Relics and Runes Anthology

by Heather Marie Adkins

  “No!” She crawled over, wrapping one arm around Bastian. “You go! Get out!”

  Sera blinked, the shock gripping her as the memory faded. Layard knew what she was. Her heart pounded, her hand went to the knife Bas insisted she wear.

  Would he tell Bastian? If so, she needed to get out of there. The jumper would travel faster than her, but would it respond to her commands? She needed to make her escape, since they were close to the border she could fly straight over, ditch the jumper and…

  “Are you going to help or not?” Bastian demanded.

  Layard gulped down his sludgy brew. “Fine, I like a challenge. I’ll help but we’ll have to wait until nightfall to summon the wraith.”

  “See, that wasn’t so hard,” Bas said. “I’ll be back.”

  He headed outside, and Sera made a move to follow.

  “Bastian doesn’t know what you are,” Layard remarked.

  She glared at him, power flaring between her fingers. “Stay away from me, hunter.”

  Layard raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell him you’re fey.”

  Sera frowned, glancing out the door to make sure Bas wasn’t within earshot, power sparking between her finger tips as her magic itched to get loose. “Why?”

  “I have no quarrel with you, girl. Believe it or not, I have nothing against the fey.” He lowered his hands again.

  She snorted. “You’re a hunter.”

  “Ex-hunter,” he corrected. “I still hunt things. There are other things in this world more dangerous than the fey and the mages’ endless squabbles.”

  “Why should I believe you? You have instruments used to torture my people.” She motioned to the weapons.

  “Believe what you like, my loyalty is only to myself.”

  Sera tried to remember what else had happened after the attack.

  “Sera?” Alward ran down the steps, glaring at Layard, power forming in his hands. “Back away, hunter.”

  Layard raised his knife. “You! You’re…”

  “Yes, I am, now get away from her or this will be your last hunt,” her father snarled. “Sera, come here. Now.”

  Layard raised his hand. “I just want the boy.”

  Sera didn’t budge, still cradling Bastian’s head. “He’s hurt…”

  “He’s a mage, let him die.” Alward snapped, eyes flashing in the low light.

  “But I love him!”

  Alward and Layard glanced at each other in disbelief.

  “Mages and Ithereals can’t love each other. The moment he sees what you are he’ll enslave you or worse,” Alward said. “Get up! I won’t lose you because of your own foolishness.”

  Layard moved towards them, lowering his knife. Blood seeped from the back of Bastian’s skull. “He needs a healer, he’ll die soon without one.”

  Tears dripped down Sera’s cheeks. She didn’t want to leave him.

  “Sera, come…”

  Her eyes glowed bright green, energy flashing from her hands as she forced the skin to mend with her magic, making it close over. Sera wiped at her tears. “Please tell him – make sure he knows I cared about him,” she begged Layard. “I know I’ll never see him again.”

  She rose. Alward grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

  Sera met the hunter’s eyes then, he hadn’t tried to kill her. He’d kept his promise. She didn’t think he’d reveal her secret now but that didn’t mean she’d trust him either.

  Bastian came back in, frowning. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, we’re fine,” Sera replied.

  Sera couldn’t shake off the memory she’d had earlier. She hadn’t been able to remember much from that night just that she’d been with Bastian, followed by the fire, then Alward had carried her through the flames.

  She had no idea she’d been able to use her powers to heal anyone, but could she still do that now?

  Nor had she remembered ever admitting to loving Bastian. She remembered the time they spent together that summer, he’d been her best friend then it had led to something more. She’d let emotion take control and agreed to marry him.

  “You alright?” Bastian’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  Night had fallen now, and they stood watching Layard drawing a chalk circle on the floor.

  She nodded, hugging herself. “Yeah.”

  “Don’t worry, Layard knows his stuff – even if he is a bit crazy.” Bas grinned.

  Her mind flickered back to that memory. Had Alward made her forget the feelings that went with it?

