DarkSkull Hall

by Lisa Cassidy

“Maybe you’re right about him, Fengel. Tarran, go find that initiate. We don’t want any witnesses.”

  “If you want us, then leave Brynn out of it,” Dawn said, words firm despite how pale she was. “He saw nothing.”

  “She has a point,” Fengel chuckled. “He’s so useless he’s no threat to us. Just like the Tylenders, weak and pathetic.”

  Tarrick’s shout of fury was incoherent. Alyx’s eyes widened as they fell on his hands; a mother-of-pearl glow encompassed them, shining brightly against the falling darkness. Tarrick himself snarled in triumph as he saw what was happening and raised one of his glowing hands into the air.

  A massive concussion burst exploded through the clearing, making Alyx clap her hands over her ears in pain. It was as if a vice were being tightened over her chest so that she couldn’t breathe, and then it vanished just as suddenly as it hit, leaving her gasping.

  The group of riders had dissolved into chaos as their horses reared and bucked in panic. Tarran and Fengel had fallen and were trying to avoid being trampled by the razor-sharp hooves of their mounts. Tarrick wavered on his feet, skin deathly pale. The Shiven snarled in anger as he fought to get his mount back under control.

  “We have to run,” Finn shouted, reaching for his sister.

  Dawn hesitated, glancing at Tarrick. The initiate was still swaying, not seeming to realise that Fengel’s dark gaze was fixed firmly on him.

  “Dawn, come on!” Alyx urged, already moving after Finn.

  Dawn hesitated a moment longer before running to Tarrick and grabbing his arm. “Alyx, Finn, help me.”

  “We don’t have time for this, Dawn.” Finn nonetheless ran to take Tarrick’s other arm, and together with Alyx urging them on, they scrambled for the trees. Tingo and the other horses had already snapped their tethers and bolted in fear, and when Alyx looked back, she saw the Shiven had settled his mount and was turning to come after them.

  “Don’t let them escape,” his shout echoed through the forest.

  Tarrick staggered in the twins’ hold and collapsed into the snow. They reached for him, but he seemed disoriented as he tried to stand. A glance back showed Fengel and the other apprentices were quickly regaining control of their mounts and Alyx knew they would be caught in seconds.

  Then, over the sound of the horses moving towards them, she heard the deep, hair-raising growl of a forest bear. Everyone froze for a second, and in the ensuing silence it sounded again, deep and angry and coming closer. That was it for the horses—they stopped obeying their riders and reared, screaming their fear.

  “Get into the trees.” Alyx hurried the twins, panicked. “We’ve got a few seconds before they get their horses under control again.”

  Dawn hesitated. “We need to help Tarrick.”

  “Dawn, he’s one of them! We don’t have enough time.” Alyx was already moving away.

  “They might kill him if we leave him here,” she said, and Alyx slowed. As afraid as she was for herself, she found she couldn’t knowingly leave someone to die. Besides, if Tarrick woke, he might be able to help protect them with his power. Reluctantly, she turned back to help Dawn and Finn pull Tarrick to his feet. They ran as quickly as they could, struggling with Tarrick’s weight and almost colliding with Brynn as he came running towards them.

  “Did it work?” he panted.

  “You were the bear?” Dawn was first to catch on.

  Brynn nodded. “I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I ran because I thought they’d all follow me, but they didn’t, so I had to think of something else.”

  Swamped with a rush of gratitude, Alyx dropped Tarrick’s arm to hug Brynn tightly. “Brynn, you were fantastic!”

  “We need to hurry,” Finn’s voice was threaded with fear and urgency. “They’ll be after us any minute. Split up, that way they might not catch us all.”

  “Split up?” Alyx looked at him in horror.

  “Finn is right, it will make it harder for them to follow us. Make for DarkSkull as quickly as you can,” Dawn said.

  “What about Tarrick?” Brynn asked anxiously.

  The sound of his name roused the Zandian, and he pushed off their helping hands, almost falling again as he did so. “I’ll be fine. I can make it back on my own.”

