A Clash of Magics by Guy Antibes (read this if txt) 📕

“You have my permission to live in Listenwell,” Trevor said with a grin that he didn’t feel. “I can always teleport.”

“Don’t hesitate,” Win said. He turned and embraced Trevor. “Come back to us.”

Trevor was about to let him go. “Wait! Do you have an invisibility charm? Can I have it?”

Win blinked. “Sure, but we’ve killed off the Maskumite magicians.”

“All that were in the enclave,” Trevor said.

“Oh. You suspect something?” Win asked.

Trevor shrugged. “Where are irrational decisions being made in Tarviston? The possibility might exist. I have to be prepared.”

Trevor accepted the charm and put it in a pocket. Now he was ready. He made sure Win had left the practice field before he found a spot close to the back entrance to the castle that he had used hundreds of times in the past to wait for the sun to descend.

He was tempted to visit Lissa again, but that would only heighten his anxiety and hers. The few hours seemed like an eternity, but the sun finally began to dip behind the closest building. Trevor pulled out the token and stared at it before looking at the two guards manning the rear gate. What if Lilith had become her mother’s creature, and Trevor headed into a trap? He put the token back in his pocket and teleported to the secret castle passage that ran past his old rooms. He opened the peephole and looked at the empty room.

Chapter Thirty-Four

~

T revor waited while the light faded from the room. The door opened. Lilith, his mother, and two others, a man and a woman, entered the room. Lilith turned and locked the door behind her. The princess looked around the room. Was she searching for him?

“Why did you bring me to this odious place?” Queen Hyra said. The venom was still potent in her voice. “It still stinks of Trevor.”

“I wanted to talk to you alone,” Lilith said. “Where there was absolute privacy.”

Privacy? There were two other people in the room as the two women talked. Queen Hyra glanced in the couple’s direction, but Lilith ignored their existence. Trevor had suspected outside influence, but two Maskumite magicians? How long had these two been behind his mother’s actions? It was time to step out.

Trevor opened the panel-like door and stepped into the room.

“Trevor!” Queen Hyra said. She looked at the couple. “Kill him!”

Lilith looked confused. “I won’t!” she finally said.

The two magicians shot bolts of silver lightning at Trevor.

“You won’t be able to kill me with those,” Trevor said.

“Try again!” the queen said.

Lilith looked confused. “Who are you talking to?”

“Catch this,” Trevor said, tossing the invisibility charm to his sister. She clutched it, and her eyes grew. “Who are these people, mother?”

Queen Hyra narrowed her eyes at Trevor. “You and your charms!” She turned to Trevor and pointed to him. “I said kill him!”

Two more bolts of lightning splashed against Trevor. When Trevor pulled out the ancient rod, the female magician’s eyes went wide. “That is Gareeze Plissaki’s!”

“I killed him with it,” Trevor said as he shot two thin streams of bright red death into the wizards.

Trevor turned to his sister. “They have been manipulating Mother for years, I would imagine,” Trevor said. “Perhaps you too.”

Lilith stared at the two bodies and then at her mother.

“What have you done?” Queen Hyra hoarsely repeated her statement, looking at the two bodies in horror.

“You have been a willing tool of the Maskumites. The question should be, what have you done, Mother? I will tell you that Dryden will not be happy with you,” Trevor said.

The queen pointed her finger at Trevor and shook it. “You have twisted Lilith’s mind! She is mine and mine alone!” She pulled on the jeweled handle of a knife at her waist and drew it. Trevor’s mother advanced on her son, murder in her eyes. “I will kill you with my own hands,” she said. The woman’s eyes were filled with unreasoning rage.

“You will not!” Lilith said.

The queen turned on her daughter. “I am tired of you defying me!” She raised the knife and struck out at Lilith, barely cutting her forearm. The princess grabbed her mother’s wrist, and the two women fought. Lilith battled for her life while her mother was caught up in a murderous frenzy.

Trevor took a step closer to stop the fight when Lilith finally overcame her mother’s strength, and the knife turned. The two women closed, and the queen fell to the floor, her knife hilt deep into her chest.

Lilith backed away. “I didn’t mean to,” she said, clutching her hands to her chest.

Trevor took her in his arms. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” He dragged the two magicians’ bodies, took the hand of the man, and wiped it on the queen’s dress, leaving the bloody hand close to the queen’s body. “The story will be your mother brought along her two Maskumite advisors, and when she revealed them to you, one of the Maskumite magicians killed her for revealing their secret.”

“Who will believe that?” Lilith asked.

“Who will want to disbelieve it?” Trevor said. “Let’s call it Dryden’s will. It is as good as. You will be a better ruler than either of our parents.”

“And what of you? That magic that you suddenly have could kill me as well, and you can restore the Arcwin dynasty.”

“Why?” Trevor said. “I’m no king, and I’d rather be friends than enemies.”

Lilith stared at her mother’s body. She nodded. “I think you made a huge step to make that happen.”

“I thought my disguise would work.”

Lilith laughed. “It might fool Mother, but you are such a unique creature. I followed your moves when you trained with the military. No one draws a bow like you do or shoots with your confidence.”

“And I thought my sword