Dragonvein (Book Two) (8 page)

With that, he drew back and hurried away before either of them might catch sight of him.

*

Lylinora took a long cleansing breath while on her way back to the chamber. At least Ethan was still behaving politely, she considered. It could be worse.

Her thoughts then drifted to Markus. Even with his scars, he had been a powerful figure of a man. Without them, he was more than powerful…he was almost regal. But the pain in his heart was immense. How could he bear it?

Quickly, she drove such matters from her mind. There was nothing to be done. Her destiny was clear, and it did not include the love of a roguish swordsman.

The cooler air of the cavern felt nice on her skin. The dwarf city was dry and far too warm for her taste. King Halvar had offered her a room in the main part of the manor, but for some reason she felt more comfortable down here.

“We need to talk,” said a voice from the far end of the chamber. It was Kat. She was sitting cross-legged in a chair.

Lylinora did not display any great surprise. “You’re really quite good at that,” she remarked. “How did you learn it?”

“If you’re talking about the way I can vanish and reappear, I learned it on my own,” Kat said. She pointed to an empty chair just in front of her.

“Impressive,” Lylinora said, ignoring the request to sit. Instead, she poured herself a cup of wine. “I’d offer you some, but aren’t you a bit too young for wine?”

Kat sniffed. “If you’re trying to make me angry…”

Lylinora held up her hand. “Not at all. I was just thinking that I wasn’t allowed wine until I was twelve years old.”

“I’m thirteen,” she stated, chin held high.

“Ah. Well, you shouldn’t worry, my dear. Some girls develop late.”

Kat’s face turned crimson. “And some girls can’t keep their legs together,” she retorted.

This made Lylinora pause. “What are you trying to say?”

“I saw you go into Ethan’s room last night,” Kat told her. “And I saw Markus leaving here before that with his scars healed. Then, just a minute ago, he was watching you flirt with Ethan in the hallway.”

“And?” Lylinora retrieved another cup and filled it.

“I know the look on a man’s face when he’s heartbroken. Markus had that look.”

Lylinora crossed the room and handed the wine to Kat before sitting. “How would you know about things like that?”

“Men are easy,” she replied. “I’ve seen it when they fall in love with a whore. They think they’ll be able to save them. But they’re always wrong.”

“Are you calling me a whore?” Lylinora’s tone took on a dangerous quality.

Kat shrugged. “Only if the shoe fits.”

“You’re playing a perilous game, little girl. I could kill you here and now, and no one would ever find out what happened.” A blue light glowed in her eyes for a few seconds, then dimmed.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Kat said, her voice firm.

Lylinora smiled and allowed her posture to relax. “No. I can see that. Which is why I am going to be completely honest with you.”

“So you did fuck Markus?”

“No,” she said. “I did not…
fuck
Markus.”

Kat looked at her incredulously. “I thought you were going to be honest.”

“I
am
being honest. Though you can certainly choose to think otherwise. I don’t care.” Lylinora gave a sharp nod. “Like I said, I did not sleep with Markus. As for Ethan…yes, I did. Though he doesn’t remember much about it.”

Kat huffed a laugh to disguise her jealousy. “That bad, was it? I know some girls who could give you a lesson or two.”

“I’m sure you do,” she said with a forced smile. “But the reason he doesn’t remember is that I cast a spell to make him forget. In his mind, it was all a dream.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I have my reasons. And I do not care to share them with you.”

“Well, I’m sure Ethan would like to know about it.”

Lylinora folded her hands in her lap and leaned forward. “But you won’t tell him, my dear.”

“More threats?”

Lylinora shook her head. “This is not a threat. This is a fact. Because if you tell him, I’ll simply deny it.”

“Ethan will believe me,” Kat snapped back.

“Really? What makes you so sure of that? Ethan is in love with
me,
not you. Why wouldn’t he think you’re simply lying in order to drive us apart?”

“First of all, he’s
not
in love with you. Lust or infatuation maybe. Though I don’t expect you to know the difference. And second, he’ll believe me because he’s my friend.”

Lylinora waved her hand dismissively. “Lust, love…it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that he wants me. And he wants me enough to believe whatever I say. If you tell him any of this, all that will happen is you make yourself look like a jealous fool, and I appear the innocent victim of your anger.”

She paused to give a smile. “But even that is not the main reason why you’ll keep quiet.”

Kat sneered. “So tell me what is?”

Lylinora’s smile broadened. “Because you love him, and you hope one day to have him for yourself. Of course, I cannot allow this to happen. He is far too important to waste his life on you, my dear.”

