by Becky James
I nudged Evyn. “I thought you said you didn’t do that?”
She frowned. “What?”
“Those bodies fixed into poses in the windows there. Their faces have even been taken off and they’ve been scalped. Is that white stuff some type of pitch?”
She paled. “Oh, those are mannequins. They aren’t people. Oh, gross.” She looked like she was going to be sick.
“And you said there is a library here?” Aubin asked. It distracted Evyn enough that I felt her nausea pass. I wondered if Aubin had done that on purpose. He was engaged intently with Evyn, but his eyes flicked to me.
I thinned my lips.
Once the beast disgorged us and roared away, I hung back to talk to Aubin. “I hope that you’re paying close attention as a courtesy to my soul companion, who is being such a good host,” I said. “I trust your curiosity is about this world and this world alone.”
Aubin raised an eyebrow but did not reply.
“As I thought,” I said. “Best keep it that way.”
Aubin turned away, frowning. “And where is our host?”
I whirled, panicking. Evyn had not seen us slow down and she was further up the pavement, turning to walk into the road. My heart snagged. A car bore down on her!
I did not waste breath shouting. I ran. She took one step into its path, but I reached her and as I leapt, I pushed her back to the pavement, bracing for impact.
I fell further than I was expecting, slamming into the road surface. I looked up. Over the window of the car, someone peered down at me.
“Thorrn?” Evyn had fallen onto the edge of the pavement where I had tossed her. Aubin helped her up, and she dusted herself off. “This is a zebra crossing. As I was saying, the cars have to stop for us here.”
“How did you know it had seen you?” I got up, limbs trembling, and touched her hand. “Those things hurt. I didn’t want you to get attacked.”
The car let out a sudden angry blare. I jumped and menaced it with my fist. It roared on its journey.
There were a lot more Earthians here walking around. Pairs, groups, families, people walking with purpose, people ambling along. Seats and tables thronged outside, people sitting staring at their hand boxes. Smoke curled from lit papers that people held to their mouths. Children bumped into me, and a baby wailed from a wheeled contraption that its harried carer rocked.
“This is the town centre,” said Evyn. “We’re heading over here. Charity shop row, me and Mum call it. We’ll start here, see if we can find you some things to wear.” We entered a building that laid out their wares in rows. I waited for the assistant to bustle to my side to take my order, but none came. Moving the stock herself, Evyn held up some likely pieces. “Let’s try these on. The changing rooms are over there.”
Aubin was easily outfitted, being slim but average-sized, managing a sizeable haul in no time. I, on the other hand, had seemingly erratic proportions. “Is it the shoulders? It’s the shoulders, isn’t it?” I said. They were my pride and joy.
“You’re kind of a really wide upside-down triangle,” Evyn said with a sigh. “And tall. So, none of the lengths fit your waist, and none of the waists fit your length.”
We went to another shop and then another. At the last one, I saw a familiar face. “Hello, Madam Teresa. Master Jess.”
“Oh, it’s you! Hey, Frog,” Teresa said, beaming. The boy was safely ensconced in his own wheeled vehicle, his large eyes studying us. “Dan’s in the clink. No one posted bail.”
“Well, that’s great,” Evyn said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Teresa looked me up and down. “Knew you was military. What unit?” She frowned. “Did you shrink his uniform in the wash, Frog?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
Teresa put her hand on her hip. “Well, here.” She thrust a white shiny bag at Evyn. “I was gonna donate these, but you can have them. It’s Dan’s stuff that I’m chucking out. You’re about the same size and, like, build. They might be his, but he’s never worn them, these have still got all the tags on.”
Evyn curled her arms around the bag, her eyes shining. “Thank you, Teresa. That’s very kind.”
“Least I can do, Frog.”
“Frog?” Aubin asked, coming up behind Evyn with a frown.
Teresa blinked at him. “You got another one, Evyn? Well, good on you!” She grinned at my soul, showing mismatched teeth. Evyn went pink, and Teresa cackled.
