Sorceress (Book 2) (20 page)

Sighing, Kayleigh said, “He dislikes me and is regretting the decision to bond with me. I promised that I’d try to break the bond cleanly with him. Tamera wants me to use that thing I can do with bonds to try and connect her with Rhey.”

“That’s why I brought Ayalla. I’m hoping you can do something to save her.”

“I really don’t know how my magic works. What happened to her rider?”

“Her patrol ran into a female ogre and her offspring. From what I’m told, it was an ugly fight. Her rider died bringing the mother down. If you can really cure the wasting, no more unicorns would have to die in such a grotesque way. Even if they can’t have riders after that, they could still live out their lives, pass on their knowledge, and grow the size of the herds. That might not be the whole ‘changing the world thing’ mother spoke of, but it would be worth at least a few epic poems and maybe a bard’s song.”

This time, Kayleigh managed an actual laugh. “You certainly know how to make a girl feel special. Will you be the one composing my tales?”

“Me?” he said in a self-deprecating manner. “You wouldn’t want me writing anything! I once wrote an ode to shoveling manure as a
gift
for my brother’s birthday. Come to think of it, he did confess to enjoying it quite thoroughly, but I somehow doubt my particular brand of storytelling would be suited to relaying the tales of your great deeds.”

After another quick laugh, there was awkwardness. “Ellen and Andrea were beside themselves after they got your letters. Captain Lynch told Lieutenant Sheppard that we were going through the Portal to meet up with you. She’ll let them know.”

Nodding, Kayleigh could only accept the consequences of her actions and hope that the few friends she still had at The Academy would forgive her.

“I haven’t discussed it with Laurel or Tamera either,” she confessed. “I guess I need to speak with them.”

“Unfortunately, that will have to wait. The ladies are downstairs and waiting for you to continue. I brought up a change of clothes for you and will leave while you get ready.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

As she sat up on the bed, he stood and walked to the door. Pausing, he said, “It’s good to see you again, Kayleigh. Things haven’t been the same around the island without you.”

She stammered her thanks as he left and looked out the window into Salif, wondering again what it would be like to just start running and never stop. If the theory turned out to be true, Kayleigh was the daughter of Count Darius – the most reviled man in all the kingdoms.

At least I’ll have an answer for Rebekah.
She thought idly about the first year water maiden who had done her best to make Kayleigh’s life miserable.
She always threatens to bring her father into arguments. I guess I could start using that as well.

Shaking her head, she quickly changed and descended the stairs. Everyone was still there except for Captain Chandler. Most looked like they hadn’t slept. For once, Kayleigh felt like she had an edge.

“Hello, Kayleigh,” General Jyslin said. “Are you feeling better today?”

“Yes, ma’am. How are you?”

The much older woman smiled, surprised at her question. “I’m as well as can be expected, given the circumstances. I’m afraid breakfast is over, but a plate was saved for you. Please sit and eat.”

Kayleigh wanted to say that she wasn’t hungry, but her stomach had its own opinion. Sitting down, she picked up a piece of fruit and started slowly.

General Jyslin pushed a piece of parchment toward her and said, “We spent some time discussing your mother after you went upstairs. Captain Lynch mentioned that she is an artist and you dabble as well. Have you ever seen this artisan’s mark?”

Kayleigh looked at the symbol. It was a stylish, B with tiny swoops coming off of the bottom. Her mother’s mark was the letter R with the diagonal dovetailing into an E. “I don’t think…”

Pausing, she thought back and remembered her mother’s oldest sketch book. It contained pictures of Kayleigh that had been drawn when she was a baby. One in particular was of her playing with a set of wooden blocks and she remembered the B on the block in her hand.

“What is it, child?”

“I saw it on some of my mother’s oldest sketches. She uses a different symbol now. How do you know it?”

“It’s on the painting in my office commemorating my appointment as General of the King’s Battalion two years before the Great War started. The woman who painted it was named Brianna Nolan-West. She was an exceptionally talented artist and also a promising enchantress. In addition, she was the lover of the High-King’s advisor, Count Ian Darius.”

Kayleigh recalled that portrait. Still, she pushed that out of her mind and said, “My mom never did any magic!”

General Hawthorne answered, “She may have been able to hide it from you. She would have good reason to.”

Kayleigh looked at the woman and sensed there was more to it.

The raven-haired woman continued, saying, “If your mother is who we think she is, you and I are family – Brianna and I were first cousins. My uncle was Lord Kevin Nolan-West. His side of the family was allied with Count Darius in the war.”

All her life, it had just been Kayleigh and her mother. There was no one else. Now Althea Hawthorne, of all people, stood across a table and declared that they were related. Considering how the woman had been treating her, this was an unexpected change.

“That’s good, right?”

“Normally I would say yes, Reese. However, the High-King decreed that any carrying the Darius bloodline and those of my Uncle’s to be traitors of the realm. My parents were spared by virtue of being supporters of the High-King and I, of course, was an officer already. If your identity becomes public, you would be imprisoned or possibly executed.”

“But I’m a Battle Maiden too!” Kayleigh protested.

“If it was only your mother’s bloodline, I wouldn’t be worried either. However, I can’t see the same leniency I was afforded being extended to the daughter of Count Darius.”

A silence descended over the room as Kayleigh digested the news. Suddenly all the moving around her mother had done when Kayleigh was young made sense.

Captain Lynch handed her an empty sketchbook and some drawing charcoal. “I recall you doing pictures of the other recruits and their unicorns on our journey to Talcosa. They were good. Could you do one of your mother from memory?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she said, accepting the items. “Why do you need me to do this?”

