The Wizard Book

by Radu Aldea

  “It is interesting, but I don’t see why it is important. Anyone could’ve sent it.”

  “That’s just it,” Christian said. “Anyone couldn’t have sent it. It is not signed, but it might as well have been. We had a code just in case we had to communicate with Kara and Rufus through messages. We would use a specific sentence in a message so we were sure the message came from them and not someone pretending to be them. This message contained that sentence. And it is the first time we had to use this code.”

  “Who could possibly know this?”

  “Mother, me, Kara and Rufus. There is nobody else. It is very common between patrons and clients to use a method to make sure the message didn’t come from somebody else. Rufus used a different sentence for every one of his most important clients.”

  “So either Kara or her father is alive. It must be Rufus who is alive,” Aleyna spoke.

  “Either that or someone managed to learn of a code nobody has ever used and was only known by four people. And I don’t think this was the only message sent,” Christian said.

  “Get dressed,” Marcia ordered. This time it was just a simple command without the use of senatorial power. “We think Kara is the one alive and you’ll see why when we get to the lake.”

  Aleyna felt hopeful again. Comfortable clothes were waiting for her on a chair. Not the expensive dresses she usually wore, but pants, shirt and tunic that were suitable for riding. She dressed quickly ignoring Christian. She wasn’t totally nude and Aleyna was sure the boy had seen his share of naked women. Christian was attractive and girls probably flocked to him. Some of them were willing to be controlled just for the rise in status. Being a powerful senator’s mistress was higher on the food chain than a human lord’s wife, daughter or sister. That held until you weren’t a senator’s mistress anymore. Then, any number of people you’ve crossed during your short brush with power might come after you.

  Horses were waiting for them in the courtyard. It was an hour to the lake if they didn’t push their horses and there was no reason for them to do so. They wanted to get there when there was enough light. The group rode in silence, the last part of the journey through the same forest. Somehow it looked different to Aleyna now, less threatening.

  They got to the lake and there was enough light for Aleyna to see and understand. There were no bodies, just as Marcia told her. What shocked her at first were the burnt patches of ground that hadn’t been there the day before. She looked with amazement at the large semicircle of scorched land that ended in the lake. Its width was in places greater than twenty feet. What could’ve done this? Theoretically she knew, she had read about it in books, but seeing it with her own eyes was something else. It was too precise to be a natural fire.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Aleyna spoke softly.

  “I have,” Marcia replied. “I hoped I would never see something like that again. When you fight wizards you recognize the aftermath of a battle. This looks very similar to the place where Kara’s mother was killed. It has happened again, and I failed the second time.”

  Marcia would blame herself no matter what Aleyna would say. So she decided not to say anything and take a closer look. The small patches were incinerated humans. Ashes and melted steel from their weapons or armor was all that remained of them. There were enough patches of burned ground to account for all the horsemen. And these were the horsemen. The archers had died further away from the lake and didn’t have armor.

  Then she saw the puddles of water. It was a puzzle. It hadn’t rained and the ground had been dried. And there was no reason for a wizard to use water as well as fire.

  “What could’ve done something like this?” Aleyna asked.

  “A wizard or a sorceress,” Christian replied. He seemed as awed as she was.

  “A powerful wizard or four or five sorceresses,” Marcia corrected him. “A sorceress alone is not powerful enough to do all this. It looks like they made a camp near the lake congratulating themselves on a job well done. They were taken by surprise. Someone encircled them with a wall of fire. They were easy pickings after that. They had no chance.”

  “Why would someone use water as well as fire? Those puddles there were not here last time,” Aleyna pointed to the small pools of water.

  “They drowned everyone who tried to escape the fire in the lake,” Marcia explained.

  “They are not that close to the lake. Fire would’ve been easier,” Aleyna pushed on.

  “You are right. I don’t know what they were for,” Marcia conceded.

  That was something. A battle-hardened senator admitting he or she was confused by the signs of the battle was very unusual. Marcia was such a senator and she had fought in many battles and when she looked at an aftermath everything made sense. The small pools of water were most likely inconsequential, yet Aleyna wanted to know why they were there.

  “So what do you think happened here?” Aleyna asked Marcia.

  “The way they were grouped in this area tells me the fight with Kara was over. It could also mean Kara was still in the water and they tried to get close to her, but I don’t think so. They would’ve been spread all over the length of the shore trying to block her escape.”

  “They had horses, Kara was in the water. Not very likely she would get out somewhere else before they got there. Besides, Kara could not afford to stay too long in the cold water and they could not afford to wait just in case Kara might be recharging,” Aleyna replied.

  “Maybe. So the riders were attacked by someone trying to help Kara or someone trying to erase the evidence. Either way, none of the soldiers escaped this place.”

  “It was probably a clean-up. Why do you think Kara is still alive?”

  “The voice you heard before you woke up after the attack. It sounded like a senatorial order, not unlike the one I used to wake you. And you thought the voice sounded like Kara.”

  “The voice was similar to Kara’s, but there were differences. It wasn’t Kara. She wouldn’t have left me! Does the voice you use when sending a mental command sound like your real voice?”

