ã€ŠNasty Little Witchlingã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Mother would have lamented my death, even if it was only over the wasted time spent raising me for fourteen years. So, it made me feel like an especially nasty daughter because I felt relieved at hers.

    Listening to the way she died stopped me from thinking about my plans. One of the boys in the group I was hiding near described the gory public beheading, his friend smacking him on the arm before he could describe how the inside of a neck looked.

    The executioner had to go for two full swings before it got to that point. It might have taken three if Mother wasn''t as vain, spending the life she stole on looks rather than strength.

    I skulked away through the long grain near where the children played outside the town''s wooden walls. They had already moved on to arguing which of them would be ¡®it¡¯ for their game. No one wanted to hear more about the morbid topic.

    I kept low to the ground until I entered the nearby forest. I realised along the way that it might be my fault she was dead. It had been my job to go into the town and buy the goods we couldn''t grow ourselves, but I had absolved myself of that responsibility¡ªpainfully.

    Mother hadn''t explained the intricacies of currency to me when first sending me out, so I returned with fewer items and no change. The week following had been especially brutal for me and my empty stomach.

    The next few times I was sent, I purposefully repeated the mistake until she gave up punishing me and went herself. The items I bought were only for her use anyway. The few vendors I interacted with thought I was an orphan¡ªwhich was true now¡ªdoing errands for someone since I came with a list and more roe than someone with my threadbare clothes would have.

    Our cottage¡¯s back garden came into view. I was supposed to always walk a different way to it, so a path didn¡¯t form, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Mother wasn¡¯t around to punish me, and I could make the grass grow back without fear of her finding out I used magic.

    Instead of seeing the cottage¡¯s second storey, there was an illusion of a hole-ridden roof. I was happily surprised the enchantment was still in place. I had been worried that her death would cause the magic surrounding the cottage to fail, but it seemed to be holding.

    The lush undergrowth ended, and dead leaves cracked under my bare feet. The area around my home was rotten and warped from all the alchemy chemicals dumped in it. My mother''s rituals also sucked the life out of everything in the area, myself included, until I learned to resist its pull. It was probably why I was smaller than the town children.

    The garden was left to look overgrown and unattended to fool any onlookers. I pushed the fence gate open and swished my finger behind me to close it. In my joy at throwing around the magic I had worked hard to practise and keep secret, I may have overdone it. The wooden beams of the fence smacked together, and the gate shook violently back into an open position.

    I bit my lip, walked back to push it in place and dropped the latch. To redeem myself, I knelt in the ground overgrown with weeds and focused on the vegetables and herbs. Maybe I could do without the ruse of an uninhabited cottage now that the townsfolk wouldn¡¯t be worried about a witch, but it was better to be safe.

    The weeds would have made growing vegetables harder since they stole what those plants needed to make the edible pieces, but I had a trick. I separated all the plants in the garden into different sides of my mind: the ones I wanted to keep and those I didn¡¯t. I no longer had use for most of the alchemical herbs and some of the vegetables I found gross, so I refocused.

    Sweat dripped off my brow and plopped down near my fingers resting in the dirt.

    I¡¯d done this before, but only a few at a time and not the whole garden.

    I asked the plants I cared for to extend their roots and forced the others to shrivel up theirs. It wouldn¡¯t kill them all off, but it would ensure I got the vegetables I wanted more often. I could force the whole process, but that had a habit of killing the plant after too many times.

    While I was at it, I made the ripest vegetables fall off their stalks and glanced over to where the tubers big enough to harvest lay underground. Letting go of the magic left me feeling empty and drained momentarily. My arms shook while I stood to pick up what was going to be my dinner. I smiled at the freedom of what I could make. No more having to stomach killing for meat, I could use the salt without having the bowl thrown at me for putting too much in, or I could roast the peppers to give them the burnt taste I liked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even need to make dinner at all,¡± I thought out loud, conjuring water to drip over my muddy haul. I might have been pushing it too far.

    My head spun as I stumbled through the threshold, almost tripping on the ledge. I recovered my footing and decided to relax with the magic use. I didn¡¯t have to cram all of it into the brief periods when I was alone anymore.

    There was no need to rush.

    The door, if it still counted as one, lay in pieces at my feet. The rest of the room looked ready to collapse with sections of rotting planks everywhere. The walls did little to stop the wind, and grass shoots poked through some of the gaps in the floor. Dried leaves occupied the corners of the single room while the fireplace sat bare, not having been used at all in my memory.

    I danced across the floor, knowing which floorboards to avoid stepping on while bundling up the vegetables in the hem of my shirt. The ladder wasn¡¯t visible, but I had used it often enough to grab on perfectly the first time. I shuffled up with one hand while the other kept my dinner secure.

    My head pushed through the illusion of the roof, a warm glow greeting me. Colourful plants in pots gave my home some vibrance. They dotted the floor and hung from the ceiling, with creeping vines reaching down from some of them.

    My first alteration was going to be replacing them with less poisonous plants. My second was going to be using the alchemy station as the new cooking area, most of it at least.

    Much to my mother¡¯s disappointment and disgust, it was not possible for me to do anything one would expect of a witch. I could do some magic with the nature around me, but curses, hexes, and enchantments were beyond me. Training me in the latter had been Mother''s life work, and I had ruined it.

    The cauldrons I needed to move were dreadfully heavy, and there was no chance I would eat anything out of the alchemy one. Mother didn¡¯t only make oral healing tinctures. I was too tired to enact any of my plans and despite the sun only barely touching the horizon, I looked longingly at my small hammock.

    I put the vegetables away and was ready to fall into my hammock. I glanced down and remembered how dirty I had gotten trying to sneak close enough to hear why Mother hadn¡¯t returned from shopping that morning. Some of the grass around the town was only tall enough to hide me if I lay on my stomach, which meant crawling through the dirt for a long while.

    My head had stopped spinning, so I felt well enough to make the dirt slip off me while I shook myself. A quick kick sent a gust of wind into the pile of dirt, sending it towards the ladder entrance. I slapped my hands for another short gust to scatter it below.

    The room started spinning again, so I waddled towards my bed. Once in, I couldn''t tell if the room was swinging side to side because the hammock was moving or if it was all in my head.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡­

    I was used to getting woken up by loud voices. Usually, they were the shrieks of a woman, so the voices of men talking loudly in the distance were alarming.

    The hammock almost dumped me out onto the floor as I scrambled to release myself from its embrace. I got most of my body out but hopped on one foot while trying to untangle the other one.

    The voices were getting closer.

    I half succeeded and landed on my hands and knees near the ladder opening. Sunlight shone through the cracks in the walls below, the beams highlighting the falling dust from my activities above.

    The voices were close enough for me to hear what they were saying, or I could have if it weren¡¯t for the entire forest population announcing they were awake. I asked the nearby wildlife to be quiet, then added a ¡®please¡¯ at the end when the ravens started to get huffy. None of them responded in any real words, but I got a feeling of acquiescence, some of it begrudging.

    The birds liked me best and were the main culprits of the noise. The forest fell silent except for the voices.

    A few of the people had a slight weight to their presence that pulled my vision to them through the walls.

    ¡°Sir, this isn''t a good idea."

    ¡°Yeah, everything got quiet.¡±

    ¡°More reason to get this over with."

    ¡°We''re lucky killing her didn''t curse the whole town. You really want to chance it by burning down her home?"

    ¡°How do we know this is her home? One of you go on some late-night dalliances? I know she was a looker, but that''s beyond desperate."

    "Nah, I came to get a remedy for little Josie once, witch swindled me for half my roe...but it worked."

    "And we repaid that with killing her? Sounds like some of us deserved to be cursed."

    "Shut it, her and whoever else it was shouldn¡¯t have fucked with the baron. We would have left her alone to keep giving us potions. We had no choice."

    ¡°We already had to deal with some official doing the execution, we don¡¯t need another coming here to investigate, and find out we all knew about her. Better to be rid of it before we''re labelled as sympathisers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere near that place. Might turn us into ghouls with how everything around here looks.¡±

    ¡°That''s not how it works, just throw the torch in. Stop being a coward.¡±

    There was a bit more grumbling and arguing before someone¡¯s footsteps crunched through the dead leaves. A grunt came from closer than the voices, and a thud from even closer. I guessed the garden, but I couldn''t see much unless I stuck my head through the illusion.

    The others shared a round of quiet laughter and a few jokes about getting sticks through holes. I sympathised with whoever it was; the crows jeered at me for not throwing seeds high enough to their perches.

    But only slightly because it sounded like he was trying to burn my house down.

    Another clatter came from below. A wooden pole with a lit rag wrapped around the top tumbled end over end in through the open doorway. I watched as the flames licked the damp and rotten wood without spreading far. Fire wasn¡¯t my favourite, I couldn''t understand how it worked. How could heat come from a piece of wood, a rag and a spark? It flummoxed me.

    There were no creatures around that used that kind of magic for me to watch and learn from either.

    I reached out with a hand, careful not to put it through the illusion and focused on the air around the flames. I closed my fist while picturing the fire being smothered.

    I didn¡¯t know why it worked, but placing a lid over stray flames in the kitchen usually put them out. The flames spilling across the floor collapsed back into the rag and smouldered as the torch was smothered.

    Creatures outside in the garden leaked out feelings of fear that I confused with my own. The first torch spread to a pile of dry leaves outside, if the brief imagery I snagged from a rodent was accurate.

    I thought I could still hear voices outside, but the cracks and pops of the spreading fire drowned them out. The ones with the weight to them started to move away and I poked my head down to see. I meant to be discrete, but my bundled up long black hair flopped down halfway to the floor.

    Luckily, no one was there.

    I scrambled down the ladder and a wave of heat and smoke hit me as I looked outside. The fire was spreading quickly across the dry brush. I stood and stared until I was sure the presence of the people faded.

    The yellowed grass had carried the flames to the dead trees, which then climbed up their hollow interiors. The garden was mostly throwing up smoke since it was all fresh greenery. I ran out and pulled myself over the side of the garden fence. The fire was moving in a wave across the grass to the other cottage walls, where there wasn¡¯t a garden to block it.

    I waved my hand out, and a gust of wind hit the approaching flames, but that only pushed it back for a second before it crashed down with more vigour. Stomping on an area with crawling embers worked for three whole tries until I felt my bare feet heat uncomfortably. I tried to surround the area with my meagre magic, but the fire was too much for me to smother like the torch.

    My heart was racing. This was my home and I had only been able to call it that for less than a day. I wouldn''t have be able to survive in the town without the roe Mother earned.

    A branch crashed down, and I flinched back into the wooden wall of the cottage. The birds had already fled. The others who lived in the trees and on the ground radiated fear. I tried to block it out, but the creature in the burrow backed up against the far wall with their heart racing, felt too familiar.

    They turned to burrow deeper with their magic.

    I threw out my hands to the side and tried to grab the ground below me. It was slipping from my control like loose dirt pouring through my fingers. I heaved my arms upwards.

    There was no real weight in them, but they spasmed at the magic I was trying to muster. I held my breath because of the exertion on my muscles and tense stomach.

    The ground in front of me shifted and heaved upwards, spilling across the approaching fire.

    I half stumbled and half slid down into the new ditch I created and stared in shock at the waist-high pile of dirt. It seemed taller since I was up to my knees in a ditch, but it was still impressive.

    What sounded like an entire tree crashed down somewhere behind the cottage and I stumbled through the ditch to the next side. The fire was already climbing up the wall here. I couldn''t get to the middle of the it to repeat the same thing. I lifted my arms in front of me regardless.

    It might have been my imagination, but it felt easier being on the same level as the dirt I was trying to lift.

    One of my arms locked up and spasmed as the ground rolled over. There was still fire spreading up the cottage wall. I tried to get water to rain down on it. Nothing happened with everything being so dry. I scooped up piles of dirt in my hands to fling at it instead.

    I climbed out of the ditch to see the last side of the cottage.

    The fire hadn¡¯t yet spread that far. An old, overgrown path that had been made from trips to the outhouse stopped it. I took the chance to gulp down air not tainted with smoke and shake the cramp out of my arms.

    I worried for a moment about what they would do if they came back and found the cottage unharmed. I leaned against the wall and tried to think of where I could go if I couldn¡¯t stay. The town and a random tree in the forest were the only things that came to mind. Neither were great options.

    I had seen and experienced how strange children on their lonesome were treated in the town. It would be worse now that I didn¡¯t have roe to spend or charms to hide me. I pushed off the wall and started kicking dirt on the path to make sure the fire didn¡¯t break through.

    A stretch of grass on the other side of the outhouse still connected all the way from the cottage to the raging flames beyond. Even thinking about lifting the dirt with magic sent waves of pain down my arms, so I turned about to look for something else.

    The rusty hoe I used for gardening lay half-hidden in the grass near the garden fence. I grabbed it and rushed to dig into the soil, coughing as the wind changed and blew smoke into me. Bone-deep pain started to accompany the weariness in my arms as I worked.

    Fire brushed up against my defences but didn¡¯t make it past. Embers threatened to jump over some of the smaller mounds of dirt and were extinguished by the wind before making it. The outer edges of the clearing were almost entirely ash, with the flames struggling to pierce the outer greenery. I took that to mean it was over and stayed to watch until the only light was from the sun overhead.

    I trudged back towards the cottage and let the hoe fall out of my grip.

    I eyed the invisible ladder once inside and considered collapsing to the floor, but caught myself before my body could agree. With my heart no longer racing and no flames taking up the entirety of my focus, I could feel my arms throbbing with both a dull and piercing pain. Using mostly my legs, I made it up the ladder and rolled onto the hard wooden floor.

    My nose was clogged with soot. The dull ache in the back of my mind from whenever I overused magic was also present, but my arms drowned out any of the comparably minor discomforts. I was hungry after not having anything to eat the day before, but I couldn¡¯t imagine sitting up, let alone preparing anything to eat. That frustration pushed me over the edge, and tears started leaking down my face.

    I think I missed my mother. They wouldn''t have dared if she was still here.

 Chapter 2

    The stream gently parted around my waist as I sat and tried to rub off the worst of the dirt and soot. My hair clung to me after being dunked in the water a few times, still smelling of smoke. Without the grime covering my arms, I could see what was causing me so much discomfort.

    Dark red splotches trailed from my wrist to shoulder with purplish patches intermixed. I was used to bruises, but they never felt nearly this bad.

    Despite the sun being out, the water was still cold, and I decided I liked the chilling feeling it gave me over the throbbing pain. I laid back and ran my fingers through my hair as the current carried it behind me. In my haste to wash up, I had forgotten my soaps, but I consoled myself by imagining getting to use some of the scented ones for once.

    After waking up in a panic because I''d slept through an entire day, I had tried to level out the soil magically that I had thrown around the day before.

    It didn¡¯t work. Even a stray thought of using magic sent a shiver of pain down my arms. I was still worried the townsfolk would come back but didn¡¯t know if there was anything I could do to make the area look natural.

    Drying myself off was usually a time to practise magic away from my mother, but not this time. I stood in the cool morning air and let that dry me enough to put on a long-sleeved tunic and pants. It was meant for use in colder weather, but the last of my summer clothes smelled of smoke and were covered in ash, which I could not manipulate. My hair was still wet, so I sat in the sun to wait while debating slicing it all off.

    ¡­

    I must have dozed off because I awoke with my head leaning on my knees and a strange feeling of excitement welling up inside me. It took a moment to figure out it wasn¡¯t my own. A group of crows had flown in nearby with a strong anticipation of tasty food.

    Loud whispers coming from downstream helped me figure out the rest of the bird''s vague emotions. Apparently, children were either messy eaters, were kind enough to always feed them, or were inattentive of their lunch. I wasn¡¯t sure which one was more right.

    I hid behind a tree to eye the group coming into view. There were a few different groups of children I was used to seeing outside the town. This was some of the older ones and around my age. I knew a few of them and had enjoyed playing together until Mother found out. She disciplined me but I didn¡¯t care, it was a lot of fun to be around others. Mother eventually threatened to harm them since the threats to me didn¡¯t work after the fourth time.

    I hadn¡¯t seen them since, but it must have been only a few seasons ago.

    Now that Mother was gone there was no reason not to talk with them, so I poked my head out from behind the tree, ¡°Hello?¡±

    A mixture of girlish and boyish shrieks came from the group. The taller boy in the lead spun in my direction with a hatchet raised. After my shock at the reaction, I smiled at the ducking and diving the others behind him had done.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said while stepping out. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to frighten you.¡±

    ¡°That was mean, Valeria,¡± Trissa said from behind the boy with the hatchet, Jacob. ¡°I¡¯d be mad if I wasn¡¯t happy to see you.¡±

    ¡°Not cool,¡± said a boy with bright red cheeks. ¡°We thought you were a witch.¡±

    ¡°I told you she¡¯s gone, and I borrowed this from Dad to deal with anything else here,¡± Jacob said while twirling the tool before looking at me. ¡°What are you doing out here? We thought you left town.¡±

    The other five members of the pack grouped back up behind Jacob as he approached.

    ¡°No, I have been¡­busy. I was just out bathing,¡± I said, pointing at my slightly damp hair.

    ¡°Oh, Mum will be happy you¡¯re okay. She almost convinced Dad to send the watch to look for you. You should have heard the threats she made when Dad insisted there were no orphans in the town. Want me to tell her? She¡¯ll give me an extra lunch again,¡± he said.

    The reminder of food had my empty stomach growling. Over the past two days, I had only eaten a few bites of raw vegetables and the thought of his mum¡¯s cooking had my mouth watering. It made complete sense why the crows got so excited.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± I said without much thought to how and when I would get the meals.

    ¡°Can we hurry up? Father wants me back at the forge after lunch,¡± a boy said.

    ¡°We will,¡± Jacob said and turned to me. ¡°We¡¯re going to see the witch¡¯s hut. Dad said where it was and that they burnt it down, but there might still be some cool enchanted stuff. Want to come with us?¡±

    I sputtered at the thought of having six sets of hands reaching about to find the invisible rungs of the ladder. ¡°No, I mean, it¡¯s dangerous. What if it''s cursed?¡±

    ¡°Dad said she can¡¯t hurt us anymore and that we don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Jacob said with a nod.

    ¡°Your father knows you¡¯re here?¡± I asked. What if he reported that the building was still here back to him? There would definitely be another attempt to burn it down, and what about all the dirt piled up?

    ¡°Oh¡­no. It¡¯s a secret,¡± he said with a finger to his lips. ¡°We just want a quick look. The adults never want to show off their enchanted tools, ¡®they¡¯re too precious to use.¡¯ What''s the point in having them if you¡¯re not going to use them?¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± the impatient boy said and grabbed Jacob¡¯s arm to pull him along. The hand barely made it halfway around his arm and I was sure that if Jacob stood his ground there was no chance he¡¯d be dragged off.

    I trailed after the group as they walked off in almost the right direction. Trissa slowed to join me and touched my shoulder. I glanced up to the braids in her brown hair and couldn¡¯t follow where each strand curled off to.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked. ¡°We got really worried when you stopped coming.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I ah, I was doing things for my M...Mistress. I¡¯m okay though,¡± I said.

    ¡°You know my older sister left for the city a few months ago. I¡¯m sure I could convince Mum and Dad to let you stay in her old room. It¡¯s right next door to mine.¡±

    I wanted to say no at first. Mother wouldn¡¯t approve and could hurt them, was my first thought, but I had to remind myself she wasn¡¯t here anymore. I could make my own decisions.

    It sounded nice to have people like Trissa around me, but living with me would let them see me more often. They didn¡¯t seem to notice how terrible I was when I only saw them briefly every few days. That would change if I lived with them.

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet, but I¡¯m okay. My living area has improved a lot since I complained to you last time.¡± I had what I thought was a friend and I didn¡¯t want to ruin it. I was an unruly child who couldn¡¯t follow simple house rules and if her parents saw what a nasty brat I was then they might forbid Trissa from speaking to me.

    ¡°Wow! How come the hut isn¡¯t burnt?¡± a boy asked as we emerged into the clearing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a hut, it''s a cottage,¡± I said under my breath.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s been digging for treasure here already.¡±

    ¡°No, it looks like the fire breaks we make during the dry season,¡± Jacob said, but they had already jumped in one of the ditches I had made and were prodding away at the soil with their feet.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Do you think the witch would have buried her stuff?¡± Trissa asked.

    ¡°I think I read about people in a story doing that." Said people were seafaring, but I was hoping to get them to dig up more of the area and make my fire breaks look less obvious.

    ¡°You can read?¡± asked the other girl with a look of shock.

    I looked at her in confusion and was going to say that of course I could, but Jacob interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Patela, Valeria is quite smart for someone who didn¡¯t go to school.¡±

    He smiled at me and I returned it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go look inside,¡± Jacob said and started climbing over the piles of dirt to get to the front door.

    ¡°It¡­umm¡­looks like it might collapse. Don¡¯t touch any of the walls, the wood looks ready to fall over,¡± I said in a panic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± he said with a smile and wave. ¡°I just want to see if there¡¯s anything with mana inside.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really understand what mana was except that people like Mother used it, my worry increased, the invisible ladder probably used that mana stuff. I kept my eye on Jacob as he walked around the room while keeping to his word of not touching the walls. I pointed the hoe out to the three boys who had already got themselves covered in dirt and ash, so they could dig better. The one worried about returning to the forge carved out large furrows in the ground with it, thrice the size of what I had been able to do.

    Jacob paused near the ladder and eyed the wall. I was ready to dash in there to distract him when he continued and went out the other side to the half-burnt garden. Patela and Trissa were looking over the boy''s shoulders and started directing their digging efforts after they almost dug into the pit of the outhouse. Now that the ladder was safe I was chomping through Jacob¡¯s lunch that he had handed off to me with only a slight amount of guilt. I tossed the last piece of hard crust over to where the crows were, and two dove at it.

    No fighting. I have another one, I thought. They eyed each other and the one with the scrap already in his beak took off while the other closed its wings and waited for me to finish.

    ¡°You almost hit my foot.¡±

    ¡°No, you put your foot where I was digging.¡±

    ¡°Give it to me, it¡¯s my turn. I¡¯ll show you how to dig properly, I¡¯m a farmer and this is a farmer''s tool.¡±

    Jacob walked past the squabble and back to me. ¡°This place feels like there¡¯s something here, but I don¡¯t know where. Maybe they¡¯re right that it¡¯s buried.¡±

    I shrugged, not knowing what to say since I knew the truth and didn¡¯t want to lie to him.

    Jacob raised his voice for everyone to hear. ¡°Let¡¯s go back before the kids get let out of morning class, they¡¯d tell the others we weren''t around and get us in trouble.¡±

    The squabble over the hoe ended and they started to try to brush the dirt off their clothes, to little effect.

    ¡°Can we stop by the stream first?¡± one asked Jacob. I didn¡¯t know why everyone asked for his permission and opinion.

    ¡°Sure, you coming Val?¡±

    I played with the hem of my tunic while thinking it over. I wanted to go, and see if I could stay with Trissa. Eat what they have to eat, and wear their comfortable-looking clothes. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t, I still have foraging to do¡±

    I wanted him to try to convince me, but he was used to my repeated rejections and excuses.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Let me know if you change your mind.¡±

    I wanted to tell him that I already had. The words refused to come out of my mouth.

    Trissa waved back to me as they left towards the stream. I stood and stared for a while before heading back up the ladder. My arms still ached, but I managed to grab one of Mother¡¯s books off the forbidden shelf. She¡¯d been annoyed to find out most of her protective curses and enchantments didn¡¯t work on me, so she resorted to physical restrictions and punishments¡ªwhich no longer applied.

    I read through the first few pages of witch¡¯s scrawl to understand this was a book on poison using different toads. Mother had taught me the witch¡¯s written language when I was younger and she still thought I was going to be a witch myself. What a disappointment I was.

    This book didn¡¯t look like her handwriting, so it was something she had stolen or bartered from another witch. It was not very interesting so far, but I didn¡¯t think the others would be any better so I settled into my hammock for the afternoon.

    I had to stay and make sure they didn¡¯t come back and finish what they started.

    ¡­

    I pulled back my arm, ready to throw the book across the room. I stayed like that for a few seconds before sighing and got out of my hammock to put it back on the shelf while cursing the author. It had been one of the more interesting finds, a text on the ¡®states of matter,¡¯ and I had hoped to find something on what fire was since it wasn¡¯t a solid, gas or liquid. All the authors wrote about fire was that it was an exception that was analysed in a different book.

    I blamed my lack of sleep on the burst of irritation. The past few days had me waking up at every little noise to see if it was the townsfolk coming back. The other children didn¡¯t seem to have told anyone about their excursion otherwise I suspected they would have been. The day wasn¡¯t any better since I had to stay near the cottage in case something happened.

    The area around was starting to grow back thanks in part to me. It was partly to hide the extent of the fire and fire breaks, and also because I was bored. I¡¯d been rereading a book on the local fauna and was using it to try to repeat what I did in the garden to the surrounding area.

    It was going well despite the slow progress due to my arms still healing. Small blades of grass could be seen poking through the ash with some sprouts of other plants. After a lot of wasted effort and page flipping, I found out some of the previous plants I''d been dumping magic into didn¡¯t like growing in ash.

    I was running out of activities to distract myself with since Mother wasn¡¯t there to pile on tasks and run experiments on me. Not that I was complaining, the experiments were usually painful and involved me being still for long periods of time. I often ruined the results by squirming and she had to waste ingredients to repeat them. The memory of it all made me glance to the chest sitting against the wall. The last bastion of Mother¡¯s items I hadn¡¯t wanted to go through.

    There was little for me in those books and cursed items. I also no longer needed to wear the clothes stored inside since I probably would not return to the vendors.

    Deciding fresh air would help with my building stress, so I started the short walk towards the town. The others would still be in school or helping their parents, but I could wait. The trees looked like they were preparing for fall, and some of their leaves were already turning greenish-yellow. I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do for winter since Mother was not here to earn money for dried goods and rations. But thinking back to Trissa¡¯s offer calmed my heart a bit.

    The crop fields started after I exited the tree line with their farmers tending to them. I noticed one of the boys from yesterday kneeling in one and reminded myself to ask for his name¡ªagain.

    I only got a few glances that I hoped were simply because I was more interesting than their work and not because I looked strange. Besides Jacob, Trissa and the others, plus the few vendors I¡¯d gone to I didn¡¯t ever notice the same person twice. The town itself was also large so there seemed to be enough people that a stranger would be a normal sight.

    No one was at the meeting rock just outside the gates, so I sat atop it to wait. Everyone usually stopped work at midday and the farmers at least didn¡¯t go out again after the midday meal. I had no idea what Jacob got up to, but Trissa said she didn¡¯t need to work at her mother¡¯s tailoring store most days.

    I watched one of the farmers who had their eyes closed and arm stretched out to the sky. My gaze stuck on the point just above his palm that faced the sky. I didn¡¯t see anything but something interesting was happening. A few moments later my eyes flicked up to the sky to follow that feeling and saw water droplets forming over the area out of nothing, falling to the crops below.

    It was magic, but it didn¡¯t feel like the water magic the fish that lived in the stream used. The man caught my stare and smirked. ¡°Impressive, right?¡±

    I nodded, the only person I had seen use magic was my Mother, and hers was often¡­unpleasant. The fish I had learnt to copy water magic from only used it to swim and fling droplets at insects, so having someone who could actually talk and use interesting water magic was exciting. ¡°Can you teach me that?¡±

    His smile faltered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little one, it¡¯s very difficult, and only a few people can use spells. You don¡¯t even need to use mana for this, I just like to show off. Most of this field is actually watered manually.¡±

    I didn''t think he had any reason to lie, so I took him at his word. What was my magic good for if I couldn''t use their spells or Mother''s curses?

    The man left to repeat his spell on another patch of field. I kicked my feet against the rock while basking in the afternoon sun. It was hot in my long tunic, but I didn¡¯t want to show anyone the purple, brown, and yellow splotches covering my arms.

    Magic that I recognised started moving about under the crops. I spied a moving stem with leafy appendages coming in my direction. I thought a greeting to the baby treant and they changed courses to come straight to me. The small creature emerged from the field and waddled up to my rock, leafy hands levitating a head of corn above them. They offered it to me as well as a chirp they made by vibrating one of their leaves.

    I glanced around to see if any of the farmers were watching, I would hate to be accused of stealing and have to spend a day in the town watch¡¯s makeshift cell again. That incident had been the main cause of my refusal to go shopping for Mother.

    ¡°Does your parent know you¡¯re here,¡± I asked. They nodded and projected thoughts of the larger treant and then others like them moving to the fields. Treants needed to use magic to grow and the fields of plants that would be harvested and replaced were perfect for the young ones to practise away from predators. At least that¡¯s what I got from their vague thoughts, it involved a lot of dirt and plants more than explanation. The farmers didn¡¯t seem bothered if they knew, and I was sure they enjoyed having the baby treants around to grow their crops.

    I thought back to when I met their parents. Although I enjoyed learning magic from them, the meeting still haunted me.

 Chapter 3

    I was eight at the time when I first managed to use magic. It wasn¡¯t a happy discovery.

    When my morning lessons were over, I enjoyed being outside of our cramped cottage. The entrance to our home didn¡¯t let any air in, and the smells from the potions hurt my eyes and throat.

    The animals stayed clear of the area around the cottage, and Mother didn¡¯t like me wandering too far away since it worried her, so I sat at the edge of the clearing to watch the birds and insects.

    The bees were my favourite. They had fat bodies and tiny wings that vibrated to make a buzzing sound in my ears and mind. The chickadee birds were the same but a lot more fuzzy and cute. I giggled a lot the first time Mother tried to tell me their name.

    I knew they had to use the magic she spoke about to fly; there was no other way to get them in the air with all their chubbiness.

    The chickadees usually flew away as soon as they found an acorn they liked, and the one I was watching had an acorn floating towards them already. I was sad that they would be leaving.

    I begged them to stay, so I could watch how they managed to eat the seed that was almost bigger than their head.

    I held my breath as they hopped away a few times, but they settled down again.

    The floating acorn had the same feeling as the bee''s buzzing. I watched as the feeling got stronger, and the acorn started to crack. There was no sound to the cracking as it spread all over. The feeling stopped as the acorn was crushed to pieces and fell to the ground, the little bird hopping over to peck at the remains.

    I wanted to try. I scrunched my face at the acorn for the whole afternoon and wasn¡¯t sure if it was me, or a stray breeze, that made it roll over.

    It was completely normal to me that the rabbits moved dirt without touching it, or how the fish shot water balls at insects that flew above them. I couldn¡¯t swim like a fish, or fly like a bird, so why would I be able to do the other things they did?

    Mother¡¯s teachings on how witches used magic never mentioned anything of the sort, but something in the back of my mind told me I could.

    On the third day of watching and trying I had a small seed floating above my palm, but it felt like I was getting confused between lifting the seed itself and pushing air in around it. I ran to show Mother before I forgot the feeling.

    That was the first time she hit me. I didn''t remember seeing it coming, I was on the ground with half my face in pain before I could understand what happened. The only thing I knew for certain was she had been making perfume that day, and the cottage smelled of daylilies.

    I didn¡¯t know the meaning of some of the words she said to me besides them being mean but I found out later. The last thing she said was plain and simple, she was screaming at me to leave, and so I did.

    I wasn¡¯t allowed to go towards the other people, so I ran deeper into the forest. I got up when I tripped and ignored the raw feeling in my throat until I reached a river I couldn''t wade through, and fell to my knees next to it.

    Mother hadn¡¯t told me why she was so angry with me. Usually, the reason was easy and I knew what I did wrong, a broken glass, wandering off, or missed chores. She was teaching me potions and curses for when I was old enough to use magic, so why wasn¡¯t she happy that I showed her I could?

    I watched a fish dart below the flowing water and listened to the birds chirp. The misty air was refreshing, but the smell of perfume still clung to my nose. It sent my thoughts back to the cottage. My cheek started to throb with pain again.

    A snake glided across the river using magic and for once I didn¡¯t care to look any deeper. I tried not to care when they came close, but I silently pleaded with them not to bite me as they slithered past. Mother sometimes captured snakes for her poisons and their fangs scared me.

    This one was confused as to why I thought they would bite me. I wondered if the next dangerous thing to come across me would feel the same.

    The sun beginning to set made me feel like going back to the safety of my home, but I didn¡¯t want to see her and she didn¡¯t want to see me. Crickets started to chirp, which was usually when we started preparing dinner and I worried about being so far away from the foraging area I knew. I wanted to find a pile of tart blackberries and eat them till I was sick, other than that I didn¡¯t feel like eating.

    Something falling into my lap startled me. I was ready to jump up and fling the offending creature, or twig, away when I saw it was a bundle of blackberries. I jerked my head back and scanned the trees and undergrowth around me, but I couldn''t see anything but foliage. A stem jutting out from the pebbled bank of the river caught my eye and I watched as it moved towards me on leafy feet.

    I backed up until the water lapped at my back as it moved up to me, and stopped at my feet. The berries that had fallen off my lap lifted into the air and floated in front of my face to block my view of the moving plant. I peeked around to see its¡ªtheir¡ªleafy hands up in the air. The berries being right in my face, and the feelings I got from them, made me think they wanted me to have the berries.

    ¡°Thank¡­you?" I plucked a berry off to carefully check if they were the edible blackberries I was thinking of.

    They were.

    I ate it, and then another just in case refusing their offering would offend them, and another handful since they were good.

    Once I had picked the stem clean it was still floating and I felt the now familiar feeling of magic. I touched my cheek and thought back to the conversation again.

    I had shown her how I could lift the seed. I had expected a smile, praise, and excitement that I could now practise being a witch instead of just learning.

    She had only scowled and screamed.

    The berry stem dropped and the feeling was gone. A voice in the back of my mind and the shuffling plant told me they wanted me to follow. Since they had brought me the berries I wanted and now I was thinking of finding a place to sleep I hoped that was where they would take me.

    We travelled through increasingly overgrown areas where the trees grew so close together in some places that I couldn¡¯t squeeze through. I walked under roots that looked like claws digging into the ground and curtains of vines that I worried had thorns.

    We eventually entered into a small clearing before evening. It was covered in fluffy moss and other walking stems. There were a few larger ones with more than a few leaves and some made of twigs. I eyed the trees wearily, expecting them to start walking around too, but they stayed put.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I said softly. I received brief glances and feelings of greetings from the nearest and decided that was a good enough introduction. I sat and sunk into the mossy floor near my new friend.

    There was nothing left. No more distractions. No more worries about snakes, food, and shelter. I fell back and let the tears I had been holding in leak out.

    I tried not to disturb the plants and hoped they didn¡¯t have any ears to hear my choked sobs.

    ¡­

    I spent the whole of the next day feeling numb and limp in different positions of sitting and lying down. I didn¡¯t want to go home¡ªif I could still call it that.

    I watched the plants move about and use their magic, and got bored enough that I tried to copy it like the chickadees.

    The leafy hands of my friend smacked me whenever I was getting it wrong, but their explanations focused more on feelings than the actual instruction I was used to. They hit often, but not hard and only caused some mild discomfort with the little hairs on their leaf making my hand itchy.

    Before the end of the day, I did manage to get a flower to bloom and float a seed above my hand by holding it, not the air around it like the birds. With nowhere else to go I fell asleep in the moss again.

    It was peaceful here. I wanted to stay for as long as I could.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡­

    I used the few curses I had picked up from Mother, when she sometimes burned or pricked her finger, to hurl at my past self. I should have left yesterday or even right when I woke up.

    In my defence, there was nowhere for me to go, but that didn¡¯t help me feel any better with all my blood rushing to my head.

    Vines had wrapped around my legs while I had been eating the fruit my friend had brought me. They dragged me across the moss and lifted me into the air by my ankles. My tunic flopped over my face.

    By the time I stopped flailing around and pushed it back up a large trunk had taken up almost the entirety of my vision.

    ¡°I¡­I...don¡¯t hurt me. I was led here. I didn¡¯t know. I was just hungry and tired and sad. I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t hurt me.¡±

    My heart pounded as my breath came out in short gasps.

    Place your hand on my trunk, human child.

    I did so without a second thought to the words in my mind, and almost placed both of the hands holding up my tunic onto the trunk. The bark felt just like any other tree, but the tips of my fingers tingled with magic.

    Hmm, weird human. You are a human, yes?

    I almost started to speak but stopped myself. I¡¯d seen the other humans cut down trees. This looked like a tree, would they be angry with humans? They might be, but there was nothing else I could call myself if not human, so I nodded slowly.

    My sapling thought you were strange, but I did not realise how much. I would have called you an elf, but my kin say they are not nearly so¡­porous.

    ¡°You knew about me¡­you¡¯re okay with me being here?¡±

    My offspring would not disobey me and bring outsiders here, my instructions are the reason you are here since I wanted to observe you for myself.

    ¡°Oh, then¡­could you put me down please, humans don¡¯t like being upside down.¡±

    Ah, at least humans do not break all of nature''s expectations. Roots do indeed belong near the ground.

    I almost added a ¡®gently please,¡¯ but it wasn¡¯t needed. More vines wrapped around my waist and lowered me so my feet landed on the moss.

    Once I had patted down my hair and it wasn¡¯t in my face I went back over what they had said. My heart was still racing, but my head was feeling less airy.

    ¡°You called me ¡®porous¡¯, like a sponge?¡± I asked. ¡°And why can I hear you so clearly?¡±

    You freely give and take that which gives us treants life, and do not hoard it in yourself like the others. You are one with the forest such that if you were not in front of me I would confuse you with it. That lets me speak with you like this and not resort to other methods¡ª

    ¡°¡ªlike this,¡± an eerie voice whispered on the breeze.

    I understood what porous meant even less than before. Did they not think I was a human because I was a witch or my magic? I guessed it was the magic since Mother had seemed convinced I could never become a witch and that she had wasted her time with me.

    ¡°Umm, can I stay here for a while?¡±

    You do not wish to return to the other humans?

    I had never even met the other humans. I saw them sometimes and snuck out once to follow Mother to the town, but never got close. I thought the full story of finding my magic and what happened after would make them feel sorry for me, enough for them to let me stay. They already invited me here, so it shouldn¡¯t have been too difficult to get them to let me stay for longer.

    At least until I had a plan of what to do.

    During the explanation, I felt a sense of disgust build up in me. I thought it was my feelings towards my Mother, though the target and origin of the disgust became clear when the treant spoke again.

    I pity your progenitor, your ''mother.''

    The words and accompanying feelings of disappointment shocked me. This was going all wrong.

    If my offspring disappointed me as such I would cut them off from my mana to make way for another more worthy replacement. Let their rottenness feed the forest if they are unable to fulfil simple obligations.

    They were so very angry and only my own confusing mix of feelings kept me rooted to the spot instead of running away in fear.

    Your mother has no such option, you are their only offspring and to uproot you means to uproot all of their effort. There is no replacement ready to take your place. They are stuck with the rot unless they wish to start over.

    Humans are also so much harder to grow than my saplings.

    A parent nurtures and guides their offspring, yours did such?

    I nodded in numb shock. My mother had fed me, clothed me, and taught me everything I knew. She¡¯d stated as much in a cold tone between yells.

    Are they not at least owed your gratitude? Yet you repay her with blatant disobedience.

    It wasn¡¯t my fault. I didn¡¯t choose this, I thought. I didn¡¯t trust my quivering lips to speak.

    You were provided the nutrients and wisdom of those that grew before you. What more did you need? The path had been laid out in front of you, yet you could not follow it. My offspring all grow in the same way I did. Few are defective enough to not manage even that.

    I lowered my head in shame. Tears dripped down my face, but I felt more hollow than sad.

    The parent treant started to turn and walk off when I did not respond. Roots rose up from the ground to connect to their legs with each step and sunk back down after. It was a slow exit from the clearing.

    The baby treant brought me more fruit though I felt like throwing up my last meal rather than having another. Every thought threatened to be the one to make my legs buckle beneath me.

    I had been angry at the treant¡¯s words, but I could now see that they were right. Mother had always treated me well and it was my fault that she acted differently now.

    If I hadn''t tried so hard to use magic I might have been the witch she wanted me to be. I had disappointed her.

    I got up on shaky legs.

    The walk back was slow as I placed one foot in front of the other. I silently wished to run into a predator I could ask to eat me, so I didn¡¯t have to go back, but I still scanned my surroundings.

    Seeing the cottage again made my stomach drop. That worsened as I climbed up the ladder.

    Mother was home.

    Her back was to the entrance despite hearing me coming. Her short blonde hair was just long enough to tie together at the base of her neck. When she turned her green eyes down on me, I noticed how sharp her features were for the first time.

    Her face was twisted into a scowl that looked strange on her. I stared at her boots instead as I worked up the courage to talk.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. I''d meant to say more. I had planned to say more.

    ¡°I was thinking over it while you were gone and have realised I acted too hastily. This whole affair is partly my fault you see. My lineage should have been stronger than some mediocre mage, but you proved that assumption wrong,¡± she said and moved towards a shelf lined with glass vials. ¡°I held off forcing the matter because of that assumption but now we can move forward. I should not have told you to leave. We can put that behind us now.¡±

    I tried not to be disappointed. In my ideal scenario, she was happy for me to be back, she hugged me like she used to and said she was sorry for everything. In the worst, she screamed at me to leave again and I had prepared myself for that.

    This was worse.

    ¡°Sit, I need a blood sample if I¡¯m to see where you went wrong.¡±

    It felt like I was sitting beside myself as the needle entered my arm. This was all happening to someone else''s body, not mine.

    ¡­

    ¡°Hey, Val. Val? Valeria? Is corn that interesting?¡± a voice that sounded like Trissa¡¯s asked.

    I refocused my vision and saw the head of corn at my feet where I left it. The baby treant and farmer were gone from my sight and senses. It might have been my imagination, but the sun looked further along in the sky than I thought it should.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Trissa asked while pulling herself up to sit behind me.

    I dragged my eyes away from the field to look back at her. Her hair was in a different pattern this time and she was in a short-sleeved tunic and pants with colourful threads creating patterns on the smooth fabric. ¡°Yeah, I am. How was knitting?¡±

    ¡°It was fine, but I don¡¯t knit, I sew. Only pricked my finger once on the machine this time, see.¡±

    A small ribbon of fabric with a red splotch was tied around her finger.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to make myself some better pads. My sister made ones that never scratched, but I¡¯m running out of those that she left. Do you want any?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what she was referring to. Maybe something more permanent to stop her finger bleeding. I didn¡¯t need anything like that so I shook my head. ¡°Oh, no thanks. Thank you though.¡±

    Trissa frowned. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    I nodded and turned back to look at my dangling feet.

    ¡°I spoke to my parents about you staying with us. Mum was okay with it, but Dad says you would have to pay rent. Do you have money from your errands?¡±

    Mother had coin stashed away in the chest that I could use. I knew roughly how many loaves of bread it could buy but not what someone would charge for a room. The inn I had tried to use oce wanted to charge me around several loaves of bread worth for a single night, twenty-two roe. Last I checked¡ªwhich was a long time ago¡ªMother had a few hundred roe, which was not enough to last.

    ¡°Mum talked him down to fifteen roe a week as long as they get to meet you beforehand,¡± Trissa continued.

    Ten days to a week for fifteen roe¡­was cheaper than twenty-two a night.

    I was still worried about meeting her parents but thinking back to the treant made me remember how wrong their words sounded, how wrong Mother¡¯s treatment felt. I was afraid if I met her parents they would say the same thing about me. That I was the problem and they couldn¡¯t let my rot near their daughter.

    The part of me that hated who I was wanted me to go, to confirm how pointless I was. Another wanted to see if her parents were different and wouldn¡¯t scorn me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°That''s good. I thought I was going to have to drag you. I¡¯ll bring you back with me tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± All my resolve left and was replaced by a racing heartbeat.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll be fine. Mums making stew from a deer dad caught in one of his snares, so we¡¯re having it all week¡­and biltong for the next few.¡± She said the last part with a sigh, which I took to mean she didn¡¯t like the dried meat that much. I didn¡¯t either, so maybe I would be less of a problem if I stomached it without complaint.

 Chapter 4

    I ignored the mumbled comments about how brittle and dry my hair was. If it was that bad she wouldn''t be tugging on it so violently. I hadn¡¯t had it in me to make a fuss and try to deny her offer of braiding it but I was starting to regret that.

    ¡°If the others get here before I¡¯m back, tell them we can use that pasture today,¡± said the boy I recognised from the other day as he walked past us. ¡°Ima put this away and get the ball, don¡¯t let them start another game.¡±

    I glanced over to see the pickaxe he carried over his shoulder and then to the pasture he was talking of. The grass inside the gated enclosure had been chewed down to the roots by the grazing animals that had been moved to greener pastures.

    Some of the games they played required space they didn¡¯t usually get which was why empty pastures, not expected to feed animals for a while, was exciting. When I had found out and asked why they didn¡¯t play beyond the fields they had looked at me like I was crazy. Apparently, not everyone was fine with stepping over centipedes and snakes.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Trissa said and adjusted my head to face forwards again. ¡°Stop moving so much, Val. You better get used to this because I need someone else to practise on. Mum cut her hair shorter just to spite me.¡±

    ¡°Why would you need to¡ªow¡ªpractice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s silly,¡± Trissa said and waited a while before continuing. ¡°You know those sophisticated-looking city ladies and their followers that travel through here to get to Drasda? Their hair and makeup and dresses are always so¡­extraordinary. I want to be able to do that. But I think the closest I¡¯ll get is mending farmers'' clothes and making outfits for the mayor¡¯s partner.¡±

    Having not seen the people she was talking about, I fell back on my favourite way to avoid saying something foolish, by nodding along as if I understood.

    ¡°What are you going to do, you¡¯re not going to be running errands forever. Maybe you can apprentice under mum¡­or dad if you¡¯re fine with blood.¡±

    It felt rude not to say anything to her question. My genuine answer would be to find more creatures that did magic and learn more from them, but that was silly. I couldn''t leave the area since Mother¡¯s restriction was still in effect.

    So, I thought about what the closest thing someone trained by a witch in alchemy could do. ¡°Maybe be an apothecary?¡±

    ¡°Ha, not in this town. Our three apothecaries are from the same family and the kids are already fighting for who gets to inherit the businesses. Patela is the only one of them not going for it.¡±

    I was saved from more personal questions by other groups arriving, more ages seemed present than I was used to. Some of the older ones tried to order the younger to go ¡®shovel the crap off the field,¡¯ but were met with disdain. A few were bullied or bribed into picking up shovels for the task.

    I saw some staring at me, most of them had at least seen me before, and they looked away when our eyes met.

    ¡°I''m the captain of one team. Who wants to be the other?¡± Jacob shouted from nearby. ¡°Grayson?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± a gruff voice replied.

    ¡°Okay! Last game''s winner picks first. I got, Hender.¡±

    ¡°Of course you do. Olay.¡±

    ¡°Wil.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Patela.¡±

    After more names were called, two distinct groups started to form around me. Others were sitting around, uninterested in vying for the two leaders'' attention. I was happy to sit and watch whatever it was.

    ¡°You playing Trissa?¡± Jacob asked the girl who was still pulling at the ends of my hair.

    ¡°No thanks, Val wants to though.¡±

    I would have spun around to stare at her in shock, but she held my shoulders and was already pushing me off my spot on the rock. I didn¡¯t know how to play, I didn''t know what we were even playing."

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Sure,¡± Jacob said with the least enthusiasm I had ever heard in his voice. The combined stares from every person there would have frozen me in place, if not for the repeated shoves from Trissa.

    I hoped he wouldn''t be angry with me for this and quickly shuffled behind him to hide amongst the others. I was the last person called.

    ¡°Well that didn¡¯t go as planned,¡± Grayson said to Jacob as he walked over. "At least she gets a good view of watching me win.¡±

    ¡°Just shut up, I can still thrash you with a player down.¡±

    I shuffled along with the rest of my group towards the gated pasture. Everyone started to spread out. I spun around trying to figure out where I was supposed to be before Jacob grabbed my shoulders and started directing me near the fence where someone stood between two posts. His fingers dug into one of my bruises and I was seconds away from saying something about it.

    ¡°Stand here and try not to get in anyone¡¯s way Val. No offence, but I don¡¯t think you''ve played football before.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± I said with a forced smile. Trissa was trying to be nice by getting me included in the game and if it wasn¡¯t this serious-sounding team game, I would have appreciated it. Jacob usually tried to include me when things were more relaxed, so him sounding upset must have been because I was being a burden.

    I didn¡¯t understand why everyone spread out when they all rushed for the ball as soon as the game started. It moved across the field and then to the other side, and back again. I paced near where Jacob had placed me.

    In my entire life, I hadn''t kicked more than a pebble a handful of times. I was quickly trying to work out how my leg was supposed to move if the ball came my way.

    So, when it finally did I was unprepared until I heard the person behind me shout to be ready. I looked up to see the ball rolling slowly towards me. The stampede coming over behind it looked ready to trample me.

    It was a good thing I didn¡¯t have time to overthink. I took a step forward and kicked my leg forward to hit the ball with the side of my foot like I¡¯d seen the others do. The ball made a satisfying thump and soared over their heads.

    They looked like a bunch of crows getting their seeds thrown above them.

    The ball landed near where Jacob was up front and the crowd in front of me started jogging back before half erupted in cheers.

    ¡°Nice one,¡± said the boy who stood guard between the posts while clapping my shoulder.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said through gritted teeth. Everyone wanted to aggravate my bruises today. They were almost fully healed, but still sent a wave of pain when prodded.

    ¡°Good job, Val,¡± Trissa shouted from the rock amongst the praise for Jacob. I tried to hide my smile and hoped my heated cheeks weren¡¯t red.

    My body relaxed and I let my shoulders drop as I took my position again.

    I observed the game and the progress of the ball across the field. Some of the others besides Jacob had a bit of weight to their presence like the farmer making it rain. Those seemed to be the stars of the game and I wasn¡¯t sure if the magic in them had anything to do with it.

    Patela was one of them and she had made a few runs to our side, which the people defending had blocked. She was going for another attempt, through me this time. The ball was kept close to her feet as she ran. I had seen the other defenders stick their feet in the way, but wasn¡¯t confident I could repeat that.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    It relieved me when someone from my team kicked the ball out from under her, towards me.

    I ran to retrieve it and hoped to kick it as far away from my area as I could. It was difficult to stop the ball and manoeuvre myself around it, so when I looked back up it was too late to react to Patela running full speed at me.

    Her shoulder hit below my neck, knocking the air out of me. I fell back with my head smacking into the ground. I squinted to keep the sun from blinding me as my breath wheezed out of my lungs.

    The faint cheers I heard told me what happened next without having to look. My lungs started to work again and I propped myself up to see everyone getting in position to start from the centre again.

    I got up and brushed the dry grass off of my back and butt. I¡¯d seen instances like that before, so knew it was part of the game, but it still felt unnecessary. Patela looked like one of the better players. She could have easily got the ball without ramming into me.

    During the rest of the game, I got a few more good kicks in and carefully tried to avoid Patela. One of the larger boy¡¯s legs got tangled in my own, but he was nice enough to catch me before I ate dirt. My appreciation was dampened by another set of hands grabbing my wounded arms.

    I wasn''t keeping score. Someone must have been because Greyson¡¯s team was declared the winner when the game was called off.

    I trailed after everyone and made my way back to the rock Trissa was still sitting on. Grayson, Jacob and a few others were gathered around her, so I walked past. I was already sore and sweaty and wasn¡¯t looking forward to the walk back to the cottage.

    The voices of everyone faded as I moved off. The noise of the town was replaced by the breeze blowing through the fields of grain.

    My sleeves were rolled up to help me cool off after all the moving about. The nasty splotches on my arm had faded to a yellowy brown over the past few days and would soon disappear. Using magic felt like someone pressing on them from the inside, but it was only a dull pain.

    I closed my eyes and let myself sway in the breeze as I walked. It was simple to weave between the branches and step over the roots without my sight. A fallen log tripped me up once or twice but I did not let it dissuade me.

    I had not noticed how tense I felt and all the worry I was holding onto. Jacob was harsher towards me than he normally was, and I wasn¡¯t sure what I had done. The conversation with Trissa was also still repeating in my mind. Patela had not needed to be so rough with me either, it was deliberate.

    My mind focused on the conversation with Trissa before the game as I made my way up the ladder. I needed to make a good impression on her parents and for that I needed better clothes, and to pick the grass out of my hair.

    I eyed the chest that contained the set of clothes Mother had gotten for me to run errands for her in town. They had been worn a total of seven times before I had managed to worm myself out of the task.

    It was locked and guarded by layers of curses, but none could latch onto me. There was only one item in the cottage that Mother had gone through the effort of tailoring the curse to hurt me, which was in the chest as well as some of her journals, coins, and ingredients.

    ¡°I do not need to look at it, the clothes are on one side and it¡¯s on the other. No need to look at it.¡±

    My muttering devolved into a singsong repetition of ¡®no need to look at it¡¯ as I fidgeted with a frayed strand on my tunic. Maybe they were fine for the occasion.

    The pants were light brown and the tunic a dark grey. I had pushed all of the dirt off me when I¡¯d come up, so they were perfectly clean at the moment.

    But, people looked better when their clothes were nicer, if I wanted to have a life outside of this cottage and forest then the meeting tomorrow needed to go well. I dragged the desk chair towards the shelf and climbed up to get a key. It was made from iron and sat heavy in the palm of my hand. It felt like Mother was there glaring down at me.

    None of the curses lashed out as they were meant to.

    The lock was the same clunky iron design as the key. Mother was always so smug when detailing how witches could affect iron.

    As the key turned, and the lock clicked open, an image of a striking snake flashed through my mind as the curse tried to latch onto me.

    I cracked the chest open enough to fit my hand inside. I had told myself I wouldn¡¯t look. Begged myself not to look, but a feeling of dread dragged my vision to meet the amber gems that were used in place of eyes on the doll.

    They were supposed to resemble the colour of my own and glowed in the sliver of light the open lid allowed in.

    I didn¡¯t break the stare as I reached an arm in and ruffled around for the folded set of clothes. I found them and yanked my arm out. It didn¡¯t bother me that I scraped it on the edge as I slammed the lid closed a second later, still staring at the spot where I knew the gems existed behind the wooden lid.

    I locked the chest again and placed the key in an easier-to-reach place on the desk. I unfolded the skirt and blouse to see if the moths had got to them and imagined what would happen if a moth laid eggs inside the doll.

    That sent a shiver down my back.

    They looked intact and the green skirt still fell above my shin, growing was not something I was good at. The white blouse was crumpled but I could leave it above some boiling water to straighten it out.

    ¡­

    I paced back and forth across the cottage in my boots, trying to wiggle my toes into a more comfortable position. They were the one item of my old ensemble that was feeling smaller than it used to be. While I enjoyed not wearing any kind of shoes they were necessary for venturing into town.

    It somehow had more unsavoury things to step on than a forest.

    A few stray hairs had managed to escape the braid but Trissa¡¯s work was mostly intact from the damage caused by me sleeping on it. The steam from the boiling water had gotten the wrinkles out of my blouse, but I still pulled at the sleeves and tucked it into the skirt often.

    I¡¯d bathed using the scented soaps Mother usually sold off earlier in the day. The memories that assaulted me from one whiff of her personal collection persuaded me to throw it out and vow to not go near the daylily flowers it came from again.

    In my panic yesterday I¡¯d forgotten to get the roe from the chest. I had to fully open it to count out the different types of coin leaving a single electrum coin behind as I was not going to be spending more than its hundred roe worth today. A few silver and bronze would be fine.

    The doll had sat there during all of this, unmoving. I was not sure why I expected it to lash out at me since it was harmless without someone to use it and without Mother, there was no one.

    The stitching on it was unnaturally smooth. Cuttings of my hair fell around its head with more shine to it than my own. Like with the amber gems, there was no indication on how it attached to the stitching so well. I had wanted to test if it still worked, but was too afraid and closed the chest back up.

    I couldn¡¯t tell the time from inside the cottage. By my guess it, I could get to town when everyone was already playing and avoid a repeat of yesterday¡¯s excitement. All that was left was to convince myself to go down the ladder instead of another heel turn to pace more.

    Imagining a disappointed Trissa helped push me over the edge.

    Closing my eyes on this trip was not something I considered as I needed to lift up my skirt, so it didn¡¯t snag on anything and everything.

    A realisation hit me and I stopped mid-stride.

    Me, coming out of the forest, dressed up like this was incredibly strange.

    Mother had always made me wear one of her charms when entering and exiting the town, only taking it off to speak to the vendors. The same charm she would have had on her when she had left and never came back.

    I let Trissa and the others think I went out foraging, but that story was only kept alive by them seeing me in the same state as when they last saw me. I started to pace again before taking a brisk walk back to the cottage.

    I returned to the same area carrying a basket filled with herbs and colourful wildflowers.

    ¡°Hello Trissa, I left early to get something to give to your parents. Do you think they would like it?¡± I said and held out the basket to the imaginary Trissa. ¡°Perfectly reasonable thing to do, right?¡±

    The farmers were not in their fields when I walked past them. The sun was already past the midday point and they were back in town for lunch, or whatever else they had planned for the afternoon.

    I heard the game going on in the pasture before I saw it. The main group following the ball was kicking up dust as they travelled across the enclosure.

    Trissa was sitting near the rock surrounded by other onlookers who did not get picked or were not interested in playing. Some cheered while others read and only glanced up when there was a louder-than-usual cheer to see what happened.

    Trissa was drawing and had charcoal dust covering her fingers and a smudge across her cheek.

    I managed to step through the others to get behind her without her notice. The drawing might have been male, but it was hard to tell from only the outline. The most detail was in the clothes he wore and I leaned closer to take a better look.

    In my very limited knowledge of clothing, I would guess it was something a wealthier person would wear to an opera house¡ªif one of those existed in this town. Mother had a surprising number of murder mystery books and that was a favoured hunting ground of the more eccentric killers. If she drew with colour I might have had a better guess, but I doubted it.

    ¡°You¡¯re very good at this,¡± I said, not knowing how to be more specific with my compliment.

    Trissa flinched when she turned and noticed my head almost leaning on her shoulder.

    ¡°Oh, Val. Thank you, but it¡¯s just a random sketch and¡­¡± she said before starting to look me over. I started to be embarrassed by the silence. While these were the nicest clothes I had they were drab and faded compared to what she was regularly wearing.

    Her eyes seemed to settle on the basket which reminded me of my practised lines. ¡°I went out early to collect these¡­do you think your mother would like any of them?¡±

    Trissa put down her drawing and stood up to walk around me. ¡°Oh, this is going to be so easy. We¡¯re going to have Mum eating out of the palm of your hand.¡±

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Why would I want her eating out of my hand?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Funny. I don¡¯t know much about plants, but we have a garden Mum tends to. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll appreciate the pretty flowers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad." Both the appreciation and lack of suspicion. In hindsight, she hadn¡¯t noticed me until I was breathing down her neck, but it was good to be careful.

    ¡°They¡¯re expecting us later on, Dad probably isn¡¯t back yet from checking the snares and Mum doesn¡¯t like us getting in her way in the kitchen. We can watch the rest of the game if that¡¯s fine with you? Unless you¡¯re hungry?¡±

    I shook my head, my stomach was queasy from worry. ¡°I don¡¯t mind watching.¡±

    The skirt gave me some trouble while I was trying to sit without it getting dirty, or flopping in an unfortunate direction. The townsfolk found it improper to show your underthings, even if it was to bathe in the stream.

    ¡°This is why I only wear pants when leaving town,¡± Trissa said while kicking her legs out and offering me a hand to sit easier.

    I ended up sitting with my legs folded to the side and leaning towards her. Trissa had picked her drawing back up and I kept my sight on that rather than the game. The gentle lines and scratches she made were far more interesting.

    Trissa hummed and hawed while inspecting the drawing then lifted it up to show me.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    I looked at what I thought was the most eye-catching feature. ¡°What are those on his sleeve? I¡¯ve never seen anyone wear anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Frills, men don¡¯t wear them anymore which is a shame.¡±

    I tried asking what each piece was and she pulled out a pencil to label each article of clothing and what they were, which area they came from, and who generally wore them. Her drawing seemed to be an amalgamation of three different duchies here in the Kingdom of Werl and some from our neighbours, Oclar.

    ¡°I only have a few books about it all and those are what Mum brought from the city. I used to ask the librarian every week if there were more, but we don¡¯t have many books here."

    I had not known the town had a library, to begin with.

    ¡°What would I need to do to use the library?¡±

    ¡°It''s open to everyone, it''s the smaller building near the mayor''s residence. The Mayor¡¯s partner runs it so make sure not to damage anything. She even barred Jacob from there once.¡±

    People were starting to get tired and walk off the field without replacement which meant the game was drawing to a close. Jacob and Greyson leaving was the signal for the rest of the players to end the game. Some still stayed behind to kick the ball between them, but most were breaking up into smaller groups or heading back inside the town.

    The two boys came directly to Trissa who was still absorbed in her discussion with me. I only noticed because of their heavy presence.

    ¡°Hey Tris, see that last goal I got?¡± Greyson asked in a raised voice before they got close.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Trissa said after stopping her explanation on why my boots were not considered suitable to go with my skirt. ¡°Oh. No, sorry. I was speaking with Val.¡±

    The two boys seemed to look at me for the first time. Greyson was upset with me that she hadn¡¯t seen him and Jacob was surprised, but switched his gaze quickly back to Trissa and walked up to us.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that interesting anyway,¡± Jacob said while licking his thumb and squatting down. ¡°Here, you got something on your cheek.¡±

    Trissa¡¯s smile strained as the thumb was rubbed against the smudge of charcoal. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Jacob said, standing back up without noticing Trissa¡¯s unhappiness. I thought I might have been imagining things, people¡¯s emotions were not the easiest things for me to understand. ¡°Want to go get something to eat with me?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, no time. I¡¯m taking Val straight home.¡±

    Jacob glanced back over to me. I was still trying to process him touching her like that. Personally, I would have hated it, even from Jacob. It was too close for someone else to get to me.

    ¡°Your parents are okay with that?¡± Jacob said before leaning down. His mouth was now next to Trissa¡¯s ear on the other side of me. ¡°Do they know she¡¯s¡­you know. Aren¡¯t you taking charity a bit far?¡±

    Trissa¡¯s smile faded completely. ¡°They do and they¡¯re fine with it. They are actually willing to do something about it instead of denying she exists.¡±

    Greyson was glaring at the back of Jacob¡¯s head as they continued to talk. I was confused as to why he didn¡¯t talk about the drawing that was sitting on her lap. Talking about his father having a dinner party later this week and all the plans going into it was dreadfully boring.

    I sat and picked at thorns on a flower stem from the basket in my lap. It took four stems before the two boys were called away by other friends.

    Trissa sighed as they left.

    While I was not the best at understanding the what and why of someone''s feelings, I liked to think I was right in guessing she didn¡¯t enjoy the conversation.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t like talking to them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t. They¡¯re just a bit¡­eager. Our parents are friends and mine have started blabbing about finding me a match before ¡®all the good ones are gone.¡¯ There are not so many boys our age here for me to be picky or wait.¡±

    ¡°And you have to find a match here? I thought you wanted to go to the city where all those ¡®sophisticated ladies¡¯ live.¡±

    ¡°Mum is from the city. She says she didn¡¯t come all the way here to get away from the city just for her daughters to go back. You should have heard the arguments her and my sister had before she left.¡±

    I started to imagine what ways her mother was keeping her here. Not everyone had a doll of them enchanted to keep from straying too far.

    ¡°We can probably head back now,¡± Trissa said.

    I had walked through the town before but had always been carefully avoiding the crowds, so I didn¡¯t bump into them and disturb the charm¡¯s effect. Remembering my way through the similar-looking streets to the market square was also a challenge I needed to concentrate on. But with Trissa leading the way, and the evening foot traffic being lighter than the morning rush, I was able to look around more.

    Most of the buildings were two storeys tall with some having a bottom floor displaying different goods behind glass panels. The bottom floors were made of stone or brick while the second was out of wood. A bell I could not see rang in the distance five times before falling silent.

    Trissa was heading the opposite way of where I went to the market. The buildings were starting to look larger and more colourful.

    The blocks of stone that made up the previous buildings turned into neat rows of brick and mortar. The crunch of gravel I was accustomed to when walking down the road became taps on a cobbled road. Single horse-drawn carriages and stables started appearing before Trissa stopped and turned down a path.

    The path ran through a patch of grass, splitting in two around a flower bed before heading to different entrances. One with a sign announcing it was a tailoring shop and the other without any.

    The other entrance was where we headed. It had a solid wooden door with small glass panels at the top. Trissa fished out a key to unlock it.

    ¡°Mum!¡±

    ¡°In the kitchen dear, did you bring your little friend?¡±

    Trissa gave me an unimpressed look as she closed the door behind me. ¡°Yes¡­You can put your boots here.¡±

    I was more than happy to get rid of the things still pinching my toes.

    We made our way through the hallway and past a cosy room covered in sofas and rugs. The door to the kitchen came next and was much warmer than the rest of the house. The warmth was accompanied by a mouth-watering smell.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Trissa¡¯s mum turned from the pot on the stove top she was stirring to come towards us. I tried to hide behind Trissa, but she didn''t let me and pushed me forward. My sock-covered feet slid on the tiled floor without any grip. I lifted up the basket between us to try to create some kind of barrier.

    She dried off her hands on a towel hanging over her shoulder. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Pilim. Are these for me? You''re too sweet.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Valeria."

    The basket was plucked from my hands and placed on the counter. Warm hands cupped my face while large green eyes peered into my own. ¡°You poor thing, you¡¯re too thin. Dinner will be ready in a bit once my he cleans up, so you two can go wait in the sitting room. The brute still had blood in his beard when he barged in here. Oh, I hope Trissa told you he¡¯s a butcher, otherwise that sounds worrying.¡±

    I nodded quickly with the soft hands still holding my face. The contact had shocked me at first, but I did not dislike it.

    Pilim turned to go back to the stove and I escaped after Trissa back to the cosy room.

    ¡°Sorry, she can be a bit much,¡± Trissa said while plopping onto a sofa.

    ¡°No, it''s fine." I sank into a different seat. I was shocked at how soft it was compared to the old one in the cottage. ¡°Your mum seems nice.¡±

    ¡°She can be, usually I would have been conscripted to help with dinner, but since you¡¯re here I get to relax.¡±

    ¡°I can go help her if she needs it.¡±

    ¡°No, no. Tt looks like it''s almost done. If you go I¡¯ll look like a bad daughter.¡±

    Her words sounded playful, but I worried not helping with dinner would be enough to be disliked. My mother had said she wished her other curses worked on me when I was late with dinner.

    They had a bookshelf in the sitting room full of large leatherbound books. We were in the middle of a conversation on why Trissa thought there was nothing worth reading, since the books she liked were in her room, when a large figure filled the doorway.

    The gruff man had a woolly beard and a large brown apron covering his wrinkled white shirt.

    ¡°Hi, Dad, this is Valeria. Valeria, this is my dad.¡±

    I looked at her for a moment, how was that supposed to help me? I wasn¡¯t about to call him ¡®dad.¡¯

    Trissa¡¯s dad contrasted her mother quite well. Her appearance was soft and welcoming compared to the man who looked most comfortable at a butcher''s block.

    ¡°Mhmm, call me Cragar. Nice to meet you,¡± he said with a nod to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up before your mother tries to hang me for dirtying the upholstery.¡±

    I expected to hear heavy footfalls as the man walked across the hall, but it was silent except for a single creak.

    ¡°I feel like I need to say sorry for him as well. My parents are a bit weird.¡±

    My mother was an extreme outlier. I knew that even from the books she owned.

    That said, I still had no clue what parents were supposed to be like. The only other one I had met was the treant and my opinion of them was quite sour.

    ¡­

    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready,¡± Pilim said from the kitchen. Trissa had been trying to teach me a game called succession, but her teaching method was to beat me until I understood what I was allowed to do about it.

    I followed Trissa out, but instead of going to the kitchen, we went to another room with a table, chairs, and a fireplace with a mantle covered in ornaments. A large pot was already placed atop it with a ladle and pile of plates ready at its side.

    Cragar was already seated at the table. Trissa took the place next to him and I went to the side of her.

    ¡°It smells really good,¡± Trissa said when Pilim came back into the room holding a bunch of spoons. I regretted not taking the opportunity to use that compliment, but I was scared to open my mouth. She thanked her and smiled while dishing out servings into the bowls and placing them at our seats.

    She served me first, but I didn¡¯t touch my spoon until I saw Cragar start to eat. It was far better than anything I ever deigned to call a stew.

    I said a more basic compliment when I had finished and was offered seconds which I gladly accepted. I wasn¡¯t happy about eating meat, but Mother insisted on it in our meals, so I was used to it.

    Knowing what animals were feeling before they died spoiled it for me.

    I noticed on my second helping that while I shovelled the stew into my mouth they carefully scooped it up. They sliced the bigger chunks while I would use my teeth to tear through them. I copied Trisha by dabbing at my mouth with a piece of cloth and ate more slowly, trying to copy them.

    Trissa and Pilim chatted about what I assumed was sewing. They tried to include me at first, but the best I could do was stitch up a tear with excessive yarn rather than skill.

    This was what my mother had wanted, a daughter to pass along their craft to.

    The conversation I had been worried about started after her dad finished eating. ¡°So, Valeria. Tris tells us you need a place to stay.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡±

    ¡°She said you¡¯re an orphan, but you usually don¡¯t see them dressed so well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop interrogating the girl,¡± Pilim said. ¡°What he means is we would like to know what your situation is, so we can understand.¡±

    Mother had always been able to tell when I lied to her and I had learnt telling the truth in a more ambiguous way was better than lying.

    ¡°I do odd jobs for people, mostly in the forest. I get herbs like the ones in the kitchen. People don¡¯t like buying and selling with someone in rags, so I bought these to wear to the market.¡±

    ¡°Really? The forest is a dangerous place. We don¡¯t have the bigger predators the rest of the country has, but a snake can just as easily kill you before you can get back to town for healing.¡±

    I nodded along, he was right for the most part. There were plenty of snakes in the forest and other dangerous creatures, but none of them wanted to attack us, they just got scared. The treant had made it clear I was weird for being able to ask them not to bite me, so I understood why he¡¯d be worried. ¡°I know how to avoid them by now. I¡¯m in the forest quite often.¡±

    ¡°And that means you can pay rent?¡±

    Pilim looked like she wanted to swat him as I pulled out the coins I had put in the different pockets of the skirt, so they didn¡¯t jingle. The bronze and silver coins were stacked neatly on the table and I counted out the fifteen roe for him.

    ¡°Hold on there, we haven''t decided if you¡¯re staying yet.¡±

    "Dad." "Cragar."

    Cragar did not look at either, keeping his eyes on me. ¡°What can you do to help out around the house? I won¡¯t have a freeloader around even if you are paying.¡±

    ¡°I can cook, and clean, and I want to do the gardening. If that¡¯s okay.¡±

    He interlocked his fingers in front of him and leant his chin on them. It was quiet for a long while before he spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m never going to hear the end of it if I say no, like I want to, so we will have a trial. You pay that seventy something roe you have there and stay here two weeks and if this goes well you can have it back minus the rent."

    ¡°Can I read the books if I stay here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you may.¡±

    I pushed the pile of coins over to him.

    ¡­

    I felt like gnashing my teeth together after the honey-covered pastries we had for dessert. The sweetness of them was not something I was used to, and my teeth agreed with me. I preferred the flaky bread of the pastry far more than its covering.

    Pilim had tried to talk Cragar into giving me half my coin back. He had argued in very unsubtle terms it was in case I stole anything, and I agreed with him that it was a good idea.

    I was surprised I didn¡¯t feel insulted, but it was hardly much compared to other things said to me. In the end, Pilim took the roe for shopping expenses. I hadn¡¯t expected them to include me in their meals, but it seemed that was her plan.

    Trissa was taking me upstairs to see her room and the one I would be staying in. I¡¯d never been inside one of the townhouses and was only now noticing they didn¡¯t use ladders to go up and down. Trissa looked at me funny when I was apprehensive about going up the stairs.

    They looked so steep, one wrong foothold and you would tumble down. I managed it before she carried out her threat of dragging me.

    Trissa¡¯s room was larger than the cottage and had a bed big enough for at least three of her. The floor had a rug that I could barely see past the scraps of fabric and baskets of yarn. The desk wasn¡¯t much better, covered with paper in disorganised piles, a large contraption with a needlepoint, and drawing tools. There was a path in between the clutter that Trissa was tiptoeing along to get to her wardrobe.

    She rummaged around in a few draws before pulling out some soft pants and a buttoned shirt. ¡°Here, these are my old ones that might fit you if you tie the drawstrings.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­But what for?¡± I asked.

    ¡°To sleep in?¡±

    It made sense to have different clothes to sleep in when I was wearing a blouse. I didn''t want to try to get the wrinkles out every time.

    ¡°Mum is storing some old stock in the room you¡¯re going to use, but she moved it to the side for now. I¡¯ll show you, the bed has fresh sheets and we left Olera¡¯s old clothes in there if you want them.¡±

    The next room we entered was the opposite to Trissa¡¯s. There was still clutter, but it was crates stacked up against the wall rather than items strewn about. The wooden planks that made up the floor were visible with the foot of the bed covered by a rug. The bed itself was as large as Trissa¡¯s, but with fewer pillows and grey sheets compared to her purple.

    The rest of the room was filled with a wardrobe, desk, trunk, and single-person sofa. I looked around in vain for a place to tie a hammock.

    My best chance would be between a poster of the bed and the railing holding up a curtain, but neither looked sturdy enough. I¡¯d tried to sleep in Mother¡¯s bed, finding it far too uncomfortable and lumpy.

    Trissa sat on the bed¡ªmy bed¡ªand laid back with her legs dangling off it. ¡°You like to garden?¡±

    I went to sit down beside her. The whole truth was that I liked to use my magic to garden. ¡°I do, it¡¯s fun learning what each plant wants and needs in order to grow.¡±

    We stayed there in silence until one of us thought of another question to ask the other and repeated that.

    I felt guilty every time I kept the truth from her. I didn¡¯t feel that way when keeping it from her parents, but Trissa was the reason I was now well-fed, warm, and feeling at ease. A smile had even stayed on my lips far longer than it ever had before, to the point where my cheeks hurt.

    When she left to wash up and prepare for bed I changed into the clothes she had passed me. They were fluffy, with not a single thread out of place.

    The bed was much softer than Mother¡¯s, but it still felt strange and foreign. Against my better judgment, as I lay awake, I started to plan out how to tell Trissa I was the daughter of the witch.

 Chapter 6

    I had only closed my eyes for an instant before I was rubbing them and trying to turn away from the light. The nightmare I usually had decided to change, instead of me trying to escape through the illusion and finding it to be solid wood, I had made it out.

    Only to be surrounded by people holding anything with a sharp edge. The faces were a blur, but they were meant to be people I knew from the town.

    The light was still bothering me, which was confusing since there were no windows in the cottage. My eyes flung open and my mind worked to catch up to the unfamiliar surroundings. I was on a soft bed, buried beneath a large sheet with sunlight filtering in through the curtains.

    Entirely different from my usual mornings.

    It didn¡¯t take long to understand where I was, and what was going on, but the spike of panic would make getting back to sleep difficult. I settled on gazing up at the ceiling with as empty a mind as I could manage.

    Mother had me get out of my hammock at dawn to go fetch water from the stream for her. I¡¯d kept up the routine with a more relaxed pace since her death, but now there wasn¡¯t anything to get me out of bed. In town, water came from taps or wells, not streams.

    There was another problem. I did not know if I should leave, or where to go. Waiting for Trissa seemed like my best option, so I stayed where I was and followed the pattern in the wood across the ceiling. When that got repetitive I started to fling gusts of wind at the curtains and watched them ripple and swish.

    It was different from rustling the leaves of trees, but satisfying in the same way.

    It was too quiet. In the forest, there were always creatures nearby making noise or sharing subtle feelings with me, but there was nothing here besides some dull insects. I tried to reach out and found only the rat version of a panicked scream and then silence.

    A satisfied cat pawed at their catch.

    I had been starting to convince myself to go downstairs when I heard Trissa¡¯s door open. With the covers thrown off, I ran to the door. The handle was a weird knob that I twisted and turned each way. It rattled as I tried to push and pull it open.

    The knob forcibly twisted in my hand to the left and the door slowly pushed inwards. I took a step back to see a bleary eyed Trissa staring at me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing¡­what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to bed after using the lavatory. Mum doesn¡¯t start work till the second bell and Dad¡¯s probably downstairs already making breakfast if you want to go down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ah, I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    I retreated into my room after watching Trissa drag herself into the room across from ours. She¡¯d shown me the amenities, but it all seemed a bit much. I would cross that bridge when I needed to.

    I closed the door part way, so I didn¡¯t have to open it again.

    There was an empty basin on the nightstand that I filled up slowly with conjured water. I splashed my face with it then stripped to dump the rest over my head. It was heavy, but I got it over me, ready to pour when I glanced down at the wooden flooring.

    Would it drip through the floor?

    I was too scared to try, so I put it back on the nightstand and picked up the water to move it over my body. I felt a lot better after, not feeling all sticky anymore, I thought the combination of warm clothes, bed sheets, and a cold sweat from the nightmare were to blame.

    The clothes from yesterday were sitting on the couch and I changed back into them.

    They had said I could take what was in the wardrobe, but I didn¡¯t feel ready to start rummaging around and wearing their daughter¡¯s clothes.

    I bounced my legs while I sat on the couch. I was bored. Not because there was nothing I wanted to do, but because I was unsure how to do it.

    When a knocking sound came from the door I almost dropped the water I had picked back up and had been playing with over the rug. It went back into the basin before I answered.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Trissa poked her head in the room, still in the same kind of sleeping clothes I had worn.

    ¡°Having fun sitting there?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°Want some breakfast?¡±

    I trotted behind her to the Kitchen where her mum looked equally as sleep deprived as Trissa.

    ¡°Oh, morning dear, you just missed your dad. Good morning, Valeria.¡±

    ¡°Good, he¡¯s always too happy in the morning,¡± Trissa said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a nice thing to say out loud,¡± Pilim said.

    I peered over Trissa¡¯s shoulder as she served herself from a series of pots and plates on the counter. The least meaty dish available was eggs and cubed potato, so that¡¯s what I took. It was a weird hang-up considering the animals were already dead and I didn¡¯t have their fear and pain imprinted in my mind.

    But, it still made the meal less enjoyable.

    Making breakfast for my mother had always been one of the most worrying times of the day. It was when she laid out her plans and I found out what I was in for. Trissa and Pilim sat in silence except for mumbled requests.

    I had spied the garden through the kitchen window and slipped out with the basket I brought to go see it. The cuttings I had taken were not the most careful, but I could help out with magic. They had a few of the plants I liked for seasoning meals. Their berries were only barely flowering despite the season almost ending. No medicinal herbs, no tea plants, and very few vegetables.

    I stood back and started to plan out my additions to the garden. A little section with the tea, another for some of the leftover tubers from last night''s dinner, help the poor berries yet to flower. Maybe some herbs to make a few basic tinctures, if I could get the alcohol for it.

    I needed something to wear, so my skirt didn¡¯t get covered in mud and a garden trowel. It was too much to keep asking for and would be more annoying than helpful if I kept bothering them for stuff I needed.

    Glancing back through the kitchen window let me see they were no longer there, so I started sifting through the soil with magic. I made small trenches for the tubers I floated up, broke in half, and let fall into them, moving the soil back after.

    Tea was next and was one of the plants that was dying off in the ashy soil near the cottage, I was happy to find a new home for it. It was easier to move the small tea cuttings about than trying to slice the tubers in the air.

    What took the most time in the planting was trying to find small wood chips to prop up some of the more fragile cuttings. Once everything was in place I sat down on the grass and placed my hand in the soil. I slowly grouped up all the different plants in my mind and encouraged them to grow their roots and flourish.

    I wasn''t tired at all after, so paid special attention to the flowered berry plants, getting them to grow their ripened fruit.

    It was the first time I had done magic without worrying about Mother, or a fire was burning down my home, or while trying to accomplish some mundane task. Besides the berries I had already plucked off and was shovelling into my mouth, I had been careful not to be too obvious with my meddling.

    Jacob openly talked about magic; the farmers openly did magic. If I wasn¡¯t a witch I must have been like them, but I was still afraid.

    I almost laid back in the grass to relax in the sun before remembering I was wearing my nice clothes. I already missed my set that I didn¡¯t have to worry as much about.

    Going to the cottage was something I needed to do soon, to get the last of the coins, some of the books, the potions, soaps, and whatever else I saw as useful. I hadn¡¯t expected to start staying here so soon, I hadn¡¯t expected to be allowed to stay at all.

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    ¡°Valeria?¡±

    My looting plans for the cottage were interrupted by Trissa at the kitchen door. I got up and brushed the grass off.

    ¡°Woah, you¡¯ve done quite a lot here, right? Unless Mum¡¯s been out here a lot without me noticing.¡±

    ¡°I planted a few things,¡± I said while trying to get the soil off my hands without magic.

    ¡°Ah huh, Mum and I wanted to know if you would like to come to the shop for the day and practice sewing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try.¡±

    Trissa led me back through the hallway only after she showed me where to wash my hands, and then how to use the tap. We walked through a door and came out in a large room bathed in soft yellow light from tinted glass along the top of the walls. We were situated behind a counter covered in shelving that was stuffed with paper, fabrics, and other clutter.

    The rest of the room had large rolls of colourful material, some shone while others looked rough to the touch. Torsos made of beige fabric and supported on sticks stood to one side, covered in strips of fabric with small pins keeping it in place.

    Pilim was working at a large slanted desk with the biggest pair of scissors I had ever seen. She was slicing through an unrolled sheet using the blade of the scissors rather than cutting, it was weird since I assumed that was the only reason you would use them over a knife.

    Pilim glanced back at us with a pencil between her lips. Her words were muffled slightly, but we understood her just fine. ¡°Dear, measure me out half a yard of twine, please. Valeria, you are welcome to sit behind the counter there or wander about, we do not usually get customers till later.¡±

    Trissa skipped over to a bundle of tightly wound thread and started to measure out some using her forearm as a reference. I didn¡¯t want to be in anyone''s way or touch anything expensive, so I sat on the stool behind the counter. I had to adjust and smooth out my skirt till it sat properly, but once I settled I could see the entire store and let my eyes slowly roam over it.

    I watched Trissa dance about the room and deliver items or spools of fabric to Pilim. The two of them moved to and from the table and one of the fabric torsos had the beginnings of something forming on it. Pins held together the extra layers they were adding and let them do the stitching only after Pilim approved of the placement.

    A ding echoed through the room and the door swung open for a woman to stalk in. The first thing I noted about her entrance was her eye-catching presence.

    It was more because of her magic, but her outfit also fit that description. It was¡ªher presence¡ªmuch stronger than people like Jacob, but I had not been close enough to the men who tried to burn down the cottage to compare it to theirs.

    Her sky-blue dress swished at her knees as she turned to close the door behind her. Her hands were covered in white gloves that went all the way to her elbow.

    ¡°Ah, Jaqalin,¡± Pilim said, as the newcomer took off her matching hat and smoothed out the bits of hair its removal caused to fall out of place.

    ¡°Good morning, Madam Iraya,¡± Trissa said.

    ¡°Morning, Pilim, Trissa,¡± Jaqalin said. ¡°I promise I am not here to pester you about my new hat, I have an order to place for Greyson. The boy seems to grow every time I feed him. Have you noticed, Trissa?¡±

    ¡°Well now that you mention it I think he may have grown slightly,¡± Trissa said.

    ¡°Boys do seem to do that,¡± Pilim said, stretching out her hand towards me. ¡°Jaqalin, let me introduce you to Valeria.¡±

    ¡°You actually went ahead with it? When you said¡­¡± Jaqalin started before following the direction of Pilim¡¯s arm to lock eyes with me. She blinked at me with mild shock.

    I got off of the stool to stand. ¡°Hello, Madam Iraya.¡±

    Jaqalin folded her hands over her waist and took a deep breath. ¡°Ah yes, hello. Valeria was it? I somehow did not notice you there.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s going to be staying with us for the foreseeable future, Cragar was being difficult, but he came around,¡± Pilim said. ¡°The house has felt so empty since Olera left.¡±

    Jaqalin nodded along. ¡°I am sure I will feel the same once my son gets into Equitier. Though I still can not believe you followed through with it, Pilim. I must confess some of the other ladies were aghast at the thought of some uncouth individual living with you. I for one applaud your charity, she has cleaned up quite well already. Obviously your influence.¡±

    I glanced at Trissa who was at a loss for words. I luckily didn¡¯t think I was expected to respond to any of that considering she hadn¡¯t looked at me again.

    ¡°Oh, it is hardly charity, she is a sweet girl, but thank you for the compliment anyway.¡±

    Jaqalin turned back to me. ¡°Listen here girl, Pilim has given you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to remove yourself from those other ruffians. It behoves you to not repay that kindness with bad behaviour. You have a Trissa here to be a good role model in what you should strive for.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­Madam.¡± I thought I had done well, tried to speak like them, to eat like them, and dress like them. But a stranger had walked in and was convinced I didn¡¯t belong here despite all of that.

    Madam Jaqalin started discussing with Pilim what she wanted to order for her son. I heard a few mumbled mentions of dress shirts and undergarments.

    Trissa came over to where I was still standing near the stool and leaned close to my ear. ¡°Mum says she isn¡¯t that bad compared to city folk. Lots of hissing, but not venomous. Makes me think twice about going to the city.¡±

    I leaned in as well ¡°Maybe that¡¯s her goal since she doesn¡¯t want you leaving. What does ¡®uncouth¡¯ mean anyway?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mum is always trying to get me to speak properly and did you hear that comment about Greyson? The way she wiggled her eyebrow at me was uncouth.¡±

    I snorted at the unexpected comment but made sure I did not start laughing when the woman was still in the room. ¡°At least he¡¯s leaving? To that Equitier place?¡±

    ¡°Argh, lucky bastard was born with mana and rich parents, I¡¯d love to go to school there. Oh, umm, not that I¡¯m ungrateful for my situation, it''s just a bit unfair, you know?¡±

    I did not understand why she got so flustered.

    I regretfully started to think back to Mother and her lessons. Mana wasn''t a word she used often when teaching me, but it did come up when she got technical.

    The bell above the door chimed again and two more women walked into the store. There was a lot of ¡®how lovely to see you,¡¯ ¡®you are looking well,¡¯ and ''good mornings'' overlapping as the four women greeted each other. I didn¡¯t manage to catch the newcomer''s names, but one did look around and raise a hand to us which we returned.

    I turned to ask Trissa whose mothers they were, but she was not beside me. The top of her head was still in my peripherals, so I looked down to see her crouching behind the counter.

    Trissa flapped her hand at me and when I didn¡¯t know what that meant I should do, grabbed my arm to drag me down.

    ¡°That¡¯s Jacob¡¯s mum,¡± she said. I was still confused about why she was on the floor.

    ¡°And?¡± I asked.

    ¡°And, I cannot be rude to her since she''s the mayor''s partner. And she¡¯s getting persistent about matching me with her son. Thinks being associated with Mum¡¯s family is a good thing.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re hiding?¡±

    ¡°I panicked and it¡¯s too late to just pop my head back up and try to join their conversation. I don¡¯t even want to join their conversation.¡±

    We both eyed the door a few yards behind us.

    ¡°If you crawl they shouldn¡¯t be able to see you, I¡¯ll open it for you,¡± I said and stood back up to check on the women. They were surrounding one of the partly done pieces and not looking anywhere near us. Trissa started to crawl towards it, but jerked to a stop.

    A splinter of wood had caught her clothes. I stopped staring directly at her since it would look strange if anyone saw me. I found something interesting on the wall to look at instead. I hoped the ladies were still absorbed in their conversation and were paying me no mind.

    ¡°Valeria?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I said while spinning around to look at them.

    Three of the four were looking at me passively, but Jaqalin scowled and clicked her tongue. ¡°Huh!? Show Madam Hasting some respect.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come now, Jaqalin. She does not know any better yet. Would you like her to attend my etiquette classes, Pilim?¡± A woman with a vague semblance to Jacob said.

    ¡°I will see if she wants to,¡± Pilim said. ¡°Valeria, where has Trissa gone off to?¡±

    ¡°She left a while ago¡­Madam Hasting.¡±

    ¡°Ah, maybe another time then Malisa,¡± Pilim said to Jacob¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Yes, perhaps dinner?¡±

    When they had all forgotten I existed again I slinked over to the door, turned the knob hard, pushed the door open, and stepped through. Trissa crawled in right on my heels and the door closed behind her.

    Trissa stood to brush off her clothes and examine the new tears in them. She sighed. ¡°Maybe I should have just stayed instead of letting her get the idea of dinner in her head.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to imagine sitting through an entire meal with them,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah, I think Mum only puts up with them because they¡¯re good customers¡­Lunch?¡±

    She did not give me any time to respond before she headed for the kitchen. I followed her away from the faint voices still coming from the store.

    ¡°What would you like?¡± Trissa asked. ¡°I usually don¡¯t eat very much.¡±

    The meals I ended up making Mother and I came from a book titled, ''A Recluse''s Guide to Self-Sustainability,'' and it was terrible. No straightforward recipes, or directions, just a list of things that generally went well together and how each of them needed to be prepared. It had taken a lot of trial and error to get meals Mother didn¡¯t throw in my face. Altogether that left me with little knowledge of what meals were called beyond stew and soup.

    ¡°The same as you, or I don¡¯t mind not eating, it¡¯s fine either way.¡±

    Trissa got out some of the leftover flatbread from the larder and started placing vegetables on it. When she went for the cuts of meat I worked up the courage to ask her not to put any on mine. She didn¡¯t bat an eye at the request and I was soon trying to hold together the ¡®wrap¡¯ while eating it without a plate. It was great and made me sad about missing out on eating bread most of my life.

    Buying a roll for myself had been one of the only advantages to going into town for Mother.

    ¡°We should go change,¡± Trissa said while drying off her hands after eating her wrap in half the time as me.

    ¡°What for?¡± I asked around a mouthful.

    ¡°To meet up with everyone, unless you want to wear a skirt out again? I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Trissa Hasting

    I knelt beside Valeria, folding up the leg of my sister¡¯s old pants we had scrounged from the wardrobe. The drawstring had taken a few attempts to get tight enough to where they didn¡¯t slowly fall off her. They were for my sister when she was seventeen, so it was a bit much to ask that they fit her perfectly.

    I was not sure why I had been worried if Valeria would be fine with the faded and fixed up pair. She did not even notice.

    Sometimes I forgot Valeria wasn¡¯t just another girl from across the street, even though she constantly reminded me how weird she was. Not knowing how to use a tap was baffling to me, but made some sense in hindsight. One day¡ªwhen she was more comfortable around me¡ªI¡¯d ask more directly about her life.

    I had convinced her to change out of the blouse and put on something with shorter sleeves. I asked about the bruise on her shoulder, but she didn¡¯t remember how she got it.

    When I had seen the poor excuse for underthings she had on I had made her change into a new set as well. Thinking that this was like dressing up a doll made me feel disgusted with myself. Valeria was a person and despite what people like Madam Iraya thought, deserved to be treated like more than a charity case.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Valeria said, once we were ready. The words felt strained like she wasn''t used to saying them often.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± My sister had never wanted to help me with anything and this felt like my opportunity to prove it wouldn¡¯t have cost her much to give me some of her time. It was fun being a big sister of sorts.

    I had been around her several times and had found that she was very easy to be with. Her life¡¯s story was still a mystery to me, but I had a good grasp on her personality or lack of it. Nothing fazed her, not even Jacob doing his best to be mean.

    We went back downstairs and I skipped through the hall. I wanted to leave before the mums had finished talking. If things went as they usually did that was a low chance, yet making sure to avoid them was worth the hustle.

    I locked the clunky iron lock behind me. The thing annoyed me with how precise I had to wiggle the key. There were barely a hundred trained mages in town and none of them would stoop to theft, so I didn¡¯t see why my parents thought the lock necessary.

    We walked down the street towards the gate and I looked down each alleyway and side street with more interest. I wondered how long Valeria had been an orphan and where she had been staying.

    Unlike bigger cities, Ulasa didn¡¯t have an orphanage. I heard about tragic deaths every so often, but even if both parents died there was always extended family to take in the child. I couldn¡¯t recall a situation that could have happened to Valeria to leave her alone.

    A group of officers from the watch walked past us and I scowled as they stomped through the crowd, expecting everyone to move for them. Their long pikes bobbed above the sea of people, letting everyone know where to avoid.

    They were not as bad as some people made them out to be. However, I could agree they were generally a pain. I couldn¡¯t believe they hadn¡¯t noticed a witch living so close to town. I shuddered at the thought of what happened at the capital happening to my town.

    I wondered what kind of experience Valeria had with them.

    I saw a few of Mum and Dad¡¯s friends, or customers. Mum generally had wealthier clients, while Dad had his store in the regular market. I had tried to help out, but there was always so much blood. It smelled bad and always got under my nails, so I usually ended up stationed at the counter.

    The ones I knew better said hello and asked how my parents were and I asked how their children were doing, or how work was going. Valeria stood a ways behind me whenever I did.

    I felt bad for her interaction with Madam Iraya and while no one I talked to would be as bad as her, I was still worried about the potential comments they could make.

    The gate came into view and I saw the farmers going home¡ªor the pub¡ªfor the day. Dad would be heading back at some point, except he said his day was decided by the animals, not the bell.

    When I saw the group crowded around the meeting rock I knew it would be an annoying afternoon. They seemed to have already gotten bored of football and hopefully would be playing something I¡¯d enjoy.

    I stopped a good distance away, not interested in whatever debate was going on. Valeria was probably better at handling herself than me, but I felt responsible for her and some of these other kids were nasty.

    Someone whistled loudly from the group and I heard Jacob start to speak loudly over the remaining murmurs. ¡°Who else thinks we played enough football, raise your hands!¡±

    He and a good number of others raised their hands. I wasn¡¯t sure if they agreed with him, or his statement.

    ¡°You are only saying that cause you lost last time!¡± Greyson said from the side, amongst a group of his friends.

    ¡°We¡¯re tied, Grey, and besides most people agree with me.¡±

    ¡°Everyone who wants another match raise your hand,¡± Greyson said.

    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s going to be one of those days.¡±

    ¡°Does this happen often?¡± Valeria asked with her strange accent.

    ¡°Too often when those two are involved,¡± I said. Greyson and Jacob used to be good friends. All three of us did, but things started to change when Jacob understood what it meant to be the mayor¡¯s son.

    It all went downhill once he threatened to have his dad kick someone out of the town at eleven. He used to be more obnoxious about it, he was better now, but only in that he was more subtle.

    He considered himself the leader and decision maker of us all. The older ones could deal with him in the previous years, unfortunately, they all had apprenticeships and didn¡¯t show up for the games anymore.

    The back and forth devolved into raising hands again and counting each one. Valeria and I stayed out of it all, I think she cared for football as little as me. I¡¯d wanted to help her by volunteering for her the last time but felt bad after what Patela did.

    ¡°Trissa you haven''t voted,¡± Jacob said from atop the rock.

    ¡°Trissa doesn¡¯t like football, why bother asking?¡± Greyson said.

    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t like it, it wasn¡¯t my favourite, but they played too seriously and that made me feel terrible if I messed up.

    ¡°Football or something else, Tris?¡± Jacob asked.

    Why did I feel like this wasn¡¯t about the game?

    The attention these two started to give me beyond just friendliness was flattering, I could not help but feel it wasn¡¯t about me. Jacob¡¯s family had invested a lot to get mayorship according to Mum and now had eyes on baron. Mum¡¯s sister was the Baron of a neighbouring province and they pestered Mum about an endorsement from her.

    Greyson needed a place at Equitier and thought my aunt could help with that. I¡¯d only met the woman once. Mum thought it would be good for me to see if I liked one of them and I did have some feelings for Jacob. He just kept convincing me not to.

    ¡°Something else,¡± I said and regretted it when Greyson smirked at Jacob.

    ¡°Stingers it is!¡± Greyson shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m it,¡± Patela said. She picked up a seed pod from a nearby tree and started tossing it around. Everyone scattered into the surrounding fields, down the path, and around the wall.

    I grabbed Valeria and ran to the fields of corn. I looked back to see Patela staring at us and started running faster. The bigger girl didn¡¯t seem to understand she went too far sometimes.

    I had hoped her volunteering meant one of her siblings angered her, yet she seemed to have chosen me today, or perhaps Valeria going by yesterday''s incident.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Valeria said from behind me. The narrow path between fields was only wide enough for one at a time.

    ¡°If she hits you with the seed, you¡¯re it and have to get the seed to throw at someone else,¡± I said and turned down another path so Patela couldn¡¯t see us directly from her starting place.

    ¡°We can¡¯t sit out like football?¡± she asked as I slowed down and crouched

    ¡°Nope.¡± I took a few deep breaths. My fitness was not the best and Valeria also looked tired, though not as much as me. ¡°People¡ªespecially Patela¡ªwill pelt you with seeds until you play.¡±

    Poor Trayton had a broken leg the week before and was told not to run too much, they still threw seeds at him. Older kids said it happened to them so it can happen to us, tradition and such.¡±

    ¡°So we just stay here now?¡± she asked.

    I nodded. ¡°You can go taunt her and try dodge if you¡¯d like.¡±

    That is what some of the others thought was fun. Most people had a thing about going after people they knew over others.

    There was rustling around us, other people had the same idea and ran past with heavy steps and hushed whispers. Hopefully covering our route from the huntress.

    I counted down in my head the time until Patela would start and reached zero. Valeria and I shuffled a bit to make our crouch more comfortable as we waited. If everything went well she¡¯d go for someone else or miss us.

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    I kept glancing between the two directions the path went, wherever Patela would appear we had to sprint in the other.

    I tried peering between the dense stalks of corn, but there was nothing to see. I looked to Valeria and was going to try to have a quiet conversation about my plan. Her face was turned to the same dense stalks I had tried looking through, her amber eyes slowly following something.

    Before I could ask what it was Valeria grabbed under my arm, pulled me to my feet, and locked her hand around my wrist. We were moving fast down the path a moment later.

    We exited the field and ran along it. The lettuce was next to us and we couldn¡¯t hide there.

    I let her lead me until we stopped next to another entrance to the corn fields. Valeria looked along the corn, slowly, before we dashed back in. We took another two turns, came out on the other side of the field, ran across again, went back in, knelt down, and crouch walked into the dense stalks.

    I followed behind her, worried how much we were moving the corn, Patela was tall enough to see it if she was watching from outside the field. There was a tiny area where one of the crops had wilted, we sat almost on top of each other with my legs over her lap.

    ¡°What¡­was¡­that,¡± I whispered while taking deep breaths.

    ¡°She was chasing us,¡± Valeria said, still looking away at the stalks.

    ¡°Patela?¡± I asked, but I already knew the answer before she nodded.

    I wanted to say it was unnecessary, but her actions were too deliberate. I looked back at all the stopping, watching, waiting, and change of directions. I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason for them. I hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything out of the ordinary.

    ¡°Ow! Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Got you.¡±

    It sounded like it was from somewhere in the field we were in. Our heads followed the rustling sound as someone ran out and then a second set of rustling behind them.

    ¡°We should be fine, there¡¯s easier places to find people,¡± I said.

    I listened for the screams of taunts, insults, and shouts of pain. I tried to imagine who it was and where they were. It sounded like Jacob was it and had just hit Robbie in the head, I grimaced.

    The seed pods we used could break on hit but were still solid and painful. Robbie was taunted by half a dozen voices, the jeering then replaced by laughter.

    That whole group came stampeding through the corn fields around us with a lone sound of rustling dawdling behind them.

    After they all passed the hushed voices of Wila and Damian accompanied their shuffling through the stalks. They were a year older than me and by the start of next year would be at an apprenticeship instead of here.

    ¡°He ran past us, it''s fine,¡± the boy said.

    ¡°Why are we heading into the field, let¡¯s go back to the others, it¡¯s dusty in here,¡± the girl said.

    ¡°I wanted some alone time with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What happened to Henrieta?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just friends, you know I like you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think I believe you.¡±

    ¡°Can I show you how much I like you instead of telling you?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    I could hear the smile in her voice. I was already embarrassed listening to them whisper their embarrassing lines to each other, but the sounds of a kiss made my whole face warm. I buried my head in my hands as it continued.

    I parted my fingers to take a peek at Valeria¡¯s reaction, though she seemed more confused than anything.

    Was I being childish?

    I had kissed a boy once, maybe she had also and I was the weird one for making a big deal out of it. My cheeks still felt warm, but I made an effort to be normal while the sounds of mouths mashing together and lip sucking went on.

    ¡°We should head back before someone catches us here,¡± Wila said.

    ¡°No one¡¯s going to come here and we¡¯ll hear them if they do, c¡¯mon one more.¡±

    ¡°Nah ah, Damian, maybe later¡­get your hand off my butt.¡±

    I felt better about myself seeing red creep into Valeria¡¯s cheeks. The two made a very noisy exit from the field next to us. Neither Valeria or I said a word until we were absolutely sure they were gone and far away.

    ¡°Were they¡­¡± Val started.

    ¡°...kissing? Yes. I would say finally since those two are pretty much attached at the hip, but I wish they chose a different field.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I thought that was, ah, something else.¡±

    I wondered if she had a mortifying talk with anyone about boys and such and if not, should I throw her to the wolves¡ªmy parents¡ªor try to do it myself. Also, when I¡¯d tried to offer her pads she¡¯d brushed me off and I was not sure if I should try that again.

    ¡°Have you kissed anyone before?¡± I asked.

    Valeria shook her head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know what it was when I read about people doing it in my books, still kinda don¡¯t¡­what about you?¡±

    ¡°I might have kissed Jacob last winter. It was snowing and he was being very sweet, letting me use his gloves while we made snow golems. He leaned in first. We bashed our teeth the first time, but the second was better,¡± I said, then sighed. ¡°He told his friends the next day and they told everyone else, even my parents heard about it.¡±

    ¡°Is it bad that they know?¡± she asked and then scrunched her nose like she did when she was thinking. ¡°Is it bad that we know they did?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not because we are not going to tell anyone and they were fine with it, Mum gushed, Dad made stupid jokes about hunting him down, it was just embarrassing knowing everyone knew.¡±

    My leg was starting to fall asleep, I tried stretching it out and only half succeeded with Valeria being underneath me.

    ¡°How do we win?¡± Val asked. ¡°Do we wait here till everyone gets bored?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t really. We need to make it through the gate before the fifth bell. We just had fourth bell a while ago so there¡¯s plenty of time, if we don¡¯t get in then we have to sit out tomorrow¡¯s game and whoever is it, is it again tomorrow.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel my leg,¡± Val said after a long while.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m tired of sitting in the dirt and if it¡¯s not Patela, I don¡¯t mind trying to outrun them.¡±

    Valeria offered a hand to help me push myself up, it was still awkward trying to find a place to put my feet. I helped her up and we started to shuffle out of the crops to get back to the path.

    All the shouting was still in the distance.

    Instead of going down the path that would lead directly to the gate, we went towards the lettuce field. It would give us a better chance not to run into people straight away, and see what was going on.

    Besides three people jogging across the area, there was not much happening. If there was someone chasing them they¡¯d have a bit more enthusiasm. We moved towards the gate as the loud shouts that usually accompanied the person throwing the pods came closer.

    Near the clearing, with the rock between them, two boys moved around. One walking slowly with his arm pulled back and another backing away with more speed. The one ready to throw a pod was Greyson while the other was Jacob.

    I wanted to roll my eyes. One probably ran past at least twenty other people in order to target, or taunt, the other.

    A few called for him to throw it and others called out to run. A few tried to draw Greyson¡¯s attention, but his eyes were locked on Jacob.

    As Jacob looked back to check his footing he saw Valeria and I. He turned and sprinted towards us with Greyson also breaking out into a run to catch up.

    I backed up as much as I could, though at this point it was only the field behind us and no pathways nearby. Valeria stepped in front slightly, but Jacob ran around her to hide behind me.

    He grabbed my shoulders as I tried to turn and kept me facing Greyson, who was now coming to a stop nearby.

    He could easily walk up and drop the seed on Jacob¡¯s head, but some people only saw this game as a way to try to throw the seed at someone as hard as possible. There was no way for Jacob to fully hide behind me and Greyson kept pacing to the sides, trying to get more of him to throw at.

    ¡°Really Jacob?¡± Greyson said. ¡°You think I won¡¯t just throw it at Trissa instead?¡±

    ¡°Then why haven''t you? Huh? Scared?¡± Jacob said while moving me about. I looked down, waiting for this idiot to put his foot near mine so I could stomp on it. Valeria looked lost at what to do besides staying nearby.

    ¡°If this hits you, Trissa, just remember whose fault it is,¡± Greyson said. He pulled back his arm further and launched it forward. I saw the brown pod for a second as it left his palm.

    Jacob still held me as I tried to move away. Greyson was already backing up, prepared to run.

    I lost sight of the seed in my panic and brought up my hands to block it from hitting my face. Between my fingers, I saw Valeria step closer and dart her hand out.

    I slowly put my hands down when I realised I heard the thwack of the seed hitting her palm.

    Valeria tossed it from her left hand to her right, pulled her arm back slightly then whipped it forward. The seed shot out like a crossbow bolt, I heard it whistle through the air as Greyson started to run.

    I could have sworn it curved slightly to match the turn Greyson was making, he must have seen it as well because he turned his head forward with a panicked expression as the pod broke open on the back of his head.

    It was an impressive throw.

    Jacob was also watching and had stuck his foot out to try to crouch behind me more. I lifted my boot and stomped down with all my weight and might. He howled as his foot was crushed into the dirt and let go of my shoulders.

    I moved towards Valeria and grabbed her arm.

    Greyson was holding the back of his head and trying to get another pod from the nearby tree. Jacob had his foot lifted in the air, hissing at the pain. We ran to the gate.

    Others were laughing and running away from Greyson¡¯s vicinity. It was frowned upon to leave too early, but the boys needed a chance to calm down and I wanted to do that far away from them.

    Valeria and I made it to the first side street before I imagined Jacob¡¯s howl of pain and the sound the seed made when it smacked the back of his head. I started laughing too hard to keep up the pace we were going.

    I didn¡¯t care if my foot stomp might have been too far, he shouldn¡¯t have grabbed me to use a shield.

    ¡°What a throw,¡± I said after I had calmed down enough to take a deep breath. ¡°Did you see what I did to Jacob?¡±

    Valeria had a full toothed smile as she nodded.

    I spent the walk back gesturing wildly while trying to reenact the whole scene, threatening to make myself laugh again. We desperately needed the wash we had before dinner and despite it being more stew my hunger made me look forward to it.

    ¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that woman,¡± Dad said after hearing what Madam Iraya had said that morning. Mum was telling it like it was a funny story, but Dad didn¡¯t see it that way. I was instead looking at how cute Valeria was trying to hold her spoon in a way that was obviously weird to her.

    Madam Iraya was at least consistent in dishing out disparaging comments. Dad had been on the receiving end of more than a few, so was more annoyed at her. She didn¡¯t like his beard, or profession, and liked to make that known in as many ways as she could. Mum had never gotten one of her barbed comments, so she wouldn¡¯t get it.

    Mum wisely decided to change the subject and chose me to do it with, right as I started chewing on a fatty piece of venison. ¡°Do you think Valeria should go to school with you tomorrow?¡±

    I chewed and chewed and nudged my head towards the girl in question.

    ¡°What school?¡± Val asked.

    ¡°Once a week everyone not yet sixteen goes to have lessons. They start off basic, but the stuff Trissa is learning can be quite difficult and we are not sure if you would be okay in her class, or starting at a younger age group.¡±

    I finally finished chewing as Valeria thought about her answer. ¡°She can come along and I¡¯ll sit next to her and help, she told me she reads sometimes so she can at least follow along with what¡¯s on the board.¡±

    ¡°Does that sound alright with you dear?¡± Mum asked Valeria who nodded since she had taken me speaking as a chance to stuff her cheeks with potato.

 Chapter 8

    The building that contained the school was close to the market. I had been nervous all morning about coming here. Every time Trissa tried to explain it to me I went back to whenever Mother had taught me, and had to convince myself not to refuse.

    The vendors were starting to lay out their wares and I reminded myself to go back to the cottage to get the rest of my roe. People in vastly different types of clothing mingled about, glancing to the stores to see when they would accept customers.

    Trissa had persuaded me to not wear my nice clothes again before they were washed, so I was in some of her sister''s old clothes. She¡¯d redone my braid the night before and I was playing with the end of it as we walked in. I noticed familiar faces filtering into different rooms, not that I remembered most of their names.

    One of the people I did recognise gave me a glare as we followed him into a room. Greyson must not have liked me hitting him with the seed, but it was part of the game, so he couldn¡¯t have been that upset. Trissa was more worried about him and Jacob while my mind was already occupied with what school would be like.

    Inside the room, long tables with four chairs each sat in rows facing a rough-looking dark green wall. A few of the chairs were already taken.

    I moved into a row Trissa pointed out and sat next to the window, she took the next seat. She called over two girls, who had just walked in, to come sit next to us.

    I leaned forward to see as she introduced them as her friends Katlyn and Eyla. They took up the other two seats and had similar shades of brown hair and soft features on faces that resembled each other.

    They said they were twins but made a point that they were fraternal.

    I listened as Katlyn talked about the new items her dad was bringing into the town and explained the ones Trissa¡¯s parents might be interested in. The two families lived on the same street and I gathered they were close from their repeated mention of past dinners and sleepovers.

    A few people wearing similar clothes to the two pairs I owned came in and sat in their own area. When we all played outside the walls, and everyone wore clothes meant to get dirty, it was hard to tell if there was any division, but here it was made clear.

    Jacob came in last with the teacher, an older man with stubble and long robes. He was the same age as Trissa¡¯s dad and looked like he spent more time holding a pencil than a cleaver.

    Jacob moved behind Katlyn to lean down between her and Trissa. ¡°Mind moving Katlyn? I need to talk with Trissa about something.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask her to move, we can speak later,¡± Trissa said.

    Jacob looked at her, but didn¡¯t respond. ¡°C¡¯mon Katlyn, please.¡±

    ¡°Jacob is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No Mister Matus, just asking Trissa something.¡±

    ¡°Well you can do that afterwards, there''s a free seat up here,¡± Mister Matus said, and pulled out a chair in the front row.

    Jacob sighed and moved to plop down in the seat.

    Katlyn leaned towards us with a massive grin stretched across her face. ¡°I heard you kneed him in the balls yesterday. What¡¯d he do? Grab your chest?"

    ¡°What?¡± Trissa spluttered. ¡°He grabbed my shoulder and I stomped on his foot. He would never¡ªI would never.¡±

    ¡°See told you we couldn¡¯t trust stories from him,¡± Eyla added. ¡°I bet he wasn¡¯t even there. ¡®Seen with my own two eyes,¡¯ my ass.¡±

    ¡°That''s one thing his eyes¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do I need to separate you three before I start?¡± Mister Matus asked.

    ¡°No Mister Matus,¡± the three mumbled.

    He sighed dramatically. ¡°Well on a more interesting point, I see a new face in my class. Would you like to introduce yourself, at least for my own benefit.¡±

    I decided I didn¡¯t like him when all eyes turned to see who he was talking about.

    Trissa lifted under my elbow. I took the hint, stood up and tried very hard not to notice everyone looking at me. ¡°Hello, Mister Matus. I¡¯m Valeria.¡±

    He raised his eyebrows, I didn¡¯t know what else he wanted. ¡°Well it¡¯s nice to meet you Valeria. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard an accent like yours before, where abouts in the duchy are you from?¡±

    ¡°Here?¡±

    He looked to Trissa for help. I looked to Trissa for help. Trissa tugged me back down to my seat.

    ¡°Sorry she¡¯s shy. Valeria started living with us recently.¡±

    There were a few whispers I couldn¡¯t hear well enough from the rest of the class.

    ¡°No no, sorry for making assumptions. Let¡¯s get on with the class. We learnt about area last week. The first shape we learnt was a square, but that¡¯s simple. Can anyone remind us how to calculate the area of a triangle? Yes, Milia.¡±

    ¡°Half the bottom multiplied by the height.¡±

    I tried to recall if I knew that. It seemed so simple compared to a circle¡ªwhich I had done often in measuring ingredients for Mother¡ªbut even with the answer I couldn''t remember learning it. The first question of the first lesson and I didn¡¯t know the answer. It seemed I¡¯d be needing Trissa¡¯s help after all, or go to a younger age group without her.

    ¡°Good. Now did anyone manage the question I left you with last week? How many bricks would it take to fill in the triangular roof?¡±

    ¡°360!¡±

    ¡°Jeremey if you had raised your hand I would have told you it''s unfair since your father constructs houses. It was supposed to be a trick question, but now no one is going to say their answer.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Now I¡¯m sure everyone was able to calculate the area, but the trick was you couldn¡¯t divide it straight away by the area of the brick. Builders have their own formulas for their calculations. In this case it¡¯s this.¡± Mister Matus picked up a white stick. He scraped it across the green wall so that it left white streaks as he wrote out the formula.

    ¡­

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve covered area, we can move onto volume. If you took a cup and drew an outline of its bottom on a piece of paper, that would be the area,¡± he said and drew a circle on the board. ¡°We know how to calculate that area, but what if I asked how much water can fit inside the cup?¡±

    He continued to draw a cup and numbers for its width and height. ¡°How many litres do we get with a cup of these measurements?¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Yes, Valeria, where have I lost you?¡±

    ¡°Zero point two three litres,¡± I said. Mother wanted the alchemy solutions to three decimal places, but the last number kept slipping away from me. After hearing how he handled other people''s wrong answers I didn¡¯t think he would scold me for that, so I didn¡¯t feel too afraid to say it.

    ¡°Ah¡­yes, that¡¯s correct. Well done, Valeria.¡±

    My racing heart swelled with pride at his words. I had been scared to raise my hand. This was probably the only topic he had talked about all class that I had done before. I wanted to prove Trissa hadn¡¯t made a mistake bringing me here, or be moved to a class without her.

    ¡­

    Mister Matus ended the class with a question on how long a certain water tank would last in a town where the people each used a certain amount of water each day. The answer was eleven days, but he specified he wanted to hear the answer next week, so I didn¡¯t say anything.

    A finger poked me under the ribs and I almost jumped. I turned to the culprit who was smirking at me. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were good at mathematics¡­Why are you good at mathematics?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, volume of liquid is the one thing I¡¯ve done before.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Ah huh, well I hope you''re also secretly great at religion and history otherwise you¡¯ll hate this next class as much as the rest of us.¡±

    Jacob had come back to lean on the desk in front of Trissa. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t like my grandmother''s class?¡±

    ¡°No one does, asshat,¡± Eyla said from the side.

    ¡°No one was talking to you,¡± Jacob said and turned back to Trissa. ¡°So¡­Father got a telegram from the baron that the duke is sending a representative here next week¡­I¡­am sorry for using you as a shield, will you convince your parents to come to the dinner he¡¯s planning?¡±

    ¡°Why would the duke be sending a representative here?¡± Katlyn asked.

    ¡°None of your business,¡± Jacob said. ¡°So, I apologised, and forgive you for being violent with me. Can I tell my father you¡¯ll talk to your parents?¡±

    Trissa hummed and sighed. ¡°I suppose I can let them know.¡±

    ¡°And¡ªnot to be mean¡ªbut Valeria can¡¯t come,¡± Jacob continued, a bit awkwardly and glancing my way.

    Trissa patted my leg under the desk. ¡°I¡¯m sure Val didn¡¯t want to come anyway.¡±

    I nodded, I did not and assumed I wasn¡¯t invited to begin with. There was no chance they would want someone like me at that dinner.

    ¡°To your seats children,¡± a womanly voice intoned. ¡°You as well Jacob.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Grandmother.¡±

    This woman had more, or maybe stronger, mana than Madam Iraya. My eyes tracked her as she walked to the front with a large leathery book under one arm. When she turned to look across the room our eyes met and she had the same look of confusion as the Madam before smiling. ¡°Ah, I assume since you are sitting next to the Hasting girl you must be that child.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am too old to be trying to remember your name girl,¡± she said and started flipped through whole sections of the book. ¡°We shall continue with our reading of The Tome, verse on the seventh priestess.¡±

    She picked up the now open book with the pages flipped only part way through the entire thing, walked over to our desk, and placed it facing me.

    ¡°We shall start with having you read it for us, if you cannot read a word just sound it out.¡±

    ¡°Madam Grath, I could read instead,¡± Trissa said.

    ¡°No need, Hasting. If the girl cannot read then we will know to drop her down to the younger classes.¡±

    I looked down at the book to see small text where the letters flowed into each other. Large flicks at the start and end of each sentence. It didn¡¯t look as bad as what witches did to witch script to try make it unique to them.

    ¡°From here¡ª¡±

    Madam Grath smacked my hand away. ¡°Do not touch, I shall flip the page once you are done.¡±

    ¡°In the year four hundred and seventy¡­three? Of enlightenment the continent welcomed in a new baby prince, the future emperor of our great nation. The gracious Mother¡­¡±

    ¡°Zalarya,¡± Trissa whispered to me.

    ¡°She needs to learn Hasting, I will help when she struggles.¡±

    I looked back down at the book and saw a very stylized Zalarya was the next word. It was not one I recognised, so I was grateful to Trissa since I would have struggled.

    ¡°...Zalarya bestowed the prince upon us as both a gift, and a test. The baby was born without sight. No son of the god Emperor Urakel would be born with such a defect, if not for Mother Zalarya¡¯s influence. The best of our most blessed ones spent many days and nights developing a weave for the prince. Many lessers courageously sacrificed their sight, and sometimes lives, in the testing. As a testament to the blessing bestowed upon the most worthy of us, we succeeded in creating the correct weave of mana to cure the prince of his blindness.¡±

    Madam Grath didn¡¯t flip it over to the next page like she had been doing before. ¡°Now, class, can someone tell her what she did wrong?¡±

    Lots of hands flung up. ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s against the law to call mages and regular people those words anymore, she should have skipped over them when reading. Same with ¡®god¡¯ in front of the emperor¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°Yes, hear that girl? This is an older copy from before the times when outsiders could pressure us into changing historical text. A text, I might add, is from a time when we ruled this continent. You need to skip out some parts otherwise you might get dragged away by the watch, your ineducation will give you a pass this once.¡±

    Trissa was asked to read next and the story continued with the new prince. At fourteen he managed to create his own spell for dark vision so no mage would experience the darkness he did. At seventeen he went off to quell a disturbance in the northern territories. There was a single sentence to mention a second prince and later a princess, but the priestess went back to writing about the first right after.

    The next person who read started from the writing of the eighth priestess and was now onto the prince''s ascension to emperor. An emperor whose main accomplishment was the near total conquering of an island nation to the north-east.

    ¡°Any questions on what we have read?¡± Madam Grath said after taking the book back.

    A few hands went up and she called on a boy near the front.

    ¡°My parents say witches are evil and that''s why we executed them, but won¡¯t say why,¡± he asked.

    I sat up straight from my slouched position.

    ¡°Anything about my subject?¡± she said and went to call on another person.

    ¡°My dad called it barbaric,¡± the next one said. ¡°Said she should have had a trial.¡±

    ¡°Very well¡­it was already established she was a witch and after what a coven of them did to the capital, and our last king, it is understandable that she was promptly executed,¡± Madam Grath said. ¡°A king that was related to the prince we were reading about, although distantly.¡±

    The next question asked was on why we did not rebuild the capital or elect a new king. The answer was that the seven duchies couldn''t agree on where and the seven dukes who could vote in a king couldn''t agree on who.

    Her lesson ended with reminding everyone we could not call mages ''blessed,'' or refer to non-mages as anything derogatory¡ªlike the book. I had not heard anything about that before, so I didn¡¯t see why that was necessary.

    ¡°She does that on purpose,¡± Trissa said with her head down on the desk. ¡°That tome is probably from her great-grandmother''s time, we don¡¯t get many books, but it¡¯s not that bad.¡±

    ¡°Does what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Reminding us that mages used to have all these titles and people like us were considered less for not having mana."

    ¡°But, she told us not to do that?¡±

    Trissa moved the hand she was lying on and patted my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s sweet how naive you are sometimes.¡±

    Jacob didn¡¯t come to talk to Trissa again this time as the next teacher walked in with a chickadee perched on his shoulder. I ignored the man dressed in plain brown pants and tunic.

    I immediately reached out, the bird looked around while fluffing out their feathers and flew to my outstretched finger. Their small talons latched around it while I used my other hand to stroke their head.

    ¡°Polo? Come here you silly bird,¡± the teacher said while making clicking sounds.

    Polo looked back at him, then to me. I didn¡¯t ask him to stay and I felt their mind decide to fly back to the teacher since he was the one who fed them regularly. ¡°Sorry ''bout dat. Did you have peanut butter this morning cause usually he¡¯s really good about staying put.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised Mister Salica didn¡¯t even notice you¡¯re new,¡± Trissa whispered to me.

    Mister Salica started talking about different types of wood and what their best uses were, fire, buildings, smoke, bows, and mulch. He didn¡¯t use the chalk or a book. He just talked and talked¡­and talked.

    I was interested for a while, but it soon got a bit much even for someone who¡¯d spent her whole life amongst trees.

    Everyone looked like they were about to fall asleep with the way they were slumped in their seats. I was watching Polo and trying to put together his vague feelings, they seemed easier to understand than the wildlife in the forest, but still murky.

    My best guess by the end of the lesson was impatience and when Mister Salica handed them a piece of nut pinched in his fingers the feeling vanished and was replaced by elation. The chubby little thing had been hungry.

    Trissa got up to stretch once he was gone. ¡°We can go have lunch early since this next lesson isn¡¯t for us.¡±

    ¡°Can we join you?¡± Katlyn said.

    Trissa looked at Eyla. ¡°You still don¡¯t want to learn how to use mana?¡±

    ¡°Nah, they don¡¯t teach you any combat spells and if I learn how to repair items or water crops then the nagging to help would never end. I don¡¯t even have much mana to begin with, so every spell gives me a heartache,¡± Eyla said.

    I turned to the rest of the class and noticed that the only ones still sitting had mana.

    ¡°Francie''s?¡± Trissa asked.

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re paying,¡± Eyla said.

    I trailed behind the three of them. I hadn¡¯t been invited out loud, but I felt that Trissa would have said yes if I asked to come with them. Francie''s turned out to be a small eatery and we took a table for four while Trissa went up to a counter.

    ¡°So, Valeria. What¡¯s it like living with Trissa? What¡¯s her room like? She never let us in. I¡¯m convinced she has a shrine up there,¡± Eyla said.

    ¡°You can ignore her, younger sisters are such strange creatures,¡± Katlyn said.

    ¡°Hey, Dad isn¡¯t sure how many times he mixed us up when we were just born, I could easily be older.¡±

    My eyes bounced between the two as the back and forth slowly devolved and events later than a year ago were being brought up.

    Trissa saved me from them getting bored and turning on me again by bringing to the table a plate of white meat on the bone and baked tubers, still steaming.

    We managed to get through most of it until Eyla let out a long, low burp and proceeded to finish it off. The table next to her with a young man and woman gave her weird looks, so I noted to continue not doing that near people. I''d only been eating the potatoes which was the reason for the leftovers.

    With full bellies, we made our way outside the gates and laid in the grass until everyone arrived from their own lunches. The game of the day was a repeat of stingers with Greyson chomping at the bit to start it off. The looks he sent my way were somewhat worrying.

    Eyla and Katlyn came with Trissa and me into the cornfields and I did the same thing I¡¯d done to Patela the other day. Keeping as far away from Greyson¡¯s presence as possible.

    We gave ourselves away a few times, at least the other three did when they started giggling when Greyson shouted for us to quit hiding. Eyla was convinced I¡¯d learned some kind of mana detection spell and wanted me to teach her it.

    It was possibly my favourite day in memory. Never mind, I knew it was my favourite day and I fell asleep easily that night, snuggling deep into the soft bed.

 Chapter 9

    I woke up in a room already bathed in light and didn¡¯t feel a second of panic at being late. I closed my eyes to drift back asleep for a little while.

    Trissa stumbling down the hallway woke me up again and I got out of bed. She had replaced the sign of first light as my reason to get up. My mind felt empty, quiet, and peaceful. My days were mostly planned out already, no nasty surprises, or changing of minds. Breakfast, gardening, sewing, lunch, games, wash up, dinner, and then talk with Trissa until bed.

    There had been a few breaks in the routine throughout the past week. One of the days we had gone to stay over with Katlyn and Eyla. Their parents were just as sweet as Trissa¡¯s. I resented them for a moment, but I tried my best to let it go.

    Yesterday I had worked up the courage to go down to the kitchen earlier. Cragar was there preparing breakfast for everyone before he went out to check on his snares. He hummed softly while scooping out scrambled eggs from a pot. I offered to help, but he said he preferred doing everything himself.

    He did offer to take me out with him instead of going to Pilim¡¯s store. I wanted to agree since it would be nice to spend time with him, but for his sake, I declined. While I didn¡¯t mind him hunting animals and being a butcher, I would have tried to teach every animal in that area of the forest how to avoid his traps if I had gone along.

    They had asked why I didn¡¯t eat meat and I had told them I hadn¡¯t grown up eating it¡ªwhich was somewhat true¡ªand found the texture weird. I assured them it was fine to leave it in the stews since I did not want to be a nuisance. When I cooked for Mother, I could get away with making myself a separate portion, not here though.

    Tomorrow would break up my daily routine, however, I was looking forward to my second day of class. I did hope Mister Salica would talk about something more interesting than wood types.

    Tonight was a slight hiccup in that the Hasting family would be going out to dinner with the mayor and ducal representative, who was meant to be arriving later today. The conclusion they had reached was it had something to do with the witch.

    It worried me slightly, but I felt far removed from that life already. There was no reason this should drag me back in, as long as I went to get the last of the items from the cottage. While they were all occupied I would go back out to the forest and remove everything¡ªmaybe even finish burning it down.

    Cragar wasn¡¯t going out, so they could all get ready for the event which meant all of us sat in the kitchen to eat breakfast. The usual humming was absent and I was sure the two silently chomping at their meal were to blame. Pilim¡¯s only contribution to the conversation was to try to convince us my cheeks had gotten more plump.

    I ate and looked forward to using the tea leaves to dry out in the morning sun. The family drank tea occasionally but luckily didn¡¯t understand how extraordinary it was for the plant to grow within the span of a week. Maybe they were just used to watching the plants in the fields visibly grow from day to day due to the baby treants.

    When I was little Mother had gone through considerable effort forcing the tea plants to grow through rituals to drain the life of other plants. I had started taking care of them when she had me take over all the chores since I wasn¡¯t training anymore. Looking back, she might have thought it was the treant¡¯s doing as well.

    I poked around the garden for a bit and found nothing that would benefit from my magic. Most needed to ripen which I found best to let happen on its own. I had been given more of the back garden to use and was waiting until after I went out that night to bring back other cuttings.

    The store was closed for the day, but Pilim looked more stressed as she tried to bring in Cragar¡¯s slacks. The poor man could barely look down at her with the collar of his shirt digging into his chin when he tried.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who called me squishy, so I cut back on the bread,¡± Cragar said defensively.

    ¡°You are squishy and I like you squishy, stop making more work for me,¡± Pilim said.

    ¡°I was happy to wear my other suit. You wanted us to match.¡±

    Cragar looked pointedly away from the glare she gave him.

    Trissa stood in front of a mirror in a long flowy green dress that showed off her shoulders. She was pulling her hair about into different positions and then fluffing it out again.

    ¡°Val, hair up or down?¡±

    ¡°Down.¡±

    ¡°But what''s the point of wearing a sleeveless dress if my hair is going to cover it all?¡±

    ¡°Up?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯d have to spend ages styling it and worry about it staying together all day.¡±

    Without another answer to give I shrugged from my perch on the stool behind the counter. When that response didn¡¯t impress her I decided to copy Cragar and look away from her.

    In the end, after a long while, she left it down.

    It was only noon after all of the excitement, but they were preparing to leave down the road to the mayor''s estate. He was having some kind of get-together to discuss the arrival of the representative with influential people in the town, which included the Hastings. I waved them off and assured them they didn¡¯t need to worry about me when they asked if it bothered me that I wasn¡¯t going.

    I waited for them to be out of view before heading towards the gates. It had sounded like they assumed I¡¯d stay inside and while I¡¯m sure it would be fine to go to the afternoon games, I hadn''t felt the need to bring it up.

    As I started getting into the more crowded streets two large beasts in horse¡¯s skin came trotting down the cobblestone. The pitch-black one had white socks and a tail dirtied by mud. Their rider wore a cloak that draped over them and the saddle. Glimmering, but scratched, steel covered their exposed arms and legs. The only part of skin I could see was their bare hands holding the reins.

    Long black hair peeking out of the pulled-up cloak suggested they were a woman. Their presence felt strong, but didn¡¯t pull my eyes to them like everyone else''s. It was muted, or murky.

    The second rider felt the same as Jaqalin. He had his hood down and his brown hair flopping about in the wind.

    He didn''t have the same armour as the woman, but still had his hands bare.

    Both of the large animals didn¡¯t show a shred of the weariness I felt radiating off them. It had been a long journey and the one with white socks was miffed about the rain yesterday turning the ground into mud. I almost started laughing when the brown one whinnied and told her she was being a vein foal.

    I didn¡¯t because I was too shocked that the feelings almost sounded like actual words in my head. Not as solid as the treant, but more than anything else I had encountered. Neither rider nor animal, gave me so much as a look as their powerful legs took them down the path. I wanted to interact with them, yet didn''t because I had a feeling those two were connected to the duke''s representative.

    Now that they had arrived I needed to get to the cottage, get everything I wanted, get rid of everything that made it seem like I lived there, and get out before the mayor informed them where it was.

    I quickened my pace to the gate.

    People outside sat in groups, no one seemed to be trying to organise a game. Jacob or Greyson would have, but were at the gathering and no one else had stepped up. I didn¡¯t pay them much attention as I walked down the path then off it, to head into the forest.

    Mud squelched as my boots sunk in. My pants were some of Trissa¡¯s sister¡¯s which had recently been altered, they sat high enough not to get muddy. It had started to drizzle again though most of the mud was leftover from yesterday. Pilim had not been impressed with the state Trissa and I had been in after Greyson had decided it would be fun to throw clumps of mud at each other.

    We had tried to avoid it, but a few stray throws managed to hit us.

    No one had mentioned me having a presence like those with mana, and I hadn''t used magic in front of anyone. I didn''t want to start because of a bit of mud.

    The clouds were sparse enough to let some light through. However, the rays shining through the trees from my clearing were not from the sun.

    There were three sets of mana moving about ahead. I crouched down behind some of the leaves I''d helped grow back that were as big as I, and peered into the clearing.

    Two orbs of light floated above the clearing. My vision was stuck on the second storey of the cottage.

    The invisibility was gone.

    A large sheet of cloth that water ran off of in droplets lay spread out on the floor near the cottage. A circle of heat haze floated above it and blocked the light rain from falling directly onto most of it. A young man in the same type of cloak and uncovered hands as the two riders moved across the cloth carrying the alchemy set from the cottage.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Daral? What was that? Did you break it?¡± a female voice asked from inside.

    ¡°Fuck off, Alisa.¡± Daral picked up the large beaker that had knocked into a condensing tube.

    ¡°Stop messing around and come help me with this chest, this thing is fucking nasty. Maybe we should wait for Annalise?¡±

    ¡°She gave us this task knowing what was on it, so I think she expects us to do it ourselves,¡± Daral said as he trudged back over to the cottage.

    Something gripped my heart with both hands and squeezed down on it.

    They had the chest. They could get the doll.

    What would they do with it? Burn it? Leave it to the elements? Dissect it¡­

    I felt sick. Mother had only ever held it above the fire to get me to cooperate when I was being especially horrid.

    These people wouldn¡¯t know what it was. They wouldn¡¯t know that whatever happened to the doll, I would feel.

    The money came to mind for a second, but it didn¡¯t matter compared to getting that doll from them before they took it too far away from me or damaged it. I had only tested the first hint of pain from exceeding its distance allowance and didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen if they rode away with it.

    A loud set of snapping sounds made me jump. Muffled curses and grumbling were followed by Daral and Alisa waddling out of the door, holding the heavy chest between them.

    ¡°I despise whoever made this thing,¡± Alisa said. She was in identical clothing to the others and had her long blonde hair neatly tied back.

    ¡°I think that was the point. Did you find the key? Otherwise, this is going to be shitty to try open without spells.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and the blasted thing is cursed to Andraka and back.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we try a dispel?¡±

    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t try that? Iron will make it take all night.¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why Annalise left to see the Mayor, leaving us to do all the work.¡±

    ¡°Kinda what we signed up for being knight¡¯s apprentices and all.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Daral said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll start on the dispelling, you drag Barick back here.¡±

    ¡°Why do you get to stay here under the shield?¡±

    ¡°Cause all you have to do is tilt your head, smile a little and he¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡±

    ¡°Awe, I¡¯m sure if he also liked men he¡¯d do the same to you,¡± she said and patted Daral¡¯s shoulder before leaving.

    Daral made a mocking high-pitched whine as she left before kneeling next to the chest.

    Mana moved from his chest and down his arm to gather near his bare palm. Like with the farmer who was making it rain above the crops it gathered and shot out towards the chest. The mana disappeared into the iron lock.

    Daral waited, and I waited, but nothing happened. He repeated the same process a few more times without any effect. I scolded myself for wasting time. Daral was looking somewhat in my direction, so I slowly went around the clearing. I checked the other two were still not close before running low to the ground, into the cottage.

    I tiptoed around the creaky planks of wood and saw the ladder for the first time. The rungs had faded and thinned where we stepped the most, the top few cracked in half.

    There was a small crack in the wall that I leaned and shifted myself to see out of. Daral was still throwing mana at the lock.

    I climbed up and struggled to pull myself up the last bit where the rungs couldn''t support me.

    The key wasn¡¯t where I left it on the edge of the desk. I got on my hands and knees to search through books that had fallen off of a broken shelf. They were some of the cursed ones, so I doubted they had sifted through them. My hand brushed against cold iron.

    I grabbed the key and was back into the surrounding brush before Daral completed another spell.

    ¡°Alisa! I¡¯m almost out of mana! Get your butt over here,¡± Daral shouted over his shoulder. I couldn¡¯t tell if the other two were moving closer until they were already in the clearing on the other side.

    With Alisa was another man with pale skin, he didn¡¯t wear the cloak the others did or the steel armour pieces, except for a large piece on his shoulder. Strapped to his back was what I assumed a sword looked like. One of his hands had dull and rough iron pieces plating his hands and fingers while the other was bare like the others.

    ¡°Really Daral? Brute force on curses laid in iron? How did you pass third year?¡±

    ¡°By kicking everyone¡¯s ass on the ladder. Are you going to help, Barick?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I can lend you my expertise. I know I spoke against brute force, but have we tried breaking the lock?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Alisa raised her hand. ¡°It hit back, wouldn¡¯t recommend.¡±

    ¡°Well let¡¯s see what we¡¯re dealing with,¡± Barick said and knelt in Daral¡¯s place. He used his iron covered hand to carefully poke the lock. He flinched back.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s nasty, almost broke the enchantment on my glove.¡±

    Barick repeated what Daral had done and brought mana to his palm, but he held it for longer while moving it about in a knot.

    It launched at the lock and sank in, but didn¡¯t vanish like Daral¡¯s. A wave of hatred washed over me and for a second I was looking down at my younger self with my head hung low.

    ¡°I fucking hate witches man,¡± Daral said with a shake of his body. ¡°I weakened that for you, you know.¡±

    ¡°Your waste of effort is appreciated,¡± Alisa said and gestured at the man¡¯s back. ¡°Well go ahead and hit it, Barick.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m going to chip Katarina on some rusty piece of iron? I¡¯d never get a repair spell to work the same again. Nah, let''s go de-curse that key you found.¡±

    ¡°Daral knows where it is,¡± Alisa said. It earned her an unamused look from him. He led Barick back to the cottage anyway.

    My heart was still pounding in my chest as I watched two of them go back inside. Alisa stayed on the cloth and looked through the alchemy set. I was worried I wouldn¡¯t get another chance. Worried about all the painful things that could befall that doll.

    I stepped out of the brush as the two men climbed up the ladder with much less grace than me. Alisa had her back mostly turned to me.

    I took slow, careful steps. The mud wasn¡¯t as bad in the lush clearing I had created. I thanked my past self.

    I was on the mat, next to the chest, key in hand. Alisa hummed and I froze but carried on when she did nothing else. The key slid slowly into the lock, careful not to hit the edges. All the experience I had opening the chest went into placing it correctly and slowly turning.

    The lock clicked.

    I looked back and met Alisa¡¯s bright green eyes. She was confused, yet still reaching for something under her cloak and raising her other hand to me. In panic I flung out my own hand and a solid gust of wind made her stumble off the cloth and fall into the mud.

    I stared, stunned for a moment before she shouted for help. The chest¡¯s lid was flung open. I lifted up the doll without touching it and tried to move quickly back into the brush. Running straight back to the town seemed like a bad idea, the stream wasn¡¯t far enough away, so I started to curve around to head towards the treants.

    Maybe I could leave it there. Lock it away forever.

    I turned, feeling the mana behind me. I expected to see a person. Instead, a ball of flame flew over my head to splash against a tree in front of me. Embers danced and sizzled off of the wet grass.

    ¡°In the name of Duke Riker stop, that property has been seized and this is theft.¡±

    It was one of the men shouting. I carried on running.

    I was gaining more and more speed as I got comfortable holding up the doll with air. Someone was still gaining on me, I could hear them trampling through the foliage behind me.

    As the mana got close I turned to see Daral jump over a bush. I strained my arm to scoop up more dirt than I had when trying to put out the fire. The ground before his landing lifted up and turned over to smash into him. A heat haze like the circle keeping out the rain appeared in front of him. The dirt still pushed both it, and him, to the ground.

    Using each arm to use different magics at the same time left me dizzy and nauseous.

    Another blast of fire curved over the plant and hit near my boot, vaporising the water around it. I winced at the searing pain on my bare shin.

    It wasn¡¯t that bad, so I turned to keep running.

    I could hear the stream up ahead and couldn¡¯t keep up with where the three people were amongst all the forest inhabitants. Three horses lay or drank near the stream with saddles and packs strewn out around them. I slowed and begged any of the horses to help me. One wanted a basket of apples in exchange, another was worried his rider would be mad. and the last said it was improper for anyone but her handler to ride.

    A few deep breaths helped me convince myself I could keep running. My arms were sore from throwing around the dirt and keeping the doll afloat. The burns on my shin were red and lumpy.

    As I was looking down a haze wrapped around my waist. I could feel it both physically and with my senses as it yanked me to the side.

    I watched the doll drop out of the air while the horses neighed. I only hoped they didn¡¯t try to eat it.

    The ground where I landed was muddy and I slid towards the other end of the rope of mana. Alisa was there, moving towards me while keeping the rope taught. It hadn¡¯t got my arms, so I was able to slowly stand. She was close and I tried to fling another gust of wind at her. Her entire body shimmered as a haze formed in front of her for the air to hit. The rope around me disappeared.

    I was too panicked to pull the doll out of the mud without touching it. After the third attempt I gave up and reached for it, I could stand the pain until I could get out.

    An arm wrapped around my throat and squeezed enough for my breath to hitch. Another hand appeared, I grabbed it and brought it to my mouth. My teeth chomped down with all the strength I could muster.

    Alisa screamed at me to stop.

    When I didn¡¯t listen she let go and shoved me away. I stumbled and whirled around to throw another blast of air. It was blocked and my arms fell limply at my side.

    I was using too much magic

    Blood dripped off Alisa¡¯s finger as she approached. I expected another spell as I watched her hand for the build up of tangled mana. Her fist clenched and lashed out to strike me across the cheek.

    I had started to raise my arms to block but was too slow. The muddy forest floor came up to meet me as I crashed to the ground. Something heavy sat on my back and pressed my head into the mud.

    ¡°Stop. Fucking! Struggling,¡± Alisa screamed into my one ear not buried in dirt.

    I kicked my legs out and squirmed underneath her, but found nowhere to go. There was no plan, I just wanted to keep my mouth above the mud to suck in the small breath the weight on top of me allowed.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± a man asked. ¡°Put her to sleep already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Alisa shouted. ¡°The spell¡¯s not working on her.¡±

    ¡°Move.¡±

    Alisa pushed off me and the weight vanished, I sat up with my arm still wrist deep in the mud. As I took my first real breath of air in forever the gleaming flat side of a blade swung into my head.

 Chapter 10

    Frigid water splashed over me and I jolted awake. I winced as my arms failed to move, something restricting them behind my back. My breath came out in gasps as the water dripped down my back and hair, pooling around me.

    My legs were splayed out in front of me on top of the waterproof cloth. I started shivering as the three people around me glared down. Barick was holding the doll in his iron glove. Alisa had a hand open towards me and Daral sat in the back, still covered in mud.

    ¡°Awake?¡± Barick asked.

    My head still spun from the sword impact. I struggled to pull my arms forward, but the binding was too tight.

    Barick squatted down in my line of sight and held out the doll. ¡°This seems important to you, I can¡¯t tell what curse it is, but¡±¡ªhe put the doll up to my face¡ª¡°there''s an uncanny resemblance.¡±

    ¡°If you answer our questions, we¡¯ll think about giving it back to you,¡± Alisa said.

    Everything was wrong. I was supposed to be back at Trissa¡¯s house. Not here.

    ¡°But before that, we must inform you that you are under arrest for theft of confiscated property and initiating harm on a knight¡­apprentice,¡± Daral said. The other two looked at him, but he shrugged and held his hands up. ¡°Them''s the rules. Even for witches.¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡± Barick asked, turning back to me.

    I wet my lips and regretted it after tasting blood and dirt. My head was pounding and words slipped away from me. ¡°Please¡­please don¡¯t damage it.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want that to happen you¡¯re going to have to cooperate. Alisa over there saw you holding the key, The curses don''t affect you?¡±

    I nodded meekly.

    ¡°Can you handle the book? Read the language they¡¯re in?¡±

    Another nod.

    ¡°Alisa, bring her bindings to the front.¡±

    ¡°I swear if you try bite me again I¡¯ll smack you.¡±

    Alisa loosened the binding around my wrist, but I couldn¡¯t tell if I was able to move my arms or not. When they were brought forward I and re-tied with a metallic thread I watched them move, and still couldn¡¯t feel them.

    ¡°Read this.¡±

    Barick placed a book in my hands. It was awkward to read with my wrists pushed together but I knew this book already. ¡°It¡¯s about medicinal herbs and making tinctures.¡±

    I let the book fall into my lap.

    ¡°Can you two start floating all the books down here? I¡¯ll convince her to be a bit more forthright on what we already have.¡±

    Daral grumbled while getting up from his seat. ¡°If the Captain actually told us what we were doing here this would go a lot quicker.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should go get her?¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°Do you people not understand the opportunity that¡¯s just placed itself in our grasp?¡± Barick said and stood. ¡°Annalise randomly picked us cause she was in a hurry and we happened to be there. You¡¯ve seen how she and Ian have been, this is big and if we solve it, that could mean guaranteed selection for the ducal knights after school. And all for the price of wringing out some knowledge from one nasty little witchling.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s stopping her from forgetting to mention our contribution,¡± Alisa asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like she appreciates hard work. Been running us ragged this past week to get here without a word of thanks.¡±

    ¡°...She¡¯s having a party with the Mayor, we take the information and show off the witch he missed and they¡¯ll have to include us in the report,¡± Barick said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a witch.¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯ve got no mana, so you¡¯re not a mage and only witches can use magic besides us,¡± Barick said and turned to Alisa. ¡°Are you sure she had no charms on her? She doesn¡¯t feel empty, I can¡¯t even sense her while staring right at her.¡±

    ¡°No charms, maybe a ritual. I think they would have told us in class if it was a thing inherent to witches,¡± Alisa said. ¡°Though, I also don¡¯t remember them being able to cast spells.¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t,¡± Daral said. ¡°That thing with the mud was just mana being thrown around, like a very large version of free casting.¡±

    ¡°I think it was the same with the wind,¡± Alisa said. ¡°I thought she was a mage throwing air blasts at the time.¡±

    ¡°We saw how there were two sets of everything in the hut, we should have expected another one,¡± Barick said. ¡°This was probably the start of another coven.¡±

    All three grimaced and ignored me as I mumbled that I wasn¡¯t a witch. The two went off to start gathering the other books in the cottage while Barick turned back to me.

    ¡°Are you sure this is only a medicinal book? Sounds quite benign for a witch.¡±

    I repeated that I wasn¡¯t a witch, but nodded, that really was it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to confirm that,¡± Barick said and placed the doll slowly in his other hand. When nothing happened with the curse he started to build up mana and tie it together. ¡°See, I¡¯m not too sure what lightning is going to do to this thing, who knows, might end up damaging it.¡±

    The spell was cast and I saw the miniature lightning bolts arch across the doll''s smooth skin before the pain hit.

    I screamed as my muscles locked up. Each part of the body the bolts jumped to burned harsher than anything I¡¯d suffered while cooking. I writhed on the ground before my body slumped down on the mat, my face in the pool of water splashed on me.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Barick said while leaning over me. He placed his fingers against my wrist and lifted my shirt to look at my back. ¡°You don¡¯t have any burns on you¡­you only felt the pain.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if my nod was perceptible, but he stood and paced while examining the doll.

    He came back to hold the book to my face. ¡°Is this really only a medicinal book?¡±

    I nodded. He cast the spell again and repeated the question. I nodded.

    He left to get another book. I lay in the puddle of water that had turned a murky reddish colour. The pain was gone as soon as the spell stopped. I slowly sat up.

    It was the good part of the doll¡¯s workings, no leftover pain to prevent me from doing my task.

    He dropped another book in my hands with his iron glove. This was the one from another witch about poison. I said as much without opening the book which he didn¡¯t appreciate. I read the first two pages as he held the doll up as a threat.

    Alisa and Daral came back with a bunch of floating books and asked what the scream was about. Barick explained what the doll was which intrigued Daral, but Alisa made her feelings of it being creepy very clear.

    ¡°Interrogation is allowed if the information you¡¯re trying to get is time-sensitive,¡± Barick said. There was a long back and forth on how time-sensitive the information really was since they had no idea what they were looking for. The point on how quickly they had rushed here couldn¡¯t be refuted.

    He didn¡¯t cast the shocking grasp again as I read out more and more of the books. Most they threw to the side, but a few were kept in the maybe pile.

    Next was one of Mother¡¯s personal journals she always wrote in. I refused to read it before because of what it might have said about me. I refused to read it now.

    Barick shocked me and my weak refusal crumbled.

    ¡°Name, Jagor Tylul. Request provided, potion to ward off spiders. Payment, bar of silver. Contingency, partial Vow of secrecy.¡±

    ¡°Read another one,¡± Barick asked. All three of them were now focusing on me instead of elsewhere.

    ¡°Name, Jonathan Whitikar. Request provided, healing tincture for daughter. Payment, sugar. Contingency, partial Vow of secrecy.¡±

    They made me read the whole thing with Daral occasionally writing down some of the information that involved poison or cursed objects.

    ¡°Name, Vince Riker. Request prov¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°Read that again!¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Daral said with his pencil hovering over a page.

    ¡°Request provided, recipe and healing tincture for mana poisoning. Payment,¡±¡ªthe words were weird and didn¡¯t make sense, so I said it as normally as I could¡ª¡°A seed, journals on witchcraft, various ingredients, cloaking enchantment. Contingency, Vow of secrecy, Willing acceptance of Curse of retaliation spanning anyone under his influence.¡±

    They huddled together around Daral''s writing for a long while. I was exhausted, my head drooping against my chest. The pain from the shocks wasn¡¯t there, yet I still imagined the arches of lightning jumping across my body. I touched the side of my head and winced, sticky dark red blood coated my already grubby fingers when I pulled my hand away.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°She hesitated part way through, this is what Annalise is looking for, we have to make sure,¡± Barick said.

    ¡°We already have it, let¡¯s go get her and we can head back to the duke,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the cure yet, but Ian might be able to make one. It makes sense why we brought that fussy alchemist with us now,¡± Barick said.

    ¡°Girl, what¡¯s the cure for the retaliation curse,¡± Barick asked me. I knew what it was. It was extremely simple, but impossible for anyone to obtain without Mother¡¯s approval¡ªor mine, now that she was gone. There would be no point if anyone could remove it.

    ¡°You said you¡¯d give me the doll if I helped.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not finished yet.¡±

    I thrashed about as the jolt hit me. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t¡­know about a cure. I¡¯m¡­not a witch.¡±

    It was the final thing of value I could trade. I couldn¡¯t let them have it for nothing.

    Three spells later Daral was shouting at him to stop.

    ¡°What? You¡¯ve done far worse to people in duels and this isn¡¯t even maiming her. Look at her, it¡¯s only a moment of pain. This thing probably doesn¡¯t even transfer all of it. Not everyone is top of the ladder with a guaranteed spot, Alisa and I need this, Daral. She¡¯ll be executed for being part of the coven after all of this anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yes, tell the only person here and possibly the whole duchy who can read this shit that they¡¯re going to be executed,¡± Alisa snarked.

    ¡°Does it honestly matter when we have this?¡± Barick asked with the doll held up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she knows the cure, there might not even be one. The sun is starting to set, let''s get through the gate and to Annalise before it closes. We have what she probably came all the way out here for, she¡¯ll be grateful and put in a good word with her father.¡±

    My body was limp. It was over for me. I desperately didn¡¯t want to see Trissa and her parents'' reaction to the accusation. I didn¡¯t want to see them dismiss me when I told them I wasn¡¯t.

    Mother had always made it clear never to mention witches, but the past week had shown me clearly why she said that. Something involving a coven and the capital had poisoned everyone against them, or rather us as everyone seemed to believe.

    ¡°She planned to spend the whole week here, so I think it¡¯s fine to sit on this till morning,¡± Daral said.

    ¡°Camp out in the mud all night with a witch? We don¡¯t even know if that iron is working, it¡¯s made for mages,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°Maybe the mayor is involved, these names probably all live in town, it¡¯s better to wait for the captain to come back here in the morning and plan from there.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason to catch him off guard, he might run after Annalise asks about the witch,¡± Barick said. ¡°Let''s take it to a vote. All those in favour of taking the witchling and information to her now raise a hand,¡±¡ªBarick and Alisa raised their hand¡ª¡°motion passed.¡±

    ¡°I still think we¡¯re rushing things,¡± Daral said. ¡°And since when are the knights a democracy?¡±

    They ignored his grumblings as Barick handed off the doll to Alisa who held it at arm''s length. He grabbed me around my waist and hoisted me over his shoulder. It dug into my stomach, but I didn¡¯t have the stamina to care. I huddled inside my mind and tried to block everything out.

    My hair, which had been untied at some point, curtained out most of the sights, so all I saw was the cloak on Barick¡¯s back and the ground he walked on. It fell all the way to his knees and swished back and forth and back and forth with each step.

    At some point I was laid over one of the horses with my hands and legs dangling over the side. He was annoyed I wasn¡¯t cooperating enough to sit up. My body tensed for the pain, but Alisa didn¡¯t seem to think that was worth it.

    The horse didn¡¯t like the way I smelt.

    Forest floor changed to dirt which changed to gravel and then cobble. With each change, my mind retreated further away and my chest grew tighter. I didn¡¯t want Trissa to hate me.

    Annalise Riker

    It was strange being around people who said my title of captain with reverence and respect. Papa didn¡¯t seem to understand the consequences when he gave it to me. He just wanted to spend more time with me, have someone he could trust, and who already knew the ins and outs of the palace. It also helped that I was powerful enough to fit the role¡¯s purpose.

    The others didn¡¯t care about the reasons. They saw a young graduate getting a position they coveted because of her family. I had made the mistake of trying to appease them by saying it was fine to call me Annalise. Now everyone did unless Papa was around.

    Most of the adults and youngsters at the table were mages and could sense my mana. I had a charm to conceal its true amount, but they still understood it deserved respect. The others respected my relation to the duke, but that was fine.

    The town itself was quaint and lively. People had actually stopped to talk to each other instead of shuffling and pushing past.

    I pushed around the fresh fruit on my plate. The dessert would have been expensive back in Drasda, but here in¡­Ulasa it probably got picked from the back garden and was valued as much as the seeds.

    The Mayor was all smiles except for when the issue of the witch was brought up. He shook his fist and lamented on how awful it was to find one of the ¡®vial creatures¡¯ near the town, but there was more he wasn¡¯t saying. Casting a truth spell would have been rude and illegal¡ª I wanted to anyway.

    I also wanted to be back at the witch hut we had found cloaked in the forest when we arrived, but I was stuck here with Ian and company. This was meant to be a short meeting, however, the Mayor had turned it into a whole event. Dismissing mayors who may one day become a barron we needed to vote us into staying duke wasn¡¯t a politically sound idea, so here I was.

    Papa had been fine when I left, bedridden but fine. The healers were treating the symptoms, though the cause needed to be stopped sooner rather than later. It had taken a week to realise it wasn¡¯t a normal sickness and instead a curse.

    Only witches dealt in curses. Witches that had been hunted down after the events of the Night of the Last King. One being executed right when he fell ill was too much of a coincidence.

    Despite not being able to take the train even part way since it would have taken longer to walk the rest than to ride the full distance, we had made good time.

    ¡°Is the fruit not to your taste?¡± Malisa asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly suitable, I was just concerned about the apprentices I left to camp out near the witch''s domicile.¡±

    Her smile dipped slightly but stayed plastered on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine. The mayor has seen to the witch¡¯s removal and the forest is home to nothing bigger than deer.¡±

    Cragar Hasting nodded along to that last part. I hadn¡¯t been sure why a hunter and tailor were here till I heard and recognised the last name. Hasting was a well-liked baron and her younger sister was worth getting to know for someone pursuing the title themselves.

    I was more worried about them getting cursed than any animal. I¡¯d left them to cleanse some of the items and while I didn¡¯t expect them to accomplish all of it, I did expect third years not to get themselves cursed.

    The three apprentice knights I had snagged wouldn¡¯t have been my first choice¡ªexcept for possibly Daral¡ªbut I had been in a rush. Looking back I could have planned better, brought a change of horses, more provision, more of the knights.

    Only the commander and a few captains were privy to the information Papa gave us about his dealings with this particular witch, so I was out here to gather information while they explored other options and coordinated protection.

    Ian was a good pick to drag down here despite his whining. He¡¯d been disappointed to learn the witch¡¯s body had already been burnt and scattered across a field far away from town. At least his sour mood was abated by a ¡®civilised meal.''

    The whispered gossip of the three girls sitting down and across from me was far more interesting than the conversations others tried to drag me into. Oh, I could talk about trade routes, tariffs, taxes, and exchange rates all day, but it didn¡¯t mean I wanted to.

    I had a noninvasive spell active to float the words from them to my ear. There were a few trained images like the mayor, his mother, and the Iraya family, but unless they were watching for it the minuscule amount of mana to tie together the spell should have gone unnoticed.

    The two boys at the table with untapped mana couldn¡¯t seem to make up their minds if they were admiring or glaring at the girls. I had to hide my smile behind a napkin when the story of each of the boys being bested by them and another girl was whispered amongst the three.

    There was a small commotion coming from the open balcony door and I cancelled the spying spell to prepare a shield in case of an attack. Horse¡¯s hooves clip-clopped across cobblestone and into the courtyard. I had a sinking feeling one of my apprentices would need saving from some creature¡ªagain. They seemed to baby the students more and more every year, though some of the veterans also said that about my year.

    I controlled my breathing and heart rate as I waited for the reason why all three of them were now in the courtyard. The others hadn¡¯t seemed to notice. It was annoying, and sometimes painful, to push and hold mana in my eardrums to enhance my hearing, but it was worth it.

    Barick and a member of the town''s watch came through a door opened by one of the two house servants. I had expected a worried or anxious expression, but he was in surprisingly high spirits.

    Everyone watched him drag mud across the wooden floor as he walked up to me near the head of the table. He stopped, almost forgot to salute and ended up handing me a paper and holding his other palm to his chest at the same time.

    I unfolded the paper with mud splatter and water droplets on it.

    I read it and read it again.

    ¡°You got this from the hut?¡± I asked, surprised but impressed.

    ¡°Somewhat, the witchling we captured helped translate it for us,¡± Barick said with a proud look he directed to the mayor. ¡°Turns out you missed one.¡±

    You didn¡¯t capture witches, even witchlings that easily. The reason it happened here, according to the mayor, was because she was comfortable here and wasn''t expecting it. They had thought the woman simply liked living in the forest until word from the local baron came through¡ªutter horse shit.

    ¡°Sorry everyone, I need to head back to the forest to handle this,¡± I said and stood up.

    ¡°No need, we brought her here, maybe the mayor could help identify her?¡± Barick said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be necessary,¡± I said

    I ground my teeth together, how could it possibly help us to include a civilian in this mess? I hated that he and the other apprentices already knew the real reason we were here. But as knight aspirants, they¡¯d keep it secret. The mayor could be another story.

    So many people thought it was okay to tell just one person. The problem was, everyone thought that way.

    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to come along and see what the young man has caught in my town,¡± William Grath said.

    It was polite but I didn¡¯t like the use of ¡®my town.¡¯ This was still a part of the duchy and under knights'' jurisdiction. I nodded anyway, better to not raise tension at this point. I was going to hit Barick with a spell the second he thought about mentioning anything related to the duke.

    My anxiety increased as we went down the stairs, but I worked hard to keep my face impassive and heart rate steady.

    I wanted to ring Barick¡¯s neck and choke the answers I wanted out of him. The mayor, and my last shred of self-control, was the only thing stopping me. I was going to have him on latrine duty for the next ten years unless this managed to cure Papa, then I might have thought about reducing it till he graduates.

    Outside the double doors to the courtyard were the other two apprentices with Alisa holding a weird doll. The horses had walked to the flowerbeds with Daral and a second officer of the watch had their crossbow loaded and pointed at a corpse.

    The body of a small girl was face down in the wet grass, her long black hair covered in mud and spread out over her face. Ambient mana had already seeped into the corpse and hid the body, that was supposed to be vacant of mana, from my senses.

    My heart dropped and I looked to Barick for some kind of explanation beyond them being suspected of witchcraft. That feeling worsened when I thought of this person being the only one who could have helped Papa.

    I was too distracted to realise the mages in the dining room had been moving onto the balcony, which probably meant everyone was on the balcony.

    ¡°Valeria?! What did you do¡ª¡±

    The screams of one of the girls rang out from the balcony before being muffled.

    The corpse twitched and curled in on itself.

 Chapter 11

    Annalise Riker

    The mayor, Barick, the watch member who escorted him, and I stepped down and into the courtyard.

    ¡°She¡¯s not dead,¡± I said and Barick nodded.

    ¡°We think it¡¯s some kind of charm, like yours.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think that was possible. I was already wearing the latest and best iteration of the enchanted pendant, it was based on something elves could do naturally. but even they couldn¡¯t conceal themselves from other mages that well. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible to give someone the appearance of having mana all over their body like that.

    A single source could be faked, but what she had, could not.

    ¡°I knew there were no orphans in Ulasa,¡± Mayor Grath said with a shake of his head.

    There were so many questions and clarifications I wanted to make, but his comment drew my attention for the moment.

    ¡°You know the girl?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s been staying with the Hasting¡¯s for the past week, my partner told me about the ¡®orphan¡¯ they took in and I tried to tell them there were no orphans in my town. They didn¡¯t listen. I should have been more adamant on determining her background and avoided all of this mess.¡±

    None of this made sense to me. I turned back to Barick, hoping he hadn¡¯t brutalised a damn orphan taken in by a family related to a baron. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°She attacked Alisa and tried to steal that doll. It was in the chest that we found on the second floor,¡± Barick said. ¡°She then attacked Daral and bit Alisa¡¯s hand, you can see it from here.¡±

    I looked to confirm Alisa¡¯s empty hand was bloody then at Daral who was still with the horses, looking like he didn¡¯t want to be in this situation. ¡°And, why do you think she¡¯s a witch?¡±

    The girl¡ªValeria¡ªwas curled up, her body shaking. ¡°I¡¯m not a witch.¡±

    Her weak voice carried across the quiet courtyard. Valeria got one foot under her and wobbled to her feet. I was already feeling sick to my stomach, I couldn¡¯t properly rationalise everything. but I was starting to think things had gone to shit.

    I noticed the angry red marks across her ankle first and the singed hem of her pants. The people on the balcony gasped as they probably saw the same gash across her temple. Half her face had bloody streaks while her front was stained with blood I hadn¡¯t seen when she was on the ground.

    Mana shifted around her for a moment and the mud fell completely off her but left the blood. I knew my apprentices had seriously messed up. And, as their captain that meant I had seriously messed up.

    Witches did not use mana¡ªnot directly.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Barick shouted at her. ¡°Alisa, use the doll.¡±

    He approached Valeria as Alisa looked at me. I had no idea what that meant, but I was already shaking my head, marching after Barick before he did anything else.

    ¡°Get away from me.¡± Another, larger, mana fluctuation accompanied Valeria¡¯s scream.

    Barick went tumbling across the cobble, his armoured shoulder making a horrible screeching sound as he slid to a stop. A crossbow twanged and I was already throwing the shield spell I had prepared at the girl.

    Valeria lifted her arm and a cobblestone leapt out of the ground to follow it. My shield had reached her in time but was unneeded. The arrow smacked into the raised stone.

    My mind blacked out the next moment. The hair on the back of my neck and up my arms stood on end at the same time as a shiver travelled up my spine. Valeria was screaming and writhing on the ground.

    My mind was horrified by what it came up with to match the cause of the ear-piercing shriek.

    A light drew my attention and I saw an equally horrified look on Alisa as she set the doll aflame. The last piece of this annoying, shitty puzzle fell into place.

    The shield that I had placed on Valeria wasn¡¯t helping, so I dropped the spell and channelled all the mana my voice could handle and shouted. ¡°Stop! Fucking stop!¡±

    The flames died and Valeria fell silent. I was already walking over to check on her, mana still coursing through my throat. ¡°She¡¯s a mage you damn idiots. She¡¯s a fucking mage.¡±

    My etiquette teacher would have skinned me alive for that language in this company, but there was no other feasible way for me to express how utterly¡­bad the situation was. I placed two fingers on the girl''s neck and felt a racing heartbeat. She was staring blankly up at the evening sky with tears falling down the side of her face.

    The courtyard was deathly quiet, so I let go of the mana I had been diverting. ¡°The next person to do anything,¡±¡ªI pointed at Alisa in particular¡ª¡°I will drop you.¡±

    I took a few calming breaths to help me think. ¡°You said she attacked you for that doll. How?¡±

    No one answered me and I was about to lose it and start screaming before Daral spoke up. ¡°Just like she did with Barick.¡±

    I took another deep breath to cool my anger, at them, at myself for the decisions that let this all happen. ¡°So¡­you knew the girl used mana. It sounds like you knew the item she was trying to get back was a tool to hurt her and not once did you stop to consider she was a victim in all this?¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t sense her, we thought she was using a charm like the witch had been,¡± Barick said from where he had been thrown.

    ¡°She was free casting with an ability to suppress her mana? Does that not sound like elven magic rather than a witch?¡± Neither her casting nor whatever was going on with her mana was elven, but my comparison still stood, a witch coaxed surrounding mana using conduits like malice, there was nothing they could do to imitate a mage''s immediate control.

    Barick looked appropriately ashen at the prospect. Alisa had placed the doll down, and Daral still tended to the horses.

    I didn¡¯t think she was at all elven apart from maybe a distant relation, but the mere thought of the diplomatic incident this could cause gave me a headache. The collection of elven leaders had only recently normalised relations between us as the only duchy in Werl to border their forest.

    I had been expecting people to try to speak up, but not the Hasting girl who had tears in her eyes. ¡°Val¡ªValeria hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. She¡¯s not a witch.¡±

    ¡°No, she¡¯s not.¡± I bent down to pick up Valeria and my heart broke when I held her limp body. Her eyes were at least closed and her breathing had slowed.

    I felt truly evil as I worried about how much of this event would get out to the public. There was no local paper, though it might not take long for ones in the city to pick up on an incident involving an accused witch and the duke¡¯s daughter. The influential people up on the balcony might keep their mouths shut, but the entire watch might know by tomorrow.

    Valeria¡¯s physical injuries would be overlooked as something a healer would take a few seconds to fix. Still, the wrongful accusation might spark memories of the witch hunts after the capital massacre. I wasn¡¯t happy about it, and other women without a duke to shield them would be furious at the prospect.

    Grandmothers probably still told tales of those times.

    Papa¡¯s position wasn¡¯t at risk as long as he controlled the entrance to Equitier, but public outrage was something to be avoided.

    Laws to protect women from witch accusations had lost support after the event as they were labelled sympathisers and if they weren¡¯t witches they had nothing to worry about. With it being almost three generations ago the raw feelings of fear and anger against witches had lessened. My generation knew about the event though only through history classes. There were no witches left in Werl, is what people had thought.

    An execution of one and a wrongful accusation may cause those feelings to resurface.

    ¡°Barick.¡±

    ¡°Yes, captain.¡±

    ¡°That paper you gave me, were there other names?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. An entire book full, we had only got through a fourth maybe.¡±

    It was nice of him to suddenly sound respectful.

    I turned to eye the people on the balcony, the two members of the watch, one with an empty crossbow and finally the mayor. ¡°I think it would be best to close this matter. It would be a lot of wasted resources to open a full and thorough investigation into all the names in that book. The witch is dead and a kidnapping victim is recovered. We can leave it at that, right William?¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    He nodded without any of the energetic mannerisms he¡¯d been using all night. A lot of the balcony looked guilty, except for the Hastings who were worried as they stared at the girl in my arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it that any rumours that suggest otherwise be squashed,¡± he added.

    ¡°Ian?¡±

    A head of brown hair popped over the railing of the balcony.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Grab my things, Daral ready Ian and I¡¯s horses. They¡¯re in the stable over there.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Barick had slowly walked over to me. ¡°Captain¡­we acted completely within the law, we had ample evidence to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Barick. You do not want to start this conversation while I¡¯m holding her,¡± I said and adjusted Valeria¡¯s head so it didn¡¯t hang off my arm. ¡°Why does she have a head wound and scorch marks on her ankle? She looks thirteen and weighs as much as a newborn foal. That casting could hardly give the three of you that much trouble.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we were trying to kill her, ma''am. None of our spells worked, we mainly know mage targeting spells and they failed, Alisa also tried to put her to sleep and nothing happened. She¡¯d just half buried Daral and we thought we were fighting something far more dangerous than it looked.¡±

    That explained the muddy clothes on the boy.

    I wanted to fault him for everything, but from what I knew so far it seemed to be an all around messy encounter. Alisa walked close as well, looking guilty. I was glad because I would never get that scream out of my head.

    She started undoing the bindings on Valeria. ¡°They don¡¯t work, so there''s no point keeping them on.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they work if she¡¯s a mage? We didn¡¯t expect them to and only used them since we had nothing else, but still,¡± Barick said and I didn¡¯t know the answer. From what I could tell the mana originated from her hands and completely ignored the binding meant to block the flow from her mana reserves.

    Daral came into the courtyard holding the reins of Missy and Potato. I¡¯m sure the Mayor wouldn¡¯t have appreciated us scuffing up his nice courtyard. Lucky for him I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

    Let everyone forget about the whole affair.

    Ian came over with the few satchels we had unpacked and attached them to the horses. He scooped up the doll after everyone else hesitated to grab it. ¡°Well, mount up. We''re heading back to the hut.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a hut¡­¡± A voice mumbled near my shoulder.

    ¡°Ah¡­yes.¡± I was in the middle of reducing my weight enough to jump up gently onto Missy, so I did not respond. The tangle of mana in my hand got hastily changed as I remembered to account for Valeria¡¯s weight.

    The stirrups on the far side of Missy caught my foot before I could slide off the saddle¡ªlittle miss-calculation. Valeria cooperated as I shifted her to sit in front of me and I noted the spell wasn''t affecting her. Alisa and Daral pulled off the spell just as taught and without any weird adjustments needed. Barick hefted himself up while Ian talked Potato into kneeling down for him.

    My senses were enough to feel Valeria¡¯s heartbeat through my thin travelling clothes. I¡¯d taken off and shrunk down my armour after learning about the dinner plans.

    Just to test, I tried to initiate a truth spell and felt the strand of mana meant for targeting slip off her. I wouldn¡¯t have let it fully form. Truth spells were unreliable at best since all it did was count heartbeats and a few other medical indicators meant to expose lies.

    ¡°Do you remember where you lived before the¡­not a hut?¡±

    Valeria shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve always lived at the cottage.¡±

    ¡°And the witch forced you to stay with the doll?¡±

    She shivered against me. ¡°I can¡¯t get far away from it.¡±

    ¡°What did you do for the witch?¡±

    We swayed with the horse''s slow trot down a long street before she answered. ¡°She was training me to be a witch, but got angry when I started using mana, I was doing all the chores and other¡­stuff after that.¡±

    A witch kidnaps a baby and trains them for years. Only to find out they¡¯re one of the one in seven people capable of retaining and using mana.

    ¡°Who taught you to free cast like that?¡± She tilted her head and looked up at me with amber eyes, a confused expression on her face. ¡°What you used to clean the dirt off you and fling Barick.¡±

    ¡°Oh, magic? The forest taught me."

    There was a classic elven folk tale about their first mage learning magic from forest creatures. No one had been cruel, or stupid enough, to try to replicate the feat in modern times when it was easier and more effective to use spells refined over decades.

    Almost every child experienced spells before finding out they knew if they could use mana or not. Puberty was the only time it became clear if they could ever interact with it and by then we had already been told what to do with it if we did.

    I asked more questions but she didn¡¯t know why her mana was weird. A treant had told her she was ''porous,'' though I didn''t understand what that meant.

    The fact there was a fully grown, and probably ancient, treant in this forest was interesting news and explained why it was so peaceful, the thing had probably slaughtered every predator ages ago. Treants were very particular about having enough herbivores to eat up plants so they could replace them.

    Daral rode up alongside me as we exited the town¡¯s gates. They had closed for the night but the officers opened them once they saw who we were. ¡°So, I¡¯m assuming she¡¯s not under arrest anymore?¡±

    ¡°I half expected you three to not have bothered with any legal procedure.¡±

    ¡°We followed procedure," Alisa said. ¡°She attacked us and stole, we subdued her with appropriate force. When we realised she could read the books without the curses bothering her we decided that since you rushed us here the matter was time-sensitive and took steps to secure the information we provided to you.¡±

    ¡°Is that a lot of technical jargon to say you used the doll?¡± I asked, already putting together the story.

    ¡°Barick did,¡± Alisa said, and the boy in question kept his eyes forward.

    I didn¡¯t want to ask what they did to Valeria in front of her so I turned to other matters that might make her have a little less hatred towards us.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you talk to them instead of resorting to theft?¡± I asked the girl leaning into me.

    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t think of that. I panicked. They weren¡¯t supposed to even know it was gone, it¡¯s not even valuable to anyone,¡± she said. ¡°Would they have given me it if I asked?¡±

    I looked at Daral who shook his head like I was crazy for even asking. ¡°Things would have probably played out the same way, maybe with less heightened emotions from us and no head gash for the girl. After we found out she could read their language we were fully convinced she was a witch.¡±

    There were only a handful of people in the duchy who could fluently read it and they were almost all in Equitier. so it wasn¡¯t the most unearned assumption.

    ¡°Well if you were listening she was being trained as one,¡± I said. ¡°She is no longer under arrest and she never was.¡± I said that last part to the three of them, and Ian if he was listening while examining the doll. ¡°Like I said to the mayor¡ªwho hopefully understands it''s in his best interest to keep this quiet¡ªthis never happened.¡±

    I expected Valaeria to object and I had half a dozen diplomatic lines ready to go.

    They¡¯ll receive ample punishment for what they did to you, don¡¯t worry.

    It¡¯s in your best interest not to make this official since you technically did help a witch.

    We don¡¯t want people to even have the idea that you could be a witch.

    But, she stayed quiet. It made me feel worse.

    I unfolded the piece of paper and read over Papa¡¯s name again. I held it out for Valeria to see. ¡°This is why we''re here, that¡¯s my father¡¯s name. Can you tell us anything about this retaliation curse? It seems it was activated because the baron ordered an execution of your captor.¡±

    Valeria glanced over at the doll. ¡°I promise you can have the doll back even if you don¡¯t answer the question.¡±

    ¡°Have it back?¡± Ian said the first sentence he¡¯d said the whole ride. ¡°This is fascinating, traditionally spellcraft and enchanting could never accomplish this. We should take it back and study it.¡±

    ¡°And it shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± I said and used a recall spell to pull the doll towards me.

    Valeria almost jumped off the horse to get away.

    ¡°She can¡¯t touch it,¡± Alisa said.

    I held out the doll at arm''s length. ¡°That makes sense I guess. Daral hold onto this please.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Valeria said. My spell that was still attached to the doll faded away as I felt the air around my wrist grab onto it. I let go and the doll stayed in place, following us. The girl had her palm out as if she was physically carrying the doll floating a few yards away. I couldn¡¯t feel the subtle use of mana at all, just that more than usual was gathering around the doll.

    A trained human mage could float an acorn while free casting for a few minutes. An elf could probably replicate what she was doing for the same time, but Valeria held the doll aloft the whole way back to the tarp set up by the cottage.

    The shield enchantment attached to it had kept the books haphazardly strewn about the trap safe from the earlier rain. I wanted to chastise them for leaving potentially valuable information to the elements. There were hardly any texts written by actual witches in our libraries. On second thought that was probably on purpose, but they could still help specific researchers in private.

    I picked up Valeria and helped her to the ground.

    Ian and I followed while the apprentices took the horses back to the stream.

    Valeria emptied out the remaining stuff from the chest. Pocketed an electrum coin, stuffed the doll inside and locked it again with a key that radiated malice. She seemed to visibly relax and sat to inspect the burn on her ankle.

    ¡°Ian, help her out with that, I¡¯ll start mending the gash.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t the best at healing. I knew the basics of small wounds and setting broken bones, but anything else was beyond me.

    Ian started rifling through a satchel and pulled out a potion. He approached Valeria who looked at it sceptically but didn¡¯t budge as Ian had her hold her leg out away from the tarp.

    I separated a portion of mana from my reserves and pushed it down my arm and out onto my palm in a thread. I began to tie a spell how I wanted. Imagining what I needed to accomplish and how.

    The spell failed. I tried again to the same result as the truth spell.

    I Tried again, modifying the spell to exclude the targeting portion that made it mana-efficient.

    The cut visibly closed over while Valeria scrunched up her face. What I was doing wasn¡¯t painful since pain relief was built into the spell, but Ian might have been the cause of that.

    After we both stepped away a puddle of water floated up and cleaned off the dried blood on her face and stuck in her hair. The clothes were stained until she could get to some strong soap.

    I sat down on the tarp next to her. While I felt bad for the situation she had just been through, I needed to get more specific information and her extended cooperation.

    ¡°So, are you the one who hit that boy with the seed pod?¡±

    The briefest hint of a smile flashed across her face.

 Chapter 12

    I rubbed my finger over the smooth skin that had been an open wound a while ago. Trying to think of how she accomplished it didn¡¯t distract me well enough from wanting to drag my ankle across the roughest surface I could find.

    The potions Ian had poured over my burn had caused it to itch far worse than sting¡ªas it should have.

    ¡°Whoever made this didn¡¯t use enough honey,¡± I said while using all my self-control to keep my leg still. ¡°It¡¯s not viscous enough and¡±¡ªI leaned in and sniffed¡ª¡°why does it smell like flowers?¡±

    Ian looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he wound a roll of fabric around the area. ¡°I followed the recipe perfectly and there''s perfume in it to hide the smell of aloe vera.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s dumb.¡±

    ¡°Well, deal with it. It''s all I packed and I¡¯m not using this shoddy equipment to make you a custom order. You wouldn¡¯t be able to afford my rates anyway.¡±

    ¡°What about the spell that fixed this?¡± I said and pointed at my forehead.

    He looked at me like I was asking a strange question. ¡°There are no spells to heal burns.¡±

    ¡°Huh. I can finish that if you want to talk with all of them,¡± I said and glanced over at the other four who were having a ¡®debriefing.¡¯ When I looked at some of their faces the seething anger I was keeping contained threatened to bubble up to the surface. I was trying to distract myself by talking with Ian, so I didn''t give in to moving the ground beneath their feet.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯m done. And much to my father¡¯s disappointment I¡¯m an alchemist, not a knight.¡±

    ¡°I thought alchemy was for witches.¡±

    There were apothecaries in the town and while Mother didn¡¯t differentiate between that and what she did, I thought only witches brewed anything other than medicinal supplies.

    ¡°As much as my colleagues would hate to admit it, witches were the pioneers of alchemy and apothecary. They even taught mages before it all went to shit.¡±

    The rest of our conversation was cut off as we looked towards Annalise shouting. ¡°Five or six times? You can¡¯t remember?¡±

    I kept my eyes on the back of her head. Looking at Barick and Alisa made me want to scream, or throw up. They were the first people since my freedom who had made me feel tiny and meek. Daral I could handle, out of everything I had hurt him more than he had me.

    I¡¯d thrown everything I had at Barick back at the mayor¡¯s house, but it didn¡¯t feel like enough. I was waiting for the retaliation after Annalise stopped watching him. He had looked at me the same way Mother sometimes did. The first, and only time, I had shown bitterness towards her was not an experience I wanted to live through again.

    They¡¯d ruined everything¡­or had I?

    Looking back, trying to talk to them hadn¡¯t occurred to me. I just wanted the doll and taking it seemed like my only option.

    Annalise walked back and looked quite exasperated with her three charges. Ian had moved away to scrunch his face up at the alchemy equipment. My mind was taking turns reminding me how itchy my leg was and thinking about Trissa.

    I kept reliving the blurry vision I¡¯d had of her defending me from the balcony. If that had only been a dream, I didn¡¯t want to find out.

