The Wizards' War

by Angela Holder

  “No,” Elkan told him.

  “Sar?” Josiah closed his eyes, then shuddered. “Never mind.”

  “He saved your life. Although…” Elkan tried to find the right words. This wasn’t going to be easy for Josiah to hear. “I’m afraid some of the damage may be permanent. He had to use the energy stored in the structures of your body. He spared your vital organs, and the muscles that let you breathe and talk and eat, but your legs and arms—they’re pretty far gone. I don’t know how much you’ll be able to recover.”

  “That must be what hurts. And why I can barely move.” With great effort Josiah tilted his head and surveyed his wasted body. He grimaced and shut his eyes. “Dear Mother. I look awful.”

  “You look wonderful,” Kevessa contradicted him. “You’re alive, and so are we. Who cares if you’re a little skinnier than you used to be?” Her voice only trembled a little.

  Josiah grinned weakly at her. “As long as you don’t mind, I guess it’s all right.” He made a face. “I just hope Sar considered the same organs vital as I do.”

  All the apprentices laughed, although to Elkan’s ears the sound wasn’t far from sobs. He beckoned to Braon and transferred Josiah’s slight weight to him. “There are things I have to take care of. I’m entrusting Josiah’s care to all of you. Kevessa, you’re in charge. Josiah, eat as much as you can.”

  “Yes, sir!” he said fervently. Everyone laughed again, this time a little more genuine.

  Elkan climbed to his feet. He frowned down at the huddle of apprentices. “Maybe we should move you somewhere more comfortable. Meira and I have extra rooms.”

  “Please, not yet. I want to see what happens.” Josiah’s eyes roamed over the activity in the plaza.

  Elkan sighed. Undoubtedly Josiah would be happier in the center of activity than shut away in an isolated bed. Maybe events would keep him distracted from the grim reality of his condition. “All right. You should be present at the trial, anyway. Just don’t overexert yourself. Kevessa, do your best to keep him quiet.”

  “Yes, Guildmaster,” she said. Josiah started to protest, but she tore off a chunk of bread and pressed it to his lips. He abandoned whatever he’d been about to say and snatched it from her fingers. “It shouldn’t be hard.”

  Josiah wrinkled his nose at her but didn’t stop chewing or refuse the next bite she offered. Elkan watched them for a moment longer, then turned away to deal with the dozens of pressing matters awaiting his attention.

  * * *

  By the time Kevessa fed him the last bite of bread, the awful gnawing pain in Josiah’s stomach had subsided to a bearable level. The lingering ache in the rest of his body was dull enough to ignore. He gulped the water one of the others brought. When it was gone, he closed his eyes and relaxed against Braon’s sturdy support. Maybe he should have let Elkan move him to his new house, after all. He wasn’t going to see much if he fell asleep. The way he felt, he could probably sleep for three days straight, only waking to choke down as much food as his shrunken stomach would hold.

  He dozed until Kalti’s bossy voice roused him. “Get out of the way, Seriti. Braon, be ready to have Copper help Amia. Really, Kevessa, he’s not going to expire if you let go of his hand for a minute.”

  Josiah clutched Kevessa’s hand as tightly as his feeble muscles could manage and opened his eyes. Turning his head took as much effort as lifting one of the weapons’ iron balls. Kalti was adjusting a big armchair so it faced the space in front of the fountain where the guildmasters were assembling. He eyed it eagerly. It felt as if his bones were grinding directly against the hard ground, and he couldn’t see much from down here but a forest of legs. A little height and cushioning would be welcome.

  The Mother’s power surrounded him and lifted him into the chair. Kevessa’s warm grasp never left his hand the whole time. He did his best to hold himself upright, but no matter how hard he tried he slumped to the side and his head lolled. Kalti tucked pillows around his body and neck to support them.

  He squelched the panic that threatened to overwhelm him every time his body refused to respond to his wishes. This weakness was temporary. It had to be. He might never be as strong as before, but surely he wouldn’t be as helpless as a baby his whole life.

