God of Magic 3 Read online

  I followed her inside and shut the door behind us, and then I took the elven woman’s face in my hands and kissed her. It was the first kiss we’d shared, not counting when Lena had kissed me out of relief after I’d saved her from the Crushing Briar, but somehow it already felt natural and familiar to have Lena pressed up against me as I slid my tongue into her mouth.

  I moved to unwrap Lena’s shawl as she slid her hands up my chest beneath my shirt, and broke apart just long enough to help each other remove our clothes before we climbed together into the bed.

  Lena moaned softly as I kissed along her jaw to her ear and ran her fingers through my hair, and she shifted so that her hips were flush against mine. I could feel the excited pounding of her heartbeat as I pressed kisses down her neck to her chest and she gasped as I moved my hand down between her legs.

  “I want you,” she breathed, and even in the dimness of the room, with only the light of the moon coming through the window, the desire in her violet eyes was apparent.

  I moved up to kiss her on the mouth again as I slid myself inside her.

  “Oh, Gabriel,” she gasped as soon as I filled her with my length, but then I began to thrust, and her breaths came out in warm gasps against my cheek and encouraged me to go faster.

  A few moments later, Lena shuddered and exhaled, but I kept up my steady rhythm as I shifted into a sitting position and pulled Lena onto my lap, and soon she was gasping again.

  Lena’s back arched as she climaxed again and I found my release as well, and we both collapsed back onto the sheets with satisfied panting.

  Lena reached over and caressed my cheek, and her mouth curved up into a smile.

  “Mm, I’m glad I didn’t just stay in my room earlier,” she confessed.

  I chuckled. “Me, too.”

  Chapter 5

  True to her word, Yvaine provided us with everything we could possibly need for our journey. After a generous, and eggless, breakfast, she brought us outside so that we could get a look at the carriage and other supplies she’d selected and, in her words, “be assured that it was all up to our standards.”

  Since the standard for us was usually lugging all our stuff around for miles on foot and eating whatever we scrounged up along the way, I didn’t think Yvaine could have possibly disappointed us, but even so, her contributions were truly luxurious.

  “Oh, I could get used to this,” Maruk said as he climbed into the carriage and stretched out on the immaculate leather upholstery. His feet didn’t even reach the seat opposite, a true feat of luxury considering his towering height. Yvaine had obviously taken care to select a carriage large enough to accommodate our entire party comfortably.

  “Don’t get too excited,” Aerin warned from the ground. “This is just a loan. If you want a carriage, you’ll have to buy one for yourself.”

  “It would be an investment, Aerin,” Maruk argued. “Think about it, we wouldn’t have to spend as much repairing our boots if we didn’t wear them out with all the walking we do.”

  The elf rolled her eyes and shook her head when she caught my eye.

  “As you can see, I’ve already had my servants pack all of your belongings in the trunk here, as well as a modest picnic lunch,” Yvaine explained.

  The basket that I supposed contained our ’modest’ lunch was large enough to fit a small elephant inside, not that I was going to complain. Then Yvaine circled around and handed a small pouch to Aerin.

  “You ought to be able to reach Edward’s estate by this evening if you choose to ride all day,” the noblewoman explained, “but if you’d prefer to stop somewhere along the way. Here’s an advance on your payment, just in case you find yourselves in need.”

  The redheaded elf’s eyes glittered as she took the pouch, and she couldn’t seem to help herself but to take a peek inside to see exactly how generous Yvaine had been.

  “Thank you, Yvaine, this is wonderful,” I said sincerely. I knew better than to suggest as much in front of Aerin, but with everything the noblewoman was doing for us, it almost seemed like we should run this errand for her for free.

  “Oh, it’s nothing for a friend,” Yvaine replied, not without a touch of pride. Then she leaned over and pressed a light kiss to my cheek. “I look forward to your return. Hopefully, in the future, we can spend a bit more time together.”

  I smiled and inclined my head in a nod. “I hope so, too.”

