To Play the Lady

by Naomi Lane

  When the second arrow flew past her head, grazing her ear she decided to change tactics. She veered off the trail and went directly into the woods. She expanded her shields to include Kedar as well and slowed him down as they turned into a thickly forested area.

  The other riders continued to pursue, but Jenna could tell they too had slowed down, searching for which direction she had gone. Fortunately, it was still dark enough that it would be hard to detect Kedar’s footprints. She entered a copse of trees and waited, praying they would miss her. Eventually, Jenna spotted them. The men had their hoods back, and each paused to reload their crossbows. Jenna was upset that she didn’t have her own bow. She had a clear shot.

  Then suddenly, just as she remembered from her dream about the weapons a few nights ago, the bow appeared at her back with the magic arrows as well. On instinct she reacted, pulling her weapon free and drawing back an arrow in as smooth a motion as she could. She aimed, but hesitated. This was real. A man’s life was at stake.

  Then he spotted her. He quickly lifted his crossbow toward her, but she released her own arrow instead. It flew true and hit the man square in the chest. His horse reared, distracting the other rider, giving Jenna a bit of time to pull another arrow. Her remaining opponent trotted forward on his horse. Jenna expected him to attack her, but instead he fled back toward the path, potentially confused by what had happened. She considered just turning the other direction and letting him get away, but on instinct she urged Kedar through the gap in the trees. She pursued still aiming her bow ahead of her, forcing herself to ignore the man she had injured or possibly even killed.

  She rode only a short distance when the other rider’s horse stumbled, forcing him to slow. She used it to her advantage and let her arrow fly. It also found its target, hitting the man in the back and causing him to fall from his horse.

  At that moment, Jenna felt confident enough to return to the palace. She headed toward the main road, hoping to meet help along the way. Kedar worked into a gallop, and she mentally praised him for being so cool-headed while she had been in danger. They were almost to the main path, and Jenna breathed a small sigh of relief.

  Unfortunately, any sense of calm would be short-lived because with no warning, the Dark Mage appeared standing directly in front of them along the main path. Kedar was so startled that he turned to the side to avoid hitting the man. Jenna struggled to stay in the saddle while she regained control of her horse. Then the Dark Mage disappeared and reappeared on Kedar’s other side. This spooked him again, and Jenna couldn’t keep control. He reared up, and she fell from his saddle, landing hard on her left side. Kedar backed away from her and the mage. By the noise he was making, he wasn’t happy about it, but Jenna had trouble keeping a link to his mind with him that frantic.

  “Well, well, Little Mage,” said her nemesis. Jenna stood, quickly pulling out an arrow as she did so. She drew back her bow, aiming at him, but as she released the string, he disappeared again. She whipped around, but didn’t see him. “Don’t worry,” he said, suddenly grabbing her arms from behind. “I’m right here.”

  She struggled against him, raising her legs prepared to step on his foot, but he dropped her instead, vanishing in the process.

  “Still so feisty,” said his disembodied voice.

  Jenna was frustrated by its pleased tone. She saw Kedar and thought about making a run for it, but then he spoke again.

  “NO! I don’t think so, Miss Jenna Mallory.” He appeared in front of her. Jenna noticed the timbre of his voice had changed. It resonated within her mind, controlling her. “You stay right there and don’t move.”

  Much to her horror, she was completely at his mercy as he approached her slowly. The sun had finally risen enough that she could get a full look at his face. His skin seemed paler than she recalled, but the darkness and anger in his eyes remained.

  He stared at her weapon. “You must be strong to use such a bow. Drop it.”

  She attempted to resist his command, but lacked the strength and so dropped her bow and arrows to the ground near her feet. He walked over and picked up the weapon. She heard a sizzle, and the Dark Mage cried in pain as the bow burned his hand. It distracted him enough to break the spell controlling Jenna, and she turned to make another run for it.

  She got close to the trail’s edge before the Dark Mage appeared in front of her again, holding a crystal in his hand. Before Jenna could react, the crystal blazed with a pulse of light that hit her with enough force to lift her off the ground and send her across the clearing. She landed flat on her back, her head hitting the ground hard.

  He appeared standing at her side. “Don’t you dare move again!” he cried, using the same resonant tone. Jenna, still in shock from her fall could not resist him. He smiled. “Better. I see you are still full of surprises, Little Mage.” He tore some linen from his cloak to make a bandage for his hand. “Although maybe I shouldn’t be that surprised considering your response to my earlier offer.” Jenna wondered what he meant. She had never made a formal response to his request that she join him. He chuckled. “Confused? I saw what you did after I so generously made you that offer. You went running straight to the Tower and its Lord, a pity really.”

  Jenna gained enough composure as he spoke to try to fight his magic, but she made no headway. Her shields were shattered.

