“Excuse me, sir,” chirped the rock, “but I was hoping to speak with Master Sorcerer Myron. Could you direct me to him?”
“Sandy?” Chris tried to push past Darrell, but Darrell blocked him.
“You know this rock?!” Darrell asked from a crouch, ready to do whatever he could to defend against solid stone.
“It’s okay,” Chris answered as he shoved his way past Darrell. “It’s Sandy
“Ah, Chris,” Sandy chirped. “I thought that might be you, but I couldn’t be sure. And your defender?”
“Oh, sorry.” Chris sheathed his sword. “Sandy, this is Darrell, Captain of the Guard. Darrell, this is Sandy, the gargoyle representative to the Federation of Terah.”
Darrell slowly stood up as he lowered his sword and put his dagger back in its sheath on his belt. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”
Sandy laughed, which sounded like water tripping over pebbles. “Thank you for your courtesy, sir, but I doubt you’re pleased to see someone who is so impervious to your weapons. But I assure you, Captain, your sorcerer is in no danger from me.” Sandy turned to Chris. “Could you please direct me to Myron’s office? I need to speak with him.”
“Of course. If you’ll come with me, I’ll take you to him.” Chris stepped over to walk beside Sandy while Darrell fell in close behind.
As they approached the castle, Chris nodded towards the front door. “I don’t mean to be rude, but do steps pose a problem for you? If they do, we can go around back. There are no steps there, but it’s a little farther.”
“No offense taken,” Sandy chirped. “Steps are fine, as long as they aren’t too steep. We can go in the front door if you like.”
When they reached the bottom of the steps, Darrell gave a nod and the guard at the front door opened the door and held it open for them as they entered the main hall. At Darrell’s nod, the door to the business wing was opened, and with another nod, a guard opened the door to Kevin’s main office.
Although everyone knew gargoyles existed, few people in Camden had ever seen one, but as Sandy walked towards Kevin’s office everyone he met acted as if it were an everyday occurrence for a walking rock to call on the Master Sorcerer. The pages were no exception. After their initial surprise, training took over and Sandy was offered refreshments while Chris let Kevin know he’d arrived.
Kevin went out to the reception area to greet him. “It’s nice to see you again, Sandy.” He wasn’t sure whether to shake hands or not, but Sandy rescued him by giving Kevin a slight bow with his head, which Kevin promptly answered. Then, formalities over, Kevin said, “I understand you wish to speak with me. Would you like some refreshments first?”
Sandy shook his head. “Your pages already offered, but I’m fine. Could we talk now, please?”
“Of course.” Kevin waved towards his office. “After you.”
Chris raised his eyebrows and tilted his head towards Kevin’s office. Kevin shrugged, and as Sandy stepped into the office, Kevin gave Chris a sign to wait and followed Sandy inside.
After he shut the door, Kevin asked, “Would you mind if Chris joins us? He sits in on most of my meetings and takes notes. It helps keep things straight.”
“I mean no offense to Chris, but I’m here on behalf of someone else, and she asked me to speak with you and you alone. I feel sure you’ll share what I’m going to tell you with Chris as soon as I leave, but that’s you’re decision, not mine. I must honor her wishes.”
“Very well.” Kevin continued around to his desk. As he started to sit down, he stopped. He had no idea whether or not Sandy could sit at all, much less in one of the chairs he had in his office.
Sandy laughed. “Go ahead and have a seat. I’m fine. But it’s nice to be deferred to. This is my first visit to the castle in Camden, and I have to admit, I’m impressed. Your Captain of the Guard was uneasy about letting me enter, even after Chris vouched for me, but he escorted us to your office and made sure none of his guards challenged us. And your pages were most considerate. I’m more accustomed to humans acting like all of the rest of us need to accommodate them, not the other way around. It’s nice to be treated with respect. And I thank you.”
Kevin didn’t know how to respond to that. “We try to treat all of our visitors with the same dignity and respect we’d expect if we were to visit them.”
Sandy gave a little nod and began. “I’m here on behalf of Bianca. She, as her father before her, has always made sure we’re allowed to live in peace in our desert. In return, we try to rescue any of her people or animals who manage to get themselves lost in the dunes. Over the years, we’ve developed a close working relationship, a friendship of sorts. When she came to me yesterday and asked me to undertake this mission, I readily agreed.”
Sandy paused a moment. “Last Saturday, after your council meeting, Gwendolyn of Landoryn showed up at Bianca’s castle unannounced. She said she had a gift for Bianca, a tribute to their long-lasting amity. She presented Bianca with eight slaves, four adults and four children, all female.”
Kevin wasn’t sure what to say, so he didn’t say anything.
“Bianca wants you to know she and Gwendolyn are not friends, they are not allies, but they share a shoreline, so Bianca takes care not to antagonize Gwendolyn. Bianca also wants you to know she doesn’t like slavery any more than you do, but she can’t let her opinions become common knowledge. Gwendolyn would consider it a personal insult and Bianca’s people along the shore would pay the price.”
Kevin nodded, still not sure what he was expected to say or do.
