Abuse of Power (Rise of the Mages 1) (7 page)

Auggie dashed into a jewelry store and threw a handful of coins on the counter—more than enough to cover any possible purchase.

A diamond ring caught his eye. Perfect. He grabbed it and two gold bands before rushing out of the shop and over to the nearby town hall. An attendant sitting in an antechamber tried to stop him, but he barreled past and burst through the door to an office.

“What the blast—” A man wearing a distinguished gray suit popped to his feet.

“I’m Major August Asher, niskmo of Vierna. Round up the sealer and follow me.”

“Oh! Well, then. I’m Mayor—”

“No offense, man, but I just don’t care who you are. Find the town sealer and follow me.”

Auggie fully expected that the mayor would nod and instantly fulfill the command. The whole deal should have taken five minutes. Instead, locating the sealer required a quarter hour of searching the building, finally finding her going over records in the basement. She turned out to be an elderly lady who didn’t move quickly, and of course, her book for recording official town marriages had been misplaced. Another twenty minutes gone.

When they eventually made it outside, Auggie expected to see both Alaina and Benj waiting at the wedding arch in the square. Of course, neither were.

Had they run into trouble? Was Benj dodging guardsmen left and right? But the town wasn’t that big, and Auggie saw no signs of Emar.

And Alaina. What if she had changed her mind? Maybe she ran. Maybe Benj was chasing her. It would be just Auggie’s luck to finally find a woman worth marrying only to lose her. He trudged to the middle of the square and waited with the mayor and the sealer.

What else could Auggie do? If he ran around town trying to find Benj and Alaina, he was likely to miss them if they showed up at the arch. Finally, a flash of color caught his eye. Alaina. His breath caught.

She wore a pale green gown that set off her eyes. It dipped low in the front where a white lace camisole hinted at her charms. The dress, though not a perfect fit, tapered to her thin waist before falling from the swell below her waist and flaring down her legs. Instead of being confined in a braid, her brilliant yellow hair hung straight down her back and shone in the sunlight.

He gawked at her as she approached. Even when he realized he was staring, he couldn’t do a thing about it.

Once Alaina reached him, she put her hands on her hips. “Just what do you think you’re looking at, milord?”

He closed his gaping mouth. “You’re beautiful.”

“Is it that surprising to you?” She sounded pleased.

“Yes. Uh … I mean, no. I mean …”

There was no way to defeat her with words. No, to gain the upper hand on her, he’d have to take a different tack. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. “I can’t wait to get you alone.”

Red colored her cheeks, and he grinned. All he needed was Benj and the tender. Auggie scanned all he could see of the town. Still no sign. What the blast was taking so long?

His hand brushed his pocket, and he felt a slight bulge. The rings. He pulled them out, palmed the smaller of the gold bands, and shoved the other two at Alaina. “Here, I bought these.”

She looked at him with a curious expression but didn’t speak. With nothing to do but wait, Auggie paced. A cloud of dust grew on the horizon.

Emar.

Blast it! Time grew short. They had to get the ceremony done before the guardsmen arrived. Again, Auggie scanned the surroundings. Should he go after Benj?

More minutes passed. Auggie wore a path around the arch. Finally, Benj appeared from an alley with an octogenarian hitched to his elbow. Benj stepped, and the stooped man followed, rebalancing himself after each footfall.

Auggie ran his hands through his hair.

At the edge of the street, the tender held Benj back until every cart and horse and passerby traveled out of sight. With agonizing slowness, the old man placed his foot tentatively. Benj hopped forward, and the man shuffled ahead another inch. They continued in that manner until reaching the grass.

The dust cloud had disappeared behind a tree line, so Auggie had no idea how much time they had. He eyed the anchored columns supporting the wedding arch and wondered if moving it would be quicker than waiting.

Alaina rubbed his arm. “It’ll be okay. Relax.”

Even through the thick leather of his sleeve, her touch sent shivers through him. He really couldn’t wait to get her alone.

