Reborn (The Dragons of Cantor Book 1) Page 4

  Her shock was evident. “But I only thought that…I thought about how your magic would be beneficial in that situation and I thought of how much I wanted you to be there…” her voice trailed off as she realized what must have happened between them. “I called you and you heard me.”

  He nodded. Silence hung in the room, thick and uncomfortable. Mey swung her legs around and over the side of the bed. Her first instinct was to run; get out of this room and away from Thom. She wasn’t really sure she was ready to feel what she was feeling. Garrin had been the only person in her life she could trust for so long, it was strange to her that someone could ever take that place again. She planted her feet on the ground and tried to stand, immediately realizing that was the wrong idea.

  Thom was there, catching her. Her head swam and the dizziness almost took her into complete darkness again. She let him lead her back down to the bed to sit. His touch was so comfortable. There were so many other confusing feelings that bombarded her, so she decided to push it all away. She instinctively jerked away from Thom as she sat on the bed.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled. “Guess I took that a bit too fast.”

  “Just sit for a few moments longer. You should be fine; you weren’t severely injured, just hit your head when you fell.” His face was red and he seemed to be trying to avoid any eye contact with her.

  Mey shrugged. “Durlag!” The thought of the dwarf came to her and just as she said his name, he was coming through the door.

  “Lass! That was some tumble you took!” He ambled over to her. “You sure know how to take a fall! Why, I remember once, when I was just a wee dwarf…” his voice ran on and on in the background of her thoughts.

  She watched Thom as he stoked a small fire in the corner of the room. It was then she realized they were in her room back at the inn. What was supposed to be hers and Garrin’s room. He must have brought her back here after she fell.

  What had happened between them, though? He had obviously seen her thoughts as she faced the Shadow Guard. She was curious about the link between her and this wizard. Why was it there? It must have begun at that first meeting, on the dock. When he touched her and threw her into his spell to show her what had happened to Garrin.

  He pulled a chair over to the fire and sat there, staring in and looking just as lost in his thoughts as she was in her own. What was he thinking? Was he thinking about her? Almost as soon as she thought that, he looked up at her. It startled her and must have shown on her face because he chuckled.

  “I wasn’t reading your thoughts. I only felt your stare.”

  “Oh,” she said quietly. “I…I’m just very confused at how I could call you with my mind.”

  Durlag had fallen silent and she didn’t exactly remember when his story had stopped. He seemed content to just pull another chair toward the fire and seat himself. He took long draws from the flask he kept on his belt.

  “I don’t know, either. I think that maybe the Mage’s Circle could have some answers. I will contact them tonight and present it to them.”

  “We should still leave in the morning. Oboderen will be expecting us in three days at Andari Point.”

  He nodded, again lost in his thoughts. Probably anticipating his conversation with the other mages.

  Her limbs felt as though they needed a good stretch. She stood slowly, aware of every muscle, every movement. She raised her arms and stretched herself, reaching for the ceiling. She rolled her shoulders, moved her head cautiously from side to side. It seemed to help work out some of the kinks that were causing her pain. She walked to the window.

  “Tell me a little more about these Shadow Guards. How are they defeated?”

  “Being creatures of darkness, of course light will counteract them. Pointed weapons, such as sword, daggers or arrows will have no effect; unless they have been touched with magic.” He was deeply lost in thought, not quite completely there with them.

  “Where do they come from?”

  “They originated from the dark magic practiced when the Mage’s Circle first split. There were a few mages who did not agree with the philosophy of the larger whole. They broke off into their own faction and practiced magic without boundaries. From that magic spawned new creatures.”

  “Creatures of darkness,” came the soft voice. Mey turned her attention to Durlag. The sadness in his eyes was so profound it seemed she could almost feel it. “Yes, I know a thing or two about these creatures of darkness.”

  Thom and Mey waited; instinctively knowing not to interrupt. Something in Durlag’s face told Mey that what he was about to reveal deserved a modicum of respect.

