“I assume that was meant as a compliment.”
“Elements, yes.” He walked alongside me, his hands glowing with spirit magic. “I mean, you’re unpredictable. In a good way.”
I opened my mouth to reply, and the faint whisper of fabric on earth was my only warning before a vampire slammed into me. I hit the wall so hard that my head rang with pain. Teeth snapped inches from my ear, then a deafening cry jolted me away from the vampire’s touch. A bright flare of spirit magic dazzled my eyes, and when I broke away, Miles held the vampire by its hair. It screeched and flailed, and the pause gave me enough time to gather my fire and turn the vampire to ash in Miles’s hands.
“Damn,” I breathed. “I never would have thought of trying that trick on a vampire.”
He brushed vampire ashes off his palms and gave a dimpled grin. “I know how to slow a vamp down if need be.”
He was boasting a little, but it was a reminder not to underestimate him, either. Which I had, admittedly, because he hadn’t made an ostentatious display of his magical skills before now.
“Noted,” I said. “Now let’s get out of here.”
“Hmm.” I saw him watching me as though he expected me to speed up again. He knew I was hiding something. And what the hell, I knew he had secrets of his own, too. The Spirit Agents all did. That citadel was proof enough.
“I don’t get it,” I said to Miles. “If Striker doesn’t have Tay and the House of Fire doesn’t either, where the hell is she?”
“I don’t know, but I’m heading back to the Spirit Agents’ base,” he said. “Want to come with me?”
For once, his tone held a note of seriousness. I almost said yes, but the weight of the new cantrip in my pocket was a reminder that the Death King might have a bigger role in this than I’d anticipated. Yet despite it all, Miles had proven more reliable tonight than Shawn had, conspiracy theories aside.
“I’m going back to the castle,” I said. “I want to talk to the other contenders to find out if any of them are connected to the people who took Tay. It’s not like they’ll know I was gone.”
“As long as you keep hold of the transporter, you should be able to get out again,” he said. “Tell you what, meet me at the Withered Oak tomorrow evening after you’re done with the day’s trials. We’ll go and have a closer look around and bang some heads together if need be.”
“That sounds…” Better than going ahead with Shawn’s questionable plan. “Fine.”
“Good.” He smiled. “You know, I never said this, but I’m glad we picked you out of all the possible fire mages.”
“Because I’m the embodiment of chaos?”
“Your words, not mine.” He walked me to the node. I found myself glad he’d been there when I’d been in that house, or else I might have got jumped by the second vamp. It’d taken several years of undoing a lifetime of conditioning to be able to trust Tay, and her disappearance had left a gaping hole I still needed to fill. I still shouldn’t trust him, and yet part of me wanted to.
Dangerous idea there, Bria.
The trip back via transporter spell was as painful as ever, and once again, I landed inside the castle grounds in a haze of pain. Wincing, I raised my head to see a heavyset figure crossing the grounds. Sledge, back from his excursion, and coming this way. Towards the node.
I ducked out of sight into the bushes. A moment later, Sledge halted beside the node. Several long seconds passed before a lowered voice spoke. “Did you meet him?”
“Yeah, he gave me the cantrips, as planned,” Sledge murmured in reply.
What? I lingered for an instant, but I didn’t hear the response. All the same, alarm bells rang in my head.
Sledge is the spy.
9
I decided against confronting Sledge right away. For one thing, I couldn’t win in a battle against him with my fire magic alone. Besides, I needed to figure out what to confront him about first. Like who he’d been meeting with… and if they knew about Tay.
I waited for his return in the dormitory, but the excitement of the night finally caught up with me and I drifted off to sleep as soon as I lay down. I then woke early to find Sledge passed out and snoring as usual. I’d rather not ask him about his treachery in front of the others in the dorm, so I got up and went for an early-morning walk, heading down the corridor of the castle with an invisibility cantrip at the ready in case anyone came walking the other way.
