Brink Mage

by Gideon Mills

  He was sure at that moment that Amon was going to jump down from the platform he was on with the king and attack him. Like he knew that Wyatt was hiding who he was. Some people thought a mage could spot another, but that wasn’t the case. Only if they were actively casting a spell.

  That was the last thing Wyatt would do here in front of Amon. The spell he used to hide their appearance wasn’t actively drawing his mana. He should be completely safe, and yet he felt like he was about to be exposed.

  “You remind me of a private investigator in the city,” Allegra said.

  That took all his will not to appear surprised and stop the dance they were doing. As much as he just wanted to pretend he didn’t hear her, he had. “Oh. I see. Never met a PI before.”

  Allegra pulled her head from his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. “If you say so, but any PI should be careful here. The place is booby-trapped, and the info he seeks probably isn’t where he would think it is.”

  The song ended. “Good evening, fine sir.”

  Wyatt did the proper send-off for the princesses. Not that he had ever danced or talked to one before, but he was well read. Not to mention Francis had spoken about it more than once. That man was loyal to the family, or at least used to be.

  Amon was still up on the stage with the king, and they stopped watching Wyatt once he was no longer with the princess. That was a massive weight off his chest and would let him sneak out. The speed that the eyes peeled away from him was astonishing. If there was one thing that Wyatt learned tonight, it was that he really didn’t want to be royalty. The eyes on him all the time would get annoying. It was bad enough that he was paranoid as he walked the streets already, but Allegra had that all the time. Pass.

  Wyatt moved to the fringe of the room and moved. Making sure that no one watched him. Time was slipping away, and the spell would lose its power. That had been one of the biggest concerns coming here, but Wyatt never thought it would be this bad. That he would be dancing with the princess. Amon scaring him half to death . . . well, that had been expected.

  Five long minutes later, Wyatt was at the spot where Gillian and Cat had left the ballroom. As he moved through the room, and the curtains on the wall provided him with some cover, Wyatt thought about what the princess had said. That the data he sought might not be where he would hope it to be.

  He thought it would be with the king or in something that he cared about. Maybe it would be with the mage’s stuff. Amon had to have a place in the castle that only he was allowed. Where not even the king could go.

  That might be where he needed to go.

  The door opened behind Wyatt, and he was pulled out of the ballroom with a force that he hadn’t expected.

  31

  A quickie

  It was Cat that pulled him out of the ballroom. She had lust in her eyes like he had never seen before. “That was hot, and I’m wet. This is so intense,” Cat said.

  “You find anything?”

  She shook her head. “This spy work is intoxicating.”

  Suddenly her hand was on Wyatt’s cock and stroking it through the clothes. They really didn’t have time for this at all. They needed to focus on the task at hand. Yet, Cat didn’t let up. She rubbed him, fast and furious.

  Cat kissed him. Her lips soft and subtle, her strength overpowering him. There was no way to stop this, he wanted her now. He wouldn’t be denied.

  With speed and agility that only an elf could manage, Cat had his cock out of his pants, and her dress hiked up for him.

  He was hard as a rock already, and she was soaking wet. Wyatt’s member slipped into her dripping wet pussy. They didn’t have long, but he didn’t care. The high of getting caught by someone increased the arousal and the intensity of the fuck.

  Thrusting deep into her tight hole, Wyatt pounded her. Over and over. Faster than he had ever before. He wanted this to last but knew it couldn’t. Everything was heightened.

  “Fuck,” Cat said. “Wyatt.”

  They couldn’t be loud for fear of being caught. Wyatt came deep inside her. It was the fastest fuck of his life, but the most intense one he ever had.

  “Impressive.”

  Wyatt looked to the right and into the castle, and Gillian was standing there. “Too bad we didn’t have time. Might ask for my turn.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but it didn’t matter. He put his cock back into his pants. “I think the princess knows who I am.”

