As Starflower and Biscuit drank from the stream, Tei closed her eyes and reached towards calm. Taking a risk, she launched out into the Astral Plane and flew through the grey world towards town. She needed an idea where Brogan was staying so she could decide where best to stash the horses.
She found him easily, sitting in the corner of the tavern where she’d guessed he’d spent most of his time when not in the docks at the Assembly Hall.
A black cloud of depression hung over him, and she reached out to soothe away his loneliness. ‘I’m coming, Brogan, just a few more hours.’
An old man arrived and slipped into a seat at Brogan’s table. She couldn’t see his face, but she recognised the Assembly’s crest on his cloak as he slung it across his chair. Tei felt a flush of anger, but then she noticed Brogan’s relief and realised he still had at least one friend in Newington.
Reassured, she returned to her body and roused herself. She mounted Starflower, pulled up her hood and called upon the concealing spell before heading in the direction of the Assembly’s stronghold.
***
Brogan downed the ale, slammed the empty tankard on the table and belched loudly. No one paid him any mind; even the guards charged to watch him looked bored.
The familiar drunkenness didn’t dull the pain or stop him dwelling on the fact he was sitting doing nothing while every instinct told him to go to the farm.
The thought of what tomorrow’s trial would bring hung over him. Rathnor had enjoyed every moment of Brogan’s downfall, savouring his victory and no doubt planning some sick climatic finale. Every day Brogan thought of killing Rathnor, but fear of the repercussions of failure stopped him. He thought of his friends again and wondered if Luth had managed to get the message to them yet. They should go to the mountains tonight, before Rathnor could draw them any further into his plans, before he got his war.
Brogan downed another drink, feeling pitiful as he whiled away his last hours in drunken stupor. He hated himself almost as much as he hated Rathnor.
As he reached for the jug to refill his tankard, the room span. He stood up, swaying on his feet, and felt his stomach lurch. The tavern was too hot and he stumbled outside for some relief from the stifling heat. Propping himself against the tavern wall, Brogan waited for his vision to clear before heading towards the town lake. A dip in the cool water seemed the only way to stop the heat intoxicating him.
After a few faltering steps, Brogan collapsed to his knees and vomited. He retched until his stomach was empty and then remained on his knees, trying to gather his whirling thoughts.
He heard footsteps behind him and remembered Rathnor’s babysitters. He half-expected a knife in the back, but the guards moved past him, laughing. ‘Someone can’t handle their drink.’
As they moved out of sight, Brogan struggled to his feet and stepped over the puddle of vomit, wondering if the churning in his gut warned of more to come. He took a few breaths and waited, but the feeling abated.
The lake still called to him. The night was bright and the moon guided him to the copse of trees that hid the lake from view. Passing quickly through the trees, the crystalline water drew him towards the edge. He had stripped off his cloak and had begun to unbutton his shirt when he heard the gentle swish of clothing, signalling someone moving close behind him.
‘I wasn’t expecting company.’ He turned, half stumbling, and was shocked to see Tei staring at him from the depths of her hood.
‘I always hoped to see you again.’ Brogan’s legs gave way and he fell to his knees. His mouth tasted acrid and he realised he had sick all down his shirt. ‘But not like this.’
He tried to stand but his legs were too weak, and the burning in his head was unbearable. He turned towards the lake but it was too much effort to reach it. A despairing laugh bubbled to the surface, and then Tei moved alongside him and touched his forehead with an icy hand.
Instantly, the heat in his head was gone and the fuzz of drunkenness lifted.
‘I’m sorry, it was necessary to draw you here without anyone being suspicious,’ she said.
He glared at her. ‘You mean magic did that to me?’
‘You were being followed; I had to put them off.’
‘I think you succeeded,’ he answered dryly and then moved to the lake to wash the result of Tei’s magic from his clothes.
When he was finished, he turned back to look at her. She was sitting huddled in the trees, and though he couldn’t see her face clearly in the moonlight, he sensed sadness surrounding her.
