Fic: All Through the Night, Fandom: Heir Series, Seph, Linda, Dr. Longbranch, rated: PG-13
Title: All Through the Night
Author: in_excelsis_dea
Characters: Seph McCauley, Linda Downey, Jessamine Longbranch
Fandom: Heir Series
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: 31_days Dec 2. make him tame so he can live in peace with the world, 64damn_prompts prompt 41. tragedy, 5_nevers and firstline_fic prompt 10 Hello? Have we met?
Disclaimer: Not mine.
AN: AU. Like way AU. And I twisted the daily prompt.
"Hello? Have we met?" His eyes are a warm brown color, like whiskey. A stray curl falls into his eyes, giving the illusion of innocence. He eyes her carefully, knowing that this is a woman he needs to be extremely cautious around, but yet there's something about her that makes him, well, wonder. She doesn't look much older than he is, her clothing is tattered, her eye is bruised and her skin is slightly scorched, the tell-tale evidence that she got hit with wizard fire.
She looks up him finally, her hair falling into her eyes. He's been warned about her- her reputation precedes her. A powerful enchanter, a rebel, involved with the Dragon himself. But now, curled up into a ball, shaking- she doesn't look all that powerful. She looks weak. She looks broken.
Her eyes are captivating. They're amber, with flecks of violet, two colors his own eyes take on. Her hair is a mess, falling in her face, but she quickly brushes the strands out of her face when she sees him.
"Seph," she breathes out, falling forwards onto her hands and knees, crawling over to him. Her chains do not allow her to get close enough to touch him, but he peers down at her, a frown on his face. He does not know her- cannot know her- but still part of him wants to know her. As if he did know her once, and he's merely forgotten.
"Do I know you?" He is torn between taking a step back and taking a step forwards, bringing him into her reach. There's little she can do to him- his specialty is mind magic, which is why Doctor Longbranch chose him to be the one to interrogate her. But it is never wise to take such a risk, especially with one of the known operatives of the Rebellion. She may be an enchanter, but she is closely linked with Hastings, and who knows if he's taught her any... tricks.
"Oh my God, Seph, oh my God, it's you." She mumbles, reaching for him. He takes a step back, jaw open. How does she know his name? His private name? No one calls him "Seph" anymore, not since he can remember. Except- except in dreams, when his mother sang to him. But his mother is dead- both his parents are dead, murdered by the Rebellion. Hastings cut them down himself, he has been told numerous times. For no reason, just because they were there. Hastings cut down two wizards because he could.
He hates the traitor. He should hate this woman, one of his top operatives, the lover of the man who murdered his parents. Taking her memories should be easy, a bit of reworking her mind and she'll be the docile and obedient enchanter she used to be, before Hastings ruined her. Doctor Longbranch gave him explicit instructions on how to deal with her.
And he doesn't want to disobey Doctor Longbranch, not after all she has done for him. She took him in, gave him a new family, visited often and trained him. Her personal protege, set up to be her successor when the time comes. She's given him a life, a purpose. She taught him how to control the awesome power within him, and he is completely indebted to her for that.
This enchanter is obviously playing games with him.
"Tell me where to find the Dragon," he orders, lacing his voice with persuasion. Most wizards need to touch, need contact to force their will, but he's become adept in reaching out with his mind.
"I thought you were dead," she whispers, forcing herself to sit up, to stare up at him. "It- it destroyed us both, your father and I. We didn't- we did everything in our power to protect you and yet it wasn't enough." She weeps, tears cascading down her cheeks, mixing with the dirt, giving her the appearance of someone who has half-washed their face.
"I said tell me where the Dragon is," he forces more power into his words. Doesn't she see that her tricks don't work with him? He's a wizard- of course he's more powerful than an enchanter. Enchanters- like all the other Underguilds- are nothing when compared to wizards. The entire Rebellion is a farce and only exists because they're being backed by a wizard.
Her only answer is to continue sobbing.
With a stride, he grabs her arm tightly and releases power into her. Not enough to permanently damage her, but enough to definitely get the message across. "Tell me," he bites out, teeth clenched, eyes turning a dark green. "Where is the Dragon hiding."
She cries out under the onslaught of his power, but keeps her lips clenched, wincing from the pain. "Don't do this, Seph," she gasps out when the power fades. "Don't do this to me, I'm your mother."
Something inside him snaps, and he tosses her across the room. She slams into the wall, her head cracking against it. Her body goes limp and for a second his throat closes- if he killed her- but then she makes a tiny movement and he's relieved. He doesn't want to know what Doctor Longbranch would do if he killed her- she made it clear that she wanted the enchanter alive.
"You know nothing of my mother, enchanter," he hisses through clenched teeth, his anger mounting. "My parents were murdered by your Dragon, and he will pay for it once you reveal his hideout to me." He strides over and grabs her by the hair, forcing her head up. Her eyes change colors again, and he can feel the enchantment in her voice.
"Let me go, and I'll tell you everything I know, Seph. Please."
"Your enchanter tricks won't work on me." He drops her in disgust, steps away slightly. "You are nothing but a traitor and you will tell me your secrets." The wound she received when her head hit the wall is bleeding slightly, clotting in her hair. She's dirtier than she was- the cell is not exactly clean- and her chains are twisted together, making her already impaired movement even more impossible.
