The Mage Chronicles- The Complete Series

by Lisa Cassidy

  She reached out to squeeze his hand, another weight falling from her shoulders. “There’s something else I have to tell you, Papa. My mother left us and went to Lord Hodin Mirren because he was her best friend. They were together at DarkSkull, an odd pair that didn’t quite fit in. DarkSkull, it forges friendships like that,” she said. “That’s what I have with Tarrick and the twins. Cario too.”

  “I see that now,” he said, eyes intent on her face. “And I’m sorry I didn’t before.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand... my mother went to Hodin because he was the one person in the world she trusted apart from you. And he took her in and protected her at Widow Falls for the same reason. But they weren’t in love. They were friends.”

  “Aly-girl, I—”

  “Let me finish.” She raised a hand. “She wanted to come home to us, to you. That’s what I learned while I was away. She had another friend, Terin. He learned that Shakar might still be alive, and when he told her... she knew instantly. She knew he was behind the mages disappearing, knew he was the threat to us.”

  “She went to face him.” Garan’s voice was hoarse, emotion darkening his eyes.

  “Terin said he tried to stop her, tried to tell her she was being foolish. But she wouldn’t listen. He said it was killing her being apart from you, that she was desperate to come home. She wanted her family back so badly it clouded her judgement.”

  Tears streamed down Alyx’s face as she spoke. She wished so badly she could remember her mother, a mother who’d loved her, who’d died because she loved her so much.

  Her father lifted a hand to cover his face, his shoulders beginning to shake. “Could you give me a moment alone, Aly-girl?”

  “Of course.” She leaned over to kiss him on the top of his head. “I love you, Papa. She did too.”

  As Alyx walked out of the room and down the hall, her father’s whispered words followed her.

  “Oh Temari, I should never have let you go.”

  Chapter 40

  Alyx awoke suddenly, the murmur of her father’s voice in her ear. Her eyes flashed open to see him hovering in the dimness by her bed.

  “Several unidentified armed men coming over the south wall,” he murmured.

  Instantly she reached out with telepathic magic, scanning the surroundings of her home but finding only familiar minds. “How do you—”

  “Taliath ability, no time to explain,” he cut her off. “Can you warn your friends?”

  Alyx rolled out of bed, pulled on boots and robe and called her staff to her hand. It glimmered faintly in the darkness as some of her power leaked into it. “Dawn, I think we’re under attack. I can’t sense anyone but my father is certain.”

  Her friend had been asleep, but it didn’t take her groggy mind long to assimilate Alyx’s words. “I’m waking Finn now. Tarrick’s sleeping here tonight. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  “No, stay where you are, but pack your things. If this is what I think it is, we need to leave the city tonight. I’ll come for you soon.”

  To her credit, Dawn merely acknowledged her instructions and broke away.

  “Cario!” Alyx prodded his sleeping mind next. “My room. Now!”

  “You reached them?” Garan asked as Alyx’s eyes flew open.

  “Yes. Cario’s coming to us. How many of them are there? I can’t sense anything with my magic.”

  “Hard to tell, the sense I get isn’t precise.” Garan spun, sword flashing, as Alyx’s door opened, but it was only Cario, fully dressed and holding his staff.

  “What’s going on?”

  “An attack,” Alyx said tersely. “I can’t sense them but Papa can.”

  “We’re sitting targets here, let’s go,” Garan said, making for the door.

  They’d just about made it to the door when the glass of all three bedroom windows exploded inwards simultaneously. Alyx reacted instinctively. Swinging her body around in front of her father, she held out her staff and erected her mage shield just in time. Deadly shards of flying glass hit the shield and dissolved into dust.

  A cold night breeze blew into the room, bringing with it several warriors swinging through the broken windows. Moonlight glinted from their naked blades.

  “Papa, run!” Alyx shoved him away, her first instinct to protect her father.

