“Santos!” Kara cried. “No!” She shook him by the shoulders, trying to revive him, trying to force life back into him. “No!” She dropped her head to his chest and sobbed, once, the sound of it loud in the still room.
“Reo!” Kara whispered. She struggled to her knees. Had they been far enough behind them? Had whatever spell they’d unleashed travelled far enough to hurt Reo?
Kara scrambled up the stairs on hands and knees and lurched towards the door. She had to get to him.
Reo!
He had to be alive, he had to be safe. She sobbed, grabbed the door frame and swung out into the hallway. They were there. Kara sprinted towards the figures huddled in the middle of the hall. Three figures—two crouched over the third that lay on the floor, not moving.
Reo!
“Gyda!” Kara rushed towards them. It
was
Reo on the floor. She slid to her knees beside him.
“Kara.”
Reo weakly grasped her hand, and she blew out the big breath she hadn’t known she was holding.
“It came too fast,” Timo said. “I tried to deflect it but it came too fast.”
He knelt on Reo’s other side. Elman leaned over him, one hand clutching Timo’s shoulder.
“Is he all right?” the Mage guard asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Reo said. His voice was hoarse, and the hair on the left side of his head was matted with blood. Reo touched a hand to it and grimaced. “Knocked me down and I hit my head.”
“I felt a wind or something go past,” Elman said. “But it didn’t touch me. Why?”
“You were holding onto me,” Timo said. “Unless specifically targeting me, magic tends to go around me. Kara too, I think.”
“Yes,” she replied absently, studying Reo’s face for further signs of damage. “I saw it go right past. Santos . . .” she trailed off.
Reo gripped her hand, and she continued.
“He’s dead. In the workroom. Somehow we triggered a spell. It was so sudden . . .”
“We need to go,” Reo said. He started to sit up but grimaced and dropped to the floor. “They’ll be coming. Elman, help me up.”
Kara stood aside as Elman carefully helped Reo to his feet. Her husband sucked in a breath and closed his eyes before trying to put weight on his right foot. He grimaced again and hopped a step, holding onto the guard’s shoulder.
“Come on,” Timo said from her side. “We need to go. The invisibility spell was destroyed by the trap, so anyone can see us right now. Whoever set that trap will be here soon.”
“We’ll go when Reo can move!” Kara snapped. Then she took a deep breath and reached for Timo’s hand. “Sorry. I’m just . . .” She waved a hand. “Reo, and Santos . . .”
“I know,” Timo said. “But the Mage council will not stop. We have to get away from here.”
“I’m ready,” Reo said. “A few cracked ribs, a strained ankle. If I can’t keep up then you are to leave me behind.”
“No!” Kara said. “Either we both get out of here our neither of us does. Lean on me.” She wrapped an arm around him, careful to keep it low, away from his ribs. She turned Reo towards the workroom, and they slowly headed there. “This is still the way out,” Kara said. “And I’m not leaving without you.”
TIMO POKED HIS
head into the workroom and let out a breath. The mage lights hovered close to the ceiling, illuminating the broken bodies that littered the tables and spilled onto the floor. Santos lay in an aisle, his bloody face pointed towards the ceiling. The furniture was undisturbed except for the few chairs that had been toppled by their dying occupants.
The spell had been set to kill, then, without damaging the room. A more subtle spell would have spared these workers and only targeted intruders, but the council couldn’t be bothered.
Mage Guild
couldn’t be bothered. He shook his head in disgust. The council would probably have this room filled with more Guildsmen and be draining their power by morning. More people they felt were expendable.
He carefully went down the stairs, searching for more mage mist. By the time he reached the back wall and the opening that would lead them out of the room, he was furious at Mage Guild.
Gyda curse them for treating these people so cheaply.
Some of them were no older than he was—practically children—sacrificed because the Mage who had set the spell couldn’t spare the time and energy the keep these people—these
Guildsmen
—alive. They had their power taken from them, were forced to sit in dark rooms and be drained so the guild could keep the island aloft and lit—so that the precious few with significant power could live in splendor and comfort.
