Bo waited patiently.

  ‘The Royal Mages don’t do much.’

  ‘Really?’ he replied, surprised, ‘I know the men are always complaining-’

  ‘Well, they’re right.’ she said. ‘I decided I would be of more use here.’

  ‘Does your superior-’

  ‘Yes. The details aren’t important.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want you to get into any trouble.’

  For a moment Julietta looked lost and alone, but it quickly vanished and she said, ‘I’ll make myself useful.’

  ‘I know you will, Etta.’ Bo decided not to press anymore and said with a smile, ‘come, I will take you to meet the Captain. I’m sure he will be happy to have a sorceress all to himself.’

  A relieved smile crossed her face, which was quickly brought under control. ‘That sounds good.’

  ‘And then you can tell me how you’ve been. It feels like its been a long time.’

  That night Julietta set up her tent next to Bo’s. With the onset of winter, the nights had become bitterly cold. Now that everyone knew she was a sorceress, none of the men gave her any trouble. Mostly, they ignored her. She didn’t mind, it meant she got a chance to talk to Bo.

  ‘We’ve been together a while.’ Bo was saying, as they sat outside her tent. ‘Mostly, they’ve gotten over the fact that I’m Lakashan. At first it was a problem, then it got better, then after the first fight...’ he sighed. ‘A lot of young men died. The ones who survived, who had never seen battle before, they were angry... but it’s been awhile, there are only a few who give me trouble anymore.’

  Julietta absorbed that quietly. As part of the Royal Mages she’d been shielded from the plight of the soldiers.

  ‘But you must have had a good time, staying in Dartham Town!’

  Julietta shook her head. She didn’t really want to talk about it, she didn’t think Bo would understand. Everyone liked him. Besides, she felt happier than she had in a long while, now that she was away from Ariane and all her old colleagues from the Collegium. She didn’t want to reminisce about it.

  ‘What do you think will happen tomorrow?’

  ‘They’re saying we’ll engage the Lakashan army again.’ He said. ‘We go back and forth, back and forth. I can’t tell who’s winning.’

  ‘Have you heard about Manus and Allonce?’

  He shook his head.

  After she explained he said, ‘maybe they’re keeping that secret. It might demoralize the men, if they feel they’re dying out here for nothing. Perhaps you shouldn’t mention it to anyone else.’

  ‘Who else would I mention it too?’ she replied, offended.

  Not the next day, but the day after that, Bo’s prediction proved correct. The camp was a hive of activity as the men prepared to fight. Julietta couldn’t help feeling out of place among all the busy men. Down at their level, she wasn’t sure what she should do to help. How would she spot the Lakashans? She’d inscribed Bo’s armour and weapon the night before, and that of many of the men in his unit. After hearing Bo rave about it, they were happy to have her ‘magify’ their equipment.

  Julietta sought out the captain, but he was too busy to give her any concrete directions. Her unease growing, I left so I could be helpful, I can’t fail again! She headed back to Bo.

  ‘You look nervous, Julietta.’

  ‘It’s not the same.’ she said, her voice wavering. ‘It’s not the same as when it was just the four of us.’

  ‘No. Hmm...it’s better if you can see the enemy, isn’t it?’

  Julietta nodded.

  ‘Unfortunately, Dartham is mostly flat, and particularly where we are now. I wonder... you’re skilled at healing, aren’t you? Perhaps the best thing you could do is stay behind and help the injured.’

  Julietta’s face fell. It took her a moment to be able to say anything, a heavy, sick feeling in her stomach. ‘N-no, I think I’ll try.’

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with staying behind, Julietta, helping the injured is a very important role.’

  ‘I want to fight.’ she said. She was skilled at healing, it was true, but only because it was expected. It wasn’t something she enjoyed. She wanted to do more, she didn’t want to hide and be useless... She wanted to prove her skill to everyone, prove she was everything they said she was... sorceresses with rare and unusual talent don’t stay behind and help the injured.

  ’If you’re sure...’ Bo said uncertainly. ‘Can you protect yourself?’

