The Loss of Power: Goldenfields and Bondell Read online

  The attackers were hesitating to follow, both because of the devastation that Alec was wreaking on them and because of the yells that were coming from behind them in their camp. Suddenly two things happened that made Alec swivel his head to try to see it all. Cavalry riders suddenly came out of the camp, appearing magically from among the tents, hacking at Oyster Bay soldiers in their way, and Alec saw Imelda leading them towards the suddenly surrounded opponents. At the same time his group of prisoners suddenly slammed to a stop as they ran into two unseen people, and Shaiss and Bethany abruptly became visible and tumbled to the ground as the Goldenfields soldiers collided with the formerly invisible pair.

  “Stop! Don’t attack! They’re from Goldenfields!” Alec screamed as he saw swords raised threateningly towards the stunned ingenairii.

  Alec disengaged from his defensive battle behind the group of guardsmen, raced to the beachfront battleground, and dove at Whelan, who was swinging a sword at Shaiss, still lying on the ground. Alec deflected the blade from its fatal path, though it still struck Shaiss in the leg, cutting deeply into the veins and muscle.

  “Stop! Stop!” Alec screamed, rising from the inert Whelan. “These are our allies!” he shouted, standing protectively in front of them.

  “You,” he shouted at a Guard. “Wrap your shirt around the leg and press tightly to stop the bleeding. Bethany, are you all right? Can you still control that ship?” he asked, pointing to the rocking vessel towards which a few Oyster Bay soldiers were swimming.

  “I’ll get it Alec. Do you want it beached or just held still?” she asked as he helped her stand. Her face was pale, but she remained focused on her assignment, Alec proudly saw.

  He kissed her quickly. “Run it up slightly onto the beach so they can’t use it now. We may be able to use it later,” he told her.

  He looked away from the ship and back towards the camp. Goldenfields cavalry was visible everywhere, and little resistance was left. He spotted Imelda and waved her over, then knelt beside Shaiss to look at the wound.

  Alec felt a welling of pride. He was proud of the cavalry’s performance, proud of Goldenfields’ success, and even secretly proud of himself, for having planned, and then successfully adjusted to the changed circumstances.

  He looked down at his friend on the sandy beach. The sand was dark, and the blood from Shaiss was not was not easy to distinguish. The light ingenaire was unconscious, and losing blood rapidly. Alec took a deep breath and called upon his healer powers without even bothering to cease his warrior energies, confident that his great abilities would solve this problem too and further enhance his reputation. A warning screamed in the back of his mind, but he ignored it as he prepared to heal the bloody wound his friend had suffered.

  The Ingenairii Series

  1. Visions of Power

  2. At the Seat of Power: Goldenfields and the Dominion

  3. The Loss of Power: Goldenfields and Bondell

  4. The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold

  5. Against the Empire

  6. Preserving the Ingenairii

  7. Rescuing the Captive

  8. Ajacii and Demons

  9. The Caravan Road

  10. The Journey Home

  The Inner Seas Kingdoms Series

  1. The Healing Spring

  2. The Yellow Palace (forthcoming)

  Also by Jeffrey Quyle

  The Green Plague

  For more information, visit the Ingenairii Series on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ingenairiiseries

