In the Cards (Vorcian Imperial Chronicles Book 2)

by Taki Drake

  Ow, that really hurts, she thought as she looked down at her arm. Freezing in place, Corda stared in shock where her arm should be. There was nothing there. Frightened beyond measure, Corda tried to look at her legs or her other arm and could see the floor that she was lying on clearly, but her familiar slender body was not visible.

  Footsteps in the hallway yanked her attention away from her unfathomable problem, and she heard two familiar male voices talking. After her first stab of fear when she detected their gender, Corda realized that Pharyl’s tutor, Denne Nezal, and the Watern Armsmaster, Mondyr Risand, were approaching.

  Confident that they would just continue past where she lay hidden, the little girl was horrified when one of them sat on the bench. It took a few moments before she could listen past her panic to make sense of the words that the two men were uttering.

  The tutor's cultured voice sounded first, saying, “It is interesting that the side halls provide servants and others traveling them a clear view of what’s occurring in the main passageway. I wonder if that’s by design?”

  The rougher speech of the long-time Armsmaster answered him, “I suppose that’s why you positioned yourself so that no one can see exactly what’s happening here by the bench. If I didn’t know better, it might look like you were trying to provide a cover for someone you are fond of that could possibly be in trouble.”

  “That is certainly a possibility. However, that person might need some assistance in releasing a magic spell cast in desperation. If so, I would not be much use in the situation other than providing a masking conversation so that a more knowledgeable magic-user could help dispel what was cast.”

  Master Risand laughed and added, “I realize that such a spell might conceal sound as well as sight. If that were true, perhaps that person would tug on a pants leg or something to indicate that they do need help.”

  Finally realizing that they were trying to help, Corda reached forward to try to grab a convenient leg that was positioned within easy reach. It was frightening not being able to see where her arm and hand were. Several times when she attempted to grab the Armsmaster’s leg, she missed. On the fourth attempt, her fingers connected with the fabric of his garment, and she tugged gently three times.

  The men immediately started more discussion, covering random topics but concealing the calm coaching of the Armsmaster as he took her through the steps to release her spell. The exhausted little girl struggled to follow the man’s directions but refused to give up. Finally, Corda felt the silky texture of magical power unravel from her body.

  I thought the magic was cold when Nona was doing her reading, but now it feels warm and comfortable. I wonder if that’s the difference between her magic in my magic? the little girl thought to herself.

  Although Corda could now see her body when she looked down, the pain of her injuries could no longer be ignored. Tears sprang to her eyes and ran down her cheeks, but she refused to let any sound escape.

  The men had continued their conversation as they waited for Corda to recover. Armsmaster Risand was saying, “That thorough of the concealment spell would be very useful, although it would be good to practice it until the casting and dispelling became automatic.”

  The tutor responded somewhat reluctantly, saying, “Adept Healer Watern was most emphatic when discussing the acceptable topics for lessons. By his specific definition, only those subjects and areas that are part of the Academy Healer curriculum can be included in the formal lessons.”

  “Well, all Healers are required to pass certain levels of self-defense. If the Master agrees, I think it would be good to teach all of the house members some basic skills before they go to the Academy.”

  Denne laughed, saying, “In other words, if we can come up with an acceptable reason for you to get some of the household members into the salle, it would be possible to add some extra instruction in certain additional spells without being obvious about it.”

  In a voice little more than a whisper, Corda said, “Thank you, both for the rescue and for the hope of learning more.”

  There was a pause before the Armsmaster stood up, positioning his body to provide more screening as Corda crawled out from underneath the bench. Too ashamed and frightened to look directly at the men, the little girl whispered her thanks once more and hurried through the servant passageways until she reached the back stairs. Praying that Pharyl was otherwise occupied, the girl fled on quiet feet back to the nursery.

  Slipping into the room unnoticed, Corda crawled into her bed and collapsed into an exhausted slumber.

  << <> >>

  “Corda, Corda, wake up!” the voice penetrated through the veil of sleep and drew the little girl back to the land of waking.

  “What? What do you need?”

  “Nanny says to tell you that we have a tray of all the treats that they’re serving at the big grown-up party and if you want some, you have to get up to eat them.” The possessor of the annoying voice then went away, and Corda was tempted to slip back into sleep. However, the smells of tasty pies pulled the little girl out of her slumber and sent her stumbling out into the main nursery room.

  The sight of the unaccustomed treats shocked Corda awake and kicked off a voracious feeling of hunger. All of the children were eating, exclaiming in delight over the number of dishes and the variety.

  The nursery was quiet as the children concentrated on eating. Only when they had addressed their hunger did any conversation breakout. Nanny had been supervising, and when she saw that the children were about done eating, she reminded them, “Remember to thank your eldest brother for such a delightful treat. It was very kind of him to give Cook instructions to share his party with all of you.”

  Corda smiled, thinking that Bertor was the best brother ever. Only he would think about the rest of them missing out and do something about it. I hope that we get to take a ride tomorrow. I know he promised, but Father may punish me by forbidding it.

