by Rin Grey
Jocelyn caught hold of Elizabeth’s arm and pulled her aside as she was about to follow them to the stables. Elizabeth bit back a sigh at missing a possible chance to catch Jon while they were checking the horses and tried to turn her attention to her boss.
She was too distracted even to be difficult.
“Do you know them?” Jocelyn asked sharply.
Had she caught Elizabeth staring? She searched Jocelyn’s face, but saw only a normal curiosity. She was just after information.
Her answer, at least, was easy enough. Elizabeth gave a laugh. “Freck no. I’m just a lowly mage, I didn’t socialise with Seekers.”
Jocelyn looked a little surprised. “There is that much difference between the Seekers and the others?”
Elizabeth didn’t really have the energy to explain right now. She’d rather be somewhere else. But Jocelyn’s grip on her arm hadn’t lessened, and her gaze was intent. The fastest way out of this without arousing suspicions was to satisfy Jocelyn’s curiosity.
“The Seekers are chosen from the Cardinals, nobles essentially. Although they often don’t mention their rank outside of the Dome, they’d actually be Lord Danell and… Um, I didn’t actually catch the other man’s name?”
“Jon O’Connell.” Jocelyn filled in.
The first name was right, but she had no idea why he would call himself O’Connell. It didn’t matter, the first name along with his looks was confirmation enough. She was certain it was him.
Elizabeth kept her voice steady as she finished, “Lord O’Connell then. Those of us who aren’t privileged enough to be born to rank don’t socialise with those who are.”
Jocelyn’s eyes narrowed. “The Dome has existed for less than fifty years. How could anyone be ‘born’ to rank?”
“The first Cardinals weren’t of course. They were simply the first mages to swear loyalty to King Lisanna back in the days before the Dome was raised. In fact, the only mages to. Those who joined Linarra later, like I did, swore their loyalty to the country, not the king. This difference set the Cardinals apart, and has gained them recognition and privileges beyond us normal folk. Those privileges have been passed down to their children.”
“But they’re still mages, right? Jocelyn asked.
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, both of them are. And most, if not all, of the warriors too I assume.”
Jocelyn looked surprised, “That many mages? I hadn’t thought…”
Elizabeth gave her an amused smile. “Most of the population of the Dome are mages. Why send anyone else when you have mages available? Unless of course, they’re particularly well skilled.”
Jocelyn swallowed, “I suppose it was pretty silly to think that not giving them the map would make any difference if their intentions weren’t honourable?”
“Just a little,” Elizabeth agreed.
Jocelyn hesitated, “So, I’m going out on a limb here. You seem to know more about them than I do. Do we trust them?”
Elizabeth hesitated, wishing Jocelyn wouldn’t keep asking that.
Obviously she was a little biased.
But she thought back to her meeting with the king. He may have been imposing and a little intimidating, but though it had been the first time she’d ever met him, she would have trusted him with her life. Same as Sean.
She had years of experience in working for Sean, and never once had he given her any reason not to trust him.
She couldn’t see any reason why they would betray Jocelyn and the deal she’d made with them. So Elizabeth nodded. “I’d say yes.”
Jocelyn looked at her for a moment, obviously considering, then said finally, “All right. I suppose we have no choice anyway. But keep an eye on them.”
Elizabeth nodded, impatient to be on her way and Jocelyn let her go. Elizabeth hurried out to the stables, only to find everything organised.
“Your horse is ready for you.” Merron nodded to where Rianna stood, saddled and ready.
Elizabeth thanked him and mounted with practiced ease, hiding her disappointment.
They had at least two days ride to Anyir, she was sure she could find time to talk to Jon somewhere along the way.
Chapter 10 - Hail
They made good time that day, stopping only long enough to boil water for tea that they drank in the saddle. As the afternoon wore on, Elizabeth kept a close eye on the dark clouds building on the horizon. She noticed Jon and Carlis talking quietly and glancing at the clouds too.
There were still a good few hours of daylight left when Merron called a halt. The storm clouds were making it darker by the minute. “I think we should make camp now, we’re going to have quite a storm soon and I’d rather be dry in my tent before it hits. We can make up the time in the morning.”
Everyone was more than happy to comply.
Elizabeth and Jocelyn’s team, who were used to riding, had only vague discomforts from the long journey, but the group from the Dome fared less well. Teleportation was the main mode of transport there. Horses were rare and usually only used for pleasure or show.
Elizabeth gave a sympathetic wince as she noticed most of them stagger slightly as they dismounted. She was impressed at the lack of complaints though and noted that they all quickly healed themselves. Though many of the normal mages in the Dome relied on the services of magical ‘healers’, it made sense that warriors would have the skill to heal themselves, at least of minor ailments.
They quickly began to set up camp, the threat of a downpour lending an urgency to everyone’s actions. The warriors pitched their tents in a semi-circle, leaving room for Elizabeth’s group to do likewise.
Merron insisted they leave some space between them and the Linarian group and Elizabeth reluctantly concurred with the order.
