At once Tei realised there were deeper reasons for Mara’s actions. ‘Why are you really doing this?’
Mara swallowed her tears. ‘To escape the memories,’ she said hoarsely. ‘Every waking minute I see them here. I expect Rike or Garrick to walk through the door, or I think I’ve seen them across the valley. I need to save my sanity before the grief consumes me.’
Tei hugged her. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you as much as I could have been.’
They both wiped away tears.
‘I have to do this.’
Mara’s eyes pleaded with Tei to accept her decision and Tei found herself nodding. ‘I won’t nag you, but be careful.’
‘Yes, Mum.’ Mara sniffed and forced a smile. ‘Walk me to the stables,’ she said, linking arms with Tei.
They strolled the short distance together.
‘I’m glad you rejected the Elders’ plans for marriage, and I can see what changed your mind.’ Mara glanced back at the training ground.
Tei risked a look back and saw Brogan running a circuit of the field. He glimpsed them and waved, making Tei’s heart skip a beat.
Mara leant in close. ‘You need to be careful too. If I can sense the attraction between you two, the Elders will as well. You have to guard your feelings, they’ll never approve. They might even send him away from Turrak.’
‘They can’t, he’ll be killed.’
‘I’m only saying it because I care.’
‘Yes, Mum,’ Tei said.
Mara stopped outside the stables. ‘You could request him as your protector. I’m sure you can persuade the Sentinel to back you. Then you’ll be together without raising too much suspicion.’
Mara kissed Tei’s cheek and disappeared into the shadows of the stables where Conall greeted her and started chatting about the horses.
Tei remained in the sunshine, a cold shiver of dread travelling through her body. She had a vision of Undren falling under enemy swords.
If she asked the Elders to make Brogan her protector, would she be signing his death sentence?
***
Every muscle burned and Brogan’s lungs screamed for air. He crouched down to catch his breath and mopped sweat on his sleeve as the mystic captain made his way over. Brogan forced his protesting legs to stand and attempted to limber up, determined to prove his dedication. He pictured Rathnor and used the anger to fuel his tired muscles.
Captain Hafender held up his hand. ‘I’ve seen enough for today, go get some rest. You’ve earned it.’
As Brogan sagged with relief, the training master turned to leave.
‘Captain, can I at least know your verdict? What will you say to the Elders?’
Hafender turned back and regarded him with a stern expression. Finally, he smiled. ‘I like your guts, young man, and I don’t doubt your commitment. You’re surprisingly fit for a man of the Assembly, and with some extra training, I believe you’ll become a fine swordsman.’
‘Thank you,’ Brogan said, taken aback.
‘All the training masters have been impressed with you. You’ve proved you deserve a place amongst the exiles; now we need to work out how you can best help us. Be patient for a few more days and keep showing the other training masters the same enthusiasm you’ve shown me.’ Hafender patted Brogan on the shoulder and then headed in the direction of the mountain tunnels.
Brogan raced to catch him up. ‘I always hoped I’d get the chance to meet you one day and say thank you.’
The golden-haired warrior turned back to look at him, frowning. There was no doubt he was the same powerful and imposing figure Brogan remembered, all that was missing was his giant white steed and broadsword.
‘I was there the day you rode into Newington and saved those people from the hangman’s noose. I’ll never forget that moment.’
Hafender looked bashful. ‘That’s our job.’ Recognition and then sadness stole across his expression.
Brogan recalled the hangings of the four brave exiles. ‘A friend once told me I needed to accept I can’t save everyone. I’m beginning to learn he was right.’
‘You friend sounds like a wise man, but it doesn’t make it any easier.’ The captain smiled grimly and then walked towards the mountains.
Brogan looked at the now empty training field before returning to his temporary lodgings to wash and change his clothes. Then he ate a late lunch and wandered around Turrak. He enjoyed the camaraderie and sense of community he felt as he moved amongst the exiles. There was less hostility towards him now, and even though some still avoided him, his Assembly past was becoming less of an obstacle to people accepting him.
His walk took him to the farming and livestock quarter of the settlement. Despite the bitter and painful memories of his former life, Brogan was drawn there. The physical ache of the morning’s training didn’t compare to the agony that ripped through him when he pictured his friends and remembered the last day he’d ridden away from them, certain he was keeping them safe. He should have known Rathnor’s evil would go beyond threats.
Brogan hiked up into the mountains and left the valley and its people behind. He climbed until exhaustion forced him to stop and then sank down amongst the barren grey crags and stared out at the empty landscape. The need to be completely alone in the harsh wilderness consumed him.
For the first time, Brogan slowly began to come to terms with his friends' deaths. He thought of Beliss, of her cheeky grin and bobbing curls, of Drago who’d been so devoted to his family and his job that he’d taken a beating to protect Brogan, and of Verda, so mothering and kind. The three of them were his family and they were gone forever because of Rathnor... because of him.
Time passed but he didn’t feel like leaving, the atmosphere suited his mood. He stayed in the mountains and relived his life - his decisions, good and bad, his six happy years on the farm.
Eventually he heard the footfalls of someone approaching. Tei walked into view and sat down next to him.
