Ties of Magic (Curse of the Crown Book 2)

by Caitlin Taylor

  "If you need me around, I suggest you learn to trust me."

  "I do trust you, Jeffrey! How could you doubt that?"

  "You ask for Ryan's help over mine in something as important as this pilgrimage and expect me to believe you trust me? Think again."

  Akoni opened his mouth to speak, but Jeffrey turned his back and left. They walked in silence, Akoni once more lost in thought. How could he prove to Jeffrey that he did trust him? It pained him to see Jeffrey so annoyed, and guilt brewed inside him, mixing with frustration. He wanted to make this right, but when Akoni tried to take Jeffrey's hand he got brushed off.

  Maybe he should have told Jeffrey, asked for his help in preparing, but he didn't want it to be a big thing, didn't want others to know who might try to talk him out of it or worse, try to organise a send-off.

  But Jeffrey wasn't like that, was he? Jeffrey had organised for Akoni to dress as a commoner to be able to sneak into the city without guards. He'd never have given anything away. Akoni should have known, should have been able to trust him. Why hadn't he?

  All day they walked, and all day they spent in silence. Akoni tried to initiate conversations, to ask questions, anything to get them talking, but the best he got was grunts and hisses in response. For the entire day, Jeffrey walked a few paces ahead of Akoni, speeding up if Akoni tried to get closer or otherwise increasing the distance between them. Akoni couldn't even get close enough to attempt to touch him, but even if he did, no doubt, he'd be rebuffed again.

  By late afternoon, Akoni's feet were sore and aching, his borrowed boots sturdy but not a perfect fit, chafing his toes in ways he hadn't known in many years. Refusing to give Jeffrey any grounds for attack, he kept moving without hint of complaint. Really, he'd endured worse with his magic. His feet and legs would get used to the exercise in a day or two.

  Jeffrey set a brisk pace that led them ever onwards, deeper into the mountains. The sun sank behind the mountain peaks, and still Jeffrey continued to walk. Akoni was beyond paying attention and simply set one foot in front of the other, following Jeffrey as best he could. He stumbled over rocks and plants, unable to muster the strength to lift his feet or see the ground in the twilight.

  When Jeffrey announced they were making camp, Akoni was unable to stop a breath of relief from escaping him. Jeffrey's scathing look had Akoni cringing.

  "Sit and rest. Do not leave," Jeffrey snarled, set his pack down, and disappeared.

  Happy to obey, Akoni sank down and took off his shoes to massage his aching feet. Only moments seemed to have passed before Jeffrey returned carrying a pile of firewood.

  "Can you make a fire?"

  Akoni nodded in reply.

  "Good, get to it." Once more, Jeffrey disappeared into the half-darkness.

  Setting about his task, Akoni worked quickly. As a young boy he'd learned more than reading from his father. Holidays in Extraneo had often been spent outside in nature, connecting with Gaia, learning from her. Years may have dulled the memories, but he remembered enough and soon had a small fire going. Pleased with himself, he hoped Jeffrey would appreciate it, too.

  But Jeffrey didn't return. Akoni waited and watched as the hints of light dancing across distant peaks faded until the sun had set, leaving only stars above them. Still, Jeffrey didn't return, and Akoni became restless. Had something happened? Did he stay away on purpose, to avoid talking to Akoni? Would he stay away all night?

  Barefoot, Akoni paced the edge of the ring of light cast by the fire, peering into the darkness. Jeffrey's words had been clear, and Akoni was loath to disregard them while already in Jeffrey's bad books, but it didn't stop the tension growing inside him. He'd hoped that they could talk, that he'd get a chance to explain and maybe redeem himself a little. But for that, Jeffrey needed to come back.

  Growling startled Akoni, and it took a long minute to realise the sound came from his stomach. He'd eaten breakfast while walking, lunch had been brief, and he'd not had dinner. Not without Jeffrey. The tension coiled inside him would allow no food, no matter how hungry he felt.

  Time continued to pass, and the moon rose, casting the glade in a silvery light.

  Rustling. The cracking of leaves and twigs. Steps. Akoni stood with his sword drawn, moving away from the fire to be less visible.

  Jeffrey stepped out from between a set of trees, his gaze bouncing off Akoni and settling on the fire.

