The Mage's Limits: Mages of Martir Book #2 (23 page)

So Darek walked across the rocky beach, toward the outcropping rocks at the other end. The waves of the Crystal Sea washed in and out, getting water into his shoes and making wet sand cling to his ankles, but he ignored it as he walked to the place he had seen in his dreams.

The cove was small and rocky, but it did block him from the view of the prison, which was good. He saw some clams sticking out of the sand as he went under the cove's overhang to make sure he was out of the guards' sight. There was no sign of the Ghostly God anywhere.

Where is he?
Darek thought, glancing to the left and right, even though the cove was so small that he didn't even need to do that to see that he was alone.
Just like a southern god. Tells you to meet him and fails to show up.

“We southern gods are not
that
unreliable, Darek Takren,” said a voice in his ear.

Darek jumped, but it was an awkward jump and he ended up falling on his behind on the wet sand. He immediately got up, brushing the wet crusty sand off his behind as he looked around for the Ghostly God, though he only saw mist everywhere he looked.

“Where are you?” said Darek, keeping his voice low so it wouldn't carry up to the prison.

“I'm the mist, idiot,” the Ghostly God hissed. “Remember, I'm the God of Mist as well. This was the only way I could get here without Jakuuth or any of his minions noticing.”

Darek didn't like speaking to mist, as it made him feel silly, but he nodded and said, “Oh, right. I forgot about that.”

“Yes, I see that you did,” said the Ghostly God. “That makes you almost as bad as Durima and Gujak. But I digress. Tell me what you've learned so I may report it to Skimif and the other gods.”

As quickly as he could, Darek related all that Jakuuth had told him since arriving there. It was hard to tell if the Ghostly God was listening or not, mostly because his mist form had no face or body, but Darek assumed he was.

When Darek finished, the Ghostly God said, “So he is planning to attack North Academy
and
World's End, with a mere three hundred mages?”

“Limitless mages,” Darek corrected, “who are also among the worst criminals in the Northern Isles.”

“I can't see that succeeding, no matter how 'Limitless' his mages may be,” said the Ghostly God. “Jakuuth is most likely blinded by his desire for vengeance. While I can't speak for your school, I do know that World's End will never fall, as it is the only city in Martir that has never been besieged.”

“He sounded confident about that, though,” said Darek, glancing over his shoulder just to make sure no one was nearby eavesdropping on their conversation. “He seemed to think that the Limitless Army would have no trouble destroying both places.”

“Either he's arrogant—not at all unlikely, considering he thinks he's the Son of Grinf—or he has a trump card no one knows about yet,” said the Ghostly God. “And I am afraid to say that it is very likely at this point that he has a trump card, if what we gods have found is any indication.”

“What have you and the others found?” said Darek, leaning forward eagerly.

“That's the thing,” said the Ghostly God in a troubled voice. “Although every single god in both Pantheons has been searching for Uron high and low, we haven't found even the slightest hint of him anywhere. Skimif has concluded that Uron has left Martir, though he will undoubtedly return at some point.”

“But why would he leave Martir?” said Darek. “Doesn't he want to destroy everything? Where could he have gone?”

“That is just as much a mystery to us as it is to you,” said the Ghostly God. “He probably went through the Void, as it is the only way in and out of Martir.”

Darek scratched the back of his neck nervously. “That means there must be something in the Void that he wants, right?”

“Undoubtedly,” said the Ghostly God. “But Skimif, as usual, has been debating with himself whether or not to send some of us gods into the Void to search for him. He has even considered contacting Hollech to see if he would be willing to help, though considering how much Hollech hates Skimif, I doubt my devious brother would accept any such offer, even if it was in exchange for a reduced sentence.”

“What does this have to do with Jakuuth?” Darek asked.

“We suspect that Jakuuth and Uron may be working together,” said the Ghostly God. “Uron may have freed Jakuuth from his prison beneath World's End. In exchange for that freedom, Jakuuth might have agreed to work with Uron to destroy World's End.”

“But why would Jakuuth work with Uron at all?” said Darek. “I understand Jakuuth is angry at everyone, but doesn't he know Uron will kill him as soon as he is no longer useful to his plans?”

