Page 57 of Witchcraft and Fury (Chronicles of the Divided Isle #1)

‘In short, Loveday made a mistake. All mental connection between him and Solar should have been severed the moment he’d successfully placed the idea of stealing the book in Solar’s mind.

But as Storrbury discovered, a thread remained – and remains still.

One that allows Solar to mind raid Loveday almost instinctively, undetected, even from outside his chambers.

And it also imparted some of Loveday’s own skill in mind raiding, acquired over years of practise: this is why Solar could so easily mind raid others, like Gib Ralston and Jacob Faylseigh, although, without the two-way link that connects her to Loveday, they could sense her presence. ’

Solar supposed she should feel shock at the depth of Loveday’s scheming and betrayal, at the ruthless, calculated way in which he’d enlisted, mentored and ultimately used her.

But she only felt numb at these revelations.

Nonetheless, when she spoke, she couldn’t stop her voice from wavering slightly.

‘So I share a mental connection with the man who deceived me and tried to kill the king? Who killed Binns? That makes me feel just fantastic.’

‘A connection that only we and Storrbury are aware of,’ said Oswald. ‘You never revealed to anyone that you mind raided him, did you?’

Solar shook her head.

‘Well, then, Loveday must assume that you uncovered his plot through some other means. For all he knows, you were just snooping around, listening outside his door.’

‘Not necessarily,’ said Cal. ‘He’s quite fond of casting that spell of his that masks voices. If he used it during his conversation with his Arkundi accomplice, then he’ll now be doing his outmost to deduce how Solar and I heard it, if he hasn’t already pieced it together.’

‘Either way, this is something you can use, Solar,’ Bear said.

‘Use?’ Solar snorted. ‘Trust me, I don’t have any intention of getting further involved in politics. Let Storrbury’s wizards track Loveday down and bring him to justice.’

‘I think,’ said Pingot, very solemnly, ‘you’re now far too public a figure to avoid politics, Solar.

You may have fended off Lord Sceotend and Sir Egeslic for the moment, but being the first openly practising witch in a hundred years makes you a beacon for others’ ambitions.

Loveday’s going to want to destroy you, as are others.

And others are going to want to use you – the king included, I would assume, after you saved his life. ’

Solar swallowed. ‘Completing my training and earning my staff is looking a lot harder now. All my attention is going to be spent on staying alive.’

‘ Our attention,’ Oswald corrected her. ‘We can split keeping you alive between us.’ Solar flashed him a warm smile.

‘Who wants to get some air?’ Bear said. ‘We can’t just sit like this the whole afternoon.’

They murmured their agreement and stood. Wyman picked up a slice of chicken from the breakfast spread and tore it into chunks to feed his feline friend by hand.

As Solar and the others reached the door, they heard a wheezing sound from behind them.

‘What the—’ spluttered Wyman, crouching in front of the animal.

‘What did you do to it?’ Cal demanded. They rushed over and gathered round it.

‘Nothing!’ said Wyman, panic in his voice. ‘I just gave it the chicken in small chunks. It wolfed them down, as always, but didn’t choke! And then … and then this!’

Before them, the cat lay utterly still, blood oozing from its mouth, ears and nose.

Oswald looked at the remaining chicken on the table, an expression of horrified realisation on his face. ‘That was meant for us!’

‘Or Solar,’ said Wyman shakily. ‘In any case, the poisoner didn’t care about getting us in the process! You think Loveday’s behind this?’

‘Of course he is,’ said Cal.

‘So much for not getting involved in politics,’ said Bear. ‘ We’d best get a servant to clear this up, and notify Storrbury at once!’

‘One thing’s for sure,’ said Solar grimly. ‘I wouldn’t want to be a member of the kitchen staff once his interrogations get started. He’s going to turn the place upside down.’

*

As it happened, with the king’s coronation approaching, Storrbury handled investigations into the second attempted poisoning as discretely as possible.

A confession was obtained from a kitchen steward who had been born on Loveday’s lands, and he was swiftly and quietly found guilty and put to death.

But the convenience of this solution did little to put the minds of Solar and her companions at ease, especially since the king and prince were appointed food tasters and not they, and so from then on they avoided their private dining room in favour of a larger, communal dining hall.

