Sinners of Magic (20 page)

A cool breeze started to blow,
the evening temperature dropping to its chilliest. Matt pulled his
jacket closer and watched Arhdel pull his blanket tight around his
body. Turning his face away from the flames, he shut his eyes and
allowed the darkened images inside his mind to dance behind his
lids.

‘
Are you
okay?’

Matt jumped, startled.

‘
I didn’t
mean to ...’ Arhdel came and sat beside him, resting his hands on
his knees. His gaze was upon the fire. ‘It’s going to get much
worse,’ he said into the flames. ‘It’s a terrible risk we take, not
even knowing if we are going to succeed.’ He turned his head and
saw bewilderment illuminating Matt’s face. ‘It’s an experience you
never wanted, I know, and you find yourself in the midst of a
battle which you should never have been part of.’

‘
You’re
right, I shouldn’t be here,’ Matt snapped, a little too harshly.
‘This was never my fight from the very start.’

‘
Evidently,
but you’re here to fight for Crystal, are you not?’

Matt winced.

‘
Yes,’ he
said, still feeling grouchy, ‘and I won’t leave here without
her.’

‘
Then your
fate is sealed,’ said Arhdel, looking troubled. ‘My only hope is
that you live to tell the tale and get her home safely.’

Chapter
10

Crystal had been a prisoner in
Forusian’s castle for five days. For most of that time she’d been
locked away in her room, allowed out only for meals and the
occasional walk in the grounds, followed at all times by a Nonhawk
soldier. Since her arrival Forusian had acted the part of the
perfect host, but he’d upset her by taking her amulet, claiming it
was simply for safekeeping. He still hadn’t explained why he’d
kidnapped her or of what value she appeared to be to him and when
she tried to broach the subject at dinner, he simply changed the
topic with a flurry of his hand.

The sun was setting when the
guard knocked on her bedroom door and proclaimed it was time for
supper. When she arrived in the drawing room, Forusian was sat at
the head of the table just like he did every night. Candles were
lit and the fire tended, but Crystal sensed something was
different. She looked down at the table. The food was just as
lavish, the wine plentiful, but the atmosphere was – charged.

Forusian waved for her to sit
down and once she was seated they ate in silence, which was rather
unusual. The fire crackled, breaking the eerie silence that was
growing between them, and Crystal shifted uncomfortably in her
chair. She saw the king was dressed in a new suit and his crisp
white shirt stood out against his clean, tanned skin. She thought
he looked extremely smart dressed in that particular shade of blue
and felt her eyes draw towards his handsome face. She dragged her
eyes away and sliced through the ham which had been placed on her
plate, trying to concentrate on chewing her food instead. Forusian
suddenly cleared his throat and she looked up expectantly; she
watched him wipe his mouth before taking a gulp of wine.

‘
I hope you
are not missing your home too much,’ he said, placing the goblet on
the table.

‘
Why do you
care?’ she asked, her long lashes hiding a sudden awareness in her
eyes. A shadow appeared to pass over his face and she sensed he had
something important on his mind.

‘
Do you like
my castle?’ he asked, flinging out his hand and pointing to the
four walls.

‘
Well, what
I’ve seen of it, yes,’ Crystal replied, replacing her knife and
fork back onto the table. ‘However, I wish you wouldn’t have me
shut away in my room like some common criminal,’ she added, pushing
her plate aside, her food barely touched. She looked at him
thoughtfully for a moment and then she said, ‘Tell me, Forusian,
what’s wrong with you tonight?’

‘
Oh, why
nothing, my dear, I would just like to see you more settled, that’s
all.’

‘
You would?
Why is that, have you suddenly found you own a conscience?’ she
mocked.

Forusian almost choked on a
piece of meat and his fingers reached for his goblet, and after
taking a huge gulp of wine he said, ‘Tell me, Crystal, could you
actually learn to like me?’

Crystal looked shocked by his
question and the glow from the fire did nothing to hide the redness
held in her cheeks.

