The Bronze Mage (9 page)

He glared at her.
 

"Right. Magic. Fire my history tutor." Tabitha grinned. James just shook his head. "But I do remember walking."

"Indeed. We walked until I decided on our destination. Since this time we already know where you want to go, I'll lead you to a place close enough to your home for you to easily reach it before nightfall."

"Today?"

James nodded.

"I'll be home by tonight?"

James made a sound like a choked growl. "Tell your father to execute your history tutor."

Tabitha laughed. The joy of knowing she'd be home tonight made her want to shout, but considering James's ill-temper, she suppressed the urge. Instead she asked, "When do we leave?"

"First, breakfast."

After the meal, he led her outside to the horses. Tabitha's was tall with a coat and mane as black as James's own hair. His narrow face and curved neck looked beautiful, but proud. Tabitha had brought an apple with her from breakfast as a present for her new mount. He approved of the gesture and quickly warmed up to her. His harness and saddle were also black, with silver trim. They were worn, but in good repair.

"What's his name?"

James grimaced. "My nephew named him King Stud."

"A stallion then," she almost succeeded in stifling her giggle.

"Sadly, no. He's a gelding. My nephew has a wicked sense of humor."

"This is your brother's horse?"

"Mine. The descendent of my stallion." This seemed a touchy subject, so Tabitha let it drop.

James's mount was a beautiful bay, with long legs and a wide face. He was such a gentle-looking creature, not at all what she would have pictured for James. His black mane matched his tack, which was identical to that on Tabitha's horse. Considering James's mood, and his nephew's humor, she decided not to ask the name of James's horse.

The saddlebags were already packed, though only with a light lunch since they shouldn't need additional provisions and Tabitha had no possessions here. They mounted and rode down the path single file.
 

As usual, the forest seemed unfamiliar. Now she suspected the fault was not her own, but the result of something James had done or was doing. Since her horse seemed content to follow his, Tabitha studied the woods. Already the sounds and signs of wildlife that were absent from the yard surrounded them. She had assumed the boundary only affected her, but maybe the servants and James were the exceptions rather than the rule.

After about a mile, the path joined with a cart track. This had definitely not been there when they'd taken their long walk. Tabitha rode up beside James. Surrounded by evidence of his magic, she realized she needed to confront him about one of his spells.

"What were you doing all those nights before you put me to sleep? Is there still a spell on me?"

"Yes."

"What does it do?"

"It won't affect you once you're home."

"Because it's temporary? Is that why you had to work on it every night?"

He didn't answer. Tabitha waited.

Eventually, he said, "Consider it a souvenir."

Tabitha clenched her jaw and swallowed several indignant responses. She was almost home. Surely Mage Crandall, the court mage of Valstadt, could take it off her.

The sun continued its slow journey until it hung overhead. Shortly thereafter, they came to a clearing by a stream and stopped for lunch.

"So did this appear because you wanted to stop for lunch or did you time our leaving so we would reach it now?"

He ignored her question. She laid out a blanket and unpacked their lunch. As good as it had been to be back on a horse, her legs felt a little stiff, so she remained standing. James walked over to her with his jaw set stubbornly. She wondered why until she saw he was holding a necklace. The chain and setting were silver, the pendant contained a large sapphire surrounded by pieces of jet. It was beautiful.

Tabitha stepped away from him.

"I can't accept that." She had no idea what his offering it meant, but she could easily think of how it would be interpreted.

"You don't get to argue with me until you're home." He froze her and fastened it around her neck, reaching his arms around her to do so. He smelled good. "This will guarantee that you reach home safely. You won't get lost. No one will bother you." He didn't back away or unfreeze her. His hands settled on her shoulders.

"You couldn't have put the same spells on a pair of riding gloves?" She muttered, eyes closed to avoid his.

He laughed softly. "The spells are permanent. Placing them on something that may wear out, be ruined or not fit the intended wearer would be foolish, don't you think?"

