Shadow Magic, page 29
‘I have Julietta Calance here, she is to join you.’
Thierry looked towards Julietta. ‘Very well. I will assign you a position when we camp for the night. For now, just follow us.’
‘I thought you were fighting.’ Julietta said, feeling stupid.
‘We were. The Lakshans have been slowed, we accomplished our goal. Now, we are retreating.’
‘Where too?’
‘Dartham Spire.’ he said. ‘Back to civilization, or as close as you can get here. We will support the army from the comfort of the spire, no more slogging around in the dirt like common soldiers.’
Julietta couldn’t help glancing at Fabrice. He didn’t look surprised, merely frowned.
‘You are delivered.’ he said to her. ‘I’ll return to the fortress. I hope you don’t find the war too discomforting.’
‘Thank you-!’ she called, but he had already left, navigating around the still moving soldiers to ride alongside at his own pace.
She looked back to Thierry and found he was gone too. With a sigh, Julietta joined the group and began riding along at their pace, alone amongst the crowd.
CHAPTER 35
29 Avril, 1353
A thin smile bloomed on the researcher’s face.
Jacques frowned. ‘Quince,’ he said warningly, ‘whether she is willing or not, if anything happens to her the other shadow mages will not be happy.’
Dorian was surprised to find Jacques so displeased with the idea of Asmara feeding the dream spider. It seemed his initial suspicion, that Jacques had not been involved in this decision, was correct.
‘I’ll take the risk.’ Asmara said.
‘That’s not my point.’ Jacques shot back.
‘It doesn’t matter. If they cease cooperating...’ Quince shrugged. ‘We have alternatives.’
‘Even if your dream spider works, it can’t replace Blaise Autin.’ Jacques said sharply. ‘Don’t even think it.’
Dorian glanced at Asmara, disconcerted to see her so calm.
‘She has made her decision.’ Quince said. ‘There’s nothing more to discuss.’
Jacques glanced at Dorian. ‘It is inconvenient Blaise involved you. Those candles are very valuable. Do not take it off, not ever.’
Dorian nodded, his hand going to the amulet around his neck. Asmara was the only one in the group without one.
‘We’re wasting time. Follow me, shadow mage. Jacques, I imagine you have other work to attend to?’ Quince said.
Jacques frowned but said nothing. Instead he just turned sharply on his heel and stalked away.
Dorian and Asmara followed Quince as he took them down into the bowels of the castle, down past the dungeons. It was a route Julietta would have remembered from her visit to Bo. They passed the interrogation chambers, which were thankfully silent, and arrived at a heavily barred and inscribed door.
Quince stood in front of the lock, hiding it from their view. There was a click and the door swung inwards silently. Inside, the room was dark. Quince stepped in first, fiddled with something, and the whole room bloomed with magical light. Quince’s office sprung into view. It was clean and slick, everything modern and new and magically protected. Bookshelves covered most of one wall, while a long desk sat along the opposite wall. There was a chalk board, carefully cleaned, leaving no trace of whatever Quince was working on. At the other end of the room was another door, as securely locked as the first door. Seeing the size of the room and the number of desks, Dorian realised there must be other people working down here with Quince.
‘They are new.’
Dorian looked up at the unfamiliar voice. He looked around and saw a man standing in the corner, partially hidden by the still open door.
‘Come in.’ Quince said. ‘Don’t just stand there. Yes, they are new.’ he said to the other man.
Dorian and Asmara stepped into the room and Quince closed the door behind them. It clicked shut, and Dorian felt unease stir in his stomach.
‘She is a shadow mage.’ the man stated.
Dorian turned his full attention to the man. He was dressed in a robe of red, orange and white, the colour of flames. On his head he wore a pointed red cap, which dwarfed his head. He wore no amulet around his neck, he didn’t need to. He was a candle. Despite his colourful outfit, he had a serious, no-nonsense look to him.
Asmara turned and faced the man, her expression darkening. She didn’t say anything.
‘I know you lot don’t like each other, and I don’t care. She is assisting me in my research, Owen. We will be in the next room.’
