Chapter 21
Lieutenant Lex Shepherd had been waiting for days as patiently as any well-trained Officer. He was green as far as Officers were concerned, but he made up for it by a confidant demeanor. Prince Balien sent for him after Mage Gabriel was taken, and pleaded with Lex to do anything he could while Lady Aisling tried to overthrow the Queen’s ruling. Lex now sat in the dungeons with dressings and water as he waited for Prince Nolen to emerge.
Lex came from a long line of soldiers, and each elder instilled a sense of honor and duty in him. He joined the Air Guard against his father’s advice, wishing to forge his own destiny out of his father’s shadow. Until the last battle he enjoyed serving the Prince. Nolen was good to his men, slipping them casks of ale and buying pillow-maidens now again. The Prince always gave them adventure and a place to find honor, but after the bloodbath forever known as the Battle of the Stars, Lex learned how Nolen truly saw his men. He was nothing more than a sword.
Yet, there lay a man on the cusp of death and disaster who saw fit to heal the soldier who tried to kill him. Lex would never forget the burning pain in his face or the sense of defeat as he lost sight in his right eye, and the man who had suffered far worse took his pain away. At that moment Nolen had lost Lex’s loyalty, and the Lieutenant would forever fight for the Mage. He was sorrowful and angry that his friends died around him, but Lex was caught in something greater than his emotions. For someone so powerful brought so low, the Mage needed someone to watch over him.
The Prince stepped out of Mage Gabriel’s prison cell a few times. But he never made it into the main foyer, taking naps in vacant cells. An older healer Mage had come and gone twice, and a young woman dragged down, but no others came or went.
Lex slept little, taking hour-long naps here and there, but his training taught him how to be strong. He had to be strong if he was to help the man who saved him from a lifetime of disfigurement. His hair had already begun to grow back, but he had the other side trimmed so the patches would not be so obvious.
Finally, his waiting paid off. Prince Nolen came striding up one of the dark halls carrying a sputtering torch. Lex swallowed back his gasp; the man’s white shirt was red all up the front. The Prince looked angry as he marched, and slowly Lex stood and gathered what he would need. He dressed in common clothing, so the Prince would not recognize him.
“You, boy,” Nolen stated. “Take my prisoner a little water and keep him awake. I will return in a few hours.” He rubbed his eyes with one bloodied hand.
“Yes, m’lord,” Lex bowed. He quickly grabbed the water pail and scurried down the hall as Nolen left the dungeons. Lex did not need to know which door was the correct one. He could tell from the drag-mark of blood outside the door at the far end. He steeled himself, grabbed a lantern, and unlocked the wooden door.
The smell of iron, sweat, and burned flesh accosted him as blood filled his senses. He stepped in and let the light bathe the room, reflecting off blood puddles on the floor and spattered drips on the walls.
He heard a rasping sound and quickly stepped further in, closing the door behind him with a foot. A wooden table stood further off in the door, and he rushed up. A man lay on it, wrists and ankles tied down, but the man was so bloodied Lex could hardly tell his identity. His eyes were black, his nose broken, his lips bludgeoned, while his hair matted with sweat and blood. His lips were parted and gave little shutters with each breath, seemingly asleep. As the man’s chest rose and fell, several ribs shifted. There were a dozen burns he could see, and hundreds of little cuts that crept around his sides, as well as a broken collar bone.
Lex did not know how to wake him in fear of hurting him, so he put two fingers against the inside of his elbow where the skin was too thin to risk tearing. “Mage Gabriel?” he whispered. “Mage Gabriel.”
The man’s eyes flashed open, and Lex knew by the deep blue of them that it was truly Gabriel. He gasped sharply.
“I have relief,” Lex said and held up a skin flask. “Can you swallow?”
Gabriel cracked his lips a little wider. “Water,” he whispered, and Lex snapped to his duty. He reached into the pail with a deep spoon and carefully dripped it into the Mage’s mouth. After a few spoonful’s he uncorked Balien’s flask and upended it slowly, making sure Gabriel took every drop.
“Nolen has left for a few hours. I’ll watch over you while you rest,” he said as he went back to spooning water down his throat. “I’m Lex, if you don’t remember.”