  “We can disguise them if we want, but it takes training and discipline,” Christian answered. “It is used when you want to hide the fact you took over a human and then severed the link. I don’t believe you don’t know this.”

  “I haven’t experienced a senator’s control so I can’t arrive to an informed opinion. And when I read your books this detail escaped me.” Aleyna was a little prickly.

  “Just out of curiosity, how many orders have you been given?” Christian asked.

  “Including the wake-up call I received this morning, one! Or, if your mother is right, two! Could someone make a mental command sound like it came from someone else?”

  “No! Disguising your voice is one thing, mimicking another is impossible.”

  Marcia’s reply seemed definitive, yet Aleyna wasn’t convinced. If all it took was training and discipline, with enough exercise and experimentation you might be able to replicate someone’s voice fairly accurate. Christian seemed to consider the possibility as well.

  “People have been known to sound alike. Maybe that’s what happened.” Christian said.

  “More likely nothing happened and there wasn’t a command from a senator,” Aleyna concluded. “And it’s very little to assume from that Kara is alive.”

  The reasoning was simple. Kara would not have left her. The only way to break the connection was if at least one of them died. Aleyna was still alive, ergo, Kara must be dead. She had let herself hope for a while when there was no hope. The bastards who killed Kara didn’t want to leave any traces that led back to them. Killing the soldiers just made sense.

  “My tracker is sure a small group left here in a hurry heading towards the villa. Those tracks were over those of the riders. He lost the small group close to the villa,” Marcia spoke.

  “So, whoever killed them went to the villa and dealt with Rufus and the soldiers there.”

  �
�From what I could gather they were killed two hours before the attack on you. Whoever killed the people in the villa must’ve given a signal to the soldiers, who were located somewhere between the villa and the lake, to attack you when they were done. There would be no reason for anyone but Kara to go back. There is something strange about this whole thing and I want to check something there,” Marcia explained.

  “Is your tracker any good?” Aleyna asked. There was always the possibility the tracker was wrong, although Marcia didn’t employ incompetent ones.

  “He hasn’t been wrong until now.”

  That was good enough for Aleyna. They’d seen all there was to see here, so there wasn’t a reason to lose any more time. No one said it was time to go to the villa. It wasn’t necessary, they all knew what had to be done.

  Another hour of silence followed. The two senators knew what they were going to find, but Aleyna could only imagine. None of them was in any hurry to get there. The time for haste had been yesterday afternoon and Marcia did everything that was within her power. It must’ve been frustrating having to chase shadows. Who were they looking for? Senators, wizards, sorceresses? There was no easy answer to that.

  The gates opened when they were close to the villa. Marcia must’ve left a garrison here yesterday, reluctant to abandon the place. She was probably right. If they were headed for war, places like this, easily defendable, must be held. All the bodies were still there, nobody had buried or moved them. The senator had given an order to keep the place undisturbed. She must’ve wanted to see it for herself and come to her own conclusions.

  It was pretty clear to Aleyna. The wounds were all self-inflicted, so a senator must’ve done this. A guest. Marcia must’ve come to the same conclusion because they went to the hall next. Three cups of wine were on the table. Aleyna grimaced. They didn’t bother to hide their tracks here. It was like they wanted to know who was responsible for this.

  “This is what I have found strange,” Marcia spoke. “They burned the bodies at the lake, presumably to remove any links to them, but they don’t burn the bodies here.”

  “They’re gloating! They want us to know that sorceresses or wizards were involved in what happened at the lake and senators did this. It’s a show of strength!”

  “It is stupidity and arrogance,” Christian disagreed. “That’s all there is! They must’ve broken the law. No other way they could’ve done this.”

  “Even if we find them they’ll just claim Rufus attacked them or something like that.”

  Aleyna looked at Marcia and saw determination on her face. The senator must’ve been convinced a war was coming. Aleyna couldn’t disagree. The soldiers came from Cuttland. At least it seemed that way. The senators must’ve come from there as well. The senators from Cuttland were probably the only ones who could stand against those from Suttland. The sorceresses were in Cuttland as well. Some of them were in the capital and their land only had a border with Cuttland and the western sea. It was all so damn obvious.

  “Those leeches from Cuttland actually dared to attack us?” Aleyna sneered.

  “Or someone is clever enough to make us believe that,” Marcia retorted.

  Her list of suspects was the same as Marcia’s. Any of the leading senatorial houses in Cuttland or one of their clients, Lucian and Julia. Aleyna thought of Julia. She didn’t exactly get along with the powerful senator. Julia was friends with Kara so she tolerated her. When the three of them were together they seemed to be competing for Kara’s attention. Maybe both of them were a little jealous. Aleyna hated to think of herself that way, although there was some truth to it. Could Julia have done this? She certainly was smart enough and senators were strange and unpredictable sometimes even to her. In their pursuit of power sometimes they betrayed their friends. Lucian was even more power-hungry then the two young women. Yet it would’ve been so much easier for him to use fifty soldiers than a thousand.

