Unmagic

by Jane Glatt

  She was tiring—trying to control this wild magic drained her energy and the cold seeped into her. Except at her back, where she was pressed against Reo’s heat.

  She tried to drag her arms up again; then she felt Reo’s hands on her wrists, holding hers in the air. She concentrated on the magic in front of her, on drawing it towards them, slowly, but she was too tired to maintain control.

  Mage mist surged towards them, most of it dissolving as soon as it reached her but some of it sped past them towards the ship.

  “OH NO,” CHAL said. “It’s coming right at us.”

  Dario rushed out on deck. He saw the Assassin—Reo—and Kara, spinning at the end of the winch line, and then something crashed into the railing. He threw himself at it, concentrating with all his might at drawing his magic back to him. He was slammed to the deck, and then he felt his whole body tingle.

  “Don’t touch me!” he yelled at Chal, who had followed him. “Don’t touch me!” He raised one arm—he could see it! He could see his magic, and it was the blue of a summer sky. How ironic, he thought, to have magic the colour of a sky I’ve so rarely seen. Then he started to twitch as the magic hummed through him. Even when he closed his eyes, he could see the light of his power.

  “GET ME DOWN,” Kara called. “Get me down!” Mage mist coursed around Dario’s still form, the energy crackling and sparking.

  Chal hovered over him, but at the sound of her voice, he waved towards the captain, who bellowed an order. The sailors on the winch started turning the handles, bringing her and Reo over the deck.

  “Are you all right?” Reo asked in her ear.

  She nodded. “The magic is gone, the storm is gone, but some of it hit Dario. I think he absorbed it . . . almost.”

  Her feet touched the slippery wood of the deck and hands scrabbled at the wet ropes and finally she was out of the harness. Reo helped her to Dario’s side, and she ran her hands along his arms, trying to rub away the thick layer of mage mist that flowed over him.

  A spark flashed and she shut her eyes against it. Ignoring everything else, she concentrated on drawing magic away from him. When she dragged her eyes open, Dario was still covered in mage mist, although it was transparent now. She didn’t relax until she saw Dario’s chest rise and fall as he breathed.

  She dropped her arms—she was too exhausted to do anything more—and felt herself being lifted into someone’s arms. She looked up at Reo’s worried face.

  “Dario,” she said. At least, she tried to speak.

  “You need to rest,” Reo said.

  She tried to speak again but didn’t have the energy. Reo turned around, and she faced Dario, Chal kneeling at his side. The Seyoyan glanced up at her. The last thing she saw was his grim nod.

  Chapter Ten

  SHE STRETCHED, ENJOYING the feel of soft sheets under her.

  “You’re awake.”

  Kara opened her eyes to a sun-filled room and a bed that was not swaying. A Seyoyan woman sat by her side, her bright yellow top accentuating her dark skin.

  “Where am I?” Kara asked in Seyoyan.

  “I speak Tregellan,” the woman replied in that language. “We are in Seyoya: Yeend to be exact. And before you ask, yesterday you were brought in by the dangerous-looking man who has been waiting outside this door ever since. I was told you overexerted yourself, which caused you to collapse from exhaustion. You’ve been sound asleep for over eight hours.” She picked up a mug from a bedside table. “Here, drink this.”

  “What is it?” She sat up and took the mug and sniffed, wrinkling her nose at the odour. “I don’t recognize it.” It didn’t smell appetizing, which made her think it probably was medicine. Who would try to use a poison that smelled so vile?

  “It’s noni,” the woman said. “To give you energy. I’ll order some fish broth too.”

  Kara hesitated and the woman smiled.

  “Here.” She grabbed the mug and took a sip before handing it back to Kara. “To prove I mean no harm. And my name is Taba.”

  “I would use nettle,” Kara said. “For energy.” She took a sip. The liquid tasted bad, but not as bad as it smelled.

  “You know healing arts?”

  “Non-magical ones, yes.” Kara didn’t think the woman was out to hurt her so she gulped the noni down. She set the empty mug on the side table.

