Festival of Mourn (The Dark Sorcerer Book 1)

by D. K. Holmberg

  There wasn't any resistance, which she hoped meant she would hear from him soon.

  “That's not how sorcery works. It's not a matter of how much energy you have,” Char said.

  “I'm not only using sorcery,” she said.

  His eyes widened slightly, and he nodded.

  She looped the snake spell around the dwaring inside the other man and squeezed.

  She pulled. As soon as she had that energy within the man, Char began to work. He dragged it down into one of the activated enchantments, holding the dwaring more quickly than before.

  She finished the next few as quickly as she could, and by the time she reached the last one, she barely had enough strength.

  As she pulled on it, the dwaring escaped.

  It was like an amorphous cloud, and this one seemed to have wings, as if it were some flying creature determined to attack Char. It was slow and languid, energy expanding as it tried to absorb everything around it.

  Jayna reacted the only way she knew how. She threw herself between him and the dwaring, holding out her ring. She could barely stand, but she flicked the snake spell around the dwaring, wrapping it up, and forced power out through the dragon stone ring. It shrieked.

  It was a horrible sound that split the night. She started to constrict the power around the dwaring.

  “Grab the enchantment,” she mumbled.

  “What?” Char could scarcely take his eyes off of the dwaring. She understood.

  “The enchantment. Now.”

  When he handed it to her, Jayna pushed power and the dwaring into it. It struggled, but Char began to help. She could feel him helping through the linking spell.

  And then it was done.

  She sank to the ground. Eva strode over, plucking the enchantment off the ground, and placed a droplet of blood on it. Smoke swirled around the enchantment before shrinking down inside of it. The shrieking persisted for a moment until it went silent.

  They were done. The dwaring were removed.

  “We have to go,” she said, looking over to Eva.

  Her friend nodded, smoke swirling around her, though it still trailed toward Jayna, almost protectively.

  “You can't go. Not like that,” Char said.

  Jayna staggered to her feet, finding the staff nearby, using it to lean on.

  “I'm not staying for the Society to decide they are going to torment me.”

  Char watched her for a long moment. Finally, he swept his gaze around, lingering on each of the people who had had dwaring inside of them, before turning to Gabranth. “He was a dark sorcerer.”

  “That's what I've been telling you.”

  “I . . .” He shook his head, glancing to the space overhead. She could feel the magic of sorcery, and knew she didn't have much time. The moment the Society arrived, she would either have to fight her way free, or deal with the consequences of what she had done. She didn't care for either possibility. “Go. I will stall them.”

  “What are you going to say?” Jayna asked.

  “I don't know. As much of the truth as I can.”

  “What about me?” Jayna could scarcely stand upright, but Char remained watching her.

  “I don't know.” He breathed out a long sigh. “I know that's not good enough, and I know that's not what you want, but that's all I can say right now.”

  She glanced to Eva.

  They weren’t going to be staying in the city much longer anyway. It didn't matter if the Society came after her.

  And Char was letting her go.

  It was a step in the right direction. A small one, but a step unless.

  Eva helped her. They reached a section of fallen stone, where Eva glanced back.

  “We shouldn't leave him,” she said, nodding to Gabranth.

  “What would you do?”

  Eva closed her eyes for a moment, biting her lip. Smoke swirled out from her, and it circled Gabranth, squeezing down into a thick cloud. Jayna could feel something briefly.

  Then the smoke cleared and Gabranth's body was gone.

  “Come on. Let's go home.”

  26

  Strange dreams consumed Jayna—dreams of dark power, mixed with light and flame, but always at the periphery of her vision. There were dreams of her parents, even though they had died all those years ago, and some of Jonathan, though he had stayed hidden from her even in her dreams. There were dreams of Eva and Char, too, and Ceran, though that was less surprising. She had dreamed of Ceran too many times, as if he forced her to remember him. It was his way of summoning her, she figured.

  She sat up slowly.

  It took her a moment to realize where she was.

  Her home once again.

  She’d survived.

  She had barely made it back before collapsing. She didn't remember getting into her nightgown. Maybe Eva had done that for her. It would serve her right, especially as Jayna often had to care for Eva when she let herself get into the wrong state of mind. Jayna been too weakened to do much though.

  Voices came from out in the main part of the home, and Jayna rubbed her eyes. She was exhausted still, and when she tried reaching for sorcery, she found that power buried within her, though it was balled up tightly and difficult to reach. She released it immediately, not wanting to be overwhelmed by the agony of attempting to reach for power that was not meant for her to call upon just yet. It would take time for her to recover.

  The dragon stone ring remained on her finger. She twisted it, and it wasn’t as warm as it usually was. Did that mean she had gotten closer to darkness?

  She didn’t want to think it did, but what other explanation was there? Given all that she had gone through, everything she had experienced, Jayna couldn’t help but think that maybe she had somehow tapped into some new dark energy. If so, she feared what that meant for her.

  Char had been there. Char had seen what she had done.

  He would know.

