Shattered Magic (The Chronicles of Arand)

Chapter Seven



Light woke Grantland. When he sat up, he saw a passageway through the rubble at the mouth of the cave.

“How long have you been up?” he asked Rowan.

“Long enough to clear a path. It’s still early. We should leave as soon as we can.”

“You should have called me.”

“Why?”

“I could have helped move the rocks on the ground.”

She shrugged. “I still have cheese and bread in my carry bag. We should eat, then leave.”

Again they ate in silence, then packed their things.

When she started for the entrance to the cave, he held her back.

“Wait.”

He stepped outside, allowed his eyes to adjust to the light, then inspected the scene. When he was sure no danger lurked nearby, he motioned her out.

“Which way?” he asked.

She pointed up the mountain and started making her way up the slope. He followed.

They kept up a steady pace, stopping by a stream to drink when the sun had climbed part way up the sky. He was impressed with her ability to keep going. She could march as well as any of the soldiers he knew.

Shading his eyes, he looked up.

“We can get there by late afternoon,” she said, then turned to face him. “I’ve been thinking on the problem of getting you into the village.”

“There are guards?” he asked, thinking of the defenses at Arandal Castle.

“No. For safety’s sake, there are wards that enclose the village. When we get close to the top of the mountain, you will feel a strong need to turn around and run.”

“I won’t.”

“It’s not that simple. The wards will work on your mind in ways that you can’t anticipate.”

“You mean they are dark magic,” he answered.

“No. Protections for my people. You won’t be able to get through on your own. I had trouble leaving. It’s not just the warning in your head. There’s an invisible barrier.”

He felt his eyes narrow. “Then what game are you playing?”

“No game. Just a warning that it will not be easy. Do you want to go back?”

“Of course not.”

“Then you will have to hold tight to me. I already came through once. This time I’ll be better prepared. And I will take you with me. But we still have some time before we encounter the barrier.”

“Then why are you telling me now?”

“So you will not be surprised by it.”

They rested for a while, then started toward the mountaintop again.

* * *

As they drew near to the shield, Rowan waited for the warning to shoot into her mind.

It happened to Grantland first. One moment he was walking beside her. The next, he was down on his knees, his hands clamped to his ears, his face contorted in pain.

She pulled him back, out of range, and his angry eyes shot toward her.

“What trick is this?”

“You’re always expecting tricks. Those are the wards I told you about. The barrier comes next.”

Rowan saw his jaw clench. She knew that a man with less resolve would give up, but Grantland would see this through if it was within his power.

“I’m going to try and shield you,” she said.

“How?”

“Stand in back of me. Press close and wrap your arms around my waist. Ignore the pain and keep moving forward. If you can.”

“I will.”

She wanted to tell him they would find out if he could do it, but she kept the observation to herself.

He moved in back of her, clasping his arms around her waist. He hadn’t touched her since he’d untied the ropes that had bound her. As he embraced her, it was a shock to feel his body pressed to hers.

They hadn’t known each other long, but circumstances had speeded up their relationship. Now, in some strange fashion she was drawing strength from his touch. That knowledge gave her a pang. Couples in the village drew strength from each other in that way, but only those who shared a loving bond.

She shared nothing with Grantland besides the desire to rid the world of an evil man.

Well, there was more. But nothing she could ever act upon. Not with Prince Grantland of Arandal.

Focusing her gaze in the distance, she moved forward, and Grantland came with her. She felt his body stiffen as the silent warning dug into his brain again. Moments later, it hit her, too, and she gasped.

Danger. Go back. Danger.

She had thought she was prepared, but last time she had been coming from the other side. This time she was heading directly toward the warning beacon.

Grantland’s arms tightened around her. “Keep going,” he gasped.

She did, wondering if trying to break into Valleyhold would kill both of them.

Instead, she drew confidence from Grantland’s determination. And perhaps he did from her. Together they kept staggering toward the rim of the mountain.

When she hit the invisible wall, she cried out. Grantland loosened one of his hands, reaching out and pressed against the transparent skin of the barrier.

He snatched his hand back as though he had thrust it into a fire.

“Evil magic,” he croaked.

“Protection from such as you,” she answered.

She flattened her hand against the transparent shield, feeling a slight vibration on the surface as she had before.

Last time she had eased through. This time she gritted her teeth and threw herself against the shield. Grantland’s weight was in back of her, adding momentum.

He pressed against her, and together they tumbled through, landing in a heap on the grass.

For long moments they both lay breathing hard. Her pulse pounded, and her ears rang. Gradually the pain in her head subsided.

When she turned toward Grantland, she saw he was pale and still, lying with his eyes closed. Fear leaped inside her. She scrambled for his hand, clasping his fingers.

“Grant. Speak to me, Grant.”

He didn’t answer, and the fear inside her grew.

Rising above him, she pressed her hand to his chest and felt the beating of his heart. She wrapped her arms around him, shifting on top of him as she clasped him to her, praying to the gods that he was all right. When she heard him draw in a deep breath, she raised her head.

“Tell me you’re all right,” she pleaded.

“Yes,” he said, but she thought the answer was probably automatic. When he shifted his weight, she rolled off of him and lay staring up at the sky.

“I wouldn’t have believed something like that was possible—if I hadn’t felt it.”

“We have to protect ourselves.”

“How many people do you kill with that thing?”

“None. They go back when they hear the warning.”

“Are you sure? Or is that only what your elders tell you?”

“I believe them.”

When he made a scoffing sound, she sat up.

He also pushed himself up.

“We didn’t talk about how we’re going to get Telman,” she said.

“You mean kill him.”

Her chest tightened. That had been her intention, but now that she was here, it wasn’t so easy to think about what they had to do.

“You’ve changed your mind?” he asked.

“No. If there is such a thing as an evil wizard, it is Telman. He is a danger to everyone who walks the earth. But I’ve never killed. The thought of it makes me tremble.”

“But you agreed.”

“Because I knew I must.”

“You have a plan?”

She nodded. “I have women’s clothing with me. I’ll change and go down to the village and tell him I needed to be by myself for a few days, but now I want him to come up to the mountain with me to talk about our future.”

“You think you can keep from revealing your true feelings?”

She answered with a harsh laugh. “I’ve been doing it for months.” She looked around. “We should pick a spot where you can hide. I’ll distract him by pretending I want to make love with him, and you come up behind him and…” Her voice trailed off.

“All right.”

She was about to find the gown she’d brought when she saw a man climbing rapidly up the hill toward them. It was Telman.