The Seer Read online

  The Seer

  K L Jones

  Copyright ©2013 K L Jones

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover design by Rob Francis of http://www.ink-corporated.co.uk

  http://www.facebook.com/isleofdreams

  Other titles in this series:

  The Assassin’s Tale

  The Assassin’s Destiny

  Eternal Winter

  Tribe Fallen

  ‘We are no other than a moving row

  Of Magic Shadow-shapes that come and go

  Round with the Sun-illumined Lantern held

  In Midnight by the Master of the Show’

  The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam LXVIII

  Sight

  ‘And what’s he thinking?’ Phantom demanded for what felt like the hundredth time, his glittering green eyes alighting on a warrior neither of them knew.

  Mistral closed her eyes and ignored her brother until she could no longer stand his impatient thoughts, ‘Oh please, no more,’ she sighed wearily.

  ‘Come on Mistral! I’ve waited two years for you to get on with mastering the Sight! The least you can do is humour me a little!’

  ‘Really? Tell me this Phantom! When you and your brother got your gift sorted, did I ask you to make Floris give me free drinks every time I went to the bar?’

  ‘Only once.’ Phantom admitted.

  ‘Did I?’ Mistral asked in a surprised voice.

  ‘You were pretty drunk already.’ Phantom mused. ‘Not too sure how well that reflects on your new standing though, the inebriated Lady De Winter attempting to defraud an honest bartender –’

  ‘Floris? Honest? But let’s not mention that one to Fabian then shall we? Now, you wanted to know what that warrior over there was thinking.’ Mistral said quickly, letting her gaze rest on the warrior at the bar.

  ‘Yes please,’ Phantom breathed, his eyes shining with anticipation.

  Mistral exhaled slowly, dispelling every thought from her mind and leaving it completely free to focus on the vision of the warrior’s aura. She was instantly rewarded by a shimmering haze of colour appearing around his head; silver wisps drifted across a deep blue, like lazy clouds in a summer sky. Mistral’s eyes slid out of focus as she concentrated harder, pushing her mind to see beyond the aura, to hear the warrior’s unspoken thoughts; to See ... She sighed heavily and blinked, breaking the illusion.

  ‘And?’ Phantom demanded in an urgent whisper.

  ‘Oh, just the same as everyone else you’ve made me read in the tavern today. He’s wondering who the new Divinus will be and when the Council delegation will arrive, oh, and he also wonders whether the girl from the saddlery is free tonight –’

  Phantom laughed, ‘That’ll please Xerxes!’

  Mistral shrugged, ‘It’s high time he had some competition.’

  Phantom eyed the dirty-looking warrior critically, ‘I’m not sure he would actually qualify as being competition, he looks like he needs to take a Contract to have a bath.’

  ‘Talking of which, can I stay at yours again tonight? I can’t face the cold showers up at the dorms and I don’t want to ride home – Fabian will be back in the Valley tonight.’

  ‘Finally you ask for permission!’ Phantom exclaimed. ‘You and that horse-sized dog have been at ours every night since your Mage left for the Council. Mind you,’ he added resentfully, ‘since you actually bought the house in the first place I don’t really feel I can refuse.’

  ‘I know you don’t mean that,’ she grinned. ‘I can hear you hoping I’ll cook dinner!’

  ‘Can you?’ Phantom looked displeased. ‘I thought you would have to at least look at me to be able to read my thoughts. I think you had better tell me exactly how your gift works Mistral, or I’m never going to feel comfortable thinking anything around you again!’

  Mistral sighed and reached for the tankard of ale on the table in front of her, taking a long drink before setting it back down again, ‘I can only hear Fabian all the time without trying to. Well, I could hear him, up until he travelled beyond the edge of The Velvet Forests … then he faded away,’ she sighed and plucked distractedly at the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing; Fabian’s shirt.

  ‘So, you’re gift isn’t as powerful as the Divinus’ yet then?’ Phantom asked, sounding slightly relieved.

  ‘No, I need to have already read someone’s aura before I can hear their thoughts. The Divinus could just hear anyone he chose to no matter who or where they were.’

  ‘So, if I was out of the room you wouldn’t be able to hear my thoughts?’

