Wyvern's Secret (Mage Chronicles #2) Read online

  Wyvern’s Secret (Mage Chronicles #2)

  Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Newsletter.

  Copyright © 2017 by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  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, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Chapter 1

  Visitors.

  “I’m bored Astri, bored … bored … bored. We never do anything fun around this place anymore,” Lenin complains, rolling himself around on my pillow, while Jetli’s contemplating joining him or not.

  I bite my lip and look around the chamber, thinking he’s right to some extent. It’s been two weeks since the duke of Rivenna appointed me as his assistant, and nothing’s happened since. We haven’t even had a chance to meet in order to discuss my new duties and responsibilities. Not to mention, I haven’t seen Thayer around much lately, so it’s been frustrating to say the least.

  Today I officially reached a new level of boredom, so much so that I started helping the maids in the castle do the folding and ironing. This was supposed to be my new start in life; the duke was meant to be my mentor, and he was supposed to teach me everything he knows about developing my magical abilities. Instead, I’ve been staying in my chamber all day long with nothing to do. It was much more fun working with Emilia–at least I could always find something to do there.

  Jorgen’s been avoiding everyone in the castle–his family and even his loyal advisor, Thayer. He doesn’t eat in the main dining room anymore; he has his food brought to him on regular basis.

  “How about we go for a walk? And see if we can track another bear in the forest,” I suggest, wondering why I’ve been feeling so depressed since I left my old life behind. At the end of the day, I got what I wanted; I’m not living in that hell hole of a basement with my aunt and uncle…

  I became the duke’s assistant after I participated in a strength and magical challenge, competing against other shifters in the city. Over the span of a few weeks I needed to prove I had the necessary skills in order to show the duke I could not only fit in, but was strong enough to accomplish any task he set before me. In the last final task I returned as a hero, rescuing him from a bunch of wild shifters who were keeping him hostage in the Decaying Mountains. The contest was dangerous, and I nearly died, battling another shifter who went after me with a knife and magic. He had been charmed to kill the “Wyvern creature”. To this day, I’m not positive who placed the deadly spell on Elijah. Sebastian claimed it was Jorgen–now I know differently. It was probably Sebastian’s cheating arse. Too bad beetle nut took away his memory–if only he didn’t try to kill me.

  Unfortunately, nothing that day went according to plan. Jorgen let himself get captured by the leader of wild shifters, Bratlav. He was certain one of the contestants would come to his rescue, regardless of what was going to happen in the meantime. Jorgen lost his ability to shift, lost his magic, while I stood hidden in the mountains–I didn’t even attempt to help him when Bratlav performed the “cutting of the mage” ritual.

  I only entered the contest because I was convinced Jorgen III was the mage who killed my parents. My plan was perfect; I meant to get close to him, then stab him in the back when he least expected it. And that’s exactly what happened–except revenge isn’t as sweet as they say, especially when you exact it against a perceivably innocent person. All you feel is overwhelming guilt and the need to make things right again. If only I knew then what I know now. I still need answers, but getting them is another matter altogether.

  Everything happened as planned; the leader of the wild shifters did all the dirty work for me and I eventually rescued the duke after he was locked in a cage–powerless–once the ritual was complete. Once we returned to the castle, I was crowned the true winner. I celebrated, but deep down I didn’t feel the burning satisfaction of victory. The final nail in my coffin was a conversation I overheard between two guards just outside my chamber.

  They talked about a mage who had been hunting Wyvern shifters for years, and they were convinced he was from the Asian World, so it was never Jorgen who tried to take my life. That night I returned to my chamber, thinking I made a terrible mistake, standing passively by, not reacting when Bratlav ripped the duke’s dragon from his very soul, stripping him of his magic forever. Losing his dragon, his ability to shift is worse than death. Jorgen’s no longer a mage and I meant to expose him, but so far I haven’t been able to go through with the second part of my plan. How can I now–after what I’ve learned? What kind of person does it make me? He’s probably an innocent man–a man I allowed to suffer. The only proof I had was my vision and something from a unicorn’s white magic–nothing concrete. Although my visions were never wrong in the past, the words of the guards hit too close to home.

  Jetli pulls a face and shakes her head. Obviously she doesn’t like the sound of going out for a hunt.

  “Walking around the forest is boring Astri, and we have to fly. After too much time our wings would start to hurt. I want to do something fun–how about we play hide and seek in human populated areas? It was so funny the other day when we scared that delivery guy,” Lenin says, giggling to himself. Then he shoots up in the air, looking very excited about the idea.

  I exhale sharply, and scratch my head thinking about Jorgen again. I get it, he’s depressed and lost without his dragon, but the way he’s behaving is drawing far too much attention to himself. People in the castle might be used to him not being around, but sooner or later someone will figure out something’s wrong. The duke’s a role model to the people of Rivenna, and I have to pin point the real identity of the mage who killed my parents and scarred me for life. For weeks I was convinced it was the duke, now I’m not so sure.

