They looked more like doormen than guards. As if reading Damien’s mind the two men pulled the doors open as they approached.
The throne room wasn’t as big as you might have expected, reflecting the fact that when they’d built the castle defense came before pomp. A red carpet ran down the center of the room between rows of empty, hard wooden benches that sat facing the raised throne where Uncle Andy sat beside another pair of guards.
Those two carried well-worn long swords and judging from their soul force were powerful warlords. Not that Uncle Andy was any slouch. His soul force almost matched his guards and he was still strong and fit, his dark hair streaked with gray. He wore a simple gold circlet, blue-and-silver tunic, black pants, and a purple robe trimmed with fox fur. When they reached the end of the carpet everyone took a knee.
“No need to stand on protocol in private, please rise.”
Damien got up and found Uncle Andy on his feet and walking down the two steps from the throne. He shook hands with Jen and her team. “I understand you did good work finding the dragon and its army and warning General Kord of its approach. Well done.”
They all bowed their heads and murmured words of thanks. Besides Jen none of them had met the king before and they seemed uncertain what to say. Uncle Andy realized it as well. “I’m sure you’re tired from your journey. Perhaps you’d like to rest in the barracks.”
“I’ll join you later,” Jen said.
The guys bowed and fled like men who’d just received a reprieve from the gallows. When they’d gone and the doors closed behind them Uncle Andy laughed. “Am I so intimidating?”
Damien grinned and shook his hand. “They just don’t know you like we do. Can we skip the award ceremony and just have the feast?”
“Same Damien, always thinking with his stomach. Unfortunately, we have to have the ceremony. General Kord put you up for the Medal of Valor and after reading his report I believe you deserve it. Don’t worry, it won’t take that long. Karrie’s around here somewhere. I believe she mentioned wanting a dance at the feast.”
Damien managed not to grimace.
Chapter 40
Two days after his meeting with Uncle Andy, Damien stood in a short hall that led to a balcony where the king would place a gold trinket around his neck. The voices of the gathering crowd reached Damien despite the distance.
He tugged at the collar of his formal robes. A shrill, wrinkled woman had spent an hour yesterday evening measuring him and attempting to poke him with needles. If not for his personal shield he’d look like a pin cushion. He’d never met the woman before, but he felt certain she hated him on sight. When she left an hour later he returned the feeling.
Why couldn’t they just get it over with already? He couldn’t see the sun from where he stood, but he figured he had at least another half hour of waiting. Damien never imagined wishing for a demon attack, but it might be a welcome change right about now. He conjured a chair and slumped down in it.
“Damien St. Cloud?” A slender, older woman with blond hair, a mess of fine wrinkles around her sharp green eyes, and a crimson robe appeared as if out of nowhere. He saw no soul force so she must be a sorcerer, probably a member of the Crimson Legion.
Damien blinked in surprise. “Yes, ma’am, can I help you?”
“I’m Lidia Thorn, archmage of the kingdom.”
Damien scrambled to his feet, reabsorbed the speck of power he used to form the chair, and licked his lips. The archmage! What was he supposed to do, bow, salute, no one ever told him. “Nice to meet you.” That was almost certainly not the proper reply.
She smiled at his unease. “Please relax or you’ll make me nervous. I’ve been reading about you. You completed your training in the minimum required time, killed a demon a few days later, and now you almost killed a dragon. An impressive start to your career.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I haven’t had much luck finding a mentor despite my efforts. If I can’t find one soon I don’t know what sort of career I might have.”
She waved her hand as though that was of no concern. “Show me your power.”
“Ma’am?”
“Channel half your power into your shield and make it visible. Reading reports isn’t the same as seeing for myself.”
Damien saw no reason to refuse, and even if he did he wouldn’t dare object to her order. He made his shield visible and suddenly the world took on a golden tint. Half his power went flowing down the channels he’d made. All around him stones vibrated, and cracks ran along the floor as the power he didn’t fully contain spilled over. The archmage’s hair and robe blew back from the breeze his power whipped up.
“That’s enough.” She waved her arms like he couldn’t hear her.
He drew his power back in and returned his shield to its original state. “Was that okay, ma’am?”
She smiled and straightened her hair. “Better than okay. You’re stronger than me. I suspect you could take any three of my Crimson Legion in a duel. How about you come work for me?”
“Ma’am?” He had to have heard wrong. There was no way the archmage would want a kid six months out of the tower to serve in her legion.
“I want you to come work for me. The others are too gutless to take you as an apprentice. Well, that’s their loss. You’re far too valuable to waste sitting in The Tower waiting for a mentor. I’ll be your mentor and you’ll answer directly to me. You’ve certainly proven yourself a capable field agent. What do you say?”
Damien didn’t have to think long. “I’d be honored, Master.”
She nodded once. “Excellent. I’ve arranged
