Aidan
Slaíne was waiting for Aidan when he returned with Quick in tow. Without a word, she handed out two of the three packs she had made ready, before throwing the last one over her own back. The plan was for them each to carry a Goblet in their sack, since the magical vessels could not be Dismissed. “We ain’t got much time,” she said briskly, leading them out of the room.
“Does it work?” Aidan asked Quick as they hurried through the empty halls.
The giant’s expression was tight. “Quick has seen success. But….” They rounded a corner and found the staircase leading up to the wizard’s room. Quick lowered his voice. “There is failure there too. Hard to see.” The fifth step complained beneath their combined weight, and he urged Aidan to go before him.
“Your job’ll be to keep an eye on the future,” said Slaíne in a loud whisper.
Quick nodded. “Quick knows, he knows. Stop reminding him.”
Aidan and Slaíne exchanged a worried look. Are you sure he’s on our side? she thought at him.
Yes, or this is a very elaborate, pointless performance, he thought back.
They arrived at the top of the stairs, and Aidan was uncertain of which way he should turn, but Quick led them left, and so they followed him that way. Light shone beneath one door that was changing colors as Aidan watched. He could feel two different Pulls on the other side, but all was silent. Slaíne gave Aidan’s arm a tug when he hesitated, and he tore himself away from the strange sight, his heart racing when he spied a tapestry depicting three stags.
Time was of the essence now, according to Quick, who motioned for them to hasten their steps. When they arrived at the tapestry, Aidan reached out his hand to simply feel it, but Quick slapped him away and shook his head.
The giant’s lips formed the word, “Trap.”
Aidan lowered his hand to his side. They all stared at the tapestry, and as they did, the image of it flickered several times, and it all but disappeared once, then glowed bright red, and…nothing happened. They waited. Still it remained.
A few times, Slaíne reached her hand out and drew it back. Her gaze was on the giant, who seemed unmoved by the lack of activity on the tapestry’s part.
Again Slaíne seemed ready to speak her mind, but Quick frowned at her and put a finger to his lips. Her temper, Aidan could sense, was rather close to the surface. He could smell her nerves getting the better of her, and if they didn’t do something soon, not only would his mate blow a hole in the wall, she would also blow a hole in their plan.
Let’s wait a few more moments, he thought to her, though his own nerves were wearing thin.
Slaíne turned her face to glower at Aidan now. What if this turns out to be a trap? They’re Meraude’s children, Aidan. She threw up her hands in silent frustration. Maybe I should have had him eat the Truth Apple.
Aidan scoffed. This is our only chance to escape. Let’s not lose sight of our plan.
Slaíne ground her teeth, her body shaking. It might just be the last plan we’ll e’er make. What is taking her so….
Quick nodded to them both and started counting on his fingers. His mouth began to move, counting backward from nine. When he had reached one hand, he pointed at his eyes, then at Aidan, and then at the tapestry.
There was the murmur of voices from down the hall, and Aidan became aware of the two Pulls moving. Aidan tensed, prepared to run if he had to, but he did not take his eyes from the tapestry, which shone brightly for a moment, and disappeared altogether.
Aidan did not hesitate. He thrust his hand through the new hole in the wall, grabbed one Goblet, passed it to Slaíne, reached in and pulled the other two out and handed them to Quick.
“Hurry,” Quick urged below his breath, for at the back of the safe there sat eight or nine doorknobs.
Aidan managed to Summon three of them into his waiting hands before there was a great cry from the other room. The tapestry flashed back to life, and the three of them fled as a desperate voice began to shout in the room behind the color-changing door.
There wasn’t time to run back to their room, nor was it a wise idea; that would be the first place Hex would look for them. Aidan took the lead and threw open the door at the end of the hall, which had nothing behind it but a brick wall.
“Come on,” Quick whispered as the shout in the distance became a mournful wail. He led them down the stairs, which they took two at a time, making enough noise to rouse an army, and then opened a door at the foot of the stairs. The giant ushered Aidan and Slaíne inside and closed and bolted the door behind them. “What was noise about, Quick wonders?”
