by Todd Herzman
Apparently, they couldn’t be forced, either.
He shook out his arms and breathed in deep. He needed to relax. Why was it always so hard to relax when he knew he needed to? Every time he tried to still his mind…
Taya, Ella, Marius.
He shoved thoughts of them away and focused back on the wall.
He breathed. He pawed at the power within him. There was another reserve there, sitting next to the one he was used to drawing from. Alyssa’s power, he thought. So far, he hadn’t been able to access it, which confused him. Malarin had used his power… Malarin had to break me first, he realised. It wasn’t until he’d conceded, until he’d given in to the blood mage, that Malarin had used the power.
But was that because Malarin hadn’t known? The power was already inside Ruben, he could feel it. Her blood pumping through his veins made his muscles stronger and his senses sharper. If he concentrated hard enough, he could hear the guard breathing in the hallway, feel a worm wriggle beneath the earth where he stood, and when he looked at the sky, he could see the fleck of a bird’s flight. But he couldn’t access her Affinity to create illusions. With her power he’d be able to disguise himself, escape from this place. Perhaps he hadn’t taken enough blood. Perhaps he would have to feed from her again.
He would in a heartbeat.
He focused on his own reserve, his own mana—the one that brought the balls of light and the flames. He relaxed his arms by his side and looked at the point on the stone wall. He commanded his focus upon that point and let the world slip away, let everything he could hear and feel and see except for that which he wished to burn slide out of his mind. He inhaled, held the breath for a second, then exhaled. Burn, he thought.
The wall burned.
At least, the little point he’d been focusing on turned red and began to smoke.
‘Very good,’ a deep voice said behind him.
Ruben spun around. Flames burst from his hands and disappeared just as fast as he saw the man who’d talked.
It was Renial, the God King. And not his statue this time.
How did he sneak up on me?
The God King, his red eyes bright, paced with his hands folded behind his back. ‘Alyssa tells me your training is progressing well.’ He glanced at the scorch marks on the wall. ‘This pleases me. Tell me, Ruben, are you happy here?’
His voice didn’t boom in Ruben’s mind as it had the first time they’d met.
‘I’d be happier back home.’
‘Home,’ the God King said, ‘with your family.’
Ruben nodded.
The God King smiled. ‘Well.’ He spread his arms. ‘Then you’ll be glad to know all you have to do is wait.’
‘Wait? Does that mean… are you letting me free?’
Renial chuckled. ‘No. Of course not. Why would I want to do that?’
‘But, my family—’
‘They’ll be coming here. I’ve sent for them.’
Anger rose within Ruben. The flames threatened to burst forth again. He tensed his fists, holding the power at bay—knowing releasing it would do nothing against this man. ‘Why?’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘Because family should be with family.’ He looked at Ruben, his red eyes boring into him. ‘That’s why I kept you here in the first place.’
‘That’s why…’ Ruben spluttered. ‘Kept m-me.’ His head spun. He remembered back to when the God King had last visited him, when he’d broken into his mind and shown him memories of his mother dying…
Where has she been hiding?
‘You were after my mother.’ Ruben stumbled back. ‘Why?’
The God King stepped toward him. ‘Can’t you tell?’ He motioned at his own face. ‘Don’t you see the resemblance?’
Ruben tripped over a tree root as he backed away. He fell, winded, staring up at the man. Resemblance? He studied the God King’s features. Something twisted in Ruben’s gut.
‘Haven’t you wondered where your powers came from?’ Renial peered down at him with a pitying look, not offering a hand to help him up. He sniffed and stepped away. ‘Your mother. I should have bloodlocked her long ago—or else executed her—for the things she did. She didn’t believe in the prophecy. She didn’t believe in me.’ He stopped, facing away from Ruben, and bowed his head. ‘How could my own daughter not believe in me?’
My own daughter.
Own daughter.
Daughter.
‘No.’ Ruben stood on shaky legs. ‘No, no, no.’ Renial looked thirty years old, how could he be Ruben’s mother’s father? Ruben’s grandfather?
