The Wizard Heir (11 page)

Jason had totally nailed Leicester's stuffy
private-school British accent, and Seph couldn't help laughing. “What's he
want with them?”

“I don't know, exactly,” Jason admitted.
“But if you have even two or three wizards, you have an army. He trains
some of them, anyway. That's what the library is for. All magic and poisons and
incantations. Huge section on attack spells. Some of the alumni have spent
years studying here. Leicester's in no hurry, because wizards live a long time.
He hits pay dirt probably only once every two or three years. I came last year
as a kind of bonus, but I haven't worked out very well. But, you—” Jason
smiled crookedly. “Powerful as you are? He's never going to let you
go.”

“What makes you think I'm powerful?” Seph
was absurdly flattered.

“Trust me. That's why you've been having so much
trouble. When you don't know how to use it or dissipate it, magic builds up and
eventually explodes. It's like shaking a bottle of soda.”

“But what's he going to do with an army of
wizards?” Seph persisted.

“Did you hear what happened at Raven's
Ghyll?”

Raven's Ghyll. That girl Alicia had mentioned it at
the warehouse. “Some kind of tournament?”

Jason settled back on the bench. "I hate to break
this to you, but as a rule, wizards are nasty people. They're powerful,
capricious, ruthless, egotistical, used to getting their own way. That's being
kind. There are two great wizard Houses, the Red Rose and the White. They
started fighting back during the War of the Roses, if you know your British
history. After a couple centuries of bloodshed, they adopted a document called
the Rules of Engagement. Without it, they might have wiped themselves
out years ago.

"For hundreds of years, the only sanctioned
fighting they've done is through the Game. Even in the tournaments, the
fighting is done by warriors, not wizards. It's a fight to the death. They use
medieval weapons, and it's all really structured under the rules. The winning
house controls the Hoard: a crapload of property, magical artifacts, and like
that. Still, there's a lot of unofficial bloodshed and intrigue that
goes on behind the scenes. They call that wizard politics.

"There was this tournament at Raven's Ghyll last
spring. An army of ghosts showed up, the players revolted, and the rules were
changed. They established a sanctuary— in Ohio, of all places. Some little town
called Trinity.

“Since then, the Roses have been conspiring,
trying to figure out how to retain control of the Hoard and regain control of
the other guilds.” He paused. “You know about the other guilds?”

Seph nodded. “Sorcerers, seers, warriors, and
enchanters. I know a lot about sorcerers. Less about the others.”

“They've been dominated by wizards, because
wizards can shape magic with charms. But they each have their own special
talent. Sorcerers are good with materials, magical objects, potions, plants,
and like that. Seers have the gift of prophecy. Warriors kick butt in a fight.
Enchanters …” Here he smiled dreamily. “Enchanters have the gift of
charisma. They cloud the mind and stimulate the—ah—senses.”

“Okay.” Seph had never heard the guilds
described in just that way before.

“I've never met an enchanter,” Jason said,
rather wistfully. "So. The Roses have established something called The
Council of Wizards, supposedly to facilitate planning of the Interguild Council
required by the new rules.

“There's also an underground interguild network
led by someone called the Dragon. They've managed to keep the Roses occupied fighting
among themselves. They intercept messages, plant false ones, blow things up.
After the council refused to give up the Hoard, the Dragon's operatives began
raiding weapons caches all over the world. When I get out, I'm joining up with
him. Or her. I figure any enemy of Leicester is an ally of mine.”

“So is Leicester working for the Roses?”
Seph asked. “I got the impression he's not.”

“Leicester's in league with another powerful
wizard, name of D'Orsay, who is Gamemaster of the Council. They have meetings
up here sometimes. They're planning something, and you know it has to involve
the alumni. It may be the wizard wars, all over again.”

“How did you end up here?” Seph asked.

Jason hunched his shoulders and looked away. "I'm
the product of a mixed marriage. My mother was a hedge wizard—an expert in
spirituality and Old Magic. My father was Anaweir. He wasn't exactly okay with
the occult, so she downplayed her gift. When I came along, she taught me some
easy charms, how to use talismans, kids' stuff, mostly. It took me a long time
to understand that the magic was in us and not in the tools and incantations.

