Magic Underground: The Complete Collection (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 4)

by Melinda Kucsera

“We went to Trin for a few days. The island’s power kept us safe, but Orla kept sending demons and more Gliss there,” he said and stirred his stew around the bowl. “I suggested going to Trewa, but Ann refuses. I think she’s afraid of what the druids will think of her now.” Ed set food down on the table. “Plus, she doesn’t want to put the other druids at risk. Trewa would be one of the first places Orla would go looking for us.” Ed wished they could have stayed with the druids; perhaps the power of the ancient standing stones there would be enough to hold Orla’s forces back, at least for a while. He wanted to stay on the island of Trin with his foster mother and Ann’s aunt, Flora. But it had been too dangerous, and they agreed not to put them at risk.

  “No one who knows Rhiannon would doubt her innocence.” Nadia grabbed a bowl of her own and scooped up some of the stew.

  “I’m worried about her,” he admitted. “I feel like I’m losing her. She’s obsessed with stopping Orla.”

  “Orla needs to be stopped.” Nadia set her bowl aside and traced more runes on the walls. “Some of us may not have agreed with the archdruid’s laws but my people and many of the other races would have been safer under his rule than hers.”

  “Yes, but she’s got an entire army on her side now.” Ed slumped onto the wooden chair. “I know Ann’s grieving—I wish I knew how to help her. Everywhere we turn more demons keep attacking us.”

  After they had fled from the palace and taken the bodies of her parents to a secret tomb, they’d fled. Mercury Valeran had given them powerful glamour spells that could be changed when needed. It covered them completely, not only changing their appearances by shielding their magic. Or at least that’s what it was meant to do. Ed wondered if the glamours had failed or if Orla had figured out another way to track them.

  “Nadia, do you think the resistance will take us in?” Ed asked. He knew a lot of races despised the archdruid. For centuries the archdruid had been a feared and respected spiritual leader. Responsible for destroying or enslaving entire races. People often hated the archdruid. Even though Darius did his best to be different from his ancestors and even stopped being the gods’ avatar here on Erthea. But Darius had conquered three of the five lands of Almara, claiming territories in Asral and Gomorya which had only increased people’s hatred of him.

  “Where else can you go?” Nadia traced more runes on the door. “Besides I always told Rhiannon stories of the resistance in the hope she would help us. Now eat, you look too skinny.”

  Ed chuckled. “I haven’t had a decent meal in days.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a proper meal. They had to be careful with how much coin they spent since their money wouldn’t last forever. They hadn’t had time to take much of anything when they escaped from the palace. Ed had thought about taking up work either with the sword or perhaps making things. He’d always been good at making things but, with the constant attacks, that had proved impossible. Besides, he didn’t want to risk leaving Ann on her own for fear of what she might do. Ed knew she might go running off to Caselhelm to confront Orla herself.

  Nadia turned to face him. “Where are Xander and Urien?”

  “Xander is back on Trin—Orla seems to be tracking Ann, not him. He’s taken the death of their parents hard too,” Ed said between mouthfuls of food. “Urien is gone.”

  “He did it, didn’t he? Killed the archdruid, I mean?” Nadia sat down and turned her attention to her own meal.

  Ed nodded. He didn’t want to see Darius—the man he’d sworn to protect—lying dead. But still, the image haunted his dreams. “How did you know?”

  “I never trusted him. He always had a dark soul.” Nadia’s expression darkened. “Did you kill him?”

  “No, Ann—” Ed stopped. Urien wasn’t dead but he’d never admit what Ann had done to her brother. “She stopped him.” That was all he’d say on the matter. He and Ann had agreed to keep what happened to Urien a secret. They’d never share it with anyone, even someone they viewed as a friend. Orla would stop at nothing to get her son back and they wouldn’t risk her ever finding him. If Urien ever came to power, Caselhelm and the rest of the four lands would suffer an even worse fate.

  “Poor child.”

