On Blackened Wings Read online

  He strengthened the barrier around the chariot and crashed through the upper branches. Limbs and needles showered the ground, but the hidden sorcerer still didn’t make a move.

  They settled in a level spot and Damien tried to hone in on the faint soul force.

  “To our left.” Jen had her sword drawn. “Whoever’s there’s heart is racing and their breathing is ragged.”

  Now that he had a direction to focus on, Damien quickly located the hidden sorcerer behind a fallen spruce.

  “You two stay in the chariot,” Damien said. “Nathanial, go right, I’ll go left. We want him alive.”

  Uncle Andy said, “I’m perfectly capable—”

  “I know.” Damien didn’t want to get into an argument with the king, but he had a responsibility to keep him safe. “Humor me, please. I don’t want to have to tell Karrie something happened to you because I was careless.”

  Uncle Andy’s face went slack. “Very well, but be careful.”

  Damien grinned and drew Lizzy. “I’m always careful.”

  Nathanial eased one way and Damien the other. Slowly they closed in around the unmoving sorcerer.

  There was no way whoever it was didn’t know they were there. The sorcerer should have made a run for it or surrendered by now.

  Damien lunged around the tree and pointed Lizzy. Lying on the ground, his red robe soaked with blood, was a member of the Crimson Legion. Damien didn’t recognize him, so he probably just got selected for the position.

  “Seth!” Nathanial hurried over and knelt beside the injured man. “What happened?”

  Seth groaned and shifted. Damien caught a glimpse of a deep wound in his abdomen. Someone had tried to gut the guy.

  “Best heal him then he can tell the king at the same time as us,” Damien said.

  “Of course.” Nathanial’s hands began to glow and he sent a weak beam of soul force into Seth. “We’ll have you up and better before you know it.”

  Damien moved back a few paces and whispered, “Lizzy, can you scan his thoughts?”

  He can’t focus enough to try and stop me if he wanted to.

  “Just be gentle. The poor guy’s been through a rough time.”

  While Lizzy did her work, Damien focused on Nathanial’s healing technique. The energy flow was right, but the wound didn’t seem to be closing.

  He frowned. If anything it was getting wider.

  “Stop!” Damien shouted.

  A burst of soul force destroyed Seth’s heart.

  “This would’ve been a lot easier if you hadn’t noticed what I was doing.” Nathanial hurled a blast of soul force at Damien.

  The attack wasn’t powerful, but it was blindingly bright. When his vision cleared Nathanial was gone.

  Jen!

  Damien rushed back toward the chariot, smashing aside trees and limbs in his haste. When he arrived, the chariot looked exactly as he left it and of Nathanial there was no sign.

  He scanned the sky and sensed a faint soul force headed toward the capital. That had to be Nathanial, but why would he head that way knowing Damien and the others would be right on his tail?

  “Damien?” Jen and Uncle Andy were both giving him worried looks.

  He blew out a sigh and sheathed Lizzy. “We’ve got a new problem. Nathanial just killed a wounded legionnaire and fled. I’m pretty sure he had his eye on Uncle Andy, that’s why I didn’t let him on the chariot.”

  “Why would Lidia’s second-in-command kill one of his subordinates or want to kill me?” Uncle Andy asked.

  “He didn’t say before he took off. If I hadn’t noticed him disguising his murder as healing he might have caught us off guard.”

  I believe I can answer your question. I gleaned a great deal of information from Seth’s mind before his death.

  “Go ahead, Lizzy, I’ll pass it along to the others.” Damien’s eyes narrowed in concentration. “According to the memories Lizzy dug out, there’s been a coup in the capital. Nobles, sorcerers, warlords, and even regular soldiers, all members of the Cult of the Binder, rose up and seized control of the castle before fanning out into the city. It took only hours and they killed anyone that resisted. Seth escaped but only just.”

  “What about Karrie and Audra?” Uncle Andy demanded.