There is no way out except through him.
She should be spilling everything she knows by now, or taunting him into killing her, a way to get him to lose control so she can gain the upper hand. He steps towards again, his boots touching her stomach, and leans fowards, a hand reaching for her to once again inflict persuasion with a large dose of pain added for good measure.
But instead of recoiling, she sings.
She sings.
"Sleep my child and peace attend thee, all through the night. Guardian angels God will send thee, all through the night; soft the drowsy hours are creeping, hill and vale in slumber sleeping, I my loved ones' watch am keeping, all through the night."
He freezes.
She starts to rise, but he does not stop her. Her voice is angelic, soft, sweet, carrying the melody in lilting tones. This is pure sorcery, an enchanter's trick that all Weir are familiar with. Enchanters always have beautiful voices, and their songs are always compelling and always full of magic.
Except...the magic, it's not being aimed towards him. Or, it is- but it's not something that makes him want to go away, or dissolve her chains. It's a different kind of magic all together.
It makes him remember.
She's standing now, her feet still chained, her wrists still chained. Her hair is in her face, but she does not sweep it away. She keeps her gaze trained on him, meeting his eyes with her own.
"Angels watching, e'er around thee, all through the night. Midnight slumber close surround thee, all through the night. Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, hill and vale in slumber sleeping; I my loved ones' watch am keeping, all through the night.."
He has one memory of his parents. One single memory. He never mentions it, because there's no need to- Doctor Longbranch and his foster parents have made it more than clear that his life began when he was three years old, and that anything that happened before it is meaningless. He must avenge his parents by destroying the Dragon, the man who murdered them. But his parents themselves are gone, tragedies in this pointless war, and it is only wasted time to wonder about them.
His mother sang to him. He cannot see her face, but he knows that it is her voice, her touch on his forehead. He cannot see his father either, but instinctively knows that the strong arms holding him, soothing him with magic, belong to his father, a faceless man, a voiceless man- only a source of comforting power.
"While the moon her watch is keeping," he whispers, unable to stop himself, "all through the night. While the weary world is sleeping-"
"All through the night," the enchanter finishes for him, her eyes shining, her mouth forming itself into a smile though her lip is split. "You remember."
"No," he takes a step away, "no," he gasps again. "It's a trick. Enchanters can control through songs, they- you- this isn't real."
"I sang that to you every night. You wouldn't go to sleep without me singing it to you. And some nights, when things were bad, your dad would hold you in his arms and you'd just calm down instantly. And then I'd stroke your hair and sing to you and you'd snuggle into his chest and soon you'd be asleep." She reaches out for him and he flinches, but all she does is brush the stray curls from his eyes. "You look so much like your father, Seph."
"No I don't," he murmurs, but it's half-hearted at best, as if he can't come up with the strength to complain anymore. And- for all he knows- he could look like his father. He's never seen any photographs. They were all destroyed in the wizard fire Hastings set to his home when he was a child, after killing his parents in cold blood right in front of his eyes. "You're lying to me."
"You know I'm not, Seph. I can see it in your eyes. You remembered, I know you did." Something in him breaks and he hits her hand away, retreating away from her.
"It's a silly dream. It means nothing, and you are not my mother. My mother and father were murdered when I was three. My name is Joseph Bennett and I was raised by Martin and Aurelia Lloyd, who took me in when Leander Hastings destroyed my family."
"What did they do to you," she whispers, cradling her arms as well as the chains allow it. "We loved- love you so much. And when you were taken, we thought- we thought you must be dead. We looked everywhere for you, but neither of us could find you." She reaches out for him again, an imploring look on her face. "Leander would never hurt you- he loves you too much."
"Get away from me!" He cries, waving a hand and causing a wave of fire to pass between them. She quickly retreats back against the wall, covering her head to protect herself from the flames. "It's lies! It's all lies!"
"I'm not lying to you, Seph! You've never seen your Weirbook, have you? That's because your father and I have it! Come with me, Seph, we'll leave and you can meet your father; he'll be so thrilled to meet you!" She looks up again, her eyes practically glowing as she radiates with her power.
He should send more fire at her, be more persuasive. Better yet, he should play into her games and trick her into telling him what he wants to know. The mind wipe he can perform later, after she's been heavily dosed with Weirsbane. In retrospect, it was rather stupid not to have dosed her in the first place.
But something stops him.
His Weirbook.
He knows it exists- Weirbooks cannot be destroyed. But he has never found it. He has searched long and hard for it along with Doctor Longbranch, but nothing has ever come from their search. At this point and time, he's not even sure why it's so important- he's gotten through the fourteen years with the Lloyds and Doctor Longbranch without it. But Doctor Longbranch simply insists that it's the key to everything and that it needs to be found.
"You're just making it up," he spits out, though it lacks the anger to back it up. "Enchanters can't be trusted."
"I'm telling the truth," she implores him once again, daring to step in his direction. He raises up his hands, but she keeps coming, not even flinching when he begins to voice a charm.
The door, carefully hidden under an invisible barrier, is suddenly thrown open, and he drops his hands. Doctor Longbranch, dressed impeccably as always, strides towards them. "Joseph," she tuts- before bringing up a hand and slapping him with both her hand and power, causing him to fly across the room.
"And you," she turns to the enchanter. "Are you ready to reveal your secrets now?"
