The Dragons of Ash and Smoke (Tales from the New Earth Book 5)

by J. J. Thompson

She looked at Simon.

  “If he had died, I would have felt it; I know that. So I guessed that I was being blocked. That's when Octavian came to me and suggested that we combine our powers and try to see through the blockage. He said he'd had a vision; his second sight, supposedly. When we did, I saw you, Simon, and this place. Well, not this place,” she waved at the room, “but a dark cellar. Sebastian was chained to a wall. He was covered with wounds and I saw a person that I thought was you shouting at him, asking him all sorts of questions about us, the castle, stuff like that.”

  Simon nodded thoughtfully.

  “That must have been right after Octavian cast his spell on you, whatever it was.”

  “What makes you think so?”

  “Because no one can see through the wards on this tower. I don't care if you combine your power with a dozen casters. You will never be able to see into my home unless I allow it.”

  He smiled as he shook a finger at Tamara.

  “Which is something you would have known if you were in your right mind at the time. No, he cast a spell to show you what he wanted you to see and then had enough control over you to enrage you and get you to lure me into a trap. Almost worked too.”

  “Thank God it didn't,” she said earnestly. “But now what? I'm guessing that Octavian is responsible for my brother's disappearance, but how do we find out where he is? And why he did it in the first place,” she added with obvious confusion.

  “You could just beat it out of him,” Aeris suggested. Both humans looked at him and he shrugged. “What? It's just a suggestion.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Tamara growled.

  “Maybe as a last resort,” Simon said hastily. “There's another way.”

  “I'm listening.”

  “Liliana. The paladin can get to the truth.”

  Tamara looked dubious.

  “How?”

  “Simple enough. She can't be lied to. As a paladin, she can see through deception; it's just part of what she is. So we simply sit Octavian down, preferably with Malcolm and Aiden nearby looking suitably menacing, and have a chat. If he lies, Liliana will catch it and we can, um, persuade him to be more forthcoming.”

  “Beat it out of him?” Aeris asked hopefully.

  “No! Well, probably not. Since when did you become so bloodthirsty anyway?”

  “Since that mage tried to kill you, my dear wizard. I tend to take such things rather personally. Pardon me for caring.”

  “I feel the same way,” Tamara agreed in an ice-cold voice. “Especially since he used me as his weapon. That man had better have the answers I want to hear or so help me, Simon, he's dead. I'll apologize to you afterward.”

  The wizard finished his tea and sighed loudly.

  “Fine. It's your call. And speaking of calling, I'd better get in touch with Malcolm and let him know what's been going on. He might be walking into a trap when he returns to the castle. Octavian could be in a panic now that we've escaped his clutches.”

  “Oh damn, you're right.” Tamara said as she stopped her pacing and stared at him, aghast. “He may try to kill Malcolm and Aiden. They're the greatest threat to him now that Sebastian and I are out of the way.”

  “There's also Liliana,” Simon reminded her.

  The mage put her cup down on the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. She sat down, put an elbow on the tabletop and rested her chin on her palm.

  “Not really. Liliana found a place outside of the castle grounds; a small house a few miles away. She stays there now.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “She likes the tranquility, so she says. Maybe she does. We are a noisy bunch, some days. Anyway, she only drops by once or twice a month, so I doubt that Octavian is all that worried about her. No, I think you're right; Malcolm and Aiden will be his immediate targets.”

  Simon got up and joined the mage at the table.

  “Aeris, could you get my hand mirror please?” he asked as he sat down. “It's in the study.”

  “Certainly.”

  The elemental shot away up the stairs and Tamara watched him go.

  “Handy friends you have there,” she said as she sat up straighter. She slowly stretched as she looked around the room.

  Simon winced as he heard her neck and back snap several times.

  “Sorry,” she said with a laugh. “Bad habit. So where's your other elemental? Kronk, is it?”

  “He went out a minute ago. He likes to check on the animals whenever he returns from being away, even if it isn't for too long.”

