Trial by Obsidian

by Naomi Kelly

  I so badly wanted a few minutes alone with Reuben to establish what had been said. I needed to understand the level of knowledge Edvan had. He was the enemy; I doubt Reuben told him everything.

  "As my Beta, he commanded me not to harm you. As my cousin, he pleaded with me not to. I will respect his wishes...Even if he is neither of those things anymore," Edvan shook his head as if he could not process what he was saying, "I may not be hell-bent in my determination to kill you anymore, but the Chambers most certainly are."

  "What in Hel’s name is that meant to mean?" I asked, trying to hide my surprise at how much he knew already.

  "It might be better to explain when we have the coven assembled." Reuben moved closer until his hand was rubbing my lower back.

  "The coven? Why do we have to involve the others?" I exclaimed, staring at him with wide eyes. Why was he saying this in front of the enemy, had he not learnt that Edvan was untrustworthy? Chamber men would be the death of me, either literally or figuratively.

  "What he has to say involves all of the magicians, and all the citizens of Deshure and Sinlara," he said slowly, allowing time for the gravity of the situation to seep in. I swallowed hard and looked at Edvan.

  Suddenly he didn't seem like the scariest thing facing of me anymore.

  Fourteen

  "At least Reuben isn't the centre of Elm's hatred anymore?" Adonis offered as I looked at all the tense faces which occupied our kitchen.

  The Topaz sister's and I sat around the table, with our chairs swivelled to face Edvan and Reuben who stood leaning against the sink. There was a spare chair, but both Adonis and Bryar chose to stand at each end of the table like personal guards ready to attack at any second.

  I wanted to smile at my brothers attempt to lighten the mood, but a sense of belligerence hung heavy in the air. There were no bowls of food to distract me from the knots in my stomach or warm tea to wash down the lump in my throat. The table was bare, but the room was full of magicians waiting to hear what the Chambers had decided our fate was.

  Edvan began by explaining what had happened in the Chambers since my escape.

  He told us how rumours spread quickly about the Beta after Douward's funeral. Some men thought his 'heart-condition' had simply left him bed-bound again, with others proposing that his missing gelding must mean he willingly left the Chambers. There were many variations to these tales, but Edvan noted how one theory gained popularity faster than any other. The idea of me murdering Reuben was unimaginable to me, but it was the speculation of choice for most Chamber men to believe.

  "After a few days of gossiping, Alpha Karnes called a Sinlaran meeting, the type where not only Chamber men but also members of the Sinlara public can attend," Edvan spoke with a seriousness to his voice that didn't seem lost on Reuben but left everyone else confused.

  "What's so important about that type of meeting, lad?" Bryar inquired.

  "There's only been one other open Sinlaran meeting in the history of the Chambers, and that was when the War on the magicians was declared," Reuben filled in.

  Edvan nodded and continued to explain how dozens of regular Sinlaran citizens arrived alongside all the guards and Chamber workers. The long hall could not hold the scores of people, so instead the assembly took place in the town square, where at the top of the crowd stood the Alpha and Teriam.

  "In a symbolic act of trustworthiness, the Alpha was injected with the Truth Serum and offered to clarify the whereabouts of the Beta to the people," Edvan paused and turned his torso to face Reuben, "Karnes then went on to explain how his son had died at the hands of a magician."

  "Oh of course he did," I spat, "It's technically true so it would be a breeze to say under Truth Serum, and magician-hating northerners would accept that without further proof. He's pulling a stunt and fooling all those people!"

  "I understand that now, but at the time his words were incredibly believable," Edvan snapped, and seemed insulted that he might be perceived as naive, "Whether his words were true or not, he still managed to gather a lot of support."

  "Support for what?" Elm pressed.

