True Magics (4 page)

“I was fighting the raiders,” said Thomas. “Me, the Student Company, and all the decent nobles in your Dukedom. Unlike all of you.”

“You’re a fine one to talk of decency,” said Ethan. “You practice witchcraft. Your girl dresses as a boy and throws herself at any man she fancies. Is it true she slept with Baron Goshawk? He never did answer that.”

The growl that came out of Eileen was more animal than human, and Thomas barely managed to restrain her. “How very brave,” Thomas ground out through clenched teeth. “Trying to start a fight at Festival, where fighting is forbidden.”

Ethan spread his hands wide and put on a look of innocence. “I’m merely telling the truth,”

“Truth?” spat Eileen. “Fine! You’re a coward. You’re a rapist. You’re a traitor.”

“But not a witch,” said Anthony.

“You have no friends here,” warned Thomas. “And Festival ends tomorrow, so shut up or be prepared to answer for it.”

“And what a pity we can’t,” said Cormac. “Unlike you, we’re dedicated to keeping the King’s Peace. In fact, when we met with the king this morning we told him of your propensities towards violence and witchcraft.”

“The King’s Peace,” repeated Thomas, suddenly understanding. “The Duke banished you.”

Cormac’s eyebrows went up. “We’ve decide to pursue our fortunes elsewhere.”

“The King’s Peace is the surety that an individual will conduct himself with exemplary behaviour for as long as that individual remains in the country and is only given on the condition that the individual agrees that he will leave within the fortnight,” recited Thomas. “You’ve been banished from Criethe and you’re in Hawksmouth on the king’s sufferance. Probably until better weather for a long sea voyage.” Thomas stepped closer to Cormac. “Get out of here.”

“Of course,” said Cormac, his voice calm and as cool as the night air. “After all, I’d hate for you to throw lightning at
me
. Gentlemen, shall we?”

The three walked straight forward, shoving Thomas and Eileen aside with their shoulders. Thomas didn’t bother shoving back. Eileen glared daggers at them, her fists clenched. Thomas stepped between her and their retreating backs. “Let’s get out of here.”

Eileen, her jaw tight, nodded.

They’d covered less than twenty yards when a man in his middle years stepped in front of them. He was dressed in long robes and had a thick fur collar on his cape and a gold pendant around his neck—all symbols of a well-to-do merchant. “Thomas Flarety?”

Thomas stopped. “Yes?”

“I think I need to beg your forgiveness.” The man bowed to Eileen. “Both your forgiveness.”

Thomas, who had been prepared for a number of things from questions about witchcraft to calls for his arrest, was caught flat-footed. “Pardon me?”

“Those young men came south on one of my ships,” he said. “I do business with their fathers, and am providing them with a line of credit.” He looked in the direction of the young nobles and shook his head. “They said they knew you in Frostmire and wanted to speak to you. They said you were a student, so I brought them here where I knew the students would be. I had no idea they would…” The man shook his head. “I am truly, deeply sorry for their actions. Had I known…”

“It’s not your fault,” said Thomas, stepping around the man. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“But it is,” said the man, again blocking Thomas’s way. He held out his hand. “My name is Malcolm Bright. I’m a merchant.”

Thomas really wanted to get away, but the man was only being polite and Thomas wasn’t about to behave like the young nobles and walk through him. He took the man’s hand and shook it. “Merchant Bright, there is no need to—”

“It’s just that when they told stories about the magic they had seen, I became intrigued,” said Malcolm Bright, quickly. He leaned in close to Thomas and dropped his voice. “I’ve always loved the idea of magic. I had no idea they would be so disparaging of it. Calling it witchcraft…” Malcolm released Thomas’s hand. “Please, let me make it up to you.”

“That’s not…”

Malcolm reached into his coat. “Are you aware that this festival originally lasted three days?”

“Did it?” asked Thomas, his eyes on the man’s hand
.

