Will frowned. “Brute work?”
Master Courtney chuckled. “Figuring large products and quotients.”
“Oh,” said Janice. They wanted them to solve simple math problems while they dealt with the more complex results. “We can do that.”
In the end their contribution turned out to be mostly symbolic. All three of the researchers were blazingly fast when doing simple figures, the result of many long hours doing such rote work. They gave Will and Janice token problems now and then, but it was clear they weren’t really needed. For the most part they simply redid problems to make sure the others hadn’t made a mistake in their haste.
Watching them work was instructive, though. Janice and Will both learned a lot regarding how spell theory related to ritual theory, and how those principles were applied in a practical sense. Sadly, sunset was only two hours away when they finally were satisfied with the ritual they had planned out.
“This is the best we can do,” said Elizabeth with a sigh. “A hundred and seventy-two sorcerers will be required.” She dipped her head in Will’s direction. “And of course, our good luck charm over there. If he can’t perform the way you think, all of this is pointless.”
David nodded. “And it will have to be performed in the cathedral. The Church of the Holy Mother is the most central location in the city.”
That point had been made several times over during the afternoon. Any other location would require vastly more manpower because of the increase in area that would need to be covered. The cathedral marked the center of the city, which meant that the radius of the circle that contained the entire city would be smallest from that point, conserving power.
“The last question,” said Will, “is who will be involved in actually performing this thing?”
David glanced at the others. “You’ll need one of us to help organize everyone. Master Courtney is too old, not to mention important.” He glanced at Elizabeth.
She spoke before he could say anything else. “Don’t try to be heroic, David. You have children at home. I’m a spinster. It’s obvious I should go.”
“But…”
Elizabeth shook her head, and then Janice spoke up. “I’ll go as well.”
“You don’t have an elemental,” Will pointed out.
“Neither do you.”
“I don’t need one.”
“They’re handing them out to two hundred students. I’ll take one of those,” she replied quickly.
Will’s eyes grew round. “Even though you know how they’re made?”
Janice smiled. “At least I can guarantee mine will be freed after this is over. One fewer soul suffering, isn’t that a worthwhile goal?”
He hadn’t thought of it that way. “I can’t fault your logic,” he admitted. After that they split up, agreeing to meet at the main gate that led from Wurthaven in an hour. Will, Janice, and Tiny headed for Will’s home, but along the way they noticed a large increase in the number of people walking around, most of whom didn’t look like students.
“I wonder what that’s about?” said Janice, but Will hardly paid heed. His mind kept returning to Rob’s warning note. ‘We are merely decoys.’ What did he mean? Is there another threat?
At his home he found the Nerrow family appeared to be preparing for another pilgrimage to their old home to hole up for the evening. Laina and her father seemed to be in the midst of yet another argument, while Agnes and Tabitha looked on worriedly. The baron glared in Will’s direction when he approached. “Are you the one who put these foolish ideas into her head?”
Taken aback, Will wasn’t sure what to say. “Huh?”
“She wants to release her elementals! That sounds an awful lot like your nonsensical philosophy has infected my daughter’s mind to me,” accused Mark Nerrow.
“It’s slavery!” insisted Laina, her determination unwavering.
Will looked at his father. “I didn’t suggest anything, but I agree with her. Did she tell you why she believes that?”
“If she would talk reason, I would listen,” said the baron angrily. “As it is she—”
“The king used her graduation seal to command her to slit the throats of three men last night. She very nearly did it, too.” Laina’s eyes were panicked as she heard the words leave his lips.
“That’s impossible!”
“Selene nearly died trying to murder me when I interrupted her marriage to Count Spry,” added Will. “She fought the control so hard it nearly ripped her soul in two. That’s why she’s not here. She left to go somewhere the king couldn’t use her.” He had their full attention then. Silence reigned for a few seconds as everyone tried to process what he had said.
Will continued, “The graduation seal is just a false label for the slave end of a heart-stone enchantment. That’s how elementals are made, from the souls of dead wizards. That’s what will happen to you and Laina someday when you die, an eternity of slavery.”
“That can’t be true,” said Mark Nerrow, but his voice no longer carried the sound of unshakeable conviction.
“You’ll have to think about it later. Tonight, we’re off to perform a ritual to rid the city of this plague of undead,” he declared.
Agnes interjected herself then. “Is that why we’ve been told no one can leave the college grounds?”
That was news to them, and their faces said as much. Mark Nerrow spoke next. “The king is bringing the populace into the college. Within a few hours the entire city populace will be scattered across the campus, waiting out the night. It’s almost certain to be a disaster. No one is allowed out.”
“I thought you were getting ready to go out,” said Will.
Agnes nodded. “We were, but now we’re going back inside. Hopefully you don’t mind.”
He shook his head. “No, of course not.”
“I’ll be coming with you again,” declared Laina.
“Me too,” said Tabitha cheerfully.
Their mother reacted first. “Neither of you are going anywhere!”
Mark added, “I second that.”
“I’ll do as I please,” said Laina. “Tabitha, you’re too young.” Then she looked at her father. “You can’t stop me, but you might consider coming with us.”
