The Magic Thieves (12 page)

"You're right, most of them did. But any wizard's power level at that age is not sufficient to cause the destruction you were talking about. Even if they turn out to be very powerful wizards later on, nobody can do that sort of damage earlier in their lives. It simply isn't possible.” The fire imp brightened its colour to light red, a sure sign of excitement.

"Maybe they were all in better control of their powers. Maybe I was just slower to learn.” He looked at the floor, afraid he wouldn't be sufficiently in control even now.

"No, their being better at it than you at that age has nothing to do with it. The real development of magical powers doesn't start until about age twelve. Some experts believe it has something to do with how the body develops. That also means that very young wizards only need to learn a minimum of control. The real learning can only take place when they're old enough to have come into their powers and have gained the mental maturity to learn the control that is needed.” The fire imp sighed. “You know all this, why do you pretend you don't?"

"I was told that I was different.” And how stupid did that sound? Well, it did with hindsight. “The testing was scheduled for a few weeks after my family's death. When I attended the Muyd'pol like all the other children my age, I was told that most of my lightning magic was gone. They thought I had lost it by expending too much at once, too soon. I guess it was the reason I wasn't killed by the Xoh'kas. They didn't see me as a threat. In a perverse way, it saved my life."

"That alone should have told you that it was no coincidence!” The fire imp was now bright orange.

"What?” He moved back against his mate, trying to grasp what the fire imp had just told him.

"Isn't it obvious?” The fire imp started flickering in a range of colours, clearly agitated. “Someone wanted you alive and probably away from your parents’ influence. So they set it up so that you'd take the blame for their deaths, at the same time making sure you survived by getting you away from the Xoh'kas. That also brought you under constant official guard in the orphanage, didn't it?"

He was too shocked to speak.

"So who did this?” Kaythan's voice rumbled in his ear, helping him relax.

"That—I don't know.” The fire imp shrank to its normal size again. “But I'm sure they'll appear, either before you have collected all the pieces of the key, or right after. They have a vested interest in Elryk and his abilities."

"Oh, shit.” Just what he needed, more people interested in him and what he could do. This one sounded like an old and powerful enemy.

"That makes it even more important that we complete this task as quickly as possible and keep our eyes open for anyone who wants to stop us.” Kaythan kissed him on the cheek. “How do you want to do this? I'm still not happy about you reaching inside that fire."

"Now that I have some of my magic back I can use it to protect me.” Elryk grinned. “It's a good thing fire came towards the end."

"Oh.” Kaythan relaxed a little and tilted his head in thought. “I guess you could use water magic, right?"

"
Now
you're thinking like a wizard.” Elryk nodded. “I'll have to use a variation of water magic. I suspect that the heat inside the fire imp will be so intense that I'll need ice to protect my skin from burning."

"Okay, I can see how that might make sense.” Kaythan nodded.

His mate finally let him go after squeezing him one last time. Elryk walked over to the fire imp. The air got warm, then hot as he approached the flickering being. He stopped when he could feel its heat on his face.

Focusing on his hands, he cooled his skin, then surrounded it with a thick layer of magic ice. Only then did he reach inside the fire imp.

Elryk almost pulled back out immediately. The heat was still intense enough to burn his skin, even through the protection he'd conjured up. Strengthening the ice magic a little more he took a deep breath and focused on detecting the piece of the Magic Key.

He smiled when he felt the tiny flame that was hidden in the very centre of the fire imp's body. That flame wasn't hot at all, it was nice and warm. He enclosed it inside his fist and pulled out his arm.

Kaythan's eyes widened when Elryk sat back in his lap, the little flame dancing on the upturned palm of his now open hand. It started sparkling and soon covered his entire arm. The fire magic started engulfing Elryk's body, making him feel hot all over. It was wild and untamed, ravenous and almost playful.

He absorbed all it had to give, feeling warmth, then heat, sink into him, smelling smoke and crumbling ashes under his feet. Red-hot passion flooded his veins and his breath sped up. After a few seconds the imagined sensations faded and he returned to reality. His hands were empty and the little flame was no more.

