Jocasta would be pleased enough with his work today, he supposed; not that it really mattered. What did was what Malachi would think. And finding a way for Subtle Hemlock to infiltrate Towering Oaks should make his true Head of House very happy indeed.
Chapter 21
The flames roared around Thaddeus, spiraling high into the air then crashing back to the ground before rising again, tightening around him. It was a game of his own devising, to see how close he could get without singeing himself. And the height of the wall of flames that spun around him got higher every time he did this.
Yes, he was growing stronger by the day, now that he knew he could be. Now that he wasn’t holding himself back, or being held back by others.
The snow on the ground kept the fire from igniting any dry wood or leaves that would normally be in an area like this. A secluded mountain glade that Melanie had introduced him to as a place to sneak off for a rendezvous. She had no idea that he also used it as a practice spot.
Finally, he let the flames crash to the ground once more and shut them down. In the beginning, that process took time. Making them grow smaller, corralling them, slowly quelling their fury. Now, the flames obeyed him; and when he wished them gone, they went in one fell swoop.
The forest was quiet again except for Thaddeus’s heavy breathing. The melted snow puddled on the frozen ground began to ice over. He was getting stronger, but that didn’t mean it still didn’t take a lot out of him.
Mopping his face with his sleeve, he began the walk back to the Subtle Hemlock compound, a huge edifice made from carved logs and stacked stone, construction that would be sacrilege in the Greenweald. It sat on the side of the mountain with stunning views of the peaks and valleys surrounding it.
But most of it extended back into the mountain, through caves and tunnels carved out by magic long ago. Down among the storerooms, kitchens, workshops and labs were where most of the acolytes of the House lived and worked.
From what Thaddeus could tell, very few of the House ever came outside. They spent their time indoors, away from all this, honing their skills to the benefit of Subtle Hemlock.
And Malachi? Malachi and whoever he favored lived in that magnificent edifice that was visible on the surface, able to look out vast windows at the panoramic views surrounding them. Even Florian hadn’t been so ostentatious.
Still, they were nice views, and Thaddeus had no doubt he would enjoy them.
“There you are.” Melanie was walking toward him, bundled up against the bitter cold.
“Here I am,” he said, walking past her and letting her catch up to him.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked.
“Practicing. I find it more conducive out here.”
“Aren’t you freezing?”
Unlike her, Thaddeus wore a simple robe with pants beneath and sturdy boots.
“No, I don’t seem to get cold anymore.” He didn’t either. Ever since that day in the dark room, the day that he burned the Soul Gaunt to ash, Thaddeus had been warm. At first, too much so, but then he learned to control it and now was always comfortable, no matter the temperature around him.
“Are you okay?” Melanie asked, linking her arm through his.
“Hmm? Fine. Why do you ask?”
“You’ve been cold lately.”
He laughed at her choice of words, although he knew perfectly well what she meant by them. “Have I?”
“Yeah, you have. And frankly, I’m starting to get tired of it.”
Thaddeus simply shrugged as an answer.
“All right, that’s it!” she exploded.
There was a sudden sharp pain in his head. He spun and dropped to his knees, feeling blood trickle from his nose.
“I’ve had it,” Melanie snarled. “I don’t know who you think you are, or why you’re acting this way, but I’m sick of it, and I’m sick of you!”
The pain was starting to make him sick, but Melanie had made a huge mistake. Thaddeus was no stranger to pain, not any longer. He narrowed his eyes, about the only movement he could do, and concentrated.
In a circle around them, the snow started to sizzle and melt. A tube of fire roared from the ground, the searing heat intense, but Thaddeus didn’t feel that any more than he did the cold.
“Ah!” Melanie screamed. “Stop it!”
He smiled, and the walls of the tube started to creep in, like the light he had tried this with before. Only there was no subtlety this time. It was pure power, his will against hers, his resolve against the pain she was causing.
“I’m not kidding,” she screamed again. “Stop!”
The noise that came from him was nothing more than a growl, but it should have conveyed the disdain he felt for her pitiful efforts. She would either release him, or…
“I warned you,” she said.
Something in his mind tore. A ripping sensation that cut him off from his spell and caused the flames to vanish as if they were never there. Then the ground hit him hard and that was end of it.
♦ ♦ ♦
When he woke, he was soaking wet, muddy, and for the first time in several days, freezing cold. He was lying where he fell, shivering in the frozen over puddle of melted snow.
There was no sign of Melanie, and for that he was grateful. The ease that she cut him off from his magic unnerved him and he needed time to consider what that could mean. How strong was she?
Then a fresh thought came to him. He scrambled to his feet and held his trembling hand out in front of him. He stared at it, but nothing happened.
“Come on,”
