Wayward Heir Read online

  Prophecy Unravelled

  Wayward Heir

  Rin Grey

  © 2019 by Rin Grey

  www.ringrey.com

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by

  Table of Contents

  Map of Linarra

  Blurb

  Chapter 1 - Training

  Chapter 2 - Persuasion

  Chapter 3 - Control

  Chapter 4 - History

  Chapter 5 - Surprises

  Chapter 6 - Evaluation

  Chapter 7 - Excuses

  Chapter 8 - Journal

  Chapter 9 - Fate

  Chapter 10 - Confessions

  Chapter 11 - Temptation

  Chapter 12 - Endings

  Chapter 13 – One Last Adventure

  Chapter 14 – Interruption

  Chapter 15 - Defiance

  Chapter 16 – Seeking Solutions

  Chapter 17 - Arrangements

  Chapter 18 – Promises

  About the Author

  Blurb

  They think her loyalty has been tested and proven.

  The Salingas have finally accepted Elizabeth as heir and let her into their inner sanctum. And she's fascinated by what she finds there.

  But reading a mysterious journal from an ancient ancestor shakes her. Why can she see the scenes as though she were there? Just what is her family up to?

  Before she has a chance to find out, fate intervenes, and Elizabeth must choose.

  Is she the Salinga heir or a mage of Linarra?

  Wayward Heir is the fourth book in the Prophecy Unravelled Series.

  Sign up to my mailing list to receive a free copy of Guarding Honour, a short story in the Prophecy Unravelled universe.

  Chapter 1 - Training

  Mitch threw the ball against the wall. It bounced off the desk, and he caught it, then threw it again. But his heart wasn’t in it. He couldn’t work up the enthusiasm for anything right now.

  He’d given up studying long ago. What was the point? He couldn’t imagine going back to school after all that had happened in the last few weeks. What could they teach him there that would be important in his future? Everything he needed to learn was here, with Elizabeth.

  If only she’d teach him.

  He threw the ball with more force this time, and when it bounced off the desk it bumped one of his books onto the floor, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t believe she’d disappeared again after only just getting back. She hadn’t even talked to him or reassured him that she’d be back to teach him more.

  For all he knew, she’d forgotten all about him, just like she’d forgotten she had a family at all for fifty years. That thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He’d been so relieved when she’d shown up and announced that she was his grandmother, and she was rescuing him from the Dome and would teach him magic herself. He’d thought it the perfect solution.

  He’d forgotten all about the fact that she’d never been around.

  He probably shouldn’t be surprised that she wasn’t around to teach him. He just wanted so desperately to know more. To know everything he could about his magic.

  He’d come a long way from the days when he’d been so terrified to find out he was a mage. The more he learned about his magic, the more he itched to know.

  If only Elizabeth hadn’t made him promise not to practice while she was gone. If it weren’t for the fact that he was a little… wary—not scared, no, just wary—of her, he was sure he could have made some progress, even in her absence. As it was…

  There was a knock at the door, and he missed the ball. His attempt to catch it sent his chair toppling, and both he and the chair ended up on the ground. He jumped up quickly and rushed to open the door, face burning.

  Elizabeth’s amused smile greeted him.

  Finally.

  A part of Mitch wanted to shout in glee. Hopefully he’d get to practice some more now. But a part of him couldn’t let go of the fact that she’d abandoned him for so long already, and she didn’t even seem to have noticed. She was laughing at him.

  And a part of him was embarrassed. She was sure to have heard his chair fall. Hopefully she didn’t think he’d been practicing in her absence, or she might refuse to teach him again.

  “I was just studying…” he stammered, angry at himself for the apology as soon as the words were out of his mouth. She should be the one apologising.

  “No need to make excuses, Mitch. Study session is over for the day.”

  That must mean…

  Mitch held onto his grudge for just a few seconds, but the lure of finally getting back to learning won out quickly. “Are you going to teach me some magic?”

  “Not yet. First let’s see how much you remember.”

  And for the next half hour, Elizabeth grilled him on every single magical trick she’d taught him in the last few weeks. As though he might have forgotten. Well, she had been gone a while…

  At first it was good just to use his magic, but after a while, the resentment began to build again. He could do all these things already. He wanted to learn new stuff. In fact, after he’d been floating his ball a foot above the bed for nearly two minutes, he was about to tell her so when she smiled.

  “Well, Mitch, I think you’re ready,” she said definitively.

  “Ready for what?” The ball clattered to the ground again, and this time, Mitch didn’t care. This sounded promising. Maybe she was going to teach him something real now. Something bigger and more useful than the practice exercises he’d been doing for weeks.

  “Ready to be a mage. I’m satisfied that you have total control of your magic. You can practice on your own when you like now.”

  Mitch stared at her in disbelief. “You mean that’s it?” Had he really waited all this time just for that?

  Elizabeth laughed. “What, you expected some big display?”

