The others never seemed particularly concerned. Asmara was once, that first time. She remembered. But Julietta had brushed her off. Does she think I’m heartless? She wondered in alarm. Do they have these nightmares too? It wasn’t something spoken about. What would Asmara say, if she asked her? Or Bo or Dorian? Would they think her foolish? Were they heartless?

  With an annoyed noise, she rolled over again. They attacked us! We never set out to kill anyone! They attacked us! Why didn’t the sorcerer surrender? It was with some alarm that she realized she would never know. She didn’t know his name, or the name of the first man. She had nothing to identify him, nothing to hint at where they’d come from, or why they’d begun preying on innocent mercenaries. She would never have names for these faceless men. That thought rolled around in her head.

  Her thoughts were mercifully interrupted by Asmara’s voice outside. Those unpleasant, unmanageable thoughts were quickly shoved away, and her thoughts drawn quickly back to Asmara and her poor treatment of Dorian. Julietta even felt a moment of anger, surely Asmara would not come here with a man and expect to kick her out!

  But when Asmara opened the door she was alone. ‘I hope I did not wake you, Etta.’ She said.

  ‘No, I had not gone to bed- in fact I was not expecting you.’

  She laughed. ‘What you all must think of me! Dorian said much the same, and Bo also! Really! And after I have made my intentions so clear!’

  ‘Your intentions?’

  ‘Dorian.’ She said with a frown. ‘I didn’t think a secret could be kept when we spend so much time together-‘

  ‘No, of course, I just didn’t-’

  She grinned, her teeth flashing bright white in her dark face. ‘Dorian seems to think the same, and so I must prove myself, which is quite boring.’

  ‘Just decided that, have you?’ she replied, thinking after pursuing Dorian for so many months now was a bit late.

  ‘No, ever since he complained! I would have thought you’d notice, you spend so much time observing me-’

  ‘I don’t notice that!’

  ‘Do you think Dorian’s noticed?’ she looked surprised. ‘I’ll have to make sure to tell him, though it would be a bit disheartening if he hadn’t noticed.’ she sighed, ‘perhaps it would be easier if he hadn’t and I had that excuse for why-’

  ‘I think it’s pretty clear he’s not interested!’

  ‘No, no, he hasn’t said that. He’s accused me of being, what’s the word... easy with my affections, and not having any feelings, and being annoying and a whole lot of other things, but he hasn’t said he isn’t interested in me. I would have moved on a long time ago if he had.’

  Julietta just stared at Asmara in disbelief. She rather thought all the things Dorian had said spelled it out pretty clearly. But Asmara shook off her dispirited air and with a laugh plopped down on the bed, pulling her boots off, ‘Well, we’ve completed our job, the people are safe from little digging dragons! Ah, how nice to have a bed and not to have to set a watch! Goodnight, Etta!’

  ‘Goodnight, Asme.’ Julietta said as she laid down in her bed. It took some time for her to get to sleep. Grumpily she thought Asmara did not really need a lover to act as an anchor, she did not need to pursue every eligible man in sight. Friends, jobs, goals, hobbies, anything that a shadow mage enjoyed could act as an anchor. Asmara would know that. Julietta had come to the conclusion over the year she had been with the group that Asmara did not really care for any of the men she pursued. There had been a few that had lasted a couple of days, but Julietta had decided that Asmara was just going through the motions of pretending she cared or could care. She smiled the same smile, said the same words, and never seemed the least perturbed when she was rejected or had to leave a beloved behind. Perhaps that’s her anchor, Julietta thought uncharitably, she just enjoys pursuing men. But she could at least leave Dorian alone...

  CHAPTER 10

  2 Fevror, 1353

  The sun was high in the sky by the time the first of the company appeared in the common room. Jacques, who had been watching since dawn lest they miss them, saw Amjerbo mer Shalla take a seat at one of the tables, a pensive look on his face. He did not pay them any mind. Not long after, Dorian Cabo emerged. Amjerbo called the red-headed man over and talked quietly with him.

  Jacques focussed intently, and in the quiet of the morning was able to make out most of the conversation.

  ‘Surely, you know what she is like, Dorian. It is unusually thoughtless of her, but I do hope you will show more reason.’

