by Dyan Chick
Ashton let go of my hand and stepped to the center of the crowd. A boy I didn’t recognize and another figure in a hood joined him. When the hood was removed I saw Celeste standing there. Her right eye was swollen shut and she had a scratch that tore across her jaw. Jealousy bloomed then faded as I softened toward her almost instantly. She was from Gallia. This wasn’t her fight, yet she had been out there, defending strangers in a country that wasn’t even her own.
“Ashton White, Bruce Cummings, and Celeste Moreau, you three have demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that you possess the skills, dedication, and loyalty needed to be called Master Sorcerers. You are hereby no longer apprentices. You are inducted into the Guild with full status.” She frowned. “I’m afraid we will have to complete the ceremony later. You are eligible to receive your marks and we will do so as soon as possible.”
The handful of people standing around started to clap. Ashton, Bruce, and Celeste smiled in response.
A ripple of “Welcome, Master” rose through the circle as sorcerers stepped forward to shake the hands of the newest Master Sorcerers. Despite the danger on the horizon, I couldn’t help but smile. Ashton deserved this. And from what I knew of Celeste, she deserved it, too. I didn’t know Bruce at all, but he had been willing to stand up and defend the people of the camp, then I would treat him as a friend.
“Thank you for that, Madame Lyndsey,” Master Flanders announced. “We do need to take the time to celebrate the things that make life worth living. This is a great reminder of how important our work is. With The Darkness on it’s way, our mission to return the heir to the throne is more important than ever.”
I looked around. There were twelve people here. Sorcerers who were going to help us take back the kingdom. For a moment, my dream resurfaced and I pictured myself on the throne. I could practically feel the weight of the crown. I shuddered. I’m nobody special. I wasn’t ready to be a queen. Yet the dream tugged at me, begging me to face my fears. No. You aren’t going to be queen. Who would want to be a ruler, anyway? The responsibility, the constant scrutiny, the threat of death hanging over you every second. I knew I wanted to help my kingdom, but I would happily hide away in a small village once the people were safe. Being queen wasn’t something I wanted.
I looked around for a distraction. As my eyes wandered the space, I noticed smoke forming in the corner of the room. I shook Saffron and pointed. The people around me noticed my action and turned to look.
The smoke cleared and Max stood in the corner, he was wearing leather armor that was covered in blood. His dark curls were limp with sweat and his face was darkened with soot. “It was an ambush,” he said. “They knew were were coming. We didn’t stand a chance.”
25
A circle of chairs appeared and Master Flanders urged everybody to sit.
Saffron raced to Max’s side. “Are you hurt?” She led him to a chair and sat down next to him. “What happened?” She spoke gently as she stroked the hair off of his brow.
He placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m okay.” He looked down at the blood covering him. He held up his arms as if holding an invisible person. “Master Edward died in my arms. There was so much blood. So much killing.”
I gasped and collapsed in the chair across from Max. I covered my mouth with my hand and felt the burning of tears behind my eyes. Master Edward is Dead. My heart ached and my throat tightened, making it difficult to breathe. I stared at Max, trying to keep the tears at bay. He looked so fragile right now. Sympathy flooded me. Why had I been so angry with him? Saffron was right, he was under a lot of pressure. If he was this upset over the loss of his people, he couldn’t be all bad. I gripped my chair with both hands and swallowed back the tears.
“What happened?” I breathed, the words barely audible.
He took a deep breath before speaking. “We got the camp packed up after you left and headed out to the new location we scouted. The first two days were without incident.” He shook his head and lowered his eyes. “Last night as we slept, we were ambushed by a full battalion of the King’s Guard. We fought as best we could but we didn’t have the manpower and we weren’t prepared. They outnumbered us. They knew exactly where we would be and when we would be there.”
He looked away for a moment. “They didn’t care who they killed. Even the children weren’t spared. They slaughtered everybody they could.” All color drained from his face as he told the story. He held up his hands, palms facing me. “My fire is the only reason why I’m alive. The only reason I was able to save anybody at all. They weren’t prepared for a sorcerer. They didn’t have any with them.”
“That’s because they were all at the trials, trying to kill Etta,” Saffron said.
He looked at Saffron next to him, then to Ashton and me across from him. “All of his sorcerers were there?”
Saffron sucked in a breath. “They must have timed it so that they hit everybody at the same time. It wasn’t just about Etta. It was about taking us all out.”
Max’s curls slipped back onto his forehead. Just like mine did. He pushed them away. His brows were pressed together and his mouth twisted in pain. I wanted to give him a hug. He looked back up, jaw clenched, eyes flashing. There’s the Max I know. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. I might not like the tough, leader of the Ravens Max, but he’s the Max I know and I was happy to see him return.
“That’s exactly what they did. I checked in with the other camps before I came here. I wanted to warn them. It was too late. Most of the Ravens are gone. There’s only about a hundred of us left.”
“No,” I whispered. How could this be happening? So much death. It was never ending. Tears rolled down my face. Everything they had worked so hard for all this time was gone.
“How’d they know?” Saffron asked.
Max’s voice was steady. “Micah and Jasper. They were the ones feeding information to the king. He knew everything.”