‘I have no problem with shadow mages.’ the candle replied, ‘it is they who dislike us.’
Quince waved a hand, as if to brush him off, and headed for the door at the end of the room.
‘Why do you have a candle down here?’ Dorian asked quietly.
‘To protect the room from prying eyes. There are several candles within the palace, protecting key areas. The candle amulets are expensive, though hiring a full time candle is not cheap either, but for some areas it is more cost-effective to have the candle instead of the amulet. And the amulets only work on people, not rooms.’ he replied in a disinterested tone. ‘Ask Jacques, if you’re interested. It’s not a secret, shadow mages can feel candles, obviously.’
‘Won’t that make it...if the spider is to use my shadow magic...’ Asmara murmured.
Quince unlocked the door. ‘You let me worry about that. All I need you to do is close your eyes and relax.’
The door opened, revealing a dark room. As Dorian’s eyes adjusted he could pick out the dim shape of a chair with straps in the center of the room.
Quince closed the door behind them, plunging them into full darkness.
‘Quince-’ Dorian began.
‘It is better not to see. Some women are squeamish.’
‘I thought you said the spider was just going to take a little blood!’
‘Yes, but women do not like spiders, particularly big ones. Now, Asmara, I want you to sit in the chair.’
‘You’re not going to strap her down!’
Quince sighed. ‘If you object so much I will not. Sit down, Asmara, here, do you need help?’
‘No, I found it.’ Asmara replied.
‘As long as you stay calm and don’t panic when you feel the spider crawl on you-’
‘Crawl on her?’
Quince sighed again. ‘How else do you think it will get to her blood, hmm? It will crawl on her arm and bite her. Asmara, do you think you can remain calm or would you prefer the straps?’
‘I’ll be fine.’ Asmara replied, a disembodied voice in the dark.
‘Very good. Wait here, I must prepare the spider.’
‘Asmara,’ Dorian said, stretching out his arms and finding her hand. ‘Are you sure?’
She squeezed his hand. ‘Yes, it’ll be fine. Besides... ’ she lowered her voice, ‘you’re here, if something does go...’
‘If at any time you want to stop, just say so, ok?’ he said, relieved beyond measure to hear some caution from her.
‘I know.’
Dorian heard Quince’s footsteps as he approached. ‘Are you ready?’
Asmara took a deep breath and let it out. ‘Yes. I’m ready.’
‘Good, now the important thing is to stay calm and still. Here, I’m letting it go.’
Dorian felt Asmara stiffen. He couldn’t see what was happening, but he could hear the hitch in her breath.
‘What’s happening?’ he asked.
‘It’s on my arm, it feels pretty big.’ She replied, her voice calm. ‘I can feel it moving...uh, that’s a little creepy.’ she said with a little laugh.
‘Tell me about it.’ he muttered.
‘You saw it when you delivered the dream spider to Lakasha. You did remember to feed it, didn’t you?’ Quince said.
‘I saw, it’s different having it on me though-’ Asmara replied.
‘What did you feed it?’ Dorian said.
‘I provided the feed. Nothing but dried mouse bits, nothing human, I can assure you.’ Quince said, and Dorian could hear the unpleasant smile in his voice.
‘Don’t worry, Dore, I didn’t-’ her voice caught.
‘Asmara?’
‘It bit me. It’s alright. I’m fine.’
She didn’t sound quite as calm as before.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Y-yes, it’s uh...that feels weird.’
‘What’s happening?’
‘I can feel my blood... sucking...’
‘Asmara?’
‘I’m ok.’ she said, taking another breath. ‘I’m fine.’
She didn’t say anything more. She held Dorian’s hand in a vice-like grip. Dorian could hear her heavy breathing. She sucked in another breath. ‘Ah...’
‘Asmara?’
‘I think it bit me again.’
‘Why is it biting? Quince?’
‘It’s... biting me.’
‘Quince?!’
‘It’s fine, the spider won’t hurt her. Just stay calm, remember what I told you.’
