Sorceress' Blood (16 page)

Hours passed and Ashley cried until she ran out of tears and then she
just lay there. She didn't make a sound. She didn't move until,
finally, there was a light. A lantern hovered off the ground and
started glowing warmly. Ashley wiped her eyes, then her cheeks and
sat up, looking towards the light. She saw the familiar face of Lord
Edward looking down at her.

“You are a powerful thing, aren't you? I'm surprised anyone so
young could have so much talent.”

“I have the Sorceress' blood in me,” Ashley explained.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and watched Lord Edward. He
wasn't coming closer and that was good. He wasn't like Lord Sebastian
was at all and his sorcerers weren't funny like Benjamin was. She
didn't like Lord Edward or his castle, or his Tower or anything about
this place.

“You do, do you? Well that is what they say. One day you might
be even stronger than The Sorceress and wouldn't that be something?
But if you go around killing your teachers then how could you
possibly get better?” Ashley didn't have an answer. “How
does it feel to kill someone, Ashley? How do you like being a
murderer and a criminal?”

“I didn't want to, but...” Ashley paused and thought. She
didn't want to kill anyone. Did she have any other choice? Did it
matter? “I couldn't help myself. I think he deserved it
anyway.”

“Children from troubled homes always end up being the burden on
society.”

“What?”

“Never mind.” Edward sat down where he was.

Ashley saw a door behind him and when the lantern lit the ground she
saw the shards of the broken tea cup. Was he upstairs? Did he watch
her? Ashley couldn't explain how he'd gotten there and she realised
that he was being very nice after she'd killed one of his sorcerers.

“I've been doing some reading about you, Ashley.”

“About me?”

“That's right. I know when you were adopted and I even know the
name of your parents and how old you were when they abandoned you to
the care of the state. I know that the man who adopted you lied about
who he was. Did you know he'd been to jail for robbing a bank and
running over a policeman in his escape?”

“No.”

“I know things that you can't read on government files, too.
Like that he hits. I know that the kids at your school hit you too,
and that's why you don't go. That's why you were out walking alone
when you were nearly run over.

“How do you know?”

“Do you have to ask?” Edward grinned. “Magic!”
He paused a moment to take in Ashley's reaction and then continued
“You're so young and already you're skipping school. Isn't it
good you have people like me to take care of you? I'm taking care of
Rebecca too. I've given you new clothes and I've given her food and
soon she'll be making friends. I think she likes it here.” Lord
Edward's voice was soft and calm but it didn't sound like it really
cared. Ashley thought it almost sounded as if he was making fun of
her and any second he'd start laughing. He didn't, though. He kept on
talking in that smooth, false way as if it were an art he'd perfected
over years of practice.

“Does she?”

“Yes. But you don't, do you?”

“No.”

“No. I know you don't because, just like Benjamin, I can see in
your mind. I know you want to leave but where would you go? Do you
think Rebecca could take care of you? She can't even take care of
herself any more. You both have to rely on me now.”

“We would be okay.”

“I don't think so. It's a dangerous world out there and the
Thralls are looking for you. They want to kill you. But maybe you
deserve to be killed as well.”

“That's not true!”

“It's okay. Just relax, Ashley. I already said that you're safe
here. I'm your friend, remember? I'm not going to hurt you. I don't
think I could stop you from leaving though. But do you really want to
take Rebecca away from a place where she is safe and happy?”

“Is she really?”

“She is, Ashley. She really is.”

“I guess not.”

“It's late. You must have been lying here in the dark for a
long time. Did you fall asleep?”

“I don't know. I don't think I did.”

“Well maybe you did and maybe you didn't. But I'll tell you
what. I'll forget this ever happened if you do too. Tomorrow you can
start fresh and maybe you'll learn to be happy here as well. What do
you say?”

“I...” I hate you. “... guess so.”

“Good.” Lord Edward made no sign of knowing what she'd
thought. Suddenly all the lanterns that had fallen on the floor lit
up and moved themselves back into their place on the ceiling. Ashley
realised for the first time that none of them were hanging by
anything. Just like everything else in the Tower they floated and
glowed because that is what they did.

