Asmara, who was climbing in at that moment did not ask what was so funny and took a seat next to Dorian. ‘I would prefer to walk, carriages are so cramped.’ she said.

  The group fell silent. It was unusual for Asmara to be so quiet, and it had a dampening effect on the whole group. Julietta’s painful embarrassment faded, and she elected to forget the conversation. Though perhaps next time Asmara said she was Manunian, she wouldn’t try to correct her. Eventually, in frustration, she asked Asmara the question she had asked Bo.

  ‘Why am I not in Clare? Because Clare is peaceful and quiet and boring. There’s nothing I can do there that I’m interested in and I’m good at. Besides, I know my family love me, and would be sad if I died, I’m not going to forget that if they aren’t right in front of me.’ she glanced away from Julietta out the window, her tone becoming distant. ‘It’s hard seeing them worry all the time, I do that enough on my own. And it’s different, if I die because of my shadow magic it will be because I don’t care about them or my body or this world anymore. It makes it worse.’ she looked back at Julietta. ‘You’re going to try and ask Emerré these questions, aren’t you?’

  ‘I was really just going to take notes...’

  ‘Sure. Emerré’s uncle on her mother’s side is the Duke of Belcanon, and her father is the Count of Monbier, so as interesting as it would be to see her shooting offended looks at you lot, try and be polite, she’s very dignified.’ Asmara said. ‘She’s really very nice too, if you’re nice to her, and Julietta, please try not to flirt with her husband.’

  ‘Since when do I ever flirt with married men?!’

  ‘Since when does Julietta flirt with anyone?’ Dorian added.

  ‘That’s something you’d do Asmara!’

  ‘He’s a wizard too-’ Asmara added, grinning at the reaction she’d inspired.

  ‘From Walmon? I’d heard.’ Julietta said in excitement. ‘Perhaps he would give you some tips, Dorian, since you dislike using sorcerous tools.’

  Dorian’s expression crashed down and he glared at Julietta.

  ‘Wizards do not use tools or implements, and primarily draw on their own power and not of the power of the world beyond them. It is a less powerful, more dangerous and overall more primitive form of magic, but perhaps it will suit your style more. Sorcery is a more modern form of course and far superior-’

  ‘Of course you would say that!’

  ‘Well, I would not be able to be a wizard, due to my limited reserves of power, but I assure you my assessment of that school of magic is not affected by that. Wizards are highly limited by what they are born with. Sorcerers, as they draw power from more than just themselves, can compensate for deficiencies in their natural power and as such it is a school open to far more people than the school of wizardry. Perhaps it is not surprising that there are very few schools of sorcery in Walmon and indeed few schools of wizardry outside it, as Walmon’s accomplishments are all in the past and they are unduly tied up with the old ways of doing things. You know, there are quite a lot of things I would like to ask him!’ and she began jotting down notes in her book. ‘Wizards have cast many slurs upon the school of sorcery, namely that drawing power from the world is ‘stealing’ and ‘unnatural’. Magical beasts tend to agree, and few magical beasts will willingly assist a sorcerer, though they can be forced too. There are many documented cases of them allying with wizards of their own free will. I wonder if there might be some truth though to ‘stealing’. Clearly there are far fewer spirits in the areas of Mance-Jolune outside Sontmor, usually this is simply attributed to the presence of humans, but Sontmor has known few sorcerers whereas the rest of the continent has been exposed to sorcery for centuries, so that may also be the cause. As Walmon has a long history of human civilization, but little history of sorcery, noting the number and strength of spirits in Walmon may shed some light on which theory is the most correct. Asking him will prove nothing, but it will provide background for my studies which will have to suffice until I am able to visit Walmon myself.’

  Julietta looked up from her scribbling to see her companions staring mutely at her.

  ‘That sounds great,’ Asmara nodded. ‘Fascinating. I’m sure Cadel will be... fascinated.’

  CHAPTER 15

  16 Fevror, 1353

  On the afternoon of the second day of travel they arrived at the Western Mountain Pass. The Belcanese Mountains had been visible for days. On a clear day they were visible as a blue haze from Allonce.

  Julietta leant out of the window, her eyes wide.

