Ebon felt a tingle creeping along his skin. His mind’s eye filled with visions of melting flesh and bone, and he thought he might be ill. “That is horrible,” he said, and the words cracked. He cleared his throat to strengthen his voice. “Can magestones grant no powers but those for evil?”
“None,” said Theren, shaking her head firmly. “It is the same for all the four branches. To mindmages, magestones give the strength of mindwyrd. It gives us a voice of command, so that we may order anyone to do what we wish, and they have no choice but to obey, even once they are out of our sight. It is a perversion of our natural power; with my magic, I can move your body easily enough. With magestones, I can take command of your mind, so that your body enforces my will.”
The library seemed to have darkened around them. Ebon shook the feeling off. “And weremages?” he said, fearing the answer. “What does it do to them?”
“It is called hellskin,” said Kalem softly. “They become twisted monsters, like demons of the darkness below. Their shape depends on the weremage and their strength, but their skin is always covered with jutting horns and barbs, and their strength is unmatched by any natural creature. In their hellskin form, weremages are impervious to magic, and the greatest among them can tear armies apart with their bare claws.”
Ebon felt the blood drain from his face. Theren saw it and smirked. “Now do you understand why the Academy so stringently bans any discussion of magestones? Many of us react as you do now, terrified and afraid for our very souls. But some students hear such tales and can only think of the power magestones would grant them.”
“I want nothing of such power,” said Ebon quickly.
“Then you are surprisingly wise. But what else does the book say of Kekhit, Kalem?”
“That is all. But still, that is a great deal more than we knew before.”
“So the thief’s plot may have something to do with darkfire,” said Theren, eyes sharp. “And we know they are a firemage as well.”
“Like Lilith,” muttered Ebon.
“Exactly.”
By unspoken agreement, they rose from their chairs. “Where did you find that book, Kalem?” said Ebon. “It seems we have much more to learn, if we mean to save the Academy.”
DESPITE THEIR EARNEST SEARCH, THEY found nothing the rest of the day. Ebon half wanted to spend the evening in the libraries to continue the hunt, but at the same time, he had no desire to miss their dinner with Adara. And so, reluctantly, they left the library and made ready for an evening upon the Seat.
Some days ago, Ebon had asked Theren to recommend a fine tavern for their meal, and she had spoken of a place called the Sterling Stag. She had only been there once, but it had served the finest food she had ever tasted. When Ebon asked her how she had afforded such a meal, she glowered and told him to mind his own business.
Before they left, Ebon bathed and dabbed on a bit of perfume he had bought some time ago and kept hidden in the chest at the foot of his bed. Finally he met his friends in the hall and set out with them into the streets. Kalem had washed as well, and had even combed his hair. To Ebon’s great surprise, even Theren had prettied herself up for the occasion, with two thin braids running back along her temples to join a tail into which she had woven back her hair. When she caught him staring, she gave him a pointed look, and he quickly turned.
Snow had at last come to the Seat, and now it drifted down gentle and lazy upon the air, dusting across their skin and catching in their eyelashes before melting. They had to draw their hoods up against the chill, and each wore the simple black coats given to students in wintertime. Kalem kept looking at all of them nervously, lips twisting one way and then another.
“Our student robes look a bit … plain, do they not?” he said, brushing at his legs as though they were dirty.
“It is a great honor to study at the Academy—or so I have been told,” said Theren.
“We look presentable enough. Do not worry.” In truth, Ebon’s words were for him as much as for the boy, for he found himself more nervous than he had thought he would be. Theren saw it, and she frowned.
“Ebon, you should not be this anxious.”
He scowled. “I am not anxious. I only wish for the evening to go well.”
“I know it. I will be on my best behavior.”
“And I,” said Kalem, but his voice cracked.
