You Are Mine (8 page)

Except he could require me to stay.
The contract is sealed. As his possession, he could force me if he
so wished. I rub my forehead. No sense worrying about that. No one
has required that of their possession before they've become
wed.

“
You look ill.” Cynthia
moves closer to me. “It appears you have nothing to worry about.
Chancellor Thomas is going to duel and win from the sound of
things. He'll be in a good mood after that.”

“
I suppose.”

“
He will.” She relaxes in
her chair. “Do you want any breakfast?”

“
No. But get yourself
something.”

“
It's probably not a good
idea. There's likely to be more deaths today. More of them happen
today than any other day.”

“
You've been talking to
the servants again?”

“
A woman in our tent last
night.” She shrugs. “We likely won't have to witness most of it if
we don't want, but there's still a chance. Would you like me to get
you the soothing tea to ease your nerves?”

“
No. Mother's not here and
Father won't care if I'm myself while he's in the Grand
Chancellor's box.”

“
Mother said I should take
it today and get you to, as well.” She pauses as if thinking to
herself. “I think I'll abstain. I'm not curious what it's
like.”

“
It's strange to feel calm
about everything whether you wish to or not.”

“
I can imagine. You're
always so weird after drinking it.”

“
Happy to hear
it.”

“
I didn't mean anything by
it.” Cynthia jostles her necklaces between her fingers. “You just
seem so different. I don't want to be anything other than
myself.”

“
As you should.” The
brewed concoction makes me feel distant from myself and leaves me
with a headache. Though usually when I take it, the headache is the
least of my problems. I've gotten adept enough after hexes and
beatings that mother rarely makes me take it anymore. The threat of
more deaths must have Cynthia nervous, though she tries to cover it
with chatter.

“
Two Arllos and three
Chryos made it to the finals. Can you believe it?”

“
I don't really know. Is
that unusual?”

“
Apparently. And with the
Envadi that Chancellor Thomas is up against, it's quite the foreign
showing. Hope they don't beat us. It'd be rather
embarrassing.”

The duelers gather on the field, but I
don't spy Thomas or the Envadi he's pitted against yet. Not that
I'd recognize his face, but it would be easy to tell him apart by
his size.

“
Chancellor Thomas will be
a fine match for you. I know it's hard now, but it'll get better,”
she continues. “Everyone likes him so much. He's definitely the
favorite of the day.”

“
For some,” I
murmur.

The first duel is announced. Thomas
struts onto the field waving and casting all sorts of colored
spells that don't appear to be doing anything other than flashing
about. Without knowing more it's hard to tell for sure.

He pivots our direction. His hand
reaches toward me as if he could touch me across the many yards
between us. I tense as the memory of him pressed against me invades
my thoughts. I don't want to think on it. But Father did say he was
furious. What punishment does he have in store for me?

A burst of maroon, gold, black, and
green fly from his hands and sail straight for me. I start, but the
spell comes to a stop before hitting me. The crest that has
followed me around the first day forms. The crowd cheers. I let the
tension ease from me.

Sometime during the display, the
Envadi has made his way to the circle. Thomas resembles a gawky
teen next to the stoic giant. The Envadi simply stands, wearing the
black dueling outfit with a white band on his arm, doing nothing to
give away his feelings. They're far enough away that details are
difficult to pick out. If they were physically fighting, Thomas
would never best him. But magic comes from the blood, not
size.

The judge motions for them to enter
the circle and the audience grows quiets. They face each other,
Thomas grinning and the Envadi expressionless. At least from what I
can see from here. Why do men always wish to fight? At least here
it's with each other instead of picking on us.

The judge signals for them to start.
There's no slow building of spells. They both blast at the signal.
Thomas's lights are bright and zinging. Sometimes sparkling or
jumping to the air. The Envadi's are nothing like them. A few
bright-colored spells fly from him, but mostly dark, serpentine
ones. Those stay focused around his opponent's spells instead of
darting about like Thomas's magic does.

I tilt forward. The crowd has never
been so riveted by a duel and their interest pulls at me. For the
first time, I want to know what those flashes of light and color
are doing. A yellow light opens a gash in the Envadi's arm. He
thrusts a charcoal light back. It bursts into a cloud of darkness
around Thomas. During the distraction, the Envadi focuses a teal
spell at the wound. It knits closed. The crowd boos. A moment
later, Thomas flings a burst of white light in the sky, clearing
the cloud cover.

Thomas throws his head back in a
laugh. An amber spell shoots from him, hitting with a pop. The
Envadi staggers. Before he rights himself, he casts his own spell.
Unlike those before, it doesn't smash into Thomas's or explode. It
surges straight for his adversary. The silvery light slams into
Thomas's chest. His mirthful face freezes. The life drains from
him. His expression crumples. A strange, croaking sound escapes his
mouth. He collapses to the ground.

The crowd jumps to their feet with a
gasp. I stare at Thomas's form, looking so much like it did last
night. The judge races for his body. It only takes a moment to
reach him. As he looks Thomas over, I come to my feet and move to
the front wall of the box. I lean against it, my body
swaying.

All is silent as another warlock
rushes to the judge's aid. Together, they work on Thomas. Both cast
numerous spells. But as far as I can tell, Thomas doesn't move. Not
a flinch, not a sound. Their spells slow until they completely
stop. The judge stands and looks, not at the Grand Chancellor like
I'm expecting, but right at me. His eyes wide.

“
Dead.”

The masses let out a cry. Some fall to
their seats. Dead? How can he be dead? He's supposed to lord over
me, not die. Can I really be free of him? My chest
lightens.

Someone tugs on my arm. Cynthia. She
forces me to drink the brew I avoided earlier. Then another. With
shaking hands, she drinks one herself and helps me to my chair.
Everything goes abnormally silent. The soothing concoction already
sweeping through me. I grow distant from myself. The scene before
me further away than ever.

