Page 170 of Sword & Shadow
A spike of fear clouded Thom’s mind. “What does that mean?” he asked weakly. “What is the Deep?”
Ilain turned away. She stared toward the fire, unseeing. The sharp lines of her face hardened further, giving her a haunted appearance. “It’s terrifying,” she admitted at last. “Night magiccanbe good. But it can also be the greatest evil.”
With a slow breath, Ilain began to explain. “The Deep takes over when a Mage goes too far into the darkness of Night. When they seek to embrace death in its purest form. Some call the practice necromancy, but...it’s worse than that.”
Thom wasn’t sure what necromancy was, but he decided not to interrupt.
“When Mages seek to connect with death, their minds warp,” she said. “They often begin to see visions—premonitions that frequently come true. It’s different than Time magic. Mages who connect with Time can see the future in a linear fashion. They can follow the threads of the future and see what’s to come. The premonitions of the Deep aren’t so logical, instead giving omens and portents of death. Many begin down this path for the benefit of seeing that future. They claim that if one can see death coming, they can prevent it.”
Ilain shrugged sadly. “The problem is, if you prevent one death, you’ll only have to face another.”
“Is that it?” Thom asked, his worry lifting. Deckard wouldn’t have an interest in seeking such visions. “They become oracles of death?”
She gave him a fierce look. “Over time, these premonitions bring mania, resulting in the Deep. But no, that’s not the only means by which the Deep comes on a Mage. It can also be the result of experimenting with death, summoning ghosts, and raising the living dead.”
A cold sweat broke out across Thom’s neck. “I’m sorry, did you say the living dead?”
“It hasn’t happened in over five centuries, but yes, there was a Night Mage who summoned a horde of dead to do his bidding. They could only be killed by decapitation or magic.”
“Ah.” The word choked out of Thom.
“There’s a law against it now,” Ilain said matter-of-factly, then moved on. “All of these things are what bring on the Deep. How it manifests...”
Ilain pulled her legs up, resting her arms on her knees, her chin on her arms. The posture startled Thom. He’d never seen the woman look so young or sorrowful.
“The Deep causes Mages to lose their sense of self,” she said darkly. “They become volatile, driven by their visions toward often violent ends. They grow crazed, many muttering to themselves and the dead they see around them. And eventually, they lose themselves to the madness altogether, their visions overcoming their senses and putting them into a comatose state where only their magic keeps them alive.”
Thom shivered at the thought. He couldn’t fathom something so horrifying. And this was the future Deckard could face.
Comprehending Ilain’s dark mood with renewed understanding, Thom’s mouth fell ajar. “You’ve seen it happen?” he said more than he asked.
“I have.”
Thom shifted closer, his next question a gentle “Who?”
Ilain took a long, thoughtful breath. “That’s not really my story to tell,” she whispered.
Thom furrowed his brow, confused at first. Then it became clear. “Auden,” he muttered. “That’s why he hates it so much. He...he lost someone to it?”
It took a long time for Ilain to reply. She raised her head, jade green eyes meeting his with sorrow. “Maura.”
Thom waited, breath held in anticipation.
“Twenty-five years ago, Auden was betrothed,” Ilain said, the simple start a shock all its own. “Maura was a Night Mage, a magister, like him. They’d fallen in love over their shared interest in using magic to invent practical items for non-magical individuals.”
Sympathy welled in Thom, as he could already guess the end of the story. “How—” He grimaced, wondering if his question would come across as callous. “How is it that Auden found love, yet you didn’t?”
Ilain gave him a knowing, if sad, smile. “As a magister, Auden traveled to other Orders,” she explained. “They worked together in their studies, which is how he met Maura. As viceMage, I was stuck in the Order of the Flame, training to take the archMage’s place as head of the Order upon his retirement.”
Thom’s eyes went wide. “You were set to run the entire Order of Fire Mages?”
“And Day Mages.” Ilain continued with her story, “During the course of their betrothal, Maura’s brother—her only family—was killed in the war. She was devastated, and with the influence of her fellow Night Mages, she began to seek out ways to bring him back. She was convinced that restoring the soul to a body was possible. It took her down a dark path.”
“And the Deep . . . ?” Thom concluded.
“Yes.”
“Did she—” Thom swallowed around the question. “Die?”
