“When are you heading west?” asked Avera.
“In the morning,” said Nathan.
“You should take Ailred with you,” said Avera.
Nathan shook his head. Avera wanted him to take Ailred for his own safety, but part of the reason he wanted to take the trip was he wanted solitude. He treasured the ability to be independent and do things on his own. “Ailred is content working with the miners. He doesn’t need to be bothered. Besides, I’d rather make the trip on my own.”
Avera sighed. “Stubborn as your mother ever was, but I should’ve known you’d be this way. It is an Albet trait. Your mother loved to take her walks to be by herself, and Verin became a ranger so he could enjoy the solitude as well. Just be careful, please.”
With a grin, Nathan kissed his aunt on the cheek. “Yes, Aunty, I will be careful. Nothing will happen”
Avera shook her head with one eyebrow raised, and a wry grin “I doubt it, trouble finds you wherever you go.”
4
“Anyone care to attempt making a paralysis potion?” asked Beatrice Browne.
Kiana smiled, she knew from experience a paralysis potion was a very tricky concoction to make. Add the wrong ingredient at the wrong time and you’d end up paralyzing yourself from the fumes. Back in Pailtar, making a paralysis potion was always one of the first lessons in potions. But some instructors used the lesson in applied magic, just to give students a study in the dangers of magic. Suffering being frozen stiff for a few hours was far less dangerous an outcome than if you made a mistake on some of the more dangerous potions. It gave the students a very firm grasp of one of the fundamental truths of magic; it was best to learn from others’ mistakes than to make your own. It was a lesson Kiana had learned the hard way. Now she was much more diligent about studying when it came to magic. There was no way she’d be the one to volunteer for this task, not without hours of studying to make sure she had the potion memorized. When Rose Dollan lifted her hand to volunteer Kiana raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure, Rose? Perhaps this is a lesson more appropriate for one of the older students,” said Miss Browne.
“I think I know this one,” Rose said.
“Very well. Come up and demonstrate for us.”
Kiana watched as Rose walked to the front of the classroom. Kiana was fond of the younger girl. Of all the students in the new magic school, Rose was the most eager. Kiana prided herself in being diligent in her studies, making sure she always had her homework done and she spent as many hours in the new school’s study hall as she could, Rose spent even more time there. It reminded Kiana of when she’d joined the Thieves’ Guild School and had had to study extra hard to catch up to the other students. Rose wasn’t the only child to join the school that had little to no magic ability. Many of the other students were first year students, but since the school was so new many of the older students like Kiana, Aspen, and Osmond had to share classes with first years. Sharon was thankful Rose was one of the first-year students in her class. The faster Rose and the other first-year students learned the faster Kiana would get to move on to more interesting stuff.
Aspen leaned over and whispered in Kiana’s ear. “I’ll bet you five coppers she is paralyzed. It took me three tries before I got this one right.”
Kiana smiled and nodded. “I’ll take that bet.” It was a foolish bet to take, but Kiana knew something about Rose that Aspen didn’t. Rose and her older sister, Ava, had studied with Nathan Stoneblood. Rose probably knew more about basic potions than either of them. Whether that would help the girl with a paralysis potion was another story altogether, but Kiana wasn’t going to bet against her.
On the table in front of Rose were a variety of herbs and ingredients along with a cauldron.
“To save time, I’ve magically heated the cauldron,” said Miss Browne. “For those of you who don’t have that magical ability yet, or simply don’t want to waste your energies on the spell, use any heat source to bring your cauldron to just before boiling. And do remember to work in a well-ventilated area.”
Rose started grinding a few herbs, adding them to the cauldron. She worked slowly, at times hesitantly grabbing her necklace before moving on to the next herb.
Kiana watched as Miss Browne started frowning. Has Rose done something wrong? wondered Kiana. As far as Kiana could see Rose was adding the correct herbs, but from her seat it was hard to tell. Maybe she was adding the wrong amounts. Kiana would have to study her books later if Miss Browne didn’t explain.