Kat didn’t even bother to try and deny her feelings. Although struggling to remain calm, the smug look on Lylinora’s face was sending surges of rage racing through her.

“I know that my words insult you,” her tormentor continued. “But there is no other way to put it. I am the last living mage in Lumnia, and he is the son of Praxis Dragonvein, the most powerful mage of his time. It is our duty to restore our kind.”

Kat laughed scornfully. “That’s what this is all about? Bringing back the mages? You really think Ethan cares about that?”

“No,” she admitted. “Not yet. But he will in time. Gradually, he will come to understand the importance of our kind. The importance of the good that mages do for the world. Once he sees this, there will be no other choice for him but to be with me.”

Kat’s hands trembled. She knew Lylinora was right. Yet her feelings for Ethan would not allow her to accept the situation. “I can use magic,” she offered weakly. “At least a little.”

“Indeed you can. And that’s precisely the point I’m making. I am the only one who can teach you to develop that skill. But if you say anything, or if you try to come between us, I will refuse to do so. Any hope you may have of gaining Ethan’s affections will then be gone forever. Not that there is much hope to begin with. It will be many years before you are old enough for him…at least in his eyes.”

With that, Lylinora stood. Though not exceptionally tall, her posture gave her an imposing appearance. “And as long as you love him, you will continue clinging to that hope.”

Kat could only glare, her tiny fists clenched. A single tear fell forlornly down her cheek.

Lylinora drained her cup and turned toward the exit. “You can stay here until you collect yourself. But you will stay gone from my sight until we depart. Am I understood?”

Without bothering to wait for a reply, she left the room, tossing the cup into a corner as she moved along.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Kat remained absolutely motionless for several minutes. Eventually, her head lifted and her voice was filled with resolve as she softly swore an oath.

“I won’t let you have him,” she repeated over and over. “I won’t – I won’t.”

Chapter Six

L
ylinora’s checking of
the elders and house staff was completed sooner than anticipated. To everyone’s great relief, none of them had been afflicted by a curse. And though King Halvar remained apprehensive over the installation of the barrier, he took solace in the fact that when the announcement about it was eventually made, there had not been a single voice of protest raised. In fact, most of his subjects were simply relieved that their king was now protected.

During the previous two evenings, Ethan had joined Lylinora for his first lessons. He found her to be a patient and understanding teacher, which allowed him to master several minor spells such as conjuring flaming arrows and creating reflective surfaces in rough stone. She also taught him a faster, more efficient way to cast
dragonfire.

“You have a natural talent,” she told him at the end of their second lesson. “You’ll be worthy of the title
mage
sooner than I thought. You are definitely your father’s son.” Eager to please, Ethan vowed to work even harder. This resolve was helped along considerably by her overtly flirtatious nature with him.

During this period of preparation, it had occurred to him several times that he had not seen anything of Markus or Kat, but dismissed this as unimportant. Markus was most likely busy making preparations for the journey, while Kat was surely spending most of her remaining time with Lady Thora and her granddaughters.

On the morning of their departure, Jonas and Birger came to his room. Ethan’s excitement had been building, and he was now more than ready to get under way.

“The others will be waiting for us ahead,” Birger told him. “King Ganix didn’t want any fanfare, so he, Markus, Lylinora and Kat have already departed the manor. King Halvar sends his apologies for not seeing you off, but he’s extremely busy at the moment.”

The dwarf led them through a seldom used exit, then to a small side gate. Outside, Ethan was surprised to see several hundred dwarves lined up in the street, their numbers stretching all the way up to the main entrance of the king’s residence.

“What are they doing?” he asked Birger.

“They’ve requested that King Halvar allow them to walk through the barrier,” he replied.

“Why?” asked Jonas. “If they’re cursed, it could kill them.”

“No one wants to live with Shinzan’s curse inside them,” Birger explained. “Better to die.”

Jonas nodded solemnly. “Yes. I suppose I can understand that.”

They wound their way through the streets to the edge of the city. Ethan spotted Markus sitting on a stool outside the very last building, fiddling with a dagger. He looked up and waved them over. From around the corner, the rest of their party then appeared. Lylinora smiled warmly at Ethan, but Kat scarcely gave him a glance.

Several identical looking packs had been set out along the wall. King Ganix tossed one to each of them before shouldering his own.

“No time for pleasantries, I’m afraid,” he said. “I want to be well on our way before anyone realizes we’re gone.”

Birger led them all to a tunnel directly opposite the main city gate. Before passing through, Ethan took a long look back. A sigh slipped out. Such beauty and magnificence was definitely worth fighting for, he told himself.

