Kevin thought for a moment. “That means Xantha and Freddy know, too. So how did you find out to start with? Did you have a mind link with her?”
“No, I don’t do mind links, at least not the kind you’re thinking of. Sienna knew when one of her visions dealt with things that wouldn’t come to pass in her lifetime. She wrote those down and brought them to me. I’m the only one who’s seen all of them. I’ve shared a few of her visions with the other holders of the keys to the Gate, but we decided not to share the prophecies with the humans.”
Kevin frowned. “Why not?”
“Before the House of Nordin took the Master’s Chair, it didn’t stay in one house more than one or two generations at most. Someone was always challenging for that seat. We didn’t know who’d be in that chair next month, never mind next year, so we chose to keep the humans out of the circle. And besides, most of the prophecies involved them. We didn’t want to cause a disruption in the flow of destiny, and if any of them had tried to do anything to either prevent or ensure a prophecy, it could have caused far reaching and potentially disastrous results. So we didn’t share that information. No harm to anyone by keeping silent. Could have caused a great deal of harm if we hadn’t.”
“So bottom line, you don’t trust us.”
Glendymere didn’t deny it, but he didn’t confirm it either. He just looked at Kevin.
“Can’t say I blame you,” Chris said. “It’s like the old saying, loose lips sink ships.” Chris looked at Kevin. “Think about all the damage that’s been done on Earth because people couldn’t keep their mouths shut. Secrets get told.”
Kevin nodded. “I understand the reasoning behind it, and I’d be the first to admit that sometimes too much information can be a dangerous thing. And sometimes knowing things that you can’t do anything about can be a real burden. I wish I’d never seen Landis challenge Rolan. If I hadn’t had that vision, I could challenge Rolan like I want to.”
“No you couldn’t because I won’t let you resign, although I will give you credit for coming up with that idea. I don’t think anyone’s ever considered that before, and I know there have been other Master Sorcerers who would have loved to challenge a troublesome council member to get rid of them.”
“Still sounds like a good plan to me,” Kevin mumbled.
“So there’s no way Hayden or any of his family would have known about the prophecy, right?” Chris asked.
“Well, Pallor’s Hayden’s nephew, but no one else knows.” When neither Kevin nor Chris said anything, Glendymere snorted. As the puff of smoke rose to the ceiling, Glendymere said, “There’s no way that prophecy had anything to do with Hayden or Xantha suggesting Rhianna go to Milhaven. That’s what you’re worried about, isn’t it?” Kevin didn’t answer, but Chris nodded. “First of all, Hayden’s an elf. They have a great respect for fate. None of them would do or suggest anything that might change anyone’s destiny. But above all else, Hayden’s a father. If he had even an inkling of a prophecy concerning you, he’d do everything in his power to keep his daughter as far away from you as he could. As for Xantha, he knows the prophecies, but I doubt they’re foremost in his thoughts. They’re probably filed away somewhere under things that may happen one day.” Glendymere paused. “If I’m not mistaken, and I know I’m not, he’s been trying to get you married since the day you got here, and on top of that, he can pick up on your true feelings as well as I can. We’ve both known for years that you’re in love with the girl. He was probably just giving you a nudge in the direction you wanted to go. And for that matter, giving her a little nudge, too.”
Kevin’s eyes lit up as his pulse quickened. “Are you telling me she feels the same way?”
Glendymere tilted his head. “Ask her that question, not me. But I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Now, is there anything else?”
“So my family doesn’t know anything about this prophecy?” Kevin asked. “Not even Laryn?”
“No, and I’d like to keep it that way. I’m not sure it was a good idea to tell the two of you, but I definitely don’t want anyone else knowing.”
“You won’t get any argument about that from me. I wish I didn’t know.”
“Chris?”
Chris shook his head. “Not my story to tell.”
Chapter 72
Saturday, August 6
Saturday morning when Kevin went out to run through his routine, Chris stepped out on the balcony to watch. Something had been brewing in Kevin’s mind ever since they’d gotten back from Willow Canyon.
As Kevin began his routine, his magic was strong but unsettled. About halfway through, the flares became stronger with less time between them than usual. But by the end, things had settled down into a smooth rhythm. Chris nodded to himself. Kevin had decided what he was going to do. Now all Chris had to do was worm it out of him.
Chris came out of the kitchen with their coffee as Kevin stepped into the dining room. They walked upstairs in relative silence, but after they sat down, Chris asked, “Got it all worked out now?”
