by Lisa Cassidy
A flare of annoyance went through her and she yanked her hand free. “Stop pulling me.”
More hurt and confusion flashed over his face. “What is wrong with you?”
Dawn’s laughter filtered along the beach; she and the boys had drifted closer in the course of their water fight. They were clearly having a lot of fun, and Alyx made the decision to let go of her concerns and join them.
“I’m sorry,” she apologised. “Captain Dunnat and his soldiers really got to me the other day, that’s all. Come on, let’s go and help win that water fight.”
She ran towards the shore before he could protest, and was relieved moments later as his splashing footsteps joined hers.
“Where’s Dash tonight?” Tarrick asked a while later as they trooped wearily back to their towels, dripping cool ocean water.
“I don’t know,” Alyx admitted, explaining what Tijer had told her. The subject of Dashan brought her concern for him rushing back, and all she felt when Cayr slung an arm around her shoulders was confusion.
“Is there anything we can do?” Finn asked.
“No.” She sighed. “Dashan is his own man. He needs to accept the consequences of his actions. We can’t always step in to protect him from himself.”
“I wouldn’t do it if I thought he was acting from a bad place.” Cayr looked torn. “But all you say about him is right, and I can understand the way he acts because of the awful life he has had.”
And she’d only compounded that, spurning him for Cayr, even though she wasn’t even sure... Enough! Alyx took a firm hold of her wandering thoughts. Dashan was hurting, but she couldn’t be the one to help. That wasn’t fair to him or Cayr.
Deep down, where she boxed her deepest fears away, she buried the growing realisation that nothing was ever going to go back to the way it had been.
Chapter 7
The remainder of their first week back was spent in Casovar’s rooms at the palace studying reports about suspicious activity in the city and its surroundings. These came from several different sources, including private citizens and the City Guard, and most were anonymous.
The majority seemed dubious at best and vexatious at worst—in one case a blatant attempt by a struggling merchant to get his main competitor arrested—but Casovar insisted they carefully review each report. Any that weren’t obviously fabricated or completely lacking in usable detail were passed on to Dunnat and the Mage Guard to investigate.
Alyx had dreaded being sent out with the Mage Guard, certain she wouldn’t be able to stand by and do nothing if they crossed the line in their behaviour, but so far Casovar kept them in the palace reviewing the reports.
“Your studies at DarkSkull make you better equipped to understand how valuable the information is than Dunnat’s men,” Casovar explained when Tarrick asked. “Not to mention your language skills.”
That seemed plausible enough—the odd report came in written in Zandian or Shiven—but Alyx wondered if Casovar was hesitant to have his apprentices work too closely with the Mage Guard given their evident dislike for each other.
On the third day, Casovar began taking Tarrick and the twins out to the adjacent garden; initially to observe their ability to use their magic, and then to continue their training. When Alyx rose to join them the first time, Casovar waved her back to her chair, remarking that being able to summon a green light was useless, and there was no reason for her to accompany them.
The words had stung and she’d sat fuming at her desk until she became aware of Dunnat’s beady eyes watching her, a smirk on his face. Turning away from him, she’d continued reading through the pile of reports before her, and as her anger slowly faded, logic reasserted itself. It would have been difficult in the extreme to hide her powers under Casovar’s direct scrutiny, and being left out of the sessions was the best thing that could have happened.
That night the apprentice mages walked down to the city together to share dinner, a routine they’d quickly fallen into. On this occasion Cayr accompanied them too, his Bluecoat detail setting up a discreet cordon around the café they’d chosen.
It was sheer coincidence that Cayr and Alyx were leaving, lagging behind the others, as Casta and a group of friends strolled past the café, presumably off duty in their civilian clothing.
“Lady Egalion.” Casta waved cheerfully, leaving his friends to jog over. It took him a second to recognise Cayr as her companion, resulting in a sharp salute and much deeper bow.