  "Support for the "Second Wave", at least that's what the Alpha called during his call to arms that he disguised as a speech about grief. He talked about how magicians had taken enough from not only the Chambers but all of Sinlara, except something was different compared to his normal narrative. This time he spoke about how he sympathized with the citizens of Deshure who had to share their lives and land with those...people," Edvan said carefully rephrasing any insults to avoid the wrath of those around him, "The Alpha explained how if magicians were capable of causing so much devastation in the well-equipped strong-hold of the Chambers, they must be wreaking havoc down south and manipulating the locals. He told the men that it was our duty to protect not only ourselves but our non-magic neighbours too."

  "Oh! As if he gives a damn about Deshure!" Adonis snapped, throwing his hands up.

  "The Sinlaran population grew more than anyone was expecting after the War. Half the population of Deshure migrated north to seek new homes and employment in the cities or Chambers. A lot of innocent people lost their homes when fires spread from magician clans to neighbouring villages-"

  "The magician clans were innocent too," I retorted without realizing I had even opened my mouth.

  "Sinlara has doubled in population, meaning more of our land is being used for buildings and homes compared to twenty years ago. Our agricultural lands are diminishing faster than ever leading to fewer crops for ever-growing citizen numbers. The Alpha hopes to change this by storming the south with his men, seizing control and reigning over both lands," Edvan fought to keep talking over the rising hum of anger and backlash, "He stated that the south was too weak, and had failed in their duty to contain what was essentially their problem. By accepting services rendered by magicians, they have committed an act of treachery against the Chambers and for their crimes they will either perish or sign the new Chamber Contract."

  "And I'm assuming that ain't good news either?" Bryar said with a tone of menace in his voice I did not think he was capable of. He took a step closer to Edvan, fists balled at his side.

  Edvan matched his movement so they stood toe-to-toe and continued, "It's a contract for them to stay alive and keep their land, but all crops yielded will belong to the Chambers and distributed as they see fit. Food for their personal consumption will be sold back to them with added tax-"

  A throaty growl from Bryar was Reubens queue to push himself away from the sink and step in-between them. He placed a firm hand into the chest of each man and shoved them apart before wordlessly motioned to Adonis. Without further instruction my brother closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. As he drew breath, he pulled from the power thread and conjured a swirling dark mass of magic energy. He exhaled and blew it towards the men if he were Zeus controlling a thundercloud. An instant breeze of tranquillity wafted through the room and blew away the ball of tension that was forming in my mind. Edvan and Byrar who were receiving the main brunt of his energy looked visibly cooler as the calming wind rustled their clothes and hair.

  It wasn't until he was retracting his energy that I noticed Adonis held no Obsidian. The coven and bloodlines were flourishing, and become stronger and more stable every day, but did that mean we have a chance against the Chambers? I doubted it.

  With their nostrils no longer flaring, the men backed down and took a few steps apart.

  "We have enough battles to face without turning on each other. You do not have to like us," Reuben's voice boomed and he gave a knowing look to Elm, "But you need to trust that Edvan and I will do everything we can to protect you and save your homeland. Correct, Gamma?"

  "Yes, Beta." Edvan said obediently. Standing side by side, I sized up their similarities.

  Granted they looked vastly different and they may not be related as the cousins they once thought they were, but they were still family. Their mannerisms, tone and solider mentality were key characteristics of their share
d upbringing.

  "How do we know we can trust you? Or that the Alpha didn't send you here as part of a trick?" Willow questioned.

  Edvan stiffened, his tense gaze falling on me, "The Alpha does not know I am here. I left alone, because I wanted to get here before my men arrived-"

  "So that you could single-handedly kill my sister," Adonis added with a sarcastic shrug.

  Edvan rolled his eyes but remained silent. He knew there was no use in refuting the claim, especially when it was true.

  "We can trust him," I decided.

  "Did your last shred of common-sense get knocked out of your head when he slammed you against the floor?" Adonis spoke with a tone that reminded me of myself.

  I was unsure if our shared sarcastic nature was from our genes or if me raising him alone had moulded him to be like me, but either way there was no denying he was my brother.

