Voice of Life (The Spoken Mage Book 4)

by Melanie Cellier

  “But I was with her,” Lucas said. “I thought they needed me here, safe—at least for the moment?”

  A grin inched across her face. “Yes, but unfortunately for Walden, the news that the you who returned wasn’t actually you didn’t reach him until after he’d sent the message. And by then it was too late. Things were in motion, and we had to move the whole plan forward to keep pace with them. Lennox descended on the Academy in person to berate him. It would all have been quite entertaining if I hadn’t been convinced my silence had sent you both to your deaths.”

  “So you meant your efforts at friendship at the end of third year?” I asked.

  She nodded. “I felt like a whole new aspect of life had opened up to me—the possibility of friends and laughter and something other than constant training. And then I went home, and my parents sat me down and told me everything. I didn’t know how to face you when I came back to the Academy. I was terrified and angry, but I didn’t know how to betray my family. I turned to Acacia for reassurance that what they were planning was somehow justifiable—she’s an Ellington and a good person, I thought she must have come up with some compelling argument to show me that my doubts were unnecessary.”

  “And?” I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

  Dariela sighed. “All I did was throw her into the same conflicted situation as me. She turned out to be one of the family members who didn’t know anything about it. Like Finnian’s mother and aunt. And Duke Magnus.”

  Lucas and I exchanged a look.

  “Duke Magnus wasn’t part of the conspiracy?” he asked. “We should probably let someone know that.”

  Dariela frowned but then seemed to catch on quickly.

  “I suppose you’ve rounded up all the Ellingtons you could get your hands on. A wise move. We’re a large family, though. I don’t know where every single person stands.”

  “A truth composition will soon sort them out,” I said. “Anyone who refuses to submit to one will no doubt be treated as a traitor, so there will be inducement enough to participate.”

  “It’s a good thing one of the dukes remains loyal,” Lucas said. “This will wreak havoc on your family. And those who are left—those who did nothing wrong except to possess the wrong relatives—will need leadership in the coming days.”

  “With all of this, plus the new sealing composition from the Empire, I imagine we’ll all need strong leadership in the coming days,” Dariela said. She looked at Lucas and my clasped hands. “So it’s a good thing we have the two of you.”

  Epilogue

  I stood beside Lucas at graduation, our hands entwined. The summer sun warmed the crowd gathered in the Academy grounds. The exams had been as easy for both of us as Jocasta had predicted months ago, and our days at the Academy were now officially ending. In reality they had ended a couple of weeks ago, but our families and friends had all gathered inside the Academy grounds for the official graduation ceremony.

  I surveyed the seven year mates who stood with us, giving myself a moment to acknowledge the bittersweet nature of the day. We should have had three more standing with us. My eyes roamed out over the audience, picking out Araminta’s diminutive frame sitting close to my own family. A tall man and a short woman sat beside her, beaming as broadly as if their daughter was indeed graduating alongside us—as she should have been.

  The proud faces of her parents only confirmed my suspicion. Lucas and I weren’t the only ones to have graduated with ease. Araminta had come too far to fail the Academy—unless she had done it on purpose.

  She had been quiet and withdrawn the entire week leading up to exams, starting from the day Lucas’s parents announced the change in the law regarding anyone found to have insufficient control over their power. And the day after exams, while the younger trainees returned to their families for summer break, a quiet ceremony of a different sort was held in the Academy arena.

  It had already seen use a number of times, as the mageborn prison cells were emptied. The royals had forced the arena into service until the palace had time to properly shield a large enough room elsewhere for sealing ceremonies to take place.

  Jasper had been in the first batch of commonborns to be sealed, along with every other commonborn university graduate currently alive. Each town and village across Ardann had been permitted to select representatives to be sealed along with their schoolteachers. In time there was talk of those teachers selecting promising students for the same honor.

