Chapter 52
A Familiar Friend
H idden inside a compartment beneath the carriage seat, Tam clutched Luca to his chest, hoping the boy wouldn’t feel how hard his heart pounded as the carriage rocked to and fro on the road.
He tried to mentally tally where they were by how long they had been riding, but with the stop and start of the vehicle—most likely thanks to the festival crowds clogging the streets—it was a hopeless task.
“Dad?” Luca whispered.
“Ssh,” Tam murmured.
His son shifted against him as they traveled.
In a way, Tam hoped he wouldn’t be able to tell when they were stopped at the gates of the city, because that would mean he wouldn’t have to disappear into his void and his poor child wouldn’t be forced to come along with him.
Sadly, it was easy for Tam to sense.
The carriage stopped, and he could feel the door latch lift as it reverberated down the wood into his shoulder.
He could hear the murmur of voices.
One rumbled, one spoke tersely, and one softly.
The soft voice was most definitely Lord Kim.
The carriage bounced.
Someone had gotten off.
It bounced one more time.
Judging by the silence, Tam gathered that everyone save for one person remained in the carriage.
Now it was a game of waiting to see whether the person searching the carriage would check inside the seat where Luca and Tam were scrunched up together.
The instant someone touched the bench, Tam would disappear with Luca into his void.
He waited… And waited.
And nothing happened.
Until Luca’s heel accidentally tapped the back of the wall.
Tam heard a slight shift in the wood of the carriage, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up, his instincts screamed terribly, and so… He whisked both Luca and himself into the void without bothering to find out what had been about to happen.
◆◆◆
“Is there a particular reason you are leaving the city during the spring blossom festival, Lord Kim?” the imperial soldier asked, his demeanor calm but his dark eyes appraising.
Behind the lord with his footman and maid, three guards scoured the carriage for any stowaways.
Lord Kim inclined himself respectfully. The guard wore a long, loose red shirt, a chest plate, and a matching helmet, with a sword at his hip and a spear in his hand.
“The noise is unacceptable and the number of drunkards vomiting on our beautiful streets leaves me no choice but to flee for my home in Gondol. Perhaps by the time I arrive there, things will have regained some sense of order and propriety!” Lord Kim huffed.
The man’s moralistic reputation bolstered his claims well, and Eli had no doubt that he was actually quite sincere about his thoughts on the festival.
The soldier appeared not to have heard of Lord Kim’s reputation, however, as he raised a doubtful eyebrow before sliding his gaze over to his comrades and lifting the torch in his hand higher, further illuminating the east gate of Junya.
One of the other soldiers circled to the back of the carriage and started pulling trunks from the back of the vehicle.
“I beg your pardon? What do you think you are doing?” Lord Kim seethed openly while rounding toward the guard.
“Inspecting what you are taking from the city,” the guard answered without a hint of emotion.
Fury sparked bright in Lord Kim’s eyes as he whirled back around to face the first soldier he’d been speaking to. “On whose authority do you search a noble’s things? Her Highness Soo Hebin? If so, then you have grossly overstepped your bounds, as this is not an order from our emperor himself!”
At the very least, this point did make the soldier pause, and even raise a hand to stop the men from opening the trunks.
“Her Highness’s men were murdered, along with an esteemed member of the Coven of Giong. Her Highness is to be commended for being so proactive in retaining good relations with the coven. Do you not agree?”
“I do not agree with orders issued behind our emperor’s back. It almost sounds like treason .” Lord Kim loomed over the guard, who, while wiry, was at least half a foot shorter than the nobleman. He was particularly small for a soldier, but given that he seemed to be in charge, he must have been that much more intelligent.
A soldier within the carriage suddenly held up a hand, drawing every soldier’s attention.
His gaze was fixed on the seat cushion where Lord Kim had been sitting.
The nobleman rounded, as did his footman and maid… who happened to be Eli in disguise…
The soldier then lifted his sword, took aim, and plunged it into the seat.
“Honestly!” Lord Kim threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “I am fining you! You will pay for the upholstery of my carriage!”
Everyone ignored him.
The guard lifted the cushion attached to the lid of the compartment, his blade at the ready, only for everyone to see him relax as he realized he was staring at an empty space.
Kneeling on the carriage floor, he knocked on the walls of the compartment while frowning.
Meanwhile, the commander who had been dealing with Lord Kim strode purposefully over to the vehicle. When it was concluded there was nothing suspicious in it despite the stab through the seat, the soldier investigating the carriage shook his head at his commander.
Lord Kim waited with his arms crossed, glaring with unmasked disapproval.
The guards all shared glum expressions.
“Well?” Lord Kim insisted irritably.
“We still have to go through your luggage.”
Lord Kim took in a deep breath, looked to the stars, and carried on with his tirade.
Eli stood behind him.
She was certain much of his rage was inspired by Soo Hebin, but at the same time, it was doing a marvelous job of aggravating and distracting the guards from taking a closer look at herself.
