‘So, my wee fire mage,’ she said, ‘yer feeling a bit braver after a few whiskies it looks like.’
Dean grinned at her.
‘I think it’s time ye showed us what ye can do,’ Keira said. ‘I mean, ye say yer a fire mage, but I’ve not seen any proof of yer claim.’
‘What, now?’ Dean said, looking bewildered.
‘Aye, ya numpty, now,’ Keira said. She reached over and unlatched a lamp from the wall and set it on the table, between her and Dean. The young man stared at it. Keira smiled.
‘I see it in yer eyes,’ she said, lifting the glass covering off the lamp, and exposing the naked flame. ‘Now, show us.’
‘I’m.. I’m too drunk,’ he said. ‘I’m not ready.’
‘If yer not ready now, wee man, ye’ll never be fucking ready.’
Dean glanced to his side, but Dora said nothing, her eyes wide. Bay shuffled forwards in her seat.
‘Leave the boy be if he doesn’t want to do it,’ Flora said.
‘No,’ Keira said. ‘Either he proves to us he is what he says he is, or he can fuck off out of this tavern.’
Fear swept across Dean’s face.
‘Are ye nothing but a shitebag, Dean?’ Keira smirked.
‘Try,’ said Dora. ‘Please.’
‘Come on,’ said Bay.
Dean closed his eyes. ‘All right, I’ll try.’
‘Hey!’ shouted Kelpie as she strode towards them. ‘What in Pyre’s name do ye think yer doing? Are you trying to burn the place down?’ She pointed at the door. ‘Outside if yer going to be up to that sort of thing.’
‘Calm yerself, hen,’ Keira laughed. ‘I doubt very much that he’s capable of burning anything down.’
‘I don’t give a shit,’ Kelpie cried. ‘No fire-magery indoors. House rules.’
Keira picked up the lamp and the bottle of whisky and got to her feet. ‘Fair enough. Come on then, wee man.’
She walked to the back door, the others following. Outside the rain was pelting down, and Keira stood under the wide eaves of the sloping tiled roof. A few yards ahead of her was the low fence next to the cliff-side.
‘It’s too wet for this shite,’ cried Bay, ducking out of the rain, and huddling next to Keira.
‘Bollocks it is,’ Keira said. ‘Just watch, the lad’ll do fine.’
Flora, Dora and Dean joined her outside. Keira placed the lamp on the top of an upright barrel, her hands shielding the flame from the breeze. Dean stepped forward, and stood next to the lamp.
‘Right, my wee pyro-fucking-maniac,’ Keira said. ‘I’m not expecting anything fancy, mind, just lift up the flame and fire it over the cliff as far as ye can.’
Dean nodded, closed his eyes and breathed.
‘You can do it, Dean,’ Dora said.
‘Aye,’ Keira laughed, ‘but she’ll dump yer arse if ye cannae.’
Dora’s face flushed as Bay sniggered.
Dean said nothing, his cheeks puffing in and out. Keira took a long swig of whisky.
The flames began to rise into the air, climbing inch by inch upwards, then Dean cried out, and it fell back down.
‘Fucksake,’ Keira muttered, frowning at the lad. ‘What was that supposed to be?’
‘Have another try, Dean,’ Flora said.
He nodded, though to Keira he seemed on the verge of tears. He closed his eyes again, and raised his hand close to the lamp. The flame rose again, stronger than before. When a ball the size of a skull had formed, the link to the lamp fell away, and the mass of fire hovered in the air, just above their heads.
Dean grunted, and hurled his arm towards the cliff.
The fireball flew out from under the eaves, but just as Dora began to let out a cheer, it fizzled, broke up, and fell to the sodden ground, where the rain extinguished it in seconds.
The young man stood in silence, his mouth open, staring at the smoking patch of grass.
‘That was fucking embarrassing,’ Keira said, taking another swig of whisky. ‘You’re crap.’
Bay laughed, while Dora remained stony-faced. She gazed at Dean.
‘Now I know why Killop kept ye locked up,’ Keira went on. ‘It was cause he didnae want anyone to see just how shite ye were. Cause if they knew, nobody would be scared of ye. What a fucking disappointment. Stick to books from now on, cause yer no fucking fire mage.’
