Abuse of Power (Rise of the Mages 1) (5 page)

Alaina couldn’t meet August’s stare.

“You did that?” His voice was so low that the words barely reached her.

She nodded, keeping her face cast down.

“You’re a mage,” He sounded so … disappointed.

She nodded again. So much worse than anger.

“But you told me the catchers are after you because you refused Macias’ advances.”

“I did refuse his advances.”

“You lied to me!”

“I did not.” She couldn’t muster heat into her voice, so the words came out flat. “You assumed my rejecting him was the only reason.” The rationalization sounded weak even to her. “I tried to stop you from rescuing me.”

“All you had to do was tell me you were guilty!”

“Don’t you understand how people look at mages?” A sob escaped her. “Like I can drop them with a glance or blast a village to oblivion with a thought.” She met his eyes. “I’ve seen that look.”

His fists clenched and shook. Would he hit her? Execute her?

The lieutenant glanced at the cliff above and gestured toward a copse at the edge of the rocks. “We shouldn’t stand in the open.”

Alaina stared at them as he practically dragged August under the cover of an oak with a large, thick canopy. Her eyes darted to a game trail leading in the opposite direction.

“Don’t even think about it,” August said.

She sighed. No realistic chance for her to escape anyway. Besides, she couldn't keep running. If he decided to have her executed, she would accept it.

“You tread on dangerous ground, mage,” Auggie said. “Best if you come clean.”

“You’ve seen that I’m guilty. What more can I say?”

“Tell me everything from the beginning,” Auggie said.

“It’s none of your business.”

He glared at her. “Tell me.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Maybe I’m looking for a reason not to string you up right here.”

Alaina grimaced. Being a mage didn’t make her a bad person, did it? The revulsion most people directed at mages came from superstition and ignorance, right? She’d never hurt anyone. Well, except for Lord Macias anyway. Why should she be punished for an accident of birth?

August, though, was anything but an irrational, uneducated villager. He protected the innocent and dealt with those accused of using magic. How could she bear him feeling that way about her?

“Maybe that’s exactly what you should do,” she said.

He put a hand over his eyes and massaged his temples for a moment. When he looked at her again, he spoke in a much softer voice. “Please, just tell me.”

“Fine.” She walked to the oak. “I was engaged to a journeyman blacksmith named Elrich.” Tears welled, and she pushed them down. She missed him so much. “A good man, though young. Tall with lots of muscles.” A lot like August, actually, and in more ways than just looks.

“Lord Raymon Macias passed through my village one day and saw me. I don’t know if it was a game to him or what, but he decided he must have me.” Her legs felt weak, and she sank onto a stone. “He tried to convince me to bed him a single time, suggesting we do the deed the night before my wedding. No one would ever have to know.” She clutched her hands over her eyes. “It’s all my fault. I held my honor too highly.”

The tears would no longer be held back. She stared at August. Was he really going to make her continue?

“Please,” he said. “It helps me to understand.”

She closed her eyes. “A few days later, Lord Macias returned with a platoon of his father’s soldiers. They dragged Elrich into the village square, claimed he’d cheated them with his work on their armor. The penalty was to be death.”

Her voice trembled. “Everyone knew the charges were false, of course. Elrich’s work was always impeccable, and he’d never short anyone. No one would say a word against the niskmo, though.”

“What did you do?” August said.

“I had no choice but to give into his demands. Right? To save Elrich? So I tried to pull Lord Macias aside, but he wouldn’t even allow me the dignity of conceding in private. He whispered in my ear that I better make it sound like I wanted him, beg for his favor in front of the entire village.” Heat rose to her face. “He made me say things …”

She tried to meet August’s eyes, but he looked away. He didn’t tell her to stop the story, though.

“How stupid I was! He’d never given any sign he was anything but purely selfish, but still, I actually expected him to relent, to take me to his bed and let the matter drop. Instead, he laughed at me. Told me he’d see to me after he’d taken care of the thief. Before I even knew what was happening, they’d forced Elrich down with his head over a log and were aiming an ax at his neck.”

“It’s okay,” August said. “I understand now. You don’t have to …”

It was too late; she couldn’t stop. “All I wanted was to save his life. I loved him! Don’t you understand? I stretched my arms toward him in horror and wished with all my heart for the ax to fly away.” She barked out a laugh. “And it did. I didn’t mean for it to land on Lord Macias’ foot.

“Everyone stood there stunned. The tender looked like he was about to declare it a miracle from the Holy One. Then they saw my face and knew the truth. ”

Alaina grimaced. “My friends, my family … The fear in their eyes.” She cleared her throat and gathered herself. “In the confusion of everyone falling all over themselves to help Lord Macias, I ran. Elrich’s scream tore through me as they cut off his head, but I kept running. I barely managed to get away.”