Saffron’s eyes flashed with rage. “Did you get them?”
Max cracked his knuckles. “I got Jasper but Micah took off with the few guards who got away. I’ll get him soon enough, and I won’t be quick to kill him.” The look in Max’s eyes was pure hatred. I remembered the stocky man who joked with me in the Raven camp. Despite his kindness, he made me feel uncomfortable. Trust your instincts. Trust nobody. Sir Henry was right. I clenched my fists. It must have been Micah behind the aviary. I should have listened to my gut. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. I had no doubt that Max would take care of him. Unless I find him first. The thought startled me and a chill ran down my spine. Maybe I wasn’t so different from Max, after all. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. This has to end. The king has to be stopped.
Nobody spoke. I looked around at the brave people who fought for my life alongside me. We knew going into that battle that we might not make it out alive. Yet we did it anyway. Because this was too important. Somehow, somebody had to put an end to the king’s tyranny.
“It’s never going to end, is it?” I asked. “He’s never going to stop.”
Thirteen faces looked at me. All of them wore a mask of sorrow. All of them looked tired and defeated. We were practically strangers, but I felt a connection to all of them. We forged a bond that most people wouldn’t understand. I thought of the Ravens. The people who joined knowing it might cost their life. The people who watched loved ones die and families torn apart. Master Edward. His whole family had fallen at the hands of the king. And now he had joined them.
“We have to fight back.” I stood, jaw set and fists clenched. My sorrow was replaced by anger and it burned like heat through my veins. “We can’t let this keep happening. Something has to be done.”
“I’m not sure we have the resources,” Saffron said softly. “We’ll have to regroup.”
I shook my head. “That’s what he’s counting on. He won’t expect us to strike now.”
“You’re right from a strategy point of view,” Max said. “But Saffron is also right.
We don’t have the resources.”
I stared at Max. Had he agreed with me? A defiant smile crossed my face. I was feeling bold. I’m not the scared little village girl. I am powerful. “How many King’s Guard can you take on alone?”
He thought for a moment. “Ten probably, maybe more.”
“We have 11 sorcerers in this room. We don’t need an army. We just need to set a trap for them to come to us.” I saw the flicker of understanding flashing in the eyes around me.
“We just need some bait.” I put my hand on my chest. “And you happen to be in possession of the one thing the king wants.”
Ashton jumped in front of me. “No. You can’t be serious. It’s too dangerous.”
Madame Lyndsey stood and signaled for Ashton to sit. He obeyed her silent motion.
“It will be dangerous, but nothing we can’t handle,” she said. “So far, the king has only sent his guard and his sorcerers to capture her or to punish any town that aids her. We know the protection spell on her is holding. We can limit the danger by having her visit a village that supports our cause. Then we can hide her in a secure location. When the king sends his guards in to punish the village, we’ll be waiting.”
Saffron stood. “We can’t have all of you fighting. If the king hears that there were 11 sorcerers waiting in the woods, he’d stop sending his guards in. It would have to look like we just left one or two of you behind after Etta passed through. We don’t want the king to know how many sorcerers we have on our side.”
“What about the Reapers?” Ashton asked. Everybody turned to look at him. “Are we prepared for them?”
Conversation and shouting erupted around me and I turned my head back and forth trying to follow all of the ideas. Everybody seemed to be on board with some version of the plan. While none of the plans allowed me to participate in the fight, at least I could be of some help by being the bait.
Max stood again and waited silently in the center of the circle of chairs. As people noticed him, they began to quiet down. He lifted his hand toward me. “While my sister is making a brave gesture here, it might not be necessary. We have a tentative alliance with Sardinia. The king has declared war on them, likely because he found out that Etta was engaged to marry their prince.”
My cheeks flushed and I turned my head away from Ashton. We both knew I wasn’t planning to honor the engagement.
“Before Etta left for the trials, we scheduled a rendezvous with the Sardinian ambassador in Luxor. I think that we need to consider this meeting before we start using my sister as a sacrificial lamb.”
Murmurs rose around me and my heart sunk. My choices were marriage to a stranger or bait for a Necromancer. While I should have considered one to be a better choice, they both felt like a death sentence. I’m pretty sure I’m the sacrificial lamb in either situation.
Master Flanders stepped to the center of the room and raised his hands. The chatter quieted down. “There are a lot of good ideas here. But I suggest we take a break and get some rest. It has been a very long day. I will take first watch. Wilona, you’ll sit with me to keep me company. Saffron and James, you’ll be second. Max and Madame Lyndsey, you’ll be last watch.”
He waved his hands and a pile of blankets appeared in the center of the room. Nobody argued with him. As people spread out around the barn to find quiet corners for sleep, Master Flanders and I climbed to the roof to keep watch.
The stars were sparkling in the inky cloudless sky. My eyes felt heavy and stung from the shed tears. I focused on the cool breeze to help keep myself alert. Shivering, I hugged my knees to my chest. Looking out into the clearing I noticed that the barn was the only thing for miles. There weren’t even any trees to give us cover.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Farmlands west of Yorkton.”
I pictured the map of Illaria in my head and tried to place Yorkton. I shook my head. I didn’t remember. If I survived all of this, I was going to ask for a map.
