I was immediately absorbed into the colourful mass that were early morning shoppers. Vendors called out to potential buyers, waggling ears of corn, apples and in one case, a fresh fish, above their heads in the hopes of enticing people over. I was drawn to a stall of colourful silks, suddenly reminded of the length of red silk I’d bought Larni.
I stopped in my tracks. Red silk? Was it just
coincidence that I had gotten her a scarf in the colour her magic was or had I in some way known that her magic was that colour already?
I stepped away from the stall, shaking my head as the vendor tried to get me to stay. I let the throng of people carry me along, watching people trade and do business.
My stomach rumbled, and I spied a nearby eating house with tables outside. It would be the perfect place to sit and watch the people go by. I checked I still had my purse in place and then went inside.
I ordered a pasty and warm pear cider, managing to scrounge up the coins they asked for. It had been a while since I’d needed to remember which Lotherian coin was which. I shoved a handful of silver over the counter, and then informed them I’d be outside.
I took a seat at the smallest table and propped my chin up on my hand. My pasty and cider arrived sooner than I’d anticipated, and I wasted no time in pulling the pastry apart, vegetables and small bits of meat crumbling onto my plate. The cider was warm enough to send spirals of steam into the air, and made for a pleasant companion to the pasty. I sipped it slowly, the thick liquid warming me up from the inside out. I’d just finished off my lunch and was about to leave when I noticed some of the people who’d been passing were now watching something across the street from me. I remained seated but craned my neck, eager to see what I thought could be a street performer. It was only then that I noticed the demeanour of the people who were milling about. It was the same attitude as when Petre had lit a ball of mage fire. I bit my lip nervously, then stood up and pushed through the crowd.
Two of Ryman’s guards had the young girl who sidled up to me earlier. Her long blonde hair hung in filthy strands around her face, her eyes wide with terror, one hand clamped on the arm of the guard who was holding her above the elbow. She couldn’t have been older than ten.
“Filthy little thief,” one of the guards spat. His black hair had been cut so short that I could see his scalp. “You took my purse, didn’t you?”
“Guards don’t carry purses,” she retorted, trying to get away like a fish on a hook. “I didn’t take anythin’ of yours!”
“You’ve been stealing though, haven’t you?”
“No!” “Dirty little liar,” the guard snarled. He lit a ball of reddish brown mage fire in his left hand. “I had me a purse and now I don’t. And I’ve seen youhanging around, swiping them off of folk. Don’t take a genius to figure it out.”
“Maybe it does,” she snapped. I was impressed by her courage. The blood had drained from her face when the guard had started brandishing magic at her, but she was still as fiery as ever. “’Cos you seem too stupid t’work out that I don’t steal from guards.”
A titter ran through the gathered crowd. The guard’s face went bright red, and he wrenched the girl around to face him. She cried out instinctively at the sharp movement. The crowd immediately fell silent. I went to move forwards, but the man next to me put his hand on my arm and shook his head in warning when I looked up questioningly.
“You know what? I think you can come back to our post with us. I know just the perfect little cell for you. Heard of the Coffin Cells?”
The people around me murmured angrily, and the girl began to weep, all bravado gone.
“What are Coffin Cells?” I asked the man who had stopped me moving forward. “Cells built into the ground,” he answered, shaken. “Made of stone. No light can come in or out of the cell. People go mad in them.”
The guard had begun to pull the girl away, who was now wailing in terror. The crowd was beginning to disperse; no one was going to risk themselves to help her. I shook the man’s hand off of my arm, and stepped forward.
“Enough,” I called, my voice strong. “Leave her alone.” The two guards stopped immediately at the sound of my voice. The girl stopped crying, though tear tracks had scoured their way through the grime on her face.
“You’re speaking out against us?” The black haired guard asked incredulously. His partner, a man not much older than me, stared as well.
“Yes. I am.”
“You must be new in town,” the other guard said. “You don’t interfere with our business.” “Oh, but I do when two grown men are bullying a young girl,” anger was making my voice shake, and I so desperately wanted to hurl fireballs at the both of them, but considering the crowd’s reaction to the guard’s magic, I decided against it. “Leave her be.”
“What are you going to do if we don’t?” the black haired guard sneered. “You gonna make us?”
I shifted my weight surreptitiously, moving my feet shoulder width apart. I finally allowed myself to smirk.
“You have no idea how much I’d love to.” The black haired guard came at me, the young girl forgotten. I watched him charge, the crowd moving back to give us space. I let the guard draw close to me before side-stepping his stampede. As he passed, I ploughed my fist into his stomach and he came to a halt, wheezing. As he doubled over, I kneed him in the face. I felt a crunch under my leg. He keeled back, blood staining his face. With the same leg still at waist height, I extended my boot and caught him under the chin. I heardhis teeth crack. He fell to the ground, landing heavily on his back. He groaned, and then struggled to lift himself up, spitting out teeth.
“Vile little bitch,” he growled, and I was on him in a flash. I knelt on his right forearm, and then picked up his hand, the one he’d used to grab the girl with.
“You like threatening small children with this hand?” I asked, lifting it to show him. “How much do you value your fingers, I wonder?”