  My brother, for who I would storm the Chamber and exact revenge should they hurt them. Those monsters already took my parents, if they were to take the last family member I had? As violent images flashed across my mind, I felt a slight pang of shame but mostly understanding. Love and loyalty changes people, and that was a lesson I had thoroughly learnt over the past months.

  Edvan's parents had been murdered by a magician in-front of him. He thought his best friend and cousin had suffered the same fate and although I didn't appreciate him beating me, I needed him. If we were to stand half a chance against the Chambers and the Alpha, I needed to ensure Reuben would be protected. At all times. At all costs. We may hate each other, but our mutual care of Reuben was all I needed to tolerate Edvan right now.

  "I would want to kill someone if they hurt my family too," I said with a flat tone and a locked-on stare in the Gamma's eyes. He nodded, understanding my underlying threat.

  "My loyalties lie with this side of the battle. But it will be a battle, one I fear we won't fare well in. The guards roll out of the Chambers in one week."

  "If you and I left today, we could reach the Chambers before they depart. I could talk to Karnes and broker some arrangement," Reuben twisted and spoke solely to Edvan.

  "You would just leave me?" My voice held a fragility that caught me off guard. I wished for the second time that we could be alone for a few precious minutes. Since Edvan's arrival, we had not had one moment alone as he kept Edvan at his side, in plain sight always.

  There had been a shift in power as Reuben's natural leadership came into play. He acted as peace-keeper, liaison, the damn human embodiment of Stagton river as he was the midway point between the two opposing sides. I had no doubt of his loyalty to our coven but there was something very Chamber-eqsue about the way he effortlessly controlled those who followed him.

  It was selfish to think of kisses when our world was falling apart, but I worried that with more dire issues on the horizon that I was slipping further into a thing of the past.

  "I promised to keep you safe," he repeated his vow, as he leaned on the table.

  "And I told you I'm not a damsel," I said. I pushed my chair back, releasing a piercing clang as the wood scraped against the stony floor. Everyone flinched, bar Reuben.

  He was too rigid with his clenched jaw and stiffened arms to be bothered by the spine shivering shrill.

  I placed both wrist on the table and matched his stance.

  He stopped grinding his back teeth long enough to spit out, "It is too dangerous Juniper."

  "We can all agree she's far too stubborn to let you go without her," Bryar interrupted, "And Adonis won't let her go with him, and then there's Elm and Willow. You understand what I'm saying laddie?"

  Reuben remained silent and still.

  "You are part of this Coven," Elm said firmly with a sincerity that snapped Reuben out of his staring match with me.

  "All together or not at all," Willow added.

  He looked truly defeated, and sombre to a point that I felt selfish getting my own way.

  He pushed himself away from the table and muttered, "Together then," before leaving the kitchen.

  The next two days were hectic.

  We trained harder than before. We were more focused and motivated to hone our magic skills as much as possible in the short time. Our combined magic and a living Beta that no one was prepared for were our main defence against the Chambers.

  We practised pulling and adding magic to the power blanket. We needed years to perfect the sharing of magic

  amongst the coven, but we figured if we could lend each other power when needed we could defend ourselves if under direct attack.

  The only problem was, we didn't have time to learn the limits of what we could draw from each other. During training, if one of us took too much, the rest were left powerless. If that happened on the battlefield it would mean certain death.

  I offered to help Reuben continue his attempts to connect with his power, but he coolly blew me off, stating it was a waste of time that we did not have to spare. Instead he and Edvan spent all their time in a separate room discussing various tactics, attack approaches and sussing out any weaknesses the Chamber's may have. As I suspected the Chamber's did not do 'weakness', which meant our most feasible plan of attack was the element of surprise.

  Rather than trying stop their departure at Sinlara, or prepare for their arrival in Deshure, we planned to ambush them at Stagton.

  Early on the third morning, Bryar lightly rapped on my door. His chestnut brows rose in surprise when he noticed the large, Reuben-sized void in my bed.

