Healers wielded the power of the veil yet it was different to how he did. Aaron’s simple instructions not to touch the veil were not as simple as he thought. While he was not using the veil, he knew it was running through him, regardless. He could feel the power all around him, flowing through him; he could see its muted brown, green and grey, flowing through the window of the carriage. It was why he’d had a headache for days, despite not channelling or using the power—it was flowing through him; a part of him, anyway. He’d pulled in so much raw power during the fight with the Sundered and then when trying to hide and shield the whole party during their flight to the safety of the King’s Camp. He’d burnt the channels in his mind that wielded the power. Alex became aware he was rubbing his temples and stopped. Then he shook his head as he realised that it was too late and William had noticed anyway.
William handed him a small dose of the pain medication and Alex sighed, throwing the medicine back. Handing the cup back, he relaxed into his chair, pulling the lever on the side so he was half reclining. He’d learned that if he relaxed, the medication worked faster and better than if he fought against it. Aaron had warned him not to channel the power of the veil until he was no longer getting headaches. After that morning where he’d drawn power, the healer didn’t need to emphasise his point. Alex was prepared to do this the healer’s way, even if it was slow. Power went through him regardless of whether or not he willed it, which meant it was taking him longer to heal since even the low level of unconscious power hurt, although not as much as it had, giving him hope.
Healers were different in their use of the power, though; it was like they grasped hold of power external to them and twisted it to their own ends; however, they didn’t channel it through their own bodies. They manipulated what was around them, which is why an injunction of just don’t use the power was easy for a healer to follow. He shaped power from within him and drew more power into himself, manipulating it to his own will. The healers used their apprentices as well, from what he’d observed, to somehow bolster their own abilities.
Alex sighed as the medication took effect and settled in more comfortably.
“So, how’s your head?” When Alex cracked his eyes open, he saw William was observing him.
“Not too bad. It’s more like what you’d describe as a mild hangover. You know, the one where you can function but you wish you weren’t in court with Father all day? Not the you-want-to-stay-in-bed and die variety.” Alex frowned as he observed his brother. That was the other side effect of burning his brain out—he could see the veil much more without having to concentrate like he used to. William had power flowing through him—not much, but he still had it.
“What? Did I grow horns or something?” William looked at him, perplexed, and even looked over his shoulder to check out the carriage window.
Alex smiled. “No, William, you use the veil, even if it’s not much and it’s unconscious on your part you have it running through you. That’s not normal—well not normal for the average person, anyway.”
William’s eyes widened at that announcement and he swallowed. “Are you sure? Alex, you aren’t meant to be drawing on the veil yet.”
Alex shook his head. “I’m not, William. It’s just a part of me, whether or not I will it. You, though… yes, I’m sure, I can see it winding around you, through you. Not much of it, but it’s there.” Alex laughed as William raised his hand in front of his eyes and stared at it as if he’d never seen it before.
William opened his mouth, closed it again and looked back at his hand, concerned.
Alex sobered, realising that he’d caused William to worry. “You’ll be fine, William. You’re not like Jess, Kyle or me. Well, I can’t see myself, but Jess and Kyle… well, they shine with energy, like it’s bursting out of them. You, not so much.”
Alex had spent most of the hunt progression healing, his recovery slow. While Aaron’s manipulation of the power differed from his own, he trusted his judgement. He knew also that he would do irreparable damage to himself if he kept pushing himself. So while it wasn’t in his nature to be patient, he tried his best. The person he felt more sorry for was William, since his father had been adamant: he was to have no visitors at all except the healers and William would stay with him to enforce that order until Alex received full clearance. Still, William had said that this was the most peace he’d had in years and didn’t mind the duty in the slightest.
Alex had been taken aback that his father had been very serious—he hadn’t even been able to see Amelia, which was the most time they had spent apart since they had been going out with each other. He knew she’d spent the rest of the journey so far either in his father’s company or Elizabeth’s, so in the heart of the royal progression. He knew she was as safe as she could be.
Alex relaxed back on his bed, waiting for Aaron to arrive. He let his mind idle, concentrating on his breathing, keeping it slow and controlled. He knew in the back of his mind he was feeling better. He could hear the whispering voices floating through his mind, although he didn’t focus in on any of them. Then again, none of them were directed at him either. Without even thinking about it, he knew Kyle and Jess were nearby; their power drew his own.
There were others who felt similar to his own power but they were further off and he assessed they were not a direct threat. They were Sundered. He knew it should scare him how many he could feel, yet he knew they weren’t close. Most were far afield from their current location—he assessed most were not in the Realm at all. Still, it was a difficult task to assess the Veiled World and he knew it wasn’t wise for him to explore that right now. Although he had the sinking feeling he would, perhaps sooner than he wished.
He sensed Aaron come into his tent and grinned. The healer was disapproving. He knew his patient—while not quite breaching his injunction, he wasn’t obeying it either.
