The Sorcerer’s Guardian

by Antonia Aquilante

  They stared for a long moment, and the reckless impulse to actually find out the answers to those questions swept through Loriot. But Savarin dropped his arm and broke eye contact, looking past Loriot to the candles, and Loriot felt as if he’d been doused in cold water.

  What had he been thinking? He must be mad.

  He and Savarin stepped away from each other at the same time, and he went immediately to the bed where his things had been left. He rummaged through the bags—which shouldn’t have been necessary because he’d packed them neatly and he knew where the mirror was, but he was far too flustered by the strange moment to remember right off—and finally got his hand on the little velvet bag the mirror was nestled in. He turned to hand it to Savarin.

  “Thank you.” Savarin reached out a hand and took it, not getting any closer. Once Loriot relinquished the mirror, Savarin turned from him, stepping closer to the light of the candles as he slipped the mirror from its pouch. Savarin’s movements were almost reverent when he handled the small, silver-backed mirror. Savarin traced graceful fingers over the edges of the mirror, letting them drift across its surface, exploring the etching on the back.

  Loriot turned from Savarin, back to his bags from which he pulled what he’d need for the night and the morning. He wondered what Savarin was looking for with the mirror. Was he examining the mirror itself? The spells that made it work? Both? He could ask, but he was still somewhat shaken from the unexpected moment they’d shared, and really, whatever Savarin was doing with the mirror didn’t matter. Not unless he broke it. In which case, they would have words. The mirror was irreplaceable, and belonged to the royal guard besides.

  He moved his bags off the bed and went to the window. A glance outside showed that his bedchamber faced west, toward the border and Amaranta beyond. Dawn wouldn’t light the room right off, but they’d be up and on the road by then anyway. He cracked the window open slightly to keep it from getting stuffy overnight and then pulled the light curtains most of the way closed.

  When he turned from the window, Savarin was watching him. “Thank you for letting me examine it. It’s old and very well made. I’ve seen very few like this.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Savarin returned the mirror to its pouch and handed it back to Loriot. “I’ll see you in the morning. Early again?”

  “Yes.” Moving quickly was even more important now with the possibility of storms delaying them later than it had been before.

  “Good night, Loriot.” Savarin slipped out the door, leaving Loriot alone and wondering what had just happened.

  And knowing it was best to stop wondering and forget it had.

  SAVARIN WOULD have much preferred to sleep past dawn, but he couldn’t argue with the logic of setting out as early as possible, especially when he’d tried to press on in their journey last night. Which, he had to concede in the almost light of day, wasn’t the smartest plan for all of the reasons Loriot enumerated and perhaps a few more he hadn’t. And after a meal and a solid night’s sleep, he could see how illogical continuing after dark would have been. At the time, fatigued from the magic and focused on the purpose of the trip, he’d only seen the need to keep moving, keep working.

  Everything was far clearer after a decent night of sleep. The bed had been narrow and only just long enough for Savarin to stretch out on without his feet hanging off the end, but the mattress had been surprisingly comfortable. He’d slept as soon as he lay down, not surprising after spending so much time using his Talent to examine the protection spells. If he hadn’t been so tired, he might have had trouble sleeping, his mind occupied with the problem of the protection spells and the excitement of seeing the mirror. And the confusion he felt after the odd moment with Loriot.

  He’d noticed that Loriot was an attractive man the first time they’d met, but when they’d met, Savarin had been working on an assignment for the crown and Loriot was the new captain of the guard, also working. It hadn’t been the time to pursue something back then if he’d wanted to, and it certainly wasn’t the time for an affair now. He had far too much to do with his work on the protection spells, on top of everything else he always concerned himself with, to jump into a casual affair with anyone. And Loriot was someone he worked with from time to time in the service of the crown, not someone to think of as a potential partner. His initial offhand observation of Loriot had receded in his memory. Loriot became Captain Loriot only.

  Until that strange moment between them last night. Which was best forgotten.

  Savarin didn’t take long to dress and pack away the few things he’d removed from his bag. With his bags in hand, he let himself out of the bedchamber and walked down to the stables. Loriot was already there, talking with a young soldier who was readying their horses.

  Loriot greeted Savarin with a nod and left the soldier to come to Savarin. “He says there’s food in the kitchen for us if you’d like to get something while he saddles the horses.”

  Savarin nodded and left his things with Loriot’s. In the kitchen, a sleepy cook provided them with sausage rolls and fruit to eat, and pressed a parcel of food on them for later. Loriot thanked the man; Savarin should have as well, but he always had trouble waking up quickly, and that dawn was barely lighting the sky didn’t help.

  They set off before Savarin had managed to get his mind to wake fully, but Loriot didn’t seem inclined toward conversation when they took to the road, following it north as it ran parallel to the border. The sun rose as they rode, the sky lightening to a clear, bright blue with no hint of the turbulent weather that might find them next week. Good. They could travel as far as possible before the storms, and with Loriot’s mirror, they would be able to get better information about what to expect.