  As she continued to lie on the ground, her heart began pounding harder, but it wasn’t until she heard a dagger being slipped from its sheath that she began to fear for her life. He knelt next to her and ran the blade along her torso, using it to pop open the buttons of her outer coat. “I so wanted to keep you, Jenna. I even pleaded with my father to give you one more chance, reminding him the Towers can have a powerful sway over one so young, but I see he is right now.” The mention of his father confused her, but she didn’t have much sense left in her head to focus on it as he opened her coat and moved the dagger up to her neck. As she felt the blade next to her skin, Jenna closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer for her family’s wellbeing as she expected never to see them again. But instead of slitting her throat, he paused and lowered the knife slightly. Jenna was forced to end her prayers as she felt the icy tendrils of his magic enter her mind once again. She was disgusted. As her anger spiked, she regained some focus, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to win control of her body.

  “Such a pity,” he said, as his free hand wandered across her chest. She grew angrier. She knew so many ways to fight back if she could only move!

  The Dark Mage then clasped both his hands around the dagger and lifted it above Jenna’s chest. The blade shook as Jenna realized he still felt turmoil over his father’s instruction to kill her. In that instant, as she saw the flicker of determination in the Dark Mage’s eyes, she silently screamed a Rahtani curse at him, and then suddenly, her right hand gripped something solid. The magic sword had appeared. She felt its magic course through her body, freeing her from the mage’s spell. Without fully understanding what had happened, she quickly rolled to the side as the Dark Mage brought the dagger down.

  Then they both stood, facing each other. On instinct she swung her sword to move the dagger away from its guard position, and the Dark Mage was so stunned by what had happened that the blade flew from his hand. Jenna then unhesitatingly drove her sword straight into his abdomen.

  She released the weapon and backed away from him slowly, the magnitude of her actions only gradually dawning on her. It seemed completely surreal.

  The Dark Mage staggered and fell down to one knee, staring in shock at the hilt of the sword protruding from him and the pool of blood that formed on his doublet. “My, my, Little Mage,” was all he said.

  Jenna’s body began to shake, but some voices sounded in the distance, causing her to turn away from the scene before her. When she turned back around, the Dark Mage had vanished once again, her sword with him.

  The thought of losing her weapon disturbed her, but she could barely hold that thought in her head. She stumbled as
she walked, attempting to reach Kedar. Eventually, her knees gave out, and she sat on the ground. Her magical exhaustion caught up with her as her adrenaline rush subsided, and she never fully knew whose voice was calling to her as she blacked out.

  Chapter 30

  When Jenna opened her eyes, she recognized the room she was in. It was the same bedroom in the Tower she had used previously after her vision experience. Although she felt better after her rest, her limbs still felt heavy. She didn’t really want to get out of bed, but the room was empty, and she was anxious to know the news from the palace.

  She managed to swing her legs over the side and stand up. She dressed in the gown that had been laid out for her and thought about leaving the room, but she sat down first to take a little rest before she went walking. After about a minute there was a knock on the door.

  “Enter,” said Jenna.

  Lord Harcourt swept in. He seemed agitated, and he didn’t even sit down as he began to speak to her. “I’m glad you’re awake. I’ll have food brought.”

  “Thank you,” she replied. Before Jenna could ask any questions, the high mage continued to speak.

  “I want to reassure you that the plot against the Crown failed. Assassins attempted to murder the King and potentially the Queen, but Prince Eamon and Prince Dominic got to them in time.”

  Jenna breathed a huge sigh of relief.

  “Your help was invaluable, and you again have the Crown’s thanks.”

  She just nodded. “What happened to the attackers? Who were they?”

  “The assassins who directly attacked the palace were all killed. Some others, the ones you saw, were pursued into the woods. We believe most of them were also killed, but the Dark Mage eluded us. I don’t sense him anywhere near the palace now.”

  Jenna wondered what to tell the high mage. Should she mention the weapons? Where was her brother? She decided to wait before divulging that information. It wasn’t as if the Dark Mage would be harming anyone anyway, though she couldn’t be sure he was dead. She wished they had found his corpse.

  “Jenna…” The high mage sighed. “I have some difficult news. I know the Dark Mage’s escape is bad enough, but…” He paused. “There is no easy way to tell you this, so I will be blunt. All evidence indicates the assassination attempt was on behalf of the rebel government in the north, which is now officially called the United Northern Republic.” Jenna paled. “This is considered an act of war, and Sevalia is preparing an invasion force.”

  Jenna closed her eyes, shocked beyond words.

  “It makes some degree of sense,” the high mage continued. “They are known for their assassination attempts, and hiring a foreign mage would be expedient, considering they expelled or killed all of the mages from the old Tenarra.”

  “Then who was the man with the voice I recognized?” she asked.

  “Voice?”

  “Yes, the one from the ball. I saw the same man in the woods, but I never saw his face.”

  “That I am afraid would be the second part of the bad news I must deliver. Durand has been taken into custody.”

  “What?”

  “Some evidence pointed to his involvement.”

  “No, I can’t believe it!” Jenna grew angry. “I would have known his voice.”

  “Jenna, I helped question him myself, and he admitted it.”

  Jenna’s jaw dropped open. “What..?”

  “Well, perhaps that isn’t fair. He maintains he knows nothing about the assassination attempt, but he does admit to providing funding assistance to the rebels. Of course with that admission, no one seriously believes he didn’t know about the assassins.”

