by Todd Herzman
‘What needs to be done. I’m strong, Mother. I can help.’
‘Oh, sweetheart, I know you’re strong, but you don’t have to do this—I can do it for us.’
Why is she worried? Marius wondered. ‘They don’t deserve to live—and we need them dead for what we’re about to do.’
‘Marius. Let go of them!’ His mother stepped toward him, fast, and grabbed his arms as the two blood mages fell unconscious. ‘We need their memories, remember?’
Marius blinked. He let go of his grip on them and dropped his arms. The man and the woman lay on the ground, still breathing.
‘I—I just wanted to help.’
Jesriel put a hand on his cheek. ‘It’s okay, Marius.’ She turned to look at them. ‘They’re still alive.’ She walked over and put a hand on each of their heads. Energy seeped out of them, flowing from their eyes and out their nose into Jesriel’s hands, forming a silver ball not unlike mana.
‘Their memories,’ Marius whispered.
His mother stood and nodded. ‘These are their memories for the past week.’ She looked at the two balls of energy, then at the unconscious blood mages—the ones Marius had taken out. ‘The memories of a blood mage can be quite violent.’ She looked at Marius. ‘I know you’re strong, Marius, but this isn’t something I ever want you to experience.’
She thrust the silver balls of energy into her forehead. Her body shuddered as the energy seeped in through her nose, her mouth, her eyes, her ears. When it was gone, she inhaled, then exhaled. She pointed at the man. ‘Aelric.’ Then the woman. ‘Racell.’
Jesriel stood over their bodies. She closed her eyes, but only for a moment. When she opened them, flames flew from her hands. The fire engulfed the two blood mages. They burned hotter than Ruben’s forge and turned to ash on stone. She gave the ash piles a momentary glance, then walked to her youngest son.
She killed them so easily, so casually—such a contrast to Peiter, who wouldn’t kill even to preserve his own life. Marius had wanted to end their lives with the same casual ease, he’d wanted to prove his strength. He wondered what his once mentor would think of him, were he to see what Marius had almost done.
As his mother walked, the illusion she wore turned into the female blood mage—Racell. She pointed a hand at Marius, and he changed as well. ‘This will be a harder illusion to maintain. The blood mage is…’ She turned her head, glancing at the outline of ash. ‘A fair bit taller than you.’
Marius looked down at his hands. They were bigger, stronger. His sleeves were black, his shoes black. If he were to look in a mirror, he’d see everything he despised. He wished she would have trusted him with the man’s memories.
‘I don’t have his memories and I can’t speak the language, how am I supposed to pretend to be him?’
‘Carefully.’ His mother turned to face the mouth of the alley. ‘I’ll do the talking.’
He followed, glancing at the ashes on the cobblestones. The two blood mages would never harm anyone ever again.
Chapter 64
Ruben
Ruben leant against the wall beside the door to the gardens. The dark-armoured guards stood two feet away. Their eyes were on him, yet they seemed to look straight through him.
He hadn’t handled that very well. Ella hadn’t believed a word he’d said. Of course, he hadn’t believed it either—or hadn’t wanted to. How could the God King be their grandfather? Ella had called the man evil. Ruben had thought the same, until he’d tasted power.
He licked his lips. Guilt wrenched his gut. He’d sounded so sure talking to Ella. But he still doubted everything. Alyssa, he thought. Alyssa will make me stop doubting. The guilt dropped away, replaced by a deep desire. A longing. In the market by the docks, he’d stopped himself from giving in to his bloodlust.
What was stopping him now?
He pushed off the wall and walked down the hall. He knew the way to her rooms now. He was about to turn the first corner when a voice called, telling him to stop.
The God King’s voice.
Ruben whirled around. Only the two guards stood behind him. He frowned, confused, until the one closest spoke.
‘I would like to speak with you.’ The guard spoke in Renial’s clear, strong tones. Ruben only saw the man’s jaw move, his mouth hidden by his helmet.