  Seth knew nothing about either of them.

  Damien shook his head. “No idea, but I think we can assume they’re safe. The queen and princess are too valuable as hostages.”

  “Yes, you’re right of course.” Uncle Andy tapped his chin, his anger already under iron control.

  “Anybody else think we’d better get out of here before Nathanial gets back with friends?” Jen asked.

  Damien hopped onto the chariot and took to the air. “Where to?”

  “Back to the battlefield,” Uncle Andy said. “We need to warn Lidia. Heaven only knows how many Binder cultists might be lurking in the gathered armies.”

  Chapter Six

  Lidia stared down at the old quarry. The silence of the mountains jarred her senses after the constant chatter of the army camp. She closed her eyes and soaked in the quiet as though she could carry it with her.

  Sunlight glinted off flecks of quartz embedded in the stone. The mine hadn’t been used for decades. The scarred stone walls gave silent testimony to how much granite had been cut from the mountain. The central pit had to be a hundred yards deep, perfect for disposing of thousands of bodies. It would be a simple matter to blast out the sheer cliffs, burying the corpses under tons of stone.

  Yes, this would suit their need perfectly. With sorcerers flying around the clock it shouldn’t take more than a week to get the plains cleaned up. Damien was right, she shuddered to think what a warlock could do with that much raw material. The sooner they finished this chore the better.

  She glanced north across the foothills toward the capital. Damien should have the king nearly home by now. That was another thing that couldn’t be done soon enough for her. Having Andrew exposed for so long wasn’t prudent on any level. She didn’t even want to think about the chaos of losing the king with no ready successor. Karrie was a good girl, and smart enough to learn what she needed to, but with the threat of the Binder lurking over them this was no time for lessons.

  Her shoulder popped when she yawned. Lidia desperately needed to rest. Maybe once she finished this final task she could take a day and recover.

  A cynical smile twisted her lips. And maybe pigs would fly. A solid night’s sleep and some healing from one of her legionnaires would have to do.

  Speaking of which, five sorcerers were headed her way. Couldn’t they leave her alone long enough to finish planning? They were worse than toddlers without a babysitter. Ten minutes alone and they started crying for mommy. She was used to it, but that didn’t make their arrival any less annoying.

  Lidia turned and found sorcerers from all three armies approaching. No one she recognized, but that wasn’t unusual. She didn’t deal directly with the armies very often.

  She forced herself to use an even tone of voice. “Do you need something?”

  The sorcerers floated to a stop and an attractive woman in her early thirties asked, “Is this the place?”

  Lidia nodded. “It’ll make a perfect tomb.”

  “I agree,” the sorcerer said.

  An instant later all five lashed out, blasting her with beams of focused soul force.

  Only her habit of always maintaining a strong personal shield saved her from instant death.

  One beam broke through and gouged a groove in her side.

  “Ahh!” She dropped straight down, caught herself, and powered into the mountains.

  Beams lanced down. Most missed, shattering rock to her left and right.

  Gravel bounced off her strengthened shield along with the more accurate blasts.

  Lidia couldn’t fight back.

  Not five against one. Much as it galled, she had to run.

  She wove through narrow canyons, constantly scanning for a place to h
ide. It wouldn’t be easy. With five sets of eyes on her, Lidia saw no way to buy the time she needed.

  A solid strike knocked her into a canyon wall.

  Her core was draining fast. A couple more hits like that…

  Best not to get hit again.

  Lidia righted herself and raced on. She rounded a sharp curve. Dead ahead lay a deep pool of water.

  Perfect.

  She drew power and sent a wide, hot blast into the water.

  Steam burst into the air. Lidia dove into it and landed beside a heap of broken rock.

  Blasts rained down all around her.

  “Don’t let her escape!” the female sorcerer shouted.

  Heaven’s mercy! Lidia didn’t want to do what she had to. Gritting her teeth, she let her personal shield vanish and pulled all her power inside, careful to allow none to leak out.

