Spell Fade (21 page)

“I thought I knew him,” Alain answered. “After what happened to your mother, though,” he lowered his head and shook it slowly. “It proved to me that you can never truly know someone.”

“Even yourself,” Dartan said, thinking of his life as it was just weeks before. It seemed so long ago now, and completely different.

“What?” Dartan looked up to find Alain staring hard at him.

“I was just saying you can’t even be sure of yourself sometimes,” Dartan said. When Alain didn’t respond, he added, “I was thinking of how much my life has changed.”

Alain nodded his head. “Yes, of course.” He flashed Dartan a weak smile. “What your father did was unforgiveable, and selfish.” A slow flame was growing in his eyes as he spoke. “Never mind what he took from Pavlora, but he killed the kindest, wisest, most beautiful woman I have ever come across in my very long lifetime.”

“You loved her, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question, and there was no pause before Alain answered.

“No, boy. I still love her. I will always love her.” Both men were silent for a few moments, lost in the lazily swirling mist around their feet. When Alain spoke again he kept his eyes on the mist. “The man I thought I knew died with the Queen, and I have not recognized him since.” He then looked up at Dartan, meeting his eye before continuing. “I think that’s why he gave you up. He wanted to save you from a lifetime of blame and shame.”

“From what I understand,” Dartan reasoned, “the kind of relationship you’re describing requires the participation of two people.” Alain was silent. Dartan drew a small breath before adding, “Sounds like both of my parents should share the blame equally. She must have cared deeply for him to risk so much.” The corners of Alain’s mouth twitched slightly, then formed into a thin smile.

“You are much like her,” Alain said. “She said nearly the exact same thing to me. With her final royal decree she made me swear not to blame or punish the man whom she loved so much – your father.” Dartan felt a smile tug at his own lips. Mother had often told him how much he reminded her of his birth mother. Hearing it from Alain made him think of both women. The smile and memory faded as Alain continued.

“Instead, I blamed myself – the wizard.”

“I don’t understand. Wasn’t it you who bestowed the gift of immortality to her?”

“Gift?!” Alain nearly laughed. “Try curse.”

“How could you consider eternal life a curse?”

“Because of the way it was bound to her.” Upon seeing the raised eyebrows of confusion on Dartan again, Alain anxiously stroked his beard before mumbling, “I must have been mad to think I had enough time to get him ready. There’s still so much he doesn’t know.” Too late now, though. The boy would learn much as he had himself – by doing. “Instead of using a spell stone, some magic can be bound and made permanent in other ways. In this case, I used her virginity, which contains a power of its own, capable of holding the spell.”

His eyes grew cloudy, and he lowered his head, speaking softly now. “When her maidenhood was lost, the spell was released, and she was no longer immortal. She wept then, but I swear they were tears of joy.” He looked back at Dartan. “The burden she had carried for centuries finally released, and she was able to experience the blissful act of full surrender to the passion she felt for her long time love. She would have gladly traded all of her years for a single lifetime with him.”

“Surely you could have done something,” Dartan said. “Cast another spell, or even find something else with which to bind the magic?” Alain shook his head. So much left to teach.

“Sensing a long overdue soul, Death wasted no time in mounting his pale steed, beginning his march to claim her. Once he has you marked, there is no magic I’ve found that can turn him away.”

Alain had grown tired as he spoke, and was once again leaning heavily upon his staff. What had happened to this Great Wizard, Dartan wondered. “What about you?” he asked. “To what is your immortality bound?”

“It has been my own will which has kept me alive all these years,” Alain confided. “A spell, renewed each and every morning.” He paused, his eyes growing cloudy again, but he kept them on Dartan. “Every morning, until the death of the Queen. After her passing, I couldn’t bring myself to cast the spell again.”

A thought occurred to Dartan. “What about my father? Surely my mother would have wanted me to know him.” He stared into Alain’s eyes. “Who is he?” Alain’s eyes widened a bit, then he disappeared. He was only gone a moment, but Dartan felt the disappearance itself was answer enough.

When Alain reappeared he had a look of concern on his face. “I’m afraid this is going to be quite unpleasant for you.”

“I don’t care,” Dartan remained firm. “I deserve to know who my father is.”

