Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (120 page)

Brian saluted and turned to leave.

“What do you, Athione?” Gylaren said.

“What you evidently refuse to do
my King
, I stand by my earlier words—” Keverin was saying.

Brian slammed the doors and hurried away. His lord had made a bad mistake in raising Gylaren it seemed. The power had gone to the man’s head! How could he treat Keverin so foully, and Julia? She had saved the fortress and the kingdom just last year. She deserved everything Deva could provide and more besides. Gylaren wouldn’t
have
a throne if it weren’t for her.

“Captain! Wait for me will you?” Adrik shouted trotting toward him.

He turned with his hand upon his sword. This was the son of his lord’s enemy, but then he remembered the King. Who was the enemy now?

“You won’t need that I assure you,” Adrik said.

“What do you need, my lord? As you heard, I’m a little busy for conversation.”

“I asked permission of the King to accompany you. My father… he is no longer Lord of Ascol. I am to be the new lord, but the King agreed I am of little use here today. I want to save Lorcan. Please… he’s my friend, my
only
friend.”

Brian huffed. A boy lord would be little help, but also little harm. “All right, my lord, you may accompany us. We leave within the candlemark.”

“Before you go, I have a suggestion to make.”

He was regretting his decision already! “What would that be?”

“Steal remounts from the other lord’s men, and don’t forget the mages!” Adrik said as he ran off, to get his armour one supposed.

Brian gaped after the young lord, and then spun on his heel to find Mathius. He hadn’t thought about scrying ahead, but he didn’t need telling twice. He stormed through the hallways and dispatched every Athione guardsmen he came across to the stables and storerooms. He didn’t bother knocking, but burst into the room to find both mages staring intently into mirrors.

“Lucius I need—”

“Shush! I’m concentrating, see Mathius.”

“Mathius I—”

“Shush! I’m busy can’t you see?”

Brian drew his sword and slammed the blade down with all his might against the edge of Lucius’s table. The table split with a crash as both mages snatched up their mirrors to prevent damage. He glared at the surprised faces and directed his words to Mathius.

“Our lord orders a general pursuit of the sorcerers.”

Mathius snapped his mouth shut and glared. It was a very effective glare usually, but Brian was beyond such petty worries as being blasted by a mage. Julia needed him.

“That’s a good idea isn’t it, Lucius?” Mathius said scornfully. “Without any idea where the sorcerers are, we are to pursue!”

Before Lucius could say anything, Brian spoke just as scornfully. “Despite you idiots killing the most likely people to give us the Lady’s whereabouts, we—my men and I—have found where they are. At least we know where they’re going to be!”

Mathius gaped in surprise, but it was Lucius that asked the obvious question. “How?”

“I don’t have
time!
If you two want to come with us, be on your horses in a candlemark!”

He spun and stormed out ignoring more questions from the mages as he tried to think of everything at once. In the dungeons, he walked in to find a group of his guardsmen gawking at the traitors.

“All of you get your yourselves up to the courtyard. Full kit and an extra horse each! We’re going after the Lady, and I don’t give a shit if you ride out on the King’s own horse, now
move!
” Brian glared into the cells at the prisoners as his men ran out in a clatter. “You bastards will stay in here and rot!”

Brian stormed out of the dungeon and slammed the door in passing. The King knew where the traitors were, but he had a lot on his mind. With luck, by the time Gylaren remembered the traitors were down here, the bastards would be rotting in truth.

* * *

19 ~ Escape

Demophon handed Gideon the water-bag. “Make sure she swallows all of it.”

Demophon rode by the side of the two-wheeled wagon, while his brothers in front and back kept continuous watch on Julia. The flow of their magic constantly pounded upon his senses, but he had to put up with it. There was no way he was risking his life any more than he absolutely had to just to take Julia to Mortain as a trophy. They were making good time, but the sorceress was throwing off the Tancred—
again!
Every time Julia so much as twitched, he wanted to kill her. He couldn’t allow her to wake, not when she could destroy everything for leagues around without half trying.

“I won’t! Don’t you realise how dangerous Tancred is? She nearly died last year because of it!”

