Cast A Spell (Mages and Mates #4)

2. Thalion Eisenwald

Thalion Eisenwald

T he vast open field stretched out before me, the tall grass swaying gently in the breeze. The field was dotted with colorful wildflowers—fiery Indian paintbrushes, delicate blue flax, and sunny yellow sunflowers nodding in the wind. As I galloped along, the scent of sagebrush filled my nose and a red-tailed hawk circled overhead. The field seemed to go on forever, a perfect place to run—if I weren’t late. Again.

In my human form, I relied on my phone to keep to my schedule. Letting my unicorn side run had been a mistake. The stunning landscapes, perfect for my kind, encouraged me to immerse myself in my surroundings. I rarely resisted and always lost track of time.

Not that it would excuse me, but I’d been restless since I’d learned the mage chancellor was sending his sons to my investiture. Sons. As in more than one. Why did he send two?

The staff cleaned like we’d lived in squalor for months. The horses were groomed, and the ground was free of debris. I didn’t understand the need to change our routine. This was a working ranch. It was the source of most of the family’s wealth. No one expected an amusement park attraction. Clearly, I had a lot to learn about the niceties required for effective diplomacy.

I’d spoken to friends in other shifter communities and the word was the two brothers arriving weren’t lazy, pampered, arrogant mages. They gave respect and expected the same in return. Nothing wrong with that.

In fact, the current mage chancellor had attended father’s investiture ceremony and confirmation when he became alpha. They were friends. Under different circumstances, I’d look forward to meeting them, especially the older one— Otto.

The problem was, every time the Hollens showed up, bad things happened. It wasn’t that the Hollens caused trouble, but they brought it with them. Or at the very least, trouble followed the Hollen siblings.

The chancellor’s son Jannick was sent to meet the gryphon leader, and within days the alpha was dead. His second son betrayed and killed his father, only to die at the hands of the current alpha, who was now the mate of said Jannick.

Seven months ago, two Hollen brothers nearly died saving the dragons from a plot to kill the king. Now one of them, Leothius, was the mate of the dragon king. Coincidence? Only if you didn’t believe in fate.

The barn was open, and two ranch hands, Alaraic and Blyss, waited with my clothes. I ignored the vivid banners in hues of emerald and gold adorning the building. Did we really think the Hollens cared if the barn had bunting?

“Thalion!” Mrs. Blythe, the head housekeeper called. If she’d come to fetch me, Dad was pissed. “Of all the days to make your father wait. What were you thinking?”

There was nothing that special about the day. We welcomed diplomats to the Vale all the time. This wasn’t about making him wait.

I shifted in one of the stalls and got dressed as quickly as I could. “I’m sorry Dad made you fetch me, Mrs. Blythe. I already told him I was on my way back.”

“He sent me to make sure you’re presentable.”

That validated my restlessness. “When have I ever failed to live up to my duties?”

“You mean other than being late all the time?”

Never argue with someone who watched you grow up. Buttoning up the beige shirt, I wondered for the hundredth time why unicorns insisted on dressing like time stopped when they erected the Great Ward. No other beings still wore tabards. Father had somewhat loosened the dress standards, but for formal occasions, we still wore the archaic garment.

I slipped my head and arms through the openings and cinched the leather belt around my waist. At least we didn’t have to wear ceremonial swords. Blyss passed me the brown leather boots with a barely contained smirk. They made me look like a D’Artagnan cosplayer. “Laugh and you’ll be mucking stables the rest of the summer.”

“Such talk,” Mrs. Blythe said. “You look dashing and heroic, just the image you need to project when meeting those bourgeois mages.”

Dad obviously had sent her as my punishment for being late. “The Hollen family is as honorable as any in the world. Their ancestors spearheaded the effort to save the earth.”

“Something they remind all beings every chance they get.” She gave me an appraising look. “Straighten your tabard. The stars need to align properly over noble Pelagios.”

When I didn’t move fast enough to position my ancestor properly across my chest, Mrs. Blythe yanked the edges and jerked it around until she was satisfied. I ignored her efforts and motioned to Alaraic for my onyx hair tie.

Gathering my silver hair, I smoothed it as best I could and used the magic-infused, black, polished ring to tame my flowing mane. I didn’t remind Mrs. Blythe the ring was a gift from Wilhelm Hollen to my father when he’d become the heir. It was passed on to me when I was chosen for that role.

She clicked her teeth. “Totally not acceptable.”

A comb mysteriously appeared in her hand, and she freed my hair. Using long strokes, she managed to remove the few tangles and gather all the stray strands my hands missed. At fifty-seven, I didn’t need help, but I didn’t stop her. Dad was presenting his five sons, and I needed to look my best.

“Thank you,” I said when she’d finished.

There were no mirrors in the stable, but I felt presentable. I’d make sure once I got inside the main house. I might object to the cosmetic changes to the ranch, but my appearance mattered to me.

Stepping into the midday heat, I walked as fast as I could in the ridiculous boots. The sooner I reached Father the better. Nothing screamed late louder than showing up all sweaty.

After a few strides, Mrs. Blythe stopped trying to keep up. “Don’t wait for me, Thalion.”

I’d no intention of walking slower. She wasn’t part of the welcoming party.