Ebon’s favorite haunts were all to the west of the Academy, and the Drayden family manor was due east, but the Silver Stag was to the southeast, and so he was walking along unfamiliar streets. But Theren knew her way, and she led them without pause. As they neared the High King’s palace, buildings grew ever finer. More were made of stone, and so bore less damage from the attack upon the Seat. Second floors, and even third, became more common, and the walls were often painted in bright colors. One place looked familiar, and Ebon realized his aunt Halab had taken him there when the High King’s armies marched forth from the palace. But Theren turned away, and after only a few more blocks, they stood before a grand two-story building with a stag painted in silver upon the door.
“Here we are.”
“Well, let us not stop,” said Ebon. “Most likely she has arrived already.” But he did not take the first step.
“Indeed. We should not keep her waiting.” But Kalem, too, remained frozen.
Theren smirked and shook her head. “You are hopeless, the both of you.” She seized their arms and pulled them forwards, nudging the door open with her foot before half-tossing them both within.
At once Ebon thought it must be the friendliest tavern he had seen on the Seat. A bright buzz of conversation hung in the room, and no one spared them more than a curious glance before returning to their meals. A crackling fire burned in the hearth and flooded the room with warmth, which was strengthened by the many lanterns that hung low on the walls, so that the place was as well-lit as though it were daylight. Ebon saw no others in Academy robes, not even instructors. Instead there were many people with fine clothing, dresses and tunics and pants all woven with the most expensive silks. A dozen perfumes wove a wreath of heady odor, and he drank it in with a long breath. They scanned the room, searching for an empty table, but before they found one, the tavern’s matron approached.
“The grandest of evenings to you, young ones. I am Canda, and master of the Stag.” She was a burly woman, and tall, and gave them a look that was both polite and appraising. “I hope I give no offense, but I must tell you that the price of board here is more than you might be used to. Have you the coin to pay for it?”
“We have,” said Ebon proudly. “But there is a fourth in our party who may have arrived already. A woman of Idris?”
“You mean Adara?” Canda beamed a sudden smile. “Forgive me, young masters. She did not tell me you were Academy students, or I would have brought you to her at once. She waits at your table. Let me show you the way.”
Canda set off through the room, leaning back and forth as she wove through the tables, and Ebon followed with Kalem and Theren close behind. A moment later he saw Adara. Tucked in behind a table in the corner, she was resplendent in yellow silk trimmed with gold. With a start he realized she had worn the gold for him, for it was the color of the family Drayden. He flushed, even as she caught his eye and they traded a grin. She rose at once and came around the table to greet them.
“Adara, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Kalem of the family Konnel,” said Ebon. “You already know Theren.”
“Indeed. Well met.” Adara leaned over to kiss Theren’s cheeks.
“Idrisians,” said Theren, rolling her eyes. Ebon elbowed her. “And well met, of course.”
Adara smiled and then turned to Kalem. “And it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, young lord.”
She made as if to give him the same greeting as Theren, but Kalem drew back, shifting on his feet. “Er … ah … I am sorry,” he mumbled. “In Hedgemond, it is … that is, such a greeting …”
Adara nodded at once. “I am
unfamiliar with Hedgemond’s customs,” she said easily. “My apologies if I was unseemly.”
“Not at all,” he said, shaking his head.
Ebon stifled a grin as Adara turned to her chair. He took his seat beside her, with Kalem at his other hand and Theren to Adara’s right.
Canda smiled. “Tonight’s meal is a fine roast of beef, and a salad prepared in the manner of Idris, with vinegar at Adara’s request. I also have some figs, if you would like them.”
Ebon smiled at Adara, and her eyes glinted with delight. “That sounds wonderful,” he said. “And wine as well, please, for all of us.”
Adara raised a finger. “Mead for me.”
Canda nodded and drew away. Ebon looked to Adara with surprise. “Mead? I thought you took wine.”
“I do, when I am with the guild, for they choose what drinks to provide. When it is not my coin, I am not choosy. But wait a moment—you have hardly given me a proper greeting.”
She slid her hand across his cheek to the back of his head and pulled him in for a deep kiss. When finally he drew back, Theren was looking discreetly away; but Kalem was staring with eyes wide and mouth open. It was a moment before he came to his senses and blushed. Adara cast her gaze upon him with a smile.
