by Sam Ferguson
The horses reared up and bolted away, dragging the carriage with them.
“Behind me!” Feberik shouted to Lady Priscilla. The woman quickly ran around Feberik and held her baby close as she sprinted for the open door.
The first wylkin jumped to its feet and sprinted after Lady Priscilla, but Feberik bent down and picked up something that from Cyrus’ vantage point looked like a good-sized stone.
A gray streak shot across the courtyard and a moment later the first wylkin grunted as its head jerked to the side violently and then it fell to the grass. Its body twitched, but it did not get up again.
The second wylkin was rising again, but Feberik was already charging it. He started off with a massive front kick to the wylkin’s chest. The bipedal monster swung out with its massive, sharp hooks, but caught only the front of Feberik’s shirt. Feberik then pressed the attack. A left hook to the face. A quick shot to the body. A kick to the wylkin’s right knee. Then he jumped back to avoid the wylkin’s hooks and tails once more before lunging in to finish the fight with one terrible punch to the creature’s throat.
The wylkin coughed and sputtered, staggering to the side as its knees lost their strength and it fell to the ground.
Feberik moved in slowly, wary of the deadly hooks on the ends of the wylkin’s arms. Then, he lashed out and kicked the beast in the ribs. Even Cyrus cringed as the snapping bones echoed off the walls of the courtyard. The wylkin collapsed and gave up the ghost.
At that precise moment, Master Fenn and Headmaster Herion were charging into the courtyard.
Cyrus didn’t hear the particulars, but he heard enough to get the idea. Master Fenn was accusing Linny of attracting the wylkins with her dark magic. The carriage was brought back by the driver and the girl was being roughly gathered up and placed into the carriage. Then, Master Fenn was hugging his wife and child before going and throwing his arms around Feberik in an embrace of gratitude.
“That ought to earn Feberik some points,” Cyrus said, pleased with his work.
He watched until the courtyard was clear. Feberik and the others went back inside after Herion burned the wylkin bodies. Linny was hastily driven away in the carriage by herself.
“Now for the next part of the plan,” Cyrus said to himself. He closed his eyes and then transported himself to the carriage without the use of a portal.
Linny jumped when he appeared beside her, but he stifled her with a hand to her mouth and then gave her a serious look that told her to keep quiet.
“I can help you, but you must remain quiet.”
Linny nodded.
“You know I am Kyra’s instructor, right?”
Linny nodded again.
“Do you still want to learn magic?”
Linny shook her head.
Cyrus smiled and pulled his hand away from her mouth. He then reached down and held her hand, closed his eyes, and the two of them disappeared from the carriage.
A moment later, the two of them were standing in the middle of a forest.
“Where are we?” Linny asked. “Why have you brought me here?”
“You have a secret,” Cyrus said slyly.
Linny looked nervous. Her eyes darted to the trees around them and her lip quivered just slightly. “What do you mean?”
Cyrus held up a hand. “I mean your name is not Linny Ravia of Nortwyn Abbey.”
Linny frowned. “That isn’t a secret, at least, it’s not a secret anymore,” she replied. “Headmaster Herion already figured out the papers were faked.”
“Ah, but does he know your true heritage?” Cyrus asked.
The girl folded her arms and her face grew red. “Listen, I don’t have to explain myself to you! Just leave me alone!”
Cyrus laughed. “If that is what you want, then I will, but first I want you to listen to me explain who you really are.”
“I am Eleanor Hughes,” she said quickly. “I was born in the slums of…”
“No,” Cyrus said loudly. “You are the daughter of a nobleman. That is fact. Moreover, I know who your father is.”
“I have no father!” Eleanor shouted.
Cyrus bent down so that his eyes were level with hers. “Give me two minutes. Once you have heard what I have to say, if wish to go back to the slums, then I will honor that. However, you deserve to know the truth before you decide.”
Eleanor’s face was still red, but she closed her mouth and arched a brow as her blue eyes stared back at him expectantly.
