Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3

by Mark E. Cooper

  “You need to keep practising. You might get lucky.”

  Luck was no part of her life and hadn’t been since her parents died. Instead of answering, Julia released her hold on the magic and drained her wine. She reached to pour another.

  Mathius’ face blanked.

  How dare he disapprove of me! Hold on girl, he’s your closest friend, and he cares.

  Julia felt ashamed of herself, and that made her angrier. She had nothing to be ashamed of! If a drink made her feel better about murdering thousands of people, who was he to say no? Looking at him again, she saw the worry on his face. She grasped her magic and spoke mind to mind.

  *I’m sorry Mathius, but we are out of time. Keverin must be frantic.*

  *I know.* Mathius said speaking the same way. *I’ll stand with you and ward us both. My magic is weak but it’s better than nothing.*

  Julia released the link to her magic. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Mathius!” She scolded. “Without you, I wouldn’t have learned a thing. I would probably still be here unable to leave my centre.”

  Mathius grinned. “You have certainly come a long way since then, I—” he broke off looking at something over her shoulder.

  Julia turned to find Father Gideon standing nervously before her—Bishop Gideon she should say. He looked worse than nervous; he looked haggard as if struggling with some inner demon. Gideon straightened some non-existent wrinkles in his pristine white robe then came another step forward.

  “Can you spare me a few moments to talk, Lady Julia?”

  Julia blinked in surprise. Gideon sounded like the humble priest he had first named himself when she discovered his chapel. She hesitated to agree. She didn’t want or need another argument, especially before going out and facing the sorcerers.

  “Please, I beg you.”

  Julia hesitated a moment longer, but then she nodded. “I’ll meet you in the courtyard, Mathius.”

  Mathius bowed to them both and left.

  “Would you care to sit, Father?”

  “Thank you.”

  They settled themselves on opposite sides of a table and Julia waited for the priest to gather his courage. She didn’t know what was bothering the man, but something was biting at him.

  “I want to say that I am sorry, and that I was wrong,” Gideon burst out in a rush. “Darius was a good friend of mine. I warned him not to try breaching the barrier, but he ignored me to bring you here. That he died for it said to me that I was right to condemn you.”

  If Julia hadn’t known better, she would have said Gideon was ashamed. That couldn’t be right, not after calling her an abomination in the eyes of God. She listened quietly as he poured out his words to her and wondered if he spoke from the heart or was just saying what she wanted to hear. She couldn’t decide which.

  “No woman has ever been chosen by the God to use his power, but Lord Keverin insisted you were sent here to save us. I know the truth of his words—”

  Julia frowned. Keverin had insisted. When?

  “—Darius said the God helps those that help themselves, and I forgot that simple truth in my stupid indignation over the spell he was about to cast.”

  Julia heard sincerity in his words—she was sure she heard it. Kindness cost her nothing she decided. What would it hurt to put his mind at rest?

  “I appreciate you coming here, Father, but I wasn’t sent by God. I was stolen away from my world by Darius. It was my bad luck that he grabbed me.”

  Gideon smiled in relief at her acceptance of his apology. “I know he did, but it wasn’t any kind of luck—bad or otherwise. If it wasn’t your destiny to be the one, Darius would have chosen someone else. The God made all things… you do understand this?” he said uncertainly.

  “I believe God made the world—all worlds, but he gave us free will. He wouldn’t compel us through what you call destiny.”

  “He doesn’t compel, that is true. We have free will and learn, or not learn, by our own choices. The God made the worlds, and the Other World where He dwells. When we die, we kneel before him in judgement. Those who need more time are reborn again and again to learn what He wishes us to know. Those of us that are ready will stay at His right hand to live with Him forever—life without end.” Gideon spoke with utter certainty.

  “I understand your beliefs, Father, but what has this to do with me and destiny?”

  “The God sent you to learn something by living this life with us. That’s what I mean by your destiny. That which the God wishes you to learn is here and will be revealed through the years ahead. Your destiny is here Lady.”