  “You don’t look like you can—” Finn began but Tarrick cut him off.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Alyx didn’t wait for any further assurances. She turned and ran, almost immediately plunging down an incline covered in thick snow. Her heart raced and her palms were slick with sweat. She knew her tracks were easily visible in the snow, and made for a thick copse of trees in the hopes that a horse couldn’t follow her in there. Glancing back, she saw the others scattering too, all heading in different directions.

  Concentrating too much on what was ahead, Alyx didn’t see the ground at her feet and tripped over a snow-covered log. She landed hard and the breath whooshed from her chest. It took a few minutes of gasping for air before the blackness faded from her vision, and by then the Shiven had found her.

  His horse appeared at the top of the rise, and he shouted in triumph and called Fengel before urging his horse down after her.

  Alyx scrambled to a sitting position, tried to stand, then fell again as a sharp pain flared in her ankle. She judged the distance to the trees, knew it was too far for her to make the distance before the Shiven reached her. She met his eyes as he approached, saw the bloodlust and hatred in them, knew he would be an enemy for life. He was going to kill her, and there was nothing she could do about it. She didn’t even know why.

  Alyx took a breath, tried to meet his approach bravely, but knew she was failing as terror welled in her chest and dried out her mouth.

  Then there was the sound of a galloping horse to her right. A rider cut across the open ground between Alyx and the approaching Shiven and halted in front of her in a whirl of snow. Her eyes widened as Ladan leaned down out of the saddle, grabbed her outstretched hand and hauled her up behind him.

  Without a word, he kicked his horse into a gallop away from Fengel and the Shiven. Alyx wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, looking back as the Shiven shouted in anger and urged his horse after them, Fengel close behind. Ladan’s horse was fresher, and faster, and soon they’d outdistanced their pursuers. Alyx almost sobbed with relief when they emerged from the woods and crossed the DarkSkull fields at a full gallop.

  He pulled the horse up in front of the main hall, mere yards from the well-lit entrance. When he didn’t say anything, Alyx slipped down from the saddle, stumbling as she tried to stand on shaky legs.

  “You saved my life,” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

  He was looking away from her, towards the doorway. When she spoke, he nodded once, sharply, then turned the horse and galloped away.

  Chapter 14

  It was dark and bitterly cold by the time Brynn, Tarrick and the twins had all stumbled back to the main hall, shivering and exhausted to the bone. Alyx, in shock and terrified of the shadows, had waited out in the cold for them, too scared to go inside the dining hall in case Fengel had come back and was in there with the Shiven apprentice.

  After an exhausted series of relieved greetings that they’d all made it back safely, Brynn took them up to the healer’s wing, where Tarrick slumped onto a bed and was immediately hovered over by a healer mage. She took one look at their sodden, shivering appearances, then instructed them to sit and wait in the hall outside his room before going away to fetch Howell.

  Alyx, Brynn, and the twins were sitting silently on a hard bench along the wall when Howell appeared with the healer, glanced briefly at them, and then rushed past into Tarrick’s room.

  “Why did they fetch Howell? Why not Tarrick’s master?” Finn said curiously.

  “I am too cold to care right now,” Dawn said, teeth chattering.

  Alyx, feeling just as miserable and wanting nothing but a warm bed and a long uninterrupted sleep, couldn’t even summon the energy to respond.
/>   A moment later a second healer mage reappeared, inspected each of them carefully, then sent them in turns to a nearby room to change into dry clothes and wrap a blanket around themselves. Once they were done, he asked them to wait. Apparently Howell wanted to speak with them.

  Nearly an hour later, Howell reappeared. By then all four of them were wondering if the length of time meant something was seriously wrong with Tarrick. Alyx found her eyes fixed on the room’s doorway, waiting for Howell or someone else to appear. When he finally did, he looked his usual cheerful self, and she relaxed a little.

  “Tarrick is going to be fine,” he told them. “He just overextended himself. Breaking out sometimes causes this. After a few days’ bed rest, he’ll be as good as new. What happened?”

  Finn went through the story, with Dawn and Brynn adding bits he forgot. Throughout it all, Howell’s placid expression didn’t change at all. Finally, they related separately how they’d made it back to DarkSkull. Brynn and the twins looked shocked when Alyx related her tale of being chased, then rescued by Ladan.

