Blood of the Sorcerer

by B. C. Morin

  “I saw them catching up to me just as I arrived. They should be coming through the gates any moment, now.”

  “Thank you, Halwyn. I am sorry for keeping you, when you clearly should be resting.”

  “It is of no consequence, My Lady.” Halwyn sighed deeply, looking at her sadly before walking off.

  What could have happened to make him look at me like that? Perhaps Brennus is hurt. Alannah brought her hands to her mouth, her chest rising and falling at a pace she could not control. She found herself pacing near the gates, waiting for the others to arrive. As she walked across, she stopped short, seeing the deep blue wings that faded into a grey in the far distance. Beside them, a set of lighter blue wings lined in a royal blue coloring along the edges. The group lowered themselves to the ground, some folding their wings back inside of them, and others allowing them to droop behind them, probably due to exhaustion. Alannah barely caught a glimpse of the sunset colored wings before she saw the face.

  Tristan.

  Alannah ran to them, searching the group frantically, for the one face, the one set of wings she failed to see.

  Brennus walked quickly toward her, gauging her expression, knowing who she searched for. He nodded his head as she looked up at him.

  “Where-“ Her voice cracked, her eyes filling with tears. “Where is my sister?”

  Kaleb and Tristan emerged from the shadows that the gates cast, followed by Magister Torin and Dara.

  Though she could not imagine it could, her heart rate quickened more.

  Tristan’s face told of a story she knew she would not be able to bear listening to.

  “Brennus, Kaleb,” She looked back and forth to the two of them as they stood in front of her. “Where is she? Where is my Evyette?” Tears rolled down her face as she cupped her mouth with her hands. She tried to control the sobbing, but it poured through as if a damn had broken.

  “Samil.” Brennus began, running his hand through his hair.

  Alannah’s eyes widened.

  “He took her.” He finished, glancing behind her at the crowd that had formed. Isibeal at the forefront, the sympathy for Alannah and the others evident in her face. Brennus looked at Kaleb and nodded, a silent agreement passing between them.

  “No! How could this be? Were you not all with her? Did she not fight? She had to fight! She is the strongest of us! I can’t-“ She paused, listening to the thunderous clouds that had formed overhead. “I will not lose her.” She blinked, two tears of resolve rolling down her cheeks.

  Kaleb stepped forward and pulled Alannah to him. She cried onto his shirt that smelled of blood, dirt and sulfur, as Brennus walked forward to his awaiting fiancé.

  Tristan moved closer, putting his hand on Alannah’s back.

  “I am sorry, Alannah. I tried. I did everything I could to protect her. I was going to go into the mountains-“

  Alannah lifted her face from Kaleb’s shirt, releasing her grip on him.

  “I can see it in your eyes Tristan. There is inexplicable pain emanating from your very soul.” She watched as a tear rolled down Tristan’s cheek. Alannah wiped it away stepping closer to him. “We will find her. We will find her and we will kill Samil. I can assure you of that.” By now, her eyes were glowing slightly and lightning exploded through the clouds lighting the whole of Anrad.

  “Alannah,” The familiar voice and gentle hand on her shoulder immediately reminded her to calm herself.

  Frenum, she repeated inside her head until she heard the thunder subsiding and the hand slipping from her shoulder.

  “Anora,” Jadoc indicated with his hand toward Alannah, but Anora was too late as Kaleb had stepped over, putting his arm around her and leading her toward the Castle.

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  Chapter 15

  The gathering room was vast, with vaulted ceilings and wood beams stretching the length of them. A stone fireplace sat in the far end of the room, its large open mouth tall enough to accommodate four fae, standing, eerie a thought as that was. Long tapestries bearing the Royal Crest and the crest of Anrad were draped alongside the windows. Along the walls were several old weapons meticulously kept and preserved.

  There were several seats and cushions surrounding the fireplace, most of which were already occupied. Alannah and Kaleb sat on the larger of the seats, angled toward the fireplace but still able to see everyone else. Tristan sat in the chair beside them with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. The remaining seats were taken by Magister Morcant, Dara, Driscall, and Isibeal in the seat nearest Brennus, who stood in front of the fireplace.

