Exile's Return (Book 1) (52 page)

What if they come out?

Robert grinned in the darkness.
Then we’ll just have to be a little more imaginative.

He took his hand from the wall and pointed to his right. They moved silently down the passage until they came to a corner. The passage continued further into the building, while a staircase led down to their right. There was only one small problem. The passage up here was full of guards, and downstairs there were another two.

Robert grabbed Jenn and pulled her back into the shadows.
I knew I shouldn’t have let you come!

Oh, stop being a baby! Look – they’re going that way. There must be another guard room down the end. They must have been doing a patrol along the corridor. You know, to keep people like us out.

People like you, you mean. Have you no respect? All right, they’ve gone for now, but the ones downstairs are still there, outside Finn’s cell. Come on.

Swiftly and silently they crept down the stairs, pausing a few from the bottom. Finnlay felt so close now, Robert could almost reach out and touch him. He glanced up and saw a small window in the stone wall, barred both across and down, not that it was big enough for anything but a rabbit to climb through.

Yes,
Jenn grinned in the yellow lamplight.
He’s in there, isn’t he? This is easy!

With two guards standing watch over the prisoner? She
must be joking. Still, there was only one way out of this. He pulled her down on to the stairs, low and out of the light from above.
I want to you promise me something.

What?

That you’ll never tell anyone what I’m about to do. I mean no one at all.

I promise.

Robert nodded, knowing the movement was lost in the gloom. As it happened, he wasn’t even sure he was up to this in his currently depleted state. However, short of killing the guards – and the noise that would cause – he didn’t have a choice. So, focusing on his
ayarn,
he slowed and stopped his breathing, then let his concentration hone in on a single point in his mind. As soon as he felt it secure, he took a mental dimensional step sideways. His body shuddered with the exertion, but the working held and he moved down the last few stairs, around the corner. The guards were standing there chatting, but they didn’t see him. Good. It worked.

Walking slowly, Robert held his breath as he approached them. Already waves of exhaustion swept over him. This was so much harder than a simple mask, one of the reasons why it was forbidden. A mask of blankness was a simple trick. Making yourself completely invisible while you moved was another thing entirely.

Silently, Robert came to a stop before the two men. He raised both hands and in a single movement, knocked them unconscious. He scrambled to catch them both and slid them to the ground without making a noise. He couldn’t do it all and released his illusion with a brief snap.

Without wasting time, he grabbed the cell keys from the guard at his feet and glanced back at Jenn. She was watching him, her eyes wide. However, her thoughts were completely silent. It was just as well – how could he explain to her why he was so adept at the forbidden side of the art?

The key slipped into the lock but made a horrible noise as he turned it. He pushed the door open and almost laughed at the surprise on Finnlay’s face. He looked relatively uninjured, apart from the scar on his cheek.

‘Robert! You’re alive!’ Finnlay beamed.

‘We don’t have much time,’ Robert replied, reaching up for the manacles. Swiftly, he freed Finnlay and together they dashed out of the cell and back to the stairs. Finnlay almost bolted with fright when he saw Jenn, but fortunately didn’t waste time asking questions.

Robert, I think the guards are moving. We have to hurry!

They got halfway up the stairs when Jenn pulled on Robert’s sleeve.
What happens when they wake up? When they see Finn’s gone?

Robert glanced down at Jenn and almost answered her verbally, but stopped himself just in time.
They’ll be after us.

And if they don’t see he’s gone?

There were questions Robert wanted to ask her, but there was no time. All he said was,
Can you do it?

‘What are we waiting for?’ Finnlay hovered, frowning at both of them.

Robert nodded and quickly sent his senses out to the two guard rooms. They were moving, but not in this direction. At least, not yet. They had a few minutes, no more.

‘Jenn’s going to try something, Finn. I’ll go back and lock the cell door.’

It took him seconds and he left the keys where he found them. When he got back to the stairs, Jenn was standing in front of Finnlay, her hands holding his face. She was gazing at his brother with such intensity that Robert couldn’t move. Then he couldn’t help it, he had to see what she was doing. He stretched up to the window into Finnlay’s cell. There was little light, just enough to see a shape take form, shimmer and fade. Within a second, it reappeared, more solid, crouched on the floor, bound hand and foot with chains. A perfect replica of Finnlay, wounds and all. It was incredible!

