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

  To her relief, the two men descended to the floor of Abner’s mind.

  “He’s waking up,” Terrence warned them. “If you’re gonna put him out, you’d better do it soon, or you need to be out of there. There’s no telling what he’ll do if he finds this many people trampling through his head.”

  “Done.” Roeglin’s voice sounded weary both through their minds and in the room around them.

  Marsh had barely registered it before she found herself dumped back into her own head. The quick reaction of the healer standing nearest her stopped her from falling out of her chair.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled, looking at where Henri and Izmay had sat.

  Had? Marsh looked around the room in alarm.

  Terrence chuckled. “Those two aren’t very happy with you at the moment,” he told her. “You singed their fingers.”

  She had?

  He read the puzzlement on her face. “You don’t know?”

  Marsh shook her head.

  Terrence cocked his head. “Well, I’m guessing you were the one who called the lightning. Is that right?”

  Marsh nodded, and then she frowned and bent quickly to look under the table and see if Aisha was all right. It was a relief to see the little girl curled up in the middle of Mordan, Perdemor and Scruffknuckle’s furry bodies.

  The big kat lifted her head and blinked slowly. The cubs are sleeping, she informed Marsh. Her tone said the cubs were not to be disturbed.

  Marsh pushed herself upright. “Is it okay if they stay there?” she asked, indicating the tangle of bodies under the bed.

  Terrence stooped to look and sighed.

  “It’s fine. We’re going to stretcher this guy into one of the recovery wards. His family needs to see him.”

  Marsh slid off the chair and onto her feet. “I’ll help you,” she offered, then she swayed, and her knees began to buckle.

  She grabbed the edge of the bed, just as the medic who’d steadied her before took her arm and stopped her from falling.

  Terrence shook his head. “The only thing any of you are going to be helping with is returning to your quarters and getting some sleep.”

  Marsh thought about arguing with him, but there was a glint to his eye that warned her against it. Instead, she shrugged.

  “How are Henri and Izmay?” she asked.

  “We’re fine,” Henri replied. “No thanks to you. I think.”

  “Let me guess.” Marsh cut him off. “You think I owe you another dinner, right?”

  “Give the girl a prize,” Henri mocked, but Izmay interrupted.

  “This time, I agree with him,” she declared stoutly. “You’ll be replacing our knives as well.”

  Marsh’s eyes widened. She’d what?

  “You heard,” Henri told her, reading the puzzlement on her face. “You melted it. You’re mending it.”

  “I what?”

  “He’s exaggerating,” Izmay explained. “You only took the edge off the blades, but you completely ruined their temper.”

  Marsh wanted to say that Henri’s temper was already ruined, but she didn’t think they’d see the funny side of it.

  “Fine,” she told them, stifling a yawn. “I’ll replace your Deeps-be-damned blades.”

  “Get out of my medical center,” Terrence ordered them, “and go get yourselves something to eat while you’re at it. Tell the kitchens I sent you.”

  Henri grinned, and Izmay smiled, and the two warriors took themselves out of the room before Terrence could change his mind. The healer turned to Marsh.

  “And you,” he added. “Sit yourself down until we can move the man out of here.”

  Marsh did as she was asked, not that she thought she had much choice. Her legs were feeling wobbly, and the path to the door was blocked. She settled back on her chair.

  “We did it.” Roeglin sounded beyond tired.

  “Yup.” Obasi didn’t sound much better.

  “That seemed so much worse than the last time,” Daikari murmured. “Or was that just me?”

  “No,” Obasi told him. “That was a lot worse than the last time.”

  “I just wish I knew why,” Roeglin told them. “That thing looked like it was the same size as the last one.”

  “There were more tentacles,” Marsh observed him, “and they had thorns.”

  “The last one didn’t have thorns?” Daikari wanted to know.

  Obasi shook his head. “No, it was just all vines. Wasn’t it?”

  He looked at Marsh.