“I apologize again, young lord, if we have given you further cause for embarrassment.”
“I should be the one to apologize,” mumbled Kalem. “I am your guest. It is only that I am unused to such things. Forgive me.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Just then, a girl came by with their wine. Kalem drained one cup quickly and then refilled it from the flagon. Theren raised her eyes at him. Adara sipped at her mead.
“Very fine,” she said, licking her lips in satisfaction. “You made a fine choice in this place, Ebon.”
“You may thank Theren. It was at her advice. Where did you learn to drink mead? It is not common in either Idris or Feldemar.”
“But I have not been to only those kingdoms. I left Feldemar in my youth and dwelt for a time in Dulmun.”
That darkened their mood, and they fell silent. Ebon and Kalem looked down at the tabletop, and even Theren picked with her fingernail at the edge of her cup.
“My apologies,” Adara said softly. “I spoke without thinking. I did not mean to silence a pleasant conversation.”
“It is nothing,” said Theren. “You cannot be blamed for the war Dulmun chose to wage upon us.”
“They have always been a proud people,” said Adara. “Though I am as shocked as anyone at their revolt, they are mayhap the least surprising kingdom in which to find such treachery—for they are, after all, descendants of Renna Blackheart herself. I am only glad no others have joined them.”
“Not yet,” said Theren. “But few are willing to wage war against them, either.”
“Hedgemond is willing,” said Kalem.
Ebon was scarcely paying attention to the conversation, for he was deep in thought as he looked upon Adara. It surprised him, though he knew it should not have, that he had never learned of her time in Dulmun. There was still much of her past he did not know. It bothered him, though he knew it should not.
Adara caught him staring. She gave him a small smile and a peck on the cheek. “Enough of darkness. Let us speak of something more pleasant. What have the three of you been up to? It has been some days since Ebon and I spoke.”
Theren’s mouth twisted. “That subject is not much brighter than the other. We have found nothing of use, only dark words of peril.”
Kalem looked wide-eyed at Ebon. “She knows of the theft from the vaults?”
Ebon nodded. “Of course. That is the least of the secrets she carries.”
“Indeed, I had heard before Ebon told me. The Academy is a wonderful place for many things, but keeping secrets is not one of them.” Adara smiled and placed a hand over Ebon’s. “But what are these dark words you spoke of?”
“We think we may have found what was stolen from the vaults,” said Ebon. “An amulet. One of immense power, though we know not what it does.”
Theren leaned in and lowered her voice. “It belonged to some Wizard King of ages gone by. One named Kekhit.”
Adara shook her head. “I have never heard of her.”
“She is a thing of ancient times. She may even predate the years of Underrealm,” said Ebon. “Now we are searching for any tale of her, some history that might help us understand what the amulet might do.”
“I have been doing some searching of my own,” said Adara. “I will spread word of this and see what may be learned from those who help me.”
Ebon frowned. “What searching?”
Theren gave him a crafty smile. “Do you know nothing of the guild of lovers? They are a meddlesome lot.”
Adara gave her an admonishing look before turning back to Ebon. “Different houses and members within the guild maintain close contact with each other. Our clients’ secrets are never shared, but some information may be passed along, if it does not violate trust. Since you first told me of the theft from the vaults, and then of that ghastly murder, I have had friends searching for any sign of the culprit.”
Ebon’s stomach lurched, and he spoke soft but urgent. “Adara, that may be folly. If anyone were to learn of your prying …”
“They will not,” she said, raising an eyebrow and smirking, as though Ebon were both very sweet and very foolish. “The guild looks after its own. In any case, I have learned nothing certain about the theft. Though I have heard many other whispers. It seems there is a girl skulking about the Seat. She wears black robes, like a student of the Academy.”
Theren looked at Ebon. “A girl? What did she look like?”
Adara shrugged. “No one has gotten close enough to see. But she has spent much time around the northern end of the Seat, and after curfew.”
Ebon raised an eyebrow at Theren. “That sounds like something you might do, Theren.”
