Fallen Magician (The Magician Rebellion) (14 page)

Byrn awoke for the second time in his room after nearly dying, but this time he found he was not alone. Alia sat by his bed with her nose buried in a book. She did not know he was awake yet and Byrn took the moment to study the woman sitting at his bedside. She was beautiful, to be sure. Her soft features stood in stark contrast to the hard personality that developed over years of being on her own and a requirement of leading a group like the Collective, but she was not always so distant. It was rare, but at times she would let her guard down and a woman of not just determination, but compassion would reveal herself. It was this combination of strength and softness that drew Byrn to her as he had never been drawn to anyone before.

“
How long have I been out?” Byrn asked trying to sit up. He grunted at the Herculean effort required to perform the simple task. His body ached all over in a general sense of pain like his entire body was one exposed nerve. His stomach turned and he thought he was going to be sick, but his belly was thankfully empty and soon the feeling passed.

Alia smiled and left her book to sit at the foot of his bed. “Less than a day,” she told him. Her eyes were red with exhaustion betraying the sleepless night she must have experienced waiting by his side.

“
You’ve been here all night,” Byrn stated. It was not a question.

She took his hand in hers gently. Her touch was soft and caused a tingle to course up his arm. Byrn hoped he was not blushing, but he guessed he was because Alia broke eye contact and looked at her lap. “It was the least I could do. You risked your life for me- nearly died for me- I should have waited for you before transporting.”

“
There was no way you could have stopped what happened,” Byrn assured her, “and everything worked out, didn’t it? How is Xander?”

“
He seems to grow stronger by the moment,” she spoke with relief. “Deep down I never believed we could truly defeat the Kenzai though I never would have admitted it. At best I thought we might make a safer place for magicians to hide like a secret community, but with the kingdom and Kenzai growing more aggressive, I feared even that would be impossible. However, now that we have powerful magicians like you and father at our disposal I can finally dare to hope.”

“
Alia, you never struck me as the sentimental type,” Byrn joked.

She responded with a flick to Byrn’s ear causing him to cry out in surprise from the tenderness of the lobe to the delight of the woman. Alia smirked, “Do not tease me, Firemas.”

“
Never again,” he promised, rubbing his throbbing ear.

Alia leaned in and hugged Byrn for an unbearably short time before pulling away. “Ryonus has already recovered and now that you have too we will celebrate our success at Baj. You are one of the guests of honor, so you better be sure to attend.”

***

Magicians laughed and danced to the music of Tomlin and other “bards” as each took turns playing for their friends and colleagues. It was not a dinner filled with pomp and ceremony and there were no exquisite delicacies prepared by artisan chefs as the noble houses were accustomed to, but what the Collective lacked in fanciful dining they made up for with merriment and good company. The whole affair reminded Byrn more of a lively tavern than the dinner he had at the king’s palace after saving the warlord’s daughter. During that meal he was questioned and tested to see if he might have the proper mindset to be a royal magician, although he did not know the king’s intentions at the time. Now there was no one judging him. Byrn could simply enjoy the celebration.

He sat at a table in the center of the room with Levak and Skynryd drinking beer, but Byrn was not paying attention to their conversation. His attention was solely focused on the raven-haired woman across the room holding a mug and laughing at something that Ryonus said. He felt a pang of jealousy watching them together. Ryonus was not someone that Byrn would normally consider as a rival for a woman’s affections given their age difference, but considering that Alia was six years older than Byrn and about the same number of years younger than Ryonus, she could reasonably choose between either man if that was her desire.

“
Quite a lady, that one,” Levak mentioned raising his own mug in Alia’s direction, snapping Byrn’s attention back to the mustachioed man.

“
Indeed,” Byrn agreed with a hefty slush of beer down his throat causing the two older men to burst out laughing.

Before Byrn could ask what the joke was Skynryd blurted out, “He sure is a love sick pup!” causing the pair to laugh at Byrn’s expense some more.

“
Is this how you treat a hero, old man?” Tomlin asked them and took a seat next to Byrn, his stint on stage finished for the moment. “I don’t mind admitting I was afraid you were going to die when you transported in all messed up like that.”

“
Well if Lady Alia isn’t interested, it sounds like Tomlin might want to be your girlfriend,” Levak suggested with a wily grin. Skynryd spit out his beer as a fit of laughter exploded from his lips.

Tomlin’s face was twisted up and looked like he was about to deliver some clever retort, when instead a light seemed to gleam in his eyes and a squirrelly smile creased his face. “You have a thing for the boss-lady? Good on you,” he added putting an arm around Byrn, “There is nothing like watching a man try to overcome a great challenge.”

“
You think he has a chance?” Levak finished off his mug and began pouring another.

“
Not a chance,” Tomlin assured them, “but that doesn’t mean he should not try.”

“
Yes, listen to the kid, Byrn, because no one knows more about women than a fifteen year old boy.” Skynryd smacked his hand on the table and laughed righteously.

“
I certainly know more than some dried out old priest,” returned Tomlin causing the rest of the table to break out in laughter, but they all quieted as Alia and Xander Necros approached.

“
You boys are enjoying yourselves,” noted Xander with humor, “What is so funny?”

“
We were just discussing the fairer sex,” offered Levak with a twirl of his ‘stache.

