King's Gate 2: A High Fantasy Harem, page 7
It was obvious just how tight The Covenant’s grip was on the city. It hung over the entire area like a sick blanket of terror. Even breathing felt like an affront, and I could see how spending much time here could quickly cause somebody's mind to spiral out of control. We walked passed one of the people on the street corners. I could feel the tension radiating off him as his wild, rolling eyes fell on us and he lurched forward. His hands reached for us, but it was almost as though he was locked in place on the sidewalk and couldn't get close enough to grab hold. Mathus still stepped between him and Nia, placing one heavy hand on her shoulder to guide her away. The expression on her face was painfully uncomfortable, but she didn't move away. She was trying hard to understand the new feelings and where they were guiding her.
“Would you like to see one of the portals?” Sabrina asked.
“There's one near here?” I asked.
She nodded. “Not far. It's actually hidden right here in the city.”
Curiosity took over and I agreed. She gave me a smile that said she had been looking forward to showing off this particular bit of knowledge. We moved deeper into the city, leaving the streets where the terrified people moved in and out of the buildings and began passing by empty buildings. The structures got progressively more derelict and a sense of abandonment settled over us. It was eerie, but a welcome respite from the oppressive feeling twisted around our throats in the more populated area of the city. Sabrina took a sudden sharp turn into an alley and we followed her. As soon as I stepped into the narrow space between the two buildings, I could see the huge portal ahead of us.
It glowed with opalescent light, and I heard faint strains of soothing harp and violin music coming from the depths. Though the soft music had immediately caught my attention, but none of the others seemed to notice it. Emely's voice cut through the sound and I turned around to find her holding Celeste’s shoulders, trying to look into her eyes and reassure her. The younger woman looked completely overwhelmed.
“What's wrong?” I asked, walking back to them.
“It's too much,” Celeste said. “It's just too much.”
“What do you mean?”
“The world is being revealed to her too quickly,” Emely said “This is too much for her. I told you we shouldn't be doing this. She can't handle it.”
Celeste tried to move out of her sister's hands, but Emely held her tight. It was obvious she was trying to keep her in one place so she didn't wander off in the way she had before, awash in a world of color and sensation that magic would only intensify, like a kaleidoscope of wild sorcery. But it was exactly as I'd told Sabrina. Celeste was her own special circumstance. She couldn't continue to be protected from everything if she was going to fulfill the role laid out for her. The kid needed thicker skin, and it was time for her to begin living.
“You're going to be alright,” Nia said, rubbing Celeste’s back. “I know it's a lot, but you'll get through this.”
I should have joined in trying to comfort her, but the sound of the music coming from the portal grew louder behind me. The music was seductive, and I needed to know what was making it. The closer I got to the portal, the more the glittering light entranced me until there was nothing else in my mind. One hand lifted almost involuntarily, and I reached for the portal, entranced by the raw power of it all.
“No, Alex, stop.”
I heard Sabrina's voice, but it didn't fully register until her hand clamped down on my wrist. It was too late to pull me back. My hand had already dipped into the light of the portal. A tremendous blast of energy exploded from it, blowing both of us back. Our bodies sailed through the air past the rest of the group and we crashed to the ground in the middle of the alley.
I was dazed for a few seconds, but when I could think straight again, I sat up. Looking down at my body to check for injuries, I noticed I was glowing. An array of colors washed across my skin, vacillating between shades. I heard a desperate gasp and looked over at Sabrina. I saw her eyes for only an instant before she became a deer in front of me. An instant later, she shifted again. Into a swan this time. The form lasted only a brief moment before white feathers stretched and darkened into the wings of an ominous eagle that lifted into the air before dropping down onto the four paws of a bear. Soon a wolf stood in her spot then sank to the ground as a snake. In the next instant, I thought she’d disappeared, but soon realized she had shifted into a tiny bug that then burst into a wolf.
“The magical interference of the portal must have short-circuited her powers,” Nia said.
As Sabrina shifted uncontrollably, I looked on, not knowing how to help her, or even if I could. I was dumbstruck by what I was seeing. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Nia dig her book out of her bag and start flipping through it frantically. A disconnected, nonsensical conversation with herself tumbled from her lips as she searched the pages for guidance. As I stared at the aftermath of the portal in front of me, the question crept into the back of my mind that if the magic was capable of doing that to the shapeshifter, what could it have done to me?
13
My mind was still racing. Possibilities of the ways the magic of the portal could be impacting me whirled around in my thoughts. The effect of the magic on Sabrina had been instant and brutal, yet other than physically tossing me to the ground, it hadn't seemed to affect me. I tried to focus in on myself, evaluating all aspects of my being to detect any changes, but my attention was pulled back to Sabrina in front of me. The frantic changes between shifted forms were becoming faster and more violent. Her body looked like it was tearing apart with each shift. She cried out with the changes, her voice strained, pulled, and crushed by each new form she took on. I wanted to run to her and scoop her up, to do anything I could to help her. Fear that I would somehow hurt her if I tried to restrain her stopped me.
