Disciple of War (Art of the Adept Book 4)

by Michael G. Manning

  He thought it was a joke at first, for she’d never really been the type to cling, but after he struggled for a moment, she still wouldn’t let go. “Just a little longer,” she begged, with her dark hair obscuring most of her features.

  She sounded normal, but something in her tone touched his heart anyway. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” Reaching up with one hand, he pushed the hair away and was immediately struck by the red-rimmed and swollen eyes. How she had managed to cry in complete silence without moving or alerting him was a complete mystery. His best guess was that being born royal and raised by a monster had instilled the skill in her. “What’s wrong?”

  Blinking, Selene buried her face again. “Nothing now.”

  Shifting his body and using both hands, he lifted her head so he could see her face. It was hideous, though it somehow made him love her even more. “Tell me.”

  “I thought you were dead—again!” The words were barely intelligible, but the context made her meaning clear. “How many times is this going to happen?”

  Lifting the corner of the blanket, Will used it as a towel to wipe away the mess. When he pulled it away, he replied, “I thought things turned out better than usual this time. It went pretty well until the end, and then I just had a little fall.”

  “It wasn’t just a little fall,” she snapped. “You destroyed the whole city, and no one would or could go look for you. Even after the air began to clear they were too afraid! If I hadn’t ignored them all and escaped with your troll love-child, you would have died.”

  He snorted despite himself. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me. Don’t try and change the topic. It wasn’t just a little fall. I was the one who found you, lying broken in the middle of a crater the size of a cathedral. Your head was resting on top of one of your feet like it was a pillow.” Her body shivered at the memory.

  He almost snickered but managed to suppress it. The words were funny, but Selene’s voice told another tale, one of fear and tragedy. Instead, he kept his reply neutral. “Gan took you to find me?”

  She nodded. “Him and the others.”

  “I can’t believe you called him a love-child.”

  “We don’t even have a child yet,” she complained. “I thought you were dead and then where would I be? All I would have to remember you by would be your ugly troll babies.”

  Her emotions were raw, painful, and too much for him. Will chuckled.

  “Don’t laugh,” she warned. “I think you love Lrmeg more than me.”

  “But I married you,” he answered in a calm rational tone. Then he paused. “Wait, did you say troll babies, plural? Lrmeg and the others aren’t mine.”

  She growled. “It wasn’t easy to understand, but Lrmeg told me enough that I figured out how you hired your troll mercenaries.”

  “Oh.”

  “Slut.”

  “That is not how it happened!” he protested loudly. “They cut little pieces off of themselves, and I used a knife to make the cuts.”

  Somehow his distress over the explanation made her smile. “Excuses, excuses…”

  Epilogue

  The stars were impossibly bright, aided by the lack of a moon. The stately elms that grew near the main house created a beautiful lattice against the bejeweled black velvet of the sky. Will was standing on the second-floor balcony, leaning over a smooth, hand-carved rail while he studied the grounds of Selene’s secret paradise, the Rimberlin Estate, or as she usually called it, Rimberlin House.

  The waterfall she had mentioned before was close enough that it could be faintly heard above the soft susurration of the trees in the wind. Sculpted topiaries near the house blended with the randomness of the orchard trees in the distance to create a delicate balance between manmade order and natural charm. After the last few months at war, it was the perfect balm for Will’s soul.

  It had been almost a month since they’d returned, and two weeks since they’d vacated the capital to find peace and quiet in the country. He’d been a little apprehensive at the suggestion, given that they’d nearly been killed the first time Selene tried to bring him there, but after arriving, he was soon grateful that he had given in to his wife’s wishes.

  Music drifted from the large balcony doors, another reminder of the extravagance of his current life. In Barrowden, music had been a luxury enjoyed mainly on special occasions. A number of the villagers had practiced with their own instruments, but unless one was lucky enough to live in a household with such a person, music was a rare treat.

  The music that evening was the result of a string quartet that Selene had hired for a party to celebrate Will’s award. Lognion had decided to award him the Silver Cross, Terabinia’s highest award for bravery. It wasn’t a medal usually given to commanders, but Will had put himself in harm’s way on so many occasions that Hargast and Lambel had sent personal recommendations to the king.

  In reality, it had just been an excuse for a party, and Selene had insisted on hiring the musicians for the entire week, even though the guests were gone after a single night. Will didn’t argue, though. Between them, they had more money than he knew how to count, and Selene deserved some joy. Despite his parsimonious peasant’s heart, he would have agreed to hiring a full orchestra to serenade his wife to sleep every night if he thought it would make her happy.

  Two ladies in exquisitely lovely dresses approached him from behind. They were arm-in-arm, but they released their hold on one another to flank him on either side before threading their arms through his. The one on his left had a pale, freckled face that would have been framed by a cascade of wild red hair, if she hadn’t had it tightly braided and coiled for the event. The lady on his right was a dark brunette whose hair was bound into a queue that trailed down her back.

  Both were lovely and had claimed part of his heart, though neither of them was Selene. Trapped between them, Will responded firmly, “No more dancing. The guests are gone, and the party is done. We should let the musicians rest.”