Ruben hesitated, then inclined his head. All he wanted to do was see Alyssa. He didn’t feel strong enough to face the God King, not right now, not after talking to his sister.
He’s feeding you lies. Ruben shook his head, hoping the thoughts would fall out as he walked to the throne room. He didn’t want his grandfather to see even a shadow of his doubt. If only he could see Alyssa first. He licked his lips at the thought. His senses had dulled somewhat after he’d shown Ella the illusion—an illusion illustrating the truth of what their grandfather was trying to prevent.
The guards by the throne room pulled open the double doors on his approach. Renial sat on his throne. Ruben wondered how often he left this room. Surely he didn’t sleep on the seat of his empire.
Ruben’s bootsteps echoed off the smooth walls. He’s evil, his sister’s voice whispered in his mind. He’s feeding you lies. He put his hand to his head, as if he could reach through his skull, pluck out the thoughts, and toss them away. He didn’t need doubt—doubt wouldn’t help him. There was no escaping this place. He had to make the best of it. Ella would figure that out soon, too.
We’re safe here, he thought. Safe.
Ruben stopped ten feet from the throne and bowed his head. The guards came to stand by their master, lantern light reflecting off their halberds.
‘I am glad your sister made it here safely,’ Renial said.
Ruben raised his head to look at the man. If someone were to see them together, they might guess Renial was his older brother, not his grandfather.
‘It was good to see her,’ Ruben said, then hesitated, wondering if he should say more.
‘What is it?’
‘She does not believe what I say about you. Not yet, at least.’
‘You did not believe at first, either.’
Ruben bowed his head. ‘I never meant to doubt you.’
‘It is only natural.’ The God King smiled. ‘Not everyone likes to hear the truth.’ He looked up at the vaulted ceilings. ‘I did not like seeing a vision of the rock on its way to this world. But the truth is important.’ He looked back at Ruben. ‘I promise you, Ruben. I will never lie to you.’
He’s evil, Ella repeated in Ruben’s mind.
‘You do believe me, don’t you Ruben?’
‘I believe you.’
The God King smiled. ‘Perhaps I should speak with her myself.’ He turned his head, and the smile fell away. ‘I have bad news about your brother.’
‘Marius?’ Ruben perked up, taking a step toward the throne. ‘What is it? Is he okay?’
‘I found him, at the monastery in the mountains. The monks were… not happy to see me. They do not like to hear the truth either.’
‘Is he okay?’
Renial shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. ‘He’s gone.’
‘Gone?’
‘He disappeared from the monastery. I am not sure how the monks did it. They hid him from my sight. In one massive pull, they sapped all the energy from the plants surrounding the monastery, then they moved him. It is not something I ever thought monks would do.’
‘Is—is there any way to find him?’ Ruben hadn’t thought much of Marius since Ella had arrived. It was easy to forget about what happened outside the castle walls. He’d assumed Marius would be okay, safe. He’d been surprised his brother ever left the village at all.
‘There is a way…’ Renial leant forward in his throne. ‘Do you remember the day I entered your mind?’
Ruben closed his eyes. The memory of the God King rooting around in his head, searching for his mother, came back in a flash. ‘I remember.’
‘Ella wa
s watching you.’
Ruben opened his eyes. ‘She was. Is… is that something we can do? Why haven’t we done it before?’
‘There are many ways for someone like me to find a person in this world. I’ve simply never needed your help before.’ The God King stood. He stepped down from his throne and walked to his grandson. He reached a hand to touch Ruben’s forehead. Ruben stopped himself from moving. Renial shut his eyes. ‘The magic we are to use relies on the blood connection you share with your brother.’
Ruben frowned. ‘Don’t you have a blood connection with my brother?’
Renial’s eyes flashed open. ‘The connection requires unenhanced blood, and a stronger connection besides. It often only works in siblings.’ He removed his hand and walked a few steps away. ‘We will need to wait until the blood you took from Alyssa wears off. Once it is out of your system we will connect you to your brother’s mind—then I will find him.’
Ruben swallowed. The desire, the bloodlust, pulsed through his veins. ‘Isn’t there another way?’
