‘There’s no other choice.’

  With Dabney holding onto her arms and leaning out of the window at a dangerous angle it still seemed too far to fall.

  ‘You ready?’

  ‘I-’

  ‘There’s no more time, Acadie! Don’t yell!’ and he let go.

  She stifled a shriek, somehow, and landed on the hard bricks below. She bit her lip painfully as pain spiked up her ankle.

  She looked up at the window, tears rolling down her face. Dabney appeared, a sheet in his hands. He pulled Blaise out onto the window sill, the sheet tied around his waist. Holding one end of the sheet, Dabney lowered Blaise down.

  Acadie, suddenly more afraid for her brother than herself, struggled to her feet. She couldn’t put any weight on her left ankle. Blaise came lower and lower, lower than she had.

  ‘I’m going to drop him.’ Dabney whispered. ‘You’ll have to catch him!’

  ‘Dabney!’

  ‘Ready?’

  She held out her arms. Dabney let go. Blaise’s body dropped. She grabbed him and collapsed under his weight. She looked back up and saw Dabney had disappeared. She called his name. He reappeared for one more moment, ‘go! I’ll distract them.’

  ‘You can’t!’

  ‘Go, Acadie! They’ll kill Blaise! Hurry!’

  He disappeared again.

  Acadie struggled to her feet once more, this time with Blaise’s limp body and the bed sheet in her arms. He was light, nothing but skin and bones. Awkwardly, she limped out of the courtyard and to the gate. She unlocked it with her key and peeked out before quietly creeping into the alleyway. She glanced back at the house and was relieved to see no one through the dark windows. The curtains in the lower levels were still pulled shut.

  Outside in the alley she bit back a cry. Smoke rose above the city and fires raged. Windows were broken everywhere, and the streets were empty, but she could hear cries and screams.

  ‘This is awful, how could this happen...?’ she murmured to herself in a shaking voice.

  She had no time for this, and crept along the street, ducking into alleys and taking whatever path was empty. No one paid her any mind. She glimpsed people as they ducked behind curtains and hid in the houses not yet damaged. When she saw armed men she hid as well. She didn’t know where she was going. She couldn’t walk very fast, with her ankle and Blaise. Where could she go that was safe when the whole city had gone mad?

  ‘Oh, Blaise,’ she whispered, ‘please, wake up, I... I’m scared...’ tears fell down her cheeks. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

  She froze as she heard footsteps behind her. Had the men at the house followed her? Stifling sobs, Acadie hurried on as fast as she could. The steps from behind grew softer, but before she could relax she heard the clink of armour coming from ahead. Panting for breath, she ducked into an alley on her right.

  ‘BLAAISEEEE....BLAAAIIISEEEEEEEEEE.....’ strange, flat voices called.

  Acadie risked a look behind her and saw a troop of city watchmen following at her heels. ‘BLAAAAAAIIISEEEEEEEE....’ they called.

  ‘No, leave us alone!’ Acadie called desperately and ran.

  The horrible sound came from behind her, and then from the left as more men appeared.

  ‘No, no!’ she cried, ‘go away, he’s only a child! Please!’

  She turned and ran, tears running down her face. Ahead of her the street opened up and in despair she realized she’d come to the Moselle river. She looked back. Men were emptying out onto the boulevard before the river, brandishing weapons.

  Some had dull, empty expressions, while others were twitching, their faces changing between anger, fear and emptiness. It was strange. She didn’t care.

  ‘Please!’ she cried, ‘please, leave us alone!’

  She looked down into the clear blue water below. She looked back. Once again, she found herself with only one option. She took a flying leap from the street, down into the river below. She landed with a splash. She struggled to the surface, barely managing to keep her head above the water.

  ‘Oh, Blaise, oh no!’ She got her brother’s head above the water, but he still slept and she couldn’t tell if he was alright. ‘Oh, oh, no...’ She kicked her legs as hard as she could, and let the current pull her along. Their pursuers gathered along the side of the river. A handful jumped in.

  ‘No!’ she screamed, kicking even harder, ‘no, no, no!’

