Summoned (Black Sorcery Trilogy Book 2)

by Lisa E Parry

  Cheri called everyone to the centre of the room. “Ladies, you all look wonderful, but let’s not forget our duty.” I noticed that Peter from the Council had joined us. “We will be leaving within the hour as soon as our bodyguards join us. There will be a greeting party on the other side that will escort us directly to the palace where the King is accommodating us. I believe the King will then go over the state of affairs with us in order to devise a plan of action.” Palace? Holy shit!

  I looked around at our small party. It comprised of Cheri, Dayna, Viola, a brunette I had never met and of course myself. We began conversing amongst ourselves as we awaited the men when I realised I didn’t have my dagger on me. I went back to my pile of clothes and fished it out. Finding some rags, I wrapped the blade in it and then I used a similar rag to lash it to my calf. No one would see it under my many layers of skirts. I stood and looked longingly at the boots Viola had bought me some months ago and then down at my soft slipper type shoes. Bloody impractical.

  “You’re going to miss them, huh?” I heard her dreamy voice beside me and she indicated the boots I was looking at.

  “Yeah,” I answered, but I was thinking they were perfect for hiding my dagger. I was still going to miss them though. “Never mind, we’ll be back soon enough. These aren’t very practical though, are they?” I lifted my foot and Viola gave a small laugh.

  “Hello, Melissa.” I turned to the voice I didn’t recognise. It was the brunette I hadn’t been introduced to.

  “Hi,” I greeted with a smile.

  “And you are Viola.” It was a statement. Let’s face it though, how many other elven girls could she mix her up with? None. Viola simply nodded.

  “I’m Stephanie. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She turned blue eyes on me. “You are very powerful, I’m glad you’re coming with us.”

  “Err, thanks.” I really didn’t know what to say to that. “It’s just a shame - the circumstances in which I discovered my powers.” Where had that come from? I tried to quickly change the subject as I had made them both uneasy. “So, what is your speciality? Why did they assign you to this mission?”

  “Knowledge can also be a weapon. I have been to Esentia many times before as an ambassador for our world. I know all their laws, values and politics. In fact, I am rarely here. Cheri wants me on the mission to educate you. If you have any questions, then you come to me. I am also a friendly face to them; they know me.” Stephanie smiled, but she looked smug. Instinctively I disliked her.

  “Esentia…?” I asked with a frown.

  “It’s the name of the area the portal takes us to and where we will be staying. It’s a beautiful place.” She stared off into the distance. “The landscape is… - how can I say this? - …majestic. I can guarantee you will not want to leave.”

  Viola and I shared an excited look between us and a million questions popped into my head. “You live there then?” She nodded. “Wow, are there really dragons?” She nodded again, and I clenched my skirts.

  “They are wild, rare and untamed. You cannot tame a dragon,” Stephanie said. “You need to be thinking of the formalities of court first.” Stephanie brushed down the front of her crimson dress. “When you first meet the King you must curtsy, like so.” She spread her skirts and placed one foot behind the other bowing her head. Trying not to giggle, Viola and I mirrored the gesture.

  Cheri joined us. “Not bad girls. I think you will be shocked when you get there though. This is not a game.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We are well aware of that Cheri.” I tried not to retaliate to her demeaning comment. As if we think it’s a game! If I thought it was a game, I wouldn’t feel the need to have an enchanted dagger strapped to my leg.

  “Where are those boys?” Cheri demanded impatiently and glanced at the door. I smiled at her calling fully-grown men, trained for battle, ‘boys’. “Something is wrong. They should be here by now and we can’t keep the King waiting.” I was going to have to get used to the whole King thing.

  “Cheri, we don’t even know the King’s name or anything about him. If we are to be staying at his palace, then don’t we owe him the respect of at least knowing his name?”

  Cheri didn’t answer or even turn from the door, so Stephanie did. “He is King Aidan Belthazar. They call him the ‘Warrior King’.”

  Just then the men decided to make their entrance and my jaw dropped. They were all dressed as warriors themselves. They wore breeches and loose shirts. What shocked me the most was the chainmail they wore with swords at their hips and daggers sheathed and attached to their waist belts.

