Arden (Mages of the Flame #1) FIRST DRAFT

Part 16: Magic

Two hours later Bronwyn closed the book, set it on the bed beside her and stared at the wall opposite. Was that right? And did Sallus really write it? It must be a trick of some kind. She stroked her thoughtful fingertips over the leather and brass cover and tried to organise her thoughts.

She needed to speak to Chester again. A quick glance at the candle clock told her this was not going to happen soon. He was due back well after noon and the flame had only burned down two hours since he left.

Bronwyn hopped off the bed, stretched out the kinks in her muscles from sitting still too long, and called the guard. The only reply she heard was a distant snoring.

"Hey! Guard!" she shouted.

The snoring stopped.

She called again, "Guard!"

A chair scraped on stone, keys jangled and the guard appeared at the end of the corridor. His face was creased with lines where he had fallen asleep on his sleeve.

"What?"

"I need to speak to the Mage, Chester. At once."

The guard blinked, trying to remember his instructions through a sleepy haze.

"'s too early. Four hours past noon he said to me." The guard turned away.

Bronwyn frowned at the clock. If only she had the gift to control time she could speak to Chester. Now she had to wait for the clock to burn down.

Then Bronwyn mentally slapped herself as hard as she could, and focussed her will on the candle.

The sleepy guard didn't notice the sudden yellow flicker behind him.

"But you've been asleep for ages!" said Bronwyn.

The guard turned back and looked at the clock. The flame now hovered just above the four-hour mark, and the base was covered in glistening wax.

The guard grunted. "I'll send a boy."

"Thank you," said Bronwyn, and sat down extremely pleased with her cleverness.

Chester arrived within half an hour carrying two lamps atop a pile of three more books. The guard, still seemingly oblivious to the real time, unlocked the door to the corridor and Chester stepped inside. The door was locked behind him and the guard wandered off, leaving Chester standing outside Bronwyn's door.

"Well done," said Chester. "You figured that out faster than I thought."

"You mean the candle? That was a test?"

"Of a sort, yes. It means I know you want to get out of here."

"Well of course I want to get out. I've done nothing wrong."

Chester held up a finger and the book pile wobbled in his other hand. "Ah, but you don't want to wait for Mage justice to set you free. Correct?"

Bronwyn patted history book in her lap. "I wanted to talk to you about this."

Chester leaned back to make sure the guard was nowhere near them, then dropped the books onto the floor and kicked them out of the way. The lamps he held on to and opened them as he talked. "Tell me."

"Sallus had a different view of the monarchy when he wrote this. And a different view of power."

Chester placed the first lamp on the floor by one side of the cell door and began opening the second. "Go on."

"He says...what are you doing?"

Chester placed the second lamp on the opposite side and stepped back.