Spellscribed: Conviction (17 page)

“Who was contracted to follow you!” he retorted. “Your presence is responsible!”

“Mastadon!” Talos exclaimed, his tattoos lighting up. “It is the prisoner’s fault!”

The dragon turned to the Archmagus. Talos continued. “The assassin was hired to follow Endrance by Valeria, who had somehow managed to make a child with the prisoner, despite your attention to his defenses! She is using Endrance to get back at you!”

“Then it’s all the more reason to be rid of him!” The dragon shot back.

“No!” Talos shouted. “Then you’re cleaning up her mess for her! It’s better if we turn him into someone that can strike out at her!”

Endrance felt the conversation was escalating, but was incapable of doing anything to get a word in edgewise. It was strange; first Jalyin, now the Archmagus and a dragon were trying to get him to thwart whatever it was Valeria had planned. He slowly scuttled back in his sitting position, just in case someone started throwing fire.

For some reason, they all believed that Endrance was the key to fixing whatever it was that Valeria had done. The wizard closed his eyes and sighed. If the Archmagus and a dragon of immeasurable power couldn't stop her, what chance did he have?

Endrance collapsed into his bed, so numb from the events of the night that he could hardly do more than peel off his sweaty, clingy robes and wash his body with water before he went to bed. He closed his eyes, trying to reconcile everything he had been told, and only succeeded in plunging immediately into sleep. Memories, images of the last several hours flickered through his mind, scattered and out of order.  He slept through the morning, on into the afternoon in a haze of disjointed dreams.

His mind settled on some form of fantasy. By the end, he had imagined that Selene had crawled into bed next to him and was clinging to his side as he slept. He could even make out the fresh rain scent that he had associated with her. Her ringlets of hair swept against his bare chest, and her breath tickled his neck-

He realized that it was actually tickling his neck. His eyes snapped open, and found that he had, in fact, not been dreaming. Selene, wearing a pretty blue dress, had climbed into the bed and was currently nuzzling his neck, her eyes closed. Wisps of faint golden light seeped off his skin and drifted lazily through the air until they were sucked into her mouth when she inhaled. It was a far weaker effect than when he had encountered a succubus, but it had a remarkably similar, if somewhat less potent, pleasant sensation as she fed on him.

“Selene?” Endrance murmured, raising an arm and giving her shoulder a touch. He was surprised to see her open her deep brown eyes and look up at him.

“You’re awake!” she said, smiling. Endrance didn’t feel like he had been drained of very much, but it was still concerning. He smiled at her, and pulled her into an embrace. He didn’t want her to see that she had scared him.

“You’re here!” he said. “When did you all arrive?”

Selene ran her hand over his bare chest. “We just got here.” She purred. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Endrance asked. “Is everyone okay? Are you okay?”

“We’re fine.” Selene assured him. “Had some trouble with bandits on the way here, but they were handled easily enough.”

“Oh yeah?” Endrance asked, laying his hand on her shoulder. “Not used to fighting barbarians, I would wager.”

“Or a very, very angry Joven.” She said, rolling her eyes. “It was shortly after that mage took you, and Joven found them to be the perfect subjects to vent his fury on.”

Endrance made a mock disgusted face. “Oh, eww.” He said. “I bet there was bandit everywhere.”

“Pretty much.” She confirmed, nodding with wide eyes. “I only got two or three.”

Endrance also considered how the people around him had gotten so used to killing, that they could talk about it casually, even joke about it. “There’s always next time.” Endrance said.

A small silence passed, where Endrance lay there, Selene stroking a hand idly over his chest as they just enjoyed the moment of being close again. Still, his curiosity got the best of him.

“So how did you get in here?” Endrance asked.

Selene shifted the shoulder not digging into the bed. “Told the guy at the door I wanted to visit my husband for… physical reasons. He let me through.” She explained, nuzzling his neck again, though this time without drawing out any of his power. “Apparently, I am most persuasive in this country.”

Endrance looked down at her, noting how the dress did wonderful things to her curves. “Indeed, you may have an advantage.” He said, closing his eyes. Perhaps it was just her supernatural sex appeal surfacing. Yeah, that had to be it. He rolled his eyes from behind his eyelids. Or he could just be delusional.

