by Lisa Cassidy
Chestin and Adahn stood guard on the main entrance with four Bluecoats and two Leopards. Nordan, Rothai, Parja, and Dastanta were assigned to watch the two other servants’ entrances. Adahn had pointed out that keeping the council mages close was both a good use of their strong warrior skills and an even better way of keeping an eye on them.
The palace kitchens had put on a sumptuous spread, and those present gathered in small groups, talking and eating. Conversation hummed along, sounding lively and engaged.
A tall, muscular Zandian appeared gracefully at her side, his magic tinkling against her senses. “Magor-lier, it’s a pleasure to meet you again.”
“Hinga, I feel the same way. Tarrick is delighted you were chosen to travel with the emperor.”
“Loren will forever be envious of me, I fear.” A mischievous smile flashed over Hinga’s fierce features. “But I am glad for the opportunity to visit your beautiful city.”
“I hope the emperor is also enjoying his stay here?” She lifted an eyebrow.
“It is a shame that we cannot risk staying more than a handful of days,” Hinga said. “However, I believe the emperor is pleased with the progress of our discussions so far.”
“Do you think he will help us?” Alyx asked bluntly.
“That I cannot say. He does not discuss his thinking with his personal guards. If it’s any consolation, Tarrick has convinced me of the need for our countries to ally against Shivasa and Shakar. Should the emperor ask for my opinion, that is what I will tell him.”
“Thank you.” Alyx straightened as she spotted Cario entering from the main doors. “Would you excuse me a moment?”
“Of course.” He bowed and walked away.
She cut through the room, offering a smile and nod of greeting to those she passed, intercepting Cario as he headed for one of the food tables. “Everything all right?”
“Yes. I was just out making sure the Bluecoats and Leopards are getting along peaceably.” Cario nodded. “How are things in here?”
“Everyone seems to be talking busily, which I suppose is a good sign.”
“Cay’s done well. It was clear the emperor was dubious of his youth, but the king has ably demonstrated his strategic grasp of the war and his firm hold over his senior nobles. It helps that his most senior advisor is a Taliath,” Cario noted, then frowned slightly. “What is it? You seem worried.”
“Oh it’s nothing.” She shook her head, as if to dislodge the anxiousness that had been creeping up the back of her neck. “I had another nightmare the other night, and ever since I’ve been on edge. It doesn’t help that the emperor leaves tomorrow and has yet to formally agree to anything.”
“If it helps, I think Tarian Astohar’s presentation this morning was compelling. The emperor was clearly swayed by his arguments.”
Alyx’s gaze moved to the tall Shiven standing with Ladan towards the centre of the room. The rebel leader towered over everyone there apart from the emperor, yet moved with characteristic Shiven grace and spoke with a quiet, penetrating voice. Both Dashan and Ladan spoke highly of him, and Alyx had yet to see anything to cause her to disagree with them. He was clearly passionate about improving the circumstances of his people.
“His offer of a formal alliance and increased trade concessions if the Shiven government is toppled were generous,” Alyx agreed.
“Generous, but necessary. If Astohar’s rebels managed to topple the Shiven leader, they will have a difficult time establishing a new government while maintaining stability. They’ll need all the help they can get, which is why Astohar is looking for allies now.”
“Perhaps we should consider sending some mages into Shivasa to help him?”
“Let’s definitely discuss it after the conference,” Cario said, then glanced up. “Tarrick is waving me over. I’d better go and see what he wants.”
“I’ll join Cayr and the emperor. Lend the weight of the Magor-lier to their chat.” Time to summon the polite charm she’d mastered in childhood.
Cario’s mouth quirked in a smile. “Good idea.”
“Alyx!”
She was halfway across the crowded space when Dawn’s voice spoke urgently into her mind. Before she could reply the telepath moved into her line of sight, coming straight towards her.
“What is it?” Alyx asked, the words coming out louder than she’d intended. Dawn’s mental voice had sounded almost panicked. A couple of Zandians nearby glanced around, and she smiled reassuringly at them. Dawn lowered her voice so that nobody but Alyx could hear.