‘
That’s a
very strange question to ask someone you are holding against their
will,’ she answered in a huff.

Forusian sighed deeply and was
just about to say something when there came an unexpected knock on
the door; or was it expected, Crystal wondered, when he shot her a
devious glance and she watched his demeanour change before her
eyes.

A soldier entered the room, his
clothes were dusty from the road and he looked uncomfortable when
he saw the princess sitting at the table.

‘
Forgive me,
sire,’ he began, ‘but I bring important news from Raven’s Rainbow.’
Forusian jumped to his feet and flashed a look of excitement
towards the messenger. He pushed his chair away from the table with
an eager hand and then proceeded to lead the soldier to the
library. He turned suddenly, remembering he was about to leave
Crystal all on her own.

‘
Excuse me
for a moment, my dear, whilst I talk to my messenger. Please make
yourself comfortable, for I won’t be too long.’

Crystal watched him leave
through a small side door and after waiting only a few seconds she
quickly followed him. In his excitement, Forusian had forgotten
there were no guards to stop her from doing so and she saw him
enter the library before tiptoeing slowly towards it.

She pushed her red hair behind
her ear and then pressed it against the wooden door. She could hear
them talking but their voices were muffled and she strained to hear
what was being said, so she pressed her ear a little harder against
the panel.

‘
That is
excellent news,’ Forusian was heard saying to his messenger. ‘So my
mole really did know the soldier was going to alert
Bridgemear.’

‘
Yes, indeed,
sire,’ a voice replied.

‘
You were not
seen?’

‘
No, my lord.
We used the spell you gave us to make us invisible; the wizard will
never suspect it was you who set up the ambush.’

‘
Marvellous,
this really is good news for I mustn’t have Bridgemear dropping by
and spoiling all my plans. No, you and your men have done well,’
Forusian said, and Crystal heard someone gulp down a
drink.

‘
Also, I need
to add that we must ensure that no one from the elf kingdom knows
we have captured one of their warriors, otherwise I will have them
knocking at my door and this could lead them straight to my hidden
jewel.’

Crystal digested every word,
conscious she was probably the jewel he was speaking of. Hope
filled her heart though when she learned someone from the elf realm
had been captured, believing it to be Arhdel or Tremlon; if it was
true and one of them was really here in the castle then perhaps she
could free them and in return they could help her escape. But as
she listened a little longer, she was distraught to find out it was
no one she knew at all.

Their voices changed to
laughter and Crystal realised their conversation was concluding so
she rushed back to the drawing room, a cloud of disappointment
following close on her heels. Her thoughts were filled with worry.
Where were Matt and Tremlon? Was it possible they had not figured
out she had been captured by this mad king? Perhaps Forusian had
been clever enough to cover his tracks?

She slid back into her chair,
her heart thumping against her ribs and her breath turning short.
She inhaled, trying to calm herself so he would not suspect she had
been eavesdropping on him and, flustered, she grabbed at the goblet
of wine, accidentally knocking it over and spilling the contents
all over the beautiful cloth. She struggled to soak up the wine
with her napkin, but there was far too much to make a difference
and all she managed to do was spread the stain a little further.
Forusian re-entered the drawing room and watched her trying to mop
up the liquid as best she could.

‘
Come, come,’
he said, sounding relaxed, ‘don’t worry about that, it’s only a
little wine and I have many more of those frilly things to cover my
table.’ He walked over to her and touched her hand with
his.

‘
Leave it,’
he commanded. ‘The servants will clear it away.’

‘
I’m so
sorry,’ she said, pulling her hand away. ‘I’m not usually so
clumsy.’

‘
Forget it at
once and come and sit by the fire, the nights are chilly and I wish
to speak with you about something which concerns you.’

‘
Oh, what is
it?’ she gasped in surprise. ‘Is it something serious?’

