Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 44: New Companions

Loren's hospital room remained out of bounds. Seiren could only watch from the bottom of the grand, sweeping marble steps of Benover Infirmary, which was at least four times as large as Bicknor's. She tucked her feet further beneath the stone bench she sat upon, her rune sketchbook opened on her lap. Hundreds of windows gazed down at her, some with the blinds drawn, others open, lined left and right, several storeys high. There were so many military personnel guarding her room -- the third one from the end on the west wing, whose windows overlook the private hospital garden -- Seiren knew there were strict orders on who could and couldn't enter.

And the runes Kommora had laid outside Loren's room were heavy and throbbing with power. Seiren hadn't felt runes with that much potential since her mother died.

The longer she stayed, the more fed up she felt. Whispers coursed throughout the capital about the most recent attack, with furtive looks, conspiratorial voices, and gross exaggeration of actual events. Some claimed Loren tried to summon a dead body to combat the dastardly evil rogue mages; others said there were an army of demons that were summoned by Hannans that had snuck by the borders.

She idly doodled more runes. Some of them held a tinge of familiarity, probably inspired by her mother's book of runes that night when Seiren had desperately torn through the tomes seeking something, anything, for Madeleine. The dreams of that night were more vivid recently, leaving her exhausted almost to the point of madness.

It's understandable. You've been through a lot of excitement of late.

Excitement? That's what you call it? Seiren rolled her eyes.

Even the sensation of the cold stone bench beneath her bottom faded to the general buzz that covered every inch of her skin. Her eyes closed and opened like thick maple syrup. With a sigh, she slid the sketchbook into her bag and stood up. She had enough; it was time to leave Benover.

She gave Loren's room window a last look before heading towards the council.

Seiren heaved a sigh of relief when the doors swung open and Tahir Portendorfer was nowhere in sight. Nor was Rowan, or Kommora, or any other mage she knew. She was in no mood for pleasantries. A heavy knot sat in her chest that would no doubt erupt either in tears or rage -- or maybe both.

A sealed scroll sat in her pigeon hole. She slid it open with a wave of her hand. The violet rune dissipated and the paper unfurled. She stifled a gasp.

Capture, dead or alive, of rebel mage Halen Ashworth. Location: Iwade.

The merciless steel-blue eyes flashed before Seiren's mind once more. Her abdomen throbbed with a dull ache at the chilling reminder of that day in Bicknor. She swallowed.

Iwade, said Madeleine. That's two hours' train journey north from here.

Good. Get me away from this hellish mess.

She tucked it away. She would leave at once.

She turned and halted. At the door there stood two familiar-looking military personnel in vomit-green uniforms. The girl had straw-coloured, limp hair tied back in a ponytail and glasses that she kept adjusting out of nervousness. The other was a broad-shouldered man three heads taller than Seiren, whose brow was furrowed.

"What the hell do you want?" she blurted out.

The man's frown deepened.

"We are Mage Rummage's aides--"

"I'm well aware who you are. What do you want with me?"

Nice manners, Seiren.

If they tell me to stay here, I'm going to kick their asses so har--