  "Where have you been?" Akoni demanded. He'd been waiting for so long, worried and fretting, and now he couldn't seem to string a coherent thought together.

  "How much water do you have left?" Jeffrey asked back, ignoring Akoni in favour of routing through his pack.

  Akoni stared and sheathed his sword almost absently. "None, a sip maybe."

  Jeffrey drew some dried meat from his satchel and ate, nodding at Akoni's words. He pulled out his own waterskin and handed it to Akoni. "Make it last till morning if you can. There's a stream not far away. Provided I don't get sick, we'll refill there. Tomorrow, you'll have to learn to use it more sparingly. We won't know when we find the next clean source." Spreading out his bedroll on the opposite site of the fire to Akoni, Jeffrey settled down.

  "Wait a minute. You can't just go to sleep now."

  "Do you need something, Your Majesty?"

  Akoni gaped. "Jeffrey..."

  "It's late. Lots of walking today, more tomorrow. You should be getting what rest you can."

  Akoni couldn't find the words. Jeffrey shrugged and lay down, turning his back on Akoni. Dumbstruck, Akoni sank onto his own roll. For a long time, Akoni watched the fire as it consumed the wood, his gaze continuously drawn to Jeffrey's unyielding back. Sleep seemed impossible.

  Yet, sleep did seem to have come because Akoni came around to the feeling of being prodded in the leg. He blinked his eyes open to find someone towering over him. Jeffrey, whose boot tip continued to dig into Akoni's thigh.

  "Time to move," Jeffrey said.

  Akoni groaned, running a hand over his face. He wanted to turn over, pull the blanket back over himself, and go back to sleep. There wasn't even light in the sky yet. Sky. Stars. Stones digging into his side indicated he wasn't lying in his bed at the palace. He hadn't been at the palace in too many days, in fact. As memories returned, he woke up with a start and sat upright, looking around.

  Mountains, trees, the remnants of a campfire.

  He rubbed at his face again and rose to pack up his things. Jeffrey said nothing else but remained a hovering presence nearby. Akoni hurried, hoping in whatever small way to be able to impress or at least not irritate Jeffrey anymore.

  They reached the stream after a good distance of walking, explaining at least some of Jeffrey's long absence the night before. At the stream they washed, drank more than their share, and then filled both their skins. They continued walking, stopping randomly with Jeffrey doing something on the ground which Akoni couldn't see. It wasn't until the third time they stopped that Akoni understood. Jeffrey had been laying traps, and only because a rabbit had been ensnared in one of them.

  The animal had died a quick and painless death as far as Akoni could tell. Jeffrey tied a piece of string around its legs and strung it on his belt. The sight left Akoni queasy for a reason he couldn't explain. He'd gone hunting with other nobles in the past. Had brought down his share of wild animals and certainly had no qualms about eating them. But something felt different about this. He had to tear his gaze away from the animal only to find Jeffrey appraising him with an odd expression.

  "I didn't know they teach trap making in the legion," Akoni said to fill the silence.

  "They don't." Jeffrey turned and continued walking.

  Akoni hurried to follow. "Then where did you learn?"

  "Friends."

  Any further attempts of Akoni's to get more information were met with silence. They resumed their journey at the same brisk pace from the previous day, the only sounds surrounding them those of nature. A second day of fast walking aggravated the blisters growing on Akon
i's feet, but he kept quiet about it and trailed after Jeffrey.

  As much as Akoni tried to pay attention to his surroundings, to the sun at least, to know their direction, he found his mind drifting. Thoughts scrambled one over the other, ways how he could apologise to Jeffrey or make it up to him somehow. Things he wanted to ask but didn't dare. Worries about the way he'd left, the people he cared for, and whether they were worried or if they even knew. Ryan would have covered their tracks, but Ignacio could be relentless. The journey ahead, would they be able to find the temple? How long could he keep going? His body's complaints were increasing steadily, the small travelling rations nothing compared to what his body usually received in sustenance for much less exercise.

  At midday they stopped long enough to eat a few slices of bread and cheese, washing it down with sips of water. Rising to his feet again became a task of enormous proportions for Akoni. He gritted his teeth and said nothing but felt Jeffrey's gaze on him. He'd prove him wrong, he could do this. Had no choice. One foot in front of the other, following Jeffrey's trail.

