Adamagika: The Spirit Within - 36. Ch 36: Betrayed

CHAPTER 36: Betrayed

I didn’t know how long we’ve been flying nor how far we’ve flown, but I started hearing voices. Well it wasn’t anything new. I’ve been hearing them for a long time but these voices were different. First, there were many talking at the same time. Second, all of the voices belonged to men, and they were quite agitated. I thought I was dying and hearing voices from beyond, probably an unhappy beyond if all that awaited me were disgruntled old men.

Well, I wasn’t dying. No, that wasn’t quite right. Actually, I was dying except the voices were not from an unhappy beyond or any beyond for that matter. I may not have lived the most generous life but if I were to live again, I was certain it wouldn’t be to the entertainment of grumpy old men. Life just wasn’t nice like that.

“I found him!” one particularly loud voice yelled. Moments later a stalwart gryphon of blue and green feathers, glinting in the morning sun swerved beside me. Aida sensed the new gryphon’s presence but stayed her course.

The gryphon rider who was clad in tattered blue robes had a look of relief on his face, which quickly turned to worry and alarm. His eyes suddenly widened as he took in what he was seeing. “Oh god, he’s been burned. We need a healer, now!” he said apparently into his helmet. Gently, he spoke up again, “Adam, what’s your gryphon’s name?”

“A… Ai…” I cringed unable to bear the pain that was overwhelming every bit of me. I couldn’t even say her name. It took me awhile but I finally managed to choke out Aida.

“That’s a very pretty name. Aida, do you think we can settle him down in that open patch of grass over there? He needs to see a healer, very soon.”

Aida roared and I had the distinct impression that she didn’t want to just drop me off anywhere.

“He’s safe with us,” the rider said. “The sooner we get a healer to look at him, the better. One is already on its way.”

Aida squawked and slowly changed directions. Soon she was landing gently on an open patch of grass.

The other rider also landed and immediately dismounted his gryphon. He walked over to me. “You look like crap,” he said simply.

Certainly felt like it, I wanted to say.

“Just hold on okay? I could try levitating you off but I think it might be better if we waited for a healer, someone who actually knew what he was doing.” After a moment’s pause, he continued speaking, “what happened back there? Did you do that?”

I just looked at him unable to answer or even understand what he was referring to.

“Of course you did,” he continued. “That big explosion. Someone from your group said you flew in by yourself. Next thing they knew, the obelisk they were attacking exploded. A huge area got covered in fire. It swallowed everything in its path until the other obelisks eventually drained the fire of its magic.”

I tried to say something. It was painful but I needed to say something.

“Oh shit,” he said suddenly. “You must be in so much pain. Of course you wouldn’t want to talk. Don’t mind me. I tend to be talkative when I’m really nervous or when I’m really excited or when I want to have sex. Of course I’m not really excited now. Nor do I want to have sex! Well I want to have sex but I mean not right now. No, of course not.”

“They got…” I forced out, silencing his babble. Although my voice sounded forced and strained, I knew it could be understood. “They got Brian.”

I wasn’t lying when I said I loved Brian. In the short time I came to know him, I thought of him somewhat as family. He, along with Magister Aenhol, seemed to be like mentors while at the same time always being more than just that. They didn’t just hone my skills, they developed my well-being. Losing him felt like losing my family and perhaps something more, as though something had been ripped from me far too early in life.

“Brian? Brian Knightly?” the rider asked grimly, “the commander’s not going like that.”

I frowned at him. Of course he wouldn’t like that. He lost so many Aeros today! Who knew if he himself was alive.

As though I had asked, the rider continued, “that was his son.”

A wind blew through us as several gryphons descended in a circle around us. One of them was the commander, and he landed not too gently. He quickly dismounted his battered looking gryphon. Pieces of the armor were ripped off and there were ugly marks on the exposed skin. I figured I wasn’t looking any better at that moment.

“Commander,” the rider who found me said to the man as he approached.

“Good job on finding him, Aero River,” he told the rider. The commander looked over at me and for the first time, his eyes were filled with concern rather than disdain. “Mason,” he yelled without taking his eyes off mine, “get over here now.”

Another gryphon landed with a hurried but far more graceful thud and the rider dismounted with practiced ease. He rushed over to me and I suddenly felt myself being lifted into the air. Soon I was lying down on my back in what appeared to be a floating carpet, remarkably similar to the one Magister Aenhol used to have. I was pretty sure the newcomer was standing up and yet I could see the rug reaching up all the way to his waist.