  “Ladies, our bodyguards become our warrior protectors in the otherworld. In a similar fashion to us, it is also their custom for witches to have a bodyguard, but they look slightly more medieval.”

  Dorian stood out as the tallest and with his longish brown hair he looked the part. A broad sword was strapped across his back - the pommel protruding above his shoulder. He caught my eye and after his eyes widened, I saw a small smile creep across his face. No doubt because of my astounded look and I guessed my eyes were bugging out of their sockets. His bag, that he hadn’t wanted me to look in, must have had the sword and daggers inside. I guessed this was what he had been practising with last night. God damn, he looked good though!

  “Absolutely not!” I heard Cheri almost shriek. Dorian and I broke eye contact to watch the argument taking place between Cheri and - holy shit, it was Warwick.

  “I’m sorry.” Oliver popped up beside me. “Nice dress though...” He turned to Viola. “Hello again, you’re looking well,” he said, happily ignoring the ruckus he had caused.

  Viola’s pale, almost white cheeks pinked, and she looked down. “Hi Oliver...” I noticed Stephanie was looking curiously at my ghostly friend and I began to stride over to the argument, picking my skirts up a little in my haste.

  “Mel…!” Warwick spun to face me and immediately picked me up. He squashed me to his chest until I made a strangled noise and he let me go. Dorian was at my side in an instant, looking lethal in his new garments.

  “Whoa, steady on! I just wanted to greet the young lady.” Warwick turned a green-eyed wink at me. He looked almost too slight for the chainmail he wore and the sword he was carrying, but he also had inhuman strength, so I guessed it was no bother to him.

  Viola came over and they too exchanged a quick embrace. He turned back to Cheri, “Why on earth have you come down on me like a banshee when I am just honouring a promise to Mel? She saved my life and therefore I vowed to do the same for her. Where is the problem? Apart from whatever is shunted up your arse, I thought you might benefit from a friendly old vampire on your side.” He said it with such a straight face that it was all I could do not to laugh out loud at such a bare-faced insult.

  “Your kind is not accepted where we are going,” Cheri retorted. She had said ‘your kind…’ with obvious distaste.

  “No difference from here then,” Warwick retaliated, and I heard a small growl come from him.

  “Cheri,” Peter interjected. “I think it may be a good idea. He did show devotion to Melissa when she needed it the most. It was in your report.” Peter smiled that easy smile at Warwick, his eyes crinkling at the edges. Warwick eyed him warily, but I think Peter just saw our side.

  “Peter…”

  “No, Cheri. He can go; it will be good for you. You need to learn to accept that not every vampire is a killer and a murder. How are we to move forwards if we ignore acts of kindness like this?”

  I was quite shocked at Peter’s easy acceptance; he was the only person on the Council that I liked. Dayna whispered into my ear: “I’ll admit he is a tasty vampire though.” My eyebrows shot up my head and she caught my expression. “Any friend of yours is a friend of mine,” she smiled.

  “He probably heard you. His hearing is phenomenal.” I saw Warwick was already turning his alluring smile on Dayna. I caught his eye and mouthed ‘No,’ before he tried anything. He gave me a ‘you spoil my fun’ pout. Cheri
strode off without another word.

  “Well I will be glad to have you on our side.” Owen held out his hand and Warwick shook it. Dorian was the next to shake his hand, albeit reluctantly. Introductions were made, and we were all finally ready to leave. Stephanie had introduced me to her bodyguard. Ethan was quiet and subdued, but looked quite valiant in his warrior clothing. He had curly black hair, dark blue eyes and looked about Dorian’s age, twenty-eightish.

  Peter cleared his voice. “Let’s get on the road then.”

  Chapter 3

  I had been plunged into darkness - Dorian had blindfolded me. Only then could we drive out of the city. They didn’t want those of us who hadn’t been before to know the portal’s location. For us first timers, it was to be one trip only and never again.

