by Rinelle Grey
“Lead the way,” Lyall said.
Brianna hurried to the stonesmith’s store, and Lyall summarily told the man he was done for the day and to go home. He obeyed, though he did look suspiciously at Brianna and Lyall’s still linked hands. At this point, Brianna didn’t care.
“It’s here.” Brianna pointed.
Because they hadn’t known there was anything special about the stone, or the pictures on it, the broken pieces had been stored in a jumble, and Lyall had to call several of his men to lift the three separate bits into place.
Then taking a deep breath, they both looked at the final piece of the puzzle.
Twelve villagers stood in a circle in front of the crypt, where the bodies of the twins, now alone, lay. There was no sign of either of the men, or the rest of the villagers, and around them, destruction had wreaked havoc. Their expressions serious, they wove gentle magic around the two stones held in the palm of the central woman’s hand.
Underneath they could now read the inscription—
Magic brought them together, and magic tore them apart. May this shield protect us, and them, from the men who destroyed them.
“She must be my ancestor,” Brianna said softly.
18
Heavy Responsibility
The door to the stonesmiths slammed open. “Just what is going on here?” Mianna demanded.
Brianna stared at her twin. What was she doing here? Then she remembered the stonesmith’s expression as he slunk away. He must have told Mianna. Aware how compromising her position looked, she hurried to explain. “We’ve discovered that there’s a story on the crypt, about twi—“
Mianna interrupted her. “I don’t care what you’ve discovered! What are you doing holding hands with that man? Have you forgotten that you’re a married woman?”
Looking down at her hands, Brianna felt a stab of guilt.
When she’d finally admitted her pregnancy, and thus the fact that she had slept with someone, Mianna had taken it calmly. She’d known that Brianna didn’t love Terion the way she did, and she hadn’t ever tried to make her. But the truth was, no matter how much the twins were different, people saw them as the same. If news got around the village that Brianna was fawning over the conquering stranger, it would reflect badly on Mianna.
And look at what had happened last time twins had tried to love different men—it had caused a war so huge it almost destroyed their village.
This though, wasn’t about her and Lyall, it was about the magic in the stones. But would that be any easier to explain?
She had to try. “It’s not what it looks like,” she said quickly. “This stone,” she pulled her hand back from Lyall’s to hold it out to show Mianna, “is magic and it allows us to see the paintings that used to be on the outside of the big crypt.”
Mianna looked at her suspiciously.
“Come and try,” Brianna urged. Then she thought of something. “Will she be able to see?” she asked Lyall.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
Mianna looked at her with horror. “I don’t do magic,” she said flatly.
“It’s not doing magic, Mia. It’s using a stone to see a picture. It won’t hurt you.”
It was hard for Brianna to remember a time when she had been afraid of magic. It seemed so long ago. She wondered what Mianna would say if she found out that both of them, and Terion too, were mages. What about the whole village?
According to the images on the crypt, those twelve villagers had been all that had remained behind. Chances were, most of the village could claim one or more of them as an ancestor, meaning most of the village were probably mages. “This is our history, you should see it.”
Her twin hesitated, then took one step forwards. Brianna held out the stone encouragingly. Mianna touched it with one finger, then jerked back as if burned. “It feels, weird…”
Brianna nodded. “I had colours swirling everywhere. But it goes away, I promise.”
Lyall watched them, his eyes narrowed, but to Brianna’s relief, he said nothing.
Mianna reached out to the stone again, this time leaving her finger there for a bit longer. She closed her eyes for a minute, then when she opened them again, she stared at Brianna, wonder and disbelief in her eyes. “This is amazing.”
Brianna smiled. “Look at the panel,” she urged.
Mianna turned her face towards the broken panel lying on the ground, and frowned. “There’s a picture, some people standing around the crypt. But what does it mean?”
“It’s the last one in the series,” Brianna said. “I guess you have to see the first ones to understand it.”
Mianna followed them eagerly back to the graveyard and looked at each picture, her face slowly moving from serious to horrified. She refused to look inside the crypt, instead saying, “Seal it back up, no one should be inside there.” She looked around at all the men standing watching and shook her head. “And no one who isn’t from our village should be here in the graveyard. Everyone out.”
The men ignored her and looked to Lyall who nodded his head. “You heard the lady, everyone out.”
There were some quiet mutters, but in a matter of moments, the graveyard was quiet and peaceful again.
It didn’t make Brianna feel any better.
“You too,” Mianna glared at Lyall.
He stared back at her, refusing to budge. “I need that stone,” he said quietly.
So that was what he wanted. Brianna swallowed her disappointment. She needed to get over these feelings she had for Lyall, it would only end in heartache, or worse. The images from the panels flashed in front of her eyes. Magic flying everywhere, people cursed or dead. And twins killing each other over a man. She suppressed a shudder.
“No,” Mianna said flatly. “That stone is part of our heritage and the history of our village. You can’t have it.”
