by Lisa Cassidy
“And it is?”
Brynn leaned closer, lowering his voice so she had to strain to hear him. “In every case of a mage going missing, council investigators have been unable to find traces of magic use.”
Alyx frowned. “That makes no sense.”
“Right! What mage being attacked doesn’t use his or her magic to try and fight off their attacker?”
“Could they have been drugged?”
“Some yes, but many others were taken from the privacy of their own homes, or in similarly isolated circumstances. So either they drugged themselves, or someone they knew drugged them...”
“And the odds of all of them having known and trusted the same person over a span of decades are slim to none,” Alyx finished.
“To manage to kidnap all these powerful mages without them using magic... it’s got to be some big operation, right? One person couldn’t have managed it by themselves.”
That wasn’t a comforting thought. “Keep working on it,” Alyx said. “If the council knows any more, I want to know it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He offered her a salute.
“Be careful.” She reached out to touch his arm, genuinely concerned. “If the council found out what you were doing...”
He smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be fine.”
Fortunately, nobody had noticed how long Alyx had been outside, though Tarrick used her re-appearance to break up the conversation.
“We’ve got an early patrol tomorrow,” he replied to their complaints. “I’d rather not get up with a sore head.”
“I never thought I’d complain about being put on active duty again.” Dawn sighed as they walked out.
“Ha. It’s not like they could keep us suspended after we beat First Patrol.”
“Rothai hasn’t forgotten, and that means Romas hasn’t forgiven yet either,” Dawn warned.
“I’ve been wondering about that. Do you think they’ll make the end of year tests harder for us? Or set a higher bar for us to meet?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Finn chimed in from ahead.
Alyx echoed Dawn’s sigh. “All we can do is try our best.”
Sweat trickled down the back of Alyx’s neck as she concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other without making a noise. The thick forest canopy shielded them from direct sunlight, but it was still overly warm and sticky, despite the early hour. A glance to her right showed Cario’s still figure crouched amidst thick ferns a few paces away. Around them, the peaceful silence of the forest was broken only by the occasional birdsong.
We’ve gotten better at this, she thought, moving stealthily through the landscape. All morning they’d been following the tracks of a Shiven attack party they’d come across less than an hour after riding out from DarkSkull. The information collected by the Weeping Stead militia scouts had been good—Tarrick estimated the tracks they were following likely belonged to a unit at least twenty strong.
It made Alyx wonder about herself, sometimes, that she was so quickly becoming the warrior mage she’d never wanted to be, so dramatically different from everything she’d wanted for her life only a year earlier. Barely eighteen, on her previous birthday she’d lain in the sun dreaming about Cayr and desperately wanting to go home. She’d been unable to access her power and had planned on never coming back to DarkSkull.
But she had come back, and it had been so different this time. She had found her power and faced down Galien. She had a brother. He was a Taliath like their father and in terrible danger. Brynn was alive. She still missed Cayr, and her home, but it was a faint yearning, not something that dominated her every waking moment. She’d changed. Alyx just hoped it was a change for the better.
The whole subject of Dashan she continued to avoid like the plague.
“Hold,” Dawn sent.
Alyx paused, ducking silently behind a tree, staff ready in her hands. The telepath was ahead of the patrol, using her powerful magic to track the residue of thoughts left by the Shiven they were hunting.
While her eyes scanned the forest around them for a possible ambush, Alyx used her power to listen for thoughts of any Shiven, without any luck. Again, she reminded herself to spend more time working on her other absorbed powers. Concussion bursts and telekinesis were fun, but if she wanted to be able to best Galien someday, she’d need to be accomplished at far more than that.
“All right, come forward,” Dawn sent eventually.
Alyx rose and jogged ahead, using telepathy to pinpoint Dawn’s location, coming upon her friend in a small clearing. The remains of a campfire smouldered nearby, and there were scuff marks in the dry dirt around it.
Tarrick emerged from the trees. “They’ve been gone a while, probably since dawn.”
Dawn nodded agreement. “I can still pick up faint traces of their thoughts. Their intention when they left was to return home.”
“Why abort an attack like that?” Finn frowned.
“I don’t care!” Mika proclaimed. “It’s far too hot to be traipsing around after Shiven.”
“I second that.” Alyx grinned, swinging her staff up into its holster.
Tarrick nodded. “Let’s get the horses and head back to DarkSkull to make our report.”
“You know what’s on the way back?” Finn said as they began trudging back uphill.
Dawn laughed as she caught her brother’s thought. “It is a perfect day for the pools.”
“A quick swim to cool down wouldn’t delay us too long.” Jayn looked at Tarrick.
“I think we deserve a nice swim,” Alyx added.
Tarrick rolled his eyes. “One hour at the pools, then we go back. Agreed?”
“You’re such a wise and generous leader,” Finn teased.
Tarrick punched him on the shoulder, sending the smaller man stumbling. Dawn and Alyx laughed.
It was already too warm to gallop, so after returning to the horses, they rode back over the valley wall alternating a walk and a canter. The forest was quiet and heavy with humidity as they came down the trail leading to the pools.
