The Mage Chronicles- The Complete Series

by Lisa Cassidy

  Bright bursts of light began erupting into the sky as Shiven mages joined the defence of city. She’d wondered how many mages would be in Karonan—a focused sweep of telepathic power told her how many and where they were. There weren’t many and none of them were telepaths. A bit of luck they hadn’t expected. She expanded her magic outwards, sending targeted concussion balls at every single one of them.

  Alyx then turned her attention to the defenders on the walls, using concussive bursts to help cover the fighters who were vulnerable as they crossed the open causeway. Once all three forces had reached the city gates and were engaged fiercely with the city’s defenders, she searched for Tarrick and Finn’s minds—by now they should be...and there they were.

  She dropped out of the sky just ahead of where Tarrick, Finn, Dawn, and Ladan were running swiftly through one of the main streets.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” Finn said with a grin.

  “Don’t stop,” Ladan barked. “We could run into Shiven at any moment.”

  Without another word, she fell into step as they kept running, Dawn warning them of any danger ahead. Alyx kept half an eye on her surroundings and summoned her own telepathic magic.

  “Rody, tell Dashan and Deskin we’re on our way to complete step two of the plan. All forces are inside and Dashan now has command of taking the city.”

  “Aye, Magor-lier.” The telepath’s voice was, for once, calm and focused.

  “Dash has command of the city,” Alyx said aloud.

  “Good,” Ladan said. “We’re almost there.”

  Alyx’s target, the one Tarian had directed them to with as much detail as he could, was walled and heavily guarded. There was only one gated entrance and it was bristling with Shiven fighters. Alyx threw her magical shield up as arrows came hissing at them.

  “Dawn, find out where we need to go while I get us through,” she ordered. “Ladan, Finn, watch our backs. Tarrick?”

  “With you.”

  Alyx dropped her shield and let out a shout as she hurled a concussion ball at the gate. It exploded into the metal and sent both gates flying inwards. More echoing booms sounded as Tarrick sent his own concussion bursts into the defenders that were still alive.

  “Found them!” Dawn said, triumph filling her voice.

  Ladan took the lead and they ran for the now-gaping hole in the wall. He dispatched the remaining Shiven guards while Tarrick and Alyx took a moment to catch their breath. She tried not to look at all the dead, mangled bodies scattered around. More death. It made her stomach heave.

  “Arrows!” Dawn shouted as they clambered over the rubble and inside the wall.

  Warned, Alyx spun, settling her shield over them as more arrows hissed down around them. They shifted closer together, using the rubble and Alyx’s shield to protect them.

  “Dawn?” Ladan barked.

  “They’re in there.” She pointed to the building on their left, across the open space.

  “We’re not going to get very far pinned down like this.” Finn said.

  “My reserve is too low,” Tarrick said. “I can fight but not use my magic.”

  “Here.” Finn reached out and touched his arm, and moments later Tarrick brightened considerably.

  “You all run for the building, I’m going to keep the shield over you,” Alyx said. “Ladan, Tarrick, you’ll need to deal with the fighters guarding the front entrance to the building.”

  “You?” Ladan asked.

  “I’m going to clear the walls of those damnable archers, and then I’ll be right behind you. Ready?”

  They nodded.

  “Keep close to me,” Ladan snapped tersely, then moved off at a run. Alyx gritted her teeth, the strain wearing on her as she struggled to keep her shield over them while they ran.

  The moment they reached cover, she dropped the shield and began flinging concussive bursts. Stone gouged and chipped as her magic slammed into it, and the hail of arrows from the defenders slowed. Brute force could only do so much, though. Once the light of her blasts faded she targeted the remaining archers one by one, ripping the bows from their hands and quivers from their backs.

  By the time she was done, exhaustion swamped her. She sagged, hunching over her knees to catch her breath.

  “Alyx!” Ladan called across the square from the shelter of the building.

  “Coming.”

  Forcing herself to move, Alyx ducked out from under the cover of the rubble and ran across the space to join the others inside the front entrance of the building.