  ‘Julietta, don’t lean out so far!’ She heard Bo call.

  She ducked back inside. ‘The Mountain Pass!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’ve never seen it before!’ and she stuck her head back out.

  Bo couldn’t help a chuckle. ‘Perhaps we should stop then.’

  ‘It is impressive.’ Asmara said, amusement briefly crossing her face, a welcome respite from her brooding.

  Bo called out to the driver and the carriage jerked to a stop. Dorian, Asmara and Bo climbed out, Julietta getting out last as she was the last to realise the carriage had stopped.

  ‘Well?’ Dorian asked after a few moments.

  Julietta, who had been silently staring up at the sheer walls of the ravine turned to give him a questioning look. ‘Well?’

  ‘Aren’t you going to tell us about the pass?’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ she replied, flustered, her eyes once again drawn upwards. On either side of the wide, paved road rose a perfectly sheer cliff face. Beyond, the natural silhouette of the mountains were visible. The road continued in a perfectly straight line as far as they could see, rising only slowly despite the tall mountains looming over them. It looked like someone had taken a slice out of the mountains, a slice wide enough for two wagons to pass comfortably side by side, or three if you didn’t mind being cramped.

  ‘Well,’ Julietta began, ‘this pass was made by the Walmese during their initial conquest of Mance-Jolune. They created this pass through the Belcanese mountains, and another one on the eastern side, the Drosgl Pass, which is even wider. The effect these two passes had on the history of Mance-Jolune cannot be overstated. The passes allowed the movement of armies into Belcanon even in the middle of winter. You’ll notice gutters on the side, and also on the top of the pass, so the road will still be usable even during the spring snow melt. The Walmese frequently made such mountain passes in the territories they conquered, though not in their own mountains, as they didn’t want anyone else being able to get into Walmon so easily.’

  ‘It looks like a wizard just took a slice out of the mountains.’ Bo said after a moment. ‘Imagine how powerful they must have been!’

  ‘No, no, no!’ Julietta cried. ‘That isn’t how they were made at all! It is a common and completely unrealistic notion shared by many people, and it is quite incorrect! The passes were made by units of wizards working with engineers and road builders. It was a monumental undertaking, requiring much planning and many people.’

  Bo chuckled at her irritation.

  ‘Is that everything?’ Dorian asked.

  ‘Oh, no, I can tell you more if you like.’ and without waiting, Julietta said, ‘Maintenance of the passes are traditionally the responsibility of the King of Mance, not the Duke of Belcanon. Even though the passes are a great boon to trade, there has always been a concern that the Dukes of Belcanon would allow the passes to deteriorate to separate themselves from the control of Mance. Imagine trying to get an army into Belcanon in winter without the passes... the Poirive side of the Belcanese Mountains are difficult to cross, particularly with the Scheldt River Ravine. You would have to march an army into southern Mercôt. It would be easier to invade Belcanon from Sontmor than Mance!’

  Julietta lapsed into silence.

  ‘Are we ready to continue?’ Bo asked after a moment.

  Julietta looked around, a surprised look on her face as if she had been interrupted in the midst of a thought. ‘Oh, yes. Thank you for stopping.’ she said as she clambered back into the carriage. ‘I had always wanted to see the Western Mountain Pass and the Drosgl Pass. They are an incredible feat of magic and engineering.’

  ‘I can see that.’ he replied. ‘It’s a funny thought, Sontmor invading Belcanon!’

  ‘It’s much more likely to be the other way round...’ Julietta murmured, scribbling in her notebook. ‘Historically anyway, I am not very familiar with current politics.’

  ‘There’s something you’re not familiar with?’ Dorian asked, his eyes wide.

  Julietta nodded. ‘I find politics very boring. The other girls at the Collegium were always talking about what was happening in the palace. Prince Alexandre and Prince Silvain were very popular topics.’

  ‘You find politics boring.’ Dorian stated, as if he still didn’t believe it.

  ‘My interests are mainly in magic-’

  ‘Julietta, we have heard you go on about anything from history to trade to zoology and everything in between- at length! And you say you are not interested in any of it?’

  ‘I hear the princes are handsome, you don’t want to meet them?’ Bo asked.