  The men floundered, some sinking. Those that didn’t swam after her, while the others ran alongside the river and began throwing things at her. Their missiles splashed into the water all around.

  ‘Please, somebody help me!’ She screamed.

  The men were getting closer. She was getting tired, her heavy skirts dragging her down, and then there was Blaise.

  ‘Blaise! Please wake up! I need you!’

  She drifted under a bridge, the swimming men coming ever closer. For a moment, she was in darkness as the bridge cut out the light. The water before the bridge exploded, water gushing everywhere, and waves pushing her forward powerfully. She swallowed water, and barely managed to stay afloat. She heard yelling. Then she was out from under the bridge. She looked up and saw two men, one was dressed in white, yellow, red and orange robes.

  ‘I’ll rescue the shadow mage, you stop those men!’ the more soberly dressed man called.

  ‘Stay close to me, otherwise I’ll lose my hold on you!’

  The soberly dressed man ran to the side of the bridge closest to Acadie and leant over the side. ‘You, do you have the shadow mage with you?’

  ‘Yes!’ she shrieked. ‘Help me!’

  ‘Come to the side, the candle will stop the others.’

  ‘The current is too strong!’

  The man swore and called to the candle to follow him as he ran to the stairs down to a boat dock. There was no boat there.

  ‘Come on!’ he called.

  But Acadie had already drifted past.

  ‘Damn it all! As if I wasn’t tired enough! Alright, try and stay afloat!’ and his voice dropped, became low as he began chanting and moving his hands in precise gestures.

  The water slowed, the river calmed, and then the current began increasing, but back the other way, dragging Acadie towards the boat dock. It was strong, stronger than before, and Acadie struggled to keep her head above the water. The man reached out, still chanting, and Acadie reached one hand to his, still holding onto Blaise with the other.

  The sorcerer grabbed her. The chanting stopped, and the river went back to its normal flow. He pulled her and Blaise out of the water. Acadie lay on the solid stone, coughing and weeping.

  ‘Is that Blaise Autin?’ the sorcerer asked.

  Acadie nodded. ‘Yes, my brother.’

  ‘I have him!’ the sorcerer called up to the candle, who stood at the top of the stairs. ‘This is the shadow mage.’

  ‘Good. You carry him. We need to get back to the palace.’

  ‘The palace? But they were fighting there!’ Acadie cried, struggling to her feet as the sorcerer took Blaise. Her legs felt wobbly and weak. She was soaked through and shivering. The sorcerer barely noticed her.

  The sorcerer glanced at the wet sheet wrapped around Blaise, frowned and murmured a chant under his breath. The sheet collapsed in two wet pieces upon the ground.

  ‘It started there.’ The sorcerer said. ‘Come on.’

  With no further explanation than that, the sorcerer and the candle began walking quickly towards the palace. Acadie followed after them as fast as she could with her injured ankle. She glanced back up the river and saw the men who were chasing her collapsed on the street.

  ‘What happened?’ she asked.

  ‘I chased the shadow magic out of them. Hurry, the shadow mages will just find new victims. There’s too many here for me to handle on my own.’ the candle replied.

  ‘Will they be alright?’ she asked, half jogging, half limping to keep up with the taller men.

  ‘Unlikely. The shadow mages altered their minds, and I burned them out. No more talking.’

  Acadie didn’t argue. She could barely catch her breath as it was. She followed the two men as they set a punishing pace back to the palace, afraid that if she fell behind they wouldn’t stop for her. Seeing the state of her city, Acadie felt tears in her eyes again. Fires were burning all over the place, windows were broken, collapsed stone littered the streets, and here and there bodies lay.

  They arrived at the hill before the palace.

  ‘Halt!’ a man’s voice called.

  ‘It’s alright!’ the candle responded. ‘I have him.’

  A sorcerer appeared behind the shattered and twisted palace gates, an amulet displayed prominently around his neck. ‘Alright, come in.’

  ‘Can you defend this all on your own?’ the sorcerer carrying Blaise asked.

  ‘I’m the only one with a damned amulet, so I don’t have any choice. Damned candles.’ and he let out a string of swear words.

