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

  Without a word, the shadow captain got up out of his chair and carried it over to the edge of the room, with Marsh and Roeglin doing the same. They came to stand behind him as he positioned himself beside the table, watching as his troops brought their final kata to an end, saw him waiting, and came to attention.

  “Recruits,” he began, and all eyes turned toward him as he addressed the locals.

  When he had their attention, he indicated the guards in the hall.

  “That is how skilled you will become,” he told the recruits, and Marsh saw several eyes widen.

  The mayor looked impressed and pleased, but interrupted what Master Envermet was about to say next.

  “And will they learn other types of magic, Master Envermet?”

  Marsh suppressed a sigh as the man continued to push his agenda, but she left the response to the shadow captain. Envermet paused and shot him a look that said he was interrupting, but then he replied.

  “Yes, Mayor Hulin. We will help them tap their natural ability to use magic and teach them how to use it to protect the town.”

  “And how to use it for other things?” the mayor urged.

  Master Envermet frowned.

  “What the Masters do in their own time and who they train outside of their Protector duties will be a matter for the Masters of Stone, Shadow, and Beasts to decide, but no one will undertake non-Protector training without reaching a minimum standard in their Protector training first.”

  The mayor frowned.

  “And who gets to decide that?” he challenged, and Master Envermet smiled.

  Marsh suppressed a shiver. She knew that smile. That smile meant the person asking the question was about to make a discovery they truly didn’t like. Apparently, some of the men and women gathered at the recruiting table also recognized that smile, because looks of apprehension flitted across their faces and they grew very still.

  “It’s taken me some time to decide who I will leave in charge of the Protectors here,” he told the mayor, and Marsh tensed as Envermet continued, “but I have decided to leave Masters Faudree and Foye in command.”

  Marsh released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. While she would have been glad for any of her friends to be given the promotion, she would have missed them when she left them behind to start on the next leg of their journey.

  Envermet thinks you’re hilarious, Roeglin told her, which only went to prove that the shadow mage had absolutely no boundaries when it came to his mind-walking abilities.

  Marsh knew that if she looked, she’d see a sheen of pure white coating his eyes. She also knew this was why he’d closed them. There was nothing that gave away what a mind mage was doing more than the color of his eyes.

  He also says to tell you he’d never break up a team that works without a very good reaso… Roeglin’s mind-voice slowed to a standstill as he realized how the shadow captain had been able to interrupt without speaking, and Marsh bit back the urge to laugh.

  Sprung, she thought, then wondered how Master Envermet had even known that Roeglin was in his head.

  Maybe it’s a skill he thought he should have, Roeglin answered, and he sounded very put out.

  However, whether or not Master Envermet thought he should have any skills in mind-walking was not a question he chose to answer. Instead, he focused his attention on introducing the two shadow guards to the mayor and turning the recruits over to their keeping.

  After that, he excused himself to other duties while they got to work. Marsh and Roeglin took the hint and left as well, spending the day in training of their own. That evening, Envermet took the two mages he’d just promoted aside, giving them the instruction they needed to run the outpost and bring it to a point where it could defend itself.

  And, of course, he called on Marsh to note down the proceedings and update the recruiting records. Apparently, such duties were something “every shadow mage should know.” She didn’t argue but used the time to study the new appointees more closely.

  Master Faudree was one of the shadow guard commanders, and she looked very surprised to be chosen to lead them. The other commander, however, looked just as pleased that it had been her who’d been chosen instead of him, and she said as much when he congratulated her.

  “I am so pleased, Tilla. I was terrified he was going to choose me. I’m just not ready.”

  To which Tilla had only one response.

  “Don’t worry, Brey. I need a second, and you need a learning opportunity. It’s a match made in the most glorious of Deeps.”

  The look on Brey’s face had been enough that Marsh had fled the room to “fetch kaffee” so that she could let go of the laughter she’d been holding in.

