Malediction (Scars of the Sundering Book 1) (41 page)

"It's
gone now, right?" Kali talked around the meat she chewed.

"Without
my amulet"—Arnost held up the twisted remains of his golden lyre—"I
cannot say for certain, but it seems likely."

Pancras
wasn't as certain. The whole affair seemed anti-climactic to him, and he
suspected they merely drove away the shadow creature temporarily. He didn't
want to push the issue, however. Pancras wanted to finish this business with
the prince before taking on another challenge.

"Regardless,
I hope the shadow demon stays away until my task here is done."

As they
finished dinner but before he excused himself, Arnost promised to check in on
Pancras in a few days. The shadow's words gnawed at Pancras's insides. The Lich
Queen and all her minions had been silent for decades, and he feared if one
caused trouble now, it wasn't just a remnant. The implications boded ill for
the future.

* * *

After
dinner, Kale sequestered himself in his bed chamber with the puzzle box and
Kali. Pancras busied himself cleaning up the shattered remains of his
laboratory, Delilah's snout was buried in her grimoire, and Edric went off to
try to entice a few of the guards into throwing some dice with him.

"Maybe
you can help me figure out the rest of this puzzle box." Kale set the box
on the table and showed Kali how the sides he'd already figured out worked.

"What
does this thing do?" Kali lowered herself to eye level and peered at the
box.

"Clicks
and whirrs? I don't know. There's probably something magic inside it, if I can
figure out how to open it."

Kali sat up
and narrowed her eyes. "How do you know there isn't something dangerous in
there?"

Kale's wings
fluttered. "Terrakaptis wouldn't give me something dangerous. He didn't
say anything about it being dangerous."

"So,
you have to figure out each side? How did you know where to start? Does it
matter?"

Kale thought
for a moment. "Well, I just picked a side." He scratched his head.
"I don't know that it matters as long as I work on one side at a
time."

"How
long have you been trying to figure this out?"

"Since
we left home…" Kale chewed his lip. "A few of months on and
off."

Kali picked
up the box and turned it over in her hands, looking at all the sides. "It
would be terrible if you started in the wrong place."

The thought
that he had chosen the wrong approach to solving it from the outset never
occurred to Kale, but now that Kali mentioned it, he wondered if that was the
reason everything the box did was underwhelming. The two draks spent hours
examining every side of the puzzle box but were unable to determine if one side
was more important than any of the other sides. They worked far into the night,
only stopping when Delilah entered with the intention of sleeping. Kale sighed
and shook his head as Delilah exaggerated her bed time preparations. He left
his puzzle box on the table; it would be waiting for him in the morning.

Chapter 21

As Pancras
yawned and stretched, he realized he slept all the way through the night
without experiencing upsetting dreams or dark thoughts, and no disturbances
whatsoever. Hopping out of bed, he pulled on his robes and entered the veranda
to look out over Almeria. For the first time since he left Drak-Anor, the
minotaur felt refreshed and energized upon awakening.

Dark, puffy
clouds glided on the wind at the edge of the horizon, but the skies over
Almeria were blue and clear. The crisp, winter air carried the scent of burning
hearths, and although the breeze made him shiver, the day seemed bright and
cheery.

He hoped he
could conclude his business soon. They couldn't leave, of course, until the
snows started to melt away, and winter in Etrunia could be unpredictable.
Still, the sooner he didn't have to worry about Prince Gavril's whims, the
better. At the very least, he and the draks would be free to enjoy what Almeria
had to offer, and perhaps, they could get to know Edric better. Pancras
regretted they hadn't included the dwarf in any of their plans, but he seemed
content to find his own entertainment.

The familiar
sounds of Princess Valene's soft footsteps approached from the right. Pancras
greeted the princess with a bow. "Good morning."

"It is
so far. How goes your… research?" The princess sipped from her customary
steaming goblet of mulled wine.

Pancras
cleared his throat.
So much for the good morning.
"There's been a
mishap."

Princess
Valene narrowed her eyes and frowned. "How bad?"

"Catastrophic.
I have to start over, including acquiring new equipment." Saying it aloud
hammered home the extent and severity of damage the shadow demon caused.

Princess
Valene's mouth became a thin line. She turned away from Pancras and looked out
over Almeria. She stood in silence for a moment, steam wafting up from her
goblet and mixing with the fog of her breath.

"I
don't want to know what happened, and we do not have time for you to start
over." The princess turned to face Pancras. "We have to confront
Gavril today."

"Today?"
Pancras's eyes widened. "Why? You've discovered something new?"

"My
agents have informed me that they've waylaid one of Gavril’s spies. In
addition, they’ve located the woman with whom Gavril has been involved. I’m
told she’s quite eager to cooperate in exchange for leniency. Treason carries a
serious penalty: death."

