Chapter 6.
"You seem awfully pensive, my dear..." Lady Charlotte said, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Yeah, it's nothing..." Fiona said after a moment, finally glancing at her friend and host.
"You didn't even tell me how it went in Ashad? What's Lady Regent like? Is Mearinth beautiful? I've never been there..."
Fiona smiled at Charlotte. As always, her friend couldn't keep her curiosity in check.
"It is nice, I suppose, although I was busy with the case..."
"You mentioned briefly that the prince and the regent were murdered... Awful business," Charlotte said, twitching her nose in disgust.
"Yes, and solving the murder only opened more questions... What is the situation here?"
"Hopeless..." Charlotte said with a sigh. "With the Duke and Duchess dead, nobody talks about anything else, not to mention that there hasn't been a proper party in ages..."
Fiona nodded, giving a compassionate smile to her friend.
"I envy her disdain for politics and her lack of interest for anything but parties and gossip... I could really use some of that mindset now,"
Fiona thought, but found that she couldn't really put her mind at ease. Yesterday, when they arrived at Highfort, she made sure to take Princess Vivien to the royal palace first, as inconspicuously as possible. She was hoping for a long talk with the king, but he barely acknowledged her brief report about the murders in Ashad and the dealings of the Cult of the Remaker.
"Three days from now, I am expecting you here, Lady Fiona... - that's what the king said when I asked him about the Duke and the Duchess and if he thought that there is any connection between that and the events in Ashad..."
Fiona thought in frustration. She sighed deeply, raising her eyes to meet Betty's sweet face as she was pouring tea for her mistress and Fiona.
"I'll just have to be patient..."
Fiona thought, grabbing Betty's cute ass and making her purr with satisfaction.
TOK! TOK!
"Betty, dear, go see who that is..." Charlotte said with a hint of annoyance as the sound of the door-knocker threatened to interrupt her afternoon tea.
"Right away, My Lady."
Fiona heard the creaking of hinges of the heavy front doors and then after a moment, she heard them again. Glancing through the entrance to the salon where they were having the tea, Fiona saw Betty's face stretch into an elated smile. The girl was standing in the entrance hall, beckoning Fiona to come with joyful and energetic motions.
"What came over you, girl..." Fiona said, rising to her feet and moving into the hall. Her inquisitive eyes strayed from Betty and set their sight on the person who was in the hall with her.
Fiona found herself unable to speak for a long, long moment as her breath caught in her chest.
There he was once again, after more than a year. Her Apprentice. Their eyes met, magnetically drawn to one another. A hopeful and timid smile was on his face as her eyes finally detached from his own and strayed towards the beautiful dark-haired girl whose hand he was holding. A pang of jealousy hit her like a slap in the face, and she found her voice once again.
"Well... if it isn't my former apprentice..." she said in a voice that sounded strange to her.
"It is so good to see you again..." Magnus said, releasing the breath he was holding.
"It is good to see you too..."
An awkward silence followed until Magnus turned and led the dark-haired girl towards a large chair and helped her sit down. Fiona felt a sudden pressure in her chest as she saw him speak and caress the girl's hair with immense gentleness and love. When he finally walked back to her and Betty, she mustered all her strength of will and forced a smile.
"I suppose congratulations are in order..." Fiona said, glancing at the beautiful but strangely docile girl.
"What?" Magnus said, puzzled. He stared into Fiona for a long moment until the realization dawned on him. "Oh! Gods, no... That is my sister..." Magnus said with a forced smile that betrayed some intense pain.
"Your sister?!" Fiona said, releasing a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
"Yes... and actually, she is the reason I am here," Magnus said, glancing once again towards Lina and sending her an encouraging smile that prompted no reaction from the girl.
"Huh... I can see the resemblance now," Fiona said, feeling a mountain lifting off her shoulders.
"Please, I need to speak to you... in private. Let me say hi to Charlotte and then I really need to talk with you..." Magnus said with pleading eyes.
"Of course," Fiona said, puzzled by the intensity of his words.
***
Sitting in a room they had often shared many months ago, gave Fiona a strange sensation of déjà vu. She eyed her former apprentice who seemed restless and was having trouble sitting still.