  ‘I have a good memory, and a well-educated young lady is expected to be conversant in many subjects.’ Julietta frowned. ‘You never want to discuss magic with me, Dorian, you’re very sensitive. I don’t have any desire to meet the princes. Current politics and gossip were always a distraction from my studies at the Collegium, it was tiresome to hear the others go on about it.’

  Under his breath Dorian muttered, ‘if that’s how passionate you are about things you find tiresome, I’m not sure I want to hear you go on about magic.’

  Three days later, they arrived at the home of Emerré Albier in Belcanon. The carriage rolled up a paved drive and a grand, stone manor covered in ivy came into view.

  ‘How is it you met Emerré Albier? Who introduced you?’ Julietta asked.

  ‘I knew her already, you know, shadow magic. Look, we’re here,’ Asmara said and threw open the carriage door as it rolled to a stop in front of the house.

  ‘Surely you did not just show up?’ Julietta insisted as she, Dorian and Bo got out more sedately.

  After leaving Allonce, Asmara was less withdrawn. Instead she had been possessed by a restless energy the entire trip and any attention she had paid her companions had been only passing, her mind clearly elsewhere.

  ‘Sure, why would I need an introduction?’ she called back over her shoulder, ‘we already knew each other.’

  Asmara strolled up to the entry and rapped sharply on the door. It was opened immediately by a servant. Upon seeing Asmara, the man exclaimed, ‘I will inform the Lady of your arrival, Miss Sinan. I will escort you to the sitting room.’

  Asmara momentarily cringed at being called ‘Miss Sinan’. They were escorted upstairs to the second floor and led to an elegantly decorated sitting room with a view of the gardens below.

  Julietta took a seat in a chair opposite the window and looked around curiously while Asmara went to the windows and then went to stare disinterestedly at the paintings and ornaments arranged about the room. Bo and Dorian chose a couch to the left of Julietta’s chair and made quiet conversation.

  They did not have to wait long before the door opened. Julietta turned to look over her shoulder and saw a handsome man, perhaps Dorian’s age, enter. His gaze raked the room and he favoured the group with a warm smile, and Julietta could not help smiling back.

  ‘Asmara, we didn’t know you were coming. Why don’t you ever write first?’ His eyes twinkled when he smiled, and he seemed to include the entire room in his greeting. ‘Emerré will be with us shortly, in the mean time I hope I can keep you entertained.’

  Julietta had the sudden urge to reassure him that there would be no doubt of that.

  ‘Write? And give you a chance to arrange a vacation to your summer house?’ Asmara shot back but she seemed to have calmed and she smiled as she spoke.

  ‘Summer house? What house would that be? You haven’t introduced me, Asmara. I’m Cadel, Emerré’s husband.’ he said to the group. His hair was honey-brown, and the sunlight from the window highlighted all the blonde in his hair and made it shine gold.

  ‘The wizard!’ Julietta said. She thought Emerré must be a very beautiful and charming woman to have married a man such as Cadel. ‘I’m Julietta Calance.’

  ‘How nice to meet you.’ and he held out his hand which Julietta shook. Her cheeks flushed at his intense gaze, suddenly feeling like they were the only two people in the room. ‘Are you a mage also?’

  ‘A sorceress. I trained in Manus.’ and she forced herself to silence lest she bore this enchanting man.

  ‘I heard the schools there are good.’ and his warm smile was turned from her to Bo and Dorian. She couldn’t help feeling the room was suddenly colder and emptier now that he was looking away from her. Bo and Dorian were just as taken with him as she was, though he had barely been in the room for five minutes.

  ‘Where did you train?’ Julietta asked.

  ‘The Imperial Wizard’s Academy in Walm.’

  ‘The Imperial Academy? Impressive!’

  Cadel merely smiled in response and turned the conversation to something else.

  Julietta did not notice as Asmara retreated to watch in amusement as Cadel chatted with the others. Even Dorian seemed to warm to him, as Cadel was entirely friendly with him and did not seem to notice his natural reticence. As Cadel was laughing at one of Bo’s jokes, and Julietta joined in even though she had not found it that funny, Bo said, ‘I must not monopolize you, Julietta has been waiting all this time to ask you about Walmon.’

