The Archmage Unbound (55 page)

***

Rose and I watched them ride from the carriage house
and into the dark night. The road they followed went westward but soon they
would be leaving it and taking what amounted to little more than a goat trail
into the wilderness to the northwest. Riding in semi-darkness, even with an
experienced guide and a wizard to light their way, I worried that they might
easily lose the path and wander aimlessly. Anything that delayed their arrival
might doom my plan, or at the very least drive me to unfortunate decisions, decisions
with irrevocable consequences.

“It’s just you and me now,” Rose said as we stood in
the darkened building. “When will you act?”

“As soon as I receive word that they have our
friends safe,” I responded, tapping the box I held in my hands.

“What do we do tonight?”

“The theory is that we get a good night’s rest, but somehow
I doubt it will be easy,” I replied. “Do you mind sleeping at Castle Cameron
tonight?”

“Why there?” she asked.

“Without Walter it won’t be easy to get back into
your house or mine unobserved. We can take this circle back to Lancaster and
then from there we can go to Castle Cameron easily enough. Tomorrow we can
teleport from there back to my house when we receive word,” I explained.
“Tonight we can enjoy good food and be among friends at least.”

That night proved every bit as difficult to get
through as I had expected. I tossed and turned for most of it, and slept
fitfully for the rest. During the night I woke constantly and found myself
staring at the small wooden box sitting on my bedside table. Each time I
thought I had seen a flicker of light coming from the ruby embedded in its lid
and each time I discovered it was just a figment fabricated by my sleeping
mind.

Morning found me sitting on the divan, dressed and
awake, watching the box from across the room. Given the time they had ridden
out of Albamarl I was expecting a note from James at any moment, yet the ruby
on the lid stubbornly refused to light up.

“Come in,” I said loudly in the direction of the
bedroom door. Rose was standing on the other side about to knock but I had
already sensed her approach. She opened the door and glanced inside.

“Any word yet?” she asked anxiously. Despite the
early hour she was already dressed in an elegant gown and her hair was a delicate
mixture of braids arranged to restrain the rest of her free flowing hair. I
couldn’t imagine how she had contrived that miracle. Penny was altogether more
practical when it came to morning hair… as long as it was tied up and out of
her way she was happy.

“No,” I said abruptly. “Why are you dressed like
that?” My mood was sour or I wouldn’t ordinarily have been so rude.

If I offended her she showed no sign. “I’m nervous,
and when that happens my first instinct is to do this,” she gestured at her
gown and hair. “I blame it on my upbringing.”

I was tempted to ask her about the weaponry she had
strapped to her thigh and hidden in her bodice, not to mention the steel spike
nestled amid her braids but I kept my silence. If I gave away my knowledge of
those things it might lead to an unfortunate conversation regarding what else I
was capable of glimpsing.

“Have you eaten?” I asked.

She shrugged, “My stomach is full of butterflies. I
haven’t tried to put anything in it yet.” She examined me carefully for a
moment before speaking again, “Are you planning to meet the King dressed like
that?”

The question nearly made me laugh, “Why does it
matter? I’m going to kill him when I see him… one way or another.”

She bit her lip, showing a hint of delicate white
teeth. “Because I’m going with you and I won’t be seen being escorted by a
lout in a stained linen tunic and patched leather boots.”

That got my attention and my eyes lit upon her. “You
aren’t going with me.”

Rose’s eyes sparkled as she sensed a challenge.
“How well did that work when you told Penny that?”

She had me there. Most of those occasions had ended
with her coming with me anyway. “Doesn’t matter,” I replied crossly, “you
aren’t my wife.” I stood up to keep her from looking down on me.

She didn’t back away from the challenge; instead she
stepped into my personal space and stood just inches from my face. “Your wife
isn’t here and until you get her back I’m in charge of taking care of you.” A
strange urge to strangle her swept over me but I restrained myself. I could
see her nostrils flaring as she breathed and I felt my face flush. The tension
I was feeling wasn’t just anger and if I’d laid hands upon her it wouldn’t have
ended in a fight. It would have been far worse.

“Fine,” I said stepping away from her, seeking
cooler air to calm my emotions. “I won’t be held responsible if something
happens to you there. I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“I didn’t ask you to,” she replied calmly. “Why
don’t you see about a bath while I look through your clothes,” she added with a
serenity that belied the anger she had shown only a moment before.

I left and went looking for Joe McDaniels. By the
time I had found him I had made up my mind to follow her advice and take a
bath. It had been days already and I was starting to smell.

Rather than have the copper tub taken to my room, as
Penny and I had normally done I used the communal baths in the barracks. Given
my state of mind and the hormones that had been flying through the air already
this morning it seemed the safest option. Thankfully Joe didn’t ask why I
suddenly wanted to bathe there; he simply showed me where the towels and other
things were located.

Normally baths were taken in the evening so there
weren’t any other bathers present, but then neither were the fires lit so I had
to make do with cold water. That actually suited me even more than I cared to
admit.

When I finally returned to my room I was in a much
better frame of mind. The first things I saw upon entering were the clothes
Rose had laid out for me upon the bed. I ignored them and checked the wooden
box, but the light still wasn’t lit.

Returning my attention to the clothes I couldn’t
help but admire her choices. Grey trousers matched with black boots and a
sable trimmed doublet. Gold accents marked the doublet itself as well as the
cloak she had set beside it. I wondered if any of it would fit, but I needn’t
have worried. Though I hadn’t ever worn the clothes before, Penny had had them
made by the same tailor that made my more usual wardrobe items. Knowing Penny,
she and Rose had probably discussed all of it before she had ever commissioned
them to be made. The two of them had been thick as thieves when it came to my
wardrobe over the past year.

