Forbidden Art

  * * *

  The room lacked heat, the stone stealing any light that emerged from the flickering torches. Smoke spiraled in pillars, seeking to escape only to disperse and fade. Lex leaned against one wall, the one beside the iron door. His foot propped up, he rested with his arms over his chest and a grimace of disapproval set.

  Charis snapped her fingers, drawing Myraza’s attention back to her. “Ignore the brute and focus. If we ever want to understand your ability, you will have to embrace it.”

  “Brute?” Lex snorted. “How is that accurate when I try to stop this foolishness? Magic is a plague on this land.”

  Myraza looked to her hands, the cushion embracing the chair beneath her no longer comfortable. “Sorry.”

  “Well, that was rude!” Charis grabbed a pebble and chucked it at him. He caught it. “Luck.”

  “Skill.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I’m not saying she’s bad or anything, just that her ability isn’t natural and is unsafe for everyone including her. It’s bad enough that you discovered it; we don’t need to risk others.”

  “That would be why we are down here.”

  Myraza looked to him. “It is natural to me.” His insistence that her skills were bad hurt her more than knowing that the nation would fear her should knowledge leak. “Is it so wrong for me to want to know more about it, about myself?”

  He bit back a retort, his harshness ebbing when their eyes met. “No. I just worry that one of these times something horrible will happen and I won’t be able to stop it. That is what terrifies me, not you.”

  “Honesty? AMazing.” Charis turned. “Try again?”

  “No.” If Lex worried, then perhaps Myraza should be cautious. “I think that is enough for today. I am tired, and we have accomplished nothing.”

  The woman pouted. “What you mean to say is that he convinced you to stop.”

  “In part. I just do not want to risk hurting people.” She clasped her hands. “I do not want to be bad.”

  “See what you did?” Charis’s rage snuffed when she returned her attention to Myraza. “You are not bad! You saved me, no?”

  “Yes.”

  “You also mended my brother’s arm, or so I heard.” Lex pushed off the wall, waving off Myraza’s shock. “I said that I didn’t believe you were evil, didn’t I? This place is suffocating me, and the smoke’s building. Let’s leave, preferably before my brother sends a search party. He’s been watching me close these past few weeks, and, though I love making him twinge, I’d rather avoid a fight with Raz in the middle.”

  Charis frowned. “Good points, all.” She stood and helped Myraza to her feet. “Smile for me or I will pout.”

  Myraza giggled. “Well, if you insist.”

  Lex opened the door after grabbing one of the torches. “And back into the cold catacombs.”

  Charis claimed the other light and they entered the darkness. “How did you ever find this place?”

  “We chased Mazin this way. He apparently used to play down here a lot. I’ll refrain from details.”

  “And you brought us here?” Charis’ voice hovered on the edge of disgust.

  “Where else could you two play without notice? There’s still a magical ward around it.”

  Silence passed. “How do you know that?”

  “A little rat told me. Suspicious, aren’t we?”

  Myraza smiled into the darkness, offering a silent compliment for the perfect save to his secret. He knew there was a ward the same way she did; she could see it in faint waves of violet moving over the walls and ceiling. “I can see it, so whoever told Lex is correct.”

  “Was there ever any doubt?”

  Charis snorted. “With you? Always?”

  “What a treacherous tongue you have.”

  Their banter continued, but Myraza’s attention drifted. Something buzzed in the dark, a distant sound that mimicked a bee. She fought to discover its origin, and concluded with it lurking at the end of a long hall. Her pace slowed, and she stared, unsure if the faint light she saw was real.

  “What is down there?”

  “What? Where?” Lex stopped and followed her gaze. He also stared. “Why?”

  He could see it, she knew he could from his guarded reaction. “I see light.”

  Charis moved the torch from her face and squinted. “Nothing. You must be seeing things.”

  “Oh. Perhaps.” She moved closer to Lex. “Well? Will you answer?”

  “Yeah. That was where Mazin kept his study, the one holding his supplies.” He took her by the arm and began walking. “We leave. Now.”

  “But—”

  “No. If you see light, then that suggests something dangerous could be hidden there. We destroyed all of the equipment, but there’s always a possibility of a missed relic.”

  Charis spun and ran down the hall. “Right!”