  Kevessa’s hand tightened around his as she perched on the arm of the chair. He welcomed the pressure, even though it felt as if she might crush bones gone as fragile as a bird’s. Nina scampered down from Kevessa’s shoulder and rubbed her soft head against his cheek.

  Josiah caught his breath. The familiar’s comforting touch called his attention suddenly and shockingly to the empty hole where Sar ought to be. Even when the donkey had been silent or out of range their bond had filled a space in his mind. Its absence was like the gap left when a tooth fell out. His thoughts probed it the way his tongue would always poke at the raw chasm for days, until slowly, gradually, it became accustomed to the loss.

  He closed his eyes, but tears leaked out anyway. He couldn’t even raise a hand to wipe them away.

  Nina chittered in his ear, and Kevessa’s fingers smoothed the dampness from his cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I can only imagine how you feel.”

  “I told Sar to save himself if there was only enough for one of us.” Josiah swallowed. “He never was very good at obeying orders. He didn’t burn Elkan out when he asked, either.”

  “It’s a good thing he didn’t. I don’t think Tevenar and the Wizards’ Guild could have survived everything that’s happened since without him. And you wouldn’t have gotten to be a wizard.”

  Josiah shifted his eyes away guiltily. “Most of it’s my fault. I let Ozor get away. Otherwise the Matriarch never would have found us.”

  “Then I wouldn’t have gotten to be a wizard.” Her hand left him briefly to stroke Nina, then returned to his cheek. “And I wouldn’t have met you. Is it selfish to think those things make everything else worthwhile?”

  Josiah railed at the weakness that left him unable to put his arms around her or even touch her cheek in return. “If it is, then I’m selfish, too.” With enormous effort he turned his head and pressed his lips into her palm.

  She leaned over his chair and captured his mouth with hers, kissing him with fierce ardor. After a moment of surprise Josiah abandoned himself to the pleasure of it, only wishing he had the strength to return the kiss as enthusiastically as she deserved.

  Well, what did you know. Apparently Sar had left certain very important parts of his body in full working order, after all. He desperately hoped he’d recover enough to take advantage of that.

  Kevessa broke away, breathing heavily. “I’m sorry. This isn’t a good time.” She glanced at something Josiah couldn’t see, but from the sound of the voices he guessed their friends had withdrawn a little way and were arguing over what else he might need. “At least Kalti wasn’t watching.”

  “We’ll have to continue when we have more privacy.” He searched her face. “If you’re interested in courting again.”

  She closed her eyes and shivered. “When I thought you were dead, all I could think about was that you’d never know how I really felt about you. How I’d let stupid, petty things come between us. How I’d never get the chance—” She reddened and glanced away.

  “So you’re all right with what happened between me and Ledah?”

  “As long as it’s over.”

  Josiah tried to nod without much success. “Yes.”

  Kevessa smiled ruefully. “Then it doesn’t matter.”

  Maybe he should stay quiet, but she was bound to find out sooner or later if she didn’t already know. “What about Nirel?”

  Kevessa froze. Very carefully she said, “What about Nirel?”

  “Nothing happened,” he hastened to assure her. “I only kissed her. Well, she kissed me. She wanted to go farther, and I… I would have. But she changed her mind.”

  Kevessa looked at him in silence. He tried to read the complex play of emotions in her eyes, but the only thing
he was sure he saw was hurt. “I’m only telling you this because I want to be completely honest with you. I care about Nirel. I always have. But it’s over with her, too. She made that very clear.”

  Kevessa glanced down, then back into his eyes. “Which one of us would you have chosen if she hadn’t?”

  Why did they keep asking him that? “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter now anyway.”

  She shrugged and looked away. Josiah grimaced. She shouldn’t have asked if she didn’t want an honest answer. Thank the Mother the impossible choice had been taken out of his hands.

  After a long silence, he asked, “Have you seen her? I told her to wake people up and send them to help me, but I guess she couldn’t find anyone fast enough.”

  “No.” After a moment, Kevessa’s lips twisted. “Would you like us to trace where she went?”

  “Please.”

