Shadow Countess: A Fantasy Adventure Romance

by M D Baker

  Tayson’s handiwork, I presumed.

  Despite our vows of cooperation, it seemed clear that the Lord wanted to keep me in the dark about a number of things. Rianne had informed me of his anxiety when I’d overexerted myself, and she’d likely been admonished for giving away his unease. Not that I’d blamed him. I would’ve probably reacted the same way had I recruited a supposedly powerful ally only to have them collapse in a lifeless heap at the first sign of exertion.

  Although we were still waiting for word of an attack, Tayson gathered his forces in anticipation of our enemy’s next move. It was a bold step, one that could easily prove disastrous, but he was left with little choice. It would only take another handful of raids to leave his people starving over the long winter months, a burden that was already being felt in other regions. Blackwood’s crops were sent throughout Cyndhar, bolstering the meager products of their barren lands. If the pillaging wasn’t brought to a halt soon, Cyndhar would have no choice but to seek an alternate supply; either buying from Hamar at outrageous prices or taking what they could from Farren. Pinning the blame for their difficulties on us would probably make the latter option all the more appealing.

  We rode out one morning with a strong force, our ranks swollen with extra guards taken from their duties at the Keep. Tayson’s gamble was an all or nothing affair; if the enemy countered his move, he stood to lose everything. The play was clearly to rob them of the initiative; I just didn’t see how he was going to manage that. Our foes had no stronghold to strike at, and as far as I could tell, they simply vanished into the darkness of the forest after each attack.

  “You have an informant?” I inquired as we rode together for a time. It was the only explanation I could come up with.

  Tayson hesitated, allowing a glimmer of uncertainty to peek through the cracks in his armor. “Not precisely.”

  “I noticed a pattern to the attacks,” he whispered in explanation. “All of them center around a region of caves near the border. I believe the raiders are using them as a base.”

  “Or that’s what they want you to think.” Tayson’s face went pale at what I thought was an obvious flaw in his strategy.

  While there was merit to his plan, and I certainly understood the urgency Tayson was forced into, pinning his hopes on locating the marauder’s secret refuge wasn’t much to go on. The fact that we could be walking into an ambush was also difficult to ignore. I found myself peering behind every leaf and tree as we drew closer to the bandits’ supposed hideout, but Tayson’s sense of caution finally won out, and he brought our column to a halt a good distance away.

  We could’ve marched on and attempted to catch the raiders slumbering in the night, but we made camp instead while Tayson sent a few scouts forward to investigate. His sense of prudence might’ve come a bit late, but it was better than not at all. As we waited for their return, Reynold shouted a series of orders, and several soldiers began erecting makeshift defenses around our tents while others went about preparing the evening meal.

  Bloodcurdling screams hurling at us from the thick woods brought an end to the bustle of activity as every soldier reached for the closest weapon at hand. Dozens of armored warriors surged from the cover of the trees to begin the attack, striking down the first row of defenders before they were able to counter the assault.

  We were outnumbered, and our defeat was inevitable, but that didn’t mean I was going to give up without a fight. Casting Shard repeatedly, I struck down several raiders with razor-edged spikes of stone. Bolt would’ve been more effective against their heavy armor, but the streak of lightning would’ve given me away too quickly. Using stealthier magic as I backed into the forest allowed me to exact a tiny bit of revenge before I’d be forced into a full-fledged retreat.

  I felt a surge of energy as I cast the magic once more, not leaving my body with the spell but flowing into me instead. Just like my last discovery, the heat of battle provided me with the insight I needed, and the secret of expanding my reserves was revealed. Basking in my sense of accomplishment would have to wait, however. There were still enemies to be slaughtered.

  “That’s enough.” Reynold’s rough hand gripped my arm as he pulled me into deeper cover before I could strike again.