“I remember,” Gabriel whispered. His eyes smiled a little where his mouth could not. Prince Balien had also provided a cream-colored salve to deter the swelling. Lex unwrapped it from its oiled canvas and dabbed it on Gabriel’s facial wounds.
“Lady Aisling is trying to get the Queen to overturn her ruling and put a stop to this. She’s been down here trying to free you, but without a signed decree, she has no power even as Councilwoman. She’s written the Head Mage to ask him to sign a plea since he’s the only one who can overturn the Queen, but birds are slow.” Lex dabbed at Gabriel’s broken lips with his sleeve. “Sleep while you can.”
Gabriel closed his eyes and was asleep in moments.
“This is lunacy!” Aisling shouted. “I have been your advisor for nine years, and I have never steered you wrong. Why is it now you choose not to listen to me?”
Aisling stood in the Queen’s solar before Miranda’s desk. The Queen looked uncomfortable, but she kept her back straight and unwavering. This was the sixth time Aisling had come to the Queen and beg for Gabriel’s release. The Queen either ignored her or gave a paltry excuse.
Aisling pointed down. “That boy is an innocent civilian who has just been dealt a fate worse than death, and you allow your son to torture him. He has been down there so long I do not know if there will be anything left for me to mend. I may not even have the strength to manage it all. Miranda, I am pleading with you, please overthrow this decree and let Gabriel go free.”
“Why?” Miranda asked haughtily. “So you can have a pretty to yourself?”
Aisling slammed her palms down on the desk, making Miranda jump. “Do not ever say that again.” She straightened herself and smoothed her hands down her dress. “You and I both know I run this kingdom. How would you like to run it alone? The Head Mage has asked that I return to Castle Jaden for my safety, but I remain here for yours. I will return in an hour for your answer.” She turned to leave and made it to the door before turning back. ‘It has come to blackmail. So be it.’
Nolen’s bootsteps on the hallway announced his arrival moments before he opened the door. Lex shook Gabriel awake. The pain in Gabriel’s eyes was not as prominent as it had been, and Lex could see a little of the swelling around his eyes had gone down. Whatever Prince Balien mixed together did the trick.
“Get him up,” Nolen stated as he walked in. He washed the blood from his skin and changed his clothes, looking refreshed. Lex carefully untied the binds and helped Gabriel sit up. Gabriel let out a sharp scream as his back came off the table, and Lex saw it was torn to shreds. Only a small strip up the lower back where his muscle rose around the spine was undamaged.
Nolen did not waste time and quickly grabbed a fistful of Gabriel’s hair, jerking him to the center of the room and attaching his wristlets to hooks hanging from the ceiling. “Watch or leave,” Nolen stated to the soldier. Against his better judgment, Lex stayed, telling himself he needed to be here to better help Lady Aisling heal him in the end. He already had an inventory of the wounds that needed tending first, and he knew more would accumulate.
Gabriel could hardly stand. Using the chain supporting him to stay on his feet, he leaned on the right arm to avoid the break in his collar. Nolen pulled the chain and grabbed a long bullwhip. He pushed Gabriel roughly to face him, his back to Lex, and unfurled the whip.
“Do you yield?”
“Still no,” Gabriel replied, his voice a little stronger.
Nolen furrowed his brow and drew the whip across Gabriel’s stomach with a loud snap
. Gabriel grunted, the drugs undoubtedly masking some of the pain, and braced for another that quickly came. Lex lost count, but with each strike Gabriel’s knees gave a little more, and his grunts deepened until cries broke through his clenched teeth.
Nolen paused to rest his shoulder. Gabriel reached a hand around the chain and hauled himself back up on his feet to Nolen’s astonishment. Lex had realigned the bones in Gabriel’s hands that had only broken at the joints. They would still need healing, but at least he could bend them a little. He leaned his head on an arm and gasped for breath, shaking through the pain.
When Nolen regained his arm, the whipping continued. Gabriel stood admirably for a while before slowly sinking as low as the chain hung him. Nolen tossed the whip aside and took up a new wooden item with a winch on it, fitting it over Gabriel’s left forearm. He wrapped a rope around both ends and tightened the wooden pieces with his Air Element slowly. The bone’s crack soon filled the room coupled with Gabriel’s cry of agony.
