The Silver Pear (5 page)

M
iri shook her head
. “Even without the silver pear, I should be able to open the lock without creating a lot of excess magic. We won’t get wild magic forming, but there will be a flash of blue light. I won’t be able to hide what I’m doing.”

“You can open the door?” Soren frowned.

“I think so, if I use just enough power. I’ve recovered a little from the fight in the courtyard. I don’t have an oak staff, though. I’ve always used the silver pear instead of a staff to draw sky magic.”

“I can’t believe you haven’t already opened it, then.” He tried to keep his voice neutral, but the incredulity sneaked through. As if he couldn’t understand why she’d stay in the cell a moment longer than necessary.

Of course, he’d been kept in a dungeon much worse that this one, helpless and alone, whereas she was neither. It explained the scene in the courtyard. His terror of the dark.

She touched the lock with her fingertips, keeping the spell as contained as she could. Blue glowed from her hands and then blinked out. It was a small spell, but the control needed to get it just right gave her an instant headache and she bent over a little. She was more drained than she thought.

Soren pulled the door open, and before he could speak, before she could think too much about the pain, she did the same to the outside door.

“What’s wrong?” He was watching her, a deep groove of worry between his eyebrows.

“I need to get a staff if I’m going to use sky magic without the silver pear, that’s all.” Except that getting the right oak staff was no easy task.

Soren gave an uneasy nod, and then braced a hand on the outside door before he pushed it open. “There’ll be a lot more guards out than the last time we escaped, patrolling the grounds.”

“Why? What has William to fear now?” Surely everyone was either injured, escaped or dead?

“He doesn’t realize you let us out and set that spell in here. He thinks another sorcerer is involved, and that his prisoners are skulking about the stronghold, trying to take it by force.”

Miri sighed. “And what did he expect to do with me?”

Soren grinned suddenly. “Woo you back to his side, is my guess. Didn’t you see the nice pallet and food and water they left you?”

Miri turned, saw the cup of water and plate of bread and cheese she’d missed, and shuddered.

When she turned back, Soren had vanished, but she could feel his body almost touching hers, feel the heat of his skin.

“I’ll go first,” he whispered, and she nodded. He didn’t move, though. She heard him take a breath.

“I don’t think I can go through the secret passage.” His lips brushed her ear he stood so close, and she sensed his tension. “It’s the easiest way, and I’m sorry I can’t try again, but I can’t risk . . .” He took a deep breath. “I can stand the dark, but the dark and the walls closing in . . .” He shuddered. “I’ll get you to the courtyard, and then I’ll walk out through the front gate. I’ll meet you at the outside entrance to the passageway.”

She nodded and he squeezed her arm in response.

He opened the door and she let him go ahead to check it was safe, waiting until he came back for her and took her hand, leading her up the steps.

The stronghold was quiet, and she thought dawn must only be an hour or so away.

There was a new guard posted in front of the courtyard. Soren let go of her hand, and she felt his lips on her ear again.

“Wait until I deal with him. Then run for your secret door.”

She nodded, but he was already moving.

He was quick and utterly silent. The guard collapsed what seemed like moments later. Invisible arms dragged him through the entrance to the small courtyard.

Miri ran. As she entered the courtyard, she saw Soren had propped the guard up against the inner wall.

She reached the secret door and fumbled for the metal pin, felt Soren’s body heat as he came up behind her.

She had the sense he was standing, feet apart, eyes on the entrance behind her, guarding her, even though she couldn’t see him at all.

When she finally found the thin piece of metal and pulled it, she looked back and up. “Got it.”

“I’ll wait until you’ve made sure William hasn’t found the door on the outside wall, and set someone to wait for you.”

She hadn’t thought of that. She’d been shaking with the need to have the silver pear again, desperate to make sure it was safe.

She opened the door wide, forced herself not to look for it, and quietly moved to the other end of the passageway. The door was closed.

She couldn’t decide if it was good or bad news.

