Free The Black Mage: Candidate by Rachel E. Carter Page B

this heavy during my apprenticeship. Darren had, but even he had his limits. The rock was close to four tons—and the most I had ever lifted was two. Still… the boulder was hovering—albeit very shakily—a couple inches above the ground.
    By the gods!
    Behind me I could vaguely hear Avery giving orders for the others to take off their extra mail and plates. I swallowed. They needed at least a foot and a half—not two—to fit through the small crawl space.
    “Paige,” I croaked. “Your knife.”
    My knight wasted no time in placing the weapon into my shaking fist. I pressed the sharp edge into the palm of my hand. Lightly. Feather-soft at first, careful not to exert too much pressure and collapse the casting I had worked so hard to control.
    The rock jolted for just a moment. It jumped another inch, and then three, before settling back a couple inches above the ground.
    Ignoring the gasps behind me I let Paige take on the brunt of my weight as I dug the blade deeper and deeper—until blood was dripping down my wrist and the pain of metal against bone and muscle was almost too much to bear.
    I opened my eyes again and saw the boulder was hovering two feet above the ground. Everyone was crawling as fast as they could to reach the other side.
    A flare of white slammed against my eyes and everything became muted… Past experience taught me I had only seconds before my magic would end.
    I stuck out the casting for as long as I could, gritting my teeth and willing it to stay, praying the others had finished making it across. The slight tremors in my legs and arms became sporadic jerks, and Paige struggled to hold on as I lost control of my limbs. I couldn’t stop my body’s response to the magic much longer...
    No . I had to hold on. You can do this, Ryiah. I braced myself against the darkness for as long as—
    Paige’s awed voice broke the silence: “They made it, my lady, you can let go now.”
    And so I did.
     

Chapter Four
     
    Our squad’s mission was a success. Shortly after my stunt with the boulder our knights and soldiers were able to overpower the bandits that had ambushed us in the narrow mountain pass. Ian’s party faced similar victory: the outlaws at the fort were taken with relative ease. In total there couldn’t have been more than fifty men and women—three of which carried enough magic to warrant extra bindings in their ropes.
    Our scouts sent a message to the rest of our regiment, and we met up at the stream that had first caused us to part. The soldiers led the prized stallions while our knights escorted the prisoners by foot. It was a slow, steady march to Pamir. Ian and I took turns exchanging stories with Lief and Ray along the way.
    We were almost to our destination when Lord Waldyn’s men arrived, praising our squad’s quick capture and taking the horses off our hands. At the same time another Ferren’s Keep regiment came to collect the prisoners.
    I turned to Ian, curious. “Where will they take them?”
    The mage watched the squad’s progress fade off into the distance, disappearing into the thick cluster of trees. “The prison in Gilys. It’s two days southwest of Ferren, Sir Quinn’s unit covers that part of the territory.”
    “Will they be put to death?”
    He frowned. “Do you think they should be?”
    I gave him an incredulous look. “They killed three of our own.”
    “In self-defense.”
    Paige guffawed next to me. “They were also planning to sell our horses to Caltoth. They had every intention of supplying our enemy for war. That justifies a hanging in any trial.”
    Ian heaved a sigh. “I suppose you two are right… Still.” He paused and his eyes fell to me. “You heard Sir Gavin—these ones came from one of the towns that lost everything in the fire. I’m not saying it justifies their actions, but… Perhaps that makes them a little harder to condemn?”
    My stomach curled in on itself and I swallowed guiltily. The fire was because of me. “Didn’t