Magic Below Paris Complete Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 8): Trading Into Shadow, Trading Into Darkness, Trading Close to Light, Trading By Firelight, Trading by Shroomlight, plus 3 more

by C. M. Simpson

  It turned out that Brigitte had a limited ability to read minds…or maybe she’d just been around mages long enough to know what they needed. Either way, she detoured past the dining hall on the way to delivering Marsh to her room. Aisha was delighted.

  “Cookies!”

  “You’re going to get fat,” Tamlin teased, but Aisha didn’t let him deter her.

  “My cookies!”

  “Two,” Brigitte ordered, and Aisha pouted.

  But she didn’t argue, and Marsh relaxed. It looked like a lot had gone on while she’d been out training with Roeglin and the guard, and the children were in good hands. That made it a lot easier for her to leave the kids in the journeyman’s care and sleep.

  Watching them as they ate only confirmed that the children were fine. The three of them laughed and joked, letting Marsh eat in peace, and she couldn’t help thinking how different Aisha’s reaction was compared to the first time she’d seen Brigitte.

  Back then, the little girl had taken one look at the woman’s shadow-monster-dark skin, screamed, and locked herself in the closest room, asking the stone to protect her. Now Brigitte’s ebony skin and midnight hair no longer bothered the little brat. It was good to see.

  Once they’d eaten, Brigitte, Aisha, and Tamlin walked Marsh back to her room before leaving to go to class. Marsh barely heard the door close after them, drifting into oblivion seconds after her head hit the pillow.

  She woke much later to darkness, but it was a darkness in which she was not alone. Quiet steps reached her ears, furtive rustlings from her desk and the soft clink of the lock on her clothes chest as it was opened…even though the key still hung around her neck.

  Adrenaline surged through her and Marsh woke properly, but she forced herself to lie still; perfectly still, lest the intruder realize she was awake. Keeping her eyes closed, she stretched her mind into the darkness, blending the magic she used to sense nearby life forces with the magic that let her see what lay in the shadows. It was strange to see her room clearly lit, and stranger still to see a face from the past staring intently at her belongings.

  “Mikel?”

  His head snapped around as she sat up and he bounced to his feet, spinning toward her as he pulled a short, sharp blade from his belt.

  “Hey!”

  Marsh pushed her blanket down and rolled off the bed, just as Mikel leapt to plunge his blade into the place she’d lain, but Marsh didn’t stop. Kicking clear of the bedding that had followed her to the floor, she rolled to her feet, calling a shadow shield to her arm even as she drew a sword out of the surrounding dark.

  Mikel turned, his face following her movement, gazing unerringly at her despite the lack of light.

  “Where is it?” he demanded, his voice hard with frustration.

  “What?”

  “Your delivery.”

  “Why?”

  Marsh resisted the urge to glance toward the desk, forcing her eyes to stay fixed on Mikel’s face.

  “Kearick wants it back.”

  “I haven’t delivered it yet.”

  Marsh retreated as Mikel stepped away from the bed.

  “That’s why he wants it back.”

  “So he sent you to take it? Nice to know he trusts me.”

  “That changed when you didn’t make the delivery when you hit town.”

  “I was kinda busy at the time.”

  “The delivery comes first.”

  “Not when I’m not getting paid, it doesn’t.”

  “Nice to know where your loyalties lie.” He glanced around the room. “So, how much are the mages paying you?”

  “I’m a trainee.”

  “Hence why Kearick wants his delivery back.”

  Marsh was about to say Kearick only had to ask when Mikel’s face hardened.

  “Where is it?”

  “I’ll make the delivery when I get back to Ruins Hall.”

  “I can make it now.”

  Which begged the question…

  “How did you get here, anyway?”

  His mouth tightened.

  “Some of us can travel without roads.”

  “And the raiders?”

  “What raiders?”

  His words gave Marsh a sense of unease.

  “You didn’t see any?”

  “Saw some troops camped out at the junction. They didn’t see me.”

  Mikel stepped forward, the dagger held before him. “Where is it?”

