Catalyst (Book 1) (18 page)

People might have been starving in the city, but those in the castle had no problem getting food. Strangely, though, Premier didn’t seem to eat or drink anything. It was during my third course when the king turned his full attention to me.

“Hellsfire,” the king said.

I lifted my head from the delicious bean and onion soup. I swallowed and wiped the insides of my mouth with my tongue, tasting saffron. “Yes, Your Majesty?”

“I’d like you to explain something to me.” His words were innocuous, but his tone wasn’t. The room suddenly became very quiet.

I swallowed, even though I had no food in my mouth. “I hope I didn't do anything to offend you, Your Majesty.”

“Years ago, my daughter told me you saved her from bandits. When she told me her story, I found it difficult to believe. After all, she was young, and had just gone through an ordeal. It seemed impossible that someone so young and outnumbered rescued her singlehandedly. A few years later, I now find you, of all people, in my audience chamber—sent by King Sharald.

“For the past few hours, I've wondered why.” The king placed his hands under his chin in a thoughtful manner. “My daughter told me where you said you were from. It's nowhere of importance. Now, during dinner, you've not eaten any meat. Why is that? Is our food not pleasing to you?”

“The food's perfectly fine, Your Majesty. I don’t eat meat anymore.”

“Were you raised by elves?” Everyone chuckled at his joke, but I saw how serious his question was.

“No, Your Majesty,” I said. “I’ve lost my appetite for meat.”

The king looked hard at me for a moment. He weighed me like he must have weighed countless subjects, soldiers, and diplomats. “Are you a wizard?”

Everyone stared at me. I glanced at Krystal, and saw she tried not to look embarrassed. “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain, Sire. I’m actually a…” I thought about lying, even though I was never very good at it. Master Stradus had said not to say anything, fearful of what might happen. But when my eyes met Krystal’s clear, violet eyes, I knew I had to tell her the truth. If I lied to her father, even to protect myself, I would lose her trust. I didn’t want that. “I’m a…wizard-in-training, Sire.”

A gasp went around the table. Everyone appeared horrified, with the exception of the elves, some of the guards, and Krystal. And Premier. He simply looked curious.

“So you are a wizard,” King Furlong said, not paying attention to the “in training” part. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a wizard before. Do you know why?”

I shook my head. “No, Your Majesty,” I whispered.

“Because wizards have never been welcome in Alexandria. We built this city with our own hands, out of the ashes of what the wizards destroyed. We’ve fought Renak’s evil legacy for a thousand years, with nothing but our swords and our honor.” His blue eyes narrowed and darkened. Luckily, they didn't focus on me. They settled on Prastian. “Why would King Sharald send a wizard to accompany you?”

“He thought it prudent, Your Majesty,” Prastian said.

“Prudent?”

“Yes. As in the days of old.”

The king had no response for that. Instead, he turned his gaze on me once more.

My hands heated up with inner fire. Premier watched me, like a cat watches a mouse. I began a breathing exercise—slow, rhythmic breaths. I wanted to close my eyes, but couldn’t, lest the king think I was ignoring him. The fire in my body began to dissipate.

“You will cause no trouble here, Wizard Hellsfire,” King Furlong said. “King Sharald has long been a trusted ally, and you have done my daughter great service in the past, so I will allow you to remain. But I will tolerate no magic. If you use your infernal power within these walls, I will have you imprisoned.”

“Father, please!” the princess murmured.

“Krystal, I am the king and will do as I see fit!” He slammed his hand on the table. Trays, plates, and cups jumped. So did the nobles. They looked startled, as if they weren’t used to the king behaving like this. Princess Krystal’s eyes darkened with worry. The king rose. “I will be in my chambers. Come, Premier. This dinner is over.”

The room remained silent while the king withdrew. Then everyone started talking at once. The princess leaned across the table to me. “It would be best if you went back to your rooms. He should feel better in the morning.” She left in the same direction the king had gone, with Ardimus following on her heels.

“We should do as the princess advised,” Prastian said, keeping his voice to a whisper.

We all got up and headed out of the hall. I felt people’s eyes on me and heard the whispers in my wake.

When we were well away from the dining hall, Prastian spoke, sounding worried. “I know the king,” he said. “I’ve never seen him chastise a guest in public that way.”