  There was knock on the nursery door, and Nanny went over to answer it. Corda recognized Pharyl’s tutor's voice as he and the nursemaid had a quiet conversation. Turning back to her charges, Nanny asked them if anyone would like to go to a place where they could look in on the party for a few minutes. She explained that Tutor Nezal had offered to take a few of them to observe for a few minutes, as long as they promised to be quiet.

  Both Corda and Jen immediately stuck their hands in the air to indicate their desire to observe. After a few moments of contemplation, Jerry also raised his.

  Waving the three of them toward the doorway, Nanny admonished her charges, saying, “This is the nice gift, a privilege so please be appreciative and obedient.”

  Quietly, the three children followed the tutor into a small screened overlook that provided a view of the ballroom. Corda was extremely impressed at the decorations and how splendid everyone looked.

  The children didn’t know where to look with all of the different and exciting things going on. People were dancing, while others were standing around talking or eating. The musicians were playing music, and the combined voices of the partygoers seem to blend in with the notes.

  Corda looked over to the one side of the room and saw where the staircase came in and led down to the ballroom floor. There were still people arriving, and her parents and brother were greeting each arrival. Ealtert and Aret were standing tall with pride on either side of Bertor.

  The predominant color in the room was blue, with many of the attendees displaying the insignia of Healers. However, there were other disciplines represented, many of them gravitating toward a different area of the ballroom once they had greeted their host and hostess.

  Looking closely at the cluster of people on the far side of the room, Corda realized to her surprise that her Nona was the center of their attention. Ensconced in a comfortable chair, the Seer was chatting cheerfully with a group of people, some of which were not wearing discipline insignia at all. I wonder what those people do, the little girl thought. Maybe Nona will tell m
e tomorrow.

  Soon enough, it was time for them to go back to the nursery and get ready for bed. Each of the children politely thanked Tutor Nezal for the unexpected treat. Trailing her siblings, Corda paused as the man said in a soft tone, “Corda?”

  The little girl turned toward him, wondering what he wanted to say. When he smiled at her and whispered, “Happy Birthday” before leaving, she was filled with a rush of warmth. “Thank you,” Corda murmured and firmly closed the nursery door behind her.

  It seemed like just a few minutes later that Corda had finished her nighttime rituals and crawled under her bed covers. Waiting for Nanny to come and tuck her in, Corda thought to herself, I am glad that Bertor got his fancy party. He such a good brother, I hope I can be as good a sister.

  Exhausted beyond measure but still somehow satisfied the child hugged her knees to her chest and thought about this her birthday day. It had definitely been exciting, filled with wide swings of emotion and new experiences.

  She had experienced her first divination and had moments of unaccustomed affection and sheer terror. Corda grinned in triumph at the memory of the magic spell she had cast and then learned to release. All of those were wonderful and powerful but then to have the unexpected dinner treats and the great privilege of being able to watch the party put her enjoyment over the top.

  I may not have had a birthday party, but I have received some wonderful gifts.

  The noise at the door and announced Nanny’s entry. Corda looked up, expecting to see her nursemaid holding the usual bedtime storybook but saw instead something that made her shoot upright into bed with her mouth open.

  The caregiver of the Watern children settled lightly on the edge of the bed and placed a plate with a small, delicately frosted cake surrounded by a ring of ten candles in front of Corda. Placing a gentle kiss on the little girl’s forehead, Nanny murmured, “Happy Birthday, sweetheart. Everyone deserves a party.”

  Author Notes

  Welcome to a story in the Vorcian Imperial Chronicles. The Imperial society is full of eddies of power, both political and financial. On the world of Barkin Prime, the powerful Watern family has a long tradition of supplying some of the most powerful Healers in the Imperium.

  I have written a story of a pivotal time in the life of a young girl that will grow up to be a dominant force in the Imperium. What starts as a graduation celebration, quickly morphs into an explosion of greed and anger.

  Will love be enough to shield a small child from the damage? How will her life change from exposure to crippling manipulation?

  Is it possible to see ANYONE’s future in the cards?

  I have a lot planned for a cast of characters in this series. Over the next few months, I will be doing stories of how the others came to be together at some pivotal points along the way. Hopefully, you will enjoy meeting these people as much as I did!

  I would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to review my story on Amazon or Goodreads. I want your honest feedback, whether that is on my FB page, in messages, or in a review. I read each of them, sometimes smiling or wincing where appropriate. Those points of communication help me to keep improving my craft.

  Thank you all for your contributions and your interest. It makes it all worthwhile.

  Cheerfully,

  Taki

  Author Introduction – Taki Drake

  The mixture of technology and magic is where my mind and heart live. In today's world, it mixes engineering and creativity. In the worlds of my mind, technology and magic live intertwined. I hope that you will find my stories interesting enough to be frequent visitors to where my heart beats.

