The Silent Pact

by Genevieve Dickinson

  And then she was awake, frantically gasping for air. She forced herself to breathe slowly and calm her racing heart. When she had calmed down enough, she reached out a trembling hand to light the candle on the nightstand.

  I really should be used to this by now. Autumn sat back against the wall behind her bed and gazed up through the window at the stars. She had nightmares nearly every night, though they rarely woke her up like this. I guess this one was more vivid than usual.

  Autumn sighed. It’s that man, Esren. He has me spooked, that’s all. I wonder though . . . Could there be something to what he said? She considered for a moment, then stood up and grabbed her robe. It’s not like I’m going to get back to sleep. Might as well do something about it. She picked up a few books that she hadn’t returned to the library yet. Carefully, not wanting to wake any of the other servants, she crept out of her room and down the hall.

  The palace was almost entirely silent, which Autumn found surprising. With so many visitors, she thought there would be more servants about, day and night. Still, she was grateful for the solitude. She walked quickly down the empty halls to the soothing sanctuary of the library.

  The library was as empty as the halls. The young man tending the front desk didn’t even notice that she had entered, wholly absorbed in the tome he was reading. Quietly, she set the books down on the counter and headed back to the shelves.

  Not altogether sure what she was looking for, Autumn scanned the signs on the ends of the shelves. She came here often but tended to keep to the sections she knew best. This area was unfamiliar to her. Finally, she spotted a sign that read “Magical Theory.” She smiled. That seems like the right place to start.

  She walked into the aisle and began scanning the titles that were at eye level. She frowned, feeling helplessly frustrated. What am I even looking for? ‘Magical Ability and How to Recognize It’? ‘Ten Ways to Tell If You’re A Mage’? ‘So A Complete Stranger Just Made You Doubt Everything You Know About Yourself’?

  She grimaced and shook her head. This isn’t helping. I’m just wandering the library with no idea what I’m looking for. I should just wait and ask Albrecht about this in the morning.

  A splash of red amongst the brown and black books caught her eye. It was a book, high up on a shelf above her. Something made her feel that this was what she was looking for. She shrugged. Well, if I really do have some kind of power, I guess I’d better start learning to trust my instincts. She glanced around the room, knowing that there must be a ladder somewhere nearby.

  A few minutes later, she was on the ladder near the top of the shelves. She reached out for the red book and pulled it out carefully. A puff of dust followed the book out of its place on the shelf. Autumn coughed, nearly stumbling off the ladder. Holding the book firmly, she carefully descended so that she could examine it in safety.

  Once her feet were firmly planted on the floor, she took a look at her prize. ‘The Power Within: A Beginner’s Guide to Focusing Magical Ability.’ That should do it.

  Smiling in satisfaction, she walked out of the library, pausing only briefly to shake her head at the man at the front desk. He still hadn’t noticed that she was there or that books were waiting for him. She left quietly and headed back to her room.

  A few minutes later, she was seated comfortably on her bed with a candle lit. She ran her hand over the cover of the book hopefully, then opened it to the first page and began to read. Magic, like any skill, requires long hours of practice to master. The exercises in this book are designed to take your raw power and begin focusing it into a usable form. We start with identifying the source of your ability . . .

  Chapter 14

  The final night of the Katrellan visit was a grand ball at the castle. Courtiers from all over Nor were in attendance. Ladies fluttered around the room like butterflies, trying their best to cast their charms on the young men standing nearby. Most of those ladies were clustered around Esren and Lyall, who politely danced with each one in turn.

  Autumn watched from her place by the refreshments. From here, Esren seemed like the perfect, charming prince. He laughed and smiled for the ladies he danced with. Autumn had no doubt that some of them were dreaming of the riches and wonders they would experience if they married the next King of Katrell. She suppressed a smirk. They really should have paid closer attention to their studies. Katrell’s royalty doesn’t marry, and their consorts don’t get any special treatment beyond what they’ve earned for themselves. And without magic, that isn’t much.

