Sorcerous Rivalry (The Mage-Born Chronicles Book 1)

by Kayleigh Nicol

  I remained silent. I didn’t know what to say to that. I couldn’t remember this man’s name, even though Kestral had introduced us last night. “Is your sister all right? You said she’s pregnant, right?”

  “I sent her to stay with her husband’s family. She’ll be fine.” Ammon—that was his name—rolled his shoulders in a slow shrug. “Your sister is also fine, by the way. She guarded this room most of the night, even though she looked exhausted. Kestral slept for over a full day and woke up looking worse for the wear.”

  I flinched at that. I must have unconsciously drawn deeply from him to heal so quickly. It didn’t happen often that I drew life force without meaning to, but it had happened before when I’d been one step away from falling through the Canvas. I probably also fell out of my crow form once the bones had healed as I didn’t have the magic to maintain the form. “Where did Kestral go?”

  “Your sister passed out around mid-morning. I moved her to a bedroom and took up her post outside your bedroom. I’m not complaining, but it would have been nice to know what I was protecting you from.” He shifted his eyes to the door before meeting mine again. “When Kestral woke up, he woke her and went out looking for a fight, I believe they said.”

  I tensed, worried that Kestral and Kila had gone after Reina, but if Kila was drained, that was probably the last thing they would do. Looking for a fight . . . perhaps a bar fight? Kila needed freshly spilled blood to refill her wellspring.

  “No one came after us?” I asked, slipping from the bed. Someone had removed my boots, so I knelt to pull them on. “Nothing bad happened after we got here?”

  “There was some commotion in the city this morning. Something about the university.” Ammon arched a brow at me. I ducked my head, trying not to give anything away. “But no one came here looking for any of you.” Ammon paused, watching as I stood, stretched, and adjusted my cloak. “Kestral said you would be hungry.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but my stomach growled a warning at me. I smiled sheepishly. “I am. Can I get something small? I should go after Kestral and Ki—”

  “Don’t.” Ammon held up a hand. “Don’t tell me her name. I don’t want to know one more detail than I have to. Once Zera has her child, I’m returning to the army.”

  “Oh.” I hesitated. “Did Kestral ask you to guard me?”

  “And feed you.” Ammon shifted his weight away from the wall, moving with a slow, casual grace. This man was every bit the warrior that Kestral was, I could sense it. “And keep you from following him.”

  “What?” I stumbled over my own boots and tried to cover it with outrage. “He can’t just keep me trapped here. I’m not some pet he can—”

  “No, apparently you’re a half-dead bird he had to rescue last night.” Ammon gave me a steady look that was more than a little disconcerting. “Eat something first. If Kestral isn’t back by the time you finish, I’ll help you look for him.”

  That sounded like a fair deal. I pretended to think it over, before agreeing and following Ammon to the kitchen. Zera’s house had two stories—the downstairs was her clay shop and kitchen; the upstairs had the bedrooms and a sitting room. The shop looked fairly prosperous with beautifully painted plates, bowls, cups and other assorted items.

  “Your sister must be quite the artist.” I picked up a pitcher shaped like a bell-mouth flower, the handle shaped like its stem. “Or is this her husband’s work?”

  “Zera does all the sculpting and painting,” Ammon explained as he pulled food from a cold box for me. “Her husband runs the shop. They were planning to be closed this week anyway, with the baby coming, so don’t worry about inconveniencing them at all.”

  I grimaced. It was unfair to kick a pregnant woman out of her own home, but then, I had been too unconscious to be part of that decision. I hollowed out a large roll of bread and stuffed the inside with shaved lamb and cheese. I spread butter over the soft inner bread I’d torn out and ate that first.

  Ammon stood nearby, watching silently.

  “Thanks for offering to come with me to find Kestral,” I said between mouthfuls. “You must know what type of trouble he finds when he’s not being watched.”

  “You mean the type of trouble that gets him caught up in a mage-family war?” Ammon asked, eyebrows raised.

  I choked on a mouthful of bread. He sure knew a lot for someone who didn’t want to know anything.