  I wanted to snap at him and ask what he was staring at, but I knew it was not his fault that I was alone for the second night in a row. Reuben and Edvan had been staying up all night going over every detail of the plan.

  "If it's okay with you lass, the girls and I are going to head home for a bit. We need supplies, and Willow could really use some decent sleep," Bryar leaned against my open doorway, looking like he could sleep standing up.

  We were all exhausted, but with the Obsidian cottage not built to hold so many people, my guests were suffering the most. Floorboards and couches were hardly adequate at the best of time, let alone when we had to rest up for the battle.

  "You never have to ask my permission to go home, Bryar."

  "Reuben might seem like he's in control, but we all know you're the real brains to the operation," he smiled with tired eyes, "Nothing slips past you lass."

  "I think everything is slipping past me," I sighed, and glanced at the empty space to my right.

  "The lad ain't trying to be an arse to you," Bryar sighed, knowing exactly what I meant, "He's just worried about you."

  "And I'm worried about him!"

  "Aye, but it's not your men, your country and your father for all intents and purpose who is coming to kill us. He feels guilty-"

  "None of this is his fault! If anything, it's mine-"

  "Oi," Bryar boomed, "None of this is anyone's fault but the Alpha's. Keep your feisty temper for the enemy, we'll need your fighting spirit lass."

  I rolled my eyes but nodded, "See you tomorrow."

  He clicked the door shut, and I lay back down and stared at the ceiling. I remained still and listened as the Topaz sisters and Bryar rustled around the house for a few minutes before leaving. The cottage fell silent.

  Once my curiosity got the better of me, I dragged myself of out bed and padded barefoot down the hallway towards my parents’ room which had become the men's makeshift office. I knocked on the door and waited. More silence.

  I opened it and peered inside to find it vacant. A scrap of paper, holding the message, "Gone to the market to buy more horses. We will be back this evening. Please rest -R" sat waiting on the desk.

  I had half a mind to march to the market after them, but the sharp sting of rejection kept me grounded. I had not been invited. Reuben did not want me there.

  Instead, I heated some left-over stew, which seemed like an odd choice for breakfast, but the passing of time had lost its meaning. Days and nights blended into each oth
er as the normal day markers such as food or sleep lost all importance. I ate alone and then ran a hot bath. I planned to unwind in the lavender scented waters, but instead I just stewed in my own anxiety. I didn't scrub my body or wash my hair. I just floated and fretted. I worried so much that even the wrinkled skin of my fingertips looked like stressed, furrowed brows. I had grown used to the constant hum of company and with no one to distract me, the inner babble of my mind raced to fill the silent void.

  I returned to my room, scooped Reuben's worn shirt off the back of my chair and allowed myself to lie on the bed once more. I was exhausted, not just from training, or the past few months, but from my life. I was tired of always fearing for those I cared about

  I slipped his shirt over my damp hair and inhaled him off the fabric. His scent somehow still smelt like warm cinnamon even though the cloth was cold. I closed my eyes and imagined a world where we were safe. And alone.

  * * * *

  My intruder waiting ears bolted me upright when I heard the familiar creek of my door. The room lacked light as the darker evenings became more regular, but I recognised the entering shadow immediately.

  "Good afternoon," Reuben spoke as he lit the oil lantern on the chest of drawers. He took three steps and waited at the bedside. I was sprawled out in an inelegant fashion that left little room for him. He waited patiently with a raised eyebrow. I sighed and reluctantly shuffled over to my cold, vacant side of the bed. I much preferred his half, although I would not give him the satisfaction of knowing it.

  "Are you not going to ask me how the market went?"

  "Why should I ask you anything? You've barely looked at me the last few days," I retort, "Besides, if you wanted me to show an interest you should have invited me."

  He sat on the bed, his weight naturally buckled the mattress and pulled me towards him. I tensed my body to stop me inching closer. Even gravity was taking his side.

  Huh.

  He seemed unaffected by my attitude, "We managed to purchase two geldings and enough supplies for everyone. I ran into the others on their way home."