  Julia liked it that Gideon’s faith was absolute. It was so rare to hear someone who believed with all his being. That he had overcome his confusion about her presence was wonderful. She could visit the chapel to pray. She had missed the serenity of Father Preston’s church. She had been using her room to pray all the while imagining that Preston was with her. Mostly she prayed that God would take the dreams away, but so far He hadn’t. She wondered what Preston thought about her disappearance. It was certain he would never guess the truth.

  She had little time now, but what she had she gave to Gideon. She reached out to take his hand. The priest seemed surprised at the strength of her grip but didn’t try to break away.

  “I am... troubled Father. I believe evil people go to hell. I must be very evil to have killed so many.”

  “What is hell?” Gideon said.

  “I was taught that when we die we go to heaven and live with God forever, but only if we have lived a good life. Evil people go to a different place called hell. My parents are waiting for me in heaven, but I have killed people,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I... I will go to hell and suffer torment for my sins. I will never see them again.”

  Gideon gasped, horrified by the thought of such a place. “You believe the God punishes mistakes for eternity?”

  “That’s what I was brought up to believe. Be good or go to hell.”

  Saying it like that made it sound stupid—like a mother warning a child not to hit his brother or his father would smack him when he came home. She wished Preston were here. He could explain it much better than she ever could.

  Gideon squeezed her hand. “He loves us Julia. There is no hell but what we make for ourselves. Living on this Earth, or any other I suppose, without God in our lives would be your hell.”

  Julia spoke with Gideon for hours, or candlemarks she should say. She had a feeling she would be living in Deva for a long time. She should try to remember it was candlemarks not hours.

  Their time together was good for Julia. It eased her mind talking with a priest about her fears. Gideon hadn’t heard her confession as such, but he did lend a friendly ear. Confession was an alien concept here, and Julia understood that, but talking with Gideon was the closest she had come to it. She could almost imagine Father Preston in his place.

  It was enough.

  Gideon escorted her to the west courtyard where she left him to pray. With many helping hands from the guardsmen, Julia scrambled over the barricades with Mathius by her side. Moriz and Halbert were not happy about being left behind, but she had insisted and Keverin had agreed with her. Standing on the other side of the barricade, Julia looked back and saw a familiar face watching her.

  “You be careful, Lady!” Brian called.

  Julia nodded and turned to Mathius. His face went blank and a ward sprang up around them.

  “You know, Mathius, I think I need to invent jeans. Beautiful as these dresses are, they’re no good for climbing broken towers in.”

  “What are jeans?”

  “Hmmm? Oh, they’re like trousers I guess.”

  “You can’t wear trousers! What would everyone say?” Mathius said sounding scandalised.

  Julia laughed. She hoped she didn’t sound hysterical. Mathius laughed as well, but it was a nervous sound. She took his arm, and they walked like a lord and lady strolling in the gardens.

  * * *

 
Keverin wondered what Julia was laughing at as he watched her strolling arm in arm with Mathius towards the Gap. There were still some legionnaires on the other side trying futilely to string a bridge. They stopped their work when they noticed Julia and gaped at the spectacle she made. She was walking with Mathius as if simply out to enjoy the mountain air.

  Julia stopped a pace from the edge and shouted across. “You boys had better run along! I’m going to be blasting any of you still here in a quarter candlemark!”

  Shaking his head at her foolishness, Keverin wasn’t surprised when one of the men raised a bow and fired. The arrow sped across the gap and struck Mathius’ ward directly over Julia’s heart. She didn’t so much as flinch when the arrow fell burning into the Gap followed by a trail of smoke. Keverin whirled as his men began climbing the barricade growling about their Julia, and what they were going to do to that Hasian.

  “Hold!” Keverin roared and the men grudgingly slid back into position.

  “That wasn’t very nice!” Julia shouted. “I’m giving you one more chance to leave. I’m going to be busy in a minute.”

