First Apprentice

Chapter 22 Part 1

Legend has it that in ancient times the clans identified daes by tossing year-old babes off a cliff. Daes floated to the bottom. That night, less than twenty-four hours after Terry dumped twenty-nine gates and the apprentice candidates no one else wanted in my lap, I knew exactly how the other babes felt a half second before they bashed their heads on the rocks below.

Tylar, Dracon lord, age one-hundred-twenty-nine. Served eighty-two years as a commander then petitioned Terry to remove his life bond. Request denied due to the two hundred year law, which severely restricts removing life bonds before the petitioner achieves the second-century mark. Subsequently resigned his command and transferred back to the candidates. Considering the average life expectancy, it was a politically correct suicide.

Devadas, Pundarikam dae, age one-hundred-thirteen. Turned down commander three times. During the third meeting, he informed Terry that if he wanted to ride a desk he would've challenged his nephew Jai for clan chief. He wasn't asked again.

Stefan, Shedu dae, age fifty-seven. Served three months as Amit's apprentice before requesting to be either transferred to another member or demoted. Reason unknown. Subsequently nominated for Terry's apprentice exam and bowed out after passing the first phase. Volunteered for Joel's personal legion where he worked his way back into the candidate pool.

Maria, Shedu dae, age twenty-nine. Joined the Border Guard five years ago following an argument with the Shedu Council that left two elders dead and their clan chief in critical condition. Cause of the dispute: the clan heir's Gryphon form. Given a choice between the Border Guard or prison.

Philip, Dracon lord, age twenty-six, the runaway heir. Joined the Border Guard four years ago following an altercation with his father Aric. Later accused of kidnapping two younger cousins. Challenged his way into the candidates after the Border Guard High Council with the Seven's consent returned both girls to the elder girl's mate. She was fourteen, her mate forty-two. His file made no further mention of either girl.

Kevin, Dracon clansman, age twenty-one. A genius who graduated the academy at thirteen, he worked as a teaching assistant and then joined the sealers after he came of age. Never considered for apprentice candidate because he didn't meet the unofficial magical power requirement. Most apprentice candidates are daes and false lords or ladies, not clansmen with excellent control. Then a commander challenged him to single combat over a perceived slight to the commander's honor. The commander died.

Their files were laden with glowing skills assessments and scathing reviews. Everyone agreed they had apprentice-level skills. They also had severe issues with authority. Rather, issues with taking orders from people they perceived as either weak or stupid.

All had disobeyed orders from an apprentice. Four – Devadas, Maria, Stefan, and Kevin – held an apprentice at sword point until an order was rescinded. Without accurate reports, as in ones not written by the person they threatened, I couldn't say if their refusal was justified or not. However, each case resulted in the offending team leader and their team being transferred to Terry.

Their people also lived longer, averaging three years with the candidates and counting. They must be doing something right.

A gong sounded. I closed my eyes and pushed my magic into the wards, activating what Uncle Manfred called a lookout seal – a fascinating piece of magic I once envisioned tweaking for windows. When I asked Endellion about it, red crept into her aura and then she lost control of her magic. She boiled a pond of fish alive. I didn't ask again. Whatever its origins, I suspected it wasn't originally used to play hide and seek with eight-year-old nieces.

An image appeared in my mind's eye. Endellion paced around the ward line, hands clasped behind her back as she muttered about impulsive children and ill-advised experiments.

Fear curdled my supper in my stomach. Endellion arrived three days before her earliest estimate. Bile rose in my throat. The Ancients Council refused, as always. They didn't even debate it. They simply sent her to say her goodbyes. At least, they gave me that. I didn't know why I expected them to help. Although they acknowledged me as an ancient the day after I summoned the Ancient Gate, they never helped. What little assistance we received came from the Ancient Gate and Endellion's few friends, not the Ancients Council.

I pushed my stool back from the table and stood. My claws clicked against the basalt floor as I strode across the study. I inhaled and forced my magic back under control. I always let it out inside my study. It was the one place I could be myself until Endellion invaded and began demanding I control my magic. My magic wasn't hers. It hated being controlled; punished me for it. I groaned. How long would this headache last? A day, week, or month?

When I reached the wall between my sewing machine and the laundry sink where Terry's uniforms were soaking in white vinegar and water, I stuck my arm through the seemingly solid wall.

Ice clung to my skin, raising the hairs on my arms, then a warm hand grabbed mine. I wrapped my magic around Endellion and tugged.

Head up and shoulders back, Endellion regally stepped inside. Dressed in a wool tunic and trousers with a staff in one hand and a satchel slung over her shoulder, she appeared both more and less comfortable. For the first time, I wondered if her elegant silks and laces were a mask like the old-fashioned cravats Grandfather only wore for business meetings.

He said they dated him, meaning they helped him craft an illusion that he was the same generation as their grandfather. He also feigned hearing loss at those meetings. Grandfather loved being underestimated.

As if hearing my thoughts, she tweaked my nose. "You're broadcasting," she said as her nail morphed into a claw. She trailed it down my neck and hooked it underneath the Dracon's Eye she hung around my neck when we chose each other as mother and daughter. The necklace helped control my magic until I was about thirteen. Then it became a pretty bauble I normally kept merged with my body, hidden.

The pulsing black diamond dangling from the chain swung when she lifted it. "The locator still works, but only if I concentrate," she said. "The telepathy we should work on."

My heart sunk into my shoes. "They said no."

Endellion's arm curled around my shoulder. The scents of smoke and spiced tea wrapped around me like a mother's embrace. Then Endellion flared her magic. Her scent vanished just like her arm around my shoulders as the all too brief hug ended.

"Only for the first vote," she said. "Did you know the Ancient Gate can share Brennus's body?"

I nodded. "It's because they're identical twins."

"Twins," she deadpanned. "I served him for millennia and never knew that. Sumati knew about the possession, but only because she's mated to Brennus or rather them." Endellion shrugged. "Don't ask me how that works. I'd rather not think about it. Anyhow, he possessed Brennus when they were counting the votes and explained the consequences of their decision. Namely, their world is a subplane he created. He controls it, not them. If he so chooses, he can and will dump them all back into their original dimension. Then, they may have the pleasure of reimmersing themselves in clan politics after their five-thousand-year vacation. The second vote released me from the gate indefinitely. I may serve who, where, and how I choose."

A slow smile spread across my lips as I processed the news. "Really? Forever?"

"Yes."