After The Rabbit (Waldo Rabbit Series) (3 page)

It doesn’t matter how slow the progress is,
Melissa thought.
No matter how many lifetimes it takes, we will succeed.

Her travels had shown her how corrupt most of the world was. Good, decent, hardworking people were forced to live in perpetual fear. Not only from monsters but from criminals and from lords who cared more about fleecing them than about protecting them. The more she saw of the world, the more certain she became of the righteousness of her cause. The land cried out for Unity, Justice, and Peace.

XXX

By the time she arrived at the outskirts of the capital dawn was breaking, and the city was stirring awake.

Simple wood framed homes and shops pressed together around a tangle of roads and streets. The city had been no more than a village back before the Shattering. Over the last two thousand years it had grown organically. The main thoroughfares had cobblestones, but most of the roads were still dirt. The city blocks were of different sizes, the streets twisted and curved, and the businesses were scattered about.

Camelot could be a confusing place to those not familiar with it.

At the very heart of the city was the ancient castle that had given this place its name. Long ago, after the world had been shattered and fallen into chaos, a great king had fought and unified the lands of this isle. He was the first to serve The One We Follow and to espouse the philosophy of Unity, Justice, and Peace. The castle was his seat and the home of his royal court. When Avalon became a single nation, it became the capitol.

The castle itself was impressive. Its outer wall was fifty feet high and twenty feet thick, with walkways and battlements running all along its four sides. Go through its single gate, and you would find a small courtyard and a great citadel. The citadel was actually no less than five separate buildings, all connected by covered walkways. The central and oldest building was a modest three story fortress. It was simply a solid block of granite with a basic design. Two of the other buildings were towers, each rising more than a hundred feet and going far above the outer wall. The towers were wide at the base and grew progressively smaller, with both ending in pointed rooftops of polished bronze. The remaining two buildings were squat and bulky by comparison. They had enormous archways and ribbed vaults, as well as carved statues and vast panes of stained glass. The towers gave one a sense of freedom and possibility, whereas the cathedrals were meant to humble and awe. All the buildings were interconnected; you could enter any one and then visit all the rest without having to ever step outside.

The ancient castle was the home of the three orders that ruled Avalon in the name of The One We Follow. The Order of Mist, which Melissa belonged to, was based within the two towers. The Order of Virtue, to which every knight and nobleman was a member, controlled one of the cathedrals. The Order of the Faithful, made up of the priests and clergy, held the other cathedral. The original Citadel was shared by all three.

The orders were united by their faith and the desire to bring salvation to the rest of the world. They did frequently disagree as to the best method. These little differences were always kept quiet. To both the faithful and the wicked, Avalon would always appear united and strong.

XXX

Walking through the streets of Camelot, folk were only beginning to come out. Everyone Melissa saw had eyes of yellow. The shades ranged from gold to ripe wheat to honey. It was physical proof that they were all one people.

When they spotted her, no one tried to keep their distance. There were no fearful stares. They all smiled and waved to her.

“Blessings,” people called out.

“Blessings unto you, as well,” Melissa answered.

Children ran to her. A couple of little girls gave her daisies which she happily accepted. In Camelot and the rest of Avalon, White Mages were seen as benevolent guardians. They maintained the peace and enforced the laws. They healed the sick and made the rains fall. They kept the protective mists about the island that only allowed those who had been invited to pass through. They enforced order, both in nature and in society. The people trusted them, as children should trust their parents.

It had been a long time since she had felt so welcomed.

Eventually she arrived at the heart of the city and was passed through the gate into the castle. Melissa went directly to the Tower of the Moon. Within, fellow mages, acolytes, and servants all politely greeted her as they went about their daily routines. She went to the fifth floor where the Great Library was. It actually took up the fifth through the ninth floors. As Melissa had known he would be, Minister Barrows was there. He was not only a Minister but also held the position of Keeper of Knowledge, which made him responsible not only for the books and tomes of the library, but also for the agents set out to gather information.

In less civilized nations, he might have been called a spymaster.

As soon as he spotted her, his golden eyes widened. He gave no other sign of being startled, though.

“Mistress Cornwall,” he said in a perfectly neutral voice. “I had not expected your return for another three years. May I ask you what brings you home so suddenly?”

Melissa curtsied to him. “Minister Barrows, I am afraid I am in need of aid.”

“The Order will always take care of its own. What assistance do you require?”

She chewed the inside of her cheeks, then forced herself to look him in the eye as she spoke. “I have lost my spellbook, my wand, and all my gold.”

Melissa stood there, head up and back straight, ready to accept whatever lecture he chose to give her. For a mage to lose her spellbook and her wand was not merely humiliating, it smacked of gross incompetence.

Instead he simply gave a slight nod. “I will draw funds from the treasury and provide you a virgin wand. I can have the scribes copy more advanced spells and add them to an acolyte’s spellbook. I am familiar with your abilities and can guess the spells most useful to you.”

