Page 50 of War Mage

“Not much gets by you, does it spymaster? What gave me away?”

I shrug. “Your bearing and manner said that you were a noble of some sort, but one that was trained in combat, like royalty would be. But the thing that clinched it was your birthmark. My information from my contacts mentioned that you had a strange snake-like birthmark on your neck. Though you tried to cover it, I could see the edges of it and extrapolated from there.”

The prince shakes his head. “You are too observant for your own good. Now that you know my identity, you are a liability. I have not survived this long under the rule of Grazrath by letting random people who could be tortured for information know my identity.”

“The same could be said for you knowing our true identities,” I point out. “We could destroy each other with the information we have.”

The prince nods, accepting my answer. “I suppose if we can destroy each other, we can also help each other. My people and I have been subtly undermining Grazrath for months. Ordering attacks at times when your people would be able to repel us, fumbling advantages, passing key information to your people that would allow you to cut off Barakrin’s source of sentients, and the like. We even have been keeping Grazrath occupied in his palace so that he will not look too closely at the war effort and see what we’re up to. But our resources are running thin, as is Grazrath’s patience. We have been walking a razor-thin line, and cannot keep it up forever. But the newest information I have gleaned at the palace is why we raided your caravan. Grazrath needs a magical blood slave to access his full demonic energy. If he gets a hold of a warmblooded mage, he’ll be able to turn the tide of the war and nothing we’ve done to hold him at bay will keep him back any longer. We wanted to keep him from getting his hands on the air mage that was promised to him, but if what you are saying is true, we may be able to use his desperation for magic to our advantage.”

“How so?” asks Adara.

“We will wait another day. Long enough that Zadicus can get to the capital and report that raiders took you. Grazrath will order me to find you, I’m sure, using whatever means necessary. I can then bring you to the palace at Evernight as if I recovered you and deliver you right to Grazrath. Once he has you, you can attack him and hopefully kill him. If you fail, you’ll be on your own escaping, however, as I will have to act the part of Grazrath’s steward and try to capture you. And if I capture you, I’ll have to kill you, to make it look good, or I’ll just be brought down with you.”

I nod at this. “You would have to do what you have to do. But worry not, we have an escape plan.”

“‘We?’” questions Malik. “You would need to come too? But I thought we just needed the mage?”

“We have a soultie,” I reveal. “It is intrinsic to her being able to cast the spell to attack Grazrath. We do not know if it will work if I am too far away.”

“You’ve never tested it?” he asks.

“It’s not something you can test,” Adara pipes up. “It’s an only-cast-once kind of spell.”

“Huh,” the prince says. “Then we’d best make it count. I suppose delivering two slaves is as easy as one.”

He stands up from his chair, the vampires around him going to attention as he does. “I’ll make my way back to Evernight and wait for the order to find you. Until then, you’ll have to stay hidden here. There’s a secret chamber behind that wine cask that you two can stay in. We’ll bring you some food, but you must stay there and out of sight. We can’t risk another finding you before I can deliver you to Grazrath.”

“That is acceptable,” I say. “We will do as you say.”

“Take them to the secret chamber,” orders Malik, putting his mask back on and moving to exit the basement. “And bring them some warmblood food. They’ll need their strength for what is coming.”

He turns back to me and Adara once more before fully leaving. “I hope to the gods that your plan will work. If not, we’ll just be delivering Grazrath what he needs to end the world.”

With that sobering thought, he ascends the stairs out of the basement and is gone.

???

We finish a repast in the secret chamber, which has two dusty cots inside and not much else. The meal consists of bread and dried meat. It’s very simple, but I doubt that they have much in the way of solid food in Barakrin, so I appreciate the effort.

We don’t really speak while we’re eating. Things are tense as we wait for the next step. Internally, I am feeling conflicted. Now that we’ve made a plan and put it into action, and we are mere days away from being in Grazrath’s presence, it is finally becoming real to me. Adara is going to be walking into danger and possible death, whether she succeeds or not. My mate, the one that I have begun to feel more for than just as a comrade. Can I live with myself if something happens to her? Will I want to?

“You’re looking better,” Adara remarks, breaking into my grim and traitorous thoughts. “Stronger. More like yourself.”

I grunt noncommittally in reply. The resistance scrounged up a healing potion for me when they brought our food, which my ribs appreciated. The brands on my chest are also starting to scar over, having been encouraged in their healing by the potion. Their effect seems lessened as they heal, the air no longer feeling painful against my skin.

“I suppose we should get some rest, now that we’re safe,” Adara continues. “But I confess that I’m feeling a bit too keyed up. A lot has happened in the last few hours.”

“It is a skill to be able to force your body to rest when it does not want to,” I remark. “Rest can be the difference between victory and defeat, so it is imperative that we allow our minds and bodies respite.”

Adara smiles at me wryly. “Learned that from your warrior monks?”

“Yes,” I reply. “Their discipline is severe, but I learned much of what I am today from them.”

The mage puts down her plate and cup and then stands up from her cot, sashaying over to me. “You know, I might be able to wind down if someone gave me some correcting.”

My spine stiffens at her words, even as the blood rushes to my cock. Adara comes toward me, climbing onto my lap, and places her hands on my shoulders to steady herself.

“What do you say, commander?” she purrs. “Might we find a release together and work off some of this nervous energy?”

---