EXILE'S RETURN

by Kate Jacoby

  “Does it?”

  The compulsion to tell her was enormous, but he couldn’t tell whether it was coming from her or himself. He took a breath and said, “Yes.”

  She held his gaze for a long time then glanced away briefly. When she turned back, it was with a frown. “You may have failed before, but does that guarantee you’ll fail again? Have you always mastered everything the first time you tried? Are you really that clever? Robert, I’m not telling you what to do. I’d never dream of it. All I know is that if you’re to survive, you must act. Withdrawing from life is not the answer. You know what I’m saying is true, don’t you?”

  Her eyes remained on him, unwavering but also strangely uncertain. It was as though she had the ability to see deep inside him to a place he was blind to himself. How could she see so much?

  What else would she see—what else could he dare let her see?

  Above, the trees rustled with the wind, reminding him it was time to go, but for just a moment, he stayed there, watching her, unwilling to move and destroy these few strange moments of peace. Her face, so young and yet so old, held none of the insistent pressure of all the others; instead, she merely voiced what his own heart kept telling him. Yet she did it with care, as though she were afraid of hurting him.

  With his eyes still on hers, he took her hand from his chest and gently raised it to his lips. Her skin was cool soft. She didn’t pull away.

  “Come on,” he murmured, “let’s go and get my wayward brother free.”

  She helped him up and he found that noxious mixture had done its work. The pain in his leg and hip was almost gone, certainly enough to get over the next few hurdles.

  With Jenn following close, he worked his way through the trees. The forest came to an end and they took shelter behind a huge oak. From there they could see the village, almost a town.

  Now, were his powers still gone, or had his head wound healed enough now? There was only one way he would know. He pushed down carefully. Yes, there was something stirring, but he couldn’t hold it, control it. He couldn’t sense anything further than the other side of the tree.

  Swearing silently, he glanced at Jenn standing at his shoulder. “Can you sense where he is?”

  Just a second.

  Robert waited, wishing he didn’t have to rely on her this way.

  He’s in a building by the church wall. Can you see the tower? We’ll have to go down the main street to get to it. There seem to be a lot of people around.

  Yes, there were. “I’d say word has already got out about the capture of a sorcerer. People will travel leagues to see the trial. Still, it could be useful to us.”

  You mean they won’t notice two more strangers?

  “One more—you’ll stay here. Help me get this bandage off my wrist. I can’t use the ayarn in my right hand.” He didn’t dare tell her he could hardly use his powers at all.

  She reached out and unwound the dressing, glancing up at him with raised eyebrows. I’m to stay here, am I? Safely out of the way?

  “That’s right.”

  And how are you going to stop me?

  Robert snatched his hand away from her and tore the rest of the bandage off. “I’ll tie you to this tree if I have to!”

  Stop shouting.

  “I’m not shouting, I’m whispering.”

  No, Robert. I mean you don’t need to whisper either.

  But he didn’t have time for this. He turned away and with his ayarn in his left hand, he sent his senses out into the village. Yes, there was Finnlay, still in his cell—along with a number of guards. Damn! Still, there was no way around it...

  Robert, I heard you. Back at the river. You told me to turn my horse into the current—but you didn’t say it aloud. You can speak back to me now.

  Robert froze. Slowly he turned back to face her. Hardly daring to hope, he gripped his ayarn tight and formed a single word. With as much force as his wounded body could muster, he sent it towards her.

  Jenny?

  Her answer was a brilliant smile.

  By the gods! I can do it too!

  Yes! Fun isn’t it? Perhaps in future you’ll learn to listen to me. Now, before you get carried away, I suggest we move on.

  Laughing his submission, Robert turned and stepped into the street. She was right—he couldn’t stop her.

  The church was small with a high wooden tower and a graveyard full of inky-black shapes. Robert led Jenn, crouched low until they gained the church wall. Feeling stronger by the minute, Robert kept his senses alert, feeling for anyone who might cross their path. The village was already patrolled by woodsmen and farmers wearing swords. Unaccustomed to such arms, these men challenged every soul who passed by them, whether friend or stranger. The whole village seemed on edge with such a dangerous prisoner. Robert felt it was his duty to ease that strain, relieve them of the burden.

