Sinners of Magic (15 page)

Although frightened, Matt found
his nerve and jumped from his seat, landing on the back of
Tremlon’s attacker. He flung his arms around the assailant’s neck,
pulling tight against the throat, trying to force him to let go.
The intruder retaliated by elbowing Matt in the gut and he fell to
his knees in agony before crouching into a ball in the snow, unable
to breathe. The attacker’s full attention turned back towards the
shape-changer. A second assailant who had been hiding downwind hit
the back of the wagon and overpowered the solitary guard. There was
a kerfuffle, the soldier clearly no match for the huge, powerful
frame which attacked him, and a sword pierced the soldier’s heart,
killing him with one, single thrust. He fell like a stone and hit
the ground with a soft thud.

For the first time in her life
Crystal didn’t know what to do, everything was happening so fast.
In a panic she threw herself onto the bare wooden floor of the
wagon, searching for some kind of weapon. She grappled with the few
bits of clothing and dirty rags that lay strewn about, but her eyes
filled with terror when she could find nothing to hand. She pushed
her rucksack out of the way, already aware there was nothing inside
that could help her, but caught sight of the goatskin bag and a
glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes. She reached out and grabbed
it, but before she had time to open the silver clasp, a
dark-skinned hand, smelling of horses and dried dirt, came out of
nowhere and assaulted her. She squealed when dirty fingers covered
her nose and mouth and she reached up, clawing at the hand which
threatened to suffocate her, her fingernails digging into the cold
flesh.

Her attacker appeared undaunted
by her struggle, simply gripping her tighter and forcing his free
arm around her waist. His solid frame, which she felt against her
back, was strong and unyielding. Fear filled her eyes as she was
dragged from the wagon and she felt bile rise in her throat when
she caught sight of Matt lying face down in the snow. A rough voice
barked an order and the ambushers ran, taking her with them. It was
clear she was being kidnapped and once her kidnappers had reached
their horses, a large canvas sack was pulled from a saddle bag and
shoved over her head.

They secured their captive
well, using strong rope which was bound around her waist, and
Crystal cried out, begging them to let her go, but her pleas simply
fell on deaf ears. Her arms were pinned to her side, making it
impossible for her to move, the rope was pulled so tight it cut her
flesh. Then she experienced a feeling of weightlessness and was
forced off her feet; she cried out again, her legs kicking wildly
as she tried to find solid ground. Stolen laughter was all she
could hear. She felt a rush of air before she connected with a hard
thump to her belly and was placed onto the back of a waiting mare.
Although disorientated, she heard men’s voices low and menacing
seeping through the sack and whilst she only caught wisps of
conversation, it was enough to turn her blind panic into fear.

‘
We must ride
straight to Forusian’s castle without delay,’ said a triumphant
voice. ‘The girl must be in his possession before King Gamada gets
a whiff of what has occurred here.’

Snorts of agreement filled the
air and Crystal could hear them ridiculing the elf king whilst they
hitched up their horses ready to ride. From their muffled
conversation, Crystal guessed they were no more than three
kidnappers. Her mind swirled with confusion. What did they want
with her? What had happened to Matt and Tremlon? Were they
seriously hurt? She blanched when she thought back to the scene at
the wagon and shivered. They’d been unable to fight off these
intruders and she gave a silent prayer in the hope that they were
both still alive. A cry broke out and the horses set off at a
fierce gallop. Their hooves pounded the snow, the hard ground
underneath their feet was solid like stone and unyielding and her
mind raced ahead, confused and frightened

*.

They had been riding for many
hours when there was a commotion and some kind of vocal command
rang out between the riders. Crystal’s stomach ached from the bumpy
ride and the queasy feeling she felt in her stomach would not leave
her bruised gut. As the horses slowed, she feared what was going to
happen to her once she reached her final destination.

‘
Where is
she?’ demanded a voice she didn’t recognise. She took a breath when
strong arms dragged her from the horse and she fell to the floor,
the impact almost winding her. Rough hands picked her up and she
struggled until she was thrown over someone’s shoulder, her legs
kicking out in fury.

