Raging Sea and Trembling Earth: Disciples of the Horned One Volume Two (Soul Force Saga Book 2) (18 page)

T
wenty-seven men
and women dressed in black and silver servants’ uniforms stood in a neat row in the throne room. Some trembled, some were soaked with sweat, and all of them stank of fear and looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. In another row, hands clasped behind their backs, wearing blue and silver tabards over mail hauberks, waited thirty guards. They ran the gamut from youths straight out of training to a grizzled sergeant that walked with a limp and had a patchy salt-and-pepper beard.

Jen hadn’t realized how many servants there were in the castle. Some she recognized, like the cook, with her flour-smudged face. No one that made such fantastic food could possibly be a spy. In fact, Jen doubted anyone here was a spy. Whoever stole the artifact was probably miles away by now.

The archmage had agreed when she’d told them about the theft, but she insisted whoever did it might have an accomplice. Everyone would be questioned until she knew the spy had acted alone. At the end of the line Dale Allen fidgeted in his blue robe, his staff of office held loosely in his wrinkled hands. Jen felt bad for the old man. When the archmage had ordered everyone assembled Dale had taken it as a personal failure that one of his people had betrayed the kingdom. Beside him the captain of the guard held himself absolutely rigid, his hand clenching the hilt of his sword so tight she worried the wood might shatter.

“Who’s missing?” Uncle Andy asked.

Dale chewed his lip. “Merik Arcorn, he was in charge of the ovens and keeping us supplied with wood. Holly Linn, one of the chambermaids. Carmen Warren, she was in charge of sewing and linens.”

“I’m missing an entire unit of dungeon guards,” the captain said. “Also Tom Right, who was killed in the vault and Jonathan Linn, one of the regular throne room door guards.”

The archmage spun to face him. “Did you say Linn?”

The captain nodded. “Holly’s his little sister.”

“Hmmm.”

Jen knew how the archmage felt. What were the odds a brother and sister would vanish at the same time as the urn. It also made sense that two people had teamed up to commit the theft. It was a big job for just one person.

A rap sounded on the door and a moment later a Crimson Legionnaire poked his head into the throne room. “We’re ready to begin questioning, Archmage.”

She nodded and servants and guards began filing out. It wouldn’t take fifteen sorcerers long to sort out if any of them were involved. The full twenty would have done it faster, but three members were stationed with the queen and princess in the royal apartment and two more were searching the grounds for the thieves, just in case they hadn’t managed to escape the castle grounds.

When the door slammed shut Uncle Andy said, “You think it’s the brother and sister?”

The archmage shook her head. “I refuse to go into this assuming anything. We’ve made too many assumptions that ended badly. Until I know for certain one way or the other, in my eyes they’re all guilty.”

Jen winced. Talk about harsh.

A
lden sent
streams of soul force in all directions, probing the stone steps outside the castle for any sign of either the thief or the urn. Glowing spheres of light brightened the area, but revealed nothing. You’d have thought someone rushing out would have left some sign, a drop of blood, a torn piece of cloth, something. So far his efforts had been in vain. Beside him Imogen scanned the heavy doors, seemingly with equal results. They’d checked every inch of the castle before moving outside. If they had to search the whole city this way it would take the entire Crimson Legion a year. Somehow Alden doubted they had a year.

“Why is it we can’t remember what the spy looked like?” Alden asked.

Imogen cut off her flow of soul force. She turned to face him, her beautiful face twisted in a fierce scowl. “The healer said it’s because of the poison. It knocked us out and erased our short term memory. A useful tool for a spy.”

“Yeah, but a pain for us. There has to be a way to speed this up.”

“If we had some idea where to look. But since we don’t we’ll have to look everywhere.”

Something clanked and the doors opened. The archmage stepped out, her expression hard and grim. “Anything?”

Alden shook his head. “We’ve checked the whole castle inside and out. Whoever it is must be out in the city.”

“I agree,” Imogen said.

“Well that makes three of us. Before we start a random hunt through the city I have a list of names and addresses for you.” She handed Alden a rolled-up scroll. “Three servants and a guard remain unaccounted for. No one seems certain if they showed up at the castle today or if they left early. Whatever happened they’re our best leads. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll be hiding at home.”