It was for folk below the boys in station, and it raised some eyebrows among their fellow diners, but the fact that the food there was laid out for all gave them some reassurance that an assassin would have a hard time getting poisoned dishes directly in front of them.

In the days after Binns’ funeral the families of Solar’s classmates arrived at The Rock for the coronation.

Bear’s mother and two brothers all had the same auburn hair and green eyes as the youngest Kingsley, as did many from their entourage; his father had silver hair and piercing blue eyes.

Pingot’s mother was plump and kindly looking, whilst his father, brothers and sisters were all tall, willowy and quick to laugh.

Cal greeted his hawk-nosed mother and imposing father coldly, but his sister ran into his arms with a delighted squeal.

She squealed again when Cal showed her the exquisite Sorcery!

pieces that he had carved for her, complete with their board that showed the Divided Isle in its entirety.

Cal’s father scowled at this display of emotion, but he was soon distracted by a clump of mud colliding with his shoulder and spattering his cloak.

He looked round sharply, searching for a sign of where it had come from.

Solar smirked as she saw a couple of imps whizz into hiding; since Loveday’s flight from the city, they appeared to have transferred their loyalty to Cal.

When Bear, Pingot, Cal and the others weren’t with their families they continued to explore the palace, practise magic, hunt and spar together.

Though Solar would normally have leapt at the chance to join in any of these activities, particularly if Cal were there, the excitement she felt at the thought of hearing of her father and, surely, his imminent return was all-consuming.

She attended all of the king’s court sessions in the throne room and lurked outside Storrbury’s office day and night in the hope of hearing any news relayed by one of his agents.

One of the boys always accompanied her, despite her insisting it was unnecessary.

‘If all Loveday can do is throw a piece of poisoned chicken at me, then I can protect myself,’ she’d protested more than once, but to deaf ears.

She often caught sight of the treasurer Lord Sceotend and wizard Sir Egeslic striding along corridors looking busy and important, and she always did her utmost to avoid having to speak to them.

Just as they and Pingot had predicted, other men of power at the palace tried to arrange meetings with her, supposedly to try and recruit her to whichever political faction they belonged.

She declined all invitations to such meetings.

Loveday’s actions had made her see the appeal of an alliance, but she couldn’t risk becoming entangled in anything that would steal her attention away from her studies – whenever Storrbury found time to arrange new instructors for them – and finding her father.

One day, whilst the king held court, Earl Archdale, Hroth and Captain Grubber burst into the throne room.

The earl pointed at Solar, who stood with Bear amongst the onlookers along the wall.

‘That girl,’ he raged, ruddy-faced and with spittle flying from his mouth, ‘has robbed my son of his magical education! I demand to see her hanged, or burned at the stake. I will not suffer this insult to my family’s honour. ’

‘Would you care to elaborate on how a craftsman’s daughter managed to slight you? And how she managed to escape your grasp all the way from Falcontop to Riverhawk, Earl Archdale?’ the king replied icily.

‘She bewitched Gaderian! Made him choose her, a nobody, over my boy Hroth,’ said Archdale, too caught up in his accusation to register the king’s displeasure.

‘She bewitched Gaderian,’ repeated the king slowly. ‘Tell me, are you suggesting that Solar was able to use witchcraft to manipulate one of Storrbury’s most experienced rovers before she’d received any magical training?’ This earned more than a few laughs from the onlookers in the room.

‘I know not where witches learn their tricks! They are beneath my concern, until they cross me.’

‘Then allow me to educate you on the details surrounding this witch in particular, for it appears that you are behind the times. Not a week past, Gaderian made an attempt on my life.’

Solar could see clearly the shock on the earl’s face at this news, and he made to speak, but the king continued over him.

‘He tried to pin the blame on Solar. But she discovered his plot first, and risked all to warn me.’

‘My king,’ Archdale managed say. ‘This is most grievous news. Your own cousin! But the fact remains that this hag — ’

‘This hag, as you so politely put it, saved your king’s life. Perhaps you’d like to recant your accusation, and offer an apology?’

‘Perhaps the manner of my accusation was a little, ah, undignified. And I am more than happy to apologise for that, to you , your majesty, of cour—’

‘To her,’ King Algar said firmly.

‘But, my king,’ Archdale protested. ‘She is a carpenter’s daughter! You said it yourself!’

‘Recant your accusation.’

‘It would be beneath my station to—’