A Soul for Trouble

by Crista McHugh

  “Tell Arden I look forward to seeing her again soon,” he growled as his body faded into mist.

  The Ranellian responsible for cutting off the Necromancer’s hand jumped to his feet and swung his sword through the shadowy remnants left behind, dispersing them into the wind.

  “What the hell just happened?”

  “He dissipated,” Dev replied. He wrapped his arms tighter around Trouble and reinforced his shields around them. The Ranellian’s blade had pierced the Necromancer’s shields, and he worried that if he didn’t cooperate, they might become the next victims to experience the King’s justice. “It’s a spell most master mages know.”

  “Where did he go?”

  “I have no idea. It’s not like we’re best friends.”

  The hand in the mud burst into flames and turned into a pile of ashes within seconds. Only the dagger remained. The Ranellian picked it up.

  “Be careful with that,” Dev warned. “It’s cursed. The last person who felt its point ended up encased in stone.”

  The Ranellian dropped it and raised his sword. The tip pressed against Dev’s shoulder through the shields, the blade obviously holding some enchantment stronger than any magic he could wield. “Why should I believe anything you say?”

  “Because my apprentice and I seem to be the only ones who can help you defeat the Necromancer.”

  The Ranellian’s blade grazed Dev’s neck. “Who are you, and what is your business in Ranello?”

  “I’m Sir Devarius Tel’brien, Knight of Gravaria.” No need to add the “Sworn Protector of the Soulbearer” and rouse their suspicions further. The fact that he was a foreign elf who could use magic would be enough to cause him to lose his head. “I was sent by the Empress to follow a Gravarian who’d escaped to Ranello and bring him back.” The clouds parted, and a beam from one of the three moons shined down on them through the trees. Damp curls clung to the Ranellian’s broad face, and the royal crest of Ranello stretched across the armored plate covering his chest. One of the King’s soldiers. “And where is he?”

  “The Necromancer killed him before I could capture him.” Something warm and wet dripped onto Dev’s hand. He turned his attention to Trouble.

  The gash on her temple continued to bleed, trickling down her face onto her shoulder. He contemplated the danger of healing her in front of a hostile audience or waiting until later and praying he wouldn’t be too late. His leg throbbed in response, reminding him of his own wounds. He lowered his shields, since the Ranellian had already proven he could slice through them. “May I ask your name?”

  The Ranellian’s eyes widened in surprise. He withdrew his sword a few inches. “I’m Kell.” He waited a moment, the expression on his face full of self-importance.

  Dev gave a curt nod in acknowledgement but nothing more. The name meant nothing to him. As far as he was concerned, the man was just another backwards Ranellian. “Well, if you don’t mind, my apprentice and I need to find our horses and be on our way to Boznac.”

  “You’re not going anywhere. Like Sulaino said, magic is forbidden in Ranello. Your apprentice gave us quite a display of her power.”

  “She did it to save your lives, you ungrateful humans.” His retort resulted in three news blades poking his back.

  Kell narrowed his eyes. “The law is still the law, and only the King can overturn it.” A familiar growl sounded behind him. The Ranellians jumped back as Cinder forced his way through them, sitting between Kell and Trouble. Dev used the momentary distraction to heal the gash at her temple. The blood stopped, but she didn’t stir.

  Cinder licked her cheek and whimpered.

  “I’m beginning to think you like her more than me,” he murmured to the animal.

  “Is this your wolf?” Kell asked. His sword wavered slightly in front of them.

  “Yes. He’s tame,” he replied before adding under his breath, “for the most part.”

  “Sir Devarius, I have no desire to remain here in the mud with my sword pointed at you all night. You and your apprentice both look like you could use the attention of a healer.” Dev choked back a laugh. He would rather rot in a shallow grave than face the primitive healing the Ranellians offered. Although it took more magic to heal himself than it did to heal another, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about rusty needles and dirty bandages. “I’ll take care of her.” He brushed her wet hair back from her temple to inspect the injury. Not even a scar remained. “She is my responsibility.”