He waved his hand several times over my body, and I sensed a feeling of relief fill me. A cold feeling slowly spread from my extremities, as though a soothing balm was slowly being spread across my skin numbing the pain. It was still there but it was dying down to more manageable levels. The man Mason must have been the healer the other rider told me about. He kept changing expressions, starting with concern to relief and finally ending at surprise.

“Report,” the commander said.

“He’s suffered some severe burns, sir,” Mason said, “but they’re rather unusual.”

“Unusual how?” the commander asked.

“The burns seem to have originated from beneath his skin,” Mason replied. “It was almost as though the heat source came from inside and was slowly burning him from the inside out.”

“How does that happen?” the commander asked with a frown.

“I’m not sure, sir,” Mason replied. “But I have a theory. I’ve never personally seen anything like it. But I’ve read about it. Some mages call it internal combustion. That’s when a mage overexerts himself through magic which causes him to burn from within. It’s rare because when a mage tries to perform too much magic, the result is usually unconsciousness. It can happen, however, that magic is increasing with further application rather than decreasing as the body’s energy stores are depleted. It would have an adverse effect on the body which can’t handle too much magic at a time, sort of like a feedback effect.

“But that’s not all that’s strange. It seems that the burns are already healing rather quickly. Quicker than burns should naturally anyway. Infection hasn’t set in yet and the spell I’ve applied should keep that from happening.” Mason turned to look at me. “Has anyone else started using healing spells on you?”

“No,” I replied with a coarse voice. I noticed that although it was still uncomfortable, speaking was not as laborious.

Mason nodded then turned to the commander. “That’s what I thought, which makes it even stranger then. If we can get him back to the castle, we might be able to hasten the process even more. If we’re lucky, he won’t have any lasting scars.”

“Then we should do that as quickly as possible,” the commander said as he stood beside me. “I just need to ask though,” he said a little softer as though wanting only me to hear. “What happened to your unit? Where’s Brian?”

There was a sudden silence as everyone around us seemed to wait for an answer, or perhaps pretend that they weren’t listening.

“He fell sir,” I said as the memory seemed to reopen wounds that weren’t anywhere on my body. Mason’s magic seemed to be working as the pain from my skin lessened. However, without that to distract me, my thoughts returned to what had happened, to what I had done. The pain I was suddenly feeling inside was if anything suddenly worse than the physical pain I had felt. “His gryphon was hit and he fell down. Aero Ivan flew after him but I don’t know what happened after that. I’m sorry, sir. My shield… I tried.”

The commander’s face hardened as though he was trying to suppress his emotions. He nodded before he continued speaking. “I’m sure you did everything you could. Aero River, I need you to take Recruit Adam back to the city and straight to the infirmary.”

“Sir,” Mason interrupted. “May I suggest that I go instead. I need to maintain this spell in order to keep any infection from setting in. No disrespect to Aero River, but only someone trained in healing magic can do that. And only someone who is proficient in life magic can sustain the spell through the long journey back to Arantiva.”

“We need all the other healers we have for the other wounded,” the commander said seriously.

“I realize that sir,” Mason said. “If I or another healer, doesn’t go with Recruit Adam, he could end up dead before he reaches the city.”

The commander thought about it for a few moments then finally nodded. “So be it. You will escort Adam back, I will ask the other wounded but still flight-ready to return with you while the rest of us search for other survivors.”

To search for Brian, I thought perhaps. The memory made me cringe.

Mason probably thinking his spell must have been causing my discomfort reapplied it or perhaps applied something else.

The commander started walking away towards his gryphon. He called the guy named River to him and the two seemed to be speaking although I couldn’t hear what they were talking about.

“What did I do,” I said as tears began sliding down to my ears. The memories flooded back to me in the silence.

I felt the rug move beneath me as I slowly moved away from the group. We weren’t flying any higher though. It seemed like Mason just wanted to get me away from the ears of the others. I wasn’t really thinking about it then but I appreciated what he did later on. “You did what you had to,” he said. “They were killing us and you acted to the best of your ability.”