And those with power? They didn’t even spare a thought or care for the Guildsmen whose lives they used up as they went about their days, squabbling over politics and currying favours as they jockeyed to see who could lie and cheat their way to more power. They disgusted him! He pounded on the table nearest him, then stepped back when the body of the poor soul who’d died there slipped to the floor.
Timo rubbed a hand across his face, saddened by all the deaths that had happened because Mage Guild wanted
him
.
“It’s safe,” Timo called out. “No sign of any more spells.”
Kara stepped into the room, Reo leaning on her. Elman followed, keeping his gaze low as they headed towards Timo.
“They didn’t deserve this,” the guard said. He stopped beside Timo and looked out over the room, a sad frown on his face. “Thank Gyda they wouldn’t have been aware of anything, not entranced like they were.”
“No,” Timo said. “They wouldn’t have known. Wouldn’t have had a chance to escape.”
“Are any left alive?” Kara asked quietly. “I didn’t check.”
“No one’s alive,” Timo said. “The spell made sure of that.” He shook his head angrily. “They didn’t have to kill everyone!”
“If Mage Guild will kill both the Primus and Secundus, then no one is safe,” Reo said.
“Can we bring Santos with us?” Kara asked. “He deserves to be taken to Old Rillidi. I know it’s what he would want.”
Reo glanced over his shoulder at Santos’ body then turned to Kara, sadness etched onto his face.
“I’m not sure we’ll be able to manage,” Reo said. “Not with my injuries.”
“I’ll cast a spell,” Timo said. “To make him float.”
“Could you send him back to Old Rillidi alone?” Reo asked. “Assassin boats are spelled to go to a specific location. Could you do that with Santos?”
“I’m not sure,” Timo replied. “I’ve never done a spell like that.” He glanced over at Kara. “And I’ve never been to Old Rillidi. I don’t think I have the skill to send him somewhere I’ve never been.”
“We should try to bring him with us anyway,” Kara said. “Even if Santos doesn’t make it home I don’t want to leave him down here.”
“All right.” Timo closed his eyes to concentrate. Floating and barely visible, so they could all see him. When he opened his eyes, Santos, encased in mauve mage mist, gently rose from the floor to hover at the same level as the table tops. “You should be able to nudge him higher or lower if you need to,” Timo said.
“Thank you.” Kara left Reo’s side and reached out to tug on Santos. “Elman, you’ll need to help Reo so I can manage Santos.”
“Do we want to be invisible?” Timo asked. “Should I redo that spell?”
“No,” Reo replied. “It’s more important for us to keep track of each other. I don’t want to be blind to all of you.”
“All right,” Timo said. “I’ll lead, in case there are more traps.” He was pretty sure he had the most experience detecting traps. Would Santos still be alive if he’d been with him instead of Kara? He shook his head and stepped through the hole and into a dark tunnel. He couldn’t think that way. It wasn’t his fault that Santos was dead. Absently, Timo flicked a hand, and a mage light bobbed overhead.
They’d been in two separate groups for a reason—he’d been travelling separately from Santos for a reason—so that each group could see and do magic. Besides, there was no reason to think the outcome would have been different if he’d been there—if they’d all been travelling together—other than the possibility that both Elman and Reo might be dead too.
Timo took a few more steps into the tunnel to make room for Kara, who pulled Santos’ body behind her. If Reo had died along with Santos he wasn’t sure Kara would have been able to move forward as calmly as she was doing right now. And he didn’t think he’d have been strong enough to lead them to safety. Mage Guild would truly have won.
TIMO SLIPPED AND
fell to one knee, again. The tunnel wasn’t meant for travel, that much was certain. So far the floor, far from flat, was sloped and strewn with rubble and rocks they had to scramble over. It had taken them almost half an hour to get past the bend they’d seen when they’d entered.