"Joseph," she cries out instead, and Longbranch simply raises her hand again, causing her to fly back. Seph props himself up on his elbows, now covered in dirt himself, his cheek stinging.
"What-"
"I give you a simple task, Joseph." Longbranch turns to him once again, watching as he pulls himself up. "Force Linda Downey to reveal her secrets, and then wipe her mind completely or kill her. A pity to waste an enchanter, but better dead than on the loose." She eyes a hand crimson painted nails. "And then I come in and find that you have made no progress. I'm very disappointed in you."
"She- she tried to trick me," he defends his actions, brushing himself off. He spares a quick glance in the enchanter's- Linda's- direction, sees her stir, before meeting Longbranch's gaze again.
"Of course she tried to trick you," she says, teepeeing her fingers. "She's an enchanter, you fool. That's the reason you were sent against her- because you are supposed to be immune to enchantment."
"But I am- but I was- it wasn't her powers!" He finally bursts out. "It was- she kept on telling me that she knew who my parents were. She sang a lullaby to me."
Longbranch merely arches a thin brow, before turning to face the fallen enchanter. "Well, this is interesting." She taps Linda with her foot and the other woman groans, attempting to push herself up. "Quite interesting."
"Tell me, Joseph," her gaze suddenly becomes cold, "did you learn anything that could be helpful in tracking down the Dragon or the other rebels?"
"No, Doctor. I am sorry." She raises a hand and while he could easily throw up a shield, he accepts the punishment, a wave of energy burning his insides, as it flows through him. He learned early on that accepting punishment was much easier in the long run than fighting back.
She only got nastier when he fought back.
"Seph," Linda cries out, as she sees the grimace on his face as he fights screaming from the pain. "Stop hurting him!" She kicks out at Longbranch enough to break the wizard's concentration. Seph hunches over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. The enchanter is insane- she must know that Longbranch is going to kill her.
"I always wondered," Longbranch says, reaching down and pulling the other woman up by her hair. Linda grimaces but makes no sound, keeping her arms at her sides, her feet slightly apart. "A raid with two well-known rebels, and the only thing we find worth anything is a boy of all things. Of course," and she turns to Seph, calling him with one finger, "he turned out to be quite a catch."
Seph eyes her warily, before coming closer. Resistance is futile in this instance. And part of him wonders what she's talking about. It's almost as if what the enchanter said actually did have some truth in it.
Longbranch puts a hand heavy with power on his shoulder, squeezing him not enough to hurt, but enough to show that she is the one in control. "Such a powerful little wizard, left all alone. I admit I took a chance- you know I have no patience with children, Linda. But I was so pleasantly surprised when he started showing his power. And finding a replacement family wasn't very hard at all. No," she purses her lips, "it was surprisingly easy. And here I had an ace up my sleeve, you might say- an orphan with such a strong gift and so young that it was child's play to mold him into my perfect protege."
"What are you saying," he breathes out, her nails digging into his shoulder as a warning.
"She stole you away from us," the enchanter coughs out. "We were worried sick, and you ended up separated from us and we looked all over for you, but there was no trace. We've searched years for you- we never gave up."
"You lied to me?" Seph questions Longbranch, the filters finally falling away from his vision. His- his mentor, the woman who was more like a mother to him than Aurelia Lloyd was, she had been lying to him for his entire life. Somehow- somehow this seems much more plausible than the enchanter lying to him, even though enchanters have a reputation of lying.
"You were quite annoying at the beginning. You wanted your bloody parents, and were quite vocal about it. It wasn't until a Mind Master did a complete wipe that you finally settled down." Longbranch ignores him, preferring to tell her own story. "And after that you were so tame- my perfect little wizard. You just dived into your lessons with a fervor, soon outclassing even your teachers. And I had you raised to my specifications: an extraordinarily powerful wizard with a gift for mind magic- making you the perfect wizard to go up against a notorious enchanter." And now she finally sends a wave of power through him that makes his knees go weak and his vision blur as tears form in his eyes.
"And what do I come in to find? You having a discussion. Joseph, I am quite disappointed in you." He braces himself for more torment, but instead she lets go of him, taking Linda Downey firmly into her grasp. He nearly topples over, so surprised that she released him. He catches himself, regains his balance.
Longbranch puts Linda between Seph and her, grasping her shoulders from behind. He can see the power grow in her hands and the enchanter gasps as what must be terrible pain runs through her. "Now, Joseph, you are going to complete your task. And then you will dispose of her."
He is torn between the two women- the woman who raised him, and the woman who bore him. The woman who loves you, his mind whispers.
"Just kill me," Linda forces out, before she moans in pain. "Kill me and run," she has to bite her lip to keep from screaming under the wizard's onslaught. "Save yourself."
"Joseph, I am slowly losing my patience- and you know what that means."
Yes- yes he does. He knows exactly what Doctor Longbranch means. He'll be lucky if she doesn't kill him herself. In any case, he will be broken for quite a long time. The last time he was foolish enough to disobey, he ended up unconscious for a week and unable move without considerable pain for an additional week.
"I-" He forces himself to reach out, to touch Linda. He reaches for her shoulder, falters, goes for her wrist instead. He grips her wrist above the chain, feeling her power stir underneath his touch. The defining moment: he does this and sentences her- his mother to death. He does not do it, and sentences them both to death.
