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  “So you want revenge.”

  “No,” Rafe said. “We just wanted to survive. Olyva was sick, and we thought that maybe in Hamill Keep someone could help her. But when we got there the earl was different. It’s hard to explain.”

  “We heard that Leonosis was appointed king by all the earls. There is no way that happened so quickly and without at least some of the earls opposing him.”

  “Magic,” Rafe said. “When we went before Earl Marcus, he attacked me. Tiberius struck his arm with a staff, and I saw it broken completely in two, yet he never made a sound. Then he tried to kill Olyva, and I stabbed him. It was a killing stroke, right through his bowels, but he didn’t even seem to notice the wound. He broke my jaw, but not before I cut his throat with my sword. Yet he still didn’t die. He didn’t even bleed.”

  “How am I supposed to believe any of this?” Grentz said. “No man can be mortally wounded and not die.”

  “He was already dead,” Rafe said. “Something else was controlling his body.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “No, I’ve seen the impossible. You will, too.”

  “Rafe, you need to get your friend and get out of the city. It will be sunrise soon, and the king’s soldiers will see you escaping. What do you need? Food? Weapons? Gold?”

  “We don’t need anything,” Rafe replied. “But Olyva’s family needs a safe place to take shelter. The king’s ships used fire bombs to try and destroy the Hamill Keep sky ship.”

  “This is a bloody disaster,” Grentz said.

  He was about to say more, but the door opened, and Tiberius waved Grentz inside.

  “He wants to see you,” Tiberius said.

  Grentz looked doubtful at his son, then slipped past Tiberius and into the earl’s bedchamber.

  “Should we go?” Rafe asked.

  “No,” Tiberius said, watching as Grentz slowly approached the earl’s bed. “He’ll recover, but I need rest.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “My old room. You coming?”

  “No, I’ll wait for my father.”

  Rafe watched Tiberius walk down the hallway. It felt oddly familiar. Rafe couldn’t remember the number of times he’d been on duty in the palace and watched Tiberius walking down the richly decorated hallways. Seeing him there now, after all they’d been through, felt surreal.

  A few minutes later, Rafe’s father reemerged. He looked shocked, but he was working hard to hide his feelings. Rafe had seen his father acting the same way when Rafe had been banished with Olyva, only instead of shocked, his father had tried to hide his disappointment.

  “How is he?” Rafe asked.

  “He seems better,” Grentz said. “He’s asking for food.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  “It is,” Grentz admitted. “I’m not sure what Tiberius did, but it seems to be helping.”

  “Ti can do the impossible,” Rafe said. “I’ve seen him.”

  “Well, I need some time. You show up here, talking about magic. Leonosis is made king and sends warships to find you. Those ships haven’t been used since I was a boy.” Grentz grimaced. “Something isn’t right, but I don’t know what—or if I even want to know.”

  “Tiberius thinks there’s something evil in Sparlan Citadel, but we don’t know what to do, either. We don’t know who we’re fighting.”

  “Did Leonosis know that his brother was a wizard?”

  “I don’t think so,” Rafe said. They were talking in hushed voices as servants began to stir around the palace. “But Princess Ariel works magic, too. That’s why she was so interested in Tiberius when they were here.”

  “If the princess knew, then Leonosis knows now. That’s probably why he’s sent ships to capture his brother.”

  “That doesn’t explain the earls,” Rafe said. “This isn’t just about Ti learning magic. It’s a struggle for power.”

  “How can you possibly know that?”

  “Because I’ve seen it,” Rafe said. “I’ve seen what Tiberius can do. And we found something in one of the deserted cities. Ti doesn’t even know what it is, but Leonosis wants it.”

  Grentz looked down, and Rafe wasn’t sure what his father was thinking. But after a moment, he looked up, and Rafe thought he looked more like his old self. The news of magic, seeing his banished son again, and even realizing that Tiberius had somehow healed Earl Aegus had all been hard for the sword master to take in. But now Grentz had settled it in his mind, and the natural-born commander was back in control.