Demophon watched Julia writhing and shaking and grimaced in distaste. She was filthy from lying unwashed for days, but what worried him the most was the drug. To keep her under every day she needed more of it each time. Somehow, she was becoming immune to the stuff. He prayed to Mortain and the God that he had enough ingredients to keep her under until they reached their destination.

Lorcan glared at him, but that was all he could do. It had soon become apparent in Devarr that the boy could link to his magic, but not yet use it for anything worthwhile. The little fool had tried to use it to escape soon after he was taken, but a club to the head had quieted him down—for a time. He had a bad attitude where discipline was concerned. Mortain’s school would take care of that little problem for him, but for now, the ropes would hold him.

“No…” Julia mumbled. “They’re coming… Athione… Malcor… all gone. No one to save us… the end times…”

“Pour it down her, Gideon, or I swear I’ll kill her before she wakes! Do it…
do it now!
” Demophon yelled as Julia started to come round.

“May the God forgive me,” Gideon said as he tipped the bag toward Julia’s mouth.

Julia coughed and gagged as she inhaled the Tancred. “No… please… the end days are coming…”

“Shush Julia, it’s Gideon. Don’t be afraid. I am with you,” he said stroking her hair away from her sweaty brow.

Demophon watched as she collapsed, but this time the shaking remained—a symptom of her addiction. The priest might be right this time, but he could do nothing other than he was doing. He had wanted his prize to survive, but with this new evidence of her decline, he would have to resign himself to her death. Mortain would still reward him for removing an obstacle to Deva’s annexation, but the prestige of capturing her alive would be lost.

Ah well, nothing can be done about it now.

* * *

Lorcan shifted uncomfortably trying to find a position that didn’t hurt. His backside was numb where he sat on the hard boards of the wagon. Whoever held the lands hereabouts had a lot to answer for. The roads were little more than a string of potholes, and the wagon wheels insisted on finding
every... single... one!

“Will she be all right?”

“I don’t know, lad,” Gideon said wearily.

“But you said she would be last time!” Lorcan cried with eyes stinging.

“That was before they started pouring that vile mixture into her twice a day.”

“I swear I’ll kill him for this!” Lorcan said trying to strangle his shout of grief. “If she dies—”

“Pray, Lorcan. Pray it doesn’t happen. It’s all we can do.”

“How perceptive of you,” Demophon drawled as he reined in beside the wagon.

“Come to see your evil work?” Gideon said angrily.

“Evil? What is evil pray tell? Was it evil for Julia to kill almost twenty thousand men last year?”

“Of course not!”

“No?” Demophon said cocking his head in apparent surprise. “Then how can I be evil? I have killed no one… well, not recently.”

“Julia was defending us!”

“And I am defending my people from
her!
Don’t preach to, me old man. Don’t tell me she’s not a danger. I know what she is better than you do! You have no idea what you clutch to your breast, old man. If you had seen her in Devarr, if you had heard it, you would run screaming.”

“No.”

“Are you so certain?”

“I am certain of the God’s love. I have faith in him and Julia. He would not have given her his power were she evil. She is good, and kind, and loving!”

“I see. That’s your answer is it? Tell me, old man, why did the God give his power to Mortain—may he live forever—if Julia was intended to fight him? Where is the logic?”

“Mortain is a blasphemous heretic! Julia is not. Mortain leads his people along the wrong path. Julia does not lead at all!”

“That is where you’re wrong. She leads, oh believe me she does. She’s subtle about it. A whisper here, a whisper there—she whispers in Gylaren’s ear and suddenly he wants to be king. People follow where she leads, never doubt it.”

“You twist everything,” Gideon said his voice thick with disgust. “Julia does what she does out of love. Mortain does what he does out of his greed for power.”

Demophon snorted and kicked his horse into a brief gallop. He took his position at the head of the column and didn’t look back.

The wagon continued crashing over the potholes and winding through the trees following the road to Anselm. The sun shone down upon Julia where she lay in the bottom of the wagon, yet still she shivered as if wracked with cold. Lorcan studied his guards and planned his escape. They would make a mistake, everyone made mistakes. When his time came, he would be ready. He needed a town. A city would be better, but Gideon said Anselm was less than a third the size of Devarr. It would have to do.

