Forbidden Light (The Two Hunters Book 2)

by Kara Jaynes

  “What kind of life have you led, my snowdrop?” Elymas asked, still paging through the leather-bound volume. “Tell me about your childhood.”

  Panic flooded my mind, and I gripped the edge of the table. What did that have to do with anything, and how did I go about explaining years of isolation and heartbreak to someone I’d just met? I hadn’t even told Taloos.

  “I’m never going back,” I breathed. “Never.” Everything around me dulled, black creeping into the edges of my vision.

  Strong hands gripped my shoulders. “Breathe, Glacia. Breathe.”

  I inhaled sharply, a shuddering gasp. Elymas released me and settled back in his chair. “Traumatic childhood, and blocked magic. Fascinating.” Elymas paused, his eyes widening. He bent over the book, reading a passage intently.

  Everything was fine. I wasn’t trapped underground; I wasn’t alone. Silvan would come for me. He would.

  My hands were trembling. I frowned, willing myself to focus on the present. Here. Now.

  Elymas was still reading; his dark head bent over the book. I tried to peek. “What are you reading?”

  The magician closed the book with a loud thump, and tucked it under his arm. “I think our lesson is done for the day. Come back tomorrow.”

  “But we haven’t studied anything,” I protested. “I need to learn something.”

  “I have learned something,” Elymas said. “Come tomorrow, and we’ll discuss my findings and the best way to proceed.” He pinned me with a stern stare. “Come alone, Glacia.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  “Do your friends trust, or distrust me? Only answer with one word.”

  I frowned. “Distrust. But if you could explain—”

  “No,” Elymas interrupted. “If you want my help, come alone or not at all. I’m not going to waste my time trying to explain myself to jealous boys.”

  I disagreed, but I also really wanted to learn magic. Elymas didn’t seem to be as bad as everyone was making him out to be, despite his bullying tendencies. I looked into his eyes, trying to understand his motivation for helping me. “Fine.”

  He smirked, and taking my hand in his, kissed my fingers lightly. “Until tomorrow, then, my sweet.” He released me and disappeared.

  I jerked back so hard I toppled out of my chair. Scrambling to my feet, I looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. He literally disappeared. The book was gone, too.

  Dashing out of the room, I almost ran into Sonia.

  “Thank goodness you’re all right!” The librarian clutched me to her in a hug. “I thought Elymas had cursed you, or worse.”

  I shook my head, hardly able to breathe in the woman's embrace. “I'm okay,” I managed.

  Sonia released me, her brow creasing in a stern frown. “What were you thinking, child? Elymas isn't a man to trifle with.”

  “Truly, Sonia, I am fine. I merely had a discussion with Elymas about magic, and he left. That was it.” I laughed, unable to hide the nervous thread woven in it. “Well, actually, he just disappeared.”

  “Don't get mixed up with the likes of Elymas, Glacia,” the older woman warned, her face grave. “He's dangerous and unpredictable. Please, stay away from him.”

  I decided based on her current mood and opinion, telling her about my plans to meet with Elymas tomorrow probably wasn't a smart idea.

  “Thank you for the warning.” I looked out the nearest window. “Oh, look at that. Night is falling. I better get back so Taloos doesn't worry. Evening, Sonia, and thank you.”

  I hurried away, not interested in engaging in more conversation. I needed some time to be alone and to think.

  Fortunately, the streets of Stagfort offered that. Passersby looked at me with curiosity, as many of them recognized me now as the beast tamer’s friend, but didn't approach, giving me time to mull over my predicament. There weren’t as many people out as usual, but my mind drifted to more important matters.

  Elymas said my magic was blocked. Not asleep, as Silvan had suspected.

  Blocked was very different matter. How did I break down the shield? I hadn't even known a shield was there. So frustrating.

  What would Silvan think of this new twist? Would he know how to proceed?

  I retraced my steps back to the Gray Goose Inn.

  The inn wasn’t as crowded as usual, but there were still several customers in the common room. Taloos was slumped at a table, a mug of steaming liquid clutched in his hands. He didn’t see me come in.

