by J. M. Kearl
Boaden folds his arms lost in his thoughts, searching for a spell he could use against one. Perhaps lightening?
Lenix clears his throat. “Is there a particular reason you’re searching for this information?”
Boaden lets his arms fall to his sides. He doesn’t want to cause panic or rumors based off what Madison saw in her vision. “I just want to be prepared for anything. Thank you for your time but I have to leave to head north soon and I must be going.” Boaden and Lenix say their farewell and he heads down the steps. A moment later he hears footsteps behind him and turns to the professor following him.
She appears to be fairly young, but Boaden knows that magic hides age so he doesn’t know how old she may be. She carries several books in one arm and brushes her long hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear with the other. “Boaden, I heard your conversation with Lenix, and I want to offer my advice.”
Boaden turns his body so that he is facing her. She stops a few steps above him but he’s still taller than her. He hadn’t realized how short she was before. “You know about dragons?”
She nods. “My ancestors came from Collweya, before it was called Collweya. My great, great, great grandmother had a diary. She wrote that many dragons are subservient to magic stones but if the beast cannot be controlled, the dragon’s eyes and heart are the weakness.”
“Queen Kyria has a stone.” Boaden muses. “So a massive spear through either one of those areas? I thought our metal could not penetrate their scales?”
“Perhaps the scale over the heart is softer? The eyes are an obvious feeble spot.”
Boaden’s eyebrows pull closer together. “But to hit an eye would take incredible aim with a spear large enough.”
She shrugs. “Magic can guide a weapon. When you said you are going north you didn’t mean Collweya, did you?”
“No,” Boaden replies. “Matters I must attend to with one of the warlords.”
“Good luck,” she says and Boaden descends the stairs.
He finds Daelyn sitting at a table with several books stacked up around her. He sits down beside her glancing over the titles. “Did you find anything?”
She shakes her head. “Not really. Only that their scales are impenetrable to weapons. One paragraph suggested they may be weak to lightning attacks, another that they are susceptible to magical forces of many kinds but not that it kills them.”
“I found out about as much, but a spear may pierce the heart or eyes. A professor from the academy told me that they are submissive to magical stones,” Boaden says.
“Too bad there are not more of those laying around.” Daelyn closes the book in front of her and stacks it atop a pile. Then gathers the books into her arms and stands. “I need to put these back.”
Boaden grasps her elbow before she can leave. “Use your magic to return them.”
Daelyn seems confused. “How?”
“Think of sending them back to their original place, say ‘envare en sueah’ and use your power.”
Daelyn sets the books back on the table. “You do it first.”
Boaden picks up a book and balanced it on his forefinger then taps one side causing it to spin in place. Then he thinks of the book finding its proper place, feels his magic come to the surface of his skin and says the spell aloud; the book disappears. “You don’t have to spin it on your finger, I was just showing off.”
Daelyn laughs quietly, and picks up the stack of books; within moments of her closing her eyes the table begins to lightly shake and the blank pieces of paper around them begin to rise into the air. Boaden nervously stands looking at Daelyn’s face. She seems to be in a deep concentration. Others around them begin to get to their feet and mumbles spread across the room as their papers and books begin to lift off the table tops. “Daelyn,” Boaden says, softly touching her arm.
She whispers the spell and the books disappear from her hands and her eyes shoot open. “I did it,” she says and everything that had floated around them comes crashing down.
People in the library look amongst each other for answers, including Daelyn. “What was that?” she whispers.
Boaden grabs Daelyn’s hand and walks her nonchalantly to the archway portal though inside he wants to run. “Let’s get back to your parents in time for supper.”
She smiles at him unsure of the hurry but doesn’t question him. Once they step outside Boaden says quietly, “That was you.”
“What was me?” Her question comes across defensively.
