Shadow Prince, page 29
part #2 of Demon Hunter Series
"Hadrian’s been absent from Alliance for a long time. He is a strange man.”
“Have you talked with him?”
"Briefly. He told me you and I were alike, Melissa."
"We both have strong essences. I’ve read they most often appear in pairs. Not always the same combinations, but there are at least two each time.”
“Fascinating." Catricha put the kettle of water onto an insulated pad. “What are yours?”
"I have one called an iron bane," said Melissa. "The other is more mysterious to me, but I call it the shatter Sprite."
"Those names, have a touch of poetry to them."
"They’re mostly literal," said Melissa. "The iron bane makes me tougher, stronger, and it can be thrown like a spear that returns to me.”
“It returns to you, so you can’t just throw it away.”
“Yes.” Melissa smiled slightly. "All essences return to their bearers. Given the chances. When a sprite or bane is separated from a living thing they try to find a way back. There are ways to delay them, and other ways to make them seek others, but mostly, they’re attracted to their one master."
"One master?" said Catricha. "Or one mistress."
“I’ve separated my iron bane many times. It always returns, frequently with bloody results."
"Have you been in many battles?"
"Some," said Melissa. “Considering the short time I've been a mage, a fair few.”
"I need to learn more," said Catricha. "Just as you must learn about noble society. I need to learn about magic."
"I can help teach you some of what I know."
Catricha poured the hot water into a cup with tea leaves at the bottom that carried a bitter scent.
When the water filled the cup, Catricha stirred. Then she reached for a shaker on one side of the stove and put a few dashes into the tea.
"What's that?" said Melissa. "The contraceptive?"
“You have quite a vocabulary. You might be a good poet. But no, the sugar just makes the taste less terrible."
"I shouldn't expect something that assists transgressions to taste good."
"Sometimes a transgression is good enough on its own.” Catricha winked. "Hopefully yours was worthwhile."
"It may have been.” Melissa took the cup Catricha offered, and held it by the small handle. Catricha also gave her a spoon. "Stir well. It gets easier to take as it cools and you can't drink a cup like that straight off the fire."
"Right. Catricha.” She looked at the noblewoman. “Are you used to this kind of thing?"
"What kind of thing?" Catricha asked.
"Nobles sleeping around," said Melissa. "I never assumed people higher up so lacked for morality."
"Morality has little to do with us. We have power and most never know our true transgressions. When we cross the lines we set for ourselves, we hide those moments or tell people the line was never there at all. That's the nature of power."
"From what I've seen, that's very true."
“I need to study magic, thoroughly, If you're willing to be my mentor."
"I don't know as much as my friend Elaine.” Melissa sighed. "I’ll bring her into the city. She's out at the Graef estate.”
"We’ll send a messenger at daylight. I'm sure Nansoela will help us with one.”
“Why is she treating you so well?” Melissa stirred the tea. "Aren’t your families rivals?"
“We’ve become quite amicable, but I found out something tonight that makes me think we're closer than allies.”
"It’s a secret, though, isn’t it?"
“Yes, but I'll find a messenger to send for Elaine, then we just need a place to train without damaging the city like your bout with that spider.”
"I know a place," said Melissa. "The Tower of the Fallen.”
"The Fallen? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"From what I can tell of the place it’s protected by powerful wards that will keep us from being sensed by outside listeners. It might be the safest place in the city for a mage right now."
“I'll defer to you, on that." Catricha smiled.
"Thank you," said Melissa. "I won't let you down."
"I'm curious,” Catricha said. “What happened between you and Deckard Hadrian?"
"Deckard and I?" Melissa frowned at her cup. "Nothing."
"You know him," said Catricha. "Yet you don't seem to get along."
"I don't think any human can really know an immortal very well."
"He fought alongside you in the south, though.”
"That doesn't mean we’ll be comrades for life, or even that I trust him now. Immortals have ulterior motives, human or not."
“Interesting," said Catricha. "What happened last night, when you saved me...I don’t think Adias is human anymore. Perhaps he is striving for immortality."
"A man with his position must have had some great ambition in mind. Being a steward to a prince should be enough for any human."
"Any mortal, for certain.”
"Perhaps.” Melissa nodded.
She set the cup on the table. After it cooled a little longer she began to sip the bitter tea.
SHE AND MELISSA JOINED Elaine by the gates to the Tower of the Fallen. When she arrived, Elaine brought a change of clothes for Melissa, trousers and a tunic more practical than the gallantry worn to Catricha's house the night before.
Galocai had elected to stay behind, perhaps because Nansoela had told him what she’d said to Catricha the night before. If the Paroth twins were her siblings too, that only raised more questions for Catricha.
She waited as Elaine and Melissa drew a warded path between them on the floor in the center of the tower’s entryway. The rooms seemed well preserved, all seemed cleaner than they should be, despite the fact that no caretaker was known to attend the place. Only Deckard Hadrian could explain that, Catricha thought.
Unlike the demons from Jasguara that had arisen again and joined with Adias, Catricha doubted Deckard would misuse his power, based on his heroic nature.
