Shattered Stone (The Stone Mage Series Book 2) Read online

  Shattered Stone

  Amelia Sides

  Contents

  I. Arden

  1. Escaping the Capital

  2. First Test

  3. Masks & Manners

  4. Investigating the Border

  5. Fort Brume

  6. Captain Marshall

  7. Tracking

  8. Exile

  II. Orlean

  9. Arriving in Orlean

  10. The Palace

  11. Meeting with Count Malouel and a Ball

  12. Magic & Illusions

  13. The Hunt and a delicate matter

  14. Lady Bonheur's Party

  15. Shopping

  16. Warding the Palace

  17. Discussions

  18. Traveling to the Summer Palace

  19. Alexandria

  20. The Summer Palace

  21. Princess

  22. John

  23. Gaining Momentum

  24. Working with William

  25. A Party

  26. Relatives

  27. Lessons in Magic

  28. WIlliam Goes Home

  29. Visiting Toussaint Estate

  30. Visiting the Dead

  31. William's Father

  32. Heritage

  33. The Greenhouse

  34. Lessons in Spycraft

  35. Prince's Birthday

  36. Traveling

  37. Rescue

  38. Conversations

  39. Epilogue

  Part I

  Arden

  Escaping the Capital

  Beryl sat thinking, curled in her cloak, waiting for her promised rescue to appear. Argent pressed against her side, his bulk a wall of heat against the chill of the cell. Rune curled in her arms, a faint purr vibrating the small grey tabby's body as he projected strength and love along their bond.

  She sat trying to concentrate on the feel of the animals' fur and not the press of the surrounding darkness, the chill clammy stone of her prison cell. She didn't dare try to cast a light rune; so far the guards had ignored the fact that they were guarding a mage, but they could bind her magic with rune infused cuffs. She couldn't even risk trying to pick the locks and get out on her own. She owed Darius too much to run.

  No one had bothered her since the late night meeting with her now former Master, Darius. She hadn't been surprised to learn that he was the leader of the King's spy network or that he'd asked her to join it as a ghost. If it meant that she and her bond mates would survive, she would do whatever he asked of her. Argent lay across the small pack he'd left her, hiding it from view in case the guards checked the cell. Beryl stroked the massive hunting hound's wiry grey and black coat with one hand, trying to get him to relax into sleep; they would need all the strength they had for the coming days.

  The entire castle had to know the tale of her supposed treachery by now. While she sat in a cell, the true attacker, Delorean, was out plotting his next move. The healers had dealt with the burns that covered her chest, arms, and hands, leaving her with tender but mostly healed skin, but she still was head to toe bruises and magical exhaustion. Her bond mates were uninjured beyond the stress and exhaustion they all shared, but they all needed the time to recover from the medical backlash.

  When the spell overloaded, exploding the wall of the ballroom, she redirected the blast outward, into the garden, instead of inward toward the crowded room of dignitaries there for the presentation of the child prince, James. Argent herded everyone but the guards, chasing him away from the wall before it exploded. Thankfully, so few people were injured beyond a few cuts and bruises. Beryl had staggered from the wall, collapsing in exhaustion only to wake up in a cell.

  "Sleep, " She told her bond mates, "I'll keep watch, " A general swell of agreement filled the bond for a moment before it settled back into the gentle hum at the back of her mind. Reaching out, she mentally touched each animal, checking on them before she settled back against the wall behind her, waiting.

  Kuro, her third bond mate, was roosting in a tree close to the castle, already asleep and waiting on the dawn. The Shiro, a sea hawk, had been a steady presence of rage at the back of Beryl's mind since she woke from the blast. The bird had tried to keep track of the Man who hurt her bonded but hadn't seen him since the attack on the castle. If he was hiding in the castle or town, she could not see him.

  Beryl tried to sooth the bird to little effect; it didn't matter in the end. Delorean hadn't been seen during the attack, and he wasn't thought to be a mage. Only someone with magic could have caused the explosion, making her the prime suspect. Servants had seen her and her bond mates bolting through the halls toward the garden where the disaster happened, pointing every finger her way.

  This was twice now that he had escaped capture after harming her, once when she was a child and now again as an adult. Until the curse he placed on her was broken, she couldn't even name her attacker and no one would believe her since he was not a mage. There was nothing she could do about it beyond try to prevent him from further harming those around her. She would have to be more vigilant.

  The last two years with Darius had been amazing. She'd learned magic she'd only dreamed about, lived in the palace as an apprentice, and now she'd lost everything. She'd escaped from her uncle, started making a life for herself, and now everything was in ashes all over again.

  A cloaked figure eased the cell door open on greased hinges a few hours before dawn, gesturing for her to follow. Grabbing her pack she scooped Rune up onto her shoulder heading out the cell door with Argent padding silently behind. The figure guided them through dark, silent halls and servant corridors using the light from a small mage light orb mostly shielded by a piece of leather.