“After Gwendolyn left, Bianca took the new slaves to the dining room and had food brought in. While they ate, she sat with them and asked some questions. All eight of them were from Camden, though not from the same area.”
Kevin’s eyes narrowed and he squared his shoulders. “Do you know if Gwendolyn made gifts to any other sorcerers?”
Sandy shook his head. “I have no information about any other province. But please remember, you cannot let anyone know Bianca said anything. Too many lives are at risk if you do.”
“You have my word. No one other than Chris will find out about this conversation.”
“Thank you. Bianca said to tell you she’ll take care of them. She knows you’ll want to bring them back home at some point, but she’d like for you to wait until Gwendolyn has time to forget what they look like. She’ll send her governor to meet with your governor to work out the details next spring if that’s all right with you.”
Kevin nodded, but tension was written all over his face. “That’s fine.”
Sandy tilted his head and studied Kevin for a moment. “I have a feeling I’ve brought you bad news. Sorry about that, but Bianca thought you should know.”
“Thank you for coming, and please tell Bianca I said thank you for letting me know.”
Sandy took out his key, nodded to Kevin, and left.
~ ~ ~ ~
As soon as Sandy left, Kevin opened his door and motioned for Chris to join him. Once they were alone, he told Chris the gist of Bianca’s message.
“So, does this mean Gwendolyn was behind all those raids? Or is this completely separate?”
Kevin shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Chris frowned. “Do you think she’s giving slaves to the other sorcerers, too? What’s her plan?”
“I don’t know. We can’t confront Gwendolyn without causing problems for Bianca, and we can’t ask any of the other sorcerers if she’s given them any slaves without telling them why we’re asking. It could be a one-time thing. Gwendolyn may have given Bianca the slaves as a gesture of good will.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?”
Kevin shook his head. “But I can’t prove otherwise.”
“So we wait to see what happens next?”
Kevin nodded. “We wait.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Sunday morning, after Kevin left for the canyon lands, Chris headed down to the office. When he walked in, Marshall was sitting at
the conference table talking to Isak.
“Good morning, Marshall,” Chris said. “If you’re looking for Nikki, she’s not here yet. Myron’s got a few things to do before he picks her up.”
“Actually, sir,” Marshall said hesitantly, “I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute, if you have the time.”
“Sure, come on.” Chris walked over to Kevin’s office and opened the door. “Let’s talk in here.”
Marshall walked into Kevin’s office and looked around, not sure whether he should sit or stand. Chris sat down, and motioned for Marshall to have a seat, too. “What’s the problem?”
“I was wondering if you could find someone else to take care of Nikki for Myron.”
“Why? I was under the impression you and Nikki got along pretty well while you were at Kyle’s. Have you changed your mind about working with dogs?”
“No, sir, and you’re right. Nikki and I get along great. That’s not the problem.”
“What is the problem then?”
“I don’t think Myron wants me to take care of her, sir.”
“What gave you that idea?”
Marshall paused a moment. “The way he looked at me whenever he dropped by while I was at Kyle’s. It was like he didn’t want me anywhere near his dog, and if he feels that way, you need to find someone else to take care of Nikki.”
Chris sat back in his chair and looked at the teenager. “I didn’t see the look, but I have a feeling I know what you’re talking about. I think you may be misreading it.”
“How, sir?”
“I think he was envious. You were staying with Kyle. Myron loves to go up there. He usually can’t manage to be there for more than half an hour at a time, and he can’t go very often, but it’s one of his favorite places in the world, and you were spending a whole week there.”
Marshall frowned, but he didn’t say anything.
“And you were spending all day with his dog, something he hasn’t been able to do yet, and you did it for a whole week.”
The corners of Marshall’s mouth quivered like he wanted to grin.
“And because you were there with Nikki and Kyle, you know more about how to handle her than he does, and I know that doesn’t sit well with him. He wants to be the one taking care of her, playing with her, teaching her.”
“And he should,” Marshall said. “I didn’t mean to take over. I’m sorry.”
Chris shook his head. “You’ve only done what you were asked to do. He knows he can’t always be around to take care of her. He doesn’t like it, but he knows it.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but maybe someone else would be better, someone he knows better than he knows me, someone he trusts. I think you need to find someone else.”
Chris shook his head. “It wouldn’t make any difference.”
Marshall didn’t look the least bit convinced. “I think you’re wrong, sir. When I got back I saw him out at the stable one day, so I showed him a crate I’d made for her. It’s pretty large, with slats like we have for the horses, so she can see out. I had a blanket over a bed of straw and a water bucket tied to the side, same as I do the feed buckets for the horses. I thought it would be a good place for him to leave her when he goes across the river to work out in the mornings, or if he needed to leave the castle and I wasn’t in the stable. But Myron said he didn’t want her stuck in a cage and walked off before I could explain.”
Chris took a deep breath and sighed. “Would it make you feel better if I ask him outright how he feels about you working with Nikki?”
Marshall nodded. “And if he’s as against the idea as I think he is, will you find someone else?”
