“They’re conscripting every mage who isn’t attached to the covens to fight this thing.”
“Let’s go then,” Rose said, nudging Atalanta forward. “What are we doing just talking about it?”
“Just kill the crazy bastard,” Bret said, yanking on his boots.
“He’s got a magic barrier around him. No one can reach him.”
No one who couldn’t turn invisible and try to fly over the barrier that is.
“Half the mages are trying to take down the barrier and the other half are keeping the elemental at bay while the town evacuates.”
It was stupid to divide their forces. They’d have been better off trying to free and then soothe the elemental.
“We need a plan,” Bret said, looking around for his shirt.
But Rose was already galloping towards the road, Jeb on her heels. Good thing her Seeker gear was tied up in a bedroll across Atalanta’s back. They had to be careful about how they killed the Elementalist. The water elemental could go wild and decimate the town once his control over it was broken. She was going to try to cut the magical binding with her sword and if that didn’t work, Rose would have to kill the elementalist. Hopefully, the other mages would keep him busy so he didn’t have time to turn the water elemental on her.
“Shit.” She heard Bret swear in the distance and if the situation wasn’t so dire she would have smiled.
“You should come back with me to the coven where it’s safe,” Jeb said.
“I’m not interested in safe. I’ve got a score to settle with this elementalist.” Rose increased her pace, just in case he got any bright ideas about grabbing her reins and making her come with him by force.
“You can’t do anything to him. He’s too powerful.”
“I can do a damned bit more in Harbortown than I can with my thumb up my ass in Greenly.”
Jeb cursed. “Stubborn mage.”
“What’s he doing with the water elemental?” she asked, a little put out that Jeb’s horse wasn’t having any trouble keeping up with Atalanta.
“He’s trying to steal a ship to take him to Solace.”
He wouldn’t need a crew if the water elemental pushed the boat across the Great Sea. Rose’s mind boggled at the power it would take to control an elemental that long. If the mage fell asleep, it was all over.
Chapter Eleven
Bret had caught up to them after a few miles much to Duke’s aggravation. Rose could feel his gaze boring into her as they kept up a punishing pace to Harbortown.
They arrived at the town gates just as night was falling. Jeb showed the Harbortown’s guards paperwork that Rose was a member of Greenly’s coven and they were let into the city without incident.
“I want to go down to the docks,” she said.
“I’ll secure us lodging and meet you there.” Jeb rode out ahead of them.
“Why don’t you go with him?” Rose said as Bret pulled alongside her.
“Do I look like an idiot?” he drawled.
“A little,” she said, refusing to be charmed when he laughed and stroked his hand down her wind tousled hair.
“I love you too,” he said.
Rose had to blink tears back that she blamed from the wind. The damnable thing was she didn’t know if that was a sarcastic comment about being called an idiot or if he was responding with what he should have said this afternoon.
However when they rounded the corner to the road that led to the docks, all thought of her love life fled at what she saw.
“Holy shit,” she whispered.
The waves splashed over the docks and flooded the warehouses. She slid off Atalanta. “You need to get the horses to safety.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, his eyes fixed at the enormous water geyser just off the coast.
There was no way she was going to grab her sword without giving herself away. It was the dagger then.
“Where the hell are you going?”
“To get wet,” she said.
“Get your ass back here,” Bret growled.
But she was already making her way through the mud to get to the first circle of mages. They were knee deep in water, holding hands and chanting. Glancing over her shoulder, she locked eyes with Bret. His hands were white knuckled on the reins and he looked grimmer than she ever saw him.
“Be careful,” he said.
She nodded and released a long breath. It felt good that he trusted her. Not wanting to disturb the protection spell the thirteen mages were holding to keep the waves contained to the ocean, Rose sloshed by them.
She wasn’t prepared to be grabbed around the waist by a watery arm and dragged off her feet.
“Rose.” Bret moved the horses closer, but checked himself when she broke free.
Cold and wet, she glared at the waves before moving forward. She saw the second group of mages casting blasts of power at a wall of water by the farthest dock. Ships were being tossed about and several were wrecked against the rocks. If she squinted, she could see the elementalist inside the wall of water. Of course, bodies floated all around him too. The mundanes had tried to rush him and were drowned before they got to him.
“Stay there,” she shouted at Bret. But the wind howled up and she wasn’t sure he heard her.
More townspeople fired arrows into the water, but the wall of water just absorbed it. Behind a stone wall, she found a few mages.
“I’m here to help,” she said.
“We’re waiting to swap in when someone gets tired.” A scared looking man said, pointing at the chanting circle.
“Unless you’ve got some fire power in you to bust through that barrier?” an older woman, who looked more angry than frightened, asked.
Rose shook her head. “I might be able to cloak myself and fly over the barrier.”
“You’re crazy,” an acolyte said. “He’ll swat you out of the sky.”
“If he sees me,” she said. “I’m hoping to be invisible.”
“He’s too powerful,” another acolyte said, hugging herself tight and rocking back and forth. “So much death.”
Rose looked up and saw the city’s militia standing helplessly. They were powerless to do anything to stop this menace. How did you stab water? How could you arrest the sea?
