He nodded, apparently too shy to risk speaking to her.
“Good. Concentrate on your stomach, where the food is being digested.”
That one took a while for him to get. A fire would have been a better source, but it was too hot.
Nothing.
“Okay, this one is tougher. You know how you wake feeling refreshed in the morning because life force has filled you during the night?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Think about that feeling.” She paused. “Got it?”
He nodded again.
Nothing.
She’d covered the four most common types of mages, but there were still a few others they could test for. Including her type—glamour. “The light hitting your eyes.”
Nothing.
“The sound reaching your ears.”
Nothing.
She’d already spent ten minutes with him, hesitating after each one to make sure, and she wasn’t done. “Feel the dreadful sun beating down on you and concentrate on the heat.”
Nothing.
Only one type left. Lainey didn’t know enough about “bolts” and “binders,” whatever they were, to figure out a test for them.
“Back to the sun again,” Ashley said. “Besides the heat, it gives off radiation.”
The boy jumped at that.
Oh, for the love of …
“What’s your name?” she said.
“Ron, my lady. Ron Kemp.”
“You’re a big, strong soldier, aren’t you, Ron?”
“Y-yes, my lady.”
“The sun’s radiation is harmless, not like the stuff that blighters create,” Ashley said. “Completely natural. Surely, a strapping young man like you isn’t afraid?”
“O-of course not, my lady.” He paused. “But if you find something, would that mean I’m a … I mean what …”
Ashley rolled her eyes. “Of the types we can test for, blighters are the rarest, so the chance you are one is so tiny that it’s barely even worth me checking.”
Of course, if he were a blighter, she’d have to have him killed, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Orders are orders, young man,” Ashley said. “And speaking of orders, yours are to do what I say.”
He swallowed hard.
“Now, soldier, isolate out the heat and light from the sun’s rays so you can focus on the radiation.”
Ron sat still for a while, which Ashley expected. It was hard to “concentrate” on something you didn’t understand, and she couldn’t explain how to do it. Most of the men probably just pretended to do as she asked.
The queen had people watching, though, so Ashley couldn’t afford to be seen shirking her duties. Her practice was to give it a minute before sending the test subject on his way.
After she’d waited a moment, she tested, expecting to feel what she always felt. Instead, there was resonance. Strong resonance.
Her throat choked, and she coughed.
“Is something wrong, my lady?” His eyes widened.
Ashley would be scared, too, if she were in his shoes.
“Just dust in my throat,” she croaked. “Need a sip of water.”
She gestured for a serving girl.
Ashley’s duty was to inform Ron that he’d failed and pass the information up the chain of command. He’d suffer a “training accident” soon after. Because of her. But Ron was little more than a kid. Could she just blithely tell his commanding officer to kill him?
On the other hand, if she did nothing, no one would ever know. Assuming no one else ever tested him. If someone did and it got back to the queen, though, Ashley’s neck would be in danger.
Her best move was to perform her duty.
After her sip of water, she said, “Sorry, you’re not a mage. Next.”
She told no one.
64.
Ashley hiked her skirt and ran faster.
Not that her skirt was all that long, especially in contrast to something Tasia or Lainey would wear, but it still restricted her legs. Ashley tried not to consider the most-unladylike image she surely presented as she dashed through the corridors of the castle.
A bird had flown in a message from Ambassador Poole that morning, and while testing soldiers in the field far away, she’d gotten word she was to attend a meeting to discuss the contents. When one was summoned by the queen and there wasn’t much time to get there, one ran.
Outside the audience chamber, Ashley calmed herself and wiped her sweaty brow. She took a few deep breaths and opened the door.
The room was quiet when she entered, the queen having not yet arrived. Good. But both General Marsh and Duke Macias were present, and neither looked happy.
Things with Xan must not have gone well.
Blast it! What did the dolt do? She should have gone to Eye Lake herself, not that she’d been allowed the opportunity. Regardless, she’d definitely wring his scrawny little neck the next time she saw him … after she’d seduced him, of course.
The queen arrived a few minutes later and, after brief courtesies, sat on her throne and asked a scribe to read the ambassador’s report. The message boiled down to Xan being an arrogant dolt with no respect for nobility. He extended Poole no courtesy and showed no deference to the queen. Not only would he not agree to bow to his rightful ruler, but he demanded to be granted an alliance and treated as an equal.
The queen’s face grew redder with every word. “I shall put him down like a rabid dog.”
Ashley’s heart leapt to her throat. Her plans would be ruined, her dream of ruling the three kingdoms beside the most powerful man in history shattered. She thought furiously for a way to avert disaster.
“Does anyone disagree?” the queen said.
Ashley felt every eye on her, a test of her loyalty. She held her tongue.
“Very well, then,” the queen said. “He is to be executed.”
“I’m given to understand that the wizard is the equal of ten mages on his own, and we don’t know how many he’s recruited,” General Marsh said. “We’ve only have fifteen soldiers with the potential to become mages, and none of those have surged, yet. I recommend we step up recruitment and training efforts and launch our attack in a couple of months.”
