“The McCollum Family is a historic Family,” Jaxon continued. “Maybe not an ancient Family by old-world standards, but as old as they come in America, and still one of the oldest in the Order today. A Scottish clan before it was a Family, the McCollum Family was formed under the roots of oppression and the weight of persecution. It was formed by love, strengthened through war, and bound by loyalty. For almost five hundred years, a McCollum has led the McCollum Family, and what a group of leaders they’ve been.”
Jaxon paused, looking over the room. The audience was silent, their eyes glued to the man before them. Even those at the Hyland Estate had stopped shuffling and pacing.
“My father, Wesley Green, sent me to the McCollum Family to study under the tutelage of Graeme McCollum, and I’ll forever treasure that experience. Grand Mage McCollum was a great man, a great leader, and someone I’ll respect for the rest of my entire life. Following his death, I have done my best to follow in his tradition, to steer the Family in the direction I believe he’d want it to go, and to provide a foundation for future strength.”
Jaxon paused, his strength faltering. Liam could hear the tremble in Jaxon’s breath and see the sporadic rise and fall of his chest. It was perhaps the most emotion Liam had ever seen Jaxon display publicly.
“But I am not a McCollum,” Jaxon finally said. “And as much as I love this Family and the magi within it, it is not mine to lead. So it’s after much thought, deliberation, and counsel, that I step down as the Grand Mage of the McCollum Family.”
Shock rippled through the McCollum magi then was quickly replaced by outrage. Magi began talking over one another, shouting, pointing, and cursing. Though Liam had known something like this would happen, he was still surprised by the violent nature of their reaction.
They’ve been through too much. They aren’t ready.
Suddenly, the joy and elation he’d felt in the hours leading up the announcement disappeared, and he realized the monumental task Jaxon had just placed upon him. His job wasn’t only to lead the Family, but to heal it, as well. He may be a magi, he might even be a machinist, but he wasn’t a cleric. He didn’t know the first thing about bringing people together.
Jaxon held up a hand. “Please. Please. Allow me to finish.” The clamor died down enough that Jaxon could speak above it. “Please. I’m not done.” He waited for it to quiet down further before he continued. “I know this is hard. And I know the timing is less than ideal. But know that I do this now for three reasons.
“First, no time will ever be ideal, and despite the current challenges we face, the Family is ready. The threats of Lukas and Darian are gone. The threat of law enforcement has been dealt with. And the Family is once again recognized by the Forum. The Family has been stable for months. Even now, as war rages, the Family is sheltered by distance. You need someone looking toward the future without their own future clouding the path.
“I was sent to the McCollum Family to learn to lead so that, one day, I could lead my own Family. That day has come, and that is the second reason. My father is abdicating, and I am to take his place. What most of you don’t know is my father has pressured me to take his place for months. But because of the precarious position we were in, I didn’t do it. The time is right now. Not only because the most dire threats have been taken care of, but because someone worthy has risen to claim the mantle of grand mage. For the first time, I feel comfortable handing control of this prestigious Family over to another. The McCollum Family was led by a McCollum for five hundred years, and it will be again.”
Liam felt the weight of almost one hundred eyes turn to him. He stood resolute, refusing to show his unease. His eyes scanned the room, falling on Nyla, Leira, and Allyn. The last gave him a small smile and nod of encouragement. Liam looked directly into the camera, his back straight and chin raised, displaying what he hoped was a portrait of solemn strength.
“The first of the machinists, Liam McCollum, has an eye toward the future because he is the future. As the only magi in the Order with both machinist and magi abilities, he has the strength to lead the Family through whatever dark days might come. Having studied magi history for years while curating the McCollum library, he is the foremost expert on where magi have erred in the past. And with McCollum blood, he has the pedigree of history. Liam has proven to me, without the shadow of a doubt, that he is the true leader of this Family.”
Liam flushed under the praise. He wished he could deflect and downplay Jaxon’s words, but he knew that would be counterproductive. Jaxon could nominate and endorse him, but that opinion alone wouldn’t be enough for Liam to take up the mantle. The Family had a say in that. It was a tradition enforced in an attempt to keep Families from splintering under controversial rule.
“By magi tradition,” Jaxon said, “you have two days to confirm my endorsement or move to a contest, at which time Liam McCollum will be named as the next grand mage of the McCollum Family, or he will be granted the opportunity to make his argument. Please think on what I have said and reach out to me personally with any questions. Until then, I leave you with the MacCallum Clan’s own words—words that have defined this Family and will for years to come.
“In ardua tendit. He aims at difficult things.”
“How is he doing?” Nyla asked.
“Who?” Allyn asked. “Liam?”
“Of course.”
Allyn bit back a sarcastic comment, choosing not to anger the only woman who had given him any attention in months. They walked together through the Klausner Manor grounds. The trees and gardens were alive with vibrant colors of spring, the landscape looking more magical than any postcard he had ever seen.