Master Stradus had told me that humans were distrustful towards wizards, but I had never thought anyone would imprison me because of what I was. King Furlong wasn’t himself. He was sickly and under the stress of what was happening to his kingdom. But still, no one but the princess had seemed to object to his threats. And without magic, the odds were stacked mighty high against me helping anyone here.

“What did you do?” Demay said, peering up at me, his light green eyes blinking in confusion.

“He didn’t do anything,” Prastian said. “A lot of people still blame wizards for what happened during the War of the Wizards, especially other humans. Since Hellsfire’s a wizard, they think he has some kind of connection to the war. In their minds, they think he caused some part of it.”

“That makes no sense at all. Hellsfire’s completely innocent.”

“That’s not true,” I said. “I wish it were, but it’s not.”

“Hellsfire, you did nothing to provoke the king,” Prastian said. “I would have told him so myself, but that wasn’t the time or the place, and he is ill. I’ll get him to see reason.”

I looked at my elven friend and said, “No, Prastian you are wrong. My simple presence gives people the right to question my motives. You heard what the king said. Alexandria has been cleaning up the mess from the War of the Wizards for a thousand years.”

Prastian opened his mouth, but I stopped him. “You don’t understand. In a way, I
am
responsible for the destruction that happened before, during, and after the war. I get my knowledge just as you or anyone else gets their knowledge. It’s passed from generation to generation. My magical abilities come partly from the wizards in the past. It’s from them I get my power, and my beliefs about how it should be used. And they did a lot of things in the war. Some of them terrible.”

Prastian stopped and turned to face me. “Hellsfire?”

 
“Yes?”

“If I stabbed you with a sword, would you get mad at me?”

I swallowed some saliva, not seeing where he was going. “I suppose I would. And then I’d probably die.”

“Why wouldn’t you get mad at my mother, who gave birth to me, or my teachers who taught me how to use a sword?”

I raised a finger, but I couldn't think of anything that would counter his argument. He was right. I couldn't be responsible for what had happened all those centuries ago. The best I could do was not repeat the same mistakes.

“I see you finally understand what I’m saying,” Prastian said, resuming our walk. I nodded. “My point is, we’re each responsible for our own decisions in life. The first Sharald taught us that. Sharald knew, from the first time he saw Renak, that the power Renak sought would corrupt him. It wasn’t the power itself, but the path Renak took. Renak chose that path.”

“Thank you, my friend. You're the wisest elf I know.”

“Aren’t we the only elves you know?” Demay said.

We all laughed at Demay. It was good to laugh, considering what we’d seen throughout the day. Tomorrow was going to be even harder. Between the king's suspicions of me, the lack of information about the missing elves, and the terrible state Alexandria was in, we were going to have a hard time getting any answers. We said our respective good nights and entered our rooms.

I thought I might get a peaceful night’s rest before we continued our investigation the next day.

I was wrong.

CHAPTER 13

I was awakened by the sensation of being dunked into cold water. The web I had placed over the door had served me well. A shadow crept across my room. I stayed perfectly still, continuing to breathe slowly as if I still slept. I readied my mana, letting it rise to the surface.

The shadow leaned closer to me. In the dim moonlight, something gleamed. I grabbed his wrist and twisted, dislodging the weapon. Then I created a fireball in the other hand, raising it to illuminate his face. I caught my breath.

“Forgive me, Your Highness,” I said, letting go of her wrist and squashing the fireball in my hand. “I thought you were an intruder.”

“It's quite all right. I understand and appreciate your…readiness.” She rubbed her wrist.

“I'm sorry, did I—”

“I'm fine,” she snapped. Krystal motioned to a candle holder on the dresser next to my bed. “Could you please?”

I waved a hand and ignited the candle. “It’s good to see you, but what are you doing here, Your Highness? Especially in the dead of night?”

“We haven’t much time. I don’t know how long the drugs I gave the guards will last.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You drugged your guards?”

“Yes. I needed to talk to you.”

“But what if you're caught? Won't you get in trouble?” More likely, I would get in trouble. But I didn’t want to say that.

“Leave that to me.”

I nodded, and she took a seat next to me on the bed.

“I need help, Hellsfire,” Krystal said. Her purple eyes had lost their gleam. She looked really worried.

“Anything I can do, I will, Your Highness.”

