“I don’t know about all that,” Tiberius said. “But I think she still wants you in her life.”
“You don’t know how she’s been treating me lately. She avoids me.”
“Perhaps that’s because you’re too focused on fixing something she doesn’t think is broken.”
“So you think I should just let her turn into one of those trees? They’re killers.”
“I know that, okay. Calm down, I’m not telling you I think everything is okay. But I don’t know how to help Olyva. There’s nothing we can do for her here, so maybe you just need to give her some space.”
“God, you sound like my father,” Rafe said. “Why is it that my strongest instincts are always wrong?”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Tiberius said. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”
“No, you’d be in Avondale. You’d be safe.”
“Would I? You know that isn’t true. I may face monsters and wild beasts in the blighted lands, but in Avondale if people found out I was a wizard, I would be hated by everyone. I had to leave, that’s not on you. I was planning it before all this happened.”
“You were going to leave Avondale?” Rafe asked.
“I was going to leave the city. I thought I would hide in the forest, but that was pretty naive. Lexi knew better.”
“You’re lucky, Ti. Things have worked out for you.”
“I nearly burned myself up today,” Tiberius chuckled. “I know just enough to be dangerous.”
“You think I should go back to her, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Tiberius said earnestly. “You love her, and I think she loves you too. You just have to find a way to deal with how you feel about things. She’s still the girl you fell in love with.”
“I do love her,” Rafe said. “But I have her blood on my hands. At least I think it’s blood. It’s really sticky.”
Tiberius felt a whisper of fear. If there was something strange about Olyva’s blood, it was a very bad sign. He had no idea what was happening to her body, but they thought that it wasn’t progressing. Perhaps things were happening below the surface that he hadn’t anticipated.
“You better let me take a look at that,” Tiberius said.
“How can you see anything out here in the dark?” Rafe asked.
“Watch and learn,” Tiberius said. “But just to be on the safe side, you better close your eyes.”
Tiberius forced his mind and heart to relax. He took a deep breath, then began quietly muttering the simple incantation for light.
“Fulsi,” he said. “Fulsi, fulsi, fulsi.”
He could feel the chasm between the physical world and the magical world opening. He had to mentally cover the gap. He imagined his will like a heavy curtain, only letting a small section of the light shine through. Immediately, he could tell that light was shining, even though his eyes were closed. He blinked slowly in the bright radiance.
“It’s okay,” Tiberius said. “You can open your eyes.”
Rafe blinked, his eyes trying to adapt to the sudden change. Tiberius felt the pressure of the magical light pressing to enter the physical world. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He had thought that working with light would be easier than fire, but it wasn’t. The book said working with light required a gentle touch, but he felt like he was holding back a tidal wave.
It is so slight that even the smallest gesture can influence it. The closest physical analogy is water. Like water, light offers no resistance. One can plunge one’s hand into a bowl of water with hardly any effort at all, yet one cannot grasp it in one’s hand no matter how strong one is. In many regards, water must be cradled, directed, and then allowed to be. Likewise, light requires the most sensitive touch. The wizard’s mind must be strong, but gentle, and then allow the light to be what it is.
He looked at Rafe’s hand. He knew he couldn’t keep the light back for much longer. Rafe’s hand was covered in a sticky substance, but it wasn’t blood.
“Tiberius,” Rafe said quietly. “What is that?”
“I don’t know,” Tiberius replied.
He could see the tiny bits of wooden stems that were stuck to Rafe’s fingers. It looked like tree sap and it gave Tiberius a shiver just looking at it.
“I think we need to get it off you as soon as possible,” Tiberius said. “There could be some type of transference.”
“What are you talking about?” Rafe asked.
“Your hand. What are you talking about?”
“Look!” Rafe pointed.
Tiberius hadn’t bothered to look around. His light was shining out into the darkness all around them. It wasn’t as bright as day, in fact the light was harsh, almost like the light from a bolt of lightning but sustained. In the distance, in what should have been the darkness surrounding the camp, there were figures moving.
“Is that people?” Tiberius asked.
“If so, they aren’t here to visit,” Rafe said. “We have to get back and warn the others.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Rogu,” Rafe said. “It’s their job to defend the camp. The Hosakli raid other tribes. For food, resources, women. It’s how they survive out on the plains, Tiberius.”
Rafe was now hauling his friend back, pulling him by the arm. Tiberius let the light fade away. He didn’t want to clamp down on the spell. He wanted to control it. As soon as the spell was over, he felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him. His hands were trembling.
“It will be okay,” Rafe said.
“I’m fine,” Tiberius said.
From the camp, Te’sumee, the lead hunter of the Rogu, came rushing up. He looked excited. There were several other Rogu with him and they all had their wooden clubs in hand.
“Tiswanee!” he said loudly. “How did you know?”
“Know what?” Ti asked.
“About the raid. We saw the Kepsmee approaching. But we are ready for them now.”
“Kepsmee? What’s that?” Tiberius asked.
“A raiding party from another tribe,” Te’sumee said, his eyes flashing. “They will not catch us unaware now.”