  But Araminta’s case had been a little different. Not guilty of any crime, she had been permitted to select ten of the many commonborns her power would seal. And alongside her mother, she had done the greatest possible service of friendship and chosen my parents and Clemmy. Even as I watched, my little sister leaned forward and waved at Araminta, beaming.

  Coralie’s family sat behind them, their eyes locked on Coralie and Finnian with pride, excitement, and delight. I noticed Finnian’s family, sitting in the front row, looked a little less enthused as they eyed their son.

  I wasn’t too worried, though. Once everything calmed down, Coralie had filled me in on events in Torcos after we left. Apparently, Finnian had begun talking about how he should take his small fishing boat onto the Overon and make his own way upstream to check out the Empire for himself—since the border was now open.

  Saffron had described the resulting scene with bubbling laughter, telling me how our usually sweet friend had transformed into a terrifying creature who utterly forbade him from even thinking of such a thing.

  “Aunt Helene was watching the whole thing, thank goodness,” she had said. “She wouldn’t even speak to Finnian for three hours afterward, but Coralie she immediately took under her wing.”

  She had paused and shaken her head. “Knowing Finnian, I rather suspect he knew his mother was there all along and came up with the planned boat trip as a way to unite her and Coralie. If that was his plan, it certainly worked.”

  Saffron’s explanation turned out to be the first Coralie had heard of this theory, and she immediately stormed off to confront Finnian. Since the end result of this effort was that she dragged him back to join us, his arm firmly wrapped around her waist, I wasn’t sure how much confronting had actually gone on.

  But since Lucas sat in an armchair only an arm’s reach away from me, I watched my friends’ happiness with unalleviated joy. Fourth year had finally become what I had dreamed it could be.

  I glanced down the row of graduating mages, my eyes picking out my friends. I knew I would look back on the last few months as some of the best of my life. Finnian had even managed to get Lucas to laugh on three separate occasions in the one conversation. Despite the various important happenings going on in the kingdom, for that short time we had been able to be no one but ourselves, safe within the Academy walls.

  But all of that was changing now. Tomorrow I would move into the palace, into a set of apartments officially granted to the Spoken Mage. My betrothal to Lucas wasn’t to be formally announced until the Midsummer Ball, but it wasn’t going to be a surprise to anyone when it happened. The thought of becoming royalty still daunted me, but with the pace of change happening all around us, I knew there wouldn’t be time for me to worry about where I might fit in.

  General Griffith watched three of his children graduate from beside Finnian’s parents. He had returned from an extended sojourn in Kallmon—along with a large number of his Armed Forces officers and soldiers—just in time to be in attendance. Lucas and I, our exams already completed, had been present to hear his report.

  The rebels had agreed to honor Cassius’s crowning in exchange for peace with Ardann and the choice of who was to be sealed—both mages and commonborn. Any surprise that the rebels had so easily acquiesced to keeping Cassius on the throne evaporated at the news that his coronation had been followed immediately by his marriage to General Haddon’s daughter—a graduated mage several years the prince’s senior.

  General Griffith had looked almost gleeful as he spoke of
the years of effort that would be required to remake the Kallorwegian court and heal the cracks that now tore it apart. He was clearly more than happy to let the new King Cassius spend his days struggling with the Head of his Royal Guard—now also his father-in-law—over who wielded the true power of the throne.

  “I doubt the Kallorwegian throne will be strong again until Cassius’s future unsealed child takes the crown,” he had said.

  Celebrations had broken out across Ardann as the conscripted soldiers returned to their homes with news of the peace treaty. A more restrained jubilation had been felt in the palace when the missive taking the news to Yanshin resulted in Chen’s arrival as a permanent ambassador.

  It seemed the emperor had recognized that he could not undo what had been done. The border was now open, the Empire’s secret was revealed, and the southern kingdoms once again stood united and at peace—a force to be reckoned with.

