The Sleeping King (45 page)

Had she accidentally forgotten to sheathe her herb knife? She reached her left hand into her pouch to check. The instant her fingers touched the bumpy stick of wood stowed there—the Wand of Rowan—it was as if lightning shot up her left arm, across her shoulders, and down her right arm into Will's disk of wood.

“Ouch!” he yelped at the same moment she yanked her hand away from the wand singeing her fingers.

“What did you do?” the High Matriarch demanded.

“I … nothing … I just touched it,” she answered. She wasn't eager to explain where she'd gotten ahold of a powerful magic item like the wand hidden in her pouch. Particularly since she supposed she had technically stolen it from Kadir that night in the barn.

“Can you remove the disk?” Lenora asked.

“If I had a ritual scroll and the components I might be able to cast something to take it off, but I have no idea what ritual to even try.”

“Just cast some healing into it,” the matriarch suggested.

“How much?”

“As much as you can.”

Hyland dived in quickly. “Why don't you just start trickling healing into the disk, Raina? The matriarch can tell you when to stop.”

She glanced sidelong at him, her eyes twinkling. Careful to keep her left hand out of her pouch, she commenced guiding a thin stream of healing magic into the disk of wood. There were two methods of delivering healing—gathering a big wad of magic and throwing it into a target all at once in a fast, painful explosion of healing or trickling in the magic less painfully but much more slowly. The first method was used mostly in combat when warriors needed immediate and radical healing to stay alive and continue fighting. Apparently, it was excruciating, and only the life-and-death demands of the battlefield could induce most people to endure the agony of fast healing,

Which wasn't to say that slow healing was that much less painful.

Will, however, seemed unaffected by her magic. “Are you feeling this?” she asked him in surprise.

“No. Whatever you're doing is going completely into the wood.”

She frowned and upped the amount of flow. “Are you all right?” she murmured.

“As a duck in water,” he answered jauntily.

“Open the gates a little,” Hyland muttered to her.

She nodded and increased the flow of magic significantly.

Will's only comment was, “The disk is getting warm.”

“Let me know if it gets uncomfortable,” Raina replied, pouring magic into the disk at nearly the power level she would perform a ritual-magic casting.

“Is it loosening up at all?” Novice Rosana asked anxiously.

Will reached up to give the disk a tug and shook his head in the negative.

“Enough, child,” the matriarch told Raina. “As I thought. That thing's going to require a ritual to remove. But thanks be for trying. By the by, child, if you're planning to run around casting that kind of healing magic, I'm going to have to insist you join the Heart. The Empire can't have healers of that kind of power roaming free and not properly inducted into one of its guilds.”

Raina threw Hyland a distressed look. He answered smoothly for her, “I've spoken to her already regarding that, High Matriarch. She understands the Empire's position on unregistered mages and is taking a few days to consider her options. Personally, I think the White Heart would be ideal for her.”

“Indeed?” Lenora replied sharply. She looked back and forth between Hyland and Raina intently. The High Matriarch nodded and said slowly, “Yes, Landsgrave, I concur. The White Heart makes sense. I would happily approve such an appointment. Do you wish induction into the Heart and directly into that order, child?”

Raina answered in alarm, “I have made no decision, High Matriarch.”

“We would love to have you in the Heart in any capacity you choose,” Lenora said sincerely. “I promise we would do well by you—”

Blessedly, Hyland interrupted the unfolding sales pitch with, “Sadly, my son has business elsewhere this morn and must leave presently. If you will excuse me, I wish to make my farewells to him.”

“Of course,” the matriarch responded. “So, young Kendrick. How are you doing for healing potions? It seems I'm forever having to resupply you.”

“But I use them on other people, mostly,” Kendrick protested.

“So you say,” the matriarch replied tartly. But Raina saw the glint of affectionate humor in the woman's eyes. Rosana was sent to fetch a handful of healing potions. While they waited for her return, Lenora asked Kendrick, “Where are you off to now, rapscallion?”

“To Talyn. My friend, Eben, and I have business there.”