Auggie’s eyes went to the road into town. Black-liveried men would appear at any moment. They had to get the ceremony done.

Her hand moved to his back, where she made circular movements with her fingernails. The motion sent chills through him, and he sighed.

“If it’s meant to be, it will be,” she said.

“If it’s not meant to be, I’ll make it be.”

She smiled, the first time he’d truly seen her face light up. His heart leapt, and he waited, only fidgeting slightly, until the tender and Benj finally made it to the center of the square. They arranged themselves facing the tender, who stood under the arch, with Benj beside Auggie and the sealer beside Alaina.

The tender addressed the mayor in the back. “As the representative of the power of law over the union of man and woman, do you give your permission for this marriage?”

A cloud of dust rose above the road just outside of town. Emar would be there in minutes.

The mayor spoke in a loud voice. “Duly elected by the people of East Shadehalm, serving by the grace of his lordship Duke Asher of Vierna and in deference to his laws and those laws of the kingdom of Bermau under the auspicious rule of King—”

Auggie spun. “Blast it, man! We don’t have time for this. Just say, ‘Yes’.”

The mayor looked stricken. “Uh, ah. I suppose …Very well. Yes. I approve the union of these two fine—”

Auggie cut off his words with a glare.

The tender nodded. “The state having given sanction to the binds of matrimony, the Holy One must give his blessing. Let us pray.”

Auggie bowed his head and closed his eyes. For a minute, no one said a word. Another minute. Two. Five. He reopened them.

Clouds floated by, and the tender sought guidance. Bees played among flowers, and the tender sought guidance. The catcher’s men galloped closer and closer, and the tender sought guidance.

Was the old man ever going to say anything? Auggie was going to be as white-haired as him before the nuptials were complete. Finally, the “amen” came, but it was almost too late. Thundering hooves echoed off the town’s buildings. Emar would arrive way too soon.

The old man opened his mouth, but before he could speak, he appeared to lose focus. He looked around as if trying to figure out where he was.

“Sir?” Auggie moved his finger in a circle trying to signal the man to get a move on. “Our w-wedding?”

The tender started. A light of recognition flashed in his eyes. “Yes. Where was I? Let us pray.” He bowed his head, as did the others except for Benj and Auggie.

The catcher’s horses topped a rise just outside of town. Auggie raised his palms in question. Benj shrugged.

“Sir?” Auggie said.

The man didn’t respond, so Auggie repeated himself louder. The tender opened his eyes and stared with a blank expression.

“Just say ‘you’re married,’ and I’ll slip a ring on her finger. That’s all we need.” Auggie reached for his coin purse. “I’m prepared to make a generous donation.”

The old man stared at Auggie as if seeing him for the first time. “You can’t buy the Holy One’s consent.”

Auggie flexed his hands and started to speak, but Alaina grabbed his arm.

“Good tender, has the Holy One given His blessing?” she said.

The tender gazed dotingly at her and opened his mouth. His countenance changed. Brightness filled his eyes, and he seemed to loom over the couple despite being a foot shorter than Auggie. “Blessed are your union and his rule and your child. Granted is his power to mend that which was rent through avarice. Allowed is her happiness. Grieved is the brevity.” His voice rose to thunderous volume. “So let it be.”

Power flowed from the old man and forced Auggie to step back, shocked. When he recovered, the tender appeared just as lost and confused as before, and the horsemen had reached the edge of the square.

Auggie bared his sword. The four-foot length of steel glistened in the sunlight. He pushed Alaina behind him, and Benj matched his stance. The startled tender stumbled toward the mayor.

Emar and his fourteen men reined to a stop before the wedding arch. “You’re outmanned and outclassed, dukeling. Even the rule of law is on my side. Surrender the girl.”

A half dozen of his men dismounted.

Auggie snarled. “She’s a high noble, now. You can’t touch her.”

Emar smiled. “I don’t see a wedding ring on her finger.” He turned to one of his men. “Pharell, do you see a ring?”

