The Magelands Epic: Soulwitch Rises (Book 7) Read online

  Soulwitch Rises

  Christopher Mitchell is the author of the epic fantasy series The Magelands. He studied in Edinburgh before living for several years in the Middle East and Greece, where he taught English. He returned to study classics and Greek tragedy and lives in Fife, Scotland with his wife and their four children.

  By Christopher Mitchell

  The Magelands Origins

  Retreat of the Kell

  The Trials of Daphne Holdfast

  From the Ashes

  The Magelands Epic

  The Queen’s Executioner

  The Severed City

  Needs of the Empire

  Sacrifice

  Fragile Empire

  Storm Mage

  Soulwitch Rises

  Renegade Gods

  Copyright © Christopher Mitchell 2020

  Cover by Miblart

  Cover Copyright © Brigdomin Books Ltd 2020

  Christopher Mitchell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems (except for the use of brief quotations in a book review), if you would like permission to use material from the book please contact [email protected]

  Brigdomin Books Ltd

  First Edition, July 2020

  Ebook Edition © July 2020

  ISBN 978-1-912879-29-8

  For Graeme

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank the following for all their support during the writing of the Magelands - my wife, Lisa Mitchell, who read every chapter as soon as it was drafted and kept me going in the right direction; Graeme Innes for reading the manuscripts and sharing many discussions over whisky; my parents for their unstinting support; Amy Tavendale, Sandra and Donna Wheat and Vicky Williams for reading the books in their early stages; James Aitken for his encouragement; and the Film Club for their support.

  Thanks also to my Magelanders ARC team, for all your help during the last few weeks before publication.

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  Dramatis Personae

  The Holdfasts

  Daphne Holdfast, Holder Fast

  Karalyn Holdfast, Elder daughter, 19

  Keir Holdfast, Elder son, 16

  Kelsey Holdfast, Younger daughter, 15

  Corthie Holdfast, Younger son, 13

  Cole Holdfast, Son of Keir and Jemma

  Celine Holdfast, Daphne's sister-in-law

  Holdings

  Jemma, Hold Fast Tenant

  Sable Blackhold, Agent

  Sanders, Imperial Vision Mage

  Amber Holdsmith, Imperial Officer

  Barnaby Greenhold, Imperial Officer

  Nykka, Imperial Commander

  Johan, Wagon-master

  Frieda, Wagon-master’s Daughter

  Kellach Brigdomin

  Bridget, Empress of the World

  Calder, Imperial Lawyer, Plateau City

  Dean, Professor, University, Plateau City

  Bryda, Imperial Marine

  Demi, Imperial Marine

  Lennox, Former Army of Pyre

  Cain, Former Army of Pyre

  Carrie, Former Army of Pyre

  Leisha, Former Army of Pyre

  Kelpie, Owner of World’s End

  Kendrie, Barman, World’s End

  Koreen, Resident, World’s End

  Darine, Resident, World’s End

  Dommek, Gang-master, Severton

  Rahain

  Nyane, Imperial Herald

  Nadia, Refugee from Rahain

  Rakanese

  Ravi, Diamond Mage

  Kerri, Friend of Ravi

  Shella, Flow Mage & Princess

  Sanang

  Thorn, Hedgewitch

  Acorn, Hedgewitch, Thorn's Sister

  Chestnut, Hedgewitch

  The Peoples of the Star Continent

  There are five distinct peoples inhabiting the Star Continent. Three are descended from apes, one from reptiles, and one from amphibians. Their evolutionary trajectories have converged, and all five are clearly ‘humanoid’, though physical differences remain.

  1.The Holdings – the closest to our own world’s Homo sapiens. Excepting the one in ten of the population with mage powers, they are completely human. The Holdings sub-continent drifted south from the equator, and the people that inhabit the Realm are dark-skinned as a consequence. They are shorter than the Kellach Brigdomin, but taller than the Rakanese.

  2.The Rakanese – descended from amphibians, but appear human, except for the fact that they have slightly larger eyes, and are generally shorter than Holdings people. They are descendants of a far larger population that once covered a vast area, and consequently their skin-colour ranges from pale to dark. Mothers gestate their young for only four months, before giving birth in warm spawn-pools, where the infants swim and feed for a further five months. A dozen are born in an average spawning.

  3.The Rahain – descended from reptiles. Appear human, except for two differences. Firstly, their eyes have vertical pupils, and are often coloured yellow or green, and, secondly, their tongues have a vestigial fork or cleft at their tip. Their heights are comparable to the Holdings and the Sanang. Skin-colour tends to be pale, as the majority are cavern-dwellers. Their skin retains a slight appearance of scales, and they have no fingerprints. They are the furthest from our world’s humans.

  4.The Kellach Brigdomin – descended from apes, and very similar to the Holdings, they are the second closest to our world’s humans. Their distinguishing traits are height (they are the tallest of the five peoples), pale skin (their sub-continent drifted north from a much colder region), and immunity to most diseases, toxins and illnesses. They are also marked by the fact that mothers give birth to twins in the majority of cases.

