by Kara Jaynes
“We’re here to find Taloos,” Kali said. She watched us, her expression guarded. “Why are you here?”
“To take Glacia to safety. We’re leaving Stagfort. Now.” He grabbed me by the wrist, and snatched his hand away as if I’d burned him. “Blast it!” he cursed. “What is that?”
Magic pulsed through my wrist, and at Silvan’s touch, the runes glowed a pale red.
Fear skittered through me. Fear of the pain that seared my wrist, fear of displeasing Silvan, but most of all, overwhelming, crippling fear of possibly losing my only chance at breaking through my shield and accessing my enchantment. “I’m not leaving,” I said, my voice quiet, but clear. “I’ve talked to Elymas, and he’s going to help me break through my shield.”
“What?” Silvan’s voice rose in pitch, his face showing absolute shock and disgust. “Are you insane?” His gaze flickered back to my wrist. “He did that to you.”
“Yes.” I could feel tears building. I inhaled sharply, willing myself to steel. “I met him at the library. He’s helping me learn magic.”
“I can teach you magic!” Silvan raised his arms above his head in a gesture of agitation. “Spirits take it, woman, what were you thinking? Are you even aware of what kind of magic has been coiling about this blasted city? What is wrong with you? Where’s your common sense?”
The tears came, but they were tears of anger. I glared up at Silvan, rage searing white-hot through me. “You can’t help me,” I choked. “You tried, and you . . . you failed. I have to try something else, even if it means putting my trust in Elymas.”
The disbelief and anguish in Silvan’s face stabbed my heart. “You don’t even know him, Glacia. This is madness.” I could see his thoughts racing as he tried to come up with a better alternative. “You just need more time.” He blinked, like he was trying to remember something. “You need more time.” More firm. “That’s all you need, Glacia. You have this. You don’t need Elymas’s help.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what the magician said.”
“Curse Elymas,” Silvan hissed. “You don’t even know him. And whatever he’s done to you,” Silvan’s gaze darted back to my wrist, “it can’t be good. I can feel darkness in that enchantment, Glacia.”
I glowered at him, even as I felt doubt at his words. “What then?” I asked.
“Uh, we need to keep moving,” Kali said.
I ignored her. “What then, Silvan? How do I break this shield?”
“Your magic is asleep,” Silvan said firmly. “I’m sure of it.” His eyes scanned the area. “I need to get you out of here. It’s not safe.”
“I don't want to leave.”
“I get that you’re scared, Glacia, but you can’t act on fear.”
Silvan’s eye widened when he heard the hypocrisy of his words. Fear.
Anger shuddered through me. I’d never been angry at Silvan, not properly angry. The very idea seemed absurd. But I was angry now. “You’re afraid,” I said, my words almost a whisper. “You’re afraid of losing me, but I’m not a glass doll to be kept safe on a shelf, never to feel the burn of the sun or the chill of frost. I’m a human, Silvan. You’re trying to lock me away, just like my parents did.”
Silvan’s eyes had grown cold, like chips of ice. “That’s an incorrect comparison—”
“I’m not finished,” I snapped, heat rising to her cheeks. “This is my magic. My magic, Silvan. Not yours. It’s my choice, if I want Elymas to teach me.”
“We’re a team,” Silvan growled, fists clenched. “We’re supposed to look out for each other.”
“I can’t work my enchantment!” My voice rose in pitch, and my body shook. “There’s something wrong with me, and you can’t help!” My breath came in ragged gulps. “You can’t help me, Silvan. I wish you could, but you can’t, so I need to find someone who can.”
“Whoa.” Kali’s voice was an awed whisper. “Are you breaking up with him?”
“There’s nothing to break,” I said, and the pain and bitterness that rose in my throat threatened to choke me. “Is there, Silvan?”
Silvan’s face was deadpan, all expression gone except for the unshed tears glinting in his blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Glacia.”
I nodded. If I spoke now, I would sob until nothing was left of me. I lifted my chin, putting on my best princess impersonation as I walked past him, head held high.
