Whatever killed the nexus point killed part of the planet itself, she thought, her head so fuzzy she wasn’t sure just how long it had been since Dua Kepala had died. No wonder the desert was spreading, no matter what they did to slow it down. What will happen now?
She was suddenly aware of a hand touching her shoulder. “Emily,” Casper said. Emily flinched. She’d thought it was Caleb, just for a second. “Are you alright?”
Emily fought her way back to herself. She was kneeling on the bridge, her eyes tightly closed ... and yet, she could see the surges of power far below. Blood was on her lips ... she touched her nose gently, half-wondering if it was broken. It didn’t feel broken, she thought, numbly. It had merely begun to bleed. Her magic felt weak and listless ... hell, her body felt weak and listless. And she was too close to Casper, yet she was too tired to care.
The bridge trembled again. “I’m not sure,” Emily managed. She opened her eyes. Light — semi-translucent light — boiled below, wave after wave of power tingling over her skin as it raced up. She had the sudden uneasy sensation that they were standing over a volcano that was about to erupt. The nexus point hadn’t been dead, merely dormant. And she’d woken it up by tossing a live necromancer, the greatest source of power in the Allied Lands, into the fire.
A battery could do the same, she told herself. Her body felt too weak to stand. She had to lean on his arm just to rise. We could awaken the remainder of the nexus points.
She winced as another surge of power rocketed past them. They’d killed the necromancer, but they were trapped. Neither of them had the power to levitate up and out of the chamber, not before the magic rose up and vaporized them both. She had the nasty feeling that using magic might trigger the eruption ahead of time. The nexus point wasn’t stable, not yet. She could feel the power gathering, building up for another blast ...
... And yet, there were options.
“Hold on to me,” she managed, as she knelt back down. Her throat felt utterly dry — and sore, as if she’d had a nasty cough. She knelt back down, drawing on the remains of her magic. Even the smallest of spells might provoke a reaction, but she couldn’t think of any better option. The only alternative was staying where they were and waiting to die. “Don’t let me fall.”
“Caleb’s a very lucky man,” Casper said, admiringly. He sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Emily was too tired to push him away. “And thank you ...”
Emily closed her eyes, trying to remember how it had been done. She’d shown Lord Whitehall how to do it, nearly a thousand years ago, but she didn’t have time — now — to show Casper what he needed to do. The nexus point flared with ... something ... as she pushed the first set of spells forward, as if it resented the possibility of being tamed. Magic crackled towards her, burning through the spellware. Emily flinched at the pain — she felt as though her mind was on fire — but she held the spellwork together, shoving it into the nexus point.
The ground shook. Pieces of rock fell from far above and plunged into the nexus point, a handful striking and smashing bridges on the way down. Just for a second, Emily was convinced the nexus point was alive. And then she felt the spellwork come to life, tapping and taming the nexus point. No one had managed to duplicate Lord Whitehall’s work, she recalled. Not until now ...
But it wasn’t entirely his work, she thought, as the magic surged up and outwards. The spellware was already evolving, taking on shape and form. She drew on a little of it, trying to heal herself. But she knew it wouldn’t be enough. She needed food, drink and sleep, not raw magic. He learned from me.
The ground shook, one final time, as the nexus point surrendered. Emily opened her eyes and looked around, taking in the glow pervading the chamber. It would take time for the wards to form, as the power started to filter into the school, but they would. And then ... the nexus point was back, its power spreading into the land. The Desert of Death could be reclaimed.
“You are amazing,” Casper said. He still had his arm around her shoulders. She was suddenly very aware of his body pressing against hers. “What have you ...”
He was yanked away from her with staggering force, so strong that she was nearly pulled into the nexus point. She caught herself and looked up, staring in disbelief as Casper’s body was ripped apart by blue fire. Behind him ...
Dua Kepala stood there, alive ...
... And his red eyes blazed with utter madness.
Chapter Thirty-Six
HE’S DEAD, EMILY THOUGHT NUMBLY. SHE couldn’t move, even as the remains of Casper’s body disintegrated into ashes. I saw him die.