He’s a god. God’s don’t age, Ruben thought.
‘Yes.’ The God King’s voice boomed from all sides of the garden. He faced Ruben. ‘Why do you think I have treated you this way? Were you anyone else, I would have given you to Malarin.’ He practically spat the words. ‘You’re of my blood.’ He walked toward Ruben.
Ruben didn’t back away this time. He stood his ground, set his jaw. Only his shaking limbs portraying his absolute fear. Renial stood a foot away, and Ruben had to look up to meet the God King’s eyes.
‘You should know by now, grandson, that blood is important.’ He smirked, red eyes flashing. ‘How did you like Alyssa’s?’
Renial put a hand on his shoulder. A shiver ran up Ruben’s spine. The God King leant close, whispering in his ear.
‘That’s just a taste. You could be great, you know. If you embrace it.’ Renial held the back of Ruben’s neck, his grip stronger than a blacksmith’s vice. He pulled his head back, stared into Ruben’s eyes. ‘The world needs saving, boy. You might not believe that, but it does. You could be a part of it.’
‘You’re insane,’ Ruben whispered.
Renial gripped his hair. ‘What did you say?’
Ruben gulped. Looking into the God King’s red eyes almost made him break. ‘You’re insane.’
‘Maybe I am.’ The God King put both hands on Ruben’s head. ‘But do you want to see what happens to the world without me?’
Renial broke into Ruben’s mind again. Images flashed in Ruben’s head, but they weren’t memories—at least, they weren’t his. In his mind he watched the world burn, heard the screams of an entire planet. Felt the mana, the lifeforce, being drained from everything.
‘This is what happens if I do nothing. This is what your mother never understood. I need this power. For the greater good—and I deserve to use it as I see fit if I’m to save this world.’
It wasn’t just the flames Ruben could feel—it was everything.
His mind touched the pain of each person the vision showed him.
‘This is what I saw, all those years ago.’ Renial’s voice echoed in Ruben’s mind, but it was lower this time, softer. ‘I’ve seen it every single day since. It haunts my waking and sleeping moments alike.’
The God King let go of him. Ruben fell, gripping his head. The images left him, Renial’s influence disappeared, but he still felt it.
‘You will understand where your mother did not.’ The God King turned and walked away. He opened the doors back into the castle without touching them—without raising an arm or so much as a finger—and walked through. ‘I will make you understand.’ The words entered Ruben’s mind. He heard them as if Renial whispered them into his ear.
Ruben lay on the ground, eyes wide, gripping his head. Afraid of what he would see if he let his eyes close. He felt broken.
All those people.
He could barely think about what Renial had told him of his mother. He wanted it to be a lie, but what need would the man have to lie? What need would he have of Ruben at all? It must be true, else he would still be under Malarin’s control, still be bloodlocked to that vile demon.
Ruben let go of his head and looked at his hands, where the fire came from. This is in my blood, he thought. This is where the power comes from.
He didn’t know how long he laid there, staring at his hands, afr
aid to move. Afraid even to think. The word grandfather kept slipping into his mind. He thought his grandparents were all dead, but here one was, looking younger than his father…
It got dark. Hours passed with him lying there. He stared at the sky—it was the first time he’d seen stars since the night he was taken.
A door creaked open. Alyssa’s boots clicked on the stone steps toward him through the garden. Ruben, still on the ground, looked at her as she neared. Seeing her made him feel empty. How could he have felt desire for this woman? Hunger for her blood?
He thought of Taya less and less. It was hard for him to admit. He wondered if he wanted to save her because he loved her, or because he felt a responsibility to her. They had fallen in love fast, but he was no longer the same person.
Grandson to the God King. He could make flames shoot from his hands; he’d fed off Alyssa—drank her blood. He was practically a blood mage. How could Taya still love him if she were to learn that? How could he return to his quiet life of smithing back in Billings after this?