  “That is disconcerting,” Cat replied. She was doing her best to de-wrinkle the dress, but it wasn’t going to work. Everyone would know that she had a little romp tonight. Wyatt was sure that would draw some eyes and make a great many men envious of the lucky guy.

  “She said that the info I seek wouldn’t be where I thought it was.”

  Gillian nodded. “We managed to get into the king's private chambers.”

  That was good news. “Uh. Was it unguarded?”

  “We took out two guardsmen, and searched the place,” Cat said. “We left it a mess. I hope that is okay.”

  Wyatt didn’t care, and if Gillian was fine with all that happened, he was going to be as well. They didn’t have time to clean up after themselves.

  “So that is empty. We could find the vault, or some other place like the throne room, or war room,” Wyatt said. “But with what the princess said, I think the private chambers of Amon is where we need to go.”

  “I like that thought,” Cat said.

  “One problem.” Gillian had a very concerned look on her face. “I don’t know where that is.”

  That made things a bit harder than they would need to be. They were nearing the halfway point of the allotted time. Wyatt knew this was going to be a pressure cooker and had to think fast.

  “I could use a spell,” he said.

  “But I thought you said Amon would be able to sense that,” Cat said. “Wouldn’t that be bad?”

  “It would draw his attention,” Wyatt admitted.

  “How about we don’t do that.” Gillian spun and marched away from the ballroom. She might be in the most exquisite dress he had ever seen, but she was still a guardswoman and moved like it.

  It was best not to give Amon a heads-up that another mage was here and using magic. That just made this slower, and time was already slipping away from them. They had to find the chambers of the mage here.

  The castle was large, and that made it much more difficult to search all of it. There was no way that was going to happen. “Okay,” Wyatt said. “We know it’s not with the king. We know that we have to find the chambers of a mage, or I’m fairly certain. Is there a guest section here? Like for visiting royals or something.”

  Gillian nodded. “There is.”

  “Let’s try there.”

  It was as good a place to start as any in Wyatt’s mind. They rushed over to that section of the castle, doing their best to move unseen in the corridors of the castle. Wyatt was thankful for the reception in the ballroom. If all the guards didn’t have that to deal with, Wyatt had to imagine that these hallways would be much more congested, and they would draw more attention. He was already sweating copious amounts as it was.

  None of the halls in this part of the palace were lit up very well tonight. That was strange. The rest had candle or gas lanterns lining the halls giving off light. This one was dark, with the only light coming from the moon in the windows.

  Thankfully, Wyatt had been able to make sure Cat’s tattoo didn’t shine in the moonlight. It still remained hidden beneath the spell that he cast at his place. That was a small blessing.

  “Something is off,” Cat said. “I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “I agree,” Gillian added. “The lights should be lit and a guard or two.”

  Goosebumps formed on his neck. The air was thick, and Wyatt was sure they weren’t alone. That this might be a trap, and the princess sent them into it. That didn’t seem right. Allegra seemed to genuinely care about figuring this out. Yet, this felt wro
ng on many levels, and Wyatt couldn’t place it.

  A breeze went by him. Or a blur, like a person moving faster than he could see. “Honey dung,” Cat said.

  Gillian looked at her with a confused expression. Wyatt wasn’t much better; that was a phrase that he had never heard in his life. He was having that happen to him more these days with Cat and Octavia. Elves and goblins said some of the strangest things.

  “Good to see you,” a woman said.

  Wyatt didn’t see her at all, but Cat clearly did. “Selene,” Cat said. “What are you doing here?”

  In all his life, Wyatt had never been so lost as to what was going on. There had to be someone here, but Wyatt couldn’t see anything.

  “Your little mage is lost,” Selene said. “Same with the stunning lady next to you. Gillian, right?”

  “How?” Gillian asked.

  “Just a guess,” Selene said. “We haven’t actually met, but I’ve seen you around. I like to lurk in the corners, remain hidden, and help out my master.”