“But I killed all those people,” I sobbed. “ I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to. I just wanted those things destroyed. And Brian. Oh god, what did I do? I wasn’t strong enough. I can’t. I can’t.” I started breaking down and for whatever reason I wanted to get off the rug and unto the ground probably to just lay down and die.

“You were strong enough,” Mason insisted as he moved towards me. He kept me on the rug with a firm but gentle grip. I suspect he was using a little magic to keep me there. “You were probably stronger than anyone else out there. You managed to do by yourself what so many other mages couldn’t do. You did everything you could. Okay? Believe me? I know. I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes.”

I shook my head no. It was my fault, I knew it. His lies, although comforting, were unwelcome.

“Do you want me to take that pain away too?” Mason asked softly. I noticed that despite being several years older than me, he was also crying.

“What?”

He used some kind of spell to remove my helmet and then proceeded to take his own off, almost as if he didn’t want to be heard. “I can take away more than physical pain,” he said as gently as he did quietly. “I can also take away emotional pain. It’s a gift I have, a talent. It’s not a rare talent. There are quite a few healers who can do it but it’s generally not practiced.”

“Why?”

He smiled. “You see, a physical wound causes pain. But once you’ve healed the wound, the pain is gone, permanently. An emotional wound though is different. I can manipulate chemicals in your body to distract you, numb the pain, sometimes but rarely even make you forget. But make no mistake, it does not heal the wound. The wound will still be there, you just don’t notice it as much. But once you’re aware that it’s there, the pain will return probably worse than you feel now because you didn’t heal the wound. You let it fester and worsen with time.”

I closed my eyes and the images came immediately, their faces as their bodies burned, and the screams as the fire consumed them. “Can you?” I sobbed. “Make it go away?”

“I can but only for so long. The only reason I’d do it now is because I want your body to deal with the physical recovery first. I want your body healed first before your mind. And make no mistake, only you can heal your mind. I can help but at most only with words of encouragement. Anything I do with magic will be temporary and will not be the solution no matter how much it would seem to be. Any spell will be impermanent. The one I will use now will break if I die, if I choose to remove it, or if you break it yourself, like when you see or hear something that reopens or perhaps agitates the emotional wounds. Depending on the gravity of what you’re feeling, it could hardly make a difference or could get much worse especially if the emotions catch you at the wrong time. I won’t force it on you. In fact, I can’t. For whatever reason, the spell becomes exceptionally frail if you try to fight it as it’s applied.”

“Do it,” I said without a second thought.

“Are you sure? The risks…” he asked pensively.

“Do it,” I said resolutely and looked him straight in the eyes, for a second his face shifted as though it was melting and his clothes were slowly getting scorched. I closed my eyes to not see.

Mason paused only for a moment before taking my hand into his. His palm felt unusually warm or perhaps my hand was exceptionally cold. Either way, I could slowly feel the spell’s effect. The battle was not as disastrous, the death of those humans terrible but necessary, and Brian’s death…

“Come on, Adam,” Mason said with a soft voice. He sounded sad. “Let’s get you home.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Mason didn’t return me on my gryphon but instead kept me on the rug as it floated over the trees of the Brallic forest. We couldn’t fly as fast as gryphons normally could but the position I was in was probably a lot more comfortable than if I flew back on Aida. She was flying overhead looking down at me every few moments as though making sure I was okay.

There were maybe just a little over a dozen of us flying back. I don’t know what state the other injured Aeros were in. I couldn’t really look around as my neck and back and were stiff. Besides we weren’t really travelling at the same speed. Perhaps they were less injured and could proceed at a faster rate than us.

I wanted to ask how many of us were left from the original one hundred and one that flew out. I was afraid of hearing the answer though because I was sure that either way, I wouldn’t like it. A lot of lives were lost that day and the troubling part was we had failed.

Only one of the three obelisks were destroyed.

When we finally got back to Arantiva, I was floated into the armory. The few still with us broke away to enter through other holes. Five people were waiting for me as we descended, all of them were familiar. I could see High Mage Lord Khael, Lady Helena, Healer Cotier, Magister Aenhol, and the one I looked forward to the most, Jacob. Jacob seemed to be the most worried and frantic of all especially when he saw how I looked. It looked like he was looking for someone to hit.

“Bring him to the infirmary,” Healer Cotier told Mason. I must have looked really bad because she normally made some sarcastic remark as soon as she saw me.

