29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

D arcy's mind was growing fuzzy. Somehow, he had to keep the Ward up. He did not even know if the Prince Regent was alive, but he dared not do anything that might break his concentration. Help would come, sooner or later, but right now, Darcy was not sure he could continue until then.

It was his fault things had come to this. He should have been more insistent with His Highness and found a way to convince him to leave before the Earth mage's attack. He had one mission he needed to accomplish, and that was to keep the Prince Regent safe.

Just as he should have kept Elizabeth safe. He ought to have guessed her intentions. He knew she was obstinate and headstrong and reckless, and yet he had ridden away without even asking what she intended to do.

And now he was failing the Prince Regent because his magic was fading. His Bond with Redmond was fading, and his physical strength was reaching its limits.

His dismal reflections were draining him. He could not continue in that direction. He needed a distraction. "Talk to me, Redmond," he said, in sheer desperation.

Redmond licked his parched lips. "What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me something about yourself. Do you have a young lady who interests you?"

"I—that is a rather private question, sir, " he said, looking affronted, his ears turning red.

"I did not mean to offend you. I was just trying to keep myself awake." There was a buzzing in Darcy's ears, and he was finding it hard to focus his vision.

Redmond hesitated. "In that case—." He became suddenly shy. "You will not tell anyone, sir, will you?"

"I can keep a secret, Redmond."

"Well, I do like Miss Lydia Bennet," he said. "I mean, I think I do. She was sent away, so I have not seen her for some time, but I think about her. She is unlike any of the other young ladies I mean. She is spirited and lively and— well, I like her," he finished, lamely.

If he did not know Lydia, he would have thought she sounded like Elizabeth.

"Perhaps we can arrange for her to be transferred," said Darcy. "One of us deserves to be happy, at least."

Grief overwhelmed him. Elizabeth had stepped into the mirror. Of all the foolish, dangerous things to do! How was he to live without her?

"Mr. Darcy. Sir!" Redmond put out his hand to shake Darcy. "You were about to fall. Please hold on sir. I don't know if I can do it alone."

"You are stronger than you think, Redmond."

"Ask me more questions, Mr. Darcy. I am happy to answer." There was desperation in his voice.

Despite Redmond's attempts, Darcy's mind was growing clouded.

"Darcy!! Where are you? Darcy!" The sound of Elizabeth's voice jerked Darcy awake. He sat up and looked around him, befuddled. It must be an illusion, sent by an Imperial mage to torment him.

"Darcy!" There it was again. "Redmond! Are you here?"

"Did you hear that?" he said to Redmond. "Someone calling?"

Redmond blinked and looked around. "I did. It is Mrs. Darcy."

He heard it again. This time it was so real, so close, he had to believe in it. He found the will to struggle to his feet.

Darcy grinned wildly. "Then either we are both having the same hallucination, or Elizabeth has found us."

And suddenly, there she was, standing just a few feet away from him.

"Elizabeth," he whispered, feeling the world tilting around him. She was alive! She was alive and well. His heart jolted painfully with joy and amazement.

He did not want to hope, in case it was a trick by a French Conjurer. But then she called his name, and he chose to believe the illusion because it provided an escape. If he was descending into madness, then so be it. At least he would not feel like his world had ended.

"Darcy," she said, in a soft whisper. "Let me take over the Ward." Her magic signature nudged against him, but he had a sudden fear that the illusion was trying to make him let go so the prince would be killed. He resisted, pushing against the intrusion.

"Darcy, it's me. Look at me."

He refused to look. Then he felt the soft press of her lips and he opened her eyes, seeing her fully. It was Elizabeth, his Elizabeth, her dark eyes looking into his.

It was real, perfectly real. He started to chuckle, a hoarse sound that he did not recognize. "Elizabeth, my love, Why do you have mud on your hair?" he asked.

She laughed back and kissed him again. "Never mind. Let me take over," she repeated. "You can relieve me when you've rested."