“Last one in is a hairy hog!” Mika shouted suddenly, leaping down from the saddle and running for the water.
Refusing to be beaten, Alyx dismounted and sprinted after him. As she ran, she tore at the buckles of her holster, ripping the thing off just as she rounded the corner. Tarrick and Finn were hot on her heels, Tarrick’s long legs overtaking her at the last minute.
With a loud whoop she leapt off the rocky edge and bombed into the water, making as loud a splash as she could. Cold green water closed deliciously over her head, and she came up spluttering and dragging hair off her face. Finn landed right beside her as she surfaced, deluging her in spray.
She waited till he came up, then slapped water in his face in retaliation. An earnest water fight ensued, carrying on for a while before they tired out and simply floated on the surface.
Alyx clambered out of the water first; unlike the boys she’d been unable to strip down, and she wanted her sleeveless tunic to dry before riding back to DarkSkull. Finding a convenient rock she lay flat on it, soaking up the dappled sun through the trees. After a while Finn joined her, settling himself comfortably nearby.
“I’ve been reading more about the Taliath.”
Alyx looked over in interest. “Really?”
“Yes. With everything that’s happened, I wanted to learn more.”
She shifted to look at him, Dawn’s words about Finn being a thinker coming back to her. “Will you tell me?”
He beamed. “According to the historical texts, Taliath used to be trained on an island just off the Shiven mainland, a place called ShadowFall Island. It was a secretive place, so I don’t know much about what went on there.”
“The last group of Taliath potentials training there were killed in a fire, weren’t they? Do you think others have gone there since?”
“I don’t know. There was one other interesting thing I found, though.”
“Hmmm?” she asked
lazily.
“Shakar studied on ShadowFall Island.”
“Really?”
“Yes. From what I can tell, he went to ShadowFall Island after he discovered that he had absorbed the Taliath ability from his lover.”
“After he’d finished studying at DarkSkull?”
“Not right away. After he passed the trials, he worked for the council. That must have been when he met his lover. Almost four years after passing his trials he showed up at ShadowFall Island, an arrogant young man with the legendary fighting ability and invulnerability of the Taliath and all the power of a fully trained mage of the higher order. He spent a year there, I think, and then he simply vanished. The council couldn’t find him. The war started a year later when Shakar attacked a town in southern Tregaya, killing everyone.”
“I wonder what he did in that missing year?” Alyx mused. “And I wonder why that particular town?”
Finn shrugged. “Another thing I can tell you about ShadowFall—mages weren’t allowed on the island unless invited.”
“How does that work?”
“It has something to do with the Taliath invulnerability. When there’s a large grouping of them together, such as on ShadowFall Island, it creates a shield of sorts,” Finn frowned. “I’m not really sure how it works, but I suppose it wouldn’t apply now, when there aren’t any Taliath there.”
“That would explain why Dawn had no luck last year in reaching Ladan!” Alyx said in realisation. “Remember, he came specifically to our classes for her to learn his thoughts, but it never really worked.”
“Right, yes! Taliath invulnerability doesn’t just apply to physical weapons, but also magic. I wonder whether that fire all those years ago really was an accident.” Finn turned to her. “You really don’t approve, do you?”
“And you do?” she retorted.
“I don’t approve of murder, no,” Finn said carefully. “But when I think of a powerful mage like Galien taking a Taliath lover and becoming nigh on invulnerable…”
“Surely it can’t work like that.” Alyx frowned. “What, Galien grabs the nearest female Taliath he can find, forces her to bed him, and gets Taliath invulnerability? If that’s how it works, why hasn’t he done it already? You can’t tell me Galien is afraid of what the council might think. Then there’s my mother, who was married to a Taliath yet apparently wasn’t invulnerable.”
“She wasn’t at the time she was tested. Who knows what happened after.” He eyed her, clearly warming to the intellectual debate. “How do you think it works, then?”
“Proximity is the key for mages of the higher order to absorb,” Alyx mused aloud. “But what if it’s more than physical proximity for some powers? Maybe Shakar was deeply in love with his Taliath, and it was that emotional connection combined with the physical that allowed him to absorb her invulnerability.”
“You’re an insufferable romantic.” Finn laughed. “You absorb powers off people without being in love with them.”
“But different powers are absorbed to different degrees, right? I still haven’t picked up a shred of your healing talent, for example,” she pointed out. “If it was that easy, then I would have absorbed Taliath ability already, from either my father or brother.”
“Or it could be that an extended period of close proximity is required. It’s likely that eventually you’ll absorb at least some of my healing ability if we continue to work so closely together,” he said.
“I’ve been physically close to my father my whole life.”
“Yes, but your magic didn’t break out until last year, and you haven’t spent much time with him or Ladan since then.”
Alyx considered that for a moment, but shook her head. “If it was just physical proximity then Galien, or even Lord-Mage Casovar, would have done it.”
Finn sighed heavily, flummoxed. “The problem is, we just don’t know.”
“We’ll likely never know.”
“Exactly, which is why the council is taking such extreme precautions.”