  When the rag was wrapped around my head I had drawn power in to heighten my other senses and get my bearings. Dorian’s cologne assaulted my sense of smell. I was surprised to find that my dress didn’t feel as rough on my skin as my regular clothes. I felt disorientation whenever the car turned left or right. Then I noticed a strange new smell and I realised with revulsion what it was.

  “Dorian,” I wrinkled my nose.

  “Yes?”

  “Why is there blood on your chainmail?” I asked carefully, and I wondered if I wanted to know the answer.

  Dorian was quiet for a moment. I guessed he was a little surprised by my blindfolded observation. “The last time I was there we were attacked by bandits on the road. It didn’t end well for them.”

  “Oh, that’s sexy.” I got a mental picture of Dorian wielding the sword and coming down on imaginary bandits with a look of thunder on his face. I was equally surprised though when an image of myself standing in my new dress popped into my head.

  “You like my dress then?” I asked with a huge smile on my face. He was obviously thinking about it hard enough to project it into my mind.

  I heard a small laugh and he moved slightly. “I like it so much that I want to rip it off.” I heard the tone of his voice change and I waited for that image to appear in my head; but it seemed I was not to be privy to his fantasy.

  “Not that one,” was all he said: so it looked like he was definitely schooling his thoughts. I tutted at him. “You like my sword?” he asked, and I could almost sense the cheeky smile on his face.

  “Oh, yeah,,. Let’s not go there though; I don’t think I’m quite so good at suppressing my thoughts.” On instinct I turned to the window to hide my face when I heard Dorian laugh.

  We remained silent for the next portion of the journey, and I began to feel nervous when Dorian announced we were almost there.

  “Things will be different for us when we cross over,” he murmured gently, and I heard a note of regret in his voice.

  “What to do you mean?” I stupidly turned my head to him. I felt the atmosphere in the car change - the temperature plunged.

  “A warrior is forbidden to be with the sorceress or witch that they serve.”

  “What the HELL…?!” I yelled. Anger and doubt fuelled the volume of my voice. “Are you saying we can’t be seen as a couple?” This is bloody outrageous!

  “No, I’m afraid we can’t. Their beliefs and values are very different to ours. They are stronger. A warrior must remain unattached to his charge or they could be seen as emotionally compromised and make the wrong decisions.”

  “This is bullshit.” Another thought occurred to me. “So, we’re not going to be sharing a room then?”

  “No. I will be stationed in the palace barracks with the other guardsmen. If you want them to respect our values, then we are going to have to respect theirs. We are the aliens and we can’t give them any reason not to trust us. We are also in their world and therefore we abide by their rules. In the coming weeks we will be close to the King and it would reflect badly on him if his company publicly broke the rules. People will question his judgement, and that is a political war we don’t want to get involved with.” I could tell that he didn’t like this absurd rule any more than I did.

  “Do you believe that in protecting me you will make the wrong decisions because of your feelings?” I asked with interest. I suddenly understood, and it was a worry in either case. I would hate for Dorian to make a fatal mistake during a fight just because he loved me. “I could never live with myself if something happened to you because of me.” I felt his warm hand close over mine.

  “I would die for you.” He had said it so quietly and so gently that it brought tears to my eyes. I remembered when he’d told me to run, just before I’d been kidnapped. If I hadn’t have cast that dreaded spell then he would already have died for me. I hitched my blindfold above my eyes to look at his face and his expression said it all.

  “Blindfold…,” he reprimanded.

  “When have I ever played by the rules? You know I would die for you too, right?”

  “I know, because it almost came to that.” He looked pained, but at least he knew. I wanted to kiss him, but I couldn’t. Instead I tugged my blindfold back into place and brought his hand up to my cheek.

  “I’m going to miss this. I hope you’re prepared for a little sneaking around,” I said mischievously, and he took his hand back.

  “I don’t think that will work.” I could sense his mood had shifted again.

  “Maybe I shall summon thee to my room, Sir Knight, to go over plans and such.” I giggled but he didn’t answer, other than a small laugh.

  After stomach rolling lurches and bumps, I felt the car come to a stop. Dorian finally told me I could remove the blindfold. We were in thick woodland and everyone was gathering in front of their cars. He took my hand as we joined Dayna and Warwick. I gritted my teeth as anxiety descended upon me.