  Lyall was equally charming, but Autumn noticed that he seemed distracted. His eyes kept shifting over to watch Esren from time to time. He’d admitted to her privately that he didn’t entirely trust the man. He didn’t dare tell his father or his uncle, but he still felt he should keep an eye on him. Autumn was grateful he felt that way. She couldn’t explain it, but she didn’t trust Esren either.

  Autumn looked up to Queen Miraphina, who was happily chatting with King Aldwin near the head table. She looked radiant in a gown of red velvet, her dark hair cascading down her back in perfect waves. An aura of wisdom and authority seemed to radiate from her. Esren looks just like her, but I can tell they’re nothing alike. I wonder what his father was like.

  Autumn paused in her thoughts to pour a glass of wine for a young nobleman. He tapped his foot impatiently as she poured and practically snatched the glass from her hands when she was finished. Without a word or a glance, he walked off. Autumn watched with amusement as a group of ladies swarmed around him, fluttering and fawning shamelessly. Nobles. She rolled her eyes. I really think they’d faint if someone told them to get their own drink once in a while.

  “I suppose this all looks a bit silly from your point of view, doesn’t it?”

  Autumn blushed as she turned to see Queen Miraphina smiling at her. She gave a curtsy and reached out to fill a glass of wine for the Queen. Miraphina gave a gentle laugh. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed, dear. To be honest, I agree. Give me a quiet night with a good book over a fancy ball any day.” Autumn smiled in agreement as she handed the newly filled glass to the Queen.

  “Thank you, dear.” Miraphina took the glass gracefully. “It’s Autumn, right?” Autumn’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “The King was just telling me how much progress he’s been making with the Cult of the Black Covenant. They’ve been quite a problem in my kingdom as well. We’re making progress at last, thanks in no small part to you, I hear. At least now we know who they are and we have a direction to search in. That’s certainly a lot better than the nothing we had before.” She sipped her wine. “You have my thanks, Autumn. I’ve no doubt we’ll root them out eventually, now that you’ve given us a start.”

  Autumn felt her cheeks flush. Not many people knew of her involvement with the ongoing investigation of the cult, but she took pride in her small contributions. Knowing that the King thought highly of her was a real compliment. She gave a grateful bow to the Queen, who smiled and raised her glass to the young woman before stepping away to mingle with another noble.

  From the corner of her eye, Autumn noticed Harriet signaling for her to fetch more wine from the cellar. With a quick nod, she stepped away from her station and slipped quietly out of the ballroom through a side door. The silent hallway was a welcome respite from the noise of the formal party. With a deep, satisfied breath, she began the walk down to the wine cellar.

  Footsteps behind her caught her attention. She turned, expecting to see a lost nobleman searching for the washroom. Her heart seemed to drop into her stomach when she saw Esren instead, striding purposefully towards her. Fighting the urge to run, she gave a curtsy, hoping desperately that he would walk on past.

  He didn’t. Instead, he came up to Autumn and grabbed her by the shoulders, shoving her up against the wall. Before she could react, he kissed her fiercely. The terrified young woman tried to push him away, desperately wishing that she could scream for help. He responded by kissing her harder, his teeth biting slightly into her lip as he press
ed his body against hers. She tasted blood.

  After what seemed like hours, he pulled away. Still pinning Autumn to the wall with one hand, Esren reached up the other to brush a tear from her eye. “Don’t cry, sweet lady, please. I just couldn’t stand it any longer. All those simpering fools. Falling all over themselves trying to outdo each other, as if that would impress me. Don’t they realize that perfection is right there on the other side of the room?”

  Autumn struggled, but Esren was too strong. “No, don’t run. Please. Come away with me, Autumn. Come to Katrell, be my queen. I can’t bear the thought of being apart from you, even for a mo-”

  “Esren!” Queen Miraphina’s voice cut through the silence like a knife. Autumn’s entire body tensed, unsure what to expect next. “What in the name of the Gods do you think you’re doing?”

  Esren’s eyes were still fixed on Autumn. “Go away, Mother,” he growled. “This is none of your concern.”