Raina glanced over at the jann sympathetically. She had not heard whether or not Landsgrave Hyland had been able to learn something of Eben's missing sister, Marikeen.

“Talyn, is it?” Lenora commented. “Last I heard, Patriarch Hiru Nightblade is up that way. Give him my greetings if you see him, would you?”

Kendrick grinned and nodded. Infectious charm the young man had. But Raina's affection was back in Tyrel with another charming young man who likely did not even know she'd had a crush on him.

Will asked, “Talyn is near the Forest of Thorns, is it not?”

At mention of the Forest of Thorns, Raina perked up. It was there she wished to go with all due haste. If her strange dream was true, it was where she would find the Great Circle that might have some idea where to find the Mythar. If this lord of the nature guardians had enough olde magick to restore the Great Mage and could be talked into sharing it, mayhap she could finally go home again.

“Aye,” Eben answered Will's question. “Talyn includes the southern margin of that forest.”

“Might I go with Kendrick?” Raina asked hopefully. “I should like to see more of Dupree.”

Cicero threw her a questioning look but made no comment.

Hyland smiled broadly. “I would rest easier knowing my son travels with a healer of your talent. And it might be wise to remove your skills from the roving eye of—”

Hyland did not finish the thought, but she had no doubt he referred to the governor. Out of the corner of her eye, Raina caught Rosana whispering in Will's ear. He nodded and whispered something back in return. Her heart ached to see how close the two of them were. It reminded her of Justin and herself.

Hyland asked for parchment and quill to pen a letter to the Patriarch, and the matriarch led him away. Raina turned to Cicero and murmured, “Would you be willing to visit the Forest of Thorns with me?”

He made a face of distaste. “Willing, but not eager. Why there?”

“I had a dream. I think I might be able to find what I need there.”

“And what exactly might that be?”

Raina had never been the type to rely overmuch on her dreams, and she felt silly answering Cicero's question. But she owed him the truth if he was going to put his sword and his life to the task of protecting her. She answered reluctantly, “The Great Circle.”

Cicero visibly started—a dramatic reaction out of an elf, even a demonstrative kindari. “What need have you of that?” he demanded under his breath.

“To help me find the Mythar and solve the problem that forced me to leave Tyrel.” Suspicion knotted in her gut at the suddenly closed expression on Cicero's face. She asked, “Do you know something of the Great Circle?” It would make sense, after all. The kindari were forest elves. If any would know of the great tree spirits, it would be them.

He shrugged. “It has not made an appearance in a long time.”

She wondered what constituted a long time in kindari lore. “What more can you tell me of it?” she asked eagerly.

But Cicero was forestalled from answering by the solinari stepping up to Raina. The elf half-bowed formally. “If I might have a moment of your time, youngling?”

“Of course…”—she took in the five stars on his shoulder—“…, Guildmaster. How may I be of service to you?”

“Perhaps you might turn your magic to a small favor for me?”

“Of course. What can I do for you?”

He planted the tall, beautifully carved staff he had been leaning on before her. It was made of some rich, dark wood covered in intricately carved vines. The weapon was topped by a rose so perfectly carved as to be indistinguishable from a real rose in full bloom. Only the wooden grain in the petals gave away its true composition. She'd seen some stunning carvings in her day but nothing came even close to the exquisite workmanship in this staff.

“I brought this here for the High Matriarch to attempt to reawaken. It should take care of Will's problem with that wood disk. However, Lenora's other duties have required her to expend her magical energies elsewhere already, today. Are you perchance, ritual magic capable, youngling?”

Raina nodded respectfully. “Yes, Guildmaster. I am.”

“And are you familiar with awakening artifacts?”

“Yes, Guildmaster.” In fact, it was a relatively simple procedure and did not even require a full ritual to complete. She'd mastered the technique years before. “What can you tell me of the magics within this staff, Guildmaster?”

“They are spiritual in nature.”

She nodded confidently and took the wooden staff into her hands. It was as smooth and sleek as mink, and warmth coursed through it. Yes indeed, the magic within it did have the feel of spiritual energy.

