The Unmage (26 page)

He tugged the door open and peered in. The spell hovered in the centre of the room and in the weird light of mage mist Timo could see cloth-covered stacks. His arm dimpled in the cool air from the room, and he breathed in the musty smell. His stomach rumbled as he slid into the room. He took another, deeper breath as he gently closed the door behind him. With a quick wave of his hand a spell traced the door. He attached the finder spell to it—the spells would let Mole into the room, but no one else.

He lifted the cloth off the nearest stack. Cheese—finally, something to eat—the room was full of great rounds of wax-covered cheese. He dropped the cloth and headed towards the back of the room.

He sat in the corner and gnawed on a fist-sized piece of smooth, creamy cheese. He shivered and pulled the rough burlap tighter over his shoulders. The room was cold, colder than it had seemed when he’d first entered. He dragged another piece of burlap from a nearby stack of cheese and slid it beneath him, buffering him from the cold of the flagstone floor.

He finished eating and huddled into the burlap that covered him. With his hunger satisfied, Timo leaned his head against the cool wall and closed his eyes.

KARA SCANNED THE
well-manicured garden. Dawn was a few minutes away but the cloud cover meant that the sky had barely brightened. She hoped no one would set foot into the garden so early on a dull day like this. The shrubs they crouched behind had been shaped like sea creatures, and when she peered in between their branches, she could see wisps of mage mist still clinging to them.

She didn’t think anyone on Mage Guild Island would have magic to spare for gardening anytime soon, not after she’d drained so many of them of their magic.

“No spells?” Reo asked softly from her left.

“No,” she replied. “Except for Santos’.” The finder spell still hovered above the side door to the manor house. It looked like it was time to head for the hallways and corridors below. Past time, really, they should have been inside before dawn hit, but the spell hadn’t brought them to a promising way in until now. Even so, this entrance was risky. A big manor would have a large staff—even invisible it would be difficult to get through to the passageways below.

“Oh no!” she said as the spell split into two. One ball of mage mist continued to hover by the door while the other sped off along the side of the manor and disappeared around a corner.

“Did something happen?” Reo asked, worry in his voice.

“Yes. The spell, it divided into two,” Kara replied. “Mole and Timo must have split up.” Why would they have done that? Were they in trouble? Had they been caught?

“Which one do we follow?” Reo asked.

“The one I can still see,” Kara said. “Only one spell remains tethered to me.”

“How do we know who we’re tracking?” Reo asked.

“We’re not leaving without them both,” Kara said. “So it doesn’t really change things.”

“You’re right,” Reo replied. “But it would be nice to know what skills we’ll be adding to our group first.” He shook his head slowly, a movement only Kara could see. “Let’s find out who we’re tracking,” Reo said. Still in a crouch, he hurried to the door. He opened it and listened for a few moments before he waved in their direction.

“Come on,” Kara said. She slipped inside the house, Santos right behind her.

Inside, the glow of mage lights lit a small vestibule with two closed doors and an open hallway. The spell hovered above the door directly across from them. Kara leaned into Reo and told him the location of the spell.

At the sound of footsteps, all three of them flattened against the exterior door. Reo unwound a thin rope from his arm and stretched it between closed fists.

The door directly across from them—the door the spell indicated they must go through—opened and a heavyset Server, a basket filled with eggs slung over one forearm, stepped through. Kara caught a glimpse of lit stairs heading down before he closed the door and turned the corner into the open hallway. Once he was out of sight, Reo pulled her towards the door the Server had just exited.

Reo carefully opened the door, and after a brief pause, he slipped through it. When he was halfway down, he looked in her direction and nodded, once.

Kara slipped through the door, tugging on Santos’ arm to follow. The two reached the bottom of the stairs just as Reo pulled his head back in from another door.

“No one’s around,” Reo said, and he opened the door wider. “Come on.”