  He glanced down at Jenn, crouched beside him. Her blue eyes were wide as she kept watch on the graveyard, the street beyond. The moon had yet to appear, but it was only a matter of a few minutes.

  Robert, are you sure we can get Finnlay out? I know I’m new to this but that building looks like a proper guardhouse. I think he’s in some kind of cellar.

  He is. There’re also at least a dozen guards in there with him. Can you sense them?

  No.

  It was amazing. It was getting easier every time he did it. It was possible he didn’t even need to use his ayarn any more—but then, he hadn’t the first time, had he?

  Standing, he gave Jenn a lift up on to the wall. As she jumped down, he climbed over and landed beside her. Before them was a small courtyard and a large gate to their left, leading back to the street. Quickly now, they crossed the courtyard to a heavy wooden door. Robert was about to attack the lock when his senses warned him of someone approaching. They were in the shadows but the man would soon see them.

  Damn! A guard! Keep still and I’ll try a mask. I don’t know if I can do one big enough to cover us both.

  Don’t worry.

  Robert was quick, but not yet strong enough. The guard came towards the door and stopped in his tracks. “You! Boy! What are you doing in here?”

  Jenn instantly left Robert’s side, turning the guard away from him. At that moment, the moon rose, flooding the courtyard with ghostly blue light. Jenn backed away from the guard. “I just wanted to see the sorcerer ... that’s all.”

  “Well, you can’t. Get out! Go on, boy, leave before I lock you up!”

  Jenn turned and ran down towards the gate. As she disappeared, the guard shook his head and continued his patrol, never even looking in Robert’s direction.

  Jenny?

  Has he gone yet?

  Yes, but you’ll have to be quick and quiet. If he catches you coming back, he’ll throw you in with Finnlay.

  Coming.

  He turned his attention back to the lock. She reached his side as a faint click echoed across the courtyard.

  You never told me you could do that!

  A lopsided smile brushed across his face as he pulled the door open. There’re a lot of things I never told you.

  They stepped inside, closing the door behind them. Robert was faced with a short, darkened passageway running from left to right. It was empty. He reached out and placed his hand flat on the wall opposite him, sending his senses along its surface, first one way then the other. There’s a guard room down that way. Four—no, five men. Can you sense them?

  No.

  Focus on the door at the end, then imagine what the room inside might look like. Now, close your eyes and let your senses pick up their breathing, their heartbeats. You don’t need to push hard—just let it drift.

  Yes! I have them.

  Good—keep an eye on them.

  What if they come out?

  Robert grinned in the darkness. Then we’ll just have to be a little more imaginative.

  He took his hand from the wall and pointed to his right. They moved silently down the passage until they c
ame to a corner. The passage continued further into the building, while a staircase led down to their right. There was only one small problem. The passage up here was full of guards, and downstairs there were another two.

  Robert grabbed Jenn and pulled her back into the shadows. I knew I shouldn’t have let you come!

  Oh, stop being a baby! Look—they’re going that way. There must be another guard room down the end. They must have been doing a patrol along the corridor. You know, to keep people like us out.

  People like you, you mean. Have you no respect? All right, they’ve gone for now, but the ones downstairs are still there, outside Finn’s cell. Come on.

  Swiftly and silently they crept down the stairs, pausing a few from the bottom. Finnlay felt so close now, Robert could almost reach out and touch him. He glanced up and saw a small window in the stone wall, barred both across and down, not that it was big enough for anything but a rabbit to climb through.

  Yes, Jenn grinned in the yellow lamplight. He’s in there, isn’t he? This is easy!

  With two guards standing watch over the prisoner? She must be joking. Still, there was only one way out of this. He pulled her down on to the stairs, low and out of the light from above. I want to you promise me something.

  What?