Not daring to look at Slaíne, Aidan shook his head and stared at the white doorknobs in his hands. “Jinn knows what she’s doing.” He pocketed two of the knobs and held the remaining one up to the light filtering into the room – a large broom cupboard, by the looks of things. What a magic house would need with such a thing, Aidan couldn’t say. “Let’s hope one of these works.”
“Hurry,” Slaíne urged him, taking up a fighting stance as she faced the door. Something’s gone horribly wrong.
He nodded and imitated what he had seen Hex do when they had first met. The wizard had taken out one of the doorknobs, held it in the air, and twisted it. Aidan tried this now, but no portal formed.
“Wizard said you would know how,” Quick said, though his tone was doubtful.
“Aidan, love, not to discourage ya, but you nay have had any lessons. Your magic’s fledgling, at best.”
That grated on Aidan’s nerves, but this was no time to let his pride get the better of him. “Maybe you should try, then.” As he said it, Aidan felt a tingling in his dominant hand and a stirring of power in his chest. Instinctively he pictured a doorway standing before them in the middle of the room, one large enough for the giant to fit through as well. Then, relaxing, he thrust the doorknob into where he imagined it ought to go, and turned it. With a satisfying click, an enormous brown door opened in midair before him.
Apparently stupefied, Quick put a hand on Slaíne’s shoulder. “Summoner better wizard than Quick and she-wizard thought.”
“Let’s celebrate later,” said Aidan, motioning for Slaíne to pass through.
“Where does it lead?” she demanded.
“I think we’re about to find out. Quick, after you.”
But the giant hesitated. He looked back over his shoulder at the door, whence came a furious cry and many pounding footsteps. “What if bad things happen to sister?”
Slaíne swore. “Then we’ll send ya back. Later. Right now we need ya.” She ran to the giant and, after first taking his hand, pulled him through the doorway.
Aidan pushed them ahead of him, shut the door, and removed the doorknob, which had popped through to his side. The sounds of Hex’s approach faded entirely, and Slaíne led the way as they walked, single file, through a narrow white hall with no end in sight.
“Give me the portal-maker,” Slaíne said after some time. “I nay think you should open it from your side.” She reached around Quick and took the doorknob out of Aidan’s outstretched hand. “Do ya know how to open it again?”
Quick had begun to tremble. “No like tight spaces. Feels like cave where Quick lived. Feels like being trapped.”
This would not do. The giant of a man had stopped walking and stood there, breathing heavily. “Slaíne,” said Aidan, “could you walk faster? Our friend here is having trouble.”
Unable or unwilling to turn around in the narrow space, Slaíne instead took a few steps backward. “We’re almost where we ought to be, Quick. Take my hand, I’ll guide ya.”
“Deep breaths,” Aidan said reassuringly, patting the giant on the back. Do you have a sense of where we’ll end up now? he thought at his mate.
Slaíne let out a shaky laugh as the walls seemed to narrow even more, forcing Quick to walk sideways. Nay think I can take much more of this.
Don’t tell our friend here that.
Wasn’t planning on it, she thought back. They took inch by inch, pausing when it seemed Quick was going to panic, and talking him through the worst of his fears.
“Can’t breathe,” the giant said several times, pulling at his tunic neck. “So hot in here.” At length, Quick would not move at all and began crying for his sister.
Slaíne, who seemed to be nearing the end of her patience, swore and raised the portal-maker. “This ought to be close enough,” she said, thrusting the doorknob into an invisible slot in the air before her. A large brown door materialized before them, and the travelers stumbled through it, landing in a heap in the middle of a forest. “Geroff!”
With some difficulty, Aidan managed to pull the giant off Slaíne’s prone form, then took the doorknob from her and closed the portal she had made. Wherever they were, the sun was setting, the sky was clear, and Aidan knew they would soon have to make camp and figure out their current location. “We need to put some distance between ourselves and this place,” he found himself saying.
His words were met with a grumble from Quick. “Need to go back. Jinn in danger.”
The two wizards looked at each other. It was Slaíne who first spoke. “I’m certain she would nay want us to go back and ruin her plans.”