  “And it’s not Kestral I’m worried about. I don’t feel I know you well enough to prevent you from doing something unexpectedly stupid.”

  “Oh.” I wanted to debate that point but couldn’t come up with an argument that wasn’t an outright lie. Dust liar’s brands and the men who used them! I poured myself a mug of cold milk and set to eating my stuffed roll. After a few minutes of silence, I asked, “Is this why you and Kestral get along so well? You just sit together saying nothing?”

  Ammon chuckled. “Most soldiers are loud. Boisterous. The fact that we were both on the quiet side was probably what drew us together.”

  I nodded. I had a question I wanted to ask but I didn’t know Ammon well enough to ask it. He didn’t seem the type to talk unless prompted, but he also seemed overly cautious. He probably couldn’t be goaded into giving anything away, accidentally or otherwise.

  I was nearly finished eating when Ammon drew the chair across from me and sat down. He pushed the curls out of his eyes to meet mine squarely.

  “This is none of my business, but as Kestral’s closest friend, I have to say this.” Dark green eyes bored into mine. “Whatever you’ve roped Kestral into, I can see it’s been good for him. He needed a purpose after the army betrayed him, and it seems like you’ve been able to provide that for him. However, if you’re stringing him along for anything else, personal or otherwise, you need to stop.”

  I blinked innocently and spread my arms, preparing to deny the charge. Ammon held a hand up, his sleeve slipping just enough to show his liar’s brand.

  “I’m not accusing you of anything. I don’t know Kestral’s business. I don’t want to. What I do know is that Kestral doesn’t enter into anything—and I mean anything at all—without going in all the way.” Ammon stared me down, making me feel as big as a rat. “He doesn’t trust easily. He doesn’t fight for unworthy causes. He doesn’t look for a retreat, he charges until every enemy is defeated.” Ammon leaned over the table, staring me down. “If he loses his purpose again, he might not be able to pull himself together again. If you’re not with him for the full journey, Reshi, you need to release him. Kindly.”

  I turned my head, staring at the floor. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I’ve been his prisoner since the beginning.”

  “A prisoner?” Ammon leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “So, you’re not taking any responsibility for what’s happened between the two of you?”

  I looked up, thrusting my chin forward stubbornly. “If you know him, you know he doesn’t get taken for anything unless he’s willing. And how would you even know anything about that? Were you lovers in the past?”

  Ammon smiled. “There it is.”

  “What?”

  “I knew you wanted to ask.” Ammon met my eyes steadily. “Kestral and I were never lovers. Only good friends.”

  I gaped for a minute, astounded. I had wanted to ask that question since the first minute I’d laid eyes on the tall, striking man. There was no way I could have asked Kestral and I didn’t exactly know Ammon well enough . . . A nervous laugh worked its way up from my chest. This son of a dust merchant manipulated me! I hadn’t even suspected him of it. I laughed again, earning a small smile from Ammon.

  Ammon stood and started to speak but was cut off as the kitchen door shoved open. Kila stumbled in with Kestral’s arm around her shoulders. She looked hale enough, considering the last time I’d seen her. Kestral looked awful. There were deep bags under his eyes as if he’d missed a week of sleep. A bruise colored one of his cheekbones and he was definitely limping.

  “R
eshi!” Kila cheered, carefully setting Kestral in a chair at the table.

  Kestral folded his arms on the table and put his head down on them to rest.

  “We were just in the best bar fight ever! We all got kicked out into the street and the fight kept going! I think more people even jumped in. It was glorious!” She picked through the food Ammon had set out. “Is there any honey? I’m dying for some honey.”

  Ammon eyed her for a moment as if deciding whether to lecture her on ordering people around inside their own homes. He must have realized it wasn’t worth it, because he dug through a cabinet and handed Kila a jar of honey. She thanked him genuinely, which seemed to placate him.

  “Are you all right, Kestral?” I asked softly, leaning low over the table to speak to him. Kila was cheerfully describing her brawl to Ammon, who nodded politely. I got the feeling he wasn’t missing a word I said to Kestral, though.

  “I’ll live,” he growled, as if he could accomplish that goal through willpower alone. “Wasn’t sure you were going to survive the night.”