“I think there’s a Hunter in the palace,” she murmured.
A cold sliver of fear crept down her back. “Are you sure?”
“It’s hard to tell, because I think there’s only one of them. Can you see if I’m right?”
Alyx nodded and closed her eyes, sending her telepathic magic sweeping out through the hall and the gallery—left deliberately empty for security reasons—above. She found nothing odd on the first sweep, but trusting Dawn’s instincts and ability, she did a second, more thorough search. This time her magic snagged on something.
“There’s, I don’t know…” Alyx murmured, shaking her head as she tried to grasp it. “A slight blankness, but you’re right. There’s more than one, though, maybe four, but far apart…the blankness isn’t strong enough to pinpoint exactly.”
“If they plan an attack, why so separated?” Dawn asked.
“I don’t know.” Fear uncurled slowly, and she fought to hold it down.
“Can you tell where they are?” Dawn’s eyes were half closed as she used her magic too.
Alyx frowned, focused her magic as tightly as she could, but her finesse had never been good. “I’m not sure. You?”
“Inside the palace, definitely,” Dawn opened her eyes and they both scanned the room. Nothing appeared out of place, and none of the alert-looking guards seemed bothered by anything.
“You two looking for someone?” Brynn’s voice startled them. His teasing smile faded when he caught the looks on their faces. “What is it?”
“There are Hunters in the palace,” Dawn said tersely. “Headed this way, I think.”
“How did they get in?” Brynn asked in a low voice. “The place is crawling with mages, Taliath, and warriors.”
“Disguised, is my bet,” Alyx said. “As servants maybe. The medallions could easily be hidden under clothes. And it wouldn’t be hard to do with only a few of them.”
“Assassins, then. But they have no hope of getting close to anyone in here,” Dawn murmured.
“I don’t want to take any chances. Brynn, go and find the Bluecoat captain in charge and tell him to lock this room down.” Alyx started moving for Cayr. “Dawn, tell Ladan what’s going on. He can send his Taliath out to find and kill the Hunters while the leaders stay safe in here.”
Dawn hesitated. “Alyx, you’ll cause a panic that might put the discussions at risk. If there are only a few outside, surely we can—”
“Just do it, Dawn!” All she could think about now was her nightmare, Shakar’s threat. She had to stop him. “Hurry, both of you!”
Brynn was gone without a word, pushing his way through the nobles to reach the nearest Bluecoat. Alyx looked for Cayr—he stood near the middle of the room with Sparky and the emperor, all three faces serious and focused on their conversation. Just to their left was Jenna, talking to Cario, but keeping a close eye on the king.
Anxiety pounded at her. She started moving, striding quickly towards them. He’d tried for Cayr once and failed. Shakar didn’t take failure well. Still, the Hunters were outside the room—as long as they locked it down they could keep everyone inside safe.
“Finn, Tarrick, Adahn, there are Hunters in the palace,” Alyx sent. “Help the Bluecoats lock down the entrances!”
At the same moment, Brynn reached the Bluecoat captain. Crisp orders echoed over the top of the hum of conversation, causing it to falter and then cease entirely. Into the silence echoed the thud of doors slamming one
by one.
The servant’s entrance was held open a few seconds longer for three Taliath led by Ladan to slip out, swords drawn. Swiftly and efficiently the Bluecoats lifted heavy bars and dropped them across the inside of the doors—nothing short of a battering ram would get through now. Alyx’s mages hovered, staffs drawn.
Sensing something was wrong, the Leopards began moving towards their emperor. Chatter started back up, people looking around, fear beginning to fill the room. She caught sight of Tarrick, a head taller than most around him—he was shepherding Tarian Astohar towards his guards.
Silence fell over the room, each of the three leaders now encircled by guards. She told herself to stay calm, that Ladan and his Taliath would find and kill the Hunters. The worried bustle slowed as Tarrick and Cario moved quickly to fill everyone in on what was happening.