    ¡°Valeria, I understand you were living with the Hastings before this?¡±

    ¡°I am living with them,¡± I said, defensively. ¡°I¡¯m going to say sorry and do anything they want and they''ll understand I¡¯m not a witch. They''ll let me carry on staying with them.¡±

    Annalise gave me a sad smile. ¡°They seemed like good people and I¡¯m sure they would let you, but¡­it¡¯s not a good idea. People can be fanatical about witches and it¡¯s already out that you¡¯re involved with one. It¡¯s not safe for you, or them, if you stay.¡±

    I fell back onto the tarp. ¡°Why do people hate witches that much?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking that as someone who was abducted and ripped away from your family?¡±

    Panic replaced my sorrow. That was a bad choice of words. ¡°I have reason to dislike them, they don¡¯t. Most of the stuff she made and gave out were medicinal or benign. You can read the book to check.¡±

    ¡°Well, she also placed a curse on all those people. A group of them got together and did something truly heinous with curses to a city full of people, and the king. We¡¯re still dealing with the consequences of it, so people are constantly reminded what witches are capable of and could do again. We know they did it on behalf of others, but that doesn¡¯t change much. People hate them, and will so in this case because of those curses.¡±

    Cities were supposed to be a lot bigger than the town, so I could understand why people didn¡¯t like them then. Mother wasn¡¯t the nicest person sometimes either, but I hadn¡¯t thought that was because she was a witch.

    I started thinking of a response before breathing out a sigh. I didn¡¯t want to talk to these people anymore tonight. I was tired.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s unfair, but it really is in your best interest to stay with us for now, we can also compensate you for helping out with my father,¡± Annalise said, as I stood and tested my ankle.

    ¡°Not leaving, going to sleep.¡± The apprentices were setting up a fire, but I wasn''t hungry¡ªor invited.

    I climbed up the visible ladder after being shocked by it for the second time. I fell into my hammock, keeping my boots hanging off as I untied them.

    I thought about taking the doll from the chest and away from them. They didn¡¯t need it to force me to do what they wanted and they still wanted me to give them information on the curse. So, as long as they thought being nice to me could get them better results than force, I¡¯d be fine.

    That put a scowl on my face as I curled up to sleep.

    ¡­

    My morning was ruined before I opened my eyes. With Mother, I had to be really good at waking up and getting moving without the sun to alert me. The previous week had taught me the bliss of sleeping in, on a comfortable and warm bed.

    Unwanted sunlight was supposed to be streaming into the room. Trissa should have been stumbling to the lavatory. I could be speaking with Cragar if I had worked up the courage. I wanted to be worrying about seeing everyone at school, and not if I would ever get to see them again.

    Instead, I was swaying on a hammock inside a dingy cottage.

    I knew I was being greedy, last week I had appreciated having this place to myself and the week before I had appreciated being sent to work away from it. Now, what I had felt empty compared to what Trissa had given me.

    Trissa¡¯s sister¡¯s clothes were more messed up than I had thought: singed, bloody, and torn. I changed into the set I had left behind when I had gone to dinner all that time ago.

    While I had gotten the worst of the dirt and bloody clumps off I didn¡¯t feel very clean. Ignoring my boots I climbed down the ladder and into the clearing. The morning air was still chilly and the sun hadn¡¯t managed to rise above the trees to warm the dew covered ground.

    Five small tents had been set up around the tarp. They were made up of a similar, but thinner, material with white light shining from inside two of them. My next step faltered as I noticed Barick sitting near the remnants of a firepit. The coals were still glowing and he was poking a stick into them.

    I took a winder path to avoid him. I didn¡¯t want another burnt ankle, or lightning bolt being flung at me, so I made it obvious I was moving about. His head didn¡¯t move despite the snapping sticks and I supposed I had made enough noise coming down the ladder.

    ¡°You know, as a citizen of this duchy and kingdom, it¡¯s your duty to help us save the duke,¡± he said.

    I turned to look at him. He was still poking the ashes without looking at me. The tone sounded familiar and I stared at him while I tried to think why.

    ¡°You broke the law, I don¡¯t owe you an apology for trying to do my duty as a future knight.¡±

    A chill ran up my back when I figured it out. He sounded just like the treant parent.

    Again, I was being told who I owed myself to for simply existing in their presence. The treant was wrong.

    Pilim would never have thought about treating Trissa like my mother treated me. I didn¡¯t like Jaqalin, but she wouldn¡¯t have treated Greyson with anything but care. All the other parents I had seen in town adored their children even when they screamed down the market, or mucked around in the mud.

    The treant was wrong for thinking I was rotten for not bending to the will of someone who wanted nothing but servitude from me.

    And, so was Barick.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The forest around me became just a little bit more clear. The bird song didn¡¯t make me want to scream at them to shut up. My hunched shoulders dropped. I turned on my heel to walk calmly back to the cottage, I¡¯d forgotten the soaps.

    I even remembered to uproot some of the parsnips in the garden on my way back out.

    Barick didn¡¯t bother me again as I walked past. My ankle didn¡¯t hinder me at all as I traversed the forest floor and jumped over foliage.

    I missed Trissa¡ªand not only because my hair was back to looking like a ¡®bird''s nest.¡¯ It didn¡¯t, I''d seen plenty of bird nests and they did not look alike.

    I missed her because¡­well, I wasn¡¯t sure exactly, but I knew I wanted to be around her more than anyone else.

    The horses were moseying about with perked up ears turned my way. I thought with a name like Potato he¡¯d eat anything, except he didn¡¯t care for me or my parsnips. The one that liked apples turned her nose up at their lack of sweetness, the other two didn¡¯t accept food from strangers out of cowardice and loyalty. Missy, my target, whinnied and threw her head about as she trotted over to me.

    I had washed off the muddy vegetables and gingerly held it out for her. The giant teeth bit down right before my fingertips. I held out the rest with magic for her to chomp through. She let me reach up and stroke her long neck, directing me to more important areas she wanted to be scratched.

    I was then pointed to the satchel compartment that held her brush and began combing her mane.

    While not interested in parsnips, Apple, wanted me to get her brush as well, but I moved away from them before I got myself into grooming all of them.

    I hung my clothes over a nearby branch and dipped my toes into the stream. It was freezing. I slowly moved forward till it was deep enough to submerge myself in. It took a while for me to get over the sudden chill surrounding my body before I relaxed.

    The horses unanimously agreed that the lavender in the soap smelt great.

    At the end of it, the water felt warmer than the air, so I huddled down with my nose barely above. I started to keep the same volume of water close to me to warm up even more.

    A whisper on the wind had my head turning around to see what animal it was. The words felt more structured than the usual feelings I got from even the horses. If I had to guess it felt like a formal greeting or rather an announcement of a greeting.

    I turned back to where the cottage was.

    Her mana was weird and I couldn¡¯t sense it from as far away as the others, but I still noticed Annalise approaching. I don¡¯t think she would have noticed me if the horses weren¡¯t gathered around the shore while we talked about their riders.

    Missy broke off from the group to go nuzzle her rider and complained when Annalise wouldn¡¯t lift her scratches up a hair.

    I raised my mouth above the water line. ¡°Lift your hand up slightly.¡±

    Annalise looked at me weirdly and complied. She was rewarded with a toss of the head and a whinny from Missy

    ¡°You¡¯re good with horses?¡±

    I shrugged under the water. ¡°I¡¯m good with animals.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d imagine, growing up in a forest and all.¡±

    The other horses tried their luck for attention once Missy had enough. Apple didn¡¯t even bother after I told them there were no apples.

    ¡°Mind if I join you? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a chance to use more than a cleaning spell this past week.¡±

    I shrugged again. Other people seemed to care a lot about being naked around others. I didn¡¯t like it, but wasn¡¯t overly bothered. I think not having that extra layer of comfort clothes provided concerned me more.

    Annalise went through the same shock from the chilly water and moved into the stream continuously muttering how cold it was. I wanted to be cruel and not give her the soaps, but I felt bad and pulled them off the shore for her. I¡¯d had to hide them in the tree with my clothes to make sure the horses didn¡¯t get to it.

    She was significantly taller than me with the water only coming up to her chest unless she leaned back.

    I carried on playing with the water around me until another set of mana started to approach us. I was getting used to picking them out. Annalise also watched where they were coming from and shouted when they got closer. ¡°Not another step, Daral. Alisa, you can come.¡±

    I felt them both stop and tried to guess who was who. I got it wrong as the one I chose as Alisa walked back.

    The woman appeared from behind a tree biting into a nectarine. Apple immediately went over to her and she had to keep shifting her arm around to keep it out of reach.

    That¡¯s not an apple, I thought to the excited animal who now looked disappointed.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Annalise asked.

    ¡°Nothing, she knows she can¡¯t have nectarines,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°She noticed it wasn¡¯t an apple.¡±

    Alisa looked startled. ¡°I hate not being able to sense you¡­and how did you know she likes apples?¡±

    ¡°All horses like apples,¡± Annalise said. ¡°Do you want to join us, Alisa?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­no thanks. Cleaning spells are fine for me.¡±

    I decided I¡¯d had enough, so I stood and dragged my legs through the water to get to shore. The water fell off me and into the stream as I swung my arms out towards it. The bandage around my ankle was dry again but I started to unwrap it, the skin still looked raw, but there were no blisters, so I left it off.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Ian¡¯s potions were that good,¡± Alisa said while watching me.

    ¡°They¡¯re not¡­¡± Annalise said, also getting out. She used a spell that created a torrent of warm air around us to dry off and gave me a smug smile as the hair I had just patted down flew everywhere.

    I wanted to be changing back into something more warm and fitting, yet all I had were my usual clothes. It was strange how a week of comfort had made me so ungrateful, maybe Mother wasn¡¯t all wrong.

    Alisa was busy tending to Apple and I made to go back to the cottage when Annalise held my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad your ankle looks better. Does it still hurt?¡±

    ¡°Feels a bit weird, but no it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I said it doesn¡¯t hurt."

    ¡°Okay¡­what can you tell me about the curses that were placed on my father?¡±

    I wanted to be bitter and tell her I didn¡¯t care about her father, but I did care because I knew what kind of pain it caused. ¡°Is what you said last night true? Is Trissa and her family better off without me there?¡±

    ¡°I¡­did not mean it like that, more so you¡¯re better off not being in that town. Most people won¡¯t care, but there will be a few who would make your life difficult at the least.¡±

    ¡°Why? You said I couldn¡¯t be a witch and they heard you.¡±

    Annalise hemmed and hawed a bit before answering. ¡°The apprentices, those three not Ian, have had a formal education that includes identifying witchcraft and they still¡­uh¡­messed up. The average person doesn¡¯t have that and once someone tells them you were even accused of being a witch, their fear won¡¯t let them go back. Especially if other people around them also believe it. Most people will simply ignore you and shun you, but there have been cases in the past where individuals feel it¡¯s their duty to act and kill potential witches.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯ll also make Trissa¡¯s life difficult since I¡¯m staying with them.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, yes.¡±

    I worked through her argument. I already knew I was a burden to them from what Jaqalin had said about me. Her family was already being picked on for housing an orphan, and an orphan that everyone thought had helped a witch would be far worse.

    ¡°The curse isn¡¯t fatal for a long time,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I assume your father has random bouts of intense pain near his stomach and chest? Sometimes faints or gets really dizzy?¡±

    Annalise nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s right, the healers thought it was poison, but it kept getting worse no matter the spell and cure. Healing made the pain go away, yet it kept coming back. They only started thinking it could be a curse when the news of the witch came over the telegram from Barron Graham¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what most of that meant so I carried on with what I wanted to say. ¡°The curse is supposed to make someone regret, not kill them. I know someone can go at least twenty-seven days under its effects, even without all this healing he has.¡±

    ¡°That''s good¡­that¡¯s good to hear. We have time then. Is there a cure?¡±

    I hesitated. There would be no point in sharing the information and giving her hope without revealing I was the witch¡¯s daughter and making myself a target for them. ¡°Since the curse was taken on willingly the cure also has to be provided willingly. Blood of the person who cursed them.¡±

    Annalise¡¯s hope visibly rose and crashed at my words. ¡°Their ashes are already spread across some field...even if they were alive I doubt they would have handed it over willingly.¡±

    ¡°Was the witch executed traditionally and where?¡± she asked after a while.

    ¡°With an axe, I think?¡±

    ¡°If there was still blood on the axe or floor could that work? How important is the ''willing'' portion of the cure?¡±

    Mother had said it needed to be willingly given and I didn¡¯t think there was much reason to lie to me. I had an idea of how it worked but wasn''t completely sure.

    She¡¯d pushed me out of the cottage for days when I had accidentally cured myself after sucking on a cut from cooking. I had been glad her curiosity about why that had worked had outweighed her anger at me for ruining her experiment. Bile rose up my throat as I found myself still feeling bad for it.

    She concluded that I shared at least fifty percent of her blood and that was enough to satisfy the curse. Another round of experiments started after that and led to the development of the curses placed on the doll.

    ¡°Quite important¡­and wouldn''t it be cleaned?¡±

    Annalise sunk down to sit on the grass with her head in her hands. ¡°I know. I''ll send Ian out to check.¡±

    I could tell her it was okay, that I could help her. I didn¡¯t think her finding out I was the daughter of a witch would change much for my situation. Finding out I was the key to the duke¡¯s survival, her father''s survival would change everything.

    Mayors were treated very well, barons sounded like they were highly respected, or feared. I didn¡¯t want to find out what someone would do for a duke, I had already seen what Barick thought was necessary.

    I stood around for a while, not knowing where to go. Missy came back over to her rider, concerned about why she seemed upset. Annalise patted the nosey animal and got back to her feet.

    ¡°Thank you for your help despite how things started. If you¡¯d like I can get you a job at the stables of the palace, or really any position you want considering what happened. If it sounds like I¡¯m trying to buy your silence, well¡­I am. It would be better for you and us if no one finds out. I¡¯d also like you to accompany us on the way back so you can translate any journals that might be useful to our healers and provide any insight into other potential cures.¡±

    My toes dug into the wet ground while I thought. ¡°What if I say no?¡±

    ¡°I can offer you more, how much coin would it take?¡±

    ¡°If I said none?¡±

    Annalise took my hands before I could pull them away. ¡°Please¡­he¡¯s my father. You don¡¯t have to care about saving the duke, but please save my Papa.¡±

    I knew my idiotic mouth was about to agree to help, but before it could. ¡°I want ten gold coins.¡±

    ¡°Done, you can have double, triple that if we cure him.¡±

    I was starting to think I miscalculated how rich a duke was if that was an easy choice.

    The same announcement of greeting washed over me in more solid words and I was surprised when Annalise turned in the same direction as me.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any other units up here?¡±

 Chapter 13

    Alisa came back over from where she had been digging in her pack and eyed our hands. Annalise loosened her grip, and I pulled away.

    ¡°Are we going to meet them?¡± Alisa asked, then paused. ¡°That was¡­the standard ripple code for a meeting right?¡±

    ¡°I feel I should make you read the code book backwards just for asking that.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait. I know every knight code, I¡¯m just a bit behind on the standard ones since we never use them.¡±

    Annalise raised her hand and let mana collect and turn into what felt like a spinning wheel over her palm. Small waves of mana launched off it and passed through me in the time it took to blink.

    Shivers ran through my body that left me feeling a bit dizzy. I almost complied with the words in my mind, a warning to drop to the ground because of danger. Alisa did and was on her stomach in the grass after only a moment''s hesitation.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re safe for now, I won¡¯t let Madam Hanover know you need to retake her class next year.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Alisa said, dusting off her hands. ¡°She should just hurry up and retire already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass along your well wishes next time she comes over for dinner. Send out a low strength ripple to the others and tell them to pack up and regroup here.¡±

    Alisa started to mumble about dots and dashes before I felt the same mana shape as before. I was prepared for the weird feeling it caused when ripples of mana were let out. The words that came with it were a very clipped version of what Annalise had asked.

    It might have been the same as knowing what creatures felt. Something I shouldn''t have been able to understand as an outsider.

    I turned to see Annalise looking at me. This was something that had no upside to telling her, and I hoped I hadn¡¯t been too obviously affected by them. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°We were planning to leave soon, but we¡¯ll go see what this mystery unit wants before we do. Anything to pack before we leave?¡±

    What I really wanted to say was that I wasn¡¯t leaving. That I wanted to stay here. ¡°My boots, the books, and the doll.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­the doll. Alisa change of plans I¡¯m heading back with Valeria. You keep getting the horses saddled and ready.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    I trotted behind Annalise while we walked back. She looked down at my feet. ¡°How are you okay skipping through the forest without shoes? What are you going to do if a snake bites you, or you step on a thorn?¡±

    I took an extra long step to avoid said thorns. ¡°Snakes only bite if you annoy them, and I¡¯m not dumb enough to step on a plant that could hurt me.¡± Those were easy to recognise since they felt like they barred their ¡®teeth¡¯ at me compared to the other docile foliage.

    The poisonous plants and mushrooms were fascinating to try and sense. Some of the more colourful ones seemed to pull me in with promises of sweetness. I didn¡¯t like sweet things.

    ¡°Mister Harickson would love you,¡± she muttered.

    We got to the clearing amidst a flurry of activity. Tents and tarps had been folded. A fire with the vestiges of breakfast beside it was being smothered by Barick. Daral was trying to float each piece of the folded fabric in the air while Ian was inspecting the alchemy equipment.

    I watched as the floating fabric shrunk by at least five times before Daral grabbed it out of the air and stuffed it into a satchel. Ian was doing something similar to select pieces of the class equipment he was inspecting.

    I looked to Annalise to ask what was going on. She caught my eye and wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°People always find this to be our most bizarre spell. Apparently, most things are empty on the inside or something like that.¡±

    ¡°Could you shrink a person?¡±

    Annalise sucked in a deep breath and held her stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t ask, they showed us a lightgraft of the aftermath of someone trying that in class. They were already dead, thank goodness. Anything too complicated gets confused on what parts to shrink down and when better to keep it simple.¡±

    ¡°So glass and cloth are okay? What about a chest?¡±

    ¡°No chance, not even Missy could hold that much weight. The things don¡¯t actually get lighter, just smaller. Besides, that thing is made of too much iron to even try.¡±

    She gave me a small push on the back and I took that as my cue to get my stuff together: one pair of boots from the cottage, with matching socks. One cursed doll and one electrum coin.

    I searched around and thought back, there had to be more. I was wearing my clothes and underthings already. The soap and neem I used to brush my teeth was back with Alisa.

    I must have gotten too used to having more stuff when living with Trissa.

    There was one more item I needed to get. The key was still where I left it and I floated out the doll a moment later. Its amber eyes glinted in the sunlight and I tried to hide it from the view of any crows.

    ¡°Daral you¡¯re on doll duty,¡± Annalise said, still standing in the same place.

    The boy in question looked up from where he was packing the last tent. I hesitated, I could keep it afloat and didn¡¯t need to pass it off. I looked at Annalise and she nudged her head to Daral with a smile.

    I conceded and dropped the doll into his open arms, glad that it wasn¡¯t hard enough for the doll to activate and for me to have to feel his touch on my butt.

    ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t shrink it.¡±

    Daral looked horrified, then confused. ¡°Ian, shrinking the doll. What do you think would happen?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s an interesting line of study.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even start, just put it away,¡± Annalise said.

    He carefully placed it inside the larger pocket of a satchel and slung it over his shoulder. ¡°Did Alisa mess up her ripple? I thought we were meeting you there?¡±

    ¡°I came to help Valeria pack. We sensed a low mana rhythm knock at the stream,¡± Annalise said. ¡°Which means?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­someone wants to meet us?¡± Daral said.

    ¡°High strength and long-range ripple, and since we didn¡¯t sense it you were on the edge of its range,¡± Barick added. ¡°Maybe a few miles out?¡±

    ¡°Do we know if it''s military, or us?¡± Daral asked. ¡°Are we getting help?¡±

    ¡°Few miles sounds about right since we can¡¯t sense them yet,¡± Annalise said. ¡°And no idea, it was Werl standard, so could be anyone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only knight order in the duchy and the military wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare in the time we left and catch up,¡± Ian said.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to go see,¡± Annalise said. ¡°Get moving and change into full insignia. Alisa should have the horses ready when you get there.¡±

    The three of them walked past her hefting multiple bags and satchels. The small things didn¡¯t look as heavy as they made it seem, but thinking of the shrunk items made it make sense.

    ¡°Got everything?¡± Annalise asked, sceptical as she glanced over the boots in my hand.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    She slowly nodded and turned to follow after the lackeys.

    Potato was kicking up a bit of a fuss with Ian who was angrily hissing at the horse to calm down. The apprentices were all saddled and loaded up with the items from the camp, straps and latches being tightened and buckled.

    ¡°You''re probably tightening something too far and it''s pinching him,¡± Daral said from atop the cowardly horse.

    ¡°You put too much weight on his right flank,¡± I said.

    Ian ignored both of us and tried to get his foot into the stirrup.

    Shhh, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll fix it for you.

    Potato relaxed and Ian thought that signified his win and got up onto the saddle. What he didn¡¯t know was that he was moments away from the horse under him rearing up. It took me a second to get the latch off of a satchel and pull out a miniaturised volumetric flask wrapped in cloth. It was deceptively heavy and despite it fitting in one hand, I had to use both.

    Ian made more of a fuss than Potato as I moved it to the other side and put it in his personal pack where ¡®it didn¡¯t belong.¡¯

    The others had changed out of their dull cloaks and into shorter green capes that had an insignia of a¡ªI had to ask Annalise¡ªcastle hiding behind white mountains on one side and trees on the other.

    She had me hold out her armour in the air while she unshrunk it and explained how her great-grandfather was bestowed the title of duke by the last king for taking the castle and the surrounding land during some empire¡¯s civil war. He went on to defend it for weeks without reinforcement from a different aggressor hoping for the strategic position. Annalise used a lot of names and landmarks I couldn¡¯t have repeated moments after she said them, but I got the idea that it was all very important and heroic.

    Everyone, but Ian and I, put on a weird-looking hat that flopped to one side. Trissa would have been able to tell me its name, origin, and cultural significance, but sadly she wasn¡¯t with me. The apprentices were unadorned while Annalise had the same insignia as the cape sitting on a strip of silver in its centre.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Annalise came over to me and tied her cloak around me, it almost draped onto the ground. As she lifted me up onto Missy I wanted to ask her if she was sure I couldn¡¯t stay.

    I knew even if she said it was possible I wouldn¡¯t have done that to Trissa and her parents.

    ¡°I sense them, four maybe five mages moving at a walking pace towards the town on the road I guess would be from Drasda,¡± Annalise said, and got up behind me.

    I looked to where she was and scrunched my face in concentration, but didn¡¯t feel a thing.

    ¡°That would make sense for a knight squad,¡± Barick said.

    ¡°Why would they be using the country wide code and not the ducal one?¡± Daral asked.

    ¡°Really Daral, just work it out,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°What? It''s a perfectly valid question? Why is everyone looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Because the rest of us have worked out we¡¯re about to run into a bunch of rems.¡±

    ¡°If it is them, let¡¯s use their full name and not piss them off,¡± Annalise said. ¡°The Revivified Remnants of the Capital.¡±

    ¡°Fucking fanatics,¡± Barick said. ¡°They¡¯re chasing after the witch story.¡±

    ¡°Useful fanatics,¡± Ian said.

    We started moving through the forest and I tried leaning into Annalise, unfortunately, the hard metal of her armour was all I found. I¡¯d thought steel was the same as iron, but this didn¡¯t seem to pull at my mana.

    To pass the time I tried leaning forward and testing out my braiding on Missy¡¯s mane, but she didn¡¯t approve.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we like the people we¡¯re meeting?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t like them¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, we definitely don¡¯t like them,¡± Barick said from beside us. Too close for my liking.

    ¡°Shut it, Barick. Go scout ahead and let whoever it is know we''re coming.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re enemies. They just¡­when the capital fell to the witch''s curse most of the capital¡¯s army, and some of its knights, were stationed in the surrounding area. When they heard about what happened to the city and their families they of course mobilised to defend it. They found that the people inside the city had turned into savage husks, ghouls. A few million people just¡­gone and turned into horrible creatures. They killed off the things that managed to wander out and held the gates till the nobles could bring help. Without them the surrounding areas would have probably been devastated.¡±

    ¡°They sound like your great-grandfather, no?¡±

    ¡°This was a while after that event, the civil war in the then Empire of Oclar to overthrow the mage lords bled into Werl. We think they had witches backing them and also incited the coven to initiate the events in the capital. To extend their revolution to us. We were not as bad as Oclar, but still people didn¡¯t like the nobility. It¡¯s why the nobles at the time agreed to have no more hereditary titles and let people vote in¡­never mind.

    ¡°The other armies mostly went back home after it was clear the capital was sealed up and that there was no one to help. The capital armies and knights, the remnants stayed and vowed to retake their home. The five remaining dukes made it so a king, just like how barons vote them in, had to be voted in by the dukes. They didn¡¯t and haven''t voted anyone in. So, who did the Remnants owe allegiance to? Do they disband them? Can they?¡±

    ¡°The other duchies didn¡¯t want the capital¡¯s land?¡±

    ¡°Father says everyone still wants it but the responsibility and expense of handling the hundreds of thousands of ghouls still there isn¡¯t worth it.

    ¡°So, my great grandfather and the others let them stay as knights of the capital with the mission to one day retake it. Nowadays the group is more of a plundering team taking trips into the still infected capital to loot and sell. That wouldn¡¯t be so bad except they keep letting more and more ghouls get out to the point where the surrounding duchies had to station their own troops there to stop it. So, now they plunder while we handle the defence and the current seven dukes can''t get the four votes to stop them.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like they should? If they are having their armies there anyway?¡±

    Ian answered my question from where he was riding near us. ¡°Three duchies don¡¯t even border the capital and no one else is crazy enough to go into that place to get the millions upon millions of roe worth of stuff just sitting there. They still haven''t made it past the second wall, but imagine the wealth of the king¡¯s treasury or even just the ducal estates inside the third wall. Plenty of people join up with them just at the idea of a piece of that.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re just allowed to steal?¡±

    ¡°Is it really stealing at this point? They fight over treasure and steal from each other, but buyers, including dukes, don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Hey, my father has been trying to get the others to put some more regulations in place.¡±

    I felt the ripple Barick was supposed to send out.

    ¡°Can you teach me to do that?¡± I asked, interrupting their conversation. I was overwhelmed, I¡¯d have preferred the story in a book.

    ¡°What? Oh¡­Sorry, but¡­well, I suppose it isn¡¯t a spell? Maybe? We¡¯ll see about it some other time,¡± Annalise said.

    ¡°I¡¯d think she¡¯d have a severe lack of range with having no mana reserves,¡± Ian said and turned to me. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, each duchy has its own code system and then there''s a standard kingdom one on top of that. I¡¯d rather memorise entire alchemy books, at least they make sense.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate, I only learnt two,¡± Annalise said.

    Ian ignored her to carry on talking to me. ¡°Speaking of alchemy, can I get you to translate some of those books? Just read them out to me when we¡¯re free and I¡¯ll write. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something in there to make this trip worth it.¡±

    ¡°Besides saving my father, the duke?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­yes. But¡­oh look we¡¯re out the forest.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t ever seen the town¡¯s walls from this far away before. The fields of crops and enclosures still went around this area. Wooden barns and buildings were built further out with even more fields beyond them. After all of that was green grass that stretched all the way to the horizon.

    I could sense the large mana reserves of the strangers coming our way before I saw them ride into view past a field of corn. There were five of them on horseback with one holding a large banner. It was white with three grey rings surrounding each other and a final red ring around those. They didn¡¯t have any cloaks or capes to hide their red and white uniform. Under the sections of coloured cloth looked like shimmering scales from afar, but as we got closer it was little rings of interlocking steel.

    We stopped near where Barick had with Annalise moving slightly in front. The lead rode up to the point where their horse could touch their noses with Missy. The two animals regarded each other with curiosity.

    The man at the lead had the same rings covering his head so only his face was visible. The rings looked to go all the way to his boots and wrists but the hands were still bare like every mage seemed to like. I saw a miniature full helmet hanging from a chain around his neck. It had hollowed out eyes and a nose with a full tooth smile imprinted into the metal. The man himself looked slightly older than Annalise with full green eyes and brown hair peeking through the metallic links.

    The man slowly pointed his finger and wagged it up and down. ¡°You must be¡­the new captain. What a pleasure to meet a Riker, how¡¯s daddy doing?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s well. Who am I speaking to?¡±

    ¡°Well? I¡¯m glad. You have before you Captain Tometh of the Revivified Remnants of the Capital. This scraggly bunch would be the rest of my scouting party. And might I say I never believed all the rumours I heard in Drasda about your promotion to captain of security. You obviously take the protection of the duke very seriously. ¡±

    The slow cadence of Tometh was starting to annoy me with his sentences never finishing as quickly as they should. So many extra words and drawn out syllables to say so little.

    ¡°If you had stayed in Drasda a bit longer you would know I¡¯m officially taking over the position next season.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. I suppose I was in a bit of a rush to get here, no one bothers trying to revive the railway system in the capital. A lack of foresight in my opinion.¡±

    I wanted to pull my hood up and hide under it from the closed lip smile the man was giving.

    ¡°What is a scouting party from your order doing so far from the capital?¡±

    Tometh tutted. ¡°You parade knights forget we do not just babysit you and your dull blades from danger, but also expunge it where it seeks to grow away from our home. We still remember what duty is, what they took from us. Barron Graham of Kiteer was kind enough to inform us of the witch. We came up here as a favour to the dear baron to make sure he ripped the threat out by the roots and you would not guess the news the traders on the road were going on about. There is talk of a second witch and possible coven, but the information is all hush-hush and contradictory, you know how merchants can get.

    Maybe you know? What else would bring a bunch of city folk out here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no second witch,¡± Barck said angrily but the men and woman behind Tometh, and the man himself, ignored him as if he hadn¡¯t spoken.

    Annalise nodded his way. ¡°It was a misunderstanding born from misinformation. There is no second witch or coven.¡±

    Tometh slowly shook his head. ¡°In that case, we need to find the person who made that false accusation, I am sure you know how dangerous these accusations can be for the women folk. We also have methods of confirming if someone is a witch that you people may not know about.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we know all about your barbaric methods, you don¡¯t feel bad when the people you use your ¡®methods¡¯ on develop mana poisoning when they¡¯re innocent?¡± Ian spat.

    Tometh shrugged. ¡°We have the good duke to thank for coming up with a cure for that. They drink it and it¡¯s like nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Expect an extreme amount of pain,¡± Ian said.

    ¡°What is pain but a lesson. These women did something wrong to have been accused, we provide accountability. Accountability we would like to extend to this, not a witch.¡±

    Annalise shifted behind me. ¡°Unnecessary, the Knights of Riker have handled it.¡±

    Tometh stayed quiet and I looked to see what he was doing and met his green eyes.

    ¡°You know, I am starting to develop a theory. A theory that now involves the pretty young madam that I cannot seem to sense at all.¡± The men and women behind Tometh were also staring at me.

    Annalise passed for a long while. ¡°She was the accused witch, but only because people didn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Use mana,¡± she whispered into my ear.

    I held out my hand and heard metal scraping. A very faint whisper of an order to stop drew my eyes up, but it wasn¡¯t directed to me. Tometh also had his hand held out to stop the knights behind him from fully drawing their swords strapped to the side of their horses. Their free hands pointed at me. Annalise also had her hands up over me.

    ¡°Peace friends, peace. The young madam has a demonstration for us it seems.¡±

    My arms and hands were shaking, but I managed to lift up some of the rocks from the ground around us, they floated in the air around Missy. She wasn¡¯t thrilled and I assured her it would be over quickly.

    A woman spoke up to Tometh¡¯s right. ¡°If she really is a mage then our tests will not harm her, you should hand her over, so we can make sure for all our sakes.¡±

    Tometh shook his head. ¡°No no, Talia. There is no need. Those soulless creatures can not use the Mother¡¯s gift, she is acquitted. And alas my theory has been disproven, partly. There is still the matter of the accuser, is there not?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve be dealt with by me¡±

    Tometh leaned forward in his saddle. The rings of metal clinked together as he tapped his finger on the horse''s head. The animal had very few thoughts and feelings about the whole matter. Not even a moment of fright when swords were half drawn like all of ours, except Missy.

    ¡°It is not so often I am so thoroughly disappointed, but I suppose there being no witch to slay is a blessed thing. Shall we expect your company on the way back to Drasda?¡±

    ¡°No we¡¯re off the Kiteer and taking the train back.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then I bid you a farewell and safe travels Captain Riker. Maybe we can meet on the fated fields of battle, as allies of course.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Farewell young madam,¡± Tometh said and lobbed something towards me. Annalise caught the dull object before I could.

    As soon as they were far enough away Alisa spoke aloud what my shaking body was telling me. ¡°That was fucking creepy.¡±

 Chapter 14

    I watched the group as they moved away, imagining how that conversation would have gone if they had knocked on Trissa¡¯s door instead of talking to Captain Riker.

    ¡°So you¡¯ll stand your ground to defend some girl, but not say a word against all the rubbish he said about us?¡± Barick asked.

    I felt Annalise¡¯s deep sigh on the back of my head. ¡°You think I want to deal with your insubordination after that? I¡¯ve offered leniency since I asked this of you during the end of your summer holidays, but don¡¯t confuse that with softness. And last I checked I was the only knight here, so if I can brush off transparent antagonism, so can you.¡±

    ¡°So¡­are we actually going to Kiteer?¡± Daral asked into the silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it.¡±

    Annalise silently placed the grey object Tometh threw into my hands. I wanted to ask what it was, though didn¡¯t want to annoy her more than she already was. It was a piece of grey speckled stone with a string looped through it like a necklace.

    ¡°It¡¯s a piece of one of the capital walls,¡± Ian said. ¡°Probably the outer; might be the second. You¡¯d have to read on which quarry it looks like it came from, and then what wall they would have supplied the stone for.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Annalise said. ¡°We¡¯re going to Kiteer. It¡¯s only around an extra day to travel there. We''ll take the train rather than ride back and risk running into them again. Tometh seemed like one of the more reasonable ones, but we don¡¯t want to chance that in the wilderness.¡±

    ¡°Reasonable?¡± Alisa said. ¡°That guy talked like he¡¯d not spoken to someone from this century before.¡±

    ¡°He probably grew up in one of their camps near the capital, would also explain how someone as young as him is already a captain,¡± Ian said.

    I put the necklace on and tucked the stone into my tunic. If I wasn¡¯t the target of the man, I didn¡¯t know if I would have found him all that strange. I despised the slow way he talked and how my guesses for how he would finish his sentences were always wrong, but that was my problem, not his.

    ¡°Why did they have different armour than you if you¡¯re both knights?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Our armour is made to protect vitals from the effects of spells, knights like us are usually considered duelists. While they need protection from bites and scratches, hence the chainmail and full head helmets,¡± Annalise said and raised her voice for everyone to hear. ¡°Let¡¯s try to get some miles in before the noon sun. I think there''s a river to water the horses we should be able to get to before days end.¡±

    Her hands tugged at the reins and squeezed me in the process. Missy turned and started to walk north.

    I pulled up my hood and tried to get comfortable against the pointy metal.

    ¡­

    My throat still felt dry as I coughed and sputtered for another minute to a chorus of cackles from people I had just been starting to respect¡ªat least some of them. I¡¯d spend all afternoon reading out one of the more alchemy aligned books to Ian, who scribbled it down while atop a moving Potato.

    That was why this betrayal was even more sinister.

    Annalise at least looked like she didn''t find it funny. Alisa was crying and trying to fan her reddening face. Barick and Daral were fighting since Daral had spat his dinner all over the other when he saw my reaction.

    Ian was breathing deeply and snorting to himself every few seconds as if just remembering what transpired.

    I emptied another water skin into my mouth, swished it around and spat. It still felt like I had eaten sand.

    Ian had given me one of their shrunken down ration bars and left out the fact you were supposed to mix a small portion with water, and not take a giant bite out of it. I hadn¡¯t wanted to be rude and I¡¯d honestly tasted worse, so I carried on chewing until their laughter clued me into my mistake.

    By then it was too late and my mouth and throat felt like the middle of drought season.

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry,¡± Annalise offered, but I glared at her. ¡°Students usually find out about the bars before anyone ever gets to try that.¡±

    I¡¯d been amused by jokes from the outside before, mud down someone''s shirt or Trissa putting spicy peppers in Cragar¡¯s food. I was trying to decide if it felt okay being the one involved. I could see how it was funny, but I¡¯d wait until I could wet my tongue again before deciding.

    The river we made camp near, for some reason, wasn¡¯t fine to drink from. So, once I had stomped over and filled up the skins I thrust them at Annalise for purification.

    Daral handed me a bowl of porridge and¡­stuff. The ration bars looked a lot better rehydrated. I¡¯d forgotten to say no meat, so there were pieces mixed in.

    I wasn¡¯t going to make a fuss since I hadn¡¯t expected to be fed in the first place.

    The ride had been quiet since I didn¡¯t count the sound of my own voice. The three of them had been gossiping about their classmates and different friend groups too loudly for Ian to concentrate on his writing, and for my reading since I thought Anderson getting challenged to a duel for accidentally burning off someone¡¯s eyebrows was more interesting.

    I sat on the tarp that had been set out again and blew on each spoonful. I wasn¡¯t going to check, but I was confident I had a saddle-shaped bruise that was making me lean more on my leg.

    We¡¯d made good time due to the cloud cover protecting us from the worst of the heat on the road without any trees for shade. Other travellers in carriages, or hauling goods, were staying in a small inn nearby since our road connected with a route to a different city in the east. Annalise didn¡¯t care for the hassle despite Ian¡¯s protest.

    ¡°Whoever cleans camp can take first watch,¡± Annalisa said.

    Silence.

    I put up my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t mind cleaning.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping some of my aspiring knights would volunteer.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, captain. The most dangerous thing in the night would be painted dogs, she can take the first watch,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°Actually flying foxes would be the most dangerous nocturnal predator here,¡± Barick said.

    ¡°Neither of those actually go near humans, especially with the inn nearby,¡± Daral said.

    ¡°I do not care. People are what I¡¯m worried about. Alisa, Daral, then Brick in order of how stupid your answers were,¡± Annalise said while pointing to each. ¡°Valeria, we appreciated you cleaning and I hope you understand the bar was a harmless joke and wasn¡¯t meant to be cruel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. I didn¡¯t think you were capable of taking a bite that size,¡± Ian said.

    I nodded, only half listening. My mind was imagining purple and blue coloured dogs and fluffy foxes with wings. I couldn¡¯t figure out where the wings would go on those cheeky creatures.

    The wooden bowls, utensils, and pots were floated over the river and washed out before drying them off. Annalise had tried to show me the spells they used for levitation rather than the ¡®air hold thing¡¯ I was doing, but like the rest of their spells, it didn¡¯t make sense to me.

    The horses were unburdened and loitering by one of the gentle curves of the flowing river. Our side was less wild than the dense forest I saw on the opposite bank. After seeing nothing but grassy horizons for the entire ride it was nice being back in familiar land.

    Tents had been pitched by the time I came back with the cleaned items. Annalise tried to persuade me to take her tent, but I declined immediately. I was used to sleeping outside and the tarp was better than I usually had. She ended up thrusting a blanket into my hands despite my protest.

    I snuggled up under it and conceded that it was comfortable. I still felt bad for taking it from her. The flowing water, chirping crickets, and rustle of leaves were familiar and relaxing.

    ¡­

    My dream self seemed to be higher off the ground than usual as I walked through a familiar town. People''s faces and the houses on either side of the path were blurry even when I tried to concentrate on them.

    That was until I walked towards a door I recognised. Trissa¡¯s house.

    I knocked and waited. A woman opened the door that wasn¡¯t Pilim. An older and more beautiful Trissa hugged me and welcomed me into the kitchen.

    Next I knew I was drinking tea and talking about¡­something. I tried to encourage my dream to let me hear her voice, but I couldn¡¯t.

    My chest started to tighten and I rubbed it to try to figure out what was wrong. Breathing got harder. My limbs wouldn¡¯t move.

    Trissa started to walk around me and explain how I¡¯d ruined her life while inspecting an empty vial. How everyone shunned them after the news.

    She told me how her mother lost all her clients, and I knew then she wasn¡¯t my Trissa.

    She called Pilim mum, not Mother.

    I woke up with the same pain in my chest. I rolled over onto my hands and knees and tried to breathe in. Something felt like it was tightening further around my body. I threw the blanket off on the third try after I got my knees off it.

    It was getting worse and I knew why. I¡¯d felt this same way before. The doll was getting too far away.

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    Soft moonlight illuminated our camp and I stumbled to a person sitting up on a log with their arms crossed and eyes closed. I grabbed Daral¡¯s arm and started dragging him in the direction that made it hurt less.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He stopped and I jerked forward as I couldn¡¯t drag him along anymore.

    ¡°Valeria? What?¡±

    It was still getting worse, so I let go and started to run beside the river, weaving between the trees the best I could with the faint light.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Daral whispered and started running behind me.

    I couldn¡¯t wait. The pain and crushing lessened enough for me to gasp. I ran faster and had to rely on sensing the trees to avoid them.

    My foot smacked into a rock and I went tumbling into the ground.

    The pain was gone, but I was still gasping from the run and rush of fear. Someone grabbed my elbow and I was about to launch the rock I tripped over into their head before I noticed it was Daral.

    ¡°What are you doing? I understand running away, but why wake me?¡±

    ¡°Someone has the doll.¡±

    ¡°What? No¡­ah. Shit.¡±

    Daral cast a spell and bright light chased away the faint moonlight. I blinked until my eyes adjusted enough to see him also scrunching up his face.

    ¡°I forgot about the dark vision,¡± he muttered and finally looked me in the eye.

    ¡°Can you do that ripple thing and get Annalise and the others?¡± I said, still out of breath.

    ¡°Well¡­yes. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need them to handle some stray animals or petty thieves.¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s the remnants?¡± I said, confused and frightened. ¡°Annalise! Anna¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Wait. Please,¡± Daral said with his hand over my mouth, pushing against the other on the back of my head. ¡°It can¡¯t be them, otherwise I would have woken up when I sensed them. You¡¯re with the best duelist in Equitier, well in year three, and some of year four. I can do this without the captain.¡±

    He slowly removed his hand from my mouth and I considered screaming again, but the pain was starting to come back. The doll was moving in a different direction.

    My poor sleep and pain-addled mind was catching up to the situation and I glared at Daral.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get in trouble for falling asleep?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯re in trouble from this doll getting too far away. And, I¡¯ll owe you a favour. Or we can take our time, and I call the others for help, and hope they wake up and get here in time.¡±

    ¡°Call them,¡± I said, wanting Annalise here more than anyone else.

    ¡°Two favours.¡± He raised two fingers in my face.

    I pulled my foot back to kick him in the shin.

    ¡°Two favours and I don¡¯t tell the captain you ran away with the doll and that¡¯s why it got lost.¡±

    I froze and couldn¡¯t tell if it was the doll or his words making my chest hurt. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me? I tried to advocate for you that night in the forest, where¡¯s my thanks? Where¡¯s the trust? I¡¯m trying to help you get the doll back as quickly as possible.¡±

    My foot dropped to the ground and I moved out of his grip on my head. I started walking towards where the pain lessened. I didn¡¯t want to care if he was going to follow me or not, yet I needed his help and couldn¡¯t get back to the camp myself.

    His mana and light caught up to me as I crossed a shallow part of the river with slippery stepping stones. My bare feet made it easy, but Daral almost slipped in with his boots.

    The far side of the river had denser vegetation and canopies that blocked out the moonlight. Daral¡¯s glowing orb cast darker shadows wherever I looked which made moving difficult.

    It was hard knowing where it went without the pain to direct me anymore, so I carried on in the same direction.

    ¡°There¡¯s two mana vacuums up ahead.¡±

    I turned to him for an explanation.

    ¡°It means areas with no mana, which can only mean non-mages or manaless animals.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Underground somewhere, it¡¯s harder to sense no mana than lots of it.¡± I couldn¡¯t sense anything or the lack of it, so I let him lead and walked next to him.

    We carried on walking more carefully as Daral slowly looked over the ground. I ducked under a branch and stepped onto and over a root into a shadow. My foot passed through it.

    My heart lurched as I tipped forward. My tunic dug into my neck as Daral grabbed the back of it. I teetered over the edge of a hole.

    He pulled me back to solid ground and had the orb float directly over the whole. I felt a little better seeing that it wouldn¡¯t have been a long fall. Now that I could see the lack of ground I noticed it with my senses.

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±

    ¡°This¡¯ll probably be a decent entrance though I doubt they used it.¡±

    Mana tied into a spell in his hand and encapsulated the area around us. He jumped and fell slowly to the ground again. I jumped and landed back normally.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pain,¡± he said and knelt on the ground with his arms out. I could guess what he wanted and didn¡¯t like it as I sat into his arms.

    He hopped off the edge and I instinctually clutched at his neck while we fell gently. I held on for a bit longer than needed once we were on the ground while he was trying to get me off. The light still above the entrance was slowly dimming until he used another spell to bring it down and brighten it again.

    ¡°Stay behind me and stay out the way, I can¡¯t sense you and these people have no mana, so I can¡¯t use spells against them.¡±

    I nodded. Water dripped off spikes in the roof and flowed into a pool on one side. We were moving through spikes coming from the ground towards a hole in the wall. Stone surrounded us as we walked through a sloped passage and into another cavern.

    I felt other creatures and faint mana sources from around us. Daral also stopped and glanced up quickly before moving on. I followed his gaze.

    Creatures with large eyes, ears, and long snouts stretched out huge black leathery wings. Scores hung from the ceiling wrapped in their wings while others flew around the cavern, or through another hole in the ceiling. The creatures didn¡¯t seem bothered by the light below them.

    From the faces, I could see why these would be called flying foxes, and was now worried about what the painted dogs looked like.

    I felt the faintest nudges of mana passing through me. If it happened once randomly I wouldn¡¯t have noticed, but it was seemingly coming from every flying fox. The nudges bounced off everything, but me, and returned to the flying foxes above.

    As soon as they did I could feel them notice Daral. They were wary of his mana, but didn¡¯t care to bother him. They didn''t think he wasn¡¯t an insect or predator, so they didn¡¯t care.

    Daral understood they had no interest in him and had carried on walking quietly through. I started walking again to catch up but kept noticing the little nudges. He stopped to check I was still behind him and waited for me to catch up at another passageway entrance.

    A blinding pain hit the right side of my face. I tensed up, holding my breath, and the scream that wanted to come out with it. Daral caught me as my body locked up and toppled over.

    I had a second of reprieve before a stronger pain hit the left side. A tugging sensation on my eye had me ready to throw up.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Daral shouted with mana radiating from his voice. The pain immediately stopped and I noticed he wasn¡¯t looking at me, but through the passage.

    He glanced at me before putting me down and running off with the light staying behind with me. I scrambled to my feet and chased after him.

    I had to slow down since the light disappeared behind me as I turned a corner. My senses could get a basic understanding of the stone around me, the problem was the jagged pieces that stuck out.

    The cavern I found myself stumbling into was bathed in warm lantern light instead of Daral¡¯s harsh white. He was standing off against two boys leaning over the doll that had been dropped to the ground. A few crates sat near the wall amongst the spikes with other items piled on top of them, including some of our satchels.

    One of the boys was holding a pair of tongs while the other had brought out a large knife meant to clear brush.

    ¡°The fuck you doin¡¯ ¡®ere?¡± Knife boy asked.

    ¡°Ay Mikkey, that''s the dude I was talking about.¡±

    Mikkey started laughing. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t feel too bad about it bud, most people sleep durin¡¯ watch. Most don¡¯t manage to find us though, how¡¯d you manage dat?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you should feel grateful it was us that found your stuff, our ransoms are cheap as. You can definitely afford it, I mean what asshat uses jewels on some doll.¡±

    ¡°Maybe should feel bad for draggin¡¯ some kid here though.¡±

    ¡°You dipshits really don¡¯t want to push your luck right now,¡± Daral said.

    ¡°Man, don''t try act tough for the girl. Why don¡¯t we teach you the meaning of this little word, leverage. You see, bringing her here lets us say things like, we¡¯ll mess up that pretty little face if you don¡¯t pay us.¡±¡ªhe pointed the knife towards Daral and turned to the other boy¡ª¡°Look! Look at that face he made when I said that, leverage.¡±

    The boys were dressed in nice clothes, especially compared to the sweaty loose tunic and pants Daral and I were wearing. I had thought thieves were supposed to be the ones with threadbare and dirty outfits.

    I was waiting for Daral to announce he was a knight and end this conversation. They sounded important enough to scare two boys.

    Instead, he pushed up his sleeves and balled his fits near his face.

    Mikkey tilted his head and let his mouth drop open in a weird lazy smile. The large knife hung limply at his side. He stared at Daral for a while before I heard him breathe in and shrug. ¡°Works for me, dude.¡±

    Mikkey and Tongs moved around where Daral was walking up to. The two boys were as tall as Daral, and with just as much muscle. If I¡¯d seen the scenario on the street I would have been worried for him, but like he said, neither had mana.

    The lack of it was indeed harder to pick up than the concentration in Daral.

    Tongs threw his namesake at Daral, who stood still as the tools clattered to the floor beside him. The three stared at each other for a moment.

    Mikkey leant forward and swiped the blade. It cut through the air as Daral leant to the side.

    Mikkey rocked on his feet while Tongs circled around to get his weapon. I shuffled around the far reaches of the fight to get nearer to the doll.

    I hadn¡¯t seen anyone fight with a knife before, I thought there would have been more stabbing and less waving it around.

    Daral spun as Mikkey retreated after another slash. His foot lashed out and connected with his wrist. The knife clattered to the ground. Daral stepped in and jabbed his fingers into his throat.

    Tongs stepped in from behind and brought down his weapon towards the back of Daral¡¯s head. I was trying to decide about throwing out a blast of air, or moving the rock underneath him when Daral caught the weapon. Yanked it out of Tong¡¯s hand and poked his stomach with the handles.

    Both boys were on the ground holding their neck and stomach.

    ¡°Get the satchels, I¡¯ve got the doll,¡± Daral said as he stepped over Mikkey.

    I got the three satchels I could see and checked around to make sure there wasn¡¯t another. A plain silver ring sat in a bowl on top of the crate. It was in my pocket before I thought about it for more than a moment.

    ¡°Over here.¡±

    I followed his voice to a crack in the wall and squeezed out behind him. The river was rushing past nearby and Daral conjured his light again, illuminating the forest with more than moonlight.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t arresting them?¡±

    ¡°And do what? Drag them with us for days to the nearest watch officers to hand off? No thanks.¡±

    ¡°And not telling them you¡¯re a mage and to just give the stuff back?¡±

    ¡°Less chance it comes back to bite me in the ass if it was just some random stranger that beat them up.¡±

    Daral was walking as if he knew the direction and without anything else to say I followed behind him.

    ¡°So, two favours and you don¡¯t tell Annalise?¡±

    I didn¡¯t feel like I had a choice despite its appearance. Who was I supposed to blame for the pain of someone ripping out my eyeballs from their socket with tongs? A pair of boys who wanted a shiny gem, or someone that fell asleep.

    The real person to blame was dead and it felt so unfair to put this on myself.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

 Chapter 15

    The sun was bothering me through my eyelids. I tried to pull the hood down further, but the fabric was taut. I cracked my eyes open to see the setting sun shining directly into my face.

    I had missed lunch.

    Annalise wasn¡¯t wearing her armour and had let me keep her cloak, so the ride was far more comfortable than yesterday. I tried to twist my body away from the sun and bury my head into her.

    Something flicked me through the hood''s fabric. I pulled it down and craned my neck to look at Annalise for an explanation.

    ¡°Next time you listen and accept my offer to share the tent, did you even get a moment of sleep last night?¡±

    I yawned in response.

    Daral and I had found a log bridge over the river near the entrance to the cave we¡¯d escaped from. The boys wouldn¡¯t be down for long, so we hurried across with only a minor slip into the shallows at the far end. We carried on downstream since Daral said that¡¯s where camp would be.

    He had some kind of darkvision spell which was a lot better than my senses, my toe was still sore from kicking the rock earlier.

    It took a long while, but we eventually found the stables of the inn and then the place itself. It was quiet by that hour of the night, yet we could sense people moving inside. We thought the boys had to be related to the inn somehow since they had a permanent camp in the cavern nearby.

    Daral grabbed a piece of chalk off of the blackboard sign touting the day''s specials and prices. Forty-five roe for a meal and board seemed like a worse robbery than the boys.

    He scratched out a short message, ¡®Stop the thieves. or else!¡¯

    ¡°Will that work?¡±

    Daral shrugged. ¡°They know the watch wouldn''t bother coming all the way here for this. It might scare them though.¡±

    There were a few other mages in the inn, so we moved on quickly. The camp was much farther away than I remembered and we managed to it back before the next person¡¯s night watch. We put the stuff back where it belonged and placated an annoyed Alisa when she stuck her head out of the tent for us making too much noise.

    I couldn¡¯t sleep at all after that and spent the rest of the night with the horses, playing with mana. I was interested in what the flying foxes had been up to with theirs, it was the first animal I¡¯d encountered to use mana without affecting anything.

    I had been trying to ignore the doll and what it would mean for me in the future, but I had been harshly reminded only hours before.

    Would working at the ducal estate, like Annalise offered, leave me in the same position I was in with Mother? They¡¯d want to store the doll in a safe place I¡¯d need their help to get to. Would they let me leave? For starters, would they even hold up their end of the agreement if I translated and assisted like I said I would?

    I liked Annalise, but a captain and daughter of a duke wouldn¡¯t be dealing with me anymore once I was handed off. Someone else would decide my life and have every opportunity to force it whichever way they wanted.

    A finger poked into my cheek and I realised I was still looking at her. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep better if I had a hammock.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be stopping in a village tonight, so you¡¯ll have to deal with a bed.¡±

    The horses seemed excited by that, they didn¡¯t enjoy their travelling feed.

    ¡°Is that bigger or smaller than a town?¡± I asked as my head flopped back into her.

    ¡°Smaller, did the witch ever take you outside Ulasa? Some of those names we saw this morning were from other cities.¡±

    Earlier, before I fell asleep, I¡¯d mumbled through the book of names that we¡¯d found her father¡¯s in, to see if there were any others with the curse. There were, but since none of them would have been responsible for the witch''s death it wouldn¡¯t have activated for them.

    A few of the names and items they found interesting or worrying. Including some of the more recent names, they recognised from Kiteer.

    ¡°No, she left me behind when she did.¡±

    I¡¯d actually been quite upset whenever she did that when I was younger.

    ¡°If you¡¯re awake, can you translate another book?¡± Ian asked from behind us.

    I pretended I didn¡¯t hear him, but the thoughts from before hounded me. It was better to make myself useful.

    ¡°Which one do you want?¡±

    ¡­

    The village didn¡¯t have any walls, rather trees grew so close together that they created one. It seemed strange, but then I thought about it and found it strange not everyone did that. I wasn¡¯t pleased when it was Barick who answered my question.

    ¡°You¡¯d need dedicated mages specialised in those specific spells. Not easy when mage assisted agriculture is one of the lowest attended classes in Equitier, and probably every other academy school.¡±

    ¡°And, they¡¯re people like me who only did it to grow personal ingredients,¡± Ian added.

    ¡°Too expensive to want to be a glorified farmer after five years,¡± Alisa said.

    I felt quite embarrassed since I enjoyed growing plants and interacting with nature. I was also sure the treant wouldn¡¯t have been too happy about it.

    I had the saddle to myself as Annalise and the others led their horses by the reins towards the opening in the trees. Whoever had grown the trees hadn¡¯t managed to escape having to use a plain gate.

    A donkey-drawn cart was already at the gate with a young woman talking to someone in a uniform similar to, but distinctly not from the watch. The cart had a flap over it, though the bottoms of barrels still peaked out the open back.

    Coin was handed over. The guard wrote something down and the cart was allowed through. Except when the woman moved past she threw up a hand gesture to the back of the man''s greying head of hair.

    The man saw us and scrunched up his face so the wrinkles on his head moved to his brow. He quickly glanced back at the woman and turned back to us with a smile. ¡°Welcome to Tamil, fellow blessed ones.¡±

    After no one responded I looked down to the surprised faces of the others.

    ¡°That¡¯s against the law,¡± Barick said, with the shock still evident in his voice.

    ¡°Not here young man, here we take those laws in the spirit they were written, not the words used.¡±

    Annalise raised a hand to dissuade Barick from saying anything else out of his gaping mouth. ¡°What spirit would that be?¡±

    ¡°Duress of course. We conceded to the lessers at the time out of self-preservation. There¡¯s no watch here to tell us we can¡¯t speak the truth. And, we make sure the servants know the consequences of speaking out against their superiors,¡± he said and nodded to me on the horse.

    I wasn¡¯t going to say anything, Annalise put her hand on my leg anyway. ¡°She won¡¯t say a word.¡±

    ¡°You trained ¡®em right,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Wish I could say the same about the rest, gotta be careful what you say ¡®round the travellers. Don¡¯t want word gettin¡¯ out and all.¡±

    Annalise started removing coins from little metal cylinders with an empty strip along it for ease of removal. ¡°Very true, you never know who you¡¯re talking to.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. You can go on through,¡± the man said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no toll? I saw that woman pay.¡±

    ¡°Of course she had to pay, look around us. Blessed ones built all of this, they have to contribute somehow.¡±

    ¡°I see that¡­What was your name? Are you part of the group that built it? ¡±

    ¡°Ghaven, member of the Tamil Overseers. High member Zara and others are in charge of the trees. You should stay at the Sefra Inn if you want a chance to meet them, it also caters to people like us. Hope you have a pleasant stay.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Annalise said and grabbed Ian by the collar when he wasn¡¯t moving with the rest of us.

    The path inside was made with perfectly shaped square cobblestones that led between buildings that were made out of still-living trees. Their opposite gate was in view already with only a few dozen buildings on the street, and a few cobbled paths leading off to more.

    A weak ripple code told everyone not to say a word and Annalise whispered the same to me.

    The Sefra Inn was proudly written across one of the larger buildings, an extra floor standing over the rest of the two storey ones. I slid off Missy and we handed off the horses to a smiling attendant at a separate stable entrance. I made sure Daral had the satchel with the doll in it as we exited, and made our way inside the inn proper.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    It looked about the same as the one inn I had been in before. A single desk with keys hanging off hooks behind the mage sitting there. The woman was all smiles when she saw us.

    Annalise asked for two three person rooms and was told it would be forty roe, not including meals. I glanced up at the sign that said the three person rooms were going for twenty roe per bed. I knew my mathematics was bad but¡­

    ¡°Sorry, I meant two rooms with three beds,¡± Annalise said.

    ¡°Oh, don''t worry about those.¡±¡ªshe waved at the sign¡ª¡°That¡¯s to try keep the you know what¡¯s out. Will you want a mundane locked room for the girl?¡±

    Her expression soured when she glanced over at me behind the others.

    Annalise placed a silver and a few bronze coins onto the counter. ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Have a pleasant stay, dinner will be ready to serve in an hour,¡± she said. ¡°Your room numbers are 304 and 305.¡±

    We stood around awkwardly until the woman informed us the rooms used enchanted locks and the keys were used only for the others.

    We all went up the stairs in silence and then another set to get to the top floor. I was patiently waiting to find out what everyone was going to say. These people in the village seemed to have the same attitude as Jacob¡¯s grandmother.

    I was going to be very upset and disappointed if they thought the same way that made Trissa upset. My expectations lowered when I thought of how the grandmother was the mayor¡¯s mother and how a duke¡¯s daughter may be significantly worse.

    ¡°What kind of shoddy year one work is this?¡± Ian said as he crouched in front of the room number we were told. ¡°This is leaking so much mana they¡¯d need to be infused every week.¡±¡ªhe put his palm to the door, it clicked and he turned to us with his jaw dropped¡ª¡°It''s not even coded¡­¡±

    Annalise reached over him and opened the door, ushering everyone inside despite us having two rooms. Bags were dumped down with loud thuds and clinks of glass, Ian looked a bit guilty about that.

    ¡°What in the everloving¡ª¡± Alisa said before Annalise cut her off.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    A spell formed in her palm and it felt like I was dunked underwater. A haze blurred the room around us. I couldn¡¯t feel any mana beyond a few steps in each direction. It made me realise how far I had been extending my senses, and how much I was missing out on now that it was restricted.

    ¡°What in the everloving fuck was that old ass supremacism, my grandpa doesn¡¯t even say shit like that¡­anymore,¡± Alisa finished.

    ¡°I knew it could get bad in small villages, but going back to saying ¡®blessed ones¡¯ is something else entirely,¡± Daral said.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t those two in restraints already?¡± Barick asked angrily.

    ¡°I was going to knock that receptionist''s teeth out,¡± Ian said and we all turned to look at the abrasive, but passive alchemist. ¡°My parents aren¡¯t mages and aren¡¯t rich, it was disgusting thinking they¡¯d get fleeced like that because of it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± I asked from the seat I¡¯d taken on one of the beds.

    ¡°It¡¯s illegal,¡± Barick said.

    ¡°And immoral,¡± Ian said.

    ¡°The mayor¡¯s mother talks like that,¡± I added, more to try to get her in trouble than anything else. I was happy they all seemed to hate the idea of her looking down on Trissa. Annalise hadn¡¯t said anything, but I wanted to trust that her thinking face was going towards saying something mean about the people downstairs.

    ¡°Captain, what''s the plan? Split up and arrest them?¡± Daral asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No? They¡¯re breaking the law,¡± Barick said.

    ¡°The way they¡¯re breaking the law is too blatant, too natural. This isn¡¯t individuals being supremacists, this is a systemic problem in the village that has to start at the top. Extra toll fees and prices for people is not something you can just get away with.¡±

    ¡°This entire place is built to collapse without mages,¡± Ian said. ¡°The enchantments are everywhere and all these trees need constant upkeep to stay alive. These things would wilt within days without mana.¡±

    ¡°It must be this High member, Zara,¡± Barick said. ¡°And the rest of these Overseers. A watch should have been established in a village this size, especially as its a main route between two baron controlled cities. We have to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to deal with this, we have to get back to Drasda and the duke. The time it would take to root out this problem could be better spent finding a cure.¡±

    ¡°Ehhh, you might have a problem with that approach,¡± Daral said.

    ¡°Which is?¡± Annalise asked.

    ¡°My father is a baron in a neighbouring duchy and if he heard that a duke¡¯s kid went through and took advantage of a village operating like an apartheid. The newspapers would either be flooded with it, or he¡¯d get something out of it.¡±

    Everyone looked at him.

    ¡°I left so I didn¡¯t have to think about politics, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t,¡± Daral said.

    ¡°We can tell the baron about it so he can¡¯t say we did nothing,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°Tell the baron the exact story he wants?¡±

    ¡°Okay enough, the Baron of Kiteer isn¡¯t hostile to my father, telling him will work fine.¡±

    Daral shrugged. ¡°It probably isn¡¯t much of an issue anyway. These mages couldn¡¯t even sense Valeria had mana from an arm''s length away. These overseers might be just as bad.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t sense I had mana,¡± I said.

    ¡°We thought you had a charm disguising it, that¡¯s not the same.¡±

    ¡°We could use that to spy on them?¡± Barick said. ¡°See where these overseers meet and how many of them there are. I can¡¯t sense anything through all these leaky enchantments and living plants.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not sending Valeria to do anything of the sort,¡± Annalise said.

    I sat up to participate in the conversation, but Barick had already given up and moved on to another topic.

    Ian brought out two separate maps of the region. The older one had no mention of Tamil and only listed the area as an Inn like the one from last night. The newer map did have it as a village, but only as an unnamed symbol.

    I let them argue and discuss what they should, could, and would do.

    I was laid down with my hand stuffed in my pocket playing with the silver ring I had taken from the boy¡¯s hideout. I didn¡¯t know why I had taken it, but I was enjoying having it in my possession. The minor guilt of stealing it was assuaged by it probably being a stolen item to begin with.

    My hand brushed up against the other item in my pocket, the electrum coin. And I considered how to use it in order to pay my share for the room. Forty split six ways was a weird number.

    The boys were soon banished from the room by Alisa who wanted to shower and change out of her travelling clothes before dinner. The haze around us vanished and I yawned to fix my ears that still felt blocked.

    Annalise and I were left alone and I thought about what I wanted to say as she moved about the bags.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind trying to help,¡± I said, propped up on my elbows to be able see her squatting by some of the bags.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t need to, you¡¯re a civilian and a child at that.¡±

    ¡°It sounded like I¡¯ll just be walking around trying to sense people from afar. You¡¯d let Ian do it, but they¡¯d notice him, so the civilian thing is just an excuse. And I¡¯m almost fifteen¡­I think.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen is still a child and what do you mean you ¡®think?¡¯¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what a date was until a few years ago, so I just know it''s in the beginning of fall.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already the beginning of fall.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well whenever the trees turn yellow then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s mid fall once the temperature drops and days get shorter. Which is already starting.¡±

    ¡°Well maybe I also messed up my age and I¡¯m sixteen, could I help then?¡±

    She looked up from her bag to glare at me through her long eyelashes. ¡°...are you really okay with going out and doing this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll be careful?¡±

    ¡°Very.¡± I was only supposed to walk around the different buildings and try to find the most concentrated mana sources that would hopefully signify the overseers. The trees didn¡¯t feel like they bothered me as much as the others made it seem for them.

    I was also not going to be able to sleep for the rest of the night since I¡¯d slept most of the day against Annalise. Might as well do something useful.

    Annalise sat cross-legged and thrummed her fingers on her leg. Disturbing her would lessen my chances to help, so I kept quiet.

    ¡°Only from far away and under the cover of darkness and if you¡¯re not back within exactly an hour¡±¡ªshe pulled out a pocket watch and tapped it¡ª¡°we¡¯ll come find you and drag you back here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­I¡¯m not too sure how long an hour feels like. Seconds, yes. Minutes, kind of. Hours, nope.¡±

    Alisa came out of the lavatory to Annalise trying to teach me to read a watch. It wasn¡¯t going that well.

    It was my turn to shower next, but I had no idea what that was and needed them to show me. I had to push mana into the handles to get it started and it didn''t work for me until I imagined I wanted it to pelt me with water.

    After my shower, Annalise insisted on letting me have some of her clothes that she¡¯d shrunk down. I talked her down to only letting me borrow them for the night''s excursion due to them being darker colours than my own. The size felt a bit weird on me since the arm and leg holes had to be shrunk in line with the rest of the tunic and pants.

    I didn¡¯t protest as much to the small dagger she strapped to my hip and listened intently to the best places to stab someone to make them let me go.

    Alisa was looking at her like she was mad.

    I¡¯d prefer throwing a bunch of air, water, and rock at someone. But if they got too close I was glad I had something.

    I tried to hand the coin to her, explained what it was for, and added that she could round up what I owed because of the clothes and dagger. She put it back in my hand and told me to hold onto it.

    We joined the boys after Annalise had showered and changed to head down for dinner. The server, the same person from the desk, wanted to seat me in the back and looked annoyed when she was told no.

    They had to avoid ordering me the mana-infused meals, but I was fine with that since it was mostly meat. The salad was a bit boring and leafy though.

    It was a short meal since we didn¡¯t feel comfortable talking about anything of importance, so we quickly headed back to the room, surrounding ourselves with the mana shield again. Everyone had bits of advice for me and what kind of information I needed to gather. Strength of enchantments, defensive structures, number of mages, and how strong mana reserves felt.

    I was ready to escape by the time they were done. I felt jumping out the window and trying to catch myself on a cushion of air was a great idea, but I was outvoted by everyone else.

    Annalise would come down and help distract anyone still in the lobby to let me slip out onto the dark street. We¡¯d seen some mages with light orbs come by, other than that there weren''t the usual lamps lighting the street¡ªprobably to keep the non-mages inside.

    I snuck down behind Annalise as she casually strolled into the lobby. She shook her head which meant she couldn''t sense anyone. Neither could I, so I dashed across the room and into the chilly night air.

    I¡¯d also been handed the cloak that was shrunk slightly to not drag so much. I pulled up the hood to hide myself better from the wind and people.

 Chapter 16

    The trees surrounding the village cast an eerie patchwork of moonlit shadows across the cobblestone path. Most of the windows were dark but a few still had the flickering light of a lantern or the solid white of a mage¡¯s orb.

    I wanted to imitate something I¡¯d seen Alisa do and flick a coin to decide which way to go. The coin would have surely been lost in the attempt, so I went in the darkest direction. My feet padded across the stone walkway until I reached the first turnoff where I ducked into the shadows, and raised my hood.

    Anyone who had seen me walk out of the inn should have lost sight of me. Daral had assured me darkvision was a spell with many drawbacks, even if you knew it would be pitch black for ages, so I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about it.

    I was surrounded by the weird mana-infused trees that gave the others issues. In the quiet of the night, the trees themselves whispered their distaste for their forced growth.

    The building I passed next had people inside with a few being mages. They didn¡¯t feel like they had that much mana, but it was hard to tell from far away through the many layers of trees.

    The flying fox''s use of mana had interested me and I¡¯d been trying to imitate it since the night before. The first time I¡¯d tried with the others around had Ian asking if anyone else felt that, with everyone agreeing they had. It was decided it was a normal shift in the ambient mana.

    The second attempt had heads turning and faces scrunching in confusion. The third might have made Annalise sneeze, but I wasn¡¯t sure about that.

    The rest had the desired effect of telling me where everything was in the area around me¡­and gave me a headache. The bounced-back mana hit me almost at once, and all the information overlapped to fill my head with nonsense.

    I tried sending out the pulse to only where I was looking. That helped tell me there were multiple cobblestones somewhat higher than others, that the bark wasn¡¯t smooth, that the air was moving, and the cloak I was wearing was thick. It was still too much and I decided to stop playing around while doing something important for Annalise.

    White light spilt into the crossroad I was approaching from the right side. My foot smacked into the ground when I abruptly stopped. On either side of me were only buildings and doorways. Multiple laughing voices carried on the wind as I tucked myself into one of the doorways. As the light¡¯s origin came around the corner, I pulled in a flap of the cloak I hadn¡¯t noticed sticking out.

    I didn¡¯t dare look, but it felt and sounded like five people. They turned down the path directly ahead of me. It only contained a few buildings before hitting the wall of trees.

    The light moved away from where I was looking back towards. I peeked out to see them entering the farthest entrance on the right side.

    It was as good a starting place as any I¡¯d found so far. I crouched low and moved to the crossroads, glanced each way and crossed to the other side.

    There were a lot of mages in the surrounding houses, with most windows still throwing out the white light of their orbs. It made moving through the shadows a bit more difficult, but I managed to manoeuvre myself over to the door they had used.

    I stood with my back to the building, realising that it was very difficult to sense mana concentrations and differentiate them when they kept moving past each other.

    Averaging out my multiple counts gave me around seventeen mages, with four being easier to track than others. They at least had more mana than the apprentices.

    Annalise always wore her charm to make her mana feel murky, so I had no clue how to compare it to her.

    The building across was different, entirely made of stone all the way up to its tiled roof. There was nothing with mana inside, but there were spaces without mana in the form of an iron lock on a door with iron strips across the wood.

    I¡¯d gotten a lot of what I wanted and was trying to decide whether to return or not when I noticed something weird with the trees. I shuffled closer.

    There wasn¡¯t just one layer of the mana-infused plants, but another after a gap.

    I chewed on my lip, trying to decide what to do. My heart was racing, yet I found all the sneaking around exciting rather than scary. There was also a lot of time left on the hour Annalise gave me¡ªprobably.

    The trees didn¡¯t have an entrance that I could find and once I had gone the whole way across to the stone wall I guessed the entrance must have been inside the buildings since there was a gap in the mana of the wall.

    Without an easy way to get through the iron door, I tried to ask the trees to move over. Their whispers suggested assent, but nothing moved because the plants were not the ones in control. The bark was rough and gave me a second of numbness as I demanded an entrance to open. The mana inside didn¡¯t like me touching it, however, a small pathway still opened up.

    Nothing was behind me, so I jumped through the gap before it grew shut.

    Only a sliver of moonlight was able to get through the canopies of the trees that now surrounded me. A stone tower that connected to the iron door building jutted out into the small clearing with the cone of its roof almost level with the canopy.

    There was an empty doorway into it that was entirely dark and empty. My eyes had adjusted as much as they ever were and there was nothing else in the clearing. So, I went over and poked my finger into the doorway to make sure there was nothing sinister in the darkness.

    Nothing happened.

    I walked through to see the faint outline of a table sat in the middle, surrounded by chairs, and covered in white paper that stood out in the darkness. A stone staircase ran up the side of the circular room towards a landing at the top.

    I started pacing around the table, debating whether or not to grab the paper. A glint caught my eye amongst the clutter, a silvery spike with a needle head at the end. I picked up the piece of cold metal just bigger than my hand, and put it in my pocket. I thought it was a knife, but since it was blunt maybe a large needle for crochet.

    It was too dark to see anything on the paper, so I left it where it was. I checked the inside of the wall and found more iron under the staircase. The hand I used to pat around found the lid of the chest and brushed against the lock. Unlike Mother¡¯s, this one felt like a leach was sucking on my palm as mana was pulled from me and into the iron.

    The metal started to warm and I snatched my hand away.

    There was no chance I was going to find a key in the darkness. I sent out one of the flying fox''s mana pulses, the iron stole most of it before it could get back to me.

    I went over and started ascending the steep staircase and into better light. The stairs were short and smoothed out by use. I kept close to the wall with a hand stuck to it since there was no railing to stop me from falling.

    The top area was half covered in wooden planks that supported an empty desk and a weird metallic creation. Open glass windows let in a cool breeze and the sound of rustling leaves. The view outside was mostly those same leaves, and a quick peek at the ground below made me want to sit in the most stable position possible.

    I couldn¡¯t remember being that high up before without branches to block my view of the ground, and break my potential fall.

    The metallic thing was part box at the bottom and part¡­something else. The top half was a very large saucer that pointed out of one of the windows. Feeling around revealed a latch to the box portion; a few wiggles in each direction opened it up. Inside was a dull piece of murky glass sitting on top of a gold plate.

    I picked up the glass and thought it was just the moonlight reflecting off it when it started to glow faintly. Another few seconds of staring confirmed it was glowing brighter, and I quickly placed it back where the light had faded again. I felt a ripple of mana come from the saucer and heard a mimic of my thoughts, conveying intrigue and confusion.

    I took it out of the box and tried holding it again, thinking about how high up I was. Then, I put it back on the gold and heard the apprehension I felt when looking over the edge.

    The people on the other side of the road stopped my third attempt. They were moving across the street to the iron door. Two out of them were the more prominent mages. I cursed myself for playing with something mana-related. I ran down the stairs and stopped halfway, went back up a few steps and stopped again. My excitement at snooping around my discovery was turning to panic.

    They were below, and only windows existed above.

    They¡¯d moved through the iron door and opened another I hadn¡¯t noticed in the far wall, letting white light spill in. Calm voices carried through as I went back up the last few steps and stood by the open window. I¡¯d been joking about jumping out in the inn, but I was ready to test it out now.

    Chairs scraped against the stone floor, and I waited for the footsteps on the stairs to investigate the ripples.

    ¡°Well, Oleza, what is the update on our message?¡± Someone said in a weird accent.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said a woman in a less harsh version of the same accent. ¡°We had to wait a week so they could get to the front of the transmission queue but we got a reply, it was delivered this morning.¡±

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    ¡°Good, show me the letter in a moment. I have the cypher.¡±

    I¡¯d climbed up onto the window ledge to take my feet off the creaky wooden beams when I heard them all sit-down. My arms held the side of the window frame as I crouched in it.

    ¡°Ghaven?¡±

    ¡°We¡ªUh, yes sir¡ªWe had five new mages come through here earlier. Two of the men took offence to my provocation while the others just seemed surprised. Pennie might have more insight to offer,¡± Ghaven said.

    ¡°About the same for me, sir. One man looked ready to jump across the desk at me while the others weren''t impressed about the price differences. They¡¯re sharing a room with a lesser girl that was with them. Maybe bodyguards?¡± Pennie said.

    ¡°Recruitable?¡± Accent asked while someone scoffed about mages being bodyguards.

    ¡°Eh, not sure, sir. Maybe the blonde woman and the baby face boy. Black hair had something weird with her mana and didn¡¯t really react much,¡± Pennie said.

    ¡°Think we need to get rid of them?¡± Oleza asked.

    ¡°Again, might be bodyguards. Someone might miss the lesser and the mages seemed somewhat powerful.¡±

    ¡°If they came through Ghaven¡¯s gate they must be from Greenway, there¡¯s no reputable mage school there. Maybe Black Hair is a private teacher? Was the girl young enough not to come into her blessing?¡± Accent asked.

    ¡°Possibly, sir. Looked like she could be a younger sister.¡±

    ¡°They only requested board for the night,¡± Pennie said.

    ¡°And no interesting conversation at dinner,¡± Oleza said. ¡°We have someone camped out in the room below them, said they used mana shields for privacy.¡±

    ¡°Normal enough I suppose. Make them stay another night, see if we can weed out some prospects,¡± Accent said.

    ¡°Sir, aren¡¯t we already being too aggressive with our recruitment? Killing mages isn¡¯t the same as getting rid of some lesser that heard the wrong thing,¡± Ghaven said.

    ¡°We¡¯re behind schedule, the baron was supposed to be sending sympathisers our way and my superiors don¡¯t care that it¡¯s him delaying us,¡± Accent said. ¡°Next topic.¡±

    ¡°Uh sir, some of the new recruits aren¡¯t showing enough restraint. One openly harassed a lesser woman for rejecting him,¡± Pennie said.

    Oleza scoffed. ¡°They should understand their place in the simple hierarchy. Werl and its self-hating mages have poisoned their minds. Our ancestors should have taken over when they got here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only the end goal, Oleza. Recruits should be able to show restraint till we are ready to be restored as lords,¡± Accent said. ¡°Your great-grandparents were happy enough to lick their wounds in a country that didn¡¯t want their servitude to lessers, it¡¯s only natural their descendants want more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they behave,¡± Oleza said.

    ¡°Show me this month¡¯s ledger,¡± Accent asked. Paper shuffled around and someone asked for the letter opener for the mail. More paper shuffling and mutters made the needle-shaped metal in my pocket feel heavy.

    There was a long discussion between Pennie and Accent on the accounting and finance of the village. Taxes still needed to be paid to the Baron of Kiteer who governed the region and they discussed how to move numbers around to make the tax make sense when adding their payment on top of a reasonable figure.

    They moved on to arguing about who had to infuse all the enchantments and when to set up a time to go around the wall. It had to be far beyond the hour I was given and throwing myself out the window was starting to sound more and more enticing. My muscles were also starting to get sore from holding still for so long.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it there for the night.¡±

    A chorus of yes sirs¡¯ followed with three chairs scraping. The one with the most mana, and who I thought had the weird way of speaking, stayed seated while the others filed out. The door closed with a thud, leaving me feeling conscious of the sound of my breathing and beating heart.

    He breathed out a long sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t have the patience for this shit.¡±

    I almost fell off the window sill when I heard his voice without the accent. It was still strange, but he sounded like he used the proper letters now, like Oleza. There was no time to think about it as he rose and moved towards the stairs. The lock on the chest clicked and the lid hit the wall behind it.

    He started muttering to himself. ¡°Fucking yokels stole my fucking letter opener. Where do they even hope to sell silver in this forsaken settlement?¡±

    The chest slammed shut and the footsteps started up the stairs. I shuffled my feet to turn around and move across the threshold of the window. The footsteps got halfway. I glanced down and slowly put my foot down to try to find a hold. There was a slight gap in the stone blocks, but only enough for the edge of my toes to brush.

    The steps got closer. I pushed for the stone to bend inwards like the trees. Another foot went down as I hung off the open window and outer sill. My fingers were still hanging onto the ledge as I felt the mana move past the window.

    My other foot slipped as I tried to quickly get my hands out of sight from the room and onto their ledges.

    He unlocked the latch of the box while my leg dangled in the air. I somehow had the wherewithal to remove the indents I made in the stone as I went down when I should have been focused on leaving. My foot was crossing the halfway mark down the tower when a much stronger ripple than the ones I had made hit me.

    A simplified rehash of their earlier conversation seared itself onto my sight rather than whispering in the back of my mind.

    My back hit the grass before I even felt my hands and feet slip off the stone. I was still trying to blink away the words and get air back in my lungs when I noticed him moving down the stairs.

    The wall I used to come in was past the doorway my pursuer was about to exit. I staggered to my feet and threw myself against the outer wall of trees and fell through the opening I made.

    Pieces of bark flew past and hit me in the back as a boom sounded behind me. It was the loudest and scariest sound I¡¯d ever heard before. My legs were moving as fast as they could while my ears still rang. I looked behind me to see a flash of light and another loud boom as larger splinters flew off the trees.

    Another flash washed over the area I was running towards. A long series of cracks and creaks had me looking back again. One of the trees had been detached and was slowly falling my way.

    It crashed to the ground behind me as another spell flew to my side and ended in the same flash of light, and a wave of wind, knocking me to the side.

    White light flooded the grassy landscape from above. I squinted up at the mage orb while stumbling into a run. Lines of light zipped past me. My breath hitched as some connected with my back.

    I threw up a wall of dirt behind me and tried to figure out which side of the village I exited from.

    With my best guess, I turned slightly to make my way towards the river that we had been travelling near earlier. I was moving past the white light''s reach and behind shrubs, into the shadows. More lines of light faded into the distance far to my side. My feet slid under me as I ducked into the shrubs around me.

    He wasn¡¯t moving.

    Another flash of light and a loud boom made me flinch, but it was too far away to matter. My breath came out hard and fast. My heart was beating out of my chest, but I found the corners of my lips turned up.

    That had been¡­exhilarating. Not so much the getting flung about part, but getting away from him was.

    Instead of going for the river I crept around the village and entered through the wall again. I¡¯d taken off my cloak to ditch near my entrance when I noticed two singed holes in it. Reaching my hand to my back revealed another two holes in the skin. I poked at the sore spots and they didn¡¯t feel that deep.

    I kept close to the side of the buildings as I moved through the street. It was only a short path to get back to the main road that housed the inn. Lights were on in the buildings yet the path was dark. I could see another white orb in the sky through the two layers of leaves where I had gotten out. There were plenty of mages there and a lot of shouting going on past the intersection I had gone down.

    The inn door was locked, but I went through the wall and let it close behind me. No one was in the staircase or hallway so I walked as fast and quietly as I could to Annalise¡¯s door. I knocked as faintly as possible while letting them still hear it.

    The door cracked open for me to see one of Annalise¡¯s bright blue eyes.

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    She opened the door, grabbed my arm to pull me in and shut it again. Everyone was in the room wearing full armour. I was marched by the shoulders to the bed, spun around, and placed on the edge of it. The mana shield went up around us.

    ¡°You¡­what¡­are you okay?¡± Annalise asked with a sigh after scrunching up her face in a variety of ways.

    ¡°Yeah, fine. I found¡ª¡±

    ¡°What the fuck did you do?!¡± Alisa asked and pulled at a lock of my hair. ¡°You''re covered in dirt and grass. Wood chippings in your hair¡­Is it singed!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°We heard someone throwing around explosive spells, were those at you?¡± Daral asked.

    ¡°Flash of light, loud sounds, and wind?¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡±

    ¡°Shut it,¡± Annalise said. ¡°Let her talk, Ian check her back. Actually, change into your old clothes first. Where¡¯s the cloak?¡±

    ¡°I stashed it outside the walls,¡± I said, pulling my shirt off while Alisa quickly moved a bedsheet in front of me.

    ¡°Outside? Nevermind. Barick, burn that,¡± Annalise said about my borrowed shirt. ¡°Are we in danger of them busting down our doors? How much did they see of you?¡±

    I pulled my old shirt back on and ruffled the wood chips and grass out of my hair. It was annoyingly long.

    ¡°They only saw the back of my cloak which is why I dumped it, sorry. They didn¡¯t see me come back into the village, they still think I¡¯m outside.¡±

    Annalise dropped the shield spell and looked to the door. No one was moving about in the hallway or downstairs. The shield blocked out my senses again after a moment.

    ¡°From the beginning then, Valeria.¡±

    ¡°I found a group of mages heading to the edge of the wall and followed them. There was an area of the wall that was two layers thick so I went through¡ª¡±

    ¡°Through?¡± Annalise asked. ¡°These walls are made with someone else''s mana, you¡¯d have to overpower weeks, maybe months, of mana infusion to take control. Unless you broke it?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good with plants I guess?¡± I said and continued when Annalise shook her head and sighed. ¡°I made a gap that closed behind me and there was this tower inside the clearing that I went into. It had a table with paper all over it.¡±

    ¡°Did you grab any of this paper?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­no. A group of mages came in. It was the man from the gate, Ghaven. The woman from the counter downstairs and two others, Oleza and someone else with a heavy fake accent?¡±

    ¡°Where were you in all this? And how do you know it¡¯s fake?¡±

    ¡°I went up to the top of the tower, there was this transmitter¡ªwait let me finish¡ªit sends out these subtle ripple codes from a crystal you put inside.¡±

    ¡°We know what a transmitter is.¡±

    ¡°Okay well, they had a meeting where Ghaven and Pennie, the woman from the desk, said they purposefully tried to antagonise you to see if you were worthy of being recruited. They then talked about all this other accounting stuff, killing non-mages, paying off the baron and logistics. And then¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no. Not ¡®and then¡¯ explain what you mean by killings and the bloody baron?¡±

 Chapter 17

    I had to answer so many questions about the killings, the baron and if there was a receiver or not before I could go back to my story. Mostly I had to say ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ because¡­I didn¡¯t know. The receiver part was the easiest to answer since I was sure I would have recognised the golden array they talked about.

    ¡°When everyone left the man changed the way he talked for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Before, did he ¡®taulk loik dis¡¯ or more like. ¡®Vhel get on vith eet,¡¯¡± Daral asked with very exaggerated movements of his mouth.

    ¡°The first. I think?¡±

    ¡°Northerner then, probably Oclaran,¡± Daral said.

    ¡°Well, then he came upstairs to use the transmitter so I had to go out the window and climb down but he used it when I was halfway and made me slip and fall the rest. I think he must have heard me then.¡±

    ¡°Transmitters shouldn¡¯t affect you unless you stick your head into the dish, even then it''s a very discreet piece of equipment. You shouldn¡¯t have felt much from how far away you were.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s more sensitive cause of her mana issues?¡± Ian said. I didn¡¯t much like my mana being characterised as an issue. I was starting to fully enjoy it after suppressing it for so long while living with Mother.

    With all the discussion and questions they asked I ended up retelling most of the story with more numbers and details. I was starting to think my storytelling wasn¡¯t great after seeing all the important bits I missed. But in my defence, there was a lot to tell and I hadn¡¯t figured out which to tell first. Also, they kept interrupting me

    The knight and the aspirants kept discussing numbers and combat capabilities while Ian upturned a potion into a cotton rag. I smelt the perfume but didn¡¯t comment on it again and pulled up my tunic so he could see my back to dab at the burns.

    After the discussion ended the shield dropped and I remembered I hadn¡¯t told them about the person below trying to listen in. I waved and enacted putting the shield back up which didn¡¯t work so I had to ask, quietly.

    When I told them about it they looked at me like I was a day late. The mage below was the entire reason for the shield and while they liked that I told them it should have been a lot earlier.

    My storytelling really was terrible.

    The prevailing theory was an Oclaran trying to establish a base near an important supply line to the castle Annalisa¡¯s great-grandfather had taken. They didn¡¯t know why or which faction he belonged to since the supremacism could have still been legitimate. The reason for faking a more pronounced accent was something no one could agree on.

    We were going to stay in the same room with a double watch till morning. Then leave without arousing suspicion to report what we knew back to Drasda. Barick had a weak argument for gathering more information but I¡¯d ruined that by alerting them. I was ready to try to help out in the watch rotation but I had apparently done enough already.

    I flopped onto the bed and winced. I had to turn and lie on my stomach because of the bandage across my back. It was a weird way to sleep but with all the running and stress I was too tired to try to flop around to a new position.

    ¡­

    ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t convince you to stay another night?¡± Pennie asked. ¡°The owner has issued very generous discounts after last night''s mishap.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Annalise said and helped me up onto Missy outside the inn. ¡°We need to get going to Kiteer. We¡¯re expected to be there soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure whoever is expecting you will understand that the roads were too dangerous for travel.¡±

    ¡°We can handle ourselves, even if last night¡¯s incident did involve mages.¡±

    Annalise got up behind me. She was wearing her chest piece under her cloak along with the other three. I was the only one not in a cloak and back in my old clothes to play into being unimportant and different from the intruder. By her rigid posture, I could tell Annalise was tense as we moved down the short road.

    The gate was closed and had an unknown mage stationed near it, trying to turn away grumpy people looking to leave. Including the woman with the wagon from the other evening.

    ¡°You¡¯re not listening!¡± he said. ¡°The gate will remain closed by order of the council.¡±

    The village was still small enough that they didn¡¯t have to elect a mayor and were allowed to run themselves as long as they followed the law. This village definitely wasn¡¯t, at least that¡¯s what Barick kept repeating. The man could be exhausting when he could do nothing but quote legal opinions and regulations.

    We rode to the side of the small crowd and people made way for the horses, especially with Missy leading.

    ¡°What reason do you have for baring people¡¯s exit?¡± Annalise asked.

    The mage craned his neck upwards and squinted into the sun behind us. ¡°The gates have been closed due to an attack last night and potential danger from further attacks on the road.¡±

    ¡°My understanding was that it was not a significant event?¡±

    ¡°No, our mages we¡¯re strong enough to chase away the attacker¡ªs.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve informed the people here of the dangers and they still wish to leave. You can¡¯t block them,¡± she said and glanced behind her to more approaching mages.

    ¡°On the contrary,¡± the man from last night said. ¡°We are under an obligation to protect our inhabitants and we foresee these attacks to put them in unnecessary danger.¡±

    I didn¡¯t dare turn around like Annalise did, despite being curious about what he looked like. ¡°Who might you be?¡±

    ¡°Zara, member of the council that oversees this village.¡±

    ¡°Well, Zara, I¡¯ll escort these people so you can transfer that obligation to me. We have an important contact to meet in Kiteer that we can¡¯t miss over some random hooligans.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t in good conscience leave these people to an unknown guardian.¡±

    Her hand rubbed past the sore spots on my back as she pulled out something from her saddle to show Zara.

    ¡°A graduate from Equitier? While I¡¯m sure you can handle yourself overconfidence has killed many a mage. Do you really want the deaths of these people on your conscience?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to them and me. You don¡¯t want an investigation into kidnapping, do you? People might mention something about explosive spells being flung around within populated areas.¡±

    There was a long silence before the man spoke up again. ¡°Open the gate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Our guards saw some pointed ears among the attackers,¡± he said as the gate creaked open. ¡°Best be on the lookout for them on the road.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re accusing elves of attacking a human settlement?¡±

    ¡°Who can say, it was quite dark at the time.¡±

    Most of the small crowd had moved through the door and no longer blocked our path. Some stayed behind and whispered amongst each other as Missy started to move forward and out the gate.

    I couldn¡¯t help my curiosity and quickly glanced under Annalise¡¯s arm to Zara. I¡¯d built up an expectation of an imposing figure but the man looked thin and pale. His dark blonde hair fell across his face, leaving only one greyish eye looking out over us. The corners of his mouth twitched as he turned away and addressed the mages that had come with him.

    ¡°He thinks he¡¯s clever, accusing the elves,¡± Ian said once we were far enough away. ¡°Thinks that makes it hard for people to act on any reports.¡±

    ¡°Hard to believe people still try to give them a bad name,¡± Alisa said. ¡°They need to stop so we get more coming to Equitier, there¡¯s not enough to go around.¡±

    ¡°Gross,¡± Barick said.

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    ¡°Oh come off it, I¡¯ve seen you stare at Galia.¡±

    ¡°Language like that might be why we don¡¯t get more elves coming here,¡± Annalise said.

    ¡°Really Captain? You only say that because you¡¯re one of the culprits. How is Haradai nowadays?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­he went back home after school¡­and let¡¯s stop objectifying our potential allies,¡± Annalise said.

    ¡°Allies now?¡± Daral asked. ¡°They¡¯re not ones to change willingly. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Father was in talks with them before he fell ill. Oclar is trying to pressure one of their settlements into a trade agreement for different woods. Presumably to build large vessels by what they¡¯re demanding.¡±

    ¡°Shipbuilding wood for what? No chance Andraka lets them build anything bigger than a fishing boat in their channel.¡±

    I felt Annalise shrug behind me and leaned forward so she didn¡¯t agitate my raw skin. ¡°Sorry, Valeria. It was only the start of talks before the curse hit hard. We¡¯re not sure if that''s the real answer or just a pretence for aggression.¡±

    My mood was spoiled for the rest of the morning¡¯s ride. I didn¡¯t want to think about my choice to save the duke. I¡¯d given up telling myself I would use his life as leverage but hadn¡¯t come up with a good way to help myself with the deed. The days I had left to think about it were coming and going quickly.

    I wanted to trust Annalise to give me the gold she promised for helping but didn¡¯t feel comfortable relying on that promise. And from the way the others talked about spending thousands of roe on ¡®rent¡¯ and ¡®tuition.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think it was a long-term solution. Cities sounded scary and someone with no skills would get chewed up and spat out, in the words of Daral.

    I also needed somewhere to reliably store the doll and something to let me live outside of servitude.

    Being a stablehand seemed like my best option so far and I rubbed the side of Missy¡¯s neck when she agreed I would be good at it. Potato thought there were piles of crap bigger than me and I wouldn¡¯t last a week.

    Annalise had seemed uninterested in any talking until after lunch where we had stopped by the river which had looped back towards our path.

    I finished my meal and tried to get up but yanked my head to the side with the hair I had sat on.

    It had happened so many times before and I was usually good at keeping it away but this one instance sent me over the edge. I pulled out the dagger Annalise had left with me and held it up by my neck, next to my bundled-up hair.

    Alisa almost dropped her bowl of rehydrated rations and choked as she tried to swallow quickly. ¡°Wait¡ªwait.¡±

    She had her hands pressed together in a way that wouldn¡¯t let her cast spells, a placating gesture. ¡°You¡¯ll make it uneven if you do that. Let me?¡±

    I removed the dagger from where I had been slowly pressing into the strands. Alisa quickly jumped to a pack on her horse, pulling out scissors and a fine tooth comb. Annalise seemed to think I didn¡¯t need the dagger anymore and took it back to store on her own hip.

    Alisa beckoned me over to sit near her and knelt on the ground behind me. ¡°Have you changed your mind about cutting it?¡±

    While I liked it, trying to deal with the length was getting exhausting. I shook my head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut it to the shoulders and see how you like it.¡±

    I simply nodded and let Alisa start to snip and drag the comb through my hair. It reminded me of the last time someone cut my hair, the day before the doll had been created using it. I tried to push that memory away and focus on how nice the teeth of the comb felt on my scalp.

    I¡¯d always been happy when Trissa did my hair. She might have been disappointed it wasn¡¯t long enough for her more complex braids but she¡¯d understand travelling with it all was a pain. It made me realise why Alisa¡¯s blond hair always stayed bundled up while Annalise had hers above the shoulder.

    It must have all been in my mind because removing some hair shouldn¡¯t have felt like that much weight was gone. Moving my head around was easier. The cool breeze on the back of my neck was comforting. And I could see properly without having to brush strands out of my eyes.

    The compliments on the new look were also nice to hear.

    ¡­

    At the evening camp the woman with the donkey cart, Abela and Diddy, camped near us after Daral¡¯s persuasion. We¡¯d made an effort to stay with the people who left with us this morning despite knowing there was no threat. It added time to our trip but we would have been arriving in Kiteer past the time the gates closed and would have waited till morning anyway.

    Daral managed to trade some of our provisions for cups full of the wine she was carrying. It tasted icky but was less harsh than the alcohol I was used to being around. I was only allowed one cup because I was a ¡®pipsqueak.¡¯ But I still felt light on my feet and warmth in my chest.

    Trying to find the stamina to talk was harder so I sat a bit away from the others who were chatting away. The animals were more relaxing company for the evening.

    The horses didn¡¯t like Diddy much for some reason. I felt bad for the poor guy and leaned against him as the others started a second cup of wine, except Ian who had volunteered to be the responsible one. The donkey let out a long and loud bray when I thought about the time Apple had flung Alisa off her back when an acorn dropped on her rear. I was giggling along as well which confused the others who decided they had given me too much wine.

    Missy countered with how I¡¯d almost fallen off her when sleeping. Diddy brayed with more laughter.

    Such betrayal.

    I ruined everyone''s opinion and goodwill when I let a nearby snake curl around me. The push and pull of its body was fascinating but no one else cared to take up my offer to touch the ¡®highly venomous creature.¡¯ Mages apparently didn¡¯t like the harmful serpents that didn¡¯t have mana for them to easily detect.

    I let go of the lovely creature away from the nasty people and went back to lean against Diddy who I had to twirl for and reassure the snake was gone. He was warm and soft and his breaths lifted me in a smooth rhythm.

    I opened my eyes to Annalise carrying me to a tent and didn¡¯t bother protesting before closing them again.

    ¡­

    My backside was getting used to the long horse rides but I was still excited that the end was in sight. I didn¡¯t know what a train was like but they made it sound many times more comfortable than horseback.

    We¡¯d been passing farms, pastures and grain storage for ages without the city in sight. I gagged and bundled up my shirt over my nose and mouth as we rode past a traditional tannery. We¡¯d been unlucky with the wind direction since it was placed away from the path that had turned cobbled again a while ago. Mages had spells to speed up the process and make it smell less but ¡®ruined the feel of real leather.¡¯ I was already convinced it was a worthy trade off.

    Farmers around us cared more for the horses, their breed and pedigree rather than the mages that rode them. Many used the same rain spells as those back in the town but the water that fell had a weird feeling to it. Ian was confused about what I meant but said it must be the part of the spell meant to linger and keep pests away.

    We crested a hill and I was impressed by the size of the buildings that sprawled out in front of us. I was shocked to learn that it was only the outer city and contained a fraction of the houses and people that were inside the main walls.

    Mentions of the area the fallen capital took up were staggering to try to comprehend.

    The first thing I noticed is how little the people cared about us. No one looked at us and no one cared there were horses on the street they crossed seconds before we passed. People wore clothes in shapes and styles I¡¯d never seen before and I started to understand Trissa¡¯s interest.

    Carts and carriages were able to move past each other in either direction with space to spare for people, stalls and their customers. A few called to us from behind their wares but gave up easily when they saw no one would dismount.

    It felt like the walls suddenly towered over us out of nowhere. Easily overshadowing the three storey buildings against it. It looked to be one solid piece of beige sandstone with the two towers on either side of the gate¡¯s tunnel made out of bricks more for aesthetics than necessity. A set of solid iron doors hung on either side of the tunnel with a line built in the ground for them to swing on. Another set of pointed iron bars hung above the middle section, looking ready to skewer the next passerby.

    Members of The Watch stood in three man groups at each side with a few more leaning over the side of the wall. The mages in the uniform looked indistinguishable from their peers. They looked relaxed with most having left their pikes against a small post to the side.

    We joined the back of a fast moving line into the tunnel. Carts got a peek under the flaps and random barrels were cracked open. Most people walked through without a glance from the Watch members while others were stopped. Back in the town and village, I think I could reliably pick out the mages without using my senses but here some of the dirtiest people had mana while others sitting in carriages had none.

    It was all a bit overwhelming having so many people around. There were just as many critters and animals with far too many emotions scampering and trotting around. A few were sickening but I tried to block them out, I couldn¡¯t feel bad for every mouse caught by the cat.

    I was the only one on horseback as we approached the front of the line with everyone dismounting to better maneuver the horses. Daral¡¯s was a bit spooked from everything going on around us but I calmed him enough to be still.

    Annalise pulled out a large gold coin that had a peculiar mana pattern on it. The watch officer who stopped us glanced at her and held his palm to his heart with a nod. ¡°Captain.¡±

    She returned the nod. ¡°Good morning Officer, do you know when the next train to Drasda will be departing?¡±

    The man shook his head and waved over one of his colleagues who said one was coming in that afternoon from Riker Bay.

    Most light disappeared as we went through the tunnel but I could make out holes in the wall around us. I felt like ducking away from the iron prongs of the middle gate even though they were a full yard above me.

    The sunlight was back in a few steps but I still squinted as we exited. The area beyond the wall was almost identical to that outside but with the street going in a straight line instead of curving. The stone below us looked more worn and the stalls had mostly turned into full shops.

    A loud bang had me ducking into Missy and bracing for the rush of wind that would follow.

    The laughter of children made me look back up. A mage was using a spell to make small explosions in the air that rained down colourful motes of light instead of bright flashes.

    ¡°You okay Val?¡± Annalise asked. I stared at the spell for a bit longer before telling her I was fine.

    ¡°Okay, I trust all of us, except the obvious, knows how to get to a station on time?¡± There was a round of excited nods. ¡°I will leave you behind if you¡¯re not there. I¡¯ll be contacting the local garrison about the village and getting us and the horse''s passage. In the meantime, you¡¯re at liberty to explore.¡±

    ¡°Will the tickets be coming out of our pay?¡± Alisa asked.

    ¡°Not if you take care of Missy and Valeria while I do it. Bonus for whoever does it¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Alisa volunteered and took the reins of Missy. The others were already moving away with Barick and Daral leaving together with Potato who Ian bribed them to handle.

 Chapter 18

    The flood of bobbing heads and rattling wheels had lessened as we moved off the street leading to the gate. Alisa had talked to a passerby for a moment and now looked to be trying to find something along the side streets.

    I stayed atop Missy as Alisa led us on foot further into the city. The doll shouldn¡¯t have been getting too far away and I truly hoped Daral wouldn¡¯t let it get stolen, again.

    I tugged at the reins she was holding to get her attention and leaned down to speak. ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°A cobbler, my boots are killing me and they said there''s a school here that will have cheaper options.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±

    ¡°Some long official name but they said there''s a sign with an unlaced boot and ¡®discounted student services¡¯ written under it.¡±

    The only occupants of the street taller than me were the larger carriages pulled by two or more horses smaller than Missy and Apple. Occasionally we passed people with features I¡¯d very rarely seen before but there were some I hadn¡¯t. A younger group of people were eating at a table outside, some with weirdly coloured hair. Alisa said they dyed it in a similar way that people did clothes and I didn¡¯t know if I was disappointed or not that my dark hair would be harder to colour.

    A lot of the streets looked similar and I could see all the way down them until a wall or another street crossed into it. Signs stuck out above our heads everywhere, all trying to compete to be the most eye-catching. There was an effort to make them all visible to someone like us, looking along the street, with many placed in odd spots to still be visible around others.

    Every so often there was another butcher, another tailor, cobblers, grocers, carpenters, healers, apothecaries and signs with names and symbols I¡¯d never seen before. There were extra doors near these stores that Alisa said went to the living areas in the two or three storeys above the storefronts. People living there wouldn''t need to travel along more than a few streets to get everything they needed.

    Alisa eventually spotted the sign along an almost empty street but there was going to be a problem getting to it. The street beyond us was blocked off by wooden barricades. Probably to keep us away from the people in thick and coarse clothing swarming over the foundations of a half-built structure.

    Mages floated and unshrunk blocks of stone off of a large cart in the middle of the street. Another mage took those blocks and used a spell that had to reduce their weight significantly because someone else was throwing them up to a person on scaffolding near the top of the new building¡¯s wall. I was amazed by the efficiency of them all. We stood and watched an entire row get completed with the last block needing to be cut by a spell to fit into the remaining gap.

    Wet cement was placed onto the stone and into the gaps for another layer to start. Alisa waved over someone going to get more bricks. The young man smiled brightly and wiped away the dust on his face with a cloth from a front pocket. Alisa pointed to where we wanted to go and asked for the easiest directions to get around.

    He waved her off with another smile, moved over one of the wooden barricades and walked us through to the far side of the construction. He was disappointed when Alisa told him she¡¯d only be in the city for the day but was still pleasant in his goodbyes. I looked back when I heard jeers and saw him getting his back clapped by a few of the other workers.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked, obviously missing so many pieces of context.

    ¡°Martin was just asking me to have dinner with him later; I might have said yes if we were in Drasda, but there¡¯s no point out here.¡±

    ¡°Why though, he doesn''t know you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Ah, when people of similar ages like the way another person looks they invite them places to see if they are compatible as a potential partner.¡±

    I slowly nodded. ¡°And the back-slapping?¡±

    Alisa shrugged. ¡°Boys.¡±

    My nodding stopped but continued as I thought of Jacob and Greyson¡¯s behaviour.

    The cobbler¡¯s school took up the space of three normal homes with the centre bit being the entrance. On either side of a door with an ¡®open¡¯ sign were displays behind glass. Inside were all types of footwear from stylized slip on ones to plain knee length boots.

    Alisa held out the reins to me. ¡°Can you watch them for a moment while I go inside?¡±

    ¡°I can.¡± I took the offered reins and watched Alisa disappear into the store to the sound of a bell chime. I shifted and stretched out my back and shoulders from the saddle as much as I could. Half the street was still covered in shade from the rising sun so I got Missy to shuffle over a bit to keep my head in it.

    The horses were unimpressed by how hard the ground was and felt the only good thing about cities was seeing the farrier. I agreed with them on the first point since it meant I had to wear my boots.

    ¡°Wow, aren''t you a big girl?¡± a man said from the other side of the street. ¡°Looking after these beauties all by yourself, are you?¡±

    The small group he was a part of approached us. Apple huffed and moved so they weren''t approaching her from behind since she was facing me and Missy for me to hold her reins.

    ¡°Where are your parents?¡± a woman from the group asked with a smile.

    Two of the four were mages but their mana felt shallow and unmoving. The taller man who had spoken first walked closer and reached out his hand to slowly try to approach Missy¡¯s neck. They were getting too close for the horses liking and Missy started to stomp her front hooves.

    ¡°Oooh, that means they¡¯re irritated. My brothas¡¯ a stable hand, should let me hold onto ¡®em for ya,¡± a second woman said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want them getting away from you and hurting people, do you girl?¡±

    Besides the closer man, the others were a few yards away and had fanned out around us. Apple was backing up and pulling my arm with her. Missy was calm but still kept rearing up slightly to stomp. A few people glanced at us while walking across the opposite side of the street but did nothing more.

    ¡°Go away,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s your fault they¡¯re scared. These horses belong to a knight.¡±

    I¡¯d hoped invoking Annalise¡¯s occupation would stop them, but they pressed forward. We¡¯d already been close to the building and now there wasn¡¯t anywhere else for Apple to back into. Missy was still in line with the road but was preparing to either run or trample them all, depending on what I wanted.

    ¡°Ooo a knight, how important. We like important people. Don¡¯t we, fellas?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how much of the fear I felt was from Apple or my own but I didn¡¯t want them to hurt the horses. I pulled my boot from the stirrup, leant back and kicked out into the man¡¯s face near Missy¡¯s shoulder.

    He¡¯d seen me moving and tried to lean back but it connected well enough for him to stumble. He barred blood-covered teeth at me and moved towards me but a jolt of fright from Apple drew my attention to one of the women grabbing at her satchels. I couldn¡¯t let them take Alisa¡¯s belongings when I was still irked by Daral for the doll being taken.

    While holding the reins I flicked my hand up for the cobble under their feet to jut out from the ground. Half their body was pushed upwards and she fell to the side and scurried away as Apple¡¯s hooves came down next to her.

    The man I¡¯d kicked grabbed my leg and tugged at it away from where Missy could reach. A woman tried to drag me down on the same side but wasn¡¯t tall enough to reach more than the hem of my tunic. I was barely holding onto the saddle and the other stirrup when Missy pitched forward. I felt her intent and heard the grunt as the fourth person took a set of hooves to the chest, for trying to get around us.

    A loud whistle reverberated down the street followed by shouts. The tugging stopped for a moment as we all looked to see the workers running towards us with more climbing down the scaffolding.

    The woman I tripped was the first to stumble to her feet and bolt. The other two followed but the last was still groaning on the ground.

    Thick-soled boots pounded on the ground as the group of workers stopped near us. I still had my arm stretched out trying to hold onto and calm Apple who was throwing her head about.

    Martin helped grab the reins while the others gave us space to not agitate the horses further. Missy was fine and quite proud of herself for the kick which helped Apple relax.

    A bell chimed violently as the door to the cobbler was thrown open. Alisa was walking out with her palm raised and the beginnings of a spell tying together. She froze after seeing all the workers but kept the spell.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Wait! They came to help,¡± I said. ¡°Another group tried to take your bags.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really know what they were trying to do beyond that. There were horses all over the city and I wasn¡¯t sure what taking them would have accomplished.

    Alisa lowered her hand but quickly raised them again when a burly older worker got in her face. ¡°How are you going to leave a young girl out alone like that? You know what kind of danger you put her in? I should be calling the Watch on you instead of this sorry lump.¡±

    He motioned to the person with limp limbs that two other workers held up.

    ¡°I was only gone for a second,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°And that¡¯s all it takes for someone to snatch her.¡±

    ¡°Me? What would they want me for?¡± I asked.

    Before anyone could answer¡ªif they were going to at all¡ªa person in a large leather apron came out with a pair of boots in one hand and a wooden contraption in the other.

    ¡°Ah, here''s your order,¡± he said to Alisa and handed over the boots. ¡°Is this the girl?¡±

    The older man was still towering over Alisa as she answered. ¡°Thank you and yes, that''s her.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon Benji, lay off. The horses pretty much had it handled,¡± Martin said.

    Benji backed off but mumbled about having already raised his kids and didn¡¯t need the stress of watching over someone else¡¯s.

    ¡°Can you teach me how to do that whistle,¡± I asked Martin, who was still holding onto the reins.

    The cobbler used the wooden thing to measure my boot size and went back in to get the correct pair. I¡¯d tried to tell Alisa I didn¡¯t need any but she said I would have to take it up with Annalise since they were her orders. She already looked grumpy at me for keeping Martin around to show me how to do more than blow air between my fingers so I didn¡¯t press the issue.

    ¡°So, does this qualify me for dinner?¡± he asked Alisa after I made the faintest whistle.

    She signed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being evasive back then, I really am leaving this afternoon.¡±

    I took my fingers off of my lips. ¡°It¡¯s true, she said if you lived back in Drasda she would have¡ªow!¡±

    ¡°I suppose that makes the rejection hurt a little less,¡± Martin said with a palm over his heart. ¡°Can¡¯t compete with distance like that. Hope you both have safe travels.¡±

    He handed the reins back to Alisa and left back to his crew who had gotten an officer of The Watch over by them.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I tried to fight them off and think we would have been fine even if the workers hadn¡¯t come.¡±

    ¡°No, no. He was right, I shouldn''t have just left you. And using combat spells in city limits would have been troublesome, even freecasting like yours. Anyways, I shouldn¡¯t have left you out here alone. Are you okay? Your tunic looks torn.¡±

    I decided to keep quiet about the magic I had used and discreetly lowered the cobblestone back down. No one seemed to have noticed the weird stone with Apple standing over it now. And Alisa didn¡¯t care about the mana¡ªif she felt me use it at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± I turned to see a tear up the side of my tunic where the woman had tried to grab me. One of her nails had made an angry red line down my skin as well.

    ¡°Well the captain told me to get you suitably dressed so don¡¯t worry about it. And before you complain they might not let you in the train dressed like that even with a knight captain at your side.¡±

    My new boots were brought outside so the shop and Alisa didn¡¯t have to deal with anyone trying to steal me or the horses. I asked the person if there was any way to have boots made of something other than an animal. He thought about it for a moment and Alisa gave me an exasperated look as he went inside to ask his mentor.

    A while later a simple answer was passed along, ¡®no.¡¯

    ¡°Why¡¯d you ask that? Same reason you don¡¯t seem to like eating meat?¡± Alisa asked as we rode towards a tailor the shop recommended.

    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t like animals dying.¡±

    Alisa tilted her head to either side. ¡°I can see why you''d feel that way considering where you grew up but that forest was peaceful compared to others. There are a lot of animals that don¡¯t mind chomping on people.¡±

    ¡°Because people try to live where they already are.¡±

    Alisa shook her head. ¡°If we avoided every area, every migration pattern and roaming territory then we¡¯d have nowhere for ourselves. They¡¯re bigger than us and sometimes better at using mana than us, we¡¯re not always the big bad monster.¡±

    ¡°Well when we find one of those I¡¯ll happily turn them into a new pair of boots,¡± I said and stuck my leg out to show off the polished leather that fit snuggly up to my shin. These ones didn¡¯t pinch my toes as much as the scratched and faded pair I¡¯d placed into a satchel.

    I had no idea how to use reins despite sitting behind them for days so I let Missy do most of it. She was better at the little movements and following behind Alisa wasn''t hard for the clever creature.

    I let my eyes wander over the different people and wondered how many of them would do the same thing as the group before. When I thought back I felt more disappointed with those that looked at me struggling and ignored me. The workers must have come running as soon as they saw so I wasn¡¯t sure why no one else had.

    The tailoring store was close and easier to find. It was a lot smaller than the cobbler and without any glass displays. Alisa helped me down from Missy and decided to be the one to wait outside this time. I glanced down at the open sign and pushed the door.

    It didn¡¯t budge.

    I looked back to Alisa, confused since there was an open sign right there. She pulled at the air in front of her with a smirk.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I closed the door behind me and a lot of light vanished from the room. There was still plenty to see but the room felt dimmer compared to the sunny street.

    ¡°Welcome, how can I help you?¡± a boy said as he stood from behind a similar counter I had sat behind at Pilim¡¯s shop.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah? Pick up, order or just here to get out of the midday sun?¡± The boy sat back down and leaned onto the counter.

    ¡°Order?¡± That sounded the most like what I needed to do from my limited time in a tailoring shop.

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    The clothes on display weren¡¯t frilly things pinned onto fabric torsos but racks of tunics, shirts, dresses, and pants hanging up along one wall. There were plenty of different colours and the sizing gradually changed from what a child could wear all the way up to the burly worker. The other side also had the same type of fabric the workers had been wearing.

    I walked over to one that looked like pants combined with an apron that would hang off your shoulders. It didn¡¯t seem to cover much of the top but one of the workers had been wearing something similar with a shirt under it.

    I pointed to them and was about to ask the boy about the price when I saw he was scowling at my feet. ¡°Get outta here before I call the Watch you fucking thief.¡±

    ¡°Hey! What kind of language is that?¡± a woman shouted from an open doorway behind him.

    ¡°They¡¯re wearing stolen shoes, Mum! They want to take some of our overalls.¡±

    A woman who looked similar to the boy with his brownish-blonde hair walked in and looked me up and down. ¡°Thieves usually run when you accuse them. She¡¯s just scared my deranged son is shouting at her. What are you looking for, dearie?¡±

    I wanted to clear up that I wasn¡¯t a thief so I pointed to the door to explain. ¡°I¡­um¡­.¡±

    The woman walked to the door, looked outside and then exited with the door swinging shut behind them. The boy glared at me while I tried to ignore him. This felt like Pilim¡¯s shop with Jaqalin all over again.

    The door opened again and the woman walked in. ¡°Brandon apologise to Valeria and go iron the entire pile up we have back there.¡±

    Brandon opened his mouth and looked ready to protest before his mum levelled a glare at him. ¡°Sorry, Valeria.¡±

    He slipped off the stool and sulked into the back.

    ¡°Name''s Malory, your friends told me what to get you but to let you pick out the specifics. You like those?¡± she asked and pointed to the overalls.

    I nodded.

    ¡°What colour? We got blue, black and brown.¡±

    ¡°Black.¡±

    ¡°Alrighty then, hop up onto this block here for me. Got to get your measurements.¡±

    I trotted over and stood atop the wooden block. Malory brought out a string and looped it around me at different points and along my body. She moved over to a paper and pencil to jot down numbers that made no sense to me. Why she needed so many different measurements for my torso was beyond me.

    She poked me in the stomach after and asked if she needed to go beat some sense into my caretaker outside for not feeding me enough. I tried to persuade her that I¡¯d actually gained a lot of weight but that didn¡¯t help at all.

    She sat me down on a stool and shoved a bar made of oats into my hands while she gathered the items she needed and made some quick alterations. I took a small nibble to check it wasn¡¯t about to dry my entire body out like the last one. It was good and had fruits inside.

    Thin pants, underthings, a short sleeved brown shirt and the black overalls were thrust at me as well as extras for everything besides the overalls placed on a counter. She insisted I change and led me to a small curtained off area to do so.

    I took out the only items I had on me, the coin, letter opened and ring and placed them on a small stool inside. Putting on the new underthings was interesting and I had to ask Malory how the top was supposed to work. She had me turn around and guided my hands and fingers into putting the clasp together. Once on they were a lot more comfortable than my last pair and even Trissa¡¯s sister¡¯s. Everything else was simple to get into.

    I laced up my boots again and bent my knees in the stiff overall fabric. It wasn¡¯t too restrictive and I smiled at how everything fit so nicely. There were plenty of deep pockets in them for me to put back my items and I finished by tucking the speckled rock around my neck into the shirt.

    Malory spun me around when I exited and adjusted the shoulder straps before nodding in approval. She snatched the other clothes I was carrying for ¡®disposal,¡¯ despite me saying I might need them again.

    I walked out to a small set of claps from Alisa who then frowned at the invoice Malory handed her. Some silver and bronze were handed over while Missy wanted to know what the overalls would taste like but I pushed her head away from me. Alisa got a few roe back in change and put my extra clothing into a bag.

    ¡°I have enough roe leftover for lunch if you don¡¯t need anything else.¡±

    New clothes and boots were things I hadn¡¯t thought I needed to begin with so I shook my head and tried to pull myself back onto Missy. The overalls stopped my legs from lifting as much and Alisa had to drop down to help me.

 Chapter 19

    The stall we found for lunch was beside a park whose greenery looked out of place amongst the stone and timber houses. A group of mages were growing new trees and fresh fields of flowers on one side. It looked like a job I would enjoy.

    More families were walking about here compared to the rest of the city. Small domesticated animals roamed around at the heels and on the shoulders of their presumably owners. Most of the dogs and other walking animals had harnesses and leashes but seemed content with them.

    The few pets I¡¯d seen around town hadn¡¯t had them but I conceded it made sense with so many people around as I watched a small child narrowly avoid getting bitten after he yanked a dog''s tail. Maybe the children were the ones who needed leashes if that''s how they behaved.

    The mage behind the stall had a floating flame searing a slab of meat that he was carving pieces off of into flatbread. I went with the charred vegetables by themselves and so did Alisa, which I found strange.

    A few off-duty officers of The Watch had set up an area in the park where people could pay to have horses, carriages, belongings and even children looked after while shopping. I still insisted on sitting close and within sight of Missy and Apple.

    Alisa didn¡¯t seem to understand that I wouldn¡¯t trust them to do their job. I was starting to see that the officers in the city were more relaxed and kind¡ªso far. The ones in the town had been quite rude and unlikable whenever I or others interacted with them.

    Just as I was taking my first bite a loud whistle sounded from far away and then again. I frowned, Martin had tried his best but I didn¡¯t think there was any chance I¡¯d ever be as loud as that.

    ¡°Train¡¯s here,¡± Alisa said.

    ¡°Oh. We don¡¯t have to hurry then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take some time for them to unload supplies and for everyone to get theirs on.¡±

    The flatbread and vegetables started to drip down grease and sauce as I chewed into it. I quickly leant forward so none of it got on my clothes. I noticed Alisa wasn¡¯t eating as I tried to bite off all the areas the dripping was coming from.

    ¡°I wanted to¡­apologise,¡± Alisa said while I turned to look at her with stuffed cheeks.

    After chewing through most of it I answered, assuming she was talking about earlier. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you had to go get your boots and nothing bad happened.¡±

    ¡°No, not for that but yes I¡¯m also sorry for leaving you alone. For the other night, when I used that same spell the guy is using to cook the meat to¡­hurt you. I deeply apologise for what I must have put you through.¡±

    I shrugged and took another bite. What was someone supposed to say to an apology?

    Saying it was okay about the cobbler thing was easy because I didn¡¯t care and while I didn¡¯t remember much from the courtyard I did remember the pain, vividly. I was annoyed at myself for not being more upset about what she did. Even more so for letting Daral threaten me and for giving up the sliver of loathing that I had felt for Barick.

    I still didn¡¯t like him very much but they had been nice otherwise, helpful even, like Alisa had been today.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Alisa nodded and went to eat her lunch. Saying my first thought that it was fine probably would have extended the awkward affair. But it did feel nice that she felt bad for what happened.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure in his own weird way Barick also regrets hurting you.¡±

    Somehow I couldn¡¯t imagine him saying that.

    I didn¡¯t have an appetite anymore but I chewed through the last few bites and got some water to clean off my hands. I looked around and pointed off to another stall selling fruit. ¡°Can I buy the horses some apples?¡±

    ¡°Sure, here.¡±

    I held out cupped hands for her to tip a bunch of bronze coins into and walked out of the park. The lady at the stall brought out a few bruised fruit I could get for half the price once I mentioned they were for horses. I left with three apples and two bananas stretching out my fingers as I tried to hold and balance all of them.

    The officer at the gate let me through with a nod and smile that I was happy to return. The four horses near the troughs got excited when I approached them with my treats. Missy behaved and Apple attempted to but the other two were a bit much before I threatened to withhold said treats if they didn¡¯t relax.

    I split one of the apples almost perfectly in half and held out a piece in each hand for Missy and Apple first. Then repeated that for the other two who gently took the offering. I bit into my own apple and avoided the bruise other people spent double to avoid.

    The bananas were next to go once they started to get huffy about me taking too long to eat with my ¡®baby human teeth.¡¯ I almost wanted to peel them for myself after that thought. I did end up eating some of Missy¡¯s half as tax since she wanted me to peel it for her after I had put that idea into her mind. They were apparently too bitter for her taste.

    Alisa finished and we started making our way towards the train station. I was quite excited to see what this thing was that could take hundreds of people across the duchy in a matter of days.

    We had to cross through Old Town to get to the station in the south. The streets there were more winding and worn with the remnants of the original wall still around from when they knocked it down to make way for more buildings. I could see the top of the castle where the Baron stayed in the distance. One of the towers had the receiver that had been described to me and I wondered what kind of information I could get from being near it.

    We passed the edge of a gated district with larger houses and private gardens. There were almost no people walking or carts but a lot more closed carriages. The few people that were on foot had similar uniforms that Alisa called servants. I wondered if I¡¯d have to wear one of those at the duke¡¯s estate. Brief plans of taking the doll and running flittered into my thoughts but it felt too tiring to think about.

    We crossed over a set of tracks for the train on our way to the station. Two lines of steel stretched out until it curved out of view with wooden beams placed between, all sitting on a bed of gravel.

    ¡°And that goes all the way from Riker''s Bay to Drasda?¡± I asked, stunned. ¡°And that¡¯s meant to be a few days'' horse ride either way?¡±

    Seeing the amount of material used and how long it would have taken to make it was astonishing.

    ¡°It then goes to connect to the other main cities in each duchy. Give it a week or two and we could be all the way in the south on a beach.¡±

    She spent the rest of our ride trying to describe what a beach was and then the sea and why people found it enjoyable to be there. As soon as she described some of the sea''s inhabitants having rows of serrated teeth and others being as large as a castle, I decided I did want to visit.

    The station was a large complex surrounded by a smaller version of the sandstone walls with an out of place metal sheet as a roof. Large wooden doors were swung open with the steel tracks leading into them.

    A few Watch members sat atop the wall while some of their colleagues were positioned by a smaller gate with a line of people filtering through them. They waved us through without fuss and directed us to the third platform where the train was waiting.

    The train was as described, metal and wooden boxes all connected together. Some with windows and others with large metal doors that I could see other horses and crates being loaded into up a ramp. The tracks looped back and forth in the station with more of the engines and carriages off to the side under the large roof.

    A small group of people with bags and other luggage waited off to the side while more trickled out of one of the carriages. The others were already waiting on the platform with a bunch of other knights all in their full insignia, Ian was by himself with Potato and workers loaded and unloaded bags into the train.

    Daral and Barick were off to the side with a group of six other aspirants who had no insignia on their hats. Missy spotted Annalise and started to canter over to her. I quickly got over the shock from the sudden movement and tried to bribe Missy into slowing down. The banana tax almost cost me but I told her Annalise wouldn¡¯t be happy if she rode into the people moving crates onto the train.

    Missy slowed down but Annalise had already turned from her conversation with three other knights. Two with silver bands and another with the same gold as her. Missy snorted as she got to her rider and lowered her head to be pet. Annalise happily complied and ran her hands up and down the horse''s neck.

    ¡°Oh, I missed you too girl. How was she, Valeria?¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I turned to see Alisa dismount and start to walk towards us. ¡°I think you should ask Alisa.¡±

    Annalise narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because she wanted to have a chance to explain things before I made them sound bad.¡±

    The chuckling coming from the men and woman behind her didn¡¯t give me much confidence that I was succeeding.

    Alisa stopped with Apple, palm over heart. ¡°Captain Riker, Captain, Knights.¡± Each group got a nod and returned it.

    ¡°Val was just telling me how she wasn¡¯t supposed to make something sound bad. What is that something, Aspirant?¡±

    ¡°Might I first say I completed the task you set for me, doesn¡¯t she look cute?¡± Alisa said and gestured to me. ¡°But during the accomplishment of that task a few lowlifes accosted Valeria and the horses but there was no theft or injuries¡ªexcept for one of them who''s in custody after taking a set of hooves to the chest.¡±

    ¡°I think next time you should just let her tell the story and not make us all worry someone got kidnapped,¡± the other captain said with a laugh.

    ¡°The worker outfit is a style choice then?¡± the male knight asked.

    ¡°It actually works quite well as casual clothing, better than these capes they still have us wear,¡± the female knight said.

    ¡°We ran into some construction workers and I think she might have taken a liking to them. May I ask why we have so many Knights here?¡± Alisa asked while glancing over at the eight other apprentices.

    ¡°Knight Damof is here for normal guard duty for some of the train¡¯s cargo while Captain Leonarda and Knight Bowfore are here to escort a potential cure,¡± Annalise said.

    ¡°For...?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What about the garrison and Ian¡¯s task?¡± Alisa asked.

    ¡°I was just about to tell the others about the first part but it can wait till we sit down,¡± Annalise said. ¡°Can you unsaddle these two and get the belongings inside? We have the fourth carriage to ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    I held out my hand for Annalise to help me drop down and wasn¡¯t sure where to go after that. To Daral, Barick and their group, unpack heavy satchels with Alisa or Ian who looked like he needed help with Potato. I was about to go with the latter when the other captain held out his fist to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Leonarda or just Aaron. Captain Riker was just telling us about you. I was sceptical on why she''d think to send a young civilian for information gathering but I think I understand now.¡±

    I looked to his outstretched fist and then to Annalise for help.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mage¡¯s handshake, take your first and hit the top of his and then let him do it back. You can¡¯t cast spells well like that compared with a normal handshake.¡±

    As she said, after softly tapping the top of his fist with my own he did it back. The captain¡¯s hand could easily engulf my whole fist and I was sure his hairy forearms were thicker than my legs. He had his dark hair shaved on the parts uncovered by his floppy hat and facial hair that looked prickly on his darkly tanned skin.

    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating,¡± Knight Bowfore, the female knight, said. ¡°I can¡¯t sense she¡¯s there even when looking right at her.¡±

    ¡°How can she free cast without pronounced mana reserves?¡± the other asked.

    Aaron put a hand on the younger knight''s shoulder. ¡°Sorry it¡¯s just interesting to us, I¡¯m sure it feels differently for you since you can¡¯t use spells. We were also sorry to hear about your captivity and glad to see that you seem to be in good spirits. I think we¡¯ll have to thank you as well if the alchemist can make a cure with the information you provided¡±

    It sounded like Annalise had kept the description of me helping the witch short. Also, two apologies in one afternoon was a bit much.

    ¡°Thank you?¡± I said while trying to figure out which bit of information it was that Ian had found useful. There were still a few books left but they were all boring to him and like the others, didn¡¯t have a cure different to what I had told Annalise.

    Potato looked to have gotten away from Ian and came up to our group. He nudged at me with his nose and snorted, pleading with me to convince his rider not to make him get into the metal box.

    I gently shushed him and ran my hands down his neck.

    ¡°He seems scared of going in there.¡±¡ªI pointed towards the ramp¡ª¡°Is there another carriage horses can use?¡±

    ¡°Sadly not I¡¯m afraid, the poor chap will just have to be sedated if we can¡¯t convince him to get it. It¡¯s specially designed for the horses as well, nothing to be afraid of once he gets in.¡±

    It¡¯s my first time on a train too, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll make him get you all of the fruits when we get off.

    Potato huffed and tried to chew on my clothes but I pushed him away and shooed towards the ramp.

    ¡°I was already convinced about her being good with horses after she came in riding a war horse so casually but that sealed it,¡± Bowfore said.

    ¡­

    I was draped over Annalise¡¯s lap with my eyes squeezed shut and feeling abhorrent for the disgusting lies I had told Potato. It was not okay. Nothing was okay.

    It felt like someone had forced a barrel of wine into me, spun me around and then thrown me into a wall.

    I¡¯d thrown up all my lunch and more in the carriage¡¯s bathroom at the start of the journey. Annalise said it was normal for some people to feel sick and got me to sit facing forward, focusing only on the people in the carriage and breathing deeply.

    It didn¡¯t help. She tried healing me but the spell found nothing to latch onto.

    I could feel every bit of ground race past us and disappear before my mind could fully comprehend it. The mana just kept coming and going endlessly. The faintest words and shallow emotions touched my mind as the animals they belonged to were left behind.

    I wished for nothing but the silence that¡­that mana shield had provided.

    ¡°Shield,¡± I mumbled while patting Annalise¡¯s leg.

    It wasn¡¯t nearly quick enough but one appeared around us and I slowly opened one of my eyes.

    ¡°The shield makes sense if you consider she might have a severe case of city rush,¡± Aaron said.

    All I could see from under the table were three sets of legs probably belonging to Aaron, Damof and Bowfore who I think I had replaced by lying next to Annalise.

    The carriage we were in had sections with two long plush seats near a bolted down table with a large window spanning the whole section. This repeated three times for one side of the carriage with a narrow corridor on the other, leading to doors on either side. The apprentices and I had initially taken up the two other tables with the knights and captains in the middle. All of us were eager to hear what news Annalise had about the village.

    I ruined that when we started gaining speed and I needed to scramble out of my seat, over Alisa, to get to the toilet we had walked past when boarding. I initially stumbled the wrong way as only one of the sides contained a lavatory and then spent a long time over the toilet with, I think, Alisa holding my hair.

    ¡°We¡¯re not in a city though and the worst that gets it is a mild headache even for mages who can¡¯t limit who they¡¯re sensing,¡± Bowfore said.

    ¡°We know nothing of her disability, it could be more susceptible to ambient mana,¡± Damof said in his deep voice.

    ¡°It can hardly be called that and let¡¯s not use that word with her being right here,¡± Annalise said as she ran her hand through my hair.

    ¡°Agreed. The apprentices aren¡¯t going to be happy about missing out on the rest of the story,¡± Aaron said.

    ¡°Probably for the best, by the sounds of it we don¡¯t want the whole school to know by the time classes start,¡± Bowfore said.

    ¡°Is it okay for her to?¡± Damof asked.

    I didn¡¯t want to hear anything at all but as long as she kept the shield up around me I would suffer through their conversation.

    ¡°She did get the information to begin with,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Go ahead, Annalise.¡±

    ¡°I went to see the general of the Kiteer garrison, he already knew about the Oclaran mages out in Tamil, just not exact numbers and the transmitter was news to him,¡± Annalise said. ¡°They said the Baron is also aware and they¡¯re coordinating an effort to send real sympathisers as well as our mages to eventually take them all down.¡±

    ¡°Sounds smart,¡± Aaron said. ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°But he wasn¡¯t aware of any payment being sent over and the Baron wants to send The Watch in and not the military since they¡¯re still Werl citizens.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like much of a political win,¡± Bowfore said. ¡°Especially with everything that can go wrong, Watch officers aren¡¯t meant for mage versus mage engagements.¡±

    ¡°Unless you consider his nephew is a chief of one of the precincts,¡± Annalise said. ¡°A nephew he¡¯s positioned as his successor.¡±

    ¡°Welp sounds like the real mages need to come in and sort it all out,¡± Aaron said while cracking his knuckles.

    ¡°We¡¯d need my father''s permission for that.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll get it once he¡¯s cured,¡± Aaron said. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about these two, the other captains and I have cleared them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re knights, I trust them. But we should still keep it from the other aspirants. Mine know but I''ve told them not to say anything about it.¡±

    ¡°How did they find out?¡± Bowfore asked.

    Annalise¡¯s hand stilled on my head. ¡°They got Valeria to translate some of the witch¡¯s books since she was using her as a servant and scribe. I was in a meeting with the Mayor and didn¡¯t know Val existed when I tasked them with sorting through all the cursed stuff.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the school will love it if you hand over all the cursed items afterwards, they¡¯re always running out of training aids,¡± Aaron said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see if Ian will get another set printed for the alchemy department as well, they were a lot of books he seemed very interested in.¡±

    ¡°Does he think his cure will work?¡± Bowfore asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long shot, but I¡¯m hopeful. We¡¯re missing a key ingredient but Ian doesn¡¯t see how it could be important, Valeria says it is but we¡¯ll see what he can do. He¡¯s got a trace amount of blood from the axe that was only washed with water and a few drops from the execution site.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t realised Ian had found some blood. Maybe he could find a way to bypass the willingness aspect of the cure or maybe the blood would be enough on its own. It made me feel better that I might not be expected to help directly. The longer I was too scared to tell the truth the worse it would be to eventually reveal it.

    I bolted upright and whacked my head on the edge of the table as my thoughts inevitably went to the doll before my mind caught up. I''d meant to check where it was and had forgotten but It had to be on the train otherwise I would be suffering¡ªmore than I already was¡ªby now. I could hear the others grimace as Annalise held my head.

    ¡°That was loud.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said and laid back down.

 Chapter 20

    Aaron kept flicking through his three cards, probably trying to decide how badly he wanted to win this trick. I¡¯d already played my best trump card so I chewed on my inner lip, hoping it wasn¡¯t that badly.

    ¡°Can you just stop pacing, sit down and play briscola with us?¡± he asked Damof, who was walking up and down the carriage.

    ¡°They should have passed us by now,¡± he said and turned to continue his pacing.

    We had stopped at a passing loop since another train from Drasda was supposed to be coming up at the same time. Judging from when Damof started to pace up and down the carriage, they were supposed to have passed us a while ago.

    I was happy for the break and spent more time gazing out at the endless hills, trees and shrubbery than my cards. It was disappointing I couldn¡¯t watch it all pass by while we were moving.

    Annalise was probably also enjoying the break since the few hours of holding up the shield must have been draining. Bowfore had volunteered to take over but Annalise said she still had plenty of mana to spare. Hers was harder to judge than the others but I hadn¡¯t noticed it dipping low.

    I frowned as Aaron placed a trump card higher than mine and collected the hand. He wiggled his eyebrows at me as he started the next trick.

    ¡°We might have to stay here overnight if they don¡¯t pass soon,¡± Damof said.

    ¡°I always said the Duke shouldn¡¯t have let them unionise. Can you imagine what Commander Faraya would say if we told her we wouldn¡¯t work overnight?¡± Aaron said.

    ¡°In this case, it would be our laws since we can¡¯t pass through the Red Forest so close to dusk. Speaking of, maybe something happened to them on their way through.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe they got held up at the station for a hundred other reasons.¡± .

    ¡°Captain. I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to let this go are you?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°Fine, get the apprentices up on the roof. I¡¯m sure at least one of them can do a spying glass spell.¡±

    I threw down my last card and won the hand but wasn¡¯t happy about it since there were almost no points. ¡°Can I go up with them?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to eat anything?¡± Annalise asked. ¡°You still look pale.¡±

    Even thinking about eating made my stomach lurch so I shook my head.

    The loud whistle of a train blew in the distance and I wondered if the mages up in the engine would show me what they used to make it, since it wasn¡¯t a spell.

    ¡°Delay that order,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Your missing train is here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still not going to have enough time.¡±

    Aaron shrugged and dealt us another trick. The other train soon passed beside us on the main track. It rhythmically thunked as it dragged a trail of barely visible steam behind it.

    A mage in charge of water spells and another in charge of fire spells made steam. That part was simple and easy to understand, how that suddenly managed to move the monstrosity of metal and wood was truly magical to me. Especially when weight reduction spells were only used when carrying a carriage full of shrunken cargo.

    The sound of the train fading into the distance came in on a gust of wind as one of the train¡¯s staff opened the door leading to the carriage ahead. I disagreed with how it was described to me since where it really led to was a gap someone could easily fall into.

    ¡°Knight Damof, we have the journey time remaining at an hour ten and sunset in around forty. The conductor has decided we will remain here and make the Red crossing in the morning.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no chance I can send some of the apprentices and speed things up in the engine?¡± Aaron shouted into the conversation going on behind his seat.

    ¡°That would be breaking half a dozen duchy and union rules even if it was possible, sir,¡± the staff member said back.

    ¡°Thank you, let the conductor know we¡¯ll have extra for the night¡¯s watch with so many knights aboard,¡± Damof said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll appreciate that being so close to the forest,¡± the staff member said and left out the next door.

    ¡°Well reinstate my previous order, apprentices outside and prepping for a night encampment. The buggers are starting to annoy me, why did we even bring our own set of apprentices, Bowfore?¡±

    ¡°Because they were annoying the castle staff since they had nothing to do,¡± Bowfore said and turned in her seat. ¡°Ryder, Kian and Jen, you''re with Damof.¡±

    ¡°Barick, Daral and Alisa you three are under Damof¡¯s direction for the night as well,¡± Annalise said.

    ¡°You¡¯re two are horrid for that,¡± Damof said before trying to get the nine apprentices seated. There was a commotion about finding hats, reattaching swords and unruffling capes before they quietened down.

    He started issuing directions and I perked up when hearing they were letting the horses out for the night. I couldn¡¯t sense them from where they were at the back and I wanted to go check on Potato.

    A set of ripples washed over us. The locks were being disengaged and the staff should let people know they could disembark.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why they can¡¯t just use the codes we already have,¡± Aaron complained. ¡°Damof, what does this one mean?¡±

    ¡°We can exit,¡± Damof said. ¡°Anyone who I forgot to give a task to come see me, off with the rest of you.¡±

    I¡¯d tried to listen into the conversation of the leaving apprentices when we¡¯d stopped but they were all talking about their experiences at Equitier. The only clear division being one group made up of third years moving to a new campus and the other having been there for a year already.

    I had heard Barick say our trip had been mostly uninteresting besides running into some Remnants. That shocked me and I was going to ask how he could possibly feel that way.

    Then I thought about it. He wouldn¡¯t want to talk about the night in the forest. He didn¡¯t know about Daral sleeping through the watch and the doll being stolen. He didn¡¯t help in the village and his trip in the city was probably uneventful. It really was a peaceful journey for him.

    ¡°Val it¡¯s your turn,¡± Annalise said and nudged me.

    I didn¡¯t think too much about which card and quickly played it. ¡°Why is Damof the one doing everything?¡±

    ¡°Seniority,¡± Bowfore said and played her card. ¡°He graduated last year so he gets to do the crappy tasks.¡±

    ¡°You graduated a year before him,¡± Annalise said with a laugh.

    ¡°Yeah and you only a year before that,¡± Bowfore said and froze mid card placement. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªImply that I didn¡¯t deserve my captaincy?¡± Annalise said without looking up from her cards. ¡°I took the joke in the spirit it was given, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Thank you, ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll go help out Damof.¡± Bowfore placed her last card down, put on and straightened her cap, and then left.

    ¡°What are your hat things even called?¡± I asked.

    Aaron laughed and held his out to me. ¡°They¡¯re knight berets, if you want one you¡¯re going to have to go to Equitier and get through to your third year. Otherwise, you can settle for worse variants in the other branches.¡±

    ¡°Valeria, do you mind going outside so I can talk with Captain Leonarda?¡± Annalise asked after I handed back the beret.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said and made my escape. I¡¯d wanted to leave as soon as I felt the ripples but thought it might have been rude.

    I stopped in the doorway as a wave of heat hit me. From the position of my seat, I hadn¡¯t been able to see out the window and down to where the apprentices had gone.

    One was throwing a stream of flame onto the dense shrubbery. Two more kept the fire contained and pushed away the smoke and ash. I felt another on the roof of the carriage above using some sort of spell that made things seem closer than they were.

    Further away, spells were being used to dig out a deep pit.

    In an area already burnt and cleared a fire pit and long sections of compacted dirt for seating were being made. Ian was already seated, looking over a sheet of paper with his legs crossed. He¡¯d gone to a separate carriage to be around ¡®more polite company¡¯ when we had boarded.

    Towards the front and further along the train, staff members were being swarmed by disgruntled passengers stepping off from their carriages or shouting from the doorways. Promises of blankets and a free meal were thrown around to try to quell the gathering crowd.

    I frowned at all the scared critters fleeing from the burning brush. It turned to a scowl when spells that cut up the ground were thrown towards a few of them. I thought about tripping the pair responsible but didn¡¯t want them to fall and accidentally cast one of them towards the train.

    Alisa and Daral already had some of the horses out of a carriage further down. I stepped over and sometimes onto the dense brush that came up to my knees, glad for my thicker clothing.

    Potato was just being led out as I got close. I reached out to ask if he was okay, apologised and reminded him that there was fruit waiting for him at the end of this ordeal.

    His traitorous sentiment mostly concerned how nice the gentle rocking of the box was and looking forward to the fruit. The rest of the horses also wanted to know where the fruit was and threw their heads about and snorted.

    I was upset that I¡¯d lost who I was going to complain about my horrible journey with. Potato didn¡¯t care much beyond the fruit but Missy came up to nudge me. She lay beside me and I climbed up to sit on her back with my legs off to one side. Alisa, Daral and other train staff were trying to lead the horses to where the apprentices were creating the troughs and posts.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Missy easily stepped over the terrain towards the growing clearing. The sun was casting long shadows with an orange glow around them against the train. I shielded my eyes to look over the endless expanse of land. Far ahead of us in the distance was a wall of dark green leaves with reddish bark poking out the bottom. The small gap directly ahead of us stood out.

    The other passengers had mostly returned to the carriages. Some that looked to be a similar age to the apprentices had come to sit around the firepit. Everyone looked to be finishing up the tasks Damof had given out.

    Some of the apprentices who went to the roof, including Barick, had even sat to watch the sunset with their legs dangling off the side.

    Annalise and Aaron had come out of the carriage to sit by Ian, all looking over his paper. Missy rode up beside them so I could slip down onto the seat before walking off to the feeding troughs that had been set up.

    I wished she¡¯d taken me somewhere else so I didn¡¯t have to hear them but now that I had I was rooted to the spot. Ian was going over his idea for the ingredients he¡¯d include with the blood to try to combat the symptoms at the same time so the blood could counter a weakened curse. Aaron was comparing it to the cure he was transporting and comparing the two.

    That was simply not how curses worked in my experience. They were not a physical thing you could attack. They just existed. Mother¡¯s explanation would have been more technical but would have boiled down to the same thing.

    I was trying not to listen and spoil my hope of not being involved. I was being selfish. But I felt like I was allowed to be selfish on this. It was their fault I didn¡¯t trust them.

    The memory of Annalise softly running her hands through my hair and holding a shield over me for hours so I didn¡¯t feel sick told me I wasn¡¯t allowed.

    ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± I said, interrupting Ian.

    ¡°What won¡¯t?¡± he asked. All three of them looked over at me, where I sat at the end of their group.

    ¡°The snake venom you want to use will break down the blood and prevent it from being digested.¡±

    ¡°Huh. I suppose...The blood has to be ingested then, not just present?¡± Ian asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Same way as the curse was administered.¡±

    ¡°That makes no sense¡­I¡¯ll just use a different type of venom then.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re using it to help keep blood clots from forming without spells interfering, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re using that venom, you can¡¯t have one without the other.¡±

    Annalise and Aaron stared at me while Ian¡¯s eyes flicked over the page he tilted to get the last of the setting sun¡¯s light. He started scratching out different ingredients.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he mumbled then got up to go back to the carriage.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to see if this train is carrying any wine,¡± Aaron said.

    The shadows cast by the sun had slowly crawled up the carriage and the faces of those atop it until only the clouds were illuminated. Mage lights were cast up into the air to replace the soft colours.

    Annalise was leant over, vacantly staring at the ground.

    ¡°I can cure him,¡± I said before I could stop myself.

    She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. ¡°What was that?¡±

    With all the apprentices and young passengers talking, the fire for dinner being started, and the crickets chirping it felt like it would be easy to lie. I begged myself to lie and make up something else.

    ¡°Your father, I can cure him.¡±

    She looked at me for a long while. My heart was beating rapidly. I felt that I could trust her but I was still just as afraid as I¡¯d been when I first kept the secret. Afraid someone was going to push me to the ground, bind me and keep me locked up until I willingly handed over my blood.

    But, I felt Annalise wouldn¡¯t do that to me. I knew that better now compared to days ago.

    ¡°How? Why are you telling me this now?¡±

    ¡°I always planned to cure him, just didn¡¯t know when or if to tell you. Because I was afraid if I did tell you I¡¯d be bound, thrown over a horse and the doll would be used to force me. Again.¡±

    I was hoping she wouldn¡¯t mind me skipping over her first question. She didn¡¯t seem to as she looked away for a while, chewing on her lip.

    ¡°Do we have what we need? You¡¯re confident about this cure working?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    She calmly lifted her arm towards me and I stopped myself from flinching away. Her hand fell on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze before she stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you to make you feel that way. I¡¯m going to go let Ian know.¡±

    She seemed upset but it was far off from the anger I was worried about. I was glad she was telling him and not me, he¡¯d ask technical questions I still didn¡¯t feel like answering if I didn¡¯t have to. I thought once I calmed down I would feel better about telling her since my biggest fear hadn¡¯t been realised. And I didn¡¯t think it was going to.

    After a while of staring into the dirt one of the passengers that looked my age came to my now empty dirt bench.

    ¡°May I sit?¡± he asked with a smile that reminded me of Martin¡¯s when he talked to Alisa. I didn¡¯t make the seat or was a part of the group that made it so I wasn¡¯t sure why he was asking me.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    He sat so his leg was almost against mine and I felt like moving over to all the other space he could have taken. He brushed some dark strands from his eyes. Like the other regular passengers, his clothes looked comfortable and more colourful than the knight''s greens. The sleeves of his soft sweater were pushed back and I could see a golden bangle on his wrist and a watch ticking away on the other.

    He held out a hand to me, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Samual.¡±

    I was confused why he was using a normal handshake since he was a mage. He must have assumed I wasn¡¯t after not sensing a mana reserve. I placed my hand in his and let him gently shake it up and down. ¡°Valeria.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just here with my brother,¡±¡ªhe pointed across the clearing to an older lookalike who was chatting with a few of the apprentices¡ª¡°he¡¯s also in Equitier, just not the Knight course. I got tired of all their weird stories and thought I¡¯d come talk to someone else.¡±

    I nodded along. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be able to talk about anything else. What course is he doing?¡±

    ¡°Finance, he wants to follow after our dad and work at the mint. I want to take military strategy but Dad wants me to try to be a knight and told me to go along and ask about it.¡±

    ¡°Mint, like the herb?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s the place where they make all the coins, at least for this duchy.¡±

    ¡°I had not thought about where they all came from.¡±

    ¡°Most people don¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°Someone capable like Dad has to oversee the place and make sure they don¡¯t make too many. The roe is experiencing enough inflation as is.¡±

    I nodded along, having no clue what inflation was. He tried to explain it to me when I asked, but then I had to ask him another question about his answer. His brother would apparently do a better job at explaining.

    I asked him about the military strategy that he was interested in and got a long explanation on the evolution of modern warfare. How interesting it was that we no longer lined up and marched at each other. I smiled at how excited he seemed and wondered if he¡¯d care if I started to talk about my gardening.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading back after vacationing near Lake Olai, how come you¡¯re heading to Drasda?¡±

    ¡°Uhh.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to describe my situation to someone. No one had questioned Annalise when I was around. ¡°Annalise is helping me get a job.¡±

    ¡°Annalise Riker?¡±

    Annalise Riker

    I thought I heard my name while on the way back from seeing how Missy was doing. I looked about and waited for the person to call again. Nothing.

    On the other side of the firepit was Valeria smiling as some boy leaning in to speak to her.

    I¡¯d been annoyed with her for not telling me there was another cure. Annoyed at the possibility we could have taken more time in Kiteer, not knowing we didn¡¯t need anything. Annoyed at all the things that could have gone wrong and at the train being delayed.

    Bound, slung over a horse and forced at the threat of pain, again.

    How could I possibly argue against that when it had happened the night before I asked her about the cure. She¡¯d seemed so timid and with some self-reflection I knew I had purposefully tried to benefit from the previous night''s violence to get the cure out of her quickly.

    She¡¯d done nothing wrong. We had and she was still willing to help. I trusted that much.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the girl my brother¡¯s talking to?¡± A familiar head of dark curls asked. Chet Manafold. I hadn¡¯t seen him since he started school, his father sometimes brought him to meetings and despite the five-year age gap, there were not enough kids for that to divide us.

    ¡°No clue, Captain Riker brought her along,¡± one of Damof¡¯s apprentices said. With my mana reserves still recovering, my concealing enchantment and all the mages walking about they hadn¡¯t cared to notice me.

    ¡°Annalise? Why would she bring a non-mage with her to Drasda?¡±

    ¡°You coin counters got to start taking the perception classes. There¡¯s no mana vacuum where she is,¡± a different aspirant said.

    ¡°We think the duke wants to study her mana but Captain Riker¡¯s apprentices don¡¯t agree but won¡¯t say why,¡± the first said.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said and got a lot of satisfaction from the way they all jumped. ¡°I should refer you two for remedial classes with all the coin counters.¡±

    The two apprentices turned and saluted while Chet turned in his seat.

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Sorry, Captain.¡± ¡°Hey, Annalise.¡±

    ¡°Hi Chet. Can you two make sure to get a bowl of stew when it¡¯s ready, remove all the meat and give it to Valeria?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    I started walking away as Chet stood and stepped over the dirt wall. ¡°Long time no see. I assume Valeria is the girl my brother¡¯s flirting with?¡±

    ¡°She is, and he better not be. I assume you¡¯re both on your way back from your lake estate?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re acting like some older sister and yes, the weather was quite good, managed to fish out a real monster. Bit of a sour ending to it all but you should have heard Mum¡¯s threats when they suggested she sleep on the chairs.¡±

    ¡°Nothing much to do when someone else delays us and we¡¯re this close to the Red Forest.¡±

    ¡°True, do you mind if I get my dad? He wanted to talk to whoever was in charge which I¡¯m assuming would be you.¡±

    ¡°Sure, though only three of the apprentices are mine so please temper whatever his expectations are.¡±

    Chet walked off towards the passenger carriages with the mage light high above lighting his way. I turned back to the two kids and walked towards them, crouching in front of Valeria. My hand rested on her knee to chase away the boy''s fingers that had been creeping over.

    Her face was still but I thought I saw worry in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being curt earlier and thank you for telling me. I know it wasn¡¯t easy.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Annalise,¡± the boy said. ¡°I think my dad wanted to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Hello Samuel, I just spoke to your brother, he¡¯s gone to get him.¡±

    Speaking of, the man was coming along through the brush, making exaggerated steps with his polished shoes through the brush. He at least wore loose clothing compared to the suit he usually wore in his position as Chief of Finance. Papa had made more than a few mages mad at that appointment since the mint used a lot of enchantments and was reasoned that it should always go to a mage.

    Mister Manafold did not help by commenting that ¡®mana was useless since it couldn¡¯t even stop us all from balding.¡¯ He did still have some of his son''s dark hair and the remnants of an athletic build from the military.

    I stood up from where I was peering around Valeria.

    ¡°Ah, I was wondering why my boy was being a pain and making me guess who I was going to deal with. Thought the bugger was setting me up for something bad.¡±

    ¡°No, just me Mister Manafold.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am glad to see you, Annalise. What are you doing out here? How''s Vince and Janette?¡±

    ¡°Both well,¡± I lied. ¡°I¡¯m taking out apprentices so they don¡¯t annoy the castle staff.¡±

    ¡°Good, good. I understand this whole thing was unavoidable but even the staff in the royal carriage are completely unprepared. I wanted to see if I could get a proper meal for myself and the other occupants and pay some of your more entrepreneurial members to take on an extra guard shift outside the carriage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get them to start preparing another pot of stew if they haven''t already.¡±

    I turned to look over the clearing and sent a ripple for attention. The talking stopped except for some of the civilians who didn¡¯t know what happened and had carried on talking for a few extra words. Four would be a good number for the extra shifts.

    ¡°Mister Manafold here wants to pay for some extra guard shifts, I need three volunteers.¡±

    Alisa¡¯s hand was up before I had finished speaking but I picked the next three quickest hands. Her face dropped and she glared at me until I motioned her over as well. I had already included her in the four to begin with.

    ¡°You four can talk amongst yourselves and organise it around any other duties. Also one of you tell the kitchen crew to prepare another pot.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

 Chapter 21

    I blew into the steam rolling off my stew. The rest of the bowl was nestled in my lap as I sat cross-legged on the roof of the train. I¡¯d had plenty of practice climbing ladders with my hands full so I¡¯d managed not to spill any of it on my way up.

    For some reason, I was served first at the same time as the captains. The lack of meat in mine pointed to it being Annalise and I appreciated it.

    Even after more walls had been partly raised to sit on there was still little space left after everyone gathered around for dinner. So, when Samuel¡¯s dad had come back over with other passengers and started talking to Annalise again¡ªwho was next to me¡ªI decided to move out of everyone¡¯s way.

    The mage lights had been extinguished once they arrived so as to not attract unwanted attention. From what, I wasn¡¯t sure.

    The full moon helped to keep the area outside of the flickering firelight illuminated. I could even see the outlines of the horses lying about. Many were asleep but Missy at least was awake from what I felt.

    I saw the moment Samuel turned from the conversation with a woman who had to be his mother and noticed I wasn¡¯t there. He looked about but didn¡¯t see me in the shadows above. His mother waved him off and spread out a square of white cloth on my previous seat and sat down. She and the other new guests were served next.

    She frowned after taking a sip and I agreed, it needed more salt, marjoram and a number of other spices. But it was better than rehydrated ration bars.

    Aaron left the group around him and walked up to the carriage I was on. I expected to hear the clang of boots hitting the metal rungs, but didn¡¯t. A spell formed below me, the captain jumped up and gently landed next to me. He didn¡¯t offer a greeting as he grunted and plopped down so I went back to cooling my next spoonful.

    I felt a faint curiosity right as Missy perked up about the approaching creatures. I dragged my eyes across the area they were in and tried to locate them. Dog-like animals with dark patterns in their fur ambled through the brush. Perking up whenever there was a round of laughter or shout.

    Two presences were stronger than the rest as they coordinated the large group closer to us. Missy was fully concentrating on them now and had stood up.

    I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when I locked eyes with Aaron. He was smirking at me. ¡°Perceptive one aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry about it, they¡¯re just passing by.¡±

    ¡°But the horses?¡± I asked, slightly panicked on their behalf.

    ¡°Painted dogs are hardly a threat, just curious about the smell.¡±¡ªhe pointed down to Annalise, Bowfore and Damof near the passengers¡ª¡°See, they already know and are waiting for the apprentices to notice.¡±

    Curiosity was also mostly what I felt from them so I turned back to watch them slink through the moonlight.

    Barick stood up, put his bowl down on his seat and looked to be encouraging those around him to get up. By then most of the apprentices had noticed the painted dogs or the neighs of the disgruntled horses

    They stepped over their seats and formed a line against the curious intruders. The dogs yipped and barked while Annalise and the Knights were trying to keep the passengers calm and seated.

    I tried to persuade the dogs to move on but they ignored me in favour of the two stronger presences encouraging them. It was annoying that they were going against their own interests and worrying that spells might start to be thrown.

    My stomach dropped as mana started to tangle together.

    The spells launched into the air and loud bangs responded across the area. The curiosity turned to fear for a moment and the stronger ones couldn¡¯t stop the rest from fleeing. They followed soon after.

    Aaron sighed. ¡°We need to stop coddling them. Late response, no coordination, too many spells when one would do. Lectures and a few days of wilderness training isn¡¯t enough to teach them properly. Soon all were going to be good for is looking pretty by castle gates.¡±

    He seemed to be talking to himself more than me so I let him be and went back to my stew.

    ¡­

    Even through the haze of the shield, I could see the large reddish trees that reached up past where I could see through the window. I was alone with my thoughts since the others were needed to make sure nothing was approaching the train. Damof had wanted to try to get me used to being on a train but after we started gaining speed I was feeling sick. Not as bad as the day prior but Annalise still cast the spell around me.

    My body was pushed as the train slowed down and the shield was dropped a while later. I shivered as my senses came back and at the feelings of fear towards the train from the forest''s inhabitants. We were only moving as fast as a trotting horse so I didn¡¯t feel strained.

    I got my first real look at the massive trees of the Red Forest for only a moment before we exited the shade of their leaves. Stumps that looked like they could fit an entire home were left behind at the edge.

    I just about pressed my cheeks into the glass to see ahead of us. The train was about to pass through a small gap in a very steep hill that extended far across and out of sight. It wasn¡¯t clear from further away but as we crossed I could see that the grassy hill dipped into a deep ditch facing the forest.

    Behind the natural wall was a wooden platform and ladders, made out of the same red wood as the forest trees. Pairs of people wielding crossbows walked the length of it.

    Beyond the wall was an extensive complex of buildings and roadways covered in activity.

    Organised rows of people walked with their arms and legs swinging in time with each other on the road beside the tracks. The ones in the back or front rows tended to be mages but I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell by sight alone.

    They wore metallic helmets and armour that glinted in the morning sun, except for someone walking ahead of them wearing a black beret. A forest of long pikes came up from one group while another carried nothing but short swords strapped to their sides. Those carrying nothing looked out of step while others moved and turned corners at the same moment.

    Their uniform appearance and coordinated movements reminded me of a cloud of blackbirds swooping and swirling together.

    ¡°On three!¡± someone inside called. ¡°One, two,¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Annalise said and blocked her eyes.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your beret?!¡± the apprentices all shouted, leant up against the openings at the top of the window. ¡°Where¡¯s your beret?!¡±

    The weird chant was noticed by the closest group who didn¡¯t falter in their stride. The person at the front said something I couldn¡¯t hear but the entire group behind made it clear.

    ¡°Where were you?.¡±

    ¡°At the pass.¡±

    ¡°We were there.¡±

    ¡°Where wer¡ª¡±

    The apprentices groaned and shouted over them.

    The quick and confusing exchange ended as our carriage passed the turn-off for the road. A large stone building surrounding a courtyard replaced it. Three different flags were raised on a pole in the centre, surrounded by well-trimmed hedges and gravel pathways.

    I got up on my knees and leaned on Annalise to look out the opposite window. There was a large open field filled with less-dressed groups running together or down on their stomachs or backs. Horses and their riders were moving around an enclosed sandy area. At the end of it all was the same wooden platform and slope.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°If anyone asks, it was only Damof here,¡± Annalise said to the others.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, what¡¯s wrong with a little rivalry?¡± Damof asked. ¡°That group was only new recruits.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Annalise said and looked to Aaron for support.

    ¡°Eh,¡± Aaron said and shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t play nice with the Military, they don¡¯t like The Watch and The Watch thinks we¡¯re out to fuck with them at every turn. Just how it is.¡±

    ¡°And no one likes the Navy,¡± Bowfore added.

    ¡°And no one likes the Navy.¡±

    We crossed through the area until the train passed another gap in the surrounding defences. We started to speed up again and Annalise watched me to see if I needed the shield. I held up a hand to stop her and tried to not let it overwhelm me.

    The sheep pen we passed made my eye twitch but we started slowing down again before I threw up. Annalise dabbed at my face with a cloth and pulled it away with a red splotch on it. I touched below my nose and looked at the blood covering my fingers.

    ¡°Lean forward,¡± Annalise said and put the cloth back. I tilted my head so I could still see out of the corner of my eye.

    Outside were fields of flax, linen and cotton rather than the grain I was used to seeing. Sheep hadn¡¯t fully replaced the other grazing animals but there were a lot of them. In the distance, I could still see the obviously mage-made slop separating the farmland from the forest.

    The single set of tracks we were on split up into multiple with other trains occupying them. Buildings had just started to take over the land as the train came to a stop beside them.

    Orders were issued and apprentices prepared to leave. The ripple from the front came and someone opened the door from the outside.

    I followed behind Annalise onto a similar, but larger station than Kiteer. There was a regular grey stone wall surrounding us rather than the large slabs of sandstone. I waited as people ran around me, collecting bags and horses and unloading crates.

    We were going to be riding the rest of the way into the city and I made sure Daral attached the satchel with the doll onto Missy. The other passengers were already walking off with their luggage but Mister Manafold came over to offer Annalise a ride in their carriage. She declined but we were going to be riding with them to his residence near the castle.

    All the knights and aspirants would be coming with us since they were stationed in the outer area of the castle.

    We left through a larger doorway and onto a street lined with carriages. Annalise helped me onto Missy and then jumped up behind me.

    The Manafolds got into a decorated carriage pulled by two horses. Annalise and I rode in the centre behind the coach, up the wide streets.

    There was more variety to the types of buildings here than in Kiteer. Many were made out of the redwood but some stood taller or spread out more. Areas of greenery and trees appeared often with market squares beside them.

    I looked back and forth, up and down the new sights. The buildings and homes kept changing with seemingly no pattern as we travelled further in. Fenced in gardens and glass displays on storefronts to stalls and homes stacked on top of one another. A large stone castle stood out between ordinary buildings with Watch members moving in and out.

    A piercing wave of pain and fear had my head snap to a particular inn. It stood five storeys tall but my eyes were stuck to the area below the street. Every creature I tried to gain insight from was behind a set of metal bars, looking at others behind another set of bars.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, my hand shaking slightly as I pointed.

    ¡°Not a good place for you or anyone to go,¡± Annalise said and didn¡¯t offer anything else besides a frown.

    I kept looking at the building even as we rode past, there was one of the clearest minds I¡¯d felt so far there but they were sleeping and in pain. I understood hunters and prey but that building was nothing of the sort.

    We rode far enough away that I didn¡¯t feel the other animals and further until the sleeping one¡¯s pain faded from my thoughts. The people crowded around us and the clothes they wore distracted me enough to not dwell on the inn.

    I saw some wearing only vests and others with skirts to just their knees. I could see where all the wool and cotton went since clothing stores dominated the shopping choices. But there were also more people sitting on the street or running about in rags than I¡¯d seen in other settlements.

    The Manafold¡¯s carriage and others rode up to a gated street guarded by Watch officers. Past the iron bars of the gate were extravagant manors sitting inside manicured gardens with Lake Drasda sitting nearly visible in the distance.

    We carried on through the streets until a large wall overshadowed us. Square towers jutted out and upwards every so often and at the edge far off in the distance. There was a wide river that ran the entire length and under a large wooden bridge with chains connecting it to inside the wall. The reflection on the water could almost be mistaken for the real thing.

    Two knights sat atop horses at the far end of the bridge with more talking to people moving into the castle.

    ¡°Welcome to Drasda,¡± Annalise said as she watched me gawk at the scale of everything.

    ¡°Haven''t we been in Drasda a while now?¡±

    ¡°The city, yes, but this is Drasda Castle. The Red Forest used to be the border of Werl a long time ago so the city is just named after the castle since it was here first.¡±

    We rode across with the Knights stopping to salute Annalise and Aaron. A few were apprentices but the two on horseback had the silver bar on their beret. They waved us through after a bit of back and forth.

    On the right of the exit was what looked like another small town with most of the people moving about wearing the same green and grey clothing. Most waved when they noticed Annalise who smiled and waved back. Children played in a field on the other side, near a large wooded area that went all the way to the wall. A lot of the trees looked to be fruit bearing with small groups of farm animals penned nearby.

    At the end of our path was a five storey building that looked like half castle, half inn.

    ¡°That¡¯s where most of the castle staff and knight¡¯s families stay,¡± Annalise said, pointing to the small town and then to the weird inn. ¡°That¡¯s The Bastion, it¡¯s where Knight command is and where the Knights and apprentices stay.¡±

    There was another wall beyond that, taller and disconnected from the other surrounding the small town and wooded area. More knights stood to the side of the entrance though they seemed unbothered by the uniformed staff moving in and out.

    Annalise and Bowfore talked to their apprentices before they all split off with Damof towards the Bastion. All still needed to be paid for their time doing work outside of the castle but understood their captains had an urgent task, a third knowing exactly how important that task was.

    Daral waved back at me. Alisa also turned to wave. ¡°See you around, Valeria!¡±

    I waved back and smiled at Alisa in particular.

    Annalise, Aaron, Bowfore, Ian and I carried on riding through the next wall and under iron gates ready to drop down. A passing staff member was asked to inform the palace of Captain Leonarda and Captain Riker¡¯s return.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be there for the next few days before starting their next year at Equitier if you want to see them,¡± Annalise said.

    ¡°Ah, maybe,¡± I said, just now starting to realise my journey was coming to an end. I was nervous but eager to finally cure the duke who¡¯d been suffering through an excruciating amount of pain for weeks. And see what awaited me after.

    ¡®Building¡¯ felt like a very inept description for the palace in front of us. It was the complete opposite of the boring blocky walls of the castle. Those were made to stop something from getting in. This was made to admire.

    Sculpted and textured walls layered over each other with circular towers jutting out to try to pierce the sky. The wall was white in most areas with red brick showing through on the bottom. Windows covered the entire building in columns and four rows. Occasionally there was a fifth when a triangular area protruded from the slanted rooftop.

    I liked the vines that crept all the way to the roof. And the trees that covered most of the grass in shade, the beds of flowers in patterns around a fountain in the middle, and the pond with a stream running into it from the far wall.

    More brick buildings with fewer towers and more regularity stood to the side and were separated by pathways and hedges. We were heading towards a stable that was far off to the side of the main building.

    All its inhabitants were well-groomed and seemed pleasant enough to be around. None were going to be as great as Missy but it didn¡¯t seem like a bad place to work, as long as I could get fresh air often.

    Annalise dismounted and helped me down. A few staff had followed us down the path and were now carrying Annalise¡¯s baggage, except for the doll and the cursed items that she held. The other¡¯s wouldn¡¯t be staying so their horses were kept saddled.

    I told Missy I would miss her as we started walking up the path to the palace. We didn¡¯t go through the large front entrance but around to the side. Annalise was smiling and talking with the staff members who she seemed to know well. I tried paying attention to their names, how their kids were and which staff member was with whom but the blood pounding in my ears made it difficult.

    We walked through a small corridor and into a room full of sofas and a carpet covering the entirety of the food. Intricate patterns were woven into it at every point. Annalise asked me to wait while she went to see what was going on with her father. Ian and Aaron would follow along with their respective cures to explain why they wouldn''t work while Bowfore waited with me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the doll down to the family vault, it¡¯ll be safe there and it might help disrupt whatever links it to you,¡± Annalise whispered to me. ¡°I''ll come get you to perform whatever ritual you need to do once we''ve explained. The healers and Knights won''t be happy unless we do.¡± I nodded, barely able to feel my limbs.

    I argued with the accusations I was making towards Annalise in my mind.

    It¡¯s alright. Annalise isn¡¯t like them. She wouldn¡¯t do that to me. She¡¯s helping.

    Most of the critters in the building didn¡¯t have much feel to them except for a few that I thought could be pets.

    Bowfore accepted tea on my behalf since it took me too long to understand they were asking me as well. They brought out delicate white cups on small green and gold plates. I carefully pinched the small handle between my fingers and held up the cup from the bottom to take a few sips. It was still too hot but tasted wonderful and felt like it helped calm me.

    My dirty boots had been left by the entrance so I lifted my legs atop the sofa to curl up and wait.

 Chapter 22

    Vince Riker

    There were far too many people in my bedroom these days.

    I appreciated at least one of them with Janette sitting at the foot of our bed and offering me support. She could have run the whole duchy in my place but preferred to debate and leave the stress-inducing decisions to me.

    My sleepwear was rumpled and my skin felt clammy from the nightmares of pain or the real thing. My lovely partner looked beautiful and put together despite waking up with me an hour ago. Her brown hair and blue eyes shone with a vibrance my tangled mess and dark circles couldn¡¯t hope to replicate.

    The young healer holding onto my wrist, while I sat up against the headboard, was also appreciated and possibly even the palace¡¯s head healer sleeping in the chair next to her. My constant ¡®ailments¡¯ were ¡®good practice¡¯ for his apprentices.

    At the moment the curse was dormant and I only felt like someone had stabbed me in the guts and twisted the knife. The sudden attacks that came with it were excruciating. We were nearing the end of the third week of me being ill and only the constant presence of the healers ready to pounce on the slightest appearance of pain made it bearable.

    Nothing the curse did was life-threatening, or it was but vanished before it came to that. The blood clots that got stuck dissolved, my lungs would start to work as soon as I was about to pass out or the migraine that made me want to jump out the window would fade away.

    We hadn¡¯t known what was going on in the first week since the pain in my gut was dull and the symptoms would vanish before healers got to me to diagnose the issue. Janette was a talented healer but tended to resolve issues with more spells rather than diagnoses and precision.

    It started acting up more in the second week and allowed the head healer to catch what was going on. He knew what was wrong and rattled off different names of deadly illnesses but was flummoxed on what was causing them to appear and disappear.

    Plans of tearing through the castle and its staff were being discussed when news of the dead witch made things clear for me. After over fifteen years of waiting for the deal to bite me in the ass and nothing happening, I had put it behind me. While the baron was technically under my influence I thought the curse was being unfair for punishing me.

    I¡¯d shared my suspicions with a few people and my daughter had taken it upon herself to investigate.

    Knight Commander Faraya, Chief of Information Gathering and Secrecy, Jeremy and General Kylepo were lounging in my sitting area and probably whispering about anything but their respective jobs judging by the smiles.

    Despite my confinement to my quarters, we were getting more work done than ever. Instead of Chiefs sending in representatives to discuss topics, they had to come in person, since the three loungers were adamant on limiting the people who knew I was even ailed. No more middle management.

    It did, however, end up with three Chiefs arguing in my bedroom. Trade, agriculture and transport for today.

    A knock stopped them all from talking about whichever issues they had circled back to for the fifth time. One of the Knights guarding the door poked his head in. ¡°Sir, Captain Leonarda and Captain Riker have returned.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Jackson. Please send someone to bring them up,¡± I said. I would have been wondering why they¡¯d arrived at the same time if Jeremy hadn¡¯t told me this morning that my daughter was in Kiteer, with a young girl whose identity even he couldn¡¯t figure out.

    The Chief of Trade took the opportunity to speak to me directly. ¡°Sir, the deal I struck with my counterpart was made with data provided by the agriculture wing. We can make fifty cases of Harow wine a week, and we sell maybe twenty-five of those. I don''t see why my deal to sell twenty of the remaining is being argued here.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t take into account those we set aside to age and the ones we send here.¡±

    ¡°And we can¡¯t shrink wine so that¡¯s an entire train carriage that needs to be carefully packed so the glass doesn¡¯t break. Do you know how unprofitable that is to send across the country?¡±

    ¡°Just make more wine and this isn¡¯t about profit, it¡¯s about the other concessions we are getting from Vitosa¡¯s Duke for providing the wine.¡±

    ¡°Quiet,¡± I said, looking to get this over with so I could get them out of my room and down whatever cure was being brought.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Get some mages to the vineyards and speed up grape production. My understanding is that the wineries are idle most of the time, waiting for harvest. So solving the bottleneck should fix this.¡±

    The Chief of Agriculture looked aghast at my very reasonable suggestion. ¡°Duke Riker, any person with a discerning palate would be able to tell if the grapes were grown with spells by force. The loss of the flavour depth would ruin the good name our wine has cultivated. We simply cannot.¡±

    I highly doubted that. ¡°Create more vineyards then.¡±

    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s a long-term solution. The trade agreement goes into effect next month.¡±

    I started writing my decision down despite the argument continuing without me. We¡¯d use some of the stock kept by the palace to meet the demand¡ªI didn¡¯t like wine much anyway and Janette could make do with less. And also a message to be sent over telegram for settlements to draw up plans for a vineyard to try win funding from us.

    I signed the bottom, tore off the page and waved over my Chief of Staff who was reliving her days as a messenger girl for my Mum. She looked over my scribbles and gave me a look I knew to mean my handwriting was barely legible.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see them out and go send off the transmission. Maybe a meeting in the afternoon after I see our wine cellar and available funding.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Yanla.¡±

    The open door she was shepherding the three through broke the layer of iron surrounding us and let me sense the two approaching mages escorted by a staff member, I was disappointed neither was my Anna.

    Ian and Captain Leonarda walked in through the door Yanla and the Chiefs left through.

    ¡°Morning, Duke Riker.¡± ¡°Morning, sir.¡±

    I was not so patiently waiting for the greetings to the rest of the room to be given so I could ask my question.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Anna?¡± Janette asked before I could.

    ¡°She had to handle something downstairs,¡± Ian said. ¡°She¡¯ll be up in a moment.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at them then,¡± Head Healer Morris said, waking up from what he would argue was ¡®resting his eyes.¡¯

    Leonarda pulled out a small box that contained a potion vile and a piece of folded paper. Ian brought out a piece that was half crumpled. My hopes of a cure felt like they were about to be thrown from the battlements.

    ¡°Firstly, we''re quite confident neither of these will work,¡± Ian said. And down they went.

    ¡°Do you have forty years of experience as a healer?¡± Morris asked.

    ¡°No, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Give the one who does a moment then,¡± Morris said and started reading Leonarda¡¯s paper. ¡°This is good work but having not given the healers over in Kiteer all the information they made a pretty standard potion. It would help lessen the symptoms during the attacks but not much else.¡±

    ¡°And this¡­I don¡¯t even want to read past the first line. Blood of the witch? Is this what they teach nowadays?¡±

    ¡°We found someone who is familiar with curses and that was the cure they proposed,¡± Ian said. ¡°I tried to work around that since we had a small amount of blood.¡±

    ¡°What backcountry lunatic spouted this nonsense,¡± Morris scoffed. ¡°A curse is simply a phenomenon we do not yet understand. Besides, you¡¯re trying to do too many things at once, most of these would not respond in the body the way you¡¯re hoping.¡±

    ¡°If you came here this relaxed while knowing that these won¡¯t work, you must have another plan?¡± Janette asked while squeezing my leg through the covers.

    ¡°Annalise can explain that better, she just told us we had a cure and needed to show that the other methods weren''t going to work,¡± Ian said.

    ¡°What does the girl have to do with all this?¡± Jeremy asked. It was always amusing to watch the faces of people get given information they thought wasn¡¯t known.

    ¡°Ah, Valeria? Annalise also wants to explain that part,¡± Ian said.

    Janette and I shared a look. It seemed our daughter had a lot of explaining to do.

    The Knight Captain looked like he was trying to hide a smile. ¡°Commander, just to let you know, we¡¯re officially looking to recruit this girl to be a part of the Knights.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I looked at Faraya who was already scowling with her arms folded, leaning back into my plush sofa. ¡°We pay a lot of people a lot of roe to recruit for us and you¡¯re not one of them. Don¡¯t go doing jobs for free just to annoy me, Aaron.¡±

    The man couldn¡¯t help himself, it seemed, as he smiled widely. ¡°Commander, think of the stealthiest, most annoying thing to try and sense. Think of the predators of the Red Forest that we tell stories about to terrify the new recruits so they learn not to rely on only their mana perception.¡±

    My mind went to the Elven Amari, their version of cavalry. They took the elves'' talent for mana to an obsessive level of perfection. By copying the suppression and circulation of mana their mounts used the pair became almost invisible to the senses of someone who wasn¡¯t looking for them.

    It didn¡¯t have much use outside the forest and assassinating novice mages but the giant forked tongue flicking into my face, before I even noticed them approaching, was a memory that would stick with me.

    Aaron was nodding his head with the smile still stretched across his face. ¡°She¡¯s worse.¡±

    He turned to the still open door and sensed Anna coming up the steps. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention any of this to Captain Riker, she¡¯ll gut me.¡±

    A recruitment of someone useful she picked up didn''t sound like something my daughter would threaten him over. If anything she should be happy the girl had job opportunities.

    Anna walked in and nodded to the two by the door before hugging her mother. I was happy she was back but the tired look in her eyes as she kissed my cheek muted that. ¡°Hey, Papa. How are you feeling?¡±

    I lifted up the wrist that the apprentice healer was still holding. ¡°Chained to my bed listening to these people talk all day is exhausting. How was the trip?¡±

    She looked worried as she checked who else was in the room while saying hello and spoke to the healer. ¡°Do you mind waiting outside?¡±

    The girl glanced at me and then at Morris before getting up and closing the door behind her. I felt like an addict who just had his vice taken from him. Morris was still no more than a yard away but the thought of experiencing the sudden pain for more than a moment had my heart pounding in my ears.

    ¡°We''re eager to hear about this terrifying predator you¡¯ve been travelling with,¡± Jeremy said with a smirk.

    ¡°And this business with witch''s blood,¡± Morris added. I agreed on both accounts.

    Anna scowled at the two men before reaching into a pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. Another theoretical cure for Morris to criticise? She handed it to me instead.

    Request provided, Recipe and healing tincture for mana poisoning. Payment, A seed, journals on witchcraft, various ingredients, cloaking enchantment. Contingency, Vow of secrecy, Willing acceptance of Curse of retaliation spanning anyone under his influence.¡±

    A seed. I would have laughed at the error if it wasn¡¯t such a mortifying memory.

    The ¡®various ingredients¡¯ part was written there like they didn¡¯t all cost tens of thousands of roe. And ¡®willing acceptance¡¯ was a very, very loose term to use.

    ¡°We found the home of the witch responsible, right where you said it was,¡± she said to me. ¡°Do you want to explain that? Does Mum know? Does anyone?¡±

    I was glad she didn¡¯t seem disappointed in my deal but she probably understood what that cure had done for her mother. And, like me, would have given more for it.

    ¡°I got it,¡± I said and took a deep breath. ¡°Ian, please leave.¡±

    ¡°Please bring Valeria up in ten minutes,¡± Anna added before the door shut.