“You share the same father as Janik and Feberik Orres.”
“Impossible!”
Cyrus held a finger to her mouth. “Not only is it possible, but Janik is the one who told me. He told me of how your father wished to send you a portion of his wealth upon his death. Your name, and that of your mother, was written in the will, did you know that?”
Eleanor shook her head.
“However, Janik hid that fact, and cheated you out of your due inheritance. More than that, he was the one who went to great lengths to get Herion to inspect your documents. Neither Kyra nor Kathair are being expelled, so why are you being kicked out?” Cyrus waved his arm out to the side to emphasize his rhetoric. “I’ll tell you why, it’s because Janik didn’t want his half-sister taking honor away from his family.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Eleanor said with tears forming in her eyes.
“Because, in this world, men will take from you anything you cannot hold and protect for yourself. They will rob you, cheat you, and lie to you. You have to learn to make your own way if you are to survive.” Cyrus then pulled her ebony and opal wand out from the folds of his robe.
“Headmaster Herion took that from me, how did you get it?” Eleanor asked.
Cyrus smiled and held it out for her. “I took it back from Janik, after he took it from Herion,” he lied. The truth was he had asked Herion for it after Linny was expelled. Herion had little problem giving a wand to an instructor of magic, but that version would not engender the hatred he was trying to build within Eleanor. “Also, you should know that the portion of wealth intended for your mother and you was used in the dowry to buy Kyra’s hand in marriage.”
Eleanor frowned and took the wand in her hands. She turned it over for a minute and then shook her head. “Kyra wouldn’t have known about that,” she said. “She told me she doesn’t even like Feberik.”
Cyrus smiled and put on the best version of an empathetic face he could muster. “I know, but I bring it up because it was Janik’s decision. He and Feberik have taken so much from you, I don’t want them to steal away your future too.”
“What do you mean?”
Cyrus smiled and stood up fully. “I have friends who can teach you magic. You can keep your wand, the wand your mother bought for you, and train until you are strong enough to forge your own future.” He turned and gestured to a tree nearby. “I can introduce you now, or I can return you to the carriage bound for the slums. Which will it be?”
Eleanor thought for a moment and then looked at her wand. “Are they good people?”
Cyrus shrugged. “They will be good to you,” he told her. “Learn from them, and you will finally have the power and future your mother and father wanted you to have. You will no longer have to ask anyone for scraps to eat. You will have a bed all your own, and a home to belong to. Moreover, you will not have to use a fake name. You will be Eleanor Hughes.”
Eleanor nodded. “I would like that.”
Cyrus smiled wide. “One more thing, you will not be able to see Kyra again,” he said. “From this point, you will walk separate paths.”
Eleanor nodded, albeit slower and less enthusiastic this time. “I understand,” she said.
Cyrus motioned for her to follow him. He conjured a leather bag and seized the top. The bag heaved and writhed as the contents inside squirmed.
The two of them moved next to a basin resting upon a stone.
“This is the beginning of a new life for you,” Cyrus said. He could see the gi
rl was nervous, but he was sure he had her convinced enough to follow through now.
Scanning the woods around them, Cyrus made sure they were alone before pouring the bag out into the basin. A nine inch long cucumber slug slammed down and slimed its way to the bottom of the bowl where it encountered a deep pile of powdery ash and recoiled against the substance. Next came a sheep’s eye, a spider’s egg sack, a snake head, and a lizard’s tail.
He waved his hand over the basin and spoke. “As the day is eaten by the night, the darkness is the truest keeper of the light.” Cyrus spat into the ashes and they began to glow. “Darkest night, reveal your face and let me partake of your light.”
Green flame reached through the ashes, enveloping the slug and the other offerings in the basin. The slug shriveled, but did not char. Instead, the offering simply absorbed into the ash as the flames grew taller. A pale, wrinkled face peered out at them from the flames for only a moment before vanishing again.
