Arcanius

by Toby Neighbors

  “You love him very much,” Lexi said.

  “I hope the feeling is mutual. I never had any children of my own. He was just a child when the earl placed him in my care.”

  “You watched him grow up then.”

  “I did,” Robere said with a smile. “I worked with his brothers, too—we all did. The servants assigned to the earl’s family are almost like a family, too. But Tiberius was always different than his brothers. He had an open mind, always curious, and always seeing the best in every person or situation he met. I learned more from him than he ever learned from me.”

  “He talks about you,” Lexi said. “He told me you were like a father to him.”

  The elderly servant smiled.

  “He also said you brought him his whip before he was banished,” Lexi said.

  “It was the least I could do. He always loved that whip, and none of us understood why. I suppose he lost it in the blighted lands.”

  “No,” Lexi said. “It’s with our belongings on the war ship.”

  “Will you really leave Avondale again?”

  “We must,” Lexi said. “Tiberius would never put the city in danger, and Leonosis wants Ti and the Balestone.”

  Lexi looked into the corner where she had thrown the stone. No one had touched it, not yet. It was still covered with Tiberius’ blood.

  “He won’t be well enough to travel,” Robere said, reassuring himself. “Not for some time yet, I would say.”

  “He’ll be happy to see you,” Lexi said. “For however long we’re here.”

  Robere had cleaned the blood from the stone floor and carried away the bloody clothes and rags. Now there was nothing to do but wait. Lexi had a bad feeling about things. She was afraid. Seeing Tiberius so weak and in such overwhelming pain had frightened her deeply. Tiberius had seemed so powerful, almost invincible, but now he seemed frail. She didn’t mind taking care of him, but she was afraid that finding and destroying the stones of power might be more than he could bear. She had to settle in her mind the fact that Tiberius might die before everything was said and done. It was a thought that made her more than uncomfortable—it filled with a chilly fear that she couldn’t hold at bay.

  “You look beautiful,” Tiberius said weakly.

  “Ti! You’re awake,” Lexi almost shouted.

  “Master Tiberius, what do you need?” Robere asked.

  “Wine, Robere,” Ti said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “And a little bread.”

  “Right away,” Robere said. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  The elderly servant slipped out of the room, and Lexi took Tiberius by the hand.

  “I couldn’t stop them,” she said. “Your father brought in healers. They cauterized the wound.”

  “That’s good,” Tiberius said. “I couldn’t heal it.”

  “You aren’t mad?” she asked in surprise.

  “The Balestone’s magic repels my healing spells,” Tiberius said. “I might be able to heal the cut you made before you pulled the stone out, but I can’t do more. At least not yet.”

  “Well, you’ll have to stay in bed, at least for a week or so,” Lexi said. “We can’t even think about leaving—”

  “No,” Tiberius said. “We have to go. I can rest on the journey south.”

  “Tiberius, think about what you’re saying. You’re hurt, and so is Rafe. We can’t travel until you’re both well.”

  “I’ll heal Rafe now. Take me to him.”

  Tiberius struggled to sit up, but Lexi held him down.

  “No,” she said.

  “Lexi, listen to me. My father may have already sent word to Leonosis that we’re here. If we wait, we could find ourselves surrounded.”

  “You have to take care of yourself,” Lexi said. “You almost died.”

  “It wasn’t that bad,” Tiberius said, his face sweaty and pale from the pain.

  “Why are you so stubborn?”

  “I’m not being stubborn. I just don’t want you or Olyva or anyone else to be hurt because of me.”

  “You can’t fight all by yourself, Ti,” Lexi said. “Let me help you.”

  “I want your help,” he said. “I need you more than ever, Lexi, but the Balestone is evil. I know that now more than ever. You saw the havoc it caused in the wrong hands. We have to get the Emerystone and make sure that the portal to the Nether Realm is closed forever.”

  “I don’t understand,” Lexi said, feeling a little defeated.

  “That’s okay. I’ll explain everything to you soon. Right now, I need to help Rafe. Then we can make our plans.”

