Chapter 6

“You seem awfully pensive, my dear...” Lady Charlotte said, putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s nothing...” Fiona said after a moment, finally glancing at her friend and host.

“You didn’t even tell me how it went in Ashad? What’s Lady Regent like? Is Mearinth beautiful? I’ve never been there...”

Fiona smiled at Charlotte. As always, her friend couldn’t keep her curiosity in check.

“It is nice, I suppose, although I was busy with the case...”

“You mentioned briefly that the prince and the regent were murdered ... Awful business,” Charlotte said, twitching her nose in disgust.

“Yes, and solving the murder only opened more questions ... What is the situation here?”

“Hopeless...” Charlotte said with a sigh. “With the Duke and Duchess dead, nobody talks about anything else, not to mention that there hasn’t been a proper party in ages...”

Fiona nodded, giving a compassionate smile to her friend. “I envy her disdain for politics and her lack of interest for anything but parties and gossip ... I could really use some of that mindset now,” Fiona thought, but found that she couldn’t really put her mind at ease. Yesterday, when they arrived at Highfort, she made sure to take Princess Vivien to the royal palace first, as inconspicuously as possible. She was hoping for a long talk with the king, but he barely acknowledged her brief report about the murders in Ashad and the dealings of the Cult of the Remaker.

“Three days from now, I am expecting you here, Lady Fiona... - that’s what the king said when I asked him about the Duke and the Duchess and if he thought that there is any connection between that and the events in Ashad...” Fiona thought in frustration. She sighed deeply, raising her eyes to meet Betty’s sweet face as she was pouring tea for her mistress and Fiona.

“I’ll just have to be patient...” Fiona thought, grabbing Betty’s cute ass and making her purr with satisfaction.

TOK! TOK!

“Betty, dear, go see who that is...” Charlotte said with a hint of annoyance as the sound of the door-knocker threatened to interrupt her afternoon tea.

“Right away, My Lady.”

Fiona heard the creaking of hinges of the heavy front doors and then after a moment, she heard them again. Glancing through the entrance to the salon where they were having the tea, Fiona saw Betty’s face stretch into an elated smile. The girl was standing in the entrance hall, beckoning Fiona to come with joyful and energetic motions.

“What came over you, girl...” Fiona said, rising to her feet and moving into the hall. Her inquisitive eyes strayed from Betty and set their sight on the person who was in the hall with her.

Fiona found herself unable to speak for a long, long moment as her breath caught in her chest.

There he was once again, after more than a year. Her Apprentice. Their eyes met, magnetically drawn to one another. A hopeful and timid smile was on his face as her eyes finally detached from his own and strayed towards the beautiful dark-haired girl whose hand he was holding. A pang of jealousy hit her like a slap in the face, and she found her voice once again.

“Well ... if it isn’t my former apprentice...” she said in a voice that sounded strange to her.

“It is so good to see you again...” Magnus said, releasing the breath he was holding.

“It is good to see you too...”

An awkward silence followed until Magnus turned and led the dark-haired girl towards a large chair and helped her sit down. Fiona felt a sudden pressure in her chest as she saw him speak and caress the girl’s hair with immense gentleness and love. When he finally walked back to her and Betty, she mustered all her strength of will and forced a smile.

“I suppose congratulations are in order...” Fiona said, glancing at the beautiful but strangely docile girl.

“What?” Magnus said, puzzled. He stared into Fiona for a long moment until the realization dawned on him. “Oh! Gods, no ... That is my sister...” Magnus said with a forced smile that betrayed some intense pain.

“Your sister?!” Fiona said, releasing a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

“Yes ... and actually, she is the reason I am here,” Magnus said, glancing once again towards Lina and sending her an encouraging smile that prompted no reaction from the girl.

“Huh ... I can see the resemblance now,” Fiona said, feeling a mountain lifting off her shoulders.

“Please, I need to speak to you ... in private. Let me say hi to Charlotte and then I really need to talk with you...” Magnus said with pleading eyes.

“Of course,” Fiona said, puzzled by the intensity of his words.

