Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (45 page)

“Don’t ever presume to give me orders, Athlone,” Abarsis snarled. “Mine come directly from Mortain. Yours mean less than nothing to me.” He looked back toward Julia with a smirking grin. “Mortain would like a new girl to warm his bed.”

Vrooosh!

Everything happened at once. A fireball shot across the room aimed at Julia, but a ward snapped up to intercept it. Keverin, taken completely by surprise by the appearance of the ward, was unable to abort his instinctive move to shield Julia. Jihan looked on in horror as the fireball struck Keverin in the belly.

“AEiii!” Keverin screamed in agony as the fire burnt through his armour.

“Nooo!” Julia screamed with her fists pressed to her mouth in horror at what had happened.

Julia’s eyes were locked upon the crumpled form of Keverin where he lay outside the protection of her ward. Abarsis threw another fireball but Julia was oblivious to the danger. Jihan flinched expecting a fiery death as it struck the crackling ward, but all he felt was pleasant warmth. Nothing more.

“For the God’s sake Julia, do something!”

“I killed him,” Julia sobbed brokenly. “Me, I did it. Why? Why didn’t I warn him about the ward? I should have stopped him!”

Athlone was openly smirking, but Abarsis looked shocked; he had expected his last fireball to succeed. The sorcerers exchanged worried glances, but Julia was sobbing uncontrollably and didn’t see. Jihan ducked as more fireballs struck the weakening ward. A hot wind rushed over him as the fire clawed at Julia’s insubstantial wall. The ward flickered as the third one struck, but still it held.

“It wasn’t you Julia! Look at those smirking bastards—they did it!”

“No. It was me, but you’re right. They don’t deserve to profit from my stupidity.”

Julia glared hatefully at the sorcerers. She raised her clenched fists, her tears were a grim counter-point to the look on her face. Jihan shuddered to think what she was going to do. The sorcerers attacked again, but the ward flared bright and strong. It intercepted the attack and hardly dimmed. He covered his ears as the ward screeched and howled in protest, but it was obvious even to him that the attack wasn't strong enough to overcome it.

Julia screamed as something appeared before her. It was fire… Jihan thought it was fire, but it was unlike any he had ever seen before. Where it touched the floor, a puddle of molten stone bubbled. It grew, and the roaring it made grew with it. The fiery demon churned and fell in upon itself only to be renewed bigger and stronger with each cycle it completed. Julia was screaming and shaking. Jihan thought she might die from the violence of both. Suddenly Julia punched her fists toward the panicked sorcerers.

“
Dieeeee!
” Julia screeched.

The fiery demon roared toward the sorcerers leaving a trail of molten stone in its wake. Abarsis managed to throw a fireball, but it was absorbed into the roaring mass. Before the sorcerers could run, Julia’s wrath arrived. Blue lightning streaked across the floor and ceiling as the fire went straight through the sorcerer’s wards without slowing.

“AEiii—” the screams cut off as if they had never been. The three men had ceased to exist. Where they had stood, nothing but a round bubbling pit of molten stone remained.

Jihan sighed in relief, but then the thing Julia had made burned straight through the wall and door and into the corridor beyond.

“Stop Julia! You’ll kill us all!”

“I’m sorry Kev. I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry... sorry... sorry,” Julia mumbled to herself.

Something crashed to the ground outside as the thing went through another wall somewhere.

Jihan thought fast. “Julia... it’s Kev. You can stop now, I’m all right,” he said thickly.

“Kev? I thought you were dead!”

The roaring stopped abruptly.

Julia looked around in bewilderment until she saw Keverin. “Nooo! I heard you, you’re alive!”

Two of Keverin’s men ran in and skidded to a halt when they saw Julia drop to her knees beside their lord. She was crying as if her heart were broken.

“Take that out of here. Lock him up somewhere.” Jihan ordered gesturing toward his father.

Athlone was cowering in the corner with his mouth agape staring at the molten pit in horror. It seemed to be solidifying now, and the trail to it was as well. The guardsmen drew their weapons and took him out of the room.

Jihan knelt opposite Julia and turned Keverin over. Keverin’s armour was burned through over his stomach and blood was welling in the wound. Jihan watched the distraught woman rocking back and forth. He opened his mouth to say that he was sorry.