  By the time she swung back around, the first attacker was on her, his blade swinging at her head. Alyx brought her staff up, countered the blow, and sent the sword swinging from the man’s hand. Before the next one could come at her, she raised her hand and summoned the power to send a blast of concussive energy at them.

  Nothing happened.

  Cursing, she tried again. Nothing. Her mind flew back to the hut where Casovar had held her, the sinking panic of not being able to reach her magic. By then her moment of reprieve was over and the closest warrior lunged. She backed up rapidly, studying her opponents. They were dressed head to toe in black, with a single silver medallion hanging from their necks. One of them swung right by her face as she ducked desperately to avoid another swiping blade.

  Alyx swore again. She was competent with her staff, but not enough to take down a room of clearly-skilled swordsman. That realisation ran through her head in the seconds it took for another one to come at her. She lifted her staff to block but was beaten to it as her father’s sword slid into the space. He stepped up beside her, flicked his wrist, and the enemy’s blade went flying.

  “I am a Taliath, remember?”

  “Right.” She smiled, despite the circumstances. “Back to back?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Alyx?” Cario hovered by the door. “My magic isn’t working!”

  “I know. Go and see if the servants’ stairwell and side exit down to the stables is clear,” she called back as she ducked under a flashing blade and came up swinging.

  Never in her life had Alyx been so glad of Master Howell and DarkSkull’s insistence that each student learn how to fight with a staff and no magic. It was disconcerting, being in a fight without access to her mage power. The warriors attacking them were extremely good. She weaved, ducked and twisted, lashing out with her staff when she had an opportunity, but finding it hard against so many opponents at once. During one brief flash of respite, Alyx looked up and noticed more coming through the windows.

  “It’s clear!” Cario’s voice cut over the sound of clashing steel.

  “Good—get down to the stables and ready the horses! We’ll fight our way clear and meet you there.”

  Several moments of desperate fighting followed, weariness beginning to tug at her in the burning muscles of her arms and breath rasping in her chest. Then Garan managed to briefly clear a path to the door.

  “You first,” he said, stepping forward to take the brunt of the attack. “I’ll be right behind you!”

  Alyx swept her staff outwards, lunging forward at the nearest warrior and giving herself space to run for the door. A glance backwards showed her father swiftly dispatching the two swordsmen nearest him before following her into the hall.

  They sprinted through an open door at the opposite end of the floor, and Alyx paused on the other side, gaze searching the dimness around them. This far from the warriors, she could access her magic, and used it to slam the door shut behind them before dragging a nearby wooden chest over to block it. Just as it fell into place, her magic vanished. Loud thumping came from the other side of the door.

  “Come on,” she panted. “We have to get to the stables.”

  “Any reason you didn’t use magic back there?” Garan asked, breathing fast but still easy.

  “Something is blocking it. I think it’s the medallions they’re all wearing,” Alyx panted. “The range on them isn’t far, but close enough, they completely stifled my magic.”

  “That’s reassuring,” Garan said mildly.

  They pounded down the servants’ stairwell and burst out into the cold night air. Pebbles from the drive crunched under their boots a
s they ran for the stables, Garan’s long strides quickly outdistancing Alyx.

  The stable door flew open, almost collecting Garan, and Cario appeared leading Tingo. The stallion was yanking hard on the reins, clearly picking up on Cario’s urgency.

  “I’ve got him!” Alyx shouted, grabbing Tingo’s bridle and leading him away from the door. The stallion snorted unhappily, but stopped fighting her hold. By the time she’d swung into the saddle, Cario had led Garan’s horse out and was heading back in for his own.

  The moment Cario reappeared she turned Tingo’s head and urged him into a gallop for the gates. Black-clad warriors came spilling out of the front doors, but the three horses were already disappearing through the gates.

  Dawn, Finn and Tarrick were mounted and waiting in the street outside the twins’ home when Alyx, Garan and Cario came racing up. The street was otherwise empty, most of the houses dark as their occupants slept.

  “What the hell happened?” Tarrick demanded.

