The Pirates of Pacta Servanda (Pillars of Reality Book 4) by Jack Campbell Page A

on one side of the room. Mari took the stairs two at a time until she reached the top and a locked door there.
    She swung the butt of the rifle against the lock with all of her strength, shattering the wood around it. The door slammed open, Mari dashing inside so fast she barely stayed clear of it.
    The sparsely furnished room was dominated by a bed. Mari faltered for a moment as she saw Alain lying on it face up, apparently unrestrained and wearing almost nothing. Standing next to him was a woman much older than Mari, who had obviously been startled in the act of undressing Alain. “Get away from my husband, you witch!” Mari yelled, her mind flaring red with rage at the unexpected scene.
    “Dark Mage!” Asha warned as she entered after Mari, but Mari didn’t hesitate, rushing forward and slamming the barrel of her rifle against the Dark Mage’s head.
    The force of the blow hurled the Dark Mage against the wall, where she fell to lie unconscious. Mari, all of her fears and angers of this day concentrated on the Dark Mage before her, brought her rifle up and centered it on the woman.
    A strong hand grasped the barrel and pushed it to one side, holding it there while Mari tried to bring the weapon to bear again. “Alli! Let go!”
    Alli shook her head, maintaining her grip. “Mari. You don’t want to do this.”
    “Yes, I do! Let go!” Mari struggled, but couldn’t shake Alli’s hold.
    “Mari,” Alli said in a voice strong enough to penetrate through Mari’s anger. “Remember what you said to me? About how you were afraid you’d change? That you would become someone else because of everything that was happening?”
    Mari stopped struggling, gazing back at Alli. “Yes,” she panted, suddenly short of breath.
    “Would Mari shoot a helpless woman? Even a Dark Mage? You put a bullet in her and you’ll feel good for maybe five seconds. Then you’ll hate yourself for the rest of your life.”
    Mari stared at her friend, took a deep breath, then stepped back as Alli finally let go of the barrel of the rifle. “Thank you.”
    “That’s what friends are for,” Alli said. “I’ll take care of—”
    “Let me,” Mage Asha said. She walked over to the unconscious Dark Mage, who was lying against the outer wall. Asha tensed as she cast a spell, and a section of that wall disappeared, leaving an opening about the size of a person. Asha placed one foot on the Dark Mage and pushed, rolling her out of the opening.
    Mari heard the thud of the Dark Mage hitting the ground as the opening vanished, leaving a once-again solid wall in its wake.
    “That’s gonna hurt,” Alli said with a grin.
    “Mage Alain is my friend,” Asha said.
    “Are you guys all right up there?” Bev called from below.
    “We’re fine,” Mari yelled back, then raced to the bed to look at Alain. His hands were tied but he wasn’t fighting the bonds, instead lying limply, his eyes partially open.
    Alli leaned close. “Drugged?”
    Asha nodded. “It is one of the weapons of dark Mages. They sought to discredit and humiliate Mage Alain, altering his mind by physical abuse so that he would become feeble and irrational. They must have been hired by the Mage Guild here to strike at him. It is not enough that Mage Alain die. The elders want him shown to be a weak Mage before then.”
    “Let’s get him dressed and get out of here,” Mari said, grabbing Alain’s shirt from where it lay beside the bed.
    Alli grunted with frustration as she tried to help. “I can’t get his arm through this sleeve. He’s got his fist clenched and I can’t budge it.”
    “Why would his fist—?” Mari looked. “It’s his left hand.” She felt tears starting. “Even when drugged he clenched his fist to keep them from taking his promise ring!” Her voice broke on the last two words.
    Alli rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Even when one of you is unconscious, you two are still nauseating.”
    “It’s love, Alli!”
    “I know what love is. I just think