A Sorcerer Rises (Song of Sorcery Book 1) Read online

  He waved his hand over the table. Ricky watched him close the door to his bedroom. His appetite had fully returned, and he finished off the food in silence, feeling a little better. He didn’t know how much trust he’d lost with his guardian, but Ricky felt he needed to earn it back.

  ~

  “Communication by sorcery?” Professor Calasay replied to Ricky’s question at the end of the Advanced Sorcery class.

  Ricky nodded.

  The professor’s gaze turned to Loria. “Did you put him up to this?”

  Loria shook her head. “I’m afraid it’s his own idea.”

  “Hasn’t your father shared the secret with you?” Professor Calasay said to Loria.

  “Secret?” Ricky said.

  Professor Calasay glared at Ricky. “If the technique were common knowledge, you’d know it. All I know is that two sorcerers have to magically link at some point via a spell initiated through a mutual resonance. That is the theory, anyway. How the communication takes place? Your guess is as good as mine.”

  “I’m sorry I asked,” Ricky said. He shrugged his shoulders at Loria. He was glad that the rest of the students had already left the lecture hall.

  “Don’t be,” the professor said. “Keep thinking. Joining your resonance with other magicians is a dangerous technique. All kinds of things can go wrong. You have another four years at the academy, and even then, you might not attempt to practice group resonance.”

  “So where can a sorcerer learn?” Ricky asked.

  “The Royal University of Sealio has an excellent program. It is very, very selective, but if any can make it in, you and Loria can. You’ll have to wait four more years to apply. Patience is one of the necessary traits of an elite sorcerer.”

  “The graduates are expected to perform?” Loria said.

  “Of course. Performing sorcerers are considered the elite of the elite of our profession. You both have the gift of sorcery that can set you apart, if you apply yourselves.”

  Ricky had no desire to be a performance sorcerer at this point, even though he couldn’t have been more impressed by what he saw at his one and only visit to the theater. He looked at Loria. She might have already made a commitment to her father. That was none of Ricky’s business.

  All he wanted was to learn more about sorcery and all the other subjects taught at the academy. Now that he knew he could learn things, he could put away the fears of spending the rest of his life stealing for his grandfather.

  “I’m not sorry for asking, Professor,” Ricky said.

  She actually smiled. “Don’t be. In fact, I’d like you to continue to think of sorcerous applications. I think I’ve held you two long enough.”

  Ricky took that as a dismissal. He and Loria walked up the stairs and entered the corridor.

  Loria took his arm to stop him. “I really don’t know my family’s secret. Maybe we can work on it together, despite what Professor Calasay says.”

  Ricky grinned. “I didn’t want to ask, but thanks for letting me know. I’ll talk to Saganet and maybe Mistress Doubli.”

  “My brothers won’t help,” Loria said. “It’s my family’s great secret.”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  Loria nodded soberly. “We’ll think of something.”

  ~

  After Ricky’s session with Benno, he sat down to rest for a few minutes. He hadn’t expected the short layoff to affect him so much.

  Saganet walked up. “It looks like your friend didn’t let up during Spring Recess.”

  “Is that what it was?” Ricky said. “It’s like he has a lot to prove.”

  “He does,” Saganet said. “You are friends academically, but rivals elsewhere.”

  “Loria?”

  Saganet nodded.

  “If he wants to be a rival, I won’t stop him. That kind of thing is up to Loria. I’m too young for that kind of thing,” Ricky said.

  “And he isn’t? He’s only sixteen.”

  Ricky shook his head. “I have a long way to go before I need to worry.”

  “Is that the way Loria feels?”

  Why did Saganet torment him with such uncomfortable concepts. “I don’t know what she feels, although I’m sure we like each other, but not quite that way.”

  “You do have a long way to go. I just want you to be prepared to lose Loria at some point.”

  “Do I have to lose her as a friend?”

  Saganet looked at Ricky with sad eyes. “It’s likely.”

  Ricky shook his head. “Was this what you wanted to talk about?”