  He already thought the kind of work she had fallen into had turned her into some dark sorcerer, but having seen that would have only proved it to him—despite the fact she had done nothing of the sort.

  It wouldn’t matter to him. All that mattered to Char was the fact she was dealing with dark magics.

  She swung her feet over the edge of her bed, attempting to stand before wobbling for a moment and sitting back down. The black staff leaned against the wall—not that it had been useful when she’d needed it.

  What she needed now was more time to recuperate.

  She twisted the dragon stone ring. She had not heard from Ceran since the festival. If the festival had been blocking her somehow, or if Gabranth had been blocking her somehow, she hoped to hear from him soon now. And she hoped he wouldn't be too angry that she had killed Gabranth. Not that she had much choice in the matter.

  Jayna forced herself to her feet.

  There was no point in him getting angry. Not at this point. Now that she had defeated the Celebrants of Asymorn, it was time for her to leave Nelar. She would have to visit with Char first, not wanting to leave without at least explaining herself to him, but it was time. There was no reason for her to remain behind any longer.

  She staggered over to the door before turning back. She didn’t know who was in the home, and she wasn’t about to go out dressed like this.

  She dressed as quickly as she could, though far more slowly than usual, slipping on pants and a jacket, grabbing a knife just to be safe, before stumbling forward. She held her hand on the wall, using that to prop herself up and guide her along. She reached the main part of the home, then she froze.

  Eva sat near the fire in her usual plush chair, a glass of wine in hand. Her eyes were slightly red-rimmed, and she had the fire crackling incredibly brightly, the room blazing with heat.

  Another man sat across from her.

  “Topher?” she muttered.

  Eva turned to her. “You should still be sleeping,” she said.

  “I don’t know how I can sleep any longer with the two of
you out here yammering,” Jayna said. She staggered over to the table where she sank down in one of the chairs, resting her head on her elbow. It amazed her just how tired she still was. “How long did I sleep?”

  “Not long enough,” Eva said.

  “How long?”

  She looked over to Topher. He looked refreshed. His eyes sparkled, his black hair was combed back, and somehow he had managed to find ale in their home, which Jayna found surprising.

  “Three days,” Eva said.

  Jayna blinked. “Three days?”

  It explained why her stomach felt so hollow and empty. She had never slept that long.

  Of course, she had never fully connected to the Toral magic that way.

  Not sorcery, though.

  That was a matter of knowledge and speed, not of any real strength. She was exhausted.

  “You spent quite a lot of yourself,” Eva said.

  “How are they?” Jayna asked, referring to the men whom she and Char had removed the dwaring from.

  “Alive.” Eva nodded to Topher. “This one won’t leave us alone. He claimed he didn’t need the help the others did, so he followed us back here like a puppy.”

  “I didn’t need the help. Once she removed that thing from me, I felt better. I’d been fighting it as long as I could—especially after I knew what it was—but I couldn’t fight it completely.”

  “I can't even imagine,” Jayna said. “I only felt a hint of it.”

  Even that was enough to know she didn't want to know what it was like to have a dwaring feeding inside of her.

  She might not have survived nearly as long as Topher had.

  Jayna took a deep breath, letting it out. Three days. She had been sleeping for three days. But all she could think about was crashing and sleeping for another three days.

  “You still haven’t told me what happened with the others,” Jayna said.

  “The others were brought to the outpost,” Eva said.

  “Char decided to help them?”

  It shouldn't surprise her. Char had always been a healer. It was what was expected from him. Still, he had let her go. And the fact that the Society hadn't come for her in the three days she had been out suggested that he had bought her more than just a little time. She would have to thank him.

  Maybe the Society would even admit there was dark magic in the city.

  Jayna wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. It meant the sorcerers were going to be more vigilant. They would be on edge, and they would hunt for those dark magic users, though there wasn’t a whole lot they would be able to do when it came to stopping them. Perhaps they could stop some of the basic dark magic, but even that was far easier for people like Jayna to manage than any of the sorcerers.

  Not that Char would believe that though.

  “He’s been coming around to check on you,” Eva said.

  “I’m sure he was worried,” Jayna muttered.

  “You don’t think he cares?” Topher asked.

  Jayna bit back a response. She didn’t know Topher, and she had no interest in explaining her relationship with Char to him, nor did she have any interest in letting him know Char would see the kind of magic she had been using as dark and dangerous, rather than recognizing the good she had done. And she had done good. She knew it. It was obvious when she had saved the others, obvious she had managed to prevent the Celebrants of Asymorn from succeeding. They had not managed to free Asymorn, after all.

  “I—”

  A knock at the door caught her attention, and Jayna started to get up but Topher beat her to it, holding on to his mug of ale and hurrying over to the door. When he reached it, he glanced over at Jayna, grinning. “See? He was checking on you.”

  Char stood in the doorway wearing his maroon sorcerer’s robe.

  “Why don’t we go get more wine,” Eva said, grabbing Topher and dragging him out of the home.

  Jayna shot her a look, but Eva ignored it.