  Julietta nodded. ‘That won’t be a problem. I’m well protected by my magic.’

  ‘Alright. Try and stay by me then, I don’t want you going off and getting hurt.’

  ‘I’m well protected!’

  ‘I believe you.’ and he grinned. ‘Perhaps I need you to protect me then! Make sure you don’t tell anyone!’

  Julietta didn’t feel like laughing.

  The other men watched her join them uncertainly, but none said anything. Her heart quivered with excitement. Then they began marching. She was surrounded on all sides by men, all she could see ahead were more Manunian soldiers. She knew they were approaching the Lakashan army, but she didn’t have a good view of them.

  The sound of the approaching army got louder and louder and the pace of the Manunian soldiers picked up. Then Bo was yelling loudly at her, ‘they’ll start running soon!’

  And as he said, the soldiers broke into a run. Yells and screams broke the air as the Manunian soldiers charged into the advancing Lakashans. Julietta ran with them, hardly able to believe what she was doing. And then there was fighting all around. It was chaotic and loud, she could barely tell the Lakashans from the Manunians. Then a soldier was in front of her, sword raised. She summoned her magic and the man collapsed to the ground with barely a sound. She barely had time to notice however, as Bo was fighting next to her, and more men were coming and more and more and more...

  The day wore on, it became horribly tedious, she moved with the unit, staying near Bo, completely unaware of the larger picture and how the battle was going. She just survived, fight after fight after fight...

  Julietta held her own, but as the day wore on her mood became darker. She could hold her own yes, but so could Bo. She was proving herself no more effective at felling Lakashans than a regular soldier. Surely I should be able to do more! She thought, angry tears forming, I should be able to cast my magic over the entire army, make a real difference, but I can’t see anything, and so... she was a rare and talented sorceress, but making no more contribution to the battle than any other soldier.

  ‘Julietta, are you alright?’ Bo gasped between felling one soldier and another approaching.

  She could not bring herself to answer.

  Finally, a horn blew, loud and clear above the battle. The sound meant nothing to Julietta, she felt the entire world consisted of mud and blood and soldiers.

  ‘The retreat!’ Bo yelled.

  All around her, men started falling back. Alarmed, Julietta moved with them. Without even thinking about it now, Julietta sent her magic back, stopping any who came near her. She was getting tired. She knew she’d moved quite a distance from her original location (sideways, forwards, back, she didn’t know), as the magic in the earth around her was fresh and unused.

  The Lakashans did not pursue them forever, though it felt like a long time. Eventually they fell back, and the Manunians fled as one. Eventually, they stopped. Julietta didn’t know what was happening, word came to her and Bo from the soldiers around. Then they started moving again. They stopped and started, and then suddenly they found themselves with the rest of the army.

  Julietta paid little attention to what was going on. She only really came to when she found herself sitting down, Bo putting a bowl of soup in her hands.

  ‘I forgot how nice it is to have properly inscribed armour!’

  She looked up at him, suddenly aware again of everything around. She was tired.

  ‘You did well, Julietta, I needn’t have worried about you.’

  ‘Well?’ she murmured, her voice dry. ‘I did no better than you.’

  ‘I thought I did pretty well.’

  ‘But you’re just a man, I have magic. We should be on completely different levels.’

  Bo shrugged. ‘War is funny like that.’

  ‘I suppose...’

  After a while it occurred to her that she was upset she hadn’t killed more people than Bo. She mused over that. It was a long time since she’d been able to count how many men she’d killed. She rolled that thought around for a while, so divorced from what she thought of herself, thought of the world. Killing was supposed to be bad. How was her current predicament, what she’d done here, supposed to fit into her view of the world?

  It does not seem to bother me as much as before. She thought. She didn’t think that was a good thing. Maybe later, when this was all over, it would bother her more. At the moment, it bothered her far less than the growing realization of how limited and average she was.

  Sometime later, after it was dark, Bo suggested she get some sleep. She wasn’t sure what had happened in between.

