Shadow Dagger Ch. 10

Evelyn nodded. "It was so simple," she whispered, astounded. "His shield should have easily repelled it. But it just...slipped right through it. I...I have never seen anything like it."

"How?" Ashford repeated again.

Jon shrugged. "I made the right key. I shaped my spell to slip through the pattern of your spell. Remember, a spell can be verbalized and manipulated differently and still achieve the same result, as long as the words are correct. No two Magi cast the same spell? I rarely cast the same spell in the same way. You have to adapt and improvise in any situation," he finished, winking over at Sophina. Sophina beamed back at him. She understood that particular lesson all too well.

"Amazing," Evelyn whispered. "It makes so much sense now. I never thought why spells can be cast differently. I just took it for granted."

"Unbelievable," Ashford said, falling heavily into a chair. He ran his hand over his bald head and stared at Jon in wonder. "Unbelievable."

"I must warn you; this concept will take a lot of time and practice to master. You won't really have a grasp on it for at least several years. Just as the language is subtle and varied, so too are the shapes the spells can be manipulated into. All it takes is one tiny edge of your spell to touch the other person's spell to dissolve it. It has to be shaped perfectly to pass through."

And with that, Jon left Ashford and Evelyn to confer with each other and walked over to Sophina. "Did you understand any of that?" Jon asked her as he sat down.

Sophina nodded. "I don't know anything about magic but what you told them is very similar to the sword training you taught me."

"I know," Jon replied. "I based my sword fighting off of my lessons in magic."

Sophina laughed. "You truly are a genius!"

Jon laughed with her. "If only my instructors could hear you say that! I'm afraid I was never really the academic type. My mind was always focused on combat. I related best to the material when I could translate it to fighting."

"I think combat magic is more useful than academic magic," Sophina agreed. "There is more honor in it."

"I wouldn't necessary say that," Jon countered. "I knew Magi who accomplished great things. And I can't honestly say combat magic is all that occupied me. I actually have quite a talent in engineering, I will have you know. I helped build many magnificent structures."

"Like what?" Sophina asked.

Jon smiled to deflect the question. I need to be careful. I can't give away all my secrets. I can't trust them. Jon hated the thought but knew it was true. It troubled him to think how much he was coming to like Sophina and Ashford. "Oh, you wouldn't know the names if I told you. So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

Sophina grimaced. "How could I be ready? I don't even know what your plans are for me."

Jon stood up. It was time to finally talk about his plans. "Ashford, Evelyn, please sit down over here. It's time to plan for tomorrow."

***

Morgana grunted and dug her nails deeper into Raynolt's back. Raynolt grimaced and picked up his speed.

"Yes, right there!" she grunted by his ear.

Raynolt hooked her leg over his arm and shifted his angle. She gasped in delight as he continued to thrust inside her. Is this the price you pay for Reynar? Did he choose you for this duty because he knew how much of a whore you are? Fury continued to race through his blood. It mixed with his lust and created a strange feeling he had never experienced.

Raynolt had never felt more powerful. The knowledge he now owned filled his body with energy. Morgana had used him for so long. Now, he used her and she didn't even know it. He had wanted to kill her right away when Sanje reported what he saw earlier in the night. If Morgana had been with him at that moment, he would have killed her right then. But he hated making decisions from wild passions. He liked to be cool and in control.

Once he calmed down, he knew there was a better way to proceed with his plans. He went to see Morgana to take back control. She writhed underneath him and moaned with pleasure. She had no idea she was now at his mercy.

The thought sent a shudder down Raynolt's spine. Morgana sensed his increased passion and clung tightly to his back. Raynolt grunted in animal satisfaction as he continued to exert his dominance over her. His blood felt like it was on fire. He almost wanted to thank her for her betrayal; the fire that ran through is body was the most erotic feeling he had ever felt.

He was unaware of his hands sliding up her body as he increased his tempo. Morgana was now grunting continuously next to his ear. Her eyes were fluttering in sheer pleasure. She was totally unaware of his hands making their way to her throat. He stopped at her shoulders and clutched them tightly as he savagely rammed inside of her.

"Raynolt!" she screamed in pleasure.

His hands unclenched and slowly moved toward her neck. It would be so easy. Life was such a fragile thing. He shuddered again in pleasure at the thought. The power over life was the greatest power of all. His hands joined together at her throat. With a vicious grin he clamped down hard.

