“I was busy trying to escape. The magic hunters were after me before I left the mountains, before I could search further.”
Severn stepped closer, less than an arm’s length away. A smile twitched at his lips, but came nowhere near his eyes. “You’re a good liar, Aren, but I know you too well. There’s something you’re not telling me.”
I was nearly as familiar with Severn’s magic as I was with my own, and felt it immediately when that power pulsed around him, ready to be used against me. Pain erupted deep in my right shoulder, in the spot where he’d once injured me with a blast of pure magic. What he was giving me was only a reminder of what he could do, but it was enough.
“I may have found another.” I fought to draw in a breath. “The hunters attacked before I could bring her in.”
The pain diminished slightly, and I breathed normally. Severn leaned back against the table again. “Her? Interesting. Where?”
I fought back the tension that cramped my shoulders. “Near the border.” Truth, but not the whole truth. I cursed the weakness in me that insisted on protecting her. “What do you want her for?”
He frowned and set his empty glass down. “I wonder why you can be bothered to ask now.”
“I’m only curious. It’s not important.”
“It is, though.” The mask of confidence and certainty slipped from his expression. “It’s our magic, you see. In the centuries since the Darmish settlers arrived past the mountains and began destroying the magic in their lands, ours has suffered. Their position on the isthmus is keeping magic from the lands beyond them from moving through ours. Our power is growing stagnant.”
“I don’t understand. Magic is everywhere. It doesn’t require a trade route.”
Severn cleared his throat and took another sip of wine. “I would prefer to speak of this another day, but you should understand.” He dropped the glass and reached out to grab my left wrist. “Imagine that the blood is cut off from some part of your body. What happens?”
I fought the urge to pull away as his grip tightened. “Exactly as you’ve said. The blood that’s trapped there becomes stagnant.”
He nodded and released me. “Precisely. And eventually that hand or finger or foot dies. I believe it’s the same with magic, and we are suffering for their foolishness.”
“Not you, personally.”
“Perhaps not. Or perhaps we would all be more powerful without the Darmish destroying their land. It’s not something that’s noticeable to most, but the magic in Tyrea is less vital than it once was. I wish to know why.”
“Your scholars believe that the appearance of Sorcerers in Darmid somehow proves this?”
“It speaks to the magic still trying to manifest in their land, doesn’t it? But that’s not why we need them. There are experiments to be done, tests to learn about the quality of magic in their land. Perhaps whether it can be recovered. Much like yourself, I’m only curious. For now.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have been more careful if I had known how important it—”
“It shouldn’t have mattered.” He glared at me, then turned to look out the window. “It’s imperative that we keep this secret until we have proof. I’m sure you can imagine the legal difficulties I’d face if anyone found out what I was doing to a Sorcerer. Or Sorceress, if we find this woman you mentioned.”
“I can. Though I suppose there would be less fuss over one from Darmid.”
“Perhaps not. Our laws leave no room for interpretation in that regard. I’ve looked.” He rested his hands on the window ledge and pressed his forehead against the glass. “I’ve wanted to rule for as long as I can remember. It’s what I was born to do, but it’s not easy. I have to do what’s best for this land and its people. This means making sacrifices, bending the laws.”
Memories of the sacrifices he’d forced me to make years ago flashed through my mind before I could block them off. But that was all in the past. There were more important things to focus on now.
“I regret that my actions in Darmid caused trouble for you.”
Severn turned back to me. Though he was still careful to guard his thoughts, his expression was more troubled than I’d ever seen it. “They haven’t yet. Your apparent desire to withhold information and distract me from speaking about this Sorceress does concern me, though.”
I gritted my teeth as the pain traced deep lines over the skin of my back, spreading outward from its source in a familiar pattern. “I want to help.”
“I hope so. Otherwise, I might regret my choice of Second. I selected you for many reasons, Aren, in spite of the many failings of your breeding and your character. Your power is impressive. Your dedication to your studies has brought you knowledge and skill. If I’ve been hard on you in the past and forced you to do things you disliked, it’s only because I saw your potential. I had to force you to achieve more than you understood you were capable of. And in recent years, you’ve done well.”