Lord Edward escorted Ashley down to the second floor of the Tower and
through the maze until they got to the door of her room.

“Good night, Ashley.” Then he was gone. Ashley silently
went into her room and went to bed. She wished Rebecca was there,
even just to say good night. At least she was happy. Then Ashley fell
asleep and drifted through the night without dreaming and without
thinking of Ashley The... Ashley the Whatever-She-Was. She couldn't
remember. Something starting with F. It didn't matter any more.

Ashley woke up the next morning without being told to. The air wasn't
as cold and even though there was no window she guessed that it was
later in the morning because she wasn't as tired. But she had no way
of knowing for sure. She was completely separated from the world in
this place. She had decided, against her better judgement, to give
the Tower and China a second chance. While she wondered who would be
teaching her now and what she would have to do, she sat with her
blankets wrapped around her and waited for something to happen. She
was getting hungry and the idea of leaving her room had occurred to
her but she didn't trust the twisting corridors and impossible nature
of the Tower enough to go exploring. She would, almost certainly,
become lost forever. So she sat and she waited and when she got bored
she started making the wooden chest open and close with her magic.
When she'd done it so many times that it was as simple and effortless
as using her hands, she tried making it happen without saying a word.
Open. She commanded with her thoughts but nothing happened. Her mind
was split between what she wanted to do and making the command. Open.
Not even a little bit of movement. Open. Open. Open. Still nothing.
Magic either worked or it didn't, she guessed. She could do it. She
had to focus and had to need it to happen just like before. Now, you
stupid box, open up! She was disturbed by a knock at her door.

“Are you awake?” Ashley didn't recognise the voice.

“Yes.” She answered and watched the door. She felt
nervous and on guard but she didn't know what she was waiting for or
what she'd do if it happened.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes.” The door opened and an old Chinese man with thick
white hair and a full beard came in. Ashley almost laughed at the
sight of him. Immediately she thought he looked like Santa Claus,
right out of a book. This Santa Claus was much thinner, however, and
was wearing a grey robe buttoned at the neck. His long sleeves made
it look as if he had no hands, just two bowls of rice at the end of
his arms. Whoever he was, he wasn't much taller than Ashley and age
had wrinkled his skin. He seemed to be smiling at her with a
friendly, cartoon character grin. Ashley was too much in awe of his
appearance to say anything, but she could still feel the tickle of a
laugh in her throat.

“Are you hungry?”

Ashley nodded. The old Santa Claus man put one of the bowls down in
front of Ashley and then he sat down and began to eat from the other.
Ashley picked up her bowl and after a few failed attempts at using
the sticks she'd been given, she put them on the floor and ate with
her hands.

When Santa Claus had finished his food, he set the bowl down with the
sticks sitting neatly across the top. He eyed Ashley for a moment,
smiling, and then finally spoke.

“They told me about you.”

“What?”

“They told me who you are. They told me you have a gift. That's
why I'm going to be teaching you now. I have a gift too.”

“What sort of gift?”

“I'm very good at what we call kinetic magic. Moving things,
lifting things, throwing things – all with magic. They said
you're very good at that.”

“I can't do much else.”

“That's okay. You'll learn to do lots with time. But for now I
think we'll focus on what you're good at until you really know what
you're doing.”

“Did they tell you about the last man who taught me?”

“Yes, they did.”

Things went quiet. Ashley waited for him to say something else.
Anything else. She didn't even know why she brought it up. Was it a
warning? Was she sorry? She looked away from Santa Claus and tried
not to feel too awkward.

“Are you finished?” Ashley nodded. Ashley's bowl lifted
off the ground and floated over to the old man's bowl. His sticks
parted and the bowls stacked with a soft clink. Santa Claus picked up
the bowls and stood up. “They always try to tell us that magic
isn't a toy to play with. But I won't say anything, if you won't.”
And he gave Ashley a wink. Ashley stared at him, unsure of how things
would be. She had the definite feeling that the world was somehow
against her and that the Tower, in all its cold mystery, felt more
like a prison than the home she'd been promised.