  His thoughts scrambled less now but circled over something new. His magic. Changing, moving. Waking? An itch, faint but there. If they were talking, he might not have noticed, but his mind had nothing else to latch on to.

  As midday became afternoon, became early evening, it got worse. No longer just an itch, subtle pins and needles in places, his blood simmering. He focused on it now to control it, to keep it at bay. It was supposed to stop--the ascension completed, it should be over. His father had sworn it would. It was the only reason why he'd done it, drawn all the remaining magic.

  The pins and needles got worse, and Akoni lost his focus. His steps faltered, and he stumbled, his hands catching on the rough, rocky ground. He dug his fingers into the earth, trying to hold on to something. Pain flooded his body, his senses overwhelmed, too bright, too loud, too much.

  While it had come slowly, it disappeared in an instant. Akoni blinked and found sea-green eyes on him, right in front of him. Mere inches. He breathed and smelled Jeffrey. His eyes closed in pleasure. With effort, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Jeffrey, face pressed against Jeffrey's shoulder. He held on to him as if his life depended on it. Maybe it did.

  His breathing came in ragged gasps, and when he tried to inhale deeper, more steadily, it turned into choked sobs. His whole body heaved with the effort to get air into his lungs. Jeffrey's arms came around him, hands soothing him, murmured words of reassurance.

  Akoni could not have said how long they remained that way. It felt like blissful forever and yet ended far too soon when Jeffrey pulled away.

  "We can't stay here. We have to keep moving until we find a place to make camp. Can you walk?"

  Rubbing his eyes with two fingers, Akoni tried to collect himself. The pain had gone, but there was something, like a piece out of place inside him. A strange and vague feeling that he couldn't make sense of. He shook his head and got to his feet, glad for Jeffrey's helping hand. His legs trembled, and his feet were sore from walking, but it was something else making them unsteady.

  He took a careful step and would have fallen if not for Jeffrey reaching to steady him. "I think that's a no," Akoni said and groaned.

  "We have to. I'll help." Jeffrey wrapped one arm around Akoni's back while Akoni laid one over Jeffrey's shoulder.

  Slow, measured steps took them forward at a snail's pace. But Akoni's legs trembled less with each step. They were on a rocky incline where walking was harder but also more necessary. Jeffrey had been right when he'd said they had to keep going. At least far enough to get to more even ground where they might be able to make camp. So they kept moving, Jeffrey steadying Akoni as he set one foot in front of the other.

  A few dozen paces later, his steps became easier, and their progress increased, and still Akoni held on to Jeffrey, drawing non-magical strength from the simple contact. He wanted to talk, to say something, to thank Jeffrey, to explain, but no words came, and they moved in silence.

  It seemed to take an eternity, but eventually the path evened out beneath them. Rocks turned to grass, and they found an area where they could spend the night. Jeffrey eased himself out from under Akoni's arms, and the loss Akoni felt was as sharp as a cut. Falling to his feet gracelessly, Akoni lay on the ground.

  "You all right?"

  "Not really," Akoni said, pressing one hand against his forehead. He ached all over, a dull throbbing unlike any other pain, laced with a feverish heat, his skin covered in a fine layer of sweat.

  "I'll go get some firewood. Will you be okay that long?"

  Akoni gazed at Jeffrey, towering above him. How could he tell him to stay? How could he say he needed him close and not angry as he had been? He closed his eyes and nodded.

  "I'll stay in hearing range. If you need anything, shout." His footsteps receded.

  Laying his hands on the ground either side of him, Akoni allowed himself to feel the grass and the earth, connecting with it. He took several deep and calming breaths. His eyes still closed, he formed the intention in his mind then prayed quietly. "I am your humble servant, Gaia. Please guide me."

  The chirping of a multitude of birds filled his ears, the rustling of leaves, faint scuttling. With each inhale the scents of nature surrounding him filled his nostrils. The sweetness of flowers, the cold freshness of the mountains. A waft of smoke, acrid and cloying. He coughed and gagged. Rolling on his side, he spat, tasting ash, but it got worse, each breath harder than the last.