  Alannah looked at Brennus and could see the longing in his eyes to comfort her but she knew it was no longer possible. Isibeal caught the moment between them and slowly lowered her gaze. She heard several footsteps behind her but did not bother to look, knowing that they were waiting for the remaining council to arrive.

  Brennus took a deep breath, trying in vain to keep his gaze from falling continuously on Alannah. “I appreciate you all coming so quickly at this late hour. I will make this as quick as possible since some of us could use some healing and bathing. For those who do not know yet, we were ambushed on the way across the Land of Accies, or as we all know it, the clearing. Samil fortified himself with Dorchae, possessed Fae, trolls, and demons. Though we fought well, we lost. We lost because we were not willing to risk the life of one we have all come to love. My newfound cousin, Evyette.”

  Alannah raised her gaze to Dara who sat across from her, recalling the story that Dara had told her regarding Evyette’s past.

  “Driscall, please let us know what, if any, progress you have made.”

  Alannah turned her gaze to Driscall, taking in his thin frame, dark circles beneath his eyes, and hazy gaze.

  “I have managed to get closer to the spirits that call to him. It seems that the scroll may be hidden on the Island of Gravis giving us quite an advantage, since that is so nearby. I will confer with the spirits again tomorrow as they were quite hesitant, what with Samil calling upon demons today and exemplifying his power to them.”

  “Your efforts are much appreciated Driscall, and I can see that they are taking a toll on you. Be sure that we do not lose you as well on this journey. Rest tonight and communicate in the morning. You are correct. We are at an advantage if it is indeed on the island.” Brennus turned his attention past the seats to the standing council members. “Council, I will need you to communicate to all the Kingdoms what has transpired and what will take place. We will need all the help we can get in stopping Samil. I have no doubt that he will bring a small army with him to Gravis and we must be prepared.”

  The council members bowed and immediately rushed out of the room.

  “For the rest of you, please note that you all will be given rooms in which to bathe and sleep. We will meet tomorrow to discuss any progress that has been made and to discuss what the other Kingdoms tell the council members about how they can assist us. Anora, Narissa, Maeve, and Sandor will see you all to your rooms and that you are brought fresh clothes.”

  The Spirit Fae was the first to rise, with Dara and Morcant following. Brennus walked over to Alannah who was leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, Kaleb’s hand on her back. He knelt in front of her, and she picked her head up to look at him and saw Isibeal standing behind him. He caught the hesitation in Alannah when she saw Isibeal waiting for him.

  “Isibeal, you may retire to your room if you wish.” He said kindly over his shoulder. “I will have your father or a chambermaid wake you in the morning before we all meet.”

  Isibeal smiled, “Thank you My Lord.” She took a few steps but stopped, looking over her shoulder at Alannah who had lifted her head to see why Isibeal had stopped. They locked gazes for a moment. An unspoken truce and sympathy passed between them, and Alannah finally released a kind smile in return.

  It was comforting to know that because he was back, he was not going to immediately go to bed with Isibeal. Though there
were other pressing matters, she still vowed to get to the bottom of Isibeal’s secret.

  Brennus took Alannah’s hands in his own.

  “I promise you we will get her back. I will not rest until your sister is beside you once again.”

  Alannah bit her bottom lip fighting tears, and fighting the urge to fling herself into Brennus’s warm embrace. She opened her mouth to respond but only nodded. Brennus stood, motioning to Tristan.

  “Come, my friend, I will show you to your room.”

  Tristan painfully pushed himself off of the seat and followed Brennus out of the expansive room.

  Kaleb reached over, moving several locks of hair, pulling them over and onto Alannah’s back, exposing her face to him.

  She looked at him, really taking him in for the first time since they had arrived. There was dirt and blood caked onto his face, still. His hair was disheveled and crusted down in some places by what she was sure was more blood. The brilliant blue of his eyes gazing into hers. She thought of the ocean the other day that reminded her so much of him.

  “He is right. Though I don’t like saying that about him, he is most assuredly right. We will find Evyette. We will bring her back to us and none of us will rest until that is done.” He said gently. She could see the determination in his eyes, the sorrow, that though it ached him, he said nothing, and grieved alone.

