Taken In (The Red Enchanter Book 2)

by Mary Swift

  “Uh.” Rowan’s heart was hammering in his ears. He felt sweat breaking out on his forehead. “Uh, yeah it grows that way.”

  “I thought it did.” said the dark haired one. “But she didn’t believe me.”

  “I did too.” said the other.

  “Yeah, uh well yeah.” Rowan stammered.

  “Your sister looks really pretty.” said the blonde.

  “Uh, thanks.” Rowan mumbled. The two girls stared at him while he tried desperately to think of something to say.

  Finally the dark haired one spoke. “Maybe we’ll see you around the village.”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  The girls looked at each and other left.

  “Why didn’t you ask them their names?” Constantine said once they were gone.

  Their names. Of course. He hadn’t even thought of it. “I guess I’ll try that next time.”

  Rowan watched as Lucy sat next to Arden and put her head on his shoulder. He said something and she laughed. Arden tried to put his plate aside. Lucy picked it up and set it back in his lap. Even from across the room Rowan could tell she was urging him to eat.

  Killian was suddenly standing in front of them. “Is there room for me?” He sat between Rowan and Constantine. “I’m surprised I was able to make it through the ceremony without completely losing it.”

  “Are you sad?” Constantine asked.

  “A little.” Killian said. “But I think that’s normal, she’s my only daughter. He looked at Rowan. “I saw you talking to some girls.”

  “They were asking me about my hair.”

  “Happens to me all of the time. Someone just called me Sparky a minute ago.” Killian said.

  Constantine leaned forward and chuckled. His body shook and he let out a snort. Rowan had never seen him like that.

  “I wasn’t trying to be funny Constantine.” Killian said hotly.

  “I know.” Constantine tried to look serious and then laughed again.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying this.” Killian said. Rowan thought he was getting angry but instead he just smiled. “These kids of mine.” He put his arms around both of them. “Where would I be without them?”

  Chapter 63

  The next morning Killian went to Darkhill. He took Rowan with him. Dante’s masking spell has no effect on him, Darkhill looked the same to his eye. He approached the gate to the council hall and put his hand on it. He focused his mind and unlocked it. The wood door behind it swung open. “Straight ahead.” he told Rowan.

  The rooms in the council hall were prone to change, sometimes the hallway leading to the main hall was long, sometimes it was short. Today it was short. Killian stopped. The bodies of the Founders were gone.

  “Dante must have taken them.” Rowan said.

  “Maybe.” Killian looked around, there were several smaller rooms to check. They weren’t there. He finally found them lying at the edge of the pool, Bryn’s hand was dangling in the water. They had either woken up or someone had moved them. “Try healing them.” he told Rowan.

  “I thought you said I couldn’t.”

  “Try it anyway, just in case.”

  “Which one?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Rowan knelt down and touched Charles’ neck. Killian watched as Rowan’s bones became visible. Killian knew the spell was strong, maybe too strong. But as strong as the spell was nothing happened to Charles.

  “Try the others.” Killian said.

  Rowan tried to heal Bryn and Dylan. Neither woke up. “Look at this.” Rowan pointed to Dylan’s robe, there was a small stain on it. “I think it is blood.”

  Killian looked at the robe. A tiny slit had been made in the fabric. He tore it away and discovered that Dylan had been stabbed in the chest, where his heart was. It was just one simple slice with what must have been an extremely sharp knife. He checked Bryn and Charles, they both had the same wound. “It’s just like mine.”

  “What are you talking about?” Rowan asked.

  “I have a wound there too. Someone stabbed me.”

  Rowan started pulled at Killian’s shirt. “Let me see. I’ll heal it.”

  “I’m fine Rowan.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Killian shrugged. “I don’t know. It didn’t seem that important at the time.”

  “Not important!” Rowan shouted. “How can you say that?” He stared at the Founders. “When you woke up had they been stabbed too?”

