“G-Good.” Irenya gave me a little smile, but it was a weaker version of the sultry look she usually used to try to seduce me. “See you then.” Then she turned and strode from the room without a hint of her usual flirtatious banter.
Arieste gave a quiet snort and shook her head. “Brazen wench, would you not agree?”
“Hah,” I laughed lightly as I kissed her forehead. Truth be told, I didn’t mind a bit of brashness. If only I could trust Irenya as much as I trusted Arieste. “But she wasn’t wrong. We should be getting up and getting ready for our journey underground.”
Arieste pushed herself up onto an elbow and looked at me with a wide smile. “Because everyone knows that exploration of an underground city has to begin at dawn. Lots of sunlight needed for those deep, dark caverns.”
“Hey, what can I say? I like to make the most of the daytime.” I flashed my most charming smile and winked at her. “The night hours are best used for other things.”
“Ethan DePaolo, you are a truly impertinent man!” Arieste said in mock protest and gave my chest a half-hearted slap.
“You bring out the best in me.” With a grin, I pulled myself out of the rumpled bed sheets and stood. It took a few minutes to find my clothes from the pile on the floor. Arieste and I hadn’t paid much attention to whose garments went where. We’d been more focused on getting undressed quickly than about being neat.
“Do you believe she will be a problem?” Arieste asked.
I’d been expecting the question, but I still didn’t have an answer. I’d known Irenya for less than two days. I knew she was smart, clever, and knew what she wanted. Whether I could trust her remained to be seen.
“I don’t think so,” I told her. “After all, I am the source of her magic, so she’s not going to want to kill the golden goose, as it were.”
Arieste’s face grew confused.
“A fairy tale from my homeland,” I said. “Remind me to tell you about it sometime. Basically, it means Irenya knows I’m more use to her alive.”
“But you don’t trust her yet,” Arieste said.
“Not yet, but down in Ironfast, we’re going to have to learn to trust each other.” I sat on the bed and pulled on my pants, then set about lacing up my fireman’s boots. “We’re going to be in cramped tunnels, exploring a lost city, and facing Vozaath and God… er, the Goddesses know what else down there. We’re all going to have to work together if we want to get the Circlet of Darksight. Hopefully, we can convince Irenya to work with us to succeed.”
“And if she will not?” Arieste asked, and her face had gone hard. “If she proves that we cannot trust her?”
I hesitated. I hated to think of what would happen if that proved true.
“Here’s the truth, Arieste,” I said after a moment. “We need Irenya if we’re going to beat the other dragons. You may be enough to deal with Emroth, but after that, we’ve got to face both Curym and Zaddrith at the same time. Plus, all their armies. Just one dragon might not be enough for us to keep Whitespire safe.”
Arieste’s face fell, but I could see by the look in her eyes that she agreed. She might not like it, but Whitespire needed Irenya.
“We just have to convince her that it’s in her best interest to help us,” I told her. “Even if she isn’t all the way on board with everything, we need her cooperation. If we can’t appeal to her better side--”
“Assuming she has one,” Arieste said with a shake of her head.
“—then the least we can do is convince her that we’re her best choice,” I finished. “I have her magic, but I won’t give it to her until I’m sure I can trust her. Irenya knows that, so she’s probably going to try to do things that will convince me she is on my side. But I’m hoping she will actually come to see things the way you have.” I took Arieste’s hand and squeezed it. “We are the only thing that will keep the humans on Iriador alive. Irenya is human, much as she hates it. We have to use that to get her on our side.”
For a long moment, Arieste didn’t speak. Finally, she gave a little nod. “I trust you, Ethan.” She squeezed my hand back. “You convinced me with your actions. If Irenya really is as good as you think she is, she will see the same thing in you that I did. And if not--”
“If not, I’ll have you there to keep an eye on her,” I said with a grin. “You’re enough of a bad-ass to handle anything she can throw at us.”
“You and your silver tongue.” Arieste rolled her eyes, but her expression was only mock angry. “You already had what you wanted from me. Twice, if I remember correctly.”
