The Dragon of Trelian

by Michelle Knudsen

  It didn’t matter. He didn’t know why he was debating with himself. Meg needed his help, so he would help her. He met her gaze squarely, trying to reflect the same strength that shone from her eyes. He didn’t even have to nod. She saw his answer in his face and grinned.

  “Um,” said Serek. For a moment, Calen had forgotten he was there. He and Meg turned as one to face him.

  “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t allow this.”

  Meg’s eyebrows went up. Calen knew that look. He almost felt sorry for Serek.

  “Are you presuming to tell me what I can and cannot do?” she asked quietly.

  Serek was not daunted. “No. But I can inform your sister of your plans, which would no doubt bring them to a swift end.”

  Meg’s eyes practically threw sparks at that. “Do you truly wish to see Maerlie die at the hands of traitors? Why would you want to stop us from proving what we know is true?”

  “It is not the truth I object to, Princess, but your determination to put yourself in danger. I cannot in good faith allow you to proceed without attempting to stop you. It would violate my oath to serve and protect your family.” Serek spoke calmly, still standing with his back to the study door. His eyes were flat and hard. Calen knew that look, too. He thought that in a contest of wills, Meg would ultimately prevail, but it would be close.

  “Could you come with us?” Calen asked abruptly. Meg and Serek both turned to stare at him. He tried to ignore their incredulous expressions. “You could help us seek proof, and be there to protect us if anything went wrong.”

  Meg’s expression grew thoughtful. Serek, however, shook his head. “I appreciate your confidence in my ability to protect you from an unmarked mage of unknown strength and known malicious intent, but as I said, I cannot take action against Sen Eva without the consent of the Magistratum.”

  “But this wouldn’t be taking action, exactly. You’d just be . . . observing.”

  “No, Calen.” His voice grew even more serious. “You must understand this. A mage agrees to live by certain rules. It is sacrosanct within our order, and when you are fully inducted yourself, you will take vows to uphold them. We cannot simply bend or ignore those rules we find inconvenient. It is exactly this that we accuse Sen Eva of doing, and that makes her a criminal in the eyes of the order. I do understand your desire to act, but it cannot be. Accept this and be done with it.”

  Meg opened her mouth to argue, but Calen placed a hand on her arm to stop her. Serek would not budge on this. Arguing would only waste time. “Let it go, Meg,” he said quietly. “He will not change his mind. We’ll have to think of another way.” He didn’t look at her face. He didn’t want to see the sense of betrayal he knew she must be feeling.

  “I’ll need your word, each of you, that you will not pursue this.” Serek was still blocking the door.

  “You have it,” Calen said. “I will not.”

  Serek looked at Meg and waited. She glared back at him with a strange light in her eyes. “You have my word that we will not steal into her room while she is at breakfast tomorrow.”

  Serek hesitated. It was clear there was much that Meg’s declaration did not include. But the mage only looked at her and nodded. Calen thought something passed between them. Then Serek stepped aside. “Will you escort the princess safely back, Calen?”

  “Of course,” Calen replied. Meg took his arm and let herself be led toward the door.

  “And Princess,” Serek added, “once this current crisis is sorted out, I would very much like to hear more about your dragon. I never thought I would have the opportunity to talk with one of the dragon-linked firsthand; it would be a rare honor.”

  After a moment, Meg nodded. “Of course,” she said. “As long as Calen can join us. He’s my personal dragon expert, you understand.” She paused. “I suppose I’ll have to think of some official title for that at some point.”

  Calen nearly choked at Serek’s pained expression. He yanked Meg back into motion toward the door.

  “Good evening, Mage Serek,” she said as they passed him.

  “And to you, Princess,” he replied.

  Then they were through and walking along the narrow hallway. Calen heard the door close firmly behind them. When Meg led him silently toward a passage that led deeper into the castle and away from her rooms, he was not entirely surprised.

