Balancer (Advent Mage Cycle) (30 page)

Trev’nor, being the nice kid he is, tried to help Nolan out. “See, we were talking, and figured that you should have kids. And you said you wanted some, and couldn’t. So Nolan and I went to see Cora—”

“And she explained how babies are created,” Nolan inserted helpfully, catching the spirit of the moment. “Cause I wasn’t quite sure how it worked.”

“—and Nolan saw something was wrong with you, here,” Trev’nor pointed in the general direction of his navel in demonstration, “and fixed it so you could have kids.”

“Two kids,” Nolan clarified, “as I heard that having babies is real hard, and we figured you might not want to go through that more than once.”

Chaelane’s legs gave out at that moment, and she landed on her rump with a soft
thump
. Judging by the expression on Guin’s face, he was about ready to fall out of his chair too.

It took a tremendous amount of effort, but I managed to keep my face straight and my voice level, instead of busting out laughing like I wanted to. “I’ve already explained to both of them what the consequences could be for…er…dabbling like this. I’m certain they wouldn’t
dream
of doing it again. Without permission, that is.”

Chaelane, after a few moments of doing a splendid impersonation of a landed fish, managed to find her voice again. “You said something was wrong with me here?” she pointed at her own stomach.

“Not wrong…” Nolan paused, face scrunched up in a thoughtful way, trying to find the right words. “Just not right. You weren’t glowing like you’re supposed to.”

Guin finally rose from his chair and came to kneel at Chaelane’s side. He put a hand on Nolan’s shoulder, and another on Trev’nor’s, looking them both in the eye. “Boys, I wish you had talked to us about this first. Garth is certainly right in that. But all the same…thank you. Thank you for what you did.”

Relieved at this praise, they lost their hangdog expressions and lit up the room with their in smiles. The smiles grew even more when Chaelane hugged them both tightly to her for a long moment, slowly rocking back and forth with them in her arms.

Over their heads, Guin gave me a sardonic quirk of the brow.

“I couldn’t resist,” I admitted to him with an unrepentant grin.

“I noticed,” he drawled.

“It was for a good cause,” I pointed out helpfully.

“Which is the only reason you’re getting by with this,” Guin responded dryly. “Are there any
other
surprises you want to spring on me?”

“Not a one,” I denied cheerfully. Deeming it wise, I gave both Monarchs a bow, and beat a hasty retreat before Guin could think of an appropriate punishment for my teasing.

~*~

That evening, I went to the appointed meeting with Chahir’s magicians with dragging feet. With all of the distractions I’d had today, I’ve never sat down and really
thought
about what I was going to say. It was probably just as well. Even as I tried to think about it now, I drew a complete blank.

I looked at the sea of faces all turned toward me expectantly, recognizing at least half of them as people that I had personally helped bring into Hain. The other half had made it here on their own initiative, trickling in over the border for the last two years. Still, every magician here was from Chahir, and they had all experienced the harsh censor of their government, because of their magical talents. What could I possibly say now would make this request any more easily accepted?

Why I had been chosen to speak to them, I simply couldn’t understand. I wasn’t a man of many words. I’d never been particularly good with them; they just seemed to get in the way when I had something important that needed to get done. How was I suppose to cobble together something persuasive enough to convince these people to return to the country that had a blanket order for their immediate execution, even a year ago? It seemed an impossible task to come up with
anything
appropriate. My strength is brawn, not finesse!

One thing I was sure of. I might not be able to summon up the best words, but saying nothing at all made my failure assured. I took a deep breath, found my center place and forced myself to sound calm.

“I asked you here today to share word of a new development, and make a request of you.”

That got the people’s attention. They might have been paying attention to me before, but they were absolutely riveted now.

“I’m sure you have probably heard rumors that Vonlorisen’s grandson, Vonnolanen, is a Life Mage. I will confirm that for you now—he is indeed a Life Mage, and one that I personally brought out of Chahir.” I paused, as people were murmuring to each other, a buzz with such startling news. After they quieted down again, I resumed, “I did not spirit Nolan out of Chahir, like many of the rest of you. Vonlorisen summoned me to the capitol, in secret, and entrusted his grandson to my care. The King made me a promise that by the time Nolan acquired his full stature as a Mage, Chahir would be able to accept magic openly once again.”

