Trial by Sorcery

by Richard Fierce

  The seventh bell rang and I went to the dining hall for lunch. Maren was there eating at a table by herself. I filled a tray of food and joined her.

  “You’ll never believe what happened in the library,” I said.

  “What?” Maren asked with a mouth full of partially chewed food.

  “All of the books on the False King are missing. Even the chained books.”

  Maren stopped chewing and stared at me. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. Surrel even looked with me. She said the Librarian is going to be upset that someone broke the chains.”

  “Eldwin,” Maren whispered. “Someone stole those books, I’m sure of it.”

  “That’s what I figured,” I replied.

  “There’s only one reason someone would take them.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “Someone is trying to hide something.”

  13

  “Who would be trying to hide something related to the False King?” I asked.

  “One of his servants, obviously,” Maren replied. “There must be a servant here in the Citadel. A spy relaying information back to the False King.”

  “We don’t even know if the False King is back,” I pointed out.

  “Always assume your enemy is two steps ahead of you.”

  I was familiar with the saying. My father said it a lot when I was younger. I never understood it back then, but I did now.

  Maren lowered her voice. “I bet it’s one of the Curates.”

  “Why would you think that?” I asked.

  “Well, it could be Master Pevus, but I don’t think he’d be so stressed if he were the False King’s agent. So that leaves the Curates. Think about it. They have access to almost everything in the Citadel, and they are in the council meetings. That makes them privy to a lot of information.”

  I didn’t want to admit it, but she had a point. “Let the master know what you think and see what he says.”

  Maren was shaking her head before I finished speaking. “No. I’ll need more than just my theory to sway Master Pevus into believing that one of his trusted people is a spy. I’ll need proof.”

  I knew where she was going and sighed.

  “We need to follow the Curates around and see what we can find.”

  “You do know that none of this is your responsibility, right? It’s not your job to find a spy if there even is one.”

  Maren stated at me in silence and judging by the look on her face, it seemed I had hurt her feelings somehow. The look quickly disappeared and was replaced by her customary stubbornness.

  “If you don’t want to help find who is trying to help the False King, that’s fine. I can do it alone.” She stood up and left the table, leaving her tray of food mostly uneaten. I shoved a roll into my mouth and hurried after her, chewing furiously.

  “I do want to help,” I said. “I’m just not sure how well this will go if we get caught by the spy.”

  “What do you mean?” Maren asked.

  “Well, I would assume that if the False King put a spy here, they would powerful.”

  “Of course.”

  “And we’re barely initiates,” I added.

  “Did you forget that I’m a sorcerer?”

  “No,” I said. “But have you ever fought another sorcerer?”

  Maren’s silence gave me the answer I needed.

  “I’m not planning on confronting them myself,” she said. “I just need proof that I can take to Master Pevus.”

  This plan didn’t seem very thought out, but for some inexplicable reason, I continued to follow Maren toward trouble.

  It turned out that there were many hidden rooms like the one we’d hidden in when we listened to the council meeting. The fact that Maren had memorized their locations after seeing a map of the school was beyond impressive. Maybe sorcerers were gifted with better minds than those of us who weren’t magically inclined?

  We snuck into Curate Anesko’s room and Maren opened the door to the hidden room. It was about the same size as the first one, but we weren’t forced to sit down to see into the Curate’s chambers. After an hour of sitting idly, Anesko entered the room and sat at his desk. He flipped through a stack of books and scattered parchments around as he scratched notes. I assumed he was studying or something, but he certainly wasn’t doing anything suspicious.

  The small room was warm and cozy. I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Maren was jabbing me with her elbow.

  “What is it?” I asked. I saw that Anesko was gone.

  “You were snoring,” she complained. “You’re lucky Anesko left before you got too loud.”

  “Sorry,” I said, shrugging.

  “Let’s get out of here before he comes back.”

  We left and navigated our way through the maze of hallways until we reached an area I didn’t recognize.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “This is the hall for female Curates,” Maren said. “The chambers are on opposite sides of the Citadel.”

  Maren paused outside the first door on the left side of the hall.

  “Whose room is this?” I asked.

  “Curate Josphine’s.”

  After having listened to the council meeting earlier, I didn’t think Josephine would be a spy. She was too nice to be evil. I didn’t bother voicing my opinion to Maren. She would refuse to listen until she saw it for herself. Maren knocked gently on the door. There was no answer. She waited a moment, then pushed the door open. Its hinges creaked softly.

  I let Maren go in first. She looked around and waved me in. Josephine’s room was much different than Anesko’s. There were no windows and no candles. Instead, a ball of light hovered near the ceiling. It bobbed up and down a few inches, causing shadows to flutter back and forth across the room.

  “This is …” Maren paused.

  “Different?” I offered.

  “I was going to say creepy.”

  I rolled my eyes. It was a little creepy, but I wouldn’t tell her that. “Is there another one of those hidden rooms in here?”