  ‘Sorry brother, but I know you too well already. All I have to do is call up the image of your charming, smiling face and I can hear you without too much effort at all,’ she said, grinning at his obvious discomfort.

  ‘But you could choose not to?’ He demanded sulkily.

  Mistral nodded, ‘Yes, believe it or not, I don’t share in your burning desire to know all the sordid details of people’s lives … my own are bad enough.’

  Phantom gave her a sly grin, ‘And just how is married life suiting you now?’

  ‘Just fine thank you,’ she replied primly, bending to stroke her huge dog sprawled at her feet.

  ‘I must admit you seem to be coping well with your Mage’s absence this time. He’s been gone what … two weeks?’

  ‘Two weeks, three days and four hours.’ Mistral confirmed, sitting back up with a deep sigh of longing.

  Phantom raised an eyebrow, ‘Not that you’re counting. Having your honeymoon cut short by the Divinus dying must have really annoyed you. In fact, I’m surprised that you haven’t had one of your famous tantrums.’

  Mistral shrugged and swung her legs up onto the stool in front of her, ‘It’s different now I can hear his thoughts, it’s like he’s still with me,’ she leaned back against the stone wall with a sigh. ‘Anyway, he’ll be back tonight with Mage Grapple.’

  ‘He’s cutting it fine! The funeral’s tomorrow and it wouldn’t look good if the Head of the Mage Council missed it! I mean! Can you imagine the scandal?’

  Mistral nodded disinterestedly; funerals in the Valley were commonplace enough, she couldn’t really see why Mage Grapple had to attend this one in particular, even if it was the Divinus’. She let her gaze rove over the busy tavern while Phantom prattled away beside her. The messenger service the three Contract Agencies offered had obviously been effective in sending out news of the funeral; Mistral had never seen so many warriors in the Valley at one time. Some wore deep suntans that spoke of long missions abroad, but most were just heavily scarred and dishevelled. One or two were different, although dressed in the Ri uniform of jerkins, black shirts and moleskin trousers they had a well-groomed look about them, rather like the twins did; making her wonder if they too had some kind of gift that guaranteed them less dangerous work. Mistral recognised the familiar ravaged features of Samson leaning against the bar talking to Floris. He caught her eye and grinned; she smiled and waved lazily back, too content sat talking with Phantom to get up and speak to him.

  The door banged open again, Mistral and Phantom both turned to watch three female warriors walk in and head straight to the bar. Their long limbs and fierce expressions spoke clearly of having amazon blood.

  ‘I hope Xerxes tries his luck with them!’ Phantom whispered and Mistral laughed.

  ‘I think he likes his women to be a bit more compliant than those three.’

  ‘Compliant? Doormats more likely! Honestly, I can’t believe what he gets away with – Mistral!’

  ‘What?’ Mistral jumped at the sudden excitement in his voice making Prospero growl in his sleep.

  ‘Let’s have some fun with Xerxes!’

  ‘Er, I’d rather not –’

  ‘No, not like that!’ Phantom said with a
grimace. ‘I meant, you read his thoughts and my brother and I can change them!’

  ‘I am not listening to Xerxes’ thoughts. Seeing the look on his face is bad enough.’ Mistral said firmly.

  ‘Oh come on! Let’s get him to propose to one of his sweethearts!’

  ‘He does that anyway!’

  ‘Oh, you’re right.’ Phantom deflated slightly. ‘I forgot that he’s already been married twice … how about making him decide that he’s sworn off women?’

  Mistral pulled a face while she considered, ‘No, I think that might have rather dire consequences. He might actually spontaneously combust or something.’

  They laughed loudly making a table of miserable looking first year apprentices look round at them and quickly look away again when they saw who it was.

  Mistral and Phantom regarded them with pitying expressions.

  ‘Poor things,’ murmured Phantom, reaching for his tankard. ‘Their Qualification has been put on hold until a new Divinus is elected, and the funeral is being held on the winter solstice so they won’t even get their traditional night of wild revelry either.’

  ‘Hmm, all that hard work and they still don’t know if they’ve Qualified … still, they’ll get to enjoy a few good nights in the meantime. The Cloak’s been heaving every night since the notice went out about the funeral.’