  THE CASTLE CORRIDORS WERE DARK AND silent, save for the sound of their footsteps against the cold stone floor. Meg led Calen down passage after passage and finally down a small set of stairs. The hallway accessed by that stairway was rarely used, and surely never used at this late hour. This early hour, Meg corrected herself. It had to be long past midnight. She stopped and seated herself on the dusty floor, her back leaning against the wall. Calen sat against the opposite wall, facing her.

  “So,” he said, “do you have another plan already? Or do we need to think of one?”

  “We don’t need another plan,” she said. “We’re still going to sneak into her rooms to look for evidence. We just can’t do it while she’s at breakfast.”

  Calen gaped at her. “Meg, we just gave our word —”

  “We gave our word not to look in Sen Eva’s room while she’s at breakfast. That’s all. Really, Calen, you need to pay attention.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t. If Serek found out . . . No. That’s not even the issue. I can’t go back on my word to him, Meg. It’s too important.”

  How could someone so nice be so exasperating? Meg willed herself to patience. “Calen, think. You heard what I promised. Serek knew exactly what I was saying. Don’t you think he would have insisted on less specific wording if he really wanted to stop us?”

  “Well . . . but . . .”

  She let him think about it. Calen was intelligent, even if he did get in his own way a lot of the time. He’d see that she was right. While she waited, she reached out toward Jakl through the link. She thought he was sleeping. Good. That had to mean he was tucked safely back inside his den. And gods knew he must need to rest. Sleep called to her as well, but she knew they couldn’t spare the time. There would be time enough for sleep once this was over. If they were still alive.

  “All right,” Calen said finally. “I suppose, technically, that is all we promised. Are you saying that Serek wants us to find proof? Why wouldn’t he just say so?”

  “You heard him. He’s not allowed to take any action against Sen Eva. But I’m guessing that doesn’t apply to you, because you’re not yet a full mage. Didn’t you notice the way he made a point of mentioning the whole when-you-are-fully-inducted-you-too-will-take-the-vows business? And of course the rules certainly don’t apply to me. I think Serek just needed us to make our plans out of his hearing. That way he can’t feel bound to stop us by the rules of his vow to either my family or his order.”

  Calen looked at her. “Maybe you’re right.” He laughed suddenly. “I guess we’re going to assume you’re right in any case, aren’t we?”

  She grinned. “Yes. So, what we need now is some insurance that we won’t get caught.”

  His laughter died abruptly. “Right. Oh, gods, we’re really going to do this.”

  Meg leaned forward. “Do you have any magic that would help us remain unseen? Just in case she does return before we’re done?”

  He hesitated, and that was answer enough. “Show me.”

  “I don’t know, Meg. I’m not very good at it yet.”

  “So you’ll practice. We’ve got a few hours. Calen, I’ve seen the kind of things you can do. I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. Half of achieving anything is just believing that you can do it. So tell yourself you can do it, and then show me.”

  He took a long, shaky breath. “All right. But it’s a lot harder if you’re already looking at me. It works best when I’m not seen to begin with.” He considered a moment. “Wait here. I’ll turn the corner, then start the spell and come back. If you don’t see me return, that means it’s working.” He waited for her
nod, then got up and ran to where the hallway turned. He looked back and gave her a wave, then disappeared around the bend.

  Meg kept her eyes on the spot he’d last occupied. She wished she could make herself invisible. How useful such a skill would be! Not just for sneaking away when she wanted to be alone but for finding things out, listening to conversations . . . She frowned, realizing where her thoughts were leading. Not exactly noble goals, those. She wondered if Serek ever used such a spell to spy for her parents. Or on her parents. No. Surely these vows he made to the order of mages would prevent him from using his talents against those he was sworn to serve. She began to see why it was so important for mages to be marked and bound by rules. If she couldn’t even trust her own impulses with such power, how could she be sure anyone could resist such temptations?