  “It weren’t shadows that got Gord, though. Fire, it was. It crawled up from the floor of the cave. The farther we made our way in, the hotter that blasted hole seemed to get. The pungent smell of sulfur was everywhere. We thought to find gemstones in that cave. That’s what all the old-timers said were in there.

  “Gord just stopped, all at once it seemed. ‘Gord?’ I asked him. When he turned around, sweat was pourin’ down his face. It was hot in that blasted cave, but not that hot. As I stood there, with my durned mouth hangin’ open, he just got redder n’ redder. He was afraid. Then, from nowhere, there was fire. Shootin’ up from the ground, it folded itself all around Gord.” Durlag’s voice dropped. “He screamed. I can hear that scream still. There’s no sound like the scream from a man dyin’ by burnin’ alive…”

  A shudder passed through him and he shook it off without seeming aware of it. He looked up at Mey and Thom. “There was eyes in that fire. A darkness within the flames. Then those eyes seemed to focus their attention on Gord. At least the screamin’ stopped. But what happened next, I’ve never told another soul. Those eyes took something out of Gord. I could see it lookin’ all cloudy like a mist.”

  “What happened then?” Mey asked.

  “I ran, lass. I ran farther and faster than I ever run in my life.” The touch of bitterness in his voice was plain. It obviously pained him to admit that weakness.

  “A Flame Soul.” Thom was looking at Durlag, a hint of wonder revealed on his face. “I have only seen renderings of these creatures in books. The fire needs souls to feed its dark existence.”

  “So,” Mey said after a time, breaking the heavy silence and desperate to end all this talk of evil creatures spawned from darkness. “We leave tomorrow at day break, as planned?”

  Thom cleared his throat. “Right.” Mey watched him as he moved about the room collecting his various papers, bottles, and pouches. He seemed as though he was trying very hard not to look at her as he completed his tasks.

  Durlag excused himself to wrap up whatever ends he had before their journey in the morning. The room was empty but for the two of them. The fire was warm and the sounds from it comforted her. The sudden voice across the room startled her.

  “Rest well. You should be ready for travel in the morning. Just keep yourself still and get your rest tonight.”

  “Thom…” she wanted to say how much she appreciated his coming to her aid. How she felt she could trust him and how this was such a foreign feeling to her, but the only thing that came out was a quiet, “Thank you.”

  He inclined his head slightly as he backed out of the door.

  She fell heavily back onto the pillows. Why couldn’t she just say it? She was uncomfortable with these feelings. She had never been close with anyone except a handful of people in her lifetime. The only two that even came close were Garrin and her uncle. But Garrin was the big brother she never had and her uncle lived in the elven lands so she hadn’t had much contact with him except through the mind-link they shared.

  They were the only people in this world she felt she could trust. But now, this mage had saved her life. He was confident with her skills and her abilities. He held her secret and was the only person who could let her in on her true heritage. She felt a deep trust for Thom and that was startling to her since she had only just met him. There seemed to be a bond between them that had formed wit
h the magic that was part of them both.

  She sighed, trying to push all the worrisome issues out of her mind. She was good at avoiding things that made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t overly tired so she focused on trying to contact Oboderen. Since she was small, they had a link that allowed them to communicate silently. The further the distance, however, the less it seemed to cooperate. If he was on the road out of Orphana, it should be easier. The closer he was to the elves, the less chance of success. All elves could communicate this way but it was harder for Mey, probably because she was a half-blood. The only one she had ever had any success communicating with was her uncle.

  She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. She chanted his name under her breath, “Oboderen.” The name was easier for her now. When she was a child and her father had taken her into the elf land to meet her relations there, she had stumbled over the name, Oboderen Moondance. He had laughed heartily at her attempt and accepted the nickname that had come out of her try. “Bob” was her favorite elven relative. He was always cheerful and ready to help when he could. He was genuine in his feelings for her. The others seemed only to tolerate her because of her father. There always seemed a hidden disdain just below the surface. She knew that because she was half-blood she would never fully be accepted. Bob was different.

