Wayward Magic

by Melinda Kucsera et al.

  Ann scanned the demon with her mind. One of her gifts was being able to hear people’s surface thoughts. Maybe she could scan his and find out what she wanted to know. Although Fomorians had been around for decades she’d never fought or used her powers on them much until she had been forced to become a rogue. She never had much experience with Orla either.

  Must get out of here, the demon thought. Orla will kill me if I…

  “I’d be more concerned about us killing you,” Ann remarked and held one of her knives to his throat.

  “I-I don’t—” the demon’s face scrunched up as he fought to break through her magic. “I swear I don’t know. Orla sent me to track you.”

  Ann glanced at Ed who shook his head. “Just kill him. He won’t give us any answers,” Ed said. “He is little more than a minion.”

  Ann hit the demon with another fireball, and it exploded in a burst of flame. The demon screamed then dispersed into a pile of ash. “I want answers.”

  Ed raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think Orla will share that kind of information with her followers?”

  “She must have allies, people she shares things with. Even my father had allies.” Ann’s heart twisted and tears sprang to her eyes. “No one can run an entire realm by themselves.” She pushed all thoughts of her dead parents away. She wouldn’t cry again. She’d done enough of that. Now only vengeance mattered.

  Ed put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m here if you want to talk.”

  She brushed his hand away. “Talk won’t change anything.” The pain of losing her parents still felt raw. She’d cried enough and the time for that was over. Now she needed to stay alive. Her parents and her brother were gone. Even her younger brother, Xander, had left too.

  Ann had no idea who or what she was supposed to be now. A rogue, a fugitive, accused of a crime she never committed. “There’s no one here,” Ann said. “This was a trap all along and we—”

  Another figure, much shorter than the demons, hurried into the cave. The newcomer’s entire body was draped by a heavy cloak.

  Heat flared between Ann’s fingers again.

  Ed grabbed her wrist. “No, don’t.”

  The figure drew back, her hood revealing the weathered face of a woman with pale skin, dark green eyes, black, greying hair, and stubby horns. The stubs peeked out through her hairline and had been sawed off. Before that, her horns had curved around her entire head as all Ursaie did.

  Ann gasped and covered her mouth, stunned. “Nadia.”

  The old woman’s lip curved into a smile. “Rhiannon?” Her thick accent sounded as Ann remembered. “Is that you?”

  Ann flinched. “I’m not Rhiannon anymore. I’m…” She trailed off, unsure of what to say. Better not to say anything. She despised being called Rhiannon, it reminded her too much of the person she had been before. She never liked the name much anyway.

  “Thanks for meeting us, Nadia,” Ed said. “But I think we should get out of here. More demons might follow us.”

  Ann wrapped her arms around the woman. Nadia had once worked at the palace in Larenth as a freed slave. She’d helped to raise Ann and her younger brother, Xander. It felt so good to see someone familiar again. As much as she loved Ed, she hadn’t seen a friendly face since leaving Fairhaven. They never got to stay anywhere long enough to make new friends nor could they risk it for fear someone might be a spy sent by Orla.

  Nadia returned her embrace. Ann clung to her. Along with her parents, most of the people at the palace had probably been slaughtered.

  “Ann, we have to go,” Ed hissed.

  Nadia pulled away and there was understanding in her eyes. She squeezed Ann’s hand. “Come, I know somewhere we can talk, and you two can get some rest.” Nadia traced sigils in the air that flared with green light. Nadia took hold of Ed and Ann’s arms as the light enveloped them.

  Ann closed her eyes against the glare of the green energy. The dampness of the cave faded as they reappeared standing in a small room with wooden walls. She shivered as warmth from the fire washed over her.

  “Where are we?” Ann asked. She hadn’t set foot in a place that wasn’t abandoned in over a month. Her heart pounded as the urge to run gnawed at her.

  “This is a safe haven,” Nadia replied. “Sit. You both look weary.”

  Ann shook her head. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  Ed glanced around, uneasy. One hand went to his sword. “This place is heavily warded.” He ran his finger over one of the walls. Shimmering green runes and sigils appeared.

