The Lost: Age Of Magic - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Tales of the Feisty Druid Book 5)

by Candy Crum

  Amelia crossed her office, taking notice of the large blood stain that had sunk deep into the wood, as she still did every time she walked past it. It would have been easy to replace the boards, and she planned to do so as soon as possible, but for the time being she didn’t mind at all. Marie’s office was more important.

  She opened the door and smiled again when she saw Marie and Elon standing there. “Your guest of honor has arrived,” Marie said with a wink before heading back to her desk.

  “Good morning,” Amelia said, shifting slightly and extending her arm to invite him inside.

  “Good morning,” Elon responded, and he made his way over to the chairs in front of her desk, though he didn’t sit.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “You can take a seat. I’d like this to be comfortable.”

  He eyed her suspiciously as he sat. “You should know that Waylon and I have been working to improve the blast radius on those magitech mines. We are trying to get them a few feet wider. Once we figure out if it can be done without compromising the number of blasts that can be fired without overheating, we can start production again. Whether it can or it can’t, we plan to start soon.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Thank you for the update. I really do appreciate it. In fact, I appreciate that work more than you know. It helped save the city. If we hadn’t had those and Cathillian hadn’t forced me into using them when we did, we could have been overrun.”

  Elon smiled. “Like we weren’t with the druids and their trees?”

  She laughed. “Yes, well, that was necessary. Plus, with a little work, those trees will make great lumber for rebuilding. So, while they tore up the street, they gave us something much better. The road won’t be hard to fix at all.”

  Amelia reached for the pitcher on her desk and poured a glass of water for Elon before doing the same for herself.

  “Speaking of rocky roads…” She sighed. “I know the one you’ve traveled has been hard for you. With Gregory, with the loss of everything you had—with all of it. It hasn’t been easy.”

  “I think we both agree that I deserved what I got. My ignorance and blindness were no excuse. I should have understood when my actions caused Elayne’s death. She didn’t deserve that, and Arryn didn’t deserve to lose her mother. Or her father, though she might still find him.”

  “I don’t want to rub salt into old wounds, but I agree. You did deserve what you’ve gotten; maybe even more. But you have also gone to great lengths to fix what you did, as far as the city is concerned. I’ve said it before—I have no power to pardon you on Gregory’s behalf, but I can on the behalf of the city,” she told him, sliding a letter across the desk.

  He watched the piece of parchment move toward him with confusion, and Amelia reached out, opening her senses to him. She could feel the fight inside him. Part of him wanted to reach for it, believing it was his salvation. The other part of him wanted to stay far away, not yet believing he had earned it.

  “Your work doesn’t have to end here, you know. When I give you this, it doesn’t mean that you’re done. It means that as far as I am concerned, you have repaired the damage you caused. If you don’t feel you have, then why not keep working? You could stay here and continue to find ways to protect the city and better our weapons. You could also travel and find Gregory, maybe help people along the way. There is a lot you can do to continue on your journey to self-redemption.”

  Slowly, Elon reached for the piece of parchment and read it. It was a full pardon, written and signed by Amelia, stating that he had gone above and beyond to fix the mistakes he had made not only in the Battle for Arcadia, but even in earlier days.

  She felt a wave of emotion as his eyes filled with tears. She looked down at her desk for a moment, and her eyes flashed white. Her mind wandered, brushing his and seeing his most intimate worries.

  Elon feared seeing Gregory again. He feared telling him what he had done, and having his son not believe him. Most of all, he feared allowing himself to believe he truly was worthy of what Amelia offered, only to discover that he was wrong when Gregory found him.

  Amelia wanted to comfort him. She had never done it before, but she had seen Julianne and some of the mystics in the Temple change the emotions of their target.

  Amelia focused on her deep desire for him to be calm and content and pushed, trying to imagine it traveling outside herself and into him. At first his brows furrowed, but then they relaxed as he sighed and wiped his tears away.