Sitting in a room they had often shared many months ago, gave Fiona a strange sensation of déjà vu. She eyed her former apprentice who seemed restless and was having trouble sitting still.

“Magnus, whatever it is, just say it. I am here for you,” Fiona said with an encouraging smile.

“Thanks...” Magnus breathed out. “I have so much to tell you, but I feel I have to unload my heaviest burden first ... It is about my sister,” Magnus said after slight hesitation.

“And I thought it weird that he would be so rattled about anything concerning himself ... but the girl is his weak spot, it seems,” Fiona thought as she watched Magnus preparing to pour his soul out.

“She is a mage,” Magnus said with a look of pain on his face.

“Really?! I didn’t expect that ... but why would that-”

“That’s not the issue, though,” Magnus said quickly. “She had been taken by slavers and she ended up in Fluvia. I found her there. A mage was controlling her mind somehow and he trained her as an assassin of a sort and I killed him and now she isn’t there anymore!” Magnus blurted out in a single breath.

Fiona stared at him, her mind reeling from the torrent of words that didn’t make any sense to her.

“She isn’t there? Mind control?! Magnus, you are not making any sense. There is no spell for mind control!”

“There has to be! I am sure that’s what it was. He tried to mind control me, but when I resisted he made her attack me. Now her mind isn’t there anymore ... Gods help me, I wish I could resurrect the son of a bitch just so I could kill him all over again!” Magnus said, clenching his hands with rage.

“All right, Magnus, listen to me. You have to describe everything to me ... in detail.”

Magnus nodded, and taking a few breaths to calm himself, he told her about his encounter with Lord Hawkins, taking time to describe how it felt when the lord tried to mind-control him. Within a couple of minutes, Fiona was shaking her head in disbelief.

“Mind control ... By the gods, it must be the manifestation of a rare talent, there is no other explanation ... If it were your sister only, I would suspect some powerful exotic drug, but I know you are not making up this attempt at controlling your mind...” Fiona said, feeling restless herself, suddenly.

Mind control magic ... It was something unheard of ... until now.

“Did you try healing her?” she asked finally.

“Yes! It was the first thing that occurred to me ... but there is nothing wrong with her body,” Magnus said in frustration.

“I see ... Did you try delving into her mind?”

“I did ... but I felt completely lost there. There were barriers and I couldn’t figure out how to proceed ... I couldn’t risk hurting her,” Magnus said putting his head in his hands.

“I am afraid I don’t know anyone who has expertise in a matter such as this one ... I am sorry,” Fiona said, looking at her former apprentice with compassion. He was evidently in great pain.

“What can I do now? I can’t just let her live like this. This is no life ... She is, she is more like a plant than a person,” Magnus said in anguish.

An eerie silence dominated the room as Magnus despaired and Fiona pondered the situation, her face serious and her eyebrows knitted. Finally, she reached out and grasped Magnus’ hand, waking him from his hopeless stupor.

“There is something we can try. I could guide you inside her mind and maybe with my help you could put your healing to work.”

“You could do that?”

“Yes, but it is not without risk ... Mind is a delicate thing, so there is always a possibility of inflicting even more damage ... You must make a decision, Magnus,” Fiona said with determination. Magnus locked eyes with her, his face showing obvious struggle.

“Let’s do it ... and may the gods guide us,” Magnus said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll bring her here.”

A couple of minutes later, the girl was lying on the bed with Magnus and Fiona sitting on either side of her. Fiona watched her pretty but completely docile face with curiosity as Magnus moved some loose strands of her dark hair. The obvious gentleness with which he was touching her brought warmth to Fiona’s heart.

“She really is so pretty ... Oh gods, I can’t imagine being like this,” Fiona thought, barely able to prevent herself from shuddering.

“Magnus, let’s do this,” Fiona said, steeling herself. She touched the girl’s forehead, extending her other hand to Magnus. He mimicked her moves after a moment of hesitation. His face was solemn and it was obvious how worried and anxious he was.

