Sorceress (Book 2)

by Jim Bernheimer

  “I’m pleased that you are relatively unharmed,” Alanna Tomas said and then chuckled. “You have such lovely hair.”

  “Thank you, milady,” Kayleigh replied, finding it an odd time for a compliment and seeing the woman’s wide smile made her wonder if something was in it. “Is learning magic always going to be that painful? I could pass on the bruises and the messes.”

  “With a proper instructor, you would fare better, but since you seem to be venturing into uncharted territories regarding bonds, previously believed sacred, there is no guide…or at least no reputable guide.”

  “You are a seer,” Kayleigh commented. “Didn’t you know what was going to happen?”

  The Seeress shook her head in amusement and lifted her pet into her arms like a toddler. “The future is not set in stone,” she said. “I receive flashes of insight, possibilities if you will. My job is to pass on what I know and hope for the best outcome.”

  “I guess that’s a nice way of saying that things could have been worse. At least the only thing permanently damaged, aside from my pride, is the barn. So, will this next attempt succeed?”

  Kayleigh stared at the monkey, who opened his mouth wide to yawn at her. The woman replied, “I cannot say. Success will spare the lives of many unicorns and change their fates. I hope you do and encourage you to try your best. Many paths will open for the future if you do.”

  “I was thinking,” Brian interrupted with a grin on his face. “When we get back to The Academy, you need to stay away from my stable. I’d rather keep it intact.”

  “Was he always like this?” Kayleigh asked his mother.

  “Yes,” the woman replied. “My oldest received the seriousness. My daughter was blessed with the magic. This one believes he has the wit and charm. I, for one, am not completely convinced.”

  “Mother is too kind. Being a seeress, she should also know her methods of embarrassing me no longer work.”

  “Oh, I suppose I could recount a few stories from your youth to the young lady as a manner of passing the time,” she threatened with a mocking tone.

  “If that is what you believe is best, dearest mother. Kayleigh would be delighted to hear about my aversion to clothes up until the age of six. I was quite the little nudist, if you must know.”

  Behind them, Tamera sputtered in laughter.

  Fighting through an obvious blush, Kayleigh responded, “Um, it hadn’t really crossed my mind.”

  “Behave, Brian,” Lady Tomas admonished her son. “You are a young man of station.”

  “I don’t believe the unicorns I tend to really care much for my station. The manure shovels the same. Besides, Kayleigh knows what to expect from me.”

  “It’s true,” Kayleigh said and nodded. Brian seemed livelier off of the island. The way the girls spoke of him, he was the ultimate temptation on an island full of maidens who had taken chastity vows. At The Academy Brian was just as witty, but here, despite or perhaps because of the presence of his mother, it was even more charming. The two seemed to feed off of one another. Her life had been woefully short of entertainment lately and this was a welcome change.

  “You have a sister?” Kayleigh decided to join in on the merriment. Brian talked extensively about his brother, but he’d never mentioned a sister in all the time they’d spent together.

  “Now you’ve gone and done it, Mother. I’ll never hear the end of this.”

  “For the moment you shall, dearest Brian,” the Seeress said and turned to Kayleigh. “I believe you’ll have the necessary time to indulge in a hot bath before everything is in order.”

  “That sounds like a splendid idea, Lady Tomas.”

  Minutes later, Tamera stood outside the thin wooden door to the bath and stated, “I think he likes you.”

  Kayleigh shifted in the tub. The bath was indeed a fantastic idea. The beginnings of an ugly bruise graced one arm as the young woman slathered it in salve.

  “Tamera, he’s just being himself,” Kayleigh replied. “If you knew him better, you’d realize he’s always like that.”

  “Perhaps,” her friend admitted. “But he might be like that always just for you. Ever consider that?”

  “Uhm.” Kayleigh didn’t have an answer for that. Instead she twirled a strand of wet hair around her finger and thought about lowering her head into the water and pretending she didn’t hear Tamera.

  “Did it work?” a new voice asked. It was Laurel.