“She died when I was thirteen. Really young for a
wizard.” He seemed to be picking his way carefully. “Anyway, my
father remarried, this time to an Anaweir woman. They were happy, but I was
pissed off. My mom had dropped this big load on me and there was no one I could
talk to, no one to teach me. I didn't get along with my stepmother.”

His face twisted, a recollection of old pain.
“They both acted like I was crazy or dangerous or something. They were
probably right. I knew how to stay out of trouble, but I didn't. The courts got
involved. So they sent me here. I actually thought it might be … better. To get
away, I mean.” He laughed bitterly. “I was wrong.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I'm a senior. I came midway though my junior
year.”

“Why'd you come back?” Seph demanded.
“I'd do anything to get out of here.”

“I never left. He kept me here all summer, some
bull about making up work in summer school.” Jason rolled his eyes.
“That was a treat. Me and Leicester and the zombies in the Alumni Club. He
got to me too late. I know too much about Old Magic to agree to any kind of
linkage.” He fumbled in his jacket pocket, pulled out a pack of
cigarettes. His hands shook, and it took him three tries to strike a match. The
flame threw the angular bones of his face into sharp relief. “See, I'm
like you, Seph. Nobody's got the frickin' porch light on for me.”

There was nothing to say to that, so Seph didn't say
anything.

Jason waved away the smoke and the sentiment.
“Whoa. Didn't mean to get maudlin. Anyway. I'm not staying much longer.
I'm here for two reasons. For one, I'm teaching myself wizardry, and their
library is amazing. Secondly, I'm trying to find out what D'Orsay and Leicester
are planning. If I want to join the Dragon, I figure I'd better bring something
to the table.”

Seph studied him skeptically. “How are you going
to get away? I've been trying to leave since September. Even when I make it to
the edge of the campus, I can't get past the wall.”

“It's a wizard wall. A magical barrier. You'll
never get near enough to climb it, and forget about finding the gate.”
Jason seemed to relish the role of expert.

“So how are you going to get out?”

“That's one of the things I'm researching. That
bastard won't keep me here when I'm ready to go.” Jason had a reckless
confidence that Seph envied.

Seph sorted through his mental list of questions.
“If your mother was a wizard, that is, if women can be wizards, then why
would Leicester start a boys' school?”

Jason snorted. “Probably has more to do with
Leicester's attitude toward women than anything else. Not exactly collegial, if
you know what I mean.”

“How'd you do that thing in the library? The
invisibility thing.”

“Unnoticeable. It's a charm that acts on the
observer. A subtle difference. What's invisible? You? Your clothes? The
stuff you're carrying around? The unnoticeable charm requires a talisman. An
artifact of magic. Barber and Conroy didn't notice us, but we were
unchanged. The only thing is, you can't cast spells while you're unnoticeable.
Because charms are noticeable, of course.”

Of course. “How does Leicester do it? The
nightmares, I mean?”

Jason shrugged. “He's a wizard. It's a charm of
some kind, probably a spoken one. It wouldn't be too hard, I guess, since it's
used against people with no training.”

“I don't get it. He's a trained wizard. There's
got to be another way he can get what he wants.”

“He can use High Magic to make you crazy, but not
to make you submit. Linkages are tricky. They have to be voluntary. Plus,
linkages go both ways. So there's always the chance that he'll encounter a
wizard more powerful than he is, and then he'd be toast.” At Seph's blank
look, he added impatiently, “This is Old Magic. He uses it because other
wizards aren't familiar with it, but he's not an expert, either.”

“What's the difference between Old Magic and High
Magic?”

“Old Magic is more basic, hedge wizards and
backstreet conjurors use it. There's a lot of blood sacrifice and
whatnot.”

“He has this staff he uses in the ceremony.”

“Yup. Probably has a magical element in it. You
know, a dragon scale or something.” Seph couldn't tell if he was joking or
not.

Seph stuffed his frozen hands into his pockets.
“What happened with Sam and Peter?”

“Sam and Peter.” Jason looked away and
kicked at an icicle on the underside of the bench. It exploded into shards of
glittering ice. "I had this idea for a coup. I mean, you could tell the
alumni were miserable and the Anaweir were scared. I figured if we all joined
together, we could win.

