Rise of the Fire Tamer (The Wordwick Games #1) (15 page)

Chapter 17

T
his landing at the castle was a quiet one. Not because the dragon had suddenly learned some grace in its landings, it still came to earth like an oversized plower as far as Gem could tell, but simply because there was hardly anyone around to greet them. The courtyard, the walls, and even the space before the castle were more or less deserted, with only the pair of Goolrick’s soldiers standing outside the doors to the main hall giving any clue that there was anybody home at all.

They disappeared inside for a moment, and Gem found herself wondering what was wrong. Had some misfortune struck while she was out? Only when they reappeared, hauling three sides of meat between them and laying them down in front of the dragon, did Gem let herself relax a little.

“Lord Goolrick said the beast might be hungry,” one of them explained without being asked. “So we had some food standing by.”

It turned out that the dragon
was
hungry, though Gem wasn’t sure why she was surprised by that. Its three heads descended, gobbling up the meat with the sort of speed that probably promised indigestion later. Not a good thing in something that could breath fire. Gem found herself wondering where it might be possible to find antacid tablets the size of a small shield, but thankfully that thought was interrupted by the other guard.

“Forgive me, milady, but Lord Goolrick would like to see you both.”

“Where is he?” she asked.

“More to the point,” Sparks added, “where is everybody else?”

The first guard shrugged.

“Most of the Spurious lot went home, and everybody else is busy making preparations, so there’s just us.”

“What sort of preparations?” Gem asked. The guard started for the doors.

“I’m sure Lord Goolrick will explain, milady. He’s in the royal apartments now, if you’d like to speak with him.”

Gem suspected that was the only way she was going to get a straight answer, so she set off after the guard. Sparks fell into step beside her.

“What do you think is going on?” she asked him.

“I don’t know, maybe they’re planning a party? After all, it can’t be every day that someone defeats dragons, reaches compromises between the tribes
and
comes up with a way to make the whole land prosperous.”

Gem had to admit she liked the thought of that. It was a thought that occupied her most of the way up the stairs and along the hall that led to the royal bedrooms. The guards opened the great oak doors to them, revealing a plush interior of tapestries, silk screens and gold that was almost as ostentatious as Goolrick’s robe as he sat at a desk within. Gem saw the small nod he gave, but didn’t have chance to think what it might mean before she found her arm twisted painfully behind her back.

“Goolrick? What’s going on?”

The young wizard stepped forward sharply, clamping something around her wrist, then around Sparks’. Gem saw that it was a bracelet of dull gray that seemed almost like lead.

“An idea of one of my teacher’s predecessors,” Goolrick explained. “Pure essence of ignorance distilled from the stupidest ogres we could find. It should stop you using too many ruler words.”

“You’re betraying us?” Gem demanded. Goolrick headed back to his table, motioning for the guards to bring them forward. A sheet of parchment and a quill sat under a chain mail gauntlet that seemed to be doing double duty as a paperweight.

“I asked Henry Word for help, Gem,” the wizard said, “not for a ruler. What use am I then? Now, you ran off in such a hurry because you had an idea. I take it that you have found a way to ensure our prosperity?”

He raised the quill, as though he actually expected Gem to explain the whole thing. Gem shook her head.

“I’m not going to tell you anything if you’re going to do it like this, Goolrick. Force won’t get you anywhere.”

Goolrick sighed and stood, picking up the metal glove.

“I was hoping to get through this without violence,” the young wizard said. “If you make this harder than it has to be, though, my men do have some skills when it comes to this sort of thing. I’m sure that they’d do quite a good job of hurting your friend.”

Gem couldn’t help a glance over to Sparks. The guard holding him did so firmly, and didn’t seem to care that twisting Sparks’ arm like that was obviously hurting him. Gem tried not to show how much it pained her to see that. She wasn’t sure that she succeeded.

“What about the others?” she asked. “What have you done with them?”

Goolrick shrugged.

“They are safely locked away. They haven’t been hurt. You can join them later. For now, I need those plans, Gem.”

Gem could still hardly believe that Goolrick was doing this. More to the point, she could hardly believe that he thought it would succeed.

“The people won’t stand for this.”

“The people will do what they’re told,” Goolrick shot back. “Especially if I have all the elements of a ruler myself. The dragon should already be dozing nicely with the poison I put in the meat, and I will have it chained before it wakes. The plans for prosperity will pacify most people anyway, and if I cannot wear the golden cloak of a royal, at least I’ll have the girl who does.”

He smiled then, and Gem felt the anger building in her. She wrenched at the grip of the guard holding her.

“Goolrick, if you think this is going to work, you’re mad. I’ll never help you. Never.”

“Yeah,” Sparks added. “Don’t tell him anything, Gem.”

A flash of anger crossed the wizard’s features. In a quick motion, he slapped Sparks with the gauntlet he held. Gem saw blood start from a gash on the boy’s cheek and set about her efforts to escape the restraint of her guard’s grip with renewed tenacity. He just twisted her arm further, making Gem gasp in pain.

“Stop,” Goolrick commanded. He gave the guard a cold look. “Hurt her again, and I’ll have your head.”

The guard’s grip relaxed instantly.

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d care,” Gem said. The wizard looked away. “Why are you doing this, Goolrick?”

“I do what I must. Do you know what it’s like to spend your time caring about a place, doing all you can for it, and then seeing it snatched away from you?”

Gem gave the two guards a pointed look.

“I’m beginning to get an idea.”

“I’m just trying to do what I can for Anachronia. Now, give me the plans you have for our future prosperity.”

