The Black Mage: Apprentice

by Rachel E. Carter

  I tried to cast but my vision just spun and spun and a sharp pain probed at my head until I was forced to vomit the contents of my breakfast onto the sand beside me.

  I couldn't escape: I needed to do exactly what the Caltothians feared. I needed to create more pain. I blinked at the shaft in my leg. If I could just roll myself onto my side.

  I shifted just slightly and pain tore into my thigh. I screamed. Magic came rushing out and I thrust as much of it as I could muster into the band of enemies racing toward me.

  But I missed. My lightning missed its mark.

  And now I didn't even have pain magic. Not unless I wanted to kill myself summoning more.

  Two sets of hands pinned my arms and legs to the ground. My hands and feet were bound in a matter of seconds and then an oily cloth was shoved into my mouth as another wrapped it in place.

  A face entered my vision and I saw the same woman who had killed the knight squinting down at me. Her lip was curled in disgust.

  "Who else is with you?" she demanded. A large wad of saliva landed on the side of my cheek. "Hold up your fingers for the count of your men."

  I trembled. I would not tell her anything. From Derrick's past accounts I knew I was going to die no matter what. Caltothians never kept prisoners. But at least I would not die a traitor.

  The woman slapped me hard across the face. My lip split open from the sting of her impact.

  "Tell me and I will let you live."

  Never. I shook my head and tried to ignore its unwelcome spinning.

  "Kinsey, shouldn't we keep this one?" one of the men probed. "She put up a good fight. If we break her, I bet it would be worth our time. We could use another mage-"

  "You know the orders as well as I do, Wade, no survivors."

  "Not if we don't tell them."

  "Do you really want to take that chance?" Kinsey drawled. "Two times a traitor would only bring a slow and painful death."

  The woman pulled out a curved dagger. It was the same blade she had used to slit the knight's throat. She cradled it against the side of my face. "One more chance before I gut you like a fish," she crooned. Her blade carved a shallow cut across my neck.

  Be brave, Ryiah. I shut my eyes. I would spend my last moments of life envisioning something more pleasant than the ugly face of my enemy.

  What would I see in my last breath, I wondered, Derrick's laugh, Alex's crooked grin, or my parents' kind smiles?

  Kinsey cackled. "Enjoy the Realm of the Dead."

  Darren.

  In my last moments I saw Darren.

  A sharp sting was followed by the withdrawal of pain and the shrill sound of a woman's scream. I opened my eyes and realized that I was not, in fact, dead. I touched my throat and realized the blade had only nicked it.

  I was very much alive.

  The woman who had been brandishing the knife was not so fortunate. Kinsey lay face down in the sand next to me, dead. A javelin was in her back.

  All around me was panicked yelling.

  Sensation returned to my limbs. I propped myself up with my elbows so that I could take in the scene around me. Was it too much to hope? Had someone seen my casting?

  All around me were great flashes of light and smoke. The heat from the forest fire was growing: the air was sweltering. Any residual cold from my icy bath had faded quickly in its presence.

  The Caltothians guarding me were busy, engaged in a battle of sorts with two others in the clearing ahead. It was hard to make out my rescuers' faces but I could tell from the way they fought that they were winning.

  Only three of the Caltothians were mages and one of them – the woman who had threatened me - was already dead. The enemy soldiers were hiding behind their mages – only one of them was an archer, the rest carried swords.

  There was another great blast of magic and a storm of knives rained down from the sky. The enemy shrieked and scattered. The only two still standing were the Caltothian mages.

  Another great blast of magic and the mages were forced to flee – leaving me behind as they relocated to the opposite side of the forest. As they traded sides my rescuers drew forward, one leading the way while the other guarded his back.

  I choked back a cry of relief. It was Darren and Eve.

  He had come back for me.

  The prince set to work on my bonds. "Just couldn't stay out of trouble, could you, Ryiah?"

  "Mmmph." The gag was still in my mouth. When it finally came free I turned to Eve. "How did you find me?"