  And though nothing was stated outright, it seemed he recognized that no good would come of trying to lay claim to Prince Lucas’s betrothed, even if I did contain a drop of Sekali blood. Reading between the lines, it seemed that an increasing commonborn population combined with the beginnings of dissent among the sealed mage clans were indeed responsible for the emperor’s unexpectedly forgiving attitude. He had heard of the new approach being adopted by Ardann and Kallorway, and he wished Chen to observe the process and its ramifications.

  He had even agreed to welcome ambassadors of our own in his court. Nothing had been announced yet, but as immediate family of two of King Stellan’s choices, I already knew exactly who was to be sent. And I couldn’t be prouder of either of my brothers—although I would miss them both.

  I was glad they were to go, especially Jasper. He would have the chance to learn and grow in a place where his intellect and capacity would be truly valued and respected. And perhaps one day I would have the chance to visit him there. Because if I could claim both Jasper and Julian as my brothers, then surely I could also lay claim to the Sekali and Kallorwegian parts of me without rejecting the fact that Ardann would always be my home.

  When the ceremony was completed, a parade of people came past to congratulate us. Lucas’s parents and sister, of course, as well as my own family—both the original and adoptive members. Even Declan—who fit neither of those categories, and yet was somehow part of my strange patchwork family anyway—had traveled to Corrin to attend. After what he had sacrificed for Lucas, he would always be welcome in Ardann.

  Jasper had Clara by his side, the two of them engaged and busy planning their wedding. As a graduate, Clara had been sealed alongside Jasper, and already she was turning around her family’s fortunes. In the face of such a gesture, some at least of her family’s bitterness toward the mages had faded away. Or perhaps they had decided that a son-in-law who was brother to a future princess would bring sufficient value to the family. Whatever the reason, they had thrown their full support behind Jasper and Clara, and my brother’s joy brightened my day. I didn’t doubt for a moment that any children he and Clara produced would win themselves a place at a sealing ceremony.

  Beatrice came to congratulate us as well. She said she had seen so much of us all in the past three years that she had started to feel invested in our year level. I had confessed to her my brief suspicions about her loyalty, and she had forgiven me freely. She had even promised to teach me healing, in whatever time my royal responsibilities would allow.

  Knowing she would stand beside me had given me confidence, and also led me to think of who else I wanted around me in the challenges to come. When Beatrice stepped away and Araminta took her place, I turned to Lucas.

  “As a princess, will I be permitted to employ my own officials?”

  He looked surprised. “Certainly, if you wish to do so.”

  I turned back to Araminta. “Then I’d like to offer you a job, if you’d like one.”

  She frowned. “But I can’t compose anymore.”

  “And that’s exactly why I need you,” I said. “A commonborn with power, and a mageborn without. A new princess and someone who’s a child of both worlds. Together we will have to be the ambassadors of a new way.”

  I smiled at Lucas. “And I want Leila, too. I don’t know what’s happened to her now that the conscripted soldiers have been released, but she has the sort of skills I need by my side.”

  Coralie, who had wandered over to join us, laughed at that.

  “You’re not wrong there. Can you imagine her unleashed on the palace?” She shook her head.

  I pulled my first mage friend into a tight hug.

  “I’ll miss you, Coralie.” My voice sounded thick from unshed tears. “Thank you for everything.”

  She hugged me back. “I’ll miss you, too. I might miss you so much I have to come and stay regularly at the palace.”

  I chuckled. “You’ll be more than welcome whenever you want to come.”

  Saffron walked over, and I pulled her into the hug.

  “You, too, Saffron.”

  “If Coralie joins the healers like she’s threatening, I might have to,” Saffron said. “Otherwise she’ll move into uncle’s estate with the other healers, and I’ll never get a break from her and Finnian.”

  Coralie snorted and shoved her away playfully, but I just grinned. I would gladly welcome Saffron to court. I had once joked that I would put in a good word for her with Calix, but for the last month I had been noting how well-suited she would be for my other adoptive brother. Growing up with Finnian, she seemed well-equipped to keep Julian in line. I just needed some time to help both of them see it.