This was the closest Severn had ever come to appreciation or apology, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. I hadn’t realized until that moment how badly I needed his approval, in spite of everything. I understood manipulation better than most, and recognized how he was using his words to win me over.
But damned if it wasn’t working.
“We could do great things for our people, Aren. I have far grander ambitions than our father ever had.” He breathed heavily, and the usual hard look returned to his face. “Now, tell me more about this woman.”
I drank my second glass of wine down. “I don’t know that she’d be any use to you. She seemed to be unable to use her magic. Unaware that she even has it. I suspect that it’s been bound, but I couldn’t say how.”
“You’re saying that someone—someone in Darmid, no less—used magic against this woman so that her magic would be permanently trapped within her?” Severn’s grin sent shivers up my spine. “Fascinating! I haven’t heard of that being done since well before Father’s time. I’ll have to look into it before we bring her in.” He tapped a foot on the floor as he thought. “What makes you think—” he began, and then shook his head. “We’ll discuss that tomorrow.”
Uneasiness crept over me, and I pushed it aside. My loyalty was to my family and my country, and telling Severn about her was in my best interests and his. Still, if I could keep my rescuer out of it, I would. “I don’t recall ever hearing about it being undone. It might be easier to keep looking for another.”
Severn narrowed his eyes. “Hmm. And yet, bound magic would make it much simpler to bring her in, wouldn’t it? No question of anyone objecting to holding a simple Darmish prisoner if she couldn’t prove she was a Sorceress. It might be interesting to experiment with her condition. Push her. See what happens under stress and pain.” He watched me carefully.
“That’s true. I only wonder whether it’s worth the effort.”
Severn let out a bark of laughter. “By all of the gods, Aren. Are you going soft? Do tell me more about this woman who has so bewitched you. How exactly did she convince you to protect her? As if I couldn’t imagine.”
“I’m not—” The pain whipped across my skin, harder and deeper than before. I fell to the floor and Severn dropped to his knees beside me, pushing on my shoulder so that I rolled on to my back.
“Don’t lie to me.” He pressed down on my chest. “I need to be able to trust your loyalty, Aren. A Sorcerer I couldn’t trust might find himself in prison instead of holding the second-highest position in the land. He might find himself in constant agony.” The pain drove deeper until it wrapped around my heart. He released me and I curled up on my side, breathless, every muscle in my body tight.
“Choose, Aren. Where does your loyalty lie? With your family, your country, your magic and your future king, or with a worthless, Darmish tramp?”
“I’ll find her,” I gasped.
“Good.” He moved a few paces away. I remained on the floor, unable to stop the shaking that gripped my muscles even as the p
ain disappeared. “I’ll come with you.”
I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees, and waited for the white lights to stop flashing before my eyes. “That won’t be necessary. You have enough to deal with here. I’ll bring her in.”
“I don’t think you will. Besides, I need a little fun.” His smile reflected cruel amusement. “I think this will be interesting. Now get out, I have business to attend to.”
He pulled a heavy silk cord than hung next to his bed and an attendant rushed in, eyes lowered. Severn spoke quietly to him as I struggled to my feet. The man disappeared, trailing behind him nervousness so strong that I barely had to reach out to feel it. It was a wonder he didn’t leave a trail of piss behind him.
I retreated to my own rooms and went straight to bed. The open window let in cold air and the sounds of the streets, but the idea of an escape route helped me relax.
How long had it been since I’d contemplated leaving? Years. I was seventeen the last time I ran away, and when my father brought me back he decided to let Severn handle my training. How I hated them both, then. Over time I’d become accustomed to my brother’s demands and his volatile temper, and had accepted that it was my duty to support the king, whether that meant my father or Severn. I was grateful for the things I’d learned from him, if not for his methods. And in the end, he was all I had.