  “Non-magical,” Taba repeated. “That is all I have ever known, although I have heard of magic being used to heal. I would very much like to see that. Is it as good as they say?”

  “It can be,” Kara replied, thinking about Pilo’s scars and how Santos was healing them. “But convincing a Mage to bother healing anyone is a challenge.”

  “Is it? Do you not think healing one of the most honourable tasks to undertake? Seyoyans think so.”

  “I do too,” Kara said. “But I’m not a Mage.” She felt very sleepy. “Are you sure that drink was to give me energy?”

  “You need more sleep, but I didn’t give you anything to help you do that,” Taba said. “I’ll just go and ask for that soup.”

  “Kara.”

  She sighed and rolled onto her back.

  “Kara.”

  She opened her eyes. “Reo.”

  “Taba said you were awake and that I could visit for a few minutes.”

  “I was awake,” Kara said. “But I’m still very tired.” She pulled a hand out from under the covers, and he took it and helped her sit up, but he didn’t let go of her hand once her back was leaning against the wall. “The storm? It’s gone?”

  “Yes.” His hand tightened on hers. “The storm is gone and the ship arrived safely in Yeend—along with everyone on board—thanks to you.”

  “My fault,” she said. “The storm.” If she hadn’t sent that unfocussed magic through the cave wall there wouldn’t have been a storm.

  “Dario says it was his fault, since it was his magic.”

  “He’s safe too?” She remembered something about . . . “The power from the storm hit him.”

  “He says his magic came back to him,” Reo said. “And now he and Chal have their heads together. Some sort of business idea.”

  “Of course.” She knew what it was—didn’t she? But everyone was all right. “Sleep,” she murmured, or at least she thought she said it out loud.

  “THAT’S TOO BRIGHT,” Chal said.

  Dario wiped a sleeve across his forehead. The magic in him—the power—was hard to control. And he wasn’t surprised, since his magic had so recently fuelled that terrible storm. Along with a lot more power than what he’d absorbed.

  “I can’t help it,” he told Chal, his new business partner. “The power comes out no matter how I try to minimize it.” The business venture—a Merchant venture—was still confusing to him, but Chal was confident that, if Dario created the mage lights, Seyoyans would be lining up to buy them.

  “Will these last longer than normal?” Chal asked. “Or will they burn out faster?”

  “I have no idea.” Dario concentrated on his open palm and soon a mage light sat on it. He placed the mage light next to the others he’d created.

  He was finally feeling normal: his hair was no longer sticking up and he didn’t create a spark every time he touched something.

  “I think my magic is calming down,” he said to Chal. “Can you tell?”

  Chal eyed him. “Maybe. Most of the time I spent with you was when you were cursed, and even you think that made your magic work differently. So, it probably looked different too.”

  “Chal.”

  Dario looked up to see the Assassin—Reo—in the doorway to the small workroom.

  Dario had been stunned and lying on the deck of the Mizar, but he’d still been aware of the man’s frantic efforts to get Kara to safety. Captain Arends had raised all sails and gotten them to Yeend as soon as he could. And as far as Dario knew, Reo had never once left Kara’s side. Not until now.

  “Kara’s awake,” Reo said. “I just thought you should know.”

&
nbsp; “Thank you,” Chal said stiffly.

  “And thank you for sending Taba.” Reo paused and then nodded awkwardly before leaving.

  “He still hasn’t forgiven me,” Chal said with sigh.

  “He can’t forgive himself,” Dario said. “For Kara being in danger yet again.” He felt a frisson of power run through him, and the hair on his forearm lifted. “Get ready, I need to make another light.”

  KARA SIPPED THE fish broth. It was delicious, if a little spicier than what she was used to.

  “Thank you, Taba.” She held out the bowl and Taba ladled more broth in it. “I should be on more solid foods next meal, don’t you think?”

  “Healers,” Taba said, “make the worst patients. But yes.” She smiled, taking any sting out of her words. “Something more solid for your next meal.”

