Xan sighed. “You’re right. I don’t like it, but you’re right. At least tell me about what I’m facing. How many mages will Truna have? What types?”
Lucan stiffened. “I am not a traitor!”
“Then why are you here?” Xan had never imagined what it would be like to confront a death mage, but he wouldn’t have expected the experience to be so annoying.
“Because I choose life over country.” Lucan stared into Xan’s eyes. “But make no mistake, I choose country over all else.”
Great. Not that Xan had a lot of trust in the guy in the first place, but … “Fine.” He dispatched two guards to shadow Lucan.
Xan shook his head. Events were spinning out of his control, and of the mages, only Tasia had remained behind. Him, her, and an unreliable death mage against who knew how many enemy mages. Fantastic.
“Hey,” she croaked.
“What’s wrong?” he said.
“Nothing at all.” Tasia smiled, but it seemed forced. “Congratulations on your engagement.”
He drew up a nearby chair and sat. “Thanks. I guess.”
“Xan Conley! What kind of response is that?”
“Please don’t be mad at me, too. I don’t think I could handle it.”
She sat next to him. “You do seem to have reached your quota of people who want to hit you.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “So much responsibility, and I can’t even get people to not walk out on me. What am I going to do?”
Tasia touched his shoulder for an instant before pulling her hand back. “Take a minute to enjoy your victory.”
“What?”
“You have your life, the protection of the duke, and the most beautiful girl ever as your fiancé. You should take the day as a win.”
True enough. He could be dangling at the end of a rope. “Any advice regarding Ashley? Normal girls bewilder me, and she’s like a different species.”
Tasia rubbed her temples.
“Headache?”
“Not exactly.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Be strong with her, forceful. Otherwise, she will never respect you. But don’t try to dominate her. You don’t want to turn your relationship into a constant struggle.”
“So if I don’t employ the exactly correct force of will, my relationship is doomed? Fantastic.”
“Xan …” She sighed. “Look, Ashley deserves love, and whether she’ll admit it or not, she needs it. You’ll give her that. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I think everything will be fine.”
He would have felt a lot better if Tasia looked like she actually believed what she said. “Enough of this. Where’s Lainey?”
“I sent her to my room. She’s in no shape for anything right now.”
That was for the best. He’d just have to get word to Dylan as to where to find her. “Ready to train?”
Tasia grimaced. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Not you, too!” He clasped his hands together. “Think of the lives you’ll save.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
What? She had the ability. “Were you ordered not to?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Go then. Tell Lainey I’m here if she needs me.”
She nodded, still not meeting his eyes.
Great. The nobles were obviously preparing to betray him. As if he didn’t have enough to figure out.
61.
Xan trudged toward Master Rae. With the audience chamber almost empty, he could no longer put off the tongue-lashing.
“What the tarnation are you doing, lad? Fighting with friends, using magic against them?”
Xan sank onto a chair. “Just trying to hold it together.”
“No longer feel you have to defend your actions to your old boss, ay?”
“I’m just not sure they’re defensible. Everything I do lately solves one problem only to create others.”
“Welcome to adulthood,” Master Rae said.
“You can keep it.”
Master Rae smiled. “I don’t think it works that way.”
“Ashley is everything I’ve ever wanted, but … I don’t know. Am I doing the right thing?”
“She is a comely young lass.”
“And so high above my station that it’s not even funny. Her focus is all about acquiring more power. Love doesn’t enter the equation for her.”
“Reasonable objections all.”
Xan sighed. “She’s a good person. I’ve seen a side of her that you haven’t.”
“Her father is a good man, and I’m sure he’s done a fine job raising her.”
Xan bolted to his feet. “Stop that!”
“What?”
“Agreeing with me.”
Master Rae laughed. “You’d rather I argue?”
“Yes,” Xan said. “No. I don’t know.”
Master Rae stroked his beard. “A wife exerts a great deal of influence on the man her husband will become. Now don’t get me wrong, ambition is a fine quality, one you could certainly stand to develop more of.”
“But …”
“Your immediate instinct is to consider the smartest solution to any problem, regardless of any personal considerations or cost to others. She’ll make you consider which solution benefits you the most.”
“Is that the worst thing in the world?” Xan said.
“Perhaps, it isn’t. Perhaps, she’d push you to heights greater than you could imagine on your own.” Master Rae paused. “If I’d have had children, would I have wanted more for them to be successful or to be happy?”
“It’s not as if I’m likely to live long enough to wed anyway.” Xan shrugged. “How can I find the smartest solution—or any solution—when I don’t have any facts? How do I stand practically alone against what is sure to be an overwhelming force? How can I bear the cost of failure?”
“Lad, have you not listened to a thing I taught you?” Master Rae grinned. “One, find out the facts. Two, even the numbers. Three, don’t fail.”
“It all sounds so simple when you put it like that.” Xan hesitated. His mind spun.
Once past the enormity of the challenge and the consequences of failure, all that existed was a discreet set of problems. He was good at solving problems.
Xan took his leave of Master Rae. It was going to be a long night.
62.
Ashley glided past the door and caught a murmur of voices inside. Perfect.