“Hey,” I said and raised my hands in a defensive gesture, “with a woman like you, a man’s got to try every chance he’s got.”
“Then I had best make my retreat before you get any ideas.” Arieste came around the bed and pressed her still-naked body against mine. “Ideas that could get you in trouble.”
I felt myself harden as she slipped her hands inside my pants. The warmth of her skin, the intoxicating gardenia smell of her perfume, and the heat of her breath against my neck made me want to delay our departure for just a few hours longer.
I kissed her hard, and with a superhuman effort, stepped back. “Go,” I told her, “quickly, before I forget that Windwall’s in serious danger.”
With a coy smile, she gathered up her clothing and slipped naked from my room. I watched her ass and her shapely legs until they disappeared from sight.
“It seems you’re not the only one with magical body parts, handsome,” Nyvea said with a little laugh.
I blew out my breath. “No complaints from me.”
It took a lot of effort to push the image of Arieste’s naked body from my mind as I set about packing for our departure. I wanted to get on with the exploration of Ironfast as soon as possible. The sooner we got that Circlet, the sooner we could deal with Emroth and get back to Whitespire.
I took a quick inventory of the gear I’d brought from Whitespire. For weapons, I had my fireman’s axe, two hatchets, a pair of long daggers, and the scale mail armor I’d worn since my trip to Frosdar’s lair. I could never get used to the heavy weight of Sir Galfred’s plate mail, and I had chosen to leave my turnout gear back in Whitespire to keep my pack light. In addition to my clothing, I also had the basic gear required for traveling, including cookware and simple wooden eating utensils. People’s Councilor Danikel and the Council of Four would provide enough food and supplies for the trip into Ironfast.
Satisfied I had everything I needed, I strapped on my armor, hung my hatchets from my belt, and slipped my axe into its sheath on my back. I slung my pack over my shoulder and strode from the room.
Irenya was waiting for me in the hall. She wore the same bright red riding dress and leather corset from the previous day. It was as utilitarian as it was beautiful, with a split down the middle and trousers beneath. Yet on her curvaceous figure, it looked like it would belong at any cocktail party or formal event. Her red hair hung loose around her shoulders, and it emphasized the deep yellow color of her amber eyes.
Arieste appeared from her room a moment later. She had donned a plain white cotton dress with black lace trim and a collar that made her seem even taller and more elegant. Her pale blue eyes went hard as she looked at Irenya. The red-haired woman returned the scrutiny with equal intensity, and a tense silence filled the corridor.
“Let’s go,” I said as I strode between them. “We’ve got a demon to kill.”
The tension between them didn’t lessen as they walked behind me, but before we had gone ten steps down the hall, Captain Daxos stepped around a bend in the corridor ahead of us.
“You are ready?” he asked as if surprised to see us awake.
“You bet!” I gave him a broad grin as I strode toward him. “I always did love the smell of adventure in the morning.”
The movie reference was lost on him, but not its meaning. His face brightened, and he nodded.
“Excellent,” he said. “My father and the rest of the council await us b
elow.”
We followed him through the corridors of the palace and down a flight of stairs to the main level. Instead of turning back toward the Council Chamber, Captain Daxos led us down another staircase. The stairs were carved into the black stone itself, and the torches that hung on the walls cast strange shadows as our passing set the flames flickering. We went down at least five or six floors before the stairs ended at a flat landing.
The air this far below ground was stale and calm, and footprints showed in the thick layer of dust that covered the black stone floor. Twenty yards from the bottom of the staircase, the passage ended at a blank stone wall. The Council of Four stood in front of the wall, with six men wearing the armor of the Blackguard beside them.
“Sir Ethan,” People’s Councilor Danikel said with a bow.
“Councilor,” I returned the bow, then repeated it to the other three members of the Council. The slim Enton looked like a spindly branch bent by a hurricane as he bowed from the waist. The fat Commerce Councilor, whose name I’d learned was Lavinus, gave a little nod of his head that set his four chins wobbling. Military Councilor Warrald barely tilted his face downward, his expression as stiff as his posture.
