The Black Mage: Candidate (3 page)

“Alex! Ella!” I called out to my brother and best friend across the way.

The couple immediately turned toward the doorway. Ella broke into a grin, but my twin’s smile faded as soon as he noticed my injuries and the person standing beside me.

“What happened?” His question sounded innocent, but I knew Alex well enough to catch the unusual lilt to his tone. My brother had already chastised me for too many injuries during the course of our four-year apprenticeship, and I knew he was anything but pleased that his sister had gotten herself hurt.
Again
.

I hastily made myself speak: “It’s nothing, Darren was duel—“ I corrected myself hastily. “
I
was practicing, and I think I broke a rib.”

“Ryiah just needs a healer to look at her,” Darren said. “Nothing too serious.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed on the prince. “I know what a broken rib is.”

Darren stared at him. “I didn’t say you didn’t.”

“Did you do this to her?”

The prince folded his arms defensively. “Your sister was the one who wanted to duel.”

“That doesn’t mean—” Alex never finished because at just that moment Ella placed a perfectly timed kick to his shins. Alex swallowed, scowling, and Ella finished for him with a small smile in Darren’s direction.

“I take it Ry thought she’d give you a run for first rank?”

At her question the non-heir gave a small smile. “She tried.”

“Did she at least get in some good castings of her own?”

“Depends on what you consider ‘good.’”

I cringed. Now was not the best time to joke. Not with my brother seething in anger a couple feet away. “So about that healing…”

Darren and Ella stayed where they were, engaging in a strained but polite conversation while I followed Alex to one of the covered cots in the back of the room. He wasn’t employed by the palace staff, but the healer was busy enough with two of the knights of the King’s Regiment in the back so she didn’t give us a second glance. The rest of her staff had undoubtedly left for the Academy trials with the rest of the court.

As soon as Alex started to make his examination I lowered my voice to a whisper. “There’s no need to blame Darren for this.”

My twin grumbled under his breath but said nothing.

“You can’t continue to hate him, Alex. I already told you, everything he did during the apprenticeship, he had a reason—”

My brother cut me off. “I really do not want to talk about
him
right now.”

I sighed and let him continue his work in silence. I felt the cooling touch as his magic seeped out of his hands and into my stomach, the terrible sensation of movement inside, and then the blissful sensation as my rib pain trickled away, bit by bit. It was a simple injury to treat—a broken or fractured rib could heal naturally with no magic within a month or two on its own—but I did not have the luxury of time.

Sitting up, I gave my twin a grateful smile. “So have you and Ella finally decided which city to take up service in?”

My brother’s expression softened at the mention of her name. “Montfort.”

I started. I had been expecting Ferren’s Keep, or maybe Ishir Outpost. “Where is Montfort?”

“It’s five days north. Ella wanted to come with you—you already know that—but after what happened last year I didn’t feel comfortable stationed so close to the border, not that I like
you
going there either.” He gave me a pointed look and I ignored it.

Neither Darren nor Alex could talk me out of a position in Commander Nyx’s regiment. Besides, unlike the two of them, my station was only temporary: the Crown’s advisors had made it clear that as soon as Darren and I were married I would be stuck serving close to home—and
that
would be the end of my grand adventures. I bit my lip. It was the one thing I wasn’t looking forward to about my impending marriage.

“…Still close enough to the action to give her the excitement she wants, but they also have some of the best healers in the kingdom. Ronan is going there.” Ronan was a first-rank mage like Darren—only his faction was Restoration like my brother’s. The two of them had bonded during their apprenticeship, and while my brother was jealous of his friend’s ranking, I knew he also looked up to him. In Alex’s eyes, anywhere Ronan was stationed was worth going.

“And we both met with Commander Braxton during the ascension feast. He seemed friendly enough, and of course it helps that his city is hosting the Candidacy next year. As soon as he reminded Ella, she forgot whatever scheme she’d been cooking up to convince me to join Ferren’s Keep with you.”