I bent back his little finger until he howled. I decided against actually breaking it; I didn’t want to get on Ryman’s bad side anymore than I possibly had to.
Any upper ground I’d had was immediately lost when an amber fireball blasted the dirt beside me. I rolled away and stood up quickly. The other guard had joined the fight. The black haired guard remained on the ground, cradling his injured finger.
I’d raised my fists in an attempt to shield my face, but my heart was hammering. How could I continue this fight without being able to use my magic? I bit my lip, beginning to move around him.
“I would consider this unfair,” the man said, watching me warily, hands still raised. “But the way you were fighting? That’s professionally trained. And you must’ve received some training on how to deal with magic.”
I most certainly had. I’d just been on the other end of it. He fired another shot at me. I ducked out of the way and the crowd parted for it to go through, exclaiming loudly. I continued circling. I was getting a better idea of how Ryman was using his guards now.
I avoided his attacks, threading and weaving my way around them. I wished desperately for my twin swords, but they were back in my room at the palace. I ground my teeth, letting my guard down for a split second. His next fireball passed so close to me that I heard my hair sizzle, and when I spun I could see that the end of my plait was singed. He’d already sent another fireball my way, and out of habit I stood and faced it down, my hands out in front of me, my fingertips touching. My magic flared green as it divided the amber fire.
The guard jerked back in surprise, but I’d already responded with my own magic. The tongue of green flames reached him before he could react, and then enveloped him. I felt my magic sap the energy from his body, and he fell to the ground like his partner.
I let my hands fall to my sides, my chest heaving. The crowd were murmuring angrily amongst themselves, shooting me scandalised looks.
“I’m sorry,” I called to them breathlessly. I wasn’t sure what I was apologising for, but I did so an
yway. “I’m sorry.”
A few people shook their heads as they walked away. The crowd was breaking apart as people continued along the street. Eventually I was left with the two guards. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the woman who’d served me my pasty and cider. She made eye contact with me before hastily dropping her gaze and scurrying inside with my plate and goblet.
My insides writhing, I shoved my hands deep into my pockets and began to walk back along the street, my head low. I headed back in the general direction of the palace, taking a shortcut through an empty alleyway. I avoided broken carts and greasy puddles as I walked, kicking a small rock along. I was almost to the end of the alley when I heard a small splash just behind me.
I whirled, my hands out of my pockets and out in front of me. I thought for a split second that the guards had pursued me, but when I came to my senses, I realised that the young cutpurse had been following me.
“What?” I asked her dully.
“Just wanted to thank you.” She said, shuffling from side to side. She was barefoot and filthy, the rags of what must have once been a cotton dress hanging from her thin frame. I noticed that her arm was red where the guard had been hanging onto her.
“Yeah right,” I snorted. “Wanted to steal my purse, more like.”
I went to turn away, but she ran in front of me, forcing me to look at her. “I recognised you as one of them students from the fancy school,” she told me. “I wanted t’get a closer look at you.”
I blinked at her, understanding suddenly coming to me.
“You followed me,” I said, not sure how to feel about that.
She nodded, avoiding my gaze. “All the guards here are mages,” she began. “But we hardly see none of you who are still learnin’. None of you ever come to the capital.”
“None of us? Really?” She shook her head, and shivered as a brisk wind rattled down the alleyway. I noticed that she’d hunched in to preserve what little warmth her dress could grant her.
“So why’d you chase after me?” I asked. “I’m a mage too, you know.”
“I know,” she said. “I saw that big fire spout you made.”
“And you chased after me even though I’m a mage? Why?”
She didn’t meet my gaze, instead inspecting my boots. “Take me with you,” she burst out suddenly. “Please, miss, I’m tired of the streets. I promise I won’t be no trouble. I can wait on you.”
“I don’t think you’ll like where I’m headed.” I said, and then stepped around her. “Anywhere is better than here!” she called after me desperately. “Them guards, now that you protected me, they’re gonna come after me again!”
That made me stop. I heaved a sigh, rolling my head back to look at the sky. I turned suddenly and marched back to her, leaning over so our faces were level.
“I’m going back to the palace,” I said, and her eyes widened. “That’s where we’re staying while we’re in the capital. Governor Ryman, the boss of those guards, lives in the same palace. Still want to come?”
She nodded fiercely, still shivering in the wind. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. She was still there, hope in her eyes.
“I can’t just be taking in all the street children I find,” I said. “I take in one, you’re all going to want to come along.”
“I can keep secrets, miss. I won’t be tellin’ nobody where I’m gone.”
“Nobody?”
“No one left to care.”
That plucked at my heartstrings. I straightened up. “Come on then,” I began to walk along the alley. “Mind you keep up. And you best be telling the truth about this secret keeping thing. I’m not running a secret orphanage right under the governor’s nose.”
Though, I thought as we continued along the alley together. It’d be worth it just to annoy Ryman.
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Seffina. Seff for short. Yours?” “Sky.”
“Mistress Sky?”
“Just Sky.”
“But you’re a student!”
