Chapter 7 - Breaking The Spell
“The subjects of the Undying Queen enjoy security and peace throughout their lives. Most crime is dealt with by their lords whose enforcers ensure no one can prey on their vassals. Each city’s Watch reports directly to the Throne and supports the nobility in their efforts against those who would breach the Queen’s peace. For the truly terrible crimes, treason, summoning, necromancy, there is the Inquisition lurking in the background.”
Two Thousand Years of Empire by Jahangir Amini
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“So if you look at the history of Vass Karan, its strength has always been founded on its geographical position, both the river and its proximity to the Empire’s borders.” Count Velia gestured grandly in the air as he escorted Ester through the back corridors of his palace.
“But has its proximity to borders not restricted its growth and left it under threat from hostile neighbours?” Ester had to hide a grin. She didn’t know all that much about the city, but the relief she felt from being able to talk about something intellectual was almost physical. In fact, despite her misgivings about the man, she was coming to like Count Velia. He was clearly an intelligent, educated man and, even better, seemed perfectly willing to speak to the way she wanted. Respect and politeness, but no awe or contempt.
“You might think that, but wars are infrequent and during periods of peace trade brings wealth…” Count Velia trailed off as two people turned the corner into their corridor.
The taller of the two, a foppish looking young man in fine clothes, was… very handsome. Bordering on pretty in fact. He was walking hand in hand with an older, plainer woman in servant’s clothing. Ester frowned slightly. It was obvious what they were up to or had been up to. Her eyes flicked between them. The servant seemed to be unable to take her eyes off him. With mild distaste she admitted to herself that the woman had a point. He really was very good looking.
A bit too good looking maybe. Ester narrowed her eyes and focused more. Nothing. She pulled her mind fully into place, sharpening it against reality. Ah. It was subtle, but there! He definitely had some kind of glamour over him. Something very minor, but she’d bet that was what made him look so pretty. Was it a schema or was he some kind of hedge witch?
Suddenly, just before they reached each other, the man winked at her. She’d been staring. Flushing with embarrassment, Ester pulled her attention back to Count Velia. A frown marred his face and stayed there as the two of them passed.
“Is everything alright?”
“Of course,” he replied smoothly. “I was just thinking that some words may need to be had with my staff about appropriate behaviour.”
“Ah.” Ester wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “So you were explaining about Vass Karan’s geographical position?”
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As soon as they were out of sight of the Count and the Watch’s Mage, Abiel let out the breath he’d been holding with a decisive huff.
“What’s wrong? You were crushing my hand!” Aliana pulled away from him slightly.
“I think we might just have been made. We need to get out now.” He turned down a side corridor rather than heading back to the ballroom as he’d planned and sped up.
Aliana didn’t resist. “Why do you say that? I recognised the Count, but he’s just annoyed that his servants are cavorting with guests rather than slaving away the way he’d like.”
Abiel shook his head. “No, not the Count, the girl.”
“The girl? I assumed they were just off to bang. She’s the kind of thing those old lords like.”
“No, the Count’s loyal to his wife.” Unusual for a man of his position, but it took all sorts. “Anyway I doubt he’d touch her. The girl’s a Mage, didn’t you see the lightning bolts on her collar?”
“No.” He could hear the sudden nervousness in Aliana’s voice. “I was too busy making a show of staring at you.” Suddenly he found she was the one tugging him along.
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“And here we are…” Count Velia turned the corner, into yet another wide, ornate corridor and came to a halt. He glanced at Ester and then frowned. “There should be two guards outside the door. It seems that the maids are not the only ones that have been slacking.”
Ester nodded absently, although she was starting to wonder whether this was all some elaborate scheme after all.
“Come Lady Mazar. We are both busy people and my problems with my staff can wait.” He strode towards the door, pulling a key out of his belt pouch as he went. A brief fumble at the door and then the lock clicked open.
Count Velia pushed the door open and stepped inside, Ester close behind him.
“Fucking Spirits of the Throne!” Ester couldn’t see anything. She decided to ignore the bordering on treasonous curse as she went on tip toes to try to see past the Count. Then she saw the two guards lying passed out on the settee and her gasp joined the Count’s low growl.