  “It is. I don’t want you to be disappointed if Benno becomes the most important thing in Loria’s life. It happens, even at your age.”

  Ricky didn’t want to comprehend what Saganet said. “Do you think I’m the most important thing in her life?”

  His guardian nodded. “At the moment, but such things change for just about everybody.”

  Ricky thought about Saganet’s words for a bit.

  “I found out that sorcery communications are a family secret. No one really knows how the Mansalis do it. Professor Calasay says it started with a spell simultaneously created by joint resonance. That’s all anyone really knows. How the actual communication takes place is not known.”

  “Baron Mansali graduated at the top of his class at the Royal University. He either invented the spell there or in Duteria, where he spent some time after his graduation. It got him his title and his riches.”

  “He isn’t noble-born?”

  Saganet shook his head. “He does have noble blood, but from a poverty-stricken line. His title is new. That’s part of the problem with the Mansalis. Many nobles look upon first generation titles with disdain. It won’t be so bad for the first son.”

  “Does Benno know this?”

  “I’m sure he does. Infatuation makes people overlook a lot of things, not that there is anything to overlook with Loria. She seems like a nice enough girl, but her father’s reputation brings its own baggage.”

  “And that is why Baron Mansali asked me to be a friend to her.”

  Saganet clapped Ricky on the shoulders. “Since you’re not noble-born, he doesn’t see you as a threat to his daughter’s future, but she won’t be friendless forever. With her intelligence, she should attract some female friends before long. Spring is a time for new relationships.”

  Ricky didn’t know if he should be worried or not. “I am going to try to find out the secret.”

  “Be careful learning new spells. You might want to speak with Merry about what precautions to take. Performance sorcerers have to be inventive, but even they take precautions. Dari might not be the best helper for a few reasons, but seek an audience with the Dean. Now that you are rested, what weapon do you want to spar with today?”

  ~

  Ricky followed Mistress Doubli’s male secretary into her office.

  “Make yourself comfortable in one of the fireside chairs,” he said. “Dean Doubli will be a few minutes late.”

  Ricky sat down, but as soon as the man shut the doors to the office, Ricky jumped up and began to look around. Bookshelves lined the walls, but there weren’t many books. Small paintings and framed sketches filled many of the shelves. He had always noticed them, but with a few minutes to himself, Ricky had the opportunity to look more closely.

  He recognized none of the names, but most of those illustrated wore formal clothes or costumes. The sketches had signatures. A few of the paintings were portraitures of the people in the drawings, grouped together. These must be famous performance magicians.

  Ricky put his finger on the edge of each shelf as he strolled along, examining all the people. He didn’t know how many of these sorcerers were still active.

  He stopped at a familiar name. A couple posed for a small painted portrait and next to it was an accompanying sketch of the two in a different pose. Someone had written a note on the drawing.

  Merry,

  With all our love and appreciation for what yo
u’ve done for us.

  Adapo and Vera Valian

  This was the same name that Professor Calasay had mentioned and was recorded in Saganet’s heraldry book. Could this be the same person who was the Duke of Naparra? Why would such a person need to be a performance sorcerer?

  The rest of the pictures didn’t mean anything to him. He’d have to ask Mistress Doubli about the picture. He had never imagined having distinguished relatives, no matter how far removed they were.

  Ricky examined the mementos, but they didn’t mean anything to him. He heard the latch on the office door rattle, so he hustled back to the chair.

  “I’m sorry,” Mistress Doubli said, waving her arms. “Unavoidable faculty meetings. Now the alumni want a dedicated broomball field.” She shook her head and sat in the overstuffed chair facing him.

  “I’ve played broomball before,” Ricky said. “We always had a shortage of brooms and balls.” He had played in a north forest clearing not far from Shantyboat Town, Ricky thought. They ended up kicking a ratty ball instead. It was fun.

  She laughed. “Not like they do here. Brooms have been replaced by a stick with a curve at the end. We have an empty field on the west side of the academy.”

  “I know. I weeded between the bushes that border it.”

