Echtang Gabo, Agang's nephew
Gadang Gabo, Agang's nephew and heir
Mandalecht Naro, Regimental Commander
Hodang Tipoe, Agang's Chief Minister
B'Dang D'Bang, Tattooed warlord
Badranga Lecht, Warlord - South of Tritos
Fern, Princess of Sanang
Drechtan Goe, Warlord - Western regions
Rahain
Laodoc, Chancellor of Rahain
Douanna, Leader of Old Free
Ruellap, Old Free Councillor
Jaioun, Douanna's Servant
Pleonim, Old Free Councillor
Chapter 1
Lucid
Plateau City, The Plateau – 2nd Day, Last Third Summer 506
‘She has the eyes of a killer,’ whispered Kalayne to the baby in the pram. ‘Fast and lean. Look at her go. Punching that leather bag like it was a nasty priest come to take you away.’
Daphne paused for a moment, the sweat rolling off her dark skin. She kept her bound right fist raised, her left arm ensconced within its protective Rahain armour, as the huge bag spun in the air before her. She summoned a thread of battle-vision, and as it surged through her she unleashed a powerful blow, battering the punch bag and splitting the leather down the middle; its innards bursting out in a cloud of sawdust.
The baby laughed, a throaty gurgle.
‘Show off,’ Kalayne said.
Daphne picked up a towel from a rack against the wall of her basement gymnasium and wiped her face.
‘Feels good to be fit again,’ she said. ‘It’s been a year since I could move this fast.’
‘Well I don’t like it,’ the white-haired old Kellach said.
‘You preferred me out of shape?’
Kalayne frowned. ‘I’m too conflicted with mother feelings to think about you in a carnal manner.’
‘That’s good to know.’
He watched her as she picked up a jug of water and poured herself a drink.
‘A fit Daphne is a Daphne able to journey to Rahain,’ he said.
‘You going to miss me?’
‘No,’ he shrugged. ‘To be frank, you’re not ready. There is still much I need to teach you…’
Daphne snorted. ‘No, there isn’t. You showed me pretty much everything in the first couple of thirds after you arrived. Since then, you’ve just been recycling the lessons.’
The old man’s pale cheeks flushed.
‘Nonsense.’
Daphne smiled. The baby raised her arms, and Daphne leant over and picked her up.
‘I think there might be someone else your uncle’s going to miss,’ she said to the infant.
‘I’m not her bloody uncle,’ Kalayne muttered, looking away. ‘I don’t even like children.’
‘She can tell when you’re lying, you know,’ Daphne said, gazing into her daughter’s eyes.
‘I’ve changed my mind,’ the old man scowled. ‘I’ll be happy to see you go. As soon as possible. Immediately, in fact.’
The door opened.
‘I thought you’d be down here,’ Celine said, her summer dress flowing in the breeze from the corridor. ‘Looking good, sister.’
‘Maybe you should come down here more often,’ Kalayne grinned. ‘I’d like to see you work up a sweat.’
Celine rolled her eyes.
‘You get a letter from home this morning?’ she asked Daphne.
‘From father,’ she nodded.
‘Well?’ Celine said. ‘Is he coming?’
Daphne shook her head. ‘Mother’s too ill. The estate needs him there. He asked me to go north again, travel to Hold Fast.’
‘It’s funny,’ Kalayne smirked, ‘how your mother is always sick when your father is due to leave.’
‘Don’t start, old man,’ Celine snapped. ‘Don’t listen to him Daphne. He knows your weak spots.’
Daphne frowned.
‘It makes no difference,’ she said after a while. ‘I don’t have time to visit the old realm. It’d be winter by the time I got back, and then I’d have to wait until next spring for a boat to Rainsby. I told Killop to stay in Rahain, and I’ve kept him waiting long enough.’
She sat down by a small table, and lit a cigarette, balancing the baby on her knee.
‘I wish you wouldn’t go,’ Celine said, sitting next to her. ‘Could you not stay until Karalyn is at least one, or see if Killop could move up here?’