  “My feet are sore anyway,” said Sammy. She had been more somber since Eric’s death, but her spirits were finally beginning to return to normal.

  Will’s half-sister, Tabitha, glanced over, then noticed something she had missed. “Where are your shoes? I thought you seemed shorter than usual!”

  “Those weren’t shoes. They were torture devices,” complained Sammy.

  Tabitha shook her head. “You just need to build up your calluses.”

  “Or stick with more practical footwear,” said Sammy, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

  Looking from one side to the other, Will frowned. “Where are your candles?”

  “Inside, on one of the side tables,” said Tabitha promptly.

  Sammy stared at her bare feet. “In the kitchen—maybe?”

  “No dessert for either of you tomorrow,” he told them, which resulted in a chorus of outcries, claiming injustice. Will was adamant, however. “You know the rules. I even reminded you.”

  “But it’s a party!” whined Sammy.

  “All the guests left an hour ago,” said Will sternly. “If you seriously intend to learn wizardry then you’ll do as I say.”

  Sammy released his arm, looking aggrieved. “It’s been over a week since you drugged us, and all we’ve been doing is carrying these stupid candles around.”

  Will closed his eyes and prayed for patience. He had indeed drugged some of the new students, Tabitha and Sammy among them, for the purposes of awakening their sight. Watching the source-linked candles would be pointless otherwise. If anything, his cousin and younger half-sister should be grateful, since he hadn’t needed to use the heart-stone enchantment on them as he’d had to do with all the others, like Laina, Seth, Janice, and a few others he’d picked from his class at Wurthaven. Only those who had already been trained to use turyn needed to be restrained the same way that Selene had been.

  Tabitha and Sammy had become fast friends almost immediatel
y after their first meeting, but there were certain moments that put them at odds. This turned out to be one of them. Squeezing Will’s arm, Tabitha took the opportunity to chastise her friend. “You shouldn’t complain, Sammy. I’m sure my brother has his reasons for the way we’re being trained.”

  “I’m his cousin and I don’t recall Will having any sisters,” countered Sammy, raising one brow.

  “He’s married to Selene, so that makes him my brother-in-law,” Tabitha informed her.

  Sammy frowned. “Huh?”

  “Selene grew up with us,” explained Tabitha amiably. “So we think of her as a sister.” She paused, thinking with one finger against her lip. “Actually, that sort of makes me a princess by proxy. What are you again?”

  The words were spoken playfully, but Tabitha was sometimes thoughtless with her jokes. Sammy flinched and her back straightened. Her green eyes caught fire as she replied, “Ask yourself that again in ten years, when I’m the world’s most powerful wizard.” Turning on her heel, she marched away.

  Tabitha released his arm and went after her immediately. “I was making a joke Sammy, I’m sorry! I didn’t think about what I was saying.”

  Will watched them go, wondering if he should intervene, but after a few seconds he decided to keep enjoying the night air. Tabitha and Sammy genuinely liked each other, and he had little doubt they would resolve their dispute. In the background, he heard Laina toss her two cents into the arena. “If you had kept your candles with you, this wouldn’t have happened.”

  Then the doors behind him closed. Looking back, he saw that Selene had stepped out to join him and was now making certain they wouldn’t have any interruptions. She moved up to the railing and stood beside him, drawing her wrap around her shoulders to block the chill of the night air. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

  Will smiled. “Yes. But not because of the stupid medal. It’s beautiful here, and most of the people I care about are close by.”

  “Mostly because of the training,” said Selene.

  She was right, of course. Not only were they teaching both his sister and his cousin, but Seth, Janice, Emory Tallowen, and two students from his class at Wurthaven were living with them for what would probably be a period of at least a year if not two or three. Will nodded.

  “Your cousin seems to be taking a shine to Emory,” Selene said in a mild tone.

  Will’s hands tightened on the rail. “I don’t think he’s well suited for her.”

  “Why? He’s handsome, intelligent, well heeled, and he was one of your best sorcerers in the army. What does he lack?” asked Selene.

  “Common sense, compassion, a proper sense of how everyday people live,” returned Will instantly.

  Selene sighed. “You mean he was born to privilege. Do you think that makes him a bad person?”

  Will paused, realizing they’d stumbled into a sensitive topic. He was married to a princess, after all. They didn’t come more privileged than that, but Selene had been anything but typical. “No, of course not,” he said after a moment. “But I’m not sure he’ll ever appreciate her properly. Deep down, he’ll always think of her as a peasant.”

  His wife put a gentle hand on his arm. “He’s come a long way from when you first met him. If he really turns out to have an interest in her, I think he will change even more.”

  “She’s still a peasant.”

  “And her guardian is married to the crown princess,” said Selene.

  Will looked askance at her. “Saying he’ll make allowances because she’s related to someone important isn’t going to advance your case.”

  Selene refused to allow their talk to become an argument. Her tone remained relaxed as she replied, “Royalty and nobility function based on practicality above all else. Maybe it doesn’t suit your ideal, but the fact that you’re her cousin will force him to re-evaluate his beliefs. If they fall in love and he becomes more open minded as a result, does it matter what the reasons were that made him reassess his ideas about class and wealth?”

