“They were cultists,” Void said, flatly. “They were all killed, their homes buried beneath landslides. And everyone forgot they ever existed.”
“Except you,” Emily said.
“My master was one of the magicians who fought them,” Void said. “He told me stories about the horrors they wrought, in the name of their god. Of sick rites and rituals that would disgust even a necromancer. I was never sure how many of them were real and how many existed just to spread terror. They clearly tapped into something from the Darkness, but what?”
“And they were destroyed,” Emily said.
“They were monsters,” Void said, flatly. “Sometimes, there’s no hope of rehabilitation. You can only kill the monster or monsters and hope to all the gods you nipped it in the bud.”
He stood. “You did well today. Better than some apprentices.”
“Thanks,” Emily said. “Did you have to drug me?”
“You can be surprised at any moment,” Void said. “I have your best interests at heart. The next person who slips something nasty into your drink might intend to do something far worse.”
Emily shivered. “You do know I’m going to be testing everything you give me from now on?”
“So you should.” Void didn’t seem offended. Emily knew sorcerers who would have been outraged at the merest hint of distrust. “And you should know how to do it — now — without making it obvious.”
“We’ll go back to the tower,” he added. “You can shower and rest and tomorrow... we’ll try your teleport spell.”
Emily stood. A shower sounded heavenly. “You think it’ll work?”
“I think it’s worth testing,” Void said. He held out a hand. “Shall we go?”
Chapter Twenty-One
EMILY FELT ALMOST HUMAN AGAIN AS she followed Void out of the tower, through the hidden valley and up a path leading further into the mountains. She hadn’t had time for a proper rest, but she’d showered and eaten a hearty lunch and generally felt ready for anything. The only downside, as far as she could tell, was discovering her dress was beyond repair. It was so far beyond repair, the maids had insisted, that it wasn’t even worth being turned into rags. Emily hadn’t decided what to do with the dress, but she didn’t want to throw it out. It had been a gift from a queen, after all.
Void showed no sign of his age, walking as confidently as a younger man as he picked his way through the path and down into the next valley. Emily thought she saw things move through the undergrowth, although she wasn’t sure what they were. Mundane animals or supernatural creatures? The sense of being watched prickled at the back of her mind as Void found a clearing and came to a halt. Emily looked around, warily. It was easy to imagine eyes looking back at her from the shadows.
“I took your spell apart completely, then put it back together again,” Void said. “I smoothed it out in places, as you’ll see, but otherwise I haven’t changed anything.”
Emily took the parchment he offered her and carefully read it. She wouldn’t put it past Void to make a tiny change that would render the entire spell useless — or worse. Professor Lombardi had done the same thing in class, publicly humiliating any student who didn’t think to thoroughly check the wording before actually trying the spell. She checked every line, mouthing through the spellwork piece by piece. Void didn’t seem to have done anything, beyond what he’d claimed. She had to admit the improved version of the spell was a little neater.
“I’ve designated the arrival point as the edge of the valley,” Void explained, as she looked up. “There’s no point in jumping around the world on your first try.”
“Yes, sir,” Emily said, although she was a little disappointed. “What do you want us to teleport?”
Void removed a glowing green gem from his robe. “I designed this gem to hold a spell,” he said. “It isn’t quite as flexible as hosting the spell within your wards, sadly, but it should suffice. We’ll put the spell in the gem, then teleport” — he pointed to a rock on the ground — “that rock to the arrival point.”
He frowned. “I tried to figure out a way to teleport something a little larger than a couple of people,” he said. “But the power requirements were simply too high.”
Emily nodded. The more mass one tried to teleport, the more power one needed. “And then you run into the point of diminishing returns.”
“More like the point of infinite power demands,” Void said. “And then your spell fails before you finish casting it.”
“Which might be a good thing,” Emily said. “Someone could really abuse a mass teleport spell.”
Void shrugged and passed her the gem. “You can go first,” he said. “Remember to input the spell piece by piece.”
