by Katy Haye
Taking a deep breath, I cracked the door open. “Axxon? Are you awake?”
My only answer was a sigh as the figure on the wide bed turned over.
“Axxon!”
Nothing.
Next door along was Vashri’s. He was sound asleep, too. The same for Rey. I even went so far as to shake his shoulder, but he was as unresponsive as Fon. “I really need you guys,” I said aloud.
Rey snorted and shifted so one of his hands flopped over the side of the bed as though he were reaching for me. I patted the stray limb. “Nice try, but I was thinking of something more practical,” I muttered.
I tucked Rey’s hand back under the covers. I didn’t need the kings. It was time for me to prove my worth. I could handle this. Especially when I already had my top suspect.
~
I hurried back up the corridor, only to pause outside Leea’s door. What might they be doing? What spell did I need to be ready to counter? There was no sound from within. I took a deep breath and cracked the door open, hoping to enter without being spotted by the plotting pair. I slipped inside soundlessly, disappointed not to find a maelstrom of evil magic inside. There was a shape in Leea’s grand, carved bed. I crept silently closer. Lady Leea was sleeping, not casting spells. I shook her shoulder but got the same response from her as from the kings: nothing. Leaving her to her slumber, I skirted the bed. A mattress had been laid beside her bed for her brother, since the siblings couldn’t bear to be parted.
It was empty.
My pulse surged as my fears were confirmed. Geedan had cast a spell and sent the entire castle to sleep. Now, I just had to find him. Whatever he was doing, he clearly didn’t need to be able to see those he was casting a spell on. Which meant powerful magic. Not the sort of thing a young man weakened by days in a dungeon would be capable of. But if he hadn’t asked Leea for help … I had to hope he would be alone when I found him.
I hurried down the steps and ducked into the rooms we’d used yesterday. Nothing. The main door of the keep was closed, but the bolts had been pulled back. I heaved it open to reveal the courtyard beyond. Geedan was sitting in the middle of it, his back to me, facing the gates and the drawbridge which had been opened and lowered. I shivered. Geedan had sent the castle to sleep, and now he was waiting for … the Emperor?
I straightened my shoulders. If the kings were right about my abilities, I could handle Geedan. I could also handle the Emperor if I could get close enough to touch him. My heart beat harder again – but driven by excitement this time. This whole matter could be resolved in minutes. By me.
I walked towards Geedan. A cool wind tugged at my hair and cut through my clothes. But the sound of the breeze also shielded my steps from the young man sitting cross-legged facing away from me. I couldn’t see his face, but I suspected he was chanting. A potion wouldn’t need his direct attention – but a potion would have taken more time than he had to brew. It had to be a direct manipulation of magic. And the moment I touched him, I should end it.
I walked forward cautiously, checking the youth and the ground around him to assess any immediate threats. My stomach fizzed with anticipation. He was casting magic, believing that made him dangerous, believing magic was all he needed. But he couldn’t enchant me. For the first time, I understood what the kings had meant in telling me this was a talent. For the first time, I perceived strength rather than weakness.
I didn’t see anything to threaten me. It was possible Geedan had a dagger concealed at his waistband, but it was equally likely he hadn’t brought anything with him. He had magic – why would he think to need anything else? The idea that someone wouldn’t be sent to sleep by the spell hadn’t occurred to him.
I reached him. “That’s enough.” I set my hand on his shoulder and he jumped up.
“What?!”
His movement dislodged my hand. I had no idea whether that brief touch would be enough to end the spell. I grabbed for his hand. “Enough, Geedan.” I glanced towards the gate and the countryside beyond. “Are you working for the Emperor? Hasn’t he done your family enough harm already?”
“You!” Geedan scowled. “You should be sleeping.” He lifted a hand, muttering something under his breath. I’m not sure what his spell intended to achieve, but it had no effect on me. He touched a hand to his chest. Through the folds of his shirt I caught a glimpse of a blue gem. He was wearing a horn of magic. No wonder he had plenty of power. And the presence of the talisman scotched any doubt that he was working with the Emperor.