  Disoriented from the dark hallways and rush, Beryl almost fell when her guide made a sudden stop in front of a heavy wooden door. Pulling the door open just enough to slide through, the guide exited, gesturing her through a moment later. Two sturdy brown horses waited tied to a bush in a small wood about a mile from the gate, it was obvious that Flox wasn't one of them. A part of her heart hurt for having to leave her horse, but the entire town knew what he looked like after them going on so many message runs for the castle.

  She took the reins handed to her and mounted, barely making sure Rune was secured in a pouch on the saddle before they were off at a trot. It forced Kuro to wait and fly once the sun rose, catching up with them as she could. They rode without pause, cantering on the better stretches of the back roads they traveled on.

  They rode all day, only stopping to water the horses or walk for brief stretches to keep the horses from foundering or overheating. Her guide did not speak beyond terse commands, and Beryl did not bother to ask questions. She spent the small negligible amount of time they stopped every hour caring for Argent. Large dogs were not built to travel long distances, and she was hard pressed to keep him from overheating or falling behind. She called for a halt once on the first day to bind Argent's feet in leather strips to stop them from tearing. She doubted her horse would consent to carry the large dog, but the animal continued to push himself to keep the pace their guide set without complaint.

  It was dark by the time they came to a town on the fourth day. Kuro had flown ahead and sent back images of a sea town snug atop black cliffs of dark stone and browning grass. She dashed any hope of their journey ending there as they went straight through town and to the docks. They took away the horses and showed her to a cabin. Kuro refused to come down, instead intending to follow the ship or rest in the rigging. Once Beryl and her bond mates were in the cabin, her guide set a pack next to hers and headed toward the door.

  "Lord Darius wishe
s you luck. The Captain will show you to the next leg of your journey. I don't know where you're going but I wish you luck," it was the most the man had said the entire trip. He'd been silent except for the occasional command to camp or mount when a rest break was over. He gave her a small nod of encouragement before shutting the cabin door behind him. Soon after, the cries of the sailors and rattle of tack showed that the ship was casting off.

  Three days later she stood on the rail enjoying the wind and spray batting against her face, her brown braid blown back to thump against her back. Captain Harris was a stern man when shouting orders to his crew, but smiled as he told stories of the other passengers and cargoes he had transported over the years. She was masquerading as his niece, who was traveling to visit family.

  Rune roamed the ship hunting mice and rats while Argent kept Beryl company on the deck or in the cabin. The sailors had noticed the Shiro following the ship and even riding the rigging at night or in calm weather, but took it as a wonderful omen, making the sign of Ruth whenever the sea hawk was seen. The bird herself was happy to be back at sea. She sent images of whales and schools of fish across the bond. Argent was seasick and spent most of his time hunkered as low to the deck as he could get, still trying to recover his strength from the four day march. The bond seemed to both help and hinder with his sickness as the others felt his misery and shared in his pain, but they could share a small bit of their strength and well-being with him.

  They were headed to Saint Bart's, a medium-sized harbor town that did a brisk trade in wood and cloth. From there she was headed to an inn to spend the night. The contact would know her and would reveal themselves when and where it was safe.

  If they didn't contact her by nightfall of the second day, she was to leave and find somewhere isolated and safe to stay before contacting Darius by message stone. The pack left by her guide contained more trail food and basic clothes that she could use if she had to travel alone. A small purse had been in the pack Darius had supplied. It should be enough to get a few days' food and lodging if she needed it.

  She spent most of her time on the ship warding the cabins and masts of the ship along with making several message stones for Captain Harris that would send slips of paper attached to the stones back to Darius' receiving circle in the Capitol. The crew was wary of her, both for being the Captain's niece and for being a mage, however they warmed up to her when she warded things for them. Most of the crew now had jackets with runes against stains and waterproofing runes stitched into the lining to keep them warm and dry out at sea.

  She'd just have to wait and see what the rest of her trip sent her. She was too indebted to Darius to abandon his cause now. Beryl spent the afternoon combining the contents of her two packs into one and readying the two dresses the Captain had given her for tomorrow. She would need to look like a respectable lady going to visit her family and not a mage with three bond mates and a price on her head.

  The spy network that Darius controlled seemed to be massive. Captain Harris showed her the small rune for listening that was tattooed on his wrist, hidden by a leather cuff he wore. All the Listeners had them. It had become a thing of fashion for the middle class and some upper to get tattoos of runes for luck or a skill they wanted. While a rune for listening was strange to many, when most wanted runes for wealth or good fortune, it would be overlooked and hidden from those who didn't know the true meaning. If she passed her training, she would receive a small rune of her own, except as a mage they could imbue hers with magic and act as an enhancer to her powers of hearing and memory.

