Transformed (Ancestral Magic Book 2), Page 4

  “Huh,” Adelia hummed.

  With narrowed eyes, Gaston turned to their guest. “Lucinda, did you prolong the spell? Is this another one of your jokes?”

  “No, I swear it,” she said. “After being berated by my one true love this morning, I committed to not repeating that mistake.”

  “Well, it’s well past noon. Can you give Merlin a nudge in the right direction?”

  The sorceress nodded and extended her hands. Twisting motions and a bright light accompanied that incantation. But when that light subsided, Merlin was still a human.

  “Huh,” Gaston echoed his pupil. “It seems we have an odd problem here.”

  Chapter Four: Unbreakable

  When night came and went and Merlin was still in human form, the twist of fate became especially disconcerting. The arcane practitioners each left their rooms and found the transformed feline wandering through the courtyard.

  “All right, Lucinda, I’m at a loss,” Gaston admitted. “What have you done to my cat?”

  The sorceress offered up that faux innocent grin and swept out her hand. “Magic?”

  “Quite.”

  “You know these things happen sometimes,” she whispered. “Sometimes a spell—even one you’ve cast a thousand times—can go wild.”

  “And when is the last time one of your spells has gone wild?”

  “My spells are always wild, my dear. It comes with the territory,” came her cheeky reply. “Besides, I’m usually gone before I ever notice the effects of my enchantments.”

  “You’re an upstanding member of society,” Gaston dryly remarked.

  Adelia sprung up from the steps and went off after the transformed cat.

  The sage groaned at the turn of so many recent events. “Miss Kreegan was just beginning to feel comfortable here. And then in three days, she’s heard me raise my voice more times than I care to admit, watched her pet struggle to embrace what was supposed to be a very brief taste of humanity, and had to endure a crazed woman’s idea of fun, which is everyone else’s idea of torture.”

  Lucinda pursed her lips and nodded. “I should very much like to meet this woman.” When she saw Gaston’s weary sigh escape his lips, she placed her hand on his back. “If I had the means to change Merlin back, I would. If I even knew a way to cancel magic as powerful as mine, you know I’d be the first to accompany your furry little friend…” As she spoke, she watched the other arcane practitioner’s eyes brighten. “What is it?”

  “I know a place,” he said.

  “Of course you do,” the sorceress huffed. “And you couldn’t have remembered before I volunteered?”

  “In all honesty, your being here has just saved me much worry. I can finally put you to good use without leaving some other matters unattended.”

  “And what matters are these?” Lucinda wondered. “Scratch that, just put me to good use.”

  “Recently, we had an intruder break into the keep.”

  “Well, if walking through the front gates can be considered forceful entry,” the sorceress protested.

  “I’m not talking about you, Lucinda. Although, you’d figure we would have learned our lesson. In any case, this man came to the keep for the sole purpose of creating chaos. He attacked my friend, Edric, but he was looking for our blacksmith, Lydick. Apparently, he planned to damage the supply to the White Knights of Gardone, but the reason for that is still a bit unclear. Through some of Miss Kreegan’s research, we’ve discovered he was from Ippius, but we’ve had some…communications issues.”

  “Such as?”

  “He cut out his tongue after we apprehended him. And more recently, he’s broken his own wrists, so he can’t even write. I’d commend him for his undying loyalty if it wasn’t so clear we’re on different sides of a great conflict unraveling in Draconis.”

  “And you still have him here? In the keep?”

  Gaston nodded, and his eyes looked as if they were filled with regret. “In a manner of speaking.”

  “You clever man,” the sorceress cooed. “You don’t want our young friend to find out you have a darker side to you.”

  “And I’m lucky I’ve been discreet enough to make sure that even my cat is not present when I step from my study into that other place. If he knew and could tell Miss Kreegan…”

  “Your secret is safe with me, Mister Camlann. So no one knows but me? Not even your talking bird?”