“He’s doing as well as possible, I guess,” Allyn said. “It’s hard to say, though. I think he’s avoiding me.”
“He’s going to need you.”
“He’s going to need all of us.”
“You know what I mean,” Nyla said. “He trusts you. He respects you.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
They walked in silence for a while, weaving in and out of forest trails, traversing the steep rocky ground until they came to a clearing with a view of the town below. Allyn threw an arm around Nyla and pulled her close.
“Look at that,” he said. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”
“You’re really not very good at talking to women, are you?”
“You know what I meant. But I guess you’re not too bad yourself. Not quite as colorful, though.”
“Oh?” Nyla pulled away and began searching the ground until she found some yellow and blue wildflowers. She slid them in her hair behind her ears. “How about now?”
“Better,” Allyn said with a laugh. “But hold that pose for a second.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a series of pictures. Nyla went along with it, posing differently for each one. Once they’d taken several, Allyn took a seat on a nearby rock and flipped through them.
“Wow,” he said.
“What?” Nyla sat down beside him, attempting to look over his shoulder.
“These actually turned out pretty good.”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“My sister’s the artist, not me,” Allyn said. “I’m not usually very good at this sort of thing.”
“Well they are pictures of me, so it shouldn’t be that hard.”
“I guess I stepped into that one, didn’t I?”
“Pretty much.”
“I have to say,” Allyn began. “You’re… how do I say it?” He made a gesture with his hands as he searched for the correct words. “You’re different today.”
The smile Nyla had been wearing faltered slightly, and she looked away.
“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing,” Allyn said, instantly knowing he’d said something wrong.
“No,” Nyla
said. “It’s not that…”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” Allyn said.
“No,” Nyla said. “It’s fine. It really is. You know about the echo, right? And about how Baylis and I…”
“Yeah.”
“Well, when he died, it felt like part of my soul was ripped away. I changed when we developed the echo—we both did—and then I changed again after he was gone. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to figure out who I am.”
Nyla’s eyes welled up with tears, and Allyn wasn’t quite sure what to do. Was it appropriate to console a woman when she was talking about the dead man who had been the love of her life?
“And it wasn’t until last night that I realized I can’t understand who I am without discovering who I’ve become. Does that make sense?” She didn’t give him a chance to respond. “Of course it doesn’t—it barely makes sense in my own head. The point is, Allyn, I like you. I’m comfortable around you. And I’m starting to figure out who I am, for the first time in a long time.”
Okay, now you can pull her close.
Her body melted into his as he pulled her tight. “I like you too,” he said, kissing her on the top of the head.
He didn’t know how long they sat there. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours. All he knew was that when the time to leave finally did come, it came too soon.
Chapter 14
“Welcome back,” Arch Mage Westarra said, looking over the gathered War Council. It was late in the afternoon, and the council had been assembled in the study Arch Mage Westarra had commandeered as his personal office. “I trust you enjoyed yourselves last night and celebrated our important victory.”
The council members shared a series of smiles and stifled laughter, no doubt reliving the highlights of their wild night. Arch Mage Westarra, however, quickly dumped a bucket of cold water on their reverie.
“But it’s time to get back to work. One victory does not win a war, and we need to be prepared for the Knights’ counterattack.”
Laid across the long table in the center of the room was a topographical diagram of the Schuster Manor. Allyn had helped the arch mage put it together after his walk with Nyla, so he found his eyes roaming around the room, surveying the other occupants. The entire War Council was present. Most looked as bad as Allyn had felt earlier in the day. Their eyes were baggy and bloodshot, hair rumpled, stomachs bloated, but it was their attitude that surprised Allyn. The room felt strangely like a high school math class, where everyone questioned why they were there in the first place.
“Allyn,” Arch Mage Westarra said. “I understand you’ve had an opportunity to speak with the other squad leaders and deconstruct the battle. Would you mind walking us through it?”
“Of course, Your Grace.” Allyn stood, a gesture that commanded the council’s attention, and reached for the red and black markers at the table’s center.
“As this council is aware, we didn’t know where the attack would actually come. We thought there was a high probability it would come at the Schuster Manor, but we also identified two others, so we evacuated each of the three Families and laid a trap at each. For those of you who were not present at the Schuster Manor, our forces looked like this.”
With the black marker, Allyn drew symbols of the magi forces around the map of the manor. “We broke the forces up into three main squads with a sub squad inside the manor itself. The remaining magi forces were located behind the manor—here—and here, in the gardens adjacent to it. The magi inside the manor acted as bait, offering up a small resistance, drawing the Knights in, while the rest of us formed a hidden wall blocking an escape through the rear. The last piece of the attack and the bulk of our force was here, located a quarter mile away. They were to be the hammer that would smash the Knights against our wall.”
Allyn surveyed the table, waiting for questions. None came. And more than one had to stifle a yawn. He was telling them something they already knew, but it was important to lay a foundation for what would come next. They had to know where they’d succeeded, or more importantly, where they’d failed, and that was only possible when each of them had a clear understanding of how the cards had been laid on the table.