‘
Careful, you
idiots,’ the voice scolded, ‘I told you she is not to be harmed and
take off that stupid rag thing that’s covering her face. I want to
see my prized possession in one piece and not as damaged
goods.’

Crystal was thrown onto her
feet and from somewhere behind her a guard stepped forward and cut
the rope that bound her wrist with one swift slice of a dagger. The
sack was then whipped off her head and as soon as it was lifted,
daylight blinded her and she raised her hand to protect her eyes.
Her damp hair was clinging to her face and her clothes were torn
and dishevelled, but she saw none of this and once her eyes grew
accustomed to the glare of daylight she concentrated on rubbing her
aching wrists, which were bloody and sore. Soon horror filled her
eyes when she turned and stared at the guard, for he had removed
his hooded clothing to reveal he wasn’t anything remotely human and
a blood-curdling scream left her stricken lips.

‘
Oh, my god!’
she shrieked, trying to control the instinct to run. ‘What the hell
are you?’ She stepped away, unable to look at the hideous creature
for a moment longer and turned to face the person who owned the
voice of command.

‘
Oh my, we
have a feisty one here,’ said her captor, shading his eyes to get a
better look. ‘Now, let’s stay calm, no one’s going to hurt
you.’

‘
What?

‘
Mmm, I see,’
he continued, scrutinising Crystal from head to toe, ‘you’re not
what I expected at all.’ The male standing in front of her shifted
from one foot to the other, unable to take his sharp, green eyes
off her.

‘
Now before
we go any further, let me introduce you to my loyal subjects,’ he
said, pointing towards the guard. ‘These creatures are the Nonhawk,
a powerful combination of pure muscle, self-pity and greed, yes
they are a little strange looking, but their loyalty to me as king
is beyond all doubt.’

Crystal looked back at the
guard, it was the closest thing to an alien she’d ever seen. Its
green skin was thick and cratered and its eyes were nothing more
than two black holes in its huge, ugly face, staring back at her,
dull and lifeless. She turned back to glare at her captor.

‘
Who are
you?’ she demanded, feeling the welts on her wrist disappear. ‘And
why is it you’re so different to them?’

‘
Well, well,
my manners are known to be appalling,’ he said, giving a little
snort. ‘Let me introduce myself. I am King Forusian, ruler of the
Nonhawk, and I see it hasn’t escaped your attention that I am not
of their blood, but I am their king. Anyway, enough about me. Are
you alright? I’m sorry about your little ‘‘detour’’ but I’m afraid
my needs are foremost.’

The person standing in front of
her was indeed no Nonhawk warrior, and she couldn’t help noticing
how young and handsome he appeared to be. His thick raven-black
hair was smooth and sleek, falling against his forehead and
softening his face. His eyes were the greenest she had ever seen,
like the ocean in the middle of summer and his smile totally
dazzling. He was not a tall man, indeed his height could be seen as
a disadvantage. His legs were thin and bony, almost wasted, and it
appeared only the top half of his body could ever be appealing.

Crystal bit her lip; she sensed
an underlying danger behind those soft green eyes.

‘
Come, come,
don’t be shy,’ Forusian said, waving his hand for her to follow
him. ‘I wouldn’t want my new guest to think me unwelcoming.’ The
guard pushed the butt of his sword into the crook of her back. She
flinched, turned and glared at him, but he ignored her penetrating
stare.

‘
Keep up,
keep up, there’s a good girl,’ ordered Forusian, walking away.
‘That’s it, just follow me, I’m sure you would love a tour of the
castle, everyone does, you know.’

It appeared the castle was
perched on a high cliff face at the very edge of the sea. A
solitary seagull sent a hysterical cry above her head; the shrill
of its wail pierced the grey sky and Crystal shivered.

‘
Where am I?’
she asked, noticing that not a single flake of snow had fallen
here.

‘
Why, you’re
in my kingdom,’ Forusian answered with a pearly, white smile, ‘and
you’re my most welcomed guest.’

The guard grunted for her to
move on and Crystal took a step forward, reluctant to obey. Gravel
crunched under her feet when she made her way to the main entrance,
following Forusian who took her into a great hall.

‘
Well, what
do you think, do you like it?’ he asked, waving his hands in the
air when they entered. Crystal fell silent and Forusian appeared
not to notice.