Alden pursed his lips. “If they’re hiding the urn at home I’ll dance naked around the city.”

“We have nothing else to go on. If you have a better suggestion I’m listening.” The archmage stared so hard at him Alden flinched.

“No, ma’am. We’ll get right on this.”

“Good. Start with the brother and sister.” The archmage slammed the door leaving them alone again.

“Did you really try and joke with her under these circumstances?” Imogen asked.

“I’ll grant you my timing could have been better.” He unrolled the scroll. It seemed the Linn family lived in a flat above a dry goods store. That was probably handy. “Do you know where Hammer Street is?”

“The trade district.”

“That’s thirty square blocks. I was hoping for something a little more precise.”

“Let’s just fly there and ask the first person we see.” Imogen leapt into the air.

Alden followed, shaking his head. He hated asking for directions.

They landed at the edge of the trade district. Through the whole flight Alden didn’t think he’d seen more than a handful of undamaged buildings. Everywhere he looked people were picking through rubble, whether searching for people or things he couldn’t say.

Imogen marched over to a stout, gray-haired woman in a smock and apron sweeping glass out of the street. Whatever else you might say about their crimson tunics, they drew people’s attention the moment they saw them.

“Where’s Hammer Street?” Imogen asked.

The woman looked up and squinted at them. She pointed toward the city wall. “Three blocks that way, two right, next left. Look for the sign, you can’t miss it.”

Imogen stalked off without another word. Alden waved at the woman. “Thanks.”

It was such a short distance they didn’t bother flying. At the appointed corner they found a four-foot-tall wooden sign carved to look like a hammer. Alden grinned. Talk about obvious.

“What was the name of the store?” Imogen asked.

Alden dug the scroll out of his tunic and conjured a small light. “Smitty’s Dry Goods. I doubt they’re open.”

Imogen looked at him with her hard, blue eyes. “They’ll open for us.”

Alden followed her down the street, his gaze darting from side to side. The area consisted mostly of businesses, which explained the lack of people. The shopkeepers and workers were probably home picking up. Once the sun rose he figured the place would be packed with people trying to figure out how much the quake had cost them.

Imogen stopped, hands on her hips, staring at a half-collapsed two-story building. A broken sign lay on the ground near the door. It said “Smitty’s Dry Goods.” Three-quarters of the roof slumped down into the second floor. Alden had serious doubts anyone was hiding up there.

They flew up and looked down into the ruined apartment. Alden sensed a faint soul force. Imogen looked at him and he nodded. They landed on a heap of mangled rafters and shingles. The soul force emanated from the undamaged portion of the second floor. Unfortunately half the collapsed roof lay between them and whoever was on the other side.

“Hey! Are you okay?” Alden shouted.

Imogen smacked his shoulder. “What are you doing? It could be the spy.”

“The spy was in the castle when the tremors started. If that’s who it is how did they get over there?”

“Hello?” A faint, feminine voice came from beyond the rubble.

“I don’t know, but you still shouldn’t have shouted.”

“Fine. Let’s argue some more after we dig her out.”

The two sorcerers made short work of the pile of rubble. Hiding under a table on the opposite side was a terrified young woman who stared at Alden and Imogen like they were angels descended from heaven.

“Thank you. I was afraid I’d never get out of there.”

“All part of our job, miss,” Alden said.

“Who are you?” Imogen asked.

“I’m Holly Linn. I’d offer you a cup of tea, but…” She looked around at the ruins of her apartment and shrugged.

“Why weren’t you at your job today?” Imogen asked.

“I’ve been sick and Jonny insisted I stay home and rest today. He said they could get along without me for a day. Am I in trouble?”

“Not at all, miss.” Alden smiled and patted her hand. “We’re just checking on any absent servants to make sure they weren’t hurt in the quake. You don’t know where your brother is by any chance?”

She shook her head. “He went to the castle this morning the same as he does every day. I assumed he was there. Is he okay?”