And in the centre was a stream of mage mist. Multi-coloured at the edges, but white in the centre, it flowed along the floor of the tunnel. But unlike a real stream, the mage mist flowed up, the same direction they were travelling.
Now a wall of rock taller than Timo blocked their path, mage mist flowing up and over the rock like a reversed waterfall. Keeping to one side, away from the magic, Timo reached up, grabbed hold and pulled himself high enough to see over the edge. The tunnel continued on and the floor flattened out, though it still sloped upwards.
Elman boosted Timo up and over the edge. A second stream of mage mist came from a hole that was set low in the tunnel wall and joined the main flow. Careful not to step directly into the magic, Timo inched close enough to peer through the hole.
Another workroom, smaller than the one they’d entered through. The hole was smaller as well. He might be able to wriggle though it, but a fully grown man would have difficulty. He hurried back to the ledge.
“We need to be quiet,” he whispered. “There’s another workroom. The opening is small, but someone in the room could be awake.”
Elman bent to one knee, and Reo stepped onto his thigh. Timo grabbed the Assassin’s outstretched hands and pulled. Reo dropped onto the tunnel floor with a grunt, then quickly rolled away. A dark spot glistened on the rock where he’d landed.
Timo leaned over the edge. Kara pushed Santos’ floating body towards him and he grabbed it, settling it against the tunnel wall, out of the way. He helped Kara scramble up and then the two of them hauled up Elman.
“Reo,” Kara called softly, worry in her voice.
Startled, Timo looked down the tunnel. Reo lay with his head near the small opening, peering through it. Most of his body was submerged in mage mist.
“Get out of there.” Kara scrambled over to Reo. “You’re covered in mage mist.”
Reo glanced around before he wriggled away from the opening.
“I didn’t see anyone awake,” Reo said. He took a breath before grabbing Kara’s hand and struggling to his feet. “I can breathe more deeply.” He tested his weight on his sore foot. “And my ankle feels a little better. Did the magic do that?” He looked at Kara before his gaze settled on Timo.
“I’m not sure,” Timo said. He bent down and tentatively reached a hand into the river of mist. Power surged up his arm, and he snatched his hand back. “Gyda!” His hand still tingled but when he raised it he didn’t see anything different about it.
“It’s pure power,” Timo said. “But unfocussed. There is no intent in this magic—not good, not bad. I’ve never seen anything like this before. I’ve never
imagined
anything like this.”
“No intent?” Kara asked, puzzled.
She bent down to study the mage mist, and Timo was struck by how odd this must look to the others—he and his sister studying and discussing something that only they could see.
“But Santos said that magic
always
has intent,” Kara said.
“But this doesn’t,” Timo replied. “Maybe it has something to do with the trance the Mages are put into? Or because each Mage has so very little power?” He turned to Reo. “I think this magic helped heal your ankle.”
“Is it dangerous?” Reo asked. “I can walk but I can’t fight, not with my ribs still so sore.”
“No,” Kara said. “I don’t trust it.”
“I have to try,” Reo said to her. “If there’s a chance I can be healed, I have to take it.” He looked over at Timo. “Do you know why it worked?”
“No.” Timo shook his head. “I can only guess that this magic is so pure that it automatically fueled your body’s own healing power.” He looked over at Kara. “You have more experience with the intent of magic. Can you feel anything?”
She shook her head. “I still don’t like it. It could be doing anything.”
“Including healing me,” Reo said. Deliberately he stepped into the middle of the tunnel. “Am I in it?”
Timo nodded. “But it’s only as high as your knee.”
Reo nodded, dropped to the floor, and stretched out, fully submerged in the mist.
Kara clenched her hands nervously until Reo sat up. He sprang to his feet, patting his ribs.
“Much better,” he said. “I still feel a twinge but it’s as though the injury is weeks old.” He rolled his shoulders. “Let’s go. We’ve been here too long.” He grinned. “But we should be able to travel more quickly now.”