  Get a grip, you’re not in love with him now either. It was just a teenage infatuation, she told herself. Followed by us making a big mistake!

  Layard chanted strange words she didn’t understand. Mages didn’t use power words much and it didn’t sound fey either.

  A chill ran through the room, creeping down her spine like icy fingers. Sera shuddered; the feeling of high magic went against nature itself. It felt wrong. A mist formed within the circle curling into the skeletal figure of a wraith. Bastian clutched one of his knives. Layard had warned them not to interfere, but Bas had insisted they be prepared for anything. Sera summoned magic, feeling it flow between her fingers.

  “Stop that!” Layard snapped at her. “Magic will draw its attention.” She let it go, feeling the power fizzle out.

  The wraith’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you summon me?” it hissed.

  “Someone has been using your brethren, I want to know who,” Layard demanded.

  The wraith cackled. “We don’t share secrets, hunter.”

  Layard snorted. “Oh, but I can make you.” He clenched his hand into a fist and the spirit screeched as if it had been caused pain.

  Sera tried not to wince, reminding herself the spirit was a killer. Still, she didn’t like to see anything be tortured. It brought up her own painful memories.

  Kill, must kill. Must take power like my master said.

  Sera gasped, realising she’d heard its thoughts.

  How do I hear it? She stared at the creature, frowning.

  The creature’s gaze locked with hers. Help me.

  Not likely. Oh no, it knows. Can it read my thoughts too? she wondered.

  Suddenly the wraith shot out of the circle and lunged straight for Layard.

  Layard raised his hand, muttering words of power. The wraith hesitated, then raked its claws across the man’s chest.

  Bas raised his knife and flung it at the creature. The blade passed straight through it, then it lunged at Bastian, passing into his body. Bas’s eyes widened in shock then flashed with an eerie light.

  “Bastian!” Sera cried, making the move to go to him.

  “Don’t,” Layard warned, grabbing a rod from the array of items on the table. “I have to force it out of him.”

  Bastian’s now black eyes widened, and a maniacal grin spread across his face. “This one is strong,” he hissed.

  “You never said they could possess people,” she snapped, raising her hands. Light shot out from her palms, knocking Bas back against the wall.

  The wraith hissed. “I won’t give up this body without fight.”

  Layard grinned and raised the rod. “I hope you’d say that.” He jabbed the weapon against Bastian’s ribs, causing rays of electricity to shoot through him. The wraith screamed as Bas’s body convulsed and writhed.

  “Is there no other way?” Sera asked. “You’ll kill him if you keep this up much longer.”

  “No, better that than letting it use his body.”

  The wraith flung out Bas’s arm, knocking Layard to the floor then marched towards the door.

  “Bas, stop!” Sera said, surprised when it didn’t make a move towards her.

  The wraith didn’t respond. Light formed in her palm, she threw it at Bastian’s back. He slumped to the floor unconscious She knelt beside him, turning him over.

  “Careful!” Layard snapped, grunting with pain. “Wait, perhaps you can force it out.”

  “How?”


  “Heal him, use your power to force it to leave.”

  “I’m not a healer,” she said. “I don’t know how…”

  “You’re an air elemental, your power works by speeding up the body’s natural flow of energy. Try it.”

  Sera held her hands over Bastian, white light flared between her fingers, washing over him. She sensed the race fighting inside him. Out, she thought. You don’t belong here. Mist rose up out of Bastian as the wraith struggled against her power.

  Layard raised his hand, forcing the wraith back within the spell circle.

  Sera shot to her feet, hands still flaring with power. “Tell me who’s been using your kind to kill mages,” she commanded.

  The wraith screeched as Layard locked it back within the circle. “Answer her,” he said. “Or I will force you to talk.”

  The spirit snarled, fangs bared. “The one who seeks to turn fey and mage against each other once more.” It vanished in a swirl of mist.

  Sera lowered her hand, and then bent to check on Bastian but she sensed he was unharmed. “That could mean anyone.” She sighed.