“Today, tomorrow—well, yesterday and today, to be correct—and the next day.” Malcolm pulled from his coat a very thick piece of paper, folded and sealed with wax, and held it out. “My family keeps the old custom, and we would be honoured if you would join us.”

“Ummm…”

“It would be an opportunity to meet with others with similar…
interests
as your own. People who know what it’s like to be blessed.”

Thomas eyes narrowed at the words, unsure and suddenly suspicious of the man. Malcolm was still smiling a warm and friendly smile that Thomas didn’t trust for a moment.

“You don’t have to come,” said Malcolm. “But do take it.”

Thomas took it.

Malcolm’s smile grew wider “It was good meeting you, Thomas Flarety.” He bowed slightly. “And you, Eileen. I hope to see you tomorrow night. And if not, I am glad to have made your acquaintance, despite the circumstances.”

The man stepped away and was soon gone. Thomas stared at the invitation, then put it into his coat. He looked at Eileen, unsure of what to do next.

“Thomas! Eileen!”

They turned and saw Henry, George, and the rest of the Student Company charging toward them.

“I was behind you in the dancing,” gasped Wilson when he reached them. “When I saw the lords I ran for the others. They were all over the place. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” said Thomas. “Eileen?”

“Fine,” she snapped. “Just fine.”

“What happened?” asked George, his eyes on his sister and his face darkening. “What did they say?”

“Not here,” said Thomas. “Come with me, all of you.”

He led the group away from the crowded fires and the beach to the rocky land above it.

“Are you all right?” asked Henry. “What did they want?”

“Revenge,” said Thomas. “They told everyone I did witchcraft in the north and insulted Eileen so we would pick a fight with them.”

“Witchcraft?” George practically spat the word out. “I thought we were done with that!”

“So did I until those idiots started shouting about it!” snapped Thomas. He forced himself to take a breath and calm down. “It will probably all just blow over.”

“Blow over?” repeated George. “How can it blow over? What if they go tell the Church? Will we have to run away again? I have a business, Thomas! I can’t just leave!”

“We won’t have to leave!”

“We will if the Church comes after us!”

“The Church will not come after us! Those idiots can’t tell anything to the Church because they didn’t see ANYTHING!” Thomas pulled his voice back down from top volume. “They weren’t in any of the fighting, remember? All they have is hearsay and the Church won’t go against the king for that.”

“You’re sure of that, are you?”

No.
“Yes. Just watch what you say and we’ll all be fine.”

George growled something Thomas couldn’t hear and turned away. He stared at the people milling about on the beach for a time. At last he said. “We’d better be fine. And now, if you’ll excuse me. I have to go explain to the Smiths’ Guild why I had to run after my sister in a panic.”

Thomas shut his mouth and kept it that way as he watched George go. When he was calm enough, he turned to the others. “They’re just three spoiled little lordlings who are bitter about being banished. No one is going to pay any real attention to them.”

“What if they do?” asked Marcus. “What if they just keep showing up everywhere you go, talking about witchcraft?”

It was a good question, and Thomas was still thinking up an answer when Henry said, “Hearsay means nothing. It will be ‘I heard’ this and ‘someone said’ that. If they can’t say they saw it with their own eyes, no one is going to believe them. Unless you lot let something slip.”

“Us?” Michael sounded deeply offended. “Why would we say anything?”

“Because you all drink too much and try to impress girls in taverns,” said Henry. “How many people heard?”

“At least a hundred,” said Thomas. “Probably more.”

“Then there’s going to be questions. And the answer to all of them is ‘they weren’t there.’ Got it?” He turned to Eileen. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” said Eileen, her voice still blazing with anger. “I’ll gut them if they come near me again.”

“I’ll help,” said Henry. Heads nodded, but no one in the company looked happy.

“And now we should get back,” said Henry. He looked east, where the deep blue of pre-dawn replaced the black of night. “Someone has to show them how to go in the water without crying.”

“Look there,” said Wilson. “Here come the rest of them.”