“Wait.” Silvan’s hand reached out, closing around my enchanted wrist. He inhaled deeply, and I felt coolness, seeping into the heat, temporarily combating the pain with relief. His eyes flashed. “Just as I suspected. There’s dark magic in these runes, Glacia. You’re dealing with devilry. Elymas is influencing you with magic.”
I tried to pull free, but Silvan’s hold became tighter. “Let go of me,” I snarled. Silvan would never see me as more than someone to protect, to keep safe. He wouldn’t see the part of me that desperately wanted to stand by his side and protect the realm. “I have to do this.”
Silvan shook his head. “You’re not going,” The sense of finality in his voice was like steel. I knew he wouldn’t bend in this.
We both started in surprise when part of the fog whipped around the square, coiling like a snake. It shot between us, and Silvan released me with a cry. His gaze hardened. His own magic, gather about him in gleaming bands of silver.
“Demon,” he breathed.
“Not any more than you, or anyone else.” Elymas’s voice echoed about the fog, his voice dripping arrogance. “Instinct and desires make demons of us all. That is the curse of mankind, is it not?”
Silvan stiffened, his eyes growing wide with horror as he stared at something behind me. “Get away from her!” He launched himself at me, and in the same breath, I felt Elymas’s fingers dig into my shoulder.
The world tilted and spun, melting away into nothingness.
23
Glacia
I stood inside Elymas’s mansion, alone. Where had Silvan and Kali gone? And, just as confusing, where had the magician gone?
The room looked like an entry, a couple of torches lighting it, flickering light and shadows. A quick glance out a nearby window confirmed it was an entry. I saw Silvan for a brief moment before the fog swallowed him up. He obviously didn’t see me, his focus on the magic that covered the mansion. I could feel it, the power humming through my bones.
I tried to open the door that would take me back outside, but it was locked. Magic hung over it, too.
I turned around, and flinched when I realized I wasn’t alone. A wolf padded out of the far room. It regarded me with solemn amber eyes, waiting. It wasn’t one of the large mountain wolves I’d seen before. It was smaller, but still definitely a wolf.
Remembering my brief knowledge of animals from my past studies, I recognized it as a prairie wolf, also known as wolf-dogs. They were smaller than gray or mountain wolves. Similar in that they lived and hunted in packs, but prairie wolves usually hunted smaller prey, and preferred to scavenge when they could.
What was it doing here in Elymas’s home?
The wolf hadn’t moved, it’s gaze locked on mine.
I frowned at it, and the silence stretched on.
“Hello?” I said tentatively, and then smiled ruefully. I wasn’t a beast tamer, able to communicate with animals. I was surprised when the wolf dipped its furry head back in greeting.
“Can you understand me?” I asked.
Another nod.
I frowned, still watching the wolf. “What are you doing here in Stagfort?”
No answer. The wolf gazed at me, its eyes glowing in the torchlight.
“Can you not speak?”
It shook its head slowly from side to side, its tail drooping.
“It’s all right,” I said hastily. “Don’t feel sad.” I put a hand out to pet it, and the wolf shied away, a low growl rumbling in its chest.
I snatched my hand back. “Do you serve the mage, Elymas?”
The wolf nodded its shaggy head once more.
/>
“He teleported me here,” I said, “then disappeared. Can you show me where to find him?”
I cringed inwardly at my words, remembering that the wolf couldn’t talk.
The wolf swung around and trotted back through the far doorway.
“Wait,” I called out, hurrying forward.
I stepped into the next room, the wolf nowhere in sight. The far door was closed. The torches winked out, leaving me in the dark, and the door behind me swung shut with a dull thud. I tried to open it, but the door was locked from the other side.
I smirked. “I applaud your efforts to frighten me, Elymas,” I said into the inky blackness, “but I am a child of the darkness. I was hidden in the stone and raised in shadows. Your little trick doesn’t frighten me.”
A long silence followed, and I folded my arms and leaned against the door, waiting for my eyes to adjust.