‘
Well, it’s
just that I have something important to ask you,’ he said,
seemingly struggling to find the right words. ‘More of a
proposition really.’ Forusian gestured for her to sit by the fire.
He pointed to a particular chair situated close to the flames and
Crystal found herself drawn towards it. She sat down and started
fidgeting, causing the light from the flickering flames to dance
upon her skin and Forusian caught his breath at her beauty. He had
to admit she was like a newly formed rosebud, ready to be plucked
from the stem of life and her frightened eyes made him pull his own
chair closer. No sooner had he made himself comfortable than he was
jumping from his chair as though he’d been electrocuted, throwing
himself at the mercy of her feet.

Startled, Crystal pushed back
her chair and tried to stand, but he held her feet fast and her
hands flew to her mouth, unable to hold back a choking sob.

‘
Do not be
afraid of me,’ he pleaded, seeing the terror in her eyes, ‘for I
wish you no harm.’

He sighed, shaking his
head.

‘
I shall just
come out with it,’ he declared, sitting up and bending on one knee,
his face lifted with expectancy when he tried to grab her hand in
his.

‘
I know this
may seem a little unexpected, but Crystal, child of the elf realm,
will you do me the greatest honour and become my wife?’

Chapter
1
1

Deep in the belly of Forusian’s
castle ran a maze of dark and dangerous dungeons. Nekton and
Amadeus had been thrown into prison by their captor and they sat
huddled together in the dirty stench of a fleapit. When they
arrived at the castle, fighting and clawing at the guards, they had
expected to be tortured by the Nonhawk but instead they were taken
down to the murder holes and kept there like caged animals, fed
only pitiful scraps of rotting food to help keep them alive.

‘
We’ve got to
get out of here,’ said Amadeus, when the guard threw yet another
lump of foul-smelling mess onto his plate.

‘
And how do
you propose we do that?’ asked Nekton, when his own food plopped in
front of him.

‘
I’m not too
sure,’ replied Amadeus, flashing him a look, ‘but I can’t stay in
this hellhole for very much longer.’

Nekton reached out for the
plate and began to eat; he went to take a second mouthful but
stopped midway, his face turning green. He dropped the plate to the
floor, turned and heaved the contents of his stomach into the
farthest corner. Maggots spewed from his mouth and Amadeus’s lips
hardened in disgust.

‘
You’re
right,’ Nekton choked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
‘We must get out of here soon. If I stay in this stinking place
much longer I will die from starvation, for I refuse to eat
maggots, whether they be full of protein or not.’

‘
Then we must
come up with a plan,’ said Amadeus, nodding in agreement. ‘I think
I could have one almost hatched inside here,’ he said, tapping the
side of his head. ‘It’s time we put my half-cooked idea into
action; after all, we have nothing to lose but our
lives.’

Amadeus bent down and drew a
sketchy plan in the dirt with his fingertips. Nekton grew excited
with each detail Amadeus added to the earth.

‘
It might
just work,’ said the dwarf with an encouraging smile, his stubby
fingers tracing the outline of sand. ‘Anything is worth a
try.’

‘
Let’s do it
tonight,’ said Amadeus, his eyes glistening with excitement. ‘I’ve
noticed we’re watched by only one guard once they have finished
dishing out that slop they call food.’

Their bid for freedom came just
a few hours later when the guards changed shift for the night.

‘
Help!’
shouted Amadeus sounding desperate. ‘I think my companion’s
dead.’

A solitary guard looked through
the spy hole in the centre of the door and watched Amadeus lean
over the dwarf. The solider noted Amadeus’s distress and, sliding
back the bolt, opened the door with extreme caution.

‘
Get him out
of here,’ Amadeus begged, jumping away from Nekton’s still body.
‘He’s probably riddled with disease.’

‘
You,’ said
the guard, pointing his sword and twitching it to the left, ‘move
away from the door.’

Amadeus did as he was told,
dropping his gaze in an attempt to portray submission. The guard
was holding his sword in one hand and a slop bucket in the other.
He placed the bucket on the ground whilst he locked the door behind
him and cautiously made his way towards Nekton. He bent over the
body to get a better look, nudging the dwarf with the tip of his
sword.