Ferryl Shayde - Book 3 - A Very Different Game

by Vance Huxley

  Abel laughed at her because just for a moment Una’s usual good humour had surfaced, a relief after today. “You might not want it if the gryphon hands over the Merc or we have to blow the door off to get inside. What happens now, Terese?”

  “You take that ring to the gryphon. Boudicca has just renounced her one-eighth claim so it should be a formality.” As Terese answered, the woman behind the counter came out and opened a side door, obviously waiting for them to go through.

  That came as a relief, though Abel wanted to clear one thing up because it bugged him. “Veren, how upset will Boudicca be about one car?”

  “Very. We each kept our own cars of course, and we each took what we could before other sorcerers came to pillage our master’s estate. Boudicca claimed the other cars, but she only has three left now. One of the other apprentices helped her take over our master’s house once it had been stripped, but then she double-crossed him.” Veren’s smile seemed to be chiselled on, she’d loved every minute. “I only kept my own car but I reached the house before any sorcerers. There was only time to remove the easily portable treasures, but I filled my car. Boudicca has never forgiven me for what I got away with.” The sorceress bowed slightly and swept an arm towards the waiting receptionist. “After you. I’ve never seen this done.”

  “Clean takeovers are the exception, but once the blood stops flowing it still comes down to the gryphon. Please follow me, Abel.” He followed Terese, the receptionist and Veren, and Kelis because she insisted on going first. At the first chance, Rob got in front as well, they were all really protective today. The receptionist led them to an ornate door, carved with a huge representation of the crest on the ring. Terese stood to the side. “You must go in first, though I can follow and advise. Others can come in as well, to witness the claim.” She opened the door and Abel went through.

  “That’s not a gryphon.” Abel wasn’t sure what it was except a very, very lifelike head. One without a body so it must be dead, or maybe just a block of wood covered in scales.

  “No, that is a young dragon’s head. There are several of all types and ages preserved here and there, though I haven’t seen one used like this before.” While Terese spoke everyone else filed in. “This room and gryphon must have originally belonged to a much more powerful sorcerer, presumably split between apprentices. Pendragon only seized a portion of the original estate, because this room is designed for witnessing a very substantial claim.” The room held seating for about twenty, plush seating raised towards the rear so everyone would get a view. “Everyone please take a seat.” Terese pointed to the huge head. “Approach it and claim it, Abel. Hold out the ring on your palm so the gryphon can see it.”

  Abel walked down the little strip of carpet with the ring on his palm, wondering how a dead dragon could see. The same as anyone else, a silly voice in his head pointed out when, about three steps away, the head opened eyes the size of a saucer, a sky blue saucer. “By blood and power, I claim it.” Abel stopped right there, because it opened its jaws. Not far, just enough to show the tips of a lovely set of very sharp teeth. Moments later the tip of a pale purple tongue with violet and scarlet veins jutted out.

  Abel stared at it. What did the thing want? Someone, probably Terese, cleared their throat and coughed, a stage cough. Right, blood and power, it needed blood and those teeth were fairly obvious. Abel reached out his hand, very slowly, to touch the tip of his index finger to a fang. “Good dragon.” He really hoped nobody heard, but the thing scared him half to death. Blood welled and Abel let the drops fall on the tongue but it stayed put. Before he could think it through Abel dropped the ring in the blood.

  “Welcome, master.” A deep, mellow voice echoed in Abel’s head a bit like Zephyr’s did sometimes. The blood disappeared and left the ring pristine clean. Abel hesitated, then picked it up and slipped it on his pinkie finger. It felt a bit loose, then the metal band warmed a little and fitted perfectly. The dragon’s tongue pulled back and it closed its mouth, though its eyes stayed open and fixed on Abel.

  “Thank you, dragon.” Abel raised his voice. “Is that it?”

  “In the past there might have been a flowery speech or two but yes, that is it. Your receptionist will show you where to find out details of your inheritance.” Abel turned and walked back towards the rest as Terese continued. “If you allow me access, I will give you an assessment. There will be the usual age problem regarding legal ownership, but magical law will allow you access to everything immediately.” She paused while Abel was suddenly buried in congratulations and hugs.

