Wildfire and Steel

by J. J. Green

  “But we must try,” she said. “We can’t allow Castiel to do whatever he wants. He’s cruel and vicious. He’ll cause untold suffering.”

  “You mean like the untold suffering that non-mages have caused us over the millenia?” asked Carina. “Honestly, the more I think about it, the less certain I am that we should do anything about Castiel. Hearing the Spirit Mage’s story has made me consider changing my mind. Think about it, Parthenia. The Sherrerrs knew what your father was doing, and they didn’t do anything to stop him. They chose not to do anything, because you were all useful to them.

  “Why should we help humankind when they’ve never helped us? We haven’t done anything to deserve the persecution we’ve suffered. I know I said I would go back to Ostillon to tackle Castiel, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “How can you say that?” Parthenia exclaimed. “Castiel deserves to be punished for everything he’s done. He deserves to be locked away and prevented from harming anyone. And we’re the only ones who can defeat him.”

  “I don’t know about that either,” Carina said. “Your father did a good job of controlling his mage wife and offspring. Maybe Castiel isn’t as invincible as you think. Maybe the Dirksens already have him under their control. Even now he could be suffering torture to force him to do their bidding. I’m sorry, Parthenia. I’m not sure this is our fight.”

  Jace said, “One thing is certain, this subject needs further discussion, but not tonight. Let me speak with my brother and the Spirit Mage. What to do about a Dark Mage in our midst is a decision that will impact us all.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  As the Dirksen fleet was prepared to set out for Pirine, Castiel was careful not to let Sable know he was aware of her plans to trick him into siring children. When the new girl came to his room, he Enthralled her and made her believe that she had slept with him, and he remembered to rough her up a little too to make the lie seem convincing. Sable Dirksen might have gotten one child out of him but she would not get any more.

  Castiel’s mind had ranged across the various ways he might get his revenge on Sable Dirksen. He’d imagined killing her in a range of painful ways. He’d imagined imprisoning her and forcing her to bear his children, who he would then control. He’d imagined subjecting her to endless torture. But in the end he’d dismissed them all. For the time being, he was only one mage. The power that he wielded was not sufficient to defeat all the Dirksens who would defend their leader.

  Yet the incident with the servant girl had strengthened his resolve to do something. It was clear that Sable was only tolerating him, using him for her own ends. She had no intention of allowing him into the inner circle of influential, powerful Dirksens. He was not a significant figure, he was only a tool.

  One thing she hadn’t considered, however, was the fact that mages had to be trained. When he’d explained to her that the ability was passed from parent to child, he’d skated over his mother’s role in teaching the children. At the time, he’d been downplaying the fact because he’d wanted to make himself appear more impressive, but the omission had worked in his favor in a different way.

  Sable Dirksen could breed as many mage offspring as she liked, but they would be useless to her without proper training. Now that he came to think of it, Castiel wasn’t sure that he could train anyone else to be a mage even if he’d wanted to. He’d realized long ago that his mother was deliberately a poor teacher. He would do no better than her and probably worse. He also had an inkling that he would lose his talent over time if he didn’t practice other things, but he wasn’t clear on what they were.

  So he had two problems: Sable Dirksen intended on dispensing with him in one way or another eventually, and he needed proper training if he was not to lose his powers. The answer to both of these problems was a single person: Carina. Of all his siblings, she was the only one who had been properly trained. Carina really knew what she was talking about, and she could teach him to be more powerful, so powerful that he could foil Sable’s plans to use him for her own ends.

  And if he caught Carina, he would have his brothers and sisters too. That would make six mages. With a force as strong as that he wouldn’t need Sherrerrs or Dirksens. He could build an empire large and powerful enough to take on and defeat both clans.

  That was what he had to do. Finding and capturing his siblings had to be his top priority. Luckily for him, Sable’s plans were dovetailing into his own.