  ‘I’m the only hope you have right now.’ the candle shot back, his face strained. ‘So I don’t want to hear any of you complaining. Your soldiers already killed Colwyn.’

  The sorcerer with the amulet fell silent and the trio continued past.

  Acadie didn’t think she would make it up the hill, but seeing the sorcerer ahead of her, carrying Blaise, she didn’t think these men would stop for her. And then they’d have Blaise’s body. So she struggled on. Water trickled down the hill beside her. It’s source was soon revealed when they reached the top of the hill. The fountain was broken, water trickling out of the cracked stones. The palace doors were wide open. She followed the two men inside.

  They hurried up the stairs and along opulent hallways. They came to a room with a big, oval table in the middle. It was the nicest room Acadie had ever seen. It was nearly overflowing with people.

  ‘You’re back!’ a man called.

  ‘We have the shadow mage.’ The candle said. ‘Now, please clear a space. I must sit and rest and do what I can to chase the Lakashan shadow mages away.’

  The people filling the room shifted, making way for the candle.

  ‘Give me my brother.’ Acadie said to the sorcerer, who was still beside her.

  He looked down as if he’d forgotten her. ‘What? Oh...alright. I’ll keep an eye on you both.’ and he handed Blaise’s wet and limp form to her.

  She took him carefully and then looked for a place where she could sit down. She was exhausted.

  ‘Over here.’ the sorcerer said, guiding her to the wall. She sank down to the floor, her legs trembling.

  ‘Is it safe here?’ she asked, her voice weak.

  ‘This room was protected by the candles. There were others but... they were attacked. This is the only one still intact. This is the safest place to be.’

  Acadie nodded, her head drooping. She was so tired, so very tired...

  Amateurish...

  The thought floated in the darkness. It was his thought. He knew that.

  He glimpsed people, their souls marked, changed, too quickly though, they fought it. Some succeeded. Some didn’t. I’ll have to fix them later. But not now, he knew. There was something else he had to do first.

  He felt them, the others, like him, but strangers. Not friends. Young. Amateurs. They hopped from person to person, making a change that would last once they left, and moving on, or fleeing when they sensed his approach... or when that painful, blinding light came. That light hurt him too. I told him that would get in the way.

  He chased them. They fled, touching the people around them as they went, leaving a trail of broken people behind. So many I’ll have to fix.

  He chose one and chased, he wouldn’t be distracted. It was young, he could feel her fear. So odd, for another shadow mage to be afraid of him.

  Go away.

  The other felt his thoughts. Go away, go back to your body, right now.

  Leave me alone!

  He’d never fought another shadow mage. What would that even be like? All he could do was touch them and then maybe they’d understand and they’d leave. Or maybe they’d have irreconcilable differences. And then what?

  Blaise, come and help me. These kids are annoying. They’re sending people after you, after your sister. That wasn’t very nice. He felt anger. It was his anger.

  Leave me alone! the other shrieked.

  He brushed against her. He let her feel his rage. His disgust. The girl shrieked and fled, overcome by his emotions.

  That seemed to work. Did it work? There were so many others. So many left to chase away. I’ll feel you, he thought, if you come back here. I’ll feel you. He was angry, very angry. They were just children, but he could feel so many souls joining the darkness. Shattered, broken souls, divorced from their bodies, fading away. He couldn’t fix that, not when they were all strangers, not when there were so many of them. The children were killing people. They were trying to kill his friend.

  He chased another. He was faster and better, and not slowed down by attempts to touch other people. The children wouldn’t stop hurting, even with him on their trail. Then he felt something familiar.

  Blaise...?

  I heard people calling...

  Not good. Blaise wasn’t good. Too distant, too vague, he’d been away from his body too long.

  Your sister is in danger.

  The candle is too close.

  The others then. We’ll get the others. Together.

  ‘W-what are they saying?’ Acadie whispered sleepily, rubbing at her eyes. When had she fallen asleep?

  The sorcerer stood up, frowning. ‘I don’t know...hey, what’s going on?’

  The candle stood from wherever he’d been sitting, immediately recognizable in his colourful robes. ‘A message from Jacques. The shadow mage in Manus says the Lakashans are gone. I’m feeling a shadow mage around still, but only one.’