  “Thank you, Amelia,” he said. “I’m grateful for the level of confidence you have in me. I don’t yet know what I’ll do, but having your support means more than you’ll ever understand.”

  She nodded and offered a smile. “You’re welcome. Let me know what you decide. I’ll do my best to help with whatever it is.”

  Taking one last look at the parchment, Elon stood and reached across the desk. Amelia took his hand and shook it before walking him to the door.

  Just before he left, he said, “Waylon took on another apprentice. Apparently, he’s had one for quite some time. If I do leave, trust him. Waylon is a good man and can be trusted. The kid seems to be good, too, but I’m sure you’d be able to judge that better than I. The two of them will really make a difference with your new magitech mines.”

  With that, he turned to leave, and Amelia wondered exactly what would come next in his journey.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Training had gone well, and it was time for a break in the day. Lunch was definitely in order, not only for her, but for all the warriors. They were exhausted, and the younger newcomers’ training would only get harder.

  It was Arryn’s turn to get lunch, and she decided to take Corrine with her. It would be a good opportunity to see how she acted with forest creatures and what—if anything—she had been taught about the importance of hunting and the respect that must be shown along the way.

  When she returned from the pit, she found Corrine with the Chieftain and the other children. They were gathered around a watermelon patch, and he was showing them how to pick the very best one.

  “Arryn!” Corrine called excitedly as Arryn made her way over.

  “Well, hello to you, too! Seems you had a good nap. How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “I’m okay. We’re about to have some watermelon! I’ve never had it. Is it good?”

  Arryn looked at her with wide eyes. “You’ve never had watermelon?”

  Corrine shook her head in response.

  “Oh, hell. Well, you’re going to love it! But that’ll have to wait just a little bit longer, since I’d like you to help me with something. Is that okay?”

  Corrine looked at the other kids, who had picked out a watermelon almost as big as Snow’s head. “How long?”

  Arryn laughed. “Not long at all. I’m taking you hunting. That watermelon is for the warriors’ lunch. We spend the day training, and all the physical work really makes us hungry. So, the young children pick the vegetables and fruits and the older kids help prepare them while the warriors go hunting. It’s my turn, and I wanted to take you with me. I’m one of the best hunters we have, so I promise it won’t take long.”

  That seemed to satisfy the girl, and her eyes lit up as she ran to tell the other kids she would be back soon. Another little girl, Nayobi, gave Corrine a hug before waving at Arryn.

  “Okay, I’m ready!” Corrine chirped as she skipped back.

  A few seconds later, Snow arrived, and knelt for them to climb on. Then they were off, Snow running for the border. It took several minutes, but when they got there Arryn dismounted and placed her hands on the ground at its base.

  Feeling her magic swell around her, she pushed it toward the barrier, urging the wall of thorns, vines, small trees, and various other plants to separate. The wall was now well over ten feet thick, having been reinforced by order of the Chieftain after several attempts—including a successful one—by the dark druids to enter.

  Once the wall had opened, Arryn motioned for
Snow to walk through before her, so she could close it after they had passed.

  “What are we hunting for?” Corrine asked.

  “Deer. They are in abundance here, and we can find them easily while not bothering their numbers. Did you hunt where you came from?” Arryn asked.

  Corrine nodded. “I hunted for myself. Kids don’t usually do it, but I kinda had to.”

  Arryn cleared her throat and nodded, trying to focus on the land ahead of her. “Okay, then. Well, let’s see what you’ve got.”

  The girl seemed excited for the challenge, clapping her hands once before rubbing them together. She put them out in front of her, and her grey-green eyes flashed bright.

  Arryn could feel the swell of magic as Corrine searched the immediate area for animals. She was surprised at the distance she could reach, but it wasn’t anything near what one of the children her age in the villages could do. It showed just how strong she was, but if she’d had any training, she would have been capable of so much more.

