The Traitor Queen

* * *

As Tyvara left to find out what Savara wanted, Lorkin saw his mother nod.

“She’s smart, that one. I’d wager she wasn’t counting on you coming into her life.”

Lorkin grinned. “She did put up quite a lot of resistance. For a while there I thought I’d only imagined she returned my interest.”

“You’re sure now?”

“Yes.” He felt an echo of doubt. “Mostly.”

She chuckled, then her expression grew serious. “So. Black magic.”

Lorkin looked away, then forced himself to turn back and meet his mother’s gaze. As before, her expression was unreadable. Though her eyes betrayed something. Not disapproval, though.

Sadness, he realised. For some reason that made him feel even more guilty.

“Only so I could learn stone-making, Mother,” he said. Her eyebrows rose. “So the Guild could learn stone-making,” he corrected.

“I thought you volunteered to be Dannyl’s assistant because you wanted to find an alternative to black magic.”

Lorkin sighed. “Yes. I did. I had hoped the Traitors’ stones would be that alternative.”

“Is it really impossible to make them without black magic?”

“Not impossible, but... it is like trying to build a house blindfolded. The way higher magic alters your perceptions and control of magic makes training the stones easier and more accurate.”

“Higher magic?” She smiled and looked away. “I find that is the term used by people who embrace black magic.”

“And black magic is the term used by people who don’t approve of higher magic.” Lorkin shrugged. “Whether that disapproval is justified or not.”

“Is it justified?”

He thought of Evar, drained of all energy out of revenge. Of himself, kept weak as Kalia’s prisoner. But Kalia’s supporters would have found another way to punish Evar if they hadn’t had black magic, and they’d have found other ways to keep Lorkin prisoner.

“Yes and no. All magic can be abused. All power can be abused. The Traitors are proof that a culture that does embrace higher magic doesn’t necessarily turn into Sachaka – the Ashaki kind of Sachaka, that is.”

Mother nodded. “Just as Kallen and I are proof that not every magician goes mad and tries to take over the Guild once he or she learns black magic.”

“I’d have thought Father was proof of that.”

She shrugged. “He’s not the best example, since he did use it to win the position of High Lord.”

“Yes. He turned out to be a man of many secrets.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Plenty. After what you discovered, I... I wonder what else he kept hidden.”

“So...” He took a deep breath. “Will the Guild accept me now that I know black magic?”

Pursing her lips, she did not answer immediately. “Probably. Stone-making is a new kind of magic with great potential, and they want it.”

“Even if it does require black magic?”

“Yes, though that will probably mean only a few will be allowed to learn it. Myself. Kallen. Lilia. You.”

“Lilia? Oh – the novice who learned it from a book. Now that was unexpected.”

“Yes. I have a hunch that she has a particular talent for it, and others might not so easily learn from a description. Though that might be too much to hope for.”

“Was it another of Father’s deceptions? Did he hope to reduce the danger to the Guild by making us believe it couldn’t be learned from a book, so that nobody would try?”

“I don’t think so.” She frowned. “There is another possibility. Zarala may have told him it could only be taught mind to mind, to reduce the danger of the Guild adopting black magic. He...”

She straightened, her eyes widening. Guessing that Osen was communicating with her, Lorkin waited. The cry of a distant bird drew his attention to the surroundings and he realised that the sun was dipping toward the horizon. The mountains loomed to one side. He was suddenly aware that they were just a small gathering of people – isolated, exposed and insignificant.

But we’re not. We’re magicians. Two of us are powerful figures among our peoples. Important decisions are about to be made. Historic decisions.

His mother sighed. She looked at him, then over at Regin. As if sensing her gaze, Regin looked up. She beckoned, and he rose and moved away from the pair of Traitor women he had been talking to.

“I have an answer,” she told him as he reached them. As she moved to stand, Regin extended a hand and, to Lorkin’s surprise, she took it and let him help her up. “Could you go tell the queen, Lorkin?”

He did as she asked, finding Savara talking quietly with Tyvara. The two looked a little annoyed at the interruption, until Lorkin told them that Black Magician Sonea had received an answer from the Guild.

Savara rose and dusted off her clothes as his mother walked over to join her. They sat down in a small circle where they had settled the night before.

“Your invitation has been discussed among the leaders of the Allied Lands, your majesty,” his mother began. “First, I must convey our thanks. We are honoured that you invited us to join your fight. However, the difference we might make to the outcome is small weighed against the possible consequences of our participation should you lose. As you have already pointed out, we have little to offer an army such as yours at this time. Some in the Allied Lands believe we would be more of a hindrance than a help.” Her mouth twitched into a wry smile, to which Savara responded with similar amusement. “Others are not so pessimistic, pointing out that we have more than once in the past proven stronger and more resourceful than we appeared to be. Unfortunately those of the former opinion outnumber those of the latter, and the decision made is that we cannot join you in a conflict against King Amakira.”

Lorkin’s heart sank. Looking around, he saw looks of disgust on the faces of the Traitors. But not surprise.

“All have expressed support for your aim to end slavery in Sachaka,” she continued. “If you delay your plans we may have time to become a more useful ally in such an endeavour. If you do not, we wish you every success and hope to form bonds of trade if not alliance in the future. In the meantime – if the offer still stands – we are willing to trade our Healers’ services in exchange for magical gemstones, and I have been instructed to negotiate the details of such a deal now if it is convenient.”

Savara nodded. “Please send my thanks for their consideration of our invitation,” she said. “Since we do not need to wait for Allied forces to join us, we will not delay our plans. We leave in the morning. However, we still desire to trade Healing for stones.” She paused to frown. “How long will it take your Healers to reach Arvice? Wait – before you answer that...” She turned to look at Lorkin. “Would you ask Tyvara to bring some raka?”

Lorkin nodded, stood up and hurried over to where Tyvara was sitting alone, watching the meeting.

“Savara said to bring raka,” he told her. “Would you like some help?”

She stared up at him searchingly and didn’t move.

“What is it?” he asked, lowering his voice.

“What will you do? Where will you go?”

He glanced at his mother, then back at her. “I... don’t know.” Mother would expect him to return to Kyralia, despite the matter of him knowing black magic. He wanted to return – to be able to return – but to leave Sachaka would mean leaving Tyvara. And the Traitors. I want to see them win. To leave now would be like leaving in the middle of someone telling a story.

Except that listening to stories wasn’t as dangerous as joining in a war. If he stayed with the Traitors he’d be in the middle of the fighting. The Ashaki would consider him another target. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill him because he was a Guild magician.

The Guild would not want him to get involved, either. The Allied Lands had shied away from direct conflict with King Amakira for fear that the Traitors would lose, and the king would seek revenge. A Guild magician among the Traitors would make it look as though the Guild supported the Traitors.

But they’re going to send Healers. How is that different?