Shadows and Embers

by Lindsey Richardson

  “No,” I said, but remembering her reaction to his crimes, I added, “He won’t harm you so long as I’m alive.”

  I shuddered, recalling the nights I had to force Alaire to return home. He would have a crooked smile on his face while his hands trembled with the blood he spilled. Though no one was convinced that Hunter was gone, I had sworn to Alaire that I would stop him if it ever happened again.

  Knowing I could never share those memories with anyone, I pushed them to the back of my mind. It was easier to look down at Rahela’s gentle face. She smiled faintly at me like she was trying to hold herself together. Before I could stop myself I brushed my hand against her cheek, stroking her soft skin. I leaned in closer, but her eyes seemed to be searching for an answer. She was different from any other girl I had known in my life; she was innocence, and for that alone I desired to love her.

  “I’m sorry, I stepped over my boundaries,” I whispered.

  Saying nothing more, Rahela and I walked back to the celebration. We were close enough to hear the music. The sound of violins grew louder, and once we stood by the musicians Esmour was already advancing toward us. Whenever he tried to walk fast it seemed that he had a bit of a limp.

  “Léal, Léal!” he waved his hands at me.

  I gulped, wondering if Alaire had told him about our eavesdropping. It felt like an eternity before he was standing in front of me.

  “I have something you need to see,” he said.

  I stared, waiting for something to happen.

  He chuckled. “Not here; come with me. Rahela can manage without you.”

  With one last glance at my partner, I followed Esmour as he led me into his house. I thought of objections to avoid Alaire, but he was not present when we entered. We were approaching the kitchen when Esmour abruptly stopped. In no time at all he was running to the door, opening it, and calling for Nicia. She rushed in, gathering up her dress so she would not trip.

  Nicia led the way, saying nothing and offering no explanation. I couldn’t imagine what Nicia and Esmour were involved in together. There was no chance for questions.

  She opened a door and descended down the staircase. Esmour whispered a word, and a flame lit up above his palm. I followed after them, stepping down the stairs slowly. The wood creaked, and it gave off the impression that it could break at any second. The closer we were to the bottom, the more visible the room became. After all these years I had never seen this part of the house.

  “What is this place?” I asked.

  Esmour moved his hand, directing the flame toward a lantern. He conquered another flame and repeated the process. The room brightened, and now bookshelves were visible. Some were full with books while others held scrolls. Then there was a long table with papers spread out everywhere.

  “This is a private room. You’ve never seen this because I didn’t have a reason to show you until now,” Esmour explained.

  I turned to Nicia.

  Whispering, she said, “I wasn’t allowed to speak of this. I’m truly sorry.”

  Then she advanced to the table. Pushing away papers, she uncovered a long, thin book.

  “What you’re about to see is confidential. I’m entrusting you to share this information with no one,” Esmour said.

  Sighing, Nicia explained, “Esmour had me write up a list of magicians who are living or have lived in this area and nearby. You should know this list is very dangerous if it is placed in the wrong hands.”

  “I want you to look at the names. One might sound familiar to you.” Esmour commanded. He pointed to a name on the list, evidently uninterested in the numerous names Nicia wrote down.

  Celestria Hale

  Dyanna Hale

  Gracien Aldebourne

  Ruald Vinctor X

  Glancing from Nicia to Esmour, I could not grasp what they were expecting. I knew none of the names Esmour was directing my attention to. My curiosity rose, however, with the “x” I saw marked by names following Ruald's.

  “Who are they?” I asked.

  The hope in Esmour's eyes sank. “You know none of them?”

  “No, I've never met these magicians.” I responded. Then to Nicia, I asked, “What does the “x” symbolize?”

  “Those are the magicians who have died. Many of these deaths have been recent,” she said.

  She continued on to say they gathered the information with Esmour's own spies. All the same, I found it difficult to believe he gained records about Dark magicians that easily. Nicia would not explain more about it, and Esmour quickly cut her off before she had the chance.

