The Knight's Deception

Chapter 12

King Daimon, his crown crooked atop his graying head, slammed his hands down on the table, startling the gathered knights before him. He had summoned them to the council chambers to discuss the situation, but none had anything to add. The murderer they had spent hours trying to locate had seemingly vanished into thin air. “You’ve found nothing?!”

"N-no, Sire.” One knight replied.

"Father, we still have knights searching.” Liam spoke up. He sat beside his father‘s chair which was not occupied as the king had taken to pacing the spacious chambers. “We believe this to be sorcery.”

"Of course it’s sorcery.” Daimon growled, turning to his son. “It’s always sorcery.”

The chamber doors burst open, and the chandelier hanging above them, bright candles casting shadows along the walls, swung wildly as a strong wind blew into the chambers behind a breathless knight. Liam recognized him as Sir Andrew. “Sire! Another body outside the city gates. Much like the last one.”

"Did you see the sorcerer responsible?” Daimon asked, striding over to the knight who squared his shoulders in an attempt to not look terrified in the face of an angry king.

"No, Sire, not I. Another knight is in pursuit of a suspicious person as we speak, but I know nothing else.”

"Which knight?” Liam asked, his heart sinking.

"Sir Noah.”

***

Lily cursed the senior knight who had ordered her to search around the outer gate where the mud never seemed to freeze even in the dead of winter. She hated him as he wore that ever present smirk that clearly said he hadn’t wanted to trudge through ankle deep mud and held enough authority to make her do so instead. “Damned knight and his seniority.” She grumbled, thinking he probably didn’t have as much authority as he had claimed.

The mud squelched as it sucked her boots in, chainmail rustling with each step she took. Some of it slid into her boots, cold and slimy where it touched her bare feet, and she grimaced. She looked up just in time to see a shadow darting into the trees.

Though months of training wanted her to call out for backup, arrogance and secrecy won out, telling her she would be better off alone. She tried to run, but the mud pulled her to the ground where she gained a mouthful of the awful stuff. The bitter taste of it clung to her tongue as she flicked her wrist to unfasten both trapped boots with her magic, not pausing long enough to curse her luck. She darted into the trees where she remembered the shadow disappearing, the ground cold and wet beneath her feet. Her steps stayed silent and careful as she wove past dark trunks and heavy branches laden with snow. The darkness of the night closed in on her as she ventured farther into the forest, away from the castle.

A flash of heat, burning like liquid fire, brushed against her arm, and she hissed. She gazed down at the tattered hole in her sleeve and the scorched skin beneath, knowing then that she was not facing her brother. Only one sorceress could conjure fire as effortlessly as breathing. Enya. Lily searched the dark trees, the branches creaking in the wind, but she saw nothing of the fiery sorceress.

"Enya! Show yourself.” She called out, silver tendrils of her own magic wrapping around herself in preparation for an attack.

"Now why would I do that?” Enya laughed as Lily hissed again, clutching her burned arm to her chest as if that would help the stinging pain emanating from it.

"How cowardly.” Lily said with a snort of derision, not allowing the attacks to shake her. "Hiding amongst the trees and attacking only when convenient. A true enemy would stand before me!”