"Goodbye my friends.” The fire imp came closer, but instead of burning heat there was a soothing warmth that lulled them to sleep.

Elryk leaned his head against Kaythan's shoulder and closed his eyes. Why was he so tired all of a sudden? Surely they weren't supposed to fall asleep at this point in the race?

There was another type of magic to regain, he was sure. What was it again? Fuck, why did his brain feel like molasses all of a sudden?

Kaythan held him close as they drifted off. With a last flare, the flame vanished and just before Elryk fell asleep, the landscape around them changed. Barren desert surrounded them, a grey wasteland with some dead trees between the rocks and blackened bushes.

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Kaythan twitched when the crackling tension travelled along his skin. It pinched and tweaked, making him feel jittery. All the little hairs on his body, especially those at the nape of his neck, stood up. What was going on? Was someone trying to shock him awake by using electricity on him?

His eyes flew open. He'd fallen asleep?
Crap
!

After they'd finished their task with the fire magic, surely they were supposed to have been transported into the fifth chamber of the temple of Tah'Muyd to obtain the last part of the Magic Key? But he couldn't seem to remember anything after Elryk had absorbed the little flame and all it held, and they'd fallen asleep in the fire imp's cave.

He must have missed the transportation itself. He snorted. A fine bodyguard for his mate he was turning out to be, falling asleep on the job. This cold darkness certainly neither felt nor looked as if there was any warmth close by. So they must have been transported
somewhere
while they were sleeping.

Just having awoken, his eyes had no trouble with the low light levels. There were skeletal remains of trees that looked like skinny ghosts reaching for the sky with long, scraggly arms. The charred and burned-looking bushes made him feel uneasy, and the only things available in abundance were rocks and large boulders strewn across the desolate landscape. There were some hills and high mountains in the east, and a flat expanse of what might have been jungle or grassland stretched to the horizon in all other directions.

Dark clouds rolled overhead, covering most of the sunlight, and an ice cold wind was blowing from what seemed like everywhere, changing direction every few seconds. What looked like the mother of all thunderstorms was approaching from the west. It seemed about ready to break. The very air around him felt tense and decidedly uncomfortable.

Elryk was still asleep, snuggled against him. His mate's breath was shallow and fast. An occasional shudder went through his body. Kaythan knew the other man probably needed to rest as much as he did, but neither of them had that luxury right now. He put a hand on Elryk's shoulder and carefully shook him awake. They couldn't afford to lose more time than they already had. Who knew how much further the Xoh'kas had gotten in their attempt to sabotage them finding all the pieces of the Muyd'Zel while they'd slept?

"What? Where?” Elryk sat up with a start, clinging to Kaythan's arm and looking around him in a near panic.

"Shhh, it's okay.” Kaythan stroked the back of Elryk's head while holding him close to his chest. “I don't think we were supposed to fall asleep, but we both did. It looks like we're in a new chamber, but I have no clue whether we're in the right place. It looks very remote and quiet strangely empty and completely desolate. No evidence of a guardian so far either."

Elryk's dark eyes widened as he looked around more slowly to examine their new environment.

"Tah', it's bleak enough here to depress anyone.” Elryk rubbed the last remnants of sleep from his eyes and blinked a few times. “I thought I saw this devastation right before I fell asleep, but I must admit that I didn't believe it was real. It looked wrong. In fact, if this is the fifth chamber of the Tah'Muyd, something definitely isn't right."

"You mean it shouldn't be like this?” Kaythan's entire body itched with the electricity or whatever it was that kept touching him. The first distant lightning bolt from the approaching thunderstorm lit up the sky and made him flinch. “Or do you mean that we're in the wrong place?"

"I don't think we're in the wrong place. I can feel the lightning magic all over my body, so we're in the right chamber. But it shouldn't be this barren.” Elryk shook his head as his eyes surveyed their immediate surroundings yet again as if staring at them could make them change. “Lightning is the spark that brings life. It's a positive elemental just like the other four when used correctly. The way this chamber looks makes it all about death and destruction. That's just wrong."