  Maren smiled at me and walked over to the wall beside a tall bookcase. She pushed on one of the bricks in the wall and it slid to the side. My eyes widened in shock. Inside the small chamber was an elderly woman. I didn’t know who she was. Maren gasped.

  The woman was bound and gagged. Her eyes were closed and for a moment, I thought she was dead. Upon further inspection, her body moved with her breathing and relief washed over me.

  “I think we know who’s working for the False King,” Maren said, looking at me from over her shoulder.

  “We need to move her out of here,” I replied. “Before Josephine comes back.”

  Just as we stepped into the small room, I heard footsteps echoing in the hallway. Fear made my heart feel like it dropped into my stomach. Maren closed the door and we sat in the dark, not daring to move at all. I watched through the bricks, which I was beginning to suspect were enchanted, as Josephine walked into the chamber. She closed the door and locked it. The Curate walked with a natural grace that I hadn’t noticed before.

  In the center of the room was a brazier that looked like it had never been used. It was made of steel and shined eerily under the magical light. Josephine walked over to it and drew a dagger from her robes, then ran the edge of the blade across her palm. I winced involuntarily.

  Josephine knelt in front of the brazier and ran her bloody hand across the middle of it. I knew that she was probably about to cast a spell, and my curiosity kept my eyes glued to her. She grabbed a handful of bright yellow powder from a bowl beside the brazier and spoke an arcane word as she threw the powder onto the brazier.

  Flames roared to life and the smell of smoke and ether filled my nostrils. I glanced over at Maren, but she was watching Josephine as intently as I was.

  “Master,” Josephine said.

  I turned my gaze back to the Curate. A dark figured app
eared in the brazier. The figure was wearing a robe and reminded me of the man who had battled the boy in my Compassion test. Dread started to set in as I realized that the two could be connected if not the same man entirely.

  “What is it?” the figure asked. His voice was the same, hollow and shrill.

  “We have a problem.”

  The figure turned completely around in the brazier, taking in the surroundings.

  “Are we alone?”

  “Yes. Mostly.”

  “Mostly?”

  “One of the kitchen workers saw me putting poison into the food for Master Pevus,” Josephine said. “I was forced to tie her up and she is here with us now.”

  “A servant?” the figure asked.

  “Yes, Master.”

  The magical ball of light flickered.

  “Why do you waste my time with such trivial matters? Kill the servant and finish your task.”

  “Kill her? Are you sure?”

  The room darkened even further until I could barely see Josephine’s outline.

  “Forgive me, Master,” Josephine whispered. I could hear the fear in her voice.

  “Forgiveness is for the weak,” the figure said. “Do as I have commanded, or I will send another to replace you.”

  “Of course, Master.”

  “Is there anything else?”

  “Master Pevus is growing suspicious,” Josephine replied. “One of the students was warned of the False King’s return by the magic of the testing chamber.”

  “I’m aware of the magic’s warning,” the figure said dismissively. I knew then that the figure from my test and the one speaking were the same.

  “Master Pevus has dispatched scouts to the border. They should arrive soon.”

  “Yes, they arrived a few hours ago. Master Pevus should not expect their return.”

  Maren and I looked at each other at the same time. I could see my concern reflected in her green eyes. My heart was pounding and sweat droplets were rolling down my sides. This was bad.

  “Won’t that make him more intent on finding out what’s happening?”

  “Let him wonder. My army swells in number daily. By the time the dragoons are recalled across the kingdom and reach the border, it will be too late. I have other matters to attend to. Kill the servant and poison Master Pevus. Do not fail me in this.”

  Josephine bowed. The light brightened and the dark figure faded from view. The brazier was spotless as if there had been no blood on it at all. The silence was intense and I held my breath for fear that Josephine would hear me. She rose and stepped toward us, then hesitated. She had a thoughtful look on her face, then she unlocked the door and left.

  I waited a moment to make sure she was gone before pushing the wall open and stepping out. Maren joined me and we looked at the bound woman.

  “This is the proof we need,” Maren said. “If we can get her to the master, she can tell him what she saw.”

  “I can’t believe Josephine is the spy,” I said.

  “You heard and saw what I did,” Maren replied. “Hurry, let’s carry her to the master’s chamber.”

  Maren grabbed the woman’s feet and I tried to lift her by the shoulders, but she was heavier than she looked.

  “She’s frail,” I said. “How is she so heavy?”

  Maren closed her eyes and whispered something under her breath. A few seconds later, she opened them and said, “It’s magic. I can sense it.”

  “Can you break the spell?” I asked.

  “No. It’s powerful magic. Old magic.”

  “What do we do? We can’t just leave her here.” I said.

  “We’ll have to. Just long enough to get the master and bring him back here.”

  Without another word, we ran to Master Pevus’s chamber.

  14

  Master Pevus listened to Maren’s tale without saying a word.

  His face, however, became stern as she talked. I was ready for him to call for dragoons to find Josephine and lock her in the dungeon. Instead, he surprised me.

  “You are walking a dangerous line,” Master Pevus said. “Accusing a Curate of treachery and potential murder without proof will have you removed from the school, regardless of who you are.”