  On her return, she discovered that Master Foye was an entirely different matter.

  “But I don’t want to be a commander,” he protested, confronting Envermet while he thought he had half a chance of changing the shadow captain’s mind. “Faudree is more than capable. Why can’t she…”

  “Because I need a rock wizard to make decisions on matters only a rock wizard would know—and because you are the most senior druid here.”

  “But I will be out in the cavern most of the time.”

  “Then you’d better choose a representative capable of handling the decisions for training and strategy as well as I expect you to.”

  Foye had relaxed at that and left shortly thereafter—and Master Envermet had looked at Marsh.

  “Not everything I do is perfect,” he’d told her, “but Foye knows his people better than I do, and he is the most senior among them.”

  “So there will be no hard feelings when he chooses who represents him,” Marsh said, and Envermet nodded before changing the subject.

  “How are those records going?”

  “Almost done.”

  They’d worked in silence after that, and when they were done, Envermet had risen, saying, “We move out the day after tomorrow. Make sure your team is ready.”

  He didn’t tell her why but left for his quarters, leaving her to lock the office behind him. Marsh completed the last of the recruitment records and filed them before following suit. They had a busy day of preparation ahead of them, and she was looking forward to seeing her uncle and Daniel again.

  2

  Waystation Interlude

  For their parts, Per and Daniel were glad to see Marsh when they arrived back at Kerrenin’s Ledge late the next day. From the way he greeted the kat, Marsh had a hard time telling who her cousin was happier to see: Mordan or her. Not that the kat was complaining. She rubbed her head along Daniel’s trouser leg before taking the small haunch of mouton from him and retiring to her place in front of the fire to eat it.

  Daniel followed her progress with a look of contented pride, then turned and gave Marsh a brief, perfunctory hug.

  “It’s good to see you, cuz,” he told her and headed back to the kitchen, leaving Marsh to stare after him.

  “Well, he seems happy,” her uncle said, watching him go.

  “Really?” Marsh asked. “How can you tell?”

  “He hasn’t thrown anything yet.”

  Marsh had to admit her uncle had a point. If Daniel was feeling angry or sad, they’d have heard the sound of skillets and kitchen utensils landing. Instead, all they could hear was a contented humming and the usual clatter involved in cooking.

  “Hmmph,” Envermet said, arriving in time to overhear their exchange. “So I should tell him they’re moving out in the morning after dinner, then?”

  His question was followed by a sudden curse from the kitchen, followed by the loud clatter of a saucepan bouncing off the wall closest the door. Master Envermet gave it a wide-eyed look and frowned.

  “Boy has the ears of a bat,” he muttered and headed for the stairs.

  The sound of a second pot, this one bouncing off the door, echoed in his wake.

  “Well, Deeps and damnation,” Per said. “That man has no sense of timing at all.”

 
Marsh had to agree, but Aisha and Tamlin arrived before she could say anything. Both of them stared at the door, and Aisha put her small hands on her hips and glared at the kitchen. Before Marsh had time to stop her, the little girl had shoved the door open and marched right through it.

  Tamlin opened his mouth to stop her but closed it again. Marsh exchanged a look with Per and sighed.

  “I’ll get her,” she said, only to stop when she heard Aisha’s small voice raised in a piping treble.

  “No. Throw. Pots. Is rude!”

  The sound of more metal landing punctuated each word, mingling with Daniel’s cries of protest.

  “Hey! Ouch! Little hoshkat!”

  Per laid a hand on Marsh’s arm.

  “I’d let them sort it out if I were you,” he said, and, listening to Aisha’s next flurry of words, Marsh had to concur.

  “No burn dinner cos you mad either!”

  More clatters followed.

  “Ow! Fine!”

  Silence followed the last clatter, and Daniel spoke again.

  “Let me guess. Burning dinner is rude too?”

  “Yes.” Aisha sounded adamant.

  “Fine!”

