Blood of Innocents (Book Two of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence) (34 page)

He had to work quickly. Nothing flashy. As long as it did what it was supposed to, it would suffice.

•

Annelie intercepted Caldan on his way back down the stairs. She stood in front of him, hands on hips, a stern, disapproving look on her face.

“I thought I told you to stay put.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve something to show you.”

“It’d better be important, but you’ll need to explain later. I was on my way to get you.” She inclined her head, indicating for him to follow her. “Come on, the masters have gathered.”

Without waiting for a response, she hurried down the corridor, and Caldan followed, clutching his newly crafted paper and wax compass in his hand.

She led him into a meeting room, where he abruptly found himself the object of inspection by at least ten masters, including Mold. Returning their frank, appraising stares wasn’t easy, but he managed not to look agitated and held his nerve throughout their murmurings.

To his relief, Annelie spoke. “This is Caldan, formerly apprenticed to Master Simmon, and the man who brought us the
trinket
, preventing it from falling into Indryallan hands.”

“And also the person who let the rogue sorcerer escape,” added one master, an older man with thinning gray hair. “Why go over his accomplishments without mentioning his shortcomings?”

There was widespread muttering of agreement at his words.

Caldan’s face grew hot, and he studied the floor.

Annelie held up a hand, silencing the masters’ rumblings. “Enough. Whatever his failings, Caldan has proven his worth just by traveling here with the
trinket
. He knew how much such an object would be worth and didn’t hesitate to return it to us, where it rightfully belongs. He’s shown he’s resourceful and loyal. His judgement in some areas is suspect, though it could be considered understandable.”

Caldan frowned at her words. She sounded like she was buttering them up for something, and that something involved him.

“Now is as good a time as any,” continued Annelie, “to decide who of you will assume the role of his master for the duration of his apprenticeship. Though he’ll need to be tested soon, to see if he’s talented enough to be a journeyman, that will have to wait until after this rogue sorcerer is apprehended.”

Caldan grimaced and took a step forward. They weren’t thinking about Bells in the right way, and he needed to warn them.

“If I may interrupt?” he said, and all eyes turned to him.

Annelie looked annoyed at the disruption but with a curt gesture motioned for him to continue.

He took a breath. “A rogue sorcerer she is not. I know that’s what you call anyone unlucky enough to stumble onto forbidden sorcery, or who purposely experiments with it, but you have to change what you think about Bells. From what I could get out of her, she’s the product of rigorous training, from a young age when she was found to have a well. She’s not only proficient in
crafting
, but she’s also accomplished with forbidden sorcery. She’s been taught for years, by those presumably more skilled than she, overcoming whatever obstacles and tasks they set for her.” He looked around the room, meeting the eyes of a few masters. “Make no mistake, she isn’t the usual rogue sorcerer you hunt down; she’s… something more. Her destructive sorcery is focused somehow, far beyond what I’ve seen… saw, Simmon perform. I’m sorry she escaped, but don’t treat her lightly, or people could die.”

“But you claim to have defeated her.” This from a young woman with red hair and freckles on her nose and cheeks. “Do you expect us to believe that, after what you’ve just told us?”

Caldan’s shrug was resigned. “The Indryallans erected an impassable destructive sorcery barrier around the entire city of Anasoma. They subverted the nobles and Quivers with coercive sorcery. And so powerful were their sorcerous reverberations, the emperor’s sorcerers felt them from the capital. That should be a warning to you, if nothing else.”

“Thank you, Caldan,” said Annelie. “I think we’ll continue this discussion among ourselves later. For now, is there anyone willing to take Caldan as an apprentice?”

A few of the masters looked at each other, while others dropped their eyes to the floor. Caldan’s gut clenched as he saw their reluctant responses.

“I will,” said a man said from behind him in a deep, firm voice.

Caldan turned to see who’d spoken as gasps erupted from the masters.

The door swung closed behind a pale-skinned man with close-cropped brown hair. His black trousers and shirt were punctuated with silver buttons shaped like flowers, and he literally vibrated to Caldan’s senses, so numerous were the
crafting
s and
trinket
s he wore. Caldan turned to ask Annelie who this man was, and found half the masters with their heads bowed and a few on one knee. He shuffled his feet, not sure how to respond.