The thought of how much more valuable the enchantment was than even the necklace itself stunned her. Enchanted items were rare. Permanent spells were difficult to construct and required a great deal of time and effort. Most spells were temporary, lasting only a few days or occasionally weeks. Was this what he'd been doing these last few days? Was it possible to create a permanent spell so quickly? She opened her eyes, met his silver gaze, a little awed by his generosity.
 

"Thank you," she breathed.

He almost spoke, but changed his mind, unfreezing her as he stepped away.

Silence descended again during lunch, but Tabitha wished she could break it. The necklace was an enigma. What did he mean by it? Was it an apology? An attempt to compensate her for the complications he'd thrown into her life? Its very presence would make those worse. She thought back to their conversation the previous afternoon. He'd wanted to start collecting allies. Perhaps sending her home this way, not just safe but in a new outfit on a beautiful horse and wearing an invaluable necklace, was like sending a gift? When the Southern Empire had sought an alliance with her father, they'd sent caravans of trade goods and lavish presents, always escorted by highly trained and heavily armed escorts. It served as a present and a warning. Perhaps this was similar. If that was the case the necklace wasn't really hers, but a gift to her father's treasury.
 

She could tell herself that, but she couldn't quite believe it. Jewelry was usually given for more personal reasons. Tailored clothing was about as personal as gifts came. A horse with riding gear might have gone either way, but it wasn't her father's colors on the tack. They matched those on James's own mount. Not to mention the spell. Even if it didn't do anything, it had the effect of stamping his name on her in a powerful way. She could lie to herself all she wanted, but she was being sent home as if for a visit.

Fighting a wave of panic, she caught James's eye and blurted, "I can't go back to that cabin. Ever."

"You're going home, Tabitha. You never have to return there again."

Tabitha forced herself to relax. Lunch was over and she helped pack the blanket and utensils for James to take back with him.
 

"So how soon will you leave for Salbren?"

"I'll speak with King Fenril tonight, probably before you reach home."

Everything was ready. It was time to go. Tabitha wasn't sure if she should just mount her horse and ride off, or if she needed to wait for a dismissal of some kind. James pulled a letter out of his pack and handed it to her. It was addressed to her father.

"Only he can open it."

She took it, hoping Mage Crandall would be able to tell if there was a malicious spell on it, and placed it in her now empty saddle bag. As she re-fastened it, she heard James's horse moving off. She mounted her own. With a certainty she hadn't felt since they'd entered James's enchanted forest, she knew her destination lay further down the trail they'd been following. After a few steps the trees changed. She was back in Valstadt and knew the way home.

TWELVE

False Starts

Tabitha's arrival set off a small cataclysm of activity. After the initial round of hugs and tears, the family retired to the solar. Servants brought food, while her parents pelted her with questions. Once Tabitha assured them that she was unharmed and untouched, they gave her a few moments to eat in peace, filling her in on their side of the incident while they all waited for the arrival of the court mage, Mage Crandall, who'd been following some leads further south.

After what felt like hours, Mage Crandall entered the room, apologizing. "Sire, I was almost here, so I just ran the horse. I wanted to save my magic, in case...," his gaze swiveled to Tabitha. "Princess Tabitha, we are so relieved to have you home."

Everyone looked to the King, deferring the first question to him, but Tabitha interrupted. Turning to the court mage, she said, "There are at least three spells you need to check." She removed her necklace and handed it to Mage Crandall along with the letter. "The third is on me. I don't know what it is or does."

Her announcement came as no surprise to Melanie or Mage Crandall, who had been eyeing her curiously since first sighting her. The mage handed both items to Melanie before approaching Tabitha and motioning her to stand. He looked grave as he rotated her, moving her head back or sideways, apparently making a careful inspection of her neck. Tabitha was mildly surprised that the spell didn't extend farther. She'd always imagined it covered her scalp and shoulders. At least, those were the areas that had reacted the most to James's spellweaving.
 

After a long moment, Mage Crandall said, "This is a very intricate spell. It will take some time to remove. But it appears to be inactive. It can wait."

