Next to him sat McGregor, the chief of the hunters. He enjoyed torturing the fey and had a sadistic reputation. Her wings fluttered inside her back as they did whenever she felt nervous. But she couldn’t afford to show fear. Pride wouldn’t let her.
The others were Dantalia, McGregor’s rumoured mistress and chief alchemist, Layana, the chief healer and Lohan, the chief of history and culture. Sera had learnt everything she could about each of them when Alward had tasked her with this mission.
“This is Serana Leon. Bastian has recommended her to become a hunter,” McGregor announced. “Step forward, girl.”
Sera made her way up to the podium, feeling the heat of their gazes. With her long blonde hair, green eyes and lanky build, she knew she’d never look like a warrior. Alward often said she looked too pretty to be taken seriously. But looks could be deceiving. No one ever viewed her as a threat which often gave her an advantage.
Prince Anton laughed. “You can’t expect me to believe this petite young thing wants to be a hunter. She’s just a girl.”
I’m twenty-six. Hardly a girl.
“I assure you, my lord, I do intend to become a hunter,” Sera spoke up.
Anton’s eyes widened as if shocked she’d dare answer him back. She regretted her mistake, opened her mouth to apologise.
“Looks can be deceiving.” Dantalia played with a lock of her long, luscious raven hair. “Let’s find out. There are too few women in the guild.”
“That’s because the guild is no place for women,” McGregor snapped.
“It was agreed that would change,” Layana argued. “You have some fine women in the guild.”
“And your numbers are diminishing,” Lohan pointed out.
McGregor glowered at him. “That’s because those blasted fey keep killing my people. I told you we need to take more forceful measures to —”
Anton cleared his throat. “Step forward, girl. State your name, age and race.”
“I am Serana Leon, twenty-six and a mage.” Sera’s heart rate slowed. She’d learnt to keep cool so their scanners wouldn’t detect any signs of deceit.
Dantalia glanced at her scanner, nodded then rose. “The testing should begin now,” McGregor said. “Your life will change from this day forward, should you become accepted. If you have any doubt, leave now.”
Sera didn’t budge and Dantalia held up a scanner. “To complete the first test, I must scan you, then take a sample of your blood.”
Sera nodded, unmoving. She felt a prickle against her skin as the mage raised her scanner. It bleeped as she stared at it. “It says she is a mage. No signs of enchantments,” the chief alchemist announced. “Hold out your hand.”
She held out one hand and with the other pulled out her vial and gulped down its contents. “Drink,” was all she said when the other woman’s eyes narrowed.
Danny pricked her finger, placing a slide in her scanner. It bleeped again. “Interesting,” Danny remarked.
“What?” McGregor shot his feet, hand on his stunner. “Is she fey?”
“No, she passed the test. She is a mage – at least one half.” Danny’s dark eyes fixed on Sera, making her uncomfortable. “What is your gift?”
“I can manipulate air.” That was one thing she hadn’t been able to prevent them from seeing in her blood. “A little.”
“Show me.”
Sera’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected to have to show anyone her magic. Raising her hand, the papers on the table in front of them flew into the air, then landed again in a jumbled mess.
Danny smirked. “Rare to find an elemental mage.”
Elemental magic was common among Ithereals, some could even control more than one element.
“Onto the next test,” McGregor barked and rose, holding a wooden staff. He threw it at Sera. She caught hold of it, almost dropping it in the process. McGregor sneered. “Hunters must be able to master all weapons. The fey are cunning and use many tricks against us,” he said. “You won’t last long if you can’t fight, girl.”
She held up the staff. “I can do this,” she muttered.
He raised his own staff and lunged towards her. She parried the blow. Physical strength wasn’t one of her gifts. Instead she watched his every move, blocked and parried. Spotting an opening, she hit him in the stomach.
He grunted, glaring up at her as he doubled over and then lunged at her again. Sera skidded out of the way, moving whenever he was about to strike. Tiring a stronger opponent was the easiest way of weakening them.
McGregor grew angrier, his blows becoming unfocused. Sera saw her opening, hit the back of his knees. McGregor crumpled to the floor, cursing. A rumble of laughter echoed from the balcony above. Sera looked up to meet Bastian’s gaze.
Next came another test, the simulation one this time. The room around her faded as she appeared in a darkened forest. Sera saw the black, twisted shapes of trees all around her. An owl hooted, making her jump. It’s just a test, she told herself. It’s not real.
A shadow moved behind her, making her spin around. Sera stood her ground, she’d survived attacks and battles, she wouldn’t scare so easily.
Mist formed in a shadowy silhouette. Still she didn’t run, instead she grabbed a fallen branch, and muttered something. The branch flared with fire, she swung the torch around as the creature came at her. It burst into flame.
Light blinded her as the hall shifted back into focus.
“Impossible,” McGregor boomed. “No one could have escaped the simulation so fast.”
Danny gave her a smile. “You used your mind, not physical strength. Impressive. Most hunters try to fight the creature – and fail.”
“Strength can fail,” Sera replied. “I passed the tests.”
“Indeed you did,” Anton agreed. “Well, I suppose the guild can find a use for you but perhaps you’d be better suited to the alchemy division.”