“Yes, sir,” Emily said. The gem felt heavy in her hand, pregnant with possibility. “I’m ready.”
She took one last look at the parchment, then closed her eyes and focused on the spell. She’d been taught basic wardcrafting and enchantment, but this was an order of magnitude more complicated. The spell fought, almost as if it didn’t want to take shape. She gritted her teeth and pressed on, trying to lock it firmly in place. Void would probably make it look easy, when he tried. But she wanted to do it for herself...
And who gets the credit, she asked herself, when the spell becomes public knowledge?
She put the thought aside as the spell slipped into place. It glowed as it rested within the gem, ready for activation. She set a keyword, then pulled her mind back and opened her eyes. The gem glowed, pulsing with power. She inspected it for a long moment, then passed it to Void. He studied it, turning the gem over and over again as he probed it with his magic. She found herself unable to breathe. If he found a flaw in her work...
Nothing is ever perfect the first time, she reminded herself, stiffly. Void had said as much. So had her earlier teachers. Behind every success sits a hundred failures.
Void looked up at her. “It seems perfect,” he said. “And ready to be tested.”
Emily let out a breath. “Can I?”
He passed her the gem. Emily carried it over to the rock and placed it carefully on top. The teleport gem shouldn’t need to be secured to the rock. Or so the equations claimed. Her lips quirked. The gem teleporting without the rock would be embarrassing. They’d have to either tie the gem to the rock or fix the spell.
“Ready,” she said. “Can I say the magic word?”
Void nodded. “Keep your distance,” he advised. “You don’t want to get caught up in the spell.”
Emily nodded, then raised her voice. “America!”
The gem glowed, brightly. Emily raised her hand to cover her eyes as there was a sudden flash of light. The gem — and the rock — vanished. Emily breathed a sigh of relief, lowering her hand. If everything had gone according to plan, the rock should be at the planned destination. If not... it might have landed on someone’s head. It was theoretically impossible for a teleporting sorcerer to interpenetrate with someone or something at the far end, but she wasn’t keen to test that theory. Protective spells only went so far.
Void glanced at her. “America?”
“There aren’t many people here who’ve even heard of America,” Emily said. “It isn’t something anyone here would say.”
“Good thinking,” Void said. He inclined a hand towards the edge of the clearing. “Do you want to check on your rock?”
Emily felt nervous as she turned and walked back to the foot of the valley. If the rock wasn’t there... she let out a breath as she saw the rock, the gem lying beside it. The force of the teleport must have knocked it loose. She picked up the gem and prodded it, gently. The spell was gone. The internal structure Void had crafted felt badly damaged, on the verge of falling apart. She guessed the surge of power had been enough to weaken it beyond repair.
“It worked,” she said, as she carried the gem back to the clearing. “But the gem was badly damaged.”
Void took the gem and examined it. “It can be repaired, with time,” he
said. He brought another gem out of his robes. “Do you want to try another rock? Or do you want to test the spell yourself?”
“Myself,” Emily said. “If I rest the spell in my wards, the power surge should be less damaging.”
“Be careful,” Void said. “And let me see the spell before you cast it.”
“Yes, sir.” Emily stepped into the clearing, closed her eyes and put the spell together. “I think it’s done.”
Void’s magic poked and prodded at her for a long moment. Emily kept her eyes closed, resisting the urge to push him away. It felt unpleasant, but she knew better than to cast the spell without his permission. It could easily get her killed. And yet... she thought hours went by before Void grunted his assent. He didn’t sound pleased.
Emily opened her eyes and looked at him. “Is the spell alright?”
“I would prefer someone else to cast it,” Void said, flatly. “But you won’t let anyone else, will you?”
“No,” Emily said. “The risk is mine.”
