Good Luck, Bad Luck

by Jenni Ward

  “Young man, if you would...”

  The words faded behind him as Quinn looked into another room. He turned to leave before shifting his feet back and taking another look. Mary sat at the end of the table with a book in her hands staring in his direction.

  “Mary.”

  “Quinn, I thought I heard your voice but then I wasn’t sure because...well, why would you be here in Riejan of all places?”

  Quinn’s feet shuffled for a moment before he crossed the room to her. He took the book from her hands and placed it on the table. “We need to leave here, Mary. I don’t think Prater will be far behind me.”

  “Prater is coming? Why would he be coming here?”

  Mary glanced down at her hand as she stood up at the able. “The binding mark is gone; it just vanished one night while I was asleep.”

  Quinn reached out to hold her hand. “I know, the binding is broken. Come on, we need to get you out of here.”

  “And go where?”

  Quinn hesitated; he hadn’t thought beyond reaching her first. “I don’t know; just not here.”

  “I don’t think Prater is coming here for me, Quinn.” Mary looked up at Quinn’s face. “And anyway, even if he was coming here for some reason, I can’t keep running forever from one place to the next. This might be the place I’m staying at the moment, Quinn, but I do want to return to my home at some point.”

  “I can respect all that, but Mary, there is a time and place to make your stand and now isn’t it.”

  “Has this got something to do with Cecilia?”

  “Yes, it does. Come on, I can explain in more detail later, but for now can we just get out of here?”

  “Would someone care to fill me in on what’s going on? Young man, perhaps start by introducing yourself?” Elkan’s loud, assertive voice echoed through the room and both turned to see him standing in the doorway.

  “Quinn...”

  “Ah, the sorcerer I have heard about.”

  Quinn turned to look at Mary with eyebrows raised. He hadn’t expected her to have shared anything. The unexpected feeling inside him returned and a smile crossed his face.

  “You told him about me?

  “I did.”

  “I, young man, am Elkan and this is my book building that you are in and so I would like to know what is going on.”

  His hand gave hers a squeeze before he turned back to Elkan who had moved closer to the pair.

  “I’m Quinn, but I’m not a sorcerer, not anymore at least. I need to get Mary away somehow for a while, just to keep her safe while everything else plays out.”

  “It’s safe here.”

  “Not safe enough. There’s a lot going on, and I know you mean well, but I’d feel better knowing Mary was somewhere else where Prater won’t know to look.”

  “Give me a few moments to gather some things; rushing out in haste will make you prone to making foolish mistakes. I think I have a plan.” Elkan turned and started shuffling back towards the doorway. “Ah, reminds me of the mysterious adventures I had as a youth with my own sorcerer friend.”

  The old man disappeared before the words registered with Quinn and he could open his mouth to ask further about the childhood friend. Still, Quinn knew that there were more important matters that needed to be dealt with first.

  “It was you who broke the binding, wasn’t it?” Mary asked.

  Quinn continued to hold her hand in his and closed his eyes, allowing his forehead to touch Mary’s; with his free hand his index finger lightly touched Mary’s lips. “I promised you I would do whatever I could.”

  “But you didn’t give up...” Mary’s voice faltered. “You gave up your magic, didn’t you? That’s why you said...Why would you do that Quinn? Breaking the binding wasn’t worth losing your powers.”

  “I made you a promise to have it broken, and maybe this is my way of trying to find a bit of that good luck that you’ve been trying to find yourself.”

  “But Quinn, without your magic...That was part of your life.”

  “Well maybe it’s time to start a new chapter in my life, too. First though, I have to at least try to do something to stop my sister in the morning, that’s when they’re being bound isn’t it?”

  “Yes, at the main gathering room up on the hill. There’s been talk of it for days. What do you think you can do?”

  “Wish for some dragon luck?”

