Magic Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  Ferde’s image and thoughts still frequented my nightmares, and I wondered if I had inadvertently formed a mental connection with his mind. His desire to possess me haunted my dreams. I no longer ran from the snakes. Instead, I waited for their tight embrace, welcoming the oblivion of their bites. My dream actions became as disturbing as Ferde’s.

  Kiki switched to a trot, jarring me from my thoughts. I concentrated on maintaining my balance. When my legs and back began to ache, she stopped.

  After giving Kiki a quick rubdown, I led her back in her stall. See you later, I said, heading toward my rooms to prepare for the exchange. My confidence soured to nervousness as the darkness advanced over the sky.

  Trust, Kiki said. Trust is peppermints.

  I laughed. Kiki viewed the world through her stomach. Peppermints were good; therefore, trusting another was also good.

  Valek waited for me in my rooms. His stiff expression resembled a metal mask. A cold sheen covered his eyes; his killer’s gaze.

  “Here.” He handed me a black turtleneck shirt and black pants. “They’re made of a special fabric that will protect you from airborne darts from a blow gun, but won’t stop a dart if you get jabbed by one.”

  “These are great,” I said, thanking him. At least I wouldn’t be surprised, and hopefully, once Ferde was close enough to jab me, I would have the upper hand.

  The new clothes hung on my small frame. I rolled up the sleeves and added a belt to keep the pants from falling down.

  A brief smile touched Valek’s lips. “They were mine. I’m not the best seamstress.”

  I packed my backpack with care, taking only critical supplies, which included the Theobroma, the items Esau gave me, my grapple and rope, an apple and my bow. Ferde hadn’t specified to come unarmed. My lock picks went into my hair, and I strapped my switchblade onto my thigh through the hole cut into my pant’s pocket. Valek had thought ahead. He might not be the best with a needle and thread, but he knew the art of combat like no other.

  We reviewed our plan and I told him about Kiki.

  “Sneaking through both the Keep’s and Citadel’s gates without a large animal is hard enough, love,” Valek said.

  “I’ll manage. Trust me.”

  He gave me a flat stare, showing no emotion.

  “I’ll take Kiki out to the plains and give you time to get through the Citadel’s gate before heading toward the meeting site,” I said. “Once Opal is out of harm’s way and Ferde is visible, that’s the sign to move in.”

  Valek nodded. “Count on it.”

  I put on my cloak and left. Four hours remained until midnight. A few people moved about the campus. The torches along the walkways had been lit and students hurried through the cool night air, heading to an evening class or to meet up with friends. I was a stranger among them. A shadow, watching and yearning to join them, wishing that my worries only focused on studying for one of Bain Bloodgood’s history quizzes.

  Kiki waited for me in her stall. I opened the door and let her out. Getting onto her back with a cloak and loaded backpack became an impossible task. I pulled a step stool over and used it.

  Need practice, Kiki said. No stool in wild.

  Later, I agreed.

  Kiki glanced back at Irys’s tower as we started toward the Keep’s gate. Magic Lady.

  The guilt I had suppressed about not telling Irys about the exchange threatened to break free. She won’t be happy.

  Kicking mad. Give Magic Lady peppermints.

  I laughed, thinking I would need more than peppermints to repair the damage.

  Peppermints sweet on both sides, Kiki said.

  Cryptic horse advice? Are you sure Moon Man isn’t your father?

  Moon Man smart.

  I pondered her words, trying to decipher the true meaning. Before we reached the Keep’s gate, I pulled a magic thread to me and projected my awareness. Two guards watched the gate. Bored, one guard thought of the end of his shift with longing; the other considered what he would eat for a late dinner. A magician dozed on a stool. I sent the magician into a deeper slumber, and using the guard’s desires, I encouraged them to focus on something other than the horse and rider passing beneath the gate. As one soldier scanned the sky to see how far the South Star had moved, the other rummaged around the guardhouse looking for something to eat. Both failed to notice us and we soon passed out of sight.