  “What do we do about the horses?” Lavinia asked. The ranger had kept her distance from the animals since we’d come outside, and even now she eyed them warily.

  “You can drop them off with Edward,” Yvaine answered. “His stable hands will see to their care while you’re at his estate, and should you require another team for the journey back, tell Edward, from me, that he is to provide them for you.”

  “Great,” Lavinia replied with evident relief that she wouldn’t be responsible for the horses’ care.

  It didn’t take long before we were off. Yvaine had appointed the man we’d met at the inn, Rezo, to be our driver, so we all got to relax and enjoy the ride to Edward’s estate. Some of us indulged in the luxury more than others, and it wasn’t long before Maruk and Aerin both had nodded off. On either side of them, Lavinia and Lena were talking animatedly about projectile smoke bombs and poisons that Lavinia could use on her arrows while Merlin batted at one of the shiny charms that Lena had braided into her honey-blonde hair.

  Across from me, Emeline seemed to have trouble sitting still, and every so often she would draw the curtain aside so that she could look out the window.

  “You can leave that open, if you want,” I told her.

  “You don’t think it’ll wake them?” the mage woman asked with a nervous glance to where Maruk and Aerin were slumbering contentedly.

  I laughed. “Believe me, there’s not much that can wake those two. The light won’t bother them. Besides, I was going to open it anyway, I wanted to read a bit.”

  “Oh?” Emeline’s bright green eyes widened, and her cat-like pupils dilated with interest. “What are you reading?”

  I pulled out the book to show her. “It’s, uh, a history book about magic,” I said, and suddenly, I felt somewhat self-conscious. “Probably the kind of thing you learned years ago.”

  Emeline took the book and looked over the cover briefly. “Oh, yes, I had this volume,” she said, then her ears flicked back, and she blushed slightly. “It was assigned for a class, but I didn’t actually read all of it or even most of it. It didn’t seem very interesting to me. I mean, some parts are good, like the chapters about the civil war, but the rest is just stuffy old mages in their stuffy old towers.” She smiled slightly. “But you’re reading it for fun? I bet your professors liked you.”

  “I, uh, I didn’t actually have any formal training,” I replied.

  “Really?” Emeline sounded shocked. “You mean you never had to attend classes?”

  “I went to school for other things, just not magic,” I said quickly.

  “What do you mean?” Emeline gave a little laugh and shook her head. “What else would you learn about in school except for magic?”

  I knew it wouldn’t really do any good to try to explain to her that I’d studied computer science and cybersecurity, so I just said, “Well, you know, history and math and science.”

  “All of that?” Emeline frowned. “Why? Did you want to be a historian who moonlights as an alchemist?”

  “I didn’t really find out I was a mage until recently,” I told her, and I tapped the book on my knee. “That’s why I’m still catching up.”

  “Well, you fight well for a mage who just figured out he’s a mage,” Emeline replied.

  Her tone was perfectly casual, but I hadn’t forgotten how she’d come into the alley to join the fight at the tavern. I’d wondered since then if she’d seen anything that might tip her off as to my status as a manipulator, but I hadn’t figured out a good way to bring it up without seeming suspicious.

  “About that fig
ht--” I started, but Emeline cut me off.

  “I know you told me to stay inside, but I wanted to help!” she said enthusiastically. “I’m going to have to start fighting eventually, and I have studied magical combat.”

  I felt some of the tension in my shoulders release. So, she hadn’t seen me using magic, or at least, if she had, she must have reasoned it was some kind of legal magic.

  “You’re right,” I said then. “You should get to participate, especially if you want to get an idea of what it’s like to be part of a guild.”

  Emeline blinked once, as though she hadn’t expected me to agree with her, and then her face broke into a grin.

  “I won’t let you down!” she insisted.

  “Hey, you’re already one for one,” I answered with a smile. “That fireball was pretty impressive.”

  “You think so?” Emeline’s eyes glittered. “I’ve always thought fireballs were my specialty.”

  “Yeah, that ogre will never know what hit him,” I told her.