  “An attack,” Alyx explained as quickly as she could, then added what Shakar had threatened in her last nightmare. “I’m pretty sure they were sent by Shakar to assassinate me.”

  “That explains it!” Cario suddenly sat up straighter in the saddle.

  “What?” They all turned to him.

  “The secret behind all the mage disappearances. Nobody could ever figure out how so many mages were caught unawares, or unable to fight off whoever came for them. Shakar found himself the perfect attackers, skilled Shiven warriors with the ability to block mage power by the medallions they wear. Those poor mages wouldn’t have even known they were coming.”

  “That makes a certain awful sense,” Tarrick said.

  “But that begs the question of how Alyx knew?” Dawn turned to her.

  “I knew about the metal because Casovar used manacles made of it when he was holding me captive. He told me how it worked.”

  “Better question, how were you able to warn us tonight?” Cario asked.

  “My father,” she said, giving them all a pointed look. “The Taliath.”

  “It’s a Taliath ability,” Garan said into the ensuing silence. “We can sense approaching danger.”

  “If Shakar is hunting you, you can’t go home,” Dawn said. “Neither can you, Lord Egalion.”

  “If I leave, Papa can stay in the palace,” Alyx said. “He’ll be better protected, and if I’m gone, they won’t go after him.”

  “I don’t think so.” Garan shook his head, glancing at his sword. “I’m not afraid, but Shakar will know that I’m a Taliath once again, as will the Mage Council. I won’t be safe here much longer.”

  “We were planning to go back to DarkSkull anyway.” Finn turned to Alyx.

  “Exactly, and leaving tonight will make no difference.” She regarded her father thoughtfully for a moment. “You’ll come with us. I know somewhere you can go where you’ll be safe and where you can do some good.”

  “Widow Falls?” Dawn picked up what she was thinking. “Riding fast, it won’t take too long to travel via Lord Mirren’s home.”

  “I agree.” Tarrick picked up his reins, turning his horse. “Let’s get moving. We should put as much distance between us and the city as we can before dawn. Who knows if the Hunters will follow us?”

  “Papa, will you take Tingo for me?” Alyx swung down from the saddle. “There’s something I need to do before I leave. I’ll catch up to you all soon.”

  Tarrick scowled. “If you have some foolish idea in your head to go back and face those medallion-wearing—”

  “Nothing like that.” She laughed at how vehement he was. “I want to say goodbye to Cayr.”

  “Oh.” An almost visible fission of relief went through all of them. “Don’t be long.”

  “I won’t.”

  Alyx alighted outside Cayr’s bedroom window without a sound. Never in all her years climbing in to see Cayr had she ever thought that one day she would simply be able to fly in.

  How things had changed.

  He was sitting on his bed, fully clothed and studying a piece of parchment by lamplight. A rush of gladness went through her at seeing him—he would always be her dear friend, the one who used to know her best, and she was going to miss him terribly.

  Surprise, and a touch of pain, flashed over his face at the sight of her, but his smile was warm and welcoming. “Alyx!”

  She met him halfway across the room, going easily into his hug. “Hi.”

  “I’ve been worried about you. You’re okay?”

  “Getting there,” she said. “How about you?”

  “I’ve been busy,” he said. “If you’re asking beyond that, well, you broke my heart.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I know you are.” He offered a sad smile and sat on the bed. Alyx joined him, searching for the right thing to say. She would never, ever regret giving herself to Dashan, but she deeply regretted hurting Cayr the way she had.

  “I love you.” She took his hand. “I truly do.”

  “Me too, Alyx. I’m going to miss having you around.” His mouth quirked in a smile. “The late hour and look on your face tells me you’re here to say goodbye again.”

  “It’s necessary, I’m afraid. I was attacked earlier,” she said, and then explained everything to him. “Shakar knows I’m here, so it’s not safe to stay. I need to go back to DarkSkull Hall and help gather the mages to fight back.”

  Cayr processed that for a moment. “Where’s Dash in all of this? Is he with you?”