I grinned. Ella was a true Combat mage. It didn’t surprise me in the least that she had agreed to Montfort so easily after the Commander’s mention of the Candidacy. It was a tempting opportunity, and if I hadn’t been so set on Ferren’s Keep, I would have probably begged to come along. The Candidacy was how our nation determined its reigning Council of Magic, known commonly as The Three. It was also how the Black Mage, Marius, had earned his title just nineteen years before. And in one year it would be my turn.

Even if I didn’t win
the
robe—and the odds were I wouldn’t—the prestige that came with any victory at all in our nation’s infamous tourney was enough to elevate my status. I was a second rank now, but there were at least fifty other Combat mages with the same ranking, as I was only compared to four others of my same ascension year.

Still, if I won against even some others of my same rank, it would improve my standing. That I was better than the ones I beat, and any of the lower ranks of that person’s own year.

“All done. Stop daydreaming.” My brother clamped my shoulder lightly, startling me out of my thoughts with a jolt.

I slapped his hand away in mock protest. “What if you had missed something? That could have hurt.” It didn’t, but I wasn’t about to let him off that easily.

My twin grinned at me. “You are just jealous you don’t have my skill.”

I rolled my eyes in good humor. “Jealous?
Hardly
. I believe the people up north call me a hero.”

“Funny how she forgets they were talking about
both
of us.” Darren and Ella had appeared beside us. I watched Alex stiffen at the non-heir’s proximity. “Ella tells me you two are headed for Montfort,” the prince added.

My brother opened his mouth, and then thought better of whatever insult he was about to say when he caught wind of my expression. When he finally spoke, it was the quietest reply I had ever heard him utter. It was also the shortest. “Yes.”

“It’s a great city. Small, but accomplished.” Darren nodded to the red-robed woman on the other side of the room. “Jeanette hires most of the palace healers from there.”

“How… nice.” I elbowed my twin and he grated his teeth. “Thanks for the recommendation. It means—” Alex took a long breath and the words barely left his lips, “a lot. Thank you, your highness.”

Darren’s face was frozen in a polite smile. He was as uncomfortable as my brother, but years at court had given him the upper hand. “Anytime.”

Ella winked at me. She could read the tension just as easily as I. “Well as pleasant as this little reunion has been, I do believe it’s getting late and Alex and I have a long ride ahead of us. It was nice to see you both before we head out. Darren, I’m sure we’ll see you in Montfort with Ry for the Candidacy next year?”

The lines seemed to leave Darren’s shoulders—not much, but just enough to betray the real anxiety he had felt just moments before. “Of course.”

I exchanged a quick embrace with my best friend and brother, and then watched them go.

As soon as they were out of sight Darren turned to face me. “He still hates me.”

“Give him time.” I squeezed his hand. “Alex has had the wrong opinion of you for so long. And he’s never liked anyone I courted.”

“He liked Ian.”

“Ian was…” I paused, unsure how to begin. “Well, he’s…”

The non-heir studied me in my hesitation. “He is everything I’m not.”

“Ian is what
Alex
wants,” I amended. “Not me.”

Darren was silent.

“I chose
you
.” I jabbed at the non-heir’s chest with my finger. “I want
you
.” I jabbed again. “I love
you
, you—” Jab. “Silly—” Jab. “Stubborn—”

Darren caught my finger with a straight face. “That’s enough injuries for one night, don’t you think?”

“Do you believe me?”

The corner of his lip twitched. “Gods know I am in for a lot of misery if I’m wrong.” He tilted my chin up to his face and for once his eyes were serious. “I am going to miss you, Ryiah.”

I looked down, heart sinking. “You could still come with me.”

“You could still stay.”

We were back to the same conversation we’d had all week.

Darren looked toward the ceiling. “Out of all the women I’ve met I
would
pick the only one who is too stubborn to enjoy my father’s court.” He returned his gaze to me, defeated. “I suppose there’s no talking you around?”

I shook my head.

“I didn’t think so.” The non-heir groaned. “You frustrate me, you know that?”

I smiled. “And you are the most difficult person I’ve ever met.”