If hearing that the King’s grandson was a Mage surprised them, hearing this promise stunned them into silence. It was so quiet my own breathing sounded loud. I decided to keep talking, just to break up that unnerving stillness. “He has remained true to his word. The Star Order is no longer officially sanctioned by the government of Chahir, it has been disbanded and its members stripped of magic. The Queen, one of their staunchest supporters, has been sent into exile for the rest of her lifetime. The laws regulating magic in Chahir have been rescinded completely. Now, all magicians are welcomed by the government, and their right to both safety and liberty is the law of the land.”

That had everyone talking again, rapidly speaking at an energetic volume between each other in small groups. Krys took a step forward, catching my attention. “Garth, what about the people? How do the average citizens of Chahir feel about this?”

There it was, the bottom line. “That’s trickier,” I admitted with an honest report. “Some of them are for this change, some of them are not. Most of them are just confused and a little scared about what they’re supposed to think, and feel. Magic has been demonized for so long; it will take some time to change people’s hearts and minds.”

Krys looked down for a moment, frowning as he considered what I had said.

“And what’s the request you’re making of us?” Jenna slipped around two people so that she could stand near me at the front of the crowd.

This was the part that was so hard for me to say. I had to say this right, or everything could fall apart before it could even get a fair hearing. The stress was making me a little sick to my stomach. “Vonlorisen is proposing to build a magic academy in Chahir.”

I heard several people shriek
“What?!”
in the crowd. I tried to hold my face passive, but my lips twitched a little. When you put it like that, it did sound impossible, didn’t it? Vonlorisen and magic, it was almost like saying that the sun was going to rise in the west tomorrow.

“Vonlorisen wants to build a magic academy in Chahir,” I repeated a second time, a little louder. “And he’s requested that King Guin provide him with magicians who can serve as Instructors.”

A strong wind could have knocked every person flat on their face. I charitably allowed them a few seconds to gather their shattered wits. When Guin had told me, I had needed a few moments to let that sink in, and I had already known about the major changes Chahir was going through. “The King has no magicians that he can spare for such a task—but he has given the magicians born in Chahir the option of whether they will return home or not, to answer Vonlorisen’s request.”

“That’s what you’re asking,” Cora breathed, her hand held up to her throat. Her voice was so soft I barely heard her. “You’re asking us to go back.”

The time of reckoning had arrived. I swallowed nervously, and straightened my shoulders, keeping eye contact with my audience. “Yes.” I said simply, no preamble or enforcement to go with that one little word.

Everyone started talking all at once again; some of them were even trying to yell something at me over the din. Their voices overlapped each other so much, that I couldn’t pick out more than a word or two at best. I tried raising my hands, asking them to quiet down, but I didn’t have the lung capacity to shout down forty plus excited people.

“QUIET!” The word rang out like a shot.

But apparently, Jarod does.

I turned to give him a grateful look—only to freeze when I saw the expression on his face. His eyes were narrowed, intent, but unfathomable. I couldn’t tell if he were simply thinking about what I had said, or enraged by it. “Jarod?”

“Why are you asking this of us?” His voice was hoarse with intense emotion. Was it anger, or shocked disbelief? “You expect us to go back to a country that actively hunted us down, and tried to kill us?”

I couldn’t blame him for asking that question. I couldn’t blame him for feeling furious and betrayed. I didn’t have the words to erase any of the pain he lived through. I had lived through it too. I just had the truth—whether it would be enough or not, I wasn’t sure.

