Maybe it was someone else on the wall. Someone dressed like her father. Pretending to be her father.
Until she saw his face for herself …
Her foot nudged a piece of rubble, moving it aside. Then another. Then another. At some point, she fell to her hands and knees and dug.
There. A foot. She brushed off dirt until revealing a torso.
A slab arched over the chest and face, too heavy to move.
She found a pike belonging to one of her father’s guards and leveraged the heavy stone out of the way.
A face. Bloody. Crushed.
Bearded.
Familiar.
No!
By the Holy One, please no!
She dug and dug and dug, revealing more and more of the body. There could be no doubt.
Her father. Her lifeless father.
Her daddy.
Fittingly, Uncle Benj lay at his side.
The last words she had spoken with her father had been in anger. For no good reason, she’d told him he’d ruined her life, the attitude of a spoiled brat.
Those couldn’t be her final words to him. That couldn’t have been the way things ended between them.
But wishing didn’t alter reality.
The tears and sobs came, and quite some time passed before she got herself under control. Her father was dead, and no amount of sorrow would change that.
But she could get revenge.
Dastanar would pay.
As would Xan for not coming to her aid. And Tasia for being the reason Xan wasn’t there. And where was Brant? His forces hadn’t been in evidence. If he’d betrayed her father, he’d pay, too. And the queen.
Yes. They would all pay.
But if she was to have her revenge, she needed to escape.
A horse. The stable. Maybe she could make it there before Dastanar destroyed that, too.
101.
Tasia coughed.
A cloud of dust enveloped her, and she dabbed at her tearing eyes with the bottom of her dress. Rubble from the collapsed shop surrounded her in the tight confines of an alley. Dirt, stones, wood, and pieces of brick buried her legs to mid-calf.
She pulled one foot out and winced as jagged metal traced a cut in her skin. After opening to the magic source, she poured life energy into herself, and the flow of blood stopped. The tear mended.
Better.
She finished pulling herself from the debris and found solid ground.
There’d be no stopping Dastanar’s force. She had to get out of the city.
Ideally, she’d run directly back to the south gate, but the building blocked her path. A maze of alleyways and a deadly enemy stood between her and freedom.
Tasia walked and walked. Her life sense enabled her to avoid patrols, but it didn’t help her find her way. She made numerous turns into dead ends and had to backtrack. By the time she emerged onto something that looked like a major road, she had no idea where she was.
By putting the castle to her left, though, she was pretty sure she headed south.
Perfect.
A lot of buildings she passed had a few people hiding, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they had the right of it. Sheltering in place might be a better option than being on the streets. Even with her ability to avoid enemy soldiers, she felt too exposed … and not just because of the dress Ashley had made her wear.
The best choice ultimately depended on what King Barius would do. If he sacked the castle and quickly moved on to Escon or Eye Lake, hiding was definitely the right call. More likely, though, he’d use Asherton as a base of operations, meaning the entire city would eventually be searched.
Tasia had to escape.
When she neared the south gate, she sensed over twenty people in the vicinity. She crept to the edge of the main street and peeked around a building. Two full squads of tan-liveried soldiers and brown-clad mages guarded the exit.
Tasia ducked into a shop and watched, hoping for an opportunity, but none of the troops looked like they were prepared to move. At all. Ever.
There had to be another way. She scanned the city and detected lots of magic being used in the direction of the castle, but that didn’t help her any. All she could do was watch and wait.
After a while, a peasant approached the gate, slowly with his hands held spread at his sides. A guard ran him through with a sword.
Tasia suppressed a horrified scream.
Though she was safe for the moment, the Dastanarians would probably begin house-to-house searches as soon as the castle was conquered. She would be found and killed.
How could she escape Asherton?
102.
Ashley crept across the open courtyard.
No one saw her, and the stable still stood, at least. But Dastanar’s troops weren’t far behind.
She rushed inside and threw a saddle over her favorite stallion, Snickers.
Even with a horse, she had no idea how she would escape, and even if she did, what would she do? Dastanar controlled her home, and from the looks of things, there wouldn’t be much left of it by the time they finished.
She tightened the saddle and grabbed a few bags. Andre kept apples for the horses back in the far corner. It wasn’t much in the way of provisions but better than nothing.
Given her father’s passing, she was the rightful Duchess of Vierna, but that meant little beyond a worthless title. Her army was destroyed. There was no wealth left. Her capital city burned. Her territory was controlled by the enemy.
A duchess in exile, but where? She couldn’t return to the queen, seeing as how she’d run away in the process of disobeying a direct order. And she definitely wanted nothing to do with Eye Lake.
Where did that leave her?
Duke Macias. He’d supported her in every way possible. Yes. She’d go to Hoyna and throw herself on his mercy.
She finished stuffing a saddlebag full of apples.
Magic surged nearby. The stable roof erupted in flames.
Dry hay filled the loft, and embers from the burning wood drifted down. The fire spread, and thick, black smoke descended.
Ashley had to get herself and the horse out, but how?
The stable doors were closed but not latched. Snickers could burst through. Her only hope was to gallop past any resistance outside. Maybe she could cast a glamour making herself invisible.
