Sound began madly returning to the world. The little things one doesn’t notice until gone now seemed as loud as a chorus of gongs. A few horses in the far off stables whinnied, feet scuffled across the tavern floor, and the branches of a nearby tree made creaking noises from the light breeze blowing them about.
The tension in Henriella’s shoulders lessened. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
He crossed his arms and glared at the back of her head again. “You have no idea.”
His snarl only caused her to lightly chuckle. “Now keep still and keep quiet.”
***
The thundering footsteps of Thaddeus Brewer would have helped cover Garin’s gasp of surprise if it hadn’t already been muted by Henriella’s power. While thankful that the woman had relented to move closer at his request, she had used the shadows to transport the two of them from one spot to another in less time than it took for him to blink! A weight had descended on his shoulders at first before quickly lifting once the two of them were deposited by the corner at the bottom of the stairs. Needless to say, he had to quickly swallow down the rising bile at the very thought of how they had arrived there.
“We’ll make moving amongst them your next lesson,” she whispered with a smirk. “Turning green like that can’t be good for your health.”
He glared at her, but she only shrugged. Then she swiftly grabbed his arm after he tried to find a good position to spy through the closest window. “They can’t hide you if you step beyond them,” she hissed, pointing out that he had almost stepped into a spot where the sun had poked a hole of light through the shadow. “Best remember that!”
The retort he had was swallowed when a black-haired mountain rested a large hand against one of the newel posts, the wood cracking under the man’s grip. “Damn it, Greg! Listen to reason,” growled Thaddeus as he turned his back to them. Lighter footsteps approaching must belong to the lord of these lands, though the muscular beast was blocking any way to confirm that theory. “You should not go out there alone!”
Garin could almost imagine the expression of forbearance on his father-in-law’s face when the man chuckled. “Esus has a multitude of villainous faults, but foolishly attacking me under a banner of truce will not be one. Not if he wants to keep the rest of Menapolin out of this conflict. Besides, he has never been a self-sacrificing creature. I’m sure he’s well aware he wouldn’t leave these lands alive if he struck me down in a dishonorable fashion.”
The grumble from Thaddeus almost seemed to come from the earth itself. “Not even if it was in an honorable one.”
Lord Gregory finally came into view, most of the weariness from the day’s events were now hidden behind a practiced facade. Back straight and eyes sharp, there was no question that this auburn-haired man was in charge. While one hand rested firmly upon the hilt of his sheathed sword, the other tightly clasped the innkeeper’s forearm. “While it is refreshing to know that my people still hold me in such high esteem, let’s not unintentionally start this battle before we’re ready. Best for all to stay out of sight for now while I discover what Iantha requires to keep the peace.”
The last part was spoken as a firm command while Lord Gregory’s eyes had flickered over towards the shadowed corner for but a moment. The only thing that confirmed Garin’s suspicion that the man knew they were there was the, “How does he do that?” muttered by Henriella. Then the Duke of Crosshawk gave a sharp nod before heading outside without a backward glance, confident that his command would be obeyed.
Thaddeus let out a sigh of frustration before moving to stand just within the doorway. Even from the side, a watchful scowl on his face could be plainly seen. If the talk were to go awry, the innkeeper was beyond ready to charge into the fray.
Garin somehow managed to find a position within the shadows that lent him a decent view of his brother. A growl was quickly swallowed while his eyes narrowed at the sight of the elf sitting astride a white horse. Long ebony hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the strands as shiny as his equally black armor. A grunt of surprise escaped Garin’s lips. Though the emblems etched in gold upon the metal were proper, that dark color was far from the traditional silver of the Arduenna Kingdom.