  “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. You are both under arrest for using magic in Ranello.

  According to the law, I have every right to burn you both at the stake right now.” Kell knelt in front of them and lowered his voice. “I’m grateful you came to our aid, which is why I’m showing you what mercy I can. I can’t overturn the laws, but I can plead your case to the king and ask him to set you free.”

  A smirk pulled at Dev’s lips. “Or you and your men could say we escaped and forget about this whole incident.”

  “My gratitude doesn’t extend to making me look like an incompetent fool in front of my men.”

  He scanned the small band of soldiers, calculating his odds of escaping without getting either one of them killed. He could always use magic to confuse and detain the Ranellians, but he had to factor in that he was injured and Trouble was unconscious. He doubted he could make it back to their horses before they overtook him.

  He closed his eyes, took a deep breath. He hated when Lady Luck stacked the odds against him. “It seems I have no other choice in the matter,” he said at last.

  “I’m glad we could reach a consensus without more violence.” Kell stood, sheathed his sword, and turned to the man standing next to him. “Lord Bynn, will you relieve Sir Devarius of his apprentice and take her to my tent? She’ll have some privacy there while the healer tends to her injuries.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Bynn replied with a bow.

  Dev winced at Kell’s title. Just perfect. He’d been exchanging barbs with the youngest of the Ranellian princes. So much for improving relations between their two kingdoms. At least that explained why the man thought he might be able to sway King Heodis into pardoning them. Saving a young princeling had to count for something.

  Bynn reached for Trouble, causing Cinder to growl. Dev didn’t stop him.

  Kell sighed and rolled his eyes. “We can’t help you if you don’t let us.”

  “I’m trying to decide whether or not to trust you and your men.” Especially when your reputation with women is legend even in Gravaria.

  “Are Gravarians always this suspicious?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time a Ranellian has double-crossed us.” Kell’s mouth became a tight line. Some stories history never seemed to forget, no matter how many times they were rewritten. More than three centuries had passed since Ranello refused to come to Gravaria’s aid when blight raged across the land. Instead, the king blamed the use of magic for the failed crops and closed the borders between the two kingdoms.

  Thousands died from starvation before a ritual to end it was found. By then, the blight had crossed the mountains into Ranello. Gravarian mages came to help the Ranellians when they begged for mercy, only to be executed by the king for breaking his new law banning magic within the realm.

  “I give you my word as the Third Prince of Ranello that no harm will come to you or your apprentice from me and my men.”

  His gaze travelled between the two men in front of him before coming to rest on Cinder.

  “Do you mind if he follows her?”

  What little color the pale moonlight gave Kell’s face fled. He cleared his throat. “And what if your wolf attacks us?”

  “As long as you don’t hurt her, he’ll behave. He’s quite attached to her, after all.” The Ranellians exchanged glances. Bynn cleared his throat. “I have no problem with the wolf, Your Highness. He seems tame enough.”

  When Bynn reached for Trouble again, Dev gave her to him. The nobleman carried her
with ease toward the other side of the clearing, with Cinder on his heels.

  Dev watched them until they disappeared from view. His heart pounded, and he hoped he’d made a wise decision trusting the prince. With his lap bare, he got a closer look at his thigh. Blood oozed from the wound, and a wave of dizziness blurred his vision.

  Kell leaned over and offered his hand. “I think the healer needs to tend to you before your apprentice.”

  “I’ll be fine.” A grunt escaped Dev’s throat as he came to his feet and tested his leg. He could put a little weight on it, but he stumbled forward when he tried to walk. Pain snaked up his thigh like a dozen hot daggers.

  A strong arm caught him and kept him from sprawling in the mud. “Are Gravarian knights as stubborn as they are suspicious?” Laughter laced Kell’s voice.

  Dev ground his teeth to keep from telling him exactly what he thought, but he worried the cries of pain would overshadow his words if he opened his mouth. Instead, he accepted the prince’s aid and limped across the clearing.

