Go ahead, he sneered silently as he looked upon Lord Byrule. Underestimate us. It will be the last mistake you warlocks ever make.
“I can see some of you are a bit skeptical,” Lord Byrule went on. He briefly met Lucyan’s gaze, and Lucyan’s heart skipped a beat as he worried that the warlock had seen through him. But Lord Byrule merely walked on, looking the recruits in the eye as he spoke. “After all, Dragonfell and Elvenhame are powerful kingdoms. But Shadowhaven was here long before them, and we will continue to be here long after they’ve crumbled into dust. Our agents have done an excellent job sowing discord and chaos amongst both courts, and there are subtle spells at work that will ensure the enemy is paralyzed and helpless when they least expect it. Even better, we are able to spy on them from within the safety of these walls whenever they are visible from the outdoors. You would be amazed to know how many private conversations royals like to have when they’re standing right in front of a window,” he said with a scornful smirk.
The other recruits snickered, and Lucyan’s anger gave way to a surge of triumph. Finally! He had discovered something useful. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to send a message to his brothers and warn them of the true nature of the warlocks’ spying spell. Luckily, it was easy enough to avoid windows or the outdoors when talking of sensitive subjects. Lucyan could hardly believe the solution to their unwanted surveillance problem was so simple.
“Next, we are going to test all of you for warlock potential,” Lord Byrule said. He signaled with his hand, and several other warlocks who had been standing out of view came forward. “I want you to make four lines. This will take just a minute. The test is painless, and perfectly safe,” he added when some of the recruits began to look nervous.
Lucyan was one of those people, though not for the same reason. As he watched the warlocks lay their hand on the recruits’ heads and mutter some kind of incantation, he worried that the spell might reveal his dragon abilities. Did the test seek out all forms of magic? Or only warlock spells?
“All right, you’re next,” the warlock who had been working through Lucyan’s line said. Lucyan steeled himself as the man reached for his forehead. “Relax,” he said, pressing his palm against Lucyan’s skin. “This will only take a second.”
Lucyan forced himself to relax as the warlock did his work. He stood very still as the warlock muttered the incantation, and gritted his teeth as he felt tingles sweep all over his skin. The warlock opened his eyes a moment later, and Lucyan was relieved to see that he merely looked bored.
“Nothing special about you,” he said, and moved on.
Lucyan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He spent the next fifteen minutes watching as the warlocks tested the rest of the recruits. Halfway through, one of them lit up like a shooting star, and Lord Byrule’s face broke out into a delighted grin.
“Excellent,” he said, putting an arm around the recruit’s shoulder. It was the other woman who had tried out yesterday, Lucyan realized with some surprise. “You’ll be going off to a different training camp, my dear. Orlaf, show her to her new quarters.”
“Damn,” Delara muttered under her breath as she watched the other woman being taken away. “Now there are only three of us left in the entire bloody camp.”
Lucyan was surprised to feel a bit of sympathy. “I don’t see what you’re so upset about,” he said blithely, keeping his voice low as he nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. “This merely means fewer women for you to share with, no?”
Delara hastily turned her laugh into a cough. “Are you offering?” she asked once she got herself under control.
Lucyan shook his head. “Alas, my heart belongs to another.”
Delara gave him a skeptical look. “It’s not good for people like us to form attachments,” she said. “In this line of work, attachments can get you killed.”
That sobered Lucyan right up. A surge of fear hit him as he realized just how far away Dareena was. He had no way to check on her, no means of ensuring she was all right and that there wasn’t some assassin breathing down her neck, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
“As for the rest of you,” Lord Byrule went on once the recruits had quieted down. “You may not have magic, but never fear. You will be given magical weapons to aid you in your missions, devices anyone can use. Today, we will be introducing you to some basic ones and teaching you how to activate them.”
Magical devices, Lucyan thought as the warlocks led them to the castle, where they would be visiting the magical armory for the first time. He wondered if the warlocks used a device to spy on their enemies rather than a spell. The last time he’d been here, Lucyan had learned that imbuing an object with an ability was much easier on a warlock than having to cast a spell that would perform the same function. Yes, it cost them more power in the beginning, but once the device was set up, it merely required periodic charging and could be activated by anyone who had the right keyword. A spell that could spy on people from such great distances would require a great deal of magical expenditure. Lucyan was almost certain the warlocks would have created a device for such a purpose.
I’ll keep my ear to the ground, Lucyan resolved. If he could find the device they used, he could destroy it and eliminate their ability to invade his family’s privacy. And then he could fly home and verify Dareena’s safety for himself.
14
The next day, Drystan saddled a horse and made the long trek to the dragon god’s cave. Lucyan had drawn him a careful map before he’d left for Shadowhaven; it was located on the face of a sheer cliff, only a day’s ride from the castle.
Two hours into the ride, Drystan stopped at the top of a hill for a short break to allow his horse to graze. The animal dipped his head, and as he tore off a mouthful of grass, Drystan’s stomach rumbled. He wished fasting wasn’t part of this ritual. He hated hunger with a passion, but as far as sacrifices went, he supposed it was a mild one. The fasting was the reason he’d chosen to ride rather than fly—while flying was faster, he would have nothing to do but sit around and think about how hungry he was for the next sixteen hours, which might very well drive him mad.