“Close your eyes and empty your mind ... Find your calm first,” Fiona said, a vision of a starry night sky coming to her mind, the sky she had watched so many times as a little girl from the roof of her uncle’s barn. It was her favorite memory, her own anchor when she needed to focus.

“Now, reach out to me and let me guide you...”

A few moments later, she felt a presence at the edge of her mind and she lowered her barriers. As she felt the touch of Magnus’ mind, she sensed an overwhelming feeling of intimacy. No coupling of bodies could ever reach so deep.

There is no more need for words now, Magnus.

Huh ... this feels so strange...

I know ... Now, follow me, Fiona sent mentally, trying to instill some confidence into Magnus. Together, they ventured inside Lina’s mind.

Words can hardly describe the feeling of being inside someone’s mind, the sensation of being a stranger in a foreign world with its own unknown rules and laws. This wasn’t Fiona’s first time, but each time was a whole different experience. Leaning on her instincts, she made her way through the labyrinth of Lina’s mind. To her, this world appeared as a maze made of shiny blue walls, interspersed with many luminous spots and crossroads. Her own anxiety grew as she felt Magnus’ mind cling to her, following her steps through this wondrous world. Would she be able to guide him?

Pay attention to the barriers, Magnus.

All right ... but how will we know where to go? I feel completely lost here...

We need to use our reasoning, Apprentice... Fiona sent after a moment of deliberation. She had to make a decision and she knew that Lina’s life was hanging in the balance. It would be so easy to make a wrong step, to push against a wrong barrier and end up interfering with some vital function of the girl’s body ... Would Magnus ever be able to forgive her if she ended up killing his sister by accident? Fiona steeled her mind and forced herself to think analytically. So many barriers ... yet not all of them were equally strong. Some of them seemed so fragile...

Yes. Fiona sent, projecting confidence she wasn’t feeling at all...

All right, I trust you...

“And I hope to gods you won’t regret that trust,” Fiona thought to herself, gathering all the courage she had.

Come, she sent, pushing against a weak, battered down barrier that stood in one intersection, surrounded by pulsing multi-colored lights. A moment of weak resistance, a shimmering of lights, and then ... and then they were inside ... wherever inside was.

Fiona felt the fear and frustration in Magnus’ mind and she knew she had to instill some confidence in him, even if she wasn’t feeling any herself...

Magnus, listen to me ... There is no mage who could possibly have the knowledge to heal such a complex thing as a person’s mind ... There is no way for you to KNOW this ... You just need to rely on your talent and hope your unconscious mind KNOWS how to heal another mind.

Oh, gods...

I believe in you, Magnus ... You can do this.

A long silence followed.

Go to your special place, Magnus, and just let go...

Several moments passed and then Fiona felt a touch of warm, wonderfully soothing energy, flow all around her mind. Oh, how she wanted to bask in it. But she wasn’t the one whose mind needed healing.

She strengthened her barriers, the warm energy diverging around her mind and flowing in all directions. The flow continued for an unknowable period of time and then dwindled to a stop. She was about to send a message to Magnus when she felt a presence, a strong, angry presence coming like an avalanche.

Magnus! It’s time to go! Hurry!

Their minds rushed through the wondrous labyrinth, making their way back with a frenetic pace. The shimmering blue walls seemed to close in on them from all sides...

Fiona’s eyes fluttered open. She was out. She glanced at Magnus who was also coming back to the real world. As they gazed at each other with a question hanging between them, a rasping sound, a hiss, came from the girl lying on the bed. Her body lurched, once, twice, and then her eyes opened, focusing on Magnus. A very long second passed.

“Magnus...?”

The silence of the room remained unbroken for several moments.

“Lina...?!” Magnus finally responded in a raspy voice. His face was frozen somewhere between hope and despair.

“What ... where am I?” Lina said, raising her head from the pillow and leaning on her elbows.

“By the gods...” Magnus said, grabbing her shoulders. He peered into her eyes as if trying to see if it was really her.

“Stop staring at me, you doofus!”