She didn’t feel threatened by the mages, but she could see why the others might. She might even have felt that way herself, working together they could easily overpower her, if she didn’t think that one of their leaders had a reason to not harm her. Two perhaps, if she counted the king. The thought warmed her. It had been a long time since she’d felt a part of Linarra. It was good to feel connected again.
Now though, she felt a little torn. When she’d joined Linarra the first time, she’d had no other ties. She’d felt her family had moved on without her. That they were better off without her. And that she had nothing in common with them anyway. Learning that the Salingas had magic had changed that.
Now she had two ties. Opposing ones at that. Although right now, the Salingas and the mages were working together. Maybe that indicated something as well.
Could she really belong with both groups?
Jocelyn’s party worked quickly, not sparing more than a glance at the sky, but Elizabeth noticed that the mages from the Dome watched the clouds with suspicion.
Had any of them seen a storm before? Probably not. There were slight changes in the weather inside the force field that protected the Dome, but storms were non-existent. A light drizzle served to keep the plants growing, and a weak sun, its rays dimmed by the Dome, was present the rest of the daylight hours.
Very occasionally, a particularly violent storm outside the Dome might be noticed by the unusual darkness, but the harsh winds, rain, and lightning never reached the inhabitants below.
As the storm gathered above them, Elizabeth smelled a sharp tang, and shivered slightly from the coldness in the air. It took her only a moment to realise the implications. A glance up at the green hue to the clouds confirmed her suspicions.
As she looked around at the hurriedly erected tents and the horses without protection, she realised that a hailstorm could spell disaster for the whole group. Tents might protect them against the rain, but the lumps of ice she could feel on the cool wind would rip right through them.
The mages would hopefully have the ability to protect themselves, but that still left her men, and the horses.
With another worried glance at the sky, she hurried across to the Seekers, not even stopping to inform Merron of her
observations.
He couldn’t assist her, they hopefully could.
Maybe this was a chance to prove to Merron, and Jocelyn, that there were benefits to working with the Dome mages.
Jon and Carlis looked up as she came closer. The elder man looked worried, but it was Jon who spoke. “Carlis says this isn’t a normal storm. Is something wrong?”
“Yes. In a few minutes, it’s going to hail,” Elizabeth said. Seeing their blank looks, she elaborated. “Lumps of ice are going to fall from the sky.”
Jon’s confusion didn’t lift, but there was a dawning comprehension on Carlis’s face. “What can we do?” he asked.
“Without shelter? It’s going to be nasty. Our only option is to try to protect ourselves magically. Luckily, we have a camp full of mages.”
Carlis and Jon exchanged glances again, then Carlis began shouting for the mages to gather.
That, of course, made Merron, Jake and Cyril hurry over, suspicious.
Elizabeth could see the tension on their faces, so she explained hurriedly, “There’s hail on the way. We’re going to try to protect the camp magically.”
Merron looked like he’d like to object, but a glance at the clouds confirmed Elizabeth’s statement. He knew they were out of options. Grudgingly he nodded and stepped back, watching closely.
As the mages gathered around, Jon asked Elizabeth quietly, “What do we do?”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. The camp was large—she was going to have to be selective about what they protected. In the Dome, she could have easily extended magic to cover all of them. Here, it would be a struggle for her to protect just the gathered men, let along the horses.
Thankfully, she wasn’t alone. “We are going to have to bond the air to form a barrier to stop the hail. None of us are strong enough to cover the full encampment alone, so we will have to work together.” She began randomly assigning areas for each of the mages, setting Jon and Carlis, the strongest, to cover the group of people.
As each mage began to work on the air above his area, Carlis asked pointedly, “What are you going to be doing?”
Elizabeth looked at him grimly, “I’m going to be filling in the gaps. Sewing together this patchwork quilt so to speak. Making sure none of the hail gets through.”
The Seeker looked at her for a moment, a new respect dawning in his eyes as he realised the enormity of that task, then simply nodded, not showing any intention of trying to take the role from her.
Everyone took up their places. Jocelyn’s team gathered together, watching the sky with fear in their eyes as they relied on magic they couldn’t even see to protect them.
Just as Elizabeth filled the last gap, a loud roar began and hail poured down.
Magic crackled in the air. Hail hit their makeshift shield continuously. But it held. Mostly.
The job Elizabeth had given herself was intense. Filling in the cracks, adjusting her weave as someone faltered, moved, or lost concentration for a second.
She’d never done anything like this before.
But she had seen something similar. Sean and the other princes had used the same technique when the Dome was raised. She and five other mages had formed a cage of magic, the rest of the group had filled in the spaces, and Sean and the princes had sewn them together, just like she was doing now.
Her magic had been only new then, her control of it unsteady.
She’d watched in awe, thrilled to be part of something so huge. But though she’d known it was something amazing, she hadn’t realised just how amazing. Not until now, when she’d tried to do something similar herself.
Seeing it and doing it were two completely different things.
For the next ten minutes, it was as though nothing existed except for the magic and the hail.
Finally the onslaught slowed to a steady, drenching rain. Elizabeth dropped her magic, and waved for the other mages to do the same.
