Guardian - Stolen Magic Part 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT.

Lily seemed restored physically as well as intellectually. Though she was much too thin, her steps were swift and light as she skimmed through the garden to where her friends waited. Simon and Meg followed at a slower pace.

"Was removing the spells difficult?" Meg asked. "I tried to follow what you were doing, but I didn't really understand it."

"It was easier than untangling the spells that bound you. Plus, I had that experience to guide me here." He grimaced. "But it is not a procedure that will ever be routine. Drayton has a wicked talent for enthrallment."

Lily was talking animatedly to the others when Simon and Meg reached the rose garden. When they arrived, four sets of eyes fastened on them. "Free?" Breeda whispered, her expression painful with hope.

Lily slipped an arm around her waist. "Truly free, Breeda. Very soon."

Simon said, "I believe you're next, Moses."

The African boy shook his head. "Breeda first."

The redhead needed no further invitation. Almost vibrating with excitement, she led the way back to the house, her quick steps outpacing those of Simon and Meg. When she settled on the sofa, he could sense her nerves, but also her determination.

Again, Simon found no illusion spell. Drayton probably laid one on Meg because she was the only thrall at the castle, and much of the time he wasn't there. With her looking so unattractive, she hadn't needed extra protection. At the abbey, the thralls had their own small establishment and guardian, so illusion spells weren't needed.

As he loosed the bindings on Breeda, he found a quick, efficient intelligence and a personality that vibrated with energy. Like Lily, she had the gossamer web of connections to her fellow thralls. When he dissolved the silver sphere that trapped her magic, she was still for so long that he wondered if there was more to be done.

Then she opened raging eyes and swore, "May G.o.d d.a.m.n that devil Drayton to h.e.l.l!" in a distinctly Irish accent.

"I couldn't agree more," Meg said. "How do you feel, Breeda? And what do your remember of your past?"

"Well enough, except for a devil of a fury." She rubbed at her temples. "I'm Bridget O'Malley, Breeda for short, and I came to Bristol to find work because our cottage in Wicklow was full to overflowing. At a hiring fair, his filthy lords.h.i.+p said he would take me on as a kitchen maid. He promised I would be taught to cook, which would be a grand position. Holy Mother of G.o.d, I was fool enough to go with him!"

"Don't blame yourself for what made perfect sense at the time," Simon said.

Breeda shook her head. "I didn't have a good feeling about him, but I thought maybe all he wanted was for me to spread my legs a time or two, and that would be a small price to pay for learning to cook. I should have listened to what my liver was trying to tell me."

It sounded as if she had some talent for precognition. As Meg asked more questions, it became clear that Breeda had been enthralled for about three years. Like Lily, she remembered her past clearly now that the spells were lifted. Also like Lily, she accepted the news that she had magic power very calmly. "They say there is fairy blood in the O'Malleys. Most of the women have a touch of it." She frowned. "I had a bit of the sight, and I was sure that going to Bristol would be a fine thing for me. As wrong as I was, mayhap I haven't any magic, after all."

"Despite the thralldom, you may benefit by coming to England," Meg suggested. "After all, you made good friends. Now that you are free of Drayton, you may be able to achieve your dreams."

"Now my one dream is revenge." Breeda stood, her blue eyes piercing as she stared at Simon. "I want to gut Drayton with a fish knife. Where might I find him?"

"I understand the desire, but it is too soon for revenge. He would enthrall you again with no effort at all."

She frowned, too intelligent not to recognize the truth in Simon's words. "He's your enemy, too, isn't he? When you're ready to gut him, can I help?"

"I don't know if that is the fate he'l face, but if I need your aid in bringing him down, I will certainly ask for it." Though Breeda's power was only moderate, there was a warrior edge to her spirit, and Simon suspected she could prove a valuable ally.

He opened the morning room door so they could return to the garden, and they discovered the other three thralls waiting in the corridor. Lily asked, "Breeda?"

"Yes!" The Irish girl threw herself into Lily's arms, almost knocking her slighter friend down. " 'Tis a grand thing to be myself again!"

