The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (18 page)

Matthias shook his head. “You are quite the devious ones
yourselves,” he said and stuck his finger in the drink. His eyes
flared blue and a sliver of energy wound down the wizard’s
outstretched digit.

“
What are you
doing?
” Thadius asked.

“
Neutralising the plant so I can
drink
this tea!
I’m
thirsty!
” he huffed. “Luckily enough a friend showed me
how.”

Thadius shook his head and chuckled. “Look
Matthias, I went out on a limb for you earlier, when I backed you
up in front of the princess. The gods knows
why
I did that. I believe your stories,
even if the king does still have doubts. I must be
mad
,
but I believe your tales.”

“
I’m
grateful
you stepped in for me with the princess.” He
poured a cup of the tea and then set the pot down carefully. He
picked up the cup and began circling a finger around the rim
slowly, watched diligently until steam began to rise from the
reheated liquid before sipping it. He sighed. “
Better
.” Matthias set the cup on his lap.
“You could have searched my things and departed and I would have
never known what you had done. I was so tired I would have never
suspected you’d send me to sleep.”

“
So what am I still doing here?” the soldier asked.
Matthias nodded. “I have stayed because of that which we spoke of
earlier.
Trust
. I believe in your stories but that doesn’t mean I believe
in you. Not fully.”

“
How
can
I prove myself to you further?” Matthias asked.
“All the proof of my intentions I
have
is words.”

“
The only thing I can think of… is
that
.” He pointed to Matthias’s pendant.

The wizard looked down, and then felt to the
medallion dangling from his neck. “Oh
no
,” Matthias said. “I
can’t
.”

Thadius shrugged. “I
know
how much it means to you, now I know what
it contains. To keep something of such personal worth to you...
now
that
, I think, would convince me further.”

Matthias swallowed, clutching tightly to the metal beneath
his palm. He wore a pained expression on his face as he looked at
Thadius. But then, hesitantly, he took his hand away, and slowly
reached around the back of his neck and undid the chain’s latch.
The pendant swung free as he drew it away from his body and
gingerly held it out.

“
If you
lose
it…” Matthias said.

Thadius reached out an open palm and Matthias
dropped it into his hand. His neck felt naked without it.
Lighter
. He felt half a man!

“
Now
you
have something precious of mine to look after, and
I something of
yours
,” Thadius said. His fingers curled around the pendant, and
he drew it to him, before attaching it around his own
neck.

“
There. How does it look?” He asked Matthias, who had gone
slightly pale.

“
It looks…
strange
, on someone who is not a wizard,” he
said.

“
The
only way someone will get this from me is if they cut my head off,”
Thadius advised him.

“
Then I have to protect
you
as well, it would seem,” Matthias said
with a half - smile.

Thadius chuckled and then rose from the chair.
“
Thank
you,” he said. “I think now we finally might understand one
another. Now we both have something of the other’s in our care that
we
never
want to lose.” He moved to the door. “I have a dozen men
preparing for our coming journey.” He pointed to Matthias as he
opened the door. “You should get some rest. You look
tired
,” he chuckled, and closed the door.

Matthias sat in
his room for several hours that night,
pondering matters silently. He became aware after a while that he
had been instinctively running his hand along the bare spot on his
chest where his pendant usually lay against his skin. He lowered
his hand to the chair’s arms and pushed himself
up.

At least I can manage
that
this time,
he thought wistfully to himself.
Turtleweed.
He shook his head
and chuckled at the ingenuity.
There’s none of those wild plants growing
anywhere
near
Rina for the king to have harvested such a
sedative
.
How did he even know it couldn’t be detected by our testing
sticks? It’s almost scentless too, unless you know that it’s there
and even then, it’s only the slightest whiff that gives away its
presence.
He
pulled off his shirt and placed it carefully over the back of the
chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the looking glass
again, lying face-up on the table. He picked it up again and angled
it to look at his bare neck. The skin had a slight sheen where the
chain had sat for so long and was less tanned than the rest of his
body. He grimaced in the flickering candlelight and cast the mirror
on to the chair cushion, making his way to the bed and slipping
beneath the covers. He waved a hand and the candles all went out,
and darkness shrouded the room. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep
almost instantly.

A chiming sound stirred him from his slumber and
he opened his eyes to a pulsing light. He sat up with a sharp
intake of breath.
The communication orb.

“
Can’t I get some sleep without being poisoned or
interrupted
?
”
he grumbled. He rose out of the bed again and flailed towards the
orb that sat on the table. It was still dark outside, so it was
fortunately nowhere near morning yet – although that
also
meant that he had
probably only been in bed for an hour or so at most. He grasped the
sphere and clutched it tightly in his hand, before falling
backwards on to the duvet and closing his eyes. Purple light
swirled around his arm as the Orb made contact.

“
What is
happening?
” the voice asked anxiously. “I have not heard
from you in ages!”

“
I’m
sorry Master Pym,” Matthias replied. “The kidnapping didn’t go as
expected. I was caught.”

