Magic's Price

File:Magic's Price.jpg

Cover to Magic's Price
Cover art by Jody Lee

Magic's Price is the 1992 fantasy novel and final in the The Last Herald Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey.

Plot introduction

This is the last book in Misty's Last Herald Mage trilogy, which tell the stories of Vanyel Ashkevron, a legendary hero of the planet Velgarth. The three books are Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price. In this book Vanyel and his Companion Yfandes must deal with a dark mage who wishes to overthrow Valdemar.

Plot summary

The story begins with the last four Herald-Mages, Vanyel among them, creating a magic barrier around their nation of Valdemar. This barrier prevents wild or rogue mages from using magic, and will become important in other books in the series. Vanyel intends to add other defenses when he has the time.

Valdemar's King Randale is dying of a mysterious ailment. He is barely able to move from bed and only has a few years to live. Vanyel has taken over nearly all the responsibilities of the throne, while young Prince Treven is trained.

A young bard named Stefen is discovered in the Bardic Collegium. He has the unusual ability to block pain with his music. Vanyel arranges for Stefen to play for Randale during an official audience. Stefen overplays and injures his fingers. Vanyel takes Stefen to his room, bandages his hands, and finds himself deep in conversation with the young man.

Stefen is openly shaych (homosexual) and falls in love with Vanyel. Vanyel hesitates to love anyone because he fears his enemies will attack those he cares about, but finds that he and Stefen have become lifebonded -- a type of complementary psychic link in which each partner's strengths balance the other's weaknesses. It is unheard of to have more than one lifebond in one lifetime; and Vanyel had already had such a link with (now dead) Herald-Mage apprentice Tylendel when very young.

Vanyel wanders alone to think things over and is ambushed by a rogue mage, whom he overcomes and delivers to the family priest. The mage escapes and attacks a group of women (Vanyel's mother Treesa among them) who are listening to Stefen's music outdoors. Yfandes tries to help but is injured; Vanyel shows up just in time to step in front of a thrown dagger meant for his mother.

Vanyel's mentor Savil (who is also his aunt) recognizes the dagger as a leech-blade, which sucks life energy from its victim. Frightened, Savil Gates away to the land of the Tayledras Hawkbrothers, to ask for help. The Tayledras are human beings whose lives are constantly permeated by magic; two of them, Moondance and Starwind, return to Forst Reach with Savil. They discover that Vanyel's lifebond with Stefen may have saved his life. The pair speculate that Stefen is the reincarnation of Vanyel's former mate Tylendel, just as Companions are reincarnations of former Heralds. Vanyel is not told, as the Hawkbrothers think it would complicate his relationship with Stefen.

Vanyel returns with Savil to Haven, her home, taking his parents along for protection. King Randale has deteriorated even more. Queen Shavri has decided to provide him with strength through a psychic link. When Randale dies, so will Shavri.

To make matters worse, Karse, the traditional enemy of Valdemar, is about to declare a holy war (which will be thoroughly chronicled in further books in the series). Vanyel departs to negotiate a treaty with the land of Rethwellan.

Upon his return he finds that Herald-Mages are dying in what look like accidents. Savil doesn't buy it and asks Vanyel to strengthen the protective wards around her home. Vanyel is tired and puts it off; the same night a mage-made creature murders Savil. Vanyel is now the last Herald-Mage.

Vanyel sets out to find the evil mage behind it all, followed by Stefen. In the mountains, they are ambushed by bandits who work for the evil mage, whom they call Master Dark. As instructed, Stefen runs away to hide and returns later. He finds Yfandes injured and Vanyel kidnapped. Yfandes begins to Mindspeak to Stefen.

A blocking spell has been put on Vanyel to prevent him using his powers. The bandits, who hate Heralds, rape and beat Vanyel savagely and he nearly dies; they send for a healer to revive him. This man sees the magical block on Vanyel's mind and removes it. Vanyel revives, and temporarily loses his sanity. In a rage he attacks every bandit in sight, also managing to kill the healer and at least one other innocent. Stefen and Yfandes arrive and so do a pack of Kyree, who take the humans in and help them.

Vanyel is healed, but is determined to find "Master Dark", whom he now suspects of having been behind a lot of mysterious deaths in Valdemar; he may even have had a hand in the tragic circumstances of Tylendel's death. Resuming the hunt, Vanyel finds a mountain pass, where the mage obviously intends to take his troops down into the heart of Valdemar. Vanyel sends Yfandes and Stefen down to the Guard Post to get help; knowing he may never see them again.

Now the dark mage's army shows up. Vanyel defeats them and finally faces Leareth, "Master Dark" himself. Yfandes returns and together they invoke the ultimate spell, Final Strike, which kills not only one's enemy but oneself. Vanyel and Yfandes die together. Stefen, who has felt Vanyel die, finds only a cracked and burned amber focus-stone -- a present he had given Vanyel -- and a few strands of blood-soaked horse hair.

The story concludes some months later. King Randale and Queen Shavri have died. Lost in grief and despair, Stefen returns to the forest near the site of Vanyel's death, intending to commit suicide, but the spirits of Vanyel and Yfandes appear before him. Vanyel asks him to guard Valdemar, especially this place, the Forest of Sorrows. In order for Stefen to be free to join him, he must convince all of Valdemar that Herald-Mages are no longer necessary, and that Heralds are enough; a nearly impossible task. Stefen agrees and spends the rest of his life working for this change, until his death when he is able to join Vanyel on the other side.

Characters in "Magic's Price"

• Vanyel: The most powerful of the Herald-Mages.
• Stefen: A Bard, who has the ability to block pain through his music. He is lifebonded to Vanyel; he is the reincarnation of Tylendel, Vanyel's long-dead first love.
• Savil: Vanyel's aunt, a powerful Herald-Mage, she runs a school for same.
• Yfandes: Vanyel's Companion.
• Kellan: Savil's Companion.
• Medren: Vanyel's illegitimate nephew, a gifted Bard.
• Randale: The ailing King of Valdemar.
• Shavri: The King's Own Herald, she is also a healer. She and Randale are lifebonded, and she is the de facto queen.
• Jisa: The female heir to the throne of Valdemar; supposedly Randale's daughter, she is actually Vanyel's.
• Treven: The male heir to Valdemar, he is a Herald. He and Jisa are lifebonded.
• Starwind: Tayeldras Adept. He is also shaych or gay, and his lifebonded mate is Moondance.
• Moondance: Tayeldras Healer-Adept.