Quick frowned, great tears rolling down his ruddy cheeks. “I look ahead.”
“No,” said Aidan hastily, worried about what the Sightful would find. “We need you to scout with us and help us figure out where we are exactly.”
Slaíne took the giant by one of his hands. “I know I brought us somewhere north. Not sure where, though.”
The great man sniffed, obviously trying to hold back more tears. He pulled his hand out of Slaíne’s and tramped ahead, leaving the two wizards no choice but to follow.
Quick studied the sky for a moment, then circled a few trees, his fingers scraping against pale bark and moving on to a shrub with silver leaves. “This familiar.”
“You know where we are, then?” asked Aidan.
But the giant did not respond at first. Instead, he continued on a few paces, turned left onto a somewhat worn path, and pointed at a sign. “Inohaim Wood that way.” He shuddered. “Quick not safe here.” He looked at his traveling companions. “Wizards not safe here either, Quick thinks.”
Aidan studied the sign Quick had pointed to. “I can’t read it,” he admitted. “It looks like Abrish.”
“Says, ‘Turn back’,” said the giant. “Maybe we should.”
“We’re in Meraude’s territory now,” Aidan said to Slaíne. “Let’s travel a ways farther tonight.”
Quick groaned. “Bad idea.”
“How far off do ya figure we are?” she asked the giant, who shook his head.
“Wood familiar. Caves in area.” He looked at the sky. “Maybe thirty miles? Maybe fifteen?” That was not a very encouraging or definite answer. “Could look ahead.” The offer did not appeal to Aidan; what if Quick looked and found something wrong with his sister? That would make getting him to co-operate even more difficult. And as much as he felt for the Sightful’s plight, there would be no turning back to save her now if something had gone wrong.
We can’t stop him forever, Slaíne said into Aidan’s mind. I’ve got a bad feelin’ ’bout his sister’s fate.
Aidan nodded and led them onto the semi-worn path. As have I. We must treat Quick with caution.
They picked their way around raised roots, through thickets of inedible berries and a few patches of thorns, which Slaíne was able to fly over. The prickling plants did not bother Quick, for his skin was too thick. But Aidan had more trouble and ended up accidentally blasting them with green fire, which he only just managed to put out before it could start a large blaze.
“Quick could carry wizard,” the giant offered doubtfully, but Aidan refused.
By the time they were ready to make camp, the air had grown colder and their stomachs were snarling. The sky was now slate-gray, and a few stars twinkled opposite the fading sunset. It was strange, feeling the cold but not being affected by it. But Aidan did note that Quick had begun to shiver. “We’ll have to chance a fire,” he announced as they set down their sacks. “Neither you nor I produce any warmth, and our friend here is chilled to the bone.”
“Fire draw bad people?” asked Quick.
Slaíne answered, “We’ll have to chance it. Won’t do no good if’n our guide freezes to death.”
As Quick made no argument against that, the trio hastily gathered wood and tinder to make a fire. It was a convenience, having their strong friend carry wood and break it apart into logs with his bare hands. Within no time, Aidan had managed to light a non-magical fire and began roasting potatoes he had filched from Hex’s kitchen.
“Quick looks ahead now?”
“After we’ve eaten,” said Aidan. “The potatoes won’t be ready for another hour yet. Why don’t you gather some more wood?”
The giant grunted and got to his feet, though he did not seem happy about it. “You send Quick back if things are bad.” It was not a request.
What do you know about setting up alarms? Aidan said into Slaíne’s mind.
She didn’t look up but continued to tend to the fire. Ya mean like bells on strings and that sort of thing?
Aidan shook his head. No. I mean something that would alert us to magic being used nearby or a portal opening.
Her head jerked up sharply. You think the wizard might follow us through some means?
“There were several portal-makers in the safe,” Aidan said aloud, seeing that Quick was now out of hearing range. “It wouldn’t hurt to have prepared something for Hex, should he show up.” He waited as she ruminated over the matter.
The fire spat sparks at Slaíne’s hands, but she brushed them away absently and got to her feet. “I dunno. The elves spoke on such things but they nay ever told me how to set one. ’Twould take power to do so, an’ they nay knew I had it.”
