Mine to Spell (Mine #2) (28 page)

I open my mouth ready to let angry worlds tumble out but realize it’s Lukas. My arms ache to wrap around him, both to comfort me and in gratitude that he’s fine. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried about you. Have you seen Chadwick?”

“
I’ve been waiting with him over there.” He points to a clear spot where only Chadwick stands Conrad is a ways behind him, keeping an eye on things.

Waiting? Does that mean he saw everything that just happened? The guards? Chancellor Ryan’s threat?

As we trudge our way through the crowd to Chadwick, Lukas gives the warlocks surrounding us an angry glare. I’ve never seen such a look on him before. I don’t think I like it, but it’s highly effective. The crowd of warlocks eases away from me. Once we reach Chadwick, they eye us but leave a wide circle around us. Chadwick does make an intimidating foe, his thick build looming over all the other duelers. I forgot how much of an impact his presence can make.

“
That was something else,” Lukas says.

“
What was?” The threat or my display?

“
The spell you just showed everyone.”

“
You saw that?” Does that mean the threat went unnoticed? What am I to do about it? “Where were you? I couldn’t see you anywhere.”

“
We both saw it,” Chadwick says.

“
Not what got you riled enough to cast a spell,” Lukas adds. “Just the last part. It was amazing. You did perfect. I don’t think the deviation from the plan will matter. You had a big enough crowd that I think things will be all right. But what got you so upset?”

His words warm me and calm some of the frantic worry bounding inside me. I tell them what happened and have to ask, “Do you think they’re sending someone to…” I make a cutting sound and fake jabbing at my neck.

“Not now.” His hand briefly brushes against my arm, warm and reassuring, but there’s doubt in his eyes. “You have everyone worked into a frenzy. People were leaving the scene even as you were still casting the spell. The council shouldn’t be able to track them all down. I think you’ve done it.”

“
Agreed,” Chadwick adds, looking much more certain than Lukas, but his eyes still watch the crowd. They are both nervous and on edge, yet neither said anything about the Chancellor. I should tell them, but what good would it do?

Besides, I’ve done it. Everyone knows what a woman can do. That we can be strong, and that we can do magic, just like men. No threat is going to stop that from happening now.

But there’s not going to be any celebrating anytime soon. Even the small amount of triumph coursing through me is dampened by whatever is worrying Lukas and Chadwick.

“
Neither of you ever answered my other question. Where were you this morning, Lukas? And where did you go off to when the law officers were trying to keep me from going in to the waiting area, Chadwick? Why are you both watching the crowd so much?”

Lukas looks at Chadwick, who shrugs one shoulder. Lukas says, “We’re almost entirely certain that the council isn’t coming after you. Yet.”

“Almost? Yet?” I don’t like the sound of either of those words.

He leans closer but not close enough that we’re touching. “There are no guarantees. The Chardonian council is entirely under the rule of the Grand Chancellor, and we can’t predict what he’ll do. But we’re hopeful.”

Guess hopeful is the best I’m going to get. “Then why are you still both on edge and keeping such a watchful eye out?”

Lukas scans the crowd, this time not looking at me at all. “The thing is, I was going to meet you this morning like we discussed, but I was, uh, detained. Physically detained, that is, by some warlocks who intended me harm.”

The worry I felt when he didn’t show blunders its way back in full force.

“
Don’t look at me like that,” he says. “I’m fine. I called for help and managed to escape unscathed. Though I distracted Chadwick when we found each other, which is why he was missing from protecting you.”

“
I wasn’t missing. I kept an eye out for her the whole time, even if she couldn’t see me.”

It’s nice to know that’s the case, though it would have been nice to know sooner. “I’m glad you’re both all right, but next time, why don’t you wave a giant, bright-orange spell instead of getting lost in the crowd so there’s no need to worry.”

“Fair enough,” Lukas says. “If it’s safe for me to, I will.”

I resist rolling my eyes and say to Chadwick, “Which means he won’t.”

He holds up both of his hands. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

“
I will,” Lukas reaffirms.

“
If it’s safe,” I counter.

“
Exactly.”

“
Which is great, except for the fact that it’s never safe.”

“
Glad you coul—wait no.” The tips of his finger rub against his temple. “I really will do it, if it’s safe.”

I shrug. Nothing is ever safe in Chardonia.

Lukas squeezes my hand, the gesture more reassuring than his words. “Let’s see about your first duel.”

Our hands fall apart, and immediately, mine is cold. But it’s important to stand on my own here, in front of the other duelers. I can’t show any sort of weakness. Really, I probably shouldn’t even be communicating with Lukas too much. Or maybe I should, and find other participants with similar values to be around as well. Maybe the more of them I can help to see me as a warlock, the better my casting spells and dueling will be taken. How many more of them exist?

As we make our way to the stone with the schedule spelled on it, the crowd grows thicker again. A warlock elbows me, another pushing his shoulder into me as he moves past. Maybe trying to get closer to them isn’t a reality. Magic will have to be the start, I guess.

We get to the line for the stone and wait at the end for our turn. Or rather, I try to wait my turn. First one warlock cuts in front of me, coming between me and Lukas before either of us realizes. Then another. And another. They keep cutting in front of me, not only shoving me farther to the back of the line, but farther from Lukas.

Chadwick stands firmly behind me, not letting their jostling displace him, but it’s probably easier to do with his large stature. The crowd’s fear of him doesn’t last, though. Soon, they’re jostling against him. A thin warlock slips between us and slams me forward. I tumble into the warlock ahead of me who shoves me back. Chadwick shoves the thin warlock from between us and grabs a hold of my arm. That firm pressure on my upper arm steels my nerves against the scream trying to claw its way from me.