Joe appeared after I had dressed. “You need to eat
something,” he said as soon as I opened the door.

“I don’t think so.”

“Nothing heavy… just a bit of porridge,” he
insisted. “You’ll need it later.”

I didn’t have the heart to argue so I let him have a
small bowl brought up to me. It wasn’t easy to start, but once the first few
bites had gone down I discovered I was ravenous. I finished the portion and
gave serious consideration to asking for more.

Rose arrived before I could send for him. “You look
much better,” she commented dryly.

“I feel better, thank you. Though I think I must
look a fool in these clothes.”

She smiled, “You look dashing.”

“Isn’t the hero supposed to wear white?” I said questioningly.

“You aren’t quite that good,” she replied. “You’re
planning to commit regicide. Dorian might be good enough for white, but I’m
afraid the best you should wear would be shades of grey.”

Her words stung a bit but I shrugged the feeling
aside. “These clothes are mostly black,” I noted.

“It looks better than all grey.” Looking at me she
frowned. “Stop pouting. I told you once before, you’re the right man for this
task. There are some things that require shades of grey.”

I opened my mouth to speak but she put her finger on
my lips. “Close your eyes and be silent for a moment Mordecai,” she said
gently. Something in her tone struck a note within me, and I did as she bade.
Stepping forward she planted a quick kiss on my cheek, which surprised me, and
then she wrapped her arms around me.

“You’re a decent man Mordecai, not a perfect one,
but better than most. I love you almost as much as I do Dorian, and I love
Penelope just as much. You have to promise me one thing today.” She stepped
back and I opened my eyes.

“What?” I asked suspiciously.

She sighed, “So cynical at such a young age. I want
you to promise me, for Penelope’s sake, that whatever happens, you will try to
survive… no foolish sacrifices.”

I was tempted to remind her that she was only a year
older but it seemed a crass thing to say. “I cannot do that,” I said instead.
“As you told me just last night, I have learned that we each have a right to
make our own sacrifices. I cannot make any promises when there is so much that
is uncertain…” I paused without finishing. From the corner of my eye I could
see a red glow had appeared on the small box near the bed.

Forgetting everything else I strode quickly to the
side table and opened the lid. Inside was a small slip of paper. Carefully
unfolding it I found it carried a message written in James’ neat hand:

We have safely recovered Walter’s wife
and young son. Of Penny, Dorian, and his older daughter we could find no
sign. There were no survivors among the priests. No witnesses to our attack
either. We have searched the area to no avail and are now returning to
Albamarl.

I am truly sorry, Mordecai.

James

A cold calm washed over me and I let Rose take the
note from numb fingers. Walking over to my writing desk I quickly penned a
response:

Wait for me at the carriage house
tonight. If I do not appear by morning ride for Lancaster and prepare for war.

Mordecai

I could have embellished the note in any number of
ways, but I didn’t. My heart was too cold to care anymore. Closing the box I
handed it to Rose. If any further messages were to be sent she would have to
be the one to manage it. Walking to the corner I belted on my enchanted pouch
and lifted my staff. Then I headed for the door… the time for waiting was
over.

The palace gates rose up before me in the afternoon
sun and the guards standing beside them were blissfully unaware that today was
the day their world would change. My walk from my house in the city to this
point had been mundane. Rose and I had garnered quite a few looks given our
extravagant clothing. In most cases people wearing such clothes would be
inside a carriage, or be riding at the very least. We simply strolled.

I didn’t care if we drew attention anyway.
I’m
dressed for the funeral,
I thought to myself. Considering it in that light
it was everyone else who was underdressed. I suppressed a chuckle at that
thought.

Rose glanced over at me, “Everything alright?” Her
features displayed nothing of her nervousness, but my senses could pick up her
racing heartbeat.

“No,” I told her truthfully. “I doubt things will
ever be alright again. Not for us, in any case, or anyone close to us.” I was
referring of course, to Dorian and Penny.

The guards watched us approach with curious eyes. They
had already recognized us but I doubt they had expected me to appear dressed
for a high society function in the middle of the afternoon. One of them
addressed me as we drew close, “Pardon me your lordship, may I ask you your
name and reason for seeking entry to the palace today?” The man’s tone was
formal and very deferential.

“You already know my name,” I replied. “And very
likely you know to expect me.”

He bowed his head respectfully, “Yes your
Excellency, the questions are mandatory. Please pardon me if they seem
strange.”

For a moment I felt sorry for him. Neither of these
men had done anything to deserve the chaos my presence would visit upon their
lives today. “What’s your name?” I asked him suddenly.

“Nathaniel, your Lordship.”

“Nathaniel, do you have family in the city?”

“Yes sir,” he answered, giving me an odd look.

I met his eyes and tried to convey my seriousness.
“You should take the day off and stay with them. No one will miss you here.
You might consider telling the other servants and guardsmen within the same
thing.”

His face took on a look of disbelief so I left him
and walked onward. He and his fellow guardsman rushed to open the door before
I reached it. Rose and I resumed our leisurely walk after they had it open,
but one of them called out behind us, “Let me call an escort for you your
Lordship.”

I ignored him and we kept going. I remembered the
way perfectly well. As we went I warned everyone we met as I had the first
guard. I hoped they would listen and pass the word along. Despite my
reputation I had a feeling most of them would stay at their jobs but there
wasn’t much I could do about it.
Hopefully things won’t get that out of
hand,
I thought. In truth I didn’t care anymore. My warning was a habit
of kindness rather than a genuine desire to help them.