Unmagic

by Jane Glatt

  His companion laughed. “No, we are from different parts of the world. I am Seyoyan and you are Tregellan.”

  “Tregellan.” His mouth seemed to find the word familiar, although he wasn’t exactly sure what it meant. “I’m a Mage.” That sounded right too although he couldn’t remember how to do magic.

  “Yes, you are a Mage,” his companion said. “If you can remember how to create spells, then you can create an exit and allow us to escape.”

  “Escape,” he repeated. “Yes, I would like to escape. Can you teach me how to create spells? I would like to escape.”

  “I don’t know how, but if you figure out or remember the first step, tell me. That way I can explain it to you after the next time you’ve slept.”

  “I will,” he said. “I should try to make another light, since you say I can make them. I need some tools, don’t I?” He must have left his tools . . . back where he’d been? “I shall look for them.”

  “Don’t go to sleep,” his companion said. “Not until you tell me the first step in doing magic.”

  “Never fear,” he called over his shoulder. He had no plans to sleep. He’d just woken up, hadn’t he? He stifled a yawn as he headed back into the darkness. He was feeling tired though. He’d just find his tools, figure out the first step to creating magic spells, and then let the man know. Then he’d have a quick nap.

  He took a few more steps and yawned again. A nap wasn’t really sleep, was it? He could have just a quick nap and then find his tools. He lay down on the dirt floor, in the dark, and closed his eyes. Just a very quick nap.

  KARA STAYED IN her cabin the next day. It wasn’t to avoid seeing Reo, although that was a consequence she was grateful for. No, she stayed in her cabin because she wasn’t well enough to leave it.

  Once they reached the open seas, her gut had started to churn. She’d lain in her bunk, rolling and tossing with the waves, trying to keep down what little was in her stomach.

  Javan visited her a few times to see how she was faring and to make sure she was drinking enough water. He hadn’t had good news about the weather, though, so she’d worried that her misery would never end.

  But then it did, and she woke up ravenous.

  She quickly dressed in a shirt and trousers that seemed a little looser, and then headed up the half flight of stairs to the galley. She was on her third bowl of porridge before she felt even a little sated.

  She finished eating, pushed her bowl away, and looked up to see Sif smiling at her from the doorway.

  “I take it you’re feeling better?” he asked.

  “Much, thank you.” Kara reached for the water jug and poured herself a mug. “Does everyone who sails feel as wretched as I did?”

  “No, some have it worse.” Sif sat down across from her, placing two steaming mugs on the table. “And the rare person feels nothing. You are about average, I’d guess.” He pushed one of the mugs towards her. “And in luck, since I just made tea.”

  “Thank you.” Kara picked up the mug and took a sip. “Are we far from the island Chal was sent to?” Now that she felt better it was time to plan on how to would find her friend.

  “Based on the weather, another day or so, according to Javan,” Sif said. “Ah, Reo, there you are. Come, now that Kara is up and about, we need to discuss the search for Chal.”

  Kara glanced up as Reo sat down beside Sif.

  “Is the island small enough that we can sail around it?” Kara asked. “I’d like to determine the best place to land.”

  “Chal was set ashore at the best place to land,” Sif replied.

  “She means based on the amount of mage mist,” Reo said. “Don’t you, Kara?”

  “Yes.” She ignored a small surge of anger. Reo hadn’t bothered to check on her when she was ill, so why did he now feel that he could speak for her? “And by sailing around the island I hope to be able to tell whether we are dealing with a single Mage or if there is more than one to worry about.”

  “I’ll have to defer to Javan,” Sif replied. “And Captain Arends. I’m not sure it will be possible to take the ship all the way around the island. At least not close enough to it for you see what you need to.”

  “If not, we’ll take a dory,” Reo said. “If Kara says she needs to go around the island, then that’s what we’ll do.”

  “I’ll let Javan know,” Sif said and stood up.

  Kara sipped her tea, almost hoping that Reo would follow Sif out of the galley. When he didn’t, she debated whether she would leave first.

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Reo said. “I would have visited but I wasn’t sure . . .” he trailed off.

  “Javan took good care of me,” Kara said stiffly. She took another sip of her now cool tea.

  “Good,” Reo said. She thought he would leave now but instead he leaned over the table to her.

  “I’ve . . .” he paused. “I’ve had time to think about what you said in our last conversation. You’re right, things are better because of what happened. And Tregella is safer with your mother as Secundus rather than Valendi. But I can’t forgive myself for what I put you through, and I can’t see how I can make amends.” Abruptly, he stood up and walked away.

  Kara stared at his retreating back. Why did he never ask her what she wanted? If he felt the need to make amends for his past decisions, all he had to do was ask. She could think of plenty of ways he could repay the debt he felt he owed her. The first on the list would be to agree to start over and not have the same argument every time they spoke.

  She slumped on the bench, her head in her hands. Chal had told her to give Reo time, that the former Assassin was acting the way he was because he cared so much about her, not that he cared so little.

  Kara wanted to believe that but she was losing patience—and hope. She’d thought that on this trip they would, of course, save Chal, but she’d also hoped—assumed, actually—that she and Reo would become real friends. She’d also had faith that their friendship would naturally lead to more. But Reo didn’t seem to want what she wanted.