  She scooped up Nina, not quite meeting Josiah’s eyes. “Where should we start?”

  “In the unbonded familiars’ quarters, right before the explosion.”

  Kevessa nodded and a window popped open over her hand. The bright morning sunlight washed out the dim circle, but Josiah heard himself frantically order Nirel to wake the other wizards and send them to the basement.

  Nina enlarged the window, and Kevessa moved to shield it from the sunlight with her body. Now Josiah could see more clearly. He and Sar dashed from the room. The sight of his familiar alive and whole sent a shaft of grief stabbing through his heart, but he pushed it aside and focused on Nirel.

  She stood motionless for a long moment, then sank to her knees. Josiah gaped at the window as she remained there, her lips moving as she murmured a prayer. “What? Why?”

  Orange light flashed, falling across Nirel. She looked up, eyes wide and terrified, then hunched over, eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched. The explosion roared, shaking the walls and floor. The glare from the window threw the room and Nirel’s cowering form into stark relief.

  For several long moments after it passed, Nirel didn’t move. Then, slowly, she straightened and sank back on her heels. She looked around, dazed and blinking, breathing hard.

  Eventually she shook her head with a forceful jerk, scrambled to her feet, and hurried from the room. People were spilling into the corridor from every door, voices shrill with panic. Nirel headed for the stairs, blending in as the crowd, slowly at first, then frantically, responded to calls to evacuate the building. A few shot her curious looks, but no one stopped her.

  She hung back as the first cluster of people rushed to the doors. Josiah gulped, remembering the Matriarch’s warning. Screams and angry shouts erupted from outside, along with blazes of golden light. More wizards and familiars charged from the Hall to join those snatching arrows from the air and pursuing the Ramunnan archers as they fled. Unnoticed in the chaos, Nirel slipped out and ran until she rounded the corner of the building. Taking a deep breath, she slowed to a walk, put her shoulders back and her chin up, and strode past the people who were converging from every direction, shrugging in feigned ignorance whenever someone questioned her.

  Nina sped the window, slowing only when Nirel stopped at a bakery and bought a sackful of bread, meat pies, and sausage rolls. She passed the last few buildings of Elathir and settled into a long, steady stride. When the window reached the edge of its range, she was still walking. Nina raised the viewpoint high into the air until Nirel was a tiny dot crawling along a traced line.

  Josiah stared at her. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t she do what I asked?” Cold washed through his gut. “Did she want to get me killed?”

  Softly, Kevessa said, “Didn’t you see her face? She thought she was going to die, too. She didn’t know you and Sar would be able to stop the explosion alone.”

  The truth hit Josiah, simple and horrible. “She wanted to wipe out the wizards. She must have hoped Elder Davon would forgive her and take her back.” He frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense if she expected to die with us.”

  “Not Elder Davon. The Lord of Justice.” Kevessa shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. She failed.”

  “Sar would still be alive if she hadn’t betrayed me.” The ice in his gut erupted into boiling anger. “We need to tell Elkan. He’ll send watchers to drag her back and put her on trial beside the Matriarch and the Autarch.”

  “What good would that do?” Kevessa dropped her hand and the window vanished. “I don’t think she intends to come back to Elathir. She’ll never get another chance to try to hurt us. Let her go.”

  She bent to give Josiah another kiss, quick this time, but full of promise. “And so will I.”

  Sixty-Three

  Between giving orders, answering questions, and reviewing the full course of events, Elkan kept track of what was happening. The Armada ships stayed well out at sea. A few of the converted Faithful ships ventured into the river but turned back when met by weapon fire. A small boat flying a white flag left the Armada and approached the docks. Elkan issued orders allowing it to land, read the message it brought demanding Verinna’s release, and sent it back to Benarre with his refusal.

  Five ships full of wizards and familiars had put out from the docks in pursuit of Tane. The Mother’s power propelled them downstream faster than the wind could push the Autarch’s three ships. A flurry of catapulted fireballs were deflected or turned back on their source. When all three ships were burning, Tane finally hoisted a surrender flag. The wizards’ ships surrounded his and escorted them back to the docks while golden light smothered the flames.