“So?” I challenged. “You have great status. You shouldn’t even be talkin’ to someone the likes of me,” Seff skipped over a puddle. “If you don’t mind me sayin’, miss.”
“I don’t mind, Seff.” In fact, I rather liked her manner. “As for my status, you might’ve guessed, I don’t hold much stock in it. Besides, it’s not like anyone’s going to thank me for saving you.”
“I thanked you!” “I know you did, but that’s not what I meant. All those people back there… as soon as I used my magic, they hated me. What’s going on in this city, Seff?”
She walked beside me, more solemn than any ten year old should be, her pale face drawn in thought. “Ryman’s guards have never been this bad afore,” she started. “And then, little while ago, they started bein’ real aggressive. Arresting people for no reason and beatin’ up those they did have a reason for. Don’t know what changed to start this all off.”
I did. As I’d guessed before we’d left the Academy, Ryman had been taking orders from Iain and Netalia. With them locked up in the dungeons under the castle, there was no way they could issue any new commands to the capital. Ryman had free rein, and the power was getting to him.
I scowled. I was going to have to take command of the city sooner than I’d wanted to. Like it or not, if the citizens of Castor were suffering under his rule, I had no choice. I might not be an experienced leader, but I was a fair one. I knew I was going to have to bite the bullet.
The road widened, the portcullis looming at the end of the street. Seff skittered close to me, eyeing off the guards at every corner with concern.
“How are you gonna get me into the palace?” Seff asked, worry beginning to line her young features.
“They won’t question me.”
“I think they will, miss, no disrespect meant.”
“They can, but I won’t let them turn you away.” A small smile began to grow on her lips, but it vanished as we drew closer to the gate. The guards assigned to it took notice of us and straightened up, their eyes on Seff. She stepped behind me, one hand curling around my belt.
“Excuse me, miss, you seem to have some street trash following you,” one of the guards called, his buddies smirking. I felt Seff’s hand tighten. “Like us to get rid of it for you?”
“I’d like you to mind what you say,” I replied, frowning. “Raise the portcullis.”
“Not with her in tow. Sorry, miss.” I lit a ball of fire in my right hand and felt Seff circle me until she was as far away from it as she could be whilst still being close to me.
“You’ll let me through and her as well.”
The guards had frowned at the sight of the magic, but didn’t seem overly worried about it.
“The governor will be hearing about this.” “No, he won’t,” I let the fire go out, and then steered Seff towards the portcullis which was slowly being raised. “Because if he does, I know who he would have heard it from, and then I might have to pay you two a little visit.”
I let them chortle as Seff and I ducked under the raised gate. I wasn’t going to take any chances with Seff; I would send my father down as soon as I could. He had the ability to take memories; now I’d give him a chance to use that power for good.
“Are you really goin’ to beat them up, like you did them guards that was harrassin’ me?”
“Were harassing,” I corrected. She mouthed the words slowly. “No, I’ve got something else in mind for them.” She didn’t ask what, but let me guide her towards the small palace entrance. I felt her thin shoulders begin to tremble under my hands as we were enveloped in the shadow of the enormous building. When I opened the door to let her through, she didn’t falter in her step, with only a slight shudder giving away her misgivings.
I led her up towards my room, keeping a close eye on my surroundings. I didn’t know what had me so on edge, and when we reached my room I let out an audible sigh of relief.
“Sky, there you are
,” Seff and I turned to see Dena and my friends approaching. Seff ducked behind me again as Morri, perched on Dena’s shoulder, shrieked at the sight of me. “Um, who’ve you brought back?”
I stepped aside, pushing Seff out in front of me. “This is Seffina, but she prefers Seff,” the girl kept her gaze on the carpet, her bare toes pushed inwards. “She was
being hassled by some guards in the lower district.”
“And you saved her,” Dena finished for me. A scowl had formed on her features and it wasn’t going away.
Petre had been examining Seff, and suddenly looked up at me.
“This girl is a cutpurse,” he said. “Whatever lies she’s told you-”
“She hasn’t lied to me at all,” I snapped angrily. “I saw a young girl being bullied and I stepped in.” Rain and Yasmin were hanging back behind everyone else, their expressions one of matching concern. Dena, Theresa and Petre were all scowling at me, but Ispin was studying Seff with growing interest.
“Forgive me for saying so, young madam, but you look quite familiar,” Ispin said, stepping forwards and deliberately shouldering Petre out of the way. Ignoring his friend’s scowl, Ispin went on. “You don’t happen to have any family in Gowar, do you?”
“Don’t have no family, sir,” Seff said, so quietly Ispin had to lean in to hear her. “Just me.” “Fascinating,” Ispin fixed his glasses and held out his hand. “I’m Ispin, of house Sempton. My father is Lord Emmel.”
Seff took his hand carefully, the names and titles obviously lost on her.
“Familiar or no, she’s a criminal,” Petre had recovered himself. “Sky, why have you brought her here?”
I opened my mouth to answer but before I could utter a word, someone spoke behind me. “Shame on you all,” Larni appeared at my shoulder. “She’s a young girl, and from the sounds of it Sky rescued her from something awful. Why are you interrogating her?”
Soul Blaze Page 11