  The Loss of Power

  The Ingenairii Series

  Book 3

  Jeffrey Quyle

  Index

  Chapter 1 – Annalea and Leah Page 4

  Chapter 2 – Leadership in the Guard Page 12

  Chapter 3 – The Ingenairii in Goldenfields Page 19

  Chapter 4 – Rebuilding the Guard Page 33

  Chapter 5 – Conversations Page 46

  Chapter 6 – The Ingenairii Council Page 52

  Chapter 7 – Changes in the Shop Page 56

  Chapter 8 – Desk Work with the Guard Page 64

  Chapter 9 – Cassie’s Soul Page 83

  Chapter 10 – Girl Talk Page 95

  Chapter 11 – Tools and Weapons Page 101

  Chapter 12 – Send Out the Cavalry Page 111

  Chapter 13 – The Desert Ride Page 133

  Chapter 14 – Planning the Rescue Page 155

  Chapter 15 – A Break for the Beach Page 159

  Chapter 16 – Recovery in Bondell Page 166

  Chapter 17 – Starting the Bondell Guard Page 187

  Chapter 18 – Hopes of Healing Page 199

  Chapter 19 – Noranda’s Visit Page 206

  Chapter 20 – The Desert Journey Page 212

  Chapter 21 – Returning to Reality Page 222

  Chapter 22 -- The Return from Oblivion Page 227

  Chapter 23 – The Return of Powers Page 231

  Chapter 24 – Healing a Village Page 243

  Chapter 25 – Battle at Salt Crust Page 246

  Chapter 26 – The Road North Page 257

  Chapter 27 – Disappointment in Goldenfields Page 260

  Chapter 28 – Return to Oyster Bay Page 265

  Chapter 29 – A Lesson from Irena Page 272

  Chapter 30 – The Cathedral Awaits Page 285

  Chapter 31 – Battle for the Crown Page 287

  Chapter 32 – Control of the Crown Page 295

  Chapter 33 – Within the Palace Page 298

  Chapter 34 – The Blood on the Blade Page 302

  Chapter 35 – Visitor at Night Page 311

  Chapter 36 – The Fountain Rises Page 313

  List of Characters

  Goldenfields

  Duke Toulon, Ruler of Goldenfields

  Colonel Dearborn Ryder, Goldenfields Guard commander

  Imelda, cavalry officer

  Alec, Healer and warrior ingenaire

  Cassie, Healer apprentice

  Bethany, Water apprentice

  Genia, Water house leader

  Strayon, Air house leader

  Suffett, Light house leader

  Kinsey, Spirit apprentice

  Shaiss, Light apprentice

  Alder, light apprentice

  Appel, Air apprentice

  Tritos, Stone apprentice

  Allisma, Water apprentice

  Neill, blacksmith

  Liam, Goldenfields guard

  Ellen, Alec’s house keeper

  Mortis, Goldenfields Guard member

  Rail, Goldenfields Guard member

  Toopane, Goldenfields Guard member

  Tarpa, Goldenfields Guard member

  Elcome, Guard officer

  Noah Rastall, Goldenfields political advisor

  Pember, cavalry second in command

  Berlisle, cavalry member

  Natha, Trader

  Helen, Natha’s wife

  Annalea, Helen and Natha’s daughter

  Merle, Goldenfields court ingenaire

  Yula, Merle’s plant apprentice

  Bondell

  Prince Mahogan, Ruler of Bondell

  Kelvin, Goldenfields special ambassador to Bondell

  Whelan, Goldenfields officer

  Rhian, Mahogan’s daughter

  Faldor, court chamberlain

  Anna, Bondell city resident

  Lucius, Sixtrees village innkeeper

  Rashrew, Sixtrees militia leader

  Chelv, sailor in Monoline port

  Oyster Bay

  Aristotle, powerful ingenaire

  Hinges, Healer House housekeeper

  Julian, head of warrior ingenairii


  Kinsey, a spirit ingenaire apprentice

  Lanter, head of stone ingenairii

  Moriah, Rubicon’s apprentice

  Nathaniel, Rubicon’s apprentice

  Rubicon, warrior ingenaire

  Dosta, head of metal ingenairii

  Fallion, head of fire ingenairii

  General Hewlett, Oyster Bay army leader

  Commander Tunce, Oyster Bay army leader

  Marshall Grein, Slone military leader

  Prologue

  In volumes 1 and 2, Visions of Power and At the Seat of Power, Alec, a teenage orphan, has seen his traveling carnival ambushed by the lacertii, a race of scaly, gray monsters, in the wilderness of the Pale Mountains. Alec’s friends and fellow survivors, Aristotle and Natalie, had been driven in a different direction from him. He has discovered a hidden, sacred cave, the Cave of John Mark, where he is given great mystical powers (the powers of the ingenairii. His powers provide the ability to provide miraculous healing services to the sick and wounded.

