The Black Mage: Complete Series

by Rachel E. Carter

  Darren’s hand grazed the side of my wrist. He threaded his fingers through mine and abruptly shoved back his chair to join.

  “Because we will destroy everything.” Darren’s voice rang out clear across the room. “Every village, every crop, every homestead. We’ll set the whole of Caltoth aflame.” His grip on my hand tightened. I could hear all the frustration and rage from the past week seeping back into his speech. Darren wasn’t his brother; his strength lied in passion, not policy. “We’ll destroy its ruby mines and melt them right into the earth. We’ll plunder and pillage until nothing is left.”

  The room was so quiet at this point a pin could have dropped and I’d have heard it. Every single set of eyes were fixed upon us—the king, his eldest, the Crown advisors, the Pythians… even the servants had stopped serving.

  This is the moment.

  I swallowed and made myself finish. Because even Darren couldn’t anticipate where I was about to lead next. “In short, your grace, we’ll lose the war. Without Pythus we’ll lose, but we won’t be the only ones losing.” Now. The final threat. “Because we’ll also light our fields on fire. We’ll destroy every last inch of our lands. We’ll do this so that when the Caltothians acquire their victory with you by their side, there will be nothing left to take.”

  My words grew bolder. “Do you know the difference between a nation of merchants and a nation of warriors?” I followed through without waiting for a reply. “Only one of them is prepared to fall on its blade. King Horrace might promise you the world, but in the end, you will reap the greater loss.”

  Absolute silence. Not a breath, not a cough, not a whisper. Nothing.

  I forced myself to exhale slowly, and then the duke started to clap.

  And then he started to laugh.

  “Well, well,” the man finally said, “just when I thought negotiations had run their course.”

  I froze and Darren’s grip tightened on my own, tugging me gently back into my chair. Everyone was waiting for Duke Cassius to continue, to decide whether or not to condemn my actions.

  I willed myself to breathe.

  The large man leaned forward so that his elbows hit the table, jostling his goblet of wine. His gaze was fixated on Darren’s father.

  “Now tell me,” Duke Cassius drawled, “why is it that the best argument I’ve heard all week came from a little girl?”

  The king opened his mouth and shut it tightly.

  “I do believe your stuffy board of advisors were a large waste of my time, Lucius.”

  “My apologies.” The king’s reply was forced. “It appears I misjudged my men.” The steel in his tone promised quick recourse. There was a hushed panic at the other side of the table as my victory turned sour.

  Recklessness had a price. Always.

  “I suppose I must send word to my brother.” The duke stood abruptly, thrusting his goblet into the arms of a scrawny man who’d been attempting to squeeze past, unnoticed.

  “You’re not leaving in the morning, your grace?” Blayne’s question was full of nonchalance. “Surely your news can wait until then… unless perhaps your visit is being extended?”

  The duke waved an irate hand. “Don’t play the fool, young prince. It doesn’t suit you.”

  The king cleared his throat. “This is wonderful news, Cassius—”

  The duke turned sharply around. “Wonderful it may be, but we still have much to discuss. A decision such as this will require great examination. I expect it to take no less than a month to find terms my brother will agree to.”

  “Whatever it takes.” King Lucius didn’t bat an eye.

  “WE SHOULD STAY.” Paige sat down on my bed with a thump as I finished gathering the last of my belongings. She rapped her fingers against the bedframe loudly. Every tap came harder than the last. “Now that the Pythians…”

  “Paige.” I looked up from my packing with an exasperated groan. “You know that isn’t necessary.” King Lucius had only ordered my presence as part of decorum—even with my feat the night before, I was still excluded from the negotiations themselves. True, the Pythians were extending their visit for the time being, but only the Crown and its board of advisors could partake in meetings. Since I was neither, there was no point to prolonging my stay.

  Well, there was Darren… I bit my lip in frustration. I’d miss him; I missed him already—even now while we were still in the same city, the same residence.

