Anais and the Broken War (The Blood Mage Chronicles Book 5) (22 page)

“Couldn’t Cedric marry Mediera, and by taking the Barriershire lordship, give up his claim to Kinshire?”

“Smart girl. I considered this option. I asked Mediera if she wanted to marry him. Clearly there is some relationship already formed between the two. But she said that she would prefer not to marry him. Though she would do it if I insisted. She said that things had soured between them. So I hesitated and was considering other options for her.”

“The baby,” I whispered. “That’s why they’ve been struggling.”

“The one who died?”

“He didn’t die,” I admitted. “We sent him across the sea.
I
sent him across the sea with my brother. Cedric didn’t know, and he was angry that Mediera and I made the decision without consulting him.”

“Well, that explains a lot. Was the baby Cedric’s or Colin’s?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.
 

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Cedric has left, and hopefully he will reunite with the boy.” Thomas turned back to the map. “So you see, right at this moment I have the power to act. Unfortunately, I am not entirely sure what the right move is, now that we lost Barriershire. But at least I can continue to have men recruited. I can ensure they keep training and don’t return to their homes. When the time is right, we will need them, and I will act.”

“What happens if you lose Azriel?” I asked.

“I’m not certain,” Thomas admitted. “If Clara marries Justin, and he does seem to be fond of her, it might be fine. I also have to ensure that Mediera marries someone who won’t stand in my way. So you see, so much hangs in the balance. Lord Varett of Courtshire is also growing concerned that the furies will cross the mountains. He may turn his cloak and vote with me. That helps.”

“Do you want me to ask Azriel to stay?” I asked slowly. “Is that why you’re telling me this? Do you think you need him?”

“A good question. Unfortunately, all of this,” he said, motioning to the map, “is only one-half of the problem…”

A knock interrupted us, and Erlich opened the door. “Lord Weston has returned. I told him you were occupied, but he insisted you see him.”

“Let him in. He may as well join us,” Thomas said.

Within moments, Azriel was at the door, smiling as he entered. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my head. I closed my eyes and leaned against him, feeling relief at being near him and not having to hide our relationship.

“Thomas, you had me worried when you shooed me away this morning.”

“I told you I just wanted to let her rest. How did everything go with Justin?” Thomas asked.

“He cried when he saw me. He thought I had died. He admitted what he had done immediately. I have never heard such regret in anyone’s voice. We talked for a long time, and I told him I would give him back his rightful place as father’s heir as soon as he turned eighteen. I told him as much as I felt I could about what happened to me after I left Farshire. I think I might have finally gotten my little brother back.” He laughed. “This whole time I’ve been fighting for a chance to find common ground with him and all it took was a botched murder attempt.”

“I’m glad for you.”

“And Cedric?”

“He left this morning. As much as I hate to see him go, it is something of a relief. It hasn’t been easy having him here and not being able to help him.”

Azriel looked at the map on the desk. “Have you been boring Ani with talk of politics?”

“Possibly,” Thomas admitted.

Azriel sighed. “I know you need Farshire, but I’m not staying. There is more to this war than just amassing soldiers.”

“Of that, I agree. I was about to tell Anais that Merdin claims that even if we could gather the greatest of armies and are able to push the furies out of Barriershire and Brightshire, it won’t be enough. If our men cross the line into the Southlands, they will grow sick and eventually turn into furies. Merdin says that mere force won’t defeat the furies and that we must rebuild the barrier between Brightshire and the Southlands. He says it’s the only way. Anais is one of only a few living blood mages. Merdin will need her if he is to succeed.”
 

“Do you trust him?” I asked. “Merdin or Thellium or Grayson or whatever his name really is?”

“I fear I must. He’s the only living witness to the old war.”

“But that’s not true,” I said. “The fat man was there too.”

“Did he tell you that?” Azriel asked. “I knew he was old, but do you really think he’s that old?”

I nodded. “He told me that he and Grayson were friends and then enemies back in the days of the old war.”

“It does us little good, though. There’s no way the fat man could have crossed the mountains,” Azriel said. “We can’t talk to him.”

“But maybe we can.”

“Fynn?”

I shook my head and sighed. “No, I burned out Fynn’s ties to the fat man as I did for you and me.”

“There should be skins in Courtshire,” Azriel said. “The fat man sent his people all over the Seven Shires. I just don’t know where we could find them.”

I closed my eyes and remembered. “There’s a girl. Suzanna. She’s in the employ of Aimsly Clark. Or at least she should be.” Aimsly was Jacarda’s son, I thought, as I remembered the kindness of the woman who had chosen to stay and help us in Barriershire instead of return to the safety of her son’s house.

“I know Aimsly,” Thomas said. “We can call on him today. If there is another mage who lived through the last war, I’d like his input. We can go now.”
 

“Anais and I have another engagement. Why don’t you go and speak with the girl? I’m sure she would be thrilled to have Lord Thomas call on her.”

“All right,” Thomas said. “You aren’t leaving the city?”

“We’ll stay at least until Justin comes of age. I’m not promising anything after that.”

“Anais, are you in agreement?” Thomas asked. “Will you wait? I can make sure the two of you travel with a scouting party if you must leave before Merdin returns. I don’t want you to just throw yourself away.”

