The Apprentice's Apprentice

Part 46

The sound of running footsteps preceded the arrival of the reinforcements. Cora glanced up as the group slowed down and stopped, staring at the scene in front of them. Not that she blamed them. She imagined the sight of one apprentice sitting slumped on the ground while another stood beside a shield containing a rogue mage was something they didn't see very often.

Selena was the first to move, hurrying towards them, her cane held in one hand in a way that looked more like it was a weapon than a walking aide. "Warren's hurt," Cora said, eyes going back to Philippe who had his eyes shut. She didn't trust him not to try anything, even with the other mages. Really, she didn't trust him to be anything but batshit crazy and dangerous, so she wasn't about to risk not keeping an eye on him.

Their master nodded and hurried over to her first apprentice. Warren tried to wave her off, but Selena wasn't about to let him. She ran gentle hands over his back, stopping only when he hissed in pain. "What happened to you, apprentice?"

Warren winced. "I let anger get the better of me," he said quietly, his voice stronger than before. "And got thrown into a tree because of it. I did learn my lesson."

"Good. As it is, we'll have to have Jason take a look at you. I think you may have broken ribs," she said, before squeezing his shoulder. "And next time, I ask that you wait for the reinforcements. You came far closer to death than I care to think about."

The shushing sound against the grass announced the arrival of one of the other mages beside her. Cora looked sideways at the tall man. He was hard to see in the dark, but he stared straight ahead at the shield for several seconds. Then he let out a low whistle. "That's some high level magic there," he said, his voice deep as he jammed his hands into his jean's pockets and looked at Cora. "Who taught you the spell?"

Cora shrugged. "No one. I made it up when I fought the rogue. The girl rogue, Marissa. She'd have killed me and my friend if I didn't trap her so..."

"Damn. That's even more impressive. When you're looking for a defensive master, I hope you'll consider me," he replied.

"Leave her be, Edmund," Selena called. "She's had quite the night already without you trying to poach my apprentices from me."

"She's going to need a defensive teacher eventually," he called her back.

"Not until she masters offensive and she still has quite a ways to go for that. Now we should be focusing on the more pressing matters. Jason, I need you to take a look at Warren. Reese-"

"I know," came a strange female voice. The last two figures moved, the bigger one heading towards Selena and Warren, the smaller one coming up on the other side of Cora. The woman was small and slender, contrasting with her loud and harsh voice.

"Mage Philippe Didier," she said as she faced where he still sat, trapped in Cora's mirror shield. "You are being taken into custody on the suspicion of three counts of murder, one count of attempted kidnapping, two counts of interference with apprentices, and a current count of fifty-three counts of unlawful magicking. The most serious of these offenses, the attempted kidnapping of Apprentice Coralyn Hillett, the murders of Harold Pembroke, Marielle Didier nee Tullier, and Russell Didier, necessitate that you be tried by the full provincial mage council and that until your guilt or innocence has been determined that your magic be sealed. Do you understand these charges?"

Cora felt her stomach drop. Marielle and Russell? Philippe's parents? He'd... She felt her gorge rise and had to frantically swallow to keep from retching. When he'd said he'd dealt with them, she thought he'd just spelled them or something not...She shuddered.

Philippe opened his eyes then and shrugged. "I understand. More than all of you. In time perhaps you'll see why I had to act as I did. At least I hope you do, Cor."