Elaine drew a larger warding circle on the floor with chalk. “When you practice magic within a city like Alliance, you must take care. I’ve neglected warding symbols in the past, but I won't do so again."
"In the past? You can't be any older than I am, Elaine.”
"It was over the summer.” Elaine took a deep breath. "I helped train Melissa and other members of the Governor’s mage guard in Soucot."
"So you have experience, teaching. That is excellent.”
"Thank you, Lady Maltos," said Elaine. "I have most of a witch’s skills, but for now, these wards and the arts of controlling essences will be most useful to you.”
"Can you draw either of your strong essences out?" Melissa turned to Catricha.
She shook her head.
"Even so, we can help them emerge, by inciting events that awaken them."
"Such as?" said Catricha.
"We could suggest danger by threatening you somehow. That often prompts powerful essences within someone to defend."
"I know darkness has come out of me before," said Catricha. "I think a dark essence might be one of mine."
Elaine nodded. "That is possible."
"Shall we experiment, then?" Melissa asked.
“I’m ready.” Catricha tensed, glad for her bane dagger at her side if anything went too far. Her hand brushed the weapon’s hilt.
"That's fine.” Melissa set her spear by the doorway. "We won’t use weapons."
"No weapons. Right." Catricha unbuckled her bane dagger’s sheath from her belt, then set the bloodline weapon on the floor.
"Melissa.” Elaine backed away from the two of them. "People may overhear us if we get rambunctious."
"Who are you worried about?" said Catricha. "This tower is fairly far from other buildings.”
"If I should engage my sacra form, we could make some noise even if this tower’s built as tough as demon stone.”
Melissa drew out a mote of darkness surrounded by a kind of pallid halo. Catricha stared at the tiny essence but already sensing a terrible song from it. The bane bent existing light around itself.
"That's the iron bane," she said. "What are you going to do with it?"
"I won’t throw it at you unless I know you can stop it.”
"Appreciated," said Catricha. "I need to learn quickly, not get killed trying.”
"I’m going to toss the iron bane to you underhanded. Try to catch it before it returns to me, alright?”
"Catch? Is that how real mages train?”
"Sometimes," said Elaine. "Only one of your strong essences should really catch the iron bane. Hopefully a simple game will help you draw out one or both of your strong essences.”
"I'll try my best."
"Good.” Melissa gave Catricha a smile. Elaine nodded.
Melissa tossed the iron bane lightly upward. The essence floated through the air, then descended toward the floor in front of Catricha. She stepped forward, focusing with all her intensity, and drawing her mind together like the point of a needle dragging thread.
Pushing out with her arms, hands pressed together at the wrists, Catricha caught the iron bane on one up-turned palm. The halo of light around it began to fade, and Catricha gradually made out the shape of another essence beside the iron bane holding to Melissa’s essence. The essence that emerged was made of pure darkness, and larger than the iron bane thanks to a halo, not of faint light, but a ring of additional darkness.
"I think that's a night bane," said Elaine.
Melissa laughed. "It worked. You’re a genius, Elaine! Now, pass my iron bane back, Catricha.”
"Right," Catricha carefully tossed the iron bane underhand toward Melissa.
Melissa caught her bane in her palm and the strong essence disappeared back into her body. She stood straighter with the iron bane in her, Catricha noticed.
"So, one of your strong essences is a night bane. We should still look for another one, a sprite probably.”
“Sprites and banes usually work in tandem," said Elaine. "One of them is a push and the other a pull, depending and the relationship of the essences to each other, the arrangement can vary.”
"My night bane felt like it was pulling your essence to itself.” Catricha smiled. “Intriguing.”
Melissa nodded. "We should try a different technique to draw out your strong sprite."
"What kind of technique?”
Catricha glanced at Elaine and Melissa. The two mages exchanged looks of their own. Elaine nodded. Melissa folded her arms. "I want you to try to separate one of my strong essences."
"Separate? As in, remove? Don’t they always go back, though?"
"They try," said Melissa. "And you can help it out by pushing it back to me.”
"A little like how I tossed you the iron bane?"
Melissa nodded. "I'm going to toss you a more common bane. It should float in front of your hand. Then you can sent it back to me with your strong pushing sprite.”
"I wonder,” Catricha said. "Are the strong ones my only essences? Or are there others?”
"I can hear that you have at least four," said Elaine. “That’s an unusually high amount for an untrained individual in Tancuon, though I've met simple travelers from abroad with far more. I was born with two, like most people in the lands of mercy.”
"And Melissa?" said Catricha. "How many sprites were you born with?"
"My essences were a mystery to me until this year," said Melissa. "By the time another year rolls around I’d bet you’ll know more about yours than I ever knew about mine before last summer.”
Catricha nodded. “Let's try another toss.”
The glimmering light of a bane separated from Melissa. She stepped forward, holding her hands crossed one behind the other. She shoved the tiny light toward Catricha.
Catricha focused like a ray of sunlight feeding a blade of grass, and pushed with her mind. The tugging sensation she’d experienced from the night bane reversed completely into a pull on her heart. A glimmer of violet light left her palm, moving between her and Melissa. The purple hue enveloped Melissa's ordinary bane and then pushed the lesser essence into Melissa's palm. Melissa caught it, then gently pushed Catricha's violet essence back to her.
