Black Eagle Rising

Book 3: The Books of Elita

by Kate Jacoby, M OILPHANT

Genres: Fantasy; Epic Fantasy

Synopsis

Robin Hobb fans will love The Book of Elita, combining magic, politics and romance in a magnificent tale of betrayal and revenge: it's time for the usurper to pay the price of his crimes. The sorcerer Nash was grievously wounded by Robert Douglas, Duke of Haddon, when he wielded the Word of Destruction, but Nash has spent years rebuilding his strength and increasing the unholy Bond that binds Selar, the usurper king, to him. Now times are changing and as Selar plots to spread his iron rule even further, coveting Mayenne, his brother's kingdom, Robert can no longer ignore the threat. Jenn's brutish husband is determined to subdue his unwilling young bride even more . . . but events are about to intervene, for Robert is fighting back, raising an army to free his beloved country from the dual threat of the usurper Selar and Nash, the Angel of Darkness.

Release date: October 17, 2013

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Print pages: 497

Sample

… and so it was that in the spring of 1361 everything changed forever. No howling wolves nor mystic seers foretold the shift in Lusara’s fortunes. Rather, it was the rolling consequence of events reaching back many years. To most, the change appeared swift and sudden. To others, it was too long in coming.

But to understand that fateful spring, those years before must also be understood, along with those most closely involved.

In 1341, Selar of Mayenne conquered Lusara with a final battle on Seluth Common, his victory aided by a mysterious old man called Carlan. Immediately after that battle, Carlan disappeared. Selar married the daughter of Duke MacKenna, the beautiful Rosalind, and founded his own royal line with first a girl and then a son to succeed him. He then proceeded to crush any opposition to his rule and punished the whole country for daring to stand against him.

Of the old major Houses, only a few survived with any power. One of these was led by the young Earl of Dunlorn, Robert Douglas. His father had died a hero fighting Selar. Scion of the oldest House and heir to a long tradition of serving Lusara, Robert was forced to hide the secret part of his nature. He was a sorcerer – in a land where such a thing was almost forgotten but eternally reviled, and most certainly outlawed. Robert carried the hopes of his conquered people, but, seeing no other way, he agreed to work alongside Selar. In return for his oath of allegiance, Selar gave Robert the power to help his people. The two men became friends and for some years, a quiet peace lay over a relieved land.

However, this peace was not to last. Jealous of Robert’s influence, the powerful Guilde moved against him. Robert found no support with the King for his defiance and, shattered, he left the court for his home. He arrived to find his young wife, Berenice, pregnant with their first child, horribly sick with a fever. Seeking to ease her pain, Robert applied his powers, but no sooner had he touched her than the power was twisted out of him, beyond his control. Both Berenice and the child died almost instantly. Devastated, Robert left the country, planning never to return.

The first volume of this secret history begins three years later when Robert did return, his most trusted friend, Micah Maclean, at his side. Robert intended only to go home to Dunlorn, but his brother Finnlay demanded Robert act: he should take up the leadership of the secret sorcerers’ Enclave – or, failing that, make a stand against Selar and free their people from tyranny. Robert had his own reasons for refusing, but before he could go much further, he was forced to rescue a young girl being chased by Guilde soldiers. In the excitement, Robert discovered that she was the only girl of the children abducted during the House feuds thirteen years before. Her name was Jennifer Ross, daughter of the Earl of Ross. And she was a sorcerer with very different powers. Against the advice of the Enclave, Robert took Jennifer back to her father’s lands at Elita and continued home.

During Robert’s absence, the Guilde had grown more powerful. When Selar discovered Robert had returned to Lusara, he grew fearful and imprisoned the newly elected Bishop Aiden McCauly in order to gain a firm hold on the wavering support of the Church, placing his own man, Brome, in the top position. The King also had a new friend: the Guildesman Samdon Nash.

Then tragedy struck. Robert’s maternal uncle, the rebel Duke of Haddon, was killed by Selar. Stunned, and tortured by guilt, even now Robert couldn’t break his oath. In an effort to distract himself, Robert agreed to help Finnlay find the fabled Calyx, an artefact of great power, but both were caught in an accident in the hills above Nanmoor. Robert was injured and temporarily lost his memory. Finnlay used his Seeking powers to try finding his brother, but was captured and charged with the heinous crime of sorcery – and word flew across the land. A real sorcerer had been caught at last.