“Good,” Tiberius said. “Rafe, go with them.”
“I’ll get my sword,” Rafe said.
“No, no,” Te’sumee said. “We do not use blades. We do not want to kill them.”
“They’re attacking our camp,” Rafe said. “We have to defend ourselves.”
Te’sumee handed Rafe a club.
“We will, Great One. You will see. We will capture them, then trade them back for women. It is good, yes?”
“Very good,” the other Rogu said.
“Tonight we fight, then tomorrow, we will take our rewards.”
The Rogu began to chant. They shouted and jumped around. Tiberius wasn’t sure what to think of their excitement. He certainly wasn’t looking forward to a fight. He was so tired he just wanted to lie down, but there would be no rest this night.
“We will stand double watch around the camp tonight, Tiswanee,” Te’sumee said. “The Kepsmee won’t attack right away. They will certainly move around and attack from a different direction.”
“Are you sure?” Rafe asked. “We saw them. We took away their element of surprise.”
“No, they must attack tonight. To return to their tribe empty handed would be a great dishonor.”
“So they’ll attack,” Tiberius said, “and we just have to sit and wait for them?”
“The Rogu will be ready.”
“What if there are more of them than there are of us?”
“Nothing shall stop us,” Te’sumee said. “We have slain the Draccon. We are a great tribe of warriors. We shall prevail.”
“I’ll join them,” Rafe said. “But you might be ready with that light spell of yours. It wouldn’t hurt to be able to see who we’re fighting.”
“Okay,” Tiberius said. “But I need some rest first.”
“You stay at your shelter, Tiswanee.
The Rogu will defend you, never fear,” Te’sumee said.
“I wish I had his confidence,” Rafe said.
“Me too,” Tiberius agreed.
Rafe bent down, and scrubbed his hand on the thick grass. When he stood up, the sap was gone.
“That worked better than I expected,” he said.
“Better than I would have guessed too,” Tiberius said, inspecting his friend’s hand by the light of a fire. “If you feel anything, you let me know right away.”
“Like what?” Rafe asked.
“I don’t know,” Tiberius admitted. “Woody, maybe?”
“Don’t joke,” Rafe said.
“Who says I’m joking.”
Chapter 21
Lexi
She couldn’t imagine what was taking Tiberius so long. He and Rafe had left the shelter almost an hour before. She’d seen the harsh light that Tiberius conjured just like everyone else in their adopted tribe. Now rumors were spreading that another group of Hoskali hunters were closing in on the camp. Olyva had slept through it all, and part of Lexi couldn’t help but envy her. At least Olyva wasn’t worrying herself sick the way Lexi was tempted to do.
Lexi wouldn’t want to be caught unaware in another raid; that was exactly how she had been captured by their current tribe. It was not a happy memory for her. And it didn’t help that the women in Tiberius’ harem were so noticeably agitated. Lexi hadn’t been happy about Tiberius inheriting wives, but the women had understood her position as Ti’s lover. They had given the couple space and taken care of many of the domestic duties Lexi knew she would have been miserable performing. Now she realized they were all at risk, and if the camp was overrun by raiders, she and Tiberius could be separated.
Lexi paced back and forth, waiting for Tiberius to return. She didn’t like being tied to someone who obviously didn’t seem concerned enough to keep her informed about what was going on. It was one of the many reasons she didn’t like being in love. In Avondale, she kept her distance from everyone. She knew people, and was known by some, but she wasn’t close to anyone. If she had to cut ties and leave to protect herself, she could, and she had no regrets about that. In fact, when Tiberius had been banished, she had done exactly that, leaving the city to be with him. Now, however, she couldn’t just escape. She felt like a prime target, which bothered her as well. She was different from the other women in the camp. She dressed differently, acted differently; in the chaos of an attack, she would stand out. Her first instinct was to find a more secure place to wait and see what would happen. She hated being in the camp. The light from the fires all around her limited her vision, but made her along with everyone else in the camp easy to see.
She checked to make sure her Wangorian dagger was ready for use in her belt. The curved blade, with its intricate markings which showed the incredible craftsmanship of the weapon, was razor sharp. It was only as long as her hand from palm to fingertip, but she had used it to take the lives of two men the night she had stolen it. She felt better when she gripped the leather wrapped handle. If she had to fight, she thought to herself, she would be ready.
Tiberius finally returned, but he didn’t look good. She could see from a distance that he seemed pale and shaky. He also looked concerned, all of which triggered her knee-jerk reaction to flee before things got messy. She forced herself to stay and as she waited for him to join her near the fire that was burning in front of the Swanee’s shelter, she heard his other wives gathering close behind her. They were whispering, and snatches of their conversations carried to her. They were all afraid, all hoping that Tiberius would use his magic to protect them, but the way he looked to Lexi, she doubted he could even help himself.
“What’s wrong?” she said as soon as he was close enough to hear her.
“Everything is going to be fine,” he said.
“We know about the raiders.”
“The Rogu will protect us,” Tiberius said, but Lexi could tell he wasn’t convinced of that. “Rafe is with them.”