The threat gone, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the camp, her vision blurring slightly from exhaustion. Most of it seemed untouched. One or two errant hailstones had made it through in the midst of the camp. A tent was slashed open, and she could hear the pained whinny of a horse.
Distantly, she thought she should go see to it, heal it.
But she hadn’t the energy to move.
She felt rather than saw someone take her arm.
“I think you should come and sit down for a moment,” Jon’s voice said softly.
His voice was distant. Elizabeth swayed on her feet, but shook her head. She couldn’t rest. Not yet. She wasn’t done. “The horse. I should see to it.”
“It’s being taken care of,” Jon said soothingly. “Come and sit down.”
Elizabeth hesitated, exhaustion muddling her brain. Did that absolve her of responsibility? Could she let someone else do it?
They were far enough from the others that only Elizabeth could hear his quiet words. “He warned me you were stubborn.”
That comment pulled her out of the fog with a jolt. Sean. Jon. Suddenly everything was real again.
She looked into her son’s eyes for a moment, seeing amusement and a touch of admiration. Elizabeth’s breath caught, and she couldn’t help staring back at him, marvelling that he was here. She could barely remember the tiny baby she’d held for such a short time, to have this grown man here, knowing he was her son…
Her heart overflowed with love, as it had then. It didn’t matter that she barely knew him, she loved him anyway, with an intensity so strong it almost hurt. It was hard to believe that there had been a time when she hadn’t wanted him. When she’d almost done the unthinkable.
His eyes stared back at her, open and curious.
He had no idea.
Chapter 11 - Reunion
Jon lead Elizabeth back to his tent, his hand shaking slightly.
He could have blamed it on the intense magic usage, and that was certainly a valid reason. But it wasn’t the real one. The real one had far more to do with this woman.
This amazing, unbelievable, fascinating woman.
His mother.
The rain pattered down around them, turning the ground to mud, but they walked in a patch of dryness below the magical umbrella he’d formed to protect them.
What she’d done out there, connecting the magic of half a dozen mages to protect their camp, was far above anything he could have done, despite the fact that his magic was slightly stronger. What she had done had shown a skill and determination far above his.
He settled her on the rugs on the ground, watching as she closed her eyes, swaying slightly. The effort she’d made had drained her. Jon felt sympathy for that. He felt exhausted himself, but that was nothing compared to what she must be feeling.
He wouldn’t have believed magic that complex was possible if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.
Her eyes flicked open and met his, still showing strain around the edges. She pressed her lips together, and for a moment he thought the expression might have indicated pain. But there was something deeper in her eyes, and they didn’t waver from his face.
It was him she was unsure of.
Well, he didn’t blame her. He was just as uncertain himself. He knew nothing about her other than that she’d given birth to him, and that she was apparently a strong and accomplished mage.
None of that explained why he felt this overwhelming tie to her. Why he wanted to know everything about her.
Or maybe it did.
“That was an amazing piece of magic out there,” he said softly. “Sean said you were talented, but I had no idea how much until then.”
Her eyes widened, but the uncertainty didn’t retreat. She gave a short, sharp laugh, almost disbelieving. “Really? He’s never said that to me.”
Somehow that didn’t surprise him. “I figured. He’s not too free with compliments. That’s why I thought I’d tell you.”
There was an awkward silence for a few moments, while she regarded him thoughtfully. Her eye
s were as curious as he felt.
Eventually she asked, “Sean told you who I am?”
Jon nodded. “Last year, when I officially came of age.”
He remembered the day clearly, when Sean had called him into his office. His mother had watched him go with anger in her eyes, but she couldn’t stop him anymore. She could hardly deny his father wanting to talk to him in private.
When Sean had told him that Senika O’Connell wasn’t his mother, the shock had been almost as great as when he’d found out who his real father was.
But it had also come with a huge dose of relief. While he loved his mother, of course, he’d never really connected with her. Everything he’d done as a child and young adult seemed to clash with what she’d wanted for him, and he’d always felt like he could get nothing right.
Like who he was and who he wanted to be wasn’t right.
Finding out that he shared no blood with Senika had actually enabled him to love her in a different way, a more honest way. He could appreciate her for what she’d done for him, for being a mother to him and loving him, without feeling like he’d failed her.
He stared at Elizabeth. Would knowing her, finding out more about her, help him know who he was?
She stared back, her eyes haunted, and filled with pain.
The expression caused his own heart to ache. He wished he could spare her whatever it was that caused the pain. But he didn’t even know where to start.
“He never mentioned where you were, or anything more about you other than your existence, no matter how much I asked. I had no way of finding you,” Jon said quietly. “When Sean offered me this assignment and said that you wanted to meet me, I thought I might finally get some answers. Getting any information about you out of Sean is like pulling teeth.” He grinned slightly, hoping to ease the tension he could see on her face.
It worked. She gave a half laugh, and said wryly, “Yeah, I’ve noticed that. Sean keeps things close to his chest.”
For some reason, her agreement and understanding made him stupidly happy. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had someone to back him up. To stand with him against the world.
