Summoner: Origins - Book 0

Chapter 12

He tutted with frustration and pressed his ear against the wood, but still the voices were indistinct. He hadn't anticipated that. There was always the possibility that Charles would cheat. That maybe Rook would come at him from behind as soon as he stepped into the room. Maybe they would simply attack him together. If that was the case, there was a good chance they would be discussing it at that very moment.

Sacharissa nosed under the door, as if she could smell the plush carpet she had enjoyed just two days ago.

"I wonder if you can hear what they're saying," Arcturus said. "You seem to understand me well enough."

She licked his hand, then cocked her head to one side. Arcturus knew she didn't really understand him. She could simply sense his intentions. Still, her snuffling had given him an idea.

""Look at me, Sacha," Arcturus murmured, lifting her head with his hand. He stared deep into her eyes, trying to catch that brief moment they had shared in the corridor. In the dim torchlight of the corridor, they shone like shards of blue ice, never wavering from his own.

The world started to shift, the blue becoming a cold grey, the flickering orange replaced by pale shadows. He could smell the oil in the lamps, suddenly bitter and pungent in his nostrils. Most importantly, the voices in the other room came through clear as day, as if he were standing right beside them.

" ... he will find out soon enough. We need to get rid of the evidence, or all will be lost. My father has spent years currying favour with the king. Never has our future been so threatened."

It was Charles, his voice low and rapid. Arcturus could even hear his panicked breathing.

"Are there others?" Rook asked.

"How should I know? There might be!" Charles snapped.

"What good will it do then, if there are others?"

"They won't know where to look for them ... yet. My father has already taken care of the innkeeper and his wife – they were the only others who knew where the urchin came from, before he was a stableboy. Father sent word that Provost Forsyth will return tomorrow, to interrogate the boy. We cannot let that happen. A few words from him and all might be lost."

Stableboy? They had to be talking about him. As he tried to make sense of it all, Arcturus's concentration slipped and the world turned colorful again. He gritted his teeth and grasped Sacharissa's head in his hands, forcing the connection. He had to know more.

" ... tonight. I'll tell dog breath what he is before we begin. I want to see the look on his face," Charles snarled, followed by the sound of cracking knuckles.

"There's a chance he might win, you know that right?" Rook warned. "Your demon is the same level as his and neither of you can cast any spells."

Charles laughed scornfully,

"Don't you worry about that. The battle we witnessed today has given me an ide—"

Sacharissa whimpered. Arcturus realized he was gripping her head, his fingers tightening like a vice as he concentrated on the connection. He could suddenly feel her pain, fierce pulses of agony that she had borne stoically.

"What was that?" Rook hissed. There was the sound of feet thudding to the ground.

Arcturus released Sacharrissa and they sprinted away, dodging around the corner just in time. The door slammed open, the bang echoing down the corridor.

"Nobody here," Rook grunted.

"Well close the door, it's freezing out there," Charles called.

The door closed and Arcturus breathed easy once more. He let himself slide down the wall, until he was sitting on the cold paving of the floor.

"I'm so sorry, my darling," Arcturus whispered, gently stroking Sacharissa's back. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She gazed at him with pain in her eyes, but lapped at his hand, as if to say she still loved him.

"I wasn't so sure if I was going to go tonight; if I do it will put us in unnecessary danger. But now I know I have to. Lord Forsyth will interrogate me tomorrow, and we already know what that's like." He remembered the pain from when Sacharissa was whipped. The darkness of the cell.

"Charles said he would tell me what I am before the duel. I won't even fight, I'll just hear what he has to say and then we'll leave Vocans. Maybe we can make it to the Elf lands. It'll be safer than this place."

Sacharissa yawned, and rested her head in his lap. Arcturus laughed as she began to snooze, half closing her eyes.

"You're right, you lazy thing. Let's get back to the room, pack our bags and rest up. We've got to be ready at the second bell and as far away from Vocans as possible by first light."

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Thanks for reading Chapter 12. What do you think they were talking about? Sounds suspicious :P. 

Did you know that ORIGINS continues with a full novel called THE OUTCAST? You can read ALL of Arcturus's story in May, 2018, coming to a store near you or available online in all the usual places! 

The sequel to SUMMONER: The OUTCAST is called SUMMONER: THE NOVICE, and is out all over the world RIGHT NOW! You can pick one up in most bookstores including Barnes and Noble and Waterstones. It's also available online on Amazon, Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Nook and Google Play, to name but a few!