Her magic was a gentle warmth. It washed over him, reviving him, and the terrible burden of protecting the Prince Regent was taken from his shoulders.

"Redmond?" he heard her saying. "You can let go now."

"How did you find me?" he said, still trying to wrap his mind around this miracle.

"You know I would be able to find you anywhere," she said. "Your magic signature was weak, but I managed to sense it."

Then another familiar face appeared before him. "Bingley! What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Rosings?"

"I told you I would join you when Jane – Miss Bennet – was better, didn't I? Only I had to go all the way to Kent and all the way back. They told me where you would be." He took out his box with sugared almonds and offered one to Darcy. "You look terrible. Here, this should help."

Bingley handed one to Redmond, then turned to Elizabeth. "I would be happy to help in any way. I have not performed magic for days. I am completely fresh."

Elizabeth nodded. "Let us Link, then, and I will draw on your magic."

Colonel Fitzwilliam came round the corner, picking his way through the rubble. "Thank heavens you are safe, Darcy! I saw Mrs. Darcy coming in and followed after her. But you all need to get out of here at once! The building is about to collapse."

"We can't," said Darcy, his voice thick with a mix of dust and salt. "We can't leave the prince."

Richard's expression changed. "Where is he? They have been searching for him everywhere. He never followed the contingency plan." He stepped forward carefully to examine the situation. He felt the prince's pulse and pursed his lips grimly.

Darcy held his breath, waiting for Richard's verdict.

"His pulse is faint."

Darcy closed his eyes, relief flooding through him.

"I will bring some men to dig him out." He looked at the ceiling. "It is about to give way. Mrs. Darcy, can you shield us while we work?"

"I will need more Warders," said Elizabeth, "but I can do it for now."

"I will find them for you. Nobody move. We don't want anything to shift."

Darcy wanted to laugh. As if he could move! Even if he was able to, he had no intention of letting Elizabeth out of his sight ever again.

It was painstakingly slow. Darcy wanted to shout at them to hurry. He expected another earthquake at any moment. The only reason it had not happened yet was that the Imperial Earth mage must be resting after expending so much magic.

Finally, with the help of several men, two Elemental mages and a handful of Warders, Colonel Fitzwilliam was able to bring out the Prince Regent. Their tasks completed, everyone else followed, treading with the utmost caution. Elizabeth and the Warders maintained the shield as long as anyone was still in the building, giving the colonel a chance to move the prince to a safe distance. Even when Redmond went out, Darcy stayed at Elizabeth's side, stubbornly refusing to budge.

Colonel Fitzwilliam paused at the entrance to announce the news to anyone within hearing distance.

"The Prince Regent is safe! His Royal Highness is alive!"

Loud cheers erupted, along with wide smiles. Evidently, many people had believed him dead. He trembled at what would have happened if the prince did not have the Janus mages with him.

Elizabeth hooked her arm in his. "Mary's here," she said. "She's supposed to be spotting balloons so that Miss Bingley and other mages can undo the Concealment spell and reveal them, but I don't see any yet."

There were plumes of smoke everywhere. Many of the buildings around Darcy had been affected by the earthquake.

He looked towards Regent's Park, frowning. "I can see a balloon," he said, puzzled. "Why is no one attacking it?"

She smiled. "That balloon belongs to Riquer's brother, Luis. They brought me and Mary here from Founder's Hall. I can tell you, I had a very difficult time trying to convince people not to shoot at us."

Darcy was certain that exhaustion was addling his brain, because nothing that she said made sense.

"Didn't you travel through your mirror? I saw you disappearing into it." He did not want to remember the staggering pain he had felt at the sight. "And isn't Riquer in France?"

As if to prove Darcy wrong, the figure of Riquer came striding towards them.

"Mrs. Darcy! So, you found him! Darcy, I see you and the Prince Regent are unharmed."

