Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(91)

I squinted into the trees. The woman was already pointing to another one of our knights. I needed to go. Now. Before the others found the same fate as the man with the braid. I stood and Darren grabbed my arm.

"Don't you dare get caught." His voice was oddly strained.

"Why?" The words fell from my lips before I could stop them. "Why would you care?"

Darren looked away from me. "Just don't, okay?"

"Okay."

He looked at me then. For a moment he said nothing. When he finally spoke his expression was dark. "Run, Ryiah. Run fast."

And with that, our plan was set in motion.





****





I sprinted through the trees, leaping over jagged granite and forcing my way through thick brush as I made my way across the dense forest. I needed to get as far away from the Caltothians – and the Keep - as possible. It was hard to keep track of time as I ran. I needed to put at least ten minutes between us. I wanted to do more but I was afraid if I spent any more time running, another knight would die.

I came to a stop in front of a towering pine. Just behind it was a thundering white stream. The river would keep the fire from spreading west, which was where I would seek shelter. The pine's thick smoke would draw the Caltothians out and there was no chance the Ferren's Keep regiment would miss it.

I placed my palms on the trunk of the tree and set to work projecting my casting. The pine was close to three hundred feet – at least fifty taller than the rest of its surroundings. It would take much more power than normal to exert a casting of its range, but I had not used my magic once that morning. I had a full reserve to draw from. And pine burned fast.

In five minutes I had the highest branches roaring in red. A thick gray cloud straddled the sky. The top quarter of the pine was engulfed in flames.

I released my casting and stumbled back, slightly dizzy. The distance had been a greater effort than I expected. Still, the fire was burning high and there was no missing its smoke. Darren would see it any second.

I raced over to the stream and then, standing in the shallow shore, cast a cursory brush of wind to displace any dirt I had marked with my steps. The rest of the river was too powerful and too fast to swim. I could feel its undercurrent dragging at my feet.

Summoning another casting, I transported myself to the other side. It took a great effort to carry my weight across. Self-levitation was always costly, but I didn't trust myself to balance on a log. The river was too dangerous.

When I reached the other side I immediately dropped my magic and sprinted into the thick forest beyond. My heart was racing and every breath sounded louder than before. I clawed at blackberry brambles and forced myself to keep on running anywhere with brush so that it would be much harder to track the path I had taken.





****





I wasn't sure how much time had passed. I was crouched behind a tree, watching, waiting. I had heard shouts for a while now, but none of them had come close to where I knelt hidden. I couldn't see anything except for a few feet in front of me, but I was confident I wouldn't be caught off-guard. After finding my spot, the first thing I had done was cast a thick mess of dead leaves in a large radius surrounding me.

I would hear my attackers before they found me.

When the shouting got closer, I was able to count eight or nine voices. Relief flooded my chest. I had been afraid most of the Caltothians would stay behind. My plan had worked.

Darren is freeing the hostages right now.

I took a deep breath and then choked as I breathed in a new scent. Either the Caltothians had Alchemy potions on hand, or they had a Combat mage in their midst. I recognized that foul stench from the mock battle in Devon – it had come with the mentors' fog. The same poisonous vapor that had made me lose control of my body.

I had to move. The thick silver fog was spreading fast, any moment it would reach my tree line—

I made a split second decision to rip off my tunic. Then I wrapped it around my face so that my ears and mouth were covered. Then I ran, fast as my legs could carry me, ringlets of chainmail clanging against my skin now that the tunic was not there to muffle them.

"There! You see her?"

Shouting sprang up behind me but I didn't dare look. I cast out a giant sphere at my back and sprinted deeper into the forest.

To my right a tree exploded in flame.

I ducked right and started to zigzag among the trees and rock, hoping to lose the party tracking me. But I had no such luck. The shouting kept getting closer.

And the castings were multiplying.

They most definitely had a mage. And from the number of castings so far, they had at least three, if not more. A well-trained war mage couldn't cast as many attacks as the ones I was avoiding now. Not at once.

At some point I came across the same river from earlier. The burning tree was just beyond it, now a towering spiral of flame.

My stomach fell. I had to cross. Every other direction I was surrounded. My pulse was racing and I could barely breathe. My vision swam in front of my eyes. I could not maintain the defensive sphere and levitate at the same time.

My magic was depleting fast.

I sent a swift plea to the gods and dropped my defense, casting myself into the air. It would only take me twenty seconds to cross…

But a biting pain tore into my side before I had even completed ten. The sudden shock shattered my concentration and my casting fell away.