  “Shucks. My chance to get a house and I can’t make nice.” Kelis gave him a quick hug then cut Abel off as he opened his mouth. “A joke. Don’t you dare give me a house so I have to move away from Brinsford.”

  “It might be really nice, with hot and cold running footstools and your own library?” Rob’s running commentary on what there might be followed Abel to a small office.

  As instructed Abel put his hand on a dragon carved into the front of a filing cabinet. After a couple of clunks it opened. “There you are, Terese. Knock yourself out. Though we’ve got to get home so don’t get carried away.” Terese didn’t get carried away, just asked which files held the contracts and details of the properties. Abel drank coffee, provided by a secretary, who also fixed up drinks for everyone else. The magically aware man had a dragon’s head hex on a chain around his neck but didn’t know how to cast a glyph and didn’t have a ward. Both the secretary and receptionist looked happier when Abel, prompted by Terese, confirmed he’d want them both to stay on. He was an employer! After promising to send someone to take charge sometime tomorrow, Abel followed Terese back to the cabs. Veren left him a phone number, asking Abel to call to discuss getting rid of the remnants of her tether.

  ∼∼

  On the way back to Stourton, Abel found out he now had two houses that he could access right away, and a flat above each of the two offices. Instead of a park, he had the rights to the tree magic in two whole housing estates of leafy streets. Two houses in one city seemed odd, but Terese guessed that one was for the apprentices. The three BMWs belonged to Pendragon, which probably meant the Mercedes belonged to another sorcerer’s loaned apprentice. Abel let it wash over him, because he still had the same stupid problem. Whatever he’d won, inherited or whatever, he still couldn’t buy his mum a really nice present or give her a BMW.

  Kelis jerked him back to reality. “You were going to ask about the prisoner.” Ferryl, Rob and Jenny were suddenly intent and Terese’s eyes sharpened.

  “What? Sorry, missed that.” As Abel floundered, Kelis repeated herself.

  Terese didn’t flounder at all. “A live apprentice? Pendragon’s?”

  “Yes, Guinevere or Ginny. She wouldn’t accept a tether from Creepio so now I’ve got to work out what to do with her.” Abel sighed heavily, not looking at the rest because at least two of them wanted Ginny tethered or possibly bound.

  “The usual alternatives are to kill or tether them. Some sorcerers bind strong captives for better control, or kill and bind sorcerers to get absolute obedience.” Terese pursed her lips, thinking. “Woods explained your stance on binding, and you have captured her instead of killing her out of hand. That leaves tethering.”

  “Or setting her free if she pinkie-promises to be good. He’s daft enough.” Kelis glowered at Abel. “This is the second time we’ve been attacked and captured her and I’m getting fed up with it.”

  “So you tether her!” Abel took a deep breath. “Sorry I snapped at you but what else is there?” He turned to Terese, knowing it was a long shot. “How about a contract, make her sign a non-aggression clause or something?”

  “Even if she doesn’t take another master to get his protection, this Ginny will have the same weakness as Verenestra. The first sorcerer to get the chance will tether her and then she isn’t responsible for her actions. That or, being alone but skilled enough to shield, she will be killed as a possible rival or threat.” Terese
looked really puzzled, turning to the other four. “Tethering isn’t close control, not if the sorcerer doesn’t use it for more than communication. The tethered can’t attack their master or mistress, and can be badly hurt if they try or their controller wishes it, but otherwise it is harmless.”

  “Seriously? Having someone in your head, moving you about like a meat puppet, is harmless? You didn’t hear Justin and the others screaming.” Jenny snorted. “You should see how Claris reacts to the idea, though her last one was a leech.”

