People screamed behind me. I didn’t stop to discover why. I found myself on the city’s widest road, the one leading directly to the library at the top of the hill, and I ran as hard as my exhausted body could manage. If I’d had time, I would have closed the door behind me, but I didn’t dare wait. In the few heartbeats it would have taken, they could have reached through and dragged me back, and that would have been the end of it.
I was inside, but was I safe? The sounds of pursuit died away behind me and I dared to look back. The door was still open. Beyond, horses were rearing, their riders struggling to control them. The magic, I supposed. It must terrify them. But several of the guards on foot stood, peering through the open door, watching me. I willed them not to enter. If I’d had a better grasp of my own magic, I could have spelled them to stay on their own side, but I didn’t know how.
One, braver or more stupid than the others, strode through. Then a second, and a third.
“Go back!” I screamed at them. “It’s not safe!”
They stood still, uncertain, looking around. Then the door slid shut behind them.
Blow it. Now what?
For several long moments we stood in tableau, gasping for breath, watching and waiting, the three guards just inside the door, me a little way up the street near the ceremonial archway. Two of them wore the gleaming armour of the Drashon’s guards. Under their helms, their faces were red and sweating from the chase. The third was a gate guard, less sweaty, but nervous, trailing behind and taking his cue from the others. Then one of the Drashon’s guards straightened a little and started jogging up the hill after me. A well-trained guard, that one. Dogged, determined. And strong. Where did they get their stamina from? Endless training, I suppose.
Heaving a sigh, I turned and half walked, half ran, as best I could. Where could I hide? The buildings lining this avenue were impressive in scale, but they were all open, their doors visible to anyone. The library, however, that was more promising – it had hidden doors. If I could just get there. I could barely breathe, and my legs were aflame with shooting pains. A quick glance over my shoulder showed me that they were gaining. I wasn’t going to make it.
I turned to face them, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. How could I deter them? Fire, perhaps? There was no need to hide my magic now, so I could hurl shafts of fire at them. But then what? I didn’t want to hurt them, and a little singeing wouldn’t make them give up.
The birds came to my rescue. I was aware of them long before they were visible, soaring somewhere near the mountain peak and gliding towards us. The guards were in deep trouble, and they had not the slightest idea.
“The birds – are coming!” I called out, still panting. They stopped, exchanging glances. “Need – get – under cover! Over there!”
I pointed to the nearest building, but even as I spoke I realised there was no time. The distance across the road and up a long flight of steps to the door was too great. The birds would be upon them even if they ran full pelt, and they were already too tired for that.
I remembered Cal, the times we’d walked around hand in hand. It was worth a try. “Hold my hand! I can – protect you!”
The two in armour laughed at that, and came on again, confident now. But the gate guard was more observant, shouting and pointing at the sky.
“What is this?” one of the armoured guards said. “What trick are you conjuring?”
“No trick. Birds – come to check. No magic – take you away. Hold my hand. My magic – protect you.”
“Make them go away, witch.”
“Can’t. City sends them.”
I’ll give them their due, they were game. The Drashon’s guards drew their swords and stood back to back to defend themselves against the birds. The gate guard reached for his bow. He got one arrow off, but it flamed and disappeared before it got anywhere near the birds. It seemed to anger them, for they screamed and dived down at once, no lazy circling this time.
The Drashon’s guards seemed calm, and even confident. They simply flipped their visors down, gripped their swords more firmly in gauntleted hands and took a defensive stance. They must have thought their armour would protect them, and maybe it would. Maybe the birds would be unable to grip them. But I couldn’t help them. There was no unprotected part of them which I could touch.
The gate guard was a different matter. He wore a leather helmet but his face was exposed. I ran down the hill. He had given up on arrows, and was waving the bow round his head. It would have worked with real birds, but it passed right through the magic bird attacking him, still screaming in anger. I caught him on the run, and pulled him to the ground, falling half on top of him.
“Lie still!” I shrieked. “Don’t fight!” Then I laid my bare hand firmly on his cheek.
He shook with fear, but he was sensible enough to realise that I was on his side. He lay still, his chest heaving, and I lay where I’d fallen, watching the birds circle in my mind. I couldn’t see the other guards, but I heard muttered voices, the swish of swords, then shouts, and finally a long wailing scream that tailed away and then was abruptly cut off.
Then there was nothing except the rasping of breath, his and mine.
Cautiously I rolled away from him and sat up.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “I don’t usually jump on strange men.”
He started to laugh. “There wasn’t much time for formal introductions.”
“No. Are you all right?”
“Think so. Didn’t even piss myself. Where are the others? Shit. The birds took them, didn’t they? What are they, those things?”
“City magic. A defence system.”
He picked up his bow, broken where it had landed hard, then went to retrieve the sword dropped by one of the guards. The other must have held on to his, or else it had been magicked away.