  “Ah, dedication. I like that.”

  “More tea?” Simon offered as he got up and put the kettle over the fire again. It was still almost full of water.

  “No thanks. I'm not much of a tea person, but don't tell anyone that.”

  Simon raised an eyebrow and she chuckled self-consciously.

  “A British girl who doesn't like tea? Scandalous!” she said with an exaggerated expression of shock on her face.

  “Oh I see.”

  He grinned, relieved to see Tamara in a better, calmer mood. She was too powerful to be taken lightly and her beloved brother was missing. He was hoping, despite her volatile temper, that she wouldn't destroy their one source of information, Octavian, before they could interrogate him.

  Something tickled at the back of Simon's mind and he tried to dig it out, whatever it was.

  “What's wrong?” the mage asked. “You look like you're in pain.”

  “Do I?” He chuckled “No, not pain. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if Octavian was working alone. There was something about him, some...I don't know, miasma around him, a magical stench if you will, that seemed familiar.”

  “That's an odd way to put it, my dear wizard,” Aeris said as he sailed down the stairs carrying the hand mirror.

  Simon accepted it with thanks and put it down for a moment.

  “I know, but I can't explain it any better than that. My powers are growing in unexpected ways,” he added, looking at Tamara. “I don't know if you've experienced the same thing, but my skills seem to develop in spurts, like growth spurts when you're a teen, you know?”

  She grinned, reached out and patted his arm.

  “Simon, you are a teen, remember? Maybe the fact that your body is so young has an effect on your magic as well.”

  He snorted and glanced down at himself in disgust.

  “Maybe. I keep forgetting that the me in here,” he tapped his temple, “is different than the me out here,” and he waved his thin hands in the air.

  “But anyway, the fact is that I can now sense magic more precisely, and I can use the power to a certain extent without forming it into a spell.”

  Tamara's gaze intensified.

  “Interesting. In what way?”

  “That's how I brought down your shield and the shields of Octavian and Keiko. It wasn't a spell. I just...disrupted the magic somehow. I sent my will through my staff and the magic just did what I wanted it to do.”

  “Ah,” Aeris said with an odd note of satisfaction in his voice. “I have been waiting for this.”

  Simon and Tamara exchanged puzzled glances and then looked back at the elemental.

  “Meaning what?” the wizard asked.

  “It is a sign,” Aeris told him happily. “The sign of a wizard coming into his own. Bending magic to your will without having to use spells to shape the power is what sets a wizard apart from all other magic-users. They are the true masters of magic.”

  He looked at Tamara and ducked his head suddenly.

  “No offense, lady mage,” he added quickly.

  She only laughed and waved away his apology.

  “Okay, we can talk about that later. Right now I have to call Malcolm,” Simon said and picked up the mirror.

  He studied it for a moment, thinking of the big man's face and picturing it inside the mirror's surface.

  “Magic Mirror,” he said and watched the reflection ripple and distort.

  “H
ow the hell can you cast a spell without using an incantation?” Tamara asked in surprise.

  “I figured out a way to attach the incantation to the name of the spell,” Simon answered as he kept his eyes on the mirror. “So when I concentrate and invoke the name, the spell is cast automatically.”

  “Wow. I'm impressed. Any chance you could show me how to do that? When we have the time, of course.”

  The wizard nodded, eyes fixed on the reflective surface in front of him.

  “I'd be happy to. Just remind me when things calm down a bit. I'm a little scatter-brained about remembering things like that.”

  “Very true,” Aeris muttered.

  “Hush,” Simon said. “There's an image coming through.”

  Tamara leaned to the right to try and see into the mirror and the wizard moved his chair closer to her and adjusted the angle of the mirror so that they could both watch the surface.

  The fogginess faded and Malcolm came into view. He was walking along a forest path, talking and laughing with someone. He looked relaxed and calm, his steel armor glinting in the occasional sunbeam that broke through the overhanging branches.

  “He's okay,” Tamara murmured with relief.

