Impossible Castle (Guardian of the Realm Book 1)

by M. Gregg Roe

  “Then you can borrow it,” she said, cat-like eyes staring unblinking into his own. “We will also provide blood for your experiments, but I require something in return.”

  He knew what was coming. “Rosalind mentioned something about needing males to reproduce.”

  “And that is all we need males for,” she said, sounding happy about it. “We only engage in sexual intercourse to reproduce, as it brings us no pleasure.”

  That was disconcerting. “I am willing to assist, but I cannot guarantee my fertility.”

  Bethany showed her teeth as her skin yellowed. “Rosalind already did. It probably won’t be until late next year. I’ll let you know when I go into heat.”

  “Very well.” It didn’t sound like it would be a very enjoyable experience for either of them.

  After collecting the promised blood in the vials he had brought along, he found Vurk outside, surrounded by a flock of energetic and inquisitive amalgam children. On the way back, Vurk said that they had also asked him about fathering an amalgam child. But he refused to say what his answer had been.

  Rosalind must have been insistent. Harbik told them that Audrey had appeared not long after they departed for Kaleena. The two women were now in the cavern that he so desperately wanted to see for himself.

  After a quiet lunch, Ferikellan went to his room to read the book he had brought back. The date inside indicated that the original had been penned over two thousand years ago. What he had borrowed was not only a copy, but a translation from an archaic language. Actually, it had probably undergone translation multiple times as the language changed. Add in copying mistakes, and many sentences were difficult to understand, if not impossible. The diagrams and charts had thankfully fared better.

  Despite the book’s illegibility, there was valuable information to be gleaned. The anonymous alchemist had encountered the same issue with mixing samples of blood. They had then set about a systematic investigation involving a variety of species. The book asserted that there were six blood types but that not all types were found in each species. Ferikellan found it disturbing that one type was supposedly found only in elves and goblins. (He hardly regarded the creatures as kin.) Ogres, unfortunately, weren’t mentioned at all. Nor were gworn.

  When he reached the final portion of the text, he nearly hurled the book at the wall in frustration. The author casually mentioned that another researcher had found a solution to blood type incompatibilities, but there was no mention of who it was or what the solution comprised. He suspected the author had been miffed that they hadn’t solved the issue first.

  To calm himself, Ferikellan went to the laboratory and experimented with the amalgam blood. The results were dumbfounding. Given the amalgam’s nature, he had expected their blood to mix with that of any species. It was the opposite. Blood from two different amalgams mixed without issue, but that was all. It was another blood-related mystery.

  After documenting his testing, he leafed through the notes he had made during his brief alchemy apprenticeship. The handwriting was abominable, and there was little in the way of useful information. It just reinforced how foolish he had been to misrepresent himself as a competent alchemist. Even intellectuals were not immune to the arrogance of youth.

  The two women’s abrupt arrival didn’t startle him, but their physical appearance did. Rosalind’s hair was now the color of straw, while Audrey’s shone distinctly auburn. On the plus side, they both appeared to be in a good mood.

  As Audrey deposited a large stack of books on a nearby table, Rosalind flashed a smile and playfully said, “Notice anything different?”

  Alchemist sold hair dyes, but this had to be something more. “How did you achieve that?” he inquired, rising to his feet. “An enchanted item?”

  Rosalind held up a hairbrush with a silver handle and oval head. “This did it. The new color can last almost a month. There’s no end of strange things in that cavern.”

  That implied that the color change also affected the hair roots, making it superior to any dye. “You both look lovely,” he told them, causing Audrey to smile and Rosalind to giggle girlishly.

  Audrey reached for the hilt of the sheathed shortsword now hanging from the left side of her belt and drew it with a flourish. The polished blade was the color of brass and narrower than he had expected. “It’s for my Andora costume,” she explained, looking pleased with herself. She waved the sword around playfully.

  He still wasn’t sure what to make of Audrey’s plans for her Andoran’s daughter persona. “What enchantment does the sword possess?” he asked, concerned by the black magic he could sense radiating from it.

  Audrey carefully sheathed the sword. “The description says that it can cut through any kind of armor.” She shrugged. “I just like the way it looks.”

  Rosalind walked over, placed the brush on the table, then picked up the thin book at the top of the stack. It was square, with a leather cover faded and cracked with age. “This was written about a decade after Andoran made the Gray Forest,” she told him, holding it up. “It describes all kinds of experiments people performed, including ways they tried to get through it.”

  That definitely piqued his interest.

  Audrey strode over and picked up the brush. “I’m taking this for now to experiment with. Bye.” And then she was gone.

  “I couldn’t find any books that were specifically about blood,” she told him as he approached the stack. “These are all alchemy texts, and there are hundreds more down there.”

  “Hundreds?” He frowned. “I don’t suppose we can persuade Audrey to bring them all here.”

  Rosalind removed her cloak and folded it over her right arm. “Not unless we can come up with a proper way to store them. I don’t know what enchantment keeps that cavern so dry, but that definitely helps to preserve what’s there.”

  It sounded like another area worthy of research, not that he needed any additional ones.

