Mistral watched Fabian’s face, looking for any sign of the spell coming. He was staring into the distance, looking calm and controlled. A breeze rippled over him, lifting his dark hair to expose the pale skin of his neck. He drew in a sharp breath and turned to look at her with fathomless black eyes.
‘It is cast.’
She breathed in the tell-tale scent of ozone and felt the knot of fear tighten in her stomach; the Craft, that inexplicable force that governed all of their lives and the reason the Isle existed at all.
Fabian kicked Spirit into a canter, heading towards the open expanse of the High Moors. They immediately followed, matching his pace and watching him closely, waiting to see the spell’s effect. Mistral frowned as they cantered through the snow. Nothing seemed to be happening. She looked down at Cirrus’ legs, moving rhythmically in the steady rocking motion of his canter. He didn’t seem to be moving any faster than he normally did. Prospero was running by her side, he too seemed to be moving at his normal pace –
This is just too weird!!
Mistral looked up in response to Phantom’s thought and suddenly realised the snow-covered moors were flashing past in a dizzying white blur. She looked down at Cirrus’ steadily cantering legs again and let out a slight gasp. His dark hooves were visible above the glittering crust of snow when he should have been ploughing through, knee-deep.
Damn Mages for getting all the good stuff.
Mistral heard Xerxes’ bitter thought and smiled. He had a point though; how much easier would their work be if they could get to their destinations with the aid of Expediency? Travel on mercenary Contracts would be a mere card game in length; treks back and forth to the Council completed within a day … the ease of life would be … just that. Too easy. They would become as complacent as the over-privileged Mages they so detested.
The cliffside path bordering the west coast flashed by in a blur of blue sea and grey rocks. The Velvet Forests were on their left, a green, pine-scented streak too bewildering to look at. Mistral concentrated on the unmoving pommel of her saddle in an effort to control the nausea Fabian had spoken of. The speed at which the landscape was flying past her was making her feel very ill again.
‘You know what this journey needs don’t you brother?’ She heard Brutus shout to Xerxes over the rushing air that whipped past them.
‘No, what’s that?’ Xerxes had overcome his initial disdain and was grinning, obviously revelling in the thrill of Expediency.
‘A good tavern as a mid-way point!’
Xerxes’ grin morphed into a surprised look, ‘That’s a damned good idea brother!’ He pulled his horse alongside to discuss a plan that rapidly expanded from one tavern into a chain of taverns, dotted at convenient points across the Isle.
By the time they reached the wide meadows outside the Valley night had fallen and the spell had begun to lose power, bringing their horses through the North Gate at a weary trot. Mistral kicked Cirrus on to catch up with Fabian, riding at the head with Leo.
‘Are we going home tonight?’ She asked once she had drawn alongside.
Fabian shook his head, avoiding her eyes, ‘It’s too late. The snow is too deep to risk riding out in the dark. Phantasm has already offered the hospitality of their house tonight.’
Mistral said nothing and let Cirrus drop back to ride alongside Cain. She didn’t need to hear Fabian’s thoughts to know what he really meant ... ‘We are staying in the Valley tonight because first thing tomorrow morning I want you to suffer the interminable embarrassment of Serenity’s questions.’ Mistral cringed inwardly, already dreading the ordeal.
They rode into the deserted village square and reined the horses to a halt.
‘Ah, The Cloak beckons.’ Xerxes dismounted with a satisfied sigh. ‘And to think that only this morning I was four days ride away!’
‘Certainly makes travel a lot more pleasant.’ Phantom agreed, slipping gratefully from his horse and stretching. ‘I could actually get used to that.’
‘Should my brother and I help to keep the others quiet about the cull?’ Phantasm asked Fabian in a quiet voice.
Fabian shook his head, ‘I think it would actually help our cause to pre-empt Malachi’s efforts to leak the news. Let the rest of the Ri draw their own conclusions as to how Mistral obtained the Contract.’