“No, I want to be hunter,” Sera insisted.
McGregor glared at her. “Your fighting skills leave a lot to be desired, girl. You can’t outwit every opponent like you did earlier. I need warriors in my guild.”
Bastian hurried down the steps and stopped beside her. “I need a fourth member of my team – it’s been months since you’ve given me a recruit who shows any potential,” he said to McGregor.
“You want another girl on your team?” McGregor scoffed.
“A girl who kicked your arse,” Bas shot back.
Sera bit back a smile.
“I want her on my team,” Bas added. “Sure, her fighting skills need some work, but I can change that.”
Anton’s jaw tightened as he rose and walked straight up to Sera, cupping her chin. “There’s something strange about you.” He turned away from her to address the others. “I think we should send her away. I don’t like strangers in my city.”
Bas crossed his arms. “Father, she passed the damn test. I choose who comes on my team, not you.”
Anton continued to stare. “Very well, son, but she is your responsibility. If she screws up she’ll be out of my city and shipped off to…”
“I won’t screw up,” Sera assured him.
Sera didn’t breathe again until Bastian led her out of the room. “You did good in there,” he told her. “Love the way you stood up to them. You’ve got some balls.”
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“You don’t seem happy. You seemed so damn determined to pass,” he observed.
“Oh, I am. I’m just… tired,” she lied.
“Let’s go tell the others the good news.” He turned on the transporter to teleport them back to his house.
Niall and Liana sat on the sofa waiting for them. Liana shot to her feet. “How did it go?”
Sera forced a smile. “I passed.”
“Yeah, I knew you would!” Liana hugged her. “I promise you, Bas, you won’t regret this.”
Niall didn’t look so impressed as he grunted something and headed out of the room.
“Li,
go and find some wine. We’ll celebrate tonight,” Bas told her. “First we have to get work.”
“Right.” She headed off towards kitchen.
“I saw your test results,” Bas remarked. “Your energy signature is strange. Were both your parents mages?”
She nodded. “Yes, but they died when I was very young. I don’t like to dwell on the past.”
“Sera, we were friends once, I hope we can be again.”
“We will.” She nodded. “But I hope you know that’s all we can be. Just friends, nothing more.”
“I didn’t—”
An alarm sounded, making them both jump.
“What is that?” she asked.
“It means we’re on duty now. Grab your stuff and meet me outside in the ship. Hurry!” He rushed off.
“I’ll be right there,” she called.
3
Bastian commanded the ship to take off. He interacted with it using his mind as if he and the machine were one being. He glanced back to see Sera settling into her seat. It was odd seeing her there with his team, but it still felt good having her back in his life.
“What’ve we got?” asked Niall, dragging Bas’s attention away from Sera.
Bastian looked at his data tab. “Don’t know yet. We just received a report there was an attack just outside the city. No further details were sent.” He wished the guards would learn to submit more intel. He hated going into a situation without knowing what the hell they were up against. But sometimes it had to be that way.
Bas tried to get his mind focused on the mission and drag his gaze away from looking at Sera to see if she was real or not. But it proved more difficult than he’d expected. Part of him wondered if he were dreaming and would wake up to find out he’d imagined it all. Worse still, he’d be dragging her into a potentially dangerous situation without the chance to train her. Yet somehow he knew she’d handle herself. She proved herself capable from what he’d seen so far.
The ship flew over the city with its towers of stone and headed out to the lands that fell under Elmira’s domain.
Bas landed in a small clearing. The guard station was a couple of miles away, but the trees were too dense for him to land the ships there. “Gear up,” he told the others. “We’re close to the border and this area is common for fey attacks.” He clipped on his stunner and weapons belt as he headed out. He checked his tab again but still found nothing new.
They moved through the dense woodland. Bas noticed no sounds of wildlife around, even the wind seemed silent as it rustled against the leaves. It made him uneasy. “The guard station isn’t far from here,” he said. “We should split up. I’ll go up to the guardhouse with Sera. Niall, you and Li check the surrounding area. I don’t have a good feeling about this place.”
Liana pouted. “Why am I stuck with him again?” she grumbled.
Niall smirked at her. “Come on, spitfire, you love me really.”
Li scowled at him. “I’d like a blow to the head better than you.”
“Cut it out,” Bas snapped. “Li, stop pouting. I know you want to hang out with Sera, but this is a mission, not a social.”
Liana arched an eyebrow as Niall headed off. “Sure you don’t just want an excuse to hang out with Sera more yourself?” she hissed at Bas.
Bas rolled his eyes. “She needs training. Last time I checked I’m still in charge.”
Liana groaned and headed after Niall. Bas sighed, he knew the pair enjoyed winding each other up but their bickering irritated him at times.
Sera said nothing, he guessed she’d overheard everything.
“Sorry about that,” he muttered.
She shrugged. “Li and I have known each other a long time. I’m used to her.”
Bas continued along the trail, Sera followed behind him. Dressed in black trousers and a blue tunic with her vest and pack on she looked out of place among them. He couldn’t decide if it was her long blonde hair or pretty complexion, but she didn’t look like a hunter. As the others had said, she looked too pretty.