Finally, the shifts slowed, and she stood in front of me as a deer again. The peaceful, imploring eyes I'd seen the night before were now desperate and her legs shook beneath her. I took a step forward to run my fingertips along her head again. Before I got to her, she went through one more shift, collapsing to the dirty ground as a human again.
She lay there limp, her breaths ragged and shallow. There was no response when I called her name, and I crouched down beside her. Her thick, dark hair was matted from the trauma of the shifts. My fingers moved the tangles away from her face and I saw her cheeks were damp with tears. I brushed them away with the backs of my fingers and leaned down to bring my mouth close to her ear.
“Sabrina,” I said softly. “Can you hear me?”
There was still no response. Her body lay like a broken heap on the ground and the sound of her breath rattling in her lungs was the only indication of life. Her skin was ghastly, and her mouth hung slightly open. Occasionally she drew in a choking gasp, her lungs were grasping for
“She's not waking up,” I told the rest of the group. “Whatever just happened to her was intense and I'm not getting any response out of her.”
“What are we going to do now?” Riley asked.
“We can't just leave her lying here,” I said. “It doesn't seem likely she's just going to suddenly bounce back and be ready and raring to go. We've got to get her to safety.”
“How? She was our guide. We have no idea how to get her somewhere safe. None of us know anything about where we are, or where we could bring her that she would be protected.”
“There has to be somewhere.” I began looking around.
Movement at the end of the alley made me tighten defensively. Someone was watching us. A quick scan of the area close to me proved it wasn't a member of our group. I stood and turned, ready to protect Sabrina in her vulnerable state. I was surprised when I noticed a gentle-looking old man peering at us from where he stood. His body was folded over like time was gradually balling him up. There was nothing about him that seemed suspicious of us, or that suggested he had sought us out. It was as if he had just been wandering by and happened upon us. His wise eyes swept over us from where his head was sticking around the corner into the alley. A second later, another face appeared above his. It belonged to a tall, lanky young woman who didn't look nearly as wise or as gentle. Instead, her expression was wary and cautious, like she was as unsure about our presence there as we were of theirs. She kept most of her body out of sight, ready to leave at an instant's notice.
“We were walking by and heard a commotion,” the man said. “Is everything all right? Do you need any help?”
It was a friendly offer, but something about it made me hesitate.
I felt fingertips touch my back and Celeste stepped up beside me. She gave an encouraging nod. “It's safe,” she said.
"What do you mean?"
"Let them help us. It's a genuine offer."
"How do you know?" I asked.
“I used my powers to skim their minds. There isn't anything too bad in there. I think we can trust them.”
It wasn't a resounding endorsement, but I figured it was the best I could hope for in the situation. Celeste was even paler than before, and her lips trembled with each breath.
She was fighting it. The young elf wasn't allowing herself to give in, and her valor gave me a surge of hope despite the uphill battle against limitless magical effects.
“This fucking planet,” I mumbled, hating every second of Celeste’s pain. With an effort, I tore my eyes away from Celeste. I had to divert attention away from the cause of her sickness while still getting both her and Sabrina the help they needed.
"Thank you," I said to the old man. "Yes, we could use your help. My friends are sick. We need somewhere safe where they can rest."
"I'd be happy to help. My name is Silas. This is my daughter, Violet."
"Hello. I'm Alex. This is Celeste and that is Sabrina."
The others in the group introduced themselves and Silas nodded a greeting to each.
"I run an herb shop not too far from here. Your friends will be safe there. I might be able to give them something for their illnesses as well."
The way he said it hinted that he might not fully believe my story about the women being sick. But he didn't push any further. Mathus swept Celeste into his arms and I picked up Sabrina. Her head fell onto my shoulder and she let out a groan.
"Sabrina?"
"Alex?"
It could have been another groan, but I hoped it was my name. That would mean she was starting to come out of whatever the magic of the portal had done to her.
"You're going to be fine. We're going to get you somewhere safe. Don't worry."
My group walked to the end of the alley to follow Silas and Violet to the herb shop. I expected them to start back toward the main area of the city, but instead they headed deeper into the abandoned section. They moved quickly, Silas's feet shuffling against the cracked cement of the sidewalk. I didn't know if he was hurrying so we could get Celeste and Sabrina to his shop as quickly as possible, or if it was so he wouldn't be detected.
Wedged in between two gutted warehouses was a small brick building. Dirty, white paint peeled away from a pointed wooden facade over the door. Some of the intricate scrollwork along the bottom edge of the overhang was broken, and the words painted across the front were so faded I couldn't read them. It had the same empty impression as the rest of the street, but Silas walked toward it deliberately. He opened the door and moved out of the way, ushering us inside with a subtle air of pride.
“Violet, get Jocelyn. Tell her we'll need help. Prepare two of the beds in the healing wing.”
Violet nodded and rushed out of the room without a word. A few moments later, she reappeared with a young dwarf following close behind. The woman--Jocelyn wiped her hands on the white apron she wore, her eyes widening when she saw us.