Simon asked Moses, "Are you ready?"

He shook his head. "Jemmy now."

The smaller boy darted into the morning room between Simon and Meg. Any wariness he'd expressed earlier was gone. Simon closed the door, thinking that if the thralls had become a family, Moses was the father who protected and helped the others, putting their needs and desires first.

At Meg's invitation, Jemmy seated himself on the sofa, his feet not reaching the floor. After giving the usual description of what was going to happen, Simon asked, "Jemmy, are you able to speak?"

The boy nodded but didn't say anything. A lad of few words. Perhaps he would be more talkative once he was released from the spells.

Both binding spells and the web of connection threads were unusually dense and difficult to untangle, a result of Jemmy's own nature. Simon confirmed that the boy had led the hardest life of all the thralls, and he had survived by becoming suspicious and defensive. As Simon worked, he added unicorn healing energy to ease some of the deeper wounds the boy had suffered. Jemmy would need far more emotional healing than could be done in one day, but it was a start.

When Simon dissolved the enthrallment spell, Jemmy's eyes shot open. His stature was still that of a boy, but his eyes were ancient. In a surprisingly deep voice and an accent from the London stews, he said, "That bluidy b.a.s.t.a.r.d will try to catch us again, and 'e'l kill anyone who gets in the way."

Though Meg was taken aback, Simon said calmly, "He will have a great deal of trouble killing me. My hope is that now that his captives have been taken from him, he will no longer have the power to do great damage."

Jemmy looked doubtful, but didn't argue the point.

Meg asked, "Do you remember your name and your life before you were taken?"

He shrugged his thin shoulders. "Just Jemmy. Me mum sold me to the chimney sweep when I was old enough to climb-maybe four or five. Don't remember more of 'er than that. I was the sweep's best climber for years. It was me that 'e sent into all the fancy houses, till I got too big."

"Then what happened?"

"The sweep was going to drop me since I was too big and 'e said I ate too much. Then that bluidy lord" -Jemmy almost spat on the carpet, then thought better of it-"came up and gave the sweep five quid for me services. Said 'e wanted to train me for a jockey." He looked wistful. "I didn't know much about 'orses, but I liked 'em. I thought I'd like bein' a jockey. Instead . . ." He shrugged with resignation. "Don 't know why 'e wanted me. It weren't much of a life, but I ate regular. That's somethin'."

"Not much," Simon said dryly. "You deserve better out of life, Jemmy. As to why Drayton wanted you, it was for your magical power."

Jemmy had trouble believing Simon's explanations of magic, but admitted that he had a knack for finding his way around mazelike chimneys, along with some other skills that were maybe not so common. He was frowning in thought when he opened the door to his friends. Breeda hugged him. He pretended to scoff, but Simon saw that he liked the attention.

When Jemmy had reported on his experience, Moses entered the morning room. Simon was tired- removing enthrallment spells was not light work-but he reckoned that he could manage one more, and it would be cruel to make Moses wait.

"I imagine Lily and Breeda told you what to expect?" Simon asked.

Moses nodded. Though he sat straight on the sofa, his tight lips betrayed his tension. He wanted release as desperately as the others had.

Removing the spells took longer than with the other thralls, and not only because of Simon's fatigue. Moses's energy was deep and exotic and difficult to read. The "flavor" was unlike that of the British Guardians, though Simon recognized similarities to the one African mage he'd met. While Moses's temperament was naturally balanced, Simon sensed a potential for his power to erupt in dangerous ways, as when he had stopped the pursuers at the abbey.

Hence, Simon was prepared when he dissolved the silver sphere that contained Moses's magic and his selfhood. Power surged forth like a lion, and Moses's eyes were wild when the lids snapped open. Meg placed her hand on his hand and squeezed hard. "Steady, Moses," she said. "You are safe here. Safe and whole again."

Moses closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before he mastered himself. When his eyes opened again, they were dark and cool as polished ebony. "I owe you a debt greater than I can repay in this lifetime, my lord and lady." His French-accented speech was clearly that of an educated man.