“We need to know what happened first,” High Mage Lord Khael interrupted.

“It can wait,” Lady Helena and Magister Aenhol said at the same time. Healer Cotier turned to the High Mage Lord with a disapproving look. Jacob looked like he found the person he was looking for.

“Right this way,” Healer Cotier said. The rug beneath me followed her as Mason walked behind me. Magister Aenhol stood by my right.

Jacob rushed to the other side. “Are you alright?” he asked in a worried tone. “You look like crap.”

I actually managed to chuckle at that. “Nice to see you too.”

“I’m sorry. You had me so worried. I knew something terrible happened when you wouldn’t answer me.”

Magister Aenhol looked over at me with an odd glance. He quickly looked away though when he noticed me noticing him.

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” I said. “I just felt so much pain that I couldn’t concentrate on much. I was lucky they found me.”

We had to squeeze through some narrow stairs at one point so Jacob had to stand behind Mason after that. Magister Aenhol walked faster and was speaking to Healer Cotier who was leading our little group to the infirmary. I could hear High Mage Lord Khael and Lady Helena speaking in hushed tones behind us. The hallways to the infirmary were full of people rushing about. It almost seemed like the whole Armory was busy. People gave courteous bows to the Mage Lords with us and many spared curious glances at me. Their faces contorted in looks of shock or disgust as they got a good look at me. I wish Mason would hurry up in getting me to our destination.

When I finally got to the infirmary, I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be so crowded. I’ve gotten used to seeing the beds empty and it came as a surprise that nearly all seemed occupied. I could see various healers wearing the same gown as Healer Cotier rushing about from one patient to another. People were displaying various kinds of injuries. Some were bloody while others looked only bruised. I think I saw someone with a missing arm. He was asleep and surrounded by several people who were crying their eyes out as they watched over him.

“Are these the other Aeros from the attack?” I asked.

“Yes,” Healer Cotier said. “We have other wards that are occupied with more people.”

“How many got back?” I asked solemnly.

Healer Cotier looked over warily at Lady Helena. The female Mage Lord had broken away from us as soon as we reached the infirmary probably to console the families of the other people there. High Mage Lord Khael did the same thing. “Including your group, thirty-six have been accounted for although not all have returned. Those who are able are still searching for more survivors.”

“Thirty-six,” I repeated. “Thirty-six.”

Healier Cotier stopped me in front of the only empty bed in the infirmary. It seemed almost reserved for someone. She lifted me up and gently placed me on the bed. “I’ll be right back with some elixirs for those burns.”

“I’ll speak to Healer Cotier for a bit,” Mason said as he followed Healer Cotier to her office. That left me with Jacob and Magister Aenhol.

“Are you alright, Adam?” Magister Aenhol asked.

“Yes, sir,” I said. “It doesn’t really hurt that much anymore. It looks worse than it feels.”

Magister Aenhol gave me an odd look as he tilted his head to the side. He then turned his eyes towards Jacob who was looking at me intently as though worried that I would disappear at any moment.

“Is something wrong, sir?” I asked. Jacob looked at him too. By now though, Magister Aenhol’s eyes were once again on me.

“I hope not,” he replied. Before I could ask what he meant though, Healer Cotier returned with Mason.

“Drink these,” she said as she gave me several bottles of elixirs. “They will rapidly heal the burns on your skin. From what Mason here describes, you might have performed some very unusual magic so I’m not entirely sure how long it would take for you to heal. If we’re lucky, you could be out of here in a day or two. The elixirs will make your muscles numb though especially at the lower extremities. You won’t be able to walk around for at least a day while it is absorbed into your system.”

“I should get back to my squad and check what else I can do,” Mason said as I drank the elixirs.

Healer Cotier waved her arm over me and I could almost feel her spell working taking away what Mason had applied to be replaced by her own spell. “Done.”

Mason nodded and wiped the sweat of his brow. He suddenly looked more tired than I noticed earlier. Apparently the spell he was performing on me was taking a considerable amount of effort from him. He released the breath he had been holding. “You going to be alright now, Adam?” he asked.

“Yeah. Thank you, Aero Mason,” I told him.

“Please,” he smiled. “Call me Mason.” He looked at me intently for awhile longer and although he didn’t say anything more, I could almost read in his eyes what he wanted to but couldn’t say: remember what I said.