  “Vines is all I remember,” she replied, stifling a yawn. “And Aisha and you healing the holes they came out of, and Henri and Izmay removing the bug and crushing it after.”

  Her stomach lurched at the memory, and Obasi pulled a face.

  “Where is the bug?” Daikari asked.

  Terrence snorted and pointed at Marsh. “I’m going to assume the lightning that burned through the bug was from her, given what I’ve heard. It’s gone.”

  He reached over to a nearby bench. “And this is what happened to Henri’s blade.”

  Marsh stared at the misshapen edge. So that was why he and Izmay wanted their blades replaced!

  Roeglin managed a tired laugh. “Just be glad you didn’t destroy Abner as well.”

  “You said only the parasite,” Marsh reminded him. “You made me only target the parasite!”

  He flushed. “I thought Aisha had the right idea.”

  “You…you…” Marsh sputtered. She slapped his shoulder. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

  “Do what?” Terrence asked, but Obasi and Daikari were frowning.

  “You used a compulsion?” Daikari asked. “Against one of your own?”

  “She needed to focus,” Roeglin muttered, going redder than before.

  “Since when has she ever had trouble doing that?”

  Roeglin regarded Obasi with wide eyes. “You haven’t known her for as long as I have.”

  Marsh gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m right here, Ro.”

  “Since when can the girl do a compulsion?” Terrence asked, latching onto the most important question in the entire discussion. “I mean, has she done one before?”

  Marsh lifted her head and saw the fear that he’d been manipulated written across his face.

  “I think it’s something new,” she told him and added in a private thought to Roeglin, We need to talk to Tok.

  He nodded. They watched as the healers loaded Abner onto a stretcher and carried him out of the room. Voices from the foyer signaled the family had seen Abner’s arrival.

  “Give them space,” Gustav rumbled. “I’m sure Marsh and Roeglin will be here soon to tell you how it went.”

  As a hint they were needed, it was as good as an order, and Marsh groaned. Terrence held up his hand.

  “I’ll get this,” he told them, and stepped into the foyer, closing the door behind him.

  In response to his appearance, the voices subsided.

  He led with, “Abner should make a full recovery,” and followed with, “I’ll show you where we’ll keep him, but you cannot stay.”

  “But I should be there when he wakes up,” Neela protested.

  Marsh heard the sound of footsteps receding as Terrence replied, “First you need to have a meal. This is Tavi. He will watch over your husband until you return.”

  Neela’s reply was muffled by distance, but she heard the heavier tread of boots cross the foyer.

  “How is everyone?” Gustav asked, leaning on the doorframe.

  “Tired.” Roeglin flapped a hand at him.

  “Cook says to come up when you’re ready, and she’ll make you something hot.”

  He was about to say more, but Terrence interrupted him. “Ah, Gustav. Just the man I wanted to see.”

  The old soldier groaned and rolled his eyes. As Terrence’s quick steps got louder, he turned around.

  “Now, Doc—”

  “Don’t you ‘now, Doc,’ me, soldier. You were supposed to see me first t
hing this morning so I could check your recovery. Come through.”

  “Doc, I really don’t…”

  “You can either come with me, now, or I’ll do the exam here.”

  “I could just leave.”

  “You have to sleep sometime, and I can make that happen.” Terrence sounded as though butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, and Gustav sighed.

  “Doc, you know I’d never—”

  “Yes, you would,” Terrence told him, “but only if I let you. Now, take off that cuirass.”

  “A little help?”

  “And didn’t I hear you were in a fight this morning?”

  “Doc…”

  Marsh heard a door click shut, and their voices became muffled. She sighed and leaned her head back against the wall.

  “Looks like we could be here a while,” Obasi observed.

  Roeglin slumped in his chair. “The price of being heroes,” he replied wearily.

  He sounded neither heroic nor proud, just very, very tired.

  Terrence didn’t keep them waiting long, though. Marsh had barely closed her eyes when the healer returned.