Blood
welling!

“Julia, wake up woman! Can’t you see he’s alive? Use your magic for the God’s sake!”

* * *

Julia was in hell. How many of her friends would die before she learned to strike first? Her hesitation had killed dozens at Athione, and now it had cost her Keverin. She needed to be hard as the stone of Athione. No, she needed to be harder even than that. Feelings would destroy her in the end.

“Julia wake up woman! Can’t you see he’s alive? Use your magic for the God’s sake!” Jihan yelled.

“No, he’s dead. I killed him just like all the others.”

“For the God’s sake! Look, does a corpse bleed?”

Julia looked to where Jihan pointed. Instantly she was in her healing place studying Keverin. He was so close to death that she might not save him. His aura was hardly moving, and his centre was solid black. She forced herself not to panic or even think on whom she worked. She drew on her magic until she was on the edge of pain to strengthen him, but even as she poured her power into him, his form tattered and he slipped away from her.

No! Don’t do this to me!

Julia tried to gather him up, but it was like the others. The more she tried, the worse it got. He was fading before her eyes. In desperation she built a glowing net, a kind of ward around him. It sprang into being fully formed encircling him. She watched in hope as Keverin’s already tattered aura touched the glowing net and recoiled. Another strand and another did the same. It was working. Glowing golden, the ward repelled Keverin’s aura and prevented him from leaving her.

Julia quickly built another net around the blackness that infested Keverin’s aura. Slowly, carefully, she forced it to contract. The net squeezed down on the blackness destroying it at the same time as corralling it. Keverin stopped trying to escape as the black light diminished, but Julia didn’t remove the ward. She wasn’t taking any more chances with Kev’s life.

* * *

Jihan paced waiting impatiently for Julia to come back. He had received worrying reports from Keverin’s men that Malcor’s guardsmen were all awake and raging about what they would do when they got out. In one of the barracks they had already tried to escape, but Mathius’ ward, though weak by a sorcerer’s standards, had held them at bay. What Jihan would do if they realised that setting a fire would get them out, he didn’t know. One thing was certain, unless he could make them understand his father’s betrayal, he would never be able to rule here.

Athlone had taken a lot of bandits and outright raiders into his guard over the years. They were kinless, men without ties or family. They were what Jihan meant by Athlone’s cronies, but most of the guardsmen had families to protect—many in Malcor Town or in villages beholden to Malcor. Jihan was sure that he could rely on the locals to at least listen to him. He would turn the others out of his fortress as soon as he had control. A man with no ties couldn’t be relied upon, especially in time of war.

Jihan knew that he would have to challenge Athlone, but that didn’t worry him unduly. He had been heading toward this day all his life. The man was a traitor, but that wasn’t why he would kill him. He would kill Athlone for murdering his mother’s spirit. Jihan spun on his heel when he heard a quiet whisper. The ward was gone. Julia said something to Keverin then leaned forward and quickly kissed him. Keverin looked shocked but he didn’t pull away.

So, that’s how it is, Jihan thought. No wonder Julia had lost her head when she thought Keverin dead. Jihan didn’t want to interrupt them, but time was critical. He coughed to gain the lover’s attention.

“I’m sorry to interrupt Julia, Keverin, but I have a fortress to take control of and the guardsmen are getting anxious.”

Julia blushed and hastily stood brushing her dress clean of nonexistent dust. Keverin was slower to rise, but the wound had healed. Jihan could see the scarred flesh through the hole in his friend’s armour.

“Lord Jihan, what are your orders?” Keverin said seriously.

Jihan stood taller. He was to be Lord Malcor. “I don’t give orders to my friends, but I do request that you and your lady accompany me to the barracks.”

“Of course we will come.”

Julia didn’t answer but she nodded her agreement. She was smiling now as if all was right with the world.

Jihan led their party toward the courtyard and the first of the barracks. He chose the one closest for convenience sake, but he was glad he did when he saw Ahnao riding in with the last of the guardsmen and horses.

“My Lady, welcome to my home,” Jihan bowed and helped her down. Ahnao looked lovely in her blue silk dress, but then to his eyes she was gorgeous in anything she wore.

Ahnao hesitated for the barest moment. “Thank you my lord. I am glad to see you have taken no hurt from your father,” she said slowly.

