Jake's War, Book Two of Wizards (6 page)

We held onto each other for a while and then I hopped.

Esmeralda and her parents had done their best to keep me out of the royal library after I became their wizard. But I knew its location well enough to hop directly there.

Salice and Wales are in similar time zones and it was late in the night when I arrived. Lanterns flickered, hanging from dark stained oak beams. This was not the kind of place you have naked flames as the books were far too precious. Centuries of accumulated knowledge stood to attention on the shelves around me. I felt distinctly intimidated as I have never been one for reading books. Not even fiction.

The person I hoped to find peered into an ancient tome. A lantern on either side of the book shone light onto the pages via a lens arrangement. She looked up at me and then looked quickly away.

“It is good to see you well enough to hop, mi'Lord Wizard.”

I wasn't having any of that kind of talk and two could play at that game.

“And it's good to see you too, mi'Lady Wizard.”

Urda rose from her chair and knelt in front of me.

“Only a wizard since you made me into one last night.”

I took her gently by her arms and raised her to her feet. I staggered under the strain and she steadied me, staring at me with anxious eyes.

“Only alive because you saved me. And thanks for stopping me falling down just then.”

“You should be in bed. I will take you to mine.”

I resisted as she began to drag me from the library.

“Urda, Bronwyn has pledged to take this kingdom and make everyone her slaves. I need your help, not your bed.” Though I will admit that a lie down sounded like a very good idea just then.

Urda looked up at me and her pupils dilated making her eyes look huge.

“I will do anything for you, mi'Lord.
Anything
.”

There was something a little unsettling about the way she said that so I decided to ignore it.

“Well, you can start by calling me, Jake. Every time you say mi'Lord I keep looking behind me to see who you're talking too.”

“As mi'… you wish, Jake.”

“Urda, you've been reading all these books on magic and you did a brilliant job of healing me.”

I lifted her chin because her head had dropped to gaze at the floor as soon as I spoke. The girl was blushing again. I never used to have this effect on women. It felt more than a little weird.

“I can absorb anything you've learned if we both put a hand on the book and you will me to know. Have you read any of the books Bronwyn took?”

Urda looked downcast and I knew her answer before she spoke.

“I sought healing. Bronwyn took books on using magic to fight.”

My legs were getting unsteady again so I directed us to a table where we could talk sitting down.

“Healing might be useful. Did you study it specifically to heal me?”

“I studied it before Bronwyn attacked you. It was what gave Princess Esmeralda the idea. Some of those you brought here from Barren have trouble sleeping and often wake up screaming.”

I had rescued a load of children from a world where girls and boys were regularly accused of witchcraft before being burnt at the stake. It was also the world where Bronwyn was raped after being accused. It couldn't be described by even the most charitable person as a nice place.

“I didn't know. I could have helped.”

Urda smiled. She was a very attractive young woman when she smiled.

“You gave us our lives. What more could we ask of you?”

“I healed Bronwyn's physical wounds, but not her mental ones. Do you know how to do that?”

Urda shook her head.

“What I don't get is why you and the others didn't go crazy because of what they did to you. Would you have killed Grimaldi for putting you over his knee? What makes Bronwyn so different?”

It wasn't a clever thing to say. I could see from the way Urda's eyes glistened that she was close to tears. It just happened to be the question going around in my head and I've never learned how to keep the stupid things in there.

“They tortured my body, did terrible things, but I separated my mind as they worked and they never tortured
me
. The less troubled of us say the same. I think that Bronwyn could not split herself. There are many in Barren I might go back to kill someday, but I could never have hurt Grimaldi nor anyone else who's heart is good, no matter what they did to me.”

“Teach me what you know, Urda.”

“Am I a wizard forever, Jake? Or will this power you gave me fade away as I use it?”

I looked into Urda in a way I can't explain, nor knew I could do until she asked. Magical forces swirled around something beautiful within her that might best be called a soul. I could see no sign she would lose her abilities.

