Mindbender (47 page)

Magda furrowed her brow in thought as she sat back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. “That may be possible. There are those who’ve studied the netherworld who have developed spells to banish creatures summoned from there. My understanding is that, if a passageway is created between the world of time and substance and the netherworld in proximity to a creature from the darkness, the creature is drawn into the portal because its presence here creates an imbalance. I’ve never had cause to learn a banishing spell, so my understanding of the process is limited. But I will do some research on the matter and offer what insight I can.”

“Thank you, Magda. I’ll study this and be back when I’m ready to proceed,” Isabel said as she stood.

“I can see your resolve, Isabel, but I still wish you’d reconsider this challenge,” Magda said. “Gabriella will kill you. You simply can’t learn enough in the short time you have to change that.”

Isabel smiled her thanks for the book. “I’ll be back soon.”

Chapter 27

She left Magda’s quarters and made her way back through the fortress island. A few of the Sky Knights snickered at her when she passed them in the halls. Others gave her a look almost bordering on pity for her plight. It was obvious that word of the challenge had spread to every corner of the aerie and Gabriella was the clear favorite.

Isabel felt a little hint of doubt creep into her psyche but she shoved it aside with ruthless severity. She was Lady Reishi. She had a duty to her people and her husband. Risk to her life was secondary. She’d chosen her course, now she just had to prepare for the task at hand.

Abigail was sitting out on the balcony in the early summer sun when Isabel returned to their quarters. Wren smiled a little sheepishly and offered a pot of tea. Isabel returned the smile and nodded. The waifish serving girl had been even more reserved and timid since her outburst the previous day. It seemed that she was embarrassed for her display of emotion and for questioning the motives of the triumvirate so openly. For Isabel, the entire incident had only served to endear the young women to her further. In spite of her frail appearance, Wren had mettle when she chose to display it. The thought made Isabel smile.

She went out onto the balcony and sat down next to her sister. The bruising on Abigail’s face and arms still made Isabel wince. If nothing else, Gabriella had to be brought to justice for her attempt on Abigail’s life.

Abigail opened her eyes and smiled at Isabel when she heard her sit down. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think all was right with the world,” she said.

“It is a beautiful day,” Isabel replied.

The sky was crystal clear and there was just enough breeze to take the edge off the heat of direct sunlight. From the balcony they could hear the calls of the seabirds and the gentle rhythm of the ocean crashing against the island wall far below.

Wren set two cups of steaming hot tea on the low table between the lounge chairs.

“Aren’t you going to join us, Wren?” Isabel asked.

“If you’d like,” she said quietly.

“Of course, get a cup of tea and come sit with us,” Abigail said.

After several minutes of total silence from the young serving girl, Isabel and Abigail shared a look of concern.

“What’s wrong, Wren?” Isabel said.

She hung her head. “It wasn’t my place to question the triumvirate the way I did yesterday. I’m ashamed of how I acted and I apologize.”

“Don’t you dare,” Isabel said. “You have nothing to apologize for. Gabriella
is
putting her own selfish interests ahead of her duty and the future of the Seven Isles. You were exactly right and you have every reason to feel disillusioned and betrayed after serving these people for so long only to discover that some of those you’ve served aren’t worthy of your loyalty.”

“I told my mother what happened,” Wren said. “She was mortified by my behavior. She said I should apologize to everyone involved as soon as possible and try to make amends as best I could or I might find myself demoted to scullion, or worse.”

“Your mother has lived here her whole life,” Abigail said. “I have no doubt that she’s looking out for you, but speaking just for myself, I wanted to stand up and cheer at what you said to Magda yesterday.”

Wren smiled timidly. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Abigail said. “You spoke the truth with conviction and courage. I’m proud of you.”

“Me, too,” Isabel said. “I understand if you have to apologize to Magda to protect your family’s place here but you certainly don’t have to apologize to us. And honestly, I don’t think Magda is worried about it at all.”

“Thank you both,” Wren said with a sigh of relief. “I feel much better. I was so worried after what my mother said that I could hardly sleep last night.”

“So take a nap,” Abigail said. “I’m going to.”

“I couldn’t,” Wren said.

“Sure you could,” Isabel said. “I’m just going to read for a while. I’ll wake you if you sleep too long.”

Isabel read the spellbook for the rest of the morning while Wren and Abigail slept. It was complex and detailed, explaining the nature of light and how it could be focused and directed into a concentrated beam capable of burning flesh from bone. After a very complete explanation of how light worked, it offered a summary of the process for casting the spell, then proceeded into specific exercises designed to guide the spell caster to develop the visual images necessary to manifest the spell’s effects.

Isabel read it through completely by lunch, then read it again that afternoon. By midafternoon she started practicing the first of several exercises. It was tedious and repetitive but she stayed with it. When the boredom of one exercise threatened to overwhelm her, she went on to the next. By dark she had a firm grasp of the first two visualization exercises.

The next day she woke early and started her work. She focused ruthlessly on the task until her concentration broke, then moved on to another exercise. She worked until dark again and then for several hours by lamplight until she had mastered all of the exercises. When Isabel lay down to sleep, she was mentally exhausted but confident that she’d done all she could to master the lessons of the spellbook.

She arrived at Magda’s chambers just after breakfast the following morning to begin the next part of her training. She knew from the book what to expect and was eager to begin. Hours of study had imparted an academic understanding of the process but she knew that nothing compared to experience. She needed to actually cast the spell in order to master it.