  “I’m going to see that the earl has food and drink,” Grentz said. “Then we have work to do. Don’t leave this post.”

  “Yes sir,” Rafe said, not even trying to suppress the grin on his face.

  “It’s good to see you, son,” Grentz said, squeezing Rafe’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”

  Rafe didn’t know what to say, and before he could even reply, his father walked briskly away. Rafe knew his father loved him, but he had pushed Rafe to be the best with a sword. The training Rafe’s father had put him through had been grueling, and as his commanding officer, Grentz had been demanding. Yet Rafe had done everything his father had ever asked and risen through the ranks of the earl’s war band with a reputation as a good commander in his own right. Still, Rafe couldn’t remember his father ever telling him that he was proud of him.

  Tears filled his eyes, but he blinked them away. Then he stood up a little straighter and double-checked his sword. He hadn’t known what to expect when he saw his father, but he had never dreamed that the fabled sword master of Avondale would actually be proud of him. And Rafe was now more determined than ever not to let his father down.

  Chapter 9

  Lexi

  The sun was almost up when Lexi finally found the small home she had been looking for. She had been to the old man’s hovel only twice, both times in search of information about a mark she’d been contracted to steal from. Ennis was a strange old man. Sometimes he sold books in the various underground markets. Sometimes he could be found begging near the earl’s palace. But most of his time was spent in his tiny home on Avondale’s lowest level.

  From the outside it looked just like any of the shanties around it. Most of the homes and shops on Avondale’s lowest level were carved into the soft volcanic rock that made up the foundations of the city’s magnificent homes and towering walls. The door was hung haphazardly, and a tattered blanket hung inside the hole that served as a window. From the smell in that section of the city, Lexi expected to find sewage pooling in the tiny hut, but she knew from experience that the home was well maintained and kept immaculately clean. She knocked softly on the door and waited.

  She didn’t have to wait long. The door opened slowly, and Ennis’ face poked out. Even in the dark, Lexi knew he was the man she was looking for. He had sold Tiberius the book fragments, and if he didn’t know where more books on magic were, he would probably know someone who did.

  “Lexi,” the old man hissed.

  He pulled her quickly into his home and then looked carefully up and down the narrow street to see if anyone was watching her. Lexi waited quietly. The house was even more gloomy than the street. He closed the door and propped an old wooden chair against it to keep the door closed. Then he took Lexi’s hand and led her back into another room of the house. A shuttered candle was glowing in the second room’s far corner, casting just enough light that Lexi could see she was in a slightly larger room that served as Ennis’ living and sleeping quarters. He closed a well constructed and thick wooden door to the second room and lifted a heavy locking bar into place before speaking again.

  He walked over to the candle and removed the shade, then lit a lamp that hung in the center of the room. A golden light spilled from the lamp, and Lexi could see everything around her. There were two chairs, both covered with soft cushions. A large pot hung in the cold fireplace, and a wooden table was against the far wall and piled with books. Ennis slept on a narrow bunk that was neatly
made up, and the old man was sipping from wooden cup.

  “I’m sorry I have nothing warm to offer you to eat or drink,” he said, settling into one of the chairs. “I’m currently out of wood for a fire.”

  “I’m fine,” Lexi said. “I don’t need food, I need information.”

  “I thought you left the city with the earl’s son. I would have sworn that was the case.”

  “I did,” Lexi said. “Now I’m back and I need some help.”

  “You survived the blighted lands,” he said, sounding amused. “That is a rare feat.”

  “It wasn’t without its share of hardships, but those stories can wait. How did you know I left the city?”

  “I was questioned by the new king,” Ennis said. “This was before he was king, mind you. He had spies drag me to his dungeons. I wasn’t the only one there.”

  “Leonosis questioned you? About what?”

  “About you, of course. He seemed quite interested in what you and his brother were up to out in the blighted lands.”