  “Go now, Nicia. Leal and I have business to discuss.” Esmour gritted his teeth, eying her as she walked up the stairs and closed the door above us. Business was nothing we would discuss; the look of pure disgust in his eyes revealed everything.

  “Tonight,” he said with clenched fists. “You and Rahela have another mission. The papers were delivered to Rahela; she will meet you at your house.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes, take Nicia with you. It's been a while since she's gone out on a mission, and having partners for a change will do her good.” Esmour replied. He threw words out of his mouth hastily. There was something he held back from me, and I was determined to know what.

  I nodded slowly. “Then I shall prepare for the mission.”

  Waiting, I began to walk away from him until at last he called my name. I hid a smile, but his response sent a chill down my spine. My body froze as I listened to his eerie voice echo in the small space.

  “Rahela is too inexperienced to use magical weapons. She needs more training, and you must be certain she does not try to perform any spells with weapons. The results could be deadly.”

  Then in a calmer tone, he said, “I had a vision the other night. You will meet a woman who you will have a strong bond with. This bond of yours will be strong enough to withstand distance and perhaps even time. She is someone you will come to know very well.”

  “Rahela?” I shivered.

  “No, but your paths will cross soon enough.” Esmour sighed.

  “What did the vision mean? I do not understand,” I said at last when he was silent.

  Esmour blew out the lantern. “Your answers are not here. I am a foreseer, not God. In the days to come I may have answers for you, but not now. Leave me, Léal.”

  In the darkness I could sense he was frowning. Knowing he would offer nothing more, I held my hands out in front of me and felt for the stairs. Finally, I stepped into something and felt wood. I held onto the railing and climbed up the stairs without another word.

  Once I closed the latch and stood in the hallway again, I looked outside. The sun was hitting the horizon, and I needed to rush home and prepare for the night. The conversation with Esmour repeated in my head, but there was no time for me to consider his maddening thoughts. After the mission I could meet with Alaire, and hopefully he would be able to assure me Esmour was nothing more than a mad man rambling.

  Chapter Nine

  Stay in my Arms

  Red is a fitting color for rare occasions, such as war. I sat against the side of my bed, and over top of my white tunic was a red vest. It was one of my least favorite vests, but I wore it on nights like these. Kendrick was one of Aldemund’s men, meaning he’d fight until there’s one man standing.

  It was nearly midnight. I counted the minutes until Rahela would arrive. All the while I fidgeted with the buttons on my vest. I wasn’t scared of dying, but I was concerned for my partner. She was like a delicate flower; one wrong step, and she’d be crushed. It was not a matter of doubting her strength, but I doubted my own if any harm came to her.

  There was a light tapping on the door. Liliana opened it just as I stood up. She didn’t say anything, but her frown said it all. Certainly by now Mama had told her about my terrible secret. Ever since I had returned from the dance I avoided my mother. For perhaps the first time I was relieved to leave for a mission.

  Smiling faintly, I left the
room and began the descent to the foyer. I noticed Rahela the moment I took the first step. She, on the other hand, paid no attention to my entrance. Her eyes gazed around the room. Once again she wore a white dress, and I nearly tripped thinking about her beauty and grace. Looking away, I focused on the stairs to avoid any embarrassment. When at last I was standing by her, she turned to me and held up her necklace.

  “So I’ve won your heart?” I asked with a smug smirk.

  “Your tactics are… strange,” she said.

  I ignored the insult and directed her to the door. We walked out into the cold night’s air. All the while I kept one hand in my vest pocket, which concealed Rahela’s ring. It shouldn’t be this difficult to give it to her; it wasn’t a wedding ring. Nonetheless, a destin ring was significant in our line of work. If this piece of jewelry was as rare as Esmour claimed, it could not simply be handed to a person. I had not earned mine until I successfully defeated three magicians on a solo mission.

  Nicia’s voice broke my concentration.

  “Hello, is anybody in there?” she called out, tapping my temple lightly.

  “Get away,” I hissed, pushing her back.

  Her eyes glistened, and a smile crept across her face.