“Your magic’s weak,” I told him, grinning with confidence. He didn’t have a weapon, and no spell he might cast could affect me.
Then he lurched for me and I was too slow to dodge. He had no weapons, so he simply grabbed for my throat, his fingers tightening with more strength than I’d have thought possible for the young man who had staggered into the castle the day before.
I twisted, trying to shift out of his grip so I could breathe. The pressure eased. I bent his finger back and twisted out of his grip. He swore and let go. I jumped away from him. “Not much of a spell,” I goaded. “Didn’t work very well. The whole castle is waking.”
He glanced away from me, his gaze tracking to the door into the keep to see if I was speaking the truth. He was distracted – which was just what I needed. I kicked, my foot connecting with his stomach. He staggered back, falling to the ground.
“You’re working for the Emperor, aren’t you?” I demanded. “How close is he?”
His face twisted. “The Emperor’s men are nearly here. If I hand the four kings over to him he’ll restore our fortune and the land that was taken.”
I couldn’t let that happen. “Wake up, everyone!” I bellowed as loud as I could. “Guards, wake! Raise the drawbridge!” The enchantment might have finished, but the effects were slow to wear off.
Geedan grinned. “The Emperor’s men will be here any moment. Your ridiculous rebellion is at an end.”
I shook my head, keeping my distance. “You were a fool to trust the Emperor. The four kings are your only hope.”
“The four kings will soon be dead,” Geedan snarled.
“Wrong!” A cold voice replied.
Chapter Sixteen
We both spun at the roar of fury. Axxon, Fon, Vashri and Rey spilled through the entrance to the keep. Relief flooded through me. I was no longer alone.
“Raise the drawbridge!” I shouted. “The Emperor is on his way!”
The kings headed that way, but there wasn’t enough time. As Axxon and Fon ran towards the gates, the thunder of hooves rang out on the other side of the moat. Dust rose from the horses’ hooves as the riders neared.
“You’re too late!” Geedan screamed triumphantly.
Vashri stepped forward. He and Axxon cast their spells. The wood of the drawbridge exploded, and the galloping horses reared back in fear as fragments of wood scattered. We were safe. For the moment. But we were also isolated inside the walls.
The castle’s inhabitants were starting to stir as the last effects of Geedan’s spell wore off. Guards stood up on the walls of the castle, gathering dropped weapons. “Close the gates!” I bellowed. The moat could be waded through. The lack of a drawbridge wouldn’t hold them back for long.
“Do what she says!” Leea strode through the entrance of the keep, taking in the scene at a glance and confirming my order.
“Leea, get inside,” Geedan told her. “It’s not safe.”
“I see that!” she snapped back. “What chaos have you unleashed upon us?”
Two guards ran to do her bidding, pushing against the heavy, oak doors to bring them together. On the other side of the moat, the riders neared the edge. It was going to be close.
“Let him in!” Geedan called. “It’s our only chance.”
The foremost rider was close enough for me to see. I recognised the Emperor from his bald head and his cold expression, visible even from a distance.
Geedan grabbed his sister’s arm. “He’ll kill us if we st
and against him.”
Leea turned to him. “Will he return Father to us?” I could see her wavering, and I couldn’t blame her. Wouldn’t I do the same, if I had the chance to bring my father back? If Essa were the one in danger, could I stand firm?
“Hurry!” I called to the guards. I didn’t have a father to think of. Instead, I had my sister and the four kings and everyone in the castle to save.
“Father died,” Geedan snapped. “He didn’t survive being robbed of his magic. The Emperor promised that I would take his place. He offered me money, more land…”
Leea paled with shock. “You’re an idiot!” she hissed, pushing past her brother. “The Emperor makes promises that cost nothing. The four kings filled our storehouses. I know who I trust.” She turned a fearful face to me. “Can you stop him?”
“I hope so.”
The gates were only halfway closed and the Emperor was mere yards away, urging his horse forward as he looked for a way across, determination darkening his expression. He lifted a hand, blue magic wreathing his hand. The gates shattered as though they’d been built of sand, splinters flying around us.