  "I went looking for the two of you when you never returned. Then I saw the fire and decided to investigate." Eve shot out another barrage of weaponry at the enemy mages and checked Darren's progress. "How are those ropes coming?"

  "Not fast enough," he said through gritted teeth. "Whoever bound them wanted to make sure she stayed that way."

  "Well, make it faster." Eve's skin – already so pale - was even more so. There were beads of sweat trailing down from her brow to her chin. Her violet eyes were bloodshot and I could tell from her stance it was costing her a great deal to continue to hold the two mages off.

  "Got it!" Darren hacked off the last bit of leather rope proudly and held it up for Eve to see. Just as he did, his eyes caught sight of something behind her. He cursed.

  Eve and I followed his gaze.

  "There's more."

  "It's the ones from before." Darren's voice had lost its edge. "They must have seen Ryiah's lightning."

  My stomach fell. More Caltothian mages. The barrier Darren and Eve had cast was already faltering. The two mages Eve was holding off were growing confident. A couple more castings would shatter it.

  "I can't pain cast." My panic had returned in light of our newest discovery. "I've already reached my limit." Not unless I wanted to kill the others - and myself - in the process.

  "There are three of them." Eve's voice was labored from her continuous casting. "Plus the two we've already been fighting. We might have been able to take on two but-"

  "-But we don't have enough magic left to take on all five." Darren's statement was void of emotion. "The new three haven't even touched their magic. They'll have full reserves."

  My voice quavered. "Then we don't fight."

  Silence, then:

  "Yes." Darren nodded. "Ryiah is right. We need to run."

  "On my count," Eve said, "we drop our casting and head east."

  I glanced to Darren and saw him pocket the blade Kinsey had dropped.

  "One."

  What was he doing?

  "Two."

  He was facing the wrong direction.

  "Three."

  There was a loud whoosh as the non-heir and Eve released their magic. I hardly noticed it – I was too busy tackling Darren to the ground. A heavy mist of sand rose up around us as I wrestled the knife out of the prince's grasp.

  "Ryiah!" Darren spat through a mouthful of dirt. "Let me go!"

  "You are not going to be a hero today, Darren!"

  "That is not your decision to make!" He struggled to break free of my hold. When he found the effort harder than he expected, he glared at me. "Let me go or I'll cast you off."

  "You can try but I'll still-"

  All at once, an ear-splitting screech rang out across the forest floor and I was sent flying back into the shallow stream behind us. A second later, Darren landed to my right. There was a loud slap as his body hit the water. We barely had time to catch our breath before the trees began to tremble and groan.

  The two of us scrambled to stand just as the first pine fell. One by one they all broke free of their giant roots. Great towers of flame were crashing down all around us.

  "What's happening?" I squinted, trying to see through the thick cloud of smoke. I could hear screaming. "Is it the regiment?" Had help arrived?

  "I don't – I can't see any…" Darren abruptly stopped talking and he started to sway. I was close enough to steady him just before his knees buckled and collapsed.

  "Darren?"

 
"Eve." His entire body was a series of tremors. "She…" He pointed. "She had the same idea as…" He couldn't finish, choking on his words.

  My heart stopped. I had been so focused on stopping Darren that I hadn't bothered to consider what Eve might do.

  Somewhere in the burning forest to our right was a pale girl with ash blonde hair and violet eyes that had just closed for the last time.

  Darren was having trouble breathing next to me. I could hear his ragged breaths, in and out, his shoulders shaking. I hated him, or I wanted to, but my hand still fell to his arm.

  Eve had never intended to run. Neither had the prince. I had been the only one foolish enough to think we would - Darren and Eve had been too busy plotting how to let me and the other one survive. Because there was only one way any of us could evoke enough magic to take on five mages in our weakened state.

  Pain casting. By death.

  Eve had given her life to save us.

  And that's when I saw it – a dark silhouette making its way along the flickering river of flame. I strained to see through the smoke. Was it Eve? Had Darren been wrong – was she alive?