Pancras mind
wheeled with the revelation. He didn't like the idea of confronting the prince
with only the bare bones of a plan and without his protective fetish.
And
our discussion here is not treasonous?
"You don’t really need me then,
do you?"

The princess
dismissed his question with a wave of her hand. "Your testimony will
strengthen my case against him. I want you to confront him with his vile plan
in court."

The minotaur
did not relish being trapped in the middle of a power play between the rulers
of Etrunia, although he appreciated the logic in confronting Prince Gavril with
all the evidence against him in a public forum.

Princess
Valene took a step forward and looked up at him, fire flashing in her eyes.
"Understand this: I reward loyalty. I will ensure you leave Almeria free
and in time to make your journey to Muncifer. You will receive no such promise
from my husband."

Pancras held
up his hands and stepped away from Princess Valene. "I understand your
position. I gave you my word that I will cooperate with you, but I require
assurances that no matter what happens, the safety of the draks and the dwarf
will be guaranteed."

The
Princess's expression softened. "I can't make any promises, but as long as
they don't interfere, I will do what I can. I will inform Milena and the guards
loyal to me, as well. I shall send her for you when we are ready."

Pancras
nodded and bowed. "I will make preparations. I'll be ready when she
calls."

* * *

Delilah
heard Pancras rise and exit the parlor, glad he didn't notice her sitting in
her chair in front of the fire with her grimoire. Sharing a room with Kali and
her brother was conducive to neither a good night's sleep nor quiet study.

She found
solace in the fact that focusing on the grimoire and making sense of its
ever-changing text was easier the more time she spent with it. The book whisked
her away to another battlefield. In the back of her mind, Delilah was bemused
by the thought that Gil-Li the Graven spent her whole life fighting battles.
Of
course, I may be seeing images she wants me to see and not actual history.

Gil-Li stood
on a rock outcropping overlooking a blasted plain. Any vegetation that might
have grown there was long since burned away. An army approached, marching over
the plains in lockstep, their faces and forms obscured by mist. The tattoos on
the drak sorceress glowed as she channeled arcane energies. The ground erupted
beside her even as the motions and form of the invocation seared themselves
into Delilah's mind. Humanoid forms of rock and earth tore themselves loose
from the ground, towering over Gil-Li. They jumped down from the outcropping
and met the army head-on.

Flames
erupted from Gil-Li's tattoos, swirling around her and forming a whirlwind of
fire, which moved up and ahead, over the creatures of rock. The lumbering
creatures pounded the enemy with boulder-sized fists as the tornadoes of flame
cut fiery swathes through enemy ranks.

Delilah was
impressed by the carnage Gil-Li unleashed but was unsure of the object of this
particular lesson. It was common knowledge a single wizard of sufficient power
could devastate entire armies and lay waste to entire regions. The image
shifted, focusing on Gil-Li as she summoned the creatures of stone. Delilah
followed her lip movements as she invoked the effect she desired.

"Kaleesie…
gee… stoche-e-a-key."

She knew
that wasn't quite right but figured it was a close approximation. Delilah tried
again, but a blast of cold air from outside broke her concentration. She glared
at Pancras, but the minotaur didn't seem to notice. He sat down in the chair
next to her, the wood frame groaning in protest at his lack of finesse.

"Is
Kale up?"

Delilah
closed her grimoire, shaking her head. "I doubt it. It's just you and me,
unless Edric is being very quiet in his room."

"Wake
everyone. I have urgent news." Pancras pushed himself out of the chair and
checked the food lift while Delilah roused everyone else. Kale was the only one
of the three who wasn't bleary eyed and reluctant to leave the warm confines of
their feather beds. Meanwhile, Pancras poured mulled wine for everyone and
spread out on the table the variety of pastries and cured meats provided by the
kitchen.

The
berry-sweet smell of the wine and the smoky, briny aroma of the meats made
Delilah's stomach grumble and her mouth water. She filled her plate and took
her place next to her brother, who fumbled with a sweet roll.

Pancras
tapped a knife on the side of his goblet to get everyone's attention. "I
have been informed that, essentially, my research here is done. I still can't
go into detail, but the princess wants to meet with me in the throne room this
afternoon, in the presence of the prince."

"So
what does that mean for us?" Flecks of food flew from Kale's mouth as he
talked around a mouthful of sweet roll. Delilah smacked him on the shoulder and
scowled at him.

"If
things go as planned, the princess will guarantee our safe departure in time to
arrive in Muncifer before Spring’s Dawning." Pancras glanced at Kale as he
layered slices of cured meat on a hard roll.