“Are they alright?” Was that alcohol she could smell in the room? She grimaced in distaste.
“They will not be when I am finished with them!” He hesitated. “No… no. I am not thinking. They would not have had a key, how could they be in here?”
He started muttering angrily to himself and after a moment Ester took the opportunity to move over to the unconscious guards. They definitely smelt like they’d been drinking, but then if they’d had no key they shouldn’t have been able to do it in here.
Ester hesitated, indecision pulling at her. People didn’t like being touched by a Mage and there were good reasons for that. Then she shrugged to herself. The guards were unconscious anyway and they might be hurt, so it would do no harm. She carefully reached out and gave the closest a shake, ignoring the unpleasant moistness of his tabard. He didn’t react at all. He just kept on snoring faintly.
The Count cursed loudly behind her and Ester spared him a glance before looking back at the guards. She was hardly an expert on alcohol, for obvious reasons drinking had been strongly discouraged for apprentices at the Academy, but surely it didn’t make people pass out so completely? Another glance to make sure the Count didn’t see her transgression and Ester put her hand on the guard’s face and focused.
It wasn’t quite like seeing magic normally, she was fairly sure she’d have struggled to tell without touching him. With her hand on his skin, she could feel so much more though. There were sluggish flows of something inside him. Eyes shut, she dived deeper, her body unmoving. There was definitely something. A tincture. Somnolence maybe…? Yes. It was hard to tell, but when she looked closer…
“What are you doing?” Ester jumped as the Count’s bark broke her concentration. In a flash she pulled her hand back from the guard, spinning to face him. She ignored the worried feeling in her stomach at what he’d seen and projected confidence into her voice.
“They’ve been poisoned. Some sort of tincture, forcing them to sleep.”
“Thank you.” The Count nodded as if he’d half expected that and then seemed to dismiss the guards completely. “It seems that our conversation is going to be delayed. I have been robbed.”
“Robbed?” Ester gasped. It made sense of course, but she hadn’t put the dots together. Why else would anyone poison his guards? It clearly wasn’t an assassination attempt “What was taken?” The room was so opulently decorated that she could imagine it might be almost anything.
The Count growled slightly. “The truth Schema. My apologies that we will not be able to finish our conversation for now, but I would ask that you return to the ball while I deal with this. I shall find a servant to escort you back.”
Ester winced. If his Schema was of the quality that she’d expect, then it would be worth a huge amount of money and likely very difficult to replace. “Of course.” She hesitated, but she could hardly not make the offer. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
The Count had already started walking, long strides that forced Ester to practically jog to keep up. “No, thank you for the offer, but rest assured I will catch these thieves and make them pay.”
His willingness to speak seemed to run out with that and they hurried in silence until he spotted a servant in his House’s livery. “You there! Please help Lady Mazar back to the ballroom.” He offered her a hint of a bow. “My lady.”
“Count Velia.” Ester bowed lower, but he’d already spun on his heel and headed off at an almost run.
The servant bowed to Ester, bending almost double. “This way my lady.”
As she followed the servant, Ester’s mind was racing, her brow furrowed into a deep frown. Who could have brazenly walked in, knocked out the Count’s guards, stolen a valuable Schema and then successfully escaped? There weren’t that many people in this part of the palace, but not so few that someone could just walk in… Her mind went back to the besotted couple they’d walked past. Not that there’d been anything unusual about them. Except the illusion over the man’s face. That had been odd. Not so odd as to be suspicious, it had only been a very small illusion and people could be so very vain, but still…
Ester bit her bottom lip, her feet taking her after the servant without conscious thought. It really was quite suspicious. Who could just walk out of the palace and not care if anyone saw them? It had probably been quite a small Schema, easily portable. Easy to slip inside a dress or shirt. Had they really been going for a quick liaison somewhere private or were they…
She looked up with a jerk. “You, goodman. I have changed my mind, I wish to leave. Please escort me to the gates as fast as you can.”Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“But my lady, the Count said…”
“He told you to help me, I wish to leave.” She put on her most imperious tone, doing her best to imitate the way Negin Miri had always spoken to her. “Now, please.” She resisted the urge to frown, Negin would never have said please.
