by Dean Cadman
“It’s not me you should be saying sorry to,” Rebekah said.
“Sorry, Darcie,” Kayden sobbed, with his head still down.
“Oh, don’t be getting all upset now, there’s no harm done. Come now, let’s go and get you cleaned up, and maybe you can show me where you got that delicious looking cake from,” Darcie said, holding out her hand to Kayden. He sobbed again, then nodded his head before taking hold of her hand. Lusam thought he was genuinely upset at being scolded, but as he was being led away, he turned his head back towards his sister and gave her such a mischievous grin that he knew immediately it had all been a ruse.
“I’m not sure your sister knows what she’s getting herself into there,” Lusam said jokingly, nodding towards the departing pair.
“She will do, soon enough,” Rebekah answered before Hershel could.
“Aye, I think you might be right there, but I’m not going to be the one to tell her,” Hershel said chuckling to himself, as he watched his sister being led away by a very astute five-year-old boy.
“I take it Renn isn’t back from Prystone yet?” Lusam asked.
“No, not yet I’m afraid. I expect he’ll be another week at least, but knowing Renn, it might take him even longer than that. I was surprised to hear that Alexia had requested not to go with him though. Apparently she said she had something important to do here in Lamuria instead,” Hershel replied, taking a drink of his wine.
“Yeah, now we can all see exactly what she had to ‘do’ here in Lamuria,” Neala said jokingly, as she watched her best friend dance with her new man. Her words generated a new round of laughter, but no one there begrudged Alexia her chance of happiness.
“I suppose we better go and see if Darcie is coping alright with her small friend,” Hershel said, grinning at Rebekah.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to stay here for a while. I need to ask Lusam something, but I’ll come and find you all later, don’t worry,” Rebekah replied, sounding much older than she actually was. Hershel didn’t reply to her request at first, but instead looked at Lusam and Neala for guidance.
“It’s okay, she can stay with us for a while. I’ll bring her right back to you when she’s ready,” Neala promised. Hershel nodded his acceptance, and after a quick farewell, went off to find his sister again.
“Thanks,” Rebekah said, taking hold of Neala’s hand. She looked very pretty in her red velvet dress and open-toed sandals, and Neala couldn’t help wishing that she had owned a dress like that when she was her age, instead of the bland clothes she had always been made to wear back then.
“What would you like to talk to me about?” Lusam asked, breaking Neala out of her reverie. Rebekah looked up at Lusam momentarily, then turned her gaze away again, as if too afraid to speak.
“It’s alright, Rebekah, he’s not as mean as he looks,” Neala said grinning at Lusam, and giving Rebekah’s hand a small squeeze, “you can ask him whatever it is you need to ask.”
Rebekah took a moment before she found her words, but when she did, they came flooding out. “Before those men attacked my village, they attacked my father’s ship and destroyed it. I was with my mother on the dockside, and we watched it happen right in front of us. I haven’t told Kayden yet, but I know our father died on his ship that day. If he hadn’t, he would have come to find us after the men left… but he didn’t.
“I took Kayden and we ran away to hide before the men could see us, but my mother… she just kept staring at where my father’s ship had been in the water, and she wouldn’t come with us. I don’t know what happened to her. I don’t know if those men killed her, or if they took her somewhere, or if she ran away that day,” Rebekah said, with tears rolling freely down her cheeks at the painful memories.
“I really like Darcie, I do, and I know Kayden does too. But I really need to know if our mother is still alive. I was hoping you could use your magic to help me find her again. Please help me, please,” she begged.
Lusam felt terribly saddened by her story. No one should have to see the things she had seen, and certainly not someone as young as she was. He understood far too well the pain of losing someone very close to him, but not to know if they were alive or dead—that must be even worse. He knew the necklace around Rebekah’s neck once belonged to her mother, and felt sure he could use it to track her mother’s location if she was still alive. But he didn’t want to attempt it in front of all these people.