Gem shook her head.

“I’ll need to see the others first. Betraying us like this doesn’t exactly make it easy to trust your word, Goolrick.”

Another flash of anger showed on Goolrick’s face, but it was quickly replaced by sadness.

“No, I suppose it doesn’t. Come then. I’ll take you to them.”

He made his way over to one of the tapestries and pulled it aside, revealing a door. Beyond it was a staircase leading down. Gem sighed. She wondered idly if Goolrick was actively trying for every hackneyed “evil wizard” cliché he could find. If he started laughing maniacally, Gem decided, she was making another escape attempt, regardless of the consequences.

They left the guards behind, Goolrick leading Gem by the arm down into the bowels of the castle. He led her through a short tunnel, then further, into a dungeon space. There was more light down here than she’d expected, and by it, she could see the row of cells. Jack, Kat and Rio occupied three of them, while the rest were empty. They looked well enough, though Rio had a bruise on his temple.

“I thought you said they were unharmed.” Gem couldn’t quite keep the anger out of her voice.

Goolrick shrugged.

“If they have been hurt a little, I am sorry. They have not been seriously harmed though. Ask them, if you will.”

Gem did.

“A few bruises,” Rio replied, “nothing serious.”

“I’m fine,” Jack said.

Kat was less submissive about it.

“What, you mean aside from being grabbed and locked up
again?
What am I, the designated damsel in distress here?”

Gem didn’t get a chance to answer that. Goolrick led her away, back to the tunnel.

“You have seen them now. They are safe. It is time to make good on your part of the bargain by telling me what you’ve found.”

Gem bit back an angry response, instead explaining briefly about the land she had found, and what could be done to make it work.

“You thought things through better than I could have hoped,” Goolrick said. Gem ignored it. She was pretty sure that compliments from people who had your friends imprisoned didn’t count.

“So now what?” she demanded instead. “Do you kill me? I must be an inconvenience to your plans.”

Goolrick actually winced at that.

“Gem, I couldn’t kill you, and it’s hardly like I need to. Once we’re married, it will hardly make much difference.”

“Married?”

Gem could hardly believe her ears, but Goolrick nodded.

“The Spurious have accepted you. I will make an announcement of your plan later, then once you’re accepted as the ruler, I will rule as your husband. You will, in effect abdicate all power. No one needs to get hurt.”

Gem took a breath, to see if it would help.

“Just one question,” she asked finally, “what on earth makes you think I’ll go along with this? I almost think I’d rather die.”

Goolrick’s eyes narrowed.

“What about your friends? Would you rather they died? Sparks, Rio, Jack, Kat? You, I wouldn’t hurt, but them… I could even make it look like the dragon did it, if you like. People would soon clamor for its blood, and for the destruction of its egg.uction op<

“You wouldn’t.”

Goolrick rubbed his eyes in the dull light of the tunnel.

“I might. I don’t know what I’ll do anymore. I haven’t known since you arrived. Please just think about it. It wouldn’t be so bad being my queen.” He grinned a surprisingly boyish grin. “I’ll have you know that I’m actually pretty popular with the women of the court.”

Gem swallowed.

“No doubt thanks to some of your potions. What sort of drugs do you give them to make them want you?”

“What? I do
not
… Gem,” Goolrick’s voice took on a more urgent note. He grabbed her hand, the hand that held the ring he had given her. “I want you, and I want the throne. It’s the only way.”

Gem could feel the conviction of it in him as the ring worked its magic. More than that, she could feel something else too. She felt how much she wanted the same as Goolrick. She wanted to be his queen, truly wanted it. And if that want seemed to pulse outwards from the ring she wore, it seemed only natural that she should feel it most at the point where her skin met her beloved’s.

She kissed him then, and somewhere in it they tumbled to the tunnel floor. Gem lay above Goolrick, and when they eventually paused for breath, she spoke.

“We’ll need to be married before the coronation, and it will need to be a big wedding. Spurious, my friends, even the dragon will need to be there. If not, people might not believe that I’m marrying you because I love you. I want them to see.”

“I… don’t know.”

“I do,” Gem insisted, kissing him again. “I want to be your queen and come to you every night. In fact, why wait for our wedding night?”

Goolrick half closed his eyes beneath her.

“You don’t know how much I want you. No one else would have made me plan so deeply to have them. No one. Anachronia doesn’t deserve you. Only I do. When we are married, I will take the burden of ruling, leaving you free to be everything to me. You’re perfect, Gem.”

Gem smiled and kissed him again.

“Is that a yes to the wedding?” she asked.

“Definitely.”

Sparks
watched the pair of them come up the stairs hand in hand, kissing. He could hardly believe it.

“What have you done to her?” he demanded of Goolrick. The wizard ignored him. “Whatever it is, that’s not Gem. She wouldn’t do that. Whatever you’ve done to her, it isn’t real. It isn’t”

The wizard struck him then of course, and ordered him taken to the others, but Sparks didn’t care.

“It isn’t real!” he yelled over his shoulder as they dragged him off…

In
his cell, Rio waited. Kat was making a lot of noise next door, but it wouldn’t do much good. The only thing to do was wait, and trust that Gem would think of a way to get them all out of this…

Gem found herself thinking about what Sparks had yelled, but shook her head. He was just jealous of what she and Goolrick had. Maybe after the wedding, he would understand…

For his part, Goolrick watched Gem. He had done it. He had actually done it. He had everything he had wanted, and Anachronia would finally work. So why, now that some stupid boy had shouted something, did it not feel nearly as good as it should have?