Mysha nodded.
“Do you mind if I tell them your story? So they know I’m not making it up?”
Mysha sighed. “No, I don’t mind at all.”
Natalie’s heart ached for Mysha. Whatever she was hiding obviously weighed heavily on her. But it was equally clear she did not want to speak of it. “Do you want to try and sleep now?”
“Yes.”
Natalie pulled a blanket over her friend. “All right, sweeting. Get some rest. Thank you for your help.”
“Mm.”
Natalie called Jake and left Mysha alone with her demons.
Chapter 12
E
arly the next morning, Natalie made sure she was at the training yard to watch Jules and Charlotte experiment with their powers. As the session progressed, Natalie moved in what she hoped was a casual manner toward the Special Operations Guild members currently watching the two mages at work. She had a hunch: when Jules and Charlotte finished, the Guild would go to their chambers for a meeting. She intended to follow them. And this time, she would get through the door.
Jules and Charlotte tried idea after idea to rein in their powers, but nothing seemed to work. At the moment, Jules sat on the ground in a complete meditative state, but Onlo, who volunteered for the experiment, could not touch him without getting a violent shock. Natalie clenched her fist and glanced away when Jules and Charlotte tried various experiments holding hands. Her breath hissed out through her teeth when the session finally ended. She pushed off the wall she’d been leaning on and stalked after the black-clad guild members.
They murmured amongst themselves about the two mages as they wound their way through the stone passages of the Keep. Natalie followed, her eyes drilling holes in their backs. The wooden doors of the chambers in view, Natalie quickened her pace. When the last guild member passed through, she thrust out her hand and stopped the door.
“Miss Desmond, I believe we’ve discussed this before. You are not allowed in here.”
Natalie cocked her head. “I know who can train Jules and the princess to use their powers. Do you have that information? Because if you do, by all means, I’ll go on my way and you can go back to your fruitless discussions.”
The door opened wider and she caught a glimpse of Onlo and several other guild members gaping at her.
“How did you obtain this information?” said a tall, ivory-skinned woman, whose jet-black hair framed her lovely oval face.
Natalie took a step forward and crossed her arms. “Let me in and I’ll tell you.” She stared at the woman, heart pounding in her chest. The silence in the room echoed in her ears.
The woman inclined her head. “You may come in.”
Natalie walked into the room, its stone floor covered with a woven carpet. A sturdy, circular table occupied most of the room, its maple wood polished to a shine. Natalie selected a chair next to Onlo, who raised his eyebrows at her.
“Natalie, I am Raven Summerwood, Guild Master of the Special Operations Guild. I need you to swear that anything you say or hear within the room goes no further than this room unless otherwise agreed upon. Do you swear on the name of Bridhe, the patron mage of your Isle, you will not impart any information you gain here to anyone?”
“I swear.”
“Thank you. Now, please, tell us how these mages can be trained.”
Natalie related her friendship with Mysha and Mysha’s story of her mission to Solerin and the ancient secrets kept there regarding the training of mages.
The chamber buzzed with several conversations at once, which Natalie had a hard time following. She could tell they wanted to get Jules and Charlotte to Solerin, and soon. Her brow furrowed as she tried to sort through the various exchanges. Catching snippets of some guild members’ feelings, it seemed everyone had a different opinion about who would go and what protection Jules and Charlotte would need. They were, after all, the first mages in two thousand years. The conversation devolved into several heated arguments about the best course of action.
Natalie rubbed her temples. She had no experience leading an expedition to another Isle. And she certainly wasn’t on any councils or in a guild. But holy Goddess, if this is how they run meetings, it’s no wonder they took four days to put together a team to go rescue Jules. To hell with this. “I will take the mages to Solerin,” Natalie announced.
The conversation stopped and everyone stared at her.
“Ms. Desmond, may I remind you that you are here on approval?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Natalie replied. The Guild Master’s eyebrows shot up.