  “How can I convince her to give up on revenge?” Ed stared at the food; his appetite gone. He and Ann had been close since childhood and had supported each other through everything. He didn’t know how to support her now, not after this.

  “You can’t. She needs time to grieve. It’s the only way she’ll move on.”

  “Ann doesn’t move on, she fights. And Orla—” he stopped when he sensed Ann at the door.

  She came out dressed in a loose tunic over her leather trousers. She pushed her long wavy blond hair off her face. “You don’t have to stop talking on my account.” She dropped into the chair opposite Ed and twirled the spoon around the food. She didn’t eat anything though.

  “Eat up,” Nadia urged. “You’re looking skinny, too.”

  Ann snorted. “I’m not hungry.”

  Ed winced. She hadn’t been eating much either, not unless Ed forced her to. He hoped it was just grief affecting her appetite and not her desire to just give up. She’d never been the type of person to give up on anything. That’s why he feared what might happen when the vengeance fuelling her ran out. He couldn’t and wouldn’t lose her. No matter what happened. It’d be like losing part of himself.

  “You need your strength.” Nadia pushed the bowl closer to her.

  “Why would the resistance help us?” Ann asked without looking at the food. “I am…a rogue now.”

  “So are the others within the resistance. It’s made up of outcasts, former slaves, people who don’t fit in.”

  Ann gave a harsh laugh. “I’m different from them.”

  “Like you said, you’re not Rhiannon Valeran anymore,” Ed pointed out. “It might give us somewhere to stay and find shelter.”

  “You’re delusional. How could we stay anywhere when demons keep chasing us?” Ann slammed her spoon down. “I won’t put innocent lives at risk. Enough people have died already.”

  “Orla must track you somehow. I will help shield you. The resistance lives in underground caverns.”

  “And do what? Hideaway all the time?” Ann crossed her arms.

  That sounded better and better to Ed. If they could hide underground for a while, they might finally have a safe haven to stay in.

  “No, we’re working to make a difference. We help refugees when we can.” Nadia pulled up another chair and sat down beside them then pulled her cloak tighter. “But there are few of us and… it’s hard. Many people would sentence us to death for daring to oppose the rule of the five lands.”

  Ann paled. “Including my father?”

  “He…tolerated us. But there are many who don’t. Including Orla.” Nadia tucked into her own bowl of stew.

  “It could be a chance for us to start over.” Ed reached across the table and took Ann’s hand. “Maybe we can stop the running for a while.”

  “That would be nice,” Ann admitted and laced her fingers through his. “I’m tired of running. Nadia, do you think it possible for me to stay here?”

  Nadia nodded. “Yes. You’re both glamoured. You will need a story of course but there are many people escaping from Caselhelm. It won’t surprise anyone to have newcomers.” Nadia patted Ann’s hand. “Your papa wouldn’t want to see you give up.”

  Ann snorted. “I doubt he’d want me to join the resistance either.”

  “He’d want you to be safe.”

  They carried on eating. Nadia said she’d take them to meet the resistance the next morning.

  Ed remembered how Darius gave them information on how to escape and get to Mercury Valeran. He wished Darius had told him what to do after that. Ed guessed Darius had known he’d be killed. A seer had predicted the fall of the house Valeran and it had come to pass. Ed and Ann had both tried to prevent it from happening, but their attempts had failed.

  It wouldn’t
have surprised Ed if Darius knew Urien and Orla would be the ones to strike against him. If so, why hadn’t he done something to stop them? Darius was the archdruid, one of the most powerful people on Erthea. Couldn’t he have prevented his own demise and the downfall of his realm?

  After dinner, Ed and Ann settled down in their bed rolls in front of the fire. Nadia retreated to her own bedroom and left them alone.

  “Do you think Orla or one of her people could have done something to me?” Ann asked.

  Ed had his back turned while she changed. He pulled off his own shirt. “I thought about that, but she didn’t touch either of us that night, did she? She didn’t touch me, I’m sure of that.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She never would’ve had time to cast any spells on me.”