‘Yeah...’ Asmara managed, her voice shaking. ‘Y-yeah...’
She fell quiet, and another sound reached Dorian’s ears. It took him a moment to realise what it was, then to his horror he realised it was the sound of chewing.
‘Asmara.’ Dorian pressed. ‘Are you ok?’
‘U-um...Quince, this is starting to h-hurt.’
‘Just stay calm.’
‘It’s hurting, it’s not sucking my blood, it’s biting me.’ her voice was rising.
‘Asmara, stay calm.’
‘It’s eating my arm!’ Dorian felt her jerk. ‘I want it off, Quince, get it off me!’
‘Asmara, stay calm, it won’t hurt you!’
‘I don’t care!’ Asmara leapt to her feet.
Dorian’s eyes had adjusted and he could see the dim figure of Asmara shaking her arm.
‘Dorian, get it off!’
‘Close your eyes.’ he commanded, suddenly calm. Under his breath he chanted and the room flared with a dim light that slowly brightened. In the light he saw Asmara standing and shaking her arm, a huge, eight-legged monstrosity clinging to her arm, and blood everywhere, running down her arm, spattering the floor. Revulsion hit him, how long had she put up with that thing eating her before finally panicking?
Suddenly able to see, Asmara whacked the spider with her hand.
‘Asmara, don’t hurt it!’ Quince yelled. ‘Just sit back down and I’ll-’
‘I want it off!’ she screamed, hitting it again. Her assaults had no effect, if anything, all they did was make the creature angry. It clung to her arm, and then in a sudden burst of movement scuttled up to her neck. She screamed. Dorian let out a blast of power, aimed directly at the creature.
‘Stop!’ Quince yelled.
The creature glowed blackly for one moment. It was uninjured, Dorian’s attack had been no more effective than Asmara’s blows. Asmara screamed and Dorian saw fresh blood flow down her neck. He called her name and pulled out a knife. But Asmara was faster, she drew her own knife and stabbed the spider biting at her neck.
‘No!’ Quince yelled. ‘Stop!’
Dorian couldn’t tell if Asmara’s assault had worked. He ran forward and grabbed the plump, bristly body and pulled. Asmara let out another cry.
‘Asmara!’
‘Get it, Dorian, get it!’
Dorian continued pulling, the creature felt like it would pop in his hands but it didn’t. Slowly, painfully, terrifyingly slowly, it came away, its legs waving, Asmara’s knife sticking from its body.
He threw it the ground, about to stomp on it-
‘No!’ Quince yelled, ‘stop!’ and he threw himself to the ground, shielding the spider with his body. ‘Stop!’
Panting, Dorian yelled, ‘you said it wouldn’t hurt her! Look at her!’
Asmara was breathing hard and bleeding profusely from her neck and arm.
‘Asmara,’ Dorian’s tone softened, ‘Asmara, we need to get you help.’ and he went to her side, gingerly supporting her.
Asmara’s eyes darted around wildly.
Quince no longer on his mind, Dorian ushered Asmara quickly to the door. It was locked. His anger returned full blast, ‘open this fucking door or I’ll kill you and your spider right now!’
Quince slowly got to his feet, the spider was curled up in a ball beneath him.
‘NOW!’ Dorian roared.
Quince raced to the door and opened it. He hurried to the next door and opened that too. Dorian hurried after, supporting Asmara. The candle glanced at them curiously as they passed.
‘Didn’t you hear?’ Dorian demanded.
‘Of course.’
‘Then why didn’t you do anything?!’
‘I am paid to provide the services of a candle, that is to prevent shadow magic, nothing more. It is the policy of the candles to stay out of all other business.’
Dorian muttered under his breath but said no more. Quince had opened the final door. Dorian hurried out. Once outside he looked down at Asmara’s arm and rested her gently against the wall. She kept her feet on her own.
‘Go tell a healer or something!’ Dorian yelled to Quince.
The researcher raced past while Dorian took off his jacket and wrapped it tightly around Asmara’s arm. He tried not to look at it too closely. He looked up at her neck and saw it was not nearly as bad, and the bleeding had mostly stopped. He used his magic to quickly tear off a piece of his shirt and pressed it against her neck.