Nolen unwound it, and promptly put it on the other forearm. Nolen broke the forearm more slowly, giving the bones time to crack before each one gave. Gabriel stood there gasping “Oh, stars… oh, stars,” in a world of pain.
Nolen drew on a pair of red leather gloves with points of metal sticking from the knuckles. He stood before Gabriel and waited, meeting the man’s eyes.
“Still no,” Gabriel snapped, pain giving his voice anger.
Nolen struck him hard in the ribs, taking the breath from him. Lex closed his eyes, listening to the brutal concussions and Gabriel’s cries. No matter what happened, Lex would be his ally.
He continued for some time before Gabriel let out an angry scream, and Lex’s eyes popped open to see him losing the ability to stand. His hands clenched the chain above his head, and he tried to pull himself up but his forearms would not allow it. Nolen focused his blows to the right thigh. It was only a matter of time before the bone was compromised. Bones were powerfully strong, but everything broke in time.
Nolen straightened as Gabriel did his best to keep his balance staring him square in the eye. “There is no Spirit Mage here to heal you. You will hang there until you break.”
Gabriel’s breathing was sharp and laborious. He had no retort.
Nolen snatched the winch back up and wrapped it around Gabriel’s left calf. Should he succeed in breaking the long bones, each limb would be compromised. As Nolen fastened the object, Gabriel slowly looked at Lex with an expression that said ‘watch closely.’ Gabriel took in a breath, held it, and sprang to action.
He pulled himself up on the chain and picked up the knee of his injured leg. Abandoning the cry held between his teeth, he drove it into Nolen’s face. Lex jumped in shock as they heard the snap of bone as Nolen fell to his back. Gabriel leaned on his good leg and put his head on his arm, each exhale brought with it a solid whimper.
Nolen lay on his back for a moment shocked. He sputtered and turned his face to the side. Blood streaked from his nose. He touched it carefully, wincing; it was surely broken. Rage radiated from his eyes and met Gabriel’s.
He jumped to his feet and grabbed a knife from the wall. Taking one step forward he used his momentum to drive the blade into Gabriel’s stomach. Lex could not see where the blade pierced, but he heard the Mage gasp and choke. Nolen grabbed the back of Gabriel’s head and jerked the hilt, causing Gabriel to choke again. He took a step back, leaving the blade where it rested.
“Go,” Gabriel whispered. “Go get Aisling,” he said more forcefully.
“I could heal you if I wanted,” Nolen replied and pulled the control piece out. A moment later his nose snapped back into place.
“No, you…can’t,” Gabriel replied, and a line of blood dripped from his mouth. “My power…cannot heal myself,” he choked out. “You…great fool.” His knees gave out as he coughed. The jerking motion against his broken forearms caused him to choke out a scream that died sharply with another cough.
Lex ran to the pulley and released it, letting Gabriel drop to the floor. He fell on his back, and his wide eyes told the truth of his pain. His hands hovered over the blade wedged deep between two abdominal muscles on the left. Nolen had twisted it, leaving a crescent-shaped wound.
“Go,” Gabriel whispered again, blood wetting his lips. “Go!”
Lex could not remember if Nolen tried to stop him. All he did remember was tearing out of the dungeons, his bloodied boots skidding for a second on the black tiles of the west wing.
Chapter 22
Lady Aisling had been as patient as she could be with Miranda. The Queen was a fool, but whatever Nolen threatened her with must have been truly terrifying. Miranda did not come to her with a release, and no rookery page came with an overthrow from the Head Mage, so Aisling stood once again to plead with the Queen.
She was halfway down the hall to the Queen’s chambers when somebody called for her in a most urgent manner. Hoping it was a rookery page, she walked swiftly back up the hall. “Here!”
Instead of a servant, the soldier Lex met her in the doorway, his face painted with exhaustion and fear. Upon better inspection, Aisling saw he was splattered with blood, and his fingers caked with it. Her eyes grew wide.
