Dawn of the Mages (The Magic Wakes Book 2)

by Charity Bradford

  Four grown men made the room feel small. Malik still had his gun out, and Landry noticed Shamaf held one of his own in a relaxed grip. His hair was on the longish side, grey bleeding into the brown. He had blue eyes surrounded by wrinkles and a tiny mouth hidden by a massive beard.

  Talia sucked in a ragged breath, shivered, and started coughing. She looked pale in the flickering light of the room as she tried to catch her breath.

  "That's some cough you've got there." Shamaf looked at her curiously.

  "Are you okay?" Landry wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She slumped into to him.

  "Something's wrong. My head feels fuzzy." She reached into her husband's mind.

  "Hold on."

  "She was fine this morning. Maybe it's the rain? Can she sit by the fire?" Landry asked Shamaf.

  "Sure." He nodded toward the table and chairs. "Have a seat. I suppose you're hungry as well?"

  "A little, but we'll live." Landry led her to the chair closest to the fire. She sank into it and rested her head on her folded arms. He remained standing behind her, but Craig took a seat.

  "I'm Shamaf and this is my place. Is there a reason Malik brought you here?" He gestured toward the chair on the other side of Talia and Landry sat.

  He automatically sifted Shamaf's emotions. They were of a curious nature at this point. He didn't feel threatened by the intruders.

  "They were hiding behind the jubo tree watching the house. I caught them before they could get up to no good." Malik grinned. He had a few teeth missing.

  "Is that right? What were you looking for?" Shamaf placed his gun on a shelf by the door, his eyes meeting Landry's as he turned back to the table.

  Shamaf's steady gaze and calm demeanor reminded Landry of the good men he'd worked with over the years. His appearance might be rough, but his emotional clarity and control revealed an inner strength. This man would reserve judgment until he had all the facts or until threatened. Landry decided to be honest.

  "A place to sleep for the night. Get out of the rain. Hoped a widow lived here. Someone who would be willing to trade." Landry held eye contact so Shamaf would see the truth of his words.

  Malik grunted, but Shamaf added some water to the pot simmering over the fireplace and sat next to Craig. He continued to glance at Landry and Craig while he bossed Malik around.

  "Put your gun away and get us water to drink."

  "Shamaf, I don't think--"

  "No you don't. Now do as I say and join us at the table," Shamaf commanded.

  Malik's face turned pink, but he put his gun with the other one by the door. He filled five cups with water from a bucket and set them on the table, but there wasn't a chair for him to sit in. He stood and glared.

  Landry waited until Shamaf took a drink before passing one to Talia. She sat still and quiet.

  "I feel dizzy."

  "Try this." He put the cup in her hands, which felt cold next to his.

  She nodded and slowly lifted it to her lips. After one swallow she put the cup down. Her eyes appeared dull and a wave of dizziness washed over him through their connection.

  "We're passing through, but the rain slowed us down. I'm not sure what's wrong with my wife, but I'd like to find a warm place for her tonight. If you can't help us, we'll be on our way."

  "Just passing through you say? Only two kinds of people pass through here--the desperate or spies for the Controllers."

  Alarm rolled off of Craig, but Landry ignored him.

  "And then there's us. We have a destination in mind. It's taking longer to get there than we planned." He considered recounting the same story they used with the Bargoron's men, but held back.

  This man tested them, and Landry wanted to take the right approach with him. Until he figured it out, he would take things one step at a time.

  "You said you wanted to trade?" Shamaf asked.

  "We've got a little bit of food we can trade for the night," Craig spoke up.

  "You have other things you could trade," Malik spoke low, his eyes on Talia.

  Landry could almost hear his thoughts. A coldness crept up his spine and his arm muscles flexed as the greasy man's eyes roved over her body.

  "You touch her, you die." The words hissed from his lips before he could stop them.

  Talia placed a hand on his knee under the table and squeezed weakly.

  Malik growled. "How are you going to pull that one off?"

