He flashed me a quick smile before staring at Derek’s retreating back. “No problem. Hopefully that keeps him in line for a little while. I swear, young punks like that…wow. Wet socks and itchy sweaters are more pleasant than that sarding bag of—I probably shouldn’t swear in front of you, should I?”
I giggled at the question. “You swear like a sailor most of the time, don’t you?”
He looked slightly abashed. “I grew up around sailors, ninjas and mercenaries, so yes?”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” I sobered as a thought occurred. “You’re lucky that he didn’t reach for his spellbook.”
Shaking his head, Bannen denied, “Luck had nothing to do with it. I knew better than to leave him a hand free. Ah, good, he’s long gone now.” Relaxing, Bannen faced me again. “It’s the one thing I know about mages. That little book you keep on you has all of your spells so that you don’t have to draw out diagrams or chant anything. Just touch and fling. If I can stop you from reaching that, then the fight’s won.”
He was exactly right. All mages (me being the exception) had a book or grimoire that was on them at all times. It usually wasn’t big, about the size of a man’s palm, but it had the inscriptions and spells for every spell in their arsenal. They could touch the page and imbue it with magic, using the spell in seconds instead of taking a half hour to draw it all out. It was what mages used in battle situations, as it was the easiest and most practical way to fight. “How do you know all of this?”
“We had rogue mages up in my country,” he explained. “Mostly mages-in-training that failed the Tests and went bad. Some of them turned to banditry or something equally stupid, so I ran across them from time to time while guarding caravans.”
I felt my eyes pop out of my head. “You fought. With rogue mages.”
Canting his head a little, he gave me a roguish smile. “I told you, your magic chose me for a very good reason.”
“I’ll say.” Anyone that could fight a rogue mage and walk away breathing had to have incredible fighting ability. The speed alone that he would have to move at to avoid being hit by spells would be breathtaking. No wonder Derek hadn’t been able to fend him off! I started regretting sorely that I couldn’t keep Bannen. With him at my side, I’d always be safe. Even from the bullies.
Feeling more than a little regret, I turned back to the job at hand.
I went through another two stacks of salt cake without any trouble. It was a little tedious, to be honest, but the money was good enough for me to put up with six hours of moderate boredom. With this sort of task, I absolutely had to focus, though. Some mages might be able to fling spells off and be distracted, but with the way I worked magic, I HAD to pay attention. There was no way around it. If I lost focus, the whole effort unraveled and usually with disastrous results.
So I focused on just the salt cakes in front of me and trusted Bannen to keep an eye on our surroundings. If storm clouds rolled in, or—heaven forbid—some idiot did something stupid, it would be him that would have to alert me.
Another layer of salt cakes gone. Hmm, it might not take the full six hours I’d estimated earlier. With someone guarding my back like this, I could relax enough to focus solely on the job at hand. This was nice. No wonder all mages liked having a familiar.
Between one breath and the next, I went from standing to flat on my back, Bannen smack on top of me. Blinking, I shook my head a little, trying to process what had just happened. Even though I’d been jerked to the ground so quickly, his hand was behind my head, cushioning my fall to where I felt the impact but it was more jarring than hurtful. “Wha—”
Then I felt the heat.
It was scorching hot, even through the shields. A heat so intense, so penetrating that every nerve in my body screamed to get away. Bannen was swearing, already up, pulling me to my feet. “Move. Move, Rena!”
I stumbled to my feet and ran as he directed, heading away from that intense heat. “What happened?” I demanded of him as we ran along the block pathway, heading for the exterior office.
“Some fool threw a bunch of water on the bricks towards the back,” he answered. “I didn’t see who, but I think we know who.”
Derek. Yes, likely so. “This way, we have to report it.” I hopped down the wall instead of taking the short stairs, sprinting the rest of the way toward the office.
Supervisor Lon was already outside, staring at the flames with wide eyes. He’s been here for eight years and ran a tight ship so I knew he’d have the answer even as I asked the question: “Anyone at the fourth quadrant washing today?”
“No one,” he answered immediately, deep voice a little strained. “Spirits, this is bad. You say someone washing, did you see water?”
I shook my head no. “Bannen did.”
“Big spray of it hit the back rows,” Bannen supplied without prompting. “No way was it accidental, not with that volume of water.”
“You see who? No? We’ll look into it,” the supervisor promised, “but for now, I’ll call in help. Rena, can you do something about those blocks still?”
Nodding, I put on an air of confidence I didn’t entirely feel. “I can. But the shield we have up isn’t going to be able to withstand the pressure or heat for much longer. I need stronger shields put up before I can do anything.”
Lon was not a magician but he’d worked with enough of us, and understood enough of the basic principles, that he could follow my reasoning. “I’ll take care of that. You go back and be ready to work as soon as help arrives. Young man—Bannen, was it?—you watch her. Be sure to take her out of there the second it gets too hot to handle.”
Bannen assured him, “She’s my priority, sir. Rena, let’s go back, work as much as we can before we have to leave.”
It would be far, far safer if I could somehow get most of those bricks out before they also caught aflame. I ran back to the site and got as close as I could, but still, it was not as close as before. The shields did their best, but I was sweating buckets just standing here, and I stood a full two sections away from the one burning. I halted and shook my head. “Bannen, the shield is going to fail soon. I can see it doing so.”