I turned away, raising an arm to protect my face. Rey ran in the opposite direction, into the middle of the courtyard. A crackle of power split the air and the courtyard filled with magic.
The Emperor wheeled his mount around, backing away from the edge of the moat to give enough space to jump the distance to the courtyard.
“Hurry!” I urged Rey.
There was a rush of sound and the water of the moat rose up like a wall. Through the shifting water I saw the Emperor’s mount baulk, skidding to a stop instead of jumping.
The Emperor yanked on the reins and the poor creature turned a circle almost on the spot. He settled the beast facing the open gateway. The wall of water crashed back into the moat. “Surrender the kings and I will allow you to keep your lives,” the Emperor called, the fury in his tone carrying easily over the distance.
Leea strode into the middle of the courtyard, chin high, looking every inch the head of her family. “You no longer have the fealty of the Baloa family. You murdered my father and imprisoned my brother. We acknowledge the four kings as the rightful rulers of Charnrosa now.”
The Emperor roared in fury. The guards with him spanned out.
“You’re a fool!” Geedan cried. “He’ll kill us both.” He delved into his shirt and I realised he was reaching for his horn of magic a moment before he lifted the pendant free.
“Guards!” Leea swung to address the men on the top of the curtain wall. “The castle is under attack. Archers respond!”
Geedan’s lips moved, chanting a spell. I ran towards him. Rey raised his hand and the wall of water rose between us and the Emperor once more. Geedan lifted a hand and one of the guards screamed as the boy’s magic knocked him from the top of the wall into the moat.
I grappled with Geedan, trying to wrest the horn of magic from his grip. From the corner of my eye I saw Axxon duck, pressing a hand to the beaten earth of the courtyard. Magic rippled across the ground. Dozens of splinters from the gates began to sprout, saplings springing up in their place, growing unnaturally fast to fill the gap where the gates had been.
“No!” Geedan cried. He threw a punch. I snatched at the talisman, and when my fingers closed around the gem I dropped to the ground. I’d thought my weight would snap the chain the horn of magic was suspended from, but Geedan jerked and stumbled, falling on top of me. But my touch alone had the effect I’d wanted. The spells he’d cast vanished as magic leeched from the talisman. I slackened my fingers. The blue glow of the gem had gone, leaving a dull, white stone behind.
“No,” Geedan muttered. He scrambled to his feet, peering through the magical forest Axxon had cast to see the Emperor on the far bank of the moat. “Sire, please!” He reached out, hands spread wide in appeal.
“You failed me, boy!” The Emperor’s ferocious expression made me shiver, even before he lifted a hand and Geedan dropped to the ground, screaming.
“No!” Leea ran to her brother’s side as his screams trailed away. She fell to her knees, smoothing his hair back from his brow. A groan escaped him. “He still lives.” She turned an anxious face to me. “Help me get him inside.”
“I’ll help you.” Essa pushed past and hurried to Leea’s side. “I can heal him as I did you.”
I turned to the kings. “I need to get to the Emperor. I can stop him.”
“We’ll help you,” Rey promised, reaching my side.
The forest Axxon had created was thick, but he cleared a space through with a flick of his hand, the trees moving through the earth as though it were water. Rey strode beside me to the edge of the castle grounds. From there, we could see the situation outside clearly. The other kings were a step behind. My heart soared. The soldiers on the wall above our heads were sending a cascade of arrows down on the heads of the Emperor’s men. Two had fallen, while the others were hampered from action by having to hold shields over their heads.
On the far side of the Emperor’s guards, the people who farmed the Baloa lands were also showing their allegiance. They were throwing stones at the Emperor’s men, unsettling the horses and forcing the guards to protect themselves from the missiles.
Rey faced the moat once more, clutching the Tears of Giera as he cast his spell. The moat water rose up, but it didn’t stay water this time. Instead, two horses’ heads broke the surface. Black-maned and red eyed, the magnificent beasts surged from the water to the far side of the moat. Ten feet tall at the shoulder, the kelpies shook their heads and charged towards the Emperor’s guards. The men had done their best against the stones and arrows thrown at them, but a supernatural onslaught was too much for them. As the kelpies advanced, the horses screamed in terror and bolted, fleeing towards the forest.