“You’re being foolish,” Lyall said through gritted teeth. “Brianna said the trolls have also taken a stone from this crypt, last time they attacked. You’ve seen the panels, you know that those trolls are powerful mages as well. It’s amazing they haven’t attacked again before now. If they attack again, the only hope of stopping them is going to be an equally powerful force. One I have.”
Her twin turned to her. “What do you mean, the trolls took a stone? How would you know that?”
“Well…” Brianna fumbled. She didn’t think now was the time to explain how she had known something was wrong, that she had seen the entire fight, including scenes Mianna knew nothing about. “They broke into the crypt didn’t they? You saw the pictures, there should have been two stones, but we only found one. They had to have taken the other.”
“Why would they want a gemstone that allows them to see the panels?” Mianna asked. “And why does it matter if they have it?”
Brianna looked to Lyall. He was the one who wanted to keep the magic shield around the village a secret so he would have to find a way to answer that one to Mianna’s satisfaction.
He stared back at her, then said smoothly, “We don’t know how much the stones can do yet. Perhaps there is more to them. They’ve had a couple of years to study them, so they could very well do more than we are aware of.”
Mianna scowled at him. “And you think that means we’re going to give one to you? You’re already too powerful for my liking. I don’t think you need any more power.”
“And what if the trolls come back tomorrow?” Lyall countered. “With magical skills you know nothing about?”
“Our people have defended this village from the trolls for centuries,” Mianna said flatly. “And we will continue to do so. Without your help.” She gave Lyall one more glare for good measure, and turned on her heel and stalked back towards the village, pulling Brianna with her.
Leaving Lyall standing in the middle of the graveyard looking shocked.
Brianna was proud of her twin. Mianna had always been the meek one, the one who hid behind her when a wild boar crashed through the forest towards them
, the one who crawled into her bed in the middle of the night because she’d had a bad dream. This was a different side to her twin, and she liked it.
But Mianna didn’t know the whole truth about the stones or the barrier around the village. What if the trolls did come back? The tiny bit of magic Brianna had done had been through desperation and fear—she didn’t want to be relying on that if the trolls arrived again.
But they’d been absent for two years, what were the chances they’d come back right now?
Still, she felt uneasy. While she admired her twin’s determination, a determination that had shocked Lyall so much he didn’t have time to object, she could also see the wisdom of his words. If the trolls did come back, Lyall was the one who should be using the stone, not her.
And the feeling didn’t improve when Mianna slammed the door to their house behind them, and turned to face her, hands on her hips. “You need to stay away from that man, Brianna.”
“What do you mean? You’re talking like I’ve been cosying up to him in his tent! He’s invaded our village, Mia. Saying, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t feel like seeing you, isn’t really an option.”
“It’s more than that though, isn’t it?” Mianna’s voice was soft now. “I know it’s been a long time for you, Bri, since you left Lylis’s father. Being alone isn’t easy. But you don’t have to do it on your own. Terion and I are here for you.”
“What do you mean, more than that? What else could there be?” Brianna stammered. Had her sister guessed her secret?
“He’s handsome, I’ll give you that, and exciting too, I guess. But he’s a mage, and not a nice one at that. You don’t need someone like him. You need someone who’s going to care about you in return.”
Brianna’s heart beat a little too fast. “You think I’m falling for the mage who invaded our village? Because he’s handsome and exciting? Why would you think something like that?” She hoped that was what Mianna thought. Surely the idea that Brianna had met him before, had travelled to Isla de Magi with him, would be too fantastical to even occur to her twin?
“You’re acting strangely,” Mianna said flatly. “Yes, he invaded our village, and yes, he seems to be more than happy to bully people into doing what he wants.” She paused and considered, then gave a small laugh. “I guess most people who invade villages are.” Then she looked at Brianna more seriously. “But I don’t see you objecting much. You just jump when he says jump, and that’s not like you, Brianna.”
Of course Mianna would have noticed. Her twin was closer to her than anyone else. And she was right. She was letting Lyall get away with far too much just because, deep down under it all, she trusted him.
And why? Just because they’d had a magical few weeks two years ago? Obviously he’d changed since then, changed enough to be invading villages in his spare time. She ignored the tiny voice in the back of her head that tried to point out that he had a good reason, one Mianna wasn’t privy to. He could have tried asking them to help before he did his scary magic tricks. But he hadn’t.
She sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Mia. You’re right, I haven’t been myself. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
Her sister reached out and gave her a hug. “You’re human, just like the rest of us.”
Her acceptance caused tears to start in the back of Brianna’s eyes. She blinked them away. “I need to be focusing on protecting you, and Lylis and Kylis. Not on what that stupid mage wants,” she said fiercely.
“And he wants that stone.” Mianna looked down at the stone, still warm in Brianna’s hand. “Why, if all it does is let you see the pictures on the tomb?”
Brianna hesitated. She wanted to tell her twin all about the shield, and the magic, but to explain them, she’d have to explain all that had happened with Lyall. Her sister had been upset at the thought that Brianna might have a crush on him. What would she say if she knew Brianna loved him and wanted to stay with him forever?