She’d thought it had been open, last time she’d seen it. She remembered thinking she could use it being open to reassure Soren, to help persuade him to come in the tunnel with her, but it could have swung shut.

Or someone came later and closed it.

She found the pin and opened the door, looked out.

There was no-one that she could see.

She shuffled back, stuck her head out. “It seems safe. I’ll look for the silver pear, and see you on the other side.”

She couldn’t see him, couldn’t see his response, but he brushed a hand over her shoulder and then was gone, and Miri pulled the door closed behind her.

Darkness enveloped her, and she set about feeling every inch of the floor with her hands, starting at the door and moving back on her haunches.

By the time she’d reach the other side, she had to accept the truth.

The silver pear was gone.

H
e didn’t
like to leave her, even knowing that she was a sorcerer.

Soren kept close to the walls and the shadows, through habit rather than necessity, now he was invisible. The gate was closed, but there was a smaller door inset into the massive portcullis, and just within the guard house, the key hung from a hook.

The two guards on duty were playing dice to keep awake, and Soren took the key quite brazenly.

He spent precious minutes inserting it into the lock as quietly as possible, and turned it slowly, listening as the tumblers caught one by one, until the door was unlocked. He decided to take the key with him. It would be handy if they ever needed to break back in.

He eased the door open, wincing as the hinges groaned, and slipped through, locking it behind him.

Dawn was already lighting the sky to the east, and he ran along the outer wall. Because he was looking for it, he was able to make out the door, half-open, and Mirabelle, on her hands and knees in front of it.

He dropped the moonstone into his pocket, and dropped to his knees next to her so he could whisper. “What is it?”

She looked at him, and even in the darkness, he could see the absolute devastation on her face.

“It’s gone.”

He didn’t ask if she was sure. He turned to look at the forest, then up to the guard tower looming above them. It seemed safe enough.

He helped her to her feet, pushed the door closed and then took her hand, pulling her along as he ran for the trees.

She resisted him when he wanted to draw them deeper in, stubbornly turning back to the part of the wall where the secret door lay as if somehow she would see the silver pear lying on the ground.

“William hasn’t set a guard here. So I don’t think it was him who took it.” Soren gave up the struggle, and stood beside her.

She gave an uncertain nod.

“That means it was one of the men from the dungeon.”

“Why would they come back?”

Soren thought for a moment. “Perhaps they were worried about us. Came back to help us?” It was the only thing that made sense. And the only one who he could think who would do that was Garth. Travis would have run into the woods and not looked back.

She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered. “What will they do with it?”

Soren shrugged. “I only met them a few hours ago, myself. I was the last one who came through.”

“You were friendly with the big man. The woodcutter.”

Soren nodded. “Garth. He seemed a good man. But I honestly don’t know what any one of them would do with something like the silver pear. They won’t know it was yours, although they might guess it is, as it was in your passageway.”

“Garth saw me hold it when I cast the spell, I’m sure he did. Where do you think they’ve gone?”

She was shivering, and he rubbed her shoulder awkwardly. “Garth and his friend Jon are from Jerat. If I were them, that’s where I’d head. And if he is keeping the silver pear safe for you, he knows I know where he lives.”

“I’ll have to go after them.” She raised stricken eyes to his.

He took her hand, and at last she let him pull her deeper into the protection of the trees.

“I have to find my brother. And get the golden apple back from Nuen.” He meant to sound matter-of-fact, but to his surprise, his words came out frustrated, as if he was sorry he couldn’t come to her aid.

She pulled his arm, forcing him to stop, and nodded her head to a narrow pathway that snaked off the main way. “Do you want to sleep a little first, before you set out? I know I need to.”

He’d only slept in brief snatches while he’d watched over her in the dungeon, and he hadn’t slept at all the day before that. He needed rest.

He gave a nod.

“Come. I have a place we can go.”

She held out her hand, and as the first silver edge of light broke the horizon, Soren took it. And let her lead the way.