Kevin nodded without thinking and then frowned. “What?”
“Whatever’s been bothering you the past couple of days.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I’m not either. I can think of several things it could be, but I don’t know which one it is or if it’s something completely new. All I know is you’ve been stewing over something. What is it?”
“Rolan.”
Chris nodded and sipped his coffee.
“I can’t just ignore him. I need to do something.”
“Such as?”
“I’m thinking about talking to him after the meeting today.”
“And say what? You can’t challenge him.”
“I know, but I need to say something, remind him I’m watching if nothing else, sort of depends on how he acts today.”
“Don’t guess I can talk you out of it, can I?”
“I’d rather you didn’t try.” Kevin drank the rest of his coffee and set the cup on the table. “You never know. I may change my mind and just drop it, but I doubt it. Anyway, I’m heading downstairs. You coming?”
~~~~
The August meeting of the Council of Sorcerers dealt mainly with trades. The provinces in the northern hemisphere had enjoyed a banner year as far as crops were concerned and had an abundance of grains, fruits, and vegetables. The provinces in the southern hemisphere had spent their fall and winter stocking up on iron, lumber, cloth, bricks, and spun wool. It didn’t take long for everyone to take care of their shopping lists.
When the trades were done, Kevin asked if there was any new business. Regan nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “I’d like to inform the council that my daughter, Sheretha, is two weeks old today!”
The next five minutes were spent congratulating him and wishing both mother and child well. When things settled down again, Kevin asked if there was anything else. When no one spoke up, he said, “Rolan, I need to speak with you for a moment before you leave. I hope to see all of you back on the first Saturday of September. Have a good month. This meeting is adjourned.”
Over the commotion of sorcerers and assistants preparing to leave, Kevin heard Malcolm ask Rolan what was going on.
“I have no idea,” Rolan said, “probably some foolishness about my sister.”
“Maybe he’ll tell you where she is.”
“I wish.”
“Well, let me know if there’s anything to it. I’ll be in my office.”
Rolan nodded as Malcolm took out his key and he and his assistant left for home.
Rolan had one of his pages with him, so he shoved the boy towards the door and snapped. “Wait for me outside!” Then he stood off to the side while the rest of the sorcerers left.
When only Kevin, Rolan, and Chris were left in the chamber, Kevin said, “I’ve warned you once and I’m warning you again. If you want to keep breathing, leave my family alone.”
“I don’t know what you’re talkin
g about,” Rolan growled. “You’re jumping at shadows again.”
Kevin raised his eyebrows. “Jumping at shadows? You mean like the shadows Gildan tried to hide in? Remember him? The man you sent to Camden to spy on my aunts and uncles, find out where they lived, what they did? We know all about him.”
Rolan’s eyes widened, but he shook his head. “I don’t know any Gildan.”
“Sure you do. You killed him after he got the information you wanted. Remember him now?”
Rolan’s eyes widened even farther. “How do you… I mean I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Face it, Rolan. I know all about your plan to poison some of my aunts and uncles. I even know you were planning to use the same poison you used to kill my father. You know the one I’m talking about, the one Sister Gerry made up for you down in Glenco.” As the blood drained from Rolan’s face, Kevin continued. “Didn’t think I knew about that, did you? You really didn’t need to destroy Sister Rochelle’s workshop. That was a mistake. I would never have guessed you’d gone back to get more mushrooms if you hadn’t done that. But they weren’t there, were they? I destroyed them right after you killed Sister Gerry.” Rolan’s jaw dropped. “Didn’t think I knew about that? I know how she stole a pendant and the lamp from the chapel in Timera Valley. I know about the cave outside Glenco, and I know you killed her in front of it because she wanted to return the lamp. And I know you picked her pendant up from her ashes and stuck it in your pocket.”
“How? Who?” Rolan sputtered.
“Oh, come on, Rolan. You had to know I knew this stuff. Who do you think got the lamp and pendant out of your bedroom closet and took them back to Timera Valley? That’s the only reason Glendymere let you live! His stuff was back where it belonged!”
Rolan snapped his mouth shut and glared at Kevin. “You stole from me!”
Kevin laughed. “You want to accuse me of theft? Go ahead. I dare you to bring it up before the council. What do you think they’ll say when they find out you not only killed a sister but stole from Glendymere? Think they want to go to war with the dragons just to side with you?”
“It’s my word against yours!”