We left with our haul, Evyn pulling out a few items and whistling in a very unladylike manner. “This is good stuff too! Very expensive.” Biting her lip, she turned around and headed back in. Through the window, I watched her trying to hand Teresa some money. The woman waved it away repeatedly until finally, Evyn bought a small doll and handed it to Jess, but I also saw her put some notes underneath where the boy sat.
“She is a very considerate person,” Aubin observed.
“Yes. She is,” I murmured, pleased.
“Something that people can easily take advantage of.”
I turned a glare onto him. “Like you?”
“Not necessarily. People like me. People like you. She will give until she has nothing left for herself. Fortunately, you can balance her out with your selfishness.”
I bristled. “I gave everything I had for Special Forces. I worked hard every day, I would have given my life for the king!”
He sneered. “You wanted to be Special Forces because it came with prestige. Don’t tell me you didn’t like the authority and power that comes with being an elite.”
“Well, I’m no longer an elite. I’m a dead man walking.” My stomach twisted. “But not her.”
“No. If they catch us, she’ll be imprisoned and either bled or kept. My point is that you need to teach her to be selfish sometimes. She cannot give until she gives out. She has to rest and balance her energy.”
“That sounds like concern. Maybe even curiosity, which I’ve warned you about.”
Aubin scowled. “Change of subject. We’re going to need more than us three to find Gough and bring him back. Torgund clearly has resources somewhere.”
“Yes, the entire army.”
“Before that. How did he manage to spirit Gough away in the first place?”
I studied our profiles in the reflection afforded by the window. “I told Evyn I suspected magic.”
“Hm.” Aubin’s eyes met mine. “Torgund must have powerful friends to influence a mage or mancer to attack the crown and risk the wrath of MasterMage Waker. She will have to act against whoever it is in order to uphold the Accords. Regardless, we will need more allies.”
“I can try to persuade Aleric and Gavain.”
“Aleric perhaps. Gavain no.” Aubin folded his arms. “I would forget about thinking of that man as your friend.”
“Because I trounced him? He’ll get over it.”
“No. Even before then.” His sharp eyes studied the street, the Earthians flowing around us, enraptured with their own business in these parts. “I’ve administered during many of the tests to enter Special Forces. There’s a lot of hand wringing and tears while the choice is made. Usually, the choice is to protect the crown, but it comes at a cost.
“Gavain had no such hesitations. Despite believing his soul would be badly hurt, he had no compunctions about letting her be sacrificed for his duty.” Aubin’s eyes narrowed as he watched Evyn. “He’s a survivor, your father said. That’s a good way of putting it. He works for himself and himself alone, above all else. He would not hesitate to betray you to further those ends.”
Evyn glanced up at us, frowning, no doubt sensing the ball of burning irritation kindling within me. At once I was pleased to finally have my soul to feel this with me, and also embarrassed that she could.
“You think you know a person from one example?” I said, shoulders tense. “It’s an extenuating circumstance. Do you imagine all others to be weak for not immediately jumping to go through with it? I’ve grown up with Gavain, I know what he’s l
ike. One example does not indicate a man’s whole character. You can’t act on first impressions.”
Aubin shrugged a shoulder.
Evyn rejoined us. “Right! I think we’ve done what we needed to get done. Let’s catch the bus back.”
On the return journey, Evyn became distracted with her handheld box. I looked over her shoulder to watch as she flicked between maps and numbers and reams of text.
“What is that?” I asked.
“It’s a phone. It’s like a lodestone,” she replied quietly.
“Lodestones don’t display images or words. Can I touch it?”
“Yeah. Just be careful not to drop it.”
I held it cupped in my hands. No rush of whiteness filled my awareness. “Is it working?”
“Yes. Why? What are you expecting to happen?”
“Can I hold it?” Aubin asked. She handed it to him, and he immediately started moving his finger around on the glass. It responded with brighter lights.
“How’d you do that? Give it back, let me try.” I reached for it.