  “Next time make sure you have your staffs with you, don’t leave them with the horses,” Howell said when they stumbled to a halt. “Fengel and his friends are bullies, there’s no kinder way of putting it. Even so, the use of magic against other students is strictly forbidden and he’ll be severely reprimanded, you can be assured of that.”

  Alyx shook her head. “The Shiven apprentice wanted to kill us, sir. Fengel called him Galien.”

  Howell hesitated a moment before replying. “I know you’ve all been through a scary experience, but students at DarkSkull don’t go around killing other students. I’m sure Galien was just trying to scare you. He’s the most powerful student here at DarkSkull and he likes to flaunt that.”

  “He was going to kill me,” Alyx said stubbornly.

  “Alyx—”

  “Why does he hate us so much?” she interrupted.

  Howell shrugged slightly. “If I were to venture a guess, I’d say it was because he was orphaned as a small boy, his father killed in a skirmish on the Rionnan border, his mother dying soon after from illness. He was raised by the Mage Council, but he’s never forgotten how his father died.”

  “Even if that’s true, I still don’t understand why he wants to kill me.”

  “DarkSkull Hall is a school, not a battlefield. While the masters ensure students learn the toughness they need to succeed as mages, we don’t condone murder,” he said pointedly. “The bullying you’ll have to learn to deal with.”

  “But sir…” Finn began to speak but was cut off at a gesture from Howell.

  “It’s very late, and I’m in no mood to answer more questions,” he said. “Tomorrow morning after sparring, you’ll need to go and collect your horses. Right now you should all get some sleep.”

  They walked in silence back to the buildings that housed the male and female dormitories. The four of them lingered together by the doorway, not wanting to separate.

  “It doesn’t matter what Master Howell said. We’re not going to be safe here, are we?” Brynn spoke into the silence.

  “No,” Alyx said bleakly, remembering the look on Galien’s face. Howell was completely and utterly wrong; she could feel it in her bones. “We’re not.”

  “I’m sorry, this is my fault.”

  “No.” Alyx sighed. “It was clear that Galien was after me, if not the twins as well, because we’re Rionnan. It wasn’t you, Brynn.”

  “Stay together,” Finn told Alyx and Dawn before hugging his sister goodnight.

  “You too,” she told him. “You and Brynn keep close.”

  “Oh we will.” Brynn smiled. “Sleep well.”

  “I’m pretty sure I won’t,” Dawn replied.

  The only way Alyx could get to sleep that night was to wrap her mind in images and memories of Cayr, and imagine his arms holding her tight and keeping her safe.

  They missed breakfast the next morning but were just in time for Rothai’s class. Daylight had dispelled some of the fear from the previous night, but Alyx could tell she wasn’t the only one to feel a jolt of fear at the sight of Fengel and Galien on the other side of the yard.

  “Tarrick must still be in the healer’s wing,” Finn murmured.

  “Stop standing about and join your partners!” Rothai barked at them.

  Both Fengel and Galien looked up at Rothai’s shout, and the Shiven’s eyes went straight to Alyx. She shivered at the intensity in his gaze and irrationally wondered how Dashan’s Shiven eyes could be so merry and warm, when Galien’s were as cold as a deep winter’s day.

  “Come on.” Brynn tugged her arm.

  Alyx reluctantly limped over to where Jrui waited for her. Her ankle had stiffened overnight, and she wasn’t going to be able to move quickly when Jrui attacked.

  She was contemplating just how painful this sparring session would be when Howell appeared at the gate. He spoke briefly to Rothai, who subsequently dismissed Alyx, Brynn, and the twins to go with their master.

  She could feel Galien’s eyes on her as she walked out of the yard. At the gate, she steeled herself and looked back, but Galien and Fengel were with Rothai, focusing on something the master was telling them.

  “You look awful.” Howell eyed them. “I suppose you missed breakfast again?”

  “Yes, sir,” Finn replied.

  “Go and get something to eat, then fetch your horses. I’m sure they haven’t gone far,” he said. “Tell the kitchen I gave you permission. Once your horses are settled in the barn, you are excused from classes for today.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Dawn brightened.

  “Initiates?” Howell said as they began to walk off.

