by James Wisher
Book Four
Trembling Earth
Chapter 1
Damien flew over the dark city, a sliver of moon gleaming in the sky overhead. Outside the castle the damage from the earthquake looked more extensive. Many glow stone lamps had fallen and shattered, leaving the capital darker than normal. Scores of small fires, no doubt caused by smashed oil lanterns and collapsed chimneys, offset some of the lost light. Thick black smoke choked the air, forcing Damien to conjure fans to blow it away or suffocate.
Hundreds of windows had busted, littering the streets with glass. He flew over a partially collapsed inn, where a group of people were digging frantically to reach survivors under the rubble. It was the third badly damaged building he’d seen in less than a minute. Survivors filled the streets, running around, shouting for loved ones. A piercing wail rent the air when someone found an injured victim or worse, a body. How in the world would they ever hunt down one thief in all this? It would take months to repair all the damage. At least they’d lucked out and winter had passed before the quake struck. Three months earlier and the people would be in even worse straits. Every time Damien had to fly on without helping pained him, but he had his mission and he’d see it through.
Uncle Andy had ordered the gates sealed as soon as the archmage alerted him to the theft. Everyone hoped the order had gone out soon enough to prevent the spy from escaping with the urn. Their chances of catching, or at least preventing the escape of whoever took it were pretty good, unless the spy was a warlord or sorcerer, then forget it. The hunters needed to hurry. The gates could only remain sealed for so long before the city grew restless.
The archmage had ordered Damien to patrol the perimeter of the city and detain anyone in the vicinity on the off chance the thief had gotten through the gates. He flew over the wall and sent dozens of lights drifting toward the ground. All the trees and brush had been cleared from around the wall for a mile in every direction. No one could hide in that open ground. It only took Damien ten minutes to circle the city. He saw nothing and sensed no soul force. The thief was either long gone or still inside.
Damien turned to fly back to the castle when he sensed a hint of corrupt soul force. Something demonic lurked out there and it was growing closer by the second. Perhaps Connor had sent his spy reinforcements. Even if Damien couldn’t find the urn he could at least deal with whatever was slinking around out there before it caused any harm.
Speeding northeast Damien flew towards the energy. He reached the tree line just as a cloaked and hooded figure burst from between a pair of evergreens. Whoever it was, they looked like a normal human. A few seconds later four huge wolves crashed through the undergrowth. Their eyes glowed red, and flames leaked from their mouths like saliva. The monsters charged.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out whoever was down there had run out of time. Those demon-possessed wolves would catch their prey in moments. Damien couldn’t allow that.
Golden lances rained down, piercing the wolves and pinning them to the ground like bugs in a collection. Despite being stabbed multiple times the beasts still thrashed and howled, spitting flames toward the sky. The stranger had stopped and stood bent over, panting.
Damien drew deep from his core and burned the wolves to ash, leaving nothing behind that might cause trouble later. The immediate threat hopefully dealt with, Damien surrounded the stranger with a ring of lights. He landed a safe distance away and tried to look nonthreatening.
“Heaven’s blessing on you, sir.” The woman threw back her hood revealing a plain, kind face surrounded by thick brown hair. Brown eyes twinkled in his lights. “I’ve been fleeing from those beasts for a day and a half. I feared they had finally caught me.”
“I guess it wasn’t your day. Damien St. Cloud.” He held out his hand. If she replied with, “oh, the demon slayer,” he was going to scream.
She smiled and shook his hand. “Leah Walks-in-Sunshine. I owe you my life and yet I fear I must ask you for yet another favor.”
“Ask, but I can make no promises.”
“I need to speak with the king. I and my people need help. If you wish the quakes to end you must help me.”
Damien frowned. “Is that a threat? If it is, you have a funny idea about how to ask for help.”
“Apologies. That didn’t come out the way I intended and I certainly don’t mean you or anyone else any harm.” She looked all around, anywhere but his eyes. “I’m not used to dealing with people.”
They were getting nowhere slow and he needed to return to the castle. “Take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.”
“Yes. One day when I was out on a nature walk I happened across a member of our order sneaking through the woods. I would ordinarily never intrude on another’s journey, but he was acting so furtive that it aroused my curiosity. The wise one, the leader of our order, says I have far too much of it for my own good. His path led to a cave and inside, at the end of many twisting tunnels, was a ritual circle. I only caught a glimpse of it, but I saw enough of the runes to recognize their purpose. Someone is attempting to shift the local ley lines to create a convergence. The pressure on the flow is what caused the quakes. If they aren’t stopped I fear what will become of the land.”
Damien just stared for a second. He’d only understood about a quarter of what she just said—if you included her name. The only thing he understood for sure was that one or more people had caused the tremor that damaged the capital.
“You definitely need to talk to the king and my master. This matter is entirely beyond my understanding. Have you ever flown?”
Chapter 2
Twenty-seven men and women dressed in black and silver servants’ uniforms stood in a neat row in the throne room. Some trembled, some were soaked with sweat, and all of them stank of fear and looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. In another row, hands clasped behind their backs, wearing blue and silver tabards over mail hauberks, waited thirty guards. They ran the gamut from youths straight out of training to a grizzled sergeant that walked with a limp and had a patchy salt-and-pepper beard.