  I turned to object, but the sight of Griff’s unconscious body lying on the ground stifled my protest. My first thought was to heal his injuries, but a quick examination revealed that he wasn’t quite as bad off as I’d feared. Griff had taken a sharp blow to the head, but his helmet had absorbed most of the damage. Curing him would be a simple matter, but the confusion of waking suddenly might cause him to shout out, giving away our hiding spot. With the battle all but over and Tayson’s forces completely routed, I saw no point in getting killed for a cause that was already lost.

  Although we were far away, I was able to observe the aftermath with the help of Sight. The versatile spell not only wiped away the fog of darkness, but with a slight tweak, its magic also let me see much farther than my normal vision would allow. Peering back into the ravaged campsite, I took in the pierced and shattered bodies lying on the ground, faces of men and women I’d come to recognize, and a few I’d gotten to know during my time at the Keep. They might’ve been soldiers of Cyndhar, but they were also people I’d come to consider as more than just temporary allies. Friends had been taken from me that day, and those were lives I planned to avenge.

  I soon caught sight of Tayson, tightly bound and forced to kneel on the ground despite the bloody slashes across his body. Although the distance was too great for me to overhear the conversation, the taunting leer of the man looming over him left little doubt in my mind about what was being said. Jeers and insults, peppered with a fair bit of gloating, I imagined.

  I didn’t particularly like the Cyndhari Lord, but he’d treated me with respect, which was more than I could say for most of my fellow nobles. Seeing him so degraded left a foul taste in my mouth and only served to increase my need for vengeance. Rushing forward heedlessly was what had led us into this debacle, however, so I proceeded with a bit more calculation.

  Adding up the numbers showed that Tayson’s soldiers had put up a better fight than I’d first realized. Scattered among their bodies were an almost equal number of enemy corpses. Taking out that many foes in a carefully orchestrated ambush was no easy feat, and I gave them full marks for fighting courageously, for what little that might be worth.

  In the end, it was Reynold, an unconscious Griff, and me against only… forty-eight well-armed soldiers. Knowing what they truly were, I refused to call them anything else. These were no highway bandits or some random group of pillaging marauders. Even though they took steps to conceal themselves, there was no hiding the military precision of their ambush or the stiff bearing of the officers in charge of the surviving bastards. The odds might’ve seemed daunting—because they were—but we had as least two things working in our favor: surprise and me.

  While we’d been waiting, my reserves had been slowly filling up, surpassing levels I’d only dreamed of, yet the power continued flowing into me. I could cast for hours with what I was holding at that moment, and there was no telling what my true limits were. I had more than enough to handle the few dozen soldiers arrayed against us, but that wasn’t my real dilemma. Killing them before they slit Tayson’s throat or pierced through my defenses was the true obstacle. Any plan we came up with would have to account for those two glaring vulnerabilities.

  It wasn’t long before they dragged Tayson away, seeming to have little concern over any other survivors. Having the Count himself in their possession was a rather dramatic development, a stroke of good fortune probably beyond anything they’d expected, so I guess it made sense. Why bother chasing down a bunch of lowly grunts when you’ve already got their Lord in custody?

  With the area finally clear, I cast Heal, wiping away the dried blood from Griff’s face while I restored him. Just as I’d feared, he woke with a start, gazing at me in complete confusion before Reynold expla
ined the situation.

  “You took a good blow on the head,” the sergeant recounted as Griff struggled to sit up. “I was able to drag you clear before things got out of hand.”

  “How bad is it?” He slowly shook his head to clear away the fog.

  “They have Tayson,” I replied as he grumbled in understanding.

  “When do we head after them?” The old Guard-Captain asked, having no need to inquire about my intentions.

  “Now.”

  Reynold offered a hand that Griff pointedly refused as he rose to his feet. Ensuring that my Shield was in place and fully reinforced before setting off, I tracked the muddy prints on the forest floor. Having defeated Tayson’s forces, the bandit soldiers had no need to fear any reprisals, and in their boldness, they’d left a wide trail to follow. Despite the risk, I was in no hurry to catch my quarry. With the day nearly over and the sun already hanging low in the sky, darkness would be my greatest ally.