“Good morning, Aaron. Yes, I know, I’m not doing anything except letting my mind wander. I’ve told you before that the veil works in a different way for me than it does for you. I don’t have a headache at all, if that helps?” Alex opened his eyes and looked at the healer, seeing he was correct. The healer had a disapproving look.
Aaron shook his head and gave up with a faint smile. “Yes, I know, Alex.” The healer walked over and placed his hands on his patient’s temples and closed his eyes, concentrating.
Alex could feel the healer’s power trailing over him, testing, but this time it caused him no pain at all. The healer withdrew and smiled.
“You’re all clear, Alex. I’d prefer it if you would limit your use of the power for the next few weeks. Pushing yourself the way you have done, although many would have died without your intervention, it has done you irreparable harm. It has blasted your mind wide open to the power—it would have happened anyway, but it’s much sooner than I would have liked.” The healer looked at him in that way that healers had, making him want to squirm.
“I will do my best, Aaron. If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same thing, even knowing the pain it would cause me.”
20
Alex and Amelia
Alex breathed a sigh of relief walking through the forest. The healers had cleared him for light exercise, meaning he could go for a walk. One of the side effects of his father’s determination to give him the time he needed to heal was the Elite preventing the hangers on of the royal progression from following him on his walk. They were camped on the outskirts of a larger settlement and would be here for a few days before moving on. This particular part of the Realm was beautiful and being excused from royal duties meant he had more time to enjoy it.
Even William had granted him some space; of course, that space had come with strict orders to the Elite. There were double the number that normally followed him around, although his own normal guard were the inner circle. With the extras being an extra ring of security further out. Of his own guard, only Marcus and James were in sight and even they were at a respectful distance. The guards had
turned back several Lords and Ladies in their attempts to intercept him already; a circumstance that he found amusing. He was also aware that some of the best hunters and trackers had been turned out as well. Although this time their instructions had nothing to do with looking for game to feed the hoards.
He glanced across at Amelia; she was abnormally quiet, her gaze darting around at the guards. He knew that it had been hard for her, with their courtship being acknowledged. Then he was out of bounds due to the attack, and unable to shield her from some of the petty, small-minded members of the court.
Alex took a breath to calm his nerves. “It’s not too late to back out of my world, Amelia. We could stage the most wonderful fight if you prefer.”
Amelia turned and thumped him on the arm. “Alex, no! That’s not what I’m thinking.” Amelia’s lent her head against his shoulder as they walked. “They told me you could have died, Alex.”
Alex paused, tilting her face up to his and kissed her. “It’s alright, I’m hard to kill.” Lacing his fingers though hers, he continued to walk. “The healers are always on at me not to overextend myself, to limit my use of the taint. It isn’t as easy as they think and none of us had a choice when the Sundered attacked. As the Fourth, it kind of goes with the job description, to put myself between the Sundered and those without the power to defend themselves.”
Alex looked up and smiled; they were close to the little glade he wanted to show Amelia. He could hear the rush of the river and the waterfall. The trees around them were much bigger than those around the coast and the Winter Palace, although not comparable to those that surrounded the Summer Palace. The dappled light filtering through the forest canopy above and the slight breeze helped cool them both down. Still, a swim in the river would do so even more. He looked sideways at Amelia and grinned. Pulling her hand, he started to run toward the water.
“Come on, Amelia, the waterfall is close.” She laughed, dropping his hand to pick up the skirts of her dress and run with him. It became a game as they dodged around trees in an impromptu game of catch with their laughter ringing out across the forest.
Finally, they burst through the trees, skidding to a halt as the rocks rose above, with the waterfall falling like a curtain down into a pool. Alex took a moment to catch his breath, please at the stunned expression on Amelia’s face. Grinning at her, he gathered her up into his arms and started striding to the edge of the rocky outcrop with the pool below. Amelia’s eyes widened and she laughed, battering his chest with her hands.
“Alex, don’t you dare!”
Alex laughed and jumped. Amelia squealed in shock as she hit the water. They sunk under the cool surface before bursting back up. Alex laughed and grabbed Amelia’s hands as she tried to dunk him under the water again in retaliation. He pulled her closer, moving them both to the edge so they could stand. He brushed a wet strand of her hair back, cupping her face with his hand, and kissed her. Amelia’s voice was low and breathy as she pulled back enough to glance up at the banks around them.
“Alex, the guards—” A blush spread on her cheeks although there was a hint of regret in her voice.
Alex glanced up and, sure enough, the guards had spread out around the edge of the pool, with some wading their way across to the other bank. He smiled, his eyes flicking up to the curtain of the waterfall behind them. His eyes tracked back to hers as he moved them slowly back, kissing her as they passed under the waterfall, the spray of the water washing over them as they moved under it to the small clearing behind. He chuckled as she gasped and looked around at the moss-lined rocks, ferns and a sandy outcrop forming a small cave. He kissed her again and moved them back to the cavern. Amelia did not object as they sunk to the sandy floor, her hands busy undoing his trousers with the waterfall screening them from view.