"So this tingling and itching on my skin is what lightning magic feels like?” While he was relieved to find out what those strange sensations were, Kaythan still didn't like them. “It's almost like the feeling at the back of my neck when we were trying to ignore the mate bond, except this time it's all over my body."

"You can feel it, too?” Elryk's eyes widened. “Now I
know
something is wrong. Non-wizards aren't supposed to be able to perceive magic. I've certainly never heard of one who did."

Screeching laughter suddenly surrounded them. It came from air that sizzled with static. Kaythan could feel some sort of presence, but whatever it was, it wasn't anything visible. He didn't like it at all. Not being able to see a potential enemy, or at the very least opponent, was not helpful.

"Clever, clever wizard.” The voice sounded like rumbling thunder about to crack in the air right above them. There was a scratchy undertone as well that made it very unpleasant to listen to. “Unfortunately for you, this brilliant deduction will not help you obtain the last piece of the Muyd'Zel."

Yep, this must be another guardian. They'd been getting less helpful with each new chamber Elryk and he entered, but this one was positively unfriendly. He hadn't even shown himself. Another distant flash of lightning briefly brightened the doom and Kaythan shuddered.

"So, what
will
help us find the last piece?” Elryk closed his eyes as he balled his fists.

"Nothing.” The cackling made Kaythan's head hurt. “You're far too late. The Xoh'kas were here a long time before you, and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I released the last piece of the Muyd'Zel to them and they've taken it to a very safe place. Or they may have destroyed it. Not that I could care less."

"Shit! I can't believe they managed to get in here.” Elryk's eyes flew open. “That's the second time we know of that they've managed to breach a chamber without following the rules. I guess it's not impossible with the power of the entire Magic Council behind them, but still."

"So how do we make up for the missing bit of the Magic Key?” Kaythan shivered when another thunder-like chortle rent the air. If he'd been able to see this guardian so he could get his hands on him, he would have strangled him.

"I'm not sure what we even
can
do.” Elryk's shoulders drooped. “Without the missing piece I have no idea how to get my full power back, never mind how to find the Muyd'Othar. And obviously the Xoh'kas are using the Magic Key as a weapon, even though it was never intended to be used like that. It
does
explain the desolation around us. Everything is out of balance, resulting in the destruction of what must have once been a very lush environment."

Gleeful laughter seemed to accompany another flash in the distant west. Kaythan's unease grew. The thunderstorm that had been on the horizon when they first awoke was either getting a lot stronger or moving closer more quickly than he'd thought possible.
Yep
, they were in deep shit.

"Don't worry, that lack of balance will be fixed soon.” The guardian's voice changed into a shriek. “When the thunderstorm gets here it will kill both of you and once your life force is released, it will restore the balance of this chamber. Not that I really care, I'm finally leaving. Knowing that you are stuck here, well, until you die, at least, makes me extremely happy."

"I don't like the sound of that.” Kaythan fisted his hands.

"I bet you don't. But without lightning magic, there is no way out of here for you. This fifth chamber works just like the others. Once Elryk absorbs the new type of magic, you're sent to the next chamber. With no magic left to absorb, you're stuck here.” More cackling made his ears hurt. “I'll leave you to it, then. Enjoy the last few minutes of your miserable lives."

With a flash of lightning from straight above them, the immediate sense of tension stopped. The guardian seemed to have left. What a relief.

"I'm glad he's gone. He didn't sound like he was going to help us anyway, so I think we're better off without him.” Kaythan rubbed his arms. “Even if he comes back later, which it didn't sound like, I'll take what rest from his obnoxious presence I can. Why is he invisible anyway?"

"Lightning can't be seen most of the time, so this guardian apparently doesn't have a visible body, either.” Elryk's brow furrowed.

"What are you thinking?” Kaythan scanned the darkening sky. “I hope you're about to figure out how to get us away from here. I don't like the look of that thunderstorm one bit. I'm pretty sure that we need to leave before it gets here or we may be in serious trouble."