The fate of the world could be at stake. What Alyssa had shown him had been terrible—what the God King had fed into his mind had been worse.
‘Get up,’ Alyssa said. The softness from her voice was gone. She no longer seemed the sultry, caring woman she’d been the day before.
Ruben didn’t move. Alyssa let out a heavy sigh. She kicked his leg lightly before squatting down and staring into his eyes. ‘You’re not allowed to give up, Ruben.’ There was a note of pity in her voice. She leant closer. He felt her breath on his ear. ‘You still want to save your girl, don’t you? You can’t do that on the ground.’ She gripped his head and spoke directly into his ear. ‘We can do this the fun way, or the hard way. I was quite enjoying the fun way. You don’t want to see what the hard way is.’
She let go of his head. It hit the ground with a thump. He saw the back of her legs, heard the click of her boots on the stone, as she took a few steps away.
Ruben moved his stiff muscles. He rolled over onto his shoulder, put a hand on the ground and pushed himself up. He stood slowly and with no amount of grace. ‘Are you threatening me?’
Alyssa turned around. She crossed her arms, tilted her head to the side. ‘So you were listening.’ She smirked. ‘Of course I’m threatening you.’
Ruben stepped toward her. He had felt so weak, not being able to protect his village, not being able to fight Malarin, attacking the God King and having no effect… leaving Taya hostage to a blood mage. He didn’t want to feel weak anymore.
If he were the God King’s grandson, he might as well act like it.
Ruben flexed his arms and faced his palms forward. He still felt the strength her blood had lent him, the power pumping through him. Flames bloomed from his hands. ‘I could melt your skin and burn your bones to ash. Do not threaten me.’
Alyssa’s smile faltered for a moment. ‘So, there’s a little bite to you after all. But you don’t frighten me.’
‘I don’t?’ Ruben made the flames grow larger and larger until the light was overwhelming. He stepped toward her and watched as she dropped her arms and stepped back. Ruben smiled. He stared at the bare skin on her neck. There was a wound there, still healing, from when she’d let him feed.
The hunger burst within him. He extinguished the flames and grabbed her by the arms. He didn’t bother cutting the skin—he bit straight into her neck.
He expected her to scream, but she didn’t. ‘Good,’ she whispered into his ear. She held his hair and pulled him closer. ‘Drink.’
Ruben drank, filling himself with power. He kept drinking until her hand fell from his head, until she grew limp in his arms. Then he let her go. She slumped to the ground, her legs too weak to support her.
Chapter 38
Ella
Aralia gathered the villagers and warned them of what was coming. Ella expected panic. She expected people to shiver in their boots, run and hide—most everyone in the village had been a victim of a blood mage at one point in their life.
They didn’t panic. They sprang into action. Men and women grabbed bows, strapping them to their backs before climbing the mountain walls to park themselves atop the ridge. Older folk gathered supplies, grabbed lanterns and ushered the children into the caves.
As the others were running to their places, Aralia took Ella to her home. She rummaged through a chest and found a crystal necklace. The crystal was clear. When the light hit it, it reflected out in a rainbow of colour.
Aralia handed it to Ella. ‘Put this on.’
Ella slipped it over her head. ‘What’s it for?’
The weather witch led her back into the village and they rushed toward the mountain pass. ‘It’s a protective crystal, like the one I wear.’
‘Reena has one of those, but hers is purple.’
‘She has no magic of her own. A purple crystal would play havoc with your powers. This one isn’t as strong. It won’t stop someone reading your mind, but it will dampen the effects of malicious magic.’
Ella looked to the top of the ridge. The archers were almost in position. Ella’s arms were sore from climbing the cliff back on the beach. ‘Do we need to climb that?’
‘No,’ Aralia said. Ella heard the smile in her voice. ‘We’re going to be out in the open.’
Aralia headed toward the mouth of the pass. Ella followed, peering down the path. Reena had gone down there. It occurred to Ella that if the blood mage came through, it would mean Reena had lost.