  “Would Julia do this?” Aleyna asked Marcia.

  “I don’t think so! If Julia wanted to expand her power, there are easier ways to do it.”

  “And Lucian would not need a thousand soldiers and Kara’s father was not a threat.”

  “No! But any of Kara’s clients would’ve needed the soldiers.”

  It was the unspoken thought. One of the clients wanted to increase their standing and maybe create a new leading house in Suttland. It was possible, but difficult. At least five of Kara’s clients, including Marcia, had enough power to start a new family.

  “It wasn’t you was it?” Aleyna tried to joke, but she was not being funny.

  “No, it wasn’t me!” Marcia answered drily.

  Aleyna found herself wandering through the house. It all seemed so different now. The villa was usually crowded and noisy. Now the smell of blood and death seemed to permeate everything. Lost in thoughts, Aleyna didn’t realize she walked in Kara’s room. She had no idea what she was doing there. The room was full of Kara’s things and that made her think of all they had done together. Each of the small, insignificant objects was tied to a cherished memory. She started going through her friend’s things when she realized some were missing. Some of the dresses, the jewelry, but most importantly, Kara’s armor and mask were not there.

  She hurried to find Marcia when she heard the voice in her head. “The courtyard!” She didn’t like being ordered around but sometimes the connection between her and Marcia was very useful. Marcia already knew what she saw yet she was more interested in a stone table.

  “Do these look like ashes and like someone incinerated something on it?”

  “Sure!” Aleyna thought Marcia was right, although she didn’t figure why it was important. Kara’s missing things should preoccupy the senator more.

  “I think someone incinerated Rufus here? Do you know where the crypt is?”

  “You know that I do! And you know where it is, too!”

  “Yes, we are two of the few people who know its location. There are less than ten persons who do. The cult of the ancestors makes it one of our most important secrets.”

  “I know. I only know about the crypt because I was not supposed to outlive Kara. It was a mistake she had asked me to run. I shouldn’t have done it. A hostile senator could have learned everything I know. It was blind luck I managed to get to you.”

  “It was what she wanted and she knew the risks. Besides, why would someone take her things? Why would someone incinerate Rufus? Have you ever been in the crypt?”

  Aleyna shook her head. Cold, dark places were not one of her favorite things. The belief that if you destroyed the ancestors you annihilated the family existed among the senators. So if an enemy found its way to a crypt and laid waste to it the family would cease to exist. It was an old belief and not many put much weight on it, but it was the reason why the senators kept the places where they buried their family mostly secret and hard to get to.

  “No. Even when I was a child it didn’t tempt me,” Aleyna replied.

  “Well, you’re in luck, because that’s where we are going,” Marcia said drily.

  “Lucky me!” Aleyna murmured the words, although she was sure Marcia heard her.

  Whether she liked it or not, Aleyna was descending the steps to the cellar following Marcia. Christian was also with them, curiosity getting the best of him. They found the secret door to the tunnels open. Someone didn’t bother locking it after he or she left or said someone was still in there. Aleyna didn’t know which alternative she liked best.

  “We should probably get some soldiers to come with us,” Christian spoke first.

  “Do you really think someone is in there?” Marcia asked her son.

  “I rather be cautious than regret it later,” Christian answered.

  “Whoever opened this door is long gone. Nobody would’ve hidden in here for an entire day. The fewer persons who know about this place the better,” Aleyna ended the conversation.

  Marcia agreed and she starting leading them through the tunnels and caves. The sena
tor was the only one who had ever been in the crypt, although all three of them had a theoretical knowledge. And that theoretical knowledge worth nothing, Aleyna guessed, as she wouldn’t have found the niche that led to the last room.

  It was an impressive room, Aleyna had to admit, with all the sculptures, niches and urns. It was the masks which had the most disquieting effect. A unique battle-mask was created for every senator and tried to replicate the features in a complicated way. It sort of looked like the senator if you had the opportunity to compare them, but you didn’t know who was hiding behind it. Well, anyone could hide behind a mask, yet its true owner was hidden as well. A long time ago the senators from Suttland found it useful to keep their identities secret. The fact the masks managed to terrorize their enemies was an added bonus.

  Marcia went directly to Rufus’ urn. The mask was there so everyone was reasonably sure there were ashes as well. Aleyna checked Kara’s niche. There were no ashes or mask. She should’ve felt relief, but she didn’t. The fact that Kara’s ashes and mask were not there only meant nobody bothered to put them there. She looked at Kara’s mother’s urn. No ashes in there either. Uncertainty was often more difficult than knowing for sure.

  “Rufus’s ashes are here and Kara’s aren’t,” Marcia broke the silence.

  “What does this mean?” Christian was confused. So was Aleyna.

  “It means someone is messing with us and is doing it artfully,” Aleyna replied. She was despondent and aware the full impact of losing her friend had not hit yet.

  “Kara might be alive. In fact, I’m pretty sure she is,” Marcia tried to comfort her.

  “Then she is messing with our heads. I wish I knew why!”

  “Because a thousand soldiers managed to sneak into our territory,” Marcia explained.