Jihan gaped. Ahnao sounded like a noble woman born and bred! Now he knew what she and Julia had been discussing on the journey. Silly woman. She didn’t have to put on airs for him to love her, but now was not the time to tell her. They would have a long talk later. For now, he bowed formally and gave her his arm.

Ahnao beamed a smile and walked with him into the citadel.

The thrumming of Mathius’ ward pulled Jihan’s attention from Ahnao and focused his mind on what he had to do. He went over in his mind what he would say, and what he would offer those willing to stay and fight with him. It seemed obvious that those with families would be honourable men. The cronies would be thrown out without question, but the others could be won if he said and did the right things.

“Family...”

“Family?” Ahnao said.

“I must remind them of their families. A man with such responsibilities will surely understand my father’s betrayal.”

Jihan found his guardsmen sitting on their bunks talking amongst themselves. He watched them through the ward and tried to marshal his thoughts and arguments. Ahnao stood with Mathius who swore to protect her come what may.

“You’ll be fine,” Julia said stepping up beside him.

“Ready?” Keverin said from Jihan’s other side.

Jihan nodded and the ward came down. All three stepped quickly inside so that Mathius could raise it again. The thrumming at his back was both comforting and a concern. He would not run, that was a given, but he couldn’t now if he wanted to. The ward prevented all escape.

When the guardsmen saw Jihan enter, they came to their feet and started forward. It took a display of magic from Julia to stop them. She raised her hand and lightning crackled from finger to finger. The men backed off, but they were far from content to leave it at that.

“Down with the traitor!”

“Kill him!”

“The bastard sold us out!”

The calls were coming from the back of the room. Jihan couldn’t see who they were. He raised a hand and the noise diminished but it didn’t stop altogether.

“I agree with you!” Jihan called over the noise. “Down with the traitor say I, but who is the traitor?”

“You are!”

“…sold his honour...”

“I always knew he was trouble...”

“No!” Jihan shouted. “I have not been negotiating with the sorcerers, but Athlone has. I have not been taking bandits and raiders into the guard and raising them over honest Devan guardsmen, but Athlone has. I have not been bribing and corrupting the King’s own chancellor, but Athlone has—”

Murmurs took the place of shouts as the guardsmen looked at their mates and wondered what the truth was.

“All of this has Athlone done, but do you call him traitor? No! Only I have the courage to fight for what is right. Where were
you
, when that animal killed my mother? Where were
you
, when as a child I was tormented and abused until nearly insane?”

Silence reigned.

Panting, Jihan tried to regain control his anger, but the sight of all those who had not helped him made it a struggle. “Lady Julia destroyed a Hasian legion at Athione, and now she has come all this way to help me destroy another one. Not candlemarks ago you heard the results of her magic as she killed three sorcerers right here within the walls of Malcor! How many of you believe the Hasians are our friends?” He paused waiting for an answer. “What, none of you? You surprise me. Why then did you allow three of them to live under my—under our roof?”

“We never—”

“The Lord be saying they were all right—”

“I didn’t know—”

“…not my place to—”

“Shut up!” Jihan said in disgust. “You make me want to puke. It’s not my place you say? If it’s not your place to protect your own families and friends, whose is it? Do you think that when the Hasians arrive they won’t pacify the folk in the town—your town? Of course, they will!” Jihan said putting as much disgust in his voice as possible. “In a few candlemarks I’m going to challenge Athlone to a duel. I will kill him for his crimes and then throw out all the scum he collected over the years. Don’t doubt that I will do it. If any of you want to aid me in saving your families and destroying the Hasians, you can swear to me now!”

Jihan glanced at Julia and she nodded. He took that as permission. “I warn you that Lady Julia will know if you plan to betray me. I will execute anyone that betrays their oath, so be sure what you do. Anyone who does not swear will be put out of Malcor with a knife, a horse, and enough food for a tenday. If after that time I find him still on my lands, I will kill him for the brigand he is!”

The silence was deafening. No one stirred until a grizzled man stepped forward and sank to one knee before Jihan. It was Ernard, one of the oldest and ablest guardsmen at Malcor. He had witnessed three lords come and go in his time. He was loyal to Malcor beyond question.