“Why is Velyn suddenly joining you?” I asked after sipping the milk to soothe my burned tongue. “Is he being hunted, too?”
“I don’t think so. Not as closely as you, at least.” Cera’s eyes turned distant, and I wondered if she were far-seeing. “You and I and Velyn are the youngest. I think he saw the advantage in coming together. I feel that if we band together, the others will join us.”
“Really?” I scooped up a spoonful and blew on it, watching curls of steam rise from it. “Even Kila?”
Cera sighed. “Oh, Kila. You must admire her strategy, though. I would never have thought to challenge the bounty so aggressively.”
Through Cera’s far-speaking ability, I knew most of us had gone into hiding after our bounties had been posted. But our sister Tekilashan had announced that anyone who wished to kill her could find her on the bloodiest battlefield of the kingdom. The last thing I had heard was that she had killed over forty mage hunters, all while participating in border skirmishes and house wars. There hadn’t been much talk of any new challengers lately, so I suppose the strategy worked. Even after all those highly visible battles, no one was certain what type of magic she possessed.
Cera placed a still-steaming loaf of bread on the table and cut it into thick slices. “I’m not a very good cook, so I’m sorry this is all so plain.” She handed me a slice of bread and pushed a carafe of butter towards me. “I’m known to a few local villages as a fortune teller, so I get by, but I try to keep mostly to myself.”
“Did you get sent to the orphanage in Giltner, too?” I swiped out my soup bowl with the bread; no sense in wasting a single drop of it. “Were we ever there at the same time?”
“No.” A shadow passed over Cera’s face and her words became clipped. “I can’t believe that woman sent you to Giltner. It was bitter and petty, and you were just a baby.”
The venom in her voice made me pause, a handful of bread halfway to my mouth. “It wasn’t so bad. I didn’t think Laurana had any choice in where we were sent.”
“No, not Mother.” Cera folded her arms across her chest and glared darkly at the floor. “The queen chose our fates for us. She was upset that Mother was able to bear so many healthy children for the king when she only managed to have one herself. She was increasingly cruel with each child.” She met my eyes, her expression melting to pity. “I’m so sorry.”
I shrugged it off. My past wasn’t something I was willing to discuss, not even with my older sister. “Where did the queen send you?”
“She gave me to a band of traveling performers.” Cera smiled. “She intended that I be traded to fairies, but the performers kept me and raised me. I learned to read fortunes and I was able to travel widely. It wasn’t as bad as some.”
I avoided the look in her eyes this time. “What do you know about Velyn?” I asked, changing the subject.
“He is the fifth child of Laurana, Navelynstra. I think he grew up with fishermen in the far north.” Cera shrugged. “We will learn more about him when he gets here.”
“When will that be?”
“Any day now.” Cera cleared the table. “Are you still hungry? I have some food set aside if you need it.”
“No, I should stop eating before I burst.” I pulled the robe around myself a little tighter. “Did you say you might have more clothes?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure if much will fit you.” Cera placed the dishes I had used in a basin of soapy water. “Check the trunks in the front room for anything suitable.”
I stood, trying not to sway on my feet. It had been far too long since I’d walked as a human. It didn’t help that I had completely emptied my recently replenished well of magic. I could tell that one more transformation would wipe me out; I was lucky to have made it this far.
How long will it take for Kestral to find me? I wondered as I sifted through a trunk of old clothing. Wix must know where I was by now—the cottage was surrounded by elm and oak trees. Would my brother arrive before Kestral did? Could the three of us stand against him? I would have to find a way to refill my wellspring before that time came.
After a bit of digging through the trunks, I found pants that would fit if I cinched the waist with a belt, as well as a few shirts and tunics. There was a pair of boots that were a little too big, but I preferred that over too small anyway. By the time I finished dressing, Cera reappeared in the small front room.
“Why do you have all this?” I asked, gesturing to the trunks of clothes, the broken furniture, the hand-made trinkets and even a musical instrument or two.