I watched him warily. He was young, probably younger than I was, and taller and fitter and well armed. “Are you going to play the hero?” I said. “Or shall I take you to a gate and send you back to your commander?”
He didn’t hesitate. “I’ll have to give a full report.”
“I know. Say that it’s best not to send any more guards. Next time, I might not be around.”
He nodded. He was remarkably calm, but then he’d done the brave thing in entering the city and he’d lived to tell the tale. He’d be a legend before the sun set.
I dared not reopen the door I’d entered by in case the other side was still infested with guards. Instead, I led him to the door behind the vegetable market, striding surely through the city’s twisting back streets. As always, they were clean, well tended and empty. Fountains played, carved faces in the walls watched us pass by, tendrils of vines leaned towards us. Our footsteps echoed against high walls. And everywhere the softly glowing light left by mages long ago. Yet just the other side of the Shining Wall, children played barefoot in the dirt, detritus from the market was trampled to a filthy paste and rats peered from gaps between houses.
I opened the door and stood aside for him to pass through. That was his moment for heroism, if he wanted it. He could have grabbed my arm and dragged me through the gap. Of course, I’d have burned him alive if he’d tried it, but he didn’t know that. Instead, he bowed to me, rather awkwardly with his arms full of bow and sword, and left without a word. I rather liked him.
I waited until the door shushed closed before turning away. Now I was alone. I had shelter and food and clothes, but no one to talk to or laugh with or share plans with. And sooner or later, the Drashon would send someone to capture me again. More guards, maybe. Mages, probably. I shivered. I had somehow managed to avoid being bound, but I had no idea what else they might try. I didn’t know whether I could fight them at all.
Surprisingly after all that had happened, it was still early in the afternoon. I wasn’t inclined to linger outside, though, in case the Drashon decided to send an entire troop of guards after me. I couldn’t save most of them, and I didn’t want to wat
ch the sky blacken with birds, and listen to their last screams.
I went to the pillar. I hadn’t been back in the city since Cal was taken, and perhaps I might never have gone back if it hadn’t been forced upon me, but now that I was here I might as well have as much magical power as I could carry. I was exhausted, every muscle screaming at me, and I’d banged an elbow hard when I’d hurled myself at the guard. My body was already healing itself, but I felt drained.
It was so strange to be in the city without Cal. Every step I took reminded me of him. Here was the seat where we sat in the sunshine and he explained how mages create a quick spell from a long spellpage, his elegant fingers painting the air. There was the garden where he picked a flower and tucked it into my hair. And the pillar – that had strong memories, for we’d made love there.
The pillar room was the same as ever, empty of everything but the pillar, yet full of pulsing energy. I walked round it once, and then again. Why was I hesitating? It called to me, as always, and the air crackled with power and made me tingle, but still I hesitated. I think there was a part of me that wanted to be finished with the whole business. I had lost everything that ever mattered to me. My childish dream to be a law scribe was gone. I doubted I could ever be a contract scribe again. Cal was gone for ever. Even Drei – he’d treated me badly, but still he’d been generous to me, and he was a friend, of sorts, and in all likelihood I’d never see him again. What was there to live for? Wouldn’t it be better to let the mages take me and do what they wanted? Then it would be over, and this misery, this loneliness would be done with.
I slid down the wall to rest on the ground. In the centre of the room, the pillar thrummed and vibrated with energy. Even being in the same room with it energised me, just a little. But I was too sunk in misery to notice. I bowed my head to my knees and wept.
I don’t know how long I sat there, except that it was getting dark when I finally came to. I think perhaps I’d slept a little, I was so exhausted. When I woke, I was aware of – something. I can’t really describe it except as a presence inside me, something clamouring for attention. It made me smile.
“Well, little one, so you’re awake, are you?”
She didn’t answer, of course. She’d been there the whole time, but so many terrible things had happened to me that I’d been too distracted to notice her. Worrying is like an itch that just can’t be scratched – it’s always there, and it absorbs all conscious thought. But now that the worst had happened, the worry had dropped away from me. I wasn’t even afraid of dying any more. If it happened, so be it. And in that still pool of calm, I became aware of my daughter again.
Did I really want to leave her behind, to surrender her totally to Drei? I didn’t mind him having the legal rights to her – being the drusse-born daughter of the Bai-Drashonor’s husband was a fine position for her, I could hardly ask for better. She would have the very best life, the best tutors, the best of everything. She could do whatever she wished. I disliked Drei quite intensely, after all he’d done to me, but he would take good care of his daughter.
But I wanted her to know me, too, to understand something of what it meant to be a village girl. And to do that, first I had to survive.
So I stood up and walked across to the pillar and placed both hands on it, and felt energy surging into me, filling me with power and possibilities. I laughed out loud for joy – it’s impossible to be miserable at a renewal.