A twig snapped, and the pair looked up. But it was nothing to be concerned about, Aidan discerned from the retreating Pull – just an elk or some creature of a similar build. “Do you know if you— if we have foresight?” he asked.
Slaíne shrugged. “Dunno. Hex an’ me did nay cover that in training.”
That piqued Aidan’s curiosity. “We never talked about it, but what exactly did you do in your training sessions?”
“He tested me mostly. Had me try dif’rent things, like Summoning. Said that all came from you. Then flight and conjuring – ya know, making something out of nothing.” She poked at the logs with a long stick she fetched from the ground. “Fire creation and manipulation, rainmaking.”
“Rainmaking?” Aidan repeated.
“Oh aye,” she said. “Seems as though you an’ me can control the weather to some degree.”
Aidan scratched at the stubble on his chin and stared into the blaze. “That’s a lot,” he said after some time.
She startled him by throwing back her head and laughing. “That really ain’t the half of it, Aidan. Hex discovered all sorts of interesting things when he was testin’ me. Breathin’ under water, talking to animals, empathy, spell-casting.” Slaíne made a face. “He nay did seem very happy when he discovered the last one, nor the weather one. Seemed, I dunno, afeared or something.”
“Is that why you asked me if I was afraid of you?” Aidan looked up from the fire and watched her, hoping he hadn’t said the wrong thing.
But Slaíne’s face gave away none of her feelings. “I guess.”
Not one to pry into others’ matters, Aidan turned away from the blaze and Summoned a water bladder, which he partook of briefly. He handed the vessel over to Slaíne. “Our friend is nearby. It would seem he is taking longer than he ought.” He took the water bladder back and Dismissed it, then Summoned his copper knife and thrust it into its sheath at his side.
You think he’d attack us? Slaíne followed Aidan into the woods surrounding, making nary a sound as she passed over yesteryear’s leaves and twigs.
If he’s upset, anything is possible, Aidan thought back. He held up a hand for Slaíne to stop, and then pointed to the base of a large elm.
Quick lay sprawled out on the ground, his whole frame shaking as he moaned, “No.” He lashed out with his long limbs and continued to cry out, his voice getting louder and louder.
“We need to silence him,” Aidan said, moving around the giant with care. “He could draw anyone within a few miles.”
“So could the fire,” said Slaíne, though her brow was creased with worry. “What’s wrong with him?”
Aidan shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s distressed over something. Other than that….” He got no further with that thought when he was hit with a blinding headache. The world around him disappeared, and he saw peculiar things.
Jinn lay on a bed, her face pale, and her chest barely rising and falling. The wizard Hex stood over her, speaking some strange words that were meant to revive her, as the scents of guilt and desperation rolled off of him in waves. On the front of the Sightful’s tunic was a large singe mark that reeked of magic.
“We’ve got ter do something,” said Slaíne.
Still in a trance, Aidan tried shaking himself back to the moment they were in. “You saw it too?”
Before his eyes, an image of Jinn’s and Quick’s past selves rose. How he knew it was from the past, Aidan couldn’t say. The twins were sleeping beneath the shelter of a large tree. Aidan sensed rather than saw that present Slaíne had begun projecting words and images into the Sightful’s mind.
“Don’t trust the wizard,” said Slaíne.
The slumbering Jinn cringed and tried to shy away from the vision. “The wizard? There are no wizards in the Saime,” she said, still sleeping.
“There are four. I am the third, there are yet three others. Do not ask me to speak their names. Names possess power.”
“What are you doing?” Aidan shouted at Slaíne, but knew his words were in vain. He blinked furiously, trying to end the vision for himself so that he might see what was happening in the present moment. “Do you want to alter the past and possibly ruin the future?”
She ignored him and attached herself to Jinn’s mind. “You’re strong,” said Slaíne. “But there is always a price, Blest One. I don’t think you paid yours.”
“Slaíne!” Aidan shouted. “This is madness. You can’t save her. You’re going to destroy the one chance we have left.”
“Never mind that,” said Slaíne to Jinn. “All Sightfuls lose their minds eventually.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Jinn spat.