However, Santa Claus was not like Lord Edward or the man all in black
that found her in the village. He was friendly and a little bit
strange but in a harmless, friendly way. Ashley liked having him as a
teacher more than any of the others who had come before. He never
pushed Ashley and he was always kind to her. When Ashley needed to
rest, they rested and when she was hungry they ate. Santa Claus was
more like a friend than a teacher and Ashley saw herself become
stronger and more in control of her magic than she thought she could
ever be. She had always been told that Santa Claus was a lie and
that's why he didn't bring her presents on the day everyone else
called Christmas. But now part of her wondered if she was standing
right there next to the real Santa Claus – a funny little man
who had jumped right out of the pages of a story book. Ashley always
remembered him fondly and the time she had with him as one of the
happiest of her life.

Then all too soon it happened. Santa Claus was telling Ashley about
when he was living in the Tower as a student just like her. Ashley
sat listening with so much interest that she didn't hear the
footsteps on the stairs. She never heard the door open or the
unsheathing of a blade. All she saw was Santa Claus' robes suddenly
turn red. His voice choked and he gurgled. His face twisted with
agony. Ashley watched Santa Claus drop to the ground. They had come
for her. They had come with knives and they were marked by tattoos.
She'd seen their bald heads before and recognised the dark clothes,
stained and dirty and bearing a red picture. They were Thralls and
they had come for her. Santa Claus moved. He tried to push himself
up. One of the Thralls pushed him back down on the ground. The one
next to him lifted his foot and stomped down on his head. Ashley
screamed and looked away but she had already seen his skull break.
The third Thrall, the biggest of them all, drew his handgun and
levelled it at Ashley.

“Just go ahead and try something.” His voice sounded the
way a snake's would if it could talk. Each word was mean and
disgusted. Ashley couldn't talk and she couldn't move. “Get her
and let's go.”

“Where are we going?” Ashley forced the words from her
mouth.

“We're taking you to our home. You're going to meet The
Sorceress.”

“No.”

“You don't have a choice. We've looked long and hard for the
heir and now we've found her. That's the only reason we haven't
killed you.” The other two Thralls grabbed Ashley's arms so
tight that it hurt. The biggest of them all came closer to her. He
trod on Santa Claus' body. He raised his gun. Then everything went
dark.

Rebecca's slap barely interrupted Lord Edward's laughter.

“You did what!” Rebecca demanded.

“I gave her to the Thralls. They want their Sorceress and now
I'm giving her to them. It's over, Rebecca.”

“You bastard.”

“Whatever you have to say doesn't matter. You've still lost and
now the Sorceress will be reborn with the blood of her heir. Go on.
Go chase after Ashley.”

“I will. I will and you won't stop me.”

“Why would I want to do that? Now go.” Rebecca didn't
waste any more words. She turned from Edward's office and ran. She
ran as fast as she could down the stairs and through the corridors.
She was almost out the door when she ran into Jin with a group of
other knights.

“Rebecca. Where are you going?”

“Get out of my way!” Rebecca tried to push him aside but
Jin easily, instinctively caught her hands and held her in place.

“What's wrong?”

“Edward has given Ashley to the Thralls. I have to go stop
them.”

“What? Why would he do that?”

“Because she's the Sorceress' heir. They'll use her to bring
the Sorceress back.”

“That can't be. Lord Edward swore to stop the Sorceress from
returning.”

“Well, he changed his mind. Now let me go.”

“We'll go talk to him. You must have made a mistake.”

“I've got nothing else to say to you, Lord Edward or any of the
Knights or the servants. I've had enough!” Rebecca pulled
suddenly with her arms and lifted her knee into Jin's crotch. His
hands dropped away from Rebecca and he stood in agony.

“Alright. Alright. I just wanted to help.”

“Jin, did you really not know anything about this?”

“No. I thought we were trying to protect you and Ashley.”