  “Looks like there’s a new mage in town, piper,” a man seated near Taloos said. He was a burly sort of man, with a plain looking face and plain, rough spun clothing. Probably a farmer. The man took a swig of his drink, a dark liquid in a clear glass. “When you were rubbing elbows with Dubauer, the fog took a turn for the worse. If your silver-haired friend hadn’t stepped in and stopped it, we might be all dead by now.”

  I frowned. What was he talking about?

  “You can play a pretty tune,” said another man, his words slurred. “But that won’t help us.”

  Idiots. The lot of them. How could they forget what Taloos had done for them so quickly?

  “If you’re going to criticize my guest, you can leave.” Barrett frowned at them from behind the bar, where he was polishing glasses. “You all know the piper did a great deed today.”

  Murmurs of agreement. Taloos grimaced and sipped at his drink. His shoulders still slumped. It occurred to me that he must be exhausted. He hadn’t stopped to eat, drink, or rest the whole time he was emptying Stagfort of rats.

  I began to make my way across the room to him.

  “What do you do, girl?” The farmer reached out and grabbed a fistful of my hair. I yelped, and several of the men laughed.

  His grip tightened. “I reckon you dance to the piper’s tune.” He laughed.

  I spun around and smacked him across the face.

  He flinched, and released me, obviously not expecting retaliation. “Little wretch,” he growled. I suddenly noticed he had a dog lying next to his feet, watching me with distrustful eyes.

  I edged away. The man smirked. “I can play music, too, little vixen.”

  “Leave her alone,” Taloos snarled. He stared at the farmer, his face flushed.

  “Or what, boy? You don’t scare me.”

  Taloos’s face twisted, his eyes sparking in outrage. The dog suddenly jumped up, snapping and snarling at its master. Everyone scrambled to give them a wide berth.

  Taloos strode over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “Upstairs.”

  I complied, and Taloos followed me.

  “Did you turn the farmer’s dog against him?” I asked.

  “Probably,” Taloos said. “Not on purpose, but it picked up my mood.”

  We reached the landing. “I was about to go and look for you,” Taloos said, not looking at me as we trudged down the hall. “I was worried something happened.”

  “I was just at the library like I always am,” I said. “What happened when we were with Dubauer? That odious man downstairs said something happened with the fog.”

  “I have no idea,” Taloos said,” but it sounds like Silvan took care of it.” His expression was bitter. “He always does.”

  I patted his shoulder. “Silvan’s been practicing magic and fighting since he was a baby, from what he’s told me. Give yourself some time.”

  “I don’t have time,” Taloos muttered, but some of the tension eased from his shoulders. “Sorry I snapped at you earlier.”

  “It’s okay.” And it was. I couldn’t stay mad at Taloos. He was a little rough around the edges, sometimes, but his heart was pure gold.

  I went to bed. My body was exhausted from the long and eventful day, but my mind was full to bursting with thoughts.

  Was Elymas bad or good? Maybe a little bit of both. I supposed most people were a little of each. He’d bullied Sonia, but he hadn’t bullied me.

  No, I would withhold judgement until I had a better idea of Elymas's character. It s
eemed the only fair thing to do.

  And if I was being honest with myself, I was very curious to learn what the mage could teach me tomorrow.

  15

  Silvan

  When I awoke, it was late morning. Had I dreamt? Something tickled my memory, something about golden eyes and . . . I couldn't remember. I lay in bed as my mind drifted to memories of the day before, and everything that had happened.

  I’d started work at the guard and Taloos had rid the city of rats.

  Someone, or something, had tried to retaliate.

  I knew the people of this city distrusted Elymas. What did they think of me? I wasn’t dead, that had to mean something.

  I slipped out of bed, and padded through the halls. I passed a handful of guards, and they nodded in greeting, some even smiling.

  That was an encouraging sign.

  I went to Ehric’s office, where I hoped to find him. He wasn’t there, so I wandered out into the training yard.

  The rain had died down, so it was merely a damp haze today. Wooden swords clacked together. Several guards were sparring outside. Ehric stood off to the side, watching them. I walked up to him.