  “Okay, I have here some supplies for you to take with you. It’s not a lot but I get the sense this is only a short-term arrangement anyway,” Elkan said as he entered the room carrying a bag in one hand. “There are some old castle ruins, I believe they once belonged to a sorcerer - though I’m not that old. Still, one day I should catch up with Cashel and ask him more about that.”

  Quinn took the offered bag with his free hand. “You know Cashel?”

  “Why, yes, I do, though it has been a long while since I saw him. He got busy with duties at the Sorcery Academy and I found my own place here to keep me busy. You know him too?”

  “Yeah, we’re close.”

  “Have you consulted him on your plan?”

  “I have no way of contacting him any longer.”

  “Well, we have time to get him here.”

  “We really should go...”

  “I know you think everything needs to be done this second, young man, but I assure you we have the time. Sometimes taking things a bit slower allows for the mind to be clearer.”

  Elkan reached under his top and pulled out a yellow stone that hung from the leather cord. He smiled as he gave it a rub. Quinn recognised the stone; he’d had a similar one to summon Cashel when he first got his assignment, before he could control his magic fully.

  A spray of warm yellow sparkles spun around before a shape appeared in the centre. Quinn retreated a little at seeing the back of his mentor; he’d hoped to not have any discussion about his deal with Jharobi quite so soon.

  “Elkan, my friend! It has been too long!” The two men embraced before Elkan nodded towards Quinn and Mary.

  Cashel turned around and his features melted from a smile to a frown. “Quinn and Mary, what’s going on here? Don’t tell me you...”

  “I did what I felt was right, Cashel; you can tell me off later. Right now, I need to get Mary out of here and stop Cecilia’s binding.” Quinn tried to make it sound as practical an idea as he could.

  “We will talk later.” Cashel’s stare proved too much for Quinn and he looked at the floor. “When is the binding?”

  “Tomorrow,” Elkan replied. “But we have a plan that they would be safe for a few days at the old ruins. Quinn wants Mary somewhere safe until he completes what he has come here to do.”

  “What’s it all got to do with her? If the binding is broken...What do I not know? Quickly, we haven’t got all afternoon,” Cashel said.

  “Prater is headed here as well; he’s after everyone, Michael, Cecilia, and Mary,” Quinn said..

  “Quinn, this is why it is simpler for humans and sorcerers to stay out of each other’s business, but I suppose you’ll tell me it’s Cecilia’s fault for starting it all?” Cashel rubbed his eyes.

  “Not going to argue there,” Quinn mumbled.

  “Cashel, would you stay here, I recall discussions when weren’t so grey about a book of predictions,” Elkan suggested.

  “I remember you bringing it up, vaguely. Before anything else though, we need to have a quick discussion about something,” Cashel said. “Where are you going then?”

  “I’ll take them to the ruins. Perhaps one day you’ll fill in Quinn about its history, but not today.” Elkan said as he turned to walk out of the room. “Come on you two, we will get moving. Now where is that horse I can borrow...”

  “Go ahead Mary: I’ll be there in a moment,” Quinn said.

  Mary nodded and Quinn let go of her hand, taking the bag from him, and followed Elkan’s pathway out of the door and towards the entrance.

  “Cashel...” Quinn started to say.r />
  “You can’t change what you’ve done, Quinn. My only hope is that you can complete your assignment from the Council. You know, it won’t matter to them that you’ve traded away your magic,” Cashel said.

  “I was more worried about you being angry with me than the Council.”

  “I’m not over the moon, but who am I to judge in the end. You’re a grown man, Quinn, it’s time I let you make decisions and accept whatever consequences appear as a result. Go on, let’s see what happens.”

  Quinn nodded and walked towards Cashel. He wanted to give him a hug, but the old man simply smiled and continued past him.

  “Quinn, good luck son,” Cashel said.

  Quinn lingered in the doorway for a moment; his teeth pressed against his lip. He didn’t look back, but instead turned towards the entrance of the book building in time to see Elkan mounting a horse with extreme ease considering how slowly he walked.