  “Ginny wouldn’t be a meat puppet, just obey instructions, though the threat of sanctions will ensure she doesn’t disobey. Unless she has direct commands, your captive will have free will, and you can only know what she is thinking by deliberately activating the link. Would you want all the thoughts in eight or nine minds permanently cluttering up your head? An absolute command can immobilise her, for instance, but tell her to defend you or go on an errand and she will do so in her own way. When either of you shield, she will be completely free, except for long-term commands. If you release her, other sorcerers will consider it a sign of weakness, so tether her at least. That is my advice, as your solicitor of course.” The solicitor turned back to the papers she’d brought from Pendragon’s. “A senior apprentice would help you protect the weaker apprentices, especially any family members?” Terese started leafing through the documents while Abel grappled with the options.

  “Whoa, hang on. I mean, wait a moment please, Terese. Protect family members? Are my sisters and parents in danger?” Rob had clenched his fist, his face pale and his other hand groping for the missing bat. “Will someone go after them?”

  “Not unless they are magically active. A codicil added to the Accords by the Magical Council forbids attacks on a sorcerer’s non-magical family members. The same applies to unwarded employees if they carry their employer’s hex, which is why those two in Pendragon’s office wear the dragon head necklaces. That actually makes them safer than most people, who can be targeted as long as there is no public display of magic.” After a moment’s thought Terese turned back to Abel. “There will be a copy of the Accord in your library, or I can supply one in modern English? It is relatively simple, one page of modern type which I suggest you memorise.”

  “Creepio is sending one but I’d rather have the modern English version. I’m going to put it on a wit.” Kelis paused, then answered the inquisitive look from Terese. “Inscribe it on my bones?”

  “You really do have a mismatched skill-set because I doubt any of Pendragon’s apprentices could do that. We don’t have a name for inscribed memory, because it is impossible to tell which is remembered by the brain and which is coming from the bone. I have complete legal libraries in my bones, but can’t actually tell which part is genuine learning.” The sorceress-solicitor had continued leafing through files even as she spoke. Now she explained that before the fight, Pendragon had four experienced and four newly-promoted senior apprentices, and two rank beginners barely capable of filling a hex. The missing Mr Paragon was one of the latter. Pendragon must have promoted and recruited on the basis of winning the fight, because the business didn’t warrant more than four seniors and four hex fillers.

  Abel called to offer Shawn the manager’s job in Sheffield with a flat, car and a better salary than his current job. Once Shawn had checked out exactly what it entailed, and knew there were capable staff to help him, he gleefully accepted.

  ∼∼

  It came as a relief when Terese dropped them all off near the Stourton Refuge, next to the vehicles: three BMW cars, a Volvo estate and a Mercedes minibus. Una repeated her claim for the Volvo even though she knew it wouldn’t work. A big almost-new estate like this one would cost a fortune to insure, especially for a teenager. Terese stayed while Abel opened the three BMWs, just to check the gryphon’s ring worked. “You have drivers, so I suggest you remove those three immediately. I will arrange a magical locksmith for the others.”

  “Not yet.” Ferryl looked decidedly smug. “Zephyr will have a look at them first. She might be able to unravel the magic if they really are simple.”

  “Of course, and you can…” Terese caught herself before telling everyone Ferryl wasn’t human. “I’ll wait for a phone call.” She turned to Abel, gesturing for him to walk with her towards her taxi. “Since nobody in our office observes Easter, we will have a proper report ready before start of business Tuesday. You may want to arrange for more of the work to be carried out at weekends when your assistants aren’t at school.”

  “Great, and thank you. To be honest I won’t remember most of what you’ve just told us, so being able to sit down in peace and quiet and read it will be a big help. It still isn’t real, somehow.” Abel looked back at his friends, playing with the BMW’s electric windows, seat adjustments and music system. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I’m still stuck with a big problem. How do I help my mum, legally and without her finding out about the inheritance and magic? The others, Kelis, Rob and Jenny, have the same problem. I’m open to suggestions.”

  “I will bear it in mind, and ask a couple of our younger staff members to look at the problem. They have a more modern outlook. Once you have seen our report you can decide if you’ll use gold, your income from rented properties, or Pendragon Enterprises to pay the medical and vehicle repair bills. Now I had better get back to my desk before Woods realises I’m not really necessary.” From her smile that had to be some sort of joke. Terese turned away, then back, and the smile had gone. “Tether that woman or kill her, as soon as possible. She is an uncontrolled trainee sorceress of unknown power right inside your defences.” With that, Terese Green boarded her taxi and left.