  What was the child planning? Julia said that she would kill just the sorcerers if possible, but she didn’t explain how she would locate them. The camp was too far away to see clearly, and what did antagonising these few men have to do with it? Some of the legionnaires had taken Julia at her word and were fleeing, but a dozen or so remained.

  Craaaack!

  Booom!

  Suddenly out of the clear blue sky, lightning crackled and grounded in the centre of the Gap. It was so close that two of the legionnaires fell off the edge. The others were thrown back and rolled to safety further down the road. The noise of the strike echoed and re-echoed back from the mountains. Keverin staggered back in shock. He gaped trying to blink the afterimage away. Marcus had tried to tell him what to expect, but the explanation paled beside the reality. Jihan turned toward him for reassurance as his world was suddenly turned upon its head. Women could wield the God’s power and Julia was proof. Pulling his whits together, Keverin nodded for Jihan to face front again. He followed Jihan’s example a moment later to see what was happening. The blast had stirred up the camp all right. Men rushed around seemingly at random, but near the centre calm reigned.

  Clever girl!

  Julia must have decided the blast would bring the sorcerers to investigate, and that did seem to be what was happening. He couldn’t tell what they were wearing, but they were the only ones in the camp not running about in panic.

  Sorcerers.

  * * *

  Belgard dashed out of his tent thinking that Lucius was trying to escape. He gleefully looked forward to seeing what was left of him, but it was the girl who was responsible and not Lucius. He had wanted her to show herself, but this wasn’t quite what he had in mind. Still, he could make use of her stupidity. After killing her, he could resume the offensive. The only places the silly bitch could see the camp from were the remains of the wall, or the edge of the crevasse. Guessing she would choose the wall for protection, he threw a fireball—

  Vrooosh!

  —and watched in satisfaction as it blasted the top yard of the barricade away. That should shake her. Everyone stopped to watch as he threw fireball after fireball up at the fortress. His magic was strong. It sang in his veins as he attacked without cease or pause for breath. He must overwhelm her before she could rally and attack him in turn.

  Belgard glared at the others. “What are you fools waiting for? KILL THE BITCH!”

  He snarled internally. What kind of fools did he lead here? Fireballs from the others finally began rising into the sky and raining down along the wall and road.

  * * *

  Julia winced as the first fireball struck the barricade behind her in an explosion of ancient stone. Dozens quickly followed it. At this rate the fortress would be rubble before she even started. She couldn’t see where the fireballs came from, but there were a number of people standing together in the centre of the camp. They were the only ones not running around in panic. She concentrated and called the lightning down among them.

  Craaaack!

  The lightning bolt smashed down connecting the ground to the heavens. The bolt was intense and seemed to remain before her eyes long after a natural lightning strike. Looking through the dust she blinked the purple after images away to see more fireballs coming toward her. They were spread along the wall behind her and the road where she stood. Mathius dropped to his belly and pulled her down beside him before reforming his shield into a dome to cover them.

  Julia’s world turned to flame and shattered stone, as the fireballs arrived.

  * * *

  Keverin hunkered down as the fireballs rained. Athione shook and groaned as more of her stones were pounded into rubble. Dust was thick and choking and the noise of incoming fireballs was a constant. The cries of the injured brought him to his feet.

  “You, you, and you. Get them inside!” he roared over the explosions.

  His men hurried to drag the injured away.

  Keverin ducked with his cheek stinging as a piece of stone struck him like hail. He was up again in a moment trying to find Julia. He couldn’t see a thing with the dust hanging so thick and choking upon the air. Out of the fog, two figures dashed toward him—Purcell and Gylaren keeping their heads low.

  “She’s not strong enough!” Gylaren shouted above the explosions.

  “Curse it Gy, she’s only a child!” Purcell shouted. “We should never have forced her to fight! This is not honourable!”

