Summoner school 6, p.1
Summoner School 6, page 1
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Chapter 1
“I saw him,” I said.
I eased down into one of the armchairs in Lord Kaylen’s office and tried not to show how much pain coursed through my body. It had only been three days since the ambush in the underground arena, and I might’ve finally woken up, but there was only so much that magic could do to heal my wounds. I ached in places that I didn’t even know existed, but the soft chair hugged me like it was a mother’s arms.
The others took seats around the sitting area where Lord Kaylen and the magical council had their informal meetings. The man himself leaned against his desk with his arms crossed like one of my injuries might’ve been to my head. It was the same expression that everyone else had, but I was sure of what I’d seen.
“No one else saw him,” Sarya said after an uncomfortable pause and flipped her long red ponytail.
The elf’s tone was a little harsh, but I knew her better than anyone since she’d recently become my mate, and there was no doubt in my mind that she believed me. We’d been through too much together, and I hadn’t been wrong about the cultists before, so it wouldn’t be hard for the haughty woman to defend me if her father started to question my sanity. Sarya’s silver eyes shifted to the older elf, and one perfect eyebrow lifted in challenge as if she was ready to fight right then and there, but he just sighed and rolled his shoulders like he was trying to relax.
“I was too busy talking to your grandmother,” Atlesia added after another long moment of silence. “I don’t think I would’ve noticed a full-grown troll.”
The pale green flower nymph was squeezed onto a couch with my mate and my grandmother, but had somehow managed to pull her legs up to sit criss-crossed. Her turquoise lips pressed together into a line like my girlfriend was trying to remember anything other than our small, little group in the garden. She shrugged and flipped her shoulder-length lavender hair the same way that Sarya did.
“I’m afraid that I won’t be much help, either,” my grandmother said. “The brain tumor may be gone, but I’m still an old lady, and my vision isn’t the best.”
Delores Hall was one of the strongest women that I’d ever met, so it was a little hard to believe that she hadn’t at least sensed the powerful mage, but then again, neither had anyone else. Her long hair was pulled up into a bun, and her flowery dress managed to hide how thin she’d become over the last year. My grandmother had responded well to the magical treatment from the elvish retirement home, but there was still a long way to go before she was back to normal.
“He was there,” I reiterated when no one else spoke. “Jason was standing right by the entry to the garden maze. He’s still alive.”
“We saw him die,” Sarya said and tapped her long fingers on the arm of the chair. “But he did spend a lot of time around the old headmaster, and the old traitor was one of the best illusionists in a century. Jason might’ve picked something up.”
“Exactly,” I said and then took a deep breath.
The bandages around my middle suddenly seemed too tight like they were crushing my ribs instead of helping them to heal. I closed my eyes and forced the air in and out until the feeling faded. It took longer than any of the previous times that I’d been injured in a fight, but then again, the ambush had been one hell of a battle.
I knew that it was a trap when we all received the invitation to the underground arena, but it had been a necessary evil to show up and pretend we didn’t know what was really happening. We needed to know how much the gnomish ringleader actually knew, and we were sure that Jason was a traitor by that point. I’d been more shocked than anyone when the ringleader and his cohorts had led our broken and bleeding classmate into the cage, and even more so when they decapitated him, but I also knew what I saw in the garden.
Jason was alive.
And I was, too, even though the plan had been to crush me and my friends. Despite the fact that we’d been prepared for the attack, we’d barely made it out alive. I’d burned through all of the mana stones that I’d managed to save up, but it had been worth it to be sure that none of the traitors escaped. The rest of our ragtag crew had suffered plenty of injuries as well, but at least none of us had used so much magic that we’d been mummified, and I was the only one to get stabbed.
The door to the office opened while I waited for Sarya’s father to speak, and the head of palace security strolled in while his men waited in the hallway. Katar was one of the most serious elves that I’d ever met, but after all, it was his job to keep the head of the magical council safe, and that was becoming increasingly more difficult since there might be traitors anywhere. The guard came to stand next to Lord Kaylen and waited for the older elf to nod before he started to speak.
“My men checked the entire area,” he said. “There was no trace of any magic. I used a tracker that the gnome, Rina, supplied to us that is supposed to be tuned into Jason’s mana, but it didn’t reveal anything.”
Rina was one of the best tinkerers in the entire gnome city, so if her device said that Jason wasn’t there, then he probably wasn’t. Still, the fire mage had vanished once before, and we hadn’t been able to find him even with the tracker, so it was at least a possibility, even if it was a very small one.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, winced, and then put my arm down. The mana tea that my roommate had invented had restored my magic to full capacity, but the wounds still ached more than they should after three days. I gritted my teeth to force back the rage and reminded myself that I’d almost died several times over the last few weeks, and that a couple days of rest would help me to be at a hundred percent so that we could actually catch Jason and the cultists.