  “We took out the guards,” Ladan said. “Dawn says there are a few more in the building, but nothing we can’t handle.”

  “Lead the way, Dawn.” Alyx hoped Dawn had the strength for it—her magic had become sluggish and slow to respond.

  Dawn led them up a richly carpeted stairway to a long hall. Beautiful tapestries hung from the stone walls on either side of them, and more thick carpet covered the floor. They moved cautiously towards the double doors at the end of the hall.

  “Where are the guards?” Ladan asked quietly.

  “Not on this level,” Dawn murmured, then closed her eyes. “They’re guarding the back and side entrances. They haven’t realised yet that the building has been breached, but it won’t be long before they do.”

  “Then we’d best hurry,” Ladan said. “Tarrick, Alyx?”

  “I’ll do it,” Tarrick said with a glance in Alyx’s direction. She nodded at him gratefully.

  Tarrick sent the doors flying inwards with a controlled blast of his power. Ladan, sword drawn, gestured for them to wait until the dust and debris settled around the now gaping hole. Once they could see clearly, he moved forward, Alyx and Tarrick flanking him.

  Alyx’s fingers twitched, ready to employ her magic instantly if they were attacked. Inside, a group of Shiven men sat around an ornate table. Maps covered the surface, and several piles of parchment sat scattered over the top.

  None of them moved. Their expressions ranged from terrified to angry—some wore a mixture of both. Alyx stared at them for a long moment. It was hard to believe she was standing here, right at the heart of Shiven leadership. After so long…

  Ladan stepped aside so that Finn and Dawn could come in behind them, but he held his sword ready, taking up a guard position by the door.

  “Which one of you is the leader of Shivasa?” Alyx asked.

  “Who are you?” This from a younger man to her left. He was one of the angry ones, though his white knuckled grip on the table suggested it hid fear deep down.

  “I am Alyx Egalion, Magor-lier of the mage order,” she said evenly. “Now, which of you is Shivasa’s leader?”

  “He’s not here.” Another man spoke. Grey haired and composed, she guessed him to be one of their military leaders. His back was ramrod straight in his chair. “He was hidden for protection when your attack started.”

  “Dawn?” Alyx asked.

  “He’s the leader,” Dawn said, pointing at a middle-aged, bearded man sitting at the head of the table. His eyes flickered at the pronouncement, but he didn’t move a muscle to betray himself. The same couldn’t be said of the young man to Alyx’s left, however. He shifted uncomfortably, shooting a look of alarm to the others.

  Alyx looked straight at the leader. “I’m sorry to inform you, but your city has been taken.”

  Ladan walked around the table and placed his sword at the man’s throat. “On behalf of King Cayr of Rionn and King Mastaran of Tregaya, I’m giving you the chance to surrender. Accept, and you and all your military commanders will be taken prisoner and removed from power. Refuse, and I’ll kill you where you sit” His face hardened, and he looked so much like their father in that moment tears shot to Alyx’s eyes. “Either way, your war on Rionn and Tregaya is over.”

  The leader was silent for a moment, then he smiled bitterly. “I surrender.”

  “Get up.” Ladan hauled him to his feet, while Tarrick and Finn did the same with the other men in the room.


  “You might have won this battle,” the leader said. “But you won’t win the war. Shakar will destroy you.”

  She wanted to throw the words back in his face, but she couldn’t. She’d lost the mages. The leader was right. The momentary surge of triumph she’d had died abruptly, turning to ashes in her mouth.

  By the end of the day, Karonan was firmly under the control of Rionnan and Tregayan forces. The remnants of the Shiven army were placed under close guard at their barracks, and Sparky instituted a double guard along the city walls still standing. Rionnan soldiers patrolled the streets, ensuring none of the citizens took it into their heads to rebel, while the militia were sent out to scout the countryside for any Shiven units that might still be in the area.

  Alyx found Dashan outside the Shiven barracks, speaking to the Bluecoat captain in charge of guarding the prisoners. His clothes were streaked with sweat and blood, but he looked well.

