True Magics (45 page)

“I…” Robert looked up from the page, confusion on his face. “Why didn’t you show us your magic before?”

“The king forbade me,” said Thomas. With a thought, Thomas made the light float up above his head. He held out his hands. “Please, Robert. For the king.”

Robert read through the text once more and held out his hands to Thomas. “All right.”

Thomas let the ball of light fade. “I want you to picture your magic flowing from your left hand into my right hand, just like it says. Can you do that?”

“I… I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Did you light the candle?” Thomas asked. “Did you make the ball of light?”

Robert nodded. “The light was fainter than yours and—”

“Then you can do this.”

Thomas took Robert’s hands. They were callused and strong and Robert clung to Thomas like a man in a flood clinging to a rope. Thomas took a deep breath, and another. He looked at Robert, and the third time he breathed deep, Robert breathed with him. “Close your eyes,” said Thomas. “Picture it.”

Robert closed his eyes. Thomas envisioned his own magic, flowing from his hand to Robert’s, and began reading the incantation.

“Let the circle’s magic be brought together. Let it be bent to our will, and guided through my body. Let it be directed where I will, and let it be bent to my purpose.”

For a moment Thomas felt the magic moving; felt it flowing from his body and into Robert’s even as he felt it flowing from Robert’s into his. Then Robert gasped and yanked his hands away. His eyes were wide. “What… what did we just…?”

“It works,” said Thomas. The wonder of it nearly drove everything else from his mind. He grinned at Sir Walter. “It worked! Robert, put your hands back!”

Robert looked scared, but did as he was told. Thomas repeated the incantation and once more the magic flowed between them. At first, Thomas could feel their separate magic, his own much more powerful than Robert’s. Then the two blended together and the magic flowed smoothly between them.

And with each circle the magic grew stronger.

Thomas’s body began to tingle like it had when he had accessed the Earth’s own magic the summer before. He could feel the energy crackling through him. Thomas, unsure of what would happen if he didn’t use the magic, said, “Hang on tight, Robert,” and called the magic together.

Slowly, the two of them levitated into the air.

Robert gasped in surprise, but he didn’t let go. The energy pulsed through Thomas, and he and Robert floated up until their heads were just below the ceiling. At length, the energy Thomas felt began to fade. Thomas let them drift to the floor and let go of Robert’s hands.

Robert stumbled back, hit the wall, and sank to the ground. Wonder, shock and disbelief all warred for space on his face. “That….” the look of wonder was still on Robert’s face. “That was… amazing.”

Thomas stood where he was, feeling the magic dissipate. When it was gone, Thomas felt as he had before, but no worse.
And given that I’m already exhausted and in pain, I’m glad.

“It was,” agreed Sir Walter. His eyes were wide and not a little wild. “Amazing. Did it work the way you thought it would?”

“It did,” said Thomas. He held out a hand to Robert. “You all right?”

Robert nodded. “I am. I’m just…”

“I know,” said Thomas. “But right now we need to get the other magicians.” He was going to say more, but the room began spinning gently. It wasn’t nearly as bad as he had felt when he’d drained his energy before.
The spell must balance out the energy, and spare the caster from being too ill.
“We’ll need food first, though,” he said. “And water. Quickly.”

Robert pulled the door open and stumbled down the stairs.

“What are you doing?” demanded Sir Walter. “We have to go!”

“We need food,” said Thomas. “The magic takes away our strength. Not as bad as when I was doing it alone but we still need food and water.”

Robert came back up the steps with a basket of pastries and pies. Two of his bakers followed with jugs of water and cups, and his wife was close behind them. Thomas grabbed eagerly for the pastries and shoved one into his mouth. It was blueberry and absolutely wonderful. “These are amazing!”

“I’ve brought extra for your soldiers,” said Robert, taking one himself and holding out the basket to Sir Walter. “You can take these for your troops, if you like.”

Thomas swallowed down a mouthful of pastry. “You need to go with Sir Walter, Robert. Now.”

Robert blinked in surprise. “Now?”

“Now,” repeated Thomas. “You need to go get the others and bring them together.”

“What?” said Robert’s wife. “What is he talking about?”

“He can’t tell you,” said Sir Walter, bowing to the woman. “Just know that your king needs your husband’s service. Right now.”

Robert wiped his hands on his apron, then pulled it off and tossed it at another baker. “Of course I’ll go. Fetch my coat, Ashley.”

Ashley, one of his bakers, ran downstairs.

“What?” said his wife. “In the middle of the day?” She turned to Sir Walter. “You can’t take him now. There are customers waiting!”

“This takes precedence,” said Sir Walter, taking the basket of pastries. “I’ll pass these to my men and meet you outside.”

“Are you coming, Thomas?” asked Robert.

“I have to go to the Academy first,” said Thomas. “I’ll join with you as soon as I can.”

“Must you?” asked Robert. Ashley returned with the man’s blue cloak and green coat and Robert struggled into them. “The others need to see what you’ve shown me, or they won’t believe.”

Thomas picked up the book and pressed it into Robert’s hands. “
You’ll
make them believe.”

Robert kissed his wife and followed Thomas out of the bakery. Two of Sir Walter’s men were already mounted. The third cupped his hands and helped Robert mount up behind one of the other soldiers.

“They’ll take care of you,” Thomas promised, mounting the horse Sir Walter had given him. “I’ll be with you as soon as I can, I swear!”

“Take care of yourself, Thomas,” said Sir Walter. “Things are going to get very bad, very soon.”

And with those words he kicked his heels into his horse and sent the animal trotting down the street and towards the inner city.