  “Homer has been sent to Cefen’adiel,” Gaston informed. “Apparently, the elves have encountered some unrest of their own, and Homer is acting as my eyes and ears in that distant part of Daltain.”

  “I must say, I’m incredibly flattered you would share this with me.”

  Gaston nodded. “I hope that trust is well-founded, for it will be you making the trip to Sungarden with them.”

  “Of course, I—Sungarden?” the sorceress wondered. “Why in the world would I travel to that awful city, masquerading as a place of high esteem where money is more important than ethics?”

  “I would have expected the capital of our country to interest you greatly.”

  “There may have been a time when I imagined being a lady of high renown there, having a dashing husband and perhaps robust property. But that was before I knew of their oppressive policies, their fears toward what they don’t understand, and an aversion toward what people like you and I excel at.”

  The sage gestured with his chin toward the courtyard. Adelia and Merlin scurried about the area, chasing one another. Though the transformed cat was new to his human form, he caught Adelia on more than one occasion. “That’s essentially a newborn down there. And though Miss Kreegan has impressed me at every turn, she is still a child. Your disdain for the place should more than make up for their innocence, don’t you think?”

  “You want me to play nanny?” Lucinda scoffed. “And for what? Why take this wretched trip?”

  Gaston allowed a smirk to stretch his lips. “What better place than Sungarden to find a way to negate magic? There have been some tales from that place that say it is possible that such a goal has been reached. An apothecary there—Mister Blythe, I do believe—has concocted a potion of sorts to counteract the arcane arts. Clearly, I’ve steered away from such a place, but given our current circumstances, it might be unwise to avoid it much longer.”

  “Are you sure it should be me that goes?” Lucinda queried. “If I leave you here, you’re sure to embrace your inner darkness. That’s not something I’d like to imagine.”

  “Nor I,” Gaston admitted. “But our captive is quite resilient. And if harming one man—an assassin, no less—can protect the people and the very country I love, I am willing to sacrifice a small part of myself to the darkness.”

  They sat against the stone walls, just beside the massive gate that led into the keep. Merlin panted, for he was unaware he had pushed his new body to the limit.

  “Do these limbs always feel so fragile? Er, that is…so sore?”

  “What, your muscles never ached as a cat?”

  He furrowed his brow, staring ahead as if looking into the distant past. “You know, I don’t really remember doing anything as a cat. How did I spend my time?”

  “You mean you don’t have a sudden inclination to chase that butterfly?” Adelia asked.

  “Did so much of my days really end with me hunting insects?”

  The sage’s pupil shook her head. “Of course not. Most of your day was spent sleeping.” Merlin groaned as the prospect of so many of his feline years lost to wasted activities became apparent. “Well, what were you supposed to do? You can’t read or write, you can’t tend a garden. There’s no hope for you in playing an instrument. Thumbs, Merlin,” she said, raising both of hers and bending them alternately.

  He sent her a sour look before it evolved into a teasing smirk. He sank back against the stone wall, leaning over as well and letting some of his weight land on his companion.

  “Merlin, I have to ask you something,” Adelia said. “Do you remember o
ur trip to Folly’s Glen?”

  “You’ll have to describe it. Names don’t mean much to a cat.”

  “Glowing mushrooms, streams that moved away from your hands, bugs that danced around pillars of flames.”

  His eyes brightened at that description. “That’s what I do with all my time,” he exclaimed. “Where do you think I would go for half the day?”

  “The butterflies,” she pressed. “We’ve discussed this. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you remember that huge black dragon?”

  “You mean the one that tried to devour both of us? I remember.”

  Adelia grabbed Merlin’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Why did you stand between me and that huge monster? You had to have known what it was.”

  “But I couldn’t just let it come after you. Of course, that was before I knew you were strong enough to handle it on your own!”

  “I don’t think I was strong enough then, Merlin. And even if I was, I certainly didn’t know it yet. If you hadn’t stepped up in front of me, I don’t think I’d still be here. I don’t know if you understood it in your normal form, so I’ll say it again: thank you so much.” She set her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hand for good measure.