  That you’ll never tell anyone what I’m about to do. I mean no one at all.

  I promise.

  Robert nodded, knowing the movement was lost in the gloom. As it happened, he wasn’t even sure he was up to this in his currently depleted state. However, short of killing the guards—and the noise that would cause—he didn’t have a choice. So, focusing on his ayarn, he slowed and stopped his breathing, then let his concentration hone in on a single point in his mind. As soon as he felt it secure, he took a mental dimensional step sideways. His body shuddered with the exertion, but the working held and he moved down the last few stairs, around the corner. The guards were standing there chatting, but they didn’t see him. Good. It worked.

  Walking slowly, Robert held his breath as he approached them. Already waves of exhaustion swept over him. This was so much harder than a simple mask, one of the reasons why it was forbidden. A mask of blankness was a simple trick. Making yourself completely invisible while you moved was another thing entirely.

  Silently, Robert came to a stop before the two men. He raised both hands and in a single movement, knocked them unconscious. He scrambled to catch them both and slid them to the ground without making a noise. He couldn’t do it all and released his illusion with a brief snap.

  Without wasting time, he grabbed the cell keys from the guard at his feet and glanced back at Jenn. She was watching him, her eyes wide. However, her thoughts were completely silent. It was just as well—how could he explain to her why he was so adept at the forbidden side of the art?

  The key slipped into the lock but made a horrible noise as he turned it. He pushed the door open and almost laughed at the surprise on Finnlay’s face. He looked relatively uninjured, apart from the scar on his cheek.

  “Robert! You’re alive!” Finnlay beamed.

  “We don’t have much time,” Robert replied, reaching up for the manacles. Swiftly, he freed Finnlay and together they dashed out of the cell and back to the stairs. Finnlay almost bolted with fright when he saw Jenn, but fortunately didn’t waste time asking questions.

  Robert, I think the guards are moving. We have to hurry!

  They got halfway up the stairs when Jenn pulled on Robert’s sleeve. What happens when they wake up? When they see Finn’s gone?

  Robert glanced down at Jenn and almost answered her verbally, but stopped himself just in time. They’ll be after us.

  And if they don’t see he’s gone?

  There were questions Robert wanted to ask her, but there was no time. All he said was, Can you do it?

  “What are we waiting for?” Finnlay hovered, frowning at both of them.

  Robert nodded and quickly sent his senses out to the two guard rooms. They were moving, but not in this direction. At least, not yet. They had a few minutes, no more.

  “Jenn’s going to try something, Finn. I’ll go back and lock the cell door.”

  It took him seconds and he left the keys where he found them. When he got back to the stairs, Jenn was standing in front of Finnlay, her hands holding his face. She was gazing at his brother with such intensity that Robert couldn’t move. Then he couldn’t help it, he had to see what she was doing. He stretched up to the window into Finnlay’s cell. There was little light, just enough to see a shape take form, shimmer and fade. Within a second, it reappeared, more solid, crouched on the floor, bound hand and foot with chains. A perfect replica of Finnlay, wounds and all. It was incredible!

  How long will it last?

  Jenn dropped her hands from Finnlay’s face and shrugged. Just long enough for them to be sure he was rescued by sorcerers.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  They sneaked up the stairs, but now the guards were moving. As they crept across the passage towards the door, Robert heard two guards come out and walk towards them. He didn’t wait to see if Jenn’s illusion had worked. Instead, he pulled the outside door open and ushered them through.

  The guard was nowhere to be seen and they ran across the courtyard, climbing the fence in seconds. Robert paused there to listen for the alarm, but all was quiet. With a grin at his brother, he turned and led them back to the horses.

  “We did it!” Jenn laughed, climbing on to her horse.

  “Yes,” Robert grinned, easing his tiring body into the saddle, “but we still have to get away.”

  Finnlay stood and stared at both of them, “How the hell did you do it? By the gods, I thought I was dead—that you were dead! And what’s Jenn doing here?”