Then I walked through the dusk to my house.
As soon as I opened the door, I knew something odd was going on. I don’t know how, I just knew.
I went cold. Someone was in my house. Was it the servants? Unlikely at this hour, they would have left the evening board set out and disappeared. But someone was in the board room.
I walked slowly towards the door, tiptoeing. I didn’t want to use fire magic, but I would, if necessary.
The door was open. I went through it.
And there he was.
I gasped, hands to mouth. It was impossible. Was I dreaming?
He was eating, naturally. He always was hungry. His hair was a little wilder, hanging loose to his shoulders, shimmering golden in the lamplight. He wore odd, flowing clothes, but the same familiar face.
He looked up, saw me, jumped to his feet with a strangled cry of astonishment.
We stared at each other, not daring to believe.
“Cal? Is it really you?”
And then I burst into tears.
26: Encounter
I clung to him, weeping, like a vine grasping the tree. Cal held me tight, face buried in my scarves, murmuring words I didn’t hear, couldn’t take in. After a while, I lifted my face and he bent to kiss me, fiercely, hungrily.
Then we went to bed. I had the fire of renewal blazing through my veins, and he – well, I ran to the bedroom towing him behind me and he didn’t exactly resist. It was glorious. All the aching misery of the last half moon was swept away in a scorching hour of passion. Then we lay, sated for the moment, cuddled together under the blankets.
“So where did you go to?” he said. “I’ve been here waiting for you.”
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. The first coherent words he’d said and he was asking me where I’d been. I rolled over so that I was half on top of him. He laughed too, running his hands through my hair.
“You were the one who vanished,” I said. “I thought you were dead! What happened?”
“I don’t know. I just found myself in a room deep underground, no windows. It was a dormitory, four beds in it. There were two other men there, just staring at me, servants – you know, the ones who wear the brown uniform. And I was wearing it too! Well, half wearing. I must have been in the middle of getting dressed or undressed, I don’t know which. I had my vessel in my hand. And I had no idea, not the slightest clue, how I got there or what I was supposed to be doing. They bowed to me, and showed me the way out, up endless stairs. Then I came here, and waited for you to turn up. What’s the date?”
The change of direction bewildered me, but I worked it out and told him.
“So – I must have been down there, doing the Gods know what, for eight, no nine suns. Being a servant, I suppose. But I don’t know how I would have known what to do, where to go.”
I couldn’t make sense of it. How would that work? Were all those who vanished actually working in the city now? Marras? The two guards? That was a cheering thought, for perhaps there would be a way to get them back.
“That’s why they look so – so mindless,” I said. “They’re not really conscious.”
“Well, possibly. It may be some either-or state, servant or non-servant. Maybe when I was a servant I was perfectly aware of what was going on, but that just vanished when I touched my vessel. I probably found it amongst my things down there and thought: I wonder what this is? And as soon as I pulled it out of its cover and had hold of it, I was back in my old state. Magic or non-magic. If you have magic, you get to live here, safe and looked after. And if you don’t...”
“You get whisked away to be a servant. For ever, maybe. Gods! That’s horrible.”
After a while we made love again, and by then my energy levels were damped down and I was hungry. Over evening board, I told Cal everything that had happened to me since he’d disappeared. It took a long time. His eyes were wide. Even though I didn’t embellish it at all, it sounded far too melodramatic even to my ears. Kidnap? A magical escape? A terrifying ride to freedom? Then facing Drei and Yannassia again, and finally the accusations of illegal magic use, and my frantic race to reach the city. And then there was my pregnancy.
He chewed his lip thoughtfully. “Could it be mine, this baby?”
“Could be. I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see whether it has dark hair or blonde.”
“Or red,” he said affectionately, running his elegant fingers through my tangled locks. Then he touched my earrings, his expression more serious. “But you’re his drusse again.”
“Not yet. We’ve agr
eed terms, but the contract’s not signed yet. Daresay it won’t be, now.”
His face lightened. “You can’t go back there now, can you?”
“No. But I can’t stay here for ever, either.”
“Why not? We have food, clothes...” He waved a hand over his own outfit with a wry smile. “Well, all right, it’s a bit eccentric, but it serves. We’re safe here.”
I noticed that he said ‘we’, and I glowed inside. I had a true friend at last. “The Drashon will send more people after me. He won’t be able to ignore this. I’ve made him look foolish.”
“If he sends guards, the birds will get them,” he said. “Mages – well, you have more power than any mage. If they can’t bind you, they won’t be able to do anything to you. And you have something they don’t – you know, the whole fire-from-the-fingers thing.” I popped a little flame from one finger, then winked it out again, grinning at him. “Yes, that. It’s quite scary, you know. I wish I could do that.”
The Fire Mages Page 28