She gave a faint smile. “You're sweet, but hear me out before you make any rash decisions.”

“All right.” But I already knew the answer was yes.

“Good.” The princess took a deep breath. “I found the elves you were looking for.”

“That's great!” I lowered my voice when I remembered she wasn't supposed to be here. “That's great.” Her face didn’t look thrilled. “It is, isn't it? I mean, they’re still alive, right?”

“They're alive, but the news about them was hidden from me—from me!” The princess's eyes darkened with anger.

“Was it your father?”

“No. It was Premier.” Her voice was as icy as the White Mountain.

“Premier?”

She nodded. I saw she struggled to remain calm. “Yes.”

The princess didn’t say anything for several moments. She stared at her hands in her lap. “What is it, Princess? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” She hesitated, then tried to smile. “What did I tell you all those years ago? We're alone, Hellsfire. I'd like it very much if you would call me Krystal.”

“As you wish, Your…Krystal.”

“Thank you.”

Krystal fell silent again, staring into the candle's light. I was tempted to urge her to answer my question, but didn't. Her hand trembled slightly. I took a chance of overstepping and grasped it lightly. She looked at me, smiled, and squeezed my hand.

“When I first met you,” Krystal said. “I truly meant it when I said wanted to show you the city I loved. She was…beautiful, Hellsfire. We could have gone to the opera house, listening to music that would make you cry and laugh. We could have gone to the marketplace to meet my people. There’s a wonderful stall in the South Market with the most delicious honey bread. The honey’s so sweet, it’s like a drink of the gods.” Her shoulders slumped. “But not anymore. My city’s falling apart. And it’s all because of Premier!”

Krystal turned to me. “You’ve seen the city on your way in?”

I nodded.

“Like any major city, we’ve always had our share of beggars and prostitutes, but it’s never been this bad. I do my best, giving out food to the children and women. The guards fear me being attacked by the hungry mob, but they’re my people. Visiting them and giving them food is the least I can do. But it’s never enough. It’s just a symptom of a bigger problem.” Her nails dug into my hand. I held on despite the pain. It hurt me far more to see her like this.

“I barely see my father anymore.” She reached up impatiently with her free hand, brushing a tear from her cheek. I wondered, when was the last time she had let herself cry? “In the rare times I do see him, he can’t make a decision without Premier. Premier has wormed his way into every aspect of government. It’s as if he’s become the ruler of Alexandria without so much as a fight. The other advisors and I have been blocked at every turn. The worst thing is, Premier’s disbanded most of the army and the City Guard. We don’t have enough men to repel the Wasteland creatures if a strong attack comes.”

The princess faced me. In a whisper, she said, “If I don’t get rid of Premier and take back the city, Alexandria will fall.”

I gasped. My vision and King Sharald were right. I thought of the people in the marketplace, the starving mothers and children, all of them butchered by Wasteland creatures. Like a fire, it would spread from here. It would be as uncontrollable as an inferno, raging throughout all of Northern Shala until it finally spread to Sedah. No one would be able to stop the creatures if they weren’t stopped here. Alexandria needed help. The princess needed help. What could I do? The gods had guided me here, but I hadn’t even completed my training. I didn’t know what to do.

Tears streamed down the princess’s face, and I forgot everything but her pain. All she wanted to do was help her people and keep them safe. I reached out to wipe the tears away. My hand stopped when I remembered who she was.

“Forgive me,” I said.

She moved slightly away from me, regaining her composure. “I’m sorry. Here I am coming to you in the middle of the night asking for your help, and I start crying, looking like something the horse dragged in.” She let go of my hand and used both of hers to wipe the tears away. She sniffled. “I’m not usually like this.”

“Why did you turn to me, Your Highness?”

“There’s no one else. You’re an outsider, and not bound by the trappings of politics. That was one of the reasons wizards were used as intermediaries before the war. I know you’ve said you’re not a wizard, but I believe you are.”

“Oh.”

“And I trust you, Hellsfire.” The princess gave me a brief smile before she hardened her face, hiding any vulnerability behind her royal mask.

I couldn’t speak. She trusted me so much that she was willing to risk her kingdom—and show me her true emotions.

The princess’s quick eyes caught the movement of my hand flexing. She stared at the nail marks in my hand. “Did I do that? I’m sorry.” She placed her hands over mine and rubbed it lightly, as if trying make the marks go away.