  Mistress Double smiled and nodded. “That’s when you first collapsed using magic, right?”

  Ricky nodded back.

  “Scared me to death.”

  “I recovered quickly enough.”

  She leaned forward in her chair. “Anyway, Jockal Forbasca, our esteemed gardener is tasked with making goals and outlining a proper field to be ready next fall. Can you wait?”

  Ricky nodded. “I haven’t played for a few years, so I can.”

  “Good.” Marissa Doubli straightened out the folds of her silk dress. “Now, what do you want to talk about?”

  “I want to learn how to do sorcerous communications. Professor Crabacci—”

  “You can call him Saganet when we are alone,” she said smiling.

  “He said that I needed to learn how to take precautions. You worked with all those performance sorcerers.” He looked at the rows of pictures. “That is who they are?”

  “Most of them. They are all my friends.”

  “I noticed a couple. Adapo and Vera Valian,” Ricky said.

  Mistress Doubli gasped, and her hand went to her mouth. “How did you know?”

  “Know what?” Ricky said.

  “They are your parents.”

  Ricky sat back in his chair, stunned. “I have parents? They are alive?”

  A pout of sympathy sprouted from Mistress Doubli’s face. “Poor dear. They died in an accident when you were two or three. Your grandfather came to claim you, and that was the last anyone heard of Hendrico Valian.”

  “My father was a Duke? Why am I not a Duke?” Ricky asked.

  “Your father had a distant cousin who took over the title. He refused to raise you in his house. You had no one to defend you, so Gobble Bangatelli spirited you away before any of us could do anything.”

  “Does Saganet know this?”

  Mistress Doubli shook her head. “I don’t think so. He was posted in another country at the time. I didn’t want to complicate things for you.”

  Ricky was nearly breathless. His mind filled with questions. He had a thought that he didn’t feel nor was he prepared to be a noble. Deep inside, he still considered himself a thief and an ex-resident of Shantyboat Town.

  “Professor Calasay asked if I was related. Do I get sorcery from my father?”

  “And your mother. They were a couple when they performed. No one compared to them. Don’t worry about your pedigree. She was the daughter of an Earl. They met here at the academy, and both went on to distinguish themselves at the Royal University of Sealio. They didn’t need the money or the fame, but they loved to practice creative sorcery, and the theater is the only place where one can do so.”

  “So I am a noble, after all.”

  Marissa nodded, but then pursed her lips. “The current Duke of Naparra is not a nice person. I suggest you continue to maintain a low profile.”

  “Do I have a right to my father’s title? Did I get an inheritance?”

  “Yes, and probably,” Mistress Doubli said. “You are still a minor and would need an adult to manage your claim. I suggest you stay at the academy for the next four years and then after a year at the Royal University, make a claim, if you are brave enough.”

  Ricky struggled to make sense of it all. His grandfather had kept all this a secret as he kept Ricky hidden and in poverty. At least Gobble could have told him something, unless he had been paid off, and if he had been going to the theater while Ricky grew up, he most certainly had.

  “Can I talk to Saganet about this?”

  Mistress Doubli nodded. “I wouldn’t tell anyone else, even the Mansali girl.”

  “I won’t. Maybe that is why I’m in danger,” Ricky said.

  She looked worried. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “I wondered if the attacks are more than my relationship with Victor,” Ricky said. He wanted to change the subject. “What about taking precautions?”

  Mistress Doubli rose and went to one of the shelves that held books and portfolios.

  “I know it’s here somewhere. Ah,” she said triumphantly and handed Ricky a thin book and a sheaf of notes tied together in a portfolio. “Come here.”

  Ricky walked to her.

  “From my days as a producer. Performance sorcerers are sometimes too creative for their own good. I have this book from the Royal University and here are the notes I kept when I cautioned many, many sorcerers. You’ll find both of these useful.”

  “Thanks,” Ricky said, taking them.

  “I have one condition that you will not like.”

  Ricky took a deep breath. “Go ahead, Mistress Doubli.”