Tears rained down Magnus’s cheeks as his laughter resonated throughout the room. He kissed her forehead and embraced her, his tears disappearing in the strands of her dark, wavy hair.

Fiona watched the touching moment with overwhelming joy. She wiped her own tears with the sleeve of her blouse and then slowly extricated herself from the room. Brother and sister needed their intimacy.

Rays of morning sun invaded the room and mercilessly attacked Magnus’ face, making him frown and squint. He stirred, trying to fight off the invader but soon realized it was a lost cause. Finally, he yawned and stretched his arms, trying to shake off the drowsiness. Concerned as he was about Lina’s recovery, he had cast a sound-enhancing spell last night in order to be ready to run to Lina’s room in case she got in some kind of distress. It had cost him the night’s sleep but the thought still brought a big smile to his face. Lina had recovered, and by the grace of gods, she didn’t seem to remember anything of the time when she had been under mind control.

He splashed his face with cold water and then did some stretching exercises, before getting dressed and coming out of his room. Sending a word to his parents was the first thing on his mind. He could already imagine their tears of joy when they read his letter...

“You look like you wrestled with a bear the whole night...”

Magnus turned around to meet Fiona’s smirk.

“Yeah, I was-”

“I know. I would recognize that sloppy sound spell anywhere.”

Magnus laughed.

“She is doing well, I am guessing?”

“She is. And all thanks to you. I have no words to say how grateful I am,” Magnus said, watching his former Mistress with affection.

“Good...” Fiona said and then hesitated for a few seconds. “I am glad you came to me for help. I was ... having some thoughts that maybe your perception of the apprenticeship had changed...”

“Huh?! What do you mean?” Magnus asked, puzzled.

“Well ... I did put you through some rough patches, and...” Fiona said, giving him a weak and hesitant smile, so out of character for her. Magnus’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

“Are you kidding me?!” he exclaimed, crossing the distance between them in big strides. He took her face in his hands and looked deep into her gleaming, blue eyes. Her delicate, silky skin felt so good under his fingers and he could feel her warm breath on his forearms. Gods, she was so beautiful, so lovely.

“Those were absolutely amazing five years. You taught me so much about magic, about the world, about sex ... Sure, there were some ... tough periods,” he said, laughing suddenly, and then took her by the hips and lifted her into his embrace. “ ... but I wouldn’t change one second of it, not for the whole world...”

Her warm body was pressed against his, her flushed but glowing face was mere inches away. The lure of her luscious lips was irresistible and Magnus felt an overwhelming need to kiss her, to reach out with his heart through his lips ... But along with it, he felt some strange, inexplicable unease and trepidation. He hesitated for a tiny moment, struggling with this unfamiliar feeling.

“Ehm! Lady Charlotte wishes you to know that she would be delighted if you could both join her for breakfast,” an older maid said formally.

“We will be right there...” Fiona said in a strange voice as her feet touched the ground once again.

“Yes, we will come in a moment...” Magnus said, taking a deep breath. The moment had passed and he was suddenly feeling so awkward. “What the hell is wrong with me?! I spent years with her in complete intimacy, and now I can’t seem to even kiss her...”

“Let’s not make Charlotte wait,” Fiona said, breaking the sudden silence. She glided away in her usual graceful manner, with just a hint of stiffness. Magnus watched her walk away and then took a few moments to clear his head before joining the breakfast.

Breakfast stretched into hours as Magnus told them of his travels and all the dramatic events he had participated in.

“I heard about Elves visiting and I heard a few nobles talk about some wild tribe moving to Vistania ... Huh, who would have guessed that was all your doing!” Charlotte said with an elated laugh. That was going to be some priceless gossip material for her.

“Yes, he has been quite busy, it seems...” Fiona said, pensive. “But you still haven’t said a word about how you found Lina.”

“Yeah, about that...” Magnus took a deep breath and described the events in Charobny. As he told his tale, Fiona’s face turned solemn.

“These are some dire news ... The word of the assassination of King Sion of Fluvia has been circulating for a couple of days now, but there was no mention of the cult ... Are you sure it was their doing?”

