Refan was nearly at the storehouse, too far ahead for Jayan to be sure he was shielding him. He skidded to a halt before the door, grabbed it and hauled it open. Then he vanished inside with unnatural speed.
“Not in there!” Jayan gasped. “If they use firestrike . . .” But Refan had disappeared within and the others were racing after him. Jayan sighed and followed. In the darkness someone stumbled and there was the sound of glass breaking and the smell of whitewater. Then a globe light flared into existence. Jayan cast about, taking in the huge interior filled with racks of bottles, the apprentices panting and staring at each other as they finally realised how dangerous this place was for a fight – and then the whimpering figure on the floor.
“Refan?” Jayan moved to the boy’s side and knelt.
“Hurts,” Refan panted. “Back. Hurts. Can’t . . . can’t move my legs.”
Jayan cursed as he realised that Refan hadn’t thrown himself inside the storehouse, but had been knocked in by forcestrike.
The sound of hoofbeats came from outside the doors. They stopped and were replaced by footsteps. Jayan looked around, at the bottles, then towards the back of the interior. Trapped. They only need the tiniest spark of power to set this place burning. And it will take a lot more to protect us.
Protect us...or them? The glimmer of an idea set his heart racing with excitement.
“Quickly,” he hissed to the others. “Drag him to the back and wait – and do it gently. When I say “Now’, break through the wall.”
Refan yelled in pain as they began to move him. They let go as if he’d burned them. Jayan saw movement in the doorway.
“Pick him up and get him out!” he found himself roaring. Their eyes widened in shock and surprise. Grabbing Refan, ignoring his yells, they carried him away. Jayan followed, walking backwards, not taking his eyes from the three Sachakans entering the storehouse. He threw up a shield to protect himself and the apprentices behind him.
Two men and one woman, he noted. One is familiar. Surely... surely that’s not Takado. Surely he wouldn’t leave his army and risk sneaking up on us with only two others to support him?
The Sachakans stared at him. They smiled. They came closer, strolling as if they had all the time in the world. He could hear the apprentices retreating. Refan’s yells had turned to whimpers. Someone else was also whimpering. Or crying.
“We’re at the back,” Mikken said.
At the same time the Sachakans stopped. He saw their heads start to turn as they began to look at each other, to gain silent agreement that it was time to strike.
“Get out! Now!” Jayan yelled. At the same time he strengthened his shield and sent several firestrikes fanning out on either side.
White light filled the space before him. He felt scorching heat, then the ground hit his back. Something grabbed his collar and hauled him backwards. He found himself sliding across the ground, through a gap in the storehouse wall. The wall suddenly crumbled and heat enveloped him again, but not as ferociously.
Then he wasn’t sliding any more. Looking up, he saw Mikken grinning down at him, the apprentice’s chest heaving and face flushed with effort. Mikken released his collar.
“You’re heavy,” the young man told him. Then he grinned. “And I think it worked.”
Climbing to his feet, Jayan quickly took in the other apprentices standing beside a prone and silent Refan, then turned back to the storehouse. It was burning with a more natural fire now, the flames eating wood rather than whitewater.
Then he saw movement. Three figures running towards the trees. So they’re not dead. He didn’t feel as disappointed as he expected. I never really thought it would kill them, but they must have used a lot of power protecting themselves. He considered himself and felt a new kind of exhaustion on top of mere physical tiredness. As did I.
“Their horses will have run off,” Mikken said. He turned. “Here come the magicians. We’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.”
Jayan turned to see the crowd hurrying towards them and nodded.
“Yes. Let’s not tell them why Refan was so keen to explore, shall we?”
“I won’t if you don’t. And I’ll make sure the others stay silent.”
As he moved away, Jayan smiled. Then he remembered the price Refan had paid for their little adventure and all satisfaction at weakening the Sachakans fled.
I should have protected him better. I should never have let him lead us away from the protection of the army in the first place. This is all my fault. He saw Dakon hurrying towards him and felt his heart sink. He’s not going to want to make me a higher magician now. And I won’t blame him.
When the boom shook the air, it seemed like the answer to Tessia’s silent, heartfelt wishes.
Avaria had taken her to meet two other female magicians, Magician Jialia and Lady Viria. Both women had been questioning Tessia closely.
“Have you really been travelling with the magicians in pursuit of the Sachakans right from the start?” Viria asked.
“Yes,” Tessia replied, suppressing a sigh at the question. Did the woman think she’d been making it all up?
“Have the other apprentices been polite to you? Have they made any inappropriate suggestions?” Jialia paused and leaned forward. “None of them have tried to force themselves on you, have they?”
“No, they’ve been very well behaved,” Tessia assured them. “Besides, Lord Dakon would do something about it if they weren’t.”
The two women exchanged glances. Viria frowned and regarded Tessia closely.
“Lord Dakon hasn’t . . . ah . . . made any inappropriate advances, has he?”
Tessia stared at her, appalled. “No!” she replied firmly.
Viria spread her hands. “It’s not unheard of. A master seducing his female apprentice – or the other way around. When I was a girl I knew a young woman who married her master, after she conceived a child by him. We thought she’d been taken advantage of, but it turned out to be the other way around, though I imagine he couldn’t have objected that much. It’s not uncommon for young female apprentices to fall in love with their masters.”
This is worse than talking to my mother! Tessia thought. Then she felt a wrench and a pang of guilt for thinking of her mother that way. Still, she wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong with me falling in love with and marrying Dakon.
Looking over to where her master was sitting with the other army leaders and advisers, she considered her feelings for him. Many times she’d felt an affection for him. And admiration. But both feelings were for his good nature. There was no deeper feeling. No physical longing.
“Don’t be silly, Viria,” Jialia said. “Young women prefer men closer to their age. If Tessia is infatuated with anyone, it’s more likely to be young Jayan of Drayn.” Her gaze became speculative. “I do hope Lord Dakon has taught you how to avoid conceiving.”
Tessia shook her head and sighed. If you knew Jayan, you’d know how unlikely that is, she thought. Though he has improved. It would be unfair to say he was completely loathsome.
“Jialia,” Avaria cut in. “It’s hardly something a male magician is going to teach a female apprentice.”
Viria nodded, then looked from Avaria to Tessia and back again. “So will you teach Tessia yourself?”
“I...if she wishes me to.”
Tessia decided to say nothing. It was taking all her will to stop herself grinding her teeth. Someone please come and take me away from these insane women, she thought.