Enchantress Awakening: Part One of the Book of Water (The Elemental Cycle 1) (26 page)

“Some warning might have improved my contribution.”

“Oh, I thought it worked rather well. I have to confess it is a tradition not to tell a new wizard about the all hallow’s eve surprise. Seeing how they react is rather instructive.”

“Is it always a troll?”

“It would be a poor surprise if it were the same every year.” Tovrik chuckled lightly. “Vaughn was half-worried that you might try to blast it with a fire charm.”

“He thinks I could do that?”

“Can you not?”

“I’ve never tried to blast anything with it. Besides, I’m having trouble with that spell of late.”

“No doubt it will return to you soon enough. Magic is not easy, it is testament to your blessing and natural talent that you have come this far before reaching any difficulties. Ahh, to be a spellsinger. I am allowing myself to be distracted here. Can you guess why we are here?”

“Is it something to do with witching hour?”

“Yes, something to do with it. Tonight is an important night for wizardkind and particularly our enemies in the Coven. It is when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest.”

“What are those flashes of green.” Caleigh said pointing out twinkling points on the night scene of the god’s eye.

“Ah, it appears you have revealed something.” The lights moved along straight lines then appeared as a flash somewhere new. “These are ley lines and what you can see is someone using them to travel across the land.”

“How can they do that?”

“Our world links to the otherworld where distance does not apply. The otherworld is forever moving. Our world is the only world that is stable. Therefore any point in the otherworld could correspond to any point where it is connected to ours. A journey of a few feet on the other side might be many hundreds of miles here.”

“Have you ever travelled to the otherworld?”

“I have travelled through, never to. Have you ever wondered all those standing stones are for?”

“Not as such.” Caleigh answered honestly.

“Well, they are anchors between this side and the otherworld. A wizard can travel along ley lines connecting these anchors together without truly entering the otherworld. Likewise, the standing stones were enchanted long ages ago, thousands of years even before Loreliath, to stop the worst creatures from the other side wandering across. That is why we have henges like the great henge and at Stonecairn. It is said that to this day no evil or any unbidden creature from the otherworld may pass inside a stone circle.”

“Is it true?”

“It is hard to know as only one with the powers of a Summoner could test it.” Tovrik turned to Caleigh who was staring intently at the god’s eye. “What are you thinking?”

“This light I have been watching, moving between Stonecairn and somewhere near here, cannot be one of the Coven.”

“I am intrigued, please explain.”

“This is a wizard using a ley line.”

“Yes...”

“If he were a member of the Coven he could pass through anywhere he chose, could he not?”

“Why do you say that?”

“The Coven serve Argahan, who by his possession of one part of Xyraxis would have some of his powers. So he would be able to open the otherworld to them anywhere.”

“A quite brilliant theory and one that would explain a great many things.” Tovrik marvelled. “How did you come to it?”

“Well, we saw the Oracle pass through merely by stepping into the sacred spring at Minerva. Further, if the stone circles can keep out evil and otherworldly travellers then the ley lines would be closed to them.” Caleigh moved over the god’eye and pointed to a thickly wooded area more than a hundred miles northeast of Elevered. “What is here?”

“That is the wychwood.”

“This is where they are.”

“Can you see them? If we can know their faces it will aid us greatly. Tonight may be our only chance.” Caleigh shut her eyes and tried to picture the scene.
You are gathering, how do you feel? Are you nervous? Are you glad to see each other?
Her eyelids remained black and her mind blank and then she smiled.
No, you are not glad; you are frustrated, you are angry. Tonight was your night for indulgence and you have been summoned from your play by your master.
Shadows moved in the darkness of the trees coming into a clearing that was surrounded by water on three sides. Moonlight briefly glinted on silvery hair at the head of the group and silhouetted a pair of outlandish horned headpieces before the entire group passed into the still water and sank below its surface. Caleigh opened her eyes and saw her vision fade and the god’s eye return to showing the trees from above.

“How many did you count?”

“Thirteen.”

“Alas, they have reached a full compliment.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, hmm, the Coven, unlike our enemies in the Society of Shadows whose numbers we can only guess at, have strict limitations on their membership. Their inner council can never exceed thirteen and each council member will have a smaller coven of three. At most they can only ever number thirty-nine. If they have a council of thirteen once more then we can assume thirty-nine is their number at present.”

“Thirty-nine is many more than we have wizards in Elevered.”

“Thirty-nine followers does not equate to thirty-nine wizards. Yet you are right to be concerned. Each council member will be a wizard and we may assume that at least some have apprentices.” Tovrik sighed. “At least we know that they are causing no ill tonight. The witching hour has now passed. Thank you Caleigh, if for nothing else than for putting my mind at ease.” Tovrik paused seeing the sudden look of excitement on Caleigh’s face.

“I can do it, Caerddyn! With your help I can find every wizard!” Tovrik worked his power over the god’s eye once more and Caleigh closed her eyes and concentrated.
The witching hour is passed and all is safe. I share your relief.

A green-robed maiden moved through a glade by moonlight stepping out of the shade of tall conifers towards a standing stone covered in moss. Her hair shone deep red in the silver glow upon the stone. Just as soon she was gone and in her place stood Galenna and Gethin by firelight sitting in the middle of a huddle of Calderans on a grassy hillside. The fire remained in Caleigh’s sight but all else around changed to a castle hearth watched by a dark-haired woman of middle-age. A dark, curly-haired man stood over her, shuffling impatiently.

“The peril has passed.” She said. “I thank you for staying with me during this time.”

“I am glad to.” The younger man answered. The woman then looked beyond him further into the shadows where stood a woman barely touched by the fire light. “Will you go on to your father’s house?  He would be so happy to see you.”