  I am continuing to write my stories of intertwined technology and magic. The challenges of that are fertile grounds for many story lines and series. Several of those planned for the next few months have been listed below. I am happily writing each of them, discovering new worlds, new situations and new challenges. The wonder for me is the number of readers that are enjoying my visions and tales.

  Enjoy the stories in the emerging genre of techmage!

  Please feel free to contact me via email at taki@technologymage.com or visit my blog or my Amazon page.

  Unfettered Mage

  Magic and Technology in a SciFi Universe

  We Are Not Prey

  Fleet of the Mage

  Mage and Mate

  Traditions of Childhood

  Social Combat - Oct 2019

  Tattered Wings - Dec 2019

  Elemental Connections - Dec 2019

  Mate's Gift - Dec 2019

  Mage Emergent - Feb 2019

  Mage Ascendant – Apr 2020

  Mage's Sword – May 2020

  Fleet Genesis - July 2020

  Vorcian Imperial Chronicles

  Pledged to Duty, Driven by Honor

  An Attitude Adjustment

  Cadre Files

  In the Cards - Oct 2019

  Power Nexus - Oct 2019

  Burnished Blade - Nov 2019

  No Money for Marriage - Jan 2020

  Steel Harvest - Feb 2020

  Count Off - Apr 2020

  Deadly Mascot - June 2020

  BattleMage Investigates

  Power of the Mage, Focus on Crime

  Battle Cadre Arises - Nov 2019

  The Case of the Frozen Hand - Dec 2019

  No Accounting for Taste - Feb 2020

  The Case of the Missing Sniper - Apr 2020

  Sing a Song of Politics - June 2020

  The Case of Short Shots - Aug 2020

  Explosive Echoes - Oct 2020

  The Case of the Darkling Spear - Dec 2020

  Badger Hole Bar

  Come for a Drink, Change Your Life

  Thru the Badger Hole

  Grand Opening

  Fashion Forward

  The Gift of Fashion

  The Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook

  Payment in Kind

  Daytripping

  The Remembrance Wall

  Wedding Fashions - Oct 2019

  Dirty Bucket Brewery - Nov 2019

  Treasured Knowledge - Dec 2019

  Alastair and the Dungeon - Feb 2020

  A Matter of Trust - Early 2020

  Death Walking - Early 2020

  Clingon - Early 2020

  Najeer - Early 2020

  Echoes of Knowledge - Mar 2020

  Wynn's Kitten - May 2020

  Becoming Sephera

  When Beauty is More than Skin Deep

  A Learning Experience

  You Just Go On - 2020

  Life Rebuilt - Late 2020

  New Paths - TBD

  Standard of Honor

  Rediscovering Heritage, Forging New Traditions

  Shade of Honor

  Unfamiliar Pathways

  Coven Codex

  Floating in Time

  Road to Honor

  Little Things in Life

  The Gratitude Challenge - Nov 2019

  Honor’s Bridge - Jan 2020

  Carp EDM - Jan 2020

  Familiar Magic

  When Magic is a Team Effort

  Familiar Shadows

  Familiar Trials - Fledgling

  Familiar Travels

  Unfamiliar Pathways - Oct 2019

  Familiar Trials - Expert - Dec 2019

  Familiar Trials - Master - Mar 2020

  Familiar Trials - Adept - June 2020

  Cookbooks

  The Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook

  Marcella's Garden Cookbook

  Marcella’s Summer Bounty Cookbook

  Marcella’s Autumn Harvest

  Tasting Sampler

  A Food Palate - Holiday Heartwarmers

  Taking it on the Road

  Baba’s Kitchen - Coming Soon!

  Anthologies

  The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of the Science Fiction Genre

  The Tide: The Multiverse Wave

  Inanna's Circle: Flight of Imagination - Thru the Darkness

&nbs
p; Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories

  Inanna's Circle: The Game Begins

  Mysterious Hearts

  Journal with a View

  CyberWar: Digital Battlefield

  CyberWar: Byte Conflict

  Prime Fantasy

  Phoenix Fantasy

  Phoenix Imagining

  The Imp Prince

  The Goblin and the Grocer

  Prime Peek I

  Snapshots of Life I

  Tales from the Pumpkin Patch

  Haunted Hearts I

  Reindeer Don’t Fly

  Silent Thanks

  Shadowed Light

  Powerhouse Punch

  Sensorium I

  Spirit of Thanks

  The Hand You Were Dealt

  The Imp Prince

  Treated to Tricks

  Tricky Treats

  Keep Connected

  Keeping connections is so important today in our digital world. Readers can always reach me at taki@technologymage.com, or by signing up for my newsletter at http://www.technologymage.com. I promise that one of these days I will actually stop writing long enough to publish one!

  My blog is at http://www.takidrake-author.com/.

  If you would like to learn more about the Phoenix Prime program or authors, please visit pprcollective.com and look for our book-related merchandise here!

  Thanks for joining me for this brief time.

  Cheerfully, Taki