  The day after he had Enthralled the servant girl and discovered Sable’s scheme, Castiel descended the stairs to the great hall in a positive mood. Tiredness stalked him after his long night of worry, but he mentally brushed aside the small discomfort. For the first time since arriving at the mountain castle, he finally felt like he knew exactly where he stood and what he needed to do.

  “You seem cheerful this morning,” Sable commented as he sat down at the dining table. Kee was also there. Had he spent the previous night with Sable? For once, Castiel experienced no twinge of jealousy. He no longer wanted the small thing that remained for Sable to offer him. He would not sully himself with an intimate relationship with the snake.

  “I am cheerful,” Castiel replied. “My latest servant is a very pretty, willing young woman. I appreciate you finding her for me after the previous one left so suddenly.” He could not resist playing along with Sable’s plan in order to see her reaction.

  If Commander Kee was aware of Sable’s scheme, he gave no sign of it after hearing Castiel’s response. The man ignored him as he always did unless speaking directly to him.

  Sable was a master of subterfuge as she, too, didn’t do anything other than smile indulgently at his comment. Bitch! She wouldn’t be smiling for much longer.

  ***

  The day finally came when the fleet was ready, and Castiel and Sable went together to the shuttle that would fly them up to the battlecruiser, Elsinore. No one knew what they would encounter at Pirine. Perhaps the population of that world was aware of mages and would rise up to defend them. Perhaps the Dirksens would have a long search on their hands to find Carina and the rest of his siblings. Whatever they might encounter, Sable and Kee had tried to prepare for all eventualities.

  All Castiel had to take care of for the trip was his elixir supply. When he’d been aboard the Nightfall, his father had brought along a tank of the stuff. Mindful of the fact that he might be involved in a protracted battle, Castiel had made similar preparations. Yet he had insisted on bringing along a supply of ingredients too. The thought of the impending journey had made him painfully aware that without elixir, he was helpless. He didn’t even know how to fire a weapon.

  Elsinore was a very different ship from Nightfall. The passageways were narrower and the bridge held only Kee, as commander of the vessel, the pilot, navigator, and comms and weapons officers. No signs stated the function of each room or section. The crew were expected to know. When Castiel had wandered onto the bridge unwittingly, Kee and the other officers glared at him in silence until he left.

  A low-ranking crew member had shown Castiel to his cabin after he disembarked the shuttle. The room was a far cry from the suite his family had been assigned on the Nightfall. It was small and contained no private bathroom. He would be forced to use the communal restroom facilities for that section. As if that wasn’t bad enough, his bed was one of two, and the crew member who had shown him the place told him not to stow his luggage on the other bunk because someone else would be using it.

  Who his bunk mate might be, Castiel had no idea, but whoever it was, it was unconscionable that he had to share at all. But he didn’t know what he could do about it. Like it or not, he needed these people for the moment. All he could do was bide his time and plot his revenge for the many insults that had been piled upon him.

  Worse still, there wasn’t enough space to accommodate the tank of elixir he’d brought along. The container would have to be stowed in the galley, along with ingredients for cooking. It was outrageous. The taste of elixir was disgusting so it
was unlikely the liquid would end up in a stew, but nevertheless the fact that it wasn’t near to hand made Castiel extremely uncomfortable.

  After accidentally walking onto the bridge, Castiel had returned to his room. Or, rather, he tried to return. He had already lost his bearings in the passageways of the large ship. Everywhere seemed to look the same to him, though he guessed there were subtle differences and clues that were unknown to him.

  His wanderings resulted in giving him an informal tour of the Elsinore. From the mess to the briefing room, he got to know the ship pretty well. He even happened upon Sable’s quarters when he spotted her leaving a room. He caught a glimpse of the interior, which was substantially larger and more luxurious than his own.

  Castiel had wondered who would be lining up outside the room the next quiet shift, and whether the Dirksen leader would manage to work her way through the entire crew before they reached Pirine.

  When he finally found his cabin again, he was irked to see someone lying in the top bunk. He’d left a bag on the bed to claim it, and the person had moved the bag to the bottom bunk.

