The Lord of Obsidian [Quest for Earthlight Trilogy Book 2]

by Laraine Anne Barker

  "Can you help us?” Peter asked again.

  "Only if I can help you gather enough power to free yourselves. It's up to the young Chosen One as the only one with any significant power at the moment to use the knowledge he gained from the Book of Obsidian. Obviously I'll do whatever I can for you. When Peter has restored sufficient power to the Lady and the Great One, the rest will be easy—just a matter of time."

  Merlin muttered something that sounded like, “I'll believe that when I see it."

  "Hadn't we better start straight away then?” Peter said impatiently.

  Merlin looked at them all one by one. “Before you allow your hopes to rise too high, I'd like to know how much time we'll need to gather sufficient power. Do you have any idea, Power of Obsidian?"

  "No. It depends on whether Peter and I can—well—pull a few tricks. I have an idea, but it may not be practicable."

  "It won't be if it takes so long we all die of thirst and starvation,” Merlin said dryly.

  "Sujad won't allow that to happen. He wishes you to witness his final triumph first. He has developed a sadistic streak that will help bring about his downfall."

  Merlin grunted. “He certainly isn't the person I used to know who had almost unlimited potential and whose company I enjoyed so much."

  "Power can change people tremendously,” the Essence of Obsidian agreed. “There was obviously a weakness in his character. As his supposed slave, I'm forced to do many things for Sujad the Great.” The Power of Obsidian sighed. “In that respect I am truly his slave because the Power of Obsidian can deny the Lord of Obsidian nothing—no matter who he is. It was I who built this dungeon to be your prison. One of my next jobs will probably be to finish the halls above it. They are a bit rough at the moment Unfortunately, the same laws that force me to do whatever the Lord of Obsidian demands also compel me to silence. I'm unable to warn his victims of what's about to happen to them. However, he doesn't know that I'm a living entity. I've never used the spoken word to communicate with him and he doesn't know I can divorce myself from the Book of Obsidian. It's important to the idea I have for helping you acquire the necessary power to free yourselves that things remain that way. Therefore, while I'm working to help you, if Sujad calls I must leave. Also, if someone is about to come in I must be warned."

  Merlin sighed. He was unaccustomed to being helpless and dependent on someone else's power. “Let's get started straight away then,” he said heavily.

  "This will demand a great effort from you, Peter,” the Essence of Obsidian said. At the same time, Peter felt the fingers of comfort that seemed to caress his brain. Then the familiar pulsing light surrounded him. “We are going to drain power off the obsidian that surrounds us, Peter. In making his hall and dungeons so massive, Sujad overlooked the fact that so much obsidian can be dangerous to him. He should have made a cage of simple bars to hold you all. It would have been enough. But we have around us literally tons of obsidian, and its very bulk can work in our favor. His grandiose ideas may be his undoing.” The Essence of Obsidian paused. “Now concentrate, Peter. Everything around you is black, although my light will be pulsing in at you all the time. Focus hard on the nature of the walls around you."

  Peter strove to do as the Spirit of Obsidian requested. But concentrating was difficult with so many people around—especially with the Lady and Merlin seated either side of him. He tried pretending he was alone. Gradually, all he could see in his internal eye was the black substance that was obsidian. It stretched itself up and down and to both sides of him. Mentally he turned his head. He still could see nothing but black, glassy obsidian. He imagined the walls coming closer and closer. Then it seemed they were about to swallow him up. He cried out—an exclamation of both fear and triumph—as the black matter enveloped him.

  Then the process seemed to reverse itself. It felt as though he was sucking the very heart and soul out of the obsidian into himself. It was one of the weirdest experiences Peter could remember having. He later tried to explain it to himself. The only parallel he could think of was that it was as though he had become some type of vampire and was draining the very lifeblood out of the obsidian walls of their prison.

  "I think it might be working, Peter!” he heard the Essence of Obsidian say. Its deep, slow voice sounded almost excited.

  Peter gave a great gasp, and crumbled in a heap at the Lady's feet. As she bent over him, concerned, to see if he was all right, he looked around wildly.