The baron’s face turned red, and he stepped toward his daughter menacingly. Will moved at the same time. “I wouldn’t,” he cautioned. “We need a lot of sorcerers for this ritual, and if we don’t get it the king is going to do something drastic tomorrow.”
“You’d even risk your—” The baron stopped, then rephrased his words. “You’d even risk Laina on this?”
“I’d rather risk you,” said Will, his tone biting, “but she’s capable of making her own decisions and I’ll support them, whatever they are.”
The standoff lasted thirty seconds or more, and everyone grew tense watching the two men stare at one another, until at last Mark Nerrow asked, “How many do you need for this ritual?”
“Mark! You can’t be considering it! The king and his men will deal with this!” said Agnes sharply.
“A hundred and seventy-two sorcerers,” answered Will.
“I want to help too, Momma,” said Tabitha, tugging on her mother’s sleeve.
Agnes’ response was so sharp that for a moment Will feared she would backhand the fifteen-year-old. “You’ll stay here with me and that’s the end of it,” snapped Agnes, clearly overwrought.
In the end, after more bickering and a few tears, Mark and Laina Nerrow both joined them at the meeting place by the gate, though neither of them spoke much. Their party as a whole was noticeably devoid of chatter, and Will was grateful when he saw Elizabeth Sundy approaching. A long train of students followed her, the ones who had been chosen for the king’s service.
She was a tall, lean woman with hawkish features, and she had changed out of her robes and into something decidedly mannish, wearing long trousers and a brown linen jacket. She noticed him studying her and grinned suddenly. “My gardening clothes. They s
uit the occasion better.” The middle-aged woman stuck out one leg and wiggled her foot, highlighting the heavy leather boots she wore.
After that it was a matter of organizing themselves and getting through the gate. There was a small amount of confusion, but Elizabeth Sundy was able to explain their purpose to the Wurthaven guards. Outside the gate was a contingent of the king’s men, but they likewise stood aside once Will’s identity had been confirmed.
Ten minutes later they were in the main yard of the palace. Janice and the other student sorcerer candidates were led away to receive their elementals, while Will, Laina, Elizabeth, and Mark Nerrow were taken for a quick meeting with the king.
Chapter 51
Lognion met them in a more formal audience chamber, and his eyes landed on Mark Nerrow first. “Lord Nerrow, I did not expect to see you here this evening.” Then he waved his hand at the rest of them. “Please rise and be at ease.”
The baron, like the others in the room, was in the midst of an extended bow, which only ended once the king gave them leave to end their obeisance. Will as usual had remained recalcitrant, even though it made the others extremely uneasy. Mark straightened up and responded, “I felt ill at ease when I learned your son-in-law was planning to strike at the enemy this evening. My daughter insisted on accompanying him, and as her father, I could do no less.”
The king’s gaze focused on Laina. “I’m sure you couldn’t. With the people’s savior on this mission you cannot help but succeed, even if the avatar of Marduke were also beside you.” Lognion’s attention turned to Will as he finished the sentence. “Did you succeed, William?”
Will glanced at Elizabeth, then nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty, with the help of Lord Courtney and several talented researchers, such as Mistress Sundy here. I merely presented the need; they provided the solution.”
“Present your plan then,” said Lognion.
Everyone seemed hesitant, aside from the baron. Elizabeth seemed tempted to speak, but she kept looking at Will. In the end, he knew it was his responsibility. “The ritual will be organized by Mistress Sundy with me at its center. We will need to perform it in the cathedral to cover the entire city. As far as requirements, we need a minimum of one hundred and seventy-two sorcerers to participate.”
The king leaned forward in his seat and appeared to be counting them. “Do you have that many? I only see two with you.”
“I assumed Your Majesty would provide them,” said Will. “We brought the two hundred student candidates with us as well. Their number alone would be sufficient—”
“You presume too much, William. The ranks of the Driven have been severely affected by this crisis. These new candidates are barely enough to replenish them. If we lose them in this untested foray of yours, it will endanger the future of the kingdom, for I won’t have enough to cut the head from this undead snake.”
“Wurthaven has more students,” said Will coldly. “If we fail, recruit another two hundred. It won’t matter. Your plan will eliminate Wurthaven anyway. You may as well risk these lives knowing you can harvest another crop without any real loss tomorrow.” That earned him some strange looks from those around him.
“So jaded for one so young,” said the king. “What of protection? If I give you that number, how will you get them to the cathedral safely? One small ambush and your plan will fail.”
Laina stepped forward, her body tense with repressed anger. “Since you seem ill-disposed to order men to the task, what if I ask for volunteers?”
Lognion was unflustered. “Go right ahead, Miss Nerrow. The majority of my forces are not here. Unless you are willing to make a journey to the walls to recruit them, you may find a lack of manpower.” A newcomer entered the hall behind them and bowed from the waist. “You may rise and report, Lord Tintabel.”
