True Magics (48 page)

Thomas looked to where the other cavalry squad was standing. He raised his other hand and waited. None of the men retreated, but none rode forward either.

And that’s as good as I’m going to get.

“Get inside!” Eileen yelled, shoving at the others. “Everyone, inside! Now!”

Thomas, his arms raised in either direction, slowly walked backwards towards the Broken Quill. Behind him, he heard the students scrambling inside. On either end of the street the Church cavalrymen stared with amazed, horrified expressions. The man and horse he killed lay in the street. The two wounded horses screamed shrilly as they kicked and flailed. Their riders, trapped beneath the weight of their steeds, were yelling for help.

“Everyone’s in!” Eileen grabbed Thomas from behind. “Come on!”

She pulled him inside. Fenris and Marcus, standing by their stools just inside the door, were staring at him. Their normally-impassive faces were wide-eyed with shock. Eileen pushed Thomas out of the way and she and Michael pulled the door shut, locking it and putting the heavy bar into place.

Thomas’s eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom of the room. Every one of the students who weren’t in his company was staring at him.

“The king…” began one. “The king said there’s no such thing as witchcraft.”

“There isn’t,” said Thomas. “There’s magic.”

27

Thomas didn’t give them time to think about what he’d said. “Mark, take three and secure the back door,” ordered Thomas. “Kevin, take three more and go upstairs. Make sure all the shutters are closed and locked.”

“We do not allow customers in the kitchen,” said Fenris.

“Not the time,” said Thomas. “Mark, go! Is there another way out of here?”

“Aside from the doors and windows?” asked Marcus. “The chimney, I suppose.”

“The chimney it is,” said Thomas. “We need to get word to the Academy, we need reinforcements and we need them now.”

“And you are telling me this, why?” asked Fenris.

“I wasn’t. Eileen?”

“Over the roofs?” asked Eileen.

“Worked before,” said Thomas. “Is the fire lit in the chimney?”

“No,” said Eileen.

“Thank the Four.”

“Who goes?” asked Eileen.

“You do,” said Thomas.

“Not without you.”

“I have to stay here with the company.”

“You’re the cause this whole mess!”

Thomas turned. Keith, bloody and filthy, stood in the middle of the floor. A dozen students, all Traditionalists, surrounded him. “You’re what this is all about! You’re a witch!”

Of all the people…
“Not the time, Keith!”

“Yes, it is!” Keith stomped forward until he was face to face with Thomas. “We’re trapped in here because of you! You’re the reason the Church is going after the king! You’re the reason they’ve been preaching against witchcraft!”

“That’s not why,” said Thomas.
What would Henry do?
“It’s to do with the war in…”

“Master Brennan should have thrown you to the Church guards!” yelled Keith. “You brought the wrath of the Church down on the Academy! We’re all going to die because you sold your soul to the Banished!”

Thomas punched Keith hard on the side of the jaw. Keith’s head went sideways and he spun, falling backwards over a chair. The students of around Keith raised their weapons, but none moved. Behind them, George and the smiths stepped forward, and Thomas heard the scrape of George’s blade leaving its scabbard. Keith’s troop looked behind and saw the big men with the iron bars.

Thomas drew his rapier.

“Anyone who does anything stupid I will run through,” Thomas said, keeping his voice cold and hard. Thomas caught a glimpse of movement just beside him and raised his other hand, holding it in the position he used for casting lightning. “Don’t.”

“We will not,” said Marcus, sounding as calm as ever. “But we do not allow fights in our tavern.”

“You may consider yourself banned for a week,” said Fenris.

The absurdity of the statement nearly made Thomas laugh. “I promise to leave as soon as possible.” He looked down at Keith, unconscious at his feet.
I didn’t think I could hit that hard.
“You lot,” he said to the students around Keith. “Was he leading you?”

“Aye,” said a young man in fencing armour with dirty yellow hair and blood spattered on his face. “I’m Carl, his Lieutenant.”

“Carl, the Church soldiers are going to come charging in here and try to kill us. You and your troop can either go out there and deal with them, or you can be on our side. Decide. Now.”

Carl looked down at Keith. Then he did a slow circle, taking in the bloody, bruised students that filled the room. “We’re with you.”

Thank the Four. “
Take your take your troop and secure the windows upstairs. And look out in the street while you do it. I need to know what they’re doing.”

“Yes… Captain.”

“And take him with you,” said Thomas, pointing at Keith. “Tie him to a chair in one of the rooms upstairs. We’ll deal with him later.”

Carl called for the other seven left of his troop, and together they dragged Keith up the stairs.

Thomas let go of a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and faced the bouncers. “Marcus, Fenris, would you please send for Madame Blossom?”

“No need!” snapped Angeline Blossom, pushing her way through the students. “What in black pits of the Banished is going on here? Why are there boys with swords in my kitchen?”

“We’re under siege,” said Thomas. “How much would it take to light the place on fire from outside?”

“What?”

“A great deal,” said Marcus. “The roof is slate, the walls are stone, the shutters are solid. If they break through the shutters or pour burning pitch down the chimney, it’s possible. Otherwise, not.”

“Good.”

“You still haven’t told me what’s going on!” snapped Angeline Blossom.

“We were attacked by a mob and by cavalry, and had to hide.”

Angeline stared at him. “You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“And you ran in
here
?”

“It wasn’t a matter of choice,” said Thomas. “Can you get everyone some food and something to drink? The Academy will pick up the bill.”

“We don’t run tabs,” said Angeline. She looked over the crowd of bleeding, bruised and exhausted students in her tavern. “Usually.”

“It will be paid,” said Thomas. “I swear it.”