“It would be better if he did not know we were here.” The shadowed woman answered. Caleigh tried to look deeper too late for again the scene shifted to a stone hall filled with monks barely better lit than the woman had been. One in the foreground might have been Brother Adam but it was impossible to tell for sure. Outlined against the window a tall figure stood with his back to the rest of the congregation, unremarked yet not unobserved. This image too faded and out of the blackness a new room came into view.  

A gloved hand moved a counter over a chequered board and came to a stop. The candles lighting the room grew more brilliant revealing a doorway in the corner. The door opened and a man in body-sculpted Senatian style armour walked through. “My lord, the patrols report no unusual activity.”

“Let them know they can stand down.” Answered a smooth, silky voice belonging to the unseen owner of the gloved hand.

“My lord.” The soldier disappeared and the gloved hand tapped the board. A deep inhale whistled through his nostrils followed by a heavy sigh.

“I wonder...” He spoke to the empty room. “whom it is that is trying to spy on me.” Caleigh exhaled with a start and realised Tovrik was shaking her by the shoulder.

“Caleigh, come back.” Caleigh looked into his eyes and noting the look of recognition he eased his grip and stood back.

“He saw me?”

“I think not. Nonetheless, when you look at someone there is always the risk that they will look back.”

“I might have had a chance to speak with him though.”

“Or he might have invaded your mind. Not all wizards will be on our side, even if they are opposed to the Coven. Forgive my caution but I do not wish to expose you needlessly.”

“I understand.”

“You will have to extend my apologies to Gideon also if I have drained you excessively before your practice with him. He said he’d meet you in the training yard.”

“Worry not, I will find the inspiration I need.”

What she didn’t tell Tovrik was that the inspiration came in bottle form as she drank again from the charisma potion phial then stowed the rest in an inside pocket to her light blue outer robes. Gideon wanted her to practice bringing forth the phoenix charm. It seemed to make perfect sense to attempt it in a state where her powers could brought forth more easily. She could feel the prick of night time excitement touch her mind and pushed it away, ready to be used when the moment came.

A single torch burned in the training yard somehow covering the entire space with its luminescence. Gideon paced about on the sand levitating the straw dolls away from the centre of the practice area. Caleigh suddenly became conscious of the charisma potion in her inner pocket and the possibility of breaking it during a vigorous spell casting session. Deeper down she also felt a need to keep it concealed from Gideon, though potions were a recognised part of magic she could not escape the feeling that he would not approve of how she was using it.

Accordingly, Caleigh hung her outer robes before she entered the practice area leaving her in her full length white night robe. “No doubt you are wondering why we are out here?”

“Perhaps for a change?”

“Partly. I thought that moving away from our usual practice area with all its protective spells might enable you to feel...more exposed.” Caleigh hugged herself against the fresh air.

“Can anyone see us here?”

“It is possible but unlikely considering the hour.”

“Tovrik sends his apologies for detaining me.”

“I assume it was a worthwhile delay.”

“Yes it was.” Caleigh thought about all that she’d seen. “How many wizards do you think there are left in the western lands? Will we find any of them?”

“It is hard to say. My own guess would be that there are fewer than three score of wizards in these lands. If we were to find half of them, then that would be an extraordinary achievement.” Gideon stood face on to Caleigh at a measured distance. “Have you learned the incantation?”

“Yes.”

“Hopefully, by framing the spell within words you will have greater control. When you are ready, begin by protecting yourself.”

“Temperate.” Caleigh said pointing her wand at herself then began to invoke,

“I am the flame eternal,

I am the heat that never dies

Burn flesh and bone to embers

A phoenix from the ashes shall rise”

Every burning lustful though in Elevered and from her memories of the last week burst into Caleigh’s head, lingering longest on the sight of the near naked Loreliath alongside the deep tanned couple’s furious climax. Thanks to the cooling effect of her protective charm she did not notice he heat that was rising from her flesh until she saw the spreading patches of brown on her night robe where the material clung most tightly to her flesh at her bosom and hips.

“Draw the power to your wand hand.” Caleigh looked down at the wand gripped in her left hand and tried to imagine pouring all her excitement into the length of the birch. The wand seemed to glow with all the energy. “Now channel it away from yourself.” Caleigh extended her arm at a right angle and pictured flinging it like a dart.

“Agghhh!” Caleigh yelped as a great plume of flame burst out from the wand and streaked at one of the dummies coating it with flame from its waist upward. Gideon waved his wand at the burning straw man sending a waft of icy air over it that snuffed out the flames. “Oh dear, Sir Edgar won’t be very happy with me.”

“He may not be. I, on the other hand, am most pleased with you.” Gideon looked down at the wand in Caleigh’s grasp. “You are like me, strange that I’ve not noticed that before.”

“What do you mean?” Gideon held up the wand in his left hand to demonstrate. “Oh, that is because I use both hands. Recently though I’ve felt I have more control with my left hand so perhaps I will keep favouring it for wand work.”

“You truly are a woman of many tal...” Gideon’s voice trailed off. Caleigh looked down to see the reason why. The brown stained had grown and turned black and now her dress had begun to crumble apart falling first from her shoulders then sliding off her hips coming to rest halfway down her thighs. Gideon looked away causing Caleigh to giggle as she calmly stepped out of her ruined dress then replaced it with her outer robe.

There was no need for further practice so Caleigh made her excuses and shuffled off to her room in a hurry. What she didn’t share with Gideon was while the fire had been excised the arousal that brought it about was very much still present. It took control of a different kind not to leap on Gideon when her dress fell off. Passing by her contemporaries’ bedchambers she started to wonder if that was not, after all, the best idea. The idea also of joining Penric and Ellie as Ellie had sometimes joked about also had a strong temptation as did paying a visit to Vaughn. Ultimately, overriding these temptations was the thought that in this state she might be able to see into Loreliath’s past again.