The Armor of Light Read online

  Ember watched Lily rub her brow in the glow of the purple magelight. She wiped away a tear, walked to Ember’s closet, pulled out another robe, and tossed it on her bed. “No, it’s not morning yet,” she grumbled. “Councilwoman Marda is here and asked me to wake you. She needs you for something.”

  Ember immediately thought of Paeder, so recently recovered from illness and brought back from death, and scrambled into her robe. As she dressed, Lily looked at her with a peculiar expression.

  “What?” Ember asked, distracted as she pulled on her slippers.

  “Your tattoos. Where did you get them? Why did you get them?” Her voice was strange. It was the first time Ember had seen any real emotion besides annoyance or anger cross Lily’s face, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what that emotion was.

  “I didn’t get them. They were a gift. A present from my dead father for my sixteenth birthday. When I put on the jewelry he gave me, it absorbed into my skin and became tattoos, and I can’t get them off, though I wouldn’t if I could. I mean, they were my father’s.” Ember wasn’t sure why she was telling Lily all this, maybe because it was the middle of the night and she was exhausted and not thinking straight. But it was nice to have Lily at least be decent to her, and she didn’t want it to change.

  Once she had her slippers on, she left Lily behind and pushed through the curtain that hid their room. Marda leaned against the wall, waiting for her daughter. She smiled as soon as she saw her, pushed away from the wall, and started walking down the hall toward the dining room, but took a left long before they got there.

  Silence gathered around them for several minutes before curiosity got the best of Ember. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  Marda glanced at her, then back ahead and answered, “To see Ezeker. He has some questions for you.”

  Ember’s heart immediately plummeted. He’d heard about the day before and was going to kick her out of school already. She hoped it wasn’t so, but her heart was certain of it, despite their relationship. He had to look after the good of the school, and she was a threat to it. She’d destroyed part of the academy and was obviously a danger to herself and the other students. She just didn’t know if he would send her home whole or if he was going to seal off her powers before banning away.

  Part of her knew the thought was ridiculous and was probably sleep deprivation and exhaustion talking, but another part of her wondered. Could he really let her stay after all the damage she had done? What if someone had been really hurt, or worse, killed?

  She dragged her feet, dreading the confrontation with the man she’d always called “Uncle Ezzie,” though she’d recently discovered they shared no blood. She’d never been afraid of him before, but then, she’d never known his position within the magic world until she’d been unjustly tried before the mage council.

  “Hurry up, Ember,” Marda said, picking up her pace. She stood at the side of the glowing arch, waiting for her daughter, whose stomach had sunk to her feet. Ember tried to hurry, but she was broken-hearted at the thought of leaving school. Finally she reached the portal and they entered together. For several long seconds, they held their breath and raced across the distance before exiting the other side. They turned left and entered another, this one longer, then again stumbled out of an arch. Ember bent over, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Marda didn’t seem affected at all and stood impatiently, waiting for her daughter to recover, before they walked straight ahead and entered the final portal. This time when they came out on the other side, they stood behind a huge tapestry. Marda stepped forward and pulled the cloth aside. They were in a stone tower with nothing in it but the large cloth and a spiral of stone stairs leading downward.

  Ember caught her breath, then forgetting herself for a moment, asked, “Where are you staying? I haven’t seen you at the school except for meals.” They started down the stairs, Marda first. She looked over her shoulder and grinned at her daughter, her eyes atwinkle. “At home,” she answered, with no further explanation.

  Home? How was that possible? “But . . . isn’t that a long journey?” Ember asked.

  Marda laughed, her voice ringing out like a chorus of bells. “Look around, Ember. Don’t you know where you are?”

  Ember looked, but it wasn’t until they rounded the final curve in the staircase and she saw the massive stone table with mismatched chairs that everything clicked into place. “Ezeker’s? We’re at Ezeker’s tower?”

  Marda nodded, her smile spreading clear across her face now.