  “I didn’t hear the morning bell ring. My apologies,” I said.

  Ehric smiled. “No apology needed. After what you did yesterday, I think you earned a little sleeping in.”

  “Has the fog ever done that?” I asked. “Changed color and intensity?”

  “No.” Shaking his head, Ehric’s expression turned troubled. “Never.” He exhaled and turned a frown onto the men who’d stopped sparring; their faces turned toward us. “Continue,” Ehric said curtly. He waved a hand at me, indicating that I should follow him inside.

  I turned to follow, and paused, a flash of red catching my eye.

  The fence that encircled the barracks only went around a little less than half of the front yard. The rest was a wall of stone. And perched on the edge of the wall was a girl. Her hair was brilliant red, her eyes a sparkling green. When our gazes met, she winked, and held a finger up to her lips. Then she was gone, leaping down on the city side.

  I recognized her from Taloos’s village. Kali, the Roamer girl. What was she doing here in Stagfort?

  I followed Ehric into his study. I would worry about that later.

  “What happened yesterday with the fog,” Ehric said, “has me worried. What if it comes again? What other curses stir in Stagfort?”

  “Let’s start at the beginning,” I said, taking the chair opposite of his desk. We faced each other. “I want to know what happened between Dubauer and Elymas, and why a more serious effort hasn’t been put forth in ousting the mage, if he’s the one behind all this trouble?”

  Ehric heaved a sigh and rubbed his beard. “It’s a right mess,” he grumbled. “But I’ll try and tell it as best I can.” He pinned me with a stare, his face serious. “I tell you in the hopes that you’ll be able to help us, boy. We don’t have a mage on our side, and we desperately need one.”

  “Sure thing.” I shrugged. “So long as you’re on the side of right.”

  Ehric frowned briefly, but continued. “Elymas has lived here in Stagfort his entire life, best as I know. Stories say he was always a reclusive child, studying his books, and casting spells, keeping for the most part to himself. His entire family was cloaked in secrecy, so who really knows? We haven’t seen any of his family for years, and I think most people assumed his home was abandoned.

  “But several months ago, we were having a particular problem with wolves roaming about the countryside. Huge, terrible beasts that could bite a man in two with its jaws. Elymas came to Dubauer one day and boasted he could get rid of the wolves. And he did.” He snapped his fingers for emphasis. “Just like that. The wolves were gone.”

  “Hmm.” I rubbed my chin. They sounded like the wolves that had attacked Glacia and me in the woods. “I wonder if he’s a beast tamer, like Taloos.”

  Ehric lifted his hands; heavy palms turned upward. “I don’t know. It’s just what I heard. Apparently, he and Dubauer had an argument when all was said and done. Lord Dubauer promised a certain amount of gold for the job done. He said that Elymas demanded a much higher price after the wolves were taken care of, and Lord Dubauer said no. But Elymas claimed that Dubauer wouldn’t pay as promised, and so then demanded a higher price. But whatever happened, they were at odds with each other. Things turned . . . strange, after that.”

  Ehric glanced out his office window, where the fog still shifted and roiled like a living thing. “The fog came first,” he said. “I don’t think it would bother us so much. But people disappearing into the mist, never to return?”

  “That’s . . . not good,” I replied.

  Ehric snorted. “Obviously. I didn’t suspect the residents of Stagfort to have much trust in strangers, even those who profess to want to help. But your piper friend is changing that, according to my men’s reports, not to mention what do you did yesterday evening.” He still peered out the window, drumming his fingers on the desk. “There’s also something wrong with the soil. Plants don’t grow right. Crops are sad, pitiful things.”

  I frowned. “Taloos mentioned that, too. In his village, their crops were struggling to grow.”

  Ehric’s frown deepened. “That is strange,” he said. “Is that Elymas’s magic then, or something else?”

  I rubbed my forehead. I was tired. This city was becoming beyond strange.

  “Let’s say for a moment that Elymas is behind everything,” I said. “Is there anything else going on?”

