The man stared at Francis with those dark eyes. “Few would recognize the symbols on the shrine.”

  “Are you the scribe from the story?” Francis asked.

  Inivfrin spread his wings. “Do these look like the wings of a crow?” He pulled them inward and they vanished, as though having pulled back into him. “I am Inivfrin, the God of Wind.”

  Errol stiffened. Inivfrin was said to be one of the friendlier gods, wasn’t he?

  “Your curiosity will get you into trouble,” Inivfrin said, still staring at Francis. “Just like the scribe in the story.”

  “I know what I’m doing,” Francis said, but his voice shook.

  Had he known what he was doing in Blackridge or with the Sentinel? He hadn’t realized how dangerous magic was, and Inivfrin knew it too.

  “What do you want with magic?” Inivfrin asked, taking a step closer.

  Francis backed away a little, but he met the god’s intense gaze. “It will give me freedom.”

  Inivfrin frowned at him. “You have more freedom than you realize.” He glanced at Errol and Leila. “Be careful not to endanger your friends and lose what matters most to you.” He turned and walked away, deeper into the forest. There were two holes in the back of his shirt, where his wings had come out.

  Francis was shaking, his hands clenched into fists. When Inivfrin was out of sight he turned to face Errol sharply. “You knew you had magic all this time, and you said nothing.”

  Errol could see it in his cousin’s eyes that he didn’t really believe that, he was just scared by what had happened with the Telagle. Inivfrin’s words had gotten to him, and maybe even what Errol and Leila had said to him on the ship.

  “You know that’s not true,” Leila said.

  Francis looked at her sharply, then his hands relaxed and he looked suddenly weary. He turned away. “Let’s go back to Maple.”

  None of them spoke on the way back to the harbor village. It was sunset when they stopped at the edge of the village.

  Francis turned to face Errol. “I’m sorry. I know you believed it too that you didn’t have magic. But why would Vedrix say you didn’t when you clearly do?” He shook his head. “The enchantment breaking water of the Wishing Lake must have freed your magic, but what from?”

  “Maybe Vedrix hid it with his own magic,” Leila said.

  Errol had wondered about that. “Maybe.”

  The three of them continued to the inn in silence, not speaking while they ate dinner, but the silence wasn’t so tense as it had been on the way back through the forest. Early the next morning, they got on a ship going to Arkose. They barely spoke on the way back across the sea, and Errol spent most of the time in their cabin, throwing up into the bucket or passed out. The next morning, they finally reached the docks of Arkose. The three of them stopped where the docks began. It was good to be home, but Errol had no fewer worries than when they left.

  “I’m ready for a bath…” Leila muttered. She started to walk away, but looked back at Errol. “Do you need more salve?”

  Errol shook his head. “The wounds look much better. Thank you.”

  After Leila walked away, Errol and Francis went back to their house at the edge of the forest. The two set their bags down, but they didn’t sit.

  Francis looked at Errol. “I’m done with the guide, but I’m not going to give up on my goal. I won’t be a tool for my parents to use anymore. Magic is the only thing that will give me the power to change that. I’ll be at the library.” He left before Errol could say anything, not that he knew what to say.

  Errol took his own bag up to his room, unpacked, washed, then set out without a destination in mind. He needed to think, though he doubted he would come to a conclusion any time soon. He wandered back to the harbor, where he saw his father standing at the harbor wall, talking to a woman Errol had never seen before. Maybe she was a traveler. She shook her head and walked away. Errol joined his father at the wall.

  “Back already?” Lindell glanced at the ships moored at the docks.

  “We didn’t go far from Maple,” Errol said.

  Lindell’s ears drooped and his tail stopped moving. “What happened?”

  A sigh escaped Errol and he pulled himself up to sit on the harbor wall. His father sat next to him.

  “Francis wants magic for himself,” Errol said. “Leila and I had no luck getting through to him, and neither did Inivfrin.”

  One of Lindell’s ears twitched. “The God of Wind?”

  “He saved us from a Telagle out in the forest,” Errol said. “I know what he said got to Francis, but it didn’t change his mind. He’s done with the guide, but he still wants magic for himself. He thinks that’s the only way his parents won’t be able to use and control him.”

  Errol glanced at the calm water of the sea, but looked away quickly. Even being this close to the water after having been on the ship was too close. He noticed his father was staring at him, his expression hard to read.

  “I used to run a museum in Shale with a man I thought was my friend,” Lindell said. He had never said much about the past before.

  “Is that when you met mother?” Errol asked.