‘So are you going to tell me what’s going on?’ He moved towards her.
Tei looked up at him, briefly meeting his gaze. ‘I’ve come to take you back to the mountains where you’ll be safe.’
Brogan shook his head. ‘I’m staying.’
‘If you stay, you’ll die.’
Brogan heard the catch in her voice and, as she turned away, he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes.
‘I have to stay, Tei. If I run others will be made to suffer.’
‘Please come with me.’
He shook his head. ‘Only if my friends agree to come with us.’
Tei scooped up his soiled cloak and thrust it at him. ‘Come on then, we don’t have much time.’
He hurried through the trees after her but constantly checked behind him, wondering what had happened to the guards charged with following his every move.
Chapter Eight
Tei followed Brogan along the trail, the route unfamiliar to her especially in the darkness. He pushed the horses hard. Tei sensed no guards nearby, but the thought of them made her uneasy. If the town guard caught Brogan running away in the company of an exile, he would hang the next day.
A sudden urgency struck her as she felt the questing of another spirit. Curious, Tei opened herself to the contact. She realised it was Beliss, and the child was near hysterical.
Calm down, Beliss. Tell me what’s wrong.
They’re coming to kill us. The fear in the child was so real that Tei didn’t doubt her.
We’re not far away; we’ll help you. Tei turned to Brogan. ‘Your friends are in danger.’
He increased the pace, charging through the track at a reckless speed, but Tei didn’t hesitate in pushing Starflower to keep pace with Brogan.
She tried to contact Beliss again, but the girl was hard to reach, her fear overpowering.
The men are here. They’re coming for us. Daddy can’t fight them all.
Beliss. Try to stay calm.
The door is smashing, the axe… there are so many of them…
Beliss, use your magic, Tei cried, but she knew the young girl wasn’t listening. Beliss…
Daddy, no… her voice screamed inside Tei’s head and then she was silent.
Beliss! Tei called, but the connection between them was gone. Her pulse raced and a sickly sweat soaked through her clothes. Tei plunged onto the forest path, giving Starflower her head while she reached out to the child, but there was nothing. Despite the danger, Tei slipped into astral form and raced ahead of the horses.
She saw the farm below; the stables were already alight and in the gathering dusk she could see shapes clad in black slinking through the farmyard. Smoke curled up into the sky as a new fire took hold in the farmhouse. She reached out, searching for Beliss and her parents, but she felt nothing.
Tei slipped back into her body, still trying to come to terms with what had happened. She called upon the Spirit Guides.
Rike, Garrick, help these people, she said, choking on the words. She stayed long enough to see Garrick had heard her and understood, and then she returned to Brogan.
He pumped the reins, focusing everything on reaching his friends. Only it was too late, he was never supposed to save them.
No doubt, the Assembly had already issued a warrant for Brogan’s arrest.
She let out a strangled sob. ‘We’re too late.’
Brogan slowed and grabbed Tei’s arm, forcing her to look at him. ‘What ar
e you saying? What’s going on?’
She stared up into his face, tears blinding her. ‘They’re dead.’
***
Brogan saw her lips form the words, but the meaning rolled over him.
‘The Masked Riders killed them,’ Tei whispered.
His arms fell limp at his sides, and he sagged, as though the life had drained from his being.
Tei gripped his hand. ‘Brogan, your friends were murdered and you will take the blame. There’s no other way, you have to run.’
He shook his head vehemently. ‘No, it can’t be true…’ He pulled away from her and galloped for home.
Tei galloped beside him. ‘Where are you going?’
‘I have to see for myself.’
‘No, it’s gone. The farm… your friends… they’re gone.’
Brogan strangled the reins in his fists and ignored her, the rage inside threatening to consume him.
She didn’t argue again as he pushed his horse full pelt along the final stretch of the trail. As he crested the ridge, he yanked at the reins and stared down in horror. In the valley below, twin blazes lit up the sky.