  She sighed. And what did she want from Reo? She knew she wanted this awkwardness between them to disappear, but what did she want to replace it?

  His friendship wouldn’t be enough for her. She sighed. She’d never completely and honestly admitted that to herself before; never admitted that she’d always had some vague idea that they would just somehow end up as a couple. Even Chal’s advice had implied that, so she had to admit that yes, she wanted Reo’s love. Did that mean she loved him? Was that why it hurt so much when he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—get past what he thought were his unforgivable actions?

  They would reach the island soon. At that point, finding Chal would be the only important goal. She’d expected to be able to trust Reo—to know that they were a team—when they landed there. Now she was wondering what she had to do to make that a reality.

  And why should she give Reo time to figure things out when she knew what she wanted?

  She grinned; she really must be feeling better. She wasn’t going to let Reo set the terms of their relationship any more. She was tired of waiting; now she would act.

  Feeling happier than she had since she’d boarded the ship, Kara took her empty dishes to the wash tub before heading up on deck.

  Reo was at the rail, staring out at sea. She didn’t join him. Instead, she walked a few steps past him before she too took up position at the rail and stared out at the horizon.

  She was no longer going to avoid him; nor would she allow him to avoid her. They were on a small ship—there were very few places for him to hide.

  SHE TRIED TO be casual about it, but she was certain Reo knew that she was following him around, although he didn’t say anything to her.

  When he went to one side of the ship, she strolled that way a few moments later. When he had his lunch in the galley, she happened to be hungry at the exact same time. When he needed a warm cup of tea, so did she.

  By the time dinner was ready, she
’d trailed him from one end of the ship to the other more than a few times. And yet he didn’t confront her about it.

  When he rose after eating, she decided to leave him alone for the night. They were on a ship—she’d find him in the morning.

  AFTER BREAKFAST, KARA stepped out onto the deck, but when she saw Reo, she turned around and descended to the lower level of the ship and made her way to her cabin.

  Once there, she sat on the bed, her feet hanging off the edge, swinging as the ship rode up and down over the waves.

  She’d thought following Reo around—making him see her—was the right thing to do, but now, she just felt sad.

  She sighed. She wanted his love because she loved him. But that was not something she could make him feel for her: just as she couldn’t make her mother love her. Just as she couldn’t make herself stop loving him.

  And he was right, in a way. She probably shouldn’t love him—he’d forced her into a bargain that she hadn’t wanted and then had bedded her for reasons that had nothing to do with his feelings for her and everything to with his goals. And in the process, he’d taken away her independence.

  But she’d taken it back, and he didn’t seem to understand that. She’d risked his wrath—the fury of an Assassin—in order to assert her independence. Then he’d made a mistake—out of anger—and taken her to see her mother. But from that point on he’d done everything he could, including risking his life, to keep her safe.

  And yesterday she had childishly followed him around the ship trying to force him to see what they could have together, and in the process, took away some of his independence. He deserved so much better from her.

  She sighed again. Chal had said to give him time, but would she be able to stand waiting for a day that might never come? She got off the bed, a decision made, and headed out into the narrow hall.

  She passed a couple of doors before she stopped and knocked on one. The door swung open, and Sif stood in the doorway, looking at her expectantly.

  “Kara, what can I do for you?”

  “Chal once told me that I would be in demand as a teacher in Seyoya,” she said before she could lose her nerve. “He said Seyoyans would pay for my knowledge of the Guilds. After we rescue Chal, I would like to go to Seyoya and see if that is true. Can I count on your help?”

  “Of course,” Sif said. “I’d be honoured. Is Reo—”

  “This is about me,” Kara said. “My life and my decision.” She paused, thinking that perhaps she’d been a little too harsh. “I’m not saying I’ll stay in Seyoya forever, but a year, maybe six months away seems like an adventure, don’t you think?”

  “Of course.” Sif smiled. “I understand completely. I went to Tregella because adventure also calls to me. And to Chal, I might add. You can count on both of us.”

  “Thank you,” Kara said. She turned away, feeling lighter than she had in a while. She’d send a message with Reo to tell Santos and the rest that she would return within a year. That should give her enough time to . . . do whatever she wanted. Be her own woman and take charge of her life.

  With a smile, she headed up on deck. She didn’t avoid Reo but neither did she seek him out. She simply enjoyed the sun on her face and the wind in her hair as the ship sailed towards Seyoya.

  THE EXIT WAS right . . . here. He reached out to where he thought the passageway would be—where it should be—but his hand found nothing but rough rock walls.

  He scratched his head, wondering why he was so sure there would be a way out. Did that mean he was inside somewhere? But inside where?

  “There you are,” someone said from behind him.

  He turned to see a dark-skinned man holding a light in one hand.

  “Do I know you?” he asked. The man seemed familiar, but he didn’t know how that was possible.

  “Yes,” the dark man replied. “I’m to give you a message. You need to collect energy. I’m not sure how, but you need to do that.”

  “Am I? Who told you to give me this message?”

