“I showed it to Balfruss. It was necessary,” said Tammy, holding up a hand before he could protest. “He’s hunting down the rogue mages and we needed somewhere to hold them. He’d never seen anything like it before.”
“Do you want to hear my best guess?”
“Please,” said Tammy, gesturing for him to speak.
“I think it was built by the Red Tower. Maybe it was done as a favour, or perhaps because the Guardians of old worked more closely with them in the past. So much has been lost to history, I guess we’ll never know the truth,” said the Old Man.
Tammy knew he was talking about magic but it also made her wonder about who he used to be. His identity and past had been erased on purpose. But at least there was a record of his deeds that covered a large portion of his life. It would stand as a testament and proof that he had lived.
“What will you do with the rogue mages?” he asked.
“I don’t know. The normal way of doing things is impossible. The Queen has some difficult decisions ahead.”
The Old Man grunted in agreement. A comfortable silence settled on them and for a time they listened to the muted sounds of the city. In the secluded garden they shared a brief moment of peace before the storm that was to come. He had done more than enough in service of the city and the country. The burden was now hers to bear.
“I should get back,” said Tammy, wishing she could stay longer.
“It never stops,” he said with a wry smile.
“Are there other secrets you’re not telling me?” she asked. “About the Guardians and the city?”
He chuckled and slapped his knee. “Of course, but you don’t need me to tell you. You’ve proven that you’re more than capable on your own. You’re ready to be the Khevassar without me looking over your shoulder.” It wasn’t the answer she’d been expecting, but at least it was an honest answer. “Even so, I’d still like it if you came by for a visit from time to time. I don’t tend to get many visitors.”
Being the Khevassar meant you had to pay a steep price but only now, as she stared at him in his little garden, did she realise how lonely the future promised to be. The whole city knew his name and his deeds but there wouldn’t be many still alive he could call a friend. It was all there, waiting for her, in the future.
“I may still need your help with some difficult cases,” she said, although from his smile they both knew that wasn’t true. “It’s always good to get a second opinion.”
“Yes, it is,” he said, fondly patting her hand. “I’d be happy to offer my expert advice whenever you need it.”
They shared another smile and she quickly left the house before she started crying for him, but also for herself and what lay ahead, many years from now.
CHAPTER 37
Tianne kept her smile fixed in place by gritting her teeth as she listened to her mother extol her virtues.
It was an awkward and staged meeting that the Regent had arranged for her as a special surprise. As the senior member of the Regent’s cadre of mages she’d been asked to meet him to discuss their progress. Tianne had been under no illusions about it being a request as two surly Royal Guards had shown up at her door. She was fairly confident that if she’d refused they would have dragged her there by her hair.
Upon entering the room she’d found the Regent waiting, but also her parents. Their rictus grins were almost identical to hers and her father couldn’t stop sweating. The collar of his new and probably borrowed shirt was turning dark yellow as perspiration continued to trickle down the sides of his neck. Her mother, always fussy about her clothes, had been shoved into a green monstrosity that showed off her ankles. No doubt once this farce was done she would go home and flagellate herself for such gross indecency.
The only person in the room who seemed relaxed was the Regent. He lounged in a corner sipping wine from a crystal glass. But then again, he’d staged this whole drama for her benefit, he probably thought it was a good thing he was doing for her. Trying her best to convince him that it was a wonderful surprise, Tianne relaxed her shoulders and unclenched her jaw, but her face still ached from keeping her fake smile in place.
Her mother’s words sounded terribly rehearsed but no one else seemed to have noticed. As well as apparently being proud of her for becoming a mage, her mother had missed her since she’d left home. It was amazing that the Regent had been able to persuade her to say the words out loud. Tianne knew how much it must be physically hurting her to lie so much.
Her father had not said a single word since she’d entered the room. He was clearly afraid for his life if he refused to play along with this charade, but Tianne didn’t know if he was petrified of the Regent or what she might do to him.
Every time she left the palace people stared. They were beginning to understand what the uniform with a blue star meant but despite her efforts Tianne was always met with suspicion and hostility. Even those people who had been tricked by charlatans were angry at her when the truth was exposed. Somehow it became her fault that they had been played for fools. The charlatan had given them false hope but perhaps that was better than none at all.
Tianne knew that in the right hands magic was a gift but part of her was beginning to wonder if the people would ever view magic as a good thing. If she helped them, healed them and kept them safe, would it make a difference? How long would it be before they trusted her? How long before she could leave the palace by herself?
To make matters worse the rest of the cadre had gone to the other extreme. They proudly wore their facial tattoos and expected to be treated with respect because of who they served and what they could do. They wanted the people of Herakion to show them respect without first earning it. Tianne knew a storm was brewing. Much like her time at the Red Tower when Garvey entered a room, she was constantly walking on eggshells around the other mages.