  When the door closed, Char came and took a seat across from her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I just slept for three days.”

  “I’ve been stopping by.”

  “I’ve heard that.”

  “And you slept each time I came.”

  “That’s what I was told,” she said.

  They sat in silence for a moment. “The others are all recovering. They should make a full recovery, even.”

  “That’s good, I guess,” Jayna said. She looked up and found Char looking at her the way he once had, filled with questions, curiosity, and a hint of something more. “What did you tell them?” she asked.

  “What did I tell the men who were attacked, or what did I tell the sorcerers?”

  “Both.”

  “The men who were attacked don’t remember anything. For now, that’s probably for the best. Eventually, I imagine that he”—he nodded to the door were Topher had left—“will share something. He’s been asking about a couple of them whom he knows, so I doubt you’re going to keep it secret for too long.”

  “It’s not about keeping it a secret,” she said. At least, it wasn’t going to be about keeping it a secret as soon as she left the city. That would happen soon enough, and when she did, she didn’t have to worry about anyone knowing about her connection to magic, or about the kind of things she could do. She wouldn’t have to worry about revealing the existence of the dark powers out in the world.

  “They know about the dark magic—there was no way to hide that—but I haven't told them anything about you.”

  She breathed out slowly. “You didn't.”

  “I wanted to talk to you myself. I wanted to understand. To really understand.”

  “I don't know if it's safe for them to know about this kind of power,” she said.

  And not only was it potentially unsafe, but there was the danger of temptation. What had Gabranth been like before he had been drawn by that power?

  “Maybe,” he agreed. “But you might be surprised. The Society wants to help.” He took a deep breath, resting his hands on the table in front of her. “I’m worried about you. I know you’re going to tell me I don’t need to be, and you’re going to tell me that you aren’t using dark magic, but I saw what I saw. I felt what I felt.” He looked down at the dragon stone ring. “I’m not at all sure what’s been going on, but I also know you’re doing some good. I can’t claim to understand all of it, but . . . I guess I can try.”

  He reached across the table, and she hesitated before taking his hand.

  “If you’re going to be in the city for a while, it would be nice to see you again—and not in the middle of the night when you sneak up on my window and break the glass.”

  She chuckled. “I would like that.” She didn’t have the heart to tell him she had no idea how much longer she would be in the city. At this point, she had made some trouble for herself, and it might be hard to remain there. Master Raollet would most certainly continue to try to get revenge for what she had done, and there was the danger of those who had noticed the kind of magic she’d been using.

  More than that, there was the danger of the outpost realizing somebody was using sorcerers’ magic that they didn’t control. She was not to reveal she was Toral, nor the presence of her kind of power overall. That was her instruction.

  “I see,” Char said.

  “What exactly do you see?”

  “You don’t hide things from me nearly as well as you think you do, Jayna Aguelon.”

  “Hide?”

  He shrugged. “You might think you do, but you’re not nearly as clever as you want to be.”

  “What is it, then?”

  “I can see it in your eyes. You don’t know how long you’re going to be here.”

  She smiled sadly. “No. I don’t.”

  “Well, regardless, I’d like to see you while you are here. Can we at least agree to that?”

  She smiled at him, nodding. “I can agree to that.”

  “Good.” He watched her for a
while. “You look like you need sleep. I won’t keep you. But after you get some rest, why don’t you send word to me? Or you can even come yourself. I won’t tell Master Agnew who you are or let him know about your experience with the Academy. I won’t say anything unless you want me to.”

  She just nodded.

  Char released her hand and got to his feet.

  A pang of longing worked through her. She didn't want to let go of him. She had already done that once, and it had been hard enough then. She had never expected to have to do it a second time.

  But the work she did was dangerous, and there was no guarantee she would stay here for much longer.

  In fact, it was likely she would not.

  Char watched her again for a few moments, then headed to the door, disappearing.

  Jayna let out a long sigh, then rested her head on the table.

  She’d just planned on resting her head for a moment. When she came around, she hadn’t felt like she had been sleeping for very long. The dragon stone ring started to vibrate.

  Relief washed through her.

  It was unusual to feel relief when Ceran summoned her, but after so long in silence, she was just happy to detect anything again.

  She got to her feet. She was unsteady, and her body ached. How long had she been sleeping at the table?

  She looked around the inside of the room. The fire had burned down, leaving a comfortable flame, not the blazing heat Eva had preferred. She wondered where they had gone off to. Maybe they had realized she’d been sleeping and stayed away, or maybe they had found the tavern and ended up staying there. Either way, it didn’t matter.

  Jayna found her cloak draped over the chair, slipped it on, and headed out in the streets. She followed the pulsing of the dragon stone ring through the growing darkness, but knew exactly where it was going to take her. She reached the edge of the city, the forest casting dark shadows out into it, as the ring started to vibrate with much more intensity. She waited for a little while, but not too long before a shadow separated from the darkness.

  He didn't step forward enough for her to see his face, but she imagined him smiling.

  “How much of the Festival of Mourn did you detect?” Jayna asked him.