  “Wow,” Ember said. “I hadn’t realized the mage academy was so large. That also explains how the twins are able to get home to help Paeder. Why doesn’t Paeder just have a portal directly to the school from here? Why go through so many if he doesn’t have to?”

  “They don’t work that way. They go where they go and have been there far longer than Ezeker’s tower.” Marda shrugged and they took the last step into the room and three men came to their feet to greet them. Sweet, bearded Uncle Ezzie took Ember by the shoulders and gave her a quick peck on her forehead. “Come in, come in!” he said, gesturing toward the stone table. Aldarin and Shad scooted over so Marda and Ember could take the outside chairs. Aldarin grinned at her, but Shad was unusually serious. Ember’s couldn’t shake the feeling that she was going to be dismissed from the school.

  Ezeker still stood as they seated themselves around the table. “Have you eaten breakfast?” When Ember shook her head, he beckoned to a servant from the dark corner. People came into the room bearing plates of food. Ember hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she smelled the delicious aromas.

  Nobody said anything as plates were passed around and they all helped themselves. Ember tried not to look at her mother as she loaded her plate to overflowing. She knew Marda would disapprove—she always had. Ember knew it was a miracle she wasn’t huge, for the portion sizes she ate. She hovered over her plate, as if she expected her mother to snatch it from her at any moment. It was Shad’s chuckle that made her look up. He was glancing back and forth between Ember and Marda, who were so obviously not looking at each other. Ember wanted to be offended, but she could see the humor in the situation.

  “I’ve spoken to your mother, reminding her how much energy magic uses. You don’t need to worry about your portions anymore,” he said, then went back to his own plate as if nothing had happened. Without looking up, Marda said, “I’d forgotten until I started burning my own energy and was suddenly hungry all the time. I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you all these years, Ember. I wasn’t trying to be mean. I only wanted to raise you properly and help you be more girlish. I didn’t want you to end up like me.”

  Ember’s heart melted at those words. “There’s nothing wrong with being like you,” she said, then set to her meal. Food was one of the last things they had standing between them, and with those words she found it much easier to enjoy her meal in her mother’s presence.

  As soon as they were done and the dishes had been taken away by the silent servants, Ezeker cleared his throat. “I’ve heard about the, uh, challenges you faced yesterday.” Ember’s stomach lurched and she suddenly wished she hadn’t eaten so much. “The Academy Council and I have been discussing your particular situation and have reached a decision.”

  Ember interrupted. “Please don’t kick me out, Uncle Ezzie! I didn’t mean to do it. I’ll do better, I promise. I’ll work harder and stay away from the other students. I’ll even be locked in a room with a guard at the door, if I have to. Just please give me a chance to learn.” Her white knuckles clutched at the table as if it were an anchor holding her to the academy.

  Ezeker had the decency not to laugh when he answered. He was very sweet and calming. “Child, we’re not going to send you away. Do you remember the contract you signed at the mage trials?” When Ember nodded, he continued. “Well, that contract doesn’t just hold you. It holds us as well. We have a responsibility to teach you, whether we know how or not. You’re not goin
g anywhere, my dear. But . . .” he paused and held up his index finger for emphasis. “It is obvious your situation requires some special teaching and added protection. We’ll find a way to teach you, one way or another. I understand that White Shadow had some success yesterday in finding your trigger and catalyst, and that you’ve also responded rather well to Lily’s influence.”

  Ember nodded, relief settling over her like sunlight on a spring day.

  “Until we have a greater understanding of how you learn and you have gained better control, all your classes will be held in the shielded rooms, and your teachers will be White Shadow and Lily. Are you comfortable with that?”

  Ember let out an explosive breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Oh, yes! That would be wonderful!”

