Scholar of Magic

by Michael G. Manning

  “Which makes no sense,” he complained. “It’s a light spell.”

  “It might have something to do with the book it’s in, Battling the Darkness,” remarked Janice in a droll tone. “This is just a guess on my part, but I’m betting the book has offensive spells in it too. Remind me again, what did you need these spells for?”

  “It’s a special project,” Will said evasively.

  “Are you going to need holy water and specially blessed silver for this special project, or will garlic be enough?”

  Will stared at her, then asked, “How did you know?”

  Janice’s eyes grew round. “It’s really vampires? You’re kidding, please tell me you’re kidding!”

  “I’m kidding,” he reassured her. “And from what I hear, the garlic and holy symbols don’t work, but the silver does. Why did you think it was vampires?”

  “I forget how sheltered your upbringing was. The wizard Ethelgren was famous for only one thing, his obsession with vampires.”

  “Now the title of his book makes sense,” said Will, nodding. “It’s too bad everything is in the restricted section. You might as well go. I’ll stick around and see if I can find anything useful in the non-restricted stacks.”

  Janice eyed him suspiciously, then whispered, “You’re going to break into the restricted section again, aren’t you?”

  Will frowned. “I don’t think I ever told you I did that before.”

  She tapped her temple, then leaned closer. “I’ll be your lookout.”

  He sighed. He didn’t really need a lookout. Over the past year he’d been into the restricted section several times. The very first time he had hid in the library and explored it after the library closed, but he had later learned that his efforts had been excessively cautious. For one, almost no one used the restricted section, so there was little chance of encountering anyone, and two, when he did encounter someone, they assumed he had permission. In part that might have been because of who his wife was, but it also had a lot to do with the fact that no one could enter the restricted section without a special talisman that served as a key to prevent the wards from doing them serious harm. If he remained nonchalant and acted as though he belonged, no one would look at him twice.

  A lookout would only draw suspicion.

  “Just wait over there,” he told her, indicating the card index.

  She shook her head. “I’ll browse, but I’m going to keep you in sight. I want to see how you plan to do this.”

  He shrugged. “Fine, but it’s a lot less exciting that whatever you’re imagining.” Moving away with a purposeful stride, he headed straight toward the restricted stacks. They looked much like the rest of the third floor, but there was a symbolic cordon around them marked by posts with chains between them. Anyone could easily step over or go under the chains, but the signs warned anyone who could read that doing so would be to risk life or limb. The chains marked off the safe area, and just behind them were a wide network of wards set into the floor.

  Most of the outer wards were designed to deter a would-be trespasser, while those farther in would immobilize them. If someone managed to get past those, the third layer of wards included lightning shocks that could potentially be fatal. Will stepped over the chain, stopped at the first wards and took a few seconds to match his turyn to that of the defenses, then he walked into the restricted section. He heard Janice hiss in alarm as he stepped into the wards, but he ignored her.

  It took him the better part of an hour to find the three books they had marked on the list they had made. Will didn’t bother looking into them and copying out what he wanted, though. Instead he just tucked each book under his arm and when he had all three, he carried them out. He found Janice waiting for him.

  She glanced at the books he carried. “You stole them?”

  Will looked over her shoulder. “Who’s that?”

  Janice whirled around, and he stored the books in his limnthal while her attention was diverted. Her lips turned down in a frown of disapproval when she saw that the books had vanished. “How many secrets do you have?”

  “The less you know the less they can torture out of you.”

  “I never know for sure whether you’re joking or not,” she responded.

  A surge of adrenaline shot through him as he unexpectedly relived his recent whipping. Will’s heart began beating at a frenetic pace and sweat began beading on his forehead. He took several deep breaths and tried to keep his reaction from showing, though Janice definitely noticed something.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “It’s nothing,” he assured her, “and just so you know, I wasn’t joking. My father-in-law went to great lengths to try and find out where Selene was recently.”

  “And now you’re breaking into the restricted section?”

  Will laughed. “He doesn’t give a damn about this. He’d probably congratulate me.”

  “How did you do that? You just walked through the wards as though they weren’t there. Did you steal one of the key talismans?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No, I just do what the talismans do. Someday, if my life ever calms down, I might try to teach someone.”

  “I want to be the first on your list.”

  “It’s dangerous, and it takes years,” he warned her.

  Something flashed in her eyes, a sudden understanding. “That’s where Selene went, isn’t it? Someone is training her.”

  He clapped a hand over her lips, looking around anxiously to make certain no one was within earshot. “Be careful what you say. If the king got wind of that it would be worth your life, and unlike me, I don’t think he’d hesitate to whip you to death.”

  “You were whipped?” she mumbled around his fingers, her eyes widening.

  In the midst of everything else, Will was suddenly struck by how adorable his friend was, her bright eyes peering at him above his fingers. With that realization came the awareness of her lips against his palm and he drew back his hand as though he were about to be burned. Angry with himself, he looked away.

  Fortunately, Janice misread his reaction. “I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”

  He took the opportunity. “It’s all right. You couldn’t have known. I need to get back and look these over before evening gets here.”

