Alain spoke from nearby. “I do.”
March turned her head in time to see him stretch his hand across the table he was sitting at, covering Calantha’s hand with his own. “We don’t want to leave Jens behind.”
Calantha looked at Marsh. “Not until we know,” she added, and Marsh understood.
They didn’t want to leave their oldest son behind until they knew if he’d lived or died—and they didn’t want to say that in front of their other children.
It didn’t matter. Aisha glared at the pair of them and folded her arms over her chest.
“Not dead!” she declared, rebellion written across her face.
Tamlin wrapped an arm around her. “Eat your bread.”
She glared at him, too, but took a bite out of the slice of bread he passed her. Marsh tried to read how they felt about staying when she’d be going, but Aisha focused on her bread, and Tamlin avoided her eyes.
Master Envermet turned to Xavier. “Spread the word. We’ll stay another night so people can decide which path is best for them. I want their decisions at the evening meal. In the meantime...”
He lifted his head. “Henri! Obasi! Can you Izmay and Jakob get the mules before the damn wolves chew their way through their tack?”
The four mages and guards picked up their plates, eating what was left on them before they reached the sinks and washed them. Master Envermet watched them go, his eyes shadowed as he digested the information he’d been given and adjusted his plans accordingly.
“Some of us are going to need to stay behind,” he decided, wiping his plate clean with what was left of his bread.
Marsh nodded and moved over to the washstand to deal with her plate before returning to their table. Mordan walked beside her the whole way, eyeing the other diners warily.
When the plates were cleared, Master Envermet gathered his team around them.
“I need to return to the Monastery,” he started, “but Gustav needs more time to recover before he travels.”
He looked from Marsh to Roeglin, and Marsh’s spirits sank when she guessed what was coming next. Master Envermet looked momentarily sympathetic.
“I’m sorry.” She shrugged and he continued, addressing the rest of the team as well. “Roeglin, as the Monastery’s only other mind mage and the next most senior mage here, I need you to stay and oversee things until I can send a relief party.”
He paused, then sighed. “Unfortunately, I need Marsh with me, both for her ability to see ahead and for her ability to act as a final line of defense, at least until we can get to the impi guarding the sinkhole.”
Marsh wanted to ask what would happen if Roeglin and the townspeople needed a final line of defense at the Library, but Master Envermet preempted her, speaking to Roeglin directly.
“With either the Library or the cellblock as a fortress, you should be able to hold most forces off long enough for your relief to arrive.”
“If we have supplies,” Roeglin said, and Master Envermet nodded.
“If you have supplies,” he agreed. “You’ll need to secure what you can.”
Roeglin looked around and caught Alain’s gaze. His eyes flared briefly white, and Tamlin’s father nodded.
“I’ve found my second in command,” the shadow mage said as Alain rose from the table and headed into the kitchens.
“Good.” Master Envermet followed Alain’s progress across the dining area, then turned back. “I’ll be taking Henri, Brigitte, Izmay, and Gerry with me to help protect those going with us, but I’ll ask for volunteers from the raider guards. If I don’t get enough, I’ll just take the team and send an escort from the Grotto for the rest.”
He glanced at Marsh. “When we get to the Grotto entrance, I’ll hand those wanting resettlement over to the impi. If I can arrange an escort, I’ll go on alone and send the rest of you back.”
Marsh wanted to tell him he didn’t need to, but she was glad he’d thought of it. If she didn’t have to return to the Monastery, she figured she could make the return journey in two days. She didn’t want to think about how long it was going to take to get to the Grotto Entrance with the rescued prisoners in tow.
They stayed in the dining area, making themselves available for anyone who wanted to talk out their options, planning the journey, and resting. Obasi and Henri returned with the mules and news from the wolves.
The remnant had not returned to the area, and there were no raiders in range. It was better than they’d hoped, and they breathed a sigh of relief. Marsh crossed her fingers that the situation would hold while she was away.
When Obasi learned of Master Envermet’s plans, he left to speak with the people from the Grotto.
“We might be farmers,” he informed the shadow captain, “but we all know how to defend ourselves. All we lack are weapons.”
“I can help with that,” Xavier informed him.
With the death of the brutes and those guards unwilling to let the captives go free, he had become the de facto leader of the raider guards. It was a position Terrence supported among the ex-prisoners, the two men working together to bring their disparate groups together.
From what Marsh could see, they had a long road ahead.
That afternoon, she and Roeglin went to see Gustav. Aisha and Tamlin were at his bedside when they arrived, and both children left without speaking. Gustav saw the look Marsh cast at the door and chuckled.
“Give them time, mage. They’ve had an awful lot to absorb in the last two days, and their little heads are still spinning.”
Marsh tried to muster a smile but didn’t manage it. Roeglin pulled her against his side and Gustav smiled. “Well, that was long overdue.”