  “So what kind of magic do you do?” she asked.

  The question I’d been dreading. I swallowed and studied the faded cover of the book in my hands. I knew I’d have to come clean eventually, but I guess I’d hoped I would be able to put it off until Emeline and I knew each other a little better, and she trusted me more. We were still virtual strangers. I decided the safest thing to do would be to stall a little longer.

  “Uh, you know, I practice whatever I can. I haven’t really decided what I want to specialize in.”

  To my relief, Emeline nodded.

  “I get that,” she replied with a sigh. “I know the mages just want to prepare us as best they can, but it’s frustrating that they make us pick a specialty so soon.”

  “When did you decide you wanted to be a fire mage?” I asked.

  Emeline smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck.

  “I was only seven when I started at the university,” she answered. “Most mages don’t start full-time that young, but Etienne was already thirteen, so he had to go, and after our aunt passed away, there was no one to watch me, so I started too. I decided I wanted to focus on fire magic when I was eight, and I’ve been training as a pyromancer ever since.”

  “You’ve had a lot of experience,” I remarked. “Do you think you’ll miss it after you graduate?”

  “No,” Emeline answered quickly, then paused and bit her lip. “Some of it was okay, but a lot of the mages… Well, Etienne and I were born in Ovrista, but even other mages treat us like we don’t belong just because we’re panthera. They think we’re all thieves and liars. I’m glad I won’t have to be around them so much anymore.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. “That must have been difficult.”

  “The worst thing was when the professors would see the other students bullying us and wouldn’t do anything about it,” Emeline went on with a frown. “This one professor I had, Cuvier, he’d even encourage the bullies. He hated me ever since I started at the university.”

  “Did you ever try to report him?” I asked. “To the archmages, I mean. He shouldn’t have been allowed to treat you like that.”

  “He’d just deny it,” Emeline replied with a small shake of her head. “He’s an archmage as well as a professor. They’d just have taken his word over mine, I can’t even make my own brother believe me, and then Cuvier would make my life worse for daring to accuse him.”

  The panthera woman sighed and then swept back a lock of her dark hair.

  “It doesn’t matter now, anyway,” she said, though the brightness in her tone sounded a bit forced. “Once I pass my exam, I don’t ever have to go back, and I never have to see Alphonse Cuvier’s stupid, ugly face again.”

  Just then, Maruk awoke with a snort and announced that he was hungry. Lena and Lavinia echoed the sentiment, so we stopped and managed to rouse Aerin as well for lunch. Yvaine had packed a basket full of fresh bread, fruit, and an assortment of crackers and cheeses, as well as a large bottle of milk that had been packed in ice to keep it cool. We spread out our cloaks and a blanket on the grass on the side of the road beneath the shade of some almond trees and watched Merlin chase butterflies while we ate.

  I had just taken a bite of an apple when Maruk jumped up with a cry and sent grapes and bits of cracker flying.

  “What are you doing?” he wailed as he flung his arms out to Lavinia.

  Lavinia paused her chewing as she looked back at the orc with her eyebrows raised. “Mmpf?”

  “That’s authentic chebarria!” Maruk scolded. “You don’t eat that with bread! It needs a fruit base. What are you thinking?”

  Lavinia swallowed. “It’s just cheese.”

  “Wha-- Just cheese? Chebarria is just cheese?” Maruk’s massive shoulders sagged, and he looked helplessly around for someone to back him up, but even Rezo was taking care to keep his expression impassive.

  “You’re all animals,” Maruk announced as he sat down again and moodily took a sip of milk.

  After lunch and its dramas, we set off again, and Rezo informed us that we should reach Edward’s estate in the seaside city of Kepa before nightfall. We could stay the night there, rest and resupply, then start out for the ogre’s keep the next morning. Assuming all went well, we could be back at Yvaine’s in a day or so.

