Mindbender (40 page)

Lucky sat back, weary from the battle and exhausted from traveling through the forest at night in the rain. He was bruised and beaten up himself and in no mood for an argument.

“Don’t be difficult, Evelyn,” Conner said as he took the vial and downed the contents.

“The draught will make you sleep,” Lucky said. “When you wake, your wound should be mostly healed. Given the severity, it may take a few days for it to heal completely.”

Conner nodded and motioned for his sister to help him lie back down. Soon he was breathing deeply and evenly.

Alexander and Anatoly returned from the darkness and stacked the wood they’d gathered, then began stacking stones in a circle for a fire.

“You said you would answer my questions,” Evelyn said.

Alexander gave her a look that stopped her from saying another word. “I will, but not tonight. For now, go help Jack gather some more firewood.”

She looked surprised to be told what to do but then looked over at her brother and seemed to make up her mind. With a huff, she got up and stomped off into the woods with Jack trailing behind her wearing a mischievous grin.

Lucky tended to the multiple injuries sustained by nearly everyone and then they went to sleep. Jataan stood watch in the night with a vial of night-wisp dust in his pocket just in case the revenant came back. Since they had only four hours or so before dawn, Jack split the watch with the battle mage so each of them could get a couple of hours of sleep. They rose at dawn and broke camp quickly. The enemy soldiers weren’t nearly far enough away and Alexander didn’t want them to get any closer.

Conner had awakened with a groan but he was able to get to his feet and even heft his pack. Most of their minor injuries were healed by Lucky’s magical salve. Alexander’s shoulder still ached, and he could see that the gash in Anatoly’s leg still gave him some stiffness.

They ate a simple breakfast as they walked in the early dawn.

“Now will someone answer my questions?” Evelyn asked with exasperation.

“Don’t be difficult, Evelyn,” Conner said to his sister. “This is Alexander Reishi, the Sovereign of the Seven Isles, and he just saved your life. Say thank you and be nice to the man.”

“But, how can that be? He has a Thinblade but he says it’s not father’s. Yet I thought his was the only one that survived the Reishi War. Also, I thought Phane was the only Reishi still alive in the Seven Isles and he was the one who ordered that I be abducted.”

Conner answered his sister’s questions as they walked through the forest. With every answer, she asked a series of new questions. Alexander walked ahead and listened to the exchange to keep his mind off the threats they faced. In some ways Evelyn reminded him of Abigail. They were both inquisitive and unafraid to ask questions although Abigail was a bit more tactful. He felt a sudden pang of loneliness. His sister was his best friend and he missed her. He trusted that she was alive and well but that did nothing to fill the void created by her absence.

Chloe was keeping watch for Alexander from the safety of the aether. From there she could see everything that transpired in the world of time and substance but she wasn’t vulnerable to detection or harm. She reported that two hundred men armed with bows and swords were about an hour behind and force-marching through the forest. Alexander wasn’t worried about the swords, but the bows had him concerned. A large number of men armed with bows was more than they were able to defeat. Without adequate cover, they would be cut down in the first volley. Alexander stepped up the pace even as the terrain became steeper and more treacherous.

Evelyn came up beside him breathing heavily from the exertion but not complaining about the pace. “My brother explained who you are and what’s going on,” she said. “I just wanted to thank you for coming to save me. I know I wasn’t very polite to you and I’m sorry for that.”

Alexander chuckled. “Think nothing of it, Evelyn. You’ve been through an ordeal that would put anyone in a foul mood.”

“If I may ask, where are we going?” she said.

Alexander hesitated for a moment, trying to decide how much to reveal to her before he spoke. “There’s a ruined keep in the mountains. We’re headed there.”

“Those ruins are supposed to be haunted,” Evelyn said cautiously. “Are you sure that’s the best way to go?”

“I don’t know about best, but it’s where we’re going,” Alexander replied. “We have two hundred men armed with bows about an hour behind us. We need someplace with cover and the high ground to face them or we’re all dead. Those ruins are our only hope, and if they are haunted, that might actually be helpful. Those soldiers have probably never seen a ghost before—but I have.”

She was silent for a while as she thought over what he’d said. “Why did you come to rescue me? I mean, you obviously have more important things to be doing than trying to save one person. From what Conner tells me, your home of Ruatha is at war and you’re way out here with just a handful of men. I don’t understand.”

Alexander let her ramble until he was sure she was finished before he tried to answer. “As long as Phane had you under his thumb, your father couldn’t commit his troops to help fight my enemies. I need his help, so I did the one thing for him that he needed more than anything else: I protected his family.”

“So what, I’m just a piece on a board to you?” She seemed agitated that Alexander had motives other than simply rescuing her.

He looked at her with a sidelong glance and shook his head. “You’re not a piece on a board to me. You’re an innocent young woman who was being held for leverage against her father. In answer to your real question, yes, I do have multiple reasons for being here.”

“Like what?” she shot back.

Alexander smiled to himself. Despite her recent abduction and imprisonment, she was still feisty.

He thought about his answer for a moment as he moved through the thinning forest of the mountain lowlands. “As you’ve said, my homeland has been invaded. But I don’t have enough soldiers to defeat the enemy’s army. As long as Phane had you, your father was powerless to act. With you safe, your father is free to throw his lot in with me and help me defeat the invading army on Ruatha. Second, Phane was building an army here in Grafton. I don’t want him to gain a foothold here because war here would destroy much of your food crops. Famine would follow. Thousands would die. Finally, there’s something I need on this island. Coming to get you provided a logical pretense for my enemies that prevented them from seeing my true intent.”

She frowned, furrowing her brow deeply as she processed what he said. “What are you here to find?” she asked with genuine curiosity.