  The mirror was fascinating. He hadn’t ever seen a better example of the craftsmanship and magic that went into those mirrors. He owned nothing like it, and he wanted it. The mirror wasn’t something he could create on his own—his Talent wasn’t the right type for him to work with glass—and there were so few truly good ones in existence. A less powerful glass Talent could create a set of mirrors that could be used for communication over short distances—say across Jumelle—but it took a powerful Talent to craft mirrors with the range of the one Loriot had. He itched to use it but tried to have some patience. He’d get his chance.

  “Will you tell me what you found yesterday?” Loriot asked when they made a brief stop.

  “I examined the protection spells where we were, and I was able to follow them south after a while. I didn’t find any weakened areas.” So he didn’t think there were any, but he wasn’t positive. He believed he’d been able to examine the length of the border all the way to the sea from where they were, but he hadn’t tried to do so over such a distance before. As much as he believed he’d managed the examination well, the niggling doubt made him hesitate to be too definitive about his answers, and he hated that.

  “What does that mean?” Loriot shook his head before Savarin could answer. “I know literally what it means. I’m asking what conclusions you’re drawing from it.”

  He’d assumed that, but Loriot’s lack of knowledge of magic would have led him to give an explanation of the other as well. “Honestly, I don’t know yet, but I am beginning to believe the weakened areas of the protection spells were caused by someone’s deliberate action.”

  “Why?”

  “They’re too localized and too different from the surrounding areas. If it was time wearing away at the spells, I would expect an overall weakening—and that might have occurred too. It would explain how someone was able to weaken the barriers so dramatically without attracting the attention a big, powerful spell would. But I think someone has been testing the spells, seeing how strong they are, perhaps trying to see if they could punch through or pull the protections down entirely.”

  “But you haven’t seen proof of it yet.”

  He studied Loriot, trying to see if there was any indication that he wasn’t taking Savarin seriou
sly, but he saw nothing of the kind. And really, Loriot had always accepted his help and expertise when they worked together for the princes. Loriot didn’t know anything about magic, but he didn’t doubt what Savarin’s knowledge told him, nor did he hesitate to use that knowledge. “Not yet, but I’ll be looking for it as well.”

  “We should get back on the road,” Loriot said and went to his horse, mounting up in a fluid movement. After Savarin was in the saddle as well, Loriot asked, “What else are you looking for? Or should I ask if you’ve found anything else?”

  “I’m trying to figure out how the spells were put into place and how they endure. I need to know how they’re constructed if I’m to do something about the weak spots.”

  “So you said. But you haven’t found those answers,” Loriot said in his calm, even way.

  “Not yet.”

  “I assumed as much since we’re not heading back to Jumelle immediately.”

  He needed to work with the spells, spend time studying them. He wondered more and more if he would ever find the key to them, but he firmed his resolve. “I’ll find the answers.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Loriot said with absolute seriousness. “We need a plan for today, though. How often do you need to stop to check the protection spells? Or can you do it while we’re riding?”

  “I’ll have to stop.” He couldn’t concentrate on the protection spells and stay in the saddle. At least not yet. Maybe someday, if he became more in tune with the spells, he would at least be able to monitor them for weakened spots while he rode.

  “All right. How often will we stop, and do you need to be in a particular place?”

  “No. This road follows the border fairly closely for a while, so if we stay on the road, I’ll be fine.” He’d checked maps before leaving Jumelle and had a set in his bags—he assumed Loriot had a set as well—so he knew this road would keep him close enough to the border to do his work. “When we stop for lunch, I’ll spend a little time checking the spells. Not as much as I did yesterday,” he added quickly to forestall any protests.

  But Loriot only nodded. “Spending as long as you did yesterday afternoon wouldn’t be ideal where we’ll be come lunchtime. We need to travel farther today to be in a good place to stop for the night.”

  “I know. I won’t take long at lunch. I’ll have to check again when we stop for the night.” Irritation surged to the forefront. “Studying the spells is the purpose of this trip, Captain. If I need more time with them, that is what takes precedence.”

  “I’m aware of the purpose of the trip. But I’ll remind you again of the potential for bandits in the area. When we can, we need to be off the road at night. Let’s not borrow trouble.”

  Savarin nodded sharply and said nothing more. For the moment anyway. Loriot had a point, but he did as well. There was no need to argue over whether the risk was worth taking, not yet.

  When they stopped for lunch, Savarin chose to work with the spells first. Eating afterward would give him a chance to rest for a few moments and throw off the effects of the magic before getting on his horse again. Nevertheless he didn’t go as deep into the protection spells as he had the day before, examining them, trying to see any clues to how they were constructed but not pushing as far.

  He kept his promise to Loriot and didn’t linger overlong with the magic. Or at least he thought he didn’t. Time felt different when he was using his Talent this way, but he tried his best. He opened his eyes, blinking several times to clear them and focus on the real world again.

  Loriot sat on a rock not far from Savarin watching him. “Not long,” he said before Savarin could ask. “Here. Eat something.”

  Savarin took the food and water Loriot offered and drank, long and deep, before turning to the food.

  “I contacted my second while you were, uh, examining the spells. He’s going to visit your friend at the university and see what new information she has about the weather. He can set up a time if you’d like to talk to her as well.”

