Raggia jumped to her feet and hid the scroll behind her back. “Mage Primus, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”
“I can see that.” He strolled into the room, rounding the desk to take a closer look at what Arden managed to conjure. “This magic is far more advanced that what we usually test our entering students on.”
“Well, um, I—I mean, she—” Raggia wrung the scroll behind her back while she retreated from him.
The Mage Primus rested his hand on Arden’s shoulder. The drops of water fell to the desk, splattering Raggia’s papers, and she slumped back in her chair. “I’ve seen more than enough. Dev, please take her to my chambers.”
Dev scooped Arden up into his arms, savoring the way her head fell against his shoulder as he carried through the halls. “You were magnificent,” he whispered to her.
“Was I?” She yawned. “You don’t think she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to, do you?”
If her reaction was any indication, Raggia had more than overstepped her bounds. But he would leave that to the Mage Primus to deal with. “Don’t worry about her. You proved you are a truly gifted mage.”
“Without any help from Loku.” She sighed and nestled deeper into his arms.
Dinner had been set on the table when they arrived. He sat her in a chair and watched her reach for her food, worry churning inside him. The testing had raised more than one concern. If she received proper training to match her abilities, would she still need him?
The Mage Primus came in a few minutes later and hurled Raggia’s scroll at his desk. “Stupid woman needs to get her priorities straight, or I’m going to have her demoted.”
Arden stopped eating. The air trembled around her, a sign that she was gathering her magic.
The Mage Primus paused and masked his anger under a smile. “Don’t be worried, Arden. I have a short fuse, but I rarely act on it. If you can put up with Dev, then you have nothing to fear from me.”
Her body remained retracted in wariness as she looked first at him, then Dev. He wondered how long it would take her to figure out the truth.
His father didn’t leave her enough time. He took her hand and kissed it. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Arano Tel’Brien, Mage Primus of Gravaria.”
“Tel’Brien?” Her forehead furrowed. “Are you related to Dev?”
Arano threw his head back and laughed. “Still don’t want to claim me as you father, eh, Dev?”
Annoyance crept up his spine. “You know how I feel about this.”
“But I don’t,” Arden said. “Why didn’t you tell me your father was the Mage Primus?”
He shifted in his chair, not liking the two sets of eyes fixed on him. “Because I want to be judged on my own merits, not his. And I wanted you to trust him because of his, not because he’s my father. Surely, you of all people should know what it feels like to be categorized by your parents’ actions.”
Her cheeks reddened, but the flash in her eyes told him it was more from anger than embarrassment, making him regret his words. “I do understand, more than you’ll ever know.”
Arano sat at the table and poured a glass of wine. “What Dev is leaving out is that I wanted him to follow in my footsteps and be part of the Mage’s Conclave. But he had it in his hot head to become a knight, and the rest is history.”
“You left out the part about me being a sore disappointment as a mage and how smothering a place like this can be to someone of my mediocre abilities.”
His father dismissed it with a flick of his napkin. “I’ve always said you still hadn’t tapped your full potential, but to each their own. You’ve found your calling in life, and I’m happy for you.”
Arano turned to Arden. “Now, as for you, I see we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of your abilities. What a pity you were born in Ranello. I could have groomed you into the Mage Secundus.”
The yellow-green ring around her iris flared to life, and a mischievous grin appeared on her lips. “Why not Mage Primus?”
“Challenging me already?” Arano shook his head as though he were chiding a headstrong child and threw a shank of meat at Cinder. “I can see how you’ve had your hands full with this one.”
“You have no idea.” Dev reached for the water pitcher instead of the bottle of wine, not wanting a repeat of last night. “Why do you think Raggia asked Arden to preform spells outside the normal realm of testing?”
“That is between me and her, and I’m dealing with it.”
He stabbed his meat with his fork. If he wanted a straight answer, he’d have to ask Raggia. Getting information from his father was like pulling water from a stone sometimes. “And what was so urgent that you had to leave yesterday? You know some of the problems we’ve encountered on our way here.”
“I’ll tell you more as you need to know.”
Dev sawed at his steak so hard, the plate jerked underneath him.
Arden hid her giggle behind her napkin. “Now you know how I feel when you won’t give me a straight answer.”
He caught a hint of his father’s smile just before he took a drink from his cup, and pulled his plate back. “I learned from the best.”
It was pointless to pry any important information from his father at this point, especially when there were still things he didn’t want Arden to know, so he remained silent as Arano chatted with Arden over dinner. Her eyes grew heavier as the meal progressed, and by the time they finished, he was prepared to carry her back to their room.
“Dev, let her rest on my sofa,” his father said when he pulled out her chair. “We need to catch up on a few things.”
They all moved to the opposite side of the room. Cinder stretched out in front of the fireplace. Arden curled up on the sofa, hugging one of the large pillows on it, and fell asleep within seconds.
Dev’s skin tingled, and he turned to his father. “You didn’t cast a sleeping spell on her, did you?”
“I most certainly did.” He stoked the fire before settling in his chair. “The girl was obviously exhausted, and I wanted to make sure she didn’t overhear anything we’re going to discuss.”