She looked different from the girl he’d once known; her figure had filled out and her eyes held wisdom beyond her years. Those same green eyes held secrets behind them, secrets he’d love to learn.
Bas wanted to question her more. What had happened the night he thought he lost her? What had she done since then? But he knew answers wouldn’t come so easily. She’d been guarded as a teenager but now even more so.
Branches caught against their clothing as they moved but she didn’t complain. A vast improvement over Liana who always complained when her clothing got messed up. Still that girl could fight better than half the hunters he knew. Bas glanced at Sera again. He hadn’t trained a new hunter for a while and most of them asked questions about everything — to a point he had to tell them to shut it.
Sera’s silence felt strange to him.
“Er… you don’t have any weapons,” he observed. No hunter went anywhere without carrying some kind of weapon.
“I can take care of myself,” she replied.
Somehow he didn’t doubt that. Despite her lack of physical strength, he suspected she could handle herself. She always had, even the first time they’d met when he almost drowned.
Bas pulled out his backup stunner. “Here.” He held it out to her. “Hunters aren’t issued their own weapons until they’ve completed their training, but I want you to keep this.”
She eyed the weapon but took it and slipped into her belt.
“Don’t be afraid to use it.” Bas added. “Keep it on you at all times too.”
She nodded, again saying nothing. Silent and observant. He should have liked that; new recruits were usually a pain in the arse and he wasn’t much of a conversationalist either.
He sighed. “Sera, hunters have to protect themselves. You can’t be shy about using weapons or you won’t last long.”
“I’m not shy about using weapons. I’ll do whatever I must to ensure everyone’s safety.”
“Good.” Bas shut his mouth, unsure of what to say next. Up ahead he spotted the small stone building. The door to the guard house stood open. He drew his stunner. “Stay behind me,” he ordered. His eyes scanned everything as he crept inside.
“There’s no one in here,” Sera hissed.
Bas gave her a hard look. “How do you know that?”
“I can’t hear anyone.”
Bas opened his mouth to speak, then swore when he saw the bodies of two men lying on the floor. Both had their eyes frozen open. Their skin had turned pale and wrinkled. He knew they were dead but bent to check for pulses just to be sure.
“What the hell caused this?” He’d stared down at death countless times but had never seen anything like this.
Sera knelt beside the other body, examining it. She pulled open the guard’s shirt. “There are a few puncture marks here. Look.”
Bas opened the other man’s shirt and saw the same tiny pink incisions. “Must be a new fey trick.”
“Why are you so quick to blame the fey? There are other forces in this world and not all of them come from the fey.”
He frowned, surprised by her words. “The fey killed my mother and they took you, don’t expect me to sympathise with them,” he snapped. “They started the wars, too.”
“There’s blame on both sides,” was all she said. She placed her hand over the marks.
“What are you doing?”
“They look like they were made by fingers,” she remarked. “If I can do a few tests I might be able to figure out what made them.”
“Later. Come with me. I won’t to make sure whatever it was isn’t the still around.” He touched his comm crystal on his vest. “Niall, have you found anything so far?”
“Not a damn thing,” Niall replied.
“We’ve got two dead guards back here. Most stations are controlled by three. Look around for the third. Sera and I will keep searching around here.”
“Right.”
He and Sera moved through
the station. She picked up a fallen data tab. “Looks like someone dropped this.”
“We’re on the right trail then.” Bas raised his stunner again, his gaze sweeping along the woods and path outside.
“Do they have a security system?” Sera asked.
Bas shook his head. “No, the only recording equipment would be in the interrogation room. This place was set up as an outpost to watch the border,” he replied. “I told the council – argh, never mind.” He didn’t have time to complain about his misgivings with the high council and the way they ran things.
Bas moved through the clearing, tracks were scattered along the trail by only one set of them. He knelt, examining them. “Standard issue boots,” he muttered. “The guard went this way but there’s no sign of whatever chased him. Definite sign of the fey.”
“Don’t all the fey have their wings cut off?”
“I wish, but no. There are groups that lived outside our borders. Bloody resistance do their best to thwart our attempts. Flight is one advantage I wish they didn’t have.”
Sera snorted. “I doubt they can fly as well as your ships.”
The trail became steeper, the tracks scattered in every direction. Branches had been broken in places. Bas gripped his stunner tighter, prepared for anything. His blood pumped faster. God damned fey, would they ever stop killing innocents? He sped up, from the look of it the guards hadn’t been dead long. Maybe they’d still find the other guard live and could take down the bastard fey who’d killed them.
“Bas, stop!” Sera called.
He back at her. “We don’t…”
“This way.” She took off down the ravine, rocks falling as she slid down into the canyon.
“Sera, wait!” Bas skidded after her, almost tripping over.
She moved with a lithe grace, not losing her footing once as she ran.
Sera? He reached out with his mind.
Some mages could talk in thought if they learnt how. The comm crystal allowed them to do just that but Sera didn’t have one, nor did she have a tracker on her either if they became separated. Damn it, I should have been more prepared!
Relics and Runes Anthology Page 142