  Kiki walked quietly through the Citadel. No farrier would go near a sandseed horse, the breed’s strong disdain for metal shoes was well-known. Four guards watched the Citadel’s gates. Once again, I distracted the guards as we crossed. When we were out of sight of the gate, Kiki broke into a gallop and we headed into the Avibian Plains. When we could no longer see the road or the Citadel, Kiki slowed to a walk.

  My thoughts returned to Kiki’s words about peppermints. For the plan to work tonight, we each had to do our part. Both sides needed to be sweet. She had also claimed trust equaled peppermints. Did she refer to Irys instead of Valek?

  The answer bloomed in my mind. I didn’t know whether to feel smart for figuring out Kiki’s advice, or feel like a simpleton for having a horse tell me the right thing to do.

  Irys, I called in my mind.

  Yelena? What’s the matter?

  I took a deep breath, steadied my nerves, and told her my plans. Silence, long and empty, followed my confession.

  You’ll die, she finally said. You’re no longer my student. I’ll link with the other Master Magicians and we will stop you before you get to him.

  I expected her response. Her anger and immediate censure were the reasons I hadn’t wanted to tell her about the exchange. Irys, you told me I would die before. Remember when we first met in Ixia’s Snake Forest?

  She hesitated. Yes.

  I was in an impossible position. My magical powers were uncontrolled, you were threatening to kill me and I had been poisoned by Valek. Each course of action from that point seemed to lead to my eventual death. But I asked you to give me some time, and you did. You hardly knew me, yet you trusted me enough to let me figure a way out. I might not know the ways of Sitia, but I’m an old hand at dealing with impossible situations. Think about that before you call the others.

  Another long painful silence. I withdrew my connection to Irys, needing to focus my attention on tonight’s task. Kiki stopped within a mile of Blood Rock. I sensed the Sandseed’s subtle magic. The protection lacked the strength of the one that covered their camp, but it resembled a thin web, waiting to catch its prey unaware. A magician with the proper magical defense in place could avoid detection by the Sandseeds, but if the clan intensified their power, they would then sense the magician’s presence. Their magic would attack the interloper. I breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing Valek’s immunity would make him undetectable.

  I slid off Kiki’s back. Stay out of sight, I told her.

  Stay in wind. Keep smell strong, Kiki instructed.

  I hid in the tall grass, giving Valek time to catch up. Kiki had reached this point in an hour, but it would take him an extra hour to get into position. When I felt I had waited long enough, I started walking toward Blood Rock, trusting that Valek would approach the exchange site from the opposite direction.

  Rabbit, Kiki said. Good.

  I smiled. She must have flushed a bunny from its burrow. The moon’s bright light shone on the long stalks of grass. A slight breeze blew and I watched as my moon’s shadow skimmed over the rippling surface.

  Irys’s voice reached my mind. You’re on your own. Then her mental connection with me severed, destroying our student mentor link. My head throbbed with the sudden emptiness.

  My heart squeezed out little spikes of panic. I calmed my nerves with the reminder that both Valek and Kiki trailed me.

  When I drew closer to the meeting point, I stopped and took off my cloak. I rolled the garment up and hid it in a clump of tall grass. Pulling Esau’s Theobroma pill from my pack, I placed it between my back teeth. My mouth felt awkward, and I hop
ed I didn’t accidentally bite into the pill.

  I continued onward. The dark shape of the rock filled the land before me. Rays of moonlight filtered through the clouds as I peered into the semidarkness, searching for some sign of Ferde and Opal.

  Relief poured through my body when I saw Opal step out from behind Blood Rock. She hurried toward me, and only when she left the shadows could I see the terror on her face. Her eyes looked swollen; her pale skin blotchy from crying. I scanned the area with my magic, feeling for Ferde as my gaze hunted for him.

  Opal threw herself into my arms, sobbing. Too easy. Wouldn’t he want my promise to go with him before releasing her? The girl hugged me so tight she pinched my skin. Ferde still didn’t appear. I pulled her away, planning to guide her back to the Citadel.

  “I’m so sorry, Yelena,” she cried and ran away.

  I spun around, expecting Ferde to be standing there gloating. No one. Confused, I moved to follow Opal but my feet would not obey me. Stumbling, I fell as my body lost all sensation.