  Since I overheard the conversation in the corridor, I haven’t been able to sleep, filled with guilt and despair. My revenge was meant to be satisfying, but instead I hate the fact I may have made the biggest mistake of my life. I don’t feel angry anymore, my parents have been dead for years. I don’t remember them, but I need answers. There are too many holes and too many inconsistencies in what happened all those years ago.

  “I should go and speak to Jorgen. He’s supposed to be training me, maybe he’ll give me something to do,” I say, getting up and grabbing my collection of knives. The duke must realise I’m not jumping for joy now that I’m his assistant. He’s been neglecting his responsibilities for too long. It’s time to get him out of his funk.

  I’ve even been avoiding going to the forest lately, and it’s really not like me at all. I should be happy, at least now I don’t have to worry about my aunt and uncle, but this new life’s turned out to be a total disappointment so far. I’m bored out of mind and I’m learning nothing new, except how to sleep in.

  Jetli shakes her head, like she’s trying to tell m
e not to bother. She’s sensing there’s something wrong with the duke. Everyone in the castle’s going about their business, but mages must be suspicious Jorgen’s changed, they just aren’t saying anything. The Pixies have no idea Jorgen isn’t a real mage anymore, or that I’ve been forced to keep my mouth shut.

  “Mr lordi, lord should be showing you all sort of tricks, Astri instead of hiding out in his chamber. Let’s pay him a visit,” Lenin finally agrees and I smile, already heading for the door. I’m just about open it when I hear a knock. It’s pretty late, close to eight o’clock and I’m not expecting any visitors tonight.

  “Hello Astri,” Thayer says, standing outside. For some reason his presence always calms me down, and his magic drifts around, settling inside my chamber.

  “Thayer, it’s good to see you. I was just heading over to see the duke,” I tell him.

  “Yes, we want to ask Mr. lordi, lord for something to do. We are bored, bored, bored,” Lenin sings, flying behind me. I try not to roll my eyes and Thayer smiles.

  “Well then, maybe it’s a good thing I showed up. The duke needs this chamber tonight. Apparently one of the maids reported an issue with the fireplace. You need to be moved to a different room in the castle, Astri,” Thayer says and Lenin starts high-fiving his sister.

  I’m perfectly happy being in this chamber, and I don’t think I need to be moved. I glance at the fireplace I haven’t used once since I arrived at the castle.

  “Can I speak to him, I was just heading over there?” I question, wondering if this has anything to do with what happened in the Decaying Mountains.

  Thayer scratches his jaw and shakes his head.

  “He’s a little pre-occupied tonight. To be honest, I haven’t seen him a lot lately. I’m sorry, Astri, but you have to move right away. I’ll ask a few guards to help you with your stuff,” Thayer adds.

  “No, don’t worry. I can manage on my own. I don’t have a lot of things,” I say, then head over with Thayer, so he can show me to my new chamber.

  The old mage seems a bit distracted and it sounds like Jorgen’s been avoiding him too. The duke went behind Thayer’s back. He put himself in great danger with the wild shifters and Thayer was furious when he learnt the truth–well, leaving out the “cutting of the mage” ritual”.

  “So are you sure you’ll be all right moving your things?” Thayer asks again.

  “Yes, thank you,” I answer, then silence falls between us. A few minutes later, he finally stops in front of my new chamber and it’s right next to the duke’s room. I have no idea what to think about this new living situation. In a way it’s good I’ll be close, but at the same time there must be a reason why the duke requested my chambers be moved to this particular location. I glance at Thayer who seems to be lost in his own thoughts and can’t help but ask, “Is everything all right, Thayer. You seem worried about something?”

  Lenin and Jetli are flying to our new chamber, already nosing around. Thayer sighs and drags his hand through his hair.

  “I’m concerned about the duke, Astri. He’s been isolating himself from everyone around him. And I was wondering if you could talk to him,” Thayer explains. “He hasn’t been himself since the final task, since he came back from the Decaying Mountains with you. Do you think something happened out there?”

  I rub my face nervously, feeling a tonne of bricks settle into the pit of my stomach. I can’t tell Thayer anything, because I promised to keep Jorgen’s secret safe between us. Thayer’s too loyal, and he would’ve never believed me anyway. Besides, he only knows the good Jorgen, not the one who possibly murdered two innocent shifters.

  “He was kept in a cage for a few hours. Those wild shifters were ready to kill him. I got there just in time,” I explain, hating myself for looking him in the eye while lying to his face.

  “All right, I know I can count on you. I’m leaving for Samara this evening. Jorgen asked me to take care of a few things there. You should be able to see him more often from now on as he has some visitors arriving from another country,” Thayer explains, and I nod.

  He tells me to look after myself, leaving abruptly, most likely to get ready for his journey. I don’t feel entirely comfortable staying in the chamber next to the duke, but it’s too late to change my mind now. It seems I have no choice in the matter either way…

  I walk inside and start looking around. My mind wanders off to all my time spent in the castle since I decided to take part in the contest. My visions have always reflected reality, and yet I can’t seem to convince myself he’s responsible for my scar. If Jorgen’s the mage who murdered my parents, then he wouldn’t have healed me with his own dragon’s venom when Sebastian nearly killed me.