  “No,” Tamera answered. “Kayleigh’s getting cleaned up and is going to try again in a bit. I’m just trying to convince her that Brian Tomas is sweet on her.”

  “I’m not listening to this,” Kayleigh protested.

  “Really?” Laurel asked.

  The other young woman answered, “Just my opinion but if I’m right, the sounds of hearts breaking all over the Sacred Isle will be heard for weeks.”

  “But what about the nomad warrior who came with you two?” Laurel teased.

  “Oh, he’s quite nice,” Tamera said in a breathy voice.

  Kayleigh felt mortified at what her friend was implying and that she didn’t even know where Rahzir was at this time. So, she asked Laurel.

  Laurel answered, “He’s being questioned about the strength of the nomad army by General Hawthorne’s aides.”

  “He’s not being treated like a prisoner is he?”

  “I don’t think so,” the air maiden responded. “Still, he is escorted by two maidens wherever he goes. So does Brian have anything to worry about?”

  Flustered by the two girls needling, she said, “Can we talk about something else? As I recall, we all took a vow of chastity until the age of twenty.”

  If either of them had been in the room, she would be throwing something at them.

  “True,” Laurel said. “However, the vow may no longer apply to you because of your unique situation.”

  “I guess it doesn’t apply to me now at this time,” Tamera said, degenerating into a cackle. “Maybe I should get you to hold off on the next attempt for a day or two!”

  Laurel joined in as Kayleigh scowled at the door and the two laughing young women on the other side. All the while she fought not to join in their merriment.

  “You two are positively awful!” she exclaimed and sank into the tub. As she did so, she thought back to her time at The Academy with the other third years. When she arrived, she felt ill at ease and like her every move was being scrutinized. Now, despite not truly being one of them, Kayleigh felt like she had finally been accepted.

  At first Kayleigh Reese believed the padded dog trainer’s uniform was a little too cumbersome and hot. It was like being encased in thick burlap and forced to waddle around like a sideshow entertainer at a traveling carnival.

  After two more times of being thrown bodily into the air by Ayalla’s uncooperative magic, she was beginning to appreciate the protection offered. Kayleigh even went so far as to wonder if a thicker suit was available.

  Laurel had come out for this demonstration and helped Kayleigh fumble to her feet.

  “Still okay?” the air maiden asked and cupped Kayleigh’s cheeks with her hands while looking for any signs of confusion.

  “I’m fine. Getting loads of practice on how to land after a fall,” Kayleigh muttered and beckoned to Brian.

  The noble brought her a mug full of water and held it to her lips. Kayleigh drank, ignoring the incriminating smirk Laurel wore on her face. Brian volunteered to be the one making certain she wouldn’t pass out from the heat in the heavy suit. He was, and Kayleigh prayed this would never change, blissfully unaware about the conversation that took place a short time earlier.

  “You know,” he said. “If this keeps up, I’m going to start taking wagers on how far you travel.”

  “This time didn’t seem nearly as far,” Laurel commented. “Maybe that’s a sign that you’re getting close.”

  Kayleigh thanked her friend for the encouragement and brushed the dust from her pants as she walked back to the waiting unicor
n.

  The only thing I think I’m getting close to is making certain I won’t be able to sit in a saddle for a week!

  Her approach wasn’t working. Each time the pressure of the unicorn’s magic built up faster than Kayleigh could react. Ayalla’s head was lowered and the unicorn gave off an air of defeat. Kayleigh recognized it from when Rheysurrah just wanted to let go and embrace his death. The other onlookers, both on two and four legs stared at her expectantly.

  What do they expect? I can’t do miracles on command!

  Her searching gaze found Captain Lynch sitting in T’rsa’s saddle. The woman had her arms crossed and her body language asked Kayleigh how long she was going to keep everyone waiting. No matter what Kayleigh achieved, she believed it would always fall short of the woman’s expectations.

  Of course, the other Lynch sister wasn’t out there anticipating Kayleigh’s failure. Danella wanted her dead. This war was going to separate more unicorns from their riders. If she was going to help them...and ever have a chance of reclaiming Majherri, she couldn’t accept any other result except success. The words from one of General Jyslin’s speeches she’d studied at The Academy came to mind.