“We’re not certain. As you can imagine things are a little crazy right now. We’ll find him, never fear.” Behind him Imogen snorted.

Holly hugged Alden. “Thank you so much, sir. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Jonny.”

Alden wiggled free of the girl and asked, “Do you have somewhere you can go? It isn’t safe for you to remain here.”

She shook her head. “This place was all we had. Mom and Dad died four years ago and now it’s just Jonny and me.”

“Would you like to go to the castle? We can find a place for you to rest away from everyone so you won’t make them sick.”

“Yes, sir, I’d like that. I’m afraid I’ll fall through the floor if I stay here.”

Alden looked around and was forced to agree with her. He conjured a wagon about Holly and the three of them took off. They hadn’t flown far when Holly let out a little squeak. She stared out over the devastated city, her hand at her mouth.

“Holly, did your brother have any friends that might know where we can find him?” Alden asked.

“Jonny had a few friends in the guards, but he spent most of his time with Carmen. He thought he was being sneaky, but I saw them together all the time. Usually kissing.” Holly’s face turned bright red when she said that last bit.

“Would that be Carmen Warren?” Alden asked.

Holly nodded. “Do you know her? She’s very pretty. Sometimes she even talks to the queen.”

“How do you know that?” Imogen asked, a little sharper than necessary.

“I heard her tell Jonny. I think Carmen liked to brag. Not that she’s a bad person. Getting to talk to the queen is a real honor after all.”

“It certainly is.” Alden caught Imogen’s eye and they shared a nod.

They landed in the castle courtyard and Alden got Holly settled in before joining the archmage in the throne room.

“Is the girl being honest with you?” she asked.

“I’m confident she is,” Alden said.

“Agreed,” Imogen said. “She’s a bubble-brained kid, but she’s no spy.”

“Good. We’ve also eliminated Merik Arcorn from the list while you were gone.”

“How’d you manage that?” Alden asked.

“A search party found him crushed under a pile of logs he was cutting into firewood.”

Alden winced. “That certainly crosses him off our list. Carmen Warren and Jonathan Linn on the other hand I have a bad feeling about.”

D
amien landed
his conjured mount in the castle courtyard and helped Leah down. She’d held his shoulders in a death grip the whole flight and only his shield saved him from having her fingers imbedded in his flesh. He felt her strength through his soul force. Leah had a warrior’s grip. If she’d been running from those wolves for a day and a half she had incredible stamina as well. It was strange that she carried no weapon beyond a six-inch knife at her belt.

A messenger ran out the open castle doors and toward the gate not sparing them a glance. Damien absorbed the construct and led Leah to the castle. The guards let him through without a fuss, though they gave Leah a second look. The throne room doors were open as well. Four warlords, two on each side, stood at attention. From a distance he spotted Uncle Andy slumped on his throne with Jen on his left and Dad on his right. Whether to keep him safe or from falling off the chair Damien couldn’t say. The king certainly hadn’t had an easy time of it the past year or so.

His master was talking to Alden and Imogen, her face twisted into a particularly fierce scowl. What news had the two legionnaires brought that put the archmage in such a foul mood? All three sorcerers turned his way when he got close. One of the downsides of having such dense soul force: it made it impossible to sneak up on fellow sorcerers.

“Damien, who’s this?” the archmage asked.

“Leah, this is my master, the archmage. Master, this is Leah Walks-in-Sunshine. She was being chased by demon-possessed wolves. I had the good fortune to stumble across her just in time.”

Leah bowed. “Your apprentice saved my life. I’m very grateful.”

“Saving people is Damien’s job. Why did you bring her here?”

“Because you and the king really need to hear what she has to say. Hopefully it makes more sense to you than it did to me.”

“All right.” The archmage turned back to Alden and Imogen. “You two know what you need to do. Get going.”

The two Crimson Legionnaires bowed and rushed out of the room. Whatever their mission it must have been important. When they’d gone she asked Damien, “Do you want to give me a preview?”

“It’s about the earthquake. Apparently it wasn’t a natural event.”

The archmage’s eyebrows leapt at that. “You were right. I do need to hear what she has to say.”