  “Are you mad?” Lex’s breathing increased pace and he clenched his jaw. “I feel heat and something pushing me from that direction. You?”

  She studied the air. “Cold, and something pulls me.”

  “We can’t leave her.”

  “No.”

  He swallowed. “If something happens that makes me act different…run.”

  She studied his face, the fire dancing over his flesh mixed with shadows rendering the lower half orange while the upper maintained a grey hue. “Do you believe it will?”

  “Anything is possible with magic.”

  “Ah. Then you should fear me more.” She took his hand. “I have embraced it, so its hold on me will be stronger…if it is something to fear.”

  “Not sure about that.” He started forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

  They moved through the dark tunnel, mindful of their footing on the uneven stone. The torch carried by Charis served as their focal point, for direction and distraction. Myraza shivered, growing colder the closer they came. Lex flushed. His brow glistening from sweat, he untied his doublet.

  Charis leaned against a wall in an empty room, a look of disappointment etched over her delicate features. “Nothing.”

  Both Lex and Myraza stared past her at a portion of the stone that pulsed with blue energy. They exchanged glances dripping with concern, neither wanting to move closer. Myraza felt that she must, but he held her back when she tried to take a step.

  “Not so sure about this.” He pointed at Charis. “We have what we came for. Let’s just leave.”

  Myraza looked up at him. “I have to know.”

  “No, no you don’t.”

  Charis straightened, staring from one of them to the other. “I am confused.”

  Myraza pulled her arm from Lex’s grasp. “There is something in the wall, or beyond it? I am unsure.” She dodged his attempt to grab her and moved closer, her hand outstretched.

  “Raz, don’t do it. Magic is dangerous.” He stepped forward, then jumped back when it flared. “See? Come back. Slowly.”

  Myraza reached the wall and held her hands over the anomaly. It bent from her, and she pressed into it, reaching for the unseen. Her fingers brushed ice in darkness. It moved and a hideous wail sounded, screeching and painful grumbling to follow. She ran to Lex and buried her face in his open doublet, her cheek resting against his chest.

  The roaring and crying lasted only moments. When it ended, Lex tapped her shoulder. “Why don’t you turn and see what you’ve done, our brave little warrior.” When she didn’t respond, he turned her. “It’s fine, Raz. You were lucky this time.”

  She cracked an eye open, bravery only returning because he stood with her. When she beheld a passage, she popped them open and gawked. Part of the wall had moved into the room and then aside. The hall was short and led into another room.

  “Good one, Raz!” Charis jogged forward, stopping at the passage and leaning in, one foot in the air. “There are strange objects in there.”

  “What is with you women and sticking your heads into danger?” Lex gestured to the hall in an upward arc. “Did you sto
p to think for one moment that something could attack? I mean, you aren’t exactly in the best stance to—LOOK OUT!”

  Myraza screamed and covered her head. Charis yelped, stumbled back, and fell. Lex laughed, beginning with small chuckles before gaining momentum into loud chortles.

  Charis glared at the prince as Myraza slowly lowered her arms. “You rotten—”

  “You like it.” He moved forward, his hand on his sword. “But, really, you two need to be more cautious.”

  Myraza clenched her fists, heat rising to her face. “That was mean!”

  “Let it be a lesson to you.” He drew his blade and entered the passage, moving with measured steps. “Nowhere is safe, everywhere has the potential for danger, especially when magic’s involved.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Charis’ lips rose when Myraza offered her hand. “Thank you.”

  “It’s clear, ladies.” Lex’s sword returned to its resting place. “Still not sure about it, but there’s at least no open threat.”

  Myraza and Charis moved to his side, eyes full of wonder. The items in the room were set on pillars and protected by glass. Each item held to unique forms, most metallic and many with moving parts. Light filled every corner, though Charis held to her torch as if unable to see without it.

  Lex turned, his hands held aloof. “How did we fail to notice this before?”

  Charis snorted, moving to examine the objects. “You did not have someone like Raz, who can wield magic. You know, that thing you are set against.”

  Myraza felt obliged to answer when he stared at her. “Well, it did not open until I pulled whatever it was I pulled.”

  “We didn’t even see the magic.”

  “Oh.” Her eyelids batting, she thought further. “Perhaps it had yet