The servant’s eyes flicked to her collar and then back to her face before he bowed low. “At once my lady.”
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Abiel couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as he and Aliana exited the gates of the Starfall Palace. It had been a struggle to keep up his adopted persona after the Mage had walked past them. Even more so given they couldn’t be too obvious about being in a hurry to leave, but they were safe now. The Adept and guards on the gate hadn’t done anything more than smirk at the two of them and their feet were steadily taking them away from the Starfall Palace.
They’d keep up the act until they were safely away and then disappear and link up with Ruben.
“Excuse me!” A young woman called from behind them. “My lord, goodwoman.” Abiel had never heard the voice before and had no intention of looking, but somehow he knew exactly who it was.
“Oh fuck,” Aliana muttered beside him. A sentiment Abiel agreed with completely.
“Don’t look, we’ve heard nothing. We duck into the first side road or alley we can and then we run.” He took a deep breath to try to calm himself.
“My lord! Please stop!” She was getting louder. And closer.
Abiel’s mind was racing, examining and discarding plans faster than a racing horse. Exaggerated tales of Chartered Mages warred with what little he knew about the girl. They might be able to take her, they might not. She was inexperienced, weak by all accounts. But she was also an unknown and he hated unknowns. He had Aliana, that meant a lot, but fighting wasn’t their way. Fighting got you killed, or caught, which was effectively the same thing. If she got too close they were buggered.
“On three we run,” he whispered. “One, two, three!”
He moved. Accelerating into a full sprint in the space of a few feet. Aliana was right behind him. The paving slabs flew beneath his feet, illuminated by the witchlights that lined the road. He didn’t look back, that would just slow him down. He was going to make it though! Maybe it hadn’t been the Mage. Maybe it was too far or too dark or she was as slow as he’d heard. They’d be out of sight in sec… The air seemed to turn to treacle around him, slowing him to a parody of a crawl, before congealing into something completely solid and stopping him in his tracks.
“Sorry!” The bloody girl was apologising. “I really need to speak to you, I do not want to hurt you.”
A single word echoed through his head immediately followed by a high pitched crack and suddenly he could move again. He glanced at Aliana and the fading weiryd around her before turning to face the girl. This was not good, not good at all.
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Aliana resisted the urge to start gibbering. She’d just struck against a Mage with magic. An actual Mage! She’d never even spoken to one before. With a supreme effort of will she pulled her attention away from Abiel and the spell she’d just broken and looked back at the Mage.
She was only a girl really. That hadn’t been so hard. Maybe they might get away with this. Aliana had been using magic for longer than the girl had been alive and she was good, she knew she was. If she wasn’t they wouldn’t have survived for as long as they had.
The girl seemed to have paused, just standing and staring at them. Aliana wasn’t sure whether it was creepy, or just odd.
“Let’s just back away slowly.” Abiel hissed the words at her and she nodded absently, not taking her eyes off the girl.
As soon as they started to move it seemed to break the girl out of her trance. She took a step forward and Aliana struck, drawing on decades of living in the underworld, of having to fight for survival.
Aliana didn’t say any words, her focus so perfect that the weiryd was barely visible. A surprise strike that she’d practised over and and over again. It had saved her life more than once when she’d been cornered by someone out for blood.
The world twisted to her will, she could see her runes and magic bend reality around the girl. Then they vanished. As if they’d never been there. There was no Weiryd, nothing. Fuck.
She felt rather than saw Abiel glance at her as they kept backing away. “Did you…?”
She didn’t have time to reply. She felt the girl’s retaliation. Simple enough. She could feel the lines to break it. She didn’t even speak, just drew upon her will. The world shuddered a little as the spell shattered around them. That had always been her talent, why she was vital to their little gang.