  “He’s gone to ShadowFall Island in the hopes there might still be teachers there to train him as a Taliath. You and I are the only two people alive who know that,” she said. “If the council finds him... ”

  “I’m aware,” he said quietly. “And you know I’ll protect him as best I can.”

  “We’ll all protect each other.” She squeezed his hand. “That’s what we do.”

  Cayr took a breath. “My father... he’s well again, but I think he lost something with what Casovar did to him. He’s not the same. And we’re in such danger from the Shiven, let alone Shakar.”

  Alyx gave him a contemplative look. He had that serious air about him again, the one she’d feared he would never have. “It was you, wasn’t it, that used the City Guard to stop the Mage Guard raids?”

  “I promised you I would take a serious look at their activities, and when I found the truth... ” His blue eyes darkened, and she felt a sliver of sympathy—knowing all too well what it was like to have long-held illusions shattered. “But then my father sent me away so abruptly. I didn’t have time to do much more than assign a trusted unit of City Guard to intercept any raids as discreetly as they could.”

  “You chose well,” she told him. “They did a remarkable job.”

  “You were right to challenge me,” he said, quiet dignity ringing through his words. “I won’t ever forget what you said. I will be king of all Rionn.”

  Alyx reached up, turning his face to hers and forcing him to meet her eyes. “You don’t need me or Dashan to be a great leader for Rionn. Cayr, this is your time to shine. Keep Rionn safe for me. I want a home to come back to.”

  His back straightened at her words, and acceptance turned his face into a sober reflection of what innocent light had once shone there. “I will.”

  She hugged him tightly. “Goodbye, Cayr.”

  “Goodbye, Alyx.”

  From Cayr’s room she made her way through the palace to a far less ornate corridor and a plainer doorway. A single Bluecoat stood outside the door.

  “Lady Egalion.” Tijer’s narrow face creased into a relieved smile. “It’s good to see you.”

  “And you, Tijer. My father says he spoke with you and Casta?”

  “He did. We’ll do our best, My Lady.”

  Alyx paused, her hand on the doorknob. “I’m leaving tonight, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Thank you, Tijer, for your protection and your friendship. I won’t ever forget it.”

  H
e gave her a low, graceful bow before straightening, his hand on his heart.

  “We’ll miss you, Lady Egalion.”

  Jenna sat by the fire, attention on the book in her lap. At Alyx’s entrance, she looked up, fear flashing over her beautiful face.

  “Lady Egalion.”

  Alyx pulled a chair over to sit opposite, then settled herself in it. “Here’s my first piece of advice, Jenna. Never show your fear.”

  Jenna frowned slightly, and she put down the book. “Why are you here? To gloat?”

  “No. I’m actually here for a favour.”

  “You expect me to believe that?” Jenna showed a flash of her old hauteur, huffing out a laugh.

  “Your adopted father became quite chatty when he was holding me prisoner,” Alyx said. “Amidst all the torture, he told me something very interesting.”

  “Whatever it is you want, I’m not interested.” Jenna shook her head. “Arrest me, kill me, do whatever you like. I’m not stupid, I know my life here is over.”

  Alyx waited a beat after Jenna had finished talking, then looked her straight in her stunning blue eyes. “I think one or both your parents were Taliath, Jenna, and I think Casovar murdered them on the orders of the Mage Council.”

  The young woman swallowed, a bright sheen of tears glistening in her eyes, but instead of letting them fall, she held her chin high. “If that’s true, why did he keep me? Why not kill me too?”

  “He kept you in the hopes that if he raised you, one day you’d form a close enough bond that he could absorb your invulnerability,” Alyx said bluntly. “He wanted power, and he wanted to be invincible. Shakar played on those ambitions quite successfully.”

  “Did it work?” Her voice was raspy, as if speaking around a lump in her throat.

  Alyx shook her head. “No. So far, only one way has proven to allow a mage to absorb Taliath ability, and that’s through being lovers.”