With Jenn’s help, Robert mounted a rescue and returned Finnlay to the safety of the Enclave. During her trip to Marsay, Jenn had sensed another sorcerer present at the capital and the Enclave wanted to send someone to investigate. Robert argued against it. The leader, Jaibir Wilf, demanded Robert go before the powerful talisman, the Key – the very thing Robert had avoided for most of his life. The Key took possession of Robert and told all who were witness part of a prophecy which Robert had known since he was a child: that Robert was Bonded to Jenn and that they shared the lost gift of Mindspeech. They were called the Enemy and the Ally – and against them would come a creature of evil known only as The Angel of Darkness.

Robert was banished from the Enclave for keeping even this shred of prophecy a secret. He was forbidden by his oath to Selar to help his country, but while his honour cried out for action, he was held back, paralysed by something he’d kept concealed all his life. It lay at the heart of the prophecy: the key had told him he could never avoid his destiny. Robert called it: the demon.

*

So who was this Angel of Darkness? For most of his life he was known by the name of Carlan of Bayazit, the old man who had helped Selar conquer Lusara. But Carlan had learned how to use the forbidden sorcerers’ arts and prolonged his life with infusions of blood from vanquished sorcerers. He returned to Lusara a young man, befriended Selar and joined the Guilde, taking on the name Samdon Nash.

To some, his ambition appeared pale, but his goal was something they could never have imagined, and he was prepared to stop at nothing to achieve it. It was he who abducted the children during the Troubles, hoping to find among them the Enemy. He had deliberately taken Jenn from her home, knowing she was the Ally. And there were many other things he had done to secure his plans, including involving the Malachi, evil cousins of the sorcerers of the Enclave.

In 1356 the Guilde sent an investigator south to discover the truth behind the allegations of sorcery levelled at Finnlay Douglas. Governor Osbert met with Robert, but left convinced young Finnlay was dead. He was not to know the body he saw was an illusion Robert had created to hide the truth. Osbert returned to the capital sceptical that sorcery even existed, giving a complete report to his colleague, Nash.

In reality, Finnlay was safely tucked away at the Enclave. He worked to develop a new kind of tandem Seeking, and in the process, he had a vision of Jenn coming towards the Enclave, her teacher Fiona at her side. Jenn had returned to gain insight into Robert’s recent banishment, but Wilf would only accept her presence if she made a vow to Stand the Circle once he was dead, to place herself before the Key as a candidate for Jaibir. Then Finnlay received another vision – of Fiona’s mother, in grave danger; Ayn had gone to the capital, looking for the sorcerer Jenn had sensed. If this strange sorcerer was in fact the Angel of Darkness, only Robert would be able to help.

With news of Ayn’s capture, Robert immediately set out for Marsay. Entering the capital in disguise, he rescued Ayn, but her wounds were great. With neither a name nor face to give to the evil man who had tortured her, she begged Robert to end her life using the ancient sorcerers’ ritual of Convocation. If he did not, the evil one would find them both. Hating himself, Robert did as he was asked and left Marsay to return home.

His sleep plagued by a recurring nightmare of sorcery, King Selar sank closer into madness, taking out his rage and frustration on his wife, the beautiful Queen Rosalind. In an effort to contain Selar’s madness, Nash revealed that he was a sorcerer, only to have Selar banish him from the city.

*

Concerned for her mother, Fiona insisted Finnlay use his new tandem Seeking to try and find Ayn. Unwisely, they left the safety of the Enclave, but while Fiona moved closer to the capital, Finnlay was captured by Carlan. Through countless days of torture, Finnlay never saw the face of his adversary, but he discovered many important things. Carlan believed Finnlay was the Enemy – and voiced his lust for the Key. To prolong his life, Carlan began to take Finnlay’s blood, but before the process was completed, Carlan was recalled to Selar. Finally alone, Finnlay escaped and wandered, dying, only to be rescued by Fiona and taken back to the Enclave.

Queen Rosalind, beaten, terrified and desperate to help her country, absconded with her children. The moment he heard, Selar ordered out the guard for an immediate hunt for his heir. At home at Elita, Jenn was surprised to find the Queen begging her help. Bad weather, sickness and injury forced her in turn to ask for help. She turned to Dunlorn.

Robert was horrified to find the Queen in such straits but concealed them in a secret chamber at Dunlorn Castle before organising a plan to get them all out of the country to safety in neighbouring Flan’har. Robert sent Jenn home under the care of Micah, with a veiled warning of the danger buried within the heart of the prophecy. Even as he pushed her away, he knew that he was in love with her.

