Read Online Rise of the Mages (Rise of the Mages 2) by Brian W. Foster - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brian W. Foster
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too determined. No amount of pleading or cajoling would work. Not unless he told them the truth.
Magic would give him power and control over his life. It would also bring hate and condemnation. Would his friends run in fear?
That would be for the best. It would keep them safe. But could he bear them feeling that way about him?
He exhaled sharply. “There’s something you need to know.”
Silence stretched as he paused and his friends looked at him expectantly.
Xan swallowed and spit out the words. “I’m not innocent.”
Brant’s mouth dangled open. Dylan sat tense in his saddle, hands gripping the reins ready to bolt. Moisture glistened in Lainey’s eyes. None of them spoke.
“You selfish, rads-infested asshole,” Dylan finally said. “The catcher will never let us live now, not after breaking out an actual mage. Like it or not, we’re in this together.”
13.
Xan shook his head. Everything seemed to come so easy for Brant. Girls. Fighting. Horses. He’d just put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, and Honey had come running.
“Now that you’ve led us into the middle of the forest, genius, what’s your plan?” Brant said.
Xan scowled. It had been for his friends to run far and fast in the opposite direction. Brant only saw the excitement. Lainey felt she’d be abandoning him. And Dylan somehow was convinced the safest course was for all of them to stay together.
Since he couldn’t get rid of them, he owed them an explanation. “I have a quest.”
Brant’s eyes twinkled. “This, I’ve got to hear.”
“Yes,” Dylan said. “Please. Let’s hear your newest idea for getting us all killed.”
Did he have to be so negative about everything? But he had put his life on the line already, and Xan owed him big.
“I have to rescue a girl from catchers.”
Brant grinned. Dylan frowned.
“The girl from your dreams?” Lainey said.
“She’s real.” Xan stared at his sister. If anyone would understand, it would be her. “And she needs my help.” The story of the last three weeks, minus the embarrassing parts, tumbled from him.
“Okay,” Brant said, “I’m in. Where is she?”
Xan hunched his shoulders. “That’s the thing. I don’t know.”
Dylan waved his hand to get their attention. “Let me make sure I got it. You want us to find a girl somewhere in the three kingdoms. That’s an enormous area. You know that, right?” He paused and stared at Xan.
“Dylan—”
“Let me finish.” Dylan’s face tightened. “Not only do we not know where she is, but those catchers you mentioned—you know the ones in addition to those chasing us—are surely going to reach her first. If we can find her and if she hasn’t already been hanged, we’d have to get her away from guardsmen. Without any help this time.” He barked a sarcastic laugh. “Sure. No problem.”
Lainey shot Dylan a cold look. “It sounds silly beyond imagining—”
“You should all go home then!” Xan said.
She made a patting gesture. “Calm down. You didn’t let me finish. If it’s what you have to do, I’m in. You’re my brother.”
Dylan wrung his hands.
The clearing struggled to hold Brant as he paced. “Let’s get started.” He turned to his horse.
“Where?” Dylan said.
Brant stopped. “What?”
“You’re about to rush off. Where are you going?”
Brant hesitated.
“You have no idea because we have no idea how to find this girl!”
Xan hunched his shoulders again. “If Justav can sense the dream, I can learn to as well. I can use magic to find her.”
Dylan kicked a tree, and his face twisted in pain. “Learn? As in, you have no idea what you’re doing now? And every time you try ‘learning’ you chance drawing this catcher right to us all the while we’re rushing headlong toward another group of them? Just great!”
“If you don’t like my decision, leave!”
“Fine.” Dylan stalked to his horse and put his foot in the stirrup.
“Stop and think,” Lainey called.
Magic would give him power and control over his life. It would also bring hate and condemnation. Would his friends run in fear?
That would be for the best. It would keep them safe. But could he bear them feeling that way about him?
He exhaled sharply. “There’s something you need to know.”
Silence stretched as he paused and his friends looked at him expectantly.
Xan swallowed and spit out the words. “I’m not innocent.”
Brant’s mouth dangled open. Dylan sat tense in his saddle, hands gripping the reins ready to bolt. Moisture glistened in Lainey’s eyes. None of them spoke.
“You selfish, rads-infested asshole,” Dylan finally said. “The catcher will never let us live now, not after breaking out an actual mage. Like it or not, we’re in this together.”
13.
Xan shook his head. Everything seemed to come so easy for Brant. Girls. Fighting. Horses. He’d just put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, and Honey had come running.
“Now that you’ve led us into the middle of the forest, genius, what’s your plan?” Brant said.
Xan scowled. It had been for his friends to run far and fast in the opposite direction. Brant only saw the excitement. Lainey felt she’d be abandoning him. And Dylan somehow was convinced the safest course was for all of them to stay together.
Since he couldn’t get rid of them, he owed them an explanation. “I have a quest.”
Brant’s eyes twinkled. “This, I’ve got to hear.”
“Yes,” Dylan said. “Please. Let’s hear your newest idea for getting us all killed.”
Did he have to be so negative about everything? But he had put his life on the line already, and Xan owed him big.
“I have to rescue a girl from catchers.”
Brant grinned. Dylan frowned.
“The girl from your dreams?” Lainey said.
“She’s real.” Xan stared at his sister. If anyone would understand, it would be her. “And she needs my help.” The story of the last three weeks, minus the embarrassing parts, tumbled from him.
“Okay,” Brant said, “I’m in. Where is she?”
Xan hunched his shoulders. “That’s the thing. I don’t know.”
Dylan waved his hand to get their attention. “Let me make sure I got it. You want us to find a girl somewhere in the three kingdoms. That’s an enormous area. You know that, right?” He paused and stared at Xan.
“Dylan—”
“Let me finish.” Dylan’s face tightened. “Not only do we not know where she is, but those catchers you mentioned—you know the ones in addition to those chasing us—are surely going to reach her first. If we can find her and if she hasn’t already been hanged, we’d have to get her away from guardsmen. Without any help this time.” He barked a sarcastic laugh. “Sure. No problem.”
Lainey shot Dylan a cold look. “It sounds silly beyond imagining—”
“You should all go home then!” Xan said.
She made a patting gesture. “Calm down. You didn’t let me finish. If it’s what you have to do, I’m in. You’re my brother.”
Dylan wrung his hands.
The clearing struggled to hold Brant as he paced. “Let’s get started.” He turned to his horse.
“Where?” Dylan said.
Brant stopped. “What?”
“You’re about to rush off. Where are you going?”
Brant hesitated.
“You have no idea because we have no idea how to find this girl!”
Xan hunched his shoulders again. “If Justav can sense the dream, I can learn to as well. I can use magic to find her.”
Dylan kicked a tree, and his face twisted in pain. “Learn? As in, you have no idea what you’re doing now? And every time you try ‘learning’ you chance drawing this catcher right to us all the while we’re rushing headlong toward another group of them? Just great!”
“If you don’t like my decision, leave!”
“Fine.” Dylan stalked to his horse and put his foot in the stirrup.
“Stop and think,” Lainey called.
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