  Alannah sniffed and smiled at him, bringing her hand up to caress his face.

  “I know, and I believe you.” Alannah wiped her face, speaking with a false resolve, “Come, you need a bath. And you have yet to tell me the story of how you and Brennus ended up traveling together.” She raised her eyebrow. “Without killing each other, no less!”

  Kaleb stood from the seat, giving her his hand so that she could stand.

  “Well, let us say that it is a very long story.” He cupped her face in his hands.

  “Then I shall wait for you to finish your bath for you to tell me, that is, if you are not too tired.” She dropped her gaze to the floor, shuffling her feet. “I would rather not be alone tonight, Kaleb.”

  Kaleb smiled at her and leaned in, kissing her forehead.

  “You will not be alone. I promise you.”

  * * * * * *

  The stone floors beneath her were so hot that she checked her skin for searing. Evyette propped herself up on one arm as the other reached toward her head, patting an area that pounded against her skull and coming back wet.

  Blood.

  She sat upright recalling the battle, their departure, which had felt as if every inch of her body was being sucked into a small tube, and their materialization at this place. As soon as they appeared here, she had turned to Samil, raking her fist across his cheek. Two of the foul Dorchae grasped her by her arms, restraining her. For the first time she was able to take a good look at Samil and was taken aback by his beauty. She could not fathom how such a beautiful fae could be so hateful.

  Samil caressed his own cheek.

  “That was not very nice of you.”

  “Oh, well, my apologies, I was under the impression that was quite proper of a reaction, considering you just attacked me and my friends and kidnapped me!”

  “Yes, you truly are the one.” He looked her over. “Hm, really a shame that we are blood related.” He leaned in, his ghostly lips next to her ear. “You are quite delectable, and I have not touched something as lovely in centuries.” He ran his hand along her neck and shoulder.

  “I could not possibly be related to you!” She spat.

  “Oh, but you are.” Samil stepped back and nodded at one of the Dorchae.

  Next, she felt a searing pain in her head and Samil began fading out of sight.

  “Bastard.” She mumbled, as she stood to her feet, bracing herself on the wall.

  Incendium! She thought, a fireball manifesting in her hand and flying towards the bars of her cells, only to explode, sending sparks flying back at her, and causing no damage, except to her clothes. He put a spell on the bars, she thought as she patted down the smoking fibers of her shirt and pants. Well, at least my corset is alright. She rubbed her hands along it, verifying her own statement. Evyette walked up to the bars, looking around and realized she had nothing but a view of the stone wall in front of her and five feet worth of hallway to the left. Well, that will not help one bit.

  “What use could you possibly have for her?” The frustrated voice carried through the hallway, just barely audible in her cell.

  “You will find out soon enough.”

  Evyette recognized Samil’s voice instantly, his last words ringing in her head when she told him she was not related to him, ‘Oh, but you are.’ The thought of it sent chills down her spine.

  “You cannot continue making these kinds of decisions without me.”

  Evyette tried to discern the other voice but could not.

  “You are mistaken, sorcerer!” Samil’s voice grew with rage.

  Sorcerer? She repeated. Evyette pressed her face against the bars, trying to see down the dank, hot hallway, realizing it was Maligo that Samil was speaking to.

  “You called me forth for my assistance. Therefore I will do what I see fit to see an end to the race that killed me!”

  Evyette listened, waiting to hear the footsteps’ direction, in the hopes that they were not headed toward her. For what seemed like an eternity, there was no noise coming from where the voices had emanated from. Then slowly, it grew. The sound of shoes scuffing against the stone floors. The sound began to grow louder and Evyette felt a knot forming in her stomach. She knew that it could not be Samil, being that his spirit form made not sounds.

  Evyette backed away slowly, contemplating whether or not she should give her back to the bars, or face whoever was coming for her. The sounds became so loud the echo rang in her cell.

  Evyette glanced over her shoulder quickly to see who had arrived. Maligo stopped at the edge of her cell.

  The hood of his robe was down and white coarse hair fell over his shoulders, and down his back. He glared at Evyette, bewildered with her presence. He had only caught a glimpse of her profile before she turned to face the stone walls once more.