‘Shut up, Keira,’ said Flora.
‘Or what, ya whiny wee bitch?’
Flora’s face twisted in rage. ‘Don’t call me that.’
Keira swaggered, her head swimming. ‘I’ll call ye what I fucking like. I’m a fucking goddess.’
‘You’re a fucking arsehole,’ said Flora, and stormed off back into the tavern, slamming the door behind her.
Keira tutted, took a swig of whisky, and leered at Dean, who had tears in his eyes.
‘Stop greetin’, yer like a wee bairn.’
She began to laugh, but stopped when she saw Dora glaring at her. The young woman took Dean’s hand. Without a word, she led Dean away through the rain and out of sight behind the tavern.
‘Fucksake,’ Keira said. ‘I was only having a fucking laugh. Can they not take a joke?’
Bay said nothing.
‘Come on,’ Keira said. ‘Let’s get another drink.’
‘I think I’ll just go home,’ Bay said, and walked off.
Keira shrugged. She shook the bottle of whisky. It still had enough in it for a decent slug, so she held it to her lips and drained it, then fell headfirst into the mud.
She awoke fully clothed, lying on top of her bed. A trail of vomit led from the side of the mouth, down the blankets, and onto the wooden floor.
‘Fucking bastard,’ she groaned, her head pounding.
She attempted to get up, but toppled off the bed, her hand smearing through the pool of sick as she landed. She crawled to the table that held her washbasin, and pulled herself up. The water inside the basin hadn’t been changed since the previous morning, but she washed her hands, and splashed her face. She peered into her weed pouch, even though she knew she would find it empty.
She needed food, she decided, and a drink. She staggered to the door of her room, and stumbled down the flight of stairs. The passageway leading to the tavern was deserted, so she carried on, and went into the tavern’s main room. It was nearly empty, with just a handful of patrons. The shutters were open, and the day was sunny outside. Kendrie spotted her from the bar and shook his head.
‘Check the state of you.’
She straightened herself, and strode to the bar.
‘Give me an ale.’
Kendrie smiled. He reached under the counter for a mug, and poured her a pint of water.
‘This first,’ he said.
She stared at him, but took the mug, and downed its contents.
He refilled it with water. ‘Again.’
‘Yer being a right prick this morning,’ she muttered, taking the mug. She held it to her lips and drank it down, her stomach feeling heavy and unsettled.
‘All right,’ he said, ‘now ye can have an ale.’
He took her mug to one of the kegs stacked against the back wall of the bar and filled it.
‘About fucking time,’ she said. She took a sip, then felt an urgent need for the toilet.
‘See what ye’ve done,’ she cried. ‘I need a piss now.’
‘Yer hangover will lift soon,’ he said as she stomped off, ‘then ye can thank me.’
A freezing wind was blowing through the backyard where the wooden outhouse was located. She opened the door of a stall, and gagged from the stench. She closed the door, pulled down her leathers and squatted over the pit, shivering in the bitter breeze.
She had a vague feeling that she had been out of her face the night before, but couldn’t remember much. She grinned as she remembered she was now on a day off. She might have a whisky with her breakfast.
She stood, re-fitted her clothing, and went back into the warmth of the tavern. She walked to the bar and picked up her
mug.
‘That feels a whole lot fucking better.’
‘See?’ said Kendrie. ‘Now, are ye wanting something to eat?’
‘Aye,’ she said. ‘Fry whatever ye’ve got in the kitchen and pile it all up on a plate for me, I’m fucking starving.’
‘Will I bring it over to the table where yer mates are?’
Keira frowned, and turned to scan the tavern. In the corner, Flora, Agang and Laodoc were sitting.
‘Aye,’ she said. ‘Cheers.’
She took her mug, and ambled over to the table. The three sat there stopped talking and turned to look at her.
‘Morning,’ she said, sitting down.
Laodoc frowned. ‘Madam mage, you appear to have mud in your hair.’
‘Aye?’ She scratched her head. ‘So I do. Weird.’
She noticed Flora glaring at her.
‘You were completely out of order last night,’ the Holdings woman said.
Keira shrugged.
