Phane roughly spun her away from the railing.
“Are you a fool? Even in the confines of her cage, she can drain your life with her gaze … if you let her. I didn’t bring you here to see her, I brought you here to see them.” He swept his hand across the breadth of the room.
It was only then that Isabel saw the collection of smaller magical circles uniformly filling the floor of the room. Three contained creatures that looked very similar to Azugorath, yet much smaller and less distinct.
“It took a great deal of work and considerable trial and error, but I finally succeeded.”
Isabel felt a tingle of fear wash over her as she looked out over the scores of empty circles.
“Each of those circles will contain a wraith which will provide one of my wraithkin with their power. It will take some time, but eventually all of my wraithkin will be tied to his own individual wraith, freeing Azugorath to focus her entire will on you.”
The blood drained from Isabel’s face and she felt suddenly cold. Phane was true to his word—she was standing before her doom, and it terrified her. Only when she saw the look of smug satisfaction on his face did her courage return.
She swallowed her fear and reminded herself of the light within, that quiet, timeless source of hope she’d found at the very core of her being. Whatever considerable horrors Phane could send against her would always pale in comparison with that light, even if it didn’t seem like it at the moment.
“You will fail,” she said softly, even though she didn’t fully believe the words herself.
“Defiance in the face of certain defeat is not a virtue,” he said.
“You wouldn’t know what a virtue looked like if it walked up and hit you in the head.”
He laughed softly.
“You really are extraordinary, Isabel. I’ve faced many enemies, and more than a few defied me, until I defeated them and then most begged for mercy. I have defeated you, and yet here you stand, defiant as ever. In time, I will harness that indescribable quality you possess that gives you the strength to face this,” he swept his hand out across the expansive room, “and still stand with courage. When I do, yours will be the most feared name in all the Seven Isles. You will serve as my personal representative. Kings will fall to their knees, trembling, when you enter the room.”
“If I could give you just one glimpse of that indescribable quality you speak of, you’d be the one on your knees trembling,” she said. “In that moment, you would grasp the totality of your failure as a human being. You would understand that I will never serve you or your master. You would know that every achievement you’ve ever counted as a victory has really been just one more step toward ultimate defeat.”
A smile spread across his face and he started clapping slowly, mockingly, but Isabel could see the doubt in his eyes.
“Spoken like a true queen,” he said. “It will begin slowly. She will start to reassert herself in your mind, probably as you sleep at first, but then during waking hours. One by one, I will transfer my wraithkin from her, and each time, her influence over you will grow, until finally, she will own you.
“Your little friend may be out of my reach, but that matters for nothing. Once Azugorath has possession of you, I’ll send you forth against the House of Karth. Not because they matter, they’re a trivial threat, but because it will provide an opportunity to use you as a weapon against your own cause. You’ll watch helplessly, trapped within your own body, unable to exert your own will, as you slaughter my enemies, your friends, by the thousands. You will spill so much blood that it will stain your very soul.
“You’ll resist at first, but eventually, the sheer magnitude of death at your hands will overwhelm your precious conscience. Then, after much pain and suffering, you will see the truth: Conscience is a lie. It’s nothing but a deception constructed by those who would rule to protect their power and control the masses. Once you understand this, you will be free. Your guilt and remorse will wash away. You will embrace your power and take your rightful place as my Lady Reishi.”
“You know, sometimes I think you’ve told so many lies that you believe the world will become what you want it to be just because you say it’s so,” Isabel said. “It’s almost like you believe that your delusions are reality, and reality is the real fantasy.”
“Well, I guess we shall see whose vision of the world becomes reality.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Isabel said.
“Come, I have more to show you,” he said, leading her out of the room and retracing his steps back into the upper levels of the black tower.
Isabel paid careful attention to the route they took, even though she didn’t believe that she could ever penetrate the myriad defenses between Azugorath and the outside world. But information about the enemy was never a bad thing.
At a certain point, Phane took her into parts of the tower that she hadn’t seen before. Staircase after staircase took them level by level upward. When she finally reached the flat, square surface of the tower’s top, she stopped to let the cool breeze wash over her sweat-slick skin. Her legs felt a bit wobbly from the exertion. It had been too long since she’d been on the road.
Phane stood, arms crossed, looking at a contraption like nothing she’d ever seen before. It resembled a boat, but above it was a giant balloon made of leather sewn in a patchwork and sealed with pitch and tar. Several stoves burned on the upper deck of the boat, each with a chimney directing the heat and smoke into the balloon. Stout tethers moored it to the black tower.
A dozen men were busy loading supplies, while four more worked aboard the vessel.
“Quite ingenious, I must admit,” Phane said. “Airships like this were used against us in the war. Cedric knew that the Reishi Isle was spelled to detect any form of magical incursion so he invented these vessels to penetrate our defenses and land infiltrators inside our borders.”
“Are you trying to tell me that that thing can fly?” Isabel said.
“I am indeed,” Phane said. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but this is quite a marvel of the mundane. And therein lies its usefulness.
