Borrowed Magic (20 page)

And yet here she was.

“Can I help ya dearie?”

A bony hand clamped around her arm, and she
forced herself not to run. It was only an old woman.

“No.” She tried to step away, but the
woman’s grip was surprisingly strong. “I’m fine. I’m just a little
lost.”

The woman leaned closer, and Maren felt
rather than saw something move behind her. She wrenched her body
around and found herself facing the tall man again. He smiled in a
way that made her blood run cold.

“I’m sure we can help you find what you
need.”

She backed away, only to run into the old
woman. “Really, I can find my way. I just got a little turned
around.”

“Been here before, have ya?” A younger woman
stepped forward and eyed her up and down. “What ya lookin’ for?
Love potion? Weapon? Revenge?”

She shivered. There’d been enough revenge to
last a lifetime. She scanned the street, searching for an escape
but couldn’t see one. More people had gathered, seemingly appearing
out of nowhere.

The old woman laughed. “No need ta be
scared. We’re willing ta help for the right price.”

Which didn’t ease her mind any. “I’m really
not here for any help.” She tried not to let her fear show. “I’m
looking for a friend.”

Now the entire crowd laughed. “A friend?”
someone laughed. “No lady has any friends here.”

“What do you really want?” It was the tall
man again and she didn’t like the steely look in his eye. “Who are
you?”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, and she
could tell they were getting suspicious. They naturally stayed away
from the rest of society. Outcasts. Spurned for their magical
abilities in a kingdom where Kern’s deeds had created distrust of
anyone magical. And now she, a lady, had invaded their private
realm.

She again searched for any escape, but there
wasn’t one. The street had become a mass of bodies surrounding her,
angry that she wasn’t here for a silly spell, angry that she might
be a threat.

“I’m not here to buy anything, but neither
am I here to harm anyone.” This time she couldn’t keep her voice as
calm.

“We’ve heard that before,” a woman shouted.
“Right before one of us got carted off to the dungeon.”

“No,” she insisted. “I promise. I’m just
looking for someone I knew a long time ago. I’m not going to hurt
anyone. No one even knows I’m here.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” a man growled.
“Then no one will know where to look for you when you go
missing.”

Her arms were suddenly pinned behind her
back, and she was dragged towards a nearby building. The more she
struggled, the more their arms restrained her. She yelled, but
there wasn’t anyone here who would care.

If she suddenly disappeared there would be a
search. Daric and Adare wouldn’t stop until they found her. And
Kern— Her stomach turned. No doubt Kern would have other ways of
finding her. If he discovered where she’d gone, he’d never give her
another ounce of freedom. She’d be trapped inside her world of lost
memories until she died. Or until he killed her.

She had to get away.

Her shoulder flared even as she thought it,
and then that same warmth she’d felt twice before spread down her
arms. When it reached her fingertips it didn’t stop, instead
spreading to the two men who were holding her arms. Their screams
cut through the general mumblings of the crowd, and they went
flying backwards.

They struggled back to their feet, staring
in horror at their blackened hands. Her stomach turned again. What
had she done?

“I’m sorry…I don’t know…”

“Stay away!” The two men, along with the
rest of the crowd, shrank back.

She stared down at her hands as if she
didn’t recognize them. She hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. She’d come
here to find…

“Wait!” she finally yelled, so desperate for
help she was willing to play on their fears. Every single one of
the retreating crowd stopped dead in their tracks. “I’m looking for
Halef.”

No one moved, but she didn’t miss their
furtive glances. Neither could she mistake the new level of fear in
the air. She looked from one face to the next, unsure of what had
just happened.

“Do any of you know where I can find him?”
No one moved and a possibility she hadn’t wanted to consider crept
into her mind. “Is he dead? Please,” she begged, “he was a friend
of my father. I need to speak with him. It’s important.”

No one answered. Instead they ran,
retreating into buildings or down side streets until she was left
standing in the middle of the street alone. She scanned for any
sign of life, for anyone who might still help her, but the street
was empty.

“I understand you wanted to see me.”