The Envadi bends to the ground, his
fingers swirling in the dirt. His lips move with words, but they
don't carry, even in the silence. Once they stop, he brushes the
dirt off and stares straight at me. Even from my distant state,
goosebumps raise on my arms.

“
Citizens.” The Grand
Chancellor's voice draws my gaze. He stands, face void of
expression. “We will all mourn the loss of Chancellor Thomas. He
was a rising star, fated to leave his potential unfulfilled.” He
pauses. “As our tournament rules dictate, Envadi Zade now becomes
Master of all Chancellor Thomas had.” He holds his hand out to the
Envadi. “Chancellor Zade.”

The Envadi's eyes are still watching
me. He nods his head.

Suddenly, Father is yelling from the
Grand Chancellor's box. “You will not have her!”

The words take a moment to find me
through the muffle my world has become. As the significance of his
words take hold, the field becomes splotched with black. I blink a
few times. The whole world darkens.

Chapter Seven

“
S
he's coming around.” Cynthia's voice floats somewhere above,
but close. My tongue is thick and heavy and tastes coppery.
Something wet brushes my forehead.

“
Good. I want her
presentable,” Father says. “Make sure to fix her face paint. Give
her something nicer to wear. Maybe I can still convince them she
shouldn't be given away.”

The sound of footsteps
crunching through dirt is followed by silence. The cool cloth
dampens my forehead again. It leaves. I open my eyes and blink
against the light. Canvas hangs above me. I don't remember being in
a tent. Last I remember, Father was yelling
and
—
Oh!

“
Hush, now,” Cynthia says.
“I'm here.”

She holds a cup to my lips. “Come on,
drink up.” I shake my head. “Don't worry it's just
water.”

I gulp the cool liquid. After
finishing, I lay back. “What happened?”

“
What do you
remember?”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I say, “Father
yelling that the Envadi can't have me.”

I look at her. She nods
and sets the glass and cloth on the nightstand. “That went on for a
while, until they realized
you'd
fainted. Father's request was denied and you were
brought here.”

“
How long has it
been?”

“
Longer than I thought
you'd be out. After about five minutes you seemed to be coming
around. Father got to you though and I believe he spelled you to
stay unconscious. It's been seven hours.”

“
Seven hours?” I clutch
tighter to the blanket on me. “The tournament?”

“
Over. The Grand
Chancellor's son, Nathaniel won.”

“
What about...”

She looks at the tent entrance. “The
Envadi has been waiting outside this whole time, even forfeiting
his place in the tournament. I think Father finally realized
waiting longer wouldn't do any good.”

A chill sweeps across me. I pull the
blanket higher. “I'm his then?”

Cynthia places a hand on my arm. The
touch is foreign, but soothing. “It appears that since your
marriage contract was signed and sealed by both Father and
Chancellor Thomas, that yes, you are the Envadi's.” She pulls her
hand away and clears her throat. “How are you feeling? Are you
ready to sit so I can fix your face paint?”

“
I'd rather stay
here.”

“
I know.”

I groan. After putting it off another
moment, I roll onto my side and sit up. My body is loose and
limber. After everything that's happened it should feel worse. “I
feel better than I have for a while. Aside from being engaged to an
Envadi.”

“
Father must have healed
you as he woke you.”

I put my hand to my leg. It's not
tender anymore from my punishment earlier in the week. Why would he
choose to do that now? Cynthia hands me a mirror and starts
applying the paint. My skin is perfectly smooth and clear, not even
a blemish. I haven't been free of those since I was twelve. I
didn't know magic could get rid of them.

“
Is he angry?”

She applies pink powder to my cheeks.
“Not at anything we can change.”

“
It's going to be
difficult when we get home.”

“
Unless something perks
him up soon. Stop talking so I can paint your lips.” When I close
my mouth, she smooths the cold cream across them. After she's
finished, she points to a gown on the foot of my cot. “Father wants
you to wear this. Let me help you with it.”

My dark emerald one is wrinkled, but
still presentable. “What's wrong with the one I'm
wearing?”

She shrugs. “I think he's hoping to
remind everyone what a good catch you are. Maybe then they won't be
so willing to give you to the Envadi.”

That explains the healing then. Will
it work? I stand and face away from her. While she loosens the
laces, I contemplate my fate. I didn't think it could get worse
than marriage to Thomas, but clearly I was mistaken. The dress
slips from my shoulders and I step into the mud colored one. It's
not my favorite, but it matches my eyes. Cynthia tightens the
laces. I hold a breath in so I'll have more space when she's
finished.

An Envadi. How could this happen? The
memory of the one helping me after the feast comes to mind. He did
come when I needed aid. I don't know any warlock that would assist
a girl in such a state. It's more likely that he was looking for
someone to thrash rather than aiding me. He was rather rough with
Thomas.

“
Are you finished?” I
ask.

After a final tug around the neck of
my dress, she says, “Done. Do you want me to come with
you?”

Yes. “No. I'll manage.” While pulling
my gloves on, I face her. “I'll be back soon.”

She sniffs and nods. “He's giant.
Don't let it scare you.”

“
I won't.” I flee the tent
before I tear up.

Outside Father waits, fat lips
crinkled into a scowl. Next to him is a law officer, thin with a
bushy mustache, tapping his foot. Behind them people are gathered,
watching the scene. The majority are warlocks wearing Chardonian
orange band on their arms. A few others with purple and green
bands, along with a few women are here as well. None wear the white
Envadi band. I scan them until someone rises from sitting on the
ground. The Envadi. A different one from last night, but he still
looms above everyone else. I don't know how I missed him, even on
the ground.