“Find the Goblets Immortal. The rest will play out as it should.”
The Sightful sneered at the image of the she-wizard, who continued to glow a bright, unnatural blue. “How can I know you’re not some dirty sprite? What makes you think I can trust you or anything you have said?”
“You’re just making things worse, Slaíne,” Aidan said with a growl. “Come back to me. Come back to now.”
Slaíne continued to ignore him. “Jinn. For someone with that sort of name, you had better watch whom you call a dirty sprite. You think my present self is speaking to your slumbering mind?” She threw her head back and laughed. This was no longer a warning meant for the Sightful. Slaíne was drunk with power.
Aidan had to find a way to stop her. He shook himself out of the vision and, returning to the present moment, was startled to find Slaíne hovering in the air, her body glowing that strange shade of blue. Instinctively, he reached out a hand and Called her to himself.
She gasped and fell backward into his arms, screaming the words, “Destroy them all!” before her voice returned to normal, and her light faded.
Furious, Aidan nearly dropped her. “What was that about?”
Slaíne staggered out of his arms, turned, and glared at him. “I don’t know. I didn’t mean to do it. It just happened.”
Rage melted at once to concern. “What do you mean?”
“It’s like I said, like I’ve been trying to warn ya. I ain’t always in control, Aidan.” She sank to the ground, her green cloak pooling around her on the brown grass. “My magic does what it wants.” Tears ran freely down her cheeks and she stared at Aidan, as though she thought he might turn and run from her.
This was no time to worry over things that were out of their control. Quick had ceased thrashing about and was still, his rising and falling chest the only sign he was still with them. “It’s all right,” he said, though he knew most certainly it was not. “We’ll figure this out together. But right now, we need to get our guide back to the fire and try to revive him.”
Sniffling, Slaíne nodded and got to her feet. Her expression was grim as they approached the unconscious Endurer. “How do we move him?” Absently she tapped at the soles of Quick’s boots with the tips of her own.
Aidan scratched at the back of his neck. “Magic?”
But Slaíne was already shaking her head. “We nay can Call him.” She cocked her head to the side. “Guess we’ll have to drag him.”
“Sorry, Quick,” Aidan offered as he took one leg and Slaíne took the other. With quite a bit of difficulty, the two managed to pull the giant back to the fire, huffing and sweating as they struggled.
“Why couldn’t we get Enduring abilities?” Slaíne panted as she collapsed next to Quick.
That made Aidan laugh, albeit half-heartedly. “It sounds like we have enough power as it is.”
At that Slaíne sighed and lay back, her eyes closing. “I think the potatoes are probably done.”
Once the meal had cooled, the wizards partook of the plain fare, neither of them very hungry but knowing they needed to keep up their strength. “Just give ’im time,” Slaíne said as they finished up. Quick had not regained consciousness, though his face was a better color than what it had been before. “Whene’er I triggered my curse, time always did the trick.” She seemed in better spirits, and neither of them mentioned their fears, though Aidan sensed she was trying not to think about them.
* * *
The night air was cold when Aidan awoke, though it did not affect him as it once would have. Disoriented, he looked around their small campsite. Slaíne was curled up next to him, her face bathed in the dying light from the fire. As if sensing he was staring at her, the she-wizard’s eyes flew open.
“Something’s wrong.”
Aidan grunted in agreement. They both looked over at where they had left Quick, but the giant was no longer there. And that wasn’t the only thing missing.
“The Goblets,” Aidan said at once, and they both scrabbled to their feet.
“Can you sense him?” Slaíne headed into the wood surrounding, until Aidan took her by the arm and directed her the other way.
“He’s not far.”
Indeed, Quick was making slow progress heading north-east, picking his way blindly through thickets and stumbling over roots, when they caught sight of him.
Aware that he was being pursued, the giant let out a startled cry and dropped the sack containing the three Goblets on his foot. “Can explain.”
Aidan crossed his arms over his chest. “Talk.”
When Quick hesitated, Slaíne came at him, hands raised as though meaning to cast a spell. And by the looks of her, it wouldn’t be a very nice one. “You’re taking them to Meraude, ain’t ya? Knew you could nay be trusted.”
