Taken In (The Red Enchanter Book 2) Read online

  Taken In

  The Red Enchanter, Book Two

  Mary Swift

  books by Mary Swift

  The Man Upstairs

  Watching Time

  Out of Time

  Cast Out

  short stories by Mary Swift

  The Rocket Club

  The Brothers MacPherson

  The Memory Toaster

  Prologue

  “Do you understand what we want you to do Dante?”

  “Of course I do.” he replied.

  “And your feelings for Nora, you won’t let that stop you?”

  “I don’t have any feelings for Nora.” he said.

  “She’s the mother of your son.”

  “She’ll never know that.” he answered.

  “She may have to know someday. Nora is capable of much more than you realize. She’s dangerous.”

  “She’s nothing and she never has been.” Dante was tired of talking about Nora; he was tired of thinking about her. Six months earlier he had faked his own death by making it look as though he had been run over by a truck, he hoped she was wallowing in grief.

  “If you underestimate her it will be the downfall of us all.”

  Dante didn’t say anything.

  “We are much wiser than you are.”

  Dante thought he was pretty damn wise but he had to watch his tongue. He was in the council hall in Darkhill. It was the northernmost circle and the least populated. Only three enchanters lived there, but they were the most important enchanters alive, they were the Founders.

  Dante’s mother had foreseen his association with the Founders many years before. She had advised him when the best time to stage his death would be. When he arrived in Darkhill with his son Constantine they were warmly welcomed. The Founders seemed almost overjoyed to see him.

  It didn’t take long for them to spell out their objective. They wanted Dante to collect the most powerful object in the circles, the Firesea Master Enchanter’s robe. The Founders were desperate to have it but they were frightened to leave the shelter of Darkhill.

  Dante didn’t care about getting the Master Enchanter’s robe for the Founders; he cared about getting it for himself. He had business with Firesea, he needed to avenge his father’s death at the hands of their rangers and he needed to wipe his mother’s wanted status from Firesea’s records.

  Like all enchanters Dante had to obey the Founders, their word was law. But just to make sure he did what they wanted they gave him things, like protections for himself and favors for Constantine. And they controlled him with sex, which Bryn, the lone female Founder, regularly gave him.

  The Founders wanted the Master Enchanter’s robe so that they could get rid of every circle and every enchanter in it and restart their world. They were unsatisfied with the current enchanters whom they considered immoral and disloyal. They felt that their code was no longer being obeyed.

  “Does that mean that I will have to die too?” Dante had asked Bryn.

  “Not if you do everything we say.” she told him. “If you do as we ask we’ll make you one of us.”

  Dante knew that they could make any enchanter or mortal a Founder. “What about Constantine?”

  “He will be a Founder too someday.”

  “Will I have complete immunity and unlimited power?” Dante asked.

  “You’ll have immunity from other enchanters, but not from your fellow Founders.” Bryn said. “And you’ll have me.”

  Although he enjoyed having sex with Bryn he didn’t care much for her otherwise. She had barely a personality in his opinion and she knew virtually nothing of the world beyond the Darkhill council hall, but he would put up with all of it if he could become a Founder.

  Once the world was rid of enchanters the Founders, which would then include Dante, would make new ones. The new enchanters would loyal, obedient, and lack the free thinking that the current ones had, and Dante would be in charge of them. They wouldn’t think of him as a half enchanter, or worse a half mortal, they would think of him as their god.

  Chapter 1

  Rowan Cramer and his parents lived in a small village in a quiet valley. He was a shy boy who was even more withdrawn with strangers, many people said that he was like his father. Then there was the way he looked. Rowan’s hair was two different colors. The majority of it was dark brown like his mother, but there was a section in the front that had always been coppery red just like his father. When he was younger his father had tried to cut the red hair out in hopes it wouldn’t grow back but it always did.

  The sun was setting as Rowan walked home one night. He was thirteen years old but small for his age. His mother told him not to worry, he would grow taller, but it concerned him. The other boys in the village used his small stature to bully him.

  Rowan and his parents lived in a wooden house near the center of town. Outside was a garden that provided much of their food. He went inside. His mother Nora was sitting at the kitchen table. She smiled when he came in. “Hello honey, dinner is almost ready.” She grabbed her crutches and stood up. Her right leg had been injured during the war and she couldn’t walk on it. “Can you set the table for me?”

  Rowan started getting the dishes out of the cupboard. The door opened and his father walked inside. Rowan ran to him. Killian knelt down and hugged him. “Hello my boy.”

  “Hi Dad.”

  A few minutes later his sister Lucy came home. She worked in a store in the village. Lucy was seventeen years older than Rowan. She had never married and lived with them. He had once overheard her talking to his mother about a man with a lot of scars. Rowan didn’t know what the man’s name was.

  Dinner consisted of a vegetable stew made entirely from what they grew in the garden. Lucy sat next to him. She nudged him with her elbow. “How was school?”

  Rowan shrugged. “Fine.”

  She frowned. “Just fine?”

  “It was fine, really.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “Daddy, how was the meeting this morning?”

