Free The Princess of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen Page B

abilities beyond most of his peers, and no hesitation about using his powers to achieve whatever he wanted. Ironically, the early founders of the Magistratum were at a distinct disadvantage, as they were bound to follow the laws they wanted to impose on all mages, whereas Mage Krelig was free to cast whatever he wished. We think the only reason the mages of his time were able to manage exile was that he had been caught unaware, not expecting that particular form of attack. That might have been his weakness — he himself would not have thought of exile, since he usually just killed anyone who got in his way.”
    “As for whether he can truly return, we fear that is a real possibility,” Renaldiere said grimly. “Mage Krelig had — has — the Sight, and we believe he has had a vision showing him how to get back.”
    “Part of what he requires is apparently a war,” Serek said. “That’s what Sen Eva was trying to achieve. She was trying to renew the war between Trelian and Kragnir in order to set certain elements in place for Krelig’s return.”
    Calen shocked himself by speaking. “He said — when Meg — when Princess Meglynne — and I saw him, in the portal that Sen Eva opened, he said something about Queen Lysetta, the queen of Kragnir who died when she was visiting Trelian. He started the war, back then, with Kragnir, but I guess there was something else he needed, too.”
    “A partner,” Anders said. “He needed someone on this side to help bring him through. He must not have been able to find one before.”
    “Or he found one and it didn’t work,” another mage said.
    “How is he even still
alive
?” another of the apprentices asked. “Wasn’t he exiled hundreds of years ago?”
    “Again, we aren’t certain,” Galida said, “but we believe that time works differently wherever he was sent, and so less time has passed for him than it has for us.”
    “The important thing to make clear,” Renaldiere said, “is that a war between kingdoms is not the danger we are afraid of. That would only be a means to an end for Mage Krelig, and the end would be . . . well, it would be catastrophic. We haven’t faced an enemy like this in a long time. The Magistratum has done such a good job of keeping mages in order and controlling potential threats before they cause too much damage that we are rather unprepared for a mage of Krelig’s caliber. He is very powerful, and very driven.”
    “And probably very angry,” Anders said quietly from the other side of Serek.
    “Not to mention
crazy,
” Calen muttered, mostly to himself. Krelig had certainly seemed crazy when he’d been talking to Sen Eva through the portal that time.
    “And he is also . . .” Renaldiere seemed to be searching for the right words. “He was more than just a mage who resisted the formation of the Magistratum. He does not want to return simply to try to disband us. He would bring about a return to the chaos and terror of the old times — mages unmarked and unsworn, acting without rules or restraint, using their powers to force others to bend to their will, and every one of them subject to the whims and goals of a madman of enormous power. A horrible fate not just for our order, but for the rest of the world as well. Including those kingdoms and villages many of us are sworn to protect.”
    Several moments of silence followed Renaldiere’s remark. Calen hadn’t really thought it through before; maybe a lot of the others hadn’t, either.
    “Could he really do that, though?” Calen asked into the silence. “I mean, believe me, I know he’s evil and powerful and everything, but he’s still just one man. Even with Sen Eva’s help, could he really overpower the entire Magistratum?”
    “Oh, yes,” Renaldiere said. “I have no doubt of it.”
    The bare certainty in his voice was terrifying.
    Council Master Galida was nodding grimly beside him. “From the beginning,” she said, “Mage Krelig was known for being ruthless in