Her mother’s litany of false praise came to a sudden conclusion and the awkward atmosphere in the room became unbearable in the silence that followed. Everyone was clearly waiting for something and Tianne realised from the way her father’s eyelid was twitching that she was supposed to respond.
“I’m very touched by this,” said Tianne, focusing on the Regent as she couldn’t bear to look at her parents. “I’m so surprised I think I’m still a little in shock.”
Her laughter wasn’t faked and it eased some of the tension in her chest. The Regent’s grip on his glass eased and a real smile returned to his handsome face. Tianne couldn’t believe she’d been so naïve. Buried beneath the charm and kind words she could see he was a vicious rat, biding his time. He’d kill and eat his own mother if it kept him on the throne a little longer. She was merely a means to an end for him.
“You do seem stunned,” conceded the Regent and Tianne laughed again. She moved across the room and took her mother by the hand. For a second she felt her mother start to pull away but then Tianne tightened her grip until it must have been painful. Not a single muscle twitched on her mother’s face to show her discomfort.
“Thank you for coming to see me. It’s so good to see you both.” She included her sweaty father in her too-wide smile. He flinched but to his credit managed not to run screaming from the room. “I hope you’ll visit again soon, but the Regent is very busy and I have my duties as well.”
Her mother took the hint and squeezed her hands before letting go and turning to face the Regent. “My deepest apologies, Regent. We didn’t mean to keep you from important business.”
“Nonsense. I’m delighted to oversee such a happy family reunion.” Tianne could see him watching her closely for signs of discomfort. Tianne almost jumped out of her skin when her father rested a hand on her shoulder but she forced herself to relax.
“Well, I’ll leave you three to catch up. You must have so much to talk about,” said the Regent, moving towards the door.
The three of them stayed in exactly the same positions until the sound of his footsteps had receded down the corridor. When they were sure he
was gone Tianne shook off her father’s hand and moved across the room to put some distance between them. The fake smiles slipped and the fear that had been just under the surface became more apparent.
“They threatened us,” gasped her father, speaking for the first time. Tianne thought he looked much older than the last time she’d seen him a few years ago. There was now a peppering of white in his hair and he was thinner than she remembered. It made him look frail. Growing up she’d not thought of her parents like other people. In her mind they never aged and would live for ever. Now she understood they were just as human and just as flawed as everyone else. “If we didn’t come to the palace they suggested our house might burn down in a freak accident. We could have ended up as beggars living on the streets!”
“It’s true. They’ve done that to others,” lied Tianne. She had no desire to comfort him or quash his fears. Her father stared at Tianne with horror while her mother just sneered.
Once again all of this was somehow her fault.
Many times in the past Wren had told her that no matter what she did it was never good enough for her mother. It was an impossible standard to meet. Tianne would have preferred that instead of being ignored. At times it felt as if she’d been an accident, although they’d never said that to her face. She believed her parents resented her for being born. For intruding on their life and as such they had refused to change their ways to accommodate her. It was why from an early age she’d sought out others for companionship and guidance since there was none to be found at home. She’d placed too much trust in the wrong people and they had led her astray, filling her head with lies.
Tianne hadn’t been sure how she’d feel about seeing her parents again. She hadn’t expected a tearful reunion with apologies, but their continued blame was another reminder of why she’d been glad to leave. Just being in the same room with them again made her angry.
“Where are you going?” asked her mother as she opened the door.
“Stay here for an hour and then leave.”
“But what if—”
“Stay here,” said Tianne. Blue flames erupted on the palms of her hands as she vented some of her anger. Her father whimpered and hid behind a chair while her mother just stared at her with distaste. Unable to even look at their faces any more she left the room in a hurry.
Whatever the Regent had intended the reunion to achieve it had failed. More than ever before she resented her parents and now hated them on sight. Any illusions in her mind about the Regent being a benevolent saviour were also being eroded. As she mulled over the future Tianne didn’t notice where her feet were taking her until she began to descend several flights of stairs. Pausing on the first level of cells she wondered if this was a good idea. The worst that could happen was that they put her back in a cell. Only this time if they tried she was determined not to be such an easy target.
It took a bit of dodging patrols, fast talking and at one point a threat to use her magic before she was finally admitted to the deepest cells beneath the palace. Tianne knew she’d have to deal with more of the same on the way back up, but right now it didn’t matter.
Emotions were churning through her, making her reckless and angry. Normally she would never have lashed out with her magic but the guard had been in her way and she’d just snapped.
Part of her also needed someone to blame for all of this. For all of her problems but also the growing hatred towards mages. She needed to see him for herself. Part of her still didn’t believe it was true.
The smell has been growing worse for a while and as she set foot in the lowest cell block Tianne couldn’t help gagging. It was a horrific mix of rot, stale, sweaty bodies and rank piss that made her nose twitch. There were no lanterns outside the cells and only one pathetic torch beside the bottom step. It gave off enough light for her to see the winding staircase and little else. The cells were in absolute darkness but she could hear someone breathing in the heavy silence.