Unwillingly, the images from the panels came to her mind. That twin hadn’t been able to accept that her sister might love another man. They’d killed each other rather than accept it.
She shook her head. What was she thinking of? She and Mianna weren’t like that. They understood and cared for each other. If she told Mianna the truth, she’d understand, even if she didn’t like it.
And she wouldn’t like it. Mianna had always been influenced by what others thought of her, even as a child. And if Brianna told her she loved Lyall…
That thought stopped her train of thought completely.
She loved Lyall.
She still loved Lyall, even after he’d invaded her village and been so pigheaded. She bit back a sigh. No, Mianna wouldn’t like that at all.
And what good would it do anyway? She’d already accepted that they couldn’t be together. She needed to focus on her family, and how she could protect them most effectively.
Could she use the stone, if it came down to it? She’d managed to bring the boat back here to the mainland within hours and make the rest of the distance to her village on foot in another one. She could do magic when she needed too. She needed to trust that she could do it again if the need arose.
And she had Terion and Mianna. Lyall had said that she was already bonded to Mianna, increasing her magic, and Mianna was bonded to Terion. And she was bonded to Lyall. How did all that work? And would she be more powerful if she was bonded to Terion as well?
The thought repulsed her. She saw Terion like a brother, she couldn’t imagine…
She shook her head, trying to clear the thought. “We need to put this somewhere safe,” she said. “Where he won’t be able to find it. Because he will come looking for it.”
She had no doubts about that.
*****
Lyall paced back and forth in his tent. He needed to get his hands on that stone. How could Brianna have taken it, when she knew what it meant? Why was she so determined to not let her sister know about them? Determined enough to risk her whole village. If those trolls came back, then he could do nothing to stop them.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He had an army of eighty men who all knew how to use a sword. But how many of them would have to die to protect Brianna’s stubbornness?
It wasn’t right.
Why had he just stood there and let her and her twin walk away with the gem? It certainly wouldn’t help his reputation of taking what he wanted.
He was tired of that. He’d held up that act for two years, until it started to almost feel part of him. This was his last village, and Brianna was his partner. Was it wrong of him to want her to come to him and to offer the gem? They should be working together so that he didn’t have to bully anyone anymore.
But she wouldn’t. She was so determined not to let her twin know about their relationship that she was putting her entire village and his men at risk. Well, he wasn’t going to stand for it. Not anymore.
He strode to the front of the tent and threw the flap aside. Urster stood there, opening his mouth to say something. Lyall cut him off. “I need ten men, at once. Catch up to me, I’m heading to the village.”
He didn’t wait for Urster to reply, but he was pleased to hear the man’s scurrying behind him to obey his command. Urster knew not to argue with him. At least someone did.
He scowled. Brianna hadn’t even said a word when her twin had marched her off with the gem. In fact, she’d been smiling. Maybe her reports of the trolls had been far exaggerated, if she wasn’t afraid of being defenceless when they returned.
But no matter how tough they’d been before, it was nothing compared to how powerful they’d be if they had one of those gems in their hands. He shivered. He didn’t want to see Brianna’s village destroyed again, as it had been all those years ago.
Urster caught up to him, breathing heavily, just as he approached the gates to the village. Lyall could hear no sounds of the ten soldiers he’d ordered, and he turned to reprimand Urster. But the man spoke before he could. “The magical barrier
has moved.”
“What?”
“It’s moved. About fifty feet to the right. The guards on the left of the wall can now access their magic.”
Lyall stared at him, his brain working feverishly. Brianna’s house was to the right of the graveyard. Probably about fifty feet to the right. The stones did more than allow someone to access their magic through the field.
They created it.
If he could move them, he could use everyone’s magic to protect the village.
His elation at the thought was short lived. If all his mages could use their magic the trolls could also use theirs freely. He knew what that led to. Another magical battle to tear the continent apart wasn’t his aim.
Though he did need more soldiers, just in case. “Send a message to Isla de Magi, we need more troops. At least a hundred more.”
His father wouldn’t be happy that it would leave the island unprotected, but he had no idea how many trolls there were, and if they lost the village, then no one on Isla de Magi stood a chance. They had to stop them here, before they made it to the island.
And the key to all of it rested in that gem.
“Yes, sir. At once.” Urster inclined his body, even at the pace he was walking at, and curved away to head back to the tent. Ten mages replaced him, their expressions serious, and Lyall turned back towards Brianna’s house.
He left most of the mages on the doorstep, no point in crowding the house. But movement at one of the curtains assured him that everyone inside would know they were there. “You, come with me.” He picked one man at random.
“Yes, sir.”
Then he opened the door and stepped inside.
Brianna met him in the doorway, hands on her hips, eyes flashing fire. “Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? You can’t even knock on a door before you push your way into someone’s house?”
Damn, she was beautiful.
And he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted. Not by her curves and not by her deliberate attempts to anger him. “Where’s the gem, Brianna? I’m not leaving without it.”