  “No, they were untouched.”

  “Do you remember hearing anyone else in the hall other than Lucy?”

  “No. I didn’t hear a thing. But I went through periods where I believe I was sleeping. It must have happened then.”

  “Dante must have come back and done this.” Rowan said.

  It seemed odd that Dante would move the bodies, and Killian wasn’t entirely sure that he could. Dante was lazy and he was old. Something didn’t add up. “Someone else may have come in here.”

  “Who? Who would be able to?”

  “I have no idea.” There was one thing Killian wanted to try. “I want to make a circle with them.” Rowan helped move the Founders and joined their hands together with Killian. They used to be able to focus their energy and mind share but like everything else it didn’t work. “I don’t know what else to do. Do you have any ideas Rowan?”

  “No. But if they bled from the knife then they must be alive, or at least not dead. Then why are all the enchanter’s dying?”

  “I don’t know.” Killian admitted.

  “Are you going to take your pen?”

  “It’s not my pen anymore. But I am going to borrow it.”

  “Unless Dante took it.”

  “No, he wouldn’t.” The pen had too many enchantments on it for Dante to try and steal it. Killian felt in the pocket of Dylan’s robe and found it. He pulled up his sleeve and wrote: Killian Cramer is borrowing Dylan’s pen. He will return it when he’s done.

  “What are you writing that for?” Rowan asked.

  “I gave this up to save Arden’s life. I’m not taking a chance of it working against me by stealing it. I promised Dylan that he could have it.”

  “Lucy said you like being with them.”

  That sounded like something Lucy would say. “I like belonging somewhere.”

  “You belong with us.”

  “I know, but-”

  “You like that they wanted you.”

  Killian sighed. Rowan wasn’t a little boy anymore, it was time they spoke like adults. “Yes. I’ve felt unwanted all of my life, until I met your mother.”

  “Mom told me about how you grew up. She also told me about your first wife.”

  “She was a very troubled person and very angry. She took that anger out on me. I never wanted to become like her so I never fought back, but I suppose I thought I deserved it too.”

  “I knew you would understand Constantine. When Mom first told me about him I was really upset and jealous. But I kept thinking of you and your brother and I didn’t want to be like Uncle Finnegan. So I decided I would learn to love him.”

  “And do you?”

  “I do. We’re a lot alike.” Rowan smiled. “Imagine me and Constantine Gavrashelli, best friends.”

  “I can’t say that I saw that coming.”

  “Me either.” Rowan sighed. “I’m glad your back Dad. Nothing is the same without you.”

  “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  They left the hall. Killian locked the door and then wrote several protections for the hall and circle on his arm. Eventually he ran out of room and continued on his leg. It was probably more than necessary, but he was certain that someone other than Dante had been in there.

  Killian and Rowan walked back to the village. An empty lot near the woods caught his attention. He opened his right hand and wrote on his palm. Killian Cramer’s house in Wildbush is now in Rudder. His house suddenly materialized in front of him. It felt good to see it again.

 
; “I can’t wait to see Logan.” Rowan cried. He started running towards the house.

  The front door opened and Logan stepped outside. “Damn it Killian, will you make up your mind where on earth you want this house to be!”

  Chapter 64

  Nora and Kip didn’t visit any more circles. Without Rowan’s healing powers there was no reason to stop. Nora was weary of death and misery. All she could think about was getting to Darkhill. She didn’t know what, if anything, there would be to find. But she had to answer once and for all the question in her mind as to whether Killian was alive.

  They saw few people along the way. Much to Kip’s disappointment there was little need for his arsenal of weapons. They drove on day after day, stopping only to search for food and rest. Kip was pretty sure they were close, but he stopped at a mortal farm and asked anyway. A young couple answered the door, their eyes became wide when they saw the knives strapped to his chest. “I’m looking for a place called Darkhill.” he told them.

  “Darkhill is gone.” the man said.