  Lindell nodded. “I met her in the forest near Shale.” He sighed, staring at the cobblestone ground. “I traveled all over to dangerous places and gathered artifacts for the museum. I couldn’t bring myself to tell my friend I didn’t want to do it anymore. The artifacts caused a lot of trouble. I thought it was just a few unlucky ones that had magic, until I had magic of my own and realized the truth. I was being used.” He looked at Errol again. “I don’t think Francis is using you, but if you don’t want to be a part of what he’s doing, you should tell him. He may find trouble, but you can’t always be there to stop him. You shouldn’t have to follow him forever to keep him safe. He has to learn from his mistakes on his own.”

  Errol looked away, closing his eyes for a moment. “I know, I just…”

  “You don’t want to see him get hurt by the mistakes you know he’s out to make,” Lindell said.

  Errol nodded.

  “I can tell you don’t enjoy traveling,” Lindell said. “Leila told me how you were on the ship.”

  “I don’t want to think about the ship,” Errol said.

  Lindell nodded. “I was never fond of ships, but they didn’t make me sick.”

  “Did you like traveling?” Errol asked.

  “Not even a little,” Lindell said. “The only thing I looked forward to while away was returning home. Did you really want to write that guide?”

  This time Errol didn’t hesitate. “Not even a little.”

  Lindell’s tail splashed against the water on the other side of the harbor wall. “Do you have any idea where Francis plans to get magic of his own? Why doesn’t he learn elemental magic?”

  “He said his internal magic is too weak to learn elemental magic,” Errol said. “I don’t know where he plans to get magic, or how he plans to do it. He went to the library. He knows Leila and I don’t agree with what he’s doing, so I doubt he’ll tell us anything.” Maybe now was his chance. Errol was just about to tell his father about his magic when Vedrix stepped out of the crowd, coming toward them.

  “Back already?” Vedrix asked.

  “We just got back this morning,” Errol said. “How are things with the artifact?”

  Vedrix frowned. “The artifact has been showing up at night more often, and I sensed magic from it that shouldn’t be there. I would have to get a closer look to know for sure, but I suspect someone caused the artifact to go out of control. I doubt someone is actually using it now.” He stared at Errol hard, his expression unreadable, just as before.

  Lindell got down from the wall. “I should get back to asking around about attacks from the artifact.”

  Errol stayed there while his father and Vedrix disappeared into the crowd. If Vedrix knew Errol’s magic was awake, which being the God of Magic he probably did, what would he do about it? Errol got down from the wall, ready to sleep for the rest of the day, still out of sorts from being on the ship. He was about to start toward home when he saw Ernest Welch walking toward him.

  Ernest raised a brow. “Leila looked just as disheartened as you. I take it things did not go well in Ivra?”

  Errol hesitated.

  Ernest absently tugged at his dark blue shirt, buttoned up to his throat. “Magic is going to consume Francis if he’s not careful.” He shook his head. “If he won’t listen to reason, I fear something will happen and there will be no getting him back from magic.” His voice shook. “I don’t want that to happen.” He looked at Errol pleadingly. “I know you and Leila being worried means there is something to worry about on that front. Leila said the two of you tried talking to Francis, that he doesn’t want to be used as a tool anymore and will do whatever he feels he must to get away. I am truly sorry it has come to that. Pearl and I know what is best for Francis, and I thought he was smart enough to listen to us.”

  “He doesn’t want to be duke,” Errol said. “He doesn’t want to marry a girl you choose for him—”

  Ernest’s eyes narrowed. “I regret letting Francis get close to you.” His voice was suddenly hard. “Being around Phoenix was surely a bad influence on him.” He leaned closer, towering over Errol. “Stay away from Francis. Move out of the house and stay away from him.”

  Errol wanted nothing more than to run away from that glare, but he forced himself to stay right there, to stare right back at Ernest. “I can’t do that. I won’t abandon my cousin.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Ernest scowled. He turned away sharply, disappearing into the crowd of people going about their business at the harbor. Errol watched him go, doubting this would be the end of it. And saying he wouldn’t give up on Francis felt empty, seeing as he had no idea how to help him.

  “What did he want?” Leila asked, coming to stand beside him.

  Errol sighed. “He wants me to move out of the house and stay away from Francis.”

  Leila scowled in the direction Ernest had gone. “He’s just as stubborn as Francis. It’s like nothing anyone says gets through to him.” She crossed her arms, her expression softening. “But I see nothing else to try. Come to the library with me?”

  Talking to him hadn’t done any good before, but Errol wasn’t ready to give up. He went with Leila to the library, where they found Francis sliding a book back onto the shelf. As soon as he saw them, he walked away down another corridor of books. Errol and Leila followed, only to see him slip out the library doors.

  “This is the book he was looking at.” Remy’s voice came from right behind them, making them both jump.

  Errol took the book the librarian was holding out. “He was looking at this before. It’s the only book that mentions…” He glanced at Remy.