  “Well, no, but…”

  Truth be told, he wasn’t too sure what he’d expected. But this basic test of what he’d already learned, after a week of not being allowed to use his magic, wasn’t it. Mitch stared at her in disbelief, then blurted out the first thought that came into his head. “Why didn’t you do that before you went away?”

  Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, then gave a short laugh. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have. But I was so caught up in what was going on with Jocelyn that I ignored all the signs that you were ready.”

  Her ready apology took all the fight out of him. He wanted to stay angry with her, but it was next to impossible when his mind was humming with excitement. The frustrations of the last week faded away in light of her announcement.

  He was a mage. He could do magic by himself.

  A whole world of possibilities suddenly opened up, and he was overwhelmed just thinking of them.

  Until Elizabeth’s quiet words interrupted him. “I think you’re ready to learn the real spells now. As a mage, you will need to learn how to defend yourself.”

  “You mean, like, with magic?” The thought was both sobering and exciting at the same time.

  Elizabeth nodded solemnly. “Being a mage will sometimes make you a target. There will be times when it will be necessary to use your magic in order to protect yourself or those you care about. Magic is always used only as a last resort though. A good mage will try everything to prevent a conflict and resolve it through mundane means before resorting to using magical force.”

  Her words made sense, and Mitch would consider the issue in depth.

  Later, when the excitement of learning some exciting, real, useful magic wasn’t overpowering all other thoughts.

  “So you’re going to teach me how to fight with magic?” he asked eagerly.

  Elizabeth laughed. “That was my plan, yes.”
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  Mitch had no trouble paying attention as Elizabeth began to explain.

  “Combat magic falls into roughly four main categories. Fire magic is pretty self-explanatory, and is simple, yet effective. Air magic requires a little more finesse, but its subtlety is exactly why it is valuable. You can also, of course, use raw magical energy to physically rip apart your enemies. It’s very powerful and satisfying, though it tends to be just as dangerous to you and anyone around you, as it’s notoriously uncontrollable. Finally, using healing magic, but in reverse, is probably the deadliest magic of all. Using magic to stop the heart or choke someone is instant and foolproof. It is also, of course, one of the hardest of all combat magics, and rarely will you have the time or magic it would take to use it.”

  Mitch nodded thoughtfully. The idea of stopping someone’s heart or choking them magically sobered his excitement somewhat. Elizabeth had shown him one or two basic healing spells, knitting his skin from simple cuts and healing the burns he had given himself one day while heating water. Those had left him exhausted enough.

  He listened intently as Elizabeth explained the technical details of how to perform each type of magic. After nearly half an hour of pure explanations, he began to suspect his head was going to explode with all the new knowledge.

  The most frustrating thing was, this wasn’t exactly the sort of magic you could practice or learn by experimentation. He wouldn’t know if he could do it or not until he tried.

  Elizabeth must have realised he was starting to get a little overwhelmed by it all, because suddenly she stopped and laughed. “Well, perhaps that is enough for one day. There’s plenty of time yet for you to learn all this. How about we do something more practical instead?”

  That sounded more promising. “More magic?” Mitch asked.

  Elizabeth shook her head, stood up, and walked out the door.

  Mitch barely had time to wonder what she was doing before she returned and tossed something at him. He caught it almost instinctively, and when he realised he was holding her sword he was thankful he’d done a better job of catching it than the ball earlier.

  He stared at the elaborately carved and jewelled hilt and scabbard, then up at her. Adrenaline and excitement flooded through him, almost more overpowering than learning combat magic, matched only by a healthy dose of nervousness.

  Combat magic was theoretical, and its use seemed vague and distant. But right now, he had a sword in his hand. “Are we going to practice sword fighting?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “There is more than one way to defend yourself. Some think swords are easier than magic, some think they’re harder, but the reality is, there are times when you need something other than magic to defend yourself with.”

  Elizabeth buckled another sword at her waist, its hilt and scabbard plain leather.

  She indicated that he should do the same, and Mitch fumbled to buckle the sword around his waist. “I’ve never used a sword before…”

  Well, he’d played with sticks and wooden swords as a child, but he’d outgrown those games many years ago. And unlike many of the other boys, he had no father to show him how to do the real thing, and a mother who’d forbidden him to try.

  “Then it is about time you learned.”

  “Does Mother know?” Mitch asked hesitantly.

  “No. I’ve tasked Digger with taking her out of the house for a while. But if she objects, you can place the blame entirely on me.”

  Mitch suspected he was going to need to avail himself of that permission, but right now, he didn’t care. His hand strayed to the hilt and rested there, thoughts of magic all but forgotten.

  He followed Elizabeth down the stairs, the presence of the sword making him shift his weight awkwardly. He wasn’t really sure why, since it wasn’t even as heavy as he expected it to be. He kept being afraid it was going to hit the step and trip him.

  Elizabeth led the way into the living room, surveyed it for a moment, then asked Mitch to help her move the couch. She moved a few other pieces of smaller furniture against the walls too, then rolled up the rug, leaving only the bare floorboards. She stood in the middle of the clear space and waved Mitch to a spot opposite her.