‘You should find Dean, and apologise to him.’
‘Eh?’ Keira said. ‘Dean? Oh aye, I remember, he was here last night. Him and Dora were getting all frisky with each other.’
‘You don’t remember humiliating him?’
‘Nope,’ she said, ‘though if I did he probably deserved it.’
She took a drink of ale.
‘And Dora,’ Flora said. ‘I’m not sure if she’ll be back.’
‘So what?’ Keira said. ‘It’s not like I need more hangers-on. I’ve already got you.’
Flora stood. Keira expected to see rage on her face, but she seemed calm.
‘I know what you’re doing,’ she said. ‘You’re trying to push us all away. It won’t work with me.’
She walked over to the front doors and left the tavern.
Keira narrowed her eyes. ‘What the fuck was that about?’
‘She means,’ Laodoc said, ‘that, consciously or not, you are attempting to show us how undeserving you are of our loyalty and friendship, perhaps due to a deep-seated realisation that you are not a nice person.’
Keira burst out laughing. ‘I think ye might have me confused with someone else.’
Agang’s face reddened.
‘You got something to fucking add?’ Keira snarled.
‘I think the way you treat Flora is abysmal.’
‘There ye go again,’ Keira said, ‘sticking up for poor wee Flora. Is there something going on between you pair?’
Agang shook his head, sighing. ‘How can you say that?’
‘Say what?’
‘You know what Niall told us.’
‘What?’
‘Niall,’ Agang said. ‘That night we were up talking, right before we were attacked by the flying lizard carriages. Do you not remember what Niall said? About Flora?’
Keira frowned. ‘Was I drunk at the time?’
‘Yes,’ Agang said, ‘you were. But still, I thought you’d remember.’
‘Well? What the fuck did he say?’
Agang looked down. ‘Shit,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure if I should tell you now.’
‘If it’s important, then I should fucking know.’
‘All right.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Flora prefers girls.’
‘Is that it?’ Keira scowled. ‘Big deal. Wait a minute, she doesnae fancy me, does she?’
Agang shrugged.
Keira sipped her ale.
‘Fuck.’
Kendrie arrived with a large tray. He deposited three bowls of porridge and a large plate of fried meat and eggs, nodded, and went back to the bar.
Keira picked up a fork. ‘Ya fucking beauty.’
‘Madam Keira,’ Laodoc said, ‘as we eat breakfast, I was wondering if we could resume our conversation from last night?’
‘What was that, then?’
‘About searching for Mage Shella.’
Keira groaned and put down her fork.
‘Kalayne said she was essential to achieving victory over the Emperor,’ Agang said. ‘His vision showed you and her together.’
‘Shella’s the last person on fucking earth that I want to see,’ Keira said. ‘I hear she can kill folk with a wave of her hand.’
‘I’ve seen her do it,’ Laodoc said.
‘Then she’ll try to kill me for sure if she ever catches sight of me. The only thing I can do is blast her with a fucking firebolt before she can raise her arm.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Agang said, ‘you and her are on the same side.’
‘So she’s just going to forgive me for wiping out her city of frog-folk? Hardly.’
‘But you’ll have to meet her some time,’ Agang said. ‘Kalayne saw it.’
‘Fucksake, eight-thirds, I remember when you used to laugh whenever we mentioned that mad old bastard’s visions. Now yer more of a devoted believer than Kylon was. And anyway, if me meeting her is destined to be, then I may as well stay here and get drunk. I mean, she’ll come here eventually, won’t she?’
Laodoc frowned. ‘It pains me, I admit it, to sit here in Domm, while the rest of the world endures the rule of this new, powerful Emperor. I yearn to know what is happening elsewhere.’
‘Then go,’ Keira said. ‘No one’s keeping ye here.’
‘I would,’ Laodoc said, ‘but according to Agang you are the key to everything. Only you can save the world. As much as my sceptical mind finds it hard to understand, let alone believe that an old Kell man can somehow see into the future, I have come to trust Agang, and am ready to accept what he has told me. Therefore, madam, if we do leave, then you must come with us.’
‘Fuck off.’
‘The world needs you, Keira,’ Agang said.