“Peter was the only other gifted student who
hadn't joined. Sam was Peter's best friend. Anaweir, but fearless. They were up
for it.” Jason fell silent for a moment, staring bleakly out into the
seats.

“It was doomed from the start. The alumni are
totally under Leicester's control. Magically, at least. Worse than useless.
Someone told Leicester. He threatened to kill Sam, and Peter caved and agreed
to link.” Jason smiled bitterly. “Afterward, Peter needed to be
taught a lesson and Sam was expendable, so they killed him.” He looked up
at Seph. “And, no, I can't prove it. But it's true.”

“What'd he do to you?” It seemed like a
personal question, but Seph had to ask.

“Well. He didn't kill me. I'm too valuable an
asset, potentially, at least. And he and his buddies are leery about physical
punishment that leaves evidence. But as you know, he can be very
creative.” Jason swallowed hard and stared down at the snow.

Seph shuddered, looking about the chapel. “How do
you do it? How've you lasted so long? He's been at me night and day with dreams
and hallucinations. I'm literally going crazy. I don't know how much longer I
can take it.” It didn't make him feel any better to know that Leicester
would be back in a few days.

“You promised you wouldn't give in, remember?
We'll both be screwed if you do.”

“I'm doing the best I can.”

Jason smoked in silence for a few minutes, flicking
ash onto the snow. He seemed to be grappling with an important decision.
Finally, he shrugged. “Okay. I'm already halfway in, I might as well go
all the way.” He stared up at the sky. “Look, Seph, I can teach you
how to deal with the dreams. But if Leicester finds out I'm helping you, we'll
both end up in his zombie army.”

Seph straightened, suddenly hopeful. “If I could
just get some sleep, I think I could hold out indefinitely,” he said.

Jason took a long drag on the cigarette, released a
spiral of smoke. “How do I know you're not a spy for Leicester?”

Seph shrugged. “I was thinking the same thing
about you.”

Jason put his hand on Seph's shoulder and stared into
his eyes.

“I'm guessing you're for real,” Jason said
finally. “You don't have that dopey look I'm used to seeing. All
right.” He stood, grinning crookedly, and stubbed out the cigarette.
“Now I'll take you to my lair.”

They walked back through the woods toward the Alumni
House, following the path Seph had broken through the snow on his way out. When
the wind caught the tops of the pines, snow cascaded down around them, some of
it finding its way under the collar of Seph's jacket. Under the clear sky, the
heat of his body bled away, leaving him shivering. Jason's light jacket hung
open, and he didn't react to the cold at all. He stopped just inside the edge
of the trees.

“Hold on to my arm, and be quiet.” Jason
muttered his words of magic and disappeared, but Seph could still feel his arm
under his fingers. “No one will notice you, either,” the voice said.
The invisible, or rather, unnoticeable Jason led Seph out of the woods and
across the lawn to the Alumni House. They entered the front hallway and passed
through the common room. Martin and Peter were sprawled in front of the TV,
playing cards, but they didn't acknowledge their passage. Jason led Seph to the
staircase at the back of the building, and then down the steps to the basement.

There were workout rooms at the base of the stairs,
then more offices and storage rooms. Jason went on past them down two
intersecting corridors to a door at the end. The door opened, and he was
propelled inside. The door slammed shut behind them, and a bolt slid home on
the inside. There was more scrambled Latin, and then Jason reappeared, laughing
at the startled expression on Seph's face.

“If they have cameras everywhere, aren't you
afraid we'll be spotted in here?” Seph asked, looking around the room.

“Oh, I handled that. I've provided them with an
alternate sound and video. Wizards call that a glamour. It's a sensory
charm that works whether you're there or not.” Jason hit a button on his
CD player and music erupted from the speakers. Despite being in the basement,
his room was comfortable. He had his own refrigerator and private bath. Ceramic
tile covered the floor, and rows of bookshelves, mostly empty, lined the walls.
A computer desk stood against the far wall. The open walls were papered with
music posters. Jason pointed to an upholstered chair. “Have a seat.”

Seph dropped into the chair. “Why are you staying
over here if you're not one of the alumni?”