“You should let my Leopards out to hunt,” the emperor said, his imperious voice carrying through the space.
“My Lord-Taliath and his fighters know the layout of my palace better, Your Majesty,” Cayr said politely but firmly. “They will be faster in finding the Hunters.”
Finn suddenly materialised at her side, white and drawn. “Alyx, this makes no sense. Why would he try for any of the leaders with only three or four Hunters?”
“Alyx there are more!” Dawn’s panicked voice slid into her head.
“What?” Alyx spun on the spot, throwing her magic out in all directions. Tendrils of dread crept through her veins at what she encountered. Hunters approached from several different directions, and with a sudden instinct, she realised what was happening. What a horrible mistake she’d made.
“They’re not going to try and get in!” she called into the minds of every mage nearby. “They’re going to surround the room so they can cut our—”
And just like that her magic winked out of existence. Enough Hunters had come close enough to the hall for their combined number to have a blanking effect on any mage within. There’s someone already in the room. An assassin. Someone who now couldn’t be identified or stopped with mage power. With several Taliath already in the room for the reception, neither she nor Dawn would have realised the blank spots in their magic might not be one of them. A Hunter had been inside all along. And now he or she was locked inside with them.
Time seemed to slow.
Several Bluecoats closest to the doors started lifting the heavy bars at a shouted direction from Brynn, who’d caught Alyx’s telepathic warning. At an order from Hinga, Leopards swarmed around the emperor, forcing him to the floor and covering him with their bodies. Cario came towards Alyx, Tarrick and Finn not far behind. Even without being able to read their thoughts she knew what they were thinking.
Protect the Magor-lier.
Jenna moved for Cayr, sliding in front of him and drawing Huntress in one smooth movement. Bluecoats surrounded the king on all other sides, ensuring his body was shielded.
For a single moment everything went quiet, those in the room frozen and waiting to see what would happen next. With successive crashes the bars on the main doors fell to the ground and the Bluecoats swept out, mages behind them, seeking to break through the bubble of Hunter medallions outside. The shouts and crash of steel from the fighting drifted in.
Alyx scanned the room, desperately trying to locate the Hunter that had to be inside before they could strike. They’d already tried for Cayr, she wouldn’t let Shakar succeed this time either.
But Cayr wasn’t the target.
She had almost reached Cayr, but the unmistakable twang of a bow had her stopping, spinning back. Cario heard it too, and he reacted instantly, fingers flicking as he tried to use his magic to send the arrow flying off course, away from its target.
Alyx.
Confusion flickered briefly over his face at the realisation his magic wasn’t working. Then, before she could think, before she could understand, Cario leaped forward, throwing himself in front of her. The arrow ploughed into his chest, and he dropped like a rag doll, stumbling back and sending them both crashing to the marble floor.
She screamed. Time snapped back into focus, and she was scrambling, moving out from under his dead weight. Dimly, she heard more screams and shouts. Blood was pooling on Cario’s chest, and his skin had turned waxen.
“Cario!” she shouted, cradling his face, trying to get him to look at her. “No, no, no. Cario!”
“Alyx! The shooter is still up there!”
Dawn’s voice in her ear snapped through her daze as intended. She spun, looking in the direction the arrow had come from.
He stood on the gallery above, a man wearing a Bluecoat uniform and lifting a knocked bow. Adahn was running for the spiral steps leading up to the gallery, Chestin and Nordan close behind, but they were never going to make it in time.
As she watched, the Hunter aimed his bow at her, face taut with focus. Someone—Tarrick?—was running from her left, probably intending to throw himself in front of her too. He wasn’t going to be fast enough though, and Alyx made no effort to move.
As had happened once before, on a stormy night outside a DarkSkull watchtower, utter fury consumed her. She snarled, and her anger smashed through the blankness holding back her magic like it was a fragile vase. Then she raised her bloody hand and summoned a concussion burst with every inch of power roping through her. It let loose in a burst of green light and energy, arrowing straight for the Hunter.