  ‘You look tired, Julietta. I’ll wake you if anything happens.’

  ‘I think I will stay back next time...’ she said sleepily. ‘If I fight no better than a non-magical soldier...I’ll just stay and heal...’

  ‘You seem troubled by something, Julietta...’ Bo said, his voice coming to her from far away. ‘Sleep, perhaps you’ll feel better tomorrow.’

  I won’t... she thought sleepily. I won’t feel better... I won’t ever feel better, as I won’t ever be as good as I thought I was...

  CHAPTER 62

  10 Jevin, 1353

  Acadie opened her eyes. It was dark. What had woken her? She sat up in bed, her heart beating fast. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the night, and she could see nothing out of place in her room. She had slept lightly ever since the attack on Allonce, weeks ago. When she did sleep nightmares plagued her, visions of drowning, of men chasing and chasing, of Blaise falling and falling...

  She looked towards Blaise, sleeping in the other bed, always sleeping. She’d had his bed moved into her room a while ago. If he awoke, if he returned to his body, she wanted to be near.

  She sighed. The night was quiet. Once again she’d awoken afraid at the sound of nothing. She lay back down, pulling up her blankets. Even if there was something, she thought sleepily, the Prince of Jolune sent three of his best men to guard our home, and the guards all have candle amulets...

  Her eyes drifted shut. Something creaked outside. She shot up in bed again, her heart hammering. She looked towards the door, gathering her courage to go and look. She got to her feet. She pulled a robe around her and went to the door, knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep unless she actually checked.

  She opened the door and looked out into the darkened corridor. Nothing-

  She let out a scream as a dark shape moved in the hall. Something pushed her and she fell to the ground hard. She screamed again, and then hands were all over her. Something was tied around her mouth, her hands. All she could see was the dark shape of a man. She screamed again, but it only came out as a muffled sound. She struggled against her bindings to no avail. The man stood over her brother.

  Acadie howled as she made out the glint of a knife, down and up, down and up. The sound, the horrible, wet sound!

  The man returned to her as she kicked and sobbed. He picked her up roughly and carried her out of her room. As he carried her down the stairs she saw dark shapes slumped against the wall. The guards.

  The man opened the door to the street and dropped her unceremoniously on the ground. Jarred by the impact, she was momentarily silent.

  The man knelt down and whispered into her ear in a deep voice, ‘my master told me to let you live. He hopes your brother appreciates it.’ Then he was gone.

  She wiggled onto her back and tried to scrape her bindings against the stone of the road. As she was doing that light suddenly flared, ruining her night vision. Startled, she wiggled back around to see her house on fire. She started wriggling again, trying to get to her feet. All she could see was the flames. How had that happened so quickly? Where had the man gone?

  Soon the empty street was full as people hurried out of their homes to see what was happening. The fire was so bright and commanding of attention that it took a while for anyone to notice Acadie. When they did they hurried to her side and untied her.

  ‘Blaise!’ she screamed and rushed at the house.

  The men who had untied her grabbed her and physically dragged her back.

  ‘Girl, don’t go in! The fire is too intense!’

  ‘My brother, my brother is in there! Blaise, Blaise!’ she screamed and kicked.

  But she was too weak, and the man holding her lifted her bodily off the ground and carried her away. The last she saw was the shadows of the citizens of Allonce as they stood in front of her burning house.

  CHAPTER 63

  10 Jevin, 1353

  When the message arrived Emerré did not wait to take it to her room to read it. She simply tore it open in the doorway, her eyes avidly scanning it. Belix watched with mixed feelings. Cadel would be coming home. Perhaps that’s for the best, he sighed, what am I thinking? Of course it is! Once he’s here I should probably go back to Walmon and see if Mother has found a wife for me.

  He was disturbed from his thoughts by a cry from Emerré.

  ‘Emerré?’ he said, going to her side, and just preventing himself from touching her arm.

  Her face was deathly pale, her mouth trembling.

  ‘Emerré, what is it?’

