Cold fury rippled down my spine. “You despicable monster.”
“You sound surprised,” said the Death King. “I don’t take kindly to being defied and lied to.”
“I didn’t lie!” My voice echoed throughout the hall. “I was set up. The Order wanted me to take the fall so you wouldn’t guess Mr Cobb is working against you. He invited you to arrest me so that you’d see me as the villain and him as the hero, but he’s the one who ordered me to get in the line of fire. He told me to bring the amulet onto your territory. Did you ask him how he knew I was guilty?”
He looked at me for a moment. “You think digging yourself into a hole is going to help you now?”
“Digging.” Inspiration struck. “Tell you what, have a look around outside your fences and you’ll see evidence that someone’s been digging their way in and out of your territory using earth magic. The earth mage and the lich who’s working against you have been meeting in secret. They have a base underneath Arcadia, near the warehouses.”
He tilted his head at me. “Underground?”
“You heard me.” My voice trembled with rage. “The earth mage held me hostage there and took the amulet, and then one of your liches tried to kill me. It’s the truth.”
“You’re not making things any easier for yourself,” he said. “Perhaps another week or two in the dark will suffice.”
“Go ahead, if you want me to starve to death before I have the chance to turn lich.”
“You will be provided for, despite your insolence.” He gestured to two of his liches, who closed in on me. No matter how much I screamed at him, I might as well have lectured Death himself.
Whoever the soul thief is, he can’t be worse than this guy.
Flanked by liches, I had little choice but to head back to my prison cell. This time they left me water and a tray of food, which I fell on with shaking hands. Nobody else occupied the cells on either side of mine, and as the silence persisted, I started to suspect I might lose my mind before too long.
I had too much time to think, yet no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall the rest of Dirk Alban’s lessons if my life depended on it. Maybe the Death King really would send his people to investigate the base the earth mage had taken me to, but I hadn’t the faintest clue where the amulet’s latest thief had taken it. Hell, maybe Mr Cobb had had it there in his office, the fucker.
Hours passed in silence. Then two liches brought me more water and another meal. The Death King had kept his word, but he probably didn’t want me to die before he could turn me into a lich and force me to join his army. Everything he did was to further his own ends.
And to think I’d assumed he was any better than the thief who’d taken his soul.
Another day or two passed, not that there was much visible difference between night and day. I was lying on my bench, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, when the door opened with a blinding flash of orange light and a yell of dismay cut through my stupor. The cell door slammed, yet the flash of light remained, casting shadows onto the floor of my cell.
I knew that light. “Dex, is that you?”
He flew up in front of me and swore at the top of his lungs. “So this is where you’ve been hiding out?”
“At least I have company now.” They’d even thrown us into the same cell, probably to save on space. Dex took up almost no room, after all.
“Excuse me?” he said. “What part of this is ideal for either of us? I came here looking for you and got myself captured instead.”
“Oh, Elements.” I squinted at his fiery outline. “Can’t you just fly through the wall?”
“It’s spirit-proofed.” He extended a hand to the bars and winced. “That’s what I get for being so soft-hearted.”
“If it’s any consolation, I think giving the Death King the benefit of the doubt is what got me into this mess,” I said. “I should have just let the thief take his soul and be done with it.”
“And consign yourself to death?” he said.
“He’s going to turn me into a lich against my will,” I said. “He already did it to Brant. That’s worse than death. Being his personal servant. At least you’re already a spirit. There’s nothing he can do to you.”
He gave me a dark look. “I’d rather not imagine, thanks. There’s no other way out of here. I checked.”
Unless Dex gained the ability to turn solid and use his firepower to melt the place down… but even that probably wouldn’t work. The place was designed to hold the most powerful of mages. Even, perhaps, spirit mages like me.
At least I had someone to talk to now. Dex kept me entertained by flitting about making amusing shadows on the walls, but even his antics weren’t enough to convince me we’d ever see the light of day again. Not as a living human, anyway.
“I’m not cut out to be one of the living dead.” I lay back on my bench, staring into the darkness. “How am I supposed to play D&D?”
I didn’t even have my lucky dice anymore. The Death King’s people had taken them away along with everything else in my rucksack. Dicks.
“How do you think I feel?” he said. “I can’t play either. Maybe we should start a club of disembodied adventurers.”
“Devon would go for that.” Though I’d be hard-pressed to think of a D&D character in a worse position than I was now. “I’m not the best DM. That’s why it’s absurd that the Death King thought I was the mastermind. As if.”
Dex cackled. “Yeah, didn’t you once lose control of your players and end up with them opening a portal to hell?”
I never should have told him that story. “That was one time. Besides, that’s not the same as coming up with a scheme to steal the Death King’s soul and actually succeeding at it.”
That wretched water mage would be long dead by now, unless the lich traitor had smuggled him out of here. If only there was a way for me to find someone sympathetic who might do the same for me.
“He must be worried.” Dex flipped over in mid-air, his little pointed face glowing in the darkness. “I mean, he’s got to be concerned his soul might be used against him.”
