Shadow Heir

Chapter 26

“What?” I exclaimed. “They aren’t with us! I don’t know who they are!”

Pagiel didn’t seem to hear me. Neither did his followers. A few of them advanced on me, which was pretty foolish on their part. I held out my silver athame in a warding gesture and summoned a sudden rush of dark clouds and flickering lightning above us that was mostly for show. I didn’t want to hurt them, not when a third party was attacking us. The trick worked, and his riders hesitated.

“I’m not your enemy,” I told them. “Deal with me later. Worry about them.”

Our attackers conveniently chose that moment to finally show themselves. They were a mixed group of warriors, with no real uniformity to their attire. They could have been ordinary brigands, but on a few of them, I caught the flash of a golden willow tree pin. To round out the mix, they’d recruited a few wandering spirits and trolls.

“They’re Maiwenn’s people,” I said to anyone who would listen.

Finally, one of the riders was smart enough to realize the danger. “The Willow Queen has sent her assassins to kill our lord!” he exclaimed. “Attack! Defend Pagiel!”

Many of his followers were his age. So young, I thought sadly. But from the fierce looks on their faces, they were more than willing to defend their leader. I respected that. Me, I didn’t have much concern for Pagiel. He could take care of himself, so I left it to others to fret over him as I charged forward to help thin out the opposition.

Most of Pagiel’s warriors could handle one-on-one physical or magical combat with the Willow attackers, so I focused on the monsters and spirits. A lot of them I could dispatch with shamanic magic, keeping my distance and ousting them before they even realized what was happening. I traded my athame for my wand. It was a real wand, not the homemade contraption from the Yew Land—though I had kept that as a souvenir.

Some of the spirits sensed what I was doing and attacked me directly. It occurred to me then that I hadn’t really been involved in a true fight for a while. Despite all the dangers we’d faced on the Yew Land journey, there’d been very few physical confrontations. The closest had been when I freed the monarchs, but even then, my storm magic had kept most of them at bay. I hadn’t gotten down and dirty in a while.

Like so much after the birth of the twins, I was excited to see that I really had recovered. Part of my fear when pregnant had been that my body was lost to me forever. Time had healed everything, and I was just as fast and effective as I used to be. Sure, I got a few bruises and burns from the spirits (this group had an acidlike touch), but I took it in stride and fought my way through.

Our group was making good progress when a group of Oak Land warriors, led by Dorian himself, came charging down the road. That pretty much cinched the odds for us, and in a very short time, Maiwenn’s people were either dead or had fled.

I wiped sweat off my brow and put away the wand as I rode over to Dorian. Having come at the end, he looked remarkably fresh and energetic, though I saw blood on his sword. “Well, well,” he said. “What’s all this?”

I grimaced. “Ambush. I found Pagiel in Arizona and convinced him to come back with me to see you. Then these guys showed up. Kiyo acted like he’d be hunting Pagiel, but my guess is he knew I’d have better luck and simply had Maiwenn’s forces stake out likely places we’d return.”

Dorian glanced around, a small frown creasing his features. “Where is Pagiel?”

“He’s right—” I turned around and stared. There were all of Pagiel’s riders, alive and well. But no Pagiel. “Where the hell is he?” A moment later, I noticed something else. “Where’s Jasmine?”

His disappearance was as much a surprise to his followers as it was to me—well, most of them. A couple exchanged knowing looks, and I could see mild guilt on their faces.

“What is it?” demanded Dorian. “What happened?”

One of them gave a half bow from his saddle. “Forgive us, sire. When the attack started, we thought ... well, we thought it was a betrayal.” He shot me an apologetic look. “We urged Pagiel to leave since we knew he was the target. And ... we, uh, encouraged him to take the Lady Jasmine with him.”

“He didn’t run away,” added the other guy hotly. “He’s no coward. He would’ve stayed if not for our insistence.” His friend nodded fiercely.

I stared in disbelief. “He took Jasmine as a hostage?”

“Smart thing to do when you’re scared and think you’ve been set up by those you trust,” muttered Dorian. “I doubt he’ll hurt her.”

“He’d better not!” I exclaimed. “How’d he even subdue her? She’s strong.”

“And he’s stronger,” Dorian reminded me. He turned toward Pagiel’s compatriots. “I trust you’re convinced we’re on his side now. Which way did he go?”

They hesitated only a moment. “I believe he cut across the woods, Your Majesty,” one said, pointing. “I think that way.”

“Then that’s the way you and I will go,” Dorian told me. “Nonetheless, we can’t be certain he didn’t change course. The wounded will go to my castle. The rest will split up and fan out in other directions to find him. If you do, convince him of our support and bring him back.” He gave a sharp look to those gathered. “Do you understand?”