Cera smiled, a blush rising in her cheeks. “I can’t stand to see anything discarded. My family—the traveling performers—never threw anything away. Everything has a use, even if that use is no longer what the object was intended for. Old clothes could be costumes, broken chairs could be used as canvas anchors, old pots could be used to create sounds. When I pass through villages as a fortune teller, I collect anything that has been set aside. It may be silly, but I hate to think of anything being wasted.”
I nodded as if I understood, even though I didn’t. I had been forced to flee so many times that I had learned to leave everything behind—clothing, weapons, even dear friends. It wasn’t worth getting attached to anything or anyone. But Cera seemed to have learned something completely different.
“You look half dead on your feet, Reshi. Let me set up a pallet for you.” She moved some crates, clearing space on the floor. The sun was only just setting, but I was utterly exhausted and sure that I could sleep for a week. Maybe I would; maybe if Kestral arrived and killed me in my sleep, I wouldn’t notice.
“Cera, can I ask you about your powers?”
She glanced up from fluffing a pillow. “Yes, but I may not answer.”
“That’s fair. You’re a far-speaker, right? That’s how you talk to me in my sleep?”
“I have the gifts of both far-speech and far-sight,” Cera explained. “It isn’t particularly strong magic, but it suits me just fine.”
“Far-sight? Like, the future or mind-reading?”
Cera laughed. “No, not future-sight. Not normally, anyway. Far-sight is like scrying without crystal or glass; I can see people I have a connection with over great distances. Far-speech allows me to project thoughts and hear responses through dreams, but I cannot see inside someone’s mind. I have been told that I am fairly intuitive, though, so I apologize for seeming off-putting.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me so much, sister.” I offered her a sleepy smile as I helped her stretch a blanket over the pallet. “I truly appreciate you taking me in right now, especially with a hunter on my tail.”
Cera smiled back. “Once Velyn is here, we will take care of the hunter. Sleep now, brother. Save your worries for the future.”
The next day I awoke to a cool hand against my forehead. My first thought was of Wix, and strangely, my second was of Kestral. But the eyes greeting me were neither green nor blue, but that haunting silver color unique to my sister.
“Reshi, you’ve been sleeping all day,” Cera told me, her voice soft. “It’s nearly nightfall again and you’ve barely stirred. Are you well? Can I make you some dinner?”
My voice cracked as I tried to speak. Cera handed me a chipped clay mug. The water was cool, clearing sleep from my throat. “Perhaps a little dinner would help,” I told her hoarsely.
Cera nodded and stood. I finished the water and set the mug aside, looking at all the broken junk filling Cera’s small home.
“Has Velyn arrived yet?” I asked.
“He should arrive tomorrow,” Cera replied. She reappeared from the kitchen bearing a bowl of soup and buttered bread.
I ate it on my pallet, still feeling a little too weak to stand.
“Reshi, may I ask about your magic?”
I coughed on my soup, surprised by the question. “I suppose so. I asked about yours.”
“I know it’s a bit personal and we don’t know each other very well. But yours is a nature-b
ased magic, isn’t it? Can you do more than shapeshifting?”
I tore the bread into little chunks to dip into the soup, mulling over her question. No one had ever known enough about my magic to ask about it except Wix, and the only part she cared about was how I regained my magic. I didn’t really know much about my magic; it had only manifested a few short years ago when Laurana had been revealed as a sorceress.
“Shapeshifting is almost all of it,” I admitted. “And even that’s fairly limited. I can only take the shapes of common mage familiars.”
“And the shapes you take, are they all black like your hair?” Cera asked, reaching out to tuck a free strand behind my ear.
I pulled away from her reflexively.
She frowned but didn’t reach for me again.
“Yes. The black cat, the crow . . . my eyes stay golden in all my forms, too.” I shifted uncomfortably. “I never received any sort of mage-training, you know. I’m kind of still figuring this all out.”
“Me too.” Cera smiled. “It wasn’t like any of us could approach a trainer once the bounties were placed on our heads. Even if we could, there are no more powerful mages left in the land. Except for Mother.”