“Precautions? It’s cold-blooded murder.”
Finn smiled, obviously deciding not to argue. “Well, as long as you, Lord-Mage Casovar or Galien never take a Taliath lover, we can all sleep soundly at night.”
“Me?” Alyx snorted incredulously.
“Yes.” Finn’s expression went serious. “Who do you think the Mage Council is protecting the world against by hunting down the Taliath? It’s not just Galien and Casovar.”
“They think I’m a danger?” She gaped. “That’s absurd.”
“You’re a mage innocent. You have no idea how powerful you are.”
“That doesn’t mean I’ll turn into an evil tyrant!”
“Power corrupts. Add your immense abilities to the Taliath invulnerability, and you could do whatever you wanted.”
“The point is moot, I’m not going to take a Taliath lover. They’re mostly gone, and those that aren’t are being murdered one by one.”
“And you’re going to marry Cayr.”
“And that too.”
“You sure about that?”
She turned to face him, surprised. “What does that mean?”
“Are you forgetting what I saw at the dance?”
“I told you not to start on that. You saw nothing.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.” She eyed him seriously. “I love Cayr. Things with Dashan just got… confused because we’ve spent more time than usual together this year. He’s an old friend, but that’s all.”
“All right,” he conceded, raising his hands in the air.
“Come on, lazy heads, up you get.” Tarrick hauled himself out of the water. “Fun time is over.”
Finn shot a grin towards Alyx at Tarrick’s bossiness as they rose. Alyx mustered a return smile, too unsettled from their conversation to really mean it.
Chapter 41
Apprentices and initiates dotted the fields of the valley floor, cutting and baling hay, preparing for next winter. A few of the hard-working students raised a hand in greeting as the horses of Third Patrol passed by, all of which were returned with a smile and a wave.
An initiate came running up to them as they left the fields and turned the horses towards the stables.
“Your patrol is wanted out front, Apprentice Tylender,” the youth said politely.
“Thanks, Tarana.”
Alyx’s look of surprise matched the others’ when they came around the corner to see the full unit of her Bluecoat detail mounted and waiting by the front steps. Her gaze went instantly to Dashan, who had dismounted to wait for them, and a smile tugged at her mouth.
She hadn’t seen him in the week since the dance due to heavier patrolling duties assigned to both the Blue Guard and Third Patrol, and she’d missed him. He caught her smile and grinned back unreservedly, tipping the brim of his blue hat.
“Dash!” Tarrick swung out of the saddle and they all walked over to him. The sun baked Alyx’s bare skin, and she thought longingly of the pools they’d just been swimming in.
“Hello, Tarrick.”
“What brings you by?” Alyx asked. “Do you have a meeting with Master Romas?”
“No, actually.” Dashan pulled a piece of thick paper from his tunic pocket. “I received a missive from Alistriem this morning. Lord-Mage Casovar has ordered all three of you home.”
“Lord-Mage Casovar doesn’t have the authority to order me anywhere,” Alyx said lightly. “As you well know.”
“In this instance, Lord-Mage Casovar carries the authority of the king,” he said soberly, handing her the paper.
She looked at it in surprise. The seal on the paper was definitely the king’s, even though the orders had been signed by Casovar. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve spoken to Master Romas and explained the situation. The Bluecoats are packed and ready to go.”
“You want us to leave now?”
“The message stresses urgency, if you read through.�
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“We have to go, don’t we?” Finn directed this at his sister.
Dawn nodded, looking as confused as Alyx. “We can’t ignore orders from the king.”
“Dashan, a minute please?” Alyx said crisply.
She jogged up the front steps and through the doors into the cool interior of the entrance foyer, waiting for him to join her. His boots echoed in the cavernous space as he entered.
“What can I do for your royal ladyship?” he mocked.
“Don’t give me that tone, Dash!”
“How about you drop the tone! I’m not going to stand here and get treated like one of your underlings because you’re angry.”
She stared at him furiously for a minute before realising he was right. It wasn’t him she was angry at.
“What’s really going on? It’s only you and me in here.”
“I have no idea. Do you think Lord-Mage Casovar would entrust a lowly, half-Shiven lieutenant with his plans? Perhaps if you didn’t allow your jealousy of his daughter to colour your perception of him, you wouldn’t be so upset.”
“That’s nasty, even for you.”
He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I’m even less happy about this than you are. I like being here, and I don’t particularly want to go home.”
There was a clear double meaning in his words, and Alyx smiled despite herself. “I know what you mean.”
“So, home we go.” He smiled crookedly and offered his arm. “Shall we?”
She sighed, ignoring his outstretched arm. “I’ll speak with the others first, but I’ll need to talk to Master Romas before we leave.”
“I figured you would.” Dashan nodded. “Can I have Dawn pack your things while we’re waiting?”
“Sure.”
Tarrick and the twins were still waiting outside, but Mika, Cario and Jayn were missing.
“We said goodbye, gave them our best wishes, all of that,” Tarrick explained. “They’ll do fine, and we’ll see them again in a few short months anyway.”