  The remainder of the ride to Kepa seemed to pass quickly, and it wasn’t long before the air through our little carriage window became heavy with humidity and the smell of salt. By the time the sun began to slip below the horizon, partially shrouded by clouds, I got my first view of the ocean. The setting sun lit up that distant strip of water like a band of gold and outlined the entire city of Kepa. Even from here, I could guess which of the buildings belonged to Yvaine’s cousin. A hill sloped up above the coast, and at the top was a fortress with a watchtower that overlooked the bay. Cut off from the rest of the city behind those high walls, I could just see the brilliant green stone of the palace’s sloping roofs. A few other carts passed us on the road as they headed out of the city, and further along, there were even groups of people on foot.

  “Where do you think they’re all going so late?” Lena asked as she leaned out the window to peer after a family that we’d passed.

  “Uh, guys,” Lavinia said, her tone low and urgent, “I see smoke.”

  No sooner had she said it than the carriage pulled to a sudden halt and Rezo jumped down to knock on the door.

  “There’s something wrong,” he said. His voice was pitched up and quavered slightly as he delivered the news.

  I opened my own door and stepped out so that I could get a better look at the distant city. That’s when I realized that much of what I had attributed to the light of the setting sun were actually fires, and just as Lavinia had said, billows of black smoke poured out into the sky and mingled with the clouds that hung over the sea. The wind blew most of it out to sea even as it rose up which explained how we hadn’t smelled it earlier, but the situation was clear now.

  The city was on fire.

  “We should go ask those people what’s going on,” I said as I cast a glance back down the road at the family we’d passed, now about seventy yards away. They had noticed that our carriage had stopped, and I could tell they were looking at us as well though they seemed hesitant to approach.

  “Good idea,” Aerin said with a nod, and we started off at a jog toward the group. They began to shuffle around when they saw us, and as we neared them, I could see the fear on their faces beneath the smears of ash.

  “What happened to all of you? What happened to the city?” I called out once we were in earshot.

  Finally, one of the group broke off from the others and met us, a young woman with sandy hair that was streaked with soot.

  “Pirates have attacked Kepa,” she reported in a hoarse voice. “Captain Quikk and his crew.”

  “Are any of you hurt?” Aerin said. “I’m a healer, I can help.”

  The girl shook her head. “We got out alive,
that’s more than a lot of people can say.”

  “We’re a guild,” I explained. “Is anyone else in the city still fighting? We can help.”

  “I don’t know,” the girl answered with a frown. “Anyone who stayed behind is probably dead now.” Her brown eyes flicked behind us to the carriage where the rest of the guild waited. “Guild or not, you and your friends had better leave before the pirates catch sight of you.”

  I exchanged a look with Aerin, and I could see by the determined set of her shoulders that like me, she had no intention of just turning around.

  “We need to get to Edward’s palace,” I explained. “Do you know how we can get there quickly?”

  The expression on the girl’s face morphed into a look of shock.

  “You can’t seriously be thinking of trying to reach the palace?” she asked. “That’s the first place they attacked, the grounds are crawling with pirates.”

  “We can handle them,” I said firmly. “Do you know how to reach it?”

  “The main road is a disaster zone, you’d have to cut through the side streets,” the girl answered in a tone like she was pronouncing our death sentence. “Take a right at the plaza with the fountain, then stay away from the larger streets as much as possible. There’ll be a pretty pronounced slope to the roads, so you know, just go up.”

  She glanced past us toward the palace on the hilltop, then her shoulders sagged, and she started to turn away. She paused, and for a moment, she looked back at Aerin and me as though she wanted to say something else, but evidently, she had realized by then that we wouldn’t be dissuaded and just shook her head.

  “Good luck,” she said solemnly.

  “Thanks,” I said. “You, too.”

  As Aerin and I made our way back to the carriage, I saw that Lavinia and Maruk had already begun to unpack their weapons and armor.

  “The city was attacked by pirates,” I told them. “Edward’s palace was the first hit.”

  “Figured it was something like that,” Lavinia said with a nod. She adjusted the strap of her quiver. “What’s the plan?”