The bright flash of light distracted his shot, forcing him to wince and duck away even though the concussion burst dissipated harmlessly around him. He smirked then, lifting the bow, taunting her with the fact he wore a medallion. Adahn was almost at the top of the stairs but the archer was on the opposite side of the gallery.
Incandescent rage filled her, the scent of Cario’s blood filling her senses, the sight of the archer’s smirk unbearable. It boiled up, escaping in a scream of anger and more magic. She ripped at the columns on either side of the archer, the pure strength and power of her innate magic breaking utterly free of the medallions outside. Wind gusted, shoving Tarrick away as he tried to place himself in front of her.
The archer died with the smirk still on his face, utterly crushed as the marble columns on either side collapsed in on him. Chunks of stone and marble crashed to the floor below, taking some of the gallery with it. Guests scrambled to escape the falling masonry. Dust and debris whipped through the room.
Gasping from adrenalin, not exhaustion, she let her magic go and turned back to Cario, dropping to her knees at his side. His eyes were open and glassy, but slowly sliding closed. No, no, no.
“Where’s Finn?” she screamed, glancing wildly around. Magic still beat at her, desperate to be let out, to do something. Not Cario too. She couldn’t cope if he…
“I’m here, I’m already here,” Finn told her. The healer mage was kneeling on the other side of Cario’s body, one hand cradling the man’s head, the other resting over his wound, covered in blood. His expression was as desperate as hers must have been.
“Why aren’t you doing anything?” she demanded, voice thick with tears.
“The arrow pierced his heart. I can’t–the Hunters are stopping my magic.” Matching tears shone in Finn’s eyes and his chest heaved. “There’s nothing I can do.”
“What if we move him?” she asked frantically, dropping to her knees.
Finn swallowed. “It nicked his heart. If we jostle him in any way he’ll die more quickly.”
“They’re breaking through.” Dawn pointed to the Bluecoats and mages fighting fiercely at the main doors. Tears streamed down her face. “Ladan has brought his Taliath back and they’re cutting through to reach the servant’s entrance. We’ll have magic in a few moments.”
Finn’s stricken look told them that wasn’t going to matter. Alyx’s heart sank, taking all the strength of her anger with it. “Even with magic you can’t save him, can you?”
His glistening eyes stood out starkly against his bone white face. He shook his head.
/> “Cario?” She leaned over him. “Can you hear me?”
His blue eyes flickered open, boring into hers. “M…Magor-lier.”
“Stay,” she whispered. “I can’t lose you.”
He smiled faintly. “You’ll be fine…Alyx. My friend.”
She bit her lip hard, drawing blood. Sobs welled in her chest, constricting her airway. Around her there was chaos, but all she could see was Cario’s eyes slipping closed. She leaned down, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him as close to her as she could, uncaring of his blood smearing all over her clothes. Unbearable grief tore through her, too much to even cry.
“Alyx!”
Someone was tugging at her arm. She shoved them away, but the hand was back only seconds later.
“Aly-girl, come on. We need to leave. The Leopards and Bluecoats are clearing the corridors outside, but there could be more of them in the room.”
“Then I’ll kill them!” she shouted, tearing herself away from Ladan. “I’m not leaving him.”
Tarrick hunkered down, his voice unexpectedly gentle in her ear, “then we’ll go together.” He slid his arms around Cario’s body. Finn quickly followed, lifting his legs. Bluecoats and mages surrounded them as Ladan led them to the exit. She caught a quick glimpse of Adahn’s face—it was as white as Finn’s—and Chestin, who looked down as she passed by. Was that fear in his eyes?
“Alyx, here, take my hand.” Dawn’s face was streaked with tears, but her grip was firm. She guided them both after Tarrick and Finn, and Alyx was dimly aware of Brynn hovering protectively behind.
“Cayr?” she asked.
“Taken safely away by Jenna and the Bluecoats. The Leopards have the emperor safe as well, and Tarian Astohar is with the king,” Dawn said soothingly. “Everyone else is all right. It’s all right.”
“It’s not. It’s not all right.” She gasped.