He appeared out of nowhere a few feet in
front of her, wrinkled and bent and looking like he should already
be dead. She froze, too terrified to even think, and then something
clicked.

“Halef?”

“Yes, but who might you be? And why would
you want me?”

She reached up and pulled back her hood.

For a minute he just stared, as if he didn’t
believe his own eyes. “Maren?” The tight set to his jaw softened,
as did his eyes, and he reached out a hand that dropped back to his
side a second later. “You shouldn’t be here. Every wielder of dark
magic inhabits these streets, preying on those who come for help.
Go home.” He gave her a sad smile and closed his eyes.

“Wait.” She rushed forward and grabbed his
cloak before he could disappear. “I need your help.”

His eyes bored into hers and then he let out
a long breath. “Come.”

They wound through the narrow streets until
he stopped in front of a small building and opened the door.

“No one will bother us here.”

“Based on everyone’s reaction when I
mentioned your name, no one bothers you anywhere.”

He chuckled. “Well then no one will
overhear.”

He indicated an old, and rather dirty, chair
and she sat. He pulled forward another chair that looked like it
couldn’t hold his weight, and faced her.

“Well?”

Apparently, there weren’t going to be any
pleasantries. “I need to know how Kern was trapped in that
tomb.”

His brows shot up. “And why would you need
to know that?”

She hesitated. No one had believed her
before. Why would he? Especially if he was under the same spell as
everyone else. And then she had an idea. What if she didn’t mention
Teige? He was the one no one could believe anything bad about. What
if she told Halef the truth, just not all the details? She took a
deep breath. “Kern’s alive. I’ve seen him. And if we can’t stop
him, he’s going to kill Daric and take his throne.”

Halef’s eyes widened for a fraction of a
second, and then he folded his arms across his chest and leaned
back. “And who do you mean by ‘we’?”

His unquestioned acceptance of the truth
left her a little shocked, but right now that didn’t matter. She
needed his help. “Other mages. Anyone I can find.”

“Well, there are none. At least none here.”
His brows drew together in anger. “Why would you think I could
help?”

“Because,” she stammered. “Because you’re
powerful. You know things. You’ve fought Kern before. You helped
seal him in that tomb. I know you did. That’s why my father came to
visit you before Daric’s father was murdered. He wanted a way to
stop Kern.”

He barked out a laugh. “Yes, that’s exactly
what he was looking for, and he incorrectly assumed the same thing
you are: that I have the power to do anything.”

“I don’t understand.” She wrung her hands.
“Your magic is legendary.”

“Was
legendary,” he corrected. “Don’t you know what
happened?”

She shook her head and waited.

“I did fight Kern, but not when you think,
not when he was sealed in the tomb. It was five years before that.
I fought him alone and without a full understanding of the power
he’d acquired. I lost. Everything.”

Then why would her father come to him for
help? And how could they have defeated Kern? “You must still have
magic. You just appeared out of nowhere.”

“A silly trick.” He waved his hand and
flowers appeared in her lap. “A novice has more power than I
do.”

She stared down at the flowers and struggled
to keep her hope from melting away. “But I need you. Anyone else
with any credible magic has left the kingdom. Daric will die.”

Halef leaned forward and rested his head in
his hands. “I’m old, Maren. I don’t have magic strong enough to
help. I’ve lost so much contact with the world that I couldn’t even
tell you where to go, who’s still alive, or what new mages have
emerged.”

“You could find out. Or you know people who
could. Please,” she begged. “You’re the only one who knows which
mages helped the first time and where they might be now. I only
know a few names, and those were healers, not warriors.”

He was silent for a long time and then he
looked at her. “I’ll see what I can find. But I don’t want you to
come back here. It’s dangerous. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Just don’t let
anyone
else know. There
isn’t anyone I can trust.”

He only nodded, his face etched in fear.
“Now go. Before anyone comes looking for you.”

She was
desperate. The warmth in her chest she’d somehow conjured this
afternoon was gone. And even though it had only been a few hours
since she’d seen Kern, her shoulder was on fire.