  “Fine, I’ll have him brought to you,” Lexi said. “You stay here and rest.”

  “Fair enough,” Tiberius said. “I love you.”

  Lexi felt her fear and worry drain away. She leaned forward and kissed Tiberius softly, then hurried from the room so Ti wouldn’t see the tears she couldn’t hold back anymore.

  Chapter 35

  Tiberius

  When he first woke up, all he could think of was pain. His back felt as if it were on fire, and there was a deep-seated ache that started in his back and radiated down through his hips and up into his shoulders. But when he opened his eyes and saw Lexi, he felt an immediate sense of calmness and strength. She was there, still watching over him, and that fact filled him with pride.

  After sending Robere for food and Lexi to bring Rafe, Tiberius finally let himself summon his magic. He hadn’t been able to heal Rafe on the rooftop, and then he couldn’t heal himself after Lexi removed the Balestone. Those incidents had left Tiberius with an overwhelming fear that the Balestone had somehow robbed him of his magical skills. He still knew the spells, but he couldn’t move the magic into his own wound. He knew that the Balestone had left some residual, magical debris; he could feel that much. Even though the voices were no longer in his head and he wasn’t competing with conflicting internal desires, he still felt traces of fury and a lust for power.

  “Sano Sarcio Acies Deprimo Abscido,” Tiberius chanted softly.

  He felt the magic stir around him, then he directed it into his back. The healing flow immediately went to work on the edge of the deep cut in his back, and he could feel his body pushing the stitches out of the muscles and skin. His pain didn’t quite double, but it flared bright enough to take his breath away. He felt a sense of relief as he worked the spell, but whenever he tried to coax the magic deeper into the wound, it refused. The fiery pain from the cut vanished, but the deep ache remained. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t heal the area that had been in contact with the Balestone. It was as if there was a void in his back and nothing he tried would heal it.

  “Acies Penetralis Deprimo Sano Crudus Viscus,” he chanted, trying to cast the spell to heal internal bleeding. But the magic always moved around the small wound deep in his body, like water flowing past a rock in a stream bed.

  Then an idea struck Tiberius. Lexi had told him the healers had cauterized the wound. Tiberius had a vague memory of unbelievable pain, the stench of burning flesh, and the sound of his own screams filling his ears. Perhaps the spell for healing burns would work, he thought. It was the most complicated of the Sana Magus spells, but he had successfully cast the spell before.

  “Acies Sano Cuticula, Acies Penetralis Resarcio Viscus,” he said, repeating the spell over and over.

  He pushed the magic toward his wound. He could feel the charred flesh deep inside his back. He could even feel the blood flowing through his veins and the organs working around the wound, but the small pocket where the Balestone had been lodged refused to be healed. It was like a ruined eye socket, weak and weepy. The residual evil of the stone clung to the charred flesh like a sticky residue, stubbornly refusing to be swept away by Tiberius’ healing spells.

  Finally, after several minutes of intense effort, Tiberius gave up. He felt better and was able to raise himself up to a sitting position on the bed without help. There was still a lot of pain, a horrid, deep ache, and as he mo
ved, the muscles in his back quivered, threatening to spasm.

  He untied the bandage that the healers had wrapped around his body and with one hand felt his back where the cut had been. Now there was nothing but smooth flesh. Robere came in with a tray but immediately set the tray down and hurried over to the bed.

  “Master Tiberius, you mustn’t,” he said in a shrill voice.

  “It’s okay,” Ti explained.

  He had to turn slightly so that Robere could see his back. The old man was speechless. He reached out with a trembling hand and touched the place that had been sliced open and was now perfectly smooth flesh, without even a mark to show where the cut had been.

  “What about the stitches?” Robere asked.

  “The spell pushed them out,” Tiberius said.

  “So you’re healed,” the servant said. “The way you healed me?”

  “Not exactly,” Tiberius said. “I could only heal the cut Lexi made, not the wound the stone left in me.”

  Robere looked at the Balestone still covered in Ti’s blood in the corner of the room.