  Landry stood slowly, each movement controlled. His eyes narrowed as he stared Malik down. His fingers itched to reach for the gun tucked into his waistband. But mostly he wanted to hurt the man with his hands. Shamaf gestured for Landry to sit back down.

  "No need to get antsy. Malik will behave." He waved Malik toward the door. "Go make sure the shed is locked up and bring in more wood."

  "Shamaf," Malik sputtered.

  "Get on."

  Malik stalked out the door, grabbing the gun from above the door as he passed by. The older man waited for the door to close, studying Talia while everyone waited.

  "I might have an idea what's wrong with her, but you're not going to like it." Shamaf stroked his beard. "My guess is you've spent time in a Controller holding cell."

  Craig and Landry couldn't quite hide their confusion. It took a few seconds for Shamaf to nod as if he understood what he'd been trying to figure out.

  "I'm not sure what you mean, but what do you think she has?" Landry's senses were on alert. His body tensed, ready to move quickly if needed.

  "We call the Bargoron's men Controllers. That's what they do, or at least try to do. Control everything for Kalto. Anyway, the Bargoron's men test everyone for certain...qualities. She may have been injected with a virus that produces symptoms when a certain genetic code is present."

  Craig leaned forward. Landry perceived his fascination with this wild man who spoke about genetic codes as if he understood them. Landry reached into his wife's mind.

  "Talia?"

  "When they put me in the room. A sting on my arm." She let the memory play out in her mind. "The automaton mentioned a biological scan, but they didn't take me anywhere but the cell."

  Landry pulled up the sleeve on her arm and noticed a small red welt several inches above her elbow.

  "Interesting." Shamaf stared at it too. "What about you other two?"

  Landry and Craig made a show of looking at their arms. Landry had a small bruised spot, but of course Craig had nothing. Shamaf's eyes narrowed, but he didn't move.

  "If you're not showing symptoms by now you'll be fine. But I'm wondering why you didn't get pricked." He directed the last statement at Craig. "Perhaps you've spent a lot more time with the Controllers?"

  Craig looked at Landry before stuttering, "No, no I've..."

  Landry cut in. "He stayed hidden and never entered the compound."

  "Now I'm intrigued. You managed to keep one person hidden and get the two of you out of a fortress before her symptoms manifested. That couldn't have been easy."

  Landry shrugged. It impressed him how calm this man stayed. Even Shamaf's emotions held steady, no sudden fluctuations. Shamaf was curious, but his trust had been growing steadily as he studied the way Landry answered his questions.

  Shamaf stood and walked to a cabinet by the sink. He returned with a small vile of muddy looking liquid. "Drink this and the symptoms will lessen. All you need is a couple hours sleep."

  Landry held the bottle and focused all his energy on the man. He sensed no deception, no feelings that hinted of danger.

  "What's in it?" he asked.

  "Herbs to fight the virus. Some of them will help her sleep."

  "What happens if she doesn't take this?"

  "Nothing, it'll take longer for the virus to work its way through her system. Shaking, coughing, sometimes it gets hard to breathe." Shamaf remained calm.

  Landry handed the bottle to Talia who reached for it with trembling fingers. She glanced at Landry and sent a mental query.

  "Are you sure?"


  He nodded. "He's telling the truth."

  She tried to unscrew the top but her hands shook too much. Landry finally twisted the cap off for her. She thanked him with her eyes and drank it all. Landry set the empty container on the table.

  "Now, back to your travels. Where did you say you were headed?" Shamaf asked.

  "I didn't, but north." He rubbed Talia's back as she laid her head on the table. "What are the Controllers looking for that requires this kind of testing?"

  Shamaf's eyes flickered. He leaned back in his chair, balanced on the back legs, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Where did you say you're from?"

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  "You've already guessed we're not from around here. Can't that suffice?" The hours of travel weighed Landry down.

  "You have some serious gaps in understanding the way things work around here. Things that even people on the other side of Orek know and comprehend."

  "For your sake, some things should remain unspoken."

  "You mean to say your departure from the Controllers might not have been on their time schedule?" His eyes twinkled. "I'm starting to think you're the man I need to pull the rebels together. However, it would be nice if we stopped dancing around things."