He would escape and hide. He was good at hiding, and when they gave up looking for him he would creep back and kill them one by one. He, Lorcan, would save the Lady…

The Lord would hug him and say, “Thank you, my friend. I am again in your debt. How can I repay you?”

“I am your man, lord,” he would say. “My honour to serve.”

Keverin would turn to his men and announce for all to hear, “This man is my good friend. From this day on, I call him son. Honour him.”

All the men of Athione would bow, and all the women would curtsy and say, “Hail Lorcan!”

“Are you all right, lad?”

His smile slipped and he came back to the jouncing wagon. “I am well, Father.”

Gideon nodded ahead. “There is Anselm just ahead.”

Lorcan turned and saw that indeed a town lay there. It was small with distance, but already he could see the walls surrounding it. Would Demophon insist on going to the boat right away, or would they take rooms? It could be either, but he would wager the first.

“Do you plan on taking us in there tied?” he shouted.

“Shush Lorcan!” Gideon said worriedly. “They’ll hear you.”

“Well? I don’t think the Guardia will like that!”

“Shut your hole, boy,” a guardsman snarled and swung a boot out of his stirrup to kick at Lorcan.

He ducked most of the blow. “You’re as stupid as you look then,” he spat working his shoulder against the pain of the kick. “I’ll be glad when they kill you!”

The soldier made to kick him again and Lorcan tensed.

“That’s enough, Sergeant!” Demophon snarled. “The boy is right.”

“Yes, my lord sorcerer.”

“Remove their bonds when we reach the bottom of the hill,” Demophon said and looked down at Lorcan. “No one can outrun magic, boy. Don’t even think of trying.”

He glared, but inside he was laughing. Once the ropes were off he would be into the crowds in a flash. They wouldn’t dare to use magic on him—not where people might see.

Demophon kicked his horse into a trot and rode back to the head of the column. The sergeant aimed a glare at the prisoners that promised retribution, and then jerked his horse around savagely to ride to the rear.

“You have a plan, lad?” Gideon whispered as he leaned forward to dry the Lady’s sweaty face.

“I will save her.”

“Just save yourself, lad. Lord Keverin cannot be far behind. Wait for him to come, and then join him. He will need all you can tell him.”

He scowled. “No, he might be too late.”

Gideon sighed. “Just be careful.”

“I’m always careful.”

When the time came for the sergeant to untie him, Lorcan was wary of angering him. He remained utterly still until the ropes were off and while Gideon was being untied he worked his hands trying to restore feeling. His wrists were heavily ridged, and rubbing them awoke pain, but he did not complain. When Demophon was satisfied that Julia was properly hidden under the blankets, he ordered the column to move on again. He gave Lorcan a look of warning before trotting off.

He was careful not to act different in any way as they entered the gates. He kept still under the curious eyes of Anselm’s guards and they didn’t stop the wagon to search. He wanted to shout to them that he had the Lady right here, but he dared not risk Demophon’s anger. He might kill Julia rather than allow her to escape—he seemed the type to do it. Gideon had similar thoughts where the guards were concerned, but Lorcan shook his head urgently and Gideon remained quiet.

He breathed a little easier once they were well inside the city. He studied his surroundings with interest. Anselm was only the second city he had ever seen. It was smaller than Devarr, he could tell that without really looking. It was quieter and smelled a good deal better. Less people made a difference, but the main cause was Anselm’s prosperity. No one had ever gone hungry here, and that was certain. People without fear for where their next meal was coming from could afford to spend money and effort on their homes. It showed. The streets were clean and free of garbage, and even the gutters were clean. The houses were all in good repair. He saw many people laughing and chatting on street corners doing nothing but passing the time of day with friends. This was how Devarr used to be—when he was small, before The Hungry took his mother to the God along with so many others.

The instant they entered Market Square, he was over the side of the wagon and into the crowd. He dodged this way and that heading for the most crowded part of the square. He pushed and shoved his way through, and when that didn’t work, he punched and kicked.