Phantasm nodded in agreement, ‘Yes, that could work. We could simply lead them to believe that Mistral Saw the Contract in Mage Grapple’s thoughts and persuaded us to use our gift to influence Master Sphinx into giving it to her.’
‘It’s close enough to the truth to be believable and takes the blame away from Leo. The warriors will soon get over their resentment; they would have done exactly the same if they had your gifts.’
‘I think I need an early night.’ Mistral interrupted them with a yawn.
‘Have you got your key?’ Phantasm asked her. ‘Only we’re going straight to The Cloak.’
Mistral finished her yawn with a nod, ‘It’s in my saddlebag, oh, and thanks for the bed for the night.’
‘You’re welcome.’
Leaving her brothers strolling towards the lit windows of The Cloak and Dagger, Mistral turned and headed for the infinitely less inviting stableblock. Feeling exhausted, she led Cirrus into his stall and settled him for the night with less than her usual care. She leaned against his stall, yawning quietly while Leo and Fabian finished their conversation. Gradually her yawns grew louder until she heard Fabian mutter a promise to complete their discussion in the morning. With a quick apology for keeping her waiting, he took her by the hand and led her out into the cold night.
‘Travel by Expediency is faster but equally as wearing on the body,’ he explained, watching her yawn her way across the village square.
‘I noticed.’ Mistral agreed wearily and tripped over her own feet.
Fabian laughed and swung her up into his arms, carrying her up the street to the twins’ house. He set her down briefly to find the key in her saddlebag and open the door. Prospero trotted in immediately, leaving Fabian to carry Mistral into the dark house. She was asleep in his arms before they reached the top of the stairs.
The familiar feel of Fabian’s arms around her slowly registered in her sleep fogged brain. She smiled and rolled over, sliding her hands over his warm skin.
‘Good morning,’ he murmured, kissing her hair and pulling her onto his chest. She sighed contentedly in response and let herself begin to drift back into sleep only to be cruelly jerked into wakefulness by his next words.
‘Stay awake Mistral. You have an appointment to keep.’
Mistral groaned and slid further under the blanket, clinging to the last vestiges of sleep while he rose and began to dress. She opened her eyes to watch him reach under the pillow to retrieve his dagger and slide it into the side of his boot.
‘Get up Mistral. Serenity is waiting. I asked the twins to let her know you would be calling in this morning.’
‘How thoughtful.’ Mistral muttered and made no effort to move.
He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow in a mocking expression, ‘Would you like me to carry you there like that?’
‘No,’ she scowled at him and buried herself deeper in the blankets. ‘But I don’t think I’ve got any clean shirts left now, so I’ll just have wait until the twins are up and I can get something from that chamber of horrors Phantasm calls a wardrobe.’
‘I may have a clean one if you have no objections to wearing my clothes. It’s in my saddlebag.’
Mistral scowled more deeply. She wore Fabian’s shirts more than her own and he knew it. Her last excuse to stay in bed was gone. She had no choice but to get up. Finally admitting defeat, she flung back the blankets and stalked over to where their saddlebags were slung on the floor. She knelt down to undo the buckles of Fabian’s and noticed some faded gold lettering stamped on the underside of the leather flap.
F.C.DW.
Fabian De Winter was obvious. But the C? She rummaged through his saddlebag
until she found a shirt at the bottom that was marginally less creased than the others. ‘What does the C stand for?’ She asked as she yanked it on over her head.
Fabian looked up from buttoning his jerkin, ‘C?’
‘The initials on your saddlebag.’
‘Cassius. My middle name – after my uncle. My mother was very fond of her brother. I never knew him. He died before I was born, but by all accounts he was quite a character. She always said I was like him.’
Mistral gazed at him silently and realised that she knew nothing about his family. She would have to borrow the boring book Phantom spent hours reading. She could vaguely recall the title, “Sorcering Blood-lines: the Complete Guide”, but had a much clearer recollection of Phantom’s red face when she’d caught him reading up Eloise Lacey.
‘Here you are.’