At least my adventure last night hadn’t ended in complete disaster, but I couldn’t help wishing I’d talked to Miles about Shawn’s fixation on the Houses of the Elements’ supposed plan to lock all of us up. Given my experience with the House of Fire, it wasn’t an implausible end goal, but we’d have already noticed if they were close to implementing a scheme like that, surely. Once today’s trials were done, I’d go back to meet with Miles, and we’d talk over our options.
Then there was Harper to consider, too. I hadn’t dismissed my plan to ensure she won the trials—starting with getting rid of Sledge, if possible. My steps slowed as I reached the lobby, which was deserted. No sign of anyone, living or dead… except for the fire sprite guarding the hall of souls. The sprite looked like a miniature human, surrounded by a cloud of flames, and his beady eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Who’s there?” he said. “I heard footsteps. Show yourself, or I’ll call in backup.”
Bloody castle. Every sound echoed, even when you were invisible. Only the liches could get around that one. Oh, well. At least it wasn’t one of the Elemental Soldiers.
I turned off the invisibility cantrip. “Hey.”
The sprite zipped up to my side. “Ooh, someone’s out of bounds.”
“Do you have a name?” I asked him.
“Dex,” he said. “Short for Dexter. Who might you be?”
“The name’s Bria,” I said. “Are you a security guard? I didn’t know sprites could get jobs.”
“I’m a special case,” he said. “The Death King pays me in dice. Well, he pays Liv, and she buys me collectible dice.”
“Dice?” I said, blankly.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Dungeons & Dragons,” he said. “Or rather, don’t tell Liv, or else she’ll be even less impressed with you than she already is.”
“I have, but I didn’t grow up on Earth, and there aren’t exactly a ton of opportunities for role-playing over here,” I said. “So you and Liv are mates, are you?”
“Of course we are,” he said. “She’s the one who invited me to join her D&D group. Well, she didn’t invite me, but I stuck around when everyone said what an amazing NPC I was. I played a fire demon. Typecasting, but I do a good job, if I do say so myself.”
“Uh-huh.” So my instincts were right, and the two of them were close friends. I’d heard of sprites bonding with people before, and what I’d seen with Harper and her own sprite had confirmed that theory. If I played my cards right, I might get some useful information from him.
Or alternatively, he might talk me to death by rambling about dice all day.
“Was Liv the reason you end up living in the castle, then?” I cut through his anecdote. When he scoffed, I added, “Hey, you can’t blame me for being curious. I’d never met a sprite until recently. I thought sprites didn’t need to live with roofs over their heads.”
“Most humans don’t notice us,” he said. “I knew one who lived up a chimney for years without ever being found. They just thought they had a magical fireplace that turned on every winter.”
I snorted. “I heard sprites bonded with elemental mages sometimes, but it’s rare.”
“You Elements cause too much trouble,” he said. “Starting fires and causing floods, storms and other catastrophes. I prefer a quiet life.”
“Which is why you’re guarding a room full of soul amulets in a castle owned by an immortal death lord with a magical army.”
“I’d rather be on his side than against him.”
Good point… and one I’d have to consider myse
lf soon. “You aren’t wrong.”
“Why all the questions?” He flipped over in mid-air. “Are you a spy?”
“No.” Kind of. At this point, I was asking mostly for my own curiosity than for the sake of telling tales on him to the Spirit Agents. “But I know someone who might be. Not that I’m a snitch.”
“Aren’t you?” He flew around my head, his small body flaming around the edges. “You’re carrying an illegal cantrip, for one thing. I know the Death King had them all confiscated.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I wouldn’t have to use an invisibility cantrip if we were allowed to walk around the castle without being kicked out of the trials. What did the Death King expect? Everyone to just stay put and do as they’re told?”
“No, which is the only reason I’m choosing to overlook that cantrip of yours,” he said. “If you suspect someone of being a spy, though, I’m not the person to tell.”
“Let me guess… Liv is.” I sighed. “Why doesn’t she like me, anyway?”
“Aside from the illegal cantrip?”
I cut him a glare. “If you tell her, I’ll make you sorry.”