His master led the way up to the throne. Uncle Andy’s head popped up as they approached and he managed a weak smile. “Damien. Everything secure beyond the wall?”

“As far as I could tell, Majesty. I ran into a minor difficulty, but it’s resolved now.” Damien gave him a quick summary of his meeting with Leah. “Go ahead, Leah. Tell them everything.”

Leah cleared her throat. “I suppose I should give you a little background. I’m a druid, a follower of the Green Path. We tend the wild places and make certain the earth force remains pure and flows as it should.”

“Earth force?” the archmage asked.

Leah nodded. “The energy that flows from the core of the planet and sustains all the things growing on it. That power flows in great rivers called ley lines that then branch into ever smaller flows that connect everything.”

“If so much power is flowing right under our feet why can’t we sense it?” The archmage asked the question Damien was thinking.

“The wise one says it’s because you’re too bright. Your power blinds you to what’s all around. It’s like staring into a fire at night. You can see nothing beyond it. Even people without power must spend many months meditating in the sacred groves before they become sensitive enough to see the earth force. It takes years to be able to manipulate it even a little.”

His master seemed ready to ask another question but Uncle Andy coughed. “Perhaps we could get to the point of what, exactly, brought you here.”

“Apologies, Majesty,” Leah said. “I’m here because someone or some ones have shifted a ley line. Subtle shifts at first, so that no one would notice. But a few hours ago they gave a great yank on the flow. That’s what caused the quake.”

The king leaned forward. “Are you saying someone caused this catastrophe on purpose?”

She shied away. “Yes.”

“And that’s what brought you here?”

“Not the earthquake specifically. I had almost arrived when that happened. The fact that someone was shifting the ley lines is why our leader sent me to ask for your help.”

Uncle Andy shook his head. “I’m not certain I understand. Can’t you just put it back where it belongs? What do you need our help for?”

“Druids have shifted the ley line, Majesty. We don’t know which ones. The wise one isn’t certain who he can trust. He determined it would be best to bring in outsiders to investigate. Once we deal with whoever betrayed the Green Path, the rest of the order can put the flows to rights. Please, can you help us?”

The king leaned back on his throne. “Please excuse us for a moment, Leah. We have a great deal to discuss.”

Damien escorted her to a bench at the rear of the throne room. When he turned to leave she grabbed his hand. “Do you think he will help?”

He patted her hand then pulled his free. “The king is a good man. If he can help I believe he will.”

“Thank you.”

Damien smiled and rejoined his master.

“Did you even know these druids existed?” Uncle Andy asked.

The archmage shook her head. “I’ve never heard of them or read about them in any of the histories. The girl is telling the truth, at least she believes she is. I swear in less than a year I feel like my whole world has shifted.”

“I don’t know about druids,” Damien said. “But those demon wolves were real enough and they wanted her dead. I can’t see anyone going to the trouble of siccing them on her if she didn’t know something someone didn’t want getting out.”

“It bears looking into, certainly,” Uncle Andy said. “If they can do this much damage to us, what else are they capable of?”

Damien glanced at Jen and raised an eyebrow. She nodded back.

“Jen and I could investigate. We have some experience with demonic matters.”

“Just the two of you?” Uncle Andy said. “I was thinking a bigger force.”

“No, Damien has the right idea,” the archmage said. “If a dozen sorcerers descend on them whoever’s responsible will just disappear into the group then pick up where they left off once we leave. If Damien and his sister go in alone they might not even be noticed or at least not recognized as a threat. Also, we need everyone to help with the cleanup and to protect against anyone taking advantage of our current vulnerability.”

“I suppose you’re right. Besides, if anyone can handle this, Damien and Jen can.” Uncle Andy sat back and sighed, looking far older than his forty-one years.

His master led Damien and Jen away from the exhausted king. “Be careful. That young woman doesn’t have a clue what’s really happening. Don’t depend too much on her.”

Leah bounced to her feet when Damien and the others reached her. “Has the king decided?”

Damien smiled. “My sister and I will be returning with you to investigate. We’ll set out at first light.”