  In the two short weeks since I’d arrived, I’d spent perhaps three hours in his company, and each time we’d been in the midst of a crowd. Yes, we’d had a short exception in the library, but even Blayne had managed to interrupt that.

  We might’ve been in the same place at the same time, but for all the actual time we’d spent together, we might as well have been miles and miles apart.

  Once the alliance is forged, it will only be a matter of time before you return to the palace anyway, as his wife. My annoyance began to fade. The two of us would have more time then. Without the stress of Pythian negotiations, Darren would be dismissed from most of the less pertinent Crown affairs, and the two of us would be able to serve together on the King’s Regiment.

  I wondered if the king would consider granting Darren and me service in the Crown’s Army among its patrols. Once Blayne and his new princess secured an heir, surely Darren would be granted more freedom than before. Anything was possible.

  In the meantime, I would return to Ferren’s Keep. Crown politics took precedence here. Even Darren had fallen behind in his training, and the Candidacy was only six short months away.

  I needed every advantage I could get.

  “Ryiah…”

  My guard ducked out of the room just as the younger prince appeared at its entrance, looking unusually out of sorts. Darren’s hair was all over the place, as if he’d run his hand through it one too many times and then given up completely. He studied the door for a moment and then heaved a great sigh and shut it behind him.

  “If your father’s advisors find out we are alone in my chamber, they will flay us both alive.” It was supposed to be teasing, but the comment came out a little more breathless than I would have liked.

  One of the many things the palace scholars had endlessly drilled into me was the importance of a bride possessing certain qualities. Qualities that were becoming increasingly hard to keep during moments the two of us were alone.

  A sad smile lit the prince’s features, and when he met my eyes, it wasn’t what I expected. “Are you happy here, Ryiah?"

  Panic gripped my lungs. Was something wrong? Why was he looking at me like that? “O-of course.” Liar.

  “What you did last night…” Darren cleared his throat. “It was amazing. Ryiah, my father was impressed…”

  I never heard what came next—it was all I could do to stand still and scream a silent thanks to the gods above. For a moment… for a moment I’d thought Darren might be here to tell me the king wanted to call off our engagement.

  “He’ll never go so far as to actually praise a lowborn’s actions, but he’s agreed to your attendance for the remainder of the Pythian negotiations. I convinced him the etiquette lessons weren’t necessary to your stay. You will be placed in the King’s Regiment instead.”

  I hesitated. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. “Darren, your father granted me leave until Blayne’s wedding. Did he rescind his offer?”

  The prince stared at me, a crease forming along his brow. “No, but… I thought you would want to stay.” He seemed to be struggling against something unsaid. “Even after six months apart, you’d still prefer Ferren? Even if you could be a part of the Crown negotiations and the palace regiment?”

  I swallowed, an uneasy feeling entering the pit of my stomach. “I know you don’t want to be here, either. Not truly.” He’d said it more than once.

  Darren’s jaw clenched. “Did you even miss me at all, Ryiah?”

  “You know I did.” I frowned. Two days before, he hadn’t seemed the lea
st bit disturbed when we discussed my return to the keep. “What’s wrong?” What changed?

  “The two of us might as well be strangers for all the time we’ve shared since our engagement.” Darren’s gaze seared into mine. “And once King Horrace finds out the Pythians have extended their visit? It’s too dangerous to patrol up north. Caltoth can’t be trusted not to retaliate. I don’t want you there if something happens.”

  “If anything, the Caltothians will be more likely to hold off now that their alliance is at risk.” I studied Darren’s defensive stance. I didn’t believe for a moment he thought the keep was dangerous. There was something else bothering him, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

  “Darren…”

  He started toward the door, and then paused, still facing the wall. “When were you going to tell me he was stationed there, too?”

  I balked, thrown off by the sudden change of topic. “W-what?”

  “Ian.” The prince spun around to face me, and his eyes were twin pools of fire.

  “Ian?” Was that all this was? Jealousy? I wanted to laugh, but Darren looked so serious I thought better of it.