    Everyone left was someone I¡¯d known for decades or trusted with my life, even the younger captain. ¡°As some of you know, eighteen years ago Janette was diagnosed with early onset mana poisoning. Morris was the one who made the diagnosis and told us it would have only gotten worse as she got older. We didn¡¯t have much funding for the rare disease and the Duke at the time wasn¡¯t going to allocate more than a pittance. There was no possibility of a cure in sight so I went to go get it somewhere else.¡±

    Those here already knew where I went since I¡¯d told them the location but I felt context was important so I wasn¡¯t judged. ¡°I got the cure, paid for it and accepted a curse that stipulated I couldn¡¯t speak on it, until she died apparently, or harm her. The Baron seems to have taken it under his own initiative to have her executed which triggered the curse.¡±

    ¡°Thirteen years you¡¯ve kept this from me,¡± Janette said and squeezed my leg with what I thought was a mixture of annoyance and gratitude.

    ¡°It was for you and did you miss the part about a curse?¡± I asked and got swatted for my stupid question.

    It was actually fifteen years ago that I had seen the witch and I could still remember her piercing green eyes and haughty arrogance. We used her formula to try to recreate our own version, where we knew all of the effects of the ingredients we used, but it hadn¡¯t worked. And Janette¡¯s condition was progressing and turning painful so we went with the original and disseminated the recipe later on.

    I didn¡¯t sleep well that year, waiting for the news of a new outbreak of ghouls from what I¡¯d done.

    I heard Morris click his tongue. He probably still wanted the staff interrogated for potential poisoners rather than stories of curses. He was one of very few who still thought there was a cure for the ghouls down in the capital.

    ¡°We need to have a meeting on Kiteer¡¯s Baron some other time,¡± Anna added. ¡°But I went out to the witch¡¯s previous home and found a girl there, Valeria. There were a few incidents but we got her to translate this and other books for us since they were written in witch¡¯s scrawl.

    The curse wasn¡¯t acting up but I still felt like I was having a heart attack. I hadn¡¯t put together that that was where they had found the girl. I had assumed she was a runaway from some town wanting to go to the city. ¡°How old¡¯s the girl?¡±

    ¡°Just or almost fifteen, she¡¯s not sure exactly. Did you notice her when you went, thirteen years ago Valeria would have been two?¡± Anna said. ¡°Her mana and casting make me think there''s some elven in her ancestry.¡±

    I shook my head, feeling pale and clammy. I held out my arm to Morris to make sure it wasn¡¯t the curse and he shook his head after casting a spell.

    ¡°We think she was kidnapped too young to remember her family so it must have been soon after. She had been training as a witch until her mana came in and since then has been acting as some sort of servant to the now deceased witch.¡±

    Maybe if she knew the exact time I¡¯d been there and had a proper translation she would have thought differently. I was trying to remember the season I¡¯d gone and counting months between then and the girl''s birthday. Maybe five at most. It wasn¡¯t long enough but it didn¡¯t reassure me.

    ¡°I later asked her about a cure and she told me about digesting the blood of the witch that cursed you and since the curse was taken on willingly the blood had to be given willingly.¡±

    I held up my arm to prevent Morris from trying to debate that. He still spoke.

    ¡°Blood is one thing but this girl is leading you by the nose, willingness as a stipulation in a physical cure is preposterous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true but because of the incidents she might have lied to us then. We had collected some blood splatter and traces on the execution weapon but were worried it wasn¡¯t enough. Last night when we were discussing the cure she told me she had a different one that would work.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡± Janette asked.

    ¡°I¡­was annoyed at her for lying and walked away without asking,¡± Anna said. ¡°But I assume it¡¯s a ritual of some kind since she didn¡¯t need ingredients.¡±

    I had an idea of what it could be but didn¡¯t want it to be true.

    ¡°We¡¯re just going to trust her?¡± the general spoke up for the first time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been with her for these last few days and she''s an incredibly sweet girl. You should see her with Missy.¡±

    ¡°You said it yourself Annalise, she has reason to lie to you,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°A few days isn¡¯t enough time to start trusting someone who grew up with a witch. She just randomly changes her mind after lying to you? Doesn¡¯t need any ingredients and needs to be close to the duke?¡±

    ¡°I agree with these two,¡± Faraya said. ¡°We can¡¯t let her in here to do whatever it is she wants. Even if our esteemed healer thinks there is a logical explanation for everything that involves curses, we can¡¯t risk her doing something to worsen the Duke¡¯s.¡±

    The door cracked open and I was about to tell Ian to not listen to Anna and keep the girl downstairs. A small part of me hoped she¡¯d run away and I wouldn¡¯t have to see her.

    Contrary to what my senses told me, someone walked in before Ian closed the door again.

    Faraya, Kylepo and Morris were all out of their seats, advancing on the girl. Anna and Leonarda stepped up to block the general and commander while the black-haired, amber-eyed girl backed into my desk.

    Black hair that matched my own but I tried to reason that amber was completely separate from my brown eyes. Morris managed to get behind the arguing pair of captains and my very disciplined military commanders.

    His proximity to the girl stopped the arguing over what was going on with her mana and who got to recruit her. ¡°May I?¡± he asked with that disarming old man demeanour.

    It didn¡¯t work on anyone who knew him but she placed her hand in his outstretched palm after looking to Anna for reassurance.

    ¡°That¡¯s annoying,¡± he mumbled after three separate and different tangles of mana. The girl shivered after a fourth attempt and withdrew her hand.

    Morris stood for a while before walking back to his chair near me with a distant look in his eyes. The others went back to arguing after Morris wouldn¡¯t respond to them. Valeria sat down in the large chair at my desk, the tips of her toes barely reaching the wood floor.

    Jeremy probably caught onto the significance of what was going on since he was starting his own argument. He was the only one in the room without mana, no matter how much he liked to pretend he did.

    I looked back to Valeria who was in the middle of putting a fountain pen in her pocket but stopped when we locked eyes. No matter how expensive the sleek green and black item with ¡®Riker¡¯ on it looked, it couldn''t have seemed better to steal than my jewellery sitting right next to it. There was also a knife next to an apple that was only half sliced so I didn¡¯t think she wanted to stab me with it either.

    She didn¡¯t bat an eye as I wondered why she would want it, I smirked at the gall and nodded my head. The pen disappeared into one of her overall''s pockets.

    I glanced over at Janette to try to assess her thoughts but my vision blurred.

    The pain in my gut twisted and knotted. My lungs felt like someone poured molten iron into them. Then it was over and I felt Morris gripping my wrist.

    ¡°Are you okay, dear?¡± I heard Janette ask after my ears stopped ringing. Everyone was quiet and looking at me.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Just fine. Morris got to me before the worst of it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a good liar,¡± an accented voice said. It was familiar but I couldn¡¯t begin to guess the region it was from. We all turned to look at the girl kneeling on the chair and leaning her chin across her hands on the back of it.

    ¡°Watch your mouth, girl,¡± Kylepo said, forgetting the recruitment pitch. ¡°I have half a mind to call in the guards and have you dragged to the dungeons. We have ways to make you talk and explain why the Duke suffered an attack for the first time today when you just happen to be here.¡±

    I expected a wide eyed and fearful response as the large man threatened someone half their size but instead, she was looking at my daughter with sadness written across her face.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Morris said. ¡°There wasn¡¯t the faintest disturbance of mana in the room. I also don¡¯t think she has much reason to be loyal to that witch.¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s doing anything and that wasn¡¯t even the first attack today,¡± I said. ¡°Now, why did you call me a liar?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Vince Riker

    ¡°Valeria, before you answer, the general¡¯s words have nothing to do with the doll,¡± Anna said in a rush. ¡°No one¡¯s going to use that ever again.¡±

    Anna got a few weird looks, including from me. But the girl stopped chewing her bottom lip, took a deep breath and leaned her forehead against the chair back.

    No one spoke while we waited for her to collect herself.

    When she did lift her head she was looking at me with amber eyes that swirled in the room''s lighting.

    ¡°When I had that curse the worst part was the wait. Knowing the next moment could paralyse you with pain. Lying awake at night because you didn¡¯t want it to wake you up. I called you a liar because there¡¯s no chance you believe differently and a good liar because you smiled while saying it.¡±

    Being openly called out on anything wasn¡¯t something I was used to, even before I was voted into the ducal seat. I wanted to argue with her, shout that she knew nothing of what I was going through. I¡¯d felt like saying that to Morris and even Janette every day this week when they¡¯d pat my shoulder and treat me like a boy who¡¯d scraped his knee.

    But, if I was being honest with myself¡ªand I was trying to be. She was right, the moments in between could feel worse. The sleepless nights and panic attacks at the start of stairs I thought I might fall down. Even going to the bathroom was an ordeal since I thought someone might have to come help me. Her first few words caught my attention though. ¡°When you had the curse?¡±

    She sat back down normally and went for the knife. I had no doubt there were some very focused individuals watching her every muscle twitch. ¡°Annalise thinks I was taken from my family but that can¡¯t be right. The witch¡ªI called her Mother¡ªwas kind to me when I was younger when she was teaching me to be like her. Alchemy, curses, how poisons affect the body, hexes. It was all I knew then but even now I still think she was caring.¡±

    Valeria sliced at her thumb with the fruit knife. The browned apple half split down the middle and then again before she wiped her thumb across one. ¡°I thought it was supposed to be this way, that I was supposed to do magic. So, when I managed to use my mana I went to go show her. She was¡­disappointed.¡±

    The knife was placed back down and she got up with the apple slice. ¡°Mother started giving me all these different potions and testing her curses on me. The ones that needed mana didn¡¯t work on me but the one you have uses the body as its source.¡±

    I eyed the apple slice that she was holding out to me. ¡°Blood is the cure but it¡¯s not as strict as it seems. It¡¯s just the key, it¡¯s not like a potion that needs to do something. I share part of my Mother¡¯s blood so that¡¯s how I know I wasn¡¯t kidnapped. The willingness part probably means something to do with how blood is different if the person is living.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it has to be aerated?¡± Morris asked but Valeria shrugged.

    I took the piece of apple and ate it quickly without thinking how gross it was. Because she was right, the worst part was constantly waiting. I felt that not chewing properly was a mistake as I felt the lump go down my throat.

    The knife in my gut twisted and jerked but slowly slid out and I breathed deeply for the first time in weeks.

    Anna was massaging her temples. Janette was looking to me for a verdict while the others were looking at the girl with either suspicion or in Morris¡¯s case, contemplation.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and the suspicion in the glaring eyes of Faraya lessened slightly.

    ¡°Truly,¡± Janette said with a long sigh. ¡°Let me get that for you.¡±

    She held out her hand for Valeria, to help heal the small cut. ¡°The bleeding has already stopped?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not normal?¡±

    ¡°Not this quickly,¡± Janette said while turning over Valeria¡¯s hand. ¡°Morris, how did you get the spell to work? Mine¡¯s not latching on.¡±

    ¡°You have to exclude the mana targeting aspect,¡± Anna said. ¡°Make it target the area instead.¡±

    Morris also went to fuss over the cut until the skin was unblemished.

    ¡°What¡¯s your plan now Valeria?¡± I asked. She looked at Anna.

    ¡°I told her she¡¯d get some gold for helping and I¡¯d see about getting her a job in our stables.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know for certain if Valeria was from the seed I¡¯d given the witch. But it seemed very likely, especially now knowing she was the witch¡¯s daughter and the girl had just saved my, the duke¡¯s life. I felt justified in providing a greater reward, but it had nothing to do with feeling guilty for something I didn¡¯t know about and had no control over.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Jeremy said quietly from my partner¡¯s side of the bed. ¡°On behalf of your election Chief, who isn¡¯t here and will hopefully never find out about all this. I have to advocate for getting this child as far away from the castle as possible. She, quite literally, used to be a witch¡¯s apprentice and should be nowhere near us.¡±

    ¡°Anna, how many people know about her relationship to the witch?¡± I asked my daughter, who was trying to talk to a very sheepish Valeria.

    ¡°Ah, the Mayor and a few of his guests and maybe a group of Remnants think she¡¯s a victim of kidnapping. I may have also threatened them into silence over the other names in the book. I had no idea¡±¡ªshe glanced meaningfully at Valeria¡ª¡°that she was her daughter. According to what I gathered from the mayor, they don''t look remotely alike, so it hadn¡¯t crossed my mind. I guess the doll also convinced me of that since I couldn¡¯t comprehend a mother doing something like that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to speak on this ¡®doll¡¯ at some point because right now you sound deranged,¡± Faraya said.

    ¡°So?¡± I asked, wanting to get through this so we could do exactly that. ¡°No one knows?¡±

    Anna nodded and I raised an eyebrow at Jeremy.

    ¡°It¡¯s still in our best interest to keep her at arm''s length, get Kylepo to give her a position near the military stables,¡± Jeremy said. The nearby general grunted at that but didn''t push back on the suggestion.

    Yanla opened the door after knocking. ¡°Sir, your next meeting is here.¡±

    ¡°Have them sent to my office but we¡¯ll wait till after that to see about resuming normal duties around here,¡± I said.

    She glanced around the room. ¡°You¡¯re cured?¡±¡ªI nodded¡ª¡°Congratulations, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yanla can you please get someone to organise a staff room?¡± Anna asked with a hand on Valeria¡¯s shoulder.

    I cursed myself for feeling too guilty to think about accepting Jeremy¡¯s advice. ¡°Sorry, Yanla, please take Valeria here and get her situated in one of the guest rooms in the west wing. We have some more matters we want to discuss quickly before the next meeting.¡±

    I ignored the looks thrown my way, Jeremy¡¯s in particular. Janette and Anna looked pleased and I hoped they¡¯d stay that way when I told them a story later.

    ¡°If that¡¯s how this is going to be,¡± Jeremy said and removed the necklace with the crystal that made most think he had mana reserves. ¡°Catch.¡±

    He threw the necklace to Valeria, who almost fumbled it to the ground. The crystal immediately drained as soon as it touched her fingers and it might have been my imagination but the mana in the room felt slightly denser.

    ¡°What the fuck,¡± someone muttered, and I ignored the impropriety since I was thinking something similar.

    Valeria looked like she¡¯d just eaten a whole bag of sugar and was trying to shake herself out of the stupor it had induced.

    ¡°Whose mana was that?¡± she asked, grimacing as if the sugar had been hiding some especially bitter tincture.

    ¡°My partner infused it this morning¡­what happened?¡± Jeremy asked.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°It looked like she drained the crystal,¡± Janette said.

    ¡°Why are they mad at you?¡± Valeria asked while looking at Jeremy with pity.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jeremy said with a raised voice we hardly. ¡°He was not mad at me, we were just having a small disagreement this morning.¡± It seemed for once he was somehow on the back foot of the information game.

    ¡°No, he was very mad at you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see that for a moment,¡± Morris said and plucked the small crystal out of her hand before Jeremy could investigate further. He infused it again and placed it back onto her palm.

    Valeria looked like tears were about to roll down her cheeks. ¡°Why are you so sad? Over¡­me?¡±

    We looked to the older man for an explanation. ¡°I¡¯ll explain in a bit once Yanla takes her. Let me infuse it again for you.¡±

    Morris did as he said and placed the necklace on Valeria so that it sat between her shirt and overalls. He explained why she would need to wear it and then why it was best to keep it a secret. We watched and waited for it to drain but it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°I would say she was a mage with a lower than normal mana reserve for her age,¡± Faraya said and we all agreed with her. The mana crystal gave the impression of a noticeable mana reserve. On Jeremy, it worked well for most novice mages but on Valeria, it was almost impossible to tell.

    ¡°Valeria, right? Do you want to come along with me so we can get you settled in?¡± Yanla asked. Anna and Janette hugged and thanked her before nudging Valeria to go with Yanla. Aaron held out his fist for her while the others gave her a more official thanks contingent on the cure working long term.

    Right before she got to the door Valeria spun around and looked at me. ¡°You should look into using the town I met Annalise in for your new grape fields. The baby treants there would like having a new type of plant to grow.¡±

    I was still working through how she would know that and why there were treants near a settlement when the door closed on the two of them.

    ¡°Sir, if I may,¡± General Kylepo asked. ¡°We have to find out what that witch did to get her mana like that. It is of an importance I cannot even begin to describe. Imagine an entire cohort of trained mages like her behind enemy lines or getting close to field commanders.¡±

    That brought Jeremy out of his mood concerning his partner. ¡°You brutes all think the same. How is espionage not your first consideration for a talent like that? Information gives us leverage and advantages that violence does not. It wins elections and wins wars ¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re okay with her being around now?¡± I asked, not impressed with either of them but did understand the merits of what they were talking about.

    ¡°Sir, that was your decision. I¡¯m just rolling with the punches.¡±

    ¡°I seem to recall saying we were officially recruiting her,¡± Faraya said and swiped at Captain Leonarda for his smug look.

    ¡°She¡¯s wasted on glorified guard duty.¡± ¡°Shut up, Fay.¡±

    ¡°Shame on you four,¡± Janette said, standing with her brows furrowed. ¡°Her mother may have just been executed. She¡¯s been dragged across the country and is now staying in a glorified prison until we deem it all right for her to leave. Did you not see the same fragile and traumatised child I did? Shame on you for even suggesting anything of the sort.¡±

    I lamented on why these people needed to ruin her perfectly good mood right before I had to tell her something that might get me thrown out of a fourth storey window.

    ¡°I want to hear about this ¡®doll¡¯ and these incidents,¡± Morris said into the following silence. Which got everyone but Anna to agree.

    ¡°The spell I used on her was one I tangled together, especially for the Duke¡¯s case. A variation on a pain diagnostic spell to try to tap into how the body remembers the pain it experiences. While I¡¯m not sure on the extent or accuracy since I had to do what you said and target the area rather than her. I am horrified by the results I was able to sense. Especially what¡¯s happened these last few days.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Captain Riker, consider this your formal debrief, don¡¯t bullshit me,¡± Faraya said and looked to me as if to dare me to intervene in one of her duties. I wasn¡¯t going to.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Anna said and stood straighter. ¡°We found the witch¡¯s cottage during the late afternoon, Valeria wasn¡¯t there at the time so I left my three apprentices there while Ian and I went to see the mayor. It was supposed to just be a meeting but he¡¯d turned it into a full event that¡ª

    ¡­

    ¡°Annalise, tell me where this accursed thing is right now,¡± Janette said. ¡°And if I even suspect that that girl is here under threat of its use I¡¯ll¡­arh.¡±

    She made a strangling motion towards Anna but I think we both understood our daughter well enough to know she would never.

    ¡°It¡¯s in the vault downstairs.¡±

    Janette pointed at Morris and then Faraya. ¡°You are going to go look at that thing and get that curse removed and you are going to organise some serious reprisal for those two aspirants.¡±

    ¡°They acted within the law,¡± Faraya said and held up her hands placatingly when it looked like Janette was about to disembowel her. ¡°They were acting under lawful orders to secure the books and understand their contents. They had evidence that she was a witch who had time-sensitive information on the well being of the duke and they didn¡¯t cause grievous bodily injury while extracting that information.¡±

    ¡°They electrocuted and burnt her,¡± Janette said and did the one thing I wished she wouldn¡¯t do. ¡°Vince, you¡¯re going to let that go unpunished?¡±

    The story was horrifying and I did think, especially in hindsight, that it was abhorrent. But it was legal and the person who would get punished for the overreach of subordinates would be their superior who was supposed to be supervising these apprentices.

    ¡°Anna,¡± I said to try to avoid Janette¡¯s direct question. ¡°You made the best decision possible at the time with the information you had. No one could have known Valeria would show up. But at the end of the day you know this would reflect on you more than them?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Faraya, can you go down there and discreetly make my displeasure at this mess known? While they technically acted within the law we don¡¯t need knights running around interrogating people.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Knights have far too little training for how much autonomy and power they have, maybe we can take another look at incorporating them into the military?¡± Kylepo asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push it, General. Your predecessors are the reason for our formation,¡± Faraya said. I did not want to get into another reorganising discussion this month, The Watch would want to get involved as well just to spite me.

    ¡°There¡¯s still a few matters that aren¡¯t explained with that story,¡± Morris said.

    I let my head hit the back of the board. I didn¡¯t want there to be more.

    ¡°Go on, Morris,¡± Janette said with her arms crossed.

    ¡°A week prior she seemed to have damaged her muscles, ligaments and burst veins all up her arms. There were signs her airways went through something I would guess to be smoke inhalation. And the other day something severely agitated her eyes in a way similar to what the doll does and then her ears a while later. It¡¯s hard to tell the exact time frame.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to her arms,¡± Anna said, looking at the floor. ¡°I think I remember an old bruise on her shoulder? Not sure what the eyes could be but the ears could be explosive spells.¡±

    ¡°Which of those fucking idiots used explosive spells?¡± Faraya asked. ¡°None of them are year four yet, they know not to even try.¡±

    I thought her conveying my displeasure would be a lot more effective after this depending on why they were using them. I understood why explosions were the spells the average person focused on since they were some of the most eye-catching. But there were far worse spells people didn¡¯t know to even advocate to ban within city limits. The military had even developed new explosive spells that went past the language of the current law.

    ¡°It was the mages in Tamil that I need to talk to you about in relation to Kiteer¡¯s Baron,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Kylepo siad. ¡°We¡¯re discussing what to do about that mess after this next meeting. I¡¯m waiting on a report from Jeremy that we should get this morning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be attending this meeting as well then, to find out why she was even in a position to have explosions close enough to damage her hearing,¡± Janette said.

    I wanted to get this over with and put on some real clothes before my next meeting.

    ¡°Faraya, find out what we¡¯re missing about the eye thing when you speak with the aspirants. Jeremy please take Morris down to the vault and grab another crystal to replace yours while you¡¯re down there before getting to that report. General, thank you for joining us, I¡¯ll see you for that briefing later. Now, everyone but my partner¡­and daughter, please get out of my room.¡±

    ¡°Will do, sir.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°See you then, sir.¡±

    ¡°Glad you¡¯re better, Vince,¡± Kylepo added on his way out.

    I got up and out of bed for the first time in days without feeling dread. My body felt lighter like it knew the curse was gone. I was almost knocked back down by my daughter ramming into me.

    I returned the hug. ¡°Thank you for going across the duchy to help me.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± she mumbled into my robe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I messed up with the apprentices.¡±

    ¡°You just have to delegate tasks sometimes as a leader. And sometimes they¡¯ll disappoint you. It wasn¡¯t your fault and all you can do is take the lessons that it taught you and apply them in the future.¡±

    Janette came to join us. I felt bad I hadn¡¯t bathed yet but as long as they didn¡¯t comment I wouldn¡¯t let it spoil the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it seemed I was blaming you earlier Anna, I know you wouldn¡¯t do anything of the sort. And I¡¯m glad you¡¯re whole again, Vince.¡±

    They released me and I hesitated. I could tell myself it wasn¡¯t confirmed but that only took a single spell to accomplish. I could say it didn¡¯t matter cause I didn¡¯t have anything to do with her. I could keep it a secret for the sake of not making any issues.

    But I wouldn¡¯t. Simply because I wasn¡¯t going to lie by omission and I felt justified in my trade for Janette¡¯s life. I would do it again even knowing the outcome, though I¡¯d do it with a heavier conscience knowing the suffering that happened in exchange for Janette¡¯s and the lives of dozens of others who benefited from the cure.

    It would be mortifying to tell Anna at the same time but this conversation was one I wanted to only have once. It might also prevent me from being strangled to death.

    I would try to make it up to Valeria even if I wasn¡¯t factually her father.

    ¡°I need to tell you about a translation error that was made on this paper,¡± I said and held up the note Anna had given me. ¡°But before I do, I want to start off by saying there was no physical interaction between us.¡±

 Chapter 24

    I had to stop myself from reaching and toying with the necklace I¡¯d just been given. There were too many reasons why I couldn¡¯t. It was supposed to be a secret, it would get drained like the transmission crystals if I touched it and I didn¡¯t want to get a taste of the older man¡¯s emotions again.

    They hadn¡¯t been overly complicated or distressing but I was confused about what I¡¯d done to make him feel sorry for me.

    ¡°Why are we going back up?¡± I asked the woman with the tight bun of grey hair. She, Yanla, was greeted by almost everyone and stopped by people with questions that sounded important.

    ¡°The guest wing and ducal wing are on the same floor but are separated by the foyer we just crossed through,¡± she said and effortlessly stepped up to the next staircase. My legs wobbled a bit before continuing after her.

    We walked down another hallway similar to the one outside the duke¡¯s bedroom with the same colourful carpets, portraits of landscapes and people, and carved tables. The only difference was that the vases on those tables were not filled with flowers.

    ¡°There are five suites here but we only keep one ready in case of unexpected guests,¡± Yanla said and took a key out to open one of the carved wooden doors. It opened to a sitting area like the one I¡¯d been in with Bowfore. Leather sofas covered in patterned stitching surrounded a glass table that looked to encase flower arrangements.

    ¡°I would not usually ask this of guests but since you are the only one up here do you mind infusing the table¡¯s enchantment for us?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to be the reason someone had to climb up all those stairs so I agreed. Back at the tower in Tamil I¡¯d somehow filled the crystal so I was sure I¡¯d be able to figure it out again. Maybe I would even learn how to not drain the necklace without meaning to.

    She showed me to a rectangular window that was taller than me, hidden behind a set of thin white curtains. I would need to stand onto the sill if I wanted to reach the latch but I could easily get to the little thing I had to twist to stop the windows from moving with the wind.

    Yanla was explaining the type of wood, where the glass was made and the artisans behind each piece of decor. I didn¡¯t want to sound dumb by asking what each of the descriptive words she used meant so I nodded my head and commented on the colour or design.

    Next was a set of double doors to another room that looked like everything was in the exact place it was supposed to be. The covers of the bed that took up just as much space as the carpeted floor were tucked under so tightly there wasn¡¯t a single wrinkle.

    ¡°Door on the left is the lavatory and the dressing room is on the right. Through here is the balcony.¡±

    There were darker curtains blocking the square panelled glass door and stone railings preventing us from falling very far down to the bushes below. It looked out over the garden hidden behind the palace where a pond surrounded by stone slabs sat amongst trees. Thatched roofs covered sets of tables and chairs while pathways meandered through beds of different plants.

    ¡°This is bigger than the duke¡¯s room. Can I really stay here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that was just a more private room with more security, his normal chambers are much larger.¡±

    I nodded, looking over the neat gardens. ¡°How long can I stay here?¡±

    ¡°Apologies, I only managed to hear that you are a guest. I would ask the duke for more information.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be able to talk to him again? Isn¡¯t he very busy?¡±

    Yanla huffed. ¡°He likes to pretend to be but I am sure he would make time for you if he has given you a guest room. Do you need anything else?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­do you have a library here?¡±

    ¡°We do, mostly first additions and old tomes unfit for public use. The first Duke Riker gave away most to the city library a few generations ago for mass printing so it would be better to go there. I will see about getting you a card so you may bring some back here to read.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes please.¡±

    ¡°If there is nothing else I need to go organise a staff meeting, any member you meet from then onwards should know we have a guest so you can ask anything of them and they shall try to assist.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for helping me,¡± I said. I had tried to find better words to express that I was grateful for someone important taking their time to help me, but couldn¡¯t come up with anything better.

    ¡°Of course, have a good day.¡±

    She left me out on the balcony and closed the double door. I waited to hear the click of a lock but either didn¡¯t hear it over the wind or she hadn¡¯t locked me in.

    I closed off the balcony doors and started looking around what might be my room for a little while. It seemed nicer than the one I had stayed in with Trissa but it was less¡­cosy.

    The lavatory was what I¡¯d come to expect but had a bathtub that could fit three of me, comfortably. I opened the door to the dressing room but it looked a bit sad with all the empty hangers and cupboards.

    One of the drawers near the bed had a key in the lock.

    My pockets were getting a bit full with the addition of whatever it was that I had taken from the duke¡¯s room. I¡¯d liked the gold name on it and would have put it back if he hadn¡¯t let me take it. My cheeks warmed at the embarrassing moment. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have tried and wasn¡¯t sure why I had.

    I started placing all my little possessions into the drawer and hesitated at the coin. Was I in the same kind of position I¡¯d been in with Trissa, would I eat with them or did I need to find something myself?

    They hadn¡¯t wanted me to come eat with the Mayor so I didn¡¯t think there was a chance it would happen with the Duke.

    I kept the coin and wandered up to the exit where the key was sitting in the lock. I felt I had to lock the door behind me as that¡¯s how it was before and put a second key into my pockets.

    Going downstairs was, thankfully, easier than going up. The foyer had fewer staff members moving around so the meeting must have started already.

    The gravel paths hurt my still bare feet so I turned back to try to find the door with my boots. Normally I would have preferred to avoid them but I wanted to see how far I could get away from the palace and the doll. Which meant going into a city full of things that I couldn¡¯t sense how spiky they were.

    My footsteps echoed inside the first tunnel to the outside area. I asked the guards if I could come back in if I left, they recognised me from when I entered with Annalise and said it would be fine. They would also pass it along to their replacements.

    The children weren¡¯t out playing anymore but a few were tending to the animals or picking fruit off of the trees. It seemed like a great task since I saw more than a few take a bite into their pickings. A dog that was more fur than body roamed around them with their tongue hanging out. They felt it was their job to make sure nothing got to the children or animals and even gave me a stern look.

    The second gate with the bridge to the city said the same as the first. They also directed me to their favourite lunchtime spot when I gave my reasoning for leaving. One asked if I could get him lunch since they always ended their shift well into the ¡®lunch rush.¡¯

    I agreed but ended up having the three others pile bronze coins in my hands, as well as a note with the name and list of what they wanted.

    The streets did seem fuller than when we¡¯d crossed through earlier with more types of people and clothing in one glance than I¡¯d ever seen before. I flipped my silvery gold coin over in my fingers, trying to convince myself I wasn¡¯t attached to the thing. I¡¯d spent roe before and I trusted Annalise to get me what she said she would.

    So, why did it feel so wrong to part ways with it?

    A spell forming behind me had me turning around to see what was going on. A figure dashed forward and grabbed my arm and the spell, which felt like a smaller version of Barick¡¯s shocking grasp, startled me. The coin was plucked from my loosened grip and the back of the figure''s cloak fluttered in the air as they ran.

    My body took a moment to respond but I was running after them a second later. People moved out of the way for them and I tried to follow before the gap closed.

    I was starting to panic as more and more people were getting in the way of us. They ran much faster than I did and didn¡¯t feel apprehensive about bashing into people.

    They disappeared from my sight as I stepped around a burly man shouting at them to stop running. I spun around but everyone was taller than me. The crowd threatened to push me away when I saw the cloak through a gap. It was moving down a narrow street to my side.

    I slipped through and pushed past the crowd until I was rushing through the same street. There were fewer people here so I was at least able to run as fast as I could while sucking down air. I had the cobble in front of him lift up but misjudged the distance as it jutted out behind him. Another attempt had him crashing to the ground for a moment.

    A few passersby stared at them and then at me as I chased after their stumbling form. As soon as people were out of the way I threw as much air as I could at him. Paper, dust, bits of food and fabric tumbled about as the blast flattened the cloak against their back.

    They were on the ground again. Twisting to face me, he raised his palm and threw a spell that turned into a see-through spike of mana surrounded by the haze I was familiar with.

    It was coming directly at my chest. I tried to move to the side but it angled to keep the same path.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I thought about pulling a cobblestone to block it but had to fall to the ground to avoid it. The spike hit the ground behind me as it tried to curve into me. The boy had the beginnings of a patchy beard on his chin and upper lip. I stared past the blonde strands peeking out of his hooded cloak and into his hazel eyes. He looked shocked, maybe mortified.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, this really worth it to ya?¡± he said and flashed the coin. ¡°I bet mummy and daddy can get you plenty more. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d want their precious petunia skewered by an arrow over their loose change.¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t have much to say and I was breathing too hard to say it. We both scrambled up at the same time, running again.

    The street beyond was crowded enough that we could keep running but had to swerve past people and small children who liked to pull at the arms of their parents and move in our way.

    A group of watch officers yelled at him to stop from the other side of the street as the boy tried to dash across. He reeled as a carriage almost ran him over and returned to my side of the street.

    My lungs were struggling along with my legs but something else made me stagger to a stop. I was getting to the start of the doll¡¯s restriction.

    I watched the cloaked boy look back at me before dipping into another side street. A hand clamped down on my shoulder while I was trying to catch my breath and trying to ignore the crushing feeling in my chest.

    ¡°What are you up to? He steal something from you?¡± the officer asked me and pointed a small club towards where the boy was.

    I nodded. ¡°He¡­did. Can you¡­get him?¡±

    ¡°No can do I¡¯m afraid,¡± another said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked with my breathing slowly returning to normal.

    ¡°Gotta take that up with the Duke. We¡¯re not allowed to chase people through busy streets.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Gram. Someone says she was throwing around offensive spells in the alley back there,¡± a third officer said as she joined.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Gram said with his hand still latched onto my shoulder. ¡°What kind of spell was it?¡±

    The woman shrugged. ¡°Just some basic wind spell from what they said.¡±

    ¡°You used an offensive spell?¡± Gram asked me.

    ¡°Yes? He stole my coin.¡±

    The other pedestrians were giving our small crowd a lot of space with a few stopping to listen in for a bit before being pushed along.

    Gram sighed. ¡°Who¡¯s been teaching you combat spells? Are they registered?¡±

    ¡°No one taught me,¡± I said, not adding that I wasn¡¯t able to use spells since that seemed to confuse people more.

    ¡°Come on girl, don''t make this difficult. You look well dressed, we just need to know your teacher to check.¡±

    ¡°Ummm¡­Annalise and Faraya?¡± The first was true since Annalise had tried to teach me and I hoped the commander wouldn¡¯t mind me trying to get out of trouble. I was confused why they seemed to care more about some wind than someone who took my coin.

    ¡°Annalise Riker and Knight Commander Faraya?¡± Gram asked. He shared a look with his other officers.

    ¡°We could stick her in a holding cell and get one of them to come down here. We either figure out she¡¯s lying or get back at the nits for Dobler Street.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not poke at her over this, we take the girl to the castle gate and get them to owe us a favour for not making an issue out of this. If they don¡¯t know what she¡¯s on about then we throw her in the cell.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take her back,¡± Gram said and started to steer me towards the castle walls in the distance. ¡°Come along, girly.¡±

    I needed to get back within the doll¡¯s restrictions anyway but I tried to shake my shoulder so he¡¯d stop guiding me, his grip stayed. The other two started to walk off together in the other direction.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Valeria,¡± I said with what I hoped was a grumpy enough attitude to display my displeasure.

    ¡°Want me to write you a report for the stolen item? What did he take anyway?¡±

    ¡°My coin, it was an electrum one.¡±

    ¡°Ah, a coin like that isn¡¯t worth your life. These thieves can pull out a weapon if you do catch them. Mage¡¯s can still get stabbed.¡±

    ¡°He tried to throw a mana arrow at me. Shouldn¡¯t you want to get him for throwing spells around?¡±

    ¡°The witnesses probably aren¡¯t mages and only saw yours because you made it obvious. We can¡¯t arrest people for what someone else senses since that would be and has been abused.¡±

    ¡°You had to have used spells first for him to throw something like that at you. No chance he¡¯s risking attempted murder over an electrum coin unless he knew you could use a shielding spell.¡±

    ¡°I¡­might have but I don¡¯t know the shield spell. I had to dodge it.¡±

    He stopped and I had to as well once his grip pulled my shoulder back. ¡°What the fuck are they doing not teaching you the first spell every mage learns?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m not good with spells?¡± I tried. He looked at me in almost the same way Annalise and the others had.

    ¡°How did you dodge it? It should have tracked your mana. There¡¯s no chance you have a decoy spell but not a shield.¡±

    ¡°I ducked?¡± I said as we continued to walk.

    He scoffed at my answer. ¡°I guess you''re lucky that your mana reserves are small, usually that spell is really good at tracking.¡±

    I glanced down to the necklace still hidden inside my overalls that had apparently almost gotten me killed. He let go of my shoulder after we got a little closer but he kept close by.

    We walked past the place the guards had recommended. There was a lot of seating under an awning with someone behind a counter folding paper wrapping around a roll that was stuffed to the limit.

    I pulled out the piece of paper they¡¯d given me to double-check and showed Gram. ¡°Can we stop here for a moment, I told the guards I would get them their lunch as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re serious? I¡¯m going to let you go with a stern warning so you don¡¯t need to do all this to distract me and make a run for it.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no. That¡¯s why I¡¯m out here.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll have an early lunch.¡±

    I was somewhat glad he was here because I wouldn¡¯t have known to go stand at the back of the ten person line off to the side. We slowly stepped forward each time someone in front of us left until Gram was next. He ordered quickly like he said the same phrase every day.

    He slid over a few bronze coins and I stepped into his place. I put the note and the coins I¡¯d been given on the counter in a few handfuls. As the man behind it read the note I felt my mouth water and my stomach prepare to growl loud enough for the person in the back frying ingredients to hear.

    He slid back a few of the coins. ¡°This is enough for five rolls, I have four here, are you ordering one for yourself?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I wondered if they¡¯d expected change back. Or maybe they¡¯d meant to pay for mine. ¡°Can I get one without meat?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said and started to point at the options and I selected what looked or sounded good since I didn¡¯t know some.

    He slid all the coins off the counter and started to prepare the orders. I waited over by Gram until the six paper-wrapped rolls were placed onto the counter and then into a bag.

    I was feeling glad for that since I¡¯d been trying to figure out how I was going to carry all of the food. We walked the rest of the way with Gram asking a few more questions on the description of the thief.

    ¡°Why were you going around flashing roe like that? You were just begging to get robbed.¡±

    My cheeks heated. I was getting more and more upset with myself rather than the thief.

    ¡°I¡¯d guess he was a part of one of the younger gangs. The older ones are known and don¡¯t hang around this area which lets the up and comers roam free without needing their permission.¡±

    ¡°Why would they need permission to steal?¡±

    ¡°Territory is quite important to them and even teens don¡¯t get an exception to that.¡±

    We eventually got to the gate and Gram talked with the hungry guards. The knights supported my story of knowing Annalise and expressed some disappointment in the theft. I was disappointed they didn¡¯t seem to care more about the coin but I appreciated them asking me if I was alright.

    Gram hadn¡¯t told them about my spell usage but I wasn¡¯t going to remind him.

    I tried to apologise for spending the extra money and that I would pay them back but it turns out the extra was meant for me. I was frustrated that my coin was stolen when I hadn¡¯t needed to take it out or argue with myself over using it in the first place.

    Gram was shooed away from the gate after getting half-hearted thanks for bringing me back. He was an okay person so I waved at him when he looked back from the edge of the drawbridge.

    I¡¯d gotten something to eat and seen how far I could go in the city which helped settle my awful mood. I didn¡¯t think it was far enough to get to the inn with the animals I had wanted to find out more about though, but it was something.

    Barick, Daral and Alisa were all standing around near the inner gate, probably on guard duty. I started to smile as they noticed me but it stilled when I saw the look on Barick¡¯s face when he turned my way. He started to march up to me.

    I wanted to run as he got closer but I was tired of running and being out of breath. I expected him to stop and talk but he came right up to me and grabbed my ear through my hair.

    He yanked me closer. ¡°Where do you get off acting like a victim to the Commander?¡±

    Having just got in trouble for using magic I tried something else and swung my free hand at his face. It connected with a satisfying smack but my wrist was grabbed so I couldn¡¯t do it again. He shook my head about before Daral and Alisa pulled him off.

    ¡°Relax, it wasn''t even her,¡± Daral said as Barick shook him off. ¡°My thing was only referred to as ¡®a time her eyes got hurt¡¯ which isn¡¯t how Valeria would have explained it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not even in trouble, don¡¯t make this a big deal in front of others,¡± Alisa said as the two full knights on duty with them came to see what the apprentices were up to.

    ¡°Did this girl just hit you?¡± one asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Nope.¡±

    Alisa and Daral glared at Barick.

    ¡°Assaulting a knight is an arrestable offence,¡± the other said while holding onto where his bindings hung.

    Neither of them were the same pair I¡¯d seen on my way out. They¡¯d seemed a lot nicer than these two.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Barick said after pushing away Daral again, who was furiously whispering into his ear.

    In my mind the ground opened up to swallow everyone here except Alisa and maybe Daral. How was I in more trouble for being messed around by Barick than the one who stole my coin?

    I stopped myself from doing more than visualising it and marched past them.

    After getting through the tunnel I was somewhat confident it was Alisa chasing after me so I slowed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, Commander Faraya just had a word with us about your detainment in the forest and something about Daral and thieves came out so she was extra pissed.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, stopping myself from yelling at her to leave me alone. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about any of that to anyone.¡±

    ¡°I know that and Barick probably does too, he was just¡­¡±

    ¡°Looking for someone to throw around?¡± I said and stalked off again. I almost threw my lunch against the gravel. I wanted to hit something, scream and eat my roll in peace in whatever order I managed it.

    The back of the palace seemed like a quieter spot so I went back to where I¡¯d seen the pond from the balcony. I tore my boots and socks off so I could sit on the stone and dangle my sore feet in the water. Then unwrapped my roll and chomped into it.

    At least it tasted good.

 Chapter 25

    I was back in the same spot as the day before. Feet dangling over the edge and into the pond while I lay on the grass. When I arrived I made sure to say sorry to the fish who had thought my toes were food yesterday. I¡¯d threatened them with very vivid images of how I could fillet and debone a fish. It was more for my own conscience since I didn''t think they understood or cared much.

    After chomping through my lunch I had laid back and fallen asleep until someone woke me up. They asked why I was sleeping on the ground and I think I might have replied that it was because there was no hammock. I hadn¡¯t fully woken up yet.

    The rest of the late afternoon had Yanla catching up to me with a signed letter that would let me take out books at the library. She didn¡¯t know about the doll but from where she said it was I wouldn¡¯t be able to go there without having it move with me.

    I also received some thinly wrapped rolls of bronze and silver. The rest of the gold reward would be held for safekeeping. I thought about asking for all of it but chided myself for being ungrateful. I wouldn¡¯t know what to spend that amount of roe on anyway.

    Dinner was brought to me in my room where I ate atop the enchanted table. I took the plate back down after I finished and wandered around until I found the kitchen to wash it. The staff were not impressed since I apparently did it wrong and Yanla told me not to worry about it when I offered to come collect my meal from the kitchen next time.

    She said I would have been eating with the duke but he was stuck in a family discussion that he ¡®didn¡¯t want to bother me with.¡¯ I had gotten over the morning¡¯s events by then but it still irked me that I now felt more at fault for the loss of the coin.

    Yanla asked if she could use me to train some of the new hires instead of me helping with the plates. She prefaced the question with a long spiel about not meaning any offence and I was simply not the usual type of high profile guest they got. I nodded along, obviously, I wasn¡¯t.

    I¡¯d found it easy enough to infuse the enchanted table and only had a scare about the flowers wilting away during my first few attempts. So, I didn¡¯t mind helping out more.

    Haily came up after that conversation and brought me toiletries and towels as well as nightwear. I didn¡¯t know what half the bottles did but they smelt nice and I used whatever seemed appropriate when washing.

    My spare set of clothes was also brought up with Haily pointing out a basket for laundry. I tried to ask where to do said laundry but her short brown hair flicked about as she shook her head and tried to talk me out of it. She only succeeded under the threat of getting Yanla to talk to me again.

    I was starting to see a pattern of being treated far better than I deserved. There wasn¡¯t much else they could want from me and this was a lot more than what Annalise had offered. My thoughts shifted from suspicion to gratitude and ended up being worn down to cautious optimism.

    I¡¯d made my way to the stables when I awoke with the sun. It had been difficult to remove the covers to a point where I could pull them over myself and more difficult to convince myself to get out of them in the morning.

    Missy was still there and I brushed her down along with the other stable full of horses that wanted it. A farrier, Miles, came to work on Missy¡¯s hooves and I stood by while she assured me it didn¡¯t hurt and that they actually made it easier for her to walk. I even helped him with a particularly stubborn white and black splotched horse who shared the same white socks as Missy.

    He had an aversion to being pulled around and having his legs lifted for his shoe replacement. Polem just needed a bit of encouragement and direction on where to move himself without being tugged at.

    I wasn¡¯t allowed to ride any of the horses since I needed the rider¡¯s permission and not theirs. Miles laughed when I tried to argue that the horse''s opinion was more important.

    With nothing else to do and no plans to venture out into the battleground that was the city proper, I returned to the pond to lie about. I convinced a bright blue and black bird I hadn¡¯t seen before to perch itself on my outstretched finger and whistle with me.

    I was getting good at mimicking the different sounds when someone scared them back to the branches. I cracked an eye open to see which mage was responsible.

    ¡°Valeria?¡± Samuel asked. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t Haily coming to ask me a simple question or offer lunch. My breakfast consisted of taunting horses by taking bites of their fruit before feeding it to them. Missy had put a stop to that before I got my fill by huffing into my face and trying to chew my hair.

    ¡°What?¡± I said with a little too much venom. I¡¯d meant to say hello and ask what he was doing here but that had collapsed into rudeness.

    ¡°Okay¡­I¡¯ll leave you be.¡±

    ¡°Wait, sorry,¡± I said with a sigh and sat up. ¡°Hello, Samuel.¡±

    ¡°Just Sam is fine. You seem¡­angry? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I am not angry. How come you¡¯re at the palace?¡±

    He was dressed in a more form fitting and layered garment than he had been wearing on the train. He turned and pointed up to a window on the third floor. ¡°I was training with the knights then came here to sit in on a meeting that my brother and dad are having with the duke when I saw you. What are you doing here?¡±

    I shifted my legs so the water rippled across the pond and made the forms of the colourful fish blur. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to do so I was just sitting, thinking.¡±

    ¡°I meant at the palace.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m a guest, I think.¡±

    ¡°You think? Is some of this thinking you¡¯re doing the reason why you¡¯re scowling?¡±

    I was absolutely not scowling before and the only reason I might have been was because of him. I didn¡¯t feel like getting called a moron for holding my coin in the open, or for using spells in the city or for hitting a knight. But I already accepted that I was a moron and I¡¯d listened to him talk about his interests, he could listen to me complain.

    ¡°I went out to the city yesterday to buy lunch since I was hungry and didn¡¯t know how to get food here and assumed I wasn¡¯t going to be joining the duke for meals and then someone stole my coin. I chased him. Did you know you can¡¯t use spells in the city?¡±

    He nodded slowly, I ignored that and continued. ¡°Then some officers came to drag me back to the castle, they wanted to lock me up for trying to get my coin back and apparently can¡¯t chase people in the street,¡±

    ¡°Not during the day, no.¡±

    ¡°Then one of the apprentices I had been travelling with grabbed me by the hair, accusing me of trying to make him look bad for something he did to me and I didn¡¯t even say anything!¡±

    The fish darted away as I kicked at the water again.

    ¡°Have you told the duke about all of that?¡± Sam asked slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn''t appreciate that happening to one of his guests.¡±

    I sighed, I didn¡¯t care for solutions to a problem that no longer existed. ¡°I¡¯m not really a real guest, it doesn¡¯t really matter much anymore.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like it does, that all seems rather horrible.¡±

    ¡°It felt like that at the time. You don¡¯t have to get back to the meeting?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I only came since I was training nearby and on the off chance they¡¯d be talking about military spending and the increase in ghoul escapes, not a new sewer system and the purchase agreements for the land it¡¯s going to be built on.¡±

    ¡°What kind of training?¡± I asked, not wanting to get into a conversation about sewer systems even he wanted to avoid.

    ¡°Just strength and endurance, I can¡¯t learn any of the more advanced spells till I start school. Which will hopefully be at Equitier.¡±

    ¡°Right, and also military strategy,¡± I said, remembering his talks on the subject. ¡°Do you think training can help me? Just looking at areas like those stairs hurt my legs.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I pointed over to the end of the palace where a staircase went up to the middle of the wall and then split off to follow the wall up to the top on each side. I also wanted to be able to run long enough to catch the next person who stole from me, as long as he stayed within my boundaries.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it could help, we can start with going up the stairs,¡± he said and motioned for me to take his outstretched hand.

    I groaned and laid back down.

    He reached for my hand and I had half a mind to send him into the pond. But he was being kind so I left it there for him to pick up and lightly shake the rest of my arm with. ¡°The view will be worth it.¡±

    I lifted my feet up and made the waterfall off before snatching my hand back to put on my boots.

    The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I glanced up to the window Sam had pointed out. The curtain fell back in place as the heads that had been peeking around it retreated. The duke had the same kind of mana disguise as Annalise but unlike her I could still sense him from all the way down here.

    Sam had already begun walking towards the steps and I followed after him. I could walk all day in the forest, under the shade of trees with flat ground. But by the fist landing where the stairs split I wanted to stop but he turned and walked up the rest without hesitating.

    He talked about the strategy behind the only entrance to the top being at the back of the palace and the different tactics someone could use to defend or attack it.

    It gave me some satisfaction to hear his voice strain as his breathing deepened and to watch his steps become heavier towards the end. I plopped down on the last step with a breeze cooling off the sweat pooling on my neck.

    ¡°Do you think a ladder would be easier?¡± I asked Sam who was leaning against the wall that dipped up and down each block.

    ¡°Not sure, it would be less safe and harder to get ballistas and other supplies up here, but easier to defend. Now come look at the lake already.¡±

    I used my arms to push against my legs in order to stand up and trudged over to lean on another section where the wall dipped. ¡°Huh.¡±

    Sunlight glistened off a body of water that stretched out to the horizon. Gentle waves lapped at the sand and jagged rock below us. I knew sticks and logs could float but it was something else entirely to see wooden boats crawling with people floating across the lake.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as large or clear as Lake Olai but it¡¯s still pretty, I wouldn¡¯t recommend swimming though, too many barracuda.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± I hummed while propping my head up on my palms. The view might have been worth the steps.

    I sneezed as a transmission went off behind me. The tower with the receiver on it was almost at the same height as us and I seemed to be in the way now. It was some kind of request for confirmation on a meeting with a few teachers tomorrow afternoon. I sneezed again as another one went off with a lot of numbers to do with roe and banking.

    It wasn¡¯t as bad as when I was close up like with the one in Tamil but all the information arriving at once as a mess of thoughts and feelings was not good for my head.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± Sam asked, peeking around the stone block between us. I shook my head as another went past that mentioned the grape fields.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see the city.¡±

    I followed him across the walls and past a few knights who didn¡¯t care we were up there. The square things that appeared every so often were called towers and we stood on the one nearest the edge. Sam was ecstatic that I didn¡¯t know anything about castles and he pointed out each piece which all seemed to have their own very specific names.

    We were directly overlooking the wall around the staff area with the lake on our left. Most of the gated area the Manafold carriage had gone into was covered by the primary wall but Sam managed to point out his house and those of the others who were also in the meeting room. Miniature palaces were the description that came to mind when I looked at them, all with their own flair.

    I asked him to point out the library which was an easy building to notice. A clock tower I could barely make out the numbers on poked out of the sea of tiled roofs. The inn I wanted to find was harder since it looked like most of the other buildings but I saw a similar building in the area I would guess it was in.

    There was also a more styled set of distant towers surrounded by scaffolding that was a church in its eleventh year of delayed repairs.

    He pointed out why different quarters had different types of roofs and then dove into the significance the layout would play in a siege by a foreign army or ghouls.

    I felt at ease as he continued pointing out buildings and talking strategies I probably wouldn¡¯t remember. He did give me some very interesting pointers on bringing down buildings to block the main arteries into the city that I found so outlandish they¡¯d probably stick with me.

    ¡­

    I looked at Sam and copied the type of spoon he picked up and how he used it to eat his soup.

    We¡¯d spent most of the day sitting against the battlements. In his eyes, I was an orphaned alchemist from a small town with so much talent that Annalise had picked me up.

    It was mostly his own conclusion from what I¡¯d told him, all truth except for the identity of my Mother and the duke¡¯s curse. I even included a slightly different version of the story of how I met the knights since that apparently wasn¡¯t being kept a secret anymore. It involved me trying to stop them from unknowingly robbing my cottage rather than trying to take the doll back.

    He was far more offended on my behalf than I thought he would be, I hadn¡¯t even included the doll part, and I had to beg him not to cause any trouble over it. I was a bit more vague in my storytelling after that.

    He¡¯d told me of the mischief he and his brother would get up to with some others when they were kids. I was shocked none of them had seen the inside of a cell for some of the parts but the people affected were mostly their parents and siblings.

    After a long while we were found and summoned to dinner. The tower had already been covered in shadow by the sun dipping below the battlements.

    He introduced me to Madam and Mister Manafold as well as his smirking brother Chet. We took up two seats just over halfway up the long table with Yanla and another two senior staff members between us and the duke¡¯s children. Next to Annalise was a younger boy who had his mother¡¯s curly brown hair and his father¡¯s brown eyes, Alonso.

    The duke and his partner seemed to have solved their argument from last night or were doing a good job at keeping it out of the conversation.

    People I knew like Jeremy and Faraya were there with their own guests. Sam pointed out and named the rest which involved other chiefs and business owners. They took up the opposite side and the rest of ours. I would have felt very out of place with what everyone else was weaning if Jeremy¡¯s partner wasn¡¯t the farrier from earlier, still in his own overalls.

    He tried to have a conversation with me about the horses but we were a bit far apart for that to work.

    Sam was very generous with his retelling of what I¡¯d told him earlier whenever his mother tried to talk to us. I got the sense his dad knew something more since he grinned at a few of the answers. The other chiefs knew so it made sense he would.

    I wondered how much he knew and if it would find its way to Sam before I could find out if I was allowed to tell him.

    The next plate brought before me was different than everyone else which got me a few looks.

    ¡°Which spoon do I use?¡± I whispered into Sam¡¯s ear. There were two left to choose from after the soup. The others had a fish dish so I didn¡¯t think copying him would work again.

    He shrugged. ¡°People who hold out on others when they tell stories don¡¯t get help.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t holding out¡­much,¡± I said and punctuated it with an appropriately hard tap to his shin under the table. My slip up and late shift after not realising telling him how I met the knights only really worked with the full story, didn¡¯t seem to have gone unnoticed.

    ¡°It¡¯s that one for risotto,¡± he said and pointed in the general area of the forks. I glared at him until he specified.

    ¡°Are you allergic to fish?¡± Chet asked from my other side.

    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t enjoy eating meat,¡± I said. Usually, it would end there be he went on about how it was necessary and that was probably why I didn¡¯t have any muscle. I leant away from him as he tried to squeeze my arm to demonstrate his point.

    I was saved by a note being handed to the Duke and everyone eyeing him, hoping for it to be shared.

    ¡°Valeria?¡± he said to my surprise.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked and saw Sam and other peoples¡¯ eyes widen out of the corner of my vision. For the first time, it occurred to me that not only the people that worked for him would call him ¡®sir¡¯ like with the captains. He didn¡¯t seem to care so I ignored all the looks.

    ¡°I just got confirmation of a meeting tomorrow afternoon that I want you to attend.¡±

    ¡°With the teachers?¡± I was quite pleased with myself for putting the two pieces of information together. Jeremy also looked amused.

    ¡°Yes¡­just be around the palace at that time. Maybe by the hammock that Yanla has been organising for you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked Yanla who nodded while placing a piece of the delicate white fish into her mouth. She chewed and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before speaking.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been getting a lot of questions about the girl sleeping by the pond and I think it might put a stop to that,¡± Yanla said.

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± I said and returned to my risotto, a bit embarrassed. I hadn¡¯t thought that many people had seen me but there were a lot of windows that looked over the pond. Evidence for which was sitting next to me.

    For a while, there was only the soft sound of music coming from the enchanted device spinning a disk under a spike. Even Sam hadn¡¯t been able to explain the phonograph to me but his brother had tried.

    In between the plates getting taken and another set being placed one of the people across from me gave me a card with silhouettes of people in different clothes styles on it. She invited me to the boutique named on it if I wanted to get new clothing or accessories. Another gave me a card for hairdressing but I didn¡¯t think I would need that one for a while. The last was for blacksmithing and leather work which I politely accepted despite wanting to ask what I would need from there.

    The third set of plates was all the same with a collection of mushrooms and stuffed roasted peppers, which I really enjoyed. I managed to get one of Sam¡¯s as well. He got my dessert in return since the cold substance had hurt my teeth and was far too sweet.

    Jeremy came over after everyone was getting up with tea to talk to others who had been too far away over dinner. Mostly towards the ducal family and then the chiefs.

    He poked and prodded me for how I knew about the ¡®vineyards¡¯ and teachers. He wanted to know who I talked to or what I had read. I didn¡¯t care much for the secret but I was enjoying knowing things others didn¡¯t. I planned to tell him about my weird interactions with the crystals and transmission¡ªeventually.

    Sam almost ruined my evening by reminding me about my already regrettable decision to join him in more exercise. But I managed to push him to the day after because of my seemingly important meeting the next day.

 Chapter 26

    I shivered in the cool morning air, my nightgown not doing much to keep me warm on the balcony. My second day in the palace had ended a lot better than the first, thanks mostly to Sam.

    I¡¯d even slept in long enough that Haily had woken me up with breakfast. Which I was eating while sitting on a cushioned chair under a clouded sky.

    Haily had taken the clothes I¡¯d worn yesterday to the laundry and would be bringing up the cleaned ones I had travelled in later, once they had been dried. That left me without anything to wear out.

    She had, in a very polite tone, threatened to trip me when I suggested my nightgown was fine. I¡¯d seen several people in the city wear something similarly covering. But it was made known to me that certain materials were more improper than others.

    Sam, the empty dressing room and now Haily had all spent considerable time convincing me I couldn¡¯t wear the same thing over and over again. Trissa had also tried but her argument of, ¡®just cause,¡¯ hadn''t worked as well.

    I brushed off the crumbs from the pastry and realised I¡¯d lost focus on the necklace again. Without two layers of clothes, it was against my skin and if I didn¡¯t consciously try not to absorb the mana, it drained.

    I¡¯d taken off the speckled rock from Tometh and was planning to try to get the two stones put on the same string. It was now with everything else in the locked drawer, the key of which was hidden in the room to prevent it from being stolen from my person.

    Attempting to push mana into the crystal without holding it was far more difficult despite doing the opposite unintentionally. Getting it back to a similar feeling Morris had put it at involved me draining it and quickly filling it until I got it right since I couldn''t adjust the mana once inside.

    Haily coming back in through the double doors made me hide it again. ¡°Would you like anything else, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, Haily.¡±

    The young girl smiled and I felt sick with myself for letting her clear away my plates. I had to remind myself that this was something she chose to do and according to Yanla, was getting paid very well to do it. Haily was free to leave at any point and working in the palace would gain her easy access to most other jobs.

    ¡°Ah, ma¡¯am. A¡­A few people saw what happened with the knights outside the gate the day before last. They, ah, wanted me to let you know they would talk about what they saw. If that is what you want. We have issues with the knights sometimes so it would be their pleasure.¡±

    I was at a loss for words. But what she said made me realise her job wasn¡¯t anything like I was made to do. There were more staff members than anyone else in the palace and it sounded like they stuck together.

    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t want to make things worse. I think I want to just wait until he leaves for school. But thank you and thank whoever told you, for me.¡±

    I was slowly becoming more amenable to the idea of working here but still hoped it could be with the animals and not people.

    However, everyone at dinner being polite and thankful to the staff did make me less worried about how I used to be treated when bringing someone food. I blamed the breeze for the shiver that ran down my spine.

    To clear my head of ugly thoughts I tried to think of the reasons why I would be talking with a group of teachers later and watched a ladder being brought out near the pond. Translation was at the top with curses and alchemy being next but much less likely reasons.

    Another two brought out a small rolled-up sheet and laid it out between two trees. They took ages to untangle the strings that were attached to wooden beams at each end of the fabric.

    The hammock looked more sophisticated than the sheet tied around branches that I had imagined. Theirs looked like a waxy fabric with multiple strings looped through the wood on the side so that it balanced well between the two trees it was tied to. One of the women who set it up fell into it and smoothly rocked back and forth with the edges barely curling around her.

    I was excited about lying in it myself. More so that it was something done especially for me. Once I managed to get into the library, I knew it would be hard to remove me from that spot.

    The others helped their colleague up and packed up to head back inside. They hadn¡¯t been wearing the staff uniform so I wasn¡¯t sure where they would be returning to.

    I watched as the hammock swayed in the wind along with the first dead leaves of fall tumbling across the garden. My clothes still weren''t ready and I didn¡¯t have much to do in the room so I looked through the cards I¡¯d been given the night before.

    They were durable pieces of paper that had a name, number, street name and the city district. I didn¡¯t know the first thing about finding out where it was but was sure someone, maybe Sam could be convinced to help me.

    Clem¡¯s boutique was the one I was most interested in but I dragged my fingers through my hair Alisa had clipped and wondered if the hairdresser could get it to curl and shine like the women at dinner. The unruly tangles my fingers caught on persuaded me to consider it.

    I hummed and hawed over the leatherworking and blacksmithing one but couldn¡¯t come up with anything I would want. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t know much about what they could do to begin with.

    Haily brought up my clothes, folded or on wooden hangers. I thanked her again and pushed away the sick feeling in my stomach.

    The last thing I did before leaving was to tuck the crystal back between my shirt and overalls.

    The staff on the steps and in the foyer went out of their way to acknowledge me while the knights standing guard seemed to look at me with extra scorn. I thought it might have been because of what Haily had said but put it out of my mind as I made my way to my hammock.

    It was as comfortable as I¡¯d hoped and I let myself relax in the familiar rhythm of swaying back and forth. If I hadn''t just woken up I would have strongly considered sleeping.

    But I had and without a book to occupy me, I found myself getting up and walking the gardens instead. I tried to get the thick rope-like vines climbing the building to follow what I wanted like the treant had. It worked well enough that I stopped before I brought the entire wall of them down.

    Inspected the flower beds had uncovered some interesting plants I hadn¡¯t seen before and I helped along those that looked like they needed it.

    ¡­

    ¡°It feels weird being able to sense you,¡± Annalise said after catching up to me in the gardens. ¡°Would you like to have lunch together?¡±

    I had waited to see if she was trying to find me after sensing her mana from behind a few of the hedges. She looked comfortable and warm in a wool sweater with chunky patterns knitted into it, very different to the flowy dress she¡¯d worn last night.

    ¡°I would.¡±

    We hadn¡¯t had any chance to speak since we¡¯d arrived. I didn¡¯t have anything, in particular, to say so trying to find her door to knock on seemed a bit much. Going to the stables to see the horses was my main intention but I had hoped to bump into her there or on the way.

    ¡°Sorry I haven''t been around much, lots of things to catch up on with captain duties and family. How have you found the palace so far?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­a lot. I do like the people I talk to like you, Sam, Yanla and Haily. The gardens are really nice too.¡±

    I walked next to her back to the palace, fidgeting with my hands behind my back. ¡°Are you happy to be home? Seeing your parents and brother?¡±

    ¡°Have you met Alonso?¡±¡ªI shook my head¡ª¡°He¡¯s an¡­acquired taste. Goes down the street to play board games with his friends a lot, just younger than Samuel''s whole age group. If he asks you to play, don''t let him trick you, it¡¯ll definitely take longer than the hour he promises.¡±

    I wasn''t expecting any invites but it didn¡¯t sound like the worst way to spend my time.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be back and sleep in my own bed. But I do want to travel again. It¡¯s one of those things you miss and look forward to rather than enjoy in the moment.¡±

    I nodded slowly. It had been an interesting experience but having explosive spells being flung at me was definitely only something to enjoy after the fact.

    The smaller dining room we entered only had two places set up, but without the myriad of utensils we¡¯d had last night. There was only one of each and I appreciated the simplicity. Going from using almost no utensils to having to use all of them was a lot to handle.

    ¡°So, you told the commander about what happened near my cottage?" I asked while waiting for the food to be brought. ¡°Could I tell Sam about it?¡±

    ¡°Sam, is it?¡± she said with a smirk that faded. ¡°I did, it was a formal debriefing and I¡¯m not sure. You can if you want but I don¡¯t think letting it be known you¡¯re related to a witch is ever a good idea. Might make things difficult for us here as well if he tells his parents.¡±

    That¡¯s the same thing I kept coming back to so I asked something Sam had made me curious about. ¡°Are they getting punished? Barick seemed upset when I went through the gate the other day.¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­I didn¡¯t think the commander would say enough to make them feel reprimanded. I¡¯ll see about moving him to the night shift until they leave. And why didn¡¯t you tell me about that night with Daral?¡±

    ¡°He said he would tell you I tried to run away and I didn¡¯t want you to think that. And I would rather just leave Barick be, I don¡¯t want to cause any more trouble.¡±

    Annalise sucked in a breath before sighing. I still wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to see some kind of punishment, I felt better about it after hearing Sam get upset at some of what they did but was confused about my own feelings. Sometimes I wanted to shove him off the walls, into the lake, and other times I felt indifferent.

    I didn¡¯t like the conversation so I interrupted her while she was thinking of an answer. ¡°Do I have to call the duke ¡®sir?¡¯¡±

    Her frown disappeared as she snorted. ¡°Uhh¡­I¡¯d actually like to hear you ask him that question.¡±

    ¡°I was asking you,¡± I mumbled under my breath. ¡°How long will I be allowed to stay here as a guest, or do I also need to ask him that as well?¡±

    Her smug grin told me the answer.

    Our food was brought in, mine by Haily who kept glancing at a notepad she brought out from behind her back when describing the dish. It was cute to hear her try to pronounce ¡®thyme.¡¯

    While I was eating I kept catching Annalise staring at me out of the corner of my eye. I wiped at my mouth with the back of my hand and then the napkin when that didn¡¯t stop it.

    I caught her gaze the next time. ¡°What is it? Is there sauce on my face?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I was just looking at you,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay¡­why? Is it my hair?¡± I said and brought it around my shoulder.

    ¡°What, no. But it may need a brush,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry if this is rude to ask but was anything about your father ever mentioned?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat when I thought back to the only day I¡¯d ever heard mention of him. It was right after coming back from speaking with the treant. ¡°I think she called him a mage and that¡¯s about it. I didn¡¯t even know what a father was at the time. The closest I¡¯d been to a man was like¡­the length of this castle.¡±

    She started chuckling. ¡°I wish I could say the same sometimes.¡±

    I stuffed my cheeks with the remains of my lunch. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m meeting with teachers later?¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should get you an etiquette teacher to meet with instead.¡±

    That reminded me of Jaqalin so I started shaking my head as I finished my mouthful.

    ¡°I know who it¡¯ll be and have a good idea of why. Head of Mana theory, Professor Jacomier. Professor Chimbwanda of Minds and Personalities. And Professor Mitchell of Curses and Old Magic. Morris and a local enchanter named Hark will also be there.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re here for the doll?¡±

    Annalise nodded. I convinced myself they were trying to help and not just use me as an experiment. It didn¡¯t help remove the pit forming in my stomach.

    ¡°Why is this the only time I¡¯ve heard anything be called ¡®magic?¡¯¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just old-fashioned. Mostly appears in historical studies and children¡¯s books.¡±

    ¡­

    I talked more with Annalise over some blackberries I got her to ask for. In exchange, she convinced me to ask Sam to take me shopping in the city and gave me advice on what I should get for the coming seasons.

    I said I would think about it but knew I would avoid asking.

    We were walking across the front gardens to one of the smaller brick buildings for the meeting. The two knights outside saluted Annalise as we walked in the double door. Inside was a foyer like the palace, but with a plain red carpet that had pathways faded in it from constant walking.

    People not in uniform but still dressed smartly walked about with stacks of paper or in pairs having discussions. Doors with name plates lined the hallways with most of them being open. The desks inside were covered in more paper and piled up folders.

    Other rooms had oval desks surrounded by chairs with some of them being filled with people passionately discussing different topics. This was where most of the chiefs worked with their assistants, advisors and other experts.

    We were off to the third floor where Morris¡¯ office was.

    Annalise opened the door and the first thing I noticed was the smell of the smoke from the pipes people liked to puff on. The room was quite full with three women and four men including the Duke Riker, Janette and Morris.

    Bookcases covered in leathery spines and other small trinkets towered over everything.

    Heavy curtains hung behind a dark wood desk and sofas crowded around a rug that looked like a map.

    Of the two men left. Hark must have been the one in only overalls with a visible tan line while Professor Chimbwanda was the well-dressed man with a darker complexion.

    I looked across to the woman and saw the doll sitting on the table with its amber eyes looking at me. The taste of something bitter in my mouth stopped me from looking at the other professors.

    Underneath the smell of smoke was the scent of a sweet and woody perfume made of daylilies. Something Mother often made.

    I knew they were talking. Talking to me, but my ears were ringing too loudly to hear.

    The room blurred as I turned around. Annalise was standing between me and the closed door. I tried to push past her but she grabbed onto me. I think I was talking or screaming but didn¡¯t have a clue what it was.

    My arms were squished into my side as I tried to push Annalise off me.

    Something fowl invaded my nostrils and I jerked my head away from it. I started coughing into Annalise as she continued to hold me. My eyes were watering but the ringing in my ears was gone.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Annalise asked from above me.

    ¡°Smelling salts,¡± a blurry Professor Chimbwanda said while putting a stopper back into the neck of a glass vial full of white crystals. ¡°She was having a fight or flight response to something in the room, possibly the doll.¡±

    ¡°Valeria?¡± Morris asked from next to me. ¡°Are you well enough to let me examine you?¡±

    I wanted to scream at him to get away from me. But Annalise¡¯s arms around me helped me hold my tongue and relax enough to hold out my arm.

    ¡°She¡¯s physically fine, the only abnormality is an elevated heart rate,¡± Morris said.

    ¡°Can we open a window?¡± I asked once I got my arm back. Morris tried to get me to sit near him and the two women professors. I moved to sit in the free spot on the sofa next to the duke across the room from them.

    My nostrils still burnt from the smelling salts. That and the strong wind blowing in from outside helped to keep the perfume away from me.

    Morris introduced me to his old colleagues. Professor Jacomier, Head of Mana Theory was a stern older lady with short hair and still wearing her travelling clothes and a fur coat. She looked upset with the window and me for letting the cool outside air come into the office.

    It was either her or Professor Mitchell of Curses and Old Magic who was wearing the perfume. She was taller than most and had a slight point to her ears.

    ¡°Quite an interesting case you¡¯ve brought before us, my duke,¡± Professor Mitchell said after the introductions. ¡°May I examine the object now that the patient is here?¡±

    I glanced at the duke when I noticed he was looking at me. He was waiting for me to answer so I nodded to the professor.

    Professor Chimbwanda also went over and flicked the doll just under the knee while watching me. I felt it but it was hardly a surprise or painful.

    ¡°No reflex,¡± he said to Morris. ¡°Not neurological then?¡±

    Morris shrugged. ¡°Is it only pain, Valeria? Do you know what would happen if, say, the doll lost an arm?¡±

    He was going out the window if he tried. ¡°No, but you¡¯re not trying that.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Duke Riker reassured me, with his arms crossed.

    Professor Jacomier came up to where I was sitting and I leaned further into the couch. She had the perfume on but it didn¡¯t affect me again as much besides a stray memory flashing by.

    ¡°Take off that silly trinket, please,¡± she said with her hand out.

    I glanced at Morris who nodded. The necklace came off and I was about to hand it over to her but she waved it away and motioned for my arm instead.

    ¡°Is this your hair?¡± Professor Mitchell asked.

    ¡°Amber for the eyes?¡± Hark asked. Both were squatting near the table with the doll.

    ¡°It is, to both,¡± I said as my hand tingled in the other professor¡¯s grip.

    Annalise was whispering by the door with Janette and they occasionally glanced at me. Chimbwanda and Morris were having a spirited discussion with a lot of medical terms I recognised and many I didn¡¯t, being thrown around.

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    I placed the last piece of the clay heart model back in its place. Morris had made me swear on my mana to be gentle before allowing me to take it off of his shelf.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    Piece by piece I dismantled the model into my lap, again. Seeing a picture of the thing beating in my chest was interesting. But holding the pieces in my hands made everything so easy to understand and wondered how something so intricate kept going all day, every day.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    Professor Mitchell finally took a break from pinching the doll and stood up. Maybe my reminders that I could feel everything she was doing finally got through to her.

    ¡°This is fascinating. The curses layered on top of the doll would suggest a normal physical activation but that¡¯s only the secondary criteria. The first is something biological in nature.¡±

    Professor Jacomier had moved on from me to the doll to help sense what was going on during the pinching. "That biological matter also seems to be taking the pain felt by the doll, bypassing the usual translation into mana and radiating it outwards to the target.¡±

    I looked up from the model. It annoyed me that I had said the same thing in much easier to understand terms, but everything I said had to be verified. ¡°If only someone here could have told you all that without all the pinching and complicated language.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be cheeky, they are here to help,¡± the duke said. ¡°And let¡¯s stop poking the doll for the sake of it.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± I hummed and leaned back onto the sofa without looking at him. It was possibly the lightest reprimand I¡¯d ever received, it still made me anxious. I felt justified in my ¡®cheek¡¯ but accepted I needed to keep my mouth shut in front of the person who decided my future at the palace.

    I also wasn¡¯t sure how they were trying to help.

    Hark stood up from his squat near the doll. He had the good graces to not touch it, possibly out of fear from the way he kept his distance. ¡°Yeah, this really isn¡¯t an enchantment by any definition so I don¡¯t know if I can help at all.¡±

    Morris paused his conversation with Professor Chimbawnda. ¡°No, it¡¯s just an enchantment we do not yet understand.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start, Morris.¡±

    Morris flicked his hand dismissively at all of them and went back to his conversation with renewed zeal.

    I glanced up as I felt Professor Jacomier staring at me again. ¡°This might only work because of her¡­uniqueness. Could I get you to cast a basic spell for me, Valeria?¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t be able to,¡± Annalise said and I nodded.

    ¡°Okay? I heard you could use mana, do you freecast? How?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ um¡­feel and use it the same way I¡¯m moving my fingers,¡± I said and did just that for effect. Her unimpressed look made me feel quite silly but I was right and there was no chance she could dispute it.

    My ¡®uniqueness¡¯ got a round of discussion going between her and ¡®Vince.¡¯ I gathered that Professor Jacomier taught the duke when he had gone to Equitier and didn¡¯t bother with the formal address.

    She went over to lift the doll away from Professor Mitchell¡¯s unmoving gaze and over to me.

    ¡°Hand, please.¡±

    I handed off the model to the duke, stood up and placed my hand in hers without fuss. She slowly brought my hand closer and closer to the doll. I started to resist slightly but she stopped before making me touch it.

    She clicked her tongue and put the doll back down. Worry slowly crept in as she let go of me and started to pace between the sofas.

    With my hand no longer needed I went to plop back down next to Duke Riker who tried to give me a reassuring smile.

    She stopped pacing and turned to face the room. ¡°I would prefer this to never be repeated outside these walls. And I¡¯m only saying this because I feel it may be beneficial to our efforts.¡±

    ¡°Oh, get on with it, Jossie,¡± Morris said. That earned him a scowl but she continued.

    ¡°I think this operates with the same parasitic nature as the Ghoul¡¯s curse. But instead of taking over and killing the host,¡± she said and motioned to me. ¡°It has the doll as a conduit and is being limited in its ability to influence the host through pain alone. And, like the ghouls, I don¡¯t think we can cleanse this like a normal curse.¡±

    I glanced at blank faces and waited for someone to break the silence.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Professor Mitchell said. ¡°Can we get access to the books and journals you talked about? It might help us to understand and replicate this.¡±

    ¡°Replicate?¡± Janette said along with similar exclamations from Annalise and Professor Chimbwanda. I fully agreed with them. If making more was the goal of this meeting I was going to¡­

    Do what?

    I was surrounded by people with mana that felt like blinding lights to my senses. They had offices and palaces, titles, and years of schooling and they wanted to argue over my future.

    ¡°Professor, I invited you here to get rid of it, not make more,¡± Duke Riker said.

    I breathed out a sigh. Having the duke seemingly on my side helped put a stop to my pessimistic thoughts for the moment.

    ¡°Sir, just like so much of our modern spellwork is based on older magic systems. Our alchemy and enchanting is based on witches¡¯ work. We cannot let an innovation like this be destroyed. Morris, she just said there''s a link, this could be the key to understanding the ghouls, creating an enchanted version of this could be the first step to a cure.¡±

    ¡°I must object,¡± Professor Chimbwanda said. ¡°The type of application this item has is far too sinister to be pursued. It is immoral, think of what it would be used for if its method of creation gets out.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say it is a good replacement for our current methods of information extraction?¡± the duke asked.

    ¡°You mean torture, sir? My belief is information gained through pain is untrustworthy, so, no sir, it is not a good justification at all.¡±

    ¡°I agree with you professor, I just wanted a counterargument to tell General Kylepo. Morris, Hark and Professor Jacomier, thoughts?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t have any part in replicating that thing, sir,¡± Hark said. ¡°I also don¡¯t believe it¡¯s possible. Enchanting is based on curses only so far as mages wanted similar results without all the blood rituals and sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an antiquated view of curses and you know it,¡± Professor Mitchell said, getting in the man¡¯s face.

    ¡°I think if there¡¯s a chance it could bring us more insight into the ghouls, we should pursue it,¡± Morris said.

    ¡°My theory on this being related to them is based on very minor fluctuations in the mana I find familiar to my encounters near the capital. I wouldn¡¯t want or suggest a full study of it. I agree with Professor Chimbwanda that it is immoral and with Hark that it is not possible to replicate with mana alone.¡±

    I felt so detached from it all. It sickened me that General Kylepo could have been invited and tipped the scales in this discussion and end it with me and the doll being locked up until Professor Mitchell got her replica.

    Duke Riker put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°What do you want done?¡±

    I stared at him, shocked I was being asked. I¡¯d been anxiously hoping that Janette and Annalise would be asked to further weigh in on the opinion to get rid of the doll. Without thinking too much about it, I had my answer. ¡°I want it gone.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Okay, we find a way to cleanse the curse then.¡±

    Professor Mitchell scoffed. ¡°I won¡¯t be party to the destruction of possibly the greatest academic discovery in my field, for the last decade, because of short-minded fools.¡±

    ¡°You forget yourself, professor. Just because I appoint Sigrid to oversee my family¡¯s school, does not mean I do not have the overwhelming say in your future career at Equitier.¡±

    The room was quiet as Professor Mitchell stood tall and folded her arms over her chest. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Professor Chimbwanda, I heard you and Morris discussing a plan?¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°We were, sir. But it is more along the lines of ¡®the best idea is probably the simplest¡¯ rather than an actual plan.¡±

    ¡°Well, let us hear it.¡±

    ¡°Sir, we could put the girl, Valeria, to sleep and simply destroy the doll.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we need to rush this?¡± Professor Mitchell said. ¡°It¡¯s not hurting anyone by just sitting here, why not take the opportunity to study it?¡±

    She was barely keeping her voice from a shout with her pointy ears and cheeks flushed.

    ¡°Anna, please escort her out,¡± Duke Riker said. ¡°Get the guards downstairs to walk her outside the castle.¡±

    A set of ripples went out from Annalise¡¯s palm to the same effect, informing guards to come up.

    Annalise stepped up to grab the professor''s arm but she jerked it away from her. ¡°I can walk without your help, girl.¡±

    We all watched the door they left out of. I was confused over the obsession with the doll and also the behaviour she showed to the ducal family.

    ¡°I need to go downstairs for the moment, can you please test the feasibility of this plan while I am away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Janette followed after the duke and closed the door behind them. She gave me a warm smile which I tried to return the best I could, but it didn¡¯t feel like it reached my eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be needed for this next part,¡± Hark said. ¡°Mind if I excuse myself? I have orders to get to before the end of day.¡±

    ¡°No problem, Hark,¡± Morris said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the duke appreciates you coming.¡±

    I was left with Morris and the remaining two professors. I felt like I had to like the last two purely for their opinion on the doll.

    They crowded around it and started talking about how they would go about destroying it. It made me incredibly anxious to hear about the different types of pain I could potentially go through if it went wrong.

    Incinerated, exploded, crushed, or dissolved.

    I didn¡¯t want to know which was worse.

    Occasionally a question was asked of me but I didn¡¯t know how the doll was constructed or the type of curse that was used. One day I came back to it just sitting on the table with Mother saying she had a few experiments to carry out.

    They eventually decided on incineration with Morris still grumbling about acid being better.

    I squashed the faint excitement I had for being able to go where I please without worry. Though, I did let myself entertain the idea of catching the next thief.

    I wanted to prepare myself for disappointment, but everything pointed to the doll being gone soon. The duke hadn¡¯t asked for anything in return and it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to.

    Morris went to go get a sleep potion since he didn¡¯t trust using the spell on me, and to call the duke back.

    Professor Chimbwanda sat next to me and assured me that destroying it would not kill me and that from the way it worked, I shouldn¡¯t feel any pain. I knew what nerves were but I didn¡¯t trust my understanding enough to fully trust his explanation.

    Professor Jacomier was tangling together a spell that promised a scorching hot flame. I made sure they were aware that that particular method had already been tested, but they brushed it off because Alisa¡¯s flames wouldn''t be comparable to the temperatures they were working with.

    That didn¡¯t help my apprehension.

    The duke, Janette and Annalise walked back in with Morris and were informed everything was ready to go.

    Except for me, but I kept that to myself. I had been waiting for the scheduled plan of when this was all going to happen since that¡¯s what people around here seemed to like doing, scheduling. But no, it was happening now and in this room, despite Morris¡¯s grumbles about his carpet.

    Janette Riker

    A stray thought blaming Mitchell¡¯s behaviour on her elven side shocked me. The stereotype of them being cruel and aloof was old human propaganda. I knew better.

    I tried thinking of where exactly that harmful bias came from and if it had affected my behaviour when talking to others with elven heritage. My own daughter was good friends with an elf and I didn''t mind that at all.

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything else so I let it go as just a passing intrusive thought. But also something I needed to watch myself over in the future.

    Morris passed the potion he¡¯d brought to put Valeria to sleep and I gave it a sniff. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s pungent. Isn¡¯t that too high a dose?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll be diluting a portion of it, it¡¯s just an easy recipe to brew concentrated. Always helps to have more.¡±

    The poor girl was bouncing her leg while watching everyone moving around her. I watched Vince go sit beside her after confirming what the plan was.

    I wanted to be mad at him over her. All normal logic and reason in the world said I should be furious over a child from another woman. But this defied all reason.

    Sadly, that didn¡¯t make all the feelings in my heart disappear. He was still trying to make up for it and I¡¯d let him for a little while longer.

    Positions were decided and I was going to be monitoring Valeria after she drank the potion for any irregularities. Anna and Vince were going to be making a shield around the doll. Morris was going to administer the potion and keep an eye on his rug. And Professor Chimbwanda was tasked with making sure the curse didn¡¯t escape and latch onto one of us.

    A job better done by Mitchell but she was on her way back to Equitier already. Professor Jacomier was going to then bring a miniature sun into the office.

    My blood still boiled at fire already being used against the doll with Valeria being able to feel it.

    If I had Vince¡¯s seat I would gut the knights and take them down a peg. They were a necessary force to ensure baron¡¯s followed election results and a counter to the watch and military. But they didn¡¯t need so much power and so little consequences. A sad symptom of their prestige gained through Equitier¡¯s establishment and subsequent appeal to children of powerful people.

    I hadn¡¯t wanted Anna to be a part of them but if she wanted to fight it was better than the other options. I hoped she could one day be a guiding light for the order before it went past the point of no return. Every year graduates were becoming less trained and more self-righteous.

    Valeria didn¡¯t even grimace as she tipped the cup vertically and downed its contents. I held her wrist, feeling rather than sensing her heart rate drop. After a few minutes, her eyes drooped before she slumped into me and I checked to make sure she was still breathing.

    I nodded to everyone else to begin. Casting the spell to check on the health of an area was a weird and otherwise unnecessary spell that I now knew well.

    The shields went up for the doll to rest on and the mana concentration of the air changed. The spell Jacomier was casting called for a slow continuous burn rather than bright and flashy.

    Inside the shield was growing hotter and hotter. Through the haze, I watched as the hair looked to be dripping off. Next went the glowing amber eyes. Those behaved how they were supposed to when encountering heat but at a much stronger temperature than they should have withstood.

    I checked on Valeria. I checked again and again to make sure.

    ¡°Morris, Morris! She¡¯s waking up.¡±

    Morris looked away from the haze, everyone else looked but Morris told them to continue as he came to check. I could see from the way he looked at me that he didn¡¯t believe me. I thrust the limp arm in my grasp at him.

    He almost fumbled the potion in his hand as he cast the diagnosis spell. The purposefully distinct potion was being broken down too fast.

    Valeria stirred. I looked at the melting doll, grabbed the potion and yanked the stopper out. I placed it under her nose and heated the glass vial. There was a spell to force someone to drink a potion but there was no chance of it working on her.

    I looked to Morris for his opinion on how much vapour I should let her inhale but he looked just as puzzled as I felt.

    Half the bottle had boiled off before I put the stopper back in. The room was bathed in soft blue light from inside the shield as the last of the doll turned to dust.

    Morris and I were each holding one of her wrists as we made sure I hadn¡¯t overdone the potion. I was concentrating on casting the diagnosis spell and didn¡¯t notice the shield dropping. A warm breeze washed over us on its way out the window.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Vince asked when he saw me and Morris fussing over Valeria.

    ¡°She almost woke up,¡± I said.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t feel anything, did she?¡± Professor Jacomier asked. Concern just about breaking through her stern exterior.

    Morris shook his head. ¡°We got more of the potion in her system before that.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t give her a strong enough dose?¡± Anna asked, looking aghast.

    ¡°I did,¡± Morris said defensively. ¡°Enough for at least an hour.¡±

    I thought back to the cut she made on her finger and paired that with her mana. ¡°Is it possible¡­that her body is subconsciously casting enhancement spells? Letting her process the potion quicker?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­possible,¡± Morris said after thinking. ¡°She¡¯s doing it while asleep?¡±

    ¡°Maybe her body is? Most mages don¡¯t usually have mana going everywhere, hers might have gotten used to and taken advantage of all the mana.¡±

    I smoothed down my dress and took a deep breath. That conversation could happen another time. ¡°Did it work?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no trace of it left,¡± Professor Chimbwanda said.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Vince said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take her back to her room, there¡¯s no telling when she¡¯ll wake up,¡± I said and started to lift Valeria. It was awkward trying to get her neck to not look like it was about to snap off.

    ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want me to, mum?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, it''s better I do so I can monitor her.¡±

    Some of the palace staff gave me weird glances but otherwise went on with their duties instead of openly gawking. I knew the gossip would run amok during dinner though.

    A young girl with short brown hair came running after me up the stairs. ¡°Is something wrong, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°No, she just needs to sleep off some medicine, are you currently looking after the guest wing? What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Haily, ma¡¯am. Chief Yanla has me training there.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a spare key, Haily?¡± I asked the sweet but jittery girl.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    She ran ahead to open the door for me and then the doors to the bedroom. Everything looked pristine, not a single decoration or clothing strewn about like every other person¡¯s room I had ever been in. I had to remind myself this was only a guest room that Vince had banished her to.

    I walked back that thought, it was a harsh characterisation of giving someone a room almost equal in standing to ours. But, being the only person in the entire wing made it seem lonely.

    The dressing room had a single nightgown in it. I thanked Haily and told her to come check on Valeria again before dinner and if she was awake, to come fetch me.

    Her head nodded a dozen times before she excused herself so I could change Valeria.

    The diagnosis spells kept showing nothing was wrong and that the potion was being actively broken down. Without the potion to wake her up she would probably sleep through the night. Which seemed like a good idea.

    It was a bit difficult to get her limp limbs out of her clothes and into the gown.

    I cast one last diagnosis spell, and then another a few minutes later. Everything looked fine so I brushed the hair from her face, pulled the covers up and waited at the door a while before closing it behind me.

 Chapter 28

    I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, propped myself up on my elbows, and shook off the arm I had been sleeping on for so long that it was numb. Faint, colourless outlines of the items in my room sent my empty mind searching for why that confused me so much.

    The smooth material of my nightgown moving against the sheets felt like another clue. I moved my legs back and forth, trying to figure out why.

    I also couldn¡¯t remember having dinner despite it being dark out.

    The last thing I did remember was¡­drinking that foul potion.

    Drinking that foul potion in an office, in my overalls.

    It took me an embarrassingly long time to understand someone had moved me and changed me into my nightgown.

    My mouth didn¡¯t have enough moisture in it to wet my tongue, so I cupped my hands together near my mouth and let the water I made drip into it. I had to breathe deeply after drinking for so long.

    I reached around my nightstand, found a full class jug and an empty cup, and rolled my eyes at my wasted effort. A small piece of folded paper was sitting next to them, but no amount of time would let my eyes adjust to let me see what was on it.

    Feeling around some more, I found my original target, the bedside lamp. A bit of mana later, and the glass bulb started to glow.

    I squinted enough to read the flowing handwriting without blinding myself.

    ¡®It¡¯s gone.¡¯

    After a moment of acknowledgement, I put the paper back down and let out a sigh of relief. I expected joy and elation but felt very little of it. It was gone, and that was it. I did scold myself for my lack of trust and promised to thank everyone who helped.

    All I wanted to do now was see how far I could go, though that probably had to wait until sunrise. The knights that roamed the castle walls wouldn¡¯t appreciate me trying to climb all over their enchantments.

    I slipped out of the covers and over to the balcony doors, bracing myself for the chilly air of a fall night.

    It wasn¡¯t as bad as I expected. There wasn¡¯t much moonlight coming from the curved sliver of the moon, sitting amongst the stars.

    The bigger the settlements the less the stars seemed to shine. I was used to seeing the sky covered in specks of light sitting on colourful cloud-like backgrounds. Here, only the brightest specks were still visible.

    I looked out across the vine-covered wall of the palace, the beginnings of an idea forming.

    It wasn¡¯t a very good idea.

    Putting on some real clothes made it a somewhat better one, since if I got stuck on the ground I wouldn¡¯t have to try to sneak past Haily to get back into my room. I didn¡¯t think I needed my boots though.

    The palace walls, along with the castle, were similar to the trees in Tamil, only so far as they had a lot of mana. These stones had much more, making little hand holds felt like pushing against a mountain.

    But, if a treant could lift me up with vines, then so could I.

    I stepped up onto the railing, and peeled off the two vines from the wall that I could control at a time. Then set one up near my feet and the other above my head, to hang onto.

    Peaking over the edge had me reconsider how silly this was. Would it be better to tangle each around my arms and lower myself that way?

    I tried but couldn¡¯t get the vines to hold on well enough.

    An experimental prodding of my foot pushed the vine down with some resistance. Half my weight strained my muscles to hold the vine up. My full weight made my body tense so much it felt wrong to breathe.

    The vines and I lurched down to the side, it was too late to step back onto the railing, no matter how much I wanted to.

    I quickly lowered myself. One floor, two floors, almost three as the vine under me tore and snapped.

    A squeak let the last bit of air out of my lungs as I hurtled towards the bushes below. A strong gust of wind from my outstretched arm pushed out all the fallen leaves in a wave.

    It didn¡¯t stop my fall, but it made the crash into the sticks and leaves less violent.

    Mother birds used something similar to catch their young when they pushed them out the nest before they were ready. I¡¯d needed a lot more air to cushion my fall compared to a baby bird.

    I groaned and slowly started to free myself from the bushes, sticks scraped across the scratches I had already earned from the fall. After stumbling out I flung off the dirt and leaves that clung to me, then detangled the ones that pulled at my hair while trying to follow my direction.

    No one seemed to care about me dropping into the garden.

    I slowly walked around, feeling a need to stay away from the patrolling knights despite not doing anything wrong. At least I thought I wasn¡¯t.

    I glanced longingly at the hammock and passed it, making my way to the paddock outside the stables. I thought of ways to try to get out as I walked, the best I came up with was jumping into the water, or asking nicely. I didn¡¯t truly want to leave, just wanted to know if I could.

    Missy perked up when she noticed me approaching, and trotted over. Polem lazily followed after her, driven only by faint curiosity.

    I climbed over the wooden beams of the paddock fence and sat on the top, my head was just high enough for Missy to bump her nose into it. ¡°I doubt this fence could hold you.¡±

    She agreed. My fingers brushed up and down her long neck while her warm breath tickled my face. ¡°Why do you let it?¡±

    Missy, Polem and the few others that had wandered over didn¡¯t understand my question. This was where they slept, where they got to run, they were fed grain and fruit just a few dozen yards away, and they got to stay out of the wind and rain.

    Missy added that she also liked her rider.

    ¡°I do too, Missy.¡±

    I stayed a while with the horses before they got bored of me. I tried not to be offended, and went to my hammock, lamenting about no longer having anyone to share my fruit with.

    I didn¡¯t think I was as useful as a horse, but as long as the duke wanted to give me a place to sleep, food to eat and a way to stay out of the coming winter¡¯s cold, I¡¯d stay.

    It also helped that I liked most of the people. And didn¡¯t have the faintest idea where to go if not here.

    I couldn¡¯t tell how late it was, but I let sleep catch up to me as I swayed in the breeze, catching glimpses of stars through the leaves.

    ¡­

    My back made a series of satisfying pops and cracks. I stretched out my arms further and pointed my toes as far away as they could go, rolled over in the hammock a few times, and went limp.

    The sun was out this time and from where it was shining through the leaves, it must have been quite late in the morning.

    All my stretching let my necklace fall out of my shirt, I sat up to tuck it back into place, and to see what was going on around me. A few people in staff uniforms were hanging up clothing on a line drawn taut between two posts.

    Haily had tried to explain their way of doing laundry to me but lost me at the need for some clothes to be treated differently. Cotton couldn¡¯t be used in the drying enchantment, night gowns got hand-washed, and wool had to be washed cold. To many rules, it was probably better she didn¡¯t let me do my own laundry because I would be washing it in the pond.

    My thoughts seemed to have summoned the girl. ¡°Ma¡¯am? Good morning, I¡¯ve been instructed to take you to Madam Riker as soon as you wake up.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Haily.¡± I slid off the hammock and onto the dewy grass, not wanting to waste Janette¡¯s time. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m taking you back to your room first.¡± She eyed my feet and then lifted her gaze to my hair.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Haily took my arm and led me back, had me go into the lavatory to wash the grass stuck to my feet, sent me back in again to wash completely and shouted what soaps to use from behind the door.

    She gave me a weird look when I walked out dry but started to brush the tangles out of my hair. My head was pulled back and forth as she gathered it up and tied something to hold it in place, it looked like a horse''s tail as I made it swish back and forth in front of the mirror.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t in my job description,¡± she grumbled from behind me.

    ¡°I said we didn¡¯t need to do any of this,¡± I grumbled back.

    ¡°Madam Riker is in a meeting with the duke and a score of other chiefs and officials. I wasn¡¯t going to let you in there looking like you¡¯d crawled through a jungle. What would she think of me?¡±

    The younger girl could be strangely assertive at times.

    ¡°I thought that was dirt,¡± she said, pointing to my arm. ¡°Why do you have bruises?¡±

    I glanced down to the small brown splotches peeking out of my shirt, the scratches having already faded. ¡°Ah, the hammock tipped over.¡±

    Haily sighed, stepped back and stretched out her hand. When all I did was stare at it she made a little ¡®give me¡¯ motion with her fingers.

    She sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s customary to provide gratuity to a person providing you a service if they go above and beyond what is expected of them, I think I have.¡±

    I nodded, pulled open the drawer I kept my rolls of coin in and handed her one of the bronze ones; she handed it back.

    ¡°Just a few is fine, ma¡¯am.¡±

    I tore at the paper wrapping, thumbed out four of the coins, and tipped them into her waiting palm.

    Haily handed one back to me. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­you¡¯re weird. Can you tell me why you¡¯re here? There¡¯s a betting pool going and I want to get ahead.¡±

    I shrugged. Yesterday I would have shrugged because I didn¡¯t want to talk about the doll, but today I genuinely didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Please, everything went back to normal the day you showed up. You¡¯re on the top floor of the guest wing but Chief Yanla is letting me train with you. None of it makes sense.¡±

    ¡°You were a lot more timid when we met.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was being assigned to the daughter of someone stupidly important, but instead¡ª¡± She waved her hand over me. ¡°Unless you¡¯re just here to test me in secret.¡±

    I quite liked the new Haily, maybe she would even be convinced to use my name. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Janette already.¡±

    ¡­

    The foyer was busier than usual, with a line of carriages waiting outside the doors in the loop around the fountain. The horses didn¡¯t like their blinders and harness very much, but didn¡¯t openly complain.

    The knight stationed outside the dining room door opened it for me and Haily motioned me to go in without her.

    The raised voices coming from inside made me double-check I was in the right room.

    Janette and Duke Riker were at the head of the long table we¡¯d used for dinner the other night, this must have been the right place despite the ongoing arguments. Piles of paper lay amongst plates of pastries, folders, detailed drawings, and what must have been lightgraph images of streets.

    I got a few glances from those not speaking, Janette motioned me over to the side of the room where sofas and chairs lined the wall. Sam and his brother, along with a few other people our age, scribbled on paper or talked with each other on the sofas.

    Seeing Sam made me realise I might have said I would exercise with him this morning. He still smiled at me so I thought it wasn¡¯t that bad of a mistake. Come to think of it, he might have seen the reason for me not being there out the window, near the pond.

    I walked over to where Sam had stopped scribbling and moved aside so there was a space for me to sit between him and a girl I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°You have an interest in city planning?¡± he asked.

    I looked over at his paper and noticed the sketch of a castle under siege. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like city planning to me.¡±

    He turned the pad of paper upside down. ¡°Right, this is Linh Sardakur.¡±

    The girl offered me a fist while balancing her drawings of a tube, labelled with precise numbers, on her knees. She didn¡¯t look up at me while she sucked on a pencil and studied the drawing.

    She had large light blue eyes, long eyelashes and tanned skin that worked well with her dark blonde hair.

    ¡°Linh, Valeria.¡±

    I offered my own fist, then pointed to the drawing. ¡°Your area is off.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s not?¡± she said, not looking up.

    ¡°You¡¯re not subtracting the thickness of the bricks on the outside.¡± I pointed to the shaded area labelled ¡®brick¡¯ she had included in her calculation.

    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± She pulled the pencil from her lips and scratched in an extra formula after the old one.

    ¡°You¡¯re good at mathematics?¡± Sam asked with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°Only if it relates to alchemy in some way.¡±

    He looked at me sceptically, then to the drawing, and nodded slowly in a way I thought might be condescending. ¡°How come you¡¯re here, if it¡¯s not to listen to them argue about literal crap?¡±

    A woman stood to shout down the table from near the end. ¡°We have an opportunity to get this right the first time. Every other major city has had to redo their sewer and water systems. The previous duke didn¡¯t plan for this much expansion, we should learn from her mistakes.¡±

    ¡°And where exactly, madam, is this mana and funding coming from? Your plan would additionally require us to tear up established systems so you don¡¯t create a bottleneck. That will disrupt business and the lives of many people.¡±

    Another group was off to the side, crowding around someone tangling together a complicated spell designed to strongly shake a very specific area, similar to the numbers Linh was now finishing.

    ¡°If we do this underground with a temporary bypass, made using the tailored spell, it won''t cost as much. We also build a separate set of tunnels that will be used for maintenance in the future, cutting future costs, there will be no disruption to businesses or people''s lives.¡±

    ¡°Where is the initial mana coming from, Chief Sardakur? We don''t have enough trained mages in construction. We¡¯d need to get private contractors which would inflate the price.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no,¡± I said, blocking them out again. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Janette.¡±

    Linh finally looked up from her paper and eyed my clothing, it stood out amongst the sophisticated people in the room. She leaned forward to look at Sam, whose shoulder was close enough to mine that I felt him shrug.

    Sam brought up the exercising and I told him I wouldn¡¯t forget to come down tomorrow morning, at sunrise. He made a point to let me know it would be hard to run in the material of the overalls and the boots I was made to wear again. I tried explaining again that this was all I had, which got Linh eyeing me again.

    I turned my questions to her as a distraction from my weirdness. Linh wanted to be an artist but her mother, the woman still arguing her case with the duke now involved, wanted her to follow in her footsteps and take architecture.

    Asking what the difference was once she explained it, was entirely the wrong thing to do. Sam had to swoop in and save me with a lengthy explanation on my ignorance.

    He and Haily would get along so well.

    By the time the meeting broke for lunch, I was more than happy to walk over to Janette when she called.

    ¡°How are you feeling? You seem to have at least slept plenty,¡± Janette said and motioned her head to the windows.

    ¡°Feeling alright.¡± I put my wrist into her waiting grasp.

    She twisted my arm about after the spell and frowned up at me. ¡°Why are your arms and legs covered in bruises?¡±

    ¡°I fell out of the hammock.¡±

    ¡°Valeria.¡±

    ¡°I used a lot of mana?¡±

    Her eyes narrowed, but she let go.

    ¡°Your body is under strain during casting?¡± the duke asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I used the most mana I ever had a few weeks ago and could barely move my arms, or use more mana for days.¡±

    ¡°Doing what?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There was a fire.¡±

    He and Janette shared a look I didn¡¯t know the meaning of.

    ¡°Can I take Missy and go to the library?¡± I asked, finally able to think of going places outside my immediate vicinity.

    ¡°Oh, she and Anna left this morning. Up to Kiteer, to oversee that mess with Tamil,¡± Janette said.

    ¡°Can I take Polem then?¡±

    The duke chuckled. ¡°If you get that brute into his tack you can take him anywhere you want.¡±

    Janette swatted his arm. ¡°Ask one of the stable hands to ready you one of the gentler ones. Better yet, take the Manafold boy with you, don¡¯t want you getting lost in that mess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my city you¡¯re insulting,¡± he said with mock indignation and was ignored.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I turned to go back to Sam, then remembered my promise. ¡°Thank you, for helping me with the doll.¡±

    ¡°You did save me from a lot of pain, don¡¯t worry about it. Enjoy your outing, Valeria.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy, dear.¡±

    I walked away faster than I meant to, cheeks heating. I¡¯d forgotten about the whole cure the curse thing.

    Sam turned over his drawing again and raised his eyebrows as I approached.

    I didn¡¯t bother sitting down again. ¡°Janette said you should come with me to the library, so I don¡¯t get lost.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me to come to the library with you?¡±

    ¡°Who cares, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m tired of this meeting,¡± Linh said and started stashing away her stuff into a satchel.

    ¡°I need to get something from my room, I¡¯ll meet you in the foyer?¡± I said to Linh.

    Sam started to pack his stuff away. ¡°I didn¡¯t say no.¡±

    I went back up all the steps to my room for the second time that morning, to get the letter Yanla gave me for the library. The coins came as well, placed in the deepest pocket I could find.

    Sam and Linh were waiting beside a familiar carriage owned by the Manafolds. Since his father would be in meetings the rest of the afternoon we could take it out until then. I had been looking forward to getting Polem to cooperate with me, but didn¡¯t complain as Sam helped me up the steps.

    Linh was already lounging on one side of the cushioned interior. A long black coat was added to her pants and blouse, the neck of which was tied together with a blue ribbon that matched her eyes.

    I sat down where I was, Sam shut the door and went past to sit next to me, ducking his taller frame away from the shallow ceiling.

    ¡°Why are we going to the library?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 29

    Sam Manafold

    Valeria had her nose pressed against the window of the carriage, moving her head about to get the best view of whatever attracted her attention. Her ponytail moving about reminded me of an excited puppy. I didn¡¯t think I would be able to find anyone else that looked genuinely interested in the happenings of the city outside.

    From the tilt of the carriage I already knew what street we were on, the colour of the buildings we were passing and the clothes the people outside were probably wearing.

    Linh was in her usual position, legs crossed, clutching a pencil with a drawing pad on her lap. I didn¡¯t know how she managed to draw anything with the bumps and sway.

    Valeria leaned forward to watch something as long as she possibly could before we went past. ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? I thought I recognised someone.¡±

    The twitch of her nose and pursed lips told me it wasn¡¯t a friendly acquaintance.

    Linh turned around her pad to show us the sketch she¡¯d been working on. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    It was the rough beginnings of Valeria gazing outside the window. Linh had already managed to capture the wonder in her expression quite well.

    ¡°That¡¯s really good,¡± Valeria said. She seemed like an earnest person but sometimes it sounded like she forgot to put emotion into her words.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Valeria ended up leaning into me as the carriage took a turn down Church Street. My chest tightened at the contact, and more when she turned her bright amber eyes to me. I read the apology on her lips more than I heard the words.

    ¡°No worries, it takes some getting used to.¡±

    I pulled down my dress shirt and made sure it was tucked in properly. The carriage would be slowing down soon and I just wanted to make sure I was dressed properly.

    We did slow to a stop a bit after I thought we would. I leaned over Valeria to open the door and moved out of the way for the two of them to step down.

    I walked off the last step to see both looking up at the tall towers of the old church building. Built in a time when the church headquarters hoarded more wealth than the mint made in a decade. The number of mages and materials requisitioned for their projects across the country could have built every person, even the children, their own three bedroom house.

    It was too bad the rest of it was now stuck with the ghoulish population of the capital, the goal of most looters and the more savvy rems.

    Drasda hadn¡¯t been more than an outpost town when the two here were constructed, they just needed somewhere to funnel their wealth. Dad liked to rant and rave about where the country could be now if they had put it to better use.

    ¡°If you stare any longer your mum is going to think you changed your mind about architecture,¡± I said to Linh, who gave me one of her perfected eye rolls in return.

    We bonded a lot over our parents'' polite, but pushy, suggestions on what courses to take at Equitier. We hadn''t yet submitted an application, but being the son and daughter of a chief had its privileges. Not as many as people liked to complain about, but a decent few.

    We walked up the tall stone steps, under the watchful gaze of chiselled depictions of Mother Zalarya¡¯s first children. That religion was akin to unreliable history nowadays, but some people liked to preach it still. Usually, it was the mediocre mages who needed thousand year old texts to tell them they were better than others.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go get you some clothes to exercise in after this,¡± I said to the girl struggling to lift her legs up the last step. I thought adding that it was okay since her legs were just shorter than ours, was a bad idea.

    ¡°Argh.¡± Was all I got in return.

    Only the person sized door, built into the towering blocks of wood masquerading as doors, was open. There were not enough librarians to justify opening them up every day, it was also bad for the rows upon rows of delicate books. Enchantments helped, but prevention was better.

    We walked past two guards who looked eager to find a reason to cross their halberds together and bar entry.

    We made it through unscathed and found ourselves inside a hollow oval section that allowed us to see the four floors above us, each with double the number of bookshelves as the first. Half of our floor was taken up by the printing and storage area for the prints they handed out instead of the real things.

    Stained glass windows in the dome above us allowed red and yellow light to filter in. Cracked paintings in their original form sat faded on other sections of the dome, more recent cover-ups standing out with their vibrance.

    A line was forming at the check-out desks with more people streaming in every moment we waited for Valeria to stop gawking.

    I helped out by lightly pushing her forward.

    ¡°What kind of books did you want?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ um¡­want something on fire, like what it is. I want something on animals and plants, and insects as well. Maybe something on mana¡­And murder mysteries.¡±

    She finished counting off the number of things she wanted on her fingers. It looked like another list was on the tip of her tongue, so I started walking.

    ¡°Well, I think the bottom floor will get you the first one.¡± I grabbed a clipboard with a pencil tied to the top.

    I watched Linh gently nudge Valeria out of the way of a few passersby, too distracted by the scale of the building around us.

    The ¡®natural world¡¯ section was one of the largest and took up most of the first two floors. We walked to the section I guessed would be a good place to start looking. I had to grab Valeria¡¯s wrist as she leaned over the long table, towards the books. It stretched the whole aisle, meant to block people from doing just that.

    She stared at my hand and tried to get away, a look of panic in her eyes.

    I quickly let go. ¡°Sorry, we just can¡¯t touch the books. Sorry for grabbing you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I should have asked.¡±

    Cards showing the name, author, date of writing and a brief description sat upright in wooden boxes. I flicked through them and found the one titled, ¡®The Four States of Matter.¡¯ I handed it to Valeria for her to look through.

    ¡°There''s four now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­has been for some time, well we¡¯ve at least called it that for some time.¡±

    ¡°How do I get the book if I can¡¯t touch it?¡±

    I pointed to the decorated spine of a gold inlaid leather tome, with the name of the author larger than the title. ¡°It¡¯s too expensive and risky to lend out originals. We take the number on the card to the desk, they¡¯ll give us a copy of it, a much less expensive copy.¡±

    We had a library at home with a lot of originals or duplicates that at least looked the part. They were on more sophisticated topics, there for decoration and conversation, rather than leisure.

    If we had arrived right as the library opened, or if it was closing and the librarians wanted you out, we could have used the book the size of a carriage that stored every one of the numbers.

    Linh was wondering behind us as I passed more cards touting different types of wildlife and fauna to Valeria. I stopped after she said yes to the eighth book, not having said no to a single one, the latest being about the Red Forest.

    Her mana reserves were so low that I hadn¡¯t noticed she was a mage the first time we¡¯d met. I felt bad that she might be getting her hopes up by studying mana theory. Mana tended to grow unpredictably and was only partly influenced by practice.

    I silently cheered her on anyway.

    We made our way to the top floor, the newest and most comfortable section of the library. Catering to us more than the academics and workers shuffling around below. The shelves were accessible and the contents of them didn¡¯t look priceless or likely to disintegrate in our hands.

    The books here were thinner and paper-backed, rather than leathery and ageing. Multiple sets of the same title lined the shelves with more stacked on the tables, rather than cards.

    Murder mystery wasn¡¯t what I enjoyed reading, but I knew what the most popular ones were. I picked out a few to hand to Valeria who again, wasn¡¯t saying no to any. I thought about handing her books until they spilled out of her arms but stopped after the top one threatened to topple off the stack.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I felt bad and traded her the books for the clipboard.

    ¡°The copies of the downstairs ones will be ten roe each, and a deposit you¡¯ll get back if you return them, or thirty roe to keep. These ones each have their own price, about the same as keeping the copies.¡±

    I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her. It was something I should have asked earlier, I hadn¡¯t because it wasn¡¯t usually something you needed to make sure of. ¡°You did bring coins with you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She pulled out a whole roll of silver and I pushed her hand back towards her pocket. I could see why Madam Riker wanted someone to go with her. While no one was brazen enough to steal in the library, it was common sense not to go around flashing roe about.

    ¡°Just making sure.¡±

    Linh had wandered off somewhere and came back with her own set of books. She tucked them under her arm but I could still see the handsome elf on the cover. The only time I¡¯d ever seen the confident girl blush was when Keral got ahold of one and started reading the synopsis out loud.

    My reading list was long enough without adding more to it, so I only left with four, maybe five additions.

    I was waiting for traders to come in from the east and bring writings about the skirmishes going on there. No one had fought any real wars in the last two generations and the theories of how warfare would change with the advancement of spellcraft were wildly different.

    Not that I wanted there to be any wars.

    I had to peer around the books in my arms to watch my steps down to the first floor. I didn¡¯t think I could have ever shown my face again if I tumbled down the spiral staircase.

    Linh got in her own line to the desks while Valeria stuck with me in another. I asked her why she liked murder mystery in particular and got a shrug in return. The other books were easier to understand since she seemed to like sleeping amongst the trees with birds willingly sitting on her finger, singing tunes they wouldn¡¯t normally.

    ¡°Do you want to go to a cafe afterwards? We can take these ones with us, but those we wrote down will have to be picked up in a few hours, maybe even tomorrow.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why she looked to be thinking it over, she hadn¡¯t said no to a single thing today. ¡°Sure. Is Clem¡¯s boutique around here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have to check with Linh, it¡¯s not somewhere I usually go. We can maybe find stuff for exercising, but it¡¯ll be pricey there.¡±

    She groaned, but it was the one opportunity I¡¯d found to reliably spend more time with her, so I was going to push for it. Disturbing her naps in the hammock seemed like a good way to annoy her, and that was only if I had an excuse to be in the palace.

    We got to the front of the queue and Valeria handed over her board.

    ¡°Good afternoon, separate or together?¡±

    ¡°Separate, please. These are for me, those and the copies are for her, to keep.¡±

    ¡°Right, that¡¯ll be¡­150 roe for you and 470 for her. The copies should be ready for collection this evening or it might be better to come back tomorrow morning.¡±

    I started placing coins on the counter. Valeria was unfolding a thick piece of paper which I could see the shadow of the ducal seal on.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need this?¡± she asked, holding it out to the librarian.

    ¡°Oh, is that for both of you?¡±

    ¡°Just her.¡± I wasn¡¯t interested in committing a crime that severe, just for 150 roe.

    ¡°The fee is waived then and we¡¯ll have the copies for you in a few hours. Please thank the duke for his continued support.¡±

    Linh was waiting for us as I balanced the books we got in my arms. Valeria was folding her letter back into her pocket. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you had a referral from the duke with you.¡±

    ¡°I thought it was normal? How come I didn¡¯t have to pay?¡±

    I desperately wanted to dig into how she was getting special treatment from the palace. Talent alone couldn¡¯t get you a guest room, signed referrals with the ducal seal and hammocks hung for you in the palace gardens.

    ¡°The library used to be in a smaller building, the last duke gave them the vacated church and made it a law that any new books had to be taken to them. So, they appreciate what the Riker family has done.¡±

    ¡°Where to now?¡± Linh asked.

    ¡­

    Valeria was eyeing my colourful drink with pieces of lychee sitting on the ice.

    We¡¯d made our way down the street to a cafe in between Clem¡¯s and the library. She and Linh had ordered tea, while I got one of the fruity drinks and a pastry since I was hungry from the morning training.

    ¡°Would you like to try some?¡±

    She picked up the glass I slid over, took a small sip, licked her lips and took another. ¡°It¡¯s good? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had fruit like that before.¡±

    I picked up a fork to spear one of the lychee pieces for her. It was one of my favourite fruits, which she seemed to enjoy as well.

    The nearby school had just ended for the day and the remaining seats were quickly filling up with boys and girls on the cusp of going to a higher academy like Equitier.

    Linh was already reading one of her books, the rest of which were left with the carriage. She was good at ignoring all the admiring looks she got. Valeria on the other hand had a habit of knowing exactly who was looking, and making them turn away when she stared back.

    Linh and I, along with the others we grew up with, had in house tutors that had covered all the content we needed a year ago. We did still go to some classes and knew a lot of the people sitting down, I raised a hand to the few that met my gaze.

    One of them, Remee, came over to take the free seat. ¡°How¡¯s it going, Sam? Looking good, Linh. Hey, new girl.¡±

    ¡°Not bad, how about yourself?¡± I said and motioned to the new girl. ¡°This is Valeria.¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± Valeria said and stuck out her first.

    Remee returned the gesture. ¡°Cool accent.¡±

    He turned back to me. ¡°So, Fergie is having a get-together tomorrow night at the usual place, you¡¯re obviously invited, even new girl. We¡¯re still looking for some sponsorships. If you¡¯re keen?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Linh said, not entertaining the idea of buying the alcohol.

    ¡°Can¡¯t man. Dad has been combing through my finances¡­don¡¯t you dare ask her.¡±

    ¡°I wasn''t,¡± he lied. ¡°So touchy today. Just bring anything you can swing from your father¡¯s stash, that Oclaran shit had even Garal passed out after thee swigs. Fifth bell if you¡¯re coming.¡±

    We clasped hands as he stood up and he returned to the group he came in with.

    ¡°The watch broke up his last get-together, are you still thinking of going?¡± Linh said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see how I feel at the time, wanna head towards Clem¡¯s? It looks like some people want our table,¡± I asked. The only part of my drink left was the ice that had melted since the last time I took a sip.

    The street was flooded with people as we walked towards the main shopping area of the district. Carriages avoided the area since people would refuse to move out the way and squash themselves into the narrow walkways for them.

    The storefront next to our destination was being avoided, due to the watch officers standing outside. The glass was shattered inwards with the inside looking like a storm occurred.

    Valeria walked up to one of the officers. ¡°Hello, Gram.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hello Val¡­?¡±

    ¡°...eria?¡±

    ¡°Right, Valeria, sorry. I¡¯m dealing with someone else¡¯s stolen property at the moment, so I hope you¡¯re not here to report anything.¡±

    ¡°Nope, but I did see the boy that took my stuff somewhere that way earlier,¡± she said, pointing in the direction we came.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make a note of that. I hope you didn¡¯t attack him again,¡± Gram said. ¡°Mind if I get back to it before the manager yells at me again?¡±

    I¡¯d tried to make it clear an electrum coin wasn¡¯t worth chasing thieves for, and it looked like that had paid off. Though I wished she¡¯d pointed the boy out.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m seeing stuff like that more often,¡± Linh said.

    ¡°Yeah, Mother has a new story from her friends, and their friends, about a break-in they personally witnessed. They do happen, but I doubt they see them.¡±

    Crimes like that didn¡¯t usually happen in the Castle District, the watch headquarters and constant knight patrols made it almost impossible for any organised crime to exist, for long.

    Bouquets of purple and blue flowers sat on either side of the entrance to Clem¡¯s. Calligraphy was etched onto the reinforced glass, announcing the name and opening times. Mana ran through it and the door to create a reinforced enchantment that was currently lowered.

    I walked in behind the two girls, feeling a bit awkward at being one of two males in the store. The other looked a lot like a boyfriend.

    An attendant noticed us and excused herself from her conversation. Her heels clicked against the floor as she approached. ¡°Ah, Linh, lovely to see you again. What can we do for you today?¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Madam Ira. Nothing for me today, shopping for a friend,¡± Linh said and spread her arms to Valeria.

    ¡°Of course, what can I help you with?¡±

    Valeria looked lost and threw a pleading look my way, I threw it back at Linh. I had no idea what to get, let alone what to call it.

    Linh sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get her measurements first, I¡¯ll pick out a few items.¡±

    Valeria said she already had those and started pointing to herself, listing off a bunch of numbers, which Madam Ira wrote down. I didn¡¯t know what any of the numbers meant, but it felt wrong to hear them.

    Linh picked out some shorts, a long-sleeved top and underwear I¡¯d seen some of the female knights wear while running. She gave them to Madam Ira who changed out the top for a size she thought was better, and placed them by a counter.

    I started to walk around the racks of clothing, glancing at a few items I thought would look good on her. I pulled out a yellow sweater and held it up for Linh to see, she turned her nose up at it.

    The dress I tried to show her next got me insulted for not knowing the upcoming season.

    A dark blue wool coat in the shape of a dress, with pairs of buttons down the front, finally got me a head tilt, a contemplative look, and then a nod. I placed it next to the growing pile of clothes.

    By the end of it I didn¡¯t manage to find anything else to Linh¡¯s liking, even the socks she sent me to get were the wrong kind. The pile of clothes had grown considerably and I was worried Valeria didn¡¯t have enough silver for it all.

    ¡°That will total to one thousand three hundred and ten, including the discount for your association with one of our preferred customers,¡± Madam Ira said, smiling widely to Linh.

    I looked to Linh with wide eyes, she had the decency to look embarrassed at the figure she¡¯d racked up.

    Valeria looked at me, but her roll of silver wasn¡¯t going to be enough. I whispered to her, asking if she wanted the clothes and had enough roe at the palace.

    She nodded enthusiastically.

    ¡°Can we pay for some now and get the rest delivered with the invoice, payment upon delivery?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Certainly, what will the address be?¡±

    ¡°1 Drasda.¡±

    Madam Ira looked to Linh, who nodded. Her smile started to include a lot of teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll have this all wrapped up and delivered tomorrow morning, what name should I use?¡±

 Chapter 30

    I yawned deeply and tried to blink away the blurriness from my vision, almost tripping on the pathway down to the gate. The knight leaning against the gatehouse had a faint smile on his lips after watching my near embarrassment.

    The walls blocked the view of the rising sun, but soft morning light had started to bathe the clouds above. I¡¯d told Sam it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to be up this early, and it shouldn¡¯t have been, but I had not considered staying up through most of the night trying to finish a book.

    Every other thought I had was trying to work out who had killed the poor luggage boy.

    I hadn¡¯t yet got to the other string-bound stacks of paper we had collected from the library after our shopping at Clem¡¯s, I was too enthralled with the one I first picked up.

    I still managed to be up before first light. A lack of sleep being something I was used to by now.

    There wasn¡¯t any activity out in the lower bailey until I walked around the bastion, the knight¡¯s headquarters, where I was supposed to meet Sam.

    The lush grass came to an abrupt stop, with only small tufts surviving the trampling of the crowd in front of me. It wasn¡¯t the entire knight force since I knew from Sam they didn¡¯t all come every day, but there was a lot more than he made it sound like there would be.

    Behind them was a mulch covered paddock¡ªwithout any horses¡ªand the grove of fruit trees past that.

    Most of those present had on something similar to what I was wearing: shorts, a dark green long-sleeved top, and shoes made from fabrics instead of leather, which were meant to be more comfortable to run in.

    Some had short sleeves while others had no shirts at all, the woman only wearing the same kind of snug brassiere as I.

    Sam was off to the side, away from the main group of knights, in a dark green shirt. The group he was talking to looked comfortable together and were stretching out their limbs in different ways while talking with each other.

    ¡°Valeria!¡±

    I turned to Commander Faraya standing with a man wearing a captain¡¯s beret. It might have slid off his bald head at any moment. He had a long fuzzy moustache that must have made eating and drinking difficult. Both wore the full dress uniform, not taking part in the exercise.

    I trotted over to the two of them. ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Morning, this is Instructor Daniels, he oversees the knight¡¯s morning drills. A few of us in the palace wanted to find a way to provide you some structure in your life while you¡¯re here. As such, I was quite glad when Samuel said you would be joining us. I hope you¡¯ll consider keeping at it.¡±

    ¡°Remember what I said, Daniels,¡± she added before leaving.

    He watched her leave before turning to look down at me. ¡°The commander seems to be under the impression you¡¯re some kind of dry twig, liable to snap at the slightest pressure. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Ummm, no?¡±

    ¡°Good, if you¡¯re going to make the effort to be here, you¡¯re going to get something out of it. From now on when you¡¯re told to be here at sunrise, it means be here and be ready at sunrise,¡± he said, with his tone getting colder as he went on.

    I nodded, losing all thoughts of this being as simple as walking up some steps.

    ¡°And when I speak you will respond with a crisp and clear, yes sir. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Good, go join the Manafold boy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if that warranted the response, but something about him made me take the safer option.

    I escaped to Sam, who was watching along with the younger group.

    ¡°I thought if I said something about Instructor Daniels you wouldn¡¯t have come,¡± he said with hands raised. He must have read something on my expression that made it obvious I was about to ask exactly that.

    He gestured to the tall blonde in a brassiere and shorts, then to the boy with very short black hair. ¡°This is Clair and Isaac. You¡¯re joining us since we¡¯re down a member from the apprentices leaving this morning. Guys, this is Valeria, she¡¯ll be our fourth for a while.¡±

    Clair and Isaac were closer to the chiselled statues we¡¯d walked past the day before. I stared at her abdomen which was only skin and muscle. Isaac was stuffed into his shirt and I was sure I could wear the thing as a dress.

    Sam''s arms were almost as defined, now that he was wearing less layers, but not nearly as large. The rest of the group that had been stretching were all somewhere between him and Isaac.

    I was starting to feel very out of place.

    ¡°Great,¡± Clair said, drawing out the word. ¡°I get why I have to put up with you, Manafold, but don¡¯t make me deal with your girlfriend. Some of us need this recommendation. And having her makes us look bad for finishing after them,¡±¡ªshe gestured to the other three groups of four¡ª¡°or worse for ditching her.¡±

    I preferred accepting Isaac¡¯s outstretched fist than trying to understand what Clair meant.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Clair, she¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    A loud whistle came from the direction of Instructor Daniels.

    ¡°You sorry bunch better not need me to tell you how to warm up by now,¡± he said to the knights and turned to us. ¡°You¡¯ll take two laps around the perimeter of the bailey.¡±

    Everyone immediately turned and bolted towards the wall, Sam telling me to follow. We ran through the grove behind the bastion with our group sticking together. Most of the trees were doing fine in the colder weather despite others losing their leaves elsewhere in the castle.

    We made it to the outer gate before my legs started to hurt.

    We ran behind the staff village, around sheets hanging on laundry lines.

    I was breathing deeply after getting back to the inner gate. The others had slowed down from their blistering pace, also breathing harder.

    It was strangely easier on the second time around while I was concentrating on keeping the same rhythm with Sam¡¯s legs and breathing.

    We didn¡¯t get a moment of rest upon our return. ¡°Thirty each of the usual rotations, Twig I¡¯ll let you off with twenty since it¡¯s your first session, but don¡¯t expect that the next time. And if I catch any of you using mana enhancement again, I¡¯ll throw you from the ramparts.¡±

    Instructor Daniels aimed the last part at one of the boys in the other groups.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said, slightly delayed with the rest.

    The knights were lifting wooden slabs in different ways that would help muscle growth. The wood felt like it was enchanted with different levels of mana to increase the weight.

    The mana enhancement must have been what the knights were doing when moving mana to specific muscles. It was the only explanation for some of the feats they were accomplishing with the already heavy wood.

    Sam laid down on his back, knees bent, and asked me to hold his legs. I knelt down and did so without asking why since I was watching Isaac and Clair get in a similar position.

    He proceeded to sit up and explain what a sit-up was to me, so when it was my turn I knew what to do. He finished and I took his place, confused about how sitting up was difficult.

    ¡°Five more, you got this.¡±

    My abdomen screamed at me not to do another, but I did. And then another four after resting in between each.

    I wanted to stay laid back on the ground, but we were already behind the others who were on their next exercise, which was push-ups. Sam quickly showed me how to do one while I got down into the position next to him.

    ¡°Butt down, Twig. Butt down,¡± Instructor Daniels said from behind me. ¡°Bend those elbows inwards. All the way to the ground. Good, now give me twenty more proper ones like that.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the little princess is getting special attention,¡± Clair said. ¡°Why is she here when she doesn¡¯t even know what a fucking push-up is.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Clair,¡± Sam said with a strained voice, nearing his last push-up.

    I understood Clair was annoyed at my presence, and that I was holding her back from something. I felt indifferent to her words, but it annoyed me that she was talking to Sam about it instead of me.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    I was also too busy trying to breathe to worry about responding.

    By the last few push-ups, I was holding myself up on wobbly arms to try to get a break before going down again. I almost got stuck on the last one after rushing into it, but forced my body away from the ground.

    Other groups were lining up in front of a steel bar arched into the ground with a flat top. They each tried to pull their chins up to the top bar, with some not managing it and others doing a dozen at most before dropping.

    Sam didn¡¯t need to explain what was obviously called a pull-up, so Clair was silent as we joined the line behind her.

    ¡°This one¡¯s called a cliff-crest, don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t do it, these don¡¯t count for the thirty requirement.¡±

    Isaac came over from his push-ups to tower behind us and snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a boost if you can¡¯t reach the bar.¡±

    Sam moved to join the line behind me, placing me closer to Clair. She moved off to the bar without turning around during our wait. Clair jumped up slightly to clamp her hands over the metal and smoothly pulled herself up. She managed to get to fifteen that way and struggled up a few more times before letting go.

    I walked out after her and created a step in the dirt to reach the bar without jumping before either boy could think of lifting me.

    My arms protested at the thought of trying to pull up my weight. It was obvious then, when I did make it up, that mana had played a part. I hadn¡¯t meant to and looked over at Instructor Daniels for an admonishment when I went back down to hang.

    He gestured for me to continue, so he either didn¡¯t care or I was working with an amount of mana he couldn¡¯t sense.

    I tried again after hanging for a moment and strained my arms until my chin cleared the bar. I managed to do it several more times before my arms cramped up and forced me to drop down.

    My landing wasn¡¯t graceful and I stumbled around feeling like I used too much mana too quickly. I plopped myself on the ground to watch Sam grab onto the bar and do his cliff-crests. He didn¡¯t manage as many as Clair, but more than Isaac who followed him.

    I was leaning on my arm to try to get my legs under me when Instructor Daniels put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Sit out the next set, you¡¯ll only hurt yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    He nodded and moved to kick someone''s ankles together during their push-ups. I sat and watched the creative ways he used to mould each person into the specific form he wanted. Clair agitated Sam with a comment I assumed was about me, but I was too tired to care. I felt like I had given as much as I had, but it wasn¡¯t enough for her or the instructor¡¯s liking.

    I had a fading ache in my limbs and muscles to prove it. Jumping into the pond sounded like a good idea as I wiped sweat from my brow.

    Sam came to sit next to me, along with the other groups of four, after their set of pull-ups.

    ¡°Are we done?¡± I asked.

    Clair scoffed from behind us and Sam turned to glare at her before speaking. ¡°No, we watch the knights grapple and spar. We do the same and then a relay, the best group in both of those gets to try out riding the destriers.¡±

    ¡°Horses?¡±

    ¡°Warhorses specially bred for knights, even apprentices only get their own in year four.¡±

    Most of the knights had paired off with some crouching low and circling each other. They flung out their arms and tried to grab at the others'' limbs or clothing. One pair only took a single moment for them to end up on the ground, one with an arm around the other¡¯s neck.

    There was a range of different weapons used by those that were armed. Most used what I would call a normal sword, with others wielding things like Barick¡¯s large slab of metal or daggers with prongs on the side.

    None were using spells, unless enhancements counted as one, which was unfortunate since I wanted to see what other combat magic was capable of.

    From a safe distance.

    Those not paired off were pulling back bows taller than I was and lunching iron-tipped arrows at hay targets. According to Sam they had more power than a normal crossbow and took a thorough grasp of mana enhancement to draw.

    I nodded along to his explanation while leaning against my knees.

    Instructor Daniels had me sit out again for our sparring. Clair dominated with grappling, Isaac spent the whole time smacking wooden swords together with others, and Sam danced around his opponent with a blunt spear.

    I grimaced every time someone hit the ground or got whacked with the full strength of a swing. Being a knight didn¡¯t seem like the thing for me. I was only here to exercise and apparently gain structure in my life.

    We came fourth in the relay, much to Clair¡¯s displeasure. She held off on her insult until it was announced we came third overall in the groups and wouldn¡¯t get to enter the manege with the destriers.

    Five horses came down with stable hands leading all but Polem, who came trotting along at his own pace without any reins around his face. He was very happy with himself for kicking up enough fuss to not have them, especially the bit inside his mouth.

    Everyone crowded around the wooden fence to watch the winning group try to climb up a chosen horse.

    A tall boy managed to get his foot in Polem¡¯s stirrup after slowly approaching the horse with an apple.

    But was bumped to the ground as Polem turned. Polem didn¡¯t let him close again, so he went for the remaining one who stood still as he pulled himself up into the saddle.

    A girl dug the stirrups into an otherwise very gentle white horse. The crowd groaned as she was flung off when they reared up in offence.

    She was escorted out while limping by some people in similar garments to Morris.

    Polem threw his head about and whinnied while the remaining three cantered around the area. The horses thought their riders were a pain in the back who didn¡¯t sit properly, put too much weight on the stirrups, yanked the reins too hard and didn¡¯t move with them as they moved.

    They were too well-trained to throw their riders off for what they thought were minor issues. Instructor Daniels was shouting directions from the side which helped lessen the mistakes.

    ¡°Same time tomorrow, ready by sunrise,¡± he said after the group dismounted. He made sure I was looking at him and raised his eyebrows, I nodded. I¡¯d been waiting for him to ask me to leave, but he still wanted me to come back.

    We started to head back around to the front of the bastion.

    ¡°That could have been us if someone ran a bit faster,¡± Clair said, arms folded and glaring at Sam.

    ¡°Oh, give it a rest,¡± Sam said. ¡°We still only came third even with Daral on our team.

    ¡°The two ahead of us were full of apprentices, moron.¡±

    I¡¯d gotten very good at ignoring insults, but I was tired and she was annoying Sam. Tired from a lack of sleep and abusing muscles I didn¡¯t know existed. One was my own fault, but I felt good about the other and she was ruining it.

    I didn¡¯t have anything to say back since what she said was true, so I did something I thought would annoy her.

    After begging, Polem turned from where he was trailing after the stable hands holding the reins of the four horses. He trotted over and interrupted Sam and Clair¡¯s spat, which Isaac had joined in.

    Polem agreed to lie down for me as long as I brought him a block of salt to lick.

    A block of salt? Is it white? I thought to confirm if I understood what he meant.

    He threw his head about with a soft whinny and lay down for me to step over the saddle and into the stirrups. I held onto the pommel as his powerful legs got him up as soon as I sat.

    Everyone''s eyes were on me as Polem trotted to catch up to the other horses.

    I glanced back before going through the gate.

    The seething resentment in Clair¡¯s gaze helped improve my mood.

    ¡­

    I had tried hiding in my room after showering instead of going to the morning meeting with Sam. The plan to sleep was thrown away as soon as I laid down and opened the murder mystery book.

    I¡¯d gotten through one paragraph before Haily came in.

    ¡°You like shopping, ma¡¯am?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hmmm? Oh.¡± I sat up from where I was lying back with the book open above me.

    She was holding an open box while staff members dropped off other boxes in the sitting room.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± I shouted after them as the door shut, it was embarrassing having the clothes carried up for me. I had forgotten about collecting them after my eventful morning.

    ¡°Put this one on.¡± She lay a white dress with a long flowy skirt on my bed followed by a yellow wool sweater.

    ¡°Why?¡± I¡¯d just changed into my regular pants and brown shirt after drying off.

    ¡°Chief Yanla said you¡¯re expected at lunch with the duke, something about giving you structure. These as well.¡±

    Haily had started flinging out the crumpled paper packaged with the clothing and brought out a pair of open black shoes that I didn¡¯t remember seeing yesterday.

    ¡°Would it be rude to read at the table?¡±

    She flipped her hair out of her face from where she was leaning over another box to give me a disappointed look. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. It would be. Please don¡¯t.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like the way the shoes clip-clopped like horse''s hooves as I walked across the uncarpeted foyer. I tried to pull up the sleeves of my sweater, but they fell back down to the end of my thumb again. Haily had insisted on letting her brush my hair and conceding on letting me do it myself, as long as she approved.

    The dining room door was open and I peeked in to see the Manafolds, Linh and her mother, Jeremy, Faraya, and other chiefs and their children I hadn¡¯t heard the names of.

    Janette saw me so my plans of walking away were no longer viable. The only place left amongst the paper and pastries was next to her, where Annalise would have sat.

    I made my way around the table and was glad for the carpet hiding my steps.

    ¡°You look nice,¡± Janette said once I sat down.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making other people bring up the clothes. I¡¯ll make sure to get them next time¡± I said and found something else to worry about. ¡°Was it okay for me to have them delivered?¡±

    ¡°You are fine, it is no problem,¡± the duke said. ¡°Yanla paid using your reward so you have not cost us anything.¡±

    Janette nodded, ¡°Samuel was just telling us about your training this morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    My cheeks heated at my poor performance and I wondered which parts Sam would have told and how. When I was told to sit out during the sparring or how I lost them the relay?

    ¡°I think it is good for you to have something to do each day."

    ¡°Which is why¡ª¡± Jeremey said before getting his mouth covered by Faraya.

    ¡°¡ªwhy you should continue the training,¡± she finished. ¡°Daniels said you did well for your first session.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I could not imagine those words coming out of his mouth. She shrugged and let go of Jeremy, who slid me a note when she wasn¡¯t looking.

    The first plates were brought out, Janette¡¯s salad had white meat while mine had piles of crushed almonds and chickpeas.

    ¡°Samuel asked me if it was okay for you to leave the palace with him and Linh to go to a gathering with his friends this evening,¡± Janette said.

    ¡°And I can go?¡±

    ¡°If you want to, I think it would be a nice experience.¡±

 Chapter 31

    Haily was concerned as I followed her down the hall to the kitchen. She had her arms full with our plates and refused to let me help her despite us going to the same place.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t try help wash the dishes, again.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Did I do that bad?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t use soap!¡±

    I caught the cup that fell from her stack with a cushion of air, keeping the tea cup with me until we reached our destination to spite her.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± An apron-clad cook asked me with narrowed eyes. Haily squeezed past him, eager to get away from me.

    ¡°Um, do you have a block of salt I could have? For the horses?¡±

    He crossed his arms. ¡°Girl, do you think we keep lumps of mineral salt around the kitchen?¡±

    Haily reached around him to pinch the cup out of my hands. ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± He turned to leave.

    ¡°Okay¡­thank you for making my meals, I enjoyed the chickpea salad.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who doesn''t like meat?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Hey, Granya!¡± He shouted into the kitchen. ¡°What did you want to say to whoever had you making separate dishes?¡±

    ¡°Ima ring that pissant¡¯s neck. What a pretentious fucker,¡± a woman¡¯s muffled voice echoed off the walls. ¡°Next thing he¡¯s going to ask for no grain ''cause he feels sorry for the poor mule pulling the plough.¡±

    Granya appeared behind the aproned man. Her rant stopped as soon as she laid eyes on me. I felt like running away from the lady holding a cleaver with red hair that matched the blood on her apron.

    ¡°Please tell me¡­¡± Her words trailed off.

    Haily came pushing past the two, who were blocking the door more than before. ¡°Let¡¯s go, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll take you to the stable master for your salt.¡±

    She dragged me away before I could apologise for giving the chefs more work to do. We were down the rest of the stairs and on our way to the stables before she slowed down. ¡°Okay, I know that sounded bad, but please don¡¯t report her or anything,¡± Haily asked. ¡°Granya was just ranting, she didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°Report her?¡±

    ¡°To Chief Yanla?¡±

    I was lost. Something I had done had given Granya extra work, and she was upset about it. I knew how time-consuming it was to make a separate meal for myself.

    ¡°Can you tell her she doesn¡¯t need to make my meals separately anymore, or would it be better for me to go and apologise?¡±

    Haily stared blankly at me. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell the duke a chef swore at you?¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Okay then¡­I¡¯ll get your salt lick for you. And next time you can ask me for stuff like that, you don¡¯t need to follow me to the kitchen.¡±

    I watched Haily walk away down to the stables and I carried on the path to the paddock. She hadn¡¯t responded on whether I needed to apologise or not. A stray thought convinced me to leave it and forget about it.

    Having spent years only dealing with one person, in one place. I was overwhelmed by the number of people I now interacted with, needed to understand, and were upset with me even though I hadn¡¯t met them before.

    Thinking back, I was annoyed with myself for letting Clair talk about me without doing anything. Now that the doll was gone I needed to get used to being able to confront people without its threat hanging over my head.

    I climbed the paddock fence and stood on the narrow beam, lifting my arms out for better balance. A saddleless Polem was already making his way over.

    ¡°I went through a lot of effort for this,¡± I said as he walked beside me. ¡°Haily too.¡±

    He neighed but didn¡¯t share in my complaints. To him, stuff like that just appeared. He didn¡¯t need to worry about how it happened. I tilted my head from side to side and agreed with him. That was the direction everything was starting to go with me, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I liked it.

    I stepped onto his back and almost fell as he turned towards the approaching Haily. He swayed extra hard with each step as I balanced on him though that might have just been my imagination.

    A pinkish rock was hung on one of the posts for Polem to lean down and lick.

    ¡°Anything else, ma¡¯am?¡± Haily asked. ¡°An application for the extravaganza perhaps?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, is that the one with all the face paint and masks? Don¡¯t a lot of murders happen there?¡±

    ¡°You read some morbid stuff, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Sitting normally with a dress was awkward, so my legs dangled off to the side while Polem enjoyed his salt lick. I pulled out the note Jeremy had slid over to me at lunch and unfolded it.

    I read it and then again. I turned it upside down and turned it to the side.

    It was unreadable. The words made no sense, if you could even call them that. There were pairs of letters I hadn¡¯t seen next to each other before in any of the books I¡¯d read.

    I stared at it for a long while, then folded it back and put it in my skirt pocket.

    Polem had enough of the salt and started moving to the shade of a tree. I slid off, dodging piles of horse shit, and started making my back up to the palace. I wanted to find Jeremy for an explanation.

    ¡­

    ¡°Do you know what any of this means?¡± I handed over the folded note to Sam.

    Jeremy hadn¡¯t been on the way to my room, in my room, or outside near my hammock. That was as far as I¡¯d bothered to look, so now Sam was helping.

    We were walking along the street together with Linh. A few more from the castle meeting had joined us and were walking in a group ahead. The sun hung low in the sky, casting most of the street in shadow. Most people were already home for the evening and loud voices could be heard from the pubs.

    ¡°Hmm, looks like a cypher. See these two letters are duplicated often,¡± he said then continued when I gave him a blank look. ¡°The letters just mean another letter, it should come with a way to know which translates to which. Where did you find it?¡±

    ¡°Jeremy gave it to me.¡±

    Sam pushed the note back into my hands as if it had just bitten him. ¡°I¡¯m not getting involved with anything to do with him.¡±

    ¡°What? Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s scared of him,¡± Linh said.

    ¡°He controls every bit of information that leaves and enters the palace, maybe even Drasda. If he wants Valeria to solve a little cypher, then Valeria can do it on her own. Otherwise, he¡¯ll find out and I don¡¯t want to know what happens to me then.¡±

    ¡°Well, Valeria doesn¡¯t appreciate that,¡± I said. ¡°Can you at least tell me where to start?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Glaring at him didn¡¯t help win me more advice, so I walked while trying to think of a way to translate the note, and why I needed to.

    My footsteps slowed as I got within range of the same creatures as before. The pain I¡¯d felt coming from them felt fresh and raw compared to when I¡¯d passed it with Annalise on the way into Drasda.

    ¡°Valeria?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t realised I¡¯d stopped walking when we walked across the street that led to the multi-storey building. A line led outside its doors and wrapped around to the other street, out of sight.

    ¡°What¡¯s that building everyone is lining outside of?¡± I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from where the one with the stronger mind was amidst a fight. Other animals were afraid, tired, and hurting.

    ¡°A gambling house,¡± Sam said. ¡°There must be a big match on tonight with a line like that.¡±

    ¡°A match?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a fighting ring out back. People bet on the outcome.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly for hooligans,¡± Linh said. ¡°I can¡¯t watch more than a few seconds of it.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, it''s fun watching people go up against some of the stronger predators. Maybe even The Eviscerator is fighting tonight.¡±

    I caught bits of the fight flashing through my mind. They took a spear to the flank, claws grated against a metallic shield. It made a horrid screeching sound that hurt their ears. An armoured arm took a slash from just out of reach of their claws.

    I started walking with the two of them again but wasn¡¯t paying attention to their conversation.

    They were losing a lot of blood, and the fight.

    An explosion went off next to them. I flinched before I understood it wasn¡¯t my sight that it happened in. Another spell shoved spikes from the ground into their face and sides, preventing them from moving.

    People shouted and cheered from all around them. Others in armour approached before a loud ringing stalled them. A wave of relief flooded them and drowned out the rage. I held my breath as healers approached and lessened their pain. They wanted to lash out at the people, yet didn¡¯t because they knew these ones were helping.

    Their thoughts and feelings faded from my mind as we walked further away.

    I forced a smile on my face as Sam and Linh started laughing. I hadn¡¯t heard the joke and wasn¡¯t in the mood to laugh if I had.

    Everyone knew what happened in that building. Sam sounded like he would enjoy watching what happened and the line outside told me plenty of people agreed with him.

    Long brick buildings started to replace storefronts and homes. The faint sound of fast-paced music was drifting over from one of them. Lights were on inside, ready for the setting sun.

    People stood around in groups outside, all holding and drinking from glasses. They were younger and dressed colourfully. The boys had the top buttons of their dress shirts undone. Sam was in a sweater that matched a few others.

    Linh wasn¡¯t alone with her raised shoes clacking along the cobble. Her pants were a common trend among the girls, having a crease down the front and back that gave them a triangular shape.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a pub.¡±

    ¡°Have to be sixteen to get into those. Fergie¡¯s mum owns the building and the watch turns the other way as long as we don''t make too much ruckus. But if we do get busted, run faster than the slowest person.¡±

    A long sliding door that reached the roof of the red brick building was fully open. The roof was made from a thin slanted metal sheet. Remee stood at the entrance clasping hands with everyone who entered. Almost half the buttons of his white shirt were undone, showing off his tanned chest.

    Sam handed him a bottle with a black and white sketch of a castle on the label. It earned us a more enthusiastic greeting than those before.

    ¡°Samuel! How¡¯s it going, bru?¡±

    He went to hug Linh after, and then me. ¡°New girl, glad to see you made it to a proper clothing store.¡±

    I froze up as he hugged me but forced my arms around him for the quick embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get this poured out before anyone tries to tackle me,¡± Remee said, flashing a smile. ¡°Enjoy.¡±

    Inside were piles of wooden crates shoved away from a cleared section where people were dancing together. They twisted and turned with the music. I was mesmerised, watching their feet slide and stomp across the floor in time with the beat.

    The rest of those in the room stood in small circles or lounged on the boxes. A table on one side had people leaning against it and returning with cups full of different coloured drinks.

    Linh patted Sam¡¯s shoulder and pointed over to one group. She had to raise her voice to talk above all the noise. ¡°I¡¯m going to talk with Laily.¡±

    She skipped over and was welcomed by the group she had pointed out.

    Sam noticed me watching the dancers. ¡°Do you want to try?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could.¡± I raised my voice and shook my head, but he couldn¡¯t hear me since he led me closer to the dancers.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a rendition of ballroom dancing that I¡¯ve had classes for since seven. Against my will mind you.¡±

    I stopped dragging my heels. It did look like a lot of fun though I was still nervous about not knowing what I was doing.

    Sam took each of my hands in his. He stepped back to stretch out our arms and forward again, pulling me in. I stumbled forward. He pulled on one of my hands and let go of the other to twist me to the side so we made a line with our arms and bodies.

    He pulled me back in and sought out my hand again.

    We continued moving around and around. Repeating the motions of the other pairs I watched behind him. I slowly stopped concentrating on where exactly to place my feet and trusted him to pull me along.

    I listened to the music instead of focusing on the sound of the heartbeat in my ears. My body started to shift about, anticipating his direction instead of following it, mimicking the sway of the music.

    The music started to wind down and there was a popping sound as the phonograph needle reached the end of the disk it ran along. My chest rose and fell with deep breaths as everyone clapped and cheered as a few walked off the dance floor.

    Another song started right after, but Sam and I left to the sidelines. He was still holding my hand.

    We joined Linh and her group who stood around one of the wooden crates. It was covered in drinks and Sam went to get us some of our own. Linh was more reserved than her friends and spent more time sipping from her cup, but they made up for her silence.

    I stayed just outside the circle and let them do all the talking. A smile played on my lips throughout the lively conversation. One of the boys was trying to reenact a story of a man who jumped up onto the stage of a play and ran around screaming obscenities at the cast. It was going to be in tomorrow¡¯s paper according to him.

    Sam came back and handed a cup full of orange liquid to me. I was thirsty from the dancing and took a large gulp. I pursed my lips at the sweetness and almost coughed as it burnt my throat on the way down.

    He grinned at me while taking a much smaller sip from his own cup.

    One of the girls, Laily, asked if anyone wanted to dance as the next song played. I volunteered when no one else answered.

    I tipped the remaining orange drink into my mouth and placed it on the crate before she led me to the dance floor. It was dark out and everybody was inside with the sliding door shut. Not much air came in and it was hot enough that I left my sweater behind with Sam.

    Laily took my hands and pulled me along to the music. It was easier to relax and focus less on everything going on around me with the alcohol settling into my stomach. Her movements were more fluid than Sam''s but she wasn''t directing me as much. Either that or the alcohol was to blame for my near trips.

    Faint banging echoed over the music from thumbs on the door. Someone went to turn off the music and the bang echoed again.

    ¡°Watch Officer Parker. Open up!¡±

    No one went to open the door. Quiet panic settled over the crowd as people rushed every which way to the small side entrances. Laily still had my hand and dragged me over to one. I couldn¡¯t see Sam and Linh over the people rushing past us.

    Laily let go of me as we got to the bottleneck where plenty of people were trying to exit a small door. Those in front of me surged back at the shout of the watch being outside that door as well now.

    I backed off to the wall, separated from Laily as she ran back. I tried moving the brick out of the way with mana. It budged, but resisted, and I didn¡¯t want to bring down the building or damage anything.

    I took a few deep breaths. Everyone''s panic had infected me. I didn¡¯t know why we had to run from the watch to begin with. What law were we breaking?

    Adding use of spells onto that would land me in the same trouble it did with Gram.

    The door out was now clear. Mages waited outside of it, shouting at people to stop struggling. I dug my fingers down the neckline of my dress, draining the mana from the crystal sitting against my brassiere, and crept to the side of the door.

    When it sounded like everyone was the most occupied I sprinted out, and towards the least amount of people and mages.

    A few shouts to stop came from behind me, but my shoes kept clicking against the cobblestone. The only person chasing after me stopped as I turned the next corner and ran down the street.

    I glanced behind me to be sure I was alone and pressed my back against the wall after the next turn, a laugh threatening to break out amongst my deep breaths.

    I hadn¡¯t moved more than a few streets down and could still hear shouts and even some laughter from people evading the watch officers. I kept going till the warehouses turned back into storefronts and bars, their music and patrons'' voices masking much of the ruckus going on behind me.

    I didn¡¯t infuse the crystal again despite walking past a few mages. They didn¡¯t notice, or care, about anything weird going on with my mana.

    A few mages moving across the roof drew my eye. I picked out one of the clocked figures against the moonlit sky. They stepped across the tiled roofs of the row of buildings and jumped across to the next street, where a narrow alley separated the rows.

    I peeked down the familiar street.

    It housed the building I¡¯d seen my coin thief duck into when Sam and I had gone to the library.

    I wondered if Sam and Linh had managed to get out okay before walking down the street, keeping to the shadows.

    The mages, and now that I was closer a few non-mages, entered through a window built into the slanted roof.

    The building the window belonged, to had a glass display facing the road like most storefronts. However, this one was empty inside.

    I slowly twisted the door handle and met resistance. On second thought, I was glad it didn¡¯t open because there was probably a bell sitting above it, ready to announce my presence.

    Up and down the cobblestone was empty except for the occasional passerby crossing the entrance to the street. I flexed my fingers and gripped an edge in the stone base of the building, widening it for my whole hand.

    It was awkward telling when my shoes were secure as I climbed up. I was sure I¡¯d scratched one of them quite badly trying to dig it in further. The tiled roof had a lip over the edge that stopped my climb from progressing.

    Those inside were on the floor below, so I tried the window on the top floor instead of the roof.

    The second one I tried slid upwards. It was still difficult to get myself in, but less so than the roof.

    I dusted myself off and jumped in the air when I came face to face with someone else.

    By the time I landed, I was scolding myself for getting scared of a fabric mannequin. My hard landing must have been heard downstairs because two of the group broke off and were ascending.

    I ducked behind a pile of discarded cloth and pulled some of it over me.

    The door creaked open. ¡°See, no one. Trust us when we say there''s no one.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone grew up with mana you fuckwit. I trust my eyes more than your weird sixth sense.¡±

    The girl without mana walked in through the door and stood in the middle of the room, looking around.

    The mage marched past her, and me, to slam the window shut. ¡°It was probably just a bird trying to get out. Can we head down? I wanna be there when Fergie gets back. He¡¯s going to be pissed Jay fucked with his party.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you put an enchantment up here to tell us if someone breaks in?¡± the girl asked, still not moving.

    ¡°Yeah¡­it¡¯s called my weird sixth sense, dimwit. He¡¯s almost here, let''s go.¡±

    The door was left ajar as the two retreated downstairs. Another mage came in through the roof and stormed down the hallway, his footsteps crashing against the stairs on his way down.

 Chapter 32

    I held in a sneeze while all the dust I had kicked up tickled my nose and buried my face in the crook of my elbow when it got too much. I wasn¡¯t worried about anyone hearing me with all the shouting going on below.

    My coin wasn¡¯t going to be in a dusty room full of old sheets and broken crates, nor was I going to find it anywhere except on the person of the blonde thief. It was likely already spent and there was little chance of getting it back.

    How would I even tell if it was mine if I did find one?

    For the first time since I started this weird adventure, I wondered what I was trying to accomplish and blamed the alcohol for my fuzzy thoughts. Curiosity moved me to the door and down the creaky stairs that I slowly placed my weight onto.

    It was a pointless precaution.

    ¡°Who pays for all this?! Who got us here? Who do you think you are dictating terms to me?¡± The anger in the shouts matched the thundering steps from before.

    Fergie started shouting again when a calm voice tried to respond. ¡°Shut it, Jay. You wasted a lot of roe with that stupid stunt.¡±

    ¡°I think showing their kids the watch isn¡¯t what they think is a good recruitment tool,¡± Jay said calmly.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to do that.¡±

    ¡°We? You don¡¯t get to say that while the rest of us do all the work, take on all the risk. Some of us want to do more than vandalise your mum¡¯s competitors.¡±

    ¡°We are. Do you know who owned that last store? The Manaleafs. You wanna know what they were doing before The Fall?¡±

    ¡°Of course I know who the fucking Manaleafs are.¡±

    I tucked myself into a doorway next to the room they were all in, forgetting about the coin. The door hinge was on my side, so I crept over to peek through the small gap made by the partly open door, making sure not to bump into it.

    Those in the room sat atop crates or stood in each other¡¯s faces like Jay and Fergie. A few stood just behind each, glaring at the other side.

    The hoods of their cloaks were pulled back with wooden masks resting on some of their heads, revealing their faces. The two speakers were the oldest in the room and the only ones not wearing cloaks.

    Jay had most of his hair shaved down on the sides, and a silver necklace dangling from his neck onto a well-tailored tunic. From my angle, I couldn¡¯t see much of Fergie, but he was on the chubbier side and had some height on the boy he was staring down.

    ¡°Stop treating us like we''re stupid, Fergie. This isn¡¯t about them, we know what you¡¯re doing,¡± said a woman with an owl mask standing just behind Jay. ¡°And we don¡¯t appreciate being used to devalue property.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just mummy¡¯s messenger boy,¡± said the boy who stole my coin. He was sitting at the back of the room, playing with a mask depicting a kudu, twisted horns and all.

    ¡°We took a vote earlier, like we told you we would, interrupting your little party to let you know the results,¡± Jay said. ¡°Cruel of you not to invite us, by the way, considering our last haul paid for it.¡±

    ¡°The pittance this little scheme brings in isn¡¯t enough to buy a single bottle of quality liquor.¡±

    ¡°Really? Anyways, you¡¯ve been voted as our new treasurer. Congratulations.¡±

    A round of sparse applause went on to commemorate the occasion. I shifted my footing from my legs getting tired, debating whether or not to leave considering the number of people inside.

    ¡°Therefore, we need a new leader. All in favour of myself?¡±

    There was a round of ¡®ayes¡¯ from most except those behind Fergie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you just love democracy?¡± Jay asked.

    Fergie started laughing in an obnoxiously over-the-top way. ¡°And where are you going to get funding from? Where are we going to meet? This is my building. Without me, you¡¯d all be arrested and kicked out of the castle district already.¡±

    ¡°The East Side crew introduced us to their new benefactor. He¡¯s in town to personally oversee his investments. Passed along a message that we could be included if we pull off something big to get his notice.¡±

    ¡°Ooo, something big? How mysterious¡­get over yourself. You think you can go from petty theft to organised crime? What are you going to do? Hit the fruit market on Grove Street?¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re funding whatever it is, I thought it would be polite to let you have a vote. That is the whole point of this meeting after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re delusional if you think I¡¯m sinking another bronze into this shit show.¡±

    ¡°You will if you don¡¯t want the papers finding out how we picked our robbery targets.¡±

    Fergie was silent for a long time before shouts erupted. Feet and bodies hit the wooden floor. Chairs were knocked down, and glass shattered in the squabble. Calls for quiet were drowned out until the two were pulled off each other, blood streaking down their faces.

    Spells that had been forming on the sidelines fell apart, and I remembered to breathe.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one with something to lose here. You think your families are going to like learning their children are a bunch of wannabe revolutionaries?¡±

    ¡°Unlike you, we have actual convictions,¡± said Owl Mask. ¡°They¡¯ll understand, eventually.¡±

    ¡°We steal from the mages to make ourselves rich. What bloody convictions, Bridgette?¡± said the coin thief.

    ¡°Not everyone is a selfish prick, Alister.¡±

    ¡°Enough, let¡¯s vote and get this over with,¡± Jay said, wiping blood from his nose.

    ¡°What are the options, oh mighty leader,¡± Fergie snarked.

    ¡°Raise hands for the library¡­the noble¡¯s gambling house¡­the palace¡­the watch headquarters¡­Pedro Bank¡­the capital auction house.¡± The list went on for a while with other people shouting out names that were turned down or voted on.

    ¡°You¡¯re fucking mental,¡± Fergie said. ¡°You¡¯ll get my roe, but I¡¯m not stepping foot in a single one of those death traps.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t want you and your fat feet anywhere near a stealth job,¡± Alister said.

    ¡°The gambling house is the target by one vote,¡± Jay said. ¡°Anyone want to change theirs?¡±

    ¡°I hope they sic the beasts on you, ingrates.¡±

    Heavy footfalls started marching towards the open doorway. I stumbled to my feet and turned to run towards the stairway. I panicked at the stairs, not sure if I should go up or down.

    There were at least two exits above me. However, I only remembered that when I was already moving downwards. I swung around the railing onto the next set of stairs. The light from the meeting room didn¡¯t reach and I tripped on the last step when expecting there to be another.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Fergie shouted.

    I didn¡¯t answer on my way down the last set of steps; he started shouting. He was delayed by someone telling him there was no one else in the building, but footsteps still thundered down after me a moment later.

    The bottom floor at least had light coming in through the grimy windows. My shoulder bashed into the door as I skidded to a stop. I shook the doorknob each way, but it clicked in place.

    The footsteps and shouting reached the last landing. I twisted the lock and tried again. Nothing. The bolt clunked when I twisted it backwards. The bell above chimed violently and I was running down a dark street for the second time in one night.

    A muffled chime sounded from the door banging closed again. A clearer chime followed. I turned down a side street instead of running into an illuminated intersection.

    The shoes I wore were not made for running. They pinched my toes and threatened to slide out from under me when I made a sharp turn.

    My pursuers didn¡¯t shout anymore. Mana reserves and thumps of boots on the cobble reminded me they were still there.

    I stopped running before walking into the light of another intersection, trying to control my breathing. I infused the crystal again and wiped the back of my hand across my sweaty forehead.

    This one had a pub on the corner with patrons chatting over barrels, barkeeps walking between them and refilling any empty glasses. A few of the men and women glanced over but didn¡¯t care for me.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The way across led towards the castle walls. I steadied my pace, swinging my arms the same I would if I wasn¡¯t being chased, and walked over to the other side. I was now amongst those going home, or out on a nighttime stroll.

    A group ran into the street further down from me. I kept my head facing forward for the last few yards, unsure if they had seen me before and knew what I looked like, at least from behind.

    They didn¡¯t start running again, but the mages started moving to the intersection at a brisk pace.

    The walls of the castle towered over the last row of buildings blocking my way to them. I took the next turn I hoped would take me to the drawbridge.

    Lanterns lined the wall, shimmering in the reflection on the moat. A pair of knights got up from where they were sitting with their legs dangling over the drawbridge.

    My pursuers had stopped following me and had spread out from the intersection; the mage that went my way hadn¡¯t turned to follow me.

    ¡°Evening, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Good evening, name?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Valeria.¡±

    She nodded like she had expected it. ¡°Welcome back, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you. Umm, did Samuel come by? Or Linh?¡±

    ¡°Manafold? No, ma¡¯am. We were told to expect him with you. Did something happen?¡± she said, looking at where the mage was through the walls.

    ¡°I left without him, if he comes over could you please let him know I made it inside?¡±

    ¡°Can do.¡±

    She led me through the smaller door inside of the main one and over to the portcullis. She placed her palm on a gold panel embedded into the wall. A faint sequence of mana ripples had the gate retreating into the ceiling.

    I put on a smile and nodded to her. ¡°Have a good night.¡±

    ¡°You too, ma¡¯am.¡±

    The lighting above the lower bailey gave every plant, building, and person multiple shadows along the pathway. Staff members were still walking back through the open inner gates, waved through by more knights. I shivered in the cool air, remembering my sweater still with Sam.

    I wanted to meet back up with the two of them, but wandering the city hoping to run into them was a foolish idea. There were also the morning drills I had to wake up for, and I wanted to have a chance to read before sleeping.

    The guards at the inner gate didn¡¯t ask any questions as I walked through. They nodded to me, assuming I was meant to be in the castle if I¡¯d made it this far.

    I trudged up the steps to my room, half expecting to run into Haily despite the hour. My room was pristine thanks to her, and my lack of use besides the bed. Prying off my hard leather shoes revealed red indents on my skin that I tried to massage away.

    Falling into bed and passing out sounded like a great idea, but I wanted to shower and wash off the sweat from the dancing, running, climbing, and more running.

    ¡­

    ¡°I think this belongs to you,¡± Sam said.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I took the folded sweater and looked around the training ground for somewhere to put it. I¡¯d made it here before the sunrise, along with everyone else, like I was supposed to.

    I¡¯d gone to sleep annoyed at my book. The killer was revealed using a clue that wasn¡¯t disclosed till the ending monologue, which I thought was dumb. I was correct to assume the conductor had done it to hide his affair from all the evidence I had, too bad it was all invalidated at the last moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re scowling. The knights at the gate said you made it back fine, did something happen?¡±

    ¡°No, just a lot of running.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about that, it¡¯s the first time the watch has bothered us. Not sure what happened to get them there so early in the night.¡±

    I nodded along, trying to think of a way to tell him what happened quickly since I could see Instructor Daniels exiting the bastion already.

    ¡°Twig, that doesn¡¯t look like proper attire.¡±

    ¡°No, sir. Sam was just returning it.¡±

    ¡°Are you planning to hold it during my training?¡±

    ¡°No, sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Give it here.¡±

    He took the sweater, swung it over his shoulders, and tied the sleeves loosely around his neck. ¡°See me after if you want it back, off you all go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t need to turn around to see who was glaring at the back of my head.

    My muscles and feet were sore from yesterday¡¯s exercise and last night¡¯s adventure. However, the run was a little easier since I matched Sam¡¯s pace from the beginning instead of halfway through.

    I¡¯d been lied to the day before, the sit-ups had not gotten easier. Instructor Daniels hadn¡¯t mentioned only doing twenty again, so I assumed I had to do the same number as everyone else. Which meant I was at the back of the cliff-crest line, trying to get dirt off my face after my arms failed mid push-up.

    My chin reached the top pole for the last time, my breathing forced out in a strangled grunt. I dropped to the ground instead of hanging again.

    ¡°What was that, Twig? You didn¡¯t even give it a try to do another. I was mildly impressed yesterday, but that was utter horse shit. Give me another.¡±

    The instructor¡¯s shouts, and very thinly veiled insults, stung less while he was wearing my pale yellow sweater around his neck. I turned back to the bar with my limbs feeling like they were about to fall off.

    ¡°And without your little stepping stone. Jump.¡±

    I took a few steps back and let out a long breath. The extra room gave me a running start before I bent my knees and jumped towards the bar, arms outstretched. My fingers latched onto it as I swung back and forth.

    After shuffling from side to side to get a better grip then pulled my chin to the top.

    Instructor Daniels was occupied nudging someone else¡¯s elbows. I still went for another. And another.

    When I dropped, after the last one I could possibly do, the line was starting to form again from some groups finishing their second set.

    ¡°Sit out your next set and get a drink, Twig,¡± he shouted from across the training grounds.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I mumbled while people stared.

    I wanted to pour the cup of water over my head instead of drinking it but gulped it down before grabbing another. Clair, Isaac, and Sam finished their set and went for the line as well.

    The knights were practising mounted formations in the field beyond. The scores of horses had been ridden in from the palace stables and outer gate during our training. They wore their own green cloaks that came down to their knees, matching their rider''s capes. Metal plates on their head and chainmail peeking out from under the fabric protected them.

    Instructor Daniels spent most of his time getting us to turn our heads away from the rows of horses trotting together. Polem hadn¡¯t come with and I doubted anyone could have got him into what the others were wearing.

    ¡°Vahan, show her the basics would you,¡± Instructor Daniles shouted to one of the boys in a different group.

    He had pointed at me and a rope marked sparring ring, so I made my way to it. Pairs were already grappling or swinging wooden weapons in most of them. Vahan was more stocky than most and had come out on top in the previous day''s matches.

    He offered me a fist. ¡°Vahan.¡±

    ¡°Valeria.¡±

    ¡°Ah, not sure what to do since most of the normal advice wouldn¡¯t work for you, so let¡¯s just focus on not getting injured.¡± He started calling out my stance and making hand gestures to get me to spread my feet and bend my knees.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to have a good time pushing and pulling people. It just ain''t happening chief. If they get on top of you, don¡¯t try to move them off you; move yourself from under them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get pinned, ''cause it won¡¯t be a good time. Don¡¯t grab me, but pull my grabs. Let me sweep myself rather than trying to sweep me. If that makes sense?¡±

    I nodded slowly. ¡°Maybe?¡±

    Vahan slowly went through the moves and showed me how to turn myself and where to move if someone came at me a certain way. We moved to the ground where I learnt how not to get pinned flat and the start of how to use my knees as a shield. He kept talking about open and closed guards but lost me.

    I was apprehensive when he first grabbed my wrists, but he was gentle about it and I imagined we were just dancing to the sound of horse hooves, grunts, and swords smacking together.

    By the end, I felt more confident in my footing but wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think I could last more than a few seconds before tapping out.

    Everyone was told to form up in a line twenty yards away from the bastion for the last exercise. I did quite well with the quick bursts of sprinting back and forth, finishing the required ten laps in the top half.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Sam said once he¡¯d caught his breath. ¡°How did you find grappling with Vahan earlier?¡±

    ¡°Interesting, but I¡¯m not sure when I would use it over, ah, spells.¡±

    Instructor Daniels had dismissed us, yet we were still expected to sit in our groups and stretch before leaving. I sat on the hard ground and leaned forward to grab the souls of my shoes. I grinned at Sam who barely managed to get his middle finger to touch the tip of his toes.

    I¡¯d been waiting for Clair to say something all morning, but she seemed in a better mood without the competition for the horses going on.

    ¡°Are you going to be coming up to the palace after?¡± I asked Sam while balancing on one leg.

    ¡°Dad¡¯s away at the mint today, so no meetings and no lunch,¡± he said, wobbling to the side while doing the same stretch.

    ¡°Do you want to meet me this afternoon anyway?¡± I planned to talk with him about last night and ask him what to do with the information. Also, to swindle some help with the cypher.

    ¡°I have lunch with Mother in the city, but I will after. You¡¯d just need to inform the inner gate.¡±

    ¡°Twig, come get your sweater.¡±

    ¡°See you later,¡± I said and trotted over to the stern man holding out my sweater.

    ¡°Vahan said you were a quick study.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not here for the aspirant track like the others, but I said I¡¯d make sure you got something out of this. That includes participating in the spars and weapon drills we¡¯ll be doing tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±

    ¡°Before we get into this,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°Have you had a piss-poor weapon instructor since you were seven and I¡¯m going to have to train a shoddy foundation out of you? Do you have a greatsword that your grandpappy passed down, and you just have to use it?¡±

    I shook my head slowly. ¡°No, sir. The sharpest thing I own is a letter opener.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked sceptically. ¡°Do you have a mummy and daddy that buys you an elven heartwood spear so their darling boy doesn''t get too close to the fight?¡±

    I followed his gaze to where Sam was collecting his spear from the weapon racks. ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°Well, this is a first. Are you going to throw a fit behind my back if I assign you the bow?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I looked over to the curved pieces of mana-ridden wood and fibre that were taller than me, and most of the aspirants.

    ¡°Not the enchanted ones you dolt. I saw you riding a destrier yesterday without using the reins. Archery atop on horseback is very difficult, but that¡¯s where I want to get you to if you keep at it.¡±

    I was a little embarrassed that he¡¯d seen my pettiness and made it the deciding factor for my weapon choice. But, the bows did seem the most interesting out of those available. I¡¯d leave hitting people with wooden sticks to Sam.

    ¡°Sir, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to use spells from a horse?¡±

    ¡°Can you fire iron-tipped arrows using spells? Can you hit a target hundreds of yards away using spells? Cause I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°No, sir,¡± I said, not entirely sure of the answer.

 Chapter 33

    I slammed the book shut and leaned back in my hammock to stare through the branches above. A cinereous bird looked down at me quizzically with the remains of a fish still on their curved black beak.

    He¡¯d been tearing into it on the beach beyond the wall, and I just had to ask why he was enjoying the days-old meat so much. He took the opportunity to move his enormous feathered body over to my tree and extol the virtues of rotting carcasses in morbid detail.

    It wasn¡¯t what I had expected, and I was worried about him bringing down the branch on top of me.

    It was no wonder he tilted his white and brown feathered face at me when I tried to explain I didn¡¯t want to read more about dismembered human corpses. I almost threw the book at him when he got excited at the description.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to get fresh food?¡±

    He wiggled a foot off the branch and showed off his blunted talons, complaining about being unable to hunt like ¡®the ones that swoop down.¡¯

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s neat that you eat what¡¯s already there.¡±

    He was hiding from one of those birds, its talons like curved daggers and wings larger than his own. I looked at his folded wings, each bigger than my hammock, and peered about for the creature that could blot out the sun hanging above us.

    ¡°Please warn me if they come over here.¡±

    He ruffled his feathers as if to shiver in fear, and I agreed with the sentiment.

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Haily asked.

    I used my poor, mistreated muscles to sit up and pointed to my friend; she jumped back, hiding the plate with a sandwich and fruit behind her back.

    ¡°Ah, Ma¡¯am, those things are dangerous. Can we please go back inside?¡±

    ¡°But, he¡¯s harmless? Is that for me?¡±

    I had showered and changed after being dismissed by Instructor Daniels with a request to come in earlier tomorrow. I didn¡¯t want to go to the dining room for lunch and find out if Haily had passed along my message to the chef.

    That was why I was out here, except I¡¯d now only created more work for Haily.

    ¡°Vultures will peck out your eyes for a scrap of food,¡± Haily said without moving any closer.

    I looked up at the vulture, preening his feathers without a care in the world for my lunch or Haily¡¯s eyeballs. I placed my book down and swung out of the hammock to collect the plate myself.

    ¡°Sorry for making things harder for you,¡± I said as she handed me the plate. It didn¡¯t look like there was any meat, and I felt relieved since I regretted saying it didn¡¯t matter.

    She took a few steps back from the bird. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­respectfully, you need to get over that. Not telling me what you want doesn¡¯t make things easier. If you actually made our jobs too difficult, we¡¯d all stop working until the duke kicked you out.¡±

    I could see how that was beginning to be a problem: not letting her know about the clothes delivery, the salt lick that annoyed the chef, or her having to find me out here with lunch I might not have liked.

    ¡°Oh¡­okay. Could I please get a fish then?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by a fish?¡± she asked, looking concerned.

    ¡°Like a whole one, that¡¯s dead.¡± I motioned to the vulture behind me.

    Haily opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She sucked in a breath and slowly blew it out.

    ¡°My mouth really does get me into trouble,¡± she mumbled, returning to the palace.

    I settled back into the hammock while balancing the plate in my lap, a sandwich in one hand and a book in the other. The vulture snapped up a berry I threw to him, but it wasn¡¯t as good as flesh.

    I skipped ahead a few pages, so I didn¡¯t have to read through the rest of the dismemberment. This mystery was stingy with the clues, and so far, it could have been any of those locked in the house during the storm.

    It didn¡¯t take long until Haily cautiously brought over a fish hidden behind her back. I had to get it since she didn¡¯t want to be within a hundred yards of the vulture.

    ¡°Caypa is actually very sweet. He wouldn¡¯t hurt you unless you were already dead.¡±

    ¡°You named it?¡± Haily said with dismay. ¡°Are you sure we should be feeding it? Won¡¯t it come back for more?¡±

    I shrugged as the smell of fish brought back memories of preparing it for Mother. They were one of the easier creatures to find and catch. I also preferred them for being quick to die without filling my mind with too much pain.

    Haily handed it to me by the tail, and I leaned my nose as far away as I could manage. I threw it back behind the trees; Caypa opened his wings and darted to it the moment it was in the air.

    His talons pinned it into the ground as he tore chunks from the white-fleshed fish. I turned away so as not to upset my lunch.

    ¡°Oh. I just remembered I need to let the inner gate know to let Sam in later.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. That sounds more in line with my job,¡± Haily said, already backing away. ¡°If you need help with that¡­thing, please get a stable hand instead.¡±

    I would have gone back to reading if it wasn¡¯t for the magic Caypa was using. It came from his stomach and killed off a very particular set of tiny creatures while sparing others. I would need to start reading the wildlife book to make sure, but it was likely what allowed him to eat rotting meat without getting violently sick.

    I wouldn¡¯t say I liked that I now knew how to do that and hoped never to have to use mana to eat decayed meat. Starving was preferable.

    Caypa flew off after his meal since there were no predators in sight. I was beyond being offended by the lack of manners birds had, yet he was more sociable and intelligent than the crows back home.

    A shiver went down my spine, not from any swooping bird with outstretched talons, but from still considering the forest my home for a moment. I stared blankly at the pages, trying to settle my conflicting emotions by reading them away.

    It didn¡¯t help much since the author had decided to write an ending for each character where they all commit the same crime. There was some profound sounding note on the back covers about anyone being able to commit murder.

    I rolled my eyes at it.

    Something on one of the back pages made me pause. It was an extract of a written note to a watch officer asking for a meeting at their earliest convenience.

    I unfolded the note from Jeremy that had been collecting creases in my different pockets. One of the sections matched up to that line perfectly, just with other letters in their place. I thought back to Sam¡¯s advice.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    It was actually quite simple, but I kept having to run through the rhyme to remember all forty letters in the alphabet. I slowly shifted all the letters based on how many were between the ones written and what I knew they were meant to be.

    I didn¡¯t have paper or a pencil, so I scrunched up my face in concentration to keep on top of everything I was doing.

    In the end, I had a normal-sounding message:

    Hello Valeria,

    May we please have a meeting at your earliest convenience? I will be in my office, the third door to the left of the transmission room in the eastern tower.

    Regards,

    Jeremy.

    I pouted at how slow I had been to figure it out. Now that I could see it was addressed to me and that I wouldn¡¯t need to find a matching word, I felt pretty silly.

    I went to get the collection of thread-bound pages from my room, the copy on the four states of matter, instead of another murder mystery that would further disappoint me.

    ¡­

    ¡°What does this word mean?¡± I asked Sam as a way of greeting.

    ¡°Conflagration? I think it¡¯s a forest fire,¡± he said and sat at the edge of my hammock. It tilted to the side with his weight.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in a conflagration once.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°I threw around a lot of dirt and dug trenches to stop it spreading near me.¡±

    I let the pages flip closed and sighed. The book went into much detail about fire and how it was made. There was a single paragraph on its interaction with mana as a fuel source, but not much else. I didn¡¯t want or need to use fire; I just thought it would be nice to complete the collection since I already had solid, liquid, and gas.

    ¡°It sounds like you could get a job as a firefighter if the knight training doesn''t go well. They don¡¯t get many volunteers and always need mages who can just casually create stepping stools for themselves.¡±

    ¡°You also want me to jump from now on, Instructor Samuel?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see it during my push-ups, so I think you should try again tomorrow so I can watch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not. Are there any animals that use fire magic around Drasda?¡±

    ¡°Eh, we killed off a lot of them ages ago. But there are drakes in the mountains to the north. Fireflies use light, not fire, and dragonflies rapidly heat up the air, if that counts. Some species of lion do and the Oclaran griffons that were bred with them, salamanders in the Andrakan volcanos, and firebirds and fireserpents in the Ghardi peninsula.

    ¡°There¡¯s more, but I mostly just remember the ones with fire in the name and the griffons since their army uses them.¡±

    I decided I didn¡¯t need to learn fire magic anymore and would settle for finding a firefly so I could light up stairwells and stop tripping down them.

    I asked him what he thought about vultures, and he didn¡¯t seem overly fond of the ¡®creepy¡¯ birds. That was a shame. I bent my knees so he could lie back at my feet as we discussed carrion birds and their symbolism. He did know that the types of magic they used for their digestion were turned into spells learnt by healers.

    We moved on to talking about Clair, which consisted of him complaining about her attitude to us and how he would be dealing with her for the next five years at Equitier since she would get a spot after her performance so far. I shrugged off a question on whether I was considering going to the school and said I might if I could study animals or plants.

    That got me a raised eyebrow and a long list of all the mana and non-mana courses with anything to do with that vague description.

    ¡°I also have to get to the training grounds early tomorrow so he can teach me how to use a bow.¡±

    ¡°Wow, make sure Clair doesn¡¯t hear you¡¯re getting personal instruction from him.¡±

    I groaned. ¡°You¡¯re the one who likes weapons. Do you think I should go with using a bow? Why can¡¯t I use spells instead?¡±

    ¡°No spell can fling a projectile as hard and fast as an enchanted longbow. No spell to fling iron, and a lot of army doctrine calls for mages to save mana for shield walls so infantry can get closer.¡±

    That was mostly what the instructor had said. ¡°And what about someone who will not be joining the military?¡±

    Sam shrugged. ¡°If Instructor Daniels thinks you should use a bow, I¡¯d listen.¡±

    ¡°Really? Like you listened to him with your, what¡¯s it called, elven heartwood spear?¡±

    Some colour crept into his cheeks. ¡°He wanted me to use the sword and shield, and I¡¯m not coordinated enough for that.¡±

    ¡°You seemed fine while dancing last night.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but that¡¯s different. You did well for it, being your first time dancing. Very light on your feet,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, I had to be to get away from the watch as well¡­on my way back to the castle, I saw some people jumping along the rooftops. I stood outside of a building they went into, and they started shouting near an open window about robbing the gambling house. Do you think I should tell the duke?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah, of course. Were any of them mages?¡±

    ¡°A few.¡±

    ¡°And they didn¡¯t sense you? Or closed the window?¡±

    ¡°It was¡­a heated argument. One of them said the name Fergie, and the other was, I think, Jay.¡±

    He rolled over to look at me instead of the sky. ¡°You¡¯re sure? Did you see what he looked like?¡±

    ¡°No, I moved on when they started to leave.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s a different Fergie. I could check with Remee, but it sounds like they¡¯re the ones who would be breaking into stores. If they go for the gambling house, it¡¯ll be the quickest and easiest arrest the watch has ever done.¡±

    ¡°They also said something about the watch not being what people thought it was?¡±

    He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°All this from standing outside a window, ay? It used to be what the people¡¯s militia formed into as a concession with the hereditary nobles after we lost our king. It was supposed to keep their power in check and ensure fair voting. Now it¡¯s just an internal military.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible? I shouldn¡¯t bother Jeremy or the duke?¡±

    ¡°Can you let me check with Remee first? We don''t have much crime in the Castle District, so if it is Fergie, I can guess who else it would be. There''s no need to ruin their lives over something they¡¯ll figure out is impossible.¡±

    I nodded and dropped the conversation. I had my own reasons for not telling anyone, but they were too stupid to say out loud. I also wanted to ask the duke what he thought of the place.

