I hope there are other mages who might help, but as of yet, I haven’t had a chance to find any. Give me a few days. I’ll let you know if I find anything before then.
Halef
“Maren.”
Someone was shaking her, and she looked up to see Kira, her brows drawn together in worry.
“Maren, what’s wrong?”
Maren leaned against the table. All dead. Every single one.
“Maren!”
She jumped back in surprise and sank into a chair.
“Tell me what’s going on. Let me help.” Kira knelt beside her and grabbed her hands. “Why is there magic?”
Maren suppressed her own dread and blinked at Kira, not knowing what she could possibly say.
“What was in that letter that has you so scared?”
Maren opened her mouth and then shut it again. There just wasn’t a good answer, at least not one she could actually give.
Kira folded shaky hands in her lap and then met Maren’s eyes with a bravery Maren wouldn’t have expected. “You can tell me. You can also trust me. I want to help.”
“You don’t even know what you’re offering to help with.”
“I don’t care. I’ve never done anything of value, and I know something’s wrong. I’ve known it for a long time.”
Maren knew her own shock registered.
“I’ve seen the marks on your skin. I’ve watched them grow as you get weaker. I’ve also watched you get so close to death I thought there was no hope. You can’t sit there and tell me there isn’t more going on than that injury.”
No, she couldn’t honestly tell her that. She stared at Kira for a long time and then came to a conclusion that surprised even herself. She took a very deep breath. “That letter was from a now-inconsequential mage. It said that all the mages who helped capture Kern the first time are dead, most of them murdered in the few weeks after Kern escaped.”
Kira’s entire body stilled. “And why would you want to know that?”
Kira looked like someone who already knew the answer to their own question but had to ask it anyway.
“Because Kern isn’t dead. He’s going to try to kill Daric. And I’m going to stop him.”
Kira didn’t move, and Maren wondered if she’d heard her, if it had even registered. But then she shivered. “You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Maren whispered, shocked as much by Kira’s calmness as by the fact that she seemed to believe her. Maybe the spell really did only affect things said about Teige. “You believe me?”
“I do. I don’t know exactly why, but I do.” She paused. “You were going to ask the mages how they did it and whether they’d help you do it again?”
Maren only nodded, as if voicing it would make it worse than it already was.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
What was she going to do? Honestly, she had no idea.
She glanced back to Kira. “I’m going to give Halef the few days he asked for.”
“And until then?” Kira waited for an answer, but she didn’t have one. “Maren, I want to help you. There’s got to be something we can do.”
Maren took a deep breath. “Go get Philip. Take him to my father’s study and don’t tell anyone else what you’re doing. I’ll meet you there.”
Kira’s eyes went wide. “Philip? He knows?”
Maren nodded.
“Ok,” Kira said. “Ok. I’ll get Philip.”
* * *
Maren paced back and forth across the room. A few candles lit the room, casting shadows that danced across the walls, only increasing her nervousness.
Where were they?
There wasn’t a lot of time before Kern would come to check on her. Even if he wasn’t as controlling as he had been, he still didn’t leave her alone for long.
A soft creak sounded behind her, and she spun around, part out of fear it was Kern, part anticipation that it wasn’t.
Philip crossed the room and grabbed her by both arms, examining every plane of her face. “What is it? Are you hurt? Did he—”
“I’m fine,” she assured him before turning to Kira. “Will you lock the door?”
Once they were all seated again, her hand encased in Philip’s, she took a deep breath. “We need to tell Kira everything. She wants to help but is under the same spell as Daric and Adare. She’ll believe anything about Kern but nothing about Teige.”
“Teige?” Kira asked, her brow wrinkled in confusion. “Why would any of this involve Teige? He’s a hero. He helped save the kingdom. We need to be concentrating on Kern and his magic.”
Philip frowned. “Teige is Kern.”
Kira jumped up, angry. “How dare you say that? He’s your friend. I won’t sit here and listen to this.”
She headed for the door but Maren blocked her path.
“She’s under Kern’s spell, Philip. And the only one here who can do anything about it is you.”
“No.”
“Philip, please,” Maren begged. “She knows too much already. If she tells Kern, he’ll know we’re working against him. You need to use your magic.”
Kira flinched. “Magic?” She turned to Philip. “You have magic? If Daric knew, he’d never let you stay in Tredare. We’ve had enough of magic – especially from your family.” She rushed towards the door, pushing Maren out of the way, but Philip grabbed her, holding her as she struggled.
The light in his eyes was gone as he looked back at Maren. “See? See what magic does to people.”
“Then help her,” Maren whispered.
Philip seemed to wilt in defeat before her. Then he bowed his head and his lips moved silently.
A moment later, Kira stopped struggling and looked up at Philip in awe. “How did you…?”
Philip released her and stepped back, sinking onto the sofa. “It doesn’t matter.” He glanced back at Maren. “Now can you tell me what’s going on?”