Dua Kepala stared down at her. He seemed taller somehow, but the face was the same ... except now his expression was twisted with utter madness. His magic billowed around him, thrumming on the air in a manner that sickened her. The stench of death surrounded him, the aura of countless lives sacrificed for power. And his power was bleeding through his wards. He’d lost control, she realized, as she tried desperately to think of a plan. But she lacked even the bare bones of a plan. She was so drained she couldn’t even call on the nexus point for power.
She found her voice. “How ... how are you still alive?”
She’d sensed his death, she was sure. No one could have survived the fall into a nexus point ... except she had, hadn’t she? But she’d prepared the ground well for her trip to the past, ensuring a safe trip. Dua Kepala hadn’t had any protections, nor had he had any reason to think he might need such protections. No, she’d sensed his death. And if that was the case, who was standing in front of her?
He reached out and caught her by the neck, yanking her to her feet. His magic pressed in on her, almost daring her to reach out and claim it for herself. There was no longer any focus, no longer any ability to cast spells ... his skeletal hand felt uncomfortably hot, as if the last remnants of humanity were slowly burning away. His bright red eyes met hers, holding her trapped. The fires burning deep within his skull were the fires of hell itself. She couldn’t muster any resistance.
I saw him die, her thoughts insisted. How is he still alive?
She forced herself to think, even as she dangled from his arm like a sack of potatoes. The magic around him had stretched, just for a second, before his death. And then ... she forced herself to look at his face and knew. It wasn’t just similar to the last necromancer, it was identical. Completely identical. Dua Kepala had literally duplicated himself, using the bilocation spell to spread his mind over two bodies. No wonder he’d been able to resist madness. He’d literally had twice the mental capacity of any other magician. But now one of his bodies was gone, snapping the thread that held his mind together. He was as crazy as Shadye now, maybe crazier. He certainly wasn’t used to keeping so much power under control.
And I gave him a nexus point, she realized, as his grip tightened. She tried to kick out, but he ignored her feeble blow. He can just jump into it and drain the power.
“Die,” Dua Kepala hissed. Emily started to choke, his hand crushing her neck. Her body refused to move, refused even to kick at him. She closed her eyes, knowing it was the end. There was no point in further resistance. “You ...”
There was a brilliant flash of light, so bright she saw it through her eyelids. Dua Kepala’s hand came loose, letting Emily fall to the ground. Strong arms caught her a moment later, dragging her back. She forced her eyes open, despite the pain. Void stood in front of her, facing Dua Kepala. He held a glowing sword in one hand, holding it up in a pose that Emily knew belonged in the movies, not in a real fight. Dua Kepala stared back at him, his face twisted with anger. His arm was gone ...
“Hold still,” a familiar voice ordered. Emily looked back to see Lady Barb, her pale face concerned. It was a rescue ... she hoped it was a rescue. But it had come too late for Casper. “You’re not in a good state.”
Dua Kepala snarled, then threw a burst of raw magic at Void. Void held up his sword, somehow casting a shield that caught and deflected the magic. Emily felt her hai
r stand on end at the sheer power he’d shown. Neither Casper nor she had been able to deflect a necromancer’s spell so casually. And then the two magicians were exchanging blows, their magics crashing into each other and flashing ...
Lady Barb took a tight grip on Emily. Emily had no time to say anything before there was a surge of magic. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as they teleported, snapping them open as she hit the ground. They were on a sand dune, perhaps a couple of miles from Heart’s Eye and the surrounding city. And yet, she could see flashes of light and hear thunderclaps in the distance. The confrontation was far from over.
Did Void throw him out of the chamber too? Emily asked herself. Or teleport him out, somehow?
It was impossible to be sure, but it looked as though the two combatants were in the open air, rather than deep beneath the ground. Or were the flashes of lightning somehow dispelled though the school’s towers? She tried to peer towards the school, expecting to see two figures engaged in single combat, but her head swam. Her legs tottered a moment later, sending her tumbling to the ground. Lady Barb caught her an instant before she landed, lowering her the rest of the way. Emily was too drained to argue.