  If you have eliminated the possibility of failure, all that remains is determining which path will lead you most directly to your goal.

  The young woman steeled herself and rounded on the unicorn. Kayleigh was being too timid. It wasn’t the same as Orsa bleeding out on the walls of Shiftla, but Ayalla was dying just the same. She’d fallen and failed enough today.

  “I’m not going to learn anything else about your bond doing what I’ve been doing,” she said to Ayalla. Her tone lacked the empathy she’d previously used. “Your magic’s fighting me. We already know this is going to hurt, so let’s not kid ourselves and pretend it’s not. This time, I’ll be fighting back! If you think of anything that will help, do it. If not, just hold on.”

  Instead of cupping the sides of Ayalla’s head, Kayleigh threw her arms around the unicorn’s neck, locked her hands together, and descended on the bond.

  Ayalla tensed as the unicorn’s magic reacted to a foreign presence probing against it. Instead of trying to hold the power back, Kayleigh butted up against the pile of magic inside and pulled at it...hard. Ayalla shuddered, and the ground trembled beneath them. The essence of decay was still there, but unlike with Cyemma’s bond, plucking it didn’t seem to help, probably because it was part of the natural unicorn cycle.

  So Kayleigh ignored it and continued to yank at the whole bond and their struggle was mirrored in the turbulent dirt below them. A mound of earth bubbled up under her, attempting to dislodge Kayleigh’s hold. She felt her legs leave the ground, but maintained her grip and leaned closer to Ayalla.

  The momentum carried her completely over the unicorn’s body and her legs hit the ground on the other side of Ayalla, like she was rehearsing a riding trick. There was enough of Ayalla’s broken bond free for Kayleigh to move forward.

  Opening her eyes and refusing to let the portion of the frayed bond retreat into the pool of Ayalla’s magic, Kayleigh called out, “Tamera, get over here!”

  “Are you sure?” came the hesitant reply. Another column of rock banged against Kayleigh. This time, she lashed out with her magic and blew the stone into dust. The air seemed heavier with the warring powers of unicorn and sorceress locked in a struggle.

  “Now!” Kayleigh left no room for argument.

  Tamera arrived next to Kayleigh, with a concerned expression on her face. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Jump on, bareback and hold tightly,” Kayleigh ordered.

  Ayalla neighed loudly in protest and tried to back away, dragging the duo with her. The moment Tamera made contact Kayleigh started looking for the other young woman’s frayed bond. Finding it, she snatched at it with her magic and pulled it toward the unicorn’s.

  “Gah! What are you doing?” Tamera yowled. “It hurts!”

  “That’s a sample of what our day has been like,” Kayleigh tersely reminded her. “Alright, everyone, I’m going to try and align your bonds. Before you ask, no I don’t know what’s going to happen and yes, it will probably hurt even more.”

  “Fine!” Tamera grunted. “Less talking and more doing.”

  Ayalla gave her own form of ascent in another pulsing burst of power as Kayleigh rammed the two broken bonds together. She immediately twisted at the magical fragments and began trying to bind them together.

  When she’d bonded with Rheysurrah, the bond took on a life of its own after she’d worked at it. This one showed very different signs of life. Both sides were on fire, burning her as she worked. Tears flowed down her face and she couldn’t hear her own screams over the rush of wind surrounding her. Three strands tied, became five, and then ten before the whole construct wavered and fell apart.

  “No!” she screamed and slammed them back together, sensing the burning starting all over again.

  I can’t do this like with Rhey! I’m not part of the bond...but maybe I can be the spark instead. When ropes are broken, the two ends are put back together and burned to mend it.

  Kayleigh turned that heat back against the spot she’d jammed against one another and added her own power for good measure.

  In her mind’s eye and maybe even in the air surrounding them, a flash of light blinded her. The two young women and the unicorn screamed in unison. Kayleigh’s heartbeat pounded wildly in her ears as all three collapsed to the ground. The first thing she could see from her position on the ground was the white foam dripping from Ayalla’s mouth onto the ground about an arm length away.