  My slow pace had a secondary purpose, however. There was more than one battle ahead of me that night, and I feared the first would be the more painful of the two. Despite the clear signs and obvious indications, I prayed that my intuition had led me astray, but with the sound of steel softly scraping against worn leather, my worst suspicions were proven true.

  Spinning on my heel before the fatal blow could be struck, I cast Shove, watching Reynold’s eyes fly open in surprise when I pinned Griff’s body against a nearby tree. So much treachery had been committed over the years, yet amidst a sea of endlessly changing circumstances, Griff was the only constant. Glancing at the long blade of the leaf-shaped dagger that had slipped from his fingers, I exhaled a deep breath laden with sorrow as I held my former guardian in place.

  “Why would you betray your people?” I asked, searching for some explanation. “Was it gold, or did something else turn you against us?”

  “I’m no traitor,” Griff spat back. “I was born in Cyndhar.”

  The fact that he was actually a spy startled me, and I nearly lost hold of my spell. In teasing out Griff’s betrayal, I’d assumed he’d only switched sides; the thought that he’d always been an agent of Cyndhar never occurred to me. Griff’s revelation changed my calculations dramatically, making me wonder if I had two opponents to contend with rather than only one. While I channeled more energy into Shove, Griff groaned as it pressed him against the rough bark, and I maneuvered to keep Reynold in view.

  “Kill her!” Griff bristled with impotent rage as he shouted the order at Reynold.

  “I’d rather slit your throat,” the sergeant replied, picking up the fallen blade and offering it to me hilt-first.

  “You’re one of us, Countess,” Reynold added, sneering in disgust as he faced Griff. “Not like this worthless snake.”

  Fingering the keen edge of the blade, I stepped closer to my former protector. His betrayals traced back across the entire length of my life and beyond, perhaps even before the murder of Lady Korrine. I met his gaze with a dark fury in my heart for all that he’d stolen from me—every loss I’d been forced to endure could be laid right at Griff’s feet.

  “You should suffer a long and agonizing death.”

  He tried to back away as the blade bit into his flesh, but all Griff could do was stifle a cry of pain while my magic held him in place.

  “Lucky for you, I don’t have time for a proper send-off.” I twisted the dagger, satisfying myself with the small bit of retribution as I tore a ragged hunk of flesh from his arm.

  Fitting together the puzzle hadn’t been easy, but Griff’s act of treachery slid the final piece into place. Knowing he was the one who’d killed my mother filled me with rage, but I was certain there’d been a purpose behind her murder. Someone feared her, perhaps for the magic she displayed openly, but more likely for what they suspected she might be concealing. She’d been killed to prevent her from brandishing that power, but her magic was now mine. As a parting gift, I let the pathetic old man understand not only the consequences but also the full depths of his failure.

  “Korrine didn’t take her secrets to the grave,” I whispered in Griff’s ear, pouring ungodly amounts of energy into my spell as I crushed the air from his lungs. “I wield her power now.”

  A flash of comprehension shone in Griff’s eyes for a split second as I pushed the magic far beyond anything it was intended to do. His metal breastplate crumpled under the force of my spell before a series of wet cracks sounded with the bursting of his chest. Griff’s lifeless body fell to the ground when I finally relinquished my hold over him; the eyes of my guardian and most trusted companion staring back at me blankly offered little consolation for my years of torment.

  “It’ll be dark soon,” I commented, dismissing the dead man from my thoughts as I resumed tracking our foes. I wasn’t sure he’d follow, but after a short delay, Reynold’s footsteps echoed behind me in the forest.

  Chapter 20

  Tayson hadn’t been wrong about the caverns. Following the clear trail the soldiers left behind led straight to the entrance of their underground refuge. Night had fallen by the time we arrived, and a pair of sentries stood guard, illuminated by the flickering light of torches set high on the sheer rock wall.

  Anything could be hidden in the dimness beyond the narrow opening, but even with casting Sight, peering inside only revealed a passage leading farther into the unknown. Understanding that the entire horde of soldiers wasn’t lurking just around the corner made taking the first step easy enough, and two quick Shards cleared the way for us to venture within.