  Castiel was even more irked when the man turned on his side to see who had come in. Reyes Dirksen’s hateful visage confronted Castiel. He realized he would be forced to spend weeks cooped up with one of the most loathsome people on Ostillon.

  Reyes didn’t look surprised to see him. He only smirked and lay down again. So Reyes had been given the information about his bunk mate while Castiel had been kept in the dark. Had Sable Dirksen deliberately put them together to make it easier for Reyes to spy on him?

  Castiel sat on the lower bunk, weighing his options. Reyes’ move to secure the top bunk was obviously a ploy to signal his dominance. Castiel couldn’t allow the step to go unchallenged, but he was unsure of what to do. Hate him as he might, Reyes was older, taller, and stronger than Castiel. He couldn’t physically remove him from the bunk.

  Also, much as Castiel hated to admit it, Reyes was pretty smart. Castiel doubted he could trick him into giving up the superior sleeping place.

  All Castiel had as an advantage was Casting. That was going to be the only thing he could use to force Reyes out of his bed and show him who was boss. Castiel went through a mental list of the Casts he knew: Transport, Locate, Enthrall, Rise, Fire, Heal, Clear, Break, Lock, Repulse, Send and Open were the ones he had practised often. And there was Split too, but he didn’t think the Dirksens would take kindly to him using Split on Reyes, satisfying though it might be. They would soon put an end to his affiliation with them through ending his life, mage or not.

  No, he needed to do something effective but that didn’t cause long-term damage. Castiel made his choice, sipped elixir, and began to Cast.

  He opened his eyes and waited for Reyes’ response. It wasn’t long coming.

  “Hey,” resounded an angry shout from above. “Put me down!”

  Castiel watched with amusement as Reyes floated out from his bunk and across the narrow ceiling. He was twisting and writhing, ineffectively fighting the Cast.

  “I said, put me down,” Reyes reiterated furiously.

  “Are you sure about that?” Castiel asked. He glanced at the floor and back up toward Reyes. “Looks like a nasty drop to me. But if you insist….”

  Reyes, realizing what would happen if Castiel did as he’d asked, said, “Put me back on my bunk, I mean, you moron.”

  “Those are brave words for someone floating helplessly in my grasp. I’d like an apology.”

  Reyes only glared at him. Then he cast a look at the floor, as if judging how much he would be hurt by falling the distance. “Go on, drop me. I promise I’ll hurt you more than it’ll hurt me.”

  Castiel sat up. He’d had enough of Reyes. He’d had enough of all the Dirksens. If they thought they were going to walk all over him they had another think coming. He would start with Langley Dirksen’s son. “Believe me, I can hurt you even more than you can imagine. Did you hear what I did to the Sherrerr admiral? I tore her in two. She died screaming in agony.”

  He watched Reyes’ expression as he registered this fact. He had heard, Castiel could tell. His bravado had begun to weaken.

  “And don’t think I won’t do it,” said Castiel. “Just because I can’t do it now, it doesn’t mean I won’t do it at some later date, when I have the power and influence to put a stop to anyone who might want to avenge your life. So you better watch out, Reyes Dirksen. You piss me off, and I won’t ever forget it.”

  Castiel released him, and he hit the floor hard. Reyes yelled in pain and anger, but Castiel’s threat had taken effect. Reyes didn’t retaliate, and when Castiel climbed up to the top bunk, he didn’t respond.

  The Dirksen youth sat on the floor for a moment before getting up and slamming out of the cabin. Castiel looked down and saw blood on the bare metal. He smiled. He must have broken the idiot’s nose. Good. He hoped it would serve as a warning to him and to all the other Dirksens. They might treat him like nothing but a tool to be used for the moment, but he would remember it. He would note who showed him favor and who disrespected him, and when the time came they would pay.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Darius had returned to the tent after another long day spent with the Spirit Mage. Dinner had already been eaten, but Carina had saved some for him. While the others went out to the natural spring at the center of the camp to wash away the dirt and dust accumulated during their day’s playing, Carina sat with her sleepy brother, encouraging him to eat more before he went to bed.