“How will you get the mages to Solerin?”
I don’t know. I don’t even know how to sail, let alone get there. Natalie took a deep breath. “I’ll ask Anli and Onlo to take me?”
“Guild members Osei and Yun are under our command.”
Natalie leaned forward and rested her forearms on the table. “Then send them to Solerin with the mages.”
“Ms. Desmond, you do not even belong here. Do not presume to tell me what to do.”
The threat rumbling below the Guild Master’s words would have terrified Natalie a year ago. As it was, it was all she could do not to pound the table with her fist and shout at her to run the guild in a more efficient matter.
“It’s Healer Desmond, ma’am. And, with all due respect, is there a flaw in my plan? The mages need training as soon as possible, don’t they? Onlo and Anli not only know the mages personally, but are skilled sailors, spies and will protect Healer Rayvenwood and the Princess with their lives. Again, please tell me, what is wrong with my plan?”
The Guild Master glared at her. Apparently the flaw was ‘The guild didn’t come up with the plan.’
“Fine,” the Guild Master spat after a lengthy silence. “But you will stay here, Healer Desmond.” Her tone brooked no argument.
“She should go,” Onlo stated before Natalie could open her mouth again.
The Guild Master crossed her arms. “Explain your reasoning.”
Onlo inclined his head. “I swore to protect Healer Desmond and Princess Charlotte. Since the princess and I must go to Solerin, the Healer must join us so I can uphold my oath. Furthermore, during the mission to rescue Healer Rayvenwood, when Healer Aldworth’s New Mage’s Guild members chased us, I am certain they saw Healer Desmond with us. She requires my protection and should go with me.”
Onlo didn’t take his eyes off the Guild Master, but Natalie shot him a look of gratitude nonetheless. Although his protection had often gotten on her nerves, she did not doubt for one second his loyalty to her or his commitment to keeping those under his protection safe.
Guild Master Summerwood pressed her lips together. “I can certainly release you from your oath.”
Onlo’s face went blank and a muscle in his jaw bulged. “With respect, I decline your offer.”
“Fine. Assemble your team and take the mages to Solerin. I will send an encrypted message to the Head Councilwoman of the Council of Master Gardeners, letting her know of our needs. Come back as soon as the mages are trained. Dismissed.”
“Thank you,” Natalie breathed to Onlo as they filed out of the room with the guild members. “I’m sure she hates me after ruining her meeting. I’m grateful you convinced her to let me go along.”
Onlo chuckled. “You certainly did make an impression in there. But don’t worry about it,” he grinned impishly, eyes twinkling. “I only did it so you would not pester me to death.”
Chapter 13
T
he Solerin coastline was a sight for Natalie’s sore eyes. Running her fingers through her hair to get it unstuck from her face, she squinted against the sun and willed the land to approach faster. Anything to get off this Goddess-forsaken boat.
From her position curled up near the bow, she glared at yet another fireball and the deck crew scrambling madly to put the resulting fire out. After a seemingly endless voyage across the Sionainne with Charlott
e randomly setting the boat aflame, Natalie vacillated between fearing for her life and wanting to vomit of her own accord every time Jules rushed to comfort Charlotte. His doting on her was just the icing on sixteen hours of this hell-cake.
She was lucky to have Jake with her. And Em.
“What about your patients?” Natalie had asked Em, astonished to find her on the boat as they prepared to leave.
“Asha’s keeping an eye on them for me.” Em gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I’m confident she can take care of them. Besides, I don’t want to miss out on the adventure this time.”
“How did you manage to convince the guild to let you come along?”
Em shrugged. “Onlo asked on my behalf.”
“And they just said yes?”
“Mmhmm.”
Natalie looked askance at Em as she stowed her bag; something about her answer didn’t ring true.
Grateful for Em’s company and Onlo’s efforts, she found him and thanked him for persuading the Guild Master let Em come with them. Onlo had cocked an eyebrow at her, the tiniest grin playing on his lips, and then he went about his business.