  “I know what goes on in my library,” Remy said with a sad smile. “He was looking into a certain artifact of Nox’s, which is causing trouble in Arkose. The one Phoenix is trying to stop.”

  Errol opened the book to the page Francis had been looking at all those days ago. Dark Chain of Nox. There was so little written about it.

  “That book mentions other artifacts of the gods,” Remy said, “but why search for those when he knows this one is in Arkose?”

  “He might try to take it for himself,” Leila said, having gone pale. “We need to go to Phoenix.” She shook her head. “Father said the artifact has been attacking people at night even more often, and more viciously.”

  Errol closed the book and handed it back to Remy. “Thank you.”

  Remy nodded. “I wish you luck, but keep in mind this is Francis’s mistake to make. He has not listened to you before now. He doesn’t want to be controlled by his family, or led out of danger by you. Perhaps the trouble you should be focusing on is keeping the artifact out of the wrong hands. That being his.” He walked away into the gloom of the shelves.

  A chill ran through Errol. He knew Remy was right. Were they any better than Francis’s parents, trying to stop him from doing what he wanted? Trying to convince him to see their idea of reason?

  “Let’s go,” Leila said quietly, bringing him back from his unpleasant thoughts.

  The two of them hurried across Arkose to the office of Phoenix. The door was open and Lindell, Hector, Vedrix, and Donovan were talking in the front room.

  “What happened?” Donovan asked as soon as he saw them, probably noticing how worried they looked.

  “Francis might be going after the artifact of Nox,” Errol said.

  Hector growled. “How foolish can he get? Did he say something to the two of you?”

  Errol and Leila looked at each other.

  “He was interested in it before,” Leila said, “but then he was interested in the legend in Ivra. We were hoping he had decided to leave the artifact alone. Remy showed us the book Francis was looking at in the library just now. It’s the one he was looking at before. It doesn’t say much about the artifact, but it’s the only book we’ve seen in the library that even mentions it, and now we know he wants magic.”

  “He can’t control the artifact even if he does get it,” Vedrix said. “It is entirely out of control, which is why it’s going around attacking people.”

  “He’ll have to search for it at night,” Lindell said. “We need to find him first.”

  “We want to help,” Leila said.

  Errol nodded.

  Donovan shook his head. “That’s too dangerous. The artifact has gotten even more vicious.”

  Vedrix sighed. “Yet we may need their help. Francis hasn’t listened before now, but perhaps when he sees how dangerous the artifact is, he might be receptive to their words. They are his friends.”

  Donovan grumbled something. “Fine, but they’ll stay with at least one of us while we search. I have to get back to keeping watch, but I’ll meet you here at sunset.”

  Leila left with her father.

  “I’ll come back tonight,” Errol said, feeling dead on his feet.

  “Your room is just how you left it,” Lindell said, “if you want to stay here.”

  The idea of walking all the way back across Arkose was suddenly very daunting. Somehow, he felt seasick again even though he wasn’t at sea. Maybe it was just lingering from earlier in the day.

  “I’ll do that,” Errol said, going up the stairs to his room.

  It really was just how he’d left it. There was nothing on the bed, but he took a clean blanket and pillow from the closet in the hall and went to sleep. He woke up to a knock on the door. The light of sunset came through the thin curtain over the window on the other side of the room. He put his glasses back on. Errol stifled a yawn as he opened the door.

  Leila was on the other side. “We’ll be going soon.” She glanced at his bare feet and paled. “Good thing it was me who came up here.”

  Errol looked down quickly. His left foot was covered in fur. He hurriedly grabbed his boots and pulled them on, making sure the fur wasn’t anywhere else that was visible. After Leila assured him there wasn’t any on his face or neck, the two went downstairs to the front room. Hector was in demon cat form, large enough to come up to Donovan’s hip. The Knight Captain looked entirely calm despite the large predator standing beside him. He had seen Hector in that form before. His fur was black, his eyes light brown and feline.

  “I’ll be better able to smell the artifact in this form,” Hector said.

  “At least you’ll know if it’s coming, even if you can’t track it,” Lindell said. “Maybe you should go with Leila and Errol.”

  Hector nodded. “I will.”

  They all left the office, splitting up in the alleyways. Errol and Leila followed Hector. Dark clouds blocked out the light of the setting sun. Thunder rumbled in the distance, just before the first raindrops fell.

  Leila shivered. “Just what we needed.”

  Hector growled. “It will make it harder to smell the artifact.” He stopped suddenly and sniffed the ground. “Francis came through here recently.” He started to run, but not so fast Errol and Leila couldn’t keep up.

  Francis was the only one at the harbor, blood dripping from a cut on his cheek. He held a round wooden shield in one hand. He raised it, a thud resounding even through the sound of the rain. Was the artifact attacking? Francis knelt behind the shield, holding it up with his knee as the artifact struck it over and over. He pulled something from his pocket quickly.