  “Me neither.” I faked a laugh. “Would have been a shame if Kila had to coalesce—”

  Kestral reached out and took my hand. I wasn’t sure if he meant to stun me into silence, but that’s what it accomplished. He tilted his head towards Kila and whispered, “She says they’re getting close.”

  “Who—?” But even as I said that, I visualized my brothers.. There was that familiar tug at the edge of my subconscious, drawing my eyes south. Normally, I couldn’t judge distance, but it felt as if Eagan and Velyn were only a day’s ride away. “What phase is the moon in?”

  “Near full. I checked.” Kestral let go of my hand and pushed himself up off the table. “Ammon, I’m sorry to impose, but could we stay just one more night?”

  “I don’t see the harm.” Ammon shrugged lightly. “But now that you’re all conscious, I must warn you. If you break any of Zera’s ceramics, she will charge you three times the price.”

  Kestral chuckled, wrapping his arm around his chest as if it hurt. “We’ll leave before dawn in the morning. Sorry to bring you into this.”

  “I’m not in this. Don’t worry about me.” Ammon collected the remains of the food and put it away. “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve been catching up with an old army buddy. That’s all.”

  Kestral gave the tall man a sleepy smile. “Thanks, Ammon. When this ends, we’ll catch up over drinks.”

  “Good. You’re buying.” Ammon smiled back.

  Kila looked from Ammon to Kestral, a quizzical look in her eyes. She glanced at me and I shook my head. Whatever Kila was thinking, the answer was probably no.

  Kestral pushed himself up from the table. “Only a few hours until dawn. We should—”

  A loud knock at the front door found us all suddenly armed and on our feet. Ammon recovered first, sliding his sword back into its sheath. After glancing around at the various blades we held, he reminded us again not to break any of his sister’s clay creations. He answered the door while Kestral warned both Kila and I to stay back and keep our eyes down. There was a hurried, almost-frantic conversation at the door before Ammon returned, pulling on a cloak.

  “Zera has gone into labor. I expect I’ll be out all night. Lock up after yourselves, won’t you?”

  Kestral nodded. “Stars guide her newborn to a bright life.”

  “Yeah, good luck,” I added.

  “Stars all bless,” Kila said.

  Ammon nodded to us, then left. Kestral finished gathering up the assorted foods and putting them away.

  “Reshi, sleep with your sister tonight. I need real rest.”

  “Yeah, I can, but . . .” I hesitated. “You’ll need me to shift tomorrow, right?”

  Kestral nodded.

  “I need to draw just a little.” I held my fingers up barely an inch apart. “Tiny. I promise. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t dry.”

  Kestral sighed. “Fine. Just don’t stay.”

  “I won’t.” But I did.

  There was no plan for a next move. Approaching Reina had been a failure, but at least we knew she wouldn’t take sides with Eagan and Velyn. Small blessing, though. If we ever did manage to kill our brothers, she would probably descend on us like an avenging, bespectacled fairy. According to Kestral, our only move was to pick an advantageous battlefield against Eagan and Velyn and try to kill them again. As Kila and I had never been to the rural northeast before, we let Kestral choose our destination.

  Luckily, the others only seemed to travel by boat, which allowed us the advantage of cutting across the countryside. A countryside littered with comfy inns. And with the eye drops from Giltner, I was able to mingle like a normal person. Kestral wasn’t thrilled about the situation, but he seemed to think it was less suspicious than sending meals and ale up to the room.

  “The stone plain between the ocean and the fae wilds is the best spot,” Kestral explained over a map in our inn’s common room. We had traveled for four days and I still felt a prickle on the back of my neck, as if one of my brothers were about to slide a knife between my ribs at any second. Kestral was still recovering from the energy I’d drained the night my wing had healed. This was the first Kila and I were hearing of a plan. I’d like to say I was interested, but the inn had a four-instrument band and a lot of enthusiastic dancers.

  “Reshi.” Kestral pulled my attention back to the map. “I know you’ve never been here before, but are there animals you can bring in to fight with us?”