“It's permanent, I think. You are who you were meant to be.”

Urda leaned over the table and kissed me on the cheek.

“I'll go and get the books.”

It wasn't necessary for our hands to touch as I absorbed the information, but when I put my hand on the book, Urda placed her hand so her fingers touched mine.

She seemed disappointed when we finished. As I stood up to leave she spoke.

“The Princess has read the books Bronwyn took.”

Chapter Nine: Esmeralda

I walked through the Palace to Esmeralda's room as I was far too tired to hop. Besides which, nothing good has ever come from hopping into that girl's room. Well, there have been some unforgettable sights, I have to admit, but nothing that was good for me in the long run.

It was no real distance, but it took me ages. I leaned against the wall every ten feet or so to get my strength back. The magic I'd put on my muscles couldn't work unless I was lying down, preferably asleep. All it was doing now was keeping them from getting any worse. But I had to protect us from Bronwyn. It couldn't wait.

I gathered my strength as I stood swaying in front of Esmeralda's door. I was about to knock when the door flew open and Esmeralda stood in front of me.

“Well Jake, have you come to admire your handiwork?”

She opened her dressing gown revealing her nightdress and the very visible baby bump in her tummy.

“Err, no, I mean yes… I never intended… It was an accident… I didn't mean…” I stopped talking before my mouth said something I couldn't get myself out of. I was
tired
for God's sake.

“We have a saying in Salice. If you walk through a bog and find yourself up to your neck, the first thing to do is to stop walking. I see you've learned that wisdom … almost.”

“I need your help, Esmeralda.”

She looked me up and down and I could swear she barely suppressed a smile that changed to a familiar frown as one of my knees gave way. I grabbed the side of the door to stay upright. She came closer and helped me into the room.

“A romantic man might have said how well I looked, or kissed his bride to be. But in your case, needing my help is something, I suppose. Sit down before you fall down. I've poured you some tea.”

I have never felt so grateful to be sitting down. Esmeralda sat in a chair on the other side of the elegant little round table in front of me. As she said, an ornate cup and saucer was ready on the table, filled with the brown liquid the locals call tea. A similar cup was in front of her and she lifted it to her lips and indicated I should do the same. I was in no mood to drink and slid the cup to one side. Esmeralda looked displeased.

A stray thought penetrated my somewhat befuddled state. She had known I was coming. I could have sworn I removed the magic that told her where I was. I stared into Esmeralda in the way I did with Urda and saw she was free of magic, except for a tiny buzz where the baby lay within her. It seemed I was going to have at least one wizard for a child.

Urda
must have got here before me and told her I was coming
. That thought made sense and I relaxed.

“Do I meet My Lord's satisfaction?” Esmeralda asked with just a tiny bit of bite in her voice. That was unlike her, usually there was a lot.

“I was thinking how lovely you look. And I'm sorry I got you…”

“Never say that,” she said quickly. “I am delighted to be with child and it was a child conceived in love … at least on my part.”

“Esmeralda… I…”

“…need my help. I know. You've said that already. But drink your tea before it gets cold.” She reached across the table, moving the cup and saucer in front of me again.

“Bronwyn plans to take Salice.”

Esmeralda's eyes glinted. “This kingdom is not for sale, especially not to a murderess. You missed Grimaldi's funeral.”

The sudden change of topic took me by surprise.

“I'm sorry. I wanted to be there. Did it go well?”

Esmeralda lifted her cup and indicated I should do the same. I took the cup in my hands.

“It went as well as funerals ever go. Your absence was commented on, but with Jenny and Retnor in attendance, no one could say you had slighted him. Not many men get dragonfire over their grave as a mark of respect.”

I put down the cup as a vision of what that must have looked like washed through my mind. Good old Fluffy, he was a better statesman than me. Esmeralda coughed the way people do when they want your attention.