“He really didn’t seem to be.” I pushed into an upright position. “The Death King pretty much wrote the rulebook himself. Must’ve done, if he’s still allowed to use spirit magic after the Order banned it from use.”
There wasn’t much the Order could do to command the King of the Dead, though it sounded like he checked in with them frequently all the same. Anger boiled in my chest at the memory of Mr Cobb’s casual dismissal. And the Death King had looked at the two of us and deemed me the guilty one. The two of them were probably BFFs. For all I knew, the Death King himself was the spirit mage mastermind behind this nefarious plan.
“What are you talking about?” Dex said when I voiced this aloud. “Why would the Death King plot to overthrow himself?”
“I have no idea.” I flopped back onto the bench. “Give me a break. I’m tired and I’ve forgotten what the sun looks like.”
“Like this.” Dex’s light brightened.
“Not quite.” I covered my eyes as a blinding streak of whiteness pierced the gloom. “Okay, turn it down.”
“It’s not me.”
I jumped upright to face the door, which stood widely open, framing the Air Element’s armoured figure.
“Oh, it’s you,” I said, without enthusiasm. “Go on, then. Take me to my eternal fate as a warden of the night.”
“You were right.” They walked up to the door of my cell. “We found an underground hideout like you described. We also found evidence of earth magic on our territory.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I blinked. “You actually listened to me?”
“My boss did,” they said. “But I cannot believe your claim that a rogue spirit mage has my master’s soul. The only spirit mage who’s been seen in the city is yourself.”
“Says who?” I said. “I never actually met the rogue. Perhaps they escaped through a node. Or they’re operating fro
m somewhere else. Anything’s possible.”
“Perhaps.” Their gaze flickered from me to Dex. “You’re proof of that, but you still haven’t explained how you ended up with my master’s soul in your possession.”
“None of you gave me a chance, especially your master.” I gave a dark chuckle. “I suppose it’s too much to hope for you to be convinced he’s a depraved beast who’s exploiting you for his own gain.”
“Exploiting?” they said. “We live like royalty, all four of us do, and we are compensated generously for protecting our master.”
“Maybe you don’t have a soul after all, then,” I said. “You must know that no matter what crime I might have committed, Brant didn’t deserve to have his soul ripped from his body.”
“My master has his reasons for what he does,” they said. “If your friend lost his soul, he must have done something to deserve it. I rather think the Death King has shown you mercy, considering the damage you’ve done.”
“I tried to return the amulet and you blasted me into the air,” I said heatedly. “I tried to track down your traitor and it got me locked up underground. My friend did nothing wrong, and your master permanently turned him into his own personal servant.”
“You should be grateful he allowed him to live at all.”
My fists clenched. “I’ll give you grateful.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dex move up to the door of the cell, unseen by the Air Element. The walls of the fortress might be spirit-proofed, but the door was open. I held my breath, determined to keep their eyes on my face.
“Enough.” My cell door clicked open. “It’s time for you to face my master.”
Their iron grip enclosed my upper arm, dragging me through the jail and into the blinding light. Dex flew closer, hovering above my head.
“Distract them,” I breathed.
Dex zipped over my head, and light flashed into the Air Element’s eyes.
I dragged my arm from their grip, and then we were running for freedom. Dex flew at my side as the ground tore away beneath my feet, and even though I could barely see where I was going, I remained ahead of the soldier. After all, I’d always been a better runner than a fighter. They wore heavy armour, and it slowed them down.
Guilt stung me for leaving Brant behind, but he was beyond help now. I couldn’t put his soul back into his body. I couldn’t save him, but he’d want me to save myself. If nothing else, perhaps I could win enough time to get some actual proof to take to the Death King before it was too late for all of us.
The Air Element’s magic slammed into me like a solid force, sending me flying forward. I let the momentum carry me, and Dex whooped.
“Thanks for the help!” he shouted at the Air Element.
I caught my balance, and spotted several liches approaching from near the gates ahead. Damn. I’d never reach the edge before they caught up.
On the other hand, there was a node on the inside, too. I picked up speed and changed directions, pelting towards the current of light piercing the sky. Then I willed its current to draw me in. Come on…
I ran headlong into the node, and its power flooded my veins, roaring to life inside me. I heard the Air Element yelling behind me, as the current carried me away.
17
The darkness resolved into the shape of the back room at home. I reeled back, catching my balance, the carpet impossibly soft beneath my feet.
Devon jumped to her feet from the sofa. “Holy shit, Liv.”
I raised my head, shielding my eyes from the ceiling light. “Ow. Too bright.”
Devon swore again. “I thought you were dead. You were gone for days, Liv.”
I flopped onto the sofa, dislodging an Xbox controller. “I know. I nearly suffered a fate worse than death.”
“And your friend came back too.”
“My…” Not Brant. Brant was a lich, doomed never to take another breath. Pain and guilt clenched a hard fist over my heart, but I looked up and saw Dex zipping about. “I guess I did.”
“I’m free!” Dex whooped, flying through the living room with jubilant cries.