  “We have proof,” Maren said. “The woman is still in Josephine’s chamber. She’s been ensorcelled in place. We tried to move her before I realized that a spell was preventing us from doing so.”

  “Master,” I said. “I was there and saw everything Maren told you. Two witnesses must account for something.”

  “Very well,” Master Pevus said, rising from his chair. “Lead the way.”

  Maren took off straight away. I followed after her and Master Pevus brought up the rear. I was worried that he might not be able to keep up, but after a couple of glances over my shoulder, I had nothing to worry about. Although he was aged, he moved quickly and stayed close behind me.

  The entire way, I hoped that we hadn’t taken too long. If the woman had been killed, I didn’t know what I would do. I silently prayed that the woman was safe. As we neared the door to Josephine’s chamber, Master Pevus strode past us and pushed it open. He disappeared inside and Maren and I hurried to catch up.

  “I see nothing,” Master Pevus said, looking around the room.

  Everything was the same except the hidden chamber was now closed. Maren walked over to the wall and pushed the same brick as before, then stood aside as the wall slid open. Master Pevus seemed taken aback. I looked inside and saw that the woman was gone.

  “How do you know of the hidden room?” he asked.

  “I saw it on a map,” Maren replied. “But look!” She pointed and turned to look inside the room. Then she froze.

  “Look at what?” Master Pevus demanded.

  “The woman was in here,” Maren said. “She was lying right here!”

  Master Pevus looked at me and I nodded. “She was.”

  He looked back at the hidden room and remained silent for so long that it became uncomfortable. I had no idea what he was thinking. My thoughts were on the woman. Where had she gone? Had Josephine carried her off to kill her in someplace less conspicuous? My heart sank in defeat. We were too late.

  “You will not repeat what you told me to anyone,” Master Pevus said. “Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Master,” I said.

  “Do you believe us?” Maren asked.

  “How can I? There is nothing here to suggest your story ever happened.”

  “Why would we lie about it?” Maren said, indignant.

  “Why indeed? Regardless, you will not tell this story to anyone and I will not excommunicate you from the school for false claims. This behavior is very unbecoming of a princess.”

  Maren opened her mouth as if to say something, but Master Pevus scowled and she remained quiet. We left Josephine’s room and Master Pevus closed the door and offered us each a pointed look, then he stalked off.

  After he was gone, I looked at Maren questioningly. “A princess? You’re a princess? The princess?”

  Maren rolled her eyes. “Yes, but that doesn’t matter.”

  “Yes, it does matter. Why didn’t you tell me? And how’re you royalty? Your hair is black.”

  Maren grabbed some of her hair and ran her fingers through it, making them black. Where she had rubbed, her hair was red. I stared in disbelief.

  “What is that stuff?” I asked.

  “Charcoal.”

  “Why are you hiding who you are?”

  Maren sighed and cast her gaze to the floor. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “I might.”

  “All my life, I’ve been given whatever I want simply because of who I am.”

  “Is that a complaint?” I asked, not trying to hide the sarcasm.

  “What I mean is that I never have to work for anything. I never have the opportunity to prove myself. I thought if I came here and passed the tests with no one knowin
g who I was, then I would finally show everyone, and myself, what I can do.”

  That made sense to me. I found it difficult to understand why someone would want to step away from having everything to willingly work for something, but I could understand her intent. I, too, wanted to prove that I was worthy to be a dragoon, to prove that I was worthy of the respect that my father’s deeds had earned.

  “You could have told me,” I said. “Are you really a sorcerer?”

  “Yes,” Maren replied. “Why?”

  “Well, I don’t know what to believe when it comes to you. No wonder you weren’t scared of being kicked out of the school for breaking the rules. Your father would just force Master Pevus into letting you stay.”

  “That’s not true. My father may be the king, but he doesn’t have any authority here.”

  “Based on what we heard in the council meeting, that may not be true,” I replied.

  Maren paused. She knew I was right. The king could demand anything he wanted, from anyone.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “We need to find where Josephine took that woman.”

  “I don’t even know where to start,” Maren said. “I don’t know anything about Josephine, so it’s going to be difficult tracking down where she goes.”

  “Are you giving up?” I asked.

  “No, of course not. I never give up.”

  “Then let’s start looking.”

  We left Josephine’s room behind and searched for hours. Everywhere we looked, there was no sign of Josephine or the elderly woman. Maren led me to tons of hidden rooms. All of them were empty and didn’t appear to have been used in years. Thick layers of dust covered the floors and the only prints that marred the dust belonged to mice. Or rats.

  The thirteenth bell rang, signaling dinner. Neither of us admitted what we feared, but I knew that she had the same thoughts I did. Josephine had probably killed the old woman already. If we could at least find the body, then perhaps that would be enough proof for Master Pevus. We headed to the dining hall in silence.

  I ate until I was full, but I could barely taste the food. Everything from earlier felt like a dream, as though it hadn’t happened. As much as I wished that was true, I knew that Josephine was an agent of the False King.