Mark of the Princess (33 page)

“Cormac, I am in no mood for your antics. We only stopped because she was tired. Any other time I would entertain the idea of fighting and killing you and your friends but currently we have a schedule to keep.”

Cormac looked at his fellow goat-men and began to laugh. Once he began the others followed. “Do you really believe that you could beat us all? If I recall, last time you almost did not make it out of the forest.” His voice dripping with disdain.

Brennus cocked his head to the side. Clearly aggravated with the satyr. “If
I
recall, the only reason you are not dead is because you ignored the rules of a duel and utilized your fellow satyrs for help.” He walked up to the satyr, towering over him. “Let go of my guest and we will walk away.”

Cormac backed away carefully but he was clearly shaken. “You may go as we have no use for you. But she-” he pointed a slightly hairy finger at Alannah, “stays”

“What do you want with her?”

The satyrs surrounding Alannah began running their hands up and down her arms and caressing her face.

“Oh, I’m sure we could find a great many things to do with her.” He smirked at Alannah as she tried to wriggle free of the others. Cormac walked over to her putting his mouth next to her ear. “I will have my fun with you before sending you back.”

Alannah’s eyes widened, as he stepped away from her again.

“Alright then, let us get this over with.” Brennus spoke calmly, glancing at Alannah and unsheathing his sword, “If you beat me, you can have her.”

“Brennus!” Alannah yelled at him in horror.

“If I win, you and your people cannot bother me, her or anyone traveling with us when we walk or fly through your territory again.”

Brennus tilted his head back and let out a chuckle. “I should have known you would do this.”

“You did not make it a condition of the duel, that it was just to be you and I.”

“Very well then.” Brennus swinging his sword in a circular motion, readied himself as Cormac sent the first of the goat-men to attack him.

The first proved to be an easy opponent for Brennus. The satyr lunged at him with his sword at the ready. Brennus darted out of the way and turned, cutting him across his back with his sword.

As he turned to face Cormac, he found that the second and third were racing toward him. He shot a jolt of power at one and blocked the sword of the other with his own.

The one that was hit with magic flew ten feet in the air and landed hard against a tree. Leaves and branches pummeling him as he hit the ground.

The other continued to swing his sword at Brennus unsuccessfully. As the second goat-man tried to gather his wits the fourth and fifth lunged forward as well. At one moment Brennus was fighting three satyrs.

“Cormac, stop them.” Alannah yelled, trying to free herself but the restraints they had put on her weighed her down and she couldn’t even stand.

Cormac looked at her and laughed, his face twisted with evil.

Brennus turned and blocked the sword of one as he used a spell on the two next to him that she had heard him use when they had battled Velius and his trolls. This time though it connected with it’s target and they were instantly obliterated. Dust and ash filling the air where they stood. The satyr that was thrown against the tree initially, saw this and ran away. Brennus turned to the last one standing who was still in shock over his friends, impaling him in the stomach.

Cormac turned to face the satyr standing behind Alannah and commanded him to attack. He jumped over her and ran toward Brennus. Pulling two daggers from his belt he threw himself at him. Brennus blocked the first two attempts but was cut by a third, and then a fourth. This last satyr was quicker than the others. He blocked Brennus’s magic and continued trying to stab him as he dodged the silver blade that came down on him.

Brennus tripped over a branch on the ground while avoiding the satyr’s blades, falling to the ground. The satyr jumped on him with his hand in the air ready to stab him. Brennus held him by the wrists as the sharp blades made their way to his neck.

Alannah yelled out a spell from the spell book that Dara had given her, not sure if it would work for her ,and suddenly a bolt of fire shot from where she was steering straight through the air and through the back and chest of the satyr that sat atop of Brennus. Knocking him over Brennus and into the ground, a gaping hole of burnt flesh where the fire had been.

“I can see when I have been defeated Brennus of Anrad. I do not need the fate of my fellow satyrs.” He backed up slowly into some trees, and in an instant was gone.

Alannah looked up at some rustling in the trees only to find Saros taking flight toward the mountains.

Brennus walked behind Alannah and whispered some words in the ancient language suddenly the weighted restraints fell to the ground. She got up quickly and began looking Brennus over for his injuries.

