The Black Mage: Complete Series by Rachel E. Carter

Author:Rachel E. Carter
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Rachel E. Carter
Published: 2018-04-30T18:30:00+00:00

4

Our squad’s mission was a success. Shortly after my stunt with the boulder, our knights and soldiers were able to overpower the bandits who’d ambushed us in the narrow mountain pass. Paige and I found another route around to catch up with the rest of our party. It cost us an extra hour, but no one complained. Ian’s party faced similar victory, and the outlaws at the fort were taken with relative ease. In total, there couldn’t have been more than fifty men and women—three of which carried enough magic to warrant extra bindings in their cuffs.

Our scouts sent a message to the rest of our regiment, and we met up at the stream that’d first caused us to part. The soldiers led the prized stallions while our knights escorted the prisoners by foot. It was a slow, steady march to Pamir. Ian and I took turns exchanging stories with Lief and Ray along the way.

We were almost to our destination when Lord Waldyn’s men arrived, praising our squad’s quick recovery and taking the horses off our hands. At the same time, another Ferren’s Keep regiment came to collect the prisoners.

I turned to Ian, curious. “Where will they take them?”

The mage watched the squad’s progress fade off into the distance, disappearing into the thick cluster of trees. “The prison in Gilys. It’s two days southwest of Ferren. Sir Quinn’s unit covers that part of the territory.”

“Will they be put to death?”

He frowned. “Do you think they should be?”

I gave him an incredulous look. “They killed three of our own.”

“In self-defense.”

Paige guffawed next to me. “They were also planning to sell those horses to Caltoth. They had every intention of supplying our enemy for war. That justifies an execution in any trial.”

Ian heaved a sigh. “I suppose you two are right… Still.” He paused and his eyes fell to me. “You heard Sir Gavin—these ones came from one of the towns that lost everything in the fire. I’m not saying it justifies their actions, but… perhaps that makes them a little harder to condemn?”

My stomach curled in on itself, and I swallowed guiltily. The fire was because of me. “Didn’t the king send coin?” Then I straightened, realizing I already knew the answer. “He did. Darren told me—”

Lief, who’d been listening to our conversation thus far, interjected. “King Lucius is preparing for war. Any aid he sends, well, you can’t imagine it’s enough, not with the heavy costs of maintaining the realm’s largest army.”

Ian met my eyes then. “Ferren and the logging towns received enough to rebuild. They are too important to ignore, but some of the smaller border ones… They aren’t always as lucky when things like that happen, Ry. It’s the reason my parents took up metal, so they could raise me close to the keep.”

I didn’t know what to say. The elation I’d felt during the bandits’ capture was fading fast, and confusion was taking its place. Had I made this happen? Are the bandits my fault?

“You didn’t cause anything.

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