  Her hand shaking, she pressed the letter to his chest. She made her way to the stairs, her steps uneven.

  Belix did not look at the letter and went after her, fearing she might fall. She did not object when he took her hand and guided her up the stairs. When she reached her room she slammed the door in his face.

  Confused, Belix looked down at the letter and scanned it quickly. Oh Cadel...

  He looked up again at a crash and a scream from Emerré’s room. It sounded like a vase breaking.

  ‘Emerré!’ he called and tried to open the door. It was locked. He could hear her sobbing, though it sounded more like screaming than crying.

  ‘Emerré, they don’t know where he is, but I’m sure he must still be alive-!’

  Another loud crash.

  ‘Emerré, please open the door.’

  Emerré paid no attention, and the door did not open. Eventually, Belix went to the sitting room and bought out a chair so he could sit in the hallway. One of the maids, Lucine, came up a few hours later. The noises from Emerré’s room had died down. The maid knocked and said softly, ‘my lady, would you like dinner served in your room?’

  When Emerré answered her voice was calm. ‘No, I will take it in the dining room.’

  About half an hour later, Emerré emerged, the picture of icy calm.

  Belix stood slowly. Everything about her was perfect and neat, as usual. The only sign that something was wrong were that her eyes were red.

  ‘Emerré, are you alright?’

  Without answering him, or even looking his direction, she headed down the stairs to the dining room. Belix followed and took his usual seat. Emerré ate in silence. Near the end, after the first course was cleared, Emerré called for one of the servants.

  ‘Yes, my lady?’

  ‘Inform the stables that the carriage is to be readied and have Lucine pack my bags.’

  ‘Yes, my lady.’ the servant disappeared.

  ‘Emerré, are you going somewhere?’

  Emerré sipped at her scented water. ‘Dartham.’ she said, placing the glass on the table. ‘I will go to Dartham and find my husband.’

  ‘But Emerré, there is a war on!’

  The cool look she gave Belix silenced him. He ran scenarios through his mind and finally said, ‘I will escort you then. Your brother should still be there, before we go you should send a letter on ahead.’

  Emerré considered that before nodding.

  Relieved she had not argued, Belix thought, perhaps her brother will be able to prevent her from going to Dartham, and maybe I can keep her in Manus. She won’t put her child in danger, not even for Cadel. If she insists I will simply remind her of that. At the thought of her child Belix felt a quiver of unease. With Cadel gone what would happen once Jonathan was born and Emerré no longer needed to remain in her body? The thought grew, his unease growing with it. We must find him. He decided firmly. Whatever his own feelings, it was clear Emerré did not return them, and never would. She needed Cadel. We’ll find him, we must. Cadel knows how to take care of himself... we’ll find him...

  CHAPTER 64

  12 Jevin, 1353

  Jacques ran an experienced eye over the room again. His eyes lingered on the guards, all candled, much to Guy’s displeasure. The men looked politely away as Jacques knelt by Guy, who had crawled out of his bed, shoved the carpet back, and lay on the marble floor.

  ‘I’m surprised to see you care so much about where you sleep.’

  ‘I’m not sleeping, I’m using my shadow magic.’

  ‘And you can’t do that on the bed?’

  ‘No, I’m not sleeping.’

  ‘And the carpet...?’

  ‘It’s too soft and warm.’

  ‘I see.’ Jacques said. Does he actually feel the carpet, or is it just habit for him now? He glanced around the room again. ‘Does this room seem safe to you?’

  Lowering his voice, in a rare display of awareness of who was around him, Guy said, ‘it’s safer than Blaise’s house. If the palace is safe, this room is safe.’

  Jacques tapped his fingers on his knee, his mind caught on Blaise Autin. Guy said he still lived, but it would not be for much longer. He had no body to go back to, had no body for two full days. Ash. All that’s left of the boy, ash... usually such things didn’t bother Jacques so much. I suppose I still think of him as a young boy, despite all his power... another voice firmly reminded him that was because Blaise Autin was a young boy. And now a bodiless, soon to be dead one.