walking, she thought of something else to distract his mind. "Have you seen anything suspicious happening lately here? Or seen someone acting strangely?"
The guard shook his head. "No, m'lord, nothing out of the ordinary. And we always report it if we do. It's part of our training." At her words, the guard seemed even more doubtful, and his words had taken a tone as if he expected Lord Oberon to know this already.
But the man led Sebine down another flight of stairs, and down again until they reached an earthen-lined basement that ended at a steel door.
"This is as far as I'm allowed to go, m'lord. Strict orders by Jesmia."
"Do you think she's hiding something inside? Something that could be used against me?" Sebine did her best to keep calm at the guard's mistrustful expression.
"Is m'lord woken from a bad dream, perhaps? Because you often spend time down here in the laboratory with the lady Jesmia..."
"Yes, of course I do!" Sebine scowled at the man's insolence. "But Jesmia is always in my presence, is this not true?" The guard paled at Sebine's harsh tone.
She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I have to be absolutely sure that she can be trusted, do you understand me? Now can you unlock this door or not?"
"No one has the key except Jesmia. She insisted on absolute privacy."
"And is there a way to tell if Jesmia is inside her laboratory?"
The guard's facade of loyalty shattered, and his face turned hard and angry as he glowered at Sebine. "You were the one who insisted that the runes illuminate when Jesmia was inside. You're clearly not Lord Oberon. Not unless you've completely lost your mind." The man withdrew his short sword and pointed the tip at Sebine's belly. "I think you better come with me."
In a practiced instant, Sebine cast the stunning spell and seized the man's sword from his hand. After she knocked off his helmet, she smashed the back of his head with the pommel of the sword. He collapsed, and when the stunning spell wore off, the man remained a heap on the floor. She leveraged the opposite wall and cast another spell, easily pushing his heavy body over to hide in the shadows.
There were no runes illuminated along the door's lock. Jesmia had likely left Tael inside. Hopefully he's still alive, Sebine thought, and sent a silent prayer to the gods for it to be true. The only problem that remained was how to open the door without alerting the whole building? If this was a magically sealed door then Sebine doubted she could open it using flame to melt the lock. She bent down and inspected the lock, saying a silent curse against the witch for constructing such an elaborate mechanism.
Footsteps on the stone stairs caused her to twirl around at the threat, and she backed away into the shadows, determined to remain unseen. This might be her only chance to save Tael, if she could sneak in unnoticed by the witch, or if she had to, cast the stunning spell and cause her blood to boil. Likely, killing her was the only way...
Chapter Eight
"WE'VE HEARD AN interesting report from the witch in Glar Bay." Prince Xanthes swirled his silver robe around in a flourish, causing the black runes etched along the edges to activate in a glow of black light. King Braxion studied the Prince's ghastly face and wondered how this powerful entity could be his grandfather. But in the eerie light of the vast, candlelit chamber, he felt as if they were on the verge of some great and momentous event, one that would lead to the return of Prince Xanthes to the land above ground. A frightfully glorious day that would be.
Braxion sighed and studied an ancient relic on a long, wooden table filled with candles. A crystal orb with an eye that blinked at him as he inspected the relic. The Witch's Eye , it was called. Every time he'd returned to Naverstrom, Braxion had tried to see his mother, Koroshen, but the witch had refused to grant him an audience. He'd received exactly one response from her—the last time—after all
The guard shook his head. "No, m'lord, nothing out of the ordinary. And we always report it if we do. It's part of our training." At her words, the guard seemed even more doubtful, and his words had taken a tone as if he expected Lord Oberon to know this already.
But the man led Sebine down another flight of stairs, and down again until they reached an earthen-lined basement that ended at a steel door.
"This is as far as I'm allowed to go, m'lord. Strict orders by Jesmia."
"Do you think she's hiding something inside? Something that could be used against me?" Sebine did her best to keep calm at the guard's mistrustful expression.
"Is m'lord woken from a bad dream, perhaps? Because you often spend time down here in the laboratory with the lady Jesmia..."
"Yes, of course I do!" Sebine scowled at the man's insolence. "But Jesmia is always in my presence, is this not true?" The guard paled at Sebine's harsh tone.
She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I have to be absolutely sure that she can be trusted, do you understand me? Now can you unlock this door or not?"
"No one has the key except Jesmia. She insisted on absolute privacy."
"And is there a way to tell if Jesmia is inside her laboratory?"
The guard's facade of loyalty shattered, and his face turned hard and angry as he glowered at Sebine. "You were the one who insisted that the runes illuminate when Jesmia was inside. You're clearly not Lord Oberon. Not unless you've completely lost your mind." The man withdrew his short sword and pointed the tip at Sebine's belly. "I think you better come with me."
In a practiced instant, Sebine cast the stunning spell and seized the man's sword from his hand. After she knocked off his helmet, she smashed the back of his head with the pommel of the sword. He collapsed, and when the stunning spell wore off, the man remained a heap on the floor. She leveraged the opposite wall and cast another spell, easily pushing his heavy body over to hide in the shadows.
There were no runes illuminated along the door's lock. Jesmia had likely left Tael inside. Hopefully he's still alive, Sebine thought, and sent a silent prayer to the gods for it to be true. The only problem that remained was how to open the door without alerting the whole building? If this was a magically sealed door then Sebine doubted she could open it using flame to melt the lock. She bent down and inspected the lock, saying a silent curse against the witch for constructing such an elaborate mechanism.
Footsteps on the stone stairs caused her to twirl around at the threat, and she backed away into the shadows, determined to remain unseen. This might be her only chance to save Tael, if she could sneak in unnoticed by the witch, or if she had to, cast the stunning spell and cause her blood to boil. Likely, killing her was the only way...
Chapter Eight
"WE'VE HEARD AN interesting report from the witch in Glar Bay." Prince Xanthes swirled his silver robe around in a flourish, causing the black runes etched along the edges to activate in a glow of black light. King Braxion studied the Prince's ghastly face and wondered how this powerful entity could be his grandfather. But in the eerie light of the vast, candlelit chamber, he felt as if they were on the verge of some great and momentous event, one that would lead to the return of Prince Xanthes to the land above ground. A frightfully glorious day that would be.
Braxion sighed and studied an ancient relic on a long, wooden table filled with candles. A crystal orb with an eye that blinked at him as he inspected the relic. The Witch's Eye , it was called. Every time he'd returned to Naverstrom, Braxion had tried to see his mother, Koroshen, but the witch had refused to grant him an audience. He'd received exactly one response from her—the last time—after all
Similar Books