  "Did I get enough power, Spirit of Obsidian?” he cried, using mind-speech. “I didn't mean to let go like that."

  A deep chuckle came out of the gloom. “You were getting rather greedy. We don't want Sujad's fortress collapsing around him—at least not yet."

  As the Lady helped Peter to his feet, the Essence of Obsidian said quickly, “Someone's coming!” And Peter knew the Earthlight six were alone.

  When Sujad's gremlin entered the cave-like room, six pairs of eyes were already fixed on the broken doorway. The experience so unnerved the creature that he failed to notice, to one side of the opening the heap, of obsidian that was once a door, and the tray in his hand shook, causing everything on it to rattle loudly. His eyes remained riveted on Merlin as he bent to place the tray on the floor well away from the group of prisoners. He found it impossible to believe that five people of the Earthlight—six if he counted that wolf-like creature that Sujad called a dog—were no longer a match for his master, especially when the Earthlight's two most powerful people were included in that group. Having placed the tray hastily on the floor, spilling water over most of the food, the gremlin quickly backed into the passageway, where he turned and bolted back to his drudgery in the kitchens of Sujad the Great.

  Shortly after returning he was summoned by Sujad to give an account of how he found the prisoners and asked if he thought they needed careful guarding.

  "My lord, they were all huddled together in the cell where you placed the sorcerer and the sorceress. They did nothing but stare at me, although, now I come to think of it, they had already demolished the door."

  Sujad showed his teeth in a smile that made the gremlin slowly let out his breath in a relieved sigh.

  "Good. I knew they had used up the last of their power in breaking down the door. They must have badly wanted the company of those useless children. Very good, Gromac.” Sujad curtly dismissed the gremlin.

  * * * *

  THE EARTHLIGHT quintet looked at the tray of food with distaste and left it untouched. The voice of the Essence of Obsidian suddenly cut through the air.

  "Things could not be better. We have just been checked up on, which means they'll probably give us half an hour or so before they come to collect the tray. That should be plenty of time.” Peter found himself looking around for the owner of the voice, and his heart gave a joyful bound as he felt the throbbing sensation and then saw the light pulsing in at him. “Are you all right, Peter?"

  In spite of his predicament, Peter couldn't help grinning broadly.

  "I'm fine,” he said cheerfully. But his heart thumped wildly.

  "All right then. Unleash the power."

  Peter felt Merlin take one of his hands and the Lady the other. In a matter of seconds they had all joined hands, with the twins each holding on to Dreyfus's collar. Then Peter felt the minds of Merlin and the Lady reaching out into his. It was as though the three minds momentarily melded into one. All the while the Power of Obsidian's light pulsed in at him.

  Suddenly the pulsing light seemed to explode all around him like colorless, silent fireworks. There was no noise, just the blinding white light. He squinted against it. As he did so, sound returned. But it wasn't the noise of an explosion. Rather, it seemed to be a commotion of voices. One voice rose above the others—amplified by its sheer fury—but Peter was still unable to hear what it shouted. The commotion ceased as suddenly as it had begun. Peter opened his eyes to find himself standing under pine trees in the rain. His hands were still clasped in those of the Lady and Merlin.r />
  "All right, Peter?” Merlin asked gruffly.

  Temporarily speechless, Peter nodded. Merlin smiled briefly, reassuringly, and immediately dropped his hand. Peter turned anxiously to the Lady. She smiled in reply to his unspoken question and gently let go of his other hand. He experienced a passing pang of bereavement.

  Merlin raised his arm in a triumphant flourish.

  "There—I've called your horses for you.” And, following the line of his arm, they saw the shimmering form of Argent trotting towards them, her head held high and her mane tossing freely, spraying silvery drops of rain around her. For a few moments she looked as ethereal as a silver unicorn. The two mares, undoubtedly real, followed in her wake. “I suggest you take yourselves straight back to the house. By the time you get there you'll be soaked anyway."

  Peter had just taken Argent's halter. He turned back to Merlin in dismay. “Aren't you coming too? You're every bit as wet as we are."

  Merlin and the Lady exchanged brief glances.