  Layard slumped into a chair and gulped down what smelled like gin. “I’m getting too old for this. Nice work though, girl, you’d make a fine hunter.”

  “I’m not a hunter.” She shook her head. “I never can be.”

  Layard snorted. “It doesn’t matter what race you are. Being a hunter is about justice.”

  Sera got to her feet. “I should go, I can’t—”

  “Bas didn’t see anything. Your secret is safe.”

  “I still don’t know if I can trust you.”

  The old man laughed. “If you’re plotting to bring down the council good for you, I won’t stand in your way,” he said. “Stay, maybe you can learn a thing or two.”

  Sera hesitated. “I heard the wraith’s thoughts, how is that possible?” she blurted out. Layard seemed the only one she could ask since Alward wouldn’t be much help.

  He gulped down more gin. “Some spirits, especially wraiths, communicate with each other by a psychic network. Fey minds are open compared to mages who shield their minds so it doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “Perhaps you can use it to your advantage.”

  Sera glanced at the door, wondering whether to make a run for it, but decided to stay. She didn’t sense any threat and Bas hadn’t seen what she’d done.

  Her secret would stay safe. For now.

  10

  Bastian’s head pounded so hard he felt like someone had hit him with a hammer, repeatedly. What the hell had happened?

  Light poured in through the window, making his eyes sting from the glare. Sitting up with a groan, he found himself inside the jumper on a makeshift bed of blankets. How had he ended up there?

  Sera lay sleeping beside him, a blanket half covering her and her blonde hair falling across her face. He didn’t remember falling asleep next to her, had they slept together? Judging by his fully clothed state he didn’t think so – which both relieved and disappointed him. He reached out to wake her up, hesitated and sat watching her. Memories of being possessed by the wraith came flooding back then something else.

  Sera lying next to him, smiling as she snuggled closer, holding hands with her as they recited their vows in front of a local judge, then a loud explosion ripping them apart…

  Bas ran a hand through his hair. When he’d lost her a decade earlier it had been a blur and he’d never been able to figure out why. He put it down to grief – that’s what Layard had said. He lost his mother soon after, so it had made sense. He had the urge to wrap his arms around her, but he didn’t. He had no idea how she’d react. They weren’t teenagers anymore and he still felt a wall of secrecy between them. What would it take to break through it?

  Deciding to let her sleep in a bit longer, he rose and searched the storage compartment for a pain reliever. Sera probably had something in her bag of tricks. He found nothing in the compartment.

  He grabbed the bag that lay next to her. Bas hesitated, he couldn’t just go rooting through her things. Yet this headache felt worse than any hangover he’d ever experienced.

  He opened the bag. Inside he found a couple of books, an array of different crystals and a few vials. The vials weren’t labelled so he had no idea what was what. He didn’t understand her fascination with crystals. They were unpredictable and mainly used to store magic. But the fey used them in their own magic.

  Bas shook his head. No, Sera couldn’t be a fey. She passed the test. She might be evasive and sympathise with them, but they didn’t make her one. She just knew a lot about them, Bas told himself.

  Light sparkled around Sera’s body, pouring out from her chest as it caressed her skin. Bas grabbed his knife, ready for an attack as a light carried on glistening around her. Weird, he’d never seen anyone glow like that. When he reached out with his senses, he felt pure magic flowing over her. Why, he had no idea. Another mystery to solve about her. It fascinated him to watch the golden orbs, she seemed unaware of them.

  “Sera.” Bas shook her shoulder. “Sera, wake up.”

  Sera’s eyes flew open and she bolted up. “What are you doing in my bag?”

  “Looking for pain blockers – have you got any?” He clutched his head.

  “I…” She grabbed the bag, checking its contents one by one.

  Okay, maybe I shouldn’t wake her up. Why is she freaking out so much?

  She ran a hand through her hair and then pulled out a small blue vial. “Here, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go through my things. You could have poisoned yourself if you drank the wrong potion.”