“If I had to guess, it’s because you’re a former rogue fire mage,” he said. “Liv dated one of those and it didn’t end well.”
“Really?” I could see how that might have gone badly, if the guy had belonged to the House of Fire in any capacity. Not that Dex needed to know I’d been associated with the likes of them, though maybe he’d already guessed. The sprite was sharp—and far less concerned about the potential of a spy being in here than I’d anticipated.
“Yes, really,” he said. “It was dramatic, as I’m sure you can guess. She’s not a fan of fire mages.”
“And yet she’s overseeing security at the trials for the next Fire Element.” Weird choice of a job, but maybe she had another reason for being here. “Um… it wasn’t the last Fire Element she was dating, was it?”
“What would give you that idea?”
I shrugged. “I heard he was kicked out for turning against the Death King.”
He scowled. “Bloody gossips. All you need to know is that I’ll set his shoes on fire if I ever see him again. And if anyone ever tries to get into this room, I’ll do worse.”
Wait a minute. Had Davies tried to steal the Death King’s soul?
“Well, that’s me foiled.” I hitched on a smile. “See you around, Dexter.”
“Dex, please,” he called after me, as I left the hall.
Hmm. If I told Liv about Sledge’s treachery, I’d draw more attention to myself, which I’d rather avoid. Especially after what Dex had just inadvertently given away… the former Fire Element had been the person who’d tried to steal the Death King’s soul. I sure as hell hadn’t heard that from the Spirit Agents.
I walked down the corridor to the dorms and damn near collided with Sledge coming the other way.
“Watch where you’re going,” he said.
“Where’re you off to?” Recklessness seized me. “Off to meet more of your rogue buddies for a rendezvous at the Withered Oak?”
Panic flashed across his face. “What do you mean?”
“You’re about as accomplished a spy as I am a professional surfer, Sledge,” I responded.
He scowled. “You don’t know shit. Going to turn me in?”
“No, I think I’ll let you do that yourself,” I said. “You aren’t going to win these trials. You don’t have the patience for it.”
“You think I give a crap?” he said. “I’m not here to win. I’m here to knock out as many losers as possible.”
And not to steal the Death King’s soul? The guy had zero stealth skills, but who knew, maybe someone among the contenders was here for that very purpose.
Sledge shouldered past me before I’d quite figured out what to say next. If he wasn’t here to win, then was he not the only person working with the House of Fire?
Whatever the case, the Spirit Agents—Miles included—hadn’t told me everything. Not by a long shot.
I went back into the dorms alone, thinking they were empty at first. Then I heard the faint sound of someone sobbing and found Harper sitting alone in the corner, her water sprite hovering over her shoulder.
I approached her. “What is it?”
She jumped. “You’re still here? I thought you left.”
“Change of plans.” I sat down on the nearest bed. “I still don’t plan on winning this thing, but I figured you could use a hand. Did Sledge corner you?”
Fear flickered across her face. “What did he say?”
“Nothing about you.” I drew in a quick breath. “I know he’s a spy for the House of Fire. I just ran into him in the corridor and he implied he isn’t the only one either. What did he say to you?”
“He…” she trailed off. “The House threatened my brother. He had to run. If they catch him…”
“He’s in here?”
“No!” she said, then looked around anxiously. “No, but he’s on the run, and if they catch up to him, he’s dead. So am I, if I get kicked out of the contest. It’s the only way to keep both of us safe.”
Well, shit. “If he comes here, the House’s people might follow him. You know that, right?”
Her eyes brimmed over. “What choice do I have? He’s dead otherwise. Sledge is already threatening to tell the others. What did he say to you?”
“He told me he’s only here to stir up trouble and he doesn’t care if he gets kicked out,” I said. “That implies there’s got to be someone else he trusts to win this thing.”
She wiped her eyes. “It’s got to be Bark. Those two are thick as thieves.”
“Hmm.” A plan entered my mind. “Don’t worry about either of them, Harper. Concentrate on keeping yourself and your brother safe. If you break the rules, you’re out, and you can’t risk that.”
