Twin Curse(25)

That fact wasn't unusual. Their bonding was still new. The ability to  sense each other's presence would increase with time. But he really  wished it was fully developed now, it would make it far easier to find  her. He comforted himself with the fact that it would grow, regardless  of the fact that they were close to each other, even if it would be a  little slower. It may take a few weeks, even a month or two, but  eventually, he would be able to tell where she had gone.

If he hadn't already found her by then.

"What's your plan?" Urster's voice at his elbow reminded him of the  mission his father had sent him on, one that needed as much attention as  finding Brianna, if his father's news was true.

"A magical illusion." Lyall considered the possibilities for a moment.  "A dragon I think. That should demonstrate our magical prowess and the  town will surrender without bloodshed."

Even though the magically assisted journey had been short, he'd had more  than enough time to be sure that if he had to do this, had to conquer  and control villages that had no wish to be controlled, then he would at  least do it without bloodshed.

"You need to be sure they're really afraid of you," Urster said, his  disapproval evident in his stiff stance, if not in his words. "The  chances of the mages being right here, this close to Isla de Magi, are  slim. You can't risk people leaving this town and warning the others, or  you could have a full scale war on your hands. A few judicial deaths  can be quite effective at keeping a population under control."

"No!"

Lyall could feel all eyes on him. There were even a few indrawn breaths.  The magical wind faltered enough to cause the boat to dip alarmingly.  His only consolation was the fact that he managed to remain on his feet,  while Urster stumbled against the railing.

"No," he repeated in a normal voice, but one that could be heard clearly  by all the ship's occupants. "We will keep the town contained with a  magical barrier around the outskirts. There will be no deaths. Anyone  who kills any of the townsfolk will be dealt with severely. Is that  understood?"

Urster scowled, but after a brief moment, inclined his head slightly. "As you wish."

Lyall looked back to the shore. They were close enough now to be able to make out individual faces in the crowd. It was time.

He held out his hands, focusing on the image in his mind. In front of  the swiftly moving boats, a dark blue dragon rose out of the waves. Its  ear splitting roar drowned out the screams on the beach as the crowd  scattered in all directions.

"Frightening them away isn't going to achieve much." Urster's sarcastic  voice at his elbow broke his concentration, and the dragon shimmered.

Lyall frowned, but didn't respond. He used magic to project his voice.  "People of Bymere, you need not be afraid. As long as you do as I say,  you will not be harmed. You have my word, as Prince of Isla de Magi."

He ignored the snigger behind him, instead focusing on making the  illusion of the dragon landing on top of the guard tower look natural.

When he looked back at the shore, the people were no longer running.  They huddled in small groups, alternating nervous looks at the  approaching boats and the dragon.

"Bring us in," Lyall said quietly.

The boat slid alongside the dock, just as the Mayor of Bymere arrived.

"Just what is going on here!" he demanded.

He didn't look up at the dragon, but Lyall was sure he was aware of its presence.         

     



 

"We can discuss that in private, in your offices," Lyall said, still projecting his voice slightly.

Urster signalled to two mages, and stood behind him. Lyall resisted  biting his lip in frustration. "In private," he repeated pointedly to  Urster.

"I do not believe that is wise," Urster began. "Sir," he added, as Lyall stared angrily at him.

How was he supposed to intimidate a whole village, when his own second  in command openly defied him? If the mayor or the townsfolk saw even a  moment of weakness, there was a risk they might attempt to resist. Even  though they outnumbered the mages fifty to one, a resistance would be  easily contained.

But it wouldn't be without casualties.

Was that what Urster wanted?

Frustration welled up in Lyall as he stared at Urster's narrowed eyes  and jutting chin. He couldn't do this job with this man questioning  every move. If he gave in now, he would never really be in command. He  needed to earn everyone's trust, and perhaps a little fear. And he might  as well start with Urster.

He reached out his magic towards the man, shocking him so much that he  had him dangling above the head of the mayor before Urster gathered  together his own magic to resist.

The magical tussle was invisible to the townsfolk, but there was a  nervous silence anyway. The mages didn't move, though Lyall kept an eye  out for any indication that some might attempt to help Urster.

Urster's magic was strong, he would never have kept his position as his  father's second in command if it wasn't, but it was no match for  Lyall's.

He pushed back every attempt the man made to either escape from the  magical hold he had on him, or reach Lyall's person himself. He felt  Urster's struggle weakening and smiled. To rub it in, he pulled his  consciousness back enough to connect with the dragon illusion, still  repeating the occasional roar he had set.

He sent silent thanks to the magic increase he had gained when he bonded  with Brianna. Without it, he would never have been able to control the  two separate strands of magic at once.

With it, he was able to bring the dragon down, hovering over Urster's  head, extending its magical claws to pluck him out of the air.

Urster's eyes almost bulged out of his head. Even though he knew the  dragon was only an illusion, it demonstrated Lyall's magical strength  clearly. Lyall could see him trying to evaluate how far the prince would  take this.

He was impressed that the man said nothing, made no move to beg for release.

That caused him to move the dragon slightly lower over the water before he released him into it.

The splash was loud in the silence.

"In your offices," he said to the mayor, not even looking back at the hovering dragon.

The man swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Yes, of course." His voice  was an unmanly squeak. He cleared his throat. "My offices. Right this  way, Your Highness."

The town's submission was inevitable, but the slowness of the process,  the mayor's insistence on drawing up a treaty of surrender, claiming  protection for his people and continued observance of the current laws,  was an irritation.

Lyall itched to get out of the office and to leave this mundane business  to someone else. But despite his impatience, he made himself stay until  the last paper was finalised.

Only then could he head out to the town streets.

He ignored the sidelong glances and the mothers who quickly ushered  their children to the other side of the street, his attention focused  only on attaining his destination as quickly as possible.

The familiarity of Syrid's inn was comforting. For a moment. Until he  realised that everyone was staring at him. "Where's Syrid," he said  roughly.

"I'm right here." Syrid strode into the room, scowling at him. "And  you're not welcome here. I can't believe we trusted you all these years,  when really, you were scoping out the town, just figuring out the best  way to control it."

Lyall was so shocked, he took a step backwards. "I..."

He stared at all the other faces watching him, his heart sinking. He  couldn't relent from his earlier demeanour, the risks were too great. He  needed to plough on the way he'd started.

"Where is Brianna," he demanded, hiding his wince at Syrid's disappointed expression.

"She's not here," Syrid returned defiantly. "And I wouldn't tell you where she was, even if I knew.

Lyall considered. Was Syrid bluffing, or did he really have no idea  where Brianna was? Surely she would have stopped to borrow a horse at  the very least? She wouldn't get very far on foot.

As soon as the thought entered his head, he whirled around and strode  out of the inn. Back at the mayor's office, where he had set up his own  base, it took only moments to order his men to check every path out of  the town and bring back anyone who was attempting to leave the city. He  didn't even have to mention Brianna's name, since the terms of surrender  included no one coming or going from Bymere.         

     



 

He was tempted to go himself, except he had no idea which direction  would be more likely. So he remained in the city where he could check  out each group of people as they returned.

But his hopes fell as each batch of stragglers was dragged in. There was  no sign of Brianna to the west, to the east, or to the north. She had  vanished.

Was she really in league with the other mages? Was she one of them? What  other explanation was there for the fact that she had managed to  disappear so thoroughly? It was possible she was hiding somewhere in the  city and hadn't attempted to leave, but that would disprove her story  about needing to get home to her village just as completely.