  “You did,” the dark man replied. “It’s the first step to creating a spell. To doing magic.”

  “I told you?” He didn’t remember telling him anything. “And I know how to create spells?”

  “You do, but you’ve forgotten,” the man said. “You forget every time you sleep.” The dark man shrugged his shoulders, making the light bob slightly.

  “You look very tired,” he said to the dark man. “And sad. Is it because I forget? Shouldn’t I be sad about that too? Ohh, I forget to be sad.” He probed his mind for anything he could remember. “The exit. I need to use magic to make a way for us to get out.”

  “That’s right,” the dark man said. “So if you can figure out the next step and tell me, I can tell you both steps the next time you wake up.”

  “That sounds like a very good idea,” he said. “I’ll need a quiet place to concentrate.”

  “I’ll just be around the bend,” the dark man said. “Don’t go to sleep until you know the next step.” He took the light and disappeared around a corner.

  Light still spilled out, bathing the wall. He sat down and tried to collect energy. He wasn’t sure what that meant, and he didn’t feel anything. Had he collected energy? He was tired so he assumed he had.

  “I did it,” he called. “I’ve collected energy.” Now what to do next? He yawned. Now he was certain that he had done something—why else was he so exhausted? Perhaps he’d better have a nap. He lay down with his head resting on his arm. He was drifting off to sleep when he remembered that the dark man had told him not to go to sleep.

  NOW THAT SHE’D made a decision, Kara felt much better. She was pretty sure Reo sensed a change in her attitude, and she would have been happy to discuss it with him—she would have to eventually because he was going to explain her actions to Santos and Osten and Pilo. But as usual, he didn’t talk to her about it, just as he didn’t talk to her about anything other than the guilt he felt over taking her to see her mother.

  Javan came by to tell her that the island where Chal was lost would be in view in an hour, so she headed to the prow of the ship to wait for her first glimpse of it.

  “PALE BLUE,” KARA said. The island was smaller than she’d expected, and hillier. Even from this distance she could see a rocky cliff. Palm trees seemed to cover most of the land and blue mage mist swirled around them. “That’s the only colour I see so far.”

  “That’s what I remember,” Javan said. “But your ability to see mage mist is better than mine.”

  “When do we need to launch the dory?” Kara asked. Captain Arends had determined that it was too dangerous to take the Mizar around the island close enough for her to get a good look at the shoreline.

  “After we reach the small harbour,” Javan said. “The ship can safely drop anchor there. That’s where Chal went ashore.”

  “I still want to go all the way around the island before we set foot on it,” Kara said. She turned to her other side. “Reo? Is that all right with you?”

  “Yes,” he agreed. He peered skyward. “We may even want to come back on board after. There might be enough mage mist for you to see by, but for the rest of us, it will be dark.” He met her eyes. “But it will be your decision.”

  “That’s reasonable,” Kara replied. She sighed inwardly. Reo was always reasonable—too reasonable—that was one of the issues she had with him. He didn’t complain or confront her about anything. She blew out a breath and stared towards the island. Where was the man who wasn’t afraid to make decisions? Who had things he wanted in life and then did his best to get them? Even a bad decision—like taking her to see her mother—was better than no decision, wasn’t it?

  “YOU HAVE THREE hours of daylight,” Captain Arends said as Kara stepped over the gunwale.

  Gripping the rope ladder, she met his steady gaze. “I hope we’re back by then. Once I’ve seen the whole island, Reo and I will decide what to do next. And when.” She stepped down the ladder into the dory. Gani,
one the men assigned to row, helped her climb over the seats to the bow. Emek, the other rower, sat down on the seat in front of her. Reo followed her down and sat at the stern. Reo—with his experience steering Assassin boats—would pilot them while Kara looked for both physical and magical dangers.

  It took a few strokes for the boat to get close enough to the island to see where Chal had landed. The small beach was clear of mage mist although it clung to some of the trees that lined it. Kara assumed it was Chal’s boat that was pulled up onto the sand, up above the waves. He’d turned it over, so he must have planned to be away from it for a few days.

  “How much food and water did Chal have with him?” Kara asked. She knew it had been discussed, but she hadn’t wanted to know—hadn’t wanted to treat this as anything but a rescue mission. But now that they were here, it seemed like critical information.

  “He had food for around a month,” Reo said. “And Javan said this island has plenty of springs, so water shouldn’t be a problem.” He pointed towards a sheer cliff face just past the beach. “There’s a stream there.” A trickle of water spilled off the cliff and into the sea below.

  Once the boat was within twenty feet of the beach, they veered right, passing close to where the water splashed into the sea. The cliff had only a few patches of mage mist on it but the palm trees and bushes at the top were almost obscured by it.

  The rowers kept them heading to the right. Waves lapped at the sides of the boat, and the sea swirled and eddied closer to the island. Kara gripped the gunwales as the sea, combined with the choppy movement of rowing, threatened to slide her off her seat.

  The cliff sloped downward until it was less than five feet above the sea. Chunks of the island had slid down, and the water close to shore was dotted with jagged rocks and lumps of earth. Mage mist was thick along the raw shoreline, and Kara wondered if magic had caused the landslide.