  Rahela walked ahead, forcing Nicia and I to catch up. Chills ran up my spine while Nicia’s wide smile haunted my thoughts. There was only one other person she smiled at like that.

  “Rahela, I can’t help but notice that you have never worn your ring,” Nicia remarked.

  I turned my head so quickly it might as well have snapped.

  Rahela giggled and shrugged her shoulders casually. “Oh, I knew I had forgotten something at home!”

  “How fortunate that you’re Esmour’s pet,” Nicia replied coldly.

  I nudged her elbow.

  “What? When I forgot the ring Esmour sent me home, saying I was a disgrace to our race. It must be pleasant to always have his favoritism,” she shouted.

  Whispering, I said, “Who is this about: Rahela or me? And keep your voice down!”

  Nicia sighed; her eyes gazed out to the dark road ahead of us.

  “I’m sorry, but with each passing day Esmour becomes more of a tyrant. I love magic, but I also value my freedom. It’s come to the point where I don’t know what I am fighting for,” she answered.

  I extended my arms to her, and she stepped closer until we were side by side. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I held her close to my body. It was almost too dark to see anything, but we would have to wait until we were a safe distance away from the locals before we could magic.

  As we moved closer to our destination, my eyes grew weary. Nicia clung to my body like her life depended on it, and sometimes her warmth was all that kept me awake. We moved slowly, but upon passing Esmour’s house, we were closer than ever. The forest nearby his house was anything but comforting in the darkness. This particular part of the forest we used solely for missions.

  Now our only source of light was the moon, seeing as we couldn’t use our magic in the woods. Aldemund’s magicians were anything but patient. If they saw our magic before we came to them, they would attack. Instead the three of us stayed close together, trying to avoid any trees and plants. Several times Nicia nearly tripped, but I grabbed her before she fell and carried on.

  There was the distant sound of whistling. I released Nicia, leaving her by a tree. Rahela and I continued on following the sand. When I could see the figure of a man, I motioned for Rahela to hide behind a nearby bush. I knelt beside her, watching our opponent as he paced back and forth.

  “Is that him?” Rahela whispered.

  “Yes. Remember he works for Aldemund; he won’t give up on this fight. We’ll find his weakness and use it to our advantage,” I said, keeping my voice lowered.

  “Before we do this… I know you’ve been hiding my ring.”

  I looked at her in the corner of my eye.

  “If my partner does not feel that I am ready, then I trust in him,” she said.

  Unable to think of a response, I replied, “On three…”

  “One…”

  There was nothing that would stop this fight. This time I would have to keep an extra eye on Rahela, since she still wasn’t able to perform magical weaponry.

  “Two…”

  It was not this fight that would determine Rahela's loyalty. Her silence had already revealed that. She defended my honor when I hadn’t that night Esmour arrived with the ring.

  “Three…”

  I jumped up from behind the bush, listening as Kendrick gasped. Rahela entered in the same manner, nearly scaring our opponent for the second time. Kendrick’s clothes were ripped as if he had been in a fight before this.

  “Aldemund’s treating you well, eh?” I asked, snickering.

  Kendrick raised his hands, I nodded to Rahela, and then the battle began. I pulled out my dagger and aimed toward him. Our opponent revealed a long sword of his own. It glowed brightly, but I ran toward him nonetheless. Our weapons clanged together, sending out sparks of magic in every direction. Occasionally I risked looking for Rahela in the corner of my eye. She was using counter spells to avoid the dangerous sparks.

  Drawing my dagger away, I ducked down and rolled across the grass to avoid Kendrick’s sword. I stood up again in time to see him returning the weapon to his belt. Rahela took the opportunity to perform a spell, hitting him with a gust of wind. When he fell back, I dashed over to him, casting an ice spell to grab an icicle from out of the air. Though he tried to kick me away, I knelt over his body and held the icicle against his throat. Before I could grab Kendrick’s hands, he pushed one against my head and sent me flying backwards.

  “Tingel,” Rahela shouted.