  “Not yours to take,” Marsh said, and tilted her chin toward the door. “I’ll deliver it when I get back to the Hall.”

  “That’s not what Kearick wants.”

  “Then Kearick can send me a change of instructions.”

  “Not happening. Last chance!”

  “Get out of my room.”

  Mikel’s attack came with his reply. “Have it your way.”

  Marsh brought her shield up, blocking his lunge even as she struck out with her blade. It bit into Mikel’s unprotected arm and he swore, backing up so he could shift the dagger to his off–hand while he drew his sword.

  “Wasn’t going to kill you…” he said, but Marsh didn’t let him finish.

  “Guess that’s changed now,” she told him, forcing him back with another strike, which she reversed and turned into a thrust. He ducked the first and stumbled back with a curse, but Marsh’s relentless push forward caught him in the gut, and he cried out in pain.

  “Time I returned the favor,” Marsh told him and ripped the blade free.

  He screamed, dropping to his knees as she pulled her sword back for another strike. She had started to bring it forward when his blades clattered to the floor and he rolled onto his side, groaning as he grabbed at his stomach.

  “My death won’t stop them,” he said. “Ruins Hall will fall, and then they’ll…”

  He stopped speaking and moaned as another wave of pain rolled over him.

  Marsh didn’t know what to say. She kicked his sword away from him and was about to do the same for the dagger when the door to her room burst open and light flared around them.

  “Back it up, Marsh.”

  “Stand down!”

  “Back it up!”

  Marsh raised her shield to block the light, but she recognized Master Envermet and Roeglin’s voices. When her thighs hit her desk, she stopped, listening as the two mages grabbed Mikel and dragged him out of the room. The light did not diminish, and she realized it was coming from a small round rock that had been pitched in through the doorway. She stayed by the desk until Brigitte appeared and dispelled the light.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Was she?

  Marsh looked down at herself and realized she wasn’t.

  “You want to dispel the shield and blade?”

  In truth, she didn’t, but this was Brigitte, and the journeyman’s eyes were dark with concern. Marsh closed her eyes and willed sword and shield return to the shadows. They unwound, freeing her hand and arm, and Marsh opened her eyes, again and looked at the mess. Now, in addition to her scattered bedding, blood pooled on the floor in the middle of the room. Brigitte followed her gaze.

  “You got him good,” she said.

  “Will he…” Marsh couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

  Brigitte shrugged.

  “I don’t know. It will depend on what the rock wizards can do between them.”

  “What about Lennie?”

  “I hadn’t thought of her. I’ll see…” Brigitte turned her head toward the two anxious faces peering through the door. “Tamlin, see if Lennie can help with the intruder.”

  He went, the sound of his running footsteps fading as it echoed down the corridor. Brigitte tried to fix Marsh with a stern gaze, but the smile that flitted across her lips ruined the effect.

  “You were supposed to be sleeping.”

  Marsh swallowed, feeling the first onset of nerves. A shiver ran through her, and she raised her hand so Brigitte could see it shaking.

  “Believe me,
I’d have preferred not to have had someone try to kill me.”

  “Was that what he was here for?” Brigitte turned toward the door. “Come on. We’ll head down to the dining hall so Roeglin can send someone to deal with this.”

  Marsh pushed herself off the desk, but instead of following Brigitte out of the room, she crouched beside the desk and reached into the shadows cloaking her pack.

  “We need to find a safe place for this,” she said, holding it up. “It’s what he was sent for.”

  “Sent?”

  Marsh walked to the door, shouldering the pack as she went. Aisha grabbed her hand as soon as she stepped into the corridor.

  “You ‘kay?”

  Marsh wanted to tell her that she wasn’t okay, but that wasn’t what the little girl needed to hear.

  “I’m fine now that you’re here,” she said, and was rewarded by an approving nod from Brigitte. She tapped the pack. “You gonna help me find a safe place for this?”

  Aisha regarded her with wide eyes and shook her head.

  “Master of Shadows will help,” she said.