  “Cayr?” he asked as soon as he saw her.

  “In the old leader’s rooms in the town hall. He’s safe and well-protected.”

  “Good.” Relief washed over his face. “How are you?”

  “Tired, but pleased with how it all went.” She caught the disquiet in his eyes and frowned. “What is it?”

  “Tarian Astohar confronted the Shiven army general. He killed the man but was badly wounded in the process.”

  “Oh no.” She sighed. “Will he make it?”

  “Finn is working on him as we speak. With mage help, he might.” Dashan ran a hand over his face. “I hope so. None of the other rebel leaders could easily step into his place. Respect and honour are important to the Shiven, and Tarian holds that amongst all the rebels. He’s also well disposed towards Rionn.”

  “Do you think the Shiven will try and free their leader?”

  “It’s unlikely. He suffered a complete military defeat today. He’s lost his standing—I don’t think even the army commanders would accept him as leader any longer,” Dashan said. “If we act quickly to assuage their concerns by doing what Tarian intended—holding an election for a new leader—I doubt we’ll face much trouble from the army still out there.”

  “I hope that’s true.” She smiled for him. “Are there many senior commanders still alive?”

  Dashan nodded. “One of them was in the room with the leader when you captured him, and a couple of others still live.”

  “Can you gather them and bring them to meet with Cayr and the others?” she asked. “We need to speak, all of us together, with the rebels.”

  Tarian had planned well for this eventuality, and his captains had already established a council amongst themselves to run things until elections could be held for a new leader. Alyx’s respect for the man increased even further at how well the rebels were conducting themselves.

  Dashan turned out to be right. After long hours of discussion and debate, the remaining commanders of the Shiven army agreed to accept the temporary leadership of the rebel council, on the proviso that the elections be held within six months, whether Shakar was defeated by then or not. Alyx got the distinct sense that not all of them had been comfortable with Shakar’s influence and level of control over the leader—their honour had kept them loyal, but now they had strong justification to change their loyalty.

  Once that was agreed, the council formally instructed them to send orders withdrawing the Shiven army from Rionn and Tregaya immediately.

  It was dawn when the meetings finally ended. Alyx stepped outside and blinked at the early morning sunlight. As she stretched the stiffness from her muscles, exhaustion swamped her.

  “It’s hard to believe that this time yesterday we were all under attack by the Shiven,” Dashan said. “And now there’s peace.”

  “There won’t be peace until Shakar is dead,” she murmured, then straightened her shoulders. “I’ve been thinking, I should be the one to take the withdrawal orders out to the Shiven army in Rionn and Tregaya.”

  Dashan frowned. “Alyx, no, you’re exhausted. You need to rest.”

  “The sooner the Shiven army retreats, the better. We both know that. Flying, I can reach them today, if not tomorrow. Written orders carried on horseback will take at least a week, longer for those in Tregaya. They’re already too close to Alistriem.”

  He sighed, stepped forward to pull her into his arms. “I hate being parted from you.”

  Alyx pressed against him, closing her eyes as she rested her head on his chest. Weariness claimed her, and she wanted to stand there in his warm embrace forever.

  “At least get an hour or two of sleep first,” he murmured in her ear.

  “All right,” she mumbled. “Maybe I’ll just stay here and rest.”

  He chuckled, then lifted her into his arms. “I don’t have a problem with that, but I think you’d rest better in a bed.”

  Chapter 46

  Alyx returned to Karonan late in the evening three days later, coming in slowly over the city. Everything looked quiet—rebuilding had already begun on the destroyed sections of city wall, and a mixture of green and blue-uniformed soldiers were a visible presence around the city. She breathed an inward sigh of relief.

  She landed outside the stately building that had, until recently, been the home of Shivasa’s leader, and traipsed wearily up the steps and inside. The Bluecoats on guard greeted her warmly. There were Shiven soldiers guarding too, big hulking warriors who were less warm but nonetheless polite.