  The limping figure was much too tall.

  "Darren." I shook the prince's shoulders and said in a loud whisper, "Darren!"

  He didn't hear me.

  "Darren, we've got to get out of here!"

  I could see more clearly now. It was a man. One of the mages from before. He was making his way among the trees, one palm in front of his face as he parted the flames in his path.

  I drew a sharp intake of breath. The mage still had magic.

  Angry eyes met mine as he spotted me from across the clearing.

  I was done waiting. I shoved Darren back behind me and pulled out the blade I had stolen earlier. I wasn't going to let Eve's sacrifice be in vain. I lifted it to my wrist-

  Darren's hand clamped down on my arm while the other sent my knife skittering into the stream behind us. He had recovered fast. "Don't you even think of it!" he snarled.

  "Darren, you are a prince of Jerar!" The man was almost out of the fire. "I can't let Eve's death be for nothing."

  His eyes were hard. "I couldn't stop Caine or Eve - but by the gods, if I must die, I want to die knowing it is not because everyone is proffering themselves up as sacrificial lambs every time my bloodline is in danger!" He released my wrist and handed me my cut bonds from earlier. "You are not going to die today, Ryiah. Now take these. That mage must have used up quite a bit of magic to hold off Eve's casting. I still have some of mine, and you have this rope. If you want to fight then fight, but don't you dare sacrifice yourself for someone like me."

  My lips parted in surprise. "Don't you dare sacrifice yourself for someone like me?" That didn't sound like Darren the Wolf at all. It sounded like the boy I had fallen in love with.

  Now is not the time to question things. I studied the landscape, knotting and unknotting the leather cord in my hands. The mage had finished crossing the flames and was now running toward us. He still had quite a distance to cross, but he would he would reach us soon enough. "A mage employs every resource he has. We don't spend years training you in both types of combat just so you can shirk your duties the second you've used up your magic." I bit my lip. You are still a warrior, so think like one.

  I pointed to a thicket a quarter mile away half-covered in ash. "There's a steep ravine just east of that brush. When I was looking for a place to start the fire I almost missed it."

  Darren drew a sharp intake of breath. "So the mage wouldn't be able to flee east. We could cut him off if we can lead him to it."

  The two of us both took off at a sprint. It only took me a second to realize my mistake. There was no way I could cross the distance in time. The searing pain in my thigh was a quick reminder why. I hobbled after Darren, my pace no faster than a walk. I was skipping, half-dragging my leg behind me as the mage drew closer. The man still hadn't cast – it was a good sign that he was conserving his magic - but he would be upon me in less than a minute.

  Darren looked back to see where I was and stopped running.

  The dark-haired prince was racing toward me just as the mage raised his hands.

  I ducked and a series of sparks shot out across the distance between us. The mage's magic collided against a barrier not two feet in front of me. There was a loud crack and then Darren's casting shattered, shards of glass splintering the air around me before subsequently vanishing with Darren's magic.

  "Get behind me," the non-heir gasped. The mage was already calling upon his next casting. I shook my head and took a stand stubbornly beside him.

  There was less than fifteen feet spanning the distance between us and the Caltothian. We could not outrun him if we tried. And judging from Darren's last casting, we wouldn't be able to out-magic him either.

  "If we are going to die today," I told Darren, "let's make it the best fight of our lives."

  Before he could stop me, I had thrown myself forward with the leather strap high above my head. I paid no attention to the agony in my leg. I cut the distance in half, springing into the air with the balls of my feet. The thick rope shot straight up and then I let my elbow bend and snap.

  There was the satisfying crack as the leather met the mage's shoulder and then I fell to the ground, doubled over in a pain so terrible I couldn't think. I heard Darren roar and shut my eyes against a huge flare of light. Two men's screams were followed by a loud thud.

  I opened my eyes. My surroundings flickered and spun, over and over. My stomach ate at me from the inside. Something was piercing my abdomen. Black and red swarmed my gaze and I could barely make out the dark heap in the grass next to me.

