by James Wisher
Jen smiled. “Damien does a lot of things people claim are impossible.”
“Why were the two of you hunting a demon in the first place? That is more properly a task for paladins.”
Jen’s jaw tightened. “That demon killed our father. This is family business and no outsider is necessary for us to take care of it.”
Marie-Bell flinched away from her then reached for the steaming kettle. She poured the hot water into a tea pot with an infuser inside. “It’ll just be a few more minutes.”
“Do you always travel with a full tea service?”
“Of course. No matter how rough the territory there’s no reason to abandon all civilization. A cup of tea is a reminder that we’re better than mere beasts.”
Chapter 21
Lon led his apprentice down the back hall to the archmage’s office. He’d visited her enough times now that his hands didn’t even shake. Eli, on the other hand, wasn’t doing so well. He’d thrown up twice on the flight to the capital. Being summoned by the archmage twice in as many months could put a man on edge, especially a young man with as little field experience as his apprentice. Lon had hoped to break the boy in with easier missions or just simple patrols. It wasn’t to be apparently.
Beside him Eli wheezed like a broken bellows. “Take a deep breath,” Lon said. “If you pass out before we learn what she wants us to do you’ll make me look bad.”
“Sorry, Master.” Eli took two deep breaths. At least his teeth stopped chattering. “I wonder if we’ll get to work with Damien again.”
“I hope not.”
“Why? I thought you liked Damien.”
“I do. He’s a fine young man. But if the mission is dangerous enough that the archmage feels the need to send him with us, well, I know we’ll be in for a real battle. I’d rather avoid that sort of thing until you have a little more experience.”
Eli’s throat worked as he tried to swallow. “I see. I hadn’t thought of it that way. I just figured we’d be better off with Damien along in case we ran into trouble.”
“I’d prefer to avoid trouble in the first place.” Lon stopped in front of a closed door. “We’re here.”
He knocked and the door swung open. The archmage sat behind her desk and Imogen sat in the only extra chair. As usual the room was a cluttered mess, not that anyone would ever dare point this out to her.
Imogen turned her cold blue eyes on them. “Lon.”
He nodded. “Imogen. Archmage.”
“Lon,” the archmage said. “Thanks for getting here so quickly. We’ve had six inquisitors go silent over the past month. I want you three to find them or find out what happened to them. No splitting up.” That last she directed at Imogen whose frown deepened. She didn’t seem happy to be working with Lon and Eli, not that Imogen ever seemed happy about anything.
“Be sure to keep me informed,” the archmage said. “I don’t want to have to send searchers out for my search party. Off you go.”
Imogen got out of her chair and brushed past them without a word. Lon shook his head and followed. He and Eli made no effort to keep up with the quick-marching Imogen.
Eli turned to him. “That’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen yet the thought of spending a minute alone with her scares me to death.”
“You and me both. Imogen has that effect on people. The only person I’ve ever seen her treat remotely well was her partner, Alden, but he was killed just before the hunt for Connor Blackman last month.”
“Wait, isn’t she the one that rushed ahead with Damien? When the two of them dug their way out of that mountain they looked friendly enough. At the time I felt a little jealous.”
Lon frowned. Now that his apprentice mentioned it, Imogen and Damien had seemed awfully close. Why hadn’t it registered at the time? Probably because they were all worried about where Connor had gotten off to.
“Just keep your distance and you two will get along as well as possible.”
They found Imogen standing in the courtyard tapping her toe and holding a rolled-up scroll like a dagger she wanted to stab them with. Technically since Imogen served in the Legion she outranked Lon so he let her take the lead. He also preferred it to arguing with her.
“Where to first?” Lon asked.
Imogen unrolled the scroll. “All six missing sorcerers were patrolling well away from any major settlements, mostly in the north and east. Maria Von Kade has been missing the longest. She was due to check in three weeks ago. Her last communication came from a village two hours’ flight from the Barrier Mountains called Shadows in the East.”
Lon frowned. “Was the village by any chance undergoing construction after an attack by fire-breathing monsters?”
Imogen looked up from the scroll. “It doesn’t say. Why?”
“Just curious. I visited a village in that area last spring and fought some fire breathers. Damien’s sister and her squad backed me up. I never knew the name of the place and I wondered if it was the same village.”
Imogen’s face twisted when he mentioned Damien’s name, but it soon smoothed into her usual scowl. What had Damien done to get on her bad side? Probably the fact that he existed was enough.
“I guess we’ll find out when we arrive.” Imogen leapt into the air.
Chapter 22
The village was indeed the same one Lon had visited with Jen and her squad two months ago. It appeared most of the damage from the fires had been repaired, though a handful of buildings still showed charred spots. At least the burning stink from last time was absent.
They landed around noon, after a four-hour flight, in the town square. The town hall had new doors to replace the burned ones and Imogen strode right toward them. Lon and Eli fell in a few steps behind just to be safe. Lon wanted to offer to take the lead with the mayor since the man would probably be well disposed toward him after he’d helped kill the monsters that raided his village. He couldn’t quite work up the courage to say anything.