  “Sir Devarius—”

  “It’s Dev, if you don’t mind.” He already felt nauseated enough without having to deal with excessive formality.

  “Dev, I truly do appreciate your help tonight fighting Sulaino.”

  “You have your work cut out for you if you think you can defeat a necromancer without magic.”

  “Which is why I want to see you and your apprentice live. We could use your assistance.” He stopped and refused to budge. “What makes you think we’ll stay and help?” Disbelief crossed Kell’s face, revealing his youthful idealism. By Jussip, he and Trouble were two of a kind. A few decades’ worth of experience would temper it.

  “The only reason I’m here is because I went chasing after Trouble,” Dev continued.

  “She’s the one who came up with the crazy idea she could stop the Necromancer you call Sulaino. If I had my way, I would’ve thrown her over her horse and been several miles down the road by now.”

  The frown on the prince’s face deepened. “You call yourself a knight, and yet you would not come to the aid of others when it was needed? What about honor and chivalry?”

  “I don’t know where you Ranellians get your definitions of honor and chivalry, but in Gravaria, honor means upholding my oaths. I pledged my service to the Empress of Gravaria, and I swore an oath to protect Trouble. That’s it. I’m not obligated to help you at all.” Kell shoved him away and reached for his sword. “You’re a man without honor.” Dev held his arms out to his sides. “And you’re willing to attack an injured and unarmed man because he speaks the truth. How honorable is that, Prince Kell?” He almost spat out the last words.

  The prince’s fingers unwrapped from the sword’s hilt one by one. “Point made. Let’s get you to the healer before I have to drag you through the mud.” A still figure emerged from the shadows, and the smell of death wafted in the breeze. Dev tensed. Could Sulaino have already sent more undead to attack them? He stopped, nodding toward it.

  Kell stared at it for a minute then turned away. “It’s one of my own men. He was killed in the fight, and Sulaino changed him. I couldn’t bring myself to destroy him.” Water steadily dripped off the figure. If he didn’t act soon, the undead would thaw out of his icy shell and continue to follow the Necromancer’s orders. Dev limped toward it, raising his elbow. The head of the ice statue cracked under the force of his first blow.

  Kell grabbed his arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m setting his soul free. As long as his body remains intact, it’ll be tortured by that fiend.” He wrenched his arm free and managed to shatter the head into dozens of shards before Kell flung him to the ground.

  “But he was one of my men.”

  Dev struggled to his feet. “No. The moment Sulaino animated him, he became his slave.

  He has no memories of his friends and family. He exists only to carry out his creator’s bidding.”

  A muscle rippled along Kell’s jaw. He glanced at the jagged torso and legs that remained.

  “Perhaps I was foolishly wishing your apprentice could reverse the spell.” A bitter note of laughter answered him. “Trouble’s powerful, but there’s only one way to bring the dead back to life, and you’ve already seen it.” Kell traced the sharp edges of the ice. “It seems like the apprentice is more powerful than the master.”

  Resentment surged through Dev. He didn’t like the idea that the prince thought his powers inadequate. In truth, Trouble had demonstrated strong potential in the elemental magics even without Loku’s influence, but the only reason she succeeded tonight was because of the god’s power. “All the more reason to get her to the Mage Primus in Gravaria so she can complete her training under someone whose skill matches hers.”

  “Are you sure she’s your apprentice and nothing more? After all, not many women would travel alone with a man unless they were on, um, intimate terms.” Dev resisted the urge to punch the insolent grin off the prince’s face, especially after his question reminded him of how close he came to kissing her earlier this evening. “My duty takes precedence above everything else,” he replied woodenly, “and she lives up to her name.” Kell’s smile widened. “It’ll be interesting to see how things play out then.” He turned to the soldier who approached him and said, “Lassandro, please help Sir Dev to Cero’s tent so he can have that leg sewn up.”

  The soldier bowed and led Dev in the opposite direction of the prince.