  Lexi wasn’t sure what to think about that. She had never met Leonosis, and although she knew the new king of Valana wanted Tiberius and the Balestone, she couldn’t imagine why he would send spies to track down Ennis.

  “What did you tell him?” she asked.

  “Only the truth,” the old man explained. “He was interested in the book his brother purchased from me.”

  “And you told him what it was?”

  “Yes,” Ennis said.

  Lexi guessed that was why Leonosis wanted Tiberius. Perhaps it was nothing more than a king trying to enforce the law. Magic was forbidden across the kingdom, after all.

  “But that’s not why you tracked me down, is it?” the old man asked.

  “No,” Lexi said. “I need information. You sold Tiberius the book on magic, and we both know you have things that are, shall we say, hard to find.”

  “That’s a polite way of stating the truth.”

  “So do you have any other books that talk about magic?”

  “Perhaps,” Ennis said. “I’m not certain. Why do you ask? Was the book your friend bought not helpful?”

  “It was very helpful,” Lexi explained. “But we’ve run across something, and we need to know more about it.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a magic rock. I think Tiberius called it the Balestone.”

  Lexi saw the look of surprised on the old man’s face. He was usually very reserved and either passionless or affecting a tone of discouragement as he haggled with customers over his books. Even his interest in her up to that point had seemed less than authentic. She had come to him, after all, and she had thought he was merely playing along. But the mention of the Balestone had been almost like a slap to his face. His mouth hung open, and his eyes showed white all around the irises.

  He stood up suddenly and paced in the small space between his bed and the table stacked with books. His face was pinched with concern, and Lexi knew better than to interrupt his train of thought. She had been right in thinking that he might know something. Now, all she could do was wait and hope that he decided to tell her what he knew.

  “Why do you ask about the Balestone?” Ennis said at last, still standing up.

  “We found it,” Lexi said. “And when we went to Hamill Keep, the earl there wanted to take it and Tiberius back to Sparlan Citadel.”

  “We’ve heard rumors that the earl’s son was approved unanimously by the other earls. It seemed strange that all seven rulers would support someone so young and not well known.”

  He waited; his statement was obviously posed to see how Lexi would respond. She wasn’t sure exactly what she should do. She couldn’t see the angles the old man was using on her. She could lie, but she didn’t know what that would accomplish. Normally she didn’t like putting all her cards on the table, but she needed information, and it wasn’t uncommon for people who made their living on the streets to trade. So she decided to tell him the truth.

  “We made our way to Hamill Keep with Lady Olyva. But when they were summoned to the earl’s audience chamber, they realized he wasn’t really alive. He was being controlled by something, like a puppet on a string. They fought, and Tiberius killed the earl.”

  Ennis sat back down, but on the edge of his chair. He leaned forward, looking Lexi directly in the eyes.

  “You saw this?” he asked.

  “No,” Lexi said. “I stayed below, in the blighted lands, guarding the horses.”

  “Damn!” he said loudly.

  “Tiberius told me all about it,” Lexi said. “He wouldn’t lie or even exaggerate.”

  The old man looked as if he were trying desperately to decide on a course of action. Then he asked another question.

  “How did they know the earl wasn’t alive?”

  “Olyva knew,” Lexi said. “She’s different. She was changed in the blighted lands, and she could tell that something was wrong.”

  “There was no other proof?” Ennis asked.

  “The earl attacked them,” Lexi explained. “Tiberius broke the earl’s arm with his staff. Rafe stabbed the earl and slit his throat, but he didn’t die.”

  “He didn’t die?”

  “No, they said it was as if he didn’t even feel the pain. He didn’t cry out, didn’t bleed. And he was stronger than he should have been, even after they wounded him.”

  “But you said Tiberius killed the earl.”

  Lexi hesitated for a moment. She knew that Tiberius had used magic to destroy the earl’s body and while she knew that Ti had gotten the book of magic from the old man, she still felt reluctant to reveal that Tiberius was a wizard.