  “Commander Nyx’s monthly report to the Crown arrived this morning.” Darren didn’t bother to hide his disdain. “His name was mentioned in your patrols. I checked the records, and he accepted a post and sent word the day after your ascension. If I were a betting man, I’d say it was because he heard you were to take up at the keep.”

  “It’s been three years. Ian doesn’t still harbor those feelings—”

  Darren gave me a pitying look. “Believe me, Ryiah, a man can carry the sentiment a lot longer than that.”

  I folded my arms. “Darren, Ian grew up in Ferren. His parents are blacksmiths there.” He’d never once indicated feelings of any kind, and he’d been as surprised as me when I arrived at the keep.

  “And yet you felt guilty enough to hide his presence?” The prince’s expression was dubious.

  I balked in offense. “I wasn’t hiding anything! My younger brother Derrick is there, too. Do you think I am hiding him?”

  “I’m not a fool, Ryiah.” Darren scowled. “I trust you, but that lowborn’s timing cannot be overlooked.”

  I glared at the prince. “Ian has never lied to me. He has been open and honest with his intentions since the day we met. Perhaps you are confusing his motivations with your own.” I pointed a finger at the prince accusingly. “You were the one who pursued me after Ian and I were courting, not the other way around. In this context, only one of you has ever behaved honorably and it hasn’t been you.”

  Darren recoiled as if he’d been slapped. “I apologize for not being as honorable as him,” he snapped. “Not all of us had a farmboy’s freedom to choose.”

  “Darren, that’s not what I meant.” I scrambled forward to grab his wrist before he could storm out of the chamber. “Please.” I took a deep swallow. “Please believe me when I tell you that you have nothing to worry about.”

  Darren’s expression softened. “I can have your brother stationed at the palace if that’s what you wish.”

  “I want to return to the keep, Darren.”

  “Stay.” Darren weaved his fingers into my own. “I’ll make sure you have everything you need.”

  I took a deep, steadying breath. “It’s not the same. The Crown takes precedence here. You can’t serve abroad. I’ve seen how little time you’ve had to yourself—even you have fallen behind in your training.”

  Darren released me and fell back in reproach. “I haven’t fallen behind.”

  “Maybe I’m wrong.” I quickly retracted my words. “I just don’t want to squander my chance of winning the Candidacy.”

  “Winning?” Darren arched a brow. “Love, I hardly think you need to worry about that.”

  My blood boiled, and before I could stop myself, I countered. “Why? Because you are the only one who can?”

  “I believe you are a great mage, Ryiah.”

  “But I’ll never be as good as you, is that it?”

  The back of his neck was tinged red. “I never said that.”

  I placed my hands on my hips. “You didn’t deny it either.”

  Darren folded his arms and met my gaze head-on. “This isn’t some game, Ryiah.”

  “Some game?” Hot rage sputtered from my lips before I could stop myself. “How can you even say that?”

  “Admit it.” His expression was dark. “The people who choose this career don’t do it for honor. They choose it for power. Prestige. The chance to make a name for themselves.”

  I dropped his hand angrily. “And what makes you so different?”

  “Expectation. I’ve spent a lifetime training for the role.”

  Darren’s pride was so great he wouldn’t even acknowledge the possibility of me winning.

  I swung my pack up over my shoulder. After everything we’d been through, Darren still managed to find just the right way to cut like a knife. There were words bubbling inside, words I knew I shouldn’t say, but just then I wanted to hurt him. To hurt him like he’d just hurt me. “You know the difference between a prodigy and a prince, Darren?”

  His mouth formed a thin, hard line.

  “You can have the best training, the best tutors, the private lessons during the apprenticeship with Master Byron, everything that the rest of us—even the highborns—never had.” My voice caught and I forced myself to continue, eyes blazing. “But none of that guarantees you a victory. None of that makes you a prodigy. It just means you were privileged.”