T
hey approached
Ylana’s cottage with caution.

Rane moved silently, knife held ready in his hand. The dull, gray blade looked like it would have a hard time cutting an apple, but Kayla knew it could change in an instant, lengthening, sharpening. She had seen Rane take down a troll with it.

Even so, she didn’t think a knife would save them, if Ylana had broken free of the enchantment Kayla had placed on her and was interested in revenge.

Beside her, Sooty gave a happy chirp, as if the gathering tension was cause for celebration. She bumped her massive black head against Kayla’s hip, then leaped after Rane, as silent on her feet as Rane was.

Kayla knew she was the noisy one. Crunching leaves and snapping twigs as she went.

She hadn’t grown up in the forest, wasn’t able to move as quietly as her betrothed or her unusual cat, but she did have a weapon of her own.

Wild magic.

Tight-woven purple balls of light that held the occasional spark of green floated behind her, bobbing and drifting, sometimes hovering in place.

Kayla could feel the power of them humming just at the tips of her fingers.

She may need all the skill she’d learned in the last few days in wielding wild magic when she released Ylana. There was no telling what an enraged witch could do. Especially one as old and powerful as Ylana.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Rane had stopped, right at the edge of the clearing where Ylana’s cottage stood. Sooty sat next to him, licking a paw, quite content in the late afternoon sun.

Kayla came up beside him, close enough to feel the warmth of his body, and nodded as they both took in the thatched roof, the wooden walls; neat and unassuming.

There was no smoke coming from the chimney, which there wouldn’t be if Ylana was still enchanted, but it meant nothing.

If Ylana had gotten free, she could create any illusion she liked to lure them in.

“It’s gone very quiet.”

Even the wind in the trees had died, and no birds sang.

It made the sound of large wings suddenly flapping behind them all the louder. A bird screeched and rose between the trees, and Kayla turned to look.

Sooty was off to the side, looking up with a fixed expression at the heron she’d scared away.

Kayla narrowed her eyes, watching until it had disappeared, and silence fell again.

“What is it?” Rane was looking at her with a frown.

“Something attacked Soren at a stream when we were coming to rescue you from Eric. He called it an asrai.”

She hadn’t forgotten the incident, but so much had happened since then, this was the first time she’d mentioned it to him.

“An asrai?” He suddenly focused all his attention on her, ignoring the cottage completely.

She shrugged. “That’s what Soren said it was. I turned it into a heron after I got it off him.”

“You think that was the same one? That it’s following you?” Rane looked up, but the heron was long gone.

Sooty finally looked down, no longer tense and ready to strike, and batted playfully at something in the grass. “It just reminded me of what happened, that’s all. If it is following me, what can it really do?”

He looked like he was going to argue with her, then shook his head, took a deep breath and focused back on the cottage again. “Last chance. Are you sure you want to set Ylana free?” He reached out and slid a big, calloused hand along her shoulder, feathering his fingers along the back of her neck. She grabbed his wrist, gave it a squeeze.

“I can’t leave her enchanted.” It was as simple as that. Kayla had barely been able to walk away from Ylana after she’d trapped the witch. It had been one of the hardest decisions she’d ever made, and she didn’t want it on her conscience any longer.

She had hated Eric for enchanting her and Rane, and hated even more that he’d put her in a position where she had had to enchant Ylana. The thought of it scraped at her, making her feel raw and bruised.

She took a step into the cleared land around the cottage, waiting just a moment in case Ylana had set some kind of trap, and then walked forward, drawing a ball of wild magic with her.

The door of the cottage was shut, just as she’d left it, along with the shutters over the windows. There was an air of anticipation, of waiting, as if the forest and even the house itself was holding its breath.

She gave herself a moment to push down her fear and then grabbed the doorknob.

The handle turned easily under her hand, the door swung open, and Kayla peered carefully into the gloom of the closed-up house.

Ylana stood beside the kitchen table, exactly where Kayla had left her, absolutely frozen in place.