"That was a strong sprite," said Melissa. "What do you think?"
"The song was almost as dissonant as a bane’s.” Elaine frowned. "It could have been almost anything."
"Good or bad?” Catricha scowled. “Lately I feel cursed."
"It could be a cursed essence," said Elaine. "One of the sprite forms I’ve been studying is a curse or hex sprite."
"A curse sprite?” Melissa turned to Elaine. “You never told me such a thing was possible. I suppose my bane is more solid but the sprite has always been less material."
Elaine snapped her fingers. “Melissa, you’re onto something there. Catricha, If you're going to fight for yourself, you'll need to know how to resonate with your essences."
"Resonate?" said Catricha. "Another kind of magic?”
Melissa nodded. “The most basic form of the matching technique. You try to access something you already know and infuse it into your essence. The essences already have some of your nature infused into them, so it should be easy enough to accomplish."
"All I'm really good at is taunting people with poetry," said Catricha. "Are you saying that if I need to make someone mad, I might be able to use magic for it?"
"I’d bet your curse sprite would be good at that," said Melissa. "Try it now."
"Focus on what you know," said Elaine.
"Right. Focus.”
Melissa nodded. "Close your eyes."
Catricha squeezed her eyes shut. "Now I should focus on what makes people angry?"
"Yeah," said Melissa. "Focus on what would enrage someone you know. Any of them will do.”
Catricha pressed her eyelids tighter. She focused on the words she would use, her tone, and the very exciting moment of fury sparking in the eyes. She let the concepts flow into her essence. The cursed sprite jumped into her mind, filling her head with more ideas, parting the veils of confusion that always surrounded her. Before she attempted to begin a difficult piece.
The curse sprite made everything fit together with ease. She could see the holes in the morality and logic of her theoretical targets, one she’d previously found unassailable. Even Nansoela could be no match for my wit with this kind of magic at her disposal. And she’s my sister.
“This is easier than I thought it’d be," she said.
"Strong essences add to your powers," said Elaine. "I suppose the other word for curse would be an epithet."
"Epithet has more than one meaning. High-brow name-calling is just the beginning."
"If you can say something that would drive someone mad with rage," said Melissa. "You may be able to figure out how to calm them, as well."
"Reversing fury is different than causing it," said Catricha. "I'll try my best."
"Good," said Elaine. "Keep focusing."
"It's getting chilly," said Melissa. “That should help Catricha stay alert.”
"You lived too long in the south, Melissa," said Elaine. “It’s winter here."
"I should have brought something heavier," said Melissa. "These are my summer clothes."
“You can afford warmer clothes, you know. Stop distracting Catricha.”
Catricha opened her eyes, and the two mages turned toward her. "What's wrong, you two?" she asked.
“Do you want the long list, my lady?” Melissa arched her brows.
"Right," said Catricha. "I should go see Ruar. I want to see how he's doing."
"Why is that?" asked Elaine.
"I..." Catricha hesitated. "His brother was taken, and I...I care for him."
Melissa folded her arms.
Catricha sighed. “Look, I'll go by myself. I promise I won’t take more than an hour."
"We should go with you," said Melissa. "We can keep you safe."
"It's broad daylight," said Catricha. "I'll be fine.”
“If you will,” Melissa said.
Elaine frowned. “Alright.”
"Thank you both," said Catricha. "I won't be long."
CATRICHA MADE HER WAY to the house of Kuldettan. She was stopped by the guards at the gate outside, but Ruar came out to meet her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I was looking for you. Have you heard anything from Vual?"
"Nothing from, and nothing of him. I fear he may be lost." Ruar brushed at his eyes with his hand.
"Don't cry, please.”
“He deserves it," Ruar said through tears.
"He doesn't deserve death.”
"For what he tried to do to you?" Ruar’s fists clenched. "Vual is awful."
"Vual fought with us against the shadow," said Catricha.
"Unless you know where to find him, go, but thanks for coming to check on me." He turned his back on her and the guards stepped forward to close the gate.
Catricha took a step forward, but the guards lowered their the bars before her.
"I'm sorry," said Catricha, blinking back tears of her own. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"But it has happened. I need to go. Hadrian is talking with my mother." Ruar marched back toward the house.
Catricha turned, wiping her eyes, and made her way through the mounting blizzard toward the Tower of the Fallen.
She didn’t make it back.
MELISSA AND ELAINE watched for Catricha until snow-bearing clouds began to cover the horizon and the day began to fade into night. Darkness fell, bringing mounting concern and chattering teeth that something happened out in the city.
Catricha should have been back.
“She was going to the Kuldettan’s," said Melissa. "Do you know how to get there?"
"I think you know someone who does," said Elaine.
Melissa nodded. "Let’s find Galocai.”
They set out for House Paroth. Galocai met them there, and the group hurried onward.
With Galocai leading the way, they reached the house of Kuldettan. Snowdrifts formed in the streets, and the people making their way outside were wrapped heavily in the cloth. Winter of the eleventh month crushed in cold. Ice began to form on the rims of decorative fountains. The sky was gray and white.