“You know how arrogant Jakuuth is,” said the Ghostly God. “It's a common feature among the Limitless. They think they're so much smarter and stronger than everyone else that it often blinds them to their true failings. The fools.”

“So you think Jakuuth thinks he's stronger than Uron,” said Darek.

“Most likely,” said the Ghostly God. A sigh caused the mist to shimmer slightly. “It will be satisfying to see Uron kill Jakuuth, I suppose, once this is all over with—assuming, of course, you do not get to him first.”

Darek rubbed his arm. “I … I don't think I can do it, Master.”

“Do what?” said the Ghostly God.

“Kill Jakuuth,” said Darek. “He's just so powerful and I've just never killed anyone before.”

“We discussed this before,” said the Ghostly God in an uncompromising tone. “I don't care whether or not you've killed anyone before. Jakuuth needs to die. You already agreed to be the one to do it, no matter how hard it might be.”

“All right,” said Darek in a reluctant voice. “I just don't know if I will be able to find an opening.”

“You will,” said the Ghostly God. “Jakuuth is arrogant. As you grow closer to him, he will let his guard down long enough for you to stick the knife in his gut and twist.”

“If you say so,” said Darek.

“Besides, wasn't your mother an assassin?” said the Ghostly God. “What was it, a Black Cat or something like that?”

“Dark Tiger,” Darek corrected. “But she's my adopted mother. It's not like I inherited her killing skills or anything like that.”

“True enough, but killing another being honestly isn't that difficult,” said the Ghostly God. “I should know, as I killed my sister, the Goddess of Mist, back in the Godly War. How else do you think I became the God of Ghosts
and
Mist?”

The Ghostly God seemed to consider that encouraging, although all that told Darek was that the Ghostly God must have killed his own conscience at some point if he thought bragging about murdering his sister was inspirational.

“Right,” said Darek. “Well, what is going on in North Academy? Does everyone know I'm missing yet?”

“Most likely,” said the Ghostly God. “Though I will be honest: I don't know, seeing as I couldn't care less about what they are doing. I doubt they're in any sort of trouble, if that's what you're worrying about.”

Darek frowned. “I just want to know if anyone was worried about my disappearance. I vanished on the day of my graduation, after all. Surely people would start talking about that.”

“Maybe they are,” said the Ghostly God. “Maybe they aren't. I don't live there or pay attention to what happens there much, so how should I know? Nor does it matter. You can complete your mission without knowing about the sorts of strange rumors your peers might have made up about your disappearance, can't you?”

Darek was about to say yes, but before he did so, he heard light footsteps against the sand. Someone was coming, but who, he didn't know.

“I must leave,” the Ghostly God whispered. “I will let Skimif know about Jakuuth's plans. Just keep doing what you are doing and always keep an eye out for a good opportunity to kill Jakuuth.”

Darek couldn't tell whether the Ghostly God had left or not, as the mist was still there, but it didn't matter. A moment later, Aorja appeared from around the rock, eying Darek skeptically as he stood there ankle-deep in the sand.

“I heard you talking,” said Aorja. “Who were you talking to?”

Darek, avoiding Aorja's eyes, began pulling his feet out of the surf, saying as he did so, “Oh, it was nothing. I was just talking to myself. You know how I do that sometimes.”

“Right,” said Aorja, though she didn't sound like she believed him. “If you're done here, it's time to go back to the prison. Jakuuth is getting impatient and you don't want to know what he does to people who make him impatient.”

“Sure,” said Darek. “Just lead the way, Aorja, and I will follow right behind you. No more wasting time.”

Aorja rolled her eyes, but then turned and began walking away. Darek hastened to catch up with her, his wet shoes squelching against the sand, but even so, he did cast one last look over his shoulder at the mist as they walked up the beach toward the prison. He wondered if killing other people, even someone like Jakuuth, would ever become as easy for him as it was for the Ghostly God, or if that was even a good thing.

He decided that he would worry about that later, after Jakuuth was no longer a threat to North Academy and World's End.

Chapter Fifteen

“S
o you are Uron,” said Hollech, stepping forward, apparently without fear. “The one who killed my sisters and who has scared the rest of my siblings worse than anything since the Sleeping Beast.”