Just as my gaze began to make out vague shapes, a blazing line of light appeared from the space under a door on the far side of the room.
I frowned, my eyes trying to adjust yet again. I began edging my way toward the light, and bumped my shin on a chair. I bit back my current opinion of the mage, and eventually fumbled my way to the door, opening it to a brightly lit room.
I guessed this to be the main entry, or greeting room in the house. A staircase went up to a second story, and I began to walk toward it when I saw the wolf enter a side door. I glanced back at the stairs, but decided to follow the wolf.
The door led me to a side hall, well lit. The wolf-dog was nowhere to be seen. I began to walk down the corridor, eyeing the lights set in the ceiling with a flicker of unease. It wasn’t natural light. Orbs of glass shone with a strong, steady light.
Magic.
I swallowed hard, and tilted my chin higher in a false show of arrogance. I couldn’t afford to show my fear. Not now. But I wished Silvan was with me.
The hallway went on, doors lining both sides. I opened one to peer inside.
A shadowy figure stood in the middle of a dark room, head tilted at an unnatural angle. I couldn’t make out any features in the gloom.
It jolted, limbs convulsing as its fingers reached out for me. I slammed the door shut and hurried down the hallway, heart in my throat. Don’t open any more doors. The corridor had to end sometime.
It didn’t end. It stretched on, the far door consistently the same distance out of reach. When I turned around to try and retrace my steps, the corridor stretched endlessly that way, too.
I would have to try one of the doors. Dread gripped my heart, and I swallowed as I tried to work moisture back into my mouth.
I spoke loudly in the hopes that Elymas would hear me. “Amusing, Elymas, but it’s not funny anymore. I’m tired and want to go home, if you’re not going to keep your word. You said you’d help me.”
No response. I tried to stay calm, but my breath began to come in deep, shuddering gasps. I had to go through a door. I could feel it in my gut.
I reached for the doorknob with trembling fingers. Silvan wouldn’t shy from the danger, whatever it was. If I couldn’t be brave, then I had no business learning magic.
I turned the knob and went in.
It wasn’t the same door as before. It couldn’t be. Yet the same hazy, indistinct figure stood motionless before me, head tilted at the same angle.
“Hello?” My voice cracked on the word and I coughed. “Hello?”
An eerie silence followed. The figure’s limbs jerked, like a marionette on strings as it leaned toward me, head lolling. I jumped backward with a yelp and slammed the door.
I leaned my forehead on the closed door, trying to get a grip on my blistering fear. I’d gotten a glimpse of the figure’s face as it shuddered toward me. I hadn’t seen that face very often in my life, but I still knew it as well as my own.
Mother.
24
Silvan
I’d failed. I’d tried so hard to keep her close, to protect the girl I loved, but in the end, friendship hadn’t been enough.
Glacia had chosen Elymas.
Hang the man. My fingers curled into fists, as rage heated my stomach. He’d messed everything up.
Part of my brain told me to stop being stupid. It didn’t matter what Glacia thought. I was going to dismantle Elymas’s home, brick by brick.
But on the other hand, I understood Glacia’s line of reasoning. She believed that until she could access her magic, that I would want to keep her safe, and away from harm, because she couldn’t protect herself.
I snorted, the sound turning into a hiccupping sob. I put a fist over my mouth, angry at my weakness. I slid my feet into a defensive position, ready to shift. Didn’t Glacia see that no matter how much enchantment she wielded, I would always want to protect her?
Because I loved her. I loved her so much, it hurt. Sometimes I thought I’d be torn in two just by looking at her. I wanted to take her in my arms, and make her mine. I wanted to shift and carry her away from all the hate, anger, and danger of this world.
I wanted, I wanted . . .
Her.
I glared at the structure before me. The string of curses that tumbled from my mouth would have made my Master cringe. How had Elymas managed teleportation? He’d stolen my heart, right before my very eyes.
Glacia was still close by. So very close. My fists clenched. Did Elymas think that he could keep me out? We would see, very soon.
I closed my eyes, reaching for the power that would change me.