  It wasn’t long before a large buck responded to her call. He leapt into their field of vision before cautiously approaching.

  “Good!” Arryn said. “You’re doing great.”

  Arryn was about to give her new instructions when she felt the magic begin to twist and become something much darker and colder. The buck cried out as he charged forward, his movements jerky and forced.

  He stopped hard, hooves sliding across the ground for a few feet before he cried out again. Arryn was shocked, distracted by what she was seeing and feeling. As the buck lowered his head, prepared to fight the magic and charge again, Arryn snapped out of her daze.

  “Corrine!” she shouted. “Stop, stop, stop! You’re hurting him!”

  The girl’s eyes widened as she looked up at Arryn with confusion and what appeared to be an added mix of fear and worry.

  “What?” she asked, her voice quivering a bit.

  Arryn heard the rapid footfalls as the buck charged and realized that when she had told Corrine to stop the girl had done exactly that. She’d dropped her hold entirely. The buck was now enraged, and coming straight for them.

  Arryn shoved Corrine out of the way and tried her best to get clear as well, but it was too late. As she jumped to the side, his long antler pierced the left side of her soft belly before throwing her off to the side.

  Corrine screamed as Arryn hit the ground hard, then rolled farther out of the way, and climbed to her feet with tears streaming down her face. A loud roar battered their ears as an incredibly pissed-off Snow ran straight for the buck.

  “No!” Arryn shouted at both Corrine and Snow. “Stay there! Snow, protect her.”

  The girl stopped hard, swallowing as she silently nodded. Snow growled low as she stood between the girl and the buck.

  Arryn could hear the large deer snorting as he lowered his head again, preparing to gore Corrine this time. She didn’t want him to be killed, not after he had been subjected to such pain and fear. If she could manage it, she would call on her magic to soothe him—if she could keep Snow from ripping him to shreds for hurting her and threatening the girl.

  Groaning, Arryn clutched her side and gritted her teeth as she climbed to her feet with the aid of a small tree. “Hey!” she shouted, getting the buck’s attention.

  “Arryn, no!” Corrine screamed, her voice catching in her throat.

  Taking a deep breath, Arryn stepped away from the young tree she had used to pull herself up, and her eyes flashed green as the buck ran for her again. She extended her hand in front of her as she pushed with all she had.

  “Stop,” she whispered. “Just… stop.”

  The buck hesitated for a moment before responding, but managed to stop hard only a few feet in front of her. Had her magic not taken hold as fast or as strongly as it had, she would have been wounded again—or dead.

  Arryn heard Corrine’s deep intake of breath but ignored it as she slowly approached the deer, limping with every step.

  When she reached him, she placed her hand against his jaw, still pushing her power to him. “Shh… Easy, boy,” she began, wincing as pain radiated through her. “She’s still very young, and just learning. She didn’t mean to hurt you. She stopped when I told her to. You’re no longer in pain. You’re fine.”

  The buck brought his nose to her face, sniffing her a few times before sniffing at her side where he had injured her. She felt a wave of sadness from him when he realized what he had done to her in his rage.

  “Shh... Don’t worry about that,” she whispered, stroking his neck. “It’s all okay. I’ll heal. You should go now. You’re free.”

  Arryn lowered her hand and stumbled back a few steps, releasing him from her hold. He stood there, staring at her for several moments before turning and running away. Once it was obvious they were out of danger, Arryn fell to her knees, grinding her teeth again as she winced in pain.

  Corrine ran across the space between them, coming to a quick stop in front of her. “Arryn,” she whimpered, tears pouring down her face. “I’m so sorry. I was just doing what I always do. It’s all I know how to do. Please forgive me! Don’t send me back there, please!”

  Without saying a word—because she was unable to speak right then—Arryn grabbed the girl’s hand and placed it on her open wound. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Arryn croaked, “Heal it.”

  Corrine shook her head, wiping her tears with her free hand. “I can’t. I don’t know how.”