"What
of the prince?" Edric drained his goblet of mulled wine in a single gulp
and then refilled it. "I don't reckon he'll go along with that, will he?
I've heard he's a right prat."

"I
doubt he'll go against the princess." Kali cocked her head. "We hear
she's the silent power behind the throne. She pulls the strings while he dances
and squawks like a mother hen."

Delilah chuckled.
She hadn't interacted much with Prince Gavril, but he struck her as the type
who liked to be louder than everyone around him, even at the cost of his
effectiveness.

"This
meeting might be unpleasant for the prince. I want everyone packed and ready to
leave."

Delilah
stopped with her goblet halfway to her mouth. She turned her head toward
Pancras. "We can't travel yet. The snow is too deep."

"We may
have no choice but to flee the palace after this afternoon. I'm certain if
things go our way, the princess will allow us to stay until we can travel, but
if things do not go our way…" Pancras left the thought lingering over the
table like a storm cloud.

Delilah set
down her goblet hard enough to slosh wine onto the table. "You need to
tell us what's going on, Pancras. I think we can all keep a secret, if that's
what it takes. We haven't asked a lot of questions about the deal you made, but
now you're talking about us fleeing the palace. We deserve to know what's
happening!"

The drak
sorceress knew, of course, but wanted Pancras to be the one to explain the
situation. Murmurs of assent circled the table. Delilah didn't care what the
humans did to each other, but she knew she would have to deal with all sorts of
questions from Kale once they were alone. The minotaur slumped in his seat and
then nodded. "Very well. I suppose it's better you hear it from me than
from rumors that might start if things go poorly this afternoon."

Pancras
sipped his wine and then took a deep breath. "In exchange for our freedom,
such as it is, and these very fine accommodations, the prince tasked me with
cursing his wife, the princess."

Edric
grunted. Kale stifled a gasp at the revelation.

"I
won't go into all the political details of the situation. He wanted me to make
her barren so he could easily divorce her and marry someone else. I agreed
rather hastily in my desire to escape the jail, but upon reflection, I cannot
go through with it."

"So,
what have you been doing this whole time?" Kale couldn't understand why
the prince would want to divorce Princess Valene.

"Stalling.
I tried to create a protective fetish to use during the inevitable
confrontation, but that shadow demon saw to it that I failed."

"Maybe
we should come with you, then." Kale grabbed another sweet roll as the
plate passed from Kali to Edric. Delilah thought it was an excellent idea.
Together, there was nothing the three of them couldn't handle.

"The
three of us will deal with the nasty humans, and Kali and Edric can make sure
our escape route remains open."

Pancras held
up his hands and shook his head. "No! No, we're not planning an assault on
the throne room. I'm going there to have a conversation with the prince and
princess. That's all."

"I
still think Kale and I should go with you. We've come this far together.
Besides, the princess already knows I know."

"Yeah,
and we're just tagging along like hungry mongrels, right?" Edric huffed
and drained another goblet of wine.

"Hey,
that's not true!" Kale snapped his head around and glared at the dwarf.
“The way we’ve been fed here in the palace, how can you say you’re hungry?”

"It's
probably best I go alone."

Delilah
ignored Pancras. She looked at Kali. "You know how to get around without
being noticed. Maybe you and Edric can work together to make sure we have a way
out, just in case things do go wrong."

Kali nodded,
glancing over at the still-grumbling dwarf. "Sure. Everyone already
associates Pancras with the two of you. If Edric and I show up in the throne
room, it might put everyone on edge. We can make sure the way out through the
undercroft remains clear."

Pancras
rubbed his forehead. "Fine, look, just promise me you'll follow my lead,
all right? The prince's moods can be volatile. Just let him rage, if that's
what it comes to. The princess has given me assurances she'll back me up."

After they
finished eating, everyone busied themselves packing up their clothing and
possessions in case they needed to beat a hasty retreat. By the time they
finished, the sun had passed its zenith. Edric, Kale, and Kali passed the time
betting on dice while Pancras paced, his anxiety palpable. Delilah tried to
study her grimoire, but the nervous tension in the air made concentration
impossible.

A knock at
the doors made the parlor fall quiet. Pancras opened the doors to allow Lady
Milena ingress. She looked around at the draks and dwarf gathered around.
"Dare I ask what is going on?"

Pancras
gestured to the room. "We've preparations to leave… just in case."

"I
would say that's an unnecessary precaution, but under the circumstances,
perhaps it is wise." Lady Milena put her hand on Pancras's shoulder.
"Let us go, Their Highnesses await."

Delilah
hopped off the chair and closed her grimoire. She shoved it in her pack and
picked up her staff as Kale checked his bandolier of daggers and straightened
his hat.