  Marsh sighed and looked at Brigitte. The journeyman shrugged.

  “The child has a point,” she said, “but I think we should hand it over to the Supply Master for the time being. The Master of Shadows is busy.”

  Busy with what? Marsh wanted to ask, but she had a fair idea. When she’d last seen him, the Master had been mapping out how they were going to restore the trade routes, starting with the one to Ruins Hall. She couldn’t have slept that long…

  As she followed Brigitte down eerily silent halls and corridors, Marsh revised that. There was none of the day-to-day hustle and bustle that she was used to. As they descended the stairs to where the Supply Master laired, Marsh had to ask.

  “Where is everybody?”

  “Dinner. We were coming to get you when we heard the ruckus.”

  Ruckus. Well, that was one way to describe it, Marsh thought. On the other hand, it also explained why no one had come earlier. The sleeping levels were quiet during training and meals. She’d been lucky to wake up at all.

  “Wondered when you’d be down,” the Supply Master said when they reached her. “Roeglin said to expect you.”

  That had shown a lot of faith, Marsh thought, given that she hadn’t decided what to do when he’d left.

  “How’s Mikel?” she asked, and the Supply Master looked at her in surprise.

  “Mikel?” she asked, lifting Marsh’s pack and carefully taking the artifact out of it.

  “The seeker. The one who attacked me.”

  The Supply Master’s reply was delivered with a non-committal shrug.

  “Roeglin said they’d be questioning him, so I guess he’s still alive. Lennie went past a little while ago. She must have been able to make a difference.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She looked a bit tired on the way back, but that big guy was with her, so I’m guessing she’ll be okay.”

  “Henri?”

  “I think so. The missing husband’s brother.” The Supply Master reached under her counter and pulled out a heavy stone box. “This should do the trick.”

  Eyeing it, Marsh had to agree. She watched as the Supply Master laid the artifact inside the box and closed the lid. What surprised her was that the woman did not lock it right away. Instead, she ran her finger around the seam where lid met body, and the stone melded together until the seam was gone. After that, the Supply Master slid a lock through each of the corners of the box and closed them.

  Marsh thought that might be overkill, and her thoughts must have shown on her face because the Supply Master caught her gaze and gave her a tight-lipped smile.

  “The Master of Shadows said he wanted it as secure as I could make it. I’m nearly done.”

  Nearly? Marsh stared at her, but the woman didn’t explain any more. Instead, she turned to the wall behind her counter and laid an open palm on the stone. Now that she was paying attention, Marsh noticed the padlocks set in orderly rows along the bottom of the wall. More padlocks were scattered over the wall like random decorations, and she couldn’t work out why.

  As she watched what the Supply Master did next, Marsh realized what the explanation might be. The stone crept away from the Master’s hand and left a hollow in the rear wall that would easily fit the box. The Supply Master picked the box up from the bench and lifted it to the shelf, sliding it easily into the gap. When she was done, she rested her hand at the top of the hollow she’d created and the stone flowed back, working its way around the box and smoothing itself over until the hollow had disappeared.

  When it was done, the Supply Master moved her hand down until it was at the midpoint of where the shelf would be. Closing her eyes for a moment, she let her hand rest there, and then she lifted it away. Staring at the spot, Marsh saw that a simple loop now protruded from the wall. Catching her look and smiling silently, the Supply Master took another padlock out from beneath her counter and slipped it through the loop.

  “There,” she said. “All done, and if the fortress is attacked, I will simply erase the locks from the wall. There will be no clue as to where the artifact has been hidden. It is all we can do to make sure it does not fall into the wrong hands.”

  Staring at the wall, Marsh felt a part of herself relax. If the Supply Master removed the locking point, there would be no way for anyone to tell that this wall was any different from the others, and in any case, most treasure hunters would assume that what they looked for would be found on the shelves in the storerooms beyond.

  They would be mistaken.

  “Is there anything else?” the Supply Master wanted to know.

  She looked at Brigitte, but the journeyman shook her head.