Only the Emperor was left, his mount white-eyed with terror, but obedient to his commands.
“I just need to touch him and I’ll steal his magic,” I said.
Axxon dropped to his knees. Vashri and Fon sent spells towards the Emperor, fighting the enchantments he was directing at the five of us.
Some of the splinters of wood had landed on the far side of the moat. Axxon’s magic nudged them to life and another forest began to grow around the Emperor. His horse danced at the sudden obstruction. As Axxon continued to work, three of the trees bent, their trunks running level to the ground as they thickened and lengthened, providing a bridge across the moat to replace the destroyed drawbridge.
The Emperor glared at me. I could see the movements of his lips but I had no idea what spell he was casting. Whatever it was, it wasn’t strong enough to defeat my natural defences. As the trees thickened to provide a safe path for me, the Emperor seemed to realise that his magic wasn’t working.
He leaned back and snatched something attached to the saddle behind him. A crossbow. He settled the weapon on his lap and loaded a bolt into the mechanism.
I glanced nervously aside as the Emperor levelled the weapon at me. Spells I could defeat, but a crossbow bolt would tear through my flesh as well as anyone else’s. I could take shelter behind one of Axxon’s trees, but that wouldn’t get me close enough to steal the Emperor’s magic.
“I won’t let him harm you,” Fon promised. Vashri was already muttering a spell. I saw the breeze as it tugged at the horse’s forelock. The Emperor fired the bolt, and Fon spoke a single word. Once more, an arrowshaft was turned instantly to ash by the power of the king of fire.
The Emperor gave a shout of fury. “I will end you!”
You first. With Rey beside me, I stepped forward onto the enchanted tree whose elongated branches had just reached the far side of the moat.
More arrows flew in my direction, but Vashri and Fon ensured none reached me.
Axxon muttered behind me. More trees sprang up around the Emperor’s horse. The Emperor screamed in fury, knees digging in to his horse’s flanks to keep the poor animal where it was as it danced restlessly, eyes rolli
ng with fear.
Having used all the bolts he had, he flung the crossbow aside. I was only yards away from him now, dodging between the trees. If I grabbed his arm, would that be enough to stop his magic – or did I need skin contact? My heart thudded with what I was about to do. This had to succeed. It had to.
Our quarry was cornered now, his horse barely able to turn now the trees had grown thick and close. The gap between us narrowed. I think I might even have smiled. I grabbed for the Emperor, my hands closing around his leather-clad armour.
“This isn’t over!” he screamed.
As my hands pressed around his leather armour, he transformed.
His face stretched and melted. Hair sprang from his bald head as he sagged, flopping over in the saddle so his face was level with my chest. I gasped. His face became that of the other man I’d seen in the audience chamber: Leea’s father. I opened my mouth to call to Leea, only to swallow a gulp of horror. Lord Baloa’s skin dulled to grey, and his eyes glassed over with a white mist. Geedan had said his father had been killed by the Emperor. Before me now was a corpse. As the horse stamped uneasily, its rider continued to slide to one side, falling out of the saddle to land half-slumped at the base of one of the trees.
I jumped out of the way, pressing back against a tree trunk as the horse, freed of its rider, galloped past me to find a way out.
I crouched beside Lord Baloa. Unease crawled over my skin, but I had to be sure. He stared unseeing into the trees. I bent to feel the pulse at his neck, but there was nothing. The Emperor had enchanted a corpse to take his form. My stomach turned over. I hadn’t known such magic was possible.
“Kyann! Get back to us!”
Rey’s strong fingers grabbed my hand and he pulled me alongside him. My legs barely worked, stumbling between the trees until we reached the castle’s courtyard.
“Did you see?” I gasped, as we reached Axxon, Vashri and Fon. I leaned against Rey and his warm arms went around me, comforting my shaking. The other kings crowded around me, joining Rey in a hug full of warmth and support. “Did you see Lord Baloa?”
