A Crucible of Souls (Book One of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence) (62 page)

Elpidia met her eyes then looked away. Guilt flashed across her face. She let out a sigh, shoulders slumping.

“
I admit I was following you, but only to find Caldan. It was chance I saw you in the street while you were on your way towards Barrows. I was on my way to the Sorcerers’ Guild. I… need to see him for my research.
”

“
And this couldn’t wait until things had died down? It’s far too dangerous out there to be wandering the streets alone.
”
Miranda took a sip of tea and a bite of her bun.
“
What’s so important it couldn’t wait?
”
she asked around a mouthful.

“
I’m at a critical point of my research and… I need to ask him some things. About some of the books he has read at the monastery. You wouldn’t understand. Alchemical specifics, that sort of thing.
”

“
And this was so urgent it had to be done tonight? And you followed me rather than asking me where he was?
”

Elpidia managed to look ashamed and sick at the same time.
“
I wasn’t thinking clearly. This invasion… I fear the worst. When I saw you in the street, I thought I should be discreet.
”

None of this made sense to Miranda. There was more to this story than Elpidia let on, but it was unlikely she posed any threat. Whatever Elpidia was hiding, well, it could wait until after Miranda found Caldan and made sure they were both safe.

Already the streets were deteriorating at night, and in a few more days the city would be a mess. Things would definitely degenerate before they returned to normal, if they ever did.

Miranda finished the last few bites of her bun and washed it down with the rest of her tea.
“
In the morning, first thing, I’m heading to the Sorcerers’ Guild, fires or no. You can follow along, but I can’t guarantee your safety.
”

Elpidia nodded.
“
Of course,
”
she replied firmly.

Miranda felt Elpidia had come to a decision, and that had strengthened her resolve. She sat there, back straight, and met Miranda’s eyes. Yes, something had changed, and the helpful physiker Miranda had first met seemed almost a different person. As long as what Elpidia wanted didn’t hinder her in finding Caldan, she would keep her close. Better to have her near and know where she was. She still didn’t trust her.

Miranda brushed crumbs from her hands and turned back the blanket on her bed.
“
Get some sleep. I mean to be up early.
”
She slid under the sheets and turned her back to Elpidia.

Moments later, Elpidia turned the lamp out and the room went dark.

Chapter Forty-Seven

“
We’ve been turned away from the gates,
”
Aidan said.
“
There’s no choice but to find another way into the city.
”

Chalayan nodded at his statement while cel Rau merely grunted.

Aidan used a leather-gloved hand to pour from a battered kettle that sat on the edge of their cooking fire. He could feel the heat of the handle through his glove as he poured into his own mug then refilled Chalayan’s. Both the sorcerer and Anshul cel Rau had kept their distance from him since the… incident with Lady Caitlyn. Though the last few days they had made a point of reporting to him and deferring to his leadership. His moment of weakness with the bottle had put them off, shown them he was fragile. Well, let them have to kill the leader they loved and see how they fared afterwards.

“
Those sorcerers were ahead of us all the way?
”
he asked for the second time that morning.

“
Yes,
”
replied Chalayan and licked his lips. His fingers strayed to the
trinket
he always wore around his neck. Aidan suspected its power was in detecting sorcery, but he couldn’t be sure. There was a great deal he didn’t know about sorcerers, but he now knew they were far more dangerous than anyone believed.

Chalayan had changed since they started this chase, even before Caitlyn’s death. He clearly wanted to catch the sorcerers they were following, but Aidan didn’t think he wanted the same outcome. The power of these sorcerers and the evil they perpetrated had shown Aidan they needed to be destroyed, but Chalayan… every time he spoke of them a tinge of reverence came into his voice.
As if he wanted the power these sorcerers commanded. Dangerous indeed.

A few days ago, Chalayan had woken Aidan in the middle of the night. He had felt a massive flow of energy flare up, he said. A sorcery like he’d never encountered before. The initial surge had died down, but he could still sense power flowing from the direction of Anasoma. Eventually, he had calmed enough to settle back in his blankets, but Aidan was sure he hadn’t slept the rest of the night.