  The steam was dissipating fast.

  She took a deep breath and slid into the water.

  Lidia dove to the bottom.

  The steam cleared, allowing her to see the five sorcerers. They hovered ten feet above the ground.

  One of them blasted the heap of broken rock. Chunks splashed into the pool and sank by her.

  Thirty seconds passed as they searched all around.

  A minute passed and her lungs started to burn.

  Come on, move!

  Lidia pinched her nose shut and clamped her jaw tight.

  A minute fifteen seconds.

  Two of them were arguing, waving their hands around.

  Lungs screaming, Lidia let a little air out, relieving some of the pressure.

  Move, damn you all!

  A minute thirty seconds.

  Drown or get blasted, which was worse?

  Her legs bunched to kick off the bottom. She’d take as many of the traitors with her as she could.

  The sorcerers shot off in five different directions.

  Somehow Lidia forced herself to stay under for another ten seconds. When black spots appeared in her vision she kicked off the bottom and burst out of the water gasping for air.

  Coughing and sputtering, she dragged herself to the edge out onto the rock. Where could she hide?

  She looked around and spotted a cave thirty yards up the side of the canyon. It wasn’t much, but it beat lying here waiting to be found.

  Forcing herself to rise, Lidia hobbled to the canyon wall. All her muscles burned as she crawled up a narrow path to the opening. Foot by painful foot she climbed.

  With her power fully drawn in, she couldn’t sense her hunters. They could’ve been ten yards away or a mile away for all she knew.

  Nothing to be done about it now. At last she dragged herself into the dark opening. The cave felt cool and damp —or was that just her?— but she smelled nothing that suggested a den. If a bear waited inside she was doomed. If it didn’t tear her apart, the sorcerers would.

  She pulled herself to a sitting position and leaned against the rough stone wall. Shivers wracked her body, but Lidia didn’t dare conjure heat. Instead she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

  It didn’t help much. Her eyelids felt like they weighed ten pounds each. Maybe a quick nap…

  Her head snapped up. She must have dozed off, but what woke her?

  Something crunched outside the cave.

  She groped around in the dark and came up with a fist-sized rock. Pathetic against a sorcerer, but if it was an animal she might scare it away.

  “Archmage?”

  Lidia nearly wept with relief. “Imogen, in here, quick. Hide your soul force.”

  Imogen ducked into the cave. She was little more than a silhouette in the dark. “It’s okay, the others are gone. They gave up about ten minutes ago. Let’s get you warmed up.”

  Lidia was so exhausted she hadn’t even noticed her teeth chattering. Imogen conjured a sphere that gave the most delicious heat. She held out her hands and rubbed them together.

  “Why were they after you?”

  Lidia shook her head. That’s what she wanted to know. “I was looking for a good place to bury the dead when they showed up and attacked out of nowhere. They took me completely by surprise. I felt like a rookie straight out of the Tower.”

  “Why would you be suspicious of your own sorcerers?”

  Hard to argue with that. “Good point. What are you doing here?”

  “I was on my way back from patrol when I sensed the battle. Damien taught me how to build a far-seer construct. Through it I saw those five hunting you. I wasn’t sure even the two of us would have been enough to beat them so I watched and waited for them to leave. As soon as they gave up I hurried over. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Lidia pulled her shredded robe out of the way. She had a nasty wound in her side. Now that she had thawed out a little, the wound throbbed in time to her pulse.

  “I’m afraid ‘okay’ might be an exaggeration. Can you do something about this?”

  Imogen winced and held out her hands. “This might sting. Healing isn’t my strong suit. Here we go.”

  Energy struck her side, and Lidia choked down a moan. When Imogen said healing wasn’t her strong suit she wasn’t joking. Nevertheless, the wound pulled slowly together. Gradually the pain lessened until only a dull ache remained.

  Lidia sighed. “That’s much better, thank you. Do you have anything to eat?”