  “Yes,” she said. “And the people of Hamill Keep rioted. Tiberius, Rafe, and Olyva were forced to flee along with the rest of the earl’s family in their sky ship.”

  She hoped he wouldn’t continue to push for answers about how the earl was killed, but the old man was like a dog with a bone. He refused to let it go.

  “Tell me how he killed the earl,” Ennis said. “It’s very important.”

  “Why?” Lexi said, still trying to deflect.

  “You want to know about the Balestone,” the old man said, “and I want to know how the earl died.”

  “You know something about the Balestone?” Lexi asked.

  The old man nodded. He didn’t say how much he knew, but the look in his eyes convinced Lexi that he wasn’t bluffing.

  “Give me your word you’ll tell me everything you know about the Balestone,” she prompted.

  “I promise I will do all I can to see that your friend knows about the Balestone,” he said.

  “What does that mean?” Lexi asked.

  “It means the information is not mine to give, but it is there.”

  “You know someone who knows about it?”

  “Yes,” Ennis said, nodding.

  “Okay,” Lexi said, hoping she was doing the right thing. “Tiberius is a wizard.”

  She waited for Ennis to react, but he just kept gazing expectantly into her eyes. When he didn’t respond to her revelation about Tiberius, she felt a little better, but describing magic was difficult. And she hadn’t actually seen what happened; she had only heard about it from Tiberius. And Lexi knew that Ti was notoriously humble when it came to talking about his powers. She doubted if she had heard the full story.

  “He used magic,” she continued. “He set the earl’s body on fire.”

  “How?” Ennis asked, the tension in voice almost audible.

  “He cast a spell,” she explained. “He can conjure fire and control it. So he burned up the earl’s body.”

  “You’ve seen him use this magic?” Ennis said.

  “Yes,” Lexi said. “Many times. I’ve seen him do incredible things.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’ve seen him heal people. It’s unbelievable, but I’ve seen him do it. He can conjure fire, light, wind—even put people to sleep.”

  Ennis sat back, a look of
relief spreading across his face.

  “What type of person is he?”

  Lexi shook her head. She wasn’t exactly sure what the old man was asking her.

  “I mean, would you say he was a good person?” Ennis asked. “Or is he cruel?”

  “Tiberius is the best person I’ve ever met,” Lexi said honestly. “He’s humble and conscientious. He puts others before himself, always helping people whenever he can.”

  “I have to meet him,” Ennis said. “Can you bring him here, tomorrow at sunset? Just the two of you.”

  “I can try, but I really don’t know how long we’ll be here,” she said. “What can you tell me about the Balestone?”

  “I can only tell you that I have knowledge about the stone that your friend needs. Tell him I will do all I can to help him, but you must bring him here.”

  Lexi’s intuition was screaming that something was wrong. There was no way she was willing to lead Tiberius into a trap, but she had no evidence that the old man planned to betray them. She had known Ennis for several years. They were acquaintances, little more than than two people who moved in the same circles, but he was well respected. And he wasn’t a powerful man. He was old, one of the oldest people Lexi had ever met. His body was frail, and he wasn’t known as a thief or ruffian. She decided she could bring Tiberius as long as they kept their guard up.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ll bring him, but if you try anything, I’ll kill you myself.”

  “You have nothing to fear from me, child,” Ennis said. “Now go. I have much to do if I am to help your friend.”

  He unbolted the door and walked Lexi out. The sun was just beginning to color the sky a pearly pink. The air was damp and cold. Lexi gave the old man one last look, and he nodded reassuringly, so she left.

  She didn’t go far, though. Instead she found a shadowy alley and hid there, watching the old man’s home. He wanted her to bring Tiberius, but she would stick around long enough to see what the old man was up to before she brought the man she loved back down to the lower levels of the city. Lexi wasn’t a warrior or a wizard, but in Avondale she had skills that would come in quite handy, and at that moment she knew exactly what she needed to do.