  When she had been able to contact him about this journey, it surprised them both. Their link was tentative and she had limited time to convey everything to him. She wasn’t able to tell him about the dragon heritage the mage believed was hers. Or the exact nature of the journey. She had only told him that she needed him and that the journey was necessary. He agreed without hesitation and conveyed to her a meeting point and how long it would take him to reach it. That was all they had discussed. She was anxious to see him and talk to him about her father. She was sure he could yield some clues as to where to start looking for him.

  A cold sensation seemed to blanket her and she recognized Bob’s mind when it touched hers. I will reach Andari Point tomorrow night, the thought came to her.

  A minor setback here. We will reach the Point in three days. Three of us. Myself, the mage and a dwarf. She was almost giddy with excitement to see him again after so many years. Safe journey, Uncle. I will see you soon.

  Safe journey. I look forward to it. He broke the link. It was a strain on them both and if he was traveling alone, he needed all his attention to keep himself safe.

  Mey lay back on her bed and sighed. She closed her eyes and wanted nothing more than for sleep to overtake her. As she drifted off, an image formed behind her eyes. Two figures shimmered there, hazy but recognizable. Garrin was there: as he was there every night she closed her eyes. But this time, another figure was beside him. The figured floated closer and she recognized him. Thom was there, beside Garrin to guide her sleep and keep her protected. As she drifted off into the darkness, a small, contented smile lingered on her lips.

  **********

  Thom stared at the window without seeing what was on the other side. He concentrated more on the silent words running through his mind. The spell that would bring the Mage’s Circle to him. The room changed around him, melting into a different scene. The rough wooden walls fell away to reveal polished stone. The floor transformed to the smooth, faceted rock that ran throughout the massive buildings that housed the mages of Cantor.

  One by one, people appeared all around with Thom sitting cross-legged in the middle. He knew his eyes were closed but he saw this scene with the clarity of a waking dream. The eldest, with stark white hair and few teeth left to him, spoke. “You have another report so soon?”

  “Yes. Shadow Guard are already converging to dissuade our journey. Someone knows our intent and is actively working to sway us.”

  Another spoke, her high-pitched voice ringing in Thom’s mind like tinkling bells. “We have had word that some factions of priests are not happy with our ideas to bring the Idylic together so that the path is open once more to our world. They are afraid the dragons will bring all manner of dark beings with them to punish us for our follies.”

  “They would be right to do so if they chose,” a deeper, more distinctly male voice echoed. “Who were we to decide the fate of an entire race?”

  Thom spoke again. “But would the priests call Shadow Guard? These creatures are of darkness and ill magic.”

  “Not the priests,” the old man told him. “Someone the priests have turned to. Someone they trust to help them in their cause. But for Shadow Guard to be involved, it must be a rogue mage. Divine magic cannot call forth the shadows. We will work on pinpointing this mage.”

  “Fine. I will concentrate all my efforts on getting Mey safely across the Barren Lands. We meet her uncle at Andari Point in three days, which adds another to our small band. We will keep her safe.”

  Maybe the old mage noted something in his voice, but his tone turned sterner. “Thom, you are charged to her safe-keeping and that is your only task.”

  “Of course.” Thom hoped that the magical connection did not reveal the fluttering of his heart as he said this. The truth was he was already beginning to see her as more than just a ‘task.’

  “She is dragon-kin. She must be the one to call them back, Thom.” There was sadness in the old man’s eyes that Thom couldn’t ignore.

  Again Thom acquiesced and made a hasty excuse to retreat from the spell and the scrutinizing minds of the other mages. As the room came into focus, he breathed more deeply and steadily. His eyes came back to focus on the window in front of him. The large crystal gemstone that was laid in front of him glowed faintly then flickered out. He hastily wrapped it in the worn leather cloth and put it away in one of the many pouches around his belt.