  Extending her hand, she touched the closest part of the unicorn and tried to sense the bond.

  There it is! she thought and sighed in relief. Amazingly enough, the bond between Tamera and Ayalla was the only thing still “standing.”

  “Mara?” Kayleigh, said fumbling through her words. “You okay?”

  Anything more complex than a simple question wouldn’t be coming from her anytime soon. Tamera mumbled something that Kayleigh couldn’t quite hear, or maybe she could, but understanding what the earth maiden said was beyond the best she was capable of at that moment.

  The padded suit protected her leg from being broken by the unicorn’s weight. The pressure eased. Ayalla was helped to her feet with Tamera draped across her back. It was a hard fought victory for all three participants and, more importantly, this now meant she could spare other unicorns from that awful fate.

  Knowing that she was going to be nothing more than a hobbling mass of bruises, Kayleigh awkwardly pushed herself up onto her elbows and waited for someone to help her back to her feet. Laurel and General Hawthorne were her benefactors.

  Looking down, it appeared that a wild pack of dogs had attacked the suit and left the wearer gnawed upon like a rawhide bone.

  “Well done, Rider Reese. We’ll get you some healing tears.” The general didn’t address her as cousin for the obvious reasons. “Our healer is checking out Akers and will be with you in a moment.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. Laurel, can you help me out of this?”

  “I’ll do it,” General Hawthorne volunteered, much to Kayleigh’s surprise. “I’d like a private word with her Whitaker, you’re dismissed.”

  “Of course, ma’am.” Laurel snapped to attention and walked back to where she’d been.

  The general led Kayleigh slowly back to her office and secured the door behind them. Stepping behind Kayleigh, she began working on the buckles of the suit.

  “Kayleigh,” she began, “I’m going to ask a favor of you and please hear me out. General Jyslin will volunteer to be joined to a riderless unicorn and you must not honor her request.”

  Turning her head as much as the padding allowed, she asked, “Why?”

  “Look at the garment you wear, look at Tamera Akers, look at the damage to the stable and the courtyard and ask yourself if a woman in her late sixties could endure. She means too much to us all to be exposed to this
. I can and will prevent this while you and she are in my area of command, but when you leave my control, she may even go so far as giving you a direct order.”

  “How can I refuse a direct order?”

  “Tell her you need to perfect the process, for her safety. It would be the truth. Explain how much of toll it took on you. She’ll dismiss your concerns, but do not falter and give in.”

  “You’re very protective of her, ma’am,” Kayleigh said.

  “She’s my personal hero, cousin. She’s the greatest of us all and losing her at the onset of another war would be a tremendous blow to our entire order. Doubly so since we may be forced to take up arms against our own sisters.”

  “I’ll do my best, ma’am.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Since we’re alone, I wanted to apologize for my treatment of you.”

  “I understand,” Kayleigh replied. “You were looking out for Andrea.”

  “That’s what kin does,” the woman said. “And that extends to you now, too.”

  Kayleigh was able to get back to the warm embrace of the bathtub and survey the damage to her body. Even after a vial of healing tears, splotches of ugly bruises dotted her arms and legs. The worst came at the end, but she now had a means of forcing a bond. A protective suit would work for most unicorns, except for ones with fire magic. Her suit would only be another thing to set on fire.

  Maybe I can have fire maidens and unicorns wade into a pond? That might work.

  Summoning some of her power, she heated the water again - a benefit of her proficiency with fire magic. Out in the courtyard, Tamera was most assuredly still out there on Ayalla’s back. Someone brought her a saddle and everyone agreed that the two should spend the night together.

  Eventually, Kayleigh decided she couldn’t stay in the bath forever. It also became obvious that she was hungry, so she reluctantly drained the tub and dried herself.

  The evening meal was nearly over by the time Kayleigh made it to the mess hall. There were several members of the garrison there and one familiar face. Grabbing a bowl of chicken and vegetable stew she joined Rahzir, noting his two nearby escorts.