Tianne shivered and her breath frosted on the air. Her anger began to ebb away as she found herself alone, deep beneath the earth, surrounded by a dense blackness.
Even without looking in the cells she knew he was there. She could feel him. The loud echo of his magic pressed against her senses. It was just as strong as she remembered, making her question again why he’d let himself be taken prisoner.
“You’ve come all this way,” said a harsh whisper in the darkness. “May as well take a look.”
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves Tianne summoned a small globe of light. The shadows reluctantly peeled back but not enough to see right to the back of the cells. She could only hear one person breathing so she purposefully avoided looking into the other cells. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw ugly, twisted shapes and heard the buzzing of flies. The further she went the worse the smell became until it was so ripe it made her eyes water.
In the last cell on the left she stopped and peered into the shadows. Apart from a moth-eaten blanket and a bucket the cell was empty of furniture. A thick coil of chain, with links as wide as her wrist, ran from the wall to one of his skinny ankles. His skin was pale and bruised, much like the rest of him, where it wasn’t covered in filth or dried blood. He was sitting against the back wall and most of his face was hidden in shadow, for which she was grateful. Tianne had no desire to see his face again.
Part of her wanted to just turn around and run back up the stairs. She didn’t have to prove anything to him. He wasn’t her teacher and she wasn’t a student any more.
“Come to gloat?” asked Garvey, his breath rattling in his chest. He’d lost a lot of weight since she’d last seen him. They were probably starving him until he agreed to make a public confession.
“I wanted to see if the stories were true. I was told they’ve been torturing you to try and get a confession.”
Garvey’s harsh laugh was just as she remembered. “They were very creative for a while but seem to have run out of ideas. I don’t think they know what to do with me now.”
Tianne wanted to hate him. To laugh at him for finally being caught and humbled. To hurt him with harsh words or even her magic, but instead she felt hollow. A part of her was also still afraid of Garvey despite him being such a pathetic creature now. Tianne couldn’t help laughing at herself for that. The heavy drumbeat of his connection to the Source was almost as unbearable at this distance as the stench.
“Have we met before?” he asked.
“I’m Tianne.”
“Ah,” he said and smiled. “I hear you’re first among the Regent’s mages. You must be very special.”
Tianne laughed. “I’m a prisoner, just like you, only my cell has a soft bed and a window.”
“A window wouldn’t be much use to me,” said Garvey, leaning forward. Tianne gagged at the sight of his face and put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Both of his eyes were gone. It looked as if they’d been burned out. The empty sockets were surrounded by pink and red scar tissue.
She turned her face away but it didn’t matter. The image remained etched into her mind. “Why did you come here?” asked Garvey.
“I told you,” she said.
“No, not my cell. To Zecorria. Why come back? Weren’t you happy in your new life with Wren?”
“The Regent declared an amnesty. He wanted loyal magic users to protect him and the people from rogue mages. I came because of you!”
“That’s a lie,” said Garvey, settling back against the wall. Mercifully the top half of his face was in shadow again. “Don’t blame me for your decision.”
“You murdered people. You betrayed the Red Tower. Everything you told us was a lie.” Tianne’s voice echoed around the cells, over and over until it disappeared into the dark. “How could you do it?”
“The school was doomed. Something new needed to rise from the ashes.” After everything that had happened to him and the school, he seemed without remorse. “But you didn’t answer my question. Why did you come back?”
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Another angry reply was on the tip of her tongue when Tianne stopped herself. What she’d told him was a lie. A small part of the reason for coming back had been about helping people, but the other reasons were selfish. She could have stayed in Shael and helped others there, but somehow she’d convinced herself coming home was more important. That if she was seen doing good work in Zecorria the people would see her as a patriot. She would be a hero. Then her old friends, and perhaps even her parents, would be full of regret and guilt about how they’d treated her.
“I wanted to prove them wrong. To show them I was special.”
“You are special,” said Garvey. “From the moment you felt the majesty of the Source. It set you apart from others.”
“Magic doesn’t make me better than anyone else.” Tianne didn’t know why she was telling him. Perhaps it was because she had to lie to everyone else about her true feelings.
“No, it doesn’t. Magic is a tool, and like any other, it can be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.” Tianne watched as a cherry-red mote of fire danced across his knuckles like a coin, moving from one hand to the other and then back again.
“I’m just as selfish and arrogant as you,” she said. “I thought the Regent was creating a cadre that would help people, but so far all we’ve done is brutalise those with minor abilities. We’re just a bunch of thugs.”
The other young mages were nothing more than blunt instruments. They had no formal training, beyond what Tianne could show them, and once they’d learned control they stopped coming to her for help. To them magic was nothing more than the physical manifestation of will. She’d tried to explain that they could do so much more with magic. That with training a mage could heal people and that Talents gave them unique and wonderful abilities. They didn’t care. With their magic under control they couldn’t be brutalised, and with the Regent standing behind them they had been transformed from victims into bullies.
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