Mage's End Game, page 1
Mage’s End Game
Tournament of Shadows
Tilly Wallace
Copyright © 2024 by Tilly Wallace
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
v26042024
Cover design by Aero Gallerie
Editing by Moonshell Books
Proofreading by Kat's Literary Services
To be the first to hear about Tilly’s new releases and exclusive offers, sign up at:
https://www.tillywallace.com/newsletter
Contents
Description
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
About the Author
Mage’s End Game
Tournament of Shadows book 6
If a pawn makes it across the board…it becomes a queen…
Seraphina Winyard has had enough of others trying to control her life. She intends to send a message so loud, no one will ever try to assert dominion over her again. There are just a few problems to clear out of the way first…like the fact she is on the run. Lord Rowan has labelled her a dangerous traitor, he has set magical traps throughout the country, and there’s even a bounty on her head.
Sera joins forces with her loyal comrades as they plot to overthrow the tyrant and release King George from the grip of a horrifying curse—one that harkens back to long-veiled secrets, and threatens both king and country.
As the stakes escalate, Sera and her companions must navigate a treacherous path with their every move shadowed by Lord Rowan’s malevolent forces. Will they triumph over the darkness about to engulf the throne and all they love, or will they succumb to a fate worse than they could ever imagine?
The thrilling conclusion to the series about a young mage finding her place in a magical Georgian England.
One
The biting wind tried to find a way through Seraphina’s woollen cloak as she arched her back to relieve tired muscles. She had never thought that being branded an outlaw would result in her fantasising about baths. Just because they were riding from one safe place to another in search of answers, didn’t mean she had abandoned all thought of cleanliness. A sigh frosted on the air as she remembered the copper tub in the Fae palace.
She cast a sideways glance at Hugh, and her mind tumbled into much warmer memories of baths.
With each step her horse took, Sera’s determination grew stronger, somewhat fuelled by her desire for the comforts of her little home. Lord Rowan’s plan to seize control of the throne would fail. After she defeated him, she would carve a place for herself in the world. Until then…oh, how she wanted a bath.
Her breaths left puffs of fog in the frigid air, but there was no time to stop. Elliot Brynn, her insolent yet charming and infinitely useful footman, led the way towards the Crow’s Nest, a secluded estate belonging to his cousins.
“Nearly there,” Elliot called over his shoulder, his voice carrying on the gusting wind.
The path they followed through the trees grew darker as the old oaks clustered closer together. Even stripped bare of their leaves, their skeletal branches formed arms that enclosed them. Up ahead, a pair of wrought-iron gates appeared, the metal overgrown with ivy. A crow perched on one pillar and called out at their approach before taking flight.
“You’d better tell Fiona to make sure the coffee is hot!” Elliot yelled after the bird.
Their horses perked up, as though sensing they would soon be tucked up in a stable with a warm feed in their bellies. As the group rounded a corner, the trees pulled back to reveal a two-storey house built of pale-grey stone.
Ancient trees surrounded the Crow’s Nest, their gnarled branches reaching up to the heavens like grasping hands. The old manor house stood proudly in the winter landscape, as if daring the frigid air to even attempt to penetrate its walls. The slate roof glistened with a dusting of snow, while tall chimneys puffed smoke into the grey sky.
As they approached the house, laughter rang through the air. Children bundled in thick coats dashed across the frozen ground, their cheeks rosy with joy. The three remarkable women who called the Crow’s Nest home had rescued them all. The Crows were descendants of Morag, a long-ago mage—the only other female mage permitted to live. Her daughters were born with the ability to transform into crows, and when they combined their magic, they were the equal of any mage.
Erin emerged from the manor house, bundled up in a dark-purple woollen shawl, a wide smile on her face as she hurried to Sera’s side.
“Lady Winyard! Come inside. There is more snow on the horizon.” Erin gestured for two of the older boys to approach. “The lads will take your horses to the stables. Warin is out there to help them.”
After they dismounted, each boy took hold of two horses and led them around the side of the house.
Erin turned to her cousin. “The coffee is hotter than you can handle, Elliot.”
The lanky footman chuckled as he embraced his shorter cousin.
Kitty and Hugh stood on either side of Sera, and she laced her gloved fingers with Hugh’s.
“Let’s observe the niceties inside. I’m freezing my buttocks out here.” Kitty pushed them all towards the front door.
Inside, they walked past the dim parlour and followed Erin into the kitchen—the heart of the home. The fire burned bright, and enchanted lights cast a golden glow over the long oak table. Two long benches were positioned on either side, and Fiona carried a pot from the stove. Anna stirred another pot that wafted a meaty aroma that made Sera’s stomach rumble.