“
Caught!
” The voice snapped. “
How?
”

“
That doesn’t matter now,” Matthias said, inside his head.
“All you need to know is I have told the king and the princess
about her abilities and the full reason for my being here. They
have agreed to help of their own free will, as we had originally
intended to be the case.”

The voice was silent a moment and then it
continued. “That is good news. Something I have had little
of
lately. Well
done.”

“
Thank you. I apologise I didn’t contact you
sooner. It has been an…
eventful
day.”

“
No
doubt. In any case, I have also contacted you for another reason.
There has been a change.”

Matthias’s heart jumped. “Another one?”

“
The
Council has reviewed their conclusions of the seeing stone’s
premonitions and have found that the dragon’s prison is much closer
to destruction than we had anticipated.”

“
How
much
closer?” Matthias asked and held his
breath.

“
We
believe it is now in the very final stages of being unlocked. There
are but a few weeks of work to dissolve the
petrification.”

Matthias exhaled heavily. “But that isn’t enough
time!”

“
Then you will proceed
quickly
to Olindia. You
must
teach the princess how to use her
power in the time you have left.” Matthias was silent. The voice
continued. “You are an able wizard, Matthias,” the voice said, with
a hint of warmth in its disembodied tone. “Perhaps a little
too
headstrong, even
after all I have done to rein you in! But I am confident that you
will find a way to train her. I will be at hand to talk to for
advice if you need me. Then we will see where fate leads us
all
.”

Matthias nodded, forgetting that Pym could not survey his
movements. When he spoke again it was with hesitation. “I promised
that the princess would be free from restraint when she is done
with her task,”

“
Let’s hope that
is
a possibility.”

“
I gave her my word,” Matthias said. “I
will
keep
it.”

“
I must go,” the voice said suddenly. “There is a
great deal to do
here
as well. Get the princess to Crystal Ember and help her to
reinforce the dragon’s prison. Maybe then the Council will see
reason. We will speak again soon, Matthias.” The voice disappeared
again with a plop. (Perhaps a different word to plop as makes me
think of poo.... can’t think of alternative but perhaps
pop?)

Matthias sighed. He was sweating. He sank back into the bed,
letting the glass ball fall away from his palm onto the quilt. He
lay there for a while staring up at the carved wooden canopy of the
bed. Suddenly his head was bombarded with a blinding flash and an
image of the city outside filled his vision. He sat bolt upright
and hissed. Another flash and a creature shot briefly across his
gaze, meandering across a cobbled yard in the thin
moonlight.

“
Oh
gods no, not now!” he whispered. Something had just tripped two of
the markers he had laid earlier.

He
flew up out of bed, the sheets cascading to the floor as he grasped
his shirt from the back of a chair and pulled it on hurriedly,
before shoving his belongings into his bag, grabbing the orb from
the bed and shoving it into his pocket. He jumped into his boots,
threw on his coat and opened the door.

Two
guards in purple livery turned to face him, lances sliding across
to bar his way.

“
Where do you think
you’re
going?” the first, on the right said in a
common, Aralian accent.

“
I
have to get to see Thadius. The Princess is in danger,” he
panted.

“
Danger?” the second one said. “The only danger she
is in is from
you
from the way we hear it. Now go back inside until morning.
We’ve got orders not to let you roam the halls at
night.”

“
You don’t
understand!
” Matthias cried. “I have seen creatures in my
mind! They are on their way to the palace!”

The men looked to one another, and then back to
Matthias. “Of
course
they are. Now go back inside and we will give the king your
message.”

Matthias looked to them both, jaw clenched tightly. Then he
took a breath. “I’m ever so sorry. I really am.”

“
Wh-” the first guard said, but before he could finish
Matthias threw out both his hands and plunged his fists into both
guards’ stomachs. Sparks shot from Matthias’s knuckles and the men
shuddered, their bodies contorting, before falling to the floor
like limp fish, their weapons jangling onto the floor. Matthias
stepped over them, rearranging his bag and staff where they rested
on his back and shoulder. “I really am sorry,” he said again to the
two men who were both unconscious, slumped in a heap on the
floor.

Matthias ran down the corridor, throwing his head to look
behind himself at regular intervals as he went. The corridors were
mostly dark the way he went, though now and again there were stand
- lamps burning with their oil - soaked wicks. He saw no – one
along the way, save for two serving women who he heard coming along
one corridor, gossiping as they walked. He flew into them and sent
the trays they carried flying. They screamed as their contents
crashed to the floor.

“
Sorry!” he cried back, but he didn’t stop. He eyed every
shadow warily as if it might leap at him and tear his head off, and
he embraced the earth power once as he ran, ready to strike at what
turned out to be no more than a rat scurrying across the
corridor.

As
he made his way along another passageway he stopped and clutched to
his head as another snapshot of the city flashed into his head like
a bolt of lightning, sparking his brain. Another creature had
triggered yet another trap he had laid. It was closer, nearer the
palace.