“Such as where you were yesterday?” Dev eased into the space left on the sofa near Arden’s head and cast a shield over her. If his father wanted to launch any more spells at her, he wanted to be able to intercept them.
His father didn’t miss this act of wariness and raised a brow. “You’ve become more suspicious since I last saw you.”
“I’ve never seen so many people out to kill a Soulbearer before.”
Arano pulled out a pipe and began to pack it. “Yes, that might leave you on edge.”
Dev flexed his fingers before curling them up into his palms again. If he stormed out now, he’d never learn what his father thought was important enough to knock Arden into a dead sleep. “Are you going to tell me anything, or are you just going to talk in circles all night long?”
His father waited until his pipe was well lit before answering. “We elves live such long lives that patience is a virtue.”
“Father…” He voice formed a growl that rivaled Cinder’s.
A few smoke rings rose into the air. “If you must know, I spent most of the day with Varrik de Miloria.”
His heart thudded. “And?”
“And you were correct in your suspicions, although not entirely.” Arano set his pipe aside and reached for his wine glass. “Varrik admitted he had been quite enamored with a certain Ranellian maid in the palace, but as far as I could see, he knows nothing of a child.”
“And what was that woman’s name?” Dev held his breath, praying it matched the one on Arden’s necklace.
His father grinned. “Alisa.”
Dev’s legs twitched, forcing him to stand and start pacing. “So she is a member of the Milorian clan.”
“And judging by that display of magic I saw today, one Caz would love to add to his arsenal.” He resumed puffing on his pipe. “Does she know?”
“Are yo
u crazy?” He stopped and ran his fingers through his hair. “To be honest, I’m not sure I want her to know. You have no idea how much she hates her father.”
“More than you do me?” He chuckled, releasing two streams of smoke from the corners of his mouth. “Aren’t you curious why Varrik didn’t bring his bright star home with him?”
Dev settled on the edge of the sofa, his feet still tapping. They were sitting on information that could potentially send Gravaria into chaos. But then, maybe Loku knew about this all along. Maybe that’s why he chose her.
He glanced at Arden, who continued to sleep peacefully without any knowledge of what turmoil she could cause. A lock of hair had fallen over her face. He brushed it back and tucked it behind her ear, wondering if this news would throw her own life in chaos. “Why?”
“Because she was terrified about leaving her home. He said he begged her to come with him, but she kept refusing. Then, one morning, he woke up to find her gone.”
At least Arden had the courage to go where her mother had feared. Perhaps this information would lessen her anger toward her father. “Do you think he would’ve claimed her if he’d known?”
“You know Varrik. What kind of man do you think he is?”
“A good man.” In all his years, he’d never heard any criticism of Caz’s younger brother other than he refused to become embroiled in the family’s political snares. If anything, Dev admired him all the more for taking that stance. “We’ll have to tell them eventually. Caz already suspects she’s of Milorian blood, and Varrik is the only person I can think of who will protect her from his brother.”
“Agreed. I suspect Varrik knows something is amiss after my questioning. I had to spend several hours convincing him to stay home until I brought him more news.”
“And for that, I’m grateful.” He ran his hand over her head one more time, smoothing her hair and stopping just short of the scars that covered the tops of her ears. “Any news on who could be behind the attacks?”
“Nothing that you don’t already know.” But his eyes twitched to the left as he spoke.
Years of gambling had taught Dev to recognize a bluff when he saw it. He crossed his arms. “Her life may depend on information you’re withholding from me. Now out with it.”
“I’ve put a few measures into place to help find her attacker, such as a tracing spell to track any outside magic.” His father stood and tapped his pipe against the wall of the fireplace. “Of course, we both know the magic of the Conclave will prevent any attacks from inside. And that little charm of hers will help keep her hidden.”
Dev nodded. As long as she remained here, she was safe. “Fane mentioned something about a taint to the magic.”
Arano stopped, his head snapping up. “Yes, he did.”
“And when did you plan to tell me about that?”
His father sighed and laid his pipe back on the mantle. “I don’t want this to turn into a mass hysteria.”
“And I don’t want to watch her die.” Dev stood and crossed the space between them. “The magic has the taint of law, doesn’t it?”
“I’m afraid it’s far more serious than that.” His father stared into the fire. “Fane seems to think Nelos himself is involved.”
Dev’s heart stuttered, and his palms grew damp. A mortal with extraordinary powers, they could handle. But a god? “I know Nelos and Loku have been feuding for years. If he wanted to carry out his grudge, he could have attacked any of the prior Soulbearers. Why now? Why her?”
“You’ve told me yourself that she’s different from the others. The question is, what is it about her that scares Nelos? If we can answer that question, then we know how to protect her.”
A dozen possibilities filled his mind. Her sex. Her Ranellian blood. Her ties to the Milorian clan. Her display of power against Sulaino. The list went on and on. In the end, his response was still the same—he’d die before he let anything happen to her.
He gathered her in his arms, her body curling into his chest and soothing his worried mind. Until they knew what danger lurked outside, he would keep her safely locked away behind the protective walls of the Conclave. “If you find the answer, please let me know.”