Neither are very appealing.
"Just do it, Seph." Her voice is hoarse, he can hear the tears in it. "I'm not important."
"Do it now, Joseph. Make her talk or you will be next." Linda shudders as Longbranch sends another wave of power through her with such a force that the air around them shimmers.
"I-" He keeps his grip on Linda's wrist, but instead of sending pain or persuasion, he sends warmth and healing- just enough to dull the pain for a moment, not enough for Longbranch to notice.
"Come, Joseph, don't be stupid. You're a powerful wizard with so much potential. You have had a lovely life with us. You are on top of the world, Joseph, and in a few years when you come into your true power you will most likely end up ruling us all. You were peaceful before this. And now you're going to let this- this enchanter ruin your bright future?"
He can feel the persuasion in her voice, but it does nothing to him. It's like he's finally woken up from a dream. She had his memories erased. She took him away from his parents. She turned him completely against his family. She stole his identity away from him.
Yes, his life would be considered good by wizard standards. He's powerful, he has money, he has the favor of the premier wizard of the White Rose. She claimed she tamed him, and perhaps she did. He can't even begin to imagine what life would have been like with his true parents. He was sheltered here, and up until mere moments previously, believed he was on the top of the world, peaceful, at ease. Dealing with an enchanter- even such a powerful one- should be simple.
Except that this is his mother.
And now he has to choose between the two women.
If you don't think about it, the choice is simple.
So he doesn't think about it.
He continues to release gentle rivers of power into Linda, letting her regain some strength. And then, without thinking, he reaches past her in a quick movement, the spell already said in his mind.
Doctor Jessamine Longbranch, premier wizard of the White Rose, screams once as he floods her with blazing power, overwhelming her as he intensifies the effect with a spell.
She collapses onto the floor; dead.
He stares at her, panting, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. He senses, rather than hears Linda clank her chains as she reaches over and puts a hand on his arm, returning the favor of sharing power. He stumbles back from Longbranch's body, in shock of what he has just done.
"I- I-"
Words fail him.
"Oh, sweetheart," she murmurs, reaching up clumsily to brush his forehead. Without paying attention to the action, he touches her chains and murmurs a charm under his breath to release them. Once free, she embraces him fully. She's short- nearly a foot shorter than he is, which makes the embrace slightly awkward, but at this point he is past caring. He brings his arms around her, dropping his head into her shoulder, and lets silent sobs wrack through him.
"You're okay," she strokes his curls, moving them out of his face. "I have you."
He wants to retort that as an enchanter in one of the White Rose's strongholds, she's extremely outclassed, but stills his tongue. Instead he lifts up his head and then is forced to look down to meet her eyes. "I killed her," he whispers. "I killed my mentor- the woman who raised me. I- I-" This is not the first time he has killed. But it is the first time it has shaken him so badly.
He was raised in what Doctor Longbranch might have called peaceful, but in reality was anything but. He was sheltered to an extreme extent, in that his world evolved around the White Rose. He was obedient, did whatever was asked of him- even murdered when it was considered called for. Yes, he supposed, he had been tamed.
And now he had the option to walk away.
If he could.
"She used you, Seph," she stresses, cupping his cheek. "She didn't care about you. She cared for your power. Your possible connection to us- to your father and I," she amends. "You weren't a person to her, you were a possession. Come with me, Seph."
"I-" His voice catches in his throat, "I don't- she- she left it all to me." He hurries on. "I was- I was her project, her protege. She might have used me, but she was confident that I'd never disobey. She- she trusted me to as much of an extent as she trusted anyone, I suppose. I'm- there has to be a meeting. These people- they're my- not my family, but my life. I killed her, but they won't care. She's dead. Blame it on the rebels. I ascend. I take over."
As the words leave his mouth, he realizes how true they are. Longbranch had raised him as her successor, and the rest of the House knew it. There might be a few older wizards who would protest, but all he has to do was flaunt his power- remind them of the reason why he had been so trusted, kept so close- and they would submit. Wizard politics are remarkably easy, if you were raised within them. He has always had a gift of drawing people to him- not just magically, but with his words. Wizards listen when he speaks, and know the consequences when he is displeased.
He had just been handed the title of premier wizard of the White Rose. No one would care that he had killed her- if it ever came out. He had simply showed his power, put hers to the test- and he won.
He won.
For the first time in his life, he is truly free.
"I'm the premier wizard of the White Rose," he whispers, untangling himself from the enchanter. "I- I'm the bloody Master of the Council."
"Then you can change it," the woman quickly adds. "Then you can change this ridiculous set of rules. You can stop the Game, stop the fighting. You can finally fix things."
"Perhaps," he allows. "I- leave," he finally says, turning away from her and the body on the floor, waving a hand so the hidden door appears once again. "Run. I- I have to think."
"I'm your mother, Seph," she grabs a hold of the back of his shirt. "Don't shut me out. Your father will be overjoyed to finally meet you."
"I don't remember my father," he says, and removes her hand. "I don't remember you for that matter. I remember a song. I have one single memory. You- please leave," he stares at the floor, his hand on the door knob. "Please go and I'll try to get this bloody house under control and maybe- someday-"
He forces himself to leave, refuses to look back. The dungeon corridor is dark, but he knows the way, and he uses the time to make sense of things, to plot.