  "Very well, then,” Merlin agreed. “I suppose it might be a good idea for you to return escorted. You're less likely to fall back into the clutches of Sujad the Great.” He turned to Jamie and John. “I think it's best if you two take one of the horses while I take the other. As twins, you're probably used to riding on the same horse."

  While Merlin was busy getting Jamie and John onto the back of one of the mares, Peter turned back to the Lady, but she had gone. Irrationally, disappointment filled his heart. You didn't even say goodbye, he thought accusingly, and was instantly rewarded by the faint sound of her voice. “Farewell, Peter—until we meet again.” A few bars of her eerie music followed.

  Peter was standing in the rain staring into the distance with a slight, faraway smile on his face when Merlin, now mounted on one of the mares, turned back to him.

  "Come on, Peter. This is no time to be daydreaming."

  "Sorry,” Peter said, grinning broadly.

  He swung himself quickly into the saddle and the three horses moved off at a smart trot. All were as eager to get back to warmth and dryness as their riders.

  On arriving back at the stables, one of the stable hands came to meet them. By this time it had stopped raining. He looked surprised to see Merlin riding one of the mares.

  "Anything wrong, sir?"

  "No. But we're soaked through. Do you think you can deal with the horses while we get ourselves dried and changed? We're all rather cold."

  "No trouble."

  Merlin dismounted and strode off purposefully towards the house. The boys had to run to catch up with him. To their surprise they found Merlin's Mercedes standing at the front door. Merlin walked past it without so much as a glance. He walked round the house to the back. The crunch of their footsteps on the drive brought Susan to the kitchen door to meet them.

  "Good heavens! You're all drenched! Get yourselves upstairs to change and I'll heat you some soup. There are towels in the cupboard in the bathroom."

  "Thank you, ma'am,” Merlin said with formality, leaving the room as quickly as he had entered it.

  The boys all followed. Merlin grabbed towels for them all and hurried to the room set aside for him, while the boys went to Peter's room. Peter's clothing was a little loose on them, but they were soon kitted out in warm dry clothes. They rushed to the kitchen where, to their surprise, they found Merlin already seated at the table accepting a large bowl of soup with an almost boyish look of anticipation on his face. There were crusty rolls and the inevitable batch of scones.

  "You can't beat a farmhouse for food,” Merlin remarked as he tucked in.

  Susan chuckled. “Anyone would think your wife couldn't cook."

  "As Peter would say, she's a smashing cook—nearly as good as you,” Merlin said gallantly. “The problem is I haven't had any of her cooking for quite a while."

  His voice was even and his face expressionless, but Susan obviously caught the pathos behind his words, for her smile faded. “Yes. I heard all about that. I do hope she'll be better soon."

  "Oh, she's already well on the way."

  Peter looked at him sharply. Somehow he found himself unable to share Merlin's confidence. He was remembering the words of the blue-robed Lord of Corruption. He could hear the rasping voice right now. “...we can restore her to normal health any time we choose. If you will give me the Obsidian Dagger and cease this foolish quest for Earthlight we will return her to you right now." Was the Blue Lord telling the truth? Peter wondered. Was the Evil One really responsible for Aunt Angela's condition? Would she have been restored to health if I had given my promise to abandon the quest for Earthlight?

  He began to feel irrationally guilty—as though he himself had been the cause of Aunt Angela's nervous breakdown. I expect I'll have to tell Merlin about it, he told himself uneasily.

  "Don't worry about it, Peter,” a voice spoke into his mind—and he nearly choked on his soup as he realised it was Merlin's. “Blackmailers are seldom honorable, and the Evil One wouldn't know the meaning of the word honor."

  "Oh! You already know,” he replied with considerable relief.

  Merlin made no reply to this; he was already talking to Jamie. “I understand from your mother, Jamie, that you've had quite a bit of time off school for public performances.” Peter wondered when the sorcerer had managed to talk to Mrs. Evans.

  "Oh, yes,” Jamie replied. “I've been singing with Cantus Firmus and quite a few of our concerts have been recorded by Radio New Zealand. As for time off school, I wouldn't call it that as I've always had to work twice as hard to catch up."