When the boat docked, Natalie stumbled down the wooden gangplank, her stomach threatening to rebel one last time. An impressive entourage waited to greet them on the pier. I’ll make a wonderful first impression. Maybe I’ll vomit on someone’s feet. Thankfully it was Onlo, not she, who greeted the leader of the Solerin retinue.
The tall, stately woman with cream-colored skin and chestnut brown hair swept into a lovely bun extended her hands to Onlo. “Hello.” She smiled at all of them in turn. “I am Ystrelle, Head Councilwoman of the Council of Master Gardeners and Secret Keeper for the Isle of Solerin. On behalf of the Council, let me welcome you to Solerin.”
Onlo bowed slightly. “Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Head Councilwoman. We are in your debt.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Ystrelle gestured for them to follow her, blue robes shimmering in the sunlight. “Come, you must be weary from your journey. We’ve prepared a safe place for food and rest. Tomorrow, we can take you inland where we can provide the help you seek.”
Natalie glared at the toes of her boots. Whatever they have better work fast, before Jules and Charlotte kill someone.
The next day, Natalie’s foul mood was tempered by the sway of a horse’s back beneath her as the entourage made their way to the center of Solerin. Jake ran alongside her, darting on and off the road to explore the farmland through which they traveled. She was torn between stroking the neck of the lovely, tall dark bay gelding she rode, whom someone had ironically named Ghost, and admiring the lovely landscape of fertile fields of growing trees and crops. It was one thing to learn about Solerin’s Attuned working their magic in the farms and fields, and it was another to witness the fruits of their labors firsthand. Natalie gazed lovingly at the trees, crops and wild grasses swaying gently in the breeze, and it was all she could do to stay on Ghost and not leap off and go exploring.
She wasn’t even angry when Jules and Charlotte left to travel separately from the main group so their out-of-control magic didn’t spook the horses.
Being on Solerin reminded her of home. Her mother’s home-cooked pies, rolling fields dotted with apple trees, her herb garden. Instead of the usual sadness and grief over the loss over her father that thinking of home evoked, joy welled up inside her to the point where she couldn’t keep a smile off her face.
She urged Ghost into a trot and guided him up next to Anli and Em, who rode together, Anli on a sleek blood bay stallion and Em on a delicate little dapple gray mare. She patted her own gelding, who turned his lovely head seeking a treat. Natalie snuck a bit of molasses oat cake out of her pocket, admiring as he delicately took the treat from her hand, the small white star and teardrop-shaped snip on his handsome face.
She and Em chatted about this and that. During their conversation, Natalie made several attempts to include Anli, but she stared straight ahead, frowning. At least that was an improvement from the outright animosity Anli expressed toward her earlier in the year. Natalie sighed. Perhaps the prickly Obfuseltan would never like her.
During lunch, while Jake followed tempting smells into the nearby greenery, tail arched over his back, Natalie peppered various members of the Solerin party with questions about the farms and plant life they had passed by and telling them, in turn, about her family’s apple tree farm. She found them more than willing to answer even her most detailed questions about herbs.
After lunch, Natalie eyed the back of Ystrelle, the chestnut haired Head Councilwoman who led the party astride her majestic gray stallion. She drew Ghost alongside Onlo and leaned her head closer to his. “Do you think we can trust her? Ystrelle, I mean.”
“At this point, I see no other choice. She’s the Secret Keeper.”
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“Remember how you said Mysha told you Jyrenn preserved his magery lessons in the sunstone on Solerin?”
Natalie hummed her assent.
Onlo nodded at Ystrelle’s back. “Apparently, she is the only one who can access them. And she is charged with keeping the existence of the teachings secret unless needed for a mage. We wouldn’t have known about it if not for Mysha’s mission.”
“Did something go wrong on that mission? She seemed upset talking about it.”
“That’s not my story to tell.”