  “The hell it isn’t.” Miraphina’s voice held a quiet fury that comforted Autumn even as it made her tremble. Esren finally looked over to his mother, who was glaring at him in barely suppressed rage. Finally realizing that he had overstepped his bounds, he released his hold on Autumn, who sank to the ground in tears. Esren didn’t look at her, he just stormed off past his mother and back to the ballroom.

  Miraphina knelt down at Autumn’s side, the rage in her eyes instantly replaced by concern. “Are you okay, Autumn? Did he hurt you?”

  Autumn couldn’t stop shaking. She could barely blink. Her wide eyes stared down at the floor. Okay? No, I’m not okay. I am so far away from okay that I don’t think I’ll ever see it again. Forcing back her fear, Autumn wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded to the Queen.

  Miraphina nodded. “I’ll deal with him. That wasn’t right by any stretch of the imagination. He needs to learn that being royalty doesn’t mean he gets to do whatever he wants.”

  He’s twenty years old, Your Majesty. If he hasn’t learned that by now, he’s not likely to. Still shaking, Autumn stood up. She couldn’t bring herself to lift her eyes from the floor. With a quick curtsy to the Queen, she turned and rushed away to the wine cellar.

  Once she had closed the heavy door to the cellar behind her, Autumn slid to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She forced herself to focus on breathing slowly. Esren’s attack had hardly been the most terrifying thing she had ever experienced, but it had shaken her to the core. Madame Clara’s warning echoed through her mind, and she wondered what other horrors might be coming her way.

  She stood up and smoothed out her skirt nervously. If I’m honest with myself, Esren wasn’t the scariest thing about that whole encounter. What frightened me the most was that white light at the edge of my vision.

  Autumn sighed in frustration. She’d been trying the exercises in the book she’d found without any success. She remembered the first chapter’s advice on focusing magical power. “In untrained mages, magical power often manifests in uncontrolled bursts during times of extreme emotional turmoil. If you are having trouble tapping into your power when you need to, try re-creating the emotional state you were in when your power first manifested.”

  She rubbed her hand on her suddenly aching neck. Great. Apparently, my trigger is mind-numbing terror. Does that mean that I have to relive the worst moments of my life every time I want to use this . . . Whatever it is?

  Frustration pushed the fear from her mind. Brushing away the last of her tears, she walked into the cellar to search for the right bottles of wine for the ball.

  

  In the ballroom, Lyall saw Esren walking back in through a side door. The Chosen looked angry, which made the prince uneasy. Lyall was dancing with some nobleman’s daughter whose name he hadn’t caught. Leaving in the middle of the dance would have been very insulting to the lady, which would upset his father. Lyall had to settle for watching from the dance floor.

  His distraction must have been obvious, however, because the lady spoke up. “Your Highness? Is something wrong?”

  Lyall gave her his most charming smile. “Of course not, my lady. Merely taking in the beauty of the room.” To his relief, the song ended. Spared from further small talk, he gave her a graceful bow and walked over to the refreshment table.

  Autumn isn’t here. His unease grew. Then again, she’s working. She probably went to get something from the kitchens. Nothing to worry about.

  He felt his stomach churn with worry. Autumn was one of the strongest people he knew, but she looked terrified when Esren cornered her in the training yard. Lyall had never seen her like that before, even the night they met.

  He looked up to where Esren was chatting with a nobleman. Lyall tried to read something, anything from his expression, but the mask of civility was too perfect. The prince was on the verge of leaving the party to find Autumn when he spotted her returning through the side door, pushing a cart containing several bottles of wine.

  There, see? She’s fine. She’s working. Now stop worrying and focus on the courtiers, or Father is going to get angry. His mind at ease, Lyall turned his attention back to the ball. He knew what was expected of him. He’d be the perfect young prince for all the nobles. Besides, staying at the ball was the best way to keep an eye on Esren.

  A few minutes later, he glanced back and saw that Autumn had disappeared again. Pushing back the worry gnawing at his heart, he resolved to check on her after the ball.