“Let's raise a toast to Grimaldi, to honor him.” She took a sip of her tea.

I raised my cup and put it to my lips. Then I thought better of it and put the cup down.

“Not until I've dealt with Bronwyn.”

Esmeralda slammed her cup down so hard I was amazed it didn't break.

“Well then, enough of that. I will introduce you to Grimaldi's brother when I get the chance. He has chosen to take over his brother's business as family tradition dictates. How exactly am I supposed to help you?”

“You've read the books that Bronwyn took. If I can get that information from your mind we'll be even.”

Esmeralda stood and paced over to her bed and back.

“No, you will still be behind her. Who knows what else she might have learned since then? You can't beat her by trying to catch up with her. You must go beyond what she is.”

“You stopped me from reading the books in the library.” This was certainly true. She and her parents always found a reason why I shouldn't go there whenever I asked.

Esmeralda gripped the sides of the table and leaned over so her face was only inches from mine. She hissed at me.

“You would have learned that men changed to stone cannot be restored and my father would be dead. You would have learned there are no such things as magic rings and we would all be dead.”

I felt anger rise in me and hissed back.

“I would have learned how to heal and Grimaldi would be alive. I would have learned that magic circles work and Bronwyn would no longer be a problem.” We locked eyes as though we were enemies for long moments. Then I leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. Her look of outrage changed to laughter and she sat back in her chair, her face bright red.

“How do you plan to extract this knowledge from me?”

It was my turn to redden slightly. “I don't know. Perhaps if we touch hands and you think about the books I can pick it up. I learned how to dance from Jenny like that.” However, learning to dance was a much simpler thing than taking the contents of a lot of books from Esmeralda's mind.

Esmeralda smiled. “Drink your tea then. You look exhausted and tea has many healing properties.”

“To hell with the tea! I'll drink it after we try.” This continual talk about the tea was getting me down. She seemed obsessed with it.

“Very well, my Lord Wizard. Since you insist.” Esmeralda put her elbow on the table as though we were going to arm wrestle and opened her hand. “But you must drink the tea once we have done this.”

I nodded and put my arm in the same position as hers, grasping her hand. Perhaps if the magic failed we could go best-of-three in arm wrestling. No make that best-of-five, as she's tricky and would certainly win the first few rounds by devious means.

“Concentrate on the books,” I said. Though to be honest I had no idea how to do what I was asking. Books are filled with so much information.

I saw random pages flit before my eyes. Some of it came into focus, mainly about use of power. I was absorbing something from Esmeralda, but it seemed like nothing much at all. After a minute of trying I let go of her hand feeling intensely disappointed.

“It didn't work?” Esmeralda asked.

“No, it didn't.”

“Drink your tea then. It will make you feel better.”

Well it couldn't make things any worse, so I gave in and drank it. The tea was cold and tasted horrible. When it hit my stomach it warmed me in an unexpected way. A wave of cotton-wool peace expanded out and through me.

I looked at Esmeralda and saw the satisfaction on her face. It was difficult to keep my eyes open and I closed them as I slumped down on the chair.

“Get in here, Urda. He's finally taken the draft.”

Esmeralda shouted her command, but it sounded as if she was miles away. I drifted further down into clouds, but I could still hear Esmeralda from somewhere over the rainbow.

“That should keep him asleep for the best part of a day and give his body time to heal. You two carry him to his room and get him undressed… Urda, let the servants do the undressing. I want you straight back here when you've finished and no excuses.”

Chapter Ten: Visitors

I woke to afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. I felt warm and comfortable and, for the first time in a long time, I felt well. Opening my eyes, I saw Jenny sitting by the bed reading a book. I quickly shut my eyes in the hope she hadn't noticed. No such luck.

“I know you're awake, Jake Morrissey. What the hell did you think you were doing? Leaving hospital before you were recovered and hopping over here. Your parents turned up at the hospital to find you gone. Can you imagine how they felt?”