  “Thankfully,” Simon agreed. He raised his voice. “Malcolm, can you hear me?”

  The big man stopped immediately and clapped a hand to the sword on his hip. His eyes narrowed and he looked around suspiciously.

  “Sir wizard, is that you?” he asked loudly.

  Several unseen companions began speaking at once and Malcolm held up a mailed hand, cutting off the voices.

  “Yes, it's me, my friend,” Simon reassured him.

  The warrior visibly relaxed and smiled. He released his sword hilt and waved at someone.

  “Aiden! Come over here. Our friend Simon is calling.”

  “Is he? Cool.”

  Both Tamara and Simon grinned at the cheerful reply.

  The wizard tilted the mirror a bit and the view pulled back so that they could see more of Malcolm's surroundings. Aiden entered the picture and stood next to his partner.

  “Hey Simon. You there? Or is this great hulk hallucinating again?”

  “Hey now,” Malcolm protested. “How was I to know that wine was so strong? Gee, a guy sees one pink elephant and he's marked for life.”

  “I'm here, Aiden, so you can ease up on Malcolm.”

  Simon was working hard not to laugh; he knew that it would only encourage both men and the situation was anything but funny.

  “Oh, there you are,” Aiden said, staring directly at Simon. “Hey Tamara! What are you doing there? And where are you anyway?”

  The mage looked at the two men, who were smiling sedately at her, and then at Simon.

  “How can they see me? See us? Neither of them is holding a mirror!”

  “No idea. It happened the last time I called Malcolm. First time ever. I think it's part of what I was saying earlier: the way I'm using magic has taken a giant leap forward. Handy though.”

  “I agree,” Malcolm said heartily. “It's nice not having to talk to thin air. So what's up?”

  “Go ahead and tell him, Tamara. After all, this affects you and your brother the most. And your people too.”

  “Fine.”

  She told both warriors about what had happened that morning, keeping her story brief and to the point. By the time she had finished, Malcolm was grinding his fist into his palm and Aiden was scowling.

  “Octavian!” the big man spat. “I've never liked him. In fact, no one I know does either. But I always thought it was because of his arrogance. Now I find out it's because he's a snake at heart.”

  “He may be worse than that,” Simon warned with a sympathetic glance at Tamara. “If he's harmed Sebastian or worse,” the mage flinched and he rushed on, “then his heart is as black as a dragon's. We need to know where he's keeping his prisoner and we need to know as soon as possible.”

  “Naturally,” Aiden said, his scowl replaced by a calculating look. “So you think that Octavian may be waiting to ambush us when we get back? Heh. Well, I think we can turn the tables on that plan.”

  He looked at Malcolm, who grinned darkly.

  “Our little secret?” the big man asked and Aiden nodded.

  “What secret?” Tamara said.

  “Oh, we've found several hidden passages in the castle. Considering how old it is, I would have been surprised if there hadn't been any. One of them leads from an old cell in the basement to a low hill to the west of the castle. Aiden and I have used it several times.”

  “For what? No, never mind. I don't want to know.”

  Malcolm grinned at the mage and winked roguishly. Aiden actually blushed but remained silent.

  “Anyway, we can lead our patrol into the castle through that tunnel and take Octavian and those idiots who fired on you completely by surprise.” The man frowned. “And once we do, I intend to have a word with those dolts and find out what they were thinking. Shooting at a friend? Gods.”

  “Easy, Malcolm,” Simon told him. “As one of the leaders of the group, Octavian had authority over the archers. They were just following orders. And remember, Tamara was being controlled at the time and lent her voice to his.”

  “Hmm. Okay, good point. But those people have got to learn to think for themselves. 'I was just following orders' has been used to excuse a lot of misdeeds over the course of human history.”

  “Do you have a plan for taking down Octavian?” Tamara asked. “He is a mage, after all. And fairly powerful too. If you give him a chance, he could do a lot of damage.”

