‘He’s hurt,’ she said, kneeling by him. ‘He’s bleeding. Is he going to die? Calder! Please don’t die.’
Karalyn went back into Belinda’s mind. She had reservations about what she was going to do, but she had to suppress them before it was too late. She located the young woman’s life powers. They extended all the way from healing up to the full might of a soulwitch, but Karalyn wasn’t sure that she would be able to limit any of the individual powers if she tried to unblock one. It was like choosing straws, and hoping to find the short one. She threw her doubts to the winds and released her grip on Belinda’s hedgewitch powers. At once, a change began to take hold inside Belinda’s mind, as a surge of healing spread outwards. The young woman cried out as the effect reached her body.
Karalyn withdrew from her mind. Belinda had her head lowered.
‘How do you feel?’
Belinda gazed at her hands. ‘All my hurts have gone.’
‘That’s good.’
Karalyn reached over Calder’s body and gripped the bolt in both hands. She pulled with all her strength and ripped the bolt out, blood flowing after it.
‘Now,’ she said, ‘place your hands on Calder’s back.’
‘What?’
‘Do it. He’s dying.’
Belinda moved her hands over to where the blood was spilling out of Calder’s body, and pressed her palms against him.
‘Alright,’ said Karalyn. ‘Feel for the power that got rid of your aches and pains, and send some into him.’
‘But I don’t know how.’
‘Try. It’ll be just like the fight. The power will know what to do.’
Belinda screwed her eyes closed, and Karalyn stared at Calder. Nothing happened for a long moment, then Calder’s body spasmed under Belinda’s hands, and he coughed up a great gout of blood. Belinda jumped back, her eyes wide as Calder convulsed, then lay still. Karalyn gripped his arm and turned him over. His eyes were open.
‘What the fuck?’ he groaned. He sat up, rubbing his head. ‘Soldiers,’ he said. ‘What happened?’
‘I killed them all,’ said Belinda.
He stared at her.
‘How do you feel?’ said Karalyn.
‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Good, actually. Strong.’
‘Excellent, because all those sacks still need loaded onto the wagon.’
They sat in silence as Calder drove their two gaien away from the farm. He led them down a track and into a thick forest of pine and spruce, where the air chilled under the shade of the branches. They travelled for mile after mile, deep into the mountains to the west of Tahrana City. As the sun dipped below the height of the mountain ridges to their right, Calder steered the wagon into a small clearing by the side of a fast-flowing stream. They had passed no one for the entire day, and the forest lay quiet around them, save for the cries of the birds flown south from the Holdings for summer.
Calder jumped down from the wagon, unhooked the water canisters from the side railing and walked over to the stream.
Karalyn glanced at Belinda. ‘Are you alright?’
‘Who am I?’
‘You’re my friend.’
Belinda stared at her. ‘You’re a liar. You told me you didn’t know who I was, but then how could you know I had those powers? You went into my mind and turned them on like you were lighting a lamp. Powers I had no idea lived inside me, yet you knew, didn’t you?’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘So you admit it? You admit you lied to me?’
‘Aye.’
Belinda looked away, her face hot with anger.
‘It’s the biggest choice I’ve had to make,’ said Karalyn. ‘At what point do I tell you the truth? I couldn’t have told you when you first awakened after losing your memory, because you wouldn’t have understood. I had to teach you how to think for yourself again, and for that you needed language, and knowledge of the world. Perhaps I should have told you before now. Perhaps I’ve made a mistake. If I have, I hope you can forgive me.’
Belinda glanced up. ‘I can fight, and I can heal. What else can I do?’
Karalyn rooted around inside one of the sacks and found the cigarettes they had robbed from the farm. She lit one.
‘All right,’ she said, ‘are you ready?’
Belinda nodded, her eyes hard.
‘You could cause an earthquake, and bring down the entire mountainside. You can create fire with one hand, and throw it with the other; you can flood someone’s lungs with a glance, and drown them, or force their brains out through their eyes and nose. And, you can read minds. You have the powers of every mage class that lives, except for mine, and I blocked them up, on the express orders of the Empress, to protect everyone from you.’