  5.The Sanang – descended from apes, but evolved in the forest, rather than on the open plains that produced the Holdings. As a consequence, their upper arms and shoulders are wider and stronger than those of people from the Holdings or Rahain. They are pale-skinned, their sub-continent having arrived from colder climates in the south, and they occupy the same range of heights as the Holdings and Rahain. The males bear some traits of earlier Homo sapiens, such as a sloping forehead and a strong jaw-line, but the brains of the Sanang are as advanced as those of the other four peoples of the continent.

  Contents

  1. On the Porch

  2. The Stormwitch

  3. Herald of the Empire

  4. Westport

  5. Lost for Words

  6. Moral Quandary

  7. Recognition

  8. No Questions

  9. Youthful Audacity

  10. Hunted Down

  11. Finely Ground

  12. The Four Clans

  13. Refuelling

  14. Fitting

  15. Turbulence

  16. The Far End of the World

  17. The Sole Remedy

  18. Winter’s Day in Domm

  19. Watchful

  20. Meeting the Family

  21. From the Darkness

  22. Fa
int Signs

  23. Duty

  24. The Morning After

  25. Fire and Death

  26. Ripples

  27. Relieved

  28. The Iron Brigade

  29. Shroud over Rainsby

  30. Second Thoughts

  31. One for the List

  32. Behind the Mask

  33. The Witches of Rainsby

  34. A Small Act of Mercy

  Author’s Notes

  The Magelands Series

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  Chapter 1

  On the Porch

  Plateau City, Imperial Plateau – 12th Day, First Third Autumn 525

  ‘Everything changes,’ said the Empress, gazing at the autumn leaves littering her rooftop garden. ‘Everything dies. Even this empire shall pass. A time will come when no one will remember any of our names, or a single one of our deeds; all will be lost to dust and ash.’

  ‘I humbly disagree, your Majesty,’ said Nyane. ‘The glory of your name will live on forever.’

  The small party stopped as the Empress turned. A chill morning breeze was sweeping the imperial capital, and they had all wrapped up warm.

  ‘So proclaims a herald,’ the Empress said, ‘though whether through blind loyalty or misplaced flattery I don’t know.’ She glanced at Calder. ‘Do you agree?’

  ‘I wouldn’t like to say, your Majesty,’ he replied. ‘There are too many unknowns.’

  Bridget smiled. ‘A lawyer’s response if ever I heard one. What about you, Karalyn?’

  ‘I agree with you, your Majesty,’ she said. ‘Nothing lasts.’

  The young mage exchanged a glance with the Empress, and she perceived the pain behind Bridget’s remaining eye without having to use her powers. Two and a half thirds had passed since the death of her father, though she counted it from the date of her return to Plateau City; the day her world had collapsed.

  The others on the roof said nothing, aware of the mourning shared by Bridget and Karalyn, and hesitant to disturb them in their silence. Karalyn lit a cigarette then turned her head to look out over the vast city sprawling away from the fortress in all directions.

  Nyane cleared her throat. ‘The new conscription bill, your Majesty?’

  The Empress shook her head. ‘As I was saying, everything changes. The people have loved me for a while, and now they’re going to hate me. A leader who goes back on her promises; they’ll never forgive me for it.’

  ‘It’s a military necessity, your Majesty. We are in desperate need of an additional forty thousand troops and sailors to restore our garrisons and replace the slain and wounded. Without reinforcements, the brave efforts of our army and navy will have been in vain. Rainsby holds, thanks to Karalyn’s brother; and Stretton Sands is ours again.’

  ‘You say that as if I had anything to do with either event.’

  Nyane’s eyes darted across the rooftop garden. ‘Your Majesty, could I please request that we do not discuss this outwith your private chambers?’

  Bridget half-laughed. ‘We’re on top of the Great Fortress. It’s just the four of us, and a few soldiers standing out of earshot; we could hardly be in a more private location.’

  Nyane’s tongue flickered.

  The Empress turned to Calder and Karalyn. ‘What my herald really means is that she doesn’t want me to tell you two the truth.’

  ‘The truth about what?’ said Calder.

  ‘About Stretton Sands,’ she said. She glanced at Karalyn. ‘I trust you haven’t read it from my mind?’

  ‘No, your Majesty.’

  ‘Good lass,’ said the Empress. ‘It’s a bitter irony, knowing that the thing the people are cheering you most for is a lie. The recapture of Stretton Sands by the marines ranks as my greatest achievement in this war, but the truth is that if they had obeyed my orders they would have stayed in Rainsby. The problem was, that they had already set sail in pursuit of the Army of Pyre without waiting for my orders. They knew I would forbid an attack, so they went ahead and did it anyway.’

  ‘What?’ cried Calder. ‘After what that bastard fire mage did in the harbour, you would have let them go?’