I nodded slowly. I didn’t wish to leave without Azriel. Three weeks was not such a long amount of time.

Azriel and I left the magistrate’s office arm in arm. It was hard to believe that getting married could be as simple as signing a piece of paper in front of a magistrate.

“If the lord’s council finds out, they may overturn it,” Azriel warned me. “I didn’t gain permission from my father or the council.”

“The Abbey might resist as well, as I am not in the path of love.”

“Well, I’m willing to take the risk.”

I smiled at him. “So am I.”

He leaned over and kissed me in front of the world. I felt thrilled and terrified as I considered what had just happened.

“Get a room,” a voice boomed.

We separated and found ourselves looking at Fynn, who was grinning from ear to ear. He plucked the marriage certificate out of Azriel’s hand. “Sweet Sisters of Mercy, the two of you just got married.”

We nodded.

“Can you even do that? I thought the nobility had to jump through all sorts of hoops before they could wed.”

“Probably not,” Azriel said.

Fynn laughed. “To be young and in love.”

“Why are you visiting the magistrates?” Azriel asked him.

“I just registered myself as a journeyman artist. We’ll see if the guild will have me. But one step at a time. I think I am going to enjoy myself here. I have five commissions for portraits and more dinner invitations that I can accept.”

“I can probably help you out with the guild,” Azriel offered.
 

Fynn smiled. “Why don’t you let me buy the happily wedded couple a drink and we can talk about those connections of yours.”

Azriel laughed. “What do you say, Ani?”
 

“I think we are definitely in need of a few drinks,” I said with a grin.

The three of us disappeared into a pub to celebrate our successes.

C
HAPTER
20

THE WEEKS BEFORE Justin’s birthday passed slowly. Thomas feared that Merdin would not return in time and had talked with General Errol about sending Azriel and me with the next scouting party. The general was skeptical but agreed once I demonstrated for him exactly what I could do. He didn’t enjoy it when I locked his feet to the floor, but he had to admit I would make a useful ally. In the meantime, Thomas had found Suzanna, but she failed to contact the fat man, and I feared that he might be lost to us. Thomas and Evie planned their wedding, which would be held in the Abbey in a month’s time. Clara and Justin were growing closer, and Thomas hoped that they would eventually marry. Mediera decided she did not wish to marry and was unsuccessfully battling to have the right to attend council sessions on her own. And though my marriage to Azriel was a secret, most of those close to us knew. I was still living in Thomas’s house, but Azriel and I would be on our own once Justin turned eighteen.

Sophie opened the door to my room and slipped in as I was practicing balancing my brush and hand mirror in the air.

She gasped. “Madam, how did you do that?”

“Magic,” I said as the brush and mirror clattered to the ground.
 

“But there is no magic,” she protested.

I snorted. “The world is filled with impossibilities, Sophie. Is there something I can help you with?” I asked her.

“Yes madam, Erlich told me to tell you that there is a man here. He wanted to speak with Lord Thomas, but Lord Thomas is not in at the moment. So he asked to speak with you.”

“Me?” I asked.

“Yes, he was insistent.”

“Do you his name?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “He’s waiting for you in the morning room.”

I left her and walked down the stairs. As I entered the morning room, I found myself facing Thellium. He looked different. Older. Tired. But it was more than that. He wasn’t what he was pretending to be. There was someone else underneath his facade. Someone terrible.
 

A sudden intrusion hit my defenses. Threads of energy were trying to pierce into my mind. Instinctively, I forced lines of power out of my skin to tackle the intruders. I wanted to grab my necklace, but I couldn’t seem to move my hands. As our threads grappled each other, I thought of Sister Zilla and her words about the power in the path of light. There was something in her words that I had never understood. But the idea was pounding at my mind now. I let a few stray strands of energy pull at the light streaming through the glass windows, and the light lent strength to my threads. It was as if Zilla was guiding me toward an avenue of strength I didn’t know existed. I ripped Thellium’s threads from his hands and burned them. Before he could generate new threads, I froze him in place. And when I looked at him, I saw a skeleton with no skin - just bones with rotten flesh hanging off and big black eyes devoid of any white. And then I knew the truth. He had never been the affable, charming, handsome scribe I had known in Brightshire. That was just a costume. This was the real him.

Slowly, I let him have his threads of energy back, and his façade crept back into place. I didn’t want to see his hideous true self any longer.
 

“Well, well, well. It appears you have a bite to you.”

“Stop it,” I said. “Stop talking.”

He laughed. “The truth is never pretty, little girl.”

The door opened again, and Thomas stepped inside. “Erlich said you were back Merdin. Your timing is impeccable. I feared Anais would have left us before you arrived.”

“I try my best to serve the realm,” Merdin murmured.

“And I appreciate your assistance. Did you find any help in Candel?” Thomas asked.

Merdin nodded. “I have six mages and a seer. They’re staying at the Rockside Tavern, as they did not wish to enter this far into the city. Magic is still forbidden within the city walls, as you well know.” Merdin looked at me, a harsh smile on his face. “You might be interested in one of the mages I found. Her name is Anabella, and she claims to be your mother.”

I tried to flee the room, but Thomas caught my arm.
 

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“To Rockside Tavern. I have to see her.”