  Abel turned back to watch the others play. “May I look at the hexes on the other two vehicles please, Abel.”

  “Yes, sorry Zephyr. You’ve been cooped up a lot since this morning.”

  “I needed some time in my tattoo. I feel more me now. Ferryl warned me to keep together so I don’t split up and become many mindless wind spirits, but this morning I stretched very thin. I also split my thoughts to do many things at once, then worried about not getting me back together properly, and about you not being here if I did.” As the sprite flew off towards the vehicle, Abel reflected that Zephyr seemed to be able to feel emotions. Maybe Ferryl just hadn’t tried before?

  He soon had other things to think about, because Eric came round to see if the cars were open. With a huge grin he accepted a set of keys and drove his prize back to Frederick’s house. He would send Shawn to collect another BMW. That set Abel wondering about paying wages. Did he have access to Pendragon’s bank account or did sorcerers keep a pile of sovereigns in a vault?

  “We’ve been talking.” From the set faces, it hadn’t been about the BMW. “Jenny and I are both worried about our little sisters, so we want Diane and Melanie to tether Ginny.” Rob looked as determined as he sounded, Jenny looked grim, while both Kelis and Ferryl were nodding agreement. “Then she can hear if they call for help, and be a bodyguard.”

  “If Zephyr tethers her as well she can let you know if there’s a problem.” Kelis glanced back to the shimmer hovering near the Volvo. “She can monitor the kids as well, make sure they don’t play games with their new servant.”

  Abel thought fast because Rob and Jenny wouldn’t take no for an answer. He couldn’t actually stop them tethering Ginny if someone told them how, so they were being polite about it. It took a fairly heated discussion, but eventually Jenny and Rob accepted that as long as Ginny protected Melanie and Diane, she didn’t have to take orders from them. Zephyr could give the tethered apprentice orders, and peek into her head now and then, though Zephyr insisted on not very often. “If Ferryl Shayde helps to craft the tether I will do it. I can adjust the tethers so Diane and Melanie cannot issue direct orders, but there will be a strong imperative to protect them and you.”

  Abel only had one reservation. “I’ve got two bodyguards already, possibly more going by today, so Ginny will
protect anyone less adept.”

  Despite it being more or less what they’d wanted, Jenny and Rob kept asking questions as Una drove them round to Frederick’s house in the last BMW. Una joined in, agreeing that Zephyr putting a tether on Ginny would satisfy everyone. They’d all seen the ogre, and how much it frightened the captured woman.

  Though oddly enough it wasn’t being tethered to Zephyr that worried Ginny the most. “Tethered to two kids? Some sort of grown-up doll they can order about? Not a chance. Kids are cruel.” Her eyes were on the shimmer hovering by Abel’s shoulder. “I don’t know exactly what that ogre is, but she let me surrender. Kids will have me doing all sorts of stupid or dangerous things and my healing charm is only good for superficial damage. You may as well kill me now.”

  “Healing charm?”

  “But Diane and Melanie won’t…” Abel tailed off as Kelis’s exclamation registered. “What charm?”

  Ginny looked really exasperated and scowled. “I’d hoped to use it to trade, get a better deal. Pendragon gave his senior apprentices two witch charms, one for healing and one to numb injuries. They aren’t very strong but until I earn the glyph for healing myself it will help me survive. Do I still get to do that, earn more glyphs?”

  “Yes, eventually, if you behave.” Kelis waited for the apprentice’s face to drop before finishing. “Eventually to Mr Softy here is nothing like as long as you’d wait under Pendragon, so your punishment is actually a win. We work on the basis that if you are adept at one glyph, you’re ready for the next. At the very least you’ll learn as fast as Melanie and Diane, and those are two very determined young ladies.” Kelis’s little smile looked downright mischievous. “Though you’re lucky Abel’s already got a girlfriend. He likes older women.”