‘No!’
His chest tightened as he saw the barn and farmhouse completely consumed by fire. He picked out a couple of dark shapes fleeing; a few horses lucky enough to escape the fire for a second time.
Before he could react on the instinct raging through his blood, Tei manoeuvred her horse in front of his, blocking his path. Her horse pranced and snorted, and Biscuit took a step back.
Brogan looked at the formidable pair stopping him from reaching his friends. ‘Move out the way.’
‘They’re gone.’
She said it so quietly he wished he’d imagined it, but looking over her shoulder at the fire, he knew nothing could survive the inferno.
Tei walked her horse forward so she was level with his and grabbed the reins from his hand. She held Biscuit steady.
‘Brogan, I’m so sorry.’
He saw the devastation written on her face. Then he glimpsed the sword concealed beneath her cloak. ‘Give me your sword.’
Tei pulled away from him, guarding her weapon. ‘That won’t help.’
‘It will if I kill the bastard responsible. If I’d been man enough to kill him earlier, my friends would still be alive.’
‘They’ll kill you before you have the chance, Brogan. You and your friends will be dead and he will still be alive. Your death will mean nothing to anyone… except to me.’
Brogan turned away, not wanting to hear her, but Tei gripped his hand, forcing his fist to uncurl. She squeezed his hand harder, crunching the bones, forcing him to look at her. ‘If you die, you’ll be branded a murderer and a traitor, but if you come with me to Turrak, you have the chance to stop this madness and clear your name.’
‘I don’t care about clearing my name. I care about my friends and stopping the sick bastard who ordered them killed.’
He felt Tei reach out to him, attempting to stifle his rage. He wanted to push her away and unleash the terrible anger inside him, but then he heard shouts as farmers from the next valley raised the alarm and raced to offer whatever help they could.
‘The town guard will be here soon. If they find you, you know they’ll arrest you for this.’
Finally, her words reached through the emotional barrier and his anger subsided, stolen away by sorrow.
‘I’ll come with you,’ he said at last. ‘But only because Rathnor must pay for what he’s done. I’ll make him pay.’
Tei’s eyes brimmed with tears. ‘We’ll fight him together. I promise you I’ll help you avenge them.’
Brogan allowed Tei to lead him away from the blazing ruin of his life and whispered goodbye to his friends as his heart broke in his chest.
***
‘You guide the spirits, I’ll cause a distraction.’ Garrick had already drawn his sword and jumped behind Rike to guard their backs.
Rike led the spirits away from the threat of the Soul Eater, determined this time they wouldn’t fail.
‘Quick, don’t fall behind.’ He rushed through the layers of the Astral Plane, away from the burning ruins of their bodies and deeper into the island. The bright light of the magic source drew them like a beacon.
Rike glanced behind him, seeing no sign of Garrick or the Soul Eater.
‘Go on through.’ He felt the shudder in the magic as it welcomed their spirits, safe and forever contained within the island.
He glimpsed the woman’s face looking back, and then she was gone, carrying her sorrows with her.
Rike often wondered if any consciousness remained after the transition, but he shook his head to rid himself of the useless thoughts and rushed back to find his friend.
The Soul Eater was gone, leaving no trace of his presence in the atmosphere.
He found Garrick resting against an ethereal tree trunk as he gazed down at the shimmering blaze of the farm. The oranges of the flames burnt white in their world, swirling and entangling with the grey mists of the Astral Plane.
Rike saw the darker hues of the people attempting to put out the fires, not knowing it was already too late.
Garrick looked sad as he watched them. ‘Three more spirits gone from this world before their time.’ His melancholy had a hard edge. ‘We have to stop the Soul Eater; we have to help the Sentinel destroy it.’
Garrick’s anger suddenly flared dark and terrifying. Rike watched him, concerned by the dark swirls around his friend’s spirit.
‘That’s not our job. We’re here as protectors, we follow the same oath that binds us to the island and to the Sentinel. You won’t defeat the enemy by becoming the same as them.’