I merely nodded to him.

He said his goodbyes to everyone else. As soon as he left, High Mage Lord Khael and Lady Helena made their way to us.

“How are you feeling, Adam?” Lady Helena asked.

“I’m feeling alright, my Lady,” I said. I wondered if she knew what happened to Brian. I felt sadness course through me which must have been clearly visible on my face.

“He’s going to be alright,” she said as though reading my thoughts.

“Who’s going to be alright?” Jacob asked with a frown.

“My son,” she said to him. “He hasn’t returned yet.”

Jacob looked over at me. “Is that why you felt...?” He couldn’t finish the question so I nodded. He looked sadly at me. “I’m so sorry, Adam.”

“He’s going to be alright,” Magister Aenhol said somewhat casually.

“I do hope you’re right,” Healer Cotier said with a sniff. “I was rather fond of that boy.”

“I’m quite certain he will be,” High Mage Lord Khael said with a laugh. It was only then that I noticed he was looking the same way as Magister Aenhol was.

“How can you be so amused by all this?” Healer Cotier asked as she stared him down disapprovingly. You’d have to give her some credit for being able to do that to the most powerful man in all of Arantiva.

“Because, my dear lady, he’s walking right towards us,” Magister Aenhol pronounced. Everyone around us turned towards the direction he was looking at.

Brian was indeed walking towards us. He was leaning against a wooden crutch and his leg was wrapped in white bandages but otherwise he looked fine. He smiled widely when his eyes met mine. He was limping next to the commander who seemed to grow several years younger than when I last saw him an hour or two ago.

In those few moments our eyes met, I wanted to hit him. I wanted to hit him for being such an idiot, for risking his life to save me. For doing something so stupid that made me think he was dead. For causing me the pain he did by falling. Yes, it was selfish but I needed it. I needed to feel that way.

And then something hit me, a realization that came with such clarity it was frightening. He was alive. He was alive and he was going to live. He wasn’t the one from my prophecy. He wasn’t the one who will die. I knew it with such certainty as though the Seer herself had shown up at the foot of my bed in her half-naked glory and told me the exact same thing I was just then realizing: someone else is going to die. In truth, when I had received that prophecy, I had secretly hoped it would have been him. He was just a stranger to me then. I didn’t know who he was and if I had to pick someone who would die, it certainly wouldn’t have been Jacob, nor Magister Aenhol, nor Phillip, nor Javier, not even Marcus. I would have picked the man without a name.

But he had a name now – Brian. And I had learned to love him like family, perhaps more than I was willing to admit.

I felt confused and I wanted to cry. I wanted to just break down as a feeling of relief and guilt washed over me but somehow I couldn’t. I was happy but there was something else I was feeling that I couldn’t quite… feel. I wondered if it was Mason’s spell. Instead of crying, I released a strangled sob.

Brian, perhaps seeing my distress, hurried along in his steps.

Lady Helena broke away from the group and walked briskly towards her son. It almost looked like she was itching to run but was restraining herself. When she did finally reach him, she did not hold back and gave him a full body hug. Brian winced for a moment before he melted into her embrace, but he kept his eyes solely on mine. Lady Helena was telling him something but he didn’t seem to hear her or simply wasn’t listening.

“Looks like there’s some hope for us left,” Magister Aenhol said solemnly. Somehow I felt like his words had a double meaning.

“Thirty-seven,” Healer Cotier said.

“Ivan must have saved him,” I said. A single tear dropped from my eye. I tried to stop it but for whatever reason I couldn’t. I knew I was happy and relieved but my body shook as though I was about to sob. “Where is he?”

Healer Cotier placed a finger and pressed it against a small gemstone that was on one of her ears. “Did anyone else arrive with Brian Knightly?” she asked no one in particular. It was then that I realized that she was speaking to her earring. She frowned at the unheard response and I knew whatever it was, wasn’t good. “He arrived by himself,” she said.

“That can’t be right,” I said as I wiped away two more tears only to wince at the sudden burning sensation cause by the contact of my fingers with my face. “I saw Anny, I mean his gryphon, getting hit. She couldn’t possibly have flown him back. How did he get back?”

The three Knightlys approached us. The commander and Lady Helena had faces filled with relief. Brian, in between his two parents, looked more distraught than anything and he was looking intently at me then at the scars on my skin then back into my eyes. He frowned deeply as he reached me. “You look like crap.”

