Suppose there had been a change in magic though. It might be a flight of fancy, but suppose that elven mages could cast any spell they wished, just like Lucius could. Lucius was also able to enter the elven ruins, he had a dream about elves, and now he seemed to be able to unlock an elven artefact that closed itself off to her.
Was that an answer? Was this link Lucius had directed toward the elves, and not a certain type of magic?
If so, what did that mean?
“I know you are not asleep,” Adrianna said as she heard Lucius stir.
For a moment, he did not answer.
“I was getting very close to it until then,” he said at last.
“Let me see the artefact again. I’ve had some more ideas.”
“Please, Adrianna, I hurt all over and I am very tired.”
“I think I am on to something,” she said, a little testily.
Sighing, Lucius rolled over to face her.
“I’ve been doing some thinking of my own,” he said.
“Oh?”
“I can see that you have not had a great deal of luck in your poking and prodding of this thing,” he said, as he placed a hand on the Guardian Starlight. In her mind’s eye, she saw its power flare briefly at his touch.
“And what would you know about it?”
“I know a lot more than you give me credit for, Adrianna. I can feel what you are trying to do with it, and I can feel it retreating away from you. It doesn’t do that with me. Do you know why?”
“Do you?”
He shrugged. “I’m... feeling it grow with me. It is difficult to explain. Somehow, I am feeling more and more in tune with this thing – it is almost as if I was meant to have it.”
“What, you think God has miracled that artefact to you?”
“No, it isn’t God,” he said, and Adrianna did not like the way he was so certain of that. Did he know more about his connection to all things elven than he was letting on? “But there is something there, and I am beginning to think that I might do better if I tried to... understand this thing without any help.”
“You think you can do this without me? You think you can do anything without me? You would be dead now, lying in a pool of your own blood while Vos soldiers pissed on your corpse, if it weren’t for me.
“Everything you have achieved is a direct result of what you have learned from me, and you damn well better start remembering that,” she said, beginning to feel the old fury building up. “And now you want to cut me out, when what I have been after for so long is so close? Damn you, Lucius, I won’t permit it, you hear me? Never!”
“And I thought you were just coming along to experience the great elven ruins,” he said. “You knew exactly what we would find in there, didn’t you? What, you thought I would be too slow-witted to figure that out?”
Adrianna’s fist smashed into Lucius’ jaw with enough power to send him reeling backwards.
“You idiot!” she shouted as he staggered away, rubbing his face. “You think there is anything that enters your mind that has not crossed mine first? You wanted to keep things civil between us, and I was happy enough to enter that fiction if it meant getting my hands on the Guardian Starlight. If you want to dispense with that, I am more than happy to comply.”
So saying, she wreathed herself in magic and the air began to whip round her, circulating ever faster. Adrianna floated a few feet above the ground. She flexed her arms, opening and closing her fists, feeling the surge of arcane energy.
Lucius looked up at her, eyes wide in terror.
“God, Adrianna, I don’t want to fight you!” he shouted above the sound of the wind.
Adrianna gradually let the magic ebb out of her control and, slowly, came down to earth.
“Look, we can work together,” Lucius said, almost tripping over his own words as he spoke fast. “Maybe I cannot get this thing working without you. I just think that you won’t get far without me either.”
“You may not be entirely wrong in that assertion,” she said, all trace of rage and malice gone from her voice.
“But look, I really am in some considerable pain at the moment,” he said, holding his side. “Let’s sleep on it, eh? We can start work on the artefact tomorrow.”
“You no longer wish to take it back to the baron?” she asked.
He took a breath as he considered this, then firmly nodded his head.
“I think that might be a foolish move. We will do more good with it than he ever would.”
“Alright then. It is agreed.”
As Adrianna lay on her back, eyes closed, she could not help smiling to herself. That Lucius was a key to unlocking the Guardian Starlight was very likely. However, she had seen his face during that brief confrontation. He truly was frightened of her.