“Silvan!” Bleke’s voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see the city guard running over to me. “Thank the heavens I found you.” He was covered in sweat, despite the chill in the air, and his sides heaved. He pointed in the direction of the barracks with his sword. “I’m afraid for my brothers. I've been cutting through the illusions with my sword.” His face twisted in a wry grin. “At least they aren't long lasting illusions, but the city is going mad. I need to alert the guards about the true nature of these specters. Can you help us?”
My insides twisted. “I-I can’t.” I pointed at the mansion before us. “I’m so close to defeating Elymas. I found his lair.”
Bleke’s eyes widened as his gaze fell on the structure. “You found it. You unraveled the enchantment,” he breathed. Biting his lip, he looked back at the barracks. “Do what you need to do,” he said, “but I’m going to help my brothers.” He sprinted off, the fog swallowing him up.
No matter the consequences, no matter how many screams and cries I heard twisting through the mist, my base instincts screamed at me to help Glacia. So that was what I would do.
I’m not a glass doll.
I gritted my teeth, inhaling sharply at the memory of her words. Glacia wanted this.
But was it really Glacia thinking that, or the dark magic that I’d felt, wrapped around her wrist, confusing her heart?
I didn’t know.
Even as my senses reached out, scanning the magic that crisscrossed the entrance like a spider web, my mind reached back, remembering what Glacia had said. That her magic was shielded, rather than asleep.
There could very well be some truth to that. Her parents had kept her hidden away for most of Glacia’s life. Perhaps they knew something that Glacia and I didn’t.
I reached out, tugging on the magical ropes, and jumped back with a yelp when it shocked me. I began to stalk the perimeter of the building, only vaguely aware of Kali trailing me like a shadow.
On the other hand, I just knew that Glacia could break through her shield, if that’s indeed what it was. She didn’t need Elymas’s help. What had he said to make her think she did?
More disturbingly, there was the matter of the enchantment that encircled Glacia’s wrist. It’d been dark magic, sure as fire. Teeth grinding, I exhaled heavily, heat blowing from my nostrils. I needed to be careful. I was a hairsbreadth from shifting, right here and now. I could break through the enchantment in my shifted form, but my emotions were also harder to control as a dragon. What i
f I brought the entire structure down on Glacia’s head?
I stepped back, studying the magical barricade further.
As frustrating as the band of enchantment was, it wasn’t anything particularly dangerous, in and of itself. It was a beacon of sorts, a spell Elymas had undoubtedly cast to help her find him. But it was obviously unnatural and dark, the spell literally digging into Glacia’s skin, the runes angry, red enchantment glowing from inside her.
Red. I stiffened, my body tense as I recalled something Master had said.
When silver meets red, ice will fail and demons fall. A prophecy. Master had been convinced that I was the ‘silver’ mentioned in the passage. But he hadn’t known who the red meant.
What if Glacia was the ‘red’? What if she was the one who was supposed to stand by me and repel the demons’ attack? She shouldn’t be wasting her time with Elymas. She needed to be with me.
Why had Glacia been so desperate? She hardly knew Elymas. She could only have known him for a couple of days. It didn’t make sense. Yet she’d all but rejected me, and there’d been no indication of resistance when Elymas teleported her away.
How had Elymas gained her trust in such little time? What was it about him that drew her to him? It had to be enchantment, but would it last? Was Glacia helpless to resist?
I didn’t know what to do.
Wait.
I blinked, frowning at the voice inside my head. Had I just thought that?
Wait.
Frowning, I listened. The voice sounded familiar, somehow, like I’d heard it before. But from where? I couldn’t remember. But it sounded right, somehow.
Wait and stand ready. She will need you.
The hair prickled on my neck and arms. “All right,” I said out loud. “I’ll do as you ask.”
Stranger things had happened than hearing voices in one’s head, I supposed.
The world shifted, and suddenly, I was staring at what looked like several worlds, dimensions stacked onto and through each other. I rubbed my eyes, thinking exhaustion was making me see things, but the same blurry view remained.