Where are the law officers now? Except that’s a ridiculous thought. They’d only help shove me down. The warlocks seem to be gaining a rhythm to their shoving. The ones that cut me off leave with smirks in the same order they shoved me out of the way. A growly, half-scream spikes from me, but they only shove me harder.

Lukas is on the other side of the crowd from me. He’s pushing against the crowd, trying to break through to get to me. While I appreciate the thought, he can’t handle all of my problems. He’s taught me what I know. Now I just have to use it. Except, there’s no magic use in the dueler waiting area. To do so would get me banned. How am I supposed to see my dueling information without getting banned?

Chadwick is still firmly standing behind me, hand tight around my upper arm, so we don’t get separated.

I shake my head at Lukas and mouth, “I will handle this.” Without waiting to see his reaction, I tell Chadwick, “I have to fight my way there. Can you stay close and help act as a buffer?”

“
Do what you need to. I’ll follow.”

I stare straight at my goal, the stone glowing with today’s schedule, take a deep breath, and plunge into the hostile mob. Bruises must already be forming from everywhere they slam into my arms and stomach, but my back is protected by Chadwick’s fierce determination not to let me go. When I’m shoved, I shove back. When I’m elbowed, I elbow back. Each step taking me closer to the board, which I refuse to take my gaze from.

Shoving past the last warlock gives me such momentum, I slam against the stone. My face aches with victory. Chadwick turns around and holds his arms out, making it difficult for anyone to get past. Not knowing how long he can last, I quickly locate my name and dueling information for the day.

“
I’ve got it,” I tell Chadwick. And it feels good. Really good that I did it without Lukas. Except I still needed Chadwick’s help. I always need someone’s help.

Together, Chadwick and I make our way out. Going out is much easier than trying to fight in. There are only a few elbows and shoves, until we’re almost to Lukas, when a warlock sticks his foot out to trip me. I fly toward the ground, preparing myself to brace for a rough landing in the dirt, but hands reach out to grab each of my arms. Lukas and Chadwick.

Chadwick maintains his stoic expression, but Lukas’s jaw is clenched, his free arm raised up in a fist and headed toward the tripper. I grab for his arm, fearing he’s about to disqualify himself from the tournament. At my touch, he slows, and after a moment, he shakes his arm free of me. With a look I’m grateful isn’t directed at me, he says, “You’d better hope we’re not paired up in the tournament.”

The warlock has the decency to at least look scared, little good the expression does us.

We walk slower than I’d like but with purpose toward the free area of the clearing that we used before. It’s several minutes before Lukas finally calms down enough to speak.

“
Are you all right?”

“
I’m fine.”

His eyes scan my face, which must already be bruising by the feel of it. “No you’re not. If we could cast magic in the waiting area, I would heal you.”

It’s a good thing my clothes cover the rest of what must be bruised. My body is one giant ache. “Don’t worry about it. Truly I’m fine.”

Lukas looks at Chadwick as if to say, ‘she’s clearly delusional because it’s obvious she’s injured’ to which Chadwick shrugs back in a way that says, ‘what are you going to do?’

A huff escapes me. “I’m really fine. Chadwick can heal me once we’re on the field, and everything will be fine. It’s not like I’m bleeding to death. Don’t worry about it.”

Neither of them look like they really believe me, but they don’t belabor the point.

“Did you see it? If not, I can go back and look it up for you,” Lukas says.

“
Don’t worry. With Chadwick holding them off I managed. I only have one duel today. I’m at the smaller field in the far corner at eleven.”

“
Unusual for a first day.”

“
They probably don’t expect me to last through the one duel.” And honestly, I’m not sure if I expect me to either. I want to, but am I truly ready?

“
You’re about to surprise them, then,” Lukas says, and I try to believe it. “My first is on the opposite side of the field as you in twenty minutes.”

“
Guess that means we’ll be going our separate ways now.”

“
Guess so.” Lukas turns to Chadwick. “Take care of her.”

I want to bristle at his words, but the bruises are still too new and painful for me to think there’s not a reason for him to say them. Not only to say them but to mean them.

“I won’t let her out of my sight.”

“
Thank you.” He turns back to me and conversation stops. The noise from the participants around us is a dull background noise. Chadwick is kind enough to step back and watch the crowd, though he’s still close enough that if we did say anything, he’d still be able to hear it.

I can’t help but wish that we were dueling next to each other, that we didn’t have to part. Is he going to die today? Am I? The only words I can think of don’t seem like enough. The only thing that does seem like enough is to melt into him, to let his arms encircle me and keep me close and tight and safe.

But we agreed not to pursue that type of relationship until after this was all over. Which is just as well. I can’t be sure how all these warlocks around us would react to us hugging, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like whatever they would do. Instead, we just stare at each other, so close together, yet so far apart, unable to touch or talk. This may be the last we ever see of each other. And if we both do make it out of the day alive, we’ll have to go through this all over again the next day and the next, until the tournament is over.

Finally, he says, “Good luck.”

I have an overwhelming urge to kiss him before we part. To press my lips against his, to show him what he means to me, what my heart is growing to feel for him. But I settle for a smile, a real one. He returns it with his own heart-melting smile and is off before I can say good-bye.

Chapter Thirty-Two

The array of canopies covering the stands around the field is a varying rainbow of colors. Somehow they seem brighter, splashier than last year. Strolling through the waiting areas on the large field on my way to one of the small waiting areas, I realize something else. There are a lot of stands that aren’t covered. People still wear their country’s color in some form or another but are crowded together on benches raised up, one behind another. These grow in number the farther I get from the large field and closer to the smaller fields. Save the best for those who can afford their importance, I suppose.