‘You won’t be evicted Celine,’ Daphne sighed. ‘We’ve been over this.’
‘Your family are not going to keep paying the enormous rent on this place just for me,’ Celine said.
‘At worst we’ll lay off a few servants and rent out a couple of floors, but the Holdfasts will want to keep their presence in the capital.’
Celine shook her head. ‘If you say so.’
‘Where’s Bedig?’ Kalayne asked.
‘How should I know?’ Celine replied.
‘He’s at the Kellach market,’ Daphne said.
Celine nodded. ‘Booze run.’
She glanced at Kalayne, and the old man smirked.
Daphne frowned. ‘Is there something I should know?’
‘Poor Celine was wondering,’ Kalayne said, ‘how she’ll get her hands on a drink once you and Bedig have departed for Rahain.’
‘I was not,’ Celine said.
‘You could always come with us,’ Daphne said. ‘Vince is posted somewhere in Rahain with the alliance forces. I could help you find him.’
Celine looked away. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Is everything all right between you and Vince?’
‘I have no idea,’ Celine snorted. ‘He hasn’t written to me in thirds.’
‘Then you can ask him to his face.’
Celine looked down, her eyes in shadow. ‘Maybe.’
Kalayne chuckled.
Celine scowled at him. ‘Anyway,’ she said, turning to Daphne, ‘shouldn’t you be getting ready?’
Daphne sighed. ‘I suppose so. I’ve been waiting a long time for this meeting, and now I just want to get it over with.’
‘I wish I could be there,’ Kalayne muttered.
‘Me too,’ Daphne said, ‘but you’ll have to stay hidden while they’re here. We can’t risk them finding out about your mage powers.’
‘Foolish girl,’ Kalayne cried. ‘Now I’ll have to fix Celine’s memory again.’
‘Oops,’ Daphne said. ‘Sorry.’
‘What?’ said Celine.
Kalayne raised his hand towards the young Holdings woman, and stared into her eyes. She blinked, and nearly fell off the chair.
‘All done,’ Kalayne said. ‘Nothing in there that will cause any suspicions.’
Celine gazed around. ‘I feel a bit dizzy. What were we talking about?’
‘The visit from the priests,’ Daphne said. ‘We need to get ready to greet them when they arrive.’
‘Oh yes,’ Celine said.
Daphne stood, and placed Karalyn into the pram, pulling a cover over her legs.
‘Could you watch her while I get washed and changed?’ she said. ‘Bring her to the blue room about ten minutes after our guests get here.’
Celine nodded, her eyes still blinking.
Daphne went upstairs to her rooms, and took a cool shower. The heat of the summer hung over the city like a humid shroud, stifling the air in the streets, and sending the upper classes out onto their sea-facing balconies each evening. The loud call of gulls came through her open window, as they swooped over the ships gathered outside the busy harbour. The sea was glassy still, and the sails of the great galleys hung limp as they waited to enter the city’s port.
She was buckling on her arm-guard when a bell rang through the townhouse. She pulled on the rest of her clothes, and tied her hair back.
There was a knock at her door.
‘Ma’am?’ her housekeeper said, opening the door. ‘Our guests have arrived. I had them shown to the blue room as you requested.’
‘Thank you,’ Daphne said. ‘
How many came?’
‘Two, ma’am.’
Daphne nodded. ‘I’ll be down in a moment. Please see that they’re offered refreshments.’
The housekeeper nodded, and backed out of the room.
Daphne stared at her reflection in the long mirror, Kalayne’s training echoing through her mind.
She smartened the front of her tunic, and made her way down to the first floor of the townhouse. The blue room was a small, informal study, with a few chairs by a long bookcase. Sat on the chairs were two men, who got to their feet as Daphne entered.
‘Welcome to my home,’ she said.
‘Good morning, Miss Holdfast,’ the older man said. ‘I am Father Hattin, and my companion is Deacon Fields.’
The younger man bowed, while the priest held Daphne’s gaze.