It is his turn to rule.
He's going to make the best of it.
Author: in_excelsis_dea
Characters: Seph McCauley, Linda Downey, Jessamine Longbranch
Fandom: Heir Series
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: 31_days Dec 2. make him tame so he can live in peace with the world, 64damn_prompts prompt 41. tragedy, 5_nevers and firstline_fic prompt 10 Hello? Have we met?
Disclaimer: Not mine.
AN: AU. Like way AU. And I twisted the daily prompt.
"Hello? Have we met?" His eyes are a warm brown color, like whiskey. A stray curl falls into his eyes, giving the illusion of innocence. He eyes her carefully, knowing that this is a woman he needs to be extremely cautious around, but yet there's something about her that makes him, well, wonder. She doesn't look much older than he is, her clothing is tattered, her eye is bruised and her skin is slightly scorched, the tell-tale evidence that she got hit with wizard fire.
She looks up him finally, her hair falling into her eyes. He's been warned about her- her reputation precedes her. A powerful enchanter, a rebel, involved with the Dragon himself. But now, curled up into a ball, shaking- she doesn't look all that powerful. She looks weak. She looks broken.
Her eyes are captivating. They're amber, with flecks of violet, two colors his own eyes take on. Her hair is a mess, falling in her face, but she quickly brushes the strands out of her face when she sees him.
"Seph," she breathes out, falling forwards onto her hands and knees, crawling over to him. Her chains do not allow her to get close enough to touch him, but he peers down at her, a frown on his face. He does not know her- cannot know her- but still part of him wants to know her. As if he did know her once, and he's merely forgotten.
"Do I know you?" He is torn between taking a step back and taking a step forwards, bringing him into her reach. There's little she can do to him- his specialty is mind magic, which is why Doctor Longbranch chose him to be the one to interrogate her. But it is never wise to take such a risk, especially with one of the known operatives of the Rebellion. She may be an enchanter, but she is closely linked with Hastings, and who knows if he's taught her any... tricks.
"Oh my God, Seph, oh my God, it's you." She mumbles, reaching for him. He takes a step back, jaw open. How does she know his name? His private name? No one calls him "Seph" anymore, not since he can remember. Except- except in dreams, when his mother sang to him. But his mother is dead- both his parents are dead, murdered by the Rebellion. Hastings cut them down himself, he has been told numerous times. For no reason, just because they were there. Hastings cut down two wizards because he could.
He hates the traitor. He should hate this woman, one of his top operatives, the lover of the man who murdered his parents. Taking her memories should be easy, a bit of reworking her mind and she'll be the docile and obedient enchanter she used to be, before Hastings ruined her. Doctor Longbranch gave him explicit instructions on how to deal with her.
And he doesn't want to disobey Doctor Longbranch, not after all she has done for him. She took him in, gave him a new family, visited often and trained him. Her personal protege, set up to be her successor when the time comes. She's given him a life, a purpose. She taught him how to control the awesome power within him, and he is completely indebted to her for that.
This enchanter is obviously playing games with him.
"Tell me where to find the Dragon," he orders, lacing his voice with persuasion. Most wizards need to touch, need contact to force their will, but he's become adept in reaching out with his mind.
"I thought you were dead," she whispers, forcing herself to sit up, to stare up at him. "It- it destroyed us both, your father and I. We didn't- we did everything in our power to protect you and yet it wasn't enough." She weeps, tears cascading down her cheeks, mixing with the dirt, giving her the appearance of someone who has half-washed their face.
"I said tell me where the Dragon is," he forces more power into his words. Doesn't she see that her tricks don't work with him? He's a wizard- of course he's more powerful than an enchanter. Enchanters- like all the other Underguilds- are nothing when compared to wizards. The entire Rebellion is a farce and only exists because they're being backed by a wizard.
Her only answer is to continue sobbing.
With a stride, he grabs her arm tightly and releases power into her. Not enough to permanently damage her, but enough to definitely get the message across. "Tell me," he bites out, teeth clenched, eyes turning a dark green. "Where is the Dragon hiding."
She cries out under the onslaught of his power, but keeps her lips clenched, wincing from the pain. "Don't do this, Seph," she gasps out when the power fades. "Don't do this to me, I'm your mother."
Something inside him snaps, and he tosses her across the room. She slams into the wall, her head cracking against it. Her body goes limp and for a second his throat closes- if he killed her- but then she makes a tiny movement and he's relieved. He doesn't want to know what Doctor Longbranch would do if he killed her- she made it clear that she wanted the enchanter alive.
"You know nothing of my mother, enchanter," he hisses through clenched teeth, his anger mounting. "My parents were murdered by your Dragon, and he will pay for it once you reveal his hideout to me." He strides over and grabs her by the hair, forcing her head up. Her eyes change colors again, and he can feel the enchantment in her voice.
"Let me go, and I'll tell you everything I know, Seph. Please."
"Your enchanter tricks won't work on me." He drops her in disgust, steps away slightly. "You are nothing but a traitor and you will tell me your secrets." The wound she received when her head hit the wall is bleeding slightly, clotting in her hair. She's dirtier than she was- the cell is not exactly clean- and her chains are twisted together, making her already impaired movement even more impossible.
There is no way out except through him.