  Then I heard the short, sputtering coughs as the person struggled to breath. There was a hoarse gasp and then a terrible moan.

  Darren.

  I reached across the distance and tried to find the prince's hand. My fingers caught his and I held on tight. I knew it was wrong but I didn't care. I couldn't speak, my pain was building and building and all I could do was shut my eyes and pray to the Shadow God that death would come swiftly for both of us.

  "Ryiah," Darren whispered. "I'm sorry I made a mess of everything." He tried to laugh and then choked, sputtering for air.

  Something broke in me.

  Pain was deafening my senses but an unrequited anger rose when I heard Darren utter what he thought would be his last words. An apology. For everything. In his dying breath the non-heir wanted to tell me he was sorry.

  And that's when I realized Priscilla was wrong. I was wrong.

  Whatever he had put me through, Darren was good.

  Darren could have waited for the keep's regiment but as soon as he'd freed the others, he had come back for me.

  Like Eve, he'd never had an intention of fleeing when he told me to run.

  That was two times Darren had chosen to save me instead of himself.

  A prince of Jerar had decided a lowborn's life was more important than his own.

  No one that good deserved to die.

  I heard the crunching footfall of boots. I heard the mage's labored breathing as he drew close.

  I let my hand fall limply to the side.

  "Ryiah?" Darren's voice rose.

  I didn't respond. I let my eyelids flutter shut.

  "Ryiah!"

  I held my breath.

  "She's a pretty thing," the Caltothian declared. "I can see why you wanted to keep her alive."

  "Don't you look at her!"

  "You can't stop me, boy, you are dying yourself." The mage laughed raucously.

  There was a sudden clatter and then Darren gave an ear-shattering scream. It took everything in me not to move.

  "You shouldn't have tried to pain cast," the man addressed the prince, "not against me."

  I exhaled and began to inch my hand slowly, closer and closer to my abdomen. As soon as my fingers closed around the dagger embedded in my stomach I took a deep breath and waited. One. Two.

  The soft crunch of
grass alerted me just as the man stepped on the ground near me. I kept my hand frozen in place. There was the rustle of movement and then I cracked open one lid, just in time to catch sight of the man hovering over the prince.

  The mage held out his hand and a shimmering orb of fire appeared in his palm. "I would have made your death quick, like the girl's," he told him, "but since you tried to trick me I'm going to let you burn. Slowly. I want you to feel every second of it."

  I didn't waste another moment. I wrenched the blade free and bent forward, slashing at the back of the mage's leg with all the strength I had. I caught the steel along the curve of his thigh and dragged down, deep, deep into his calf and fell back with a cry.

  Then the pain took over.

  My whole world reared up around me as blackness took hold of my sight.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  I couldn't see. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't feel.

  All I could do was listen.

  Harsh pounding. In and out. In. And out. The murmur of something faint. His voice.

  One word. Over and over.

  Ryiah.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  "I'm alive?" Though I had spoken the words aloud, they still seemed at odds with my memory. Wasn't I supposed to be dead? Dead with Darren and Eve in the northern forest of Jerar? Surrounded by burning pines as I bled to death from a fatal wound to my stomach?

  Which brought me to my next question: "How?"

  Derrick snorted. "That would be the first thing you ask us, wouldn't it?"

  Alex, meanwhile, was glowering down at me with a concerned-looking Ella clutching his arm. "You must have a death wish," he bellowed. "This is the fifth – no, the sixth - time I have had to visit my sister in an infirmary because she thinks she can take on the world by herself!"

  "Alex, that's not fair," Ella interrupted, "most of those were because of mock battles, you can't blame your sister for-"

  "I don't care what they were for!"

  "Alex!" Derrick looked annoyed. "Don't yell! The healers!"

  "I will yell if I want to!" my twin shouted. "The lot of you are fools for choosing Combat. Fools! And you, Derrick, choosing to be a soldier – did you not hear that four of your own were murdered? Slaughtered like pigs for a butcher! What kind of idiot signs up for-"