The lieutenant placed his hand on August’s shoulder. “You know your duty. Helping an innocent girl escape is one thing. Aiding a mage ...” He grimaced. “She admitted to using magic. She used it in our presence.”

“That would be a mercy, milord. Truly.” She hugged her arms close about herself. “You don’t understand what it’s like. Put me out of my misery.”

August stood without uttering a word and walked toward the south.

Auggie stomped through the woods.

He wanted to break something. Anything. A branch got in his way, and he snapped it. Better but not good enough.

Yet again, his duty warred with his wants. Turn Alaina over to a catcher—a responsible one who would perform his charge in a humane manner instead of that odious Emar, of course—or find some way to hide her? Auggie simply couldn’t imagine having her executed, but even he didn’t have enough power to flaunt the law of the three kingdoms.

Such an impossible decision.

Another branch brushed the top of Auggie’s head. He ripped it from the tree and flung it into the brush. If only it had been Raymon Macias’ limb instead of a chunk of wood.

Nobles were given wealth and privilege, and it was no sin to enjoy those. But obligation accompanied the perks. A duke must act for the greater good of the duchy, protect his vassals down to the lowest caste. Not abuse their power by taking lives and women on a whim.

A lord must behave responsibly.

Auggie winced. Like he had any right to judge anyone on that subject as he, the niskmo, gallivanted around the countryside instead of attending to the business of running the duchy from the castle. Yep.

At least he hadn’t actively hurt his subjects or used them for his pleasure. He wasn’t as bad as Macias. There was a standard to live by. Fantastic. Auggie grimaced. The right, responsible thing was to turn Alaina over to a catcher and be done with it.

Swirling winds brought a sudden shower of rain, but he didn’t slow. Five minutes later, the clouds broke, leaving sunny skies. He glanced back.

Alaina’s hair was plastered to her forehead. Despite being drenched and miserable—and sad and shivering—she was so ridiculously beautiful. What she didn’t look like was a danger to anyone, especially not to the nobles’ rule.

She deserved to have someone take care of her instead of someone trying to decide whether to have her killed or, best case, turn her loose so she could try to save her own life. If only she weren’t so pretty, it’d be so much easier for him to turn her in.

He groaned. Another fantastic trait for the future leader of Vierna—valuing superficial qualities above all else. Maybe he was just as bad as Macias.

But surely that wasn’t the only reason he was so conflicted. Alaina was unlike anyone he’d ever met. She didn’t fawn over him and didn’t use her beauty as a weapon like the women at court. In fact, it seemed more of a burden to her than anything else.

He loved that she both needed him and, at the same time, didn’t. Imagine a courtier surviving on her own after running into the woods having just witnessed her fiancé’s death. Auggie didn’t know of one who would get far. In contrast, Alaina had survived for months, living hand to mouth from scraps made as a barmaid all the while avoiding the resources of a duke.

Too bad all her efforts were to come to naught because of him.

It wasn’t fair, really. Yes, she was a mage and deserved her sentence, but if not for Macias, she’d never have surged. How was it okay for a noble to create the reason that caused the crime in the first place and then for another noble to punish her for it? There should be some kind of special dispensation for such circumstances.

None existed, though.

He trudged the rest of the day barely speaking a word to her or Benj and resting only when necessary. Eventually, low light made walking dangerous. They’d never make the town by nightfall.

Auggie glanced back. Alaina shivered. He hated that she would have to spend another night in the cold. Another night wondering what was to become of her. Another situation he could do nothing about. What good was being niskmo if he was so powerless?

“We’ll camp here,” he said. “You should get out of those wet clothes.”

She plastered on a fake grin and fluttered her eyelids. “But milord, we hardly know each other.”

Benj laughed, and the corners of Auggie’s mouth turned up for a moment. Despite everything, she was able to make jokes. Even though he was soon to have her killed, she sought to set him at ease.

He really was an ass.

One of the saddlebags he carried contained clothing for her, and he dug out pants and a shirt. “Go get changed.”

Maybe she’d run off. That would solve so many issues. No reason he and Benj would have to chase her down. But Auggie was pretty sure she wouldn’t flee.

He and Benj went about the business of setting up camp, minus the fire. Auggie winced at the lack. Alaina was going to freeze, but it was simply too risky with Emar hot on their trail.

By the time she returned, they’d laid out three bedrolls and a cold dinner of cheese and biscuits. They ate in silence. After, Auggie’s mind was too spun up to sleep, so he sent Benj off to bed with the promise to wake him for second watch.