  30

  I LAY ON THE GROUND AS THE paralysis swept through my body with amazing speed. I had only a second to realize that I’d been hit with Curare before the drug froze all my muscles. Only a second to bite down on the Theobroma pill before my jaw seized, swallowing just a drop of the antidote.

  Lying on my side, I saw Opal in the gray moonlight, running toward the Citadel. My helpless position was the direct result of my appalling overconfidence. By focusing on the danger from Ferde either from his magic or from the Curare, I didn’t prepare for an attack by Opal. She had jabbed me, apologized and run off.

  A muted fear pulsed in my body. The Curare seemed to dull my emotions as well as my magic. I felt as if I wore a heavy wet woolen cap around my head.

  Behind me, I heard the slight crunch of footsteps coming closer. I waited for Valek. Would he pounce when Ferde drew closer to me?

  The footsteps stopped and my view changed. Without feeling anything, I was pulled over onto my back. My head spun for a moment before I could focus on the night sky. I couldn’t move my gaze, but I could still blink. I couldn’t speak, yet I could breathe. I couldn’t move my mouth or tongue, but I could swallow. Odd.

  When a face entered my view, I remembered to be scared again. Until surprise eclipsed my fear for a moment. A woman with long hair peered down at me. She wore a robe and I could see faint lines had been drawn or tattooed on her neck. When she flaunted a knife and brought the metal tip close to my eyes, the air suddenly seemed thick and hard to draw into my straining lungs.

  “Should I kill you now?” she asked. Her accent sounded familiar. She cocked her head to the side in amusement. “No comment? Not to worry. I won’t kill you now. Not when you won’t feel any pain. You need to suffer greatly before I’ll end your pain for good.”

  The woman stood and walked away. I searched my memory. Did I know her? Why would she want to kill me? Perhaps she worked with Ferde. Her language matched his, but without the lilt.

  Where was Valek? He should have witnessed my predicament.

  I heard a rubbing sound and a thump then a strange disorientation made me realize that the woman dragged me. My world tilted and straightened. She brandished a rope, and I guessed by the brief glimpses and sounds that she had pulled me onto a cart and was tying me to it. She jumped off, and, after a moment, I heard her call to a horse.

  The creaking of the wheels and steady clomping of the horse were the only indication that we moved. From the swish and whack of grass, I guessed we were headed deeper into the Avibian Plains. Where was Valek?

  I worried and waited and even slept. Every time some of the melting Theobroma reached the back of my throat, I swallowed. Would I get enough to counteract the Curare? By the time the woman stopped, a pale sheen of dawn had wedged into the night sky. Feeling began to return to my limbs. I moved my tongue, trying to swallow more of the Theobroma.

  Pain flared in my wrists and ankles. My hands and feet were stiff and cold. I had been tied spread-eagled on the hard cart. My ability to connect with the power source started to wake when the woman climbed onto the cart. My thoughts scattered when I saw her holding a long thin needle. I banished the fear and drew power to me.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” she declared then jabbed me with the needle. “We need to reach the Void before I let you feel. Then you can feel cold steel slicing into your skin.”

  I thought that this would be an excellent time for Valek to arrive. But, when he failed to appear, I said, “Who…” before the drug numbed all my muscles.

  “You don’t know me, but you knew my brother very well. Don’t worry; you’ll know the reason for your suffering soon enough.” She hopped off the cart and the familiar sounds of movement started again.

  Anytime now Valek, I thought. But as the sun progressed through the sky, my hopes for a rescue faded. Something must have happened to keep Valek from following me. Perhaps Irys’s message last night about being alone had been a warning.

  Various horrible scenarios about Valek played in my mind. To distract myself, I wondered about Kiki. Was she near? Would she follow my scent? With my magic ability paralyzed, would she know I needed her help?

  The sun hovered above the horizon when the cart stopped again. A burning sensation in my fingertips meant the Curare started to wear off. Soon enough cramps, pain, and cold air wracked my body. I shivered and gulped the rest of Esau’s antidote, preparing for another jab. But it didn’t come.