“Alright. We won’t get closer than this, then. There’s, what, two shields in between us and the flames if we’re standing here?”
A reasonable guess, and a correct one. “Yes.”
“Will that be enough to shield us if that one fails?”
“Should be, at least long enough for us to leave the area.”
“Then can you work from here?”
There was enough piled up in the other sections that I could barely see the rows. I spread my hands helplessly. “I can barely see it from here. I’m not tall enough to see over all of this junk.”
Bannen considered that for a second before he abruptly knelt, grabbed my thighs, and hauled me over so that I sat on his shoulders. I gasped, flailed, and grabbed desperately at his head for balance. He must have assumed I was seated well enough as he stood again, me sitting on his shoulders like a five year old stealing a ride from a favorite uncle. “How about now?”
We were going to have a long, long talk later about how he manhandled me. What am I, a doll? Shaking the thought off, I looked over. “I can see the top bricks from here.”
“Then do your thing. I’ve got you.”
He did feel rock steady under me. And now that I was sitting on top of him like this, I appreciated the fact that I felt nothing but muscle. He could probably carry two of me without much trouble. I closed my eyes, found my center, and opened them again. Let’s do what we can.
I normally take things in stages, as it’s easier and it doesn’t sap my mental stamina. But now, I widened my scope, taking in as much as I could in one shot. The fire unfortunately was spreading, and the chemicals were reacting strongly with each other. It made my job harder, but I focused, and I stayed persistent, until I was able to get the top bricks done.
“Whew, better!” Bannen praised. “It’s feelin
g cooler already.”
Barely. Still, I smiled at his praise and focused on the next layer. The fire was changing the chemical base, so I had to shift and alter my incantation on the fly to compensate for it. Still, I was making progress.
“Bannen, Rena!” Master came running up, robes flapping. “We got word there’s trouble.”
I turned my head to find that it wasn’t just Master but Vonda as well. Oh good, she was amazing with shields. “Master, Master Vonda, some idiot threw water on the salt cakes.”
“A good portion, I would say,” Master Vonda observed calmly. She was her usual unflappable self, already pulling her grimoire out and flipping through the pages for the shield she wanted. “Jon, let’s do a dual-layer shield. Earth base.”
“They’re difficult to hold for long,” Master complained as much to himself as anyone else. “Rena, how are you doing?”
Master’s overprotective of me even at the best of times but I understood why he was asking now. I had been out here for a good hour already after all, and this situation demanded stamina. “I feel really good today for some reason. I don’t think I’ll have an attack.”
He took that with a provisional nod. “Then the moment we’ve got it up, move closer and work as quickly and carefully as you can.”
“Should I put her down, then?” Bannen asked.
“No,” Master Vonda answered immediately, her hand hovering over the barrier spell without initiating it. “Dual shields are difficult to hold for any length of time. If we lose concentration or something else happens, we need you to get her out of there quickly. How long can you carry her like that?”
Bannen snorted. I couldn’t see his expression from here, but I could hear it in his tone. “Please. I’ve had dogs that are bigger than she is. She’s fine up there.”
I admit I felt a little flattered by this. It was an extremely backhanded compliment to be sure, but he did have a way of making me feel dainty.
“Then get ready to move.” Master Vonda gave Tarkington a look. “On three. One, two, three!”
The dual shield snapped up with an audible hum of magic. Bannen moved immediately, taking me closer to the section and angling it so that I had a full view of the bricks. The chemical composition was changing so quickly due to the heat that while I could guess what was going on, I didn’t dare say a single word until I could confirm it with my own eyes. I started speaking the spell as soon as I could see the entire top layer. By the time he stopped again, the first layer was dust.
I spoke as quickly as I could, took as much down as I could without pause. My throat turned raspy, my eyes itched from the intense heat, my skin felt tight and almost like I had a sunburn. Maybe I did.
There was a tap on my leg. “Drink something.”
If I didn’t, I would lose my voice altogether. I accepted the flask Bannen passed up to me and drained it all in one long pull before passing it back. Ah, that felt so much better. Feeling a little revived, I went back to the incantations.
Hours, months, years passed. The day felt a decade long but the sun insisted it was only late afternoon when the last of the burning bricks disappeared, leaving only the normal salt cakes behind. I stopped, panting a little. “Bannen.”
“Down?”
“Yeah.” He went down on one knee and I thankfully clambered off of him, my legs feeling of pins and needles after being in that position for so long.
Master and Master Vonda came up, a little anxiously. “We couldn’t see well from back there,” Master said, tentatively creeping close enough peer past the walls. “Ah, good, the flames are all out. There still seems to be some work left, though. Maybe another few hours?”
Another two at least would be my estimate.
Master Vonda took a good look at me, lips pursed. “I think for another day. You look wiped out, Renata.”
I felt it, too. “Not used to using magic for this long.”
“And she did major spell work recently, too,” Master added. I was grateful for the way he had phrased it.