There were meek murmurs of agreement. They might support Pagiel, but most were Oak Land subjects. Dorian was impressive, and it was hard for them to refuse him.

“Damn it,” I muttered, once Dorian and I had split from the others. “And damn me for not thinking Maiwenn and Kiyo might do something like this. I should’ve known they wouldn’t take the proactive approach. They’re riding off of our success.”

“Well, they were proactive enough in setting up these ambushes,” Dorian pointed out. “I’m guessing similar parties are waiting elsewhere on our borders. This group got lucky.”

“Not lucky enough,” I realized. “Kiyo and Maiwenn themselves weren’t here. They were only guessing at which group might catch Pagiel on his return.”

Dorian nodded agreement. “Their presence would have added an extra complication. Ah, this is promising.” He stopped and pointed to where some grass and bushes had been recently trampled.

“I wouldn’t have even noticed that.”

He flashed me a grin. “That’s why I’m here. An excellent hunter of all manner of difficult prey.”

I rolled my eyes at the double entendre, and we continued on. Joking aside, Dorian did have a good tracker’s eye for small signs of Pagiel’s passing. And, the farther we journeyed, I began to notice some signs of my own.

“The air’s not natural through here,” I said, for lack of a better description. “It’s faint, like residual effects, but magic’s altered it recently.”

Dorian gave me a concerned look. “Do you think it’s a trap?”

“No,” I said, after a moment’s consideration. “Not nearly strong enough. If I had to guess ... it’s probably part of what he used to carry Jasmine off. Even if he’s stronger, she wouldn’t be easy to just slip out of there. Air can be used for binding, if you know the right tricks. You can almost create a kind of ‘air rope’ or—in extreme cases—cut off someone’s breathing enough to make them compliant. I really hope it hasn’t come to that.”

“Well, like I said, I don’t think he’d hurt her. I think she was just an easy choice, one he thought would hold you off.”

I nodded, knowing that he was right. Even at a brisk pace, it seemed unlikely we’d catch up with Pagiel anytime soon. He’d undoubtedly taken off as fast as he could to avoid pursuit. Our one stroke of luck came when we found Jasmine’s horse nibbling on some grass.

“Too difficult to bind her and force her on her own horse,” I guessed. “He must have just pulled her onto his.”

Dorian’s eyes were aglow the thrill of the hunt. “This will slow him. It’s our chance to catch up.”

We continued off at that same fast pace for a couple more hours, hoping we could take advantage of them riding double. The residual air magic grew stronger and stronger, giving me hope, until we finally emerged into a clearing and found Pagiel and Jasmine sitting on logs. He jumped up when he saw us.

“Don’t come closer,” he warned. “I ... I’ve got her.”

There was a tremulous note in his voice, backing up Dorian’s assertion that Pagiel would have trouble hurting her. Studying Jasmine, I saw that she sat nearly immobile, her arms held tightly at her side. I’d been right as well. She was bound with ropes of air. Meanwhile, the wind around him stirred.

“Pagiel, I told you before—you won’t win in a fight. Especially against the two of us,” I said. “Please let her go. I know you care about her and don’t want to hurt her.”

The earlier pain and confusion returned to Pagiel’s face. “You lied to me. You arranged the ambush.”

I shook my head. “If you’d stuck around, you would have seen that they were Maiwenn’s people. We got rid of them. Your riders put up a great fight. They’re really loyal to you and fought for your honor, even with you not there.”

It was a subtle dig. I didn’t actually blame him for leaving but knew it troubled him. If he was confused enough, I hoped he would come back with us and listen to reason.

“I can’t trust you,” Pagiel said. “I can’t trust anyone. Even those who claim to support me ... they ask so much, more than I’m ready for.”

“Pagiel,” said Dorian gently. “Have I ever given you reason to doubt me? Haven’t I always been there for your family?”

Pagiel wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Yes, sire. Once I would have trusted you implicitly, but now ... now I know your loyalties are with her. I don’t question your choice. It’s your right. But it also means I can’t believe you’ll always act in my interest.” He sighed and then looked up with a grim and unhappy resolve on his face. “Forgive me,” he said.

That was my only warning. He wove his spell too quickly, more so than I would have imagined possible. A forest hardly provides the right conditions for a haboob, but he created a complex wind pattern that was nearly the same. And it was strong. Dirt flew up from the ground. Trees were ripped up. We were affected as well, blown backward and forced to scramble for our footing. I caught hold of a tree whose roots were still holding it strong and managed to keep myself upright.