Garrick frowned. ‘I would only kill to protect. That creature devours the spirits and sucks up their essence to make itself stronger. It thrives on death. We’re nothing like that.’
Rike nodded, grateful he’d misread Garrick’s anger. ‘We play our part and do as the Sentinel bids. If she needs us to flush out the Soul Eater, I’ll be right by your side, my friend.’
They sat together, looking down at the blaze until morning came.
Chapter Nine
Jarance paced the quadrangle garden as the sun began to rise. ‘How did he know we were going after his friends? How did he know to run?’
Rathnor watched the captain calmly. Brogan’s escape irked him, but with everyone believing him a traitor and a murderer, he was certain the farmer wouldn’t get far. Death by hanging was still the preference, and that could happen once Nadan had tracked him down and returned him to Newington to face justice for his mounting crimes.
‘It doesn’t matter, Jarance. This makes Brogan look even guiltier; he’s played right into my hands.’
Jarance still looked unhappy. ‘I’ll get a team together and hunt him myself.’
Rathnor relaxed back on the stone bench and crossed his legs, draping one arm across the backrest. ‘There’s no need. I already have Nadan on his trail. He’ll catch up with Brogan soon enough.’
Jarance turned red, but he clenched his jaw and nodded.
Rathnor pulled a pipe from his pocket and stuffed it with dried leaves. He spoke a word of command and the leaves flared briefly with fire. Dragging the smoke into his lungs, Rathnor faced the captain and puffed out smoke in a long, lazy stream.
‘I suggest you get back to your duties, Jarance.’
The captain turned to leave, seeming eager to escape.
‘Oh, and Jarance.’ Rathnor smiled as the captain paused mid-step. ‘Wash the evidence from your hands. It won’t do to have the town guard prowling the streets covered in blood and soot.’
Jarance nodded curtly and hurried away.
Alone in his garden, Rathnor puffed on his pipe and conjured up an image of Brogan. He was surprised the fool had run at all, he was so adamant about proving his innocence.
Rathnor would miss watching him squirm with humiliation every day he stood trial.
He blew smoke into the air and ad
mired the peace of his private inner garden. Sunlight streamed down and made the green oasis glow. He owned the largest home in Newington, the biggest home on the entire island, in fact. No one had thought to deny his right to build this magnificent dwelling on the edge of Newington. The Assembly had allowed a boy from nothing, an orphan because of Gohan’s greed, to become the richest and most powerful person in Kalaya. Rathnor remembered the years after his grandmother’s death. He’d been abandoned and forced to live on the streets, stealing to survive. After being caught and beaten a few times, he’d learnt to use his fledgling powers to bend people to his will.
It was around this time that the Kalayan people were turning against those with magic. His grandmother had mentioned how fewer people were being born with the gift, and that feelings of jealousy, suspicion and distrust were intensifying. Rathnor had realised he could use the growing unrest to exact his revenge on the Sentinel.
He’d hidden in plain sight in Newington rather than become an exile and flee to Turrak with Gohan’s followers. Placing himself at the heart of the ruling power on the island by staying with a gullible old assemblyman, Rathnor found the perfect opportunity to strengthen the escalating distrust of magic. With some gentle manipulation, Rathnor wormed his way deeper into the Assembly and at a very early age gained his own seat, thanks to his guardian’s timely death. From this privileged position within the Assembly, planting the seeds of hate had been easy.
Rathnor laughed to himself as he knocked out the ashes and stored the pipe in his pocket.
He left the quadrangle garden and nodded to the guard who lurked outside the door and followed him at a discreet distance. The bodyguards were just for show; he liked the status they gave him in the town. If people perceived him to be important, he could manipulate them to his will more easily.
Dawn was breaking, and the Assembly would be waking to the news of Brogan’s heinous crimes and his desperate escape. He would be miles away by now, but Rathnor had faith in Nadan’s tracking skills.
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