  The black shards scratched Kendrick’s back, but he stood up and ran toward me. My back ached, and the memory of hitting a tree during training clouded my thoughts. I could barely see Kendrick, though he was standing over top of me now. There was a white blur behind him. Rahela performed some kind of spell, but my hearing was as useless as my vision. One minute Rahela was there, and then in the next minute the white blur disappeared. There was a loud thud as my vision started clearing. Rahela could be in danger, and I couldn’t bear to let any harm fall upon her.

  As I started pushing my hands against the ground, I kept blinking until at last Kendrick’s figure became fully visible. He held a sharp icicle over my leg. I was only able to glance at it for a second, and then I cried out as it cut into my skin.

  “Leal!” Rahela cried from nearby.

  Tears built up in my eyes. The pain was unbearable, and even though I didn’t want to, I screamed in agony. I could see the icicle; all I had to do was pull it out. The thought alone made me wince more. Even so, I could hear Kendrick and Rahela casting spells. This was not the moment in which I would die. I couldn’t leave Rahela to battle our opponent alone. Nicia certainly could not save us without a signal. Everything relied on me, and with that thought I extended my hands until they grasped around the icicle. I hesitated for a moment, but my hesitation could cost Rahela’s life.

  With what little strength I had left, I pulled and the icicle came out. A long cry escaped my lips, and I could feel the warmth leaving my face. Blood poured out of my leg. My entire body felt numb, but I trembled and forced myself to stand up. Rahela glanced over at me with a frown, but then she refocused her attention. Looking more closely, I realized she was holding something. Wobbling, I took another painful step and recognized what it was. She had my dagger. At what point had I dropped it? Esmour’s warnings echoed in my head. She didn’t have the proper training to use magical weaponry.

  “Rahela, don’t!”

  It was too late, and every muscle in my body tensed as the dagger left her hands and flew into the air. It glowed dark orange, and then it changed to a combination of pink and purple. Though it was headed for Kendrick, the color concerned me. The weapon should only be one color.

  I blinked and within an instant the dagger reversed. It
struck Rahela in the chest, and then she fell to the ground. She gasped for air, and though my leg was still bleeding, I wobbled toward her. Kendrick ran past me, but I barely paid any attention to him. They couldn’t take her away from me. My leg throbbed, but I refused to rest. With each step it seemed like I was no closer than before. Despite how badly I desired to rush to her, my legs gave out. The impact of my body hitting the ground felt like it would kill me. None of that mattered. I dug my hands into the dirt, crawling across the grass.

  Finally I reached Rahela. She lay motionless, and I had no idea how long it took me to reach her. I touched her hand and then held onto it tightly.

  “Is… it a lot… of blood?” Rahela wheezed.

  I glanced down at her chest. Her white dress was drenched. Quickly I returned my attention to her and shook my head. Though it required moving again, I struggled to sit up and then gathered her in my arms.

  “It’s okay, I’m not leaving. You’re going to stay in my arms,” I whispered.

  She started to smile, but then her eyes closed. With trembling hands, I felt against her neck. There was no pulse; there was nothing but her pale neck. The gold necklace glimmered against her dull skin.

  “Leal! Leal, what’s happened?” Nicia shouted, running toward us.

  With my free hand, I pulled out the destin ring from my vest pocket. My hands would not stop shaking, but I managed to lift up Rahela’s hand and place the ring on her middle finger.

  “Dear god…” Nicia gasped. Kneeling beside me, she said, “Your leg… oh god, Leal…”

  There was no strength left in my body to explain what happened. Instead I sat silently clinging onto Rahela’s body. Meanwhile Nicia pulled out a thin knife and cut off fabric from the sleeve of my tunic. She wrapped it tightly around my leg, but my entire body was numb.

  “This is the first time you haven’t remarked about your shirt,” she said, wiping her eyes. The tears streamed down her face, but I still could not feel anything. I reached out for her face, and she cried into the palm of my hand.

  “I can’t believe we lost her,” Nicia whispered through tears. Then more quietly, she added, “I nearly lost you…”