“Lieutenant,” Cayr sounded amused. “You know Alyx?”
“He’s part of my protective detail,” Alyx explained.
“I wouldn’t have interrupted you, except Tijer and I have been trying to work out a way to come and talk to you.” Casta’s glance flicked between Alyx and Cayr, making it clear he didn’t want to say much in front of the prince.
“Do you mind?” Alyx gave Cayr an apologetic smile and waited until he’d gone to catch up to the others. “What is it, Casta?”
“You asked Tijer to keep his ears out for any information about the Mage Guard, and if they were crossing the line again.” His mouth tightened. “Two nights ago they raided three homes in the poor district—all residents were of Shiven blood. One lad was beaten half to death when he tried to stop them arresting his mother.”
The poor district. A large corner in the southwest of Alistriem where its poorest citizens—and criminal elements—lived. It began only a few blocks back from the public beach. She tried to keep her growing anger from her voice when she responded. “How sure are you of this?”
“An off-duty Bluecoat was at a brothel nearby with some friends,” Casta admitted. “They were leaving when the raid happened. Tijer and I spoke to him directly.”
“Alyx, is something wrong?” Cayr had wandered back over. “Tarrick and the twins are headed home.”
“Those red-cloaks we saw the other night at the beach were on their way to a raid,” she told him, voice seething despite her best efforts. “A Shiven youth almost died trying to protect his mother from being arrested.”
Cayr stiffened. “If his mother was spying on our army, then he shouldn’t have tried to stop the arrest.”
“Are you confident they had proof of that? After what I saw when we arrived back in Alistriem, I’m not confident at all,” she snapped. “Damn it! I knew I should have gone after them!”
“If I may, Your Highness.” Casta cleared his throat. “Word amongst the Blue Guard is that the red-cloaks often become overly violent when conducting their activities. At the very least, their professionalism is questionable.”
“I’m not surprised to hear the Blue Guard hold such a low opinion of the Mage Guard given the rivalry between the two units,” Cayr said icily. “And I don’t appreciate you bringing rumour and innuendo to Lady Egalion in the middle of the street like this.”
“Cayr, enough!” Alyx said, horrified. “Casta, please go back to your evening. Thank you for bringing me the information.”
Casta gave a much stiffer salute to Cayr, flashed a quick smile at Alyx, then turned to run after his friends.
She spun back to Cayr, the anger and regret swamping her so strongly her hands trembled with it. “What possessed you to talk to him like that?”
“Since when is it all right for a Bluecoat to accost you in the street with dramatic stories about Mage Guard raids?” He seemed genuinely confused by her reaction.
“Casta is a friend who has protected me on multiple trips to DarkSkull and back,” she said evenly. “I asked him and the others to keep an ear out for the Mage Guard doing anything like what they were doing to the poor jeweller when we arrived. And now they’ve gone out and raided three homes, almost killing a youth,” she said. “One of your citizens. What are you going to do about it?”
“Rionn is at war!” Cayr stepped towards her, anger vibrating from him. She’d finally broken through his determined pretence that everything was fine, and a quick jolt of satisfaction speared through her. “It might not be official, and it might not be an o
pen battle, but Shivasa wants us. I will do whatever it takes to keep my country safe.”
“The citizens in the poor quarter are part of your country.” She searched his face. “All you see is the court and the nobles in it. And I know you love Rionn, and you want to protect it, but think about what that means.”
“They attacked us in our own home!” His chest heaved with emotion, blue eyes snapping. “They tried to kill my own father. They tried to kill you. I don’t care how old they are or whose mother they are, the Shiven are—”
“Your best friend is half-Shiven!” She cut him off ruthlessly, desperate to make him see. “You’ve never seen him as anything other than your friend. Being Shiven doesn’t automatically make Dashan a spy, or a bad person. Why is it different for those living in the poor quarter?”
“I... ” Cayr’s anger faltered, and he lifted a hand to run through his hair. “I don’t know.”