  Grateful the others remained silent, Landry tried to come up with a plan, but all the contingencies didn't fit Shamaf. He looked like a backwater mountain man, but he exuded intelligence and drive.

  "Maybe we can discuss details of things in the morning? Right now I'd like to focus on my wife."

  "Fair enough." Shamaf ladled the liquid from the pot into four bowls. "How about some dinner?"

  A warm meaty smell hovered in the air. The soup looked like some kind of orange and green vegetables floating in a thin broth with white translucent chunks.

  "Is that supposed to be meat?" Craig asked.

  "Closest thing we can get out here. Afraid we've hunted all the wildlife to extinction." Shamaf tipped his bowl and took a long drink from it.

  The door flew open and Malik stepped back inside. He looked disappointed that everyone still sat nicely at the table. "Everything's locked down tight."

  He helped himself to the soup. Then he leaned against the counter and drained his bowl. He moved toward the pot for seconds, but Shamaf glared at him.

  "Wait for our guests, Malik. The woman will need more."

  "I can give her--" Malik swallowed what would have followed as Shamaf stood.

  "Maybe you should sleep in the shed tonight." Shamaf's voice came out low and deadly. "You need to learn some respect."

  "Fine. But if they kill you in the night, don't blame me." He spat, dumped another ladle of soup into his bowl and stomped out the door.

  Landry hoped he wouldn't return. Shamaf carried his bowl to the sink where he calmly washed it out before putting it in the cabinet. When he turned his attention to his three guests, Landry asked his question.

  "This sickness, we're going to need to know more so we can protect ourselves during our travels."

  Shamaf rubbed his chin, then brushed his fingers through his beard. "She's got wizard blood, but not just any wizard's blood. If she reacted to the virus then she's got a specific DNA strand that goes back hundreds of generations. A strand the Bargoron needs if he's going to return our race to the list of space travelers."

  "How is that possible?" Craig directed his question at Landry and Talia.

  "Not sure. It shouldn't be." Landry looked confused.

  "Am I right in guessing you're not from Orek?" Shamaf asked.

  "Not even close." Landry pushed his bowl away from him. "He needs it to travel in space? Do you think they've isolated the gene for Jaron's engine?"

  Talia lifted her head to look him in the eye. "Maybe. Do you think it has to do with being a descendent of Elvin?"

  "But why would that matter here? Our people have never traveled between the two worlds until now."

  "I don't know." She looked so tired.

  Dark circles lined her eyes and her hair had dried in coarse ringlets around her face. Landry sighed.

  "As much as I would like to discuss this, we'll wait 'til the morning." He stood and helped Talia to her feet. "Where can she sleep?"

  "Sorry I can't offer you more privacy, but the three of you can take Malik's room." Shamaf pointed down the hall.

  They took two steps before Talia staggered into Craig.

  "Landry, I can't see!" she cried out and reached for his hand.

  He scooped her into his arms and listened to her raspy breathing. Sweat had broken out on her forehead. She collapsed into him, mumbling as she buried her head in his shoulder.

  "Shamaf?" Landry asked while Craig stood by helplessly.

  "It's the medicine kicking in. By the morning it will have purged the virus out of her system."

  Shamaf opened the door to a cold room. It contained a ratty bed that leaned to the left. There were no windows and no other furniture. In spite of his better judgment, Landry placed Talia on the bed.

  "Don't try to leave and I'll keep Malik under control." Shamaf handed Craig a first aid pack and a pitcher of water before closing the door. A lock clicked into place.

  "Does that mean we're prisoners?" Craig tossed the first aid pack on the bed.

  "I'm not sure. He trusts us for the most part, but the idea we're not from Orek makes him really excited. Not quite sure what he's after."

  "Any plans for getting out of here?" Craig looked around. "Where am I supposed to sleep?"

  "The floor? Sorry. As soon as she's better we can get out of here any time we want." Landry removed the gun from his waistband.

  "Ah, good to know." Craig waved toward the bed. "Hate to ask it, but can I at least have the top blanket?"