  A startling thought occurred to her. Had Calen ever —? But no, he was still just learning this spell. And she trusted him, even if he wasn’t yet bound by the same rules as his master. Sen Eva, of course, was another matter. Meg went cold at the thought of that evil woman walking unseen through the castle, possibly lurking anywhere, anytime. She swallowed nervously. She’d have to ask Calen if there was any way to protect against something like that.

  Speaking of which, where was he? “Calen,” she called, “come on. Just give it a try. You can always try again if it doesn’t work the first time.”

  “I guess I’m better than I thought,” he said from the empty air beside her.

  She gave a little scream before she could stop herself. As she watched, Calen suddenly popped back into visibility. There was no gradual fading; he wasn’t there, then he was. He smiled apologetically, but she could see that he was rather proud of himself as well. She couldn’t blame him. He was better than he thought. She hadn’t even suspected that he’d come back around the corner, and he had walked right past her!

  “Perfect,” she said. “Will you be able to extend the spell to include me as well?”

  “I think so. I don’t know. I’ve never tried that before.” He sank back down to the floor beside her. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever gotten it to work correctly. And it’s impossible for me to tell from the inside whether it’s working or not.”

  Meg pondered this. “Well, that means we’ll have to test it someplace with other people around, to see if it’s working.”

  Calen nodded unhappily. He looked frightened. Meg’s conscience twinged, but she reminded herself firmly that they didn’t have any choice. Without proof, no one would do anything to stop Sen Eva before it was too late. Technically Calen wasn’t just helping her as a friend; he was acting to protect his patron family in the same way he would once he became a full mage. If you looked at it that way, it was his duty to help her. So there was no need for her to feel guilty about dragging him into danger like this. No need at all.

  “The kitchen?” he suggested. “There’s always someone there, and if we are seen, no one will comment on it.”

  “You’re right, except . . . Wilem was there earlier.”

  Calen stared at her in alarm. “You saw him? Did he see you?”

  “I don’t think so. Or at least, if he saw anyone, it was Mellie, not Meg. He was — he was with someone. A girl. He seemed fairly engrossed in their . . . conversation.” She looked away. Calen, bless him, didn’t say anything. “It’s been some time. He’s likely gone by now.” Back to the kitchen maid’s room, probably.

  “All right. The kitchen it is. We might as well get started.” He hesitated. “Have you thought of another time to go to Sen Eva’s rooms?”

  Right. “We could try going in while she’s asleep. . . .”

  “No,” Calen said firmly. “I think that’s a bad idea, Meg. Too dangerous. I think she should be someplace else when we go. Someplace far away.”

  “Well, then, let me think. There are several formal events tomorrow in preparation for the wedding, but obviously we want to get in there as soon as possible. . . .”

  “Obviously,” Calen muttered.

  “So if not during breakfast,” she went on, “then perhaps . . . Oh! I’ve got it. The Intention Ceremony. Not as early as I’d like, but I think it’s the safest choice. She’ll have to be there, since she’ll be part of the formal wedding procession. Wilem, as well, for that matter. And there’s a banquet afterward, so that gives us a little extra time to get safely away before she returns.”

  “But — aren’t you supposed to be there as well?”

  “Yes. But when Morgan realizes I’ve gone, I’m sure she’ll just say that I’m ill. Sen Eva thinks we’re dead, or at least elsewhere, so certainly my absence won’t seem strange to her. I’m sorry to have to miss the ceremony, but then of course I wouldn’t be able to attend anyway. Not now.” She shook her head, surprised by a sudden wash of sadness. “Oh, I wish none of this had happened, Calen. I wish I could just be excited for my sister and caught up in all the fun and planning and celebration. Do you realize we missed the tourney? I know it sounds stupid — there are such bigger things at stake now — but I can’t help wishing it all the same.”

  “I know, Meg,” he said quietly. “I wish that, too.” He patted her hand awkwardly, making her smile. She took a breath and pushed everything else aside. “All right,” she said. “Let’s go. Do you want to start the spell now, or . . . ?”