Queen Anna sat quietly, not responding. The silence stretched from seconds to minutes.
“Every month,” she said finally, “I wince when authorizing payment of the coin required to feed and clothe and train five-thousand men. Am I to understand that, after so much expense, I have an army that cannot defeat a single child?”
General Marsh swallowed hard. “Perhaps, I was being too cautious, your majesty. Your entire army shall march at once.”
“Lady Ashley,” the queen said, “what percentage of the army has been tested?”
“About half, your majesty.”
“I see.” Queen Anna frowned. “General, you recommend taking five-thousand men to go against this single child, leaving half of them untested. What happens if you fail? Will we not be left with no army and no mages? Is that wise?”
Sweat dripped from his forehead. “It is not wise, your majesty. I shall take only the half that has been checked.”
“Is it prudent to challenge a wizard without so much as a single mage, your majesty?” Duke Macias said.
The queen scowled at Ashley. “Apparently, we have no mages to send.”
“Your majesty instructed us to devote our full resources to finding new ones, not training the ones we find.”
Queen Anna face didn’t soften, but she turned her scathing gaze to the duke. “A delay of even a month or two shows weakness. Allowing open rebellion to go unpunished would encourage the dukes’ scheming.” She set her face into an expression of determination. “I must act at once.”
“Perhaps the presence of Lady Ashley and her attendants would be beneficial, your majesty,” Duke Macias said. “They’d provide some magical cover, and the young wizard might be reluctant to attack such beautiful ladies.”
/> Despite Tasia’s reservations, he’d shown himself to be a valuable ally. As Ashley considered her options, she shot him a grateful smile for allowing her the opportunity to insert herself in the proceedings.
If she went with the army to confront Xan, she might salvage the situation, demonstrating her ability to bring him to heel would impress the queen. Then again, Ashley had never met a boy so likely to be carried away by his emotions, and facing an enemy army was likely to raise his ire. Given that the general would be in command, she probably wouldn’t even be able to approach Xan first to calm him.
To the queen, magic was something that happened long ago in the Wizards War. Hearing reports of the battle at Asherton and having a few of her guards hurt and incapacitated weren’t enough to make it real to her.
Because she hadn’t seen men killed, hadn’t experienced the destructive power herself, she was underestimating Xan. He could easily kill twenty-five hundred men by himself. The whole thing was likely to be a complete debacle. Nothing good would come of being attached to it in any way.
“That is a wise suggestion, my lord duke,” Ashley said, “but I fear the general will need to move with all due haste. I and my ladies-in-waiting aren’t equipped to accompany him in such conditions. Besides, we have our duty here. Recruitment of new mages is a much more critical pursuit than punishing the boy.”
The queen nodded, obviously pleased with her response. “Very well, regular army only.”
Ashley hid a grin. She’d spun things to her advantage after all. Of course, if the General’s quest turned out as badly as she suspected it would, she’d gain even more by taking a stand against it.
That was a risky tactic, though. Tricky. The only way to speak out against the mission without gainsaying the queen meant making an enemy of the general. But with great risk came great reward, and Ashley wasn’t there to play it safe. She let out a loud sigh.
“What is it child?” the queen said.
“It’s just that … I mean it’s not my place to say, your majesty. Armies and battles … I’m sure General Marsh knows a lot more about such than I do.”
“If you have something to add, do so,” the queen said. “Otherwise, you don’t belong in this room.”
“It’s just that I’m not sure …” Ashley paused, pretending to be reluctant. “Perhaps General Marsh isn’t the best person to lead this battle.”
His face reddened at being challenged by a little slip of a girl, but the queen forestalled his response by holding up a hand.
“Explain yourself,” she said.
“The general’s reputation of commanding his troops in battle is unrivaled,” Ashley said. “In conventional battles. Taking on the wizard is likely to be anything but conventional. Maybe someone else should be put in charge, someone more … flexible?”
In a lifetime of fighting battles, he’d not encountered a single mage. He didn’t understand them. Didn’t respect their power.
“I assure you, your majesty,” he said. “I can handle this boy, no matter what he throws at me.”
“I agree with the general,” Queen Anna said. “Best to send our most experienced officers to deal with the threat.”
“Of course, your majesty.” She bowed her head in polite deference. “I am sure you and the general know best.”
The queen, at least, appeared thoughtful. “General, remember that this is an execution, not a battle. If you can kill him before he even knows you’re there, do so. Retreat the instant my men are endangered.”
“Of course, your majesty. I know how to handle it.”
Ashley barely held back a smirk. Nothing good would come of this battle, but with her objections on the record, her standing in the queen’s eyes would rise because of it.
65.
Xan drew his cloak tight about his body and surveyed Eye Lake.
The northeast tower afforded him an almost complete view of his domain. On the other side of the pond surrounding the island, brown-garbed farmers cultivated rows of newly planted vegetables, and ranchers tended their small herds of sheep, cattle, goats, and chickens.
