Free A Crucible of Souls (Book One of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence) by Mitchell Hogan

in.
    “ Sit down, Caldan, ” said Master Delife, holding up a palm to forestall any response. “ You’re in a predicament here. I can say that in all my years as a master, and in my time as an initiate and brother, never has anything like this happened. The decision on what action to take was hotly debated and hard to reach agreement on, but we managed to steer the discussion in the direction we wanted. Despite the problems this will cause, it may be fortuitous for us, and for you. ” He paused to catch a breath and let his words sink in.
    “ Master, I… ” began Caldan.
    “ Please, ” Delife interrupted with a shake of his head. “ Many have spoken for you, and many against your actions. I have been sent to give you the masters’ judgment, which, to be honest, isn’t too different to what you were going to do anyway. ” He moved the stool and sat down, using the wall as a backrest. Caldan could now see the master’s eyes were red with dark circles around them.
    “ There are a few facts of which you are unaware. Firstly, you have lain unconscious here for nearly two days, ” said the master to Caldan’s amazement.
    “ But… what’s wrong with me? ”
    “ Quite simply, we do not know. While you were unconscious, the physicians performed a few tests, but… they could not come up with a cause. ” He rubbed his eyes with weariness. “ Second, and most importantly, Marlon is still alive. ”
    Caldan breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Though he hated Marlon, he didn’t deserve what happened.
    “ Don’t be too thankful. He’s in a great deal of pain and will need a long time to recuperate after such an injury. It took all our skill, both with physiking and sorcery, to bring him back from the precipice. He was lucky. Saving Marlon took all night, and we still have not recovered. ”
    “ Two days, ” Caldan repeated. “ I can’t believe it. ”
    “ We don’t know why you were unconscious for so long, or for that matter what caused you to black out. It was one of the reasons they debated so long over what to do. ”
    “ Two days, ” Caldan repeated, shaking his head. “ But I feel fine now. A bit weak but— ”
    “ Be that as it may, there was a reason for your blackout, though we do not know what it is yet. ” Master Delife hesitated. “ Your belongings have been packed with all due care, but I need to ask you something. ” He produced a leather pouch and dangled it in front of him. Caldan recognized it as his own, which contained the drug and herb mixture he had been taking. “ Do you recognize this? It was found with your belongings. ”
    “ Yes, of course. It’s mine. I have been having some aches and pains. It’s not illegal. ”
    Master Delife gave him a disapproving look. “ And are you qualified to dose yourself? To know when enough is enough? Some of these things have side effects. Be truthful with me, Caldan, how much were you taking and how often? ”
    “ Not much, honestly. I have been getting aches and pains everywhere, and they feel like they are down to the bone. I needed something to dull them sometimes so that I could sleep. ”
    Delife’s deep brown eyes appraised him, and he clasped his hands together, obviously considering his response. “ You should have asked for help, not decided to self medicate with who knows what concoction. ”
    “ I know. I’m sorry. With everything that has been done for me here, I feel terrible about what’s happened. I know Marlon and I don’t see eye to eye. Everyone knows it. We have not made any secret of the fact. But this… I would never want to harm him. ” He thought of Jemma and how she must feel about him now. What he had done to Marlon was unforgivable; she would hate him. “ I am grateful things didn’t turn out worse than they have. Truly grateful. You have to know, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. ”
    “ For all intents and purposes, an almost lethal duel with weapons. Where the duel escalated out of control,