  “What do you believe? You are a mind mage.”

  “It’s hard to say when an individual is under that much stress. He says the assassination was not supported by the legal government. But I just don’t know all of the details. What is clear is that this cannot stand, and Sevalia must take action immediately. And I for one agree.”

  “The King must be furious.”

  “He is.” The high mage sighed. “I am reluctant to tell you more. I only heard word of this a few minutes ago, but further investigation into Durand’s affairs led to more rebel sympathizers in the south, specifically Salara and Navia.”

  Jenna cringed. “I just can’t believe it.” She didn’t think her father would be involved, but her aunt and uncle, she couldn’t say.

  “I know. But remember, you helped save the King’s life. That counts for a lot.” There was much Lord Harcourt did not say in that sentence, but Jenna understood he only wanted to comfort her. He sighed once again. “Unfortunately, I need to leave. Preparations are moving swiftly.”

  “But there is so much we haven’t talked about. Where is my brother? Are you going with the invasion force?”

  Harcourt held up his hand. “I know there is much to discuss; unfortunately I lack the time to go over everything since I shall be accompanying the army. I want you to tell everything to my old teacher once you arrive in the south.”

  “The south?”

  “You are to be sent to Fabian Tower immediately.” Jenna stood in anger.

  “But you said—”

  Lord Harcourt held up his hand. “I realize you’re upset, but, Jenna, think. You need protection and my old master is there. He will attempt to continue your education. His Volta talents are much weaker than yours, but he is an experienced mage. I know this is not ideal. I don’t expect to force you to stay on a permanent basis, but for now, your safety comes first. Now I really must be going.”

  Jenna sighed. She didn’t like it, but he had a point. “Will I at least be able to visit home first? And what about my brother?”

  “As to your first question, I’ll consider it. As to the second, your brother has been selected as a squire and will accompany the army.”

  “Squire?”

  “I know he’s young, but all the boys are being given a chance to go. They expect heavy fighting and want all the assistance they can get.” The high mage went over to her and squeezed her shoulder. “I hate to lay all this on you so quickly, but there is nothing else for it. Take whatever time you need here, but you will be expected to be packed and ready to leave tomorrow morning. I’m sorry.”

  With that he turned to leave. “Wait!” she cried. “The Dark Mage—”

  “I know.” The high mage turned back around from the doorway. “He is a threat, but my scrying this past hour has conclusively placed him outside of Sevalia. He has obviously been using teleportation to travel, a magical art I thought to be lost, but I expect his employers will keep him busy. I will deal with him, Jenna. Try not to worry.”

  Jenna was going to protest, but there were voices in the hallway. Lord Harcourt became wrapped up in another conversation, something about coordination with the Fire Mage Guild. He briefly apologized and quickly left the room.

  She sat once again in silence, shocked beyond belief, not only at the events, but the lack of interest in her own experiences. Lord Harcourt didn’t even ask her any questions. What did they think happened? Probably that she ran away from the attackers and was overcome by magic sleep with some exhaustion thrown in from all the shielding she required.

  She waited in the room for a few minutes, expecting food, but no one came. She tried to reach Lord Harcourt again with her mind-link, but he ignored her. Not knowing what else to do, she eventually left the Tower, grateful for the lift to assist her aching body.

  Her first priority was to find Peter. She wanted to talk to him about her magical weapons as well as the implications the news of war had for her family. Using her mind-link she sensed he was in the vicinity of the West Wing, so headed there careful to avoid all the people scurrying around as if they had important business. She ended up near the stables, where she found Peter assisting with some horses.

  “Jenna!” he cried. He came up and hugged her. “Glad to see you’re awake. I wanted to stay with you, but duty called. Did you hear?”

  “Yes,
Harcourt told me…” Jenna couldn’t say he had told her everything. “He told me enough.”

  Peter nodded. “Did you mention your weapons at all?”

  “No. I thought about it though, can you explain—”

  He shook his head. “I just don’t have time to go into details. Don’t you already have a sense of what your magic is?”

  “Um…” She thought about it briefly. “I am some kind of fire-like mage?”

  “It’s not a bad analogy. Listen; it will be fine. Since you’re going home, Mama can explain everything to you when you arrive in a few days. Just sit tight until then.”

  Jenna sighed, praying she could convince Lord Harcourt to allow her to visit home before continuing her training. “But what about Father?”

  “Don’t worry. He’s in Khazaran.”

  “Khazaran!” Jenna realized she had no idea what Khazaran was doing in all of this. “Are they supporting us?”

  “No.” Peter seemed frustrated by that fact. “They want to stay neutral. Whatever. We don’t need their help.”

  Jenna knew he did his best to sound confident, but she still felt the fear radiating from his mind. “I don’t want you to leave.”

  Peter sighed. “I understand that, but think about it.” His tone grew lower. “Our family could be implicated in this. My fighting in the war will look very good in front of the magistrate. Though I hope it never comes to that.”

  “Squire!”