  “I probably should. I need the practice casting it, and holding it, not to mention including someone else in the circle.” He sighed. “I hope this works, Meg. This is a crazy plan. I really don’t want to be responsible for getting us both killed.” He tried to smile as he said it, to make it a jest, but didn’t quite succeed.

  Meg looked at him seriously. “You’ve already saved our lives more than once. If something happens, if we don’t survive . . . well, it won’t be your fault. We’ve only gotten this far because of you.”

  He blinked at her in surprise, then dropped his eyes. “No, that’s not . . .”

  “You know it’s true, Calen. Now shut up and start working your magic.” She grinned to hide her own nervousness as much as to take the sting from her words. “Will I feel anything? When you cast the spell?”

  “Nope. Or at least, I don’t think you will. I know I don’t feel anything. That’s what makes it so difficult. No way to tell whether it’s working until someone sees you. Or, you know, doesn’t.” He got to his feet and reached down to help her up as well. “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  “Stay close to me. The spell works kind of like a sphere, surrounding us, but if you step too far away, I might not be able to keep you inside it.” He laughed nervously. “Of course, I might not be able to keep you inside it anyway, but, uh, all right. Here we go.”

  She nodded, then took his hand for good measure. Calen closed his eyes. It was very quiet in the corridor.

  “All right,” he said. He opened his eyes slowly. Nothing seemed different.

  Meg thought for a minute. “Let me try something,” she said. She took a giant step to the right, stretching her arm as far as she could without releasing Calen’s hand. Then she turned to look back at him.

  He wasn’t there. Neither was her hand, which was startling, even though she had half expected it. Her left arm stretched out into space and then disappeared at the elbow.

  “It’s working,” she said softly. “Let go of my hand for a second.”

  He did, and as soon as she felt his fingers release hers, her hand popped back into view. She stared at the place where Calen must have been standing, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t see anything there. “Important bit of information,” she said. “The spell only includes me if I’m touching you.”

  “Ah. Good to know.”

  “But the good news is that even though I know you’re there, I can’t see you.”

  “That’s good to know, too.”

  Meg giggled. “It’s strange, to hear you speaking from the air.” She reached out, trying to find his hand again. He let her grope blindly for several seconds, and t
hen she felt his fingers close around hers. Her forearm vanished, and she watched, fascinated, as she moved slowly closer to him and more of her body disappeared. And then she must have passed the boundary of the spell, for suddenly Calen was there, and so was she.

  “Not a very big sphere, I know,” he said.

  “No,” she said. “I’d better stay close to you.” She considered a moment, then stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Do you think we’ll be able to walk this way? I’m not sure how else to do it.”

  They gave it a try. It was awkward, to say the least. They could only manage several steps before tripping over each other. Finally Calen shook his head. “This is silly. It must be possible to increase the spell area.” He took her hand again. “Stretch out your arm as far as it will go.” She complied, and he did the same. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and then he was gone, along with her hand and wrist. And then, slowly, more of her arm began to disappear.

  “It’s working!” she said. “Keep going!” Soon she had to lean her head out as far as she could to keep it outside the circle of the spell.

  “Do you think that’s far enough?” Calen’s voice asked. “It’s getting hard to push it any farther.”

  “I think it should be okay.” She stepped closer to him again, fighting the absurd urge to hold her breath as if she were going underwater. “We should still stay close together, but we should be able to at least walk side by side now.”

  He took a deep breath. “Ready to test it out?”

  “Yes,” she said. “The kitchen?”

  He nodded, and they began to walk. As long as they kept their legs in step, it was easy enough to stay close together. The stairs were difficult at first, but after a few steps, they got the hang of it. As they reached the landing on the ground floor of the castle, Calen hesitated. “Remember, we can still be heard,” he said. “And touched, so we need to be sure we don’t get too close to anyone. Anything important to say before we get going?”