And so she bided her time, hoping that Tam would be able to find his way out of the void with Luca, and that he had indeed mastered his magic enough to appear back in the carriage. Even more important… that his magic wouldn’t run out.
Tam had explained to her that the reason he had fallen unconscious before was he had overexerted his power as of late, and so he didn’t have a great deal to muster…
Eli’s pulse raced to the point of making her dizzy, but there was nothing she could do other than keep her hands clasped in front of her plain gray skirts, watching the imperial soldiers tear through Lord Kim’s belongings.
◆◆◆
“Keep your eyes closed, Luca,” Tam ordered the moment they appeared in the void—though he did release his son from his firm hold against his chest. He didn’t want Luca feeling the tremors running through his body that felt akin to the end of a gruesome workout that left his muscles weak. Still, he knew it was a risk letting go of Luca in that moment, as his control started slipping and his exhaustion grew.
“What’s happening?” Luca asked, fear making his voice come out a croak.
While Luca was able to come up to his knees, his eyes firmly closed, Tam remained lying down to regain some measure of strength.
He had hoped that returning to the void might help him restore some power, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
It would seem his magic needed to recover the good old-fashioned way.
By resting.
“We are just somewhere safe for a little while, but we will be back in the carriage soon, alright?”
“If it’s safe, why can’t I open my eyes?” Luca’s hands started to fidget, and Tam wished he could force himself to sound calm and comforting, but his vision was starting to spin.
He didn’t know how much longer he could keep himself awake.
But if he fell unconscious in the void, would he just reappear somewhere, with Luca stuck here?
Would they both reappear in the world where trouble awaited them?
His teeth started to chatter.
“You have to keep them closed because it’s a hard place to see. Just… Just… wait,” Tam managed.
“Dad, are you okay?”
“Very tired… It’ll be alright, Luca. I promise.”
“I really want to open my eyes, Dad.”
“No, Luca. I’m serious. Do not open your eyes.”
Luca fidgeted even more, and even in his weakened state Tam could see his son’s eyes moving under his eyelids.
Summoning some of his remaining strength, Tam managed to roll onto his side and start pushing himself up.
Why was he so drained? He had been perfectly fine before! Was it like an overextended muscle he had accidentally pulled again before it had time to properly heal…?
“Luca, I’m going to hug you again, and really soon, we are going to return to the carriage,” Tam repeated. He took the time to enunciate his words so that he could keep the warble from his voice.
Luca’s fidgeting turned to outright pants-gripping. “Dad, I’m scared.”
“I’m sorry, I understand that it is scary, but everything is going to be okay. Do you trust me?”
A peculiar look overtook Luca’s face then.
It was not unlike the time aboard the ship coming to Zinfera after the attack of the pirates, or the time in the street when he’d been talking about his odd dreams… Though at least Luca still didn’t open his eyes.
“Luca, are you alright?”
For a moment Luca struggled to come back to himself, and Tam gingerly reached forward to rest a hand on his shoulder. Only this had the very bad effect of making Luca’s eyes snap open.
Seeing this, Tam grabbed him, pulling Luca into his chest, blocking his sight in a panic, but the movement made him completely lose his grip on his power. Tam felt both himself and Luca be snapped out of the void. Belatedly, Tam attempted to grasp where they were going to reappear by paying attention to the feelings and smells that flooded by him in a rush.
Fresh air? The cool touch of stones?
But it was all over too soon… And then he was on his back.
Luca was still in his arms as he lay in the grass, his boots stretched over the edge of the road.
Tam opened his eyes and saw the wide expanse of starry skies but also noted the glow of torchlight a short way to the left.
He could hear voices, and he fought against unconsciousness to sit up and turn his head toward the sounds.
There was the gate of Junya.
There were the imperial soldiers.
Tam’s heart slammed against his chest, which unfortunately did nothing to help his waning energy.
At least they were far enough away that there was a chance that the guards couldn’t see them in the darkness!
But… where was the carriage?
Tam’s stomach roiled, and he did his best, regardless of the cold sweat sprouting along his brow, to ease his feet off the road while lying low in the grass.
“Why aren’t we in the carriage?” Luca at least had the good sense to speak softly.
“I didn’t do something right. Just a moment… I’m going to try and find the carriage, but we need to be very, very quiet.”
Luca, being the smart lad that he was, nodded for his response, then managed to move onto his belly. At his father’s side in the grass, he slowly moved the same direction of Tam.
Meanwhile, Tam’s mind raced.
Had Eli and Lord Kim left already? Or had they been apprehended?
Taking long, steadying breaths, Tam glanced up enough to spot the edge of a forest just over a nearby slope. Redirecting his trajectory toward the trees, Tam gestured for Luca to follow him. Tam hoped he could rest for a little while once they’d slid over the ledge before continuing to move deeper into the darkness away from Junya…
And so he did.