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Cayr.” She searched his face, looking for a glimmer of understanding. “I’m trying to make you see that just because you have good intentions, it doesn’t make what you’re doing right. It doesn’t make what the Mage Guard is doing right.”
He turned away from her, his gaze distant as he watched the people walking by them, oblivious to the curious stares his Bluecoat detail caused. She let him think, hoping her words had gotten through to him.
After a moment he turned back, an expression of focused determination on his face. “I will undertake a personal review of the Mage Guard activities to ensure they are acting appropriately. But Alyx, if I find they are operating within the parameters of their role, and are simply finding and arresting those putting our soldiers in danger, I will do nothing. Is that clear?”
“Thank you,” she said.
He gave her a shaky smile. “Do you plan on challenging me like this when you are queen?”
“Cayr, come on, that’s a long way in the future.” She sighed. “Maybe you won’t want to marry someone who challenges you like I just did.” Like Dashan always challenged her—to be better, stronger. She ached at his absence, but pushed the emotion away. It wasn’t fair to Cayr.
“I can take being challenged,” he murmured, pulling her closer as they started walking. “But we’ve never fought like this before.”
“I think we see the world differently now because of the different experiences we’ve had.”
“Those differences will make us stronger,” he said determinedly. Alyx nodded agreement, ignoring the doubt worming its way through her heart.
Three nights later, the doorbell rang as Alyx left the dining room. She’d parted from Tarrick and the twins after finishing her reports, hoping to spend some time with her father over dinner. That hope had been dashed when he’d stayed late working at the palace.
They hadn’t spoken properly since their angry words on her first night back. He wasn’t home often, and they usually only saw each other for a few moments at breakfast. She didn’t like the way things were between them, and wanted to fix it. She resolved to try again the next day.
The ring of the bell was a surprise and, curious, Alyx waved away one of the servants going to answer the door. A familiar figure stood on the step.
“Dash!” Her shoulders sagged in relief. “I’ve been looking for you all week! Where have you been?”
He shrugged. “Oh, you know me. I get around.”
She gave him a searching look. He was out of uniform, wearing only brown breeches and a worn, blue shirt under a black jacket. His eyes met hers, dark and unreadable. Alyx was about to give in to her utter relief at seeing him and throw her arms around his neck when her telepathic magic tinkled a warning.
“I tracked him down at the barracks.” Cayr stepped out of the shadows, and she guiltily tore her eyes from Dashan. “He wasn’t doing anything but polishing his sword.”
Like Dashan, Cayr was dressed in worn, understated clothing and a cap concealed his golden curls. Her gaze narrowed. “What brings you both here?”
He grinned. “We’ve come to take you out with us for a night on the town. It’s time to properly celebrate your return.”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Alyx glanced back at Dashan, whose expression remained closed. “Besides, I’ve been home a week already.”
“And yet the three of us still haven’t spent any time together,” Cayr urged. “Come on. Don’t tell me you’re still mad at me?”
They hadn’t spoken since their fight over the Mage Guard, largely due to Cayr’s commitments with his father.
“You two had a fight?” Dashan snorted. “About time for pigs to start flying, I suppose.”
Alyx ignored Dashan’s baiting. “I wish you’d take the situation more seriously.”
“What situation?” Dashan asked.
“I’m doing as I promised I would.” A cold soberness flashed over Cayr’s face for the briefest of moments before his carefree grin returned. “But tonight is about finally having some fun. No serious talk. Come on, Alyx.”
“Are you sure about this?” Alyx directed her question at Dashan.
“Absolutely.” Dashan grinned, but she recognised it for what it was, the shield he held up to the world to hide what he was really feeling. For a moment she considered trying to pick up his thoughts, but quickly dismissed the idea. She could never breach his privacy like that. “It’ll be fun.”
“Come on.” Cayr reached forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the door. “Tarrick and the twins are waiting for us down below. We’re going to introduce them to the party district.”