As much as Maren wanted to ask about magic and what he’d done, she knew he wouldn’t tell her. She turned instead to Kira. “Teige is Kern. He wants to kill Daric and become king. He’s been using magic to control me.”
Kira paled but didn’t say anything, only joined Philip in sitting down.
Then Maren filled Philip in on Halef’s letter.
He folded his arms across his chest. “So what do we do now? We have to assume no help is coming.”
Maren looked down at her hands and then back up at Philip. “You could do to Daric and Adare what you just did to Kira. Then they’d know the truth.”
“No.”
“But—”
“No, Maren.” He sighed. “And not just because I don’t want to. If we want to defeat Kern, we must have surprise on our side. Do you really think that if Daric and Adare knew the truth they could wait, that Daric wouldn’t try to kill Kern without any thought or planning? Especially with what Kern did to their son? Then Daric would just end up getting himself killed and ruin any chance we have.”
Depressing silence descended between them until Maren stood and strode over to the bookshelves, looking up with a determination born of nothing more than desperation.
“He must have a weakness,” she said, scanning the titles she knew by heart. “There must be a way to kill him.”
“He’s powerful,” Philip said. “It will have to be something he doesn’t expect.”
“Like what?” Kira asked.
Maren smiled as she reached for one of the dusty volumes. “A potion.” She made her way back to the sofa. Philip scooted closer, peering over her shoulder. Kira perched on her other side.
She flipped through the pages one by one, and one by one, every potion was discounted. Not strong enough. Not the end goal they needed.
And then Maren saw it. “To Deprive a Mage of Power.” It was complicated and with ingredients she’d never heard of. And it only took the power temporarily. But… Her mind spun. If she could get some of it to Kern, his spell would fade. Everyone would see him for who he truly was
. They would see the city for how it truly was.
“This is it,” she said, pointing to the bottom corner of the page. “This would work, and everyone would know the truth. If we plan it right, we might even be able to kill Kern before the potion wears off.”
Philip stared at it for a long time, his eyes tracing over the potion – the ingredient list, the instructions, everything – almost as if he were evaluating the risk.
“It’s good,” he finally said, almost hopeful. “It could work.”
“Yes,” Kira said. “But unless either of you can brew a potion, we have no idea how to make it. Let alone know what even half those ingredients are.”
Maren turned to Philip. “Can you do it?”
He shook his head.
“That leaves Halef,” Maren said. “But I can’t go into the city. Kern would never allow it.”
Kira set her chin. “I’ll do it. I go into the city all the time. There’s no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary.”
Maren’s first instinct was to say no. She’d already endangered enough people. She didn’t need to add Kira to the list.
“You can’t say no, Maren.” Kira crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t go. Philip can’t go either because Kern watches him too closely. I’m the only one who can do this.”
Maren cringed. “All right. But tell them immediately you’re looking for Halef so no one bothers you.”
“All right.” Kira hesitated. “And I have another idea. If Kern wants Philip to hate you so badly, why don’t we give him what he wants? Why don’t we make Kern think Philip has moved on?”
It took a minute for her words to sink in. “You mean you? You want Philip to pretend to be in love with you.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but I promise...” Kira threw a sidelong glance at Philip. “I’m not in love with him anymore. It would all be an act.”
Maren took her hands. “That doesn’t mean it will be easy.”
Kira shrugged. “None of this is easy, and if this is something I can do to help it succeed, it will be worth it.”
“Philip?” Maren looked over to find him frowning.
“I’m not in the habit of playing with people’s emotions,” he said, guilt etched into every line of his face. “Especially with how I’ve acted in the past.” He looked back and forth between both ladies. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Kira asked. “For being hurt and manipulated and part of a game none of us knew we were playing?”
“For using you to make Maren angry.”
Kira almost smiled. “It’s not like I didn’t let you. And believe me, I knew exactly what you were doing.”
“So?” Maren asked. “Can you do it? Can you make Kern believe he’s already won – at least this part?”
Kira and Philip looked at each other and then back at her and nodded – right as they heard Kern in the hallway.
“Have you seen Lady Maren?” he asked someone, probably a servant.
Philip’s eyes darted to hers, full of more than fear. Terror.
Kira went so pale, Maren thought she might pass out.
“Hurry,” Maren said, standing with her back to the door. “Pretend I interrupted something.”
Kira understood immediately, rushing to Philip’s side and tucking her hand in his just as Kern opened the door.
“What’s going on in here?” he asked, one side of his mouth slanting slowly upwards as he glanced between the three occupants.
Kira somehow managed to look condescending as she stepped even closer to Philip. “Maren happened to walk in at the wrong time.”
Kern’s eyes lit up. “I see.”
Kira giggled. She really was good at this.
Kern walked over and slapped Philip’s shoulder, shooting Maren a glance of triumph. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
Philip’s jaw clenched. “Yes, well, I can’t ignore women forever.”
