The knock on Seiya’s door made her leap off the bed, hand instinctively reaching for the back of the chair. With the swiftest of apologies she dismissed the demon she had been talking to, hopefully he would understand.
‘Seiya?’ the door opened by the smallest crack and Seiya gripped the chair tighter, bracing herself to throw it across the room.
‘What?’ she called back cautiously, Amaran’s voice hardly set her at ease.
‘Can I come in?’ the door opened halfway and Amaran’s head and shoulders came into view. His eyes swept the room, instantly settling on her chair and ready position.
‘I felt you summoning,’ his voice hovered between question and statement, his gaze never leaving the wooden weapon in her hand.
‘And?’ Seiya demanded archly, ‘as I far as I know that’s still allowed.’
‘Perhaps,’ Amaran conceded in a carefully neutral tone, ‘but very rare. Who would want to be on their own in such a small room with a demon.’ The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, ‘just think what would happen if they got loose.’
‘Unthinkable,’ Seiya replied warily. When Amaran made no move to leave or start talking she relaxed her grip and span the chair round, gesturing for him to sit down, curiousity winning. Watching as he quietly closed the door she took up her own position seated on the bed. Out of habit she sat in the centre with her legs curled underneath, but then caution took over and she slipped to the edge, feet planted firmly on the floor in case she needed to react quickly.
Seiya studied Amaran’s expression as he sat down, clearly uncomfortable he was studiously avoiding making eye contact. The hint of a smile had never grown, his lips pressed sullenly in a thin line as he looked anywhere but her. Only when he began picking at his nails did Seiya realise what had been nagging at her.
‘You look just like Jarin when he’s been forced to apologise,’ she smiled as Amaran looked up, the two images matching perfectly as she held them side by side in her mind. ‘If you were standing I’d bet you’d be scuffing your toe too.’ The foot that had been quietly tapping against the chair leg came to a guilty stop.
‘Little brother?’ Amaran offered hesitantly.
‘Just gone seven,’ Seiya could feel real warmth infusing her smile as she thought of the troublesome pair. ‘He has a twin, Hamish, though sometimes I swear there must be at least ten of them.’
‘They make a lot of trouble?’ the mulishness had evaporated from Amaran’s expression as he relaxed in the chair, tension draining away.
‘You wouldn’t believe,’ Seiya sighed in mock exasperation, ‘sometimes I think I exist just to try and control them.’
‘Where would the world be without bossy older sisters,’ there was a bitterness in Amaran’s voice that caught Seiya’s attention.
‘You have one?’ she asked curiously, she knew nothing about Amaran’s personal circumstances.
‘Had,’ Amaran’s face hardened again as he glanced down at his hands.
‘How did she go?’ Seiya inquired gently as Amaran lapsed into silence.
‘Lurigial fever, you probably won’t have heard of it,’ he added when Seiya shook her head slightly. ‘It’s quite rare.’
‘How long ago?’
‘Just before I started here, she had the summoning gift but never wanted to come.’
‘Why not?’ Seiya’s curiousity overcame the feeling that she was prying but it still felt awkward, Amaran wasn’t even looking at her anymore.
‘She always said she’d donated all of her powers to me,’ Seiya could only watch helplessly as he shrugged, shoulders slumping forward, ‘said there was no point having to pay all the fees if she couldn’t become a Master Summoner.’ Seiya didn’t say what she was thinking, but Amaran read her expression anyway.
‘And if they’re killing off weak students at the level four exams you think she may have ended up dead anyway,’ Amaran pointed out harshly, daring Seiya to deny what was on her mind.
‘I’m sorry,’ Seiya didn’t really know what else to say, ‘you must have been close.’
‘She always stood by me, gave me the confidence to come here, told me I was strong enough,’ glancing up Amaran took in Seiya’s puzzled expression. ‘We’re from a minor summoner family, my grandfather was the last one to attend the school and he barely made level five.’
‘So you were worried about coming in case you didn’t get to level five and could work the assignments to clear your debts?’ Seiya guessed, rewarded by Amaran’s nod as confirmation.