  The thumping of boots impacting hard earth. Clattering of falling timber. Jeffrey kneeling beside him, hands on Akoni's back.

  "It's all right, I'm here."

  Akoni concentrated on Jeffrey's voice without hearing the words. The smell of smoke disappeared as quickly as it had come, as did the taste of ash. But his throat still felt sore and tender. He could breathe again.

  When Akoni sat up, he found sea-green eyes staring at him with concern.

  "What happened?"

  "I smelled smoke. No...it was like I stood in the middle of a burning room. A huge inferno. There was no air, only smoke. I couldn't get any air."

  "Is this your magic's doing?"

  "It's never done anything like this, and it was supposed to stop now. He swore it would."

  "But you said it wouldn't stop until your ascension was complete."

  Akoni nodded.

  "You went to see him before we left, didn't you? That was where you went, to your father."

  "Yes. I couldn't run the risk of another episode of crazy while out here. He promised it would stop if I drew the rest."

  "Akoni, he was dying and in pain. He might have said anything to be released from it."

  Akoni shook his head. "I don't believe that. He's been different. He wasn't the king anymore, he was like I remembered him from my childhood."

  "He might simply be a good actor."

  "It's done now in any case. He's gone."

  "And you're still suffering..."

  Akoni said nothing. Instead, he turned to the wood Jeffrey had brought and set about making a fire. For a long moment, Jeffrey's eyes continued to bore into him, until he turned away to skin the rabbit he'd snared.

  Despite being wholly different to any other rabbit he'd ever eaten, Akoni found the roasted meat fresh and juicy and miles better than the dry fare they'd been consuming. They'd still have many days of travelling ahead of them, and he resigned himself to the meagre and plain rations. It made the change all the more welcome.

  "Will you tell me about how you learned to hunt and prepare food like this?"

  "Not today." Jeffrey's earlier concern seemed to have disappeared, and his sour mood returned.

  They sat in a terse silence that suggested a great deal of unresolved issues. When they'd finished eating, Akoni tried to open a conversation only for Jeffrey to rebuke him again and again. He took off his sword belt to lie down. An idea came to him. He pulled the scabbard from the belt and lay it aside. Folding the belt in h
alf, he held it with both hands and shuffled towards Jeffrey on his knees. With his head bowed, he held the belt out.

  "I'm sorry, Master. I've messed up and deserve punishment."

  "Not like this, not here!" Jeffrey said.

  "Please, Master. I need to earn your forgiveness and I don't know how else to do it."

  Jeffrey took the belt and threw it aside. "Not this way. I am furious, and a good Master never acts in anger."

  Akoni raised his head, fixing pleading eyes on Jeffrey. "I deserve your anger, I know that. But...it's killing me, Jeffrey. Tell me what I can do? Anything to make it right."

  "Time will make it right. Us reaching the temple alive will make it right."

  "I can't wait that long. Not with the way my magic reacted today."

  Jeffrey eyed him with a wary expression. "Are you saying my being angry with you is making your magic volatile?"

  Akoni shrugged. "I don't know if it's that direct but...yes."

  "You're going to have to explain that."

  "Since you returned, I've had hardly any trouble with my magic. I couldn't sleep before, I'd get angry for no reason, I was irritable all the time. I nearly killed one of my council members in rage. Then you came back, and it all went away. The more time I spent in your presence, the calmer I felt. Between leaving the palace and arriving in Pyros, I hardly even sensed my magic. Earlier...when you helped me walk here, I noticed it. Your touch eased the pain to a bearable level, but then when you let go, it was like it all came back."

  Jeffrey reached out to cup Akoni's cheek. "Like this?"

  Akoni leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. "Like this."

  "What you did... I'm still furious, there's no switch to turn that off. It'll take time, but I don't want you suffering. At least not like that." Changing his position, Jeffrey embraced Akoni, holding him close.

  "I really am sorry, Jeffrey. I should have trusted you. I don't know why I didn't."

  "Because you're an idiot."

  Akoni nodded. "I guess I am."

  "You told me your magic reacts to me, my presence, but you never really explained it. You're the only person in the entire realm with magic. Do you see how I might be confused about the way it works?"