Expecting to head straight in and to ask the Protectors for assistance with looking after the women they had rescued and with hunting the rogue sorcerers, they were stunned to see the city’s walls aflame with a pale blue fire, crowds milling outside locked and barred gates. From what they could gather from the people, the city was either quarantined due to disease, a civil war had broken out among the guilds, an army had invaded and enslaved everyone, or an old evil had risen from a graveyard and was killing people at night.

Aidan didn’t put much stock in any of these and wondered if the flames on the wall were to keep people out or to keep them in. Chalayan almost had an apoplexy when he saw them and had wandered back and forth in front of the wall constantly looking to the barrier and to the sky, all the while clutching his
trinket
, and repeating they were impossible. Which they clearly weren’t.

Aidan took a step away from the crackling fire and crouched on his heels, gazing at the flames.
“
So, they either entered the city or weren’t able to get in, same as us.
”

“
I don’t think they could enter. The sorcery I felt the other night had to have been the creation of this barrier, and would have been up before they reached the city.
”

“
Are you sure?
”
asked Aidan.
“
We ran into unknown sorcerers with unknown powers, chased them to Anasoma, where we find the people locked out by more unknown sorcery. I’d think they’re related, wouldn’t you?
”

Anshul cel Rau spat into the fire, saliva sizzling in the coals.
“
I don’t like it,
”
he said flatly.

Chalayan studied the walls.
“
While I would normally agree with your logic, the sorcery is different. I believe they’re from diverse schools of knowledge. The ones we ran into and have been following have a strange feel.
”
He spread his hands apologetically.
“
I can’t put it any more succinctly than that, but take my word for it. I’ve never encountered their like before, and I’ve studied under many masters.
”

Aidan cleared his throat.
“
Two groups of sorcerers running around unleashing power for no reason we can fathom?
”

Cel Rau grunted and spat into the fire again.

“
Our first priority is to get these people to safety.
”
Aidan gestured at the wagons and women around the camp.
“
Then we can worry about the sorcerers.
”

“
What will the sorcerers be doing while we waste time with the women?
”
asked cel Rau.

Aidan fixed him with a firm stare.
“
We cannot abandon them. We need to make sure they will be looked after.
”

The swordsman looked away. Chalayan nodded reluctantly.

With a flick of his wrist, Aidan sent the dregs of his tea splashing into the fire.
“
Let’s get packed up.
”
He stood.
“
I want everyone ready to move in half an hour. There are a few towns close by and we can see the women safely settled at one. They’ll be out of harm’s way, and then we can do something about these sorcerers.
”

Aidan had them approach the town cautiously, reluctant for them to head straight in after all they had seen. As towns go it was large, probably due to its proximity to Anasoma. It was considered an outlying district of the city, an hour’s ride to the west.

Their wagons rolled down the dusty main street, with only the occasional resident showing an interest in their group. Most ignored them as they rushed about, too busy and important to be bothered with strangers. The place had a soulless feel to it, but there wasn’t much they could do at the moment except find somewhere to drop off the women and children.

On the outskirts of the town, a tent city had sprung up with more temporary residents pouring in even as they passed close by. People turned away from the gates of Anasoma were looking for somewhere to stay. Circles of wagons covered with canvas formed enclaves, while horses cropped grass around their tents. In a few days the place would be a breeding ground for trouble. He didn’t want to leave the women there.

The only logical place was the town’s hospice, and Aidan was relieved when they readily agreed to take on a group of women who were willing to work in exchange for a bed and food. The place was understaffed as there had been an influx of extra patients since the gates of Anasoma closed. Wealthy people who couldn’t enter Anasoma had no alternative but to forego the expensive city treatments and turn to the hospice instead.

It didn’t take them long to have the women and children settled into quarters. With grateful hugs and smiles, Aidan left them to their new life. As soon as possible, he gathered his men and left without a backward look.

Anshul cel Rau grabbed Aidan’s arm and dragged him up out of the long dry grass.
“
No need to hide,
”
the swordsman said gruffly.
“
There aren’t any sentries on the wall.
”

It was a long speech for the man. Aidan nodded.