  He felt a flash of annoyance that Loriot had used the mirror without him present, but he tamped it down, even if a thought lingered that Loriot hadn’t wanted him near it. Savarin knew that was ridiculous. They would use it again. He’d be able to see it working, and probably more than once. “I may, depending on what he finds out from her.”

  They mounted up and continued their journey as soon as Savarin finished eating. Loriot had consulted the map while Savarin was working with the spells and decided on a town for them to stop in for the night. It was a decent size, so they should have an easy time finding space in an inn and was close enough for them to arrive early enough for Savarin to spend some time with the spells.

  Chapter 10

  THE DAY’S travel progressed as smoothly as they’d hoped, and they arrived in Marron late in the afternoon. It was a modest town but large enough to be walled with army officers stationed at the gate. As the town was located at another major border crossing, a small army outpost was located just inside the walls. They passed through the gates with no trouble, and though they most likely could have taken guest lodgings at the outpost, they didn’t even ask. Savarin assumed Loriot didn’t want to impose on the small outpost, even if they were on the princes’ business, but he had no problem with that. He preferred the potential anonymity of inns.

  The first inn they tried in the town’s main square looked well-kept and had enticing aromas of food floating out of it already. The innkeeper had chambers for them, adjoining bedchambers that were small but cozy and overlooked the square, and room in the stable for their horses. Savarin spent a few moments in his bedchamber, splashing water from the pitcher on his face and stretching out the kinks caused by a long ride. Before he left the bedchamber, he set a quick spell over his bags to keep anyone from disturbing them.

  Loriot leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, presumably waiting for Savarin, but he wasn’t watching for him. Instead he stared down the hallway toward the front of the inn and the common room. Savarin wasn’t sure what had caught Loriot’s attention, but he seemed quite focused. Loriot’s relaxed posture didn’t fool Savarin; he was on alert, and he would be this entire trip despite there likely being little need for such vigilance. Loriot’s muscular body was well-trained and honed and would be able to spring into action immediately should it be required. Savarin had never thought something like that could be so attractive. He’d only felt the hard muscle of Loriot’s arm the night before, but it made him wonder what the rest of Loriot’s body would feel like under his hands, how Loriot would react when Savarin had his hands on him.

  But no. Savarin wasn’t going to put his hands on Loriot, and he wasn’t going to keep thinking about what doing so might be like either.

  Resolved once more, he began to descend the stairs. It was ridiculous that he’d paused so long to stare at Loriot like a schoolboy with an infatuation. He was far too old for that type of behavior. Loriot looked up at Savarin’s first footfall on the steps despite his tread being quiet on the worn wood. Vigilant, indeed.

  “Where do you want to do this?” Loriot asked when Savarin reached the bottom and stood beside him.

  “Outside the walls. In the trees near the border. I’d rather not have an audience for this.” Nervous, possibly suspicious people gawking at him, perhaps trying to interfere, was not what he needed while he tried to figure out the most complex spells he’d ever come into contact with.

  Loriot nodded. “I’ll have a few words with the soldiers stationed at the gate on our way out. So they won’t come to investigate and disturb you.”

  “Good idea.”

  They chose to walk through the town instead of taking the horses. Both were tired of being in the saddle after a long day riding, and the walk felt good even if it took them longer. When they reached the gate, Savarin continued walking out of the town and into the trees as Loriot exchanged a few words with the soldiers. He stopped once he was out of sight of the road and the gate, shielded by a screen of old tree
s. The sound of Loriot’s quick strides through the underbrush preceded his arrival a moment later.

  “You need to wait for me. I’m supposed to be protecting you.”

  “I don’t need protecting. Watch me while I work with the spells, by all means, but I can take care of myself.” He didn’t look at Loriot when he spoke, glancing around the area instead, searching for a good place to make himself comfortable.

  “Yes, because you look quite aware of your surroundings now. You didn’t even know I was here.”

  “I did actually.” He kept his words mild. He said nothing further, but he flicked his fingers. A small movement, and one he didn’t strictly need, but the focus helped him use his Talent. In this case, use it to thrust Loriot back against the thick trunk of a tree and hold him there, immobile.

  Savarin finally turned. Loriot struggled against the magic binding him for a moment and then wisely stopped. He stared at Savarin with a gaze that, if Loriot possessed any Talent of his own, probably would have caused Savarin to expire on the spot, or perhaps burst into flames. But Savarin didn’t let the severity of Loriot’s stare cow him.

  “I’m not helpless, Captain.”

  Loriot didn’t take his eyes off him but finally nodded slowly. “I can see that.”

  “Good.” He considered leaving Loriot pinned to the tree, but he wasn’t that petty. He loosened the magical bonds, setting Loriot free. Loriot stepped away from the tree as soon as he was able.

  “Don’t ever do that again.”

  He studied Loriot again, trying to figure out what the strange thread running through Loriot’s voice was. “As long as you don’t treat me as if I’m a helpless child.”

  “I know you’re not helpless.”

  Savarin nodded sharply, deciding to accept Loriot’s words, for the moment at least. “Now let me work.”