"Magnus, whatever it is, just say it. I am here for you," Fiona said with an encouraging smile.
"Thanks..." Magnus breathed out. "I have so much to tell you, but I feel I have to unload my heaviest burden first... It is about my sister," Magnus said after slight hesitation.
"And I thought it weird that he would be so rattled about anything concerning himself... but the girl is his weak spot, it seems,"
Fiona thought as she watched Magnus preparing to pour his soul out.
"She is a mage," Magnus said with a look of pain on his face.
"Really?! I didn't expect that... but why would that-"
"That's not the issue, though," Magnus said quickly. "She had been taken by slavers and she ended up in Fluvia. I found her there. A mage was controlling her mind somehow and he trained her as an assassin of a sort and I killed him and now she isn't there anymore!" Magnus blurted out in a single breath.
Fiona stared at him, her mind reeling from the torrent of words that didn't make any sense to her.
"She isn't there? Mind control?! Magnus, you are not making any sense. There is no spell for mind control!"
"There has to be! I am sure that's what it was. He tried to mind control me, but when I resisted he made her attack me. Now her mind isn't there anymore... Gods help me, I wish I could resurrect the son of a bitch just so I could kill him all over again!" Magnus said, clenching his hands with rage.
"All right, Magnus, listen to me. You have to describe everything to me... in detail."
Magnus nodded, and taking a few breaths to calm himself, he told her about his encounter with Lord Hawkins, taking time to describe how it felt when the lord tried to mind-control him. Within a couple of minutes, Fiona was shaking her head in disbelief.
"Mind control... By the gods, it must be the manifestation of a rare talent, there is no other explanation... If it were your sister only, I would suspect some powerful exotic drug, but I know you are not making up this attempt at controlling your mind..." Fiona said, feeling restless herself, suddenly.
Mind control magic... It was something unheard of... until now.
"Did you try healing her?" she asked finally.
"Yes! It was the first thing that occurred to me... but there is nothing wrong with her body," Magnus said in frustration.
"I see... Did you try delving into her mind?"
"I did... but I felt completely lost there. There were barriers and I couldn't figure out how to proceed... I couldn't risk hurting her," Magnus said putting his head in his hands.
"I am afraid I don't know anyone who has expertise in a matter such as this one... I am sorry," Fiona said, looking at her former apprentice with compassion. He was evidently in great pain.
"What can I do now? I can't just let her live like this. This is no life... She is, she is more like a plant than a person," Magnus said in anguish.
An eerie silence dominated the room as Magnus despaired and Fiona pondered the situation, her face serious and her eyebrows knitted. Finally, she reached out and grasped Magnus' hand, waking him from his hopeless stupor.
"There is something we can try. I could guide you inside her mind and maybe with my help you could put your healing to work."
"You could do that?"
"Yes, but it is not without risk... Mind is a delicate thing, so there is always a possibility of inflicting even more damage... You must make a decision, Magnus," Fiona said with determination. Magnus locked eyes with her, his face showing obvious struggle.
"Let's do it... and may the gods guide us," Magnus said, taking a deep breath. "I'll bring her here."
A couple of minutes later, the girl was lying on the bed with Magnus and Fiona sitting on either side of her. Fiona watched her pretty but completely docile face with curiosity as Magnus moved some loose strands of her dark hair. The obvious gentleness with which he was touching her brought warmth to Fiona's heart.
"She really is so pretty...Oh gods, I can't imagine being like this,"
Fiona thought, barely able to prevent herself from shuddering.
"Magnus, let's do this," Fiona said, steeling herself. She touched the girl's forehead, extending her other hand to Magnus. He mimicked her moves after a moment of hesitation. His face was solemn and it was obvious how worried and anxious he was.
"Close your eyes and empty your mind... Find your calm first," Fiona said, a vision of a starry night sky coming to her mind, the sky she had watched so many times as a little girl from the roof of her uncle's barn. It was her favorite memory, her own anchor when she needed to focus.
"Now, reach out to me and let me guide you..."
A few moments later, she felt a presence at the edge of her mind and she lowered her barriers. As she felt the touch of Magnus' mind, she sensed an overwhelming feeling of intimacy. No coupling of bodies could ever reach so deep.
There is no more need for words now, Magnus.