“Lady Winyard,” she murmured. Then she glanced at her cousin. “Elliot. Don’t bother sitting—earn your keep and fetch cups and plates for our guests.”
A frown flashed across Elliot’s face, then the footman heaved a dramatic sigh and walked to a cupboard.
Sera peeled off her outer layers and tossed them over a ladder-backed chair. Then she sat on the worn bench that had supported dozens of bottoms over its long life.
The kitchen was a warm embrace after the biting cold outside. The roaring fire at one end cast flickering shadows across the whitewashed plaster. Sera wondered at the countless stories and secrets hidden within the timeworn walls.
She drew in a deep breath and savoured the aromas of stew, coffee, and freshly baked bread. “May we stay for a few days while we figure out what to do next?” she asked Erin as Fiona poured coffee and passed around the steaming mugs.
“Of course you can. You and your friends are always welcome here,” Fiona said. “Anna and I will feed the children upstairs, so you can have some privacy.”
The two older Crows arranged a pot and stack of bowls on a tray, and they piled another with bread and a pitcher of lemonade.
Warin, the head of the Londinium gargoyle clan, stomped snow off his boots at the kitchen door. He nodded to them in greeting, then took a seat opposite Hugh.
Conversation flowed as freely as the rich gravy that accompanied their stew. Sera listened intently, her mind racing with how best to bring down the old mage who thought her but a pawn in his scheme.
“Lord Rowan has men scouring the countryside for you.” Worry etched itself across Erin’s forehead. “Perhaps you should consider a new life in the Americas?”
“No. I will not falter now. Not when we have come so far, and no matter the danger swirling around us.” Sera straightened her spine. She would not be driven from the country of her birth like a pheasant flushed from the undergrowth.
“Whatever you decide, we will be beside you,” Hugh said in between taking bites of stew spread over a thick chunk of bread.
Sera’s heart swelled with appreciation for the unwavering support of her companions. She could not have come this far without them. Determination to repay their kindness filled every fibre of her being.
“I’m sticking with you because you owe me a personal performance by Selene the dancer.” Elliot waved at her with his fork.
Beside Sera, Kitty snorted. “As if we could forget with your constant reminders.”
Elliott had sacrificed his handbill of the exotic beauty so that Sera and Kitty would have a means to communicate between the Fae realm and the human one.
The laughter of children echoed through the manor house, a stark contrast to the worries building in the kitchen. As night fell and the fire burned low, Sera and her friends huddled together, planning their next move. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: they would face it head-on, united in their quest for freedom and justice.
Sera finished her meal and pushed the bowl away. Hugh poured more coffee into her mug, and she flashed him a smile of thanks. Wrapping her hands around the uneven pottery, she studied Warin.
The centuries-old gargoyle had an imposing build, even in his human form. His shoulders were alm
“What news from London?” she asked.
He swallowed his mouthful. “Troubling news. No one has seen the king or queen for many weeks now. King George’s health continues to deteriorate, and Queen Charlotte remains absent from public view. Rumours swirl like the winter winds, but none can say for certain what has befallen her.” Warin’s stony gaze met Sera’s.
“The official word is that they are merely sequestered for the winter,” Kitty murmured at her side. “But the court has never been cut off from them for such a long time.”
“I need to find a way into Buckingham House to speak with the queen.” Sera sipped the strong coffee, and her face screwed up. While it would keep her awake, she didn’t think she would ever develop a taste for the drink.
“It will be too risky to use your magic. The mages at court will detect you,” Kitty said.
On other occasions, Sera had cast a glamour to change her features. But any mage positioned near the queen for her protection would sense the faint tingle of magic being used in their presence.
“There are other, non-magical ways to make you look different. No one will be looking for a man, for starters,” Elliot said with a grin and a wink.
“Oh, you are brilliant, Elliot.” Her footman’s suggestion sparked an idea in Sera’s mind.
Kitty regarded her friend with a keen eye. “We could draw stubble on your face with coal, or a rakish moustache.”
“A larger coat and some, um…padding to hide your…shape, will help.” Hugh drew curves and lines in the air with his hands, and a faint blush crept up his neck as he indicated the issue with Sera’s bosom and hips.
Sera and the others plotted late into the night, huddled in the warmth and protection of the thick stone walls. Shadows stirred outside the Crow’s Nest as if sensing an approaching storm.
Sera slept soundly, safe in the Crow’s Nest and Hugh’s heated embrace. The next morning, she stretched and yawned as the first light of dawn crept through the frost-laced windows. Pale shafts of light caressed the furniture in the room.