  “Sir?” Finn asked.

  “As your master I am responsible for you during your time at DarkSkull. There are times I will choose to leave you to solve your own problems, but I am someone you can come to when you need help. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He gave them each a searching look. “Good. Off you go then.”

  Fortunately, their horses had banded together and travelled most of the way back to the grounds of DarkSkull Hall by themselves, appearing none the worse for wear. By lunchtime they’d returned the horses to their stalls and finished grooming and feeding them.

  Alyx spent most of the afternoon catching up on lost sleep, and was woken by Dawn before dinner. As she lined up for her food, she caught sight of Fengel back in the kitchens, working on scrubbing a large stack of dirty pots. As if sensing her stare, he glanced up, the look of hatred on his face almost scorching her. Hurriedly she looked down, keeping her eyes on the floor until she’d been served and could move away.

  The four of them had barely sat down when Tarrick appeared, placed his bowl on the wooden tabletop and took a seat beside Brynn. Alyx, Brynn, and the twins looked at each other in puzzlement.

  “The healers released you?” Brynn asked.

  “Yes. I’m fine,” Tarrick said shortly, biting into his bread without looking them.

  “I think you sat down at the wrong table,” Finn ventured.

  Tarrick shrugged. “No, I’ve got the right table. It’s either this or sitting on my own.”

  “Then maybe you should sit on your own,” Alyx said pointedly.

  “Alyx!” Dawn protested.

  “What? He might have drawn the line at helping them kill us, but he was with Fengel and Galien yesterday. He knew they were going to ‘mess with us’ and he willingly joined them,” Alyx said.

  Tarrick’s eyes were on his bowl as he responded. “I thought they were just heading up there to scare you. I didn’t realise Galien... well, anyway. In this place you’re either with Fengel and Galien or you’re against them. When I tried to stop them yesterday, they decided I must be against them.”

  “Galien seemed very fixated on Alyx,” Finn noted.

  Tarrick nodded. “I don’t know what you did to upset him, Lady Egalion, but he’s a mage of the higher order. My advice is t
o steer clear of him, and Fengel too.”

  Alyx wondered what a mage of the higher order was—Howell had called Casovar one too—but didn’t want to highlight her ignorance by asking.

  “Alyx is right,” Brynn spoke. “You were more than willing to help them bully us yesterday, and now suddenly you want to sit at our table. How do we know this isn’t some sick joke you and your friends have cooked up?”

  Tarrick shifted uncomfortably in his chair and stared down at his stew. When he spoke, his voice was clipped, as if he felt awkward. “If you’d left me behind yesterday... I don’t know what would have happened. You didn’t have to drag me out of there, but you did.”

  “Oh, so it’s a duty thing.” Finn nodded.

  “It’s my honour,” Tarrick said fiercely, looking up.

  Alyx considered that. She wasn’t sure they could trust Tarrick, but he could at least use his mage power, and it would be better having him with them than against them. “It’s not like we can stop you sitting with us,” she said eventually.

  Dawn gave Alyx an irritated glance. “You have no obligation to us, Tarrick.”

  “I spoke to Master Howell today and requested to join your initiate group. My old master agreed with the request and so it’s settled,” Tarrick continued, ignoring Dawn, then suddenly smiled, white teeth flashing. “Did you see Fengel back in the kitchens? He’s on dishes duty for a full month for using magic against me. He’s also banned for a month from leaving the grounds during his spare time like the other apprentices.”

  “What about Galien?” Brynn asked indignantly.

  “Fengel and the others covered for him.” Tarrick shrugged. “Galien is the masters’ prize student. He’d have to do a lot wrong to get any punishment.”

  They ate silently for a while, all of them hungry as usual. Alyx was finishing her bowl when the older apprentice from their mapping class appeared, clapping Tarrick on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

  “I’m sorry it’s come to this, my friend.”

  “It’s fine, Adahn.”

  Adahn leaned down, dropping his voice. “I’m as aware as you are that Galien isn’t exactly the wonderful future star the masters believe him to be, and I respect what you did. I won’t go against him, though. I’m in my last year and I want a long and illustrious career with the council. Galien is the future, and I need to be mindful of that.”