    Duke Riker

    I read over a report to the side of my dinner plate as Janette went in for another attempt.

    ¡°How were classes today?¡± she asked Alonso.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said, quickly putting his fork in his mouth to avoid talking anymore.

    ¡°Anything new with Beca? How is her family doing?¡±

    ¡°Good, her mother kept talking about the robberies.¡±

    She glanced at me with triumph in her eyes at getting a complete sentence out of the boy. Anna would still be away for some time, and no one else was joining us for dinner tonight since the only meetings from the day were with the military and Jeremy. Who preferred eating on base and in their office.

    Jeremy had handed over a worrying report on the crime in other districts. At least most people weren¡¯t up in arms about it because it wasn¡¯t affecting them. Crime against individuals actually seemed to be down, with attacks on the watch increasing.

    Steal blades and crossbows had made their way into the hands of a few established criminal elements. And a book on combat magic had even been recovered in a raid. Healers were being run ragged, preventing deaths on both sides, but there were already two officer casualties they wanted revenge for.

    I couldn¡¯t blame them or order them to stop without deploying the knights who were not at full strength.

    Many were in Riker¡¯s Bay, gathering information and rooting out spies with Jeremy¡¯s people.

    I finished the report and sighed. An Andrakan cannon was rolling around on this continent for the first time in history. The Narrow Sea still separated us from it, yet it was worrying nonetheless. Someone was providing them with steel that could finally resist the explosion from their propellant. Their clunky cast iron cannons, usually shipbound or pulled by their non-existent horses, could now be lifted and shrunk by mages.

    The slow-moving cannons could now be moved across the battlefield, and the Island nation had finally established a beachhead on the mainland.

    Jeremy assured me they would be pushed out soon, so I flipped the report over and turned to my family. Janette had given up on trying to get Alonso to be talkative. She and I were worried about him, and most of our conversations before bed revolved around how best to help.

    It must have been upsetting for the boy not to have any mana like most of his friends, but that was how things went sometimes.

    Parentage wasn¡¯t a guarantee of anything when it came to mana.

    A walking example of that peeked in through the open double doors.

    ¡°Thank goodness, can I go eat in my room?¡± Alonso asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said before Janette could give him a spiel about eating together.

    He picked up his plate and a dinner roll and whispered to Valeira to thank her for coming to ¡®occupy us.¡¯ She played with the sleeves of her yellow sweater as she came to sit in the vacated place.

    The conversation points I had for this one were much more interesting than board games and history lessons.

    ¡°So, I got a report this morning that the watch interrupted a gathering of teenagers last night. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything about that?¡±

    She nodded, not an ounce of guilt on her face. ¡°They came and bashed on the doors, and people started scattering.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get caught?¡± Janette asked, ecstatic that someone at the table would speak.

    ¡°Nope, I ran. Though, they didn¡¯t bother chasing me.¡±

    I looked over to Janette, who looked equally disappointed by the lack of reaction. ¡°You do not seem fazed by the experience. I remember being chased by authorities. I was worried about what my parents think if I got caught.¡±

    Valeria chewed the inside of her lip, and I was worried the comment on parents would get to her. ¡°They were only there cause someone lied to them, so I think I would have been let go even if they caught me.¡±

    That was also in the report, but I had been planning to console her with that information if she felt guilty about the whole mess. ¡°Have you figured out Jeremy¡¯s little cypher?¡±

    She nodded around a mouthful and handed over a piece of paper written with ink from my pen. It was the message, and I was glad someone was going to try to find out where and how this girl got all of her information.

    Valeria looked at me between bits and opened her mouth to speak a few times but did not say anything.

    ¡°Yes? You can say whatever it is you want to.¡±

    She still took a deep breath before asking, and my heart tightened at the possibilities.

    ¡°Why do you let animals and people get brutalised at the gambling house?¡±

    That was not what I had expected. Janette covered her mouth with a napkin to hide her choking. The only one to question me so brazenly was usually her or, on rare occasions, Yanla.

    I leaned back and folded my arms, trying to decide what angle she wanted me to tackle this from. Morally, politically, or financially. Considering the lack of meat in her diet, I chose morality.

    ¡°You know no animals die in the matches?¡±

    Valeria nodded. ¡°They get healed.¡±

    ¡°They do. Not only that but healed by some of the best in the city, even when compared to the palace. They have better healthcare than most of Drasda¡¯s inhabitants. And, they offer their services on off days at heavily discounted prices, so have a lot of goodwill despite their product.¡±

    ¡°Dying isn¡¯t the issue. They¡¯re in a lot of pain, and the people are in a lot of pain. What¡¯s the point?¡±

    Janette leaned over and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It''s not for everyone, but it¡¯s only sport. It¡¯s very popular with the people and much better regulated than the illegal fighting pits we¡¯d have without it.¡±

    My last point was one I didn¡¯t think she would like. ¡°They also pay hundreds of thousands of roe in taxes.¡±

    The eye roll I got from Janette was expected.

    ¡°What if the animals don¡¯t want to be there? They¡¯re kept in cages they want nothing but to be out of.¡±

    She realised her argument was falling apart and was resorting to an emotional stance, though that is what this whole conversation seemed to be. So, I switched from being a duke to a father.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been to a few of the fights, and we have laws on shelter upkeep. They''re beasts, it''s in their nature to want to fight. Most would have a much tougher time in the wild, competing for resources and escaping predators without healing to get them back on their feet. They don¡¯t know it, but they have a better life in captivity.¡±

    She looked back down to poke at her potatoes. ¡°Yeah¡­maybe¡±

    I was at least right about the conversation being more interesting, but I didn¡¯t feel great about winning the argument. It was a violent sport, but even those had their place in civil society.

    Janette went to do what she usually did, which was to lighten the mood after I¡¯d ruined it.

    ¡°How was your time with Samuel and your training? What did you two talk about while swinging about for hours?¡±

 Chapter 34

    My earliest possible convenience for Jeremy¡¯s meeting was right after dinner. Janette had wanted me to stay for dessert despite my asking not to be served. The rice pudding was her favourite, and I conceded it was good after she fed me a spoonful.

    The duke¡¯s reasoning had bothered me the rest of the meal even though we¡¯d moved on to other topics like me, Sam, and Sam and I. It bothered me because I couldn¡¯t find any fault in his argument. I didn¡¯t know much about illegal fighting pits, healing, and taxes.

    But his points made sense. And I still found myself disagreeing.

    The lavish hallways of the palace had given way to stone blocks that made up a square turret. It was the original outpost the castle had been built around and was only attached from the third floor, where a knight was stationed.

    He waved me through once I gave my name and reason for entry. As I passed through the doorway with the gold inlay, the wall of mana sent a shiver down my spine. The enchantment was asleep for the moment but promised loud and painful retribution for any who tried to get through when it was active.

    Past him were steps only leading upwards, with sealed doors at each landing in the corners. I exited the stairwell in the middle of a small room with four doors and a coned roof above us, where the gold dish of the transmitter and receiver sat. Each room was sectioned off with iron since I couldn¡¯t tell what was behind the doors.

    My eye twitched as another ripple of mana washed over me from above. Someone was sending out whole batches of messages at once: well wishes, shopping orders, health inquiries, and a recipe for grilled crustaceans.

    There was another involving secretive dealings in a port city that had something to do with information gathering and preventing it. From the way whoever sent the transmission thought of the duke when the city was mentioned, it might have been Riker¡¯s Bay.

    Another knight stood guard outside a door with bright yellow lettering, making it clear that it was off-limits to unauthorised visitors. She watched me twirl around in confusion as I tried to understand why I needed to go to the third door on the left if it was also the first door on the right.

    A woman in a white uniform with matching gloves walked out, cradling a crystal from the marked room. A brief glimpse inside showed metallic boxes, gold inlays, and people in similar uniforms watching over them.

    She entered a different room with more people surrounded by blinking lights and piles of paper. The knight was watching me a little too severely, so I decided it was time to stop staring and move on.

    I walked up to the unassuming wooden door and knocked.

    ¡°Come in.¡± The voice was muffled, but I sighed in relief that it was Jeremy.

    His door had a handle instead of a knob, a much better design. His office smelled of smoke and leather, which was a drastic change from the mustiness of the stone tower. It was bare compared to Morris¡¯s office, with the stone of the walls showing.

    A rug patterned with a few intersecting triangles led to two leather chairs. They faced the grey wooden desk, Jeremy lounging in his own leather chair behind it. He had his feet up and a bowl of rice pudding in his lap.

    ¡°Evening, Valeria,¡± he said and checked his watch. ¡°I guess I should have expected this when I said ¡®earliest.¡¯¡±

    I suspected he had used one of those phrases with a separate meaning from the words themselves. ¡°Should I come back tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll be working late tonight with what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t mind taking a moment away before the next set of reports. This shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±

    I sat in one of the leather chairs while he sat up straight and placed the bowl on the desk. ¡°From Riker¡¯s Bay?¡±

    ¡°That,¡± he said with narrowed eyes, pointing a finger at me. ¡°That is why we are having this meeting.¡±

    I tried to stop my lips from curving upwards. Knowing things I wasn¡¯t supposed to was fun, so I couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Jeremy chuckled. ¡°Oh, no, no. Don¡¯t play coy with me, girl. We already know you can perceive emotions from the crystals. It¡¯s not a stretch to think you can also get information from them. Are you somehow taking the crystals from a secure room sealed in iron and guarded all day, or can you feel the ripples of the transmission?¡±

    I nodded, not too concerned with revealing the information. ¡°I can if I¡¯m close.¡±

    He steepled his hands together and leaned back in his chair, grinning. ¡°And getting information from crystals?.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more what people think and feel when they infuse them.¡±

    His grin widened. ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡±

    He opened a drawer to his side, and different concentrations of mana appeared in my senses. Crystals were pulled out and placed on the desk in front of me, four total.

    ¡°These are test samples done by different people on different topics. I don¡¯t need you to know how to tell what¡¯s in each, so if you can¡¯t tell, I¡¯d prefer you¡¯d say that.¡±

    I nodded and waited for him to gesture to the first one before picking it up. There was nothing to parse through except whoever infused this one was very anxious and kept thinking in dots and dashes.

    ¡°Anything?¡± Jeremy asked.

    ¡°They were scared while doing this. Someone was breathing down their neck during the infusion. Nothing much else.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°I was very nice to her, so I don¡¯t know why they¡¯d be scared. But that was infused by someone without knowledge of our ripple codes. So, makes sense why you didn¡¯t get the information out of it.¡±

    I set it down and picked up the second. There were a few brief images of faces, but nothing solid. ¡°Names?¡±

    ¡°Yes, made up names, so the infuser didn¡¯t know who they were.¡± He scribbled down something into a book with other writing that looked worse than witches¡¯ scrawl down the pages.

    The third was about the movement of a military group from a large settlement to a smaller one. Jeremy was the most interested in that and pressed me for more information on differentiating the settlements and type of military unit, but I didn¡¯t know.

    There was hardly any information in the crystals. It was akin to glancing at a sentence and knowing its meaning without reading each word. So, I went on to the fourth without a break.

    It was all numbers and a long enough string of them to give me a slight headache. Much to Jeremy¡¯s delight, I could recite every one of them since the person infusing the crystal had focused entirely on the numbers.

    ¡°About in line with what Morris and I expected, you can catch the overall meaning of messages based only on the operator''s understanding¡ªno specific names or details and not good with cracking cyphers. Knowing the actual numbers is a weird one.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°Well, knowing anything you do is weird. From what I¡¯ve been told, mages don¡¯t feel anything when they interact with a crystal. Usually, we have to place them into a translator that uses light to show off different combinations of frequency and length of the ripples to spell out words.¡±

    He started reading through his notes and was absorbed in his writings, tapping the pencil against his temple. I snaffled away a little potted plant sitting on the edge of his desk. It was slightly awkward to fit in my dress pocket. He looked back up before I could decide to take the little wooden bird figurine instead.

    ¡°Would you be willing to help me out on a little project?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    He stood up and started to pace, and I folded my legs to better block the plant. ¡°Every duchy and foreign country has their own encryption. Meaning operators have both the lock and key for the information they¡¯re transferring. For ours, at the start of every week, we send out a message signalling the page number of a certain cypher we will be using for the week.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Like the one you gave me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it''s much more complicated. So, when we intercept messages not using our own cypher, it can take us weeks, if at all, to understand the true message. By the time we do, they¡¯ve switched their lock and key for the next. We can still find some information but it''s old by the time we do and the real good stuff is better protected. All this isn¡¯t our design, and we¡¯re actually far behind in the information game.¡±

    I nodded along, stopping myself from asking where I could help.

    ¡°But,¡± he had a maniacal grin spread across his face. ¡°If we have someone get an original receiver crystal and let us know the meaning behind the message, we could break the cypher that very day. Meaning we have the rest of the messages as well.

    ¡°So, in a few days, a crystal is coming down from our listening post in Riker¡¯s Bay. We intercept one of the Oclaran relays there and the city-states that are closer to the Narrow Sea. Will you be willing to work with us and help break the cyphers?¡±

    There was a pit in my stomach from just thinking of asking the question, but I convinced myself to say the words anyway. ¡°Will you pay me?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Yes, we can pay you. We would also like this, and the information you gain, kept secret. And will compensate you for that as well.¡±

    I was already considering returning to the library to get more books and needed a way to sustain myself besides spending all of my reward. So, I was proud of myself for asking despite my apprehension.

    A knock at the door sounded, and one of the uniformed staffers came in with a folded paper pinched between her fingers. She glanced at me, and I put on a smile full of innocence as she walked around to Jeremy, hopefully without seeing the lump in my pocket.

    He read it and looked up at me. ¡°Thank you for coming to find me, Valeria. I¡¯ll let you know when the crystal arrives and draw up a document for your payment.¡±

    ¡°Good night,¡± I said, taking that as a dismissal. I stuck my hands in my pockets as I stood up and swished my dress while leaving.

    The small plant looked nice on my nightstand after I returned all the dirt to it that had spilt into my pockets. Its many long leaves flopped outwards and drooped down onto the wood, and I gave it some water before heading to bed.

    ¡­

    I needed to get myself a watch and learn how to use it since I had no idea how long I had left till I needed to be up and at the training grounds. First light was the only measurement I knew, and that was only used in consideration for those coming from outside the palace at a time before the bells started.

    Giving up on the idea of sleeping more, I changed into my exercise clothes. I opened the balcony doors to get out quicker and shivered as cold air rushed in. Each morning was getting colder, and I appreciated having an intact wall to protect me from it and the eventual snowfall.

    It was a smoother descent with the vines this time since I could get three of them to work with me, which was enough to support my weight¡ªsomething Janette was happy I was gaining. The only things stopping me from jumping out and trying to catch myself with air were cowardice and a healthy respect for heights.

    I pooled water into my cupped hands to splash against my face to help wake me up. My hair was pulled back as usual, but it felt a bit lopsided this morning as it swayed behind me on the way down the path.

    The knight stationed at the closed inner gate had their head bent against their chest. He perked up when I got close enough to sense.

    ¡°Morning, do you have the time till sunrise?¡± I asked.

    He pushed back a sleeve and looked to his wrist. ¡°Should be less than an hour, ma¡¯am.¡±

    I thanked him and walked under the half-open portcullis he had opened for me, trusting the iron spikes would not crush me.

    All the concentrations of mana in the bastion were still, even the one behind it. I walked back to find Instructor Daniels in an impeccably straight uniform, baret perched on his bald head, and moustache combed. He starred out at the training grounds bathed in harsh white light with his hands clasped behind his back.

    He should have noticed me coming since the gate, but he didn¡¯t budge even as I got closer.

    ¡°Do you know where all the aspirants and knights I¡¯ve trained have gone, Twig?¡±

    I stopped next to him and looked out over the training rounds, trying to find what had his attention. ¡°No, sir?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve dropped out, gone to the watch, or military. Become instructors at schools elsewhere, even Equitier. They¡¯ve made it to captain, and others left to start families. A few even retired, but don¡¯t try guess my age from that.

    ¡°Now, they may not make it there. The continent has healed from the unrest of the past, and that generation is no longer around to tell their horror stories. The rems rely on us to guard our borders from their brazen attempts at forcing their way further into the capital. I worry, whether to ghouls or foreigners, I might lose my first trainee.¡±

    ¡°Are ghouls that bad, sir?¡± Fighting against other mages could easily go wrong, but usually the only thing people commented on regarding ghouls was their horrid appearance, not danger.

    ¡°Oh a farmer¡¯s kid could take one on with a rake if they had their wits about them. A village in the daylight could beat back a few dozen. I¡¯m talking about a flood of them getting out and not having enough bodies, arrows, or mana to stop them.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a wall? Why would they get let out?¡±

    ¡°Pretend you¡¯re a greedy bastard for a moment, and there¡¯s this great big prize in front of you. Do you clamber over the obstacles and face your battles head-on, or divert them for someone else to deal with? The consequences be damned.¡±

    ¡°Someone else?¡±

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a smart one,¡± he said and placed a hand on my head. ¡°Hopefully smart enough to take my words as a warning and not become a knight. Or do, I won''t say no to another body."

    He led me over to the empty weapon racks, and a spike of fear filled my heart. I¡¯d forgotten to call him ¡®sir.¡¯ His face was impassive, so I hope he hadn¡¯t realised it in the gloomy conversation.

    I could understand why he¡¯d be worried about his trainees and knights since I was starting to worry for Annalise and Sam after what he¡¯d said, maybe even Alisa.

    I flinched as a piece of leather came flying at me and managed to latch into it before it smacked into me. I turned it over in the light and looked to Instructor Daniels when I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was.

    ¡°Put it on,¡± he said and pulled his own glove on.

    It was half a glove, covering only the thumb, my pointer, and half my middle finger. I¡¯d seen knights doing archery wear gloves with the middle three fingers covered, so silly gloves must have been mandatory.

    The unstrung bows lying on the ground were different from the long, curved pieces of wood of the longbows. These were shorter, with an inward dent made of metal where the hand went and a wooden flick at the ends where the string tied.

    ¡°These are recurve bows, better for your use. We import them from the West, where mounted archery is more popular since not many people in Werl can make them well enough to last. I got ahead of myself suggesting mounted archery yesterday, so I wanted to temper your expectations about doing that anytime this year or next.¡±

    I nodded, not having any expectations for talent in this area. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have many of these, so first, you¡¯ll learn how to string it, unstring it, and care for it.¡±

    He gave me a leather strap with a fibre thread between it and another thread with loops at the end. Instructor Daniels¡¯ bow was the same as mine but larger and full of mana. He strung it without the assistance I was going to need.

    ¡°Place the string loops around each end. No, further in. Then, the leather strap around one end and onto the other side. Now, stand on the leather ones'' string to pull the bow taut and slide the bowstring loops into the groove.¡±

    I was glad mine was smaller and looked easier to pull back since I struggled with lifting using one hand while the other slid the string into place.

    He made me undo it and then string it by myself without instruction and showed me how to polish the aluminium and oil the wood.

    I placed one hand on the cold metal, used the other to grip the taut string with my leather-covered thumb, and wrapped my pointer around it. I wanted to pull at the fibres in the string and the wood of the bow to draw it, but it felt like trying to lift myself up by my feet.

    I was drawing an empty bowstring back and slowly releasing it till the mage lights went off and people were starting to walk into the training grounds for the usual drills. My arms were sore from the effort, and I hadn¡¯t even gotten to shoot off one of the blunted wooden arrows.

    My near annoyance turned to embarrassment when he handed me one of the arrows, and I dropped it while trying to knock it. The body of the arrow was supposed to lean against the back of the knuckle of my thumb, but it spent more time on the ground.

    I had a whole quiver of arrows at my waist to try with, but I was doing too many new things at once. He wanted me to concentrate on my stance, hand positions, breathing, and drawing the arrow from the quiver simultaneously.

    Getting the arrow to sit still felt like trying to convince a snake to straighten out while you held its tail. I didn¡¯t think I was supposed to use mana, but I did and finally got the notch to sit inside the string and arrow to sit still against my knuckle. The instructor nodded, and I drew back the string with glove-covered fingers just enough to send the arrow into the target a few paces away from us.

    I almost dropped the bow when the fletching scraped against my hand and decided I wanted another leather glove for it next time. He had me loosely draw the bow and send arrows into the fabric-covered hay over and over, adjusting where my elbow sat, the positioning of my feet, where I pulled the string to, and all manner of little movements.

    People were starting to stretch as morning light overtook the sky. He had me unstring both bows and collect all the arrows we had shot. A lot were sitting on the ground or hanging limply from the target.

    I floated the ones on the ground up to me while I pulled the others out.

    ¡°Neat trick, Twig.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Think you could do that consistently while shooting at a target?¡±

    ¡°Maybe with practice? Sir.¡±

    ¡°Good answer, go join the others.¡±

    Most everyone was there, and I smiled at Sam as I went to stand by him and our group. Clair and Isaac were helping each other stretch, so I got to avoid any detriments to my good mood.

    ¡°Okay, only running and weapons training today. Take two laps, except for Twig, who''s going to take three for improper address.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I mumbled with the rest as they chuckled at my expense.

    "That''s three for all of you now."

    "Yes, sir."

 Chapter 35

    As soon as Clair opened her mouth on our third lap through the woods, I wanted to preemptively shift the ground beneath her feet.

    But, on the off chance she wasn''t about to say anything about me for getting us a third lap, I held my mana.

    ¡°I think most of us grow up using honorifics with every adult we know,¡± Clair said, and I was jealous she didn¡¯t sound out of breath. ¡°What kind of privileged childhood do you have to have to forget to say ¡®sir¡¯ to a damn instructor. Or, does him liking you not even matter?¡±

    ¡°Clair,¡± Sam said. ¡°Valeria is new to all this. She¡¯s from¡ª¡±

    A yell cut him off from finishing that thought. The three of us still on our feet slowed our jog to turn back towards Clair, who was picking herself up off the ground. I didn¡¯t know why she glared at me as if I could make the root she¡¯d run over rise up.

    She spat on the ground to get rid of the dirt in her mouth and tied together a spell to heal the skin on her grazed palms. It failed and dissipated at the last knot, much to her frustration.

    ¡°You were one of the people laughing,¡± I said and wanted to duck behind the nearest tree after I did. ¡°I could be out here by myself.¡±

    ¡°Well said,¡± Isaac said with a clap of his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s put this mess behind us now, right? You said something, she said something. Everyone¡¯s even.¡±

    Clair lunged towards me, and I backed up a step without thinking. She stopped after the single movement and smiled sweetly. ¡°Glad you can finally speak up for yourself.¡±

    I gave her a lot of room as she moved past to start jogging again. My heart was already racing, my arms shook, and worry ate at me. I couldn¡¯t take another confrontation.

    We ran after her, yet the rest of the lap was a blur to me. It had been petty to trip her, and in the end, it only angered her more.

    Any pleasure I had derived from getting back at her was washed away with anxiety for what it would cost me later if she figured out it was me.

    The knights were practising close-quarters fighting and building infiltration across from us in an empty home of the staff village. So, we had the whole training ground to ourselves. Faraya was with them, along with the other captains, so we had Instructor Daniels¡¯ undivided attention.

    ¡°Samuel, do you know what annoys me the most about you kids?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Umm, not calling you ¡®sir,¡¯ sir?¡± he said with a glance at me.

    ¡°Good guess, considering the extra lap. What about you, Munroe?¡±

    ¡°Not using the weapons you want us to, sir?¡± said a boy with a greatsword.

    ¡°I was going to say something else but that does annoy me. Pair up, you¡¯re going to be using the weapon of the other and get some versatility beaten into you by your peers.¡±

    I was intercepted on my way to Sam by Isaac, who spun me around by the shoulders and marched me towards Clair, preventing me from learning how to twirl a spear around.

    ¡°You two are pairing so you can deal with this little spat. I don¡¯t want to listen to Clair whine anymore, and you sitting there and taking it frustrates me,¡± he said within earshot of the girl. ¡°Clair, this is Valeria. She¡¯s a little quiet and doesn¡¯t have the physical fitness required for this training, but that¡¯s okay cause she¡¯s trying. Valeria, this is Clair. She opened her loud mouth a few too many times cause she wanted to ride the horses and is too stubborn to walk back her comments.¡±

    ¡°Now, make friends,¡± he said and left to Sam.

    Clair was pulling her neck to the side and looked as happy as I felt. Her face twisted into a scowl that twitched on her face until it turned to a neutral expression.

    ¡°The oaf might have a point that you didn¡¯t make us lose. But you still don¡¯t belong here, taking up a space for someone deserving. I got recommendations, went through tryouts and tournaments, and spent my whole summer here training before work. Just for you to show up from the palace and get all the accommodation and care of a delicate flower.¡±

    I stopped myself from wilting under her glare and leaving right then. ¡°Would someone else be here if I left?¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond and moved on to touching her toes.

    ¡°I doubt you know which end of a weapon to point at someone, so it¡¯s only my choice left, grappling.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use a weapon?¡± I asked and followed her into the ring, dragging my heavy feet. I looked over to Instructor Daniels, busy with someone else and didn¡¯t think he¡¯d save me from this mess.

    ¡°Not all of us have rich parents to pay for years of training. Get on the ground; the only experience either of us could possibly get out if this is teaching you to break out of holds.¡±

    I knelt on the ground and let her stretch out my arm and lock her legs around my body. The first sign of her twisting it too far, and I was going to turn the ground over on us. ¡°You do know I just got to the palace?¡±

    ¡°Manafold mentioned that.¡± Clair pushed me to the ground with some amount of care. Her legs now went over my neck and stomach, with my arm being pulled between them. ¡°Poor thing, parents sent you over to try match with the duke¡¯s son, only to be ignored and have to settle for the second son of a chief.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I twisted my head to look at her, as much as the leg on my neck allowed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any parents, and I came here to work in the stables. Didn¡¯t even know the duke had a son till a few weeks ago since I¡¯ve lived in a forest all my life.¡±

    The growing tension in my arm and the weight on my neck and stomach lessened. She had been moments away from getting dirt in her mouth again. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Sam didn¡¯t tell you?¡± He talked to her a lot after each of her complaints, so it made sense to me that she¡¯d already know.

    ¡°No, he just said you¡¯re a guest of the duke, and I should be careful what I say to you. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± she said.

    ¡°How am I supposed to know I have to say any of that? I still don¡¯t know why it matters that I¡¯m here since you couldn¡¯t answer if someone would be able to take my place. I showed up, just to exercise, and you complained about me to Sam over and over. I didn¡¯t even do anything.¡±

    ¡°Are you two going to stop chatting?¡± Instructor Daniels said as he walked past. ¡°Show her how to get out of that hold and move on.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to show you if I¡¯m the one in the hold.¡±

    She got in a similar positon I was in and directed me where to put all my limbs. ¡°The point of this is to control the person¡¯s casting hand and point it away from you. If you control the elbow as well they can¡¯t roll away, like this.¡±

    She rotated out of the grip I had on her and demonstrated it again for me. Since she was being helpful, I told her my excuse for getting us the third lap.

    ¡°I forgot to call him ¡®sir¡¯ earlier because I¡¯ve only ever had to use the word ¡®mother¡¯ to refer to someone. But you can¡¯t even be mad at me for that cause you laughed.¡±

    Clair drew my arm around her neck and had me hold it there with my other hand. ¡°You said you didn''t have parents?¡±

    ¡°She died a few weeks ago,¡± I said, trying my best to prevent her from slipping out of my grip.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    We spent the following few arrangements in silence, except for curt instructions. Every time she put pressure on me, I tried to do it back. However, I ended up tapping out when we escalated it too far, beyond where I could hope to compete.

    Instructor Daniels didn¡¯t think I had anything valuable to teach Clair about recurve bows, so we spent double the time going through the grapple techniques I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever use.

    I pulled water from the air and splashed it over my face, then rinsed my mouth out. It had been my turn to eat dirt when Clair pinned my arms behind my back and sat on me. It wasn¡¯t as bad as I feared would happen when I¡¯d tripped her, though eating dirt was never enjoyable.

    Others did the same, and I noticed how difficult it looked for them to freecast. A few, like Sam, knew the proper spells, though they were in the minority.

    ¡°No practice tomorrow, but I still expect you to go through a routine on your own time. Mana exercises with Instructor Hays the days after that. She¡¯s come a long way for this, so any disrespect and we do nothing but laps for the rest of the fall.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re both still alive,¡± Isaac said when we regrouped.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Clair said and whacked Sam on the shoulder. ¡°You never told me she was an orphan.¡±

    ¡°Ow? Why would that matter?¡±

    ¡°I have to get ready for the bakery to open. Leave me alone.¡±

    Isaac looked happy with himself and clapped Sam on the shoulder, trying to talk him into picking up the sword instead of the spear. I followed Clair around the corner of the bastion and found her waiting against the wall.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t like you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like turning my back to people who didn¡¯t like me, so I kept eye contact as I backed away. ¡°Okay.¡±

    She scowled. ¡°Being impassive just makes me not like you more.¡±

    I shrugged and turned around when I deemed myself out of harm''s way. No spell came at my back, and I glanced behind to see her heading to the outer gate.

    Faraya stood with her arms crossed as she watched five knights line up outside the building they were using to practise. I walked over to her as the lead with a shield tossed a light spell inside. The remnants of a bright flash exiting the door seared onto the back of my eyelids and took more than a few blinks to get it away.

    ¡°You get used to it,¡± Faraya said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how,¡± I said, rubbing my eyes as another spell was cast. ¡°Is there any point in me going to the mana training happening next week?¡±

    She opened her mouth to speak yet ended up looking away in thought. ¡°You don¡¯t have a mana reserve to grow, can¡¯t make mana threads, no spell formations to practice, so no. I don¡¯t think so. It would make you stand out, which we don¡¯t want, so I¡¯d go so far as to ask you not to go.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    She scoffed and lazily shooed me away.

    I walked away and turned to watch as another group entered the building. The lead knight threw a handful of iron spikes in before swinging into the doorway with an empty crossbow raised.

    The children of the village were gathered a safe distance away, peeking through gaps in their fingers whenever one of the flash spells might go off. Bailey, the aptly named shepherd dog that ran around the lower bailey, wove between them, getting hands combing through her thick fur.

    Haily wasn¡¯t anywhere on the way to my room, and I was glad there was no opportunity for any invitations for lunch or meetings. I showered, changed into my overalls, put a handful of silver and bronze in my pocket, and walked back out the door in short order.

    My eyes darted around the foyer on my way out the inner gate. I expected them to stop me on my way out of the castle, but it was the same guards I¡¯d brought lunch for, and there was no reason to stop me besides my thoughts. They stopped their inspections of the line of people waiting to get into the castle for a moment to say hello.

    My smile felt slightly strained as I talked with them, but it was quick.

    I retraced my steps from the other night and found myself at the intersection with the pub on the corner. According to the sign, it was still open for business in the morning. Besides the rough edges of a stupid idea, I didn''t know what I was doing, but breakfast sounded like a good start.

    One or two of the patrons looked like they¡¯d been in the same seats since the night before, while others were rubbing sleep from their eyes. Several wore overalls, and I felt like I fit right in with my outfit choice.

    I looked around while picking at my fingernails. Unlike the other places I had been to, there was no counter to order from.

    ¡°Sit anywhere you like, dearie,¡± a woman in an apron said, handing me a paper with a list of food and drink on it. She went off to an occupied table and took out a pencil and pad to write down what they pointed out on the sheet.

    I did as I was told and sat at the two-person table near where I was, and looked through the list. It had a lot of descriptive words next to food items that I didn¡¯t think deserved them.

    The barkeep came over in her ruffled brown blouse and white skirt covered mostly by the leather apron. ¡°Yes, dear?¡±

    ¡°Can I have this one? And black tea?¡± I pointed out the one with flatbread and only one kind of meat that I could push to the side.

    ¡°Any alterations?¡±

    ¡°Oh, can I not have the lamb?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll double up the fried veggies for you then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    I looked around the room to the group of construction workers scarfing down their plates as a bell went off in the distance. There was a table with people wearing military uniforms similar to those leading the formations, slowly sipping from teacups. A boy in white robes sat alone with a little folded sign reading ¡®cure 50 roe.¡¯

    One of the more haggard patrons went over to him, slapped a few coins down, and held out her arm.

    A healing spell slowly formed, dissipated, and formed again. The woman sighed in relief and snatched back one of the silvers before walking away.

    ¡°H-Hey, you can¡¯t do that.¡± He stood up but didn¡¯t approach the retreating woman. He looked over to the military table, and one stood up, but his friend dragged him back down.

    She turned and shrugged at him. ¡° Can¡¯t take back your mana, can you?¡±

    She didn¡¯t notice my leg stuck out behind her.

    I already felt terrible as she slowly crashed to the ground. The coin clattered to the wooden floor and rolled around in a circle before taking forever to settle down in the now-silent pub.

    The boy quickly walked over to pick it up and backed away from the woman who was sitting up. I was considering moving away and finding another table when she towered over me a moment later after realising the coin was gone.

    Her hand was on the back of my chair, and the other splayed out on the table next to me. ¡°You just cost me a sil, girly.¡±

    I leaned away, more from the smell of her breath than the growl in her voice.

    ¡°Brenda, get away from her, or I will start only serving you water. And you four, can¡¯t you put down your cups for a single moment and help?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± the military uniforms chorused. ¡°Can¡¯t arrest civvies,¡±

    I still had to endure many more breathy seconds before Bresda backed off and left out the door. Sending me teeth-bearing scowls all the way.

    ¡°Sorry about that, dear. Here¡¯s your tea.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I had been expecting a reprimand for tripping her, but for the second time today, I got away with it. The boy mouthing me a ¡®thank you¡¯ from his table. I nodded to him but kept my head down and stopped myself from looking at the others to find out if they saw.

    When my food arrived, I tore at the flatbread to pick up the greasy vegetables. My breakfast was more relaxed than many of the others rushing in and out. However, it got more and more busy as I finished up and I had a new problem, not knowing how to pay.

    I didn¡¯t have to panic for long because the same barkeep came over to take my plate and roe. I left three extra bronze coins like Haily had taken for the trouble I¡¯d caused and slipped out after asking where the closest market was.

    I wove between the crows formed of men, women, boys, and girls in different kinds of uniforms or casual clothing. Everyone moved together and across streets occupied by carriages without worry or much thought. I almost bumped into every other person and had people reading papers walking around me as I waited for the street to be clear of carriages the whole way up and down.

    The open square with a clocktower jutting out from one side was already covered in tents with tarps and cloth-covered tables displaying goods. Vendors loudly hawked their jewellery, pottery, bread with steam still wafting off it, baskets of veggies, pastries, and items I had no clue the use for.

    One jewellery vendor had a bracelet made of amber that scattered yellow light across their white tablecloth. I dug my nails into my arm until the urge to take it passed.

    There was a vendor selling masks and helmets. It surprised me that I found it before someone selling cloaks. There was less traffic in their area, so I could stand away and look at the painted pieces of wood depicting animals, overexpressive faces, and random messes of colours and glitter.

    Finding the vendor had been the first part of my idea that I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d accomplish. But now that I was standing in front of my goal, I didn¡¯t know what to do next.

    Walk through the street holding a mask and cloak and knock on their door? What was the point of a unique mask if the person who sold it to you saw your face? Was I going to put on the mask before meeting Fergie and the others, only to take it off?

    My plan was falling apart, and I moved on before someone bumped into me.

    My next idea was pretending to be a part of the benefactor¡¯s group they wanted to impress but that unravelled just as quickly.

    I did end up buying a hooded cloak with wool lining the inside that I saw a lot of women wearing. If for nothing else, it would keep me warm.

    I went back through the market and considered what to do. The easiest choice was to leave and forget everything about the gambling house, which I didn¡¯t want to do. Next was to tell Jeremy about everything and convince the duke to stop the fights¡ªdoubtful considering last night.

    The most worrying option I had been toying with was the one I wanted to do most: join the group and steal¡ªrescue¡ªthe animals.

    My next lap around the square found me near the jewellery vendor again, and I walked up to look at the bracelet. It reminded me of the doll¡¯s eyes, and I was relieved that I could look at them without cowering away and averting my gaze.

    ¡°Oh, look how well it matches, love,¡± the vendor said, holding it up to my eyes with wrists jingling with his own product. ¡°I¡¯ll knock it down to thirty-five roe, just for you.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like haggling, and it was a lower price than the paper next to it. Bronze change was tipped into my hand from the silver I paid, and he helped tie it onto my wrist. He tried to persuade me that I needed a matching ring, but I was adamant that I didn¡¯t and thanked him before being talked into more purcahses.

    While I twirled the bracelet around my wrist, the beginning of another idea came to me, and I started walking back to the abandoned building. It wasn¡¯t any better than the last few, but it was the simplest.

    After a few walks past it, I was confident only two people were inside, one mage and one not. The front street was too crowded to go up to the front door, so I walked about until I found the street that led to an alley between that row of buildings and another. It left a gap between them that had greenery growing between the cobblestones and broken furniture scattered around.

    Along the way, a tree let me borrow some bark that I slowly formed into the shape of my face. I smoothed out the inside and hollowed out slits to see from. I didn¡¯t have any string to hold it with, so I used mana to make it stay.

    No one else was in the area, so I slipped into my coat and pulled up the hood.

    I raised my fist to slam against the door, talked myself through what I was going to say, took a deep breath, and banged against the wood. The two inside slowly came down and stood still for so long that I worked up the courage to knock again.

    The mage came to unlock the door and cracked it open, scowling at me from the dim light. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked after taking in my appearance.

    All my planned wording turned to stuttering after I panicked about not creating any holes in my mask for my mouth. My voice came out mumbled since I¡¯d done such an excellent job of fitting the inside to the shape of my face, including my lips.

    ¡°Let¡¯s save the names for after we get me out of the¡­street.¡± The original quote was from a grouchy investigator trying to escape the rain, but I improvised.

    ¡°Yeah, no. Who, the fuck, are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Jay.¡± I hoped to know I wasn¡¯t about to admit to wanting to commit a crime to the wrong people.

    He opened the door fully, his palm facing up towards me. ¡°Are you hard of hearing under that?¡±

    I resorted to one of the ideas I had previously discarded since keeping it simple wasn¡¯t working. ¡°Your potential benefactor sent me to help with the gambling house.¡±

    We were about the same height, so he puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders to try to look down at me. When I didn¡¯t move, he poked his head out to check each way before stepping aside to let me in. It was what I had asked for, so despite my apprehension, I walked in to see his friend with a hand wrapped around the hilt of a kitchen knife.

    The mage stood behind me with his palm to my head. ¡°You¡¯re going to take off that mask and explain exactly why you would think something like that. How do you know about this place?¡±

    ¡°I just go where I¡¯m sent,¡± I said with what I hoped was a casual shrug. I was panicking underneath the mask, but since I¡¯d borrowed one line from a book character, it seemed okay to borrow more.

    ¡°Take a seat, fists clenched where I can see them,¡± he said, directing me to a stool the girl was placing upright.

    ¡°From your accent, I¡¯ll take it you¡¯re with the foreigner,¡± the girl said, stepping back from the stool.

    I sat with beads of sweat dripping down the back of my neck from having a knife so close to me. ¡°The one who would like nothing more than to support your cause? Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t appreciate spies coming into our buildings. That was one of yours last night? That¡¯s how you know about the vote, or did someone talk?¡± the mage asked.

    ¡°No one talked. They were one of ours.¡±

    ¡°What do we do?¡± he asked the girl behind me.

    ¡°Wait for Jay? Maybe even Fergie?¡±

    He pushed the door, which slammed shut and left us in gloomy darkness. ¡°Don¡¯t use names you¡ª¡±

    ¡°She already knows Jay. Fergie was also at the meeting.¡±

    He waved her off and paced across the room while I crossed my legs and tried to pull my cloak over to cover more of my overalls.

    ¡°Fine, we''ll wait.¡±

    ¡°Who said you had the final decision? That was my idea to begin with.¡±

    He ignored her and turned to me. ¡°What do we call you?¡±

    I¡¯d been concentrating on the knife wielder behind me and hadn¡¯t thought of a name beforehand, so I sat silently as I struggled for an answer. ¡°Twig?¡±

    I regretted it the moment the word came out of my mouth.

    ¡°Twig? There seems to be a theme here,¡± he said, looking at my mask. ¡°Well, this is Kim, and you can call me Burn.¡±

    A knife came tumbling over my shoulder and thunked into the wall behind Burn. ¡°What happened to no names, dipshit?¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what ¡®Kim¡¯ is short for,¡± he said, standing back up from where he¡¯d ducked. I¡¯d also flinched yet didn¡¯t think they were paying attention to me.

    ¡°Really? How many names shorten to it, huh, Bernard?¡±

    He pulled the knife from the wall and pointed it at her. ¡°Now you¡¯re just being an asshole.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯ll get Jay. You stay here and babysit.¡± She didn¡¯t mind the knife still pointed at her as she marched past and out the door, slamming it shut behind her with more force than last time.

    Bernard was now free to point it at me. ¡°I feel a single thread of mana formed¡­¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±

    We waited in silence while I tried to think of different phrases from all my murder mystery books and stitch them into a real person I could portray. Being myself wasn¡¯t an option since I didn¡¯t want to be here anymore and would have run away at the first opportunity.

    One of the villains from the murder in the train story was particularly enticing for the situation. She was described as wearing tight clothing, always lounging with her lithe legs crossed and puffing on a pipe pinched between red lips.

    I had almost one of those aspects down with my legs crossed, though I wasn¡¯t sure if anyone would call them ¡®lithe.¡¯ She didn¡¯t talk much except to give snippy responses, which I wasn¡¯t sure would play out too well for me. However, it was better than bumbling through a speech trying to appeal to their unknown fondness for animals.

    If Sam, Janette, and the duke didn¡¯t care, then they wouldn¡¯t.

    To stop myself from going down a route that could get a knife embedded in my chest I looked around the room instead. It was connected to the front showroom by an open archway so that I could watch blurry outlines of people walking past the display. ¡°How has no one found this place with so many mages walking past?¡±

    ¡°Well, our watch can¡¯t just bash down doors around here because they ¡®sense¡¯ something. They still do, but that¡¯s for the other districts. Over here, these buildings are owned by people who¡¯ll gut them in the chancery.¡±

    ¡°Fergie¡¯s mother?¡±

    He ignored me in favour of carving out something in the wooden wall. ¡°Among others. It¡¯s unfair, but we must use all our advantages if we want to fight back.¡±

    ¡°Against the watch?¡±

    ¡°Against a system that tells me my friend is worth less than me for not controlling mana.¡±

    ¡°Alister agrees with you on that?¡±

    He scoffed. ¡°We need the numbers. He has his uses.¡±

    I tracked the group of people rushing through the back alleyway towards us and hoped they¡¯d move past, the door banging open to crush that hope to bits. Being a mage, Jay didn¡¯t need to look around to see where I was. His scarf flopped about his neck as he stomped over.

    He barred his teeth at me as spit flew from his mouth. ¡°It was you! You were the one sneaking around last night.¡±

    His group, including Alister and Brigette, who were not in their kudu and owl masks, came in behind him. He reached for my mask; I raised my hand towards him and sent a blast of air an arm''s breadth away from his chest.

    Jay¡¯s legs lifted off the ground as the top half of his body flew back towards his group, who were already making way for his tumble outside the door. They took a second to look in stunned shock before a variety of makeshift weapons and bare palms were levied at me.

    If I tried to move too fast with my legs crossed on a stool that tipped from side to side depending on where I leant, I would have fallen down in a heap.

    So, I froze and hoped they would forget I was there if I stayed still.

    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Jay said, picking himself off the ground using the doorframe. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±

    Jay turned his palms away from me and nodded in my direction. ¡°I deserved that.¡±

    ¡°The fuck you did, that thing is intruding.¡±

    I stayed quiet to see if he¡¯d do all the talking for me. No one else was calming down since pointy metal and collections of mana were still aimed at me. To try to lower some tensions, I lowered my raised hand and tucked it back inside the folds of my cloak.

    ¡°Twig, right? You spend a lot of time in forests?¡± he asked, approaching me like a frightened mouse. I appreciated the slow movements since I was at least one of those things.

    ¡°I do¡ªdid.¡±

    Jay collected a three-legged chair and stood it up to sit in. He had to perch on the front lip since leaning backwards would have left him on the floor.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Are you hiding pointed ears under that hood?¡±

    It was now the second time someone had called me an elf, third if the treant counted, and I couldn¡¯t decide whether being one would be better for my current predicament or not. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Well, we appreciate the help offered to us. Right, everyone?¡± he asked to unenthused and confused faces. ¡° Can I ask how you knew? And why we¡¯re getting help at all?¡±.

    Alister closed the door and walked around me to look out the glass display in the front. He didn¡¯t react when we made eye contact, so I felt safe in the knowledge that he couldn¡¯t recognise me with the mask. The rest of the group found places to prop themselves up against while still tensing their hands on the grips of weapons.

    ¡°It was me yesterday, upstairs. I told them of your plan, and they think hitting the gambling house is a good step to invest in.¡±

    ¡°We can do this ourselves. We don¡¯t need a caretaker if that¡¯s what he thinks,¡± Brigette said.

    ¡°Shush,¡± Jay said. ¡°I got to the third year at Poitzers Academy before being forced out, so I know a thing or two more than the rest. Your mana was hidden yesterday, even to me. That spell was also hidden until the last moment. How are you doing that?¡±

    ¡°A trick.¡±

    ¡°One that you can share? We¡¯re always looking for teaching materials.¡±

    I shook my head.

    We had a long discussion on what I could do to help them, and for most, I didn¡¯t have an answer. His questions were starting to make me feel like this was a mistake and that I should just let them carry it out on their own.

    However, they didn¡¯t care about any of the creatures locked in cages. They were after the safes and roe strongboxes throughout the upper floors, not the basement. I had to go with them if I wanted anything to be done.

    Some wishful thinking wanted me to hope that a robbery would close them down and they¡¯d set all the animals free in the Red Forest, but that was doubtful at best.

    A bell in the distance interrupted his latest attempt to find out where I was from and who I worked for. I¡¯d mostly hinted at being good at getting into places I wasn¡¯t supposed to be in but refrained from giving examples like Tamil, the palace, and here.

    ¡°Fergie should be out of class about now,¡± Bernard said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jay said, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand. ¡°He gets paranoid with new people around. What do you think we do with this one?¡±

    I drew everyone''s attention by moving for the first time during the whole exchange. ¡°I¡¯m going to have lunch. Can I know when to come back for¡­planning and such?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Jay said and locked eyes with me. ¡°We¡¯re having a meeting tonight, and you¡¯re actually invited this time.¡±

    I simply nodded and made my way past him to the door Brigette was leaning against.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like her being here or letting her leave,¡± she said instead of moving. ¡°How do we know she won¡¯t sell us out.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Alister shouted from across the room. ¡°And how is she going to make us roe? Does this weird fuck and her boss want a cut?¡±

    Jay looked to me for an answer, and I shrugged. ¡°No cut.¡±

    ¡°Let them out. We¡¯ll see them again tonight.¡±

    Brigette lingered but pushed off the door, and I was in fresh air again. Yet I couldn¡¯t breathe deeply because of the mask. I pulled the hood further over my head to hang across my face as I shaped the mask into a long bangle to sit on my opposite arm from the amber bracelet.

    Someone was watching me from the roof as I exited the alley into a busy street. I didn¡¯t look back and walked away from the castle''s direction. My watcher lost sight of me as I crossed the street behind a new row of buildings, and I pulled off my cloak to drape over my arm.

    The hair on the back of my neck didn¡¯t stand on edge again, so I hoped I¡¯d been lost in the crowd. The place I¡¯d bought lunch from with Gram was around the corner, and I bought the lunch orders I remembered the knights standing guard wanted. In my daze of recalling the conversation with Jay, I almost forgot my own order.

    On my walk back, I tried to think about what I was trying to accomplish and if this really was the best way for it. The best answer I had was to ask Jeremy for help. He could, but would more likely get me put in chains before even thinking about it.

    The knights greatly appreciated the paper-wrapped rolls and paid me back despite my urgings not to. There was an ulterior motive to it all besides being friendly, which I felt guilty about. They¡¯d be less likely to ask me where I was if I came back displaying where I had just been.

    The way they checked every person as if they might be hostile made Jay seem too relaxed about a stranger being inside his meeting place with a mask on and vague promises of help. His first reaction made sense, but it was all weird after that.

    I almost didn¡¯t hear the horse-drawn carriage approaching me in time to step out of the pathway. The coach driver''s angry swearing and the horse''s annoyed whinnies convinced me to stop with the endless questions and doubt while I walked through the inner gate.

    Everything would be just fine.

    ¡­

    Caypa kept shuffling around above me while I tried to carve out a little statue of him. He didn¡¯t understand its importance to me. Admittedly, it wasn¡¯t, but he could still be a considerate bird and sit still.

    My newfound love for the art form was motivated by my want to breathe through my mask the next time I formed it, but making the statue look good enough for my nightstand was still a decent goal.

    I kept the guilt of having Haily bring my lunch out to the hammock again to myself and spared her from bringing another fish. Caypa was eyeing the colourful specimens swimming around in the pond below despite having picked through a carcass I didn¡¯t care to identify from his thoughts.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t impressed with the little groves I¡¯d made for the wings instead of making them spread out and detailing every feather.

    Just like when Linh had asked Sam and I about her drawing, it reminded me of Trissa. The sounds of Caypa, the wind through the remaining leaves, and the chatter of the palace died away. Replaced by the thumping of my heart and buzzing in my ears.

    She¡¯d like it here and appreciate it more than me.

    Sam dumping himself at the foot of my hammock shocked me out of my recollection. The wooden figure that had been thrown up in surprise came down to hit me in the stomach. He reached over to pick it up, and I scrambled to grab it from him.

    ¡°Give it back,¡± I said with a kick to his shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cute¡­what is it?¡± he asked with a grin I wanted to smack off his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Caypa.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    When I pointed to the bird in question, his eyes widened. In his effort to get up, he tipped the hammock over, and I was dumped onto the ground along with my figure while he pointed his palm up towards Caypa.

    ¡°You know what that thing is, right?¡± he said, not taking his eyes off the bird.

    I glared at him from my seat on the grass, not deigning to answer. They were saved from each other when other vultures flew overhead, and Caypa flew off to join them in the pursuit of food one of them had seen.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said, offering me the same hand he¡¯d pointed at my friend. I took it and tried to pull him down with me but ended up just pulling myself up.

    ¡°Did you speak to Remee?¡± I lay back down and refused to move my feet so he could sit again, but I had to move them since he didn¡¯t care and tried to sit on them regardless.

    ¡°I did¡­or tried to. I doubt it¡¯s a different Fergie since he said to keep it quiet and that he and the others are just blowing off steam for a moment. No one¡¯s been hurt, and the damages are minor and covered by the bank.¡±

    A broken window didn¡¯t sound minor to me. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he involved then? Would you?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± he said quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t have reason to. According to Dad, no one has reason to. There are jobs available for everyone that would cover food and shelter, so anyone committing crime is just doing it cause they¡¯re rotten people and want what others have. I actually had some respect for Fergie before all this.¡±

    That sounded an awful lot like what people would say about snakes. They¡¯re scary creatures because they bite people despite them not wanting to bite anyone at all. The analogy might not have been the best since I didn¡¯t like Alister for the same reason Sam mentioned, but the others didn¡¯t seem so bad. I wondered if he''d consider me rotten for not wanting to vividly recall the pain of a drawn-out fight whenever I walked down a certain street. Maybe he''d care more if there was a law against keeping animals in cages just big enough to contain them.

    ¡°I¡¯d say we stay away from anything to do with them for a while,¡± he said. ¡°Sadly, that means less dancing.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    ¡­

    I¡¯d left the castle with the other support staff for the chiefs before the gates closed. Leaving alone would be too memorable, and I didn¡¯t want to be asked where I was going. I planned to return before midnight and hoped the knights on duty didn¡¯t ask too many questions besides my name.

    The hood of my cloak was pulled back as I walked around the surrounding streets away from the meeting point. It was interesting to see the difference in people¡¯s steps and attire on their way home: collars were loosened with ties undone, blouses were wrinkled, and pants had lost their creases. People looked more relaxed and less likely to scream at a passerby for getting in their way.

    The next two days saw most places closed as they were the tenth and first days of the week, with the fifth being a half-day. I didn¡¯t know if the towns and villages also followed that, but I thought it was nice everyone got a break.

    Once the sun had set and the streets got quiet, with only a few groups walking together to the pubs or a lone person getting home late, I pulled up my hood and turned my bangle back into a mask with breathing room this time.

    Someone was sitting atop the first building at the alley''s entrance. I couldn¡¯t see them in the darkness, but they were near the chimney jutting out of the slanted tiles. They didn¡¯t see me either, nor sense me.

    I¡¯d moved my necklace to sit against my skin and drawn out the mana at the first notice of a mage being much higher than they should be. The next person keeping watch near the door wouldn¡¯t have any problem seeing me if I walked in, so I stopped and climbed up a property a few doors down.

    As I reached the second floor and started making my way across, I considered that this was a bit much and that I should have just gone through the door like a normal person. The locked windows and my aching fingers made me confident that would have been the better decision.

    The wooden latch was easy enough to tilt away once I¡¯d spent agonising seconds trying to differentiate it from all the other wood.

    Everyone inside was waiting downstairs except a few watching from the roof. I thought there might be more people than this morning, but I couldn¡¯t be sure with them all clumped together.

    I strained my arm to push open the window while the other clung to the indent I¡¯d made. The person below didn¡¯t hear it open or my quiet tumble inside.

    I remembered to shut it this time before heading downstairs and waiting at the last landing.

    ¡°¡ªwhy do you think you can make this kind of decision without me? I have the most to lose out of all of us,¡± Fergie said.

    ¡°I assure you, out of all of us, you¡¯ll get the most lenient sentence if we get caught. So relax,¡± Jay said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, and you know it. You already got kicked out. I still have my time.¡±

    ¡°Then we better not get caught.¡±

    I made my way down the stairs to stand at the entrance to the showroom and put some mana back into the crystal. ¡°Hello.¡±

    There were a few scrapes of chair legs and a gasp from the person closest to me. The non-mages didn¡¯t care as much and simply turned.

    ¡°I told you she could be useful,¡± Jay said to a stunned Fergie. ¡°Ali, go get the idiots who didn¡¯t tell me she was here.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡±

    ¡°Take the mask off,¡± Fergie said. ¡°None of us are wearing ours, and if you¡¯re going to join us, you have to show some trust.¡±

    ¡°Make me,¡± I said, hoping no one would.

    ¡°Relax, Fergs,¡± Jay said, slinging his arm around the boy so he couldn''t approach me. ¡°Twig is going to show some trust by breaking into Clem¡¯s for us. Right, Twig?¡±

 Chapter 37

    We kept off the street as a group of mages in overalls made it rain across the cobblestones while a group behind them swept the wastewater into drains off to the side. They didn¡¯t even glance our way.

    I was starting to understand that most mages not trained as knights didn¡¯t care to or couldn¡¯t sense others from afar.

    The entire time I was being led out of the store and through the streets towards Clem¡¯s, I was trying to come up with a good enough reason why I shouldn¡¯t do it. I could say I didn¡¯t want to, but I doubted they¡¯d accept that.

    They made my job sound so simple. All I needed to do was get inside using a small metal stick with a hook at the end, a lockpick, and take an item of clothing. It was all to test if I could really help by getting through the basic enchantments at Clem¡¯s

    We reached one side of the street while a watch patrol crossed the opposite entrance, a dim mage light floating above them.

    ¡°Only one of us needs to look,¡± Bridgette hissed at Alister, who was trying to poke his head out around hers.

    ¡°They¡¯ll see that large forehead before anything else if we let you do it,¡± he said.

    Not many people lived on the main shopping street, with the floors above being storage and other stores rather than homes. Lamps with the characteristic white light were along the street, but no one watched us as we moved into it.

    They pulled out their masks and donned them before we entered. Some were more creepy than others, with depictions of skulls and too-wide smiles with serrated teeth. Jay¡¯s was a lion or griffon¡ªit was hard to tell with only the face to go by¡ªand Fergie''s was a basilisk, which was very different from a snake, according to him.

    Clem¡¯s neighbour had a new window in already that still had smudges of fingerprints all over the edges of the glass. Everyone had backed away from me as I walked to the door of my target.

    It had a cleaner-looking version of the lock from the hotel in Tamil and a smaller gold plate at the top of the handle like the one at the castle gate. I placed a thumb onto the plate and felt nothing beyond a small thread of mana leading into the door with iron blocking the end.

    When I infused some mana into it, the iron moved away, and I could feel the length of gold all around the door and window with a crystal attached to it. I tried to take the mana back, but the iron returned to stop the flow. I tried again with the same result.

    Placing the lockpick into the keyhole sent a tingle up my arm as it crossed into the enchantment that was protecting the entire side of the building. I didn¡¯t have the first clue what to do and kept getting the hook caught on the lock''s inner workings.

    ¡°Uh, how are you doing that?¡± Alister asked over my shoulder.

    ¡°Doing what?¡± I turned to him, and he flinched away from me.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch me while you have something in the enchantment field. You should be down on the ground by now. Not¡­this.¡±

    The boy was grabbed by the back of the collar and yanked away from me by Fergie. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him.¡±

    Jay also walked up while keeping an arm¡¯s distance away from me. ¡°Do you know how to use that?¡±

    It took a few wiggles to get it out again. ¡°No.¡±

    Jay took back the lockpick now that I wasn¡¯t touching the door anymore. ¡°If you turn off the enchantment, I can get the lock. No more hazing attempts from us, promise.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what the word meant, but I placed my thumb back on the gold plate and tried the same sequence that the knight used for the gate enchantment.

    Nothing happened, so I tried a few more times with different variations.

    More mana made the field grow more prominent to my senses.

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to infuse it,¡± Jay said, glancing at either side of the street.

    I kept going, and the enchantment strengthened to the point of bursting. It spun around the gold inlay, feeding the strength of the field and the tingle in my arm. I hadn¡¯t thought the idea through and now didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near the aftermath of what I created.

    Something snapped, and the field fell apart to wash over us. The other mages in the group retreated back and started to run. Those without mana saw their friends and followed suit. Jay stayed with me and stared at a spot above the door. I followed his gaze to find a small drop of molten gold dripping down the door, leaving behind a sizzling trail of burnt wood.

    A whistle like the one Martin taught me back in Kiteer sounded from one side of the street. The watch group from before had returned and were running towards us.

    ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fucking move, you brats.¡± ¡°Call for reinforcements.¡±

    A ripple went out from one of the mages in the back of the group to request support. Jay still didn¡¯t want to touch me while I held the handle despite the field dissipating, but he waved a hand in my face to get my attention.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Us and Alister were the only ones left, the latter looking more excited to fight than run, judging by the spell forming in his hand.

    Running in a cloak wasn¡¯t that easy, especially with the overalls underneath. The stiff fabric and suffocating layer of wool over that kept my limbs from stretching out as far as they could. The cloak fluttered behind me as we ran around the corner, another mage light approaching us from the opposite turn.

    The arm I¡¯d used for the panel was starting to throb with pain all the way to my shoulder, and I could already picture the bruise I¡¯d have tomorrow morning. Whether I¡¯d spend that morning on the streets, in a cell, or my bed was entirely up to whether the now three watch groups surrounding us would catch up.

    Alister threw a mana arrow behind us that was blocked by the flash of a hazy shield. The twang of crossbows went off, and arrows with flat wooden heads clattered to the cobble beside us.

    There was less shouting now that we were in a more populated area, but the occasional request to stop, along with more arrows, was still thrown our way.

    Jay and Alister suddenly turned down an alley I wasn¡¯t prepared for, so I had to carry on or stop and backtrack. Which was not a good idea since most of the group chasing us was already peeling off to go after them.

    I was glad to no longer be around the one throwing spells at the watch.

    Three kept on after me, two of them being mages unfairly pushing mana into their limbs and catching up to me.

    I didn¡¯t recognise where I was and chose directions based on whether the watch occupied the next street or not. I just needed somewhere I could get to without them watching so I could take the mana from my necklace and duck behind the nearest outcropping.

    Area spells meant to slow things down were thrown out ahead of me but didn¡¯t take. A spell to raise a wall started tying together but was slapped away by the other mage, along with angry shouts about ruining the street.

    I wanted to throw some magic back at them. However, if I got away, I didn¡¯t want to find Jeremy knocking on my door asking why someone with the same special casting ability as me was running away from watch officers.

    And, at that moment I really hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. The enchantment might be broken, but the gold was still there if only a little melted. I was sure the repair could be paid for by the change jingling in my pockets.

    The one trailing behind loosed a bolt at me, and in my commitment to not standing out, I didn¡¯t throw it back at them.

    The next street I ran into led to a lively intersection with people gathered throughout. The spells and bolts stopped flying as we fast approached the lively crowd.

    The few that noticed shielded their drinks with their bodies as they tried to move out of the way. I wove between them and tried my best not to bump into anyone. From the shouts going on behind me, it sounded like the officers hadn¡¯t managed that.

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    I didn¡¯t care which of the three other streets I ended up on during my escapade through all the bodies. The next stretch of cobblestone was people-free, and I sprinted with the last bit of strength my legs had. There was no one behind me as I ducked into a side street and sucked the mana from my necklace.

    My breaths were as deep as possible without alerting everyone around me where I was. The hood had slightly gone back with all the air running through it, but I took the whole thing off and crushed my mask to splinters like a chickadee¡¯s acorn.

    I tried to wipe the smile from my face along with the sweat while peaking around the corner.

    The watch was nowhere to be seen inside the crowd, so I folded the cloak and cradled it in my arms while walking away. I still kept to the shadows and often threw looks over my shoulder while I aimlessly walked about. The castle walls still weren¡¯t in sight, and the district looked more residential with fewer glass displays and more stretches of grass around.

    There was a park to one side of me that I was debating moving into. It would be better to hide with all the bushes and trees. I could even sleep inside one or the other for the night.

    Before I could, the same group of three officers entered the street behind me. They signalled to another group that they had found someone suspicious and to cut off the far entrance.

    Now that I¡¯d been found and while they were still more than fifty yards away. I slowly crept mana in my necklace up to a point that would never be confused with the cloaked person they were chasing.

    Without moving my head, I looked for places to run or at least throw the cloak to hide it away from them and talk my way out. The signalled group appeared at the far end, and my final choice was to run into the park on my side.

    A door banged open and almost hit me. A high-pitched whistle came from an older man who stepped out with grey hair combed neatly to one side. He wore a loose button-up sleeping shirt with matching light blue pants.

    ¡°Sweeka, come here, girl,¡± he said softly, whistling again.

    A window opened on the top floor of his neighbour''s building, and a woman¡¯s head leaned out. ¡°Shut up, Yis, you curmudgeon. If you stopped letting that pest out so late, you wouldn¡¯t have to wake my kids in the middle of the night.¡±

    She got a rude hand gesture in return. ¡°It¡¯s hardly midnight, and your loud mouth is doing more damage.¡±

    He looked at me, knowing exactly where I had been standing beside him. His eyes searched my face before looking behind me and then at the other watch group.

    A blur of jade fur dashed into the open door.

    ¡°You want to join her,¡± he said in a slow, dignified voice. It almost sounded like an order, and I wanted to follow it.

    I nodded without much thought, and he placed his arm around my shoulders to lead me inside. From the corner of my eye, I saw the group of three start to back away, a ripple going out that they had the wrong person.

    The hallway past the door was warmly lit, with shoes neatly stacked atop a wire frame and jackets hung on a rack above. I added my boots to an empty space and tucked my cloak into the others before stepping onto the carpet.

    ¡°Go sit in there, you miscreant. Don¡¯t feel too bad if Sweeka doesn¡¯t let you pet her.¡±

    When he came to join me in the sitting room, the ball of stripped black and jade fur was lying in my lap on her back, her leg shaking in the air. Her short antlers, which branched off a couple of times, scratched against the suede sofa while her long tail swished back and forth, changing the look of the material below.

    The rest of the room was lit by a fireplace, which had a stone step separating it from the rest of the room. The mantle above it had a few lightgraph pictures, but I couldn¡¯t make out the particulars in the black-and-white renditions from where I sat. A curved sword and long bow hung above, along with showcases of medals and berets.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something. Sweeka, come here.¡±

    He set down a teacup next to me on the table between us and his own worn leather chair that rocked back as he sat. I stopped digging into the spot on her neck long enough for her to get her thoughts back and decide to stay with me.

    ¡°Traitor,¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°What is she?¡± I asked

    ¡°I think the elves call the muntjacs,¡± he said, sipping his tea.

    I replaced the hand scritching her neck so I could lean forward and pick up my cup. ¡°Where did you find her?¡±

    He reached back to grab one of the pictures off the mantle and handed it to me. I squinted at the fuzzy figures with trees so large only the edges of two fit behind them. A few of them were definitely wearing berets, with the elves being slightly taller. ¡°It was a gift after we went to help handle an infestation of horntails the Oclarans pushed into their forest.¡±

    If there was one spell I wished I was able to use it was the one used to make these. ¡°You were a knight?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Now,¡±¡ªhe stood and plucked the sword from its resting place and pointed it at me, or rather my arm¡ª¡°you tell me which useless layabout out there did that to you, don¡¯t care if they were your parent, and I¡¯ll hack their legs off.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh.¡± I moved my arm out from under Sweeka¡¯s head. The beginning of the bruise was more horrid and angry-looking than my last few.

    I moved my nails up to the base of Sweeka¡¯s antlers since she wasn¡¯t happy with me moving her resting spot. ¡°I did that to myself.¡±

    He stopped pointing the blade at me and sat with it across his lap. ¡°Sure you did.¡±

    ¡°I can do it to my other arm right now to prove it.¡± I looked around for something to use magic on in case he did want me to do it. Sweeka suggested the wood flooring and the ground below, which she was always tempted to dig into but didn¡¯t because that got her treats taken away.

    He brought out a rag and oil to clean the blade to a shine I could see myself in. ¡°Well, just point out one of those blind shits chasing you outside. Always good to have an excuse to beat on them.¡±

    ¡°The knights don¡¯t like the watch that much?¡±

    ¡°You know how cowbirds raise their chicks?¡± he asked, and I shook my head. ¡°They don¡¯t. They lay their eggs in another¡¯s nest and make the poor shmuck raise their young until it forces the real ones out the nest.¡±

    At my blank look, he explained the attempted analogy to me. ¡°The watch is an Oclaran egg we¡¯ve raised. They don¡¯t resemble their mother anymore, but they¡¯re still a rouge entity capable of causing a fight for the nest amongst the young.¡±

    ¡°If everyone doesn¡¯t like them, why doesn¡¯t the duke get rid of them?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a Werl issue that was decided after The Fall; it needs a majority vote. Which they won¡¯t do since the watch has become the city¡¯s peacekeeping force.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like the duke can do very much at all,¡± I said, referring to the caged animals more than the watch. Even if he wanted to set them free, all the reasons he listed the other night would stop him.

    He waved the end of the sword at me. ¡°Now you¡¯re getting into dangerous territory with that language, young lady.¡±

    ¡°Val,¡± I said instead of asking him what he¡¯d do if Sweeka were the one in a cage. I imagined the answer would involve the hacking of limbs.

    ¡°Sure, Val. What happened to get you pursued by two patrols? Run away from home?¡±

    ¡°No, I was just¡­it was just bad timing.¡±

    He got up to place the sword back onto its mount and stretched out his back in the doorway. ¡°My daughters ran away from home a few times. If you really want to get back at your parents, you can sleep on the couch for the night. They¡¯ll be sick with worry come morning.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°That was supposed to make you reconsider being a brat to your poor parents,¡± he said, waving a hand to extinguish the fireplace. ¡°I swear daughters are the reason my hair greyed.¡±

    He threw a blanket at me before leaving that ended up smothering Sweeka. I freed her, and despite my wish for her to stay with me, she ran after her caretaker.

    I debated leaving since the watch was gone, but sleeping in until I could enter the open morning gate surrounded by others seemed like a better plan.

    ¡­

    Something was agitating the arm I¡¯d purposefully not slept on. Something with a rough tongue was licking my cheek. And something was making soft barks in my ear.

    I cracked an eye open to see Sweeka¡¯s big brown orbs staring at me and debated how mean it would be to dump water on her. I sat up and rubbed my eyes with one arm while the bruised one hung limply at my side.

    Everything was a little stiff as I made my way down the hall to my cloak and boots. Sweeka¡¯s antlers kept bumping into my legs as she wove between them, eager to go to the park and dig.

    Sadly, I had to explain to the sweet animal that I couldn¡¯t let her out. She was adamant Yis would be fine with it, but I didn¡¯t believe her. I wanted to let her do as she wished, but it was a crappy way to repay his kindness.

    Once my cloak and boots were on, and I¡¯d combed through my hair after getting a glance of it in a mirror, I shuffled out the door while blocking Sweeka from exiting.

    Sunrise must have happened a while ago, but the streets still weren¡¯t too crowded. The most daring of the children were already running through the park, up in the trees, or digging in the dirt.

    From Sweeka¡¯s thoughts, I waited for the door to open behind me, and Yis walked out as Sweeka dashed across to the nearest group. He looked at the bruise hidden underneath my cloak. ¡°Take care of yourself, and don¡¯t worry people too often.¡±

    I smiled despite nobody worrying about my whereabouts except possibly Haily. ¡°Thanks for the couch. Can I come visit Sweeka again?¡±

    He grumbled but nodded his head while shooing me away.

    I managed to find a street with a clear view of the tops of the castle turrets in the distance. It hadn¡¯t seemed like a long run last night, but I had been concentrating on my pursuers, their spells, and their blunt arrows.

    I wasn¡¯t too concerned about my cloak standing out as the same one used by the person who ran away from the watch since every fourth person had the same one in black.

    What was slightly concerning was the squad of mounted knights coming my way, their heads scanning the people going past. I consoled myself with the fact that there was no chance they were looking for me.

    ¡°Her?¡± one of them asked his captain when he saw me.

    The captain rode up beside where I had stopped walking. My racing pulse telling me to run.

    ¡°Are you Valeria?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir? Why?¡±

    A ripple went out saying they¡¯d found me intact. ¡°The Duke and Madam Riker were worried about you not returning last night. We were sent to bring you back.¡±

    He helped me up onto the back of his horse while I calmed down since I was not being hauled off by the watch. As we rode back, I admitted I might have misjudged that no one would have noticed my absence, let alone be worried about me not being there for the night.

 Chapter 38

    It wasn¡¯t the duke or Janette waiting for me at the palace entrance, but rather Annalise still in her travelling clothes and standing beside Missy. Haily appeared from behind the tired horse, giving off a brief sigh of relief before her eyebrows lowered and arms crossed in annoyance.

    ¡°The first thing I hear on my return is that you¡¯ve managed to escape, huh?¡± Annalise playfully taunted.

    ¡°I was just out for a walk, got lost, and¡­slept in a park,¡± I said, slipping off the knight¡¯s horse. ¡°Janette said I could go wherever.¡±

    ¡°My charge makes me bring her raw fish, and now she sleeps in the park,¡± Haily mumbled. When Annalise looked over at her, she dipped her head, apologised, and scurried back to the foyer, shaking her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is what Mum had in mind. I know you grew up in the forest, but parks may be more dangerous. You never know what people could do.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it again,¡± I said while planning how to get out of the castle next time. I wasn''t confident there would still be a next time since Jay and the others could be in bindings at that very moment.

    Annalise handed Missy off to one of the knights that had captured¡ªescorted¡ªme back to the palace. ¡°I was about to go looking for you as well.¡±

    ¡°Really? Is it that troubling that I was away for less than half a day?¡± I¡¯d been with Sam and had then seen Haily before I left, so it was only overnight I had been missing.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªI guess you wouldn¡¯t be familiar with curfews,¡± Annalise said as we went inside and up the stairs. ¡°It¡¯s normal for children to always be home before dark. My parents wanted to wait a few hours to send out a search, but Jeremy was adamant we had to go as soon as possible.¡±

    That made a lot more sense since Jeremey needed me for the crystal on its way here. I understood being under shelter for the night was important, and it was normal for me to be back at the cottage to make dinner, but Mother hadn¡¯t cared if I was there overnight. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    We were in the hallway to the meeting and dining room, but it was supposed to be a rest day, so I thought no one would be inside.

    ¡°I was meant to be giving a debrief before Yanla interrupted us with the news you weren¡¯t in your room,¡± she said, opening the door to a table full of stern faces turning to us. Mostly me.

    The duke was at the far head of the table with a space open beside him. Commander Faraya was in a casual flannel button-up next to Jeremy, who was in his usual suit. Besides those three, the two sides of the table looked to be in a stand-off with each other.

    The military side was dressed in dark green blazers decorated with ribbons and flowers frozen in time by enchantments. Their backs were straight against the wooden chairs, with crisply creased pants and polished shoes hiding underneath the table.

    The opposing side was stationed by a less congruent assortment of grey blazers and coloured tassels, or gambisons and metallic armour. The only similarity between the watch and military sides was that those closer to the duke looked older and had more decoration on their clothing or shine in their armour.

    ¡°Should I be here?¡± I whispered.

    Annalise gestured for me to sit at an empty spot near the end of the military¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s about Tamil, and you were the one to bring us the information in the first place.¡±

    She went to sit at the other end of the table near the empty spot near the duke.

    ¡°Nice to have you back with us, Valeria,¡± the duke said, wearing a smile.

    I leaned forward so I could see him around the larger bodies next to me. ¡°Uh, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do that again,¡± Jeremy added, wagging his finger at me in what I hoped was mock outrage.

    General Kyleps clapped his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s get started, please, I already heard from my liaison what happened, and my partner convinced my kids to drag me to visit the lake later.¡±

    ¡°Of course, general,¡± Annalise said. ¡°Myself, along with a combined party of Captain Leonarda, Captain Oteli, the 2nd staged in Kiteer, and an attachment from the Tactical Officer Corps made our way to Tamil. We surrounded the village and prepared for long-range attacks from the rogue elements barricaded inside.¡±

    ¡°You stuck my officers on perimeter duty while the rest of you went off chasing glory,¡± said a member of the watch closest to the duke.

    ¡°Rowak, your officers are accustomed to back alley mages who¡¯ve picked up a few torn spell book pages. These were potential foreign operatives. We included you as a courtesy; don¡¯t whine about the role.¡±

    ¡°Role? Without us, the army would have to deal with all the ungrateful inhabitants. Maybe then you¡¯ll give us the respect we deserve for keeping our streets clean of delinquents.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, I pass by a new broken window every week. That''s hardly clean, at least by military standards.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± the duke said, motioning for Annalise to continue.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t there,¡± she said. ¡°There were some upset villages, and a few were brought in for questioning. While they did have supremacist attitudes, they hadn¡¯t done anything illegal, so we had to let them go after. The head overseer, we know them as Zara, had already left along with his entourage. The trees started to decay the day after from a lack of mana infusion so we guess that they left a day or two prior.

    ¡°The 2nd is still over there, transitioning the town¡¯s living buildings into normal domiciles.¡±

    ¡°Any idea where they went?¡± the duke asked, looking to Jeremy instead of Annalise.

    ¡°Nope, they¡¯re in the wind as far as my sources are concerned.¡±

    ¡°How could we let this happen?¡± General Kylepo asked. ¡°I¡¯ll rephrase since the baron and Rowak decided to let this all play out. How did they get a transmitter into the country and use our services to receive correspondence back?¡±

    ¡°Are we sure they had that?¡± another general asked. ¡°There was no receiver when we arrived.¡±

    ¡°We have a first-hand source,¡± Jeremy said, his eyes flicked to me for a moment.

    ¡°We have to increase the military¡¯s allocation of roe from the mint, ramp up recruitment, and start issuing contracts for civilian crafters,¡± General Kylepo said. ¡°The situation in the east was worrying enough, but now we have the Oclarans skirmishing with the elves and testing us, on top of the rems getting more lax with the capital blockade every day.¡±

    ¡°And we have a rogue mage running around with a welding spell. Shop owners and enchanters have been sending people and dropping off letters at my offices all morning,¡± Rowak said. ¡°They melted through a military-grade enchantment on Clem¡¯s boutique last night. Can we start bashing down doors yet, or is this still not a good enough reason for you people?¡±

    I froze in my chair and reminded myself to breathe more to avoid attracting attention. They didn¡¯t think it was me, and that should be good news even if they were now talking about bashing down doors.

    ¡°I understand that this girl is a guest of the duke,¡± said the officer across from me. ¡°But should she be here for this?¡±

    I resented the women for making the rest of the table look over to me while still at the tail end of my panic. ¡°Uh, I can leave.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the first-hand source, so most of this isn¡¯t news to her,¡± the duke said and received an annoyed look from Jeremy.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s even more reason why she shouldn¡¯t be here while we discuss the veracity of her claims.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Jeremey said and didn''t bother elaborating further despite the glares.

    I raised my hand. ¡°Ah, she would like to leave anyway.¡±

    The duke nodded. ¡°Janette and I are happy you¡¯re alright. Though, we¡¯d prefer if you let someone know if you planned to stay outside the castle.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said over my shoulder, already out of my seat and escaping out the door. I stopped for a moment and thought about something the general had said earlier. ¡°Can I go to the lake? With Polem?¡±

    ¡°You may, as long as you agree to a request I have at dinner, which you¡¯ll be attending.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I galloped down the stairs, skipped across the foyer and bounded up the next set to my room.

    When I got inside and took off my cloak, I was reminded of the colourful state of my arms and was relieved that I hadn¡¯t taken it off in the meeting.

    The pain from the bruises was subtle and only flared up when poked and prodded. The thumb that had been in contact with the gold panel had a blister with blackened veins leading away from it.

    I jumped into the shower for a moment and changed into pants and a sweater, the first for sitting in a saddle and the second to cover the bruises. While watering the plant from Jeremy I thought about my little stash of items and fetched the key for the drawer.

    Now that I had money and a market, it could be believed that I bought the silver ring instead of liberating it from the clutches of foul ruffians. I tried it on my smallest finger, and it didn¡¯t fit.

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    I pushed it onto my middle finger and tilted my hand down. The ring easily slipped off and dropped down onto the carpet. Disappointed, I pulled out the drawer to toss it back inside and noticed the card for the blacksmith and leatherworking I had gotten during my first formal dinner party.

    Adjusting a ring made for sausage-like fingers to fit onto my dainty digits seemed like a job they could perform, and I stuffed both into my pockets, only realising they wouldn¡¯t be open for the next two days once I was already out the door.

    The stablehands prepared Polem for me after I talked him into the ride; it didn¡¯t take much after I mentioned the lake. Missy decided she was coming along as well despite a stablehand standing in her way with his arms splayed out.

    Polem didn¡¯t have any reins again and was unwavering in his commitment to never having a bite in his mouth ever again. I gave myself a boost up to him and hung onto the saddle as he started to move.

    Polem¡¯s hooves were clip-clopping along the drawbridge by the time I thought about how to get to the lake. It was so large I had just assumed I could pick either direction and trot over to it. However, the moat connected to it was blocked off by the compound walls where Sam and the chiefs lived on one side and a road that ended next to a barracks on the other.

    My trusty horse didn¡¯t like the idea of turning around on the bridge, so I shouted behind me to ask the knights for directions.

    Missy trailed behind us as I directed Polem to the gates of the manors guarded by a watch officer in a gatehouse. Having two war horses with me helped my credibility enough that he didn¡¯t try to stand in their way when Polem didn¡¯t bother slowing down.

    The pathway turned from cobble to red bricks without a single crack for weeds to grow into. The grassy edges that were usually overgrown everywhere else, especially near the moat, were trimmed with a well-defined edge around the path and the flower beds that dotted the garden area.

    A few mages tended to the different flowers, with regular people wielding tools following behind their large-scale work, just as they did with the palace gardens. Unlike the palace, there was a lack of trees and sky-scraping walls to block the sun. Most took a moment to straighten up from their work and tilt their big-brimmed hats upwards to watch me pass.

    I hoped the horses were more the spectacle than I was. ¡°Where can I get one of those hats?¡±

    The older gardener, who was going the opposite way to us, turned to walk with the horses and me. ¡°Have mine, little lady, but bring one yourself next time unless you want to end up looking like a wrinkly old codger.¡±

    The tightly woven straw hat sat loosely on my head, teetering with the movement of the horse below me. Every morning, it was becoming more difficult to convince myself to leave the warm embrace of my blankets than the last, yet the sun was still glaring down on us with all the strength of summer.

    I looked around, hoping to find Sam through a random window. I had no luck, but I did find Linh on the way out of the back gate, which led directly onto a small private dockyard. She sat on the pier, kicking her legs out while drawing a boat that floated directly in the glimmering line created by the sun on the lake. I worried for her toes, which sometimes skimmed the water, creating ripples that attracted the fish hiding in the aquatic plants below.

    I tried whistling with only my lips and ended up attracting her attention, and Missy¡¯s judgment, before I managed an actual whistle.

    ¡°Are you trying to imitate a fish?¡± Linh asked.

    ¡°No,¡± I said and did my best to mimic one of Sweeka¡¯s pouts. ¡°Do you want to join me?¡±

    She eyed the horses and stretched out her legs over the water. ¡°I''m in a skirt and don¡¯t have shoes on. I think I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Missy can help with both of those,¡± I said, asking if Missy would be okay with kneeling down for the girl at the same time. She flopped down in the grass as an acceptance.

    Linh got up but stayed put. ¡°I¡¯m not that good with horses, don¡¯t think they like me very much.¡±

    I swung my leg over Polem to drop down and drag Linh over to the docile creature. She asked me to hold onto her sketchbook and then both her hands while she slowly sat down sideways on Missy.

    Linh made a series of weird sounds, that would have been more characteristic of a bleating lamb, as Missy smoothly stood up. I was worried she might tip over backwards before she stabilised herself. Linh still looked like she was staring off the edge of a cliff as she reached down for her sketchbook with a shaky arm.

    ¡°I should have stayed on the pier,¡± she muttered.

    I lifted myself back onto Polem. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll catch you if you slip off. Just be glad Missy came along, Polem would have never laid down.¡±

    We started slowly moving around the bank of the lake, giving some areas a wide berth when there was something hiding in the shallows.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Linh cooed and lifted one of her hands away from the stranglehold she¡¯d had on Missy¡¯s neck to stroke her mane. I wished I was good at drawing or knew a spell to capture the moment of Linh''s smile.

    Something was rapidly dropping out of the sky to ruin the touching moment. ¡°Ah, Linh. Please don¡¯t panic.¡±

    ¡°Why would I¡ª¡±

    I told Caypa under no circumstances was he to land on Polem¡¯s ass since I didn¡¯t want to be flung off when he reared up in protest. Polem barely liked him creating gusts of wind with his landing on my shoulders. Caypa was at least careful with his talons, even if they weren¡¯t the sharpest things.

    Later, though, I would have to check my nice yellow sweater for dried blood.

    My hat went tumbling off my head, but it was made of dried grass and pulling it back towards me before it hit the ground wasn¡¯t difficult.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    The girl I thought would have fallen off in shock was instead gazing wide-eyed at the bird, who was trying to get his wings in a comfortable position.

    ¡°You have a vulture on your shoulders,¡± she added.

    ¡°His name¡¯s Caypa.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± She forgot all about hanging on for dear life and flipped through her book to a clean page. ¡°Put your hat back on for a sec.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    We continued walking around the lake, attracting the attention of nearby fishing boats and those casting nets from the shore or stabbing spears into the water. Linh scratched away with her pencil, and I told Caypa to look majestic, which he took so much enthusiasm in that she had to ask him to stop moving about.

    I tried to keep up a smile, but my poor cheeks were starting to hurt, and my eyes wandered to alchemical plants that I regretted not having a basket for. Linh also owed me for persuading Caypa not to fly off at the first sign of rotting food. However, her periodic comments about him being a ¡®pretty birdy¡¯ did help in that effort.

    Linh hummed and folded the book closed after a long time of not putting pencil to paper.

    ¡°Can I see?¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not done. I want to go back and get my watercolours and redo it later. Maybe I¡¯ll show you if it¡¯s decent.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed and waved to signal Caypa to get his lunch.

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± she said.

    ¡°Save your compliments for after you see what he¡¯s going to do to what¡¯s left of the poor tapir he found.¡±

    ¡°I¡­won¡¯t look, thanks. And I was talking about you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Never you mind,¡± she said and looked out over the lack. ¡°We¡¯re not planning on going the whole way around, are we? That¡¯ll take us the whole day.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really have a plan. General Kylepo mentioned the lake, and I decided to come out here.¡±

    Linh groaned. ¡°I''m jealous. If Mother weren¡¯t away on business, I¡¯d need her permission to be out here. She¡¯s trying to push me into practice drawing city plans instead of¡­¡± She waved her sketchbook around.

    My heart ached at the frown that replaced her radiant smile. ¡°How is she forcing you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°What threats is she making to stop you from drawing what you want?¡±

    Her eyes widened. ¡°She¡¯s not¡­she¡¯s my mother¡­who pays for everything. I don¡¯t have much choice but to listen to her.¡±

    I¡¯d listened to Mother long before the doll, so I kept my ¡®no, you don¡¯t¡¯ to myself and tried to steer the conversation to what she did in a day that didn¡¯t involve city planning. We somehow got onto talking about training with the knights, and then Clair, so I repeated a few of her comments to an aghast Linh.

    She whistled and smiled when she finally pried the story of me tripping her out of me. I¡¯d let it slip that I had done something to get back at her, and Linh hadn¡¯t given up until I told her.

    The lake was empty where we were riding, and I showed off¡ªpractised¡ªsome water magic by making bowl-like holes in the surface and letting them crash back together.

    She was comfortable enough to kick her feet, lean back, and let the blue bow at the end of her braided hair dangle in the wind. When she looked up at me, I threw the hat towards her.

    It spun and glided on the wind right into her clutches. She was startled at first but threw it back to me as Polem and I circled around her and Missy. It would have ended up in the lake a few times if not for my swift intervention. Missy even caught it between her teeth once, but I worried about returning it with bite marks and kept it out of her reach going forward.

    ¡­

    Polem had decided to turn around when we got to the opposite side of the lake. The castle off in the distance looked like it sat atop the water as a haze blurred its rocky foundations. I¡¯d thought there might be a chance to sneak out over the walls, but my hopes were dashed just as thoroughly as the pieces of driftwood that cluttered the sharp rocks.

    Linh had switched to sketching some of the wildlife: gharials with only their big green eyes and long snout poking out of the water, herons standing in the shallow with their long legs, ready to spear fish with their sharp bills, and the endless number of land animals looking to drink from the lake.

    I paid special attention to those with mana, like the little skating spiders that I desperately wanted to imitate. My weight was a big issue until I understood why the spider¡¯s mana specifically targeted only the top layer of water and then adjusted what they were doing to suit me.

    Most other creatures present moved dirt, water, or a combination of the two. It was interesting to see their uses, but the manipulation of mana was nothing new to me. Smaller deer used it to drink while staying away from lurking predators, and larger creatures steadied themselves in the mud.

    I returned the hat with a smooth throw that, with a little mana, landed on the head of the gardener who let me borrow it. Linh spent ages outside of her home petting Missy. A complete contrast to the apprehension she¡¯d shown earlier.

    By the time I got the horses back, had given them an apple, showered, and changed into a dress Haily had laid out for me, I was almost late. Haily reminded me of that fact incessantly while she twisted my hair into a braid that sat over my shoulder. She then hustled me out the door and to the dining room, which was already occupied.

    Alonso and Janette sat opposite Annalise, Faraya, and I¡ªthe duke in his usual place at the head of the table. I smoothed out the skirt of my dress to sit as the first round of plates was placed in front of us.

    Annalise wiggled her eyebrows and made a ¡®gimme¡¯ motion to Alonso, who flicked over a piece of silver.

    ¡°Glad you could join us, Valeria. Alonso was sure you¡¯d gotten lost again,¡± Janette said. ¡°Though Anna was adamant that Missy would drag you back here if it came to it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my bad for assuming the ditz would be late,¡± Alonso mumbled and got his ear lobe pinched in response.

    I leaned forward to see Annalise sitting on the other side of Faraya. ¡°I hope it¡¯s okay Missy came with.¡±

    She shook her head and chewed through her salad. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She needed to stretch her legs after the train rides and travelling anyway.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have no chance of being late to the event you¡¯ll be joining us in for tomorrow,¡± the duke said. ¡°Yanla was able to get us a balcony room for tomorrow¡¯s fight. It¡¯ll help show you it¡¯s all not as bad as it sounds.¡±

    I thought back to the thoughtless agreement I¡¯d made when asking for permission to take Polem, and felt the snare I¡¯d inadvertently stepped into back then tighten around my leg.

 Chapter 39

    I didn¡¯t bother getting out of bed to watch the mana training as I had planned, mostly out of self-preservation because I¡¯d woken up late and didn¡¯t want to face the wrath of Instructor Daniels.

    While trying to fall asleep last night, my thoughts kept jumping back and forth between attending the event tonight being a good thing, talking to the animals and seeing inside the place I wanted to break into, and a mistake that would plague me for nights to come.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want any of this?¡± Haily asked, around a mouthful of my breakfast.

    I turned my face to the side from where it was stuffed into a pillow. ¡°Save me the fruit.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I drew my arm back and hucked the pillow through the open doorway towards where Haily was eating in my sitting room. I waited a moment for sounds of confirmation that I¡¯d hit something, but they never came.

    However, there was a knock at the outer door, and Haily jumped up and shoved the empty plate into my hands, wiping hers on her uniform and going to see who it was.

    ¡°You have egg on your face¡­no, other side,¡± I remarked from where I¡¯d propped myself up on the bed.

    Haily spoke with whoever it was and returned with an unfolded note. ¡°Ma¡¯am, there¡¯s a knight at the door who wants to umm¡­take you somewhere they can¡¯t tell me.¡±

    Jeremy¡¯s crystal came to mind, and I swiftly rolled out of bed to change into something warm and fluffy. Haily had already fussed over my bruising and promised not to tell anyone, so I didn¡¯t mind her fetching a long-sleeved shirt to go with my usual overalls. To avoid keeping the knight waiting, I walked out the door with shoelaces hastily tucked into my boots.

    The knight nodded to me and walked off, expecting me to follow on her heels, which I did without fuss. There was a noticeable difference in the presence of the knights who stood guard like statues around the palace and those I trained with and bought lunch for.

    This one didn¡¯t look like a single stride was longer than the last, her arms swinging out in deliberate motions, nothing along the way drawing her attention from what was directly ahead of her.

    I paid more attention to the enchantments we passed through on our way to Jeremy¡¯s office. Unlike Clem¡¯s, they didn¡¯t have an easily seen panel to interact with the gold inlay deeply inset in the stone that made up the doorways.

    We had to flatten ourselves against the walls of the stairway and weave between operators carrying paper notes and crystals between the doorways at the top of the outpost. Jeremy¡¯s door was already open, and a meeting was taking place. So, we stood outside and watched the controlled chaos of the transmission room while we waited.

    I tried to ignore the outgoing messages but still parsed through the information for anything interesting until Jeremy was ready for me. The meeting participants raised their eyebrows and whispered to their neighbours when they saw me go in after them.

    The knight closed the door behind me, and I plopped down into the same chair as before. The plant had already been replaced by another, and the man behind the desk was all smiles as he brought out an iron cube from a drawer.

    The hinges on one end looked hastily attached, with globs of melted iron keeping it in place. The inside didn¡¯t look much better. Frayed carpet ends stuck out of the iron and were barely holding onto the sides and lid.

    The crystal sat comfortably inside until Jeremy tipped it into his palm and deposited it on the table beside me.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not a pretty sight,¡± he said, hefting the makeshift cube. ¡°They didn¡¯t have anything on hand to transport the crystal and felt this would be the best way.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­do I just pick it up then?¡±

    He held a finger and scrounged up a piece of paper and a pencil for me. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    I twirled the pencil in one hand and reached for the crystal as if it would turn to dust at my mere touch. There were a lot more expectations weighing on my nerves compared to the casual tests we had been doing last time. A few deep breaths helped clear my mind as much as I could manage before my finger made contact.

    Sadness Annoyance at death wasted lives. List of five names with positions. Military ranks. Request for family members to be notified.

    I looked over my scribbles and chewed my lip at the word choice. Jeremy reached over before I was happy, but I let him take it. ¡°The person that made this was¡­irritated that the list of people had died in a wasted battle.¡±

    Despite my voice sounding small and uncertain, Jeremy still smiled momentarily until his face dropped at my last word. ¡°Maria!¡±

    The door cracked open for a woman to lean in. ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Find out what skirmishes the Oclarans have been in this past week.¡±

    ¡°None, sir. We would have heard of something at that scale or at least detected increased traffic.¡±

    ¡°Could you please check anyway?¡±

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I asked.

    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing, a training incident perhaps¡ªhopefully. I greatly appreciate you doing this for us, but please keep it to yourself.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Are you excited for tonight?¡± he asked after taking away the crystal.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I hummed.

    ¡°Miles isn¡¯t a big proponent of the place either, but it¡¯s sure to be quite the event. Someone leaked that the duke was attending, so it¡¯s now doubled in length and tripled in price. I¡¯m sure by the end of the evening he¡¯ll regret being there more than you.¡±

    ¡­

    The duke¡¯s carriage was more spacious than the one Sam, Linh, and I had been inside. His whole family, along with two fully equipped knights, were able to fit along the plush seating that stretched around the entire room except for the single doorway. It was also better protected with steel sheets behind the outer wood and double-paneled glass.

    Another carriage, without all the ducal insignias and silver ornamentation covering the polished wood exterior, followed behind us with Jeremy, Yanla, and palace staff.

    The event didn¡¯t start for another hour, but there were already carriages just as ostentatious as ours returning from the direction of the gambling house a few streets over.

    The duke and Alonso were matching with white button-ups almost entirely covered by dark green vests and jackets. Annalise wore her knight¡¯s dress uniform, while Janette wore a grey dress with extra layers of see-through ruffles on the skirt containing sequins that glinted in the light. Her neckline was just as dazzling, with clear gemstones drawing the attention of anyone who looked in her vicinity.

    Haily had recruited help to entrap me in my dressing room for most of the afternoon. Appearing with the ducal family in public was an ¡®honour¡¯ I needed to ¡®look the part¡¯ for.

    After a long and heated argument, I found out there would be two carriages. I tried getting myself onto the second with Yanla to avoid all the unnecessary attention, an attempt that was quickly squashed.

    I¡¯d been saddled with green pants that sat above my hips, and a blouse that Haily was adamant was supposed to be big on me. It was made of smooth, flowy material that sinched below my chest and had no buttons, so my collar was open to show off the silver chain I was supposed to wear. Which meant I needed to stash my mana crystal on the middle part of my underthings since whoever picked out the blouse hadn''t known to think of that.

    I¡¯d annoyed my captors by licking off the oily gloss they applied to my lips and smudging the tar-like liquid they¡¯d put on my eyelashes to make them more prominent. My hair was luckily left alone, but it then took an hour of hand-holding by Haily to get me comfortable walking in open-toed shoes that had a thick platform stuck on the heel.

    My pleading for boots hadn¡¯t been entertained in the slightest, and it still took a conscious effort to keep my grumpy mood from showing. It didn¡¯t help that we had gotten close enough for me to sense the animals inside.

    They heard the noise above them. They all knew what it meant. They just didn¡¯t know the outcome.

    I tried not to sink too deeply into their fear and hunger and was just glad that they were not in any pain. The one with a clear mind should have been easy to distinguish, yet I could not find them amongst the many creatures as I had previously.

    Our carriage stopped on the opposite side of the street from the event, where a spot had been cleared near more knights holding back a small gathering. Our two escorting knights got out first, and I waited for everyone else to go before being helped down the steps myself.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The duke was grinning, something I hadn¡¯t seen much of before, and waving to the crowd. He walked over to a few of the calmer ones holding notepads, and we followed behind him.

    ¡°Sir, what is your response to the protests over your proposed plan to tear up 7th Street?¡±

    ¡°Mister Duke, any comments on the mystery child staying at the palace? Who is the girl joining you today?¡±

    ¡°What do you have to say to Baron Graham¡¯s success in curtailing foreign influence? Is it time for the watch to play a bigger role in the duchy? Do you think this is a political ploy to go after the ducal seat in the election just a few months from now?¡±

    From where I stood, I could barely hear the duke¡¯s answers, my ears being flooded with the cheers and shouts of those gathered.

    ¡°Mindy, you know as well as I do we need a new sewage system in that district. They¡¯re just going to have to allow it to go through. You can ask Chief Sardakur any further questions on that,¡± he said and motioned to me for the following answer. ¡°Valeria is my daughter''s guest, and I commend Baron Graham¡¯s involvement in our military action. Thank you.¡±

    Annalise moved me away and towards the door while the duke continued to answer questions and shake hands with the people gathered. I was curious how we were going to deal with the line stretching around the building, and the answer was simple: we didn¡¯t.

    The mages guarding the door stepped aside for the knights leading us. A lady in a green dress, wearing shoes with thinner heels than mine, led us to a less crowded hallway.

    I wobbled a bit up the stairs and hooked my arm through Annalise¡¯s when she offered, as Alonso did with Janette.

    The duke and his knights caught up with us as our escort led us into a sitting room. Unlike the few I had been in before, this one had a glass wall that had been pushed to the side to leave an entirely open section leading to a balcony that stretched all the way past a column and over to what used to be a separate room.

    The balcony itself had a small glass railing to prevent only the smallest child from climbing over and an awning providing shade over cushioned seats placed just behind the glass.

    A long table covered in food and drink stretched between us and the other sitting room. The men, women, and children occupying that side had already gotten up from their sofas to walk around the adjoining balcony to greet the Rikers.

    Jeremy and Yanla were also approached while I hid next to one of the knights I recognised from morning training.

    What the guests called the duke seemed to be the giveaway to their standing, while most just called Janette by her name. Annalise and Alonso were dealing with the younger crowd, the age group that would be off at the academies not in attendance.

    ¡°You were missing at training earlier.¡±

    I turned to him, wide-eyed. ¡°You¡¯re joking. I told Faraya I wouldn¡¯t be there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that made it worse,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Instructor Daniels was not happy about hearing it second-hand.¡±

    I groaned. ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°The lanky one in the black and blue pinstripe is Baron Tiscar,¡± the knight said, quieter than before. ¡°He¡¯s part owner here along with brown tweed, Baron Olivihier, while Baron Hasting is the madam in the orange dress. The rest, I¡¯m unsure, respective partners and children most likely.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, already thinking of Trissa Hasting and trying to find the resemblance. Now that I thought of it she might have looked like a taller and thinner Pilim. She must have felt me studying her as I had to look away as she glanced over at me.

    I had expected the owners to look grotesque, or at least unattractive, so as to match the depravity of their establishment, but they looked quite normal and even jovial as they talked with the duke.

    One of the boys, who might have been just older than me, broke off from his conversation with Alonso to head towards me from across the room. He drew his hand through his dark hair that flopped over his ears and adjusted the silver and red gemmed pendant around his neck.

    ¡°Can you throw him off the balcony if he tries to talk to me?¡± I whispered.

    The knight turned his snort into a cough and abandoned me to my fate in favour of standing guard at the door.

    The boy was all smiles as he held out his fist to me. ¡°Amir Tiscar, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet someone as lovely as yourself.¡±

    ¡°Valeria,¡± I said, returning the greeting. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Which of my father¡¯s events are you most looking forward to? He still agonising over the selection he made.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, none. It¡¯s my first time here, and I don¡¯t know any.¡±

    That seemed to make his smile falter for a moment, but he brought it back and held up a finger for me to wait a moment while he grabbed a sheet with a list of names and times. ¡°The first few are simply warm-ups, openers for the main event if you will¡­¡±

    He interspersed questions about me between his explanations of the different events: my family name, where I was from, why I was staying in the palace, and my relation to the duke.

    Most were easy to answer while avoiding obvious pitfalls like my mother being a witch, but I still felt like I was saying too much. But I didn¡¯t want to ignore him and be rude to one of the baron¡¯s sons while on the duke¡¯s invitation.

    I wished I¡¯d known about at least one of the events so I could have lied instead of listening to a detailed explanation of the horrors I¡¯d have to sit through. Some of them sounded perfectly fine, two people without mana trying to knock each other out? All good. Starved predators chasing around prey and seeing if they got away? Sickening.

    The list culminated in a main event written in bold writing at the bottom.

    The famed Eviscerator (An Elvish cat-s¨¬th) facing off against Galloping Strides, a mercenary troupe fresh from the front lines of the capital.

    I thought the conversation would end when we sat, but my salvation never came. When a loud voice boomed from outside to announce the start of the event, I ended up sitting near the edge of our balcony so that Amir could sit next to me on his side.

    Annalise did at least sit next to me and snatch away the wine he tried to hand me, replacing it with a glass that tasted more like fruit that only burned slightly in the back of my throat.

    Stretched out below us was an oval area of grass outlined by a thick ring of sand with marked lanes that people and animals would be running around later on. It was all sunk into the ground to create a barrier between the events and the remaining audience, who sat on tiered sets of wooden steps that surrounded the arena.

    The whole thing was located in a larger-than-normal alleyway, so people could sit around and watch the proceedings from the windows of the surrounding buildings.

    Baron Tiscar complained about the revenue loss and the chancery decision that made him remove the previous blockage they¡¯d built to stop them. He and the duke debated the decision, which a few other balcony occupants chimed in on.

    We were positioned along the length of the oval arena, up on the third floor out of five. There were balconies above us and one below us from which I could hear the announcers'' natural voice come from before it was amplified by an enchantment the mage was holding.

    ¡°Please find your seats. Please find your seats. The first events shall begin shortly, and betting pools shall open once participants have completed their walkout.¡±

    Everything was split between typical and non-typical events, the latter including mana and spells. Because of the events added for the duke¡¯s attendance, some of them would be happening simultaneously. Lights were already on to chase away the late afternoon shadows, and I didn¡¯t think everyone would want to stay til midnight.

    I leaned forward to watch a procession exit an iron door leading up to the arena from the basement, where they kept all the animals. I wanted to study the entrance, except it was directly below me, and there was only so far I could lean without tipping over the edge.

    Handlers escorted knee-high jackalopes that hopped across the ground beside them. Each had unique patterns of black and brown splotches on their grey fur that were covered by a small vest denoting a number.

    ¡°You should go for number Eight or Two,¡± Amir said, pointing at a betting sheet. ¡°The 3:2 payout isn¡¯t great, but trust me, it¡¯s a sure thing both will be in the top 3.¡±

    Each of the animals seemed well taken care of and were not the ones I¡¯d sensed previously. The worst I felt from them was mild hunger and some panic from the ones not used to experiencing the deafening noise and the overwhelming number of people.

    From the way most liked their handlers, I assumed they were brought in specifically for the race and were not kept here with the ones in the basement. I found number 8, which had a piece of silver glinting in the light in place of a section of their antlers.

    I noted that they didn¡¯t like putting weight on their left hind leg because of an injury that hadn¡¯t been set properly when healed.

    ¡°Ah, ha,¡± I said, looking at each of the other animals. I had not known to bring any money with me, but I still inspected each and found an eager but relaxed one. They had no stomach issues, no major distractions, little faffing over their uncomfortable vest, and were not hungry. ¡°I like Fourteen.¡±

    Amir trailed a finger down the list until he reached 14. ¡°He¡¯s unranked. The 8:1 odds aren¡¯t worth it for an untested participant. See how the front runners all have names like Silver Streak and Grey Blur next to their number, and 14 doesn¡¯t. You¡¯re better off going for one of the middlings if you want to gamble for a payout.¡±

    A crew in overalls came out of a different door, dragging thick ropes along and moving them into circles on the grassy area. The typical fighters sharing the timeslot with the jackalope races were walking out behind them, some waving to the crowd''s cheers. They had coloured cloth tied around their wrists for the betting pools.

    I could hear the crowd shouting out colours and numbers, swarming people with notepads and lockboxes that coins were being tossed into.

    ¡°Madams, sirs, may I take your bets?¡± the same lady that escorted us here asked from behind.

    The Duke started off with a 1,000 roe split between Green winning overall and 8 coming in the top three. The Barrons went next, with the owners going for an equal amount on different colours to the duke, but still number 8. Hastings changed it up slightly by going for a combined bet of green and 2 winning to double or nothing the payout.

    ¡°Ah ha, Vince, looks like our fighters are in the first bout together. How about a separate wager?¡± Baron Tiscar asked.

    ¡°I know better than to wager with the house, but I do so for fun. I¡¯d be a fool to wager with the house¡¯s owner.¡±

    He didn¡¯t sound off-put by the decline as he chuckled in response. ¡°A pity.¡±

    The lady took down each person¡¯s bet, with only Janette sitting out. Even a young girl being held in her mother''s arms pointed out the prettiest jackalope to bet on.

    ¡°And you ma¡¯am?¡± she asked me.

    ¡°Oh, no thanks. I didn¡¯t bring any roe with me.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, Valeria. Go for it; we have a tab here for that.¡±

    ¡°Okay, umm, one thousand on Fourteen winning,¡± I said to a roar of laughter.

    ¡°Oh, dear,¡± Baron Olivihier said. ¡°Girl, I don¡¯t know what nonsense Amir has told you, but the odds work the opposite from the way you think they do, big number equals less likely to win.¡±

    My cheeks heated, and I thought I saw the lady smirk as Annalise leaned over to me.¡± That¡¯s around five gold. It¡¯s okay if you want to change it.¡±

    I shook my head, but my confidence in picking 14 was wavering by the second. I¡¯d feel too embarrassed to change it now and basically admit I was too stupid to understand the odds explained to me.

    Based on how their jackalope picks were feeling, I wouldn''t have wanted to go with the most popular choices, so I stuck with my number 14 and didn¡¯t bother trying to predict a winner in the fight.

    ¡°Five hundred on Fourteen for myself,¡± Janette said and smiled warmly at me, shoring up my resolve to keep my bet.

 Chapter 40

    Red, his energy waning, launched another one of the winding punches he¡¯d been throwing the whole fight. Green attempted to evade, but the blow still found its mark, the last knuckle grazing the side of his chin. Stumbling, Green retreated with his fists rising to shield his face again, eyes never leaving his opponent.

    The crowd screamed and whistled, Barron Tiscar clapped and muttered words of encouragement to his fighter while the duke had his arms folded and lips skewed to the side.

    I still winced at every blow, yet my heart cheered for Green since it seemed like he needed it most.

    These fighters were the lightest of the weight groupings fighting in today¡¯s events. As such, they looked to be taking blows directly onto their organs that were only shielded by a thin layer of skin and muscle. I would have been worried for them if not for the healers waiting outside the rings.

    There were two other fights going on while the jackalopes were being led into their starting stalls at the beginning of the oval track.

    Green swung with his own floundering strength into Red¡¯s abdomen. With the added momentum from the twist of his body, he had Red on the ground, clutching at his stomach¡ªan umpire and healer leaning over him a moment later.

    The duke applauded enthusiastically with half the crowd while a collective groan rang out from the other, including Amir and his father.

    ¡°Maybe I should have taken that wager,¡± the duke commented. He didn¡¯t get a response as both fighters shook hands and clapped each other on the back, not looking to be in any pain after the healers were finished with them but still breathing heavily.

    ¡°How are they shaking hands after that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s about respect,¡± Amir said, leaning to speak into my ear. ¡°They know what it¡¯s like to take the hit they¡¯re giving. They leave all the animosity on the field.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to.¡±

    My respect for the fighters deepened as I watched the next two fights end in a similar fashion.

    ¡°Madams, Sirs, all bets are now final. We¡¯re all set to race and I hand over the start to the coordinator,¡± the announcer''s voice echoed from below.

    The jackalopes were all in their stalls, and the next rounds of fights were paused for the two-lap race. I perched on the edge of my seat to look down at the stalls, their anticipation feeding my own.

    I¡¯d been caught up in everyone else placing bets like it was a normal thing to do, not realising that if my choice lost, it would go to fund the place that I thought was torturing animals. My guilt was only slightly assuaged by the jackalopes'' genuine excitement to be competing.

    I sent over shallow feelings of encouragement to number 14, hoping not to spook or distract him right before the race started. The idea of confusing the other participants came to mind, telling them to wait or look to the side while running, but that was cruel.

    Someone standing above the stalls brought two pieces of wood together to make a loud clack that signalled the opening of the stalls.

    The jackalopes bolted out with the characteristic glint of silver from number 8, catapulting themself from the start line into a good lead over the rest.

    The announcer agreed. ¡°And they¡¯re off. Silver in the eight off with a good start. Followed closely by Blur in the number two. Seven drawing up beside Blur¡ªOh!¡ªBlur issues the day''s first attack with Seven tumbling out of this race, Blur sacrificing second place with that move. Three taking advantage of the gap followed closely by Fourteen.¡±

    My jar hung open after just watching one of the jackalopes spear another in the leg with their antlers. ¡°Is that allowed?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Amir said, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s the whole reason why we race them.¡±

    ¡°Backmarker Nine, now three lengths behind as they move into the first corner,¡± the announcer continued. ¡°Six tucking in behind Blur, who is contesting Fourteen for third. Silver takes a wide corner, giving space to Three and Fourteen to make up the length between them on the inside track.¡±

    My jackalope wanted to catch up to the one ahead of them and poke him in the hind leg, but I warned them off and encouraged them to focus on taking advantage of Silver¡¯s wide corners due to the injury.

    ¡°Blur contesting the front runners as we head back on the straight. Silver pulling away again by a half-length. The back of the pack is jostling for fifth place with one and twelve blocking off the¡ªno, their antlers tangled. They trip up ten on their way down just before the front runners bank for the turn, four lengths ahead.

    ¡°Silver taking another wide, is this a new strategy to maintain speed into the straights? If it is, I have to say it¡¯s not working. Three and Fourteen are caught up again, with Blur looking to take another stab at the competition. Ten getting up and taking over as backmarker, but his chance of a top finish is over.

    ¡°Fourteen taking a wide exit to avoid Blur as we go into the second lap. Three jumping around to do the same, increasing the gap from pole to a length. Fourteen looking to fill that gap as the struggle rages on.

    ¡°Silver still taking it wide, Fourteen cutting in front of Three and Blur. Six is making a play while those two are occupied. Back on the straight, Silver is pulling ahead, Fourteen right behind. Three drops back to avoid Blur, while Six jumps in during the confrontation to take third.¡±

    I was on my feet, chanting in my head for my jackalope to go faster and ignore his want to poke Silver.

    ¡°Fourteen takes the inside, possible stab coming in to settle pole position on this final corner. No? Fourteen ignores Silver in favour of pulling ahead on the corner exit. Six, a half-length behind Blur, two lengths behind Silver¡ªwho¡¯s dropped to second.

    ¡°Silver looking to tussle as he comes up alongside Fourteen on the final stretch. That telltale silver antler coated with the blood of many past amateurs who looked to take his prize. Blur joins in on Fourteen¡¯s inside. Pincered from both sides now¡ªFourteen jumps!¡ªnow on Silver¡¯s outside, making up the space his jump gave away while Blur and Silver stumble, realising their prey has escaped.

    ¡°Here comes the final line, Silver struggling to regain his speed, Blur in a better position to close the gap. And¡­it¡¯s a three-way finish between them. What a race! We¡¯ll have to wait for the official score but to avoid leaving you in suspense. From where I¡¯m sitting, that was a clear victory for¡­Fourteen, Blur in second, and Silver with the worst finish of the year in third.¡±

    I smacked my hands together, aiming to clap louder than everyone else, only taking a break to put my fingers up to my lips and add a whistle to the cacophony of noise and cheer before clapping again. Most of the balcony was clapping as well but gave me amused looks when I whistled again.

    A moment later, the official result displayed on a large sign didn¡¯t contest what the announcer had said. I sat back down with a shaky breath and heated cheeks, embarrassed at the stares my display of excitement gathered from the balcony.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m now down an oddsmaker if you¡¯re looking for a job,¡± Baron Tiscar said to me and sighed. ¡°Consider the payout a signing bonus.¡±

    The round of laughter that followed along with congratulations made my cheeks grow redder.

    ¡°Oh rubbish, you know how much roe that upset is going to net us?¡± Baron Olivihier said with a chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re going to get accused of tampering¡ªagain.¡±

    ¡°I think the twelve thousand you now owe Janette and Valeria are going to put a dent in that net,¡± the duke said, grinning like it was his own win.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be good sports and give us some more opportunities to win it back,¡± Baron Tiscar said. ¡°Right, ladies?¡±

    I smiled sheepishly. ¡°Maybe not.¡±

    ¡°You can give my share to Valeria,¡± Janette added with a toothy smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have much interest in betting.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t too interested either, especially in the rest of the rounds of fighting. So, I retreated into the sitting room before the Hound Chase started. I planned to get the hungry hunting dogs waiting below to not chase the hare but didn¡¯t want to see what would happen if their hunger won out.

    It helped that they knew they¡¯d be fed after if they didn¡¯t manage the catch.

    I could have made even more roe with the 2:1 odds on the usual coin toss event between the hare escaping or being torn to bits. But already felt wrong for placing a wager on an event that had sent jackalopes to the healers.

    The duke was right that they were healed right away. However, the doll didn¡¯t require any healing, and I still considered that wrong.

    The sound from outside was only slightly muffled from the sofa I took up residence on with a plate full of berries. Opposite me was the mother with the young girl also taking refuge.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like the poor bunny getting chased,¡± the mother said and leaned across the table to shake hands. ¡°Henriette Olivihier, and this little one is Isla.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Valeria.¡± I smiled as she moved Isla¡¯s hand side to side to resemble a wave while the girl was occupied with some cake.

    ¡°Do you mind watching her while I go to the lavatory?¡±

    ¡°Ah, not at all,¡± I said and was then left with big blue eyes staring at me. ¡°Hello.¡±

    She blinked at me in response, and I was left unsure of how to interact with the youngest person I¡¯d ever met.

    ¡°How¡­old are you, Isla?¡± She held up five fingers.

    ¡°You like bunnies?¡± She nodded.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    I looked around for any support, but everyone else was watching the fights. In doing so, I dropped one of the berries off my plate but flicked it up with a bit of mana and caught it in my mouth as it came back down.

    A giggle from the opposite couch had me glace at Isla, who apparently thought my mistake was the funniest thing.

    I flicked another berry into the air and stared at her while exaggerating my chomp around the falling fruit, another round of giggles setting my heart aflutter.

    Repeating the same thing didn¡¯t get as much amusement as before, so I had to scale it up if I wanted to keep hearing the little girl laugh.

    It got to the point where I was struggling to lift the entire plate full of berries in a swarm above me as I made them dodge my attempts to chomp them out of the air.

    I was midway through one of those, with my jaw wide open, as Henriette snuck up behind the girl with the biggest grin on her face and a tear trail along her powdered cheek.

    She looked over at her partner, and all the berries dropped out of the air when I realised a lot of the balcony had been watching me. I leant down to manually pick up the berries and let my hair fall to shield me from the smiling faces.

    I was still trying to decide if my actions had been humiliating or endearing when I sat back up and sunk into the couch. Those on the balcony were turned back to the arena and had been smiling at Isla¡¯s giggles, so I told myself it was the latter while feeling dizzy from the mana use.

    Henriette was sitting next to Isla again, dabbing under her eye with a napkin. ¡°Sorry, we just don¡¯t get to hear her voice too often.¡±

    ¡°Oh? How come?¡±

    Henriette shrugged. ¡°All the healers say she¡¯s perfectly fine; she just doesn¡¯t want to talk yet. So, thank you for getting her to laugh.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I hummed, unsure what to say.

    I sat and waited a while until I thought neither had looked at me for long enough so that it was fine to grab one of the colourful drinks and escape outside. The door clicked shut behind me, and I leaned against the wall next to one of the two knights standing guard outside.

    ¡°Not going well?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow.

    I let out a long breath and tipped my head back to drink most of the glass. ¡°Just need a break. Not used to talking so much.¡±

    She nodded and let me sip the rest of my drink in silence.

    The door opened again, Baron Hasting walking out and looking from side to side. ¡°Did you see where¡ªah, do you mind if we go somewhere to speak?¡±

    The Baron was staring directly at me while I was in the middle of my last sip, so there was sadly no chance she meant one of the knights. I glanced over at them to see pity in their eyes but smirks playing across their lips.

    ¡°Umm, no?¡± I followed behind the swish of her orange skirt down the hallway. She stopped at the corner without a door nearby and looked each way.

    ¡°You¡¯re Valeria?¡±

    I nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to scare you, just Julia is just fine,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re from Ulasa.¡±

    That hadn¡¯t sounded like a question. ¡°Yes¡­your sister kindly let me live with her for a little while.¡±

    ¡°Not long enough, according to her. I got a letter about you and wasn¡¯t sure what to believe with Pilim accusing the duke¡¯s daughter of kidnapping, but it seems to be true, at least in part.¡±

    ¡°Are they angry with me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she said. ¡°Not at all. They¡¯re terribly worried about what happened to you. Their third letter made me come over here to directly ask the duke about you on their behalf. I had no idea I¡¯d find the girl in question.¡±

    I lifted the glass to take another sip and give myself time to think, but there were only drops left. ¡°You don¡¯t care about the¡­¡±

    She glanced down each hallway again. ¡°They didn¡¯t mention¡­that, but I heard what happened and connected some dots. I¡¯d imagine the duke is aware? Is he treating you well? I¡¯ll smack him around if not.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they know,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m staying in the guest room of the palace, so I think I¡¯m being treated overly well.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­I¡¯ll let them know they don¡¯t need to worry. And¡­I hope you and the duke know what you¡¯re doing. I¡¯ve already had two accusations in my barony after the execution in Ulasa and arrests for other incidents. Do you mind if I speak with him about you?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Okay, thank you for talking with me,¡± she said as someone came down the hallway.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, without properly thinking through what I wanted to say. ¡°I¡­umm¡­won some money today. I know Trissa wanted to go to the city. Maybe I could help with that?¡±

    Julia snorted and started chuckling. ¡°You think money is an issue for me? No, no. It¡¯s my sister making sure her kids don¡¯t have a chance to repeat what she faced in the city years ago.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that bad?¡±  Besides the crime and animal torture

    ¡°She had a bad time as a non-mage in an old noble family. Her perspective is a little skewed, but I¡¯ll pass it along to Trissa and see if that adds an extra thorn in her ass to convince her mother.¡±

    ¡°And tell them ¡®thank you¡¯ for me, please. I never got the chance to.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± she said and walked back towards the sitting room.

    I leaned against the wall, needing that break far more than I had before. Writing to them had come to mind many times but had always been too anxiety-inducing to think about for more than a brief moment. I was glad to have made the offer, even if I didn¡¯t think it would go anywhere.

    My head was a complete mess, and I tried to drink from an empty glass for the second time. I stayed against the wall a while longer until one of the knights came to check where I had gone and escorted me back to the sitting room.

    I sat back down next to Amir and stole the last pastry from the plate balancing on his one leg. They¡¯d finished the Hound Chase, with the dogs not feeling up to the task, and the next weight class for the typical fights. Two mages now occupied the grassy field, slowly circling each other.

    The man tangled an arrow spell together and flung it at his opponent, who carefully made a small shield to block the twirling projectile about to hit her ankle.

    ¡°It¡¯s all about finesse,¡± Amir said, bouncing his free leg and threatening to topple the plate. ¡°Madam Edros is able to cast the smallest, most precise shield in the whole duchy, while Garov can get his mana arrows to flick all around her within a second. What these two do is pure artistry.¡±

    ¡°You have a lot of roe on this one, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± He stood up to the collective gasp of the crowd, and I caught the plate before it could hit the ground. Out on the field, the pooling patch of blood forming on Madam Edros¡¯ shoulder meant Garov had got one of his spells to connect.

    The bout still went on with the Madam flinging her own arrow back without nearly as many feints and twirls to land on Garov¡¯s larger hazy shield.

    ¡°They¡¯re supposed to draw,¡± Amir said, slumping back into his chair.

    They did end up drawing, but caused Amir a lot of stress from the multiple scored hits. I was assured the hits were shallower than usual, and it didn¡¯t look to impede either until they both ran out of mana so the match could end and the healers could see to them.

    I didn¡¯t have much interest in the rest of the weight groups and mana classes for the fights that went on as efficiently as the staff could manage.

    During one of the mage fights, someone dropped down into the arena and ran across it, screaming that mana wasn¡¯t real and holding a sign to the same effect. He got just as much cheer as some of the events before a spell tangled his legs up, and the staff dragged him off.

    Mages went on to set up a more overgrown arena where different kinds of animals were released to find a scented object. Each had their nose to the ground, and I knew which would find it the moment I saw them all. If I¡¯d been able to see them before the bets closed I¡¯d have been able to give Amir a proper answer when he asked for suggestions instead of speculation.

    His father did help him avoid one that had their sense of smell overwhelmed before being released, perks of knowing the owner. It did have me confused about how they were even allowed to bet on their own events.

    The lights flooding the arena could have had me convinced that the sky wasn¡¯t pitch black. There was an intermission before the main event, but I was too anxious to take advantage of the table refilled with food. The cold evening convinced me there had been a serious oversight in Haily not giving me a coat, but I didn¡¯t overly mind the chill and said as much when Amir offered me his jacket.

    The extra foliage remained as a group was introduced while walking¡ªand trotting¡ªonto the field.

    ¡°All the way from the front lines of the capital, please welcome the Galloping Striders,¡± the announcer said.

    ¡°Can you get them to stop using battlefield terms for the capital?¡± the duke asked across the balcony to the owners. ¡°It always riles people up for no reason.¡±

    I was sure the barons heard, but Tiscar cupped a hand to his ear to suggest otherwise.

    The centaur walking onto the grass caught my attention as the announcer carried on.

    ¡°From the eastern plains of Ghardi, launching arrows that might as well be from a ballista, Nickolas¡­From the northern forests of our elven neighbours, wielding spells mightier than the sword, Aisling¡­Having grown up on these very streets, our returning champions, Dyana and Petrick. Here to show us how their spear and shield teamwork brought them many amazing pieces from the capital that will be available at the Drasda Auction House next rest day.¡±

    ¡°Will you be joining us for that, Vince?¡± Baron Olivihier shouted over the cheer of the crowd.

    The duke cupped a hand over his ear and raised his eyebrows at the barron.

    The bow Nickolas used was the same recurve Instructor Daniels had me practising, which made a lot of sense as to why he wanted me to use it for horseback. Despite the range the bow provided he was still well armoured on his human torso and had similar plating and gambison-like material covering his hind like the knights¡¯ horses.

    The elf was already showing off her skills by having flowers grow at her bare feet that sank into the long grass. It wasn¡¯t a spell since she held her hands behind her back without a single thread of mana occupying them. At the end of her walk, a bundle of the flowers was thrown into the crowd, a sea of hands reaching for them.

    The two humans were dressed in chainmail and plating, similar to the remnants. Petrick held a shield almost bigger than himself and only a short sword hanging from his waist as a means of attack. As the announcer said, the spear sticking out over Diana¡¯s shoulder looked to be making up for that.

    It was my turn to bounce my leg as the announcer moved on to the first round of animals they would be fighting for our entertainment.

 Chapter 41

    ¡°Our dear mercenaries probably wouldn¡¯t have worn so much steel if they knew what we had in store for them tonight,¡± the announcer said with too much glee in his voice. ¡°Please welcome to the area, our bulgasari.¡±

    I was distracted and about to clap before I noticed no one else was. The balcony was silent, but the crowd booed as an iron door was pulled up. A long flickering trunk with a spiked end exited first, followed by two needle-like tusks poking upwards to either side of a brown-furred head and rounded ears. The bulgasari was thrashing their weight about, trying to chomp on the steel poles to either side of them that connected to an iron collar.

    They didn¡¯t acknowledge my attempts to calm them, only having eyes and thoughts for the metal so close to their mouth.

    Whoever was holding the other ends of those poles was having a hard time keeping the person-sized creature at bay while the announcer introduced the second contender.

    ¡°How cruel the organisers must have been to place these two monsters in the same arena,¡± the announcer said as a different iron door opened. ¡°What I want to know is which one of our great minds gave this fearsome specimen such a mediocre name, introducing a returning attraction, the stripped-tail goanna.¡±

    I didn¡¯t focus on the faded white rings circling the black scales of the goanna¡¯s tail but rather on the spiked ball waving at the end of it. Unlike the bulgasari, they were pushed out of their doorway backwards without any collar since they had no mana.

    The goanna¡¯s curved talons dug into the ground as it turned away from the closing door, their tail bashing against it with a violent ring that echoed off the walls around us. Back on the other side of the arena, the collar around the bulgasari¡¯s neck came undone and was pulled back along with the poles, retreating into the falling doorway.

    I gasped as the goanna hissed in pain at the arrow protruding from their shoulder. They easily identified the centaur as the source of the pain and charged forward.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to remind our participants to please not kill each other; some of you are very expensive,¡± the announcer said to a roar of laughter from the crowd.

    My arms were folded into the sleeves of my blouse while I dug my nails into them, agitating the healing bruise on one side. The goanna had cared to listen before that arrow hit them, not that I had any clue how to end this as bloodlessly as the Hound Chase.

    Nickolas was drawing back another arrow, losing it just above Petrick¡¯s head as he stood guard against the approaching reptile. The enchantment on the steel-tipped arrow came to life just before it hit, sparking with lightning that debilitated the rampaging creature, causing them to crash into Petrick¡¯s shield without any control.

    Dyana had been tasked with warding off the smaller and more agile bulgasari, who desperately wanted to take a bite of the spear tip she was waving in their face, batting away the trunk that occasionally darted out.

    Aisling stood still, her eyes locked on the bulgasari, silver hair drifting in the breeze created by the spell she kept pouring mana into. Dyana drew the creature lengthwise to Aisling before the spell was unleashed, a blast of air toppling the bulgasari over for Dyana to drive her spear into their belly.

    The crowd behind the spell cheered with their now wind-swept hair, and I stopped digging my nails so I wouldn¡¯t have to explain why there was blood on my white blouse. It sickened me to sit there watching, feeling what those creatures were going through and not being able to stop it.

    Should I start screaming for it to end?

    Should I drop down and get between them?

    I was a coward for choosing neither, but I told myself it wouldn¡¯t help and might even get me killed by the enraged animals or a stray arrow. Alisa had talked of creatures that would go out of the way to attack people, and while the conditions were not fair, I was slowly considering these might be some.

    Dyana¡¯s spear got stuck on a rib as she tried to rip it out, the bulgasari getting their trunk wrapped around long enough to bite the end off when it was extracted. A horrible grating noise came as they chewed through the steel.

    The wound on their underbelly closed over with a glimmer as the bony spike at the end of their trunk was covered in steel.

    ¡°Ooo, we will not be reimbursing that one,¡± the announcer said. ¡°Luckily for Dyana, she seems to have brought a spare with her. Let¡¯s not give the metal-eating monster of the mines another meal, shall we?¡±

    The metallic manipulation was interesting to consider studying, but that was as far as it got in my fraying mind.

    Dyana had to unshrink her replacement spear while another one of Aisling¡¯s spells uprooted a bush to shove itself into the bulgasari¡¯s face, their sharpened trunk slashing through the shrubbery.

    Nickolas and Petrick were having an easier time with the typical animal that now looked like a pin cushion. The goanna whirled their entire body around in a burst of motion that sent their tail hurtling towards Petrick. A layer of haze covered his shield, and he braced with his muscles full of mana.

    It wasn¡¯t enough to stop the overwhelming force as he tumbled to the ground a few yards back, Nickolas getting another shot in at the same time to prevent Petrick from being raked over with claws. The mana shield saved the real one from a significant dent, but Petrick¡¯s arms needed shaking off before he was able to heft it up again.

    Dyana used the butt of her newly grown spear to vault over a charging bulgasari, her calf getting sliced open in the process. The crowd didn¡¯t care or actually enjoyed the close call as they cheered.

    The bulgasari replaced her in the predicament she¡¯d been in, up against the wall with dense shrubbery on either side of them on the sandy race track. Aisling hit them with another blast of air that shoved them into the wall. Immediately, she started tangling together a spell to shake the sand below.

    As the bulgasari sank into the sand, water poured over them from Dyana¡¯s spell, which Aisling utilised when she solidified the muddy mixture over their opponent''s shoulders.

    Both were now free to turn to the hissing goanna, who thought at this point they¡¯d put up enough of a fight not to be punished later and let their front leg with two protruding arrows crumple to the ground on their next step towards the shield bearer.

    Healers rushed out of the sides along with armoured mages who created extra walls around the already immobile creatures for the healers to reach each arrow and wound. The pain vanished, but the anger remained.

    The ringing in my ears blocked out the announcer while I sniffed and dug a finger into the corner of my eye. Someone placed a hand over the leg I¡¯d been bouncing the whole fight, and I was ready to take my own anger out on whoever it was.

    Annalise placed a glass of water in my hand, stopping me from attempting.

    ¡°You look pale,¡± she said and continued when I didn¡¯t respond with more than a blank stare. ¡°Father thinks you''re not enjoying the fight because the beasts didn¡¯t win. That the next fight might even things out.¡±

    I looked over at the duke with his legs crossed, an arm draped over the side of his chair, dangling a crystal glass clinking with ice and spirit. I hated how¡­casual he looked. ¡°What counts as a win?¡±

    ¡°A fatal wound on one of the participants,¡± Annalise said as she studied my face. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, a lot of people are looking out for them from the sidelines.¡±

    Both the goanna and bulgasari were shuffled into enchanted wooded cages to be carted out of the arena. Healers still sat with Dyana to fix her leg while staff handed Nickolas another quiver.

    ¡°I understand the races,¡± I said. ¡°I understand the treasure hunt. I understand two people pummeling each other and shaking hands afterwards. This is¡­¡±

    ¡°You consider those a valid form of entertainment,¡± Annalise said. ¡°Other people consider this to be.¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t just be a difference of opinion,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, but it can,¡± Baron Tiscar said, overhearing our conversation now that the crowd had died down. ¡°People vote with their roe, and the roe says this next fight is the biggest recurring event in the whole duchy. That bulgasari was rescued from a mine in the west; if we didn¡¯t take it, they would have killed it. Same with the cat-s¨¬th, the elvish village we bought it from didn¡¯t want it ''cause it couldn¡¯t have a litter.¡±

    ¡°What my father means to say,¡± Amir said, leaning forward to block the baron from my retort. ¡°Is that there is an appetite for the sport, and someone needs to provide it, better someone who will do what¡¯s best for all involved.¡±

    The announcer interrupted my thoughts of replying. ¡°Our competitors seem no worse for the wear they sustained in that little tussle. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re ready for our main event, don¡¯t you?

    He waited a moment for the shouting to peter off. ¡°I¡¯ll hand you off to our leader, Duke Riker, for a few words while we bring out what most of you bought tickets to see. Betting is still open if you feel you know which direction this scrap will go between our brave warriors and the terror of the night.¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The duke stood up and stepped up to the railing, the barons following suit. I stood up when the rest of the balcony also did to clap with the audience. They all looked to the duke, but I felt eyes settle on me for a moment and attempted to at least stop frowning.

    ¡°Thank you¡­thank you,¡± the duke said, smiling and waving while mana amplified his voice. ¡°I want to thank you all for putting up with the increased security so my family and I could enjoy this riveting event alongside you¡­.I sadly lost some roe here today, but lucky for me, my partner knows how to pick ¡®em.¡±

    He didn¡¯t deserve the long cheer and whistling that came after, and it upset me that my lips twitched up into a smile from my part in that luck.

    ¡°To the competitors earlier and our brave warriors standing in the arena now, I thank you for the dedication you show in honing your skills to compete and, in doing so, making this a great event for us. And thank you to Baron Tiscar and Baron Olivihier for inviting me¡­Good luck in this next match.¡±

    He and the two barons stood and waved for a while longer before sitting down, the rest of us sitting after they did. An iron box big enough to hold Missy, if she bent her neck down a bit, was pulled out onto the sand below us.

    The strongest lights shining onto the arena were extinguished, so the middle was now dimly lit. The four mercenaries moved to the farthest edge from the box, or rather a cage, where ample light from the audience leaked onto the field.

    My suspicion that inside was the one I¡¯d been able to sense clearly was confirmed when the front of the metal cage fell forward, and a pitch-black shape dashed out with a deep growl. The cat-s¨¬th¡¯s mind became clear as they headed into the shadowy brush in the centre of the arena and disappeared from sight and mana sense. I ignored how she was managing to bend the shadows around her and collected myself so I could try to be convincing.

    You don¡¯t need to fight them, I thought. You can just hide like that, and they¡¯ll end the fight in a draw,

    The same growl echoed in my mind, sending a shiver down my spine. Even my forebears have come to forsaken me?

    No, I¡¯m in the audience, and I¡¯m trying to help.

    Ahh, one of my roaring spectators, they snarked.

    The mercenaries had formed a defensive area with the wall covering them from behind. Petrick was in the lead with his short sword drawn out to the side of his shield. Dyana''s spear was stuck out the opposite way while Aisling was off just behind them, preparing a light spell in one hand and a shield in the other.

    Nickolas was looking over their heads, scanning the surroundings with his drawn bow.

    The light spell was thrown towards the cat-s¨¬th, the shadows leaving and revealing the charging creature. Petrick knelt so Dyana could bring her spear over the top. Aisling¡¯s spell hit Petrick at the same time as clawed paws tried to come around the side of the physical shield.

    Slashes of air originating from each of her claws impacted the haze and dissipated. She ducked her head back from an arrow but took a spear to the shoulder and retreated back into the shadows now that Aisling¡¯s light was gone. The mana shield around Petrick dropped, and he glanced around now that he could see clearly again.

    Are you okay? I thought. I don¡¯t know how to stop this.

    Ah, I found you.

    Two yellow orbs stared up at me from the shadows. She was fine and even enjoying the hunt but felt stifled by the walls, the mages standing guard over her from atop them, and her limited mana from the time in the iron cage.

    Do you still think I can hide from them? She asked.

    No¡­she¡¯s throwing another light spell on your left.

    She was slow to respond to my warning but was far enough away from Aisling¡¯s spell not to have it disturb her camouflage.

    For once, the crowd was silent enough for Nickolas to hear the faintest rustle of brush and loose arrows towards it. They started moving up to the light Aisling had tossed, Petrick slowly turning his shield to the side Nickolas had last shot at.

    The elf has a sunbeam prepared, I warned as she rushed in again.

    Petrick turned to where the cat-s¨¬th appeared when she got close enough to the light or to sense. Aisling was unable to throw out the same spell Zara had used against me outside Tamil, with both Petrick and Dyana between her and the target.

    Petrick ducked his head behind his shield and Dyana lifted her arm to take the slashes on their chainmail and plate armour. The two kept trying to pivot the large predator bearing down on them towards Aisling, who was rotating more and more out of the defensive position to get a shot.

    Arrow on your right.

    Nickolas had rotated the other way and got a good shot at her broadside, a cushion of air managing to slow and divert the arrow before it sunk into her shoulder. Petrick was stumbling back under her weight, and Dyana couldn¡¯t place both hands on her spear to drive it forward from the threat the claws posed.

    Another arrow.

    There was no hesitation this time as she disengaged, beams of light flashing after her from Aisling, a few hitting. She and Nickolas reformed behind the others and a light was thrown up directly above them.

    The cat-s¨¬th hid behind a bush and tore the arrow out of her shoulder using her teeth.

    ¡°A few exciting exchanges, both parties slowly chipping away at each other,¡± the announcer said in a lower voice than normal. ¡°I hope Aisling keeps her spells aimed low. Scorching the wall adds character; scorching a spectator adds a chancery session to your calendar.¡±

    Are you okay? I asked and got a feeling of reassurance in return this time. Light coming your way.

    The orb thrown towards her chased away the shadows and revealed the cat-s¨¬th licking her shoulder.

    Arrow.

    Nickolas notched another as his fist sunk into the ground. Aisling watered the ground to her side and churned it into a patch of deep mud. They stood with it to their back. Petrick off in front of Aisling with Dyana behind him.

    The cat-s¨¬th dashed forward, weaving between arrows after nudging them out of the way with her control of the air but still taking another in the side. Petrick had purposefully left a space so that Aisling had an area to raise a dirt wall into.

    I quickly babbled through what I thought was going to take place and warned the cat-s¨¬th as the spell was released.

    As the wall shot up, she was already prepared to launch herself up in the air. Petrick and Dyana had been waiting to drive their blades into a creature that had just run full tilt into a wall. Their heads were slow to turn towards the leaping predator.

    Everything slowed as Aisling let go of the wall spell and started tying a shield together, backing up into the mud and losing her footing for an instant. The string of Nickolas¡¯ bow shook in its resting place, the force from it being transferred to the arrow sailing through the air.

    Two sets of long canines poked out of her wide open jaw, above the rest of the rows of sharp teeth, claws swiping out towards the retreating mage. Annalise was on her feet, putting together her own spell just like a few of the mages stationed on the walls while healers jumped down.

    The padding of the gambison covering Aisling¡¯s stomach tore open as the first slash landed. The steel plate on her chest screeched as two marks were scratched into it, her padded arm already up to block her face.

    The bottom portion of her long silver hair flittered in the wind as the last hazy concentration of air cut through it. I regretted that I now knew what the inside of a neck looked like, just like all those townsfolk who were at the execution.

    Two mages on the sideline had to stop the spell they were trying to cast in order to put up a shield to block Nickolas¡¯ arrow, which had been shot too high.

    Petrick was pushing past a stunned Dyana to run into the cat-s¨¬th tearing into Aisling¡¯s fallen body, knocking the heavy animal into the mud just as a collection of spells hit, all competing to activate their effect.

    A late addition to the mess won out, and the cat-s¨¬th was made to weigh many times what they usually did, toppling her over into the mud on top of where the head landed. One healer blew into a tube, a dart leaving it and hitting her in the rear. Another two darts followed, with the poison on them quickly taking effect to sedate the struggling cat-s¨¬th.

    She wasn¡¯t dead. Aisling wasn¡¯t dead. There were so many healers around. Reattaching a head sounded like something Morris could do. Janette. Janette was¡­somewhere, she could heal her. There were healers all around us.

    I didn¡¯t know when I had stood up, but Annalise was dragging me away and into the sitting room. Her lips moved, and her eyes darted about, but I couldn¡¯t hear her over the pounding in my ears. I was sat down on the couch opposite Isla, whose big blue eyes didn¡¯t display any of the joy I¡¯d grown used to.

    They were replaced by Annalise¡¯s worried expression as she knelt in front of me.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Baron Tiscar shouted and kicked a chair on the balcony, pushing his hair back and pacing. ¡°They¡¯re taking too long.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got time,¡± the duke said, bracing himself on the glass railing.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got it,¡± Janette said from the balcony. ¡°He¡¯s needing to use too much mana for the heal.¡±

    ¡°I have mana,¡± I mumbled, unable to hear my own voice.

    Annalise looked back at me. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I have mana. I have a lot of mana. I-I c-can help, it¡¯s...¡± I couldn¡¯t say anymore as I got up to rush to the lavatory. My stomach heaved at the memory playing repeatedly in my mind, but nothing came as Annalise shut the door behind us and held my hair.

    She placed a hand on my back, running her thump along my spine. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­It¡¯s okay. Just breathe.¡±

    After I stopped reaching and grew tired of sitting on my knees, I got up. Only to stumble into Annalise. She half carried me out the door to stricken looks and angry scowls. Janette shook her head when Annalise looked at her and motioned that it was time for us to leave.

    I didn¡¯t feel the steps under my feet as Annalise led me down and out a different door we had come through. The change from the warm hallways to the cold street shocked me enough to notice we were getting into the duke¡¯s carriage.

    Janette pulled my head onto her shoulder, and in a blink, the door was opening again to the sights of the palace.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to contact the elven leadership about this fuck up,¡± the duke said with a sigh, a hand over his face, digging into his temples.

    Janette backhanded him in the chest, and he looked over at me and tried to smile. ¡°That doesn¡¯t usually happen¡­ever. I¡¯m sorry you witnessed that.¡±

    I nodded without fully understanding what he was saying. Janette led me inside and sat me on my bed before pulling out my nightgown. I fell back onto the covers, not caring what I slept in.

    Janette pulled me up and started slipping off my shoes, eventually uncovering my fading yellow bruises. She asked what happened but gave up when I didn¡¯t respond.

    It was wrong to make her dress me, so I stood when instructed and lifted my arms when she pushed them up.

    I was laid down, soft lips touching my cheek before the lights went out, and I was left staring at the curtain concealing my balcony door.

    Wondering what I had just done.

 Chapter 42

    ¡°You have to eat,¡± Haily said, her usually comforting voice grating on my ears. ¡°Chief Yanla ordered me to force-feed you if I must, but I¡¯d rather not let it come to that.¡±

    All of yesterday, people softly padded into my room and tried to get me to talk, have me take just one bite of my meals, or shut my eyes for a little while.

    Janette seemed to think I was having a bad reaction due to my mother¡¯s beheading. Annalise tried to reassure me that Aisling knew the risks of the arena. Morris said it was just a lot of bad luck that prevented them from saving her. Jeremy tried to convince me I could eat and brood at the same time. And according to Janette, the duke was back in meetings otherwise he would have come to see me.

    ¡°The chef made you a pretty light breakfast. It¡¯s just some porridge and¡ª

    The glass art frame sitting next to the doorway shattered and fell to the ground, making Haily flinch and drop the bowl of porridge to add to the broken fragments clattering across the floor. I added my heart to the list of shattered things as I saw Haily¡¯s startled and hurt expression at what I¡¯d just done.

    My mind was still catching up to what exactly that was, and I looked over at the empty spot where the potted plant had been. In a sleep-deprived and anger-induced stupor, I¡¯d rolled over and thrown the pot into the frame.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, my voice coming out hoarse.

    Haily stood for a while to survey the mess, running her hand through her hair and shaking off a splatter of porridge that had landed on her shoe. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a broom, don¡¯t go near the glass.¡±

    She walked away, and for the first time in the last two days, the memory of the arena wasn¡¯t what consumed me. I rolled off the bed, dizzyness making me stand still for a while before

    opening the balcony doors and throwing the dirt and porridge outside into the bushes.

    I crawled back across the bed to the lavatory and got a towel to kneel on, collecting the jagged glass and ceramic shards in my nightgown.

    ¡°Do you know how hard it is to get blood out of white?¡± Haily said, leaning against the broom with a sigh. ¡°Tip them into here.¡±

    I carefully moved the pouch of fragments into the dustpan she held out, noticed the cuts they¡¯d made on my hand, and picked a tiny glass piece out of my thumb to dump it with the rest.

    ¡°Should I get Morris?¡± she asked.

    I shook my head, going with the first idea that came to mind to fix this. ¡°Could I please get a satchel?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, one satchel,¡± Haily said, then mumbled something only a little quieter. ¡°If it¡¯ll get you to stop being such a mopey¡­¡±

    I deserved their criticism, especially from her. Janette thought she understood my overreaction to the other night¡¯s events, but the others were starting to lose their sympathy for my sulking. Telling them I was responsible for the death seemed out of the question, and I worriedly analysed every time someone had seen me with an animal and if they thought I could communicate with them.

    It was plausible, thought they¡¯d then also need to know I could tell what spell Aisling had been about to use.

    The sink ran red, and I deposited another few fragments into it as I tried to wash the blood off. I changed with the few fingers devoid of cuts into the first pair of pants and sweater I found.

    ¡°Here,¡± Haily said, holding out a leather satchel with a shoulder strap.

    I started shoveling the rest of my silver and bronze into it, my coat and a change of clothes. I didn¡¯t bother collecting my little positions with Haily watching over me and was sure I¡¯d return at some point.

    ¡°Want to tell me where you¡¯re going, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Away for a while,¡± I said curtly and felt guilty immediately. ¡°An inn just down the street.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ha. Well, sit down and let me deal with the cuts first,¡± she said, stepping in my way when I tried to go past. ¡°Sit.¡±

    I was sure I¡¯d grown a bit, and the girl only came up to my chin now. I still stepped back and fell onto the bed. Haily brought out a piece of cotton wool and a familiar potion in a vial. I splayed out my hands and prepared myself for the stinging sensation that would follow, but I still almost started stomping my foot the first time the soaked wool made contact.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Haily muttered. ¡°Almost done, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for throwing the plant at you.¡±

    She finished dabbing the last cut. ¡°Older sisters are used to having things thrown at them, though they¡¯re usually more plush.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had siblings,¡± I said.

    ¡°Just the one, little sister. You, though, seem like an only child.¡±

    ¡°Which means what?¡±

    She looked up at me through her long eyelashes from where she was leaning over my hand. ¡°Nothing at all, ma¡¯am. All done.¡±

    I slung the satchel over my shoulder. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll at least have to tell Yanla where you¡¯re going,¡± she said, to which I shrugged and made my way out of the palace, hoping not to run into anyone I¡¯d have to explain myself to. I¡¯d wanted to leave and said I was going to the inn on the spur of the moment, so with the lack of a better idea, that was now the plan.

    Anywhere was fine as long as I didn¡¯t have someone barging in every hour. They all meant well, but it was all too much for me and worse because I knew I didn¡¯t deserve their concern.

    ¡°Valeria!¡± Sam called as I walked past the bastion. I¡¯d forgotten all about the morning training until I noticed all the mages congregating behind the buildings. Hoping they all wouldn¡¯t notice me while they practised had been wishful thinking.

    I let out a warry sigh and tried to smile before turning to face him as he ran up to me. Behind the sweat-drenched Sam was Instructor Daniels, with his arms crossed, looking over from the group gathered around a woman pulling water orbs about.

    He turned to follow my gaze. ¡°He¡¯s not too happy with you at the moment.¡±

    ¡°I heard.¡±

    ¡°Were you at the gambling house with the duke?¡± Sam asked. ¡°Saw what happened in the papers this morning¡ªgruesome stuff. You get used to seeing it happen to other beasts, but you never think it¡¯ll happen to trained fighters like that, just awful. Father reckons it might even affect the election of the owners.¡±

    In my life of reading and the few years I¡¯d been able to talk with people other than my mother, I¡¯d learnt I was terrible at talking and even worse at comforting people. I never knew what to say or do. Still, I at least liked to think my silence was better than this.

    Maybe it wasn¡¯t their fault. I felt like this was all about me because I¡¯d caused it. To them, it was a freak accident to look away from and excuse, discuss the implications and causes of, not treat one of the hundred spectators that had witnessed it with special care and consideration.

    It was right for me to leave for a while.

    ¡°Yeah, awful.¡±

    ¡°Instructor Daniels wants to talk with you a moment,¡± he said. ¡°Might get more agitated if we keep him waiting.¡±

    I didn¡¯t object and sullenly followed behind Sam to the waiting jaws of instructor Daniels.

    ¡°Sir,¡± I said after Sam left me to rejoin the group of trainees, all trying to form their own water orbs. Instructor Daniels ignored me in favour of watching the practice. Instructor Hays, here to teach mana technique, was pulling together water orbs from the air around her with a spell and spinning them in different directions around her.

    She kept her hands behind her back the whole time as four orbs ended up orbiting her.

    ¡°You all know what water is and how it exists in the air around us,¡± she said to the struggling students. ¡°Having a clear idea of what exactly you''re trying to accomplish during and after casting makes it more mana efficient, more so for a continuous spell like this. See, instead of trying to control all the water, I¡¯m only affecting the outer edges and letting the surface tension do the rest.¡±

    I turned to Instructor Daniels to ask what surface tension was, except his frown and furrowed brows reminded me he was not in the best mood to ask. ¡°You skipped my training, Twig. Thrice now.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Sir, I told Commander Faraya about it¡­we didn¡¯t think I would benefit from this.¡± Something I was reconsidering already after only a minute of watching.

    ¡°You don¡¯t go over my head. You come to me to discuss that, and I¡¯ll decide. Does it look like I¡¯m too occupied to teach archery instead?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Instructor Hays said, still controlling the water. ¡°Is this the one that makes the dirt step stools?¡±

    I ignored the snickering going on behind her. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you feel there would be any benefit to attending my sessions?¡± she asked.

    The anger that I¡¯d pushed away after snapping at Haily started creeping back into my chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be anything for me to learn since¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I have anything valuable to teach you?¡± she said with a scowl. ¡°Must have been quite a sum the tax payers spent on tutors. Why don¡¯t you show us what you can do then?¡±

    ¡°My mana isn¡¯t substantial enough to¡ª¡± I tried to say the line Jeremy had taught me if anyone asked me to show them a spell, but she cut me off again.

    ¡°The freecasting I¡¯ve heard about you showing off takes more mana than a basic spell,¡± she said with a wave of her hand. ¡°I heard you still use physical gestures for it, too. Maybe you do need instruction?¡±

    My sorrow at what transpired had been slowly turning to anger over the hours I spent tossing and turning in bed with nothing else to think about. Anger at the duke for getting us there. At the cat-s¨¬th for not making her murderous aims clear. The mercenaries for fighting animals in the first place. The barons for putting it all together. At Aisling for making mud.

    Anger at myself.

    Unlike Haily, Hays felt like a better target to take it out on. So, I grabbed the water around her, breaking the thin string of mana that connected the spell. All the spheres completed their arch to end at a single point above her head. She barely got to look confused before it was forcefully dumped over her.

    I waited a moment to feel some sense of elation, but just like with getting back at Clair, it didn¡¯t make me feel any better. I stalked off before she could do more than gasp and sputter.

    I put on a smile for the outer gate knights and apologised for not being able to get them lunch when they asked. The city was alive as usual, which was something I hadn¡¯t expected for some reason.

    I¡¯d imagined hushed whispers about the reprehensible display at the arena, calls for the cat-s¨¬th to be executed, or the gambling house to be burnt down.

    Looking around at all the normalcy made me feel naive at the expectation the city would be affected because of one mercenary¡¯s death.

    The inn I had gone to before was no exception and was busy with similarly dressed people as before rushing in and out, bar Brenda and her missing coin. Even the healer boy was set up at the same table, and I thought about getting him to rid me of the itchy scratches still healing on my hands, if not for the difficulties even Morris faced in dealing with me.

    One table had a man sitting in contradiction to the hustle and bustle going on around him. His feet were up, and his tea was sitting without any steam wafting off. He turned through the pages of a newspaper, fully reading each before moving on. The top page had a blurry image of mages rushing around the mercenaries with big, bold text above it.

    Fiasco at a ducal night out. Elven mercenary dies after encounter with claws.

    Baron Tiscar and Olivihier issue condolences to the family and pledge stricter guidelines around future person-involved fights, which will be cancelled for the season. Replaced by beast fights for the time being.

    I stopped myself from getting into how my actions caused more beast fights, twisting the knife in my gut. Turning away, I dug into the satchel for the roe needed for a week''s stay, which was most of what I had left, and went up to the counter. ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°One moment,¡± the barkeep said, handing off full steaming plates I watched disappear into the crowded room.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking to find a place to stay for the week?¡±

    ¡°At occupancy until people clear out this morning,¡± she said. ¡°Leave one of those silvers, and I¡¯ll save a room for you later. Name?¡±

    I slid over the coin. ¡°Val.¡±

    She scribbled the name down on a ledger and turned back around for more plates. I was stuck for a moment until I had to move out of someone''s way, leaving the inn when it happened again, twirling around in the street now that my one and only plan after running away was delayed.

    A few options crossed my mind: looking to see if the building Jay hid out in was still being used or checking on the gambling house.

    Neither was appealing in the slightest.

    I kept a hand over the satchel as I waded through the streets, careful not to get it taken by Alister or any similarly unsavoury individuals. For a moment, I wanted to go back and lay in my hammock, read a book and let the day pass. However, the idea of being disturbed while doing so, or worse, walking back past while the training was still going on, kept me on my current path to the only other place of greenery I knew was nearby.

    It took a few wrong turns to get back to the park outside Yis¡¯ house since the last time I¡¯d come it was dark and I¡¯d been running away without a care about remembering where I turned.

    The pak was as large as a length of street, including the buildings. Blankets were set out, and people were lounging on them with food bought at the nearby stands.

    Children tried, with minimal effort, not to run across them during their games. However, sometimes, not being tagged was a bigger risk, and I watched one boy narrowly dodge a pie on his way through.

    I found a tree to sit up against next to a rounded clearing with a football game going on, the places to score denoted by by wood polls and a woven net rather than fence posts.

    There was less running around by the players, seemingly dressed specifically for the activity with snug shoes and a ball that looked like a leatherworker spent years making it.

    I got a few looks from those who were idle and waiting for the ball, one girl staring for longer than the others. ¡°We need another if you want to join.¡±

    She was looking and waving in my direction, and no one else was around except me. My first instinct was to deny the invitation, but it didn¡¯t seem like the worst distraction. I got up and placed the satchel strap on the other side of my neck to better secure it.

    The girl seemed familiar as she held out a hand in for me to shake. ¡°You fine with playing in the back?¡±

    I nodded since it was the only place I¡¯d ever played in, and she motioned for one of the boys in the back to move more to the centre to open up a space for me. ¡°What name should I shout when I want you to pass me the ball?¡±

    ¡°Val, and you?¡±

    She smiled brightly and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Laily¡­didn¡¯t we dance together?¡±

    ¡°And ran away together for a while,¡± I said, understanding why she was familiar. Her different hairstyle and baggy clothing had made it take too long to realise.

    ¡°Yeah, did you end up making it out okay?¡±

    ¡°Laily! We¡¯re down two as long as you keep chatting,¡± the player beside us shouted while keeping his eyes on the ball.

    ¡°Maybe after,¡± Laily said and pointed me towards my place to the side of the goals.

    I kept my eyes on the ball as it bounced around and enjoyed the morning breeze. It came rolling over to me a few times, and I tried my best not to fumble around too much before kicking it off towards Laily ahead of me.

    No one barged into me or tripped me up. However, I did let pass a goal that the opposing player had tapped between my legs to score. I felt guilty for a moment, but unlike back in the town, this game seemed more relaxed, with the score not even being kept.

    Out loud, at least. I was sure someone was still keeping track.

    It ended when Laily and most of the participants needed to change for their classes, and a younger group of kids wanted to use the field to play their own game.

    Laily invited me to come back tomorrow, and I told her I¡¯d try since it was a more appealing invite than training with Instructor Daniels and finding out what mess my second outburst of the day had got me.

    I lay back in the grass, feeling a bit stuffy from running around in a sweater and wondering if Jacob and Greyson would be playing the same game later.

    ¡­

    My eyes were only closed for a moment before a familiar sensation on my cheek woke me up. I shielded my eyes from the overhead sun and turned to Sweeka, who decided they could climb onto me now that I was awake.

    ¡°Arg,¡± I groaned. ¡°You¡¯re heavier than you look.¡±

    A tail swished into my face for longer than necessary as she twirled around on my sweater, settling down, tucking all her limbs underneath her, and leaning her chin on my chest.

    I checked my satchel was still around and placed an arm behind my head to get more comfortable.

    ¡­

    The shoe that prodded me awake next was less than welcome, but I at least knew who it was from Sweeka before I cracked open an eyelid to face my attacker.

    ¡°You look like crap,¡± Yis said. ¡°Did you stay up all night trying to catch a street cat?¡±

    I lifted my hand from where it rested on Sweeka and looked at the cuts surrounded by the dried ointment Haily had put on. ¡°Picking up glass.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know which is worse¡­ You run away from home again?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I mumbled, propping myself up on my elbows without disturbing the sleepy animal still on my stomach.

    Sweeka yawned, which made me start to do so as well.

    I checked my shoulder to see if Yis¡¯ shiny shoes left behind polish where he¡¯d nudged me, but my stiff neck stopped me. To go with the shoes was a faded knight¡¯s uniform, with the sword that hung above the mantle at his waist.

    ¡°Well, my couch is closed for the night, so you¡¯re going to have to find another poor sap to take you in. And can you stop trying to steal my companion away?¡±

    ¡°I have a plan already; maybe she¡¯s mad at you.¡± I didn¡¯t add that it was for not letting her sleep on the bed last night.

    Yis scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s just grumpy I won''t let her on all the furniture. When you get up and find your nice yellow sweater turned green and black, you¡¯ll know why.¡±

    I took the guilty feeling coming from Sweeka as confirmation of that. ¡°Going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been invited to the opera by a few friends,¡± Yis said and dug his shoe in my side again. ¡°Wipe that confused look off your face. I have plenty of friends and you should be worrying  about yourself.¡±

    ¡°I spent time with¡­some people earlier,¡± I said in defence of my confused expression. ¡°Can I come with?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s three hours long.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, not finding an issue with that. They had to be long otherwise there was no way an entire murder mystery book could take place during one.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be surrounded by a bunch of retired people¡­You won¡¯t like the music¡­The story will be confusing¡­Fine, you can come, but you¡¯re looking after Sweeka.¡±

 Chapter 43

    ¡°Yistopher, how did you get one of your granddaughters to come with you?¡± Bernard asked, one of two people in a dress uniform besides Yis, his in military colours. ¡°Share your secrets. Mine give me so much attitude over the mere insinuation I might invite them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not our granddaughter. They¡¯re not even the same age, let alone look alike,¡± Donna said, introduced to me as ¡®the mother of my children¡¯ by Yis and wearing the same uniform as him.

    ¡°Why do you have a young girl accompanying you to the opera,¡± Charlotte asked from her seat with a simpering smile.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡ªCharlie,¡± Yis said, the shorter name sounding like it physically hurt him to say. ¡°Let¡¯s not slander my good character before I¡¯ve even introduced her.¡±

    ¡°Good?¡± Donna scoffed over a sip from her flute glass.

    We were on a balcony that angled towards and gave us a close-up view of a stage made out of the red polished wood from the nearby forest. Rows of cushioned seating ran in lines below us, with more on a second floor at the back of the opera house¡ªa space between the stage and the audience for the collection of instruments. Theatregoers were filtering in and talking to each other amongst the half-filled seats.

    ¡°Val here is taking care of Sweeka for me,¡± Yis said, ignoring Donna.

    ¡°Blink twice if you want us to save you,¡± Chirai said, wearing a regular black suit with a colourful ascot tucked into his button-up vest. ¡°No child willingly comes to the opera, especially with this oaf.¡±

    I leaned towards Yis. ¡°Aren¡¯t these your friends?¡±

    He pushed my shoulder away. ¡°I warned her about it all. She still wanted to come see, and we always have extra seats, so I didn¡¯t think it would be an issue.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Come sit by me, dear.¡±

    She unfolded her long legs, party-covered by a green dress made from a material with a sheen to it, and got a glass for me while I sank into the seat between her and Donna. I shuffled Sweeka into a more comfortable position while she pretended to sleep and picked off more of her fur that had got stuck to my sweater¡ªa futile effort.

    The person at the entrance initially baulked at letting an animal inside, and my attire was also a point of contention until Yis mentioned where his seat was.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The liquid inside the glass handed to me had the effervescence of a bad alchemical reaction. I looked for reassurance before taking a sip, the bubbles tingling in my mouth.

    ¡°Ha,¡± Bernard laughed at the face I pulled and swirled around his crystal glass of amber liquid. ¡°Sparkling wine is an abomination of an already poor drink. Want some of this instead?¡±

    ¡°Is no one going to make comments about giving a young girl liquor?¡± Yis asked¡­and no one did.

    ¡°So, are you a neighbour?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°How do you know our grouchy Yis?¡±

    The man in question went to talk to the other two while Donna and Charlotte leaned in around me.

    ¡°He let me into his house the other night and said I could sleep on his couch,¡± I said, trying not to mention the watch who were chasing me.

    The woman leaning over me and the two men, eavesdropping during their conversation with Yis, all turned to stare at him.

    ¡°No. No, no,¡± Yis said, pointing an accusatory finger at me. ¡°You made that sound so much worse than it was. Tell the full story, girl.¡±

    ¡°Did you or did you not bring her into your house in the middle of the night?¡± Donna asked, pointing an empty glass at him.

    ¡°No¡ªsomewhat, but the watch was after her, and she looked terrified with bruises all up her arm,¡± Yis said quickly. ¡°I invited her inside to get away from them, and she decided to stay despite my insinuation that she should go back home.¡±

    There was a drawn-out discussion about where the bruising came from and why the watch was after me, which I avoided for the most part. Then Charoltte noticed the dried ointment on my hands and offered to heal the scabbed cuts, which I had to deny since she wouldn¡¯t have been able to.

    The dimming lights broke off the conversation about my current living situation, as I had been forbidden from sleeping on his couch again tonight.

    The curtains opened, and cloaked figures dragged thin renditions of barns and fencing onto the stage, with another shadowy figure standing in the middle. The audience settled down before they started speaking.

    ¡°Sirs and Madams, thank you for joining us tonight in our celebration of our military members with a story of how our great nation was formed from a small farm town in a forgotten area of the continental empire into the giant it now is, able to stand tall despite its flaws.¡±

    ¡­

    I had not been prepared for that to be the only speaking part of the event. I kept waiting for the figure to return and explain what was going on between the singing, which was still enjoyable to listen to. My body and heart felt like they swayed to the highs and lows even when I had no clue what words they were drawing out to extremes that I did not know the voice could go to.

    Yis was correct that I didn¡¯t understand the story, and the people dressed as sheep with a whole song to themselves certainly didn¡¯t help. It was still entertaining to see the people representing the kings throughout Werl¡¯s history wear different outrageous costumes with long fur and gem-covered capes that they practically dragged on stage. I also got excited when one period had everyone in frills like Trissa¡¯s drawing.

    The lights came back on, and the shadowy figure finally came back on stage while the most recent castle props were removed. ¡°Thus concludes our first act. Please feel free to stretch your legs and take advantage of our food and beverage service through the back doors. The second act will begin in half an hour.¡±

    I froze mid-stretch. ¡°Second act?¡±

    Bernard snickered as he left the balcony with Chirai, both having made their hunger well known to us.

    ¡°I did warn you,¡± Yis said, holding the door open for Charlotte, Donna, and I. Sweeka wanted to stretch her legs and kept weaving between all of ours as we got to the balconies¡¯ more private spread of finger foods.

    ¡°Are they going through every single king?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Only the most interesting ones,¡± Charlotte said, patting my shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s few left till we get to the finale.¡±

    Each of them took turns pointing to foods they wanted me to try. And since I hadn¡¯t eaten in two days I made quick work of the offerings before the next was placed on my plate.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked to a weird amalgamation of¡­something inside of a shell sitting on my plate.

    ¡°Ah, oysters. They certainly aren¡¯t for everyone,¡± Charlotte said while stabbing a small fork into one. On top of my aversion to eating creatures that were once alive, it looked and smelled gross, so I placed it on her plate instead of trying it like encouraged.

    Sweeka enjoyed the attention of the older guests and was on her best behaviour until someone put sticky hands in her fur. She made a hasty retreat to Yis for a spell to clean it off and then to me for a brush since he wasn¡¯t doing it correctly.

    Every other conversation around us was about the gambling house and the ¡®horrible accident¡¯ that had occurred. I quickly shuffled away from them since they threatened to ruin the fragile peace I¡¯d found, which made it very unfortunate that Yis brought it up in our own group.

    ¡°The duke should get involved. He was there, and it was an elf that lost their life, it¡¯s the perfect excuse for a sweeping ban,¡± Yis said.

    ¡°The owners are two of the votes he¡¯s going to need in a few months,¡± Donna said. ¡°You cannot expect him to upset them over a mishap.¡±

    Yis scoffed. ¡°As if they will ever be voted out. You know how many protections were woven into the deal. You have to be monstrous, truly monstrous, for the barons to agree to even consider voting in someone besides themselves.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what the old duke would have done,¡± Chirai said, raising a glass and grinning.

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    ¡°She would have stayed out of it,¡± Charlotte said, clinking the raised glass with her own. ¡°But I¡¯m sure now that she doesn¡¯t have to worry about whiny barons, it would get taxed into the ground.¡±

    ¡°You also have to consider the public sentiment,¡± Bernard added. ¡°Entertainment and free healing are quite the motivator. And, might I add, it gets some people interested in military service. Not many places to see spellwork and the beasts we face outside the city limits.¡±

    Sweeka protested that I was squeezing her too hard, and I took a deep breath to calm myself for her sake.

    ¡°You look pale,¡± Donna said, pressing her palm to my forehead. ¡°Was it the oysters?¡±

    ¡°No¡­I¡¯m fine,¡± I said and continued since I didn¡¯t want them to look at me with concern I didn¡¯t deserve. ¡°I was at the arena when it happened, so I¡¯m just feeling a little queasy.¡±

    Donna took her hand off my forehead to whack Yis in the shoulder. ¡°Why would you bring it up.¡±

    ¡°How was I supposed to know?¡±

    Charlotte draped her arm around my neck, her dark blonde curls settling onto my head, and led me away from the ensuing argument towards a pitcher of water. ¡°Do you want to sit down?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go back to the balcony with Sweeka. Thank you.¡±

    She squeezed my shoulder before letting me head back down the hallway to their balcony.

    I fell into one of the chairs, sending a jolt through Sweeka that she didn¡¯t appreciate. Placating her was as simple as digging my nails into the base of her antlers, but my fingers froze for long enough that she turned to nip at them.

    Two people were sitting near the front row of the emptied-out theatre floor; two people I recognised.

    Fergie and Jay sat somewhere near the middle aisle. The former sipping his glass and trying his best to ignore Jay, who gesticulated wildly while speaking into the other¡¯s ear. I spotted Brigette on her own a few rows back with another one of their group on the other side of the aisle. I could only see the heads of the patrons below me, so I was unsure if there were more.

    The nipping at my fingers distracted me from wondering why they were there, especially since most of the guests I interacted with found it surprising someone my age was. They also didn¡¯t seem the type to sit still for hours.

    I slowly ran my hands through her fur again, watching their discussion play out. The chairs being stuck to the floor helped dissuade me from throwing one down at Jay for leaving me alone with the watch, Alister not being around to share in my ire.

    Yis came back in to sit down, which was next to me since I¡¯d taken Bernard¡¯s chair in the front. ¡°Sorry about the morbid topic. I sometimes forget to¡­reign myself in around younger company.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, comforted by Sweeka¡¯s presence to continue what was actually on my mind. ¡°I can¡¯t get the memory of her body falling out of my head.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Yis said, quiet for a long time. ¡°I don¡¯t know you well, or at all, really. And I¡¯m not exactly known for sensitive conversations, but would you like to talk about it? Donna seems to think you¡¯re from an orphanage and might not have anyone else to talk with.¡±

    I tilted my head from side to side, debating my answer since he was only party right.

    ¡°Oh, crap. You are? I¡¯m sorry. I told her she was just being nosey,¡± he said, pulling at his grey hair and burying his face in his hands. ¡°I suppose that makes sense¡­is someone there hurting you cause the offer to hack limbs is still on the table.¡±

    ¡°No, those really are self-inflicted,¡± I said, smiling at the offer and thinking back to the opera for a way to ask an insensitive question. ¡°There were a lot of wars in that first act¡ªat least, I think that¡¯s what it was about. Did you ever¡­fight other people when you were a knight?¡±

    ¡°Not often. Our conflicts aren¡¯t bloody battles on open fields worthy of operas anymore, but they still exist.¡±

    ¡°How did you¡­?¡± I asked, not finding the right word to express my hope of finding a more permanent solace than Sweeka¡¯s fur.

    He folded his legs and leaned back into the chair, considering what to say. ¡°Cope? This won¡¯t help too much with your situation since you only witnessed it, not saying that isn¡¯t traumatic. But the short answer is we do it slowly; we do it together. Us knights experience a lot of the same things, so we have a good group to talk to that will understand.

    Not to gloat, but to talk. People on the outside don''t understand what it¡¯s like. The guilt and shame can be overwhelming, and not everyone gets why you¡¯re suddenly angry over your partner buying the wrong type of naartjie.¡±

    I hummed my agreement and forgot to respond with all the thoughts crowding my mind, along with watching Fergie get up and leave behind an exasperated Jay.

    Yis didn¡¯t try to continue the conversation anymore, and we sat in silence until everyone came back to their seats. Bernard didn¡¯t mind me keeping his chair up in the front, so I kept an eye on Jay as the curtains opened on the second act.

    The scene from the fall of the capital was up next, with the person portraying the king singing somberly and people depicting witches sneaking around behind him. I had to ask Yis to make sure since the performers had their backs hunched and wore masks that looked like their skin was falling off. A tune of triumph and loss came next as the knights pushed back against an opposing song that was supposed to represent the ghouls.

    That was when Jay decided to get up and go to the side of the theatre below me.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the lavatory?¡± I whispered to Yis.

    ¡°Out the door, take a right, and you¡¯ll find it at the end.¡±

    I carefully picked up Sweeka to deposit her onto his lap, quietly exited, and turned right down the hallway till I was far enough away. I drained the mana crystal around my neck and quickly ran back past the doorway in hopes no one would open it since all five of them were mages and would be able to tell something was wrong with my mana.

    The stairs down were easy enough to find, but now that I was in a hallway adjacent to the theatre and far behind Jay, I had no idea where he had gone. The thought that he was just in the lavatory and was here to enjoy the opera did cross my mind. However, that was at the bottom of my list of possibilities.

    The singing abruptly stopped and was replaced by shouting and screaming coming from the direction of the stage.

    ¡°Everyone relax.¡± A sleazy voice came over the amplification enchantment that had been flooding the building with a beautiful melody moments before. ¡°Any more screaming, and I open up her pretty neck. Any spells or movement I didn¡¯t approve, same result.¡±

    ¡°Now, me and my friends here have the entire cast well wrapped up. We know there are a lot of old traitors in the audience, so squash any thoughts of heroics. I have people that might be sitting right next to you, ready to act, so careful who you talk to.¡±

    I imagined he was talking directly to Yis with the part about the heroics, who was probably standing at the railing, ready to jump. I started to move slowly towards where I thought the access to the stage would be, although every hallway looked the same.

    ¡°Everyone on the balconies, while I¡¯d love to auction you off back to your thieving families, I need you all to go before your corrupt cronies come in to save you over all of us down here. Leave.

    ¡°To the old man in the uniform glaring at me, you really want to be responsible for her death? Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. We have our own mages, so any thoughts of hiding will lead to dead opera singers. Any of my people go missing, dead opera singers.¡±

    Doors bashed open, and people stormed down the stairs. It would be smart to turn around and go with them, yet I carried on towards past signs directing me backstage.

    The twang of a crossbow echoed over the enchantment, and a muffled scream followed.

    ¡°Ah, ah, ah. I didn¡¯t say any you could leave yet.¡±

    Ahead of me was a door that sat ajar, with a whole section missing where the handle and lock should have been. The sound from that direction was less muffled, and I poked my head to check despite not sensing any people on the other side. Mages had been getting easier to pick out, but regular people were still easy to miss in a place packed with enchantments distracting me.

    The lights had been turned on again, but most didn''t reach behind the curtains to the cluttered side of the stage I was now in. I ducked behind a covered object I couldn¡¯t make out in the dark to peer onto the stage.

    From the limited section I could see around all the props and clothing, were people dressed like any other I had seen throughout the night but in clothes that didn¡¯t fit them best. They had the performers on the ground or with arms around their necks with blades and crossbows pinning them in place.

    Now that I had come this far, I had to confront the fact that I had no plan for what to do next. Putting on one of the nearby cloaks and mask came to mind and sounded like a good idea until I imagined what Jeremy would do when the mages in the crowd reported someone they couldn¡¯t sense.

    Hurting the attackers was out of the question, and it made me sick to my stomach thinking about what it could cause for the people they were holding. Overall, I regretted coming this far.

    ¡°I need a good little messenger to write down a list of demands and warnings for me,¡± said a lanky man with his arm wrapped around one of the opera singers, a knife pressing up against her throat. ¡°See, we don¡¯t care about you. No one¡¯s going to get hurt as long as the people outside give us what we want.¡±

    He pointed the knife out to the crowd. ¡°I saw those looks. You all think that person getting shot is my fault? After I said not to move? What is wrong with you people? When our oppressors tell citizens to stop running and use disobeying that to justify flinging spells, you all clap and cheer. Where are my cheers?¡±

    ¡°WHERE ARE THEY?¡±

    A single clap came from beyond the stage, turning sporadic for a moment.

    The man sighed. ¡°You with the pad and pencil in the front row, yes, you. Were you reviewing the show? Did you like it?¡±

    ¡°I-I did, sir.¡±

    ¡°You enjoyed watching them rewrite our history? As if it wasn¡¯t the nobility that invited catastrophe upon us. Nobility that still exists today, no matter what they make us call them. You enjoyed that?¡±

    ¡°N-No? Sir?¡±

    He sighed again, dragging the woman with him as he walked across the stage. ¡°That¡¯s the problem with people these days. No convictions. Someone gets up on a podium and tells you to think a certain way, and you¡¯re so eager to do so.¡±

    ¡°I-I-I was undecided since we, umm, did not get to finish the whole performance,¡± the audience member said.

    ¡°I-I-I,¡± the man mocked. ¡°Are you blaming me for your lack of morals? Never mind, start writing. I need you to be a good boy and run an errand for me.¡±

    The obvious leader to this mess started listing off names he wanted to be released from the watch. Each name was in exchange for one they were holding inside. He was even ¡®kind enough¡¯ to offer two children from the opera for one adult from the watch.

    ¡°And Alister,¡± Jay¡¯s voice interrupted as the man was about to move on to more demands.

    ¡°Sure, why not? Write that name down and ten thousand roe for each of our leftover captives after the exchange,¡± he said. ¡°Also, tell them we have some of this lying around the premises.¡±

    He gestured to someone with a crossbow who brought out a small jar of wet cotton wool.

    ¡°Cannonwool, or as the Andrakans more eloquently put it, dragon¡¯s breath. A nice deterrent for our oppressors storming in here, don¡¯t you think?¡±

 Chapter 44

    If the opera¡¯s length and confusing story had severely affected my excitement for experiencing a setting often discussed in my books, then the mess before me well and truly killed all that remained.

    I was crammed into a small nook on a cluttered stage, listening to some people struggle to hold back their tears and others softly beg for their lives with sharpened steel pointed at them.

    ¡°Mage boy, make sure our reviewer doesn¡¯t let any bugs in on his way out,¡± the leader said.

    ¡°Sure¡­boss,¡± Jay said reluctantly. ¡°Move it.¡±

    The jar of dragon¡¯s breath was handed back to the one with the crossbow. ¡°Set this up once he¡¯s gone.¡±

    I ducked back into my nook when the boss turned around, his and Crossbow¡¯s thumping footsteps on the wooden floors getting closer before one stopped and the other carried on past me.

    ¡°Well, Ghaven,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re here now, and with a few dozen hostages, every one of them a reason for the knights to burst in here. You owe me that explanation. Exactly how are we not about to get our asses handed to us with nothing to show for it?¡±

    My first thought was that it was interesting that the person he was talking to shared a name with the guard from Tamil. That was until he spoke and found it was far more interesting because they were the same person.

    ¡°Now, now, Olyat. Is our steel, crossbows, roe, and resources insufficient for you to trust our commitment?¡±

    The lack of response to that inquiry made the answer obvious.

    ¡°Sure, you held up your side. We chose the opera for its enchantments,¡± Ghaven said. ¡°On top of the iron gates at the main entrances, there is a defensive field for every door and window. They will need to get through the physical defences, trivial for them, and then either drain or break the enchantments.¡±

    Olyat scoffed. ¡°Even we can do that. The knights and watch have a shit load more mages and iron than us, and the dragon¡¯s breath traps can only be detonated once¡ªif they even work.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they do. And you could do that because those enchantments were badly made with no fail safes, shut-off valves, and one-way inlays,¡± Ghaven said, sounding passionate. ¡°They¡¯ll need to quickly drain an entrance¡¯s inlay if they want to activate the shut-off valves to that particular section.

    ¡°We have brought enough crystal, dragged along those mage kids, and have a captive audience to supply mana to the system so that shut-off doesn¡¯t happen often. They could overpower the protection where it¡¯s weakest in the walls, but I doubt they¡¯ll authorise that kind of damage early on when there are perfectly good doors to try. Once they get a single breakthrough and pour in, convinced they found all the traps, we¡¯ll be ready to cut off their escape and pounce.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re just trapping ourselves in with a bunch of mages hopped up on thoughts of revenge,¡± Olyat said.

    ¡°That¡¯s the hope. Get them so frustrated with our tricks and treachery that they don¡¯t notice what¡¯s sitting right above their heads.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too many ways this could go to shit. Go show my idiots how to do the traps, can¡¯t afford to heal them if they fuck up.¡±

    ¡°I do enjoy being useful,¡± Ghaven said, his footsteps going past my hiding place and out the door I came in through.

    ¡°Good,¡± Olyat said, raising his voice again as he returned to the stage. ¡°If I hear one more whimper, I¡¯m cutting out his tongue.¡±

    I poked my head out to ensure Olyat was back onstage, looking over the audience. Going with Ghaven and finding out what he was up to sounded like a better way to get an idea of how to help, and if I was being honest, I wanted to be as far away from Olyat as possible.

    The way he went from sounding deranged to then having a peaceful conversation with Ghaven and immediately returning to terrifying the hostages unnerved me.

    I went back towards the doorway, crouched low to the ground, and peeked around to see if Ghaven had already turned the next corner. With a final look back at the frightened opera performers, I followed after him.

    Getting to the stairway back up to the balcony I had come down gave me pause on where to go. The opera house took up the usual double row of buildings at the end of a street. So, according to the diagrams that littered the halls, two side entrances led to either street, and a main entrance sat at the top.

    Yis and I had used one of the side entrances ahead to get in and up these stairs, which led to a landing that split to the balconies or up past a rope cordoning off the other direction.

    From the sounds of slamming doors and talking coming from up ahead, Ghaven had stopped at the same side entrance. I carefully placed my boots on the floor so there was no chance of them squeaking against the polished wood and leaned around the next corner.

    Before me were Ghaven, Jay, and Crossbow, and an iron gate screeching against its hinges as it was pushed closed just behind the double wooden doors. It crashed shut, and Crossbow started unwinding a spool of clear string.