Alaina pulled a blanket and a cloak around her as she settled onto the hard ground. Her teeth chattered, and her body trembled for several minutes. She had so little body mass on her thin frame to hold heat. Another tremor shook her.

Auggie sighed. He had to do something. “May I warm you?”

“What, milord?”

“You’re obviously in distress, and I’m your captor at the moment. Army policy is to treat prisoners humanely.”

She looked at him skeptically. With good reason. Where the blast had that lie come from?

“What exactly did you have in mind, milord?”

Well, that was a step up from accusing him of the most ghastly of behavior at least.

“Using my body heat to warm you,” he said. “Unfortunately, that solution will entail my, uh, lying close to you.”

“Unfortunately, milord?” She couldn’t hide her grin.

“You know what I mean. Look, you’re freezing, and we can’t make a fire. I really hate seeing you suffer, but if my being too near you makes you uncomfortable … completely your choice.”

“Milord, I’m nothing but a peasant. You shouldn’t waste—”

“Don’t ever say that again! You are not nothing but an anything.” Had that even made sense? “I mean …” By the Holy One, he’d never had a woman tie his tongue so.

“But I am, milord.”

Usually, he considered himself to possess enough wit to banter with anyone. Either he grossly overestimated himself, or she was just beyond him. He saw no way to argue her to his side.

“Do I have your permission or don’t I?” he said.

Her teeth chattered. “N-no, milord.”

“Really?”

More tremors racked her, and she sighed. “Fine. Milord.”

Hiding his grin, he crawled onto the ground behind her and enveloped her body from head to toe with his own.

“Milord, may I ask a question?”

“You just did.”

He couldn’t see her face, but he was pretty sure she stuck her tongue out at him.

“It’s just that I don’t understand … Why …”

He waited for what seemed like an eternity. “What?”

She let out a long breath. “Why waste your energy on me, milord? I’m nothing.”

“I told you not to …” He exhaled sharply. “You’re the exact opposite of nothing—a truly remarkable woman.”

She didn’t respond, and he let himself relax, enjoying the feel of her body against his. And she felt good. Really good. In fact, he was pretty sure the Holy One would punish him at some point for exactly how good she felt.

“A day ago,” he said, “you would have gone for my knife if I tried to touch you. What changed?”

“Maybe I’m just lulling you into a false sense of security, milord. The moment you fall asleep, I’m out of here.” She snuggled into him, laying her head on his arm.

By the Holy One! If he’d thought she felt nice before …

“It was a serious question,” he said.

“I feel … safe … with you.”

“Safe! Woman, I’m the very definition of danger as far as you’re concerned.”

“Okay. Wrong word. Content? Resigned? I don’t know.” Alaina paused. “You’re a good man, milord. I just decided that I’d trust you to make the right decision.”

She meant it. The Holy One help him, she meant it.

“My decision is how to have you executed, not if. You have to understand that.” There was simply no way to avoid a mage being put to death—no way that applied to her at any rate.

“I know. And you have to understand how tired I am of running, of looking over my shoulder constantly.”

“You’re just going to give up? After all you’ve done so far?”

She laughed. “Aren’t you supposed to be telling me to go quietly to my fate?”

It did kind of sound like he was trying to convince her to escape. What was he saying?

“Please, just don’t turn me over to that thug. He intends to carry me back to Lord Macias.” She paused. “But if you really wanted to do something beyond kind for me, I have a request.”

His heart thudded. “You can ask.”

“The prospect of … you know … dying … is just so scary, milord. If I didn’t know it was coming? If I closed my eyes to sleep, and they never opened?”

“Alaina …”

“Maybe the lieutenant could do it?”

The whole situation was so blasted messed up! “I could never ask him to do that.” How could he ever look at Benj in the eyes again if … “I’d have to do it myself.” Auggie paused. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“No, milord. I couldn’t ask you that. Just forget I asked.” She buried her face into his arm.

“I don’t understand.”

Alaina curled herself into a ball, as if to get as far from him as possible. “I don’t want you to suffer because of me. You’ve already done so much.” She hesitated. “Maybe it would be best if I, uh, did it myself. I’m not sure how to tie a noose, but …”

Auggie groaned. How could he bear to kill someone who was so intent on making it easy for him that she was willing to do the deed herself?

“The proper course of action is to find a catcher who will perform his duties with compassion. Believe it or not, such people do exist. There’s a kid—well, he’s twenty anyway—over in Rarytown, Myles Mathis, who …” Auggie just couldn’t complete the thought.

They fell into silence, and before too long, she was asleep. Such relief was a much longer time coming for him.