Lusam had noticed several groups of nobles slowly edging their way towards his position ever since he had joined Neala at the back of the room. They seemed to be stealthily competing between themselves for the best position to pounce on Lusam whenever he decided to move from his current spot, but none of them as yet had approached him directly—something he was sure would change soon enough.
“Rebekah, I’ll try to locate your mother for you with my magic, but I can’t promise it will work. If it doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean you should give up hope of ever finding her. Do you understand?” Lusam said quietly. He didn’t want to give her any false hope where there was none, but he also didn’t want to bring her world crashing down with the knowledge of her mother’s death either. He remembered one of his grandmother’s sayings: wherever there was hope, there was life. And he didn’t want to end her hope, or ruin her life with the information he gave her.
Rebekah looked up at Lusam and nodded her head, tears still filling her eyes.
“We can’t attempt to do it here though. Maybe we should find that quiet spot your brother found earlier,” Lusam suggested. “The trouble is, I think all those people want to speak with me, and they will likely follow us upstairs too.”
Rebekah casually glanced over her shoulder at the growing number of nobles gathered only a few strides away from where they stood, then turned back to Lusam and smiled. “My brother showed me a way to get through the busy crowds on market day. Trust me, they will move out of our way, and they won’t follow us either,” she said confidently, with a grin that resembled her brother’s so entirely that Lusam had to look again to make sure Kayden hadn’t just taken his sister’s place somehow when he wasn’t looking.
“I think I’m going to throw up, maybe you should take me outside for some fresh air,” Rebekah suggested, putting her hand to her mouth, hunching over, and heading directly towards the growing crowd of nobles, whilst visibly and dramatically retching. Lusam and Neala placed a hand on each of her shoulders and quickly followed her. The crowd parted before them like magic, as each person scrambled to get clear of the retching girl, just in case they were caught in the aftermath. Unsurprisingly, not a single noble attempted to stall Lusam’s progress with conversation, and a few moments later they were outside on the balcony in the cool evening air.
“Oh, I’m really starting to like your little brother,” Lusam said, chuckling to himself.
“That’s because you don’t know him well enough yet,” Rebekah replied in her big sister voice, making him chuckle once more.
The large balcony overlooked the Royal Gardens, and Lusam knew the view in daylight must have been quite spectacular, especially at that time of year. It was a clear night with almost a full moon in the sky, which gave them plenty of light by which to see each other. Lusam sat himself down on a long stone bench, and was quickly joined by Neala and Rebekah.
“I’ll need to use your mother’s necklace to try and find her,” Lusam said to Rebekah. She removed the necklace and handed it to Lusam without saying a word.
Since reading the third Guardian book in Lamuria, Lusam’s understanding of magic had increased dramatically. He now knew that items belonging to someone for a long period of time would often absorb some of their magic, like a fabric did with a scent. He hoped he could use that small amount of magic to search out its original source; Rebekah’s mother. It wasn’t too dissimilar to what he had done when using the enchanted knives to find Neala after her abduction, but he knew this would only work if her mother was still alive.
Lusam placed
the necklace in the palm of his hand, then sent out his mage-sight to inspect the tiny amount of magic contained within it. Once he had located it, he concentrated on finding its original source, but saw and felt nothing. He tried several different methods, including trying to make it point in the direction of Rebekah’s mother, but nothing worked. She simply was not there.
Lusam kept his eyes closed long after he had abandoned his attempts at finding Rebekah’s mother. He was trying to think of the best thing to tell her. He had always been taught that the truth was best, but in this case, he wasn’t so sure. He knew that time healed the raw feelings of loss, even if it didn’t erase them entirely, and he believed Rebekah deserved that time to adjust to her new life in Lamuria. If she felt compelled to search out her mother later in life, only to then fail, what was that when measured against a full and happy childhood?
Lusam opened his eyes to find both Rebekah and Neala looking at him intently.
“I’m sorry, Rebekah, it didn’t work. Maybe the necklace has been away from her for too long,” Lusam lied. A grim smile flickered across Rebekah’s face, one that told him she fully understood what he really meant.