    ¡°Pull the fishing line taught before you tie it off; slack makes it more visible and harder to trigger,¡± Ghaven said, standing over the man.

    ¡°There was a group of watch out there when I closed the doors,¡± Jay said. ¡°We should hurry up and get the enchantments on. I doubt this little jar will stop them.¡±

    ¡°No one said anything about stopping them, boy,¡± Ghaven said. ¡°The point is fear. They¡¯ll ignore our warning of dragon¡¯s breath since it¡¯s pretty much a myth around here and charge right into it. Then boom, no one will want to end up as burn victims trying another entrance, therefore encouraged to go down the path they¡¯ve already cleared.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing?¡± Crossbow asked, carefully placing the jar, now empty of liquid, onto a contraption the fishing line was tied to near the metal gate.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough,¡± Ghaven said. ¡°Concentrate on making sure to set the contingency properly. We don¡¯t want them just picking up my boss¡¯s hard-to-obtain explosive if they notice the tripwire.¡±

    I pulled my head back around the corner as Jay turned to look up at Ghaven. ¡°You work for the foreigner?¡±

    ¡°I suppose he does have a bit of an accent,¡± Ghaven asked. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Then do you know¡ª

    I flinched as a loud bang washed over us from the direction of the main entrance, cutting Jay off from the damning question he was probably about to ask.

    ¡°That was quick,¡± Ghaven said, unfazed and sounding like he was rifling inside a bag. ¡°I need to go make sure that wasn¡¯t self-inflicted. Take this detonating cord and go upstairs. There¡¯s a room in the office wing with the nameplate ¡®Dorothy,¡¯ it should be unlocked with several indigo satin pillows inside. Pile up those pillows and stick the end of the cord into one, then unspool it over towards the stage. Don¡¯t dare use mana anywhere near it, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s indigo?¡±

    I had already started moving before the sound of approaching footsteps, dashing back to the staircase and swinging around the corner just before Ghaven turned the opposite way towards the main entrance.

    Crossbow and Jay, following behind him and turning my way, had me retreating further up the stairs to the landing and then to the balcony when they started climbing the stairs. They went under the rope with the restricted sign just in time for me to duck back inside the staircase as two people came out of separate balcony doors and started talking to each other.

    One went back inside, but the other came towards the stairs, and I was once again forced to skitter away. My heart raced, and I swung my head in each direction when I got to the bottom, quickly deciding to hide where the trap had just been set since that seemed less likely to be visited than the stage.

    I was right in that the person turned towards the stage, and I was going to stay where I was until Jay and Crossbow came back down from what they were doing. I approached the see-through fishing line, careful to keep it within sight at all times as I knelt next to the jar.

    There was nothing to figure out about it beyond what I¡¯d gathered from them speaking: If someone stepped into the line, boom. Suppose someone picked up the jar, boom. And from how loud one sounded from across the building, it would be a large one.

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    Jay might have only been here to get Alister back from the watch, but I was still disappointed that the people I wanted to associate myself with would do something like this. I didn¡¯t think they were law-abiding before, but stealing items felt far away from taking hostages and setting up traps for knights.

    Ghaven being here, with people who didn¡¯t necessarily like mages, was a weird twist considering his views on lessers back in Tamil. At the very least, he wasn¡¯t being forthright with these people. Zara, who I assumed was the foreigner, was possibly also still hiding stuff from him, especially considering the fake accent he exhibited back in the hidden tower.

    I kept working myself in circles, trying to piece together with whom each of them was lying or pretending for when Jay and Crossbow returned to the hallway.

    They moved back toward the stage, and I walked out into the hallway after to find a thin red cord in their wake leading up the stairs. I followed it under the rope and to a hallway lined with doorways and nameplates in either direction.

    The red cord led into the one Ghaven had mentioned, sticking out of a haphazard pile of blue pillows. I was at a loss for what any of it could mean before I saw some of the pillow stuffing where it had been ripped open for the cord.

    The same fluffy cotton-like substance was inside, partially spilling out around the red cord. With shaking hands, I moved some out of the way to see the end of the cord, finding that it was made of two parts. The red part being a waxy coating covering a very thin piece of gold.

    Without knowing precisely what any of this would do, but knowing it wasn¡¯t good, I pulled out the cord. I half expected a loud bang to accompany it when picking it up using my weird mana, yet I was fine and now holding the end of the cord without a clue what to do with it or the pillows.

    The plan sounded simple from what I understood: Make it difficult to get inside with the enchantments, iron gates, and traps. The knights then chose to go through an entrance they already cleared. Then mana travels through the gold to activate the pillows worth of dragon¡¯s breath above the entrance, potentially sealing them inside.

    What would happen after that was still fuzzy, but I imagined removing the cord spoiled the plan for this entrance. If the bang from before implied the knights were going there instead, then it wouldn¡¯t matter¡­unless I made this one an even more accessible entrance for them.

    The rest of the office consisted of pillowless sofas, a wardrobe, shelving with pictures and awards, and a cluttered desk. The window behind the desk had the curtains drawn, but a small opening in the centre let through a bright sliver of white light.

    I pulled back the curtain to see mage orbs crowding the night sky, illuminating scattered raindrops, and shining upon watch members pushing back a crowd from the street where a third knight squad was dismounting to join two already there. The captains of those squads were crowding around and listening to Yis, whose lips moved like he was barking orders.

    As I assumed, this room was directly above the side entrance Jay and Crossbow had been working on.

    Other knights were talking to those who had been on the balcony and the man with the notepad full of demands. Mana began to flow into the hidden inlay around the windows, establishing the enchantment field over the window pane and surrounding wall. I froze with my mouth agape and slowly turned to the pillows, which luckily seemed not to care about that mana.

    With the beginnings of a plan in mind, I dragged out the cord, moved it in the opposite direction when exiting the staircase and left it at the end where I assumed the turnoff for the stage would be. Next, I pinched the pillows in my fingers and carefully carried them away from the room and into the hallway next to the detonating cord.

    There were eight pillows in total, and I left 6 of them in the new location with the cord stuck into one. I took the other two downstairs, dodging someone returning back to the balconies and slipped inside the small hallway leading to the now enchanted wooden entrance, iron gate, and trip wire.

    I held my breath and gripped the pillows tightly as I stepped one boot over the trip wire so I was close enough to push a pillow through the bars of the gate and stretch out my arm close enough to drop the pillow near enough to the door so it did something but far enough away so the enchantment field didn¡¯t make the dragon''s breath do what it¡¯s name implied.

    Dragons hadn¡¯t been seen much since iron-tipped arrows had been invited. However, stories of them and their stone-melting breath were still scattered throughout folklore and had a prominent description in every book on animals I¡¯d gotten from the library.

    I still held my breath as I moved my boot back over the wire and tucked the second pillow between the iron bars near the lock. All in hopes the jar would affect both of them and they would affect the obstructions.

    After retreating back around the corner, I realised that besides stepping into the wire myself, I had nothing to activate it. Without another option, since I didn¡¯t want to go all the way back up to the offices, I untied one of my boots and finally let out the breath I¡¯d forgotten I was holding.

    I drew my arm back like I was pulling the strings of a bow taut and let the boot fly, running back towards the stairs at the same time. I heard the boot bash into the gate, but no ear-ringing bang followed for a long while. Checking on it revealed the boot sitting next to the wire where it had fallen after hitting the gate.

    Scared about how loud the sound had been, I pulled off my other boot and quickly threw it. Before getting back to the stairs this time, a bright flash of red and orange lit up the hallway in front of me, burning itself into the back of my eyelids.

    The bang never came, and no other sound did either because I couldn¡¯t hear anything at all as I stumbled on a shaking floor. I leaned against the staircase wall and looked back to pieces of rock still bouncing and clattering to a stop even near where I was. The wall exposed to the entrance was covered in rock and iron that had been embedded into the blackened stretch.

    Compared to the spell used on me outside of Tamil, this was far more terrifying. I worried for the people outside who might have been showered in splinters from the wooden door. A shout of warning to Yis might have been a good idea in hindsight, but I hadn¡¯t wanted him to occupy what I thought would be a very limited time to act. A small part of me also didn¡¯t want him to think I was responsible for the damage to an establishment he liked.

    My hearing didn¡¯t work, and my eyes were still adjusting to the dim hallways, so when I sensed people coming from the stage and balconies, I bashed my shin on a few steps as I scrambled to the landing and under the rope before they came storming down.

    I pressed myself against the wall rest, my eyes widening when I saw the pillows with three times the amount of dragon¡¯s breath only twenty yards away from me. It was an extremely good motivator to get my legs moving fast down the hallway and back into the pillowless room.

    The enchantment below the room wasn¡¯t dissipating, but the iron gate no longer felt like it was on its hinges. The window¡¯s inlay also still had mana flowing through it, yet that didn¡¯t matter as I opened it and hung one leg outside, waving towards Yis while putting mana into my necklace with the other hand.

    When that didn¡¯t get his attention, I whistled or thought I did since I still couldn¡¯t hear it. Regardless, that did get his and the knights¡¯ attention, all looking fine amongst the small debris from the smashed doors lying on the ground or barely hanging on a single hinge.

    He still looked to be shouting as he ran below me, his arms held out as if to catch me. That hadn¡¯t been the intention, though I trusted him to get me down safer than my current attempt at magic would be. I pulled my other leg over the ledge, and he worriedly glanced towards the wide-open entrance with knights moving ahead of him with shields deployed. I didn''t want him standing in the open while I worked up the courage to jump, so I let myself tip forward.

    The brief rush of air and stomach lurching to my throat was hurridly ended by two arms hitting my side and ribs.

    Yis was talking directly into my face, but I had to point at my ears and say I couldn¡¯t hear him louder than I probably needed to. He and I moved to the side as two squads of knights lined each side of the doorway with the enchantment still blocking them. The inlay had been exposed by the blast, and the end of a pair of iron tongs with very large handles had been placed around the thick piece of gold, a knight at each handle pushing them inwards to crush the inlay.

    Mana and iron bolts flew out of the hallway and into the third squad¡¯s combined mana shield layered onto steel ones.

    The efforts of the two knights and the mana in the inlay being dragged into the iron were enough to cut through, the enchantment filed over the doorway failing.

    The third group moved forward into the cleared entrance to take the hits as the first and second squads followed behind, returning their own mix of mana arrows and iron bolts, their opponent''s attacks petering off as more of them retreated around the corner.

    Yis watched all of this with me still in his arms, and I pocked his cheek to get his attention.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be another one,¡± I said into the silence that still surrounded me.

    His eyebrows knit together, and he opened his mouth to say something. He didn¡¯t get the chance as the second floor of the area of the building behind him bulged outwards and scattered the inside of an office and most of the wall all over the street as a bubble of flame belched out behind it.

    The watch had gladly cleared the area, but smaller chunks still bounced off the walls of the buildings opposite.

    The knights were still at the first turn and had knelt down into a defensive position at the assumably deafening sound from outside.

    ¡°Tell them to go up to the balcony or around to the main entrance.¡±

    Yis was looking away from me towards the gaping hole on the second floor so I smacked his cheek while pointing to the hunkered-down knights, and spoke louder incase his own hearing was ruined. ¡°Tell them to go up to the balcony or around to the main entrance.¡±

    Yis¡¯ lips moved in a way that looked to be conveying all that to the knights, and he ended it with an apology towards me as he put me upright. I stood with my socks getting wet in the shallow puddles and watched as he rallied a group of armoured watch officers and healers over the chunks of rock to follow the knights that had split up to go in each direction.

    One of the healers stopped near me to put his hand on my ears, his brows knitting in confusion when nothing happened after his spell. I pulled his arms off my head and pushed him towards the others, his hands coming away bloody.

    I reached up to my own ears as I watched him go, blood coating them as I pulled them away.

    Another squad of knights came running over from the direction of the main entrance, and I moved out of the way as they dove straight through the broken doorway.

    I carried on walked back and almost tripped on a chunk of stone that was now on the road because of me. I didn¡¯t want to know what else had happened because of me. I didn¡¯t want to know if anyone had been close to the explosion, so I walked past the line of officers who were more focused on the building and keeping people out rather than me in.

 Chapter 45

    My ears had healed enough to get lost in pattering from the torrent of rain hitting the cobblestones and rooftops while I splashed my feet into a growing puddle, my chin nestled into knees I¡¯d drawn up to my chest.

    I was sitting outside Yis¡¯ door because I¡¯d made it halfway to the inn before I figured out all the roe I¡¯d taken with me from the palace was inside the sachel I¡¯d left at the opera. My cloak was also inside, leaving me exposed and soaked during my wait.

    I¡¯d found the silver ring from the cave in my pocket where I¡¯d put it the other day, thinking there would be a chance to resize it for my smaller fingers. I occupied myself by twisting it over in them as stray droplets landed atop its scratched surface.

    The bulgasari had eaten steel back in the area, and I tried to follow their example with silver by biting down on the ring.

    ¡°Oww,¡± I groaned while holding my cheek, something sounding like it cracked in my mouth. My attention on what exactly the bulgasari had been doing with their mana when chomping onto the spear tip may not have been the best. Or it just wasn¡¯t supposed to work with anything other than steel.

    I missed my boots for possibly the first time in my life. Wet socks were a more sinister form of torture compared to the most toe-pinching of footwear. That thought took me back to when Alisa and I had bought them in Kiteer, and I''d made a fuss about them being made of animal hide. We¡¯d discussed that not every animal was docile and that there were creatures out there deserving of being hunted.

    Monsters that preyed on people. Like me, someone who''d killed at least one person and possibly more. A monster that deserved to be hunted down.

    Maybe they had it coming for encroaching on my territory, for hurting and terrorising the people and animals around me.

    An animal that was far too chipper for my dour mood freed herself from Yis¡¯ arms and padded over to me through puddles that submerged most of her paws. Sweeka reared back to place those wet paws on my knees, trying to see what I had in my hand and almost poking an eye out with her antlers.

    Despite not feeling up to sharing in her joy at finally being home, I still dug my nails into all the spots she presented for me, even almost rolling in the puddles to show off her belly.

    Yis caught up with his companion, my satchel slung over his shoulder. I stood and held out my hand for it, but he walked past me to unlock the door and open it for Sweeka. Yis looked unimpressed with her shaking all the water off right in the doorway, the extra droplets hardly affecting me.

    Yis motioned for me to follow, and I showed my displeasure by also dripping into his hallway.

    He didn¡¯t seem to care as he lifted his hands to my ears while I tried to lean away, the wall behind me eventually cutting me off. ¡°Stop being difficult. I just want to make sure the healers got to you. You can hear me, can¡¯t you? ¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± I mumbled.

    Before he closed the door, I sent most of the water soaking me and my clothes through the doorway. It was more difficult to do it while fully dressed than when walking out of the shower, so my clothes were still uncomfortably damp.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite talented at that,¡± Yis said, opening the door again. ¡°Mind drying Sweeka as well? For my sofa¡¯s sake?¡±

    I glared up at him through my eyelashes and gave him one of the eye rolls I¡¯d learnt from Haily, still drying off the appreciative creature¡ªmore for her sake than Yis¡¯.

    ¡°I could talk to a few of my friends still in service if you would like to put those talents to use,¡± he said, removing the coat that had repelled most of the rain from his clothing. ¡°Especially after what you did tonight.¡±

    ¡°How many?¡± I asked, walking into the sitting room to fall onto one of the sofas.

    ¡°First, I have an important question for you.¡± Yis sat, folding his legs and crossing his arms. ¡°Since you¡¯re not denying your involvement.¡±

    My heart started to race again, my mind going through the different possibilities of imprisonment and punishment for destroying the opera house or for who I¡¯d hurt in the process.

    ¡°Did you know what was going to happen tonight?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± A new avenue of worry piled onto the others. How had he found out about my connection to Jay¡¯s group, and why did he think that meant I knew what they were planning? Did he think I was involved, not because I helped, but because I was part of the group taking hostages? He didn¡¯t seem angry enough to think that much.

    ¡°Or, more directly,¡± he said, pausing and gesturing to the air in thought. ¡°Are you clairvoyant?¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°You being in the park right when I was about to leave for the opera and asking to come with was my first suspicion. Another was when you weren¡¯t feeling well during the intermission, and we had that conversation on the balcony about fighting people right before this debacle where you did just that.

    ¡°Is there another explanation for all of this? How did you manage to leave right before the attack was launched? Evade their detection initially, and while you moved dragon¡¯s breath from the few pieces we found above the entrance to the doorway, where we also found one of your smouldering boots.¡±

    I let out a breath I¡¯d been holding onto, relieved he didn¡¯t think I was with the attackers, my old worries coming back to the forefront.

    ¡°How many?¡± I asked again¡ªmy hopes of where I¡¯d placed the pillows not being close enough to hurt anyone too badly fading.

    Yis paused for a moment and spoke before I started demanding an answer. ¡°Ten¡­the hostage that was shot at the start was too far gone. Four attackers were buried under rubble, and another four were felled by us. One watch member from setting off a trap at another entrance.¡±

    ¡°And what?¡± I snapped, standing and baring my teeth. ¡°You think this was all planned? That I wanted or knew all those people were going to get hurt? I didn¡¯t want her to die, and if I knew what was going to happen, I would have stopped it before it began.¡±

    Yis¡¯ eyes widened while he made a placating gesture. ¡°This could have been the best outcome; they could have taken all that dragon¡¯s breath to do something far more damaging. Clairvoyance wouldn¡¯t be the weirdest thing I¡¯ve seen mana do, and every culture has tales of people who claim to be able to do it. And¡­you just said ¡®her¡¯ when I didn¡¯t tell you the watch officer was a woman.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t been thinking about the officer during that slip-up.

    After snatching up the satchel leaning against Yis¡¯ seat, I moved to the exit, wrenching the door open and stepping outside. My feet submerging into the water greatly cooled my anger towards Yis¡¯ news and replaced it with a renewed annoyance at wet socks.

    I let the rain pelt me for a while before walking back inside, ridding myself of water and slamming the door. ¡°I had no idea this would happen any sooner than you did. I overheard them talking, followed the cord and moved the dragon¡¯s breath. That¡¯s all. Everything else was just a coincidence.¡±

    Yis shrugged but didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Even if that¡¯s all, you still saved a lot of people. I can mention you and your involvement to some people and get you rewarded.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not be celebrated for killing,¡± I said, genuinely feeling that way and not wanting the palace to find out I was causing trouble, especially if Jay and the others started talking about ¡®Twig,¡¯ if they had been caught.

    I sat back down and bounced my leg, desperate to talk about what I¡¯d done before it consumed me. To have the chance to explain myself and my actions to someone who didn¡¯t seem to care that I¡¯d already caused the deaths of four people or was being chased by the watch when we met. ¡°You were once a captain in the knights? Can I¡­tell you something? Not about clairvoyance.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I once was. But you could tell me regardless.¡±

    I was sure Jeremy and the duke wouldn¡¯t be happy I was letting another captain know about what they wanted to be kept secret. But I needed help from someone who wasn¡¯t looking to get something from me or when telling them could jeopardise if I was allowed to keep living at the palace.

    Mostly, I just liked the way Yis treated Sweeka and thought he might understand what I had done in the arena like he seemed to for the opera house.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I dug a hand into the neckline of my sweater and pulled out the crystal, draining it and getting hit with the fear I felt before jumping down to Yis earlier. He stared while I folded my hands on my lap, waiting and watching his face scrunch up, eyes widen, and eyebrows furrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­interesting,¡± he finally said. ¡°I was quite confident you went through an enchantment field on the window but decided that was impossible, that it must have been failing¡­Was it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Very interesting. It¡¯s not clairvoyance, but it certainly explains avoiding getting found.¡±

    I covered my eyes and got Sweeka to untuck her head and look towards Yis from the sofa arm she rested on beside him. ¡°There¡¯s something else. Hold up a finger, and I¡¯ll say how many.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°Two fingers, four, one behind your other palm¡­That¡¯s not very nice,¡± I said and removed my hand after he made a rude gesture.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m lost. What¡¯s the trick? Sensing the air around my hand?¡±

    ¡°Nope, her,¡± I said, pointing at Sweeka, who was enjoying teaming up to confuse Yis.

    ¡°Still lost, Val.¡±

    I had to go through a long explanation and speculation on animals being more in touch with mana so that I could interact with them. He wasn¡¯t convinced and had me blindfolded in the other room, calling out what he was showing Sweeka before he conceded that I wasn¡¯t messing with him.

    He asked how my spellcraft worked, and then the whole process of trying to convince him that I couldn¡¯t use spells started. Telling him the bruises were from trying to use too much mana didn¡¯t go much better¡ªespecially since I wasn¡¯t allowed to demonstrate that part.

    The whole point was to talk about what happened in the arena, yet when we eventually got to a point in the conversation where I could tell him, I panicked and kept my mouth shut.

    ¡°Understandable why you¡¯d want this kept secret. How many people know? Has anyone tried to recruit you before?¡±

    However, it might be far worse for me if I kept my mouth shut and he figured it out on his own.

    ¡°I helped the cat-s¨¬th to kill the person in the arena,¡± I blurted out. ¡°That''s why I was asking about that stuff on the balcony, not because I knew there would be an attack.¡±

    The following silence killed me as I folded in on myself, glancing up at the sword on the wall and wondering if he wanted to use it on me.

    ¡°How and why?¡± He asked, his tone neutral and curious rather than enraged.

    ¡°I, umm, gave them advice¡­because I didn¡¯t want them to get skewered and stabbed like the two creatures that fought before. I didn¡¯t mean for her to die. I just wanted to help the animals who were only fighting because they were forced to.¡±

    He sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Even if you walked into a chancery, I can¡¯t see the law ever finding you culpable. And morally speaking, you did the equivalent of shouting out advice into the fight like a lot of the audience does, and the unwilling fighter found it helpful in their decision. On the other hand, someone died, but that might have happened regardless of your involvement.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He was talking about it in a much more positive way than even my most self-serving thoughts, which made me hopeful he wasn¡¯t angry or disappointed in me.

    ¡°I¡¯d still council keeping this to yourself. Does anyone else know about this or what you can do?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Just you.¡±

    ¡°The elves would not be happy despite the legality and ethics of it all,¡± he said, running a hand down his face. ¡°I think we can call it a night unless you have another mana-unwinding revelation for me. I¡¯ll get you a blanket for the couch.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I have an inn to get to. My minder expects to find me there.¡±

    ¡°You have a minder? One that lets you run around at night unsupervised?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Haily. I¡¯m sure you two would get along.¡±

    We talked some more as I slowly made my way towards the door, declining his offer to walk me. I did accept some slightly oversized boots, and I didn¡¯t bother feeling guilty about it when the alternative was walking there in socks. I apologised for getting mad at him earlier and dove in for a quick hug, thanking him for listening, before rushing into the rain.

    I had the sneaky idea of getting him to refill my crystal to find out how he really felt about the whole thing, though that seemed like an insult after the support he¡¯d shown.

    The rain had calmed, but not many people were joining me on my evening walk. That didn¡¯t stop the pubs on the way to the inn being rowdy with laughter and light from their windows spilling onto the street, seeming ignorant of the death and destruction that went on elsewhere in the city.

    The inn was still busy downstairs but had a free room thanks to the morning¡¯s payment. I accepted the offer of dinner and a drink before heading up and finding out I¡¯d forgotten to pack my nightgown. Too tired to care, I fell into bed wearing whatever clothing I hadn¡¯t hurriedly yanked off.

    ¡­

    I woke up glaring at the door, daring it to shatter as a squad of knights rushed in to capture me like my dream. Sunlight already streamed in, and I was somewhat grateful for oversleeping since attending Instructor Daniel¡¯s training was no longer an option I needed to consider.

    It would have been nice to train and learn more about how to use my mana or practice archery. However, I didn¡¯t have the courage to face him after I dumped water on the instructor, whom he specifically said he wanted us to respect.

    I changed into the spare set of clothes and headed downstairs for breakfast. There were no free tables, but there were a few open spaces near the same older man with the newspaper, the healer in his usual spot, and a few others. Instead of waiting for one to free up, I flattened myself against tables and waited for tray-bearing barkeeps to pass as I made my way towards the healer.

    My curiosity for why he was always there pulled me towards him more than the other spots. ¡°May I?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t taking the spot with the healing sign, but rather the chair next to him on the small square table, yet he still blinked up at me with his lips slightly parted like it was a difficult decision.

    It was quite likely he didn¡¯t hear me over all the noise inside the inn, with orders being shouted and people competing to be heard in their conversations. ¡°Is it okay if I sit here?¡±

    Before I moved on to try another spot, he nodded, and I drew back the chair to sit as a notepad and menu were dropped on the table before me, the barkeep already moving on. I scanned through it and wrote down my previous order, along with tea, in a little corner of the notepad not scribbled on.

    Just as I put the pencil down, it and the notepad were snatched up and whisked off towards the kitchen.

    I turned to make a comment about it to the boy, except he was purposefully staring ahead with his hands interlocked on the table. Taking the hint, I kept my mouth shut and looked over at the man with the newspaper, trying to glimpse the bold text on the front page.

    Insider says challenger to Baron Tiscar poised to win Drasda¡¯s election just a few weeks out with the latest mishap at his gambling house bolstering her chances.

    It probably wasn¡¯t surprising that the opera house hadn¡¯t been written about since it had only happened last night. However, moving away from talking about the actual ¡®mishap¡¯ was weird.

    A plate full of potatoes and roasted veggies was placed in front of me, along with the tea I ordered. The barkeep was annoyed my coins weren¡¯t already on the table and even more so when I had to dig in my satchel for them.

    The healer slid over a few of his before my plate was confiscated for taking too long. It only took me a few more seconds to find some roe to give back to him, some extra for helping me out.

    The gesture confused me since he¡¯d been adamant about not even looking at me the whole time, an action he had returned to as people approached him for healing. I thought I might be disturbing his business and annoying him as I slowly ate through my plate while squinting at the smaller writing on the newspaper a few tables down.

    ¡°H-hello.¡±

    I glanced at the boy, who was still determined not to look me in the eye. ¡°Hi.¡±

    The tables around us had emptied out so we could speak without raising our voices, but he didn¡¯t seem interested in doing any more of that.

    ¡°Thanks for the help with the coins,¡± I said.

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    I waited for him to say anything else and scooped up the last of my food before trying again. ¡°How come you¡¯re always here?¡±

    When he glanced over at the sign advertising healing, I narrowed my eyes at him for treating me as if I didn¡¯t already know the basics of what he was doing. ¡°As in, why here?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I needed a structure to set up in, and Mum¡¯s friend works here.¡±

    I almost gave up trying to continue the conversation, yet I pushed through on a final attempt. ¡°Because?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to accost people to heal and need an established place of work?¡±

    I let out a sigh and leant my chin into my palm, astonished at how difficult it was to drag that small piece of information I¡¯d been curious about out of him. My stare seemed to unnerve him as he turned away from me again, cheeks reddening.

    It was possible the information was common sense that I¡¯d never learnt, but still. ¡°How does one go about becoming a healer?¡±

    ¡°Umm, you need to go to the normal schools, night school for more knowledge on the body, then get a healing centre or clinic to take you on for training¡­ obviously mana as well.¡±

    ¡°Which stage are you at?¡±

    ¡°I have the night shifts at the clinic on Ninth Street, but I still need to save up more than they pay me if I want to go to Equitier all five years.¡±

    I nodded along, remembering how expensive Annalise¡¯s three apprentices had complained it was. ¡°Right, not at all cheap that place.¡±

    Before I could ask another question, like what his name was so I could stop calling him ¡®boy¡¯ in my head, he got up and scurried away.

    He was replaced by another boy I actually knew the name of, Amir¡ªsomeone who had no trouble looking me in the eye with a bright smile. ¡°Valeria, good morning. Nice to see you again.¡±

    ¡°And you, Amir. Are you here to eat?¡± I asked, the healer somehow even less inclined to look at me from his new table.

    ¡°No, no. The palace informed me I could find you here,¡± he said, examining my cup with a frown. ¡°My father wishes to offer his sincere apologies for how affected you were by what happened in the arena. He wants me to take you on a tour of the upper floors to show as such and, of course, to hand over your winnings.¡±

 Chapter 46

    I pretended not to notice Amir¡¯s offered hand as he tried to help me down the single step of his carriage. He¡¯d chosen to sit almost in my lap despite there being another seat opposite us, and I wasn¡¯t interested in him having another excuse to touch me.

    The carriage itself was not as large or gaudy as I¡¯d imagined it would be when he¡¯d mentioned it at the inn and actually seemed quite plain, with only his family¡¯s crest on the door.

    A crest depicting a horseshoe holding a budding plant. I wasn¡¯t clear about the symbolism, but I wasn¡¯t too interested since the last time I¡¯d asked about a crest, Annalise had given me a lengthy explanation that required historical and geographical context.

    From the lack of line trailing out the door and down the street, I assumed the gambling house was closed. Even the animals in the basement were relaxed or asleep despite being stuck in a cage, though sadly, that was probably what they were used to.

    On our way over, Amir mentioned that the cat-s¨¬th had been sealed away for the time being, and since I couldn¡¯t find them, I assumed that involved a lot of iron. He talked extensively about how unfair it was that the establishment was being blamed for everything, and if I hadn¡¯t felt guilty for my part, I would have argued they were for having the animals in the first place.

    He hit a knuckle against the doors that were soon opened to us by a man who smiled wearily at Amir. ¡°Ah, the Baron said you would be making an appearance.¡±

    ¡°Mister Hopler, this is the girl I was talking about. One of the biggest winners from the other night. Father wishes me to take her to the vault to collect the winnings after a quick tour.¡±

    ¡°I assume this was cleared with Baron Olivihier? And that you have the keys?¡±

    ¡°Of course, make sure it¡¯s all set up, please. We won¡¯t be too long.¡±

    We moved towards the opposite side of the building than the last time I was here. Mister Hopler went down to the basement while we went upwards to an open floor that was only populated by stone columns and felt-covered tables.

    Most were empty except for some staff setting up the tables or refilling the shelves behind bars. Amir walked me to each of the tables and explained the different games to me with a smirk on whenever he got to the odds of the house winning. The fairest result someone could hope for was a coin toss, and even that wasn¡¯t entirely equal odds.

    I couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would even bother sitting at some of the tables when there was a sixty per cent chance they¡¯d walk away with less roe than they came in with. However, the tables with briscola and weird contraptions looked enticing enough to throw some bronze at.

    We went up another floor with fewer tables that had far more craftsmanship devoted to their design. Each one had a private bar stationed behind where the staff would sit, a kitchen and sitting area also taking up an entire side of the room.

    The last floor we visited were private offices and a ¡®secret¡¯ room hidden behind a bookshelf that held a single table that the Barons and their friends would sometimes play at.

    When Amir was walking around the table, running his hands over the felt and detailing how he walked away with triple his roe at one game here, something with a glint to it caught my eye. It was one of the carved marble pieces from a board of Succession, meant to represent a knight if I remembered Trissa¡¯s limited teachings.

    It hardly looked like a person but rather the head and mane of a horse, which was far more interesting than the other pieces.

    ¡°Ready to head down?¡± Amir asked, fiddling with an iron box built into the wall.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes,¡± I said, swiping the piece now that he was distracted.

    ¡°Maybe you can come back up later when we open to spend some of your winnings. I¡¯ll be a gracious host and sit next to you, show you how to play.¡± He pulled out a steel stick lined with tiny mana crystals and shut the door to what I assumed was a safe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    When we got down to the basement, past a guard stationed outside an iron gate with a dormant enchantment and more on two wooden doors at the bottom, I was excited that one of them led towards the animals.

    That excitement was squashed when Mister Hopelr opened the other door for us.

    The far wall was entirely occupied by iron with a large wheel in the centre of it. The monstrosity of faded metal looked to be cast in a single mould with only a few bolts near the hinges that would make the whole thing one big door.

    A desk was tucked into one side of the room, piled with loose paper, binders, and overflowing folders. The rugged vault door looming over the messy workstation in an otherwise spotless stone room was a humorous sight to behold.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Mister Hopler said, casting me an annoyed look beside a gold panel while holding a similar steel stick. ¡°On three. One, two, three.¡±

    He and Amir both stood on either side of the door, inputting the same mana sequence into the panels and then each placing their keys in after. There was a moment of silence where the two looked at each other to check if the other had messed up the count.

    They both turned when the door suddenly started to emit muffled creaks and clicks as I lost track of the mana behind all the iron.

    Amir went over to the wheel and braced himself before throwing his weight into turning it, a squealing sound grating on my hearing as it did. When he started pulling open the door, I thought it was a bit much that he asked Mister Hopelr to help him until I saw the door was almost a yard thick.

    It swung open and narrowly avoided hitting the desk I was standing near. I¡¯d been looking over the papers on it but only found rows of names, numbers, and dates that I could barely read while the paper was facing the wrong way.

    The light from a single mage orb that was staying far away from the iron glinted back at us with a yellow hue. Inside were wooden shelves on iron walls as thick as the door covered in leather sacks, wooden chests, and loose coinage.

    The bigger chests rested on the floor with their own locks. The one closest was open and only partially full of neatly stacked silver coins in steel cylinders.

    ¡°Impressed?¡± Amir asked, and I nodded. Not so much for the abundance of roe since I wouldn¡¯t know what to do with it all, but for the organisation of it all and the ingeniousness of the vault.

    He flapped a hand at Mister Hopler, who stood his ground as the two stared at each other for a long while. He eventually shook his head and retreated out of the room, closing the door behind him.

    ¡°As you know, a Tiscar sat with the first king of Werl when we declared sovereignty,¡± he said, walking into the vault and opening a leather sack. ¡°We understand how unfair it is that the Rikers only had a few years before the deal that separated personal funds and those earned from titles. You¡¯ve made the most of finances and created something meaningful out of it.

    ¡°Though, all those scholarships aren¡¯t cheap. We hope the duke understands how much the Tiscars staying in the position of Drasda¡¯s Baron could benefit him. Father would never allow the duke here, but we¡¯re hoping someone close to him could deliver the message of just how much support there is to offer.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ha,¡± I said, trying to reconcile with him including me with the Riker family and the offer of what sounded like a bribe. Amir was taking different coins out of a sack to slot into the metal cylinders that fit snugly into a small wooden chest. After counting out the twelve thousand owed to Janette and me, he had a few left over that he slipped into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll let him know.¡±

    ¡°Mister Hopler¡­Hopler?¡± Amir said, hands on his hips. ¡°Well, guess it¡¯s up to me then.¡±

    He squatted near the chest and awkwardly lifted each side to get his fingers underneath. There was a strained grunt as his slender arms lifted it while attempting to use mana to help his muscles. An attempt that was thwarted by the iron in the room that may have emptied an entire mine.

    He shuffled over to the door. ¡°Be a dear and get that for me.¡±

    I stood by the open door as he turned to the side to fit through comfortably. Luckily for him, the guard opened the gate because I wouldn''t have been able to get past him on the staircase to help.

    When we got out of the staircase, he clumsily reduced the chest¡¯s weight by a meagre amount and managed to hold it under one arm, almost dropping it on the floorboards of the carriage as soon as he climbed up.

    I eyed the hand he offered me again after he had just used it to wipe his brow and made a show of ignoring it.

    ¡°I suppose Mother has a point that I haven¡¯t been training as hard as I could,¡± he said, plopping down on the cushioned seat, letting me take the other. ¡°Can¡¯t exactly blame me. What¡¯s the point of a Baron being good at all the heavy-lifting stuff.¡±

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    ¡°Besides what you just did?¡±

    ¡°Hopler should have known to wait for me; he knew what we were doing.¡±

    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, my mind drifting to the influence behind that addictive habit as we rolled through the castle gates again, only a day after I¡¯d left. I felt more whole compared to a mess barely holding herself together that I¡¯d left as.

    Training had already ended except for a few diligent knights still behind the Bastion, which was well enough since I planned to leave after he dropped me off, told Jeremy about the opera, and got rid of the fortune¡¯s worth of gold¡ªno need for another confrontation.

    ¡°I hope seeing the vault left the appropriate severity with which you will convey my father¡¯s message to the duke.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I said, picking up the chest and being shocked that it wasn¡¯t as heavy as he made it look. It was still an awkward size and shape to carry, but I got my arms underneath and leaned around it to take the step down. ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    I walked into the foyer with only a nod from the knights standing guard at the entrance. The stairway to where I assumed the duke would be in meetings was given a brief glance, yet I walked past to head towards Jeremy¡¯s tower.

    The guard outside made me stop and open up the chest, her eyes widening at the collection of gold and silver, picking up one of them.

    ¡°You can have it if you want.¡±

    ¡°That¡­wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, ma¡¯am.¡±

    I shrugged and carried on, taking extra care up the steps.

    ¡°I WANTED THAT REPORT YESTERDAY. WHAT GOOD IS THIS TO ME NOW?¡±

    Jeremy¡¯s shouts echoed across the stone walls and were punctuated by the slam of his door. It was quite a shock to me since I¡¯d not realised the usually calm man could even raise his voice, let alone reach that.

    The operators at the top of the stairs were walking with all the care they could muster to keep quiet, doors were being crept to a close, and voices were hushed.

    I shuffled the chest to lean against me with one hand and used the other to knock on his door. The entire room came to a standstill and even the knight looked at me as if I¡¯d just rung the dinner bell of a hungry monster.

    Steps stormed up to the doorway, and Jeremy flung it open, mouth open to shout, but froze when he saw me. His jaw closed as he studied the chest and stepped out of the way. ¡°Come in.¡±

    The staff behind me quickly started moving again as he scanned the room before flicking the door closed.

    ¡°A young female with long dark hair, amber eyes, short of stature, and wearing a yellow sweater. Please tell me that¡¯s you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, clearing a place on his desk to push the chest onto before sitting down.

    Jeremy walked up behind my chair and pulled my head towards him so he could press his lips to it. ¡°Muah.¡±

    He quickly walked around to his chair and scattered paper across his desk to try to find a blank piece and a pencil. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

    ¡°Ahh.¡±

    Telling Jeremy about Ghaven was one of my first thoughts when I found out he was at the opera, so finding a way to explain how I got to the stage that didn¡¯t involve Jay would be a good place to start.

    ¡°I was walking down the steps to the bathroom when I heard the commotion. I got scared and drained my necklace, then moved towards the stage to see what was happening¡­¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°...so when the attackers tried to trigger the explosives above the entrance, it unfortunately buried them.¡±

    ¡°They should be glad; I¡¯d be wringing their neck about now if they were still breathing.¡±

    I¡¯d had to stop my story a few times to give more detailed descriptions and many times for clarification if I was quoting someone or paraphrasing them.

    Jeremy had chewed off most of the end of his pencil and almost bit through it when a timid knock sounded at the door to drop off a note containing what I assumed was Yis¡¯ version of events from what Jeremy mumbled while reading it.

    He hadn¡¯t named me or talked about going through enchantments, which was just as well since I hadn¡¯t mentioned that either.

    ¡°Well, we now know where the leadership from Tamil ended up. Why no one was able to find that out before this epic fuck up is beyond me.

    ¡°I want to smile, shake your hand, and celebrate for what you did at the risk of your own life, but you¡¯ll have to accept a grumpy thank you since I¡¯ve been up since it happened, so thank you and don¡¯t ever do that again. What if your mana weirdness detonated the whole pile? Or one of them found you on the stage?¡±

    I shrugged under the sentiment, not sure how to respond.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s with the chest?¡± he finally asked, the thing almost blocking our vision of each other the whole conversation.

    ¡°Oh, Amir took me down to the gambling house vault to get my winnings. This is that.¡±

    ¡°The actual vault? In the basement? Huge iron doors? How much was in it? What kind of security are we talking?¡±

    ¡°Umm, he also had a message for the duke that I wanted to tell you instead. That first or all those questions?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Jeremy ended up snapping the pencil halfway through my repeat of exactly what Amir had said to me. ¡°That poor imbecile has no idea you can¡¯t read between the lines, or his father is so desperate he didn¡¯t want you to.¡±

    ¡°He might actually lose his title?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say until the actual day, but it¡¯s more of a chance than ever before. Tiscar roe basically built the foundations of Drasda, and they were in line for the ducal title before Riker took it in wartime. It¡¯s honestly shameless offering financial support when the duke lets them get away with skirting their tax obligation in favour of funding scholarships that go to their own people anyway.¡±

    He glanced at his watch and sighed. ¡°They¡¯ve probably slashed my wing¡¯s funding by half, but with this¡±¡ªhe waved the notepad with my story on it¡ª¡°I should only lose a quarter of it to whichever vulture wants it. Probably the watch for more patrols as if that¡¯s going to stop pillows of this stuff getting through.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a nice thing to compare vultures to.¡±

    ¡°I thought you making nice with one was a weird rumour, but maybe not¡­what do you want to do with the chest and, more importantly, with what¡¯s inside?¡±

    I shrugged and wanted to ask how much a cat-s¨¬th was but refrained. ¡°Bury it in the garden until I need it?¡±

    ¡°How about,¡± he said and stood, slowly picking up the chest and bringing it over to his side. ¡°I keep it safe for you. You can have as much of it as you want, whenever, just not the whole amount without some notice.¡±

    I was planning to hand it over to the duke, which would probably come with the exact same kind of restrictions. It would also be nice to know that my entire stash of roe was not dependent on keeping one person happy enough with me that they didn¡¯t withhold it.

    ¡°On one¡ªa few¡ªconditions.¡±

    ¡°Have at it,¡± Jeremy said, already picking out cylinders of gold to stack on his desk.

    ¡°Teach me about how taxes work¡­and how to pick a lock.¡±

    Jeremy¡¯s hand froze mid-air as he slowly dragged his narrowed eyes away from the chest towards me. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°For fun?¡±

    ¡­

    After I answered more questions about the vault Jeremy was more than happy to agree to teach me more about his favourite tricks of information gathering. However, learning about taxes took so much convincing I almost gave up on it until he sighed and gave in when I reached over for the chest.

    I still took a roll of silver for the trouble.

    He questioned why I cared. The answer I kept from him was that since I¡¯d be breaking into the gambling house¡¯s basement to see the animals, I might as well try to find out what the sum the Tiscars owed the duke in taxes was.

    Something Jeremy fantasised about seizing from them and funding his operations.

    It was a delusional urge to think getting past the first guarded gate would be possible, but it was something to do besides follow Yis around every evening. The bulgasari and I also needed to get together and discuss how to get metal to behave how I wanted it to, which would never happen at another event.

    Jeremy had to run and catch the tail end of the meeting now that he had something substantial to bring to the table, hopefully saving his funding despite the ¡®failure¡¯ that was the dragon¡¯s breath making it into the country without notice.

    He blamed himself for that so much that I wished I¡¯d connected the ¡®foreigner¡¯ I knew about days ago to Zara and brought it to Jeremy. However, even looking back, it would have been almost impossible to know anything concerning the dragon¡¯s breath.

    If only I¡¯d tried harder to find Jay¡¯s new meeting place after the chase, I could have helped him more with information before it happened.

    Would I have given myself and my activities up to let him know that something was going to happen at the opera? I liked to think I would have.

    I made a slight alteration to my gambling house plan. If Jay was¡­still around, I could go back to helping them and then find out where Zara was. They might not have much appetite for more daring nights anymore, but it was worth a try to help out Jeremy and stop more dragon¡¯s breath from being used.

    I returned to my guest room to pack another change of clothes and drop off the sweater that still had pinkish blood stains on the neckline. The marble knight piece was also placed where it belonged in the locked drawer, and I sighed at the missing plant I¡¯d thrown. Though, the picture frame had been replaced with another depiction of a forested landscape.

    With a clearer mind I was able to better pack for the week I still planned to spend away from the palace.

    The emotional turmoil I¡¯d felt after the arena was behind me, but it constantly threatened to break through my reassuring thoughts and Yis¡¯ words of solace. Would another week away do me some good, or was it just me being encouraged by my desire not to face Haily after my behaviour?

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Haily, hello.¡±

    ¡°Hand it over.¡±

    The only thing in my hands was a satchel, getting increasingly unlikely to close with each addition I made, so I held it out to her.

    Haily pulled out a skirt that was already crumpled along with my nightgown. She continued to extract more articles of clothing that were each accompanied by an eye-roll or glare depending on how badly I¡¯d packed them.

    The worst was the soap I liked that had already leaked onto a white blouse. I followed behind her into the dressing room, where she started folding the clothes into a knapsack.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the porridge.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve said, ma¡¯am,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not the least bit mad. Made for an interesting story at lunch.¡±

    She handed over the knapsack and satchel, now filled with items I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d need to complete the outfits I¡¯d originally packed.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure, just make sure you come back. Yanla has me filling in on the worst shifts without you to keep me busy.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

 Chapter 47

    I left Haily behind to walk down to my hammock, not because someone was daring to sit on it, but because I wanted to see what Sam was doing with the group gathered around him¡ªbesides sitting on my hammock.

    The group included Linh and the usual participants in the meetings upstairs. They were having a spirited discussion with voices raised enough to reach my balcony.

    The atmosphere was more subdued by the time I made it down, and a few people acknowledged my coming with crossed arms and frowns. I slung my knapsack off and sat on the edge of the hammock Sam hadn¡¯t bothered to vacate. His weight in the centre created a slope that my butt slowly slid down until I was pressed up against him.

    Sam grinned at me while I made futile attempts to shuffle back up. ¡°Hi.¡±

    I gave up trying and settled. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°General Kylepo started to make a suggestion that the duke didn¡¯t appreciate being made with so many ears around. Then Jeremy came in with some more news about the opera house. So we got forced out of the briefing.¡±

    ¡°Maybe because some of us can¡¯t keep quiet,¡± a boy sitting near the pond said. ¡°They were right not to trust us if you start running your mouth to the first person you find.¡±

    ¡°She lives here, and if she had wanted to could have been in that meeting,¡± Sam said.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t some chat about infrastructure. We were attacked. We¡¯re on a war footing. I¡¯ve been running around, helping my mother recall officers on leave all morning. Don¡¯t know why some glorified bookkeepers were even invited.¡±

    ¡°One of the major decisions in your war fantasy is if we can afford it,¡± Sam said. ¡°Something the person who controls the duchy¡¯s flow of roe would be able to decide, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Put them away, you two,¡± a girl said, leaning against a tree the hammock was tied to. ¡°Know anything we don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°What do you know?¡± I asked, giving myself time to think.

    ¡°Hostage situation at the opera house last night. The building almost collapsed in one area, and at least one officer died. Dragon¡¯s breath is the rumour from the guests there, and the duke knows more but doesn''t want to tell even the chiefs just yet.¡±

    They all looked at me with hopeful eyes on what I could add. As usual, I wanted to show off how much I knew, yet in this case, it seemed like there was a good reason the duke didn¡¯t mention the other deaths and details.

    The guests already knew about the dragon¡¯s breath that was shown to them, which seemed to have gotten out. However, if people found out about the pillows full of it that could be in any building around them, there may be panic.

    ¡°That¡¯s more than me,¡± I said, to their disappointment. They broke off into smaller groups now that no one could provide them all with another point of discussion.

    Sam bumped his shoulder into mine. ¡°No training again today?¡±

    ¡°What did you expect? I would have spent the entire time running laps for what I did, that¡¯s if I was lucky.¡±

    He didn¡¯t try hard to suppress his smile. ¡°It would have been another interesting show.¡±

    I bumped my shoulder into his harder than he had. ¡°It¡¯s not funny. I can¡¯t show my face til she¡¯s gone, and even then, I don¡¯t want to hear what Instructor Daniels has to say about me.¡±

    ¡°I think I saw the corner of his lips curl up when you dumped water on her. She interrupted him a few times when he tried to explain best practices under stress rather than the classroom environment she was used to, so maybe he enjoyed it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let him calm down a bit before testing that,¡± I said, leaning back into the hammock and flicking out my hair to let it dangle off the other end.

    ¡°You going on a day trip?¡± he asked, motioning towards the bag. ¡°What have you been up to these last few days.¡±

    ¡°A weeklong day trip,¡± I sighed. ¡°Palace has been a bit suffocating lately, so I¡¯ve just been out seeing the city.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this is where everyone is,¡± Amir said, walking up to us all and getting everyone¡¯s attention again. ¡°What¡¯s the word on the opera house? The staff wouldn¡¯t even let me in.¡±

    ¡°We all got kicked out earlier. Only interesting thing you might not know is the owner, Baron Dorohee, is coming down from Jataria. Erin and I were just saying that now makes three of the four original Barons left in controversy. Think someone¡¯s targeting your families?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call what happened at our gambling house a controversy. Someone messed up; it¡¯s as simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and someone smuggled dragon¡¯s breath into the opera house, simple as that. That mess-up is fracturing our relations with the elves and making the public worry about what¡¯s happening at home rather than the skirmishes up north. While also undermining some of the most foundational families in the duchy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good until you realise one was just an accident and the other an attack of opportunity, not a connected conspiracy. It¡¯ll won¡¯t even be the talk of the pubs after last night.¡±

    I sat up and whispered to Sam that I would go so I didn¡¯t have to listen to these two. It took a bit of shuffling to get myself out of where I¡¯d sunk into the hammock, and Sam ended up having to stand and pull me up.

    Amir noticed me but was mid-argument and only got to lift a hand in greeting rather than trapping me in a conversation. He turned his smile into a nasty glare directed at Sam when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking.

    Just as I was slinging my bag on my back and getting ready to leave, Yanla walked out of the palace and made a direct path towards me. I thought about trying to walk away quickly, but then we made eye contact, and the whole endeavour felt ill-conceived.

    ¡°Valeria, with me please.¡±

    ¡°Hey, when can we go back inside?¡± Amir asked but didn¡¯t even get a glance out of Yanla before she turned around.

    I followed behind her into the palace. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Duke Riker requested your presence. I couldn¡¯t say why.¡±

    Even if she did know, I doubted she would have said so. When we got outside the meeting room, she motioned for the knight to wait before opening the doors so she could take my bags away. They would be waiting for me in the foyer when I was released from the room beyond.

    In the room beyond, the duke was in his usual place at the end of the table, his elbows leaning against it and hands clasped together. He looked conflicted as he gave me a tight-lipped smile and stood to walk around the table towards me.

    Faraya paced off to the side while Jeremy, General Kylepo, Rowak, and a woman I didn¡¯t recognise argued quietly at the end of the table.

    The duke put his arm around my shoulder and led me to a seat near them. ¡°How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Alright, I guess,¡± I said, eyeing his hand. ¡°Where is everyone?¡±

    ¡°I suppose being called up here without knowing why isn¡¯t the most pleasant,¡± he said, pulling out a chair between him and Jeremy and pushing it in for me. ¡°We had to clear the room even further in order for the general to make his suggestion.¡±

    The woman I didn¡¯t recognise, with cropped brown hair brushed to one side, was sitting across from me between General Kylepo and Rowak, the general being closer to the duke.

    She reached over to offer a hand. ¡°Talia, Head of information gathering for the general.¡±

    ¡°Valeria.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯d like to know why the general¡¯s personnel could stay while mine were asked to leave,¡± Rowak said.

    ¡°You should have left with them,¡± General Kylepo snarked. ¡°She¡¯s her because this was her suggestion.¡±

    ¡°A stupid, dangerous suggestion,¡± Jeremy added.

    ¡°You can¡¯t dispute its potential efficacy, and it would be better if the watch is involved,¡± the duke said. ¡°Please go ahead, Talia.¡±

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    ¡°Yes, sir. I suggested to the general that we use the same source as the one used in Tamil,¡± she said. ¡°That was a high-traffic area with many mages, and they somehow managed to get close enough to listen in on top individuals'' conversations.¡±

    ¡°A suggestion I agree with for more reasons she¡¯s not aware of,¡± General Kylepo said.

    ¡°Bringing two more people in the know could leak this,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°All it takes is one person being careless, then all the advantage it could provide is gone.¡±

    I shied away from him. It didn¡¯t seem possible that he was talking about Yis, yet his words were true for that situation and stung regardless.

    The duke must have mistaken my reaction for something else since he tried to be reassuring. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Valeria. We¡¯re not sharing everything, and I¡¯m confident they know how to keep secrets.¡±

    ¡°Could you please remove your necklace?¡± the general asked. Jeremy clicked his tongue and scowled at the man while folding his arms. Faraya was still pacing, and the duke nodded when I looked at him for confirmation. The last two just looked confused.

    For the second time in a single day, I dug the mana crystal out of my blouse and placed it on the table. I didn¡¯t enjoy the worry I got from it, which added to my thoughts about what Jeremy had said about telling more people. Especially people I didn¡¯t know or like that much, like Rowak, who seemed only to have rude things to say.

    He simply narrowed his eyes at me, but Talia got up to walk around the table without taking her eyes off my chest. She bent down so that her nose almost touched my cheek even as I leaned away.

    ¡°You¡¯re part elvish?¡± Talia asked, parting my hair to check on my ears. ¡°That¡¯s some real talent for only a distant ancestry.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not here to discuss the hows and whys,¡± the duke said. ¡°Just the utility.¡±

    ¡°The utility is endless, so we¡¯d be here all week in that case. If I had a few people like you, I could topple an empire in an afternoon,¡± Talia said with a gleam in her eye.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have one person like her or any empires to topple,¡± Jeremey said, and I nodded in agreement to the first part. ¡°So, go take your seat.¡±

    ¡°I will not be complicit in sending a child down into the sewers,¡± Rowak said. ¡°No matter the talent on display here. We have lifelong combatants dedicated to serving the duchy that can handle it.¡±

    ¡°And have them almost cause an explosion under a residential street again?¡± General Kylepo said. ¡°This requires subtlety, which the watch is not known for.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and you want a child getting lit bottles of dragon¡¯s breath thrown at her?¡± Rowak said.

    ¡°It¡¯s two to one, what say you?¡± General Kylepo asked the woman who hadn¡¯t said a word the whole time. Faraya continued to pace without acknowledging the question but gave a small nod soon after.

    ¡°That¡¯s two for and two against. Sir, you have the deciding vote,¡± the general said to the duke. It didn¡¯t seem like Talia got a say, and more importantly, neither did I. If I was going to be sent into the sewers for some asinine reason, I would have at least liked to have a say in the decision.

    ¡°Or,¡± I said, garnering their attention. My anger that was still simmering underneath forced calm might have taken the reins at this point, but I didn¡¯t care, and it was an excellent time to let it. ¡°His vote, just like all of yours, doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    I was starting to regret not burying my chest full of roe somewhere in the park, but hopefully, Jeremy wouldn¡¯t mind my outburst. They still hadn¡¯t explained what it was they wanted me to do, and my only clues came from them trying to talk over each other.

    ¡°I appreciate the concern, faith in my abilities, and¡­¡± I said into the stunned silence, trailing off when I got to describing what Rowak¡¯s words meant to me beyond insulting. ¡°But I can make my own decisions.¡±

    ¡°I was about to say just that,¡± the duke said, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I should believe him or not. ¡°We interrogated those arrested at the opera house last night and got some actionable information from them. I assume you know the basics of what happened by now?¡±

    I nodded. Jeremy must not have revealed his source, which was a little surprising but appreciated.

    ¡°They only knew their part in the scheme, but a few said that their leader sometimes went into the sewers for meetings. We can¡¯t ask him for confirmation since he¡¯s no longer with us.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the most hospitable place, but the newer additions are spacious enough. The older system, basement, and discovered smuggling tunnels all intertwine down there to make it a labyrinth with new entrances and exits being made and blocked weekly.

    ¡°Rowak sent a detachment of officers inside, but they were discovered long before they got to any sort of operations centre and subsequently attacked with bottles of dragon¡¯s breath that had a lit cloth sticking out.

    ¡°So, we need someone to get in and tell us where they''re currently held up so we can fully surround it without them moving to a different cubbyhole.¡±

    ¡°Which I can do,¡± I said, with what I hoped was confidence. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take much time to consider whether I should do it since I¡¯d been doing similar things in Tamil, Jay¡¯s group, and the opera house, if you could count that. I wanted to prove, more to myself than anyone else, that I wouldn¡¯t have allowed what happened at the opera house to occur if I could have stopped it.

    There was also a faint hope of preventing seemingly well-meaning people like Brigette, who were in the crowd and might have gotten away at the opera, from being used as part of Zara¡¯s plans. From what I''d heard, their thinking was entirely at odds with each other, and they wouldn¡¯t be working together without a lot of deception.

    I didn¡¯t really know who I agreed with, if any, but the younger group¡¯s thieving was minor compared to hostages and dragon¡¯s breath.

    Did they even know what they were getting involved in?

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°This won¡¯t be like Tamil. It¡¯s an enclosed space with very few ways of escape. It¡¯s not only the people we¡¯re hunting that you¡¯ll have to watch out for down there.¡±

    ¡°I think she can handle a few pests,¡± General Kylepo said. ¡°You¡¯re doing your duchy a great service, Valeria. We¡¯re grateful for your resolve and willingness to assist.¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± Jeremy said, standing and facing the duke.

    ¡°Valeria decided this for herself; they won¡¯t even know she¡¯s there,¡± the duke said. ¡°She¡¯ll get close, come back to inform us or activate the beacon. Then the combined forces of Drasda will collapse in on them and snuff out this violent faction for good.¡±

    ¡­

    I had assumed we would need to wait until night to start, but I had failed to consider that underground didn¡¯t care if the sun was out or not. We walked down different staircases to the deepest part of the palace, connected to the water and sewage system. The castle was actually the end of it all, where the wastewater was purified by layers of enchantments before being let out into the lake.

    I turned my nose up at the explanation for the solids filtered out earlier and turned into fertiliser. Despite my initial disgust and apprehension, it seemed the most useful way to deal with it compared to smaller settlements'' haphazard approach.

    Talia and I were alone together, with me in less clothing than I would have liked. Talia had a roll of dark fabric with which she was slowly wrapping my limbs and torso in. It was a strong, thin material that would make up the base of the following layers she had set to the side.

    ¡°This might only stop the bite of a small critter or the slash of a knife, so don¡¯t rely on it,¡± Talia said. ¡°Better yet, don¡¯t get seen by anything or anyone.¡±

    On top of the binding were similarly black loose pants and a long-sleeved blouse with extra strips of fabric coming off the neck. Those were then wrapped around my face and ponytail to only let my eyes show through a very thin section of the cloth.

    ¡°Next is the vest, which you have pockets here, on the sides, chest, and back. A pouch on either side is specially made to fit blades. The duke said you¡¯re allowed one, but I¡¯m giving you an extra two at your ankle and back waist.¡±

    I twisted and turned in the new clothing that was snug enough not to get caught on anything and loose enough to let me move as I pleased. It was a big step up from my regular clothes with a cloak on top.

    Talia threw a set of black gloves at me and started placing boots against the bottom of my feet to see which would most likely fit me. All in the darkest shade I¡¯d ever seen before.

    The duke had gone to inform Janette and Annalise of where I would be going, something he seemed very opposed to doing. Jeremy, Faraya, Rowak, and General Kylepo were studying a map in the dingy room next door to help direct me to where their group was attacked and the area the prisoners pointed out.

    There were a lot of creatures in the sewers, some purposeful that fed on the waste and others that got in to feed on them. I was promised nothing that would come up to my knees, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be an issue regardless of size.

    Talia had insisted on blocking my nose with some scented sponge. I was glad it wasn¡¯t daylily, but my entire chest felt filled with the cloying smell of a random assortment of flowers. I¡¯d tried speaking afterwards and immediately shut my mouth when I heard my voice for a blocked nose.

    A knock sounded against the old wooden door that might have been bashed in by the action.

    Talia went to open it and let the five of them inside.

    ¡°I can say that Anna was not on board with the plan,¡± the duke said with a wary sigh. ¡°An opinion shared by my partner twofold. I may have to sleep in the guest room for a few nights.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s necessary,¡± General Kylepo said. ¡°Janette would agree if she wasn¡¯t personally attached. She¡¯ll come around when Valeria comes back unscathed.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s the map,¡± Faraya said, flattening the rolled document onto a table. ¡°We¡¯re here, it¡¯s a straight tunnel to the city and from there¡­¡±

    She laid out the route that had been marked out on a smaller drawing with only the relevant routes.

    ¡°...as long as you remember how you deviated from this path, you¡¯ll be able to get back to any of the access points along the way. We¡¯ll have a team at each of them waiting to relay your info.¡±

    ¡°In case of emergency,¡± Jeremey said, handing me a mana crystal with silver wiring wrapped around it. ¡°Push mana into this, and it¡¯ll send out a ripple they should be able to feel from the surface. I¡¯m told silver has more power but no subtlety, so no meaning, just a pulse. The knights will know what it means, but it will also scare off any mages down below.¡±

    Rowak gave me a wooden cylinder and said nothing else besides motioning for me to pull on a handle at the end.

    Doing so brought out an inner cylinder filled with a glowing liquid that lit up the more it was agitated. Pushing it back inside completely smothered the light again.

    ¡°Got it,¡± I said in my nasally voice.

    The duke had the audacity to snort before clearing his throat and patting me on the shoulder. ¡°Good luck, be careful and get out if you don¡¯t see a way forward.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trip.¡± ¡°Breath through your mouth.¡± ¡°Come back safe.¡±

    After those heartfelt words, no one was able to figure out how to open the next door leading into the tunnel. I had to hide in a dark corner while Yanla and other staff were brought down to turn off the enchantment guarding it and unlock the door. They all gave the powerful congregation meeting in the bowels of the palace confused glances as they worked and left.

    I was given another round of encouragement and advice as I went through, the doors shutting behind me and leaving me in darkness.

 Chapter 48

    I had never before been put in a position where I needed to consider how I felt about cramped spaces, and now that I was, I didn¡¯t like it very much. The darkness helped, but I still knew there wasn¡¯t much space to move between the stone wall and the sounds of rushing water.

    I unhooked the lamp from my vest and shook it to bathe my surroundings in its green light. The water was inside a clay pipe big enough for me to crawl in, heading off towards multiple enchantment fields in the opposite direction I needed to go. The solid stone around me, which had been dug into rather than placed, curved up to an arch at head height so I didn¡¯t have to worry about bending down as I walked.

    The map didn¡¯t need me to turn anytime soon, which meant I could take my time keeping my footing on the damp rock.

    I came up to the first landmark, located under the inner wall that extended down to the sewers. A door and enchantment were already open and deactivated for me, as Faraya said they¡¯d be. The outer wall was the same, except the clay pipe turned and carried on through the stone wall while the path changed into a square tunnel wide enough for one.

    ¡°Eep¡±

    A hissing cockroach bigger than my boot went dawdling past while I flattened against the wall. In defence of my brief shriek, I knew it was there; I¡¯d just assumed it would be cute and regular-sized, not a lumbering behemoth covered in pointy chitin.

    The tunnel ended in another inactive enchantment that marked the return of the arched ceiling and water, this time unencumbered by a clay pipe. Instead, it was inside a wide channel at the edge of my path. The lack of railings between my thin pathway and the drop into water that would come up to my chest was a little unnerving.

    The smell also started seeping through the scented sponge, but I pressed ahead.

    I kept a palm pressed to the stone to help secure me, more for comfort than purpose. Something I should have been practising more often came to mind, and I sent out a mana pulse down the tunnel. I braced for the return, which I was worried about for nothing since all I got was the mental image of smooth stone walls and the water''s rough surface.

    A few critters interrupted that monotony, but overall, it was a welcomed change from the last few times I¡¯d been overwhelmed when using it.

    When I got closer, I found a few more hiding underwater. I tried to shine some light onto what I thought were giant slugs, but all I got was a blurry reflection and the disconcerting feeling of a creature that could only experience touch.

    These critters seemed purposefully placed since their mana was acting similarly to that in Caypa¡¯s stomach, cleaning the water to make less work for the enchantments.

    Different types of rodents were also more frequently running between my legs and over my boots. The opossums were adorable, carrying their babies around on their backs, but they had no interest in interacting with me beyond a few hisses if I got too close to their young. The rats were more intelligent, able to let me know that they hadn¡¯t seen any of the humans I was trying to find in this part of the sewers.

    A more enthusiastic and younger rat scurried off to relay my question to other colonies nearby.

    My latest imitation of the flying foxes¡¯ mana pulse found a person in a direction veering off of my small map. It was too early to find anyone, and I didn¡¯t think the rats would lie to me, though I still decided to investigate.

    The eerie whistling echoing down the tunnel sent me scrambling for the lamp handle, plunging me into darkness once again. I hooked it back onto my vest, rested a hand over a dagger¡¯s handle, and crouch-walked to the next corner.

    At the end of the next tunnel was an intersection where one of the three options to turn had light shining out against the far wall from around curtains protruding over a small alcove. A wooden plank had been placed to bridge the channel gap towards it, and I pushed down onto it with my foot before stepping across.

    The alcove existed because the stone blocks making up the foundations of a building above disrupted the wall. I crept over and slowly moved aside the tattered curtain to reveal a pile of blankets and someone with long, messy hair almost melding into them. They faced away from me and held a book above them with outstretched arms, flicking through the pages faster than I could have read through them.

    It was especially impressive when their only lighting was from a small lamp like mine.

    Since this wasn¡¯t a mage and definitely wasn¡¯t one of the people I was trying to find, I pulled back the curtains and stepped into the doorway. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± he said, turning to reveal a tangled beard in a similar state as his hair. ¡°A polite assassin with a speech impediment? We certainly have an interesting imagination today, though I wouldn¡¯t complain about bringing back the sexy privateer.¡±

    He shifted back to his book, licked his thumb, and turned the page with the other hand.

    I swallowed down a retort about my speech, the characterisation that I was an assassin, and the questions I had on what a ¡®sexy privateer looked like. ¡°Have you, ah, seen other people down here recently?¡±

    He looked back at me with a raised eyebrow and held onto the edge of the book while he flapped it about. ¡°We¡¯re really going to waste our time like this? Right when we¡¯re getting to our favourite part?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed, standing and taking the single step needed to close the distance. I kept track of the slow-moving finger he used to poke me in the forehead. ¡°Huh, we made you feel real this time.¡±

    ¡°I am real?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, and we¡¯re the King of Werl,¡± he said, twirling around with a flourish. ¡°Tell us a fact that we wouldn¡¯t know then. Bet we can¡¯t do that one.¡±

    ¡°Oh, umm, ah,¡± I stammered, trying to think of why I needed to find something like that. ¡°There¡¯s a rat under your blankets?¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s the best we got? Where else would Bucky be sleeping but his favourite spot.¡±

    I blew out a long breath, went for something completely different, and told him the exact recipe for a tincture to soothe burns. ¡°Better?¡±

    He poked my forehead again and studied me. ¡°We¡¯re not nearly that creative to come up with so many weird names, so I crown thee a temporarily honorary persona. Congratulations! Now, what brings you to my abode?¡±

    I ignored the change from ¡®we¡¯ to ¡®I¡¯ and pressed on with my original question despite having so many more. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a group of people who¡¯ve been coming down here lately.¡±

    He rubbed his fingers together. ¡°In exchange for?¡±

    I hummed and looked down at the book in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you books? Not now, but maybe tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Sold, take a left and then¡­¡±

    I quickly brought out and unfolded my map to see if it matched what he said. It didn¡¯t, but I managed to memorise most of his ramblings.

    When he wanted me to go left three times in a row and warned me not to go between Rat¡¯s Crack and the whirlpool to avoid the spikey turtle, I stopped trying so hard to remember and just nodded until he finished speaking.

    ¡°Thanks¡­I¡¯ll bring your books tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°If you still exist, it would be nice to get more variety,¡± he said, falling back into the pile of blankets.

    I backed out of the curtain and checked behind me to ensure I wasn¡¯t walking off the ledge. ¡°Mhm. Bye.¡±

    My map would be far more reliable than walking in circles and directions that may not exist, so I stuck to it and went back to my path.

    Even in my thoughts, it sounded mean to refer to the man I realised I hadn¡¯t bothered to learn the name of as out of his mind.  He¡¯d seemed to think I was a figment of his imagination, and even after only a few minutes down here, I could understand why.

    Every echoing clang and splash froze me in my tracks as I strained my ears to decide what was making the noise and where. The pulses and my senses told me there was nothing beyond each turn, yet I still peered around into the darkness that my lamp barely chased away to confirm what I already knew.

    Did he know if the sun was out above ground? What did he eat down here? Why was he there to begin with?

    I walked past a staircase with a locked door at the top leading to a basement and rats gnawing on scraps of food, the latter hopefully not offering an answer to one of my questions.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Another pulse told me there were more rats up ahead, including the one who¡¯d gone out to check on the other colonies for me. The floor was carpeted in them, and I slowly stepped into small areas they vacated, careful not to catch any tails under my boots.

    My new friend was in the midst of it all and wanted me to carry him around so he could avoid it. As much as I liked the twitch of his nose, the soft brown fur, and the way his ears rounded, there was no chance those grubby little paws were getting anywhere beyond my boots.

    Bitsy, keeping with the ¡®B¡¯ theme, settled down and held onto my laces as I exited the gathering. From a trail of information that involved too many rats to be comfortable with the veracity of the claims, Bitsy started to relay what he knew.

    A distant colony had to leave their nest because the ground constantly shifted and cracked the ceiling, causing it to collapse on them. Many new faces had also been showing up in that area, throwing mana, sharpened objects, and fire at them. It was confusing since the people left the bodies behind, and they couldn¡¯t understand why other rats had died if not to feed a predator.

    All of this happened after a turn-off, not on my map, and quickly approaching. If I found nothing and had to go back and be faced with the decision of lying or telling them a rat had fed me bad information, I was lying every time.

    However, Bitsy and his kin had a better idea of where to look since they had been closer than the group of watch that got chased off.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I stopped and looked away from my map, down to an anxious Bitsy.

    Up ahead was an intersection with a notable difference from others I¡¯d passed. Due to the clashing currents trying to cross each other, there was a swirl in the centre.

    Bitsy lept off my foot and hurried off in the direction we¡¯d come from, disappearing into a crack in the wall soon after. In his thoughts were worries about the jaws of a snake closing around him, and no amount of reassurance that I could protect him got him to come out.

    I was left alone between a crack in the wall that a rat had just escaped through and a whirlpool.

    When nothing bad happened and no spiked turtles showed up, I began breathing normally again. I scolded myself for getting worked up over the emotions of a rat and the words of someone who crowned me an honorary person.

    Then, the water flowing into the intersection from one of the passages started to subside. The whirlpool faded, and the water churned and sloshed with the changing tides.

    Every creature was always on the lookout for their next source of food, an undercurrent of hunger ever present in the back of their minds driving most of their actions. One slightly different creature was approaching. Their hunger had melded in with all the other sewer inhabitants, but they started to salivate now that they¡¯d smelt something they enjoyed sinking their teeth into.

    My mouth went dry, and I took a few steps back before stopping. They weren¡¯t being purposefully starved by people, and I¡¯d dealt with hungry creatures before. There was no reason I couldn¡¯t talk myself out of this.

    ¡°Maybe just a few reasons,¡± I mumbled.

    They turned the corner before the intersection, letting through a wave of water that crashed into the other streams again. The whirlpool tried to reform for a moment before being cut off again.

    They were slow to make their way through the channel. I tried to parse through its senses to get an idea of what it was, but the only one it used was smell to track me.

    My lamp¡¯s green light barely reached to give me the outline of the long serpentine head that came around the bend. Whiskers trailed along their scaled cheek, and finned spikes lined the ridge of their neck.

    Most of the body was hidden under the water line while their shelled back rose above with barbed quills occupying it. They weren¡¯t the comical critter I¡¯d imagined when warned about a spiky turtle. While it was nowhere near an apt description for a peluda, I did admit it was my fault for dismissing it without asking more questions.

    These creatures were supposed to live in rivers and wetlands. To fit in the restrictive channel of the sewers, it was either an adolescent or severely malnourished. From the hunger

    clouding their mind and the glint in their eyes, I guessed the latter.

    Only the mouth of this creature was even vaguely snake-like. It hung open to reveal mana-tainted saliva that promised to paralyse anything the peluda sunk its hooked fangs into.

    Eyes reflecting the light of my lamp tracked me as the body carried on straight ahead. I almost sighed, relieved I didn¡¯t have to test my convictions when they started turning. A clawed foot broke the water¡¯s surface and latched onto the ledge, tilting their body to the side to allow the restrictive shell to turn into my channel.

    The barbed shell now faced me as their body blocked most of the water.

    I conceded to the Alisa in my head. She was right, and I was wrong. So very wrong. It didn¡¯t care about anything beyond how good I tasted; it knew from extensive experience what to expect.

    I turned to run, confident in my ability to get away long before I had to worry about the fangs. My confidence faded as the peluda didn¡¯t care its prey was escaping.

    Its overwhelming need to gnaw on my body stopped me from noticing why. Quills shot out of its back to spray the area I was in.

    Without time to do anything else besides dive into the channel, I carried on running.

    ¡°Arg!¡±

    The pain erupting from my back was manageable, but the quill digging into my calf sent me stumbling to my knees. The lamp clattered out of my hands and shattered before rolling into the shallow water, glowing green liquid dripping down after it.

    The venom coating the quills hit me as I tried to stand. I leaned into the wall beside me for support as my vision blurred. I knew it was closing in, confident in landing the next blow. All I could do to avoid the mouth striking towards me was fall to the side.

    It hissed in pain from ramming into the stone wall, somehow angering it less than missing its prey. I¡¯d fallen towards its body and looked up just as more quills erupted from its back. I closed my eyes and rolled to flatten against the stone ledge, smacking the back of my head and forcing the quills protruding from me to snap under my weight.

    Even with panic and venom-muddled thoughts, I¡¯d at least brought up stone to cover my body.

    I opened my eyes again to find rows of quills stuck in the wall above me, some failing to stick and raining down.

    Rolling to my stomach took more effort than it should have, and I crawled away from the head, coming in for another strike. Its jaws snapped shut a hair¡¯s length from my boots. The frustration and hatred it held for me, denying its first real meal in ages, multiplied. That was expressed in the form of a tail thrashing out of the damned water behind it.

    It crashed into the ledge where my hand had been moments before, the spiked end still catching my smallest finger and almost slicing clean through it and the glove. With a wide-open jaw hissing to one side and a thrashing tail to the other, I got to my feet, breaking through the quills stuck above me, and took the only option left.

    I stepped onto the wall I¡¯d made, then onto its back. Quills cracked under my footing and stuck into my pants as I stumbled on the next step across the thrashing creature. My third step landed on solid ground, my momentum sending me crashing into the wall. I hobbled off in the direction of its head since it had almost tied itself into a knot trying to reach me on its back.

    Jaws clamped around air as my limp brought me out of reach.

    The remaining light from my broken lamp faded as I rounded the corner, away from the hissing and sloshing water.

    I kept going despite my leg screaming to stop until I couldn¡¯t feel its hunger anymore.

    ¡°Arg¡­fuck.¡± My shoulder hit the wall, and I slumped down to my knees. I felt around my calf for the remainder of the quill still embedded in me and tried to tug it out.

    My gloves, slick with blood, found no purchase on the small barbed spike and slipped off.

    A small whimper left my lips as it didn¡¯t budge. The venom wasn¡¯t as potent as a bite would have been, but my mind was still foggy. I pulled off my right glove and bit onto the other, getting a view of my nearly detached finger, and tugged the quill again. It ripped through my leg and then needed to be wiggled about after it caught on my clothes.

    I thrashed against the wall and vowed never to do that again. The ones in my back could stay there.

    I¡¯d been warned by Alisa, the man in the sewer, Bitsy, and the monster itself. It was extremely frustrating that it was no one else''s fault but my own that I was in so much pain. A memory of Mother telling me something similar wormed its way into my mind. That it was my fault, she needed to punish me.

    I hadn¡¯t thought of her in a while and that jarring lie helped me grit my teeth and get to my feet with a groan. I twisted my leg about, and without the barb shifting around inside, it wasn¡¯t that terrible to walk. My back was still in complete agony so much so that I couldn¡¯t even tell how many had hit me.

    I stomped my foot into the ground as I manoeuvred and held my sliced finger in a way that would hopefully allow it to heal properly.

    Without a single mote of light, I sent out a pulse every moment I could to travel by. That didn¡¯t help with seeing the map, but I slowly made my way back to where I¡¯d encountered the peluda. It took a lot of convincing to get myself to even think about going back, but I did so by promising I¡¯d turn around the moment I felt its hunger again.

    The only creature in the area was Bitsy, who was still in the crack. He watched me from the other side of the trench as I raised stone pillars out of the water to step across.

    The stone had been scarred by claw marks, quills, and the passage of the oversized creature. I thought back to the one-sided thrashing I¡¯d gotten to see if there was anything I could have done to put up a fight.

    It was embarrassing that I hadn¡¯t thrown mana at it or even drew my blades. But what good would have any of that done me?

    Beyond attempting to bring down the ceiling on both of us, ruining the days of all those above. I didn¡¯t think there was a way to come out on top beyond not being there to begin with.

    I let Bitsy climb up my pants and shirt to sit in the crook of my elbow since he was afraid to walk across the ledge. He didn¡¯t have a way to tell that the predator was long gone, and me telling him such wasn¡¯t any reassurance.

    It barely worked for me.

    I couldn¡¯t see the map, which would lead me to more places I was told to avoid. So, I followed the man¡¯s directions from before the Rat¡¯s Crack all the way to light and voices.

    Bitsy was somewhat sure this was near the area of the now displaced colony and destroyed nest as well. He had spent the journey snuggled inside the remaining pocket I had meant for another blade.

    My finger still didn¡¯t work, and the barbs shifted in my back, but my leg was only mildly sore.

    Focusing only on pulses to get around was a great way to learn. Something that I wished I¡¯d thought of doing in a safer environment.

    The voices faded as they turned another corner, and I followed behind as I¡¯d been doing for a while. From what they¡¯d been talking about, these were people returning from a supply run for the main group. The next turn had the voices cutting off almost entirely, the next mana pulse not finding them either.

    I caught up to find an area of the stone replaced with what reminded me of the living trees back in Tamil. This one was hollowed out to act as a way down, further than I could sense through the rock below.

 Chapter 49

    Unlike in Tamil, the tree being used to push up through the ground and into the sewer wasn¡¯t brimming with mana. That and the lack of guards standing outside might have been done to avoid it getting found. However, this may not have been their main base of operations, and I¡¯d just discovered their lavatory for all I knew.

    It was still a good start, and I was tired of being in complete darkness with barbed quills shifting in my back. Before anyone else decided to use the tree to come in or out, I hurried off in the direction of a wooden door.

    Without having a map to guide me, I had to hope it was an exit the knights were stationed outside. Otherwise, someone might get upset that a masked stranger was in their basement and trying to steal from them.

    Another group of people were in the way, forcing me to take a longer route to the door. How these knights would get past them without alerting everyone was luckily not my job.

    The iron lock for the door sat in pieces across the floor and at the bottom of the channel, a long creak announcing my entrance into the stairwell beyond.

    Without waiting to see if I¡¯d alerted anyone, I started to climb. Glass crunched under my boots as I got to the top of the passage, a ladder waiting to take me the rest of the way up to a hatch.

    There were at least five mages waiting beyond, and hopefully, they were the knights Faraya had promised.

    None of the groups around had contained many mages, so I felt safe in that hope as I climbed up. Keeping my sliced finger straight while trying to climb was futile, and I had to use my wrist to secure myself. Rushing to get the climb over with was the only thing on my mind as I pushed up the hatch.

    I recoiled from the bright light assaulting my eyes. Hands roughly grabbed under my arms, yanking me up the rest of the way. My feet dangled in the air a moment before I was slammed into a wall, an arm pressing on my throat and keeping me just above the ground. I stretched out my toes, unable to find a perch to stand.

    The parts of the quills still sticking out my back were bashed in further. A lightning spell similar to what Barick had used on me tried to latch on where another hand was gripping my shoulder. I panicked and brought up my knee to get more space between me and my attacker.

    I reached for the small blade Talia had placed on my ankle. It easily slipped out of its sheath, and I drove it towards the person¡¯s side.

    The blade smacked against and slid off metal armour. I went for another stab lower down. The resistance I met was less solid this time, and the grunt of pain confirmed I¡¯d hit flesh.

    The arm on my throat was pulled away as shouts to stop came closer from elsewhere in the room. I slid down the wall, pressing a hand over my throat, coughing and trying to gulp down air at the same time. My eyes watered as I tried to get them used to the sudden change from never-ending darkness, with a few pulses helping fill in what was happening.

    A knight with a fresh burn across his face was trying to free himself from the grip of his comrades. It might have been the blurry vision, but I recognised Knight Bowfore from Kiteer''s train ride. She was speaking into his ear, calming him down enough so he didn¡¯t look like he wanted to punch me.

    I swallowed the saliva I¡¯d inadvertently turned venomous in the exchange. Biting into his neck or arm wasn¡¯t something I was interested in, yet I was seconds away from doing just that if the knife hadn¡¯t worked.

    A door bashed open at the top of a staircase in the cellar we were all in. ¡°What¡¯s the point of an ambush if y¡¯all stomp around like a herd of beasts?¡±

    The captain looked at me slumped in the corner near some crates pushed to the side of the hatch. Then she turned to her knights, her mouth agape. ¡°You attacked our informant?¡±

    ¡°Get off me,¡± my attacker grunted and pulled himself free to prod at the knife wound. ¡°Ma¡¯am, they didn¡¯t ripple before coming up. I feel it was my duty to restrain them before someone else got burnt.¡±

    There was no way I was going to let this mess be blamed on me when I couldn¡¯t even use their ripple code. Maybe a knock could have sufficed in hindsight, but surely these people had been told to expect someone they couldn¡¯t sense.

    ¡°I¡ª

    The captain rubbed her temples. ¡°No one informed him when he got back from the healers?¡±

    There was silence in the cellar.

    It was on the larger side, with crates of fruit and vegetables stacked below the skinned legs of animals hanging from the ceiling. It must have been for a restaurant because there was no chance a family would get through all this before it spoiled, even with the room''s cooling enchantments.

    ¡°Answer me, damn it. And get a healer down here.¡±

    I tried to wave her off, except my hand limply hung in the air until I gave up and let it flop to the ground. Despite now knowing I¡¯d been fighting a knight, I was still pleased about the hilt still sticking out of his side. I even felt justified in sticking my other two blades in him if I got the chance.

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± they said sporadically. A knight ran up the stairs past their captain to get a healer and probably escape the situation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to see another healer, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m sure Bowfore can patch me up.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not for you, Alargan,¡± the captain said through gritted teeth, gesturing to me. ¡°What happened? I was assured you would get in and out without being seen.¡±

    ¡°A peluda got me,¡± I said, then pulled out the sponge in my nose through my face covering when they looked at me weirdly. ¡°I found their hideout without being seen.¡±

    ¡°The person we decided to give our latest and greatest stealth enchantment to got caught by that bumbling creature?¡± the captain sighed. ¡°Ancestors give me strength.¡±

    The knight that had left returned with another, who I guessed was the healer despite them looking like any other knight.

    The one I¡¯d stabbed had his chest plate off, and shirt pulled up. My dagger had already been extracted, the damage undone. The healer knelt next to me and looked over my body.

    ¡°Skin, please.¡±

    It was a weird request, so I took a moment to understand that he needed contact to try to heal me. I offered him my injured hand. ¡°Gently, please. And you¡¯ll have to use an area-based spell with my, ah, enchantment active.¡±

    He carefully slid my glove off and let my hand rest in his palm. ¡°Tsk, you did it badly, so that¡¯s double the work for me. I¡¯m going to need to break this again and fuse it back properly.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he continued, more awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a spell for pain relief without targeting¡­so unless you can turn off that enchantment, bite down on this.¡±

    I felt entitled to complain about that bit of information, yet I wasn¡¯t able to talk around the piece of leather stuffed into my mouth. I fully understood why Polem hated being equipped with that piece of tack and couldn¡¯t imagine someone yanking on it while sitting on my back.

    I tried to concentrate on the awful taste of dirt and varnish as the healer sliced the pinkish skin and smashed the bone into small pieces. I squirmed against the wall, drawing my legs in and kicking them out again.

    It was quick for him to heal it again, and I soon held out my hand, curling it to a fist as a test. Behind the kneeling healer, the others laid out thin maps on top of one another to represent the different layers.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked, unable to use a diagnostic spell on me.

    ¡°No, thanks,¡± I lied on both accounts, unwilling to get undressed for him to access my back, only to then have him yank out the thoroughly buried quills without pain relief. He helped me to my feet, held out my glove so I could slip my hand back inside, nodded, and left me with the knights crowding the maps.

    ¡°Captain Oteli,¡± she said, holding out a fist. ¡°Apologies for the rough introduction. I can call you Eidolon?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± I said, watching Bowfore clean off the blood from my blade.

    ¡°That¡¯s the moniker we got given for you,¡± Captain Oteli said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll call you whatever you want if you can point out where we need to go to root these people out of our city.¡±

    Her finger was placed on where we were, and I lifted the top map showing the streets above to trace mine over the sewer route back to the tree.

    ¡°What kind of dugout have they made for themselves?¡± Bowfore asked, holding out the dagger for me.

    I placed it back in the sheath and wondered if she recognised my voice. ¡°There¡¯s a ladder in a hollowed-out tree similar to those in Tamil if you know what they were like.¡±

    ¡°We were there with Captain Riker and Leonarda. They¡¯ll know we¡¯re coming if we have to brute force it, but they might not have many avenues of escape even if they do.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Alargan was sent away and tasked with running between the different squads to spread the information on the location and start a countdown for everyone to close in on it.

    ¡°I could go down first?¡± I said, to my surprise. ¡°They won¡¯t notice, and I can try block off any exits.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I was told you would be our recon for this,¡± Captain Oteli said. ¡°But, if you think you¡¯re up for it, that sounds like our best move forward as long as you don¡¯t stop to pet the peluda again. When will you head out?¡±

    My brief hope that she would deny me faded along with the added offence about the peluda, mostly because she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong.

    A part of me had enjoyed skulking around in the sewer, avoiding patrols and coordinating with the critters. The other part was battered and bruised from my bad choices while skulking around in the sewer. I''d be fine now that I knew not to interact with the peluda.

    ¡°Now,¡± I said, placing a hand over the pocket Bitsy tried to escape from. He¡¯d slept through the whole encounter and was now only waking up to the smell of food.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± the returning Alargan said from above. ¡°Leonarda¡¯s squad learnt of a similar entrance through a captured patrol. They¡¯ll hit it with Captain Riker. Captain Yesof will come in from the south and Captain Gharo from the east on our entrance. Watch is setting up a perimeter. Fifteen¡ªfourteen minutes till commencement.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Captain Oteli said. ¡°You¡¯ve got maybe ten before they realise we¡¯re coming. Focus on not letting out the ring leaders; we don¡¯t care if some minnows escape the net.¡±

    The hatch was opened for me, and I disappeared down into the darkness again. This time, I was going down with one hand because of an eager rat rather than an injury.

    It was a simple task to make it back to the tree and ask it to open up for me, the lack of dense mana making it far more malleable. It was a tight squeeze after I let it close again. Groves had been formed into the wood with just enough depth to fit my fingers and the toe of my boots.

    I widened them on my way down, sure the knights that¡¯d follow behind me would also appreciate it.

    Bitsy poked his head out of my pocket and quickly retreated when I informed him how long the drop was. He was a little annoyed with me for not letting him out in the cornucopia of food and then bringing him to this place. Guilt-tripping him about abandoning me at the peluda only worked until he reminded me that he had tried to sound the warning bells.

    When I was almost at the bottom of the long descent, I stopped when I noticed a mage guarding the open exit.

    A few rungs above me was a thinner section of stone that the tree¡¯s growth had cracked all the way to open air. Mages tended not to notice my manipulations, but in this case, I wanted to be abundantly cautious. I moved the wood and bark out of the way and slowly widened the crack to let me slip through into slightly less darkness.

    The tunnel was rough and jagged in stark contrast to the smoothed stone of the sewers. The stalagmites and stalactites ahead looked like jagged teeth with light and echoed voices coming from beyond them, making it seem like I was in the mouth of a giant creature.

    The air was stale and uncomfortably hot, especially in my layers of wrappings. My left had a cave-in with boulders blocking off what may have been a tunnel heading to the surface. My right sloped down to a steep rock wall that dropped into the cavern.

    I forgot which stala-thing spiked up from the floor and crept up to hide behind one. The most eye-catching thing in the hollow space was a stone table laden with alchemy equipment. The rounded flasks, condensers, and boiling tubes carried liquid and gasses past the hands of two women efficiently working around each other.

    Neither had mana, and one was much older than the other, reminding me of when my Mother and I used to work together.

    The resulting alchemical solution was set aside for cotton to be dipped into and stirred. Off to the side, the same dipped cotton was drying in trays on another table¡ªa line of people with gloves on compressing and packing the finished product into glass jars, some full of water.

    Other sections of the cavern that had been flattened out had hammocks, mattresses, a tent and cooking stations where most of the people sat. The few mages around all seemed to be busy on guard duty by the other three tree entrances or producing the lighting for everyone. Besides them, a few dozen more people milled around, chatting, eating, carrying crates and the finished jars of dragon¡¯s breath.

    ¡°Hey,¡± someone stumbling out of a different tree trunk shouted. ¡°Where¡¯s Oleza?¡±

    ¡°Finally sleeping. Don¡¯t wake her, for all our sakes.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to. What about Pennie?¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Pennie said, approaching the man from out of my sight. ¡°What is it?¡±

    She¡¯d changed her hair since the last time I¡¯d seen her with Zara, yet it was definitely the same person.

    ¡°The watch is setting up right above us, and one of our supply runs didn¡¯t make it back,¡± he said, huffing and gesturing mildly.

    The tent flap was thrown open, and Oleza, pulling a shirt over her head, stormed out to the growing crowd. ¡°Those idiots might have just got lost. What streets are the traitors in?¡±

    There was more back-and-forth to the point that the alchemists stopped working to see what was going on.

    ¡°Mages, prepare to delay an attack as long as possible,¡± Oleza said to conclude their talks. ¡°Everyone else, pack up the essentials. Load up the majority of dragon¡¯s breath on the minecarts and start moving it out to the forest base. We can easily walk out and detonate what¡¯s left if they start to breach, so work smoothly, don¡¯t panic when handling that shit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first, then,¡± the older alchemist said in a croaky voice. ¡°Our agreement didn¡¯t include being captured. My apprentice can finish up the last batch and you¡¯ll put her on the next cart out.¡±

    Oleza didn''t look happy but waved her off. The woman walked through the chaos with people avoiding her path. She talked with her apprentice at the alchemy station before moving to the side where rails exited a tunnel. On those tracks were metal carts and two flatbeds with an angled rod and a handle on each side.

    She rounded up two people carrying dragon¡¯s breath to the carts and shooed them up on top of the flatbeds. Then, she held out her hands for them to pull her up.

    ¡°Get on with it then,¡± she said, making herself comfortable sitting on the back.

    The two started pumping the handles up and down, moving the cart slowly into the darkness. As much as I was amazed at how that worked, I¡¯d let what looked like one of the main perpetrators get away and wasn¡¯t about to sit around and wait for them all to disappear.

    With Annalise being one of the people coming down in a few minutes, letting them set up the dragon¡¯s breath around the cavern also wasn¡¯t an option.

    I took a last look at the path I could take around the cavern to the tracks without being seen and made my way to the steep drop. It took a moment to find an outcrop for my foot, so I made my own to get down quicker.

    A rock tumbled off as I put my weight on it. I regained my footing as it bounced, then stilled it in the air and put it down without another sound.

    I scrambled the rest of the way and was soon on an outcrop slightly elevated with a wall of rock for cover from the rest of the cavern. I waited, no one seeming to care about the crack of a rock falling.

    Despite the group''s collection of masks, I didn¡¯t think there was a way to make my current outfit fit in, so I elected to go with not being seen at all. That involved getting down on my hands and knees to crawl towards the tracks.

    My elevated position sloped down towards it and I was almost there when another load of dragon¡¯s breath was dropped off. I dug my face into the stone, relying on the shadows and rush of the people to keep me hidden.

    They left as soon as they placed the jars down. I checked for any watchers before standing to walk casually into the tunnel, no eyes on me as I entered its shadow.

    I moved over the iron tracks further into the tunnel before even considering collapsing it.

    The voices faded to echoed whispers, so I felt it was time to stop and consider how to bring the tunnel down around me. As far away as I could manage, I held out an arm and concentrated on the stone ceiling. It took far more mana than I was used to for stone, and after precious seconds, a small slab cracked and fell to the ground.

    I tried pulling the walls in next, yet that was even more mana-consuming. The stone at this depth was either stupidly dense or the pressure from above made it harder to move. I carried on trying to the point that my arm felt numb, and I had to switch. After all of that I had a few broken slabs on the tracks that could be stepped over and cleared in moments.

    The iron tracks stopped me from making anything beyond a small protrusion between them from the floor, taking too much mana to efficiently block the tunnel from mages.

    A second plan had occurred to me, but that felt like a bad idea after my last experience with dragon¡¯s breath. However, from the continued activity behind me, it might have been my best option.

    I snuck back to the entrance, waiting for another load of dragon¡¯s breath and the crates to be dropped off before ducking out behind a cart. They¡¯d started filling it with the jars, and I slowly peaked over the edge to take some of the ones filled with water out.

    ¡°Oi, who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°Whya unloadin¡¯ that?¡±

    I looked up to see two people, arms laden with more goods, staring at me over the cart. There were still two jars left of dry dragon¡¯s breath inside. I barely felt comfortable using one, but as we locked eyes, waiting for someone to make a move, I decided I was fine with two.

    I started to push the metal cart from where they couldn¡¯t see my hands. It didn¡¯t move, so I was forced to speak and buy time to figure out why. ¡°She¡­asked me to separate the dry and wet. Don¡¯t want an accidental explosion, right?¡±

    There was a lever protruding from one of the wheels that I placed my foot against, still looking at them.

    ¡°Why the full mask?¡± ¡°Have I seen ya around before?¡±

    I leant my weight into the lever, jerking forward when it suddenly gave way. The cart started to move, and I got behind to push it.

    ¡°Oi.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°We need help here!¡±

    They dropped their goods while one screamed for help, and the other chased after me. His hand reached out and closed around the back of my shirt. Using the cart for leverage, I kicked out, my foot sinking into his stomach.

    I tried to distance myself and the closing mob as much as possible. However, doing that with a rusted metal cart that needed an entire tub of grease dumped into each nook and cranny made that difficult. I was gaining momentum and lifting my feet to glide along, giving my legs a moment of rest.

    I leant down over the cart''s edge and bashed one of the jars with the hilt of my dagger. Given how I planned to ignite the stuff, I hoped exposing it would allow me further away from the blast.

    I had no interest in the dragon¡¯s breath left behind also detonating, so when I got more distance, I let the cart go and stumbled to a stop.

    Bringing out the crystal wrapped in silver Jeremy had given me for an emergency, I got on the ground and sent an intense burst of mana into it. The mana travelled around the silver in two multiple loops before hitting the crystal and kicking out a wave of mana with no meaning to it despite my uneasy feelings when imbuing it.

    When nothing happened, I lifted my head from where I¡¯d dug it into the ground behind a small stone wall I¡¯d made between the tracks.

    I smacked a fist into the ground, scolding myself for waiting too long to trigger the dragon¡¯s breath. Or, I¡¯d just completely misunderstood the interaction between the stuff and mana. The iron tracks might have also disrupted it, and I needed to get closer now.

    With people catching up behind me, I started to stand when a wave of air sent me ducking for cover, the accompanying boom forcing me to cover my ears.

    The ground rumbled, and dust fell from the ceiling. The wave had blown in from my cart¡¯s direction, with only panicked shouts coming from the cavern, so I silently cheered for not potentially sinking half the city into the ground.

 Chapter 50

    I sneezed repeatedly into the rumbling ground from the dust invading my nostrils through the face covering. A pulse confirmed that there was now a complete blockage in the tunnel and also reminded me of the people and carts catching up from behind. Their voices had gone quiet at the blast, and most had dropped to the ground, but the group on the push cart were still approaching.

    Maybe they¡¯d think I¡¯d accidentally died in the blast?¡ªWhich had been a scarily real possibility¡ªOr that it was unsafe to carry on after me?

    The cart slowed without them not pushing but started to pick up speed again, judging by its movement on each subsequent pulse. I got up, arguing with an annoyed Bitsy to get him to stay in my pocket, and backed away. My boots brushed against the first evidence of the collapse behind me as the cart''s light shone around a shallow curve.

    I removed my gloves to see if that would help me better raise pillars from the floor. I¡¯d been trying, but influencing the rock to move more than a little was still terribly difficult. The light grew more prominent, along with the squeal of metal on metal and raised voices.

    In blocking their exit, I¡¯d blocked my escape. There was nowhere to hide amongst the loose stone and rough wall. I lay flat between the metal slabs of the track, hoping I remembered what the carts looked like and wasn¡¯t about to be squashed.

    The four people on the cart, two of them mages, noticed the blockage, and someone shouted for the breaks. A horrible screeching sound passed over me before a thud as they hit the rock. I rolled over to stand and crept away.

    ¡°Behind!¡±

    I turned to see one of the mages looking my way while the rest examined the collapse¡ªa spell tying together over his palm. A blast of air far more concentrated than anything I could muster hit me in the side when all I could do to avoid it was take a step to the side.

    It spun me into the wall and dumped me onto the tracks, the iron hitting my ribs. A stone cracked against the wall above me, and I stood up amongst more thrown by the second mage, who used a spell to launch them at the speed of a crossbow. I darted away, lowering my body with hands covering my head, moving out of the light and nudging stones away.

    A mana arrow tried to form but failed when it couldn¡¯t find a target, a woman shouting angrily at her accomplices to get the cart moving after me.

    ¡°It¡¯s off the tracks.¡± ¡°Start running.¡± ¡°Get off.¡±

    I raced around the bend and back into complete darkness, leaving the shouts behind. More people were between me and the entrance. I couldn¡¯t tell if the knights had entered the cavern or not. The four from the cart had given up on getting it back on the tracks and decided to pursue me on foot.

    Out of fear of getting stuck between the two groups, I skidded to a stop. I was trapped and had no way to sneak past either group with the limited space I had to work with. One knew I was there, while the other didn¡¯t. That same group was also between me and the now-only exit, so I ran towards them.

    At least a dozen moved quickly, shouting about watching their backs. These people weren¡¯t here for me but were fleeing from the knights. That emboldened me as I ran into their light, eliciting shouts of surprise. The people hadn¡¯t expected to see me and didn¡¯t have a chance to reach for me as I wove between them.

    I shoved past the next few as they reached out with free hands. The back of the pack dropped their stuff and made a concerted effort to catch me.

    Calls to stop me rang out. I hit my shoulder into the jagged rack to get out of reach of an outstretched hand. Pennie and another woman crouched with their arms wide to block me. They got a blast of air to the chests, toppling them backwards. I jumped over Pennie¡¯s body, only to be halted mid-air.

    My palms smacked into the ground, a hand gripping my ankle. I twisted over, trying to get out of her hold and kicked out. I got her arm and the hand she used to shield her face, but the hold only tightened. I¡¯d made it through half the group; people approached from behind.

    I threw my arm back to hit whoever I could with air while I shuffled forward to better kick at the hand around my ankle. A mage behind me shielded themself and the few near them from my attack. A cracking sound came from Pennie¡¯s face when my boot connected with it, and my ankle was released.

    It¡¯d taken too long, though.

    ¡°Spread out!¡± ¡°Close this gap.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them pass.¡± ¡°Move over.¡±

    I scrambled to my feet, spinning around to see a body blocking every tiny opening on either side of me. Pennie rolled to her feet and backed up to join her friends in caging me.

    The stale air didn¡¯t feel like it was helping my body at all as my chest rose and fell with deep gulps of it. I had both hands resting on the hilt of a dagger, slowly sliding them out to brandish. They had their own weapons to unsheath, most larger than my little blades.

    Pennie turned to those approaching from the pushcart as they shouted warnings about me. ¡°We¡¯ve got her. She¡¯s coming with us. We can at least find out how they¡¯re cloaking a mage.¡±

    ¡°No chance we¡¯re getting out that way. The mineshaft is completely fucked. Almost brought it down on our heads just trying to shift a few rocks.¡±

    Pennie snarled while whipping away the blood pouring from the nose I¡¯d kicked. ¡°You¡¯ve trapped yourself with people who now have nothing to lose. We know death is a better option than a lifetime of prison for daring to ruin the peaceful lives of the nobility.¡±

    She said the last part while looking over my shoulder and to her side, seeming to look for their approval, which gave me an idea.

    ¡°You were in Tamil calling people lessers a while ago. What changed, Pennie?¡±

    Her mouth hung open, and the confused glances of her compatriots were the best opening I was going to get. I turned away from her and punched out, letting loose a headache-inducing gale.

    A shield was cast, but the haze let me run towards them without their notice, the iron tracks preventing it from working at their feet. Pennie and her bunch shouted to no avail. I dove through the mage¡¯s legs, stabbing him in the back of the calf on my way through when he tried to grab me.

    I left the dagger there as I staggered to my feet and let go of another gust with my other hand. My vision blackened at the tail end of it, though I did see them have to brace for it since their mage howled in pain, a few falling to their knees while their hair and clothes blew back.

    ¡°Get her,¡± Pennie shouted as I broke into a sprint.

    Only one person started after me and stopped when they realised no one else was with them. After almost stabbing myself with the second dagger, I put it away following multiple attempts to get the pointy end in the sheath.

    Ahead were sounds of clashing steel, shouted curses, screams of pain, and vibrations in the mana from the number of spells being thrown about in the cavern beyond. I slowed and leaned against the wall as I approached the light making its way into the tunnel, worried about getting closer to the dragon¡¯s breath still stacked at the entrance with all the nearby spells. I even stopped the constant pulses I was using.

    My eyes adjusted to the light to find Oleza backing up to the goods stacked near the carts. A group of her compatriots fanned out around her, facing off against the approaching squads of knights. They stepped over bodies and people kneeling in surrender.

    Oleza thrust her palm over a jar of dragon¡¯s breath, making everything slowly come to a standstill as people understood the implications. ¡°Isn¡¯t it poetic? That I¡¯d die at the hands of one of the last organisations in this infested country that doesn¡¯t allow lessers into its ranks.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Leonarda asked from behind a shield wall. ¡°You obviously have things you want to talk about. Let¡¯s do that before something you¡¯ll regret.¡±

    ¡°There are no regrets in death,¡± Oleza said, unscrewing the jar¡¯s top. ¡°Only in life. Like dying amongst these morons. So desperate to fight pathetic battles against their superiors that they take the first hand held out to them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sacrifice yourself for their agenda,¡± Captain Oteli said from out of view. ¡°Tell us what you really stand for.¡±

    I dashed out from my hiding spot as Oleza ignored her and hastened on twisting the lid. It was a short distance, but I watched in horror as the lid came off and the start of a ripple formed in her hand. The knights were shouting, backing up with shields raised. I saw a brief glimpse of Annalise, eyes widening when she saw me before the haze blocked her view.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Oleza¡¯s former friends were running from her. The ones closer had given up and let their heads slump to their chests. Only one moved to try to stop her but wouldn¡¯t make it.

    I forced my legs to move and dove over the top of the jars to wrap my arms around Oleza, tackling her to the ground. I forced us into as many tumbles across the rocky floor as possible to move us away from the dragon¡¯s breath. Jagged stone tore at our clothing, mine holding better. I ended up on top, pushing off her chest to straddle her waist.

    The ripple had stopped, and I grabbed at her arms to pin them in place, facing away from the dragon¡¯s breath. It took her a few slow blinks, her eyes darting about, to realise what happened and that we were not scattered across the cavern in pieces. Oleza easily broke my hold and reached for my neck, casting another ripple. My hands were full with trying to seize hers, so I thrust my head into her face.

    Her arms slackened, and the mana faded. Oleza gave up trying to cast and bucked me off, rolling us around and digging her knee into my stomach. I brought my arms up to protect my face from the punches. She used one hand to grab them out of the way while the other continued to rain attacks down on my face.

    The weight on me disappeared as an armoured figure crashed into her. More swarming us to drag Oleza off and chase away the remaining people from the dragon¡¯s breath. I was lifted with ease and propped up when I threatened to topple over.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± someone sounding like Annalise asked. She placed hands on either side of my face, which helped steady the feeling of my head spinning from bashing my skull into Oleza¡¯s face and the repeated blows.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I hummed as she came into focus.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I¡¯m going to pour hot coals into the beds of anyone even remotely involved in this foolish idea,¡± she said. ¡°You were supposed to stay in the sewers. Observation only.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more people trapped in the tunnel,¡± I said as a distraction. ¡°Five mages with them.¡±

    Annalise¡¯s face scrunched up, and she looked over my shoulder to pass along my message.

    ¡°Trapped how? Where is the damage from the blast we heard?¡±

    I thought it was obvious, but I explained briefly about the escaped alchemist and lack of options while trying to downplay the danger I¡¯d been in. Her scowl deepened, and she lifted her hand to bash me across the back of the head, stopping herself and curling it into a shaking fist.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to murder them. Let me check you for injuries. They¡¯re never making you do anything like this ever again.

    ¡°You¡¯re, ah, busy with things here,¡± I said, trying not to send her into a rage at the quills still stuck in me. ¡°If you give me a way to teach a healer how to do the area spells, I¡¯ll find someone on the surface.¡±

    She grumbled but took out a notepad from her pocket and started writing a complex series of symbols, numbers, and letters that made no mathematical or grammatical sense. Annalise tore it off and brought out my necklace from a different pocket, along with a folded cloak.

    ¡°Here. The eatery Captain Oteli was in should still be cordoned off so you can change before seeing a healer. Get their name so I can chat with them afterwards.¡±

    Captain Oteli shouting from the tunnel entrance drew her attention. ¡°I need to go. Straight to a healer. No detors.¡±

    She squeezed my shoulder before running off to join the squads pushing ahead. I tucked the necklace and paper into one of my many pockets and headed towards the ladder I¡¯d come down. On my way, I passed by a knocked-out Oleza and the alchemist slung over the shoulders of members of Captain Leonarda¡¯s squad, discussing how they would get them up.

    The captain watched me walk past with narrowed eyes and placed fist over heart in salute. His squad spun around to see who their captain would do that for and copied him, cheerily commenting on my headbutt and last-second save.

    My chest swelled with pride as I returned the gesture.

    ¡­

    I twisted my neck, trying to get a look at my back in the steam-fogged mirror from my recent wash. There were three angry red patches around the quills that had been thoroughly beaten into my flesh, stabbing me with each movement. I¡¯d dumped my mangled and smelly clothing to soak after multiple washes to get the water to stop running red, but it didn¡¯t seem salvageable.

    The duke could surely be persuaded to get me another set.

    Bitsy had been coaxed out and scrubbed down along with me. He was off in the corner sulking despite being perfectly dry.

    I¡¯d done precisely what Annalise had asked of me: gone up, changed into the cloak, and gone to the nearest person I knew was a healer. I¡¯d only passed by him downstairs since the inn wouldn¡¯t appreciate me smelling like I¡¯d gone for an adventure in the sewers.

    After drying myself off, I raided the satchel and knapsack that had suspiciously found their way into my room at the inn and changed into a basic long-sleeved tunic and pants. Both cover for my newest collection of mana-made bruises. I forwent any footwear since I wouldn¡¯t be gone long.

    It had felt like endless hours down in the darkness, but up on the surface, it was barely evening. Only half the tables downstairs were filled with people merrily drinking and eating, so it was easy to slip between them to tap the boy I wanted to talk to on the shoulder.

    He turned after a swig of his drink, his eyes slowly trailing up my body to meet mine. He started coughing before I could hand him my coin and ask for help. He set the drink down and pounded his chest while his coughing, or maybe choking, continued.

    I leaned over him and pried open his hand to place the three silver coins on his palm. One for each quill I wanted extracted. It would have been far better for my health to go to Morris, Janette, or really any of the healers in the palace.

    However, I wanted to keep sneaking around the city and sewer. For my own purposes and anything the duke wanted in the future, which meant I needed to keep the extent of my embarrassing clash with the peluda a secret from them. They could find out about the hurt finger, but the quills and close calls with the fangs were better kept a secret.

    Especially from Annalise, who looked like she wanted to lock me in my room for the foreseeable future. I still wanted to be away from the palace, and my foray into the sewers might have given me a new approach to the gambling house¡ªeasier to explore if I didn¡¯t need to escape the palace every time.

    I pulled the boy out of his seat and dragged him by the wrist over to the stairs. He didn¡¯t put up any fight at all and trailed behind me in a daze, still clutching onto his coins and drink. I opened my door and pushed him inside. He turned to me with his mouth open, floundering like a fish out of water.

    ¡°Three silver for three sets of healing?¡± I asked.

    He slowly nodded.

    ¡°Actually, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­Quinten?¡±

    ¡°Val,¡± I said, holding out a hand. Quinten belatedly tried to respond, but he realised his hands were full, which led him to search for where to put them down. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings.

    ¡°I usually only heal from downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Could you make an exception for me?¡± I asked, handing over the note Annalise had written for me. ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± he said, studying the paper, his nose scrunching up. ¡°This is¡­ingenious? But completely useless. Every modern spell has purposefully evolved to get rid of this overcomplicated way of defining area parameters, mana distribution, and precise direction. Using the body¡¯s memory of how it¡¯s supposed to look is more efficient and makes up for any lack of knowledge on the healers'' part in their mental image. This will just end up taking a lot more mana and effort in the initial casting for a mediocre result.¡±

    My eyebrows climbed at each sentence, impressed by hearing him actually talk and also the complicated jargon. I could keep up with enough of it to understand Quinten knew what he was talking about. It all could have just as easily come out of Morris¡¯ mouth.

    ¡°N-Not that I d-don¡¯t appreciate the spell. It¡¯s obviously been well thought out by someone who really knows their stuff.¡±

    ¡°It was. Would you be able to cast it?¡±

    ¡°Sure? B-but I have better ones depending on what you need healing for.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I pulled my tunic up and moved my hair to the side to expose my back to him. ¡°I think you¡¯ll need to use a variation of that to get a diagnosis and also pain relief, please. Maybe we can get a pair of tongs from downstairs to pull them out?¡±

    I looked over my shoulder to see what Quinten thought of the idea since he wasn¡¯t saying anything. He had a hand over his eyes and rosy cheeks beneath it, making me check to confirm I was as decently dressed as I assumed.

    And I was. Only my back and a sliver of my stomach were exposed.

    ¡°Quinten? Can you open your eyes? Kind of hard to explain when you can¡¯t see.¡±

    He split his fingers and then dropped his hand, his mouth open in shock. ¡°That looks painful¡­to say the least. What are they?¡±

    ¡°Quills that snapped off and got stuck. So? Think you can help? I can pay extra.¡±

    ¡°You should be going to the clinic for something like this. They can do a better job for the same price.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll do fine,¡± I said while rethinking going to Morris. Maybe getting locked away under a knight guard ordered by Janette and Annalise would be worth an experienced healer¡¯s touch.

    ¡°I can promise she won¡¯t ask questions about what you were doing in the sewers messing around with the peluda.¡± Quinten rolled his eyes at my attempted denial. ¡°There aren¡¯t many things that can imbed quills that deep around here. If you¡¯re still fine with me, I¡¯ll go get some supplies. Make yourself comfortable on the bed¡­I-I didn¡¯t mean that in a¡­never mind.¡±

    He escaped out the door while I wondered how many people knew about the damn peluda. Why hadn¡¯t I been warned about it, and why was it still allowed to roam around down there? I shook my head after that last violent thought. People had probably built atop its watery homeland near the lake. But, at the same time, it ate people and had tried to eat me.

    I crawled onto the bed and flopped down, wondering what I could do about the creature while waiting.

    He returned holding a small vial and long, thin scissors. Quinten walked up to the bed with still-red cheeks, mumbling about me dragging him up here. ¡°She¡¯s going to tell my mum about this, and then I¡¯m never going to hear the end of it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡­nothing.¡±

    Quinten tried using one of his regular spells, and since I wore my necklace, he had no reason to see why he needed to use Annalise¡¯s complicated one. I smiled up at him from the pillow, playfully kicking my feet back and forth when he grumbled at it not working after a fifth try.

    He raised his eyebrows in a silent question that I ignored, then conceded and started slowly tying together the diagnostic spell with all the added bits that made it inefficient. ¡°Woah, how are you still walking? Did you wrestle with it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I grumbled into the pillow. I tried to pet it.

 Chapter 51

    ¡°Ah, so, you¡¯re friends with the Baron¡¯s son?¡± Quinten asked from a chair at my bedside. His hands shook, trying to pull out the last quill with the forceps. A challenging feat since their hold on the thin buried objects kept slipping, and judging by the click of his tongue, it happened again. My back was entirely numb, but I could still feel the quills stirring around when he tugged.

    He¡¯d been almost forcing himself to ask me different questions throughout his work. Something about it helping the patient relax? Though, it sounded like it was stressing him out instead, especially after he¡¯d asked about my family.

    ¡°Hardly? Somewhat? I¡¯ve only met Amir twice, and he¡¯s been a bit¡­¡±

    Quinten whipped his brow and chuckled for the first time this evening. ¡°Pompous? First name basis with the heir apparent is quite something.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what else even to call him, and isn¡¯t his father in trouble?¡±

    ¡°Eh, those old families are always ¡®in trouble,¡¯ and people will complain, but no one wants to find out if removing this particular pillar will bring the building down.¡±

    ¡°Scared of change? I suppose I can¡ªYow!¡± I dug my face into the pillow, feeling like a lung had been extracted through a small hole in my back.

    ¡°S-Sorry, that one was deeper than the pain relief,¡± Quinten said, dropping off the quill with the others in a metal pan and quickly tying together a healing spell. Healing just one would have caused my body to latch onto the remaining quills, so the previous two holes in my back were still open, covered with alcohol-soaked gauze. ¡°We can wait a while for me to get to the other injuries. I don¡¯t have enough mana for more just yet.¡±

    I stretched out without fear of quills stabbing into me for the first time in forever, regretting it slightly when those other injuries reared their ugly head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, they¡¯re not so bad. Thanks for your help.¡±

    Quinten looked away and shrugged. ¡°No worries, it¡¯s what you paid me for.¡±

    Without the distraction of someone digging around in my back, I had questions of my own to ask. ¡°You knew about the peluda. Does everyone?¡±

    He shook his head and started rolling the unused gauze back up. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make the papers if that¡¯s what you mean. It used to, back when a much nastier one made it in from the lake during a flood. People kept disappearing, but the kind that don¡¯t get missed enough to ring alarm bells. Took a while, but knights eventually found out and went down to kill it. Now, every parent around here uses it as a story to scare children into behaving.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they did a very good job killing it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, they found out it was keeping the population of other creatures down there low. Nasty things small enough to crawl up the entrances but large enough to kill someone kept emerging. Mum says knights were going down there every other week on culls. Then it all stopped with the official story being they got all the nests.¡±

    He got up to screw back on the cap for the alcohol and pile everything into the metal pan. ¡°There are some who liked to collect the peluda¡¯s old quills and prick themselves with it. Apparently, it makes you hallucinate and feel at ease. Some use too much or have a bad reaction and don¡¯t have the spell to neutralise the venom. They¡¯d come to the clinic for help.

    ¡°The supply soon ran out after they killed it, and the patients stopped coming. My mentor said it was quiet for a while, but then patients started showing up again. She went to the knights and was told they¡¯d handle it and not to say anything. That was years ago now.¡±

    Which begged the question of why I hadn¡¯t been warned. ¡°Your mentor didn¡¯t go to the papers or warn people?¡±

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s an open secret for those of us involved. The woman who owns the biggest newspaper is actually going for Baron. She definitely knows, and if she¡¯s not saying anything, it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t plan on changing it. No point getting people riled up if you have to deal with that once you¡¯re Baron.¡±

    I sat up and reached behind to run my fingers over the newly healed skin. ¡°Right.¡±

    He used a spell I hadn¡¯t felt before to clean up the blood that had got on my shirt and the sheets. It congealed above his hand, and he dumped it into the pan, jiggling like a dessert I¡¯d seen at the castle. ¡°Might be better for you not to spread that story around. Or go in the sewers anymore.¡±

    ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t work on a person,¡± I wondered out loud instead of lying and thinking about how I¡¯d ask Jeremy about it.

    He grimaced and looked at me like I was immoral for even thinking that. ¡°Definitely not this version or anything close to it.¡±

    Quinten collected everything and made his way to the door, stopping with his hand on the handle. ¡°You know¡­you¡¯re not as scary as I imagined. Sorry for being so awkward, but, umm, you can come sit at my table anytime you want.¡±

    ¡°Scary? Why would you think that? I¡¯m perfectly pleasant.¡±

    He had the door open and had already taken a step out. The look in his eyes made it clear he was still trying to decide whether to stay and answer or get out. ¡°You¡¯re just a tad odd and can come off a bit¡­ brash? You did trip a drunk menace twice your size the first time I saw you.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, reevaluating everything I¡¯d done around him as he closed the door. ¡°Oh, if a knight comes asking after me, could you tell them I was fine?¡±

    Quinten¡¯s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak as the door clicked shut.

    Bitsy had been waiting for the stranger to leave and emerged from the lavatory, having gotten over being ¡®almost drowned.¡¯ Everything was new to him, and I could sympathise with how overwhelming that could be. He climbed up the blanket hanging off the bed and dove beneath the covers to find a place to sleep, amazed by the comfort and warmth.

    I fell back onto the bed, careful not to squish him, and took advantage of that same comfort.

    ¡­

    I placed a hand over where Bitsy was in the deep pocket of my skirt to keep him inside. Bringing him to the palace was not the best idea; bringing him down to the kitchens was just naive of me.

    I¡¯d snuck him a few nuts from the bar at the inn when I¡¯d gone down for breakfast with Quinten, where he insisted on healing my arms without pay. I still left behind a silver for the stubborn boy to deal with when I left for the palace.

    It was the best place for me to enter the sewers and have a chance of finding the way back to the man to whom I owed some books¡ªI just hoped he liked the mystery books I¡¯d already finished. If not, maybe food could make up for it.

    I poked my head inside to see the cleanup from breakfast still going on, eventually getting the attention of someone leaning back under the weight of all the plates he was carrying. He looked around for a clear counter to heave them onto and I moved some containers out of the way to make space.

    He wiped his hands across his apron. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just looking for some kind of packed lunch. That you¡¯d take on a trip? Maybe some seeds?¡± I said, not really knowing what to ask for.

    ¡°Sure, let me just check with Granya.¡±

    He was off into the back of the kitchen before I could open my mouth to persuade him not to. The red-haired chef who¡¯d inadvertently rebuked me when I wanted a salt lick soon approached me with a wrapped package and a paper bag.

    ¡°Hard cheese, bread, and fruit in this one. And sunflower seeds in this,¡± she said with a forced smile, handing me the items. ¡°Let us know if you need anything else.¡±

    I stood my ground and smiled back. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Then I spun, my skirt swishing, and I walked quickly towards my room for the books¡ªI didn¡¯t get very far.

    ¡°Valeria?¡± Jeremy said from the staircase leading to the dining room. ¡°Do you mind coming with me?¡±

    I trudged up the stairs after him, throwing out my plans for the morning to make room for whatever I¡¯d gotten myself into this time. We didn¡¯t go to the meeting room or his office but to a sitting room on the second floor where we hadn¡¯t passed anyone in the hallways for ages.

    Inside, white sheets covered most of the furniture and the curtains were drawn. Jeremy pushed in a bolt meant to complete the gold inlay, but the light stayed dormant. He pulled out the bolt and twisted it about, but we still stood in darkness.

    ¡°Mana isn¡¯t making it there, so I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work,¡± I said, straining my senses to find the inlay in the wall.

    Jeremy sighed and went to open the curtains and window to let some air into the stuffy room. I closed the door and sat on one of the covered sofas, dust flying into the air worse than when the dragon¡¯s breath had collapsed a tunnel. And it was making me sneeze again.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Jeremy said, choosing to lean on the window sill instead. ¡°We can¡¯t be meeting in my office anymore after yesterday. Too conspicuous.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t anticipate using your talents and didn¡¯t set up any safeguards. At the moment, there are far too many threads to pull to find your identity, and we don¡¯t want to offer anymore. Hence, the secluded sitting room.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t find very many of these threads. Maybe the meeting where the duke mentioned I was the one in Tamil? ¡°Aren¡¯t all the people that know stuff chiefs, watch, knights, or behind bars?¡±

    ¡°Not that I don¡¯t trust them, but I¡¯ll just say I have a few of their counterparts in other kingdoms and duchies feeding me reports.¡±

    ¡°You told the captains that I had an enchantment. Isn¡¯t that all they¡¯re going to think?¡±

    Jeremy folded his arms and shook his head. ¡°It was the best we could come up with on short notice. That kind of enchantment takes a lot of labour and would be impossible to keep quiet forever. Someone will figure out that we have nothing close to what you did. But that¡¯s not for you to worry about; we¡¯ll deal with anything before it becomes a problem. The least we can do after every report I¡¯ve read extols the virtues of you, sorry, Eidolon.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s better than twig, I guess. Whats¡¯ it mean?¡±

    He puffed out his chest, looking quite proud of himself. ¡°It¡¯s an old word for spirits. Invisible, illusive, and hard to prove their existence. We thought it was a perfect fit for you.¡±

    I scoffed. ¡°You know they can still see me? Most of the people yesterday weren''t mages, and I was lucky they were the ones on guard duty.¡±

    ¡°They always are. That¡¯s the norm. All my information gathering has to be done in plain sight. No one expects or is equipped to handle a covert infiltration where mages can¡¯t detect the person. That¡¯s why keeping you a secret is important for your safety. Especially if you want to continue this line of work.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Woah, I want you to, but take a moment to think. I¡¯m just starting to come around to the idea since if you¡¯d listened to me, we may not have gotten there in time. You were also injured and are still too young to serve officially.¡±

    We went back and forth a few more times. Each of my curt responses wore down the smooth-spoken man to the point where his last word on the matter was an uncomplicated ¡®fine,¡¯ followed by a long sigh. He changed the subject and pulled out a sheaf of paper from a satchel, crumpled and wrinkled my water stains. Then an accompanying set without any of the damage.

    I took them to compare the smudged writing and the transcribed copy of the same incomplete pages. ¡°Witch¡¯s scrawl?¡±

    ¡°Mhm, they¡¯re from the alchemy station,¡± he said and gestured to me. ¡°We have someone coming over to translate, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You have your own witch?¡± I offered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not say that part out loud, please.¡±

    I read through the sentences, trying to piece them together while missing whole paragraphs of context. It was slow work at first, getting used to how they looped their symbols and drew out formulas. It confirmed they were more alike my Mother and I than I¡¯d initially thought.

    I unfolded the bag of seeds and scooped them into my mouth while I read, sneaking a few into my pocket for Bitsy. ¡°Some compounds and mixtures they¡¯re using are new to me.¡±

    Jeremy had perched on the back of the sofa to peer over my shoulder as I read. ¡°You can¡¯t go letter by letter and give it to someone who would?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way. Each word is a complete symbol rather than made up of individual letters. I assume you asked the alchemist herself?¡±

    ¡°She poured something on the paper when being apprehended and has only said a few words in a language we can¡¯t figure out. We¡¯ve had every ambassador and translator listen in, and nothing. Witches don¡¯t have a language, do they?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Only written. I wasn¡¯t taught any pronunciation to scrawl.¡±

    Jeremy handed me a fresh paper and pencil from behind me. ¡°Mind writing something for us?¡±

    I leant forward to use the table before me, scowling at the cloth for messing up my writing but not wanting to create a dust storm by removing it. Jeremy dictated a list of questions ranging from why she was in the cavern to where the older lady who escaped would be. He also requested I ask for a more basic and detailed version of the recipe we agreed was for the dragon¡¯s breath.

    He went to grab the papers after I finished writing them, eager to take them down to the prisoner quickly. I moved them out of his reach, understanding the opportunity. ¡°Why¡¯s there a peluda in the sewers you didn¡¯t tell me about?¡±

    Jeremy reached past me for the papers again, and I levitated them to the ceiling. He rolled his eyes and groaned, moving around to sit on the sofa opposite me. ¡°Fine. Captain Oteli said you broke your finger running from it?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, sure,¡± I said, happy with that conclusion.

    Jeremy nodded. ¡°I apologise for the scare, but it¡¯s trained to run away from the smell of people, so you were never in any danger. It¡¯s a decision from the previous duke that she deemed worth the risk. Vince doesn¡¯t even know, so he can honestly say he has nothing to do with it if something goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°How was it trained to avoid people?¡± I asked, already understanding what had happened and didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°No need for the details, but it knows to fear us.¡±

    Fear that had turned to resentment over the years. Emboldened by encountering people without the armour, weapons, and training it had learnt to run from, it developed a taste for people and instead came to savour them.

    ¡°And if it no longer does?¡± I ventured.

    ¡°There¡¯s no indication of that¡­unless you have anything to report?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confident it tracked me down,¡± I said, not wanting to go through proving to him it had also eaten people before.

    Jeremy looked defeated and rested his head in his hands for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Faraya and see what our options are. Yet another mess from the previous owners we need to clean, inside a house we moved into ages ago.¡±

    I brought down the paper from the ceiling to our level. He reached out, and I moved them out of the way again. ¡°Can I have another one of those outfits I had yesterday? With a better mask?¡±

    ¡°No¡­Why?¡±

    The papers shook in the air, demonstrating why he had to agree.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll also arrange for a meeting with Talia. Anything else, Madam Eidolon?¡±

    I shrugged, smiled sweetly, and dropped the papers into his waiting hands. ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡±

    He got up to leave and tried to persuade me to see Morris and consider seeing Janette so she could ensure I was still in one piece. Also, to nudge her into forgiving them all for letting me go in the first place.

    I snuck around the palace to my room, avoiding any more run-ins with distractions. Grabbed the books and a scarf that I would have needed Haily¡¯s help to wear properly. Then, I found the stairs down to the basement.

    After draining my necklace, I tried the door to no avail. The stone down here wasn¡¯t as mana-rich as the walls of the palace and castle, so I could get through and close it behind me without disturbing the pipes.

    Bitsy was apprehensive about getting out of my pocket to scurry across the floor. Not because of predators but because he wanted to stay with me and knew that would mean getting subjected to another bath.

    I assured him he¡¯d learn to enjoy it like I had and tipped him out of my pocket, along with half-eaten seeds. Being back in the darkness reminded me of all my shortcomings the previous day, my nonexistent practice in what I had learnt from the flying foxes and my lack of prowess in anything resembling fighting.

    Oleza had overpowered me mere moments after I surprised her. The peluda had caught me off guard, and I¡¯d spent the entire encounter panicking from one moment to the next. They¡¯d caught me near the cart, and I¡¯d frozen. They¡¯d cornered me in the tunnel, and I got out because Pennie was there as a distraction.

    ¡°Do you think I should go back to Instructor Daniels and suffer through whatever punishment he dishes out?¡± I asked Bitsy.

    From what he gathered about the instructor from my thoughts, he decided to stay in my room inside the bag of seeds while I left to learn how to better protect us. I laughed at the sentiment, which echoed back at me from either side of the tunnel.

    It was weirdly encouraging, and I did already know what the right answer was. If I wanted to carry on sneaking about, I needed to prepare for when I got caught, promising myself to attend tomorrow¡¯s training, sighing at what could come of it.

    ¡°Bitsy,¡± I groaned as he bit into an unidentifiable piece of rotting vegetation, scrunching up my face as he continued to enjoy his meal despite already gorging himself on seeds and nuts all morning.

    The doors under each wall were still unlocked with items from the cavern sitting at the base of the stairs to the surface. The enchantments were on, but I could walk through without facing the retaliation they promised.

    I tied the scarf tighter around my face in an attempt to block the smell that I was sadly getting used to. It was also to mask my face in case he talked to someone about the polite assassin he met the same day as someone snuck into the cavern.

    It was an unrealistic scenario, except Jeremy had me looking over my shoulder after what he¡¯d said about people trying to find out who I was. I couldn¡¯t imagine how any of the knights in that cavern could or would expose me, and the same with the chiefs.

    There were too many leaps someone needed to make between clues to figure out I was the one who had thwarted their plans¡ªwhatever those were besides ruining a night at the opera.

    It was like a badly written murder mystery book, where the reader couldn¡¯t figure anything out until it was explained at the end with extra information pulled from thin air.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked into the darkness near the alcove.

    ¡°Is that my polite assassin back to finish the job?¡± he asked.

    I pulled back the cover to find him reading in the same position as last time. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you recognised my voice. You can call me Val instead of that.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­I¡¯ll think about it. I¡¯m Marty, but you¡¯ll want to call me handsome.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t even give that a second thought, Marty,¡± I said, laughing at his wiggling eyebrows. ¡°I have those books you asked for. Hope you like murder mystery.¡±

    Marty took the offered books and held out the one he¡¯d been reading. It didn¡¯t have a cover or back to tell me the title. A ripping sound distracted me from reading through and finding out what it was about.

    A few torn pages were held out to me. ¡°I don¡¯t like finding out who dun it. Kinda ruins the characters for me. Bastards always make the most likeable ones the culprit.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have anything to say back, party because he was correct that they did do that, and took the offered pages. ¡°I also got you something to eat if you want?¡±

    He took the packaged food and picked out a piece of hard cheese to nibble on and share with Bucky, who¡¯d poked his head out from beneath the blankets.

    Before he got absorbed in the book, I had a question for him. ¡°Would you happen to know the way to the gambling house from down here?¡±

    He nodded, searching through the rest of the food I¡¯d brought. ¡°Of course, I used to work there.¡±

 Chapter 52

    This time, I faithfully followed the directions I got towards the closest tunnel to the gambling house, even if it was only Marty¡¯s best guess. He¡¯d worked there some years ago; he didn¡¯t remember exactly how many, but he was reasonably confident he had most likely worked there at some point.

    The man''s words were not exactly confidence-inducing, but there was less harm in following his advice than walking into peluda-infested tunnels again.

    My mana pulses returned with no information on its whereabouts, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to know where the threat was or pretend it wasn¡¯t there at all.

    The walls around me changed from smooth stone to blocks of it, holding back dirt to form a crawl space. I¡¯d been warned about the narrower section that made up the older sewers and was dreading it more now that I saw just how much. At the very least, a peluda wouldn¡¯t be able to fit in it.

    Quinten had sounded resigned to one existing below the city, or rather, that was the sentiment his mentor had expressed to him. Jeremy kept it from the duke to protect his image, meaning he knew how bad it could get but didn¡¯t think there was a worthwhile alternative. Marty didn¡¯t even have a complaint to make about it and simply shrugged when I told him.

    So, why was I so conflicted about it being down here?

    A quiet voice in the back of my mind wanted me to feel sorry for the peluda, stuck somewhere it didn¡¯t belong after being brought up for someone else¡¯s purpose. I scoffed and wanted to smack myself when that same voice tried comparing my childhood to that creature. I didn¡¯t want to pity its struggles, let alone empathise.

    I bunched up my skirt and got down on my hands and knees to slowly crawl along the much thinner ledge, grumbling about slimy stone and sewer designers.

    Vague snippets of thoughts and feelings penetrated down through the foundations of the city, the dirt, stone, and pipes¡ªletting me know I was getting closer. The smell was also progressively getting more putrid to the point where the scarf over my nose felt obsolete.

    Climbing up buildings in front of a watch patrol was starting to feel like a better idea than this.

    ¡°Ow,¡± I muttered as I headbutted a metal pipe I¡¯d misjudged the height of. It rattled across its length, and I touched it to silence the racket and guide me underneath. My head and hand agreed it was metal, but without any light, I could only say it wasn¡¯t iron like some of the other pipes in the walls.

    The rat squeaking in amusement behind me almost got himself flicked into the water, but I wasn¡¯t a petty person. There would be better opportunities to get back at him without the added danger of drowning.

    I crawled past a pipe gushing water into the channel and stopped. Mana, being able to move more easily in the open air and confined by the thick metal pipe, was carrying delayed and decayed emotions down from familiar creatures. The torrent of water calmed enough for me to think of a great idea to check if it actually connected.

    Bitsy hated it and tried to escape, finding himself running while floating above the ground and being manoeuvred into the pipe¡¯s opening.

    ¡°Two bags of seed and one basket of overripe fruit,¡± I said, countering his absurd request for access to the palace kitchen. He didn¡¯t understand that I was saying no for his safety and mine if Granya ever found him in her kitchen.

    His negotiation didn¡¯t go far while he was still floating in the air, but I conceded on three bags of sunflower seeds plus the fruit after he apologised for laughing at me. Explaining why I wanted him to check if the animals were there also went a long way to bring down his ridiculous demands.

    He scurried off down the pipe, the pattering of his paws reverberating back at me till he turned too many corners.

    I contorted myself to get a comfortable seat on the ledge, my feet almost reaching the rushing water below. I complained about my outfit choice, not for the first time. The skirt was the top item in the knapsack Haily had packed, and it was a chilly morning that warranted a sweater.

    Persuading Jeremy into another of the convenient clothing Talia had dressed me in was the best choice I¡¯d made in a while¡ªsomething I may need to find a way to speed up for my next excursion.

    Marty¡¯s warning had been insufficient, but he¡¯d never needed to go into the crawlspace, only knowing where it led from his experience in the sewer layout compared with the surface. It was impressive since I made two turns and couldn¡¯t figure out which direction I would be facing up top.

    He¡¯d been removed from his job at the gambling house because his table had an abnormal number of wins. Out of suspected collusion, they simply removed him from the premises and locked him out of the house he rented from the baron next door. It was so absurd and depraved that I thought he had to be lying.

    I tried to get more information, but he¡¯d switched accents and gone off on a tangent when he started talking about moving to Drasda from a small town.

    A gurgling sound from the pipe distracted me, and I felt Bitsy¡¯s panicked return. He was launched out of the pipe, tumbling through the air to the channel below. I caught him with a cushion of air, the water hitting his back and spraying onto me.

    I brushed dripping strands of hair out of my eyes as I put him on solid ground.

    ¡°Two baskets?¡± I tried after feeling responsible for the way he clung to the stone floor for safety.

    After he had some time to relax in my warm pockets, Bitsy told me what he had glimpsed before a bucket full was thrown into the drain he was watching through at the base of a wall. He wasn¡¯t happy that my mention of caged animals hadn¡¯t included they were giant predators. I hadn''t even realised that was relevant, but I really should have.

    Their teeth and size felt wildly exaggerated in his thoughts, yet if I were that small, the bulgasari¡¯s tusks would probably seem that way.

    The only doors he¡¯d managed to see were the large iron one leading to the arena and one leading to the corridor with the entrance to the vault. Neither was new to me, and it didn¡¯t seem this drainage pipe would make a decent entrance unless I spent ages making it one.

    Which might garner attention because of the extra space in the stone or prolonged mana use. Or would no one be able to tell between a me-sized tunnel and a rat-sized pipe? Maybe if I had been going to the morning training with Instructor Hays, I¡¯d know the limitations of a normal mage better.

    I stood up, stretched out my back and rid Bitsy and me of the gross water. It didn¡¯t make me feel any cleaner, especially when I picked out what felt like raw meat from Bitsy¡¯s fur. I was afraid of seeing what I was covered in, so I started drenching myself in hopefully clean water I pulled from the air all the way back.

    ¡°Marty?¡±

    ¡°My my, aren¡¯t we popular this fine¡­day,¡± he said while holding a book sideways up to his nose to look through a map on the second page. I didn¡¯t want to consider if he¡¯d been doing that the entire time.

    ¡°Very. Is there no other tunnel closer or a way up to the basement?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a basement?¡±

    ¡°Forget I mentioned it,¡± I said and picked up the book I¡¯d left behind. ¡°Can I still take this?¡±

    He flapped a hand in affirmative and dismissal. I liked to think that I had acclimated well to the dark sewers as long as I ignored the constant need to stand still and listen for the faintest sound of danger.

    Bitsy was a big help since he didn¡¯t even understand what was so bad¡ªonly having one predator to avoid, unlike on the surface, where everything was bigger than him. The food was the majority of the reason why he didn¡¯t mind coming with me.

    A pulse warned me of a problem past the first door to the castle. People were moving in the stairway and carrying the items up to the surface. Not wanting to spend more time in the sewers, I walked through the enchantment, waited for a moment without anyone watching, grabbed a crate, and joined the procession upwards.

    Most of them were in uniform, either knightly or staff, and I got a few confused looks as I dropped off my item and left for the palace. One of the younger staff called out to me but was stopped by a knight I¡¯d seen around.

    Bitsy didn¡¯t enjoy his second wash any more than the first but was amazed by my hammock. It took a while for him to get used to the swaying, his paws spread out to keep him steady. I lay with the jagged and worn pages of the book Marty had given me, flicking through the first few to find the contents.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    A Treatise on Extracting Reparations from a Wartime Adversary.

    Introduction: Pretense of the conflict.

    Volume 0: Establishing fault

    Volume 1: Ensure that the continuation of fighting is unfavourable.

    Volume 2: Negotiating with their political opposition.

    Volume 3: Calculating how much and what to demand.

    Volume 4: Annexation? Resources and Revolt.

    Volume 5: Long-term Extraction without crippling resentment.

    Volume 6: Forgiveness over Retribution.

    I chewed on my lip, hemming and hawing on if I wanted to bother turning any more pages. It wasn¡¯t what I usually like to read, but I¡¯d found entertainment in alchemy manuals before I had an abundance of choice, so I pressed ahead.

    The first few paragraphs were a confounding collection of quotes and anecdotes on the best way to designate the adversary, no matter the truth, as the aggressor. I scowled as the whole introduction detailed the different tactics used by powers across the continent.

    Such as fake towns razed to the ground or armies dressed in foreign colours attacking their own people. It described disputed events that the author couldn¡¯t provide proof of. Like Oclar attributing every wound on murder victims to mages, no matter the more likely options. Andraka sunk its own merchant ship as a pretence for a port occupation. Werl was mentioned for its racism towards elves and centaurs, labelling them barbaric people participating in human sacrifice.

    However, the author was adamant that it was long past.

    The next part about establishing fault at least had interesting links to a normal person¡¯s day. Foisting blame on someone else seemed like a more likely thing I¡¯d do than sinking my own merchant ship.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Haily said. ¡°Madam Riker has asked you to¡­is that a rat?¡±

    ¡°His name¡¯s Bitsy,¡± I said, holding him up on my palm.

    Haily gave Bitsy a blank stare and turned back to me with thinly veiled contempt. ¡°You will join the Madam for lunch. No rats. You have enough time to change out of that and into what I laid out on your bed.¡±

    I glanced down at the overalls I¡¯d changed into after my disastrous skirt choice and nodded, unwilling to go against her. She walked off while Bitsy ran down my arm and into my shirt, making me sit up in shock. Haily had left with only a passing glare at him, and she wasn¡¯t that scary, so I wasn¡¯t sure why he was suddenly scared.

    Until Caypa came to land on the branches above.

    I pulled at my clothes, trying to get Bitsy to come out so I could introduce the two, but it was impossible. All Bitsy saw were talons and a sharp beak while Caypa preened his feathers like the fussy bird he was.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I leave you with Caypa so I can go to lunch without getting in trouble?¡±

    The answer was a resounding no, and not because he would be missing out on food. I made a tunnel between the roots of the tree Caypa sat in and hollowed out space, shaking Bitsy out the leg of my overalls.

    He fell onto the grass, noticed the vulture spreading his wings above and dove for the tunnel.

    ¡°He only eats dead things,¡± I reassured Bitsy as he went to the deepest part of the hole. ¡°Look after him while I¡¯m gone, and I¡¯ll bring you another fish.¡±

    I was glad I hadn¡¯t gone with my original plan of sneaking Bitsy in my pocket because the green dress Haily laid out had none. Quinten¡¯s healing was more appreciated since it left my arms exposed, and from what Jeremy had said, Janette might lock me away in a tower and forget the key if she saw the bruising.

    It took me a while to get a bow that drooped off my waist to sit right, so I was late and quickly walked across the foyer to the dining room. The knight waiting outside the usual room shook his head to the sound of raised voices coming from inside and directed me to a different room a floor above.

    I slowed my walk to give me longer to make sense of the shouting, but the knight shooed me away as someone slammed a fist into the table. Upstairs, inside a smaller room with grander windows and more decorative curtains, I found Janette. She was sitting at a round table with well-dressed men and women laughing quietly to the backdrop of clinking cutlery and glasses.

    Everyone¡¯s movements were poised and purposeful. The setting looked far too sophisticated for me, and I felt I¡¯d be better suited for the shouting going on below.

    Yanla leaned over to Janette and nodded my way, making her put down her cutlery and come over to me. Her arms splayed out to wrap me in a hug that smooshed my body to hers as she rocked from side to side.

    Janette kept an arm around me and turned to display me to the rest of the room, introducing me as a long-term guest of the family.

    They got up to greet me, and I recognised a few names, if not faces, like Madam Manafold and Linh¡¯s father¡ªall partners of people downstairs in the meeting.

    ¡°We assumed the empty chair was for Annalise,¡± one woman remarked. ¡°She must be more than a simple guest, Janette. You simply must tell us.¡±

    ¡°Valeria was on the train with us from Kiteer with Annalise,¡± Madam Manafold said. "It''s an interesting finale for a story I would wish to know the start of.¡±

    I ducked away and pressed into Janette as another tried to lift my hair and comment on how luscious it was. She manoeuvred me away from them and around the table to the empty seat beside her.

    ¡°Yes, well, it may have been better of her to stay there than come to this lawless cesspit,¡± a man scoffed.

    ¡°Archie, enough.¡±

    ¡°You people don¡¯t understand the sentiment out on the street; we are under attack. The military should be out in force, raiding known hubs of illegal activity.¡±

    I leaned back as a cup of tea was placed before me and thanked the staff member. ¡°Is that what they were shouting about downstairs?¡±

    That got a few laughs from everyone but the man and they pointed fingers at whose partner would be making the most noise. Janette didn¡¯t say anything, and I didn¡¯t want to be the one to suggest it was the duke I¡¯d heard.

    ¡°You laugh, but any of us could have just as easily been at the opera that night. Just as easily been the poor sap those bastard left to bleed out,¡± Archie said and dabbed a napkin at the tea hanging onto his moustache that looked like a fine tooth comb. However, my eyes were stuck on the frills he had hanging over his hands from the sleeves of his jacket.

    ¡°Vince saw to their capture,¡± Janette countered. ¡°No need for that sort of fear-mongering among us¡±

    ¡°Ivania, I shouldn¡¯t be telling you this, but we received a letter last night,¡± Archie said, leaning forward, his voice getting quieter. ¡°They allege the main perpetrators got away. It goes without saying that she didn¡¯t put it in today¡¯s paper, and I¡¯m sure there will be more clarification after their meeting, but¡­¡±

    ¡°The stuff they used at the opera house also doesn''t have a mana signature,¡± Madam Manafold said. ¡°How is anyone supposed to stop something like that? People are already terrified of mages. Now, any old person can replicate military spellcraft?¡±

    ¡°I heard they used sofas to bring it in.¡±

    ¡°We should be stopping all travelling merchants. Especially from the east, that¡¯s obviously where this stuff came from.¡±

    ¡°And that has nothing to do with your business benefiting from the subsequent rise in prices?¡±

    ¡°Janette, Iviania wants to print something to inform people about the dangers of newcomers to our city and what they could be bringing in,¡± Archie said, leaning over his dainty pastries to talk across the table. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to overstep and cause a panic right before the vote.¡±

    Half the table scoffed and rolled their eyes, but the man pressed on.

    ¡°But people deserve to know how easily this new weapon can go unnoticed. Maybe reignite the conversation about a real barrier of entry into our city.¡±

    Janette slowly put down her cup as everyone waited for her response, but I beat her to it, even around a mouthful of a crunchy stick of baked bread with nuts. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to find, and they¡¯re not bringing it in. They make it here.¡±

    I felt the eyes of everyone fall onto my stuffed cheeks and I chose to take another bite instead of speaking into the silence.

    Janette put up a hand to stop the open mouths ready to flood me with questions. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be hearing about where it was made from your partners after the meeting. But why do you say it¡¯s easy to find?¡±

    I¡¯d almost sighed in relief when Janette came to my rescue from saying too much. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s an¡­I¡¯m an alchemist of sorts, and dragon¡¯s breath is alchemy. And alchemical products stink. Any animal in the city with a better nose than us can sniff it out quite quickly.¡±

    Bitsy had refused to go near my hands after opening the jar in the minecart and was adamant it still burned his nose even after our wash. I crunched on another stick to give myself time to think through what else I could say when I wasn¡¯t supposed to have been anywhere near the stuff.

    ¡°Is there any reason that couldn¡¯t work?¡± Janette asked. ¡°What could we train the quickest?¡±

    That got another conversation going that I didn¡¯t want to participate in. Because if they asked me what I would pick, I¡¯d say rat, and I wasn¡¯t sure if Haily¡¯s refusal to have them in the room would extend to talking about them.

    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind if you think horses are going to go along with this nonsense,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°It was only suggested because everyone already uses them.¡±

    ¡°What about bloodhounds? Surely they can track something besides blood?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll confuse the poor beasties. And they¡¯re expensive enough for hunting as is; no need to triple the demand.¡±

    ¡°I have someone I can ask,¡± Janette said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure our partners already thought of it, but could you go inform them for us, Yanla? We should turn to lighter conversations like what your children say about the first weeks of Equitier?¡±

    ¡°Ha, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll hear from mine until the break.¡± ¡°The brat said their cooking was better.¡± ¡°Andria wants to come home already.¡±

    ¡°Aww.¡±

    Yanla opened the door to leave, and Jeremy stepped in, holding his hands behind him.

    ¡°Ah. Jeremy,¡± Janatte said coolly.

    ¡°Madam Riker,¡± Jeremy said, stopping on the other side of the table. I need to, sorry, would like to borrow Valeria for a moment.¡±

    I suppressed a smile as I made a list of what kind of reparations I could extract from him.

 Chapter 53

    Cold iron chains trailed up my arms from thick wrist bindings and over my shoulder to connect to a lock dangling against my back. Similar restraints hugged my ankles, their chains climbing up my legs to the same lock. The footsteps of me and my captor reverberated off the stone walls of the underground hallway, along with the clicking of chains.

    They gently gripped the crook of my elbow to lead me through a doorway, warning me about the ledge since a sack blacked out my vision. A bleeding and swollen lip wouldn¡¯t let the taste of blood leave my mouth. I fidgeted with my tattered clothes, unable to remember if they were always this uncomfortable and prickly or if I¡¯d gotten used to luxury.

    The hand left to unlock and open a slab of iron masquerading as a door. ¡°Move it, witch.¡±

    The cold voice belonged to Faraya, who forgot her gentle touch and yanked me in after her. A chair scraped against the stone, and she pushed me down onto it. The hard seat was made of a solid wood block and had legs that didn¡¯t balance right on the rough floor.

    I whined at the rough treatment and shifted to get the chain out from under me, hunching over the table to stop the lock from digging into my back.

    The sack was ripped away, leaving me squinting into the bright mage light. Facing me over the table was the younger alchemist, or instead witch, from the cavern. Faraya placed a pencil and paper between us, retreating to lean against the wall.

    ¡­

    Earlier

    Jeremy reiterated to Janette that he only needed my services as a scribe, which eventually got him permission to take me away. He led me out across the front garden to the inner gate and turned towards the bastion.

    There were no carpets or flower-filled vases to decorate the plain stone and wood interior. Every surface was made to take the brunt of the horseplay the knights on break were partaking in. Their boisterous talks were a surprising contrast to their stalwart appearance when standing guard.

    I knew how relaxed and personable they could be and didn¡¯t expert them to keep up the facade around friends. However, the ruckus in the canteen we walked past begged me to reconsider them as a whole.

    We descended past a knight with the blank look I was more used to, and now all I wanted to do was break it. Jeremy motioned for another guarding a door to input the mana code for it, and I wondered if not being able to do it himself was annoying.

    I didn¡¯t know for sure, but I suspected this would be where the stairs leading up from the tunnel near the inner wall ended up. The stone blocks were harbouring larger masses of moss and fungi the deeper we went due to the damp air. Dormant enchantment fields let us advance uninterrupted through iron gates and into a hallway with far too much it for my senses to pierce.

    We passed doors made of the stuff and into a regular office, if you ignored the gloomy atmosphere and lack of windows. When the door closed, my senses were blocked from everything outside. Faraya worked behind one of a pair of desks in the light of a faint mage orb. I couldn¡¯t understand how she could accomplish anything in the suffocating room since it was getting hard to breathe.

    ¡°People aren¡¯t going to ask why I¡¯m down here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Eh, people don¡¯t like asking about unpleasant things,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°Which is mostly what takes place down here, and we can always say you¡¯re an alchemist.¡±

    Having used that excuse myself, I couldn¡¯t disagree with him.

    ¡°Our uncooperative guest tore up the new translator''s attempt and keeps pointing at yours,¡± Faraya said, standing to hand me the paper with an attempt at witch¡¯s scrawl on it. ¡°Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, trying to read through their work and spending ages examining each symbol to understand what they were trying to say. ¡°She can probably tell mine was written by a witch? This is awful.¡±

    ¡°They look the same to me,¡± Faraya mumbled and took back the paper. ¡°Mind writing for us instead?¡±

    I sat in the plush desk chair, the only reason anyone could withstand spending any amount of time down here, and started writing.

    Faraya watched over my shoulder and took the paper when I was done legibly writing out the question for a name and location. She exited the iron box and went to a room further down the hallway. A lock clicked, and metal hinges creaked, opening a door that crashed shut seconds later.

    Jeremy leaned against the wall, and I kicked out my feet as Faraya¡¯s muffled shouts drifted over to us.

    ¡°Janette doesn¡¯t seem that mad at you anymore,¡± I offered for conversation.

    He rolled his eyes and put a finger to his lips, attempting to make sense of the shouting and the pauses where Faraya waited for the witch to speak. I picked up some paper scattered on the desk to read through while we waited, but Jeremy took it out of my grasp.

    ¡°Better for you know to see these,¡± he said.

    Faraya came back exasperated, slamming the door shut behind her. ¡°She¡¯s not talking. I still think she understands us, and a few well-placed fists can get her talking. Unless we want to try sticking Valeria in the room?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°We gain nothing from letting her know we have someone like Valeria.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d go in with her,¡± Faraya argued. ¡°The witch is in chains. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a threat.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the physical threat I¡¯m anticipating. Information is king, and if it leaves that room, there will be consequences.¡±

    ¡°What if we also put me in chains?¡± I asked. ¡°Pretend I¡¯m another witch you captured?¡±

    Their faces scrunched up, and mouths opened to tell me how dumb that idea was. But they looked at each other, silently communicating with tilts of their heads and raised eyebrows. Slowly, their expressions relaxed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate it,¡± Faraya finally said and scrutinised me. ¡°Except she looks like she came from a tea party.¡±

    She approached and towered over me, lifting my hair. Without a Janette around to hide behind, and this not being a stranger, I let her. ¡°We get her a change of clothes, chain her up, add in some dirt¡­could work.¡±

    Jeremy left the room while I changed into a frayed brown sweater and pants that hung off me. Faraya grunted while fastening the drawstrings to get them tight enough, and I rolled up the sleeves so my hands could poke out. She went to the corner of the room to scoop up some black gunk that had been gathering there, and I shrank away while she smeared it over my face.

    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± she said without much pity.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not exactly new to¡ªargh.¡±

    Her fist jabbed out into my open mouth. I doubled over in my seat, covering my mouth and tasting blood. It trickled through my fingers to drip down my clothes.

    ¡°Why?¡± I mumbled, licking where my teeth had pierced the skin.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, we might as well make it believable.¡±

    I childishly mocked her voice in my head and let go of the urge to launch her into the wall.

    Jeremy came in with iron chains dangling in his arms to find me pouting and prodding at my swollen lip. ¡°This is the smallest size¡ªwhy is she bleeding?¡±

    I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth. ¡°I bit my tongue.¡±

    He didn¡¯t believe me for a moment. ¡°If Janette asks. This never happened.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re so afraid of her,¡± Faraya said, pulling me up and securing the chains around my limbs.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t grow up around her,¡± Jeremy said, not offering us any more on the matter.

    ¡­

    The woman across from me was at least a few years older than I was. She wore the same unremarkable brown clothes and dull chains, though they fit her larger frame better. My hair probably looked as tangled up as her faded blonde curls, and I scowled at the lack of grime on her face.

    Faraya had gone too far with her attempt at making me look like a prisoner.

    She snarled at us, her language making it seem like she was about to spit on me between her hissing.

    ¡°Ask what her name is,¡± Faraya requested of me with all the scorn she could muster when the vitriol dripping from the woman¡¯s mouth stopped.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°No,¡± I said with partially fake contempt.

    If she was surprised by my impromptu act of defiance, she didn¡¯t show it. However, I did regret it when she walked up to push and rub my face not-so-gently into the table.

    ¡°Okay. Okay!¡±

    The witch watched me with curiosity as I wrote out the question and twisted the paper for her to read. ¡°Ulia.¡±

    She had to repeat it for me to confirm she wasn¡¯t scoffing.

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of her mentor?¡±

    I wrote it out but Ulia violently shook her head and pointed at me, hissing in her strange language. I shook my head back and pointed to my ears, offering her the pencil.

    ¡®Which coven are you from, Betrayer? Region? Name? Why do you not speak *****?¡¯

    Faraya nodded in approval of me answering the questions despite not knowing what she asked. I wrote down that I was from the north and said my name was Patela. As for not being able to speak her language, I told the truth that my mentor had never taught me.

    That perplexed her, and she furiously scratched out questions as to why that was and how it was possible since every witch spoke it. Ulia also wanted to know who my mentor was, but I denied her the same way she had me.

    ¡®Where are you from?¡¯

    Ulia turned her nose up at that question and flung the page back at me. I glanced back at Faraya and hunched further over my writing.

    ¡®They let me do alchemy sometimes. Do you have a recipe that could help us escape?¡¯

    She read through my new question and looked into my eyes, considering my ask. Ulia put pencil to paper. I had to stop her halfway and request that it be simple since I didn¡¯t understand the symbols she was using.

    That earned me a scoff.

    It took up a whole page of small writing to fit it all. She held it up to me for enough time to read through it, then tore it up and stuffed the strips into her mouth. Faraya dashed forward to stop her, grabbing her cheeks and shaking her head.

    It worked for some of the pieces that fell to the floor, but most were lost to her digestive tract. I repeated the recipe to myself a few times to make sure I remembered, wanting to avoid writing it out again in front of Ulia. The problem was that nothing in the recipe suggested creating something explosive, so I was sure she¡¯d given me the alchemical way of making something like peanut brittle.

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Faraya demanded, gripping my hair as lightly as she could while making it look real. ¡°Was that the recipe? Write it out!¡±

    Her demand sounded genuine, but I shook my head in her grasp. We locked eyes, and I pleaded to let me play this out longer, hoping to reassure her that I would remember everything of value.

    She let go and pressed a finger into the paper. ¡°Ask her why she was here. Who paid for her services.¡±

    Ulia viewed me with less hostility and didn¡¯t snatch the pencil when I offered it.

    ¡®I go where the Mother tells me. We are not for sale. The ***** only follow righteous causes.¡¯

    ¡®What cause is that? Where are you from?¡¯

    ¡®Liberation from the *****.¡¯

    Despite her warming up to me for not revealing the fake recipe, she shook her head and didn¡¯t answer the last question. Faraya glowered from over in the corner of the room, but if the witch she worked with was anything like my mother, then it wasn¡¯t scary at all.

    I diverted from the interrogation-type question to pretending like I was disobeying Faraya and asking more personal questions to establish what Jeremy called rapport. These mundane questions got me incredulous stares and short, hesitant answers.

    Faraya put on a show of angrily shouting in my face, spittle flying everywhere, about the contents of my writing. Then placed the sack over my head and pulled me outside. I welcomed it, taking deep breaths in the fresh, mana-rich air.

    I hadn¡¯t caught the gradual decrease of the mana in the room. There was still too much iron around the prison for it to be close to the outdoors, but it was better to be outside the enclosed cell.

    ¡°You okay under there?¡± Faraya asked. ¡°You¡¯re panting like an overworked dog.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    I ignored her offered hand at the doorway, stepped over the ledge, walked past Jeremy and dropped into the desk chair before taking off the sack.

    ¡°So?¡± Jeremy asked, looking between us.

    ¡°She got the recipe.¡±

    ¡°I got a recipe,¡± I clarified. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s what we want.¡±

    ¡°I was surprised she gave it up so easily, so I suppose that¡¯s expected,¡± Faraya said. ¡°But she played the role of captured witch beautifully. Do this a few more times, and we might get the real one.¡±

    It was almost as if I¡¯d had some practice at being a captive. ¡°Only if you don¡¯t hit me every time. And be prepared with some attractive bribes for every recipe you want written down. Extra for translations.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where she learnt this behaviour from?¡± Jeremy asked, ignoring my demands.

    I lifted my arms and rattled the chains still hanging off my limbs like unsightly jewellery until Jeremy stopped talking badly of me and started freeing me. Faraya wet a handkerchief to dab at the grime on my face while Jeremy failed to brush my hair.

    Because of the decent treatment, despite Faraya¡¯s actions causing it, I wrote out the recipe without insisting on the keys to the palace.

    ¡­

    Faraya wanted to get back to interrogating the other prisoners brought in with the witch, including Pennie and Oleza. That couldn¡¯t happen while I was there because I wasn¡¯t supposed to be seen by the knights meant to help her.

    I exited the bastion with Jeremy, adjusting my dress¡¯s bow again and giving up, leaving it undone and flowing in the wind. ¡°Did you speak with Talia yet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy, but I¡¯ll get to it.¡±

    ¡°What about the lessons on lock picking?¡±

    He side-eyed me while we skipped the queue to get through the inner gate. ¡°You were serious about that? Why?¡±

    I massaged my still-swollen lip since Faraya didn¡¯t know the spell, and I¡¯d forgotten the incomprehensible formula Annalise had given me. ¡°Do you think I should go to Morris¡­or Janette for healing?¡±

    Jeremey rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t say anything when I followed him up to his office.

    ¡°Is Bresden on duty today?¡± he asked the knight outside his door.

    She checked her pocket watch before answering. ¡°No, sir, but I saw him at training this morning. He¡¯s probably downstairs at the staff canteen, fleecing someone out of their roe.¡±

    ¡°Could you please get him for me? He doesn¡¯t need to change into uniform for this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± I asked, sitting at his desk and playing with the leaves of his new plant.

    ¡°Someone who¡¯s going to occupy you while I get some work done,¡± Jeremy said, sighing as he slouched into his chair. ¡°My counterparts in the other duchies are on me for updates on how Drasda ¡®almost fell.¡¯ Dukes are offering troops to indefinitely occupy our streets so the violence doesn¡¯t bleed over to them. And the people are on the verge of calling for someone¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you also be in that meeting going on then?¡±

    He flapped a hand at me. ¡°Political theatre, all the real information they have came from you, which I passed onto them. Thank you for that, by the way. I¡¯m told by people smarter than me that the cavern wouldn¡¯t have collapsed, but I wouldn¡¯t want to put that to the test.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I live here too now.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t find yourself thinking about returning to live among the witches? I''m sorry, but out of professional curiosity, I have to ask.¡±

    It was a fair question, and I didn¡¯t care that he was asking it. ¡°I haven¡¯t been seen as a witch for¡­seven years now? They can¡¯t sense mana, but I''m sure they¡¯d figure it out and push me out if I tried to join.¡±

    Jeremy raised his eyebrows, hands steepled, waiting for me to say the specific words he wanted to hear.

    ¡°Which I don¡¯t want to do,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I like it here more and more every day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    There was a thump at the door that was nothing like the polite knock Jeremy usually got. Before he could let the other person know they could come in, the door swung open. A burly man entered wearing a white vest that fit snuggly onto his physique. Black and grey curls sprouted from his tanned chest to partly cover a faded mark above his heart.

    ¡°Yes, boss?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Bresden, this is Valeria. I owe her a few favours, and since you owe me, I was hoping you could help.¡±

    Bresden took his hands out of the baggy pants draped over his boots to tap his fist to mine. ¡°She¡¯s a bit young and¡±¡ªhe placed a flat palm atop my head to show that I only came up to his ribs¡ª¡°to be bullying you for loan payments.¡±

    Jeremy sighed dramatically. ¡°You¡¯d think¡­Consider her a part of your contract exceptions.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a loan?¡± I asked, but Jeremy shooed us out of the room and forbade Bresden from talking more about it.

    I waited for him to lead us somewhere, but he made a comment about me being the boss. So, I started walking to the same secluded area of the palace Jeremy had taken me to.

    ¡°What kind of favours are you calling in that he¡¯s waving my contract?¡±

    ¡°He was complaining about money, so I gave him some of mine. What contract?¡±

    Bresden chuckled. ¡°Sweat of you, my kid guards their roe like a crazed dragon. I used to run around with another group in my youth. I was the best burglar in the duchy since I worked out how to break through the old enchantments.¡±

    ¡°Grew a bit too much and stopped being able to squeeze through windows, had a kid, and decided to go legal. Thought the watch would be a good option since they¡¯re just a lawful gang, but got caught with my hands in the armoury. These people let me join up as long as I only used my talents for them.¡±

    ¡°Like teaching me how to get through a lock?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Bresden asked skeptically. ¡°Why would you need to know how to do that?¡±

    We made it to the same room with covered furniture Jeremy and I had used, with the window still open. ¡°Seems like a useful skill to know?¡±

    That was a good enough excuse because he shrugged and made the steel rings on his fingers uncoil. They sprang up, forming the stick-like lock picks I¡¯d used at Clem¡¯s.

    ¡°We should have stayed at the tower office. If I could teach you to get through one of those locks, then you¡¯d get through anything. But, these will do.¡±

    He closed the door and turned the lock, kneeling next to the handle. ¡°The first thing you need to understand is what a key is trying to accomplish with any given lock. Most have built-in protections to avoid tampering, yet they can¡¯t go too far with such a small space. Well, maybe that¡¯s the second thing. First is to never, and I mean it, never try to get through an enchanted door.¡±

    I knelt beside him and nodded with no intention of listening to his first rule.

 Chapter 54

    I bundled up my unruly bed hair and took the string I was holding between my teeth to tie it together. The knot didn¡¯t hold, and the strands fell back around my face. I opened the inn¡¯s door with my elbow while I tied it again, failing until my hands were free to grab the handle.

    The ground floor was empty, and I wove through the tables to exit onto the dark street. The first glimmer of sunlight was brightening up the sky, and I broke into a run towards the castle gates.

    Bresden had talked endlessly yesterday, giving detailed demonstrations on how to get through the palace doors and those similar. I got my own set of tools to practice with afterwards, but he took them back after I made a ¡®mockery of his craft.¡¯

    That earned me another lesson and hand-holding to reach the first click that signified getting past one of the lock''s internal mechanisms. He¡¯d commented on my patience being good, but my lack of delicateness was an issue. That made me an interesting student for him since he was used to knights who wanted to kick the door down after a couple of failed tries.

    I returned to the inn afterwards with a grumbling stomach, reminding me I¡¯d been dragged out of lunch and skipped dinner. After scrubbing my skin red to get the lingering grime off, I went down to see what I could scrounge up. I got the usual heaping load of roasted vegetables and spent the rest of the evening watching and listening to the patrons around me.

    Picking up on interesting gossip about their life at work and home and comparing it to the palace.

    The owner had given me some of the squashed pastries that weren¡¯t going to sell the following day. I devoured them until I bit into the last well past the middle of the night, freezing in the realisation that I needed to be up soon if I wanted to keep my commitment to training.

    After another turn, the drawbridge came into sight, a short line leading into the gatehouse. I was about to run past and have the knights let me through when I saw Clair and Sam in the line.

    My panic about being late was quelled at the sight of them. They were near the middle, hiding behind Isaac''s unmistakable bulk, so I went to join them instead of rushing through the gate. I trotted over to them, past accusatory glances from those in line and tapped Sam on the shoulder.

    He¡¯d already sensed me, or rather the crystal, and turned as I did so. A smile blossomed on his face, chasing away his previously tired expression and making me grin in turn.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Sam said. ¡°We almost started a betting pool on whether you¡¯d come back or not. Finally ready to face the instructor''s wrath?¡±

    My grin faded as Isaac clapped me on the shoulder, and Clair gave me a shallow nod. ¡°Maybe? Would I be allowed to throw in a bet?¡±

    Clair smirked. ¡°You joke, but Instructor Hays is what you should be worrying about. It¡¯s her last day, and she hasn¡¯t been shy about making remarks about you.¡±

    ¡°You three are good,¡± a knight said as we got to the front. ¡°You, I don¡¯t recognise. Name?¡±

    ¡°Valeria.¡±

    He traced a finger down a list of names he had. ¡°No Valeria here.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s with us,¡± Sam said. ¡°She lives in the palace.¡±

    The knight looked me up and down, then shook his head. ¡°Doubtful, considering where we currently are.¡±

    Another knight waved through their target of inspection. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the girl who got Barick in shit? They kick you out for making trouble again?¡±

    An older knight slumped in a chair with his arms crossed cracked open one of his closed eyes. He shifted and yawned, closing it again. ¡°Let her through. We haven''t been told otherwise, and I¡¯d appreciate it if we could not mess with the newest darling of the palace right at the end of my shift.¡±

    The first knight¡¯s lips twitched, but he jerked his head towards the gate, and we all walked under the wall into the bailey.

    ¡°They still bring up that Barick situation?¡± Sam asked, frowning back at the gate. ¡°He attacked you, so I don''t know why they¡¯d defend him.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re a part of the ¡®they,¡¯ Samuel,¡± Clair snapped. ¡°There¡¯s usually a good reason knights don''t want to let someone into the castle.¡±

    I was expecting her to at least ask what had happened and not go straight to saying it was my fault. But it was an interesting insight into what someone who was only an aspirant thought of me from one accusation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t curse us by speaking too soon,¡± Isaac said with uncharacteristic apprehension. ¡°We still need to get into and make it through Equitier.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the first time anyone said anything about it,¡± I said, ignoring their conversation. ¡°I get along well with the others.¡±

    ¡°Of course you do. Knights are professional and honourable,¡± Clair said, "Not some petty watch officers.¡±

    From Faraya to those I talked to at the gambling house, they had all treated me well even when nobody was watching. However, that was usually with the duke nearby, and for Faraya, her admonishment had put me in the situation with Barick in the first place. My mood plummeted as I considered that they were all faking it.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a reason why they have the worst shift,¡± Sam said. ¡°I doubt anyone else harbours such thoughts.¡±

    After that dead-end conversation, we lapsed into silence. A group of aspirants were ahead of us on their way to the bastion while knights trickled out of the back of the building. The staff houses were still dark except for a few that had light shining against their curtains.

    The courtyard¡¯s fluffy inhabitant lay curled up on the steps leading to one. Her eyes were closed, but her ears and nose tracked where we and everyone else were, making sure none approached her flock unnoticed.

    A good portion of those training were already stretching their limbs under the watchful gaze of the two instructors. Sam gave me a push when I stopped walking towards them and tried to stay with the group.

    I took that as a form of mild encouragement and strode towards them.

    Hays didn''t deign to look at me after a first glance, and Instructor Daniels had his usual stony expression. I took the last hesitant step towards them, preparing to apologise, when Hays spoke up.

    ¡°I will not have her in my lessons,¡± she said to empty air. ¡°I don''t care who she is. I will not be disrespected in my own class.¡±

    She folded her arms and turned her scowl back to the stretching knights and aspirants. All were watching us while trying and failing not to make it obvious.

    ¡°While I will not exclude you from the collective training,¡± Instructor Daniels said. ¡°I must support my colleague and say you¡¯ve forfeited all personal instruction from me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± It was all I could manage with my lip trembling. The words weren¡¯t harsh, and I¡¯d endured worse without a care. But I felt cheated. She¡¯d goaded me, and because of the events at the gambling house, I¡¯d overreacted. It was still my fault, and I went back to join my team without expressing my arguments.

    A little water didn''t hurt her; it had embarrassed her in front of everyone. I now knew how that felt as I returned to Sam¡¯s group with everyone¡¯s eyes on me. Their hair-raising stares made me want to bury my head in the dirt.

    ¡°No shouting. That¡¯s a good sign,¡± Sam said with a forced smile. ¡°Or not?¡±

    I shrugged, taking a deep breath to calm down. ¡°No mana lessons for me, but I only came here to exercise anyway.¡±

    Clair rolled her eyes at that but didn''t say anything as she dipped into touching her toes. I followed her lead and groaned as my stiff back stretched to its limits.

    The laps were easier than ever, yet I still trailed behind the others and was out of breath by the end.

    Between this training and the last, I''d spent time climbing down hundreds of yards of ladders in sewers, running from people trying to kill me, diving between their legs, and dodging peluda attacks. After all that, the strengthening activities and their necessity made more sense to me.

    I jumped up to the bar and pulled myself up as many times as I could manage, imagining jaws snapping just below my feet.

    I stumbled once I dropped, and Instructor Daniels nodded in my direction. He was being fair as it was the same gesture he gave the others, though I grumbled about how that simple acknowledgement made the lack of feeling in my arms worth it.

    The sound of a clap laced with mana swept over everyone talking during our break after the few rotations of exercises. It was time for mana training and time for me to shoot arrows.

    The aspirants gathered around Hays to listen to the intricacies of spell knots and their formulae. I joined the few other knights practising the bow but at the section with the short-range target. They took their long bows and steel-tipped arrows while I took one of the only recurve bows.

    I set my stance and nocked an arrow out of the quiver tied to my waist. Instructor Daniels watched me out of the corner of his eye and subtly shook his head. I reexamined my stance, shifted my feet, and lifted my elbow, looking back at him.

    He nodded, and I loosed the arrow, scoring a hit on the outer edges of the circular hay target. I smiled as I readied another, getting another nod at my first time attempt.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Once I was done, the target looked like a sewer wall after a peluda¡¯s passing. Scattershot spikes stuck out at random, with some off in the distance, completely missed their target.

    Our groups reformed after the lecture to listen to an announcement. It came from Faraya, who had joined the two instructors. We were to have a surprise guest instructor for the morning, the previous Knight Commander, Keracal.

    Clair looked to the sky, mumbling wishes about not having to compete with me for the chance of instruction. She almost jumped for joy when Faraya continued, explaining he¡¯d go around each group regardless of sparring performance.

    ¡°Why is she not joining?¡± Hays asked, motioning to me. I¡¯d sat at the edge of the sparring rings to watch the first set of bouts, not interested in getting pummeled in an attempt to impress someone.

    Instructor Daniels looked at me with raised eyebrows, passing the question along. There wasn¡¯t a reason beyond me not being good enough to compete, but I was here to learn. I also didn¡¯t want to sound like I was complaining to Hays, so I pushed off the ground to join the line of cheering aspirants leaning around each other to watch.

    I was going to be thrown around no matter who I faced. However, when Clair switched places with the boy ahead of her in the opposite line so she would enter the ring at the same time as me, I was certain of it.

    When it was our turn, she stepped up while cracking her neck. I looked to Sam and Isaac for encouragement. Sam forced a smile while Isaac¡¯s was genuine, possibly because he thought this would help us settle our disdain for each other.

    I wouldn''t even say I disliked Clair much, but this one-sided fight would make it worse.

    She reached out a fist, and I reciprocated before taking a few steps back from her longer reach. Clair stayed where she was and raised her hands to block her face. I copied her, getting my answer as to whether we would be using any of the wooden weapons lying around.

    I responded to her steps forward by backing away, but I would soon run out of space to go, so my steps became shorter until she was close enough to reach me. Her fist left its defensive hold and came for the side of my head. It wasn¡¯t as quick as Faraya¡¯s jab to my teeth, yet I barely leant out of the way.

    I threw out a punch in response. Clair batted it away and kicked while my arm was still extended, her shin digging into my side. While I stumbled, she grabbed at me, and I cracked my elbow into her chin while she tried to get ahold of my wrists.

    Clair worked her jaw while I held my side. She recovered well before I was ready to breathe normally again. Her hands snatched at me, and I backed off, slapping them away. She lunged forward, gripped my shirt and yanked me towards her, bringing an arm under mine to hold my back.

    I panicked at her hold and how close we were, forgetting any attempt at remembering my short training and twisted about to break free.

    I swore quietly as her hip dug into me, and my feet left the ground. Every single one of my organs felt like they tumbled about in my chest as Clair threw me into the air. My body tensed up for the inevitable crash back to the ground. My time airborne felt like an eternity, all of which I spent dreading the impact to come.

    My back exploded in agony. Clair kept ahold of my arm, saving my head from smacking into the dirt. However, she twisted it behind my back and pressed her body against me to pin it in place, reaching around to put an arm around my neck.

    The throw had been enough to incapacitate me, and without being allowed to use my magic, I tapped her arm to signal my surrender. When Clair let go of me, I let my head settle on the ground and splayed out, groaning at the thought of getting up.

    An excited creature offered something else to focus on besides the thrashing I¡¯d received and how I needed to make way for the next participants. Sweeka came sprinting into the ring as a green and black streak, darting through Clair¡¯s legs to place her paws atop my chest.

    I brought her closer, letting her lick my cheek. She only did so once before complaining that I tasted of salty dirt. I nuzzled into her soft fur, letting its comfort relax me. Sweeka yowled and complained that I was getting her dirty, pushing at my chest to get away. My arms around her tightened, squashing her to me. Her next complaint was that I smelt terrible like Yis did after he ran.

    ¡°Whoever hurt her, I¡¯m going to slice off your fingers and heal them as stumps,¡± Yis shouted from behind the spectators. A moment later, he pushed through, his curved sword party out of the scabbard. It was the same one that hung from the wall above his mantle. Yis also wore the unadorned Barrett and a faded knight¡¯s uniform with a longer cape than typical.

    Whenever a knight or aspirant noticed the man, their eyes widened, and their fists thumped against their chests in salute. They parted around him to reveal that Instructor Daniels and Faraya were in the same position.

    I sat up with Sweeka still in my arms. Yis would never think I¡¯d do anything to hurt her, so I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to let go of her.

    Yis sighed in relief or exasperation and pushed his sword back into its scabbard. ¡°It¡¯s just you.¡±

    Sweeka let out a long, forlorn yowl at her saviour for giving up the rescue she¡¯d been hoping for. I wanted to complain about the greeting, but I held my tongue.

    ¡°Val, what are you doing to her?¡±

    I rubbed a sweaty cheek into Sweeka. ¡°She¡¯s comforting me.¡±

    Yis offered me a hand. ¡°You know she doesn¡¯t like whatever you¡¯re actually doing.¡±

    I opened my arms to release her, and she immediately ran behind Yis to start aggressively licking her fur to clean it. He pulled me to my feet and dusted off my back and shoulders, raining dirt down onto his companion. Sweeka stalked off to the grass at the edge of the training area to roll around in it and resume her grooming.

    ¡°You seem important,¡± I commented, looking around at our audience, still holding their salute.

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± he said, returning the gesture. ¡°I ask them not to, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the previous knight commander?¡±

    Yis smiled. ¡°And you took my advice? It''s impressive that they let you join partway through the aspirant training. Though I¡¯d question if you¡¯re ready to spar if you end up like this.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I hummed, not wanting to disappoint him with the truth of why I joined and how right he was about sparring.

    Faraya and Instructor Danials stepped into the ring, shooing away the spectators¡ªthe latter barking orders to get on with their matches in the other rings.

    ¡°You know this girl, Commander?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I do, glad that you let her join. She¡¯ll be a boon for the duchy,¡± Yis said. ¡°I was actually going to petition you to admit her while I was here, but I see that¡¯s already been handled.¡±

    Faraya eyed me to ask what Yis knew to make him say that. Now that I knew he wasn¡¯t just a retired knight but actually the person who held her position previously, I didn¡¯t feel at all guilty for telling him. But I still avoided eye contact with her for now, choosing to deal with those questions later¡ªmaybe when she wanted me to talk with the witch again.

    ¡°Twig has shown an exemplary attitude,¡± Instructor Danials said to Hays¡¯ scoff as she approached our group. ¡°Most of the time.¡±

    Yis luckily chose to focus on the much more important part of that conversation. ¡°Twig?¡±

    All instructor Daniels had for a response was to gesture to my arms, which I folded over my chest while pouting.

    Yis still nodded in agreement. ¡°Could we have a talk later on what weapons to train her in? I have a few ideas that could work.¡±

    ¡°Instructor Daniels has already shown me the basics of the recurve bow,¡± I interrupted, not wanting to be swapped off that weapon. ¡°I¡¯d like to continue with that one and learn how to shoot from horseback.¡±

    ¡°Excellent choice, Daniels,¡± Yis said. ¡°I was going to suggest that myself. Perhaps we should add a glaive for her to learn?¡±

    My jaw almost dropped when I saw a faint smile cross the instructor¡¯s lips. I wasn¡¯t sure which of the sticks with pointy metal tips would be called a glaive, but I didn¡¯t mind learning it, especially at Yis¡¯ suggestion. It also made me want to practice the bow more.

    ¡°A two-handed weapon makes sense for her.¡±

    Hays¡¯ lips parted as if to speak, but she remained silent and scowled at me. I was certain she¡¯d bring up my incident with her and was confused as to why she hadn¡¯t already. Hays hadn¡¯t saluted Yis and wasn¡¯t a knight. There wasn¡¯t much reason for her to care about his previous position.

    ¡°Do you mind if I borrow Val a bit early?¡± Yis said. ¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow to make up for missing today. Perhaps I could make it a regular thing and help training; I promise not to teach any of your students my stubborn faults.¡±

    ¡°I think we may get a full contingent in the training fields for once if it were to become known you were participating,¡± Faraya said.

    ¡°We were finishing up soon anyway, and I would appreciate the extra set of eyes,¡± Instructor Daniels said. ¡°Your decades of experience would be a great addition to the lessons, no doubt.¡±

    ¡°I shall see you tomorrow then,¡± Yis said, gesturing for me to walk ahead of him. Faraya followed after us, with Sweeka weaving between our legs. She avoided my swipe to pick her up again, but she did let Faraya when we stepped onto the rough pathway.

    ¡°How do you two know each other?¡±

    Having learnt my lesson about how I told the story with Charlotte and Donna, I kept it simple. ¡°He let me sleep on his couch a few nights.¡±

    That still earned Yis a questioning look from her. Leaving me to wonder how I was supposed to tell that story and with the resolve to lie the next time it was asked.