“Do you know how much it will require?” she asked as she poured a fair bit of energy into the staff.

He shrugged. “I do not.”

Surprised that the artifact had not already awakened given the magic she'd just cast into it, she took a deep breath and gathered magic to herself once more. After the past few days, it was growing easier to draw large amounts quickly. Where her fists grasped the staff, a white glow began to dance across the surface, highlighting the sinuous carvings until they looked alive.

The more energy she cast into the staff, the hungrier it felt. It vibrated in her grasp and grew almost too hot to hold as it absorbed everything she could throw at it. The carved rose atop the staff began to glow a soft green color, and the gem nestled within its petals shone as brightly as a beacon.

She stared at the staff, mesmerized by its terrible beauty. All at once, it jerked in her hands as if attempting to escape her, wildly more powerful than she could control. She staggered back, her magic faltering.

Rosana, who was directly behind her caught her to steady her, catching her shoulder blades with a forearm and the staff with her free hand.

But as soon as the gypsy's fingers closed around the staff, a tremendous flash of green energy exploded, enveloping Rosana in a nimbus of emerald light. Blindingly bright, the energy passed through the gypsy so strongly that Raina fancied that her friend became transparent for an instant, lit from within by that brilliant green glow.

Rosana gasped but could not seem to find her breath. Raina did not dare touch her friend while that strange and powerful magic was coursing through the gypsy. Finally, the glow subsided—what seemed to be minutes later—disappearing at a spot just under her shoulder.

“Oww!” the gypsy exclaimed, rubbing at the spot just above her heart.

The High Matriarch snapped at Aurelius, “And what, pray tell, was
that
? What have you done to my healer?”

The elf stared, first at the gypsy, then at the staff, and then at Raina. “In all honesty, High Matriarch, I do not know. I meant the magic for Will.”

“Guess!” Lenora snapped.

“The staff was created to remove taints or curses. Perhaps to restore a person to their natural state.”

All eyes turned on Rosana. She blinked back at them, looking afraid. “I do not know of any taint upon me. I feel no different than before. Just a little blinded by that bright flash.”

Lenora performed first aid upon the girl quickly and, thankfully, pronounced her unharmed by the magical blast. Raina was relieved. She did not believe she had any more big surges of magic left in her this day.

Hyland pushed forward through the gathered crowd, looking worried. “Is aught amiss?” he demanded.

The High Matriarch replied, “Nay, Landsgrave. I believe no harm was done. But,” she added tartly, “I'll thank you to get that thing out of my guild, Aurelius.”

The solinari bowed formally, collected his men—and the now quiet staff—and departed from the building. The last glimpse Raina caught of the sun elf's face was of a man completely flummoxed.

Raina turned back from watching them go to see the High Matriarch whispering to Hyland. They both looked grave. What had put that look in their eyes?

In the general chaos of the final preparations for their party's departure for Talyn, she got no chance to ask Landsgrave Hyland about it. She did, however, notice Hyland drawing his son aside to have a brief conversation that put a grave look on Kendrick's face as well.

The moment came to leave, and Raina thanked Hyland sincerely for his assistance. For his part, he wished her
safe
travels. She did not miss his emphasis on the word “safe,” and gave him her promise to do her best.

Kendrick and Eben led the way, and she and Cicero brought up the rear. They were not a dozen steps beyond Healer's Square, though, when Eben turned to Kendrick and demanded, “What news did your father have of Marikeen?”

Raina eavesdropped with interest as Kendrick answered, “Anton swears he has not seen or heard of your sister. The Kithmar claim that she escaped last night during the riots.”

“Where is she, then?” Eben demanded in frustration. “Why did she not come to your house? I'd lay odds the Kithmar lie and still hold her. We must find her and rescue her!”

“Agreed,” Kendrick replied. “Last the High Matriarch heard, a party of slavers was headed north. Talyn lies in that general direction. Let us go there and see to getting that mark off your face, and mayhap we'll pick up the trail of the Kithmar clan while we're at it.”