  “Good.” Ezeker smiled. “Until DeMunth is healed, I am assigning two of our best guards to protect you until we find out more about these Shadow Weavers. Rahdnee and Brendae will see to your needs and keep you safe, all right?” At that, a man and woman stepped through the doorway from the basement. They were both dressed in blue and gold armor, swords sheathed at their hip. The man Ember recognized. He was there the first night she’d come to the school, the one who had taken DeMunth to the healer hall. The woman was new to Ember, and though she seemed like a great guard, there was something in her eyes that gave Ember the chills. She was about to object and ask for Uncle Shad to double as her teacher and guardian, and then had second thoughts. Ezeker wouldn’t have assigned these two if he didn’t completely trust them. She’d give them a chance. She didn’t have to like them—they didn’t need to be friends. Their job was to protect her, and they certainly seemed capable of doing that.

  “But what about the orange room?” Ember asked. “Do I need to help fix it? Isn’t there some kind of consequence for destroying it? And what are the orange students going to do in the meantime?” Her stomach was back in knots, but she wanted to right any of her wrongs.

  Ezeker shook his head. “It’s already done, child. It’s fixed and ready for classes this morning.”

  Ember was astounded. “How is that possible? It was totally wrecked.”

  Ezeker chuckled. “We live in a mountain. We’re surrounded by stone, and there are plenty of students who need to practice their stone-crafting abilities. It was only a matter of hours to put it back in better shape than before. We even saved most of your father’s work, though I’m afraid the door had to be completely replaced.”

  She felt a mixture of relief and agonizing loss. She was grateful for what they had saved, but knowing she had destroyed even an inch of her father’s work, let alone the entire door, made her want to smash her head into a wall. She knew it had been an accident and could not be changed, but it still hurt. It was one more lesson learned. Think before you act. Never panic when dealing with magic. She squelched down her tears and said, “Would you tell them thank you for me? And tell the teacher I’m sorry?”

  The old mage nodded. “Absolutely. I’m sure she will appreciate it, though she wasn’t angered. She knew it was accidental. She told me she’d love to speak with you again.”

  Ember was pleasantly surprised at that and promised herself she would do so. She still wanted to hear the stories about her mother and father and how they met.

  “One more thing,” Ezeker said. “I understand you stopped by the library yesterday?” Ember nodded and smiled. Ezeker suddenly became serious. “I know we’ve encouraged you to go to the library in the hopes you could find something to help with your white magic, but considering yesterday’s events, we feel that it’s best you avoid the library for now.”

  When Ember started to object, he put up his hand and she quieted. “I know how badly you want to find some information, but think about it, Ember. Some of those documents are thousands of years old. They are irreplaceable. If something happened in the library like happened in the orange room yesterday, we would lose information that could never be rewritten or replaced. Until you gain some control over your power, we would kindly ask you to avoid the library. If you need something, ask one of us, and we will see if we can find it for you. Okay?”

  Ember nodded reluctantly. She understood what he was saying, but the library had been her one real hope of finding someone else like her. And then she remembered Tyese and smiled to herself. She may not be able to go to the library, but she had someone working for her from the inside, someone who had a better chance at finding what Ember needed than anyone else.

  The men stood once she nodded, and began to talk amongst themselves. Aldarin hadn’t said a word the whole meeting. She glanced at her new guards and couldn’t help but wish Aldarin was her guardian. At least she knew she could trust him.

  She was about to ask Uncle Ezzie about it when Lily stepped down the stairs and approached her, glancing once at the guards and trying to mask her obvious distaste. She stood next to Ember and addressed Ezeker. “Should I take her to lessons now, sir?”

  Ezeker glanced at Lily and nodded. “Yes, she is ready. Thank you for your help, Lily. It is a great boon to us all, especially Ember. And remember that teaching always makes you a better student. If you can teach, then you know you have truly mastered the subject.” Lily didn’t respond, though she seemed to straighten a little at his words, though whether with pride or resentment, Ember couldn’t tell.

  Lily gently tugged her elbow, letting go as soon as Ember began to move. The guards separated, the woman stepping behind Ember, and the man taking the lead. No one spoke as they made their way back up the stairs, through several portals, and at last to the shielded practice rooms.