She felt it, just as Kalayne had shown her how. Knowing what to look for was the key, and Daphne could feel the strand of inner-vision coming from the priest. Sensing it made it easy to block or push aside, but Daphne allowed the priest to see a certain part of her mind that she had prepared with the old Kellach’s assistance. All the priest would see there was calm, friendly and unthreatening.
Father Hattin looked away, and Daphne smiled.
‘Please sit,’ she said. ‘I trust tea has been offered.’
‘Indeed it has, miss,’ Hattin said. ‘And coffee, much to my delight.’
‘The peace brought by the Blessed Emperor has allowed such luxuries to reach us again,’ Daphne said.
‘Truly his Imperial Majesty is guided by the Creator,’ Deacon Fields said.
‘Truly,’ nodded Daphne as they sat.
‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ Hattin said, drawing a cigarette case from his robes.
‘Please, feel free,’ Daphne said.
He offered the case to Daphne, and she took one.
‘We were hoping, miss,’ he said as he lit a match, ‘to see your daughter, if that’s possible.’
She drew on the cigarette. ‘Really? And why would that be?’
‘A formality,’ Hattin said, his eyes narrow, ‘to dispel some silly rumours. It won’t take a moment.’
‘You want to see if she has two heads?’
Hattin and Fields shared a glance.
‘My sister-in-law will be bringing her along shortly,’ Daphne said. ‘You can see for yourself.’
Hattin nodded. ‘Thank you.’
Deacon Fields shifted in his seat. ‘We haven’t seen you, miss, at any of the holy day services, or at the imperial celebrations.’
‘That’s right,’ she said.
‘May I ask why?’
‘The death threats, mostly.’
There was a knock at the door as Fields opened his mouth to reply, and a servant wheeled in a tea trolley. The deacon sat back and folded his arms.
The servant poured tea and coffee and left a dish of delicate cakes on the table.
Deacon Fields leaned forward as soon as the servant had left.
‘It’s true that many in the church harbour ill feelings towards you,’ he said. ‘You’re a powerful mage, and yet the Creator has seemingly rejected you. By not publicly avowing your faith and obedience you are only harming your own cause.’
Daphne laughed. ‘The One True Path say they will string me up if they catch me and the church does nothing to rein them in. You think attending services will make them like me?’
‘The Lord Vicar himself has told the One True Path to leave you be,’ said Father Hattin, munching on a cake.
‘Please tell Lord Arnault I appreciate that, but I’ll stay indoors if it’s all the same.’
‘People are wondering what you’re up to in here,’ the priest said. ‘Wondering what you’re hiding.’
‘Giving gossips something to talk about has long been a talent of mine.’
‘And what are your plans, miss?’ he asked.
‘None of your business,’ she said, ‘but nothing that will cause harm to the empire, or the church.’
Hattin gazed into her eyes, and she felt his presence again.
He glanced over to Deacon Fields, and nodded.
The door opened again and Celine came in, carrying Karalyn in her arms. Daphne suppressed a smile as she noticed the priest stare into Celine’s eyes for a moment.
‘Missus Holdfast,’ Hattin said, while he and Fields bowed.
Celine passed the baby to Daphne, who sent calming thoughts into her daughter’s mind. Karalyn glanced up from Daphne’s knee at the two men, who turned their attention to her.
Deacon Fields squinted. ‘Our records show that this child is not yet seven thirds old.’
‘That’s right,’ Daphne said. ‘She was born on the seventh day of the second third of winter.’
‘She looks to be twice that age,’ Fields said.
‘I assure you she is not.’
‘Can she speak?’
‘Of course not,’ Daphne said.
‘She looks old enough.’
‘I’m told that Kellach babies grow a lot faster than ours,’ Daphne said. ‘She must have got that from her father.’
‘She looks Holdings in every other respect,’ Hattin said.
‘And only one head.’
‘Quite.’
She felt a surge of vision from the priest envelop Karalyn, and bit her lip. She put on her old mask of confidence as she strained her powers to shield her daughter’s secrets from the priest. This was the first time that the vision wall she had built around Karalyn had been put to the test, but after a moment she knew she was more powerful than Hattin. She led his senses to a warm, gentle, innocent place she had prepared, and he relaxed.