Her eyes were still just as alive, fury snapping from them at the sight of her. Kayla saw the moment she got a view of Rane, too, standing as close to the doorway as he could.

He had an affinity to the strange and wonderful things wild magic created. But there were so many packed onto the shelves covering every wall in Ylana’s cottage he wasn’t able to enter the room without falling seriously ill, pulled in too many directions at once.

Ylana dismissed him with a contemptuous blink, and focused back on Kayla.

Kayla lifted her hands up in an offering of peace. “I’m sorry for enchanting you and leaving you this way. I was afraid if I let you go you’d take the golden apple, and we needed it to rescue Rane’s brother.” She chewed on her lip as she saw the malice in Ylana’s eyes when Rane’s name was mentioned. “I wanted to believe you wouldn’t, that you would help me, but I couldn’t take the chance.” She dropped her hands back to her sides. “I came back as quickly as I could to free you.”

Ylana’s eyes sparked then. Kayla imagined her drawing on her power, the earth magic embedded in the forest around them, to strike as soon as she was set free.

Kayla pulled the wild magic closer, let it loom over her shoulder. Let Ylana see the size of it.

Last time she’d been here, she’d drawn wild magic from where it hovered between the trees near Ylana’s cottage, and she had managed to get the best of Ylana then, although she knew that had more to do with the fact that Ylana had trusted her, had been taken by surprise.

She pressed the point home. “This is only one of a hundred balls of wild magic which have followed me here. They are all around your clearing. And I am even more adept at using it now than I was before. I can see you are thinking of harming Rane or me when I release you. I want to warn you, if you try, I will retaliate.”

Even though Ylana was held frozen in place, Kayla could see from the way her eyes lost their spark that she had abandoned her decision to retaliate.

She looked back at Rane, to let him know she was going ahead, and he lifted his knife in salute, widened his stance.

He didn’t want her to do this. Had argued against it ever since she told him what she planned, but he was here, helping her anyway.

Even though this wasn’t the time or the place, she let the swell of love she felt for him rise up and show in her eyes. She blew him a kiss and he lifted a brow, his face impassive, but there was heat in his gaze as he waited for her to free the witch.

She looked back at Ylana, let the wild magic brush up against her back, let its light halo her as she concentrated on reversing what she’d done.

She looked down at her hands, at the purple green sparks at the tips of her fingers, and felt the surge of power as she lifted the enchantment.

Ylana straightened from her half-bent position over the table, put a hand to her lower back, and then pulled back her lips to show her teeth.

“I have killed for less than this, little witchling.” She took a step, and hissed with pain as her legs moved for the first time in three days.

“Let me help you,” Kayla moved forward. “I can make you something to eat.”

Ylana jerked away, hand raised, the threat of magic in the air between them. “Why did you come back? You could have released me from a little way away. Run. Why have you been so foolish?”

It was what Rane had asked her, again and again. “Because I wanted to apologize to you, face to face. If I thought there had been any other way, I would have taken it rather than enchant you. And I wanted to ask you to teach me.”

“Teach you?” Ylana curled her arm closer to her body.

“To use my power better. To be a wild magic witch.”

Ylana laughed, the sound dry and hoarse, like leaves crunching underfoot. “And why would I do that?”

“Because you know a war’s coming. That Eric is in a contest with other sorcerers to see who can be more powerful. You know it’ll soon spill over into actual war, and you know the damage that would do.”

“That means I have less inclination to teach you, not more. I have work to do. Work I’ve been kept from for the last three days.”

Kayla shook her head. “Gathering all the wild magic items you can find so the sorcerers can’t use them isn’t going to be enough anymore.”

Ylana shuffled slowly to a chair, sank down on it with a tight expression of relief as she took the weight off her legs. “And you know what is?”

Kayla pulled a stream of wild magic from the ball hovering behind her, let it swirl over her palm. “Teach me everything I don’t know about being a witch, and maybe
I
will be.”