  It was like a punch in the stomach. Wyatt figured it out. “Dark elf,” he said.

  Selene moved out of the darkest parts of the hall and was visible. In any shadow, a dark elf could be unseen by anyone except an elf. This was the first dark elf that Wyatt had ever seen. Her skin was pitch black, and her hair was too. Almost everything about her served to blend into the shadows. And in a strange way, she was beautiful.

  “Selene,” Cat said. “Again, what are you doing here?”

  “I already said, helping out my master.”

  “Amon?” Wyatt asked.

  Selene smirked at him. Under any other circumstances, he would want to ask her a million questions. Wyatt wanted to know more about the dark elves and the way they lived. How they moved unseen, and how almost no one even knew they existed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Why?” Cat’s face turned into a ball of anger. “He’s killing elves.”

  Selene leaned against a wall and flicked in and out of sight. “Why should I care? Elves aren’t my kin. They threw me out, treated me like scum.”

  Cat sighed. “That isn’t true, and you know it. We treat all elves the same. Dark or not. Light or not. Good or evil.”

  “You’re naïve.” Selene pushed off the wall and stood in the moonlight. Her face was shimmering with the brightest tattoo that he had ever seen. It made her look even more exotic. “They don’t like me and other dark elves. Treat us like we are all born evil. So why not just live up to the expectation.”

  “You can be better,” Cat said. “Show them they are wrong.”

  “Pass.” Selene was in the shadows again and on the move. Wyatt could hear her, if only slightly. She ran past them and knocked him on his ass, Gillian too.

  Cat moved out of the way. Wyatt and Gillian stood no chance of being able to fight the dark elf. She was an impossible foe for them at night. And with the halls having no lights. That all made sense now, Selene made sure she had all the advantages.

  “Go,” Cat said. “Find the room. I’ll deal with Selene.”

  Time was short, and that was the only reason that Wyatt was even willing to leave Cat behind alone. They had only fifteen minutes before they would be exposed for all to see.

  Wyatt and Gillian were on their feet and running down the hall. Throwing doors open. This had to be the right place to find what they were looking for. It just had to be.

  Behind them, Wyatt could hear the two elves fighting. He just hoped that Cat didn’t get hurt. He’d never forgive himself for leaving her to deal with the dark elf alone. There just wasn’t any other way for them to get it all done. Time was against them at the moment, and this was the only way they might, just might get out before the spell was broken by the counter spell set on the castle.

  “You have any idea?” Wyatt asked.

  Gillian shook her head but suddenly stopped in front of a door. “This one, maybe, I think.”

  That wasn’t very encouraging. “Uh, we don’t have time to waste,” he said.

  The guardswoman gave him a stern look. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her nose crinkled. “I’m aware.”

  “Sorry.”

  He didn’t want to be rude, but that was how he had sounded. All of this made him tense, and he wanted out of here, and the sooner the better. This was all too much for him. While he was used to stress with the job, and his line of work in general, this one was even worse, and seeing that he was hired by Princess Allegra was making it even worse. Not to mention the fear of having Amon learn that he was here.

  “This door was forbidden recently,” she said. “Heard guards talk about a boobytrap on it.”

  That didn’t surprise Wyatt one bit, and why the princess might not have gotten the info herself. The door would have magic on it—a ward cast to keep anyone out.

  “I’m going to have to use magic,” Wyatt said.

  “Won’t that draw Amon?”

  It would draw him to them, but it might take time. He had to be looking in the direction of the room. That might buy them a little time, and if Wyatt was fast with his spell and able to figure out the ward the other mage used in record time, they might just go unnoticed. It was highly unlikely, but it was possible.

  That sliver of hope was what Wyatt clung to. “I might be able to do it unnoticed, but don’t count on it.”

  Gillian nodded. “Very well.”