He slung an arm around her shoulders and she snuggled against him. They watched darkness claim the sky and the stars twinkle into life. He gave her a squeeze.
‘How was your day?’ she asked at last.
‘Hard.’ He sighed wearily. ‘But I think it went well. What about you?’
She didn’t answer at first and he wished it were lighter so he could see her face.
‘I’ve been with the Elders all afternoon,’ she said eventually, her tone as gloomy as the night. ‘I’ve requested you become my protector. It’s the only way we can be together.’
Her voice sounded strained in the darkness and he grasped her hand. ‘There’s no one I’d rather protect.’
Tei stiffened at his words.
‘I mean it.’
She shook her head and sniffed. ‘Hafender spoke up for you; said you’d make a worthy protector given the right training.’
‘That’s good, isn’t it?’
‘No, not if you remember my history. People I know have a habit of dying.’
‘We’re both cursed with that,’ he said.
She sighed and huddled closer against him. He buried his face in her unruly auburn hair and kissed her head, the smell of her soap tickling his nose.
‘I wish we didn’t have to go back,’ she whispered.
‘Me too, although I wish I’d thought to bring a blanket.’
Tei laughed and the warmth in it drew Brogan from his dour mood. She shifted on their rocky seat and wrapped her cloak around them. Then they sat and watched the stars.
Tei lay her head against his shoulder. ‘We’re summoned before the Elders tomorrow.’
Brogan squeezed her tight and whispered into her hair. ‘If someone’s going to protect you, I want it to be me.’ She shivered against him and he knew it was nothing to do with the cold.
***
Morane sat up, startled awake by a shrill scream. She squinted in the sunlight, looking for signs of danger and saw the girl thrashing in her sleep. Morane shook the child gently to
wake her, scared the cries would alert anyone passing by their hiding place.
The child rubbed her eyes, but it took a few moments for the dream terrors to leave her. Then she sat huddled in her blanket with her back against a tree. She eyed the forest warily and looked terrified of the shadows surrounding their makeshift shelter.
‘It was just dream, dear-heart.’
The child’s thoughts were clearly far away, trapped in whatever terrible memories haunted her.
‘We’ll be at Turrak in a few days.’
She nodded, finally able to look at Morane.
‘Maybe we can be friends, get to know one another. I hope you know you can trust me.’
The little girl looked at her, twiddling her hands in her lap.
‘I’ve already told you my name is Morane; will you tell me your name?’
The child stared, refusing to be drawn.
‘Why don’t I start by telling you a bit about my life?’
The girl tilted her head to the side. Morane could see the intelligence behind her eyes and her mind whirring away, wondering whether to trust. Eventually she licked her lips, made as if to speak, and then gave an almost indiscernible nod.
Morane smiled. ‘As you can probably tell, I’m a mystic. I’ve always lived in Steppton-upon-Avalene, even in the days when those with magic went into exile. The Assembly and magic haters never scared me. I wanted to stay where I could help our people and over the years I’ve done my bit to quell the senseless hatred against magic. I’m not a healer, but I seem to have a gift for helping people. I want to help you too. You know the island asked me to help you.’
The girl’s eyes grew wider and she sat up straighter, some of her fear forgotten. ‘Did it really?’
‘Oh yes, it led me straight to you.’
The girl’s face crumpled. ‘It didn’t save Mummy and Daddy.’
Morane moved to sit next to the child. Before she could wonder whether to act, the child leant against her and sobbed.
‘It’s alright, dear-heart.’
She held the child until she felt her emotions calming. Then she gently pulled away and looked down at the girl.
‘I know you keep having nightmares about what happened, maybe it will help you to talk.’
The girl shook her head.
‘Talking can help sometimes.’
The child clutched at her blanket and stared at her pony. The beast stood on the edge of their tiny camp, content to crop at the patch of grass growing in the clearing.
‘Why don’t we start with a simple question? Why don’t we start with your name?’
The pony snorted and swished its tail.
‘I can’t keep calling you dear-heart.’
The girl giggled into her hand. ‘I like it... but my name’s Beliss.’
‘Well, that’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.’
Beliss smiled, but there was such sadness behind it that emotion caught in Morane’s throat. She unplugged the water skin and poured the child a cup full. Then she waited for Beliss to lead the conversation.
Beliss guzzled the water and then took a big breath. ‘When the bad men came, Daddy pushed me out of the window.’ She looked down into her lap, her eyes screwed shut as she relived the moment. ‘I screamed no, but he pulled the shutters closed and I couldn’t see them anymore. Then I saw a man with a torch walking towards the stables. The horses were trapped inside and I could hear them neighing and kicking at their stalls. I lashed out and felt all the stall doors burst open. The horses escaped and trampled over the man. He dropped his torch and the stables caught fire. Bluebell came to find me. I wanted to help Mummy and Daddy, but Bluebell was scared. Then it was too late, the bad men had... we ran away.’
Morane swallowed her emotions. ‘Beliss, you’ve been a brave young lady.’ She patted the child’s hand.
‘I need you to be brave for a few more days while we travel to Turrak. Can you do that for me?’
Beliss took a while to think about the question, before she nodded and yawned. ‘Uncle Brogan is there.’