“Gee, thanks, it’s nice to see you too,” I said with a sniff as my nose dribbled goo. After awhile I said rather softly, “thank you.”

Everyone seemed to look at me curiously. “For what?” Brian asked just as softly.

“I saw what you did,” I replied, “you saved my life.”

“I would gladly do it again if I had to,” Brian shrugged.

“Promise me you won’t,” I said with a soft smile.

Brian looked at me and just stared. I knew he wouldn’t promise something like that. I knew he wouldn’t hesitate giving his life again to save me if he had to.

I knew because I’d do the same thing for him.

“What exactly happened up there?” Lady Helena asked, who seemed confused by our current conversation.

“I’ll explain it later, mom,” Brian said with a scratch to his head. “I’m just sorry what happened had to happen. And Anny…” He frowned as his eyes seemed to become unfocused. After a few seconds he shook his head and blinked his eyes a few times. “I wish I listened to you sooner, Adam. Maybe we could have avoided all this.”

“There is no use blaming yourself over what happened,” Magister Aenhol interrupted. “What matters now is not what happened but what we do afterwards. The battle out there was only the beginning. Soon, they will be at our doors.”

“There is a traitor in our midst,” the commander suddenly said. Every inch of his face was turning red and I could see through his eyes that he was infuriated. “They knew we were coming even before we got close enough to be seen.”

“It may not be wise to discuss this out in the open and with such an unsecured group,” High Mage Lord Khael interrupted.

“Oh I think everyone present with us can be trusted,” Magister Aenhol said. High Mage Lord Khael looked like he very much doubted that.

“Still, it might be wiser to discuss such matters in a less public location,” Lady Helena added as she glanced around at the other beds. The other occupants in the ward seemed more focused on the other injured though than us.

“You’re not taking my patient out of this ward until he is well,” Healer Cotier intervened.

For a moment, High Mage Lord Khael looked annoyed at the woman. “Then, we’ll have to discuss it here.” He looked around as though to check if anyone was looking or listening but every other bed seemed to be busy. With a wave of his hand, wires melted from the wall like from my belt. Curtains that have always been tucked on the sides (and which I thought were decorative) extended and rolled away from the wall slowly covering the space around my bed. Healer Cotier hurriedly squeezed in as though worried she might be asked to leave. Soon we were completely surrounded and separated by white curtains. High Mage Lord Khael waved his hand again and the room suddenly became deathly quiet as though everyone outside the curtains had suddenly dropped down and died. He then turned towards the commander. “Commander, what exactly happened?”

“They knew we were coming, Horus,” the commander said as though itching to discuss the matter. “Their weapons were primed on our arrival and those obelisks were powering up as we got there. And if young Adam here was correct, they were powering them up even before we reached them. We only managed to take out one of the obelisks and that was all Adam’s doing.”

“What do you mean if Adam is correct?” High Mage Lord Khael asked as he looked over at me with a frown. “And what do you mean all Adam’s doing?”

The commander also looked over at me. “Perhaps it is best if you explained it,” he said.

“There was a stinging sensation, sir,” I began as my tears had finally ceased. “It was much like what I felt back in the village when Magister Aenhol and I went there all those months ago. I could feel it on my skin as we approached their army.”

“Did anyone else feel this... sensation?” Lady Helena asked her husband.

“Not as far as I know,” he said. “But there’s more than that, isn’t there?” At this Brian looked over at Jacob and I knew what his dad was talking about. “You said you knew something terrible was going to happen based on something a friend said. Who is this friend?”

When I didn’t answer, Jacob spoke up, “that would be me, sir.”

“You knew about the trap they set?” High Mage Lord Khael said as he set his eyes on Jacob.

“I didn’t know about any trap,” he said defensively. “I just had a feeling something terrible was going to happen. That’s all I knew.”

“Aren’t you from the village?” the commander asked in a tone I did not approve of.

“I’m also from the village, sir,” I interrupted. “So if you’re implying anything by that statement then it would apply to me also.”

“Yes,” the commander said uncertainly, “but you’ve been here much longer. He’s only been here for a few months.” Lady Helena put a hand over her husband’s arm as though to restrict him from saying anything else.