“Jarod, this
is
a hard thing that I’m asking you to do. I understand that. But try to see things the way I see them. I escaped from Chahir, with what little bit I could carry, just as many of you did. I was seeking safety for myself, and training for my magic that would keep other people safe, here in Hain. I did not have to go back into Chahir. I could have stayed right here in Hain for the rest of my life, without ever having to face that danger again. That wasn’t the choice I made. I went back. I went back for you because I knew what you were up against. I went back for you, because your life and your magic was more important to me than my own.”

He flinched as if I had hit him in the face.

I repeated it, looking at everyone else. “I went back for you. I couldn’t abandon you, knowing the fear and uncertainty that you were living under.” I clenched my hands to try to keep them from shaking. “I cannot turn my back on anyone in that country. Knowing what it is like for a young person with emerging magical abilities—knowing what those children and their families will face—can you really stay here?”

“Living in that country, and teaching magic, will not be easy.” Jenna said this so neutrally that I wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Her blank face didn’t give any hints either.

“No, it will not be easy,” I agreed quietly. “But if you don’t do it, who will?”

A heavy, tense silence fell over the crowd. My words were dried up—I didn’t know what else to say at this point. I couldn’t think of anything more that might convince them.

“I’ll go.”

My head snapped around. Cora? Hope rose up so fast and hard that I nearly choked on it. Had she really said…?

“I’ll go,” she said again, more firmly. Her chin lifted in a stubborn manner. “I won’t repay your kindness by deserting you when you need help. And shame on the lot of you,” she added scathingly, “if you do refuse him!”

As happy as I was that she agreed, I didn’t want her to drive people into a corner. I lifted my hands in a placating manner. “Cora, don’t say that. I mean, some of them haven’t even finished their training yet! And some of them have family here. I can understand if some of them choose to remain behind…”

“Having family here didn’t stop
you
,” she retorted. “And where would most of these people be without you?”

“She’s right,” Krys piped up. There was a fierce light burning in his eyes, a mirror of Cora’s expression. “This is the only thing that you’ve ever asked of us—and it’s something that we should automatically be doing. If Chahir is really willing to change, I am going to be there to help it do so, no matter what.”

From another side, there was a vehement shout. “There better not be one Mage that turns him down!”

Jarod too?! I had to snap my mouth shut before someone could catch me with an opened jaw expression.

“Count me in, too.” Jenna moved to stand next to Cora and Krys, looking both young and terribly determined at the same time.

With that, all of the Mages moved en masse to stand right in front of me, signaling their willingness to go. I was beyond flabbergasted—this was not at all what I was expecting.

“Why are you only depending on the Mages to go?” Huish demanded, with a demented grin plastered on his face. “Wizards are more dependable than you lot. I’ll go too!” He paused and added ruefully, “Assuming you can wait another month for me to finish my training, that is.”

As I stood there open mouthed, five more Witches and Wizards volunteered to go as well, as soon as their training was finished. That meant I had twelve magicians willing to return to Chahir, thirteen including me. It was more than I ever dared to hope for.

I looked at the people volunteering to go with me, into what they knew would be a difficult and possibly dangerous world. I felt tears prick the back of my eyes, looking for a way out. I was overwhelmed and grateful and once again, at a loss for words. As inadequate as they were, I could think of only two to say. “Thank you. Truly…thank you.”

Chapter
Twenty-One: Plans

After all of those revelations in Del’Hain, the first thing I did was go back to Chahir, a young prince in tow. Nolan chattered the entire trip, happy to go home. Answering all of his questions actually helped the repeated shocks to my system fade.

It was much later than it should have been. Vonlorisen had said before dinner, but it was well after it now. I was sure that both he and Audax were fit to be tied by the delay, but really it was a miracle I managed to get him here at all. Queen Chaelane had
not
wanted to let go of Nolan. I almost had to pry him free.

We rose in the King’s private garden, as I knew that was the best place to do so. It was both clear of people and close to the king’s quarters. I was relatively sure I could find Vonlorisen’s bedroom from here. Even if I got lost, surely Nolan knew the way. But as it turned out, such concerns were not necessary. Vonlorisen had learned from his previous trip with me. He was waiting in the garden with Audax, clearly anticipating my need for a clear space.