Rose turned to Miss Browne. “All done.”
“I see,” said Miss Browne. “But what did you make? That wasn’t the recipe in your book.”
“You didn’t say we had to make the one from the book. You just said to make a paralysis potion,” said Rose.
Miss Browne’s brow furrowed as she studied Rose. “That is correct. But how will we test your potion?”
“Make her drink it, she probably screwed it up anyways” said Liam, one of the other first-year students. Liam was a relative of the Albet family, and in Kiana’s opinion a bit of a snot.
“I’ll drink it if you do,” replied Rose.
Kiana smiled. “Come on, Liam, why don’t you drink it? Scared?”
Liam puffed his chest out. “I’m not afraid of anything. I’ll drink it if she does.”
Rose grabbed two goblets and used a ladle to fill them with the potion. She walked to Liam’s desk and handed him one of the goblets. “On three?” she said.
Liam nodded.
Rose counted to three and raised her goblet, taking a drink. Liam started to lift his goblet but when Rose counted three he paused, waiting to see what would happen to Rose, who took a large drink and gave a very unladylike burp.
Kiana groaned. “You chicken.”
Liam blushed. “I thought she meant three and then drink. I’m not afraid.” He then raised the goblet and took a drink. He glared at Kiana. “See I told you it didn’t work.” He then went stiff and fell to the ground.
Rose, on the other hand, was still standing.
“Impressive,” said Miss Browne. “I’m assuming you added the last ingredient to his goblet.”
Rose nodded. “Yes. A little ginger root powder in his goblet.”
“Ginger root? Fascinating? Where did you learn that potion?”
Kiana watched as Rose fidgeted with her necklace before answering. “From my sister. She was studying potions, Balthazar gave her a potions book.”
“Ah, that explains it. Balthazar was a very powerful mage. Any potions book he gave your sister would have far more advanced potions than what we are using here. In the future, I will be more careful about how I word things. Very well done, Rose. You may have a seat now.”
“Thank you, Miss Browne,” said Rose before returning to her seat.
“One last thing, Rose.”
“Yes, Miss Browne?”
“You don’t know how long that particular potion lasts do you? I don’t want young Liam frozen forever.”
“Only a few hours, I didn’t make it very strong,” said Rose.
“Good,” said Miss Browne. “Now for the rest of you, this was supposed to be a lesson about the dangers of potion making. The paralysis potion in your potions book is effective, but it is very tricky to make and often the one making it ends up paralyzing themselves. But it was a good lesson in the virtues of not insulting other mages, or in this case magic students. You never know what they are capable of. A lesson Liam hopefully has taken to heart.” Miss Browne paused and turned to Rowan. “Would you be a dear and take Liam to the infirmary?”
Rowan smiled and used a levitation spell to lift the frozen boy and take him to the infirmary.
As Rowan floated Liam out of the classroom, Kiana stifled a snicker and turned to Aspen, putting her hand out.
Aspen placed the coins in Kiana’s hands. “I didn’t see that one coming. Rose is barely able to use her magic, I didn’t think she’d have that kind of knowledge.”
“You sh
ould’ve remembered the Guild School. Remember how bad I was at magic?”
“Ya, but you were great at everything else, you could sneak and pickpocket with the best of them.”
“Exactly. Just because I was bad at one thing didn’t mean I was bad at them all. I had lots of practice in those things but little in magic use. Rose has experience with potions.” Kiana knew this from conversations with Sharon, who’d been best friends with Ava. That Rose had taken up after her sister wasn’t surprising to Kiana.
“Alright everyone, your homework for tonight is to read up on Hammer Hands. Tomorrow we’ll be making a batch.”
Kiana closed her books. As the other students started filing out of the classroom, she went to Rose. “Great job on the potion, Rose.”
Rose smiled. “Thanks, Kiana.”