A frightened Lucius would prove to be exceptionally pliable in the days to come. She was now so close to ultimate arcane power, she could feel it. Her dreams that night were going to be good ones.
LYING PERFECTLY STILL, Lucius concentrated on his breathing, keeping it slow and steady. His senses were alert as he strained to hear every rustle of Adrianna’s movements. When her breathing started to slow, still he waited. He waited until the embers of their fire had been completely drowned by the drizzle of rain, and then he waited some more.
Not until he was absolutely sure Adrianna was asleep did he begin to move.
Rolling over slowly onto his stomach, Lucius took a deep breath as he thought back to his argument with Adrianna, and remembered the look in her eyes as she had called upon her magic. At that moment, he had seen the old Adrianna, the one that had destroyed so much of his city. He had never been so scared as he was right then.
This had sealed his decision to escape. He did not know how far he would get or how long he could evade her grasp, but he knew beyond all doubt he had to get away. The Guardian Starlight had driven Adrianna’s lust for magical power beyond all reason, and he saw nothing but madness or death – probably both – if he stayed with her.
Lucius crawled out of the tent, inch by inch, in perfect silence. He could have used shadow magic to cloak his movements but he dared not. Any use of magic on his part might be felt by Adrianna and be enough to rouse her from sleep.
Lucius had decided the very best place for the Guardian Starlight was in the baron’s possession. Let the baron and Adrianna fight one another for mastery of it. So long as they kept far away from him, he could live with the results.
Getting to his feet, Lucius risked a glance at Adrianna. She had rolled over so her back was to him, oblivious to his presence as she dreamed whatever a mad guildmaster of Shadowmages dreamed of.
Placing one foot gently in front of the other, Lucius made his way out of the camp, feeling as though any moment he would hear Adrianna’s voice behind him, shortly before feeling one of her spells smash him apart.
He made his way gingerly to where they had staked their horses. Placing his hand on the side of his mount’s head, he whispered, so very quietly, to keep the creature calm. Bending down, he untied its reins from the stake and, after glancing at Adrianna’s horse for a moment, untied it too.
Leading the horses away from the camp, Lucius prayed to the heavens that their heavy feet would be muffled by the soft ground. It was not until the camp had been swallowed by the darkness behind them that Lucius finally mounted his horse and, leading the second, started trotting away into the wilderness. It was not long before he was at full gallop, putting as many miles as he could between Adrianna and himself
Adrianna’s horse constantly pulled at its reins, wanting to be given the freedom to run without his direction, but he kept firm control of it. And, closing his eyes for a second, Lucius manipulated the threads of magic he saw in his mind’s eye to fuel the muscles of the horses. They both started slobbering foam as the energy surged into them, allowing them to gallop ever faster.
Holding on tightly, knowing his life depended on the speed of the horses, Lucius knew it was likely that the ma
gic, combined with his own weight, would explode the hearts of both mounts.
He could only hope that he reached the city before that happened.
DAWN AWOKE ADRIANNA and she flexed her muscles before reaching out with her mind to feel the familiar pull of magic about her. Opening her eyes, she rolled out of the tent and stood to stretch, eager, as she had been for the past few days to get out of the Anclas Territories and back to civilisation.
She looked down and saw Lucius’ sleeping mat was empty. Her brief puzzlement was punctured a second later by deep suspicion. Looking round at the surrounding grasslands, she saw no sign of Lucius. She then realised there was also no sign of the horses.
She delayed the onset of anger and frustration long enough to close her eyes and reach out to feel the passing of magic in the area. Tilting her head to one side in concentration, she reached further and further out until she eventually found what she was looking for.
The unmistakable aura of the Guardian Starlight was many miles south of her and moving quickly.
Raw fury erupted then. Adrianna howled in rage at the sky. Maddened, she quickly fashioned hard bolts of dark power and flung them downwards, tearing the camp apart in a cataclysm of naked arcane power.