  Cadel turned to a blushing Julietta who insisted it had been nothing really. The idea of having him think her a tedious know-it-all was unbearable.

  ‘Come now, Julietta, we have been listening to your planning since Asmara told you he was from Walmon.’ Bo said.

  ‘I’m sure I could tell him all your questions now,’ Dorian replied with a hint of a smile, ‘I have heard so much about it.’

  Julietta was surprised out of her hesitance, she had thought she had been appropriately quiet about her theories after that first time! ‘I’ve been travelling in Sontmor with Dorian and the others-’ she said.

  ‘We’re the others.’ Bo whispered to Asmara, who was sitting in the other corner, watching the clustered group of four.

  ‘- and I had noticed there are many more spirits in Sontmor than the rest of Mance-Jolune. I had wondered if that was because of the presence of humans or sorcery, so I wanted to know how many spirits there were in Walmon.’

  ‘Because we have so little sorcery there? I’ve never really thought about that.’ he replied, a thoughtful look on his face and Julietta beamed, her heart racing, her cheeks flushed. ‘I did my training in Walmon and have not practiced as much since finishing, so I couldn’t really say... besides the spirits are attracted to the schools of wizardry, so I couldn’t tell you the average numbers of them in Walmon anyway. I’m sorry to disappoint you.’

  ‘Oh, oh no,’ she gushed, just preventing herself from telling him he could never disappoint her.

  At the sound of footsteps Cadel immediately looked up, his expression collapsing into something cold. Julietta’s words froze in her mouth. He walked over to the door and opened it, stepping back for a woman to enter. He closed it after her and took her hand, escorting her to a cushioned chair in front of the windows. The woman sat and Cadel stood next to her, one hand still in hers and his eyes fixed entirely on her.

  Julietta stared at the woman, as did everyone else in the suddenly tense room. She sat with her back perfectly straight, and her long, dark hair pulled back in a braid. Her skin was pale, as was expected for a noble lady. Not one hair or fold of cloth in her stately dress was out of place. She was immaculate and could not be criticized. She did not smile though, and her expression was composed and dignified and perfectly suited to a niece of a duke. Immediately, Julietta decided she did not like her. She glanced at Cadel, wondering why such a warm, charismatic man would marry such a cold and distant woman.

  Emerré Albier quietly assessed each person in the room with her eyes. No one said anything. Finally, Asmara exclaimed, ‘it’s quiet in here! Emerré, this is Julietta Calance, Bo and Dorian Cabo, friends, this is Lady Emerré.’

  ‘I hope I did not keep you waiting long.’ Emerré said, her tone as cool as her expression. ‘Asmara, it has been some time since you last visited. I assume you have some purpose here?’

  ‘You don’t want to chat first?’

  ‘So you do not have a purpose?’

  ‘Maybe I just wanted to visit you!’

  ‘Did you?’

  ‘Well, no-’

  Emerré regarded Asmara coolly, while she just laughed in response. In fact, Asmara seemed to find the whole exchange hilarious, and continued laughing for some time. As Asmara cackled to herself, Emerré turned her attention back to the group. Her eyes were dark, but watching her intently, Julietta thought that was probably their natural colour. The shadows around her eyes were minor, like Asmara’s, and were only apparent when she moved and it became clear the shadows were not moving as they should.

  ‘You are Amjerbo mer Shalla?’ Emerré asked of Bo.

  He nodded, surprised.

  ‘Asmara has told me about you. She is still working with you as a mercenary?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You could ask me that, you know.’ Asmara said, her laughter finally quieted.

  ‘I presume you,’ and Emerré’s gaze turned to Dorian and Julietta, ‘are also working with Asmara?’

  Dorian nodded, Julietta did not respond and decided Dorian’s response was enough for both of them.

  ‘Julietta Calance,’ Emerré said slowly, ‘you must be Baron Calance of Leman’s daughter?’

  Julietta said politely, ‘yes, I am.’ After a moment she asked, ‘have you been to Leman?’

  ‘No, though I have been to Manus several times.’

  ‘Oh? For what purpose?’