“Have they been treating you well?” she asked.

Endrance nodded. “I’m technically a guest here.” He explained, opening his eyes. “Though, because I promised only to leave this room with one of the Archmagus’ escorts, I might as well be a prisoner.”

Selene pouted. “You can’t come visit us? Joven will be sad.” She said.

Endrance raised an eyebrow. “I’m betting they wouldn’t let him in.”

“Not unless he married you.” She said with a straight face.

Endrance shook his head. “Nope.” He said. “Not going to happen.”

“Aww… you two would make a cute couple.” Selene teased.

“Ha ha.” Endrance replied. “I think you’re the one for me, love.”

“That’s good.” Selene said. “It would be a shame to have to kill you.”

Endrance laughed, but then he hesitated. “You really mean that, don’t you?” he asked.

Selene shook her head, giggling. “No silly.” She said. “Neither of us would want to see you go.”

A chilling thought. To anyone else, it would seem that Selene was, in fact, crazy. In truth, the demonic half of her hadn’t completely blended with her, and those instincts  and desires actually were a separate personality that surfaced most often when she was unconscious.

“Well I’m glad you both got here safely.” He said, stroking her hair.

Selene closed her eyes and pressed herself up to him, her arm across his chest. Endrance felt a calming sensation through his body, a sense of completeness that he had not even realized he had been missing since Weldom had snatched him away from his companions. He felt that, despite the fact that she was half demon, and he half Mercanian, they could be happy together.

Though, hopefully, by the time that happened, she would have unified both her human and demon halves, and he would have figured out what was going on with his own transformation.

Selene looked up into his eyes with a wicked gleam in hers. “So…” She said, kissing his chest. “Since I told the guy downstairs we’d be doing stuff… we should probably get started.”

Endrance felt a tingle across his skin that had nothing to do with magic. “I guess we should.” He said with a chuckle, leaning his head down to kiss her.

* * *

“Your tattoos are different.” Selene observed. It was an hour later, and they were sitting at the desk, sharing some food. Selene had never tried Ironsoul cuisine, and for some reason, she was more mystified by the food than the magical cupboard that manifested it.

Endrance took a bite of sweetbread and shrugged. “I had to make some adjustments. What’s different about them?” he asked.

“Well, they seem tighter.” She said. “More compact and complicated.”

“Oh.” Endrance said, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve had a lot of free time, so I have been spending most of it developing my tattoo work, and fixing minor irregularities in the scribing. They’re much more efficient now, and I’ve been working on an underlying web of tattoos that will be exceptionally helpful, should I find myself in another dire situation like that fight up on the mountain.”

“Ah.” Selene said. “I could also feel them.” She admitted.

“What?” Endrance asked, sitting up.

“I could feel where the lines were on your body.” She said. “They felt… like it was a wrinkle or crease in your skin.”

Endrance realized that only he had seen what a Mercanian actually looked like. “That’s… worrisome.” He said. “But I’ve been the healthiest I’ve ever been and the tattoos actually hurt less now when I use them.”

Selene stared at him. “Your tattoos hurt when you use them?” she asked.

Endrance shook his head. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Poor wording. They didn’t exactly hurt, but they were uncomfortable when they operated. Now they actually feel kind of nice when I empower them.”

“Oh.” She said, relieved. “That’s good. Maybe you’re getting used to it. From what you told me, you’d only had the tattoos for a few months before we met you.”

“Yeah. Perhaps.” He said. Endrance had not yet figured out how to explain his heritage to them directly, without causing a huge problem. Especially since now, he knew that his father resided only a mile beneath his feet. Or that his father was the only surviving member of a race of almost purely magical beings who had dominated half of the world, and nearly wiped the whole thing out when they passed. Or that his mother was trying to manipulate him into doing something involving the Mercanian. Seeing his condition, it was likely she was trying to get Endrance to free him.

“Oh!” Selene said. “Joven’s been working on that staff for you.”

Endrance blinked. “Oh really?” he said. “That’s very nice of him. I suppose I could work some magic into it after he’s done.”

“It looks pretty tough.” She said. “He wore out a few tools carving into the bone.”