The girl was advancing after them, steady strides forward slightly faster than their own backwards steps. If that was all she had they’d be fine. Maybe Mages weren’t all that after…
“Do’aelt!” Aliana almost screeched the word. Green light flared around her and Abiel stumbled. Great spirits! That had at least twice as much power behind it! Manageable though, still manageable. She was good, she’d rarely met anyone stronger than her. Of course the girl had some power, but not enough.
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Ester frowned as the servant woman broke another spell apart, the air distorting into green flickers around her. The surprise of finding she could use magic had combined with euphoria as Ester realised she really had found the thieves. That had quickly faded with the servant’s revelation that she was so good at disjunction. The embarrassing flare of weiryd around her suggested a lack of skill, but the collapse of Ester’s spells had been almost instant.
Ester felt a trickle of worry at how casually her spells had been dealt with and then dismissed it. Too many people thought she couldn’t fight, well she’d show them.
She didn’t break her stride, continuing to advance on the retreating thieves. She didn’t want to kill them. Killing those people on the docks had been bad enough and these weren’t murderers. The guards proved that.
The woman thought she could break her spells did she? An excited smile spread across Ester’s face. Well they’d see.
“Fa’gesinn.” Decision made, Ester snapped the word out without hesitation, putting the full weight of her power behind it. If she could blind them they couldn’t fight back. No weiryd for her. She was calm, fully in control.
The world distorted around the thieves and her spell broke apart as soon as it had formed. That was worrying. In the Academy they’d always said hedge witches weren’t even a match for Adepts. The amount of weiryd the thief was putting off certainly didn’t impress Ester, but she’d just broken a spell that had Ester’s full strength behind it. Which should have been impossible. Did the thief have some mad talent for disjunction?
It didn’t matter. Her heart was hammering and adrenaline was pounding through her veins. It was terrifying and it was exciting and they weren’t even trying to kill her!
Ester’s smile widened into a grin. She’d never really had the chance to properly practice against other Apprentices at the Academy. Even surreptitious duels had been out after she’d been caught delivering a more than satisfying beating to Erfan. She still wasn’t quite sure why he’d been so much nicer to her after that. Boys were weird.
With a wrench, Ester pulled her attention back to the thieves and mentally cracked her knuckles. She had her theories for how to deal with disjunction. Time to test them.
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What confidence Aliana had was broken by the girl’s third spell. There was far too much power behind it. Comfortably more than Aliana could wield and there was no weiryd.
Abiel was moving, creating distance. Probably sensible. They didn’t want to make themselves an easy target and he’d end up falling over from the weiryd if he wasn’t careful.
“Gränn ai’diwaien.” Aliana intoned the words and made the hand gestures she’d been taught, focusing every ounce of her being behind them. She ignored the flare of green light around her and kept backing away. This time the Mage staggered slightly, but that was all. That should have pasted her across the cobbles, all the Mage had done was a small gesture. And she was getting closer. She wasn’t even hurrying. Fuck.
Magic flared around Aliana and she focused her mind, disrupting the lines and runes as they formed. Only this one was more complicated. She had a fraction of a second to stare into nothingness. “Dachaid,” for focus, and the spell broke again. That had had a nasty sting in its tail. She looked back out as she frantically tried to get her head around what the Mage had done. Was the girl smiling? Fuck.
Aliana’s frantic thoughts were disrupted when Abiel’s voice rang out. Utterly cheerful with no sign of the fear that he surely must be feeling.
“You know, Ester, may I call you Ester? I hadn’t realised who you were when I first saw you, but I did notice how beautiful you were.”
The Mage didn’t even respond to him. Just said something Aliana couldn’t quite make out. This time she was ready. The spell was different, but she had its measure. Again one word and a flare of green. “Dachaid.” She ignored Abiel’s slight stumble off to the side.
“It’s funny though, while you’re no doubt stunning, that’s not what made me truly want to get to know you better. No, it was those lightning bolts on your collar. This world is so cruel to people. Born into the wrong family. Born a woman. Your options are limited. Yet there you are. Your achievements are intoxicating and unlike the rest of them, you understand what it means to come from the bottom.”