Closing her eyes against the oncoming wind, her hair streaming out behind her, Adrianna soared above the earth, a dark shape in the sky that moved like a diving falcon with terrible purpose. After a few minutes, she cursed as she felt her grip on the spell begin to weaken as the energies dissipated. She ordered them to carry her safely to the ground before they vanished altogether.
Standing on a low hill, Adrianna panted as she tried to regain her strength.
Lucius had the horses, and she had her magic. She was much, much faster than he, but Lucius did not need to constantly stop and rest, not if he was willing to ride his horses into the ground.
It was obvious that he would go to Turnitia – where else could the fool run to? Whether she caught him in the Territories or within the city made little difference to Adrianna. All she could think about was the price she would exact from the trumped-up little thief for his betrayal.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
REACHING OUT ACROSS the table, Tellmore adjusted one of his prisms, altering the pattern of light that dispersed though it. Concentrating for a moment, he subtly turned the flow of magic through his spell and the coruscating ball of green light sparked yellow flares briefly.
His mind was focussed solely on the spell of scrying, utterly ignorant of the baron standing, watching intently, behind him, of the cold, wet dungeon cell they were performing this rite within. The baron had thought it amusing that Tellmore insisted on casting such spells within the foundations of the Citadel, as if the magic required a dank and gloomy place; it suited his sense of theatrics.
In truth, Tellmore had selected the place purely because it was quiet. Few ever ventured down here, not since Turnitia had fallen to Pontaine.
Before Tellmore, the table was strewn with a complicated arrangement of finely cut glass prisms, each reflecting and refracting the fierce green light generated by the physical manifestation of his spell. Immediately before him, a map of the peninsula provided him with a reference point.
Stretching out with his mind, Tellmore focused the magic upon his target, riding the arcane flow as it twisted across the land. Few wizards had the concentration, willpower or stamina for such a long-ranged scrying and both he and the baron knew the latter was getting his money’s worth.
A small ripple in the fabric of magic caught Tellmore’s attention, and his mind descended to a point that shone as bright as the sun.
“It has been uncovered,” he said.
“Lucius succeeded?”
“Yes, it is Lucius who bears the Guardian Starlight. He is coming back to us now – he is travelling fast. Very fast.”
“Eager to claim his rewards, no doubt.”
“No... he is being pursued.”
“Who by?”
“A terrible force. Angry. Powerful.”
“Some elven demon he woke?”
“Another Shadowmage.”
“Adrianna. I knew I could not trust her. Will he make it?”
“Yes... Yes, I think he will get here before she catches him.”
The baron started pacing. “We better prepare a welcome – for both of them. We can keep Lucius in the Citadel, even a Shadowmage like her cannot breach these walls.
“It is time to put my plans into action, my good Tellmore. You have done well, indeed, and soon this Guardian Starlight will be in our possession. Everything is coming together as I had hoped.”
Tellmore stood up from his chair and coughed.
“My Baron, I must caution you. An artefact like the Guardian Starlight is powerful, to be sure, but its mysteries may not be cracked easily, or quickly. It may be weeks, possibly months, before I am able to utilise it.”
“You worry too much, Tellmore. It will take time to amass my army, and we cannot waste a single day. Now we know the artefact is on its way to us, we can start taking steps.”
“My Baron–”
“Leave the strategy to me, good Tellmore. I’ll leave the magic to you.”
His smile was gracious as he turned to leave, but Tellmore had heard a note of steel in his tone. As the baron disappeared down the dark corridors of the dungeon, Tellmore heard him call out for messengers.
There was still much preparation to accomplish to receive the Guardian Starlight. Tellmore was mystified. When the baron said they had to start moving now, surely he did not mean right now? A little dazed, Tellmore left his scrying equipment and the dungeon cell to follow the baron.
THANKS TO SERVANTS who had sprinted through the corridors of the Citadel, the messengers of Fournier, de Biot, Fremont and the others, stationed here since their masters had left for their own fortresses, were waiting in the main hall. As the baron entered at a brisk pace, they stopped lounging behind the long tables and stood in line, bowing low.