How long will it last?

Jenn dropped her hands from Finnlay’s face and shrugged.
Just long enough for them to be sure he was rescued by sorcerers.

‘Let’s get out of here.’

They sneaked up the stairs, but now the guards were moving. As they crept across the passage towards the door,
Robert heard two guards come out and walk towards them. He didn’t wait to see if Jenn’s illusion had worked. Instead, he pulled the outside door open and ushered them through.

The guard was nowhere to be seen and they ran across the courtyard, climbing the fence in seconds. Robert paused there to listen for the alarm, but all was quiet. With a grin at his brother, he turned and led them back to the horses.

*

‘We did it!’ Jenn laughed, climbing on to her horse.

‘Yes,’ Robert grinned, easing his tiring body into the saddle, ‘but we still have to get away.’

Finnlay stood and stared at both of them, ‘How the hell did you do it? By the gods, I thought I was dead – that you were dead! And what’s Jenn doing here?’

‘Finn,’ Robert said, ‘get on your horse and let’s go. I’ll tell you all about it as we ride.’

Robert gave him a carefully edited version of his rescue, leaving out the new skill he’d acquired that night – and his illusion. Unfortunately, that didn’t answer all Finnlay’s questions.

‘I have to tell you, Robert – I knew you were coming. At first I thought I was dreaming or hearing things, but just suddenly, out of the blue, I heard this voice tell me to wait and that someone was coming. It was eerie. Then when that damned door opened and you stood there …’ Finnlay shook his head, his utter bewilderment totally visible in the glowing moonlight.

‘Perhaps you have a guardian angel,’ Jenn murmured lightly. ‘Not wishing to change the subject, but what are you going to do now? Did they find out who you were?’

‘No, but they have my ring. It’s only a matter of time before they know. There’s something else. I won’t say I’m positive, but I think there was a Malachi in that village. Even without an
ayarn
I could still sense that hideous aura.’

‘What did it feel like?’ Jenn asked suddenly.

Finnlay frowned. ‘Like the outside edge of a bad headache, only worse.’

‘But evil? Really horrible?’

‘No. Not like that. Why?’

‘No reason.’

Robert wanted to ask Jenn more, but she clearly didn’t want to discuss it further. ‘It makes sense,’ he said. ‘If a Malachi was nearby and heard a sorcerer had been captured, he would come running. If they find out who you are though, that makes it much worse. I guess it was too much to hope for, getting away without a scratch. Still, at least you have somewhere to go.’

‘The Enclave. Great!’

‘What’s wrong, brother?’ Robert chuckled. ‘I thought you loved the place. We’ll take Jenn back to Elita, then continue on. There’re a few things I want to discuss with Ayn and the others anyway. But we’ll have to move quickly. It won’t take them long to realize you’ve escaped and once they do, we’ll have to be well clear of the area.’

They rode in silence for the next couple of hours, pushing the horses and their own strength to the limits, but as they crested the last hill, with the dark shadow of the castle huddled in the valley before them, Robert paused. Determined now, he turned to Jenn. ‘You didn’t tell me everything about your encounter with Vaughn. Was it so terrible?’

She was silent for a minute then replied, ‘He really hates you, you know? With every fibre of his being. He would do anything to destroy you. I’m sure he’s been at the King to arrest you and tie you in with your uncle.’

‘Of course. What else?’

‘I …’ She struggled, obviously not wanting to tell him. ‘I felt something. Really evil. It was like that pressure from the council, but much worse. I just wanted to run and hide.’

By the gods! ‘Who was it?’

Jenn met his gaze, suddenly wary. ‘I don’t know … but I think it might have been Vaughn.’

Finnlay’s mouth dropped open, ‘Vaughn? With powers? Are you sure?’

She glanced uneasily between them, ‘No. Not certain – but there was something … well, ominous about him. Maybe it was just his hatred. I can’t be sure. However, this
… evil was coming from someone there – someone at court. I wondered if it might be Malachi.’

‘Sweet Mineah!’ Finnlay breathed. ‘If Vaughn’s got powers, then … Could it have been Valena?’