"Such debts are not repaid, except in service to others," Simon said. "Do you have any memories of your life before Drayton enthralled you?"

Moses considered his answer. "I was born in Zanzibar, which has been a crossroads of African trade for centuries. My father was a powerful merchant, and when I was six he moved the family to Ma.r.s.eilles, where he could order his business in Europe. That is where I grew up and received my education. I was the eldest son, so my father had me tutored in many languages so I could carry the business into the future."

"How did you fall into Drayton's control?"

Moses frowned as he searched for the memories. "His lords.h.i.+p said he wished to do business with my father, to import ivory and other African goods to Britain. My father asked me to escort him to our waterfront warehouse so he could select what he wished to buy. I remember no more than that, except days without end at the abbey. I would have gone mad, if I'd had enough wit left for it."

When Meg asked how long he'd been held in thrall, they established that it had been almost three years, and he was now twenty-one. Like the others, he looked older now that his mind was released from paralysis. Though Moses had not been consciously aware of the existence of magic, he accepted the news calmly, as if it was something he had always known without recognizing it.

Guessing the young man might have a broader perspective than his three fellow victims, Simon asked, "Drayton kidnapped six different magically gifted people that we know of, and he stole their magic for himself whenever he wished. Do you know how he used that stolen power?"

"He wanted to forge us into a weapon to gain still more power," Moses said slowly. "He used to . . . to play our powers together, like a musical instrument."

Simon thought of the web of interconnected energy that was visible in all four of the former thralls, and wondered how Drayton had contributed to its creation. And if the rogue had helped build it, was that a potential problem? "Did you stop the pursuers as we were leaving Brentford Abbey by drawing on the energy of your friends?"

"Exactly so," Moses said, surprised, "though I was not aware of that at the time. I guided the blow, but it contained elements of all of us. My power, Lily's practicality, Breeda's fierceness, and Jemmy's experience at fighting great odds." He looked upset. "I did not mean to kill."

"You didn't," Meg said. "As we left, I looked at the life force in each victim, and that was undiminished. But they did not regain their wits for some time."

"I am glad for that." Moses gave her a level gaze. "You are sad that you do not remember your past as the rest of us do. It will come back to you, I swear it."

It was Meg's turn to be startled. "How did you know that?"

Moses looked uncertain. "I . . . I sometimes know what people are thinking."

"That's a useful talent," Simon observed. "Is that why you were willing to trust us so quickly?"

"Yes. I knew your hearts and words were honest."

Simon and Meg shared a glance. There were many forms of mind-touch, and the ability to read the thoughts of a stranger was perhaps the rarest. He asked, "Were you ever able to read Drayton's thoughts enough to discover his plans for the future? We fear he is plotting great evil. Anything you might have read in his mind would be valuable."

"He thought much about . . . about mechanisms designed to improve on the labor of men." Moses's brows knit as he strained to clarify the memories. "I saw-great chimneys belching black smoke, and devices that move water and spin wool and weave cloth. At least, I think that's what they were-I have seen no such machines in real life."

"Drayton is very interested in such things," Simon agreed. "He is planning a great forum of inventors and engineers so they can exchange ideas and learn what others are doing. It will be held in a week at Brentford Abbey. Do you know about that?"

Moses blinked. "Now that you say it, yes, that was in the wind. Drayton's servants have been very busy with preparations. He wanted us to be ready for this forum, though I don't know how he wished to use us."

"Perhaps it's time we invited the others in to talk," Meg said soberly. "We are all part of this-and I feel that time is in short supply."

Simon moved to open the door and discovered that Lady Bethany and Jean had joined the thralls. "It's time for a council of war, don't you think?" Lady Beth said as she sailed into the morning room.

Meg smiled. "How do you manage to always be right?"

"Years and years of practice, my dear," the older woman said placidly. "Now let's all find seats and get comfortable. There is much to discuss."