Belinda sobbed, her gaze going back to her hands, which she held in front of her.
‘There’s more,’ Karalyn said. ‘You came to Plateau City to kill the Empress, and you slaughtered hundreds trying to do it. It was me that stopped you. It was me that caused you to lose your memories. It was either that or kill you, and I didn’t want to kill you.’
‘I tried to murder the Empress?’
‘Aye.’
‘But why?’
‘We don’t know. That was part of the price for wiping your mind. We didn’t get any information from the man who killed Laodoc either.’
Belinda said nothing, tears rolling down her cheeks as she sat in silence.
‘Today,’ said Karalyn, ‘I unblocked two of your powers to save our lives. I know you probably hate me, but I hope you can understand why I did what I did. I’ve lived with you for a year now, and I’ve never been closer to anyone. I love you like a sister, and I’m sorry I hurt you.’
Belinda climbed down from the wagon and gazed out into the forest. ‘I want to be on my own; I need to think.’
‘Alright,’ said Karalyn, as the young woman walked away, disappearing into the trees.
‘You tell her, then?’ said Calder, returning to the wagon.
‘Aye.’
Calder nodded. ‘Had to happen some time.’
‘I know.’
‘Don’t worry, you did your best.’
‘Aye. I just hope it’s enough.’
Chapter 18
The Seablade
Stretton Sands, Eastern Plateau – 9th Day, First Third Summer 525
‘Not good enough, Lennox,’ said Sable. ‘Try again.’
Lennox lowered his head, sweat on his brow and a pounding behind his temples.
‘It was better, though,’ said Libby, from where she was sitting next to the Holdings agent.
‘A bit,’ said Sable, lighting a cigarette. ‘A tiny bit.’
Lennox picked up a mug of water and drank until it was empty. He glanced around the abandoned warehouse, long emptied of its contents. A few yards to his right, a small fire was burning, its flames licking the fragments of a broken-up wine barrel. He gazed into the fire, his right arm out-stretched, trying to ignore the stares of the two women watching. He felt for the flames, and they responded to his call. He smiled. He was getting better, despite Sable’s comments, which he was sure were meant to rile him into proving himself. He strained, and lifted a small ball of fire from the ground, letting it hover for a moment in front of him. He stared into the coils of flame, then flung his hand out. The fiery mass flew through the air for twenty yards, then struck the massive brick retaining wall about half way up, exploding into a hundred pieces.
Libby applauded. ‘That was the best yet.’
Lennox felt his knees buckle, and his head throbbed with pain. He grimaced, clenching his eyes shut.
‘It would be alright,’ said Sable, ‘if he was fifteen. At twenty, Lennox should be on a different level.’
‘Aye, but think back to where he was when we started training. It’s not even been two thirds, and now he can do that.’
Sable raised an eyebrow. ‘Just how long do you think we can wait for Lennox to improve? I have deadlines.’
She jumped down from
the crate and pulled a crossbow from her shoulder.
‘We need to push him,’ she said, checking the bow was loaded and ready. She lifted the stock and took aim. ‘Again, Lennox, but this time under more realistic battle conditions.’
Lennox jumped as a bolt flew past his nose.
‘Get on with it,’ Sable cried, ‘or I’ll shoot you in the leg.’
Lennox turned back to the fire, reaching out with his hand. He tried to concentrate, but another bolt sped past his face and he blinked, muttering curses under his breath.
‘Come on, Lennox, you can do it,’ cried Libby.
He raised his arm, and a thin trickle of fire climbed upwards, then fell back down again. A bolt skittered off the ground by his feet. He fought the instincts that were telling him to flee and calmed himself, slowing his breathing. He tried again, and lifted a mass of fire into the air. Without hesitating, he flicked his hand and the ball of fire roared across the open space of the warehouse. It struck a pile of broken crates ten yards left of where he was aiming for, and set the entire heap alight in a second.
Sable laughed.