  Landry pulled it out from under Talia and passed Craig a pillow. "How do you like your first day off the ship on a new world?"

  "Could have been worse I guess." Craig chuckled and made a makeshift bed on the floor. "Can't wait to get back to the safety of 'home' though."

  "Yeah." Landry noticed Talia had already fallen asleep. He waved toward a lantern sitting on the floor by the door. "Kill the light would you."

  The room fell into darkness and Landry lay down by his wife. He slid the gun under Talia's pillow within easy reach. His senses on alert. The sound of breathing calmed him a little, but he still stretched out his magical powers for a quick scan.

  Shamaf stayed in the front room. Calm, collected, going about normal business. The shed must have been too far from the house because Landry couldn't sense Malik at all. Satisfied, he retreated into himself and let the exhaustion claim him.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  The three slept restlessly. Talia shivered for hours. Craig administered medicine from the first aid pack twice in the night to bring her fever down. Then he and Landry dozed, but they never let themselves sleep too deeply.

  Landry considered Shamaf to be a decent sort of man. One who might help them get a better grasp on the new way Orek worked. If they could come to an understanding. Or he could bring the Bargoron's men down on them as they sat helpless all night.

  Talia jerked in her sleep and started breathing heavily. She moaned and threw her arms out in front of her. Landry sighed and scooted to the side of the bed. Her timing was horrible.

  "What is it?" Craig sat up too.

  "She's having a dream."

  "Now?"

  "Afraid so, and I don't dare wake her. Get ready, her screams might bring Shamaf back."

  Craig searched for the lantern. "Do you have the lighter?"

  Landry didn't, but he knew Talia could light the lamp easily. Jaron had told him as a transferor he could use other people's magic. He reached out and touched her shoulder. Her skin, hot to the touch, signaled the building fever. Closing his eyes and bypassing her mind, he looked deep inside her. Let her very essence flow over him. Instinctively, he collected the heat from her and moved it into his hands, concentrating the energy into the tips of his fingers.

  When the
heat became unbearable, he snapped his fingers and brought a spark to life in his hand. He pushed the small fire toward the lantern.

  Craig yelped and almost dropped the lamp as it flared to life. "What was that?"

  "A little flame. Calm down."

  The light pushed back the edges of the darkness and Landry looked at his wife. Her face contorted in anguish, but her body had not produced any visual wounds. Then again, this newest round of dreams hadn't done that yet.

  She cried out and both men listened for the sound of movement in the house. Nothing. Landry moved closer and considered trying to see the dream.

  "No!" Talia screamed and thrashed around, almost as if she were trying to run in her sleep.

  Both men moved to pull the sheets off of her. Craig took a kick to the gut and swore as he moved away.

  "How do you stand this?" he asked.

  "It's not easy, but after Cooley's stunt I know better than to interfere."

  "Jewel, help!" Talia froze and then sagged into the mattress as tears streamed down her face.

  A key turned in the lock and Shamaf opened the door. He stood with his gun at the ready. Craig stepped away from the bed with his arms raised in the air.

  "It's a nightmare." Craig watched the gun until Talia let loose another gut-wrenching scream.

  A wave of utter loss flowed from her, almost knocking the breath from Landry. Even her desperation disappeared, leaving an empty void filling with pain.

  "Talia?" He gasped and slid toward his wife who now lay completely still.

  "Is someone going to explain what's going on here?" Shamaf stood in the doorway.

  Landry couldn't be bothered to answer as he pulled his wife to his chest. Her sorrow brought tears to his eyes. He buried his face in her hair.

  "She dreams about the future." Craig sunk to the floor.

  "Dreams the future?" Shamaf lowered the gun. "Doesn't look like a good one to me. Have any of them come true?"

  "Yeah. You know about the Dragumon?" Craig asked.

  "Craig!" Landry glared at him.

  "Interesting." Shamaf frowned. "We definitely need to have that talk."

  "Soon, I promise. Let me take care of my wife first." Landry brushed the hair away from her face.