“The crash in the library.” He keeps his voice low as they pass by others walking inside. Not that she did anything entirely wrong but people don’t take kindly to those who aren’t in control of their magic. They’ll wonder why she didn’t go to the academy or wasn’t at least taught how to properly control the ability. People may even fear her and call for her magic to be bound if enough of them realize the vastness of her power.
Daelyn squeezes his hand. “I didn’t mean to. I was only doing what you said.”
“I know. We’ll keep your practicing to less crowded places.”
∞∞∞
When they arrive at the house Madison and Jordane are arguing. They can be heard before Boaden or Daelyn even open the front door. “Maybe we should come back later,” Boaden suggests.
Daelyn presses her ear to the door. “I want to know what they’re fighting about.”
Boaden frowns at her. “Would you want either of them listening to us argue?”
Daelyn ignores him.
Boaden doesn’t need his ear pressed to the door to hear them, their raised voices travel quite easily.
“I was defending myself. She came at me with a dagger!” Madison shouts.
Jordane shouts back. “You expect me to believe it was completely self-defense? I know you Madison. You killed her because you wanted to.”
“I supposed I should have let her kill me, huh? You know, Jordane you can’t be so self-righteous. If you survived Lanloc for over a year than you killed hundreds of people who didn’t deserve to die in that arena.”
Silence.
Boaden and Daelyn look at each other. “She struck a nerve there,” Boaden mumbles and takes Daelyn’s hand. “That’s enough. We’ll come back later.”
Before he can even take a step Daelyn twists out of his grasp and pushes the door open. “My father may need me.”
“To protect him from his own wife?” Boaden asks, annoyed. “I’m sure he’s quite capable.”
Daelyn looks back at Boaden. “You don’t know her like I do.”
They walk through the entryway and into the front room where Jordane has his back turned to them and Madison is sitting in the arm chair. Madison gets up without a word and disappears into the hallway.
Daelyn rests a hand on her father’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”
Boaden feels out of place and goes to inquire about who Madison killed. If she murdered a fellow Delhoon then she could go to prison. He finds Madison standing at the large center table in the kitchen staring at a silver sword that is not her own. Boaden pauses in the doorway and clears his throat.
Madison glances up. “Have you come to berate me as well?”
Taking that as an invitation to talk, Boaden steps further in to the room. “That’s not my place but if you’ve murdered one of our own—”
“She tried to kill me. What would you have done?”
“Did you leave any evidence behind? Any reason for someone to lead this killing back to you?”
“Kyria would be the only one to suspect me because she knows I want Midlan dead, but I doubt this news of his mother’s death will even reach her. People die all the time in this country for various reasons and they’re handled by people other than the queen. Nadene never was in the academy and didn’t have magic ability. She means nothing. She won’t even be missed.”
That didn’t exactly answer my question. What she basically said is that there is reason for someone to suspect her. And Boaden has always known Madison to be ruthless but h
e didn’t realize the extent. “Where is Midlan now? You said he escaped so why kill his mother?” Boaden asks.
“I went to obtain a possession of his so I could track him down with a spell. His mother attacked me, I killed her and then got what I went there for. Midlan’s sword.”
Boaden is curious about this tracking spell having never seen it done before. “What are you waiting for? Do the spell.”
Madison runs her fingers across the handle of the sword on the table. “I’ve been asking myself for months how did I not see through his lies for years.” She pauses and the silence in the room weighs heavy. “I was blinded by our friendship. And after some years I grew to love him. Do you know how sick that is? Do you know how disgusted I am with myself?”
Boaden remains silent. He can feel her pain and suffering with his ability but he can’t grasp the truth of it having never been through something like that. To fall in love with the person who betrayed your spouse is something he doesn’t know if he’d ever forgive himself for.
Madison dips the tip of the sword into the basin of water in front of her and speaks the words of the spell. The water begins to swirl. Boaden steps closer to peer into the bowl. Madison pulls the sword when a picture of Midlan forms. Boaden recognizes the house he sits in. It’s where Daelyn lived for most of her life; the farm in Hesstia.