‘He’ll be very happy to see you, Beliss,’ Morane said, stroking her curls.
Beliss’ eyes closed and she drifted back to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
‘I thought it was time to remind you what Kalaya has to offer you.’ He spread his arms wide. ‘All this space and fertile land, the abundant forests and farmland, waiting for you and your kin.’
Farrell gazed around, feeling the magic of the island seeping into his being. It beckoned to his spirit like a drug, but he shook his head and the sensation passed. ‘I want to help you, but my priority will always be with my own people. I must know their future is secure whether it be on Stone Haven or Kalaya.
‘Spoken like a true leader.’
‘I’m not a leader; I’m their sea commander.’
‘You’re too modest and you lack ambition. Your people need a strong leader who puts their best interests first. Does your council do that? I think not. They’ve allowed potential murderers to remain unpunished.’
Farrell paced ahead, but his Kalayan contact’s words followed him.
‘Or were they the ones behind your attack in the first place?’
Farrell continued along the shore, ignoring his companion. He dug his toes into the warm sand, trying to connect with the island even if it was only a dream. Kalaya reached out to him, surrounding him with its magic and the subtle promise that life on her shores would be so much better than Stone Haven. But how could he know? How could he ever be sure?
‘You allow doubts to rule your head and ignore what your heart is trying to tell you. You want Kalaya, and she needs you.’
‘Kalaya needs me?’ Farrell asked, a slither of doubt worming its way into his consciousness.
‘The island needs new life to enhance the magic. New people to inhabit her, new blood.’
‘To take the place of those you want us to kill?’
‘You make me sound so callous and cruel. I just want my people to be free.’
Farrell shook his head vehemently. ‘The freedom you seek comes at a terrible cost to all of us...’
‘I know, and I would not ask this of you if there was another way.’
‘I guess I can’t accede to murder as easily as you,’ Farrell said and then forced himself awake.
He sat up in his hammock. It was dark and he could feel the sea was calm, but his thoughts remained turbulent as he considered the Kalayan man’s words.
They would arrive home tomorrow with their bounty of plants and hopes for a more self-sufficient life on the island. He desperately hoped the risk would pay off and he wouldn’t alienate himself from the council forever.
As he stared into the darkness, contemplating the problems to come, he suddenly recalled the dream image of his father when they’d met in the stars. Fynnock had said, ‘Don’t trust...’
The warning prickled down Farrell’s spine. Who exactly was he not supposed to trust? Right now, he didn’t feel like trusting anyone.
***
Callisa tweaked the last thread of the magic spell, pulling the illusion over the island like a protective blanket. She returned to her body and found her breakfast sitting cold and uninspiring on the desk in front of her. She pushed aside the tray and yawned. She knew she should force herself to eat and get ready for the ceremony today, but it felt so good to close her eyes. Before she could stop herself, she’d drifted off to sleep.
...Callisa wandered through the grey swirling world of the Astral Plane. She trailed her hands behind her, touching the trees and connecting with their spirits. They pulsed beneath her fingertips but something felt odd about the experience, different somehow. Callisa looked down at her hands; they were tiny and childlike. She wore small leather sandals and a blue skirt that had patches sewn onto it. Confused, she stared at the astral forest and saw a stream. She hurried over and glimpsed her reflection in the still water. A child with long black hair stared back at her. She realised she had ret
urned to a moment of her childhood and shivered as the memory took over and she slipped into her younger self.
Callisa danced through the mists, passing animals and watching their spirits flare with light. She loved exploring her island home in spirit form. There was so much freedom; she could travel miles across the island in minutes, she could run with the deer and fly with the birds.
She saw a solitary wolf loping along a forest trail and followed him from high above, feeling his sadness at having no pack of his own. She understood his loneliness. Then she felt the presence of a spirit nearby. She dropped back into the trees and traced the glow until she found a woman.
The woman turned and smiled.
‘You’re the lady I saw at my house,’ Callisa said.
‘Yes. You’re growing up quickly, Callisa.’
She tilted her head to study the woman. ‘You had a baby?’
‘Yes. Tei’s almost two years old now, but you won’t get to meet her for a long time yet.’
‘I remember, you told me she would come to me and save me from the bad men.’ Callisa watched the woman. There was something wrong with her spirit; she was growing brighter, more solid.
‘You’re dying.’
‘I know, but the island will heal my spirit and I’ll live on through the magic.’
‘But Tei won’t have a mummy anymore?’
‘No, but she has a wonderful guardian called Migil who’ll care for her. And one day she’ll have you too.’
Callisa looked down at her faded blue skirt and played with a frayed thread holding one of the patches in place. ‘I don’t have many friends.’
The flame-haired woman patted Callisa’s head. ‘I know you must be lonely, but you have the spirits for company and the island. It’s the way things must be for you.’
Callisa accepted her words and watched the beautiful woman as her body died.
The woman had sad eyes, but she didn’t looked scared like some of the other spirits did when it was their time.
‘I’ll wait with you until the Spirit Guide comes if you like.’ Callisa reached out and held the woman’s hand, smiling shyly.
The woman nodded. ‘I’d like that.’
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