Robert shook his head, ‘No. Jenn’s been Sealed, Finn. A Malachi would have no influence on her at all. Jenn wouldn’t even sense it. If this was a kind of pressure, then it couldn’t be Malachi.’

‘Well, did you ever sense anything like that from Vaughn when you were at court? Could you have missed it? It hardly seems possible.’

Robert studied Jenn’s face for a moment, then looked at his brother. ‘Until tonight, I would have said the same. But these days it seems anything is possible – but not, however, probable. Jenn isn’t certain it was Vaughn. Was it just the one occasion? Was there anyone else it could have been?’

‘Yes, but I don’t know who,’ she said out aloud. Silently she added,
But there was a moment, the night I arrived at Marsay. I tried to call you and for a second I thought you’d heard me. Did you?

No.

She smiled slightly. ‘I don’t know. Perhaps it was just Vaughn’s hatred of you. He’s really twisted, you know. What did you ever do to him to make him hate you so much?’

You had to ask, didn’t you?
Robert sighed. ‘He’s got his reasons. I’m sure everyone just thinks he’s demented.’

Finnlay turned to him quizzically. ‘So? What did you do?’

‘He found out.’

‘Found out what?’

‘Use your imagination, Finn. Vaughn found out I’m a sorcerer, but he can’t say or do anything about it.’

‘What?’ Finnlay coughed.

‘You Sealed him, didn’t you?’ Jenn added, beginning to laugh. ‘Oh, what an evil, cruel – and appropriate – revenge!’

‘Oh, it wasn’t revenge,’ Robert replied lightly.

Finnlay held up his hands, ‘But how did he find out? When did all this happen?’

Robert took a breath, not sure he wanted Finnlay to know.

‘He found out because I told him and I told him because he had already become suspicious of another sorcerer who was only visiting court. I didn’t dare let him further his investigations, so I made out that it was all my doing and told him. Then before he could say a word, I Sealed him and now he has to live with the secret, unable to say a word to anyone, no matter how much he wants to.’

Jenn laughed again, but Finnlay only glowered.

‘Who were you protecting, Robert?’

With a sigh, Robert turned his horse back towards Elita. ‘Who do you think, Finnlay? Come on, we have to get Jenn back before she’s missed. While we’re at it, we’d better concoct a story for my sudden disappearance from Elita.’

Jenn glanced over her shoulder to the suddenly silent Finnlay, ‘Don’t worry. I think I have just the thing.’

*

Robert left Finnlay in the shelter of the woods behind the castle and took Jenn back alone. Before they could get too close, Jenn pulled up her horse. ‘I can go on alone from here. There’s no need to risk someone seeing you. It will ruin Finnlay’s story.’

Robert nodded. ‘You’ll have to be very careful. Don’t do any practising for a while. It’ll take some time for the furore over Finnlay’s disappearance to die down. Until it does, we’re all in danger. In the meantime, I’ll do some research. See if I can find out more about this mindspeech. Maybe with both of us doing it we can reach across a bigger distance.’

She nodded, ‘Perhaps.’
You know you can’t come back here, don’t you? Father won’t allow it.

Yes, I know.

Will you?

Robert smiled.
Yes.

She nodded then turned her horse and rode off into the darkness.

Nash galloped his horse through the castle gates and right into the stables. He jumped down, threw the reins to a stable boy and ran across the courtyard. He turned swiftly through a side door and along the short passage, then out into the open again and across the grass to the tower Selar had granted him. Without pausing, he took the stairs two at a time, arriving breathless at the top landing. The door before him was closed, but that didn’t stop him. He jammed his hand down on the latch and shoved the door open. It crashed back against the wall as he strode through into the room.

‘Why the hell didn’t you tell me Finnlay Douglas was a sorcerer?’ Nash bellowed, slamming the door behind him.

Valena sprang up from her seat by the window, her face white with shock. ‘What are you talking about? Finnlay? When did …’

Nash hissed in a breath, ‘I’ve just had word from the judges sent to a village called Kilphedir. A man had been arrested on charges of sorcery – the first in a century. From the description and his signet ring, that man must be Finnlay Douglas. Don’t tell me you didn’t know.’

‘But I didn’t!’ Valena frowned, picking up the book she’d dropped. ‘I sensed nothing from him at all.’