“Drink this,” Lady Barb ordered. She opened a potions gourd, pushing it into Emily’s mouth. Emily sipped it gratefully, feeling a surge of energy that banished her aches and pains. She’d pay for it later, she knew, but for the moment she needed it. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” Emily said. Her headache was fading, but she still felt fragile. “Where did you come from?”
“We were spying on him,” Lady Barb said. She smiled, rather oddly. “We couldn’t even get into the school until you and that boy took down the wards.”
“His name is Casper,” Emily said. She stopped a moment later. Casper was dead. Dua Kepala had killed him, effortlessly. Casper was dead. “He ... he was Caleb’s brother.”
“Ouch,” Lady Barb said. A low rumble of thunder echoed through the air, followed by more flashes of lightning. “He died bravely.”
Emily rubbed her forehead as she forced herself to sit upright. Caleb ... how was Caleb going to feel, when he heard the news? Would he blame her for Casper’s death? Perhaps it had been her fault, in a way. If she hadn’t convinced him to go after Dua Kepala, the necromancer would never have had a chance to kill him. But she knew she wouldn’t have been able to stop him from following her. He wouldn’t have gone back to the city and let her proceed alone ...
And I would have died if he had, Emily thought. She leaned into Lady Barb’s quiet embrace, feeling numb. There would be time to sort out her feelings later, let alone talk to Caleb and General Pollack about Casper. He saved my life.
She looked down at her hands as Lady Barb passed her a second potion. She’d shown Casper far too much, from the batteries to the spells used to tame the nexus point. His death ... she didn’t want to think it, but his death had solved a great many problems. She no longer had to force him to swear an oath to respect her secrets ... she shook her head, savagely. Casper hadn’t deserved to die. He should have returned in triumph after killing Dua Kepala and claimed his fair share of the reward. And then he could have found a girl and married her and surpassed his father in all respects ...
And your mind is wandering, she told herself sharply, as she saw another flash of lightning in the distance. The two combatants were still fighting. You need to think.
She drank the potion, then pulled herself to her feet. Lady Barb looked almost exactly as she remembered — a tall patrician woman, her long blonde hair tied into a single ponytail — but her face was grim as she looked towards the school. Magic was flaring in all directions, spilling out all over the land. Emily couldn’t tell if it was the nexus point, slowly bringing the desert back to life, or merely spill-over from the battle. Void was facing a necromancer in single combat and holding his own ...
... And smoke was rising from the city. “What’s happening over there?”
“Some roving bands of orcs returned,” Lady Barb said. “Your allies fought to the last.”
Emily shuddered. Were they all dead? Probably. Dua Kepala wasn’t in any state to order the orcs to leave some of their captives alive, even if he cared enough to bother. The idea of deferred gratification was suddenly alien to him. And the remainder of his armies were probably making their own way back to Heart’s Eye, harried by General Pollack’s army ... unless, of course, they’d stormed Farrakhan. She rubbed her forehead again, understanding — finally — what the generals had meant when they’d talked of the fog of war. Anything could be happening — in Farrakhan, in the rest of the kingdom — and she’d never know.
She looked at Lady Barb. “You were spying on him?”
“Trying to spy on him,” Lady Barb said. “It wasn’t easy. We never figured out how he retained so much of his mind.”
“Bilocation,” Emily said, flatly. She wasn’t sure she should be telling anyone, but she trusted Lady Barb. “He had two bodies ...”
She wondered, morbidly, if Dua Kepala had three bodies. She’d never dared try the bilocation spell, even after she’d found it in Void’s spellbook. Could one stretch the spell far enough to cover three bodies? She could see a whole multitude of problems, but a half-mad necromancer might just be stupid enough to try. Or he might start duplicating his own mind completely and inserting it into clone bodies ...
But then they’d start fighting each other, she mused. They wouldn’t know which of them was the real necromancer.
“Interesting,” Lady Barb said. “And unprecedented.”