Nodding once to acknowledge them, the baron climbed the grand staircase a few steps, and looked down upon them. He glanced across the hall as Tellmore entered, and waved impatiently for the wizard to join him.
“My compliments to your lords,” the baron began, his voice echoing across the hall. “You are to depart immediately. Tell your masters our time is finally here. The artefact is with us.
“I humbly request their presence, and that of their armies and allies, to fulfil the next, glorious stage of our design. I bid you Godspeed on your journeys home.”
Bowing, the messengers turned and trotted out of the hall. De Sousse smiled. Within minutes, they would be on their horses and riding hard to rejoin Count Fournier and the rest of his little cabal. A few short days thereafter, Pontaine knights, men-at-arms and militia would be heading towards Turnitia, a force so large as to be unstoppable. Turning to leave the hall, de Sousse noticed the worried look on Tellmore’s face.
“Okay, Tellmore, out with it. What’s wrong?”
“My Lord Baron, as you please.”
“Oh, get on with it, man!”
“I feel you are moving prematurely. I am not sure I have impressed upon you just how difficult – and thus time-consuming – activating the Guardian Starlight may be. And even then, we still don’t know the real effects of the artefact. You may have to adjust your plans to fit in with what it can actually do.”
“Tellmore, Tellmore, Tellmore,” the baron said, putting his arm around the wizard. “My respect for your magical knowledge and abilities is boundless, it really is. But strategy is my skill, remember? You think just any baron of Pontaine could choose the perfect time to march into this city and take it from under the noses of the Vos Empire? I know what I am doing!”
“Granted, my Baron, but your plan hinges on using the Guardian Starlight, does it not?”
“One plan does, certainly.”
“One plan?”
“Did you learn nothing about me in the Anclas Territories? I do try
so very, very hard not to rely on just one shot of the bow.”
Tellmore looked a little crestfallen. “Is my Baron beginning to lose confidence in my work? After all, you sent Lucius after me.”
“I swear I am talking to myself at times. Were you not listening earlier? I have the utmost confidence in your work. Believe me, I would not pay the gold I do if I did not!”
“Then...’
“I also know how difficult magic can be, Tellmore. I may not know all the ins and outs, I may not be any sort of practitioner myself, but I have eyes, and I have seen magic is a complicated thing that does not always obey the wishes of its masters. That is just the nature of the beast.”
“So you always had another plan in case there was a problem with the Guardian Starlight?”
“Now you are catching on! Yes, Tellmore, I have another plan working in the background.
“And this plan has come to fruition?”
“Political bridges, Tellmore, alliances – that’s the key.”
Tellmore frowned. “I don’t follow, my Baron.”
“Court Fournier was always the core of my design. If I could bring him over to my way of thinking, I figured it would be much easier to get the visiting barons to come with him. However, the noble families of Pontaine create a vast network, Tellmore. Vast. If you start tugging on one string, others will move as well.”
“And with the strings of the count and barons, you could tug several at once?”
De Sousse smiled. “You follow the metaphor, that’s a good sign! Yes, with the right word in the right ear, it became inevitable that more families would throw their lot in with us, especially with the prize on offer – the fall of the Vos Empire. The Knights of Angue have pledged their allegiance to our cause, along with the Verte Rangers. Count Fournier has persuaded Baron du Fillimont to levy a new militia from the towns along the Sardenne, bringing another two thousand spears to the army.”
“That’s... clever, my Baron.”
“Not yet it isn’t – but it will be! You see, the tugging does not stop there. Our invasion of Vos territory will be another tug on the web of Pontaine noble families, and a few more will join us. Give them a victory, and yet more will follow. We keep tugging, and gradually we will pull the whole weight of Pontaine behind us. Vos will not be able to stand!”
The Shadowmage Trilogy (Twilight of Kerberos: The Shadowmage Books) Page 67