I didn’t have the energy to tell him to pipe down. Brant was still with the Death King, while I hadn’t nearly enough allies left to marshal my own forces against him. Sure, the Air Element had told me their boss at least believed my claims about the earth mage visiting his territory, but at this point, it was too little, too late.
“Are you okay?” Devon leaned over me. “Liv, you look like death.”
“Appropriate.” I choked on a weak laugh which turned into a sob. Devon’s arms came around me as tears began to leak from my eyes. She usually wasn’t the hugging type, but she let me gasp out my story without letting go of me. Dex added his own interjections, including how he’d got caught himself.
“I thought that bastard of a thief caught you,” she said. “The Death King… I had no idea he had you in his jail the whole time.”
“Yeah, and Brant paid the price for it with his soul. Literally.” I rubbed my eyes with the back of my arm, regretting it when I saw how filthy my sleeves were.
“Crap,” she said. “I’ll be the first to say I wasn’t a huge fan of the guy, but Brant didn’t deserve that.”
My gut tightened. “I know. And get this—we got caught because the Death King was at the Order. With Mr Cobb.”
“Cobb?” she said. “You still think he’s working with the enemy?”
“I know he is,” I said. “Not that the Death King believes a word of it. He sees the Order as his allies. He hasn’t set eyes on the soul thief yet, but he rarely leaves his castle except via astral projection.”
“That’s how he got to the Order.” She let go of me and grabbed her phone from the coffee table. “All right. I’m ordering takeout, and you should probably shower and change before the other players show up.”
“Wait, it’s D&D night?” Had I really lost that much time?
“Or so my schedule says.” She pushed to her feet. “I can’t cancel it now. Besides, Trix and the others will be glad to see you’re not dead.”
I sighed. “I never thought I’d say this, but I can’t. I have to—”
“You have to recuperate, and what better way to do that than by venturing into a dungeon in the comfort of your own home?” she said. “Don’t argue with me on this. You’re in no fit state to go back into the Parallel.”
“I’m more worried about them finding me here.” But the Death King wouldn’t know my address… unless, that is, the Order had told him.
I’m so screwed.
After a shower and food, I felt almost human again. Dex flitted about asking annoying questions, which Devon tolerated with more than her usual level of patience. She must have missed me a lot.
“Your mum is seriously worried for you,” she said. “I tried telling her you were busy at work, but given how long it’s been—”
“Shit. I should call her.” Even when I was running daily missions for the Order, I’d never been away for that long without checking in with my family. But I was far too tired to conjure up an excuse for my absence. “I don’t want to draw the Order’s attention to my family, though. Or the Death King. Especially him.”
Fuck the Death King. Him and the undead horse he rode in on.
Guilt twisted inside me at the thought of Brant, stuck there serving the Death King like a glorified servant. The notion of going back and begging him to set Brant free made my skin crawl, but I didn’t have any better ideas. The bastard had even taken my lucky dice.
Dex flew around knocking things over while we waited for the other players to show up. Devon and I soon wound up in an argument over whether or not to include my current misadventures in our campaign which only ceased when there came a knock on the door.
I tensed, following Devon to the door, but it was only Trix.
“You’re alive!” he exclaimed. “You came back especially for D&D night.”
“Not exactly.” I beckoned him into the shop before
anyone outside saw my face. “Have you been in the Parallel over the last few days?”
“Not very much, no,” he said. “I don’t like the liches. They make my skin crawl.”
“You and me both.” I heaved a shudder. “And Brant’s stuck as one now.”
“He is?” His eyes widened. “But I saw his friend, and he seemed fine.”
“Friend?” I frowned. “You mean Vaughn. The earth mage.”
“The bastard who betrayed you,” Devon interjected. “Trix, Vaughn screwed Liv over. He stole the amulet from her and handed her over to the Death King.”
Trix exclaimed something in the elven tongue. “Was that why he was meeting with a lich?”
“Yes… wait. You saw them?” That changed things. “The lich is a traitor to the Death King, but His Deathliness doesn’t believe one of his people would turn on him. If you could help me find him—hell, just tracking down the earth mage would be enough. Whereabouts is he hiding these days?”
“He lives in South Street, opposite the warehouse,” he said in solemn tones.
Wait… “You were watching him? Did he see you?”
“I don’t think so.”
Damn. Of course nobody paid the elves any attention.
“You’re a genius,” said Devon.
He blinked modestly. “I’m considered above average intelligence for an elf, yes.”
I turned to Devon. “Should I give Vaughn’s address to the Order? If I just knew who else at the Order might be working with the enemy, I’d know who to trust with this. Better than going back to the Death King again.”
Odds were, he wouldn’t give me the chance to explain myself next time. Then again, how long would it be before the Death King told the Order about my supposed transgressions and sent someone to pick me up again? He might not know where I lived, but the Order did.
Dex flew overhead. “There are people outside, and I don’t think they’re players.”
“It’s them.” Devon paled. “The Order.”
“Shit.” I spun on the spot. “Dex—hide.”
As he flew into the back room, I followed suit. Before I could close the door behind me, two Order employees burst into the shop.
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