  Closing his eyes, Wyatt took in a deep breath to steady his nerves. This was going to be hard, and he needed to be hyper focused on the task. Reaching out to his mana, Wyatt pulled in just a trickle of his magic. The more he pulled in, the more likely that Amon would be able to sense him.

  With just enough to touch the door with his mana, Wyatt reached out to test it. The ward on the door pushed back on his mana. Sent vile darkness through Wyatt, and made him sick to his stomach. Wyatt wanted to puke his guts out. He barely was able to stop himself from doing that and was only able to stay on his feet with the quick reflexes of Gillian.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  He nodded. Down the hall, they could still hear the battle that raged between Cat and Selene. Wyatt wanted to be there and helping Cat instead of using his magic and trying to pry open this door.

  “I can do this,” he said. More to talk himself into believing he could than for Gillian.

  “I know you can. You have already shown me that you are a powerful mage and a good one. Not to mention studly.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. Thankful for the distraction she was trying to provide. The guardswoman knew that he was scared half to death. He set out to do the task at hand. Not letting anything stop him. He poked and prodded the door and the ward on it. The vileness that Amon used on it. Dark magic. Blood magic. A person had died for this to be placed, and Wyatt knew that was forbidden and if the brotherhood knew of this, they would be furious with Amon.

  That led to Wyatt wondering who was truly behind this and what they were trying to do. Hopefully, the knowledge that Wyatt needed lay in the room and would help them figure out what to do next.

  As much as Wyatt wanted to avoid pulling his mana in, he was going to have to use more. All of it. This ward required him to use a blunt force tactic, rather than a skilled, subtle one. Amon knew that when he placed it. He had made sure he would be able to catch any mage that tried.

  “I’m going to draw his attention, and he will be here fast,” Wyatt said.

  “Okay.”

  Now more than ever did Wyatt wish that Octavia was here with them. The more allies they could have at their sides the better it would be. No way around any of this, he pulled all the mana he could into himself. Reaching the limits of his power. No doubt drawing the attention of Amon and Francis in the ballroom.

  Wyatt pushed on the door, making it burst open, shattering both the ward on the door and the wood. Splinters shot through the air, nearly slicing into him and Gillian, only missing them by millimeters.

  “Holy hell,” she said. “I’m sure the
whole castle heard that.”

  “Sorry,” he said. “If I didn’t do that, we would have gotten stuck in a trap and unable to move.”

  That was simplifying the trap that Amon had placed on the door. But it wasn’t wrong. They would have been here until Amon got done with them. Now at least they could enter the room and search it.

  The two rushed into the room. It was pitch black. Since he already knew that Amon was going to be here soon, Wyatt kept his mana flowing into him and made the room bright. Standing in front of them was Selene. She must have rushed past them as he opened the door.

  The dark elf was covered in blood, and in cuts. Wyatt hoped, prayed that Cat was okay.

  Selene laughed. “You are dead.”

  The dark elf lunged at them. Gillian reacted before Wyatt could, and blocked the attack. Then another figure appeared in the room and sliced at the dark elf. Selene dropped to the floor, bleeding from both her legs.

  Cat knelt next to the dark elf, and she had tears in her eyes. “Selene,” Cat said, “you didn’t have to do this. You are better. Elves all belong together.”

  The dark elf didn’t answer her. Didn’t look up.

  “Find the info,” Cat said. “I’m sure we don’t have time.”

  32

  An Answer

  Wyatt and the others franticly searched the room. It wasn’t a large room, with only a bed, a dresser, and a few other things. Yet, Wyatt was having no luck finding a hidden letter. They tossed the bed and emptied the bureau.

  “It’s not here,” Cat said.

  It had to be in this room—why else would Amon leave such a deadly spell on the door? Why else would he make sure no one could be able to get here during the ball, leaving a dark elf to guard it?

  Everything pointed to this room, to being here and finding what they wanted. It just had to be here. Yet, the room was tossed in less than a minute and nothing. They had everything thrown on the floor.