Lennox stared at the fire, then toppled over, unconscious before he hit the ground.
The first thing he noticed when he awoke was the smell of burnt wood. His head was aching, and the pain flashed whenever he tried to move, so he lay as still as possible. As the pain started to subside, he heard a voice drift into his consciousness.
‘…he was always a quiet boy when we were growing up,’ Libby was saying. ‘Shy, even. You could tell he was strong, but it took a lot to get him to show it.’
‘Well,’ said Sable, ‘he’s going to have to show it now.’
‘He will; I know him. We’ve spent almost our whole lives together.’
‘I was sure you were going to split up after you found out he was a fire mage. I’m glad you didn’t.’
‘It was close,’ Libby said, her voice low. ‘I mean, if he loves me like he says he does, then why couldn’t he be honest with me?’
‘The longer a lie goes on, the harder it is to tell the truth. Eventually, you convince yourself that the lie is the truth.’
‘I think he feels bad about it.’
‘Oh, he does, believe me.’
‘Have you seen it in his thoughts?’
‘I have, yes. His mind was filled with guilt for days.’
‘Only days?’
Sable laughed. ‘It’s still there, just not as potent as it was before.’
Libby let out a sigh. ‘It’s good to know, but, with all respect, I don’t like the thought of you going into his mind, and knowing things about him that I’ll never know.’
‘It’s my job. We are all blessed by the Creator in different ways.’
‘That’s how I came to terms with Lennox and his powers; I see them as a gift from Pyre.’
‘They are. A precious gift. But you being here to support him; that’s a gift too.’
‘No, no,’ said Libby. ‘I’m nothing compared to you and Lennox. You’re both mages, sacred in the eye of the Creator.’
‘The Creator loves us all,’ said Sable. ‘And Lennox loves you too; I know that for a fact as well.’
‘Thanks. I appreciate the talks we have. You’ve helped my faith a lot. It was starting to wobble.’
‘You’re good company, and what else would we do every time your boyfriend passes out?’
Lennox let out a long choking gasp, unable to hold it in any longer. He heard someone get to their feet.
‘Hi, Lennox,’ said Libby, kneeling down beside him as he squinted his eyes open. ‘Ale?’
‘Aye,’ he croaked, taking the mug and sitting up.
‘That was pretty impressive,’ said Sable. ‘You know, the bit before you fell over. Alright, you missed the target, and set the rest of our fuel on fire, but hey, I was shooting bolts at you. You held your nerve well.’
He took a swig of ale to ease his parched throat. ‘That sounded almost like a compliment.’
‘It was,’ said Sable, ‘but don’t get used to them. What you did just now was your best effort so far, but you’ve a long way to go, squad leader.’
‘You want me to try again?’
‘No. We’ve been at it for over five hours today; that’ll do. We should get back to the harbour.’
Libby helped Lennox to his feet. He stretched his limbs.
‘I’m not feeling too bad,’ he said. ‘Must be recovering faster.’
Sable snorted. ‘You were out for fifteen minutes. Not exactly quick.’
Lennox knew better, but said nothing. He finished the ale, then put the mug into a bag and slung it over his shoulder. He glanced over at the charred pile of ash and debris that his fire ball had incinerated; the brickwork behind it scorched and blackened.
‘How does it feel?’ said Libby.
‘Throwing fire? It feels good, like the flames are alive, waiting for me to command them.’
‘I’m happy for you.’
He glanced at Sable, who sighed and turned away, then he leaned over and kissed Libby.
‘I love you,’ he said.
She flushed. ‘Me too.’
‘But I worry about how all this is going to end. There’s no going back to being a normal squad, no matter what happens next.’
‘Pyre will guide us.’
He nodded, though he didn’t believe it.
‘You two quite finished?’ said Sable. ‘Do you know there’s a war on?’
Lennox smiled.
Sable picked up her crossbow and bag and began walking towards the large warehouse doors.
‘Remember,’ she said, as they followed her, ‘training time is our time, but as soon as we step outside, it’s back to the normal chain of command.’