Jenn returned home to find her father Jacob had discovered her absence. He threatened to disown her until she told him of Selar’s plan to invade Mayenne, and of the Queen’s escape. A descendant of ancient Kings himself, Jacob forgave her, though greatly wounded at her secrecy. He then told her that the King had arranged a marriage for her to take place in two weeks to the King’s brutal cousin Teige Eachern, Duke of Ayr. Heartbroken and frustrated, Jenn was powerless to do anything to stop it. Jacob hoped to halt the war by sending a wedding invitation to Robert Douglas: he and Selar had once been friends and Jacob prayed the influence of Robert might work for the good.

Selar had his army out looking for the Queen and it was to this that Carlan returned, once again in the guise of Nash. Using a hideous perversion of the ancient Bonding technique, Nash tied the King to him. From that moment onwards, Selar’s nightmares vanished – but he would never be able to deny any order Nash gave. Content with his work, Nash returned home to discover Finnlay had escaped. But not forever. With Finnlay’s aura imprinted on his mind, Nash could Seek him anywhere in the country the moment he left the protection of the fabled Key.

*

Robert could not bring himself to refuse the wedding invitation, but he was unprepared to face Selar’s public humiliation of him. With the demon flaring inside him, Robert left the hall. He was desperate to protect Jenn, desperate to avoid the Bonding. In his heart, he believed he had to avoid all parts of the prophecy in order to prevent the conclusion that haunted him.

Later that night Jenn, restless and alone, sensed Robert’s distress and found him outside the castle walls. Robert admitted his love for her, but insisted it was merely the prophecy at work, and he must fight it. Jenn told him she needed him and, beaten by pain and anguish, he was unable to resist. He kissed her and saw their bodies surrounded by a blue light. He knew what this was. This was the Bonding as foretold in the prophecy.

Later, Micah, guessing what had happened, agreed to stay with Jenn, and watched as Robert rode away from Elita. Heartbroken but unable to do anything else, Jenn married Eachern the following day and went to live at his castle at Clonnet.

*

Eight months later Nash was entrenched at court, with Selar now under his complete control. Visiting Jenn at Ayr, careful to make sure she had no idea who he really was, he found her heavily pregnant. Meanwhile his aide, DeMassey, had finally found Rosalind and rescued Prince Kenrick. In the process, the Queen was killed, but the Princess had escaped. Nash rushed off to meet up with DeMassey and bring the Prince back to his father.

After mindspeaking with Jenn, Finnlay discovered the truth – that Robert was her child’s father – though Jenn swore him to secrecy. Once more he foolishly left the safety of the Enclave, but before he could get too far, he was discovered by Nash. He fought off capture but, seriously wounded, Finnlay rode to Jenn at Elita for safety – with five hundred evil Malachi sorcerers at his heels, disguised as Guilde soldiers. He arrived at Elita safely, but collapsed before he could voice a warning.

*

Lords loyal to Lusara had rescued Bishop McCauly from prison, hiding him in a remote abbey in the Goleth mountains. His attention there was caught by a young man who worked silently, furiously in the garden, in sun or snow. When a fire threatened the abbey, this man risked his life to retrieve Abbey records. McCauly stopped him, calling him Robert.

Over the ensuing weeks, McCauly grew closer to Robert, until he explained the prophecy. At the age of nine Robert was given the Word of Destruction and told he was Bonded to this girl – and that, in the act of salvation, he would destroy that which he loved most. He had believed he was strong enough to withstand this destiny, but he had given into the Bonding, betraying Jenn with his desire. Now he had no choice but to absent himself from life, or he would become the very thing he had fought all his life to avoid.

Then word arrived that Archdeacon Hilderic would be executed if McCauly didn’t give himself up. Robert agreed to go with McCauly, determined to rescue Hilderic, but they reached the town to find news of Finnlay’s escape, the army chasing him – and the direction in which they were headed. Desperate to save his brother, Robert took McCauly to Elita, arriving in time to prepare the castle before the siege.

There Robert saw Jenn – and wondered if the child was his. Before he could ask, the castle was attacked, with the Angel of Darkness outside, driving the soldiers on. Earl Jacob defied them and was killed for his efforts. The shock drove Jenn into labour.

But Jenn was also in danger from Carlan, causing her pain that could kill her. Finnlay begged Robert to help – but there was a problem. If the child was Robert’s, then he would kill Jenn just as his power had killed his young wife. Unable to explain with the truth, Finnlay insisted, believing that Robert’s power had killed Berenice only because they weren’t Bonded. Jenn would be safe because she and Robert were Bonded. Hating himself, but knowing he had no option, Robert reached out with his power and eased Jenn’s pain, cutting Carlan’s power over her. She and the baby survived, but in the process, convinced Robert the child couldn’t be his.