“No ring, my lord.”

“Without a ring,” Emar said, “the ceremony isn’t complete.”

He gestured, and two of the black-liveried men restrained Auggie.

“And it won’t be.”

Auggie roared and surged forward. Emar retreated his horse several steps as three of his soldiers interceded with blades drawn. Benj clamped onto Auggie’s back.

“You are not taking her.” Auggie twisted free. “If you try, I swear I’ll hound you for the rest of my days.”

“There’s more chance of a rowboat surviving a hurricane than me relinquishing my claim.”

If they got into a melee, there was too much risk of Alaina getting harmed. Of course—despite Emar’s bluster—the situation had to be just as difficult for him. If he tried to take Alaina by force, he risked injuring Auggie, thereby condemning himself to death by the duke’s justice.

There was only one solution. But it would only work if Emar had any honor at all.

“I see no other choice.” Auggie snarled his mouth into a feral grin. “A duel it is.”

Alaina seized him around the waist. “No! Milord!”

“Against the son of a duke? My life is forfeit regardless of the outcome.”

Auggie pulled away and turned to Benj. “On my honor as a soldier, as a man, and as the niskmo of Vierna, I forbid any to punish this man for what happens between us during an honorable contest—contingent, of course, on his acceptance that his loss means his men abandon their claim to Alaina.”

“No!” she shouted. “Please?”

“Shut up, witch, or I’ll give you even more cause to hate me after I dispatch your man.” Emar sneered. “Your pathetic stipulation is accepted.” He turned to his men. “You are ordered to disperse in the unlikely event of my death with no repercussions toward any here. Do you understand?”

His men all gave various forms of nods or salutes, uniformly glib with anticipation. It probably wasn’t the first time they’d seen their leader fight a duel. Auggie grinned. It wasn’t exactly his first, either.

As Emar dismounted, Alaina got in Auggie’s face—as much as someone two feet shorter could anyway. “I won’t allow this.”

“This is the only way.” He tried to nudge her away, but Benj grabbed his arm.

“Listen to her, big man. This isn’t a good idea. Small, quick guys like him always give you trouble.”

Auggie yanked his arm free and stepped past the two of them. “I’m doing this. Hold her back, lieutenant. That’s an order.”

The mayor stepped forward. “My lord, as the duly elected—”

Auggie glared at him.

The mayor cleared his throat. “Uh, my lord, I’m afraid I must insist the legal proprieties be followed. I cannot allow—”

Auggie drew up to his full height and filled his voice with command. “You’ll allow what I tell you to allow. I suggest you and your people step back, shut up, and never speak of it again.”

Pale, the mayor retreated. Alaina, the three townspeople, and the guardsmen formed a ring on the grass surrounding Benj, Emar, and Auggie. Holding his broadsword before him, Auggie flexed his arms, causing his muscles to strain against the sleeves of his armor. The catcher appeared almost bored as he held his tiny rapier and stretched his thin frame.

Benj stood between the two combatants and held a white handkerchief above his head. “Emar M’unda, third to the earl of Nahda, are you prepared?”

The catcher nodded.

Benj turned to Auggie. “Irresponsible idiot who is risking his family line for the sake of a peasant girl …” He inclined his head at Alaina. “No offense.”

She just stared at him blankly.

Benj shrugged and returned his attention to Auggie. “Are you prepared?”

Auggie grinned. Benj threw the cloth in the air and dashed from the ring. When the first edge of the linen touched the grass, Auggie swung hard at the catcher’s head. Emar ducked. Off balance, Auggie staggered to the side as Emar struck a glancing blow.

Auggie clutched a hand over a nasty red line drawn through the tough leather on his forearm. He backed away to regroup. One hit was all he needed. Just one hit. He launched an attack at Emar’s stomach.

Emar jumped back, but Auggie didn’t let the miss carry him off balance. He thrust at his opponent’s heart. The catcher darted out of the way and connected with Auggie’s leg.