“That’s good.” Endrance said. “Perhaps it won’t break when I have to inevitably use it to defend myself.”

Selene giggled. “Yeah, you do that a lot.” She said.

A knock came from the door, opening before either of them could respond. The short haired brunette magus stepped into the room and paused. Selene had pulled her dress back on, but Endrance wore only his undergarments. The magus looked from Endrance to Selene, and then back to him.

“Well then.” She said, amused. “It seems I’m not the only one who knows how to have a good time around here.” She smiled broadly.

“You should have walked in half an hour ago, if you really wanted to see a good time.” Selene blurted, clamping her hands over her mouth almost instantly after. Endrance sighed and placed his head in his hand. The magus snickered.

“Sorry.” Endrance muttered.

The magus shrugged. “Hey, you’re the one who’s boffing a half-breed. A hot one at that.” She said with a smirk. “Though, I give you kudos for the accomplishment.”

“You’re not very politically correct, are you?” Endrance asked, blushing.

“What’s that?” she asked, grinning. “That must be something normal people do.”

Selene stood. “I should be going.” She said. “I need to update the rest of the group on your condition.”

“Hopefully not the blow by blow.” The magus said jokingly. Selene gave her a frustrated scowl and swiftly left the room, after planting a swift kiss on Endrance’s brow.

“She likes you.” Endrance said, using the distraction to try to pull a robe on.

“What makes you say that?” the magus asked, making no attempt to hide watching him dress.

Endrance pulled the robe on and sat on the bed, pulling on his shoes. “Her eyes didn’t even change color.”

“Oh, she’s able to transform at will?” the brunette asked. “Have you two done it when she’s in her other form?” she asked, her enthusiasm making Endrance more than uncomfortable.

“Is this why you came to see me?” he deflected, collecting his plate and remains of the food and putting them in the cupboard.

“Naw,” she said, sitting in his unoccupied chair. “But it was amusing as hell.”

Endrance looked around the room. Nowhere to sit but the bed, so he hopped up and crossed his legs under him. “So, how can I help you, Lady Magus?”

“Please.” She said, straddling the chair so she could rest her chin on the back. “Call me Klaira.”

“What did you want, Klaira?” Endrance asked as politely as he could.

The magus tossed a hand flippantly. “I wanted to ask you a few questions about your… condition.” She said. “Oh, and in a few hours the trial’s going to start.”

“What?” Endrance blurted.

“Apparently someone irritated an already naturally grumpy dragon in charge of our country.” She said with a roll of her eyes. “He finally decided to push the trial forward.”

“Great.” Endrance said, wiping his face. Was he sweating?

Klaira chuckled. “You haven’t heard the best part.” She said. “He’s requested Weldom spearhead the prosecution!”

Endrance rapped his head against the cupboard, and repeated the motion several times.

“Hey now!” Klaira cried out. “Stop that! You won’t stand a chance if you don’t have a clear head!”

For a moment, Endrance didn’t care. He didn’t even think he stood a chance.

* * *

Selene quickly took the stairs down the tower, wondering who the woman with the short brown hair and numerous piercings was. She had robes much like Endrance’s, but they were black. She seemed to be entirely too familiar with him.

Her face was blushed red, and she hardly saw the streets around her as jealousy coursed through her. Was she trying to get Endrance’s attention? Nonsense. He had only been in the tower for a few weeks. Then again, he had not scrambled to cover himself when she walked into the room…

Selene bumped into a large man’s chest, stumbling back. Looking up from her thoughts, she realized she had wandered into the thoroughfare and could have been trampled by a horse if she had not careened into the man. The man was barrel-chested, but of average height with curly black hair and a thick beard. The roadside was crowded with people passing back and forth, going about their daily business. There were many more people in Ironsoul than in Balator, that much was obviously true.

He reached out and caught her arm, preventing her from falling backwards. The moment his hand came into contact with her arm, she felt a wave of revulsion pass through her.

“Easy there!” the man said with a smile. “Wouldn’t want a pretty thing like you getting mussed up on the ground, would we?”

She got her balance and quickly tried to pull her arm away. The man held fast. “Hey now,” he said, his brown eyes hedged by poorly trimmed brows. “Shouldn’t you say something?”