  ‘Of course,’ Dorian replied, as if he were offended by the very suggestion. ‘I’m not an idiot, Bo, I’ve seen her say the very same words she said to me to countless other men.’

  Bo sighed in relief, and the conversation turned to other things, of no more interest to Jacques than this. He listened anyway, who knew what might prove useful?

  Dorian’s appearance seemed to be the sign, because shortly after Asmara Sinan and Julietta Calance appeared. Despite the subject of Dorian and Amjerbo’s previous conversation, they greeted the women with no hint of awkwardness.

  Jacques called one of the servers over and asked if they would fetch his friend, who had just gone outside for a moment. In reality, Pierre had been outside all morning, lest the quartet for some reason decide to exit the building by a route other than the front door.

  When Pierre entered, Jacques stood and walked over to the table where the four mercenaries sat chatting and waiting for breakfast to be served.

  Amjerbo looked up and asked, with a friendly smile, ‘can I help you with something?’

  Jacques returned the smile. ‘Not you, but perhaps you can,’ and he looked at Asmara. ‘Asmara Sinan, the shadow mage, correct?’ He held out his hand, ‘I am Jacques Dulère, and this is my partner Pierre Baudin.’

  Asmara hesitated a moment before shaking his hand. ‘I see you’ve heard of me!’

  As she spoke Jacques eyes travelled over her face, searching. With a relief and no small amount of embarrassment, he saw in the light of day the shadows around her eyes were clearly visible. They were minor, for a shadow mage, and he might have missed them had he not been looking, but it was certainly no more difficult than finding the mark of shadow magic on a Manunian.

  ‘Oh, good,’ Pierre said behind him, smiling wildly. ‘I wasn’t sure if we could see the mark on you, you being Chelleskan and all. Why, I thought you might be pretending so you could charge a premium for your services!’

  Asmara stared at him, taken aback and clearly offended. ‘Is there something you want?’ she asked, her tone clipped.

  ‘Oh, did I offend you? It’s just that you have very dark skin-’

  At Asmara’s glare Pierre fell silent. The other members of her group were staring at the man as if they weren’t quite sure what was wrong with him.

  ‘My apologies, my friend here has not met many Chelleskans. May I?’ he asked, pulling a chair from a neighbouring table as Asmara continued to glare coldly at them. ‘You are Manunian, correct, born and raised in Mance-Jolune?’

  ‘Yes.’ she replied shortly. ‘Why do you care?’

  ‘Just checking. It was terribly difficult getting any information on you, you know the guild told us they’d lost all your paperwork!’

  ‘Who in their right mind would want to offend a shadow mage?’ Dorian asked coolly. ‘Can you get to the point?’

  Jacques’ eyes travelled over the rest of the group, pausing for a moment on Bo. ‘Lakashan, correct?’

  Bo nodded. ‘Yes?’

  ’Family were merchants, mother and father died in the plagues of ‘23, leaving you stranded in Mance-Jolune?’

  ‘That’s right.’ he said slowly. ‘You seem to know an awful lot about us.’

  ‘That is my job. Any contact with Lakasha since then?’

  ‘No, no contact.’

  Jacques looked back to Asmara. ‘I’ve been tasked with a sensitive job on behalf of the King of Mance. Given the nature of the request I am hesitant to discuss it in front of a Lakashan, but I’m sure you’re all very trustworthy.’ and he smiled.

  Asmara’s brow crinkled in confusion but she didn’t say anything.

  ‘The King is in need of your services. You may not be aware, but the Lakashan Empire is preparing to wage war against us, and they have been training shadow mages.’

  ‘You can’t train shadow mages.’ Julietta finally butted in. ‘They die.’

  ‘True. But somehow they are training them and they have a troubling number of them.’ Pierre said.

  ‘How do you know?’ Dorian demanded.

  ‘We do have a few shadow mages working for us.’ Jacques answered. ‘Their usefulness as spies cannot be exaggerated. Unlimited by distance, able to peer into the souls of anyone they please and learn anything and everything about a person in a matter of moments and there is but one defense against them. Everyone knows this. We have shadow mages working for us, but if the Lakashans are to wage a war and make use of shadow mages, the ones we have aren’t enough. The King would like your services, Asmara.’ And he fixed his eyes on her as he said this.