    ¡°I let her hide out in my hallway from trouble one night,¡± Yis said defensively. ¡°She chose to make herself at home on my couch.¡±

    ¡°Ah ha, and coming to the palace with little notice?¡± she asked. ¡°It can¡¯t have been just to see the aspirants and say hello.¡±

    ¡°Some blundering bureaucrat has put it in Janette¡¯s head that we can solve the dragon¡¯s breath conundrum by training animals. She asked me here to help, thinking this rascal is well-trained,¡± Yis said, digging a finger into Sweeka¡¯s exposed belly. ¡°She does what she wants when it suits her, not at my direction.¡±

    I¡¯d considered smacking Yis when he brought up me running from trouble when I¡¯d gone through the effort of making the story sound good. However, I forgave him when Faraya avoided the topic, only to want to smack him again when he inadvertently called me a blundering bureaucrat.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have many other options,¡± Faraya said. ¡°Every researcher is working on a spell to detect the specific alchemicals used, but that will take time. And that¡¯s only after the alchemists break down the product into its components.¡±

    He held up a hand to stall the rest of her defence on the idea. ¡°I thought it was foolish when coming here, but now I think we have a chance because¡­ah.¡±

    Yis trailed off, but it was an easy guess what he wanted to tell Faraya. ¡°You can tell her.¡±

    Faraya narrowed her eyes at me, realising that it was actually Yis who knew more than she did.

    ¡°Perhaps a demonstration later would be better. Your explanations aren¡¯t the best, and I don¡¯t wish to sound demented.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s concerning this one, I¡¯ll believe anything,¡± she commented.

    The guards didn¡¯t bother asking for names when we approached. Instead, they stood to the side, fist over heart, and ignored those they were in the process of permitting in until we passed.

    Janette and Yanla were waiting for us outside the foyer. Yis went to greet Yanla first, hugging her, which I found strange until I heard Yanla call him father. Janette was all smiles as Yis hugged her next. They finished their lengthy greetings full of pleasantries and motioned to me at the same time.

    ¡°Let me introduce you to¡ª¡± ¡°I see you¡¯ve met¡ª¡±

    They both looked at each other in confusion and then back to me for an explanation. I¡¯d learnt my lesson twice now, so I kept my mouth shut and let them tell the stories how they liked.

    ¡°You know Val already?¡± Yis asked.

    Yanla seemed to recognise what was going on better than Janette. ¡°She¡¯s the ¡®Val¡¯ from the opera mother spoke about?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Valeria lives here,¡± Janette said slowly. ¡°What¡¯s this about the opera?¡±

    ¡°Valeria,¡± Yis said, dragging a hand down his face. ¡°She¡¯s that Valeria? Arg¡­it all makes so much sense now.¡±

 Chapter 55

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you introduce yourself as ¡®Valeria¡¯?¡± Yis asked after explaining how we knew each other in too much detail. ¡°We could have avoided all this confusion.¡±

    I stared blankly at him and glanced around to see if anyone else recognised the problem with his disgruntlement, ¡°Really, Yistopher? You¡¯re criticising me for shortening my name?¡±

    He looked to Janette for help, but she was still angry at him for leaving me in the opera house. Faraya, Yanla, and Sweeka were off to the side, enjoying each other¡¯s company and avoiding the discussion. Their only contribution to the conversation was Yanla correcting Yis¡¯ defences on why he left me behind, which she¡¯d heard from her mother, Donna.

    Whom I learned used to have Jeremy¡¯s chief position.

    Faraya had wanted to know what Yis knew about me, but he still refused without a private area for a demonstration.

    ¡°What did you mean when you called me ¡®that¡¯ Valeria?¡± I asked, remembering the strange response.

    Yis awkwardly glanced at Janette, who shook her head. ¡°Vince is dragging his feet on that one. Maybe you can give him the kick he needs.¡±

    I would join Yis in that, or at least push him along, to see what the duke was keeping from me. My stomach felt hollow at the potential answers to a question I didn¡¯t yet know, and a part of me didn¡¯t care to find out.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you like me to inform the handlers that we will be late?¡± Yanla asked.

    ¡°Oh, no. We can get moving now.¡±

    Instead of entering the palace foyer, we walked around the building to the side of the horse pasture. We passed curious staff members, taking a break from their duties to watch the disturbance beyond the fence. A look from Yanla had them quickly remembering what they were supposed to be doing.

    In a sectioned-off area of the pasture, people dressed for wildly different occasions stood with an equally bizarre assortment of creatures. A man in leathery boots that came up to his thighs stood with a snake coiled at his feet, complaining about the rough ground and longing for the smooth surface of the lake.

    A boy and girl who looked alike were trying to corral a litter of floppy-eared brown puppies who were distracted by every new smell and wanted to investigate them. It took a moment for me to block their excited thoughts from my own. However, I didn¡¯t entirely succeed.

    A crocotta that looked like a larger and fluffier painted dog lay at the heels of a young woman. They were doing a better job than I was, ignoring the yappy puppies getting too close to them and by far the most docile creature of the lot.

    A long-nosed mole was being held away from their only joy, the soil, by a man struggling to contain the upset creature. There were more handlers with an interesting assortment of canines of different breeds and sizes. They were by far the most common creatures and were different in temperament, with some rolling around at the heels of their handlers and others stretching the limits of their restraints.

    I grimaced and glowered at those who yanked on the chains to draw them back when all they wanted to do was sniff their neighbour.

    The barking, yapping, and cacophony of differing feelings from the group of animals grated against my tired mind despite my best efforts to block it all out and relax. I stood away from the group we were joining so as not to add another thing I needed to concentrate on.

    A high-ranking member from each watch and the military was off to the side, talking with some of the stablehands. They enthusiastically greeted the former and current commanders along with Janette, giving me a curious glance, and then returned to their conversation on what would be the best creature to acquire.

    They were each adamant about one in particular with reasons that didn¡¯t quite make sense.

    I stood outside of their inner circle with a young stablehand, who was holding onto the reigns of a smaller breed of horse compared to Missy and Polem. I couldn¡¯t quite make out what the conversation had moved onto besides it having something to do with cost.

    They should have been discussing the fact that the mole wouldn¡¯t be able to detect the dragon¡¯s breath. That the snake would spook people and wouldn¡¯t be happy working on land. The different breeds of canines needed to be trained differently based on their previous jobs. The horse didn¡¯t need to be considered at all, and the puppies were too young.

    The only decent choice in this mess was the crocotta, but they might have been too large to enter buildings, and there was only one of them.

    ¡°Sorry?¡± I said to the stable hand, who tried talking to me over the clamour. One of the puppies was yipping at the snake while backing away, only to jump closer again. Two of the restrained canines were pulling at their collars, barking and growling with spittle flying everywhere while their handlers separated them.

    The stablehand spoke again, almost shouting. ¡°What¡¯s your role in all this?¡±

    ¡°None at the moment,¡± I shouted back, not hearing the second part of his question.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I was about to shout louder than before but gave up and sighed, pursing my lips. Yis wanted a demonstration, and I wanted some peace to talk normally. I took a deep breath with my fingers to my lips and let out an ear-piercing whistle.

    There was silence as the sound bounced back off the castle wall. ¡°Sit down.¡±

    Only Sweeka, dangling off Faraya, and the horse that I told wasn¡¯t included in my annoyance were still standing.

    A puppy tumbled over in their attempt to stop in their tracks. The one yipping at the snake lay where he was despite fearing the colourful creature. I¡¯d meant only to ask them to be quiet mentally, yet it wouldn¡¯t have been much of a demonstration and may have been seen as weird if they behaved that way at just a whistle.

    I walked over to Yis and Janette while they all continued to stare at me and motioned for Yis to bend down so I could talk to him quietly. ¡°Do you want my help with this¡­or are you fine handling it?¡±

    He glanced around at the now well-behaved animals. ¡°Your help would be appreciated.¡±

    Jeremy hoped over the pasture¡¯s fence instead of using the nearby gate we¡¯d gone through. By his hurried pace, it was in an effort to save time, and by the annoyed look he was throwing my way, it was my fault.

    He stopped yards away and pointed at me, Faraya, and Janette. He then tilted his head and reluctantly pointed at Yis, beckoning us to come closer. ¡°When she¡¯s involved, you can¡¯t have so many people around. Otherwise, they¡¯re going to ask questions we don¡¯t want to answer.¡±

    ¡°All I did was ask them to sit down,¡± I said innocently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you bother,¡± Jeremey said with a shake of his head. ¡°And unless we want to completely retrain some knights and rear puppies for the job that will be taken over by spells before they¡¯re grown, we may want to cut some from the selection.¡±

    ¡°More than that,¡± I said, explaining my reasoning for excluding more than just the puppies.

    ¡°We can¡¯t be picky here,¡± Faraya said. ¡°There could be more dragon¡¯s breath crossing into our city or being made as we speak. This was always a temporary solution. Unruly canines aren¡¯t the worst thing we¡¯ve had to deal with. Not forgetting that we don¡¯t even know if this is going to work. I¡¯d only trust these mutts to find fresh blood and sausages, nothing else.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a proof of concept?¡± Janette offered. ¡°With the crocotta?¡±

    They all agreed it was a good step forward and suggested the more secluded back gardens for it.

    I let the animals know it was time to go, and all but the crocotta and the snake stood to leave. The first was because they didn¡¯t want to listen to me, and the latter was for obvious reasons. Faraya was the one to let the confused handlers know what was happening. And, I may not have been needed here at all, considering how well-behaved the crocotta was, only getting up at the woman¡¯s direction.

    The watch member came up to our group after waving for the twins handling the puppies to wait before putting them in a cart. ¡°The request was for animals with a good sense of smell. These are from the last litter at my brother¡¯s top farm, so I can attest to their pedigree. They can smell predators coming from across the horizon.¡±

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    ¡°Apologies, Captain,¡± Faraya said. ¡°But we¡¯re taking a different approach. Please convey our thanks for the consideration to your brother.¡±

    Jeremy placed a hand over my mouth and took me by the shoulders to direct me away from the man when he noticed I was about to speak. ¡°Let us not offend the family that makes all of the palace and knight uniforms, please.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± I mumbled around his fingers. ¡°I was going to say they were too young. Faraya is the one who called them mutts.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t about to ask for one of them?¡± he asked, removing his hand now that we were out of earshot.

    I looked back at the puppies being picked up, their little limbs flopping about along with their ears. I hadn¡¯t considered it before, but now that he mentioned it¡ªJeremy turned my head to face the palace again.

    ¡°If you¡¯d asked for one without offering adequate compensation, it would have been a breach of etiquette,¡± Jeremy said. "They would have been obligated to acquiesce as you¡¯re a guest of the duke.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem so bad,¡± I said, wondering how soft their fur was.

    ¡°They would cut our discount for the palace in response,¡± Janette said, catching up to us. ¡°They¡¯d give us a long spiel about market trends and costs, but that¡¯s a facade.¡±

    The crocotta and their companion trailed behind us towards the back of the palace, past a series of hedges that created an enclosed garden. It was a private area unless you were watching from the castle walls or the top floor of the palace, but it was better than the pastures.

    The two members of the watch and military had come with us because they were needed to help convince their leadership of the plan. Without the prospect of the puppies being chosen, the watch member seemed very reluctant to remain with this plan as introductions and explanations happened.

    ¡°I¡¯m Darine, and this handsome boy is Raila.¡±

    I went to run by hand through his long mane but got a growl of warning instead. Darine whispered reassurances to Raila and gestured for me to continue. ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s not used to being petted by strangers.¡±

    They had no care in the world for what I had to say to them as I hesitantly reached my hand out again. Raila understood the thoughts and feelings I was trying to convey, yet they didn¡¯t care if it didn¡¯t come from Darine.

    Sweeka wove between Raila¡¯s legs without issue, lowering her antlers so as not to poke him. She was still ready to bury herself into the ground if the sharp teeth protruding from his mouth were turned on her.

    Jeremy pulled out a small sealed jar of dragon¡¯s breath and held it out to Darine, not trusting his hands anywhere near those teeth. She unscrewed the cap, and Raila looked to her for direction before slowly moving his snout towards the open container.

    The first whiff of the pungent concoction made the crocotta recoil and paw at his snout in an attempt to get the smell out. Sweeka had already retreated from the area as soon as the jar opened, having a better sense of smell than Raila and knowing to stay away sooner. Darine crouched beside her companion and glared at Jeremy. ¡°What the fuck is that stuff?¡±

    I sympathised with the poor creature. Sticking my nose in the jar wouldn¡¯t have been fun, and I only had a mediocre human sense of smell.

    Jeremy didn¡¯t respond to her concerns, resealing the jar and leaving to hand it off to an out-of-sight staff member to hide so Raila couldn¡¯t follow his scent instead. We waited for it to be hidden, Janette doing most of the talking and diplomacy with Darine while Faraya and Yis dealt with the doubtful captains.

    Sweeka finally forgave me for ruffling up her fur, padding over to sit by me in the shade of the hedge. We showed each other how we moved small sections of dirt, Sweeka being more in command of her element while I inefficiently copied her. Though, she couldnt get the hedges to grow and flower, and I gained some good will back by offering her fresh flowers to munch on.

    Jeremy got the assurance that the jar had been hidden, Darine snapped her fingers and pointed to the gap in the hedges, ¡°Hunt.¡±

    Raila immediately stuck her nose to the ground and noisily sniffed the air, quickly moving outside and turning without hesitation. I stood up, cradling Sweeka, who was tired of walking and followed along with everyone else.

    Raila was sure of her path, not straying from it for a moment.

    That didn¡¯t last for long as he got distracted at the base of the tree Bitsy was now living in. My silent calls for him to leave the rat alone were met with a growl and the declaration that he would not listen to anyone but Darine.

    Sweeka also decided to leap out of my arms to investigate what was so interesting about the tree once Raila got bored. But, she was a little more receptive to my calls not to dig out the entire area to reach the rat beneath. Bitsy was harder to pacify after having two predators sticking their noses where they didn¡¯t belong, even though one would rather eat flowers than rats.

    ¡°Raila, hunt,¡± Darine commanded, patting the crocotta¡¯s side to make him continue on the original path. The person who hid the jar circled around trees and through a shallow stream, yet Raila kept on the trail.

    He sat down near a thicket and pawed at a patch of dirt inside that had been recently dug up. Sweeka pushed aside the dirt to reveal the dirty jar of dragon¡¯s breath for Jeremy to take back.

    ¡°Good boy,¡± Darine cooed, ruffling Raila¡¯s mane about. She got a stick of dried meat from a satchel to throw so he could snap out of the air. Sweeka reared on her hind legs, placing her paws on Darine, pawing at the satchel to get her own treat.

    It worked out for her, and soon, two animals were tearing and crunching on strips of dried meat.

    ¡°Well, it works,¡± Yis said. ¡°In an unpopulated garden without anything to throw off the scent. Do you think he could repeat this out in the city with an alchemical store around the corner?¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Darine said, scrunching up her face. ¡°No. Not if the target is stationary without a fresh scent to follow.¡±

    ¡°Then we go back to the generals¡¯ suggestion,¡± the military member said. ¡°More funding to attract researchers to our ranks so we don¡¯t need to outsource to those we may not trust with the information.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for the future. The watch needs to be given exceptional measures to allow us to start breaking down doors of suspected illegal alchemy practices. The chancery needs to overturn the order on how we are allowed to conduct searches.¡±

    ¡°That is a temporary solution. They made it through your patrols before; they¡¯ll do it again. We need quicker detection spell development. That¡¯s the only way to control this threat.¡±

    They continued to argue with one another but kept directing their points to Janette. They didn¡¯t care to win their counterpart over to their logic but rather wanted to convince the duke¡¯s partner of who to award more roe and resources to.

    When they mentioned the potential for the palace to be targeted, trying to get both of their asks approved as a final ploy, Faraya herded them away. She and Janette assured them they¡¯d consider their plans, but after everyone else left, they turned to Yis for his option.

    I was completely mystified by how they had yet to focus on the most important matter. Some of their suggestions had nothing to do with stopping the flow of dragon¡¯s breath coming into the city or its production. It was all about denying the validity of their counterpart¡¯s proposals, no matter how much sense they made.

    ¡°There were a few with merit worth bringing to Vince,¡± Yis said. ¡°But in order to not gain one¡¯s ire, we¡¯d need to balance implementation between the two.¡±

    All these unwritten rules of balance and etiquette made little sense to me. The etiquette part because I was being denied a puppy. However, the balance aspect didn¡¯t because why would they want more work? Wouldn¡¯t less dragon¡¯s breath in the city benefit them both equally? A watch member died during the opera house incident. So, surely that meant they¡¯d want every precaution possible.

    ¡°Vince would not want to grant the watch temporary powers, no matter the assurance that they will willingly give them up afterwards,¡± Janette said. ¡°That kind of precedent will have them begging for more to do their basic function.¡±

    And if I was confused at their hardheadedness, then the duke¡¯s made even less sense. The safety of the city and the whole duchy was his responsibility. Why would he limit the effectiveness of his own organisations?

    ¡°My order does not have the manpower for any of their approaches,¡± Faraya said. ¡°We will have to convince the duke to allow the watch some concessions for their cooperation with the military.¡±

    I was avoiding Jeremy¡¯s stare by playing with Sweeka while the three of them continued their debate. That was until he dragged me into the conversation. ¡°So, what little secret is this one hiding from the rest of us, Yistopher? How did she manage to get herself included in this gathering?¡±

    He was still looking at me, but I passed along the burden of answering by waving to Yis. He sighed far too dramatically for what little he needed to say, so much so that I decided to save him from answering. ¡°I might be able to help with your manpower problem. That way, you don¡¯t need to listen to either of them.¡±

    ¡°In exchange for?¡± Jeremy asked sceptically.

    I would have protested the insinuation that I would demand payment to prevent more explosions throughout the city. But I would have been a hypocrite since I had already asked for rewards related to it.

    ¡°Jeremy,¡± Janette scolded. ¡°How dare you, after¡±¡ªshe paused and looked to Yis¡ª¡°after everything she¡¯s done.¡±

    He floundered and looked to me for help. I pouted as Janette turned to me, which made her expression turn from annoyed to angry.

    ¡°Jeremy will get you everything you need, Valeria. If he doesn¡¯t, come find me.¡±

    ¡­

    I didn¡¯t need to find Janette to get the two items I needed. Bitsy was also more than happy to leave the dangerous garden to come back to the sewers with me. I unlocked the second underground door and walked through the enchantment without issue. I listened to the clicks and examined the multi-ridged key but couldn¡¯t figure out how it was interacting with the mechanism on the inside.

    I gently closed the door behind me and locked it again since I wasn¡¯t supposed to be down here. Jeremy was under the impression that I needed to inform him when I would be so that he could disable the enchantment. Except, I didn¡¯t need to do that.

    I stepped over and around a scorpion snacking on another insect that was far too large for my liking, avoiding the stinger flailing around at knee height. I doubted I¡¯d found every dangerous creature lurking in the depths of the city, and my list was already getting far too long.

    Under my arm was the jar of dragon¡¯s breath, the second item I¡¯d gotten from Jeremy. After struggling to unscrew the lid, I tore off a piece to hand to Bitsy. He also didn¡¯t like the smell and took a while to get used to it before scampering off towards the closest colony. Soon, I¡¯d have every rat in the city looking for the stuff in every nook and cranny.

    And a giant debt of food scrabs owed to my little helpers.

 Chapter 56

    I bundled up in a new coat Janette had brought me for the start of winter, pulling the woollen collar up to protect my neck from the wind chill on the balcony. The temperature had dropped significantly over the last few weeks, the first snow of the year drifting onto my shoulders and hair. The falling flakes of ice didn¡¯t fill me with dread now that every part of my skin, except my rosy cheeks, was covered in a fluffy garment.

    Winter had generally been a very gloomy experience, with the cottage not being secure and only having the occasional fire for heat. Mother often sent me out to collect plants that would only grow under the snow in clothing I now knew wasn¡¯t meant for the weather.

    I understood why. The tinctures and remedies sold well during the colder season since they were cheaper than seeing a healer for every minor ailment. Ulia and I had been trading recipes for them every other day to forward Jeremy¡¯s goal of gaining her trust. However, we hadn¡¯t yet got the one for dragon¡¯s breath or the name and location of the rest of the coven.

    I¡¯d spent so much time with her that I wondered if it would be okay to release her. I was once considered a witch and I wasn¡¯t that much of a danger to the people around me. But, she would always shatter my perception of her by starting a spiel on how we must further her coven¡¯s agenda.

    An agenda that included toppling the dukes and barons and installing a regime favourable to the witches that would persecute mages, as was done during the Oclaran civil war.

    It wasn¡¯t something I wanted to be a part of.

    I leaned most of my weight against the railing, not because it was the most comfortable but because my legs felt like they had no bones to hold me up. We¡¯d had our last training of the season this morning, and Instructor Daniels wanted to make it count.

    Yis had kept to his word most days and came to join as an instructor. The first day had been a mess, with many injuries needing the healer''s attention due to people attempting to impress him.

    He was either oblivious or didn¡¯t care since he caused all that eager emotion to turn to ire when he personally trained me. It might have been worth it. Yis was more helpful in his tutelage than Instructor Daniels'' preferred style of ¡®letting me correct my own mistakes¡¯ when my arrow went flying off target.

    He managed to get me shooting straight with quicker motions that I didn¡¯t need to adjust. The arrows weren¡¯t landing in the centre of the target, but at least they were hitting.

    When all that was left was repetitive target practice, Yis threw a bone at the feral animals that had been contemplating getting rid of me to shift his attention. The aspirants, not so subtly, jostled for the space they thought would be best to catch his eye. The knights even participated, showing him the same respect and deference that the younger aspirants showed other instructors.

    He disappointed them by returning to me and handing over a long pole with a sack of sand tied at the end to imitate the weight of steel. It was a hefty piece of redwood on its own, making the drills he had me working through tiresome. Sometimes, the momentum of swinging it in a full arch would drag me stumbling after it when I¡¯d gone through too many of the repetitive motions.

    I¡¯d only been deemed ready for more technical instruction after a full week of swinging and thrusting. Even then, it was only basic movements.

    I let out a complaint or two during that time, but Yis didn¡¯t care. It was helping me draw back the bowstring and do the warmup exercises, so even if he had asked if I wanted to stop, I would have declined. He would also not have let me.

    Jeremy designated Yis to be my ¡®handler,¡¯ mainly because he didn¡¯t want to come in the sewers with me to check on the rats'' progress, which wasn¡¯t much. They had found a few jars around the sewer that had been dropped or discarded to prove their capability. However, there were no scents to follow to the illegal alchemy stations the watch wanted to pounce on.

    Their''s and the military¡¯s representatives were in the duke¡¯s office daily to push for him to act, but all his other advisors counselled otherwise. Faraya¡¯s interrogation of the prisoners hadn¡¯t revealed any other collaborators besides low-interest groups, such as Fergie¡¯s, which they knew more about thanks to Alister¡¯s imprisonment.

    I very willingly provided Jeremy with free interpretations for the newest crystals coming in from the duchy¡¯s outer receivers to smooth over a Twig being mentioned by him. As far as I knew, he hadn¡¯t spread that information and was more so relieved that I was the one who broke into Clem¡¯s, taking some of my gambling winnings to compensate for the breakage.

    Each crystal I examined wasn¡¯t interesting on its own, but the template it provided for the others to be translated was affecting Jeremy¡¯s mood. His expression was more dour the day after a foreign interception came in, and surprisingly, also for some of the intercepts from the other duchies.

    Despite my rouge escapades, I still received the sleek new black clothing from Talia, which made my extra trips to the sewers without Yis more bearable. This was great because it was the only way I was able to get out of the castle. The inn¡¯s owner had been bribed never to let me rent a room there again, and my things magically appeared back in the guest room one day.

    The military advisors were ecstatic about the new information they were getting. They were able to update their maps and troop movements and see the outcomes of the eastern skirmishes earlier than before. According to Jeremy, all they were told was that he had new mortal sources, and he was now getting a portion of their roe allocation to expand those sources.

    I didn¡¯t get any of that roe, but it did mean I was seen as too important to be letting wander alone at night, something Yis made sound like I had a propensity for¡ªa complete mischaracterisation of my actions. I still went out to see Quinten and gather some more books for my and Marty¡¯s collection with Sam. However, it was with Yis or another knight out of uniform walking with me.

    As long as Yis brought Sweeka along, I didn¡¯t mind that much.

    At night was the only time I was able to sneak into the sewers without an escort to widen and lengthen the tunnel I¡¯d been digging into the gambling house. It was little more than a shaft masquerading as four smaller pipes that I needed to merge before going up. While completed, I had to wait till after the event happening later to enter without mages crowding the basement at all hours.

    Haily poked her head into my room. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Commander is calling for you in the duke¡¯s office.¡±

    I shook like a wet animal to get all the loose snow off, contemplating what I¡¯d done to get an official summons. Usually, she and Jeremy dragged me for whatever they needed that day.

    I followed Haily down the stairs and across the foyer, disliking her quick pace. The start of winter was the commencement of voting on who the baron would be for each city-state. In Haily¡¯s opinion, more people in Drasda were lining up than ever before, so the palace staff were split, helping out with the tallying. The palace was also empty of knights as they were out patrolling in full force with the watch.

    Confused kitchen staff had stored and unknowingly provided days'' worth of scraps to pests they despised. It was given to the sewer rats to ensure there was no dragon¡¯s breath remaining in the city before the voting and immensely popular gambling house event meant to celebrate.

    Sweeka had managed to meet Bitsy again during the process, but he refused to be placed on the ground with the predator.

    The office door Haily opened for me was unassuming from the outside. It was only occupied by four people, yet looked able to maintain a good chunk of knights in full uniform. The duke sat behind his large redwood desk, Jeremy admired the mana-rich ornaments on the bookshelf, Faraya lounged on one of the sofas, and General Kylepo sat straight-backed facing her.

    By the contemplative and anxious looks, I was about to get hit with a worrying accusation. Of what, I wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°I¡¯m against it,¡± Jeremy said, starting the conversation off by confusing me more. ¡°And so would Janette.¡±

    ¡°This is only to be known to those involved,¡± General Kylepo said. ¡°If it¡¯s to go ahead.¡±

    ¡°You can deal with her questions about Valeria, then.¡±

    The duke stood up from behind his desk, walking around to guide me into a seat next to him. ¡°You can always say no, Valeria. Faraya, this is your operation. Go ahead.¡±

    This was less about me getting in trouble and more about them placing me into it. Again.

    I¡¯d agree to it, no matter what Faraya had to say, as long as it involved sneaking around and not fighting any peludas. The thing had sat outside the tunnel to the gambling house at one point, leaving me trapped and stranded. I managed to wait it out and get back to my room, pulling the covers as soon as Haily came in to wake me up.

    ¡°We¡¯re not getting anywhere in the interrogations. The two outsiders, Pennie and Oleza, only knew about the incidents that already transpired or should have. They are almost certainly backed by the Oclarans, but their knowledge only goes so far as this Zara figure. You know how the witch is cooperating,¡± Faraya said. ¡°And we captured someone attempting to find out where she was, but he was an intermediary without knowledge as to what exactly they were being involved in.¡±

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    ¡°Are we in a rush?¡± I asked. ¡°Everyone has been captured but two.¡±

    There was still the coven, but Ulia always made it sound like they were outside the duchy. It was still a mystery why Drasda had been their target since there should have been others between them and us.

    ¡°Jeremy, through you, has uncovered multiple requests from a neighbouring duchy inquiring their outposts about the attack before they should have known of it. We want to let Ulia go and see where she leads us and who they then lead us to. Finding out who could be conspiring with them is more important than the coven itself.¡±

    I nodded along, understanding what kind of trouble they were getting me involved in now. ¡°Ah, you want me to go with her?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t ask you to do that.¡± ¡°No.¡±

    I was back to needing clarification on what they wanted me for if that was outside the realm of possibilities.

    ¡°I like the idea,¡± General Kylepo said, leaning back into the sofa as everyone turned to him.

    ¡°No, we only want her to make the escape look real,¡± Faraya rebutted. ¡°Obviously easier if Ulia thinks it¡¯s being done by another witch.¡±

    ¡°But, we can now gain inside information before we snatch them all up. See who¡¯s working with them without the fog of interrogation clouding any information,¡± the general said. ¡°She¡¯s perfect¡ªa witch who has already gained the target¡¯s trust, with a real established backstory. No one will question her, and we¡¯ll have our forces following them just in case.¡±

    The others didn¡¯t vehemently deny the merits of the idea and instead discussed the dangers. I busily came up with answers to questions the witches might ask me based on what Ulia did, having already made my decision to go.

    ¡°The only awful part is sending her into harm''s way,¡± Faraya admitted.

    ¡°And dealing with Janette,¡± Jeremy quietly remarked, raising his hands in the air when the duke frowned at him.

    ¡°No one needs to deal with Janette,¡± the duke said, staring at a single point on his desk. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, she¡¯s not going.¡±

    After that, we argued with the Duke, slowly wearing down the resolve of his objections until he agreed to, at minimum, hear out a plan that involved me going with Ulia.

    ¡­

    My willingness to accept the plan went a long way in getting him to consider it, pending numerous discussions to ensure my safety. The duke was tasked with the hardest part of the operation: getting his partner and daughter to accept my potential disappearance. I had to tell Yis, which didn¡¯t sound like the punishment the duke thought it was.

    I was to receive lessons in the morning to replace my training with what the linguists could decipher about their language. However, I was confident I knew more than them since I¡¯d talked to her the most and had picked up the more common words.

    I drummed my long nails against the dining room table, my mind lost in the rhythmic clicking. The duke had invited me to lunch after the meeting, with more tension in his voice than the regular invitation warranted. There was a new painting hanging amongst the many others in the large hall usually used for meetings.

    It was smaller than those of large sprawling landscapes with cities and forests depicted with single brush strokes. However, it had a place of distinction, hung beside the portraits of past and present Rikers.

    It showed a girl riding a horse that looked like Polem, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a vulture on her shoulder.

    I¡¯d been in a similar pose when Linh declared she wanted to sketch me. Except that girl with a cheerful smile, soft features, and mesmerising amber eyes wasn¡¯t what I saw in the mirror. Linh had gone out of her way to present me in the best light possible.

    Why was it in the palace to begin with?

    A staff member came in to set the table for lunch. Not wanting to look vain, I stopped staring at the painting and moved on to other questions I had from the earlier meeting.

    Would I have enough time between now and the plan¡¯s commencement to carry out a separate prison escape? What would I do with the large cat-s¨¬th and other predators? Were they capable of getting along and not tearing each other to pieces?

    My primary and only plan currently was to get them into the sewers and possibly get rid of the peluda if it caused problems. But there were so many ways that mess could go wrong. None of them belonged in that environment, and like the peluda, they might resort to snacking on people to get their fill.

    The rats would hate me for it, too.

    Another thought I kept coming back to was purchasing them, except when Jeremy had given me a figure for one of the cheaper creatures, it became inconceivable. But I still came back to it, considering the taxes they owed.

    I had no clue how it worked, but if the Triscars lost the barony, they might be pressured to pay those taxes¡ªthe declared profit and the undeclared that Jeremy was sure existed.

    But why would the duke care to take animals over roe? Why would the barons give up their product over some coin? Would losing the barony even matter to people as influential as them?

    The distant sound of an arguing couple drifted through the open doors from the extensive hallway. I straightened my back against the cushion of the chair, hoping to blend in and avoid any questions.

    ¡°Oh, for goodness¡¯ sake, Vince,¡± Janette remarked. ¡°Do you hear yourself?¡±

    ¡°The operative has made their decision,¡± Vince said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s in the duchy¡¯s best interest.¡±

    My eyes widened at the sound of a smack, and Janette walked in a moment later, muttering about headstrong leaders and the consequences of their decisions. Her expression brightened when noticing me sitting at the table, offering her greetings as if the previous conversation hadn¡¯t happened.

    The duke entered after her, rubbing his shoulder and shrugging with exaggeration behind his partner¡¯s back. He sat down in a chair Janette pulled out for him across from me while she sat at the end of the table, far away from us, leaning back and opening a book.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to help me?¡± the duke asked. For a moment, I assumed he meant me talking Janette into liking the Ulia idea, but he wasn¡¯t looking at me.

    Janette didn¡¯t look up, her eyes trailing across the pages. ¡°Nope. I would have weeks ago, but you dragged this on too far.¡±

    Having come from a meeting that had stressed my poor heart, I¡¯d been hoping to have a quiet lunch. I checked the doorway to see if Annalise or really anyone else would be coming to join us¡ªsave me. However, only Haily entered, bringing in a pitcher of water.

    If he wanted her help to convince me I couldn¡¯t go with Ulia, there was a strong possibility I¡¯d crumbled. However, maybe one prison break was enough excitement for me, and it would give me more time to plan.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    I resisted the urge to tap my nails onto the table again as the duke bit his lip, considering his words very carefully.

    ¡°Both Janette and Morris have confirmed this.¡±

    He paused again, too long for my increasing stress to handle. ¡°Confirmed what?¡±

    ¡°I was young at the time¡­and Janette was very sick. The duchy and I had exhausted all other options available to help her. I was desperate. So much so that I can¡¯t say I regret my decision despite the outcome, but I am sorry for it.¡±

    Janette, who hadn¡¯t turned a page in a long while, set the book down with a sigh. ¡°Are you doing this on purpose so I¡¯ll help you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m providing context.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re stalling and making excuses.¡±

    ¡°Valeria,¡± Janette said, turning her gaze onto me. I¡¯d been pouring myself a glass of water to distance myself from their quarrel, and the sudden attention made me spill. Everyone else had been asked to leave the room, so I was able to clean up my mess for once instead of a staff member swooping in.

    I dabbed at the table with a napkin. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It was your mother he went to for help. Do you remember telling us that all you knew about your father was that he was a mage? Well, I present the mage,¡± she said, gesturing to the duke.

    The tension drained from my body, and I let my shoulders sag. ¡°Oh.¡±

    It made a certain amount of sense, looking back at what I knew. I didn¡¯t care that he was technically my father. I told myself I didn¡¯t care that I barely knew what a father was supposed to be. I looked to Janette as a distraction from the flood of thoughts. Each reconsidering his every action and word.

    I was a piece of a transaction. My mother wanted a witch to carry on her lineage and knowledge, and the duke wanted a cure. Unfaithfulness was a leading cause of death in a number of my murder mysteries, but Janette was unconcerned or accepted that a cure was as good a reason as any.

    Inexplicable anger overtook me, but I didn¡¯t understand why. I didn¡¯t care who he was besides the duke. It didn¡¯t matter.

    Was that the only reason I was allowed to stay here? Was that why I joined them for meals and events? Did I like that I was included? Did the reasoning behind the invites make them any less meaningful?

    My head hurt from the torment of new questions, each leading to something else I hadn¡¯t considered the implications of.

    ¡°Valeria?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I snapped, lifting my head from where I¡¯d been cradling it. Unsure who said my name. I recoiled after a breath, noticing the venom in my voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I dipped my head, focusing on the tablecloth instead. The duke continued. ¡°I¡¯ve started preparations for an announcement¡ªif that¡¯s something you want. Officially, it will be a full adoption without the minutiae of the circumstances. You can use the family name¡ª¡°

    Shaking my head, I giggled in my delirium. I already had a family name I¡¯d forsaken and didn¡¯t need to tack on another. Just Valeria was fine with me. There was a string of words used to describe children born outside of a couple; it didn¡¯t matter to me, but hearing them could get dull.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy as is.¡± Possibly better if they had kept it to themselves.

    It would have been incredibly awkward for the both of us if he offered to let me call him father. On a more pleasant note, Annalisa was my sister, though she wasn¡¯t here for me to judge what she thought of that.

    ¡°Yis knew?¡± I asked, remembering him acting weird, and received a nod in return. ¡°Who else?¡±

    ¡°Past and present advisors, along with Anna,¡± the duke said.

    Yanla poked her head through the doorway, raising an eyebrow. At a signal I didn¡¯t see, she nodded and left, returning with staff carrying three sets of meals.

    It was obvious which was mine based on the extra leaves compared to charred and steamed slabs of meat. In an effort to convince myself I was unbothered by the news, I straightened in my seat and discarded the idea of storming out and finding a new inn to take my roe.

    I glanced at the painting of me between small bites, comprehending why it was up there a little more.

 Chapter 57

    The peluda was back, interested in pursuing me for more than my flesh. It had cornered me between the crawl space to the gambling house and the tunnel entrance, eager to correct its past blunder of letting me go. I crashed to my knees, beginning the long crawl as water sloshed up to the walkway, agitated by the bumbling animals trying to make the last turn.

    I would kill it someday once I decided if I was physically and emotionally capable.

    I¡¯d rethought my plan for the animals I sensed above many times. I was at a loss for what to do without anyone to help call out the stupidity or plausibility. So, I would ask the subject of my plans what they wanted instead. Animals may not be the best at thinking past their next meal and considering consequences, but it would help alleviate some of the stress I¡¯d placed upon myself.

    I smooshed together the separate tunnels masquerading as smaller pipes into a shaft wide enough to climb up small indents carved into the sides. The last impediment was the wall, which I shifted to the side as it was carved directly from the stone. I shuffled in sideways, unable to move more stone than that allowed out of fear of collapse.

    A step to the side saved me from the tusk now occupying the space my neck had been in a moment before. The bulgasari¡¯s large frame smashed into their wooden cage, thrashing and grunting, straining to stretch further and impale me. I reached out a finger to check how sharp the tusk was.

    ¡°Ow.¡± I quickly placed the finger, now with a droplet of blood oozing out into my mouth.

    They backed away, realising their attack had missed and I wasn¡¯t one of the guards here to torment them. I remembered the face he had in mind for the guard in case I had the chance to meet them later. His smell wasn¡¯t as helpful, but I tried to remember it regardless.

    The dreary subterranean room was lit by a single flickering lantern running low on oil by the door. The air was heavy and saturated with the smell of animals, their feed, excitement, and blood from the fights the night before. Sacks of feed were stacked in the middle, in clear sight of all the cages, taunting even those who only ate meat.

    The walls were painted an off-putting green, possibly to mimic the colour of grass. Besides being an eyesore, this created another problem.

    The paint on the wall I had come through lay in a powdery mess on the ground, having not moved with the stone. There were sections in the paint that were chipped or peeling, but nowhere as bad as this portion. It was clear something strange had happened where I¡¯d made my passage.

    I folded my arms, chewing on my bottom lip. How was I going to fix this?

    The curiosity of the animals not slumbering distracted me from the problem. They were all contained in enclosures fit for purposes, tailor-made for their frame and abilities. The bulgasari¡¯s cage was made of wood for their ability to manipulate metal, while the jackalopes were also encased in wood, but for their lack of strength.

    Steel bars were used for those without mana and bulky bodies, and iron for those with mana. One stood out, made entirely of thick iron plating with a tiny hole to allow air inside. It was occupied by the large glowing yellow eye of a cat-s¨¬th, the iron blocking any interaction between us.

    I wanted to free all of them despite how impractical that was. The tunnel out was a vertical drop followed by a small crawl space. Even after making it out of that, the best escape was down another longer ladder to the cavern with the mineshaft to the forest.

    Leaving my unrealistic goal and the paint issue for later, I went to the door that shared a hallway with the vault¡¯s entrance. There was nothing beyond but darkness. I pulled out my lock-picking tools and looked back to the cages, contemplating which to open. The obvious answer was the cage with the creature I could best communicate with, but the eye, tracking my every move, gave me pause.

    I conjured up some courage, stepping over chains and feedbags in the low light. The cages were crammed together, creating a tunnel of iron bars I needed to pass through to reach the door to the cat-s¨¬th.

    A leathery head stuck out from between the bars; a forked tongue flickered out to brush against my shoulder. I brought my arms inwards, moving closer to the sleeping creature in the other cage to avoid the teeth the tongue passed through.

    The blocky lock that hung off the cage wasn¡¯t designed for people like those in the palace. It was meant to stick a large slab of metal between animals without thumbs and their freedom. After a few minutes of fiddling with the tools, the lock clicked and crashed to the ground, my hands closing around the air above it.

    I cringed at the thud it made when it crashed into the stone, freezing in place and staring at the door. Besides the curious animals awoken by the disturbance, no other investigation was made by any potential guards outside.

    Letting out the breath I¡¯d been holding, I refocused on the iron door. I swung it aside slightly since I only wanted to let enough mana in to communicate.

    The cat-s¨¬th pounced before I could get a thought out, bashing open the entrance into my face. I landed on my back, my head bouncing off the ground. A sleek black body crept over me, saliva dripping on me. I pressed my cheek to the ground to escape the jagged teeth and hot breath.

    You know me, I pleaded. Remember from the arena? I¡¯m here to help again.

    I imagined my plans, letting them know what I wanted to do. The growling stopped, and I no longer felt like their next meal. She stepped over me, a paw the size of my head silently placed in my view, a swishing tail flicking me in the nose.

    Help? She thought. Your kind¡¯s cruelty truly has no limits.

    ¡°What?¡± I said, stunned at the reaction. I sat up, too dizzy to attempt standing after bashing my head.

    Is this helping? Asking them if they want to leave. All they now dream of is wide open spaces, deep tunnels full of their kin, or clear rivers overflowing with food. You heartlessly taunt them with an unobtainable future. They are too simple to understand your limitations, little human.

    ¡°I helped you in the arena,¡± I countered.

    A human who helps to encourage bloodshed simply for the sake of it? How¡­unique.

    She settled on the floor, soaking up the mana in the air she¡¯d been denied inside the iron box. The shadows played tricks on my eyes as her body seemed to morph into them, leaving her eyes visible, glinting in the faint light.

    ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean for you to kill her. I only meant to help you survive.¡±

    Many pity us just like you do. Tell me, will you throw us scraps of food, wash us, or let us stretch our legs in your small enclosure of death to satisfy your guilt?¡­ Will you free the others?

    ¡°No,¡± I said, getting to my feet and shuffling past the flickering tongue again. ¡°I can¡¯t free anyone¡­tonight.¡±

    Then, I appreciate the chance to immerse myself in fresh mana, if nothing else.

    ¡°I could take one,¡± I said without thinking. ¡°Show I can do it.¡±

    She ignored me, grooming her fur instead as I found a rickety chair that creaked at my weight. They all stared at me, but the bulgasari was pushed against the wooden bars with their eyes locked on my pocket.

    He wants the metal you keep in your clothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± I said, thinking about whether to hand them over.

    Ah, you can tell what the simple ones feel as well? Particular little human, aren¡¯t you?

    I shrugged. ¡°Is that surprising, considering I talk with you?

    The forest kin have a few that can manage that. There are enough in the cities that it wasn¡¯t strange, but none I knew could speak with the tusked one.

    I threw the steel tools in my pocket, more eager to observe how to manipulate metal again than get through the doorway tonight. He caught them in his mouth, the metal melting into a pool on his tongue.

    It disappeared, reforming on the tip of his tusks. Now reinforced, he bashed against the enchanted wooden bars repeatedly, to no avail.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Stop,¡± I whispered harshly. ¡°Stop! Get him to stop that.¡±

    The cat-s¨¬th let out a low growl behind me, the bulgasari halting moments away from another crash. We turned to the doorway as the enchantment field fell. The lock clicked seconds later.

    The large cat in the middle of the room leapt into the shadows. Unconfident in replicating her feat, I ran and lay behind the bags of feed as the door banged open.

    ¡°Shut up! How many beatings does it take to learn?¡±

    The door slammed shut. An orb of light sprung to life to chase away the shadows but flickered at all the iron in the room. I couldn¡¯t see if it had exposed the feline or if the mage had noticed the open cage.

    He stomped over to the bulgasari. The boots pounding against the floor came into view around my cover. They were scuffed black leather with torn beige pants settled around them. I slowly crawled backwards, begging him not to turn, and hid around the far side of the sacks.

    He smacked a steel rod into the bars to force the bulgasari to back away. He walked around the cage while he prodded the trapped creature with a metal rod from his belt. A spell I quickly recognised tied together at the base of the steel; it sparked down its length, hitting the bulgasari with the full force of the lightning attack.

    They didn¡¯t have anywhere to retreat to and convulsed, emitting a high-pitched squeal. I was frozen in horror, reminded of my dealings with that same spell. I had merely begun considering what to do when another concentration of mana built up, but it wasn¡¯t another spell.

    The mage turned, also sensing it and took the strike of solid air in the chest. Its force bounced him off the cage and away from the recovering bulgasari looking to spear him. And right into the open maw that appeared from the shadows to latch around his throat.

    The mage strengthened his body and neck. The jaws closed, her teeth steadily sliding deeper until a crunch. He fought back despite his neck snapping, punching against his attacker¡¯s face and reaching for the metal rod that had rolled out of his grip.

    The cat-s¨¬th ignored the flailing fists striking her snout and shook him about until he stilled, blood already pooling under his body.

    I stood from my hiding place, unsure what to do with my shaking hands. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡±

    You show dismay at the death of your brethren but not our pain?

    ¡°No, you foolish cat,¡± I hissed, lowering my voice after glancing back to the door. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen when they find the body?¡±

    There are plenty here who could use a fresh kill. They simply need to be freed.

    The predator licked the blood off their chops as the denizens of the basement looked at the cooling corpse, hunger radiating off the predators.

    ¡°Use?¡± The cat-s¨¬th was wrong about the reason for my dismay. My actions led to him entering the room when he otherwise wouldn¡¯t, but it was his fault he died. I would have even tried to save him if he¡¯d entered to provide water and food.

    However, as he demonstrated, he was the same guard the bulgasari had been scared of. Instead of remembering his features, I was scrubbing his vacant, bloody expression from my memories.

    His death was quick while the pain he inflicted still lingered. I was dismayed at the consequences to follow, not his demise.

    She finished cleaning off the blood and prowled towards me. I stood still, reading through the predatory display to see they had no intention of attacking.

    Free them.

    I didn¡¯t acquiesce out of intimidation but because I had no better idea. Leaving him on the floor was possibly the worst option, but I could also drop the mage into the sewers. I knew of at least one creature down there that could help me discard him.

    However, it wouldn''t be fair to them if I let him get eaten. The issue was I no longer had my tools.

    ¡°Can I have the metal pieces back?¡±

    It took some cajoling from me and the cat-s¨¬th once she understood the importance of the tools. I got back lumps of metal that bore no resemblance to the original lock picks. My first attempts to manipulate it back into a useful form liquified the metal.

    It dripped through my fingers like thick soup onto the floor, collecting into a pool that drained towards the blood.

    I jammed a finger into the groove it flowed through to get another chance at solidifying the steel. I eventually got it to resemble clay that I could clumsily smoosh into a mockery of its original shape.

    It could still get the job done, so I went about unlocking cages. This included the goanna whose tail had dented Petrick¡¯s shield in the area. They viciously tore at the body. A quinkana, whose stubby legs had them low to the ground, locked their long jaw around a leg and rolled to rip it off. Their long, reptilian tail almost caught my leg in the manoeuvre, and I stepped away from the carnage. There was a fight for the thigh that the cat-s¨¬th won, stealing it away to gnaw on in the corner.

    I avoided watching but endured the crunching and heightened emotions flooding the room. I locked the door to ensure no one else saw this since they may end up in a similar position.

    An over-eager creature tried to instigate the others to have me as their next meal. Before I had to persuade them not to, the cat-s¨¬th growled from the corner, ending the discussion.

    The last creatures to stop ripping sinew from bone were a pair of painted dogs scavenging the last pieces of meat. Instead of returning to their cages with the scraps, they lay down groggy after their meal. Shreds of the mage¡¯s clothing were left blood-soaked on the stone floor.

    ¡°Can you help me get them to return¡­Evie?¡± I asked, trying out a name instead of referring to her as the big cat.

    Evie?

    ¡°Short for ¡®eviscerator,¡¯ that¡¯s what they called you at the area unless you have a name already or took a liking to the foolish cat.¡±

    I care little for your kind¡¯s names.

    She appeared dismissive, but I could tell she liked the name, at least more than being called foolish.

    I sat on the feed I¡¯d hid behind, lost about what to do next. The wall behind the bulgasari where I¡¯d come through had a new problem besides the lack of paint. Four groves were carved into the wall from the edge of the slashes that had hit the mage. No one was going to bother questioning the paint with those there.

    It was a shame I couldn¡¯t leave it as a distraction since I¡¯d have to repair it.

    ¡°What now?¡± I asked the room of lounging predators. I¡¯d come to the sewers as an escape from staring at the ceiling and worrying about the new complications in my life. The duke had been over-attentive, inviting me to dinner after yesterday''s lunch and every meal today. I¡¯d accepted but grown increasingly tired of the forced conversations.

    This wasn¡¯t the stress-free trip I had anticipated.

    You were going to prove to us we could be freed?

    ¡°Still? After this?¡± They were going to be extra attentive after mysteriously losing a guard. Taking one of the animals seemed ludicrous under normal circumstances already.

    Evie stretched, her back in the air and front paws reaching out with extended claws that scratched the stone. Her yawn revealed red-stained teeth as she started to circle my seat. I resisted the urge to turn my head to follow her path around me despite her disappearing from my senses almost entirely. Her mana was evenly distributed over her body to blend with the surroundings, but it was still moving within a contained space that I could discern since I knew where to search.

    She stopped. You¡¯re not of the forest kin.

    It wasn¡¯t a question, yet I still answered. ¡°No¡±

    How do you speak with me then? What¡¯s wrong with your essence?

    I shrugged, not having an adequate answer. There¡¯d been no mana in my necklace the whole time, and I wasn¡¯t sure what finally caught her attention. ¡°I could try taking one of the jackalopes?¡±

    And bring it back to us.

    ¡°Now, who¡¯s being cruel.¡±

    How will I know you haven¡¯t killed them?

    I rolled my eyes at the distrust, wondering what I¡¯d done to deserve it. They didn¡¯t see me as an individual. Individualism didn¡¯t exist in the wild. They didn¡¯t distinguish between the members of a species, only if they were dangerous or not.

    People were the most dangerous, possibly behind a certain cat-s¨¬th for some. I wasn¡¯t being evaluated for my personal dead, but rather those of my kind. And from what I¡¯d witnessed in a single night, it was a long list of discretions.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring them back.¡±

    We herded reluctant animals back into the cages, and I found closing the locks much easier than opening them. Evie stayed out until I selected one of the smaller jackalopes to take with me, cradling it awkwardly in my arms.

    When I set them down to lock Evie¡¯s cage, they ran off, and I had to corner them to pick them back up. Smoothing the marks on the wall was more straightforward than pooling enough water to wash out the blood, but the missing paint and clothing were still an issue.

    I nudged the shreds of cloth into the drain with my foot and found a set of keys that I pocketed. Then, I shifted the wall, causing the paint to push together and flake off. It looked worse than before but didn¡¯t have recognisable entrance and claw markings.

    I was extra thorough in masking my tunnel on the way down, making the crawl back with one hand while the other cradled a disgruntled critter. No peluda was waiting for me on the way out, and I tightened my grip on the jackalope after they got a peek at my thoughts of the monster.

    My usual rat sewer guide was still asleep in my room. I regretted not waking them when I snuck out in the middle of the night. I backtracked to a tunnel recognised so I could return to the ladder down to the cavern, finding wooden boards blocking the entrance.

    I moved them aside and started the long, tedious journey down. The jackalope was frustrated, not understanding that they could be dropped and fall to their death if they kept struggling. Their fear of not being close to solid ground overpowered their reason and made my job more difficult.

    The tunnel had been unblocked, yet the tracks were still in tatters, unable to take a minecart across that could have made my journey quicker. It slowly slopped upwards and, after an indeterminable amount of time, ended in a blockage. There was a similar ladder to the entrance going to the surface.

    Luckily, it was shorter, and I pushed up a wooden hatch that let leaves and twigs fall past me. Seeing the undergrowth with the moonlight filtering past the canopies of the giant red forest trees instead of mana pulses distracted me enough to loosen my grip.

    The jackalope used its powerful hind legs to thump my chest repeatedly and leapt out of my arms, dashing off into the bushes.

    ¡°Wait! I need to take you back.¡±

    That made them run faster.

 Chapter 58

    Unlike Sweeka, the jackalope was less graceful in navigating a wooded landscape. They were used to vast open plains and kept getting their larger antlers entangled in the brush. However, they were still faster and nimbler in getting through the undergrowth than me.

    My eyes were locked on the ground, tracing the fresh paw prints on the thin layer of snow in the dark. So, the branch at head height eluded my notice until it was too late. Avoiding another bash to the head cost me. I slipped on the icy ground, landing unceremoniously on my back. The chill from the damp forest floor seeped into my clothing despite quickly scrambling back to my feet.

    I resumed tracking the small paw prints while keeping a better eye on my surroundings. However, I was now too far behind to sense the mana-lacking jackalope in a forest overflowing with living beings and plants. The jackalope had circled a giant redwood tree and hopped into a clearing. The canopies above didn¡¯t overlap as much and let through faint moonlight that glinted off the snow.

    The tracks ended abruptly. And I searched from the edge of the clearing for where they could have continued. The snow may have been too compact for the paw prints to show. Or did they leap into a bush somehow?

    Beyond the many wakeful animals and critters flooding my mind with their nocturnal activities, the trees were also whispering to each other. Regardless, there was nothing to suggest where the jackalope had gone.

    Now that I¡¯d exhausted all my attempts at keeping my naive hope of them simply eluding me alive, I searched for potential predators. Due to the lack of another set of tracks, I checked the sky first. If it had been an airborne predator, they would have already whisked away the jackalope to a faraway nest, ruining my chances of ever finding them.

    Fortunately, while the jackalope was airborne, they were not in the clutches of an owl or storm eagle¡¯s talons. They were high above, kicking about from inside a cocoon that shimmered in the limited moonlight. The black threads were full of mana, blocking the fear the poor animal was experiencing.

    Plenty of creatures used silk for protection, hunting, and trapping. I worked through a list of those I would least like to meet in the dead of night and hoped for something mundane and harmless.

    I didn¡¯t get my wish.

    A night mantis wasn¡¯t the worst possibility, but its sharp, scythe-like limbs were unsettling. It twirled them around from a branch above to gather the silk thread and pull up its catch. It would come up to my thighs if they were on the ground, easy enough to kick, but that didn¡¯t help when they were high up in lofty branches.

    The jackalope¡¯s size and struggle stopped it from being reeled in all the way up to the deadly limbs, their antlers also poking holes in the silk.

    It didn¡¯t care about or understand anything I had to say. The single thing on its mind was the thrill of a successful hunt and worry over losing it. It skittered across the thick branch while holding onto the threads it produced from its limbs, away from another larger mantis waiting at the tree¡¯s trunk.

    The cocoon dangled below it, swinging from side to side and eliciting more kicks against the silky capsule from the trapped animal within. I followed underneath, my neck craned back to stare up at the display. I slipped the dagger at my waist out of its sheath, comforted by its weight but with no idea what to do with it.

    Throwing was more likely to end up hitting the jackalope or me when it came back down.

    To eat its catch, the night mantis would need to escape from its competition to solid ground or a larger branch that could hold the struggling quarry. Without focusing on where I was stepping, I strode into a bed of sticky silk, the mana in it coming alive at the touch to wrap around me.

    It didn¡¯t get very far since it wasn¡¯t made for people and merely reached my knees. I grabbed the thin thread at the corners of the sheet and yanked, resulting in rustling from the leaves above as a different night mantis came tumbling down. Moving out of the falling insect''s way caused me to trip and fall to my knees as it landed beside me.

    The fall didn¡¯t affect the critter, and it made a swipe at my tangled legs as soon as it got up. I crawled back, yet the attack wasn¡¯t meant for me, but rather the threads connecting us. It sliced through them and turned to scrurry up the nearest tree, unwilling to fight something much larger than itself.

    I got to work slicing the rest of the threads and glanced up at the original escaping insect, trying to keep track of it amongst the numerous other creatures in the darkness. I regretted not wearing gloves as the threads tangled around my fingers so tightly that I couldn¡¯t get the blade¡¯s edge between them to cut.

    The night mantis was stuck at the edge of the branch, wanting to jump across to another less than a yard away. The smaller mantis would soon force a decision; it approached from the trunk, now joined by the one that fled from me. Instead of uniting forces, they fought over the closer position on the branch.

    When it finally decided to jump, I was still cutting the remaining loose thread wrapped around my pants. The durable material at least made it easier to slice without worrying about hurting myself. Its stick-like legs bent for the jump, and leapt across the gap at a creeping pace with the silky cocoon swinging below.

    I started to weaken the wood of the branch it was going to land on, but that wasn¡¯t necessary.

    At the apex of its jump, the jackalope''s weight caught up with both of them, and they plummeted. The carrying capacity of insects was well-known, but that hardly helped in mid-air. I stumbled underneath them with my arms held out, noticed I was still holding the dagger, and dropped it moments before catching the jackalope.

    The mantis landed beside us, a scythed limb catching my arm and making it through my garment. Either the jackalope couldn¡¯t hear me or was too frightened to care that they were impeding my effort to help by struggling.

    This night mantis was more invested in its fight with me than the last, focusing more on the large meal in my arms than how tall I was. It swiped at my legs, stabbing into the ground at my feet. I held the jackalope to the side as it continued to struggle so I could see my attacker better, but I mainly succeeded in tangling my arms in the sticky silk.

    I stepped back onto the dagger I¡¯d dropped and stopped with it under my heel. The two other mantises skittered down a trunk behind me to join the fight for their meal. I needed the dagger and my arms free before they could.

    I kicked out towards the creature''s large eyes and forced it to retreat while swiping at my boot. It noticed the pair closing in and chose to ignore them. With numbers on their side and their rivalry temporarily forgotten, they began to surround me.

    I leant down to pick up my dagger while cradling the jackalope under one arm, spinning around to brandish it at whichever approached.

    Never again would I disparage Yis¡¯ choice to make me learn the glaive. The weapon''s reach would have been a great help instead of my blade, which was only slightly bigger than their limbs.

    The jackalope¡¯s struggles let it escape most of the silk and observe our predicament. They hated what they saw and made an effort to leave my grasp for the safety of my shoulder. Their antlers scratched the fabric covering my face and almost poked an eye out before I threw them off.

    ¡°If you run, you¡¯ll end up in another trap,¡± I snapped, spinning to kick at an approaching mantis and throwing a blast of wind at another. They stopped thinking of bolting and hid between my legs, making twisting around quickly much more difficult. I flung another blast of wind, but their insect bodies were so thin there was nothing for the air to catch.

    Raising a dirt mound to block them wasn¡¯t helpful since they climbed over.

    I didn¡¯t think I was in much danger of being badly hurt by a few insects, but I could feel the gaze of other prowlers of the night. They were interested in all the ruckus and, most likely, scarier than the bugs. Additionally, my use of mana may not have been the brightest idea if it attracted more.

    I kept my back to the most aggressive of the lot, letting them get close. I wasn¡¯t the best at telling when they were about to strike, and I misjudged it, taking a cut to the back knee before turning. However, they were too close to avoid my retaliation, and I struck down at it.

    Their bulbous head split in two as the dagger cut down into their neck. The insect slid off my knife and crumpled to the floor, its limbs twitching. I spun towards the remaining two who were going for my open back, one managing to catch my ankle, only covered by a wollen sock.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The jackalope japed an antler into its leg and chased it away before I could strike.

    The mantises didn¡¯t feel it was worth it anymore with the jackalope out of the binding and retreated up to the branches. I had more space to act and was frustrated beyond caring. I snarled and swiped my outstretched fingers towards their climb in my first attempt at Evie¡¯s wind strike. The ¡®blades¡¯ of solid air weren¡¯t at all sharp but were solid enough to knock them off the trunk and into the forest beyond.

    ¡°Would you¡ªArg!¡± The jackalope was bashing their hind leg into me, trying to get out of the remaining threads. They kept hitting the cut on my ankle, adding to my aggravation. I raised my fist, ready to hit them back with the hilt of my dagger.

    Instead, I looked up at the starry sky and let out a long sigh before bending down and cutting them out. I held their antlers to hold them still and keep them from running away right after.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough to convince you that being here isn¡¯t that great?¡±

    The vast open space and grass were powerful motivators compared to rough stone and damp basements. But they at least felt it would be safer to view the forest from my arms.

    I limped out of the clearing as soon as I cut through the last thread and rounded the base of a trunk, hoping to avoid the watchful gaze of many curious animals. Yet, there was a certain malice to whatever was still watching us.

    Something whistled through the air and rustled the leaves of the lower branches, embedding into the bark beside my ear. Primates sitting up in the branches started screeching and hollering, announcing themselves as howler monkeys.

    I¡¯d jerked my head to the side right as the javelin hit. I eyed the length of carved wood for a moment before dashing away, forgetting my hurt ankle.

    Another branch carved to have a pointed edge dug into the ground before me, and I swerved to avoid more throws. They were launched with such power that I barely had time to nudge the wooden weapons away from my back.

    They didn¡¯t care to eat me, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that made things better. They were intelligent enough to know the ¡®hairless ones¡¯ roamed together in tribes and needed to be chased away, so we didn¡¯t establish ourselves in the area.

    They were, however, not intelligent enough to understand I was alone and didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near their territory. The hooting continued as I ran around tree trunks while they swung from the branches, easily keeping pace.

    They were so loud that, coupled with my and the jackalope''s heartbeats thumping in my ears, I didn¡¯t notice they stopped following me until I had to stop at a river. I immediately turned around, noticing the predator lurking in the shallow depths and a second immersed in the muddy bank.

    ¡°This is that foolish cat¡¯s fault,¡± I muttered, catching my breath. ¡°I do not need to prove myself to either of you. This is ridiculous.¡±

    The jackalope thought it was my fault for taking them outside the safety of their rocky surroundings. And while there was some truth to that, I still blamed Evie.

    I turned toward Drasda, using the few stars I could see as a guide. Going back to the tunnel was an option, but I¡¯d rather not have more javelins thrown at me. The howler monkeys knew better than to leave the safety of the treetops when it came to people with mana, but that still wasn¡¯t reassuring. Even without them directly confronting me, getting a stake through the heart would only take misjudging one dodge or nudge.

    The chirps and hoots of insects and birds drew my eyes every which way. An owl regarded me, deciding I was too heavy to carry and took flight in search of different prey. A feline I had no interest in examining to determine what type stalked me from afar. I mentally screamed at them loud enough to frighten them away since they were uninterested in attacking prey that knew they were coming.

    My panic subsided at a break in all the things thinking of eating me, and I stopped running. Without my necklace on, the only way they could discover me was through the noise I was making and maybe my smell. After taking more than a few deep breaths, I started to traipse over the dead sticks and around bushes.

    Nothing bigger than a rodent noticed my silent passage through the deadly forest from then on. This trip had adequately demonstrated why the train had waited till morning to cross through it.

    The most dangerous thing in my forest near the cottage beside the treant was venomous snakes that had no interest in me. It was a jarring difference to the Red Forest I¡¯d assumed couldn¡¯t be as bad as people suggested.

    A faint sense of steel nearby that I could manipulate halted me in my tracks. I was between a narrow gap between two trees, and my next step would have placed my foot on the metal. I crouched down and prodded the pointed spikes that poked out of the ground, surrounding another slab of metal.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what the design entailed for my leg if I¡¯d stepped on it.

    I flung my head back, mouthing expletives and searching in vain for someone to share in my misery at the situation. Everything in this damn tree-infested nightmare was out to get me.

    I carefully shifted the ground beneath the trap and buried it further, hearing a faint click as the teeth tried to close around nothing but dirt. As I got closer to the sound of human laughter, I found two more and buried them as well.

    There was also a jackalope-sized cage with berries as bait that I made sure my companion noticed. They were already looking to escape again, having forgotten the consequences of their last attempt, and this was a sufficient reminder that I was good company.

    The train tracks were the next bit of steel I found, and I followed them to the military camp between the forest and Drasda. The unnatural hill and ditch stretched out before me, with light from both mages and lamps illuminating the entire length. It was placed as a barrier to the forest for good reason, from what I¡¯d learnt in my few hours of exploring it against my will.

    Pairs of uniformed soldiers walked across the scaffolding behind, their torsos lazily bobbing along as they chatted. I debated sauntering over and getting them to fetch Yis, but that would result in an inordinate number of awkward questions.

    Thus, I went the long way around to avoid any such issues.

    That was until I stepped on a patch of grass in the darkness, and it sent off a subtle pulse of mana. The guards consequently threw an orb of light my way, and I heard the questions about what could have set off the alarm.

    I dove into the grass with the jackalope still nestled in my arms and sunk the dirt below me to hide from the light. The guards didn¡¯t seem too interested in what could have happened as they withdrew their light and carried on their way, voices fading into the distance.

    I poked my head out of the ditch I¡¯d made to check they were gone and moved further away from their wall into the empty field of tall grass.

    There were no other issues besides different spiked seeds sticking to my pants and socks that I had to fling off. I reached the smaller barrier surrounding Drasda and clambered up the hill and over the wooden scaffolding when there was a gap in the guards. I dropped down into the darkness again with a disgruntled jackalope and made it to the cobbled streets of Drasda.

    I only knew of one entrance to the sewer and had an easy time avoiding the watch patrols, a hooded figure exiting the window of a house, and people returning from their night out.

    My lockpicks were still deformed, and getting through the lock to the restaurant was more challenging than all the cages combined. Especially, when I had to corral an uncooperative animal that didn¡¯t want to return to being underground while keeping my hands free to use the tools.

    I ducked into the sewers from the cellar, snatching a stick of celery for the jackalope and a small wood and crystal salt mill for me. Now, out of danger, I succumbed to the pain from the cut in my ankle and limped through the sewer, guided by the few rats that didn¡¯t scurry away from the scent of blood.

    No peluda tracked me; if it had, I guiltily considered throwing the jackalope at it to escape from how whiny the creature was being.

    I made no attempt at communicating with the big, annoying cat once in the basement again since that required more lock picking. I pushed the jackalope into their enclosure and snapped the lock back on, feeling slightly blameworthy at their rejoiced for the safety of the cage.

    However, I also blamed them for our lack of safety out in the wild.

    Yis, if he had witnessed my fight, may have made the argument it was due to my lack of weapon and magic training, but that was nitpicking. Utterly ridiculous. I¡¯d performed¡­ adequately under pressure and surrounded by thigh-high insects.

    I sighed, not believing my own arguments. I¡¯d need Evie to teach me so that next time, I could slink into the shadows or slice a mantis to pieces instead of just pushing them. Maybe I could learn from the bulgasari how to levitate my dagger and cut down the next trapped jackalope from the ground.

    After analysing my actions, I was left disappointed and frustrated that I had not even considered certain options.

    By the time I was most of the way back to the first castle door, I¡¯d imagined the fight playing out in dozens of different ways. Some had better outcomes, and others ended up with me being surrounded by things worse than night mantises.

    But, all led to one simple conclusion: more training with Yis and studying creatures like Evie.

    I closed the last door behind me and turned the key, dragging my feet the rest of the way up to the palace. My cuts were scabbed over and more itchy than painful at this point, making it easier to climb the stairs and avoid the early-rising staff.

    My eyes may have been playing tricks on me, but sunlight may have been leaking through my curtains already. I placed the salt mill in my bedside drawer and walked through my shower, leaving my dark clothing in a sweaty heap.

    I barely managed to pull on my nightgown and close my eyes when there was a knock at the door. I groaned but waited for Haily to walk in, see I was still asleep and leave.

    There was another rap at the door, more forceful than Haily¡¯s reserved knock. I stilled, making a deal with myself to see who it was only if they knocked again.

    They did, and I pushed off the soft, warm, and comfortable bed to march into the sitting room. I yanked open the door, ready to tell the duke I wasn¡¯t interested in having breakfast today, but I found Yis with his fist raised. I buried my head in my hands, regretting my words on more training with the man.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean now,¡± I whined. ¡°Let me sleep.¡±

 Chapter 59

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean now,¡± I whined. ¡°Let me sleep.¡± ¡®

    Sweeka crept between our legs to explore the sitting room, not in the mood to listen to us so early in the morning. Not much exploring happened since she plopped down and stretched out in the first section of sunlight streaming through the open curtains.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Yis said in a voice laced with sarcasm. ¡°When would be a good time for you?¡±

    I swallowed the word ¡®never¡¯ and racked my brain for a decently convincing response. ¡°Later?¡±

    Haily spoke up from behind Yis¡¯ large frame to ruin my plans. ¡°You have a language class later, followed by lunch with the duke. Madam Riker has also asked you join the youngest Riker in his afternoon classes.¡±

    ¡°It appears there is no ¡®later¡¯ then,¡± Yis said. ¡°And I understand kids wear whatever they want these days, but isn¡¯t answering your door in a nightgown still considered inappropriate?¡±

    Haily peeked around and sighed. ¡°It is.¡±

    She squeezed past to shut the door, promising to get me ready and shove me out in a few minutes. When she disappeared into the dressing room, I rushed past to kick the heap of clothing in the lavatory behind the door. Haily gave me a weird look when I exited in time for her to hand over my training attire. ¡°You look awful.¡±

    I shooed her away so I could change without showing off my necklace. Haily rolled her eyes and turned around on the spot.

    After changing, I went to leave and paused, returning to my drawer to pull out the silver ring. The oversized piece of jewellery sat loosely on my middle finger. I went to shrink it to a fitting size¡­and cursed in pain.

    Haily glanced over from where she was petting Sweeka in the sitting room. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±

    I turned, moving my hand out of sight. ¡°I just kicked the bedpost.¡±

    ¡°Ah, happens.¡±

    I¡¯d accidentally shrunk the ring too far and squashed my poor finger. Panicking, I liquified the ring instead of loosening it, and it pooled in my cupped hand, threatening to spill across the floor. It hardened into a lumpy mess I stuffed into my pocket to deal with later.

    Yis was still waiting outside, leaning against the wall. I picked up a sleepy Sweeka from her sunbathing spot to join him more for my comfort than anything else. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°You sound like you haven¡¯t slept,¡± Yis said, leaning down to look at my bloodshot eyes.

    I was no stranger to missed sleep and usually dealt with it quite well. However, the excitement of the previous night, coupled with constant physical toil, had sapped all my stamina. Only the benefit of training under Yis and Sweeka¡¯s fur kept my legs moving as I followed him into the palace''s back gardens.

    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Yis commented, pointing to the hammock.

    ¡°It''s mine,¡± I said, realising why I¡¯d even gotten it in the first place. ¡°Perks of being related to the duke, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so he finally told you¡­how are you feeling about it all?¡±

    I shrugged, unwilling to consider the question for more than a moment. ¡°What are we doing today?¡±

    ¡°Fayfay explained the release and track plan with the witch for me. I thought it was a great idea until she mentioned your involvement. But it doesn¡¯t make much sense without you, so we¡¯re squeezing in more practical lessons before it commences.¡±

    I ignored the rest of his explanation, focusing on the most essential aspect. ¡°Fayfay?¡±

    Yis grinned. ¡°Not a word within her earshot.¡±

    I frowned, now catching up with the implications of what Yis knew. ¡°So, you know I also had a witch as a mother. You don¡¯t have any extra hatred towards me? More than you have for me replacing you as Sweeka¡¯s favourite?¡±

    He eyed the content creature, snuggled in my arms and scoffed. ¡°Hardly, small groups of people have done heinous acts throughout history. We don''t persecute all Andrakans for their past piracy, centaurs for their raids, or us for the war with the elves.¡±

    ¡°The witches I¡¯ve met so far haven¡¯t been very nice,¡± I countered, unsure why I was arguing for him to dislike me. ¡°Though I guess that¡¯s only two.¡±

    ¡°Most have discarded the name entirely and turned to established professions. It¡¯s no shock so many famous alchemy and herbology families popped up a few decades ago. The witch hunts that followed The Fall almost always victimised regular women who somebody accused, not any real collaborators to the capital coven. I¡¯d argue none are left.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense since it was my plan as well,¡± I said, referring to the alchemy.

    ¡°Was? Why change? From what I heard, you¡¯d be a cut above the rest of the apprentices out there.¡±

    I tilted my head from side to side, chewing on my lip. ¡°Originally, I thought I was going to work in the stables. They had me as a guest instead, and I didn¡¯t want to get told to leave, so I helped Jeremy and Faraya, and I liked what they had me doing more than alchemy.¡±

    ¡°Why would you be asked to leave?¡±

    I glanced at him in confusion, repeating what I¡¯d already explained. ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t being useful?¡±

    ¡°You cleansed the duke of a nasty curse,¡± Yis said, looking back in equal bewilderment. ¡°Of course, you¡¯d be allowed to stay as a guest. On top of that, being related to a duke gets you exceptional hospitality.¡±

    My face scrunched up in disgust, and I pulled my arm from cradling Sweeka to smack him. ¡°That¡¯s for not telling me, and that¡¯s for bringing it up.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t worth it since Sweeka chose to leap to the ground after being jostled about. Yis didn¡¯t flinch or break stride at my half-hearted hit and responded by flicking my ear so fast I couldn¡¯t lean out the way quick enough.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were that Valeria for the longest time, and it wasn¡¯t my story to tell.¡±

    Yis picked up a training glaive leaning against the tree we passed and threw it to me. The wooden sword that had been resting near it jumped into the air and landed in his grasp. I stood still, impressed at the subtle magic, for so long that he poked me in the ribs with the training weapon.

    I widened my stance and shifted my hold on the staff, regretting my antagonistic actions in the face of what we were doing for training.

    Yis swung the sword down in a lazy arc towards my head. It was nice of him to go easy on me, but I still spent too long thinking about the correct response, the sword also momentarily turning into a mantis limb. I blocked the swing in alarm, not with the wooden shaft, but with my knuckles wrapped around it.

    I flicked my hand about, trying to get rid of the pain.

    Yis suppressed a smile, hopefully not from purposefully hitting me but rather my blunder. ¡°If you¡¯re going to go along with helping release the witch, then you¡¯re going to need to defend yourself believably so it looks real when I capture you.¡±

    ¡°You? And Faraya agreed I could do it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and yes. Now move your hands further apart.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°How has your day been, Valeria?¡± the duke asked as our empty salad plates were taken from the table.

    I held in my sigh at the fading hope of a quiet lunch. It was a normal question, and I could give a normal answer without sounding grumpy.

    The language lessons I¡¯d come from had me acting as the teacher more than the argumentative so-called experts. I couldn¡¯t string together a sentence with what I knew, but it would have made more sense than their attempts.

    They¡¯d spent their weeks listening to the young witch¡¯s pronunciation of words and associating them with scrawl. Often amusingly wrong. The complicated spells they used to discern the vague meaning of her words didn¡¯t care for sentence structure, making comparing almost pointless.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°Yis let me hit him a few times.¡±

    Yis, who I dragged to lunch, scoffed at my words. ¡°I had to give her a few shallow hits to satiate the bloodlust in her eyes.¡±

    If all he could do was speak in pointless poetry, I¡¯d have preferred not to petition him to save me from being alone at lunch. Anyone would be annoyed and lash out at being methodically pelted by a wooden sword; it didn¡¯t constitute ¡®bloodlust.¡¯

    Everyone else was unavailable: Annalise was out on patrol, preparing to take on her new job as the head of security for the palace if the duke was voted for as expected. Alonso had escaped to eat with his friends, and Janette was in a meeting, planning to host a gala in the spring for the new and returning barons.

    ¡°I wonder if she gets that from me.¡±

    I imagined strangling the duke so he couldn¡¯t say something so embarrassing ever again. As a person who kept the secret for so long, he sure liked talking about it now.

    ¡°She certainly has a talent for it,¡± Yis said. ¡°Improving drastically with every session so far.¡±

    I brushed off the compliment, not agreeing with the flattery, and dipped my spoon into the soup placed before me. They continued to discuss my progress and prospects as a knight, but they hit a wall regarding my spellcraft. I had a basic understanding of how a normal mage formed spells, but I couldn¡¯t hope to replicate it.

    My magic was faster acting, and could accomplish feats I hadn¡¯t seen them able to accomplish. Though their regimental spellcraft could efficiently accomplish larger acts of magic that I could only marvel at.

    I listened intently as they explained the protections I would have when carrying out the jailbreak for Ulia. There were already orders in place to leave the enchantments off in the sewers for ¡®maintenance¡¯ and imaginary watch officers placed on guard duty.

    My excitement was growing despite only playing a minor role in leading her out to the forest and feigning capture. Ulia shouldn¡¯t be able to sense the knights that were to be stationed there, and hopefully, they¡¯d enable her to leave the perilous woodland. And protect me on the way back.

    They were still worried that I¡¯d be alone with a witch through the sewers, while I was worried about something more dangerous. I considered mentioning the peluda to the duke. I wanted to trust Jeremy understood what he was doing, but it felt wrong to continue leaving the leader of the duchy in the dark about the potential danger to people like Marty.

    However, if I killed it, who would Jeremy complain to?

    ¡°What do you know of cat-s¨¬ths, Valeria?¡± the duke asked.

    I dropped my spoon, causing orange puree to splatter across the dress Haily had kindly persuaded me into. Was letting on I could communicate with animals coming back to bite me? ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My fault. I should have approached that disturbing memory of the arena with more tact. What I mean to ask is, do you think you could help out with them as you do domesticated animals?¡± the duke asked.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I trailed off dumbly at my subsiding panic. ¡°Maybe?¡±

    ¡°I gained better insight into your care for the animals after Janette told me about the dragon¡¯s breath hunt. She wasn¡¯t sure the extent to which you could help with more aggressive species, but it does not hurt to try.¡±

    ¡°My dislike of it makes sense without any extra insight,¡± I said with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°I do not mean to say otherwise; it¡¯s a fair position. We wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament if it didn¡¯t exist, so I concede the issue.¡±

    It was a hollow victory, considering it sounded like something else was going wrong, not the act itself. However, after last night, I also felt less inclined to be deeply involved in the animals'' well-being. Maybe it was irritability seeping in, but it was getting harder to justify walking into danger for them.

    I hadn¡¯t had much chance to think about the evening besides all its frustration. I was working through a decent portion of it by mushing the silver in my pocket, but there was lots left over. I had little appetite for my half-finished soup after being reminded of the person torn to bits before my eyes.

    If there was a spell to set them free in their ideal environment, I¡¯d still do it. But going back and potentially getting another person killed with nothing to show for it except a scared jackalope and ungrateful cat? I¡¯d prefer not to.

    After seeing the dangers of the forest, I realised that it wasn¡¯t the place for most of the creatures, leaving me with no alternatives and little motivation to invent more.

    ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± Yis asked, recentering the conversation.

    The duke sighed. ¡°It is customary to invite an elven delegation comprised of the larger settlement councillors to the Succession Gala. This year, because of the Oclaran incursions and now the death of a counsellor''s daughter, they¡¯re sending a more substantial delegation.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound great.¡± Yet another reason to stop getting myself involved.

    ¡°It is not all bad. Our trade partnership means neither of us can make any drastic decisions without collapsing certain industries. But, it is still putting a strain on those relations.¡±

    ¡°The person currently walking down the street isn¡¯t worrying about exotic fruit, spellcraft, and elvish artistry,¡± Yis said. ¡°You could snub them completely if it wasn¡¯t for a few wealthy interests. That said, I continue to advocate for strengthening our relations.¡±

    ¡°Mother expressed similar sentiments, and we lose nothing by hosting a larger delegation and listening to them. The duchy and the whole of Werl are invested in the elves rebutting the incursions. Their other goal is the issue. One that Yis has unknowingly identified; the average person wouldn¡¯t support the capitulation they¡¯re demanding.¡±

    ¡°They want the cat-s¨¬th?¡± I asked, elated at the prospect of getting exactly what I wanted.

    ¡°They want to hunt it in retaliation for the killing. They believe the creature is intelligent enough to understand what it did was wrong and know the repercussions. If an elf killed one of their kind, their kin would stalk the village where the perpetrator lived for eternity. A clear exaggeration, but I won¡¯t disparage their culture.¡±

    I let out a sigh. ¡°And you don¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°I would like nothing more,¡± the duke said in exasperation. ¡°It''s the Olivihiers and Tiscars giving me issue. There are stringent laws around the seizure of property, which are not overridden by a duke¡¯s request. The price they suggested for the duchy to purchase the beast is¡­not entertainable.

    ¡°Aisling¡¯s mother''s non-negotiable request is to¡­talk¡­to the animal. For that, we are temporarily borrowing it in exchange for waived taxes between its matches to keep here during the gala. Something I would like your help in accomplishing.¡±

    I didn¡¯t follow the overly conflicted jump from one issue to another. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted Evie to be hunted, but he was the duke. ¡°Simply force them to?¡±

    He pressed his lips together. ¡°My reach is based on perception. If I make demands and am unwilling to push when denied, then the system cracks. Make no mistake, I could force this issue, but why should I? The elves need our minerals and ore processing at the end of the day. I simply want to keep the peace.¡±

    ¡°And Mister Enperia asked you to,¡± Yis added.

    The duke narrowed his eyes at Yis. ¡°She may have sent a missive along those lines¡­¡±

    ¡°I might be able. Who¡¯s Mister Enperia?¡±

    ¡°That is all I ask,¡± the duke said.

    ¡°He heads the faculties at Equitier,¡± Yis said. ¡°The first Duke Riker built the school, but he made it so other countries put it on their maps.¡±

    ¡­

    I wanted to stay with Yis and keep practising for my upcoming role, but he said I desperately looked like I needed a break. I readily agreed, left¡ªpossibly forgetting to say goodbye¡ªand started fantasising about my soft bed.

    Only to be spun around by Haily and directed towards my next obligation. If it originated from the duke, I would have stated he¡¯d exceeded his number of asks. But it was from Janette. She¡¯d admitted to being worried about my education and wanted me to join classes that Alonso was already taking.

    While walking into the study Haily had pointed out, I yawned and stopped to enjoy the faint smell of vanilla wafting from the older books. A lady about as old as the leather-bound volumes was sitting atop a desk, her dress fanned out over the edges, staring down her nose at the page Alonso was writing on.

    That unfriendly glare turned to scrutinise me and landed on the hand stuffed into my pocket, still playing with the silver. ¡°Ah¡­she asks too much of me.¡±

    She slid off the desk in a graceful motion that didn¡¯t match her look of frailty and clasped her hands behind her back. ¡°You may call me Madam Inerva¡ªcousin to Duke Harutay. I guide the young into their calling, but I can elevate the most mannerless when necessary.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Valeria,¡± I offered, already wary since she reminded me of Instructor Hays.

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    She directed me to a desk in a dark corner of the room with a tome sitting open on the first page. ¡°I won¡¯t compromise the young duke¡¯s education over anyone, so don¡¯t take it personally when I say you have some catching up to do.¡±

    I gave her a thin-lipped smile and sat down to read, focusing more on the commentary she offered on the other side of the room than reading. I didn¡¯t retain a single meaning in the letters scattered across the page, too eager to satisfy Janette¡¯s ask of me being here and leaving to find my bed.

    ¡­

    The rest of my week was similar. I spent most of my time around Yis, who greatly appreciated the change of attitude I had achieved through full nights of rest. I was still stuck reading the same book but used that time to practice magic instead. Madam Inerva seemed to catch a few of the fluctuations in the mana but never brought them up. My efforts paid off since I had a well-fitting ring of silver that constantly shifted fingers whenever I felt like it.

    Janette and Annalise took breaks from their new responsibilities to join the meals I was regularly attending. I¡¯d been worried about how my first interaction with Annalise would be since finding out, but she didn¡¯t acknowledge my awkwardness and treated me as usual.

    The exact details of ¡®The Runaway Witches¡¯ kept changing all the way up until when I was getting chains placed over my wrists. I reviewed the revised plan one last time while walking through the hallway to Ulia¡¯s door.

    Faraya was to be in the room with us as usual, conveniently with the keys to both our chains on her. An empty syringe would be in her pocket, so when she tumbled to the ground, it would fall out and look like I pricked her with poison.

    A knight patrol would walk across us as we made our way to the sewers and pass by without serious examination. The sewers had been widely announced as being refitted, so the enchantments were deactivated, and doors were removed. Bricks and pipes lined the walkway to complete the facade and ensure Ulia had nothing to question while fleeing.

    Getting to the forest would be easy, especially with me leading the way. Once there, a wandering patrol of knights dressed in military uniforms would accidentally stumble upon us. We¡¯d run, I¡¯d trip, and a disguised Yis would catch up to me.

    She¡¯d run and leave me behind, unknowingly dragging along a team of knights that only a mage could pick out of the tree line.

    I took a deep breath and nodded to Faraya that I was ready for her to open the iron door.

 Chapter 60

    Ulia sat in the same spot in the same tattered clothing, but the chains were new since she¡¯d tried to file through her previous set. I sat down heavily, rustling the interlinking iron rings, dragging them along to lean my arms on the table.

    She was impassive at our entrance, used to the occurrence. I feigned similar disinterest despite this being anything but a typical visit. My heartbeat would have given me away if anyone was close enough to check¡ªmaybe there was a spell for that?

    Faraya gave us the usual pencil and paper with a few irrelevant questions to get through before setting the stage for the main event. I pushed my heel to the stone floor to prevent my leg from bouncing as I wrote out the first one.

    Ulia kept glancing at Faraya out of the corner of her eye as she wrote back her answer, curt even by her standards.

    I didn¡¯t care to read it past getting the gist of the response and wrote the second question, eager to get to the fourth that would commence the scheme.

    The answer to the third question was passed back to me, and I prepared to write the words I¡¯d been chanting in my head. We are leaving. Get ready. My hands shook, digging the pencil into the page.

    However, I didn¡¯t need to write anything; it was already written. I stared blankly at the page. Ulia hadn¡¯t responded to my third question in the slightest. Instead, writing her own message.

    I¡¯m escaping. Hold your breath and come with me, or suffer their fate.

    She brought her hands under the table, agitating Faraya, who pushed off the wall she leant against. ¡°Show me your hands¡­Tell her to show me her hands.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    My head snapped back to Ulia. Faraya and I had always suspected she understood us, but I had to admit my confidence in that had waned after the second visit.

    Faraya reigned in her shock and approached the woman with more urgency. I prepared to warn her about the comment on holding my breath, yet I paused. That would ruin everything we¡¯d done over the last few weeks to make this possible.

    When Faraya reached the table, Ulia lifted her arms, hands clenched. At first, I assumed it was a capitulation. However, the witch unfurled her fist to reveal a pile of iron shavings sitting on her palm. The usual mana drain around the iron was gone, replaced by whispers of malice.

    She stood and threw the handful of cursed iron at Faraya¡¯s face. I still had shackles on my wrist, blocking most of my access to mana. The small blast of wind I managed with what was contained in my hand hit the iron, bursting it into a cloud of dust that engulfed us all.

    I disguised my involvement by following through on my reaction and grabbing Faraya¡¯s shoulder, yanking her away from Ulia and the worst of the iron cloud. The witch had her eyes squeezed shut and a hand covering her mouth.

    Faraya was worse off, coughing and convulsing, having taken the brunt of the cursed metal despite my actions. I was the furthest away, but every breath scratched my throat while the powder coated me, irritating my skin and eyes.

    Dragging Faraya to the floor, I riffled through her pocket for the syringe and blocked it from view with my body. She squinted at me through watery eyes as I showed her the syringe to question if we should carry on. She subtly nodded, getting her coughing under control, chest still heaving.

    I rolled her over to help hide it and get access to the keys on her belt. The glittering cloud of metal had settled while Ulia still spluttered when I turned back. Her eyes also watered, but they found me and the keys in my hand.

    Faraya¡¯s orb of light faded, plunging us into the dark.

    ¡°Do you understand me?¡± I asked the witch.

    She paused, and momentarily, I worried she¡¯d noticed my interference. ¡°Are you daft? Clearly. Does she have the keys on her? Is she dead?¡±

    I ignored that it wasn¡¯t clear and proceeded to unlock my chains, carrying on with the plan despite the hiccup. ¡°I think she¡¯s just asleep and here, keys.¡±

    Ulia walked around the table, bumping into it before finding my shoulder in the darkness. I tensed, but her hand trailed down my arm to snatch the keys out of my grasp.

    Her chains thunked to the ground, and her footsteps moved to the door. ¡°She should be unconscious for a while. Leave her be, only thing worse than a knight is a rabid group of vengeful knights. You can come with me, but you¡¯ll need to stay close. If I get caught because of you, you¡¯re dead.¡±

    I checked Faraya¡¯s pulse and stood from my squat to follow Ulia. She was messing with the key link, trying and failing to find the right one. ¡°Give it here; I know which one it is.¡±

    I wanted to regain control of the situation so I could direct us to the sewer. However, she didn¡¯t respond and kept rattling the keys. The door clicked open before I could press the issue, and the glow of the lamps outside spilt in.

    ¡°Follow me, we¡¯re heading left.¡±

    My jaw hung open, having been ready to say those exact words to her. Ulia crouched low to the ground, and I had no option but to follow after her. Panic was evident in her eyes, and her heavy wheezing, her head snapping to check behind us constantly. Though, that could have been from the iron in her lungs.

    I was equally irritable from the curse but had the benefit of not worrying if we would get caught.

    We reached an intersection, which was my next opportunity to take the lead. I grabbed the back of her collar, almost toppling her backwards in her crouch. She turned to glare at me but shut up once she heard the laughter of the planned patrol approaching.

    We ducked into the doorway of another cell as they passed, purposefully not looking our way. I left first, turning to the sewer without checking if the knights were looking back. Ulia sucked in a breath, actually worried about getting caught through my reckless actions.

    When I reached the sewer door and motioned for the keys, I quickly identified the right one. Yet, I selected incorrectly to disguise that fact. Ulia was pushed up against me, taking turns looking over my shoulder and behind us, whispering to hurry up.

    I calmly fit the key in and opened the iron door to reveal the steps down to the sewers. Ulia pushed past me while I retrieved the key and closed the door behind us, pretending to lock it.

    ¡°They took me down here before,¡± I said. ¡°To a cavern, I can lead us there.¡±

    ¡°I know the place, but that¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Ulia reached the bottom, resting a hand against the stone to feel her way. I started using pulses to walk effortlessly behind her.

    ¡°Let me go ahead. Maybe she also had the key for the doors down here,¡± I tried, hiding my knowledge that there were no longer any doors.

    ¡°They¡¯re refitting it all, so no need.¡±

    I stumbled, losing focus on the returning pulses. How did she know that? Was she able to see that far ahead in the dark?

    ¡°Shit,¡± I hissed under my breath as we got to the outer gate, past the materials for the sewer maintenance. There was an orange glow from a lamp, highlighting a cloaked figure. There shouldn¡¯t have been anyone down here.

    ¡°Bramble,¡± Ulia said loudly, and it was my turn to panic at being caught.

    ¡°Berries,¡± came a woman''s voice.

    The witch confidently walked into the light, hugging the figure, a watch uniform peeking out from under the cloak. I followed behind, attracting her attention and wiping away her smile. At the very least, she wasn¡¯t a mage. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Patela¡­¡±

    That was the only word I understood, the name I had first given her. They switched to their language, and I was left to listen to the two witches discussing me without knowing what was being said. I made sure to remember her frecked nose, grey eyes, and tied-back auburn hair to tell Faraya later.

    I also readied myself to run up the steps beside me if they decided I was unwanted. The iron dust coating me had released the curse and was disrupting mana once again, making me feel off-balance. The curse was of rudimentary design, which wasn¡¯t ideal.

    If it had been mana-based, it would have had nothing to latch onto and passed right through me. But it was meant for one quick burst of effectiveness. So, it was constantly active against its physical surroundings, which now included my skin and lungs.  Ulia was struggling with its effects more than I was, and I worried for Faraya, who¡¯d inhaled plenty of the stuff.

    The discussion heated up while they kept to a whisper, culminating in a huff from the unknown woman. She passed over an embroidered cloak to Ulia with stitchings of silver flowers before taking off her plain dark green to pass to me. ¡°Keep up.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    With someone else joining and directing us, I¡¯d lost all my momentum and reliability. Before, I expected to point us towards the cavern despite Ulia¡¯s stubbornness. But now, I trailed behind them, unable to break into their foreign conversation.

    I searched the bundles of materials we passed on our way out of the palace tunnels, hoping to find something to write a note with. I picked up some pebbles that would have been used to fill in cracks in the wall, ready to make a trail for Faraya to follow. We turned off the path towards the cavern almost immediately, shattering my faint hope of our plans converging.

    I placed a pebble at every turn, limited by a single handful.

    Could I use the rats to pass along a message? No¡­

    Call over the peluda to divert us? It wasn¡¯t anywhere nearby.

    Cause a collapse?

    We walked through the tunnels, following behind our guide, who turned without much consideration. We went further than the route to the cavern would have taken and entered a relatively new section of carved stone that did not yet contain flowing water.

    We carried on until finding a staircase leading to a hatch that separated us from the surface.

    The guide told Ulia and me to wait while she checked if it was clear. I could feel the vibrations of people and carriages streaming across the street above us. We were still in the city, but I had no idea where. The hatch opened again, and sunlight streamed in, blinding me momentarily.

    Ulia was helped up first, and a reluctant hand reached for me afterwards. The building we found ourselves in was bare and still under construction based on the missing floorboards. The door to the street was missing the glass panelling, and our guide used the opening to check outside.

    The door was too big for its frame and jammed, making her yank it open more forcefully. She pushed us out the door and into a waiting carriage, shutting that door behind us, almost catching my heel. A fist banged on the side, signalling the driver to leave.

    A horse neighed, and the carriage lurched forward, jostling us. I searched through the vision of the horse pulling us, not finding much except a horse¡¯s ass framed by blinders. The little else I could see had the buildings becoming smaller and the traffic lessening. Outside the curtained windows of the carriage, there was a line of people holding farming equipment, heading back outside the city for the afternoon.

    I¡¯d had enough. We were leaving the city limits, and it wasn¡¯t remotely near where the knights were waiting for us. The watch had a checkpoint for carriages to pass through, and when they stepped in to inspect ours, I¡¯d tear this escape attempt to pieces.

    Finding out a watch member''s involvement would be ample payment for the effort put into this mess. Yis and the knights couldn¡¯t even track her anymore; it was the best outcome to hope for.

    The carriage before us reached the checkpoint and stopped. The watch members climbed inside and talked to the coach driver for a long while. I planned what I would do and how I was going to convince them in the fewest words possible, as well as how I¡¯d restrain Ulia if she tried to act out.

    The watch steeped out of the carriage, and it moved on, opening a space for us. I took a deep breath, agitating my throat, finalising my words and clenching my fists.

    We didn¡¯t stop.

    They waved us through without a second glance. How many people were involved in this?

    Ulia pulled back the curtains and smiled brightly at the successful escape. I considered persuading the horses to turn around, but my debate was interrupted by Ulia¡¯s delight and the need to match her jubilation.

    Did I go back to my original suggestion? Should I let her take me to her coven and find a way to lead the knights there?

    It couldn¡¯t have been too far away; her mentor may have still been nearby. We were out on the open road, still passing plenty of carriages and people on foot, exiting and entering the city from the east. Farmhouses and cottages sat just off the road amongst rows of crops, and I waited for us to stop at one of them.

    The plan was salvageable. This was fine. I would gather information solely available to those on the inside and then find a way to bring the knights crashing down on them.

    That sentiment faded as the buildings became less common and nature took over. The trees around us were still part of an orchard, planted in straight lines for easy management, but there was a distinct lack of people.

    Ulia was unhelpful, brushing off my questions about where we were heading.

    The carriage slowed when the only sign of people in the area was the dirt road that carried on to the horizon. The sparse trees and shrubbery showed off the expansive greenery of the plains. I jumped as the door opened. The hooded driver made an effort to turn away from us to conceal their face, impatient with our slow exit.

    They shut the door behind Ulia and climbed back to their perch, quickly turning the horses around for the journey back to Drasda.

    I searched our surroundings for anything that could be used as a shelter and found nothing but the canopies of trees. My thin layer of woollen clothes did little to protect me from the frigid wind. The cloak helped slightly, but I had not had the opportunity to dress for the occasion. The other item I had on me was my shoes, made of a sheet of badly treated leather that let the chill from the ground soak in.

    Ulia started walking, looking sure of herself. I glanced back down the road, sighed, and followed after her. I¡¯d gone along with this mess until now; I could go further.

    The Red Forest we¡¯d meant to arrive at was just a clump of green on the horizon. There wasn¡¯t much of a trail to help them find me here, but they could follow the pebbles to the city exit. We had limited possibilities to go from here, and I could always follow the road back to the city.

    I rushed to catch up to Ulia as she trailed her palm over the trunks of trees, contemplating something about it, then moving on to the next.

    She approached a gnarled tree that branched out without much of a trunk. All its leave had disappeared, leaving the knobs and twisted bark exposed. There was a sinister air about it, amplified by how the branches of other trees seemed to avoid its vicinity. Most trees were home to small critters and birds'' nests, while this specimen was devoid of life.

    Ulia trailed a hand across a root that protruded from the ground and curved to dive back in. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    I strained my senses, bracing for the return of the pulse to confirm what my eyes knew. There was nothing here. ¡°Okay¡­Are we waiting for someone?¡±

    ¡°In a sense.¡±

    I resisted demanding clarification and waited, a shiver going down my spine.

    ¡°You don¡¯t recognise this tree, do you?¡± Ulia asked.

    I craned my neck to examine the branches again, failing to find a name for its type. Her question didn¡¯t sound accusatory, so I felt safe answering it honestly. ¡°No?¡±

    She smiled, a rare occurrence, and gestured for me to walk. ¡°A failure in your education. This is why it¡¯s essential we unite and forget the old solitary customs. Too much knowledge is hoarded by too few.¡±

    The hairs on the back of my neck warned me something was amiss as I stepped forward under the protruding root. I jolted as the sensation of falling came over me, the wind no longer howling through my clothes. My head spun, and I leaned against a nearby truck for support.

    I looked to Ulia for an explanation and found her missing.

    The landscape had changed from plains to a dense forest with a different kind of tree than I was used to. The furry needle-like leaves of the evergreen trees surrounded me as opposed to the leafless branches I¡¯d seen before. I slowly turned, taking in my new surroundings.

    It was warmer, possibly only because the trees blocked the wind. The ground was wet without any of the snow I¡¯d gotten used to and covered in needles. The animals around me were comforting but unused to humans, so they stayed away once they smelt me.

    I sensed a person appear behind me and spun to find Ulia equally as disorientated as I¡¯d been. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Me? I got lost, same as you. I simply know how to ask which forest to get lost in. The irrwurz did all the real work.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re lost?¡±

    She regained her footing and checked where the sun was. ¡°If anyone else had walked under the root, yes. We¡¯re¡­close enough to where I wanted.¡±

    This invalidated all my past reassurances. I didn¡¯t want to believe I was somewhere else entirely. However, that would be calling into question my sanity since the evidence was all around me.

    ¡°And where¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You ask too many questions. Even during our time in the cell, most of those weren¡¯t even being asked by our captor.¡±

    Faraya and I had always acted under the assumption she could understand us. But she was right. I had asked most of my questions without prompting from our ¡®captor.¡¯ However, that was by design.

    ¡°I haven''t met another witch before, so there¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Ulia scoffed and started walking, her steps crunching on fallen needles. ¡°You¡¯re not a witch.¡±

    Now, without any option to get back to Drasda and not knowing where we were, I reluctantly followed after her. She was less sure of her path than I would have liked, and I swore we passed similar trees before finding an animal trail to follow.

    Trees full of life abruptly turned to stumps with discarded branches littering the muddy ground, leaving us on an empty hill. It overlooked an expansive grassland covered in brown, leathery tents, with white and red flags flying from the tips of each. Buildings made out of fallen logs were rarer but towered over the city of tents.

    Beyond that was a wall reaching up to the sky made of a single piece of grey-speckled stone. It was marred by cracks and breaks in the smooth surface, while the boulders that caused the damage lay below. Entire sections had crumbled to the ground, spilling into the stretch of scared land that separated it from the tents.

    Overgrown ditches ran in rings around the breaches, wooden spikes sticking out of the knee-high grass¡ªempty watchtowers observing the land at regular intervals. Trebuchets sat further back, their boulder piles stacked in neat piles nearby. A patrol marched through a thin strip of packed dirt leading between the chaos, dressed in white and red, chainmail glinting in the sun.

    ¡°Get back,¡± Ulia hissed, seeing the same patrol and dragging me back to the tree line. ¡°This is a different side than I thought; we must go around.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re at the capital,¡± I absently commented.

    ¡°No wonder you were captured,¡± she muttered, retreating deeper into the trees. ¡°You¡¯re like a witchling leaving the coven for the first time.¡±

    I wondered if Tometh, the Remnant captain, was down there and if bringing the necklace he¡¯d given me would have helped in this situation. Probably not, since I was travelling with a witch, and he had already been suspicious of me from our last meeting.

    I followed after her for the hundredth time today but kept my eye on the wall. Small settlements occurred at every breach, and larger ones at the monumental gates placed in the wall in every cardinal direction. The gates themselves were all missing, and short stone walls blocked the entrances instead.

    The larger settlements outside of these gates were made of wood and stone, more permanent than the tents placed elsewhere. People without the red and white uniform moved through the cobblestone streets, making the town look like any other.

    They also had greater defences, deeper and more numerous ditches, fields of metal spikes, and siege weapons pointing in their direction. The watchtowers were manned by a lone person leaning against the railing, begging for something interesting to happen.

    One section we passed had creatures with pale white skin impaled onto the spikes as if they ran full speed onto the pointed end.

    I was still overwhelmed by moving across the country and hadn¡¯t stopped to consider that I was passing dead ghouls and cities of The Revivified Remnant. Perhaps the worst place I knew of for a coven of witches to call home.

 Chapter 61

    I trailed a finger through a deep gouge in the stone foundations of the auxiliary town that would have once stood as a thriving and independent settlement. Little was left up to the imagination about what could have caused its destruction with claw marks marring the stone.

    The wooden framings had rotted to nothing, and grass had overtaken the cobblestone streets. Metallic debris littered the ground, above and below. A rusted helmet, dented and deformed, suggested they were all relics of a past battlefield.

    The shadow of the wall fell over us, the mid-afternoon sun drifting behind it. A shiver went down my spine as the small solace the warm light provided went with it. We were out in the open and too close to it for comfort.

    Ulia was searching for something in this dilapidated ruin at the furthest point between two gates, away from the watch towers. The wall had crumbled at the top, but not enough to warrant defences here. But I was still wary of a patrol catching us without any place to hide. Ulia picked through the debris, lifting sheet metal and wooden pallets that crumbled at her touch.

    ¡°What are we looking for?¡± I asked, watching our backs.

    ¡°The blacksmith¡¯s house,¡± she said.

    I eyed the stone barely stacked above the tall grass and wondered how she could describe any of these as ¡®houses¡¯ with a neutral expression. It was saddening to see the last vestiges of a settlement, utensils and toys scattered underfoot. My heart dropped at what awaited us inside the walls, and I joined the hunt, starting in the area with the most metal.

    The largest block of it turned out to be an overturned anvil partially sunk into the ground. I whistled to Ulia in a way that could have been mistaken for a bird that, on second thought, may not have been of this region. It brought her over, and she started stomping around the anvil without explanation.

    Her target was probably the hollow section of ground near the anvil. Unable to point it out without garnering suspicion, I went over myself. Instead of hearing a hollow thud from my stomp, there was a crack.

    The ground fell out beneath me, my scream echoing off the walls, almost immediately turning to a grunt of pain. I recoiled from the hard landing, writhing on the ground and clutching my ankle. The fall had been short, partially cushioned by the wood of the broken hatch. Dirt rained down around me and made breathing more difficult than it already was.

    I shook my head to get rid of settled dust, yet I felt I¡¯d be stuck picking out clumps from my hair for dayss.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Ulia called down, sounding unsure of my well-being.

    ¡°Yes...¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­it doesn¡¯t sound that deep.¡± She almost sounded disappointed at the sound of my voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I confirmed, trying to put weight on my ankle and clear the crumbling wooden boards.

    The room I found myself in was a regular old stone-walled cellar. Rusted brackets ran up the side of the wall near me, which had once held a ladder. Ulia was reaching down to place a boot onto one of them and use it to climb down. It shifted between the stone blocks, and dusted mortar fell from the crack.

    I could catch her when she inevitably fell.

    The bracket slipped out. Ulia squeaked as she clawed at the edge of the shaft, finding nothing but loose soil. I stepped back as she thudded to the ground, away from the new wave of falling dirt.

    She whipped her eyes and spat to the side, looking up at me in scorn as if this was my fault. If anything, my tumble should have been a warning.

    I offered a hand to help her up. ¡°Hello?¡±

    She ignored me and dusted herself off. ¡°Shut up.¡±

    The shaded sunlight that made it down here wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough to illuminate the cellar''s sorry state. Torn sacks that used to hold grain were strewn across the floor. Wooden crates that had toppled over and their lids flipped off sat stacked against the walls. Skeletons lay in shambles, heaped in a corner and another more complete one off to the side.

    Two of the skulls belonged to children.

    I knew millions of people had died here. Turned into or mauled by the monsters witches created. These few deaths were a more sobering reality than hearing the story and the unimaginable number. I stood over the bodies of people who died even while hiding in their cellar. I¡¯d guess the skeleton off to the side was a ghoul, or a more heinous thought, a greedy neighbour who wanted the cellar for themself.

    I sighed, wishing this new coven taking up residence near the capital wasn¡¯t the one responsible for this. It was unlikely, but I could hope.

    ¡°Why are we down here?¡±

    Ulia was on the hunt again, lifting crates out of the way. ¡°Not sure.¡±

    The hole in the stone was most likely her goal, but again, I couldn¡¯t readily reveal that. ¡°A way into the capital?¡±

    ¡°Possibly.¡±

    If she wanted to be difficult, so could I. I groaned, settling down on the floor to give my ankle a break. A doll sat amongst the neglected belongings, the stitching coming undone at the seams of the bloated animal. I froze, my fingers moments away from brushing against it.

    I pushed down the spike of fear that overtook me from the memories of another doll resurfacing.

    Would I have to go through that same ordeal again?

    I was an outsider, and they couldn¡¯t let me leave once I found where they hid. Would they figure it out when their curses slipped off me and find a similar solution as Mother?

    My cover story had been close to the truth, not considering this development. So, if any of them knew about her, I may be in over my head. It all depended on how much information had gotten out of Ulasa and how accurate it remained after passing through so many people to get here.

    As well as how much Mother talked to other witches.

    If I was considered the spawn of evil plotting to kill the entire town, as some thought, then my cover was solid amongst this group. If I was the unwitting kidnap victim like Annalise had suggested, I was going to have to some explaining to do.

    I wondered how they were handling my disappearance, which they should be finding out about now. Was I a horrible person to hope they were worried for me? Faraya should have found my pebbles leading in the wrong direction, and Yis would have worried about my absence in the forest.

    Ulia moved the correct crate out of the way, failed to notice the missing mortar around the stone block, and pushed it back in place. I rolled my eyes but leaned back and kept my mouth shut. I¡¯d been prepared for a day of trekking through the sewers and traversing the Red Forest. And while it ended up being significantly easier to ride in a carriage, I was exhausted.

    A particularly nasty piece of iron filing was lodged in my throat, and I desperately wanted something to drink and wash it away. I would even be okay with a private lunch with the duke to accomplish that.

    Two schools of thought warred in my mind: how to go about escaping or how to make the most of my infiltration. It involved a lot of talking myself off of impulsive actions to get out of the area entirely. If every remnant knight was anything like Tometh, I didn¡¯t want to be around them either.

    I decided I would be fine among my ¡®peers.¡¯ Getting to learn techniques and knowledge that had been denied to me over the years. Being unhelpful wasn¡¯t the best way to win them over. Rather, ingratiating myself with Ulia by being a useful and fervent follower may be best.

    ¡°I think I saw a loose stone behind that.¡± I got to my feet, leaning on the wall for support. ¡°If you know this entrance exists, why don¡¯t you know where it is?¡±

    She huffed, going back to move the crate again. ¡°Because we learn of every known smuggling tunnel growing up, doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ve explored all of ¡®em.¡±

    I helped tug the stone, shifting it from side to side to wiggle it out. Luckily for us, it was significantly thinner than those beside it and fell flat to reveal a crawl space behind.

    Ulia stood dusting off her hands. ¡°You¡¯re much slimmer than I; push ahead and see if it¡¯s wide enough for me.¡±

    I frowned up at her from my crouch, half a mind to laugh in her face. But, it was a fair request if I looked past it being phrased as a demand. ¡°If you say please.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    I smiled sweetly, ducking into the tunnel, pushing cobwebs out of the way. The moment my body was fully inside, it turned pitch black, and I started the usual pulses to find my way. The stone was cold, and the air turned stale, but there was still a breeze pushing past me to get to the space ahead.

    The tunnel angled down the entire time, sometimes to the point that I stopped myself from sliding rather than crawling.

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    ¡°Is it safe?¡± Ulia¡¯s voice echoed from behind.

    ¡°Yes, hurry up.¡±

    The stone changed once my knees hurt, where I guessed the wall started. It became rough, and the pulses of mana I sent out were absorbed into the wall, slowly dissipating throughout the structure. It hadn¡¯t held its full capacity in decades and attempted to slowly drain me as I crawled over it.

    It wasn¡¯t a fraction of iron¡¯s pull, and I easily resisted once prodding it to test. The tunnel also turned circular with indents suggesting a pipe had once been there. I tentatively lowered my hand out of the tunnel and into the wider space beyond. My fingers crunched onto small, jagged bones that broke under my weight.

    Instead of recoiling, I pushed through and tumbled out to more cracks as my back rolled across the floor. I stood, begging the echo of the snaps down the passage to shut up. The air was still and smelt of stale dust. After my clatter, there was dead silence.

    The mana in the air was being absorbed by the speckled wall beside me, leaving a lower concentration than outside. Mana leaked out of my entire body, attempting to equalise with the surroundings. Clamping down on it was pointless as there was too much space for it to escape.

    I shivered, feeling weaker than I had in ages.

    The multiple passages that lead away from my dark entrance disappeared into the distance. It may have been the graveyard of small animals scattered across the stone floor I was standing on, but something had my hair standing on end.

    I quietened my breathing, yet it still sounded too loud.

    My eyes darted about in the darkness, but my pulses returned nothing strange further ahead.

    The air shifted to my right, and I spun to face a section of distorted mana creeping toward me from the nearby wall. It wasn¡¯t like anything, animal or non-mage, I¡¯d sensed before. This distortion slowly absorbed the mana as I did but almost instantly used it to give the impression it had none inside.

    I tracked it with my senses, taking a step back waiting for the natural motion to dissipate.

    It didn¡¯t, and I was too late to retreat further on a wounded ankle.

    The abnormality pounced, and a physical weight crashed into me. We hit the ground, a cold, clammy body atop me. I braced my arm against its chest, keeping the gnashing jaws from reaching my face.

    Claws raked against my shoulder, and it pulled back for another attack. My other hand shot out to catch where I sensed its wrist. I screamed out in pain, hoping it would encourage Ulia to hurry rather than abandon me.

    Peluda venom built up in my saliva, numbing my gums. The ghoul''s free hand caught my face in its thrashing attempts to sink its teeth into me. I bit into the joint of its thumb; my head was thrown against the floor as it struggled to get free.

    It reeled back, and I pressed my palm to its chest, flinging it off me with a blast of air. It bounced off the ceiling, and I rolled away to avoid its landing, unsure how far I¡¯d flung it.

    There was no mana left for me to use after my panicked outburst.

    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I thought, crawling backwards until I hit a wall, wincing at the throbbing pain in my shoulder. ¡°Go away!¡±

    An inhuman screech invaded my mind and ears.

    I clamped my palms over my ears, struggling to keep my eyes open despite not needing them in the dark. The creature thrashed and ran into a wall, stumbling to the side and escaping the room. I concentrated on the surrounding mana, making sure I wasn¡¯t mistaken.

    I hadn¡¯t thought communicating with it would work. There was no other possibility in my mind that it was a ghoul, and those were supposed to be walking corpses¡ªnothing but the puppets of witchcraft. Except, something sentient brushed against my mind in that scream. Something that sent shivers down my spine and rooted me in place.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Ulia hissed from far up the tunnel. ¡°Patela? Are you still there.¡±

    I groaned. ¡°Yes. Come help me already.¡±

    She hesitated. ¡°Is it dead?¡±

    ¡°No, I chased it away,¡± I said, thinking it sounded better than running away.

    ¡°...They don¡¯t flee. They only avoid those with the right engravings, which you don¡¯t have.¡±

    I grit my teeth, annoyed at her pointless delay. ¡°It went left if you want to interrogate it about its peculiarities. Just come out here and fucking help me already.¡±

    She hesitated again, and I almost bashed my head into the wall while prodding my shoulder to test how deep the gashes were. Ulia entered the circular passage, and a faint light shone from it into the room.

    I wondered where she got a lamp from before seeing the light source fly out of the tunnel ahead of her. A miniature sun floated to the centre of the room. flames licking the air around it. It emitted no warmth, and to my senses, there was nothing there.

    It revealed the dingy room covered in small bones and yellowish mildew. The walls were those of a cave, rough and made through strikes of a pickaxe rather than a mage. Rusted pipes taken from the passage were stacked in the corner the ghoul had been crouched in over the body of half a rodent.

    I spat, attempting to get the vile sludge from its veins out of my mouth. Ulia shyly peered her head through the opening, seeing me spit out more of the black blood. ¡°It really did leave¡­you¡¯re not one of them, are you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t deign to look at her, inspecting my shoulder in the light. ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    She extracted herself from the passage, sending her flame ahead to shine upon the entrance. ¡°Some of the older kids used to tell stories about ghouls that could infect you or take your body. Damned souls searching for another body.¡±

    I winced, deciding the gouges weren¡¯t that deep and stood up. ¡°Witches scared of their own creation?¡±

    Ulia¡¯s face twisted into a loathsome scowl. ¡°It was an oversight; the king tricked us. Ambuya Tasareth wanted to give everyone an equal chance regardless of their birth. This all was simply an unfortunate side effect.¡±

    I was sure that was what she had been told, but it didn¡¯t mean it was true in the slightest. The death of an entire city was not an unfortunate side effect, and worryingly, I didn¡¯t think they were as dead inside as I¡¯d been told.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your friend,¡± I asked, gesturing to the fire orb with my head while I cradled my arm. ¡°And why couldn¡¯t you go first with that?¡±

    She gave me the look I was used to from our integrations, the one that meant I was asking a stupid question. ¡°A fire elemental?¡±

    ¡°And how did you get him?¡± I asked slowly, entirely uncaring about making a fool of myself after my ordeal.

    ¡°If you ask stupid questions like that when we meet the elders, they¡¯ll execute both of us. I know you¡¯re a witch¡­of sorts, but they won¡¯t be so lenient.¡±

    ¡°Do you know the way to wherever we¡¯re going now?¡±

    ¡°No¡­we need to move towards the interior, past the third wall, and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Well, lead the way,¡± I said, having no intention of going first again.

    Ulia stared at the path before her and hesitated before following the light she sent far ahead, craning her neck around any corners. I kept my eyes locked on the elemental without the first idea of how it existed. Mother formed flames for our fireplace, but those were the run-of-the-mill variety and not the floating ethereal kind.

    In times like this, I hated my past self for letting her know I could do magic. How long could I have carried on under her care and tutelage before she found out? Witchcraft being impossible for me was a foregone conclusion for her, but what if someone taught me?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the engravings to chase them away, do you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any selenite or the tools to carve and imbue it.¡±

    I watched our backs, the light fading close behind me. ¡°Ah.¡±

    Now that I knew what to look for, I was sure nothing could sneak up on us, but I wasn¡¯t sure what to do after finding a ghoul. I¡¯d used the last of my excess mana and was now at the same low levels as our surroundings. This meant I was vulnerable even if I could use mana without alerting the person I needed to vouch for me.

    Our footsteps echoed off the walls of the underground passages, sloshing through murky puddles that had sat in the same place for ages. I spent most of my time looking behind us, constantly feeling like we were being watched from the darkness.

    Our surroundings changed often from the dug-out passages to sewage tunnels and natural caverns with stalagmites. Ulia picked off a few pale white crystals after inspecting them for a space large enough to carve, but she still didn¡¯t have the tools needed.

    Eventually, our passage ended at a grey wall more speckled than the outer wall. The tug it had on the surrounding mana was more significant, making me feel sluggish at the even lower concentration of mana.

    ¡°We may have to backtrack,¡± Ulia said to my frustration.

    Yistopher Keracal

    The howler monkeys swung through the trees away from our approach. They were intelligent creatures, able to understand not to go against mages. Most of the predators in this forest were. They avoided each other and forcibly maintained their established territories to hunt the unwitting prey that wandered in.

    If a lone mage or group of maneless walked in, they¡¯d be slaughtered by a combined effort of creatures that knew what it meant for their forest to let people get too deep.

    An entire team could go through the outer regions unmolested¡­for the most part. A few javelins had been flung in our direction as we set up around the exit. The only other hindrance was nets from the night mantises discarded when they attempted to lift an adult decked out in steal.

    They made Sweeka refuse to walk along the forest floor despite being stubborn about being here in the first place.

    We waited outside until the squads got bored enough to play briscola behind their tree trunks. I stared at the hidden hatch, mentally tracking where Val should have been in the sewer. When she didn¡¯t show up, I added delays that could have occurred in the plan. Eventually, I added enough delays that I started waiting for the pulses to recall us because it was cancelled.

    A mage with an easily recognisable mana signature travelled through the tunnel, the knight squads picking it up a moment later. We walked out of our cover to stand by the hatch. As she got closer, I noticed weird shifts in her mana as it swirled around gaps in her core. I clutched at the hilt of my blade, now unsure if it was who I thought.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as soon as Faraya climbed out, releasing my grip.

    Her eyes widened as she looked over our group without finding Val. ¡°Shit.¡±

    My heart sank at the exclamation. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­the witch ambushed me with a curse right before our plan proceeded, but we decided to carry on. I assumed that they''d still come here even if the witch led them.¡±

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. Not a soul,¡± Captain Alari replied.

    The girl was a messy presence wherever she found herself, but she was the most endearing person I¡¯d met outside of family. Val was certainly capable, which was the entire reason I bit back frustrated outbursts on why we adults were letting her do this in the first place. I got involved to assuage that frustration and ensure her safety.

    But now, that plan had gotten her lost with a heartless witch involved in the opera attack.

    I suppressed my guilt about playing a part in her disappearance. She couldn¡¯t be too far away, and we needed to find her trail before it went cold.

    Sweeka showed her anxiety by weaving through our legs and purposefully pricking us with her antlers, not entirely understanding what was going on.

    That may not have been true since she was easier to convince to join us in the dark tunnels than expected. When we got to the overpowering smell of the sewers, she may not share that same cooperativeness, but I hoped she could pick up Val¡¯s scent regardless.

 Chapter 62

    ¡°What¡¯s your plan if we run into a ghoul?¡± I asked as we tried to find our way around the inner wall.

    ¡°Depends which kind finds us.¡±

    ¡°There''s more than one?¡±

    ¡°If you listen to the kuba, yes. The stronger kind stays in the castle where there¡¯s more mweya from the walls pulling it in. We shouldn¡¯t encounter any of them. The weaker are pushed to the edges and are feeble enough for us to handle in small numbers.¡±

    An average person would have described the difference, but evidently, I was not in the presence of such. ¡°A who and what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me use the names the death squads outside our walls give them.¡±

    ¡°A mage and mana?¡± I tried and received a glare in return. I was beyond caring and chose to move on to a more contentious matter. ¡°Are these walls not technically theirs?¡±

    ¡°What portion of them were born within the city,¡± Ulia said far too loudly. ¡°What claim do they have to it?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think I was wrong to consider the capital belonging to the inhabitants who had stayed close over the years, protecting the rest of the country from the horrors within. Did it matter that they were born a few yards outside the walls? The people in the village we came in through were probably considered to be from the capital as well.

    ¡°It belongs to those that emptied it?¡±

    Ulia stopped and turned on me, marching me into a wall. ¡°You weren¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°And you were? How old are you anyway?¡±

    ¡°Twenty, old enough to learn from the elders what it was like back then. Werl was a nobles'' playground, elevating their kuba friends to rule over us, passing down scraps and demanding fielty.¡±

    I raised my hands, remembering I was supposed to be getting on her good side. ¡°Sorry, my mother didn¡¯t explain any of this to me. It¡¯s all new.¡±

    ¡°Just keep it to yourself if you don¡¯t want to be thrown out.¡±

    Either she didn¡¯t fully believe what she was saying or was being awfully lenient towards me for some reason. I didn¡¯t want to push the boundaries of that lenience too far and resumed my vigil on our rear.

    We walked through rusted iron bars and steel doors that had been snapped off their hinges. The distant string of screeches from multiple ghouls echoed through our passage, hastening our steps. What little life existed down here was terrified of our approach, assuming we were the sharp-toothed and clawed ghouls looking to hunt them.

    Ulia bent an iron rod out of our way, snapping it off and tossing it to the side.

    ¡°How do they hunt? Not with their hearing, I hope, with how little you care about making noise.¡±

    ¡°For the outer ghouls, you¡¯d need to wave your hand in their face. The inner could track us in the same building. The ones in the castle are said to hunt you across the city if you provoke them.¡±

    ¡°I thought there were two kinds, and aren¡¯t we going into the interior?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a continuous scale from those roaming the outskirts to those sitting in the throne room. We only have distinctions because of the three walls separating them. And we won¡¯t leave the outer edges of the second¡­we might need to surface if we can¡¯t find the right tunnel.¡±

    My confidence in walking through the underbelly of a city¡ªinfested with hundreds of thousands of monsters¡ªcame from the fact that most lived away from us on the surface. Her suggestion put that confidence in jeopardy. ¡°Is that safe?¡±

    Ulia shrugged, not helping to assuage my worries. ¡°During the day, depends.¡±

    ¡°Is it still day? It was late afternoon when we entered, and it feels like it¡¯s been ages.¡±

    She shrugged again¡­

    I started collecting the bits of steel and miscellaneous metal lying in the tunnels, preparing for the worst. I¡¯d practised with steel as that was what the bulgasari used, and some silver to varying success; copper and lead couldn¡¯t have been too dissimilar. However, Ulia mentioned the ghouls gather where there was more mana, and I wasn¡¯t sure if that meant using mana would attract them.

    We found a pathway up, an old staircase manually carved out of the stone. We both peered up at the stairs illuminated by her fire elemental, considering the merits of traversing the surface. ¡°Where are we going exactly? And if you shrug at me again, I¡¯m going to push you down those stairs.¡±

    She looked down at me, considering how serious I was. ¡°We live in the barracks that¡¯s attached to the southern gate; the wall wraps around it, and we don¡¯t get bothered too much unless we¡¯re scavenging.¡±

    ¡°And which side are we on now?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, still the south.¡±

    Going up to the surface through a narrow stairwell wasn¡¯t my ideal battlefield for a creature bigger than me. It would be better to have a weapon and risk exposing our whereabouts than not having one at all.

    I clasped my hands behind my back, putting on a contemplative expression while I worked with the little steel I¡¯d scavenged. Forming it into a knife didn¡¯t work out because I didn¡¯t have the mana to extend my reach that far away from my body. It would have also been a tiny fruit knife without a sharp edge, so I went for something more natural.

    Spiked claws that could sit on my fingertips weren¡¯t the most practical, but they were the best I could do with what I had. I got as far as three fingertips since the bronze from old coins felt like I was trying to manipulate something entirely foreign to steel. I didn¡¯t have enough time to play with it before Ulia started walking up the stairs, taking my inaction as a move to make her go first.

    I trailed after her, forming the claws into bangles under my tunic and dropping the scraps I no longer needed.

    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, the metal clattering down the stairs.

    ¡°Sorry, kicked something?¡±

    She sighed in relief, moving up the stairs more cautiously. They didn¡¯t lead to the surface, but rather, a more modern sewer system we needed to navigate. When we eventually found that, I was surprised and dismayed we were in yet another tunnel system. This one was narrower, with smaller pipes that would have supplied the individual homes above.

    ¡°How many are there?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this many,¡± Ulia admitted. ¡°We have a separate passageway to get out of the abbey.¡±

    ¡°And we couldn¡¯t take that because¡­¡±

    ¡°Because It leads to the largest death squad encampment, and we look like we escaped prisoners?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­I feel like going under the cover of darkness would have been easier than this.¡±

    Ulia stopped and turned to me, again looking like I was saying something absurd. ¡°They can sense us¡­do you not know that?¡±

    I looked away sheepishly. ¡°I did¡­I just thought they wouldn¡¯t care about two people taking a nighttime stroll.¡±

    ¡°No, their security is quite tight, and they¡¯d think us ghouls before anything else.¡±

    I kept my mouth from asking any more strange questions, concentrating on the increased population of sewer inhabitants in the area. They spoke of a route to the surface that earned me a ¡®good job¡¯ from Ulia for noticing it.

    It was a ladder to a metal cover that had slipped off, revealing a clouded sky. With the fire elemental still guiding us, we almost missed the faded light coming through. Ulia stared up while breathing deeply, her confidence wavering.

    I stepped forward and gripped the ladder, ready to garner some appreciation before finding the coven. My shirt was stuck to my shoulder, sticky with blood, making my climb uncomfortable. I¡¯d steadily put more weight on my ankle during our walk and stopped cradling my arm, but it had taken longer than I was used to.

    I blamed the stifling lack of mana in the underground.

    It wasn¡¯t much better on the surface, as I found out when I slowly pushed aside the cover, poking my head out in the middle of an overgrown cobblestone street. My eyes widened as I found the house beside me had a boulder nestled in the ground floor, having mashed down through the roof.

    ¡°What is it? Is something there?¡±

    ¡°No, looks fine,¡± I said, climbing out and surveying the street. Besides the crushed house, the others looked habitable. However, the signs of neglect were everywhere. Flowerbeds were overtaken with weeds, and vines hung down to the street from the tallest buildings.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Windows were cracked or dirty, and doors hung ajar. Carts with broken wheels lay across the street, abandoned alongside their cargo. A blackened building had collapsed into the road behind us, cutting off the view we would have had down the entire street to the outer wall. The buildings still standing tall had lost most of their paint with signs of rot and water damage.

    Ulia stopped to check the area for herself before climbing all the way up. I yanked her out by the shirt and pulled her across the street into one of the homes, pushing the door closed so there was a small gap.

    She had the decency to keep her protest to herself and crouched behind me. ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I lied, having sensed an even dozen approaching us. ¡°I just heard them.¡±

    The first of the inner walls was nearby, and all mana in the area flowed subtly towards it, obscuring their approach. But I still tracked them coming from the collapsed building and the second group exiting a house from the wall¡¯s direction, squashing us in the middle.

    I checked behind us for a way out.

    The building we entered looked to be the lobby of an inn. There was a drawer to one side, a closed door on the other, and a counter on the far end with faded signs and rusted key hooks. A staircase to the side of the counter went to the rooms above, but I wasn¡¯t sure if the four stories above us would be helpful or merely more time before we were trapped again.

    The two groups of ghouls changed course to approach each other, meeting directly outside our door. I wanted to shove Ulia away as she leaned over me to see what was happening out of the small gap, especially when there was a window beside us. But I confessed I was only comfortable not watching because I could tell what was happening without it.

    They slowed, making strangled snorts at each other that were meant to be a growl of sorts. It was a minor consolation that they simply didn¡¯t like each other rather than meeting to barge in on us.

    I startled, almost knocking Ulia over, as the snorts turned to howls of pain and anger. A member of each group had charged into one another and were now tussling across the street. Their bodies collided with the wall separating us, scarily close to the doorway, and rained dust down on us.

    They separated, swiping at each other. The remainder circled around their supposed leaders, rushing at their counterparts only to stop and retreat. I expected another brawl or full-on confrontation, but they circled to where they could back away in the opposite direction they came from.

    I stood and stretched when they left our vicinity, sighing in relief.

    But a second later, that relief turned to horror because stomping from the top floor dragged my eyes to the ceiling. There was another group far above us, quickly storming down the stairs.

    Ulia was the first to react, going for the door and grappling with the handle. It jiggled but didn¡¯t budge, locked from the inside. She panicked, searching the room for somewhere else to hide, briefly glancing outside.

    I went over to the door as she hid behind the counter. I parted the already weakened wood and pulled at the knob, and was rewarded with a broken-off handle. The bolt was made of brass, and I had no experience with the metal.

    I turned to flee, aiming towards the counter Ulia hid behind. A ghoul crashed into the wall up the stairs, and I froze a step into my dash across the room. I changed course and tucked myself behind the much closer drawer, wishing they would run past without looking to the side.

    The first stumbled into the landing, a second knocking them both into the wall. Neither slowed and ran across the room towards the door.

    They were pale, lanky things, all skin and muscle. Patches of long auburn and black hair shot out of their skulls to drape over their neck. Their nails had grown long enough to curve back at their palms and had been manually sharpened into points. I didn¡¯t get a good look at their eyes as they ran past, but they were bloodshot.

    These ones dragged in more mana and consumed it slower compared to the last one I encountered. To a mage, they might have appeared as an animal with little use for mana.

    They didn¡¯t care that the door opened inwards and ran into it, the first impact eliciting a loud crack while the second sent them tumbling out. A third ran past after them while a fourth lingered at the bottom of the stairs.

    I wasn¡¯t sure which way it was looking. Its breathing was a series of long sighs and short sniffs. Did it smell us? Was it the blood on me?

    I couldn¡¯t take it, not knowing if it was after me, and glanced around the edge of the drawer; it was staring at the counter. This one had larger patches of dark hair matted together and a hunched back with the segments of its spine poking out. I kept my eyes above its waist, uninterested and nauseated after a cursory glance.

    The wooden boards creaked as it walked around to the counter¡¯s entrance. I still had the door knob in my hands and considered throwing it at the ghoul¡¯s head. I¡¯d most likely miss, and even if I did hit it, what would that do? Annoy it?

    I pulled back my arm as far as possible in my cramped corner and threw the handle at the intact window.

    It shattered and spooked the three outside who were heading towards the other groups. The glass clinked across the cobblestone as it broke apart. The fourth by the counter ran towards the broken window, falling out and breaking the remaining glass pane. I left my cubby and scrambled to the counter, leaning over it and finding Ulia curled up.

    ¡°Come on,¡± I hissed, grabbing at her shoulder. She flinched at my touch, looking up at me with wide eyes. I didn¡¯t think I was hideous enough to warrant the look of horror on her face, and I kept trying to pull her up.

    Ulia relented and clumsily climbed over the counter. She paused with her legs straddling it, looking out the window at the four ghouls scrutinising the broken window. I dragged her off and up the stairs, locking eyes with a ghoul as I cornered the landing.

    I cleared the steps two at a time and gradually reformed my steel claws, not wanting to use too much mana.

    Either their eyesight was as poor as described, or they had no interest in us because there was no pursuit. We still didn¡¯t stop until we reached the fourth and final floor, and by the time I caught up, Ulia was already throwing open or walking over broken doors.

    ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re making too much noise.¡±

    ¡°A way out,¡± Ulia said, checking another room. ¡°If the looters have been here, then there should be a ladder or bridge to another rooftop.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± I said, keeping my focus on the four ghouls still outside. ¡°They¡¯re not following us.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re trapped here if they do,¡± she said, and I couldn¡¯t dispute that. ¡°Why are you not helping me?¡±

    She was hyperventilating, her eyes darting to each doorway while calculating her quickest way out. I didn¡¯t want to say something foolish like asking her to relax when panicking was entirely reasonable. I went to grab her when I noticed my claws were still on and swapped them back to bangles before holding her still.

    ¡°You live here. How are you so freaked out by them?¡± I asked, stopping her from running into a new room. ¡°Last I heard, remn¡ªlooters¡ªhadn¡¯t made it to the second wall, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find anything.¡±

    I was putting on a brave face, but the ghouls were beyond my wildest nightmares, and my confidence in holding them off with magic may have been the only reason I was coping well. But this would have been an everyday occurrence for her, and she should have been used to this.

    ¡°They¡¯ve made it. A few times on their larger excursions¡­and this is why I volunteered to leave.¡±

    Leave to stay in a cavern and produce dragon¡¯s breath was left unsaid, despite me wanting to throw that at her.

    ¡°Can they hear us from here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she whispered. ¡°These should have the same senses as us.¡±

    ¡°Any idea how we¡¯re getting to your barracks?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll have to be through the gate.¡± We checked outside a window facing the wall to find the gate towers three streets across. The issue was we also found roving gangs of ghouls occupying those same streets, overlapping to the point they seemed like planned patrols.

    I had to admit I was misinformed about where the looters had reached when we found a wooden beam stretching across our street towards the gate. It carried on from a makeshift pathway between us and the outer wall, with wooden beams crossing the streets to avoid houses demolished by trebuchet boulders or fire.

    We had to descend a floor to drop onto the roof of the shorter building next to ours. It was sloped with a thin section of curved tile to walk across at the apex. Ulia was nervous when getting out of the window but trapezed across the roof with practised ease. She finished at the safety of a chimney for support, the same one holding the long beam across the street.

    It was my turn to drop onto the roof, and I planned to copy Ulia.

    That failed once I tried to stand and wobbled to either side, windmilling my arms to keep steady without taking a single step.

    ¡°You need to move forward. It helps you balance.¡±

    I didn¡¯t trust that and got on my knees to awkwardly crawl towards her, whining all the way across. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°We spend years practising this stuff in the abbey,¡± Ulia said, helping me to stand with no sign of her prior fears. ¡°The roofs are the safest place in the city besides home, and it¡¯s getting dark.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ha. And this is safe?¡± I asked, pointing to the wooden beam.

    I was confident some type of weight spell was supposed to be used in conjunction with it. Because there was little chance it was sturdy enough to hold someone¡¯s weight, even with the faint enchantment.

    ¡°Death knights cross them in full armour while carrying other wooden beams. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like her comforting tone and preferred that she return to looking at me like I was clueless. She crossed first, the beam bending with her hurried steps. Over the edge, there were no ghouls to watch our antics, and she made it across without issue.

    I sighed; it was my turn after waiting for the beam to stop bouncing. I wasn¡¯t about to run across like her, so I stuck my arms out to begin my slow heel-to-toe approach.

    Halfway across the beam where it was the most precarious, a lone ghoul rounded the corner, followed by an entire group. I stood like a statue, shivering in the evening winter breeze as they prowled below me.

    Ulia was waving me towards her, so I continued my steps with enthusiasm.

    After crossing more rooftops and going through taller buildings, we went over three more bridges, the last ending on the upper floor of a blown-in gate tower. By the time we made it past the wall, the bright colours of the sunset were fading to black.

    The barracks the witches called home weren¡¯t hard to find as the entire inner wall diverted to encompass it. We started at a brisk walk, slowly gathering speed as the light faded. We were sprinting by the time we approached the large ornamental wooden doors.

    Ulia went to the small practical entrance built into it and knocked in a rhythm. After three series of knocking that had gotten more frantic with each repetition, a wooden panel slid open to reveal a pair of deep blue eyes.

    ¡°Sikana?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, Ulia,¡± she said before switching to their language for a hurried explanation.

    I watched our backs as I counted off the numerous bolts that clunked. The door eventually opened, and we pushed in to find ourselves surrounded by women, old and young, wearing the same style of robe.

    Ulia glanced around before running into the arms of an older witch I recognised from the Drasdan caverns. She and the others smiled at their sikana¡¯s return but kept a vary watch over me.

    The door swung closed behind me, and the bolts were re-engaged.

    In all honesty, I didn¡¯t imagine getting this far after everything it took to navigate the city. And now that I was here, surrounded by stares full of suspicion, I had no idea how to win them over if Ulia didn¡¯t stop hugging her teacher and start talking.

 Chapter 63

    The witches all wore grey frocks that fell past their knees and thick brown robes that hung off their shoulders to the ankles. They were basic, but compared to our worn-out rags, they looked incredibly comfortable, and I hoped there was a pair in my size.

    If they let me stay, that is.

    Speaking first was a disadvantage since I didn¡¯t know their language, and maybe that was enough for them to kick me out. I glared at Ulia¡¯s back, begging her to introduce me. I¡¯d lost my claim to being the orchestrator of our escape, but that could add more credence and make it less suspicious that we got out¡­as long as she spoke up.

    I could still brag about my window-shattering save and clearing the way in the tunnels by being bait for the first attack.

    ¡°Seems you¡¯ve taken in a stray,¡± an older woman said from the outskirts of our group. She was hunched over, her robe trailing in the dirt. ¡°Who might they be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a witch from¡ª¡±

    ¡°Was I talking to you girl?¡±

    My jaw clamped shut as the air vibrated around her. I could have ignored it and started talking again, the piddling curse not taking full effect, but I thought better of it.

    Ulia finally extricated herself from the embrace and stepped towards the woman. ¡°Elder Eudralia¡­¡±

    I resisted the urge to sigh at the language change, unable to follow their conversation except for body language. And from that, it wasn¡¯t looking good for me. Eudralia was impassive, responding with short sentences, while Ulia gesticulated at me during a lengthy justification.

    Would interjecting that I saved our lives do more harm than good for my situation? Ulia was trying her best and seemed to be winning over the wrinkled elder, who was taking longer to respond. Her teacher joined in, for whose side I had no clue, but that ended the exchange.

    ¡°You will be allowed to stay for the night,¡± Eudralia said, walking away after that statement, taking a few of our spectators with her.

    ¡°Patela,¡± Ulia said, bringing over her teacher. ¡°This is Elder Talena, my teacher and aunt.¡±

    I was taken aback for a heartbeat, having not considered how all these people would be related. My eyes widened further as a man walked behind them, between the auxiliary buildings and through the soft orange glow of their lamps. No one had ever explicitly said there were no male witches, but from how everyone talked about them and my experiences, there were none.

    Talena followed my gaze. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mistake their presence for a reversal of our most hallowed custom. We are more reasonable today than in the past, but the males are here to live, not learn.¡±

    I hummed, not wanting to say anything when I didn¡¯t know the custom she spoke of.

    Talena held out her arm to herd us towards the main complex of the barracks, or rather, abbey, as Ulia put it. The usual symmetry and practical colourings of the military buildings I¡¯d been around were gone, replaced with mismatched artwork. It mostly depicted colourful flora that didn¡¯t exist in nature with ritualistic markings in symmetrical designs that interacted with the mana around us.

    They were possibly the only buildings in the city with a full coat of paint.

    The manicured hedges I¡¯d expect to frame the pathway had been dug up in favour of vegetable patches and fenced enclosures for chickens. The same warm light from the lanterns outside shone from many windows, with shadows dancing across them from movement inside.

    Despite the obvious signs of many people living here, it was silent. Faint whispers of conversation drifted over from the few still outside with us. That and the lack of bright lighting were purposeful in order to keep this place hidden from the world beyond.

    However, with the bridge reaching the gate tower, I wasn¡¯t sure how long that would be feasible.

    Ulia and Talena were exchanging stories of their time apart, the former especially animated in her retelling of our trek here.

    ¡°I¡¯m very pleased they were able to get you out,¡± Talena said. ¡°It takes so long for our intermediates to pass along the happenings of Drasda to us. We set this in motion as soon as we heard what happened to the base.¡±

    ¡°They wanted to know about you and the new recipe,¡± Ulia said. ¡°They had Patela ask me about it almost every day.¡±

    ¡°Even if we didn¡¯t anticipate the good fortune, it is lucky that our actions freed you, Patela. Further proof we must band together because the failure of one can be used against the rest of us. These mages have no limits in their depravity to keep children in cages.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I feel guilty saying that I¡¯m glad Ulia was captured because it was an excuse to see another face after so long. I¡¯m sure my mother would agree if she were still with us,¡± I said, unsure of the truth. She¡¯d been a detached creature but always returned in a better mood from her travels.

    ¡°A pity, that. What was her name?¡±

    My mind went black. Had I ever said her name out loud? The reason I knew it in the first place was a signed author''s note at the front of one of her books she was trading.

    ¡°Caoimhe.¡±

    Talena pondered for a few seconds but shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t recognise the name. Was she a part of a larger enclave?¡±

    ¡°She did occasionally go on trips without me, but I don¡¯t think that was to visit more than a few individuals.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, sounds like you¡¯re the old-fashioned hereditary sort, hoarding all your passed-down knowledge¡­I hope you don¡¯t act like the others I¡¯ve met,¡± Talena said without worrying how uncouth she came across. ¡°Otherwise, there¡¯s no space for you here.¡±

    I shook my head quickly. ¡°She didn¡¯t have time to teach me much. Died before she could.¡±

    ¡°For the best, perhaps. I prefer empty heads to people who think they know everything.¡±

    I wanted to drop my jaw in shock. I didn¡¯t care about her words, but for her to say this to someone who supposedly lost their mother was beyond rude.

    We walked into the courtyard where the flag pole was empty and being used as a centre point for laundry lines. The small fields of gardens continued but contained more useful plants that were not edible, like alchemical herbs and cotton.

    The well-worn pathways between them led to each of the squat side buildings that would have housed troops and a broader path to the blocky barracks headquarters. After all the transformations, an abbey was a more apt description for the area than barracks; General Kylepo may even faint at the sight of it.

    The older woman led the two of us under a faint lamp hanging from a doorway and scrunched her face at my bloodied sweater. ¡°Met the neighbours?¡±

    ¡°Sadly.¡±

    Talena shook her head sadly. ¡°Pitiful creatures. If only¡­I¡¯ll have a brew brought over to fight off the infection.¡±

    She pushed open the door, paused, and quickly closed it behind us to keep the warmth inside. Through an open arch, the first room of the long hallway was a kitchen with a simple cooking arrangement and bare-bones sitting area. A large flame was lit beneath a heavy black stove with nothing on it.

    A door further along, was flung open, and a girl my age with messy brown hair came rushing into the hallway. Her eyes widened at the sight of Talena, and she tried to stop, but her socks slid her across the wooden floor into the wall.

    ¡°Girls!¡± Talena shouted, and more doors opened, girls joining us in a hurry. Their ages varied, with someone Ulia¡¯s age walking out confidently while a pair of small child poked their heads out.

    ¡°What have I said about using the stove for heating?¡±

    ¡°Why are you speaking to us in their tongue?¡± the eldest asked in a light accent. ¡°And we gathered the firewood ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Really Darine? Then why does Jayden look so guilty?¡± Talena asked, pointing to the girl who slid in first.

    Jayden panicked, turned to Darine for help, and was given it. ¡°She wanted to turn it off since she knew you¡¯d be mad no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Since you¡¯re eager to gather firewood, you can heat up a few pails of water for Ulia and our visitor to wash. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind collecting more tomorrow.¡±

    The girls noticed us behind Talena for the first time, and most rushed to Ulia, pushing past Talena and exclaiming excitedly in their language.

    ¡°We do not¡­receive visitors many,¡± one of the younger girls said, looking up at me with wonder.

    ¡°Many visitors,¡± Talena corrected.

    ¡°Where are you from,¡± Jayden asked with stars in her eyes, pushing in next to me through the crowd.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    ¡°After you fill the tub, girl.¡±

    Ulia was dragged off into the sitting room, besieged with questions, while Jayden and Darine picked up wooden buckets and went out the back. Talena shooed me off to the end of the hallway, and she went back out into the cold night after what sounded like more admonishments.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Some of the girls had returned to their rooms along the hallways. They sat in pairs on their bunks, chatting or at the desks surrounded by books and alchemy equipment. Altogether, maybe fifteen girls shared the nine rooms I passed towards the end of the hallway, where the lavatory was.

    I sat down for the first time since the carriage ride, which had been so bumpy it didn¡¯t count. My toes had been smooshed into the sorry excuse for shoes for a full day of walking and running. They¡¯d gotten wet, muddy, and torn, the dirt trapped inside scraping away at the skin of my feet and blistering my toes.

    I threw them to the side and began extricating the fibres of my sweater from the scabbed cuts on my shoulder, gritting my teeth when they didn¡¯t budge.

    The bathroom contained two wooden tubs big enough to sit in and a collection of scavenged soaps and scented bottles. The toilets were also oddly out of place, obviously not being the originals.

    Jayden waddled in, holding a steaming bucket between her bent legs. She hefted it up and tipped most of the water into the wooden tub, throwing me longing looks with questions on the tip of her tongue as she left.

    Darine came in next, tipping the contents casually into the second tub in one smooth motion, only throwing a single glance at my shoulder. They each brought another bucket and were followed by Ulia, who closed the door on Jayden attempting to return empty-handed.

    ¡°Ignore her,¡± Ulia said. ¡°Jayden gets excited about what¡¯s beyond the walls. She would have fought me to be in Drasda if she was old enough.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to leave to the settlements? I thought you had a tunnel to them.¡±

    ¡°Only some of us have identities inside the settlement and are fine to walk around. It would look weird for random people to pop up out of nowhere from the same place.¡±

    ¡°Is that where the men come from?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­not sure why that¡¯s such a recent thing, but a few people threatened to leave if they couldn¡¯t bring their lovers. That pushed the elders to make changes. Doesn¡¯t seem like a big deal to me.¡±

    Ulia stripped without the worries for propriety that Haiy had been slowly trying to hammer into my head. She recoiled as her toes hit the steaming water, hissing at the heat before slowly dipping them back in. I peeled off my clothes to follow her lead and slowly submerged into the warmth.

    My sore muscles melted along with the sweat and grime coating my body. I bundled up my hair to soak it as well, getting out all the dust and stray leaves. The water turned murky from the dirt and blood, making me miss my shower.

    I took in my surroundings, carefully considering my options now that I had a moment of peace. It felt like I was in the prologue of a murder mystery book. Everything was idyllic in the small community. The elders were a little prickly, but overall, they were not behaving out of the ordinary.

    However, just like I knew what genre I picked to read, I knew the kind of den I¡¯d walked into. At the very least, the witches here were responsible for the destruction at the opera house. At worst, the elders were the same people responsible for the capital¡¯s fall.

    There was a figurative and literal murder walking around the abbey I needed to find, most likely some or all of the elders. Maybe it was Talena who decided to go to Drasda, or was she under another¡¯s direction like Ulia?

    She was ultimately at fault for the opera house. Even if my meddling with the dragon¡¯s breath shifted the destruction slightly, I still blamed them.

    Or was making alchemical products completely disconnected from their use? Was the poison maker just as guilty as the posioner?

    The sound of sloshing water as Ulia got up to retrieve soap brought me out of my spiralling thoughts. She handed me a scratched bottle with a faded label, and I doubted the liquid inside was the same as described.

    ¡°What do we do after this?¡± I asked, lathering my body in scented suds.

    Ulia scowled. ¡°Let me enjoy this bath that I didn¡¯t have to pour myself¡­but usually it¡¯s self-study, dinner, and then we¡¯re free until bed. That¡¯s as late as we want as long as we wake up at sunrise.¡±

    A hint of jasmine made me think of Missy, Polem, and the other horses. The journey would have been much easier with them, and they could have trampled any ghoul that tried to get at us. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t figure out a way to reformulate the plan in a way that could have included them.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll let me stay?¡±

    Ulia shrugged. ¡°Probably. No real reason to turn you away.¡±

    We finished our bath when the water turned chilly, and for the first time in ages, I couldn¡¯t pull the water off and be dry in seconds. We changed into matching sets of white frocks and brown robes after I dabbed a tincture left with the garments onto my shoulder.

    They fit well enough after rolling up the sleeves so they didn¡¯t hang past my hands. It wasn¡¯t the smooth quality I was getting used to back in Drasda, but they were still comfortable.

    The air outside the lavatory was scented with garlic and thyme from the kitchen. The other girls had been cooking, one standing atop a stool to stir the large pot of stew. Stacks of flatbread climbed higher, built up by Jayden pinching them out of the stove''s centre and passing them between her hands.

    I joined an orderly line supervised by Darine, who smacked hands straying too close to the flatbread towers.

    Bowls were handed out, and thick stew was ladled in. I wanted to groan at the chunks of meat but pushed that feeling away. This wasn¡¯t the place to complain and be picky. I blew onto my spoon and ate, mollified by the surprisingly rich taste.

    ¡°Where are you from?¡± Jayden asked as soon as everyone sat down. I looked up to see everyone watching me, the stranger in their midst.

    ¡°Drasda.¡±

    Half the girls nodded, yet some, like Jayden, looked to Darine for help.

    ¡°It¡¯s in the north,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s the biggest city of the northern duchy.¡±

    ¡°How big are the shops there? Is it true people can buy what they want? Is it dangerous? How far away is it? Is that where you went, Ulia?¡±

    I slowly worked through her questions, each answer earning me another set of them until they were struggling to think of more. It made me realise how little I knew of the city I¡¯d been calling home for a whole season. Did Drasda have a toy shop? Were there fountains and statues that spit out water?

    Did people like living there? Was the group working with Zara and the witches a rare occurrence, or were people unhappy?

    Darine killed the mood when she reminded them all that they wouldn¡¯t be able to see the city since witches weren¡¯t welcome and would end up in chains like us. I could have argued it was safe as long as you didn¡¯t go throwing curses around, but being a contrarian on the first night wasn¡¯t good for bonding.

    There was pounding at the outer door that signalled a clean-up and exit to their rooms. I was directed to the one I would share with Ulia and took the top bunk in a room. I unfolded the sheets placed on the bed and fell into the feathered pillow, ignoring the quill poking me in the cheek in favour of passing out.

    ¡­

    I woke with a start, bolting upright, searching for the ghoul stalking me across the wooden floors.

    Ulia looked up, on the tips of her toes, as she closed the door.

    ¡°My bad, but you¡¯d need to wake up soon anyway.¡±

    I lay back down and rolled across the bed, extending my limbs to their limits, groaning with contentment as the sore spots stretched out. I was already dressed, and there weren¡¯t any annoying boots to put on, so I stayed in bed for a while longer.

    Ulia tugged at my foot, and I dropped down onto the cold floor. ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°Chores,¡± Ulia said, curt and unhelpful as ever. She fluffed up her pillows and tucked in her sheets. Getting the idea, I climbed back up to make my bed. Afterwards, we opened the windows, tied back the curtains and swept the room before joining the others outside to take care of the chicken coop and gardens.

    Because of the high walls, sunlight was limited to the middle of the day. However, there was also no wind, which removed the worst part of winter mornings.

    The few older witches out and about squinted at me, quickly figuring out I wasn¡¯t one of theirs and asking where I came from. They also realised Ulia was back and figured out the rest quickly after a short explanation from her. It was heartening to see the girl wasn¡¯t only short with me and even exasperated the elders.

    ¡°You have a meeting with the elders this afternoon,¡± Talena said, walking through the garden paths to where I harvested carrots. ¡°Ambuya Anoliwa is away so it¡¯s the council that will decide how long you can stay. For now, stay close to Darine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ah, Elder Talena,¡± I said, almost calling her ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯ like an instructor at the castle. She had the same tone of voice Instructor Daniels used during our drills.

    She scrutinised me and the muddy carrot in my hand for a long while. ¡°Good.¡±

    I tempered my instincts to make the carrots less bulbous and ugly and stopped heartbeats away from shifting the mud off my hands. I dragged buckets of water across the garden when I could have made it rain.

    It was a return to the tasks I often did at the cottage, but this time, there were many sets of hands to help and loud voices to amuse me. I also enjoyed the forgotten sensation of grass between my toes and the quiet that was always elusive in the city.

    That tranquillity was broken by a long pulsating screech, calling for help. It was hard to tell where it came from while surrounded by walls, but it was distant. It wasn¡¯t a voice calling for help; it carried mana like the knight¡¯s pulses.

    Everyone looked up, yet instead of shearing the horror I felt, they grinned.

    ¡°Unlucky, finding a screecher this early,¡± Darine commented. ¡°Not going anywhere near the east when we leave.¡±

    ¡°Screecher?¡±

    ¡°Mutation¡­kinda clear why we call it that,¡± she said, thumbing the direction it came from. ¡°Attracts more of the inflicted better than the usual kind.¡±

    I eyed Ulia, but she waved me off. ¡°We manifest our beliefs into existence with thoughts alone. I didn¡¯t need another person thinking a hunter would find us.¡±

    ¡°Big snout,¡± Darine clarified, putting a hand over her nose to demonstrate. ¡°You only get them a good way through this district, so that was probably looters. The death knights are still trying to clear the outer district before pushing through.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to find us then?¡±

    ¡°We moved here when they pushed through on the southern end. We¡¯ll move again when this side catches up to them.¡±

    ¡°To where?¡±

    Darine shook her head. ¡°Ambuya Anoliwa knows the best spots. She lived here before The Trial happened. We¡¯ll move once she gets back, I think.¡±

    She and Talena treated the moniker more reverently than when saying ¡®elder,¡¯ so I assumed I¡¯d found the murderer in my story.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Darine said. ¡°That should have pulled away our area as well.¡±

    ¡°No. Not a chance I¡¯m going out there again so soon,¡± Ulia said, quickly shaking her head.

    Jayden squeezed into our conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±

    ¡°No.¡± ¡°Not happening.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too young.¡±

    ¡°Can I?" I asked. ¡°Elder Talena said to stay close to you.¡±

    Darine considered it for a moment before slowly nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a spare pair of boots.¡±

    As much as I liked not wearing the things, the city was covered in shattered glass and rubble, so I definitely needed them.

    We met by the door under the watchful gaze of Elder Eudralia, who only had eyes for me. ¡°Will you ensure she doesn¡¯t get lost before our meeting later, Darine?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± she said, passing me a pair of well-worn leather boots. Another pair of girls joined us, but we would be splitting off from them to forage separately. It was more efficient and also safer than being on our lonesome. They brought with them and handed us knapsacks for whatever we were going out to look for.

    The one Darine received looked heavy, and when she opened it to check, I saw it was full of smooth white crystals. She searched outside the door and opened it for the pair to run out and down a side street. We waited in the doorway and ran out towards a different street, someone else locking the door behind us.

    ¡°Our warding keeps this area clear, but it''s been searched already. So, once we get to the end of this street, we¡¯ll climb.¡±

 Chapter 64

    There must have been something wrong with me to go out into the city again so soon after finding a safe place to rest. Ulia had more sense than I, but getting better at traversing the rooftops was enjoyable. We¡¯d already filled my bag with timber scavenged from staircases and walls, choosing the sections with no paint or rot.

    Darine was right in that there were fewer groups of ghouls, yet that meant one group per street instead of three.

    ¡°Why place the stones here?¡± I asked as she tucked another into a loose tile, the sigil on its surface facing outwards.

    ¡°Warding crystals,¡± Darine corrected. ¡°The elders have us placing them on either side of this street to eventually create a path to the next gate.¡±

    They were subtle in their effect on the surrounding mana, slowly turning to the average concentrations I was used to. It whispered of dangers ahead, goosebumps rising across my skin when I thought of ignoring the warning and crossing the threshold. I couldn¡¯t imagine it scaring a bunch of ghouls, but it was effective.

    It also made them glance over us as long as we hugged the tiles and stayed still. The crystals could only disguise so much, and a tile slipping underfoot almost got us caught.

    Darine had to hold each crystal for a few minutes before placing them. She traced the already carved sigils in the salt crystals and muttered to herself. The first had taken the longest if you didn¡¯t count her trying to teach me at the second, but she was working through them much quicker now.

    I was unsure if it was pity or disappointment in her gaze at how much of a novice I was. The sigil tugged at my mana, and I wanted to let it happen for the sake of curiosity, but I decided it wasn¡¯t the best place for experimentation.

    ¡°Should we have brought a weapon?¡± I asked.

    We descended a rope ladder after waiting on the roof for the street below to clear, and I wanted to know the plan if we were caught. All our crystals, except one, had been used along an already looted path, and Darine wanted to see if the other pair was doing okay since they weren¡¯t on the opposite rooftop.

    ¡°I did,¡± she said, pulling out a spiked dagger without an edge from her robes. ¡°It¡¯s a last option. Killing one attracts more attention than it''s worth.¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± Darine said for the hundredth time this morning. I froze in place mid-climb with a number of rungs still below me. I didn¡¯t dare turn around and break the charm of the crystal as the scraping on the cobblestone got closer.

    Despite the wards'' demonstrated effectiveness, it was still nerve-racking, especially without being able to see the inhuman creatures passing behind me. They were drawing in more mana than any I had sensed before, and I worried what that meant for their strength.

    Darine had been filling my head with the different types of mutations we could find all morning. They weren¡¯t always the same, but general characteristics were found often enough to classify them. Since she hadn¡¯t called for us to scramble back to the rooftops, I assumed there were none of the nastier kind among the group.

    I held my awkward position on the swaying ladder; my body rejuvenated from the night of rest and thickening mana. The strangled snorting continued past us without pause, and they stalked into a building out of the corner of my eye.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    I jumped, bypassing the rest of the ladder and ran after Darine into the temple across the street. It must have once been as impressive as the library in Drasda. Stained glass, faded from once bright colours, lay across the stone floor, with jagged portions still stuck in window frames.

    The hundreds of worshipers it could hold would struggle to find a single intact bench to sit on. The portraits hanging on the stone blocks only mages could have moved were washed out from the elements. A cracked mural behind a tipped-over altar depicted prominent figures of mages, bringing the light of a sun onto a gathering of kneeling figures.

    Why did they kneel when they outnumbered the mages? Did the mages not need the farmers, tailors, smiths and cooks more than the reverse?

    I¡¯d heard more than witnessed their power. The worst I¡¯d experienced were the blasts outside Tamil, and I conceded that a single spell could have me grovelling if I didn¡¯t have mana. I could still be hard of hearing without my peculiar body and people like Morris to depend on. With the introduction of dragon¡¯s breath, was the average person not more scary than a mage?

    Or maybe not, because like the witches were constantly vigilant, a normal person wouldn¡¯t have relied upon their senses their whole life. It was more so frightening to mages who were used to telling when an attack was coming and who was capable of those attacks.

    The temple had a turret at each corner of the complex, and we ran up the spiral staircase of one that was still intact. The whole building was detached from any surrounding houses, making room for an expansive, overgrown garden, so I was lost as to what we would do when we reached the top.

    The giant brass bell we found was a tantalising sight, and I wished to hear it ring, but Darine''s look warned of harsh consequences. The tower''s sides were open arches that sat above the four-storey buildings surrounding us. Darine went to each side, shielding her eyes from the sun, to look for the girls.

    It was a unique sight¡ªa sea of red and brown roofs between towering walls in the distance, with an occasional gap begging to be investigated. The howl of the wind carried the call of birds and the screech of ghouls. It wasn¡¯t snowing, but the chill made it clear winter was upon us.

    Darine sighed and moved to the steps without a word.

    ¡°Found them?¡±

    ¡°Ah, ha.¡±

    She was more exasperated than worried, so they couldn¡¯t have been in too much trouble. With only a single crystal hidden in her knapsack, we moved more carefully through the streets, ducking into every other house. I was playing a dangerous game, letting the groups I sensed get near enough to hear before warning her.

    Darine was also frustrating in that she didn¡¯t readily listen to me and waited to make sure before hiding. The street we had been travelling along was a main artery through the district and had more storefronts than homes on the ground level. Darine assured me they¡¯d been checked for anything useful, but I still glanced longingly at them, wanting to explore.

    I felt the collection of warding crystals before I found the two vacuums of mana motionless on a rooftop. There weren¡¯t any ghouls in the area for them to be hiding from. I let Darine spin around, searching for them, not remembering which rooftop they were on from the temple.

    ¡°I think they¡¯re up there,¡± I suggested, to be helpful and get us out of the street. She¡¯d been frowning and becoming more agitated as we moved to find the girls, and I wanted to direct that anger away from me. The older girl had seemed steadfast in my limited interactions with her, and I was curious about what was annoying her more than my inability to help.

    She went for the door and stormed up the stairs without a word. The attic window was diagonal, allowing easy access to the rooftop. Darine climbed out first, letting out that growing anger in forced whispers.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be doing this. How many crystals have you even placed¡­or did you just come here directly?¡±

    ¡°Relax Darine. There are no elders here to crack the whip. Have a drag.¡±

    I climbed out to find the two girls, Maisie and Andria, lying on the sloped tiles, arms behind their heads and holding out a smoking pipe to Darine. They were a season or two younger than Darine, with Maisie having coal-black hair barely long enough to reach her freckled cheeks. Andria was the polar opposite, with twin auburn braids that, if let loose, would reach her calves.

    Darine went to bat away the slender pipe that smelled of medicinal herbs, but Maisie snatched it away in time.

    ¡°What happens when we decide to leave, and the eastern side isn¡¯t warded?¡± Darine demanded.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get to it. We were just held up by more infected than usual, right Andria?¡±

    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± Andria said, taking the pipe for herself. She let out a billow of thick white smock towards Darine, which the wind took before reaching her. ¡°Even likely. The elders don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like out here. When was the last time they did their own work?¡±

    ¡°You know why we get sent,¡± Darine said, digging through their knapsack and counting the crystals. ¡°And you stole from the garden again.¡±

    ¡°Is it really theft if we found the seeds, planted, and harvested them?¡± Maisie said, taking the pipe back.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be hiding up here if you didn¡¯t think it was wrong,¡± Darine said, replacing her knapsack with theirs and walking across the roof, away from where we came. ¡°It¡¯ll be quicker alone. Stay with these two and make sure they don¡¯t fall off.¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°If you insist,¡± Maisie said, getting comfortable again. ¡°We would have still got to it.¡±

    Darine climbed up and disappeared through the window of a taller building, and the two girls turned to me for the first time. ¡°Want to try?¡±

    I shrugged and took the offered pipe, crouching on the tiles. My small inhale quickly devolved into a coughing fit, with my audience failing to conceal their giggles.

    ¡°Take another,¡± Andria encouraged, noticing the steel on my wrist. ¡°Why do you have those shabby bracelets on?¡±

    The unflattering strips of metal had peeked out from my sleeves as I lifted the pipe. I twisted them around, regretting not smoothing them out to look presentable.

    Andria pulled back her sleeves to reveal multiple gem-encrusted gold and silver bracelets on each wrist. ¡°Found these today. They sell all right in the settlements as long as you pick the decent pieces. Just ensure you don¡¯t get any with mana crystals; that stuff attracts the infected.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t lie and say the steel pieces were sentimental since they knew I was locked up. ¡°Where do you find it?¡±

    ¡°Small lock boxes and safes are my favourite. Lots of dressing rooms have unlocked jewellery boxes but less extravagant pieces. The bigger the home, the better chances for the good stuff.¡±

    ¡°I found this thing under the floorboards,¡± Maisie said, pulling out a dagger with a dead enchantment lingering on the blade.

    I took off my knapsack and laid back on the roof with them so I wouldn¡¯t fall off and tried the pipe again, still feeling like coughing as I drew in another breath of smoke. My anxiety at being left alone with new people faded slightly, and I blinked at the clouded sky without a thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s good?¡± Maisie asked, reaching for the pipe. The feeling faded right after, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I enjoyed the brief moment of forced calm.

    ¡°A little,¡± I said, voice strained as I slowly breathed out. ¡°Do you come out here just for this?¡±

    ¡°Wish we could,¡± Maisie said. ¡°The eldest of us need to go out; this is the only chance we have without scrutiny.¡±

    I waved off the pipe as it was passed back to me. ¡°Have you thought of leaving?¡±

    ¡°Listen, not to be rude. You don¡¯t yet understand what it¡¯s like to live here. This is all we know, and the few times I¡¯ve gone to the settlements, I walked around in fear of being found out.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same, but I grew up in a forest and only met people besides my mother a few years ago,¡± I said, reaching for the pipe this time, wanting to get rid of my swelling emotions.

    It didn¡¯t work as well as I wanted, and I passed it back in disappointment.

    ¡°And she let you do this?¡±

    ¡°Nope, she tried to stop me before and died after getting involved in something she shouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. At least¡­well, I suppose you got caught, which is what they¡¯re always warning us of.¡±

    I wanted to let them know it wasn¡¯t like that, except I couldn¡¯t without revealing the truth. They seemed understanding enough and even willing to accept my new allegiances and the freedom that came with it, yet it was impossible to know for sure. They wouldn¡¯t even need a Duke to take them in, rather give up their witchy behaviour and live in the settlements as alchemists. Though, they might be under extra scrutiny among the remnants with an occupation like that.

    Darine¡¯s scream made Maisie drop the pipe, and we all watched as it rolled down the last few tiles and disappeared over the lip. It took another shout to get us moving, and Andria nimbly climbed up to the window first. Maisie turned to slam into the wall, back first and cupped her hands to boost me up. I reached back down to pull the shorter girl up after.

    Andria already reached the opposite side¡¯s window, and without my mana senses, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to follow her path.

    I leapt up to the window sill, bracing against the frame. Darine was three houses ahead, dangling off the roof''s overhang, loose tiles sliding down around her from the damaged ridge. Andria rushed over to help, wobbling to the side in haste.

    I turned to scale the side of the building to reach the adjoining rooftop and looked to the sky as Maisie jumped out to land ahead in a crouch. The shattering tiles pierced the silence as we ran across to Darine. She no longer held her knapsack. It was down below with the tiles, leaving all four of us exposed to the gathering ghouls below.

    They didn¡¯t understand how buildings functioned and surged into all the doors below us. However, most entered the correct entrance based on the proximity to the struggling Darine.

    Andria neared her but had to go around the widening gap in the roof, wary of more loose tiles. Maisie had a different strategy and went to the edge first to approach Darine. From the conflicted look on her face as she glanced down, our predicament looked as bad as I sensed.

    The rapid thoughts running through my mind concerned where I would hide once I had to use magic to get us out of this mess.

    I followed Andria¡¯s path, not trusting being so close to the edge. She¡¯d shuffled around the collapse and kneeled to help Darine back up. There were so many ghouls below us that it shook the foundations as they crashed into the walls on their way up the stairs.

    Their clamouring and growls filled the air. Nearby packs rushed towards us, alerting more further out. Those already inside reached the attic of the building we were on. Andria struggled to pull Darine up until Maisie arrived to grab the other arm. They didn¡¯t have enough time. A pale arm broke through the tiles between us, reaching for a ledge to pull the rest of its body through.

    I shifted my shabby bangles into claws that would be ineffective for the number of ghouls besieging us. They were more of a comforting presence than anything. Not seeing any way out of this, I mentally screamed into the mana around me as if talking to an animal. Like the single ghoul in the tunnels, those around us reacted badly to the mental intrusion.

    My knees hit the tiles, reaching for any handhold I could find. They were screeching; I pressed my palms over my ears, but it wasn¡¯t merely the sound affecting me. They¡¯d responded to my mental attack with an equal retaliation.

    A myriad of human voices spoke to me as clearly as Evie did, yet they didn¡¯t have any of her coherence. Pleas for help overlapped with begging for it to end, yet it was all drowned out by the incoherent screaming.

    Very few of the ghouls were capable of thought¡ªand those that were¡ªrepeated the same phrase incessantly.

    Someone grabbed the scruff of my robes and encouraged me to my feet. I squinted through blurry vision as the girls around me also covered their ears. From where we came, a ghoul had fallen out of the window and tumbled off the roof, paralysed from my attack.

    Maisie pulled me again as a second ghoul toppled out of the same window, and another pulled itself up through the hole in the tiles.

    We stumbled across the rooftop as fast as we could without falling. All while a worrying number of ghouls made it up, learning all fours was better than running after those ahead fell. As the person in the back, I was in the worst position.

    However, the ghouls were adamant to prove that belief false.

    ¡°Scalers,¡± Darine called from the front. Ghouls with a strong enough grip and instinct to climb were rare. Yet three had found us and managed to climb up to block our path. We slowed as Darine approached them, her spiked dagger out. Maisie withdrew her dulled dagger as support.

    They were catching up behind us, the sheer numbers making up for how many fell. I mentally screamed at them to go away. They still babbled their pleas but were not as physically affected as before.

    However, the ghoul Darine was facing off against was impacted, and she stabbed it through the eye socket while it flailed wildly. The remaining two slipped off, clawing at the tiles on their way down, not before adding their begging to the racket in my mind.

    ¡°Go, go, go,¡± Andria said, tapping Maisie¡¯s back while looking past me.

    They were catching up, and my attacks weren¡¯t useful against those already hit. The sliver of humanity still inside these creatures could only be awoken once.

    Darine pulled a vial from her robes and threw it high. It arced through the air as we ran beneath and hit the rooftop before the ghouls clamoured past. Those closest clutched their throats as the liquid vapourised.

    The mist dissipated in the wind, and those that followed pushed through without issue.

    From the increased build-up of ambient mana, we were getting further into the district''s interior, away from the safety of the abbey.

    A second vial went overhead to hit the masses, but it would be the last.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anymore,¡± Darine said, her arms out for balance. When none of them were looking back, I blasted behind us with a wave of wind empowered by the ever-increasing mana balancing out in me.

    Tiles lifted out of place to smack into the wave of ghouls also pushed back. The girls looked back to find the ghouls tripping over those now underfoot while others thudded into the swarm running alongside us on the street.

    We were reaching the end of our row of houses, and I didn¡¯t have a plan for what to do next. Darine kept pace towards the drop-off, so I hoped she did. When she looked back in panic, I knew she didn¡¯t.

    I weakened the already fragile wooden framing underfoot and broke the struts in half, indiscriminately ribbing apart anything wooden below me. I threw my clawed hand at the area, blades of wind hitting their mark, the pointed steel doing better to sharpen the strike than my last attempt.

    The tiles cracked and crumpled inwards as the ghouls joined me on the roof. The entire structure buckled and fell onto the floor below and then the next. I jumped after Andria, latching onto the next roof as the building collapsed below me.

    That stopped at the ground floor as the rubble fell to each side, allowing the sturdier foundation to remain upright.

    I pulled my body up, and the girls all turned at the composition and quickly grabbed my robes to yank me over the edge.

    ¡°That was fucking close,¡± Maisai shouted, covering her mouth from the dust.

    ¡°Shhh.¡± Darine pointed below us, and we all crouched before laying flat against the roof in the cover of the dust cloud.

    The ghouls running beside us had stopped to investigate the crash, the loud noise more important to them than us. However, those reaching the opposite ledge kept their gazes locked on us until those behind pushed them off, and a fight ensued.

    ¡°We¡¯re so fucked,¡± Andria whispered, slowly peeking over the edge to find ghouls entering our lonely building.

    ¡°They¡¯ll forget about us,¡± Darine said.

    I leant back onto the tiles, listening to the human voices still screaming in my head. I chose to believe they were dead. Whatever I was dealing with was an unimportant piece of leftover consciousness. The other possibilities were too monstrous to entertain.

    If every one of them was still alive, living with something else using their body¡­

    The ghoul on the outer edge of the city had only screamed. These were using single words and short phrases over and over. Would those in the throne room speak?

    ¡°Who has the pipe?¡± Maisie asked.

    Even Andria joined Darine in glaring at the girl.

    ¡°You dropped it,¡± I said, retracting my claws before anyone asked.

    ¡°Right¡­crap.¡±

 Chapter 65

    ¡°This is all your fault,¡± Darine muttered through chattering teeth.

    I folded my arms tightly around my chest, trying to keep the warmth from escaping. We¡¯d been left alone for the better part of the afternoon, the ghouls not remembering we were up here. However, they hadn¡¯t dispersed, leaving us little option but to wait them out.

    They lingered in the streets and strayed into our house, keeping us from resting comfortably, always expecting to be discovered.

    ¡°Explain?¡± Andria asked, her eyes closed. ¡°We saved you from almost falling if I remember correctly.¡±

    Maisie had already fallen asleep despite the sun still in our eyes, her occasional snores disrupting our sparse conversation. That shouldn¡¯t have been too surprising since she was also the most comfortable of us all, using Andria¡¯s arm as a pillow and a source of warmth.

    Darine scoffed. ¡°If you had just done your task, I wouldn¡¯t have had to take over.¡±

    ¡°You decided to take over,¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re expected back by lunch. The elders will ask questions otherwise, especially when Patela is with us.¡±

    ¡°So? We lie. Who¡¯s there but us to say what¡¯s the truth? You¡¯re supposed to be on our side, not theirs.¡±

    ¡°There are no sides,¡± Darine snapped, the chattering getting in the way of her sounding at all menacing.

    Andria paused while Maisie shifted. ¡°There is, and if you don¡¯t see that, you¡¯re on the wrong one.¡±

    I ignored the rest of their discussion, gazing up at the clouds, letting time slip past. It wasn¡¯t the sun or close calls with wandering ghouls keeping me from resting. The screaming had continued long after the building collapsed, and I¡¯d withdrawn from every aspect of their torturous shouts into the depths of my mind.

    After every exhale, I was scared I¡¯d forget how to breathe. My mouth moved on its own to answer any questions while my eyes tracked the clouds trailing across the multicoloured sky.

    There was a single question on my mind. How does one go about razing a city as big as this to the ground? Because after listening to the most incoherent of them, that was the only sane decision I could make.

    Fire seemed the most logical option as it excelled in complete destruction. However, igniting each row of buildings in the hope of a complete burn didn''t seem feasible, and I doubted its impact on the ghouls in the street. They didn''t appear susceptible to smoke, and the absence of rooftops to traverse would hinder any future advances.

    How much dragon¡¯s breath would it take to wipe the city off the map? An idea that was more intriguing than practical.

    And if clawing their throats out one ghoul at a time was the only option, when¡ªif ever¡ªwould I be finished?

    Better alchemists had attempted to cure them over the decades, and I didn¡¯t have any delusions I could come close to their expertise. Besides, there was nothing left to save; even if there was, I was confident they wouldn¡¯t want to be.

    ¡­

    I was too fatigued to dream of something interesting, so I was still lying on the roof, star-gazing at inaccurate constellations. Even though I was the creator of the landscape, I was unnerved to find myself alone.

    Maisie¡¯s pipe balanced between my fingers as my dream self puffed on the end for ages without effect. Slowly, my chest tightened, and I couldn¡¯t stop from taking another inhale of smoke, further constricting my airways.

    Despite pleading to wake up, I took forever to jolt back to reality. It hadn¡¯t only been in my dreams. My chest stayed constricted, and I found it difficult to breathe. For a moment, I was back at the riverside with Daral, and the doll was moving farther away from us.

    Yet, it wasn¡¯t the curse; I almost wished it was.

    A pair of yellow saucers looked down at me from the creature on my chest, weighing far more than it looked. The small mongoose blinked at me, and I blinked back in a stupor before shifting to buck it off.

    It felt like a boulder pinned me to the rooftop as the animal stood on its hind legs. I swiped at it instead, making the mongoose duck and scurry away past my feet. It retreated to the roof''s edge while I stood and gulped down lungfuls of fresh air.

    By the time I turned to watch for its next move, it had disappeared. The ambient mana over the edge of the tiles shifted around an area with its own current. That disturbance moved silently to the corner of the roof and up to the ridge.

    I glanced back to find the three girls still sound asleep. Maisie had further wrapped herself around Andria while Darine had her arms folded and brow furrowed even in slumber.

    ¡°Pst,¡± I hissed so as not to attract ghouls. ¡°Hey.¡±

    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t bother waking them for a small critter disturbing my sleep. But there were too many abnormalities not to be concerned. For one, I couldn¡¯t tell what it was thinking, not the faintest emotions. Their mana was bizarre for a generally maneless creature, and I was confident I hadn¡¯t imagined their excessive weight.

    The mongoose moved up, and I spun back around to see it place hairy, human-like hands on the tile and slowly lift its eyes above the roof surface. They were a different shade of yellow and widened when it noticed I was already watching them.

    We stood motionless, scrutinising each other. Had it always been a mandrill? I searched my memories and decided I was delusional, having recently woken up and lacking air. It must have always been a mandrill¡­despite it now having distinctive blue and red facial markings.

    There was a spark of intelligence behind their gaze and the sneaking around. It was all intentional, and I didn¡¯t feel like dealing with it on my own. Without breaking eye contact, I crouched to shake Andria¡¯s shoulder.

    I froze as my fingers brushed her robe, a hair-raising chill running down my spine. The mandrill smiled at me, showing off the pair of curved canines longer than my finger. It was clearly a grin by the twinkle in its eyes, and sent my heart racing.

    ¡°A shame to involve them in our dealings,¡± it said in a deep, crisp voice, unbefitting the animal. He climbed onto the ridge and walked across it, not taking his eyes off me. The tiles creaked at his passing, and I averted my eyes from their bright bright blue behind, which distinguished them from other primates.

    I extended my steel claws, the slight reassurance they offered overshadowed by the unnatural stretch of their grin. He sat and observed his hands, morphing them into clawed feet. Before my eyes, the mandrill''s form shifted into a haze of mana before reforming as a crowned eagle. Brown fur had transitioned to black and grey feathers that fanned out around his new face.

    Their sinister grin vanished into a hooked beak, a welcome change despite its unnatural cause. While mana was undoubtedly to blame for the strange skill, I couldn¡¯t fully understand how.

    ¡°See,¡± they said, stretching out the word and curling their sharper talons at me. ¡°Same, same.¡±

    I stayed in my crouch, thinking better of attacking them outright. It wasn¡¯t only because of the talons. But because there were streaks of lightning running through their crown of feathers, marking them as the storm variety.

    ¡°I see,¡± I croaked, unable to find my voice.

    ¡°Good, good,¡± he chirped, putting his foot down and cracking the tile with his grip. ¡°Why don¡¯t you move away from the little ones?¡±

    I stood to look the large bird of prey in the eyes, which were still yellowish. It likely was a mongoose I first saw, and I apologise to my past self for thinking them delusional. ¡°You weigh more than you look.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± he said, tilting his head. ¡°Little tricks. Little traps.¡±

    ¡°And why trick me?¡± I asked, holding my hands behind my back.

    ¡°More so trap. Everyone flees from Alp. The big ones don¡¯t like it when Alp talks. Little ones are more understanding¡­when given time.¡±

    Alp didn¡¯t seem disappointed that people were scared of him. Instead, he delighted in it.

    ¡°Maybe if you didn¡¯t try to crush me, I¡¯d be more understanding.¡±

    They flapped their impressive wings and attempted to fold them back, seeming unpracticed in tucking them in properly. ¡°The big ones die too soon. The little ones are too weak to try. Straying too far from their purpose.¡±

    I wanted to snap at him for ignoring my comment about almost crushing me, but while the creature spoke, I didn¡¯t think he was entirely reasonable. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°My headdress.¡±

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    I blinked at him, forgetting my fear for a moment at the absurdity of an animal with a headdress on. That was until a more worrying notion came to mind. Could this thing turn into a person? ¡°Okay¡­I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s quite special.¡±

    ¡°Retrieve it,¡± Alp said, ignoring me again and pointing a wing towards the inner wall. ¡°It is there.¡±

    I flapped my hands to mimic their wings, irritation taking over fear. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use those to go get it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Too many, too far, too dangerous.¡± Alp tucked his head under an outstretched wing to peck at a feather, with sparks of lightning still jumping across them.