  ‘I’ve never seen Xerxes sweat so much! He was running three card games at once last night.’

  ‘Was he?’ Mistral muttered moodily. ‘I didn’t notice.’

  ‘Oh dear, are you still sulking about the fact that he won’t let you play now you’ve mastered your gift?’

  Mistral folded her arms tightly, ‘No.’

  Phantom smirked, ‘I don’t have the Sight, but I think you’re definitely still grumpy about that one. Don’t worry, he’ll get over it. Cain told me he’d lost a load of money in a knuckle bones tournament with some goblins last month and he’s desperate to make it back as quickly as possible – I think his sweetheart army is costing him a bit of money in upkeep.’

  ‘I don’t see how!’ Mistral snorted derisively. ‘He only ever takes them to the hayloft! And unless Clovis has started charging an entry fee, that doesn’t cost anything.’

  ‘Yes, he is a true romantic.’ Phantom sighed in agreement. ‘But apparently they’ve all started demanding gifts now ... you know, dresses, ribbons for their hair, that sort of thing.’

  ‘Not really.’ Mistral said looking disinterested. ‘What would I want with dresses and … what were the other things?’

  ‘Ribbons.’ Phantom muttered, looking suddenly very interested in his empty tankard.

  Mistral sat upright and stared at him, her face growing stonier as his thoughts filled her mind, ‘Is that where Phantasm has been all afternoon? This “appointment” he had?’

  Phantom shrugged and looked uncomfortable.

  ‘Oh, please tell me he hasn’t!’ She cried.

  Phantom looked half-guilty, half-defensive, ‘He wants you to look the part.’

  ‘I can’t believe him! Oh, I wish I’d read his thoughts before he left the house! I’d have killed him!’ Mistral exclaimed loudly, drawing several nervous glances from the first years that’d been on the receiving end of her volatile temper all year. She shot them a black look and continued to rant at Phantom. ‘He’s really had a load of dresses made for me? Your brother’s lost his marbles! When the hell am I going to wear them? Hunting?’

  ‘You know, when you’re doing official work ... as the Ri’s Seer.’

  Mistral abruptly sank back against the wall, tilting her head back to stare moodily up at the ceiling, ‘The Ri’s Seer,’ she echoed dully. ‘I suppose everyone will look at me differently when they know I’ve got the Sight.’

  Phantom gave her a sympathetic look, ‘It does change the way people behave around you, I know.’

  Mistral nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the smoke stained ceiling, ‘This last week has been like a holiday,’ she said quietly. ‘I finally mastered my gift, but nobody knows … yet –’

  Phantom sighed and leaned his head back to gaze up at the ceiling with her, ‘It certainly will after the funeral. Master Sphinx is planning some grand unveiling of his three protégées.’

  ‘Wonderful.’ Mistral muttered wearily. ‘Just what I love, being some kind of brooch for Leo to wear on his cloak.’

  ‘It won’t be that bad, you’ll have us with you.’ Phantom said quietly.

  ‘I know brother.’ Mistral turned her head to look at him. ‘I wouldn’t be able to do it without you, either of you … despite your brother’s wretched obsession with trying to make me wear a dress.’

  ‘I’m just glad it’s you and not me.’ Phantom grinned and grabbed his empty tankard from the table. ‘Another?’

  Mistral didn’t reply. She was staring across the smoky tavern with a vacant look on her face.

  ‘Mistral? Phantom repeated with a frown.

  ‘Oh!’

  ‘What?’

  Her eyes suddenly widened, ‘I’ve got to go!’ She cried and leapt to her feet, narrowly avoiding standing on Prospero who sprang up with a yelp of surprise. ‘He’s nearly here!’

  ‘You’re still cooking dinner aren’t you?’ Phantom called anxiously after her as she hurried across the room and flung open the door, closely followed by Prospero.

  Shrugging on her cloak and pulling the hood up against the snow swirling through the air, Mistral ducked her head down and began to hurry across the village square only to slam straight into another warrior. ‘Oh sorry!’ She began and looked up; her expression abruptly hardening when she realised it was Xerxes she had walked into. ‘Brother.’ Mistral greeted him curtly and strode past.