Thomas turned his horse the other direction and headed for the Academy. Noise came at him from all directions. Cries of anger and the sounds of fighting came from side-streets and squares, as well as singing, drums, pipes and shouts for and against the king and the High Father’s Church. Twice Thomas had to switch streets when a he saw a crowd marching toward him. He expected the road around the Academy to be blocked with protesters, but none were in sight. He rode up to the gates and banged on them as hard as he could. “It’s Thomas Flarety! Open up! Now!”

As soon as the gate was pulled open, Thomas ducked down and rode through. “Have they gone yet?”

“Everyone but us!” said Michael, to Thomas’s complete surprise.

“What in the name of the Four are you doing here?” Thomas demanded.

“Our Captain didn’t show up so they made us stay here,” said Kevin, “Where were you?”

“Kidnapped.”

Kevin’s eyes went wide. “The Church?”

“No. When did they leave?”

“An hour ago. Who kidnapped you?”

“Not important,” said Thomas. “Get the company together and start heading for the Church courts. I’m going to ride out and see if I can catch them before they get there.” He pulled on the reins and turned the horse. “Open the gates!”

The further from the Academy Thomas rode, the worse things got. He could hear fighting, and saw street riots breaking out. Several places, his horse skirted puddles of blood on the cobbles.

He rode the straightest route he could manage to the Cathedral, but the main thoroughfares were choked with people, and in several places wagons and crates had been pulled across, making barricades. Some people saw his uniform and started throwing cobblestones. Twice he was hit, leaving aching bruises on his chest and back. Some men tried to pull him off the horse. He managed to draw his rapier and cut at them until they backed off. From then on he rode with his rapier in one hand. It was tricky, and made controlling his already-skittish horse even harder.

There’s no way I’m going to be able to fight mounted,
Thomas realized.
I’ll get killed if I come against real cavalry.

As he approached Cathedral Square, Thomas sheathed the sword and used his hand to keep his cloak closed over his uniform instead. The main road was completely blocked with Church followers singing and cheering. Criers relayed messages from the Archbishop and preachers screamed to be heard above the mob.

Thomas turned his horse and manoeuvred back to the smaller streets. He had to yell at people to move and use his horse’s weight to push through and get off the main road. The Church courts were near one of the side streets that emptied out onto the cathedral, and if he could find his way there, he’d be able see what was going on.

The back streets were thankfully much less crowded, and he managed to ride almost to the edge of the square, where the people were jeering and yelling and pushing to get at something. Thomas tapped a man on the shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“The students!” said the man, whose face was red with excitement, and who was clutching a stick in his hand. “Those witch-lovers marched in like they own the place, and now they’re trapped. They’re stuck on the steps of the courthouse!”

Thomas turned his horse around, not waiting to hear the rest. There were too many people for his company to fight their way through, even if they were willing to kill everyone in the way.

Which I’d really, really like to avoid.

He stayed on the side streets until he was well away from the Cathedral Square then went back to the main thoroughfare. He found the company nearly halfway to the Cathedral, jogging steadily, staves in hand. Thomas pulled up the horse in front of them. “They’re trapped on the courthouse steps,” he said. “There’s too many people around the square for us to get through. We need reinforcements.”

“From where?” demanded Evan. “The entire city is in an uproar.”

“We could go to the city watch,” said Michael.

“If we can find them,” said Jonathan. “If they’ll come.”

“Wait,” said Thomas. “Where’s Eileen? And Henry?”

“Eileen didn’t come this morning,” said Marcus, “Neither did Henry.”

If something happened to Eileen…

“The smiths,” said Thomas, turning the horse around. “Come on.”

“You know, next time you could get one of those for all of us,” called Marcus as the company jogged after him.

There were still men on patrol at the Street of Smiths. Thomas led the company straight toward them. “Thomas Flarety to see Sir George Gobhann and Master Gatron. Emergency.”

The smiths sent off one of their number to fetch Master Gatron, calling in at George’s smithy on the way past. Eileen, wearing her own armour and uniform, came sprinting out past the man before he finished talking, shouting, “Thomas!”

Thomas dismounted, dodged past the men and swept her into a hug. Eileen was crying and shaking with anger and relief. Even as she squeezed him hard, she demanded, “Where in the name of the Four have you
been
?”

“Malcolm Bright kidnapped me.”

“
What?” Eileen pushed him back, looking into his eyes. “You’re joking. You’re not joking. Oh, by the
Four!
”

“Thomas!”

Thomas turned just in time to be engulfed by George in a bone-crushing hug. “I thought you were dead, you idiot!”

Thomas felt a grin creeping across his face. “Not yet, but I will be if you don’t let go!”

George did. “What’s going on?”

“We need help,” said Thomas. “Where’s the Master Smith?”

“At his forge,” said George, pointing. Thomas saw the messenger emerging from a large smithy with Master Gatron and his daughter following close behind. Thomas ran to him.

“Thomas Flarety,” said Master Gatron. “What’s going on?”

“We need your help,” said Thomas. “Can you get everyone together?”

“I can,” said Master Gatron, frowning. “What sort of help do you need?”

“The students went to deliver the writs to the Church courts this morning. Now they’re trapped in Cathedral Square. We need to get them out before they’re killed.”

“I’ll get my armour,” said George.

“And your stick,” said Thomas. “And staves for Eileen and me if there are any around.”

The Master Smith’s frown deepened. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“I’ll explain it all,” said Thomas. “Just get everyone together.”

It took surprisingly little time. George, who had put on his armour and the colours of the Order of the White Wolf, brought out a chair for Thomas to stand on.