Then a smirk formed as he studied the elf even further. Esus was no longer unblemished; three claw marks had deeply marred the whole right side of his pretty face. Barely missing the eye, the ragged scars reached from temple to chin. Perhaps the griffins had kept their promise to Mattie about hunting this renegade down. Such a thing would explain why his brother had returned to the safety of home despite any consequences that had been awaiting him there
Almost as if he could sense the attention, Esus turned his disfigured face towards the window for a moment. Henriella gently but swiftly pulled Garin back soon thereafter, but not before he received a quick, smug nod from his brother—those midnight blue eyes staring straight into his brown ones. Had Garin accidentally stepped beyond a shadow or had it been merely a lucky guess on Esus’ part?
Before he could ask Henriella, his brother began to play the part of dutiful messenger, “Lord Duke and Protector, how good it is to see you again. Terrible that it had to be under such circumstances.”
“And I never thought your presence would ever be so close to my own again, Silva,” said Lord Gregory, a quiet rage simmering below the polite tone. “How is your mother?”
A dark chuckle was the response to the abrupt change of subject. “As well as could be expected with her children turning on her left and right.”
Like you, thought Garin with a grumble.
While his father-in-law might have been considering the same thing, the man made no mention of it. “Trying times for all, I’m sure. Still, I must ask you, Silva—why did she send you under a pretext of a truce? I was not aware of any hostilities between us.”
“Come now, Lord Duke and Protector,” chided Esus in an oily tone. “Did you truly imagine that there would be no repercussions for granting asylum to those rebels? Still, My Ausas is not an unreasonable leader. Those who have chosen to relocate will be free to enjoy their lives in peace if her one simple request is granted.”
“And what does Iantha wish in exchange for her magnanimity?”
“Her three children, of course.”
There was a pregnant pause. Garin’s heart began to race, hoping he knew his father-in-law well. On the surface it did seem like a fair and just trade, one on which any leader would readily agree. But there was no way he would willingly allow anyone to take him to Arduenna; not after the way Iantha had tried to invade his mind!
“While I see the initial wisdom in her request,” said Lord Gregory at last. “Time is required to consider this fully. All matters and duties must be taken into account, Silva, especially when it comes to Lord Von Bos. He also has a father and a king who often requires his service, or has your mother forgotten that small detail?”
“Perhaps she has,” admitted Esus with a note of steel to his voice. “But she did know that your answer would not be immediate. She commanded me to allow you some time for careful thought. I will return in four days’ time, and with something you must be missing by now. The final condition in which the package will be handed over ultimately depends upon your choice. Until then, Duke of Crosshawk.”
Esus roughly turned his horse around and swiftly departed before Lord Hawksthorne could ask for clarification. Garin, however, almost gave into the temptation of changing into a wolf and hunting his brother down. There was no question in his mind as to the nature of that mysterious package.
Bran. The elves have taken Bran!
Chapter 37
“Mattie, your mouth is hanging wide open.”
A nod was the only response she had for Belladonna’s chuckled comment, and Mattie didn’t care if her jaw brushed the ground. The sight that had greeted her once they had exited the front door—well, she just knew she would never find the words to describe its splendor adequately. Amongst the golden patchwork of power shinin
g up from the ground, lines of various other colors mingled together. Blues, reds, greens, and purples—it was as if a living rainbow had been captured from the sky and placed within the earth.
And while the North had a mystical tree locked in a patch of eternal spring, the magic in Crosshawk had even less constraints put upon it. Pulsating strands of gold crisscrossing the entire ground might contain the same energies, but the difference would be like trying to compare a pond to the raging ocean. Then trying to describe it would be akin to explaining both said bodies of water to someone who had never seen anything more than a mud puddle.
Mattie’s eyes then flickered over to Firestorm, who was resting by a green-misted tree. Her eyebrow shot up when she noticed a light orange haze surrounding her old friend. Mattie lowered her shield just enough to view the mare fully. Even though Mattie had always known Firestorm wasn’t a normal steed, a gasp of surprise still escaped her lips!