  Ann bit her lip and refrained from scanning the dwelling with her mind. Her magic ached to get out, but she feared it was right. If Orla tracked them every time she used her powers she didn’t want to use them. That couldn’t last forever. Not given how often they got attacked on a daily basis now. Weapons only did so much good against demons.

  “Sit. Rest.” Nadia motioned to the fire. “You’ll be safe here.”

  “It’s safer if we don’t,” Ann replied. “Although I’m happy to see you.”

  “I’ll check outside. Have some food. There is a stew brewing,” Nadia said. “Then we can talk about you to staying with the resistance.”

  Chapter Two

  Ed braced himself as Nadia went outside. He doubted this would go over well with Ann which was why he hadn’t mentioned it to her before now. She’d have refused to meet with Nadia if he had. Joining the resistance was one of the only options they had left available to them. It might offer them some safety or at least a refuge for a short time from Orla’s forces.

  Ann’s mouth fell open the moment Nadia mentioned the resistance. “The resistance?” She crossed her arms. “Are you saying they’re real?”

  Ed nodded. “Yes, they’re real. I thought we could hide among them for a while at least.”

  “How can she think they’ll ever accept us? I’m the archdruid’s daughter—they despise my father and everything he stood for.”

  “You are the archdruid now.” Ed knew she hated being called that, hated it even when he suggested it. He avoided bringing it up before, now that her being the archdruid might be one of the few things that kept them alive.

  Ann flinched and looked away. “I told you not to call me that.” She gritted her teeth. “And that’s why we can’t stay.”

  Ed sheathed his sword and put his hands on her shoulders. “I know you’ve been feeling lost after everything you’ve been through. Maybe it’s a chance to start a new life.”

  She gave a harsh laugh. “How are we ever supposed to do that when we’re hunted everywhere we go?”

  “If we figure out how Orla is tracking, us perhaps we won’t be.”

  Ann sighed. “I’m going to wash this demon blood off me.” She retreated to the next room and shut the door behind her.

  Ed had hoped joining the resistance might give Ann something better to focus on. He knew she struggled with her own identity now. Rhiannon Valeran had become a fugitive overnight, accused of killing the former archdruid and her mother too. Now a demon sat upon the archdruid’s throne in Caselhelm, and the house of Valeran was no more.

  Ed’s life had changed too. He’d gone from serving in the Black Guard, being a warrior to being fugitive. Anyone who hadn’t joined Orla became an enemy. Last he’d heard, Orla tried to force the other Black to join her and all of them refused. His foster sister, Ceara, had chosen Urien and betrayed them. Ed still hadn’t found out what happened to Jax, his foster brother. Losing his siblings had hurt more than anything. They might not have been blood-related, but they’d been his siblings in every way that mattered. He ached to see Jax again or to at least know what happened to him.

  Nadia came back and Ed scooped some of the stew into bowls for himself and Ann. “Thanks for answering my call,” Ed remarked. “Do you have any news from Caselhelm?” He hoped she might have heard something about his brother or perhaps the rest of the Black. He and Ann rarely got to stay anywhere long enough to hear much news.

  Since
the revolution in Caselhelm, Ed didn’t know who to trust anymore. People he’d thought of as allies either refused to help them or had sided with Orla. He supposed he couldn’t blame some of them for turning. They didn’t have much choice. Either they joined Orla or they died. He would have chosen death himself. Better to die than to betray everything you believed in.

  “Of course. I’m glad you called me.” Nadia closed the door behind her. “And no, I haven’t heard any news from Caselhelm other than about the revolution. Everything is in chaos there from what I have heard. I’m surprised you haven’t gone to Trin or the druids at Trewa.”