Morgana's eyes bulged as Raynolt cut off her air. He slowed down his tempo to make long, deep thrusts. His cock wanted to explode when he saw how red her face was turning.

So easy... He squeezed tighter.

She swatted at his hands. He thrust deeper into her. Her eyes were almost popping out of her head. He thrust harder. She blinked continuously as she strove to fight off unconsciousness. He thrust even harder.

Not yet...not yet. He reluctantly ease his hands on her neck when her lips began to turn blue. She took a deep, wheezing breath and shuddered underneath him. He followed her lead and emptied his seed.

He collapsed on top of her. She continued to suck in air and shake with her orgasm at the same time. Raynolt rolled over to the side of the bed and sat up. He was going to miss her, he suddenly decided.

"What...got...into...you," she gasped as she rubbed her throat. A large purple bruise was already forming around her throat.

He turned to look at her. "I'm just excited about tomorrow," he lied.

"I never felt that kind of orgasm before," she said. Her voice was raspy and barely above a whisper. "But I don't think I would want to try it again."

Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, my dear Morgana. I don't see many more orgasms in your future. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," she replied, smiling at him. Her eyes glowed silver. She whispered some words and moved her fingers. She laid her hand on her throat and sighed in relief. When she removed her hand, the bruise was gone. "That's better," she said, her voice back to normal.

"That's a pretty handy skill," Raynolt grudgingly admitted. He would miss her healing skills in the days to come. He would have to find somebody else soon.

"It will be needed tomorrow," she replied. She got off the bed and walked to her wardrobe. Raynolt admired the silky smoothness of her skin. Yes, he would definitely miss her. She took a robe from her wardrobe and belted it around her waist.

Raynolt grabbed his robe from the floor and slipped it over his head. "I don't want you wandering too far from my side to go heal people. I will be the primary target of Jon Laurent."

She smiled sweetly at him and began brushing her long blonde hair. "Don't worry; you're too important to me to risk losing. By the way, how did the meeting go with the council? I'm sorry I missed it."

I'm sure you are. Raynolt grimaced as he pulled on his boots. "They got their way. We will keep one hundred Magi in the Emporium during the war, which includes the council. That should make you and Lenard happy."

She sighed. "You know that was the right thing to do. I'm sorry it costs you some manpower but you're just going to have to make do without us. What would be left of the Magi if we win this war but have only idiots left?"

Raynolt stood up and stomped his feet into his boots. "I still managed to at least get them to attend the ceremony tomorrow. Can you believe the rest of the council wanted to skip it? In any case, I don't need to hear this argument again. So, where were you tonight?"

She finished brushing her hair and tied it back in a loose ponytail. "I told you, I was securing all the supplies for tomorrow. I was assigned that duty, remember? I'm sure the council didn't miss my presence."

"Oh," was all he said. He belted his dagger back on and walked over to her. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her deep. "Sleep well," he told her after breaking the kiss.

For it will be the last sleep you will know in this life.

***

Sanje kept to the wall as he sped along the hallway. The route to Raynolt's office was second nature to him now. Raynolt had secretly removed the Runes of Warning in his office's hallway when they first made their deal. The runes were always maintained by select Magi, who patrolled the hallways during all hours of the day. Not even Jon Laurent could sneak through here if he didn't have help.

Sanje wasn't sure what Raynolt would do when he finally moved to the Grand Master's office. However, for right now, the office was still being repaired from the damage caused by Raynolt's fight with Boltus. It was a worry for a later day.

He reached Raynolt's office door and stopped. The door was covered in intricate runes. Jon Laurent claimed to be able to read any set of runes, but Sanje doubted that very much. He removed his Shadow Dagger and placed the tip against the door. The runes on his blade glowed a brilliant silver all the way to the tip and then darkened.So, he has a 10th Tier Magi hidden nearby. Sanje couldn't bypass a 10th Tier spell. His dagger only had power to the 9th Tier.

Raynolt had obviously grown tired of Sanje surprising him in his office. Smirking, he tapped on lightly on the door. "Come in," came the call. The runes on the door suddenly disappeared.

He entered the room quickly and shut the door behind him. Raynolt was sitting at his desk. He looked up when Sanje entered and put down the paper he was holding. "It looks like I finally managed to beat you to my own office," he observed wryly.