Once in the hallway, Kara took the lead, Reo’s hand on her left arm while Santos held the other end of Reo’s rope. The spell led them along dimly lit hallways, past several doors and intersecting corridors. A few times they had to pause to let Servers, carrying various baskets and bundles, go by. Once they had to sneak past a guard—a Mage who was watching the corridors. Kara wondered if that was in response to her visit on Founders Day or because they were looking for Timo.

A few hallways past the guard, the finder spell stopped in front of smaller door. It was wooden, like the rest they’d passed, but it had an air of disuse about it. Kara signalled to Reo and all three of them flattened themselves against the wall. She leaned over and spoke softly into his ear.

“I think he’s in there.”

Reo nodded. He didn’t ask who “he” was—they wouldn’t know which of them they’d found until they opened the door.

“Careful,” Reo said, and he dropped his hold on her arm.

Kara nodded even though she knew he couldn’t see her. She knew what Mole was capable of.

She edged over to the door, her back flat against the wall. A shuffle came from down the hall, and she stopped, not daring to breathe. A Server headed their way, a thin woman bent over by the stack of linen she carried. Kara held her breath until the woman passed. She turned to Reo—he nodded, and she exhaled softly.

She opened the door, and the finder spell surged inside. She paused in case there was a defensive spell, but she didn’t see any mage mist.

The finder spell hovered in the back corner, just past a few rows of shelves that were stacked with dishes and old pots. Kara leaned into the room.

“Timo, Mole,” she whispered.

“Kara!” came the reply, and then Mole stepped out from behind a shelf. The finder spell bobbed after him.

“Thank Gyda,” Kara said. She leaned out into the hallway. “It’s Mole.”

It took only a few steps to reach Mole, and then Kara wrapped her arms around him. He stood a little stiffly, and she grinned. Mole was never one for hugging.

“I was hoping to be off the island before you started your search,” Mole said when Kara stepped away from him.

“But you’re safe,” she said. She pushed him back into the room. “Make room for Reo and Santos.”

Mole’s shoulders slumped. “I should have been able to do this myself,” he said.

“But we’re here now,” Reo said. His hand groped around until he found Kara’s arm. Santos closed the door to the hallway, throwing the room into darkness, except for the mage mist.

“Where’s Timo?” Reo asked.

“I don’t know,” Mole said. “We got separated a few hours ago. I hope he’s made his way out.”

“Not likely,” came the response from behind the furthest shelf.

Kara felt Reo tense up beside her.

“You can come out now,” Mole said. He looked in Kara’s direction and shrugged. “Can you see them?”

“See who . . .” Kara started to say when a head peered over Mole’s shoulder. A head covered in white braids. “A Seyoyan?” she gasped in surprise.

“Timo and I managed to pick up a few others along the way.”

The Seyoyan stepped out from behind Mole, followed, to Kara’s surprise, by another one.

“Is that really Reo Medina?” the first Seyoyan asked.

“That’s Wuls,” Mole said. “His brother Yash is around here too.”

“I see them both,” Kara said. She leaned over to Reo. “Two Seyoyan youths, about fourteen or fifteen are against the wall at the end of the aisle. They’ve been spelled invisible.”

“Greetings,” Reo said in Seyoyan. “I am Reo Medina. Do I know you?”

“I’m Yash Samma,” the older boy said. “And my brother Wuls Samma is here as well. We have met before, Reo Medina, a long time ago. Our cousin is Chas Honess.”

“Yash Samma,” Kara said. “Do you see magic, like Chas?”

“We both do,” Wuls said. “That’s how we can keep together.”

“Of course.” Kara stepped towards the pair, bringing Reo and Santos deeper into the room. “I’m Kara Fonti. It’s an honour to meet relatives of Chas’.” The group was much larger than she’d expected—it would be harder to remain undetected. But with the two Seyoyans they could split up into two or even three groups. Maybe they could even send messages—mage mist messages—that she and the Seyoyans could read. But without Timo they only had one Mage—Santos. Kara stopped.

“But there are two colours of mage mist,” she said softly. The mist that swirled around Mole was soft mauve while the Seyoyans were covered in a soft pink mist.