“We need to find her. She may have knowledge of how Count Darius survived his battle with General Jyslin, which may be critical to defeating him this time. There is also the fact that Count Darius will surely realize who you are, if he hasn’t already. You and your mother will need protection. Do you know where she is?”

It almost sounds like she cares
,
Kayleigh thought before saying, “My letters to her were answered by an elder in Helden. She left shortly after I did. Why would she need protection?”

“Captain Lynch is right, Kayleigh,” General Jyslin stated. “He may try to use that decree to lure you to his side. Conversely, he may just hire assassins to kill you.”

“But why?” Kayleigh was confused, pausing from her sketch.

“Because you’re almost immune to his magic.”

“He’s immune to mine as well.”

The Seeress looked and stared through Kayleigh with her unfocused gaze. “But unless he has sired any other children since he went into hiding, you are the only person who could walk through any of his spells and slay him. He is just as vulnerable to you as you are to him.”

Kayleigh gasped, knowing that must be what they wanted her to do. She did her best to push those thoughts aside and concentrate on what Lady Tomas was saying.

“Magical parents try to stay on the best of terms with their children for that very reason. The conception of a magical child weakens both parents for a time, while their power fuels the eldritch energies of the unborn child. This actually explains the sudden change in his tactics during the last war. He stopped pressing his attack and went on the defensive allowing the High-King’s forces a chance to regroup. I daresay that you, just by being conceived, contributed greatly to his defeat last time.”

“I suspect your mother didn’t consult your father in your conception. It seems that makes my victory over him due in part to your presence,” General Jyslin commented. “Even with a portion of his strength removed, I barely survived and those who fought at my side did not.”

“You want me to kill him,” Kayleigh said flatly, trying to find a purpose in all this.

“I don’t want you to have to kill anyone, child,” General Jyslin said. “But we must prepare you for that possibility. We must also track down your mother and enlist her cooperation. I doubt she will listen to anyone but you, so I propose we send you away from here and continue to train you. We must also keep your identity a secret. If the High-King learns of your lineage, he may order your capture or worse.”

“Would he really do that?” Kayleigh asked, feeling a touch of fear.

Lady Tomas laughed hollowly and said, “As someone who sees things not meant for mortal eyes, I can truly say that the major difference between Hayden Barris and your father was who should be the one ruling.”

Jyslin agreed. “I have fought beside him and he is not the person he portrays to the court and the Council of Kings.”

Kayleigh recalled the one time she’d met the High-King, when he was the Captain of the Ferry that took her and the other new recruits to The Academy. Remembering the odd sensation she’d experienced, Kayleigh felt some of her trust in the man begin to chip away.

General Hawthorne had been silent through most of this exchange. Walking around from the other side of the table, she rested her hand on Kayleigh’s shoulder. “Welcome to the world of noble politics, cousin. The good news is you have a title by virtue of both your parents. You are a direct descendant of High-Queen Candace Nolan. The bad news is any lands you stood to inherit have been stripped away and given to others and you have a decree of death hanging over your head.”

“What do we do now?” Kayleigh asked.

General Jyslin spoke. “First, finish your sketch. Next, I think there’s a dying unicorn in the stables that we’re hoping you can do something about. Soon, we’ll be leaving Salif to take you and the rest back to Talcosa. You and a small group of others will go in search of your mother.

Nodding, Kayleigh drank the juice and finished her cold breakfast before turning her attention to the sketch of her mother. Taking a moment to close her eyes, she tried to remember the details of her mother’s face, along with anytime she might have done magic.

Unable to come up with anything other than the contempt she had for tricksters and weak magical people, nothing came to mind. Frustrated, Kayleigh picked up the charcoal and set to work. Everyone else gave her the space she needed to complete the drawing. After about thirty minutes, Kayleigh handed it to General Hawthorne, who examined it closely.

“Yes, she could be Brianna. She always looked like a younger version of my mother.”

“Let me see, Althea.”

One general handed the sketchbook to the other, who nodded thoughtfully and rendered her verdict. “I see the resemblance as well. I think we can put any doubts about her identity to rest. Let’s move on to the next issue at hand.”

The stable they entered was an odd affair. In the far stall, Cyemma stood tied and secured in a stall, appearing sad and lonely. Kayleigh’s heart went out to the unicorn who was restrained through no fault of her own. At the other end, a pair of unicorns stood, watching the dying female, Ayalla, who Kayleigh hoped to save. Several humans had gathered to see this for themselves.

The girl at her side anxiously cracked her fingers as they walked to the other end and said, “I’m nervous. It feels like I’m trying to replace Wirnax. I know this is what I keep asking for, but now that we’re here, I’m worried that I’m doing the wrong thing.”

“Your unicorn would want you to move on, but I still can’t promise you this will work,” Kayleigh said, glancing at Tamera. “Try not to get your hopes up.”

“Let’s be honest, Kayleigh. It’s this or back to the farm. I suppose I’m a decent enough shot with a crossbow. If all else fails, I guess I could join a city guard somewhere.”

“Then let’s not fail,” she said, trying to brighten each of their spirits.

“I thought the general would be first,” the former earth maiden whispered.

Thinking back to the rest of the morning’s discussion, it was decided that Kayleigh first attempt would be to try and stop the damage caused by the wasting to the unicorn’s bond. If that showed promise and hadn’t made matters worse, she’d try to connect someone to Ayalla. General Jyslin volunteered immediately, downplaying the risks that virtually everyone, including Kayleigh, quickly pointed out. There was even a heated exchange where Captain Lynch cautioned against placing the general’s life in “untested” hands.

Like all the previous abuse her former commanding officer heaped onto Kayleigh, the captain’s acidic comments had a way of sounding logical and grounded in reason while at the same time having an insulting undertone. Any goodwill she had built up toward Danella’s sister disappeared faster than a flame deprived of air.