  Several moments later, I go back to my old room with my Pixies and start emptying my drawers and closet. Soon after, I walk away with two large bags, thinking maybe this change is for the best–I’ll have better access to the duke now and maybe I’ll actually get to train.

  The corridors are mostly empty, with the exception of a few guards walking up and down, but the silence becomes uncomfortable the closer I get to my new chamber. When I pass Jorgen’s chamber a familiar warmth creeps over my spine. I need to stop thinking about the final task and that horrible night in the mountains.

  My new chamber’s much bigger than the old one, filled with stylish furniture, new clothes and the bed’s enormous. It seems Thayer thought of everything before moving me here. Lenin and Jetli are using a few of my shelves already, creating cozy spaces for themselves by the dressing table. Currently, they’re both fighting over a piece of material they found in one of the drawers. I shut the door behind me and start unpacking everything. The castle has a decent library on the bottom floor and lately I’ve been sneaking a lot of books into my room, trying to fill the time. Lenin was right earlier on, we’re all bored and I hate not having anything to do. Emilia gave me a job in her shop when I was fifteen, and I rarely ever had a day off.

  Everything’s sorted two hours later and I’m trying to settle into my new surroundings. My stomach growls uncomfortably–my Pixies and I decide to grab a late night snack from the kitchen. I walk through the empty corridors, and as I’m about to take the second turn to my left, I hear voices along the corridor outside the dining room.

  I stop and back away slowly, pointing at Lenin to stay quiet for a second. It’s a habit I’ve been trying to break since I started living in the castle. My aunt and uncle were always looking to find new, absurd tasks for me to do, so I avoided them as much as possible.

  When I peer around the corner, I spot at least four mages standing in the corridor. Jorgen’s with them too. I assume these people must be the visitors who Thayer mentioned earlier. Obviously Jorgen can’t keep hiding in his chamber, as the duke he has responsibilities to welcome them to Rivenna.

  “Cassandra, it’s such a pleasure to see you. A few months ago my father mentioned I should be expecting you. I hope you had a pleasant journey,” Jorgen says, kissing the female shifter’s hand. She’s much shorter than him and has a wavy blond hair; I have to admit she’s very beautiful.

  “Who is that lady with the lordi lord? I don’t like her face. She has a fake smile,” Lenin points out, flying behind me. I roll my eyes, not saying anything.

  I notice there’s a mage shifter standing behind the female shifter Jorgen just greeted. He looks a lot like a warrior dressed in black leather trousers with a long sword hanging on his side. He has long black hair and thick, dark eyebrows.

  The female shifter, Cassandra laughs loudly, and gently places her palm on Jorgen’s shoulder, leaning over closer to him.

  “Oh dear Jorgen, yes I meant to visit sooner but things were complicated back home. We haven’t seen each other in years. I’ve been missing you ever since our meeting in Laehori,” she says, and gently moves her fingers over his arm. My eyes move over to another shifter who must be in her late forties. She’s standing next to a girl who can’t be more than fifteen.

  Jorgen smiles,
but it’s not his usual radiant smile. This one’s much more haunted, and he has dark circles under his eyes. This is the first time I’ve seen him since the contest ended, and it looks like he’s still grieving the loss of his dragon. I can’t blame him, to be honest, I can’t imagine life without my beast.

  “Yes, I remember it well, Cassandra. We had fun didn’t we?” he chuckles, and I clench my fists, wondering if there was something between the two of them in the past. “So how long are you planning to stay? I hope this isn’t just a passing visit?”

  “No, of course not. I love Rivenna and aiming to stay for a few weeks. I want to show my little cousin these parts of the Eastern World. She’s been dying to visit since I can remember. It’s all she ever talks about,” Cassandra responds, and suddenly pure waves of jealousy travel down my spine.

  I need to get myself together. Jorgen’s much older than me and he must have been involved with this other female shifter before at some point. Besides, it’s none of my business what kind of relationship he had with Cassandra in the past. I hate the way Jorgen’s staring at her, filled with lust and excitement. Maybe I was wrong about Diana; there was never anything going on between them.

  “Well, you can stay as long as you wish. My father’s getting better, but at the moment he’s not able to have any visitors, ” Jorgen states.

  “Oh that’s too bad, send Hans my regards. I was hoping we could spend a little more time catching up you know,” she giggles, then leans over even closer whispering in his ear. Jorgen laughs, and his cheeks go slightly pink. Those two don’t seem to care they aren’t alone, and they’re flirting with each other without any reservations or tact for that matter. “Right, sorry where are my manners. Jorgen this is Rosanna, my little cousin.”

  Jorgen nods to the girl who goes red instantly and I’m considering going back to my chamber, skipping the late night snack altogether. Suddenly, I lost my appetite. I do however, want to rip a certain Cassandra’s face to bits, but that wouldn’t be very nice of me. Oh… the little green monster of jealously, but I still don’t like her and her overtly flirtatious nature. It’s just… just disgusting–flaunting their affair out loud for everyone to witness.