  “I’d rather you work with a Professor, but Dari isn’t the right person to experiment with. I have a friend who consults at the academy. Her name is Betti Singlia. Dari is friends with her. I’ll have her work with you. Betti was very, very innovative when she worked for my company.”

  “Thank you!” Ricky said.

  “Betti is a bit different. If you two don’t get along, let me know. I’ll arrange her tutoring through Dari. I don’t want you going behind your Professor’s back. What you seek to accomplish is far, far more advanced than anything taught at the academy.”

  “Professor Calasay has a general idea of how the joined resonance works, but past that is where the experimentation is needed,” Ricky said. “I think everyone has failed except for Baron Mansali.”

  “I’m letting you do this only because you show so much promise,” Mistress Doubli said. “Your parents would be proud of how you turned out. Only the strongest potential could have initiated the spell you used at the marketplace. I had to save you from the Juvenile Home when I learned your name.” She hugged Ricky, who had expected the embrace. “I am so glad I found you. Patience, my Ricky, and I’ll put your life to rights.”

  ~~~

  Chapter Nineteen

  ~

  A rmed with permission to work on sorcerous communications and with more knowledge about himself than made him comfortable, he quickly finished his sparring session with Benno and completed his cleaning early so he could talk to Saganet.

  “Over dinner at the cottage,” Saganet said when Ricky was about to bring up what Mistress Doubli told him. “For now, help me sand the edges of the wooden swords smooth.”

  Both of them worked in silence. Saganet refused to answer any questions until they finished.

  “I’m only going to make you feel worse, Ricky. You’ll want quiet time after we talk,” he said as they stopped by the commissary and then walked together across the grassy quadrangle towards the cottage.

  Once inside, Saganet pulled the book of Heraldry that Ricky had consulted not long before.

  “You’ve been reading t
his? It wasn’t at the usual spot.”

  “I did when you were gone. Victor and Frank left in a carriage with a crest, and I wanted to see whose coach took them away. I wondered if any nobles had my last name.”

  Saganet flipped to the Duke of Naparra’s page. “If I had a current copy, you wouldn’t have seen this. Dino Noacci is the current Duke, your father’s second or third cousin.”

  “My parents were noble.”

  “They were, and that makes you noble-born. But I checked into the past a bit when you arrived. You should also know that foul play was involved in your parents’ death, and that makes you a target, as well.”

  “Not the Tarantas?” Ricky said.

  Saganet shrugged. “Tossa can be a dangerous place. The Tarantas hire thugs. The Duke has the constables and his own private army, made up of men of dubious moral standing. The King even has watchers in our fine city. There are others.”

  “And Duke Noacci?”

  “A nasty piece of work. His hands are in a lot of the wrong places. He could be behind the attacks on you, or you might be the target of a few groups. My thinking is that you have rubbed the Tarantas the wrong way, especially since I am also watched by them.”

  Ricky stirred the food around on his plate. “That is why you went to the trouble to get me armed, but I can’t stop a gang of fully-grown men.”

  “No, but you can stall them for a moment so you can ‘shout’ your way out. You’ve evaded them so far,” Saganet said. “Why do you think you are working out at the gymnasium? You need to be able to defend yourself against more proficient men than those you’ve encountered, and that takes years of practice. The attackers we’ve been up against so far are brutes and haven’t been particularly well-trained.”

  “I understand all that,” Ricky said. “What happened to my parents?”

  Saganet pushed his half-eaten dinner away. “Nothing good. From what I can surmise, talking to Karian, Merry, and a few other friends in Sealio while I was gone, the current Duke arranged for an accident for you and your parents. For some reason, you weren’t with them when their carriage crashed. Gobble Bangatelli petitioned to a closed court for guardianship. I found that out on my recent trip to Sealio. He’s not your grandfather, by the way, but the husband of your mother’s aunt. That’s the last anyone heard of Adapo and Vera’s son until Merry saw you steal that urn in the marketplace, using magic you shouldn’t have been able to do. You probably didn’t know the son of Adapo Valian was reported dead? Gobble made it so eight years ago.”