Yes. They’d let a stallion that appeared to be without a rider through unmolested.
She ran to Snickers.
A tendril of smoke reached down. She inhaled and broke into a coughing fit. Heat passed over her in waves. Unbearable.
She’d be dead in minutes.
But she still had hope. Get on the stallion. Escape.
The stable doors burst into flame.
No way she’d get the horse to burst through that.
Too much heat. Too much smoke.
Ashley looked around, frantic, for some way to save herself.
The horse trough. It was full of water. Yes. That was her only option.
Choking, coughing, she dashed for it, shielding her face from nearby flames with her hand.
She dove into the water.
103.
Xan flew above a long column of people, horses, and wagons.
A half mile high, he carried a transport laden with ten mages. Twenty yards to his side, Jo managed a similar one and Lauren and his other kineticists did the same.
He yawned. They’d been moving constantly, though slowly, since leaving the queen two days ago, traveling through both nights with only short rest stops, and they’d swung far to the north to avoid Barius. The effort was worth it, though. Dastanar’s troops had passed to the south instead of diverting to pursue.
Xan had saved his mages, however momentarily. But only his people and his mages. Not Ashley’s father. He hated that.
From the increase in magic use, the assault on Asherton had begun with the dawning of the sun, and bursts continued sporadically in the hours since. Probably Barius making
it through the city.
A swarm of pulls erupted to the southwest. Barius must have reached the castle.
Lauren and her transport dropped.
What the blast?
They fell a dozen yards. A score.
There was nothing Xan could do. His kinetic abilities went to holding up his own transport.
A second later, Lauren righted herself. Maybe she’d lost concentration. Or drifted off.
He’d have to speak to her about that.
Jo dropped, as did another mage far to his left.
Xan twisted toward Jo. Her face was panicked. No simple loss of concentration.
Just like Lauren, after a few seconds, Jo righted herself. She locked eyes with Xan. An instant later, the other mage also regained control.
He shook his head. What the—
The flow of magic channeling through him stopped. Gravity asserted its power. Both he and the transport fell.
He pulled at the source, but nothing happened. The tunnel remained open, so he wasn’t being blocked. Instead, the magic filling the tube had disappeared, almost like water in a tank dropping below the level of the tap.
Hopefully, it would return as it had for the others. If not, he and the people he carried were dead.
Xan tried again. Power. He reversed his momentum and hovered.
“All kineticists land,” he boomed.
They made it to the ground without further incident.
“What happened, my lord wizard Gryphon?” Gregg said.
“I’ve no idea, and until I do, no more flying,” Xan said. “Or doing anything that will result in being killed if magic fails.”
He could only hope the new malady was one that affected everyone. If Barius could cut off access to magic for his foes en masse, Xan really was doomed.
* * *
Xan tentatively hovered a few feet off the ground.
They’d had no repeats of whatever had happened with the magic, but he was taking things cautiously, which meant the caravan traveled even more slowly since, without the transports, he had people walking. The speed suited him fine, though. He had no idea what his next step was when he reached Eye Lake.
Sure, he could focus his resources on recruiting, but it would take him years, if ever, to amass enough mages to compete with Barius’ forces. And Xan doubted Dastanar would leave him alone that long.
Not to mention that, in Eye Lake, he’d be a sitting duck for an attack. Barius would have to be careful due to the potential of a blast, but Xan only had four weapons left and no idea how to make more. If, you know, his magic even worked when he needed it, considering it had just failed as they’d been flying and if Barius didn’t have his own blighters.
No, Xan couldn’t count on blighting to keep him safe.
Of course, even if Barius decided that attacking Eye Lake carried too much risk, he’d be free to rampage the rest of the Bermau and Kaicia, gaining more and more mages as he went.
Dastanar was only opposed by four separate, tiny forces—whatever Wybrande from Kaicia had put together, the queen’s forces, Brant’s, and Xan’s. Even combined, they didn’t stand a chance. Apart, they couldn’t even make Barius pause.
Xan couldn’t just sit inside Eye Lake and do nothing. Barius would consolidate his advantage and pick his enemies apart one by one. But confronting him directly was akin to committing suicide.
Argh!
Xan had to do something.
“My lord wizard!” Alton called. “Movement and magic use behind us.”
Blast it!
Xan risked a quick flight to the top of a ridge to see for himself.
Brant. And his entire force of mages.
“Double blast!” Xan said. “The queen must have ordered him to attack us.”
Such a waste. If Brant had to throw their lives away, better trying to take out Barius’ mages rather than Xan’s. It made no sense.
What to do? What to do?
Xan couldn’t afford to split his forces, so he’d have to stay and fight. And good friend or no, he’d give Brant no quarter.
Gregg formed up battle lines at the top of a rise. That gave Xan both a superior position and greater numbers. Only a fool would launch an assault in such a situation, and Brant was no fool.
His force was all mounted, and they had no wagons for supplies. They moved rapidly.
If Xan waited to act, any confusion by the mages on who to target might cause losses. The correct move was to attack as soon as the galloping horses closed to within a hundred yards.