Thankfully, it seemed the soldiers stationed at the gate were too busy keeping an eye on things in the city to give any special thought to what was happening just outside the city wall. The lights from Junya faded into the distance behind them as they carefully climbed down the hill through the trees to the bottom, and Tam felt comfortable enough to rest.
“Wake me if I’m not already up by dawn, alright?” Tam ordered softly while still holding on to his son to keep the poor child warm in the chill of the night.
“Okay… What are we going to do if Mom and Lord Kim are gone ahead of us, though? How did we get out of the carriage? Where did we go? Was it magic?” Luca’s questions grew brighter in tone with excitement, but Tam had to gently stroke his head in response.
“Sorry, but… I will have to answer… your questions… in the morning… Alright?”
Luca obediently fell silent, and Tam started to relax enough that he felt his body submit itself to the pending unconsciousness, even though he wished he could’ve continued walking well into the night until they caught up with the carriage…
“Dad?”
“Hm?”
“I know things are kind of scary right now… But I know you’re going to make everything okay.”
Tam smiled sleepily and resumed gently rubbing Luca’s head.
“Can you try to wake me before dawn?”
Tam felt Luca nod under his palm. He broadened his tight-lipped smile despite already being half asleep.
Everything had been going according to plan, aside from Tam’s inability to wield his magic properly during their escape. Being a perfectionist with his work, that should have troubled him a lot more, but at least Luca was safe.
I’ll find Eli and Lord Kim tomorrow, and we’ll continue traveling until the next town to meet up with Jeong… Today is just a slight hiccup. It isn’t that bad. I can still fix this. Eli… wherever you are… please… if you can… come find us.
And so Tam at last succumbed to sleep, his body twitching and his forehead perspiring, but he hoped that a simple night’s rest would be all he needed to rally again the next day. They weren’t out of danger yet… but with any luck, Eli and Lord Kim had escaped without a problem.
◆◆◆
Tam woke with a jolt the next day and found that for all his fervent wishes, he may as well have hoped for the rumored dragon of Zinfera to walk up and introduce itself.
Upon feeling Luca’s hands tug at his arm, Tam discovered himself surrounded by guards with lowered spears and another bunch with four torches raised above their heads.
Tam bit back a curse word as Luca shrank into a ball at his side.
Sitting up and clearing his throat, Tam plastered an easygoing smile on his face.
“Good morning!” he greeted brightly while also wrapping an arm around Luca. “How are you fine… armed… gentlemen doing today?”
“Sir, you will be coming with us to Junya for questioning,” one of the soldiers informed Tam calmly.
“Oh?” Tam didn’t bother reaching for his knives. A single wrong move, and things would escalate.
“There have been several murders in Junya, and we are going to investigate anyone suspicious who—”
“But I’ve never been to Junya. I was with a traveling troupe until—”
“On your feet,” the soldier ordered.
Tam held his hands up in the air to show he was unarmed. “I will be glad to, but my boy here is a bit afraid. Mind lowering your weapons?” He tried relaxing his formal pronunciation to make himself seem less threatening and peculiar.
The group didn’t budge.
Tam’s mind raced.
He couldn’t risk using his magic. He might pass out and instantly condemn himself. And without anyone to care for Luca, it was out of the question.
Tam slowly rose to his feet with his hands in the air. Luca slipped behind him and burrowed his head into Tam’s lower back.
“Now, sirs, there really isn’t a need for—”
There came a flash of black fur and a loud, snarling growl as a massive animal tackled two of the soldiers to the ground.
Tam flinched back, his right arm reaching back protectively for Luca, and yet he felt oddly calm after the initial startle.
The beast continued swiping at the men with massive paws. They scattered, forced to defend themselves as individuals rather than a cohesive group.
Which was perfectly fine for the beast, what with each of its claws being the length of a man’s finger and its fangs almost the same size. If not longer.
It systematically darted and leapt among the men, powerful muscles rippling with each attack.
Transfixed, Tam watched the long, ropy black tail swish right before it pounced on the last two men, who had started to run away.
The soldiers littering the ground were either unconscious or dead, and yet Tam waited with a thudding heart as the beast turned and stalked back over to him, a low rumble in its great chest.
It looked like a giant cat—a panther of some sort? Or something even bigger. Then again, Tam had never seen a panther himself in real life.
He knew he should’ve been frightened. Especially without his magic. Luca was letting out shivering sobs behind him, and yet when the animal lifted its face, and its large, glittering yellow eyes met his, a rush of knowingness surged through Tam.
Electricity hummed throughout his being.
My familiar , he thought dumbly to himself. The creature gazed back at him as though in equal awe.
Tam had no idea how long they stared at each other, but he relished the potent happiness of at last finding his familiar, already sensing what a powerful connection it was…
But then the back of the beast twitched, and its legs shook…
Tam frowned. What was wrong with—
It transformed.
And in front of him, kneeling on the grass staring up at him in open shock, remarkably fully clothed once more…
Was Eli.