  “No thanks necessary,” the transformed cat said. “As I recall, you returned the favor.”

  Both perked up when they saw the approach of the plump, purple sorceress. Lucinda forced a smile as she drew closer and clapped her hands together. “Pack your bags, children. We’re going on a trip.”

  Adelia climbed to her feet and offered Merlin help in doing the same. “I’ve been here for weeks, and the only time I’ve ever been away from Forsynthia was to gather supplies for Master Camlann.”

  “That’s because everything you need is here, dear girl,” Lucinda insisted. “But for our out-of-body feline here, we need something a little extra.”

  “So where is this mysterious place we’re going?” the sage’s pupil asked. “I’ve never seen Gaston venture farther than the gardens.”

  Lucinda gave a quick shake of her head. “Regrettably, Gaston will not be joining us. He still has some business to tend to here. Typical of him, really. He’s tried to avoid a romantic getaway with me for years.”

  With her arms over her chest, Adelia furrowed her brow. “So you’re kidnapping us?”

  “Who is to say it isn’t you that’s kidnapping me, child? I had much left to do here. There were countless hours of wooing in store for Master Camlann. But my magic does not seem likely to break Merlin out of his new body. We must take extra measures to see him returned to normal.” She paused then, looking at the lad. “Would you prefer we go alone—just a cat in a man’s body and a voracious woman like myself?”

  “Where are we going?” Adelia asked.

  Chapter Five: Sungarden

  As the vehicle drew to a stop, Adelia realized that, on many occasions, the first time she ever saw an impressive cityscape was through a carriage window. With Sungarden just ahead of them, she also understood it was probably the last time she would see one from within an old bag of luggage.

  “I still don’t understand why we couldn’t turn the squirrels into gryphons or dragons,” the girl said. “We’d have made it here a great deal sooner.”

  “Do you recall how hard it was for Merlin to walk without tipping over? Now imagine a squirrel trying to fly. Then think about how terrifying it would be to have them try to land.”

  “Fair point,” Adelia conceded.

  “Now, let’s get out of here before the enchantment ends,” Lucinda bade. “I don’t imagine we’d be comfortable all pressed against each other. Then again, I’ve been wrong about that before.”

  Adelia disregarded that cheeky comment and threw open the door. It was Merlin who hopped out first, though, and offered his hand to the sage’s apprentice. A beaming smile sprung to her face. The transformed cat almost led her away before he heard the clearing of the older woman’s throat. When she placed her hand in his, she raised her chin and looked past him, as only a dignified lady would.

  When Lucinda reached the ground, though, she gave Merlin a few pats on his cheek before sending him after Adelia. The arcane ascendant stood at the edge of the hill that overlooked the city and took in the view. While a gated bridge stood at the forefront of Sungarden, it didn’t disguise the rest of the place’s opulence. She could see towers and multi-story houses just over the walls. Beyond it all, a castle stretched wide across the area.

  She was pulled from her thoughts when the accompanying sorceress slammed the door to the carriage. Lucinda made her way to the horses driving the vehicle and pulled them into position, facing them north once more. “Go on then,” she said. She made her point well known with an added slap of her cane to one of the transformed squirrel’s rears.

  As the team rode off, Adelia took a step closer to her chaperone. “What did you do that for? We could have used them for the ride home.”

  “Dear girl,” Lucinda said while she wrapped her arm around Adelia’s shoulder and spun her about, “there’s something you need to understand about this world. Not everyone cares for magic. Some are outright afraid of it, and for good reason. Magic has been used for terrible things before, and it will surely be used for them again. But these fools at Sungarden can no better tell the difference between light and dark magic than I could the Everett twins.” She hummed, and a smile came to her face as her gaze drifted off into the distance.

  “Lucinda?” Adelia finally prodded.