"The God favors everyone from time to time," Sanje replied. "So who do you have guarding your door?"

Raynolt waved the question away. "One of my own 10th Tier Magi; it doesn't matter. Let's get down to business, shall we?" Raynolt gestured toward the chair in front of his desk.

Sanje took the seat. "My men are prepared. What about you?"

"The plans are finalized," Raynolt said, sighing. He rubbed his eyes. "It's barely a few hours from sunrise and I still haven't been able to find my bed. Reynar obviously doesn't want my wits sharp today."

"How will your men be positioned?" Sanje dared to ask.

Raynolt gave him a hard look. "How will your men be positioned?" he countered.

Sanje shrugged his shoulders. It was worth a try. "I guess we will both find out tomorrow."

Raynolt shook his head ruefully. "Sometimes I marvel at our audacity to so casually plot the deaths of our men."

Sanje shifted uncomfortably.It has to be done. I hope my men understand that. Ever since he hatched his plan, he had been trying to convince himself that it was the right thing to do. He still hadn't convinced himself.

"There is a difference between us, Raynolt. My men know full well what they are getting themselves into. You are leading your men blindly into slaughter."

Sanje returned Raynolt's angry snarl with a look of contempt. Finally, Raynolt looked away. "I'm still just in my cause, no matter what history will show. The Magi need to change. I will bring it to them, whether they like it or not."

Sanje let the point go. He knew Raynolt lusted more for power than for any altruistic need to change the Magi for the better. Sanje did what he had to do so the Magi Victus could finally know peace.

"What about Morgana? Have you acted on the information I gave you?" he asked, changing the subject.

Raynolt's angry snarl receded from his face. He even smiled a little. "Yes I have, in a manner of speaking. If you're asking if she is still alive, then yes she is. But I have my plans for her during the Festival. Our spy problem will be remedied very shortly."

"Good," Sanje replied. "We need to take out Reynar already. Have you developed any plans there yet?"

"No," Raynolt admitted. "For right now, we have to forget about Reynar and focus on the war. The opportunity will eventually present itself."

Sanje was surprised by Raynolt's laid back attitude. He was usually much more aggressive.King Reynar must be very powerful to have cowed Raynolt. It was a wrinkle in the plan that Sanje hadn't accounted for. "Have you heard any news about Ashford Caulston?"

"Very little, I'm afraid. There was a guard who disappeared while on duty in Beggar's Hell. We have no idea if he was killed by Jon Laurent, thieves, or if he simply ran off. Beggar's Hell is too big to go searching every house and abandoned building."

Sanje frowned. "Jon Laurent has a history with Beggar's Hell. I've received reports that he would frequently give beggars the money he made from his assassinations. If he's hiding in Beggar's Hell, then he is well protected."

"It doesn't matter," Raynolt replied. "We both know he will show up at the Festival to assassinate me. I'm willing to bet Ashford Caulston will be there, as well."

"If we manage to kill Ashford tomorrow, that will leave Reynar with only his shield left, correct?"

Raynolt nodded. "It would take a great deal of Magi and Magi Victus to get through his shield. We could expect a lot of causalities if we try that."

"It has to be done," Sanje replied firmly. "Our plan is pointless if we can't eliminate Reynar."

Raynolt sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I know. But for right now, I'm not planning on fighting him tomorrow. We have no idea if Ashford will show up. I do, however, have a plan in place for Jon Laurent."

Sanje leaned forward in his chair. "Are you still planning to capture him alive?"

Raynolt clasped his fingers and studied Sanje for several moments. Finally, he said slowly, "Capturing Laurent is Reynar's plan. However, if in the heat of battle someone went too far..."

Sanje sat back and smiled. "What's the plan?"

***

Ashford threw back his blankets and got up from the floor. He finally decided he might as well get ready. He didn't know what time it was but it still had to be early. He was too nervous to get more than a few, broken hours of sleep.

"Ashford?" Sophina asked.

Ashford nearly jumped out of his skin. He felt his heart hammering in his chest as he took a few deep breaths. He forgot that Sophina was sleeping on the floor. Evelyn took the spare room for herself. He saw a look of disappointment on Sophina's face when Evelyn informed her of that. She must have really gotten use to taking care of her.

"Yeah?" Ashford replied, once his heart slowed down.