“The plan worked as well as expected,” Allyn continued. “The Knights employed the same tactic they’ve used for other assaults, using their vehicles to block the entrance to the manor.” He drew three red arrows indicating the BearCats’ path and put an X where each had parked. “These two squads assaulted the front of the manor, taking the bait of the sub squad inside, while the third, led by the Knight Commander, hung back.
“The inferno mines worked amazingly well, taking out almost a full squad of Knights before the battle ever got underway. Without them, I’m not sure the victory would have been so overwhelming. It not only swayed the numbers in our favor but also made the Knights leery, giving our main force plenty of time to arrive. Once they did, things went as planned. Now, there are a couple important details to keep in mind, but before we move on, does anyone have any questions?”
Again, Allyn was greeted with silence. He took a deep breath. This next part was important.
“Okay, the first thing is the Knight Commander himself was at the scene of the battle, and thinking back to previous battles at the Ferdii Village and the Klausner Manor itself, this seems to be a common trend. The Knight Commander operates much like a field general, commanding from the front.
“Second, and more importantly, after the inferno mines eliminated a third of his squad and the battle went sideways, he took complete command, leading the remaining Knights into the manor himself. He micromanaged the battle, and this poses an obvious opportunity. If we can bait their forces into another trap and inflict heavy losses, we may force the Knight Commander to take command and step into the open, providing ourselves with an opportunity to end the threat for good.”
The council members seemed to perk up at this, their eyes showing a little light, their posture improving. Allyn nodded to the arch mage, telling him he was finished, and sat down.
“Thank you, Allyn,” Arch Mage Westarra said. “This is important indeed. I hadn’t realized the Knight Commander had been present at every battle.”
“I hadn’t, either, Your Grace,” Allyn said. “But we’ve only had a handful, and two of those were at the Klausner Manor, when they stole the Blood Wand at the beginning of the war, and in the Knights’ temporary base of operations—two places we’d expect the Knight Commander to be. This isn’t something I think we could have seen before.”
“Nevertheless,” Arch Mage Westarra said, “that is no excuse.” He cast a disappointed look around the table. “It’s our job to see these patterns. The side that discovers the right pattern at the right time may very well win this war.” He eyed each one of the members until they nodded or voiced their consent. “Good. So how do we get the Knight Commander to expose himself again?”
“In that, Your Grace,” Allyn said, “there is another pattern. When the Knights first attacked the Klausner Manor and stole the Blood Wand, the Knight Commander was at their head.”
“So he exposes himself when his forces take heavy losses or if there’s an objective too important to trust another with achieving?”
“That was my interpretation too, Your Grace.”
Wesley Green was the first member of the council other than Allyn and the arch mage to speak up. Like Jaxon, he appeared to be one of the few who didn’t seem to be feeling any ill effects from the night before.
“We can inflict heavy losses from a well-orchestrated assault,” Grand Mage Green said, “but what do we have that the Knight Commander would give up anything to get?”
“Me,” Allyn said with a wry smile. “You have me. The Knight Commander and I have developed something of a rivalry. We met at the Ferdii Village. He failed to take me hostage
during the assault on the Klausner Manor. I bested him during our counterassault, and then we nearly had each other during the last battle. It’s grown personal for him. Dangle me, and I promise you he’ll come running.”
“That’s all well and good,” Wesley Green said. “But until the battle actually begins, we have no way of ‘dangling’ you. We’re still operating in the dark—not knowing when or where the next battle will take place.”
“True enough,” Allyn said. “Though we correctly identified which Family would be attacked before, and I’m sure we can again.”
“It still leaves too much to chance for my tastes,” Wesley Green said.
“I don’t disagree with you,” Allyn said. “But I don’t see a way around that unless we dictate the battle and go on the offensive like I originally suggested.”
Grand Mage Green sat back in his chair, tapping his lips with his finger, his face contemplative. “There is logic to what he says.”
“You’d have us abandon a winning strategy?” Grand Mage Ricci asked.
“We’ve won one battle,” Grand Mage Green said. “Let’s not get carried away by calling it a winning strategy. It was never meant to be permanent.”
“Even so,” Grand Mage Ricci said, “one doesn’t abandon a successful tactic until the enemy shows they can defeat it.”
Allyn pressed his lips together tightly, forcing himself into silence. It wasn’t as difficult as it normally would have been, since Jaxon’s father didn’t appear any closer to giving in. Truth be told, it was nice to defer the arguments to someone else for a change.
“In most situations, I’d agree with you, Grand Mage,” Wesley Green said. “But this isn’t a typical opponent. The Knights have already proven themselves to be a formidable enemy who quickly adapts to new tactics. If we don’t stay one step ahead of them, I fear they’ll quickly retake control of this war.”
Capture (The Machinists Book 4) Page 12