32. Jordane
A loud crash explodes from the kitchen followed by Madison cursing. Daelyn and Jordane give each other an alarmed look and both run to the commotion. They find Boaden leaning against the countertop and Madison throwing anything within reach. A clove of garlic smashes into the wall and the room quickly has a pungent aroma.
“How dare he stay at my house!” She screams in a fit of rage and throws Midlan’s sword into the fire pit. Madison’s furious lavender gaze lands on Jordane. “He’s in our house in Hesstia, right now! Sitting there as if it belongs to him.” She races out of the room. “I’m going after him.”
Jordane hurries after her. “Madison, he won’t stay there long.”
“Why wouldn’t he? He can’t come back to Delhoon.” Madison crashes through the door and rummages through the dresser drawers.
“You want revenge more than to destroy the mines?”
“Why can’t I have both?” Madison holds up a dark long sleeved shirt and then tosses it on the floor.
Jordane watches angry tears stream down her face. He places a gentle hand on her back but she doesn’t stop going through the clothes. “We’ll get him sooner or later. But I think our focus should be on the mines.”
“Kyria didn’t even want us to leave for a couple weeks. We are free to do what we want in the meantime.”
Jordane lets his hand fall. He can’t argue with her there. “Back to the farm it is then.” He has mixed emotions about that place. He spent ten years on that farm, that’s where Daelyn was born, it’s where they had their family. The illusion of them being simple farmers bled into their everyday lives when he was home. But it was Hesstia, and it never felt completely safe. He always had the worry that one day they’d be captured. It was lucky that it was only him who had been taken and not his wife and daughter.
“I think you need a disguise,” Jordane says. “We can’t walk freely in Kezington anymore. You’re wanted by the king and easily recognized.”
Madison pauses and finally turns to him. “I can spell my hair dark and if we dress as commoners we should blend in fine.”
“That should be sufficient. I hope.” Jordane goes to the closet and finds a large leather bag to fill with clothes and other belongings. They are ready to leave within the hour. He glances around the room at the comfortable bed, the cozy fire, and wonders if they’ll ever be able to enjoy this place. “If we’re not back within two months, winter will hit and it will be difficult to get back to Delhoon.”
Madison slings her bag across her body. “We’ll be back. We can go straight to the mines after we put an end to Midlan and then head home.”
“Is there anyone you want to bring with us?”
Madison shakes her head. “No.”
Jordane thinks back to his days working the kirune mines. The cavern is massive and goes for miles underground. Since they won’t be able to use magic he isn’t sure how they can destroy it. They can’t carry enough explosives to even make a dent and the Hesstians would have workers uncovering the rubble within weeks. There is only one thing he can think of that may work. “I think the only way to destroy the mines is to flood them. This cavern goes deep and we obviously can’t use magic to seal it up.”
“Is there a river we can divert water from?” Madison asks. She looks into the mirror and works her long hair into a braid.
“I think there is a dam a few miles from the mines.”
Madison ties the end of her hair. “And what of the people who work the mines. Most of them will be magic users. We can’t drown them all.”
Unsure, Jordane stares at the floorboards. He made friends with many of the people who worked the mines. People who are likely still there. To help them escape they’d have to kill all the Hesstian guards. Then do what with the prisoner’s afterword? “I guess we’ll have to figure that out along the way. Maybe we should ask Nebba Kurtain if he can help us. Kyria will allow it.”
Madison purses her lips. “I don’t trust anyone anymore, Jordane.” She doesn’t say it but he knows what she’s thinking, not after Midlan.
“You trust Boaden. Trusted him enough to allow him to marry our daughter.”
Madison sighs and sets her bag down on the bed. “I do trust Boaden but he’s proven his intentions several times over. Nebba went to school with us and was your friend, just like Midlan, that is all I know of him.”
“This is different. Nebba isn’t in love with you and never was. Everything Midlan did was for you, Madison.”