“I do not think it is Jacob we want to interrogate,” Magister Aenhol said. “He may be a new addition among us but I highly doubt that he is the one leaking information to our enemies.”

“Then who?” Healer Cotier asked. High Mage Lord Khael actually looked at her in surprise, clearly not expecting her to be there.

Magister Aenhol didn’t speak up but instead looked over at High Mage Lord Khael. I was worried he was accusing the highest government official of the city of treason.

“Magister Aenhol has brought his concerns to me,” High Mage Lord Khael said as everyone turned to look at him. “I do not think his suspicions are correct this time. It is a matter for the Mage Council to discuss privately,” he finished with some finality in his words.

Magister Aenhol frowned as though disappointed by the High Mage Lord’s words. He seemed to accept them nonetheless though. “We should let Adam rest,” he said after awhile.

“I think that would be a good idea,” Lady Helena said. “Brian needs to rest as well and we still have much to discuss and prepare for.” She looked over at her husband, “we need to find out exactly what their weapons are capable of so that we can better prepare.”

Everyone started saying goodbye except for Jacob. Once everyone else had left, Healer Cotier insisted that Jacob allow me to rest. He begged her to let him stay and I could have sworn he was using puppy dog eyes. I felt kinda sorry for her because she looked sort of harassed. I could see the strain of her many spells taking its toll on her, and I was sure Jacob’s pleas, though sweet, were adding to her strain. Eventually she agreed though and left to attend to other patients. Jacob sat next to my bed.

After a brief moment of silence, Jacob spoke up. “You and Brian, huh?”

“What?” I asked

Jacob was smiling but something about it was forced. And his eyes, his eyes couldn’t hide what he was feeling then. “I saw how you looked at each other,” he said almost as if his voice was on the edge of breaking. “I felt what you felt when you thought he died. I’ll understand you know, if you… stop feeling things for me.” It was then that the first tear made its way down his face.

“Oh Jacob, it’s not like that. Brian… he’s… he’s just like a big brother to me. You’re far more special. I love you in ways I can never love anyone else. Brian, my love for him is like love for family. It’s like the way I love Magister Aenhol. Can you imagine me and Magister Aenhol as an item?”

Jacob chuckled and took a deep breath. “I suppose not. So, you still love me?”

“I do and I always will, for as long as I live… till death do us part.”

He actually laughed at that and it felt good hearing him laugh. I needed some light in the coming darkness and I somehow knew that Jacob would be that light.

After awhile he became more subdued. “Did I do that to you?” he asked with a frown.

“What do you mean?”

“The scars,” he said, “is that what happens when I channel too much power to you? I didn’t even give you everything. I stopped when I felt you in pain. It felt like… like I was killing you.”

“Don’t think about it that way, Jacob. If you didn’t do what you did, everyone who died would have died for nothing. All those obelisks would still be functional.”

“But there’s two more,” he said. “The commander said so. And if you expect me to give you that kind of power again so you can throw yourself into harm’s way then you have another thing coming.”

“Jacob, I only did what I had to. I wouldn’t have asked you otherwise.”

“Would you do the same thing?” he asked. “Would you put me through the pain you went through if I asked?”

I stared at him wondering the same thing. “If you asked me to and I knew I had to,” I replied carefully. I tried to keep the uncertainty out of my voice. Jacob stared into my eyes and I had a distinct impression that more than what he has said was swirling through his mind. “Is there something you want to tell me, Jacob?”

He looked away from me and behind the wall over my head. I would have said he was looking out the window but then that would have been silly since there was no window there. “I have a feeling that they are right. This is only the beginning. I don’t think this war will end with Arantiva.”

“So you think we’re going to lose the coming battle?” I asked.

Jacob smiled at me. “No. Because you’re here and as long as you are here, there is hope.”

“You’re starting to sound like Magister Aenhol,” I said with a chuckle.

“Well, as annoying as he is, he is sometimes right about things,” he said. I gave him one of my raised eyebrows. “Okay, I concede, he’s right about a lot of things but he’s still annoying.” Jacob paused as he seemed to remember something. “Who do you think he suspects as the spy?”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “He’s never spoken to me about it. I didn’t even know there was one although I suppose it would make sense.”

“Shouldn’t they give him more attention?” Jacob asked. “If they are coming to attack us then we definitely can’t have someone giving away information about us to the enemy.”

“It must be someone important,” I commented. “Someone known.”