  Marsh heard small steps moving back to the kitchen door and moved to face Per as though they’d been too deep in conversation to hear what had gone on. The footsteps paused, and Aisha’s small, clear voice rang out again.

  “And is my Marsh. Not yours!”

  Apparently, Daniel hadn’t got the good sense to let that go, but he didn’t argue.

  “Share?”

  Well, thought Marsh, at least he’s trying to negotiate—because for Daniel, that was a first.

  There was silence, and Marsh could picture the look on Aisha’s face as she thought about it. After a pause and a sigh that said he was pushing his luck, she replied.

  “Fine.”

  Marsh released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and Per also began breathing again.

  “That was close,” he murmured as Aisha stepped into the dining room.

  She fixed him with a gimlet glare, and Marsh got a good idea of why Daniel might have called the child a “little hoshkat.”

  “Not nice to spy,” the child declared, and Tamlin grabbed her before she could say any more.

  “Bath time!” he told her. “Now!”

  “I’m not dirty,” the girl protested, but she let her brother drag her to the washroom where Brigitte was waiting, his answer floating back to them as the pair disappeared.

  “Are so, too. You stink.”

  “Like hoshkat?”

  “Oh, no. Mordan smells a lot better than you do!”

  Marsh caught the look on Per’s face as the two of them disappeared.

  “Are they always like that?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Marsh stopped and looked at him.

  “I’m going to miss you,” she said, and stepped back, with a sigh. “I’d better go…”

  She gestured toward the stairs, and Per cleared his throat and nodded, then indicated the bar.

  “And I’ll have customers soon.”

  It was the closest they could come to talking about her leaving, and Roeglin arrived in time to interrupt.

  “You know, you two could just hug, share dinner with Daniel in the kitchen, and say goodbye in the morning. It’s not like we’re leaving before the waystation wakes.”

  Given that her uncle and cousin were the waystation, Marsh understood what he was saying, and was grateful he’d interrupted the sudden wave of melancholy that had settled over her. Not trusting her voice, she did as he suggested, hugging Per before hurrying upstairs to pack.

  Per and Daniel were waiting to eat with her when she came down for dinner, and they were waiting again in the morning to say goodbye.

  “Be careful,” Per told her, and Daniel rolled his eyes as her uncle hugged her.

  “Come back soon,” Daniel said, and held her tight until a small voice interrupted.

  “My turn!”

  Marsh almost laughed at how fast Dan let go and stepped back so Aisha could stand in front of her.

  “Up,” the small child demanded, and Marsh scooped her up so she could wind her small arms around her neck.

  It was no surprise when Tamlin hugged her at the same time, and Marsh looped an arm around him in return.

  “Don’t make us come and rescue you,” he told her, letting her go and giving her a stern glare. “Once was enough.”

  At his words, Aisha leaned back in Marsh’s arms and gave her a solemn stare.

  “Yes. No trouble,” the little girl ordered, and her blue eyes widened with surprise when those standing closest echoed her next two words. “Is rude.”

  Marsh hugged her again and set her down.

  “I’ll try,” she promised, and added a stern note to her voice. “Be good for Brigitte, and do what Master Envermet tells you.”

  “Yes,” Aisha said, “or he’ll get grouchy.”

  Marsh looked at the shadow captain in time to see him look to the earth and shake his head.

  “Deeps preserve us,” he said, “and may they give me the First Wanderer’s patience.”

  That brought a round of good-natured laughter, and Gustav signaled they should mount up and move out.

  “The sun is rising,” he said, gesturing to the sunrise as if that explained it all, “and we want to be under it for the shortest time possible.”

  We should have left earlier, Marsh thought.

  There’d have been no advantage in it, Roeglin interrupted. It’s most of a day’s journey to Downslopes, so we’d be out in it regardless.

  He had a point, Marsh thought, and wondered why Gustav had mentioned the sun.

  He needed a polite way of telling us to shift our asses.