  “Now,” she said. “As a mage, you have two options open to you in terms of defence. Your magic, or a sword. I suppose you can include your fists too, but if you want to go that route, you’ll have to find someone else to teach you. It’s not my forte.”

  Mitch nodded and focused all his attention on what she was saying. “Why would I need a sword if I have magic?”

  “Well, the obvious answer is that there will be occasions when you don’t have that option, such as when you have already used your magic. But more importantly, to use magic or not in any situation is a decision that needs to be weighed very carefully. And it’s hard to do that if magic is your only option.”

  Butterflies settled in Mitch’s stomach. “Why would I need magic or a sword? I’m not the heir anymore. No one is going to bother me.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Being Jocelyn’s heir isn’t the only thing that is going to happen in your life. You’re a mage. Do you think you’re going to be able to stand by and watch an injustice be done? What if you saw someone hurting a child? Could you just stand by and watch?”

  “Of course not.”

  “In that case, isn’t it best that you know how to defend yourself?”

  Mitch was sure there was a hole in her logic somewhere. He just couldn’t find it right now. Probably his mother would explain just what it was later, but right now, he didn’t care. “I guess so.”

  Apparently that was enough discussion for Elizabeth, for she said firmly, “Draw your sword,” and drew hers with practiced ease.

  Mitch tried to copy her. He pulled the sword the length of his arm out of the scabbard, intending to do so with the same flourish she did.

  Unfortunately, due to his arm being slightly shorter than Elizabeth’s, the tip remained entangled and his planned smooth draw was botched.

  He could only be thankful that at least he hadn’t dropped the sword.

  He felt his face heat and glanced over at Elizabeth, sure he would find her laughing. But she just held the sword in front of her, waiting.

  Mitch brought up his sword, trying to copy her, and her approving nod calmed his agitation a little.

  “Keep your legs apart and your left foot slightly behind your right one. Stability is one of the key factors in winning or losing a swordfight. If your opponent can easily unbalance you, you’ve lost before the first swing has even been made.”

  Mitch nodded, biting his lip in concentration as he tried to mirror her foot positions.

  “Better. Now, there are many different ways for you to hold your sword, but for now, the most effective position for a beginner is with the sword directly in front of you. The hilt of the sword should be level with your navel, and the blade pointing towards your opponent. Like this, your sword is in a position to block most blows from your opponent with minimal movement.” She demonstrated as she spoke.

  Mitch attempted to hold the sword as she was, feeling self-conscious and awkward.

  “A little higher. That’s right. Now loosen your grip on the sword, or it’s going to jar your whole arm when our swords meet. Your hold should be relaxed, but firm.”

  Mitch tried to follow her instructions but was distracted by a surge of excitement. He was doing it. He was holding a real sword, about to have a real swordfight.

  “Now I’m going to strike at you. Just move to block me if you have to. I’m not going to hurt you, so try to stay relaxed and focused.”

  Mitch nodded. He adjusted his grip on the hilt of the sword and watched Elizabeth, trying to guess where she was going to strike.

  He’d thought he was prepared, but almost faster than he could see, let alone react, Elizabeth’s blade flashed towards him. Because of her instruction, his sword was in a position to block it, but he wasn’t prepared for the force behind the blow. Elizabeth pushed his sword bac
k towards his body, and his own blade swung frighteningly close to his face.

  She pulled back just as suddenly, before the blade reached him. So quickly that he almost lost his balance.

  His face flushed. She must think him stupid, to not be able to block even the simplest of blows. He wished now that he’d disobeyed his mother and practiced swords with the boys in the schoolyard. Then he wouldn’t look so inept.

  Elizabeth’s voice was brusque. “Always keep your eye on your opponent, from the first moment they walk into view, even before they’ve drawn a sword. After a while, you’ll find yourself eyeing every person you meet as a potential opponent, and no one will be able to get a jump on you. Bring your sword up.”

  Mitch brought it up as quickly as possible, just in time to block her next blow. He gritted his teeth and pushed with all his might, and he was rewarded with her pulling back and giving him an approving nod. “Better.”

  Mitch lost track of time as Elizabeth pushed him to repeat the same moves over and over again. He might have thought it was boring—if he had had a spare moment to think, and if he hadn’t been using every muscle and thought to see that she hit the sword, not him.

  “Now it’s your turn,” Elizabeth said finally, stepping back and holding her sword in the same position she’d instructed him to adopt earlier. “See if you can get past my guard.”

  Not needing to be invited twice, Mitch jumped towards her, swinging his sword as hard as he could. The clang as his sword hit hers echoed in his ears, and he didn’t have a moment to recover before Elizabeth’s sword was coming towards him, pushing him backwards.

  This time he actually fell over, landing on his behind on the floor, more embarrassed than hurt.

  He stared up at her, and she held out her hand to him.

  As she helped him to his feet, she continued instructing. “Balance is just as important when attacking as when defending. So is taking your time and watching your opponent. Never react impulsively. Always think your move through, including being aware of all the ways in which it can be used against you.”