  At dinner that night, Captain Harris spent most of the meal in silence, occasionally giving her advice on how to deal with unfamiliar people in town or who she could ask for help that owed him or the Listeners a favor if she ran into trouble. She was already nervous about heading out on her own with no actual destination. She knew if the contact did not come tomorrow, she would have to find somewhere isolated to hide out until she could contact Darius. She would stick to the coast and find an isolated cabin that was not being used. She had promised Kuro that they would live by the sea after all, and there was no reason not to start now.

  The next morning she dressed in the full-length gown of pale blue that Captain Harris had provided. It was last year's fashion and large but still something a down on their luck middle to upper class merchant family might wear. The gown was high-necked and long-sleeved, covering her scars and mage jewelry. Wearing her grey cloak and gloves, she looked the part of a demure merchant's daughter. They hid Rune under the flap of her pack. The Captain also gifted her with an old but serviceable carpet bag into which she had moved her knives and a few other things to make the pack lighter and give Rune more room.

  "I've arranged a cart to take you to the inn once we dock." Captain Harris said accepting the cup of tea she poured for him with a murmur of thanks. "You should be safe enough at Last Hope Harbor until your message arrives."

  "Thank you, Captain." Beryl said with a sigh, giving Rune a piece of the tea cookie she'd been crumbling.

  "I'm not saying it will be easy, Miss, you're wanted by the crown and that makes just being in public a hazard. Thankfully, while the population has heard of the attack on the capital by a rogue mage, I doubt they knew many details or what you look like."

  "I'll stay out of sight when I can." Beryl said with a sigh, "I'm used to blending in from traveling with my Uncle, it shouldn't be too different from hiding from people hoping to catch a young girl or mage to beat up."

  "Sadly, you're right." He sighed, setting his cup down with a frown, "The innkeeper at Last Hope is Rosaria, a smart woman who knows how to keep silent about her guests. She'll make sure you're not harassed in the inn, but outside you're on your own."

  "I'll be careful." She promised not sure how she should feel with the fatherly concern from the Captain, she hadn't had someone who wanted to keep her safe since she was a small child.

  The next day they docked and were shown to a small but clean room at the back of the second floor. Rosaria was a boisterous woman who cackled with laughter at her own jokes, especially the ones about using Argent to keep the men away. The Captain came by to make sure she was settled before heading on his way. The ship headed out that afternoon on the evening tide. She would meet up with her guide sometime the next day.

  She did not want to risk being outed as a mage, so she kept mostly to the inn. She bought a supply of dried beef from the cook that she and her bond mates could all eat by saying it was a treat for Argent. It should last them almost a week if they were sparing with it.

  The next day it was almost dinner before she met her contact. She was sitting at a table near the wall eating a bowl of soup while slipping Argent scraps of bread when a woman walked up to their table.

  "Do you mind if I sit?" she asked. She was wearing a plain yellow dress that would have fit on any middle-class lady or merchant's wife in town. Brown hair and brown eyes added to the ordinariness that coated the woman.

  "No, please have a seat." The woman slid a folded sheet of paper across the table, flashing the rune for listening sat on the underside of her wrist. "Don't open it here. You must make the next leg of your journey alone, I'm afraid. Consider this your first test. You'll often work alone and without guidance. Once you reach your destination, you'll receive more directions." With a wry grin, she stood. "Ruth's blessing and Bain's forgetfulness,” She said, leaving the table and heading out the door.

  Beryl finished her soup, paid and went to her room to pack. She would leave at first light. Once in her room she went over the papers, a map, and instructions with Rune and Argent looking over her shoulder. Kuro was still at the shipyards. Once they left, she would fly out and meet them. The map was a crude drawing of roads and landmarks with handwritten instructions of when to turn and which town she was heading for.

  The ultimate stop was at a place called Crone's Bluff, a compact town farther down the coast. From there they directed her to a lonely road that seemed to go nowhere
, coming to a stop in the middle of a stand of trees and hills. It relieved her she'd gotten Richard to teach their entire group basic map reading.

  The realization that Richard and Salendra and all her other friends at the castle thought she was either still in the dungeon or escaped and run away made her chest ache. If they thought she'd run away, then they thought she'd tried to hurt the castle, because why would she run if she were innocent?

  It was too much to think of. That part of her life was over now. She was no longer Master Darius's Apprentice and friend of Richard and Salendra. Now she was a rogue mage and a spy in training for the crown. She couldn't let herself be swayed into a stupid action by homesickness. If she died, her bond mates would die. If someone injured them, she would feel the pain like it was her own. They had to take care of each other. She couldn't make rash decisions when all their lives might hang on the balance of her judgment.

  Showing them the map from the packet, she drew the route out in her mind. Animals no matter how magical did not always understand the need for things like maps or books. It would be a group decision. She could take the route marked and stick to the roads or they could go through the backcountry and side roads which might take longer and be a rougher hike. One would be easier on all their feet, but the other would be safer. They all agreed they would be more comfortable off the road. They could travel together without one or more of them being forced to hide. From the look of the map, it would be several days to reach Crone's Bluff.