  At her suggestion, they went down to the dining room, where Harbik provided them with steaming cups of fragrant tea. He described his embarrassing visit to Kaleena and told her about the book he had brought back.

  “We’re going to become proper alchemists,” she said, cradling her teacup with both hands. “You’re not the only one who was overconfident. I learned to make some types of potions at my temple, but they were straightforward. Gray Potions are far more complex.”

  Relieved by her words, Ferikellan nodded gravely. “We shall educate ourselves and then start anew,” he stated, still not accustomed to her altered appearance.

  She nodded. “Once we’re ready, we’ll make Gray Potions according to the original instructions and thoroughly test them.”

  “On ourselves,” he added. There would be no repetition of what had happened to Nabarun.

  Dinnertime soon arrived, and afterward they perused the books she had brought back and created a tentative curriculum for their alchemy studies. They each retired to their own bedroom, but it felt to him as if normalcy was returning. The thought of it lightened his heart, suffusing him with happiness as he drifted off.

  [ 32 ]

  Her Future

  Audrey smiled wickedly as she gazed at her reflection in her dressing-table mirror. She hadn’t mentioned it to Rosalind, but the information that she had looked up about the enchanted hairbrush (which didn’t seem to have any special name) said that it could do more than just change hair color. Her skin was now dusky, her eyes an icy blue, and her hair platinum blond and tightly curled. There were some limitations on the changes: Only naturally occurring colors were possible, and the brush couldn’t alter the length of her hair. Still, the hairbrush was just what she needed to augment her Andora disguise. It would also be useful in the future, when she moved to a new place under a new identity. Even with the limitations, there were many possibilities.

  Her alter-ego’s costume was coming along nicely. Working with leather had proven challenging, but it was a useful skill to know. The nearly finished outf
it displayed a great deal of skin, and Audrey loved the way she looked in it. But she was also wondering just how often she would need to wear it. She also worried that it might get damaged or stained. It really had required a great deal of time and effort on her part.

  After picking up the hairbrush, she stared into the mirror and concentrated on a different appearance. Her skin shaded lighter even as her hair darkened and straightened. The irises of her eyes reddened until they were violet. When the transition finished, her appearance matched Aliva’s. Well, sort of. She was nowhere near as good-looking as her half-demon friend.

  A knock on the front door put an end to her experimentation. Audrey willed her appearance back to normal before stashing the brush in a drawer. The gardeners were working today, so it was probably one of them stopping by to say hello. She was smiling as she opened her front door inward, but not for long.

  “Thought I’d save you the trouble,” Livia barked, grinning crookedly. “Needed some things from the alchemists here.”

  Audrey had already made plans to fly down to Redflower with Draymund the next day, because that would mark exactly one month since Iris had moved in with the woman. Anyone who spotted them would assume that his magic was responsible.

  “Well?” Livia asked as deep furrows formed on her ugly brow.

  “Uh, come in.” Audrey hastily stepped back to let the woman enter, then closed the door. “Would you like some tea?”

  “Nah.” She swiveled her head around, peering at everything. “Just had some with that Almera woman. Cups were probably worth more than my house. Who lives like that?”

  “Rich people,” Audrey retorted, already irritated. “But they didn’t start out that way. And they do a lot to help the poor.”

  “My, ain’t you touchy.” Livia seated herself in the farthest chair and reached her left hand down toward Benson. After sniffing her fingers, he allowed her to stroke him. “He’s old,” she said, then cocked her head and frowned. “Probably not more than a year left.”

  The words were a dagger to Audrey’s heart. She didn’t want to think about Benson being gone; he was family. But druids were knowledgeable about animals. “His name is Benson,” she said quietly, then stepped forward and gazed down at him. “We think he’s at least fifteen.”

  Livia eyed her. “Iris wants to continue, and I’m willing. But as part of her family, you also get a say. I know you don’t much like me.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Audrey insisted, returning the woman’s annoying stare. “If Iris accepts you as her teacher, then I’m fine with it.” She had gone to Tritown to ask Birchbark about the woman, but she couldn’t mention that. Birchbark didn’t like Livia either, but he respected her skills.

  “Then it’s settled. Iris can stay here a day or two, then someone needs to bring her back.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Audrey said quickly, again irritated by the woman’s rude tone.

  Livia went back to petting Benson. “You planning to teach those girls to fight like you do?”

  “I will only teach them basic self-defense.” If they wanted to learn more, they could always enroll at the school when they were older.

  “That’s probably best; don’t want them beating up people. You should teach Iris to use a staff. Good weapon for a druid.”

  “Okay.” Audrey would be happy to do that, but she would probably have to teach Ilona too.

  Livia rose from her chair with surprising grace. She patted the hilt of the knife she was wearing on her belt. “I’ll teach the girl some basic knife techniques. I was pretty good in my younger days. Now I’m off to see how much I can eat and drink tonight. Might even find some man wants to have some fun.”

  Audrey watched silently as the woman strode across the room and let herself out. Livia was like a minor force of nature, which was appropriate for a druid.

  After staring at him for a long while, Audrey sat next to Benson’s bed and gently stroked him. If the cat only had a year left, then she wanted it to be a good one.