‘My parents were equally worried how the school might react. Usually the strongest summoners come from the most prominent houses,’ Amaran explained as Seiya looked at him questioningly. ‘Those from minor families or who come to be tested from nearby villages are normally accepted just so they’ll fail and be tied to an unpayable debt.’ He smiled grimly at Seiya’s shocked expression. ‘Surely you don’t find it that hard to believe? This place needs a large number of servants to keep going.’
‘I’m surprised Jamen tolerates you then,’ Seiya skipped through her memories, ‘he claimed to come from one of the most powerful families.’
‘It took him a long while,’ Amaran agreed, ‘but even he couldn’t ignore the fact I was stronger. In the end he decided it was better to be friends than enemies.’
‘Because you may end up being the next headmaster?’ Subconsciously Seiya curled her legs back up under her, frowning slightly. ‘What about Havir?’
‘Havir?’ Amaran looked at her in surprise, ‘we used to play with each other as children, I convinced him to come with me when I came here, to go through the training together.’
‘He doesn’t treat you the same way the others do,’ Seiya observed slyly, ‘in fact I bet he’s the one who sent you here.’
‘I didn’t know there were quite so many ways to call someone an idiot,’ Amaran admitted sheepishly, ‘he made apologising to you seem less painful than putting up with his onslaught.’ Seiya’s eyes widened in disbelief, and Amaran chuckled. ‘Don’t ever let Havir get you alone when he’s annoyed, when he wants to tell you off he really goes for it.’
‘I can’t really imagine it,’ Seiya confessed, Havir was always so quiet and patient, she couldn’t imagine him giving Amaran a tongue lashing.
‘At least he gives my pride the small comfort of only telling me how stupid I am in private.’
‘Very kind of him,’ Seiya replied with a wicked smile. ‘But you haven’t actually apologised to me yet.’
She regretted saying it immediately, the atmosphere in the room changing in an instant, all joking forgotten.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ nervously Seiya swung her legs back down so her feet touched the floor, hands gripping the edge of the bed. Amaran had gone very still, and she couldn’t read his expression. ‘It was my fault as well.‘
‘How is your arm?’ startled by the soft enquiry Seiya jumped slightly.
‘Fine,’ she lied, one hand releasing its grip on the mattress to brush over the tender area. The dark purple bruises from Amaran’s fingers were hidden beneath her sleeve, but it didn’t really cause her any pain unless she knocked it. Amaran’s eyes met hers but he didn’t argue, accepting the peace offering.
‘Good,’ the silence stretched uncomfortably and Seiya didn’t know what to do, Amaran was staring over her shoulder, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular.
‘Lurigial fever is curable,’ Amaran was speaking so quietly Seiya had to lean forward to hear. His eyes dropped to his hands fidgeting with the ends of his sleeves, first wrapping them round his fist then releasing them again in a continuous cycle. Seiya yearned to put her own hands on his to still the nervous anxiety but kept her distance; if she interrupted him now she might never hear what he wanted to say.
‘The medicine is made from a herb called yamadril but it only grows in Fesuvia, and Lord Verden had declared war against them.’ The anguish filled eyes searched her face for recognition but Seiya could offer none, she
had never heard of the places or the people. Her own province had no lord, each village or town ruled itself, with the outlying farms and ranches like hers taking care of themselves. No one had ever bothered with Milhowe, and she doubted she could even name the provinces it bordered, never mind the ruling lords.
‘Lord Verden rules Etanian where my family lived, when he declared war the border with Fesuvia was closed, all trade stopped.’ Thankfully this time her ignorance hadn’t made him angry, though his voice trembled with barely suppressed emotion as he tried to explain calmly.
‘We couldn’t get any yamadril, soldiers blocked every route, every bridge,’ Seiya resisted the urge to lean over and comfort Amaran as his voice wavered. ‘Do you know what they were fighting about?’ this time when his eyes met her they were filled with anger, not grief. ‘A strip of land, smaller than this island, and after a fighting for a month, with all the people who died, they simply split it in two.’ His mouth twisted in a mocking smile, his eyes may have been dry but Seiya could still see the tears he wouldn’t allow himself to cry, not in front of her.