Thousands of people were making their way down the path to the beach, led by a flock of priests of the High Father, all dressed in grey robes to honour the Festival of Rains.

“All the ones who were too lazy to stay up all night,” said Michael.

“You mean too smart,” said Marcus. The others chuckled a bit and trooped together down to the beach. Thomas, Henry and Eileen followed behind.

Thomas took Eileen’s hand and squeezed it tight. “It will be all right. They’ll be kicked out of the country and this will all be done.” Eileen didn’t say anything. Thomas turned to Henry. “On the bright side we got invited to a party.”

Henry’s eyebrows went up. “What?”

“A merchant named Malcolm Bright,” said Thomas. “One of his ships brought Cormac and the others, and then he led them to the beach. He was ‘appalled’ at their behaviour and invited me to his party tomorrow night to make it up to me.”

“Really,” said Henry. “That’s…odd.”

“Apparently it’s a place where I can meet others with similar ‘interests’.”

“That sounds vaguely foreboding,” said Henry. “Interests in what?”

“I’m guessing magic,” said Thomas. “Malcolm was very excited about magic—and he called it magic, not witchcraft.”

“Interesting,” said Henry. “I take it you’re not going?”

“Not even if it would get me out of exams,” said Thomas.

The first bell sounded from the city, then another. On the beach, priests of the High Father began ringing bells they had in their hands. Soon a multitude of bells — high and low, sharp and dull, loud and soft—were ringing out.

Thomas, Henry, and Eileen followed the company to where the rest of the students—nearly a thousand of them—had gathered. George was nearby, with Linda on his arm, surrounded by men whom Thomas guessed to be the other members of the Smith Guild. George still had a pair of lines in his forehead where his brows were drawn together in anger. Linda was smiling and laughing, and Thomas guessed George hadn’t explained what had happened.

“Hey,” Keith yelled. “Get that girl out of here!”

“You’re joking,” said Eileen, looking around to see where he was. “Here? Now? Really?”

“Keep walking,” said Thomas. “He doesn’t have a say in this.”

“Oh, I’ll keep walking,” Eileen said, mayhem in her voice. “Right over him if I have to!”

The Student Company reached the edge of the crowd, and Keith and a dozen others blocked their way. “She doesn’t belong here!” said Keith, his loud voice carrying down the beach. “Not with us!”

“I’ll go where I like!” said Eileen.

Henry stepped until he was nose to nose with Keith. “Move.”

“Why don’t you make me?” said Keith, glaring at Henry.

“It’s Festival,” said Henry. “Otherwise I already would have.”

“I’d like to see you try!” Keith turned on Eileen. “You’ll never be one of us!” said Keith, spitting the words at Eileen. “Girls don’t belong at the Academy!”

“Speak for yourself,” shouted another student. “Some of us like girls!”

“Gather round and listen!” The Master of Rhetoric called. “For those who are doing this for the first time and those drunk enough to need a reminder,” he said, bringing chuckles from the students, “we will go into the water in groups, twenty five wide and two deep. Into the water, head under the water, and then out! No one gets ready until the priests have said their words! No one goes in until the king has gone in!”

Henry stepped forward the moment the Master of Rhetoric had finished, shoving Keith aside with his shoulder and leading the company toward the water.

The priests, meanwhile, had reached the beach and were spreading out and ringing their bells. And wherever the bells were heard the people went silent, waiting.

Thomas craned his neck and saw Archbishop Culverton and his retinue. Like the other priests, the Archbishop wore a grey robe, though with his bright red cloak of office over top. The bell in his hand was gold, and Thomas could hear its clear tone above the others, even though he was a good fifty yards away from it. The Archbishop climbed up the steps to a small stage and stood, his eyes toward the east and the lightening sky over the ocean.

Thomas turned to the east as well, and felt Eileen wrap her fingers in his. The beach fell silent as everyone watched the horizon grow brighter and brighter, as around them, the priests continued the slow, steady ringing of their bells.