The morning room had enough chairs and sofas to accommodate everyone. As Breeda took a seat between Jemmy and Lily, she said hesitantly, "I want to go back to Ireland to my family, but I haven't a penny to bless myself with. May I borrow the fare? I swear I'l pay it back as soon as I can."

Simon was spared having to tell her that was impossible when Jemmy said, "We can't leave here, Breeda, or that bluidy b.a.s.t.a.r.d will take us again."

Breeda looked thunderous, but Lady Bethany said, "He's right, my dear. Even in this well-s.h.i.+elded estate, I can't completely guarantee your safety. If you left without powerful magical protection, I think Drayton would recapture you very quickly."

"If you met him face-to-face, you might find that your will has disappeared and you have slid into helpless obedience," Meg said gravely. "That almost happened to me."

The former thralls exchanged glances, and Simon had the impression that they were consulting each other without words. "We appreciate your courage and generosity," Moses said, a stubborn set to his jaw. "But we do not wish to exchange one captivity for another. I, too, want to return to my family as soon as possible."

"I also wished to find my family," Meg said. "But Drayton is so dangerous that I have put my personal desires aside to deal with him. He is enemy to all of us."

"If you fail with Drayton, does that mean I can never go home?" Moses asked.

"If we fail," Simon said dryly, "I would advise all four of you to leave Britain as quickly as possible and hope he doesn't notice you."

His words had a sobering effect on the group. Meg added, "Staying here isn't captivity. You all need training in how to use your magic and how to defend yourselves. I have been given such training since Simon rescued me, and it has been as interesting as it has been valuable." Her eyes narrowed. "Training has made me feel strong."

The former thralls looked thoughtful, and much less belligerent. "Who would train us?" Lily asked.

"I would," Jean said. "I found with Meg that I liked teaching. I think that Lady Bethany and Meg and Lord Falconer would all be willing to help. Among others."

After everyone named nodded agreement, Lady Bethany said, "You may stay here for your training. Unless you prefer to take them into London, Simon?"

He shook his head. "This is a much more pleasant and s.p.a.cious cage."

"What will we learn?" Breeda asked.

"How to use and control your magic," Simon replied. "How to s.h.i.+eld yourself. What your particular talents are, and how to best use them."

Breeda looked at Jemmy. "Could we maybe learn to read?" she asked shyly.

The awkward silence was a reminder of how deprived these two had been. It ended when Jean said warmly, "I'd love to teach you. Reading is a most useful skill."

"When can we begin?" Breeda asked.

"Today if you like."

Breeda gave a satisfied nod.

"Lord Falconer, what do you think Drayton wants?" Moses asked. "He went to great effort and expense to capture and use us. Why?"

They deserved to know, and greater understanding might produce some useful information. "This is speculation on my part, but I think that his aim is to control the most important developments of engineering and industry in Britain," Simon said slowly. "I believe he wants this control for its own sake, and also to increase his wealth."

Meg's brows arched. "He's interested in something as mundane as money?"

"Money is a compelling goal when one doesn't have enough," Simon replied. "In my investigations, I learned that Drayton's financial situation is precarious. He spends lavishly, as if his wealth is limitless, but in fact he's had to go to the moneylenders for huge sums. If he controls the men who are developing the machinery that will change Britain, that will bring him immense wealth, and with wealth comes more power."

"Why did he want us?" Lily asked, her expression puzzled.

"Again, I am only guessing, but I believe he wants to put a light spell of enthrallment on the engineers and natural philosophers who will attend his forum. Not so deep a spell as to make them appear simple, but enough so that they will bend to his will when he commands them."

Meg nodded thoughtfully. "If your friend with the steam engine is typical, he is more interested in his work than in riches. Such men might easily be taken advantage of if Drayton takes away some of their will."

If anything, David was more practical than many inventors. Simon didn't like to think about the havoc Drayton might wreak if he enthralled the best mechanical minds of the nation. "Enthralling so many men, even lightly, will require immense power-more than any one person has. I think he was forging his Brentford captives into his instrument of thralldom, with Guardian and ley line power fueling his weapon."

"Though you're guessing, your theory does conform to what we know," Lady Beth mused.