  “You’re doing whatever it is tonight? You need help.”

  “You’re right, know anyone useful?”

  “Ouch,” she said, visibly wincing.

  “Sorry. I’m just tense. Don’t worry about it. I’ll manage.”

  Janice frowned but didn’t move to stop him as he walked away, and he could feel her eyes on his back until he had gone down the stairs.

  Chapter 15

  “I have no idea what you’re thinking, Will. This is a wall.” Tiny stood staring up at the wall that surrounded Wurthaven. His bulk was further accentuated by the mail hauberk and leggings he wore, combined with a breastplate and steel cap. The big man had a round shield slung over his back, a short sword on his belt, and a spear in one hand.

  “Trust me. I can get you over it.”

  “You realize how much I weigh, don’t you? Add in all the metal I’m wearing, and I could probably balance a scale with a full-grown boar. You know what happens when heavy men fall, don’t you? Even ten feet might be enough to break something serious.”

  “You won’t fall, you’ll stick to the wall like a fly.” Will stored Tiny’s shield and weapons in the limnthal temporarily, but it still took him several minutes of cajoling to get his friend up the wall after casting the climbing spell on him and explaining how it worked. Things got even more confusing when he added the chameleon spell and silent-armor spells on top of that.

  He followed Tiny up and helped the giant negotiate the awkward moment at the top when he had to get his body over the edge and reorient for the descent on the other side. “I still don’t understand what’s wrong with the front gate,” complained the big man. “Th
at’s what gates are for, right? People like me aren’t meant to be up this high.”

  “Are you afraid of heights?”

  “If you were my size, you would be too,” hissed Tiny. “If something goes wrong, whatever’s beneath me will stop being whatever it used to be and become rubble. At the same time, I will most likely break every bone in my body, if I’m fortunate enough to live to appreciate the extent of my injuries.”

  “You can’t fall,” Will assured him. “Only one of your limbs can be away from the surface of the wall at any given moment. The spell won’t allow you to fall.”

  Tiny was staring down at the ground nervously. “Easy enough for you to say. You’re controlling the spell. I’m having to take all this on faith.”

  “You don’t believe in me?” asked Will with a grin.

  “I’m up here, damn it!” swore Tiny angrily. “Shut up and let me focus.”

  When they were finally on the ground once more, Will could see that his friend’s face was covered in sweat, not from the effort—climbing with a spell was relatively easy—but from nervousness. It was something he hadn’t really seen before from the usually quiet and easygoing soldier. Tiny caught him staring and looked away.

  Will took out the letter Blake had given him and reread it to give his friend a chance to regain his composure. The message was from Lognion and had arrived while he was at the library with Janice. While it didn’t materially affect his plan for the evening, it did inspire a mixture of anger and anxiety in him.

  William,

  I send this missive to inform you that since you’ve taken it upon yourself to assume the protection of Mark Nerrow’s elder daughter, I have decided to withdraw the Driven from that area. Partly this is for your own protection, so we avoid any confusion between your movements and the activities of my men.

  I do hope you’ve prepared yourself sufficiently, as you’ve chosen to take on a dangerous enemy, one that even I would hesitate to face without considerable support. I’m sure you wouldn’t attempt such a perilous duty alone. My daughter would be heartbroken if something terrible happened to you.

  If you have any understanding of this foe, then you should be aware that this enemy bears similarities to a wound that has turned sour. Sometimes healthy tissue must be excised to save the host. As sovereign, I consider the city, nay the nation as a whole, as my own body. I will not hesitate to remove a rotten limb to save the rest.

  Stand too close to the fire and you will be burned.

  L.

  Tiny noticed him reading it again and put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Little does he know you actually do have support this time.”

  Will nodded, grateful for the big man’s presence. But will it be enough if we actually meet one of them? What if there’s several? Lognion apparently had small squads of highly trained combat sorcerers hiding in various locations around the city. If the king felt the situation was that serious, what hope would a lone wizard and an armored soldier have? And I haven’t had a chance to learn any of the spells Arrogan recommended yet.

  Although Will was more combat capable than any wizard at Wurthaven, as well as most sorcerers, he knew very few spells that were applicable to the current situation. His repertoire of useful fire spells included a simple method for starting fires and a spell to warm the floor when sleeping on the ground. Neither would be particularly helpful in a fight, and chances were that there wouldn’t be a sorcerer around tossing fireballs around for him to steal.

  The wise thing for me to do would be to stay home, Will thought sourly, but he knew that wasn’t really an option for him, and apparently the king knew it as well. He glanced at Tiny. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

  The big soldier waved a hand dismissively. “The wall scared me more than any vampire could. What’s the plan?”

  Will had actually put some thought into it. Even with the spells he had put on Tiny, he wasn’t confident his friend could avoid notice, so he intended to make use of the fact. The king’s men had been hiding underground last time, while the vampire had dropped down from above. Given that the Drak’shar were inhumanly strong and impervious to ordinary injury, it made sense that they would prefer to hide on the rooftops.