The oak tree beyond the basin began to swell, doubling, then tripling in size. A knot slid into the center and slowly dilated. The tree groaned and creaked at the effort. Finally a mountainous mass emerged up from the dirt and joined to the back of the mutated oak tree.
Cyrus ran his hand through the flaming ashes in the basin. The flames licked and tickled his arm, but he remained unharmed. His fingers sifted through the ash until he found the round, gelatinous mass. He pulled it from the basin and walked to the tree. He reached forward and deposited the black, smoldering mass into the dilated knothole. The tree closed around his forearm like a mouth, sucking the blackened ooze from Cyrus’ palm and only releasing his arm when all of the slime was cleaned from his skin.
The tree emitted a low, rumbling groan. The knot swelled again until it was large enough for them to pass through.
“Come on,” Cyrus said as he reached back for Eleanor’s hand. He could see the hesitation in her eyes, but there was something else as well. Curiosity. He smiled when she stepped forward and put her hand in his. “It’s not far from here,” he told her.
Ethereal green flames hovered in the air before Cyrus’ face. The inside of the oak smelled like freshly chipped wood, but it resembled stone in its appearance. The magical cave descended steeply into the ground. Cyrus held Eleanor’s hand with his right hand and steadied himself with his left hand as they passed through the tree-like cave entrance and moved into an earthen tunnel.
The hovering green flame floated before them still, lighting their way as they descended deeper and deeper into the ground.
At last, they came to a great chamber. A pair of underground rivers flanked them as they stepped out from the tunnel and into the chamber. The glowing, azure rivers converged in the center of the great hall, forming a living pool of light. In the center of this pool, upon an island of stone, was a woman next to a cauldron, periodically glancing to a podium which held a large tome. Beyond the woman a young girl about Eleanor’s age sat behind a desk of stone on a chair made of mammoth bones, stirring a solution in a beaker.
The woman looked up from the cauldron and smiled at them. “Cyrus, it is good to see you.”
“And you, Sister Hairen,” Cyrus said. They walked toward the edge of the stone platform, stopping a couple of paces away from where it gave way to the ever flowing rivers pouring into the pool. “I have brought a friend who is looking for a home, and for training in magic,” Cyrus said.
“Well, bring her here, let me take a look at her,” Hairen said.
“They are witches,” Eleanor said in a hushed tone to Cyrus.
“They will help you, when all others would kick you to the slums. Be careful you do not judge them too harshly before getting to know them. Otherwise, you will be no better than the likes of Janik, who sees only an inconvenience, an embarrassment, a stray orphan not fit to make a place for herself at the same school as the girl whose dowry was purchased with your inheritance.”
Eleanor looked at her feet, and Cyrus knew he had hit a nerve. He summoned a bridge of floating stones and led Eleanor across.
“This is Eleanor Hughes,” Cyrus said as he pulled her forward to present her to Hairen. “She has quite a gift, but her powers are raw and unrefined.”
“Ah, yes, I can see the gift inside of her,” Hairen said as she bent down and placed a hand on Eleanor’s forehead. The witch smiled at Eleanor. “You are welcome to live with us. I am Hairen, and I conduct the training here.”
The younger girl had left the mammoth bone chair and came up beside Hairen. She smiled shyly and clasped her hands in front of her blue dress.
“My name is Merriam, come, I can show you our room.”
Cyrus let go of Eleanor’s hand and the two young girls disappeared down a side corridor of stone. After they left, Cyrus turned to Hairen and smiled. “I told you I had found a good candidate.”
Hairen smiled coyly. “Yes, that you have. You think you can keep bringing recruits for the coven?”
Cyrus laughed. “Well, let’s say I have an agent in place at the academy who can handle these operations without drawing too much attention to himself. Not only can he screen the nobles, but he will have access to information about other promising prospects as well. I should imagine you will have several new witches and warlocks running about these halls soon enough.”