“My brother’s name is Robert. He’s a ship’s captain from Demerest. The Lady Blade is his ship. If I don’t come back, can you tell him what happened to me?”
The older woman nodded. “Gods watch over you.”
Casting the invisibility spell, she took one last look at Bret. Duke was dancing because his hooves were getting wet and Bret was having a hell of a time controlling him. This situation with the elementalist was partly her fault. She freed the bastard, after all. It was only right she was the one to stop him. Casting her fly spell, she took to the air. The wind buffeted her and almost slammed her into the rock wall the city’s militia stood on, but Rose was able to compensate. She flew up as high as she could, until all she saw of the town was the rooftops. Then she flew towards the water barrier. The spray from the sea drenched her and she swallowed salt water when she eased over the top. Keeping a hold on her stomach, Rose peered down and saw the elementalist. He was on his knees on the weathered dock. His eyes were rolled back in his head and his mouth was open in a silent scream.
The elementalist was locked into a power struggle with the water elemental out at sea. Dropping down behind him, Rose pulled her dagger and using mage sight saw the taught line that connected the two beings. She struck at it with the dagger and felt the power sing up her arm. It was heady and wild. She bared her teeth and roared with the elements before shaking herself out of it. Drowning in water or drowning in power was still a terrible way to die.
But she tried to sever the line once more. This time the mage lashed out with a power bolt that slammed her into the water barrier. The water grabbed her greedily and engulfed her. Gagging up salt water, Rose slammed her shields tight and pushed her way out of the barrier. She lan
ded on the deck behind the elementalist, gasping for breath.
“Why are you doing this?” she coughed out.
But he was beyond speech. Rose wasn’t sure he even had much of a mind left. The water elemental was too powerful. Too inhuman to be in contact with for so long. This wasn’t a fire that would eventually die. Water was eternal. The sea would never stop coming.
Rising to her feet, Rose steadied herself on the mage’s shoulder and then without flinching, cut the mage’s throat. Blood sprayed against the barrier and it fell, soaking Rose and carrying the elementalist’s body out to sea. There was a terrible roaring sound as the water elemental felt the backlash of the mage’s death. It plunged under the water and the sea became still. Horribly still.
She was visible. The violence of her actions burned through the invisibility spell. Rose hadn’t been strong enough to hold it together, nor did she care to once the mage was dead.
A weak and ragged cheer started up. Bret was shouting something at her. She waved to show him she was all right. And then a great wave, twice as tall as the tallest building rose up and headed for the town.
Chapter Twelve
Rose could still fly so she took to the air and headed towards Bret and the horses.
“Ride,” she shrieked, hoping that the wind would carry her voice to him. He didn’t move. Damn him. He was going to wait for her and drown for his troubles.
A chant started from the beach and when she looked down, Rose saw the bedraggled band of mages had joined hands and were chanting on the edge of the water. That was insane. They didn’t have enough members. There were barely enough mages to make up three covens and most had probably never worked together before today. Still, she could feel the barrier going up. With one last apologetic look at Bret, Rose dropped down to the sand and grabbed on to one of the mage’s hands.
Power sucked out of her and she was rooted to the spot. Her mouth opened up on its own accord and she sang on auto pilot before her brain kicked in enough to exert control over her magic. It was a simple chant, every mage learned it when they were still an acolyte. But then it built layers until the barrier spell grew in power and intensity. Another mage grasped her hand and the magic jolted down the line, weaving into the spell.
The elemental rushed them, but instead of drowning them, it broke on the barrier. Rose heard a weak cry from the townspeople who had taken refuge on the roofs above the docks. It must have looked odd, the waves crashing on nothing as if there was a solid sheet of glass between the town and the water. The barrier looked like a shimmering wall of marble to her, with sparks of color from different factions of mages. She saw the earth brown base from the hearth witches and healers. Spackles of purple from the conjurers and dots of red from fire specialists. There was even a deep gold stream flowing through it from the pulse of a war mage.
They could save the town. If all their magic held together, it might work. Rose sent a silent prayer up that Bret went for higher ground. There was nothing he could do here, even if he did have a tiny bit of magic in him. He would be safe if he took the horses out of town.
The elemental wasn’t finished with them yet, however. It coalesced into a tower of fury and frothing water and battered at the heart of their barrier. A few mages went to their knees, but no one let go. Rose felt the impact like a punch of air against her face. Gritting her teeth, she chanted louder, over the roar of the waves. The elemental retreated back into the surf. While it gathered itself together, a few more mages joined their line and the weakness in the magical barrier was strengthened. They took another hit from the elemental, and then another as it dissolved into smaller waves of furious energy. Each attack weakened it and it grew smaller and smaller.
Rose’s heart beat in time with the slam of water against their magic shield. After a few moments, the line swayed back and forth with the tide and the elemental faded until it was just a rough swell of waves. They were all drenched, drained, and their voices were just about gone. But they had succeeded. The mages had saved the town. Rose had to peel her fingers one by one away from the other mages' hands. She had lost feeling in them. Shaking from the sudden cold, she took a step back and landed on her backside on the ruined docks.