  He rose and walked toward the window. The words, ‘she is only a task’ sounded again and again through his thoughts. He sighed deeply. She wasn’t only a task. She had ceased to be that since the day he laid eyes on her. The spark within her eyes drew him in deeper each time he saw it.

  Dragons were known to pull a person in as their protector and hold them helplessly spell-bound. But how could she be doing this? She didn’t know anything about her heritage or about dragons! Could her dragon blood be doing this all without her knowledge? She certainly seemed to be displaying other traits known to exist in the dragon line. She had called to him; summoned him when she needed help.

  Was this just a mechanism to call a protector or did they have a deeper connection? She did have elven blood running through her veins, after all. She was not purely selfish, as the mages had learned most all dragons were. They had existed only to balance the nature of the world. Everything had rested on their shoulders and from that, over the years, they had grown smug and detached.

  Thom searched the night sky for nothing in particular. The stars comforted him. Most of his studies in magic centered around the stars and the magic held within the vastness of the sky above them. He turned to this familiar vision now when he felt vulnerable and even a bit afraid. He was only supposed to have found the girl that was the last of the dragon line here on Cantor, help her to retrieve the Heartstone of the Idylic, and then lead her to the place where the statue stood so that it could be rejoined and she could call forth the dragons to return to this world.

  It was clearly much more. He couldn’t deny that he found Mey very beautiful; he didn’t think anyone could deny that fact. Beyond the beauty, however, she was clever, shrewd, fiercely independent, and one of a kind. He found those qualities attractive as well. He would have to push all of this to the back of his mind and keep his task the first priority. If he did not safely deliver her along with the Heartstone, the entire world could cease to exist. That was far more important than his desire for a woman.

  He turned away from the window and prepared for sleep. Tomorrow they would start the first leg of their long journey. He needed to be ready. The Shadow Guard were only the first of many trials they would undoubtedly face. He thought of who the priests might have turned to when they learned of wha
t the mages had planned to do. Only a handful of names came to mind. Not many mages practiced the dark side of magic. And fewer still could actually put it into play. One of those names had a very close tie to their quest and he felt uneasiness grip his heart, making it flutter.

  As he drifted to sleep, his mind brought up an image of Mey. Beside her, he saw another image come into focus. He could only hope this one was not following them on their journey. He couldn’t bear to think of the devastation that he might present if Thom was right.

  FIVE

  As dawn broke through the lingering haze of night, Mey was prepared to leave the city and begin the trek east. The prospect of seeing her uncle had her excited to leave this gods-forsaken city made her feel like she was flying. As she walked down the street, avoiding the filth that collected in the gutters and ran toward a central point of the town, her hand moved to lightly touch the new dagger at her waist.

  She wasn’t sorry to see all of this go. This town had been her home for many years; its attraction had been the severe underemployment of sheriffs or enforcement of law. She and Garrin met here and had had to lie low for a while soon after. She was clumsy and had botched a very important job for some very powerful people. Garrin had stepped in to protect her. A small sigh escaped her. There were no more tears, only wistful memories. Frustration played into her mood as well. Everyone seemed to be saving her. Everyone she had come into contact with – her father, Garrin, and now Thom – had played the role of protector in her life. That didn’t sit comfortably with Mey. In fact, it infuriated her. Trying harder to take care of herself would have to be a priority. And proving that she didn’t need to rely on anyone else to survive was a must.

  She approached the small, dilapidated building that was calling itself a stable. The snoring tipped her off that the dwarf was here before she even saw him. Mey rolled her eyes as she rounded the corner and saw Durlag sprawled over his gear, his flask gripped tightly to his chest. He must have slept there all night. She gently poked a toe in his ribs. He snorted once, rumbled something unintelligible and rolled himself over. Mey was about to suggest leaving him where he lay, when he sat bolt upright and turned wide eyes toward her.