The Spell Realm (The Sorcery Code #2)(2)

Maybe there was a way he could turn this defeat into victory.





Chapter 2: Blaise





As they flew toward the mountains, Blaise watched the heavy sheets of rain coming down. It was the strongest rain of the past two years, spreading far and wide over the land of Koldun and nurturing the dry earth below. Thanks to Gala, the drought appeared to be finally over.

Gala herself was sitting quietly, pressed against his side. Her slim body was shaking, and he knew she was reliving the horror of the battle. Putting his arm around her shoulders, Blaise pulled her closer, wanting to comfort her in any way he could.

“Gala,” he said quietly, “this is not your fault.”

She nodded, her expression still somber, and he knew that rationally, she understood that. However, logic and rationality had nothing to do with the emotions she was experiencing. Despite her incredible powers, his creation was just as vulnerable as a human when it came to the aftereffects of trauma.

On the other side of the enlarged chaise, Esther and Maya slept huddled together, exhausted by their recent ordeal. They were surrounded by a circle of lions. The animals were surprisingly well behaved, not even growling at each other. Blaise didn’t know what influence Gala had over them, but her very presence seemed to be calming them, making them unnaturally peaceful.

After they had been flying for a couple of hours, the rain began to ease, and Blaise could see the mountain peaks rising majestically in the distance. Gala’s mood seemed to improve slightly, too. She was now looking at the scenery below, and he could see that some of her customary zest for life was starting to return.

“That’s the Western Woods,” he said, seeing her peering at the green mass below. “The trees there are so thick, you can’t even see the ground. They say that inside, it’s as dark as night even in the brightest light of day.”

She looked up at him. “Really? Have you ever been in there before?”

“No.” Blaise shook his head. “Almost no one has. A few people have been to the outskirts of the forest, but nobody has been deep inside and lived to tell the tale.”

Her blue eyes widened. “Why? What’s in there?”

Blaise smiled at the interested look on her face. “The peasants have their legends and superstitions. Nobody knows for sure, though. The horses refuse to go into those woods—they smell something dangerous, I think.”

“Oh? What could they be smelling?”

“Well, the local peasants talk of supernatural creatures—”

“Supernatural creatures?”

Blaise grinned. “Yes. But, of course, it’s just a superstition. It’s more likely that the horses are reacting to some tangible danger. Some sorcerers suspect that there might be poisonous plants and insects in those woods. Maybe some wild animals, too.”

“That makes more sense, I think,” Gala said slowly. “Is that why so few people go to the mountains? Because it’s so difficult to get there through these woods?”

“Yes, exactly. I was shocked to hear that anyone made it there. Not only are there forests and swamplands all around the outer edges of Koldun, but also the storms sometimes cross the mountains, making travel in these parts quite perilous. Of course, now that we have the flying chaise, it’s much easier.” Blaise frowned, thinking about it. “In fact, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more exploration in the last couple of years.”

The mountains that surrounded their land had long been considered both a blessing and a curse. They shielded the interior of Koldun from the violent ocean storms, but they also prevented anyone from venturing beyond their tall, impenetrable peaks. Blaise had always thought that there had to be other lands out there, beyond the ocean, but nobody had ever been able to prove that.

Gala nodded absentmindedly, her eyes trained on the distant mountain peaks. “How soon do you think we’ll get there?” she asked. “I want to see the mountains up close—they look so beautiful.” Her tense posture belied her casual words, however, and Blaise realized that it wasn’t only her natural curiosity that was motivating her desire to get to the mountains. She also needed a fresh start, a place far away from the terrible events of the day.

“I’ll write a spell to get us there faster,” he said, reaching for his bag. He still had some partially finished spell cards left over from his earlier efforts to reach Gala, and it didn’t take him long to come up with a spell that would shorten their travel time by a couple of tele-jumps.

Taking out his Interpreter Stone, he put the first card into the slot. A second later, they were a few miles ahead.

“I like it when you do magic,” Gala said, looking up at him. “It’s so precise and controlled.”

Blaise smiled at her. “Yours will be the same, once you get the hang of it.”

She swallowed, her gaze shifting to the mountains again. “I don’t know if that’s true. My magic is too unpredictable. I hurt people with it. I killed all those men—”

“No,” Blaise corrected her. “You defended yourself. Those were soldiers of the Sorcerer Guard, not some innocent commoners. They would not have hesitated to kill you and anyone else who stood in their way. Do you know how many peasant rebellions they’ve crushed? How many lives they’ve taken? Those men live and die by the sword, and it was only fitting that they finally met a worthy opponent.” Blaise couldn’t bring himself to feel any sympathy for the soldiers who died trying to kill Gala. Every time he thought of it, he saw red. He wanted to rip apart anyone who tried to hurt her, and the violent urge was as strong as it was shocking.