She should be focusing on what to do next.
She should be thinking about the magic she’d used. She should be
wondering what she’d do once she heard from Halef. Instead, she
paced the hallway outside the Council room, waiting for the meeting
to be over. She couldn’t risk missing Kern, having him disappear
and have to go searching for him. She wanted him to help her. Now.
Before her mind began to slip and she couldn’t concentrate
anymore.

The voices behind the door got louder and
she hoped the Council was finished. Ten minutes later her hope had
vanished. She straightened a flower arrangement that had fallen to
the side. She stared out the window at the end of the hall. But
nothing could distract her from the pain that was growing faster
than she’d ever experienced. It wasn’t just her shoulder any
longer. Every part of her ached, and in a way that was different
from Kern’s torture. She felt like a crippled old woman, and the
thought momentarily crossed her mind that she might be dying. She
shoved the idea aside. She couldn’t die now that she had the
clarity and the will to fight. She couldn’t let Kern win.

She made her way over to a chair where she
had a good view of the door. After a few deep, relaxing breaths,
she felt a little better but still leaned her head back and closed
her eyes, willing the pain to go away.

Trapped in the pain, it seemed like forever
before she finally heard the unmistakable sound of voices and
forced her eyes open.

Philip, Kern, Adare, and Daric were laughing
at something, and she felt as if she were looking through a tunnel.
Everything was fuzzy and faded and muffled. She tried to stand, but
her legs wouldn’t move. Tried to speak but nothing came out. She
just sat huddled in the chair, waiting for someone to notice
her.

Of course, it was Philip who saw her first.
For a moment, he looked as if he expected her to join the
group.

Then his brows pulled together, and he took
a few steps closer. “Maren?”

That drew the attention of the others, and
the next instant Kern had elbowed Philip out of the way and was at
her side. “Maren, what’s wrong?” He took her hands and the pain
began to ebb away.

She closed her eyes and breathed.

“Maren?” A soft hand smoothed her hair.
Adare.

She forced her eyes back open and wished she
wouldn’t have. Adare’s face was masked in heartache. Even more
disturbing was the fear in her eyes.

“We need to get her to her room.” Kern bent
to pick her up but Daric was there first.

His arms slid around her. “It’s going to be
all right, Maren.” He didn’t believe it. Not after how she’d been
the past few weeks.

His arms tightened, and she had the sudden
impression that he was afraid to let her go, that if he did, she
might not survive. She choked on a sob, and Adare reached over and
grabbed her hand.

“Daric and I will do everything we can.
We’re not going to lose you.”

Which she knew wasn’t true. Daric and Adare
knew it too. So did Kern. He was keeping her from death just long
enough to use her for his own plans. And Philip…

She glanced around her but couldn’t see him
anywhere in the small procession. She looked back over Daric’s
shoulder. Philip stood there holding her cloak. His eyes were
glazed and moist and glued to her. And his face was creased
with…she didn’t exactly know. It was more than worry, as if his
entire world was on the verge of collapse.

Their eyes met, and she hoped he could read
what at that moment she didn’t want to hide. Love.

He took a few steps forward and his hand
lifted, as if he could reach out and pull her back from whatever
had happened. Then it dropped back to his side and he stopped. She
wanted to run to him, to tell him not to give up, to assure him
that she was trying, but Kern was too close. Instead she returned
Philip’s sad attempt at a smile as he watched her being carried
away in the arms of the king.

Everyone but
Philip stayed with her until she was doing better, but she finally
pleaded a need for sleep, and Daric and Adare dragged Kern away,
saying he needed to eat. She’d never been so grateful.

One question dominated her
thoughts: What had caused her collapse today? She hadn’t done
anything differ— No, that wasn’t exactly true. She’d used the magic
inside her again, Kern’s magic. But she’d used it before and there
hadn’t been any affect. Of course, both the other times, it had
been minor, nothing more than self-protection. This time she’d used
it to attack other people. She’d
actively
tapped into it. That’s what
was different. That’s why she felt as if something had
changed.