  “No, I was planning to get something back at camp. Do you want me to grab something and bring it back?”

  “No, those five came from there. If they’ve betrayed the kingdom, who knows how many others joined them. Until I know who I can trust, we need to keep our distance.”

  “I know one person we can trust,” Imogen said.

  Lidia finally smiled. “Yeah. Find him and bring him here. Damien was headed for the capital with Jennifer and the king. Hurry now. I’ll be here or at least nearby when you return.”

  “Yes, Archmage.”

  Imogen flew out of the cave and was soon gone. Lidia took control of her heat orb and fed more power into it. She needed to dry out before she froze to death.

  Chapter Seven

  With the squalid little farming village far behind him, Binder approached an almost equally squalid town. A muddy dirt track ran through the center of a collection of wooden buildings little bigger than the village huts. The stink of unwashed bodies and waste filled the air. A bridge barely wide enough to accommodate a single wagon spanned a turgid, brown river that gave off eye-watering fumes. He couldn’t even guess what had polluted it to such a degree.

  Binder opened his mind but sensed none of his followers in the town. Even in such a small community he expected to find at least one. Not so long ago a shrine dedicated to his teachings would have warranted a prime place in every town and city. Yet another sign of how far the empire had fallen, as if he needed another one.

  His thoughts quested further afield. The largest collection of his worshipers lay far to the east. Too far for direct contact. Instead he sent a general command to prepare for his arrival. If they were true and loyal they would do what was necessary and he would reward them for it. If not, well, he would judge that as well.

  As he started to take a step across the bridge, a message from one of his followers across the ocean reached him. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

  So, the dragons had come up with a plan to banish him from this realm and the archangels approved. They approved of altering his very essence, changing him from what he was to some weak, soft version of himself.

  The ground trembled at his fury. How dare they even consider such a course? He was the Binder. His essence had been built over eternity. They wanted to change it because they found his plans inconvenient?

  And the archangel dared call him arrogant. He would show them. He would show them all. Their miserable plan would fail. He would gather his followers and obliterate their expedition. That should demonstrate his power for all to see.

  “Hey! You’re blocking the road.”
r />   Binder spun in rage, ready to smite whoever dared pester him. He found himself face to face with a peddler carrying a heavily laden pack. Short and bald, the human had to be nearer fifty than forty. Hard living had left his skin leathery and wrinkled.

  “There’s no other bridge for miles,” the peddler said. “Could you either cross or step aside?”

  Binder forced himself to calm down. He was changing the world to help people like this peddler. A hardworking man trying to live his life.

  “A stray thought distracted me.” Binder moved a few paces to his right. “Go ahead.”

  “Thank you. I wanted to get set up in the market before the workers come home for the night. If I’m not there, ready and waiting, my customers will get their Arden from someone else.”

  “Arden?” To his surprise, Binder hadn’t heard the word before.

  “You’ve never tried it?” The peddler’s eyes widened and he dug around his pack before finally pulling out a small cloth packet. “Here, free sample. Just let it steep for five minutes in hot water or wine. When you drink, all your pain and worries will be washed away. How else can people survive in this world?”

  Binder’s lip curled in distaste. “Do you use this?”

  “Oh, heavens no. I’m happy with my life.” He glanced up at the slowly setting sun. “Enjoy your sample.”

  Binder watched the peddler until he disappeared into the village. These people needed drugs to get through the day? What could be so horrible that they couldn’t face it with pride?

  Much as he needed to reach his followers and prepare for the paladins’ arrival, Binder also needed to understand what had broken these people. If he failed to figure that out, he would have no hope of fixing things.

  Drawing on his divine power, he wrapped himself in invisibility and took to the sky. On the opposite side of the river a line of people appeared in the distance. They trudged down a narrow, rutted road, their heads hanging low, their feet barely shuffling along.

  Binder had seen slave trains with more life in them. If anyone had ever needed a drug fix, these people clearly did. But where had they come from?