She sniffed. “What about you?”
“I’ve got the situation in hand.” Namely, in the form of one of my stolen cantrips. It was about time I put them to good use. I dug into my pocket and pulled out a couple of spare invisibility cantrips. “Here. You should take these.”
“Thanks, Bria,” she said. “I owe you one.”
“Nah, you don’t.”
Leaving her behind, I headed out of the dorm and to the grounds, where I spotted Shawn hovering around a corner.
“Hey,” he said. “I thought I’d come back to make sure you made it here okay after last night.”
“Only six hours late. How thoughtful.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Bad day?”
“Try bad week,” I said. “Revenants attacked me on my way back, you know. I also found out who the spy among the contenders is, but it sounds like there’s more than one.”
“Hold on a second,” he said. “Revenants? Seriously?”
“You might have mentioned they think of all Arcadia’s nodes as a tasty snack,” I said. “If I hadn’t run into Miles, I’d have had a job and a half getting out of there. They took the transporter.”
His eyes widened. “But you got it back?”
“Obviously.”
“What was Miles doing with the revenants?”
“Skipping your meeting, apparently.” I frowned at his unnerved expression. “Aren’t you going to ask me about the spy?”
“Which spy?”
“The House of Fire’s spy, who else?” I said. “Big guy without any brains. It’s him.”
“Oh, him?” he said. “I think I know who you mean. He’s got ‘professional arsehole’ written all over his face.”
“Yeah, and he said he’s here to stir up trouble and not win,” I added. “So I inferred that there’s someone else he intends to ensure gets through in his place. Maybe more than one someone.”
“Figures,” he said. “Do you have any allies in there?”
“One.” Guilt wedged itself in my chest. “She’s in trouble, actually. She and her brother are on
the run from the House of Fire. As for the contest, though
, I have a plan.”
“Good,” he said. “Be careful, though. The Elemental Soldiers are bound to be on the lookout for trouble.”
“I will,” I said. “Also, I talked to the sprite guarding the hall of souls, and he hinted that the last Fire Element tried to steal the Death King’s soul amulet. That might be why he got kicked out.”
“A lot of people want it,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want control over the entire army of liches?”
“Not me.” I gave him a sideways look. “But a lot of people do, and I bet the Death King knows it, too.”
He studied me. “Bria, it was selfish of me to ask you to get involved last night. I’ve talked with the others, and we’ve decided to make our move tomorrow. If you want to help—say, by distracting the guards around the castle—I wouldn’t say no, but we can do it ourselves if need be.”
Unease ran down my spine. Did I want to be involved in this? If Tay’s life hadn’t been on the line… and yet he had given me zero useful information to help me find her. Miles had at least helped me.
But Sledge had been talking to someone who wouldn’t show their face… and only spirit mages could astral project through the node.
Was it Shawn… or was it Miles? Did he meet him after our discussion?
Had Miles been lying to me about his presence in the tunnel all along? He hadn’t given me any reason to suspect he might have been deceiving me, and besides, he and I had parted not a minute before their conversation. He must have known I’d be going to the castle myself. Right?
“Think about it,” Shawn said. “I’d better go. See you later.”
I spotted several other contenders leaving the castle. “All right, I’m off. Tell Miles I said hi.”
He frowned at that last comment. In truth, I didn’t know why I’d said it, and I wondered if I was better off handing myself in after all. Or just leaving, but it didn’t feel right leaving Harper. Not without ensuring she had a fighting chance of staying in the contest first, anyway.
One thing was certain: I had to get Sledge kicked out. By any means necessary.
I made my way to the arena, readying my cantrips and selecting a simple charm for drowsiness. Then I moved in behind Sledge and prepared to lay my trap. As the crowd grew, I eased the cantrip into my hand and flicked the switch, directing at him from behind. The effects seeped out before the disc turned into dust and blew away on the breeze.
Cage of Fire (Parallel Magic Book 1) Page 11