“I guess it’s not possible for us to ask her for magic lessons.” A thought came to me. “Can’t you speak to her? With your magic?”
“I have, but it’s . . . strange.” Cera’s mouth twisted and her eyes grew distant. “Speaking with her is like listening to someone speak underwater. I can only see her through dark mist. I think it has to do with the enchantments used to keep her locked away.”
“Huh. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy.” I finished my meal and handed the bowl and mug back to Cera. “I’m sorry for being such a boring guest. I barely rested at all while traveling here, so it’s all catching up to me now.”
“That’s understandable.” Cera smiled at me. “Is there anything I can do for you to make you feel better?”
I shook my head. “I’ll feel better with more sleep.” Cera nodded and rose. On a whim, I caught her sleeve to keep her from leaving. “Maybe you could just sit with me while I sleep? For a little while?”
Cera beamed. “Of course, brother. I’ll be right back.”
I settled back into my pallet as Cera took care of the dishes. I felt like a rat for asking her to sit with me in the hopes that I could steal from her magical wellspring, but without it I would never get any better. I felt helpless without my magic, made worse by the knowledge that Kestral was most likely already on his way here. Besides, Cera must have to refill her well somehow, too, right? She probably even understood what I needed and would be happy to help.
So why not just tell her?
Cera came back and sat down beside my pallet. She set a broken lyre in her lap and toyed with it, as if to fix it. I turned so my back pressed against her and pulled the blankets up over my head to block out the light coming in through the windows. I could tell her, I supposed, but what if she refused? She was already doing so much for me, asking to pilfer from her wellspring just felt like asking too much of her. Better to take a little and not let her know it was done. Not that I could steal anything unless she fell asleep. I tried lying awake, hoping she might doze, but eventually sleep took me.
I woke to voices from outside the cottage. I was still tired and completely drained magically, but one of those voices held a masculine edge. Had Kestral arrived? Would he kill Cera? I tried to order my thoughts as I pulled my ill-fitting boots on hastily. Judging by the sunlight streaming through the windows, it was early afternoon. The voices spoke softly and calmly, nothing at all like Kestral’s monotone. After quickly pulling my hair back into a tail, I crept through the kitchen and out the back door. Better to sneak up on possible attackers than be snuck up on.
Cera stood with someone at the edge of the lake. As I watched, she nodded seriously, eyes looking out over the placid water where a small boat had been anchored, its sails tightly furled. The stranger was of a height with her, making him shorter than me by an inch or two. His skin held a dark tan as if he spent most of his time in the sun. His hair was dark gray and curled around his head in a strange, nebulous fashion. As I watched, a phantom wind shifted his hair, and it seemed to flow and change shape. His clothes looked rough and weathered; the wide-legged pants didn’t tuck into the thick boots. A faded blue vest covered a cut-sleeved undyed shirt, which he wore long and untucked.
“Come over and say hello.”
I jumped. The voice was in my head, but it was clearly Cera’s. She was still looking out over the lake, but somehow, she had noticed me lurking around the corner of the cottage. I should have known better than to try and sneak up on a far-seer. I made a show of slamming the cottage door to draw their attention before walking down towards the lake.
“I take it you are Reshi?” the newcomer asked, his smile friendly and his hand outstretched for a handshake. I gasped. His eyes were the same electric white-blue of a lightning bolt. He quickly looked away, hiding his eyes.
“Sorry.” I took his hand and shook it. “You must get that a lot, with eyes like yours.”
“I imagine you do, too.” His eyes met mine again briefly. “I’m Velyn.”
“Glad to meet you, Velyn.” I felt a spark of power at his touch. I wanted to ask what his magic was, but it felt like a rude question after having just met someone.
“Oh, my brothers!” Cera leapt forward, wrapping an arm around each of our necks in a hug. “I have a shank of lamb I’ve been saving for just this occasion. Come inside, we’ll have a nice family meal!” Without waiting for our response, she took us both by the hand and dragged us into the cottage. Velyn and I exchanged a bemused glance as we allowed her to tug us along.