She cast the spell. A rush of magic shot through her. Blinding light tore at her eyes. The ground heaved under her feet. She felt as if she’d been thrown through the air, an instant before she hit the ground. The force of the impact knocked the breath out of her. She had to fight to stay conscious. Her body wanted to plunge into darkness. Someone was talking, saying something to her...
“Emily!” Emily couldn’t place the voice. “Emily!”
“I’m fine,” she managed. Void. It was Void who was speaking. “I’m...”
She felt hands on her back. “You are not fine,” Void said, sharply. “You’re bleeding in a dozen places.”
Emily shivered as she felt his magic running down her body. She was lying on her front, unable to move. Pain quivered at the edge of her awareness, as if she was too stunned to realize she should be screaming. Void’s magic grew stronger, healing the damage before he rolled her over. She found herself staring into his face.
“I’m fine,” she said, again. She lifted her hand and winced. Dirt and pebbles had practically been ground into her skin. Blood stained her robes. “I... I think I lost my footing.”
Void gave her a sardonic look. “You think?”
Emily forced herself to sit up. Her body was starting to hurt, despite his healing spells. She suspected she looked as if she’d come off worst in a fight. Her hands hurt, nasty little pains shooting up and down her arms. Void studied her, worriedly. It felt good to know he cared.
“I must have rotated during the teleport,” she said. That was odd. A normal teleport spell didn’t flip her upside down. “That’s why the gem fell off the rock.”
“Perhaps we should have started with something more fragile,” Void said. “We’ll have to fiddle with the spell.”
Emily touched her forehead. It felt like it was going to bruise. “Why would it turn me on my side? It shouldn’t have...”
“It might have orientated you relative to the nexus points,” Void said. He sat back on his haunches, watching her. “Or there’s something we miss when we teleport normally. I’ll have to give it some thought.”
“As will I,” Emily said. She considered the problem for a moment. “We don’t normally rotate while the spell is taking shape, but... maybe it isn’t tied solidly to me. I might not have been properly connected to the spell.”
“We know it works,” Void told her, primly. “The simple fact you teleported is proof enough.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t tied to the spell,” Emily said. She searched for an analogy. “I... if you stash your luggage on a stagecoach roof, you have to tie it down. If it isn’t tied down, it gets thrown off...”
“Which is not the most reassuring thing you could say.” Void stood and held out a hand. “Can you stand?”
“I can try.” Emily took his hand and forced herself to stand up. “It’s painful, but I can walk.”
Void nodded. “It’s probably a good thing you didn’t try to teleport around the world,” he said. “You might have landed on your head.”
“I might.” Emily gritted her teeth. Nothing was broken, but she had aches and pains in her legs too. She could feel blood trickling down into her boots. “We’ll fix the spell.”
“Of course.” Void held her arm as they started to walk. “And we’ll try again in a week or two.”
Emily sighed. She wanted to fix the spell and try again immediately. She hated the idea of waiting until she earned another reward. But she knew Void was right. She had to continue with her apprenticeship. And besides, it would probably be a good idea to sit down and think of other ways to test the spell. She’d been very lucky. She could have easily hit the ground hard enough to break bones, if the impact didn’t kill her.
The pain worsened as they inched through the pass and down into the hidden valley. Her palms felt as if someone had driven nails into her skin. She shuddered as she looked at her free hand, at the pieces of stone lodged within. It wouldn’t be easy to remove them. She’d once watched Lady Barb remove pieces of cauldron that had nearly killed a careless student. It hadn’t been easy to take the pieces out without making things worse.
And they might have picked up magic from the teleport, she thought. It might not be safe to use magic to take them out.
Void summoned Silent as soon as they reached the tower. “Help Emily to the washroom, then do whatever you have to do,” he said. “I’ll be brewing a healing potion.”
Silent curtsied. Her eyes were very wide. Emily winced as Void let go of her, but forced herself to walk into the washroom. Her arms and legs felt terrifyingly numb. Silent followed, slipping past her to turn on the taps. The washroom looked as if it hadn’t been used since the day Emily had first entered the tower. She stared at her face in the mirror, barely recognizing herself. Her face was so badly scarred that she was half-convinced she had lost a fight.