Alain dismissed this with a wave of his hand. “No, what I mean is you’re about to wake up … and you’re not going to be very happy about it.” A light, cold rain began to fall on Dartan, and only on him.

“We only have a few more seconds and I need to tell you what I’m sending you to retrieve.”

“It’s the spell stone, isn’t it?”

The rain was growing harder, and Alain stepped closer to be sure he could be heard. “No, you and the stone will find each other in due time. What lies in Varlain Pass is even more important right now.” Alain stood less than a meter away, but Dartan could barely see him through the sheets of rain now falling, and the pounding of the heavy drops threatened to drown out his voice as well. “Marcus knows the way, but you must hurry. The Northern Kingdom’s men must not be allowed to get their hands on it. Protect it at all costs.”

“What is it?” he felt his mouth say, but he couldn’t even hear himself over the roar of the water. This must be what it’s like under a waterfall, Dartan thought as he looked up. He half expected to see water pouring over a cliff above his head, but instead found himself barely able to open his eyes and his mouth instantly filled with the frigid water.

He lowered his head, coughing and struggling to catch his breath, vaguely aware that the rain had stopped.

“Are you alright?” he heard Aliet ask from his side. Dartan nodded his head weakly as the coughing fit lessened. He rubbed his eyes to clear his vision.

“Where’d he go?” Dartan asked groggily.

“Who?” Logan asked from in front of him.

“Alain,” Dartan answered, slowly realizing he was sitting in his bed.

“The wizard?” Aliet asked.

“Magic,” Logan stated. “I told you I felt magic.”

“Why am I soaking wet?” Dartan now noticed Logan standing over him with an empty bucket.

“She panicked,” Logan said, shoving the bucket into Aliet’s hands.

“I did panic,” Aliet admitted, then quickly threw the bucket back, hitting Logan in the chest, and added, “but the water was Logan’s idea.” Logan grunted with a loud exhale and staggered from the room.

“What exactly happened?” Dartan’s memory was fuzzy, as though he were trying to recall a dream. Aliet sat next to him and ran a hesitant hand through his soaked hair.

“Logan woke up with the feeling that magic was being used, so he came in here. He tried to wake you, but nothing worked. That’s when he came and got me. We both tried to wake you and I probably got a little frantic, which led Logan to try the water.” She put her hands into her lap and stared at them. “I think the worst part was when you called out my name.” She looked back into Dartan’s eyes. “What were you dreaming about?”

Dartan looked into Aliet’s eyes and saw a sparkle there, which brought back his entire dream in vivid detail. He lowered his head before she could see the embarrassment in his own eyes.

“I-I don’t really remember,” he fumbled, feeling even worse for lying.

“Well, you mentioned Alain,” she ventured.

“Yes,” he grabbed on to the new subject. “He visited me in my dream because it takes less magic.”

“Well?” she pressed. “What did he say?” The conversation played through his head again and he recalled the last thing Alain told him.

“We have to leave. Now.”

Chapter Twenty-one

“We have to leave.” Logan stared at the mountain pass as he spoke to Dartan.

“Is Farnir’s daughter really that bad?” Dartan asked with a smirk.

“Kari?” Logan whipped his head around. “What do you mean by that? What have you heard? Did she say something about me?” The questions came rapid fire, with no break for an answer.

Dartan held his hands up. “Calm down,” he said, smile still firmly in place. “It was just a joke.”

“Well, it wasn’t funny,” Logan huffed. “She’s a very lovely girl, and we had a wonderful time together.” The firm tone indicated he was finished talking about the subject, but Dartan was just getting started.

“Very lovely girl?” Dartan mocked. “Wonderful time?” He moved closer, squinted his eyes and studied Logan’s face. “Who are you?” he whispered, then laughed as Logan gave him a shove.

“Can we please focus and be serious for just a minute here?”

“Sure,” Dartan said. “I can. Can you keep your mind off Kari long enough?”

“Of course I can,” Logan shot back. “It’s not like I’m calling out her name in my sleep.”

“Fine, then,” Dartan conceded through clenched teeth. “Let’s be serious.” He took a breath before continuing. “I know we have to leave. I’m the one who told all of you what Alain said. Remember?”

“I’m not concerned with what the wizard may or may not have told you in a dream,” Logan said. “What does concern me is how much longer I’ll be able to ignore the pull.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you remember the story of how all these slayers came to be here? As if they were being called.”