Imogen pulled the new doors open with invisible threads of soul force and entered without breaking stride. Lon knew full well that Imogen specialized in interrogation, but he hoped she’d take a more gentle tack with the mayor. They were looking for the man’s help. It wasn’t like they suspected him of a crime. After all, what were the odds of a small-town mayor being involved in the disappearance of a kingdom sorcerer?
They walked down the hall toward the meeting room. All the damaged paintings had been replaced and the hole in the roof repaired. If Lon hadn’t been there himself he never would have guessed anything happened. It never ceased to amaze him how fast people could recover from even the most traumatic events. He hoped the capital recovered as quickly.
The meeting room doors were open and a small gathering filled the chamber. About a dozen people sat on the benches while another pair stood before a stout man in somber black robes seated on a raised chair at the front of the hall. A pair of men with clubs at their waists raised their hands to stop Imogen as she started across the room.
She didn’t even speak. One glare from her icy gaze and the guards shrank back. Imogen didn’t need sorcery. Her presence alone would intimidate any normal person. You just didn’t expect a woman that looked like her to have such a fierce air about her. The man in the robe noticed the commotion and stood up.
“What’s going on back there?” he asked.
Imogen conjured a golden shield in the air above her hand. “We need a word with the mayor on a matter of some urgency.”
The citizens all edged away from them. Lon doubted they were even aware they did it.
The man in the robe stepped down from his raised chair. “I’m the mayor and of course I’d be delighted to speak with you. We’ll postpone grievance day until tomorrow, thank you everyone. My chambers are this way. Please follow me.”
The mayor led them through a door to the left of his chair and into a comfortable if mundane office. He shrugged off his robe and hung it on a hook beside a large, almost empty table. When he’
d sat in the soft leather chair behind the desk he motioned for them to sit in the two smaller chairs in front.
He offered an uneven smile. “I’m sorry I don’t have enough seats for everyone. I seldom have more than two people here at the same time.”
“It’s fine, sir.” Eli bowed and leaned against the wall beside the door.
Lon smiled. What his apprentice lacked in power he made up for in manners.
“An inquisitor passed through here several weeks ago.” Imogen began without preamble. “Do you remember her?”
“Maria, certainly, she’s visited us on several occasions. We’re one of a number of villages on her regular patrol route. She wanted to see how the repairs were progressing. There was also a little girl with a fever she healed. All very routine, if you’re a sorcerer, I suppose. Is everything all right?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Lon said.
“Did she mention anything unusual happening?” Imogen asked. “Warn you to be careful, that sort of thing?”
The mayor held his hands out to the sides in a helpless gesture. “No, nothing like that. As I said, her visit couldn’t have been any more ordinary. She arrived in the late afternoon, stayed one night at the inn, and left around noon the following day for the next village on her route.”
“Which village and which way did she fly?” Imogen asked.
“The village is called Loud Water, apparently they have some geysers to the north that make quite a racket when they blow.” The mayor’s chuckle came to a strangled end at Imogen’s impatient glare. He cleared his throat and adjusted the collar of his tunic. “Anyway that’s where she went, only Maria didn’t fly. She likes to travel the roads so she can check for bandits or washouts or whatever else might be wrong. She took the western trade route. Assuming a normal pace the trip takes three days in good weather.”
They all stood.
“Your assistance is appreciated,” Imogen said.
Lon and the mayor shook hands before the three sorcerers left the town hall. Imogen’s polite if curt thank you surprised Lon. He’d expected her to simply get up and leave without a word to the poor man. Maybe she had better manners than he first believed.
“Shall we leave now or wait for morning?” Lon asked.
“Now. We’ve still got a good five hours of daylight.” Imogen conjured a horse and climbed up on its back. “Somewhere between here and Loud Water something happened to Maria. Whatever it was I don’t want to waste time figuring it out.”
Chapter 23
Damien blinked bleary eyes. The sun hadn’t set yet so the process of banishing the demon hadn’t taken anywhere near as long as he feared it might. His shoulders ached and his back popped when he straightened up. He didn’t know how long he’d been pouring energy into the flask, but the last bit of corruption vanished seconds ago. In his lap the flask that had been his whole world for the past however many hours had blackened and the silver flaked off. The container had lasted just long enough and not a moment more.
A fire burned not far away, bacon sizzling over it in a cast iron pan. His mouth watered at the savory scent.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Jen said. Damien turned his stiff neck and found his sister standing a little ways away, arms crossed, a skinned rabbit hanging from one hand.
“Thanks. Rabbit for dinner?”
“Breakfast.” Jen put the rabbit in the pan along with the bacon to fry it in the fat.
“Breakfast, how long have I been working? One rabbit’s probably not enough for all three of us.”
“This is for you. We ate a while ago. You’ve been working for about fourteen hours. I was getting a little worried.” She nodded toward the flask. “Is it done?”
“Yeah.” Fourteen hours, no wonder he was so stiff. “Where’s the paladin?”
“Marie-Bell is watering the flowers.” Jen flipped the rabbit over. “How are you?”
“Tired, but fine. Marie-Bell?”