She waited around the corner for several minutes. The door knob clicked. Just another moment or two.
The door quietly opened and closed. Soft footsteps approached.
Ashley let herself grin for an instant before stepping around the corner. “Lady Celeste? Greetings.” She feigned confusion. “I thought your quarters were in the other wing of the castle. Did you move during my absence?”
“Lady Ash … No. I mean …”
Ashley stifled a chuckle. There was nothing better than catching your enemy off balance. “Best be careful, skulking around in corridors can lead to all kinds of rumors. I’ve even heard of some nasty ones being told about me. Can you believe it?”
Celeste took a deep breath. “No. I can’t imagine.”
“Yes! Someone was silly enough to spread untrue stories about my intended.”
“I-I had heard something of the sort, my lady. Perhaps wonderings about him being a commoner and, perhaps, maybe not all that fair to look at.”
“See?” Ashley said. “Those are just the types of things I was talking about. The man I marry, obviously, will eventually become duke, and again obviously, I’d never dream of marrying someone except for that there is a good reason—a powerful reason—to do so.”
“I-I’m sure—”
“Yes.” Ashley nodded. “Rumors can be quite destructive. For example, were there to be a hint of impropriety regarding one of my ladies-in-waiting and—say just as a random example—a servant. Well, perhaps the lady would only suffer a slight hit to her reputation, but that serva
nt …” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to be him.”
“I-I …”
Her eyes glanced up, focusing on something behind Ashley. Someone tall, then, approaching. Probably someone attractive from the expression on Celeste’s face.
Marlon? Tyree?
Footsteps drew nearer, someone trying to be stealthy and failing miserably.
“It’s been quite nice chatting with you,” Ashley said. “We simply must have tea sometime soon.”
“Y-yes.”
A large hand gently grasped Ashley’s bare right shoulder from behind. Definitely had to be Marlon. Tyree would never be so bold.
She sighed. He’d have to be rebuffed, of course.
Lips brushed her neck.
“Mmmm.” She closed her eyes. The gentle caresses trailed to behind her ear. That felt good. Goose bumps rose on her arms.
Too bad she was engaged.
She spun from his grasp. “Xan?”
He wore a uniform unlike any she’d seen. The blues and golds mimicked those of her father’s army, but the tones were muted. Shiny brass accents made him look quite debonair, not at all how she was used to seeing him. The only off part of the ensemble was, of all things, a cape. His left arm was hidden behind his back.
She smiled. “What got into you?”
“You did.” His breathless voice trembled.
How many times had he practiced that? There was something truly endearing about his awkwardness. She fluttered her eyes. “Keep this up, and you’ll get into me.”
Behind her, Celeste gasped.
Yeah, right. So shocking. Like the woman hadn’t just finished with one of her many trysts.
“Ashley!” Xan’s face turned bright red.
She grinned. “You look … different.”
“Do you like it?”
He hadn’t put that look together himself. She frowned. It looked like something Tasia might fashion.
His face fell. “You don’t like it. The tailor guy said he knew your tastes, and I asked him to make something you’d like.” He paused. “Is it the cape? That was my idea. I don’t know why, but I’ve always wanted—”
Ashley took his hand and smiled. “I think you look quite handsome, my fair prince Xan. It’s a fine outfit.” The funny thing was that she wasn’t lying. He didn’t look bad at all. Needed a haircut. Could definitely stand to add bulk to that lanky frame. But … not bad.
“Oh. Good.” His left arm was still hidden.
“Do you have something for me?” she said.
Xan looked confused for a moment. “Oh. Right.” He thrust out his left hand. It was full of daffodils.
“My favorites. How?”
He looked significantly over her shoulder.
Ashley dismissed Lady Celeste and waited until she’d disappeared from sight. “You can talk now. Tell me.”
“Well, your gardeners keep plenty of bulbs for these since you love them.”
“But how’d you get them to bloom?”
Xan smiled. “Apparently, I have a death mage at my command.” He laughed. “Not that Lucan liked being woken in the middle of the night for a task so far beneath him.”
Interesting. He was taking to command far better than Ashley would have expected.
“They’re very nice, thank you. But why?”
“I agreed to your conditions for getting married, but it got me thinking—what do I want?”
She couldn’t see how flowers would gain him anything of consequence. “And what did you determine?”
“It’s simple, really—for you to love me.”
Ashley almost rolled her eyes, but he was so … earnest. There were a lot worse things for him to be doing than trying to win her love. She gave him her biggest smile. “Well then, escort me to breakfast. Perhaps you’ll gain more opportunities to win my heart.”
“I wish I could.”
“What’s more important than me?”
“Absolutely nothing and no one is more important than you,” he said, “but I best serve you by doing something else this morning.”
Interesting. “And what is that?”
He glanced from side to side.
“You should be safe from prying eyes and ears here,” she said.
“I was up all night making plans with Fl …, er, General Flynn, and I’ve got to get ready before Truna’s army arrives.”
“Will you be in danger?”
He shrugged. “Some.”
