated. “I’m sorry that your unit has to be stuck here for nine months while I’m at DarkSkull. Is there any way you could go back, send another unit to escort me home?”
He shrugged. “It’s not practical for us to spend weeks travelling back and forth via ship, and too dangerous to keep passing through the disputed area.”
“I suppose so, but I realise that if I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have to be either.”
He smiled. “I appreciate that you’re thinking of us, but it’s really okay. It’s a chance for us to be away from home for a while and do something different. And it’s definitely better than being stationed in the disputed area.”
A shadow crossed his face at those words. What had happened during his time there that caused the pain she’d repeatedly glimpsed in his eyes? It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but he was already looking away, gaze focused ahead where Josha and Nario were disappearing into the distance.
Despite the fact they were safely in Tregaya, the Bluecoats took their escort duties seriously and spent most of the time watchfully scanning their surroundings for possible threats, largely leaving Alyx alone with her thoughts.
At first she tried to focus on the good parts of what was ahead. After weeks apart, and thinking she might not see them again for a year, she would be with Dawn, Tarrick and Finn. It was hard to ignore how much she missed the friends she’d made at DarkSkull, and the idea of re-joining them had been one of the contributing factors to her decision to return.
But even her delighted anticipation of the looks on their faces at her sudden appearance couldn’t stop her mind from turning to the harsh realities of DarkSkull with increasing frequency the closer they came.
Her first year there had been a harsh introduction to life outside the safe bubble of her noble and wealthy upbringing. She’d struggled academically and magically—her magic not even breaking out until near the end—and hadn’t coped well with teachers who couldn’t care less that she was the daughter of Lord Garan Egalion. The most powerful students at the school had bullied her and her friends mercilessly, and she remained convinced that the nastiest of them—Galien—had wanted to kill her. Worse, she’d lost a dear friend—Brynn, a young man who’d made her smile even on her worst days at DarkSkull. His loss continued to haunt her dreams, as did the near-loss of Tarrick, who’d almost died in the attack in which Brynn had been lost and her magic had finally broken out.
The immediacy of the fear and horror she’d experienced had faded with the passage of time, but part of Alyx knew the months ahead were unlikely to be much different. Galien and his friends would still be there, finishing their final year, and there was no reason to think their desire to hurt her had gone away. And the master who ran the school—the man supposedly in charge of keeping her safe—had stolen memories from her.
But he had also known her mother, as had other masters there, and they might know more about what had happened to her. There was nowhere else where she could try and learn what memories Romas had stolen from her—were they important, she wondered? They must have been, for him to violate a student in that way. And as driven as she was to find out what he knew, gaining that information wasn’t going to be easy. She wasn’t even certain of the best way to go about it, particularly given she couldn’t trust a word he said to her.
On the third night Alyx managed to catch Dashan alone, grooming his horse, in the stables of the inn they were staying at. He’d been closed off and grim since leaving Widow Falls, but she was unsure as to what exactly was eating at him. Rather than pushing, she broached a topic he would be more comfortable talking about.
“Are you ever going to tell me the reasoning behind your little excursion with my brother back at Widow Falls?” She kept her voice light and conversational, hoping to draw him out.
He glanced back, seemingly unsurprised to see her leaning over the stall door. “I hadn’t realised it until one of his men showed me on a map, but there are two points along Ladan’s north-eastern border that run very close to the southern Tregayan border.”
“How close are we talking?”
He shrugged, put down the curry brush. “An hour, maybe two hours, ride.”
“Really?” Alyx was surprised, but also pleased. He was facing her now, his voice becoming more animated as he spoke.
“Yes. Now, crossing those sections of border mean you’re too far east to make it a practical route to journey to DarkSkull, but that’s not the point.”
“The point is getting Rionnan troops into Tregaya or vice versa in the event Shivasa invades us.”
“Exactly,” he said eagerly. “If Shivasa declares war, Cayr’s father would have no choice but to ally with Tregaya.”
“If Tregaya agreed to an alliance,” Alyx countered.
“They would be foolish not to. Their army is larger, but not as well trained or experienced as ours. If Shivasa made a move on Rionn, then Tregaya would be their next stop and the Tregayans know it.”
“That makes sense.” Alyx cocked her head, mulling it over. “You’re thinking that the best way to ferry troops between Tregaya and Rionn would be through those two points on Ladan’s land?”
“Think bigger, mage-girl. The land between is a narrow wedge of Shiven territory that stretches out from the disputed area to the eastern coastline.” Dashan stepped closer. “We could annex it.”
Alyx gaped. “Take the whole territory?”