‘Shouldn’t we go help Reena?’
Aralia glanced at her. ‘By we you mean me, don’t you?’ The witch looked forward again. She tilted her head to the heavens. Dark clouds rolled in. ‘Reena is strong. If the mage is too much for her, she’ll make it back here.’
‘And her crew?’
‘Her crew is her responsibility. My responsibility is to this village.’
The air around Aralia shifted. Her shoulders rolled back, her fingers curled, and rain began to fall. It stayed off the ridge, only falling within the pass. It got stronger until it pelted down. Aralia wouldn’t make it easy for the invaders.
Ella glanced at the archers high above. ‘Won’t it make it harder for them to shoot?’
‘The enemy’s archers, maybe. Here, they’ve trained for this.’
It was hard to see through the passage with the heavy clouds and persistent rain. A bolt of lightning flashed, hitting the centre of the path. Ella jumped as thunder clapped. The flash illuminated the darkened, empty chasm.
Ella’s heart beat hard in her chest. She’d gotten through the caves, gotten as far as here to warn everyone. She looked over her shoulder, way across the village to where the cave’s entrance lay. She couldn’t quite see it from here, but she knew it was there. She couldn’t help but wonder if she should be hiding with the old and the young. What use would she be? She barely had a handle on her powers. She’d become better with a sword than she’d thought possible, but she wasn’t wearing a sword. All she had was a dagger at her belt. And what would she do against a larger, stronger, more skilled opponent other than die?
She clutched the crystal around her neck.
‘Hold fast, girl. I’ll keep you safe,’ Aralia said without turning around. ‘Remember what it would mean to capture a blood mage’s ship.’
Aralia’s hands sparked. Another bolt of lightning crashed into the pass. This time, there was something to see. A tall man, wearing a metal helmet and brandishing a two-handed sword, walked down the path alone. The light disappeared as thunder boomed.
The witch took a step forward. ‘Metal helmet,’ she scoffed. She reached her hands to the heavens, then pointed them at the man.
Where’s Reena? Ella thought.
A bolt of lightning fell, aimed straight at the warrior.
It didn’t make contact.
The bolt was diverted before impact, deflected by some invisible force. It shot away, slamming into the rock wall, knocking loo
se a few stones.
‘He’s protected.’ Aralia released a low growl. She reached out again, shooting a bolt at the enemy. Once more, the attack was deflected.
‘What does that mean?’ Ella asked.
‘It means I’m close to useless until the protection is broken.’ She raised her arms. Two bolts of lightning flashed on either side of the cave entrance, then Aralia’s head turned to the archers on the ridge.
A flurry of arrows mixed with the falling rain. The light had disappeared as the lightning had, and Ella could only just make out the lines of the warrior in the din.
Lightning flashed again, one bolt after another. Aralia stepped forward, the flashes coming each time one of her feet hit the ground.
The first bolt was deflected, but it illuminated the passageway enough to show an arrow in the man’s chest—it had gotten through his ring mail armour. He still walked, but he walked slow.
The second bolt broke through the man’s protections, electrocuting him where he stood. The third bolt hit the man as he fell.
The bolts illuminated the figures behind him.
At least ten more warriors.
Aralia cursed.
The archers didn’t need Aralia’s prompting to start a barrage. Arrows fell and kept falling, but where the first warrior had walked straight into danger, these ones pulled up their shields. The passageway was barely wide enough for them to walk two astride. They used this to their advantage. From the flashes of lightning Aralia continued to shoot at them, Ella could see they’d formed a shield wall. Shields in front, shields on top.
Arrows thunked into the wooden shields, while the lightning rattled the warriors only enough to stop their steps for a moment.
‘They sent the first one to see what we can do,’ Ella said.
Aralia glanced at her. ‘Yes, it would seem so.’ Her voice wasn’t tense, nor her teeth gritted, like Ella had expected. Ella came to stand beside the witch. Aralia closed her eyes and faced the heavens.