‘A most beautiful girl,’ he said. ‘She does you proud Miss Holdfast.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Well?’ Fields said to his partner.
‘Nothing to worry about here,’ Hattin said.
The deacon nodded. ‘Then we’ve got what we came for.’ He stood.
Hattin sighed, put down his half-eaten cake, and got to his feet.
‘Thank you for your time, Miss Holdfast,’ said Deacon Fields.
‘And for the coffee,’ Father Hattin smiled.
Celine rang a bell, and a servant arrived to escort the two church agents out.
‘That went well,’ she said. ‘The deacon was a bit creepy.’
‘I’ve met worse,’ said Daphne.
She picked up a cake, remembered why she was training so hard, and put it back onto the plate.
‘Celine,’ she said, lighting a cigarette while shifting Karalyn onto her other knee, ‘could you please fetch Kalayne? And dig out a bottle of something, I could do with a drink.’
From above, the city looked peaceful. The seven stars glowed bright in the night sky, but were dwarfed by the light from the great capital of the empire, its streetlamps and houselights creating a vast bubble of illumination. To the south and west, the Inner Sea glistened in reflected radiance, while a hum of sound came from the people still up at that late hour. Most houses were shrouded in darkness as the majority of the city slept, and in her own room by the seawall, she too slept, her unconscious form snoring on her bed, ten feet from Karalyn’s crib.
Daphne gazed at her daughter, the webs of protection she and Kalayne had spun around her glowing like silver threads. If anyone used vision powers, they too shone out to her. She would often hone in on someone using inner-vision, and once she had seen Rijon, busy in the service of the church, interrogating Rahain mages captured during the war. She had watched as he had entered their minds, oblivious to her presence.
Kalayne had also taught her how to master her dreams, control them, use them to learn what was happening, and yet awake the next morning refreshed and rested. Lucid dreaming he called it, and Daphne had taken to it like an eager child. With practice, she was sometimes able to take control of her dreams for as long as an hour, and combine her own vision skills. Gazing down upon the city had become her favourite starting position, a way to clear her thought
s and protect her child, should any mage-priest attempt to gain access to her mind while they slept.
That night, she half-expected someone from the church to try. Father Hattin had seemed convinced, but the deacon had been harder to read.
A voice pierced through her senses, and she felt herself pulled back to her body in a rush.
‘Daphne, wake up!’
She groaned and opened her eyes. A lamp had been lit in her room, and she squinted at the person standing over her.
‘Shella?’
‘About time,’ her friend said. ‘I thought I was going to have to slap you.’
‘Is it morning?’
‘Nope. Middle of the fucking night.’
Daphne sat up. She glanced over at the crib, and saw Karalyn still sleeping.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘We need to talk. Grab a housecoat and come on.’
‘Shhh,’ Daphne whispered. ‘If you wake her, you’re putting her back down again.’
Shella raised an eyebrow and held out a thin robe.
The Holdings woman drew back her light summer blanket, slipped on her sandals and pulled the robe over her shoulders. Shella crept to the door, and they went outside onto the balcony. A servant was waiting there, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
‘Ma’am, your Highness,’ he nodded to the two women.
‘Bring us something cold to drink,’ Shella said.
The servant bowed and left.
Daphne and Shella sat at the little table by the iron railings overlooking the calm sea. The lightest of breezes was coming off the face of the water, and Daphne savoured it.
‘It’s so damn hot,’ she said.
‘Surely it’s hotter in the Holdings?’ Shella said.
‘During the day it is,’ Daphne said, ‘but it’s much cooler at night. And it’s never as humid as this.’
The servant came back out and set down a large jug of lemonade and a pair of tall glasses.
‘Will you be requiring anything else, ma’am?’
‘No, no,’ Daphne said. ‘Please, go back to bed.’
The servant bowed again, and left the balcony, closing the door behind him.
Shella plucked a couple of smokesticks from an inside pocket, and lit them.
‘Keenweed,’ she said, passing one to Daphne.
The Magelands Box Set Page 92