But he couldn’t. It was Brant.
“Let him make the first move,” Xan said.
Considering the speed, Brant’s forces were close. Five minutes out, tops.
“Are you sure, my lord wizard Gryphon?” Gregg said.
“We’ve got them blocked.”
Gregg nodded. “But they’ve got to have a plan, my lord wizard. Otherwise their charge is simple suicide. The smart thing is to not give them the chance to put it into action.”
Brant was incredibly brave and a good tactician. What did he have up his sleeve?
At a word, Xan could have him killed. One word.
Brant neared. Close. Too close. A score yards. Less.
The order formed on Xan’s lips. But he couldn’t issue it.
Brant reined his horse to a stop not ten feet away. His forces did the same.
“Hey,” he said.
“Uh … hi?” Wary of a trick, Xan strode forward, trying to appear more confident than he felt. “Come to arrest me?”
“Not exactly.” Brant grinned.
“What, then?”
“I’ve come to join you,” Brant said.
For one of the few times in his life, Xan was struck momentarily speechless. “I thought you were the ‘I’m a soldier who follows orders’ guy.”
Brant shrugged. “Well, maybe I’ve learned to ask what those orders are first.”
Xan grinned. “That’s a good lesson.”
“If you’ll have me?”
“Of course,” Xan said. “Welcome!”
“So … what’s the plan?” Brant said. “Hole up in Eye Lake?”
Xan drew in a breath. “The more I think about, the worse that idea seems. We need to take the fight to Barius, somehow.” He paused, deep in thought. “My people could use a rest break, anyway. Let’s call a meeting of the leaders, and see what we can come up with.”
* * *
Xan sat in the shade of a large oak.
Brant, Ivie, Lucan, Lainey, Dylan, Robyn, Tina, and Gregg joined him under the canopy.
Considering the casualness of the surroundings, Xan forewent any formal call to order. “First, the time for subterfuge among us is at an end, don’t you think, Brant?”
“What do you mean?”
Xan stared pointedly at Ivie.
“Oh … well, I guess,” Brant said. “Everyone, meet Ivie, a death mage who used to work for King Barius.”
She tensed, but no one had much of a reaction.
“Okay,” Xan said, “next order of busin—”
“Wait!” Ivie said. “He announces that I’m your enemy, and you just move on to the next topic. Are you mad? Uh … my lord wizard.”
Xan grinned. “Brant trusts you, and I trust him. My people trust me. Lucan’s in the same situation as you. That leaves Lainey and Dylan …”
Dylan shrugged. “You’ve done nothing against me or Mari.”
“You’re good for Brant,” Lainey said. “I approve.”
“So if we’re finished with that?” Xan looked to Ivie again.
Her expression showed her to be perplexed, but she nodded.
“Next order of business,” Xan said, “how do we take the fight to Dastanar?”
No one spoke.
“Anyone? Any suggestions at all?”
“I don’t see how,” Dylan said. “Going head-to-head against a thousand mages is suicide.”
“If we don’t do something, he’ll wonder around Bermau, destroyin
g whatever he wants,” Xan said. “Escon. Eye Lake. Move on to Kaicia. We’ll be running from place to place trying to hide as he just gets more powerful.”
“I have to agree with Dylan,” Brant said. “I’ve got nothing, either.”
Lainey cocked her head to the side.
“What?” Xan said. “You had an idea.”
“It’s nothing.”
“No, nothing is what the rest of us have, and anything is better than nothing.”
“Well,” she said, “I was just thinking … if your position and Barius’ were reversed, what would you most fear him doing?”
Xan thought for a second. “Going after Eye Lake while I was off conquering.”
“What would you do about it?”
“I’d have to keep a large enough force at home to guard against attack, but then, he’d just go after another high value target like Escon. I’d have to protect that as well, which would mean splitting my force even more, so I guess I’d end up abandoning my attempts at conquest to go after him.”
The others stared at Xan.
“That’s it!” he yelled. “Lainey, you did it! While Barius is here, I’ll take out Sadilon.”
“That’s … that’s …” Dylan sputtered. “Genius.”
“It’s perfect,” Brant said. “Just like Dad always preaches, you have to choose the battlefield. King Barius can’t afford to give you Dastanar, so he’ll have to pursue you. The trick is to stay ahead of him.”
“Exactly. We whittle down their forces and pull his attention away from Bermau.” Xan said. “Hard. Dangerous. But unlike every other plan we’ve come up with, it might just be doable.”
“Move fast. Strike hard. Don’t get caught. I can live with those orders.” Brant paused. “What about Eye Lake?”
Xan winced. “That’s the biggest problem. We’ll keep our strike force to, what, about a hundred mages? Most of our kineticists, so we can travel fast.”
Brant nodded.
“That leaves us about a hundred and sixty to protect Eye Lake,” Xan said. “Lainey, I hate to ask this, but I need Gregg, Robyn, and Tina with me. Could you take charge of the rest of the mages?”
Gryphon (Rise of the Mages Book 2) Page 53