He’d been lying in the grass all day, keeping an eye on the walls of Anasoma close to one of the gates. Travelers and traders still approached without knowing, or perhaps without believing, the city was locked down, only to mill uncertainly before the closed gate before wandering off, taking themselves and their wares elsewhere.

Aidan trudged back to their makeshift camp with cel Rau. Their band, what was left of it, had chosen a clearing next to a copse of trees as their camp site. A brook flowed nearby towards the sea, and the ground was rocky and hard.

He surveyed the greatly reduced numbers of their group. With Lady Caitlyn’s death and the losses they experienced during that battle, some of their men had chosen to stay with the women at the hospice. Aidan didn’t blame them, since most were mercenaries, only in it for the ducats, and such heavy losses dented their desire to stay on, no matter what the pay. Truth was that only a few of them followed Lady Caitlyn because they believed in her cause, and over the last few days men had deserted the band with infuriating regularity. He would rather the men under him followed not for the ducats but because they believed. Lady Caitlyn’s cause was as strong in him as it had been in her.

Their fire had burned down to black coals and ash. Aidan crouched and poked at it with a stick. After a few minutes, Chalayan knelt on his left, then cel Rau on the right.

Both men fixed their eyes on him.

“
What’s the plan now, Aidan?
”
asked the sorcerer.

Cel Rau spat into the fire.
“
That city is bad. We aren’t likely to get inside.
”

Aidan scratched his arm.
“
We still need to find the sorcerers we’ve been following.
”

Chalayan looked pleased at his words.
He will need watching
, thought Aidan. The lure of power for his kind was strong.

“
They’re a danger,
”
Aidan continued.
“
You saw what they did. They are evil.
”
He looked at the sorcerer and the swordsman in turn, meeting their eyes. Both nodded in agreement.

“
Getting inside is impossible,
”
said Chalayan.
“
But… I don’t think they went inside. The barrier went up before they got here, and as I said before, it feels different.
”
He shifted his weight and shrugged.

“
Which means they either backtracked or turned north or south?
”

“
I’m pretty sure they didn’t backtrack and pass us. I would have felt them.
”
Chalayan’s hand strayed to touch his
trinket
.

“
So north or south.
”

“
Send some scouts each way,
”
said cel Rau gruffly.

Aidan nodded.
“
Yes. See to it.
”

Cel Rau stood and left without a word.

“
Chalayan?
”
said Aidan.

“
Yes?
”

“
Can you match them?
”

The sorcerer stood and stretched his legs, grimacing at the stiffness.
“
I would have thought it was obvious I can’t,
”
he admitted.
“
In a pure power against power fight, they are far above me. They do things I would never have thought possible. But I have a few tricks.
”

“
Think of a few more. I have a feeling we’re going to need them.
”

Chalayan gave a nervous laugh.
“
Believe me, I’ve been thinking of little else since we found them, but… if Caitlyn were here… Sorry…
”

“
No. It’s all right. Go ahead.
”

“
If she were here, we would probably go charging after them… and would die.
”
He shrugged.
“
We need help. Maybe from the Sorcerers’ Guild, that’s if they’re still alive.
”

Aidan thought for a few moments.
“
I agree. The Quivers —
”

“
I don’t think soldiers would do much good,
”
interrupted Chalayan.
“
You saw what happened to ours. I fear we are overmatched. That way would mean our deaths.
”

“
And we won’t do any good dead.
”
Aidan smiled grimly and gave the ash another poke.

A boot scuffed, and a shadow fell across the fire. Aidan looked up, squinting into the evening sun. A large, elderly man stood between him and Chalayan. The man cleared his throat. Aidan stood. To his eyes the man appeared unarmed, though looks were deceiving, as they all knew. He had his hands spread in a non-threatening gesture.

Aidan assessed the stranger for any menace. Though overweight, he wore a fine dark shirt with silver buttons down the front and pants tucked into polished leather boots.

Both Aidan and Chalayan glanced around the camp. Their men hadn’t alerted them to the stranger’s presence, which meant they hadn’t seen him approach.

“
Who are you? How did you get into our camp?
”
demanded Aidan. His hand strayed to the hilt of his sword. Chalayan took a step backward, increasing the distance between him and the stranger.