Jen hadn’t realized how many servants there were in the castle. Some she recognized, like the cook, with her flour-smudged face. No one that made such fantastic food could possibly be a spy. In fact, Jen doubted anyone here was a spy. Whoever stole the artifact was probably miles away by now.
The archmage had agreed when she’d told them about the theft, but she insisted whoever did it might have an accomplice. Everyone would be questioned until she knew the spy had acted alone. At the end of the line Dale Allen fidgeted in his blue robe, his staff of office held loosely in his wrinkled hands. Jen felt bad for the old man. When the archmage had ordered everyone assembled Dale had taken it as a personal failure that one of his people had betrayed the kingdom. Beside him the captain of the guard held himself absolutely rigid, his hand clenching the hilt of his sword so tight she worried the wood might shatter.
“Who’s missing?” Uncle Andy asked.
Dale chewed his lip. “Merik Arcorn, he was in charge of the ovens and keeping us supplied with wood. Holly Linn, one of the chambermaids. Carmen Warren, she was in charge of sewing and linens.”
“I’m missing an entire unit of dungeon guards,” the captain said. “Also Tom Right, who was killed in the vault and Jonathan Linn, one of the regular throne room door guards.”
The archmage spun to face him. “Did you say Linn?”
The captain nodded. “Holly’s his little sister.”
“Hmmm.”
Jen knew how the archmage felt. What were the odds a brother and sister would vanish at the same time as the urn. It also made sense that two people had teamed up to commit the theft. It was a big job for just one person.
A rap sounded on the door and a moment later a Crimson Legionnaire poked his head into the throne room. “We’re ready to begin questioning, Archmage.”
She nodded and servants and guards began filing out. It wouldn’t take fifteen sorcerer
s long to sort out if any of them were involved. The full twenty would have done it faster, but three members were stationed with the queen and princess in the royal apartment and two more were searching the grounds for the thieves, just in case they hadn’t managed to escape the castle grounds.
When the door slammed shut Uncle Andy said, “You think it’s the brother and sister?”
The archmage shook her head. “I refuse to go into this assuming anything. We’ve made too many assumptions that ended badly. Until I know for certain one way or the other, in my eyes they’re all guilty.”
Jen winced. Talk about harsh.
Chapter 3
Alden sent streams of soul force in all directions, probing the stone steps outside the castle for any sign of either the thief or the urn. Glowing spheres of light brightened the area, but revealed nothing. You’d have thought someone rushing out would have left some sign, a drop of blood, a torn piece of cloth, something. So far his efforts had been in vain. Beside him Imogen scanned the heavy doors, seemingly with equal results. They’d checked every inch of the castle before moving outside. If they had to search the whole city this way it would take the entire Crimson Legion a year. Somehow Alden doubted they had a year.
“Why is it we can’t remember what the spy looked like?” Alden asked.
Imogen cut off her flow of soul force. She turned to face him, her beautiful face twisted in a fierce scowl. “The healer said it’s because of the poison. It knocked us out and erased our short term memory. A useful tool for a spy.”
“Yeah, but a pain for us. There has to be a way to speed this up.”
“If we had some idea where to look. But since we don’t we’ll have to look everywhere.”
Something clanked and the doors opened. The archmage stepped out, her expression hard and grim. “Anything?”
Alden shook his head. “We’ve checked the whole castle inside and out. Whoever it is must be out in the city.”
“I agree,” Imogen said.
“Well that makes three of us. Before we start a random hunt through the city I have a list of names and addresses for you.” She handed Alden a rolled-up scroll. “Three servants and a guard remain unaccounted for. No one seems certain if they showed up at the castle today or if they left early. Whatever happened they’re our best leads. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll be hiding at home.”
Alden pursed his lips. “If they’re hiding the urn at home I’ll dance naked around the city.”
“We have nothing else to go on. If you have a better suggestion I’m listening.” The archmage stared so hard at him Alden flinched.
“No, ma’am. We’ll get right on this.”
“Good. Start with the brother and sister.” The archmage slammed the door leaving them alone again.
“Did you really try and joke with her under these circumstances?” Imogen asked.
“I’ll grant you my timing could have been better.” He unrolled the scroll. It seemed the Linn family lived in a flat above a dry goods store. That was probably handy. “Do you know where Hammer Street is?”
“The trade district.”
“That’s thirty square blocks. I was hoping for something a little more precise.”
“Let’s just fly there and ask the first person we see.” Imogen leapt into the air.
Alden followed, shaking his head. He hated asking for directions.
They landed at the edge of the trade district. Through the whole flight Alden didn’t think he’d seen more than a handful of undamaged buildings. Everywhere he looked people were picking through rubble, whether searching for people or things he couldn’t say.
Imogen marched over to a stout, gray-haired woman in a smock and apron sweeping glass out of the street. Whatever else you might say about their crimson tunics, they drew people’s attention the moment they saw them.
“Where’s Hammer Street?” Imogen asked.