He raised a brow. “Second only to yourself, of course.”

“Darren.”

“Yes?”

I sighed. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

Chapter Two

Trepidation filled every waking moment of the fourteen long days it took to reach the northeastern stronghold of Ferren’s Keep.

Most of my trip was spent deep in thought, watching the passing of croplands and riverbeds of the country mainland. With the growing rebel attacks, Jerar’s impending war with Caltoth, and my new position close to the border, the Crown’s advisors had decreed that one of the King’s Regiment remain with the future princess at all times. So, like the pack of guards that had once accompanied Darren to the Academy many years before, I now had Paige, a young knight four years my senior, for companionship. She wasn’t very talkative, and what little sentences she did speak were of basic necessity.

When I had tried to expand on our conversation, the girl just frowned. I sensed she wasn’t shy, but it was clear she hadn’t warmed up to me either. The knight was sharp-tongued when she did utter an opinion, and I found myself regretting almost all of my attempts.

Paige was tall, brawny, and almost the female equivalent of Alex in stature. She only packed chainmail and men’s clothes to dress. She had stunning brown locks she kept hidden in a braid to the side, and narrowed eyes that seemed to pass judgment the second they looked at you.

She was lowborn, but she was unlike any lowborn I had ever met. She despised small talk, scoffed at all my suggestions, and eyed every traveler—noble or not—with the same suspicious edge.

The third time I tried to engage her she snapped at me to pay attention to the road, and followed hastily with an unfeeling apology, “my lady.”

I didn’t know what to do. With all of our shared background, I had assumed a friendship was in order. Both of us were women who had risen above our station through hard work, and we were both young and stuck together for as long as the king ordained her presence necessary. It would have only made sense for us to bond—if for nothing else than the eternity we had ahead. But it was clear my companion had other ideas.

The rest of the time we traveled in silence, with the exception of one or two disagreements over direction.

I spent most of the hours enjoying our scenery. Which was very easy as we drew further and further west. Plains gave way to pine and thick clusters of sweet-smelling grass, thin streams joined and became one large coursing current. Foliage sprouted up along the banks, first and foremost my favorite: the dense green tree with its large, shiny leaves and clusters of tiny red flowers that dotted its branches.

The clove tree.

Before I knew it we had arrived at the small village of Demsh’aa.
Home.

We were only supposed to be passing through for the night, but much to the chagrin of my traveling guard, I insisted on one extra day to visit with my parents. I hadn’t seen either since my first-year trial four years before.

Paige left me to visit, scouring the local shops to replenish our supplies, and I took a tour of the new changes in my brothers’ and my absence. I was pleased to see how much better we fared. Previously the apothecary had been an extra room in my parents’ house, but because of the coin Alex and I had been sending home (Derrick’s soldier salary was much less than that of a mage), they had been able to purchase a small building close to the center of town, and they had already apprenticed two young girls who had chosen to pursue a local trade instead of a trial year in one of the country’s three war schools.

My parents apologized for missing Alex’s and my ascension, but I had already known it would be too much to leave the store in the midst of the new apprentices’ training. Besides, the mages’ ceremony wasn’t open to the public, and while I was sure they would have been able to attend the feast, it would have been a long journey to take for such a short event. I was just happy my parents had supported my studies.

Of course, I came bearing news…

But it had actually already arrived by Alex’s envoy a week before. Although that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

My father was in a constant state of shock. During my apprenticeship all my letters home had refrained from mentioning Darren—mostly because I hadn’t known what to write—so to hear the prince and I had been falling in love all this time was something my father had never considered.

My mother was much more understanding, stating that she had suspected as much during the week of our first-year trials. “He wouldn’t stop staring at you. I knew there was more to it than your friend led us to believe… I just never expected
this
.”

It was a hard notion to ponder. A prince of the realm had chosen to take their lowborn daughter not as a mistress but as his wife.

My parents were happy, but confused. And I didn’t have five years to explain exactly how it came to be. To be perfectly honest I was still reeling from the news as well.