Carlan attacked the castle in earnest, forcing Robert to withdraw everyone inside the main keep. Battered openly by sorcery, Robert found the demon inside him drowning him, driving him to desperate actions. Then Jenn’s son was born and the last piece of damnation fell into place. Blind and deaf to everything around him, Robert reached the top of the keep. Unable to control the demon any longer, he raised his hands and uttered the Word of Destruction.

*

It was not until the following day that Robert was able to see the effects of his power. The castle walls had crumbled and only the keep still stood. For half a league in every direction, the meadow was blackened, trees felled and scorched. The Malachi Guilde had disappeared; everyone inside the keep survived, but all but the most faithful had scurried away in fear of the sorcerer. As Robert and his friends prepared to leave the ruins of Elita, he knew nothing would be the same again. He also knew he had failed to kill the Angel of Darkness.

Carlan, alone and sorely wounded, slipped away from the ruins, knowing at last who his Enemy really was. It would take him time to recover, but his plans had only been halted, not stopped. Armed with more knowledge than his adversary, Carlan escaped knowing it would be only a matter of time before he would finally be in possession of the Key – and Jenn, the Ally.

Robert left Lusara that day, along with McCauly and Micah. He went into his future, leaving Jenn to return to her husband with her son Andrew.

*

For five years Robert lived with his failure to defeat a prophecy already half-fulfilled. The demon inside him reminded him every day that his destiny awaited him, but his days of running away were over. It was the icy winter of 1361 that saw his return to Lusara, breaking into an uneasy peace that had settled about the country, like the rumbling warning of a tempest to come. By that time, the people had almost consigned him to legend, his sorcery little more than fable, his deeds a myth.

But Robert Douglas, Earl of Dunlorn, Duke of Haddon and exiled outlaw, returned not to repeat the mistakes of the past. This time he came back with something else in mind entirely.

Excerpt from The Secret History of Lusara – Ruel



The sky is full of eagles, hawks, and I feel as if I’m one

I must climb high into the bitter cold air.

Higher, higher yet

As the world slips by, silent and deadly,

I see all

Higher, higher yet

My lungs bursting, I scream my defiant rage

And fall, fall to that silent earth

I have failed

But oh, oh, what a glorious failure.

Jeffry A. McNair

The night was dark, but nowhere near as dark as it could be. Before the folds of the forest, moonlight drenched a snowy field with winter blue. Long black shadows marked the path of a road leading to the village of Lagganfors and the gate of its Guildehall. Only the yellow oil lamps suspended above the stone walls brought any colour to the scene, but their glow was sickly as the hour grew late.

From within the depths of the wood, the hooting of an owl beckoned the night, and in response rose the cry of wolves to the north. Closer was the murmur of movement within the village, tiny things now as folk climbed into their beds for warmth and sleep. It was a quiet wrapped in winter toil and close companionship, but it brought no peace to the man who paused by his window within the Guildehall, gazing into the night.

Vaughn, Proctor of the Guilde, stood tall and lean, his long face devoid of humour. He had removed the clothes soiled from his journey and now wore vestments of pristine yellow, the colour of the sun, the colour of the Guilde. Manicured fingers held an elegant silver cup of mulled wine, but the Proctor ignored the warmth. Instead, his gaze remained on the fields beyond.

Behind him, close to the fire, stood Ulbert, Master of this Hall. His round face was flushed in the overheated room, his hands nervously picking at threads on his robe. He’d known the Proctor was to come to Lagganfors, but having to be in the same room, having to listen to his words – and, worse still, his silences – was a harsh task at this time of night. Only Vaughn would choose to go on a progress of his Halls in the middle of winter.

‘Tomorrow,’ Vaughn said, without turning from his window, ‘I will view your accounts.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘You will therefore have all night to ensure they are an accurate representation and not the comely picture I’m sure you have prepared.’

Ulbert gritted his teeth. ‘Of course, my lord.’

Vaughn remained silent for a few moments longer. Then he took a sip of his wine, swallowed and spoke again. ‘What reports have you heard of raiders in this area? Or of the Outlaw?’