Instead of a chestnut mare, a wild inferno with a horse’s shape stood there. As if she sensed her rider’s attention, the aptly named Firestorm whinnied. Steam shot out from her nostrils when she followed it with a snort. Then the flames began to unfurl two wings over her back, as if to help explain from where her swiftness came. She was a Fury indeed—terrifyingly magnificent! No wonder Henriella had always made it a point to avoid the animal as often as she could!
As Mattie reset the veil over her magical vision, the only thing she could say was an awe-struck, “Wow!”
Belladonna lightly took the final step onto the ground, her presence causing the strands to waiver for a moment. “I’m not sure what you saw with Firestorm,” she said with a girlish grin. “But I do know that this will not be your first surprise. There are many with minor gifts in magic who don’t even know they possess any; many more who hide their power well.”
“Except from Aunt Henriella and I?” Mattie asked as she tentatively took that final step onto the soft earth.
Power hummed up one leg and then back down the other, making her feel like a lightning rod. Startling, but not mind-breaking. Thankfully she had already mastered the ability to damper the onslaught of magic. If she had reached that door before collapsing earlier, no doubt her mind would have been completely overwhelmed just by opening the damn thing!
There was a bit of reluctance in Belladonna’s voice when she admitted, “And a few others. Not everyone who can see magic in all its totality is a Siphon. Sometimes the already powerful can learn that trick and more over centuries of practice.”
Metis was the first one that came to Mattie’s mind. There had been no need for the gnome to use Soul Walking to find out what she needed. A firm and direct glance into Mattie’s eyes had been enough to reveal that Annabelle had done something to her powers. With what Metis had said at the time, she couldn’t help but wonder if the ancient creature had known everything from the very start.
Belladonna nodded. “I can see that someone has already made that truth clear to you. That’s one less worry for me in that regard then.”
Now Mattie was confused. “How so? I thought you respected Metis.”
The Eldest’s countenance faltered. The gnome was obviously not what had concerned her. Belladonna muttered some curses under her breath, making Mattie want to demand answers. She didn’t get them right away; instead her great-grandmother swiftly formed a swirling ball of energy and hurled it straight at her chest!
***
Mattie was no stranger to having spells fired at her, and had even experienced a few hitting their intended target. The speed and surprise of Belladonna’s attack caused the latter. The orb of magic struck Mattie’s center of mass, and it should have caused her to stumble back at the very least. But physically, the electricity yielded nothing. There hadn’t even been a tingle.
But in a manner similar to what the sword Aurora had done while Mattie had battled Falkner, her body readily absorbed the spell. Her heart ticked up a few beats as the power flowed through her, demanding the utmost attention. The surge in magic was exhilarating! It was one hundred times more rejuvenating than she had ever felt with the help of Leto’s puny sword. Even though Belladonna’s spell was on the minor side, meant to teach a lesson without any real harm—the addition to her own resources made Mattie feel like the most powerful creature in the world!
No wonder others had become addicted to this feeling!
Grinning wildly, she looked at her great-grandmother. Belladonna was biting a bottom lip, looking both expectant and worried. A laugh escaped Mattie’s lips for the woman had no need for concern. Her great-granddaughter was better than fine!
Mattie’s glee caused Belladonna’s eyes to narrow. “Let it go, Mattie,” her stern voice also sounding like a plea. “This is the hardest lesson of all. Safely letting go of what isn’t yours!”
Mattie laughed even more while she thought, Not mine? She’s obviously kidding me! The magic became MINE the moment it had entered me!
An uncharitable thought came to Mattie after her laughter subsided. Belladonna was staring her down, which made her return the glare. Before they had come outside, The Eldest had spent a considerable amount of time teaching Mattie how not to accidentally pull on another’s power. Touching her great-grandmother’s hand had been akin to trying to pet a friendly dog, because Belladonna’s magic had constantly licked at Mattie, wanting attention. It had taken forever before the desire to steal some had lessened to almost nothing.