“What makes you think that?” Jacob asked.

“High Mage Lord Khael seemed somewhat protective of the person. I figured he or even she could be someone deeply involved in how the city is being run. It seemed like it was such a sensitive subject that if their suspicions were wrong, there could be serious repercussions.”

“It’s probably Madame Rooste,” Jacob said.

I smiled and gave a small laugh. “If it was her, I have no doubt that they would have thrown her out without hesitation. Although she is a Mage Lord so it does fit the being important requirement.”

“But what would she have to gain from a war between us and the non-mages,” Jacob said. “That’s what’s been bothering me the most. I’ve seen maps of the known mage lands and there are easily two more cities that are closer to the Northern Kingdoms than Arantiva. Why would they go past those cities and head straight for ours. I have a feeling this attack is a distraction of some sort.”

The same thought did actually occur to me but mostly because I knew what they were likely after. I haven’t told Jacob about the weapon that was lying underneath the city. It was likely what the humans were after. The question though was why. They abhor magic and a weapon like that just reeks of magic. It wouldn’t make any sense for them to use something they hate.

That was unless someone else was pulling the strings.

“What did Lord Raezhul want from you?” I asked.

Jacob looked surprised at the sudden change of topic. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You said this attack was a distraction of some sort. What if the humans aren’t the real threat? What if someone else wants to accomplish something other than the destruction of Arantiva. What price did you have to pay in that meeting with the Lord of the Dead?”

“That has nothing to do with this,” Jacob insisted.

“Jacob, it’s time you come clean with me. What did you want from him and what price did you have to pay? What did he ask for in return?”

“I’m not going to discuss this with you, Adam.”

“Yes, you are, you have to. I know that whatever went on between you and that man, or whatever he’s become, has something to do with what’s about to happen so you might as well just tell me.”

“Are you looking into my head?” Jacob asked as his voice started to rise. We were now attracting the attention of a few nearby beds. “Is that what you’re doing? Cause if so then why don’t you just keep looking in there until you find what you want? You have no idea what I’ve been through!”

“That’s because you never tell me anything anymore,” I replied with my own voice rising. “What’s happening to you? Why are you so touchy about this topic? We always used to share everything and now you’re keeping so many secrets from me.”

“I’m not keeping anything from you that you need to know,” Jacob said angrily. “So… just mind your own business.”

“This IS my business, Jacob. Our city is about to be attack and I need to know who is with us or against us.” As soon as I said those words, I knew they had come out wrong.

“So you think it’s me,” he said barely above a whisper. “You think I’m the spy.”

“Jacob, please, I don’t want to fight, not with you,” I said as my voice became softer again to match his. “I didn’t mean it that way. You know I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Yes you did. You damn well did. You wanted to know if I was working with you or against you. You said so yourself. Well, you know what… if after everything we’ve been through, you still can’t trust me then screw you, Adam!” he yelled as he stood up. By now, every single eye in the infirmary was on us. I supposed we were lucky that Healer Cotier was not in the room at that time because she probably would have had a thing or two to say. “I hate you! Maybe you ARE just looking for reasons to end up with Brian! I was fine before I met you. You just had to screw everything over by getting me involved,” he yelled before he marched away from me.

“Jacob!” I yelled as I swung my legs out of bed. I tried to walk towards him but in my hurry didn’t realize that my legs weren’t working properly. The elixirs must have started working because my legs quickly gave way and I fell to the ground in a heap, my head hitting hard against the next bed. Two healers quickly rushed over to help me get up.

Jacob looked back at me and had I not been stunned, I would have seen the look of concern in his eyes, the desire to run back, to apologize, to hug me, and to make sure I was okay. But in the haze that followed the bump on my head, I didn’t see his eyes flash momentarily, glowing a strange light as all thoughts of wanting to help me were wiped out.

Dazed and somewhat confused, he turned and left the room, leaving me wounded on the floor.

Jacob I said through our connection as soon as I realized that he had left. Like once before, there was a sudden loud screeching in my head which caused a painful sensation in my ears. I took that to mean that Jacob didn’t want me talking to him even through that connection.

“Are you alright?” one of the healers asked me as he tried to straighten me to a sitting position, being extra careful not to touch my wounds.

“No,” I said as they gently laid me back onto the bed. “No, I’m not.”