“You didn’t know that potion before class, did you?” asked Kiana.
“What do you mean?” asked Rose.
Kiana ignored the wide-eyed innocent look the younger girl was giving her. “You can fool Miss Browne and the others, you turned so she couldn’t see, but every time you were unsure you grabbed your necklace. That isn’t because you were nervous, it’s because its magic. Isn’t it?”
“Yes,” said Rose.
“I recognize the metalwork, Nathan made that for you,” said Kiana. “But I don’t recognize the gem. What is it?”
“A spirit stone,” said Rose.
Kiana gasped. “Really? That is so cool. How does it work?”
Rose seemed to relax as she heard the enthusiasm in Kiana’s voice. “It connects me to Ava’s spirit.”
“And Ava studied with Balthazar. She told you how to make the potion,” said Kiana.
“Yes. You don’t think it’s cheating, do you?”
“No. Why would anyone think that?” asked Kiana
“I overheard some of the mages talking. They don’t like spirit magic.”
Kiana rolled her eyes. “They don’t like anything they don’t understand. Spirit magic is rare, but it is still very cool. It’s a blessing you have your sister’s spirit. Does anyone else know you talk to her?”
Rose shook her head. “It was a secret. Nathan and his family know it’s a spirit stone, but I don’t think they know I can talk to her. It doesn’t work the same for Nathan. He would be crushed if he knew I can talk to her spirit when he can’t. I don’t want anyone else to know.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” said Kiana. She knew Lord Zellox had spies in Balta and it was likely they had come to Elderwood. No one talked about it, but Kiana knew. Her mother was engaged to Verin Albet and he’d warned her to be careful. Rose could be targeted like Ava had been.
“Thank you,” Rose said.
“No problem. Do you talk to her often?” asked Kiana.
“I don’t always talk to her, but it is like she is always there, whenever I need her. I just touch the gem and think about her then she comes to me.”
“Interesting. That explains why you’ve been doing so well in magic school.”
Rose shook her head. “She doesn’t help that often. Today she helped because Liam has been a jerk lately and she figured he’d say something.”
Kiana laughed. “Well, Liam will certainly have something to think about now. Perhaps he will be nicer in the future.”
Rose shook her head. “I doubt it. His whole family is snobby. They think they are superior because they were part of the Baltan royal family.”
“We aren’t in Balta any more. As one of the original families of Elderwood I would think you have more claim to royalty than they do.”
Rose giggled. “Liam would be perturbed if he heard you say that.”
“It’s true. Liam was barely royalty anyways, the child of a cousin to the king. He’s probably just jealous you live in the castle and his family lives in the city. Say, do you think you could teach me that potion? That version is way better than the one in our spell books.”
“Only if you teach me levitation,” said Rose.
“Ava doesn’t teach you?” asked Sharon.
“No. Ava was great with potions, between Nathan, Balthazar, and Helana Woods she learned a lot about potions and healing magic, but she didn’t do much other magic at all. She focused mainly on healing.
“How about you help me with potions and I’ll help you with everything else.”
“You got a deal,” said Rose.
Kiana smiled and reached out to shake the younger girls hand. “Perfect. Once we get you up to speed on the basics we’ll be able to move on to more interesting stuff.”
“What about Liam? He’s not much better at magic than I am.”
“Liam? He isn’t better than you at all. He’s been learning magic longer that is all. Besides, he’s lazy. I doubt he’ll pass the tests.”
“Tests?” asked Rose.
“Of course. Didn’t your school have tests?”
“Ya, but I thought magic school would be different.”
Kiana shook her head. “Nope. At least the Thieves’ Guild school had tests, and I’ve heard Demarion Black talking to my mother. They are planning to run this school very much like the Guild school, minus some of the more interesting classes like pickpocketing. There will be placement tests at the beginning of each semester.”
“Yuck,” said Rose.