  “I thought I told you all to get some sleep?” he grumbled. “Or did you strain something I don’t know about?”

  Roeglin stood up. “We’re going.”

  He stooped to look under the bed, then reached carefully under to pull Aisha clear of Scruffknuckle and the kats.

  Perdemor rumbled a warning, then opened his eyes, mewing in apology when he saw Roeglin.

  “It’s all right, Perdy,” Roeglin reassured him. “We’re all worried about her.”

  “Is she hurt?” Terrence asked anxiously.

  “No, but she really pushed her limits,” Roeglin told him.

  Gustav snorted. “When doesn’t she?”

  “I’ll take her home,” Roeglin assured them, but Terrence reached out and took the child from his arms.

  “I’ll take her home,” he corrected. “Gustav will make sure the rest of you go and get some sleep.”

  “Gustav will?” the older soldier asked, looking alarmed.

  Terrence fixed him with a stern glare. “Gustav will,” he confirmed.

  10

  Unorthodox Training

  They woke at dusk to the sound of the evening bell calling everyone back inside the gate.

  Marsh sat bolt upright, flinging the blankets back and sliding her feet over the edge of the bed.

  “It’s all right, Marsh. It’s just the dusk bell.” Roeglin’s sleepy voice greeted her from the bed.

  She stood up. “Then we’re really late for lunch, and I’m hungry.”

  “Let’s hope the Arcadians are at duskmeal. We need to welcome them, and I want to check on Abner.”

  “And we need to talk to the leaders about the meeting with Tok and his people.”

  Roeglin sighed. “It’s always something.”

  The saying reminded her of Tamlin, and she giggled. “It surely is. That boy had no idea how right he was.”

  “Well, he does now,” Roeglin declared, getting out of bed, “and he never lets us forget it.”

  Marsh chuckled. “Time to eat.”

  Roeglin sighed again, but he didn’t argue. He just pulled on his armor. Marsh brushed her hair.

  “Check me?” she asked when he was ready.

  “Always,” he told her, running his hands over the straps and buckles.

  “Your turn,” he said when he was done.

  It didn’t take long, and Marsh leaned into him for a kiss.

  “You know we don’t have to go,” he murmured, and Marsh playfully slapped his shoulder.

  “You know we do,” she told him, heading out the door.

  The dining hall was busy by the time they arrived. To Marsh, it looked like the whole town was there. She was relieved to see that the Arcadians were there, as well—and that Gustav was with them. If she didn’t know any better, Marsh would have said he’d adopted them.

  Neela looked worn and tired, and Lissa clung to Idron. The other men and women stuck together and kept a wary eye on their fellow diners. That didn’t deter the others from approaching them and welcoming them to the town.

  “We’re not staying,” one of the men roughly declared, but the ex-slave greeting him just smiled.

  “You’re staying for the winter,” he told him, “and that means you are one of us. I’m very glad you’re here.”

  “Why would you care?”

  “Because we’re a small community, and winter is too long a time to treat you like a stranger. We’ll be sad to see you go in spring.”

  The bluster died on the Arcadian’s face, and he held out his hand. “Oliver,” he said.

  “Fabian,” the local man replied, and took a seat beside him. “Have you decided what you’re going to do while you’re here?”

  “You mean we’ll get a choice?” Oliver asked.

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  Marsh moved on, not interfering. In the end, the Library’s people would be its best advocates, and the Arcadians would make their own decisions regardless. She stopped beside Neela’s chair.

  “How is he?” she asked, and the woman looked up.

  She managed a wavery smile. “He’s sleeping, but he woke up and seemed okay. He said to thank you.”

  Marsh patted her shoulder. “I’m glad he’s okay.”

  She went to move away, but Neela reached up and trapped her hand. “Where did it come from?”

  “The bug?”

  “The thing on Abner, whatever it was.” Neela waved her hands helplessly. “Are there any more out there?”

  “We don’t know where they come from,” Marsh admitted, “but we’ve seen them on remnant, so there are probably more out there.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Neela stated. “I don’t suppose you know a quick way to the coast?”