Jen rolled her eyes. “Long story. She’s a nice girl, but a little innocent for her chosen line of work.”
“Good morning,” Marie-Bell said in a bright, piping voice. She’d traded her mail hauberk for a soft cotton dress that ended just above her knees. One look at her soft, petite figure and you knew her strength came from a supernatural source. She looked about as much like a warrior as Jen did a handmaiden. She turned her attention to the flask and her eyes turned white. “You did it!”
“I was pretty sure I did, but I wanted you to check before I removed the final seals.” Damien reclaimed the last of his soul force and the flask disintegrated. “By the way, you owe me a royal, sis.”
“How do you figure?” Jen put the rabbit on a plate and handed it to him with a mug of warm water.
“That flask cost two royals. You said you wanted to be partners in hunting the demon so you owe me half the cost.”
Jen sat beside him. “Gah. You’re even cheaper than Dad. Besides, sorcerers get better pay than warlords. You should be good for it.”
“Next time we go out to dinner you’re picking up the tab.”
“Deal.”
Marie-Bell laughed. “I wish I had a brother to argue with. You two are adorable.”
Damien and Jen shared a look. No one had ever called them adorable. The little group fell silent while Damien finished his food. He tossed the bones away and stood up, his knees protesting as loudly as his shoulders had.
Marie-Bell’s soft hands touched his back and warmth flooded into him. The aches and pains vanished along with his fatigue. She stepped back and smiled. “Better?”
“Much, thank you. I’ve never been healed by a paladin before. It’s much more effective than sorcery.”
“Healing is one of our primary skills, along with banishing demons.”
“Speaking of demons,” Jen said. “I think it’s time we go have a talk with Farmer Smyth.”
“I don’t suppose you know where to find him,” Damien said.
I do. I overheard his conversation with Fredric. He lives twenty miles south of The Citadel.
Lizzy’s voice startled him for a moment. He still wasn’t used to having her with him. “That should be easy enough to find.”
Jen nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Excuse me,” Marie-Bell said. “Would it be all right if I came along? This is just the sort of thing I wanted to do when I left the fortress. I don’t really want to start over with a new mission.”
“I don’t care. Sis?”
“Sure, her skills might come in handy.”
Marie-Bell clapped and hopped around. “Just let me put my gear on.”
Damien said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t regret inviting her along. If they ended up in a fight, her healing power would be useful. Not to mention she went toe to toe with Jen, even if it was just for half a minute. At the very least she was strong enough not to get in their way.
Chapter 24
The location Lizzy provided waited only a ten-minute flight from their camp. Damien flew the platform around the area, but nothing resembling a farm was visible. Beside him Marie-Bell rode a conjured white horse through the sky. He’d offered to let her ride with him and Jen, but she insisted she preferred her own mount.
Damien hovered over what looked like a small pasture that no one had grazed in years. Small evergreens poked up here and there, blowing in the breeze. No matter which way he looked there was simply nothing here.
“Are you sure this is where he said his farm was?” Damien asked.
He said it was. I didn’t peer that closely into his mind as I had no reason to believe he’d lie.
Clearly the good farmer hadn’t been honest with Dad. That alone made Damien suspect he’d had a willing part in leading him into a trap. How were they ever going to find Smyth, assuming that was even his real name?
“Is that a basement?” Marie-Bell pointed to a stand of scrubby pines.
Damien flew lower. Sure enough the remains of an old farmhouse peeke
d out from amongst the trees. “Shall we have a look?”
“Might as well, long as we’re here.” Jen leapt over the rail and landed lightly beside the rubble.
Damien set the platform down a few feet away, but didn’t bother dismissing the transport. They wouldn’t be here long enough to make it worthwhile. The three of them split up and looked around for anything that might indicate anyone had been here in the recent past. He kicked over chunks of rotten timbers and poked through the collapsed house. He found nothing but debris that had sat there for a long time.
“Hey guys,” Marie-Bell called.
Damien followed the sound of her voice and soon located the paladin standing in front of a pair of headstones. Jen joined them a moment later and crouched down for a closer look.
“John Smyth and Clara Smyth, died over a hundred years ago.” Jen stood up, a deep crease in her forehead as she scowled. “When we catch up to whoever led Dad to that cave I’m going to enjoy beating a confession out of him.”
“I don’t think we’ll find him here,” Damien said. “We flew over a little village on the way. Maybe someone there saw him.”
“We might as well ask around,” Jen said. “It’s not like we have any better leads.”
The little group flew back to the one-tavern village and landed in the town square. This time both Damien and Marie-Bell let their transports vanish. Villagers who had been outside doing chores or running errands paused to watch the three of them. Their arrival was probably the most interesting thing to happen in this village all year.
“Did your patrol route ever bring you here, sis?”
“Sure, we rode through once a week, but there were never any problems so we didn’t stay long. I’m not even sure who’s in charge.”
“Who cares?” Damien headed toward the tavern. “I doubt our man checked in with the mayor after all. If anyone’s going to know something it’ll be the tavern keeper or the serving girls.”