Pagiel used the diversion to flee. I couldn’t address him right away because I devoted all my energy to stopping the maelstrom he’d created. My magical senses burned, and I could detect every thread of magic, every molecule in the air around us. The magic was a mirror of my own, courtesy of our shared genes. I matched it, answering each glimmer of the magic with a nullifying force. It was a complex process, like trying to unravel a tapestry. I hated the delay but needed to undo this magic before it killed me, Jasmine, and Dorian. When I finished and the world stilled, I glanced around, expecting to find Pagiel gone.

Instead, I found him encased in a prison of earth and stone that had risen up from the ground, cocooning him up to his neck. I sensed him pulling his magic to him, probably in an effort to blast Dorian’s handiwork away. I quickly slammed up walls of air, turning the air pressure up to crazy heights that were uncomfortable for the rest of us but ensured Pagiel wouldn’t bust out anytime soon.

Pagiel fixed his eyes on Dorian. “Your Majesty. Please let me go. You said you would help me!”

“I am,” said Dorian, a hard expression on his face. “I could easily keep building this structure until you suffocated. I don’t want that. I want you alive.”

“Then free me,” Pagiel begged. “You always supported the legacy in my family. Will you really drag me back like a prisoner?”

Dorian hesitated long enough to glance briefly at me. “Things change. This is the better fate.”

My heart swelled, and the last piece of fear within me shattered. Dorian had been telling me the truth. He could have easily let Pagiel go, letting him continue on with the prophecy. Instead, Dorian had stood by me. His love for me really was greater than the dreams of conquest he once held.

My epiphany was short-lived when a giant fox came tearing out of the woods. He leapt straight for Pagiel, jaw open for the boy’s semi-exposed neck. In an instant, all the plants and trees in a huge radius withered and water shot from all directions toward Kiyo. It wasn’t enough to incapacitate him, but it did throw his attack off course. He harmlessly hit the side of the rock formation and was knocked back, skillfully landing a short distance away. He blinked the water out of his eyes and then shook droplets off his muzzle.

Jasmine, who had been freed in the earlier storm, was on her feet and allowed the water she’d summoned to fall to the ground. “Let him go, Dorian!”

It was probably the most conflicted I’d ever seen Dorian. Letting Pagiel go might mean we’d never catch him. Keeping him imprisoned made him an easy target for Kiyo.

“Do it!” I cried.

Like that, the walls of rock and earth shattered, giving Pagiel just enough time to dodge Kiyo’s next attack. The boy fell to the ground, but by then, I was back in control. I pulled up the water Jasmine had called, turning it to a mist that swirled in the wind. I moved the whole creation, surrounding Kiyo in a thick cloud he couldn’t see through. A moment later, I felt the wind and air pressure intensify. Pagiel, whom I’d expected to disappear, was still around, adding his magic to mine. Maybe he didn’t trust us, but he also wouldn’t leave us to Kiyo’s attack.

As the mini windstorm increased, I could sense the pressure closing in on Kiyo. That was Pagiel’s doing too, and I realized there was a very good chance Pagiel would kill Kiyo in the process. In fact, I had no doubt that was Pagiel’s goal. I was still a gray area for Pagiel, but he knew with black-and-white certainty that Kiyo was a threat. I could’ve counteracted the magic but was struck with a dilemma: Should I? After all the problems Kiyo had caused, wouldn’t it be better to be rid of him? And wasn’t it Pagiel’s right to defend himself against an assassin?

I had once loved Kiyo and had a connection to him. That was a hard thing to overcome, but I daresay he’d done plenty to make it possible.

These thoughts flashed through my mind in the blink of an eye. Before I could act, Pagiel fell to the ground, eyes wide. The magic supporting mine abruptly stopped. Pagiel clasped his neck, gasping for air. For a moment, all I could think was that air magic was suffocating him ... except, there was no one who could wield it here except me and him.

“Pagiel!” Jasmine hurried to his side, where he was twitching and flailing on the ground. Still keeping my hold on Kiyo, I joined her and fell to my knees. Pagiel was no longer making a sound, which was a bad sign. He was clearly still desperate for breath, and I could see now that his face and throat were swelling, like some sort of anaphylactic shock.

I tried to steady him, frantically wondering what I could do. But I possessed no healing magic, no modern EpiPen. His face was turning a weird purplish-pinkish color, and I knew we were losing him.

“Dorian?” I asked. He had joined us and looked down at Pagiel, anguish all over his face.

“This is beyond me,” said Dorian. He lifted his head and gazed around the clearing. “There’s someone else here.” He got back on his feet and began to make the ground ripple and shake, in the hopes of scaring out whomever we couldn’t see.

But despite his efforts, it was a little too late. Pagiel had stopped struggling for air. Pagiel had stopped struggling altogether.

Storm King’s heir was dead.