“I do have to figure out the best route, guys. I’d like it back at some point.”
“Here you are, Lady Evyn,” Aubin said with a flourish. The bus lurched and Aubin fell forward. Evyn reached out for him, and Aubin grasped her hands. She held his arms until he regained his footing. “My thanks, Lady Evyn,” he murmured, brushing her hands as he handed the device back. “All in one piece.” A smile ventured with trepidation across her face.
I glared. With the way he could move, that was no accident! And then when he met my eyes, he smirked!
We disembarked at the road closest to the park, my pace increasing as I anticipated exercise. “Would you indulge me here for a turn of the glass or so?” I asked Evyn.
“I am sure we can find ways to keep ourselves amused,” Aubin said.
I growled at him.
“We can check out the hedgerow plants. I got a new book at the charity shop.” Evyn pulled out yet another tome, this one thin.
Aubin flicked through it, opening it wide to devour the knowledge within. “Excellent. I am partial to the drawings as well, they’re more intricate than in the other volume. This is also a very lightweight volume. Good for travel.”
“I’ll leave you to it then,” I said, with slight misgivings. “Just don’t leave my sight lines.”
“Sure.” Evyn squeezed my hand. “Enjoy.”
Reassured with being within earshot, I began with the warm-up, running ten times around the field as fast as I could. Every time I passed Evyn, I grinned at her. She smiled back. Once I was blowing and puffing, I started the press-ups, squats, jumps, and kicks that my father always ran us through. The familiar movements were so automatic my mind could go elsewhere while my body performed their well-worn patterns.
I watched out for my soul as she and Aubin poked into the bushes that surrounded the park, their heads close. I growled again.
When I was sweating, I took a short break, deciding on one of Shard’s harder training sessions. Doing it alone with no weapon in my hand sent a pang to my heart.
Nothing would ever be the same. Never again would I train with my friends; never again would I hear my father’s voice barking out commands. I threw myself into the training, forcing myself to get faster at the movements while being perfect with execution. “If it doesn’t hurt,” Shard had said, “then you don’t care enough.” I repeated the exercise over and over and over again – many more times than Shard would ever have us do – until, breathless, I started seeing dark spots. Laying on my back, I panted with exertion.
And then I did it all again.
Evyn made her way toward me as I was about to commence my third round. “Are you okay?”
“Never better,” I grunted. She looked down, and I paused in my exercises and let my arms fall, ashamed for brushing her away. “I’m not okay. I’m hurting.” Bringing my breathing back to normal, I gulped air. “I’m not used to sharing these things with anyone. I usually push it… down.”
“Well, you can share with me. I gather that’s what I’m here for. And it’s kind of cool but also not; I can tell you’re hurting.” She pulled a stalk of golden grass from my stolen uniform. “You’re really going for it. Aubin says that’s harder than anyone usually does. He looked kind of impressed actually, but he’ll never tell you that.”
“Not hurting in that way – he is? Good. Maybe he’ll keep that in mind when he gets a bit too curious about you.”
Evyn frowned. I carried on hurriedly. “I’m…out of sorts. I am glad we are together, I’m overjoyed we rescued you – well, you rescued yourself but we helped. We all worked together… Huh. Working together with Aubin. Anyway.” Shaking myself, I squatted on the grass to pick at the strands. “I’m still happy about that. What I’m not happy about is… well. What happened to my father. What’s still happening.
“We have to find Gough and your mother and the queen and find out what happened. My mother and the rest of my family are in hiding somewhere. I have to let them know I’m hale and that we have plans to rescue Gough. We have to go against Torgund, and he’s got the castle forces but he’s also got whatever he used to remove Gough in the first place. And it’s all so very heavy and enormous.”
“It’s overwhelming,” Evyn agreed, and warmth flooded my heart as we aligned. She felt it too, rubbing her chest. “That’s probably why you’re wound up about Aubin, too. I get it. I’m feeling that myself, so I’m trying to break it down into task after task after task, what’s the next one after that, and just focus on that.”