“He planned everything,” Emily said, softly. “He knew I couldn’t kill him like I killed Shadye.”
Lady Barb didn’t look surprised. “We knew it would happen, sooner or later.”
Emily nodded in agreement. Dua Kepala’s logic had been perfect. If Emily had had a talent that lent itself to killing necromancers, she would have been pointed at the rest of them before they could devise a counter. The only explanation that made sense was that she — and Whitehall’s Grandmaster — had been bluffing all along. Even what she’d done to Mother Holly hadn’t changed Dua Kepala’s mind.
“Eat this,” Lady Barb ordered, holding out a sandwich. “You’re very badly drained.”
“I ...”
“Eat it,” Lady Barb said. Her voice hardened. “Or I will force-feed you a nutrient potion instead.”
“Cruel and unusual punishment,” Emily said, as she took the sandwich. It was nothing more than bread and cheese, but it tasted heavenly. One could live on nutrient potion alone, yet — like most potions — it tasted foul. “Do you have more sandwiches?”
“Enough, I hope,” Lady Barb said. She passed Emily the bag. “Eat as much as you can.”
Another peal of thunder echoed through the air. “What’s happening?”
“Your ... guardian said he would stop the necromancer,” Lady Barb said. Her lips thinned with disapproval, twinned with an odd flicker of dark amusement. “But it looks as though raw strength and bloody-mindedness are proving a match for old age, knowledge and treachery.”
Emily winced. She’d forgotten just how deeply Lady Barb hated Void. It was amazing that they’d managed to work together while spying on Dua Kepala, even though they’d clearly not succeeded in figuring out his secrets. But she’d seen the defenses Dua Kepala had used to hide himself. She couldn’t have slipped through them without Gaius’s badge.
She closed her eyes in pain. “Gaius was a traitor,” she said, numbly. She didn’t want to talk about it, but Lady Barb needed to know. “He betrayed us.”
Lady Barb didn’t sound surprised. “There’s always someone stupid enough to think they can deal with the darkness and escape unscathed,” she said. “Do you know why?”
“Revenge, apparently,” Emily said. She still couldn’t quite believe it. “He blamed everything on me.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Lady Barb told her, curtly. “You didn’t force him to do anything. And you didn’t force
Melissa to fall in love with Markus. No one forced Gaius to turn traitor, did they?”
“I don’t think so,” Emily said.
“Then he’s responsible for his own actions,” Lady Barb told her. She scowled, the look on her face promising vengeance. “And he will stand trial for them.”
“He’s dead,” Emily said. She wondered if they could find what was left of the body or if it had already been swallowed by the sand or consumed by a passing orc. If the latter, she rather hoped Gaius had given the creature a bellyache. “I saw him die.”
“Then he will answer to the gods,” Lady Barb said. She held out a bottle of water. “Drink, then eat. Your reserves are very low.”
She was right, Emily knew. The physical pain was fading away, but her magic reserves were badly depleted. Pushing them any further might drain her completely, burning out her magic once and for all. Madness would follow, if some of the horror stories she’d heard were even remotely accurate. Magicians didn’t cope well with losing their powers. But she might need her powers to defend herself ...
And yet, the battle was still raging on. She could sense it, the flashes of magic as two mighty sorcerers fought for dominance. She’d thought she’d put up an impressive fight against Master Grey or Gaius, but this was different. Void — a Lone Power — was in a class of his own, yet Dua Kepala was somehow holding out ... perhaps even taking the offensive. Her hair tingled as another flare of power shimmered through the air, making her want to turn and flee. Had Grandmaster Hasdrubal been so powerful? She didn’t know.
She forced herself to eat, choking down the bread and cheese when her stomach rebelled against the food. Lady Barb hadn’t been joking about the nutrient potion, she was sure; in truth, Emily suspected she should drink the potion, despite the taste. She needed to rebuild her reserves as quickly as possible, just in case it wasn’t Void who emerged from the remains of Heart’s Eye. The fairytale castle was still standing, somehow ...
11- The Sergeant's Apprentice Page 35