“Maybe I was wrong,” I said as the silence around the office grew. “But I don’t think so. I know you guys are worried that I’m too exhausted, but I just slept for three straight days. Jason was there. Why don’t I summon Bane? He’ll be able to sniff the mage out.”
“No,” Sarya and Atlesia said at the same time.
“You just woke up,” Sarya added.
“And I know Mike’s tea restored your mana, but you shouldn’t rush it,” Atlesia finished.
“The girls are right,” my grandmother said. “I’m sure that you’re right. Lord Kaylen will continue the search, won’t you?”
“We will keep our eyes open,” he sighed, nodded at Katar, who went back into the hallway to send his men out to the maze again.
I sincerely doubted that they’d find anything without Bane, especially since they hadn’t the first time, but the girls were right, and I needed to rest a little bit more. I told myself Katar was a capable elf, and he’d be thorough enough to find even the smallest hint of magic, though my banehound would do it faster.
“Storm,” I said and looked around the room.
The petite wind elemental swept down from the top of a bookshelf to land on the arm of my chair. Her body swayed in an unending breeze, and our mental connection communicated the worry that the small woman had for me. Storm had tried to kill me more than any of my other creatures when I first summoned her, but now she was one of my fiercest protectors, and I forced a small smile as she tilted her head to the side and waited for orders.
“I need you to go with Katar,” I said. “Look for any signs that there was someone there. Or for any illusions. I need to regenerate my mana, so Bane and Wisp won’t be able to join you.”
Understanding flooded through our mental link, and the wind elemental took off like a strong breeze. The curtains around the closed window rustled as Storm slipped through, and I nodded to myself. She could see the slightest change in the air, so if it had been disturbed, then the petite creature would be able to notice it.
“You should be back to full health in another day,” Lord Kaylen said once the elemental had left. “I brought the best healers in the nine realms to take care of you, and my wife oversaw them. The tree-man’s mana tea is truly remarkable. It restored your magic even though you were at death’s door.”
“Mike is the best roommate that a guy could ask for,” I said and then looked around. “Speaking of which, where is he?”
“Where else?” Atlesia asked with a mischievous grin that made her dark brown eyes sparkle. “He’s at the base with Rina.”
“Of course,” I chuckled and ignored the stab of pain from where the bartender had stabbed me with an ice pick. “I’m sure that they’re working hard.”
The tree-man and the gnome were definitely an odd couple, and it wasn’t just the fact that one resembled a six-and-a-half-foot-tall oak tree while the other was less than three feet tall, though that was a big part of it. Neither of them needed to sleep much, so they spent most of their time surrounded by random inventions, and sometimes it was like they could almost read each other’s minds as they worked in sync.
“I should probably make sure that they’ve actually eaten,” my girlfriend said and hopped up from the couch. “Rela said that she wanted to make a new recipe with me, and her son’s new unofficial girlfriend s hould definitely be the first one to try it.”
“Good luck,” I said.
I leaned forward in the chair to take her hand in mine, flipped it over, and then kissed her palm. It earned a giggle from the flower nymph, and a pretty pink blush crawled up her cheeks. I winked at the cute woman as she opened a portal and then watched as she slipped through into her home realm to visit Mike’s family.
“Andrew, dear,” my grandmother said and stood on shaky legs. “Why don’t you help an old woman back outside? I think we could both use a little more fresh air.”
“Sure,” I said and pushed myself to my feet, swayed, and then steadied. “Sarya, would you like to join us?”
“My daughter and I need to discuss a few things,” Lord Kaylen answered.
“Yes, yes we do,” she responded and then flashed me a smile. “And then I’ll be helping my mother with the household tasks. It’s been a little chaotic around here. But I will see you later.”
Sarya stood in one fluid movement with all the grace of a lady and then swept over to give me a quick kiss. Her lips tasted like cinnamon and oranges like the tea that she loved so much. The redheaded elf would be just fine on her own, even against the head of the magical council, so I just nodded.
I took my grandmother’s arm and led the old woman out so that the two elves could talk about us and all the risks that my mate had taken over the last few months without her father’s permission. I could understand Lord Kaylen’s frustration, but since I was the one who had uncovered most of the plots against the Council and even Kaylen himself, I was hoping he’d go easy on my mate.
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall in there,” my grandmother snickered as we slowly made our way through the palace.
“So would I,” I replied. “In fact, I’m almost sure Lord Kaylen waited until I’d sent Storm from the room before he decided to talk to Sarya.”
“He’s not a fool,” my grandmother replied. “Though he can be a little too trusting. A surprising trait for an elf.”
The marble floor had just been swept and mopped, so there were a few spots that were still wet, and we had to take it slow. A few of the elvish servants scurried out of the way, or waved their brooms in the air to clear some of the dust that they’d just knocked off of the giant tapestries that lined the hallways. Light poured in from the arched windows and doorways to make the entire place seem like it was alive, but I kept a wary eye open for any signs of Jason’s presence.