Annelie was one of the masters who remained standing, though she gave the man a shallow bow followed by a warm smile. There was respect in her voice when she spoke.

“Joachim. We weren’t expecting anyone for days, but it’s a pleasure to see one of the emperor’s warlocks, as always.”

The man, Joachim, grinned briefly at Annelie. “I’m sure it is. I’ve come in advance, traveling light, as you can see. Though I had other reasons.”

“And they would be…?”

“None of your concern. Now, I was just outside and happened to hear mention of a rogue sorcerer?”

Annelie nodded. “We’re organizing a search for her now.”

“How are you going to find her?”

“We have a description, plus we’ll focus on sensing any sorcery and look for anyone with a well.”

“I may have something better. That is, I do have something better,” interrupted Caldan, as he held out his hand, revealing his paper
crafting
.

“Blood, skin, or hair?” asked Joachim, obviously immediately recognizing the
crafting
as a makeshift compass.

“Hair. It’s all I had.”

“It’ll do. Annelie, take it and find this sorcerer. And be careful. We’ll talk later about Caldan here. Everyone else, out.”

Giving Caldan an annoyed look, Annelie took his
crafting
and left, followed by the other masters. Soon, the room was empty, except for Caldan and Joachim.

The emperor’s warlock regarded him for a few moments, and Caldan sensed him access his well. Touching Bells’ shield
crafting
in his pocket, just in case, Caldan opened his own well in response.

“Don’t fear me, lad. I’ve traveled a long way in a short time to find you.”

Caldan’s breath caught in his throat. “What do you mean?”

“Did you think using the
trinket
would go unnoticed? We’ve been looking for it, and for the descendants of the person it was given to, for years. When it was activated a few weeks ago, I was sent to find it, and whoever possessed it.”

Weeks ago? wondered Caldan. The strange bone
trinket
had only activated when he’d fought Bells, not weeks before. What had happened weeks ago? The only thing he could think of was when he’d killed the rogue sorcerer by penetrating his shield. Could it have been then? It had to be. But he was sure the bone
trinket
hadn’t been responsible. It hadn’t reacted at all, unlike beneath Anasoma… That left his silver
trinket
, the other ring.

“You have something that belongs to the emperor.” Joachim pointed to the
trinket
on Caldan’s finger, confirming his deductions. “I doubt you know what it can do, though you may have reasoned something. It takes a certain type of person to activate it, and that usually happens after a period of familiarity. I was sent to track it down and evaluate the situation, so there are certain circumstances in which I have some… freedom to make my own decisions.”

Heart hammering in his chest, Caldan held up the hand with the
trinket
. Best to pretend this was his only
trinket
, until he knew more about this man and what his purpose was. “I was told it was given freely to one of my ancestors, as a reward.”

“That is correct; for the term of her life. It remains the emperor’s property.”

“It’s been in my family for generations. It’s mine by right. You can’t ask me to give it up.”

“Have I asked you to?”

“Well, no. But you implied I might have to. Which makes me believe you want something from me.”

“Ah, you’re brighter than you look.”

Caldan bristled at the warlock’s words but held his tongue. He’d no idea what a warlock actually was, or the power and influence they wielded, but judging from the masters and Annelie’s reactions, Joachim had the full power of the emperor behind him and wasn’t someone to be trifled with. Caldan’s skin was still crawling from being close to so many
crafting
s and
trinket
s. How could the man stand it?

“I’m an apprentice Protector,” began Caldan. “What do you mean you’re taking me on as an apprentice? As a warlock? What exactly do you do?”

“Some people call us the emperor’s shadows, though officially we’re known as warlocks. We’re the emperor’s personal sorcerers, drawn from the Sorcerers’ Guild and—this might surprise you—the Protectors. We do… whatever the emperor needs us to. But enough about us, you’ll find out more soon. I need to examine you, to see if you’re Touched.”

Caldan blinked. Simmon had mentioned a man he’d refered to as ‘touched’. “Touched? What do you mean?”