  “I should throw it out,” Robere said. “I can take it up to the wall and cast it out into the mist,” he said.

  “No,” Tiberius reassured the elderly servant. “The Balestone has to be destroyed. That’s my task. But it can’t be done here. I have to go far to the south first. Far away from Avondale.”

  “But this is where you belong, my lord,” Robere said.

  “Not anymore,” Tiberius said. “I’ve seen too much. Besides, I doubt the city would accept me the way that you have.”

  “They would love you, lord, if they knew you as I do.”

  “Perhaps, but Leo will hunt me down wherever I go. If I stay here, the whole city would be in danger. I can’t do that.”

  “I see. But you won’t leave right away, will you? Surely you can stay for a while?”

  “I will heal Rafe and see my father,” Tiberius said. “Then we must leave. Every moment that I wait gives our enemy time to find us.”

  “Who is your enemy, lord?” Robere asked. “Surely not your own brother?”

  “You above all people know how dangerous Leonosis is,” Tiberius said, thinking of how his older brother had tortured the helpless, elderly servant. “But I don’t think Leo is acting alone. The princess—I mean, Queen Ariel—is a sorceress. I believe she has summoned a powerful spirit being to our world and now the creature looks to enslave us all. The only way to stop him is by destroying the stone.”

  “Your father should give you his war band. A thousand soldiers could stop this monster.”

  Tiberius smiled. He knew that Robere couldn’t fathom the depths of their enemy’s power, but he would put all his trust in Tiberius without hesitation.

  “You brought food?” Tiberius asked.

  “Yes, of course. Wine, just as you asked. Fresh bread, some cheese, and fruit, as well.”

  “Help me into a chair. I don’t want to stay on the bed.”

  “Are you sure?” Robere asked, the concern evident in his voice.

  “Yes, positive,” Tiberius said.

  Robere took his arm, and Tiberius stood up slowly. The muscles in his back threatened to cramp, and the deep pain throbbed, but after a moment Tiberius felt strong enough to stand on his own. He walked slowly toward the tray of food while Robere moved one of the wooden chairs back to the table. Tiberius sat down on the edge of the chair, not letting his back touch the hard backrest of the chair.

  “A pillow perhaps, my lord?”

  “That might help,” Tiberius agreed.

  Robere slipped a pillow between Tiberius and the back of the chair. Then he poured wine from a crystal decanter into a small cup. Tiberius picked up a peach and looked at it. It felt warm in his hands and perfectly ripe.

  “Those were just brought in from the orchards,” Robere said. “I thought you might enjoy them.”

  Tiberius bit into the peach, its soft, furry skin parting easily to reveal the sweet flesh underneath. The peach was so juicy, the sticky, delicious nectar ran down his chin and into his hand. He hadn’t realized how dry his mouth was, but as the juice of the peach flooded his mouth, he sucked it down eagerly. He took several bites of the peach in rapid succession, then added a piece of cheese to his already full mouth.

  The wine was rich and strong. As Tiberius let the wine roll across his tongue, his taste buds seemed to explode in his mouth. Everything tasted so good, he felt like he could eat an entire feast by himself, but then after only only a few moments, he was full.

  “The peaches are perfect,” Tiberius said. “I want to be sure we have a sack of them loaded onto the ship before we leave the city.”

  “I can see to that, lord. I can see to all your provisions,” Robere said.

  “That would be a huge help,” Tiberius said. “We need enough food and water for the small crew and three passengers.”

  Robere nodded and left the room again, but Tiberius was struck by a sudden sadness. He realized he didn’t want to leave Avondale without Rafe. As children they had dreamed of grand adventures together, and as men they had shared everything since the banishment. But now Rafe was staying to take his father’s place as the earl’s champion and personal guard. The ache in his heart over the loss of his friend was almost as painful as the wound deep in his back.

  When Lexi returned, Tiberius had the soldiers lay Rafe’s body down on the bed. The soldiers were the same group that had carried Rafe from the roof.