“I do not usually identify as such,” said Uron. “But yes, that is accurate. And you are Hollech, the God of Deception, Thieves, and Horses, correct?”

“
Former
God of Deception, Thieves, and Horses,” said Hollech. He gestured at the darkness all around them. “Now, I am the God of the Void, which makes me stronger than all of the other gods combined. Fear me.”

Durima bit her own tongue to keep from calling Hollech an idiot. A suicidal idiot, at that, considering who he was talking to.

Does Hollech want to die or does he actually believe what he's saying?
Durima wondered.

Uron stroked his chin, his yellow eyes glittering with amusement. “The God of the Void, hm? I did not know such a thing existed.”

“Now you do,” said Hollech. “So, will you stand down and flee or face the ungodly powers that I command? I will use the Void to crush you if you continue to stand in our way.”

“Very interesting,” said Uron, his tone sarcastic. “Tell me, how did you gain control of the Void? After all, it is not a creation of the Powers. It existed before Martir, probably even before them.”

“Because I conquered it,” Hollech said, gesturing at the darkness all around them. “I have lived here for thirty years, surviving when I did not even know where I would lay my head the next day. By right of conquest, the Void is my new domain.”

Uron folded his arms across his chest. “None of the half-gods told me that you were the God of the Void. They told me all about a lunatic deity living in a stone castle by himself, however.”

“Lunatic?” said Hollech. “That's it. I will crush you here and now and show everyone why I am still a god to be feared.”

Hollech thrust his arms forward, saying as he did so, “Feel the weight of the Void crush your body! Feel it!”

The half-gods appeared to believe Hollech's warning, because they began looking around in fear, like they thought that the Void would attack them at any second. Uron simply stood there, a bored look on his face, as Hollech continued to hold his arms out before him.

A minute passed before Uron sighed. “Is that all you've got? For being the God of the Void, you certainly are, how should I put it, pathetic.”

Hollech looked down at his hands in surprise. “Why didn't the Void kill you? It is under my command. This makes no sense.”

Durima would have said,
Well, actually, it does,
but she had a feeling that Hollech would not appreciate that.

Uron flexed the God-killer around his right hand. “Why don't I show you true power, rather than that fake power you tricked yourself into believing you have?”

Uron leaped at Hollech, holding the God-killer out before him like a sword. Hollech looked too stunned to move, as if he was starting to question his whole existence.

Durima, however, did not hesitate. She ran at Hollech and slammed into his side, sending them both stumbling into the dirt as Uron landed on the spot where Hollech had stood just moments before.

That blow must have been enough to snap Hollech out of his shock, because he shook his head and looked at Durima. “Did you save my life?”

Durima nodded and jumped to her feet, dusting the dirt off her fur as she said, “Yes, I did. Now get up because the fight's not over yet.”

As Hollech pushed himself up, Uron turned to face them, a look of minor annoyance on his face. “You are only delaying the inevitable. It won't be long before I kill all of the gods in Martir, including you.”

“You won't get away with it,” said Hollech, shaking one fist at Uron. “The Void may refuse to respond to my commands, but that does not mean I cannot defeat you.”

“Defeat me?” said Uron. “How? Didn't Durima and Gujak tell you that I am as strong as Skimif?”

“I will find a way,” said Hollech. “I
always
find a way.”

Uron shook his head and slammed the God-killer into his other fist. “Forget this. I will finish both of you off and then let the half-gods feast on your corpses. You are all very hungry, aren't you, boys?”

The half-gods growled and roared in hunger, a terrible sound that was too loud for Durima's tastes.

Then, without warning, tree roots burst from the ground under Uron's feet. They burst through the earth so fast that even Uron had no time to react. In another moment, they had wrapped themselves tightly around Uron's body, forming a kind of wooden cocoon around him that kept him rooted where he stood.

“What is this?” Uron said, looking down at the roots in surprise. “Where did these roots come from?”

Durima looked around Uron and saw Gujak standing behind him, an intense look of fear on her friend's face. He was holding his hands out, which proved that he was indeed the person who had summoned those roots. But when his hands shook, it became clear that he could not hold Uron for long.