I turned away from the window and pulled the feather pillow over my head to block out the noise, but I couldn’t escape my doubts.
I wasn’t born to be a hero.
No, I was born to be Severn’s puppet, wasn’t I? I gritted my teeth and forced the resentment away. Perhaps he had manipulated me, but I sensed that he did have our people’s interests in mind when he spoke of why he needed a Darmish magic-user. Maybe he was right, and I needed to get past this weakness before I could reach my full potential.
The question wasn’t whether finding Rowan again would be right or wrong. It was whether I was willing to do what was necessary for the greater good of my country and my family. For magic itself.
I would take Severn to Darmid, but I would wait as long as possible. With any luck she’d be safe in their capital city before we raided her home, and I would find another Sorcerer for Severn. If not, Rowan would learn exactly how cruel the world can be to a compassionate soul.
With that thought, I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the peace and kindness that had overwhelmed me after she healed me, or the light dusting of freckles on her nose.
Chapter X
Rowan
A WEEK AFTER MY CONVERSATION with Felicia, I was ready to leave.
With all of my things boxed up, the rooms didn’t feel like mine anymore. They seemed larger, less friendly, as though the house had already forgotten me.
I spun in a circle, but my skirt didn’t flare out the way I’d have liked. Felicia had insisted on leaving one of her own outfits for me to travel in, something fashionable for my arrival in Ardare and the start to my new life. The knee-length brown skirt was pretty and dignified, but closer-fitting than I found comfortable. The blouse and jacket weren’t so bad, though the jacket was too structured, and made it difficult to lift my arms. It was a grown-up outfit. No running and playing in this one.
Better get used to it now, I supposed. I hoped Felicia’s enthusiasm for fashion would prove contagious. I certainly wasn’t feeling it.
The dainty heels on my boots clicked as I crossed the floor, and I checked one last time to make sure the rain-streaked window was locked. As I turned, something on the bookshelf caught my eye, high up where I didn’t usually store things. I leaned forward onto my toes as much as the stiff leather boots would allow and grasped the fairy tale book with my fingertips, pulling it forward until it dropped into my hand.
So many memories.
“You ready?” Matthew stood at the top of the stairs, dressed in his striped shirt, his newest black pants and matching suspenders, holding his hat in his hand.
“Matthew, you didn’t have to dress up.”
“It’s a big day for us, isn’t it? I know it’s been years since you lived here, but you’re still part of Stone Ridge. Today our only chick is truly leaving the nest.” He stepped into the room and made a slow, thoughtful turn. “Looks different. They’ll send someone for all of this later?”
“I think so.” I laid the book on a lower shelf.
“I still say I should’ve been the one to take you.”
I laughed. “You hate the city. Besides, what would they do without you here, even for a few days? Callum is going to meet us in Lowdell, and he promised that he’d send the family’s—”
“Most trusted servant, I know,” Matthew muttered. “But if your uncle was home to help out, I’d brave the city for you.”
It might have been the oddest declaration of love I’d ever heard. I didn’t want to laugh at him, and I wasn’t supposed to cry. Instead, I hugged him. “I know.” He kissed the top of my head, and seemed to have trouble letting go.
Matthew cleared his throat. “Well, the carriage is here, and loaded with the boxes you had downstairs. Just the one, though. I thought you were going with a group of merchants or something.”
“We are, we’ll meet them at the main road. No need to clog ours. Callum said there would be a large enough group that we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone bothering us out there. I’ll write as soon as we reach Ardare, I promise.”
In truth, I would have been far more comfortable traveling with Matthew, but I couldn’t let him worry about me.
He nodded and picked up my travel bag. “I can take that,” I said.
He raised a shaggy gray eyebrow as he looked at my skirt and boots, but handed it over with a grin and a low bow. “Whatever you like, ma’am. Anything else?”
“I think anything else I need to take today is down there already. I’ll be along in a minute.”