‘Aye, ma’am,’ said Lennox.
He slid open a tall door, its wheels squeaking on the railing, and they walked outside into the street. The sun was halfway down the western sky, and the hot weather was continuing, as it had since early spring.
‘We could do with some rain,’ Libby said as Lennox closed and padlocked the warehouse doors.
‘I thought you hated the rain,’ he said.
‘I do, usually, but all the grass has turned brown and I don’t like it.’
She quietened as a patrol of Sanang warriors turned into the road where they were standing. The warehouse was on the edge of the Rakanese district of the town, which was under the control of the Sons of Sanang, along with the Rahain district and Stretton Castle. The Army of Pyre held the Kellach and Holdings districts, and the entire harbour. Roadblocks and barriers had been erected to keep the two factions apart, and to prevent drunken brawls from spreading. The warehouse was right on the edge of the divide, where soldiers from either side maintained an uneasy truce. Sable walked across the road as the patrol approached.
‘Holdings bitch,’ cried one of the Sanang in stilted Rahain.
Sable muttered something in her own language.
It was always the Holdings agent they went for, Lennox thought. Never him or Libby. He knew that they held the female Kellach soldiers in contempt, but he had been surprised by the blistering hatred the Sanang warriors had for Sable, not just because she was a woman, but because of where she came from.
They reached a street leading into the Kellach district and took it, leaving the Sanang behind the invisible line that marked the edge of their territory. Libby and Lennox shared a glance. If they had been inside the warehouse, they might have asked Sable why the Sanang hated the Holdings so much, but out on the streets they had to remember that she held a position of authority that far out-stripped theirs. They passed a roadblock guarded by Army of Pyre soldiers, and moved through into a small market, where Kellach civilians were buying and selling the meagre produce that reached the town. Over the thirds since Stretton Sands had been captured, fish from the Inner Sea had slowly come to dominate the food supply. At first it had been a novelty, but Lennox and the others had tired of its monotonous regularity, not to mentio
n the smell.
After a few minutes they had left the Kellach district and moved south into where the remnants of the Holdings community lived. Few remained, with the houses occupied in the main by Army of Pyre soldiers. Beyond was the high wall that protected the harbour. The gates were heavily guarded, but the soldiers on duty waved Sable through as soon as they saw her.
Behind the walls, the harbour was like a different town. The roads were clean and clear, and the buildings had been repaired and, in many cases, expanded and fortified. The three large galleys were sitting out at anchor, and a host of smaller vessels were tied up at the long wharves and piers. Sable led them through the bustle towards the docks, then halted, her foot up on an iron cleat. She lit a cigarette as Lennox and Libby joined her.
Lennox took a deep breath, taking in the sea air as the wind swept past his face. In the middle of the harbour, a long, sleek cutter was weaving through the other boats, a crew of four handling the ropes and sails, while a young woman sat at the helm, her hand on the tiller.
‘Look at them go,’ said Libby.
Lennox smiled. ‘They’re proper sailors now.’
‘They’re not bad,’ said Sable. ‘Like you though, Lennox, they need a real test.’
The three of them watched the Fifth bring the cutter in towards the wharf, the sails being lowered as they made their approach. Cain saw them from the deck and waved, a grin on his face. Leisha threw a rope up to them and Lennox caught it, and looped it round the cleat, pulling the boat in close, as Libby secured the rear rope. Cain climbed up onto the wharf, followed by the rest of the squad.
‘Good evening, squad,’ said Sable, as they lined up before her.
‘Ma’am,’ they nodded.
‘Did you get through all of today’s drills?’
‘Aye, ma’am,’ said Cain. ‘All completed.’
‘Jolly good. You’ve done well. You deserve a rest.’
Carrie smiled. ‘A night off?’
‘Hold on a minute,’ said Sable. ‘I said you deserve a rest, not that you’re getting one.’
The squad groaned.
‘Get the cutter cleaned and ready to go, then report back here with your full kit at the second night bell.’
The Magelands Epic: Storm Mage (Book 6) Page 26