“I was hoping for a quiet night at home,” she said, resisting him.
“Why, is everything okay?” Dashan’s eyes bored into her.
“We can talk about it over ale,” Cayr said. “Come on.”
“What about your Bluecoat detail? I’m not sure they’ll be too pleased at you going to the party district.” She looked behind them, searching for the tell-tale blue.
“I lost them back at the palace. Dash created the perfect diversion for me to sneak out.” Cayr shrugged. “They think I’m safely ensconced in my room, reading.”
That explained their clothing. Her sense of unease deepened. This was going to be one of the rare occasions where they went completely incognito. She glanced down at her attire, relieved she’d changed out of her mage robes into a summer dress after arriving home earlier.
“They’ll be waiting for us. Let’s go.” Cayr tugged at her hand.
“I have a feeling I’m going to regret this,” she muttered, but followed.
Alyx spent most of the walk down into the city trying not to look at either Dashan or Cayr. The confusion that arose from how glad she’d been to see Dashan and the realisation of how much she’d missed his absence from her life didn’t help matters.
Tarrick and the twins waited for them inside the city gates. All were dressed in an understated fashion, so clearly Cayr had warned them what was planned. All three were pleased to see Dashan, and he was as charming and jocular as usual as he greeted them, slapping Tarrick on the back and giving Finn a little shove.
“You look worried.” Dawn noted as she and Alyx linked arms.
“You don’t think the idea of the prince of Rionn loose in the city without his protective guard is something to be worried about?”
“Cayr won’t be in danger when he’s surrounded by mages, even half-trained ones,” Dawn said. “And I know the three of you have done this before. That’s not what is really bothering you.”
Alyx cursed Dawn’s powerful mage power, and briefly re-focused the mental shield that Howell had taught them. It was something she maintained constantly now, particularly around Casovar. A mage’s mental shield was far more about their ability to summon and maintain a strong mental focus than actual magic, and both Finn and Tarrick were confident her skill at shielding wouldn’t give Casovar any indication of her magical strength. Her fear and intense dislike of Casovar gave her more than enough motivation
to achieve that mental focus.
“Dashan’s in one of his moods,” she explained reluctantly. “And that’s never a good thing.”
“He’s probably just still upset about what happened with Casovar,” Dawn said. “He’ll be fine.”
Alyx wasn’t so sure, but she smiled and allowed herself to be drawn into a conversation about where they should go once arriving in the party district. The delineation between the few square blocks which made up the district and the city around it was clear. Inside, it was brighter, louder and filled with people. Light spilled out from inn doors, extra lamps lined the streets, and the sound of laughter, music and the more chaotic tenor of inebriated conversation filled the evening air.
The inn Dashan chose was already loud with lively music, its patrons crowding out the doors and filling the tables lining the pavement. Dashan and Tarrick shouldered their way through to the bar to order drinks, while Cayr and Finn took care of finding them a table near the edge of the room.
Alyx tried to let the music and upbeat atmosphere relax her, but the level of disquiet she felt made that impossible.
“Cheer up.” Cayr nudged her arm. “It’s not that bad. Surely you’re glad to be home?”
“Absolutely,” Finn answered for her. “There’s nothing like the inns of the party district on a warm summer’s evening.”
Alyx had to laugh at that. “We’ve never been here before!”
“We have in my imagination,” he said gravely, making them all roll their eyes.
Cayr leaned back against the wall, throwing a casual arm around Alyx’s shoulders. Dashan chose that moment to reappear with Tarrick and the drinks. Nothing showed on his face, but when he put the glass of ale in front of Cayr, it slammed into the table with more force than was necessary. Alyx jumped, barely avoiding having ale splashed on her lap.
Finn cleared his throat loudly, barely suppressing his amusement. Alyx shot him a glare.
“What is with the two of you?” Cayr raised his eyebrows. “Moods both as dark as thunderclouds.”