Keira picked up her ale, and smiled. ‘The world can go fuck a donkey.’
Chapter 6
Mirren Blackhold
Hold Fast, Realm of the Holdings – 17th Day, Second Third Summer 507
‘Keira’s more fragile than you think,’ Kylon said.
Killop gazed out at the sunset from the guesthouse terrace and raised an eyebrow. ‘She is?’
‘Aye,’ Kylon said. ‘I could see it getting to her after a while. The burden.’
‘The poor dear,’ Chane said, flicking ash from her cigarette. ‘After killing hundreds of thousands of people, you mean she actually started to feel bad?’
Killop shook his head. ‘Hundreds of thousands? No way.’
Chane shrugged. ‘Add ‘em all up. ‘
‘Three, at the most,’ Kylon said.
‘Oh sorry,’ Chane said, ‘a mere three hundred thousand people. I apologise. She’s barely a mass murderer at all.’
Killop frowned at the Holdings woman. ‘Mass murderer or not, she’s still my sister.’
‘And we’ll need her to defeat the Emperor,’ Kylon said, ‘no matter what she’s done.’
‘Didn’t you already try that?’ Chane said.
‘Then we’ll try again. Would you rather the Emperor remained in power?’
‘I honestly don’t know. He does appear to be insane, I’ll grant you that, but if the alternative means the return of the fire witch, then frankly, both options seem shit.’
‘The Emperor will destroy the world, Chane. He’s already devastated the Kellach quarter in Plateau City, and laid waste to the town of Rainsby. And now his army is poised to enter Rakana, which, I’ll remind you, has no armed forces to speak of, just a few militia with sticks. And when he’s finished there? Where next?’
‘But he’s Holdings,’ Chane said. ‘Why would he injure his own country? The soldiers would rebel for one thing. The majority of recruits in the imperial army are from the River Holdings, do you think they’d be happy to rampage through their own towns?’
‘I used to think the same about Rahain,’ Killop said, ‘but once the bloodshed started, they couldn’t stop hating and killing each other. Brother against brother. Parents against their own children.’
He paused, and gazed at Chane. ‘What is that you’re smoking?’
‘They’re growing that shit in the Holdings now?’
‘Yeah. Some enterprising troopers returned with cuttings a few years ago. It’s not as good as the Sanang stuff obviously, but it’s getting there. Their keenweed’s pretty decent as well.’
‘So Daphne’s been getting it from you? I did wonder.’
Chane smirked. ‘Has Daphne been a bad girl? She been keeping her weed habit from you?’
‘It’s her business.’
‘But I get the sense that you don’t approve?’
He picked up his glass of rum. ‘She’s a grown up.’
Chane smiled. ‘I was there when she started smoking. She was in excruciating agony from the injury to her arm, so a friend of Agang’s got her some dullweed. Then it was dreamweed and keenweed to relieve the boredom of captivity.’
‘I’ll take some,’ Kylon said.
Chane passed him the weedstick. ‘I thought you were on duty tonight.’
Kylon took a draw and shook his head. ‘Celine’s doing it.’
‘How did you talk her into that?’
‘She offered.’
Killop shook his head. ‘You guarding Karalyn I can understand, since Kalayne asked you to, but Celine? I don’t get it, why?’
‘I told you,’ he said. ‘She came to me and asked. Daphne had mentioned to her that I was being taken on as an estate worker, but that really I’d be watching Karalyn’s back, and Celine told me she wanted to help.’
‘And you trust her?’ Chane said.
‘Karalyn trusts her,’ he said, ‘and Daphne told me she’d read Celine’s mind, and she’s happy with the arrangement. I mean, have you seen her with Karalyn?’
‘She’s a changed woman,’ Killop said. ‘When we first got here she hardly said a word, mourning for her husband.’
‘Do you know what I believe?’ Kylon said. ‘I think Karalyn has been altering Celine’s mind. Changing her. Kalayne told me something like this could happen.’
Killop nodded, recalling when Karalyn had repaired his own mind.
‘That would make sense,’ Chane said, ‘but we should keep this to ourselves. You must have seen the way Daphne’s mother looks at the girl. I don’t think she likes her at all.’
The Magelands Box Set Page 152