“So, she’s dead then,” Rebekah said quietly.
“I didn’t say that she was dead,” Lusam replied.
“It’s okay, I expected as much. At least now I know,” she said, as Neala pulled her into a hug.
“Oh, Rebekah, I’m so sorry,” Neala said hugging her tightly. “I know no one can ever replace your real parents, but maybe we can be your new family now, if you’ll let us. I know Darcie loves you both very much, and I’m sure you’ll be very happy living there with her, she seems such a lovely lady.”
“She is, and we are happy,” Rebekah said through her tears, “I just wish I had a chance to say goodbye to them both, that’s all.”
After a few minutes Rebekah seemed to recover herself incredibly well, and asked Neala if she would take her back to meet up with Darcie. Lusam suspected she would grieve in her own time, when the full impact of it all had finally hit her. But for now, she seemed as happy as someone in her situation ever could be, and he marvelled at her resilience.
Lusam knew as soon as the nobles downstairs noticed Neala and Rebekah returning, they would be heading in his direction to seek him out. He badly needed some time alone, and it was almost as if Neala had read his mind, when she told him that she would be with Darcie and Hershel whenever he was ready to rejoin her.
He thought about blocking the door with one of his magical barriers to avoid speaking with the nobles, but it seemed such a petty thing to do. Instead, he levitated himself off the balcony and up onto the roof of the palace, where he soon found a deserted rooftop garden. Several stone benches identical to the one on the balcony below were distributed throughout the garden, and he soon chose one to lie down on.
The cool night air was a welcome relief to Lusam in his thick, tight fitting clothes, and he dreaded having to return to the stuffy heat inside the Royal Palace, let alone confront all those intolerable nobles seeking his attention. Staring up at the twinkling stars above, he absent-mindedly started to loosen his tight cravat, when his fingers caught on something underneath it; his own mother’s crystal amulet.
He realised it had been a long time since he had even thought about his own mother, and felt a strange kind of guilt over that. He had never known his mother, nor very much about her. In fact, the only connection he had ever had with his mother, was owning her crystal amulet. It was then that he realised that for the first time in his life he might actually be able to touch a real part of his mother; her magic. But only if the crystal amulet still contained any of her power after so long.
Lusam sent out his mage-sight into the crystal amulet, and immediately found what he was looking for, but it was no small amount of power that he found there. Whatever material the amulet was made from, it seemed capable of holding a large amount of magic for its small size.
He spent several blissful moments immersing himself in the remnants of his mother’s magic contained within the amulet, before beginning to wonder exactly what had happened to her on the day she had died.
It was like a bolt of lightning.
The incredible image of a soaring dragon flashed before his eyes, then his vision suddenly shifted, and he raced across vast areas of land and sea. It moved so fast that he could not see any of the detail below him as it flew by. A moment later he was in a darkened room, looking down into what looked like several dirty prison cells. He could see two people asleep there, a man in one cell, and a woman in another. But it was the woman he was hovering over. It was then that he saw a fine strand-of-power linking her to his amulet. She seemed to somehow sense his presence there, and suddenly sat bolt upright, staring straight at him. She mouthed a single soundless word.
“Son!”
“Mother!” Lusam gasped, as he was slammed violently back into his own body a heartbeat later by some incredible magical force. A distant voice rang in his ears, one that he instantly recognised as Lord Zelroth’s, but the meaning of the words were lost to him, as his vision faded to black and he slipped into unconsciousness.