“Heard that before,” said Angeline, though her tone wasn’t as harsh. “This all of you?”

“All that’s left,” said Thomas. “There were two hundred of us, before.”

“Two hundred!” She did a quick head-count. “By the Four…” Angeline’s brow furrowed and her jaw set. “Right then. Food and drink for everyone. You’ll eat what’s in the kitchen, mind, and no special orders, hear?”

“I promise,” said Thomas.

“I’ll get the girls roused and send them down. And see what we have for bandages.”

“Thank you.”

“Aye, well, wait until I send the Academy the bill.” She shook a finger in Thomas’s face. “And don’t get my tavern burned down, hear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Thomas. “I’ll try.”

Angeline stomped off to the kitchen, shouting for her cooks and barmaids.

“Not going to tell her about the magic, then?” said Fenris.

“I’ll leave that to you,” said Thomas, his eyes on the students that half-filled the room. Those not securing the building had collapsed onto the benches. All of them were exhausted. Most were hurt, some badly. And most of them were staring at Thomas with looks that ranged from fear and hostility to amazement. Thomas sighed and headed for the stage.

“Now what?” asked Eileen, falling in behind him.

“We send someone for help,” said Thomas. “Go look up the fireplace and tell me how high it is.”

Eileen did. Thomas climbed onto the stage and called, “Listen up! I don’t know how much time we have, so pay attention! Yes, I have magic. No, it is not witchcraft. There is no such thing as witchcraft. Yes, I can throw lightning and do some other things. No, it will not be enough to hold off the Church troops when they attack. We need to get someone out of here to get reinforcements, quick.”

“The chimney’s capped,” called Eileen. “There’s no way we can get out there.”

Thomas swore and looked to Fenris. “Any other exits?”

“A balcony on the top level at the back,” said Fenris. “You could possibly reach the roof from there. With a ladder.”

“George,” said Thomas. “Take Eileen and check it out.”

George nodded, and he and Eileen followed Fenris out of the room.

“For the rest of you,” said Thomas. “Anyone not badly hurt, help reinforce the doors and set up the tables as barriers. Fenris says they can’t burn us out so they’ll try to smash their way in. We need to make sure all the shutters upstairs are tightly shut and barred, all the doors are locked and blocked, and that we have another layer of defence in case they get inside.”

“Who put you in charge?” said one of the students.

It was more of a grumble than a challenge, but Thomas answered it anyway. “Sir Walter Deehan, advisor the king. His orders were for me to find you lot and bring you to safety.”

“Sir Walter?” said Graham Silvers, rising. “He told you to come get us?”

“Yes,” said Thomas.
And how do you know him?

“Good of him,” said Graham. “Right, then. Thomas is in charge by order of the king! Everyone get up and get working!”

Thomas blinked in surprise then shrugged it off.
As long as they’re listening.
“Carl! Where are you?”

“Here!” shouted Carl from upstairs. “They’re still closing the shutters.”

“Good. What’s going on outside?”

“The cavalry hasn’t moved,” said Carl.

“What about in the alley?”

“Freddy took those windows,” said Carl. “Freddy!”

“Here!” said a lanky, dark-haired student, coming out of another room.

“What’s happening in the alley?”

“No one’s come down it,” said Freddy, “but both ends are blocked, now.”

“Cavalry?”

Fred shook his head. “Foot soldiers.”

So, if need be, we could fight our way out the back.
“Good enough. Let’s get this furniture moved. Everyone who’s not badly hurt, help. Now!”

As they worked Thomas did the rounds of the room and discovered that he had the remnants of six companies with him. He put the smiths under George’s command then divided the companies up into four groups. One he gave to Carl, the next to Graham, and the other two picked their own captains from their groups: Avery, a short man with dark hair and a growling temper; and Horace, who was tall, strong and blond.

“If I may suggest?” said Marcus, “the last time this happened, the students built their first barricade of tables just inside the entrance, then a line of tables across the width of the room, there,” he pointed to a place a quarter of the way down the room. “A final ring of tables around the stage.”

“The last time?” Thomas eyebrows went up of their own accord. “When did this happen before?”

“Fifty years ago,” said Marcus. “The Lord Mayor declared that too many students were engaging in drunken debauchery and banned them from all drinking establishments. A hundred students barricaded themselves in against the city watch.”

“Did it work?”

“They lasted two days, I believe, until my grandmother managed to open the back door. When they were forced back to the second line of defence, they lost control of the kitchens and began sobering up. They were about to surrender when the king repealed the law.”

Thomas stared at the man. “You’re joking.”

“Not at all,” said Marcus. “According to my grandfather, the students paid for all drinks and damages, which made it a rather good couple of days for us.”

“Two days…” Thomas looked at the exhausted, bleeding students.
If that isn’t enough, nothing will be.
“Right then, we do it your way. Everyone listen up!”

They were still moving the tables into position for the first barricade when George and Eileen came back. George looked pale. “They’ve got crossbowmen at one end of the alley.”

Thomas swore. “Either of you hurt?”

“We’re fine. But they came mighty close.”

“Thank the Four,” said Thomas. “Help with the barricades.”

“They’re moving outside!” called Carl from upstairs. “They’re bringing in foot troops!”

“Keep building the barricades!” Thomas shouted. “My company, Graham’s company to the front door! Everyone else, have your weapons ready but keep working!”

Thomas went to the front door and opened the grille. He leaned against the door to peer as far to the side as possible, and had George lean on the other. Thomas saw foot soldiers with armour and shields advancing on the Broken Quill, six across and five lines deep with four wagons coming behind them. He told George.