They were interrupted by a shout, and a man pointed at them. "There they are! These are the man and the woman that were riding in the French balloon. I saw them get out. There were two others as well. There's a reward for anyone who captures the Frenchies alive. Let's get them."

Several people surged towards them. They were armed with random object from the battered buildings around them – pieces of wood, fire pokers, pieces of glass. Darcy saw the murderous intention in their eyes.

"Get behind me, Elizabeth." He pushed in front of her, putting his body between her and the crowd.

"Clear some space," he tried, but his voice was too raw. No one heard him. He drew on the tattered remains of his magic to augment his words. "These are Royal Mages coming to the rescue."

The crowd parted, watching curiously. They accepted the authority in his voice, but they were still suspicious of the balloon riders. Darcy sensed if he wasn't careful, the crowd could still turn on them.

"One of them is a spy for the Prince Regent," he continued, "and the other is my wife, a Janus mage."

A lady in a mage cloak tapped him on the shoulder. "Mr. Darcy? I am sorry but I have to arrest those people." Darcy remembered her face. She had been an apprentice several years ago. "We have orders to capture anyone arriving in a balloon."

There were mutterings in the crowd. "Not fair."

"We claimed them first."

"Give us the reward."

Elizabeth stepped forward. "You can try and arrest us," said Elizabeth, "but are you prepared to explain to the Council why you were preventing us from fighting the French mages?"

She looked like a fierce Valkyrie, ready to face the world. He wanted to embrace her, to feel her in his arms, to be sure it was really her and not an illusion sent to torment him. But the crowd was growing restive, eager for action.

As the mage hesitated, trying to decide what to do, Darcy remembered her name. "Langridge, this lady is my wife. I give you my word as a gentleman. You are wasting your time. We had better turn our attention to the urgent matter of removing the Concealment charms."

Miss Langridge nodded. "Yes, sir. Tell me what I need to do."

"What is your Talent?"

"Illusion, sir."

"Perfect."

Darcy turned to Mary. "I assume you can see the balloons."

"Of course. I cannot believe that you are all so blind." She looked very pleased with herself.

"If you will point out the next one that comes in this direction, Miss Langridge here will help to reveal it so we can all see it."

Mary pointed to a point above Regent's Park. "As it so happens, there is one coming towards us right now, and the mage is preparing to strike."

Next to him, Elizabeth came to full alert. "Shield!" she cried, Bonding with him.

Just in time as a fireball hurtled towards them.

Miss Bingley appeared at their side, muttering a spell, and the balloon appeared in view. Everyone gasped.

From behind them, the soldiers fired, and an Elemental mage sent a pointed piece of wood like a spear to lodge itself in the balloon.

With a loud hiss of protest, the air rushed out of the balloon, and the balloon began to fall.

At one point, Elizabeth turned around and found herself looking at a mage with a bandage around his eye and nose.

She gave a start. "What are you doing here, Papa?"

"I may be one-eyed," he said, "but I can still ride in a carriage. The Rochester Healers told me I am in the best of health, apart from my eye and nose, of course, and Bingley put me in a carriage, so here I am. Put me to work."

Elizabeth swallowed down the lump in her throat. "I am happy to see you, Papa. Your task is simple. Bring the balloons down."

It was a never-ending process, but they soon fell into a rhythm. One by one, Mary pointed out a balloon, Miss Bingley revealed it, and it was taken down. By now, many mages had come to join them, and soon Miss Bingley was given a reprieve as other Illusion mages lent their assistance.

Elizabeth looked around at the gathering of mages. It warmed her heart to see them all gathered here, all working together. Even the crowd was part of it. With the hope of a reward, they were eagerly capturing the French mages alive and taking them to the Tower of London, where they could be safely enclosed and their magic dampened.

They took down around two hundred balloons. According to Mary, there were about two dozen more, but they fled in the direction of France before being revealed.

It was the one flaw in Napoleon's clever plan. He had not counted on anyone being able to see the balloons, and that, in the end, was his downfall.