‘If someone had stopped the fighting, forced the resolution sooner, then my sister would still be alive,’ Seiya felt herself drawing away as Amaran’s eyes pleaded with her to understand. ‘If I’d known how to summon, if I’d had a demon with me, no one would have dared stand in my way!’
‘It’s not your fault,’ Seiya retreated from the self-recrimination in Amaran’s voice. ‘Even if you had summoned a demon then both sides may have joined forces to fight you instead, there’s no telling what might have happened.’
‘Not if people knew how powerful summoners were,’ Amaran stared at her defiantly, ‘you said it yourself, how could humans fight against demons?’ Averting her gaze Seiya couldn’t cope with the pain in his eyes, how had he hidden it so well? She wished the conversation would end, wished even more strongly that she didn’t understand Amaran’s point of view so easily. If it had been Jarin or Hamish dying, with two armies in the way fighting over some petty squabble based on greed, would she hesitate in calling a demon? Sure, she could ease her conscience by saying she would only scare them, that the demon would help her willingly, but if the demons refused would she force them? If the people then realised the demons weren’t going to physically harm them would she take that step? What would be a few cuts and bruises if it meant saving her brothers lives? If that wasn’t enough what if she had to maim, even kill? At what point would she stop?
‘Do you understand now?’ Amaran asked her softly, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees the distress in his eyes had faded away, replaced by a calm determination. He had held his peace during her long silence and to Seiya’s relief he didn’t press her for an answer.
‘I just want to give everybody the chance to live in peace, why should a lord be allowed to order his soldiers to fight for his own selfish ends? They should be there to protect the people, not make the lords richer.’ Amaran leant even further forward, eyes scouring her face for the answer he was looking for.
Seiya couldn’t give it to him, avoiding his gaze she stared down at her own hands, busy mimicking his earlier fidgeting.
‘I am sorry about your sister,’ her voice was unrecognisable as she spoke the hollow formulaic words. ‘I know that you want to be there to protect people, to remove the need for armies, to make them obsolete against summoners.’ Forcing herself to look up Seiya’s heart quailed, Amaran desperately wanted her support. She felt sick as his gaze bored into her, swallowing nervously her mouth seemed horribly dry, for a moment she thought her voice would crack under the intense scrutiny and allowed her eyes to drop away. ‘But what about those who will follow you? What if the next summoner in charge cares only about themselves, of becoming rich and powerful?’
‘Like Youally?’ Amaran’s sudden harsh change of tone shocked her, ‘when he becomes headmaster he doesn’t plan to rule over summoners alone.’
‘I’m not going to be staying here,’ Seiya could hear her own voice pleading, begging to be excused, ‘I’m going home as soon as I can, I won’t be a part of this.’
‘You’re a summoner,’ Amaran abruptly got to his feet. As his hand wrapped round the handle his expression hardened to the point where Seiya began to wonder if she’d imagined the hurt in his eyes. ‘Probably one of the strongest, whatever happens you can’t be ignored.’
‘Wait-’ Seiya’s entreaty came too late, her outstretched hand unseen as Amaran swept from the room, the door slamming shut with a horribly finality.
What have I done?
Seiya buried her head in her hands, the pounding in her chest subsiding as the adrenalin from the near confrontation faded. The tension remained; exhaling slowly she kneaded neck and shoulders with probing fingers, the tight knots refusing to budge. Amaran had opened up, even asked for help, and she’d shied away, slapping aside the proffered hand. With Amaran’s parting words echoing ominously in her mind Seiya sat and stared at the silent timbers for a long time, yet nothing could will him to return.
Chapter Twenty-Three
‘You’ve got another assignment.’
Seiya looked over to the waiting basket and shook her head at Paudry.
‘Not if he’s going,’ she jerked a thumb at Youally over her shoulder, stood by the basket he was too far away to hear them talking, ‘have you seen the way he’s been watching me?’