  “Oh.” The sorceress sprung from that daydream. “You’ll have to excuse me, dear. Sometimes, at my age, all it takes are memories to get the old gears turning. What were we talking about? Ah yes, Sungarden and the fools that live there. Suffice it to say, they wouldn’t take it kindly if they were to witness a carriage transform into anything else, even if it was a pile of gold, despite their pettiness. That’s what makes this such a good place for our purposes. Your master, Gaston, in the wealth of research he’s amassed over the years, found that someone in this place has been perfecting the art of magical negation for some time now. If anyone can help Merlin, it’s him.”

  Both arcane practitioners looked ahead, spotting the boy who was once a cat. Merlin stood halfway between them and the opulent city, staring at the stone bridge that led beneath that raised gate. The river that meandered under that viaduct moved at a slow, steady pace, and he traced it back a ways, seeing that it was manipulated to veer off in several different paths into the city. Wildflowers grew along the sides of those redirected branches, and a few laborers spent copious time at each patch, studying the quality of the flora.

  Merlin nearly sprung out when he felt Adelia’s arm weave around his.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “What are they doing?” he asked while Lucinda passed on his other side.

  “Those men?” Adelia pointed to the ones tending to the wildflowers. “They’re gardeners. They make sure the flowers look as beautiful as they can. At Forsynthia, we don’t care to tell the flowers what to do, but here they must have a little more pride in the way things look.”

  Merlin nodded, and a slight grin crept to his face. “If I am to be in this form forever, I think I would like to be a gardener. And every day, I’d bring you a new flower I found.”

  Adelia tugged Merlin closer and gave him a slight push to urge him forward. While Lucinda sauntered onto the bridge and under the gate as though she owned the city, her two young companions took their time to study the impressive qualities. The stonework of the bridge was of meticulous quality, with a rail that had been built high with three thin rows that looked deceptively fragile. That artisanship extended to the sluice not far away in the river. More form than function, the device looked like another bridge unto itself, with ornate designs carved into the stone.

  As the visitors drew nearer to the gate, Adelia could see the portcullis was fashioned out of—or was at least designed to look like—gold. Above that, a stone archw
ay extended outward into two turrets with pointed roofs, painted a deep green bolder than the nearest forest. Even the corbels that aided the structures were of intricate design, with winding stone vines as the most predominant portion of the motif. The city crest sat directly at the center of the wall above the archway. Three amber roses spun about in a perfect circle, and a heavenly glow emanated from its center.

  Lucinda clicked her tongue and waved the young ones inside the city. There, Sungarden’s opulence could not be denied. A long stretch of trellis covered their entry, held aloft by pillars that were fashioned to look like trees and served as planters for hardy flora that didn’t require much sun. Above them, the lattice was filled with purple clematis and climbing roses.

  Merlin breathed deep, taking in that rich aroma. Realizing he could sense that medley, he showed a toothy grin and looked to Adelia. The girl was enraptured by the hanging garden, though, and didn’t notice his gleeful gaze.

  The trellis stretched from one side of the street to the other, abutting against shop entrances in narrow archways. Signs were situated beneath large, picturesque windows, names and descriptions of the wares within painted with remarkable penmanship. Adelia let a quiet giggle slip when she noticed that one of the first shops to be seen upon entering the city was a florist.

  Ahead of them, Lucinda had given up entirely on summoning her wards. She stopped one of the passersby and batted her eyes at him. “Excuse me, good sir,” she cooed. “Would you be able to point me in the general direction of a Mister Blythe?”

  “Blythe?” he echoed. “Orson Blythe? The apothecary? Well, he’s on the other side of town. If you take the bridge on the right, you’ll be starting off the right way; you’re a long way from there, though. Lots of twists and turns. If you’ve reached the harbor, you’ve gone too far.”

  The sorceress smiled and ran her hand down the man’s shoulder. “You have my utmost appreciation. I hope luck sees fit to have us meet again.” He stood straighter at that comment, and a flare of pink reached his cheeks. Lucinda spun about again and cleared her throat. “Come along now, children.”