“It isn’t that bad. Trust me, the tests I had to do just to get into the school were far worse.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. I had to sneak into an army camp and steal something from the leader’s tent, and our group assignment required sneaking past a troll.”
“Yikes, sounds dangerous, but kind of fun too. I would like to see a troll.”
Kiana shook her head and laughed. “You are going to be trouble I can see it now. If you ever meet a troll, remember one thing; trolls like butterflies.”
“That’s it?” asked Rose.
“That and they stink. You really don’t want to get close to one.”
“Noted.”
“Now, show me how to make that potion,” said Kiana.
5
It had only been months since her last visit to Amradin, but for Hanna it seemed so much longer. For the entire world had changed during that time. During her last visit to the home of her great uncle, the great western chieftain called the king by his loyal followers, an honor not bestowed upon a chieftain in many generations, Hanna met Nathan Stoneblood, her distant cousin, and another family member with strong magic bloodlines. The discovery she wasn’t the only one being changed by magic would’ve been much more comforting if it weren’t for the tragic circumstances of their short-lived family reunion. Nathan’s beloved Ava, captured, tortured, and finally murdered by Nathan’s enemies.
Hanna had been there for Ava’s death and had been able to do something for both Nathan and Ava. Using her own magical powers, Hanna created two bloodstones with Ava’s blood, creating a link between the spirit world and the holders of the bloodstones. One for Nathan and one for Rose, Ava’s younger sister. It had been all Hanna could do to help ease everyone’s suffering after the failed rescue attempt. Now, with the upcoming lunar event, the ties between the spirit world and the earth would be at their strongest. Nathan and Rose would have the opportunity to speak to Ava in their dreams, if they already couldn’t. Hanna was heading to Elderwood to make sure the connection worked properly. It would be tragic if either Nathan or Rose lost the opportunity to see Ava in their dreams because they forgot of the importance of wearing the bloodstone.
However, her immediate visit to Amradin wasn’t just a social call on her journey to Elderwood. Discovering Nathan Stoneblood wasn’t the only thing that had changed in the last few months. Dragons had returned and changed everything. Dragons had never had a strong presence in Solotine, only a few dragons had made their homes in the rugged land according to history, but would they avoid the continent now? Or would they try make Solotine theirs as well. The leader of the villages and the cities of Eastern and Northern Solotine wan
ted to meet and discuss what to do if the dragons came to Solotine. King Theron Stoneblood was one of the most powerful and well-respected leaders in the north, and Hanna, along with the other leaders, wanted him to attend the meeting.
As they entered Amradin, Hanna glanced over at her travel companion, Katla. The two had started out as enemies, but over time they had become friends. Katla was now one of Hanna’s most trusted allies. And like Hanna, Katla was tied to the spirit world. However, Katla’s connection wasn’t the spirit of a loved one like some of her own connections, or the ones created for Nathan and Rose. No, Katla was connected to a demon. One recruited to help defeat a coven of witches who’d intended on using demons to destroy the world. Katla and Hanna had both taken a bond with a demon to help stop the witches. It was a confusing bond at times. Hanna had worried about the darkness of a demon soul affecting herself or Katla, but the more time she spent with the demon soul, the more Hanna realized demon souls and human souls had more in common than she’d ever imagined. Humans at times, were far darker than demons. It was a curious discovery, but one that made living with a demon bond far more palatable. It also made the decision to bond Katla with a demon less of a burden. Katla’s demon was far less dark in nature than the woman it shared a body with and at times found Katla’s anger and raw emotions distressing. A finding that amused the demon’s host, and relieved Hanna.
“Why don’t you go grab a drink at the tavern. I’ll go and speak with King Theron,” said Hanna.
Katla looked relieved. “Thank you. If I had to hear one more chieftain, or his vaulted council members scoff at the news of dragons returning or crying it can’t be real I’d punch someone, instead of waiting for them to say something stupid. Save some time.”
Treachery in Tarnstead (Stoneblood Saga Book 5) Page 4