When I was alone again, I picked up the book and paged through it. Monsters. Dragons. Witches and fairies, stepmothers and godmothers, all outlined in black and white on the illustrated pages. And happily ever afters, plenty of those. I hesitated for a moment, then slipped the book into my bag and hurried from the room before anything else could hold me back.
The coach waited outside, a black-stained wooden contraption like I’d seen on my few visits to Ardare, with an enclosed passenger compartment and a driver’s seat outside, drawn by a pair of black horses. I wiped my boots carefully on the bristle-brush mounted outside so as not to stain the cream-colored carpet. The interior was more luxurious than I’d expected, with painted walls and cushioned leather seats for a long trip. Curtains kept the space private for the wealthy folks who were accustomed to such means of travel. The whole thing creaked and rocked as we got going, but settled into a smooth rhythm when we reached the main road.
Daryll, a quiet, unobtrusive fellow, filled his half of the coach with his broad shoulders and long, black raincoat. He seemed out of place in the small space, like a guard dog forced to sit quietly in a parlor, but if he was uncomfortable he didn’t show it. We sat in silence for a while, until I asked, “How long have you been with the Langleys?”
“Twenty years.” His voice was soft and smooth, an odd complement to his imposing physique. “Callum was just a little fellow when I joined the household. I’ve been with them for longer than anyone else. They trust me.” He gave me a kind smile. “Callum insisted that I be the one to escort you to the city.”
“He told me he’d send someone he would trust with his own life,” I said, and Daryll seemed pleased. I tried to stifle a yawn behind my hand, but he noticed and checked his watch.
“Forgive me if I’m keeping you awake,” he said. “You’re probably tired from your recent excitement.” In truth, I was exhausted. I hadn’t been sleeping well, spending my nights fighting strange dreams, and the previous evening had been a late one, filled with goodbyes and last-minute plans. Daryll pulled back the curtain and leaned forward to watch the forest go by. It had stopped raining, t
hough water still dripped from the leaves overhead.
“I’m going to ride with the driver for a while,” he told me. “We have a few things to discuss. If you’d like to close your eyes and rest in private while I’m gone, it might make the time pass more quickly. We have a long journey ahead of us.”
I decided that I liked Daryll very much. “Thank you. And thank you for traveling with me. It makes me feel better knowing you’ll be up there.”
Daryll nodded and gave a little smile. “We’re not expecting any trouble, Miss Greenwood, please don’t worry about that. You’re safe with us.” He opened the door and climbed toward the driver’s seat without signaling for the carriage to slow. His coat fell open, revealing a quick flash of dagger hilts that identified him as a Makai, one of the trained protectors employed by the wealthiest citizens of Darmid. I should have known Callum wouldn’t send just any servant.
The door clicked shut, and I stretched out on the seat and rested my head on a soft cushion. The smooth side-to-side rocking soon relaxed me, but my mind was racing too fast for sleep to catch it. I pulled the story book out and passed the time reading.
I’d almost reached the end when the carriage lurched to a sudden stop, sending me tumbling to the floor and the book skidding into the darkness beneath the other seat. Voices yelled outside, angry and frightened. The hairs on my arms prickled, and I shivered.
This is wrong. I reached into my bag for my knife, but didn’t know what to do next. I sat there turning the blade over in my hands, fighting to keep calm. It’ll be fine, Daryll is right there.
Someone yelled, but the words were muffled. The door popped open and Daryll appeared, leaning from the driver’s seat in front. “Stay here,” he ordered. “Leave the curtains closed, lock the doors, and don’t open them for anyone!” Then he was gone, and the door slammed behind him.
I reached over and twisted the silver locks on both doors, then slid back to the center of the seat and waited, trembling. There was more yelling and a sound like a tree snapping in half. A horse screamed. I stayed where I was, surrounded by chaos, but insulated and separate from it. I knew it was only an illusion of safety, that the thin wooden walls offered no real protection, but I couldn’t think of what to do except stay where I was and trust that the others would protect me. Never in my life had I felt so helpless.
FIERCE: Sixteen Authors of Fantasy Page 151