Velyn stopped inside the doorway, surveying the amount of old broken furniture the same way I had when I arrived. Cera scampered into the kitchen, where a chorus of pots and pans clanged about as she prepared food. I sat back on my pallet, watching Velyn as he tried to make sense of the mess.
“Don’t think about it too loudly or she’ll hear you,” I advised, tilting my head towards the kitchen.
Velyn snorted. “The trouble with far-speakers, right?” He glanced over at me. “Cera says you have a hunter after you.”
I grimaced. “I do. It’s selfish, but it’s the only reason I agreed to meet up with you both.”
Velyn moved a stack of unbound books from a chair and tested it before sitting down. As he moved, I noticed he wore a large, jagged tooth on a silver chain around his neck. Was it from some sort of sea beast? “Is he strong, this hunter?”
I shrugged. “I saw him slaughter a huge group of pigoblins all on his own with just a sword.”
Velyn waved a hand dismissively. “Pigoblins aren’t really a threat, though.”
“They were in a frenzy over a fairy.” I tried to find the right words to describe how dangerous Kestral really was. “He says he killed a slag once.”
Velyn smirked. “And every fisherman I’ve ever met says he hooked a kraken once.”
I let my head fall back against the wall with a thud. “If you knew him, you’d believe it. He’s an ex-soldier from Beramin and he’s . . . he’s just intense.”
“You think he’ll find you here?” Velyn asked.
“That fairy he saved from pigoblins owes him a life debt, so yeah, I think he’ll find me.”
“Fairies.” Velyn rolled his eyes. “Don’t get me started.”
I wanted to ask what he meant, but Cera came in balancing several bowls in her hands. “The lamb will take a while, but I found some cream and berries for us.” She thrust one bowl at Velyn, then handed me another. She sat back against a wall with her own bowl. The berries were a little tart, but the sweetness of the cream was a perfect counterpoint in flavor. We fell quiet for a minute as we enjoyed the snack.
“Did Velyn tell you?” Cera asked, a smidge of cream adorning her upper lip, making her look like a little girl.
“Tell me what?” I replied, amused.
<
br /> “He has weather magic.” Cera beamed at our older brother. “It must be true that the elder siblings got the stronger magic.”
Velyn shrugged modestly. “I don’t know that you should call it ‘weather magic.’ Most of what I do is predict weather. Maybe change a wind here or there. It’s nothing like far-sight or shapeshifting.”
I flinched. So, Cera had told him about my powers. I guess it was all right. He was my brother after all. My powers had always been such a closely held secret that it felt strange to be discussing them out loud like this.
“What do you know of our other siblings’ magic?” Velyn asked Cera. “You’ve spoken to all of them, right?”
“I have, but some of them aren’t . . . well, they’re not exactly friendly.” Cera grimaced.
I caught Velyn’s eye and could tell he was trying to hide the same laugh I was. From the small amount of information I knew about my so-called family, “friendly” was certainly not a word I would use to describe them.
“Most won’t discuss their powers with me. The only one who actually answers me is our eldest brother, Eagan. He uses fire magic.”
“Everyone knows that.” Velyn shrugged. “It’s part of his bounty information now.”
“Is there new bounty information?” I asked. “I’ve been hiding out in the backwoods, so I haven’t heard much.”
“Every time a hunter gets away alive, they update our information. I passed through Kibernia on my way here and checked on the latest information.”
I dropped my spoon with a clatter. Cera stared, her mouth hanging open.
“You passed through the capital city of the kingdom and no one recognized you?” I asked, incredulous.
Velyn shrugged. “The trick is not to let a hunter get away alive.” He pointed at me with his spoon. “You’ll be lucky if your hunter comes straight here without updating your information. You’re the most mysterious of all of us.”
I snorted. “If by mysterious you mean useless, then you’re right.”
Sorcerous Rivalry (The Mage-Born Chronicles Book 1) Page 6