  Asmara smiled weakly. ‘I doubt I’d be of use, I don’t know enough-’

  ‘You are a shadow mage, that’s all we need.’ Jacques smiled. ‘You have a rare and unusual gift, and your kingdom needs it. You don’t need to decide now, we would never want to press you... all the King asks of you is your presence in Allonce, so the situation may be discussed with you in a more suitable setting.’

  ‘A more suitable setting?’

  ‘We’ve been on the road for a while, so our intelligence is a little out of date.’ Pierre smiled. ‘Besides, the men in charge are in Allonce, we’re just messengers.’

  ‘And if I say no?’ Asmara asked.

  ‘Well, we can’t force a shadow mage to do anything.’ Jacques said. ‘And the King, even with his candles, certainly has no wish to antagonize you.’ As he said this Jacques pulled an amulet from his collar. It was a plain image of a candle molded out of metal.

  Asmara’s expression darkened and she crossed her arms over her chest. ‘I see that.’

  ‘You are a mercenary, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Even if you won’t use your shadow magic to aid your kingdom, you can still be of use. We will pay you handsomely to travel to Allonce to speak with the shadow mage there, perhaps you know him?’

  ‘I know all the shadow mages in Mance-Jolune. We talk all the time, you know how shadow mages like hanging out together.’

  ‘So you don’t…?’

  ‘I know of him.’

  ‘Think about it.’ Jacques said with a smile as he stood. ‘We’ll pay you and your friends to travel to Allonce and talk to the shadow mage and the officials there about a job, as a shadow mage or a mercenary. It’s up to you. We can’t force you.’

  ‘No.’ she replied darkly. ‘You can’t.’

  Jacques and Pierre departed, leaving the group alone.

  The group was silent after the two men left.

  ‘War with Lakasha... that does not seem real.’ Julietta was the first to speak.

  Dorian nodded in agreement, rubbing his forehead. He looked over at Bo, ‘are you alright?’

  ‘I have not been back to Lakasha since my parents died decades ago... It is unpleasant to have agents of the King suggest I am untrustworthy because of my birthplace.’

  ‘Asmara?’ Dorian asked, ‘what do you think?’

  ‘There is nothing to talk about.’ Bo said seriously. ‘The King has invited us to Allonce. No matter what those men say, we cannot easily refuse an invitation from the King.’

  Asmara stood up and walked over to Jacques and Pierre who were sitting just out of earshot. ‘We’ll go to Allonce.’ she said flatly.

  ‘Great.’ Pierre said.

  ‘We’ll leave right now.’ Jacques added.

  CHAPTER 11

  2 Fevror, 1353

  Soon the four mercenaries and two messengers of the King were sitting inside the cramped interior of a carriage as it rolled and bumped along the Southern Highway north towards Allonce.

  The carriage was not big enough for four to sit on one side, and so Bo sat next to Jacques, who sat next to Pierre. On the opposite side were Dorian and Julietta, with Asmara in the middle. The interior of the carriage was dim despite the fact that the two windows within the doors were open. The windows were small and the sky was grey. It was at least a cool day, so the interior of the carriage did not get too hot.

  Looking at Pierre, who sat across from her, Julietta could not imagine how he had come to be a messenger for the King. He clearly possessed no tact whatsoever and seemed entirely unaware of it to boot. He had an unassuming, broad face and a friendly smile. There was nothing remarkable about him and Julietta indeed could not remember his face from last night, though surely he had been with Jacques. Jacques was a different case all together, his face was sharp and angular and his smile spoke of hidden knowledge and secret plans. It was not a face you would trust.

  ‘I always wonder about old Ansel Sontmor.’ Pierre said, smiling genially at everyone. ‘Renaming the capital Anseville! What was it called before? You would think calling the province after himself would be enough, but the capital too!’

  The silence was tense, as if no one knew how to respond to this.