He retrieved the letter from Melanie, quickly verified it contained a simple privacy spell and handed it over to King Rhys.

When he reclaimed the necklace, his expression changed. Mage Crandall stood silent, inspecting it carefully, holding it as if it might vanish. Eventually the king cleared his throat to remind the mage to report his findings.

"There are several permanent spells on it: a wayfinder, a friend finder, a charm, and a don't-notice spell that's keyed to ill-will. This took...well, the spells look new, but they couldn't be. No one could craft this so quickly. Not permanent spells. And then to give it away...." The mage tore his eyes from the necklace to meet King Rhys's gaze. "Sire, I am very curious about what is in that letter. This necklace is worth... he must expect..." The amazement on Mage Crandall's face turned to shock as he trailed off, unable to complete that sentence while looking at his king.

King Rhys turned from his mage to Tabitha. His voice was quiet and level. "We need to hear your account."

Tabitha gave a synopsis of her time with James. Afterwards, as they bombarded her with questions, she gave a more detailed account. Tabitha's opinions were not required. Her parents were too well aware of her deficiencies in reading people. However, her memory was good and her observations accurate, so they kept coming back for more details, hoping to see what she hadn't.

The sun set. The moon rose. Tabitha pulled her feet up and burrowed into the cushions of the couch. The discussion was continuing around her, mostly without any need for her input. She nodded off and was jolted upright by a glimpse of the cabin's bedroom. It was like her dreams were lurking just behind her eyelids, waiting to return her to captivity. This kept her awake a while longer, but her eyes were determined to close. After she jerked awake a few times, her mother announced it was time for the girls to go to bed. Melanie begged permission to stay a while longer, which the king granted. Tabitha hugged her father and siblings, then followed her mother back to the room she shared with Melanie.

Her mother shooed the maid momentarily, and motioned for Tabitha to sit. "Is there anything you wish to tell me that you didn't mention before?" Her mother's voice was gentle, but grave.
 

Since Tabitha really had given an embarrassingly detailed account of her stay, she shook her head. She had told everything that had happened, though not everything she'd felt. She wasn't sure she knew how to explain her feelings, not even to herself. "He was much better behaved than Nurse would have credited."

"I knew him, Tabitha. What you described doesn't sound anything like him."

Tabitha was surprised. Her parents had married after the coup had ended. She had always assumed that meant her mother had been safely far from all the drama at the castle. "But I thought Father hadn't even met you...?"

"Mage James didn't come to Felsungen until he was ready for the final confrontation with your father. I ran across him several times while he was traveling the countryside gathering supporters. He was heartless. But he never tried his charm on me. I don't know how he came across to the girls he destroyed." Queen Bernice took her daughter's hands in her own and squeezed them. "I would be very slow to trust him, Tabitha."

Suppressing the urge to defend him, Tabitha answered simply, "I know."

The queen wished her daughter sweet dreams, told her again how glad she was to have her home, and left.

The maid re-entered and helped Tabitha change for bed. It seemed odd having someone help her again when she'd gotten used to taking care of herself, and yet reassuring. A reminder that she really was home. An awkward moment occurred when the maid asked if Tabitha would sit to get her hair done for the night. After a slight hesitation, Tabitha sat at her vanity. The maid seemed oblivious to her tension, continuing to chatter about how lucky Tabitha was to have escaped unharmed. Whatever Tabitha had been expecting was dispelled by her maid's energetic and business-like brushing. In a few moments her hair had been detangled and re-braided.

As Tabitha settled into her familiar narrow bed, she relaxed completely. She probably would have nightmares about the cabin, but whatever her dreams held, she would wake at home.

###

Her first night home Tabitha did dream of Xentia, but not the cabin. She and her sister wandered the enchanted woods. They visited the stream, where it disappeared into the earth. To Tabitha's horror, Melanie followed it underground. Standing alone, she waited nervously for her sister to return. As the minutes passed, she wondered what she would tell her parents and whether, if she went for help, she could locate this spot again. Turning to fix some landmarks in her mind, Tabitha was relieved to find James behind her.