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

luck to you, Yvan. Have a pleasant trip back to Collet.”

Brother Yvan smiled and looked at Trevor. “It will be a quick one.” He put his hand on Merik’s shoulder. “I am glad you didn’t perish in all this.”

“Physically and spiritually?” Merik asked drily.

“Of course. I wish you well.” Brother Yvan turned and walked down the steps. Trevor gave Merik a bow.

“Does he have a chance?” Trevor asked Yvan as they mounted.

“Everyone has a chance, even you,” Brother Yvan said. “Do you have anything to repent for?”

Trevor gave Brother Yvan a sly smile. “I left a body in the Gnarled Wood mound. I should bury it.”

“That is a start, I suppose,” Brother Yvan said and then laughed. “That is a good start. I’m glad this expedition ended so well. Let’s find your inn. I’m going to have a good night’s sleep before you take me to Collet. I’m sure Reena is anxious to see me intact.”

They rode to the inn run by Potur’s friend. Trevor sat outside with Lissa, holding her hand. “At last, some time to ourselves,” he said.

She squeezed and smiled. “I thought I’d be marching into harm’s way right behind you,” she said.

“Glynna and Brother Yvan needed your help more than I did since Win didn’t quite have enough power to get me around until he reached back for something more. My head is still feeling the aftereffects.”

“It was two days ago. Do you need a head massage?” she asked.

“Not out here,” Trevor said in a conspiratorial whisper.

She brightened and whispered back. “I suppose you are right.”

They sat back, content in their proximity, and now that they had destroyed the Maskumite enclave, Trevor thought they could retire to Listenwell and live a good life. Glynna and Gorian Custik came out and took the other bench on the inn’s front porch.

“If you two are going to get married, you need to have Seer Caspur perform the ceremony,” Gorian said. “You need to ride Snowflake north, anyway, so you might as well join us on our way to Jilgrath.”

“Marriage?” Trevor asked. “I hadn’t…” he stopped and looked at Lissa’s hand in his. He had assumed she would be with him in Listenwell but realized they had never talked about such a thing.

Lissa leaned over and talked past Trevor. “He hasn’t proposed yet,” Lissa said.

“But we thought—” Glynna started.

“There is an understanding of sorts,” Trevor said.

Lissa stood up. “Of sorts? After all, we’ve been through, ‘of sorts’?”

“You know what I mean,” Trevor said, taking her hand in both of his.

She softened. “Of course I do, but you still need to propose.”

Trevor got down on one knee while she still stood. “Will you marry me?”

Lissa beamed. “Of course I will. Now our understanding isn’t ‘of sorts’ anything.”

“No,” Trevor said. The situation had taken him by surprise. It was all very fast, and his mind was reeling. “I suppose it is official.” He took a breath to collect himself. “We will go to Jiksara and get married in your father’s church if the seer permits.”

“Don’t worry about my father,” Lissa said. “We can visit him tomorrow morning before we set out for Viksar.”

“I said I’d take Brother Yvan to Collet, first.”

“He won’t be there for the wedding?” Glynna asked.

“Reena and I will travel from Ginster,” Brother Yvan said, stepping onto the porch along with Volst. “It will take you longer to travel to Jiksara.

“You heard?” Trevor asked.

“We all did,” Volst said, dragging out Win.

“Congratulations,” Win patted Trevor on the shoulder.

Trevor suddenly realized what had just happened. “This was a setup!”

“Of sorts,” Glynna said with a wicked smile. “Lissa didn’t know a thing about it, but we know you well enough, Prince Trevor or Duke Trevor or Des Boxster, how you would react. You generally do the right thing, and proposing was the right thing.”

Trevor sighed. “I suppose it was, but I hadn’t intended it to be the night’s entertainment.”

“We can go inside and continue to celebrate,” Volst said.

Trevor finally laughed. “I suppose we can. It is something to celebrate.”

~

Trevor waited for Brother Yvan to say farewell to the others. He promised to return to Maskum so he wouldn’t delay them from setting out for Viksar.

“Are you ready?” Brother Yvan asked.

“We are going to the Gnarled Wood first to remove Gareeze Plissaki’s body from the mound,” Trevor said.

“That will be an unpleasant task,” Brother Yvan said.

“I’ll carry the body when we teleport out.” Trevor had a bag with a small shovel and a shroud for the magician’s remains.

They appeared in darkness. The smell of death permeated the chamber as the strange lights went on. Brother Yvan stepped away from Trevor and examined the table and chairs.

“This is more than a table, unlike what is in the abbey just across the Jarkanese border or in the ancient room in Collet.”

“It is where I was changed,” Trevor said. He described the story again in detail, this time showing what happened in the room.

Brother Yvan tried to get out of the exit, but the door was jammed shut. “Let’s get the magician’s body out of here.”

Trevor had wrapped Plissaki’s body in the shroud and lifted it. Brother Yvan put his hand on Trevor’s shoulder, and they transferred outside the mound. Trevor looked around for a suitable place to bury the magician, took the small shovel, and went to work.

Brother Yvan looked back at the mound. It looked like a jumble of earth on the forest floor. “You said it was a real mound?”

“It was. When I’m done, we will look for the door,” Trevor said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

The grave was shallow, but it was as much as Trevor wanted to do. Brother Yvan muttered a few words over the site before they