  Kara finished the second bowl of broth and set the bowl on the tray. “I appreciate everything you’re doing. It’s just that . . .”

  “You hate being ill,” Taba finished. “Every healer I know is the same. There’s always too much to do to waste time in bed. But that is exactly where you need to stay for the next day or so.” She picked up the tray. “No matter that you think you know better.” At the door, she paused. “I’m your healer and that is my order.”

  “Do I have a choice?” She wasn’t sure where her clothes were, nor did she know where she was, other than somewhere in Yeend. But she was tired, and as soon as Taba was gone, Kara felt herself drifting off.

  “KARA.” SHE LOOKED up to see Reo again, standing by the bed. “Mistress Taba said I could visit.”

  “Only because you scare her,” Kara said. She sat up and leaned her back against the wall. “She called you dangerous.”

  “I think I’m more afraid of her than she is of me,” Reo said. He smiled, and Kara smiled back, happy to see him so relaxed.

  “Thank you.” She held out her hand and he took it. “I don’t remember much after seeing the magic hit Dario, so you must have gotten me here. So, thank you.”

  “You’d just saved us all,” Reo said. He dropped her hand and glanced away from her for a moment. “Now that we’re safely in Seyoya, I need to make arrangements to return to Old Rillidi.”

  “Oh, I’m sure I’ll be able to travel in a few days,” Kara said. “As long as I get more bedrest, Taba will probably agree.”

  “That’s if . . . I mean.” Reo paused. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to return right now.”

  “Well, I would prefer to take a few days and explore Yeend because who knows when I might be out this way again?” She watched Reo, who was deliberately not looking at her. “But that’s not what you meant, is it?”

  “No.” Reo didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. “I thought you wanted to stay here.” He looked away from her before meeting her eyes. “And teach, but I want . . . need to know what you meant when you said you were trying to figure out how to live your life without me.”

  Kara sighed. Now it was her turn to look away. “I, of all people—with the mother I have—know I can’t force someone to care about me—to love me.” She looked up at him. “No matter how much I might want it, no matter how much I might . . .” She looked away again. “Love them. So, I thought learning to live with that pain might be easier if I didn’t have to see them—see you—every day.”

  “I do love you,” Reo said quietly, and her heart soared. “But I keep making decisions that end up taking away your choices. Decisions that put you in danger, like when I took you to your mother.” His eyes dropped to the floor. “I don’t want to do that to you.”

  “But don’t you see?” Kara asked. “I won’t allow you to take away my choices—I didn’t allow it. You took me to see my mother because you were angry that you could not force me to do what you wanted me do.”

  “And we almost died,” Reo said. “Because of my angry decision.”

  “But we didn’t.” She sighed. “Remember what you said about why you took me to see my mother, the woman who wanted me dead? You said you wanted someone to fight for you the way I fight for the ones I love. I need that from you too. And it’s not just about saving me, about making sure I stay alive, although I certainly appreciate that.”

  She blew out a breath, not daring to look at him, before continuing. “I need you to support me, to argue with me, to care about me—but to let me make my own decisions. Which includes making my own mistakes. And then I need you to help me fix any problems I might have caused.” Now she did look at him. “And I will do the same thing for you. You made a mistake. And together we did our best to fix it. And we did. Together.”

  She sighed. “I need you to tell me what you want because I love you, and I need to know if I fit into your future.” She looked away. “And don’t blame Chal for anything. He had no idea I couldn’t swim. All Chal did was not pay attention while I made a mistake.”

  “I know,” Reo said. “I’ll apologize to him before we leave.” He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Maybe then he’ll give us both a tour of Yeend.” He leaned close. “I love you. I always have, but—”

  “But what?” she interrupted. “Tell me what you want.”

  “You,” he said. “Almost from the first moment I saw you.” He sighed, but it was a sound of contentment. “And I promise I will do my best—”

  Kara silenced him by pressing her mouth to his. He responded by sinking into her and wrapping a hand in her hair. She felt him smile and she pulled away.