‘Robert Douglas? Why, none, my lord! As for the raiders, we are remote here and being so close to the village

‘None of which is germane to the danger, Ulbert! We are all at risk – except perhaps at Marsay. No blaggard would dare enter my Hall in the capital. And who knows where the Outlaw might raise his evil head?’

‘Indeed, my lord.’ Ulbert caught his fingers together and tried to present a semblance of calm, of confidence. Vaughn’s obsession with the Douglas and his sorcery was well known – even though the man hadn’t been seen for over five years. ‘Even so, we have guards enough here, and the full support of the villagers.’

‘That’s not what I’ve heard.’

Ulbert swallowed as Vaughn turned a slate gaze on him. ‘But, my lord, that was only a small misunderstanding.’

‘Refusing to pay the tithe? Failing to make the required contributions to the upkeep of this Hall? Hiding rebel healers who do not hold the Guilde warrant?’ Vaughn released him and turned back to the window. ‘I expect discipline, Master Ulbert. The people of Lagganfors hold a duty to this Hall. It is your duty to exact it from them. I will not condone negligence. Do I make myself clear?’

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘Take what they will not give willingly. The gods demand their obedience. Remind them of that.’

‘Yes, my lord,’ Ulbert replied with a sigh.

Vaughn once more swept his gaze across the fields where a mist grew out of the depths of the forest. Few people travelled at this time of the year. Instead, they remained at home, obedient to the cold, doing their work, staying within the watchful eye of the Guilde.

‘These raiders, my lord?’

‘Yes,’ Vaughn replied idly, already knowing what the question would be.

‘Have none of them been caught? Is there no trace of who is behind it? And why only Guilde Halls?’

‘Serin only knows, Master Ulbert,’ Vaughn replied, barely moving. ‘And those behind the raids are obviously slaves of the evil god Broleoch. Who else would do such a thing?’

‘But what do they hope to achieve? Simple menace? They kill no one and that one hall which burnt down was as much due to accident as anything else.’

‘Are you making excuses for them?’

‘Of course not, my lord. It’s just that I don’t understand

The mist beyond the fields gathered the darkness, rolling forward like waves on a sea. Vaughn watched, entranced as the snow disappeared beneath the onslaught. Cold ventured forth with the mist, fingers reaching out to him, safe within his warm room. But he wasn’t safe. The icy tendrils stole through the glass and into his heart and he gasped at their touch.

Now he could hear the waves crashing against the field, an ocean of pain and melancholy, salty and sharp. The mist enfolded his entire view and the room was lost to him.

He smelt fear on the air and it clutched at his innards, pounding blood through his body. He was powerless to move, to speak, even to think. Something came out of the gloom towards him. Not a man, but a bird, black and thick with feathers dark as treacle. Its cry pierced the silence, drowning his blood-filled ears with fury and revenge. He turned to run from it, but his terror held him frozen. The bird swooped, but shied away from his stance. In that moment, the feeling came to him, triumphant, sure – so very sure. This bird could not defeat him, could not sway him from his path …

‘My lord?’

The mists faded even as the voice broke in upon him.

‘My lord Proctor?’

A message. From the gods. A vision of a black eagle and of triumph.

‘Please, my lord!’

Vaughn blinked as the field returned to its snow-blue serenity. Ulbert was calling him and he had to respond. But tell him about this vision? No. It was for his eyes alone. But what was he to do exactly?

A crash from below ripped him away from the window. Ulbert was already approaching when another crash rumbled through the building and made him stumble. Now he could hear cries of rage and fear coming from beyond the door. The Guildehall was under attack!

The door was kicked open before them. Two sturdy soldiers waited, swords held ready.

Vaughn stormed forward. ‘I demand to know the meaning of this!’

One soldier grinned and shook his head. ‘Come, Guildesman!’

Before Vaughn could voice further protest, the soldier took his arm, dragged him from the room and through the building. As they moved, the place grew quieter, with only the occasional shout, quickly silenced.

‘Who are you?’ Vaughn demanded of his captor. ‘How dare you attack a Guildehall in this manner! Do you know who I am?’

‘I don’t care,’ the man replied. ‘Come quietly and you’ll not be harmed.’

Vaughn had no choice. The man had a good grip on his arm and the sword was a reflex away from his throat.

Another raid – but this time he was here to witness it personally! If only Selar had taken his requests for help more seriously … but perhaps Nash had stopped him. Yes, perhaps Nash was behind this outrage. And Nash was in league with the Outlaw!