  Tiny would move ahead of him at a distance of twenty yards. While he would be hidden by the same spells that Will was using, his size and inexperience would make him more likely to be spotted. If anyone or anything noticed the big man, they’d be less likely to notice the somewhat more inconspicuous wizard shadowing the soldier once their attention had been occupied. If they attacked, Will would have extra time to choose an appropriate response if they were targeting Tiny first.

  Of course, there was every chance that the enemy wouldn’t risk appearing in the same place twice. Will wouldn’t, if he were in their position, but he didn’t know what other limitations the enemy was operating under. Catching Laina near her home, at night, might be the only option available to the vampires. He couldn’t take the risk with her life.

  There was a secondary reason for scouting the area around Laina’s home, and it made itself apparent within the first fifteen minutes as they slowly completed their first circuit of the block around the Nerrow house. Will had already adjusted his eyesight so he could see heart-light, so when Darla’s figure detached itself from the wall near Laina’s front gate he wasn’t surprised.

  As she approached, he noted that while the Arkeshi was difficult to see, the effect was somewhat greater than just a chameleon effect produced by her cloak. His eyes tended to slide away from Darla if he didn’t continually force himself to remain focused on her.

  “Someone is approaching,” he warned Tiny. “But they aren’t hostile so don’t overreact.”

  “Where? I don’t see anyone,” whispered the big man.

  “Here,” said the former assassin, pushing back the hood of her cloak. She was standing just within ten feet of the squire when the chameleon effect ended, and Tiny uttered a strange ‘yip’ before clamping his mouth firmly shut. Will was forced to smother a laugh.

  “Darla,” said Will, greeting her simply. “We meet again.”

  The Arkeshi inclined her head slightly. “We do. I was under the impression that my mistress warned you to stay away.”

  “And do you agree with her?” he asked.

  Darla frowned. “It isn’t my place to judge such matters.”

  “I know you were trained as an assassin, rather than a bodyguard, but you still have to realize that the things that may be hunting her are too dangerous for you to face alone. You know you need help.”

  She looked at him appraisingly. “You’re more likely to get in my way. Stay on the other side of the street. If anything happens, don’t expect help from me. My duty is to Laina only.” She began to turn away.

  Will stepped forward, causing the Arkeshi to jerk to one side. A blade appeared in her hand and Will could see silver runes laid into the steel. He held up his hands. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but I have a question before you go.” He heard Tiny’s body shift as he lifted his spear in reaction. Will waved a hand at his friend. “Don’t. We’re just talking.”

  “What’s your question?” asked Darla with a tone of impatience. “Quickly. I dislike being away from my post.”

  “Did you see someone else around the house, before I came? A woman?”

  Darla went still, then asked, “Was it with you?”

  “It? I’m talking about a young woman, uncommonly beautiful. She was watching the house for me, but she’s vanished.”

  “There was a fae, though it took animal form most of the time. It attacked me.”

  “She wouldn’t do that,” he protested, but then he stopped. Would she? Or was she trying to eliminate the threat before I came and exposed myself? “We thought you were an assassin, but I only instructed her to watch unless you acted. Did you take her prisoner?”

  Darla snorted. “I don’t take prisoners. I did what was necessary.”

  His mouth went dry. “You ki
lled her?”

  “Killing one of the fae is easier said than done. I disabled her and left her in the alley. When I checked again later, she was gone. Most likely she recovered and returned to her proper place.”

  “She didn’t,” he told her firmly. “Her family is now looking for her.”

  “The fae don’t concern themselves with kin.”

  It was Will’s turn to struggle with his irritation. “This one does. She’s my aunt. If I can’t find her, bad things will happen.”

  “The accord protects us, wizardling. Don’t they teach you the basics in that fancy school of yours?”

  Already irritated, Darla’s condescension was too much for him to accept. “Unlike some, I know that the accord isn’t eternal. History moves, and the possibility of the accord coming to an end is a very real possibility. I’ve been dealing with the fae for years now. If I tell you bad things will happen, you would be wise to reconsider what you think you know.”

  “I have shown you patience only because you spared my life yesterday, but my life does not belong to me, so do not expect gratitude. Stay away from the house or I’ll show you the difference between thinking and doing.” She turned, raised the hood of her cloak, and faded into a blur.

  Will watched her go, and after a second he saw a second change: Darla’s turyn shifted in a subtle way, and he felt a faint strain as he concentrated on keeping his eyes on her movement. What is that? he wondered. It wasn’t a spell, and though the cloak was obviously enchanted, the magic it produced seemed limited to the chameleon effect. Is she using wild magic of some kind?

  His thoughts distracted him enough that he lost sight of the Arkeshi, and only by concentrating and paying close attention to her heart-light was he able to spot her again. Whatever it is, it makes it hard to look at her, he realized, and greatly enhances the effect of the cloak in the process.

  “Is she really gone?” asked Tiny uncertainly.

  Will nodded. “She’s across the street, standing to the right of the front gate to the house.”

  “You can see her?”

  “It isn’t easy,” admitted Will. “I have to focus on the light produced by her body’s heat, but even that is tricky since she’s also doing something that makes it hard to look at her.”