  “We went to Trin for a few days. The island’s power kept us safe, but Orla kept sending demons and more Gliss there,” he said and stirred his stew around the bowl. “I suggested going to Trewa, but Ann refuses. I think she’s afraid of what the druids will think of her now.” Ed set food down on the table. “Plus, she doesn’t want to put the other druids at risk. Trewa would be one of the first places Orla would go looking for us.” Ed wished they could have stayed with the druids; perhaps the power of the ancient standing stones there would be enough to hold Orla’s forces back, at least for a while. He wanted to stay on the island of Trin with his foster mother and Ann’s aunt, Flora. But it had been too dangerous, and they agreed not to put them at risk.

  “No one who knows Rhiannon would doubt her innocence.” Nadia grabbed a bowl of her own and scooped up some of the stew.

  “I’m worried about her,” he admitted. “I feel like I’m losing her. She’s obsessed with stopping Orla.”

  “Orla needs to be stopped.” Nadia set her bowl aside and traced more runes on the walls. “Some of us may not have agreed with the archdruid’s laws but my people and many of the other races would have been safer under his rule than hers.”

  “Yes, but she’s got an entire army on her side now.” Ed slumped onto the wooden chair. “I know Ann’s grieving—I wish I knew how to help her. Everywhere we turn more demons keep attacking us.”

  After they had fled from the palace and taken the bodies of her parents to a secret tomb, they’d fled. Mercury Valeran had given them powerful glamour spells that could be changed when needed. It covered them completely, not only changing their appearances by shielding their magic. Or at least that’s what it was meant to do. Ed wondered if the glamours had failed or if Orla had figured out another way to track them.

  “Nadia, do you think the resistance will take us in?” Ed asked. He knew a lot of races despised the archdruid. For centuries the archdruid had been a feared and respected spiritual leader. Responsible for destroying or enslaving entire races. People often hated the archdruid. Even though Darius did his best to be different from his ancestors and even stopped being the gods’ avatar here on Erthea. But Darius had conquered three of the five lands of Almara, claiming territories in Asral and Gomorya which had only increased people’s hatred of him.

  “Where else can you go?” Nadia traced more runes on the door. “Besides I always told Rhiannon stories of the resistance in the hope she would help us. Now eat, you look too skinny.”

  Ed chuckled. “I haven’t had a decent meal in days.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a proper meal. They had to be careful with how much coin they spent since their money wouldn’t last forever. They hadn’t had time to take much of anything when they escaped from the palace. Ed had thought about taking up work either with the sword or perhaps making things. He’d always been good at making things but, with the constant attacks, that had proved impossible. Besides, he didn’t want to risk leaving Ann on her own for fear of what she might do. Ed knew she might go running off to Caselhelm to confront Orla herself.

  Nadia turned to face him. “Where are Xander and Urien?”

  “Xander is back on Trin—Orla seems to be tracking Ann, not him. He’s taken the death of their parents hard too,” Ed said between mouthfuls of food. “Urien is gone.”

  “He did it, didn’t he? Killed the archdruid, I mean?” Nadia sat down and turned her attention to her own meal.

  Ed nodded. He didn’t want to see Darius—the man he’d sworn to protect—lying dead. But still, the image haunted his dreams. “How did you know?”

  “I never trusted him. He always had a dark soul.” Nadia’s expression darkened. “Did you kill him?”

  “No, Ann—” Ed stopped. Urien wasn’t dead but he’d never admit what Ann had done to her brother. “She stopped him.” That was all he’d say on the matter. He and Ann had agreed to keep what happened to Urien a secret. They’d never share it with anyone, even someone they viewed as a friend. Orla would stop at nothing to get her son back and they wouldn’t risk her ever finding him. If Urien ever came to power, Caselhelm and the rest of the four lands would suffer an even worse fate.

  “Poor child.”

  “How can I convince her to give up on revenge?” Ed stared at the food; his appetite gone. He and Ann had been close since childhood and had supported each other through everything. He didn’t know how to support her now, not after this.

  “You can’t. She needs time to grieve. It’s the only way she’ll move on.”

  “Ann doesn’t move on, she fights. And Orla—” he stopped when he sensed Ann at the door.