“No,” Kern laughed. “And who better than Lady Kira.” He gave Kira a small bow before offering his arm to Maren. “Would you like to walk in the gardens, my dear?”
She took his offered arm.
“Would the two of you like to join us?” Kern asked.
“No.” Philip’s voice was too curt. He was going to ruin everything.
“Thank you for the offer,” Kira quickly interjected, a mischievous light in her eye. “But we were enjoying our previous activity.”
Kern let out a grunt of appreciative laughter. “Then by all means continue.”
Maren let him lead her from the room, but just as she turned to close the door, she couldn’t help but see Philip’s face, now contorted in worry and anger. She gave him a small, reassuring smile.
Which she hoped was enough to keep him from doing something they’d all regret.
Twenty-six
Maren stopped outside the drawing room where she knew Kern, Daric, and Adare waited. They’d chosen today, this gathering, because it was so informal. Just the four of them. Kern would never suspect. At least she hoped so.
Halef had assured Kira the potion would work. Unfortunately, it was all he could make. One of the ingredients, Catua leaf, was nonexistent. He’d used his last supplies. But Daric would be there. No matter how powerful Kern was now, once that power was gone, Daric was the better swordsman, and since the siege, he always kept it at his side. And Philip was in the next room, waiting for the spell to fade before he rushed in with his own sword ready. This was going to work. It had to. She straightened her shoulders and stepped into the room.
Daric planted a kiss on each of her cheeks before ushering her to a seat next to Adare, who was already pouring out the tea.
“You look so much better.”
She smiled. She needed to act normal. Kern couldn’t suspect what she had planned. “I feel better.”
She accepted Kern’s cup when Adare passed it to her, and while she went through the motions of adding cream, dumped in the contents of the small vial. Somehow she managed to keep her hands from shaking.
She handed the cup to Kern. “Would you like anything else? Cake? Some cheese?”
“No, thank you.” He set his cup on the table. “This is perfect.”
“Well, now that we’re all settled,” Daric’s eyes gleamed with excitement, “I have a surprise for the two of you.”
She glanced at Kern, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Daric’s smile grew even bigger. “I know it’s customary to have a year-long engagement. However, in your case, I think we need to make an exception.” A touch of sadness clouded his features. “We don’t know how much time we have, and I want you to enjoy it to the fullest. Next week, I’m holding a banquet in honor of your engagement and setting the date of your wedding for one month from now.”
She froze, acutely aware that Kern’s tea still sat untouched on the table, and absorbed Daric’s words. No. She couldn’t marry Kern. She’d only become engaged to him with the knowledge she’d die before they were ever married. But actual marriage…
“Maren?” Daric grabbed her hand. “I thought you’d be happy.”
She pasted on a smile. “I am. I just don’t know what to say, how to express my thanks.”
“Don’t,” he said. “Anything I do for you pales in comparison to what you’ve done for me.”
Adare took her other hand. “Just be happy. For as long as you can. You’ve found something most people don’t ever find.”
Yes, she had. But not with Kern.
“We will be happy,” Kern interjected. “I promise.”
She somehow found it in herself to smile before she stood. “A toast. To happiness. And love. And life.”
They all raised their cups, and she held her breath as Kern reached for his. Only his hand closed around the hot cup instead of the handle. He instantly dropped it, letting out a loud hiss of pain, and Maren was left staring at the floor, where the brown liquid quickly disappeared into the lush carpet.
She sank back onto the sofa, vaguely a
ware of Kern giving some kind of apology while Daric grabbed a napkin.
Then there was laughing, and words like “fiancé” and “beautiful” and “banquet.” She barely heard any of it, couldn’t look away from the ugly stain on the floor, reminded how in one moment all her hopes had been crushed.
It was Adare’s hand on her arm that finally snapped her back into the present.
“So?” Adare smiled. “The banquet.”
Maren made her mouth curve up in what she hoped was a smile. “It sounds like a perfect idea.”
“But are you sure?” Kern asked. “With everything that needs to happen in a month’s time, we’re going to be incredibly busy.”
“You have no idea,” Daric laughed. “Adare hasn’t had a wedding to plan since our own. And I think she wants yours to be even larger.”
“I think that might be taking it a bit far.” Kern’s smile was his most charming, and Maren again felt sick. “For now, let’s just focus on the banquet. It’s the start of a new chapter.”
His words slithered over her and she shivered, convinced that Kern was done waiting.
* * *
The minute Maren stepped out of the door, she ran, desperation clogging every rational thought. It hadn’t worked. None of it. They were at square one again, with no idea how to kill Kern or save Daric.
She ran until she couldn’t anymore and then collapsed onto her knees, her breath coming in gasps.
Then strong arms lifted her from the ground and held her tight – until she finally felt in control again.
“What happened?” Philip asked.
“He spilled his tea on the carpet before he even took a sip.”
“Then we’ll just have to think of something else,” he said.
“What else?” She looked up into his face.
Borrowed Magic Page 18