“Yes, I heard about that.” Master Vonda’s look at Bannen was very thoughtful, perhaps a touch wry. “Mister Familiar, you did your job admirably today.”
Bannen gave her a charming smile. “Why thank you.”
“If I were ten years younger, I’d make a pass at you. Not many men can carry a woman on their shoulders for three hours.” Master Vonda patted him on the shoulder.
Had it really been three hours?
Seeming to realize that she was mostly kidding, Bannen shrugged. “As I said earlier, I’ve carried heavier things for long periods of time. Rena, is this good enough for now?”
“I think so.” I hoped so. I felt more than a little tenderized. “Let’s check with Supervisor Lon. If he says this is secure enough for today, then we’ll call it quits and come finish the job tomorrow.”
Halfway to the main gate of the dump, I felt a sharp tug at my arm. Snapping my head around, I saw Rena slowly slump forward, breathing strained and gasping for air. I recognized the signs quickly enough from her earlier attack and swore. “Rena, where’s your medicine?”
Her hand fumbled for a pocket in the light jacket she wore. I moved her hand aside impatiently and dipped into it, pulling out one of the paper triangles. Then I paused as I honestly didn’t know what to do with it. “Do you inhale this, eat it, what? Wait, you can’t answer. TARKINGTON!”
The man spun in place, saw the situation, and doubled back to us in a quick jog. “She has to swallow that!”
Right. I quickly unfolded it and held it up to her mouth, one of her hands coming up to cup mine as she tipped her head back and swallowed the white powder dry.
Tarkington urged her to sit, stroking her hair back from her face, a pinched look around his eyes. “I was afraid of this, you were pushing yourself too hard today, Rena.”
I sank down with her, and since we were literally in the middle of the path, arranged one knee behind her so that she could brace herself against me. That seemed to help, as she could recline against my leg and open her lungs, the better for breathing. It took several minutes and a lot of gasping, but eventually her breath steadied out to where she didn’t sound like a leaking billows.
This was hardly the first time I had seen a sign that told me she didn’t have the best health, but something about the way she looked brought it home to me just how poorly her body functioned. Even in this strong afternoon light she looked nearly white, lines of pain around her mouth and eyes. She looked a good decade older and I didn’t like it. Her eyes turned up to mine with a clear apology in them. “Sorry,” she whispered, voice hoarse. “I’m a lot of trouble.”
“Don’t say that, Rena,” Tarkington scolded. “Here, are you ready to move again? Can you make it by trolley home or should we find some other way?”
“I can make it,” she assured him.
Maybe she believed that but I felt like the words were a lie. I didn’t know exactly what had set her attack off but I had a feeling it might be exhaustion. The way she moved and held herself, leaning heavily against me, said she had no energy left. I made a snap decision and snaked two arms around her. “I’ve got her.”
“Wait—whoa!” Rena threw her arms around my shoulders, scrambling a little for purchase as I lifted her in a bridal carry. “Bannen, I can—”
I met her eyes levelly and at this angle, she had no escape from me. “You’re so exhausted you’re trembling, Rena,” I stated softly, firmly, leaving no room for argument. “I can carry you to the trolley. There’s no reason to push yourself past the breaking point.”
She sighed, the argument draining her. “You’ve already carried me for three hours.”
“Beast of burden, that’s me,” I said cheerfully, already striding for the front gates with a bemused set of masters trailing after us. When I didn’t get a response, I found her eyes closed, and while I doubted she was sleeping, I let it lay.
Tarkington took lead outside the gates and led us toward the trolley station, wh
ere fortunately we didn’t have to wait long for the next car to come. This time I felt more confident boarding it, and I relinquished Rena enough to sit next to me, although I kept a supportive arm around her back. She leaned heavily into me, eyes closed, and this time I knew the instant that she fell asleep.
I waited a few minutes, long enough for her to fully sink into dreamland, then I looked at Tarkington over her head, pinning him with my eyes. “I want a proper answer,” I said softly and even to my own ears the words were harsh. “What’s wrong with her?”
Tarkington winced and exchanged a troubled look with Vonda, who sat opposite us. He deflated and admitted to the trolley car’s floor, “We don’t know.”
“You don’t know,” I parroted flatly.
“I’ve taken her to every doctor in this city, her parents have tried every doctor and physician in their area, no one knows. We just know that she’s been progressively getting worse. Her body is literally falling apart, piece by piece, and there’s no medical or magical solution that we can find.”
I stared at him hard but his eyes never came back up to mine. If staring at the floor made it easier to answer me, I wouldn’t call him on it. “I don’t like that answer.”
“None of us do,” Vonda responded with a grimace. “Our hope is to get her through the rest of the Tests quickly so that we can then take her out of this area, to more prominent doctors, someone that can diagnose her. Someone that can help her.”
I didn’t see how that was a bad plan since they had obviously exhausted their resources here. It still felt like a shot in the dark to me, though. “And what sets her off?”
“Exhaustion,” Tarkington responded immediately and this time he did meet my eyes. “Long and extensive spellwork normally does, because that ties into the exhaustion, but not always. Physically she can’t exert herself. Other than that, there’s no real pattern that we can find.”
The Human Familiar (Familiar and the Mage Book 1) Page 8