“Sure, sure,” Mole said. “There’s one more. Barra, come meet Timo’s sister, Kara.”

A pretty girl, no, a young woman, tentatively came out from behind the shelf. She glanced around, her eyes not focussing on anything or anyone and Kara knew that she couldn’t see them. Pale pink mage mist trailed from her fingers.

“Kara, this is Barra Eska,” Mole said. “She’s coming to Old Rillidi with us.”

Mole’s chin jutted out, like he expected a fight, and Kara glanced from him to Barra, who had grabbed hold of Mole’s hand and was clutching it tight.

“Is she a Mage?” Santos asked. “I would dearly love to have more Mages to teach.”

“Yes,” Kara and Mole said together, and Kara saw Mole relax, just a little.

“I’ve just made Journeyman,” Barra said softly.

“Excellent,” Santos said. “Are there any more of you hiding that we need to meet? I’d like to get off my feet and we need to decide what we’re going to do next.”

“That’s everyone,” Mole said. “Come, there should be enough room in the corner.” He paused. “I’ll stand watch.”

“Nonsense,” Santos said. “We need your knowledge. I’ll create a small spell.” His hand flicked out, and green mage mist sped towards the door.

KARA TOOK A
sip and handed her water skin to Barra. A small mage light hovered above them, and all of the spells keeping them invisible had been removed. Santos’
small spell
was keeping the door to the room hidden, much as he’d hidden Kara and Reo’s cabin for so many years.

“Thank you,” Barra said. She took a sip and passed the water to Mole, who hadn’t left the young woman’s side.

They huddled in the corner of the room, sitting on the cool flagstone floor, propped up against walls or shelves.

“Is it true that you took away their magic?” Barra asked. “At Founders Day?”

“Yes,” Kara replied. “They’re lucky that’s all I did. I was very angry.” She glanced over at Reo, who looked up from his conversation with Mole. “My mother was dead. Inigo attacked us then used her as a shield.”

“Oh, of course,” Barra said, surprised. “Arabella Fonti was your mother. I’m sorry . . .” Barra paused. “She didn’t deserve to die.”

“No. Not like that,” Kara said, her mouth a grim line. “Did you know her?”

“Me? A little,” Barra said. “I had hoped to do my Journeyman studies with her.” Barra looked down at her hands and sighed, a soft, sad sound.

“She was Secundus,” Kara said. “I expect there was a lot competition to be placed with her.”

“No,” Barra said. She looked up at Kara and frowned. “She always made it clear that she had no interest in teaching. I had hoped she’d make an exception for me.”

“Because you were a friend of Timo’s?” Kara asked.

“No,” Barra said. She glanced away for a moment. When she turned back to Kara, she slumped a little. “I haven’t always been nice to Timo. No, I was hoping that Arabella Fonti would take me because she was a woman, and I so desperately did not want to take any of the offers I’d received.” She shut her eyes. “Men expect much more from a female Journeyman than they do of males.” She opened her eyes, and the look she gave Kara was haunted.

“I see,” Kara replied softly, and she did. Barra Eska had had to make a terrible choice, one that wasn’t really a choice at all. “Who did you end up with?” Kara asked casually. So I can make sure he dies a slow death, she finished silently.

“It doesn’t matter,” Barra said. She looked over at Mole. “Mole killed him.”

“Good,” Kara said. She watched as Mole caught Barra’s glance. He smiled shyly. As he turned to answer a question from Reo, he met Kara’s eyes and blushed. Mole and Barra Eska? That made her decision even easier. She caught Mole’s comment about where they should go to look for Timo.

“No,” Kara said. All eyes turned her way. “First we’re finding a way off this island.”

“Without Timo?” Mole said. “We can’t leave without him.”

“We won’t,” Kara said. “
I won’t
.” She’d lost her mother to Mage Guild, she wasn’t about to lose her brother. Mole must have seen the determination in her face, because he nodded and settled his back against a shelf.