*****
Chapter Fifty
Zedd watched in absolute terror as the second man was selected to be fed to the Aznavor by the Inquisitor. The large floating disc now rippled like a pool of quicksilver in front of Lord Zelroth, made even larger by the previous victim’s sacrifice. The man screamed in sheer terror as the Inquisitor took control of his body, and slowly walked him towards his certain death. The Aznavor shrieked and strained at its bonds, trying its best to mentally reach the condemned man. Its six long tentacles groping towards him as he came ever closer. Just before he came within range of the creature’s influence, the Inquisitor broke off his own connection with the man, and one of the Darkseed Elite pushed the man forward. The Aznavor instantly gripped the man’s mind, taking control of his every movement for itself. The man begged and pleaded for his life, but it was already far too late for him, as he was forced to unwillingly walk towards his own end. The creature’s huge jaws opened wide, revealing its wicked curved black fangs, each one longer than a man’s hand. Inside its gaping mouth only blackness could be seen, as if all light from the outside world feared to enter. As the screaming man came closer, it reared up above him, then striking with the speed of a viper, it swallowed him almost to his waist. The man screamed in agony, as it bit down onto him with its enormous jaws and began to drain him of his magic, just like it had done with the first man Zedd had seen die.
Soon it would be his and Cole’s turn to fuel the creature’s link to the Netherworld, so that Lord Zelroth could report his failure at securing Lamuria’s power source to their God, Aamon.
After fleeing the disastrous outcome of the battle at Lamuria, Zedd and Cole had quickly been intercepted by Baliaeter Chaol—the most powerful Baliaeter in the Thule Empire. Apparently, Lord Zelroth had commanded him to travel to Afaraon and take control of his army outside Lamuria, even before he had instructed Zedd and Cole to do the same at Coldmont.
Baliaeter Chaol’s magical strength was very well known within the Thule Empire, and it was believed that only his battlefield prowess had prevented him from becoming one of Lord Zelroth’s Darkseed Elite. When he had discovered Zedd and Cole fleeing the battlefield, he had at first believed them deserters, and treated them accordingly. He almost executed them on the spot, but for Cole’s subtle intervention within his mind suggesting he should ask more questions first.
Upon hearing that Lord Zelroth had personally ordered that Zedd and Cole take charge of the army at Lamuria, he quickly had the two Inquisitors travelling with him verify their story. Unlike Cole, Zedd had no way to resist the mind probe of the Inquisitors, and neither did he try. Instead, he willingly revealed the full details of their meeting with Lord Zelroth at Coldmont, knowing that was his best chance of surviving the situation.
Zedd had known full well that Lord Zelroth would kill them both for their fai
lure once they returned to the Empire—something he was very keen to avoid, by escaping during their long trip back home. He knew if he did, his family would be held responsible and made destitute within the Empire—but at least he would survive, and maybe he could rescue his family at a later date.
Unfortunately, he never got the chance.
Baliaeter Chaol was a shrewd man, and had both Zedd and Cole dosed with large amounts of Calligray root for their whole journey back to the Empire. Calligray root only grew in the hot southern deserts of Thule, and was used to incapacitate a person from using any magic whatsoever. It was often used within the Thule Empire to control its prisoners, and prevent their escape; their food dosed with it daily. Once taken, it took several days before that person was able to perform any kind of magic again.
It had been two weeks since they had arrived back in the Thule Empire and delivered directly to Lord Zelroth, along with the news of their failure. Lord Zelroth had descended into a fit of rage, the likes of which Zedd and Cole had never seen before. Several unsuspecting servants who just happened to be in the room at the time paid with their lives, as Lord Zelroth lashed out violently at the people around him. Zedd and Cole both thought their lives would end at any moment, and in the following days, they both wished they had.
Lord Zelroth ordered Zedd and Cole to be taken by the Darkseed Elite and tortured, and the days that followed were beyond any pain imaginable. Their bodies were broken beyond recognition, only to be healed again, and then the process repeated over. No amount of screaming or pleading helped, and no respite was given. By the end of the first day, Zedd would have gladly taken his own life a dozen times over to end his own suffering. By the end of the second day, he prayed to be freely allowed to enter the gates of the seven-hells for all eternity, rather than be made to suffer more of what he had.
Often Lord Zelroth would come and watch their torture, gleefully adding his own form of mental torture to that of the physical type being ministered. He revealed his twisted plans for Zedd’s family and property, and promised him much more pain to come.