“Ah, finally! I was getting worried. We expected you to cross the scar and be here days ago!” he said, embracing Gondrial by the shoulders.
“We ran into more than you planned for us to, I think,” Gondrial said.
“Come, I have a villa in Shezuris. Come get cleaned up and fed, and we will talk about it . . . adepts!”
Chapter 12: The Unseen
Rikard carefully removed his shirt. The spot on his chest still burned. He took the amulet off over his head. The edges were broken, destroyed when Shey had used her considerable magic on the Lich. It was obvious to Rikard now that Shey had no idea of how powerful she really was. He held the amulet down on the floor, took out his dagger, and pried the gem up from the center. It popped off rather easily. He gambled that the gem had been the main component of the phylactery holding the Lich’s essence. Logically, when Shey destroyed the physical Lich, his essence would still be trapped in the gem. Rikard carefully placed it on the wooden table provided with his room and concentrated, drawing in essence. When he released the power, the gem transformed to look exactly like the gem of suppression Shey planned to hand over to the sand elves. He gazed into the gem and wondered if it was just the gem or the entire amulet that let him have dominion over the Lich. He grinned as an idea formed in his mind.
Rikard began to whisper to the gem in a sing-song tone. “Deeper down, deeper down, deeper down, your soul goes deeper down. Deeper down, deeper down, deeper down, where your essence cannot be found. Deeper down, deeper down, deeper down, where you will never be found!”
Rikard clutched the gem in his hand, startled at the sound of a whimper from the corner of his room. He strolled over to the corner and held out his hand flat until it touched the scaly surface of the Unseen’s head. He stroked the creature lovingly. “There, there, all is well. No need to whimper. I will send you out soon enough. First, I have to get close enough to Shey to change out gems, and then I will let you loose upon the city.” The Unseen panted with glee.
Rikard was surprised by a knock on the door. He patted the Unseen on the head. “Shhh, you be quiet now, Asad.” He dropped the gem in his left trouser pocket as he went to open the door. “Who’s there?”
“It is I, Rikard, Shey.”
Rikard opened the door. “Ah, Shey! I was just thinking about you.”
Shey immediately looked away with a girlish grin. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Rikard realized he had not put his shirt back on. “Oh, forgive me.” He reached over to the bed and pulled on his shirt. “I forgot I took it off. I was looking at the burn you gave me.”
“I meant to talk to you about that. What happened? You say I gave it to you?”
Rikard escorted her in. “I was preparing to dispel the Lich, and when you destroyed it instead, my own spell backfired on me,” he lied. “It happens sometimes.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize. I am sorry.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m glad you stopped by.” He glanced into the corner, and the Unseen began to appear to him. He turned back to Shey, horrified. She noticed his change in expression, and she scanned the corner where he was looking. “What is it? There’s nothing there.” She went to the corner. “What are you looking at?” The Unseen moved out of her way.
He realized at that moment that she didn’t see it. The Unseen appeared a bit different than he expected. It was about the size of a large dog. Around its mouth were long, smooth, tentacle-like appendages. Its head appeared to have a boney covering with more of the smooth appendages on the top of its head smoothed back like thick hair. The armored portion of its head ended in three dragon-like horns. The rest of its body was covered in scales, much like a lizard or serpent. The jade statuette he was using to contain Asad’s essence was a good representation of the Unseen. He wondered if it appeared to him that way because he was controlling it with Asad’s essence from the statuette or if they all normally looked like that.
“I don’t mean to disturb you, but I thought I might apply more salve and change your bandage. Your burn is my fault after all. Though, from the look of that burn earlier, Sanmir’s salve doesn’t seem to be helping much.”
The Unseen made a whimpering noise, and Rikard stood up.
“What was that?” Shey asked. She started for the corner again. The Unseen growled at her, and she took a step back. “What is that? Is something there?” He could see the confusion on her face. She was unlikely to believe an Unseen would be in his room.