  By the time he reached the main door he saw Mary had hold the reins of the horse he’d ridden there. He cupped his hands to help push her up towards the saddle before settling in behind her.

  “Follow me!” Elkan flicked the reins and the horse trotted around them before building up to a canter. By the time they’d all navigated their way through the streets their pace had quickened. Once they reached the edge of the city where tracks diverted away from the main road they were galloping.

  Trees passed them by on both sides as they rode through the outer portion of the Great Forest. Quinn wasn’t quite sure what to expect but after a bit he saw rocks scattered beside the path they were on. Then, amongst the trees, the ruins of a castle appeared. Quinn pulled up hard on the reins as Mary grabbed part of the horse’s mane.

  The horse slowed to a trot and before coming to a stop, Quinn dismounted and cast his eyes over the castle. The castle wasn’t just run down and forgotten; whatever the castle had witnessed in the past had destroyed most of it. Quinn turned back to Mary and he reached up to help her down. He held her around her waist for a moment longer than he would have before.

  Mary wandered towards the castle as Quinn busied himself unsaddling the horse and removing the bridle, turning the horse away to allow it to graze at its leisure.

  Elkan waited near the crumbled steps that lead to what Quinn thought had once been the entrance. A door hung open at an angle battling with a vine to stay upright. The windows no longer had any glass, and more than a few birds had decided that the broken walls that loomed over them were the perfect nesting locations. Despite the way it looked, they were surrounded by silence, and with that silence, Quinn felt a sense of relief and safety.

  “Stay here for the night at least. There should be a spring of fresh water in one of the rooms towards the centre,” Eklan instructed.

  “Where is the gathering room from here?” Quinn asked.

  “Back down the way we come but take the first paved road to your right. Follow it and you’ll find yourself taken directly there.”

  “Thank you.” Quinn nodded to Elkan.

  “Thank me when all this is resolved.” Elkan walked back down the steps and paused beside Quinn. The old man grabbed Quinn’s hand and placed a pouch in his hand before folding Quinn’s fingers over it. “Cashel wanted you to have this.”

  Quinn looked at his hand but didn’t look inside the pouch. He placed it inside the pocket of his pants knowing whatever it contained could wait until later.

  Chapter 27

  “I guess we have some time to explore before the sun sets. It’s not much to fix up,” Mary said as she looked up towards the top of the broken walls.

  “No, just needs a little work.”

  Mary smiled at Quinn’s understatement. “Not much for a sorcerer to fix.”

  Quinn smiled. “Pity it is much more for a man to fix.”

  “Is there a chance you could get your magic back?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  Mary smiled over at him, intending for it to be comforting. She had questions though. If Prater intended to come to Riejan then there had to be a good reason.

  “I can almost read again. Elkan’s been working with me every day. There are still some times that I have to work out a word, but it is getting easier.” Mary stepped through the doorway and looked around at the crumbled walls. A large fountain sat towards the back of the large open room with water still trickling over the sides. “Elkan has been telling me about schools.”

  “Schools?”

  Mary’s smile widened. “Elkan told me that the books say that long ago children would go to school every day to learn how to read and write. They’d learn about the land and the weather and about everything around us,” Mary paused, and Quinn waited, watching her. “I’m going back to Tiani, Quinn. Tiani is my home. It’s the only place I’ve ever known, and I want to go back there – to teach the children.”

  “But there are no children in Tiani, and Prater...”

  “There are children in the other villages around us, and the curse that happened...that took away the children, maybe it needs us to stop living like we all froze in time. I think we’re all too scared to move on from what happened, to accept that there’s nothing we can change about that. Running away to another village isn’t going to help me accept that and deal with it, and the book building there...I think I could make it into a real home and a school.”

  “But Prater...”

  “I don’t care about Prater or his plans or whatever he thinks is going to happen.” Mary paused and sat on the edge of the stone that contained the water that trickled from the top of the fountain. “Quinn, I lived my life in hope that something would change it. I’ve learnt to read twice now and that’s taught me something: I need to be the one to change. I can’t just keep wishing or hoping or waiting on anyone else.”