They pressed on, with Birger remaining in the lead and Markus guarding their rear. Ethan was finding his pack relatively light considering its bulk. He had offered to help with preparations, but Jonas had assured him that all was in order. Of course, this meant that he now had no idea as to what he might be carrying.

They walked on in silence for several hours before stopping to rest and eat. Kat and Markus sat away from the others, while Jonas made a point of not speaking to anyone unless spoken to first. Ethan assumed that this was so not to incur Lylinora’s anger. He was still uncomfortable with the way she treated those she perceived as low born or servants, but his yearning to please her quickly overcame any impulse to raise the subject between them.

While they ate, Lylinora flashed him a succession of smiles, and several times reached across to lightly touch his knee. On one of these occasions, he happened to glance over at Markus and thought he caught a hint of irritation flash across his friend’s face. But the dim glow of the rajni stone they used to light their way, made him uncertain about this. Even so, he knew for sure that something was bothering him. Kat as well. Her normal spirited jabs and teasing remarks had been replaced by what Ethan could only describe as sulkiness.

After the break, they marched on for a further three hours before stopping to bed down for the night. Lylinora beckoned Ethan to follow her a bit further down the tunnel. “We should continue with our lessons while traveling,” she told him.

They walked until just beyond earshot of the rest, then sat on the ground facing each other. Ethan closed his eyes and began drawing in deep cleansing breaths exactly as Lylinora had shown him. After a moment or two, he heard the sound of footfalls hurrying up behind him.

“You promised to teach me too,” said Kat.

Lylinora frowned. “I will. But I had intended to begin with you once we have boarded the ship.”

“Why wait?” she asked, grinning innocently. “You don’t mind, do you, Ethan?”

“Of course not.”

“She needs individual instruction,” said Lylinora. “You are already too far ahead of her.”

“I’ll just watch then,” Kat suggested.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lylinora countered.

“She won’t get in the way, I’m sure,” Ethan said.

Lylinora let out an exasperated breath. “Very well. But if she becomes a distraction, she will have to go.”

After nodding in agreement, Ethan patted the ground alongside him. Kat quickly settled in, her smile never once fading.

The lesson was shorter than usual – only one hour – and Lylinora was clearly bothered by Kat’s presence throughout. Just before they headed back to the others, Kat drew her aside.

“Tell me, is this right?” she asked, holding out her right palm. In her most authoritative tone of voice she commanded: “
Inisia
!”

Instantly, a streak of blue flame erupted, shooting into the rock directly above their heads.

Lylinora raised an eyebrow. “I’m impressed. You’ve managed to get it right on your very first attempt.”

Ethan wrapped his arm around Kat’s shoulder and gave her a fond squeeze. “That’s much better than
I
did. It took me four tries before I got it.”

Kat smiled up at him, but her smile soon vanished when she saw the frown on Lylinora’s face. “Thank you,” was all she said before pulling away from him.

The remainder of the journey through the mountain passed fairly uneventfully. Loud rumbling calls that sounded uncomfortably close, reached them on a few occasions, but Birger quickly explained that these were only coming from adult trolls. Apparently, their feeding grounds were not so far away from the path they were on. Ethan sighed with relief when the dwarf added that this ensured there would be no young trolls nearby to threaten them.

The lessons continued well, with Kat doing as she was told and keeping quiet. Even so, to Lylinora’s surprise, after each session was over the young girl was able to cast almost every spell that had been shown to Ethan without having practiced it at all.

“You’ll be a fine mage one day,” Lylinora admitted at the end of their final lesson before arriving at the mountain exit. “But don’t expect it to always come so easily. These are just trifles.
Real
magic requires both strength and discipline. And you can guess which one of these I think you lack.”

Ethan was shocked when Kat did not respond to this obvious insult. Also, he had noticed that she would often look away when Lylinora scolded her. He tried asking Lylinora if something had happened between them, but she simply shrugged and poked his ribs playfully – a ploy which was always sufficient to distract him from making further inquiries.

It was well after nightfall when they finally reached the exit. Here, a narrow path would take them down the remaining several hundred feet of the mountain. Millions of stars were splashed vividly across the vast expanse of sky, unobstructed by even a wisp of cloud.

Birger shuddered at the sight and took a moment to steady himself. “I have never liked it out here in the open,” he told the others.

Ethan slapped him on the back. “Sorry, but you’ll have to get used to it.”

“Wait until he gets on board the ship,” said Markus. This was the first light-hearted comment he had made in several days.

Ethan laughed. “I puked my guts out the first time.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Birger, clearly not amused.