Vaughn emerged into the cloister to find his brethren gathered in a frightened clump in the centre, surrounded by a dozen soldiers. Ulbert followed behind. Swords were brandished but none were immediately threatening. The Guildesmen were being contained, not murdered.

Vaughn pulled his robes about him and turned towards the nearest guard. ‘I demand you desist at once! To attack a Guildehall like this is treason! What do you want?’

‘Your silence,’ the man replied. ‘And your obedience. Just stay quiet, Guildesman, and you’ll live through this night with your throat uncut.’

Vaughn hissed in a breath, but there was nothing he could do. He turned to the man to his left and whispered, ‘How did they get in?’

‘Two men approached the gate, my lord, claiming to have been attacked in the forest. The moment the gates opened, twenty of them invaded. Our guards were overpowered almost instantly.’

‘But who are they?’

‘Rogues, the lot of them. Thieves, no doubt, and probably murderers, too.’

A movement from the corridor made Vaughn turn. More soldiers emerged from the darkness carrying torches. Behind them stood two men. One had his cloak hood pulled back to reveal curly red hair, a short cropped beard of the same colour. In his arms was a bundle of books. But the other … tall and powerful, strong lean lines and eyes an ocean of green …

‘Serin’s blood!’ Vaughn murmured, suddenly unsteady on his feet as a shiver ran down his spine. That face was one he hadn’t seen for a decade, and yet he would know it anywhere. A face that had not been sighted within the borders of Lusara for five long years.

The Duke of Haddon. Robert Douglas. The Great Outlaw.

The sorcerer!

No sooner was the thought complete when the man in question paused and turned slowly to look at the group in the cloister – and straight into Vaughn’s eyes. Vaughn was frozen to the spot, unable to look away, unable even to move as the gaze held him, trapped, imprisoned.

Without taking his eyes from Vaughn, the Outlaw murmured something to the man beside him, took the books, then turned and disappeared into the darkness, breaking the moment.

His companion came into the cloister and stood before Vaughn and his brethren. Tall demonic shadows danced on the wall behind him, eerie against the glowing torchlight.

‘Thank you for your hospitality, gentlemen,’ he said, displaying no shame at his actions. ‘We’ll be leaving now, but please, don’t make the mistake of trying to stop us. Your horses have been scattered and we’ll leave the gate barred behind us. Goodnight.’

In one swift movement, the guards drew back into the corridor, heading for the gate. Vaughn watched them disappear, unable to move a muscle. There were noises of men mounting up and an echo as the riders vanished into the night. Then abrupt bedlam as all his brethren seemed to wake from a dream.

Vaughn remained apart from it, despite urges for him to do something. Instead, he stood staring at the corridor, seeing again that familiar face and the glint of green in the Outlaw’s evil eyes.

So, the Douglas had been behind those raids all along. But why?

The books! By all that was holy – the library! A collection of books from the time when sorcerers wandered freely through the land and worked alongside the Guilde in harmony. The time before sorcerers had betrayed the Empire. There would be many secrets in that library – and the Outlaw wanted them. How was he to know they were now hidden in a place where nobody would ever find them, that Vaughn was the only person alive who knew where they were? He’d gone to great lengths to protect the library from exactly this kind of incursion.

Abruptly, Vaughn started. The vision! That must be …

Turning swiftly, Vaughn barked orders for the gates to be burned down and the horses to be rounded up. He had to get to Marsay – and he had to leave tonight.

*

On a hill overlooking the village, Robert Douglas sat on his horse as the rest of his men gathered around him. He waited in stillness, his gaze never wavering from the Guildehall below, surrounded by the town and the snow-white fields. Only the animal beneath him moved at all, shaking its head lazily and stamping one foot, as if impatient to complete the escape.

A slip of moonlight caught his face, revealing lines of thought. The level eyebrows were drawn together more in surprise than displeasure. An icy breeze caught his dark hair, tossing waves around his cheeks. He paid no attention. Instead, his thoughts were entirely on the memory of Vaughn, his taut lean features, eyes full of fear and hatred. It was not the first time Vaughn had looked at him like that.

And all because Robert was a sorcerer.

He lifted his chin and breathed deeply of the midnight air. The smell of salt had gone back to wherever it had come from. No more could he hear the cry of birds, the crash of waves. He concentrated hard, but already the threads of the vision were leaving him bereft, the memory quickly fading to nothing.

‘My lord?’

Turning his head, he glanced at Micah, waiting on his horse with perfect patience. In the moonlight, his red hair almost glowed, while his blue eyes seemed devoid of colour. But in this moment, it was his patienc