  As the guildmasters arrived in the plaza, Elkan directed them to places near the fountain. Curious onlookers packed the square and the surrounding streets. Elkan assigned watchers to keep order, but he didn’t try to disperse the throng. This trial would affect the future of every citizen of Tevenar; they had the right to participate.

  Watchers kept the space around Josiah and Sar’s body clear, with difficulty. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the heroic victims. Josiah seemed to be thriving on the attention. Kevessa and the rest of his friends were keeping him well supplied with food, which he bolted between responding to people’s thanks and condolences. Someone had brought a table draped in black fabric and laid Sar on it. Elkan appreciated the gesture because it lent the donkey more of the dignity he so richly deserved, but he couldn’t help thinking Sar would have preferred to remain nestled in the grass.

  By midmorning, everything was ready. Meira had retrieved the Guildmaster’s cloak from where he'd left it, hung by the door of their new home. Elkan donned it and climbed onto the rim of the fountain. Tobi jumped up and took her place at his side. Groups of wizards brought Tane and Verinna to stand below him, wrapped in bonds of golden light. Tane surveyed the crowd with a cool, haughty gaze. Verinna’s eyes snapped with fury. Elkan wished he didn’t have to listen to their excuses, but it was important that everything be done strictly according to the Law.

  Elkan raised a hand and the crowd hushed. Windows bloomed to carry his words to the most distant listeners. “I call to order this session of the Wizards’ Court. We are here to try Tane Voreen and Verinna Fovarre for the crimes of murder and attempted murder. If their plan had succeeded, everyone who was in the Mother’s Hall last night would be dead.” Elkan gestured. “It was foiled by the heroic actions of Josiah Potterkin Wizard, who sacrificed his health, and the familiar Sardonyx, who sacrificed his life.”

  Cheers met his words, but also a current of confusion. He was going to have to explain how and why Josiah had still been a wizard.

  But that could wait. As soon as the response faded, he continued. “Sar died as a direct result of what these two did. Since the founding of Tevenar, killing a familiar has been considered murder, no less than the murder of a human.” He took a deep breath. “If this court finds Tane and Verinna guilty, they will be executed in accordance with Tevenaran law.”

  Shocked gasps mixed with an angry rumble of agreement. Elkan’s heart was heavy, but he looked over the crowd witho
ut flinching or doing anything else to soften the impact of his words.

  They’d killed Sar and crippled Josiah. They’d tried to slaughter every member of the Wizards’ Guild. As long as they were alive, no wizard or familiar would be safe. According to the Law, the Mother’s power could be used to return a murderer’s life to the Mother. Tane and Verinna both deserved to die for what they’d done.

  “I will now present the evidence.” Elkan put one hand on Tobi’s head and held out the other. A window sparked to life and swelled to maximum size, as wide across as his outstretched arms. It displayed his office the afternoon before, where the two rulers had met and concocted their plan.

  The crowd silently listened as Tane’s and Verinna’s own words condemned them. It was still difficult for Elkan to believe that the apparently reasonable people he’d spent hours talking with could speak so casually of death and destruction. But there they were. His eyes and ears testified to what they’d said.

  Quite possibly they were right. Maybe their power wouldn’t survive the coming of the Wizards’ Guild. Maybe the people of Ramunna and Marvanna really would come to realize that the Mother valued them as much as the ones who subjugated them, and act violently to correct the situation. But that was still no excuse for murder.

  Tobi moved the window back in time to show the placement of the explosives, then to the night before to show the Matriarch abandoning her camp and the Autarch directing his ship into position. Tane himself gave the order for the catapult to fire.

  They watched how the plan had gone wrong. In the window, Tenorran lifted the sleeping Adrenna from her cradle and crept through the dark streets to Elkan and Meira’s house, never realizing he was being followed. Elkan closed his eyes as the Matriarch’s soldiers swarmed into the bedroom and he heard himself say the words that sent Josiah and Sar to their doom.