  At the door, the man, Rahdnee, stopped and addressed them. “We shall wait out here for you to finish, then will escort you wherever it is you need to go, Ember. I wish you well in your studies.” His eyes met hers and Ember once again felt that magnetic pull he seemed to have, but she resisted. It was similar to the pull she felt with DeMunth, but there was something dark about it that made her wary of the guard. She gave one brief nod, then turned her back on him and the strange woman who made her so nervous, and stepped into the practice room. The door sealed behind them, blending into the rock wall and separating the girls from the guards.

  Ember sighed with relief when the door completely closed—much different than her first experience in the training rooms. “I don’t know what it is about those two, but they feel . . . weird. I don’t know how else to say it.” She shivered as she turned to Lily and caught a strange expression crossing her face. “What?” she asked as she sat on the ground and wished for a pillow.

  Lily’s mouth quirked as she glanced at the sealed doorway, then back at Ember. She sat with a sigh. “Rahdnee is my father,” she said, looking down at the stone.

  Ember gulped, then her mouth gaped open in shock. “No! You don’t look a thing like him. I’m sorry, Lily, I shouldn’t have—” Lily stopped her with an open hand as she tried not to smile.

  “You’re fine, Ember. I actually agree. My father and I have never gotten along well, and Brendae is just . . . well, you said it. She’s odd. She makes me tremble inside, like I would in the presence of a predator.”

  Ember nodded before she even finished. “I know what you mean. Having her behind me made me incredibly nervous—like she was going to eat me.”

  Lily laughed outright at that. Ember decided she liked her laugh. It made her more human and likable. “What about your mother? Does she teach here? Or is she a guard too?” The girl quickly sobered and nibbled at the corner of her lip before glancing up at Ember.

  “My relationship with my mother is . . . complicated. She does not work at the school. Actually, she lives far away and sent me to live with Rahdnee when I was just a babe. I barely even know her.” Lily seemed uncomfortable even saying that much, so Ember didn’t push it.

  “That must be hard,” was all she said, though she was curious to know more. What kind of mother would send her child away?

  Lily let out a sigh. “It is. My parents are most defin
itely odd. I sometimes wish . . .” she trailed off, not finishing her thought, but Ember could follow it easily. She wanted the same thing Ember did. She wanted a normal family.

  For the first time since they met, Ember felt a connection with Lily, one Lily seemed to feel too, as the girl looked up almost shyly and smiled a genuine smile. It was small, but it was a start.

  Practicing with Lily was hard. The girl pushed. They started with deep breathing, and when Ember was in a calm and meditative state, Lily shoved a wave of magic that sent Ember tumbling backwards, heels over head until she lay sprawled on the rock. She got up, dusting herself off, and glared at the girl. “What did you do that for?”

  “To teach you not to take anything for granted. You were attacked in Javak. Were you expecting it?” Lily asked, still sitting cross-legged on the floor.

  “No,” Ember answered, sulking just a bit as she sat back down in front of Lily.

  “You never know when or from where an attack will come. You have to be ready for anything. Now, prepare yourself. Don’t think—do.” Lily closed her eyes and waited for Ember to settle herself.

  As soon as Ember began to breathe deeply, Lily pushed again. Once more, Ember tumbled backwards, and this time came up hard against the wall.

  “Again,” Lily said, her voice never changing.

  Ember wanted to cry in frustration, but she wouldn’t let herself do so in front of this girl. Without a word, she sat back down, and before she had even begun her deep breathing, the wave of magic hit. This time Ember’s hand flipped up, almost of its own volition, and somehow shoved, sending Lily rocking back, though she didn’t tumble as Ember had. The girl opened her eyes and grinned. “Good! Now tell me, what did you do?”

  “I—” Ember started, then stopped. What had she done? She went back over it in her head and spoke her thoughts aloud. “I’m not sure. No, wait, I—” she paused again and took a deep breath. “I took the anger and sent it out. No, that’s not right either. I don’t know, Lily. I just did it. Do I have to explain it?”