  New Wildbush had been founded by mortals and enchanters who had become refugees after their town and circle had been destroyed. A group of them had a daily gathering in the town hall, his father was in charge of it. Once Rowan had looked in the window of the hall during a meeting, his father had been at the front of the room speaking. Through the window his voice was muffled and Rowan couldn’t understand what was being said. He watched a minute longer until Killian happened to notice him. He said something to the group and came outside. Rowan was already running down the street when Killian caught his arm.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” his father asked.

  Rowan had skipped school. “We didn’t have class today.” he lied.

  Just then the sun came out from behind the clouds, the hair on his father’s head and in front of Rowan’s eyes shone like fire. Killian put a hand on his shoulder. “You can tell me anything, you know that.”

  “I know.”

  Killian waited for him to say more but he didn’t. Rowan never told his parents about being bullied. He was too embarrassed, too ashamed. “Go home and tell your mother that you didn’t feel well so they sent you home. You better make sure you act sick. Tomorrow you go to school. I don’t want you skipping again.”

  “I won’t.” Rowan promised. But Rowan didn’t keep his promise. It was a decision that changed the course of his life and put the world of enchanters back into turmoil.

  Chapter 2

  Five mortal boys were gathered outside the school as Rowan approached. He had a knot in his stomach, his knees felt like jelly.

  “Hey you.” Kevin Barrie swaggered forward. He was chewing gum, he spit it ou
t on the ground. “Give me your lunch.”

  Rowan tried to skirt around them. The other boys quickly surrounded him.

  “What’s the matter? Are you scared?” Kevin sneered.

  Rowan was terrified, he felt his lip quivering.

  “Aw, I think he’s starting to cry.” one of the boys said. “What’s the matter? Do you need your mommy?”

  “Yeah, she can hop on one foot and save her baby.” Kevin shoved Rowan to the ground. The other boys held him down while Kevin wrestled away the small canvas bag that his mother had packed his lunch in. Kevin opened the bag and looked inside. “Yuck.” He tossed the bag in Rowan’s face.

  The boys walked away. Rowan scrambled to his feet, relieved that it was over. He brushed the dirt off of his clothes and started towards the schoolhouse. Kevin and his cohorts were on the steps of the school. Rowan started up the steps. Kevin put his foot out. Rowan tripped and fell to his knees.

  Kevin leaned over him. “You don’t go in before me, you don’t do anything before me.” He grabbed a chunk of red hair. “Shrimps like you don’t deserve to live. One of these days I’m going to finish you off.” He let go of Rowan’s hair and kicked him in the side. The other boys laughed and ran up the steps.

  The schoolmaster was strict about tardiness. Rowan had been hit with a ruler on more than one occasion for getting in late. It was always due to an incident with Kevin and his followers. In a few seconds the schoolmaster would be coming out of the door looking for him. Rowan gathered up his books and lunch and ran as fast as he could.

  The woods had always felt like home to him. He knew the trails like the back of his hand. He went deep into the forest, stopping by a stream to eat his crushed sandwich. Around him birds sang and darted to and fro in the canopy of leaves. He knew he should go back, he could not hide away forever. When he went home he would talk to his father about what was happening.

  He finished his lunch and took a long drink from the stream. As the morning sun rose he climbed further into the hills. The footing was slippery from old leaves and pine needles. Rowan considered turning back but he wanted to reach the summit of the steep hill that everyone called a mountain.

  Sweat began to run down his face and back as he climbed over the last rocky outcrop. He had been to the top of the mountain before, but not for a while. Rowan squinted as he looked over the countryside. There was another village several miles away, he had never been there, he didn’t even know the name of it. He turned around and looked down at New Wildbush. He could see the roof of the schoolhouse.

  Rowan sighed. In the bright sunshine the morning’s troubles didn’t seem so bad. If only he could stand up for himself. He had tried before, but the boys were so much bigger than him, and he didn’t know how to fight.

  He looked over his shoulder at the outside world. He was about to start for home when something caught his eye. Down below there was a winding road, occasionally he saw automobiles rumbling along it. There was something on the road and it was moving quickly. He realized that it was horses, men on horses.

  Rowan was fond of horses, he had always wanted one. The animals and men slowed and then turned towards the other village, the one he didn’t know the name of. The group suddenly split, the majority rode into the village, while a smaller group continued on. Rowan scrambled down the side of the mountain. The horses were coming his way, he wanted to get a look at them. He moved quickly, taking shelter behind a large boulder.

  After a few minutes he heard the pounding of the horses’ hooves on the dirt road. Rowan moved a little further down the mountain, hiding behind a scrubby bush. As the men got closer Rowan began to sense something. It was a strange feeling, almost as though he knew who they were and where they came from.

  The pounding became louder and louder. He peered between the branches of the bush and saw four chestnut horses carrying four riders. The men were clad in red leather armor. One of them carried a long red banner on a pole. Rowan smiled as they rode by. If he was like those men no one would push him around.