She should be spilling everything she knows by now, or taunting him into killing her, a way to get him to lose control so she can gain the upper hand. He steps towards again, his boots touching her stomach, and leans fowards, a hand reaching for her to once again inflict persuasion with a large dose of pain added for good measure.
But instead of recoiling, she sings.
She sings.
"Sleep my child and peace attend thee, all through the night. Guardian angels God will send thee, all through the night; soft the drowsy hours are creeping, hill and vale in slumber sleeping, I my loved ones' watch am keeping, all through the night."
He freezes.
She starts to rise, but he does not stop her. Her voice is angelic, soft, sweet, carrying the melody in lilting tones. This is pure sorcery, an enchanter's trick that all Weir are familiar with. Enchanters always have beautiful voices, and their songs are always compelling and always full of magic.
Except...the magic, it's not being aimed towards him. Or, it is- but it's not something that makes him want to go away, or dissolve her chains. It's a different kind of magic all together.
It makes him remember.
She's standing now, her feet still chained, her wrists still chained. Her hair is in her face, but she does not sweep it away. She keeps her gaze trained on him, meeting his eyes with her own.
"Angels watching, e'er around thee, all through the night. Midnight slumber close surround thee, all through the night. Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, hill and vale in slumber sleeping; I my loved ones' watch am keeping, all through the night.."
He has one memory of his parents. One single memory. He never mentions it, because there's no need to- Doctor Longbranch and his foster parents have made it more than clear that his life began when he was three years old, and that anything that happened before it is meaningless. He must avenge his parents by destroying the Dragon, the man who murdered them. But his parents themselves are gone, tragedies in this pointless war, and it is only wasted time to wonder about them.
His mother sang to him. He cannot see her face, but he knows that it is her voice, her touch on his forehead. He cannot see his father either, but instinctively knows that the strong arms holding him, soothing him with magic, belong to his father, a faceless man, a voiceless man- only a source of comforting power.
"While the moon her watch is keeping," he whispers, unable to stop himself, "all through the night. While the weary world is sleeping-"
"All through the night," the enchanter finishes for him, her eyes shining, her mouth forming itself into a smile though her lip is split. "You remember."
"No," he takes a step away, "no," he gasps again. "It's a trick. Enchanters can control through songs, they- you- this isn't real."
"I sang that to you every night. You wouldn't go to sleep without me singing it to you. And some nights, when things were bad, your dad would hold you in his arms and you'd just calm down instantly. And then I'd stroke your hair and sing to you and you'd snuggle into his chest and soon you'd be asleep." She reaches out for him and he flinches, but all she does is brush the stray curls from his eyes. "You look so much like your father, Seph."
"No I don't," he murmurs, but it's half-hearted at best, as if he can't come up with the strength to complain anymore. And- for all he knows- he could look like his father. He's never seen any photographs. They were all destroyed in the wizard fire Hastings set to his home when he was a child, after killing his parents in cold blood right in front of his eyes. "You're lying to me."
"You know I'm not, Seph. I can see it in your eyes. You remembered, I know you did." Something in him breaks and he hits her hand away, retreating away from her.
"It's a silly dream. It means nothing, and you are not my mother. My mother and father were murdered when I was three. My name is Joseph Bennett and I was raised by Martin and Aurelia Lloyd, who took me in when Leander Hastings destroyed my family."
"What did they do to you," she whispers, cradling her arms as well as the chains allow it. "We loved- love you so much. And when you were taken, we thought- we thought you must be dead. We looked everywhere for you, but neither of us could find you." She reaches out for him again, an imploring look on her face. "Leander would never hurt you- he loves you too much."
"Get away from me!" He cries, waving a hand and causing a wave of fire to pass between them. She quickly retreats back against the wall, covering her head to protect herself from the flames. "It's lies! It's all lies!"
"I'm not lying to you, Seph! You've never seen your Weirbook, have you? That's because your father and I have it! Come with me, Seph, we'll leave and you can meet your father; he'll be so thrilled to meet you!" She looks up again, her eyes practically glowing as she radiates with her power.
He should send more fire at her, be more persuasive. Better yet, he should play into her games and trick her into telling him what he wants to know. The mind wipe he can perform later, after she's been heavily dosed with Weirsbane. In retrospect, it was rather stupid not to have dosed her in the first place.
But something stops him.
His Weirbook.
He knows it exists- Weirbooks cannot be destroyed. But he has never found it. He has searched long and hard for it along with Doctor Longbranch, but nothing has ever come from their search. At this point and time, he's not even sure why it's so important- he's gotten through the fourteen years with the Lloyds and Doctor Longbranch without it. But Doctor Longbranch simply insists that it's the key to everything and that it needs to be found.
"You're just making it up," he spits out, though it lacks the anger to back it up. "Enchanters can't be trusted."
"I'm telling the truth," she implores him once again, daring to step in his direction. He raises up his hands, but she keeps coming, not even flinching when he begins to voice a charm.
The door, carefully hidden under an invisible barrier, is suddenly thrown open, and he drops his hands. Doctor Longbranch, dressed impeccably as always, strides towards them. "Joseph," she tuts- before bringing up a hand and slapping him with both her hand and power, causing him to fly across the room.
"And you," she turns to the enchanter. "Are you ready to reveal your secrets now?"