“I can’t be sure ... but the flurry of activity I witnessed on the night of the assassination and seeing for myself the way they operate...” Magnus said, shrugging.

Fiona nodded.

“You need to come with me tomorrow. The king is holding some kind of a meeting and I need you to tell him everything you told me. I have a really bad feeling about all of this ... The scope of the cult’s operation, their reach ... Something big is happening,” Fiona said gravely.

“Yes, truly dreadful business ... but now I want you to tell me more about the Elves. What kind of clothing do they wear? Do they throw good parties?” Charlotte asked with girlish curiosity.

Magnus sighed. This was going to be a long day.

The large meeting room was just as Magnus remembered it. Four separate entrances and exits, walls adorned with imposing tapestries that depicted former kings of Vistania in their most memorable moments, and a large, ornate table that dominated the room. But more than that, this room was a place of one of the most dramatic moments of his life. His eyes strayed to the spot where he had seen Fiona lying in a pool of blood, many months ago. A small shiver ran through his body, but also a flash of rage. The Illusionist was still out there. He had a score to settle with that son of a bitch.

“He is living on borrowed time...” Magnus mouthed, squeezing Fiona’s hand lightly. Her eyes had been glued to the spot for several moments before she turned to give Magnus a grateful smile. But there was no time for reminiscing.

“Thank you all for coming here today,” King Tristan said in a determined voice. His gaze went over all the participants of this gathering. And what a gathering it was. Magnus saw Lanaya, Sela, and Voron, the deadly elven scouts he had the honor to call friends, incline their heads to the king. They were all wearing their simple scout garments, but they held themselves with the grace humans couldn’t possibly match. For a brief moment, they glanced towards Magnus but their faces kept their solemnity, and only Sela gave him a barely perceptible smirk.

Next to them was a man who held himself as a soldier. He was dressed in simple formal attire, but it was obvious to Magnus that the man was a high-ranking military officer. But the biggest surprise was the presence of Simon, the historian Magnus had met on his way to Charobny. Simon gave him a brief smile of acknowledgment before his face became solemn once again. And finally, there were two senior royal mages flanking King Tristan. Magnus remembered the man and the woman from the dramatic events during the Royal Ball when he had been apprehended.

“I am sure you all heard some of the grave tidings that have been happening lately...” the king continued in a serious voice. “My own trusted advisors and friends, Duke and Duchess Girault were murdered in their very mansion. That alone would have been a cause for major concern, but I am afraid it gets worse ... much worse,” the king said, turning his gaze to Fiona. “Lady Fiona, would you be so kind and share your findings with the rest?”

Fiona nodded. Taking her time, she told them all about the events in Ashad, the assassinations, and her discoveries. When she finished, there were questions coming from all sides, but she waved them off.

“Please, listen to Magnus’ story first. I think it puts things in an even more dreary perspective...”

As all eyes turned to Magnus, he cleared his throat and overcoming his stage fright, told them about the events in Charobny. He kept the part of his sister being mind-controlled to himself. There was no need to share that information and put her into the spotlight. He wasn’t sure if Lanaya knew the full truth, but she corroborated his story nevertheless.

“She found me in the basement of the mansion!” Simon chimed in suddenly, and then thinking he was overstepping his position, blushed and hesitated until the king gave him a reassuring nod to continue.

“They kept me there for three days, questioning me and beating me...” Simon said, making a grimace and touching what was likely a sore spot on his ribs.

“They caught you snooping?” Magnus asked.

“Well ... yes. I told you I was going to investigate the cult ... but I had no idea who I was dealing with. Soon after I started asking questions, I noticed someone following me. It didn’t take long before I asked one question too many...”

“I think you can all see now how serious is the threat we are facing here. The regent and the prince of Ashad, the Duke and Duchess Girault, King Sion of Fluvia even, gods have mercy ... I heard of some ill tidings from Nessia as well, but my spies were unable to confirm them...” the king said, taking time to look everyone in the eyes.