Hairen groaned with pleasure. “It will be good to have the halls filled with strength once more,” she said. “The Order of the All-seeing Eye has all but forgotten about me.”
“I would never do such a thing,” Cyrus replied quickly.
“Then you have my allegiance as promised,” Hairen said. “Shall I address you as High Patriarch now?” Hairen teased as she reached out to play with the front of Cyrus’ robes.
Cyrus shook his head and gently pushed Hairen’s hand away. “I still have the other warlocks to deal with, but I can assure you the time is nigh at hand.”
“I shall look forward to it,” Hairen said.
“See that you do not lose this one,” Cyrus said, nodding toward the cave. “Eleanor has a lot of potential. It would be a shame to let a fine catch go.”
Chapter 15
Kyra was lying awake on her bed. She hadn’t slept at all as Cyrus had suggested. Instead, she had tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Everything seemed to be crumbling around her. Leatherback was gone, perhaps unable to ever return. She was no closer to finding Severin, or the dagger for that matter. The fact that Linny had been packed out of the room before she had returned was on her mind as well.
Nothing was certain anymore. She found herself wondering whether she should forget about the dagger and go to find Leatherback, but then she knew that wouldn’t work. The vampire would come for her no matter how far she ran.
As she was deep in her thoughts, she heard a scream come from somewhere outside. She recognized the voice as Linny’s She didn’t have a window, so she ran to her door. She knew there was a room down the hall that overlooked the courtyard. Kyra ripped open the door only to find Janik barring the way.
“Sorry, Kyra, but I am not supposed to let you out until your instructor comes to get you.”
“But that’s Linny,” she argued.
Janik grabbed Kyra’s shoulders and forced her back into her room. For a man with a crippled hand and leg, he was certainly much stronger than she would have guessed.
“Please let me go!”
Janik shook his head. “Feberik is with Linny, if she is in danger, he can take care of her.”
“Please!” Kyra repeated.
“Stay put!” Janik bellowed as he shoved her back toward her bed. He then pulled the door closed once more and Kyra heard the metal tumblers of the lock clicking into place.
Kyra tried to open a portal to the courtyard, but Herion had put an enchantment on her room that kept her from casting any spells. When the portal failed, she tried to cast her own dispelling charms to counter Herion’s enchantment, but those failed miserably.
Kyra was left to wonder what was happening without an
y way of helping her friend.
She beat her fists on the wall, slamming the newly replaced bricks and stones that the two of them had labored for the better part of a day setting into place after their magical mishap with fireballs. With each strike she hoped beyond reason that the wall would crumble and allow her to reach her friend, but it held strong and refused to yield to her.
It was maybe an hour before a knock came at her door. She heard some low mumbling, and then a key was inserted into the lock. When the door opened, Cyrus was standing there, smiling at her.
“Linny?” Kyra said.
“A pair of wylkins came to the school, but never fear, Feberik put them down rather easily. Linny is safe and on her way home.”
“Where is Lepkin?” Kyra asked.
Cyrus frowned. “Packing, I believe. I think he will be leaving the school in a few days. Don’t worry, though, you’ll have time to say farewell.”
Kyra nodded and smoothed out the front of her black skirt. “And the dagger?”
Cyrus smiled wide. “I’m still working on that, but in the meantime I have some more spells you need to practice that will be helpful against the vampire.”
Kyra nodded and rose to her feet. She followed her instructor through the hallways, but they all felt empty somehow. It was as if losing her friends had turned the whole campus hollow and cold. When they finally arrived at the classroom, she moved to sit in a desk, and could hardly focus on any dispel charms as Cyrus began the lesson with smaller illusions to warm up.
After several rounds of her half-hearted attempts to discern which of three golden eggs on Cyrus’ desk was real, the wizard sighed loudly and moved to sit in the desk next to hers.
“You aren’t the only person to lose someone close to you,” Cyrus said pointedly. “You certainly won’t be the last either.”