  “We won't give him that chance, believe me,” Aiden assured them. “I'm more worried about Keiko. She is always so quiet and self-contained that we forget how strong she is. Will she fight with Octavian or against him?”

  “I'd say neither,” Tamara told him. “She didn't attack Simon, even though I believe Octavian expected her to, and she stayed out of the aftermath as well. Unless you threaten her, I think that she will remain neutral.”

  Aiden looked relieved and Malcolm nodded at the news.

  “Good. I like Keiko. Now, the sun's going down here so we'd better get back.”

  “So, how long is this going to take, at a guess?” Simon asked the two men.

  “Well, we're about an hour away from the castle. Add to that at least a half-hour to get through the secret tunnel and then another half-hour to position ourselves and take out Octavian...say two hours, give or take.”

  “That's the best case scenario,” Aiden told him abruptly. “Let's not sugarcoat this. If we're spotted or Octavian puts up a fight, it could take a lot longer than that.”

  Before Malcolm could respond, Simon interjected.

  “Guys, are you anywhere close to Liliana's place?”

  “The paladin?”

  Both men looked surprised.

  “Not really,” Malcolm replied. “She's about, oh, an hour or so away.” He pointed off to the left. “That way. Why?”

  “We'll need her when we question Octavian,” Tamara cut in. “To see if he's answering us truthfully. Plus, in a fight against magic, she'd be a valuable ally. I think Simon was about to suggest that you ask her to join you.”

  “Sorry Tamara, but I wasn't,” Simon said to the mage's surprise. He smiled at her and explained. “What I was going to say was that I'll call her myself, save you guys the walk and the wasted time, and ask her to join you at the castle. You said the secret passage comes out to the west of Nottinghill? Okay then, I'll tell her that and she can meet you there, if she wants to. If not, I'll call you back and let you know.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Malcolm told him. “Okay, we're heading out now. Call us if Liliana won't be coming along. If she is joining us, call back in two or three hours.”

  “We will, Good luck, guys.”

  “From me as well,” Tamara added. “And watch your backs; Octavian is a treacherous weasel.”

  “I watch his back and he watches mine,” Aid
en told them with a nod at his partner. “No worries. Talk to you soon.”

  Chapter 19

  Liliana was more than happy to help when Simon reached her. She was livid at Octavian's treachery and set off at once to meet up with Malcolm, Aiden and their group.

  “Well, now all we can do is wait,” the wizard told Tamara when he canceled his Magic Mirror spell. “Since you don't like tea, how about some coffee?”

  The mage had moved to the couch and lay there with her feet up. The residual effects from the hostile compulsion spell seemed to have drained her of a lot of energy, and worrying about her brother didn't help.

  She looked across the room at Simon.

  “Coffee? Are you serious?”

  “Seriously. We found a cache of ground coffee in Russia, same place I got that couch you're lying on. So, want some?”

  “Yes please. My God, I haven't had coffee in, I don't know, since before the world went to hell.”

  “Great.”

  He began to putter around the kitchen.

  “Oh, I don't have any milk yet. I got some cows recently, but the milk cow isn't tame enough yet to try milking her.”

  “You got cows? You have been busy, haven't you? And don't worry; I prefer it black anyway. And no honey, please.”

  “Good. Yeah, I've been thinking about expanding my territory a bit, clearing more pasture land, adding to my livestock, all that.”

  Tamara sat up and looked at him speculatively.

  “Interesting. Are you thinking of taking some people in? Or getting married perhaps?”

  Simon almost dropped the coffee tin and turned to look at the mage incredulously.

  “What? No!”

  She grinned at his reaction and he smiled back uneasily.

  “God no. Actually, I was coming to terms with the fact that, if we survive this war with the dragons and the rest of the madness that exists in the world now, I may live a very long time.”

  He glanced at Aeris, who was watching him silently.

  “My friends inform me that wizards can live to be very old indeed and, if that's the case, I want my home to have all of the amenities that it can in this brave new world that we live in.”

  He continued making the coffee while Tamara nodded approvingly.