center of the table she buzzed into a bright, scintillating ball of light and materialized in midair. She hovered two feet off the table, surveying the representatives of Ithilian before she locked eyes with an astonished Mage Dax.
“Hello, Mage,” Chloe said. “My Love asked me to bring the Sovereign Stone out of the aether, so I did.”
Mage Dax blinked several times as if he wasn’t quite sure that what he was seeing was real. Chloe flew over, landed on Alexander’s shoulder and sat down cross-legged.
“You’re a fairy,” Mage Dax whispered with an undercurrent of awe.
Conner and General Brand sat stock-still.
Chloe shrugged. “Of course I’m a fairy.”
Alexander smiled slightly.
“How can this be?” Mage Dax asked. “The fairies withdrew from the world after the Reishi War. No mortal has even reported seeing a fairy in the past two thousand years, let alone bonding with one as a familiar.”
“My Love convinced my mother that the world needed our assistance,” Chloe said. “I volunteered to sacrifice my immortality for the opportunity to experience mortal love.” She looked at Alexander with a smile. “I am very happy with my choice.”
General Brand spoke into the stunned silence. He was a big man, gruff and plainspoken, clearly an experienced combat soldier with many years of command. He reminded Alexander a bit of Anatoly. “Our reports say that the Reishi Protectorate is serving Phane. How is it that the General Commander of the Reishi Protectorate is here with you if you are not in league with Phane?” There was no anger or antagonism in his tone, just the matter-of-fact question of a general officer.
Alexander nodded to Jataan to answer the question.
He cleared his throat. “I serve the Reishi Sovereign. Until last night I believed that Prince Phane was the last of the Reishi line and performed my duties accordingly. When I saw Lord Reishi take possession of the Sovereign Stone, I realized my error. At this time I have not yet had an opportunity to communicate the truth of the situation to the soldiers and agents of the Reishi Protectorate, so they are still acting on behalf of Prince Phane.”
“How is it that you were able to bond with the Stone?” Mage Dax asked.
“The Reishi are a branch of the Ruathan line,” Alexander said. “I am of the Ruathan bloodline and so I am also Reishi.”
“I see,” Dax said. “Prince Conner, I believe we have ample evidence of Lord Reishi’s truthfulness. And the fact that he has bonded with a fairy is proof positive of his moral character. I recommend we make haste for the palace in the morning.”
Conner nodded and stood up, offering Alexander his hand in friendship. When Alexander stood to shake his hand, his cloak slipped off the hilt of the Thinblade. Conner’s eyes went wide and his hand went to his sword.
“You have my father’s sword,” he said with alarm.
Mage Dax stood, quickly muttering the words of a spell. General Brand drew his sword, and Jataan P’Tal suddenly had a knife in each hand.
“Stop!” Alexander commanded. Everyone froze. He unbuckled his belt and held the hilt of the Thinblade out to Conner.
“Have you ever held your father’s sword?” Alexander asked.
Conner frowned and nodded.
“How did it feel?”
Conner hesitated for a moment. “Like it was made for my hand.”
Alexander nodded knowingly. “Grasp the hilt of my sword, but do not draw the blade.”
Conner’s frown deepened but he did as he was told. When he grasped the hilt, an unsettled look ghosted across his face and he released it quickly.
“It feels like a snake writhing in my grasp.”
“That’s because this is the Ruathan Thinblade. This sword is bound to my line just as your father’s sword is bound to yours.”
“My apologies, Lord Reishi,” Conner said. “It looks exactly like my father’s sword. When I saw it, I feared the worst.”
“You’re right to be cautious,” Alexander said, extending his hand to
“Hello, Mage,” Chloe said. “My Love asked me to bring the Sovereign Stone out of the aether, so I did.”
Mage Dax blinked several times as if he wasn’t quite sure that what he was seeing was real. Chloe flew over, landed on Alexander’s shoulder and sat down cross-legged.
“You’re a fairy,” Mage Dax whispered with an undercurrent of awe.
Conner and General Brand sat stock-still.
Chloe shrugged. “Of course I’m a fairy.”
Alexander smiled slightly.
“How can this be?” Mage Dax asked. “The fairies withdrew from the world after the Reishi War. No mortal has even reported seeing a fairy in the past two thousand years, let alone bonding with one as a familiar.”
“My Love convinced my mother that the world needed our assistance,” Chloe said. “I volunteered to sacrifice my immortality for the opportunity to experience mortal love.” She looked at Alexander with a smile. “I am very happy with my choice.”
General Brand spoke into the stunned silence. He was a big man, gruff and plainspoken, clearly an experienced combat soldier with many years of command. He reminded Alexander a bit of Anatoly. “Our reports say that the Reishi Protectorate is serving Phane. How is it that the General Commander of the Reishi Protectorate is here with you if you are not in league with Phane?” There was no anger or antagonism in his tone, just the matter-of-fact question of a general officer.
Alexander nodded to Jataan to answer the question.
He cleared his throat. “I serve the Reishi Sovereign. Until last night I believed that Prince Phane was the last of the Reishi line and performed my duties accordingly. When I saw Lord Reishi take possession of the Sovereign Stone, I realized my error. At this time I have not yet had an opportunity to communicate the truth of the situation to the soldiers and agents of the Reishi Protectorate, so they are still acting on behalf of Prince Phane.”
“How is it that you were able to bond with the Stone?” Mage Dax asked.
“The Reishi are a branch of the Ruathan line,” Alexander said. “I am of the Ruathan bloodline and so I am also Reishi.”
“I see,” Dax said. “Prince Conner, I believe we have ample evidence of Lord Reishi’s truthfulness. And the fact that he has bonded with a fairy is proof positive of his moral character. I recommend we make haste for the palace in the morning.”
Conner nodded and stood up, offering Alexander his hand in friendship. When Alexander stood to shake his hand, his cloak slipped off the hilt of the Thinblade. Conner’s eyes went wide and his hand went to his sword.
“You have my father’s sword,” he said with alarm.
Mage Dax stood, quickly muttering the words of a spell. General Brand drew his sword, and Jataan P’Tal suddenly had a knife in each hand.
“Stop!” Alexander commanded. Everyone froze. He unbuckled his belt and held the hilt of the Thinblade out to Conner.
“Have you ever held your father’s sword?” Alexander asked.
Conner frowned and nodded.
“How did it feel?”
Conner hesitated for a moment. “Like it was made for my hand.”
Alexander nodded knowingly. “Grasp the hilt of my sword, but do not draw the blade.”
Conner’s frown deepened but he did as he was told. When he grasped the hilt, an unsettled look ghosted across his face and he released it quickly.
“It feels like a snake writhing in my grasp.”
“That’s because this is the Ruathan Thinblade. This sword is bound to my line just as your father’s sword is bound to yours.”
“My apologies, Lord Reishi,” Conner said. “It looks exactly like my father’s sword. When I saw it, I feared the worst.”
“You’re right to be cautious,” Alexander said, extending his hand to
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