Bret was there lifting her up and carrying her out of there.
“I’m all wet,” she croaked, her voice barely a whisper.
“I love you,” he said. “Don’t ever fucking do that again.”
Her lips parted to tell him, she loved him too. But her throat seized and she hacked up water and shuddered. So much for romance.
“Hold it right there.”
Turning her head against Bret’s shoulder, Rose closed her eyes. She didn’t care. It was someone else’s problem. She just wanted to go to the inn and sleep for days.
“By the order of the magistrate of Harbortown, the mage sanctuary has been revoked. All mages must be quarantined until their covens have come to collect them.”
Bret tightened his grip around her. Rose couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“They saved this town,” Bret snarled.
At least, Bret could be her voice.
“If it wasn’t for them, you’d all be drowning at the bottom of the ocean.”
“If it weren’t for them, this would never have happened.”
Not this again.
“You can’t be serious,” he cried.
They were. Nothing changes.
“I’m sorry, sir. I will have to take her into custody.”
“Like hell you will.” Bret shifted, turning her away from the man. “You’re a bunch of cowards. They’re too exhausted to fight back. They used up all their magic saving your sorry asses.”
“Their magic will come back and when it does, we want no part of them. We’re rounding them up and putting them in suppression pits until they can be safely evacuated.”
“No,” Rose whimpered. This was a nightmare.
“That didn’t work so well last time they tried that,” Bret said grimly. He set her down on the ground and reached for his sword.
“Damn it, move,” she told her legs, but she could only flop around on the ground like a dying fish.
“This mage is a member of the Greenly coven.” Jeb said, from behind the guard. Rose hadn’t heard him come up. Squinting in the distance, she could see Atalanta. She tried to whistle for her, but she could barely blow air.
“I take full responsibility for my mage. As for the rest, Greenly will take them. We can arrange for transportation to be here in a few days.”
“Freedom,” Rose whispered, but no one paid her any attention. Behind her, the guards had swarmed the recovering mages and shackled them with anti-magic restraints.
“This is not right,” Bret said. And she loved him for it. But he also didn’t draw his sword to help the other mages. Why would he?
“Your paperwork seems to be in order,” the guard said to Jeb. “Take her and get out of the city.”
“Thank you,” Jeb said, and Bret hauled her up again, ignoring her squeak of protest.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
“No.” Rose had to make him see reason. These mages didn’t deserve to be imprisoned.
“We’re outnumbered,” he said to her. “And out gunned. There’s nothing we can do for them.”
That’s what he thinks.
ROSE WASN’T FAKING exhaustion and she slept deeply, only waking up to eat and take care of her basic needs. She was dimly aware that Bret kept watch over her. But he was a man of action and sitting by a bedside wasn’t suited for his temperament. So after only one day of pretending to be still recovering, Rose had her opportunity.
“Sorry,” she said to the coven’s nurse after she had knocked her unconscious and swapped clothes with her. Tucking her into bed, she cast an illusion that it was Rose sleeping peacefully. She hoped Bret wouldn’t climb in bed and get amorous with the nurse before she came to and the spell was broken.
A second illusion spell had her reeling, too much
magic, too soon. Rose grimaced at her weakness. But if all went well, she wouldn’t be using her magic. After a quick glance in the mirror, she nodded at her reflection. She looked enough like the nurse that she should pass. No one questioned her as she walked out of the rooms and then sauntered around Greenly’s coven to get the lay out of the place. A few of the guards nodded at her and she smiled at them, appearing calm even as her pulse fluttered.
She was not happy that Atalanta wasn’t in the stables, even though that ill-mannered beast, Duke, was. Bret’s horse snorted at her and showed his teeth when she walked by. She was tempted to take him anyway until Jeb’s horse caught her eye. He was a fast one. While she could steal him, it wouldn’t help if she didn’t have her gear. Patting the horse on his soft side, Rose tried to make friends with him anyway, just in case.
“His name is Buck,” Jeb said, leaning against the stable door.
Crap.
Rose smiled and nodded. “Lovely animal,” she said in a raspy voice, clearing her throat.
“Looking for something?” Jeb dangled the black Seeker mask from his finger.
She was going to try and bluff her way out of it, but he must have opened her pack and found her Seeker gear in it. And since he wasn’t hollering for the guards, maybe her luck would change. “How did you know it was me?” Rose dropped the illusion spell. There was no sense in burning the energy up to maintain it.
“Sally is terrified of horses.”
“Why?” Rose asked.
Duke slammed into his stall.
“Hush,” she said to him.
“Planning on escaping my coven?” Jeb asked, sauntering towards her.
Rose refused to back down. “I have mages to rescue. But you know that if you found my mask.”
He shook his head. “Your brother said to keep an eye out for you.”
“Robert?” Rose blinked. “How is he?”
“Worried, but I told him you were all right. You’re safe here in Greenly. I don’t tolerate the nonsense that goes on in other covens. You’ll be happy here.”
The Seeker Page 7