  Marsh shook her head. “We’re hoping to attract traders. Maybe one of them will know a way, but we haven’t had any yet.”

  Neela sighed. “I’m not looking forward to leaving in the spring,” she admitted.

  Marsh wanted to tell her she didn’t have to leave but didn’t want the woman to feel pressured. Instead, she slipped her hand out from under Neela’s and patted the woman’s shoulder again.

  “We’re happy to have you,” she said by way of farewell.

  Gustav was talking to Roeglin as the pair of them moved through the line at the servery.

  “We introduced them just before you arrived,” the guard captain was saying. “None of us were sure when you two would emerge.”

  He caught sight of Marsh joining them, and his skin burned scarlet. “Uh, that wasn’t meant to sound…um…”

  Marsh shook her head. “You were right to worry. We were really tired.”

  “So,” Roeglin interrupted, changing the topic, “this meeting. When were the leaders planning to have it?”

  “We thought it would be a good idea to hold it over dinner,” Terrence cut in. “The kitchen staff set up the smaller hall so we could have a bit of privacy.”

  The smaller hall was an extension to the main mess hall. The leaders had only started using it recently, as the community had grown and they’d needed a place where they could discuss developments privately.

  When they reached it, they found Evan, Xavier, Obasi, and Alain already waiting. To Marsh’s relief, their plates were mostly full, showing they hadn’t been waiting long.

  “This meeting,” Evan began. “Why now?”

  “Because the townsfolk are already curious,” Roeglin told him, “and because the Arcadians we just brought in ran into them when they tried to sneak away.”

  “They what?”

  “When we brought Abner in to look the place over, his companions tried to leave. We understand they had a run-in with raiders and are extremely cautious as a result, but the mantids brought them back and made them wait for our return.”

  “Where were they going?”

  Roeglin froze. “That’s a good que
stion. We never got around to asking them that. I’m not even sure they had a plan. They were running scared.”

  “Hmmm. Well, what do you think it’ll take for them to stay?”

  “Isn’t that up to them?”

  Terrence sighed. “It is, but we could always do with more people.”

  “And mages,” Marsh informed him. “We need those too, right?”

  Terrence’s face showed genuine surprise. “They’re mages?”

  “A couple of the younger ones conjured fireballs when we first met.”

  “You fought?” Evan asked.

  Roeglin nodded. “We did. It took them a little bit to understand we weren’t going to hurt them.”

  Evan cocked an eyebrow. “The kat got involved, didn’t she?”

  “And Aisha,” Marsh admitted. “We really need to speak to Tok about teaching her proper etiquette when it comes to being a mind mage.”

  “Are you sure we shouldn’t get one of the Grotto’s folk to talk to her about that? After all, they’re human.”

  “True,” Roeglin agreed, “but she’ll listen to Tok.”

  Evan frowned and looked at Marsh. “Did you put him up to that?”

  Marsh shook her head. “I didn’t need to. He knows Aysh as well as I do.”

  “And the bugs?” Xavier asked. “I mean, we’ve all heard of the mantids coming to help the latest additions to the community. Not the Arcadians, but the ones you brought back from Briar’s Ridge. Are you sure it’s a good idea for us to meet them?”

  “I think we should have organized it a while ago,” Roeglin told him, “when people were still feeling grateful.”

  “Two days from now,” Roeglin told them, “if Tok’s people agree to it. That’s when I’ve asked them to come. Do any of you foresee a problem with that?”

  “You’re not really asking our opinion, then,” Alain stated, and Roeglin shook his head.

  “I’m sorry, but no. I think this is essential to the progress of our community.” Roeglin looked around, as though willing them to understand.

  Xavier took a breath, and Marsh prepared to argue on Roeglin’s behalf if she needed to. They were interrupted by a series of knocks, then the dining hall door opened, and a woman wearing the colors of the Deeps Monastery stumbled through.