  Yeah, well, that would do it.

  Marsh turned back to her mule, noting the two mules tethered, one on either side. Her uncle had asked her to take “a few things” to his oldest son. She snorted as she wove between the mules and clambered into her saddle.

  Per’s idea of “a few things” had amounted to two mules heavily laden with supplies and gifts. She supposed it only made sense, given he’d had no contact with Gabe since Master Gage’s caravan had brought word that her cousin and his family were fine. Gabe and Per hadn’t had the chance to visit since Marsh’s caravan had been attacked—and the messages between them had been infrequent at best.

  “Master Gage was the last,” Per had told her the evening before, “and the one before him was at least a month prior. I don’t suppose there’s any way you could send a message back…”

  Marsh had spoken to Roeglin, and Roeglin had made sure he could connect to both Per and Daniel’s minds so they could speak with Gabe after the mind mage had reached Downslopes.

  “It won’t be until the night after we arrive, but we’ll try,” the shadow mage had said. “I don’t know if it will work.”

  Now, as she guided her mules after Gustav, Marsh hoped that Roeglin’s contact would succeed; her uncle needed to speak with his son in the same way he’d needed to know she had survived the ambush. Marsh glanced back once as she hit the gates, and Per and Daniel waved. The sight of them brought a lump to her throat, and she waved in return before turning around to pay attention to the road before her. It was going to be a long journey—and she had no way of knowing where it would end, or when—but there was no point in dwelling on it now.

  She was riding with the folk she knew best, the “team” Master Envermet was so reluctant to break up, and part of her was excited to be back on the road. The raiders had been silent since they’d been beaten back from Mika’s Outlet just before the wall was complete, and not a single shadow monster had been heard or seen in all the time they’d been in the cavern.

  Marsh remembered Master Envermet saying the creatures didn’t like being that close to the surface and wondered what other monsters lurked ahead, but Gustav’s voice jerked her from her thoughts.

  “I w
ant you scanning ahead when we hit the surface.”

  “Got it.”

  Marsh looked around and saw Henri and Jakob already coming alongside to take the pack mules. As they dropped back, Roeglin rode up. Marsh handed him the lead rope she’d attached to the mule’s bridle for just this occasion, knowing she couldn’t both steer the mule and use the shadows and nature to see what might lie ahead.

  As they rode through the gates and into the cavern beyond, Marsh realized why Gustav had mentioned the sun. Far ahead of them, a distant gleam was already seeping into the cavern. The team leader kicked his mule into a trot and led the way out between the glows marking the trail.

  3

  The Downslopes Pack

  The journey out of the Kerrenin’s Ledge cavern was uneventful. Not even Mordan, pacing them along the edge of the trail, found anything more threatening than the small, furry thing she caught and ate for breakfast. Marsh swore she felt its life fade from her awareness as the big kat’s jaws tore through it. Its high-pitched squeal echoed through the cavern and sent shudders up and down her spine.

  Ahead of her, Gustav straightened in his saddle.

  “Anything?” he asked, when Marsh knew he meant “What was that?”

  “Nothing, unless you count Mordan snuffing out the local wildlife.”

  “Good, and no. Tell her to keep it down. We’re approaching the entrance, and we don’t know what’s out there.”

  Marsh guessed what he wasn’t saying was that they didn’t know if there were any more of the crazed wolf-man beasts the wolves’ druid had called ‘lycanthropes’ waiting out under the sun. He drew his mule to a halt several feet from where the path passed from the cavern to sunlight.

  “Now’s the time to put your bands on,” he said, and Marsh knew he wasn’t referring to her.

  She didn’t need the thin, gauzy bands of cloth to protect her eyes. Her vision adjusted perfectly well to seeing under the sun. The same couldn’t be said of Gerry, Zeb, or Izmay, and the three shadow guards hastened to pull on the strips of dark cloth they needed to protect their eyes.