My boots kicked up dust in my wake as I made my way to the sprawling main house. Good thing rain was on the way, it had been dry, even for August.

Father stood on the wide porch of the original portion of the house he’d helped build. The original two-story log cabin, its wood weathered from years of Wyoming winters, was my favorite part of the house. It spoke to tradition and simplicity, cornerstones of herd life.

I glanced at the balcony on the second floor, reminiscing about playing there as a child. Wyoming was all I’d known, having been born here after Dad moved us from Transylvania. What would my life have been like if he hadn’t uprooted everyone for “wider spaces?”

He always looked into the future and this meeting was no different. He thought no one knew what he was up to, and maybe my brothers were clueless, but I understood as soon as this “diplomatic mission” had been announced. He wanted the Southern Guardian to come from his sons. If I were honest, I did, too.

Unicorns talked about Pelagios like he’d created the Great Ward. He was a revered figure in the herd, and he was an Eisenwald. Call me vain, but if the next Southern Guardian was going to be from my family, I wanted it to be me. I’d been groomed to tend and protect the herd. There was no better way to safeguard my unicorns than to be a guardian.

I wasn’t so keen, however, on my mate being a mage—or a man. Unicorns had no issues with same-sex couples, and I’d slept with women and men. As alpha, however, I’d be expected to sire many children. In my head, I was going to be the alpha, which meant my spouse would be a female.

Dad wore an expression I couldn’t read. It wasn’t mad, disappointed, or unhappy, but he clearly wasn’t pleased. He opened the door and stepped back so I could enter first. Did he think I was going to skip out?

“I understand your need to run, but did you really need to do it so close to the meeting?”

The gentle rebuke explained everything. He was frustrated, something he rarely showed. “Sorry, but this presenting your children for selection makes me anxious.”

Stepping into the hallway near the kitchen, the savory smells and freshly baked bread filled the air, a reminder this meeting would last the rest of the day and night.

A hand landed on my shoulder and Dad smiled. “I expected you’d figure it out. I’m quite certain your brothers have no idea why I asked them to join me.”

My brothers were good beings, but none of them were involved in the administration of the herd. They worked on the ranch, enjoyed the perks of being the alpha’s children, and had no interest in the politics of the world.

“They would if they’d paid attention in school. There hasn’t been a mage pairing with a gryphon or dragon in twelve centuries. Two more pairings and we’ll have a new set of four. And unicorns need to be one of the four.”

“We’re the last,” Dad said. I noticed for the first time he’d put on the ceremonial horn crown. I’d been wrong, and this just might end up a special day. “Bartholomew Hollen and the elf Caelinus Reinhold were the first.”

Everyone knew Bartholomew. He was the world’s only archmage. “Who’s the elf? The son of the ard ri?”

“No, but he’s a powerful mage.”

Things were further along than I’d suspected. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You weren’t the heir until recently.” He paused beside an alcove and faced me. “If you’re chosen, you won’t remain my heir.”

I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Dad, however, had done more than consider things. He’d taken steps to make sure his sons were considered first to be the next Southern Guardian. “How long have you been planning this?”

“Since the Mage Chancellor informed the Assembly Bartholomew had mated with Caelinus almost two years ago.”

Things made more sense now, but not all. “Why did Chancellor Hollen send two sons?”

“I asked him the same, and he assured me he has no information that either will be the last guardian.” A smile crept across Dad’s face. “Then he told me if it was going to be one of his remaining sons, these are the two most likely. He thought it prudent to send both to speed up the process in case he picked the wrong son.”

No wonder those two got along so well. In his capacity as chancellor, Hollen told Dad the official line he’d tell any other alpha. As a friend, he’d given the subtext. I needed that second level explanation. “What do you think?”

“It’s a fair assumption, but it is not ironclad. There’s no requirement either guardian must come from our family or his. Caelinus has no known relationship to Ignatius.”

Five out of six had come from the same lines. “And playing the odds, you two are hoping to find out one way or the other.”

“Something like that.” We started walking again, moving deeper into the newer part of the house.

Banners were hung, and urns filled with flowers. The lights had been turned on above paintings of unicorns performing heroic deeds. These were the public rooms, and they were spruced up for our important guests.

“Do the Hollens know they’re the next contestants on the Mating Game?”

“You remember that silly human show?” Despite his words, he was smiling.

It had been one of my mother’s favorite shows. I was a little unicorn at the time, and she’d sit around after dinner and watch with some of the staff. On those nights, I’d give her a kiss and Father would have to put me to bed. “How could I forget. Mom never missed an episode.”

“Otto and Owen are aware of the possibility they could be chosen. They won’t, however, sit on the other side of the screen and ask you and your brothers questions.”

I laughed at the image, but the whole meeting still felt forced. “Right, you’re going to line us up and have them inspect us like horses.”

My joke landed like an anvil on a smith’s toe. “This isn’t meant to be an auction. We will greet them like sons of my good friend Wilhelm.”

What should have been a precursor to the biggest day in my life had turned into a painful ceremony I couldn’t escape. There was too much at stake to leave. Walking out might improve my mood in the moment, but it wouldn’t change fate. Better to find out sooner than later who, if any of us, would be chosen.

“Understood.”