  Instead, the woman climbed onto the cart and stood over me. She spread her arms wide. “Welcome to the Void. Or in your case, welcome to hell.”

  In the fading light, I saw her gray eyes clearly. The strong features of her face reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t think. My head ached and my mind felt dull. I reached for a thread of power, but found dead air. Nothing.

  A smug smile spread on the woman’s lips. “This is one of the few places in Sitia where there is a hole in the blanket of power. No power means no magic.”

  “Where are we?” I asked. My voice sounded rough.

  “The Daviian Plateau.”

  “Who are you?”

  All humor dropped from the woman’s face. She appeared to be around thirty years old. Her black hair reached past her waist. She rolled the sleeves up on her sand-colored cloak, revealing the purple animal tattoos that covered her arms.

  “You haven’t figured it out? Have you killed that many men?”

  “Four men, but I’m not averse to killing a woman.” I gave her a pointed stare.

  “You’re really not in the position to be bragging or boasting.” She pulled her knife from a pocket of her cloak.

  I thought quick. Of the four, Reyad was the only one I knew well, the others I had killed in self-defense. I didn’t even know their names.

  “Still don’t know?” She moved closer to me.

  “No.”

  Rage flamed in her gray eyes. That expression jolted my memory. Mogkan. The magician that had kidnapped me and tried to rob me of my soul. He was known as Kangom in Sitia.

  “Kangom deserved to die,” I said. Valek had made the killing blow, but Irys and I had first caught the magician in a web of magical power. I had not included him in my count, but I admitted being responsible for his death.

  Fury twisted the woman’s expression. She drove her knife into my right forearm, and then pulled it out just as fast. Pain exploded up my arm. I screamed.

  “Who am I?” she asked.

  My arm burned, but I met her gaze. “You’re Kangom’s sister.”

  She nodded. “My name’s Alea Daviian.”

  That was not one of the clan names.

  She understood my confusion and said, “I used to be a Sandseed.” She spat the clan name out. “They’re stuck in the past. We are more powerful than the rest of Sitia, yet the Sandseeds are content to wander the plains, dream and weave stories. My brother had a vision on how we could rule Sitia.”

  “But he was helping Brazell to take over Ixia.” I f
ound it hard to follow her logic when my blood poured from the stab wound.

  “A first step. Gain control of the northern armies then attack Sitia. But you ruined that, didn’t you?”

  “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  Alea sliced her knife along my left arm, drawing a line from my shoulder to my wrist. “You’ll learn to regret that decision before I cut your throat just like you did to my brother.”

  Pain coursed through my arms, but a strange annoyance that she had ruined Valek’s special shirt tugged at my mind. Alea raised the knife again, aiming for my face. I thought fast.

  “Are you living in the plateau?” I asked.

  “Yes. We broke from the Sandseeds and declared a new clan. The Daviians will conquer Sitia. We will no longer have to steal to survive.”

  “How?”

  “Another member is on a power quest. Once he completes the ritual he will be more powerful than all four Master Magicians together.”

  “Did you kill Tula?” I asked. When she squinted in confusion, I added, “Opal’s sister.”

  “No. My cousin had that pleasure.”

  Alea had a family connection to Ferde. He must be the one on the quest, which led me to the question. Who was Ferde targeting for the final ritual? It could be any girl with some magical abilities and he could be anywhere. And we only had two days to find him.

  I pulled against the ropes with the sudden need to move.

  Alea smiled in satisfaction. “Not to worry. You won’t be around for the cleansing of Sitia. However, you will be around for a little longer.” She pulled out her needle and jabbed into the cut on my arm. I yelped.

  “I don’t like wasting your blood on this wagon. We have a special frame set up so I can collect your red life and make good use of it.” Alea hopped off the cart.

  The Curare began to dull the pain in my arms, but full paralysis didn’t grip my body. Esau’s antidote must be working. The presence of Void meant I didn’t have to worry about my mind being open to magical influences. However, being tied to the cart and unarmed, I didn’t know if my body would be in any condition to fight Alea.