  “Shouldn’t it matter?”

  She met his gaze evenly. “What about me? Did you judge me so carefully before pursuing me and eventually interrupting my wedding? Did you worry about what my reasons were for changing my mind about chaining my future to yours?”

  “That’s different,” said Will. “I wasn’t important either. You chose me purely because you loved me.”

  Selene nodded. “I do, but was that really all of it? Do you think I didn’t see some other potential in you? I’d seen plenty of hints regarding your growing abilities already. Maybe your peasant background didn’t matter to me because I knew you would eventually become the most powerful mage of our generation.”

  He stared at her. “Is that what happened?”

  She shrugged. “Hell, if I know. People are complicated, and we often don’t fully know our deeper motivations. I tell myself I loved you simply because you were kind, brave, and that you cared more about what was right than what would benefit you, but is that the entire truth? I have no way of knowing.” She leaned back and looked behind him for a second, then winked. “You have a cute derriere too. That may have been the final deciding factor.”

  Will laughed. “Fine. I can’t argue with that. Are you saying I’m biased because I’m overprotective?”

  The corner of her mouth turned up. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  He took a deep breath. “I’ll try to be more objective, but if anything happens—if she has even a moment of misery because of…”

  “William. Think about who you are. You don’t have to threaten boys who might be interested in your family. Emory knows. If anything, it shows bravery that he is willing to entertain the notion.”

  Will growled. “Because she’s common?”

  “Because you could ruin his family, or even worse. I’m speaking from experience. Very few are willing to take the risk when the lady comes from a family that could destroy them with just a word in the right ears. You’re thinking of Sammy as a commoner, and sure, some might say that, but deep down what they’ll really feel is fear. So, give her some leeway if someone shows a little interest.”

  Will nodded. “As usual, you’ve put more thought into this than I realized. I’ll defer to you—for now. Let’s go to bed.”

  Selene gave him a scandalous look. “So soon? What will everyone say?”

  “That I was tired, and I have to rise early tomorrow too.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Are you ever going to slow down? You’re still training as though there’s a fresh war about to start.”

  “I have to set a good example for our students,” he replied.

  Selene laughed. “They’re all still watching candles. They can’t do anything else for at least a few months. I doubt they’ll be impressed by your insane spell regimen.”

  “And yet you’ve been joining me every morning.”

  “I have to keep an eye on you,” she replied slyly. “You’re going to give me wrinkles if you keep forcing me to rise so early.”

  “All part of my plan to ugly you up and keep the other men away,” said Will.

  ***

  Master Courtney made a steeple with his fingers while leaning over his desk. “The notes you gave me, there’s more, isn’t there?”

  Will smiled. “Have you made headway with them?” He’d given Master Courtney a foreshortened version of the book that Aislinn had given him. In particular, he’d limited it to information regarding city teleport beacons.

  “The information regarding beacon construction was thought lost forever,” said the academic. “If the king agrees to give us the funds we need, there’s no reason we couldn’t start trying to construct one now. With Myrsta in our hands, we have at least two places with the necessary ley-line resources to make beacons practical.”

  “I’m sure His Majesty will agree to that,” said Will. “It will make governing easier, as well as speed the repairs to Myrsta.”

  Wurthaven’s head researcher nodded. “Yo
u didn’t answer my question.”

  “I’ve learned to be careful.”

  “You still don’t trust me? Even though I’ve joined you in a secret cabal to overthrow the king?”

  Will shrugged. He was far from ready to share the knowledge he’d gained regarding planar gates or personal teleports, though he might in the future. “I trust you, but I don’t make decisions based purely on my feeling anymore. I know for certain you value knowledge above all else. If there’s more hidden away, you’ll have an excellent reason to be on your best behavior.”

  Courtney shook his head. “If you were anyone else, I’d be offended, despite your honesty.”

  But you won’t be offended, thought Will, because you can’t afford to be. He’d finally begun to take to heart Selene’s lesson: never forgetting who he was. Others wouldn’t forget his station, so it only put him at a disadvantage if he was the only one not considering it.

  Since Will hadn’t replied, Master Courtney moved on. “How are the students coming along?”

  “Nothing to see yet,” said Will. “They still have a few more months of boredom staring at their candles before I can try putting them through the first compression. Don’t worry, though. I’ll invite you to Rimberlin so you can observe and take notes when the time comes.”

  “I appreciate that,” said the researcher.

  Will nodded. “Well, I guess I’ll be on my way. I hope to be back in Rimberlin tonight.”

  “You’ll be traveling in the dark. You’re not going to stay in Wurthaven this evening?”

  He shook his head.

  “Safe journey then,” said Master Courtney. He rose to see Will to the door but stopped as he was about to open it. “I was surprised to hear about the king’s choice for governor of Darrow.”

  “Really?”

  “I’m sure most thought it would be you.”

  Will smiled. “I would have refused. As it is, I feel badly for Lord Nerrow—he’s still stuck in Maldon overseeing things. I’m sure he’s glad to hear that Lord Bradshaw will be taking his place so he can return and see his family.”