Marsh blushed but she didn’t pull away. The loss of the children was hitting her harder than she’d thought, and having Roeglin so close helped. Gustav’s smile faded.
“Thank you for coming for me.”
“What else were we supposed to do?”
“You could have left me.”
Marsh shook her head. “The children wouldn’t have it,” she assured him, and he frowned.
“That’s a story you’ll have to tell me one day,” he said, relaxing against the narrow pillow. There was a world of weariness in his voice, and Marsh reached out to him.
He cracked an eyelid, watching her. “I’m not made of glass,” he told her, “even if I feel like it.”
That made her smile. “I’m sorry we took so long.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You came.”
He closed his eyes, and Terrence came into the room. “He needs to rest.”
“Will he be okay?”
“Now that you’re not going to drag him over the countryside, yes.”
“Are you going to come with us?”
Terrence shook his head. “No, I’ll stay here and try to keep that child from draining herself dry attempting to ‘fix’ him.”
Roeglin snorted. “’I’ll fix him,’ huh?”
Terrence rolled his eyes. “You have no idea.”
Marsh gave a short laugh. “Yeah, we do.”
They left shortly, then walked through the town, observing the preparations. Master Envermet was facing two delegations when they returned. He raised his eyes as they entered the dining hall, a look of relief softening his expression.
“Marsh, Roeglin, your timing’s perfect.”
Marsh raised her eyebrows and glanced at Roeglin. He returned her look, and they hurried to hear what Master Envermet had to say. As they came closer, the shadow captain gestured in frustration at the leaders of both groups, Obasi among them.
“These kind folks have offered to guard the travelers and the town.” He scowled at the two groups, looking far from pleased by the offer.
Marsh wondered why. Master Envermet gestured at Obasi.
“This young man says he’s staying with Roeglin, along with twenty—twenty—of his people.”
Marsh frowned, wondering why this was a problem, and Master Envermet con
tinued, revealing the answer. “Sulema is going to be displeased, and his grandmother...”
The shadow captain let the words trail off as several of the warriors from Ariella’s Grotto snickered.
“And they can’t be dissuaded!” As if to prove a point, Master Envermet’s eyes flashed white, and the Grotto contingent looked back, their eyes just as white as his were.
It made Marsh realize just how much danger they’d been in, given that everyone with magical talent would have been taken Below to whatever fate waited. That they were staying behind meant they might still be in danger.
“Oh,” she said, realizing why Sulema might be upset.
“Exactly!” Master Envermet snapped. “I do not have permission to commandeer the Grotto’s people!”
“But we do,” Obasi told him. The youngster looked at Marsh. “He doesn’t understand. In the Grotto, we operate under a Council, but the people are the ones who have the final say. If enough of us feel something is the right path for us to tread, we can petition to act on it.”
“Yes!” Master Envermet interrupted, frustration making his voice brittle, “but you aren’t petitioning. You’re skipping that step entirely!”
Obasi smiled. “Yes, we are. We are making a decision for which we are responsible, and Sulema will understand. If we have done the wrong thing, she will let us know.”
“And me,” Master Envermet told him. “She will leave me in no doubt as to how she feels. You are jeopardizing the entire alliance!”
Ah, now Marsh understood what the problem was, but Obasi had an argument for that, too.
“If you refuse us,” he told the shadow captain, “you’ll be contravening a decision made by Grotto inhabitants as a unit, and that is something Sulema will not forgive. Your alliance would be in jeopardy either way.”
“Agh!” Master Envermet buried his face in his hands and rubbed his cheeks before glaring at the young man. “Very well!”
Obasi smiled and slapped a palm against the upraised palm of the older woman standing beside him. She looked at Master Envermet.
“So, it is agreed, then?” she asked. “Half the captives from Ariella’s Grotto will remain here, and half will travel with you as protection.”
Master Envermet’s “Yes!” came out in strangled tones, and both warriors smiled.
“And us,” Xavier told him. “We are going with you to protect those of our people who wish to find new opportunities elsewhere, but some of us are remaining to protect the rest. The families of those who wish to make this their home are remaining also. There’s still a little time for crops before winter.”
“And the Grotto’s druids will help them,” the woman added, catching Xavier’s eye and giving him a reassuring smile. “There will be food for the winter.”
She looked at Marsh. “If we must pause the hunt while we get our people to safety, then we will at least make sure our hunters’ people are kept safe for their return.”
It was a promise, and Marsh felt a piece of herself unknot. The children might not be speaking to her, but her time away would give them time to adjust. And when she returned...
Master Envermet caught her thought. Exactly.
More people trickled in, and the discussions ran far into the night. It was late when Marsh and Roeglin left, taking to the wall for a breath of fresh air.
When they reached the top of the wall above the gate, they surveyed the trail leading to the sinkhole, then scanned the countryside around it. They stood leaning into each other in silence as the shadows waxed and waned below them.