“Wait,” his father said before he reached the door, “I have one question for you.”
Dev turned around, irritated that his father had waited until he was carrying Trouble to ask his question. “What is it?”
Arano grinned. “How long have you been in love with her?”
Dev’s ribs tightened, his heart pounding in protest against the vise they created. His mouth went dry. He wanted to scream that was ridiculous, that his vow would never allow for such a thing. But as his gaze travelled from his father to Arden, he couldn’t deny his feelings any longer. Somehow, that skinny, stubborn barmaid had wormed her way into his heart, and there was no letting her go.
He hugged her closer. “From the moment I first ran into her.”
Chapter 21
Arden tagged behind Dev as he led her up the winding staircase of one of the Conclave’s towers. She’d had the best sleep in weeks last night, but Dev’s silence was already putting her in a foul mood. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to begin your training.”
“At least this doesn’t look like Raggia’s tower.” She quickened her steps to keep up with Dev, who was taking the stairs two at a time now. “Slow down. Are you trying to exhaust me before I even cast the first spell?”
He paused and waited for her to catch up. “You’d best get used to this climb. Sazi likes to be high in the air.”
“Sazi?” He resumed climbing, and she was forced to wait until they reached the next landing to ask her next question. “Who’s Sazi?”
“A gifted mage I trust who will be instructing you in magic.”
Her lungs burned, but she refused to take his vague answer. “I thought the Mage Primus was going to instruct me.”
“The Mage Primus is a very busy man.”
“Or maybe you didn’t like the idea of your father teaching me.” She didn’t miss the tension between the two men last night, although she found the elder Tel’Brien to be slightly more enjoyable than her grouchy protector.
The staircase ended at a tall wooden door. Dev placed his hand on the knob, but didn’t turn it right away. “My feelings for my father aside, this is who he recommended to teach you in his stead. Now catch your breath and try to think before you run your mouth off.”
An icy blast of air greeted them when he opened the door. Arden pulled her cloak around her, now thankful Dev had told her to bring it.
The room was stark compared to the rest of the Conclave, its walls bare and filled with simple furniture made with clean lines. Stacks of scrolls sat neatly tucked away along the shelves by the door. The tower opened up to a wide balcony without any railing. Beyond it, the snow-capped peaks stretched for as far as her eyes could see. But the room was empty.
Dev went out on the balcony. “Sazi?”
She heard the whooshing before she saw the cause of it. A dark object descended to the balcony in a flutter of black wings. When the motion stopped, Arden’s jaw dropped.
Standing next to Dev was the tallest woman she’d ever seen. She towered a good head above him, with her ebony wings rising up higher behind her. Her dark hair was wound in an intricate knot, framing her high cheekbones and strong jaw. Her dark skin matched the color of her wings, and a green dress made of a gossamer fabric flowed around her lithe body. Her deep brown eyes honed in on Arden, and the chill in the room intensified. “Is this the new Soulbearer?” she asked.
Dev smiled warmly at the Ornathian as though they were old friends. “Yes, Sazi. I apologize in advance. You’re going to have your hands full with this one.”
A spark of jealousy chased away her cold fear of the woman. Would it kill Dev to be that nice to her for once?
“But then you’d miss all the lovely tension that keeps you two dancing around each other,” Loku teased
.
“I’d really wish you wouldn’t distract me right now.” Her feet remained fixed to the ground, her eyes never straying from the Ornathian.
A beam of sunlight broke through the clouds and fell on Sazi’s wings, creating a shimmer of iridescent greens and yellows along the feathers. She stretched them out, the span filling the entire opening, to let the light filter through them and play along the walls. The effect was beautiful in a terrifying sort of way.
Sazi’s lips slowly rose into a shy smile. “Dev, what kind of tales have you been filling her head with?”
If Dev’s accent was musical to Arden’s ears, Sazi’s bore a different melody—one that had a full, rich lilt punctuated by the staccato way she pronounced each hard consonant. It didn’t flow well, but it still produced an intriguing song.
Dev chuckled. “I’ve tried telling her she has nothing to fear, but she’d been terrified of you Ornathians since she first saw one flying overhead a few days ago.”
Sazi flattened her wings and crept toward Arden, her hand outstretched. “It’s quite alright, Soulbearer. You have nothing to fear from me.”
Except that you possess the ability to destroy souls, according to Dev.
Sazi halted, her brows drawing together. “Shall I prove to you that I am a friend?”
“How?” Arden stiffened and spread a shield around her mind in case Sazi attempted to do the same thing Fane and the Empress had.
Sazi made a clucking sound with her tongue and shook her head. “She is a hard one to reach.”
Dev stepped between them, placing his hands on Arden’s shoulders. “I’ve known Sazi for over a century. I trust her with both my life and yours.”
She peered over Dev’s shoulder at Sazi. “How do you intend to prove that I can trust you?”
“By showing you the light of my soul.”
“As opposed to showing me your thoughts or trying to steal mine?”
Sazi nodded. “Minds can be corrupted easily, and your thoughts can be used to manipulate both yourself and others. Souls know no forms of guise. They are honest because they are the core of our beings.”
A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) Page 19
