(The Zero Enigma Book 6) The Family Pride

by Christopher Nuttall

  I stared at him, puzzled. He’d taken off his armband ... why? I looked at his frozen face and thought I knew the answer. He looked like a man straining against a spell, a compulsion spell. Someone had forced him to take off his armband. I tested the spell holding him in place, ready to jump back in case it snapped at me, but ... I couldn’t break the spell. It wasn’t a standard freeze spell. It was something more sinister, keeping him trapped in a moment of time ... unaware, even, that he was trapped. I looked at the armband on my arm and shivered as I realised what had happened. The armband was charmed to freeze the wearer if he took it off, holding them suspended until they could be removed from the field.

  “I’m sorry, Tobias.” I knew there was no way he could hear me, but I couldn’t help myself. “I wish I’d kept him off the team.”

  I turned slowly, surveying the clearing. There was no sign of anyone else. I wondered, grimly, just what it meant. Had Francis turned the girls into animals or objects? I reached out with my senses, but felt nothing. There was so much background magic - it felt as if it was getting stronger - that it was impossible to sense them, if they were there. Or were they with him, willing or not? Francis could have enchanted them, if he’d wished. Or Harvard ...

  Another flicker of magic flared up in the distance, only to be lost in the haze. I took a final look at Tobias - beyond my help now, until the Challenge came to an end - and started to walk, heading back towards the castle. The magic kept flickering and flaring, suggesting ... what? Trouble? I wasn’t sure if I should be heading towards it, but ... I needed to find and stop Francis. Everything else came second. I said a silent prayer to my ancestors that they wouldn’t forget the betrayal, whatever else happened. I’d never really taken my ancestral rites seriously, but now ... I promised myself that, if I survived, I’d keep them in mind. And Cat’s. I’d pay enough homage for both of us.

  I kept my head low as I slipped through the trees, feeling the magic growing stronger and stronger. It was almost painful to my senses, as if I could feel it tearing into my very soul. My father had taught me how to block my sense for magic, if I had no other choice, but I didn’t dare take the risk. I would be a blind man picking his way along a treacherous path, blind to the traps that might remove me from the game. I ground my teeth in silent frustration. An hour ago, I’d known that I might lose - that I might be eliminated - and still win, if the team won. Now ... if I was eliminated, my cause would be lost. I didn’t want to be Wizard Regnant - and I still wasn’t sure I wanted to be Patriarch - but I sure as hell didn’t want Francis to be either. I dreaded to think what he might do with my father’s power.

  But the family council would know what he’d done, I told myself. Wouldn’t they?

  I wished, suddenly, that I’d paid more attention to family politics. Or that Isabella had stayed in the city, where she could advise me. Were there uncles and aunts who would sooner see Francis as Patriarch, rather than me? It was possible. Francis wouldn’t make a good Patriarch, but that might be the point. Our family required a strong hand, a heavy hand ... Francis was neither. And yet, I could see why some of my relatives might want him in charge. He wouldn’t be able to bring them to heel. He wouldn’t even see the need to try.

  The castle wall came out of nowhere, hidden within the bushes until I was right on top of it. I grunted as I walked right into the stone. My fingers brushed bare stone, feeling hints of metal - and magic - woven into the walls. It felt oddly familiar, reminding me of something ... something I’d seen before. But where? I forced myself to think as I made my way along the wall, looking for a door. Something familiar ...

  Understanding clicked. Once, years ago, Father had taken me to see the founding stone, concealed underneath the family mansion. The stone itself was a Device of Power, rather than an Object of Power ... I’d always wondered why my ancestors hadn’t obtained an Object of Power for their wards before the Fall. It should have been possible, back then. But the stone - and the magic running through it - had felt just like the castle walls. What did it mean? I didn’t know, but I found it oddly reassuring. I was starting to feel as if I knew what was going on around me.

  I heard someone cry out, someone female. I hurried forward, even though I knew I could be running straight into a trap. The flickers and flares of magic grew stronger as I pushed my way through the bushes and peered out into a clearing. Magicians were fighting, outside an open door. Alana and Bella fought, back to back, against Francis, Saline and Harvard. Louise was standing by the door, her face blank. Saline ... she was fighting, but her face was a struggling mask. Tears ran down her cheeks, even as she fought. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was under a compulsion. A strong compulsion. I was no duellist, but even I knew she was making mistakes, hoping - perhaps - to give Alana or Bella a chance to take her out. But every opening she gave them was closed - quickly - by Francis or Harvard. They were good. Very good. I’d never realised just how much time Francis had spent duelling. He was better than me.

  But not good enough, I told myself. My fingers grasped the sword’s hilt and pulled it free. I felt the blade come to life, shimmering with deadly energy. Not good enough to stand against an Object of Power.

  I stepped forward, into the clearing. The sword strained at the leash, pulling me forward. It wanted blood. It wanted Francis’s blood. I had to fight to hold it back as the combatants parted, Saline’s face twisting between relief and a blank, soulless mask as she struggled against the compulsion holding her in place. Alana and Bella didn’t even exchange glances as they backed off, moving in perfect unison. I felt a stab of envy. Twins and triplets were meant to work together as one. Would Isabella and I have developed the same skill if we’d stayed together? In hindsight, I wished ...