The mage’s smirk as he stood at the edge of the maze was seared into my brain. I may have said that I could’ve been wrong, but there was no doubt in my mind that it had been real. Jason had used an illusion to make us think that he was dead, and the fire mage was probably in league with the shadow mage that ran the cultists, if he wasn’t the man himself.
“I’ve missed this place,” my grandmother said as we finally stepped outside. “This garden has always been one of my favorite places.”
“And mine,” I admitted. “Though I really like the city at night. Those purple flowers that bloom under the violet moon are gorgeous. Atlesia told me the name of them, but I can’t remember it right now.”
“Neither can I,” Delores laughed and shook her head. “It’s right on the tip of my tongue. But they look like those hydrangeas we used to have in front of the house. How is the old Victorian manor?”
“It’s great,” I said. “I’ve even had some work done. You’ll love it.”
I led the old woman over to one of the stone tables set out on the sweeping patio. There were guards near the maze, along the paths that led through the rosebushes and wisteria vines, and even some near the edge of the property where a cliff face dropped a hundred feet to the river far below. I was sure that we’d be fine, but one hand still went to the bag of stones with my creatures to make sure that I could summon them if anything happened.
“There’s nothing out here,” my grandmother assured me and glanced at my bag.
“Of course,” I said and eased into my own chair.
I told myself we were safe, at least for the moment, and it was nice to just sit with my grandmother and talk about anything but war and the cultists. It wouldn’t last for long, especially with the millions of questions that raced through my mind, but it was a nice break. We hadn’t been able to just hang out since we discovered her brain tumor, though my grandfather’s death a few months before the diagnosis had put a strain on both of us, too.
“The doctors say that I’ll make a full recovery,” grandma said and brushed imaginary lint off of her dress. “I will need to make sure to use a little bit of magic every now and then. Apparently, all of the years that I hid it in the human realm was what caused the tumor. We mages have to use our mana, or it’ll kill us.”
“You were on the run for your life,” I pointed out. “By the way, how much did grandpa know?”
“I never hid anything from your grandfather,” she huffed and lifted her chin in the air. “He knew what I was, and why you had to be trained the way you were. He was a good man.”
The old woman’s voice broke, and she swallowed hard like there was something in her throat. I reached over to take my grandmother’s hand, and for once, she didn’t pull it away or tell me I was being foolish. Both of my grandparents had always said that her life began when she met my grandfather, and while that wasn’t entirely true, the couple had always been my role models for what love was supposed to look like, so it was hard to see how lost she was without him.
“I miss him, too,” I said and squeezed her fingers with mine.
“Right,” Delores said and cleared her throat like that would get rid of the tears in her eyes. “Of course we do. He was amazing. He wanted me to tell you everything when you graduated, but then… but then he passed away, and we found out about my tumor. I found out that Joseph was back. Or at least, his father’s cult was, and… and I’m sorry that I threw you to the wolves, but I couldn’t risk anyone finding out about any of it.”
“You could’ve given us some kind of hint,” I sighed and leaned back in my seat again. “We had to translate those journals in the attic. It would’ve saved us a lot of time.”
“And they would’ve found you so much sooner,” she said. “Trust me. If you hadn’t had the time to learn everything on your own, then you would’ve rushed in before you were ready, and before you had the creatures that you’d need to fight. I still can’t believe how many you have. And they’re all so rare. I’ve never been so proud of you.”
“Thanks, grandma,” I said with a teary smile. “It wouldn’t have been possible if you hadn’t taught me all those spells and puzzles as a kid.”
“You’ve always been a bright boy,” she said with a wistful smile that faded as her eyes darkened. “Unlike your grandmother. I was a fool to ever have trusted Joseph. Especially after I found out that he was Kruwyn’s son, but our family is descended from Morgana, so evil doesn’t necessarily run in the blood. But I was young and thought that I was in love, and he was a handsome older man. It was almost too late when I finally found out what he was up to. I barely made it out alive with that amulet, but at least your grandfather and I were able to disappear among the rest of humanity. It helped that your grandfather didn’t have an ounce of magic in him. I used to joke that he was the most normal man that I’d ever met.”
“I remember that,” I said. “I always thought it was weird. But it makes a lot more sense now. And don’t think that we won’t be coming back to that little tidbit about us being related to Morgana.”
“I got lucky meeting him,” she said and blew past my commentary about being related to one of the most evil witches known to the human realm. “I tried to resist his advances for so long, but you know your grandfather.”
“You were just as stubborn,” I pointed out. “So, you must not have wanted to resist him that much.”
“Well,” she chuckled and patted my knee. “He was always the most handsome man. And that was my weakness with Joseph. That evil bastard was charm incarnate, just like his father had been. He convinced so many people to follow him. That he was the rightful ruler of the nine realms by means of his father’s legacy. Of course, I’m sure the only reason that he came after me was because he knew that our family was descended from Morgana, so he thought that we had a piece of the immortality spell.”