  Alec travels with a fellow refugee from the lacertii attacks, Leah, and together they ride a raft down the hundreds of miles of a river ride that takes them to the bustling metropolis of Goldenfields. Alec uses his ingenairii powers to heal the mortally wounded ruler of the city, Duke Toulon. The young healer’s success is rewarded by the Duke, and he is adopted by the Duke’s highly-trained military force, the Goldenfields Guards of the palace. Alec comes to learn swordsmanship from the very best fighters in the kingdom, and also learns that he has other hidden ingenaire powers that can be tapped.

  Then, when Alec’s life seemed to be going so well, malicious rumors about his close relationship with Inga, a member of the Guard, cause both he and Inga to leave Goldenfields at the end of Visions of Power.

  Alec then travels to the capitol city of the dominion, Oyster Bay. While there, Alec is reunited with Aristotle, and also with Natalie, who has presumed him dead, and become engaged to Elgin, the son of the Duke of Goldenfields. Alec lives upon Ingenairii Hill, the center of the powerful organization of the people who wield special powers. Upon the Hill, Alec receives training that unleashes the tremendous Warrior energies he is capable of using. As Ale grow acquainted with the people of Ingenairii Hill and Oyster Bay he meets many friends, including a vivacious water ingenaire, Bethany.

  Alec’s tremendous abilities earn him an assignment to return to Goldenfields, where he plays a crucial part in defeating a coup attempt against the Duke. In the battle Alec receives a severe wound, and at the end of At the Seat of Power Alec manages to work with others to miraculously heal his wound.

  Section 1

  Goldenfields – Learning the Reins of Power

  The Loss of Power

  Chapter 1 – Annalea and Leah

  Alec awoke late in the morning, as glowing yellow sunlight reached through the window while a Guard medic brought a tray of breakfast food. Alec could see the colors of the room with remarkable clarity in the clear winter light streaming through the window, and he watched the medic place the tray on the table by his bed.

  “Good morning, sir. How are you?” the uniformed man asked.

  “I’m doing well, thank you. And what’s you name?” Alec asked the young man who he remembered seeing in medic classes many weeks ago, before Alec had left Goldenfields to journey to Oyster Bay.

  “Guardsman Remsie, sir,” the medic responded.

  “Are you one of the Guardsmen just returned from the east? How was the march?” Alec inquired, as he picked up a warm slice of bread. He noted the attention the guard paid to the food on the tray. “Would you like to have some of this with me?”

  “Thank you, sir. Yes, if you don’t mind,” Remsie, said reaching for a slice of bacon while he covertly looked to make sure no one was observing him. “I was in the group that marched out for almost two weeks then turned around and came back in time to be too late to help you here,” he said with a sheepish smile between bites.

  “I’m glad to see you back,” Alec said. “We need to refill the Guard here after the losses we suffered, and we’ll need even more besides with the troubles now on our borders.

  “Will you be ready for more medic training soon?” Alec asked him.

  “I expect so sir. Some who are back from the eastern fort said that the medics saved several lives after the battle and we all expect that there’ll be more battles now,” Remsie said as he started towards the door. “I’ll be leaving now, but as soon as you offer more training, I’ll be there. Have a good morning, sir.”

  Alec sat up on his bed in the infirmary, eating his breakfast and thinking about the day ahead. He was free to leave the infirmary for the first time in days, after healing from the arrow wound in the kidney he suffered in a battle at the Locksfort dockyards.

  His first goal was to return to his medical shop, where he faced a difficult task, one which promised best bittersweet results at best. Then he expected to return to the Guard facilities to learn what changes were taking place in the Guard after so many were killed by the attack of the rebels. There would need to be new leadership, additional recruitment, and preparations for hard battles in the coming months, all of which would mean great changes for the Guard and its role.

  In addition, Alec wanted to meet with Merle and the ingenairii who had come to Goldenfields in the bloody wake of a coup in the palace at Oyster Bay, where there was currently no king on the throne. Learning the mood of the ingenairii and trying to persuade them to assist the Duke were big tasks ahead in that direction.