The Crow’s Nest came alive around them, a sanctuary amidst the desolation of winter. The ancient manor house seemed to exude a sense of ageless wisdom, its ivy-covered walls whispering secrets from centuries long past. Outside, a patchwork of snow-dusted fields stretched out around the estate, crisscrossed by winding paths that disappeared into the shadows of the surrounding woodlands. It was a place that seemed untouched by time, a bastion of solace amidst the chaos and uncertainty that threatened to engulf the world beyond its borders.
Laughter echoed from the rafters as the children who called the Crow’s Nest home chased each other along the halls, racing to the kitchen for breakfast.
“Shall we give the children a head start?” she murmured to Hugh.
A pained look crossed his face as the need to satisfy two quite different appetites conflicted. Then he grinned when he settled on a compromise. “Perhaps just a quick head start?”
When they left their room a short time later, the cheery atmosphere of the kitchen enveloped them like a friend’s embrace. With a much lighter heart, Sera took a seat at the table for breakfast. Restorative sleep and good company did much to buoy her mood. Outside the window, snow flurries swirled. Sera sipped at her steaming mug of spiced tea, feeling the comforting heat spread through her bones.
The three sisters served bowls of porridge drizzled with honey and cream, while Hugh and Warin tucked into sausages, bacon, and mushrooms piled on thick chunks of toast. Even Elliot watched the two eat with wide eyes.
“Not sure I want any gargoyle in my blood if you eat that much. It would ruin my much-admired figure.” He swept a hand down his lean length.
“You’re just jealous of us magical folk, and you always have been.” Erin poked her cousin as she moved down the table.
“I wasn’t jealous. You lot cheated at games.” He stabbed his spoon into his porridge.
Kitty nudged him. “If it makes you feel any better, I am also without any magical traits. Although I surpass them all with my wit and intelligence. I’m not sure what the Fates gave you as compensation.”
Laughter broke out around the table.
A red-headed boy raced into the room, waving a letter. “A rider brought this for you, Miss Napier.” He skidded to a stop before her and handed it over.
“Who is writing to you here?” Sera asked with a niggle of anxiety.
“Father. Some months ago, our carriage brought you here, remember? I asked Father to send any news here.” She turned the letter over and slit the wax seal. Unfolding the sheet of paper, she scanned the lines and sucked in a breath.
“This is an interesting development. It seems Lord Rowan has declared you a dangerous traitor, Sera. There’s a bounty on your head, and people are warned not to approach you, but to report any sightings to the local authorities.”
“How can he do that?” Elliot said.
Kitty lowered her teacup. “Because he has control of England now.”
The news hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over the gathered group. Sera’s heart skipped a beat as fear and anger warred within her. Her grip tightened around the mug, her knuckles turning white. The others in the room exchanged worried glances, the tension palpable.
“Lord Rowan’s shadow grows longer over this country. We must tread carefully,” Hugh said, resting a hand on her knee under the table.
“It becomes even more crucial that we find a way to speak with the queen. The fate of England, and my future, depend upon it.” Determination flared hotter inside Sera, even as her time ran out. “Today, we plan. Tomorrow, we act.”
Wind howled outside, buffeting the old stone walls of the house. As though even the weather sought out Sera and wished to expose her.
“It’s a long ride to London, and that wily old mage will have agents everywhere,” Elliot said.
Kitty sipped her tea and regarded Sera over the rim of her mug. “Abigail has eyes and ears in every parlour because of her standing in society.”
Sera grinned. The strengths of her enemies were also their weaknesses. “Luckily, we won’t be patronising anyone in society, so there will be little to tell.”
Elliot barked in laughter. “Please tell me we’ll be visiting the more entertaining pubs?”
Sera tapped the side of her nose. Moving around London without using magic would be possible if she dressed like a working-class boy and stuck to the shadowy places avoided by society.
As they spoke, ideas unfurled like tendrils of ivy, each presenting new possibilities and challenges. Kitty poked holes in everyone’s suggestions until they had the outline of a plan.
“Above all else, we must be careful who we trust.” Kitty glanced at Sera, remembering the betrayal of the woman they’d once considered a friend.
“Never again will I be fooled.” Sera took Kitty’s hand and squeezed.
The door burst open, and children raced through the room, their cheeks flushed pink as they shrugged on warm layers to go play outside. Voices dimmed to muffled bursts as the solid door to the kitchen garden closed behind them.
Sera stared at the door, thinking of the new life gifted to the children under the care of the sisters. “That is what I fight for—a world where laughter and hope can thrive, unburdened by fear and oppression.”
“It is what my kind has strived for over the centuries. It is a battle that often demands sacrifice.” Warin’s features softened with a hint of melancholy.
“Nothing worthwhile was ever easily won.” Hugh’s gaze fell on Sera.
The group shared a solemn nod of understanding. Their chosen path was treacherous and littered with unseen pitfalls and hidden enemies. But together, they would forge a way forwards.
