The Spell Realm (The Sorcery Code #2)(9)

“That’s true,” Kostya agreed, looking somewhat relieved.

“So you’re what, fugitives from the Council?” Shram asked suspiciously, addressing Blaise. “Why would you hide from them? What did you do?”

“We don’t ask those kinds of questions here, Shram,” Kostya said sharply. “We didn’t ask them of you, and we’re not going to start with these people. Their enemies are our enemies—that’s all we need to know.” Turning toward Blaise, he said graciously, “If you’re looking for a place to stay, we’d be more than happy to have you as our guests.”

“Thank you, Kostya,” Blaise said. “We would be honored to accept your hospitality.”

“In that case, follow us,” Kostya said, starting to turn back toward the woods.

“Wait, why don’t we fly there?” Gala asked, looking at the chaise. It seemed logical to her to utilize the most efficient mode of transportation.

“Fly?” Shram gave her an incredulous stare. “You mean get on that thing and trust our lives to sorcery? I’d sooner fall on my dagger.”

“For once, I am tempted to agree with him,” Kostya said, eyeing the shiny object with distrust. “We either walk, or we bid you farewell.”

“In that case, we walk,” Blaise conceded with a wry smile. And taking Gala’s hand, he followed the hunters into the forest, Maya and Esther trailing in their wake.





Chapter 6: Blaise





A few hours later, Blaise could tell that Gala was enjoying herself on their little trip. The same was not true of Maya and Esther. They grumbled constantly about being tired, stumbling over uneven ground, and walking into branches as they trudged through the woods after the Alanian hunters.

“We better stop to rest soon,” Blaise said to Kostya, worrying about the older women.

“If we stop now, we’ll need to stay for the night,” Kostya replied, expertly avoiding a branch that managed to scratch Blaise. From his tone, Blaise gathered that staying for the night was not a desirable outcome.

At that moment, Maya let out a loud curse, hopping up and down on one foot.

“What happened?” Gala asked, rushing to her side. Blaise couldn’t help but notice how well she navigated the woods. She seemed to be as much of an expert as their guides, whereas Blaise knew for a fact that this was her first time here.

“I stepped on something and twisted my ankle,” Maya answered, a pained expression on her face.

“Here, let me help,” Blaise said, reaching for his Interpreter Stone and some cards.

“Wait,” Shram interrupted. “You’re not about to do a spell, are you?”

“That’s exactly what I am about to do. She’s hurt, and I’m going to heal her,” Blaise explained, beginning to write on the card.

“We should discuss this,” Kostya said, furrowing his eyebrows. He appeared uneasy for some reason.

“I am going to help Maya first. Afterwards, I am open to discussions,” Blaise said patiently, continuing to work on his spell. He had no intention of leaving Maya in pain for even a moment longer than necessary.

“How do we know you’re not going to hurt someone with whatever it is you’re going to cast?” Kostya asked warily.

“If you’re scared, go for a walk and come back in an hour,” Esther said with an annoyed expression on her face. She also mumbled something under her breath. Blaise caught the words ‘superstitious bumpkin’ and stifled a smile.

Kostya’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “All right,” he said curtly. “We’ll give you an hour.”

“I’m going to stay and watch,” Ara said, approaching them. “I’m not afraid of sorcery.”

Kostya’s frown deepened. “That’s your choice, Ara. We’ll see you in an hour then.”

“You want us to wait that long?” Shram said, appearing disgruntled. “We need to get back before dark, you know that.”

“I do. But what are you suggesting, that we leave our guests behind?” Kostya asked, and it was clear to Blaise the question was merely rhetorical.

Instead of answering, Shram just stormed off into the woods. Kostya shook his head in silent reproach, and Ara gave Blaise an engaging grin. “He’ll come around,” she said, crouching down next to him. “He’s just had some bad experiences with sorcerers, that’s all.”

“That’s all right,” Blaise answered, not wanting to be distracted right now. “I understand.”

“We’ll be back in a little bit,” Kostya told them. “For now, we’ll start preparing camp for the night.”

Blaise nodded absentmindedly, and by the time he finished the spell, the hunters were nowhere to be seen. Only Ara was still there, observing his actions with interest. Remembering that she had defended him earlier, Blaise gave her a warm smile, causing her cheeks to turn red. A nice girl, he thought briefly, then turned his attention to the injured woman.

“Here, Maya,” he said, interrupting a conversation Gala and Esther were having with her. “It’s all ready.” And loading the card into the stone, he saw Gala and Ara watching him carefully.

As the spell began working, Blaise noticed the pained expression on Maya’s face beginning to ease. She cautiously stretched her foot, then tried to stand up. “I can’t believe it,” she said, taking a few steps. “It’s like my ankle was never injured.”