What in the blood filled underworld was he doing? Surely he didn’t think this would work?
The Mage clearly agreed. “Is this some prelude to trying to convince me to join you? Pretty words from a man who uses a glamour to tart up his face.” She dropped her voice and muttered something, a series of words.
Another spell. Aliana saw it form, spoke words of breaking as she encompassed its form in her mind. The flash of light that burst out, burning away the weiryd around her told her she’d narrowly missed fucking that one up. What had she missed? It had been even more complicated than the last.
“I’d never presume such a thing. You are clearly a woman of principles, it makes you only the more attractive.” Aliana was sure she heard the Mage growl.
“You’re not funny and if,” Aliana staggered as she barely unraveled another blow from the Mage, “you think it’s going to distract me so your pet witch can help you get away you’re wrong!”
Was that movement? Aliana’s eyes flicked to a building slightly ahead of the advancing Mage. Another spell, even more complex. More desperate words to break it apart. A figure was starting to make his way down the wall. Was it Ruben? Surely not. What did he think he was going to do?! Stab her? It might work actually. He was a good fighter, but they didn’t kill. Not unless they had to. And the Mage clearly wasn’t trying to kill them.
“Dachaid!” Aliana gasped the words as a spell nearly overwhelmed her.
On the other hand, if they were caught they’d hang. If they were lucky. If it was her or the Mage she knew what choice she’d make. Now if only Abiel would shut up!
“The only distraction is your beauty!”
“Dechaid do’alt!” Aliana had to shout the words to reinforce her mind. Green light flared as she broke the spell. That one had been far too complicated, she wasn’t even sure what the Mage was doing anymore, but each spell that came at them was more complex than the last. If Ruben was going to do something he’d better do it quickly.
She had a moment of relief as the Mage glanced behind her. There was someone coming. A huge man, running towards them, bellowing something incoherent.
Ruben was leaning away from the wall, somehow hooked into a railing with his feet. What was he doing?! There was something in his hands. Aliana steeled herself for the next spell. Her head was starting to pound, she couldn’t keep this up much longer.
Then Ruben flung a sack over the Mage’s head.
Aliana stood there, stunned. Why the fuck had he done that?! Couldn’t he have just stabbed the girl?! She was only broken out of her shock by Abiel grabbing her arm and screaming, “Run you idiot!”
She turned and fled.
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It was more than frustrating the way the thief seemed to be able to dispel everything Ester sent at her. At the same time, it was the most interesting challenge she’d had in a while. Fighting thieves and trying to figure out new magic, all at the same time! And no one was trying to kill her! This was exactly the kind of adventure she’d wanted. Now if only the man would just shut up and let her build something interesting for her next spell…
Ester focused, bringing her will to bear only to be distracted again by the sound of shouting behind her. She glanced back to make sure it wasn’t a threat. Then suddenly she was stumbling, nearly falling when something hit her head and the world went black.
She staggered for a couple of seconds before she managed to steady herself. As she did so someone ran past her. Big and heavy, with a booming voice she vaguely recognised from the ball. “Stop you filthy miscreants or I shall make you pay!”
No time for that. She flailed for a second at whatever it was on her head. A sack? Someone had dropped a sack on her head?! Fury overtook panic. She didn’t need to say anything, just directed that fury outward and her will imposed it on the world.
The sack simply vanished into shreds of cloth as thunder boomed through the air. Ester took in the scene in a fraction of a second. A huge man was between her and the thieves, brandishing a sword and shouting as they headed into the distance. She didn’t care. Enough messing around.
A glance up at the sky. Clouds, good. Ester narrowed her eyes and focused her will. “Gränn nvatn ai’diwaien ai’saig vlidsich jel’ai’sjuuf.”
Lines of power and runes flashed across the sky as the spell came together. Then the world vanished into blinding light and all encompassing sound. Thunder roared down the street as she pulled lightning from the sky obliterating a swathe of the road ahead of her.
By the time the rubble had crashed back to the ground, Ester was already stalking forward, blinking spots out of her eyes as she angrily searched for any sign of the thieves.