  The forest reminded me a little of where Anarch used to summon me to when he had gruellingly trained me in necromancy. I wondered if I would see him on the other side. Automatically, I closed my eyes and took in the sounds of the birds and scurrying animals. The smell of the damp leaves and dirt on the floor filled my nose, but it was clouded a little by perfumes. I felt a very slight breeze touch my face and thread through my hair.

  However, I was brought sharply back to reality when someone broke the foreboding silence that had fallen over us. “That won’t be allowed soon,” Dayna said with a sad smile looking at our joined hands. She glanced over at Owen. I didn’t think they showed their affection in public anyway, but it looked like they would be feeling the injustice of it too.

  “Tell me about it. How much does this suck?” I said, disgusted.

  “Does that go for me too? Am I not allowed to try it on with you?” Warwick asked playfully, but his eyes had a little glow to them. Dorian gave my hand a tight squeeze.

  “Watch it vampire,” he warned dangerously. Warwick just giggled and walked off.

  “He’s only joking. Ouch, by the way,” I groaned, and Dorian eased his vicelike grip on my hand.

  The hair on the back of my neck stood on end so I sought out the magic. I saw Cheri chanting with her hands held up in the air and palms facing outwards. She stood in front of two large trees about ten feet apart from each other. Stephanie joined in and held her hand, then Dayna took her other hand to lend strength.

  My eyes widened when I saw a shiny silver spider web slither from one tree trunk across the space to the other until the surface of a substance that looked like mercury solidly connected the two trees. The silvery surface swirled and changed to a lighter grey and then finally, as my mirror does, it cleared, and we were looking directly into the night on the other side. My mind was struggling to process the phenomenon I was looking at. I admired it.

  I saw people on the other side of the portal waiting for us. They were holding torches of fire to see into the night. The reality of where I was about to go finally struck me and I didn’t feel quite so sure of myself anymore. Oh God, this is really happening!

  “Everyone follow my example, and above all show courtesy to the King.” Cheri had turned to face u
s once Neil had joined her.

  Dorian withdrew his hand from mine and rested it on the pommel of a smaller sword at his waist. I immediately felt the absence of it and my shoulders slumped ever so slightly. I drew power in, as an automatic defence reflex.

  “I wouldn’t do that. You don’t want to be seen as a threat,” Dorian warned beside me. I didn’t like it, but I obeyed.

  “Follow me.” Cheri turned, and without hesitation stepped through the portal. I heard Warwick say something in Italian at the sight. We followed suit and I held my breath as we entered the portal. It was cold, and the substance felt damp against my skin. It was very different to my mirror, but I felt how it had been made. It was a weaving of the fabric of realities - like delicate and extremely intricate needlework sewing the two together.

  I tensed when we were through and then took in a deep shuddering breath to stave off the usual disorientation. The air temperature was cooler, and my eyes took their time adjusting to the dark. I heard a screech from some sort of creature in the distance and flinched at the alien sound. Was that a dragon?

  I noticed most people were having difficulty finding their bearings, but singled myself out by recovering the quickest. It was testament to my experience with portals and I hoped nobody noticed. Dorian had a hand on my shoulder – ostensibly to stabilise me, but I think it was doing more for his own stability.

  While everyone was either on the floor or staggering around, I stood stock still with Dorian just behind me on my right. I was thankful for his unfaltering presence. My rock... All eyes fell on me and I froze to the spot. I blinked away blurry eyes and looked over our greeting party.

  Four men were on horseback, two of which were in similar garments to Dorian’s warrior attire. However, one man was unmistakably the King. He wore very expensive-looking clothing: a cloak draped over his shoulders in a dark colour trimmed in a lighter one that I thought might be gold. The pommel of a broadsword stuck up behind his right shoulder and he looked powerful enough to wield it. A crown rested atop a head of shoulder length golden hair, I could see that much in the torchlight, but his eyes were a mystery. Power emanated from him and I suddenly felt the weight of his royal stare.