“Stand still. This shouldn’t hurt.”

Joachim closed his eyes, and Caldan felt him link to something, whether a
crafting
or
trinket
, he couldn’t tell. If it was a
trinket
, that would be a first for Caldan;
trinkets
a sorcerer could link to were the rarest of the rare. A chill swept over him, as if a cold wind had blown along his skin from his toes to his head. His arm hair stood on end, and he shivered.

With a noncommittal grunt, Joachim opened his eyes and pursed his lips.

“Well?” asked Caldan.

“Inconclusive. But that’s not unusual. No matter. Once we’re on our way, I’ll have some questions for you, which should straighten things out.”

“I can’t leave. My friends… There’s a woman with me who was injured by Bells, one of the Indryallan sorcerers. She used coercive sorcery on her. When it was cut off, her mind…” Caldan paused and swallowed, throat tight.

“Was scrambled,” finished Joachim.

Caldan nodded. “I’m not leaving her here, especially not without healing her.”

“That’s a complication I can do without.”

“It’s one I mean to resolve before anything else.”

“Huh. Well, I’m not going to drag you anywhere without your consent.” The warlock grimaced and looked away, as if evaluating his choices.

“Annelie and the other masters still might be able to help her,” Caldan said. “And I’m not leaving until they try again.”

Joachim shook his head. “You think the emperor lets the Protectors learn the intricacies of coercive sorcery? They know a little, enough to recognize it, and some basic techniques of defense against it, if they know it’ll be used against them, but it’s too insidious for them to know more.”

“Who can help? Who should I turn to?”

“Why, me, of course. Though this will delay and drain me more than is convenient.”

Caldan stared at the warlock for a moment longer, wondering why he was so eager to leave.

“Come,” Joachim said. “Show me where this woman is, and I’ll see what I can do. No promises, though. It may be she needs to travel to the capital to be treated. Though, with the emperor and the army on the way here, her salvation might be getting closer as we speak.”

Caldan looked at the warlock with his black, expensive clothes and silver buttons. Even the man’s belt buckle was silver, along with the clasps on his boots.

“Is there a reason you’re dressed in black and silver?”

“It’s tradition among us, plus the emperor demands it. Now, if you’re finished with your questions?”

•

Joachim examined Miranda. She sat in a chair next to the window, rug covering her legs, an untouched cup of water on a stool by her side. He removed a cloth from his pocket and laid it on the floor next to her. Then he produced a cluster of
crafting
s, all tied together with a leather thong, separated them, and positioned each carefully on the cloth. Caldan felt him access his well but was reluctant to do the same for fear of disrupting the man’s concentration. Long minutes passed while he waited for any sign from either Joachim or Miranda.

“Could I,” interjected Caldan cautiously, “open my well and watch?”

Joachim blinked. “Do you think you can?”

“I’ve learnt a little the last few days, enough to be able to see a… tangle in her mind.”

The warlock waved him permission, so Caldan drew out Bells’ coercive crafted bell. Joachim raised his eyebrows when he saw it.

“I assume that’s the sorcerer’s?”

“Yes. I took it from her.”

“Just as well. Did she have any others like it?”

“Not that I could tell. None with similar runes or orange jasper stones.”

“There are other stones that could be used; jasper is just the most common. Why don’t you show me what she taught you?”

Swallowing his misgivings, Caldan fingered the crafted bell and opened his well, linking to its anchor. For the second time, the colors of his surroundings drained away, all except for Miranda.

“Tell me what you see,” said Joachim.

“Her head… it’s a tangled mess. Threads, are they? A jumbled mass of colors with no sense to them. No structure at all.” His stomach roiled, and he felt queasy. He quickly closed his well. Sweat dripped down his face. He had the feeling, if he examined the threads for long enough, eventually they would make sense. He’d said they had no order, but was there a pattern? Something about them tickled his awareness, made him think the threads formed a complex arrangement, one he just couldn’t see yet. The longer he looked at the mess, the queasier he became.

Joachim was nodding at him. “Good. That’s a start. A better one than many have. It’s a wonder you weren’t sick on the floor.”

“Does that happen often?”