“Aquacio” The goblet filled with water which she used to drench the cloth and begin to clean up Brennus’s wounds, as he recited the healing spells to stop them from bleeding.

He did not protest but simply watched her.

When she was done with that she reached up and pushed his hair back that had been stuck to his face from the sweat. She gently glided the cloth around his face and onto his neck. His dark hair clinging there as well. She realized she was lingering and took a step back to begin washing off the cloth and pack it in her bag again.

“Thank you.”

Alannah raised her head catching his gaze and smiled.

Brennus opened his mouth as if to say something to her but no sound came out. For just a flicker she thought she saw the Brennus that she met at the top of the waterfall. But then he was gone again, as he turned and began walking.

~
Chapter
28~

The courtyard was empty which wasn’t surprising at all considering how early it was. Evyette took a step forward slicing her sword through the cold thin air and then again before sheathing her blade.

She wiped the sweat from her face before reaching for the bow behind her head. She tested the string for tightness and reached for an arrow. Evyette looked around but didn’t feel right driving an arrow into any of the surrounding trees, knowing there could be a dryad living in one. She placed her bow and arrow back, and taking a deep breath stretched her hands over head bringing them down in front of her. She kept her eyes closed as she began going over several of the spells in her mind that she had been taught yesterday.

“Ignis” Suddenly without moving her hands or directing her power the target she had placed across the courtyard burst into flames. She curled her lip in satisfaction. “Desinere” she said lowly. The flames on the target began dying down until they were no more.

“It is quite the gifted faerie that can use spells without giving them physical direction.”

The deep voice came from beside her. She had noticed the shadow creep up on her but recognizing the shape she decided best not to break her concentration.

He put his hand on her shoulder. “You are progressing at excellent speed Evyette. Be sure not to exhaust yourself. Your rest and relaxation can be just as important as your study and practice.”

“Thank you for your concern Magister Torin. It is much appreciated.” She said as she turned to face him.

Just as she did she realized that someone was trying to attack her mind. She quickly put up her guards stopping the attacker from accessing her mind and her spirit. Visually putting walls around her thoughts.

“Very good Evy. I can only imagine how much better you will do with more practice.”

“That was you Magister?”

“It was. In time you will not only be able to see the attack but the attacker. I will continue doing this at unexpected times in order to make sure that you are able to defend yourself no matter what the circumstances around you.”

“Yes Magister.” She bowed her head to him slightly and dismissed herself when he bowed his head back.

Evyette was walking through the courtyard toward the castle, looking at her new mark and thinking of what the Magisters had told her about calling on shadows during battles for distractions.

“Well, I will let you get back to your book.” She turned and walked into the castle to find Tristan and Kaleb walking down the stairs with their swords and bows and arrows.

She glanced down at herself dressed in her fighting gear and back at him. “I woke up early this morning and decided to get some practice in. I am eager to visit Caelestis and see what we find there.”

“Tristan, I am sure that I may not like what I find. But finding anything at all gets us closer to conquering what is wrong with me.”

They stalked the perimeter of the Kingdom. Staying low to the ground and ducking behind hedges and mounds of fallen brush as well as boulders.

“What do you think-“ Tristan’s words were interrupted by a group of Goblins that jumped out from behind the bush. They were screeching and baring their sharp teeth at the group of faeries. Each of them holding a weapon, either a dagger, an axe or they had their enormous hands ready to shoot magic at them. Evyette readied her bow and arrow and shot at one hitting it in the shoulder but he was un fazed. He broke off the arrow and continued toward them.

“Oh.” Tristan said as he watched the goblin toss the arrow to the ground. “I think it is time to go!”

Tristan grabbed Evyette by the hand pulling and tugging her along, with Kaleb running on the other side of her. They looked behind only to find that the Goblins had not lost step and were actually getting closer. They ran between bushes and patches of brambles. Evyette felt the thorns catch onto her boots, some even piercing through to her skin but there was no time to look for another route. The Goblins hesitated to enter the brambles but proceeded anyway. The three fae continued running through, cutting themselves on the large thorns. Once out the other side they tried running in a different direction but the Goblins had seen them and took off in the same way.