“I don’t want to go,” Marsh murmured, and Roeglin’s mouth twitched.
“I don’t want you to go either.”
They leaned on each other, staring into the night. Somewhere below them, Mordan was hunting. Finally, Marsh turned toward him.
“You’d better be here when I get back.”
Roeglin looked into her eyes. “I’ll do my best.”
She scowled, remembering some of the scenes from the cells below the Library. “I’m serious. Don’t make me come looking for you.”
He regarded her with a serious gaze, his eyes saying he remembered what they’d seen. The idea of him not being there when she returned chilled them both.
“If that happens, promise you’ll find me if I’m gone.”
Marsh buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of him.
“Always.”
There were still questions left unanswered—and mysteries to be solved—but there was no more time. What was left would have to wait until she returned. Marsh tightened her arms around Roeglin’s waist and lifted her face to his.
As their lips touched, heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs below and they sighed, drawing slightly apart.
Henri... Roeglin told her and Marsh reached up, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him long and hard in defiance.
Author Notes - CM Simpson
September 18, 2019
Well, it’s out later than I’d planned, and much later than you expected, so I really appreciate you being here and am grateful and amazed that you’ve read this far.
These last two months have been a bit of a rollercoaster, but finally smoothed out over the last fortnight. So much has happened that much of that time is now a jumbled blur. I’ve had the flu—twice!—, and mum tripped over her new dog and broke her femur, dad got run into while visiting her in hospital and there was something else, but I can’t remember it—which is probably a good thing...
My head is still spinning, but things are a lot better, now.
As I write this, I’ve just finished the final chapter of this book and turned it in to the editor...who was nice enough to not come after me with a big stick for being four days over the most recent deadline I told her, which was over a month later than I wanted to finish...which is why, as soon as I finish writing these notes and seeing how the cover’s coming along, I’ll be starting Book 7, the second-last book in this series.
I’m still having trouble grasping it.
This year has flowed by like quicksilver and, as Halloween approaches, I wonder where on Earth it’s gone to—and how it’s managed to pack so much in, in such a short span of time. If I can catch up with it, I’ll ask it.
In the meantime, I’ll start work on the next book in this series so you don’t have so long to wait.
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
October 30, 2019
Thank you for reading our stories and coming all the way to the back of the book to touch base with us as authors.
I’m presently writing these Author Notes at Ping Pang Pong (Gold Coast Hotel / Casino) in Las Vegas, NV. One of LMBPN’s favorite Chinese food restaurants, and AGAIN awarded best in Las Vegas for both Dim Sum and Chinese food (affectionally named “the Ponger” by Craig Martelle.)
I’m already salivating for the Beef Fried Rice (no vegetables, extra egg, meat diced up smaller) and the Orange Chicken. I doubt I’m going to make it out of here without waddling.
BUT IT WILL BE SO GOOD!
Now that I have YOU hungry (and if you aren’t, then think about barbeque and Jessie Rae’s.)
Colleen is one of those rare birds in life that you meet, and you wonder why come life takes her out at the knees so often? She’s fun, funny, hardworking, and kind to her family, and yet you hear her stories and think, WTF, Life?
When they say life isn’t fair, Colleen is an example. Yet, she rarely is negative, always too apologetic when describing her predicament (it’s not her fault) and comes back like a ten-ton Mack truck to accomplish the damn-near impossible.
(Editor’s note: I totally concur. Colleen is amazing, and more crap happens to her than anyone I know. I hereby use my next star wish to wish it’s easier for her from now on! PS…she tells GREAT stories! )
I’m in awe, and I’m proud to be associated with her as a person, and with these stories she has brought to life! (Editor’s note: Ditto)
Till next time,
Michael
Other Books from C.M. Simpson
The Magic Beneath Paris (with Michael Anderle)
#1 Trading into Shadow
#2 Trading into Darkness
#3 Trading to the Light
#4 Trading By Firelight
#5 Trading By Shroomlight
Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey
#1 Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins
#1-1 The Depredides Dance (a stand-alone short story)
#1-5 Rogue Retrieval (a stand-alone novella – coming soon)
#2 Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil’s Host
#3 Mack ‘n’ Me: Arach
#4 Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour
#4-3 What Happens on Axis 58… (a stand-alone short story)
#4-6 Cloud Door (a stand-alone short story)
I also write fantasy, urban fantasy and short stories across the genres, all of which can be found on my Amazon author page.
Connect With The Authors
Colleen Simpson Social
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https://www.amazon.com/C.M.-Simpson/e/B0086QFGFO
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http://cmsimpson.blogspot.com.au/
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https://twitter.com/simpsoncolleen1
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Michael Anderle Social
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Trading Into Daylight (The Magic Below Paris Book 6) Page 22