  “Did Master Leger leave any instructions?” Brigitte asked, and it was the Supply Master’s turn to shake her head.

  “No.” She cast a glance at Aisha, drawing Marchant’s attention to the child’s look of wide-eyed fascination, “although I think the little one might be better off in the company of her brother.”

  “Point taken.” Brigitte turned to the door. “Come on. Let’s go find Tamlin.”

  Marsh turned to follow and tripped over Scruffknuckle. The krypthund pup gave a startled yip, flipped her a filthy look, and bounded out from under her feet. Aisha laid her hand on him as he went past and he skidded to a halt beside her.

  The child shot Marsh a look dirty enough to match the pup’s as she walked Scruffknuckle out the door. Marsh rolled her eyes.

  “He should know better than to get underfoot,” she grumbled, and Aisha glared.

  “You should watch where you’re stepping.” Before Marsh could find a reply to that, the child stalked down the hall, leaving Marsh frozen and staring before following in Brigitte’s wake.

  They had just reached the stairwell when Roeglin came out of it. His eyes were shadowed and his mouth was set in a straight line, but his face lightened when he saw Marsh.

  “Trainee Leclerc,” he said, “if you would come with me.”

  “Coming.” Marsh turned to Brigitte. “Journeyman Petitfeu.”

  Brigitte made a gesture of dismissal and took Aisha’s hand.

  “Looks like it’s just you and me, kiddo. Let’s go find your brother.”

  Roeglin didn’t say anything as he hurried ahead of Marsh down the stairs, and Marsh didn’t bother asking where they were going. She had an idea she already knew, and she wasn’t looking forward to the meeting ahead.

  5

  A Change of Plans

  Mikel was tied to a chair in the middle of a stone-lined cell when Marchant arrived. Gustav and Master Envermet stood against the far wall behind him. The seeker ignored them, lifting his head when he heard the door open. His lip curled in contempt when he saw who Roeglin had brought.

  “Well, if it isn’t the little girl who wants to be a seeker!”

  Marsh made a show of looking over her shoulder.

  “No little girls here,” she s
aid, turning back and looking Mikel up and down, “but there is a heaping great turd that needs to be moved to a latrine.”

  Mikel gave a short, sharp laugh in reply, sobering as Roeglin stepped closer. Marsh stayed where she was, waiting to see what Roeglin might do next. Mikel flicked the shadow mage a quick glance and turned his attention to Marsh.

  “Tell me, why haven’t you joined the winning side?”

  Marsh made a point of looking at the other mages in the room before returning her gaze to Mikel. She hesitated as her gaze passed over Roeglin, but he gave her the smallest nod and she replied.

  “I thought I already had.”

  Again, that snort, this time of derision.

  “These guys?” He rolled his shoulders, turning his head to take in the shadow guard, the bodyguard, and the shadow mage. “They’re outclassed and way outnumbered. They don’t stand a chance against what’s coming.”

  “What’s coming?” Marsh put her hand on her hip and cocked her head. “I thought you worked for Kearick.”

  “Kearick’s just the next boss up. There are others far more powerful…” His eyes darted around the cell as though expecting one of those “others” to step out of the shadows. When none did, he continued. “And they are closer than you think. Ruins Hall will fall, and this fortress will be next. We’re looking forward to making it our home.”

  Marsh raised an eyebrow and waited. With any luck, she’d be able to get him to talk some more. Mikel stared back, and the silence between them grew. Marsh sighed and looked at Roeglin, but, before she could say anything, Mikel spoke.

  “You need to make your delivery,” he said, “or I’ll just be the first. That artifact is not a toy for inexperienced girls to play with.”

  Marsh turned back to him, real anger stirring for the first time.

  “I wouldn’t be so inexperienced if Kearick had helped me find an apprenticeship. I bet he didn’t even approach you.”

  Mikel laughed.

  “He didn’t, but even if he had, I’d never have taken you on. You don’t have what it takes to be a real seeker.” He gestured around the cell. “The fact that you ended up here is proof of that.”