He went to the corner and stood over the Unseen. He leaned down as if he was listening to the floor. “I think it’s coming from the next room. Someone must have a dog.”
Perhaps it was her trust in him or her unwillingness to believe danger could be lurking in the corner of a room Ianthill had secured for them, but Rikard was glad she seemed to dismiss her suspicion. “Must be. Anyhow, let me see your hand.”
He held out his hand, and once she unwrapped it, she could see it was completely healed. “That’s odd,” she said. Your hand is healed but your chest seems to remain burned. Let me see your chest again.”
“Shey, it’s fine. It was just a deeper burn. I will rub the salve on it three times a day instead of two.”
Shey smiled at him. “All right. I don’t mean to fuss.”
Trying to get her to back out of the room, Rikard gave her a friendly peck on the cheek. “Thank you for caring for me, Shey. I will join you all at the meeting with Ianthill, but now, I need to get changed.” He embraced her, pulling her close.
When the embrace was done, Shey nodded. “You are welcome, and of course you need to get changed. I am sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize.”
“I will see you at the meeting, then,” she said as she turned and finally left him alone.
He immediately looked at the Unseen. It was curled up in the corner, now fast asleep. Oh, now it decides to sleep. Strange—it didn’t attack Shey. Was it because it had the soul and essence of Asad or was there more to Shey than he thought? He flipped the gem up in the air and caught it. “At least I got the suppression gem,” he said. He put the gem in his pocket. She didn’t even realize I switched it. Her judgement is truly impaired when it comes to me, he thought.
Shey left Rikard’s room and walked down the hall. She reached into her pocket and felt the suppression gem. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at it; it sparkled like usual. It must have been her imagination, but for a brief moment, she thought she felt Rikard reach into her pocket. Of course, he put his hand there to bring her in for the embrace. Maybe that was what she felt. She dropped the gem back into her pocket and continued down the corridor. Marella met her when she turned the first corner.
“How is he?” Marella asked.
“His hand is healed but his chest is still burned,” Shey told her. “How is Ramzi?”
“How should I know? I’m not his keeper. He can go jump off a cliff for all I care.”
“Really!” Shey said.
“Wait a moment. What are you getting at, Sheyna Namear? I don’t like that fool, if that’s what you’re trying to insinuate!”
Shey held her hands up. “All right, I’m not insinuating anything.” She laced her words with sarcasm. Marella eyed her intently.
Gondrial came up the corridor. “Shey, I have been trying to find you. May we talk a moment, in private?”
“I will go on to the meeting room,” Marella said, excusing herself.
Gondrial led Shey into one of the bedrooms off the hallway. Shey worried briefly about his intentions, but dismissed the thought just as quickly.
“I will get to the point. I found some mysterious paw prints near the waterfall and just outside the Pit Inn. I couldn’t tell if they were coming or going at first, or whether or not they were fresh. I was assured by the innkeeper that the inn was magically protected.” She eyed him suspiciously. “The innkeeper is another story. Focus on what I’m telling you.” He resumed. “Since we left the inn, I have kept an eye out for the track
s. Especially when we heard the howls after you dispatched the Lich. I just came from the street outside. I searched around the grounds, and I found the same paw prints nearby, here, in the city!”
“Coincidence? Maybe it was just a large dog. I just heard one growling in the room next to Rikard.”
“That’s not all. I have found them at every stop we have made along the way from the Great Scar.”
“Maybe we should visit the room next to Rikard. If there is a big dog there, problem solved.”
“I believe the tracks resemble the prints left by the Unseen after we first encountered them. I don’t believe they were made by a dog.”
“But the Unseen were connected with Daethel Rast. I destroyed him on the plains.”
“That’s just it, I don’t think you did. I think it appeared that way for our benefit.”
“What are you saying?”
“I am saying the Lich survived . . . Remember the story of the phylactery? I think his essence is still with us even though his physical body is gone.”