But was the woman’s purpose behind those lessons really to help keep Mattie safe? Or to make her weak? Nearly all the residents in the duchy had some magic in their veins. Imagine how strong she could become if she took a little from every person with whom she came in contact!
And Crosshawk itself? Oh, with her connection to the land, Mattie had an unlimited resource of power! If she wanted to change the world, no one would ever be able to stop her!
Except for one tiny person.
A sudden tremor of fear came from Mattie’s unborn daughter, snapping her back to reality. Isabelle was scared—and to Mattie’s horror—of her own mother! What in the hell had she been thinking!? Shuddering at how she had nearly lost herself completely, Belladonna’s spell was soon re-released into a nearby evergreen bush. The plant snapped and shook under the attack, but only a few branches showed evidence of being scorched.
“Not exactly what I would’ve called ‘safe’,” intoned Belladonna after she let out a noise of relief. “But it will do.”
Tears fell of their own accord. Part from the anger Mattie had at herself and at her great-grandmother, but mostly from the horrific fact that she had terrified her own child! “Why in the hell did you throw a spell at me like that!? Why didn’t you warn me!?”
“Because you had to learn.”
“Learn what!?” Mattie screamed, her hands clenching into fists. “That I’m a horrible person who just barely kept herself from becoming a monster!?”
Belladonna shook her head. “No. You had to learn to rein yourself back under control. If I had warned you, it wouldn’t have been an honest struggle. Henriella said—”
“Henriella said! Henriella said!” Mattie snarked. “Why in the hell isn’t she here teaching me this!? One Siphon to another!”
“Because you have me to help you through this,” she answered frankly. “Her other student doesn’t have anyone else. She was hoping to catch sight of him today, even if she had to hunt him down herself.”
Mattie blinked back her surprise. “Who in the hell could she be teaching?”
Belladonna didn’t answer that question, merely ignored it and instead went over to the bush to inspect the damage. Her evasiveness didn’t help Mattie’s simmering emotions one bit. A flash of green light later, and Belladonna finally turned her attention back to her great-granddaughter. The responding growl didn’t erase the pleased smile on her face.
“Impressive,” she said with a hint of pride to her voice. “You managed not to add to my magic when you released it.”
Mattie shrugge
d. “I only rid myself of what wasn’t already there.”
“I wonder if it’s because you can also Soul Walk,” she mused. “This at least tells me I don’t have to teach you how to differentiate your magic from another’s. Usually that’s another difficult lesson, but one you seem to have mastered on your first try.”
“Wasn’t my first try,” Mattie muttered, feeling rather pleased with herself despite the fact she was still upset over the whole affair.
“That means you just might get to go home tonight,” she said to Mattie’s relief. “Now for a potentially difficult situation.”
“What now?”
“Firestorm.”
Mattie glanced at the horse and said, “What about her?”
“She is a Fury, after all—your aunt can barely approach her without getting blasted by the wild power within her. Can you still ride her without complications occurring between such vastly different and powerful energies?”
Mattie felt like her heart had been ripped out. What a horrific thought if she couldn’t! The mare had been there for her during some of the roughest moments of her life. Firestorm was one of her best friends, damn it!
“I honestly don’t know,” she finally snarled through gritted teeth. “But I am sure as hell going to find out!”
Chapter 38
Passing through the shadows was surprisingly simple, especially after Henriella explained to Garin that, for him, he only ever needed to decide to step from one room and into another. The idea seemed ludicrous, but it turned out she was correct. Admittedly, accomplishing the goal had taken a few tries on his part because the woman refused to help him, saying he had better learn to do this all-important task himself. Success was realized when his sudden appearance garnered a short rumbling noise of surprise from Thaddeus Brewer.
“Wasn’t expecting you to be the one standing over there, lad,” he grumbled, eyes glaring.
Luckily, that angry look wasn’t for Garin. Instead, it was aimed at the red-haired woman who had just appeared next to him. She returned her husband’s scowl with one of her own.
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