  "That's the price of making the most of your talents, Jamie. It's worth it, though—believe me."

  Jamie sighed and pulled a face. “The trouble is I love singing more than anything else in the world and I want to sing everything—not just opera—but once my voice breaks there's no guarantee I'll have a voice at all. That could happen at any time."

  Although he had always known Jamie's wish to make singing a career, John had obviously never heard his twin so carried away by enthusiasm; he couldn't help looking more than a little surprised.

  "If you mean you could suddenly start croaking in the middle of a solo, don't worry about it—it won't happen. You'll gradually slide down to lyric tenor."

  Jamie gaped at Merlin in astonishment.

  "How do you know?” He stopped suddenly. “Sorry,” he muttered, giving Susan a swift, almost furtive, sideways glance. “I forgot."

  Susan looked puzzled. “Forgot what?"

  "Jamie forgot I have considerable knowledge of voices, both singing and speaking, and that I would therefore know his isn't the type of voice to break suddenly,” Merlin said smoothly.

  "Oh! Do you teach singing?” Susan asked. Peter could almost hearing her thinking, He doesn't look at all like a singing teacher.

  Merlin laughed.

  "Heaven forbid!” he exclaimed fervently with a mock shudder, a light laugh and a wide grin.

  Jamie took this personally.

  "Oy! We're not that bad!” he objected but, at sight of Merlin's unusually cheerful face, his own split into a grin.

  * * * *

  AFTER DINNER Mrs. Evans arrived to take the twins back home.

  "I hope they've been behaving themselves."

  Susan laughed. “They've been no trouble. They're welcome back any time they like."

  Once the car had driven off Susan went back inside. As Peter kicked aimlessly at a stone on his way back inside, he suddenly became aware that she was watching from the kitchen window and straightened his dropping shoulders with a sheepish smile.

  He was hardly inside the kitchen when Susan asked, “Would you like your friends to come and stay for the rest of the holidays?"

  Peter's spirits lifted, only to plunge instantly as he realised he couldn't possibly put her to so much trouble.

  "Oh, that would make far too much work for you."

  Susan laughed. “Bless you for your kind thought! If you think I've got too mu
ch work to do the three of you can always lend a hand! They'd be very welcome if they'd like to stay. There's another bedroom with two beds in it that's used for when we have paying guests during the summer. I'll ring Sylvia in the morning."

  When Peter went to bed that night he was feeling much happier about things. Merlin was back, for a start, and now he had Jamie and John coming to stay. He sat up in bed reading for a while, trying to take his mind off the struggle ahead of him and his friends. Just as he turned out the light to settle down there was a soft knock on the door. The handle turned and someone entered before Peter had time to speak. A mop of unruly hair outlined against the hall light told Peter who it was. A little thrill of anticipation went through him.

  Merlin put his finger to his lips and quietly closed the door. Peter sat up quickly, his heart beginning to pound.

  "Has something happened?” he whispered.

  "No, not yet. But we're expecting all hell to break loose soon. Sujad was aware of our escape as soon as it was accomplished. It's only a matter of time before he discovers how it was done."

  "So?” Peter prompted when Merlin paused.

  "So I have to leave you again. I must be with the Lady when it happens. She needs my help."

  "Right now?” Disappointment was strong in his voice.

  Merlin nodded grimly. He patted Peter's shoulder. “I feel bad about leaving you where the Evil One and his Lords of Corruption can get at you so easily, but I have no choice. This is where you're needed."

  Peter looked up at the craggy features, deeply shadowed in the moonlight filtering through the bedroom window. Dozens of questions hovered on his tongue, but he asked none of them. Instead, he said contritely, “I haven't thanked you for the gift of Argent. She's beautiful. I haven't had such a lovely present—nor such a precious one—since Dreyfus arrived."

  Merlin's mouth relaxed into a brief smile. “Like Dreyfus, she's a gift of the Earthlight, young one. Farewell for now. Sleep well."

  Then he was gone. Peter didn't even hear the door close.