  

  “Have you gone completely insane?” In Esren’s chambers late that night, Miraphina was livid. “Do you have any idea what you just did to that poor girl?”

  “Declared my love for her? Offered her a chance to live a better life than she could ever hope for here?” Esren was growing more frustrated every moment. “Mother, I don’t understand why you’re so angry. I know marriage is against tradition, but it really doesn’t strike me as that big of a deal.”

  “Marriage? You think this is about marriage and tradition?” The Queen couldn’t decide which was worse – that Esren was making light of the situation, or that he honestly didn’t seem to understand why there was a problem. “Esren, that girl is fourteen years old. She is a child, and you terrified her!”

  Esren laughed. “A child? Mother, you were younger than that when you were Chosen. Anyway, what does her age matter? I love her.”

  “Yes, I was thirteen when I was Chosen. And if I’d had to rule the country at thirteen, Katrell would be nothing but a smoldering pile of rubble.” Miraphina slumped down into a chair, suddenly exhausted. “Esren, being Chosen is a sign of divine favor. It shows that you have the potential to rule. It doesn’t make you a ruler, and it certainly doesn’t make you an adult. And as for love, I wouldn’t mind if you were content to love from afar until she came of age. But to force yourself on her like that?”

  “Force myself on her?” Esren laughed again. “As if I could! With the kind of power she has, she could swat me like a gnat with a look.”

  Miraphina glared at him. “At fourteen, she wouldn’t have that kind of control over her power, even if she’d been training her whole life.” She stood up. “Enough, Esren. I’m too tired to continue this argument right now. Just remember, being King doesn’t mean that you can just do whatever you want. Lives depend on the decisions you make. Make them wisely.”

  As she left the room, she turned back once more. “And stay away from that girl, or there’ll be hell to pay.” She slammed the door behind her.

  Esren stared at the door. “Oh, Mother. You have no idea what I can do. And you won’t be around forever to stop me.”

  Chapter 15

  “Ah, Autumn. Thank you for coming.” Kasrian’s kind smile was comforting after the night’s other events. The ball was still in progress, but Autumn had been relieved when a messenger came to summon her for a conference.

  Kasrian and Nilene were waiting for her in the King’s study. They were surrounded by the maps and drawings that marked the progress they had made so far in their inves
tigation of the Cult of the Black Covenant. Nilene looked hopeful, which Autumn took as a good sign. “Have you found something?” she signed.

  “Yes, I think we have.” Nilene smiled. “There are so many trails through the Shadow Mountains, we could search forever and not find a thing. But I think we have a promising lead.” Nilene motioned to the map. “Our scouts were attacked by bandits here, near this village.” She pointed to a small dot at the edge of the mountains. “They managed to drive off the attackers. The scouts checked out the village and found this.” She handed Autumn a small square of cloth.

  Autumn examined it closely. It was a map showing a route from the village to a spot deep in the mountains. She set it down on the table and looked to Nilene. “It looks like the one the men who took me had,” she signed. “What do you need me to do?”

  Kasrian cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to ask this, but it seems like our best chance. The Stone Shields are riding out in force to find whatever this map leads to. We’re hoping it’s the temple you told us about. Would you go with them? It would be helpful to see if you recognize anything.”

  Autumn nodded without a moment’s hesitation. “When?” she signed to Nilene.

  Nilene smiled. “Tomorrow morning. The trip will be a couple of weeks, so be sure you’re ready. Better get some sleep, too. I’ll talk to Harriet, make sure she knows we’ll look after you.”

  “You’d better,” Kasrian said. “Forget Harriet, imagine what Lyall will do if you get his best friend in trouble. He’ll make both our lives hell.”

  Autumn grinned at the thought of Lyall trying to take on Nilene. She was heading for the door when a flash of silver caught her eye. The cultist’s amulet. It was hanging on the wall of the study. The tingle in her chest from looking at it gave her an idea. She waved to catch Kasrian and Nilene’s attention, then signed “Do you mind if I take this?”