  “The rats, of course,” Ehric replied. “Thousands of them. Eating our food, spreading filth. Our cats have grown fat on rodents, but, as you saw, it’s as if we don’t have cats in the city, they made such little difference in numbers.”

  “But Taloos has fixed that.”

  Ehric nodded. “Definitely. But what now? What will Elymas do next?”

  “What have you done to stop him?”

  Ehric rifled through some of his papers. “We’ve tried to arrest him, but he’s using magic. He has to be. Normal citizens have been able to find his house, though few purposely do so. But none of the guards have been able to locate him or his blasted lair, not since he and Dubauer quarreled over gold.” Ehric growled, deep in his throat. “If I had that gold, I’d pay Elymas myself, and end this, but I don’t think the whole city has what he is asking.”

  “The fog gets too dense to see, the closer you get to his house?” I asked.

  Ehric threw up his hands. “The cursed streets change, Silvan. We bumble about like blind men, unable to tell one street from another, and before we know it, we’re right back where we started. We can’t find him. Dubauer keeps sending me orders to hunt him down, but I’ve already wasted too much time, and have lost too many men. I’m not going on another goose chase.” He laughed humorlessly. “Between men disappearing, and men fleeing the city, you’re our first recruit in several weeks, Silvan.”

  He fell silent after that, and I mulled over what he’d said. It was a fortunate thing Taloos had come when he did; this city would have been nothing but rats, quibbling over the bones of the city’s residents a year from now.

  I’d been here for maybe two weeks. I’d been so focused on helping Glacia, I hadn’t bothered to learn what was really going on. People disappearing. How? Was he killing them? That seemed likely. For revenge?

  I didn’t put much stock in Dubauer. He hadn’t seemed to do much, aside from nagging Ehric.

  “I will help you,” I said. A smile played on my lips. “As enjoyable as it is to pummel the other guards, I think my skills would be better suited to finding this mage.”

  Ehric smiled, his eyes softening. “I’d be grateful for any help, but don’t feel like you have to. I won’t force you to do this.” He tilted his head, his gaze narrowing as a thought came to him. “Why come here? What reasons do you have to be here in Stagfort? No serious mage would condescend to work for a mere city guard.”

  “I would,” I rep
lied. “I live to serve and protect. My reasons to serve with the guard are twofold. Winter draws close, and as a wanderer, I need money. I’ll be honest and straightforward about that. The other reason is that I believe I can serve the people better in this capacity, wielding authority as one of the city’s protectors.”

  Ehric was silent as he digested this new information. “I believe you,” he said at last. “You didn’t have to push back that, that fog, or whatever it was, but you did. You stayed. I will appreciate any help you can give us.” He rifled through a stack of papers. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “The sooner we can deal with this, the better.”

  “Tonight,” I said. “I can scope out Elymas’s lair tonight.”

  “That soon?” Ehric peered at me. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest a bit? Elymas isn’t a man to trifle with.”

  “I want to get to the bottom of this,” I replied, standing. “And I’m sure you do, too. The longer we wait, the longer things will continue the way they are. Stagfort needs to be set right.”

  Ehric and his righthand man, Devan, spent the remainder of the day coming up with a plan. They shooed me out—to my annoyance—but Ehric told me he'd let me in on the plan before we left.

  I knew I should sleep, but my mind was a tangled mess of jittery nerves. I went back outside to spar with some of the guards.

  The lunch hour came and went. Still, I stayed in the yard, ignoring the mealtime bell.

  Waiting.

  16

  Glacia

  I practically flew through the streets as I ran to the library the next morning.

  Yesterday had been a confusing mess with Silvan starting work, Taloos dealing with rodents, and meeting Elymas. I'd gone to bed feeling worn out and discouraged.

  But today was different. What if this was the day I broke through whatever block I had, and practiced magic? Maybe Silvan would see me in a different way. Maybe he wouldn’t want to be an Elite. He wouldn't have to work for the guard, either. We could work together. What if we were our own type of Elite, hunting evil and protecting the world? The thought was enough to make me feel like I was floating. I would be Silvan’s equal, instead of holding him down, holding him back.