    ¡°Why would I go then?¡±

    He froze before being able to pluck the feather that annoyed him and slowly craned his neck back to me. ¡°Your purpose. A little one with the strength of a big one. Much better at hiding, even from Alp.¡±

    I¡¯d been patient, not hitting him with magic when he was a mongoose crushing me. I¡¯d been frozen in fear when he was a mandrill, crawling out and over the rooftop with a nasty grin. After he spoke, I believed the matter was resolved since I could reason with something that talked.

    There was no reasoning with this Alp. Something was fundamentally wrong with the way he thought of us. I shivered at the idea of denying his request and knew I wouldn¡¯t sleep at all with him still stalking the city.

    I could have come up with excuses like he¡¯d sent people to their deaths in search of his headdress or killed them himself. But I didn¡¯t. I was doing this out of fear. When he went back for the feather, I lifted my claws towards him¡ªbut halted a heartbeat later, also out of fear.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for it,¡± I said, my speech stilted. ¡°But it will take time.¡±

    Alp regarded me for a long moment with his eerie yellow eyes. Then he nodded and evaporated into a haze of mana, reforming into a mongoose in the blink of an eye. He spun and scurried down the opposite side.

    I hurried after him, almost losing my footing in the rush and crested the rooftop as his tail vanished. His mana signature bolted across the street and disappeared as well.

    I sighed, trying to get rid of the tension in my muscles, worse than when I spent the night in the Red Forest.

    A cloud moved to cover the moon and shrouded us in darkness. I checked on the girls, who were still fast asleep despite the activity. I¡¯d struggled to wake up with the crushing weight of Alp, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to learn if he was influencing their sleep as well.

    The frosty air seeped into my tired bones, and I sat down to tuck my legs into the robe. I imagined flipping through the pages of the bestiaries I¡¯d read and couldn¡¯t find any mention of an animal that could change species. There were shifters galore, but those leaned towards modifications rather than changing species.

    I fell back and hit my head against the tiles. I¡¯d got too used to talking to animals and considered it normal, but nothing in known existence spoke out loud. Evie had a better grasp of speech, yet they still didn¡¯t talk.

    And she didn¡¯t send shivers down my spine at her inelegant wording that sounded like¡ªand probably were¡ªthreats.

    I didn¡¯t think going back to sleep was an option, with my heart thumping and a crazed¡­Alp running around. It was slightly comforting that I could sense him if I tried, but that wasn¡¯t a surefire way.

    Without a better idea and needing to do anything but sit up on the roof until dawn, I stood and shuffled over to the edge. I looked back at the girls, and regardless of our day of shared fighting and comradery, they weren¡¯t my responsibility to look after. I convinced myself Alp didn¡¯t care for them and the ghouls wouldn¡¯t make it up anytime soon.

    The stone walls were malleable and shifted to form a foothold for me to climb down. The faint shuffling inside the collapsed building was from ghouls trapped under the rubble, protruding limbs feebly waving.

    I wasn¡¯t about to start digging through rubble to find trouble, so I danced over the chunks of wood and stone to the street beyond. Despite the ghoul''s reportedly poor senses, I kept to the shadows and prevented the wind from carrying off my scent as best I could while using as little mana as possible.

    I half-heartedly searched for ghouls but wasn¡¯t set on fighting yet. They liked to travel in groups, and even with my conviction that they should die, I wasn¡¯t keen to go against so many at once.

    Along the path we¡¯d taken on the rooftops were motionless ghouls that had fallen off and died for one reason or another. Except some still moved. I stood over the body of a ghoul as it crawled away with a bone jutting out of its leg. The flesh around the wound had healed, but the bone hadn¡¯t been set properly, something I was unfortunately familiar with.

    It was easy to talk about killing the pitiful creatures, but I hesitated when I was in the perfect position to do just that.

    Disappointed in my decisiveness, I took a steadying breath and drove my claws into its neck. They were not as sharp as I would like, and it took more strength than I thought to pierce the skin. It twitched as I hit its nervous system, and I was curious if that still worked as it should.

    Gargled gasps were the last sound it made before stilling. I yanked out the claws. Black blood dripped off the ends, and I waited for the torrent of emotions to hit me.

    When nothing happened, I searched my soul for any semblance of sorrow and found none. All evidence pointed to what I¡¯d done being a good thing. One less ghoul to torment people and perhaps one less tortured soul forced to be a passenger in their body. Was there any need to overcomplicate that?

    I moved on to the next wounded creature and repeated the action all the way down our path. Most had broken bones after their fall or hadn¡¯t died from Darine¡¯s stab to the eye like the scaler.

    When all the easy pickings were gone, I searched for the first group to take on. The worst the wounded creatures had done was swipe and gnaw at my ankles, but the packs all around me would fight back with more ferocity.

    A shiver ran down my spine, and the worries I was trying to keep away reared their ugly head. Somewhere along this street or in the sky, a pair of yellow eyes followed me. Alp was watching. I regretted not attacking when I had the chance, but at the same time, I doubted he survived the capital purely by hiding.

    Not knowing if he was reasonable enough to understand I wasn¡¯t shirking off my commitment to find his headdress, I turned towards the interior. I faced forward, pushing down my want to search for where he was. He didn¡¯t need to know that I could tell he was there.

    The feeling faded when I passed the lone house and crossed the street.

    I spent considerable time and took long detours to avoid the larger packs of ghouls, reasoning I couldn¡¯t take them. Those excuses continued until I stopped outside a pub with a faded metal sign shaped like an antlered buck. Inside were no more than five ghouls, most in separate rooms.

    I thought of several excuses to walk past, but truthfully, I wouldn''t be able to find a better situation.

    The double doors had broken long ago, and only rusted hinges remained. The floorboards protested at my intrusion, and a breeze blew through the broken building. Enough of the interior remained to imagine the place being full of life, with barkeeps laden with trays moving between the tables.

    Bottles still sat behind the bar, waiting for someone to pour them out into stained glasses. Those made with clear glass still held dark amber liquid. I¡¯d heard the duke and Yanla discuss the age of bottles before and wondered if these would be considered foul or valuable.

    If circumstances allowed, I would bring him back a bottle with a few strings attached to it.

    The first set of ghouls were behind the counter in the kitchen area. They couldn¡¯t have smelled anything appetising in there after all these years, but they still banged around for some reason.

    I stopped at the door and waited for their aimless rampage to turn them away from me. Their mana usage was enough to mistake them for what mages saw me as when I wore my necklace. But they didn¡¯t look special. No spikes or sporangia, no sharp bones for limbs or snouts.

    I shuffled over to my first target, letting the centre countertop act as a barricade between me and the second ghoul. Claws weren¡¯t the most practical weapon when I wasn¡¯t planning to use mana, but I¡¯d make do.

    However, why couldn¡¯t I use mana when I was alone and could hide easily?

    With the ghoul turning around and no good answer, I lifted the wood beneath its feet. The board was nailed down but budged enough to put the ghoul off balance. I struck out, burying my claws into its throat, black blood streaming back down my arm.

    I expected furry in its eyes, yet found nothing of the sort. It lashed out with its longer arms while its partner snarled. My claws got stuck as I tried to get out of reach, so I raised my other hand to blast it into the far wall. The second ghoul climbed over the countertop, choosing the shortest rather than the easiest path.

    The stone counter warped to trap its hand at my command. It lurched forward, and I slammed my fist into the back of its head. Even the rebound off the stone counter didn¡¯t daze the creature, so I repeated the action until there was a crack, and it stilled.

    The remaining ghouls upstairs came thundering into the pub. They had some difficulty finding the right door, and the first to manage it was rewarded with a blade of air to the throat.

    The next four quickly found the entrance after that. I threw out a set of blades for each while retreating further into the kitchen as they clambered over my latest victim. The force from the blades sent them stumbling back with lines of black blood across their bodies. Those I was lucky enough to hit in the neck collapsed to the ground, floundering in the way of the rest.

    I drank in the ambient mana each time I threw out an attack and was emboldened by its abundance.

    The strongest of the group was at the rear and leapt over its final companions. I hit its chest with a blast, but it was too weighty and carried too much momentum, merely stumbling briefly.

    I fled out of the kitchen, jumping over my first victim, who still feebly reached for me. The back exit led to an overgrown garden surrounded by a fence, and I spun around to face the creature, more confident in the new environment.

    It staggered at the blades I threw out when it appeared in the doorway. However, it remained upright and, unlike those behind, growled in irritation. It stepped over the pitfalls I made in the ground and shrugged off another set of blades.

    I dove out the way as it lunged for me. It continued into the hedges behind me, and I rolled over with a groan, having landed awkwardly.

    My attacks amounted to shallow cuts crisscrossing the entirety of its body but had no other visible effect. It didn¡¯t have the visible armour plates that signalled a knight, but maybe it was a lesser variant. It rounded on me, still lying on my back. I hadn¡¯t wanted to subject my mind or its to this, but my magic wasn¡¯t working as well as it had on the others.

    I mentally screamed, and we both flinched.

    Let me goooo. Let meeee go. Let. Me. Go.

    Neither of us was worse off than the other, and it stumbled upon me, clutching its head. The bony knee to my stomach and elbow to the temple didn¡¯t seem deliberate but hurt all the same.

    I dug my claws into its face, black ichor falling onto me. Its damaged eyes opened as the human screams continued. I tried to get out from under it, but for the second time that night, the creature atop me was too heavy to shift off.

    The claws reaching for my torso were purposeful and had me gritting my teeth as I moved to block them. After only a few blows, my arms and hands dripped with red blood. Unlike the tiles, the ground beneath belonged to me, and I flipped it to exchange positions. Loose soil showered us, and I plunged my claws into its chest, twisting them until it ceased clawing at my robe.

    I stood back from the gory body and staggered to the side. My clawed arm was cramped from using all the mana but was otherwise okay. The real problem was my stamina. Battling with the fear of death was more exhausting than performing precise movements during training, and the ambient mana only partly compensated.

    Ghouls on the opposite side of the fence came to investigate the noise, and I retreated inside to hide upstairs, up to the rooftop only if necessary.

 Chapter 66

    I clicked my tongue as the safe didn¡¯t open, rotated one of the four illegible dials to a new sequence and shook the handle again; it wouldn¡¯t budge.

    Through the darkness, the lifeless eyes of a ghoul slumped in the doorway mocked my attempts at guessing the combination. I¡¯d avoided fighting the group that came to investigate my fight downstairs, but some had wandered too close to my hiding spot. None were as resilient as the dead ghoul in the garden and were easier to handle quietly.

    Luckily, the rest of the group didn¡¯t care that several of their members were missing when they exited the building.

    I¡¯d cleaned off the blood splattered across me, mine and theirs, but still had gashes in my clothing to deal with. The cuts themselves had already closed up, with streaks of pinkish skin peeking out through the tears. They were incredibly itchy, and my mana was being used up near them to oppose something left behind by the ghouls'' nails. The safe was a nice distraction to my fading willpower not to scratch them.

    After the incursions had stopped, I was curious if I could find any of the jewellery the girls had spoken of in the bedrooms. Instead, I uncovered a small, rusted iron safe nestled in the bedside drawer. There was a keyhole, but no key to be found, and my attempts to pick the lock were rebuffed. The inner workings were completely different from door locks, and I felt nothing obvious to push against.

    After giving up on that method, I tried my luck with the second mechanism. Each of the four dials to the side of the keyhole had ten letters on them, and I played with random combinations for a long while before trying to go in a sequence.

    The ordered approach bored me to death, and I realised quickly I¡¯d vastly underestimated the number of different ways the dials could be positioned.

    The mathematics I did for the number of possibilities kept changing with each new consideration, and I gave up before the onset of a headache. The fact that it would take weeks was a good enough conclusion.

    I clicked my claws across the wooden floor, where I was sprawled out in front of the safe.

    Force was an enticing option, but was it worth it?

    There was a chance I wouldn¡¯t be able to break through the iron despite its worn state. And that wasn¡¯t considering the ghouls skulking around the building that would be alerted by the commotion.

    Guessing the correct combination was a delusional yet pleasant dream. I tried once more before sighing and pushing off my knees to search the room more thoroughly. Asking the witches how they got through the safes was an obvious follow-up question I¡¯d missed. They possibly found the keys hidden somewhere, yet I doubted that worked consistently.

    With my luck, it¡¯d take both the combination and key.

    I turned over items caked in dust and pulled out drawers, fabrics disintegrating in my hands and cobwebs tangling around my fingers. Iron seemed to be a common material in the capital. Nails in every piece of furniture were made of the stuff, along with various pieces small enough to be mistaken for a key.

    If the palace and castle district had any, it was there deliberately to disrupt mages.

    Finally, a key clattered to the floor from a collection of clothing, and I was mildly surprised to have found it. Honestly, I was planning to waste time until dusk to rejoin the girls and hadn¡¯t expected to make any progress.

    A smile broke through my fatigue as the key turned, and something clicked inside the safe.

    However, my hopes were crushed; the handle remained immovable. Instead of punching the drawer like I wanted, I squinted at the safe, contemplating its inner workings. To get a better look at the whole thing, I pulled it out and hefted it onto the floorboards with a groan.

    Despite being smaller than my head, the thing must have weighed more than me.

    It was a solid piece of iron except for the seal and locks, but there was a narrow gap between the dials that I might be able to slide a narrow blade in. I reformed my claws from the poorly made lock-picking tools but couldn¡¯t get the point thin and long enough to reach inside.

    I crept downstairs to retrieve the knives I''d noticed in the kitchen, past a lingering ghoul, who turned in confusion as I passed by. I struck at its neck before it understood what was happening and flinched as it thudded to the ground. The ghoul writhed while its healing tried and failed to catch up with the injury.

    I stepped over it to grab the wooden slab with the knives embedded and hurried back out, skipping over the body to run upstairs. Nothing followed me up, so I settled next to the safe again with my prize.

    The various kitchen knives were mostly undamaged except for the discolouration that came with time. Steel wasn¡¯t supposed to rust, but maybe it wasn¡¯t as good as the stuff they made now. They would be thrown out of the palace kitchen along with angry shouts about quality, yet they were still good enough to imagine a thief using.

    I wedged the smallest blade into the crevice, amused I could identify it as a fruit knife from my lunches at the palace. As I poked around, the rust chipped off in pieces, revealing very little besides an impassable iron bar holding the dials in place. I jabbed at the next two with similar results and considered spending my time practising my steel manipulation instead.

    For the sake of completeness, I went for the fourth dial. The blade got caught in a slight indentation in the otherwise smooth cylinder. I moved the dial, and the indent moved along with it. Believing that meant I had identified the right letter, I adjusted the other dials until I felt a matching gap.

    I cursed when the handle didn¡¯t budge.

    Frustrated, I retreated from the contraption and pulled out the largest knife, melting it into a puddle and discarding the wooden handle.

    The blades were useful tools for killing ghouls by themselves, but they had a few problems. For starters, I hadn¡¯t practised enough with steel for it to channel my wind blades unless it hugged my skin.

    Metal would hopefully catch up to my control over the likes of water and dirt with practice, but it wasn''t useful currently.

    The next issue was hiding the blades as I did my claws. While Darine had her own knife, she was the most trusted member of the group. When I got back to the abbey, they would be confiscated and absolutely get me in trouble.

    Re-forming the knives quickly from bangles wasn¡¯t feasible, and judging by the lock-picking tools I made, it was not worthwhile. Where would I even keep the handle?

    I solidified the puddle into another set of claws for my off-hand and spent more time making the bangle look presentable, not wanting more insults towards their shabbiness. I wanted to make a full gauntlet but had no clue how the parts moved together.

    My attempts at it rewarded me with a solid hand of steel unable to bend, useful to no one. I¡¯d finally found an excuse to visit the iron and leather working shop if I got back to Drasda. The justification for why I needed to know how to make steel gauntlets could come later.

    I had ideas for the rest of the steel blades, except no skill to carry them out, and taking them with me as bangles would have me jangling down the street, ringing the dinner bell for any ghouls in the area. So, they¡¯d sadly be left behind.

    Cloud cover blocked out the moonlight coming through the single window and made my work of prettying my bangles more difficult. By the end, the bangles were decorated with blob-like carvings of Sweeka that probably looked nothing like her in the light.

    I sighed, moving to the doorway to find a new building to search through.

    I paused at the door and spun on my heel, looking to try one last idea for the safe. The indentation lining up likely signalled that I was on the right path but had it in the wrong orientation. I moved all the dials the same way, trying the handle at each movement. Even though I expected the handle not to move, I was disappointed with each try.

    Until the fifth attempt, where it clunked downwards from my forceful pulls.

    I tugged at the door, the rust putting up a final struggle before allowing it to swing outwards. The light wasn¡¯t enough to see inside, so I brought the contents over to the window. I was already disappointed by their feel but still eagerly looked through the compensation for my efforts.

    Paper was the most abundant item, and most of it crumbled at my touch or was unreadable, but some smaller pieces held up. There were three of them with descriptions of people on a kind of identification card¡ªa family with a young son. I scratched at the rusted letters on the dial, noticing a pattern. The first three were their initials, and the fourth was the start of their family name.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I didn¡¯t think that was the safest thing since people probably knew their names, but it was a cute gesture. Several silver and gold coins had spilt out of the safe, and while they were supposed to be valuable, there were no shops in the city to use them in.

    I took one of each to play with and left the rest behind.

    The biggest prize was a single tiny mana crystal that I balanced with the ambient mana so I could take it with me. The witches were scared of the ghouls'' ability to sense mana, but that was because they didn''t truly understand the limitations of those senses. Something like this wouldn¡¯t attract them.

    However, they did enter seemingly random houses, so maybe their senses were that good.

    Either way, I needed a crystal if I ever wanted to leave the city and not get executed by the remnants for being weird. There was no Annalise to save me from the Tometh roaming beyond the walls this time. It wasn¡¯t as large as my necklace, but it would get the job done once I found a way to keep it near my chest.

    I went downstairs to leave the pub, keen to find another group of ghouls to fight. Hopefully, without a lesser knight to chase me down through my blades.

    A thought in the back of my mind called me demented and murderous, but I dismissed it. These things weren¡¯t alive; if they were like I suspected, I was doing them a favour.

    Noisily killing an entire group wasn¡¯t sustainable since I needed to hide from the flood of ghouls called by the action. Maybe every room I hid in would have a safe to bash open, but I doubted that and wasn¡¯t interested in finding another to toil over.

    I skulked through the shadows, applying a light touch of the shadow walking Evie did. The mana usage should have been subtle enough not to alert them, and if it did, it was a good indication I was doing something wrong.

    Another interesting mana art was the lightning that arched through Alp¡¯s feathers when he was a storm eagle. They were a shallow version of the spell used by Barick, and there wasn¡¯t much to learn from them, especially when Alp didn¡¯t seem to be making an effort to form them. A shiver went down my spine as that night in the forest jumped to the front of my mind, and I pushed my thoughts to anywhere else.

    His changing form was far more interesting, but that had to be what his species did rather than mana.

    The possibilities were endless if it was a mana art. However, it was not so appealing to consider testing. I still had the description of what a shrinking spell did to a person in mind and wouldn¡¯t experiment with changing limbs without Morris within arms reach.

    But I doubted that it was possible at all.

    I ducked into a new building and slashed the throats of isolated ghouls wandering the halls, plunging my latest set of claws into their chests to stop their thrashing swiftly. Only the closest ghouls noticed the confrontation, and when they came to investigate, they met a similar fate.

    Although the number of chins and collarbones I clipped in my strikes decreased, I was still far from proficient.

    The tears from glancing scratches across my arms and torso were mounting up, so I stopped trying to find more before I ended up in tattered rags.

    I didn¡¯t feel Alp¡¯s gaze on me as I approached our lonesome house at the first light of dawn. The hoard of ghouls had dispersed enough to sneak by, those buried still struggling below the rubble. More confident from my few scrapes with the ghouls and less rattled from having dealt with Alp, I shifted the rubble to reach those trapped.

    ¡°Patela?¡±

    I spun on the rough stone, hiding my hands behind my back, Darine looking down at me from the rooftop.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°What are you doing? Get back up here.¡±

    ¡°Something was making noise underneath. And I think we can leave anyway.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for sunrise. It blinds them for a while.¡±

    I nodded, shifting my claws back to bangles and climbed higher up the building¡¯s remains to sit down. Climbing back up without being able to make handholds would have been too tiresome with the sun already rising. Rays of soft light poured over the wall into the street, and I shivered as it hit me, not noticing how cold I¡¯d been.

    Only then did the girls start their climb down, nimbly moving their grip and footholds like they¡¯d done it a hundred times.

    ¡°Should we check if there¡¯s a safe inside?¡± I asked when they were halfway.

    They looked at each other, and Maisie started giggling.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­that¡¯s what everyone wants to do at first,¡± Andria said. ¡°But it gets old quickly. Most people keep deeds and identification in them or some coinage¡ªhardly useful or exciting stuff.¡±

    ¡°I found my dagger in one,¡± Maisie said, dropping to the ground. ¡°But yeah, you can¡¯t even use the coins without trading them in for the latest sort outside the walls.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± I said, already having a taste for what they spoke of. If the mana crystal wasn¡¯t useful to my situation then I would have been disappointed. ¡°How do you open them?¡±

    ¡°Putty,¡± Darine said, holding out a jar of submerged dragon¡¯s breath.

    ¡°What does that do?¡± I asked, trying my best to sound curious.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Maisie said, grinning ear to ear. ¡°We used to corrode the locks, but this is quicker¡­and much more fun.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you aren¡¯t allowed to have any,¡± Darine said, putting the jar back in her robe. ¡°It¡¯s not a toy.¡±

    I desperately wanted to ask how they detonated it without mana, as that was how they used it at the Opera house, but couldn¡¯t without revealing too much.

    Andria kicked the rubble where a ghoul still struggled beneath before heading off towards the abbey. Darine hurried ahead of her to lead us there, stopping to collect the knapsack of warding crystals and my bag of firewood. The ghouls did as she said, shying away from the morning light by staying in the buildings and shade.

    I half expected Darine to say we would set up the crystals before returning, but her hurried pace didn¡¯t slow for almost the entire way to the door. We stopped once after Darine and Maisie¡¯s combined complaints got her to stash away the knapsack full of warding stones with the promise to place them tomorrow.

    It helped that the fault of the two in the matter was overshadowed by Darine nearly falling.

    We almost ran head-first into Ulia when she exited the abbey, her eyes widening at the sight of us.

    A smile almost formed on her lips before she scrunched her face. ¡°They were about to make me go find you. You¡¯re in such a pile of it I¡¯d suggest hiding away for the rest of the day while they relax.¡±

    ¡°Ulia! Quit standing in the doorway and go drag their asses back here.¡±

    Ulia raised her eyebrows in question, and while I considered her words, Darine didn¡¯t. She pushed past and opened the door. ¡°Elder Eudralia, sorry, we¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°Where are the other brats?¡±

    Andria and Maisie hesitated, but I walked in to take the brunt of the elder¡¯s glare. I wasn¡¯t sure if she was annoyed because she thought I was responsible for this mess or didn¡¯t like me.

    ¡°What did she do?¡± Elder Eudralia asked Darine, confirming it was the first.

    ¡°No, it was¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nothing, Elder Eudralia. The ghouls were out in force because of the screecher, and we couldn¡¯t get through a certain street.¡±

    ¡°Is this true?¡± the elder asked.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Darine hesitated, probably rethinking her words due to how angry the elder looked. ¡°Yes, elder.¡±

    ¡°As long as you were able to place the wards. Since you missed the gathering yesterday, I¡¯ll let you know Elder Resna has made a finding, and you¡¯ll have new crystals to place next week.¡±

    Maisie sighed behind my back and while the elder¡¯s eyebrow twitched, she kept her gaze locked on me.

    ¡°And you girl,¡± the elder continued, shaking her head. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have made this easy and not come back¡­A slim majority of elders have decided you can stay in the abbey for the time being, but the council does not welcome you into the coven.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, elder.¡±

    ¡°Make yourself useful if you wish for a favourable outcome,¡± Elder Eudralia said and walked off through the garden.

    The other girls from the dorm were scattered throughout the courtyard, not bothering to hide their interest in our conversation over the vegetables.

    ¡°She''s like that with everyone,¡± Andria said, placing an arm around my shoulder. Her fingers found their way into one of the holes in my robe, and she leaned in to inspect the damage. ¡°The morning chores look handled, so we have time to patch our clothes and make breakfast. I think Maisie chewed a hole in mine in her sleep.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Maisie asked, turning away from the open fire pit with thin strips of meat sizzling on a grill. ¡°Oh, I caught mine on a nail while climbing down.¡±

    Darine had already knelt in the dirt to pluck carrots and didn¡¯t offer us more than a glance as we went to the dorm. We sat at the empty kitchen table, and Darine dug a sewing kit out of the cupboards.

    The two girls took off their robes and started effortlessly weaving threads into them while I bit my tongue, trying to push a length of thread through the eye of a needle.

    A few incredulous looks were thrown my way as I stitched up the first tear because of how long it took me. I ignored their stares and the smaller rips, not having enough excuses for them, and focused on the more prominent ones.

    I asked Andria for a piece of scrap cloth for a larger tear near my collar, and I left the stitching on the inside undone on the top to hide a mana crystal.

    Maisie rushed through her work so she could start on breakfast, but Andria took pity on me and handled the other half of my robe. She glanced at me for every new tear she found while I kept my eyes focused on the needle.

    The girls working outside filtered in, taking a bowl of Maisie¡¯s porridge and sitting close enough to ask questions about the evening.

    Andria extolled our virtues, and the body count of ghouls increased at every new turn in the story. The real reason for our ordeal was brushed over, and she made sure to exaggerate the danger we¡¯d been in.

    At least, that¡¯s what I gathered from the body language of everyone in the kitchen since they¡¯d switched languages.

    When an older voice shouted into the kitchen, I turned to Andria for a translation.

    ¡°Time for class,¡± she said with a heavy sigh.

    I had the opposite reaction, excited to learn about another side of witchcraft.

 Chapter 67

    I yawned as we crossed the courtyard to the main complex at the head of the abbey. The warm porridge had done its best to remove the fatigue from my bones, but the night of running about was catching up to me.

    Andria slowed to stretch her back, and Maisie flinched at a screech in the distance. Despite the sleep they got up on the roof, they were just as sore and jumpy.

    It dawned on me how everyone around us behaved normally over some of their younger members missing the entire evening. The girls deserved the day off to recover, or the morning at the least, yet they carried on like it was a typical day. Where were the concerned looks and sighs of relief at their safe return?

    The elders had been gruff over our late return, but from their comments, they fully expected us to come back unharmed. There were a few moments where things could have gone horribly wrong, especially if I hadn¡¯t collapsed the path behind us, so I found the nonchalance confusing.

    I suspected that dealing with the ghouls was a typical day for them and that the danger was simply part of their lives.

    Elder Eudralia stood in the doorway to the multi-storey building, exchanging a few words with each person passing through. I took a deep breath in my place at the back of the procession, ready to stomach whatever advice she¡¯d impart this time.

    Instead of words, she held her arm across the threshold, looking at me like I was foolish for trying. I wanted to let her talk first, but her stare was getting uncomfortably long. ¡°Would I not be more useful if I was able to learn?¡±

    She dropped her arm out of the way. ¡°Don¡¯t be cheeky, girl. I have no complaints about learning. It¡¯s who you teach that¡¯s the matter.¡±

    The elder was right to worry, but I kept my expression blank, not trusting myself to look suitably innocent.

    I hurried through to catch up to the girls ahead since I didn¡¯t know where we were going. After a couple of staircases and a lengthy hallway lined with odd woodworking pieces, we arrived at a room rimmed in artfully woven tapestries. They overlapped the entirety of the room and covered most of the grey paint.

    Intricate symbols were at the forefront of flower-covered hills, opulent or rundown rooms with people in matching attire, and barren landscapes. I recognised the symbol dominating the tapestry that depicted a ghoul cowering in the shadows as the warding rune.

    Witchcraft was supposed to be the basis for many modern mage pursuits, but I wasn¡¯t sure if this was closer to enchanting or spellcraft.

    The tapestries covered the windows but were thin enough to dimly light the room. Rings of mismatched wooden chairs circled a raised dais, each painted and shaped uniquely. Darine was already inside, straightening them into neat and even rows. That effort was negated by the new arrivals pushing through the walkways to find their regular seats.

    I thanked her for bringing over an unadorned chair that might have been native to the building so I could sit at the back. She found a seat at my side while Maisie and Andria sat opposite. Ulia was at the front among the younger girls, perhaps because of the elder who walked in after us.

    Elder Talena stepped up to the dais and counted us under her breath. ¡°I trust everyone has, at minimum, laid eyes on our recent addition to the abbey.¡±

    A dozen heads turned to search the room with a chorus of agreement. I¡¯d seen most of them in the kitchen the past day but couldn¡¯t name the majority.

    ¡°Therefore, we will speak their tongue for her benefit until she learns.¡±

    The front of the class groaned, and a girl attempted to persuade the elder not to, but she wasn¡¯t backing down. ¡°Pretend I don¡¯t know Tehban; try to convince me in Common.¡±

    Andria raised her hand. ¡°Can this count as our language class, then? And you let us leave early?¡±

    ¡°Granted.¡±

    The older girls didn¡¯t seem bothered by the switch-up, most likely because they were already fluent. Elder Talena started the lesson by going around the room, pointing to each tapestry and selecting one of us to explain what it was.

    The answers were more complex than naming the rune, yet the tapestries provided clues about the additional aspects.

    The type of material and whether it was carved into or painted on mattered greatly. For that, the colour of the symbol matched the material, and the way in which the runes'' stitching protruded indicated the application. The background spoke of the conditions surrounding the imbuing process and was less strict, serving more for amplification.

    I nodded along to the answers for a tapestry depicting a lake in the rain. River stones were carved into for the purpose of condensation or rain, depending on the strength. Doing so in a wet environment was clearly the most efficient.

    A nonsensical example I wouldn¡¯t arrive at if I had the entire day was the rune of fortune since it didn¡¯t depict gold but rather scrolls. Papyrus was the base material, and any ink could be used to draw in the rune.

    I didn¡¯t know the names of half the materials they spoke of, but Elder Talena brought small fragments out for my benefit. The different kinds of wood and the white crystals differentiated by opaqueness were hard to remember, but I tried my best to follow along.

    ¡°Patela, can you tell us what this one does?¡±

    She must have given me the easiest on purpose, knowing I¡¯d recognise it. ¡°It¡¯s for warding, and you carve it onto a¡­white crystal.¡±

    ¡°Selenite,¡± Andria whispered, too loud for me to repeat secretly.

    ¡°Yes, selenite. Thank you, Andria. What conditions are the best for imbuing?¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re in danger?¡± I guessed, based on the cowering ghoul.

    ¡°Fair answer,¡± Elder Talena said. ¡°It¡¯s either fear or safety. Both work fine, but intense fear is the most effective.¡±

    She continued around the room, getting as many different people to name the runes. Almost everyone could answer with concise ease, except for Maisie, who confused two crystals that sounded similar.

    Creating misfortune was the closest they got to a curse, and I found a chance to ask the question I¡¯d been ruminating over. The tapestries were all inactive, with no interaction with the surrounding mana. The warding symbols painted outside weren¡¯t carved or on selenite, yet they still had a minor effect.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t the tapestries work as runes?¡± I asked once I got her attention at the end.

    A girl ahead scoffed and shrunk away from the elder¡¯s glare. ¡°It¡¯s always beneficial to get another perspective. Elder Resna¡¯s new lure rune was only possible once we received writings from an outsider. Can you answer Patela¡¯s question?¡±

    ¡°Because runes don¡¯t work with fabric?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely true,¡± Elder Talena said, pointing to Darine, who volunteered.

    ¡°Because the thread wraps around and around, so while it completes the pattern, it doesn¡¯t do so in a continuous line.¡±

    ¡°Correct, so it is possible, but easier to have the real thing in your pocket instead.¡±

    Afterwards, we moved on to alchemy. A table with all the glass equipment and ingredients was brought up to the dais for the elder to work on. The potion they had been working on recently was similar to a healing tincture I prepared with Mother, almost a direct imitation except for differences in the preparation.

    Elder Talena stood off to the side and called girls up to carry out each step of the potion. Each made minor mistakes, but by midway, they began mounting up to create an end product that wouldn¡¯t resemble the healing tincture.

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    I was called up to play my part by adding shavings of agave root. The step was simple, but it wouldn¡¯t work because too much acid was added at an earlier step. The base added later on was the proper volume, but its purpose was to neutralise the acid. I reached for a labelled glass bottle and glanced at the elder for permission.

    Her eyebrows raised, but she nodded, and I neutralised the acid with a few extra drops. I tipped my root shavings in afterwards, and they fizzled in the brew like they should, marginally saving the potion.

    I was pleased with her impressed smile but not with me being used as an educational moment for the rest of the room. We ended up with a functional tincture, which was not nearly as effective as it should have been. Elder Talena remade it to show the colourless mixture expected of the finished product, as opposed to our cloudy concoction.

    It was bittersweet to be methodically taught alchemy again. Most of my knowledge came from assisting my mother and learning recipes through repetition and observation. It would have been nice to learn how to make dragon¡¯s breath on my first day, but that could always come later since I seemed to be staying for a while.

    There was no language lesson due to my presence; instead, the focus shifted to the most notorious aspect of witches: curses.

    Unlike runes, which people could make to varying degrees as long as they had the knowledge and conviction, curses were abstract forces. Sometimes, they met the boundaries of other practices, such as the amber-eyed doll, but that was uncommon and considered sophisticated.

    Instilling misfortune in a person, similar to the rune¡¯s indiscriminate effect, was the simplest manifestation she wanted me to read on after I admitted to not using curses before. Luckily for me, I wasn¡¯t allowed to practise in the lesson.

    It was arrogant to think I knew better than the elder¡­but I knew better than the elder. Or at least more than she said to the gathered witches. I was intimately familiar with the types of curses, their method of latching onto their victims, and their dispelling. However, that insight may not be useful to anyone except me.

    The fervour the elder spoke about the effects of the different curses on the intended target, the settlers and death squads outside, was unnerving. The similar response from the girls, some seemingly as young as twelve, was a harsh reminder of the type of community I¡¯d found myself in.

    The people living outside didn¡¯t know we were there. They cared more for the riches without owners and for taking back their grandparents¡¯ decrepit homes from the ghouls.

    The witches could leave without anyone ever knowing they existed. That was especially true for the youngest, who had nothing to do with the events of the past. They didn¡¯t have a doll keeping them here, and it was clear from just a day with them that Maisie and Andria could be convinced to leave, given the opportunity.

    I spent the rest of the class daydreaming about how to give them that opportunity and who I¡¯d need to convince besides them. The Duke didn¡¯t control the capital, and I doubted I could get them to Drasda without help. This Ambuya figure was likely the most zealous of the lot, and if the leaders of the remnants were anything like Tometh¡­then things were dire.

    My daydreaming wasn¡¯t interrupted by Elder Talena but by the stretched smile of a mandrill. As lovely as it would be to waive off the night as a bad dream, I sadly knew better. I wondered if the witches knew about Alp and if their warding would be effective against him. Until I knew for certain I was safe here, my nights would be restless.

    Going to the interior wasn¡¯t the worst idea to get him off my back, apart from being pressured into it. There would be better treasures in areas otherwise untouched by people for decades. However, there would be ghouls strengthened by the ever-increasing ambient mana. I¡¯d make an effort to appear as if I was completing his task, but only to the extent that I was capable.

    Unfortunately, I didn''t think finding the headdress was feasible, and at some point, I¡¯d need to decide what to do. Hopefully, finding out what I wanted to know from the witches and leaving would be enough to solve that problem.

    The elder¡¯s mentioned of the imbalance between mages and the people for the tenth time in as many minutes piqued my interest. Before attributing it to mere ramblings, I thought about the ambient mana.

    Had the difference between districts been worse when the city was populated? Did the more concentrated mana provide benefits to those in the centre? They certainly did for me.

    It wasn¡¯t enough to suddenly listen in rapt attention to everything the elder was saying, but enough to look for the truth in her words with more seriousness. I could admit I was overly untrusting in other people''s words, yet that wasn¡¯t without good reason.

    There were some in Drasda who had worn away at that sentiment, but¡ª

    ¡°Patela, I¡¯m saying this purely for your benefit,¡± Elder Talena said. ¡°Can you remind me what I was just talking about?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Jeremy [Unknown]

    A knock at the door made me roll up the detailed road map of northern Werl and stash it with the other documents clustered across my desk. ¡°Come in.¡±

    ¡°Sir, message from Baron Esmoth. It¡¯s marked for the duke¡¯s eyes only, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Hand it here and same with any similar messages.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said and hesitantly added. ¡°The boys in codebreaking are asking when the new cypher for the Harutay Duchy will be available. It changed this morning, and the Chief of Trade is confused about the sudden lack of information.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, more annoyed than ever that there wasn¡¯t a standard time for all of us to change our codes. ¡°Tell them our insider in their trade department went dark, and we don¡¯t have a time when we¡¯ll hear from them next.¡±

    It was the most amusing and inconsequential use of the cache of information we¡¯d uncovered with Valeria¡¯s help. The neighbouring Dutchy had a shortage of goods due to the skirmishes in the east, where they usually traded across the narrow sea. Our enterprises were meeting those shortages before the public knew they were coming.

    It netted us a nice profit but was otherwise insignificant, especially after we had to stop due to an investigation into our actions.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure word gets to the usual suspects. They¡¯ve been trying to find where their leaks have been coming from for weeks. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be ecstatic about any scraps of information we give them.¡±

    The door shut, and I leaned back in my chair to sigh at the ceiling. Having aides who could read between the lines was often efficient, but it meant they knew when I wasn''t giving them the full story. That wouldn¡¯t be so bad, except they had all the information to piece together the truth.

    For them, the story was a new web of informants and code-breaking credit being given to non-existent people in other cities¡ªa tall tale to those who had been in the job for years.

    We¡¯d captured two low-tier infiltrators since Valeria had given us the means to read their affiliates'' messages. Not because we¡¯d now discovered them but because they were so desperate and blatant in their attempts to track down our source, we had to take action.

    I didn¡¯t know every disloyal and bought-off operative in my wing, but the couple I did were worth their weight in mana crystals for the false information they fed back.

    It was partly¡ªmostly¡ªmy fault for all the attention. I¡¯d been overzealous with exploiting the information we unexpectedly had access to. In hindsight, we should have let opportunities pass by for the sake of long-term secrecy.

    However, now that the source of our breakthrough was gone, I couldn¡¯t fault my past self too harshly for taking advantage of it while I could.

    Faraya was out with over half the order, making a show of finding the missing witch. She was supposed to be on bed rest until the curse in her lungs abated, but there was no stopping the woman from leaving on her own accord.

    The watch had squealed about the escape after we asked their help to seal the city. They¡¯d then coordinated a denouncement of the duke¡¯s ineptitude in keeping a witch responsible for the death of a watch member contained¡ªa passing of the blame we¡¯d placed on them for the opera house.

    I was confident they were no longer in the city, but Faraya was there to be seen, not to be effective.

    Since we didn¡¯t want to label Valeria a witch or create an even messier story for us and her by calling it a kidnapping, only one witch was mentioned. But, where one was, the other would be found as well.

    I had the unpleasant job of talking Vince out of openly searching for Valeria. The little evidence we had pointed to her leaving willingly, so her cover story was probably intact. Making a stink over her disappearance would only serve to put her in danger.

    Yistpher was out to the east. He and his little muntjac had sniffed out the trail in the sewer, which led to an entrance near the eastern gate. He was operating on the theory that they had help, and I agreed with his assessment.

    The first outcry about our failures came from the watch¡¯s eastern headquarters. The first note they nailed outside their building spoke of two witches being lost, not the one we told them about. They¡¯d since replaced that with the standard template used by the other headquarters, but the initial mistake was too coincidental not to investigate.

    That was where my wing¡¯s efforts were focused. Another party had to be involved in making Valeria divert off course, and the watch was as good a suspect as most. Their corruption had been limited and scrutinised, but it was impossible to stomp it all out. In the end, I hoped they¡¯d done it for roe and not because they sided with the witch¡¯s cause, whatever that entailed besides damaging opera houses.

    Kylepo thought Valeria had taken her chance to escape, but I disagreed. The girl was too earnest and walked through life like she was encountering choices for the first time, not something a vicious schemer could pull off.

    Or was I a bigger fool than I thought?

    I unlocked my bottom drawer to retrieve a letter opener despite knowing the message¡¯s contents. I broke the duke¡¯s seal that had been attached to the note, breaking quite a few laws in the process. Nodding through the mandatory pleasantries, I skimmed through the thinly concealed condemnation for the negligent escape of an ¡®enemy of humanity.¡¯

    It was the third of its kind, coming from relatively powerless Barons. However, that was by design. A patron''s words were conveyed through their subordinates without incurring any outward ill-will. I¡¯d pass it along to Janette for the full political implications, but the paragraph at the end about avoiding the Succession Gala in spring was immediately worrying. Barons, especially the older families, may decide now was the best and only time for a stab at the ducal title.

    I unfolded the map again, running my finger over every road from the eastern gate, eager to find Valeria for more than my job¡¯s sake.

    Despite only a single road leading down there, through entire cities of fervent witch-haters, my eyes kept finding the multi-ringed depiction of the capital.

 Chapter 68

    We were well within the heart of winter. The snow I was used to in the north was slowly piling up across the city, and soft flakes continued to fall around me. It made running across the rooftops more difficult, but I had enough practice not to slip off completely.

    I dangled my legs off the last structure before the inner wall, balancing my shoes on the ends of my toes. The blocking building, which had a similar layout to the brick buildings near the palace, contained plenty of office space and communal areas the others were exploring.

    We¡¯d stuffed so many warding runes on either side of the main street that there were hardly any ghouls willing to walk into it. It¡¯d taken weeks of hauling knapsacks full of the crystals farther and farther away from the abbey. The four of us wouldn¡¯t have been able to accomplish the task if more groups weren¡¯t pressed into helping.

    Something we weren''t aware of was pushing the elders to rush their plans. In our many discussions about it, we decided that increasing activity in the outer district may be the cause.

    Even with the wards and safety of the rooftops, the ever-increasing density of ghouls would have slowed progress without the new lure runes. They had been placed far away from our path to live out their limited lifetime, getting ghouls off our street.

    Ulia had that job to herself, and all I got to see of the new rune was that it was scratched into polished silver. It was a harrowing task, as she often reminded us, imbuing the runes on site and then running before ghouls swarmed in due to their attractive allure.

    I had been at the edge of one¡¯s effect while it was being tested and spent the rest of the lesson salivating, dreaming of lunch. Though, no one else seemed to notice.

    The lessons had also lost some of their appeal. However, sitting in a dingy room for hours on end would do that, no matter the topic. Elder Talena wasn¡¯t the sole elder who taught, but they all started with going around the room and getting us to name the runes. It was the foundation of most studies, and by now, I could reliably describe most with little error.

    Each elder specialised in different potions or curse types and spent most of the remaining lesson time expounding on those. We also had general classes for subjects like mathematics and carpentry, but only so far as they related to alchemy and rune carving.

    Philosophical rambles were interjected whenever possible, and I found myself agreeing with most of the issues the elders raised. It wasn''t a coincidence that every population had complaints about mages and their influence in communities. However, I did have to hold back eye-rolls when all of those criticisms would magically be resolved if we killed all the mages.

    Justifications for the fall of the capital were also forced into the conversation: how The Fall was a much-needed blank slate for the kingdom or that they only meant to balance the scales, not break them.

    Beyond all the distractions, I¡¯d partially completed one of my goals by learning the recipe for dragon¡¯s breath. However, what we¡¯d been roped into helping with was only the final assembly. The elders had already synthesised all the alchemicals; we were simply putting them together with the cotton.

    I hadn¡¯t recognised any of the mixtures and made the mistake of sticking my nose into a jar holding a colourless liquid, searing my nostrils for the rest of the day.

    Maisie, the only witness to my stupidity, tried to keep a straight face as the elder explained never to get the mixtures on your skin or eyes. I had also tried to keep a straight face, but instead of holding back a fit of giggles, I held back tears.

    I crinkled my nose as a snowflake landed on it and scanned the street below. The plan was to place the wards all the way to the gate and go beyond to map out a new abbey. The Ambuya knew good places to check and had left a list for us to search through, but she didn¡¯t know if they were still in livable conditions.

    The problem we ran into was that the portcullis had been dropped, and large chunks of stone from the arch above had been dislodged to block the entrance.

    The cobblestone below was pockmarked with deep gouges more severe than anywhere else along the street. The building I sat on was one of the few in decent condition. Some were so full of holes it was hard to imagine how they still stood, while others lay in blackened heaps.

    The fragments of bone and disfigured skeletons hidden inside rusted chainmail and steel helmets were the likely culprits of all the damage. The distinct skulls of horses, because I¡¯d yet to see a ghoul¡¯s jaw that misshaped, also lay amongst the burial ground in equal numbers.

    I imagined the battle that must have raged and couldn¡¯t see an outcome that didn¡¯t have them completely overwhelmed.

    There was no coloured fabric left to show the allegiance of the cavalry, but they looked old enough to be from the time of The Fall. Perhaps the portcullis was their doing, a desperate attempt to block more ghouls from spilling out of the city. Or was it a blockage in their path that trapped them here?

    Either way, opening it wouldn¡¯t be good for anyone but the witches, especially if the other gates were also closed.

    A dull thud from inside startled me enough to lose the tenuous hold I had on my shoes. A glass window shattered outwards as a piece of iron was launched out and embedded in the vines covering the wall across the street.

    The iron projectile lodged deep into the stone, and I was glad not to be in its path. Dragon¡¯s breath was deafening and destructive, but the fragments it sent flying seemed much more deadly.

    Before I could ask if everyone was okay, an argument erupted between the three girls, letting me know they were at least well enough to shout. Andria stuck her head out the broken window and looked up, baffled at finding my shoe amongst the glass.

    ¡°Everything okay?¡± I asked.

    She sucked in a breath between clenched teeth, glancing back at the ensuing quarrel between Darine and Maisie. ¡°Yeah¡­not really. How¡¯d you lose your shoes?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked instead, pointing at the iron object.

    ¡°The handle of the safe we¡¯re trying to get into.¡±

    ¡°I think that part¡¯s important.¡±

    ¡°Andria!¡± Maisie said. ¡°It¡¯s worth it to use another jar, right? Look at the size of the thing; It¡¯s not my fault it didn¡¯t open.¡±

    Andria sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not.¡±

    She ducked back inside, and I detached a clinger vine from the wall to collect my shoes. It reached the cobblestones and flopped to the ground, running out of the mana I forced into the thin plant. I detached another, keeping a hold of it as it wrapped around my shoes and pulled them up to the rooftop.

    I slipped them back on before scaling the rooftop to survey our surroundings.

    Despite the limited number of ghouls wandering into our street, I was up here as a lookout. The dull thuds from opening the safes with dragon¡¯s breath usually attracted a couple of packs, but I waited to see if that was also true with the street fully warded.

    The way they lit the dangerous explosive was amusing¡­if someone were a safe distance away. It involved sparking a flame at the end of a long piece of twine and sticking the other end in the dragon¡¯s breath before running behind a wall or two. The first time I¡¯d experienced it was bewildering to the point I was almost late to run after the girls to safety.

    Maisie had given me several silver pieces to wear from the safes we¡¯d already blown open. She grumbled that I didn¡¯t replace my steel bangles with them but was happy enough that I wore the rings and bracelets. The gold was all funnelled towards the elders, who would sell it in the city and bring back ingredients.

    The reason I could keep the silver was that its price had plummeted due to a renewed effort from looters to clear the outer district. My one attempt at finding the tunnel they used to enter the city almost got me caught by both them and Ulia when I returned.

    Another jar of dragon¡¯s breath was detonated and had an accompanying screech of metal deforming that I¡¯d grown used to. A weird consequence of our escapades was that I now knew the strongest and weakest types of older safes.

    A wealth of information I was sure would be helpful outside the city¡­

    A loud impact reverberated along the portcullis, ringing out over the city. I turned to find a ghoul had run into it hard enough to shake the entire length of iron against the archway. Another smacked into the structure, stretching its pale arms through the gaps. More followed, each continuing the awful tolling.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I stomped out the signal that there was trouble, but I doubted that was necessary as waves of ghouls squashed those before them into the portcullis. The ghouls on our side didn¡¯t care for the dull thuds of dragon¡¯s breath but ran towards the gate to push against their inner-city companions.

    Maisie climbed over the lip of the roof, followed by Darine. Andria came up last and gave my shoe-clad feet a curious glance before looking back at the real issue. We moved in closer so we didn¡¯t have to shout over the clamour of ghouls.

    ¡°Should we go back?¡± Maisie asked, not taking her eyes off the expanding sea of ghouls.

    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Darine said. ¡°The elders want to move as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t possible,¡± I countered.

    ¡°What if we go around?¡± Andria said. ¡°To the other gate while they¡¯re all here?¡±

    The portcullis groaned, bending towards us from the push of the stronger inner ghouls.

    ¡°What if we let them break it?¡± Maisie asked. ¡°Let them disperse and stroll in after?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the worst plan for accomplishing their goals, but letting the stronger variants into the city would be bad for everyone else. I searched for a way to dissuade them from the simple answer. ¡°The wards keep ghouls from straying. What if they run straight through to the abbey?¡±

    Andria and Maisie looked at Darine. While we all stressed she wasn¡¯t the boss, she knew best about runes. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­they might.¡±

    Andria picked up one of the packs we¡¯d left on the roof, now only filled with dragon¡¯s breath and overnight provisions. ¡°Let¡¯s go around to another gate.¡±

    The mass of bodies below stretched past the fallen stone and reached our building as more groups were attracted by the noise, not caring for the wards with all that was going on.

    ¡°What if I set off some dragon¡¯s breath at the other gate and draw them all there?¡± I asked. ¡°Or do we backtrack to the temple and ring the bell?¡±

    They were reading my lips more than hearing my voice and paused in thought for a moment.

    ¡°We need both groups gone,¡± Darine shouted. ¡°Bell will only work to bring them towards the abbey.¡±

    Andria was already checking through the knapsacks and handed me the one with our remaining jars. ¡°I still think we should all go.¡±

    I pulled on the knapsack, waved her off, and shuffled towards the roof¡¯s edge opposite the main street. I would be quicker and stealthier by myself without them to attract the ghouls. It wasn¡¯t night, but I trusted I could still sneak past or kill any groups not already here.

    I climbed down the vines that crawled all over the wall, hoping they would hold my weight without mana that would attract the ghouls. Dropping to the ground, I glimpsed the backs of the ghouls, pressing forward to reach the gate. I didn¡¯t think any, except for the first layer on each side of the portcullis, knew it was only ghouls making all the noise.

    Another surge of them down the street threatened to squash me into the group.

    I dashed across the street into a building we¡¯d already explored and out the other side. I hadn¡¯t asked if they¡¯d found anything valuable in the safe, but whatever it was, I hoped it was worth it. In hindsight, we should have known the inner ghouls would have been spooked by the noise.

    With the crowds of running ghouls thinning and the noise from the gate fading, I had time to think more clearly. I couldn¡¯t decide who I was doing this for because it wasn¡¯t for my benefit. I didn¡¯t like the witches, especially after considering how the wards we placed could be used as a funnel instead of a safe passage.

    I also wasn¡¯t enamoured with the remnants living outside, but they hadn¡¯t done anything to me. The ghouls liked to stay in the mana ambience they were used to, but letting out those in the inner city would surely set back the goals of the looters and knights.

    I hadn¡¯t grown particularly close to the three girls back on the rooftop, the constant barrier of Patela not being the real me in the way. But I had spent a lot of time with them over the weeks, longer than anyone else besides Mother.

    ¡°I could search for the headdress,¡± I said out loud for any snooping mongoose¡¯s benefit.

    Or I could explore the inner city alone for the real riches as the first person to set foot there in decades. Ultimately, I had a soft spot for the girls, but the thought of riches was a good excuse to put myself in danger.

    I continued running through and around rows of buildings, keeping the wall within sight. Unlike the outer walls, which appeared almost straight despite being circular, this one visibly curved inwards. I didn¡¯t have a good grasp of the scale, but the inner ring may have been as extensive as Drasda.

    My heart raced as I slowed near the next entrance to the interior, more from the long run than surrounding ghouls stressing me. This gate didn¡¯t have stone blocking part of it, but the thick wooden doors were closed. I tugged on the handle of the smaller entrance built into it and had to mess with the wood around the lock before it would open.

    I sighed as my eyes found what my senses already knew: the iron portcullis was down. I tugged off the knapsack and pulled out jars of compressed dragon¡¯s breath in its watery storage. With a single worried thought of the girls'' situation, I emptied the water and tore off pieces of cotton, careful to keep my mana to myself.

    It had been so tightly compressed that there was enough in a single jar to make an outline of a door along the iron bars. I still had four more jars and wondered if this would be loud enough to attract the far-off ghouls. Considering groups still roamed around me, probably not.

    I opened a second jar and placed half of it on the lower hinges of the gatehouse door. There were two more sets higher up. I made handholds in the door itself since the wall was too saturated with mana to affect quickly. Each received another half a jar¡¯s worth, and I eyed the other side of the door.

    It would take too much time, and blowing off both sides probably wouldn¡¯t be worth it. I also didn¡¯t want to use our entire stock, which took days to make, and get back to a lecture from the elders. I placed the one-and-a-half jars back into the knapsack and searched for the twine.

    I pushed aside paper wrappings, empty jars, and a change of robes; the twine wasn¡¯t there.

    I looked around in the small confines between the wooden door and portcullis for another option and found it outside, creeping up the side of a wall. I checked for stray ghouls before running over to pull a length of vine off the building, struggling to get it detached from the wall and other plants.

    After a calming breath, I persuaded it to detach and detangle instead of ineffectively yanking on it. I dragged it over to the gate, leaning around the thick door that would serve as protection. Under my direction, the vine slithered up the wall near each hinge and to the base of the iron spike that dug into the ground.

    Before connecting the vine, I shuffled away from the door to the sturdier wall. I had only a vague sense of where the vine was since there was an abundance of mana in the stone and so much iron nearby. However, there was no chance I would get any closer to the dragon¡¯s breath, even if I weren¡¯t sure whether the vine would work.

    I extended each end of the vine, feeling around in the dark for the target. I frowned at the lack of reaction, already thinking of more solutions.

    A deafening blast resounded inside the tall archway, and a belch of fire shot out of the small doorway. I dropped the vine and covered my head despite being safely behind the wall. Three smaller detonations went off in succession as the fireball reached up to the hinges.

    The towering doorway leant outwards, blackened holes where the hinges used to be. The drawbar keeping the twin doors locked held it from falling all the way, but the creaking of wood suggested it was futile.

    Instead of the drawbar splintering, metal squealed as the other hinges disfigured and snapped one by one. The last hinge at the bottom held on for a second as the twin door pulled to the side. It didn¡¯t last much longer, and the door slowly fell, clipping the closest building on the way down.

    I shielded my face as I was pushed against the wall from the wind kicked up by the door flattening to the street. I parted my fingers as the four-storey building the door had bashed tipped sideways.

    The ground shook, and I flinched, as each storey struck the cobblestone.

    Before the rumble subsided, I headed into the archway and through the splintered hole in the portcullis. I passed iron gates blocking the entrance to staircases and slowed as I reached the end of the gatehouse.

    Ghouls were already running towards the entrance, closing in on me. My heart raced as I looked around for safety.

    The buildings beyond didn¡¯t offer any salvation. They were not the adjoining stretches of houses and shops of the past districts. Sprawling manors sat on their own in the middle of overgrown gardens, surrounded by fences of spiked metal poles. The homes were squat and didn''t offer the same refuge I¡¯d grown used to from the rooftops.

    I¡¯d still rather be caught in the open than trapped in the tunnel, so I ran out at the same time as a group of ghouls rounded the corner. The closest fence was short enough to scale, but individual ghouls were taking notice of me as their packs ran into the gatehouse. They broke away to converge on me from all sides.

    I reached the fence and climbed up the brick foundations in which the spikes were embedded. They were made of steel, so instead of climbing up the thin poles and possibly impaling myself, I bent them to the side to squeeze through. The mana usage attracted more ghouls while I ran through thigh-high grass towards the manor.

    The ghouls smacked against the fence and clambered over each other to climb. The first to reach the spiked top was pulled down by another trying to scale them, buying me time to reach the building.

    A ghoul on all fours parted the grass as it charged at me. I extended my claws, hoping it had already been inside and there wasn¡¯t an open gate somewhere. I stopped and shifted my weight from foot to foot, watching the parting grass serge towards me. The mana here was like breathing fresh air for the first time, yet they¡¯d lived in it for decades.

    Whatever advantages it gave me were likely nothing compared to the ghouls.

    I made the grass between us stiff and inflexible. The creature yelped as it continued onward, inflicting minute cuts across its body from pushing through the flimsy blades.

    It decided to pounce over the grass at the last second, and I fell to my knees to avoid the outstretched claws. While I ducked, it managed to latch onto the top of my knapsack, pulling me backwards after it.

    Glass jars shattered as I landed on my back. I rolled over, flinging air blades through the grass as the ghoul skidded to a halt. Instead of staying to finish the duel and letting the others crash through the gate, I ran towards the manor, throwing more blades behind me to wound my pursuer.

    A large panel of glass that took up the entire wall was partly shattered, and I jumped through. A turn later, I found the stairs to the second floor. The ghoul behind me ran through the remaining glass, flinging it everywhere, pausing to sniff the air.

 Chapter 69

    The loud sniffing of the ghoul downstairs was drowned out by the swarm stampeding from the adjacent gatehouse. It must have been the majority of those near the girls, but I had mixed feelings about accomplishing my goal.

    They couldn¡¯t all fit through the small gap I¡¯d created, and the portcullis squealed in its brackets from the force. The deafening screech of a ghoul I was used to hearing in the distance erupted from amongst the noise, and the entire city quietened.

    It didn¡¯t last long, and there was a renewed push against the portcullis without all the snarling. Metal snapped, and stone crashed to the ground. I wanted to check if they¡¯d brought the entire gatehouse down but had more immediate issues.

    The ghoul had found my route up the stairs.

    Since it was walking on all fours, I doubted it was the usual variety, especially being in the city''s interior. Claws scraped against the flooring as it sniffed the air again, and I backed further into the sitting room I¡¯d ducked into.

    A puddle had formed on the floor from the smashed glass jars in my knapsack, dripping their watery contents. I slung the bag off my back to check and found that all the jars had broken from the fall outside.

    Instead of dumping the bag and running, I pulled out a wad of dragon¡¯s breath from amongst the jagged shards and pressed it into a line along the doorway. I quickly dug my arm in to search for more, wincing at the shallow cuts and pricks.

    These ghouls were pulling in such an abundance of mana that the average mage had to be able to sense them from a few streets away. With all that interaction with the surrounding mana, I was willing to gamble some dragon¡¯s breath on my plan working. And if not, there was always a window from which to escape.

    The manor was extensive, but I¡¯d hidden in the first room I¡¯d found, startled by the stampede. It was filled with decaying couches and faded wallpaper, with a few wardrobes to hide in if I was desperate.

    The ghoul jumped the stairs a couple at a time, catching my scent. It wasn¡¯t the typical hunter variant Ulia had described to me, but the wet nose and running on all fours was a giveaway. So, I didn¡¯t think hiding away would save me from its hunt.

    I slammed the door closed and placed the knapsack with the remaining dragon¡¯s breath beside it.

    It didn¡¯t need a great sense of smell to track me down anymore and charged towards my room, crashing into the door. The brittle wood splintered inwards but held. It backed up for another blow. I rushed to hide behind a wardrobe with a narrow gap to see the entrance.

    Wooden fragments scattered into the sitting room, peppering the moth-eaten couches and curtains. A section of the dragon¡¯s breath I¡¯d placed was pushed away by a part of the door hanging off its hinges. Dust was whisked into the air, tickling my nose while I tried to breathe shallowly.

    Contrary to its violent entrance, the ghoul slowly stuck its snout across the threshold. I pressed my face against the wall to see more through the narrow gap. A limb followed, stepping over the cotton. A second limb stilled over it as the ghoul turned to sniff my knapsack. I bit my cheek, studying the nearest window covered by thick curtains to escape through.

    A third limb stepped over the threshold, and I got ready to push off the wall and run.

    There was a vibration in the mana, and the dragon¡¯s breath ignited, bathing the room in bright orange light. A sharp pain flared from my cheek and arm as pieces of glass threaded the needle to hit me through the gap.

    The curtains received the brunt of it as they rustled and were ripped to pieces by glass fragments. Maybe my ears were getting used to the sudden booms because the ghoul¡¯s screaming hurt them more than the explosion.

    I picked a long glass fragment out of my cheek as I leaned around the wardrobe. The ghoul writhed on the ground, its side filled with jagged shards. The evenly spaced pieces of glass jar embedded in the walls around blackened wood were almost captivating as they glinted in the light of a small flame.

    I closed in to end its suffering, shuffling back and forth to find an opportunity to get to it. When I got too close, it turned, showing off the side of its face mangled by the explosion. It lunged towards me but stumbled to the side, and I jumped past it and ran further down the hall.

    I regretted not staying to kill the ghoul, but it was too lively to end quickly without mana, and I needed to leave before more came.

    At the far side of the hallway was an open window with vines creeping in and across the walls. It faced away from the gatehouse, and I took a single glance at the garden below before jumping out. The landing was rougher than anticipated, with broken bricks hiding amongst the tall grass, but I stumbled to my feet and towards a back gate.

    The ghouls, not already at the portcullis, were now on a direct course to the shrieking upstairs while I ducked into the grass at their passing. I¡¯d had enough of being chased, so I stuck to the lengthening shadows as I exited the gate onto the street.

    I was surprised to find ghouls lying about, uncaring for the ongoing racket near the gatehouse. Their bulging muscles shifted below taught skin, saturated in mana being drawn in quicker than it was being used, enough to build a reserve. I kept a healthy distance from them, uninterested in being the first person to discover what they could do.

    The spires of the city¡¯s castle jutted out over yet another speckled wall. Some had partly crumbled and left jagged columns piercing the sky, but even those almost seemed to glow with the mana they contained.

    Its construction was fit for an entirely different purpose from the palace in Drasda. The outpost on the frontier of the Red Forest was built for safety, but I doubted the spires were meant for anything but to impress. Yet, they did their job well since I found myself staring at the castle as I wove through the city towards it.

    A street partway through the district looked similar to the adjoined buildings I was used to. Shops with long-forgotten window displays stretched out to either side of me. Signage worn down by decades of harsh weather had been stripped of the names and depictions. There wasn¡¯t a single store with intact glass, and it offered a clear view of what was left inside.

    Part of me itched to explore each and every display, specifically those with gemstones.

    That and barely rusted blades with encrusted guards and pommels were what caught my eye. However, the wood and leather of the grip had decayed, making them cumbersome to wield. I ducked into several stores as ghouls prowled past, noticeably alone compared to their fellows on the exterior.

    I gave in to my urge to take something after spotting a pair of leather boots that looked to fit me. As much as I usually hated the things, the poorly sewn slip-on shoes the witches had given me weren¡¯t good for running. I scrunched my nose after trying them on, tipping them upside down and thumping the soles to get the crumbling padding out.

    They were not nearly as comfortable as I¡¯d hoped, but decent enough. I went to tie them, and the laces powdered at my mere touch. Sighing, I moulded a clasp of steel to keep them snug.

    More and more items tugged at my soul, whispering how useful and valuable they were: faded enchantments on items I didn¡¯t recognise. A tea set whose only flaw was the layer of dust settled on its beautiful patterns. Gems set into jewellery I wouldn¡¯t know where to place on my body and blocks of iron big enough to fit me inside were stashed upstairs and underground.

    The only items I found useful enough to take were a leather belt to keep the edges of my robe in place and a small satchel that hung off my shoulder, which I used to store anything shiny.

    I continued looting, hoping my efforts to get the ghouls to move weren¡¯t wasted and the girls had also made it through. I didn¡¯t have the map for the places to investigate, but I could remember enough bits and pieces to get to a few if I went to their gatehouse.

    I quietly settled onto a staircase to wait for another ghoul to pass and pulled my robes down to dig more glass out of my shoulder. While upright, they were tall enough that I couldn¡¯t reach their necks unless I jumped. I¡¯d been getting away with being close enough to attack the ghouls without debilitating injuries, but that would surely end with these.

    Resting my chin on my palm, I scrunched my face at the implications the freakish creatures presented.

    There was no possibility of the witches all making it here and calling this area their new home. I was barely slipping by alone with extra warning of their approach and tricks to hide better. If the girls were smart, they¡¯d hide in the closest building or dash back to the abbey after noticing no decent rooftops to run across. Even the buildings along my street wouldn¡¯t be ideal with the gaps between them from alleyways.

    The witches knew the ghouls got stronger, with more variations appearing further into the city. There was little chance this was their entire plan to escape the encroaching remnants and looters. Also, something about the way these ghouls moved convinced me carvings in crystals wouldn¡¯t affect them very much.

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    Once they got to the next wall, the witches would have to do it again, and soon, there would only be the castle to hide in.

    It did buy them a few decades if the progress toward the second wall was any indication, but nevertheless, this wasn¡¯t the greatest of plans. Spellcasting was only getting more efficient, allowing deeper incursions before mages ran out of mana to hold off the hoards, reducing the time they had left to hide here.

    My heart rate rose and fell with each passing ghoul, and I curled in on myself whenever the stronger variants stormed past, chasing off the weaker. While I was used to them roaming aimlessly in groups, these seemed more territorial and continually on the verge of catching me.

    Many of the inner ghouls must have been at the gatehouse, hopefully fighting each other, but the fewer ghouls around me probably had to do with them killing each other off long before I got here.

    I stood and brushed off the dust I¡¯d sat in once the patrols calmed down. While I was more wary of being found, I didn¡¯t want to hide away the rest of the day. I kept my course towards the castle, marvelling at the homes along the way.

    They grew more grandiose, with statues standing watch in fountains bereft of water and bright flowers that had overgrown their pots. Carvings of scenery had been made directly into the marble walls and pillars that propped up vast balconies extending out from the main complexes.

    Several ghouls occupied each estate and the tall grass surrounding them, but none in the same area. The sounds of a scuffle coming from one suggested why they stayed clear of each other.

    The days were getting shorter, or I was losing track of time as the sun was already reaching the horizon. I usually welcomed the dark, finding it comforting to disappear into. However, being unable to see what was coming worried me more than ever, especially with Alp still lurking around.

    I hadn¡¯t spent an evening out in the city since his first visit, and he hadn¡¯t made an appearance at the abbey. Going back to the girls was always an option, but I didn¡¯t know where they were and suspected they had to have retreated. They had pockets full of some nasty concoctions that could dissolve skin and bone, but that mattered little to the types of creatures lurking about.

    Breathing deeply to regain some confidence in my chosen path, I crossed the last street towards the castle walls. Square turrets with narrow arrow slits loomed over me as I searched for the gatehouse.

    From how far I had to walk around the wall, I assumed only one gatehouse existed. The three dropped portcullises in the narrower gatehouse had been pulled apart and bent outwards, something escaping from within. The wooden doors were already off their hinges and lay in broken sections across the cobblestones.

    I frowned at the display of might¡­ and steeped through the carnage. A thin staircase off to the side led upwards after the last set of torn-apart iron gates. The gate that was supposed to barricade it lay in a crumpled pile on the opposite side of the tunnel.

    The way up was almost too thin for the smallest ghoul, so I felt fairly safe stepping up into the darkness.

    At the start of the trek to the top, I believed it was a flaw in the castle''s security to have stairs so close to the entrance. However, after labouring up the twisting staircases, past arrow slits and holes in the ceiling, I changed my view; A defender would like nothing more than for an attacking force to attempt this.

    Mana hummed in the walls around me, impossible to manipulate without being able to commandeer the entire wall¡¯s supply. I stretched out a hand towards the wall, feeling like a lightning bolt hit me when I tried to absorb some. A flood of numerous distant emotions overtook my worries and left me feeling empty when they faded.

    I kept my hands to my sides after that, uninterested in the sea of mana a mere arm''s length away.

    Finally reaching the top of the battlements, the city spread was less exciting than I¡¯d anticipated. Unlike Drasda, there wasn¡¯t a line of carriages along the street, with people flowing past, each with their own plans for the day. Only lone ghouls sauntered through without a care for potential threats.

    The city was greener than Drasda, nature breaking out of the manicured gardens and flower beds to occupy every crevice. The air was also fresher now that I was above the smell of mildew and rot, barren of the smoke plums that crowded Drasda¡¯s sky.

    My new boots crunched on undisturbed snow as I walked along the wall, looking inwards towards the castle. There was a structure similar to the palace in Drasda, an insignificant addition off to the side of the main castle. The central complex was a sprawling mixture of tall arches and great halls with spires soaring above them.

    I named off the auxiliary buildings like stables, gazebos, and greenhouses. But more often than not, I failed to identify the numerous facilities.

    The hedges, which had once been a maze, were overgrown to the point that no path existed between them. Ponds had overflown their brick outlines, creating a swampy environment, and tree roots broke through the remaining stone paths.

    I leaned against the parapets, never failing to find something new to admire in the fading light.

    ¡­

    I jolted awake, my head snapping to the dark walkway of the battlements. A pair of yellow eyes with slitted pupils gleamed from low to the floor. I shivered, curled up against the parapets for warmth. I hadn¡¯t meant to fall asleep for precisely this reason.

    There was still a good distance between us, but I stayed put as Alp slithered towards me in the form of a snake.

    ¡°I thought it was too dangerous for you here?¡± I asked, my voice shaking from my teeth chattering.

    Alp reared back, the skin around his neck expanding into a hood around his face. ¡°Follow.¡±

    Concentrating on his changing form gave me a headache as he morphed into a storm eagle again. He hopped onto the battlements, stretched out his wings and fell.

    I scrambled to my feet and looked over the edge where Alp was awkwardly gliding to the ground. The landing was rough to watch as he tumbled through the tall grass. He recovered slowly and looked up after returning to a snake, expecting me to follow.

    There wasn¡¯t a moment of hesitation in my mind as I refused to jump and turned on my heels to take the stairs. I was more awake when I reached midway down and considered staying here, where Alp would have to turn into a smaller creature to approach.

    I shook my head, brushing away the fear and let curiosity nudge me forward.

    I waded through the tall grass towards the impatient snake slithering in circles. Without a word, he moved towards the castle. I crouched lower into the grass, unsure if it would even help, as I followed after the slow-moving creature.

    I hung back as he went up a wide staircase that curved around a toppled statue, a crowned head lying in the grass to the side. A ghoul lay beyond the castle entrance, and I wanted to shout at Alp not to go through, but I kept quiet and watched.

    He went through the doorway and turned to where the ghoul was, uncaring. I waited another few moments before warily following, finding the ghoul asleep against the wall. I¡¯d never heard of or seen them sleep before and wanted to kick its leg to check if it was still alive.

    The gouged breastplate of enchanted steel it wore convinced me not to. After all this time, the enchantment was still active, slowly drawing in mana to repair itself and ensure it fit the wearer.

    The foyer was full of cracks and water damage, not having the same enchantments. Alp continued deeper into the palace, sure of where to go. I peered into once ornate halls with rotted floorboards and audience chambers that echoed with my footsteps.

    As we passed through a less embellished hallway, I backtracked, an armoury catching my eye. The enchantment protecting it was still plodding along, but that didn¡¯t hinder me. I reached out and stepped through, but my fingers hit something solid, a sharp pain rushing up my arm.

    I stumbled back, biting my forearm to make sure I didn''t scream. Alp stopped further up the hallway, mocking me with his gaze. I shook out my hand, catching up to him quickly since the pain was similar to the doll''s in that it faded after infliction.

    The enchantment was eating up mana in a way that was only possible with a mana collection method like the capital had. Maybe the designers had more liberties and made it to prevent everything from making it through, not caring to be picky or efficient.

    We turned too many corners to count and down hallways that would have been identical if not for the distinctive damage. We ended up in a bare room with a thicker door reinforced with iron, the enchantment on it damaged and unable to generate its field.

    Suits of empty armour stood guard on either side of the only entrance to the room and the display cases that lined the walls. I wiped away the dirt on a glass display to find a necklace of large purple gemstones sitting on a pillow, untouched by time. I flicked the glass, the dull thud and strengthening enchantment not giving me any confidence in getting through to it.

    Alp continued past without stopping and went through the gap of a portcullis sitting between twin staircases that came down around it. A ghoul slept at the top of the staircases and, like all the others, had some remains of their past armour.

    This one had a gauntlet that came up to their elbow, which was probably why the ghoul survived while the other castle inhabitants were nowhere to be found.

    The portcullis was bent inwards in the centre, and I stepped through, following Alp and a path of destruction down a wide staircase. The enchantment was also visibly broken through the cracked stone around the entrance; the thick gold inlay melted in multiple spots.

    We passed locked doors with their enchantments intact and lanterns that lit up as I approached. Alp was controlling his mana more carefully as we went deeper, and I grew apprehensive with each new staircase, the air growing more stale.

    The ground shook slightly, and Alp paused as a dull thud came from up ahead, the lanterns around the corner already lit.

    ¡°You go now,¡± Alp said, staring ahead. ¡°My headdress is there.¡±

    I frowned but stepped forward, slowly peeking around the few remaining turns before the source of the noise. The ground shook again a second and third time as I got closer, the cause being rhythmic explosions.

    I stepped off one last staircase into a lengthy room with a high arched ceiling. A bright blue carpet lay across the stone floor, with more display cases atop it.

    A thin ghoul with a full head of white hair stood in the middle with a staff raised towards a giant slab of iron at the end of the room. The ghoul was slimmer than those upstairs and, instead of armour, had a crown that hung around its neck, bristling with enchantments.

    Mana tied together at its hand and shot down the staff, hitting multiple rings of full mana crystals before erupting out the end in a blinding white light.

    The projectile hit the iron in a hole that had been dug into the vault door. The ground shook, and the blast rustled the ghoul¡¯s and my hair. The iron inside the deep cavity glowed red hot before cooling as the enchantments tried to repair the damage.

    I was already backing away, more confident in killing Alp than this thing, when the ghoul turned to face me.

 Chapter 70

    The staff held aloft by the crowned ghoul had a bowl-shaped gem at the end, covered in square sections that projected strings of mana into the centre. The strings flared and wrapped around each other in the form of the spell many times over, drawing in more ambient mana to reinforce the unstable spell.

    I fled up the steps two at a time as the attack chased away every shadow ahead of me. The heat on the back of my legs was so severe I couldn¡¯t tell if I was hit or not, but I remained on my feet and ran, putting as many corners between that staff and me as possible.

    I¡¯d entertained the delusion I could help Alp for long enough. There was no chance he expected me to find his headdress, which was undoubtedly behind that vault door. A door that had withstood the attacks of a ghoul with a staff to enhance their spells for who knew how long.

    Alp was back in his eagle form, flaring his wings to block my path. ¡°Silence will get you far. Not stomping like a wild beast.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± I snarled, flinging a handful of blades at him.

    He was shocked enough by the attack that a blade hit his wing before he completed the shift back into a snake, throwing blood and feathers into the air. The injury wasn¡¯t visible across his new set of scales, yet he hissed in pain, darting towards me.

    Alp dodged my next attack and reared back with his fangs on display, testing for ways to close the distance. I was still shaking from almost being roasted alive, and my aim showed that, but there was only so far he could doge in our confined tunnel.

    The portcullis at the entrance groaned in the distance, freezing Alp and me in place. We stared at the furthest-lit lantern that flickered and waivered, letting the darkness encroach on us.

    An appeal for a truce between us died on my tongue as Alp had already shifted into a mongoose and scampered towards the exit. I followed after him at a distance, looking over my shoulder for the crowned ghoul more than the path ahead.

    I turned the last corner as a deep growl echoed through the underground passage. The sleeping ghoul with the gauntlet had awoken and pried apart the iron bars enough to squeeze in but had to duck slightly to fit. Alp crouched before it, dodging fists that slammed into the ground near him.

    The armoured ghoul reached forward too far, the mongoose at the edge of its grasp, and lost its footing. Alp dashed between its legs and up the stairs behind. The ghoul clumsily turned in the cramped corridor with no chance of pursuing the smaller critter already past the portcullis.

    I snuck towards it, hoping to replicate the feat while its back was turned.

    For the second time in mere minutes, a ghoul turned their soulless eyes on me. I stopped in my tracks as it shuffled to face me, unable to turn its neck properly. It wasn¡¯t going to fall for the same escape plan twice, especially on a larger target.

    I tried a blast of air to unbalance it, but it had no effect. It raised the gauntlet as I threw sets of air blades at it, drawing blood and sparking against its armoured forearm. Its growl reverberated through my chest, and I turned to run again, needing more time to think about how to get out of this mess.

    Getting through the walls was not a possibility, and even if I could get into a side room, I¡¯d be more thoroughly trapped. The ghoul proved it wasn¡¯t easy getting in by accidentally hitting an enchantment field over one of the rooms while trying to beat me into the floor. It howled in pain and bashed the offending field, making it flare to the point of visibility as it repelled the punch.

    I went to pass while it was distracted, but it quickly turned back towards me after a single step. ¡°Can¡¯t you let me pass?¡±

    I braced for the mental backlash talking to the individual trapped inside the ghouls always hurled at me. I hadn¡¯t tried to speak to any at the edge of the wall or inner district and had no doubt the mental anguish would be much worse.

    ¡°Only one-way intruders leave the castle,¡± it rumbled.

    Besides its spoken word, there was silence in the passageway and mana around us. I wasn¡¯t bothering to comprehend what had been said, just that it spoke. As far as my senses were concerned, this was simply a giant of a person who didn¡¯t like to talk much.

    ¡°I¡¯m a guest,¡± I tried.

    ¡°Witches,¡± it wheezed. ¡°Make bad guests.¡±

    I¡¯d seen a glimmer of hope, or maybe it was hubris, thinking I could trick the creature that talked like a child. The ghoul swung at me, and I stumbled back, turning to run down the few remaining hallways again. It lumbered behind me, finding the turns and stairs difficult to sprint through.

    ¡°Oi,¡± I called out to the crowned ghoul a turn away, uncertain if it was a bright idea. I was sure they¡¯d noticed our noisy approach, and I slowed to let the one behind me catch up slightly. ¡°Someone¡¯s trying to raid your vault.¡±

    I felt a spell tie together before I took the last steps down onto the carpet of the vault room. I¡¯d hoped for an indignant speech on how everything behind those doors belonged to them. Instead, I dove out of the way of a spell that leaked icy air as it flew past and into the entryway.

    I hadn¡¯t timed my entrance the best, so the ghoul¡¯s legs were barely visible as the spell hit. The spell structure shattered steps down from the ghoul, and its mana spilt over the ground.

    Panicking, I scrambled onto my hands and knees as the spell¡¯s mana flooded out of the entryway as a smokey layer across the floor. The spell wasn¡¯t finished, and a second phase activated, turning the gas to ice. My hurried breaths came out frosty as the armoured ghoul howled in pain amongst the sound of cracking ice.

    My robes dangling on the ground froze solid and stuck to the carpet. My hands lost all feeling, and my boots were lodged between the ends of large ice crystals shooting out from the impact point.

    The claws saved my hands from direct contact with the frozen carpet but still shook alongside my clattering teeth. I bucked my legs to get them out of the ice but only managed to dislodge my feet from my boots. The frozen pieces of my robe broke off, and I crawled away from the chill.

    The armoured ghouls had a different approach and broke through the tall ice shards blocking its path. The crowned ghoul still pointed its staff towards us yet looked longingly towards the vault. The continued smashing recaptured his attention, and another spell was initiated.

    I threw my arm out, putting everything I could into a set of blades. They at least caught its attention, and the spellcasting paused. But they didn''t hit. The fallen crown around its neck glowed with runes and projected a shield of mana to catch the blades. It wasn¡¯t the usual hazy fog but a solid transparent sheet.

    The entrance was blocked, and the only cover in the area was a display case that wasn¡¯t wide enough to hide all of me. The wooden ring resting on a velvet pillow was an enticing but unobtainable prospect hiding beneath thick glass.

    The armoured ghoul broke through the last of the icicles and stumbled into the hallway, scattering ice fragments across the frozen carpet. A long, pointed crystal was still within its grip, and they launched it at an unflinching crowned ghoul whose shield was fading.

    The ice struck the translucent barrier and evaporated into steam along its length without leaving behind a trace. I crept towards the doorway, hoping to get behind the armoured ghoul and escape while they fought each other. But both ghouls seemed to remember my existence and turned towards me.

    The staff shone with another spell while the armoured ghoul hesitated about its next action. While I was the intruder, the crowned ghoul was the deadliest threat. I¡¯d suspected the ghouls in the inner regions, especially the castle, were territorial towards their kind. However, I¡¯d been worried about what they¡¯d do when faced with a common enemy.

    I was still worried as the staff swung to point at me instead of the lumbering beast ahead of me. The armoured ghoul was so brawny its neck was a solid block of muscle, barring it from turning its head fully. It shifted between watching the two of us, unsure who to focus on, as I circled further behind it with each shift.

    The spell held mid-formation, keeping its effects hidden.

    My heart thumped in my ears as I closed in on the doorway, the thin surface of ice sticking to my skin with each step until it melted. ¡°I don¡¯t care for your vault. I just want to leave.¡±

    ¡°Falsehoods.¡± ¡°Witch talk matters little.¡±

    The voice of the crowned ghoul was clear enough to be mistaken for a person, yet they kept their sentences clipped. ¡°A witch? Do you recognise the work of your kind?¡±

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    They gestured to the vault, and I found faded runes glowing near the deep cavity and around the dark edges of the hall¡¯s arched ceiling. I had my back against the far wall, steps away from the exit, leaning around the armoured ghoul to see them.

    The words felt too familiar and brought back painful memories. Usually, it was an obvious answer, though I wasn¡¯t confident about it now. ¡°No. I¡¯m not a witch.¡±

    The ghoul signed despite not breathing the entire time. ¡°A pity.¡±

    The spell coalesced, and a white bolt flew towards us. It hit the armoured ghoul in the chest despite it putting up the gauntlet to block the attack. The bolt pierced its body and singed my hair as I leant out of the way of the weakened beam.

    I patted my body and limbs to make sure they were all there and glanced back at the melted stone stairs.

    I expected the creature that now had a gaping hole in its chest to fall flat, but it only staggered back. My greedy gaze found the pedestals with esoteric treasures sitting atop them and even the crown around the ghoul''s neck.

    The staff was also appealing, yet it probably wouldn¡¯t work for me.

    I wanted something out of this mess, something to make all the danger worth it. Instead, I turned to run past the cooling puddle of molten stone. I¡¯d drag Yis here to fight this thing for me¡­ as long as he brought the entire knighthood along with him. It would mean less for me, but there was enough to go around¡ªa sentiment a voice in the back of my mind argued against.

    The armoured ghoul turned to stumble after me as another spell was primed.

    Its steps were wobbly and unsure, especially on the slippery surface and half-melted stairs. The crowned ghoul didn¡¯t pursue but let out a pulse of mana that rushed past us and down the passage without effect.

    I walked backwards down the hallway to batter the ghoul, who was slower to react to the blades of air, barely lifting the gauntlet to shield its face. Turning the corner of a long passageway, I ducked beside the wall, listening to the lumbering steps gradually catching up. It was likely that another armoured ghoul had heard all the commotion or felt the pulse of mana, and I didn''t want to get squashed between two forces again.

    The ghoul ran into the wall, pushing off it to make the corner more quickly. I lashed out at its heel, severing the tendon and spraying black blood across the wall. The leg buckled, and the ghoul fell to one knee, reaching out to the wall to avoid falling. I clawed the back of its knee as it flung its steel-covered arm to bat me away.

    The spiked fingers of the gauntlet caught the side of my face and sent me careening into a wall. I tripped over my legs to stop myself from hitting the enchantment field of a side room and landed hard on the ground.

    The ghoul couldn''t follow up with its lame leg and floundered across the floor, crawling the last stretch between us. I closed one eye, blood dripping into it. I kicked away its outstretched hands and hit the ghoul with wind blades that didn¡¯t travel more than an arm''s breath before drawing four lines of blood across its face.

    It was entirely blind from the attack and grew more frantic as it lashed out. I crawled backwards, unsure of how to take down a creature that already had a hole in its chest. It blocked the way out, throwing its remaining useful limbs to block my passage.

    The peluda venom would be great if I could find a way to deliver it because I wouldn¡¯t be biting into a ghoul again. Luckily for my taste buds, its struggle grew weaker during my indecision, and I stood to wait out the last minutes of its life.

    I still thought I was doing the right thing despite this ghoul not having an inner voice like the others. Maybe they weren¡¯t trapped, but their mind was so thoroughly warped that it was merely a mimicry of the person they once were. I didn¡¯t know for certain.

    I kept an ear out for any motion ahead. The ghoul behind us was likely the king going by the crown, and from what little I knew about The Fall, there were two dukes in the city at the time. The mana pulse may have gone out to them or more armoured ghouls, but I hoped the iron portcullis stopped the pulse before that could happen.

    The ghoul stilled, but I waited longer to make sure before approaching, kicking its arm for added certainty. I meant to step over it and escape but leant down to examine the gauntlet.

    The steel the knights used now was superior, and their design was sleeker, but extra attention was paid to the aesthetics of this.

    This gauntlet was bulky and covered with enchantments that would suck the mana from a mage in a matter of minutes outside the capital. The overlapping plates of steel were riddled with old scares that hadn¡¯t entirely filled in, lacking the steel to do so. I grabbed two fingers and pulled, rocking back and forth to tug it off.

    I stumbled back after it gave way and looked it over. After long years of no maintenance, it was naturally filthy. I pushed water through it until the wastewater turned clear. The gauntlet was far too big for me and would engulf my entire arm, but that wouldn''t be an issue from what I could glean from the fading enchantments.

    I removed the claws on my right hand and hesitantly stuck it inside. The first contact I made with the inner lining of silver tried to pull mana from me, starving after not receiving any since its last owner died just minutes prior. I slowly let it take some, fearful I could pass out from how much it wanted.

    The gauntlet shifted like when Annalise shrunk her steel armour. My eyes widened in fear as I imagined it crushing my arm to a pulp. I was ready to yank it out as the gauntlet settled into a snug fit around my hand and forearm, using the excess steel to repair the scratches and cover up to my elbow.

    I let it take all the mana it wanted from the length of my arm, and the passageway turned murky momentarily from the resulting headache. When it stopped shifting, the mana equalised across my skin and the silver and steel, feeling almost like an extension of my body. I flexed my fingers and watched the steel plates smoothly slide over one another without catching.

    The gauntlet wasn¡¯t dexterous enough to write a formal letter, but I could do almost everything else. The enchantments resisted my nudge to sharpen the elongated ends at my fingertips into claws. When I tried to force the issue with more mana, a section above my palm opened for spellcasting, which was not helpful, so I let it close.

    It was clear why this type of armour wasn¡¯t made anymore, without the concentration of mana inside the capital to empower it. However, I was hopeful I could bridge the gap. The problem was walking about with it without being hounded for details.

    I took the gauntlet off and tried to shrink it further, but unlike Annalise¡¯s spell, the enchantment was for resizing, not shrinking. The steel and silver had to go somewhere while keeping its original shape, and my hands were already near the limit it could go to.

    I put it back on, pushing the issue into the future and stepped over the ghoul.

    When I walked through the bent and broken portcullis, I paused. It took me far too long to understand why the room looked off. The suits of unenchanted armour standing guard beside the entrance were missing.

    Click.

    I flinched at the faint sound from the landing above. One of the suits of armour held a loaded crossbow; a bolt pointed between my eyes.

    Click.

    The bowstring of the weapon had long since rotted to nothing, and the bolt stayed where it was.

    Click.

    The suit repeatedly pulled the trigger of the mechanism and tried to fit another bolt onto the already loaded crossbow. I danced out of the way of the extra bolts that fell around me.

    I searched the room for the second suit of armour while the first continued to drop a bolt, aim the crossbow and repeat.

    There was a howl of pain through the open double doors at the top of the twin staircase behind the suit. Seconds later, an empty steel helmet with a dent in it flew out and struck the far wall, clattering to the ground.

    A ghoul with both gauntlets stumbled out of the room with a spear lodged in its leg. The suit with the crossbow turned in time to see the punch that sent it flying over the railing to land before me.

    I was already racing for the door since I didn''t have a staff capable of piercing the creature, and wanting another pair of gauntlets was just plain greedy. Throughout my trek outside, armoured suits patrolled the halls or lay in pieces near empty spots where ghouls had once slept.

    It was easier to sneak past unthinking metal and distracted ghouls, so I made it to the gate without fighting. I checked that I still had my satchel of jewels with me and guessed the direction I needed to go to find the original gatehouse the girls should have used.

    Only a short distance from the castle, the ghouls were no longer sleeping but rather lying about with their glowing eyes open. The gauntlet wasn¡¯t as porous as I was with my mana and was more akin to Alp, an equalised concentration of mana that didn¡¯t flow properly. It was still enough not to gain the attention of the mana-sensitive creatures.

    Alp was also nowhere to be seen, and I hoped he gave up on me getting his headdress for him. I didn¡¯t know the lifespan of a creature like him, but I was sure he could wait a couple more years till the king broke through the vault door. As much as I was curious about what was inside the vault, I wasn¡¯t coming back anytime soon.

    Inside the first estate next to the girls'' gatehouse, I found three sets of manaless spaces. They hadn¡¯t retreated as I¡¯d hoped, but hiding out was the next best option. I kept my distance from several ghouls lying in the street with their skin melted off, emitting a putrid stench.

    I waded through the tall grass and stepped into the building that didn¡¯t have a door to lock. Whispers between Andria and Maisie started as I went up the creaky stairs. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Patela?¡± Andria asked.

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    Hurried footsteps approached, and she appeared at the top of the stairs, motioning for me to follow. ¡°Was there any outside? What happened to your face?¡±

    ¡°Ghouls? Only the dead ones.¡±

    Andria sighed in relief. ¡°We were worried the smell would bring more.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you moved then? Or go back to the outer district?¡±

    We entered one of the bedrooms, and I saw the reason why. Darine lay on a pile of old blankets, the robes below her waist torn to shreds. Bloody cloth lay beside her, and a healing rune was atop her chest. That and the empty vials to the side were why her legs weren¡¯t in a similar state to her robes.

    The deep gouges in her legs had scabbed over, but the missing muscle was still evident. Her thigh on her left side was the worst, with a handful of claw marks raked across it. Her ankles were covered in scratches, and some showed fresh skin. I doubted she could walk but couldn¡¯t ask since she was asleep.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Maisie looked in no shape to talk, holding her legs while sitting next to the injured girl.

    ¡°We got through after they all ran off to whatever you did,¡± Andria said, sitting down. ¡°The ones left were on us as soon as we walked through the gate. Darine killed those outside while we got onto the roof here, but one grabbed onto her legs as she was climbing up and almost dragged her down. There was so much blood, and we needed a better place to stop the bleeding¡­¡±

 Chapter 71

    Maisie and Andria¡¯s lack of questions about my whereabouts and new treasures was a relief, but the reason left me feeling guilty. They were too occupied with Darine''s care to worry about an old gauntlet or hefty satchel. Nonetheless, they did find time to point out my lack of shoes and rough appearance.

    We had made the quick and easy decision to leave for the abbey once Darine woke up. The problem was that she¡¯d been given a slumber potion that would have her mistaken for the dead till at least the morning.

    That left an inordinate length of time for me to sit quietly in the corner and watch Andria pace back and forth, chewing on her thumb. Maisie was less active, lying on the floor while turned away from us. She was supposedly sleeping, but her breathing was too uneven.

    I was stuck between wanting to comfort them, asking insensitive questions, or being silent. This was our first incident since Darine had almost fallen off the rooftop, and there hadn¡¯t been a severe injury to contend with there. We knew every journey outside the safety of the wards came with danger and close calls, but we recounted those with sly smiles and indifference at dinner.

    This was also the first time something horrible had happened since I¡¯d arrived, and I was baffled by my response. I sat huddled in the corner, my head tilting from side to side, following the path of Andria¡¯s pacing, staring at the damage to Darine¡¯s leg.

    I felt guilty for what had transpired. If I¡¯d been there, I could have helped stop the ghouls before it came to this. It would have taken exposing my magic, but that felt worth it.

    I wasn¡¯t used to being the person with the ability to change the happenings around me, and I already didn¡¯t like the added burden. Usually, I would shift wherever the prominent personalities pushed me, content with their decisions. I occasionally pushed back, but that wasn¡¯t out of any firm convictions.

    The guilt that ate at me wasn¡¯t that I could have stopped the injury. It was about whether I would choose to. It scared me that I wasn¡¯t sure about the answer. To save someone who had done no wrong to me from unimaginable pain or keep my secret safe for some vague future plan I didn¡¯t fully agree with.

    The constant lessons revolving around the evil societies that existed outside their abbey had perhaps poisoned my mind about the original plan. I hadn¡¯t been counting the days, but I was sure I¡¯d stayed with the witches longer than the duke. My loyalties hadn¡¯t changed during that time, nor had they stayed the same.

    I¡¯d been too quick to call the castle home and go along with everything and anything in order to keep it that way. It wasn¡¯t that I regretted any of the actions I took to get here, but there were plenty of choices I should have thought more about at the time. The entire mess with the gambling house and animals was a good example, one that I¡¯d left in a bigger mess than I¡¯d found.

    All the time I spent thinking in circles wasn¡¯t good for my fraying sanity, and it didn¡¯t provide any new answers to all the times I remembered making hasty decisions.

    ¡°Should we leave as soon as she wakes or wait till the evening?¡± Andria asked without looking at me, chewing on her other thumb. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll send Ulia to come find us?¡±

    I took the opportunity to do some poisoning of my own. ¡°Do you think they care to send someone after us, or are the wards their only concern?¡±

    That grabbed Andria¡¯s attention enough to stop her pacing. ¡°What?¡±

    She startled herself with how loud she was and settled on whispering. ¡°What?¡±

    Maisie had given up on pretending to sleep and rolled over to look at me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how we were supposed to get through this unscathed,¡± I said. ¡°With the gate, the number of ghouls, and how they look like they can throw us about with a hand behind their back.¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have known how dangerous it was,¡± Andria countered. ¡°We didn¡¯t think it would be this bad.¡±

    ¡°Darine tried to bring up the possibility of something going wrong, and the elders didn¡¯t let her speak,¡± I said. ¡°Now look where she is.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you were here to help,¡± Maisie snarked. ¡°This was your plan. We could have just as easily waited for nightfall. Don¡¯t talk about matters you¡¯ve only recently stumbled into. We¡¯re the ones who¡¯ve lived here.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Getting into the safe right next to the gate was my idea now?¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± Andria hissed. ¡°It¡¯s no one''s fault. We should have been more careful and brought more potions than usual. We¡¯ll know better for next time.¡±

    ¡°Can you really see us coming back out here again?¡± I asked. ¡°Leading everyone else here safely without the ghouls being at a different gate?¡±

    Andria shook her head but didn¡¯t respond and went back to pacing, slower this time. Maisie rolled back over, curling in on herself for warmth. My stomach twisted and turned at making them upset with me, yet it needed to be done for their sake. Because we wouldn¡¯t survive being out here again, and I wanted them to come with me or at least help them escape this desolate city when I left.

    Leaving wasn¡¯t a matter of possibility for us, but willingness.  If we press ahead into the interior, we could easily exit through the outer districts. I didn¡¯t have a plan for getting past the remnants camped outside, but there was a city I could head to after¡ªif I learnt which direction Drasda was in.

    These girls weren¡¯t as isolated as I¡¯d been, still having the settlements to visit occasionally, but there was still a cage around them. Perhaps I was making the same mistake with them as I had with the animals, worrying about how to free them and take care of them afterwards.

    I brought my legs up to my chest and let my head fall against my knees. I enjoyed being away from Mother, but it felt wrong to impose that sentiment on them. Maybe they didn¡¯t care for what I considered freedom.

    ¡­

    Andria uncorked a vial of potent herbs capable of scarring someone¡¯s sense of smell for hours. She held it far from Darine¡¯s face and wafted the stench towards her. When Darine didn¡¯t wake, she held it increasingly closer until the girl bolted upright, face twisted in disgust and pain.

    Andria recorked the vial and pushed Darine back to lie down. The muscles in her legs couldn¡¯t behave properly with all that was missing, causing them to move sporadically.

    ¡°Are we back?¡± she whined.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re in the same building,¡± Andria said.

    Darine stilled at those words and stopped moving about as much, but her gaze went to every window and stuck to the entrance. ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m surprised you stayed¡­not that I¡¯m ungrateful, but you should have left while it was night.¡±

    ¡°The plan¡¯s still to leave,¡± I said, keeping track of the more active ghouls creeping around the building. The morning had seen more of them return from the other gate, so they surrounded our manor in greater numbers. The three of us had decided it was better to wake Darine up and move before the rest had a chance to return or one stumbled upon us.

    Darine tried to stand, waving away our help. She propped herself up against a mouldy couch and looked like a newborn dear, trying to control their limbs for the first time. Andria and Maisie were concerned about the display for an entirely different reason than I was.

    I was worried about getting back to the abbey with her injuries slowing us down. The other two were worried about her ever walking again. I hadn¡¯t wanted to ask and sound insensitive, but my assumption was a healer could fix that quite easily. I¡¯d watched a group of them try to attach a head back onto a body, so a little muscle must be a quick fix.

    However, there were no mages in the city, and I wasn¡¯t at all knowledgeable about who could heal her in the settlements outside. But I couldn¡¯t see that being a big enough ravine to stop us from healing her legs indefinitely.

    Darine finally held out an arm for help after being unable to wobble away from the couch. Andria ducked under it to give her someone to lean on and we all eyed the door, anxious to leave.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I hurried to open the door and go first, more confident in my ability to lead us around any obstacles. If any ghouls were unavoidable, I would still have my gauntlet to use before relying on magic.

    I skipped down the steps, sure there was nothing nearby to hear me and poked my head out the nearest exit. The girls came down gradually, getting used to Darine between them with her arms around each of their shoulders. I pressed on into the overgrown garden, already making a detour to avoid the ghoul waiting near a dense hedge.

    We stayed in the tall grass for as long as possible, avoiding the wide-open streets and weaving around stragglers. It wasn¡¯t going well from my standpoint. There were too many ghouls to stay on the edge of their senses, especially when I didn¡¯t know where that ended besides a vague understanding.

    Some were already noticing the humans making a void in the mana and converging on us.

    I weakened the base of a slender tree we walked past, attracting more attention with the overly ambitious use of mana. The ghouls weren¡¯t in a frenzy yet, but their interest had been piqued. I manipulated the trunk for as far as I could, only a dozen steps, before letting go of the mana.

    I stepped back to replace a fatigued Maisie to drag Darine away, pulling Andria along. We double the distance between us and the now creaking tree trunk. It splintered under the weight bearing down on it, the length of the tree slowly bending to the side. I grit my teeth, worried it would make too much noise and that my hasty decision would do more harm than good.

    Maisie had taken the lead and flinched as it crashed to the ground, confident it was a ghoul that caused it. She hurried through the tall grass towards a back entrance, stumbling over hidden obstacles we tried to avoid.

    The back gate was small, with a cracked pathway leading up towards the estate. A wooden frame built as a covered archway for the path barely peeked out from beneath layers of vines twisting through the structure.

    Maisie stepped through an opening in the side of the natural awning, clasped a hand over her mouth, and stepped back. I unwrapped Darine¡¯s arm off my shoulder and let Maisie take over.

    I peeked inside and looked up and down the shaded pathway and found the ambling ghoul that had scared her.

    It was at the end near the estate, looking towards the fallen tree. It must not have realised how flimsy old wooden posts and vines would be if it decided to bash through. The ghoul paced within the tunnel of vines, unsure how to get out. I waved the others through, urging them to move towards the back gate while I kept an eye on the ghoul.

    I was beyond tired of how perceptive these creatures had been today but kept myself from sighing as its head snapped towards us. I retreated, keeping it in my sight as the girls hobbled towards the exit through the cramped footpath. The ghoul shifted into a sprint, and I glanced behind me before coaxing a vine to untangle from the frame.

    I stretched the vine across the passage, untangling it more when the end didn¡¯t reach. It was around the height of the ghoul¡¯s neck, elevated enough for me to run underneath without issue. I wrapped it around the wooden posts and between vines before grabbing the end to keep it tightly in place.

    If the ghoul was confused or cared why I wasn¡¯t running, it didn¡¯t show. The creature rushed into the vine that caught under its chin. The impact almost broke the plant in half, yanking me into the frame instead. The ghoul spun around the vine, almost flipping over to land on its back beyond where I stood. I detached more vines to tangle its limbs and neck as it struggled, unwilling to use the mana to kill it.

    I stepped onto the arm that reached up for me and ran after the girls waiting at the entrance. The ghoul¡¯s strangled cries died down as a vine wrapped around their mouth while the others tightened before I lost control.

    We crossed the single street between us and the gatehouse, whose portcullis had been pushed aside the day before. My gaze swept across the dark corners of the tunnel through the gatehouse, making sure all the iron wasn¡¯t messing with my senses.

    After a moment of blindness, as my eyes adjusted to the light again, we skidded to a halt. Darine grunted in pain as she almost fell from our grip. The wards on either side of the street had done what they were supposed to: keep ghouls from crossing them.

    That left a swarm of them loitering within the street, unable to escape to the sides or push into the area with their stronger brethren.

    We had just enough room to duck into the nearest building, the same one in which we¡¯d started this whole mess. The marginally less observant ghouls turned in our direction but quickly lost interest as we entered the coverage of the wards. Darine pulled herself from our grip and slumped against the desk in the lobby as soon as the door closed behind us.

    ¡°You almost ripped my arms off,¡± she complained.

    ¡°Better than the alternative,¡± Andria said, catching her breath. Maisie was craning her neck to see if anything followed us through a grubby window while I surveyed above for any stray ghouls that may have strayed inside.

    ¡°Haven''t we made the supposedly safe passage more dangerous than ever?¡± Darine asked after a long stretch of silence.

    ¡°I think that was more our doing than a problem with the plan,¡± Andria said, but she didn¡¯t sound so sure of herself.

    ¡°Or?¡± I asked, trying to provoke them like the night before. I wasn¡¯t confident whether using the warding to find a new place to live was terrible planning and naivety or a complete hoax. Yet, I was sure it wouldn¡¯t work. The wards wouldn¡¯t help everyone get through unscathed, and being in the same area as the ghouls in the castle was a disaster waiting to happen.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do that to us,¡± Andria said. ¡°We can send Ulia over with a strong enough attraction ward to get them out, and everything will be fine.¡±

    Darine looked between us with raised eyebrows but didn¡¯t bother asking what we were talking about. She was too busy massaging her legs, attempting to get the remaining muscle to stop convulsing and behave as she wanted.

    ¡°Did we ever check the safe?¡± I asked, eager to get Andria¡¯s glare off me.

    Maisie bolted for the staircase while we helped Darine up the multiple flights of stairs. The headstart didn¡¯t help, as Maisie was still attempting to leverage the handleless, scorched iron door open without much luck.

    Andria shooed the smaller girl out of the way and stuck a metal bar into the damage made by the dragon¡¯s breath. The mechanism inside groaned at the meddling before giving way, spilling broken gears and iron fragments blown apart by the multiple explosions.

    The safe, taller than I and double my breadth, was occupied by a disappointing amount of mouldy paperwork. It lay in congealed piles along the shelves to the point where I could only separate chunks of it rather than pages. The partly charred piles of bronze, silver and electrum coins that had sat in the way of the blast were enough to elicit murmured excitement.

    But the real prize was the glistening gold bars neatly stacked on the highest shelf.

    Andria reached up for one to heft between her hands, marvelling at its weight. ¡°Enough to make up for being out late. And maybe to bribe a decent healer outside the walls.¡±

    Darine nodded absently at that. ¡°Just need to figure out a way to carry it.¡±

    ¡­

    We had to prioritise moving Darine over the shiny blocks of metal, which I found insane that we had that conversation to begin with. All the books I¡¯d read, my mother¡¯s comments and my time in Drasda had all beaten the importance of roe into my skull. However, the worst scenario I could think of if I had no gold was living alone in the woods, surrounded by trees and creatures.

    I could understand that the outcome wasn¡¯t favourable or even a possibility to others, but the obsession surrounding the lumps of metal still eluded me.

    We¡¯d retrieved the knapsacks the girls had left on the rooftops to haul our find across the city. Mine was still in the interior, shredded to pieces, which meant one less bag for the gold bars to almost rip through with their weight.

    Andria and I helped Darine walk a few rows of buildings at a time before she needed a break from rushing between groups of ghouls. In a similar state, Maisie also needed the respite from being forced to take the bulk of the gold we carried.

    She dumped her bag on the ground, the heavy clink distracting all the witches crowded around us at the entrance to the abbey.

    Pitying looks were cast towards Darine¡¯s legs, but none contained any more emotion than that.

    My gauntlet was back to its regular size inside Darine¡¯s knapsack, which I now wore, along with the jewellery I¡¯d taken. I didn¡¯t have a chance to dump it beside Maisie¡¯s as something brushed against my senses. My chest tightened as the crowd around us slowly dispersed, uninterested beyond learning our outing had been successful.

    A mana signature strolled along near the head building of the abbey, side by side with a lady I couldn¡¯t guess the age of like most of the elders. A few people remained to pat Darine on the shoulder and assure her the Ambuya would take care of her legs.

    That gave me my first guess of who the straight-backed woman walking side by side with the mage was. The Ambuya¡¯s eyes were sunken, but her face was youthful, with rosy cheeks from the winter air. Her clothing was akin to something Janette would wear in the palace, a flowing deep green dress that barely scraped the ground.

    I made sure not to look at the mage she talked to for too long, but I recognised Zara regardless. The tall walls of the old barracks felt like they were bearing down on me, that at any moment, he¡¯d notice me and the lack of void in the mana.

    I couldn¡¯t decide if being outed as a mage amongst so many witches was worse than him suspecting me of infiltrating his tower. The fragment of a mana crystal still sat empty in the rushed patch of cloth near my chest, but imbuing it would make me stand out, not blend in like intended.

    ¡°Are you that tired?¡± Maisie asked, noticing my hurried breaths. ¡°Darine isn¡¯t nearly as heavy as all this.¡±

    ¡°No¡­do you think we could take Darine outside the city for healing?¡± I asked, keeping Zara in the corner of my eye. Some of the people consoling her had mentioned such, and I now wanted to jump on that idea for more than simply healing a friend.

    The duo turned a corner, and I let myself relax to listen to Maisie¡¯s rambling non-explanation.

    ¡°We¡¯d need permission¡­and then find the right clothes; they¡¯re always different. The gold isn¡¯t really ours anymore, and the last time my grandmother needed help from one of those freaks outside, they made her pay triple for being new to town.¡±

    The heartbeat thumping in my ears drowned her out as I worked out my own way to get out of the abbey before Zara laid eyes on me.

 Chapter 72

    I¡¯d volunteered to help Darine to the dormitory, eager to put as many walls between myself and the two leaders as possible. It was self-absorbed to think they¡¯d care about finding me for no reason, but I felt my paranoia was warranted. My patient insisted she was fine and wanted to be left alone after I laid her down, so I took my leave without argument.

    The girls had stayed outside to tell the whole story, and Ulia was nowhere to be found, so I lay in my bunk, gazing at the patterns on the ceiling. Ulia was possibly across the hall stuffing her face in the kitchen or off in the city, fixing our mess with the warded corridor. Either way, I wouldn¡¯t be disturbed for a long while.

    Everything I cared for was packed inside a knapsack at the foot of our bunk, plus a good chunk of the jewellery I¡¯d scavenged. The gauntlet was too big for the bag and bulged out through the top flap, almost chewing through the surrounding mana faster than replenishing it. The upkeep of the armour while wearing it had gotten more difficult to sustain as we exited the inner district, but it wasn¡¯t strenuous yet.

    A knock at the door made my heart skip a beat, but I took a deep breath, convinced I was worried for nothing since the person outside wasn¡¯t a mage.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, confident it was Andria or Maisie, knocking to make sure I wasn¡¯t changing since Ulia wouldn¡¯t care for that sort of courtesy. The doorknob turned, and the frilled sleeve of a deep green dress was the first clue that this wasn¡¯t any of the girls. I sat up and swung my legs over the edge, readying to flee.

    The Ambuya¡¯s piercing green eyes froze me in place, and my lips twitched as I put on a calm smile to match her own. A shiver went down my spine at how the mana in the room sang for her, eager to shift at her whim. It pushed away my dread, telling myself it was all in my head because no witch should have that close of a relationship with mana.

    The older woman strolled into the centre of the room and tilted her head, not having to look far up to scrutinise me. Her gaze slowly trailed down my body to land on the knapsack below my dangling legs. ¡°Preparing to move already?¡±

    The mana that infused her voice barely held back from forming the basis of a curse, giving her lighthearted question a frosty undertone.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t unpacked yet¡­ from the trip with Darine.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s unfortunate what happens to our most promising when we¡¯re forced to live like this. A label I would extend to you since you¡¯ve helped us immensely for someone joining so recently,¡± she said, picking out the gauntlet to examine. ¡°They tell me you prefer the Werl dialect over ours despite the lessons.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I replied in their language, not finding the headspace to care about finding the proper translations.

    ¡°No need to fret,¡± she said, shaking her head, flicking short locks of blonde hair about her face. ¡°The simple act of learning Tehban is resistance enough. They once sought to squash our ancestors who saw the coming reality and destroy our way of passing down knowledge protected from their thievery.¡±

    ¡°How do you all speak it then?¡± I asked, comforted by the familiar ramblings the other elders usually gave at length.

    ¡°Hidden books and the brave few who passed it down through the generations. Long enough that we argue over our different pronunciations, mind you.¡±

    The conversation faded into silence, and I searched for a topic to move her away from any awkward questions. None came to mind beyond the most pressing: Why was she here?

    ¡°Eudralia tells me you¡¯re from the north, apprentice to an executed witch she didn¡¯t recognise. Not many of our kin chose to stay near the border with Oclar; I think there was simply too much animosity from the near war. Perhaps you know others who live there? One perhaps a decade younger than me with my eyes and a lighter hair shade?¡±

    The blood in my veins turned to ice, and my grip on the bunk frame tightened. It felt like a mana shield went down around me, cutting off the room''s sounds, smells and sights.

    ¡°Ah,¡± I hummed, worried about how pale I¡¯d turned. ¡°Not sure. We, ah, kept to ourselves mostly. Would she have been well known?¡±

    The Ambuya put down the gauntlet and sat at Ulia¡¯s desk, crossing her legs under the long skirt. She took an annoying length of time smoothing it out and picking off a stray leaf from the ruffles at the bottom. ¡°To me¡­ in a way. But to us, she was irreplaceable, an unparalleled researcher who resurfaced to say she was working on something important. I do not know what role she took in whatever region she settled in.¡±

    My skin was sticky, and the extra layers I wore under my robe were stifling. ¡°What was she working on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite adorable how your voice shakes at the most basic questions,¡± she said with a sickly sweet smile, daring me to look her in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s almost nostalgic¡­ from a time when we actively brought in outsiders. In front of the coven, you will remain courteous, but alone, you can call me Deirdre.¡±

    I nodded and forced the corners of my lips to curve more, having no interest in being alone with her ever again.

    ¡°My sister, Keeva, was never fond of our extreme answer for the capital¡¯s corruption. She never saw the necessity of it¡ªthe inevitability of the final form of the mage¡¯s supremacist philosophies. Regardless of that naivety, she was still a witch, and we are not one to waste a resource. She wrote to us several years back, from somewhere we know not, that she was on the verge of discovering a way to handle the ghouls running amok.¡±

    ¡°Did she say how?¡±

    Deirdre shook her head slowly. ¡°Only that there had been setbacks in the creation, and she would find us to present it. We¡¯re struggling to replicate her work without at least a starting point and do not know if she is still alive. You understand more than most why we cannot go around asking for the whereabouts of witches.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven''t heard that name before,¡± I said, my racing heart mollified by the unknown name.

    ¡°It¡¯s bastardised in common and written the way it sounds, but in old scrawl, it would be C-a-o-i-m-h-e. Perhaps you saw some correspondence? Your teacher may have traded with her?¡±

    I licked my lips and turned to the ceiling in mock thought, my mouth dry. Deirdre clasped her hands over her knees and nodded expectantly when I finally shook my head. ¡°The north was too cold for her liking anyway. Too far from the comforts she grew up in. Do you have anyone else to ask for information?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, not caring to elaborate on any of the questions. In the ensuing silence, I was nervous I¡¯d been too blunt. ¡°It was only us.¡±

    She stood and rearranged her dress, which already looked pristine. ¡°I truly did want to get acquainted with a promising young witch, so I hope you do not see this as me barging in here solely for personal questions.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said, happy to watch her leave. She had the door open and one foot out in the hallway when my mouth decided to betray me. ¡°Could we take Darine to the settlements outside to heal her legs?¡±

    Deirdre turned on her heeled shoes in a single motion. ¡°You think their magics are superior to our methods?¡±

    ¡°No¡­I, ah, heard from the other girls that it wasn¡¯t possible. I wouldn¡¯t have suggested otherwise.¡±

    She grinned mockingly. ¡°I only jest. I will think about it. You would be a good pick to go with her. New to the area, but your time in the cities will be helpful. Many of these girls don¡¯t spend too much time with the other folk, and the elders are seen as suspicious at first sight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Deirdre left and closed the door behind her. I held my breath until her footsteps disappeared down the hall and the outer door closed.

    I groaned quietly, falling back into the mattress. Deirdre, my supposed aunt¡ªI breathed deeply and swallowed, trying not to retch.

    She¡¯d opened up a vault¡¯s worth of turmoil to plague my mind. The most prominent feeling cutting through all the disgust and confusion was that Mother hadn¡¯t supported The Fall. And while that wasn¡¯t something to be proud of, it helped me feel less affiliated with this mess.

    There had been a number of different experiments that she¡¯d been working on. I didn¡¯t know their effects, but I did know their recipes and wondered which one would be involved in dealing with ghouls. None jumped out to me, but there were so many I didn¡¯t fully understand the combinations of ingredients.

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    I was too proud to lie to myself about it possibly being a different Caoimhe. Deirdre didn¡¯t have my mother''s sharp features, but there was enough to guess they were related. I ran my hands through the tangled mess of black curls that were getting increasingly in the way, happy not to have inherited her blonde hair and green eyes.

    A single extra detail could have ended the meeting very differently. If they knew she was dead or from the north, my excuses would have rung hollow. Not knowing how to pronounce my own mother¡¯s name was carrying most of the burden, and it was only a matter of time before Elder Eudralia and her stumbled upon that fact.

    ¡­

    ¡°Please,¡± I whined, hanging over the edge of the bunk to look down at Ulia lying back on her bed, trying to read.

    I wanted to forget Zara existed. Especially after spending yesterday morning in a jitter after Deirdre¡¯s chat, scrutinising each person who opened the outer door. Ulia had returned later in the day to fetch me for a visit to Darine, who had drunk so many potions that she struggled to hold a coherent conversation with us.

    The entire abbey was fussing over our perilous outing, yet more so for the mage amongst us. A meeting in the courtyard was called, not to announce the completion of the warded street but to welcome Zara. For a group of people taught to hate mages their entire lives, Deirdre¡¯s words of him being an ally in her speech were too readily accepted.

    I¡¯d hidden behind as many people as possible in the crowded courtyard to avoid the greyish eyes of the tall mage standing beside her. His dark blonde hair had gotten longer since I¡¯d last seen him, but he¡¯d opted to tie it back. I doubted he could distinguish me from among the crowd with his senses. However, I also had to worry about being recognised from our brief interaction near the gates of Tamil.

    Most of lunch and dinner in the dormitory were spent in speculation about who the man was and why he was here. I kept my more knowledgeable guesses to myself and instead chose to take the outlandish speculation of Maisie a step further: that the Ambuya had found a partner.

    Zara had made a brief remark at the end of Deirdre¡¯s spiel about us being welcoming to him, expressing his eagerness to explore the once-great capital. Andria took that to mean we would have to escort him around tomorrow, which killed any semblance of calm I¡¯d tried to maintain.

    ¡°No,¡± Ulia said, flipping to the next page in her novel, barely awake after Andria woke us up earlier than usual.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯ll get to meet the mage.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly care. Why are you so eager not to go? You¡¯re usually volunteering for every outing with the other three.¡±

    ¡°My ankle hurts from yesterday,¡± I said, shifting around to hang my foot wrapped in a makeshift bandage over the edge. ¡°Please?¡±

    Ulia pretended to read, but her eyes no longer trailed across the page. ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you whatever you want when I take Darine to the settlements to get healed.¡±

    She slammed her book shut, looking me in the eye for the first time this morning. ¡°You need permission for that. Not just from the elders, but from Ambuya.¡±

    ¡°Which I have¡­ or am in the process of getting. Aren¡¯t you curious why he¡¯s here? Taking the mage on his little tour might be enlightening.¡±

    ¡°Then you do it if it''s such a privilege.¡±

    I groaned and flopped back into bed to wait. Ulia was abrasive and combative, but¡ª

    ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed, getting up to change after huffing.

    I smiled to myself as she started to dress and tried to hide the relief I felt from spilling into my words. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Ulia grunted and refused to speak to me while she got ready to go out into the city, slinging a bow over her shoulder. It wasn¡¯t the favoured weapon against the ghouls because of their tough skin, but an arrow to the eye socket was an easy kill if you could make the shot. The only way I could successfully make it was with a bit of nudging of the arrow, and the girls didn¡¯t want me even to try.

    An elder had confirmed Andria¡¯s suspicion early this morning, passing along a mandate to help achieve the desire of the mage. He wished to see the city as he¡¯d only had a view of the abbey and the tunnel system. Andria had decided I was to join and came to inform me, and I subsequently foisted that responsibility onto Ulia.

    She closed the door behind her after one last side eye while I did my best to look sufficiently guilty at her going in my place. As soon as I was sure she wasn¡¯t returning for anything, I leapt out of bed to get dressed. I left behind the gauntlet and slipped on the new shoes they¡¯d given me, along with the lecture on not losing scarce items.

    I wasn¡¯t convinced the mage simply wanted to see the city. My interest in accompanying him and finding out was only smothered by the fact he¡¯d instantly recognised I didn¡¯t exist to his senses.

    However, I could always use that advantage to follow them. Lying awake at night, haunted by the conversation with Deirdre, was torture enough, and I wasn¡¯t about to repeat that for the rest of the morning.

    I quietly opened the door and stuck my head out to listen for anyone in the kitchen before tiptoeing down the hallway. Ulia had a head start, but unless Maisie was suddenly on her best behaviour, she¡¯d delay the group by a few minutes. I went out the back through the kitchen and stuck to the edge of the wall shrouded in shadows.

    They hadn¡¯t left yet and were talking to a group of elders. Zara looked uninterested and kept walking towards the door before stopping, getting dragged into the conversation again.

    Once every cautionary tale and word of warning had been uttered, the group left.

    I crouched within the shrubbery as the drawbar was replaced across the door, and the elders stood around to chat. I rocked on my heels, hopelessly trying to predict their route as they got further away.

    The elders left for a more formal meeting, and I dashed over to the door. Most of the space I had to cover was still within the shadows, which were easy to hide within, but the area near the door was wide open, bathed in sunlight. I chose my opening primarily out of frustration with the number of people in the vegetable gardens who needed to be turned away.

    I lifted the drawbar and floated it in place as I squeezed out, slowly dropping it behind me. The sounds from inside died away from the many runes meant to keep the abbey hidden, and I was left to the whistling of a windy winter morning. There were no clues as to where Zara and the three girls had gone until a foul stench hit me before being carried away.

    I sniffed around the street like Sweeka when she was looking for a scrap of food that had slipped between the couch cushions.

    In the end, travelling upwind was more effective than sniffing the source. A ghoul lay sprawled out on the ground with burn holes in their chest and forehead. It was the result of the same type of spell that had hit me in the back outside the walls of Tamil, except at a close enough range to bore part way through the body.

    The trail of bodies continued towards the warded street, with the groups of ghouls having different injuries. Some were sliced in half, while several were more ash than ghoul, but most had the same burn marks.

    It wasn¡¯t a sustainable strategy, which was why we avoided getting into fights. Very soon, they would attract too much attention to fight off quickly and quietly, which would only serve as a beacon for more. I could imagine the girls quietly seething at the stupidity of the mage as he flung out magic wherever he felt.

    Or were they happy for the easier journey, not knowing that spells weren¡¯t endless?

    There was a faint flash of mana in the distance that coalesced into a spell. I couldn¡¯t tell what it was from here, but the explosion before the roar of a building crumbling to the ground gave it away.

    I ducked inside as the ghouls lurking behind me flew past towards the disturbance. More groups joined them, keeping me from leaving. I wasn¡¯t far from the wards, but with every passing group, it got more complicated.

    Explosions echoed down the street without any following destruction beyond the screech of ghouls. I found a break in the throng of ghouls to get a street closer before being forced back into hiding.

    Ulia¡¯s muffled shouts were coming from the upper floor of a building next to a smouldering ruin. The new zone of destruction lay next to the structure that I¡¯d collapsed, and I supposed someone could blame me for weakening the foundations first. The girls were at least on the other side of it and not stuck inside the lone building we¡¯d found ourselves on.

    Out of all the days we¡¯d travelled in this region of the city, we¡¯d only gotten in trouble once¡ªthe inner district didn¡¯t count. There were no remnant knights, looters, or territorial ghouls to thin the numbers. The explosions had stopped now that they were inside, replaced by flashes of light pulsing through the windows, but the damage had already been done.

    Ghouls swarmed the area in numbers we hadn¡¯t seen before, uncaring for the wards.

    The slanted window set into the roof flew into the air from a blast of air. Zara clambered out, followed by the three girls who were more sure-footed on the sloped tiles. Glass shards rained down on them and across the cobblestone, offering a brief distraction to the ghouls throwing themselves at the walls of the buildings.

    Some of them found openings or intact windows to tumble through.

    Ghouls pushed through the new opening, crawling after the mage still hurling spells. Others watched from the street, a crowd blocking them from getting closer.

    Zara had his arms out for balance as he scaled the rooftop, flapping them about for stability. He barely kept up with Andria at the back, who was moving slower for his benefit.

    He looked back at the ghouls crawling towards him and put too much weight on his back foot. Windmilling his arms didn¡¯t help. His tall frame slowly tipped backwards. Andria reached out to help, and Zara gripped her wrist, pulling her off balance to save himself.

    Andria stumbled down the tiles, trying to stop her momentum as Zara fell forward over the ridge. I moved away from the window towards the door, ready to catch her. Andria fell backwards and halted as I reached for the handle.

    Zara stood on shaky legs, only to have Ulia hit him in the chest with an arrow. My eyes widened as he tumbled past Andria, almost taking her with him. He twisted in the air, the ghouls below already reaching for him.

    I had no intention of catching him, but he didn¡¯t need my help. A spell formed to cushion his landing, pushing the snarling ghouls away. Despite that, Zara didn¡¯t land on his feet, and the arrow shaft snapped against the cobblestone as his body hit the street.

    His hair was out of its tie. The ghouls hadn¡¯t been pushed far away, and the mage was sluggish getting to his hands and knees. Blood dripped from the arrowhead, still stuck in his shoulder. Zara stumbled to his feet, arm out with a spell already tied together.

    The spell ignited the air around its impact on the closest ghoul. It pulled those nearby into its flame before flinging them away with a deafening boom. Maisie helped Andria back up while the ghouls crawling after them were more interested in what was happening below.

    Zara limped across to my row of houses and broke into the one next to me, rays of light searing through the ghouls that tried to follow. Those who were hit fell closer and closer to the entrance after every spell.

 Chapter 73

    The surge of ghouls amassing in the street pressed against those at the forefront through every entrance available along the street, including my building. They didn¡¯t care to follow the mage¡¯s trail of destruction, only that they could get closer, even if walls and doors blocked their path.

    Doors splintered, and stone foundations trembled. I hurried up to the next floor, coated in falling dust from the ceiling. The wall that separated the buildings Zara and I were in took the brunt of his next spell, with ornaments and faded paintings falling from their mantels.

    Thick smoke hissed through the cracks as he unleashed a torrent of fire into the narrow hallway beyond. The ghouls on the outskirts of the attack shrieked as those in the centre died instantly. However, the flames didn¡¯t seem to last long to my senses. The mana churning inside Zara¡¯s reserves dropped dramatically due to the overly taxing spell.

    Yet it bought him time to climb to the next floor while the ghouls were less enthused to pursue him through the smoke and burning bodies. I mirrored his movements and climbed up the next flight of stairs, escaping my own rabid group of ghouls.

    I swore and dove away from the partition as an explosive spell hit the divide. The entire building shook as I was showered in splinters. A hole in the wall appeared through the smoke. The stairs leading up to the fleeing mage no longer existed, and ghouls were clamouring over each other to reach the floor above.

    My stairs were still intact, letting the ghouls catch up while I lay in a stupor at the arrogance to use that spell indoors. I scrambled up and ducked into a room, letting them pass or throw themselves through the new entrance onto the pile-up of ghouls.

    If Zara¡¯s brazen actions hadn¡¯t gotten everyone into this mess, I¡¯d commend him for escaping it. But we reached the top floor and were stuck unless we found a way to the rooftop.

    His footsteps thudded between each room in a panic before turning softer as he found somewhere to hide. The ghouls still knew where he was but couldn¡¯t get to him, gathering in the room below.

    I perched on the frame of a smashed window and hung a leg out, finding a ledge to stand on. There wasn¡¯t enough space on the tiny outcrop for more than the heel of my feet, and I hung onto the creeper vines for support as I shuffled along.

    The closest window on the mage¡¯s side didn¡¯t have more than a crack, so I smashed my claws into it. The top floor was devoid of ghouls that were still trying to get past the collapsed stairs. Zara was in a room down the hallway, his mana signature shifting to look towards my smashed window.

    I didn¡¯t bother to walk quietly as I crunched across glass shards and creaky floorboards. I shifted to softer footfalls and crept near the wall, eyeing the doorways I could dive into if a spell came my way.

    The door to Zara¡¯s hiding spot had been closed. I wondered what was going through his mind as I slowly twisted the stubborn doorknob and let the door creak open.

    The mana threads of the healing spell he¡¯d been tying together shifted into a hurried attack. Three lines of light seared into my vision and left burn marks on the door and wall behind. I had no intention of walking inside and backed away as he dumped the last dregs of his mana reserves into another fire spell.

    ¡°Come fucking try it, freak,¡± he spat.

    I chose not to take offence, as it must have been terrifying to think a ghoul could open the doors. Not much thought had gone into what I would do when I caught up to the mage, and now that I was here, I was still unsure. Questions Yis would want to be answered came to mind, but I didn¡¯t feel much incentive to be here.

    The clamour and outcry from the ghouls below faded as I focused on Zara¡¯s laboured breathing. His choice of magic was strange but effective, and I didn¡¯t want to stroll into its range. Burns couldn¡¯t be healed away, so using fire was considered taboo by most mages and downright evil by everyone else. I didn¡¯t fault him for using it against the ghouls, yet I didn¡¯t want him burning the building down while I was still inside.

    This was the best chance I would get for the motivations behind Tamil, the Opera house, and his purpose in the city. So I took it.¡°I¡¯m not entering, so you can stop struggling to keep that spell together.¡±

    There was a long pause, with more mana wasted to stabilise the spell that didn¡¯t want to stay together any longer. ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not very nice,¡± I sulked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the question be ¡®Who are you?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Well, get the fuck on with it and tell me then,¡± Zara groaned. ¡°You¡¯re not one of the incompetent brats who brought me here.¡±

    ¡°You think they started this mess? Not the person who used mana around mana-sensitive creatures?¡±

    ¡°Dumb monsters don¡¯t understand mana, and neither do you. Stick to the concoctions and drawings your kind is good for. Run along to the coven and tell your illusion of events, but we¡¯ll see who is more valuable when I return.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather ask some questions while I have your undivided attention,¡± I said, settling against the wall, worried he was right about the last part. Ulia¡¯s actions may be acceptable against a random mage. However, no matter the circumstances, attacking Zara could impact the coven¡¯s plans. I could see some elders doing their best to assuage his anger regarding this, even at the expense of Ulia.

    It all depended on what he was doing here for the coven.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not here to help fix their mistakes, you can jump out the window for all I care. I don¡¯t see any reason to answer the questions of someone too cowardly to face me.¡±

    ¡°Why the different accent?¡± I asked instead. He sounded like any other person I¡¯d met in Werl, not the thick accent he had during the tower meeting or the mild version after.

    The hallway lit up as a burst of fire smashed into the door, and I leaned away from the wave of heat. Zara was shouting incoherently as the short-lived attack died down. The top half of the door fell, throwing up smouldering ashes as it landed.

    ¡° ¡ªyou! From that mana-forsaken patch of dirt in the north. You started this! Sticking your nose stuck where it doesn¡¯t belong! Where do your loyalties lie? Who told you about Tamil?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the point of answering you,¡± I replied calmly.

    ¡°You think yourself in control? There¡¯s nothing you can do to threaten me and nothing you have that I want. Running away and hiding is all I¡¯ve seen from you. Don¡¯t waste the few breaths you have left.¡±

    Zara was back to trying a healing spell over his legs. Either the injury was from his fall, or a ghoul had managed to catch him. ¡°Where¡¯s Ghaven?¡±

    He ignored me in favour of continuing his healing, so I weakened a floorboard beneath him. Rot had set in years ago, and the wood quickly deteriorated at my demand. His weight was enough to crack it after moments. The mage yelped as he fell partway through the floor, caught by the support beams and remaining floorboards.

    ¡°Should I break another?¡± I asked.

    Zara shuffled along the wall to a more secure position, arm raised towards the door. ¡°You¡¯re no witch¡­ What are you?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Ghaven?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since Tamil,¡± he said with a hint of apprehension.

    I suppressed a smile as I weakened another floorboard. ¡°Wrong.¡±

    This time, he was ready for it and shifted his weight off the crumbling wood. The ghouls below that had almost forgotten about us perked up at the noise. ¡°Stop that!¡±

    ¡°Answer the question.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still in the northern Dutchy; I don¡¯t know where.¡±

    ¡°Then why did he mention you by name in the Opera House? It sounded like you ordered him there.¡±

    Zara grunted as he moved, preparing for another break. But I pressed ahead with another question instead. ¡°What about Oleza and Pennie?¡±

    There was a shorter pause. ¡°They¡¯re dead or imprisoned, according to the witches.¡±

    Meaning there were no more of his group in the city to relay information to him. He had to rely on the witch¡¯s word. ¡°I¡¯m happy you know how to tell the truth. Why were they in Drasda, working with people who had a grudge against mages? It sounded like you believed the opposite in Tamil.¡±

    ¡°Needed the extra hands, and anyone with resentment can be easily directed. You already know why if you were at the opera house.¡±

    ¡°I know what they were doing, not the why.¡±

    ¡°Just doing a job. You¡¯ll have to ask the witches for the reasoning,¡± Zara said, slowly getting to his feet while using the wall for leverage. I didn¡¯t believe a word coming out of his mouth, especially with his antsy behaviour.

    ¡°You don¡¯t care for the outcome as long as you get paid? Even if all your people fall?¡±

    ¡°Eh, not my people. Remember resentment? Kingdoms belong to a bygone era. I don''t mind helping to resign Werl to the history books sooner. Why do you care? Witch, mage, or whatever you are, this country doesn¡¯t value your talents. It¡¯ll shift the product of your contributions to the lessers to make them feel equal.¡±

    Zara slowly raised his arm towards the wall I hid behind. His guess was slightly off, but I still moved away, closer to the doorway. The mana threads forming over his palm were faint, and I didn¡¯t recognise the effects.

    ¡°Doing it for the roe?¡± he continued. ¡°There''s no chance they pay your worth.¡±

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    I swung only my arm around the entrance and threw a blast of air in his direction. The mage didn¡¯t have time to switch to a shield. Zara cried out as he thudded against the wall and crumpled to the ground as I hid behind the wall again.

    The duke didn¡¯t pay me directly, but staying in the palace must have been expensive. His questions irked me because I didn¡¯t have any good answers. I hardly needed the roe beyond what I already had and didn¡¯t care beyond helping the kinder people around me who asked.

    Today was about finding out what havoc Zara was here to cause, regardless of what the duke wanted of me. And when I completed that goal, I¡¯d move on to the next that presented itself.

    ¡°You can make more than you would in a lifetime by helping me,¡± the mage said, his voice hoarse. ¡°All you need to do is find some jewellery. The crown should be easy to find for someone who can hide their mana.¡±

    ¡°Pass,¡± I said without a moment¡¯s thought. The glimmer of a plan to present the crown, get the reward, and not hand it over came to mind. However, there was no chance I would begin entertaining the thought of returning to the castle.

    ¡°Pass? Are you deranged? You¡¯d be stealing from a dead man. Infinitely simpler than tracking me across the country like an obsessed dog.¡±

    ¡°Still, pass. Why do you need the crown?¡±

    ¡°Are you simply incapable of making a choice for your benefit? It¡¯s like talking to a child. Why. Why. Why. It¡¯s incessant. Fight me or bugger off.¡±

    Zara shuffled away from the door, deeper into the room. The same spell was being reformed with the last vestiges of mana sitting in his reserves. The ambient mana filtering into his body was snatched away instantly, dragged to form the final threads.

    The spell blossomed, casting a high-pitched shriek towards the doorway. I wobbled to the side, grabbing the wall for stability. I¡¯d covered my ears on instinct after, but it didn¡¯t help. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was deaf or the spell had ended.

    Zara appeared at the doorway, hand clutching the bloodstain on his chest and leg straightened in an effort to shuffle without aggravating his hurt ankle.

    His free hand was raised, palm pointed to my chest. The beam of light that erupted towards me hit but failed to pierce. My robe was burnt through, but it didn¡¯t cause more than redness on my skin. The mage¡¯s next spell failed mid-cast. He was out of mana.

    Zara fumbled for a dagger at his waist. I took the distraction to pounce on him, tumbling us back into the room. I ended up on top, but he was a larger person and quickly made to throw me off. The injuries to his leg and lack of mana hampered his struggle.

    He still managed to break free from my pin, his hands pushed against my face to get me off. I slammed a fist down on the bloodied patch of clothing in retaliation. Zara wheezed in pain, stomping his legs. I fell forward, a hand on either side of his head to catch myself.

    I¡¯d let go of his arms, and he quickly recovered from the jolt of pain. His hands engulfed each side of my face, squeezing and yanking my head about, thumbs digging into my eyes. I opened my mouth to bite him with peluda venom, but my teeth scraped against his palm, not enough space to pierce the skin.

    I dug my clawed hand into his chest wound and reached for his face. Thoughts couldn¡¯t break through my panic. His thumbs were pressed against my eyes, nails digging into the back of my skull. I pulled at his arms, not doing enough to lessen the anguish. I gripped one arm with both of mine and tore him off, pulling away from his grip.

    I let go to point a palm at his face, but he renewed his attack.

    The floor creaked from our struggle, rotted fragments flying off at our kicks and elbows. The wooden beams wouldn¡¯t rise up to strangle him as I commanded. I reached out for his neck but could only scratch at his chest, eliciting another yowl from aggravating the arrowhead.

    At a loss for thought, I reverted to my first idea: weakening the floorboards.

    We dropped partway as the support beams creaked and bent. We stilled at the sensation of falling and the loud creaking. I went to get up and away from the inevitable collapse, but he gripped my ear and robe, pulling me back down. The structure''s integrity slipped as I continued to tug the rotted beams in different directions, our weight snapping them in half.

    I yelped as my stomach jumped into my throat and slammed back down as we landed hard on the floor below. It creaked from our impact, ghouls screeching from being hit by us and falling debris. The floor caved, and we tumbled down to the next storey, breaking a dining room table in half this time.

    Dust and timber rained down on us as ghouls tumbled down the widening hole in the roof. Another section of the floor above collapsed, and the top of a wardrobe slowly tipped into view. My landing had been rough but softened by Zara. His arms were feeble and mouth agape as he blankly stared at the deteriorating ceiling.

    The ghouls were still quicker to recover than either of us. I rolled off the mage and broken table as the wardrobe creaked further into sight. Zara couldn¡¯t do the same as it tipped through the hole and landed upright on his legs. A strangled grunt was all he could manage as it broke apart and fell around him.

    A ghoul clutched my foot as I tried to crawl away. I kicked out, catching its chin and yanked my foot away, crawling towards the only exit. Many ghouls were still on the floor, but those left unscathed were already on the hunt.

    I stood on shaky legs, grabbing the wrists of a ghoul trying to slash me. My claws barely drew blood from its neck as more ghouls got to their feet, stalking towards each of us. I pushed mana into the steel tips and let out a set of wind blades on my next swipe, the attack travelling a hairsbreadth before spraying me in black bile.

    I whipped the back of my hand across my face and squinted at the next ghoul, hitting it in the chest with a set of blades. I spun around, attacking the closest creature to me while hearing Zara''s gargled cries as he failed to fend off his own attackers.

    Most ghouls now lay crumpled on the floor, black blood pooling into thick puddles. Those left standing were piled onto Zara. I let loose sets of blades into the mound of them, not worrying about hitting the mage. Those able to stand after the onslaught didn¡¯t get very far as they tried to charge towards me.

    Silence fell over the room as the last one fell, replaced by the oncoming stampede outside. I stepped over bodies and debris, closing the double doors. The lock didn¡¯t turn, so I pressed my back against them as the first ghoul bashed into the other side. Each impact slid my dug-in heels across the floor.

    I leaned further into the door as an opening formed. Fingers reached in, trying to find purchase on my robes to pull me into their hoard.

    Go away!

    The fingers recoiled, going to clutch at the ghoul¡¯s faces as they thrashed about. It was a slight blessing that all the screams of mercy, sorrow and begs for death drowned each other out, leaving behind a debilitating roar of suffering. The doors clicked shut again. My back slid down them until I fell to my butt, legs splayed out in front of me.

    Tears ran down my cheeks, yet I didn¡¯t think any were for the body of the mage lying amongst the corpses of ghouls.

    Those outside slowly moved away, lessening the strain on my mind. However, that meant I could hear individual cries now. Most in this portion of the city repeated their dying words while few continued with the incoherent screeching from the outer districts. I hit my head back into the door, trying to chase away the horror.

    I was starting to get used to it, numb to the cries of even the childlike voices.

    I didn¡¯t know how long passed before the last ghoul stopped wailing or roamed away, leaving me in peace, sitting in a puddle of red and black blood, eyes unfocused on the carnage before me.

    If I''d known it would end up like this, I would have hit Zara with a blade two floors up. The sparse information I¡¯d gained didn¡¯t make this feel worth it. I still didn¡¯t know what or why events were unfolding around me. My meddling in Tamil had pushed them in this direction, but it was hardly my fault.

    I didn¡¯t have any profound justification to ease my conscience, yet I also didn¡¯t feel that guilty. His choices, more than mine, lead us to this.

    I pushed off the floor and stepped over bodies, kicking the ghouls to ensure they were dead. Zara¡¯s vacant expression caught my attention, and I waited for the bile to rise in my throat.

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°All you had to do was answer a few questions,¡± I said, leaning down to pull out the portion of the arrow shaft protruding from his chest. If nothing else, Ulia wouldn¡¯t be blamed for his death.

    Outside the double doors was a ransacked sitting room, a ghoul cowering in the corner, uninterested in my passing. I didn¡¯t bother it as I searched for the stairs, eager to be outside in the fresh air. I still had to walk past burnt bodies before I could achieve that.

    No amount of water was getting the blood stains entirely out of my robes, but I could wet my lips and wash off the splatter across my face.

    The hoard that had formed outside had only partially dispersed. They loitered throughout the ground floor and street beyond. The wards slowed the dispersal by blocking off an entire direction to roam.

    When most of the ghouls weren¡¯t turned my way, I crept to the doorway and dashed across the street to the warded line of buildings. The few that noticed me lost interest as I ran up the stairs to the roof. It was the same building Zara had ruined the window of, and I climbed out onto the tiles, wary of them sliding out from under me.

    The girls couldn¡¯t have gone far without getting off the rooftop, so I followed the likely pathway. I was starting to see a pattern emerging: We separated, some of us got into trouble, and then I ended up tracking down three non-mages inside a city field to the brim with ambient mana, iron, and enchanted items.

    I was leaning towards not splitting up again after this.

    We spotted each other around the same time as I walked through a house taller than those next to it.  Maisie had a pipe lit between shaking fingers, taking long draws while trying to hold her hands steady. Ulia sat on the ridge, twirling the bow in her lap. She was in the way of Andria¡¯s pacing, forcing her to walk on the slanted tiles while she talked.

    Without a word, I sat beside Maisie and held my hand out for the pipe. She placed it in my palm, and I took a long, steady breath. The smoke filling my lungs felt less effective than before, or maybe that was because more uneasiness filled my thoughts.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± Maisie said, reaching for the pipe.

    ¡°Decided to join us after all?¡± Ulia asked with forced normalcy. ¡°Have a run-in with the neighbours?¡±

    I looked down at the blood stains and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, lots of them on the street for some reason. Where¡¯s the mage?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s somewhere,¡± Andria said. ¡°We warned him not to run off alone, but something caught his eye.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to work,¡± Maisie said, accidentally blowing smoke into my face. ¡°Sorry. He¡¯s probably back at the abbey telling the elders all about this.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Ulia said, giving up the facade. ¡°He¡¯s not going to be able to tell any story.¡±

    ¡°We have to go back and get the elders on our side before him,¡± Maisie argued. ¡°Even if he doesn''t come back, it¡¯s not our fault; we need to make sure they know that.¡±

    ¡°You asked him to stop using the same spell and show us a different one,¡± Ulia said.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Andria said, nudging Ulia in the side with her foot. ¡°They¡¯re not going to believe some outsider over us.¡±

    Ulia scoffed. ¡°If he was essential to the Ambuya¡¯s plans, it won¡¯t matter if they believe us. We¡¯ll still get saddled with the blame. Maisie is right; we should tell them ourselves before he can. The full truth, otherwise when they find what¡¯s left of his body with an arrow stuck in, banishment for all of us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask?¡± Maisie asked, handing the pipe back to me.

    ¡°You said not to.¡±

    She gave me a narrow stare while Andira and Ulia argued about death, excuses, and consequences. I pulled out the broken arrowhead I¡¯d cleaned and pocketed, throwing it to Ulia. She flinched at the projectile coming her way but caught it easily.

    ¡°I think the mage didn¡¯t listen to us and drew too much attention with his cheap magic. He was too arrogant and died thinking he could fight off the city by himself instead of running as we told him.¡±

    Ulia was still staring at the arrowhead, and I wasn¡¯t sure if she was listening. Maisie chose to say nothing and concentrate on the herbs in the pipe.

    ¡°Right,¡± Andria said, slowly nodding her head. ¡°Arrogant bastard almost got us killed.¡±

 Chapter 74

    When we returned, the interrogation was short-lived, but I was still glad to have avoided it. I snuck in before them to change and hid in my bunk before anyone could notice I was missing. I doubted anyone cared to look for me unless the Ambuya came knocking again.

    The robes were unrecoverable, and I buried them in the back garden before anyone could see them. Not because I thought I would get in trouble for the blood stains but for the lecture on wasting scarce resources.

    Ulia came back soon after me to flop into her bunk with a sigh. She stuffed her face in her pillow for a long while before explaining what had happened at the news of the mage.

    Elders, like Eudralia and her aunt, had argued more with each other than with the girls¡¯ retelling of events. There wasn¡¯t much they could push back on because they weren¡¯t there, and we were using the description of mages that they had taught us. The best recourse the elders could come up with was to send them to the dormitories while an older group of foragers went out to find the mage or his body.

    After the lack of admonishment, there wasn¡¯t any time to relax because the argument quickly ignored the mage''s life and went on to discuss his replacement. The coven needed him for something that the elders were unwilling to say out loud.

    My guess was the crown, but I couldn¡¯t understand what they would want with a shield enchantment that only someone with mana could use.

    The Ambuya had already left for another coven in the area for the next few days and couldn¡¯t be consulted for a new way forward. She¡¯d already left orders for me and whoever else was free to go to the settlements with Darine. Orders the elders weren¡¯t willing to go against. They were more afraid of her coming back to days of wasted time and delays in the plans.

    Thus, we were rushed off into the tunnel system hidden deep inside the bowels of the headquarters with a set of extra orders on top of healing Darine: to find a replacement for the mage.

    Maisie, Andria and Ulia joined us, the latter to get away from being alone in the abbey despite no longer being welcome in the settlement we were heading to. The cramped tunnel was lit by a single oil lamp Maisie held ahead of us while Andria and I held up Darine. Ulia brought up the rear with the bow she refused to leave behind, along with the bulk of our roe and jewellery.

    ¡°I can walk on my own,¡± Darine said for the hundredth time. She didn¡¯t believe we would let her limp along and slow us down, but that didn¡¯t stop her from asking.

    ¡°Mhm. When was the last time you all went outside the walls?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ha,¡± Ulia snorted.

    ¡°Obviously, not asking you.¡±

    ¡°We take turns working in the different establishments,¡± Andria said as we reached a fork in the tunnel. ¡°On the outside, it''s a place for girls to come to experience the settlements while earning a little something. But the positions are only for us.¡±

    ¡°I want to go back to barkeeping,¡± Maisie said, holding the lantern to each path before picking one seemingly at random. ¡°I¡¯m sick of this foraging rotation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than assignments across the country,¡± Ulia commented.

    ¡°Why not leave the city entirely and barkeep somewhere else?¡± I asked.

    Andria almost tripped but was luckily holding onto Darine and me, who kept her from falling. ¡°I forgot we were alone for a second. Let¡¯s not repeat that shit in company, okay?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°But it''s a reasonable question.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Maisie said, getting to another intersection. ¡°How many times have we had this discussion?¡±

    ¡°About barkeeping? Just once.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what she meant,¡± Darine said, pinching my ear with the arm slung over my shoulder.

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m an ignorant outsider who doesn¡¯t understand,¡± I mocked. ¡°Someone who has no idea what it''s like to grow up under the teachings of a witch and go someplace else.¡±

    ¡°And get captured,¡± Ulia said.

    ¡°Let''s not rehash this conversation,¡± Andria sighed.

    I wanted to retort, but that was my story. It wasn¡¯t designed to motivate a bunch of witchlings to break away from their elders, whom I considered rather awful. Andria emphasised her point by changing topics to what we needed to do while in the settlement, what to expect, and what to avoid doing.

    That serious conversation winded down into the best places for dessert.

    The wards throughout the tunnel system were sparse and reserved for the few exits we walked past. They were at least doing their job since I felt no ghouls nearby.

    These weren¡¯t the service tunnels full of pipes that Ulia and I had travelled in to get here, crawling with ghouls due to the abundant surface entrances. The walls looked excavated rather than smoothed out by spellcraft, leaving their origins unclear.

    ¡°Do you know who made this tunnel?¡± I asked once Maisie had finished detailing her lunch order.

    ¡°Always been here,¡± Darine said. ¡°The elders say it''s an old smuggling tunnel the mages used to use. Something about laws for everyone but the few who make them.¡±

    I was distracted from asking more questions by a wave of fatigue. We passed under the outer wall, and despite being underground where the mana was less concentrated, I still felt the consequences. I had grown accustomed to the vast quantities of mana swirling around me, so much so that I¡¯d forgotten what it felt like to be outside the city.

    Aches that had built up over the months of running across rooftops, being smacked around my armoured ghouls, falling through floors, and uncomfortable mattresses resurfaced. They had all healed quickly, but my body was paying the price now with stiff joints and sore muscles that the abundance had quelled.

    The capital¡¯s mana had propped me up, and I missed it already. The reasoning behind syphoning off all the mana into the inner district had always seemed nefarious. However, now I could clearly see why they were so eager to do so. Breathing anywhere else felt like a chore outside of the inner districts.

    Would bringing down the walls improve the mana around the county, or would it be insignificant once spread out over a large area? Considering how long they had lasted without repair or oversight, it was a pointless rumination.

    The runes used beyond the wall were faint, not having access to the mana of the city or to hide them from the mages above. I didn¡¯t recognise them from the lessons because they were the more complex variety kept for more senior witches to use. The crystals were a variation of warding, more focused on pretending nothing was different about the area than it being off-limits.

    Dust shook from the ceiling and floated into the warm glow of the lantern as carriages passed overhead. The people in the settlement above were at the edges of my senses through the thick layer of dirt and dirt, but I could tell there were more mages here than Drasda.

    We helped Darine climb up a ladder shaft covered in carvings. It must have been too risky to use proper runes, so they were carved directly into the stone and wood. I climbed up backwards above Darine, ready to grab her if she fell, while Andria pushed her from behind. The girl wasn¡¯t happy with the arrangement, a blush creeping onto her cheeks at the embarrassing amount of help needed to climb.

    Maisie reached the iron hatch at the top and knocked in a rhythm. We waited in the shadows as a lock clicked, and the hatch groaned open. A girl in an apron leaned over with twin braids hanging down towards us. ¡°Hi.¡±

    ¡°Give us a hand, Tayka,¡± Maisie said, holding the lantern up for her to take.

    Tayka stuck out a hand to help Maisie out of the shaft, followed by me. She gave me a long look but didn¡¯t ask the question on the tip of her tongue. The hatch had been built into the bottom of a small vault, just big enough for three of us to stand in at a time. Tayka and Maisie stepped out while Andria and I extracted Darine.

    Beyond the door of the iron vault was a cellar filled to the brim with vegetables, drying herbs and slabs of meat. It looked out of place among the produce, and I doubted there was an expensive enough fruit to warrant the protection it provided.

    ¡°Winter isn¡¯t over yet,¡± Tayka said, the freckled girl crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you have my job, no matter who says what.¡±

    ¡°Too bad,¡± Andria said, standing tall. ¡°The Ambuya has spoken.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t antagonise the person marking our lunch, please,¡± Maisie said, explaining why we were not here to take away her job.

    Tayka frowned, looking at Darine¡¯s inflexible leg. ¡°The waitlist for the healers is only growing. The smaller towns are all flocking here because it''s taking entire seasons everywhere else.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Why the change?¡± Ulia asked.

    ¡°The different guilds are all fighting to explore the next district first; they¡¯re maiming each other more than the ghouls could ever hope to. That¡¯s at the other entrances. Here, they¡¯re planning an expedition in the spring, so everyone is trying to get this and that sorted before.¡±

    ¡°Would this be enough to jump a few places,¡± Ulia said, opening up the heavy knapsack.

    Tayka shrugged, not reacting much to the gems and gold inside. ¡°The market is flooded at the moment. Merchants are buying it up for the price of grain to peddle elsewhere, but healers want roe, not a bunch of stuff they have to sell.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Andria said. ¡°Not that surprising.¡±

    ¡°We could steal the roe, or find a healer to persuade,¡± I said, receiving everyone''s shocked stare. ¡°What? I¡¯m not suggesting we hurt them.¡±

    That didn¡¯t stop the raised eyebrows and frowns. For a bunch of witches whose entire teachings were about how evil mages were, I was surprised they didn¡¯t like the idea of stealing from them.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Tayka asked, giving me a disapproving glare.

    ¡°Patela,¡± Darine said. ¡°She¡¯s new¡­ish.¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s your problem to look after,¡± Tayka said. ¡°Don¡¯t risk our only access to vendors for something so stupid.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I wasn¡¯t that invested in the idea,¡± I said hurriedly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call making suggestions problematic.¡±

    Tayka pushed the heavy iron door closed and spun the handle, locking it again. If I hadn¡¯t already known there was a space in the stone below and been so close, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to notice it.

    We were led through the crates of legumes and ducked under hanging herbs to the stairs out of the cellar.

    Tayka pulled a key that hung from a string of twine from the neckline of her blouse. The reinforced door at the top of the stairs swung open to reveal a short hallway with another staircase guarded by an iron gate. Anyone privy to the security down here would immediately understand that it wasn¡¯t just vegetables and prime cuts of kudu being protected.

    ¡°Dump the knapsack in here,¡± Tayka said, opening another reinforced door before the gate. Inside were bulging bags that were probably full of similar gemstones and jewellery that lay loosely on the stone floor. Ulia took a few personal items from the bag before tossing it into the treasure room.

    ¡°It took a lot of hard work to get all that,¡± Darine said, poting around the room. ¡°You aren¡¯t even selling it.¡±

    Tayka shrugged. ¡°I sell ale and clean tables and take the bags to the vendors the elder tells me to, and she hasn¡¯t been telling me to. Most of the gold gets melted down to use in their enchantments, so it doesn¡¯t matter how nice it looks.¡±

    ¡°And the old coins?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Too old, also melted down,¡± Tayka said. ¡°I¡¯ll get you all a change of clothes, and we can go put Darine¡¯s name down at the healers. What happened anyway? You¡¯re usually the careful one.¡±

    ¡°We got to the inner district and then got chased out immediately,¡± Maisie said.

    ¡°That far in already? Our group only got halfway before screechers kept messing with us. Suppose the expedition has them spooked?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s worse shit in the interior,¡± Darine said with a shiver.

    ¡°Yup,¡± I agreed, under my breath.

    ¡­

    I was happy to be wearing pants again and have on loafers, even if they pinched my toes. The style was slightly different compared to Drasda, with precious metal incorporated in every possible aspect. The buckle of my shoes was silver, the clasp on my belt was gold, and the eyelets the drawstrings threaded through on my tunic were bronze. All steel and iron available were used for weapons and fortifications, while the other metal flowing in from the capital was used for everything else.

    By design, the streets were only wide enough for a single carriage, as iron gates were ready to be swung closed across the bottleneck. There were fewer carriages rolling down the street, so the lack of space didn¡¯t hamper travel.

    While I¡¯d seen a lot of tents and wooden structures outside of the city, nearer the wall, the foundations were made of solid stone. There were no windows at ground level, so the street looked ready to transform into a canal if it wasn¡¯t for the reinforced iron doors.

    I had the small mana crystal that I¡¯d sewn into my robes sitting in the breast pocket of my tunic. It was off-centre and had less mana than my old necklace tended to contain, but it should be enough to pass as a mage unless a knight decided to scrutinise me.

    We walked past a few signs promoting clinics but carried out without a glance inside. Tayka was still in her uniform without the apron, waving to passersby and avoiding the chainmail-wearing Remnant knights loitering in large groups.

    There were fewer people on the winding streets compared to Drasda, but as I¡¯d sensed from the tunnels, more of them were mages. However, a more glaring difference was that everyone had a weapon on them, from daggers to broadswords, bows to miniature crossbows.

    Some were almost as well-armed as the knights and travelled in closely-knit groups. Like the knights, they all wore the speckled stone necklace that Tometh had given me. The two most prominent shades looked to represent the outer and second walls. My memory may have been failing me, but my necklace back in Drasda looked to be the second.

    ¡°Do we get them as a replacement?¡± I asked Andria, who was still on the opposite side of Darine.

    ¡°Nah¡­ maybe,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t really like them as customers when I worked in the inn.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a weird bunch,¡± Tayka said, having listened in when we explained why we were here to the elder. ¡°The red and white ones in chainmail are fanatics; you can¡¯t convince them of anything. The looters, don¡¯t call them that to their face, go into the city for roe or fun of it during the day and drink, telling stories of it all, during the evening. Good customers, but weird.¡±

    ¡°What do they like to be called?¡±

    ¡°Their group names, adventurers, collectors, explorers. Really anything but looter or thief,¡± Tayka said, stopping under the sign for another healer. ¡°Let¡¯s try here.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the old man¡¯s place?¡± Andria asked. ¡°Who¡¯s running it after his passing?¡±

    ¡°He took an apprentice before,¡± Tayka said, a smirk playing across her lips. ¡°Much easier to persuade.¡±

    She pushed open the door, provoking the chime of a small bell. ¡°Mauricio, I brought you customers.¡±

    Tayka was all smiles as she walked up to the young man sitting at a desk laden with glass vials and herbs. She went up on her toes to kiss his cheek, which had turned red before her lips brushed skin.

    His eyes darted over the three of us nervously before returning to her. ¡°Tay, what a surprise. I was, ah, planning to come see you at work after I was finished for the day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you,¡± Tayka said, linking her arm with his and turning Mauricio around to look at Darine. ¡°My friend¡¯s leg has been hurt quite badly, and we really need someone to help us. Can you take a look, please?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m, ah, between appointments at the moment, trying to recoup mana before the next.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­Just a short glance.¡±

    Mauricio sighed and refused to look her in the eye. ¡°I can just take a look. Nothing else.¡±

    Andria and I brought Darine over to a stool, and she folded her pants to reveal the damage. Tayka¡¯s smile faded as she sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.

    ¡°Nasty¡­Very nasty,¡± Mauricio said, examining the leg. ¡°May I?¡±

    Darine nodded, and he began running a finger across the deep gouges in her muscle. ¡°No infections, the bone seems intact. There''s some residual mana here, so it''s surely a ghoul¡¯s doing.¡±

    I squinted at the leg and couldn¡¯t sense any many at all in the leg.

    ¡°Diagnostic spell,¡± Mauricio offered, noticing my curiosity.

    I didn¡¯t acknowledge him, scolding myself for attracting attention the first time I was in a room with mages and witches. There was no answer I could give that would be appropriate in front of the girls and continue the conversation, so I stayed silent and watched the rest of his spellwork.

    The boy reminded me a lot of Quinten, someone who was timid until it came to his work. I spent the whole process of him examining Darine''s leg, watching his expression shift as he hunched over the injury.

    ¡°That¡¯s going to be expensive,¡± he said, straightening up.

    ¡°We have the roe,¡± Andria said. ¡°And items to barter.¡±

    ¡°And free drinks,¡± Tayka added.

    ¡°Expensive in terms of mana,¡± Mauricio corrected. ¡°I¡¯d need to rebuild the entire leg all at once to ensure all the ligaments form and attach properly. I need time beforehand to review some workpapers because it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done something this complex on the leg, taking away the time I can brew. And just in terms of mana, I¡¯m all booked out by the knights for the next week at the very least, and this will take a full reserve plus crystals.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know what the price of the smallest crystal has risen to,¡± he added.

    ¡°I can brew for you,¡± I said, getting a warning look from Andria.

    ¡°Kind of you, but there¡¯s a certain quality I need to uphold.¡±

    I ignored the barb and moved on to the next solution. ¡°What if we get the crystals for you?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I want to help. I really do, but I can¡¯t trust you with the few crystals I have. Not that you¡¯ll steal them, but someone else might. And even then, I¡¯m still booked out; using that much mana is strenuous, and I won¡¯t be ready for my clients. I¡¯ll make a space for you if there''s a change, but the earliest I can do it is three weeks from now.¡±

    ¡°No, no. Thank you for taking a look,¡± Tayka said, shooing us out. ¡°Sorry about all the questions. I¡¯ll see you later?¡±

    ¡°Looking forward to it.¡±

    We helped a sullen Darine to her feet and left the building, the chime of the bell following us out. Tayka marched down the street until no one else was with us. ¡°Are you¡­insane? Offering to do alchemy? Do you have a death wish?¡±

    Darine saw my confused look and sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t do any alchemy whatsoever outside the walls. It¡¯s a short leap from that to being labelled a witch. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± In hindsight, it was a justified worry, but I¡¯d been doing alright, telling everyone I could do alchemy without being branded a witch. At least out loud.

    When we returned to the inn, I was repaid for my gaffe by being tied into an apron and handed a wet rag. I was to wipe down all the tables after people had finished their lunch and collect all the dishes to take to the back kitchen.

    The constant back and forth, being waved down for requests and asked a hundred times if I was new, tired me more than avoiding a hoard of ghouls. When business picked up, and all the tables were filled, I was laden with plates and cups to take to tables. Maisie twirled through the chaos, as cheerful as ever, while Andria was similar to me, with a strained smile at constant risk of slipping.

    I didn¡¯t think I would survive the dinner rush.

 Chapter 75

    I kept my breathing shallow and even, not moving a muscle as Tayka¡¯s eyes brushed over my huddled form under the blankets. Andria was making it difficult to pretend to be asleep with her racket. She was grumbling, hopping around on one foot, and attempting to get the other through the leg of her pants.

    There wasn¡¯t much space in the room, which was almost entirely occupied by six beds, trucks at the foot of each, and a desk. So, when Andria bumped into my bedframe, and I didn¡¯t stir, the farce was up.

    After waking up before sunrise every day for weeks to bake flatbread, collect eggs, chop vegetables, and brew tea, I was tired. It was different to the chores I was used to at the cottage or abbey, but they weren¡¯t the worst part. The customers were the real drain on the soul, incessant in their demands for more food and drink in less time.

    Tayka nudged my back with the tip of her shoe. ¡°Move it.¡±

    I gave up, throwing my blankets off and shuffling towards the trunk with my uniform. Maisie intercepted and grabbed my shoulders, steering me towards the lavatory instead. She had a half-finished braid between her teeth and eyed my hair to urge me to dismantle the bird''s nest that had formed overnight.

    The five of us had been given a room to share at the Marchland Inn with access to a single laboratory. It was still better than the makeshift facilities I had at the cottage, but it had its own horrors. Andria wove past us to grab a blouse she¡¯d left on the floor and ducked back out, almost taking the only brush before noticing my more pressing need.

    Darine and Ulia kept out of the way by staying on their beds, making the walkway less crowded. Darine was reading as she would be for the rest of the day, still waiting for the healer to contact us. Similarly, Ulia was trying to go back to sleep since she couldn¡¯t leave the inn because she was barred from the town.

    Maisie sat me in front of the mirror and placed the brush in my outstretched hand. She skipped away, her uniform devoid of wrinkles and finished tying together her hair. She and Ulia were the most affected by our move outside the city, though in the opposite manner.

    Ulia was more irritable than usual from being cooped up inside, while Maisie enjoyed every moment in the kitchen and serving guests. I was indifferent and starting to get used to yet another drastic change in my daily life. Andria was plodding along, more focused on our goals than the rest of us combined. Tayka leaned against the wall beside the door, arms crossed and eyes closed, trying to catch up on the sleep she missed from keeping us in order.

    The elders had already sent a runner to check how much longer we¡¯d be thrice, and she didn¡¯t want to be drawn back to the abbey with us. They¡¯d found Zara''s remains a while ago, but besides that, there wasn¡¯t anything else they wanted to discuss about him other than his replacement.

    We already had a few candidates we were discussing¡ªnot whether they were suitable, but how long we should delay so we didn¡¯t have to go back so soon.

    I left the harder-to-corral curls in my hair, debating whether or not to cut it all off again, and went to change.

    We trailed down the stairs from the third floor, careful not to wake the guests we were walking past. We didn¡¯t need to talk once in the kitchen and broke off to our different workstations to prepare breakfast. My knife work with the vegetables was improving, but I was nowhere near the other girls who gave me the easier tasks out of pity.

    And to stop me from holding everyone up. I was used to cooking for two, not twenty.

    My customer interactions were surprisingly good compared to the other girls, especially considering I often forgot to smile. They struggled to conceal their contempt for anyone they assumed to be a mage from their clothing and gear. The forced smiles were well practised, but only Maisie was genuinely happy to be amongst them.

    I unhooked the teapot dangling above the fire and decanted it into crystal jugs with bags of dried leaves that didn¡¯t match the rest of the inn¡¯s aesthetics. They had been taken from inside the city and sold out here far cheaper than they ever should have been elsewhere in the kingdom. The settlement was overflowing with items I would sooner find in the palace than an inn in Drasda.

    Maisie was already at the front of the house, caring for the few people who wandered in earlier than the rest. These were mainly looters and knights who wanted something quick to eat before patrolling or an excursion into the city.

    A regular group of four was getting their order taken by Maisie as I set the crystal jug down and started bringing out cups from behind the counter.

    My heart tightened at the sight, yet unlike when I first laid eyes on them, I didn¡¯t drop what I was carrying.

    A large shield rested against the wall near the group''s table, accompanied by a spear, longbow, and shortsword. They belonged to the group that had fought in the auction house against Evie, the cat-s¨¬th, but now with a replacement for Aisling, the dead elf mage.

    They¡¯d been coming here most mornings, probably due to the preferential treatment since Maisie and Andria both wanted to recruit them to replace Zara in the coven¡¯s plans.

    Nickolas, the centaur, sat with his legs folded underneath him in place of where a table should have been but was moved to accommodate his size. I tried not to stare as the person who took up more space than Polem pinched a teacup¡¯s handle and gently brought it to his lips. Petrick sat at the head of the table in his chainmail and steel plating, flanked by the spear user Dyana and another woman.

    I glanced over while pouring another cup for the centaur, waiting for the new woman to brush her straw-coloured hair back and reveal her ears. It didn¡¯t matter if she was, but I was still curious if they chose to recruit another Elvish person to be their mage.

    Despite presumably staying behind Petrick and Dyana, she still wore chainmail that didn¡¯t appear to be made of steel but rather interwoven fibres. Even Nickolas had chainlinks peaking out from underneath a thick gambison that lay over his rear. Their weapons and armour were well suited to fighting with ghouls and already had the markings to show their worth.

    I¡¯d taken a look at one of the many stores selling just that, but couldn¡¯t afford anything substantial and couldn¡¯t imagine lugging it all around. Most of it was designed to be shrunk or used by mages who knew how to strengthen their bodies to handle the weight. So, I stuck to relying on my claws and the gauntlet stashed upstairs.

    After fake pouring the same cup of tea four times, there weren¡¯t any more tasks I could pretend to do behind the counter. I retreated into the kitchen to stir a few pots and poke flatbread to see if it was ready.

    The guilt of Aisling¡¯s death had latched onto me again after seeing the group for the first time since. However, it was easier to let go than before. The thought of that night still made me pause and sent a shiver down my spine, but it no longer had a hold on me.

    Andria handed me a plate of steaming mushrooms that Nickolas had ordered down to the exact spices we should use. I spread my fingers under the plate and picked up a water pitcher on my way out.

    A few mages had entered, and I sighed, pushing my hip into the door. I had my mana crystal in my pocket, but it was a dangerous game pretending to be a witch and mage in the company of both. A few mages had brought up my mana, and I¡¯d brushed it off quickly by saying it was too small a reserve to cast. They pitied that enough to not continue with the conversation or bring it up again.

    Always worrying about it was still bothersome, so I didn¡¯t like serving them. With everyone else busy, it was up to chance whether Maisie or I would take their orders.

    I let the door swing close behind me and froze, dropping the water pitcher. It thudded off the floor and rolled to the side, spilling its contents. The plate of mushrooms had tipped to the side as I reeled. A few fell to the floor, landing in the growing puddle of water. I managed to keep the plate steady to save the rest, and I knelt on the ground behind the counter to avoid all the heads turning my way. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Seriously, Patela?¡± Maisie said from across the room. ¡°Again?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, too worried to feel embarrassed, lifting the plate above my head to push it onto the counter. ¡°Mushrooms¡­ I¡¯ll go get a mop for the water.¡±

    ¡°At least she saved your plate this time,¡± Petrick said, laughing with his group.

    I stayed low to the ground to avoid the knights seeing me as I ducked back into the kitchen. Maisie stomped over to the plate, sighing and apologising for my clumsiness. The Remnant Knights chuckled at a joke I couldn¡¯t hear, but I could still pick out a hair-raising voice from amongst them.

    Captain Tometh was at the forefront of the group, in the same red and white regalia I¡¯d seen him in outside Ulasa. I didn¡¯t know if I had been memorable, but I wasn¡¯t taking that chance for even a moment. There couldn¡¯t have been too many times he rode across the kingdom to root out a coven, so I doubted he had forgotten about me.

    I practically crawled into the kitchen to the stunned silence of Andria, mid-chop into a skinned animal''s leg.

    ¡°Drop something again?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No¡ªyes. Someone in there knows I¡¯m a¡­¡±

    Andria¡¯s eyebrows climbed as she absorbed my explanation. She put down the knife and wiped her hands across the leather apron tied around her waist. ¡°Did they recognise you?¡±

    I shook my head, standing up and pulling at the soaked bottom of my pants. ¡°Maybe?¡±

    Andria looked around, but no one was listening to us over their conversation and noisy workstations. The elder was resting in her office as usual, so there was no one to go to for help. I didn¡¯t need to be told what to do; I wasn¡¯t going back in there again till the knights had all left.

    ¡°Go out the back in case they saw you. Take whatever cloak fits.¡±

    I would have gone upstairs to wait, but leaving wasn¡¯t a bad idea. I undid the ties of my apron and hung it over a nearby stool. ¡°You¡¯ll need to bring a mop with you. There''s a lot of water behind the counter.¡±

    Andria rolled her eyes and waved me off, glancing towards the door. She couldn¡¯t tell that the mages were still in the same position, not caring for the clumsy girl. I was confident they hadn¡¯t seen me, but I still wanted to leave and getting out of catering for the upcoming crowd wasn¡¯t a bad outcome.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause more trouble. Go to the market or something.¡±

    I wove through the kitchen and to the back door, taking down a smaller wool-lined cloak from a hanger. I pulled up the hood, which was not uncommon with the light snowfall, and left through the back garden. The herbs planted there were for use in the kitchen but in quantities that we couldn¡¯t hope to get through. Like most orders that came into the inn, the leftovers were sent back to the abbey for their cooking or certain alchemy mixtures.

    The small garden had a stone wall to continue the settlement''s defensive nature. I undid the latch on the reinforced door and exited onto a narrow side street, letting the latch fall back in place.

    I added my footsteps to a thin layer of fresh snow from the night before, stepping over discarded pallets and rubbish to the nearest intersection with the main thoroughfare.

    A covered wagon laden with artefacts from the capital rumbled past on its way to a city that would value them more. It had come from the town''s market sector, a large courtyard encased in iron fences. Despite Andria¡¯s advice and my lack of concern about being followed, I didn¡¯t feel like walking into a large cage.

    I thought about following the wagon or asking for a ride to whichever city they were off to. Only my new attachment to the gauntlet still hidden upstairs stopped me. I couldn¡¯t even pretend I was helping anymore by staffing an inn and wasn¡¯t enthusiastic about going back into the capital to find more trouble.

    The cart passed, and I made no effort to follow. I half expected half wished I¡¯d see Yis, Annalise or even Faraya¡¯s face beneath the hoods of some of the riders that passed with it. It would have been delusional to think they¡¯d come to get me while in the capital, but out here, it was easier to hope.

    Despite that desire, I wasn¡¯t doing this for them anymore. I was in the centre of something that had started back in Tamil. While I didn¡¯t know everything, I was confident I knew more about it than anyone else, and I wanted to know more.

    I wanted to know what the Ambuya was up to, why so much Dragon¡¯s breath was being made, why Zara was here for the crown and what they had to do with the Opera house attack. There were so many questions I didn¡¯t think I would ever get answers to, but if I left, that would be the end.

    I leaned against the wall out of the way of foot traffic, where I could see the inn¡¯s entrance. Cloaked figures with swords sticking out or bows hooked over their shoulder streamed in, eager to beat the rush and get into the capital. It would have caused alarm in any other city, but here it was entirely normal.

    Nikolas exited the inn, ducking to avoid the doorframe, and was followed by the rest of his team. They all carried bundles wrapped in wax paper, placing them into knapsacks while walking. They didn¡¯t eat much at the table when they had an excursion to go on and didn¡¯t want to waste time and be stuck behind other looters.

    He wasn¡¯t the only centaur in the city, but there weren¡¯t many. Nicholas turned heads along the street and parted crowds, his team following in his wake. I pushed off the wall to follow them but let my back fall back against the stone. It would have been interesting to see what being a looter was like, but I had a more reckless target in mind.

    Tometh and his entourage left the inn holding a sack that felt like gold and silver, and I panicked slightly as they turned my way.

    They marched past without a glance, and I left some space before following them. Reporting the elders to them had crossed my mind, yet I didn¡¯t like either party in this situation. While sicking the knights on the elders could solve a lot of problems, I wasn¡¯t about to have my friends chased around by a bunch of zealots.

    The crowd parted just as widely for the knights as they had the centaur. We were heading deeper into the settlement down streets I hadn¡¯t yet explored. I told myself this was simply to know where to avoid going in the town. The captain stopped to enter more establishments, exiting with more containers of coin he¡¯d hand off to his subordinates.

    Threads of a scheme came together in my mind and almost always dead-ended, sometimes with horrifying consequences. Contacting Jeremy¡¯s team back in Drasda was the best of them, so I continued my pursuit.

    One of the group glanced back at me for a moment, and I worried I was being too obvious in following them. I walked past the next building they entered and stopped at a stall to wait for them to pass again. The owner wasn¡¯t too happy I left without buying anything, but it was less suspicious than stopping every time they did.

    I was careful not to let my gaze linger on them too long, unsure how other people perceived being watched.

    They entered a cafe, where there was a commotion before Tometh exited with significantly less coinage in the sack than from other places. I¡¯d thought this was simply tax collection that I¡¯d heard people complain about so much, but I doubted violence was supposed to be involved in that.

    I had expected the knights to be on the front lines, stationed in the watchtowers and capital walls. Not in settlements, going door to door to collect payment. The looters and the incentive of treasure seemed to have taken over their duties to protect.

    We carried on deeper into the town, past less protected buildings with the glass displays I was used to. One building stood out, a tall structure made entirely of marble blocks from the outer wall with protruding turrets on each corner. It was surrounded by a metal fence patrolled by knights in the same red and white.

    I stopped at the turn, not daring to get any closer since there were few people not in uniform walking down the street. The group walked up to the guardhouse near the only entrance and the gate swung open after a short discussion.

    An enchantment flowed like a wave through the steel fencing, promising a lightning strike to whoever touched the bars at the wrong time. The interval between the enchantment going the full way around the perimeter and back didn¡¯t seem long enough for someone to climb over, especially a non-mage. The air above was wrapped in a thin bubble of mana that didn¡¯t have any orders attached to it.

    I found what I was looking for connected at the top of the turrets: a large golden disk meant to catch the pulses of mana and translate them. I stood far back and watched the patrols'' movements, trying to find a way inside that didn¡¯t involve lightning and unknown enchantments.

    The problem was that if I got inside, I didn¡¯t know how to use the system to contact Jeremy. I hit my head back into the wall I was leaning against, worried they wouldn''t do anything even if I did contact him.

    I found a nearby eatery to sit at where I could still see the guardhouse and surrounding grounds of the knights'' bastion. I wondered if following the team of looters may have been a better opportunity. After the witches left for the interior, they would need a new tunnel system to the outside, and I could sell the information of where the current one was¡­

    I rested my chin on my palm, frowning at the idea of the witches moving to the interior and leaving behind the inn set to continue operating. It still made little sense.

    Perhaps breaking into the elder¡¯s study would be an easier and more illuminating endeavour.

 Chapter 76

    I walked my fingers across the paper folders that stood upright in the desk drawer, annoyed at the seeming lack of order. For a rare moment, the elder''s study was vacant while she had dinner downstairs in the private room with some visitors. I was also free from my responsibilities since when the elder heard one of the knights knew I was a witch; she banished me upstairs.

    There was no lock on the study door and no curses to be found in the room. The second was so the knights had no evidence, but the first seemed lazy. However, there was no real reason for this room to be protected because there was nothing of interest inside.

    I pulled out a sheet of paper, skimmed over the costs for the inn from a year ago at this point and slotted it back in place. Everything here was related to the running of Marchland Inn without so much as a mention of the abbey or alchemy. I gently closed the stubborn drawer and pulled out the next, rifling through the assortment of items inside.

    I pocketed a stylised clip for holding together sheets of paper, even after telling myself not to. The brief shiver of satisfaction that ran down my spine wasn¡¯t worth the potential of the elder finding out someone had been in her study, but I didn¡¯t put it back.

    The rest of the dim room was occupied by shelving, and another desk with a terrarium sat atop it¡ªnothing that could speak to the coven¡¯s plans. The centipede inside the terrarium wasn¡¯t interested in anything outside its glass enclosure and refused my offer to be let out.

    I stood from my crouch behind the desk and walked around it, taking one last look before leaving. There were a number of sealed letters I wanted to get into, but that was a step too far since I couldn¡¯t re-melt the wax seal.

    I stopped, reexamining this week¡¯s budget at the centre of the table. It had been the first item I looked at, and I hadn¡¯t given it any attention besides a cursory glance. After skimming through many of the older budgets and how they were done, I saw it in a new light.

    The older reports of weekly expenses, sales, room occupancy and our schedules were done in full ten-day weeks. They had writings on them that overlapped days and notes in the margin for what to remember for next week. The one sitting on her desk with a pencil resting across it was for twelve days, two extra columns scribbled in.

    We were already most of the way through the week, yet there was no writing on the margin, and none of the schedules extended past the eleventh day.

    There were no orders to restock the kitchen written after yesterday, even for the items I¡¯d noticed were in low supply. Nothing new was planned to enter the inn after today. I opened a different drawer where I¡¯d found a movement for the inventory. Some of the abbreviations and symbols didn¡¯t make sense, but the overall message was clear. The inn was almost out of its food stock.

    There was a chance the elder had just been lazy, that the extra days didn¡¯t mean anything.

    Yet I was certain the aim was to leave the inn soon.

    I arranged the paper and pencil back in the exact spot where I¡¯d found them and quietly left after sensing no one was in the hallway. There was no reason for me to be on the top floor where the study was, so I quickly descended to where our room was located.

    Ulia and Darine were still inside, trying to occupy themselves for the remainder of the day.

    ¡°Still not ready?¡± Ulia asked after noticing my empty hands.

    ¡°A little while longer,¡± I said, having used checking if dinner was ready as an excuse to leave. I thought about broaching the subject of not going back to the capital but cowardly carried on with mundane topics. I still had four days to talk with them until the twelve of the budget ended.

    ¡­

    I continued that mentality each day as I woke up and the countdown dropped. ¡®I still had tomorrow¡¯ was today¡¯s excuse. It was the last day of the week when the inn was supposed to be the busiest while everyone else enjoyed a break, but we were closed for ¡®repairs¡¯. Two days left, and I was more confident than ever that we were abandoning the inn.

    The number of runners from the abbey had increased as the vaults in the basement were emptied. Given no reasoning behind the move, we spent the day in a line to pass the items down the ladder to the tunnel. The prevailing sentiment was that it was annoying busywork and we would be doing the opposite in short order, with some suggestions about an impending raid from the knights.