  “Finn,” Robert said, “get on your horse and let’s go. I’ll tell you all about it as we ride.”

  Robert gave him a carefully edited version of his rescue, leaving out the new skill he’d acquired that night—and his illusion. Unfortunately, that didn’t answer all Finnlay’s questions.

  “I have to tell you, Robert—I knew you were coming. At first I thought I was dreaming or hearing things, but just suddenly, out of the blue, I heard this voice tell me to wait and that someone was coming. It was eerie. Then when that damned door opened and you stood there ...” Finnlay shook his head, his utter bewilderment totally visible in the glowing moonlight.

  “Perhaps you have a guardian angel,” Jenn murmured lightly. “Not wishing to change the subject, but what are you going to do now? Did they find out who you were?”

  “No, but they have my ring. It’s only a matter of time before they know. There’s something else. I won’t say I’m positive, but I think there was a Malachi in that village. Even without an ayarn I could still sense that hideous aura.”

  “What did it feel like?” Jenn asked suddenly.

  Finnlay frowned. “Like the outside edge of a bad headache, only worse.”

  “But evil? Really horrible?”

  “No. Not like that. Why?”

  “No reason.”

  Robert wanted to ask Jenn more, but she clearly didn’t want to discuss it further. “It makes sense,” he said. “If a Malachi was nearby and heard a sorcerer had been captured, he would come running. If they find out who you are though, that makes it much worse. I guess it was too much to hope for, getting away without a scratch. Still, at least you have somewhere to go.”

  “The Enclave. Great!”

  “What’s wrong, brother?” Robert chuckled. “I thought you loved the place. We’ll take Jenn back to Elita, then continue on. There’re a few things I want to discuss with Ayn and the others anyway. But we’ll have to move quickly. It won’t take them long to realize you’ve escaped and once they do, we’ll have to be well clear of the area.”

  They rode in silence for the next couple of hours, pushing the horses and their own strength to the limits, but as they crested the last hill, with the dark shadow of the castle huddled in t
he valley before them, Robert paused. Determined now, he turned to Jenn. “You didn’t tell me everything about your encounter with Vaughn. Was it so terrible?”

  She was silent for a minute then replied, “He really hates you, you know? With every fibre of his being. He would do anything to destroy you. I’m sure he’s been at the King to arrest you and tie you in with your uncle.”

  “Of course. What else?”

  “I...” She struggled, obviously not wanting to tell him. “I felt something. Really evil. It was like that pressure from the council, but much worse. I just wanted to run and hide.”

  By the gods! “Who was it?”

  Jenn met his gaze, suddenly wary. “I don’t know ... but I think it might have been Vaughn.”

  Finnlay’s mouth dropped open, “Vaughn? With powers? Are you sure?”

  She glanced uneasily between them, “No. Not certain—but there was something ... well, ominous about him. Maybe it was just his hatred. I can’t be sure. However, this ... evil was coming from someone there—someone at court. I wondered if it might be Malachi.”

  “Sweet Mineah!” Finnlay breathed. “If Vaughn’s got powers, then ... Could it have been Valena?”

  Robert shook his head, “No. Jenn’s been Sealed, Finn. A Malachi would have no influence on her at all. Jenn wouldn’t even sense it. If this was a kind of pressure, then it couldn’t be Malachi.”

  “Well, did you ever sense anything like that from Vaughn when you were at court? Could you have missed it? It hardly seems possible.”

  Robert studied Jenn’s face for a moment, then looked at his brother. “Until tonight, I would have said the same. But these days it seems anything is possible—but not, however, probable. Jenn isn’t certain it was Vaughn. Was it just the one occasion? Was there anyone else it could have been?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know who,” she said out aloud. Silently she added, But there was a moment, the night I arrived at Marsay. I tried to call you and for a second I thought you’d heard me. Did you?

  No.

  She smiled slightly. “I don’t know. Perhaps it was just Vaughn’s hatred of you. He’s really twisted, you know. What did you ever do to him to make him hate you so much?”