  Despite the danger, there was a sense of excitement in advancing towards the certainty of battle. My mind raced with possibilities, imagining the many different ways I might be called upon to use my magic. The library might’ve been my mother’s place for quiet contemplation, but all my revelations had come during the turmoil of combat. Reading about her discoveries had only brought me so far; my instincts came alive in the heat of battle, and that was where I found my deepest understanding.

  There was a title for those who shared the trait: Battle Sorceress. Unlike those who simply fought for survival or some other motivation, combat was our true calling. Not that we’d seek out unnecessary conflict or were only suited for times of constant strife, but we were at home amidst the chaos of the battlefield.

  The fighting of the day had brought me closer to grasping my mother’s final secret, and contemplating the struggle that lay ahead of me teased it out a little further. Thoughts of casting incredibly destructive magic whirled about inside my head as we crawled deeper into the cavern until the sounds of low conversation echoed in the stillness around the next bend.

  “Your job,” I whispered to Reynold as we stalked forward, “is to watch my back. Nothing more.”

  “I can do that,” he replied, swallowing his apprehension.

  From around a slight twist in the passage, the light of several torches illuminated a large open space. The entire horde of soldiers was dispersed throughout the wide chamber in small groups, each band either attending to some chore or engaging in idle banter. Across from the lone entrance, I could make out the shapes of bound prisoners—hoods drawn over their heads as they lay trussed up on the cold floor. Even concealed as he was, Tayson stood out from the rest, the fine cut of his cloak defining his prone form. Although I’d assumed he’d been kept alive as a bargaining chip, I let out a soft sigh of relief when my suspicions were finally confirmed. Any thought I had of salvaging the fragile peace between our realms hinged on Tayson’s survival and cooperation. Had he been lost, I might as well have gone home to await the inevitable destruction of what little I had left.

  What needed to be done was obvious, but I had no way to clear so many enemies away before they would either kill me or begin slaughtering their captives. No single spell could wreak the sort of devastation required to take out all the enemies that stood between Tayson and me. A powerful enough Bolt might do the trick, but its arcs were random; spreading their power so widely could easi
ly cause one of them to stray into the prisoners. Flame was far more readily directed. The fires conjured by the spell were much more compliant than the capricious air magic. Of course, the solution was clear: I needed to combine the incompatible magics—a supposedly impossible task that I had to perfect on my first attempt.

  Or die.

  Failure had only one possible result. It wouldn’t matter whether the spell simply fizzled out or the inconsistent magics ripped my body to shreds; I’d either kill myself, or the soldiers would take care of that for me. Retreating wasn’t an option I even considered. We had no reinforcements to summon, and even if we did, they’d arrive too late to be of any use. The peace between our kingdoms depended on what might happen in these next few minutes and whether or not I could figure out the key to a secret that had eluded every other sorceress for centuries.

  Stilling myself with a deep breath as I hid in the flickering shadows, I cast Bolt, holding only the thinnest tendrils of lightning between my fingers. With the easiest and least dangerous part of my experiment over, I hesitated before bringing forth a tiny Flame, cradling the smoldering ember in the palm of my opposite hand. Reynold glanced at the two distinct forms of magic existing separately, marveling at the act while not comprehending the significance of what was to follow.

  Casting divergent spells was no easy feat, but the skill was common enough. It was the melding of them that had been deemed impossible. The catastrophes that occurred in the past put an end to most research into the subject, but my mother’s tantalizing notes made it clear that she’d solved this particular riddle, and I was determined to follow in her footsteps.

  Fire danced up my arm, crossing over from one side of my body to the other as I guided the flames. When they reached my other hand, the magic fought with the lightning it found there, vying for supremacy over its rival. The two battled fiercely, consuming every shred of energy I fed them as they each strove to dominate the other. With only one possible end to their struggle, I realized exactly what had led to all the failures that had come before.