  She came out dressed in a loose tunic over her leather trousers. She pushed her long wavy blond hair off her face. “You don’t have to stop talking on my account.” She dropped into the chair opposite Ed and twirled the spoon around the food. She didn’t eat anything though.

  “Eat up,” Nadia urged. “You’re looking skinny, too.”

  Ann snorted. “I’m not hungry.”

  Ed winced. She hadn’t been eating much either, not unless Ed forced her to. He hoped it was just grief affecting her appetite and not her desire to just give up. She’d never been the type of person to give up on anything. That’s why he feared what might happen when the vengeance fuelling her ran out. He couldn’t and wouldn’t lose her. No matter what happened. It’d be like losing part of himself.

  “You need your strength.” Nadia pushed the bowl closer to her.

  “Why would the resistance help us?” Ann asked without looking at the food. “I am…a rogue now.”

  “So are the others within the resistance. It’s made up of outcasts, former slaves, people who don’t fit in.”

  Ann gave a harsh laugh. “I’m different from them.”

  “Like you said, you’re not Rhiannon Valeran anymore,” Ed pointed out. “It might give us somewhere to stay and find shelter.”

  “You’re delusional. How could we stay anywhere when demons keep chasing us?” Ann slammed her spoon down. “I won’t put innocent lives at risk. Enough people have died already.”

  “Orla must track you somehow. I will help shield you. The resistance lives in underground caverns.”

  “And do what? Hideaway all the time?” Ann crossed her arms.

  That sounded better and better to Ed. If they could hide underground for a while, they might finally have a safe haven to stay in.

  “No, we’re working to make a difference. We help refugees when we can.” Nadia pulled up another chair and sat down beside them then pulled her cloak tighter. “But there are few of us and… it’s hard. Many people would sentence us to death for daring to oppose the rule of the five lands.”

  Ann paled. “Including my father?”

  “He…tolerated us. But there are many who don’t. Including Orla.” Nadia tucked into her own bowl of stew.

  “It could be a chance for us to start over.” Ed reached across the table and took Ann’s hand. “Maybe we can stop the running for a while.”

  “That would be nice,” Ann admitted and laced her fingers through his. “I’m tired of running. Nadia, do you think it possible for me to stay here?”

  Nadia nodded. “Yes. You’re both glamoured. You will need a story of course but there are many people escaping from Caselhelm. It won’t surprise anyone to have newcomers.” Nadia patted Ann’s hand. “Your papa wo
uldn’t want to see you give up.”

  Ann snorted. “I doubt he’d want me to join the resistance either.”

  “He’d want you to be safe.”

  They carried on eating. Nadia said she’d take them to meet the resistance the next morning.

  Ed remembered how Darius gave them information on how to escape and get to Mercury Valeran. He wished Darius had told him what to do after that. Ed guessed Darius had known he’d be killed. A seer had predicted the fall of the house Valeran and it had come to pass. Ed and Ann had both tried to prevent it from happening, but their attempts had failed.

  It wouldn’t have surprised Ed if Darius knew Urien and Orla would be the ones to strike against him. If so, why hadn’t he done something to stop them? Darius was the archdruid, one of the most powerful people on Erthea. Couldn’t he have prevented his own demise and the downfall of his realm?

  After dinner, Ed and Ann settled down in their bed rolls in front of the fire. Nadia retreated to her own bedroom and left them alone.

  “Do you think Orla or one of her people could have done something to me?” Ann asked.

  Ed had his back turned while she changed. He pulled off his own shirt. “I thought about that, but she didn’t touch either of us that night, did she? She didn’t touch me, I’m sure of that.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She never would’ve had time to cast any spells on me.”

  “No.” She paused. “But I don’t remember everything from that night. I don’t want to remember it. I was by my father’s side before I stopped Urien. If he cast a spell on me it would have ended when…when he…”

  Ed made a move to turn around but didn’t. Part of him just wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. But they both knew that wasn’t true. “Maybe I should try a spell,” he suggested. “See if either of us have any traces of tracking marks on us.”

  “I could do it.” Ann moved in front of him, now dressed in one of his old shirts.