He could see Conner perk up with curiosity as well. Alexander had been careful to avoid the subject of the adept wizard’s keep for fear that Phane might be listening. Now that they were so close, he knew the Reishi Arch Mage wouldn’t be able to interfere.

“I’m not actually sure,” Alexander said, “but I know that it’s important and I hope it will help me fight Phane.”

Before Evelyn could ask another question, Chloe buzzed into existence in a bright ball of light. “There’s danger ahead, My Love. Ganglings are lying in wait on the ridge above the ravine we must pass through to reach the ruins.”

“That complicates things,” Alexander muttered to himself. “How many did you see?”

“I counted five,” Chloe said. “Each has a big pile of rocks.”

“Five ganglings with the high ground and ample weapons,” Anatoly said as he shook his head. “Might be time to rethink our path.”

“I concur with Master Grace,” Jataan said. “Given the superiority of their position, they are too dangerous to engage.”

Alexander nodded, then turned to Lucky. “I don’t suppose you have anything in that bag of yours that might get us through the ravine without them seeing us.”

“I’m afraid not. I don’t have another potion of fog and even that would only conceal us. The ganglings might still get lucky with one of their rocks.”

Jack cocked his head and smiled. “Just exactly how big is that bag of yours on the inside?”

Lucky blinked and then frowned for a moment before he smiled broadly. “It’s quite large actually. It certainly has more space than I’ve had a chance to fill up. I think your plan might just work.”

“What plan?” Evelyn asked with the frustration of someone who didn’t like to be kept in the dark.

Lucky sat down and started emptying the items from his magical bag. A minute or two later, he had a large pile of stuff: his bedroll, rations, waterskins, oil flasks, and stacks of vials, bags, pouches, small boxes, canisters, jars, and metal tubes. Some containers were full while others were awaiting the next ingredient that Lucky might find in his travels. He tipped the empty bag upside down and smiled as he handed it to Jack.

“I would suggest Lieutenant Grudge go first,” Lucky said. “If he can fit, then everyone else will be easy.”

Boaberous frowned in confusion. Jack set the bag out on the ground and opened it up. It was a remarkable sight—the interior was several times bigger than the exterior. Grudge looked to Jataan, who nodded toward the bag. The giant shrugged and carefully lowered himself inside. He nearly fit with only his head protruding from the opening.

Jack smiled to himself as he took his cloak off and handed it to Alexander, hoisted the bag’s strap over his shoulder and then threw his cloak over himself and his bagful of Boaberous.

“I shall return,” Jack said with a flourish as he tossed his hood up and flickered out of sight.

They didn’t have to wait too long before Alexander saw Jack’s colors moving toward them in the forest. He flickered into view and startled several of the others with a smile of mischief.

One by one, he ferried everyone past the threat of the ganglings to a safe spot under the cover of a large rock overhang. Anatoly went last, right after all of Lucky’s belongings. Jack and Anatoly were able to hear the enemy soldiers coming through the forest less than a mile away during their trip through the narrow mountain ravine.

As Lucky was packing his things carefully back into his magical bag, they heard the shouts of soldiers in the distance behind them as the ganglings sprang their ambush.

“Time to move,” Alexander said as he motioned for Boaberous to take point. The giant nodded and proceeded into the rocky foothills ahead. The sounds of battle behind them faded as they moved higher into the mountains.

Not an hour later, Boaberous stopped suddenly and pointed toward a rocky outcropping across a ravine. Alexander saw a man standing on a rock looking in their direction. He had no living aura.

“He seems to be everywhere we go,” Anatoly said as he stepped up next to Alexander.

Alexander nodded, “Except he’s not really there.”

A moment later the mysterious man turned to shadowy smoke and blew away on the gentle breeze. Alexander puzzled over him. He hadn’t posed a threat . . . yet. He didn’t have the colors of a living being but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be dangerous.

“Keep an eye out for him,” he said.

Chapter 24

They continued into the mountains toward the ruined keep. The very real threat of the enemy soldiers was not too far behind them. They needed the cover of the keep if they were going to have any chance against the numbers they faced, but Alexander was eager to get there for his own reasons. He nurtured the hope that the ancient ruins contained answers about his magical calling that would help him master his wizardry and give him the power to face Phane with at least some chance of victory.

They rounded a corner and caught the first glimpse of the ruins. The ancient keep had been built on a rocky outcropping jutting out of the side of the mountain. There were steep cliffs on three sides and a broken and treacherous road that wound up a series of switchbacks on the side facing the mountain. The walls were crumbling in several places and the main tower had collapsed, leaving a line of scattered stone at the base of the cliff wall that had long since grown over with moss and lichen. The place was dark and foreboding, but Alexander felt more certain than ever that answers about his calling would be found within.

The old man in grey robes was standing on a broken wall. When they stopped to peer up at the keep, they saw him abruptly change into a form that looked almost like a dragon except it was made of smoky black shadow. It glided down toward them with frightening speed and raised its giant black talons to strike.

Boaberous threw a javelin. Evelyn screamed. Jack flickered out of sight. Alexander stood defiantly and watched the deadly looking apparition come for him. He could see that it had no colors, no life, and no magic. His normal vision told him it was a creature of terrifying size and power with otherworldly qualities, but his second sight told him it wasn’t really there.

“Do you see that, Little One?” he asked Chloe without speaking.

“No, My Love,” she said silently in his mind. “I see nothing.”

It roared in preparation for its attack and everyone scattered, except Alexander. He stood and faced it, willing his fear into check. In the last moment, Jataan darted back into the path of the creature and pulled Alexander to the ground. Just before it would have reached them, the shadowy dragon dissipated and faded into nothingness.