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

Seer Caspur stood and gave Reena a bow. “Focus. I should have been sensitive enough to know. My daughter distracted me.” The seer looked at Brother Yvan. “She isn’t supposed to leave Jarkan, is she?”

Brother Yvan told the seer of their first set of adventures in Jarkan. “I’ll let Trevor tell you his own experiences in Jarkan, but he did bring Reena to Argara.”

Seer Caspur nodded. “I am looking forward to your explanation of how you escaped the Blue Tower and ended up in Jarkan. Old magic?”

Trevor nodded. “Old magic.”

The seer seemed to have settled down as Lissa described the journey to Brachia and back. “You traveled for days alone with Des, uh, Trevor?”

Trevor sat up straighter. “Nothing happened other than the experiences brought us closer together in an emotional, not a physical sense.”

The seer snorted. “As much as I have heard that excuse, it seems to have always been the other way around.”

“I wouldn’t say we didn’t kiss, Father, but Trevor had and has other things on his mind.”

Caspur nodded. “I received a communication from the order that you would be visiting on the way to Collet. There wasn’t any more than that. You know those limitations, Yvan.”

“I’m glad the order managed that,” Brother Yvan said. “How is Azar doing?”

“Remarkably well. I thought there would be difficulties for the man to transition from running the Jilgrathian academy to running Viksar, but he has hidden them, if he’s had any.”

“We can visit him?”

Seer Caspur nodded. “Certainly. You can stay at the church. Lissa has her room.”

~

Trevor decided to leave the church after dinner and went for a walk while Lissa spent some private time with her father. Reena and Brother Yvan had already left. Trevor was about to groom Snowflake but turned toward the old church where he had discovered the fragment of the golden mace.

There were a few lights inside, and Trevor stepped through the door. There were no guards, and the second floor in the main church had already been removed. It appeared that civil servants still worked in the building. Trevor guessed that no more than five lights burned, barely lighting up the large space.

“May I help you? We are closed to Jiksaran citizens.”

Trevor smiled at the man. “I’m not a Jiksaran. I’ve been in the church before and wanted to look around.”

“You are the intruder!” one of the workers said.

Trevor recognized him as the manager of the workers. “We have met before. I haven’t come to intrude,” Trevor said. “I’ve been gone for awhile and have recently returned to Jiksara, although I won’t be here more than a few days.”

“Why come back here?” the manager said.

“I found a fragment of the golden mace in this building. You might not know that,” Trevor said.

“I heard a fire destroyed the golden mace at the Blue Tower north of here. You won’t find any more bits in this church.”

“I know. I was at the Blue Tower when it burned.”

“That’s not true. No one survived the fire.”

Trevor smiled. He had no need to argue with the man. “I left the tower before the fire could kill me.” Trevor looked up at the barely lit ceiling and nodded. “I’ll be leaving now.”

He walked down the steps and into the square, thinking how Dryden might have guided his footsteps. As Trevor reviewed the past events in the church, he couldn’t tell for sure if he was lucky or if Dryden’s hand helped him. Certainly, the old magic had saved his life, but he knew Dryden hadn’t guided his every step. Perhaps the big ones? He shook his head. There was no denying he had a special gift, at least for what the seers wanted him to do. Trevor had to admit, he was enough of a churchman to think that Dryden was working through him, at least from time to time.

The dukedom of Listenwell was more than enough as a reward, if Dryden cared about such things. To be rewarded so generously was wonderful, but Trevor still had King Worto to deal with, and as long as the king’s war took his attention away from internal things, Trevor would work the situation in Listenwell as well as he could, for as long as he could.

Trevor walked toward the palace and stood across the road that ran around the square. He stood staring at the dark shape of the building until an officer of the guard walked across the street.

“You should be moving on, sir,” the guard said.

The voice was vaguely familiar, and Trevor nodded. A magic light bloomed.

“Des Boxster? It is. I thought you were dead or something.”

Trevor laughed. It was one of Seer Caspur’s men who had helped secure the palace. He had found an occupation.

“I went to Jarkan and just returned with Lissa Caspur, today,” Trevor said. “I’m staying at the seer’s church.”

“Your friend, Win Fenton, lives not far from the palace. We’ve had some good talks these last few months. A few of them have been about you.”

“Does Win visit the premier often?”

“Two or three times a week. If you wait for a bit, I’m sure you can catch him before he gets through the gate. It is late enough, I could let you in, but tomorrow might be better, during the day.”

“The seer will secure an audience for me,” Trevor said, “but I don’t mind waiting.”

The officer escorted Trevor across the street. They stood in front of the gate while the officer asked him about the real story behind his disappearance at the Blue Tower.

There weren’t any secrets that needed to be kept regarding the Blue Tower, so Trevor entertained the guard staff until a carriage rolled up. The guards stood at attention. Trevor looked on as Win helped his wife, Siranda down. Trevor