    Darine stood alongside us, leaning against a cane when her arms were free. She¡¯d received partial treatment to fix her leg that didn¡¯t fully regrow the muscle enough to hold her weight. We lacked the mana crystals and funds to get the job done despite handing over exactly that to the runners in the tunnel.

    Individuals and businesses needed a licence presided over by the remnants to extract and sell items from the capital, which were heavily taxed.

    I knew that firsthand, as I¡¯d tried to follow Petrick and his group into the capital and was turned away at the gatehouse. There were only two pathways to take inside: through a narrow gated section between marble blocks in the gatehouse or up a ladder to use the rooftops.

    Both had knights waving through those they recognised while the line to exit was thoroughly inspected for items they may have found inside.

    According to the elder, we had no way of selling off the crystals, gems and gold without putting the inn in unnecessary danger. ¡®Unnecessary¡¯ was the keyword, and I watched Darine as she handed off a mana crystal to the next person in line.

    ¡°Tayka!¡± the elder shouted from the door to the cellar.

    ¡°On an errand!¡±

    ¡°Patela!¡±

    I paused for a moment, surprised to hear my name as the second option. I left my place in the procession and shuffled past the other girls in the cramped hallway.

    The elder didn¡¯t stay too long, pointing towards the seating area. ¡°Go serve those ingrates while I send a runner. Just keep them seated.¡±

    ¡°Yes, elder.¡±

    Our front door had been locked, and a sign had been nailed to it, so I wasn¡¯t sure why we had guests. The mages and steel in the room gave me pause, but one set of chainmail was in the shape of a horse''s body, so I went in.

    The group all turned from where they had each been reading a sheet of paper. ¡°Ah, they sent the clumsy one.¡±

    The tone was light-hearted, so I smiled and walked up beside Petrick. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to ask if you want anything.¡±

    ¡°Supposed to?¡± Nicholas asked.

    I skimmed through the contracts they were holding. Petrick, after noticing my interest, held it out so I could see better. Maisie had convinced the elder this was the group to give the task to, not that she had many options. ¡°Very vague.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Dyana said. ¡°Could you comment on what it is you want us to do besides a ¡®dangerous but well-compensated task.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Well-compensated is an understatement. These figures are far past what an inn could earn in a lifetime,¡± the mage, Naimeen, said.

    I dragged a chair from another table to theirs and plopped down. ¡°It is, but you don¡¯t want to get involved with these people regardless of the payout.¡±

    ¡°These people?¡± Petrick asked, looking pointedly at my apron.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving after today,¡± I said.

    ¡°The words of disgruntled staff then,¡± Nickolas said dismissively. ¡°You were better off claiming to speak for the establishment if you wanted to dissuade us.¡±

    ¡°Not when I want to accuse the establishment of being involved with the Opera House incident in Drasda,¡± I said.

    His eyebrows rose. ¡°They caught the people responsible for that.¡±

    ¡°Except for the witch,¡± Dyana said, eyeing my face.

    ¡°None of them here match her description,¡± Petrick said, probably taking of Ulia.

    ¡°But this is the first place I¡¯d choose to hide out in if I was running from any of the duchies,¡± Naimeen said.

    ¡°So now she¡¯s accusing the inn she works at of collaborating with witches,¡± Nickolas scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t see any substance in your accusations.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t accepted the contact yet; stop being so defensive of it,¡± Dyana said.

    ¡°You know, I was there that day at the gambling house,¡± I said, all eyes locking on me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened to Aisling.¡±

    ¡°Kind of you,¡± Petrick said with a frown. ¡°But what bearing does that have on this discussion.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve seen you fight. And you¡¯re not strong enough to go after what they want you to.¡±

    Nickolas slammed a fist on the table and scuffed the flooring with a hoof. Petrick raised a hand before he could let out the tirade building up behind his lips. ¡°Your warnings are as vague as the contract. Speak plainly.¡±

    ¡°They want you to go to the castle at the centre of the city and retrieve¡ª¡±

    Naimeen tearing the contract in half interrupted the rest of my very persuasive speech. ¡°I already didn¡¯t like this. If you sign, you¡¯re doing this without me.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying. No one credible has made it past the second wall yet,¡± Nickolas said.

    I tilted my head, not adding another unbelievable story to the conversation.

    ¡°We don¡¯t take jobs without everyone¡¯s agreement. It¡¯s over. I had my reservations from the start, but this seals it. I¡¯m out too,¡± Dyana said.

    Petrick sighed, letting the contract fall to the table. ¡°Fine. Do we need to report these people to the knights?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not getting involved with them again over the words of some girl,¡± Nickolas said.

    ¡°They already know,¡± I lied. ¡°Why ¡®again?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Mana-infused ghouls have been appearing at the edge of the outer district,¡± Petrick said. ¡°The smaller teams are complaining about them, but the knights claim it''s a temporary migration issue. Whatever that means.¡±

    I shrugged, not willing to divulge more and get in trouble before I had a chance to leave. ¡°If you leave quickly, you can avoid an awkward conversation, and I¡¯d rather you not tell her why you¡¯re turning down the contract.¡±

    ¡°Can I have a cup before we leave?¡± Nickolas asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Once the grumbling ended, the group left, offering scant thanks despite my saving their lives. They asked about who I was and my involvement on their way out, but I said little. The one interesting tidbit I overheard was them discussing going back to Drasda for the arrival of Aisling¡¯s parents. I thought of asking to go with them, but I felt like I¡¯d already pushed their patience to the limit.

    I got a pot of tea and poured it into four cups at the table to show I¡¯d done my job at serving them. I sipped on each and drained Nickolas¡¯ in case the elder knew about his proclivity for tea.

    I hadn¡¯t expected an opportunity to talk to them to be dropped in my lap and had planned to find them later if they¡¯d accepted the deal. The elder would be more mad at me this way since I was there when they declined, but I didn¡¯t care. I already had a knapsack with all my gauntlet, some coinage, and clothes hidden amongst the bushes in the garden, ready to leave.

    The only thing left I wanted to do was talk with girls I shared a room with about not going back, yet I hadn¡¯t found the opportunity to broach the subject.

    I sat in Petrick¡¯s spot, sipping on the rest of his tea, debating whether or not to leave before the elder got angry at their departure.

    The elder walked in to find me collecting tea cups onto a tray and froze, the door almost hitting her as it swung closed. ¡°Where are they?¡±

    I shook my head while pouting. ¡°One said it wasn¡¯t worth it, and then they all started agreeing and left.¡±

    ¡°You think gold is an issue here? You were supposed to keep them in their seats! I could have offered double, triple. How long ago did they leave?¡±

    I shrunk in on myself. ¡°A while ago. They didn¡¯t listen to me or care when I offered them free lunch.¡±

    She ran a hand through her hair while the other tensed, almost crumpling a sealed letter. The elder said nothing else before storming off towards the cellar, probably to send another runner.

    I wiped the frown from my lips, straightened my back, and took the tea set back to the kitchen. The back door was a few steps away, and no one was around to see me leave. Instead, I returned to the cellar to help unload the rest of the treasure, confident in my ability to leave later.

    Until the elder called us all upstairs for an announcement.

    The two groups of us that did most of the tasks around the inn, the women sitting next to their partners and shop owners from around the settlement who I hadn¡¯t known were aligned with the witches, were just able to fit in the available seating. I also recognised many of our regular customers who hadn¡¯t made any indication they knew what was going on at the inn.

    The announcement that we all needed to leave this evening and start packing shocked the room, bar me. Everyone had their gripe with the announcement: Tayka and her group were annoyed to be leaving their rotation halfway through. Those with partners didn¡¯t want to leave the homes and lives they¡¯d built outside the abbey. The shopkeepers and merchants had no interest in leaving behind their stores and businesses.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± The elder said after letting everyone run their mouths for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve just received word from our people. The knights know our names and addresses¡ª¡±

    She kept trying to talk, but the outcry drowned her out. I kept quiet, wondering how this would factor into my leaving.

    A piercing whistle brought back everyone¡¯s attention, only to be broken by a question from the audience. ¡°How did this happen?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡±

    To my surprise, there were no indignant shouts. Everyone turned to their neighbour, wondering if it was them who had outed everyone. I was worried for a moment, but I hadn¡¯t done anything that could be misconstrued as betrayal and tried to calm down.

    ¡°The raids are planned for first light. Return to your homes, pack up your valuables and meet back here before midnight.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t all fit in the abbey,¡± a mother with a girl sitting on her knee said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ambuya has a plan. We won¡¯t be staying in the abbey for long. They will have far more pressing issues to deal with besides a few missing people.¡±

    The elder took a few more questions, using her answers to assuage the growing worry more than inform everyone what would happen.

    The girls and I went to our room to pack with the others living at the inn.

    I piled clothes into a spare knapsack while my real valuables were already outside in the garden and threw out my long-winded and carefully planned speech to convince the girls to leave with me. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go back to the abbey.¡±

    Ulia looked up from where she sat on her bed, re-stringing her bow. Darine paused in her hobble across the room to where her books lay. Andria and Maisie poked their heads out of the lavatory, where they were snaffling the soap. ¡°You want us to stay where the knights know who we are?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, realising the gaping hole in my argument. ¡°I want to go somewhere else in the kingdom. Anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time,¡± Ulia said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back either, but I don¡¯t see another option,¡± Maisie said.

    ¡°We walk out of the settlement and keep walking till we find somewhere better.¡±

    The shaking heads were discouraging, but I continued. ¡°Anywhere is better than the abbey. Look at what happened to Darine, and the elders couldn¡¯t bring themselves to help properly.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t use me for your argument. I understand why,¡± Darine said, using her cane to find a bed to sit on.

    ¡°You deserve better than to be used for their plans, whether that be getting to the interior or menacing Drasda with dragon¡¯s breath,¡± I said, looking pointedly at Ulia.

    Tayka came to hurry us along, and I continued the attempt to persuade them in hushed whispers as we went downstairs. Maisie was the most open to leaving, but I couldn¡¯t break through the fear of the knights capturing her.

    My mouth clamped shut as we entered the lobby again. A leaking knee-high barrel sat in the centre of the tables and chairs while another was being rolled in. The man set the barrel upright and yanked a cork plug from the base.

    A piece of dragon¡¯s breath dislodged with the water flowing out and floated onto the floorboards as the barrel drained. He placed a wax-coated length of silver wire into the hole and slowly trailed it towards the cellar.

    Instead of ducking into the kitchen and leaving out back to never be seen again, I followed after the man with everyone else. A line of people were already passing luggage and boxes down the ladder. The length of wire was dropped down alongside them, joining three more.

    Stranglers joined us in the cramped and empty cellar, adding their belongings to the line. Once everything was gone, we started to climb down. I stayed in the back, ready to turn and leave with every step forward in the queue.

    I was one of the last to start the descent. The safe with the hollowed-out bottom couldn¡¯t close with the detonation wire in the way, so I didn¡¯t feel trapped. I wanted to check if there were more barrels in the tunnel and if seeing their use would persuade at least Maisie to come with me. I could always stay in the back of the pack and stop walking, leaving me behind to fade into the darkness.

    I stepped off the last rung and took the last space against the wall. Everyone else was still nearby, leaning against the wall to allow the elder to walk along the corridor. Our baggage was further ahead, also piled against the wall. The younger children were upset at the limited light from a few lanterns and the dark shadows we cast in the musty space.

    The wires carried on into the darkness with no other barrels nearby.

    ¡°That everyone?¡± the elder asked. We all looked around to see if anyone was missing. A few names were called to check, and answers were given to all. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°One more thing before we leave,¡± she said, pulling out a cursed needle from an iron tin. ¡°Someone here will need to answer for their crimes against us.¡±

    The curse was concentrated in the head of the needle, which was too small and complex to determine quickly, besides knowing it wasn¡¯t immediately deadly.

    ¡°Is this necessary,¡± a father said. ¡°There are children here.¡±

    ¡°Never too early to learn what happens to those who sell out your families to the death squads.¡±

    The elder brought out the letter I¡¯d seen her with after I chased away Petrick, the same I¡¯d seen on her desk. It was now open. I took a step towards the ladder, not liking my slight connection to the evidence being produced.

    ¡°This is a list of all of us here,¡± she continued. ¡°It was handed back to me after one of our own tried to have it delivered to the knights, not knowing her courier was with our cause.¡±

    I took another step towards the ladder. The few men, now absolved, looked at the woman around them.

    ¡°Why? Why did you give this to those mercenaries, Patela?¡±

    Most people didn¡¯t know who I was to turn to, but those who did turned in shock.

    ¡°No, no! You were the one with that letter, and they left before while you still had it. Open it! That¡¯s not my handwriting.¡±

    Everyone now knew who the accused was and stared at me as I backed into the ladder. The elder unfurled the letter, presenting it to everyone. ¡°It isn¡¯t? Does anyone here wish to second that claim?¡±

    ¡°No one else has seen my writing in Common. This¡ªthis¡ªYou¡¯re just using me to force everyone out of the settlement. I didn¡¯t write that. I didn¡¯t know half these people existed before today.¡±

    A few heads turned towards the elder for an explanation, but more angry glares stayed levelled towards me. The man that had brought in the barrels stepped towards me.

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Maisie said. ¡°I don¡¯t think Patela met most people here. I didn¡¯t even recognise a few.¡±

    ¡°We can debate this at the abbey,¡± Darine said. ¡°I don¡¯t think Patela could have or would have done this.¡±

    The elder was halfway to me, the needle pinched between her fingertips. Those beside her leaned away at her passing. ¡°Do you not feel ashamed, Patela, that the people defending you don¡¯t know your real name? That you lied to us about your mother?¡±

    My heart racing, I lifted my food, failing to put it on the rung as the man reached out to grip my wrist. ¡°No¡­I didn¡¯t do this. I¡¯m just the easiest to blame for your scheme. You wrote that letter. You want this as an excuse to make people leave.¡±

    ¡°Really, Valeria? So many lies. You think we didn¡¯t check on your story and find that you lied about Caoimhe?¡±

    The elder was steps away from me, a wicked smile on her face. She passed those who had previously defended me and now only looked at me with hurt and confusion.

    It was over. No defence was left despite my innocence for the worst of the crimes.

    I took a deep breath as the elder closed in and raised my hand. She paused, blinking slowly in confusion. A wave of air burst from my palm, launching her along the gap. Everyone hid their faces as their hair flew wildly in the tempest. The needle flew into the darkness and tumbled out of the range of my senses.

    The grip on my wrist tightened as the offender watched the elder skid to a halt. I formed claws on my opposite hand and dug them into his arm until he let go.

    Before anyone lifted their head, I turned to climb out of the tunnel.

 Chapter 77

    Angered shouts and a stray arrow clamoured off the walls of the ladder shaft. Someone shook the ladder, but I hardly felt the vibrations from where I was.

    I¡¯d used the name Patela for so long that it instinctively drew my attention below, but I didn¡¯t heed the calls to come back and brushed off the accusations of cowardice. Ulia started to climb when it was clear I wouldn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die with them, you mutt!¡± ¡°Go up and grab her!¡± ¡°Bring it down. Pull it off the walls.¡±

    I reached the top and slammed the vault door, the wiring from the barrels in the way. The first slam cut through the wax coating, and it took three more to snap the thin silver inside. I spun the locking mechanism and tested the handle¡ªit didn¡¯t budge.

    I picked up the ends of the wires and followed them out of the cellar. The first led to a barrel in the now barren treasure room. I yanked it out from afar despite them no longer being connected and replaced the stopper that had been discarded to the side. I went to refill the barrels with water directly before acknowledging it wasn¡¯t the best idea.

    Instead, I filled a bucket and tested the mana-made water on a single piece of dragon¡¯s breath before pouring it all in. It took more than a few trips with the bucket, but I was soon onto the next barrel.

    The second and third were in the lobby and kitchen; they got the same treatment as the last. The inn coming down was assured with just one, so altogether, the three had enough dragon¡¯s breath stuffed in them that I worried for the nearby buildings.

    The lamps along the wall hadn¡¯t been topped up with oil, and the few still lit were burning low and casting long shadows. The water heating had been turned off before everyone left, so I was alone in an ice-cold inn with enough explosives to level the street, stilling at every noise and dark corner.

    I worried that the elder was not lying and that the knights had been alerted and would be outside in mere moments. I drained the mana from my crystal, prepared to disappear at the slightest bump on the door and headed through the kitchen. A winter coat with a hole in the elbows was the only one left near the locked back door. It would have to suffice.

    I donned the worn-out coat and rubbed my hands together, dreading the midnight chill waiting for me. The night air rushed through the gap the second I opened the door, and a shiver went down my spine.

    My knapsack was in the same place I¡¯d left it, but now covered in frost. The gauntlet was too difficult to wear and conceal with the amount of mana it used up, so it stayed in the bag.

    The garden¡¯s back gate creaked into the silent night as I left, not bothering to lock it. I ignored the eeriness of the streets glowing in the sporadic lamp posts and ran. The knapsack bounced against my back as I turned down empty alleys towards the only place I could call for help.

    The knights¡¯ bastion came into view, one of the few well-lit places in the city. I approached the guardhouse, rehearsing my most convincing argument for why they should let me in to talk with their superiors. Climbing the gate and getting past the unknown bubble enchantment wasn¡¯t feasible or wise when getting the Remnant¡¯s help was paramount.

    I strode up to a counter sticking out of the guardhouse.

    ¡°Good evening. There¡¯s¡ª¡± I started and promptly shut my mouth.

    The young guard was wrapped so thoroughly in blankets that I barely caught his closed eyes. I leaned through the window, searching for others inside the cramped structure. Instead, I found a spear leaning against the wall within reach and small cards with a signature on each piled in a neat little stack.

    I poked one of them, guessing they were handed out to authorised guests.

    The gravel path between the gate and bastion crunched beneath my boots. Patrols leant against the walls within the light and strolled around corners with spears draped over their shoulders. My gait was steady but quick as I marched towards the reinforced double doors left open a crack. No one shouted for me to stop as I entered the warmth of the heated foyer and pushed the door shut again.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡±

    The lady was sunk into a plush chair with her legs tucked beneath her. She was dressed in a red and white style similar to the knights but was probably more used to being behind the desk. She was in the only decorated corner of the otherwise bare room, with bookshelves that reached the ceiling behind the selection of rigid chairs.

    She shut the book she¡¯d been reading and set it down, walking over to the horseshoe-shaped desk that took up an entire wall.

    I read through the signs posted on each of the foyer doors, finally finding the one I wanted: communication.

    ¡°Is Captain Tometh in?¡±

    Her eyebrows raised, and the smile twitched at the corner of her lips. ¡°At this hour? May I ask why?¡±

    I sidestepped closer to the door labelled ¡®communication¡¯ before answering. ¡°He said I needed to go directly to him with this information.¡±

    ¡°What might that be? Anything you can tell the good captain can be shared here.¡±

    I shrugged, which frustrated the woman. ¡°I already went through all of this with the guard outside. Can I just leave the information with you? If he gets mad that I¡¯m not around to answer his questions about the witch, then you can explain why?¡±

    She glowered while mulling over my words before motioning for me to pass her the paper I¡¯d taken from the guard house. She leaned over the front of her desk for a seal and aggressively added another stamp of approval to the signature. ¡°Take the door to the back left, spiral staircase at the end of the hall all the way to the top floor. He¡¯ll be in his office.¡±

    I resisted frowning since the communications area was to the right and went for the door, feeling her gaze on the back of my head the whole way. Beyond the door was a long carpeted hallway that led to one of the corner turrets. Instead of listening to her advice, I took the staircase to the immediate right.

    The hallway along the next floor ran along the edge of the building, looking out over a paved courtyard and towards the communications area. I hesitated; perhaps the captain would contact Drasda for reinforcements after I talked to him without my sneaking about. However, there was an even greater likelihood he¡¯d lock me up for even appearing in front of him.

    I carried on, following the signage for communications down different corridors to a different turret from the one I was directed to. The staircase was similar to the one that led to Jeremy¡¯s office, possibly older by the smoothed indents in the stairs from thousands of steps. The final sign posted outside a door at the top of the tower left me baffled because it was filled with the minds of birds.

    The rhythmic coos and hoots erupted as I opened the unlocked door to stacks of caged birds, all turning to me while ruffling their feathers. ¡°Ah.¡±

    Each had a destination in mind, eager to get their journey started.

    I shut the door. It wasn¡¯t the type of communications area I was expecting to find, and I didn¡¯t want to get involved in locating if any of them flew to Drasda. I twisted around, trying to remember which turret had the receiving disk on and where that would be in relation to where I was.

    Rather than going back down and potentially having to run into someone in the otherwise empty corridors, I took the way up to the battlements of the turret.

    I¡¯d gotten used to the relatively dry and warm corridors and shivered as the chilled air hit my cheeks. The battlements were raised above the flat roof that connected the four of them. Unlike the palace walls, these were not soaked in mana, and I had an easy time climbing down, crossing the rooftop and climbing back up to the one with the receiver.

    I dug my fingers into the groves in the stone, widening them into handholds. A fluctuation in the mana above drew my attention to the large storm eagle sitting atop the corner battlements. I stilled in my precarious position, clinging to the side of the wall and groaning. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Alp opened his wings, showing off a section with a missing feather that I¡¯d hit with a blade in the castle. ¡°One little favour. One little task. Yet you attack Alp?¡±

    I secured my footing to free up a hand to retaliate if he did anything. ¡°Ask someone else.¡±

    The mana contained in his feathers started to slide over itself, eliciting sparks across his wings.

    I raised my hand to stall the onslaught of lightning. ¡°I can still get it. I¡¯ll get your headdress. Not now. Not tomorrow. But you think I¡¯m the only one who can, so fighting me isn¡¯t helpful to you.¡±

    The lightning building up in his wings flaked off in small orbs and floated down close enough to make my hair stand on end. ¡°Alp finds one. Alp can find others.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± I said, preparing to drop down as bolts of lightning jumped from his wings to the air and stone. ¡°There¡¯s only one Alp, so there can also be only one of me.¡±

    The weird creature tried to shrug despite his lack of shoulders. ¡°Many Alp.¡±

    That statement chilled my blood more than the bolt connecting to where my face had been moments before. I hit the rooftop hard and rolled, my knapsack digging into my back. I watched as the eagle extended his wings and leapt off. I hadn¡¯t quite perfected jumping off tall buildings and cushioning my fall, and I didn¡¯t want to attempt that in the middle of a fight with a bird.

    I extended my claws, hit the closest window with blades, and jumped through the shattered panes and torn curtains. I¡¯d been avoiding the windows since some had light spilling out of the rooms and were occupied, but this one was empty besides the stacked crates covered in cloth.

    Alp landed and spun around, hopping towards the window. He morphed into his mandrill form and walked into the window frame, holding each side to extend his arms across the threshold. The two mages next door left their room in a rush and bashed open the door to our room. I ducked behind a row of crates.

    The two mages paused upon seeing the large primate hanging in their window but started a spell the moment Alp screeched at them. The mana bolt one cast hit him in the chest without piercing his skin, yet still threw him back onto the roof.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    As the mages went to investigate, I ducked out of the room behind them. I went to run up the spiral staircase to the top of the tower, but someone I hadn¡¯t noticed was coming down. There wasn¡¯t anywhere to hide. I pulled the signed and stamped paper from where it was crumpled in my pocket.

    The woman in her gambeson rounded the last turn and almost tripped when noticing me. I realised I hadn¡¯t put any mana back into my crystal but made sure the paper was in view. I lifted a shaking finger towards the door and opened my mouth with a trembling lip.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± she said, patting my shoulders and checking me for injuries before running into the room after her comrades. One of the mages had climbed out while the other shouted at him from the window, directing them to where the mandrill had gone. As soon as my saviour turned away, I sprinted for the staircase.

    This turret was strangely not as nice as the one housing the messenger birds. A draft came down the stairs, carrying in the cold air to the rest of the building. Droplets collected into small puddles along the stone steps, almost causing me to lose my footing on the way up.

    I paused and backtracked at the top of the tower, finding the room I wanted. It resembled that near Jeremy¡¯s office, with silver and gold wiring trailing up and across the walls towards the gold dish outside from a set of desks along the wall.

    The door had been left ajar while the seat was knocked over, most likely by the woman who¡¯d come rushing down the stairs. I shut the door and turned the lock, quietly apologising for causing her an inconvenience. Shouting from the rooftop below drifted up to the window, sounding like they¡¯d lost the creature that tried to break in.

    I picked up the chair and settled at a desk covered in iron instruments, gold panels, and mana crystals. An iron plate with a golden centre was wired to a stand currently occupied by a mana crystal. The crystal was partly filled with the beginnings of a set of pulses meant to be sent out.

    I put a finger to the cold crystal and drained it entirely, feeling the woman''s boredom when creating the report.

    A chalk chart was written across a board with letters and arrows towards corresponding sequences. Another chart was laid out beside it where those letters were swapped out with others, their cypher. I ignored that part and studied the sequences I would need, deciding to keep the message short with how overwhelming keeping the taps and holds straight in my mind.

    I held a finger above the gold plate while still staring at the chart to ensure I wasn¡¯t inaccurate and started tapping.

    After the first word, I realised I had no clue how to put a space between words, but I carried on, hoping whoever read this would understand. After the second word, I sensed the woman coming back up the spiral staircases, and I discarded all concerns about grammar and tapped faster.

    The door handle shook.

    It shook again with more force. I signed off the message and restrained my mana, carefully picking up the crystal and placing it inside the iron box on a raised platform of gold.

    I looked to the ceiling for the pulses, but nothing happened. I twisted the heavy block of iron around, followed the wire out under the desk and traced it along the walls. The door shook on its hinges from a kick, distracting me from the task.

    A small lever was needed to bridge a gap in the wire, and I pulled it. A moment later, the pulses went out. The woman was shouting if the other two mages had the key as they came to see what was wrong.

    I removed the crystal from the box and placed it back on the stand. The mages had a heated discussion on the other side of the door, agreeing no one was inside and they could get a spare from the captains. The disagreement came on who would ask. I went for the window and climbed out, having to leave the iron latch open as I closed it again.

    The sky was empty of storm eagles and the grounds clear of mandrills, but I still kept searching for the annoying creature. I landed on the rooftop and went in through the broken window, crunching across glass shards as the mages'' voices echoed down the stairs.

    I ran from the turret, putting as much distance between myself and the incidents as possible. The long hallways led me back to the spiral stairs leading up to the messenger birds, and I followed my original instructions to see if I could find the captain, hopefully in an amenable mood despite the late hour and impending news of a break-in.

    I stuck my hand down the neckline of my cloak and pushed a trickle of mana into the crystal resting near my chest as I walked down the hallway lined with placards. Most of the rooms barricaded by heavy wooden doors with iron rivets lining the edges were empty, but a few held solitary mages.

    ¡®Captain Tometh, 2nd Mounted Expeditionary,¡¯ read one of the few newly polished placards.

    A mage was inside, and I took a steadying breath before raising my fist to knock.

    ¡°Enter.¡±

    My knuckles froze just off the door, and I sighed, already feeling like I was on the back foot. I pulled down the handle and swiftly opened the heavy door.

    The room was warmly lit, which helped to suppress its ruggedness. The bare grey stone blocks were in every direction without any decoration. The bottom of the door had scratched the rough stone flooring, and there was no carpet to soften the walk to the captain¡¯s desk. A bed tucked in the corner was the only comfort in sight.

    He hadn¡¯t looked up yet, even after I closed the door and unconsciously straightened my back to stand before him. Captain Tometh¡¯s brown hair had recently been clipped short, and he still had the same miniature helmet pendant that swung over the page he continued to scribble across.

    ¡°You have¡ª¡± He raised a finger to stop me, still not looking up.

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°You have a witch problem.¡±

    That got his attention, and he leaned back to stare up at me with his piercing green eyes. ¡°I always have a witch problem. Does the young madam want to be more specific? Or perhaps we can start with a greeting like civilised folk?¡±

    ¡°Valeria,¡± I said, the name feeling weird on my tongue after so long. ¡°We met¡ª¡±

    ¡°I remember,¡± he said, steepling his fingers together. ¡°The ¡®not-a-witch¡¯ from Ulasa. Funny thing that I can sense you now, isn¡¯t it? Are you having a pleasant enough evening?¡±

    I made a face and tilted my head. ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°What trouble brings you to my city, or more so, my office? Not of your cause, I hope?¡± he asked. ¡°What happened to bring our paths together again?¡±

    ¡°You heard about what happened in Drasda? At the opera house?¡± I said, deciding it was a good enough start to the story.

    ¡°A sad stature of affairs, that. The results of weak leadership. Allowing witches to run amok in your city. The duke¡¯s grandfather was famous for his leadership and strength; it¡¯s how he got the title. Two generations is all it takes to dilute a once great bloodline blessed by the Mother. At least the youngest Riker shows some promise.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± I said, ignoring his barbed comments. ¡°The duke sent me with the witch who escaped so we could learn who made the dragon¡¯s breath.¡±

    The captain leaned forward on his desk. ¡°You¡¯re not in Drasda, girl. Aiding those crones is a crime punishable by death here.¡±

    ¡°Then your entire city would be put to death because there are plenty living amongst you.¡±

    He flipped over a piece of paper, laid a pencil across it, and fixed me with a glare. ¡°Start writing names.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°That won¡¯t do you any good. They¡¯re all gone. Left a few hours ago.¡±

    The captain stood, anger radiating off him despite his stoic expression. ¡°Why now? When your information is useless to us! Why at all?¡±

    I used the excuse of walking towards a map on the wall to put some space between us. ¡°They said you knew of them, and that was why they left.¡±

    ¡°It pains me to say we did not. When will they return?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°They won¡¯t. They¡¯re leaving with that as an excuse because the city is about to be attacked.¡±

    The captain fell back into his chair, unimpressed. ¡°I have four hundred warriors with many more able to be called upon. I don¡¯t think they have those numbers across the whole of Werl.¡±

    ¡°The ghouls outnumber you a hundred to one.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°We tried drawing those things out to the defences to cull them before. Too inefficient, and you only get the weak stragglers left on the exterior.¡±

    I walked back to the desk, and now that he wasn¡¯t looking like he¡¯d jump over it at me, I picked up the pencil. I drew the new lure rune across the page and slid it back to him. We still hadn¡¯t been taught the imbuing process, but I knew its shape. ¡°Feel anything?¡±

    He studied the rune, looking over the page at me with scepticism. ¡°Faintly.¡±

    ¡°If a witch did that with the proper materials and knowledge, those creatures would come running towards it.¡±

    ¡°Your evidence?¡± he said, drumming his fingers across the desk. ¡°And what details can you offer? Where did the witches go? Which areas will be hit? How many ghouls?¡±

    ¡°My only suggestion is to read those four hundred and call up everyone you can. Evacuate the area,¡± I said, going back to the map to mark where the inn is. ¡°If you go to the Marchland Inn, here, you¡¯ll find barrels of dragon¡¯s breath that I stopped from levelling that entire street on the witches¡¯ way out. And as for the witches themselves¡­well¡ª¡±

    We both turned to the door as a mage approached and knocked. The captain raised an eyebrow at me, but I shrugged. ¡°Enter.¡±

    The same woman who had come down the spiral staircase came in and paused while locking eyes with me.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Captain Tometh prodded.

    ¡°Ah, sir. We had an incident in the south tower. A window was shattered inwards.¡±

    The captain looked at me in accusation, but I pulled out the signed and stamped card. ¡°I came in through the front door; just ask the lady in the foyer.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t her, but she was there. Bendril says it was some creature with a painted face. They scared it off, but it didn¡¯t trip the perimeter enchantments. Where did you go after? I asked you to stay put.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I didn¡¯t want to be in the way. I took a wrong turn on the way here.¡±

    ¡°On the opposite side of the building?¡±

    ¡°Ignore the girl and her strange tendencies; otherwise, you¡¯ll notice too many to keep straight in your head,¡± the captain said while I looked at him with indignation. ¡°Go gather the other captains in the Map room. I have to go out with our friend here, but I will be back at least before some of them can be woken. Stress that this meeting is not optional.¡±

    Jeremy

    My daydream was interrupted by the opening of my office door without the usual knock. I¡¯d been resting my head on the desk, so considering it was the middle of the night, perhaps it would be called a regular dream.

    ¡°Sorry to wake you, sir.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping, you¡¯re fine.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said, the dark circles under her eyes betraying the playful tone in her voice. ¡°I have a message for you.¡±

    She held up a paper, and I sighed, motioning to the growing pile on my desk. Without Valeria to offer any insight, we were back to manual code-breaking, so the information was weeks old when it got to my desk.

    ¡°Ah, no, sir. It¡¯s from today. This evening¡ª¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I still have no timeline for when we will be getting our sources back for the code-breaking.¡±

    My subordinate snapped her fingers at me, and I knitted my brows in muted shock.

    ¡°If you would let me finish¡­sir. It¡¯s not encoded. We used our sequence at first, but since it came from the capital¡¯s direction, we tried the remnants.¡±

    She slid over one of the two slips of paper she had.

    ¡®ikthrcapitalsityationdirebron geveryobeeidopon¡¯

    ¡°...This is illegible rubbish? You¡¯re sure this is not code?¡±

    ¡°We thought the same, but a few words shine through like ¡®capital,¡¯ so we accounted for spacing, common mistakes, similar sequences, and a lot of trial and error to arrive at this.¡±

    ¡°You all seem to have a lot of time on your hands despite the hour,¡± I remarked, wondering what task I could assign them to occupy themselves.

    The second slip of paper was far more illuminating.

    ¡®At the capital. Situation dire. Bring everyone. Eidolon.¡¯

    I felt none of the drowsiness carried over from my nap, my mind racing with names and travel times. ¡°Go wake the duke. Then have runners fetch Faraya, Yistopher, and senior captains. Crap, get the generals too.¡±

    ¡°Wake the duke, sir? Now?¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± I said, standing up to drag the man out of bed if I had to.

 Chapter 78

    ¡°Do you know how to ride?¡± Captain Tometh asked. He undid a saddle strap a stable hand stepped away from and redid before testing the saddle to see if it was secure. ¡°I remember you riding with the Riker before.¡±

    Another stable hand was hefting a saddle onto a mare, eyeing me for my response to see if he had to go through the effort. I waved off the bleary-eyed boy yet walked past the captain''s outstretched hand.

    The mare lay down on the hay for me to slip onto her back. Her annoyance at being woken up was mollified slightly by the lack of heavy gear and gentle pets along her long neck. She stood back up as the captain directed the stable hands to wake everyone else up and get the other horses in full gear.

    I rode alongside him while he stared at me, particularly my torso.

    ¡°Your mana reserves are off; too far forward,¡± he said. ¡°Crystal in your pocket?¡±

    ¡°Mhm, better than confusing every mage I meet,¡± I said. ¡°Most don¡¯t notice.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Excess mana is the simple part. Absence of mana takes more training, so I doubt you¡¯d need to worry about most.¡±

    I bundled up tighter as my mare followed him out of the detached stables of the bastion. It wasn¡¯t as extensive as the palace and didn¡¯t contain the war horses the knights used, but there was plenty of choice.

    Morning light was still a ways away, and snow had started to fall again, but there were a few people already starting their days. The captain glanced back when coming to an intersection, and I would offer directions towards the Marchland. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you wake the entire town up?¡±

    ¡°If I were the commander, I¡¯d consider it. The knights and militia will be ready, but their orders depend on the other captains,¡± he said. ¡°Proof beyond the words of a stranger would go a long way to persuading them.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the commander? Shouldn¡¯t we bring them with us?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t one. We captains lead by consensus.¡±

    We slowed beneath the signage for the Marchland in, and the captain dismounted to try the doors. They were locked. I slid off the mare¡¯s back and formed a crude lockpick from my bangles, kneeling before the door. The eyes on the back of my head were a distraction that ate at my concentration.

    After a few clicks and getting my tools stuck in the crevices of the lock, I pushed down the handle and let the door swing open. The lamps had depleted their oil, so the captain cast a light charm to brighten the lobby.

    I pointed out the first of the dragon¡¯s breath barrels. ¡°Keep your light away from that. It¡¯s filled with water, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it? I expected something larger.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen what a small jar of the stuff can do. It¡¯s also packed in, unlike at the opera house, where it was disguised as fluffed-up pillows.¡±

    I pried the lid off again and showed him the watery mixture inside. Not trusting my mana control with a whole barrel, I got a fork from the nearby table and dug out a small clump. I placed it and the fork back on the table and stepped back, ensuring Tometh was watching.

    I pulled the water that soaked the dragon¡¯s breath, and as soon as most of the moisture left, my influence of the mana ignited it. The brief flash of light flung the fork off the table. It clattered to the ground near the captain¡¯s boots. The flame died down as quickly as it exploded into being, leaving behind a black scorch mark as the only evidence it ever existed.

    Tometh was scowling. ¡°How¡­ volatile. Show me where the witches escaped.¡±

    I walked him to the cellar and through the underground hall, pointing out where the barrel in the treasure room was. ¡°Through that safe is a ladder shaft; it leads towards a barracks inside the middle ring. I don¡¯t know the combination, so you¡¯ll need to break it.¡±

    I turned to face him, but he wasn¡¯t looking at the safe. The captain had a hand to his chin while he examined me. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I am deciding what to do with you.¡±

    ¡°Why''s that? I¡¯ve given you more information than you could have ever hoped to find on your own.¡±

    He paced across the exit. ¡°This night has been you admitting to crime after crime. My order made these rules, I enforced these rules, and you broke them.¡±

    I swallowed hard, clasping my hands behind my back to extend my claws. ¡°A harmful precedent, don¡¯t you think? Arresting someone who comes forward with information to stop the deaths of thousands?¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, it tells those that there isn¡¯t a secret escape hatch once you¡¯ve already broken all our most consequential laws. Next time, someone in your position will come to use before things devolve this far. I don¡¯t see any evidence of an attack. Maybe a few buildings collapse, but those can be rebuilt.¡±

    ¡°Come to you with what?¡± I snarled. ¡°Vague accusations?¡±

    The little shrug of his shoulders annoyed me more than his words. ¡°We have ways of testing if an accusation has merit. We are not so soft¡ª

    The ground shook, dislodging dust from the ceiling. I braced and raised my arms above my head in preparation for the ceiling to fall on top of us. The accompanying boom echoed down the street seconds later. I relaxed my shoulders, no longer worried that the barrels inside the inn had detonated.

    The captain was looking through the wall towards the capital. ¡°You didn¡¯t say there was more to this plan.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t told the plan. They found out I wasn¡¯t a witch before I could make it to the tunnel.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that they knew you were a traitor,¡± Tometh said, baring his teeth. ¡°They¡¯ve moved up their timetable.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe there was a plan till now,¡± I said, pointing an accusatory claw at him. ¡°Don¡¯t put this on me. You were more worried about throwing me in a cell.¡±

    He didn¡¯t dignify me with an answer and marched out of the cellar, his coat whipping around behind him. Back on the street, people were out and bundled in whatever they could throw on over their nightwear. The chatter amongst neighbours stopped when the captain walked to his horse. A brave few queried the annoyed knight about what was happening, but he waved them off so as to address them as one.

    Mana gathered in his throat as he puffed out his chest and straightened his back. ¡°Citizens, I have reason to believe our home is once again under attack by the same forces we swore to fight against. All mages of age report to your captains.  All those with weapons, sharpen them. Those with professions, it is time to do your duty and open your wares for the sake of our city; you will be compensated. Spread the word.¡±

    I nudged my mare to catch up to the captain while stunned civilians stood in their doorways, joined by more household members. A bell tolling in the distance was picked up by others throughout the city, jolting people to rush every which way.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a captain to report to,¡± I said over the clamour. ¡°So if you¡¯re done trying to arrest me¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d hardly deign to call you a mage,¡± he said, side-eyeing me from atop his horse. ¡°I also doubt you¡¯re over sixteen.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± I lied. ¡°To both. I¡¯ve also probably killed more ghouls than you.¡±

    ¡°837.¡±

    ¡°I, ah, haven¡¯t been keeping count.¡±

    ¡°Everyone keeps count.¡±

    A door burst open, and a burly fellow shuffled out with a stand full of spears and set it down outside, disappearing into his store to retrieve more.

    ¡°Fine. For the crime of blatant disregard for our laws,¡± he said dispassionately. ¡°I sentence you to conscription for a period of time to be determined at a later date...Go get a weapon ''cause I¡¯m not babysitting you.¡±

    We stopped outside the man¡¯s store, and I slid off the mare''s back. I waited to the side as the owner brought out another rack of swords. ¡°What¡¯ll it be?¡±

    ¡°Recurve bow and a glaive?¡±

    He stopped on his way to another rack of weapons and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Picky little thing, aren¡¯t you? I have a short bow and a pole axe. Yes or no?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, looking around at the array of steel and iron around me. I flinched as a long pole with an axehead and spike was thrown my way, catching it before it hit me. ¡°How is this different from a halberd?¡±

    The man gave me a scathing look to say this wasn¡¯t the time and plucked a bow hung behind the counter. He placed it, and a quiver he filled with two dozen arrows on the counter. ¡°Half steel tipped for piercing and half iron for impairment. Need anything else, Captain?¡±

    Tometh was leaning against the door and shook his head. ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    I dug into my knapsack and drew out a random piece of jewellery. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°The order pays for it all, girly. There''s no need for that,¡± he said, but his eyes didn¡¯t leave the elaborate craftsmanship of gold and jewels.

    ¡°Eh, keep it.¡±

    I tied the quiver¡¯s belt around my waist and slung the bow over my shoulder, carrying the pole axe. I joined the captain outside, who was eyeing my knapsack and remounted. The shopkeeper came running out to my horse and handed me a three-fingered leather glove for the hand holding the bow.

    ¡°Here, something extra,¡± he said, nodding to the captain and disappearing back inside. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°You really are flagrant about disobeying our laws¡­where did you get the trinket?¡±

    I smiled sweetly. ¡°Can¡¯t we save this till after we find out what that explosion was?¡±

    The captain shook his head but dug the stirrups into his horse''s side, encouraging him into a trot. ¡°Keep close, you miscreant. The other captains will have their own questions, but first, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s see what''s happening on the front.¡±

    A group of mages clad in chain mail and red and white overcoats came jogging along our road, spears pointed to the sky while square shields bounced on their back. They skidded to a halt at the intersection once they saw Captain Tometh, saluting in turn. ¡°Sir, Captain Ontera is on leave. We were already kitted when the bells started and made the decision as a unit to head to the defences regardless.¡±

    ¡°Very good. Form up on me for now.¡±

    They organised into two orderly lines of six behind the captain¡ªa team much larger than Drasda¡¯s four or five knights. They gave me weird looks but offered deep nods at the bow slung over my shoulder and the pole axe resting across my lap.

    ¡°Valeria,¡± I said, leaning down to offer a fist to the knight that spoke.

    ¡°Knight Rellok, aren¡¯t you a tad young for this?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s simply my runner,¡± Captain Tometh said. ¡°The girl won¡¯t be seeing combat.¡±

    Rellok eyed my poleaxe and shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re expecting combat, sir?¡±

    ¡°Always.¡±

    I brought my knapsack to my lap and pulled out the gauntlet, again attracting the captain''s scrutiny.

    ¡°Where did you get that?¡±

    I slipped my hand into the stiff metal, feeding mana into it. The ambient mana wasn¡¯t nearly enough to feed it or to hide the glare it represented to a mage¡¯s senses. The enchantments activated, and the steel slimmed to the form of my hand and trailed up past my elbow with the now excess metal. ¡°A gift.¡±

    The captain took a deep breath and opened his mouth to give me another tirade on his rules. Instead, he let out a deep sigh. ¡°Hand it over after this is done. It belongs to the order.¡±

    I pursed my lips but didn¡¯t offer a rebuttal. I didn¡¯t offer an agreement either.

    The bow was different from what I was used to, with the arrow notch on the opposite side as a recurve. I slung it off my shoulder and tested pulling the string back with the metallic fingertips of the gauntlet, finding the action easy enough.

    More and more disjoined units and individuals leaving their homes in mismatched armour and weaponry joined the growing group amassing behind the captain. As one of the few captains mounted high for everyone to see, they chose him to congregate around.

    We passed the threshold of the settlement through the open iron gates. Orbs of light floated over the old, overgrown battlements and trenches between us and the gatehouse. They illuminated the smoke plume rising from the entrance to the capital, where the iron gate that had once been attached to the gatehouse lay on the ground.

    Our horses stepped over marble rubble flung across the two hundred paces from the blocks that had once blocked the majority of the entrance. The fifty-so fighters behind us fanned out towards the trebuchets or to watch towers if they had a bow, and those left remained idle at the side of the narrow pathway.

    I followed after the captain on his way to the gatehouse, still followed by Rollok and his group.

    Fifty paces from the smouldering rubble was a knight sitting on the ground, holding his head as blood dripped from his ears. Naimeen, the mage from Petrick¡¯s group, was kneeling beside him, healing a deep gash in his arm.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Tometh asked, but the knight didn¡¯t acknowledge him.

    ¡°He can¡¯t hear,¡± Petrick said, off to the side. ¡°He fell out of the ladder route; we dragged him over here.¡±

    ¡°What were you doing here?¡± he asked, a hint of accusation.

    ¡°We were due to go in next after Tellar¡¯s team,¡± Patrick said, joining the rest of his team in giving me a weird look. ¡°We were over here when the gatehouse erupted and were showered in marble.¡±

    The captain got down off his horse and held out the reins to one of the men with Rollok. ¡°The other captains should be gathered in the Map Room or on their way here if they have any sense. Inform any you find of the situation, and make sure the bells continue to ring. Rollok, take the rest of the unit and try to get that gate back on its hinges.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The knight took the reins and stepped up to the saddle, quickly turning around and flicking the reins to gallop back to the city. Rollok and the remaining dozen marched on, sticking their spears in the ground to free up their hands for the heavy gate lying on its side.

    ¡°You know about this?¡± he asked me quietly, drawing everyone''s attention to us.

    I leaned down from my mare to get closer to his ear and whispered. ¡°No? Somewhat? The witches tried to recruit this group, but I chased them away, so I think they got to this Teller person¡¯s team.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t.¡± The mage and Nickolas turned to me, having better ears and possibly an eavesdropping spell.

    ¡°Not a word of this to anyone,¡± he said. ¡°Continue.¡±

    I straightened, no longer whispering. ¡°The witches at the inn wanted this group to go into the capital and retrieve something. I cautioned them off taking the job, but I didn¡¯t know this was also involved.¡±

    ¡°Teller is as slimy as they come, but he wouldn¡¯t do this,¡± Petrick said.

    ¡°They were carrying a lot of kit,¡± Dyana said. ¡°Like they weren¡¯t just going on an expedition.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to need a twenty-page report with every single little detail from you after this mess is over,¡± Tometh said to me with a pointed finger.

    He marched off to Rollok, who was trying to get the team to balance the gate on the blown hinges.

    Nicholas stepped towards me, still able to look down at me despite having the mare elevating me. ¡°Thanks for warning us off that job.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, not expecting the apology from his stern face. ¡°No problem. I was doing it mostly to make things easier for myself.¡±

    ¡°You work for the rems then?¡± Dyana asked.

    ¡°Ah, it seems that way at the moment,¡± I said. ¡°But I live in Drasda.¡±

    ¡°Has the inn already been raided?¡± Dyana asked. ¡°Are they really behind this? Witches just living amongst us like that?¡±

    My mare¡¯s ears twitched, and her head swung towards where the captain and knights were. I was about to write it off as the annoying metallic sound when I noticed Nickolas also starring in that direction. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, it feels like when my whole family and I go on a hunt together.¡±

    ¡°A stampede?¡± I asked, already worried about the obvious next step after destroying the defences.

    Nickolas and the rest of his team looked at me like I spat on them. ¡°That word is for animals.¡±

    I ignored him and drew mana into my throat to amplify my voice. ¡°Tometh!¡±

    He looked over, annoyed I wasn¡¯t using his rank or that I was talking to him at all.

    ¡°Stampede! Get away from the gate!¡±

    The pebbles along the dirt path began to vibrate, and a soldier atop the wall shouted down something indiscernible.

    The centaur gave me another dirty look.

    ¡°What? I can¡¯t use that word for ghouls either?¡±

    He shook his head but unstrapped the bow from his back, thrice the size of my short bow, and notched an arrow from his quiver. Naimeen got under the wounded knight''s arm and helped him walk towards the city gate. Tometh was getting the team to set the gate back down when the first ghoul stumbled over the rubble of the marble blocks.

    Tometh launched a mana bolt towards the creature, but it fizzled out while passing between the iron bars. The ghoul hit the gate, reaching through the bars towards the closest knight. They let go and stumbled back as more climbed the mound of rubble, ramming into the gate.

    The knights that were still holding on let go at different points to run. Those last to let go were too late to leave. The heavy gate fell and slammed them to the ground.

    The mass of ghouls trampled the trapped knights into the dirt, some stopping to attack them. Their screams echoed into the night as their spells flashed amongst the mass atop them.

    A few knights grabbed their spears from the ground and brought forth their shields, but others kept on running. Tometh stood behind a line of seven knights, including Rollok, brandishing their spears at ghouls. They could barely spread along the path as the creatures rushed them, uncaring for the pointed metal.

    Nickolas was already running, drawing his bow back. I dropped my knapsack and threw my poleaxe down, urging my horse after him, taking an arrow from my quiver. The rest of the team brought up the rear. More shouts came from behind us, from the watchtowers and milling forces.

    Petrick shouted for reinforcements to gather around him.

    My arrow needed magical assistance to stay rested on my gloved fingers. The recurve bow had it rested on the opposite side, but it wasn¡¯t so different to cause major issues. Nickolas crossed the distance quicker than my mare and launched a bolt over the heads of the knights, skewering a line of ghouls together.

    My arrow sailed higher since I was scared to hit the troops ahead. I nudged it in the air using my faint grasp of the wood, steel and air around it. It landed in the growing sea of ghouls, piercing the neck of one.

    Tometh shouted for the battle line to stand firm as another of Nikolas¡¯ arrows skewered more. The screams from those trapped had long stopped. The ghouls were spreading out to the side and getting in close, past the point where spears were useful. They gripped the overlapping shields, trying to get past or rip them from the knights¡¯ hands.

    A ball of mana spun above Tometh¡¯s palm before he flung the spell into the gatehouse. A torrent of churning fire sprung up from its landing to engulf the ghouls. Petrick caught up to us and added his shield to the wall while Dyana stabbed through a gap behind him. More knights and non-mage soldiers added their polearms and shields to the growing wall.

    Another of my arrows found its mark, but the one less ghoul didn¡¯t feel like I was making an impact.

    The fire died down, yet the spears, arrows and spells were able to cull the pressing hoard enough for the knights to take an orderly step back and reorganise.

    A weak volley of arrows went overhead, mostly striking the wall and ground.

    ¡°Conserve your mana,¡± Tometh shouted as spells arched overhead to splash against the gatehouse with little effect. The variety of spell effects cancelled each other out as dirt and water smothered fire, and water made the lightning more deadly for us. A few came too close for comfort.

    ¡°Notch!¡± A newly arrived captain near the line of archers shouted. ¡°Hold!¡±

    All that remained of the fire spell was embers and smoke from charred remains. The following ghouls didn¡¯t care as they clambered over the bodies. ¡°Draw!¡±

    ¡°Loose!¡±

    A more concentrated volley thinned the stampede before they rammed into the forest of spears. Some ghouls spread out into the pits and rows of stakes that circled the entrance around the path, climbing out and pushing past the spikes.

    ¡°One step back!¡± Tometh commanded. ¡°Thrust!¡±

    The entire group took a step back before spears were thrust into the fray. Unlike people fearing debilitating pain and death, the ghouls fearlessly dove past the spikes or pushed themselves along the spears driven through their bodies. The shield wall buckled in places, and calls for support were shouted.

    A shield was ripped away, and a knight went with it. Their neighbour tried to help, but he was dragged into the mass, wailing from within. Another shield took their place. I tried to attack those who took him mentally so he could be retrieved, but I was scared of collapsing if I reached out to the entire hoard.

    Those stunned and awoken by my voice were pushed over and replaced while blood dripped from my nose for the effort.

    The screaming stopped, and I wiped away the blood on the back of my hand. My next arrow went high, and my vision blurred from reaching out to too many ghouls. Their screams replaced those of the knight, and crowded my mind.

    My arrows weren¡¯t helping, and there was no space for my blades. I wanted to make the space ahead a muddy mess for the ghouls, but I felt that the decision to change the battlefield so drastically was above me. These ghouls were the weakest and sapped for strength outside the walls that concentrated mana onto them, but I feared the inner variants were not far behind.

    And they would charge right through the gathered troops.

    I loosed another arrow and turned my mare to gallop back to the city. There were three barrels back at the inn that could change the landscape with more force than water and dirt. The approaching men and women in now orderly battle lines made a gap down the middle for me to ride through. They stared straight ahead at the scrappy battle being fought and the ghouls beginning to flank through the defences, worry in their eyes.

 Chapter 79

    The streets were filled with carts as families ran in and out of their homes to pile stuff inside. The severity of what was happening on the pathway had made its way back into the city, and people were choosing not to stay. Lines had formed outside the smithies, with a steady stream of armed militia leaving. Iron gates were being swung partially shut, and windows were boarded by those choosing to remain.

    Mounted knights kept the peace and directed people to evacuate, stopping mages to ask why they were not reporting to their captains.

    I slowed to a trot, weaving through the mess in a hurry. As one of the only mounted while not in uniform, a few of the knights tried to wave me down. I rode past and shouted behind that I was getting supplies for Captain Tometh. The name was enough for them not to pursue me.

    I jumped off my mare and burst into the inn, running down to the cellar to retrieve the first barrel. I hefted it up the stairs to the lobby and caught my breath before grabbing the one in the kitchen. There wasn¡¯t a chance I could carry all three while riding, so I got a bedsheet and placed them inside before typing it into a sack.

    The silver wire was needed to detonate the dragon¡¯s breath safely. I stripped the wax off the ends of the three wires, twisted the thin silver strands around each other to create one longer wire, bundled it up, and slung it over my shoulder.

    With a quiver at my waist, the bow slung over one shoulder, and now wires on the other, I worried I couldn¡¯t also carry the sack. I crouched beside it and brought the tied end over my shoulder, grumbling as I heaved it onto my back, almost falling over from the weight.

    I bashed open the doors to the inn and waddled out into the street. ¡°Hey!¡±

    A young man was clicking his tongue at my mare, trying to get her to cooperate. His eyes were wide with fright, and he glanced back to a woman holding a small child who had his same blue eyes.

    He settled slightly after getting a look at me, puffing out his chest and stepping between me and my mare. ¡°I-I need this horse to help save my family.¡±

    ¡°And I need it to get supplies to the battle.¡±

    ¡°P-please, there''s no others. We have to leave,¡± he said, gesturing to the mother, bouncing the child on the verge of tears. ¡°I have a partner and son. He¡¯s only two. Surely you can use one of the order¡¯s carts for transport?¡±

    I gritted my teeth while I brushed past him to my mare. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re no knight. You¡¯re not even Militia,¡± he said, emboldened. ¡°If you give us the horse, I-I won''t report you for looting.¡±

    ¡°Look, you¡¯re fine here for now. I don¡¯t have time for this. I¡¯m working under Captain¡ªAh¡±

    Cold steel slipped into the side of my stomach. The man left the dagger there and stepped away with shaking hands. ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re a criminal. I¡¯m sorry, but my family is more important.¡±

    I resisted the urge to drop the sack over my shoulder and blow the entire neighbourhood. My breath came out in wheezes as I struggled to keep still and avoid agitating the knife.

    Something was horribly wrong with my mind because all I could think about was how the ice-cold steel was slowly warming.

    The man gave me a wide berth as he circled back towards the horse. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Come, get on. We have time to find a saddle,¡± he said to his partner, who was covering their son¡¯s eyes. ¡°I had to. I had to. She¡¯s a thief. She would have been executed for it.¡±

    While balancing my burden, I slowly reached down to grip the dagger''s hilt and pulled it out. I looked down at the blood-soaked blade, glad it wasn¡¯t serrated. ¡°Kick him.¡±

    My mare reared back as the man tried to encourage his horrified partner closer to the murder she thought he had just committed. He looked back in time to catch the pair of horseshoes on his shoulder instead of the back of his head. After tumbling head of heels, he lay sprawled out on the cobblestone with the wind knocked out of him, clutching his shoulder.

    I flung the knife back at him, not caring if the pointy end struck. My mare knelt down for me to clumsily get on her back, my head feeling light. I pressed my gauntlet to the wound, precariously hanging onto the sack with the other. Blood slipped through the shiny steel fingers to stain my already shabby clothes.

    I didn¡¯t remember the spell given to me for non-targeted healing and hoped I didn¡¯t need it before the wound scabbed over, preferably before all my blood ended up on the outside. I resisted the urge to trample the moron, feeling guilty because the kid had started wailing.

    The ride back was slower, and I got stuck behind an entire unit bearing spears and shields as it marched towards the front. I whistled and shouted with what I imagined was authority for them to make way.

    They still looked to their leader before creating a gap for me to pass through, but I counted that as a win.

    The battleground had been created to contain the fewest forces possible to combat the ghouls'' significant numerical advantage. So, the street before the gate outside was packed with everyone either doing auxiliary jobs or listening to the battle being waged ahead. The healing station took up a large stretch of the street, with Naimeen seemingly leading the efforts to close gashes and stem the bleeding.

    I rode past, calling for a path at seemingly every step of the way. I flinched as spells were composed and launched nearby, fearing I¡¯d brought destruction into the midst of us. The barrels held, and I rode through the archery line, past the watchtowers and trebuchets, to the back of the shield wall.

    They¡¯d been pushed back a dozen paces, and from the pile of ghoul corpses the oncoming hoard stood upon, it hadn¡¯t been freely given. There were at least three rows of shields and double the number of spears behind them. The mages mixed within threw out spells at every opportunity, directly in the faces of their adversary.

    An increasingly loud scream quickly approached, confusing me for a moment. Heads turned to watch the source: a woman with ghouls still clutching her, falling from the marble wall, shrieking until she thudded to the ground. The light from the mages still up there moved along the wall, away from the gatehouse, a number of them snuffing out.

    So many mage lights were floating around that I¡¯d hardly noticed the rising sun. I tore my eyes away from the spot within the hoard she¡¯d landed and found the captain pointing Nickolas where to shoot next.

    ¡°Tometh!¡±

    He turned from his position at the rear, his voice hoarse with repeated commands and stomped back to me after handing over to another captain. I dropped from the mare¡¯s back and stumbled from the weight and wound in my side. Before the captain could start the angry tirade his knitted eyebrows suggested, I sliced open the bedsheets with an arrowhead.

    There was a hint of fear in his eyes as he watched a spell fly past. It turned contemplative, and he called over one of the dedicated spell casters standing behind the spear users. ¡°How far could you launch these?¡±

    I shook my head and shouted over the noise. ¡°That¡¯s a waste. We bury it, withdraw, and blow a canyon between us and the ghouls.¡±

    ¡°No. We don¡¯t give space for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Better to give some and make keeping the rest easier.¡±

    ¡°Do you still need me here, sir?¡± the mage asked, keeping his gaze on the ghouls.

    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No.¡±

    He didn¡¯t listen to my request to leave, but the captain still glared at me. ¡°Don¡¯t give my men orders.¡±

    I ignored him. ¡°So?¡±

    He looked back to the fray, taking far too long to think it over. ¡°We need time to reorganise and swap out the front line. What do you need to make it happen?¡±

    ¡°Time and space.¡±

    He nodded and noticed the blood dripping down the fingers of my gauntlet. My mare¡¯s brown coat also had a red patch trailing down her side. ¡°Is she hurt?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. The blood is mine.¡±

    The captain dared to look relieved and pulled aside my coat to see the red splotch. ¡°Easier to heal a human than a horse. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Someone tried to steal my mare outside the inn.¡±

    ¡°Go see the healers,¡± he said, not surprised by the news and turned to the mage. ¡°Walk him through how it works.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t trust anyone, especially a mage, to handle this stuff. I¡¯ll manage.¡±

    The female captain, who had taken over his command of the front, called for him urgently as a pack of ghouls tried to flank them through the trenches. Petrick and Dyana were moving to cut them off before they got behind us, but they needed help.

    ¡°Do what she tells you when she tells you,¡± Tometh said, returning to the fray.

    ¡°Well then¡­Orders, Ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Know a spell that can dig?¡± I asked. His raised eyebrow and look of annoyance were answer enough.

    ¡°Dig a hole wide enough for these barrels on each side of the path and one in the centre.¡±

    ¡°How deep?¡±

    ¡°As far down as you can go.¡±

    He quickly hit the first patch of dirt with his spell, opening a hole and making the surrounding dirt more compact with what was displaced. I pressed a hand back to my wound and started making a channel away from where the centre hole would be for the silver wiring to be laid, out of the way of boots and claws. Constantly crouching down to lay the wire aggravated the cut, and I glanced back at the healing station, reconsidering getting it checked.

    I half expected the last thing I¡¯d see before nothingness to be a brief flash of an explosion from a stray spell striking the barrels, but I finished the channel and returned to find the pits dug. They were almost as deep as two of me, which was good enough. I uncorked the bottom of the barrel to let the water out and carefully lowered it as far down as possible, then dropped it.

    The wood cracked, but apart from that, only the sound of screams, growls and warcries invaded my ears. I dropped the next one.

    I opened the last barrel and stuck the end of silver deep down into the compact dragon¡¯s breath. I paused before lowering it, unsure if we needed all three. It would always be useful to keep one around. I¡¯d already started to drain it and didn¡¯t want to call Tometh away from the front to ask, so I dropped it down the centre.

    ¡°Help me bury them.¡±

    I lifted mounds of dirt from the nearby trenches and dropped it down the holes. The mage didn¡¯t have a spell for that and freecast to help but only lifted half as much. I stomped down the dirt and unwound the wire through the channel I¡¯d made while the mage kicked dirt in to fill the shallow hole.

    The wire ended before I¡¯d gone as far as I¡¯d wanted. I groaned and sat in the dirt with the last bit of silver sticking out of the ground, my mare still standing beside me. I was between the main staging area with the archers and the shield wall. Many eyes scrutinised me, questioning what I was doing sitting in the middle of the path. ¡°Go tell the captain I¡¯m ready. Show him where it''s buried, and make sure he knows to bring everyone as close to me as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, less mockingly than the first.

    I adjusted the quiver at my waist and unhooked my bow. My bag and poleaxe were somewhere in the mess behind me, but I didn¡¯t need it for now.

    ¡°Orderly retreat! On my say so,¡± Tometh shouted, sending out a set of pulses to ask for more volleys to cover them. The captains behind me called for certain spells and bows to be drawn before unleashing them on the hoard. The ghouls'' constant draw on the surrounding mana affected the spells and mana bolts that hit them directly, making them less effective. But the thrown ice spikes and fireballs were already manifested and tore through their numbers.

    ¡°Thrust! Disengage! Step back!¡±

    An array of steel and leather boots stomping in the dirt slowly backed towards my seat. The shield wall retreated over the barrels, and my heart almost stopped of stress from images of them disappearing in a wall of fire. Or perhaps it was the blood loss.

    The knife wound had stopped spilling blood, but it wasn¡¯t something my abnormal healing could catch up to with me aggravating it so much. All the mages, ghouls, and the marble wall were eating up the ambient mana, leaving scraps for me to fight for.¡±

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Captain Tometh! Captain Kera! You do not retreat. That is an order.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    I¡¯d turned around, anticipating it had been me being questioned at first, and found a mounted captain in a more ornamental version of Tometh¡¯s armour. The two captains on the front ignored him, each standing behind one side of the shield wall to ensure the retreat went smoothly.

    More ghouls were infesting the ditches and getting past the first lines of spikes, sometimes skewering themselves. Archers in the towers and mages picked them off, but some of the spells did more damage to the defences than the ghouls.

    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re in the way,¡± said the same captain.

    Tometh was close enough now to both command and respond to the captain, saving me from saying something rude.

    ¡°She¡¯s under my direction, Hauser. Leave her be.¡±

    ¡°This whole fiasco seems to be under your direction. Why have we not pushed to the gatehouse yet?¡±

    Tometh crouched down to talk with me instead. He was splattered in black blood with his mana reserves drained. ¡°This enough?¡±

    I nodded and showed him the wire. ¡°It¡¯s as far as I can go. Should we wait for the stronger variants to cross over before detonating?¡±

    He looked up to the very annoyed Captain Hauser. ¡°No, the good captain is at least right that this is a mess right now. The front has to be switched. We need to get a coherent unit together instead of this mismatch. Do it.¡±

    I took a deep breath and held my thumb above the end of the silver.

    ¡°What exactly are you two doing?¡± Hauser asked.

    ¡°Brace! Brace!¡± Tometh also took up the shout, telling his troops to raise their shields and be sure-footed. My thumb hit the silver, and I shoved mana down the length.

    Hauser¡¯s next question was interrupted by a thunderclap. The ground shuddered, and I was glad to be sitting. Tometh wobbled while crouched and fell on his ass. Haiser¡¯s horse reared back, but my mare was steady due to my comfort. Mana shields flared up all around us.

    It didn¡¯t save them from being pelted by dirt clumps that took a full ten seconds to start landing around us with pieces of ghoul intermixed.

    I couldn''t see the shield wall, but after getting over the shock of the explosion, they still held firm against the ghouls thrown into them by the force of the dragon¡¯s breath.

    Tometh recovered quickly and stepped up to the saddle Hauser had fallen out of to get a better vantage point. I gritted my teeth and held my stomach, getting up on my mare with her assistance.

    The crater was more vast than I imagined, the edges of it travelling well into the defences. It didn¡¯t reach as close to our lines or the castle gate, maybe twenty paces across.

    ¡°Press ahead! Drive them into the pit.¡±

    At Tometh¡¯s command, the shield wall bashed forward. It was accompanied by blasts of air and thrusts of spears. All the remaining ghouls on our side of the crater were dead or tumbling back into the abyss. Those still pouring through the castle were hit with volley after volley before being driven into the pit ahead or getting to brave the trenches and spikes if they were on the peripheries.

    ¡°Continue forward!¡± Captain Hauser said, getting up and dusting himself. ¡°Rout these monsters.¡±

    None moved.

    ¡°Everyone hold. To the healers, if you have even the slightest scratch, otherwise it will fester. Mages replenish your mana. Captain Kera, swap out the shield bearers with your and Captain Jestile¡¯s unit. Get me Captain Aderkin and his archers; have them shoot into the pit.¡±

    ¡°There is a seniority to these things, Tometh¡­Get down off my horse.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to participate in giving orders with those of us¡±¡ªhe gestured to himself and Captain Kera¡ª¡°who are on the front line.¡±

    ¡°You belong with the cavalry, of which there is no place for here.¡±

    The exhausted and battered bunch holding the shield wall filtered past us to rest and heal while fresh troops in clean, uniform chainmail with two sets of matching insignias took their place. Archers with longbows came after to stand at the pit''s edge and shoot down into it.

    More ghouls were going through the lines of ditches, of which there were not many separating us and them. Some militia stood at the outer edges of the defensive rings, ready to meet the few that made it through.

    Tometh handed the horse''s reins back to Hauser as the captains in the back line were calling for answers and a strategy meeting. I was happy to stay where I was, but Tometh snapped his fingers at me and jerked his head towards the gathering captains.

    ¡°Do I really?¡± I asked.

    His smouldering glare didn¡¯t have me testing his patience for much longer, and I slipped off my mare to trot after him. Regrettably, he asked a passing runner to take her away.

    ¡°Sir! Sir.¡± A shorter woman in chainmail came running up. ¡°The 2nd is waiting along the street. We were not permitted in with the horses.¡±

    ¡°Very good, adjutant. We don¡¯t want them here for now. Meet Valeria, Valeria this is Sennal. Treat her orders as my own.¡±

    ¡°No issue there,¡± I said quickly, uninterested in his orders to begin with.

    He sighed as if understanding that. ¡°We have a meeting to go to.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s why I¡¯m here, sir.¡±

    The impromptu meeting was held underneath a watchtower, where the constant shade prevented the grass from growing as long as its surroundings. I climbed up to sit on the support beam above as the circle grew with captains and their adjutants and 2nds all fighting for a prominent position.

    ¡°Before anything else, such as spells capable of upheaving the ground, bog down our proceedings,¡± a woman said before everyone had settled. ¡°I feel we need to ask how is it we were woken per Tometh¡¯s instruction before the attack took place.¡±

    The poor captain was the most harried out of all of them, having expended the most mana and been nearest the fighting. I wanted to shadow-walk myself out of their view before he turned all the attention on him my way, but the rising sun had chased most shadows away.

    He still stepped into the circle with a straight back. ¡°We received advanced warning. Not enough to act on, but enough to deliberate over. Things obviously got out of hand in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡­What was the nature of this warning?¡±

    ¡°An informant. From inside the witch-affiliated group responsible for this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good enough answer. What witches?¡± Hauser interrupted. ¡°And who the fuck is this girl listing in on our proceedings?¡±

    I turned to Tometh for a deflection or excuse, but he simply replied, ¡°The informant.¡±

    ¡°And how¡ª¡±

    ¡°She was tracking the group that attacked Drasda, which led her here,¡± Tometh said. ¡°To the same group.¡±

    ¡°Who do you work under in Drasda?¡± another asked, eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Ah, Jeremy?¡± I said, figuring the chief of information gathering was the best answer.

    There was a collective groan from a few of the meeting¡¯s participants, generally the older captains. ¡°The norths¡¯ de facto spymaster is sticking his nose in our dealings now.¡± ¡°Lovely.¡± ¡°Lock this one up and throw away the key.¡± ¡°Lock her up for associating with witches, spy or not.¡±

    ¡°Her information is why we¡¯ve held the line so well thus far. If our people weren¡¯t already awake and outfitted when this attack took place, we would be defending street to street right now.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Hauser said. ¡°What did she know? Why would she go to a young captain on the eve of an attack of this scale?¡±

    I kicked out my feet from my perch, hoping Tometh would help, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°...I had a prior run-in with the captain, and when I heard of the attack, I broke my cover and went to him, to my own detriment, might I add. I didn¡¯t know what and when it was to take place.¡±

    ¡°And that chasm in the land you just helped make?¡±

    ¡°Dragon¡¯s breath stolen from witches who wanted to use it to destroy part of the city. The captain and I stopped it,¡± I said, hoping giving him credit would make him more helpful. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to discuss that with us before blowing half our field of battle away?¡± Another asked. ¡°And attracting another batch of ghouls.¡±

    ¡°If you were at the front where the decisions were being made, you could have had a say. I don¡¯t see it as a blunder, even in hindsight,¡± Tometh said, grumbling under his breath. ¡°Besides allowing us this meeting.¡±

    ¡°Do we have more?¡± Hauser asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said.

    ¡°Can we make more?¡±

    Nope.¡±

    ¡°You lying shit.¡±

    ¡°Enough, Hauser.¡±

    The conversation was realigned into troop movement and the minutiae of managing mana and cycling out mages from the front. Arrows needed to be made as we were already a tenth through those stored.

    Half of those present wanted to push to the gatehouse and start blocking it, while the others wanted to wait it out behind our shield line and deepen our defences. The argument grew more heated as words like ¡®coward¡¯ and ¡®brash¡¯ were thrown around.

    I raised my hand and tried to get Tometh¡¯s attention quietly, but he and his adjutant were arguing the merits of a static defence over a good offence.

    I sighed, put my fingers to my lips, and whistled.

    The dirt in the centre raised at my command to form four rings representing the capital, with a little block for each gatehouse and a house for each settlement. ¡°Are you all forgetting there are three other gates plus the holes in the wall? That three other districts full of ghouls you haven¡¯t spent decades culling are on their way?¡±

    An older captain shook his head. ¡°Girl, we¡¯ve been doing this for longer than you¡¯ve lived. Forcibly attracting ghouls with sound will die down quickly. It was louder than the bell we usually use, which would explain the increased numbers. This will die off by mid-morning, and only because of you and Tometh¡¯s added theatrics. We have runners on their way to check on and warn the others.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± I said, ignoring the sneers and creating a line of dirt buildings from our settlement to the abbey. ¡°I don¡¯t think these ghouls are being drawn by sound. The witches have created a line of warding runes, similar to our enchantments, along both sides of the main street from the 3rd wall to the 2nd and possibly the 1st.¡±

    ¡°We know what runes are brat.¡± ¡°And you know this because¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because I was there when they made it?¡± I mocked. ¡°They said it was for safe passage to the interior, but I think it''s so the ghouls are funnelled down this main road by another set of lure runes. Have any of you seen the variants that live in the interior? Sensed how much mana they soak up?

    I pointed to the ghouls still spilling through. ¡°These things are the weakest, and they¡¯re already pushing us back.¡±

    ¡°Are we expected to believe a lone mage survived in the 2nd ring, alone with these mana-hungry abominations?¡± Hauser asked. ¡°Expected to believe someone out gallivanting with these witches none of the greatest witch hunters in the kingdom knew of?¡±

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t believe me, but I¡¯m warning you. This isn¡¯t going to end unless we kill them all or those runes are destroyed. They¡¯re already on top of the walls and will crowd up at our entrance. A single lure could have them swarm through one of the other gatehouses. A single variant could punch through our defences.¡±

    ¡°We? Our? Who does this outsider think she is?¡±

    ¡°We can use the trebs to target the houses with the runes,¡± Tometh offered before anyone else could argue. ¡°Shore up our defences around the pit; try to block the gate.¡±

    ¡°A static defence makes more sense then,¡± Captain Kera said. ¡°Sending a team to punch through or go around is pointless suicide. If these runes even exist.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps blocking the gate isn¡¯t in our best interest since they will be more inclined to go to other settlements or atop the walls and fall into the many part-destroyed areas. I doubt the drop would kill them.¡±

    ¡°And call every duchy for reinforcements,¡± I added but received no backup.

    ¡°This is a capital problem,¡± Tometh said. ¡°We will deal with it. Now, how detailed can you make this little diorama of yours?¡±

    Yistopher

    I yanked my coat from a hanger and passed a crouched Sweeka, thinking she could pounce on whoever was banging on our door so early. I ripped it, ready to grumble the ears off of the mage outside.

    The young knight on the other side of the door didn¡¯t even flinch, and I lamented my loss of ability to scare the youths. The banging didn¡¯t stop despite the knight''s fist raised into a salute rather than rapping against my door. ¡°Morning, sir.¡±

    I leaned outside to find more knights banging on the doors of those I knew were at least tangentially involved in the military. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The knight''s destrier was in full kit, not for a cavalry charge or morning outing, but for a long march. ¡°We don¡¯t know, sir. Those of us in the bastion were sent out with a list of names and addresses. The officers suspect we¡¯re off to the capital by the maps being handed out.¡±

    I motioned for the paper and read through the list of twenty-odd names. ¡°You all have this many? This is the entire order and then some.¡±

    He nodded, a mixture of trepidation and excitement on his face. ¡°Yes, sir. Army runners have been going back and forth from the castle. The commander and duke are in the lower bailey right now, organising two weeks of food and enough arrows to kill an army. All leave is cancelled, and everyone is kitting up for a march.¡±

    I turned away before he could finish, collecting my sword, beret and faded uniform from where it hung. ¡°I¡¯ll need a horse and plate.¡±

    ¡°Already arranged, sir. We have carts buying out entire smithies at the moment. The army¡¯s 3rd logistics detachment is also already assembling outside the city.¡±

    ¡°Anyone let it slip they¡¯re dragging a retiree into this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask the commander, sir. I have other names I need to get through¡­if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± The knight saluted again, but I was too busy stuffing a bag full of spare socks to return it.

    ¡­

    The castle drawbridge was a mess of mounted runners ignoring all regulations and galloping at full speed across it, dispersing into the city. No one bothered to check identities as carts laden with food, weapons and tents rolled through. Half-dressed knights who lived with their families outside the bastion were lugging in their weapons and bags.

    Sweeka was curled up on my duffle bag, refusing to be left alone at home or with the neighbours.

    A procession of covered waggons sat on the path from the outer gate to the inner. Horses and their riders covered the grounds to either side as they donned the last of their gear and grouped into squads.

    I found Faraya, Jeremy, and Duke Riker amid the chaos, entertaining runners lining up to relay messages. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    Faraya looked stressed, and I sympathised, having organised a similar march but with weeks of preparation. ¡°It¡¯s Valeria; she¡¯s at the capital.¡±

    Sweeka perked up at the name, and I swallowed a sigh of relief; we¡¯d begun to think the girl was gone for good. ¡°Not that she wouldn¡¯t appreciate the spectacle coming to get her, but why the force?¡±

    Jeremy handed me a slip of paper. ¡°Read that and game out the worst-case scenario involving a group of witches at the capital.¡±

    I suppressed a shiver of the hundreds of thousands of abominations still trapped inside the walls getting out. ¡°Yeah¡­I hope you¡¯re sending more than us.¡±

    ¡°Army is offering logistics, and their mounted reconnaissance is joining us en route,¡± Faraya said. ¡°Infantry will be bringing up the rear so we can make good time. The neighbouring duchies haven¡¯t responded to our request for help, but the closest barron is sending a group to check what¡¯s happening.

    I apologise for this, but I have to put it plainly. There is only one commander on this mission; you¡¯re here to advise when asked and as a courtesy.¡±

    My younger self would have demanded a duel on the spot. Age had shaved away and tempered my once abundant ego. ¡°I understand, commander. I appreciate being brought in.¡±

    She breathed a sigh of relief, and I suppressed a smirk; perhaps I still had some scare left in me.

    ¡­

    Those still in their homes and on the street after the morning rush were treated to a rare sight. I rode at the head of a procession of knights in full regalia, carrying banners depicting a castle between the lake and Red Forest.

    There were parades throughout the year, but none were followed by a line of wagons capable of outfitting, sleeping, and feeding an army for a week. Children gazed up with stars in their eyes at the glinting armour and array of weaponry strapped to horses they could run under without ducking.

    Their parents looked on worriedly, understanding the meaning of the march, but that was Jeremy and Vince¡¯s problem to deal with.

    Another set of army wagons integrated into our caravan, carrying camp staff and other provisions. We all turned off the main path to the lesser-used road towards the capital, settling into a steady pace for the three-day trek.

 Chapter 80

    ¡°Stand clear! Launching in 3¡­2¡­1.¡±

    The operator yanked a string attached to the iron pin that was holding back the mechanism and the mana in the gold circuit. The enchantment on the trebuchet¡¯s counterweight switched from reducing to increasing the weight, while the opposite happened on the netting that was holding the giant magically compacted boulder.

    The roping was pulled taut by the falling counterweight. The trebuchet¡¯s wooden arm creaked as it spun and hurled the payload towards the wall. The enchantment reducing its weight lingered in the air for a moment before the arch of the boulder became steeper. Those of us in the watchtower held our breath as it angled down into the wall of smoke blocking our sight.

    We¡¯d encountered a problem with the chasm I¡¯d made not long into the morning. It was taking too many resources to kill the ones that had fallen inside, and the bodies were starting to pile up. I¡¯d argued for filling it and the connected trenches with water to create a moat in which we could drown the ghouls and fish the bodies out.

    Setting it ablaze using oil and spells won out, so now we had a dedicated team of mages stuck pushing the plume of smoke into the ghouls rather than us.

    The boulder punched a hole through the wall of smoke before vanishing. A deep crack resounded across the field as it clipped the back of the wall but made it over, going by the distant crash.

    ¡°Think it hit its target?¡± ¡°Close enough.¡± ¡°Tell them to increase the mana supply to the enchantments.¡±

    ¡°Maybe if we didn¡¯t have this immense fuck-off fire in our way, we could see better,¡± Tometh said, having disagreed with both the water and fire route.

    ¡°It was a majority decision, captain,¡± said Commander Arardish, wearing the marble from the second wall as his necklace, the same as Tometh. They were among the four captains who had the honour of being able to wear the trophy. Three were present, and their names were put forward for the title of commander of this fight.

    Arardish held the title due to a majority vote of two compared to Tometh, while the third bowed out.

    The second trebuchet hurled its payload with the increased mana supply, clearing the wall without issue. The original was having another boulder floated into the netting while the counterweight was rewound into place.

    Only two of the four trebuchets worked after being neglected for many years. The counterweight on one swung off-centre and smacked into the supporting structure, while the netting on the other snapped during firing. The latter was an easier fix than the pile of timber the former had collapsed into.

    I sat back down, crossed my legs, and floated a new bundle of sticks and timber up to the watchtower, bypassing the usual pulley system. When I¡¯d asked for more arrows after using up most of mine, I¡¯d been rejected. The more experienced soldiers needed them and were far more effective at using them, so I understood why.

    When I asked for the unprocessed arrow shafts and planks, they were happy to dump the excess into my lap.

    I would have also liked some steel for the tips, but the smithies were already behind. It wasn¡¯t just ahead of us shrouded in smoke. Plumes of it covered the sky over the city as blacksmiths tried to keep up with the front''s demands before the stockpiles were depleted.

    Captain Tometh and a few other captains without their units on the battlefield were in the tower because it was near enough to the fighting without being in the way, closer to the open fields past the fortifications. Those fields contained Tometh¡¯s mounted unit, who were leaning down from their horses to stab stragglers coming along the wall from the east.

    Tometh collapsed a spyglass spell with a scowl. ¡°They¡¯re competing for the kills.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of keeping count if you¡¯re not going to try to win.¡±

    ¡°There''s a difference between keeping count and going for a high count,¡± Arardish said.

    Anything that he and Tometh could agree on, I wanted no part in arguing against.

    I didn¡¯t meet their gaze and brought one of the wooden planks into my lap. Although it was long dead wood, I effortlessly split it down the middle, repeating the feat until I had equal lengths of long blocks. I smoothed one into a cylinder and balanced it on my finger to check the weight.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to run out of mana soon,¡± another captain said, taking a break from watching the battle to smoke. His blend of herbs was far harsher on the nose than Maisie¡¯s, and I was glad the watchtower was open air. ¡°With how inefficient you use your mana reserves and how abysmally small it is, I give you three more.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I hummed, sliding rigid leaves into grooves to use as fletching since I wasn¡¯t important enough to open the feather stock for. I sharpened the point as far as I could with magic, then carved off the last bit with the thumb of my gauntlet. ¡°My mana use isn¡¯t that bad¡­Is it?¡±

    I didn¡¯t get an answer.

    ¡°Sir, Cap¡ªCommander Arardish, sir,¡± A voice said from below. ¡°We¡¯re running out of mages to power the trebs.¡±

    I leaned through the railing of the watchtower, spying a woman holding out empty mana stones in each hand.

    ¡°Pass them up here, cadet,¡± the commander said. ¡°We have a few mages with nothing better to do.¡±

    ¡°Ah, reduced to simple crystal replenishers already. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.¡±

    ¡°You can hardly claim the title of mighty when you need to go to the clinic every few months to get the gunk out of your lungs.¡±

    The pulleys squealed as the box of crystals was brought up. Each captain took several, with Tometh glancing towards his unit before reluctantly participating. He had complained his reserves had been slow to refill with the current drain on the surrounding mana.

    If I stretched my senses too far out, I got dizzy, feeling as if I was at the centre of a whirlpool as the ambient mana was pulled into the vacuum.

    I put down the stick I was stripping of bark and motioned for the crystal. He nodded gratefully and placed one of the three he took in my gauntlet¡¯s palm. I juggled it into my gloved hand and held my gauntlet back out for the other two.

    By the time Tometh lost our silent fight over who would get the crystals using raised eyebrows, tilts of the head, and eye rolls, I had the first crystal brimming with mana. I handed it back while balancing the other two in my palm.

    Filling up all three large crystals was a bad idea, especially two at a time. I overdid it, expending too much with the shortage of mana in the air and my blood loss. My hand fell asleep, and I hung my head as the wood planks I sat on seemed to rock me back and forth.

    Someone took the crystals from my hand after prying open my fingers and placed a hand on my forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t get a read on her vitals.¡±

    A deep breath of cold air let me lean away from the hand. ¡°I¡¯m good¡­should have done one at a time.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± asked the captain with the pipe in his mouth. He turned to the side, letting out a long breath of white smoke, and held out the pipe to me.

    His smirk and surprise when I took the pipe showed he wasn¡¯t expecting me to accept the offer. The lung full was harsher on my throat, but my throbbing headache subsided, if only for a moment, before creeping back in.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for dumping so much mana at once,¡± Arardish said, still on his second crystal. ¡°Do they not teach you the basics up in the north?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve hadn¡¯t tried filling so many in a row before.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t teach the girl bad habits,¡± Tometh said, snatching the pipe away from me before I could take another drag.

    The growls and clamour from within the dark smoke from the burdening bodies in the chasm reached a new high as the ghouls surging out were shoved forwards. I¡¯d already warned them about the numerous variants and the increased strength of those in the interior and been told it was accounted for.

    Something leaping out of the smoke quicker than the bumbling masses drew my attention, and I quickly stood to get a better look. One of the four-legged ghouls jumped over the first row of spikes and landed in the ditch beyond, sprinting over the bodies of its predecessors. Tometh had already noticed, donning his helmet and picking up his sword. The other captains were confused until a scream was cut off as a set of jaws clamped onto a knight''s throat.

    A ballista bolt from Nicholas speared it through the stomach and pinned it to the ditch¡¯s incline before the other archers could draw back their bows at Tometh¡¯s directive.

    ¡°Fucking smokescreen,¡± Tometh said, stepping onto the ladder and sliding down.

    ¡°Can you look after my bag?¡± I asked, having found it right where I left it. I gathered my arrows and picked up my poleaxe to follow after him.

    Commander Arardish gripped my wrist, leaving me almost suspended as I searched for the rungs with my boots. ¡°You¡¯re here so we can keep an eye on you.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I thought I was here by choice.¡±

    ¡°We never know what will prompt the next piece of crucial information to spill from your lips. You¡¯re staying here.¡±

    I tested his grip, finding it ironclad. ¡°I¡¯ve told you most everything, and I¡¯ll be with the captain. And I don¡¯t think you could keep me here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what game you two are playing, but undermining my authority isn¡¯t in your best interest as it is his,¡± he said, pulling iron bindings from his waist belt. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    I raised an eyebrow, slowly sliding my mana over itself in my arm. Alp was a nuisance, yet he had at least taught me the basics of forging lightning. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about? Not those things bearing down on us?¡±

    ¡°A boat with two captains will run aground,¡± he said. ¡°Our peers elevated me into this position; he should respect that.¡±

    I shrugged as my hair rose from the static. ¡°I¡¯ve never been on a boat before, so¡­¡±

    There was a tick where his hand gripped my wrist and a flash of pain, enough for him to let go in surprise. I hadn¡¯t got the magic right as the shock also hit me. My mind was dragged to the night in the forest with Barick and the doll, but my hard landing brought me back to the present before too many unpleasant memories could cloud my mind,

    I thought I was over the arguably minor ordeal that lasted a mere evening, yet over and over, I would relive it from the slightest provocation.

    Tometh was already weaving through archers on his way to the trenches, and I rushed to catch up. He turned near the chasm and walked along the row of wooden spikes, using it to jump into the ditch with the hunter variant. It was still thrashing about, snarling at those trying to reach the wounded knight under it.

    Tometh dragged the sword from its scabbard, the enchantment for sharpness flaring to life. He swung the blade down, the point nowhere close to the neck of the creature. The enchantment carried forth the force of the strike across the distance, splitting head from neck. I ran along the same spikes and landed near him in the blood-soaked grass.

    Footsteps, fighting, melted snow, and dragon¡¯s breath had ruined most of the terrain. No longer was it an expanse of grass and shallow ditches but rather muddied trenches with half-formed defences.

    I stumbled back as Tometh spun and raised his blade to me. ¡°Why¡¯d you follow me here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be out of mana?¡±

    The first was an interesting question I hadn¡¯t had the time to ponder. ¡°You want me to wait up there with those people?¡±

    His glare didn¡¯t subside, but he lowered his sword. The other knights dragged out their comrade, still clutching his neck as blood flowed between his fingers while they healed him.

    There were few of them in the trenches to begin with, as most were holding the shield wall or in the towers. The majority of the less experienced militia had been placed here to finish off those whom the archers wounded, not to hold the line.

    The units holding the area around the chasm where most of the ghouls went were beginning to struggle as the mass of bodies was shoved into their shields. ¡°Do we retreat into the city? We don¡¯t want to fight these things in the open.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said they would be weaker,¡± Tometh said, standing his ground as the first row of spikes was slowly pushed over.

    I stuck my poleaxe into the ground, wondering why I bothered to carry it around and drew my bow back. ¡°Not by much.¡±

    The first of the inner city ghouls squeezed through a gap in the wooden poles, reaching out for us. I shot it in the face with one of my arrows. They were easier to manoeuvre after firing since they still contained my mana, but the wooden point was less deadly. The arrowhead nevertheless buried deep into its skull through the squishy eye socket, and the ghoul slumped forward, blocking the way for others.

    The next pole was pushed aside, and I glanced behind us to the next row of spikes that were keeping us trapped here, with another trench beyond that. The defences alternated like that several times before the empty fields with Tometh¡¯s team.

    The militia in the other trenches had run away after seeing a mage decked in armour almost get his head bitten off, and arrows from the towers landed too close for comfort. ¡°Should we really be here?¡±

    His voice sounded muffled from within the helmet. ¡°You have no right to complain after following me without orders.¡±

    I leaned around his chainmail shoulder and shot another ghoul before it could breach. This one didn¡¯t die, but it was still stuck in the gap as it twitched. My boots were sucked into the mud as I repositioned while Tometh cut down a charging ghoul. The number of spikes pushed over and fallen flat in the loosened soil was growing.

    The shield wall on the pathway was pushed back further, buckling in one area from an armoured variant getting through the first layer. Tometh¡¯s sword flared with mana as it decapitated a pair of ghouls climbing through and struck a deep gouge in the wood.

    I switched to an iron-tipped arrow as an armoured variant pushed through with little issue. The broad head of the arrow partially buried into its chest, only serving to enrage it for Tometh to deal with. His longer-ranged strike grazed the ghoul''s hardened exterior, not slowing its charge.

    I got one more arrow in before they clashed. Tometh ducked to the side as it went careening past him towards me. In a panic, I hit it with another arrow directly in the armour and reached for my poleaxe.

    Tometh sliced the back of its knee, and it stumbled to fall face-first into the mud at my feet. I lifted the poleaxe high above it and plated the spike deep into the back of its neck. Tometh was already facing the next ghoul, and I fumbled with my next arrow, my heart racing from the close encounter.

    I was used to dealing with them in the city, but sneaking about and slicing their necks open without their notice was a different experience.

    The trench ahead of us was full of ghouls, and they had a direct route to the side of the shield wall. The captains there noticed the issue and tried to fall back, but the onslaught from the front wasn¡¯t conducive to an orderly retreat.

    A powerful knot of mana landed ahead of us and turned the area into icy shards. My breath came out misty as the winter air grew frigid. The ice statues of ghouls shattered, and in a heartbeat, it was as if the spell hadn¡¯t landed at all.

    I loosed the soil under a pole behind us, pushing it over to create a gap to the next trench over. I climbed up the trench wall and stood atop the fallen spike. Tometh took a blow on his chainmail while my back was turned, and his sword stuck in the chest of a dead ghoul. A dagger appeared from the lining of his coat, and he stabbed the offender through the skull before tugging at his sword again.

    The trench was barely wide enough for him to swing, and it was quickly becoming more cramped. I thinned the numbers coming through with arrow after arrow. My stockpile was dwindling at an alarming rate. I used one of my last steel-tipped arrows on a ghoul that was absorbing far too much mana near its arm. I¡¯d found that many more variants were invisible to the eye since their mutations were internal, and I didn¡¯t want to find out what they did.

    Tometh was taken to the ground before getting another swing in, and another ghoul quickly piled on. I hit the group that was pressing down on him with a mental attack. Their recoil from the captain and thrashing about made me miss my next shot, but the entire backdrop was ghouls, so I hit something.

    The captain shoved a ghoul with a dagger stuck in its throat off of him and scrambled out of the mud without his helmet. I helped him up the embankment and dropped into the next trench after him, shifting the spike back in place.

    He scraped at his face, trying to get mud out of his eyes and mouth with muddied hands. I pulled the moisture from the air and hit him in the face with a torrent of water. His hair stuck to his face as he stood, dripping wet and shocked into silence. I pulled the water off him and threw it in the ghouls'' direction.

    The arrows going overhead seemed to sink into the sea without effect. The spells were less powerful, every mage having expended their mana at least twice during the morning.

    ¡°Do we go back to your team?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let''s,¡± he said while breathing heavily.  He glanced back at the shield wall fighting off ghouls climbing onto the path from the ditch we had left and stopped. ¡°They need help disengaging; you go back. Tell them to reinforce one of the gates in the city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to catch up, so I think I¡¯ll stay,¡± I said, perhaps too overconfident in my ability to escape if things got worse.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°To your kill count?¡±

    Tometh looked at me like I¡¯d sprouted wings before shaking his head and turning to where a ghoul was trying to push through to our trench. He pulled out another dagger, but I picked up one of the many arrows stuck in the ground and hit the ghoul before he could reach it.

    The shield wall on the path was circling the mages in their back line as more walking terrors rushed them from the sides. The archers in the watchtowers couldn¡¯t keep up with those flanking now that the militia was vacating the trenches. Spells were haphazardly thrown to create walls, troughs, and elemental effects that didn¡¯t help to stem the tide.

    The captains there gave up on killing ghouls and focused on steadily walking back¡­past the entrance to our trench.

    I shot the unlucky frontrunner coming around the curve of the trench. The second and third stumbled over the body, revealing the next in line to fall victim to my arrows. Tometh withdrew his dagger from the neck of a ghoul who was pushing through the spikes.

    He turned to face the length of the trench while I made an opening for us into the next trench. Ghouls were getting ahead of us to either side as they threw themselves into the fortifications. The captain came through the gap with a ghoul clutching at his ankles and another jumping from the opposite incline.

    I hit the one mid-jump with a blast of air, sending it flying back over the row of spikes while he chopped the arm holding onto him. A few militias were still holding this trench but getting overwhelmed despite the pale bodies piled around them.

    The first row of watchtowers was vacated as the shield wall was forced to retreat past their ladders. Fewer arrows flew overhead, and a trebuchet¡¯s boulder smacked into the wall, the last for a while since the crew was being hurried off.

    The mages that had held the smoke plume at bay had long retreated, letting it blow towards us.

    I pulled out my last iron arrow, my eyes widening at the variant I¡¯d only read the description of. The spitter¡¯s head and bloated throat were wedged through the fortifications, and a militia member approached with a spear to kill the seemingly trapped creature from the side. Its throat expanded as I drew an arrow back.

    Out of the corner of my eye, a ghoul fell from spikes angled over me from behind. I loosed the arrow as the spitter opened its jaw, my attacker falling on top of me before I could bring my arms up. It was my turn to be shoved into the mud under the weight of a creature with no other interest than digging its claws as deep as they could go.

    I didn¡¯t have the chainmail to block them either.

    The grotesque creature was too heavy to push off as I scrambled underneath it. I called for Tometh, but the last I saw, he was dealing with his own problems. It went to bite; I stuck my gauntlet into its mouth and hit it with a mental attack.

    I¡¯d deluded myself by calling what I was doing an ¡®attack¡¯ when I was really awakening the person hibernating within. I¡¯d also forgotten the backlash from the stronger ghouls. This one pleaded with me to kill them. Not an echo of a long-dead soul, but the words of someone who could see me now.

    I reached for an arrow that had spilt from my quiver in the fall, stabbing the flailing ghoul in the side repeatedly.

    I rolled over to get the body off me, now weighed down by mud. Tometh had lost his dagger again and was relying on spells to cut down our attackers. I snatched up as many arrows as I could before making a new gap to get to the next trench. The militia member I¡¯d saved from a face full of acid was dead, already trampled by the neverending rush of ghouls.

    I didn¡¯t stop and carried on through the layers of fortifications, feeling Tometh¡¯s presence following me. The last few trenches were empty of ghouls and soldiers as the shield wall still held the entrance at the path. These rows of defences were not as full of mud and blood, and we retreated quickly to the field between us and the city¡¯s wall of doorless, windowless houses.

    Tometh¡¯s team should have been there, but they were hundreds of paces away, dealing with a surge of ghouls coming from around the wall. They were quickly losing ground as the militia with them ran back to the city¡¯s side entrance.

    ¡°Does that mean the other town fell?¡± I asked, spitting a clump of mud into the grass.

    ¡°Just their forward defences¡­I hope,¡± Tometh said, checking for another dagger.

    ¡°They¡¯re going to get cut off,¡± I noted as the dozen horses of Tometh¡¯s team were getting slowly encircled as ghouls came from the far side.

    ¡°They know to leave if things get bad,¡± Tometh said unconvincingly.

    They were acting as the rearguard for the last of the militia limping along, but even then, ghouls were already running for the side entrance of the city. They would still be swarmed even if they left the wounded behind. They noticed the same thing.

    A few team members pulled the wounded over their horses, and the retreat was sounded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to make it,¡± I said, backing away towards the city as they trampled through the first ghouls to reach them. The rest of the hoard had noticed their noisy escape and changed directions from the city to them. Ghouls exited the trenches closest to the wall, adding to the encirclement.

    Tometh went the opposite way.

    I groaned and watched after him, no longer convinced I could escape the mess if I followed.

 Chapter 81

    I took another step back, still searching the field of ghouls to see if there was a route out for the knights. I urged the horses not to be frightened, careful to keep only them in mind, though they were trained to trample people with weapons, so it was hardly impactful.

    I absent-mindedly picked at the dry mud that clung to me, nudged the stone that had found its way into my boots, and took another step back. The wind shifted, and the smoke moved to blot out the sun, casting the field into shadow. The acrid smell of burning flesh accompanied it.

    Tometh met resistance as the knights circled their horses, no longer believing they could break through the masses. The shield wall along the path had disappeared into the street while still shouting for one last push to close the iron gate. Ghouls swarmed the ruined and still-standing trebuchets, searching for the mana circuits within. Some lingered by the wall, pawing at the unobtainable source of mana.

    My mind moved on to where to go next. I could find refuge in the city and help or move north to find the closest town and warn them of the coming trouble. I leaned towards the latter since it would get me closer to Drasda, and without Tometh, I doubted anyone here would care to listen to me or allow me to have a weapon.

    An immense amount of mana was dumped onto a spell cast by the gate to incinerate the ghouls blocking its closing. The roiling wave of fire burst from the street, engulfing the hoard and pushing the back enough for the iron bars to ring shut.

    A weak cheer arose from within the city, but my attention was back on Tometh. A ghoul charging towards him had paused to look back at the spell, not for how it lit up the area or the outcry of its kind, but for the mana. I looked back to those ghouls who were more interested in the unobtainable mana within the wall and the scraps hidden inside the trebs.

    I¡¯d had the fortune of not being on the receiving end of their thirst for mana and forgotten that was their main motivation. Killing those without was an unintended consequence for them, and the coven had to expend much effort to get them to leave the higher ambient mana they craved.

    I clicked the steel fingers of my gauntlet against the thumb. Its design didn¡¯t have any crystals, relying on the capital''s ambient mana to power its many enchantments. It was content being fed a steady stream of the little I offered it so as not to attract attention, but I hadn¡¯t seen an end to its hunger.

    So, if the ghouls wanted mana, I could provide a better lure than any rune.

    I planted my feet in the grassy field while rethinking the risk of attracting the ire of even the closest ghouls. I removed my archer''s glove, pulled up my sleeve, and interlocked my bare fingers with cold steel, making as much contact with the armour as possible.

    I fed mana into it, and the enchantments lapped it up. Learning my lessons from the crystals, I took it slow at first, but time was limited. A knight had already been dragged from their horse, and Tometh struggled to fight through with only a dagger. I forced through as much mana into the metal as it would allow.

    The ghouls lingering near the city gate took notice first, pausing their assault on the gate. The build-up of mana interfered with my senses, like staring into the midday sun, and I had to rely purely on my eyesight for the first time in forever. My arms twitched as mana flowed from the air into the rest of my body before being shoved into the gauntlet through them.

    The metal heated uncomfortably as the enchantments ran out of anything to repair, resize, sharpen, or polish.

    I hadn¡¯t thought much about the next step after every ghoul¡¯s head from the gate to the wall snapped towards me in a wave. I¡¯d hoped to gain at least the attention of those between Tometh and his team, but the gauntlet¡¯s capacity to hold onto mana exceeded my expectations.

    It surpassed the level it was used to in the depths of the capital and leached a portion into the starved soundings as it struggled to hold onto what I provided. That portion found its way back into my body to be recycled.

    I mistook the ground shaking for my legs being unsteady from the strain, but I simply hadn¡¯t been paying attention to my surroundings. The peculiar sight of the knights riding with the wave of ghouls kept me upright as my head spun.

    ¡°Throw it!¡± Tometh shouted, but my arms and attachment to the piece of armour protested. I still had the sense to listen to him, especially considering the surge of pale bodies sprinting toward me.

    However, the best I could do was let the gauntlet slip off my arm and boot it into the trench. The kick left me off balance, and I tripped over my unresponsive feet as I turned to run, my face meeting the cool grass.

    An arm covered in steel curled under my stomach and pulled me from the ground. The ridges in the chain sleeve prodded my skin but were preferable to the pouldron I was then draped over. I let my head sway against Tometh¡¯s back as the sound of hooves approached.

    ¡°Open the gate!¡±

    ¡°Open the gate,¡± echoed someone from beyond the iron bars.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°They¡¯re right behind!¡± ¡°Go around.¡±

    ¡°Im going through the wall if you don¡¯t open that fucking gate, and we¡¯ll see how useful it is to anyone after that.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t see ahead, but from the sounds of a brief scuffle, click of a latch and squeak of hinges, the gate was opened. After being carried through the narrow opening, I lifted my head to watch the horses hurriedly squeeze through before it was slammed back in place.

    Tometh walked past those guarding the gate before depositing me on the cobblestone, propped up against a doorway. I went cross-eyed and hit the back of my head into the door to follow his hand as it pressed into my forehead.

    ¡°Healer! Jaid, where are you?¡±

    ¡°Here, sir,¡± a woman said, pulling a wounded militia member from her horse. ¡°Is she worse than an open fracture on the thigh?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My diagnostic spell isn¡¯t working.¡±

    I wanted to remove his hand, but my arms didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her hands?¡± Jaid asked as she tore open the pant leg of her knocked-out patient. She pushed the bone shard jutting out of his thigh back inside, making my stomach churn.

    ¡°What?¡± Tomate asked, already pushing back my long sleeves.

    ¡°Owe,¡± I commented. ¡°That¡¯s going to take a few days to heal.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jaid asked, finishing with the spell to close up the leg wound and come look at my arms. She couldn¡¯t figure out where to hold them, considering the entire length was an ugly reddish colour with black veins interspersed. ¡°Try never spellcasting again. What the fuck did you do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being dramatic,¡± I said, leaning into the doorframe. ¡°This is just my body¡¯s way of saying I used too much mana. Happens every other week.¡±

    Though not this badly, I left out.

    Jaid delicately turned my arms over. ¡°Mages don¡¯t tend to be able to burst their mana channels since they¡¯re not physical.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an odd one,¡± Tometh said. ¡°And I think I know why the diagnostic isn¡¯t working.¡±

    ¡°Care to share?¡± Jaid asked.

    ¡°No.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a definable outline of mana for it to latch onto.¡±

    I glared at the captain, who was no longer a blurry mess to my eyes. ¡°Is that how you thank someone for saving you? I would be more appreciative if you found me a new gauntlet rather than blabbed.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to save your life; your little secrets don¡¯t matter if you¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say she''s in any danger,¡± Jaid said, setting my arms down gently. Her slender fingers gripped my chin while the other hand checked my throat for a pulse and pulled open my eyelids. ¡°I¡¯d say she''s in shock from mana drain, and her arms are just badly bruised. Nothing life-threatening, but I¡¯m still sceptical about you using mana again.¡±

    ¡°Just bruised?¡± Tometh asked, turning on his healer. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the order sponsor years of your training for you to diagnose this as ¡®just bruised.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Which one of us is the trained healer?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Captain Hauser asked, still up on his horse without a hair out of place. A full squad followed behind him with their weapons still gleaming or in their scabbards.¡°Who cast that spell, and under whose authority was the gate opened?¡±

    ¡°Captain Tometh, sir,¡± a more decorated guard from the gate answered.

    Tometh stood to face Hauser while Jaid stayed kneeled by my side. ¡°We had the time. Only hesitation to open the gate could have cost lives.¡±

    ¡°You know the gates open for no one once they are closed while under an attack.¡±

    ¡°They should not have closed with no ghouls nearby, and while my team was still out there, per that same regulation. Leaving them for dead is a greater crime than any you can accuse us of.¡±  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Tometh¡¯s team picked themselves up from where they rested, stopped tending to their horses, waved off the healers standing over them, and collected around their captain. They were battered and lacking a lot of their weapons and armour pieces, but I''d feel safer standing with them than Hauser¡¯s people.

    I tried to help by persuading his horse to buck him off, but they were too well-trained to give in.

    Hauser¡¯s frown didn¡¯t waiver, and he moved on to the next issue. ¡°And the spell? You again, I assume?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Tometh said, stepping to the side to reveal me. ¡°Valeria over-imbued an enchanted item to gain their attention.¡±

    There were shouts from the guards, and the gate shook from the first ghoul crashing into it. More followed to block the field from view, replacing it with pale arms reaching through the iron bars. Those in the front hissed at the iron touching them but had nowhere else to go.

    The gate held firm as polearms were slipped between the bars. The bodies didn¡¯t drop since they were pressed together tightly enough to keep them standing. A glass full of oil and a lit rag sticking out the top was thrown over the gate. The horses, some at the direction of their riders, backed away from the fire as it splashed over the ghouls.

    ¡°These creatures have made us wield fire inside our city; may the Mother save us from ourselves.¡±

    The words and sentiments were shared amongst many of those gathered. As one of the few elements unable to be healed through magic, I could vaguely understand their fears.

    ¡°So,¡± Hauser continued, the flames glinting in his eyes as he stared at them. ¡°The Drasda girl, again, has just the right solution for your problems but not the city¡¯s? The information you needed to mount a quick defence, the alchemy material to form a crater for your retreat, and now an enchanted item to save your team from being swarmed.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your point,¡± Tometh asked.

    ¡°We could look past her transgressions during a winning battle, but now we¡¯ve been forced back to our gates with the public in alarm; there¡¯s more appetite for passing blame. We will not shoulder that burden, and unless you want us to consider more deeply why she coincidentally always helps you, step aside.¡±

    I had a very long and convincing argument ready for them to show that I was helping, that I was the reason the situation wasn¡¯t terrible and that I was the reason they should have an army coming to help them.

    Except I was tired of trying to force them to let me help, and at this point, there wasn¡¯t much more to help with besides killing ghouls at the gate. They could lock me up, and I¡¯d either get out on my own, or Faraya could get me out in a few days. The corner of my lips curled at the thought of Yis being the one to come get me and what he¡¯d say to them.

    ¡°She¡¯s been conscripted into the 2nd as our runner, so as her captain, I¡¯ll dole out punishment for her transgressions as I see fit. And if you want to talk about my involvement, first consider who the people want defending them. Us, or you?¡±

    I expected his team to look at him in shock that they would have to put their careers in jeopardy for me, but they stood firm without so much as a glance.

    ¡°Fine. Harbour her if you want,¡± Hauser spat. ¡°The commander wants a squad to help out the influx of civilians from the outer limits and defend the rear. I¡¯ll let him know you volunteered. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy to hear you¡¯re going somewhere that not even you can hope to fuck up.¡±

    He turned his horse round and rode back down the street, passing through the throng of carts, animals, and people laden with belongings streaming towards the city''s interior.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, happy not to be in bindings with my arms in the state they were.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky it was him asking. If it were a captain I got along with, then you¡¯d be in bindings.¡±

    ¡°Somehow, I doubt you get along with any of them.¡±

    A few in his team snickered, including Jaid, as she bound my arms in gauze lathered in balm. Their jaws clamped shut as his glare swung across them. ¡°Can you walk? We need to move now if we want to make sure the back gates shut after everyone makes it inside.¡±

    ¡°She shouldn''t be going anywhere but a bed,¡± Jaid said, levelling her own glare.

    ¡°My legs are perfectly fine, apart from a scratch or two.¡±

    She ignored me. ¡°Why¡¯s she not in chainmail, captain? What¡¯s with the rags? Fuck, where did she even come from? Sennal said she was an informant¡­of sorts.¡±

    ¡°Valeria wasn¡¯t supposed to be anywhere near the fighting,¡± he said. ¡°You can all ask your questions while we get to the back gate. She can ride with you.¡±

    Jaid put her hands under my arms to help me to my feet. I¡¯d regained the feeling in my limbs but wasn¡¯t happy about it since there was nothing to feel except a dull pain. Her horse was kind enough to lay down so I could climb on, cradling my well-bound arms. Jaid got up behind me as the rest of the team mounted up. All were there, healed from most of their injuries except the bruises and scrapes that weren¡¯t worth the mana.

    The first question on the ride there was why they were listening to the cowardly captain. Tometh said guarding the rear was as good a place as any to do good, which was begrudgingly accepted. I shrunk away as the rest of the questions that poured in were all concerning me.

    The city''s sprawl extended far beyond the gates and stone structures protecting the inner city. Therefore, those who had not considered evacuating now congregated towards the centre, bringing their farm animals and belongings. Some looked to have family welcoming them into their homes, but most had nowhere to go.

    We rode single file in the opposite direction of their flow, not getting anywhere fast. The sound of the nearby gates taking hits, the growls of ghouls, and shouts from defenders stirred them into more panic. Fights broke out over belongings, outside food stores, and lodging.

    Tometh had to remind a few shopkeepers of the laws regarding taking advantage of emergencies, and his team shouted down those yelling or brawling to stop or be detained. I took the time to rest and attempted to explain the spell notation I did remember for the non-targeted healing to Jaid.

    Once we neared the gate and the start of the flimsier wooden buildings, the crowd thinned as fewer people trickled in. A group of armed individuals in regular clothing played cards as someone nearby hawked a handful of metal trinkets. Another stood guard at the partially closed gate and collected coin from someone coming in after a back-and-forth.

    ¡°Protect your loved ones from evil! This amulet is made entirely of electrum and combines the best of what gold and silver have to offer. Give your families a carefree solution to the scourge besetting our walls. The metal''s ability to conduct mana¡ª¡±

    He stood atop an upturned wooden box and was the first of the group to notice our approach. To his friends'' surprise, the hawker leapt off the box and took off sprinting. They turned from their card game and reached for the swords and spears leaning against the wall.

    Once they saw why he ran, they followed right after.

    ¡°Go retrieve their weapons and whatever they took from people,¡± Tometh ordered. ¡°But release them after; I¡¯m not interested in running a prison.¡±

    Half our numbers spurred their horses forward as they galloped after them, quickly gaining ground.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that was electrum,¡± I told Jaid, having not felt any gold or silver in the amulets.

    She patted my shoulder. ¡°Oh, you sweet thing. There were a million more things wrong with what was going on there, but you¡¯re right. That was probably brass.¡±

    Tometh watched after his team as they disappeared around a corner and rode up to the gate. ¡°Gate closing! Is anyone out there?¡±

    There was no response. ¡°Tames, Hanover, ride down the street and see if anyone is still making their way here.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Sennal, go back to headquarters and scrounge up a few extra hands to carry over our stockpiles and bring them here. See if you can scrounge up some chain and a new bow for Valeria¡­and please don¡¯t let the other captains see you.¡±

    I glanced down at my wrapped hands and fingers, wondering how he expected me to bend my fingers, let alone shoot.

    ¡°Will do, captain. No promises on the last part.¡±

    ¡°Jaid, find somewhere to set up a healing station if you¡¯re done with the girl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check the butchery across the street so no one complains about the smell of blood later.¡± My healer got off the horse from behind me and offered a hand to help me down.

    ¡°No thanks, I think I¡¯ll stay up here,¡± I said, feeling safer on the horse since I couldn''t use my arms. Jaid had managed to seal the scratches across my body, yet she didn¡¯t feel confident using a new spell she didn¡¯t understand to fix internal damage.

    She shrugged and went to check the nearby stores and houses with the remaining team. People peeked through their curtains, watching us from most windows. The bottom floors were devoid of life, with the storefronts ravaged down to bare shelves. Most didn¡¯t open to the knights¡¯ knocking, and those who did kept glancing up and down the street, asking when the gate would be closed.

    The two riders sent out soon returned alone. ¡°Sir, chased off a few looters, but no one else seems to be coming this direction. Two families were packing the last of their stuff, adamant on leaving for the countryside instead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me; it¡¯s their decision. Help the rest of the team find a place to set up.¡±

    If I weren''t counting the horses, the captain and I were left alone. But I did count the horses since they were far more entertaining and talkative company than he was. That was until Tometh turned to face me, and I readied for what my orders would be.

    ¡°Thank you for saving them.¡±

    I shrugged, feeling too awkward by the directness to look him in the eye. ¡°It was an easy choice¡­Thanks for not handing me over to Hauser.¡±

    He saw where I was playing with the gauze fringe wrapped around my finger. ¡°You say that while covered in injuries. I know knights who wouldn¡¯t make that trade.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said these would be gone in a few days.¡±

    ¡°And what have you done in the past to know that piece of information?¡±

    ¡°Uh, this and that.¡±

    He obviously expected more explanation, but I didn¡¯t think telling him about the last time I over-imbued an alarm system would do me any favours.

    The team returned with the weapons they had acquired from the ¡®hooligans¡¯ who had run away and a sack of silver and bronze that would be used to purchase equipment for the team. The excuse that it would be impossible to return the roe to the rightful owners sounded hollow, but I wasn¡¯t about to go running around asking who wanted their coins back.

    The other half of the team found a young family willing to lend us their now-empty storefront and attic of the three-storey building as our base. Them being near the corner, and therefore part of the defence of the core on two sides, worried them and played a large part in why they would let a bunch of knights stay with them.

    Sennal returned with a chainmail shirt that reached my elbows and extended out over my waist. It also came with a hood. Despite being shrunk to the smallest proportions, it was slightly large on me, and the hood pooled around my neck. She shooed me into the lavatory to change while Jaid insisted on joining me to check for more injuries.

    There was a long-sleeved red shirt and matching trousers to go underneath the chainmail, and I needed Jaid¡¯s help pulling it over my bandages. To finish off my new armour set was a leather vest that strapped over the chainmail, matching archery gloves and boots that came up to my knees.

    Having so many layers over my arms was unsettling, especially when I tried to grip the new short bow. Once dressed, I joined the rest of the team in the bottom-floor storefront for their meeting. Sennal tied back my hair so that it didn¡¯t get tangled, pinched in the chain, or get in the way as it was known to do.

    ¡°Good, she at least looks the part,¡± Tometh said, approving of my new colour scheme.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you approve, sir,¡± Sennal said, stepping away. ¡°Cause I may have run into the new commander, and he wanted to see the two of you before sundown."

 Chapter 82

    I sat atop a cracked crate of foodstuffs that a cart had literally dropped off, my toes barely touching the ground. I was trying to wiggle a finger between the folds of the bandage to scratch my arms, but they were bound too tightly for that. Captain Tometh went around the cramped attic, ducking away from the slopped roof, to personally take stock of our inventory of blades, rations, arrows, and other supplies.

    The cart had only stopped long enough to check which supplies crates were ours so they could turn around and quickly fulfil other orders, but that left everything in disarray.

    I leaned over to look out the slanted window at the dwindling light. The city had quietened compared to the afternoon, at least at our position in the rear. However, fighting still raged at every other gate, judging by the sparse reports and distant shouting.

    The remnant knights and militia were convinced they were safe inside their walls, that the gates would hold. I hoped for their sake that they wouldn¡¯t have to watch their fortifications contend with any of the ghouls from the castle.

    Tometh also kept looking out of the window. He knew very well the impending deadline of getting to headquarters before sundown because I kept reminding him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already counted that one,¡± I said, my jaw resting against my palm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to fake it if you want to make the commander wait; it''s just us here.¡±

    ¡°You think I would do something that juvenile during a time like this?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yes.¡±

    He scoffed, put down the listing he¡¯d been cross-referencing, and motioned for the stairs.

    My chainmail rustled as I hopped off the crate. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you had to stop being petty. I¡¯m in full support of not going.¡±

    ¡°Some of us respect the chain of command and still have to live here after this is over.¡±

    We walked down the staircase to the storefront, passing half the knights having tea with our hosts. ¡°Want us to come with you, captain?¡±

    ¡°Just Sennal. The rest of you can finish and guard the gate or patrol the neighbourhood until I return.¡±

    His adjutant tipped her cup back and downed the rest of her tea, quickly brushing biscuit crumbs from her lap as she hurried after us. A few stragglers had come to the gate, most with a mismatch of items one wouldn¡¯t carry on their back in an emergency.

    The suspected looters were let through since there was no proof, except for one egregious offender who had bundled up gold and silver wiring that had recently been stripped from homes.

    She¡¯d tried to hide it under her coat, but the mages waving her through had sensed the chunks of metal. The bounty was taken away from her with little argument, but keeping with the captain¡¯s wishes of no prisoners, she was let go.

    The city was on the edge of falling into disarray, with the roaming squads of knights as the only thing keeping it from taking the plunge.

    My mare had been put into service elsewhere, so I still had to ride in front of Sennal to the headquarters. The streets had cleared of people, but magic-made barricades with old furniture legs for stakes were being set up at every intersection. The side of the city facing the capital had multiple layers of iron gates, but the sides were less protected, leaving the fortifications up to the area''s defenders.

    Ghouls had further piled up at the outer gates, making for easy targets and a worrying pressure pushing against a few hinges and a latch. Stone struts had been formed to prop up the gates and alleviate some of the stress on the joints. No one bothered shooting arrows overhead as the defenders took turns stabbing and casting.

    The ground-floor windows were boarded up, and the doors reinforced. Some mages broke windows and reformed the walls as if they had never existed.

    The grassy expanse between the headquarters¡¯ gate and their bastion was covered in tents and clustered groups as they sought refuge in the only available space¡ªand the safest. Everyone wanted to be far away from the fence and close to the fortress, leaving people sitting almost atop each other.

    The same guard I had bypassed while he slept gave a hurried salute to Tometh before rushing him through, returning to argue with the woman trying to bring her sheep inside.

    ¡°Think they still want to lock me away?¡± I asked, testing a minuscule amount of mana manipulation in my arms, leaving them feeling fuzzy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they have more important things to focus on?¡±

    ¡°If they do, they can¡¯t keep it a secret. They¡¯d have to explain why,¡± Tometh said, riding closer and leaning towards us. ¡°Despite what¡¯s going on, telling the public the perpetrators were, you know, who lived amongst us would be far worse for our image.¡±

    A knight at the door took the reins of our horses, and the same receptionist directed us to the Map Room, giving me a surprised look despite my using Tometh as the excuse to be here before. We went up a direct staircase to a door flanked by stern-faced knights. One nodded more deeply to Tometh than the other before both reached to open their side of the double door.

    The lamps inside were already lit and bathed the room in a warm glow, with most of that light glinting off naked blades and plate armour adorning the crowd of high-ranking knights. There were those not in uniform who were dressed well enough to be influential figures in the city, but they were few. Most gathered around a large table, covered mainly by a map showing far greater detail than the dirt one I¡¯d made under the watchtower.

    Unsurprisingly, I was by far the youngest in the room, including the adjutants mingling on the boundaries, and I got the usual looks that went with that fact. Those who¡¯d met me on the field gave me a different look I couldn¡¯t quite decipher.

    ¡°Ah, evening, captain,¡± Commander Arardish said, extricating himself from the group crowded around him. ¡°We missed you at the strategy meeting, but the simple of it is you¡¯ll be stationed in the rear as Hauser tells me you¡¯re already set up there and will be responsible for sorties to respond to attacks in the outer city.¡±

    ¡°Sortie?¡± Tometh said slowly, turning away from the group of captains that had come to greet him. ¡°What sort of strategy is having a single squad to defend the streets that ghouls have unrestricted access to.¡±

    ¡°The businesses and warehouses located in that district,¡± a woman out of uniform said. ¡°Are the lifeblood of this city, now and after. Defending them is paramount.¡±

    ¡°There was supposed to be an auction at Jacora¡¯s tomorrow,¡± another added. ¡°The loss in revenue from that alone would affect all of us well into the spring.¡±

    Arardish clamped a hand on Tometh¡¯s shoulder before he could retort and brought him towards the map. Little wooden renditions represented the iron gates scattered around the city, concentrated on the side facing the capital. The knights were portrayed as helmets or as horses rearing back, like the one positioned where we were stationed in the back corner.

    The city had a single entrance at the front path that branched out into streets with their own gates all the way up to the grass of the bastion. The two gates on each side and the three at the rear did not have the same defensive depth, with only the outer gate as protection.

    The commander pointed to those weaker areas. ¡°We can¡¯t afford the enemy pushing in from all sides; we need a clear route for supplies and evacuations if the time comes. Most of our forces are stationed at the four side gates and main entrance. The city can''t afford three more gates under siege. We don¡¯t have the people or mana.¡±

    Tometh bristled at the hand still on his shoulder but said nothing as he considered the map. Runners came in through a side door and handed notes to support staff, who would add miniatures to the map to illustrate the growing number of ghouls.

    ¡°Look, Tometh,¡± the commander continued quieter. ¡°Most are amassing at the front and sides. If they don''t, they¡¯re wandering past the city entirely. My orders are not unreasonable. Two squads have each been placed on the other gates, but I figure since you have the war horses, your 2nd can cover more ground.¡±

    I imagined Tometh¡¯s eye twitching at the mention of orders, but he bobbed his head. ¡°We¡¯ll handle it.¡±

    Arardish clapped his shoulder. ¡°Good man. Now, everyone here had a lot of questions on how we knew certain information that was said during the meeting. So, meet our troublesome spy responsible for that.¡±

    I felt the stares pile on as those not at the meeting under the watchtower slowly registered where the commander was looking. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a problem. I feel I¡¯ve been quite helpful.¡±

    ¡°I concur,¡± Tometh said, gesturing to my bandaged arms. ¡°She has been instrumental in this defence and saved my team. As far as you need to be concerned, she¡¯s been conscripted into the 2nd for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Be that as it may, a foreign asset meddling in our region of influence should have been cleared with us at the very least. The fact we can¡¯t confirm she¡¯s even from Drasda and is still not playing us is worrying. She hasn¡¯t even been properly debriefed.¡±  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Foreign?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t have much nationalistic pride for a country I knew very little of, but still. ¡°We¡¯re both from Werl?¡±

    That elicited a few laughs from the crowd and a smile from the commander. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure the duchies wouldn¡¯t like nothing more than for their fellow countrymen to be wiped out so they could take our home for themselves. Or swoop in to save the day, only to never leave. Why is Drasda sending spies here without contacting their fellow Werlese?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to be here,¡± I said, letting some of the frustration from being stuck here for weeks on end seep in. ¡°I got roped into a prison break while pretending to be a captive to get information from the witch we caught. She did something with an old tree outside the city, and the next second, I was standing outside your walls. Drasda doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m here. Otherwise, they would have come to get me.¡±

    There was a twinge of disappointment in his eyes at the last part, yet his lips curled downwards into a scowl. ¡°You want to dress up and pretend to be one of us? Then act like it and show some respect to your superiors.¡±

    I resisted uttering the first words that came to mind. Despite the extra layers of armour, I felt naked without my gauntlet, steel bangles and magic. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    His scowl didn¡¯t dissipate. ¡°Everyone clear the room.¡±

    The captains were unaccustomed to being issued orders as they looked to each other for assurance that they¡¯d go along with it before slowly filtering out.

    ¡°Arardish, Drasda is a large purchaser of our goods. Don¡¯t do anything rash,¡± a civilian said while going for the door. She got a tight-lipped smile that vanished the second her back was turned.

    ¡°You too, captain.¡±

    I nodded when Tometh glanced my way, and he followed the others out, closing the door behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll be outside.¡±

    Arardish slouched slightly and leaned back against the table, his expression slipping into something more neutral. ¡°While I truly believe that the surrounding duchies would like nothing more than to pillage our home, past and present. And am miffed that there are machinations beyond my knowledge playing out in the city for so long.¡±

    I chewed on my bottom lip, unable to honestly defend what Duke Riker¡¯s position would be.

    ¡°I feel we need to set aside our distrust as we need their help. You have no way of contacting them? What would you do if you needed to ask for help? Are there more operatives in the city?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying when I said I¡¯m not supposed to be here. There are no plans, no contingencies, no help. I could send a pulse that they can confirm is from me and will respond to, but that''s all.¡±

    He lifted himself to sit on the table, picked up a glass of amber liquid, and offered me one. ¡°We got a request from Drasda to ask if a certain delivery would arrive on time, which let me simply broach the subject of suggesting something was wrong in our response. The other towns don¡¯t have receivers, and the one transmitter we have in the south is sending an all-clear, but they aren¡¯t responding to our birds requesting assistance. East and West are equally as silent, and our riders there haven¡¯t returned.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­I assume they wanted to say everything was fine?¡±

    ¡°They did. In their view, this¡¯ll last a few more days, and the ghouls will go back inside or spread out into manageable numbers for even the smallest villages.¡±

    ¡°You disagree.¡±

    ¡°I do. I¡¯d rather squabble with the surrounding powers over rewards and troop numbers than be in the stomach of some monster. We knew these variants existed, but not the numbers and variety. I don¡¯t want to find out if there are any more surprises from within those walls. My experience inside and out tells me never to underestimate what a swarm of these things can do.

    ¡°So, to that end. I would like you to make a personal request for support. This is the most I can push my authority without putting my head on the chopping block for bypassing the vote. I¡¯m sure even the captains who like to sit in the back will change their tune after a day or two of witnessing the fighting, but I fear that¡¯ll be too late.¡±

    ¡°How long would it take?¡± I asked. ¡°If we sent out an urgent request for help.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­Say they read it in the morning. Deliberate over the veracity and urgency till the afternoon. Preparations start that evening and the next day, depending on the number they choose to send. Marching from Drasda as a full force, six days or three for a small group of riders. So, the best-case scenario is five days from now if we send it this evening.¡±

    I took out the deliberation and came up with three days for my best-case scenario. ¡°Can you hold out for that long?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°If the ghouls keep pouring out and continue to amass at the remaining gates, I¡¯m not sure. If they break through just one, our odds go down significantly.¡±

    I wondered about letting him know about the potential timeline for reinforcements, but it was based on wishful thinking, and I didn¡¯t need to give further reason to arrest me. ¡°I can give you an unencoded message that they would understand, but instead, why don¡¯t we discuss rewards now, and you take that to a vote? That way, there¡¯s no chopping block, and Drasda knows the severity of the threat.¡±

    His look was sceptical. ¡°And what guarantee do we have that Duke Riker will uphold this arrangement? What authority do you have to negotiate on their behalf?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on the north side; it¡¯s in their best interest to come and help before the problem spreads. And I¡¯m sure I can suggest a few things you could offer so they don¡¯t broach the subject of compensation when they get here.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡± the commander asked, reaching over for a pencil and paper.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I hummed, already knowing what I wanted. ¡°The inn the witches used no longer has an owner. That. And¡­any armour that the ghouls are wearing.¡±

    ¡°The stuff we usually find on them is brimming with mana but rotting off or rusting. What is it you know that makes this a worthwhile bargaining chip? Does this have something to do with that gauntlet you had? I was led to believe it was looted from a blacksmith, not a ghoul.¡±

    ¡°Mhm, they¡¯re hardly useful to you and only come from those in the castle.¡±

    He scribbled down the requests. ¡°I can sell that to most, but not to people like Tometh who would see that as a part of our heritage. Perhaps you can explain how you came across it and the strength disparity between them and those in the outer districts. I hardly want to believe you¡¯ve been beyond the wall at all, but I¡¯d rather know something, even if they¡¯re lies. What else?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d get the inn without question, let alone the armour. So, I explained what I could about the variants, how common they were and the size and strength of those in the castle. I left out the king with the crown and sceptre with the excuse that they were too occupied getting into the vault to come and visit the city.

    ¡°Ah, can the Marchland Inn be under Drasda¡¯s laws?¡± I asked after telling the last tidbit I could think of.

    He paused his rushed scribbles. ¡°You want an embassy?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    He finished and looked up for my next demand.

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    Arardish breathed in deeply and looked over his list. ¡°I can definitely sell this to a majority if you can guarantee they will deliver. Is this truly enough to satisfy the duke? What can you offer as a guarantee?¡±

    They were coming anywhere, I hoped, so this would be something extra for the trouble. ¡°I¡¯m throwing in everything he and Commander Faraya owe me for this mess in exchange for the armour. I¡¯m confident I can drag them on board for a simple foothold in the city.¡±

    ¡°Captain,¡± Arardish said with a pulse of mana to request his presence.

    Tometh walked through the door a moment later, raising an eyebrow at the cordial atmosphere.

    Arardish handed him the paper with my demands and notes on the ghouls. ¡°What do you make of this, captain?  In exchange for Drasda''s help.¡±

    I smiled and batted my eyelashes as his expression dimmed while reading through the list. ¡°Putting aside the outlandish claims you have on inner districts here, let alone the castle, outsiders are not allowed to own property, and the armour she¡¯s seeking is not something to give away without thought.¡±

    ¡°We can make replicas, captain. We simply chose not to go through with the hassle,¡± the commander said. ¡°It¡¯s only worth is in a museum, which we don¡¯t have or scrap metal. What do you suggest as an alternative?¡±

    ¡°We lease a different building to them that can be cancelled by either party at any point, and she gets¡­three pieces of armour of our choice from our best blacksmiths.¡±

    ¡°Two pieces of my choice of those like my gauntlet,¡± I said, worried he¡¯d further explain why I wanted that building, or rather, the tunnel beneath. It was a gamble, but I was sure I could persuade him to get on board with letting me have control of the inn. ¡°I don¡¯t know what a lease is, but you and I jointly own the building to get around the no outsiders part. Drasda law still applies.¡±

    He went silent as he calculated my proposal''s new personal benefit to his squad and the captains he liked. ¡°One piece of our choice, and anything going into and out of the building must be searched.¡±

    ¡°One piece of my choice and a replacement gauntlet if one¡¯s found; anything that can be kept in pockets isn¡¯t included in the search.¡±

    The commander was looking between us like we were mad. ¡°I don¡¯t want an army to arrive and say we bullied a young girl during negotiations and then not uphold the deal. Are you sure this is sufficient? A building and some personal items, not looting rights, profit sharing, or annexation to alleviate concerns of a recurrence?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s adequate.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as this gets everyone to agree to a request for reinforcements. Tometh, I presume you understand we need the help. Persuade those who voted no last time to change their minds. This position may very well land me in the history books for a bigger blunder than The Fall itself if we don¡¯t get these captains to see the light of day.¡±

    ¡°I say we do it regardless of the vote,¡± Tometh said, taking a swig from my half-finished glass.

    I gasped and put a hand over my mouth. ¡°But that would be going against regulations.¡±

    The commander pulled out a glass jar of ink and a nicer sheet of paper. His writing was a long-winded version of what I wanted, with a lengthy paragraph on my capacity to negotiate on behalf of Drasda, why the contract would be binding and that I was doing this without coercion or threat.

    He signed his name on the bottom in long flowing letters and offered me the pen. I wasn¡¯t used to writing with anything except a pencil and didn¡¯t have a fancy signature that looped around, but I put my name on the paper.

    I stilled with the tip of the pen resting on the last a, leaving a growing splotch of ink on the end of Valeria. I sighed and added Riker after, certain the duke wouldn¡¯t mind me borrowing the name he offered this one time. I told myself it didn¡¯t mean anything, and I just wanted the tunnel and armour.

    ¡°You¡¯re aware it¡¯s illegal to forge a duke¡¯s signature or use their name?¡± Arardish asked, looking over my shoulder.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t, but that doesn¡¯t change anything for me.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± he said, a bit more cheer in his voice as he took the paper back.

 Chapter 83

    I cracked an eye open as the knight approached my sleeping spot against the wall, sensing the metal and mana. They noticed I was awake, motioned over their shoulder and moved on to the next sleeping victim lying on the couch. I¡¯d insisted on joining the patrol rotation when I was wide awake and was somewhat regretting my commitment now at the break of dawn.

    I tried to stretch my arms out of habit and winced, folding them over my chest again after the pain reminded me of the damage. It had turned to a dull ache, and the discolouration had diminished, but I kept the bandages on since they were quite warm and would be a pain to put back on without Jaid around. As one of the few sought-after healers who had studied her craft extensively, she had been called to the besieged gates where she could do more to help.

    Breakfast was passed around from a steaming pot. The hard oat porridge was combined with some dried fruit from the rations and fresh fruit from the homeowners. I spent the meal stretching out my back, trying to get a certain section of my spine to crack. The bed had been offered to me, but I was no stranger to sleeping up against a tree and declined. It would have been fine if my back hadn¡¯t gotten used to sleeping on the palace mattresses.

    The returning half of the team trickled in after washing up, some taking part in our meal and others falling asleep on the spot. There were still stains of black blood on their clothes and smears on their faces from their night out, but everyone looked healthy.

    Knights Tames, Hanover, Chewkls, Killian, Olsa, Sennal and Tometh himself were joining me on the morning¡¯s rotation. The captain had been out with the previous team all night while we slept and was slurping down black tea in the kitchen downstairs to keep himself awake. He didn¡¯t want to leave his team alone, at least on their first outing after their brush with death.

    I pulled on my boots, hooked my new short bow over my shoulder and tightened the belt holding up the quiver of arrows. I still wasn¡¯t important enough for the proper ones, but the 2nd was, and it had been filled with the usual steel and iron-tipped. I was discouraged from getting close enough to use it, but a dagger and a sheath to attach to my belt had been supplied.

    The horses were already waiting outside on the street, concerned they would encounter the same creatures from yesterday. They were in their chain and padding, but there were still places I could fit my hand in and brush their hide, doing my best to calm the animals. I turned to go back inside to sneak some of the fruit out for them, but Tometh came out with an arm full of apples.

    He tipped them into my arms without a word. I leaned to and fro to get them to stay put and floated one or two that fell back on the pile. ¡°Maybe say something next time?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t care if they¡¯re bruised,¡± he said, slicing one in half and feeding it to his horse. He had a new helmet on, without the too-wide smile this time. It looked like more of a steel bucket without any of the previous one¡¯s embellishments, though I could still see the dark rings around his eyes through the narrow eye slit. ¡°How about your bruises, Riker?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Stop calling me that.¡±

    ¡°Only if you tell me the story.¡±

    I stayed silent, getting rid of my load of apples through the horses¡¯ bottomless appetite. Tometh¡¯s guesses ranged from a distant cousin and adoption to scarily close to the truth, and I didn¡¯t feel like encouraging his curiosity.

    I pulled myself atop Sennal¡¯s horse to prove I could use my arms. However, it took a lot of effort to keep the twinge of pain from becoming a groan that would get me pulled away from the patrol. Tometh crunched on an apple while watching me, juices dripping down his gloved hand, not looking too impressed by my display.

    The rest of the team came out, pulling on their livery and attaching their scabbards and quivers. Chewkls dawdled out last, trying to hop and tie up the last lace of her boots before spotting me on Sennal¡¯s horse. ¡°Cap, I like the girl¡­as a person, really appreciative and all, but do we really got to take her with us?¡±

    From the few looks the other knights gave each other, it was a common complaint.

    Tometh lifted his visor to rub his eyes. ¡°Valeria knows more about the creatures¡ªwait, let me finish¡ªI¡¯m not saying she¡¯s better at killing them, Chewkls. She knows more about the variants that reside deeper than we¡¯ve gone. She won¡¯t be swinging swords around us, simply lending us her senses and knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Chewkls sighed, not entirely convinced.

    Tometh had asked on the way back from the headquarters last night why some of the ghouls appeared to lose control during our retreat through the trenches. I hadn¡¯t wanted to burden or convince him with the full extent of what I knew, so I told him it was a quirk of my mana that messed with the ghouls.

    As expected, it wasn¡¯t a good enough explanation for him, but that was the best he was getting out of me. Tometh had already accepted he didn¡¯t understand how my mana worked and my propensity for free casting, so it was easier to bully him into accepting the non-answer. He seemed to have agreed that explaining was too much of a hassle since he also withheld the truth.

    ¡°Mount up.¡±

    The gate swung open for us, stationed with militia members Sennal had scrounged up¡ªpeople who couldn¡¯t be trusted to keep their nerves on the more active fronts. They quickly pushed it closed behind us, arguing if the latch was in place as we rode through the narrow boundary between the defensible city and the outskirts.

    The infrastructure and layout of the area beyond were a nightmare. Streets switched between gravel, cobblestone, and dirt while winding between the oddly placed structures. Those structures were disjointed and consisted of single-storey, steeply thatched roofs, tall stone watchtowers, and wooden cabins built until they fell apart, revealing the height limit.

    Unlike the planned city we left behind, the owners chose the materials, size, and layout, with no common thread among them. Most were not climbable, and even if they were, the rooftops didn¡¯t offer much advantage as a singular scaffold. I¡¯d fall through the thatching or be trapped on the disjoined rooftops rather than be able to use it as an escape.

    The ghouls in our way got a spear tip through the face as we rode past without stopping, the arrows and mana too valuable to waste on isolated targets. The commander was at least right that there wasn¡¯t a massive build-up of them, but it was getting scarily close to how the capital streets looked in the morning.

    We rode to where the earlier team had finished since the trail of bodies they had left behind ended.

    ¡°We stayed together earlier because we didn¡¯t know what to expect, and it was dark out,¡± Tometh said. ¡°We¡¯ll split into two teams. Chewkls and Sennal with me. Don¡¯t use the usual distress signal; we learnt the hard way it¡¯ll attract these fucks. Stay within a street of each other so we can hear when the other needs help.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    We separated, still seeing each other through the gaps in the buildings. I bobbed along in front of Sennal, arms folded over my bow, stretching my senses each way to check for people or oddities. ¡°Are we going to clear out the houses? Maybe deactivate the enchantments?¡±

    ¡°This swine wants us to go indoors?¡± Chewkls muttered, shifting the long blade on her lap.

    Tometh looked over his shoulder. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    I pointed off to one of the larger structures that stood out. It had a tower that reminded me of the one the palace in Drasda was built around, except this one had a two-storey log house attached to the side. ¡°Something in there is definitely going to attract ghouls.¡±

    Tometh pulled on the reins and turned down the cobblestone street to the entrance. The good news for the owner was that their door was fine; the bad news was that the glass pane surrounding it was in bits and pieces. ¡°That would be the auction house. No surprise that it¡¯s pretty lit up to the old senses.¡±

    ¡°I ain¡¯t going in that maze,¡± Chewkls said, encouraging her horse to move on. ¡°Can¡¯t be swinging swords or spells around indoors. That there is an assassin¡¯s job.¡±

    Tometh stayed, leaning back and forth to look into the well-lit interior. The lighting enchantments were still empowered, flooding the air with floating orbs. The walls were interlaced with gold and silver to deliver mana to them, making it difficult to tell how many ghouls had gone inside beyond the few we could see.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the one you were asked to protect?¡±

    ¡°The very same.¡±

    I swung my leg over Sennal¡¯s horse and dropped down to the street, straightening my chainmail and quiver. ¡°I¡¯ll go get them¡­ and turn off the enchantments.¡±

    ¡°Not using spells, I hope,¡± he said, motioning to my arms. ¡°Give us a shout if it''s more than you can handle.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Chewkls halted and turned her horse around. ¡°Cap, really? I¡¯m the last one who wants to go close quarters with these things, but letting her go alone is a little cruel.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Take the eatery on the corner with Sennal, and I¡¯ll check the house over there. We didn¡¯t clear the buildings during the evening, but we might as well start before they become infested.¡±

    I stepped over the pieces of glass still in their frame and crunched through the rest of the shattered remains. Looking back, the knights had moved on while Tometh stayed to watch with crossed arms. I waved and drained the crystal I¡¯d switched from my worn-out robes to a rough twine necklace.

    I floated an arrow into its notch, trying and mostly failing not to let the mana use my arms as a conduit. The action felt foreign without me moving my arms in tandem to help the casting along. So I couldn¡¯t help but nudge my head to drag the steel-tipped arrow from the quiver and slot it into the bow. It was meant to show Tometh I¡¯d be fine, but I could still feel his gaze on the back of my head.

    The hallway I stepped into was almost entirely sandy brown, with wooden panel flooring, logs for walls, and wooden beams for support. There had been a significant effort to disrupt the monotony by adding colour to the room with artwork and furnishings, but it did not help much.

    A gold-trimmed red carpet created a pathway across the flooring between various display cases in the hall, leading to a bashed-in side door that matched the tower''s location outside. It continued the whole way across and split between twin staircases that met in the middle to form a landing at the far end.

    I stayed low and wove between the display cases, the glass distorting the hall behind. The carpet dampened my footsteps while a trickle of mana kept the reek I¡¯d accumulated over the last few days contained to just my poor nose. I resisted staring at the various items contained within, from weaponry and tools to antiques and clothing.

    The first ghoul we had seen was in the middle of the showroom, scratching at a glass case, trying to reach the enchanted shield within. I slowed my breathing and let the arrow settle. A second gnawed on the corner of a case further back, facing away from me.

    My eyes darted about as I crept closer, studying the different enchantments and mana flow in the walls and ceiling, thinking they were other ghouls. It was the perfect place for them to hide.

    I slowly straightened from behind a case a row away while drawing back the steel arrow, chosen for its piercing over the damage the broad iron head could do. Besides a cramp in the muscle, my arms worked fine, and I pushed the pain to the back of my mind. Still, I didn¡¯t want to hold my draw longer than needed.

    The arrow soared across the short distance, thwacking into its target. The only other disturbance was the faint twang of the string and the thin body dropping to the carpet.

    Another arrow slotted into its place. The second ghoul had time to look up, a trail of drool still connecting it to the glass case before a steel point pierced its face. I crouched back down and moved to the bodies. One of the arrowheads had made it out the other end of the skull, and I loosened the wood around it to take back with me. Black bile stuck to my bandaged fingers, but I brushed most of it off on the red carpet.

    I was no better than a ghoul as I stayed to gawk at the ring inside the display case. Shallow engravings of gold ran around the carved band of mana crystal, a healing spell swirling within. I traced my bandaged finger over a deep keyhole that operated the protective enchantment over the case and glanced back towards the door.

    Tometh was still watching me. I raised a hand to show I was okay to continue. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and riding off to his target.

    The enchantment wasn¡¯t exposed for me to manipulate. If it was, the surge in mana needed to melt the circuit wasn¡¯t a good idea. It wasn¡¯t worth it, so I moved on.

    I picked off another ghoul scratching at the walls, stabbing it in the neck with an arrow, and yanking it back out to use on its friend under the staircase. They must have come from the capital''s outer district, or the mana was too tantalising a prospect for them in this new barren landscape because they should have noticed me. The last had barely glimpsed the death a few steps away.

    Were they getting weaker outside the capital limits? Or was I too used to the senses of those in the interior? I hadn¡¯t spent much time with these types other than my first encounter, so I pushed the thought away before the next one caught me off guard.

    I approached the body under the stairs to see if I could salvage the arrow tip. Instead, I found a passage underground guarded by an iron gate. It was intact, and the handle didn¡¯t budge, so I proceeded up the twin staircase, where muddy feet and handprints covered the carpet more thoroughly than the rest of its length.

    I walked up backwards half the time, scanning the showroom below for anything I¡¯d missed. Poking my head over the last of the stairs, I half drew my bow while studying how the footprints scattered along the short passageway beyond. All seven doors were open, three on each side and an office at the head with at least two ghouls clawing at the desk within.

    The first room, with a large oval table surrounded by toppled chairs, looked clear. I let go of the bowstring to close the door so that nothing could surprise me as I went to the next. The one across was a lavatory with multiple stalls containing cleaning and water-producing enchantments for the toilets. There was a ghoul in the last stall going by the scratching sounds, but I wanted to check each before killing it.

    I nudged the first stall door with the arrow tip, swinging my aim around the small space. It was empty, and I stepped over to the next door. The hinges creaked as the first door slowly swung back. I froze and stared to the side, horrified by the silence in the lavatory.

    The ghoul tried to race out of the stall, yet the door only opened one way and slammed against the frame, trapping it inside.

    However, the loud bang of the door had all the others scrambling towards us.

    I retreated further inside, putting my back to the wall and the trapped ghoul to my side, hoping it didn¡¯t suddenly figure out how handles worked. My elbow jutted out, barely having room to pull the bowstring back. I held it in place, my arm shaking as the ghouls took forever to figure out where the racket was coming from.

    The frontrunner skidded into the room, bashing into the doorframe and got its head pinned into it. The body slumped but was held up by the arrowhead stuck in the wood. Until the second snapped the shaft, and both went to the ground. The third, with a head of stringy grey hair, leapt over with a snarl.

    It greedily sucked in far more mana than the others, using it to close the distance quicker than I could notch another arrow. It clawed at the basins and stalls to pull itself towards me, jaw unhinged to show off irregular rows of jagged teeth.

    I gave up shooting it. I leapt out of the way, bashing my shoulder into the stall door, throwing the trapped ghoul leaning into it against the far wall. My back slammed the door shut in the face of the stronger foe. It pushed against me, the door pushing in before my weight banged it shut again. The ghoul thrown off the door was in a tangle of limbs, stuck between the wall and the toilet.

    I couldn¡¯t draw my bow while pushing against the screeching creature trying to break in, so we stared at each other. Me with an iron arrow in my hand and it with malice and hunger. My feet slipped across the wet floor, my footing more precarious with each slam against the door.

    Between one bash and the next, I pushed off the door and squeezed into the corner.

    The door slammed into my arms as the ghoul stumbled inside.

    After lodging the iron broadhead into the back of its neck, I kicked it into the same entanglement of limbs and ran out, pulling the door closed behind me. I spun to face another ghoul charging at me and held it under the jaw as it pushed me back into the wall. The stall door slammed into its frame beside me, looking less sturdy than before.

    I hummed into the mind of the one struggling to find a gap in my chain. Its claws found my cheek as the stun took effect. It didn¡¯t wake up the soul inside the same way talking or screaming did, but the effect was short-lived.

    However, it was long enough to put a dagger through its neck. Shoving the blade through the thick skin was easier than the arrows, and the thing gurgled on its blood, its natural healing trying to compete with the foreign object in its throat.

    The stall door slammed again; a hinge screeched loose.

    I notched an iron tip, floating three more steel up to the side of my bow.  I timed for the next slam, the bottom hinge flying off the door, and kicked. Yis had taught me how to lean into it without losing my footing, and I was rewarded with the stronger ghoul tumbling back into the other before the door ricocheted closed.

    On its last hinge, and the momentum from the kick still there, the door reverberated open again. I loosed the iron arrow through the gap before it swung back. The next arrow floated into place, and the door creaked open once more. The irate creature was pulling itself from the heap, an arrow embedded in its chest.

    I hit it again and a third time.

    The door stopped half closed, and I slowly pushed it open with my knuckles holding the bow. The stronger one was still, but the weaker was alive, struggling beneath the dead weight. When it wriggled its head out from under, I shot it in the face.

    I breathed deeply, listening for more. Something was dripping, and the wood creaked under the rising sun, yet there were no growls or footsteps. I fixed the chain hood that had fallen loose and pulled up another arrow, my arms growing tired from the basic magic I used to float them.

    Or who knows, it could be from the stabbing, drawstring, or being hit by lavatory doors.

    I checked that the rest of the rooms were clear and closed the doors, locking them from the outside if I could. The office lock was iron and only worked with a key. Rather than leaving it like that, I went to check what was in there that attracted the creatures.

    Inside a previously locked drawer, I found a mana crystal stick with a patterned gold tip brimming with mana. The wood around it had been much less secure. I drained and pocketed it before leaving as a favour to the owner, feeling a strange sensation of scorn from the mana inside. I didn''t have time to dwell since when I went back out to the landing I found that another pack had found its way into the showroom through the broken glass.

    My first shot spooked them all, but none made it up the stairs. The last tumbled backwards down the stairs from the top, and I stepped down to finish them off before heading towards the last area, the stone tower. I touched the mana crystal in my pocket as I walked along the carpet, eyeing the display cases with a matching hole.

    Clearly, it was a key of sorts, and I desperately wanted to find out if it still worked. I resisted the urge to toy with the strange items up for auction, no matter how tempting the mask covered in carvings of different creatures begged to be played with.

    The stone tower had the same layout as the one in Tamil: a hollow tower with a spiral staircase climbing up the wall. I leaned back to look towards the landing above, sensing but not seeing the ghoul. I kept my back to the wall, and my bow aimed towards it as I shuffled up, growing more confident that it was a variant.

    Halfway up, after continually glancing down to ensure I didn¡¯t trip, a piercing scream jolted me from my concentration, and my foot missed the next step. The outcry persisted, carried through the arrow slit in the tower, and I turned towards it out of instinct.

    I knew I had made a mistake before I heard the deep growl from above. I swung back around, bow aimed at the creature leaping towards me from the landing.

 Chapter 84

    I didn¡¯t get to see where my arrow landed. My bow clattered to the stone as I dropped it to shield my face. I twisted to the side, but the steps left little option other than to fall away from the ghoul barreling towards me.

    Its outstretched claws hit first, shoving me into the wall while failing to pierce the chain. My head smacked against the stone, and we plunged down the stairs in a mess of limbs and yells.

    The hollow tower swirled as I tumbled end over end with the ghoul, bones hitting the edge of the stairs and skin scraping on the harsh surface. We veered off the edge, my stomach lurching as we fell, and a flash of pain ignited from my shoulder to cloud my body and mind.

    I pushed off the stone with one hand and had to look over to see why I could only use a single arm. The other, which had taken the brunt of the fall, hung limply at my side. The ghoul rose unsteadily several steps away, shaking off the fall as if it were nothing, and noticed the arrow in its shoulder. It stayed on all fours, possessing the longer snout and wet nose of the hunter variants.

    I begged my lungs to take in air as my legs flailed, trying to find a foothold to push further away while the more agile creature closed the distance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I wheezed through gritted teeth. The ghoul ignored me, the mental attack not taking effect. I lashed out with my boot, catching the end of its nose. Besides a shake of the head, the kick didn¡¯t dissuade the predator. Another ghoul crunched down beside us, having fallen on its neck from the landing above.

    We stared at the twitching body, my lungs finally accepting my wish to breathe again. I raised my good arm and threw a weak blast of air at the distracted ghoul, doing nothing more than blowing back its few strands of dark hair. Its head slowly swung back to stare down at me, unnatural needle-like teeth dripping with saliva.

    Shoving the mana through my battered arm wasn¡¯t working, but I tried again. I threw a set of air blades at it, but without my claws and the same lack of mana, the blades didn¡¯t leave a scratch. I kept my hand outstretched, resorting to new magic as I raised my foot to threaten a kick.

    Mana churned in my chest, the clash making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Sparks of lightning arched across my chainmail and ran down my arm as I failed to contain the creation fully. It wasn¡¯t mana anymore, which made the magic easier to redirect along my wounded arm. A pale yellow arch shot across the small gap between us with a tac as it connected with the ghoul¡¯s shoulder.

    It was more surprised by the attack than hurt, an angry purple mark added next to the arrow. It lashed out at my leg with its claws. I drew back and kicked out with the other, our struggle devolving into an aimless mess of attacks and blocks as it tried to get around or through my thick leather boots. My mana still clashed with itself, charging another attack. I held it longer until the ghoul drew back into position to pounce.

    A denser bolt coalesced from my pointed finger and hit the ghoul in the eye. The squishy organ popped, and the creature recoiled. The room smelt like the cleaning supplies we used at the inn and melting mana circuits. I didn¡¯t have the command of the element I wanted since a portion of the shock struck my arm, but the yelping ghoul sounded like it took the brunt. The pain cleared my mind enough to admit I wasn¡¯t killing the creature with a magic I knew very little about¡ªa magic that could do more harm to me.

    The ghoul gave a strangled cry as it charged. I didn¡¯t have a good affinity with the stone we were on, my arms and clothes getting in the way. However, it was good enough to make a gap where the ghoul¡¯s paw landed, tripping it. The ghoul¡¯s chin slammed into the stone. It would have recovered easily enough, except my heel slammed down into its skull.

    I couldn¡¯t lift my leg high enough to inflict any real damage without it getting up before the next hit, so I struck again and again. When it stopped flailing, I leaned forward to stab it in the neck with an arrow that had fallen nearby.

    Everything hurt, and someone was still shouting in the distance, a different voice now. I got up and gathered my bow and a few arrows, my useless arm swaying at my side. I limped through the showroom, ignoring my previous plan of deactivating the protective enchantments on an artefact of my liking and left through the broken glass doorway.

    A dust cloud rose up from a few streets over, and the roar of a building collapsing cut through the shouting and screams. I couldn¡¯t shoot, I couldn''t run, and I couldn¡¯t cast anything of use. I would only get in the way of the fighting, but I had to see what was happening. I went back inside, past the growing pool of black blood and crumpled ghoul, back up the precarious steps of the stone tower.

    I struggled up the last step to the top of the tower and looked out over the outskirts. ¡°Oh...¡±

    A ghoul, more sturdy and tall than average, stood in the middle of an intersection, wearing a breastplate spread thinly to cover its bulk and a helmet with small horns protruding from the top. The exposed limbs were pin-cushioned with arrows. It held up its arms to fend off a torrent of flames from Tometh¡¯s spell and took a spear of ice on the breastplate.

    A snare of mana wrapped around its leg and faded as the ghoul greedily pulled in the spell¡¯s mana. It flung an armoured torso it held towards the ice mage out of sight, blood spraying across the dirt road. A mixture of commands and cries for help came from across the street, arrows continuing to rain down from the surrounding windows.

    A mounted knight tried to distract it by riding just out of reach but misjudged. The horse continued on, but their rider took a fist to the chest, the chainmail not fending off the bludgeoning attack.

    The beast ignored the renewed rain of attacks meant to dissuade it from finishing off the knight but flinched at the iron broadheads scarcely piercing its skin. A knight charged and swung a sword at its heel while it was preoccupied with yanking out an arrow shaft, the iron barb not coming with it. The sword connected with its ankle and stayed in the thick hide. The knight stumbled, not expecting the sudden halt to their momentum.

    The ghoul pulled the sword out by the blade and slammed the hilt down as the knight rolled away, now lying on their back, staring up at the towering monster. There was no rousing the person trapped inside the ghoul from this distance, and if it were from the castle, being closer wouldn¡¯t matter. The dismounted knight rolled on the ground in agony while the sword user dodged another attack.

    With nothing else I could do to help, I put my fingers together and whistled, putting every effort and spec of mana into replicating how Instructor Daniels drew our attention during training. I expected to momentarily grab the mana-sensitive creature¡¯s attention, enough for the knights to get to safety, but the result was more noticeable.

    The knights and ghoul turned towards the tower as the whistle echoed down the street. The first warning that I had made a foolish move was a sword flying end over end at my tower. I ducked back from the window despite it landing nowhere near. The ghoul ignored its previous opponent and took a shortcut through a nearby gazebo, thatch flying into the streets as it charged through the wooden support beams.

    I cradled my arm, the fear of never moving it again more potent than the incoming danger. The landing shook, and dust showered down as the ghoul hit the tower. I leaned into the wall for stability and triple-checked no entrance was big enough for it to fit through.

    I peered over the landing¡¯s edge to see sunlight streaming through a crack in the wall with debris scattered all around. A muscular arm reached inside to pry open a space wide enough for the body to fit. I went back to the window to check how far away the knights were from dealing with the problem I¡¯d borrowed from them.

    They were still far away, helping up or dragging away their wounded while those still standing cautiously stepped over the collapsed gazebo. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    I wanted to sit and wait for them. However, the ghoul was dismantling the stone blocks and old binding quicker than I had hoped. The narrow stairs could be an obstacle, or perhaps the tower would come crashing down before that became an issue for it.

    I took inspiration from the ghoul, lined up where he would be below me, and turned the old cement holding the blocks in place to dust.

    Three overlapping blocks stacked on top of each other separated from the rest of the structure, and I rammed my good shoulder into them. They didn¡¯t budge till I started pouring mana into them, slowly tipping them over the edge.

    Amongst the thuds of them crashing to the ground, there was a clang.

    I leaned through the gap to find the ghoul slumped over, its arm still in the hole and a dent in its helmet. The armour was already repairing itself, and the ghoul looked to be recovering. I loosed the next set of stones and tipped them over, nudging them to land closer to the stunned creature. Most missed, but I landed several blows and further dented its armour or bloodied its arms.

    Another two columns of blocks went over the edge before the knights approached. I¡¯d dropped most of the tower¡¯s side onto the ghoul, yet it still moved, pushing the stone off it and stumbling to its feet to escape the downpour. The knights were wary as they closed in, shouting for me to escape.

    The ghoul dodged the first spell, so it impacted the foundation. The explosion rattled the structure, and the stone hanging above my opening fell without support. A second spell shoved the ghoul back into the tower.

    Roof tiles slid down like a train to smash across the debris below. The tower lurched, and I stumbled down the steps to get out before it buried me. A support beam fell onto the stairs ahead, breaking them off from the wall and cutting off my path. The top of the building tipped to the side I¡¯d weakened like a felled tree trunk.

    As the tower fell apart, I hunched down on a step with an arm over my head.

    I couldn¡¯t open my eyes from the dust, and despite the rumble of the collapse subsiding, I didn¡¯t feel like I was buried under a mountain of rock.

    The stone walls around me were gone. Sunlight shone in from all sides, and a cold breeze blew through unimpeded. I was stuck on a lone island part way up the tower, with the steps around me crumpled.

    Spell after spell tied together outside, from stone to air and esoteric elements I didn¡¯t recognise. I sensed the ghoul was dead and wanted to scream at them not to collapse the rest of my bloody tower, but my lungs were too full of dust, and I doubted they¡¯d hear me over the impacts.

    Tometh called an end to the bombardment; others asked if it was really dead. Boots climbed over the stone debris surrounding the tower, and hooves trotted into the street.

    ¡°Valeria?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± I croaked, wondering how long my lone step would survive.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    It was an easy answer, yet I still struggled to say it. ¡°No.¡±

    Tometh stepped through the gap the ghoul and spells had made and looked up to my perch. ¡°Do you need help getting down?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a really stupid question,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Please.¡±

    Tometh¡¯s next spell made him largely weightless, and he kicked off the tower¡¯s sides to zig-zag up to me. ¡°What happened to your arm?¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t move it,¡± I said, carefully cradling the appendage.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, looking over the other scrapes and bruises that marred my skin. ¡°I should have never let you handle clearing buildings on your own.

    I gave him a blank look and held back the tears behind my eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t move my arm. It¡¯s not healing.¡±

    He slid an arm under my knees and behind my back. ¡°Let¡¯s get you down first.¡±

    I agonised over never being able to use my arm again. He wasn¡¯t saying anything about it as we floated down, and I worried that meant there wasn¡¯t a solution. My healing should have partially mended the problem by now. If that hadn¡¯t worked, I had little hope for the mages here mending it.

    Tometh placed me on my feet and took hold of my limp arm. ¡°Okay 3¡­2¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±

    Pop

    A scream died in my throat as my arm went fuzzy, and the tears leaked out. I let out a long whine to expunge the cry, desperate to keep my arm still and not aggravate the fuzzy feeling.

    ¡°Dislocated, not something a spell is useful for. What happened?¡±

    I touched the gash across my cheek from the ghoul in the bathroom and tested my ankle. Both hurt, but since my arm wasn¡¯t permanently useless, I was less bothered by the state I was in. ¡°I was fine up until the fighting outside distracted me. Is everyone okay¡ªbesides?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ we lost two others last I saw.¡±

    I stepped over blocks of stone while holding onto Tometh¡¯s shoulder, through the gap and over the rubble covering the ghoul. Only its head was left exposed. Chewkls tugged off its helmet by the horns, making a face at the trail of black bile connecting the inside to the caved-in skull. She took it in her casting hand and dropped the helmet as if it had bitten her. ¡°It''s got a damn siphon curse on it.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow and picked it up, stopping my mana from slipping out to feed its insatiable hunger. The helmet had been spread thin, and the twisted horns reduced to free up more metal for the size it needed to grow to, but I was sure it resembled a kudu since it reminded me of Alister¡¯s mask.

    ¡°Same as your gauntlet?¡± Tometh asked.

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not cursed Chewkls, just an outdated enchantment. See if you can get the chest plate.¡±

    A captain I didn¡¯t recognise came running up from the direction of the initial fight. She glanced behind her at every other step to check the streets around us. ¡°Tometh, I need help collecting my people¡¯s bodies and bringing the wounded back to the gates. Can you escort us?¡±

    ¡°We can.¡±

    Over half of the female captain¡¯s team was in bad shape. The knight who had taken a punch to the chest was slumped in a saddle with someone holding him up while they rode. Two bodies were strung over another, with the ripped torso and legs kept in a white sack quickly turning red. None of Tometh¡¯s team looked injured, but Sennal and Chewkl¡¯s horses were missing.

    We doubled up on the remaining horses, Tometh giving me a hand to sit behind him. I kept the helmet in my lap, carefully keeping its gross contents contained until I could clean it out. We rode past where the fighting had been fiercest. The dirt street had been muddied by ice and water spells and darkened by blood splatters from the knights and ghouls. Deep gashes cut through the path, and homes were left open to the elements or in crumpled piles of rubble.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked quietly to avoid worsening the distraught looks on the knights around us.

    Tometh shook his head. ¡°Their squad was in disarray trying to fend it off when we arrived to help. They were ambushed or didn''t realise what they were hunting until too late¡­ Was the one that had your gauntlet as strong?¡±

    ¡°Stronger, maybe? But it had a hole in its chest from fighting another ghoul, so I can¡¯t compare.¡±

    The squad that stayed behind quickly opened the gate when we approached. Their shouts alerted the entire neighbourhood that something horrible had happened. People watched from the windows and gathered in the street to see the dead and injured being helped off the horses and brought inside for the healers. Sennal helped me down so I didn¡¯t aggravate my ankle by jumping, but I was sure we would be riding back to our gate soon.

    Several ghouls had been attracted by our quick ride back to the city and pressed against the gate. They were quickly dispatched but deepened the looks of concern of the inhabitants. The deaths of their knights at the hands of the horrors otherwise contained to the capital weren¡¯t something they were accustomed to. Mercenary teams and looters occasionally disappeared inside the walls, but the remnant knights hardly lost personnel outside large expeditions.

    ¡°Are you coming with us to report to headquarters?¡± Tometh asked.

    I turned around to check if the other captain was nearby. ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve fought these inner variants twice now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re more qualified to answer the questions they will ask.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like answering questions, and I told you and the commander everything I knew already.¡±

    ¡°More importance will be placed on your testimony now that it''s confirmed they¡¯re real and they¡¯re here. I¡¯m not sure how our gates will hold up to an attack from one of them.¡±

    I mumbled to myself about people needing to believe me but took his hand to get back on the horse. ¡°Okay, but you¡¯re explaining to the building owner that I had nothing to do with its destruction. It was fine before one of you hit it with a spell.¡±

    ¡°Right, the roof collapse had nothing to do with your creative use of the stone walls as ammunition?¡±

 Chater 85

    I wiped my palm across the fogged-up mirror in the knights'' barracks detached from the main bastion. The facilities had been opened to the public living across the grounds to have somewhere to wash and use the lavatory. However, it had been closed off again for the returning knights, and I was using the last few minutes of that time. We were to have dinner with the leaders in the Map Room, and those of us who had been within yards of a ghoul had to ¡®wash their scent off us.¡¯

    The grey-tiled room had an open layout with small windows for ventilation, letting in the cold outside air to chase away the warmth from the heated water. The shower heads were arranged in rows with short dividing walls, which were more useful for balancing soaps than for privacy. I had already scrubbed the grime from my body and stood in front of the basin containing the helmet, soaked in warm water to remove most of the ghoul''s brains.

    I grabbed a fist full of my hair while I stared at my reflection and squeezed the water out. It was reaching the longest I had let it grow without a strand getting in the way to cause me to shear it all off. Even while wet, the curls were still trying to come through, and I sighed, drying myself off before I took a dagger to it. I was already covered in fading scars and patches of purple, so there was no need to add looking like I fought with a rusty pair of scissors.

    I plucked the warm steel out of the basin and fed the helmet enough mana to fix the dents I had bashed in. Unlike the gauntlet, I was worried about placing the aged enchantment over my head since if there was an issue, something more important than a hand would get crushed.

    I fretted over the unadorned metal, turning it over and placing it down again to study. I held it over my head before deciding to tie my hair back and out of the way.

    An impatient knock at the door made me jump, and the muffled yells spurred me forward. I stuck my head inside the cavernous piece of armour. It was more bucket-shaped from fitting over the ghoul¡¯s skull and I had to hold it in place while the thin edges balanced on my shoulders.

    Sections of metal gradually softened, bringing the steel closer to my face and blocking my vision as the visor was covered. My fingers got caught in the swirl, and I let go before they were melded to the helmet. I pressed my eyes shut as steel ran over my cheeks and down my nose. A band moulded around my chin to keep the helmet in place, and my ears were squashed until the enchantment figured out the sizing it needed.

    The excess metal from it slimming to fit me ran down my neck to my collarbone and shoulders. It became more top-heavy, and my neck strained as the metal climbed higher. The last addition was two diamond-shaped holes over my eyes, with long slits to the sides for peripheral. I took a shallow breath to test and slowly opened my eyes.

    I could see my mouth through a small rectangular opening and bit my lips to stop the unabashed grin spread across them. I tilted my head to test the weight of the twin spiralling antlers that had sprouted from the stubby horns. They were the length of my forearm, angled sharply backwards and hollow, but I didn¡¯t think they were made with fighting in mind due to the imbalance¡ªperhaps even doorways would be a challenge.

    The armour''s surface was engraved with swirls and sharp angles, making it look more decorative than protective. However, the only part of my head exposed was my amber eyes and mouth since even my neck had overlapping steel plates. The most uncomfortable aspect was the edges poking into my bare shoulders, but that wouldn¡¯t be an issue once I put some clothes on.

    I let the grin stretch back across my lips. The only thing that would make me like it more was if the leather hadn¡¯t rotted away on the chin strap and the metal hadn¡¯t solidified around some of my hairs, pulling them out as I removed the helmet. I set it down and leaned on the basin, taking deep breaths and making sure I didn¡¯t fall over from the volume of mana it had just drawn through my head.

    There was a pounding at the door, and I rolled my eyes, quickly tip-toeing to a fresh stack of underclothes. The new red long-sleeved shirt was faded and larger than my last, but more material was beneficial in the cold weather. I pulled up the chainmail hood and tucked my pants into the boots before heading for the exit.

    Outside was a man with long, grey chest hair and a towel over his shoulder waiting to enter with a scowl across his face. Others were waiting more patiently a distance away, but he squeezed past me the moment I was out the door. A bell rang from the top of the bastion turret to signal the hour was up, so I knew I wasn¡¯t late as I ignored the dirty looks.

    I held the helmet by its antlers and weaved through the growing number of structures across the grass. The only space left was the designated pathways through the throngs of tents and dirt walls that formed the temporary housing. The colours I wore and the helmet in my hand earned me quicker passage through the narrow walkways crowded by crates and tent poles.

    The foyer had turned into a creche, with screaming babies and children sitting quietly in the corner bashing wooden toys together. The kids my age in charge of watching the youngsters gave me, and my ill-fitting uniform questioning stares.

    A mother with a toddler on her hip squinted at me, and when I didn¡¯t acknowledge her wave, she moved to intercept me on my way to the staircase, guarded by the watchful receptionist. The receptionist nodded as I reached the door and got up to deal with the concerned parent trying to follow me. I caught the start of their conversation as the mother tried to get through, demanding to know how old I was.

    In fairness, they were right to be dubious, but I didn¡¯t think all the laws regarding when you could fight applied to me. Plus, a few seasons shouldn¡¯t mean that much to them.

    A pair of knights flanked the double doors to the Map Room, and I worried there would be a more consequential repeat of the situation downstairs. The man on the right squinted at my face and opened his side of the door. His partner raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything as I thanked them and entered the noisy room.

    The largest difference from last time was the giant chest plate I could comfortably crawl inside up on a pedestal in the middle of the room. I didn¡¯t know which unlucky knight had to dig it out of the rubble and donate their mana to repair it, but I was glad it wasn¡¯t me.

    The atmosphere was strangely cheery compared to the last meeting as people¡ªespecially those in regular clothing¡ªchatted around mouthfuls with beverages in hand. Tometh was with a group of captains and waved me over the moment I walked in. Their group was more muted in their revelry, exchanging hushed conversation over barely touched crystal glasses. A space opened up in their circle for me to join, yet having been reminded that I didn¡¯t look the part and being surrounded by the grizzly veterans, I felt out of place.

    ¡°You still have time to take the breastplate instead of that ornamental garbage,¡± Tometh said, taking the helmet from my hands.

    I said the first defence that came to mind. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it get in the way of my archery?¡±

    Captain Jestile, whose squad specialised in ranged combat, took the helmet and squeezed a pinky through the narrow gaps to see out. ¡°You think you can shoot with this for vision? What about these antlers throwing off your aim?¡±

    Tometh took the helmet back and pulled at one of the twisting antlers, bending it at an angle.

    I snatched back my armour. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re aesthetic?¡± Tometh said slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want them off?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, trying and failing to get the armour to repair the change. ¡°I like how it looks.¡±

    ¡°Definitely a duchy knight in the making,¡± someone in the circle mumbled to the amusement of all.

    I strained my arm to pull the antler straight but gave up when it didn¡¯t move, the enchantment registering the change as purposeful rather than damage. ¡°Why are they celebrating anyway? I don¡¯t mean to be grim¡­ but it¡¯s not going well.¡±

    ¡°That is the question,¡± Tometh said, pulling out a folded piece of paper from one of his many pockets. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Message received. Units on the way to assist. Keep her out of trouble - Jeremy.

    I squinted at the note, wondering if Tometh would mind if I tore it to pieces.

    ¡°These drunkards think the five days they will take to arrive are guaranteed,¡± a captain added. ¡°Despite losing half a squad today to a beast we have not faced before.¡±

    ¡°All patrols are suspended,¡± Tometh said, taking the note back and burning it to ash in a blink. ¡°We¡¯re hunkering down until reinforcements arrive from Drasda.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like that plan?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No ill will to your folk, but we don¡¯t put much stock in them helping out of the goodness of their hearts,¡± Captain Jestile said.

    ¡°Last I saw, your knights don¡¯t have chainmail. What will they do when swarmed by ghouls in their plate armour?¡± Captain Aderkin said.

    ¡°We need the help,¡± Tometh said, silencing the nay-sayers. ¡°And we have a deal in place for the time being that will keep them from overstepping.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to end up rescuing them instead,¡± Captain Kera said, downing her drink. ¡°They¡¯re going to set up camp far away and hide within their defences once they see a ghoul for the first time, and we¡¯ll end up digging ourselves out of this hole to go save them.¡±

    I shrugged, not having any evidence to argue otherwise. ¡°If they do that, I¡¯ll go out and drag them here by the collar.¡±

    ¡°Cute,¡± Captain Kera joked. ¡°But they¡¯re pressing into the back gates now, so there¡¯s no leaving for any of us.¡±

    ¡°Trouble,¡± Tometh whispered. ¡°No worrying news while Jacora is around.¡±

    I watched Jacora, the auction house owner, approach us between the gaps in people. Every group stopped him to talk, but he only smiled and shared a few words before resuming his course. I stepped into the circle of captains to hide better, but he went straight for Tometh. ¡°Ah, Captain, where¡¯s the Drasdan girl? I hear she¡¯s at your hip most¡ªoh, never mind. Give us some space¡­ please.¡±

    A scroll was pushed into my hands, and I unfurled it to find a page full of uniform letters pressed onto the parchment with ink. My eyebrows rose at each word I didn¡¯t recognise, and my confidence in my reading skills slowly faded when they made no sense in context either. There were mentions of addresses within the city, specific laws the document was written in accordance with, and the regulations proprietors needed to observe.

    I titled it towards Tometh, who was already reading over my shoulder, but Jacora gleefully explained. ¡°The inn you want belonged to me and was under lease, so this document signifies the change in ownership. The city has obviously compensated me quite adequately. So I did you an additional favour by having my surveyor take a look and assess the estimated property value and added half the amount as a bonus to the deal already struck.¡±

    ¡°A surveyor,¡± I repeated, my mouth going dry. ¡°Did they find anything wrong with the inn?¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± he said, raising both hands and smiling widely. ¡°Pristine condition in spite of the rodents it sheltered previously. Think of it as a thank you for protecting my establishment outside the walls and¡­ alleviating the worries of some of our more brutish leaders.¡±

    I eyed Tometh on what was meant by ¡®protecting.¡¯ He gave the briefest shake of his head to mean he didn¡¯t know about the damage to the auction house, so I turned back to Jacora with a smile of my own. ¡°What do you need from me?¡±

    Jacora pointed to the sections across the pages I had to scribble my name next to. I didn¡¯t add Riker to the document since it wasn¡¯t necessary and handed it to Tometh, who also needed to sign since I couldn¡¯t own property as an outsider.

    He hesitated and gave me an annoyed look at being included in my plans. I wasn¡¯t sure why he hadn¡¯t told them about the tunnel or what he would want it for, but there were too many instances for me to guilt trip him to change his mind now.

    I leaned over his arm and pointed to the line beside my name. ¡°I think you sign there.¡±

    Tometh scoffed and brushed me away, signing his name far more neatly and with a flourish of mana.

    The scroll was rolled back up and handed to me for keeping now that the transaction was done, and Jacora left after promising the bonus payment when he could move his product again.

    ¡°What do you think happens when they find out about the tunnel?¡± I asked Tometh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want them to?¡± Tometh asked in confusion. ¡°To find out and then offer you the moon to get it back without a fight? I assumed that was where your scheming mind went when you started this undertaking.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I want the tunnel,¡± I said, having not thought that far through. ¡°And I don¡¯t scheme. What are you scheming by not telling them about it?¡±

    ¡°It was beyond suspicious that you were so adamant about the inn, so I was confident an inspection of the building would reveal the tunnel,¡± he said. ¡°It was supposed to stop at being a small boost to your negotiating. I had no idea there would be so little competence opposing you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s all the whispering about, Tom?¡± Captain Kera asked. ¡°And what did the auctioneer want? Giving you a hard time about his building?¡±

    Tometh hushed her and explained what Jacora wanted, revealing I had negotiated the deal regarding Drasda¡¯s involvement. They also wanted to know the how and why, yet I felt bad lying to them about the tunnel and the timeline for the reinforcements'' arrival. However, I hadn¡¯t found the opportunity or need to tell them. It was better for them to prepare for a week of defence rather than the false hope of horses riding through the treeline to help tomorrow.

    I didn¡¯t know anyone else in the room, so I stayed by their group the entire dinner, snacking on what the waitstaff brought by and being barred from most drinks in the room. The map table was only used to hold glasses and make conversation. No one but Tometh and his group manoeuvred the wooden pieces on the board to plan how to defend the back gates.

    A flicker in the mana drew my attention away from the room full of progressively more drunks, and I walked over to a window to look out over the grounds. The sun had set, but most of the tents and makeshift dirt homes had lighting through spellcraft or lamps. I had no doubt that if any of the people below saw what their leaders were doing a couple of flights of stairs away from their encampment, they¡¯d go on a rampage.

    Tometh and Captain Kera came up behind me, having spent most of the evening quietly chatting with each other. ¡°What is it?¡±

    I nudged my head in the direction of the capital walls. ¡°I thought I felt a spell in that direction.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s the light spells below us?¡± Captain Kera asked. But Tometh undid the latch and leaned outside. Kera leaned into him to stick her neck out as well while I stayed off to the side with my arms crossed at my space being taken up. A deep rumble that could have been mistaken for a roar came from the single gated gap between us and the street towards the capital.

    The window pane rattled, and a flash of light radiated above the rooftops from a few streets ahead. A faint scream echoed down the street, and some of those below us took notice and stood still to listen.

    ¡°That¡¯s not at the barricade,¡± Tometh commented.

    ¡°Close the gate! Close it! Push!¡±

    An argument erupted at the checkpoint into the street surrounding the bastion, but we couldn¡¯t hear a response to the panicked shouts. Tometh and Kera almost trampled me as they rushed towards the door, calling for the other captains to follow. I ran after them, shouting at Tometh to ask where my bow and quiver were.

    ¡°My office,¡± he shouted and threw a string of keys at me without looking back up the stairs we were careening down. ¡°Get my sword!¡±

    I caught the keys and split off from them to sprint down the hallway to the turret with his office at the top. The spells were getting easier to sense outside, and the panic had spread to the grounds. I flicked through the keys along the string and shoved each into the lock, finding the correct key after several attempts. I shouldered through the door into his office and snatched my bow and quiver off his desk. The only sword in the room rested in a place of honour above the mantel, so that was what Tometh was getting since he didn¡¯t bother to explain.

    On the top floor, I had a better vantage than the Map Room. A crowd was forming by the doors to the bastion, trying to push their way inside, and the knights were wading in the opposite direction. Tometh was running between tents on the way to the gate, where a similar crowd was shoving each other to get through and out of the street.

    The single entrance that led to the street in the capital¡¯s direction was already overrun as the remaining guards were isolated and trampled under tooth and claw.

    Screams of a gargoyle pierced the air, and I followed the outstretched hands that pointed to the source. Climbing up between the gap above a destroyed iron gate was a ghoul with wings drooping from its back. Pale skin with branching black veins was stretched taut between bony frames sprouting from its spine. On its right hand, digging into the stone to pull up its spindly body to the rooftop, was a steel gauntlet.

    It crawled along the tiles as people screamed and dove into every gap ahead to escape into the bastion or get into the grounds. The ghoul stretched out its wings as more of its kind streamed in through the outer gate. I wouldn¡¯t be helpful anytime soon by going back down the stairs and trying to push through the crowd. So, I pushed open the window and hung my legs out, scooting to the edge of the sill and sighing at the four-storey drop. I put on the helmet to free up my hands to bring the sword and bow to my lap and adjusted the quiver so it didn''t catch on the ledge at my waist.