  Francis’s face darkened. He jabbed a finger at me. The sword leapt up, blocking the curse effortlessly. I felt magic spiral around me as the curse broke on the sword’s blade. I grinned savagely, feeling my legs start to move. The sword was practically forcing me forward. It was all I could do to keep it from launching itself out of my hands and into Francis’s neck. Visions of a beheaded Francis danced in front of my eyes. I wanted him dead ...

  “Now,” Francis snapped.

  He cast a spell. I barely had a moment to recognise it before the ground shook, violently. I jumped back, just in time to avoid having my legs fall into a newly-opened fissure. It was smart, I acknowledged. Francis couldn’t beat the sword, so he wasn’t going to try. I wondered if he’d spent hours planning how to stop me, if I drew the sword, or if he’d simply forgotten it was there. I found that hard to believe, but there were times when I forgot the sword even though I was wearing it. And then I ducked, again, as Saline hurled a series of hexes at me. Behind her, Harvard and Francis blasted Alana and Bella with freeze spells ...

  I cursed under my breath. Saline was fighting desperately, but she couldn’t break the compulsion. I inched back, trying to think of a way to stop her without actually hurting her. She was going to impale herself on the sword if she kept coming like that ... my mind raced, trying to think of something. I was barely aware of Francis turning and running into the castle, Louise following him like a dog on a leash, as Saline kept coming. I knew a handful of powerful counterspells, but she wasn’t giving me time to cast them. The sword was blocking her hexes, yet ... it was a killer. I didn’t dare strike her with the blade ...

  Bracing myself, I shaped and cast a lightspell. There was a blinding flash of light, just enough to disorient her. The compulsion wouldn’t let her cover her eyes, but as long as she couldn’t see - as long as she didn’t know where I was - she couldn’t fight. There was an opening, just for a second. I lunged forward and punched her in the jaw, feeling oddly guilty as she tumbled to the ground. It wasn’t her fault Francis had put a spell on her. I knew she’d resisted it as hard as she could.

  Harvard’s eyes went wide. I pointed the sword at him, ready to cut him in half if he tried to fight or bury it in his back if he tried to run. He did neither. I
nstead, he pulled a device from his belt and pointed it at me. Strange lights flickered, drawing my attention like a moth drawn to a flame. My strength started to drain, again. The sword was suddenly very heavy. I wanted to put it down ...

  A compeller, I thought, numbly. It was all I could do to keep my grip on the sword. No wonder neither Saline nor Louise had been able to break the compulsion. He brought a compeller onto the field.

  “Put the sword down,” Harvard ordered. In my dazed state, it was hard to understand why I shouldn’t do as I was told. “Put the sword down ...”

  I bit my lip, hard. The pain gave me a little focus, just enough to cast a summoning spell. Harvard laughed, unkindly. The spell was hardly a duelling spell. It was harmless, unless the caster was imaginative ... Harvard would have blocked anything more dangerous, but not a summoning spell that had missed him. He lifted the compeller, then stumbled forward as the fallen tree I’d summoned crashed into his back. I heard - or thought I heard - his bones break as he hit the ground, screaming in pain. The tree had tried to take the shortest path to me. Unfortunately for Harvard, it had had to go right through him to get to me.

  My head cleared, instantly. I shook myself, then hurried forward. Harvard was still alive, but his back was bleeding heavily. I reached for his armband, then stopped myself. We’d been warned not to try taking them off. I had no idea what would happen if I did. Instead, I cast the strongest stasis spell I could. He’d be safe enough until the Challenge was over.

  “Akin.” Saline’s voice was weepy. I turned to see her sitting on the ground, hugging her legs. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” I told her. “The fault was mine. And his.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  There was a flash of light. When it cleared, Alana was moving again.

  She eyed me warily, her eyes flickering to the sword in my hand. Cat had repaired the sword, years ago. I wondered what she was thinking, if she was cursing her sister or silently thanking her for repairing the blade. It had saved all of us, back when Stregheria Aguirre and the Crown Prince had tried to take over the city, yet ... we were on opposing teams. I felt the spell blinding Bella unravelling, a second before there was another flash. They’d woven powerful cancellation charms into their uniforms. I wondered, grimly, what had happened to the rest of their team. Alana had had five teammates, hadn’t she?

  “Akin,” Alana said, slowly. I saw her hand twitch, as if she intended to hex me. I didn’t really blame her. She had no idea what was going on, but ... only one of us could be Wizard Regnant. “What happened?”

  Saline shuddered, as if she was on the verge of crying outright. I had the urge to go to her and hug her ... but I knew better. Not in front of Alana and Bella. “Francis ... Francis compelled me to fight for him.”

  Alana and Bella exchanged glances. “Why?”

  I listened, grimly, as Saline explained what had happened. They hadn’t stood a chance. Harvard had hexed them when their backs were turned, then - when Francis had returned - they’d put a compulsion on the girls. Tobias had been compelled to remove his armband, putting him in stasis. It made me wonder if Francis had known what would happen if someone removed the armband, if someone had briefed him on what to expect ... someone ... but who?