  “No.” She paused. “But I don’t remember everything from that night. I don’t want to remember it. I was by my father’s side before I stopped Urien. If he cast a spell on me it would have ended when…when he…”

  Ed made a move to turn around but didn’t. Part of him just wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. But they both knew that wasn’t true. “Maybe I should try a spell,” he suggested. “See if either of us have any traces of tracking marks on us.”

  “I could do it.” Ann moved in front of him, now dressed in one of his old shirts.

  “Let me.” Although not a druid by blood, Ed had grown up among them and learnt their ways. He considered himself to be one of them, even if he had no idea what his true heritage was.

  “Taispeáin an rud nach féidir a fheiceáil,” he chanted words of power. White light radiated over Ann’s body and his own. Ed examined his chest, arms and torso. No sign of any spells. He turned around. “Do you see anything on my back?”

  Ann ran her hands over his skin. He closed his eyes moment, enjoying the feel of her touch. “No, I don’t see anything.”

  Ed checked over his legs and Ann checked over herself too. No sign of any spells, runes or marks. Ed picked up his own sword and clothing too. Nothing on them either.

  Ann looked over her own clothes and knives. Still nothing.

  Together they sat on the floor and emptied out the contents of their packs. Odd how little they had left from their former lives. A few weapons, some spare clothing, a bit of food, and some coin.

  “I’m not seeing anything. Do you think Orla could be tracking my magic?” Ann shoved her things back into her pack.

  Ed wriggled into his bed roll. “How could she? She’s a demon and you’re the—”

  “Please don’t call me the archdruid.” She pulled her own blankets over her.

  “You’ve always had the power. Even before everything that happened.”

  “But I’m not it, am I?” She rolled onto her side, so she no longer had to face him. “I have no throne. No people. Nothing.”

  “You’re still powerful, even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.”

  Ann said nothing.

  “We’ll need a cover story for when we meet the resistance,” Ed added. “It’s best to stick close to the truth as possible. I could say I worked in Caselhelm as a soldier. That shouldn’t raise too many questions after everything that’s happened. You could be my wife.”

  Ann shot up and glared at him. “Your what?”

  “It would raise fewer suspicions if we pretend we’re a couple.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Fine. I’ll play along if I must.” She turned back over onto her side.

  Ed closed his eyes, mind racing. But would the resistance accept them? Would they ever escape from Orla’s pursuing forces? He didn’t know where they would go if they didn’t find refuge soon.

  The sound of whimpering made him sit up. Ann had nightmares every night since her parents died. He hadn’t slept much since then either. He worried about how to keep her safe and how to stay one step ahead of Orla.

  Ed got up and moved his bed roll close at her. “You’re safe,” he soothed.

  Ann clung to him as he wrapped his arms around her.

  Whether happened he’d always be there for her. No matter what.

  Chapter Three

  Ann felt a little more rested the next morning. After a while the dreams had faded, allowing her to sleep. She had been embarrassed waking up with Ed’s arms around her, but she brushed off the feeling. Being close to him had been comforting and allowed her to get some of the first real sleep she’d had since this nightmare began.

  After breakfast, they left the safety of the hut to go meet the rest of the resistance. Part of her wanted to stay in the hut. It was the first place she’d felt safe since her parents’ murder. Ann almost wished she could stay there forever, hidden from the rest of the world, safe from Orla’s pursuing forces.

  It also surprised her to hear Nadia was part of the resistance. Ann had heard stories of the resistance of course, long before Orla took control of Caselhelm. Nadia used to tell tales of it for years up until she left the palace a couple of years ago. Ann found Nadia’s stories interesting. She’d always despised the idea of slavery and tried to do something about it. But even as the archdruid’s heir, she’d only had limited power and say about what went on. Darius had ruled with an iron fist, and although he’d done his best to bring about a better future for Caselhelm, it would take more than one man to change the centuries-old laws that governed the five lands.

  She and Ed had gone over their story in more depth and discussed it with Nadia over breakfast before they left.