They ventured the rest of the way down the mountain. Shadows of a dense forest ahead gave the atmosphere an ominous feel. Ethan sniffed the air and detected a faint hint of salt mixed in with the earthy smell of trees and grass. The sea was not far away. He listened for the crashing of the waves, but all that reached his ears was the chirping of insects and the rustle of small animals scurrying through the undergrowth.

All at once he felt exposed and vulnerable. Behind him, the mountain was looking more and more like a safe haven, giving him a sudden sympathy for Birger’s unease.

They stopped just at the edge of the forest to make camp. Markus advised against building a fire in case there were enemies about. “We should sleep in a circle,” he instructed everyone. “And keep your weapons ready.”

Once settled, they ate some dried fruit and a piece of what the dwarves referred to as
krilin,
a hard brown disc made from vegetable paste. It had a gritty texture and bitter taste that Ethan cared little for. But it was no worse than the food they had served at the base in England. And it was certainly better than the rations he had been forced to eat while in France.

With the meal over, Ganix addressed the group. “When we meet with the smugglers, there are a few things you must remember,” he began. “Firstly, as far as you are concerned, I am
not
a king. Do not under any circumstances call me Your Highness, or say anything else that might suggest who I really am. I’m simply Ganix, a lowly metal worker. Secondly, do not ever allow the crew to see you using magic. Keep your lessons quiet and within your own cabin. And lastly, if we are attacked or boarded by the Empire, do nothing until I say so. Does everyone understand?”

They all nodded.

“Good,” he said. “We should be boarding the ship tomorrow. The smugglers will be waiting for us a few miles north of here just after sunrise.”

Before settling down, Markus decided to check the surrounding area. Ethan offered to accompany him, but this was refused.

“I need to be alone,” Markus told him.

Ethan frowned. “What’s wrong? You’ve been acting very strange these last few days.”

He flashed a forced smile. “I guess I’m not used to being so damn handsome. It takes some getting used to.”

Reluctantly, Ethan accepted his explanation. Lylinora had said that the healing process could be a very emotional experience. Perhaps it took a greater toll than he realized.

He was just settling into his bedroll when Lylinora spoke to him. “I think it’s time to attend to you,” she said.

He sat up, unsure what she meant.

“King Ganix mentioned that Shinzan might be tracking your movements,” she explained.

Ethan had all but forgotten about this. The reminder caused him to frown. “Yes. At least, that’s what he claimed he would be able to do.”

Kneeling beside him, Lylinora took hold of his hands. She muttered a few words and almost immediately he felt a tingling sensation rush up his arms and all the way through his body.

She let out a quiet laugh. “Such simple magic from someone so powerful. I expected more.” She released her hold. “It’s done.”

“You realize this may rouse Shinzan’s suspicions,” noted the watching Ganix.

“Better that than the alternative,” she responded.

“Agreed.”

Ethan tried to stay up until Markus returned, but after more than an hour of waiting he eventually drifted off. Lylinora had laid her blanket just behind his, and he could hear her humming softly. The melody was both moving, and a bit sad. The last thing he remembered before sleep consumed him was a vision of his mother back on Earth. Did he miss her? Or did he just feel pity for the sad and lonely life to which fate had now condemned her? With so many other things competing for room in his overcrowded mind, it was sometimes hard to know what his true feelings were.

It felt like just a few minutes had passed when a stiff north wind and the rumbling of thunder far off to the south woke him. With the morning sun breaching the horizon, King Ganix and Jonas were already awake and almost ready to go. Birger, Kat and Lylinora however, still slumbered peacefully on. As for Markus, he was nowhere to be seen. His bedroll looked untouched, but before Ethan could ask anyone about this, his friend appeared from out of the forest. He didn’t look tired, just depressed. That was the only way Ethan could see it.

The king called for everyone to wake. Jonas then distributed some
krilin
and water.

“I hope they have better fare aboard the ship,” complained Lylinora. “I don’t know how long I can survive on this.”

Ganix laughed. “It’s not
that
bad, is it?”

Her face twisted as she took a bite and then hurriedly washed it down. “How your people eat this, I can’t fathom.”

“Ours is a life of practicality,” the king replied. “
Krilin
doesn’t spoil for months, and small portions will keep an adult dwarf strong for days.”

“I just hope they have meat,” Ethan chipped in. “I’d kill for a steak right now.”

Both Birger and Ganix shuddered.

“Disgusting,” murmured Birger. “Eating dead flesh is for animals.”

Once on their way again, Markus took over the lead. He was far more familiar with the threats outside of the mountain, and smugglers were not to be trusted. Ethan followed him closely.

“I forget sometimes that you were a soldier,” Birger said to Ethan.