Page 59 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

Although haste is key, my body is so weak, every limb aches, making moving a painful process. We get to the hall leading to Grayson’sliving quarters before my legs give way. Slumping against the wall, I look up at Grayson and shake my head, holding up my hand as I pant for breath. Whatever that magic did to me, it’s affecting me even worse now. I can hear the four of them talking in low, hushed voices before blue robes flash in front of my vision. Raising my tired head, I see Grayson crouching in front of me, his face uncharacteristically stern.

“Sorry, Clarissa, but we need to get somewhere safe,” he says, and I’m about to ask what he’s sorry for when he scoops one arm under my legs and the other behind my back, picking me up. I let out a gasp as he holds me close, gently, as if I’m some delicate package. He’s never held me this way before, but that strange pull between us practically hums with pleasure at our proximity. I try to ignore it as he hurries along the corridors, but I can’t help wondering if he can feel it too. It doesn’t take long for us to reach his rooms after that, and a familiar door comes into view. Shifting my weight in his arms, he frees a hand and the door opens with a flick of his wrist.

“Oh, Grayson!” I hear Jayne shout out, except her voice is not the happy, motherly tone I’m used to from her. “There was nothing I could do! I’m so sorry!” Her devastated declaration makes a piece of my heart break for her, and as we enter the living room, I see her with her face buried in her hands as she kneels by the lounge chair, her back heaving from the force of her sobs.

The other magicians file in around us, and immediately shift uncomfortably as they see the sobbing woman on the floor. Glancing up at Grayson’s stricken face, I simply put my hand on his chest and nod towards Jayne. He understands what I’m asking, and gently lowers me to the floor. Wincing slightly, I take a couple of seconds to get my balance before slowly walking over to the maid. I kneel by her side and place a hand on her shoulder.

“Jayne—” I don’t get any further before her shocked face pops up, her eyes red from crying as she runs them over me, seeing I’m still in one piece. Crying out, she throws her arms around me and pulls me into her bosom, clutching me hard enough to create bruises. I’m still not comfortable with casual touch, but I try not to flinch and I don’t say anything. Besides, this is Jayne, and if she needs this, then it’s the least I can doafter what happened to her earlier. Someone in the room coughs and she raises her head, narrowing her eyes.

“I thought I had lost the closest person I had to a daughter, excuse me if I show a bit of emotion!” she growls, before realising whom she’s talking to. She quickly gives a half-hearted bow of her head. “High Mage.” Normally, this would be enough to have me snorting, but her words are like a blow to my chest.

I know I must have had a mother, but I have no memories from before I was enslaved at the age of eight. I don’t know how this is possible. Maybe there’s something wrong with me, hiding my memories from my consciousness. When I was a child, I’d sometimes have dreams of a woman embracing me, her heat keeping me warm during the coldest winters. However, I’ve never had a mother figure in my life, so for Jayne to say that…it leaves me speechless and makes my heart pound painfully in my chest. She brings her attention back to me, placing both hands on my face as she scans it for signs of injury.

“You’re okay? They didn’t hurt you?” she asks, leaning back a little so she can take in the rest of me. I shake my head, and I hear her mutter that I look exhausted before she raises her gaze to mine again. Her bright blue eyes are sparkling, and for a moment I think she’s going to start crying again. “When they dragged you out of here—” Throwing her arms around me, she pulls me into a tight hug again. I can hear the others moving restlessly behind me, realising this isn’t going to be a quick reunion.

Grayson comes into my line of sight, and I widen my eyes at him, gesturing towards the tearful maid with my head, my arms trapped by her hug. For such a small woman, she’s surprisingly strong. Grayson just grins and shrugs, giving me a ‘what can I do about it?’ look. Glaring, I mouth, “Traitor,” which makes him laugh. Jayne pulls away from me and spins to look at the mage, narrowing her eyes on him.

“Grayson, do you want to explain where you’ve been while the underworld descended upon us?” She steps towards him, and I watch in amusement as his cheeky expression drops and he holds his hands up in defence as the small woman advances on him. “What is the point of being your maid if I’m not going to get the benefits of having a high mage around? A tiny smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, which quickly drops as she places her hands on her hips.