“
Really?” Alia placed a hand on the table so that she had to lean over Byrn’s shoulder. “Discussing anyone I know?” she cocked an eyebrow at Byrn.

“
They were more discussing,” an embarrassed Byrn admitted, “I was just…”

“…
Being teased,” added Levak.

“…
Mocked,” Skynryd suggested.

“…
Listening to the chatter of drunken louts,” Alia suggested, causing a new round of laughter from the men.

“
What? I was trying to be helpful,” Tomlin objected with a genuinely hurt expression.

Xander grinned as he watched the exchange. “To be young and full of life again,” he mused. “Youth truly is wasted on the young.” To Byrn he added, “I wanted to extend my thanks to you for your part in my rescue. The gods must have been smiling on me when they put you in that cell opposite mine all those years ago.”

“
You’re welcome, Xander. I’m glad to repay the kindness you showed me back then.” Thinking of his time in Baj and the friends he made there, Byrn asked, “How is Ryonus feeling… and Kellen?”

“
Ryonus feels like he is a bundle of nerves like you, but that will pass soon. He woke a few hours before you did. As the spell caster you took the worst of it.” Skynryd lectured, “As for… Kellen- the prison guard has not waked yet, but he is stable. How do you know him?”

“
We fought together when the ogres attacked Colum. He is also a hometown hero.”

“
He is no mere guard. I have met him. He is the dungeon lord of Baj,” Xander considered the possibilities, but said no more.

Alia excused herself and found her way to the impromptu stage on the dais. She began to sing a ballad of love in her sweet songbird style. The strongest of enchanters were also renowned for their musical talents in the same way that strong fighters were known for being muscular. Every magician in the room fell silent and listened intently to her song.

“
She has grown into a woman far removed from the doting little girl I left behind,” Xander whispered to Byrn. “She was only thirteen when I was captured.”

Byrn did not know what to say to that, eventually he settled on, “She is an amazing woman.”

Tomlin put an arm around each of the men and squeezed his way between them. “I can feel the love,” he said looking from one to the other. Before either man could respond Tomlin stepped past them and headed for a pair of teen girls that were giggling and looking in his direction. “Enjoying the celebration, ladies?” they heard him say as he sauntered over to the waiting beauties.

***

Byrn stared at the ceiling as he tried unsuccessfully to fall asleep. Thoughts of the raven songbird played over and over in his head. He tossed back and forth trying to get comfortable. Thoughts of Alia came unbidden making attempts at sleep a waste of time. He remembered her closeness as she leaned over him and the gentle touch of her hand on his own.

He sat up so that he could see out the window. The night was chilly with the promise of the coming winter. It felt refreshing on his bare skin. Why did he hesitate?

Byrn pulled on his pants and a tunic and left the room. He strolled the hallways hoping to clear his head. The sound of laughter came from down the hall. Byrn sensed the abundant heat coming down the hall of three bodies. Two stayed behind and entered a room while the third headed his way. Within a minute Tomlin came into view and walked past Byrn with a wide smile and whistling some cheerful tune. “Great celebration,” was all Tomlin said as they passed each other and Byrn was too dumbstruck to answer. Skynryd would never believe this.

The halls were dark, but the silence was comforting instead of foreboding, as one might have expected. It would have been good to roam the halls with nothing except his own thoughts if his mind did not keep wandering back to the enchantress. What was she doing? Was she awake at this hour thinking of him?

His hand knocked on the door before he realized what he was doing. Byrn was standing outside of Alia’s room. There was no answer and Byrn breathed a sigh that consisted of relief and disappointment at the same time. It would be better to walk away and talk to Alia in the morning.

He knocked again.

“
Hold on,” said the voice on the other side of the door. A minute later Alia opened it dressed in a white silken nightgown that clung to her body. Her hair was down and draped over a shoulder revealing much of her soft, white neck. Her lips curled into a coy smile at the site of the man standing outside her door. “Byrn, what are you doing here?” she asked in her usually measured voice that sounded at once warm, but still distant.

“
That is an excellent question and I wish to the gods that I had an answer for you,” Byrn admitted. “When my mind wanders, I think of you and then I can think of nothing else. You have a strength about you that is like no one I have ever met.”

For the first time that he could recall Alia looked surprised, “I am sorry. I never intended to drive you to such distraction.”

“
You are inscrutable! You know that?” Byrn took Alia’s hands in his own. “Just tell me do you care for me as I care for you?”

Alia pulled him close and he became keenly aware of her body pressed against him. “I do think of you, but it is a difficult position for me to be in. As the leader of the Collective I have to remain impartial. I can’t allow my feelings to get in the way of what must be done. I did not want you to go to Baj, but I knew your knowledge of the area made you the most capable of finding a way in and when you returned sick and nearly kneeling at Kassani’s throne, I blamed myself for convincing you to put yourself in danger. I am not used to second guessing my decisions. It is not a feeling I enjoy.

“
So what do I do the next time? How many more times will I have to ask you to risk your life knowing that you must always hold back against enemies that would show you no such kindness?”

“
You don’t have to ask. It is my life and I will risk it as I see fit. You lead the Collective in a sense, but you don’t command me. My decisions are my own.” He leaned in and kissed her then, holding her close until he was consumed by her touch so that he was unaware of anything else around him.