  And later today Alec would open his home to some of those ingenairii, inviting his friends to live with him in his shop in the city. Cassie, his friend, fellow healer, and in a sense his ward, was going to be a welcome addition to his shop, where so many people had come to seek medical care before Leah died. Alec would be glad to have Cassie’s sweet nature at his home again.

  Bringing Bethany to his home would be more than just inviting a friend to move in. It would be a chance to find out what their delicate relationship could be like. Their companionship in Oyster Bay had been sincere and comfortable, and while in Goldenfields without her, Alec had missed the sparkle that Bethany brought to every place she visited. His heart though did not fully belong to Bethany, and the just-more-than platonic friendship he currently had with the girl was all he was ready for right now. He looked forward to the fun and fellowship Bethany would nurture in their home; Bethany was not satisfied with their relationship’s ill-defined prospects, and he suspected that they might eventually part ways if he could not clearly commit himself to the primacy of his relationship with her. But until then he hoped she would be comfortable and safe in his shop, while keeping it lively. And afterwards, he hoped they would still have a friendly relationship.

  The list of issues in his mind continued to grow from there as the morning minutes passed. Alec forced himself to shut the stream of hopes and worries off, and concentrated on finishing the breakfast tray, only his second meal in several days of recovery from the nearly fatal arrow. He knew that he had to finish in a hurry and get out of the Guard facilities, and off the island quickly, so that he could avoid being bogged down in meetings at the palace before he could try to bring peace to Annalea.

  And then, as he rose from the bed and prepared to go, Alec heard the latch rattle, and saw that standing in the doorway was his commanding officer, Colonel Ryder. Despite his hast to leave, Alec smiled a warm smile at the sight. In the frenzied and uncontrolled atmosphere of the Palace on the night of the coup, Alec had stayed with Ryder and watched him judge, calculate and decide through the constant pandemonium of battle, always reaching the right conclusion to create the opportunity for the badly outnumbered Duke’s Guards to win back the building the next day.

  “Alec, it’s a relief to see you up on your feet again,” Ryder said, closing the door behind him as he entered the infirmary.

  “It’s good to be seen,” Alec jested.

  “Are you in a hurry to go someplace?” Ryder aske
d.

  “No, I’ve got time,” Alec lied politely.

  “Meaning you probably do need to go, I’m sure, so I won’t keep you long,” the colonel told him. “I’m glad you’re well. We’re all glad you’re well Alec. Your skills as a fighter, and your many other abilities make you a great asset for the Duke. He’s told me so himself many times these past few days, and I agree.

  “Alec, are you committed to staying with us, now that so much has happened?” Ryder asked. “I know that you knew the king, that you may feel you have a score to settle with Elgin, and that there are ingenairii you want to find. And there is always a hint that you’re ready to chase after a girl somewhere out there in the Dominion. Those are all important matters for a young man.”

  “I am committed to helping the Duke in any way possible,” Alec replied. He wanted to express his admiration for and loyalty to Duke Toulon, although just as with Bethany, he didn’t want to be forced into any commitments just yet. “When Aristotle sent me back here from Oyster Bay, he told me to take care of the Duke. And that’s what I’ve done.

  “But,” he admitted, “I do think about all the things out there – finding Aristotle, revenge on Elgin, and helping Noranda, curing her, saving her. Yet I know I need to stay here.”

  “So you don’t have an answer for me about where you’re committed to serve next?” Ryder gently pressed.

  “I, no, I don’t,” Alec confessed. “I think that as long as I stay busy here and feel useful and don’t hear about anything happening out there, I’ll stay here. I know there’s more that I need to do than I could accomplish if I stayed put for twenty years.”

  “And the good news is that in twenty years you’ll still be young!” the colonel grinned.

  “I wish you made the commitment Alec, because I need you here. It would make me feel better about what I’m about to do,” he continued. “Despite your age, I’m going to make you second in command of the Duke’s Guard here in the palace, unless you turn me down. The folks who have been here the past few days know what you’re capable of for the most part, and the stories their telling their mates are doing a great deal to raise your reputation.