"Can't sleep either?" she asked. He saw a shadow sit up by the flickering flames in the fireplace.

He walked over to her and sat down on the floor. "Nope."

"Are you nervous?"

Ashford chuckled. "I always get nervous before a battle."

Sophina settled her blanket over her legs. The fire cast half of her features in shadow. Ashford felt his cock twitch.This isn't the time to go thinking about that! Damn me, though, she's beautiful...

"So do I," she admitted.

"What do you think of Jon's plan? Do you really think we won't see any fighting?"

Sophina glanced at the flames. He knew she greatly respected Jon as a teacher but felt conflicted about his plans. "He makes it sound so...simple. I agree that the crowd will panic once the fighting breaks out, but...I don't think we can just slip away so easily after Raynolt's dead."

"Yeah, me neither," Ashford agreed. "Actually, I'm kind of looking forward to testing some of the spells he taught me."

Sophina laughed softly. "I know how you feel! I can't wait to test my ability against the guards. Have I really improved so much in the past month?"

"I'm sure you have. Jon is a very good teacher." He reached over and patted her shoulder. He was shocked to feel skin underneath his hand. Her shoulder was so warm and smooth. He jerked his hand back and covered the bulge in his breeches as stealthily as possible.

"Sorry," she apologized as she brought her loose gown back up over her shoulder. "And thanks for the compliment. I'm sure you have improved just as much."

"Thanks," he replied, glad for the darkness that hid his blush. He was never very good conversing with beautiful women.

"Are you two up already?" a voice asked suddenly. Ashford and Sophina both jerked in surprise.

"You snuck up on us on purpose!" Sophina accused Jon.

"Sorry," Jon said, striding into the room. Mage-light suddenly filled the room with its brilliance. Ashford blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted. Jon was smiling down at them. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Very funny!" Sophina yelled and tossed her pillow at him.

He caught it with one hand and put it on a chair. He sat down on it and sighed in pleasure. "Thanks," he said, winking.

Ashford and Sophina both laughed. Just like that, he had put them at ease. Ashford felt his nervousness fade. "No, thank you," he told him sincerely.

Jon nodded at him. "Don't worry; I still get nervous before fights. But once battle starts, I feel nothing but the thrill of it. I just react on instinct. Everything else sort of fades away around me."

"I'm sort of the opposite," Ashford laughed. "I'm always looking around to see if the fight is finally over."

Ashford laughed good-naturedly with Jon and Sophina. The one thing he missed about war was this camaraderie. There was a special connection among people who took the pleasure of a laugh because they knew it could be their last one come sunrise.

"So, do you know what time it is?" Sophina asked.

"Believe it or not, it's almost sunrise," Jon informed her.

"Should we wake Evelyn?"

Jon shook his head. "She's in a deep sleep. Let's give her a little while longer. Maybe she dreams of Daminus and knows peace for a while."

Sophina looked away, her mood suddenly somber. Ashford didn't like that Jon kept reminding her of Evelyn's grief. "Do you think she will ever be whole again?" Sophina asked at last.

No, Ashford thought truthfully. But Jon was more tactful. "In time, I think, she can find a balance in her life. The grief will never fully leave her so she must find something to balance it."

"Like what?" Ashford asked. It sounded like Jon was hinting at something.

Jon looked away. "Nothing."

Ashford could hear the lie on his lips. Still, he was beginning to trust Jon against his better judgment. If Jon knew something about Evelyn and didn't share, then he must have a good reason. Ashford was willing to be patient. He prayed he wasn't making a huge mistake.

It wasn't long before Evelyn woke herself up. She walked into the room fully dressed for the day ahead. She was wearing the long, dark-blue silk skirt and blouse that Jon had bought her. Evelyn was impersonating a wealthy merchant, as that would allow her more freedom of movement. The wealthy would have closer seats during the ceremony.

Ashford himself was impersonating an average citizen and wore a rough brown tunic and breeches. Sophina wore the same thing, except hers was cut for a woman. She wore the new sword Jon had given her. She would accompany Evelyn and act as her bodyguard.

Ashford looked over at Jon. It was strange to see him out of his customary black clothes and hood. He wore the ragged clothing of a beggar. His Shadow Dagger was sheathed and tied to his back, behind the faded blue tunic he wore but in easy reach.