  “They haven’t left him since we pulled him off the wall,” Lexi said quietly about the guards.

  Tiberius guessed that Lexi was suspicious of the men, but Tiberius thought they were simply hopeful. Rafe’s father had been the pride of Avondale and the earl’s commander for decades, and everyone had expected Rafe to be just as famous. The men of the earl’s war band had respected Rafe, and now it seemed they were looking to him to show them what to do, now that their loyalty was called into question.

  “They’re fine,” Tiberius said, getting slowly to his feet.

  “Are you really strong enough to do that?” Lexi said. Then she saw his back. “Did you heal it?”

  “Just the cut. Like I told you, the area around the stone won’t heal magically. I tried everything I knew to do.”

  “You need to rest,” she said, sounding worried.

  “There will be time for rest soon. Right now, Rafe needs me.”

  “He hasn’t woken up yet,” Olyva said. “He’s not in pain, but his breathing seems to be getting worse.”

  “Cut off his clothes,” Tiberius said.

  The soldiers stepped forward with daggers and knives. They were gentle, and Olyva covered Rafe’s hips with a towel. Tiberius spent several minutes looking his friend’s body over. It was bruised from his knees up. His thighs, arms, and shoulders were all splotched with dark bruises, but his abdomen was swollen, and it was obvious that Rafe had several broken ribs.

  “This will take a while,” Tiberius said.

  “Here.” Lexi offered Ti the other chair. “Sit down at least.”

  Tiberius sat gingerly on the edge of the chair and placed his hands on Rafe’s shoulder and swollen belly. Lexi stood to one side of Tiberius, and Olyva was on the other. The soldiers stood against the far wall, watching, as Tiberius closed his eyes and began to chant his healing spells.

  Chapter 36

  Tiberius

  Restoring Rafe’s body took time, but otherwise Tiberius had no trouble helping his friend, who was still unconscious from the stems Olyva had plucked from her body. Tiberius would have loved to spend time trying to understand all the incredible things Olyva could do since her changing, but there simply was no more time.

  “I have to see my father,” Tiberius told Lexi and Olyva. “Then we should leave.”

  “So soon?” Olyva asked.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “But Rafe hasn’t woken?”

  “Stay with him. I will send for you once we’re ready. And Olyva, if yo
u choose to stay, we will support your decision completely.”

  “No,” Olyva said. “This will never be my home again. I can feel the call to move on, and I want to help you.”

  “We could really use your help,” Lexi said.

  Olyva smiled, and Tiberius turned around. The Balestone was still lying in the corner. His blood had dried so dark that the stone looked brown, but Tiberius could still feel the stone’s power calling to him. He knew he couldn’t risk losing the Balestone again and couldn’t send it with one of the soldiers, but he didn’t want to touch it, either.

  “Lexi, pull out my trunk from under the bed,” he said.

  Tiberius walked over and picked up the metal tongs. They were heavy but effective. He picked up the stone easily enough and turned back to Lexi.

  “There’s an old coin purse in there,” he said.

  “I’ve got it,” Lexi confirmed.

  She poured the coins out into the box. They were mostly old coins, struck with the images of earls and kings long dead. Tiberius had collected them as a boy. Most earls cast new coins at some point during their reign, collecting the old coins and melting them down so that the new currency carried their own image. Tiberius had often wondered what Leonosis’ coins would look like. Now he hoped that his brother didn’t live long enough to reforge Valana’s currency—or the very nature of the kingdom.

  Lexi held open the pouch, and Tiberius carefully dropped the Balestone inside it. He could feel the stone responding to his murderous thoughts. It wanted him to kill his brother; the strange magical object seemed to revel in pain, destruction, and death. Tiberius felt guilty for wanting his brother to die, but Tiberius wanted to live. He wanted his friends to live and even the people of Avondale, the other cities of Valana, and the free people living across the blighted lands to live. He wanted them to thrive, to know peace, to prosper. He doubted that he could give them all those things, but if he could stop Leonosis, he knew they at least had a chance.