He’s controlling you, his sister whispered in his mind.
The God King turned. ‘This is the best way.’
‘Ella’s blood is untainted—unenhanced. Could we not use her for this?’
Renial waved a dismissive hand ‘She will not cooperate, not yet.’ His eye’s bore into Ruben’s. ‘But you will.’ He smiled. ‘Do not fret, you will taste Alyssa’s blood again.’ He tilted his head up. ‘And more. Tell me, why did you not feed on the girl in the market?’
Feed. The word sounded so harsh. ‘You saw that?’
‘A God sees all under his dominion. Why did you not feed?’
Ruben bit his lip. He didn’t think telling his grandfather the truth would be wise. The man would think him weak. Guilt, he thought, but didn’t say. ‘She was your citizen. I didn’t know if she was… off limits.’
The God King looked down his nose at his grandson. ‘I see.’ He turned and walked back to the throne. ‘I assure you, Ruben. Nothing under my dominion is off limits to us. These people’—he waved a hand at one of his halberd-wielding guards—‘they are our subjects. We protect them, and for that they are grateful.’ He sat on his throne and rested a leg over the opposite knee. ‘You will learn to appreciate that properly in time.’ He sighed. ‘Now, I need you to deplete the power you took from Alyssa as quickly as possible. Pull on her reserve—use it to form one of her illusions as you did on the night you escaped. It will expedite the process.’
‘Now?’ Ruben shifted in his leather shoes.
‘Your brother could be in danger. Do you not want him to be safe here, as you are? As Ella is?’
Ruben hesitated. Ella’s words still played in his mind. The doubt had set in again—he couldn’t help but wonder if what his sister had said was right. Part of him knew they were safe here. Renial was their family, after all. But the big brother in him worried. If there was even a small chance Renial was evil, how could Ruben put his brother in that sort of danger? The more Alyssa’s power wore off, the more he would feel this doubt.
He closed his eyes, nodding to his grandfather. He racked his brain trying to decide on an illusion to create. He’d never made one without a purpose before—he’d pretended to be Alyssa, even the God King, to help him escape. He’d shown Taya and Ella the world ending to try and convince them of Renial’s cause, but now, he was supposed to create an illusion simply to deplete his reserve.
He settled on something, opened his eyes, and focused on a spot a foot away. He raised his arms and drew on Alyssa’s power. Energy coalesced in the outline of a boy. Details began to form. Moments later, Ruben’s younger brother—or an illusion of him—was standing in front of him.
‘An appropriate choice.’ The God King eyed the illusion with a smile. ‘I know you love him, Ruben. Love for one’s family is a strong thing. I understand that as much as anyone. I hope you trust me to keep the boy safe. To keep you all safe. You are my family. All I want is what is best for you.’
Ruben felt Alyssa’s reserve fade. His senses dulled. His strength weakened by the second. I’m doing the right thing, he thought. I have to be.
It was too late to think otherwise. Ella was already here. If she was right, and this man was evil, escape wasn’t an option. Ruben had tried and failed at that already.
Ruben shivered. The illusion of his brother shimmered and flickered. Alyssa’s reserve faded fast. His bloodlust grew ever stronger. Ella’s words fled from his mind as the desire to feed consumed him.
Feed, he thought. That was the God King’s word, but it fit. It was like hunger but stronger. The illusion of Marius disappeared with the reserve. Ruben hugged himself. He felt weak again. Weaker than before.
‘The pain will pass,’ Renial said, once again standing from his throne. He walked to Ruben. ‘Worry not, my boy. You shall feed again soon.’ The God King gripped Ruben’s forehead tight, red eyes staring into his blue ones. ‘I need to borrow your mind for a moment.’
Pain spread through Ruben’s brain. Every thought, every memory—his second guessing of Renial’s intentions, the conversation he’d had with Ella—were exposed and raw, laid out for his grandfather to see.
