The Sartious Mage (The Rhythm of Rivalry) Read Free

been told. I couldn’t think of what to tell him, but saying nothing probably would’ve been better than what I revealed.
    “This trip to Goldram is very important for not just Zav and your father, but for Goldram and all its people as well.” I moved my hands in a silly rainbow-like motion to emphasize the many thousands of people I was trying to describe. “I’m not sure if your father will meet you here or you’ll see him back in Zav, but you being here is going to help a lot of people. You can help us save their lives.”
    “I’m not ready…I mean, Father says I’m not ready to fight.” Harwin had misunderstood me. “He says I’m still too young.”
    “You’re not here to fight…” I stopped myself to choose the next words carefully. I wasn’t sure exactly what his father had said to him about this upcoming war. If I told Harwin he was here to stop the war, he probably would ask how, maybe even why. Then there would be no forgiving way to explain that we were using him as leverage until his father moved back his advancing army and agreed to peace.
    As much as the Prince wanted to know the truth, he wasn’t ready. To find out it could be weeks, even months before he saw his father again would devastate him. The deceit would throw him into a fit of rage—suddenly I realized how similar our situations were. I didn’t feel ready for the truth either, in fear it would devastate me. If I was lied to and used like Harwin…I shook my head. I couldn’t even think about it without rage already balling my hands into fists.
    “Then how am I going to save lives?” His question brought me back. I took a slow breath to let out the anger that had begun to build from my thoughts.
    “Because being the Prince of Zav gives you more power than you could ever wield with a sword.”
    “What kind of power?” His eyes widened like I was about to reveal a glorious secret.
    The power to stop a war, I almost said.
    I wanted to tell him. It felt so right. I was starting to believe he might understand if I explained it correctly. But the sound of two guards coming down the stairs stopped me.
    “Come with us, please.” One guard lowered his head at Harwin.
    The boy hopped off his seat. I stood as well.
    “Not you,” the guard said, lifting his palm to my chest, even giving me a slight push back into the chair. “King Danvell isn’t ready to see you yet.”
    As I hadn’t been quite on my feet when he’d pushed me, I fell back into the chair hard, nearly toppling it over. It didn’t hurt, but the unnecessary force made me angry. I wanted to take out my wand and send him off his feet with a strong gust of hot Bastial wind. The image of his startled face under his steel helmet tumbling backward was tempting to see. That may have been smarter than what I decided to say instead.
    “If the King thinks I’ll let him see Harwin without me there, he’s mistaken.” Sitting beneath the men I was threatening made my words feel petty, so I leaned forward to get off my seat. But before I could even lift my rear, two swords were poking into my chest and pushing me into the velvet backrest.
    “ You are mistaken,” the second guard said, “if you think you have any power over when you see the King or who you bring into his throne room.” He jabbed his sword another centimeter into me. I noticed a crackling sound and realized it was the rolled-up contract for the cure I’d put in my inner shirt pocket.
    Either these men hadn’t heard of me or they had and didn’t believe the rumors. I wanted to tell them they were talking to the person whose magic was strong enough to get five men into the stables of an enemy castle where we knowingly found the Prince of Zav for his weekly riding lesson, convinced him to come with us while his riding coach was distracted with horses scared by Bastial heat, and got him out of Zav with master-level Sartious spells to stop those pursuing us.
    They were talking to the youngest Sartious