“You see, I have a dilemma. Hector and Drogan are trapped within the mountain where Siavrax created the Goiri. Most of their men have been killed, thanks to my dear cousin, but my demonic informants tell me that the survivors have secured the bones.
“Now, I can summon a number of creatures capable of flight, but all of them are magical in nature—thus ill-suited to transport such precious cargo. This solves my problem.”
“Why not just use a wyvern?” Isabel asked, even as her own mind railed against such a suggestive question.
“Because they all work for you,” Phane said. “I tried to capture and tame one, but it wouldn’t be broken. I tried to steal an egg but they are rare and wyverns tend to choose remarkably treacherous places to give birth. My hunters never returned.
“But this,” he said, gesturing toward the airship, “this doesn’t require magic of any kind. It’s perfectly suited to the task.”
Isabel found herself wondering when Alexander would visit next. She had a lot to tell him.
“It won’t be long now. I will have the final keystone soon, and when I do, we’ll go to the Reishi Isle and end this war.”
He nodded to the men aboard the ship. The captain saluted and started barking orders. The men who had been loading supplies loosed the moorings and the ship began to rise into the sky. It was slow and ponderous, but it flew.
Phane smiled.
Chapter 10
Abigail looked up into the grey sky when she heard the distant roar. The wyverns napping not too far off stirred. A thrill of anticipation urged her to her feet. Moments later, dozens of wyverns descended through the low clouds, making a pass overhead before circling to land all around their camp.
“We’re going to need more food,” Dalia said.
“I saw a flock of sheep about a league to the south,” Bree said.
“That’ll do.”
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Abigail and Magda met Cassandra as she dismounted.
“I see you took my warning to heart,” Magda said.
“The Sin’Rath have long been a concern. It’s time we dealt with them,” Cassandra said. “Lady Abigail, Mage Gamaliel sent these.” She held up a quiver with nine arrows. “The three with white feathers will banish a demon, the three with red feathers will deliver a torrent of fire, and the three with blue feathers will deliver an explosion of magical force.”
Abigail smiled, taking the quiver almost reverently. “Thank you, Cassandra. Come, share our fire. We have much to discuss.”
“If the second Sin’Rath is equal to this Peti you speak of, we face a formidable enemy,” Cassandra said, after listening to Magda and Abigail recount their running battle through the heart of Fellenden.
“Toss in nine wizards we’re not supposed to kill,” Amelia said.
“And a couple of legions of soldiers,” Bree added.
Cassandra nodded to herself.
Abigail looked to Magda who seemed content to give Cassandra the time she needed to think through the situation.
“Perhaps we should make contact with our allies before we decide our course,” Cassandra finally offered.
“Alexander said Sofia and her people are a few leagues to the northwest of the Gate encampment,” Abigail said. “It’ll take the better part of a day to get there.”
“It’s late and the wyverns are hungry,” Magda said. “We should use what light we have left to hunt, then fly south at dawn.”
“Agreed,” Cassandra said.
***
Mage Jalal was waiting for them when the soldier led them into the cave network. The Sky Knights had landed in a large clearing an hour away from the forested hillock riddled with caves where Sofia and her people were hiding.
He raised his hand in warning as they approached. Twenty soldiers armed with short bows were arrayed in the shadows behind him.
“State your names,” Jalal said.
“Abigail Ruatha.”
“Magda Reishi.”
“Cassandra Reishi.”
He watched them as if looking through them, nodding to himself after each spoke. A few words dispelled the magical ward across the passage.
“Welcome. Our accommodations are not suitable for such esteemed company, but we must make do with what we have. Please, come with me.” He took a moment to raise the shield again before leading them deeper into the cave network.
Abigail made note of the route they took. These people were allies, but she’d learned long ago to become familiar with the terrain of any place that might become a battlefield. Jalal leaned heavily on his staff as they walked. He was old and his body was frail, but his eyes were clear and lucid.
He led them into a large cave and introduced them to Sofia and Evelyn without any hint of formality, then took his seat by the fire as if the walk had tired him.
“Thank you for coming,” Sofia said. “We are truly desperate. Please, sit.” She gestured to the log stools surrounding the fire.
“When last I heard, Conner was well,” Abigail said. “He’d just defeated Zuhl’s army in northern Fellenden. Over the past several months, I’ve come to know your son. He’s a good man. You have reason to be proud.”
“Thank you,” Sofia whispered. “I miss him. And I worry about him every day.”
Abigail nodded, falling silent for a moment as she looked into the fire.
Then she said, “Tell us what you know of the Sin’Rath.”
Sofia, Evelyn, and Jalal spent the better part of the next hour providing as much information as they had to offer. By far, Mage Jalal had the most to say. He had used his divination magic to learn a great deal about the enemy, though most of the information he provided only served to confirm the difficulty they faced.
“The Sin’Rath know we’ll try to spare the lives of the wizards and soldiers surrounding them,” Cassandra said.
“I expected as much,” Magda said. “One of them, on her own and on the run, was more than Abigail and I could handle. With time to prepare and an army at their disposal, I can only imagine how dangerous they’ll be.”