“Long have the people of Windwall dreamed of this day,” Danikel said in a solemn tone. “For centuries, we have lived so near to the city that was once our home, forever exiled for our own safety.”
“Safety that you are putting at risk,” Warrald snapped. The words were aimed at both People’s Councilor Danikel and me. “The demon Vozaath—”
“I’ll deal with your demon problem,” I said, cutting off the stuffy Military Councilor. “And I’ll get rid of Emroth once and for all. But before I do, I want something from you.”
People’s Councilor Danikel’s eyes narrowed, and Enton’s expression grew even more pinched and tight-lipped than usual.
“Of course you do,” Warrald said as his face creased into a snarl. He opened his mouth to continue hurling retorts, but I cut him off.
“I want you to promise that you will send aid to Whitespire once the black dragon is eliminated,” I said.
The expressions of Danikel and Enton changed from suspicion to pensive, but Warrald shook his head.
“Windwall has no army to spare, no men to throw away in defense of your kingdom when danger threatens at our walls.” Warrald shook a clenched fist in my face. “We have given enough of our sons and daughters to protect Windwall.”
I ignored the Military Councilor and turned to the other three.
“These are my terms,” I said and folded my arms over my chest. “Curym and Zaddrith are marshalling their forces and marching on Whitespire as we speak. But instead of going to fight them, I came here to help you deal with your dragon problem first. Whitespire and Windwall are the only human kingdoms on Iriador. If we do not stand together, we will fall. I will not see Windwall destroyed. Will you pledge to help Whitespire fight? If so, you have my word that I will get rid of Vozaath and Emroth.”
Danikel and Enton exchanged a look, and they both turned to Lavinus. The fat Commerce Councilor gave a nod that again set his chins wobbling, and they turned back to me.
“The Council will send aid to Whitespire,” Danikel said. He and the other two Councilors made the three-fingered sign of the Goddesses. “Upon the names of Merallia, Roassa, and Avennya, we swear it.”
Warrald’s sullen glare spoke volumes. Even once I had gotten rid of the demon and the dragon, I knew we’d have a hard time getting him to keep his word. But I could deal with that problem later.
“Then let’s do this,” I said with a grin. “Point me at the magic door that needs to be opened.”
“You are looking at it.” Danikel motioned to the blank wall beside him.
I’d expected something along the lines of a bank vault door, with glowing runes or magical letters written around it. Instead, this section of wall looked identical to the rest of the corridor. It was made of the same featureless black stone and carved to a smooth finish.
But, as the People’s Councilor had said, it could only be opened by magic. Perhaps the magic would show me the way.
I tapped into the ice magic first as I had more experience using it, and I drew in a sharp breath as the chilling stream of power flooded through my veins. It sent a tingling up and down my arms, from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. The magic pushed back any lingering tiredness from the previous night and made me feel more alive than ever. It was like a rush of adrenaline times a thousand, with the pleasure of the best sex ever thrown in for good measure.
I accessed the magic, but instead of using it to form an ice shield, I held it just beneath the surface of my skin as I reached out to touch the wall. The moment my fingers made contact with the black stone, glowing figures sprang to life all across its surface. I heard everyone behind me gasp as letters of white, black, gold, green, blue, silver, red, and bronzes appeared on the stone that had once been blank. They shone so brightly they drowned out the torchlight, yet they didn’t hurt my eyes. I could feel the power humming through those letters as the magic seeped from my fingers and into the stone.
I felt the magic pulling my hand toward a spot in the dead center of the wall. I poured more of the ice magic into the stone, and I gasped as lines of white power radiated like a glowing spider web from the center of the wall outward to the corners. The humming grew louder and louder with every beat of my heart until a low rumbling sound echoed in the passageway.
The magical runes grew even brighter, then suddenly the section of stone beneath my hand simply crumbled to dust. The crumbling spread outward in a perfectly round hole as it moved from one section of the spider-web lines to another. What started out as an opening two inches in diameter grew to six inches, a foot, eighteen inches, and two feet.