  Finally, Jacques said, in an exasperated tone, ‘It was called Bordée. Sontmor was the name of his wife’s family, Ansel Sontmor was originally Ansel Black, his wife’s family had all the prestige. He was just a blacksmith’s son.’

  ‘Oh, really? I never knew!’

  Jacques shook his head, then with a sigh he said to Asmara, ‘So how was it your magic manifested?’

  Asmara did not answer right away. Eventually she decided to speak and said, ‘I drowned.’

  ‘In an ocean?’ Pierre asked.

  The carriage hit a bump in the road and rocked suddenly. Julietta bumped into Asmara before steadying herself against the door.

  ‘A stream.’ Asmara replied.

  ‘Really, how?’

  She stared at him. When his insistent, wide-eyed look did not fade, she began in a tone of both anger and old, suppressed grief, ‘It was a shallow stream, one I had crossed many times before... I was chasing a friend and I slipped and hit my head, I fell face down and managed to drown in the stream though it did not even come up to my knees. By the time he came back for me it was too late... or would have been, anyway.’

  ‘Lucky you weren’t buried then!’ Pierre replied.

  Asmara stared at him, clearly not relishing that grisly thought. ‘My father’s brother was a shadow mage. He died when he was only thirteen, but my father hoped I might be one too, though I suppose he had never wanted that before. He had the local witch take care of my body and I returned within the day, after several hours.’

  ‘Thirteen, that’s quite young. Do the Chelleskan shadow mages usually die so young?’ Jacques asked.

  Asmara shrugged.

  ‘And how old were you?’

  ‘Eight.’ she replied, her lips barely moving. ‘A week after my eighth birthday...’

  Julietta had a strong urge to take notes in her book, but she found the attitude of the messengers quite insulting and did not think Asmara would appreciate her taking notes at such a time. She would remember and have to make her notes later. She wondered if that whole routine about Ansel Black had been a way to put them off their guard. How unpleasantly devious.

  ‘You speak Manunian very well.’ Jacques said.

  ‘I was born here.’ she murmured after a moment. ‘As you already know.’

  ‘Yes, which is quite unusual. How did that come about?’

  ‘My parents were merchants, they frequently travelled between Chelleska and Mance-Jolune. The journey through the mountains was very difficult though, particularly for my mother, and so my parents decided to settle on one side.’

  ‘Why choose Mance-Jolune instead of their home?’ he pressed. ‘Presumably you are from Clare then?’

  ‘Yes, Clare. My mother became pregnant with me on the Mance-Jolune side of the mountains and so they stayed until I was born. After, they did not want to make the journey while I was young and I guess since they liked it here they decided to stay... my father has been back a few times, but my mother hasn’t. Is that all?’

  ‘Oh, I do not know many Chelleskans, it is all very interesting to hear!’ Pierre said, with a friendly, but naive smile, ‘How many other times have you used your magic?’

  ‘Only three times, including that time.’ Asmara said coolly. ‘So you see, I will not be of much use.’

  ‘Only three?’ he replied in surprise.

  ‘That’s quite remarkable.’ Jacques murmured, and Julietta had to agree. ‘No wonder you still live, you are twenty now, correct?’

  Asmara smiled grimly in response, and Julietta stared at her in shock. It seemed all her guesses had been wrong.

  ‘Emerré Albier reputedly used her shadow magic on a daily basis after she manifested at the age of ten, yet she still managed to live to nineteen, and still lives now. I think you could stand to use your magic a lot more without endangering yourself. No, do not respond, it is merely a thought. When did you last use your magic?’

  Asmara did not respond immediately. Looking over at her Julietta saw her jaw was clenched and she was struggling with her anger. Julietta could not hide her surprise, she had never seen Asmara angry before. Asmara soon mastered herself though and said ‘the second was an accident, not long after the first...’

  ‘And the final?’

  Asmara suddenly flashed a smile. ‘Have you been researching my companions and not me? If I tell you everything the King will have no more use for you!’ she laughed.

  ‘We heard an interesting tale,’ Jacques said, ‘though from a source that we cannot entirely trust, as I’m sure you can imagine.’

  ‘Perhaps I might go sit outside with the driver.’ Asmara said. ‘I’m not used to sitting still like this. If you please?’