“Then I forbid it. My future husband is too important to risk unnecessarily.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
Guys, in general, didn’t typically refuse her anything. Xan, in particular, should never refuse her anything, much less a direct command. “Perhaps you misunderstand the word, ‘forbid.’”
“Since I can’t get you to evacuate, my only choice is to save Asherton,” he said. “I might be able to do that, but it’s built on so many what-ifs and tenuous conditions that … I’m going to save you, Ashley, but the first piece of the puzzle has to fall into place. And only I have a hope of ensuring success.”
“Your life—”
“My life for yours, if that’s what it takes. Believe me, though. I’ll do everything in my power to not let it get to that point.”
Hard to argue with that.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Flynn’s put some guy, Stokes, in charge. Says he’s the best. And Pruitt was ordered to protect me at all costs, so I’ve got a minder.”
There was none better at special missions than Sergeant Stokes. Must be a pretty dangerous undertaking for him to be assigned to it.
“Are you sure no one else can handle this?” she said.
“No, but thank you for caring.” Xan exhaled sharply. “I guess I can’t stall anymore.” He dropped to a knee and pulled something from his pocket.
What was he doing? What was in his hand?
Intricate scrollwork adorned a gold band with a two-carat circular diamond. The ring resembled her mother’s. Xan must have noticed it hanging from her daddy’s neck.
“Ashley Asher, my fair maiden, will you marry me?”
Why the pointless gesture? They’d already settled that they were engaged. But it was kind of sweet. “You continually find ways to surprise me, Alexander Conley. I don’t know if that’s to the good or not.” She kept her face stern and serious. “Yes. I will marry you.”
“Okay. Well, good then.” He paused. “Guess I’ll see you later.”
She didn’t speak until he was long out of earshot. “Be safe, Xan.”
Was that the last time she’d ever see him? Hopefully not; she’d miss him.
Odd.
63.
Xan scanned the hillside with his heat sense. About fifty yards away, two warm spots stood out against the cool ground.
Without the magic, there was no sign of the men.
“This Stokes guy we’re meeting,” Xan said. “He’s pretty good?”
Pruitt drew his horse closer to Honey. “The best.”
“So no danger of him allowing enemy troops near us, right?”
Pruitt shook his head.
Xan exhaled. Must be the duke’s men, then. He’d just have to trust that he wasn’t about to be ambushed. For the moment anyway.
They rounded a bend. Three men wearing the duke’s livery stood in the middle of the road. The heat of ten more bodies radiated against the surroundings.
Xan quickly dismounted. “Sergeant Stokes, I presume.”
The grizzled man in the middle nodded.
“Have you been informed as to the plan?” Xan said.
“Only that you’re in charge.” Stokes paused. “My lord.”
What must Stokes think of a kid wearing a fancy outfit and with no military experience being placed in command?
“Don’t call me …” Actually, for all intents and purposes, Xan was a noble. Ugh. “Never mind. The point is that we’re ambushing the vanguard.”
Stokes kept any reaction from his face, but his t
wo men dropped their mouths.
“Yes, I know it’s not gentlemanly to waylay Truna’s nobles.” Xan had went round and round with Asher and Flynn before they finally gave in. Better to lose than to break obscure traditions of combat? Really? Only the fact that Irdrin was breaking much more stringent rules had swayed the men. “But if we don’t pull this ambush off, I guarantee Asherton will fall.” Ashley and Tasia would die. He had to succeed.
Stokes shifted an eyebrow, making his thoughts quite clear—what did this young pup know about anything, much less battle?
“Your mission,” Xan said, “is to take out a small enemy squad known to be operating in the woods where we’re to set up our forces.”
“We’ll take it from here, my lord,” Stokes said.
“No,” Xan said. “This is to be a full-scale operation. Once we’re in position, the cavalry will ride from Asherton and surround the woods. We’ll be the hammer to drive them into the anvil.”
“All due respect, my lord, but a stealth operation—”
“Has no chance to succeed.” Xan stooped to grab dirt and pebbles in each hand. He straightened and showered two hidden figures with debris. “Any more than you have a chance of hiding your men from me.” Being able to directly detect life force would actually make sneaking up on a death mage even harder.
Stokes’ expression didn’t change. “My lord, just because—”
“Look, Sergeant, you probably think I was given command so the niskma’s new fiancé would have something important looking to do.” He waited for the man to nod. “In fact, I possess both knowledge and ability that is critical to the success of the mission.”
“My lord—”
“You are, though, right about my lack of ability to lead your … what do you call your team?”
“Platoon,” Pruitt said.
“Anyway,” Xan said. “I have no idea how to lead a platoon. Ideally, I’d simply tell you what we’re facing, what I can do to help, and let you do your thing. Unfortunately, Flynn ordered me to keep that information secret.”
“How do we proceed then, my lord?” Stokes said.
Xan exhaled sharply. “I do my level best to stay out of your way, but in the event I do issue an order, you follow it as quickly and completely as if it came from Duke Asher himself. Even if it sounds idiotic.” He paused. “I just hope my lack of knowledge doesn’t get you or any of your men killed.”
Rise of the Mages (Rise of the Mages 2) Page 32