‘Us,’ Amaran corrected flatly from behind, his own expression far from pleased at Youally’s flying entrance. Ever since the incident with the forest fire Seiya knew the Master had been increasingly monitoring their training sessions, his scrutiny welcomed by neither her or Amaran. They usually managed by simply stopping the moment he appeared, but that was hardly practical when Youally remained for the entire lesson.
‘What’s the assignment?’ Seiya watched as the others climbed aboard, only she and Amaran had remained distant at Youally’s approach.
‘I don’t know,’ Paudry shrugged and motioned for them to move forwards, ‘you can ask once we’re on the way.’
‘What’s the assignment?’ this time Seiya shouted the question at Youally, keeping her feet planted firmly on solid ground.
‘Enough to clear your debt,’ Seiya didn’t trust the way Youally smiled at her, ‘you’ll finally be able to head home.’
‘I asked what it was,’ Seiya made a show of taking a step back from the basket as she fixed her gaze on Youally. ‘It must be a very big job.’
‘Just helping with a small disagreement,’ Youally spread his hands innocently, ‘you can always choose not to participate once we arrive.’
‘Helping how?’ Seiya’s eyes suspiciously searched Youally’s face for some clue as to what was going on.
‘There’s no time now,’ Seiya saw the demon’s claws tightening around the basket handle, lifting it slightly from the floor. ‘You won’t get another chance,’ Youally’s challenge hovered along with the basket, ‘or don’t you care about seeing your family again?’
Stung by Youally’s goading Seiya found she was hauling herself up before she’d even made her decision, though clearly the Master had no intention of waiting any longer, lurching skywards with her feet flailing helplessly in mid air. Strong hands grabbed her arms and helped pull her inside. In a heap on the wicker floor Seiya smiled her thanks up at Havir, she hadn’t fancied spending the whole journey hanging off the side.
‘Who are they?’ Seiya kept her voice low as climbed to her feet and pointed to the men stood at the far side of the basket, hidden from view by the rest of the class.
‘Other Masters,’ Havir answered but Seiya didn’t like the worried look in his eyes, ‘on the Council.’
‘Youally’s supporters?’ Seiya leant close to Havir’s ear, her voice barely above a murmur.
‘Not all,’ Havir glanced at the group again, ‘some are neutral.’
‘Youally, Paudry and those four,’ Seiya suddenly wished she’d stayed on the ground, ‘why would they need six Masters?’
‘Youally must have something special planned,’ Amaran murmured, his eyes restlessly scanning the basket’s occupants, ‘based on past experience I would say you’re probably the target.’ Climbing in before her Amaran had made no attempt to question Youally, Seiya assumed he hadn’t wanted the Master to know he was worried, that to show any hesitation could be considered a weakness.
‘I don’t understand him!’ Seiya pounded the basket in frustration, ignoring Amaran’s quelling look. ‘I’m only here because he threatened me,’ she jerked her head sharply in Youally’s direction.
‘Be quiet!’ Amaran hissed, stealing a furtive glance towards the Master in question.
‘No!’ Seiya glared at Amaran challengingly, ‘this is all completely-’
‘Youally wasn’t meant to bring you,’ Amaran’s fierce whisper cut her short. Grabbing her arm he dragged her closer until their faces were almost touching. Seiya found the proximity unnerving, since the argument a couple for nights ago Amaran had remained distant, the sudden physical closeness made her uncomfortable.
‘The headmaster ordered one of the other Masters to offer you a place at Rhianwater, Youally intervened thinking he would gain a powerful ally.’
‘Then why-’
‘Because then one of the other Masters would bring you eventually,’ Amaran’s voice was so low Seiya could barely catch the words, discomfort forgotten she leant closer to make sure she didn’t miss anything. ‘Better for him to be in control, he probably thought that by lying to you and treating you like a prisoner you would behave badly enough the Council would have no choice but expel you.’
Summoner's Call (The Summoner Trilogy Book 1) Page 23