“I want to know what’s wrong with you,” Lexi pressed. “You don’t look good.”
“I pushed myself, but I’ll be fine. Could I get something to eat?”
The wives behind Lexi hurried into action. She could tell they felt better with something to do. Activity often made people feel better during stressful situations, but Lexi preferred to hide and wait the trouble out.
“You look ready to fall over,” she said, helping him down onto a mat close to the fire.
“I guess you saw the light?”
“Of course, everyone in the whole camp saw it.”
“It was my first time to try that spell. It came off okay, but it was more difficult than I expected.”
“You have to be careful,” Lexi said.
“I know.”
“Do you? I saw the fireball earlier today too.”
“I have to practice my skills, Lexi. It’s the only way I’m going to get stronger.”
“I understand that, but you can’t push yourself too hard,” she argued. “Look at you now. You can hardly sit up.”
“I just waited too long to eat, that’s all. I’ll be fine in a few minutes, you’ll see.”
“I wish I could believe that was all this is. How do you know that the magic isn’t somehow slowly sucking the life out of you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tiberius said.
“What? Are you really trying to tell me that the magic stealing your strength is too much of a stretch to believe? After all you’ve done? After all we’ve been through?”
“I’m following the directions of a very respectable book on magic.”
“And how the hell do you expect me to believe that?” Lexi said. She knelt down beside Tiberius. “How many other magical books have you compared it to?”
“Lexi,” Tiberius said.
“No really. Isn’t the book you’re referring to in tatters? Isn’t the middle ripped out of it?”
“Yes,” he said, too tired to argue.
“And doesn’t it warn you about skipping ahead? About practicing magic that is too difficult before you’re ready?”
“Yes,” he conceded. “But what am I supposed to do? It’s the only thing I’ve got to work with.”
“Maybe,” Lexi said, “but have you even tried anything else?”
“No,” Tiberius said. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“In my experience, you don’t rush into something without checking it out first. I would never break into a home until I was certain I could get in and out without getting caught.”
“This is magic, not burglary.”
“What difference does it make?”
Filsa brought Tiberius a platter of food which he promptly began stuffing into his mouth.
“He wants water, not Kymis,” Lexi said. “He needs his wits about him tonight.”
“Of course,” the older lady said.
“They’re all terrified, you know,” Lexi told Tiberius.
“They should be. The group of hunters coming into the camp will probably want to carry most of them away.”
“So we should be worried,” Lexi said, her desire to move out of the camp and into a more secret location stronger than ever.
“I don’t know,” Tiberius said. “I didn’t get a good look at the group; they were too far away. I wasn’t trying to see them.”
“What did you need the light for then?”
“I was trying to see what got on Rafe’s hand when he pulled the stems out of Olyva’s arm.”
“I couldn’t believe he did that,” Lexi said. “I’ve never seen him lash out like that before.”
“He’s under a lot of stress,” Tiberius said. He wanted to defend his friend, but he wasn’t very enthusiastic about it, Lexi thought. “She’s changing and he’s scared he’s going to lose her.”
Lexi understood Rafe’s urge to push Olyva away. It was better to break things off, no matter how painful it was, than to get hurt by the other person. She c
ouldn’t blame him for that.
“She said her arm would be okay,” Lexi said. “She actually ate a little tonight. Some berries and a little of the Kymis.”
“Really?” Tiberius said in surprise. “I didn’t expect that.”
“Me either, but she seems to be coming around, at least a little.”
“Rafe will be thrilled to hear it, but I’m concerned about her arm. Can you help me?”
They went over to where Olyva was sleeping. She was curled up, the wound on her arm covered by her other hand. It was hard to see in the darkness, but Tiberius knew he couldn’t risk casting the light spell again. He bent low and sniffed the wound.
“It smells like sap,” he said.
“Sap?”
“You know, like tree sap. Haven’t you ever cut a limb off a tree and seen the sap that flows out of it?”
“I’d never been out of the city until I left with you,” Lexi said.
“You’d never even been to the forest in Avondale?”
“No,” Lexi said. “Why would I? There’s nothing there for me. We aren’t allowed to hunt, only the Earl and those he appoints as woodsmen have that privilege. I was doing my best to stay alive, not gallivanting through the forest on holiday.”
“Fine, I get it,” Tiberius said. “You’ve had a hard life, but look at you now, a Swanee’s wife.”
“Don’t joke about that,” Lexi said quietly. “We aren’t married.”
“I never would have thought you would care about something like marriage.”
“I’m not saying I do, but you don’t have to joke about it.”
“I won’t mention it again until I’m ready to propose,” he said seriously.
Then he bent over Olyva again, this time probing around her wound with his finger.
“It’s sap,” he said, “not blood; that is really strange.”
“What do you mean?” Lexi asked.
“I guess what I mean is that she really is changing,” he explained. “Not so much on the outside, but maybe on the inside.”
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but something is going on. We need to get her to Sparlan Citadel.”
“I can’t see how that will help anyone,” Lexi said. “It’s not like there are wizards there who can help her. Even if they have a secret archive of magical books, no one is reading them to know how to help her.”
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