  “You’re scared… yes?” Arryn said between breaths.

  Corrine nodded in response, some of her tight curls that had come loose bouncing around her beautiful face. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Call your magic.”

  Corrine’s eyes flashed bright green again as she looked at Arryn in confusion.

  “Your emotions are your greatest weapon, not weakness. The magic you used to grow the bamboo with us…” Arryn groaned deep in her throat as more pain took her. “Call it.”

  Corrine once again did as she was told, and Arryn felt the life-bringing magic surrounding her.

  “Now push it through your hand into me. All the fear and worry you feel right now, push it out of you and into me.”

  Arryn reached out and wiped Corrine’s face as her eyes closed tightly in concentration. It took several excruciating moments, but Arryn finally felt the heat blooming where the girl’s hand touched her skin. Soon, the pain disappeared altogether.

  Arryn took a deep breath and gently pulled away, inspecting Corrine’s work. The wound was jagged, and there was a large scar, but it was healed. Arryn knew it would continue to heal and eventually disappear completely, even if she didn’t use magic on it. It would just take a couple days longer.

  That was the power of being a druid—your injuries healed, even without being forced. It was the only reason she had survived Scarlett and Talia bleeding her out on the way to the Frozen North.

  “I’m sorry,” Corrine said again. “I didn’t—”

  Arryn reached out and pulled the girl into a hug, and kissed the top of her head. “You’re not going anywhere. You didn’t hurt me. I should have reacted sooner. I was… Well, to be honest, I was just very shocked.”

  Pulling back, Arryn smoothed Corrine’s hair out of her face before shifting into a more comfortable position.

  “I didn’t realize I was hurting him more than a normal hunter would. Not until you told me.” Corrine looked toward the ground, disappointment on her face.

  “You did great calling him to you—that was perfect. Everything after that was wrong, but that’s okay. You didn’t hurt him permanently, and I soothed him. We’re going to teach you the right way. The thing is, we aren’t normal hunters. When we hunt, the animal never feels even the tiniest bit of pain.”

  Corrine’s eyes widened as she turned back to Arryn. “You can do that?”

  Arryn nodded. “And so can you.”

  “How did you do that? You forced him to do what you wanted, but he didn’t seem to be in
pain.”

  “From what I know about dark druid magic, when they create a familiar or call an animal, they don’t do it like we do at all. We push our magic and create a bridge between us and the animal. We make it feel safe and ask it to come to us.”

  The girl looked uncomfortable. “Then what do we do?”

  “They use their power to overwhelm the animal. They push so much influence toward it that the magic literally beats it into submission. Their magic takes over its brain and its body, and it’s incredibly painful. It’s not much different from what a mystic can do to a human. A dark druid’s familiar isn’t loyal out of love like Snow, Dante, and I share. It’s loyal out of debilitating fear.”

  Corrine’s eyes widened again, her lips parting slightly as the weight of her heritage settled on her.

  “But you don’t have to worry about that, now do you? You’re not one of them, right?” Arryn asked.

  Hope filled the girl’s face as she sat up straighter and shook her head. “No. I never have been.”

  Arryn nodded. “Exactly. You learned their way because that’s what you saw—you didn’t have a choice. You didn’t choose the people you learned from. If you had been in the same situation here with us—which never would have happened—but if you lived in the trees here, you would have picked up how to properly call an animal and probably how to heal or grow food. So, don’t focus on you. This isn’t your fault, it’s theirs. They failed you. You didn’t fail. Understand?”

  She nodded. “I understand.” There was a pause before she said, “Arryn, I want to learn to be like you. I want to use good magic. You’re so strong, and you took an antler to the belly for me. No one has ever cared so much about me. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it!”

  Arryn smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. First things first… We need to get some food to the warriors, or we’re both gonna be in trouble. I’m too weak to call anything else, and I’m betting you are, too. How about we let Snow take this one?”