Madison shakes her head. “No. It isn’t love. No one would do that to someone they love. It was a sick obsession; a game he wanted to win, nothing more.”
Jordane agrees. Maybe Midlan once loved Madison when they were young boys but she’s right. One doesn’t hurt the people they really love. “We may need help killing the Hesstian guards and getting the prisoners to safety,” Jordane says. “I’m recovering but I’m not the man I once was. I need to train. I need time, time that we don’t have.”
Madison is silent for several minutes. Jordane allows her to think and gathers a few more things for the road. “I’ll be in the kitchen when you decide. I think we need Nebba.”
Jordane places the bag’s strap over his shoulder and finds Boaden and Daelyn still in the kitchen. “Well, we’re leaving sooner than expected.”
“To find Midlan?” Daelyn asks. Her eyebrows pull together in frustration. “It’s still hard to believe what he did and—hard to believe that I never questioned him.”
Jordane sets his bag on the center table. “I trusted him, too. There was never reason for you not to. And you were a young girl, you couldn’t have known of his treachery.”
Jordane folds out some pieces of cloth to wrap food in. He gathers potatoes, dried meat, cheeses, and bread, anything else he can find that will last at least a few days on the road. He fills canteens of water and pauses seeing Midlan’s sword in the fire pit. He had been with Midlan the day he got that sword. They went together with Midlan’s father and had it made their third year at the academy. Most of the boys their age didn’t have swords yet, they all practiced with wooden weapons. The green jewels had belonged to his grandmother and he wanted them placed in to the handle. Even after ten years Jordane can’t understand why his best friend, the boy he grew up with, betrayed him. They talked about loyalty and always being there for each other no matter what. Jordane understands that Midlan loved Madison but he would never have hurt Midlan, would never even considered betraying him. So they both fell in love with the same girl; she made her choice and he thought Midlan would find another woman and move on. Any normal, rational man would.
Jordane knows it’s stu
pid but a part of him still misses him. He wishes that he had his best friend. Yet there is a deep burning hatred, one that may not ever be snuffed out, but he remembers the fun times and wonders if he could forgive him. Although he knows Madison never would. His wife has a gloom in her, a dark part of her soul that he’d always tried to save her from. And once Midlan knows she’s killed his mother… no, there is no mending what has been done. Midlan ruined all of their lives with one decision. Now it’s up to Jordane to decide what he’s going to do with the life he thought he might never have again.
“Are you going to Hesstia alone?” Boaden asks, bringing Jordane out of his thoughts.
“I want to bring Nebba Kurtain with us but Madison is wary.”
“Will you go to the mines?” Daelyn asks and takes a bite of an apple. “I wish we could go help you.”
“I understand you are needed elsewhere.” Jordane gives Boaden a small smile then looks to his daughter. “You’ve married a man who will be very busy for many years.”
Madison enters with her bag slung over her shoulder. She runs her fingers over her braid. “Contact Nebba and the Queen for her permission to bring him. I want to leave as soon as possible.”
33. Enden
Enden decides to eat his dinner in the quiet of his bedchambers. News and constant updates from the border continues to pour in. With two major battlefronts, every morning is spent in briefings, and much of the day is consumed by meetings with advisors. They have won several skirmishes in the south and overtook a few southern villages and now occupied that land. They move for the large city of Sanlaiya in the morning which will be more difficult to take. A few magic using slaves have been sent so they can correspond with Jershon; this way Enden can receive updates quickly. Without magic it takes weeks to know what is happening on the front. He has other magic slaves in the north at the battle for Norhila but the one, a skilled healer, was killed so they took one of the Delhoon healers in her place.
It seemed that annihilating Norhila and taking the many of the children enraged the people rather than disheartening them; Enden’s troops haven’t been able to push further into Delhoon in the north. They’re halted at the largest northern city, Filda, with it’s high walls and fierce fighters. All the nearby villages retreated inside for protection, increasing Filda’s number and Hesstia hasn’t been able to breach it.