  “Maybe you should label stuff,” he grumbled. “What happened with the wraith? Did it possess me or was that just a bad dream?” He gulped down the potion, grimacing at its foul taste.

  Sera bit her lip as she did when she held something back.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” Bas grabbed his water bottle and gulped it down, trying to get the acrid taste from his moth. “Jeez, you could at least try and make this taste better!”

  “They’re supposed to help, not taste good.” She closed her bag again, shoving it behind one of the seats. “Layard sent the wraith away.”

  “Yeah, not before he electrocuted me.” Bas rubbed his aching ribs. “That book never mentioned possession. Did the wraith say anything?”

  Sera pushed her hair off her face, running her fingers through it. “It said the killer is the one who seeks to turn the fey and mages against each other.”

  Bas snorted. “That would include every member of the council and most of the city.”

  “Layard says he’ll try again tonight.”

  He rubbed the back of his head. “Count me out then. Is there a way to stop the wraith from entering my body?”

  A loud banging sound reverberated through the jumper.

  “Hey, you two awake yet?” Layard yelled over his knocking.

  Bastian winced as the sound made his head hurt more. “We are now.” He pressed the panel so the bay door opened.

  Layard arched an eyebrow. “Not interrupting anything, am I?”

  Bas clutched his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve got the world’s worst hangover.” The potion burned like acid in the back of his throat, but the pain started to lessen.

  Sera’s pale skin flushed. She’s embarrassed? Bas wondered.

  “Ready for some breakfast?” Layard asked. “I’ve rustled up something for us.”

  “Great, first possession, now I get poisoned to death,” he muttered.

  The three of them sat around the fire, eating what Bas hoped was bacon wrapped in bread. “How can I stop that thing from possessing me again?”

  “Did you have your shield up?” Layard smothered something over his own meat wrap. Bas didn’t want to guess what it was either.

  “No, I can’t shield and attack at the same time.”

  “Gods, boy, I taught you better than that,” Layard said. “Fine, I’ll be giving you both lessons today, start
ing with how to keep a strong mental shield in place.”

  Bas scowled. “I already know how to protect my mind. I’ve been a hunter for almost a decade. I don’t—”

  Layard thumped him on the head with a wooden spoon. “One thing I taught you — you never stop learning.”

  So much for my headache going! Bas rubbed the back of his skull. He looked to Sera for support, hoping she’d back him up and they wouldn’t have to bother with such nonsense.

  “I’d love to learn better shielding too,” she said.

  Bas and Sera sat cross-legged outside in front of Layard, waiting for their lesson to begin.

  “Now, both of you, close your eyes,” Layard instructed.

  Bas fidgeted. He’d never been one for patience. He wanted to be up doing something. Anything other than this. Sera closed her eyes, looking relaxed and peaceful as Bas glanced over at her. Bas clamped his eyes shut, trying not to sigh at what a waste of time this would be. He knew how to shield, he didn’t need to revisit old lessons.

  “Now imagine a shield. Focus on whatever pops into your head and go with it,” Layard continued.

  Bas imagined a shield of glowing energy, an impenetrable wall nothing could break through.

  Layard grasped Bastian’s shoulder. “Good, my boy. See, not so hard, was it?”

  Bas opened his eyes again, holding the shield in place.

  Layard touched Sera. “A diamond wall. Interesting choice.”

  Sera stared at the old man, her eyes seeming darker. “Nothing’s stronger than a diamond.”

  “Good, both of you stand up.”

  Bas held out a hand to Sera, but she rose with a grin. Somehow this wasn’t a woman who needed anyone’s help.

  “Now hold those shields,” Layard said.

  “Lay…” Bas protested.

  Layard threw a strike, hitting Bas in the shoulder.

  Bas yelped, clutching his shoulder as it burned from the blow. “What was that for?” Sometimes I wonder why I put up with the old goat!

  “You seem to be rusty, boy.” Layard smirked. “Keep that shield up.”