  “So we’ve heard. But are we close?”

  “I just told you, it’s not there.” said the man.

  “Are you an enchanter?” the woman asked.

  Kip flashed her a smile and adjusted the straps over his bare chest. “I sure am.”

  Nora grabbed his arm. “Thank you very much.” She dragged Kip away from the doorstep. The husband was glaring at him from behind the screen door. “I told you to keep your pants buttoned.”

  “I was just flirting.”

  She couldn’t wait until the day came when they could spend some time away from each other, Kip was exasperating. “We may as well get going.”

  “I guess so.” Kip sighed loudly. He was probably tired of her too.

  They drove for another hour. The road wove its way into the forest. Pine cones littered the way, they crunched underneath the car’s tires. They went around a bend and discovered a Firesea ranger on a horse. Nora slammed on the brakes.

  Kip grabbed his mortal pistol and got out of the car. He pointed the weapon at the ranger. “Don’t come any closer.”

  The ranger swung down from the horse. He stared in the car window. “Nora?”

  She realized it was Gareth. She got out of the car. “What are you doing here?” She was afraid to know what his presence meant.

  Kip waved the pistol at Gareth. “You’re pushing your luck Firesea man. Disarm yourself.”

  Gareth took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. “Put away your metal pipe kid.”

  “This is a pistol!” Kip cried. “Do you know what it can do?”

  Gareth made a gesture with his hand. Kip’s feet and legs bound themselves together. He flopped to the ground like a fish, the pistol fell a foot away from him. “I’ll get you for that!”

  “Where are you going Gareth?” Nora asked.

  He puffed on his cigarette. “I know some people who are looking for you.”

  “Who?”

  Kip wiggled on the ground. “I’ll slice you and dice you when I get out of this.”

  “We had a plan in case I came across you. Stand back.” Gareth nudged Kip with his foot and rolled him into the ditch.

  “You’ll pay for this!” Kip shouted.

  Nora took a few steps back. She had an idea of what was going to happen. She had seen Firesea rangers use signals before. Gareth reached into one of the bags on the horse and took out a small red ball. He tossed it into the air. It soared high above the trees and then beyond, until it disappeared altogether. There was an expectant pause and then a burst of concentrated red light. It burned Nora’s eyes and then slowly faded.

  “Who were you signaling?” she asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  Nora didn’t understand how the signaling worked, but she knew protectors and rangers could communicate and even reveal their locations to one another.

  Gareth grabbed Kip’s arm and dragged him to his feet. “We’d better stay together, you wouldn’t want to be flattened by it.” He looked at Kip’s knives. “I’d unbind you but I’m afraid you’d run me through.”

  “Damn right I would.” Kip spat.

  “I need another smoke.” Gareth sat Kip on the ground and took a cigarette from his pocket.

  “You’re really addicted, aren’t you?” Nora asked.

  “Yeah, well everyone needs a hobby.” Gareth lit the cigarette and looked up into the sky. “Here it comes.”

  Nora blinked and then there was a house sitting on the side of the road. The trees had moved aside for it. It was Killian’s house.

  “Is that home?” Kip asked.

  Nora was afraid that she was dreaming.

  “What the heck are they waiting for?” Gareth muttered. “Hey! Get out here!”

  The front door opened and Rowan stepped outside. Nora started crying. No sooner had Rowan appeared when Constantine came out of the door. She started to run but Gareth caught her arm. “Just wait.” He pulled Kip to his feet and removed the invisible bindings.

  The next person out was Arden. Nora hadn’t seen him in years. He was followed by Lucy. “Oh my God.” Nora muttered. Lucy was alive. They all lined up on the doorstep and smiled at her and Kip. Logan came out of the house. Kip let out a cry.

  “There should be one more.” Gareth said.