  ‘Mistral? You’re not still angry about me not letting you join in the game last night are you?’

  Mistral ignored him and continued to make her way across the village square.

  ‘Come on!’ Xerxes ran to catch hold of her arm, turning her to face him. ‘You’ve got the Sight Mistral! I’m sorry, but playing cards with you would just be pointless!’

  Mistral glared at him, ‘Pointless? Yes, you’re right Xerxes! Playing cards with you is pointless because I now know that you and your brother have been using Elven Song to cheat for the last two years, Cain has a second pack of cards stuffed up the sleeves of his shirt and the twins have been using their gift to manipulate you all into losing when the stakes are particularly good!’

  Xerxes mouthed at her wordlessly, finally recovering to splutter, ‘A second pack of cards? The cheating hob!’

  Mistral snorted and pulled her arm out of his grasp to continue across the Square.

  ‘Oh, alright, you can play! Just don’t overdo it on the whole mind reading bit!’ Xerxes called after her, his voice tinged with desperation.

  Mistral paused and spun to face him, raising an eyebrow sharply, ‘Just what is it that you need to know so very urgently Xerxes?’

  He walked quickly up to her, looking over his shoulder nervously before leaning to whisper in her ear, ‘Marietta. I was thinking of asking her to go out with me –’

  Mistral looked flummoxed, ‘She already has a few times hasn’t she?’

  ‘No, I mean go out with me.’ Xerxes muttered, looking embarrassed.

  ‘Don’t make me read your mind Xerxes; because I really do not want to go into that sordid little cave you call a head!’

  ‘Come on Mistral! You know what I mean! I was thinking of trying to be, you know, a bit more selective –’

  Mistral laughed, ‘You mean you want to have a go at being faithful and you want me to find out if she’ll say yes before you ruin your godlike reputation of being a complete and utter tart?’

  Xerxes looked wounded, ‘Tart? I hardly think that’s fair! I may have dated a few of the girls in my time, but I am not a tart!’

  ‘Sorry brother, but you really are.’ Mistral glanced distractedly towards the path leading to the North Gate again. She could hear Fabian’s thoughts more cl
early. They were nearly at the Valley. ‘Oh, I suppose it won’t hurt to help you out, but this is strictly a one off. I’m not going to become your personal agony aunt for the rest of my life! Now, remind me. Which one is Marietta?’

  ‘The blonde one … curvy.’

  ‘They all look like that. Be more specific.’

  ‘She’s the one that was shouting at me in The Cloak –’

  ‘Not helping.’

  Xerxes frowned heavily, ‘She’s got a birthmark –’

  ‘I See minds not bodies!’ Mistral interrupted impatiently.

  ‘Er –’ Xerxes’ face creased in lines of concentration. ‘Well. She was the one who started the whole sweetheart fiasco –’

  ‘Oh yes!’ Mistral’s face cleared instantly. ‘Give me a minute –’ she stared off towards the village, her hand still held up in the air to silence Xerxes while she called up the image of Marietta’s face. ‘Ah.’ Mistral’s eyes slipped out of focus and then sharply back in again. ‘Marietta –’

  ‘What’s she thinking?’ Xerxes glanced quickly over his shoulder again to make sure they weren’t being overheard.

  Mistral rolled her eyes disdainfully while she repeated the thoughts in Marietta’s head, ‘Does this style really suit my hair? I wonder if I should get it cut like Eudora’s … does this dress make me look fat? I think I could carry a lower neckline –’ Mistral blinked and looked at Xerxes in disgust. ‘Do you really want to listen to this drivel on a regular basis brother? Only, if I were you I’d seriously rethink my decision to ask her out!’

  ‘I never listen to them when they talk.’ Xerxes said dismissively. ‘But tell me what she’s thinking about me!’ He demanded more urgently.

  Mistral let out a sigh and gazed towards the village again, her eyes becoming misty, ‘Xerxes –’

  ‘Yes?’ He hissed, gripping at her arm.

  ‘She hates it when you call her sweetheart.’

  ‘Oh! Really? Well maybe that’s understandable.’

  ‘And when you blow in her ear.’

  ‘No! But that’s my signature move!’ He cried, looking crestfallen.