Magda opened the door and smiled warmly. “Come in. I assume you believe you’re ready for the practice phase of the training process.”

Isabel nodded firmly. “I’ve studied this book backwards and forwards. I’m ready to try casting the spell.”

“Good. Come and sit with me,” Magda said.

They sat talking for an hour. Magda quizzed her on every aspect of the spell from the abstract understanding of light and how it worked to the details and nuances of the visualization exercises. Isabel answered all of her questions with as much clarity and accuracy as she could muster. It was a rigorous and thorough examination of her studies that left Isabel with a new respect for the exacting requirements of spell casting.

The process of recounting her lessons served to reinforce the principles she’d learned and solidified her understanding so that, by the time Magda was satisfied with her new understanding, Isabel was confident that she’d mastered the lesson in its entirety.

“Very good, Isabel,” Magda said. “You are a diligent student. Thoroughness and attention to detail will serve you well in your pursuit of the craft. Now it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice. Come with me.”

Magda led her from her chambers deep into the bowels of the fortress island to a large, unfinished cavern. The ceiling was high and the walls were slick with condensation. The air was cold and still but the place looked like it had been visited recently. Magda lit a couple of lamps positioned on two pedestals. As the light in the chamber grew, Isabel saw what looked like an archery target on the far wall.

“This is a practice chamber,” Magda said. “We come here to test our spells and hone our skills. We are very deep within the fortress and there is nothing nearby that can be hurt by a spell gone awry.

“Stand here and direct your spell at the target. Be very deliberate and take your time going through all of the steps in the casting process. It’s vitally important that you master the process correctly before you work on the speed of your casting.”

Isabel nodded and stepped up between the two pedestals. She was suddenly very nervous. Her confidence evaporated and she felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her as all of the concepts she’d learned during the past two days became a jumble in her mind.

Magda smiled gently and put her hand on Isabel’s shoulder. “It’s common to be uncertain at this point. Take a deep breath and focus on performing one step at a time.”

Isabel nodded tightly and deliberately released the tension she was feeling. She closed her eyes and focused on the emotion she needed to protect herself from the tug of the firmament. This was a spell used for battle so she called on her anger. It came easily. There were so many injustices that she could use to stoke the heat of her anger that the first step in the casting flowed naturally.

Next, she carefully formed an image of the outcome she wanted. In this case it was a focused beam of white-hot light. She saw it in her mind’s eye streaking from her hand to the target with unerring accuracy. She saw the heat of the light burn into the stone itself and then she saw the light wink out of existence as quickly as it came forth.

With careful and deliberate focus, she touched the firmament. It felt like she was falling. In a sudden panic she closed the connection and shook her mind clear. She had focused so intently on the image of the outcome she wanted that she forgot to keep the anger alive at the same time. It was a delicate balancing act that required deep concentration.

When she glanced over at Magda, the triumvir smiled knowingly and nodded for her to try again. Isabel took a deep breath and again called the anger. Once the emotion was boiling within her, she formed the image in her mind but this time she kept a part of her focus on the rage slowly boiling in the pit of her stomach. With both her emotion and her image firmly in mind, she touched the firmament. It called to her but she was angry enough that the allure of the limitless possibility had no power to draw her in. She extended her hand and released her image into the firmament.

Isabel felt the surge of power flow into her as the nature of reality itself was bent to her will. Her outstretched hand glowed impossibly bright and a streak of light stabbed out and burned into the target at the exact spot she was aiming for. An instant later the cavern went dark as she severed her connection to the firmament.

She felt a surge of pride and satisfaction. The power she’d just unleashed would have burned a hole through a man at a hundred feet. No armor or shield would have protected her target from the intense heat of the magical light she’d just created.

“Well done,” Magda said. “The spell can be produced with varying degrees of intensity depending on how fully you open your mind to the firmament. Of course, you must have sufficient emotion present to protect yourself from the pull of the firmament if you are to call forth the most powerful results.

“Do it again but this time spend more time on building your emotion so that you can make a more complete connection to the firmament.”

Isabel nodded and began the process again. This time she nursed her anger until she was in a state of controlled rage. All of the sorrow and loss caused by those who would rule for the sake of their egos fueled her fury until it was a torrent within her soul. This time she mentally leaned into the firmament and dared it to tempt her. She mentally hurled her vision of the light into the firmament with force and anger. This time the spell was altogether different. Where the last time it had burned into the stone an inch or so, this time she bored a hole three feet deep into the side of the cavern wall. The brilliance of the light was so intense it left her dazzled for a moment after she released the spell. She felt drained by the experience as she let go of the anger she’d built up and she deliberately calmed herself.

“Impressive,” Magda said. “There are few within our coven who could power a spell with such intensity. However, I would caution you. I know the frame of mind it takes to do what you’ve just done. The kind of wild, almost reckless link you made with the firmament. Don’t attempt such a thing unless you’ve built your emotional state into one of unbridled passion and intensity or you risk losing yourself to the firmament.

“Now, do it again, but this time at half the power you just displayed.”

Isabel ran through the process again but with greater control and less force, though still more than enough to kill a man or a beast. She could feel the strain of such intense emotion wearing on her, but Magda pressed her to continue practicing. With each casting, Isabel became more familiar with the nuances of the process and more comfortable calling on the firmament. She came to know how intense her emotional state needed to be for her to make a connection with the firmament.