“So what are we going to do?” Evelyn asked.
“An open assault would just get our people killed,” Abigail said. “And the Sin’Rath would probably escape anyway.”
Cassandra nodded.
“That leaves a covert attack,” Magda said.
“Such an approach would be risky,” Jalal said. “They’ve placed many wards around their encampment. Most are designed to warn of intruders, but those on the log walls surrounding the king’s council hall and personal chambers are designed to kill.
“What’s more, each corner of the central fortress has a tower manned with several soldiers and a wizard. It may look like a hastily built fortification, but it’s quite well defended.”
“Perhaps a distraction is in order,” Cassandra said.
Jalal shook his head. “We’ve initiated several probing attacks to gauge their response. In every instance, they increased security for the command fortress while sending soldiers against the threat. I doubt you can draw them out with anything less than a genuine threat to their position, and then you risk Abel and Torin.”
“Can the wards on the command fortress be dispelled?” Abigail asked.
“It’s possible, but risky,” Jalal said, considering her question. “I suspect that the one attempting to dispel the wards would trigger them. Regardless, any attempt would alert the Sin’Rath, I’m certain of that.”
“How many soldiers in the camp?” Abigail asked.
“Two legions,” Jalal said. “Certainly more than we can manage.”
“And nine wizards?”
He nodded sadly.
“Do we know if any of them have been bitten?” Magda asked.
“I believe that two have,” Jalal said. “The Sin’Rath have only sent two wizards forth, always the same two—the rest remain within the command fortress at all times.”
“They seem reluctant to bite the most powerful men under their spell,” Magda said. “I suspect that being bitten interferes with a man’s judgment enough to make them less valuable to the Sin’Rath. We’ve had dealings with men who’ve been bitten—they were not rational.”
“That makes sense,” Jalal said. “Such potent magic would almost have to warp the mind of one under its power.”
“What if we capture the two wizards they let out?” Evelyn asked.
“To what end?” Cassandra said.
“I don’t know, maybe we could draw the witches out or make them send more wizards to find their friends. At least they would have two fewer wizards.”
“We could impersonate them,” Magda said. “Infiltrate the command fortress under the guise of their two men returning.”
Cassandra nodded, seeming to consider the suggestion.
“You mean you can make yourself look like them?” Evelyn asked.
“It would take some preparation and the presence of the men to be impersonated, but yes, we could.”
“Once inside, then what?” Jalal asked. “You’d face two Sin’Rath and seven wizards including Mage Lenox, not to mention an endless supply of soldiers.”
“Attack by surprise would give us the best chance of success,” Magda said.
“I agree, but it’s unlikely that you’d be able to kill both of the Sin’Rath at the same time. Killing one would surely alert the other, and then you’d be trapped and surrounded by more than you could manage.”
Abigail listened as the discussion continued into the night. Jalal had given the situation a great deal of thought. Unfortunately, so had the Sin’Rath. They’d made preparations for their security that seemed to take into account every possible means of assault or infiltration.
One by one, every reasonable plan of attack was suggested and rejected. Abigail decided that a more desperate approach would be necessary. With her new perspective, she started to consider her options and then fo
rmulated a strategy. Only after the fire began to dim and silence fell in the cavern did she offer her plan of attack.
“That’s insane!” Evelyn said, after Abigail finished talking.
“It would give us a good chance of surprise,” Magda said.
Cassandra nodded, looking intently into the fire.
“Your plan is bold yet risky,” Jalal said.
“Can you draw us a map of the command fortress?” Abigail asked.
“Certainly,” Jalal said.
Chapter 11
The rain had stopped but the air was cold and damp. It was dark, clouds the color of soot hanging low in the sky, obscuring any hint of light from the stars or moon. Abigail and Magda rode behind Amelia on her wyvern. Two dozen Sky Knights spread out behind them flying in formation just below the clouds. A well-ordered, heavily fortified Ithilian military encampment slid into view thousands of feet below. Clearly marked streets described a grid of light in an otherwise indistinguishable void.
Abigail and Magda leaned over the wyvern a little to gain a better view as the wing of Sky Knights made their first pass, each seeing for themselves the lay of the land and picking out their objectives. Silent and nearly invisible against the ashen sky, the wyverns floated well past the encampment and banked for the attack run.
Abigail felt her pulse quicken. She checked the Thinblade, then her bow and two quivers of arrows, all carefully tied to ensure they wouldn’t come loose during the flight. The formation split in half, a dozen wyverns lining up, one behind the next with Amelia in the lead and Cassandra right behind her, while the rest formed a V and broke off, flying in a wide circle around the outside of the camp walls.
Magda pulled her locking bolts loose and turned in the saddle. Abigail saw a hint of fear in her eyes behind iron resolve and was grateful for it because her stomach was roiling at the thought of what they were about to do. She pulled her locking bolts loose and took Magda’s wrist; the triumvir firmly grasped her wrist in turn.
Sovereign of the Seven Isles 7: Reishi Adept Page 12