  He frowned. Why did he feel like he’d just inherited a whole new set of problems?

  Chapter 14

  Kell rubbed his chin as he reviewed his conversation with the Gravarian knight. Dev was holding something back, but what? His gut told him it had something to do with the girl, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it, especially after seeing Sulaino’s interest in her.

  Inside Kell’s tent, Bynn stood back, drawing something on a piece of paper.

  Cero had just finished tying a knot in the bandages around the girl’s torso. “Now, let’s take a look at her head,” the healer said after nodding in acknowledgement to the prince.

  “I can take care of that,” Kell said. “Please tend to the other men. Some of them have more serious wounds than hers.”

  Cero assessed him with keen eyes. “You look like you got nicked a few times yourself, Your Highness.”

  The scratch along his cheekbone stung as he ran his finger across it. “It’s stopped bleeding.”

  “Any other injuries?”

  “Nothing more than a few bruises.”

  The grey-haired healer nodded, satisfied that his work was done. “I’ll leave a bit of my salve so that wound won’t leave a noticeable scar.”

  “But the ladies like men with scars,” Bynn said with a grin. “Especially pretty little wounds like that. They’ll give the prince a roguish air.”

  “Would you like a matching one?” he teased back.

  “Only if you think it will help me get into Lady Ralena’s bed when we return.”

  “I think I’ve heard enough from you two young men.” Cero gathered his supplies with the aid of his assistant. “I’ll be in my tent if you need me later tonight, Your Highness.” As soon as they were alone, Bynn’s face grew serious. “Come take a look at this, Kell.” He leaned over his friend’s shoulder at the odd symbol sketched on the paper. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know, but when Cero lifted her tunic to tend the cut on her back, I saw this.” He dropped the paper on a small table and lifted the girl. “See for yourself.” Underneath her tunic, Kell saw the same black symbol drawn on the small of her back.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  “Nor have I.” Bynn laid her back down on the cushions and pulled the blanket up to her chin. She continued to sleep, unaware of their examination.

  “I have a feeling Sir Devarius knows what it means.”

  Bynn didn’t miss the note of sarcasm in his voice. “Were you able to learn anything from him?”<
br />
  “Only that her name is Trouble.”

  He snorted. “Fitting, I suppose. Let’s hope she’s a nice witch when she wakes up. I’d hate to end up frozen, too.”

  “According to Dev, it was her idea to come help us.” He turned the paper around, wondering if the symbol made sense upside down. “If she wanted to hurt us, she could have done so. The only things affected by her spell were the undead.”

  “I admit I feared for my life when she started casting, though. Did you notice how her eyes glowed?”

  Kell looked from the drawing to the girl. “No, I was more focused on keeping debris from blowing in my eyes and worrying about my bits freezing off.” He shivered at the memory of the storm she conjured. He’d never felt wind that cold before.

  Bynn laughed. “With you, it’s always about your bits.”

  “I have a reputation to uphold.”

  “Yes, I can imagine the ladies of the court wailing in grief if you were missing what they’ve come to love.”

  Despite their banter, Kell saw signs of his friend’s weariness. “I’ll take care of her from here. Go get some rest.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be safe alone with her?”

  Kell flashed a grin. “I think you should be asking if she’s safe alone with me once she wakes up.”

  Bynn chuckled. “So full of yourself. If I didn’t know you better…” His words drifted off as he shook his head.

  “You know me better than most, my friend. I’ll call for help if I need it.”

  “You never struck me as the type to share.”

  “There’s a first time for everything, I suppose.”

  Bynn was still laughing as he left the tent.

  Kell dipped a cloth in the water basin and began removing the dried blood along the side of her face. Under the layers of dirt, she was actually kind of pretty, in an odd way. Her golden hair, creamy skin, and heart-shaped face captured his attention after years of staring at the dark features and oval-shaped faces of the ladies at court. Perhaps introducing Gravarian ladies to the court would finally entice his father and the other lords to re-open negotiations with the neighboring kingdom.