I thought. “The immediate next task is… food.” I grinned at her. “Pizza?” At that, she groaned.
We made our way back to the house and while I bathed, Evyn and Aubin made something in the kitchen. I kept the door open so I could hear them and one foot out of the tub ready to run down there and smash him into a wall if need be. No untoward noises reached me, and they both kept up talking. In fact I started to feel a small, delicious bubble in my chest. I sighed.
Evyn had made sandwiches, placing them on the table when I came down. I devoured mine and, after finishing his, Aubin went upstairs to the restroom.
“No,” I told Evyn.
She blinked. “No what?”
“No, you cannot fall in love with Aubin.”
She went Special Forces red. “Who says I’m in – hey, I – uh, what? What do you mean?” She scowled. “How do you know that?”
“Soul companions can feel what their partner feels if it’s a strong emotion. Pain, fear, hate. Love. You could feel that I was hurting in the field just now. I could feel it when you were trapped under the water…” My stomach lurched as I thought about her drowning. “And I can feel a little happy bubble right here.” I poked my solar plexus. “There’s probably a matching one in your stomach.
“It feels nice, and it’s okay for you to feel like that, but… not him.” Lowering my voice I said, “He’s really, really dangerous, Evyn. He has a mage for a soul companion and I… I wouldn’t put it past him to try and get you to fall in love with him so he can deliver you to her.” Evyn paled. “Just… be careful. I’ll watch him, and we should not trust him over much.”
“He did risk a lot to help us.”
“Yes, but that was transactional. He wants your blood, and I’m not minded to give it to him. His soul is a powerful mage, and he has every motivation to take you straight to her so she can use you in some horrific magic.”
Evyn shook her head. “I don’t think he would.”
“But can you be sure?” I pressed, and she bit her lip. “Evyn, he’s very clever, and I certainly wouldn’t put it past him to be manipulative.”
“Yes, but he was also nice to me before he knew where I was from.” I frowned at that. “He was kind of the only one. Not that I’m having a go.” She folded her arms.
Tapping the table, I said, “Maybe I can get him to spar with me, so I can assess his weaknesses.”
“I don’t have
any weaknesses.” I jumped in my seat. Aubin came in, looking between us both.
“You move quietly, assassin.” How much of that conversation had he overheard? Had he learnt that his plan with Evyn was working, and that I was suspicious of him?
“Ha.” He straightened up. “When are we leaving? What’s the first leg of the journey?”
“Uh, right.” Evyn put her device onto the table alongside her mother’s map. “First off is a bus to the train station. Then we have to take a train to Birmingham. Change to Tamworth. Tamworth to Crewe on another train. Crewe to Wrenbury, Wrenbury to Pinsley View.” I blinked at the flow of names. “Then a walk.”
Pointing at the map where a great many blue lines came together in a web, she said, “Mum’s map shows Spiritshere as being near Wrenbury Mill. That’s the marina where Gran has the Evyn Rose overwinter. It’s coming to the end of the season, so I gave her a call. As luck would have it, she got there this week. I said we could come help her prepare the boat for over-wintering, and then we can sneak back and sleep there tonight. Then we’ll ping through first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’d like to ping through to check the lie of the land when we get there tonight, before we rest,” Aubin said. “I can also contact Tuniel on my lodestone. I have a feeling that we are going to have to search Spiritshere mountain. For that, it will go a lot faster with a stone mage.”
My stomach flipped, and I glanced at Evyn. Her lips thinned as she caught it too. An excuse to bring his soul along, where she would be in close proximity to the unrivalled power in Evyn’s blood.
I tried to think, to analyse my potential foe as I had been trained. A stone mage could work stone, presumably. Would that extend to the rocks in walls, floors and ceilings? What could she do with it? Hopefully merely sense and map it, but magic seemed to be limited only by the imagination and ingenuity of the mage or mancer wielding it.