  Nora was afraid to believe. She held her breath as Killian stepped into the sunlight. The red hair he hated so much was like a beacon to her. She was home, she was safe, he was alive. Any plans she had to run up the steps and greet them collapsed. She fell to the ground and wept. She had lost belief that this day would ever come, she hadn’t realized it until that very moment.

  Killian was already there. He was already on the ground holding her. He felt so familiar. She wrapped her arms around him and let herself sob. He was alive, he was really alive. It seemed like a dream. She felt him pick her up and take her somewhere. Her eyes were too swollen from crying to see where. The other voices faded away.

  “Nora.” She felt his fingers gently wiping her face.

  “Is it really you?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  They were in the trees on the other side of the road. She could see the house and the rest of the family gathered around Kip. “The boys, Lucy-”

  “They’ll be time for that.” He took her hands. “I thought I would never see you again.”

  “They said that you died. They said Dante shot you with an arrow.”

  “He did.”

  “But how did you survive?”

  He leaned in and kissed her. Nora heard her heart racing in her ears. She had nearly forgotten what it was like to kiss him. “I’m sorry I left you.” she told him.

  He kissed her again. “The past doesn’t matter.”

  “Constantine. I have to tell you about him.”

  “He’s our son.”

  She shook her head. “No, he’s Dante’s.”

  Killian laughed. “You think I’ve gone crazy.”

  “I’m confused.” she admitted.

  “Nora, I know Constantine is your son with Dante. But I love you and I love everything about you, so that means that I love him. And he needs someone to care about him. I know because I used to be him. That was until you stumbled by my front door in Wildbush bleeding and screaming at the top of your lungs.”

  “I had just been stabbed.”

  “And I picked you up that day too.”

  “I didn’t mind. I wanted to know more about the man with that incredible hair.” Her fingers touched a ring on his right hand, it was silver with a black stone. “What is this?”

  “It’s from the Founders. I’m one of them now.”

  “I heard about that. It must be nice to belong somewhere. I’m happy for you.”

  Killian closed his eyes and smiled. “Thank you Nora.”

  “For what? For running out on you so I could take over Firesea? For bringing Dante into our lives? For springing Constantine on you?”

  He shook his head.
“No. For understanding me.” He touched the side of her face. “There’s no one like you Nora, there never has been.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She had often felt she wasn’t good enough for him. He was so noble and good and she had done terrible things. She heard Rowan talking excitedly to Kip. Killian smiled. “I think we should go and see them. We have a lot to tell you.”

  She put her arm around him. They started back to the road when a thought suddenly struck her. “I’m divorced!”

  “I know. Constantine told me.” He smirked. “I guess you’re free to marry someone else.”

  “I guess I am. Do you know anyone?”

  “I might know someone. He’s got this awful red hair though.”

  “Really? It turns out that I really like awful red hair.”

  “You’re in luck then. I heard he’s divorced too.”

  “Two divorced people? What a pair.”

  “What a pair indeed. Come on, let’s go see our kids.”

  Chapter 65

  One of the women in Firesea was pregnant. Everyone was expecting her to give birth to a mortal baby. When the day came for the baby to arrive Finnegan was summoned to her house as was customary. The Master Enchanter named all babies. He had spent the last week thinking about it. The husband was pacing about in the parlor. From upstairs Finnegan could hear the woman’s cries.

  “What will we do with a mortal child Master Enchanter?” the husband asked.

  “Raise it as you would an enchanter.”

  “But how? They’ll have no spell. Can’t you do something?”

  “No.”

  “I thought the Master Enchanter was all powerful.”

  The midwife came downstairs. “Master Enchanter, we need you.”

  He followed her upstairs. She led him to a doorway and stopped. “There’s something wrong with the child.”

  There were no healers in Firesea. If the child had problems there was nothing that could be done. “Just do your best.” he told her.

  “No, I mean there’s something not right about the baby.”

  “It’s a mortal.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Look for yourself.” She opened the door and he went inside the bedroom. The mother was propped up on a pillow holding what looked like a normal healthy baby.