Fabian interrupted her day-dreaming by passing her a pair of trousers. She took them from him and began to pull them on reluctantly. ‘You know Fabian, I feel a lot better today –’
‘No.’
Mistral looked up to see his face set in a rigidly uncompromising expression that she knew no amount of arguments, pleading or tantrums would change. But it was still worth a try. ‘Honestly, I think I just need a couple of days at home –’
‘Mistral, you are going to the Infirmary this morning and that’s final. I’m going to take you there myself before I meet with Leo.’
Mistral felt colour flood her face. The last thing she wanted was Fabian listening to the dreaded conversation she was going to have with Serenity. ‘You can’t stay while I’m in there! It’s … it’s –’
Fabian waited patiently for her to explain her sudden panic, ‘It’s what Mistral?’ He finally prompted when she stalled.
‘Private!’ She finally muttered and immediately bent to lace up her boots and hide her furiously blushing face.
Mistral could hear his confused thoughts while she tied her laces, a sudden eruption of concern that there was more wrong with her than just sickness. She sighed. By trying to save her own embarrassment she had just caused him yet more anxiety. ‘Oh Fabian, it’s nothing for you to worry about. I just want to talk to her about … you know … stuff, married life and all that,’ she improvised quickly.
Fabian gave her a long look and she knew her face was a picture of guilt. Inwardly cursing her pathetic inability to lie she immediately vowed to work on improving it.
‘Then ... I shall take you there and wait outside.’
Mistral stood up, ‘You’ll have a long wait then. I’m having a bath first and then breakfast. There’s no way I can face Serenity’s fussing on an empty stomach. I’ll be ages; you might as well go and see Leo now then come back for me.’
‘Leo can wait.’
Mistral’s heart sank, her last attempt to get out of Fabian dragging her to the Infirmary had been vanquished by three short words.
‘I need to speak with the twins anyway.’ Fabian continued with a slight smile at her crestfallen expression. ‘I want to know how the news of the dragon cull having already taken place was received in The Cloak last night.’
Resigning herself to the looming misery of a trip to the Infirmary, Mistral locked herself in the bathroom and wallowed bad-temperedly in the bath until Phantom eventually knocked on the door and politely enquired whether she had drowned.
‘Come on Mistral! I’ve cooked you breakfast!’ Phantom tried again when she refused to reply.
There was a short silence.
‘What is it?’ She finally asked.
‘Sausages, eggs, fresh bread –’
‘I’ll be down in a minute!’
Mistral’s response was immediately followed by the sound of her leaping from the bath. She dressed in record time to appear in the kitchen moments later, glowing from the heat of the bath.
‘Hungry?’ Phantasm enquired as she stole a sausage straight from the skillet and began to eat it with her fingers.
She nodded; her mouth too full to speak, reaching for another she looked around with a frown. ‘Where’s Fabian gone?’ She managed through the last of the sausage. ‘I was ignoring his thoughts when I was in the bath.’
‘Got bored with waiting for you to finish having the world’s longest bath and gone to see Leo,’ Phantasm replied and caught her sudden grin. ‘Oh no, you can forget all about dodging your appointment with Mistress Lightwater just because he’s not here. We’ve even got his permission to use our gift to make you go.’
Mistral threw herself onto the sofa and folded her arms defensively, ‘You wouldn’t dare!’
‘Try us.’ Phantom placed a plate of food on the table before wandering over to stand casually by the door.
Mistral watched him through narrowed eyes, ‘Worried I’ll try to escape?’
Phantom shrugged, ‘You do have a certain aversion to the Infirmary.’
She glowered at him from the sofa then turned to look at Phantasm, stood by the kitchen table with Prospero sat beside him, staring fixedly at the plate of food. ‘You can’t make me go!’ She cried.
‘Actually we can,’ he replied calmly.
‘I don’t think so!’
Mistral leapt to her feet and stood between them, looking furiously from one twin to the other only to suddenly feel light-headed.
‘Are you alright?’
‘Fine … bath too hot … and hungr –’
Suddenly the twins had an unobstructed view of each other across the room. They looked down simultaneously to see Mistral unconscious on the floor.