  “Your best is all I need,” she said. “I have strict orders to stay in bed. Have any ideas?”

  “I’m in trouble with you if I say no,” Reo replied. “And in trouble with your healer if I say yes.” He grinned and lay down beside her. “I have chosen my side.”

  He nuzzled her hair, trailing kisses along her neck.

  “And what I want for my life.” He leaned away from her and sighed. “I’ve always been too afraid to hope for, too afraid to say it out loud. But I want a life with you. Anywhere you decide. Here in Seyoya, away from Mage Guild and your mother, or on Old Rillidi. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.”

  “Good.” She smiled. “Because right now you’re in my bed. And that’s exactly where I want to be, with you.”

  She leaned up and kissed him, her tongue snaking into his mouth. Heat—their heat—coursed through her. He pushed the sheet down and pulled her thin shift over her head. She felt air on her skin, and then he leaned down and sucked one nipple into his mouth. She let out a shaky breath.

  “No fair,” she said. “You have way too many clothes on.” She laughed when he shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it away, then ran her hands down his back, enjoying how his muscles bunched and lengthened as he leaned over her.

  “Much better,” she sighed as she felt his skin on hers, the heat between them growing where their skin met at chest and lips. She rubbed his back, her hands ending up at the waist of his trousers. She tugged at them and felt him smile against her lips as his hands left her shoulders. His hands pushed his trousers down and out of the way, then he slipped under the sheet and his hand moved to part her thighs.

  She ran her hands across his buttocks as he moved between her legs, and once he was positioned, she both pushed him and drew him inside of her.

  He kissed her again and then he raised his head, meeting her eyes as he rocked into her. The heat between them continued to rise, their urgency building. With a cry, she buried her head on his shoulder as waves of pleasure surged through her. With one last thrust, he exhaled, then relaxed onto her.

  More hot kisses trailed down her neck, then Reo gathered her to him and drew the forgotten sheet over their now cooling bodies.

  “SO THAT’S IT for another month?” Kara asked as Santos helped her from the boat. This was her second time clearing spells from Warrior Guild Hall since she and Reo had returned from Seyoya.

  “Not enough of a challenge?” Santos asked.

  Reo stepped onto the dock beside her and tied the little boat u
p before joining them. Unconsciously, she held her hand out to him and he grasped it.

  “There didn’t seem to be a lot of new attacks,” Kara said. Her battle with the runaway mage mist had forced her skills to develop. Last month it had been so much easier to identify spells that were meant to do harm. “And the new ones were all from Rorik.”

  Santos sighed. “Probably because of some news I received earlier. I didn’t want to distract you from this task but Arabella Fonti has given birth to a son.”

  Kara closed her eyes. The child of the man she’d killed. “I have another brother.” She opened her eyes and set her mouth. “I want to see him. Santos, please tell Mage Guild that I want to see my brother.”

  “I thought you would say that,” Santos replied. “I’ll make sure your mother and Rorik know.” He paused. “I think that’s enough for today. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for lessons.” He turned and headed towards the manor house.

  “Are you all right?” Reo asked her. He squeezed her hand.

  “I will be,” Kara replied. “It’s not as though this was a surprise.”

  “Unlike all of the other surprises you’ve had to deal with.” He smiled to soften his words. “Are you going to our cabin?”

  “Now that Santos has said he doesn’t need me for anything, yes.” Our cabin: Kara still loved it when he said that. When they’d returned from Seyoya, Reo had moved his things into the cabin that they now shared, but he’d been slower to name it their place, instead calling it hers.

  “I have some things to take care of,” Reo said. “I’ll meet you there later. Unless you don’t want to be alone?”

  “You go,” she said. He kissed her, and she watched him as he followed the path that led to the manor house.

  Besides, she wasn’t alone. She had a family: people she loved and cared for who returned that love and care. She had a place in the world: a home. Finally.