“Meraude the other way,” the giant said, his voice trembling as he cowered, arms over his face. “Don’t hurt Quick. Was just trying to help.”
“Help who?” Slaíne demanded.
The giant sighed and reached to pick the Goblets up, took another look at the enraged she-wizard and hesitated. “Jinn in trouble. Hurt. Goblets can make her better.”
Aidan shook his head and walked past Slaíne, intent on the sack. “What happened?” he asked, snatching the package up.
“Wizard accidentally hurt Jinn. Jinn got in way when he cast spell.” He pointed to the Goblets in Aidan’s hands. “Goblets have healing power. Maybe if she have them, Jinn get better.” Quick’s lower lip trembled. “Wizard looks for them.”
Slaíne groaned. “Quick, we need ter destroy them.”
“Why?” Quick demanded. “So can have revenge on Mother? Destroy her army?” He snorted. “Bad idea.”
Aidan stole a look at Slaíne. “If we destroy the Goblets, her army will be powerless.” It was just a hunch, something he had mulled over, but now as he stood there, he became certain of it.
Quick stared. “How you know?”
“Call it magical intuition. If we destroy the Goblets Immortal her army will lose its powers, won’t it? No more Blest can be made, and she won’t have the power to kill all magical kind as she so desires.”
But the giant was shaking his head. “No.” He made a leap for the Goblets, but Slaíne was ready for him, casting a blue-tinged magical net at him. Caught in her spell, Quick froze mid-jump, a look of piteous despair written all over his face.
“You jus’ watch yerself,” Slaíne said, her eyes flashing as she let the magic drop.
Quick fell to the ground in a sobbing heap. “Sister.”
The wizards looked at each other. Was what the man said true? Could the Goblets save Jinn? “Quick,” Aidan said, measuring his next words before he committed them to the air. “How many Goblets would it take to help her? You seem to know more about them than I had first thought.”
Perhaps scenting hope, the man’s head snapped up and he stopped crying long enough to say, “Quick does not know. Might take all six that exist. Might take one…the Enduring Goblet.”
“There are only five Goblets Immortal,” Slaíne corrected him. “An’ none of these that we have are the Enduring Goblet.”
Aidan cursed. “Meraude has the Enduring Goblet. Hex said as much.”
“Please,” said Quick. “Jinn needs Goblets.”
“We can nay go back,” said Slaíne, wringing her hands. “That wizard’ll never let us leave if’n he gets his hands on us.”
Aidan took to pacing, the hairs on his arms standing on end. The air was charged with everyone’s overexcited emotions and he needed to clear his thoughts. He was not heartless, nor was Slaíne, he knew. But there was no way of both saving magic-kind from Meraude and saving Jinn from her injury. At length his pacing slowed, the acrid tang of despair faded to a musk of muddled emotions, resignation being most prominent among them.
“I’m sorry, Quick,” said Slaíne.
The man sniffed. “But sister.”
“There is one thing we can try,” said Aidan, holding up his hands for Quick to quiet. Once the giant had settled down, Aidan continued. “If you come with us, we can take the Enduring Goblet, destroy the others, and then find a way to send you back to your sister and Hex.”
But we nay know if the Enduring Goblet alone can save her, Slaíne said into Aidan’s mind.
We can’t tell him that, I’m afraid, he thought back. We’ll have to take a chance, or more than just Jinn will die. He forced a lie of certainty through his teeth, “I’m convinced the Enduring Goblet will be enough to save your sister. Will you continue forward with us?”
Aidan scented the foul stench of deceit when the giant shook his large head and gave his pledge to not steal the Goblets or hinder them in any other way again. Looking at Slaíne, he knew she had perceived Quick’s intentions as well. “There’s no way back to the House of Curses without a portal-maker, anyway,” Aidan said after they had grasped forearms and shaken on their arrangement. “You won’t be able to bring the Goblets back without us, Quick. Running off again could end up with you captured.”
“Along with the Goblets,” Slaíne added.
Quick nodded. “Quick knows. He knows.”