She winced as Silent carefully undressed her. Her body was covered in bruises that stretched all the way down to her ankles. She looked as if she’d been beaten to within an inch of her life, then whipped like a petty thief in the marketplace. Blood stained her skin. She swallowed hard, reminding herself to collect the blood before it could be taken and used against her. Void wouldn’t hurt her, she was sure, but he might do something to remind her to take precautions. It was one mistake she had no intention of making again.
“My Lady.” Silent sounded stunned as she picked up a cloth and started to wipe away the blood. “What did he do to you?”
Emily laughed, despite the pain. “Nothing,” she said. “I did it to myself.”
Silent shot her a doubtful look. Emily sighed inwardly, realizing the maid thought Void had beaten her... she shook her head. Masters might have the legal right to beat their apprentices, but there were limits. A master who gained a reputation for sadism would find himself without students. No one would want to put their lives in his hands.
“It’s true,” she said. The cloth stung as Silent started to remove the dirt and pebbles. “I did something stupid. and bang.”
“As My Lady pleases,” Silent said. She washed Emily’s chest, then legs. “Is My Lady ready for a bath? Or a shower?”
Emily winced at the mere thought of climbing into a bathtub. “A shower would be preferable,” she said. “You might have to help me get in.”
She waited until the maid had wiped her clean, then stumbled into the shower. The water stung so badly she thought she’d accidentally washed herself with iodine, but the heat made her feel better. She leaned into the water, feeling her legs threatening to buckle again. The force of the impact had stunned her. She closed her eyes, recalling the spell. Perhaps if she altered the teleporting constants...
“Drink this,” Silent said, holding a glass. “His Lordship says it will make you feel better.”
Emily took the glass, making sure to test the potion before she drank. It tasted foul, as always, but she slowly felt the rest of the pain fade. The bruises began to heal, one by one. She stepped out of the shower and
glanced into the mirror. It still looked as if she’d been in a fight, but at least she didn’t look as though she’d been whipped bloody or battered halfway to death. Silent passed her a robe, then started to collect the dirty clothes. Emily hastily cut the links between her and her blood before she let the maid go.
“His Lordship is in the dining hall,” Silent said. “He wishes you to attend upon him.”
“I’ll be there,” Emily said. “And thank you.”
The maid curtsied. “It is all part of my job, My Lady.”
Emily nodded and staggered up the stairs. Her legs didn’t feel as if they were going to collapse — or shatter — at any moment, but she was still gasping in pain when she reached the dining hall. Void stood beside the table, reading a broadsheet. Emily had to smile. He looked surprisingly mundane for a sorcerer who was over a century old.
“Emily,” Void said. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore, but alive,” Emily said. She took the proffered seat with a sigh of relief. “I think I know what went wrong...”
“We’ll work on it later,” Void said, firmly. “I’d like you to take tomorrow off, instead of Friday. You should rest before we go back to work.”
Emily hesitated. She hadn’t been sure what she intended to do on her day off. Jan had hinted he might not be able to make it, but there were plenty of other options. She could meet Frieda or travel to Zangaria or...
“You were injured,” Void said, before she could ask why. “And I’d prefer to give you time to recover before we plunge back into our studies.”
“Yes, sir,” Emily said. A day in bed sounded heavenly. “Can I at least go to the library?”
“Depriving you of the library would be cruel and unusual punishment,” Void said. He smiled at her. “Yes, you can. But I don’t want you practicing any major spells.”
“Yes, sir,” Emily said, again. “I understand.”
“I want you to obey as well as understand,” Void said, bluntly. “You were injured. There’s no shame in taking time to recover. And I want to make sure there are no ill-effects. You tested a dangerous spell. There could be all sorts of complications.”
The Artful Apprentice Page 20