Abuse of Power (Rise of the Mages 1) by Brian W. Foster Read Free Book Online Page A

begin.
    He spotted a rock big enough to support his foot and shifted weight onto it. His hands grasped the wet, slippery top shelf just in case the stone gave. It held, and he searched out another step. In that manner, choosing and evaluating each ledge and crevice, he descended. By the time his friends had made it to the bottom, he had barely made it a quarter of the way.
    Auggie felt their impatient stares and sped his pace. Not being quite so careful to test each position, he climbed two body lengths in a few minutes. It wasn’t too bad. He’d get it over with faster at least.
    He stepped down again. His foot slipped.
    That leg slid groundward, and his body lurched. A gasp stole breath from his lungs. Fumbling to regain balance, he lost his grip. He grasped at empty air.
    Still more than a hundred feet high, he tumbled backward. The world spun, and he caught a glimpse of Benj’s face. Horror.
    Of all the stupid stunts Auggie had pulled, he couldn’t believe he was going to die from a simple fall. The news would finish off his father, too, the last of the Asher line. Generations of rule ended by a careless, irresponsible idiot.
    He closed his eyes and pleaded with the Holy One to forgive—
    A force yanked upward. His clothes pushed against his body, and his momentum slowed.
    As suddenly as it had begun, the force disappeared. Auggie plunged the final ten feet to the ground, thankfully landing on a patch clear of jagged rocks.
    Groaning, he looked about in wonder. Had the Holy One performed a miracle?
    His eyes lit on Alaina, and he knew.

8.
    Alaina couldn’t meet August’s stare.
    “You did that?” His voice was so low that the words barely reached her.
    She nodded, keeping her face cast down.
    “You’re a mage,” He sounded so … disappointed.
    She nodded again. So much worse than anger.
    “But you told me the catchers are after you because you refused Macias’ advances.”
    “I did refuse his advances.”
    “You lied to me!”
    “I did not.” She couldn’t muster heat into her voice, so the words came out flat. “You assumed my rejecting him was the only reason.” The rationalization sounded weak even to her. “I tried to stop you from rescuing me.”
    “All you had to do was tell me you were guilty!”
    “Don’t you understand how people look at mages?” A sob escaped her. “Like I can drop them with a glance or blast a village to oblivion with a thought.” She met his eyes. “I’ve seen that look.”
    His fists clenched and shook. Would he hit her? Execute her?
    The lieutenant glanced at the cliff above and gestured toward a copse at the edge of the rocks. “We shouldn’t stand in the open.”
    Alaina stared at them as he practically dragged August under the cover of an oak with a large, thick canopy. Her eyes darted to a game trail leading in the opposite direction.
    “Don’t even think about it,” August said.
    She sighed. No realistic chance for her to escape anyway. Besides, she couldn't keep running. If he decided to have her executed, she would accept it.
    “You tread on dangerous ground, mage,” Auggie said. “Best if you come clean.”
    “You’ve seen that I’m guilty. What more can I say?”
    “Tell me everything from the beginning,” Auggie said.
    “It’s none of your business.”
    He glared at her. “Tell me.”
    “Why do you want to know?”
    “Maybe I’m looking for a reason not to string you up right here.”
    Alaina grimaced. Being a mage didn’t make her a bad person, did it? The revulsion most people directed at mages came from superstition and ignorance, right? She’d never hurt anyone. Well, except for Lord Macias anyway. Why should she be punished for an accident of birth?
    August, though, was anything but an irrational, uneducated villager. He protected the innocent and dealt with those accused of using magic. How could she bear him feeling that way about her?
    “Maybe that’s exactly what you should do,” she said.
    He put a hand over his eyes