  “Francis!” Leila called out, but he didn’t look up.

  Francis stood suddenly, the shield falling to the side as he lit a candle. The flame flared to life for only a moment before the rain put it out, but that burst of light was enough. The air rippled right in front of Francis. Errol saw a black chain amidst the rippling. Francis grabbed it, slipping the chain bracelet around his wrist and vanishing.

  “He has the artifact!” Donovan shouted, running out of the alleyways.

  Hector ran, hopefully following Francis’s scent, or that of the artifact. Lindell and Vedrix came out of another alleyway. Errol and Leila didn’t move. There was no knowing where Francis had gone. Hector stopped before he’d gone far and turned back to face the rest of them. The rain was pouring down in sheets now, washing away any trace of Francis’s scent.

  “The artifact is out of control,” Vedrix said. “It may take him over.”

  “We need to find him,” Hector said. He looked at Leila and Errol.

  “We’ll go with you,” Errol said.

  They searched through the night. At least the rain was warm, but it didn’t let up until dawn, when they all trudged back to the office. Lindell lit a fire in the hearth, his wet fur dripping on the rug. He went upstairs to dry off a little. Hector returned from upstairs in human form, dressed in all black as usual. They had all just sat at the table when someone hammered on the front door. Lindell groaned and went to get it.

  “Bring him back!” Pearl shouted, her voice echoing through the front room and into the kitchen.

  “Calm yourself,” Ernest snapped. His voice shook when he spoke again. “We went to Francis’s house to talk some sense into him and he became invisible. Much as I hate to ask you for anything, can Phoenix bring him back from the magic?”

  “We will do everything we can to get him back,” Lindell said.

  “You had better,” Pearl snarled.

  Errol heard his father close the front door. Lindell looked even more ragged when he returned to the table in the kitchen.

  “Francis only did this because he doesn’t want to be used by them,” Leila said, frowning hard. “They just see him as a piece in their plans and won’t listen to him.”

  “Even so,” Donovan said, “we’re not going to let the artifact have him.”

  Vedrix nodded. “With the state the artifact is in, no one would be able to control it. Nox could calm it down, but he isn’t here. Perhaps I could destroy it, but I would have to get it away from Francis to do that. It will have taken over him.” He looked at Errol and Leila. “I know you want to help Francis, but this is too dangerous. Leave this to us.”

  “We’re just as capable of looking for him,” Leila said. “And we can defend ourselves.”

  “With what?” Vedrix asked. “I know you have training with a sword, but not as much as a knight. And Errol has no such training, no such weapons. Throwing a book at Francis won’t stop him now.”

  Errol gritted his teeth, but he said nothing and took a deep breath, not wanting to lose control of his magic in front of Vedrix. They drank the tea Hector had made in silence, then Errol and Leila left the office, saying they would each go home. That was true for one of them.

  “He may have realized he needs help,” Leila said. “If the artifact is trying to take over, maybe we can get the chain away from him.”

  “He might still be at the house,” Errol said. “That’s where Pearl and Ernest saw him.”

  The two of them headed for the other side of Arkose, for the house at the edge of the forest. Errol unlocked the door with his key. The main room was silent and appeared to be empty, but Errol had an odd feeling. Like they were being watched. The curtain over the kitchen window was shut, leaving the room dim.

  Leila gently closed the door behind them. “Francis? Are you here?”

  “I…” The strained voice came from near the table. “Help…me.”

  Errol thought of the night before, when the artifact had revealed itself in the candlelight. Leila must have thought of too, as she slowly moved toward the window.

  “I thought I…could control it,” Francis said. His breathing sounded shaky. “I was wrong.”

  The pain in his voice made Errol’s heart clench. Leila opened the curtain, filling the room with daylight. Francis appeared, sitting on the floor, leaning against a leg of the table. The dark chain was wrapped tightly around his right wrist. A faint darkness hung in the air around him like a cloud. He flickered in and out of visibility. Errol hurried over, reaching for his cousin’s hand to take the chain off. Francis looked up from the floor suddenly, black flooding through his eyes. The darkness lashed out at Errol, feeling solid as it slammed into him, throwing him to the ground, and knocking the air out of him.

  “I’m…sorry.” Francis flickered out of visibility longer this time, the darkness around him getting thicker. “Sorry…”

  Leila took a step closer, but water burst forth from the kitchen faucet, spraying her and flooding across the floor. Leila cried out, stumbling back, but she only sputtered for a moment. She wasn’t the least bit wet. Errol’s magic was a raging fire inside of him. He cried out. The table burst into flames, and the ceiling cracked and crumbled. A wave of vibrant dark blue magic threw the flaming chairs and table across the room. Francis vanished entirely, taking his cloud of darkness with him.