  “We had no choice! I know how you feel, Purcell. It hurts me that I can’t protect my own people, but if my honour is the price needed to save them—so be it!” Keverin shouted and spat stone dust from his mouth.

  His friends stared at him in shock, and he didn’t blame them. He felt sick at the thought of his dishonour, but it was nothing besides the thought of Julia being hurt because of him. He liked the girl. He admired both her courage and her intelligence. If ever he had a daughter, he wanted her to be just like Julia—less attitude would be all right too.

  “Look!” Gylaren said pointing over the smashed barricade. They were just in time to see Julia and Mathius bombarded by fireballs. It was obvious the enemy had found where she was.

  Keverin lost sight of Julia as flame engulfed her and Mathius. The roar of rock being sundered was like the end of the world. Even over the noise, he could hear the groans from his men as they saw their hope lost. Before he could turn to Marcus and order the evacuation, more lightning flew.

  Craaaack!

  “She’s still fighting!” Keverin shouted over the cheers of his men.

  Craaaack!

  * * *

  This isn’t what she had in mind. Julia stayed down next to Mathius. There was no way to make herself heard over the explosions going on around her, so they spoke silently using mind-speech.

  *You’re doing wonderfully well so far, Mathius.*

  *So far,* Mathius agreed. *My shield can’t hold against more than one of those monsters at a time. I’ve never seen fireballs so big!*

  *That’s because you’ve never pissed off a sorcerer before.*

  Another round of fire engulfed them, and to Mathius’s surprise, his shield held. Julia had told him not to underestimate himself.

  *My first strike didn’t penetrate their ward. That was fast work by someone. Any ideas how I can get through it?*

  Mathius shook his head. *Lightning comes from the sky, so the ward probably only extends overhead. If you can somehow hit them from the side you might be able to do something, but how can you do that?*

  She couldn’t... or could she? Julia had cast lightning horizontally before, but that time she had a direct line of sight. She didn’t have that here. From where she lay, the lightning would strike at a downward angle. With nothing else for it, she decided to strike the ground on all sides and hope for the best.

  Craaaack! Craaaack! Craaaack!

  The dust cleared to show
dark—robed forms down and unmoving. They had been struck by flying stone, but perhaps half of the group remained standing. Before they could attack her, Julia tried to hit the centre of the group, hoping the ward was down.

  Craaaack!

  * * *

  Lucius fell to the last lightning strike and with him the ward collapsed. Belgard had been surprised to see Lucius helping the defence, but of course he was only doing what any sensible mage would do—protecting himself. The ward had shielded all of them though, and now it was gone. Belgard quickly raised his personal shield just large enough to protect himself, it would be stronger that way. Lucky he did. Lightning slammed down amongst his sorcerers and bodies flew in all directions. He was safe though and that was all that really mattered. Without dropping his shield, he fashioned his strongest fireball and threw it at the bitch.

  Vrooosh!

  One or two other fireballs followed his, but most of the others were dead. Belgard watched them strike and threw another and then another in quick succession, hoping to saturate the bitch’s shield before she could reply.

  * * *

  Julia was bleeding from hundreds of abrasions caused by shards of rock that had managed to get under the shield. Mathius had held out until the last. Three huge fireballs had crashed down and he had barely held the flames at bay. He had drawn harder on his magic than he should have—much harder. His screams had made Julia want to cover her ears. Mathius had given all he could. He was forced to let his shield go. He had to, or he would surely have burned out his gift—or died.

  Julia was sure they would die as she clasped a shaking and gasping Mathius in her arms. She quickly delved into her healing place and eased his pain, but he stopped her after only a moment to warn her of movement in the pass below. A single black robed figure had escaped and rage filled her at the sight. She drew hard on her magic, so hard that she could hear it roaring at its confinement within her. She was floating in a world of her own. One misstep would drop her into an ocean of fire. Grounding herself was an effort. She forced the God like feeling away and focused on the sorcerer walking away from what had been a tented circle, but was now a blackened crater.