Will was startled by the name, and it took him a moment to remember where he had heard it before. He’s the neighbor to the Nerrows, the one whose house I fought in front of. There was something else, though. His house was burned. I thought he was dead. He glanced at Laina, wondering what she thought since she probably knew the man better.
The expression on her face was one of extreme displeasure. It seemed she didn’t have a high opinion of her neighbor, although the baron’s face didn’t reveal anything similar. Will wondered if she had a personal grudge. It isn’t as though she’s the most likable person after all, he observed.
“The students have received their elementals. We can begin disseminating them among the troops as soon as you give the word, Your Majesty,” said Tintabel.
“It seems that won’t be necessary, Lord Tintabel. I’ve just promised them to my son-in-law here. If they survive the night they may take their new positions then,” said the king.
Lord Tintabel raised one brow, quite a feat given how thick and bushy they were. The man’s hair was long and black, giving his pale face a shadowed appearance. “And if they don’t survive, Your Majesty?”
“Then we take another two hundred in the morning. There will be time enough to do our work before the next sunset, if it comes to that,” said the king affably.
Laina glared at her neighbor. “Why don’t you come with us, Lord Tintabel? Your help would be of great use to us.”
The man gave an apologetic half-bow. “My apologies to you, Miss Nerrow, and to your father, but my place is here beside His Majesty, coordinating our last defense. It would not do for your effort to succeed only to discover that we had lost our king in the midst of it all.”
“I’m sure the nation will remember your bravery in undertaking our monarch’s defense,” Laina responded, her words dripping with acid.
In the end there was no more help forthcoming from the crown, but Will had an idea. He’d once had to plan an escape from the cathedral—via the sewers. Tailtiu had planned the route for him. If she had recovered sufficiently, she might be able to advise them on a similar path from the palace back to the center of the city. He explained the idea to those with him as they returned to the palace yard.
Mark Nerrow wasn’t a fan of the idea. “Do you even know if we could all fit? Some of the sewers are perilously narrow.”
“As long as we follow the right route, we’ll be fine,” said Will. “But if we mistakenly turn into the smaller branches, we could get stuck, but I know someone who can guide us.”
“What about the vampires?” asked Janice. “Aren’t they hiding in the sewers? It seems more dangerous to go down there than just walk through the streets.”
“They’re coming up to hunt us during the night,” countered Will. “On an open street they can move faster than we can handle, and they can come at us from any direction. In the sewer tunnel their movement is restricted to the tunnel. If we can limit the directions we have to defend against, then we can manage it easily.”
Laina spoke next. “What about side passages?”
“We have two hundred elementals. The vampires can’t kill them. We position a few at each side passage as we pass by. Earth elementals can create temporary blockages, as can water and air elementals. Fire—”
Elizabeth Sundy interrupted, “It’s best if we avoid the use of fire down there. Sewer gases can be quite explosive. In fact, you’ll want an air elemental to clear the air in the passages ahead of us or we could be poisoned.”
Will looked to the senior researcher. “So you think the plan has merit?”
“If you have a guide,” she responded, raking her salt-and-pepper hair back over one ear.
“Give me an hour,” he told them. “I’ll know within that time whether we have a guide or not.” Then he started to walk away. “I need a little time alone.”
Will distanced himself by twenty yards or so, moving to stand close to the exterior wall between the palace and the city. He felt slightly nervous about calling Tailtiu, since he didn’t know what her condition might be. There was also the risk that Aislinn might appear instead, and after her last visit he was less certain of her motives.
He closed
his eyes and prepared to repeat her name when he felt something bump up against his leg. Looking down, he saw the goddamn cat. “You!” he exclaimed.
The cat sat down, staring up at him without expression. “Me.”
“Where’s your bow?” asked Will, unable to stop himself.
The cat stood and started walking away. “Perhaps you don’t need my advice after all.”
“Wait! I was only teasing. Forget what I said.” The cat stopped and sat down again. “Where have you been?” asked Will.
“At my house. Where your mother lives. I needed some rest after our excursion.”
Where Sammy lives, thought Will suddenly.
“I can read your expressions,” said the cat angrily, “and your thoughts are crude and unrefined. I was merely worried that your cousin might be distraught at my sudden disappearance after being so badly wounded.”
“Sure.”
“Do you want my advice or not?” The cat’s tone was surly.
“Yes, please.”
“The tunnels are a good idea, but don’t call on the fae.”
“Do you think Tailtiu has recovered?” asked Will.
The goddamn cat licked one foot. “Almost without doubt, but involving them further would make the situation extremely dangerous. Your aunt’s scent would likely draw every vampire within a significant range down on you, and that isn’t even considering the danger of dealing with her mother again.”
“How do I lead them through then?” asked Will. “One wrong turn could spell disaster.”
“I can show you the way.”
“You’ll come with us?”
“No. Remember Arrogan’s tracking spell?”
Will nodded.
“Cast it on me. I’ll run the path quickly, and you can trace my path afterward.”
“Why won’t you come with us?”
The Cath Bawlg wrinkled his nose and panted in disgust. “The stench down there is unbearable.”
“But you’re going to travel through it on your own?” Will was confused.
Scholar of Magic Page 51