  ‘My brother!’ Acadie shrieked. ‘Stop! Stop keeping him away!’

  The candle looked down at her, a confused look on his face as if he didn’t know who she was or why she thought she could speak to him that way.

  ‘It could be Autin.’ the sorcerer agreed. ‘If so, he won’t be able to return to his body while it’s in here.’

  Acadie scrambled to her feet, her legs suddenly aching from the movement. Pins and needles tingled up and down her legs. She could barely move.

  ‘You take him outside this room then.’ the sorcerer said. ‘Clear a path!’

  Acadie stumbled through the rows of people, stepping on a few toes. As soon as she was outside someone slammed the door shut behind her. She slowly sat down, laying Blaise down carefully on the ground.

  ‘Blaise, Blaise, please come back!’

  Nothing. She waited, her hope fading. The city was destroyed. Her brother was dead.

  Blaise twitched.

  ‘Blaise!’ she shrieked.

  Blaise opened his eyes, his face expressionless. Acadie immediately hugged him and helped him sit up. He was a dead weight in her arms and didn’t help in the movement at all.

  ‘Blaise!’

  ‘Acadie.’ he said in his flat, oh so familiar voice.

  ‘I was so worried! Blaise, you’re not to do that again! Why were you gone so long?’

  ‘They killed him.’ he replied, his face unmoving. ‘I couldn’t save him, the man I used.’

  ‘The man? What man?’

  ‘I used him to poison some people, like Dabney asked. It wasn’t his idea, he’s just a messenger. They tortured him and killed him. I tried to protect his family, I had to get them away... The Emperor is still chasing them... I think they’ll be safe for now.’

  ‘Oh, Blaise, it’s not your fault...’

  ‘Of course it is, Acadie. I used him. I killed those people. I got him killed. If I use my shadow magic on someone, it’s my fault.’

  ‘Oh, Blaise...’

  ‘Just as it’s their fault what they did to this city. It will take Guy a while to fix the people they touched, the ones still alive at least. The ones in the river drowned.’

  ‘Oh no...’

  ‘The candle didn’t care, they never do.’

  ‘How could you know-’

  ‘Because.’ he said firmly. ‘Candles don’t care. You don’t leave someone to drown if you care. You try.’

  ‘Blaise, Blaise, this is awful...but... you can’t do anymore.’ she said firmly. ‘You can’t help Dabney and the King anymore.’

  Blaise slowly turned his head to look at her. It was eerie, but she was used to his expressionless face, the shadows that hid his eyes. ‘Dabney is dead. The King will retaliate.’

  ‘Dabney...?’ She remembered her last glimpse of him as he told her to run. He died protecting me, us... he had used her brother, enticed him to use his shadow magic, but... conflicting emotions warred in her. Finally, grief won. His last act had been to help her and her brother. ‘Oh, Blaise...’

  ‘They attacked Allonce. Our King will retaliate. That’s what King’s do. It will only get worse. I have to stop this, Acadie.’

  ‘Blaise, no.’

  ‘This isn’t even the worst of it. A couple hundred people are dead here, that’s all.’

  ‘That’s awful!’

  ‘Do you know how many people have died in Dartham? Do you? Because I do. I can feel them, the new, dying souls. I’ve never felt anything like it before. I feel them, and I know them for a moment, and then they fade away and they’re gone. Thousands of them, Acadie. Thousands. Somehow though, the few dozen I killed in Iskerashdo are more important than those thousands, those people mattered to the people who can end this war. I’m going to finish this, Acadie.’

  ‘Blaise...’ she said in a small voice, afraid of what he was going to say, ‘how?’

  ‘The only way I can. I can’t touch the Emperor, or our King, so I’ll touch the people closest to them. I’ll make them suffer, until they end this war. I’ll hurt innocent people, who matter to the people responsible for this. It’s all I can do.’

  ‘Blaise, no, don’t, don’t use your shadow magic anymore. Please, I’ll be all alone!’

  Blaise went still in her arms.

  ‘No!’ Acadie cried. ‘No, Blaise, come back! Come back!’

  CHAPTER 52