‘Can you hold it there?’
She nodded.
‘Ok, let’s go. I’ll take you to a healer. Everything’s going to be ok.’
CHAPTER 36
29 Avril, 1353
‘She’s fine. You overreacted and injured the spider.’
‘I don’t care-!’
Dorian didn’t finish the sentence as Asmara put a hand on his arm. He looked down. She was lying on her bed, propped up by pillows. Her arm and neck were bandaged, though the bandages were now unnecessary as she had been fully healed by magic. She looked tired and washed-out.
‘Asmara?’
She turned her attention to Quince. ‘You told me it was going to take some blood. That thing was trying to eat me.’
‘I thought you would panic if you knew. I was right.’
‘And you thought I just wouldn’t notice?’
Quince frowned darkly, his eyes flicking once to Dorian. ‘The spider will survive, thankfully.’
‘Survive? How could it survive? Asmara stabbed it!’ Dorian said.
‘I was able to tend to it quickly. You’re lucky, if you’d killed it-’
Dorian’s glare darkened and Quince flinched back.
At that moment Jacques entered the room. ‘I do have other things to do besides look after you lot.’ Jacques said, his voice tense. ‘What happ- Asmara, what happened to you?’
‘Quince’s spider tried to eat Asmara.’ Dorian said.
Jacques turned his gaze on Quince. ‘She’s not supposed to be hurt, Quince. You may not report to me, but I think the King would be displeased to hear how you’ve been treating the shadow mages.’
‘She wouldn’t have been killed, and the sorcerers would have fixed her, look she’s fine. The spider will be well enough in a few days to try again, as long as you behave yourself this time.’
‘Are you mad?!’ Dorian exclaimed.
‘Try again?’ Asmara asked, frowning. ‘I don’t want to be eaten by a spider, Quince.’
‘It won’t kill you. If you were a regular mage just sucking your blood would be enough to absorb your power, but as you are a shadow mage, and shadow magic doesn’t work in quite the same way, I felt it safest to allow the spider to take more. Obviously, I was right. If the spider had been sated it would have stopped.’
‘You felt it safest to let it try and eat me.’ Asmara stated, incredulous.
‘Yes. If it didn’t work we would have had to do it again anyway.’
Asmara stared at him, a disbelieving frown on her face.
‘It won’t kill you, Jacques is right about one thing at least, the King would be displeased if I killed you.’
‘Well that fills me with confidence.’ she muttered.
‘If you want it to take your shadow magic, you’re going to have to let it eat part of you. If the spider succeeds you will be unable to use your shadow magic.’
Asmara’s eyes brightened. Dorian tried to say something but Quince talked over him, ‘this time, we could have a healer present, who can render you unconscious and monitor you to make sure you don’t die. That would be less stressful for you. However much the spider takes, a healer can fix you, with enough time. You might be unwell for a few days, but that’s all.’
‘Asmara, you can’t seriously-’
‘How do you know I wouldn’t be able to use my shadow magic?’ Asmara asked, her gaze intent on Quince.
‘Because the other mages who fed the dream spider, regular mages, lost all their magic.’
‘I would suggest meeting these other mages, Asmara, before you make a decision.’ Jacques said, his mouth a thin line.
Asmara hesitated and then shook her head. ‘There’s no need.’
‘Asmara, why not?’ Dorian asked angrily.
‘Dorian, would you stay with me?’ she asked, looking up at him.
‘What?’
‘If I’m unconscious I don’t want just Quince and some healer he chooses watching me.’
‘You can’t be serious.’
‘Dorian, my shadow magic is going to kill me. Don’t you see? I’m already twenty, I’ve used my shadow magic recently-’
‘Because of them!’
‘It doesn’t matter, it’s too late. If I let this happen... and it takes away my shadow magic... I could live like a normal person, I wouldn’t have to worry all the time, I might live til I’m... old.’ and she smiled, hopeful and sad all at once.