Then stopped.
The light of the magical runes died as quickly as they had come to life. The humming faded to a hum so low I could only feel it when I touched the stone. Something had stopped the magic from working, but what?
I counted six heartbeats, then reached for the ice magic again. It answered my bidding and surged to my fingertips, but when I pressed my hand against the stone, nothing happened. No runes flared to life. No matter how hard I listened, I could no longer hear the faint humming of power in the stones. To my ears and fingers, the wall before me was as inert and lifeless as the rest of the mountain.
“The magic…” Danikel said from behind me. “Has it faded with age?”
I turned to shoot a questioning glance at Irenya and Arieste. They knew more of this sort of thing than I did. They had been wielding magic for centuries.
“The magic would not fade,” Arieste said as her brow furrowed. “Magic is anchored to the very fabric of nature itself.”
“No,” Irenya put in, “but the runes that harness the magic would.”
Arieste’s eyes went wide, and I saw understanding in her eyes.
“Stone grows old and crumbles with the passage of time,” Irenya continued. “One speck of dust at a time, but over the course of centuries…”
“The runes would be changed, their shape altered,” Arieste said with a nod. “Perhaps even to the extent that they would no longer function as they should.”
I looked at the Councilors. Disappointment was evident on Danikel’s face, and even Enton’s tight features seemed to droop as heavily as Lavinus’s. A hint of triumph sparkled in Warrald’s eyes, and a smile spread his lips.
“As I said,” the Military Councilor spoke, “this was never the best way to defeat our enemy. We must—”
The smugness of Warrald’s tone sent a surge of anger through me. The last thing I wanted was to give the asshole Military Councilor the satisfaction of seeing me fail.
I whirled back toward the hole in the wall and tapped into the fire magic. I pulled a massive amount of power from the fiery torrent, pushed it through my body toward my fingertips, and sent a single blast of controlled fire spewing at the stone. I pictured the cuttin
g torch I’d trained to use in the Chicago Fire Academy and imagined the fire magic turning the stone to slag. With two quick slashes of my hand, I carved vertical and horizontal lines into the wall. Gasps sounded behind me as four large chunks of stone crumbled to the ground.
“That ought to do the trick,” I said as I turned to Warrald with a triumphant grin. “The way to Ironfast is open.”
Chapter Eight
Warrald’s face deepened into a scowl, and anger flashed in his eyes, but he evidently couldn’t find any words to respond.
“Goddesses!” breathed Danikel. The older counselor had taken a step back from the fire, and he stared at the fresh opening in the stone wall with wide eyes. Shock was evident on the faces of Lavinus and Enton as well.
Irenya fixed me with a content smile. She knew just how much power the fire magic had, and I could see she was glad that I’d demonstrated it to the world. This was the reason Whitespire feared Riamod more than any of the other dragons on Iriador.
“We won’t need these, I take it?” Captain Daxos said as he looked down at the torch in his hand.
“They’ll be handy,” I told him with a grin. “I’ll save my energy for dealing with the implings, Vozaath, and whatever else we find down there. But I can light it for you.” Using that much magic had taken a lot out of me, but I didn’t want to show it to anyone else.
“I’ll do it,” Irenya offered quickly. Before Captain Daxos could respond, the red-haired woman flicked a spark of fire toward the torch where it caught the oil-soaked cloth and blazed to life. “You’re welcome,” she said with a wink for the captain, but Arieste just rolled her eyes at the red-haired woman’s display.
I turned to the Council of Four and swept a respectful bow. “See you when we’re done,” I said. “We’ll be back with the Circlet of Darksight and Vozaath’s head as a trophy for your wall.”
“Goddesses smile on you,” Danikel said as he returned my bow. Enton bowed as well, while Lavinus merely nodded causing his multiple chins to wobble. Warrald’s jaw muscles worked as he spun on his heel and strode stiffly back up the tunnel without a word.
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