"Joseph," she cries out instead, and Longbranch simply raises her hand again, causing her to fly back. Seph props himself up on his elbows, now covered in dirt himself, his cheek stinging.
"What-"
"I give you a simple task, Joseph." Longbranch turns to him once again, watching as he pulls himself up. "Force Linda Downey to reveal her secrets, and then wipe her mind completely or kill her. A pity to waste an enchanter, but better dead than on the loose." She eyes a hand crimson painted nails. "And then I come in and find that you have made no progress. I'm very disappointed in you."
"She- she tried to trick me," he defends his actions, brushing himself off. He spares a quick glance in the enchanter's- Linda's- direction, sees her stir, before meeting Longbranch's gaze again.
"Of course she tried to trick you," she says, teepeeing her fingers. "She's an enchanter, you fool. That's the reason you were sent against her- because you are supposed to be immune to enchantment."
"But I am- but I was- it wasn't her powers!" He finally bursts out. "It was- she kept on telling me that she knew who my parents were. She sang a lullaby to me."
Longbranch merely arches a thin brow, before turning to face the fallen enchanter. "Well, this is interesting." She taps Linda with her foot and the other woman groans, attempting to push herself up. "Quite interesting."
"Tell me, Joseph," her gaze suddenly becomes cold, "did you learn anything that could be helpful in tracking down the Dragon or the other rebels?"
"No, Doctor. I am sorry." She raises a hand and while he could easily throw up a shield, he accepts the punishment, a wave of energy burning his insides, as it flows through him. He learned early on that accepting punishment was much easier in the long run than fighting back.
She only got nastier when he fought back.
"Seph," Linda cries out, as she sees the grimace on his face as he fights screaming from the pain. "Stop hurting him!" She kicks out at Longbranch enough to break the wizard's concentration. Seph hunches over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. The enchanter is insane- she must know that Longbranch is going to kill her.
"I always wondered," Longbranch says, reaching down and pulling the other woman up by her hair. Linda grimaces but makes no sound, keeping her arms at her sides, her feet slightly apart. "A raid with two well-known rebels, and the only thing we find worth anything is a boy of all things. Of course," and she turns to Seph, calling him with one finger, "he turned out to be quite a catch."
Seph eyes her warily, before coming closer. Resistance is futile in this instance. And part of him wonders what she's talking about. It's almost as if what the enchanter said actually did have some truth in it.
Longbranch puts a hand heavy with power on his shoulder, squeezing him not enough to hurt, but enough to show that she is the one in control. "Such a powerful little wizard, left all alone. I admit I took a chance- you know I have no patience with children, Linda. But I was so pleasantly surprised when he started showing his power. And finding a replacement family wasn't very hard at all. No," she purses her lips, "it was surprisingly easy. And here I had an ace up my sleeve, you might say- an orphan with such a strong gift and so young that it was child's play to mold him into my perfect protege."
"What are you saying," he breathes out, her nails digging into his shoulder as a warning.
"She stole you away from us," the enchanter coughs out. "We were worried sick, and you ended up separated from us and we looked all over for you, but there was no trace. We've searched years for you- we never gave up."
"You lied to me?" Seph questions Longbranch, the filters finally falling away from his vision. His- his mentor, the woman who was more like a mother to him than Aurelia Lloyd was, she had been lying to him for his entire life. Somehow- somehow this seems much more plausible than the enchanter lying to him, even though enchanters have a reputation of lying.
"You were quite annoying at the beginning. You wanted your bloody parents, and were quite vocal about it. It wasn't until a Mind Master did a complete wipe that you finally settled down." Longbranch ignores him, preferring to tell her own story. "And after that you were so tame- my perfect little wizard. You just dived into your lessons with a fervor, soon outclassing even your teachers. And I had you raised to my specifications: an extraordinarily powerful wizard with a gift for mind magic- making you the perfect wizard to go up against a notorious enchanter." And now she finally sends a wave of power through him that makes his knees go weak and his vision blur as tears form in his eyes.
"And what do I come in to find? You having a discussion. Joseph, I am quite disappointed in you." He braces himself for more torment, but instead she lets go of him, taking Linda Downey firmly into her grasp. He nearly topples over, so surprised that she released him. He catches himself, regains his balance.
Longbranch puts Linda between Seph and her, grasping her shoulders from behind. He can see the power grow in her hands and the enchanter gasps as what must be terrible pain runs through her. "Now, Joseph, you are going to complete your task. And then you will dispose of her."
He is torn between the two women- the woman who raised him, and the woman who bore him. The woman who loves you, his mind whispers.
"Just kill me," Linda forces out, before she moans in pain. "Kill me and run," she has to bite her lip to keep from screaming under the wizard's onslaught. "Save yourself."
"Joseph, I am slowly losing my patience- and you know what that means."
Yes- yes he does. He knows exactly what Doctor Longbranch means. He'll be lucky if she doesn't kill him herself. In any case, he will be broken for quite a long time. The last time he was foolish enough to disobey, he ended up unconscious for a week and unable move without considerable pain for an additional week.
"I-" He forces himself to reach out, to touch Linda. He reaches for her shoulder, falters, goes for her wrist instead. He grips her wrist above the chain, feeling her power stir underneath his touch. The defining moment: he does this and sentences her- his mother to death. He does not do it, and sentences them both to death.
Neither are very appealing.