The woman looked up and squinted at them. She pointed toward the city wall. “Three blocks that way, two right, next left. Look for the sign, you can’t miss it.”
Imogen stalked off without another word. Alden waved at the woman. “Thanks.”
It was such a short distance they didn’t bother flying. At the appointed corner they found a four-foot-tall wooden sign carved to look like a hammer. Alden grinned. Talk about obvious.
“What was the name of the store?” Imogen asked.
Alden dug the scroll out of his tunic and conjured a small light. “Smitty’s Dry Goods. I doubt they’re open.”
Imogen looked at him with her hard, blue eyes. “They’ll open for us.”
Alden followed her down the street, his gaze darting from side to side. The area consisted mostly of businesses, which explained the lack of people. The shopkeepers and workers were probably home picking up. Once the sun rose he figured the place would be packed with people trying to figure out how much the quake had cost them.
Imogen stopped, hands on her hips, staring at a half-collapsed two-story building. A broken sign lay on the ground near the door. It said “Smitty’s Dry Goods.” Three-quarters of the roof slumped down into the second floor. Alden had serious doubts anyone was hiding up there.
They flew up and looked down into the ruined apartment. Alden sensed a faint soul force. Imogen looked at him and he nodded. They landed on a heap of mangled rafters and shingles. The soul force emanated from the undamaged portion of the second floor. Unfortunately half the collapsed roof lay between them and whoever was on the other side.
“Hey! Are you okay?” Alden shouted.
Imogen smacked his shoulder. “What are you doing? It could be the spy.”
“The spy was in the castle when the tremors started. If that’s who it is how did they get over there?”
“Hello?” A faint, feminine voice came from beyond the rubble.
“I don’t know, but you still shouldn’t have shouted.”
“Fine. Let’s argue some more after we dig her out.”
The two sorcerers made short work of the pile of rubble. Hiding under a table on the opposite side was a terrified young woman who stared at Alden and Imogen like they were angels descended from heaven.
“Thank you. I was afraid I’d never get out of there.”
“All part of our job, miss,” Alden said.
“Who are you?” Imogen asked.
“I’m Holly Linn. I’d offer you a cup of tea, but…” She looked around at the ruins of her apartment and shrugged.
“Why weren’t you at your job today?” Imogen asked.
“I’ve been sick and Jonny insisted I stay home and rest today. He said they could get along without me for a day. Am I in trouble?”
“Not at all, miss.” Alden smiled and patted her hand. “We’re just checking on any absent servants to make sure they weren’t hurt in the quake. You don’t know where your brother is by any chance?”
She shook her head. “He went to the castle this morning the same as he does every day. I assumed he was there. Is he okay?”
“We’re not certain. As you can imagine things are a little crazy right now. We’ll find him, never fear.” Behind him Imogen snorted.
Holly hugged Alden. “Thank you so much, sir. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Jonny.”
Alden wiggled free of the girl and asked, “Do you have somewhere you can go? It isn’t safe for you to remain here.”
She shook her head. “This place was all we had. Mom and Dad died four years ago and now it’s just Jonny and me.”
“Would you like to go to the castle? We can find a place for you to rest away from everyone so you won’t make them sick.”
“Yes, sir, I’d like that. I’m afraid I’ll fall through the floor if I stay here.”
Alden looked around and was forced to agree with her. He conjured a wagon about Holly and the three of them took off. They hadn’t flown far when Holly let out a little squeak. She stared out over the devastated city, her hand at her mouth.
“Ho
lly, did your brother have any friends that might know where we can find him?” Alden asked.
“Jonny had a few friends in the guards, but he spent most of his time with Carmen. He thought he was being sneaky, but I saw them together all the time. Usually kissing.” Holly’s face turned bright red when she said that last bit.
“Would that be Carmen Warren?” Alden asked.
Holly nodded. “Do you know her? She’s very pretty. Sometimes she even talks to the queen.”
“How do you know that?” Imogen asked, a little sharper than necessary.
“I heard her tell Jonny. I think Carmen liked to brag. Not that she’s a bad person. Getting to talk to the queen is a real honor after all.”
“It certainly is.” Alden caught Imogen’s eye and they shared a nod.
They landed in the castle courtyard and Alden got Holly settled in before joining the archmage in the throne room.
“Is the girl being honest with you?” she asked.
“I’m confident she is,” Alden said.
“Agreed,” Imogen said. “She’s a bubble-brained kid, but she’s no spy.”
“Good. We’ve also eliminated Merik Arcorn from the list while you were gone.”
“How’d you manage that?” Alden asked.
“A search party found him crushed under a pile of logs he was cutting into firewood.”
Alden winced. “That certainly crosses him off our list. Carmen Warren and Jonathan Linn on the other hand I have a bad feeling about.”
Chapter 4
Damien landed his conjured mount in the castle courtyard and helped Leah down. She’d held his shoulders in a death grip the whole flight and only his shield saved him from having her fingers imbedded in his flesh. He felt her strength through his soul force. Leah had a warrior’s grip. If she’d been running from those wolves for a day and a half she had incredible stamina as well. It was strange that she carried no weapon beyond a six-inch knife at her belt.