He hated that so few crops and livestock had survived the blast, but they were rebuilding their stores. Meat and milk would be in short supply for the winter. The cellars of corn and potatoes and grain and all manner of green stuff had survived the blast intact, though, and new crops were being quickly produced again despite the weather turning cold. No one would go hungry.
In the town proper, permanent stone structures had replaced temporary wood ones for about one in every ten houses and shops, with more being completed all the time. There was even an inn, though small and still under construction.
The biggest change over the last month was to the town’s defenses. Dastanar’s attack had lit a fire under his workers. The exterior of the keep, half the eight towers, and three-quarters of the thirty-foot high wall were done. Since the plan was for the townspeople to cram into the bailey during an emergency, the outer wall surrounding Eye Lake had been assigned a low priority, but even initial layout and dirt work on that had begun.
Overall, he couldn’t have been happier with the way things were going, though he regretted how he’d handled Poole. Not kowtowing to the man was the right call, but it wouldn’t have killed Xan to be more gracious.
Dastanar had sent thirty mages against him in Asherton and another one hundred in Eye Lake. Who knew how many the next attack would feature, and Xan couldn’t count on them not having a blighter next time. He had to figure out a way to gain an alliance with Bermau.
In the meantime, his only course was to continue recruiting, which was going pretty well. Word of his amnesty for magic users had spread. Between mages trickling in because of that and his scouting parties, he’d reached a total of one hundred and sixteen, not counting himself.
Movement at the northeast pass caught his attention. A rider. One of Xan’s messengers with something urgent by the looks of it. The woman dismounted at the first mirror, waited a moment, and spoke quietly into the air.
Her message would go to the harken, who would transmit it word for word to a scribe who would report it up the chain of command. If the matter were important enough, Gregg would bring it to Xan.
Or he could just listen into the conversation directly and get the information so much faster. That, however, was not procedure, and he was learning that following procedure was a good thing when you’re running a government. Changing the rules made people nervous while consistency kept them calm.
Minutes later, a figure sprinted down the spiral stairs leading from the top of the watchtower, his head visible at intervals through the slits in the stone. A page being dispatched that quickly and moving with such haste meant the message was urgent indeed. Best to be available for Gregg to find.
And to be ready for whatever new crisis was on the horizon.
Xan plucked a bottle of seeds from his pocket and tipped one into his hand, hesitating as a niggle of doubt struck him. He was taking them daily again.
Only once a day wasn’t that bad, though. And he was only boosting the effectiveness to seventy-five percent of where he’d started.
Okay, more like eighty percent … or ninety. Hard to be precise.
But still, not as much as before. He was completely in control. Besides, they helped him perform his best, and his people deserved his best.
Xan nodded and popped the seed into his mouth. After waiting for it to enter his stomach, he sent a burst of magic.
A jolt hit his body. His limbs trembled. He felt … great.
Alert. Alive. Like he was connected to everything around him. A marvelous, wonderful feeling that drowned out every doubt.
He waited for his arms and legs to stop quivering before floating down to the bailey and entering his throne room. After a few minutes getting reports from Robyn, sure enough, Marco announced that Gregg had arrived.
“Report,” Xan said.
Gregg stood ramrod straight, his shoulders thrown back and his body s
tiff. “Alton spotted troops moving this way, my lord wizard.”
After the debacle with Poole and the attack from Dastanar, Xan and his advisors had assigned scout teams to patrol the routes to Eye Lake. Each team consisted of a kineticist for fast travel, a glamour for spotting enemy movement, and a harken to report results to a rider stationed as close as possible to one of three passes.
Alton watched the northwestern area toward Escon.
“How many?” Xan said.
“Over two thousand, my lord wizard, in full battle armor and dressed in the queen’s livery.”
Regular army, then. “How many mages?”
“None that our team could detect, my lord wizard.”
Strange. At a distance, the team could only scan for kineticists, harkens, and glamours. Still, any significant force should contain one of the three, meaning the queen had either included no mages or so few they happened not to have any of those types.
Hmm.
She surely knew mundane troops were no threat to him. Therefore, sending the army must be a political move, a show of force meant to provoke a parlay.
Yes, that was it. Despite Poole’s protestations, the queen must have realized the necessity of an alliance. She meant for Xan to meet her army in the field and, hopefully, be cowed into relenting his stance.
A good tactic, one that might even work. He craved that alliance. If she’d grant him status as an equal, he’d accede to just about any condition she wanted.
He would not screw up again.
“I’ll go meet them,” Xan said.
“Are you sure that’s wise, my lord wizard?” Robyn said. “Last time …”
“I’ve learned from my mistakes. Promise.”
Robyn frowned. “How about sending Irving Dennison, my lord wizard? He’s noble born and quite well spoken.”
Meaning much more diplomatic than Xan. And okay, she had a point.
“He’s also a kineticist and needed here,” Xan said.
“Really, my lord wizard, he’s amazingly charming. He’ll—”
“Robyn, I swear I’ll be polite if it kills me,” Xan said. “I won’t bow to them, but I will go out of my way to placate them and be humble.”
Gryphon (Rise of the Mages Book 2) Page 36