  “It wouldn’t be safe though, Mary...Prater...he...he has a plan...which includes you...” Quinn said and sat down beside Mary. His fingers trailed over the water’s surface.

  Mary rested her hand on Quinn’s; she saw his hand curl into a ball so tightly that the knuckles begun to turn white. She smiled and tried to connect with his gaze.

  “Quinn...Quinn, look at me.” Quinn sighed and raised his eyes and looked at her. “You’ve given up a lot...but maybe...I mean if you wanted to...”

  “I have to stop my sister.”

  “But after that Quinn. You haven’t told me everything I’m sure, but maybe this isn’t just my chance to break free from the past - maybe it’s time you did the same thing.”

  “When I was told I had to be my sister’s keeper, make sure she stayed away from humans, make sure that she didn’t go near the Golden Law... I accepted that it wasn’t something I could refuse. I think I was too young to realise just what they were asking of me.”

  “What’s the worst that could happen if she binds to Michael?”

  “Worst case? Start of another Great War.”

  “Why would she want that though?”

  Quinn shrugged. “I don’t know, she’s angry about something, but she’s never told me what. Maybe this is her way of dealing with whatever it is. She wants the power, probably to get some kind of revenge on the Council; that’s just what I think though. I just don’t want to see her hurt; she’s still my sister.”

  “And you don’t have a brother called Jack, do you?”

  “Huh?”

  Mary smiled and leaned forward. “You don’t even remember saying that, do you? When you first came to Tiani, you said you were looking for your brother.”

  “I had forgotten; it’s just Cecilia and me. I don’t want to lose her.”

  “I can understand that.” Mary stood up and pulled on Quinn’s hand to make him stand as well. “Let’s find somewhere to put the bag down and then see what else this place has.”

  “Why not?”

  The moved in and out of rooms until they found one that still had a roof covering it. Vines weaved up the walls and had created a curtain over the window. Dirt covered all the surfaces
as Mary glanced around trying to decide which corner would serve best.

  “We should set up in that corner,” Mary said, and Quinn placed the supply bag down. “Should we try and...make it look better?”

  “I don’t think we need to, it’s not completely horrid,” Quinn replied.

  Mary laughed and together they headed back into the main room and towards a flight of wide stairs. She tried to imagine how grand it must have looked once upon a time. The stones fit together without the mortar that most buildings had, and she wondered if magic had built it rather than hard work.

  “Who do you think it belonged to?”

  “No idea.”

  “Don’t they teach you that? I mean, do you train to be a sorcerer?”

  “They teach us to control our magic, we don’t get history lessons. Everything we need to know is...It’s a spell that has the knowledge we need to know.”

  “And nothing else? You never had extra questions? Never asked why?”

  “I think most of us did, but you didn’t ask why. We have an academy, like your school. The Sorcery Council oversees everything; in fact, they govern more than just that.”

  They had reached the top of the stairs and walked along the side of the floor they stood on, holding onto the vines that clung onto the small wall.

  “Wow, you can see all the way to Riejan. The trees probably weren’t so tall then when it was built.” Mary leaned forward feeling confident that the stonework would hold. “I think that’s the gathering rooms over there, up on the hill.”

  When Quinn didn’t answer she turned her attention back on him. His fingers held onto a dark leather cord. Her eyes were drawn to the moulded filigree silver holder that hung from the cord with a little stone partially set inside it.

  “Is that the stone...?”

  Quinn nodded. “I felt bad, annoyed, maybe even a little angry, when I saw you’d left it behind. I wasn’t quite sure what you meant by leaving it behind.”

  Mary stepped closer and reached out to tap the stone, sending it spinning before it settled back to its position.

  “I left it behind because I knew I would use it again. I knew that if I took it...Cashel made it sound like you had no choice but to do what you were doing and that I was in the way. That there was something else out there waiting for you, and I didn’t want to stand in your way of that.”