  “What do you want, Maligo?” Evyette folded her arms across her chest.

  “What do you have that he wants?” His voice, low and calm.

  “I supposed you would know. After all, you are both working together, are you not?”

  “I suppose.” His voice had become tense, and Evyette wondered how much animosity was running between them.

  “Then why do you ask me? I should be the one asking you!” She was tempted to turn and look at him to gauge his reaction but she decided against it. His silence enraged her. “If you do not have answers for me and you are not here to torture me, then feel free to leave me be.” She kept still as she listened to him walk away, ignoring the pins and needles feeling she had coming from the Mark on her wrist.

  Evyette sat in a corner of her cell, reviewing all that had transpired in her mind, when she was distracted. The black shadow crept around the corner, peering at her with its red eyes. Not now. Evyette stood back up, wavering a bit from the hunger that pained her belly. She muttered a few protection spells under her breath, never taking her eyes off of the Venator Animus that stayed at the edge of her cell. Waiting. Evyette felt a wave of heat rush over her, and reached out to the wall to steady herself, wondering if it was the moist heat of the cell, the hunger, or if it was suddenly taking more energy to perform simple spells. Evyette glanced down at the Mark on her wrist, realizing that the feelings that came from it earlier were a warning. She closed her eyes, calling on shadows for help. She watched through heavy lids as shadows manifested in her cell and slowly approached the Venator Animus. For the first time, Evyette saw a vicious smile creep across the face of the soul hunter as it started at her, its voice entering her mind like a snake.

  “Soon, you will be ours.” Hastily, the soul hunter hissed at the shadows that threatened to over-take it, and disappeared.


  Evyette slid down the stone walls, trying desperately to keep her eyes open, as waves of fatigue swept over her.

  Keys rattled against the bars.

  Her eyelids fluttered, trying to stay open, allowed her a glance at the two that stood at the door of her cell.

  “I told you to bring her the food earlier!” Samil’s voice grated against her ears.

  “What have you done to me?” Evyette managed to keep her eyes open , though Samil was nothing more than a blur.

  “Oh, that.” He said proudly. “Well, I could not risk you escaping the way your sister did when Maligo captured her, so not only did I enchant the lock, and put a spell block on the bars, but I was sure to make it so that every time you use your powers, or a spell in here, it will drain you ten times as much as if you were outside these walls.” She could tell he was smiling. “It would say it was quite brilliant of me. You should eat though, if you are to keep your energy up and not die.”

  Evyette watched the blur of the Dorchae walk towards her and she raised her limp hands in defense, but he merely dropped a plate of food by her side and walked away with a grunt.

  She slid her feet beneath her, and using the wall for support, stood to face Samil, though his edges were still blurred.

  “Why am I here?”

  Samil sighed heavily.

  “I have no intention of making you privy to that information just yet. But worry not, dear Evyette. The time will come when I will be more than glad to tell you why you are here, and help you see what a great help you will be for me.”

  “I would rather die!” Evyette retorted.

  Samil laughed so loud and so deep, it sounded as if the voices of a thousand demons spilled out from within, laughing with him.

  “You have no idea, the irony of that statement.”

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  Chapter 16

  Alannah’s head rose ever so slightly with every breath he released. Kaleb lay against a mass of pillows, one arm bent behind his head, the other draped onto his stomach and around her shoulders, his fingers gently caressing her arm every once in a while. She almost lay down next to him, but thought twice about it, not wanting to lead him on, so she lay down horizontally on the bed, resting her head at the top of his stomach. It was quite interesting feeling his muscles contract beneath her head, particularly when he told her of the battle against Samil. From this angle, she could see his jaw tighten when he spoke of Evyette being taken, of almost dying at the hands of Samil, and of the pain Tristan must have been going through. There was no denying Kaleb’s beauty. He had not bothered to shave the stubble that had grown, but there was no need as he wore it quite nicely. However, despite all his sweet caresses, the promise he kept regarding not leaving her alone, his kindness and not least of all, his looks, Alannah felt distant from him. As if all the things they had gone through separately had changed what there was between them, and she wondered if he felt it, too.