  Darius did force down a few more mouthfuls before his eyelids drooped and his head nodded. Bryce picked up the little boy and carried him to his sleeping spot at the edge of the large tent.

  “He can’t go on like this,” said Carina after Bryce returned to her side. They sat outside the open tent flap, watching the evening bustle of the camp. Carina wasn’t worried about Darius overhearing her. He would be dead to the world until morning, when he would rise and wearily set out for the Spirit Mage’s tent again.

  “It does seem excessive work for such a young child,” Bryce said. “Have you spoken to Justin or Eira about it?”

  “I haven’t seen Eira for days. I think she leaves every so often to ferry in new arrivals as a way of avoiding attracting too much attention to the camp. I did speak to Justin, but he only said that learning from the Spirit Mage was Darius’ destiny. No other Spirit Mage has appeared in decades, and it’s vital that Magda passes on as much knowledge as she can to Darius before she dies. But he’s just a little boy.”

  Carina understood the older mage’s perspective: without a Spirit Mage there could be no Matching, and with no Matching the mages and their culture would eventually die out. Yet it seemed wrong to place all that responsibility on the shoulders of a six year old.

  “I don’t know what to say,” said Bryce. “It’s mage business.”

  Carina rubbed her temples. She didn’t know what to do for the best. After spending so many years cut off from her mage kindred, Carina felt she knew little more than Bryce did.

  “How have the other mages been treating you and Nahla?” she asked him. In her preoccupation with Darius and the novelty of living among hundreds of mages, she’d forgotten that her friend’s experience would be very different from her own.

  “I’m not sure they know we aren’t mages,” Bryce replied. “I haven’t told anyone, and Nahla has no reason to either. For once, mage reluctance to tell anyone anything is working out for us.”

  Carina smiled. “But, considering this is a Matching, have you been approached?” She raised her eyebrows in mock curiosity.

  “Maaaybe,” Bryce replied. “How about you?”

  “Ugh, I have far too much going on to think about things like that. What do you think about spending your life with a mage?”

  “I think the ones I know already are enough trouble.”

  Carina laughed, but then she grew somber. There was one mage who was more than enough trouble for everyone: Castiel. All the ma
ges that, as far as Carina could tell, were ‘in charge’ knew about her half-brother, but no one had mentioned what should be done about him. Would the responsibility fall to her? And if it did, should she do anything? The more time she spent at the Matching, the more distant the problem of a Dark Mage had become. She didn’t think she would need much persuasion to abandon the difficult, dangerous task of putting a stop to his activities.

  ***

  The next day, Carina was walking through the camp and she happened to pass by the Spirit Mage’s tent. She was debating whether to go inside and ask to speak to the old woman about Darius, and perhaps about Castiel too when, to her surprise, Magda poked her head through the open flap.

  “Carina, please come in for a moment,” she said before withdrawing into the tent.

  Reluctantly, Carina lifted the flap and went inside. It was the first time she’d seen the interior of Magda’s tent. The floor was spread with rugs, and utensils, lamps, and ornaments hung from the struts. Two full bags made of thick, embroidered cloth sat in one corner. The Spirit Mage also had a decorative decanter full of elixir and a couple of beakers.

  “Darius isn’t here?” Carina asked.

  “I sent him home early. The child was tired. Perhaps I have been pushing him too hard.”

  “Perhaps you have,” said Carina, trying but failing to keep an accusatory tone out of her voice.

  “You care about him very much, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do. He’s my brother.”

  “And he’s also the only Spirit Mage who has come forward. I know I’m asking a lot of him, Carina, but I have little time left in which to teach him everything I know.”

  The old woman appeared suddenly frail and ancient, and Carina felt a pang of pity. Yet her sympathies remained with her brother.