Shey lowered her head. “How could I be so stupid? The sound I heard in Rikard’s room—I knew it didn’t actually sound like a dog. He dismissed it like it was coming from the adjacent room, but it sounded like it was closer. His burned hand healed, but the burn on his chest, where he claimed to have a cleric amulet, will not heal. I have been suspicious of his manner for a while now but couldn’t put my finger on it. It all makes perfect sense now.”
“He had the phylactery all this time?” Gondrial went for the door, but Shey stopped him. “No, Gondrial. If that was one of the Unseen in his room, Rikard is probably being forced into all this. It might not be all his doing. Rikard is a gentle soul; I can sense it. The Lich must have control of him or of his mind somehow. We have to be smart about this. We need to talk to Ianthill.”
Gondrial paused. “Ianthill is speaking with the Darovan council at the moment. He will only be back in time for our meeting. We won’t have an opportunity to talk to him beforehand.”
“Regardless, we should find a moment, or make time, to take him aside.”
“It won’t be easy. He is surrounded by Darovanian dignitaries all the time. They are a suspicious lot. They have spies everywhere, and they already don’t trust Easterners like us. Ianthill must have a lot of influence in high places for them to allow him to conduct the adept trials here. If one of the spies happens to overhear, you can bet they won’t be pleased to find out we might have brought a Lich into their precious city.”
“We have to try. We can’t take care of this by ourselves this time, not without bringing potential harm to Rikard, who may be an innocent in all this.”
“Or he could be the mastermind. You are awful quick to dismiss his role as a traitor.”
“Because I don’t believe he has betrayed us yet. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt, as I would you if the situation was reversed. I thought he was your best friend! Why are you so quick to condemn him?”
Gondrial sheepishly nodded. “You’re right. We don’t know his involvement yet. And if he is involved, I’m sure it’s against his will. He would not willfully betray us, not the Rikard I know.”
“It’s settled, then. We will find a way to take this to Ianthill.”
“Aye, and hope beyond hope that we are doing the right thing. Part of me believes we should just confront Rikard and take the amulet.”
“That would be foolish, not to mention tip our hand. Right now, whatever is going on, the enemy thinks we are oblivious to it. That gives us an advantage.”
Gondrial put his hand on the doorknob, ready to open it. “Go get ready for the meeting as you normally would. Don’t tell anyone else about what we know, not even Marella. The fewer who know about this before we can speak with Ianthill, the better. I will think of a way to get him alone to talk with us. I will meet you outside the meeting room.”
Shey nodded, and they both left the room.
Gondrial had no intention of following through with Shey’s plan. Since when did he follow rules? He was the adept of Ianthill, and of all people, he knew what his master would do best. Rikard’s room wasn’t far down the corridor. He would see for himself if the cleric harbored an Unseen. He checked for his sword and realized he didn’t have it with him. If he was to intimidate, the sword at his side was a must. He would have to stop by his own room first. As soon as he walked into his room, a greenish-grey fog was blown into his face. He coughed and resisted, trying to see who was in his room. Someone was attacking him, but they stayed to the shadows. He reached to his side for his sword, which still wasn’t strapped there. He panicked as he looked across the room and saw the sword draped over the wooden chair where he left it. The room began to spin. He knew he was about to fall, so he stumbled to his bed and fell on it.
When Gondrial awoke, the only thought in his head was to confront Rikard. The walls of his room were shadowy and vague. He had to get to Rikard, but before he left his room, he turned to his bed. He could have sworn he had fallen onto it, for some reason, earlier. Was he dreaming? Abruptly, without remembering walking down the corridor, he stood outside Rikard’s door, having a moment of hesitation, not knowing how he got from his room to the doorway. He dismissed the feeling and refocused. Shey will forgive me if I find something amiss with Rikard. He did respect Shey, and deep down, he knew she was probably right, but he had always lived by the seat of his pants. Playing it safe could get them all killed. Feeling justified, he knocked forcefully on the door. Rikard opened it, and Gondrial forced his way into the room.
“Gondrial, what brings you here?” Rikard asked.