“Ladan and I surveyed the area. It’s rugged and that makes it highly defensible. I think we could put in two permanent guard posts which would stop them attacking from the west. We’d then have free rein to move troops and supplies between Rionn and Tregaya, not to mention cut off land access to the entire Rionnan-Tregayan eastern coastline from the Shiven.”
Alyx frowned. “You’d still be vulnerable from the eastern seas.”
Dashan shook his head decisively. “Shivasa isn’t going to send its navy sailing all the way around Rionn to attack us from the coast—for a start their ships would be vulnerable to us from the south and Tregaya from the north.”
“What did Ladan think of your idea?”
“He’s a taciturn man.” Dashan’s smile flashed briefly. “But he told me he’d survey the area and put together a formal proposal. He said he’d send it to the king and my father if he thought it viable.”
“Good,” Alyx said decisively. “For what it’s worth, I think it’s a great idea.”
Dashan snorted. “And what do you know about strategy?”
“More than you think,” she said airily, stepping away from the door. “And I’m not going to let you needle me tonight. I will see you in the morning.”
“Sleep tight, kitten.”
She might have slammed the barn door a little harder than she’d intended to.
Chapter 5
Weeping Stead was a welcome sight for all of them, and Dashan sent Tijer and Casta on ahead to speak with the local militia garrison while keeping the rest of the unit waiting patiently outside the town’s limits. The two Bluecoats returned a short while later, pulling up their horses before Alyx and Dashan in a typically showy fashion.
“That’s promising,” Dashan remarked. “They didn’t throw you both out of town on your backsides.”
Casta’s grin flashed. “No, sir. The local commander—name’s Helson—welcomed us and is awaiting your arrival with interest. We told him you had an official letter from Lord-General Caverlock.”
“We got the distinct impression the militia welcome any move by Rionn towards closer cooperation,” Tijer added.
Dashan frowned. “Why, has something happened?”
“Nothing they would tell us, sir.” Tijer shared a glance with Casta. “But there was a strange feeling amongst the soldiers we met.”
“All right, thanks, boys. We’ll take Lady Egalion to an inn for the night, and then I’ll go straight to speak with Commander Helson and get you all a bunk.”
Dashan glanced at Alyx with a raised eyebrow, and she nodded agreement. The last thing she felt like was riding all the way out to DarkSkull. Whether she arrived late tonight or early the next morning would make no difference.
“On we ride then!” he called out, and the Bluecoats swept into movement.
Alyx was too weary to do anything more than accept a room key before going upstairs and collapsing into the warm bed. She slept deeply and, thankfully, nightmare- and memory-free.
A knock at the door woke her the following morning as dawn’s light edged under the curtain. She opened the door, yawning, to find Dashan standing there with a mug of steaming tea.
“I figured you’d want to get an early start.” He passed her the mug. “Our horses are saddled and ready outside. The boys are sleeping in—I think I can handle any danger between here and DarkSkull.”
“Thanks.” She took the mug with a sleepy smile. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
It didn’t take her long to dress in her new mage apprentice uniform and shove everything else back into her saddlebags. Downstairs, Dashan was eating hungrily from a large plate of breakfast.
She stopped at his table, but didn’t take a seat. “I don’t think I can manage to eat anything. Do you mind if we get going?”
Dashan pushed aside his plate and stood. “Let’s go.”
Nario and Tijer were on their way in as Alyx and Dashan walked out the front door. She offered them a wave and a smile. Nario simply nodded politely, but Tijer paused before going through the door. “Good luck, Lady Egalion. I’m sure the lieutenant has already told you, but we’re just a message away if you need anything.”
“I have no idea why they like you so much,” Dashan muttered as they walked over to the horses.
“It’s my beauty and charm,” she told him.
“It’s something.”
Like the last time, Dashan left her once the outer gates to DarkSkull became visible in the distance.
“This is as far as I go.” He reined his horse in.
“Thanks for getting me here, Dash,” she said sincerely.
He smiled a little and tipped his hat. “I’ll see you soon, mage-girl.”
With a sharp word to his mount, he turned and began galloping back along the road. She waited until he was out of sight before continuing.
A strong sense of déjà vu fell over her as Tingo clip-clopped along the wide paved road. There was no need to rush, so Alyx kept her stallion to a walk. He was weary after their run through the disputed area and it was a beautiful morning to enjoy her last moments of freedom.
The hazy outline of hills was visible in the distance, the tallest of which formed the southern valley wall of the DarkSkull grounds. It was a painfully familiar sight for somebody who’d never wanted to come back here ever again. Sensing her doubt, Tingo slowed to a stop, and Alyx’s hands toyed with the reins, hesitating rather than urging him on.