“Sons and daughters of the Goddess are their victims too,” Lanaya said with anger in her eyes. Her lovely melodic voice seemed to be in contradiction with the expression on her face but Magnus knew better.

“What do you mean?” the king asked.

“We are now sure that this cult was behind the sneak and malicious attack on my people. I assume it was done to weaken us and to sour our relationship with humans ... But the Goddess was looking over us even when we thought that everything was lost,” she said, giving a warm smile to Magnus, her blue and green eyes shining like two distant stars. Magnus felt entranced for several moments until the sound of Fiona clearing her throat brought him back to reality.

“So, am I the only one who thinks that this is all part of a bold master plan to grab power, maybe even over the whole continent?” the king asked. Most of the group looked at each other, unsure what to say.

“Your Highness, if I may...” the officer said in a deep voice.

“Commander Keren, of course,” the king said.

“Thank you, Highness. As a soldier, I must ask - how can they hope to take power in all these countries? Stirring trouble is one thing, but to conquer and hold all of the countries, it would take an enormous army ... Where can they find such an army? Sure, there are mercenary armies out there, but their number is minuscule compared to the combined size of all our armies, and certainly nowhere near large enough to hold all this immense area.” The commander’s gaze went over all the faces of the present company as if daring anyone to question his logic.

“Hmm ... you make a good point,” the king conceded.

“What if this is even bigger than we think?” the female mage said in a calm and measured voice. Magnus glanced at her, taking in her face which looked more handsome than pretty. She seemed to be around forty or so, which translated into mage years meant that she walked this world for more than a hundred years ... and she still didn’t have a single grey hair on her head.

“Lady Irina, what do you mean?” the king said.

“What if the enemy army isn’t coming from the main continent at all? What if powers from the eastern or southern continent are involved?” she said in a grave voice.

A long silence followed. There hadn’t been a war between the continents for more than a hundred and fifty years. The last time it happened, the Old Empire ceased to exist and it gave birth to several new countries. Some parts of the empire, like the Free Cities to the east, refused to unite with any of the new countries. They cherished their newfound freedom after a period of oppression under the Old Empire.

“If I may be allowed once again,” Simon said timidly, “I believe we should focus on the most obvious question...”

“The Remaker, you mean,” Fiona said.

“Exactly, Lady Fiona. Who is he? What is he?”

“The way Lord Hawkins spoke about him, I had an impression that this Remaker was a ... divine creature,” Magnus said with some hesitation.

“The book I confiscated from the cult in Ashad also refers to Remaker as some kind of a godlike being...” Fiona added.

“A God? A Demon Lord?! It seems absurd...” Lady Irina said.

“Err, why?” Magnus asked.

“As far as we know, there is an agreement between Gods and Demon Lords that prevents them from crossing onto our plane, an agreement that hasn’t been broken for millennia,” The male mage said in a deep voice. He also seemed to be at least forty, although Magnus could see a few greys in his auburn hair. Perhaps a decade or two older than Lady Irina?

“Lord Anodar, do we know that for certain?” the king asked, and then as if remembering something turned towards the group. “Forgive my lack of introductions, please,” the king said apologetically, “Wizard Anodar and Sorceress Irina are the most senior among my royal mages. They have my full trust.”

Lord Anodar gave a slight nod to the king before continuing. “I believe so. There would have been some written traces left if something of that magnitude ever happened.”

“I agree with Wizard Anodar. There is nothing in all the writings I have ever seen that would suggest such a cataclysmic event,” Simon said firmly. Magnus couldn’t help smiling at the confidence the young man started projecting as soon as the conversation had shifted towards history.

“Perhaps a High Demon? It can’t be such a big deal then, can it?” Magnus suggested.

“They have a touch of divinity in them, but they aren’t technically considered divine...” Lord Anodar said, his face pensive. Then he suddenly focused on Magnus. “What do you mean not a big deal?” There was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“Well, I’ve already fought one...” Magnus said awkwardly.

“What are you talking about?” Lord Anodar said, his eyebrows shooting up.