  A nasty thought crossed my mind. I put it aside as Saline continued the story. The four of them had made their way to the castle, where they’d run into Alana’s team. Francis had promptly ordered an attack, which had gone very well until I’d arrived with the sword. And then ... my heart went out to her as she started to cry openly. Saline had already been abused by her uncle. She didn’t deserve to be abused by Francis too.

  I looked at Alana. “Truce?”

  Alana blinked. “What?”

  “I have to stop Francis.” I met her dark eyes, silently wishing she didn’t look so much like Cat. Cat would listen to reason. I wasn’t so sure about her sister. “And you have to help me stop him. After that ... we can fight it out for the title, if you still want it.”

  “You’d trust us at your back?” Bella sounded incredulous. “And you expect us to trust you?”

  “If Francis wins the title, there will be consequences. Political consequences.” I looked from one to the other, feeling the sword pulsing in my hand. It demanded action. I wanted to put it back in the scabbard, but I didn’t dare until they agreed. “You have to help me stop him from winning or both of our families will suffer.”

  Alana and Bella exchanged another look. I wished I knew what they were thinking. What would happen if they refused? I didn’t know, but ... I wouldn’t be able to turn my back on them. I wouldn’t dare. Francis might win by default, simply because the four of us had eliminated each other. The sword was a powerful weapon, but it didn’t make me invincible. Francis had already proven that to everyone’s satisfaction.

  “Truce, until we are the last on the field,” Alana said. “Agreed?”

  I nodded, stiffly. “Agreed. What happened to the rest of your team?”

  “Francis got them,” Alana said. “Do we have time to go find them?”

  I shook my head. Somehow, I was sure we didn’t have much time. The sword felt heavy as I put it back in the scabbard, then motioned for Bella to help Saline as I turned to the door. Alana stepped up beside me, her face grim. I glanced at her, then led the way into the castle. The interior was gloomy, but not dark. Burning torches hung from the walls, drawing us onwards like moths to flame. The shadows seemed to twist and turn around us as we inched into the castle, our senses straining for traps. There was only one way to go, as far as I could tell. No doors, no rooms ... just a long stone corridor. I hated it on sight. No one would have any trouble guessing where we’d be going.

  I glanced back out of the castle, looking up the featureless stone walls. Climbing them was out of the question, even for Francis. The magic currents surrounding the building were strong, too. If we tried to levitate, we’d lose control and plunge to our deaths; if we transfigured ourselves into birds and tried to fly, we might be dashed against the stone walls or simply find ourselves unable to change back. There were some magicians who wore an animal form as naturally as breathing, but I’d never tried to master the art. It had too many dangers, even for experienced magicians.

  “We’ll have to walk.” Alana sounded no happier than I was. “Where will he be going?”

  I shrugged. I knew nothing about the interior of the castle ... or did I? My fingers brushed the stone again, sensing the same combination of magic and metal ... cold iron, if I understood correctly. The faint tang of iron hung in the air, tasting metallic against my tongue. It was achingly familiar. I’d worked with enough iron, at the forge, to know the taste and smell was actually an illusion, but ... I swallowed, hard. There would be time enough to return to the forge later, if there was a later. Francis had gone too far. His only hope to avoid being disgraced - Wizard Regnant or not - was to eliminate all the witnesses.

  And pray we’re not being watched, I thought, glancing at my armband. Are we being monitored as we compete?

  The shadows seemed to grow darker as we made our way further into the castle, the space between the torches growing wider and wider. I gritted my teeth in annoyance. Whoever had placed them was an evil genius. There was too much light for the night-vision spells to work properly, yet too little for us to see normally. I couldn’t help peering into the shadows, half-expecting something to jump out of them. I wasn’t used to semi-darkness. Or being unable to see ...

  A shape loomed up in front of us, concealed in the shadows. Bella let out a gasp. Beside her, Alana stumbled against me. I cast a lightspell and recoiled in horror as a monstrous face looked back. I was halfway through casting a blasting spell when I realised that I was looking at a statue, a monstrous mutated creature that walked on two legs but was nothing like a man. The statue was so real that I had to resist the urge to blast it anyway. There was something about it that chilled me to the bone.

  “I nearly wet myself,” Bella exclaimed
.

  “Too much information,” Alana said. “Really.”

  Saline giggled. “What do you think it is?”

  I smiled, relieved to hear that she was starting to recover, then turned my attention to the statue. It was ... odd. Something from the Desolation, perhaps? There was so much wild magic there that someone unfortunate enough to live there might have been mutated into ... into this creature. There were all sorts of stories about things deep within the Desolation, although none had been confirmed. People who travelled too far into the Desolation rarely came back. Those who did were often insane. The dreams of a land route to distant Hangchow were nothing more than dreams.

  “I haven’t the slightest idea.” I touched the statue gingerly. It didn’t feel like stone. It was ... I wasn’t sure what it was. “Someone’s perverted dream, perhaps.”