Then Renial rooted in further, just as he had the first time. Instead of accidently finding Ella’s presence, he actively searched for Marius. Memories flashed. Marius bringing in firewood. Marius sitting beside him in the smithy. Marius carrying Ruben’s quiver as he hunted. Marius fleeing into the trees of the forest.
Then it all went black. The world become a pit of darkness.
An image formed. Ashes on stone. Brick walls. A shadowed alley.
Ruben looked through Marius’s eyes.
Marius turned from the ashes on the ground and walked to the mouth of the alley. He followed a woman dressed in dark clothes, but all Ruben saw was her back. Fear gripped Ruben as Marius stepped out of the alley.
He entered a city square. People in grey clothes walked the streets, most with their heads down, avoiding looking at the woman Marius followed—avoiding looking at Marius himself. Ruben recognised the square. He’d been there before. He’d walked right through it with Ella.
‘He’s on the island.’ Renial’s voice boomed in the throne room. The God King let go of Ruben’s head.
Ruben opened his eyes. His grandfather wore a smile that was all teeth.
‘How—how is that possible? You said yourself, he was an ocean and miles away just yesterday.’
‘The monks must have sent him here.’ Renial shook his head. ‘The fools.’ He faced away from Ruben. He bent his head down and placed his hands on his forehead. ‘Perhaps the family will reunite much sooner than I thought.’
Renial turned around. His eyes flashed a bright red.
Chapter 65
Ella
Ella could blast through the door. She’d be able to melt the lock. She’d done it before on the ship. But there were guards on the other side—guards controlled by the God King. Then the entire city would know she was trying to escape, and she would have nowhere to run. They would all know her face.
She looked around the plant-filled garden and considered her options, few as they were. She walked around the walls, trying to find handholds to climb with. She’d become adept enough at climbing aboard the Serpentine. Her arms were strong, her body lean. It was easy enough to pull her weight up. But the walls were sheer and smooth—as if they’d been carved by one swift slash of a giant sword. Or by magic, she thought.
She moved her attention to the plants. The tallest trees were in the middle of the garden. They stretched almost as high as the walls, but climbing those would do no good—they weren’t close enough to any wall for her to reach. Not unless she could jump three lengths of her own body. And if she could jump that high, she wouldn’t need to climb.
She ran through her abilities. Fire. Lightning. Affinities great for starting fires. She could set the garden aflame. Have the guards run in to her aid, esca
pe while they were distracted… Except, she didn’t want to alert people.
She could reach out with her magical senses, feel the presence of the guards she knew were on the other side. She could reach out to their minds, like she’d done with Aralia and the blood lord. But she didn’t know how to make them unconscious without doing the same to herself, and she’d never done such a thing to a thrall before—Renial might know the second she tried.
That left light. How in the world could she use light to her advantage? While it helped in dark tunnels, she wondered how useful it really was. She wasn’t a gardener, like Arin. And even if she were, gardening wouldn’t help her right now.
Ella stopped pacing. She remembered being in Arin’s home, watching the plants grow without sunlight. Arin could make a flower bloom in moments where it might otherwise take seasons. Ella walked back to the smooth walls. The tallest of the trees were in the middle of the garden, this was true—but there were still some trees close to the wall. She found the tallest—which stood at ten feet, while the wall was at least thirty feet high.
She looked at her hands and called on her light. Power coalesced in her palms, brightening the shadows cast by the castle walls. The tree wasn’t tall enough to help.
Not unless she made it grow.
She stood a foot from the tree, her hands alight. She wasn’t sure what the next step was—did she just hold her hands over it? She felt silly—could this really make the tree grow fifteen, twenty feet into the air? She was about to touch her hands to the bark when she stopped. What if she did it wrong? What if the light hurt the tree? Burned it? Killed it? This was the tallest tree close to the wall—growing it, if she could at all, might take hours for all she knew. The other trees, being at least two times smaller, might take twice as long.
Ella couldn’t risk doing it wrong. She turned from the tree and looked for something smaller. Her gaze fell to the ground. Grass. She sunk to her knees and, not knowing what else to do, she placed her light-infused palms on the ground.