Mageborn The Line of Illeniel by Michael Manning (top novels of all time TXT) 📗

asks me who did it? “I’m telling Penny,” I replied sarcastically, as if we were still kids.

He gulped nervously, but went on, “Come on Mort; answer me… who cut the tree down?”

“When Penny asks I’m telling her it was you, but it was my enchantment that made it possible.” I took a sip of water, looking at him over the rim of the cup.

“Who’s hand held the blade?” he replied.

“Yours my good friend, it was definitely yours,” I said, nearly laughing, sometimes I crack myself up.

Dorian threw the sword on the ground, “Can it cut a tree down now? Get up sword! Go cut that tree down for me!” He was yelling at the blade and pointing at another small tree.

I was beginning to wonder at his sanity. “Come on Dorian… calm down. Obviously the blade can’t do anything if you don’t hold it. Well technically, I might be able to make it work without holding it... but I think that’s not your point is it?”

“Damn right it’s not! I held the sword. I cut the tree down... with this hand,” he held his large hand up, making a fist. “And who made the sword, before you enchanted it? Who built this house? Look around you! Everything you see was made by plain old everyday people, your people! You can improve on some things with magic, surely, but you are just one man. True power lies in the people around you. As the Count di’Cameron you have been given their trust, it is up to you to use it wisely. Hide everything from them; treat them as children and you throw away your power, you cheapen their strength. Talk to them, trust them, let them help you and you will learn what true strength is.”

I had never heard Dorian give such an impassioned speech before, and it cut through my arrogance, touching my heart. “Dorian, you’re right.” For a moment he reminded me so strongly of his father that it almost brought a tear to my eye. I got up and hugged him. “As long as I have friends like you things will always work out. If it weren’t for you and Penny I don’t know how I would manage all this.”

“I’m glad you realize that,” he answered gruffly. He always got a bit uncomfortable when I was overly emotional.

“Let’s go see how far Dad is with the pendants, maybe we can help him. When they’re ready I’ll talk to everyone. I won’t tell them till I can at least give them some small measure of protection,” I said.

“At least you have a plan,” Dorian replied. “Any plan is better than none.” Together we went to the smithy, there was much to do.

Chapter 4

The next few days passed by uneventfully. Dorian took to sleeping during the mornings, since he spent the nights patrolling. His speech had made an impact on me, so I let him do it, while I used the days to make enchanted pendants for the townsfolk. After four days I had over sixty of them ready, which I figured would be enough for everyone to have one. I intended to keep at it though; there would be more people as time went on.

The keep was still a work in progress, but Penny told me that the living areas were finished, so we started moving in. Much of the rest of the interior was still open timbers and unfinished stone, but at least we would have a better place to live. Many of the townsfolk pitched in to help us move our things and get settled, so I took the opportunity to speak to them afterward.

“I appreciate everything you have all done to help us, but there’s something I need to talk about. If you could gather your families here this evening, I’d like to tell everyone at once.” I felt a bit odd giving speeches, but I guess it comes with the territory. People nodded and soon they had all left to find the others.

Penny spoke up, “Are you sure about this Mort?”

“I have to do it... it’s not fair to keep them in the dark.”

She had a pensive expression. “If you tell them about Sadie Tanner things could get ugly, assuming they believe you.”

She had a point. I hadn’t thought that part through fully. Sadie Tanner’s friends and family would likely be upset and confused. Scratch that, if I told them I had dismembered and burned their daughter because I ‘thought’ she was a ravening undead monster... they’d go bat-shit crazy. There was no proof, and no one had heard of such creatures before. Even the relatively superstitious common folk would be more prone to believe I had committed a crime as opposed to self-defense.

“I’ll tell them it was a man, but we didn’t recognize him. If this gets worse they’ll be more able to accept the truth later on. If it doesn’t we’ll just have to find another way to break the news to her family later on,” I said.

My father came over while we waited, bringing the newly made pendants. I was glad for his presence and support, the thought of giving a speech had made me nervous. “Don’t worry about it Mordecai, just tell them the truth and it will be alright,” he whispered in my ear as people started filing into the room.

We were standing in the great hall, or rather what would be the great hall. Presently it was more like a courtyard, it had been framed in but the roof was still absent. Sunlight filtered down between the towers and onto the wood floor beneath me. It was a beautiful day, belying the dark news I had to deliver.

Once everyone had arrived I stood on a chair. It was the best I could manage. “I’ve called you all here to talk about the disappearances,” I started simply. “I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but I’ve been spending a lot of nights outside, watching and waiting. I called my friend