Kevin shook his head. “No, it’s your word against mine and Glendymere’s. Take me completely out of the picture. Whose word do you think will carry more weight? Yours or his? Want me to ask him to come to the next meeting? I’m sure he’d be happy to. He’s said more than once that he wishes he’d taken care of you himself.”
“You’re making that up!”
“No, I’m not. Remember the men you sent to ravage North Amden in your misguided search for Landis? The Warrior Elves were ready to ride to Trendon and Glendymere threatened to lead the way. Whether you like it or not, I’m the only reason you’re still alive, but I’m telling you now, go after any of my family and you won’t be for long. They’re all competent sorcerers and they’ve been warned to be on guard. Go up against any of them at your own risk, and if they don’t get you, I will.”
“Your threats don’t scare me!”
“Just remember, you’ve been warned. Again.” Kevin looked around at Chris. “Ready to head home?”
When Chris stepped up beside him, Kevin took out his key, gave Rolan a quick nod, turned the key, and left Chamber Island.
~~~~
When Kevin and Chris got back to the office, Kevin leaned back against his desk with his arms folded across his chest. “Go ahead. Tell me I shouldn’t have done that.”
Chris shrugged. “I have no idea whether you should have or not, but I have to admit I enjoyed it.”
Kevin grinned. “So did I.” Then he asked, “But do you think I made a mistake letting him know I knew?”
Again, Chris shrugged. “I don’t know. It might scare him off, or it might make him more careful in the future. But either way, it’s done.” As Chris turned to leave, he laughed.
“What?”
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall in his castle right now. He’s going to drive himself crazy trying to figure out how you know all that stuff.”
Kevin nodded. “I just hope he doesn’t start killing off anyone and everyone he thinks might have told me.”
“Unintended consequences.” Chris opened the door. “Come on. Let’s go to lunch.”
~~~~
Kevin was sitting in his chair finishing his scog that evening when light shimmered over the couch as his parents took form. Kevin nodded and said, “I halfway expected to see you Wednesday night.”
“Why? You took care of that situation just fine,” Badec said.
“And you had to be tired after the day you had,” Yvonne added.
“I was. That was one long day.”
Badec nodded. “I’m glad you confronted Rolan today. About time someone did.”
Yvonne elbowed her husband, or tried to as her elbow slid right into him. “He’s confronted Rolan every time that man’s done something stupid. Don’t act like this is the first time.”
“Didn’t mean for it to sound that way,” Badec said. “I’m just glad you did it.”
Kevin nodded. “It made me feel better, but I’m not sure it was the right thing to do. I may have said too much.”
Badec shook his head. “I don’t think so. And I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d challenged him. You had a good plan there. Too bad Glendymere shot it down.”
“Thanks,” Kevin said. “Did you know anything about those prophecies?”
Badec shook his head and looked at Yvonne, who shook hers, too. “All we know is what you and Chris talked about in here. How much did Glendymere tell you?”
Kevin shook his head. “Not much. In fact, if you were listening to me and Chris that night, you know as much as I do.”
“What are you going to do about it?” Yvonne asked.
Kevin hesitated a moment. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I think the best thing I can do is ignore the whole thing and not worry about it. I’ll handle whatever comes across my desk the best I can, but I can’t sit here and try to figure out the end results of everything I do. If something I do triggers a chain reaction that leads to peace somewhere, that would be terrific, but I’m not going to focus on that. I’m going to concentrate on my job.”
Yvonne nodded. “I think that’s your best option. Worry about your own visions and let other seers worry about theirs.”
Kevin smiled. “That I can do.”
“It’s time for us to go,” Yvonne said as they began to fade. “Take care of yourself, and your elf. See you soon.”
After his parents left, Kevin walked out on his balcony and gazed at the mountains. He grinned as he thought about his mother’s last comment. Take care of his elf. That was exactly what he planned to do, and with a little luck, by this time next year, she’d be right here by his side.
A Note from the Author
I’ve been an avid reader all my life, and whenever I had trouble sleeping as a kid, or even as an adult, I’d make up my own stories or create new worlds. I wasn’t thinking of writing them down, I was just passing the time until the alarm went off.
After I retired from teaching, I decided to try writing. My main goal was to write something I would enjoy reading, and The Chronicles of Terah was born.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. If so, please consider taking a moment to leave a review. It would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for reading The Rambling Spy.
Mackenzie Morgan
Check Mackenzie’s Musings for updates.
https://mcknzmorgan.wordpress.com/
Contact Mackenzie at [email protected]
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The Rambling Spy Page 78