“I have something for you.” Master Flanders held out a small parchment scroll.
I reached for it and untied the ribbon that held it closed. I squinted at it in the moonlight but couldn’t make out the words. “What is it?”
“It’s an apprentice scroll,” he said. “It shows that you are an apprentice sorcerer and that you have permission to use magic for training or in times of need. It’s a helpful little piece of paper.”
“But I’m not an apprentice.”
“How do you figure?” he asked me. “What does an apprentice do?”
I thought for a moment. “I guess they learn magic from a master.”
“Is that not what you have been doing for the last few days with me?”
I nodded.
“Well then, I suppose that makes you my apprentice.” He pointed to the bottom of the scroll. “It has my seal on it. Lets everybody know you are training with me.” He shrugged. “Might be helpful in the future to have the seal of the Master of the Sorcerer’s Guild.”
“But I thought you couldn’t take on an apprentice?” I thought back to the day we met.
“I couldn’t if I was still a trial judge, but I resigned my position last night when the wards fell.”
“You didn’t have to do that for me.”
“Yes, I did.” The intensity of his gaze was visible despite the low light. “I believe in you. And you are going to need my help in the months to come. Finding a way to take down the king is just the beginning.”
I rolled the scroll back up and tied the ribbon around it. An apprentice. Was I actually going to learn to control my magic? Become a fully trained sorcerer? I tried to picture myself in the middle of the trial stadium, showing off what I knew. Would I even make it that far? My life was so uncertain and while I tried not to think of it, I knew there was a possibility I’d be facing my own death sooner than I’d like. And if we did somehow manage to take down the king, there was the Darkness to consider. Some good news would be very welcome right now. “Can we focus on one problem at a time?”
He chuckled. “For now. Yes, let’s focus on one problem at a time.” He stared off into the distance.
I sat next to him, listening to the crickets and feeling the breeze on my cheeks. Somehow I had just become an apprentice sorcerer. I tried to picture my life in the village. Living with my grandmother and dreaming of a simple life. I had no idea how big the world was. I pulled the necklace out from under my tunic and rubbed the familiar piece of metal between my finger and thumb. Who was I? I no longer felt like the scared girl from a small village. But I didn’t feel like a princess, either. Now I was adding sorcerer’s apprentice to the list. Is it possible that I’m all of those things?
I miss you grandmother. What I wouldn’t give to talk to her again, just one last time. I wiped a tear from my cheek, hoping that Master Flanders couldn’t see it in the darkness. Looking up into the stars I could almost feel her looking down on me. Are you proud of me, grandmother? Am I doing the right thing?
When the watch was over and I finally pulled a blanket over myself, I was too tired to think anymore. I slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I sat outside the barn listening to the wind blow through the grass. If I closed my eyes, I could pretend I was back at home in my forest. I concentrated on breathing deep and slow. Plans were being made to meet up with the Sardinian ambassador tomorrow. An argument had broken out between the sorcerers and my brother over my impending marriage.
Max didn’t believe in the warnings of Master Flanders that The Darkness was headed to our land. I didn’t want to sit there and listen while other people worked to dictate my future. Especially when I had no intention of going through with any marriage arranged for me. I held my palm out in front of me and concentrated, copying the movements I saw Ashton make to create the flaming orb. A small ball of icy fire rose up from my hand. I closed my hand around it and tried it again. I alternated between making and quenching the flame for several long minutes. Why do they have the right to dec
ide my fate, anyway?
I spent my whole life doing what I was told, with the exception of my few trips to the woods. Until I got involved with the Ravens, I had been happy with the path I was told to take so I never questioned it. I didn’t know of any other options. Now I knew how large the world was and how many possibilities there were. How could they expect me to throw away those possibilities to marry somebody I didn’t know? Possibilities like Ashton. My stomach tightened. What was I going to do when they realized that I wouldn’t go through with the marriage?
It didn’t matter. One way or another, I was going to start making my own choices. So far, I’ve had no control over anything in my life. Everything has been planned for me since the beginning. Any control I thought I had was an illusion. Two can play that game. Max could plan a marriage for me, but it didn’t mean I had to go through with it. In the end, how bad could it be to walk away from a marriage? There were worse things coming.
My mind shifted to the Darkness. Growing up I always thought it was just a story. Now I knew that what I had learned as a child was probably carefully considered to prepare me for my future. Why else teach a peasant girl to read, write, speak Gallic, and ride a horse? If I am somehow part of a prophecy to save my kingdom, I have to stay here.
I lost everything a few weeks ago. Losing my home and my village didn’t hurt the way that losing my grandmother had. I felt so alone. Ashton, Saffron, Master Flanders, and even Max made it so I had something to lose again. I’m not going to lose them. I’m not leaving Illaria. If they try to send me away, I’ll run.
Light footsteps approached and Ashton appeared from behind the corner of the barn. He sat down next to me. “You okay?”
“I’m not marrying some guy from Sardinia. No matter what they come up with in there.”
He smirked. “Well hello to you, too.”
I wasn’t in the smirking mood. “You know that anything I say is just to keep Max happy, right?”