  Nadia laughed when she heard Ed’s idea of them being a married couple and said, “That won’t be too hard for you both.”

  People had thought she and Ed were a couple for years now. Ann never understood why. She and Ed had been best friends for a decade now. She’d been ten when she’d found him washed up on the shores of Trin. They had been close ever since. There had never been anything romantic between them and there never would be. They didn’t have that kind of relationship. What they had was much more special than any fleeting romance could ever be.

  In truth, he’d kept her going this past month on the run. He’d stayed by her. She wouldn’t have blamed him for leaving. The archdruid and the Black Guard were no more. He wasn’t obligated to stay.

  “Where are we going?” Ann asked as they moved through the woods. She kept her senses on alert, half expecting a demon jump out at them at any moment.

  Ed stuck close to her side, one hand on his sword.

  “Underground. We’ll be safe there,” Nadia replied.

  Ann didn’t like Nadia’s vague answers. Nadia hadn’t told them much about who they were meeting or much else about the resistance either. Nor did she like the sound of having to go underground.

  “I’m still not sure about us posing as a couple,” she admitted.

  “You will be less suspicious,” the Ursaie insisted. “They won’t ask you much. No one cares where you come from. It’s about how you can help others. If Xavier agrees to let you stay you will have to work.” She turned to Ann. “Everyone has to contribute. Life is hard out here.”

  That didn’t surprise Ann and she wasn’t afraid of hard work. She’d never relied on servants all the time, despite being surrounded by them all her life. She’d always preferred relying on herself than others.

  “Who’s Xavier?” Ed asked.

  “One of the leaders,” Nadia said. “A good friend. He gave me shelter after I fled the palace.”

  “Fled?” Ann frowned. “I thought you retired and were given your freedom.” She glanced between them. Ed looked uncomfortable and avoided her gaze. Had he known about this? If so, why hadn’t he told her? They never used to keep secrets from each other. At least they hadn’t in the past. “Ed?”

  “General Reevus suspected her involvement with the resistance,” Ed admitted. “He was going to question her and lock her up.”

  “Why?” Ann asked. “I thought my father—”

  “Your father—although not as cruel as his predecessor—did not like anyone who challenged him,�
�� Nadia replied. “I would have been arrested if young Edward here hadn’t helped me.”

  Ann froze. How could Darius even think Nadia was a threat? He said the resistance was little more than a group of outcasts with no real power. Another thing she’d learnt as a rogue, her father had had many secrets. She reminded herself not to be surprised by anything anymore. It made her wonder how well she knew her father at all. There were so many things she hadn’t known, and she knew more secrets would eventually come to light.

  They moved through the dense woodland. Nadia pushed her way through a heavy canopy of leaves, revealing a small black hole cut into the rock. The entrance was thick with jagged branches that covered and almost concealed the opening.

  Nadia muttered something and the branches moved aside. “Come.” She motioned for them to follow as she headed into blackness.

  Ann went in after her and noticed Ed glancing around. She kept the hood of her cloak up over her face. Even with her glamour covering her like a second skin, she felt vulnerable. Glamour spells weren’t infallible; she feared someone would eventually recognise her. If they did, no doubt they would turn her over to Orla. She didn’t fear Orla herself. Although a demon, she’d never been that powerful. Instead, Ann feared whoever had helped Orla and her brother, Urien, to seize control over Caselhelm. Someone else had to be behind Orla and had helped her. Orla had never been powerful enough to seize an entire realm for herself.

  Ed followed in behind her and the branches closed over the entrance once more, blocking them in.

  Ann’s heart pounded in her ears. She hated being closed in, feeling trapped. She hated being underground. She much preferred to stay above ground, surrounded by nature instead of being closed in like this.

  Nadia pulled out a crystal that eliminated the passage that had been cut out of sheer rock. It did little to chase the shadows that danced around them. Ann half expected something to jump out at them.

  Ann had never been afraid of the dark but being so closed in made her breath come in short gasps. She grabbed Ed’s hand without thinking.