‘She’s fainted!’
‘Well, that makes our job a bit easier.’ Phantom remarked after a moment’s pause.
‘You’re not the one carrying her,’ muttered Phantasm and strode over to gather her up.
Entrapment
The door to the Infirmary banged open as Phantasm strode through carrying the still unconscious Mistral. Serenity appeared from the Apothecary store and watched Phantasm lay her on the nearest bed.
‘Mistral was keen as ever to visit my Infirmary I see.’
‘Actually, she’s fainted.’
Serenity’s face creased into a look of concern. She walked quickly over to the bed and laid a hand against Mistral’s brow. ‘Hello Mistral, it’s been a while,’ she said pleasantly when Mistral groaned and opened her eyes.
‘Not long enough.’ Mistral gave the twins a reproachful look. ‘Did you have to?’
‘You passed out. So, yes. And now we’re going to find Mage De Winter and give him the joyous news that you’ve moved on from being sick to fainting. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled with the improvement.’
‘How long have you been vomiting for?’ Serenity enquired briskly while she checked Mistral’s pulse.
‘Thanks brother.’ Mistral pulled a face at Phantasm. ‘Now she’ll want a colour and consistency report.’
Serenity regarded her thoughtfully for a moment then turned to the twins, ‘You may leave now. I am sure Mistral would appreciate some privacy whilst I complete my examinations.’
‘What? Examinations? Now? Can’t it wait?’
‘No.’
The twins walked away from the sound of Mistral’s increasingly high-pitched complaints until the closing Infirmary door cut her off and they were left in the silence of the corridor. Prospero whined and scratched at the door.
‘No boy.’ Phantom patted his head consolingly. ‘You’re better off out here, I promise. I think things could get ugly in there.’
After a brief battle of wills Mistral submitted grumpily to Serenity’s care, giving terse, one-word answers to the stream of questions she asked.
‘There, all done! That wasn’t so bad was it?’ Serenity finally said.
‘You don’t really expect me to answer that do you?’ Mistral glowered at her while she buttoned her shirt up and decided to skip having the embarrassing conversation she’d been dreading. She’d definitely suffered enough for one morning. ‘So what’s up with me then?’ She demanded rudely.
&n
bsp; Serenity gave a light laugh, ‘Well, I’m sure you must already know.’
Mistral looked at her moodily, ‘Not really, otherwise I wouldn’t have been dragged here, would I?’
Serenity smiled, ‘It’s perfectly simple. You have fallen.’
‘No, I just sort of blacked out –’
Serenity laughed and touched Mistral’s cheek, her eyes shining with excitement, ‘I meant … you have fallen with child.’
‘Huh?’ Mistral stared blankly at her.
‘You’re pregnant Mistral. You’re going to have a baby.’
Mistral’s face froze.
‘Mistral?’ Serenity finally asked when the silence finally grew unbearable.
‘No!’ Mistral suddenly gasped. ‘You’ve made a mistake! It’s not possible!’
Serenity’s voice was gently insistent, ‘I hear two hearts beating inside you, and you have the beginnings of a pregnancy swell in your abdomen –’
Mistral immediately retched.
Serenity swiftly reached down to grab a bowl from beneath the bed and held it for her, waiting patiently for her to recover. She patted her arm soothingly once she had finished. ‘This stage should pass soon; you’re nearly at the end of your first trimester.’
Mistral wiped her mouth with a trembling hand and stared at Serenity again, ‘My what? How long?’ She abruptly stopped and retched over the bowl again.
Serenity frowned, ‘I don’t know Mistral. It really would help if we knew what blood you have, then we could determine how long your pregnancy will last.’
Mistral jumped as the door to the Infirmary banged open and Fabian burst in, his face rigid with anxiety. He froze in the doorway, registering Mistral laid on a bed with a look of abject terror on her face. The twins slid softly into the room behind him and remained quietly by the door while Fabian strode to the bed, leaning protectively over her while he glared at Serenity.
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