Gondrial ripped open Rikard’s shirt. The burn was perfectly round and swollen with red welts. “Where is it, Rikard?”
Rikard pulled his shirt closed again. “Where is what?”
“The phylactery, where is it?” Gondrial could tell by the expression on Rikard’s face that he had struck a nerve. He grabbed Rikard by his tattered shirt with one hand and clenched his free hand into a fist. “I will pound my fist down your traitor neck unless you hand it over right now!”
“Gondrial, you don’t know what you are . . .” A growl from the corner of the room interrupted him. “Oh no, Gondrial, if I were you, I would drop everything and run.”
“What?” Gondrial said, scanning the corner, trying to see any sign of the Unseen’s movement.
“RUN, Gondrial!” Rikard said, a wicked grin forming on his lips. “Or not.” Gondrial let his grip relax, and Rikard pulled away.
“I am not sure why you are here, but you should take my advice and run.” Rikard thrust his hand into his pocket.
Gondrial went for his sword before he realized he still didn’t have it with him. His second instinct was to draw essence, but for some reason, that failed him too. He could hear the growl of the Unseen, and then he felt sharp teeth clench his forearm. He pulled away and slung the creature across the room, where it crashed against a wall. “What is this? You are harboring an Unseen? I knew I was right. You are still being controlled by the Lich!” He prepared for the creature to attack again. “Rikard, destroy it. Get rid of the phylactery.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Rikard said. “Is the Lich controlling me, or am I controlling it?”
“What have you done!” Gondrial said, backing up into a corner. “What have you brought to us? If you believe you are in control, especially of a Lich, you are delusional.”
Rikard went to his pack and produced a jade statuette of an elf maiden. He pulled his hand from his pocket, and suddenly, Gondrial felt essence once again flow into him. Rikard must have the suppression gem, and he just let it go. Gondrial used the essence to keep the Unseen away from him. Some of the essence he used rebounded to the statuette and disappeared within it, as if the statuette was feeding on Gondrial’s power. “What is that?” he asked.
“Why don’t you wake up now!” Rikard said.
“What did you say?”
“I said, wake up! This is wh
at happens when you miss too many nights’ sleep. You dream impossible dreams and you sleep too deeply. Now wake up!”
Gondrial sat up in bed. His bedcovers flew to the end of the bed. He rubbed his arm where the creature had bitten him, but his arm was unharmed. His body was in a cold sweat. Was it all a dream? He had to get to Shey and Ianthill. When he stood, he noticed Marella sitting in a chair at the end of his bed. He took a step back.
“Marella? You startled me.”
Her milky eyes reset to her normal color, and she blinked as if she was coming out of a trance. “Gondrial! You do have suspicions!”
“What are you talking about? Was that you in my head?”
“Aye, sorry about that. I overheard you and Shey. I recently spoke to Shey in her head. She wasn’t able to communicate with me back because she isn’t a mindwielder. But, curiously, I have been getting snippets and bits and pieces of her thoughts, especially when she is upset. I have never heard of such a thing happening before. I will ask Dicarion about it when we return, but as for now . . .”
“Somehow I feel violated. Why did you knock me out?”
“After I heard you speaking to Shey, I thought about the situation and a rare snippet of the future came to me. It wasn’t good, so I had to play it out. The only way to let it play out was to knock you out and see for myself what would happen.”
“So that was what would have happened if I would have gone to confront Rikard on my own?”
“Aye, one possible outcome. Well, the best and most probable outcome. Obviously, it isn’t a good idea to confront him that way.”
“Don’t ever do that again! You shouldn’t go rummaging around in someone’s head like that. Doesn’t your kind have rules about violating one’s privacy or something? I have a good mind to report you to Dicarion!”
“Don’t be so melodramatic. You’ll get over it,” she said. “The question, now that we both have some answers, is what are we going to do about Rikard?”
Wielder: Adept: Book 2 of Lady Shey's Story (The Wielder Cycle) Page 10