  After using a touch of power to locate Dawn, Alyx walked down the halls and opened a door leading into a plush, tastefully appointed sitting room. Tarrick and the twins were there, but her eyes went straight to Dashan, sprawled on one end of the luxurious couch.

  “Alyx!” He rose instantly.

  “Hi everyone,” she said tiredly, walking across the room and into Dashan’s arms. He hugged her tightly, then released her to peer down at her face in concern.

  “You look exhausted.”

  “I am.”

  “Sit down.”

  He sat back down on the couch and pulled her into his side. She curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder and slipping her hand into his.

  “Have some hot tea. It might make you feel better.” Dawn had risen to pull the small kettle off the fire and now she offered Alyx a steaming mug. She took it with a grateful smile, curling her hands around its warmth. It was still winter in Shivasa, and she’d been flying through bitterly cold air all day.

  The door opened and Cayr walked in, Jenna at his side. His face brightened when he saw Alyx.

  “Hi.” She returned his smile. “I didn’t expect to find you still here.”

  “King Mastaran is here,” he explained. “Apparently he left Ribeca soon after you told him of our plan. He didn’t arrive until yesterday, and is quite annoyed to have missed the battle. Both of us have remained here to formally acknowledge the rebel council as temporary administrative rulers of Shivasa and help them keep things stable.”

  “How did you go?” Tarrick asked, turning to Alyx as Cayr dropped into a chair opposite them. Jenna stayed by the door.

  “Good.” Alyx sipped at her tea and immediately felt better. “I carried the council’s retreat orders to all Shiven army units I could find. As I flew back along the Rionnan border, I saw their camps being struck and a long line of soldiers marching in the direction of the Shiven border.”

  “Did you have any trouble?” Finn asked.

  “Nothing major,” she said. “Some of the commanders were not happy to be informed that the war had been lost without them even knowing about it. They recognised and obeyed the orders, though.”

  “I can’t believe it’s almost all over.” Dawn shook her head. Her words echoed through the room, and she flinched once she realised what she’d said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  Alyx waved a hand to cut her off. “It’s all right.”

  “He doesn’t have a regular army anymore,” Cayr pointed out. “Which means we have time to think up a way to deal
with his mages.”

  “Time only helps Shakar,” Tarrick said wearily.

  Alyx shared a miserable glance with Finn. She’d tried using telepathy to reach out to Brynn, to call him back, but had failed. She had no idea where he was, and the chances of locating him were small. She would keep trying.

  “No, Cayr is right,” Jenna said, surprisingly. “Shakar won’t be able to build himself another army quickly. Yes, this was our best chance to take him, when he’s most vulnerable, but that doesn’t mean it becomes impossible.”

  Not wanting to spoil their optimism, Alyx shifted to look up at Dashan and Cayr. “How are things here? The Shiven guards on the entrance were almost nice to me when I came in.”

  “The new council is doing a good job of trying to get the city back to running as normal,” Dashan said. “The causeways were re-opened this morning so that trade and travel could resume. They’ve sent out proclamations promising elections in six months, and the naming of candidates within a month. They want to do it right this time, make it a genuinely fair vote. I was worried that with Tarian hurt, some of his intentions might have been lost, but it seems like many of his rebel captains have a genuine desire for change in Shivasa.”

  “How is Tarian doing?”

  “Awake and getting stronger every day.” A genuine smile flooded Dashan’s face. It was clear how much he liked and respected the rebel leader. “He’ll be on his feet and running the council in no time.”

  “Mastaran and I have been giving them advice and suggestions on good governance, and they seem to be taking it eagerly,” Cayr said. “There are some impressive men and women amongst the rebels.”

  “You’ll have to go back soon, though,” Jenna said pointedly. “Or you’ll be facing a mutiny from your nobles.”

  Cayr glanced at her, affectionate irritation in his eyes. “Sparky’s already taken a large part of the army back. I’ll follow soon. I just want to make sure I’m leaving a stable neighbour behind.”