"Just do it, Seph." Her voice is hoarse, he can hear the tears in it. "I'm not important."
"Do it now, Joseph. Make her talk or you will be next." Linda shudders as Longbranch sends another wave of power through her with such a force that the air around them shimmers.
"I-" He keeps his grip on Linda's wrist, but instead of sending pain or persuasion, he sends warmth and healing- just enough to dull the pain for a moment, not enough for Longbranch to notice.
"Come, Joseph, don't be stupid. You're a powerful wizard with so much potential. You have had a lovely life with us. You are on top of the world, Joseph, and in a few years when you come into your true power you will most likely end up ruling us all. You were peaceful before this. And now you're going to let this- this enchanter ruin your bright future?"
He can feel the persuasion in her voice, but it does nothing to him. It's like he's finally woken up from a dream. She had his memories erased. She took him away from his parents. She turned him completely against his family. She stole his identity away from him.
Yes, his life would be considered good by wizard standards. He's powerful, he has money, he has the favor of the premier wizard of the White Rose. She claimed she tamed him, and perhaps she did. He can't even begin to imagine what life would have been like with his true parents. He was sheltered here, and up until mere moments previously, believed he was on the top of the world, peaceful, at ease. Dealing with an enchanter- even such a powerful one- should be simple.
Except that this is his mother.
And now he has to choose between the two women.
If you don't think about it, the choice is simple.
So he doesn't think about it.
He continues to release gentle rivers of power into Linda, letting her regain some strength. And then, without thinking, he reaches past her in a quick movement, the spell already said in his mind.
Doctor Jessamine Longbranch, premier wizard of the White Rose, screams once as he floods her with blazing power, overwhelming her as he intensifies the effect with a spell.
She collapses onto the floor; dead.
He stares at her, panting, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. He senses, rather than hears Linda clank her chains as she reaches over and puts a hand on his arm, returning the favor of sharing power. He stumbles back from Longbranch's body, in shock of what he has just done.
"I- I-"
Words fail him.
"Oh, sweetheart," she murmurs, reaching up clumsily to brush his forehead. Without paying attention to the action, he touches her chains and murmurs a charm under his breath to release them. Once free, she embraces him fully. She's short- nearly a foot shorter than he is, which makes the embrace slightly awkward, but at this point he is past caring. He brings his arms around her, dropping his head into her shoulder, and lets silent sobs wrack through him.
"You're okay," she strokes his curls, moving them out of his face. "I have you."
He wants to retort that as an enchanter in one of the White Rose's strongholds, she's extremely outclassed, but stills his tongue. Instead he lifts up his head and then is forced to look down to meet her eyes. "I killed her," he whispers. "I killed my mentor- the woman who raised me. I- I-" This is not the first time he has killed. But it is the first time it has shaken him so badly.
He was raised in what Doctor Longbranch might have called peaceful, but in reality was anything but. He was sheltered to an extreme extent, in that his world evolved around the White Rose. He was obedient, did whatever was asked of him- even murdered when it was considered called for. Yes, he supposed, he had been tamed.
And now he had the option to walk away.
If he could.
"She used you, Seph," she stresses, cupping his cheek. "She didn't care about you. She cared for your power. Your possible connection to us- to your father and I," she amends. "You weren't a person to her, you were a possession. Come with me, Seph."
"I-" His voice catches in his throat, "I don't- she- she left it all to me." He hurries on. "I was- I was her project, her protege. She might have used me, but she was confident that I'd never disobey. She- she trusted me to as much of an extent as she trusted anyone, I suppose. I'm- there has to be a meeting. These people- they're my- not my family, but my life. I killed her, but they won't care. She's dead. Blame it on the rebels. I ascend. I take over."
As the words leave his mouth, he realizes how true they are. Longbranch had raised him as her successor, and the rest of the House knew it. There might be a few older wizards who would protest, but all he has to do was flaunt his power- remind them of the reason why he had been so trusted, kept so close- and they would submit. Wizard politics are remarkably easy, if you were raised within them. He has always had a gift of drawing people to him- not just magically, but with his words. Wizards listen when he speaks, and know the consequences when he is displeased.
He had just been handed the title of premier wizard of the White Rose. No one would care that he had killed her- if it ever came out. He had simply showed his power, put hers to the test- and he won.
He won.
For the first time in his life, he is truly free.
"I'm the premier wizard of the White Rose," he whispers, untangling himself from the enchanter. "I- I'm the bloody Master of the Council."
"Then you can change it," the woman quickly adds. "Then you can change this ridiculous set of rules. You can stop the Game, stop the fighting. You can finally fix things."
"Perhaps," he allows. "I- leave," he finally says, turning away from her and the body on the floor, waving a hand so the hidden door appears once again. "Run. I- I have to think."
"I'm your mother, Seph," she grabs a hold of the back of his shirt. "Don't shut me out. Your father will be overjoyed to finally meet you."
"I don't remember my father," he says, and removes her hand. "I don't remember you for that matter. I remember a song. I have one single memory. You- please leave," he stares at the floor, his hand on the door knob. "Please go and I'll try to get this bloody house under control and maybe- someday-"
He forces himself to leave, refuses to look back. The dungeon corridor is dark, but he knows the way, and he uses the time to make sense of things, to plot.
It is his turn to rule.
He's going to make the best of it.