 
“There’s nothing to forgive, Princess.” I put my other hand on top of hers.

“Oh.” She stopped. Her face relaxed, and she blushed.

“What do you need me to do, Princess?”

She took a deep breath. “It’s my father, Hellsfire. You’ve noticed how ill he is?”

I nodded.

“I’ve had the best healers working on him, yet they’ve been unable to find anything wrong. I thought he might have been poisoned, but there’s no trace of that. All this happened not too long after Premier arrived. In all my research, trying to help my father, I found mention of some of the things wizards could do using potions. How they could incapacitate a person, or make them sick. Not just sick in the body, but in the mind. I believe that’s what’s happening here.

“All of what’s taken place can’t be a coincidence. Remember how I told you our defenses are weakened? Well, strangely enough, there’s not been a major attack in months. The smaller attacks have been harder to fend off, with fewer men, but it’s like they’ve been testing our defenses. I have no proof or evidence, but I believe Premier’s controlling the creatures. Much in the same way Renak did. There will be another—”

“War,” I said.

“Yes. Only this time there will be no Shala or Wizard’s Council to stand against Premier. With the Great Barrier up, there will be no help from the south. We’re all alone.”

I let her words sink in. She was right. Premier had to be stopped now, before another bigger, more devastating war took place. “You think Premier’s a wizard?”

She nodded. “I do. I’ve not seen him use any sort of magic, but there are too many unanswered questions. Too many coincidences. And no matter how ill my father is, I can’t see how he could be persuaded to disband our troops. It’s who we are.”

“I understand.” I squeezed her hand, and she returned it.

“Can you tell if Premier’s a wizard?”

I exhaled, slumping my shoulders. “No. I tried to when I got here. I didn’t sense any magic, but there’s something about him. Something wrong. If my master were here, he might be able to help us.”

“That’s all right.” I could tell she was disappointed, but she immediately moved on to the next issue. “All right then, if we can’t get proof against Premier, I need you to rescue the elves and convince King Sharald to send his army here before the attack comes. It
will
come. Trust me. And we must win, or all of Northern Shala will be overrun.”

“I will do as you say, Your Highness. I am yours to command.”

She smiled and brushed aside a lock of her hair.

“But are you sure King Sharald will listen to me? What if he wants to fortify his forests?”

“He might, but he won’t. He sent Prastian up here, and he sent you with him. King Sharald
trusts
you, Hellsfire. We have an alliance, but more importantly, a friendship. He’ll help us.”

“What if he won’t?”

“Then all is lost.”

I thought of Sharald’s words to me near his pond. He had wanted me to come because he was worried about the creatures of the Wastelands trickling down into Northern Shala. But was he worried about Alexandria and the people here? I searched my memory for any hint of it. I couldn’t find one. He had seemed concerned about Sedah, but I believed that was more to entice me to come here. But elves cared about all life. He would help. I had to do all I could to persuade him to.

“I’ll do my best, Krystal. Bringing the missing elves back to him should help.” I paused, thinking. “You know, I don’t understand why Premier didn’t just kill them.”

“He is. Slowly. Painfully. That is his way. He’s methodical, a planner, an observer. He feeds them and gives them water, but without the sunlight, fresh air, and forest, the elves will die. The elves tried to cross him, and he wants to make them suffer for it.

“Whatever happens,” Krystal said, “I want you to rescue the elves and leave Alexandria. It will no longer be safe for you here, once they escape. I will do all in my power to protect you, but Premier has far too many of Alexandria’s resources at his disposal. He’ll kill you if you get in his way, and I’m afraid my father would let him. Get back to the forests, and you’ll be safe.”

“What about you, if Premier finds out what you’ve done? You’ll be in harm’s way. I don’t want you to get hurt. Come with me. We could flee the city together and come back with Sharald’s army.”

Krystal’s eyes shone with tears. “Still trying to save and protect me, hero? No. I couldn’t leave my father and my people. This is my city. I will not leave it while it’s in danger.”

I wanted to convince her to come with me, but her face was set like stone. She wasn’t going to be swayed. “All right. Just don’t get in harm’s way, Princess. I can’t protect you if I’m not with you.”

Krystal’s face softened. She was about to say something when we heard a noise in the hall. She jumped.