  Rowan stood up to watch them. Suddenly the lead rider stopped, the other men slowed and turned their animals around. He heard the men shouting to one another. Rowan ducked behind the bush, his heart was racing. He didn’t think they had seen him, but he wasn’t positive.

  “It came from right around here.” one of them said.

  Rowan crouched down as far as he could.

  “Are you sure?” said another.

  “Of course I am. Can’t you sense it? It’s Firesea. If you can’t feel it then there’s something wrong with you.”

  Rowan didn’t understand what they were talking about. He heard the men dismount. Their boots crunched on the pebbled road.

  “It’s close by.” he heard one of them say.

  He listened as they walked back and forth. Suddenly the sounds of footsteps were coming his way. Someone picked him up by the collar. Four rough men stared at him.

  The lead rider touched Rowan’s red hair and looked at the other men. “I told you. We should take him to Constantine.”

  Another man frowned. “He’s just a kid.”

  “We can’t let him go, he’s Firesea. Take him.”

  They began to drag Rowan towards the horses. He tried wriggling out of the men’s grasp but they were far too strong. “No, please don’t.” he begged. “Let me go home.”

  “Sorry kid.” the leader said. “It’s not up to me.”

  They pulled Rowan’s hands behind his back, he felt something bind his wrists together. The men lifted him onto the leader’s horse. A few minutes before he would have loved to have been put atop a horse, now he wanted nothing more than for this to be a bad dream. The men mounted their horses and took him away.

  Chapter 3

  Killian finished his meeting at the town hall. There had been reports in the last few days about strange riders in red armor on the other side of the mountain. He knew this day would come; they couldn’t hide forever in their little valley. Firesea was always out there, they had won the war, but that wasn’t enough for them. Nothing ever was.

  He locked the doors of the hall and crossed the town square. School was almost out. He wanted to walk Rowan home. Now that there was a chance that Dante or his minions were close at hand he could not afford to let his son out of his sight. He might even teach the boy at home as he had done with Lucy.

  Killian waited at the bottom of the schoolhouse steps. A few minutes passed before the doors opened. The village children began running outside. Kevin, an ugly mortal boy, gave Killian a nervous glance and whispered something to another kid. It only took a few seconds for the school to empty. Mr. Hopkins, the schoolmaster, stood on the top step. He folded his long thin arms over his chest.

  Killian waited, but there was no sign of Rowan. Mr. Hopkins looked down at him and sneered. “Is there something I can help you with?” The contempt was barely disguised.

  “I’m waiting for Rowan. Are you keeping him late?”

  Hopkins scowled. “Your boy never showed up this morning.”

  Killian felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. “Ah, well his mother must have kept him home. Thank you.” He slowly walked away; he didn’t want Hopkins to see him run. As soon as he was out of sight of the schoolhouse he bolted for home. By the time he opened his front door he was panting.

  Nora was in the living room mending one of his shirts. She set her work aside. “What’s wrong?”

  “Is Rowan here?”

  “Not yet. He should home any minute now.”

  Killian sat down and tried to catch his breath. It was probably nothing. He knew Rowan didn’t like school. He was the smallest and he was shy. Killian suspected that he was being bullied. He had tried to coax it out of him many times, but Rowan was proud like himself. Killian had never said a word when his first wife was beating him senseless, now he realized how foolish that had been.

  Nora reached for her crutches. “What if Dante found him?”

  “Let’s not jump to conclusi
ons.” Killian said.

  Rowan had wandered off before. Usually he was in the woods, reading, napping, or playing games. Once he had come across a nest of birds and spent hours watching them. When Lucy had found him he didn’t want to leave, it was only after the promise of cake that he was persuaded to come home.

  “Do you want the pen?” Nora asked.

  “No.” Killian’s pen was locked away. No magic of any kind was to be used in town. The energy expended could attract the attention of Firesea. That included the possibility of Killian dissolving Nora’s marriage to Dante. “He’s around here Nora, I’m sure of it.”

  She was fighting back tears. “You’re right. I’m just getting carried away. He’s fine.”

  “Of course he is.” He leaned in and kissed her. She touched his hair, it had grown long again and was pulled back in a ponytail.

  Killian hurried outside. He intended to get Lucy first, then together they would round up the council. As he ran towards the store she worked at he saw Granny Jenkins coming down the sidewalk. That would be one less enchanter he would have to track down.

  “Granny-” he began.

  “Killian, Colonel Fitzwilliam has just come home.” Colonel Fitzwilliam was Granny’s marmalade cat; he was as ancient as she was.

  “I need your help.” he said.

  “Colonel Fitzwilliam told me what happened to Rowan.”

  Killian felt his blood pressure rising. “They found him didn’t they?”

  Granny nodded sadly. “Yes. He was on the other side of the mountain. Firesea rangers sensed his energy and took him.”

  Killian thought he might vomit. He should have kept Rowan home, he should have kept a closer eye on him. He should have forbid him to go in the woods.

  “It’s not your fault.” Granny said sympathetically.

  “Yes it is.” He took a big gulp of air to keep from being sick. “How long ago was this?”

  “Just before noontime.”

  “We have to go after him.”