  ‘It was a trap, Calder. Ghorley wanted me to draw the marines away from Rainsby so he could launch an all-out assault, which is precisely what he did. Imagine if the enemy fire mage had been in Stretton Sands when the marines arrived? It would have been over in minutes. Instead, by chance, we discovered we had a fire mage of our own in Rainsby; and what was so close to being a catastrophe turned into the best day the empire’s had in a long while. And now the people have a new hero to worship.’ She nodded at Karalyn. ‘Keir Holdfast.’

  Karalyn shook her head.

  ‘Some family,’ said Calder. ‘I’m glad they’re on our side.’

  ‘The glory of your triumphs, your Majesty,’ said Nyane, ‘whether you feel them deserved or not, will surely help soften the blow of conscription. The vast army that Karalyn and Calder witnessed on the other side of the Grey Mountains may appear any day; we must be prepared.’

  ‘I know,’ said Bridget, ‘which is why I acquiesce.’

  ‘You do, your Majesty?’ said Nyane, relief on her face. ‘Thank you. Forty thousand, followed by a further forty come spring?’

  The Empress nodded, though her gaze remained over the city.

  ‘I shall see to it at once, your Majesty,’ Nyane said, bowing. She turned and walked towards the stair turret.

  As soon as she was gone, Bridget brought her fist down onto the iron railing at the edge of the roof.

  ‘I hate this fucking job.’

  She drew a flask from within the folds of her robes and took a drink.

  ‘I’m so alone,’ she went on, as Karalyn and Calder stayed quiet. ‘Killop, Dyam, Laodoc. Bedig.’

  ‘You’re the Empress,’ Calder said, ‘the Holder of the World.’

  ‘Aye.’

  She took another swig and put the flask away. ‘Where are we with the Quadrant?’

  ‘The same,’ said Karalyn. ‘Dean’s still studying it, but he hasn’t learned what it is, or where it came from. He says it’s made from an alloy of some kind, but without taking a sample he can’t be sure.’

  ‘He’s not taking any sample.’

  ‘No,’ Karalyn said. ‘I told him that. Ravi’s been helping him, but he’s just as puzzled by it. No one’s been able to make it do anything.’

  The Empress glanced at her. ‘No one but you?’

  ‘No one but me.’

  ‘And it still works,’ Bridget went on, ‘whenever you touch it?’

  ‘It talks to me; except when I ask it awkward questions.’

  ‘But it’ll let you travel?’

  ‘Aye. It always asks me where I want to go.’

  Bridget glanced away. ‘I promised your mother that I wouldn’t send you back into danger. The Quadrant is useless, just a piece of scrap metal unless we can work out how to let others use it. Forgive me, Karalyn, but this is one instance where your mother would be more useful. Imagine sending Daphne off in her prime with a working Quadrant; all of my enemies would be dead within days.’

  ‘I’m sorry I’m not a murderer, your Majesty.’

  ‘Don’t take that tone; you know what I mean. You have your skills, and your mother has… hers. Or had; I doubt she’s lifted a sword in nearly twenty years. Or Sable would do. You’ve never met her, but she’s as quick as your mother ever was. A pity she’s a traitor.’

  ‘I doubt she’ll venture from Rahain again,’ said Calder. ‘Not now that she knows we’re onto her.’

  ‘It’s Agatha and Witten we should be worrying about,’ said Karalyn. ‘And the woman who killed my father. She could be anywhere.’

  ‘Her description has been distributed all over the empire,’ said the Empress. ‘The sketch your sister Kelsey sent has been reproduced on the printing presses a thousand times, along with a sizable reward for information. If she was in the city, we’d know.’ She turned back to gaze over the capital
, the metal plate covering her left eye socket reflecting the dawn rays. ‘Look at it,’ she said. ‘So peaceful. This time tomorrow, when the names of those conscripted have been posted up in the centre of each quarter, the people will be cursing my name.’

  ‘Only those too stupid to realise how lucky they are,’ said Calder. ‘Peace and freedom come at a price.’

  ‘So in order to maintain their freedom,’ the Empress said, ‘I must take it away? Expediency is the path to tyranny; inch by inch liberty retreats in the face of military necessity, as my herald would say. Anyway, the children will be up, and I want to see them before the day’s work begins.’

  They walked in silence to the stair turret, where an escort of soldiers awaited them. They descended the narrow steps to the upper floor of the palace, where Karalyn and Belinda shared rooms next to the two Rakanese they had rescued from Rahain. The Empress bid her farewell and continued on with Calder, leaving Karalyn alone in her large sitting room. She sat on a long couch and lit a cigarette.

  For two thirds she had been back, working for the Empress. For the first third, her mother and Corthie had been there, living in the Great Fortress alongside her, but they had returned to the Holdings; the demands of being the First Holder pulling Daphne home. Most of the rest of the Empress’s court now resided within the thick walls of the fortress; many of them barely left the palace.