  A flare of anger. “You have no idea what it’s like—”

  I cut him off, a new surge of indignation rising to the surface. “You know what? You are right. I probably won’t win the Black Robe. But at least I will earn my place in that tourney. You? Well, you’ll never know. Because a boy with the world at his feet? He’s never truly earned anything.”

  “Better to be the boy with the world at his feet than the reckless lowborn who wouldn’t amount to anything without my help.” Darren’s snarl was the last thing I heard before the door slammed shut in my face.

  He didn’t come back to apologize. I know because I waited. After fifteen minutes of hating myself, Paige burst through the door.

  The knight ignored my red-rimmed eyes and started to drag me by the arm toward the castle exit.

  “You’ll have plenty of time for that on the ride back.” For once she spoke without sarcasm, but her pity only made it worse.

  I wiped my eyes, determined to keep from crying until we were on the road and I could blame it on the bright winter sun. I didn’t want any of the servants to report back to Darren. I needed to look strong; I wanted the court to remember my moments standing up against the Pythians, not the crippled girl who let a prince get the best of her.

  “Let’s get out of this place.” I would prove him wrong. The prince might’ve helped me initially, but I had clawed my way up from the very bottom rung of the Academy, and I wasn’t done. I’d earned my rank, and my stamina improved every day. I could still win.

  He’s just jealous.

  Darren was falling behind, and I was in no mood to play the doting wife. I wasn’t going to remain at the palace to appease his insecurities. He could fret over Ian all he wanted. I would train in the north, and while Darren was busy with Crown affairs, I was going to pass his blasted potential and shock the whole country when the former lowborn Ryiah was declared Black Mage instead. And only after I wiped that insolent smirk off his face would I accept his long, drawn-out apology.

  Because wrapped up in conceit the size of Jerar was my Darren. Somewhere. Deep, deep down. And that part I loved with every bit of my being.

  I just vehemently hated the rest.

  Paige and I were a yard away from the palace doors when I recognized the other prince waiting at the exit.

  Am I never free of the Crown?

  I approached with caution. “Blayne.”

  “So full of distrust.” The heir made
a clucking noise at my leery expression. “And to think I came bearing gifts.”

  I fought every instinct I had not to scoff. Any present from him wasn’t without its price. I waited for him to reveal this “gift.”

  The young man dug a drawstring purse from the satchel in his hands and tossed it my way. I reached out to catch it and almost dropped it from the unexpected weight.

  Peeking inside I saw the leather pouch was stuffed to its brim with coin. Not just any coin, but gold. Enough to feed a village for a lifetime—enough to feed several villages, in fact. My arms sagged under its bulk, and it was all I could do not to gape.

  “What—how?”

  “It’s all my father would allow.” Blayne sounded pleased. “It’s not much, of course, but you did ask my brother for aid for the north.”

  “The north,” I echoed, still not quite comprehending the wealth in my hands. I’d forgotten all about my request until this moment.

  “Consider it a parting gift. After your speech the night before, it was the least that I could do.”

  “T-thank you, truly—”

  Blayne waved his hand in disregard. “Our interests are the same, Ryiah. Perhaps now you’ll be more willing to forgive the transgressions of our past.”

  I nodded dumbly and watched as he peeled himself off the wall and faded into one of the corridors beyond.

  I finished stuffing the satchel into my now-overflowing pack and followed Paige to the stable.

  She waited until we’d passed through the palace gates and the main city onto the King’s Road itself before she finally spoke her opinion aloud.

  “I thought you hated him.” She didn’t bother to say whom.

  “I…” I paused. Anger at Darren took up the majority of my thoughts, but Blayne confused me as well. What is he up to? Everything he did was surprising me. More than once he’d had the opportunity to make my stay difficult, and yet everything he did had been in my best interest. I didn’t trust him, but it really did seem as if he were trying to make amends.

  I studied the white tree line ahead of us. “My feelings don’t matter one way or the other.” Blayne was to be king regardless. “If he wants to claim amity, who am I to refuse?”