  Since the letter said there was no hurry, Audrey took some time off and traveled the normal way, booking passage on a ship that departed mid-morning. She wondered what Grasapa wanted to discuss. There was a small branch of Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy in Rohoville that the woman currently ran. Did she want Audrey to take charge of it? That was a possibility now that her cousins were pursuing vocations. If that were to happen, then she would try to persuade Branwyn to take on Ilona.

  It was a considerable hike from the ship’s berth to the small house where Grasapa and her husband lived, but a pleasant one. They had chosen a spot not only remote but whose surrounding rocky terrain assured that no one would build a house nearby without considerable effort. Even under gloomy skies, it was remarkably picturesque, with tall birches, flowering bushes, and a brook that passed mere yards behind the log house.

  “Welcome,” Grasapa said, answering the door promptly after Audrey’s knock. “Come in. We can eat anytime.”

  “I’m hungry now,” Audrey said, inhaling the aromas of fresh bread and beef stew. She closed the door after entering, hung up her cloak, and deposited her canvas bag next to a chair in the cozy sitting room. Grasapa’s husband was away visiting their daughter at the moment, so it was just the two of them.

  Audrey seated herself as Grasapa placed a round loaf of dark bread next to the crock of butter. Next were two deep bowls that already had spoons sticking out of them. They ate their meal in silence. The stew could have used some additional seasonings in Audrey’s opinion, but it was both hot and filling. She offered to help clean up afterward, but Grasapa politely declined.

  Once they were both seated in the sitting room, Grasapa said, “Dulls and I have been discussing our future. In about five years, we will move to Wineton and live out our remaining years there.”

  Hearing that made Audrey feel sad, but it certainly made sense. They would be close to their daughter and grandchildren.

  “There is something I wish to accomplish before that,” Grasapa continued. “You mentioned that you would probably first move to Zardis after leaving the Witch’s City.”

  “That’s still my plan,” Audrey told her, wondering what the woman had in mind.

  “Audrey, I would like to establish a branch of Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy in Zardis, and I want you to be part of that.”

  “How soon?” Audrey asked, already worrying how it might impact her own plans.

  With a neutral expression, Grasapa said, “I would like to have something open within a year, but that does not mean that I am asking you to move there that soon. Initially, you would just be a visiting instructor. The building will include housing.”

  Audrey realized Grasapa was providing her a way to gradually transition to living in Zardis, not to mention allowing her to continue to do something that she loved. “I think that’s a great idea,” she exclaimed.

  Grasapa nodded. “I thought you would. You should be able to live there for several years without arousing suspicion.”

  That was true. In Zardis, she would still be herself. And she could use some of her free time to prepare for her next move, where she would take on a new identity.

  “I have already located a suitable building,” Grasapa continued. “It will need to be both renovated and modified. I am currently seeking someone to oversee the project.”

  Audrey could see it in the woman’s eyes. “You talked to Conrad.” She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

  “Among others,” Grasapa said, shrugging slightly. “He expressed interest and is working up a quote.”

  Conrad occasionally took on jobs in Rohoville, but she wasn’t sure if he had even visited Zardis. She wanted to object, but he really was an excellent choice. Well, in some ways. He was sometimes less than tactful when criticizing other artisans. The man was a perfectionist, and he wouldn’t tolerate sloppy work.

  “I have the guest room made up,” Grasapa said, interrupting Audrey’s musings. “Or will you be teleporting h
ome?”

  “I’m pretending to be normal for a couple of days,” Audrey explained, not hiding her amusement. “I’ll stay here tonight, and tomorrow I’ll check on Romee before taking a ship back to the Witch’s City.”

  After that, the two of them talked for hours, finally breaking out a bottle of grape wine and lighting a fire. Not for the first time, Audrey was thankful that she had people who could be relied upon for advice and support. The plan for a branch in Zardis ensured that Grasapa would be part of her life for many years to come. That was something to look forward to.

  Conrad was still sweeping up his workshop when Audrey entered through the building’s back door. The space was filled with items in various stages of completion, all intended for an old house that he was helping to restore. As always, the air was filled with the smell of sawdust and varnish. He glanced over and nodded at her, then resumed his task. After removing her cloak, she looked at the schedule posted on the wall that listed all of his current and future jobs. He definitely wasn’t lacking for work.

  “Grasapa wanted to tell you herself,” he said, walking up next to her.

  She smiled as she turned to face him. “I told her yes. Starting late next year, I’ll be spending part of my time in Zardis.”

  He barely nodded. “If she hires me, I’ll need to travel there next month to examine the building.”

  “And I’ll go with you,” she said, gazing into his eyes. “Parts of Zardis are dangerous.”

  “Not to you,” he shot back with a trace of a smile.

  The comment was worthy of a kiss, so she gave him one.

  “I don’t have much food on hand,” he said after she stepped back.

  “Then let’s go out.” She wrinkled her nose and pointed toward the stairs. “But first, go clean up and change.” She didn’t really mind the way he smelled now, but the other patrons might. He made straight for the stairway, and she followed him up.