"Come with me," Jocelyn said with an air of certainty.
She left the room through a narrow door in the back corner, and Mathus and I followed with the women in our arms. I worried the giant wasn't going to be able to pass through the door and the concern was confirmed when one massive shoulder rammed into the doorframe. He turned to the side to ease through, but his head and neck couldn't bend enough to make it without crushing Celeste.
I ducked around him. "I'll be right back."
Jocelyn had waited for me in the small hallway beyond the door but hurried on when she saw me. At the end of the hall she opened a door I hadn't noticed against the dark walls and went inside. I followed her and found myself in a stone room with a row of beds along one wall.
"The ill women will stay here," she said. "Silas can give them herbs and potions to help them with whatever is ailing them. I'll be here to watch over them and care for them."
"What about the rest of us?" I asked.
"There are living quarters on the other side of the shop. You can stay there."
She hurried to make one of the beds with fresh linens and I lowered Sabrina onto it. Jocelyn immediately started tending to her as I made my way back to Mathus and accepted Celeste into my arms. Once she was tucked into a second bed, Jocelyn shooed me out of the room, and I returned to the front of the shop. My concern was only slightly abated by the surroundings. It was a cluttered, cramped shop overflowing with shelves, tables, bowls, and displays. Each was filled with bottles, vials, boxes, and tiny objects. The only light came from candles in metal cages on the far side of the room. Nia roamed through the space, weaving along narrow passages and ducking through tiny spaces to see more of what was there. A strange look was etched on her face and I walked up to her.
"What's wrong, Nia?" I asked.
"The things in this shop," she said. "There's an awful lot here that would be banned by The Covenant's laws."
I gave her a wry grin. “At least we’re consistent.”
14
Silas stepped back into the room and offered a smile. He seemed completely at ease with us roaming around his shop, though it was obvious the strange artifacts and objects scattered around were making Nia incredibly suspicious. I didn't know what any of them were, but the entire space held an energy of secrets. It wasn't a coincidence that the shop was located so far away from the rest of the city. I got the impression it had been in the same location for a long time, and though it looked as abandoned and forgotten as the rest of the buildings around it, it was far from being unknown.
“I checked on your friends,” he said. “I gave them something to calm the effects of the magic. It'll only make them feel better, not actually draw the magic out of them. That will happen on its own.”
“You know what happened,” I said.
It wasn't a question.
“I know the symptoms of someone under the influence of magic,” the old man responded. “I did what I could to comfort them.”
His words were careful and deliberate. They told me he knew more than he was going to say, but they were enough for me.
“What is this place?” Nia asked.
Silas turned to her. “My herb shop,” he responded.
“An herb shop with more contraband than I've ever seen in one place?”
“And the rooms,” I pointed out. “They stretch out too far to fit in this building.”
“I'll admit I did take a little bit of advantage of the buildings on either side of the shop being abandoned. After a while, when I was sure the owners weren't going to come back, I expanded a bit into their space. The rooms are much more comfortable now than when I had them in the basement, and it opens that space up for more storage of sensitive things I don't necessarily want displayed up here.”
“Sensitive things?” Nia asked incredulously. “There's more than just this?”
Silas laughed. “Yes. I wouldn't think the likes of you and your friends here would be so surprised at things like this.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Riley asked defensively.
“No insult intended,” Silas said. “I only mean when I saw you, I thought perhaps you may be of the sort who would be, how should I say it, understanding of the type of business I keep.”
“What type of business is that?” I asked.
Silas held up his hands to indicate the shop. “This. Some of what I do is merely herbs and supplies, but I also dabble in the black market. That's where I make most of my money. I provide specialized goods as well as a safe place for like-minded individuals to seek refuge and provide care for injuries and illnesses they might not necessarily want brought to the attention of The Covenant. That's how Jocelyn came to be with us.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“She was brought here by her mother very shortly after her birth. The poor woman didn't know how to cope with her daughter and didn't know what to do. I offered to protect her, and Jocelyn stayed on with me.”
“As your servant,” I said.
“She is very helpful.”
Nia's lips were pulled down in concern. “Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Do you understand what could happen if any of The Covenant’s spies found this place and uncovered all this stuff? Barely anything in here is permissible by law. Maintaining a hoard like this isn't just dangerous for you. This could threaten everyone who stands against The Covenant. You--- you seem like a nice man. Aren’t you afraid? Of them?”
Silas was unfazed by her rant.
“I'm aware,” he told her. “But what's right isn't always what's safe. I've been doing this a long time and I take careful steps to protect myself and everyone else. I use my real magic to block The Covenant from knowing we are here, not to mention what we have available. I maintain another shop in the city that is purely Covenant approved.”
“How do people come here for protection?” I asked. “The city seems to be in pretty strong lock down.”
“And yet you're here.” Silas laughed softly. “We offer spells that enable people to briefly move through the city undetected. Occasionally, we leave Creyfell to deliver these goods to others beyond the walls so they can offer them to those who might need them.”