Not for the first time, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake, if she’d have been better off to stay in Alistriem and work things out with Cayr. Then she remembered how miserable she’d been after her return from DarkSkull—her father’s lies, Cayr’s betrayal. Home hadn’t been home anymore. And what if the palace were attacked again?
As Cayr’s wife and nothing more, she’d be helpless to defend those she loved. No, if she wanted to heal her relationship with Cayr, have the future she’d always wanted with him, she had to learn herself first.
But her magic came with a price. Her nightmares of killing with her magic were relentless, and the mage world was confusing and edged with a darkness she didn’t trust. It was a bitter choice, but one Alyx had already made. She’d come too far to turn back now.
Shaking herself free of the maudlin thoughts, she took a firmer grip on the reins and urged Tingo into a canter. They travelled through a tunnel of trees before emerging into open space before a set of arched gates. Beyond, a wide bridge spanned a gorge which surrounded the valley holding DarkSkull Hall.
There was nothing to disturb the stillness of the morning—the bridge was deserted and no guard stood at the gate. Just like last time. As Alyx watched, a flock of birds emerged from the treetops at the top of the valley wall and winged their way east, cawing loudly, but nothing else moved.
Tingo perked up as they approached the massive, wrought iron gates, probably remembering his warm, comfortable stables inside the grounds. The gates swung inwards with a loud screeching sound at her approach, indicating somebody had noticed her arrival. Or maybe it was magic infused in the gates that caused them to open when a mage approached.
Tingo’s hoof beats sounded louder somehow as he stepped on the bridge, and Alyx urged him into a canter so they would cross faster. Leaves and other debris scattered under his hooves as they rode, and a stiff cross-wind tugged at her robe and hair. The river running through the gorge far below glinted green in the sunlight. She saw no signs of human presence until reaching the other end of the gorge and riding through the inner gates of the academy.
The sweeping grounds surrounding DarkSkull Hall were green with the recent rains, and the lake gleamed bright blue in the sun. Alyx could just make out the workers busy in the distant fields, and her eyes ran over the familiar barns, dormitory wing, and the massive main hall itself, right in the centre of the valley floor. Constructed from dark grey stone, it was built to last and withstand attack. It had a gloomy air, not helped by the general lack of cheer around the place, although today the sun made it a little brighter.
Sparring class had finished for the morning, so nobody was there to see Alyx as she rode past the yard and up to the front steps of the main hall. Here she dismounted and left Tingo to graze while she went inside. The cavernous entrance foyer was deserted, her boots echoing on the cold stone.
She peered down the wide corridor to her left which led to several classrooms. The muffled sound of one of the masters teaching filtered down to her, but otherwise it was quiet. The dining hall to her right was also empty. Ahead, the arched doors to the main hall stood closed.
Taking the stairs to her immediate left, she climbed to the first level. At the top, she emerged into the circular foyer area holding a cluster of desks sitting outside several closed doors.
A clerk sat at the desk before Master Romas’s office. He looked up in a bored manner when Alyx asked to see the master. As he rose from his
desk and stepped away, he looked down at her robe before raising an eyebrow in query. Alyx merely shrugged in response. Just because most students couldn’t afford finery didn’t mean she had to dress in cheap and ill-fitting attire. He let her hang a moment before moving away to knock on Romas’s door and go inside.
She didn’t know whether the clerk deliberately took a long time to make a point, or if Romas was busy, but by the time he reappeared she was nervously tightening the sash on her robe, anxiety beginning to eat at her.
“You can go in.”
She debated matching his rudeness but instead went with a neutral, “thank you.”
Master Romas was exactly as she’d remembered—a slight, grey-haired man with pale brown eyes that could level a look of pure steel. Even more familiar was the clear sense of unease she felt in his presence. Instinctively, Alyx reinforced her shaky mental shield—she would never let him take her memories again if she could help it.
“Alyx Egalion. Come in.”
She had expected that he would be surprised to see her, but he merely waved her to a chair. It wasn’t unlike her first arrival at DarkSkull, where he’d used his powerful telepathic talent to appear as if he already knew everything they had to tell him.
“Hello, sir.” She took the chair.
“Judging from your attire, I assume you’re here to resume your studies?”
“Yes, sir,” she said as politely as she could manage. She didn’t like or trust Romas, but if she wanted to learn what he knew, she had to be civil.
“You’re late. The year has already started.”
“I know that, sir. I apologise.”
“You have a reason for being late?”
“Not a good one,” she said honestly. “But if you accept me, I am here to stay.”
He looked at her for a long moment, his hands resting on the arms of his chair, gaze inscrutable. Alyx fought to remain calm and still, not wanting to show her uneasiness. As far as she could tell, he wasn’t trying to read her thoughts. Eventually, he stood and strode towards the door.