  Dariela approached tentatively, and I detached from my other friends to welcome her. I hadn’t expected her to attend, so it meant a lot that she had come despite how painful it must be for her.

  “I’m sorry you weren’t up there with us,” I said.

  A small confused frown crossed her usually confident face. “The strange thing is that I’m not. Not completely.”

  I examined her face. It held a calm acceptance that made her look older and wiser.

  “But what will you do now?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Discover who I am, I suppose. Everything I used to be has been stripped away, and now I’ll have to learn what sort of person is left.”

  “A good one,” I said. “And when you’ve worked that out for yourself, you’ll have one friend waiting for you—regardless of your new status. And a job, too, if you ever want one. Being sealed hasn’t diminished your brilliance, and Ardann will need brilliant people in the years to come.”

  Over her shoulder, I caught Lucas’s eye. He had drifted apart from the crowd while I talked and stood near the corner of the building, his face inviting me to join him. Dariela saw my distraction and managed a smile, waving me away. After a moment’s hesitation, I slipped away to his side.

  He took my hand and led me around the building and through the grand Academy entrance. We walked slowly as I took it all in, letting the memories wash over me. Together we walked down the long corridor and through the library doors.

  I stood there for a moment, my eyes on the desk, memories of Walden and Jocasta competing for prominence. I kept my gaze firmly averted from the floor, although it had been cleaned and polished months ago.

  “You couldn’t have known,” Lucas murmured against my hair.

  I took a deep breath and let his words sink in. He was right, and I needed to let my guilt go. Walden had meant me harm, but circumstances had turned out in my favor. Like the physical attacks from first year that had succeeded in freeing my power. And in the end, I had used that power for good.

  As we moved deeper into the library, strolling between two long shelves, I ran my hand along the books. So many words. So much still to learn. A different sort of power lay here, and it was going to change our world as inexorably as my own. Already I had received word of at least two books about the experiences of commonborns—written by commonborns—currently being drafted.

  And
Jocasta had also begun a book on the Sekali Empire, while a team of mages and sealed commonborns at the University were carefully studying and creating copies of the history books Walden had been keeping hidden away. They even had a Sekali history book brought as a peace offering by Ambassador Chen. Future mages would not have the same gaps in their library that past mages had faced. They would not have the same excuse of ignorance that had nearly crippled us all.

  Deep in the library, Lucas stopped and wrapped his arms around me.

  “Do you think we should frame a copy of that old news sheet you found in Kingslee?” he asked, gazing down at me with a distracting smile. “Without it, we might never have found you.”

  “I don’t know that I want a daily reminder of that,” I said. “I can’t even imagine my life without you or words.”

  “Good,” Lucas said, “because I’m never letting you go.”

  “I love you, Prince Lucas of Ardann,” I said softly.

  “I love you, Elena, the one and only Spoken Mage.”

  I gripped the front of his robe and rose onto tiptoes, bringing my face as close to his as I could. For a moment he stayed tantalizingly out of reach, his eyes teasing me. Anticipation spread through me, and then he leaned down and brought his lips to mine. They tasted strong and sure, and full of promise for our future.

  Note from the Author

  Thank you for joining me for Elena and Lucas’s adventures! I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey. I’m already dreaming up more stories in the Spoken Mage world, so if you would like to be informed of future releases, as well as Spoken Mage bonus shorts, please sign up to my mailing list at www.melaniecellier.com. You’ll find an exclusive bonus chapter of Voice of Power—retold from Lucas’s point of view—in the welcome email.

  In the meantime, for more fantasy, romance, adventure, and intrigue try A Dance of Silver and Shadow, the first book in my Beyond the Four Kingdoms series in which twelve princesses must do a lot more than just dance when they get caught up in a dangerous and magical competition.