  “At the edge of the fae wilds?” I hummed, glancing back at the dancers. “I’ve heard only magical beasts live there. I’ve never tried controlling one of those before. When we get closer, I can try.”

  “There are plenty of normal animals,” Kestral said. “And some that only slightly differ from mortal animals, like the dire bears. Do you think you could control a dire bear? Reshi?”

  “What?” I turned back around, facing the map again. “Sorry. Um, maybe? I don’t know.”

  Kila rolled her eyes. “Kestral, if we’re on the stone plains, we have a solid advantage even without Reshi. The steam vents will make Velyn’s ice creatures melt and Eagan will have nothing to burn. If we can neutralize their magic, we’ve got them.”

  “They surprised us last time. We can’t let that happen again.” Kestral squinted at the map as if it could tell him the secret to beating Eagan and Velyn. “Would the heat from the steam vents be of any use to Eagan?”

  Kila shrugged. “How should I know? He’s only thrown around fire before, not heat.”

  “What do you think, Reshi?”

  “Hm?” I blinked, focusing on the map again. “I think . . . I don’t think this is really helping right now.”

  “I think you’re not really helping right now,” Kestral replied with a scowl.

  “Battlefield tactics aren’t my thing,” I replied, leaning back with a shrug. “Just tell me the plan after you’ve figured it out.”

  Kestral glowered at me. “You just want to go drink and dance.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” I grinned at him. “Come drink and dance with me, Kestral. You need to relax. You’ve looked dead-tired for days.”

  “Whose fault is that?” Kestral asked, eyebrow arched.

  Kila pushed back from the table. “If we’re not discussing strategy anymore, I’m getting a drink. Might even gamble a little. I’ve missed gambling.”

  “No, Kila, wait—” While Kestral tried to convince Kila that gambling might tip off her identity, I slipped away in search of a dance partner. It had been ages since I’d been properly admired.

  The band was in high spirits and so were the dancers. I traded partners as quickly as I traded drinks, letting my mind grow pleasantly fuzzy. At one point, I noticed our dinner table had a new set of patrons. I paused, looking around for Kestral and Kila. My sister sat at the bar, talking with a few other women over mugs of ale. Kestral must have succeeded in keeping her away from the gambling tables. I couldn’t see Kestral anywhere. I h
oped he’d gone to bed; he really needed a night of uninterrupted sleep.

  An hour past midnight found me suitably drunk with an arm as thick as a blacksmith’s around my shoulders. I stumbled, one hand braced against my partner’s chest to keep myself upright. We both laughed, then the big man lowered his mouth to my ear, making an offer. The hearth fire still burned hot, and after dancing for so long, I was sweating. The invitation to step out back was tempting, so when he started leading me through the kitchen door, I didn’t resist.

  I told myself it didn’t mean anything as he pushed the back door open. The cool air felt like a sudden head rush, burning in my chest and causing goosebumps to rise along my skin. Kestral needed to sleep anyway, I’d just be bothering him. Draining him. This was better for both of us.

  The stranger leaned down, pushing me back against the wall of the inn. I tilted my head back, inhaling the night air. Hands and hot breath roamed over my body; it had been quite a while since my last tryst under the stars. I felt a tug at my belt, my hands instinctively reaching down to assist his when the back door suddenly crashed open, spilling light from the kitchen into the courtyard. Before my mind could catch up, my partner was thrown several paces back, hitting the ground with rather heavy sounding “thump.”

  Dust. Dust, rust and ashes.

  “Get. To. The. Room.” I’d never heard such fury in Kestral’s voice, not even when his former comrades had tried to kill him. His blue eyes flashed with a threat of violence. A muscle ticked in his jaw. I felt paralyzed as if he had somehow frozen me with a spell.

  “Hey!” My huge oaf of an almost-partner had stumbled back to his feet. “This in’t any o’ yer business! Git on out o’ here afore I put you through a wall!”

  Kestral turned slowly. Without his eyes on me, I caught my breath. The sudden scare along with the cool air helped me regain a semblance of sobriety while Kestral exchanged words—among other things—with the larger fellow. As the stranger limped away to lick his wounds, Kestral turned on me again.