21
Hunting Parties
Alex had spent most of the last few days pouring over the reports from the villagers about the attacks of the Sundered Ones. Neither his father nor William was happy that he intended to go after them but had conceded when he pointed out that without others to care for and protect, he could remove himself from the situation if he chose. Due to the increased reports to the King, the progression was slow and in the camps near bigger settlements, the King’s Court stayed an extra day just to gather more facts about what was happening in the region.
Alex had also been giving himself time to build up his strength and stamina again, exercising and training every day. He’d been surprised at how he’d bounced back once he had full access to the power again without it causing blinding, burning pain. One of the other side effects he’d noticed since was the colour. Before, the Taint appeared as wisps of energy, all different shades of grey that came from every living thing. He could grasp that power, bind it together and direct it as he willed. Now, he noticed that the Taint was coloured and the different colours came from different places. Some was still a silvery grey but even that seemed to have more depth to it now. There was also Taint in blue, green and red. He’d noticed that the colours ranged from pale to deep, which seemed to show the strength of the power—as far as he’d been able to work out, anyway. It was a development he wanted to check with Kyle and Jess to see if they had a similar after-effect from the veil sickness as him.
Alex slid the last of his weapons into their appropriate holsters and picked up his cloak, pausing as what passed as a door to his lodging in the camp opened. Jess and Kyle were standing there looking at him, their expressions bland. Both were dressed for hunting and equipped for a fight.
“You don’t have to come with me. I won’t find any of them anyway, given from what we saw last time, they move around like we can.”
Any glimmer of hope he had that they would agree with him and stay behind in safety died when they both shook their heads.
“Alex, you will not hunt the Sundered ones in the Realm without us. It’s too dangerous.” Kyle’s expression showed no hint he would back down.
Alex was about to reply, then hearing the doors open again, he paused, frowning as Marcus, James and Megan all crowded in behind Jess and Kyle. He groaned and looked at Marcus, his eyebrow raised in enquiry.
Marcus looked at James and Megan, who both nodded at him. “We’ll come with you, My Lord. I know we may not be as powerful with the Taint as you three, but you know very well we all bear it, even if it’s something we’ve never discussed. It’s why we were placed in your service. We have enough that we can come with you; we can protect ourselves somewhat and you three can use our swords if you encounter any of the Sundered.”
Alex, Jess and Kyle all looked at each other, startled, but it was Kyle who asked what they were all thinking.
“What do you mean, protect yourselves somewhat?”
“The Elite have training annuals, My Lord; even as old, as long ago as the last Fourth’s Elite, they kept records. So we’ve been training in creating shields, strikes—none of us are strong enough to do much more but we can deflect attacks from the Sundered ones if they use the Taint as a weapon.”
Jess looked as wide-eyed and shocked as Alex guessed he looked.
“Training records about how to use the Taint as a weapon?”
“Yes, My Lady. I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what is kept in the Royal Library or even the Fourth’s Library in the Compound of the Fourth, but the instructions were fairly clear. All the Fourth’s Elite have proficiency but we are the most advanced and strongest.” Megan was earnest as she looked at each of them.
Kyle chuckled. “I think none of us are inclined toward sitting in libraries—the Fourth’s or otherwise—but remind us to go check it out when we get to the Summer Palace.”
Alex shook his head, pushing the thought of un-looked-for training manuals in his own library to one side for now. Then again, it was only on arrival at the Summer Palace, moving into the Compound of the Fourth, that he would have his own library—or, rather, he trusted Megan’s assertion that he had one since it hadn’t occurred to him there would
be one. Most of his training with his ancestor had been centred around staying in control and keeping his mental barriers up. He’d only discovered that he could use the power as a weapon to thrust at his opponent in his last fight with the Sundered. Still, he didn’t think admitting that to their guards was advisable right now.
“There’s more of us than I’d like, but still, I guess you are all going to insist. Can you all travel in the Veiled World or are you going to hitch a ride?” Alex was thinking that if they couldn’t travel themselves that he would have to haul them along. He’d never done it, though, and only knew it could be done due to his ancestor dragging him along when he was younger.
“None of us can travel by the paths, Your Highness; we’re not strong enough to do it ourselves.” James chimed in, yet neither he nor Marcus and Megan had even the faintest look of concern on their faces, which seemed to suggest that the three guards all assumed it could be done.
Alex looked at Jess and Kyle, who both shrugged. Kyle raised his eyebrow at both then made one more test, this time with his mind. His forehead crinkled as he concentrated.
Can you hear me now? Can you speak with your mind voice? Kyle’s mind voice was cool and smooth, yet Alex could tell he was putting a little more effort into it and focusing on the three guards.
If the expression on the guards’ faces were anything to go by, Alex guessed that they could at least hear Kyle. Once more, the three guards looked at each other, wide-eyed with astonishment. It was Marcus who replied, his mind voice uncertain and weak compared to Jess and Kyle.
Shattering Dreams Page 20