‘
I was given
this castle as a
present
from a scheming goblin owing me a considerable
amount of money due to bad investments. I gave him an offer he
couldn’t refuse: either surrender his abode to me or die,’ he let
out with a sudden chuckle. ‘So, here we are.’

Crystal pulled her lips tight,
realising he liked the sound of his own voice to echo from the four
walls. She needed to know why she was here before she could work
out a plan of escape, so she decided to bide her time and try to
stay out of trouble. She didn’t know if Forusian was dangerous, but
her intuition told her to be wary, very wary.

‘
Here we are
at the King’s Hall,’ he said, laughing as though he had said
something amusing. He turned to her, his face bright and cheerful.
‘Well, it is a hall and I am the king, so I guess that’s as good a
name as any, don’t you think?’

The two Nonhawk warriors
guarding the doors to the King’s Hall pushed them aside to allow
the king and his entourage to enter. The room was spectacular, with
fine, tall lancet windows and a hammer-beam roof. The dining table
placed on a raised platform in the centre of the room was made from
the highest quality walnut and looked to be able to seat at least
sixty people with ease. Crystal noticed the table was already set
with silver cutlery and the finest cut-glass crystal. Nine
candelabras stood in a row, creating a wonderful display of
grandeur. The ornate mantelpiece framed the fireplace, which
crackled with life. Hanging high above the mantle sat a
larger-than-life-sized portrait of King Forusian.

‘
Isn’t it a
wonderful painting?’ He gushed, when he caught her stare. ‘I just
love looking at it, it’s so me!’ he giggled, putting his hand to
his chest in an act of self-modesty. ‘I really am a lucky fellow to
be blessed with such devilish good looks and to have all the power
which I possess. I guess you could say I got the cake and ate the
hand that baked it too.’

Forusian moved towards Crystal
with a light step.

‘
You’re quite
a delightful dish to feast my eyes upon and I just love your
deliciously long hair. What colour is that? It’s in fact quite
dazzling.’ Crystal stared at him in disbelief; was this guy for
real?

‘
Cat got your
tongue, eh? Well, I guess it’s not every day you get to be in a
castle with a real king, you must be quite in awe of it all, sweet
girl. Still plenty more to show you, so let’s not sit and chat here
or we’ll never get finished.’

Forusian took Crystal on a tour
of the castle, which lasted for over an hour, and all the time she
was followed by two Nonhawk soldiers. Afterwards, he led her back
to the King’s Hall, which also gave access to his private
chambers.

‘
I have
decided to put you in the red room,’ he told her. ‘I thought it
would be appropriate with the colour of your hair. Dinner’s at
eight and I don’t expect you to be late. I thought we could eat in
the drawing room, it’s much less informal in there.’

Forusian nodded to the guard to
take Crystal away. He gave her a sharp nudge and once they reached
her room, he pushed her inside and locked the door behind her. His
footsteps melted away and she gazed around the bedroom, taking in
her surroundings. She could see why it was called the red room, the
main feature being a solid oak four-poster bed; delicate carvings
of beautiful young maidens were portrayed in great detail on the
wooden bedstead, each bolster wrapped in a rich-red velvet curtain,
finished off with twisted gold braid trimmings. The chairs were
covered in a rich scarlet fabric and a bright-red chaise longue
dominated her view of the window, which was barred.

A tall, thin cabinet stood
against the far wall covered in gold and on the top sat a realistic
figurine of a fawn which reminded her very much of Mr Tumnus, with
his cloven hooves and human face, and when she reached out and
touched his horns with her fingertips, much to her amazement he
started playing a haunting melody on his pipes. It took a while,
but once she grew tired of him she noticed there was a small door
which opened to the bathroom, and she pushed the door ajar and took
a peek inside.

The room was surprisingly
sparse, but a silver swan was perched on the far wall, with its
wings cradled to catch the water that flowed from its smooth,
elongated beak. Fresh towels sat on a set of carved wooden drawers,
each embroidered with a regal ‘F’, and she thought the shape of the
toilet looked decidedly unusual. She noted that clean clothes were
draped over a chair and, looking down, realised her own were filthy
and torn.