She felt relief that he was not asking her the reason she found herself in these circumstances.

“I look forward to reading your report on your most recent activities. I expect it to be in my hands before you depart, of course.”

There was a sour taste in her mouth. “Yes, Minister.”

“Tell me, did you succeed with recruiting the mage Roger from Bittford?”

“No, Minister, and I am afraid I will have to set that aside for the time being. There is something far more important which requires all my efforts.”

Barrows raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

“I am going on a rabbit hunt.”

Chapter 3

Politics as Usual

It was early morning, and Lilith was in one of the vacant rooms near the top of the south tower.

“
Incorpus
.”

With a single word of magic, she summoned one of her creations. On the stone window sill was a black bird with empty eye sockets. It stared at her lifelessly, patiently awaiting its master’s command.

Lilith placed a single finger atop the thing’s head.

“I have transferred the necessary funds and made them available to you. Make the purchases that you require. I wish you every success in your noble endeavor.” She withdrew the finger and made a shooing motion with her hand. “Go. Deliver the message.”

The bird hopped about and spread its wings. It took off and was quickly lost in the charcoal skies. It would not stop until it had reached its intended recipient. The creature would speak the words in its master’s voice and then disintegrate and turn to ash. If, for whatever reason, it were captured or brought down before reaching its target, it would destroy itself. For delivering messages to non-magic users, her little pets were ideal.

One more small step
.

If any of the other families discovered what she was doing, they would turn on her. No doubt they would believe she had gone mad. For these endeavors secrecy was absolutely vital. Even Hera and Enver had no idea what she was about. The only other person who knew her plans was Gwendolyn, and being a ghost, her daughter was unlikely to share her secrets.

Well, not unless she got too bored.

The task complete Lilith headed downstairs to go to breakfast.

XXX

In the grand dining hall was a single extended table. There were forty chairs, all evenly spaced along both sides. Only four of them had place settings; one lay at the very head of the table, one to the immediate right, and two to the left. The space to the right would remain empty, the plate, goblet, utensils, and napkins would be left untouched until the servants cleared them away.

In the first seat to the left was a zombie in tattered black robes. There was no plate or goblet or utensils in front of it, merely a silver tray. It fidgeted, and the clawed fingertips of its right hand drummed on the table. As Lilith strode across the hall, its milky white eyes locked on and followed her.

In the second seat was a young woman with a hideous nose. She wore a cream colored blouse and skirt made of silk, with embroidery in gold thread. The girl was leaned back with her hands folded on her lap.

“I hope I did not keep you waiting too long.” Lilith motioned to the servants as she took her place at the head of the table. They bowed in acknowledgement and hurried into the kitchen to fetch the food that was already prepared.

“Not at all,” her apprentice Hera said. Her son Walter, the zombie, gave a grunt. Hera sent him a sharp look but said nothing.

Lilith pretended not to notice. She had spent an hour last night reattaching one of Walter’s arms following his “introduction” to Hera. He had demanded over and over again that Hera be punished for attacking him.

“I want her dead! I want her dead!” he’d shrilled like some spoiled child.

Lilith had answered him with a single sentence. “If you kill her I will not punish you.”

That had finally silenced him.

The servants brought out bowls and trays filled with fresh bread, fruit, wheat cakes, eggs, and slices of meat. One of them served a chicken, not pieces or a whole cooked chicken. The bird had only recently been strangled and was still whole, it had not even been plucked. The servant placed the fowl down on the tray in front of Walter.

Grabbing the bird with both hands, Walter brought the meal up to its mouth. Short pointed teeth tore into its neck and ripped the head clean off, spattering blood and causing it to drip down onto the table and floor. Walter noisily began chewing the head, feathers, beak and all.

Hera was just beginning to spread some butter on her bread as she was forced to watch the vile display. “Must you do that?”

Swallowing what was in his mouth, Walter grinned at her. There was a bit of blood dribbling down his chin a couple feathers stuck in his teeth. “If it bothers you don’t look.” Walter leaned forward and tore off another chunk of the bird, squeezing as he did so, deliberately causing more blood to squirt.

“Disgusting!” Hera said. “My father has pigs that are better mannered than you!”

“I’ll bet they’re prettier, too.”

Hera’s hands turned into fists, and her shoulders hunched. Her right hand went beneath table, obviously reaching for a wand hidden in a fold of her clothes.

Lilith rapped the table with a sharp knock and drew their attention. “There will be none of that in my presence. I will not have you using your wand or casting magic in my company without permission.”

Hera swiftly put her hand back on the table and bowed her head. “Yes, Aunt Lilith.”

Walter had a wide smile. “That should teach you your place.”

“Of course,” Lilith continued. “What you do outside of my presence does not concern me.”