“You mean the same call which you haven’t had even an inkling of a feeling?”

“That’s the one. Well, last night I started feeling something I can only describe as a call.”

“And this was while you were with Kari?” Logan answered the question with a hard glare. Dartan bowed his head. “Continue.”

“Actually, being with Kari is probably the only thing keeping me from running straight for Varlain Pass.” He saw the questioning look on Dartan’s face. “The call I’m feeling is trying to drag me up to that mountain pass.”

Both men turned and looked up at the deep V shape between the two mountain peaks. “We have to leave here soon,” Logan repeated. “Because if
we
don’t, then
I
will. Alone if necessary.”

A cold wind straight from the mountain swept past the two men, sending a shiver through both of them. Didn’t Dartan feel something calling him as well? Possibly, but looking down at his clothes, he knew for sure what else he was feeling.

“If we’re leaving any time soon, we need to get some warmer clothes,” Dartan said. Logan stiffened a bit against the bitter wind.

“What’s the matter?” Logan said with a grin. “Worried you’ll get cold without your fur-lined skirt?”

“Not worried at all,” Dartan said. “If I get too cold I’ll just set you on fire.”

“Now that,” Logan said with a clap a Dartan’s back, “is magic I don’t care to see.”

“You don’t want to see me wearing a skirt either.” Both laughed for a moment before they each turned for another glance at the mountain. There was definitely something up there for both of them, and each was eager to seek it out. It was this very eagerness that made Dartan feel uneasy. If not for the need of supplies, he had no doubt both of them would have started marching straight to … where exactly? Slowly Alain’s words came back to him. Marcus. Marcus knows the way.

By midday they were stocked and ready to go. As it turned out, while Dartan and Logan pined for the mountain and its secrets, Marcus had been preparing to leave. He had heard the words of the wizard from Dartan and acted on them, swiftly.

“I don’t understand.” Aliet stood as she had for the past five minutes, feet planted and arms folded.

“Why not?” Dartan had grown tired of discussing it. “What’s so hard to understand about ‘we’re leaving’?” Of their group, she was the only one who didn’t seem interested in leaving.

“How about
why
are we leaving?” she argued. “We just got here, and it would be rude to turn down their offer of shelter.”

Dartan threw up his hands in frustration. This argument was going nowhere except in circles. He then spotted Marcus headed their way. “Marcus!” he called out. “Could you please talk some sense into your sister?” Marcus was carrying three of their four fully-loaded packs in his arms when he stopped in front of Dartan. He stood there silently for nearly thirty seconds, simply staring at the two of them.

“Where has she spent nearly every waking moment since our parents passed and she became my responsibility?”

“Uh … ” Marcus’s continued glare made it hard to think, and Dartan fumbled for an answer. “With me, I guess,” he finally said.

Marcus nodded. “With you.” He leaned closer. “So, what makes you think she’s ever listened when I’ve tried to talk some sense into her?”

It was Dartan who stared now. The difference was, instead of a grim-lipped, wrinkled-brow glare, Dartan had an eyes-wide, open-mouthed vacant stare. Marcus simply grunted and moved along with his armful of supplies.

“You know he doesn’t like you very much, right?” Aliet whispered.

“Yeah, I got that,” he answered quickly. “I just don’t know why.” Aliet could only reply with shrugged shoulders, which irritated Dartan even more, and reminded him they were in the middle of an argument. An argument he was tired of having.

“We’re leaving now because Alain said we need to hurry. Period,” he said through gritted teeth.

Aliet blinked several times, surprised by the sudden and harsh response. “So, just because he says ‘go’, you’re ready to leave?”

“Yes. I’m ready, Logan’s ready, and apparently so is your brother.”

“Ha!” she laughed and pointed towards a couple embracing behind Dartan. “Does loverboy over there really look ready to go?”

Dartan glanced over his shoulder and saw Logan and Kari, intertwined with one another. “Logan!” he called out.

Logan broke free long enough to reply, “Waiting on you!”

Dartan looked back at Aliet with a raised eyebrow. She met his gaze and called back to Logan, “He’s ready!” Logan took one more long draught from the well of Kari’s lips, then turned, picked up his pack, and started at a brisk pace for the edge of town.