“This is amusing, is it? Putting me through that?” I can hear the pain in her voice, and Grayson looks devastated as he encircles his arms around her, holding her tight.

“No, I’m sorry, Jayne.” He sounds genuinely distressed, and as I watch the two of them, I realise she’s like a mother to him too.

“I thought we’d lost her.” Her voice is muffled from where she’s pressed against Grayson, her face buried in his robes. “He threatened to kill me if Clarissa didn’t go with him. Of course I told her not to, but she didn’t listen.” Her face appears over Grayson’s shoulder as she says this last part, shooting a glare at me.

Grayson stills and, for a second, I worry he will slip into euisa, but he seems to calm himself, his anger simmering. I’m surprised he’s been able to control it, considering he went into euisa over something similar before. I’ll have to remember to ask him at another time how he’s keeping it under control, but with the other magicians here, and more important questions to answer, now is not the time.

After a few minutes, Jayne takes a deep breath and steps away from Grayson, pointing a finger at him. “You owe me an explanation, but right now, we need tea.” She leaves the room and a low chuckle fills the space, the older mage smiling wryly at Grayson.

“I can see why you like to stay here now,” one of the magicians comments, but I don’t turn to see who it is.

Grayson smiles and gestures for us to head into the sitting room, which is more comfortable and has enough seats for us all. Immediately, I walk up to the snug armchair that takes up the back corner. I adopted this as my spot when Grayson first brought me here, and don’t think to offer it to one of the other guests. There is a long couch opposite the large fireplace, along with several other single chairs. The others look around as they file in, Grayson taking his chair across from me. The younger mage, who has been completely silent, is still staring at me.

“How are you alive?” he finally blurts out, ending his silence.

“Ellis,” the older mage admonishes with a disapproving tone.

“I would also like to know this, Merrin,” the quiet, disapproving mage adds, his voice tight as he turns his attention to me. I immediately decide we’re not going to get along. He’s exactly what I would expect of our brutal warriors who fight for us on the battle front, both in looks and attitude. I wonder how Grayson managed to pull them away when they are so desperately needed. “You should be dead from that level of magic, but you are not.” He tilts his head as he speaks, and I get the image in my mind of a snake watching its prey, coiled up and ready to strike.

Merrin sighs as he leans towards me with an apologetic smile on his face. “He is right, my dear. Do you know what happened?”

“What are you?” the viper snaps. His voice is sharp as he leans towards me, and if Grayson hadn’t jumped up from his seat and strode over me, acting as a shield between us, I’m not quite sure what would have happened.

“Pierre!” he barks at the snakelike mage, who simply sits back in his seat, seemingly unperturbed.

“Be careful what you say, Pierre,” Merrin responds sagely, his attention flicking between the two of us.

“She is Goddess blessed, remember?” Ellis murmurs quietly, his eyes wide as he watches me. The room falls silent as all their gazes land on Grayson and me, who’s still standing protectively in front of me.

Merrin shifts in his chair, smiling at me before turning to Grayson, his expression becoming more serious. “Grayson, we will behave ourselves.” He throws a quick, warning look at Pierre. “She is safe with us,” he promises, and I get the sense he is telling the truth. He means every word he says. Trust is hard-earned with me, but I’ve never felt so compelled to trust someone, especially not after first meeting them. Grayson nods his head and returns to his chair before addressing me.

“Clarissa, meet the high magicians. Pierre, Ellis, and Merrin.” He gestures to each one in turn. “Merrin is gifted with truth, which helped him gain his position. He can only speak the truth and knows when others are lying,” he informs me, and something in my gut twists as I meet the older magician’s gaze. I would have to be careful when talking to him.

“It’s okay, he knows everything,” Grayson reassures me, as if he’s able to feel my anxiety.

Nodding, I turn to face the waiting mages. I’m a little disconcerted that these people know more about me than I do about them, but Grayson seems to trust me. “What do you want to know?”

Merrin opens his mouth to ask a question, but Ellis leans forward, his expression one of concern as he cuts him off. “How did you survive my magic?”

---