Fair enough. Maybe she’d ask Mysha again when she got back. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Natalie voiced something that had been on her mind since the Special Operations guild meeting. “Did you really only want me to come on the journey to Solerin because I need your protection?”
“Can you think of another reason I’d want you here?”
Surely everyone could see the heat radiating from her cheeks when she realized Onlo might have perceived a double meaning in her question. “Well,” she replied faintly, “I’m a good Healer even if I’m not on Ismereld, and um …”
Any further reasons she could think of felt flimsy. She’d wanted to come because she still loved Jules. And some crazy part of her hadn’t given up hope that Jules still cared for her, too. And maybe, if he could learn to control his magery … well, perhaps it was too early to hope.
Her insides squirmed at the thought of saying as much to Onlo.
“Don’t forget, you were showing excellent promise with your staff skills before you left. I am certainly not one to abandon my students.”
She snorted. “I enjoy training with you, but I’m sure you’ll have better things to do here than teach me defense work. And I’m certain I could’ve trained with someone else while you did this for a few weeks.”
“Natalie, I take my promises seriously. I swore to protect you, and I will. Part of protecting you means helping you learn to protect yourself. I won’t abandon you just because a mission comes up. Besides,” he turned in his saddle and caught her gaze. “If it’s a more active role in the mission you’re craving, my gut tells me you have an important part to play in it yet.”
Natalie mulled over his words in silence, fidgeting with a bit of Ghost’s dark mane as they went along. The sun’s rays slanted through the trees as the party arrived at a series of quaint stone cottages on the shores of a large lake.
Ystrelle stood at the end of the trail stroking the nose of her tall, stately gray stallion. “Please select your cottages, two to a cottage. Put your belongings inside. I’d like to take you out to the stone myself as soon as the mages join us.
The muscles in Natalie’s legs groaned in protest as she swung her leg over Ghost’s back and stumbled, landing in the grass. “C’mon, let’s grab a cottage,” she said to Em.
“Um, sure.”
Natalie raised her eyebrows at Em’s response. “Unless you don’t want a room with me. We’ve done it loads of times, in case you’ve forgotten,” she teased.
Em shook her head. “No, it’s fine, come
on.”
Natalie frowned, grabbing her things and lugging them through the cottage door. Thinking back to their conversation as they left Obfuselt, Natalie noted this wasn’t the first time Em had acted strange and distant on this voyage. Onlo seemed to be keeping a few secrets himself. If her friends insisted on keeping her at a distance, that would mean the one constant in her life would be Anli’s dislike for her. My, what a blessing.
Natalie stood on the banks of Lake Jyrenn along with Jules, Charlotte, Onlo, Anli, Em, and Jake. She skeptically eyed a group of rowboats tied to the pier and placed one hand on her stomach as if she could hold it in place.
Ystrelle descended the hill from the cottages with an ethereal grace, her arms folded behind her back and her draping robes brushing gently over the grass. “Our sunstone megalith is at the center of the lake. Our Isle’s founder, Jyrenn, preserved all his knowledge of how to teach mages in our megalith. I will escort you out for the first lesson. I think you will find it useful to have someone take notes in case lessons need to be referenced later, and Jules and the princess will be busy practicing what they’ve learned.”
“Can Jyrenn can help us, Ystrelle?” Desperation tinged the princess’s voice.
“Yes, I’m certain of it. Please follow me to the rowboats.”
“Jules, what if I set a boat on fire?”
Jules took her hand. “You’ll be fine; I don’t think it’s a long ride. Come on, it’s just a short trip …”
Sympathy for her former student warred with the unstoppable force that swirled from her stomach to her head and made her see red every time she saw Charlotte and Jules together. His voice faded as Natalie stomped to her own boat and nearly capsized it as she got in, earning a reprimand from Onlo.
“He’s just trying to help her, Natalie. They’re in this together.” Despite chastising her for precariously tipping the boat, Onlo’s voice was gentle.
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