“You—must come,” he gasped and without respecting the courtesies a Lady was entitled to, he grabbed her hand. She was not a fast runner, and Ladies never did such things, but she had the trademark long legs of the Lamay family and kept pace with him as he pulled her along.
“What has happened?” she asked as they sped past courtiers.
Lex could not find his voice as his lungs rasped for air, so he made a fist and drove it into his stomach with an imaginary knife. Her mind ran through healing patterns as they continued, knowing a wound to the gut could easily pierce vital organs.
They raced wearily into the dungeons, and Lex turned her down a hall. “Steel—yourself,” he rasped before they reached a door at the end. He jerked it open for her and released her hand.
Nolen stood off to one side, leaning against a wooden table with his arms folded. His face was angry and bloodied. Lady Aisling paid no mind as her eyes glanced over him to see the mangled remains of a man on the floor. She knew it was Gabriel, but only because the Castrofax glinted under the light of the flickering lantern. Her hands went to her mouth, and she shrieked.
There was so much blood on the floor, it was a wonder anyone could survive. She crouched and hovered her hands over his torso. He lay on his back, his bound hands still connected to a chain hanging from the ceiling. Gabriel made no response as she called his name, and she shook too hard from the run that she could not feel a pulse under his neck. The knife wound still bled, so she knew he was alive. The energy he gave off was so small she missed it.
She sank a probe-pattern in around the knife and was immediately accosted by every wound he bore. She did not know where to start, and the sudden sensation of every cut, every bruise, burn, and broken bone stopped her. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell agape. She did not know someone could suffer such wounds and live.
Focusing again on the knife, she felt what flesh it had cut through. Carefully, she mended his insides, working her way up for several minutes as she slid the knife from his belly. His labored breathing smoothed a little, but he did not open his eyes.
“I cannot work in here,” she whispered to Lex. “Bring me a stretcher, and a sheet.” The soldier nodded and left, his boots echoing down the hall.
She held her hands over Gabriel’s body and felt for the worse wounds. Despite her best efforts, tears sprang to her eyes, causing her to blink rapidly. ‘Here lies the best hope for the Mages. Who could ever think he was great now?’
She put a hand on his nose and slid the bones back into place slowly. His brain was concussed, and that was something she lacked the skills to heal. When she put a hand over a broken forearm and laid a pattern to mend it, Nolen straightened.
“Leave that, I am not finished.”
She shot him a murderous look as her
retort spilled from her tongue. “I will be returning him to his quarters.” Nolen opened his mouth to object. “I know a lot more about the limits of the body than you do, you star-blinded fool. He is nearly gone.”
Nolen glared down at her before swiftly leaving the room.
Lex was quick to return with a guard and a stretcher. Somehow the two men lifted Gabriel onto it. Their hands slipped against his skin and couldn’t gain purchase on his shoulders. The soldier found a blanket, and Aisling draped it over Gabriel, covering him from head to heel. She did not want to parade him through the palace looking a corpse.
She walked beside the stretcher as the two men carried him, working little healing patterns into the wounds she could reach from his side. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she knew it would be a long while before the boy fully healed.
Before they reached her rooms, Prince Balien found them. “I just heard,” he said, running up and breathing heavily. Aisling swore he had more informants than she, but he helped more people with his herbs and gained a loyal following long ago. He looked down at the stretcher and gripped at his heart. “Oh stars, is he dead?”
“No,” Aisling replied, her voice betraying her worry. “Bring me whatever you can to help.” He nodded and sped off to his quarters.
The anteroom to her chambers was vacant, and she breathed a sigh of relief that she did not have to contend with the Queen. She led them to Gabriel’s rooms and grabbed a blanket from the bed, throwing it on the floor.
When she pulled the cover back, she realized the darkness of the dungeons had masked a great deal of the wounds, and heat sprang back to her eyes. She spread her skirts and saw the purple hem was sodden with blood. She must have looked a sight walking through the palace. Word would be everywhere by nightfall.
“I—I will need water and sponges,” she said to Lex. The guard stood there stupidly, looking down at the damage with searching eyes. “You wait outside and admit no one but Prince Balien.”
The Castrofax (Book 1) Page 19