She frowned. “Since the attack I have been unable to sneak out. The sheds to help me are gone, and the instructors have placed new enchantments upon the walls, and reinforce them often. And besides, I have no business in the north. It could be Lilith.”
Kalem sighed. Ebon shook his head. “But for what purpose, Theren? If you think she is the thief, why would she spend time in the city?”
Theren glared, but she had no answer. Adara quickly went on to fill the silence. “Whoever she might be, she is only one of the figures now skulking in shadows. Ebon, your family’s man, Mako, has been poking his nose all about the island.”
Ebon shrugged. “That is nothing unusual for him.”
“His activities have greatly increased,” said Adara. “That man’s heart is as dark as a sky without moons. Do not trust him.”
“Mako warned me the day the Seat was attacked, and that saved our lives,” said Ebon, somewhat surprised to find himself defending the bodyguard. “If he is crafty, and somewhat caustic-tongued, that does not mean he is rotten through.”
“The deepest rot is the hardest to see,” said Adara. “I do not mean to tell you what you should do—only that you should be careful.”
Gently she touched his cheek, and his irritation faded. Theren smirked and shook her head, but Kalem lowered his eyes and flushed with embarrassment. Ebon gave him a pat on the shoulder. “There there, little lordling. You will soon be a man grown, and may yet become used to those who do not hide their affections.”
“I did not think my presence would cause you such discomfort, Kalem.” Though she had been easy enough twice before, now it seemed to Ebon that he heard annoyance in Adara’s tone. “I know Hedgemond is no place like the Seat, or Idris where Ebon and I hail from—yet I had not thought it so bashful a kingdom as you make it out to be.”
“It is not that,” mumbled Kalem. “It is … it is only that … well, you are very pretty, and … womanly.”
Adara’s irritation vanished at once. She laughed lightly, spurring Ebon to chuckle. “I shall take that as a hig
h compliment, good sir, since I know that many fair ladies must have visited the courts of your family. Have I mayhap taken for discomfort what was, in fact, curiosity? If you should ever wish to step beyond the blue door, I am well familiar with the lovers in the various houses upon the Seat. I assure you I could find a suitable partner from among them for you.”
Kalem’s face went beet-red. “I … I thank you for the offer, but no. I do not think I would enjoy such a thing.”
“I must heartily disagree,” said Ebon. “I myself found it most enjoyable.” Adara smiled and placed her hand on his thigh beneath the table.
“Oh, I am certain it would be a pleasure,” said Kalem. The red of his face deepened as he heard his own double meaning. “But … I have a hope that one day I will find one whom I love, and that my first tryst might be with her. I do not wish the one without the other, if you understand me.”
“I do indeed,” said Adara softly. “And I praise you for knowing your own mind so well. It is not common, especially among men so young, if you will forgive me for saying so. Many never think upon what they truly want, and such a thing always leads to tears. For many, love is a necessary part of intimacy. For others, the two are close friends, often present together, but not always. It is better to know which is true for you before engaging in either.”
Kalem bowed his head and said nothing. Theren leaned away in her chair, throwing an arm over its back. “I myself have always known which was which. To my mind, anyone who thinks they are one and the same is a fool.” She gave Ebon a hard look, and he glared back.
But Adara only cocked her head. “I do not know if that is true.”
As if to prove Theren wrong, Ebon reached down to where Adara’s hand rested in his lap, and scooped it up in his own. Without thinking, she laced her fingers through his, and he kissed the back of her palm. “I think that a night in bed may not always be a night in love,” he said softly. “And yet, sometimes, one may lead to the other, so that love springs forth unbidden.”
The words sounded foolish in his own ears as he said them, and he half expected to receive one of Adara’s sharp, exasperated looks. But she smiled instead, a soft and gentle smile, hinting at nothing, promising so much. He had never known how much hidden meaning was in her eyes until then, when all pretense seemed removed, and he could peer deep into her heart for the first time: pure and unadorned and revealed at last.
The Academy Journals Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 3) Page 38