“Yes, but I think you’re wrong. I think you’re the perfect choice, and that crate was a good idea.”
“Kyle said I needed some safe place for her in case of an emergency, that she wouldn’t just stand there in the stable and wait for me to get back if I wasn’t there. He knows I work with horses too, so he knows I might be out exercising one of them when Myron has to leave. The crate was the safest thing I could come up with.”
“Well, I think it’ll work just fine, and once Myron slows down enough to think about it, so will he. Trust me. It’s all going to work out.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Kevin was in no mood for a practice session with Glendymere. He was much more interested in getting to Kyle’s and picking up Nikki. Today was the day when she was going home with him for good.
He missed her, and that surprised him. She’d only spent three nights at the castle, but when she wasn’t there he missed having her stretched out on the rug at his feet while he and Chris talked about the day. When she was around, his mornings started off with a smile as she jumped up, ready and eager to greet the day. Even his magic was better on those mornings.
Too bad this wasn’t one of them. He’d already messed up a couple of returns, missing his target by what felt like a country mile. If he kept this up, Glendymere was going to insist on extra practice, and he still had to work with Rhianna on tornadoes after he finished with Glendymere. He never would get to Kyle’s to pick up Nikki.
As his frustration grew, so did the number of mistakes.
Finally Glendymere just quit. “What’s going on with you today? You’re acting like a complete novice!”
“Sorry.”
“So? Are you going to answer my question?” When Glendymere didn’t get an answer, he opened his mind and let Kevin’s thoughts flow in. “Ahh, you pick up your dog today.”
Kevin grinned. “I’ve wanted a dog all my life, and Kyle found one for me. Glendymere, she’s terrific! You have to meet her.”
“For some reason, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Myron! I’m a dragon! Dogs don’t like anyone with big sharp teeth hanging around their humans. I’ll settle for the picture of her I see in your mind. What is she? Four or five months old?”
Kevin nodded as his grin spread from ear to ear. “She’s so full of life, and so much fun to have around. I can’t wait to get her settled in for good.”
“Chris feels the same?”
Kevin nodded.
“Good, because I have a feeling he’s going to be the one looking after her.”
“No, we’ve got someone to take care of her when I’m away. Kyle took him home with him for a week and taught him how to work with Nikki.”
“And checked him out to see if he’d be a good match for both the dog and you, no doubt,” Glendymere said with a nod. “All right. Let’s call it a day before you end up getting yourself killed. We’ll try again Tuesday. Are you working with Rhianna today?”
Kevin nodded. “From what she told me, Landis has found her connection with the wind and doesn’t need storms anymore. Rhianna wants me to teach her to calm a tornado down.”
Glendymere frowned. “I didn’t realize Rhianna knew how to make a tornado.”
“She doesn’t. Today will be her first experience with them.”
“So you’re going to make one for her to try to calm down?”
Kevin nodded.
“Where’s Chris? Did you drop him off at the cave?”
For a moment, Kevin didn’t know what Glendymere was talking about, and then it hit him. Chris. He couldn’t build a tornado without a lookout. He needed Chris. He knew that, but it hadn’t even crossed his mind this morning. Not good. Not good at all. “Uh, no. He had some work to do. I’m going by the castle and pick him up before I get Rhianna.”
Glendymere gave him a look that said he wasn’t fooled at all. “Are you sure you’re up to working with her? I don’t want my canyon lands destroyed by some rogue tornado you let get out of control.”
“I’ll be fine. Honest,” Kevin said. “Chris will be here.”
Glendymere looked Kevin up and down again. “I want a word with him before you head back out here.” Glendymere turned his key and left for home.
A couple of minutes later, Kevin was in his office b
ack at the castle. He wiped his hands over his face and shook his head. He had to focus. He couldn’t afford to let his concentration slip. He opened his door to see if Chris was in.
Chris was at his desk going over the most recent letters from aspiring sorcerers, marking the ones he wanted Elin to send applications to and setting those to the side. The others he divided into two stacks. The first stack was letters that had all the information they needed so a formal application wasn’t necessary. The second stack, the larger of the two, was for the ones he would send a short note to stating there were no vacancies at this time, but feel free to write again next year. Maybe most, if not all, would either find something else or gain a little experience during the intervening year.
“Chris, can you help me with something?” Kevin asked from his doorway.
Chris gathered the letters, crisscrossed the stacks, and put them back in his bottom drawer. He headed into Kevin’s office. “Sure, what’s up?”
“I’ve got to make a tornado for Rhianna, and I need you to spot.”
Chris nodded and put his hand on Kevin’s arm.
Glendymere was waiting for them when they got to Willow Canyon. “Chris, I’d like a word with you,” Glendymere told Chris privately. Then he told Kevin to go get Rhianna. After Kevin headed into the cave, Glendymere said, “Keep a close eye on him today. His mind isn’t on what he’s doing. It’s on the pup.”
Chris broke into a big smile. “Nikki. She’s a terrific dog, Glendymere.”
Glendymere sighed. “Not you, too.” He shook his head. “Keep your mind on what you’re doing and keep an eye on him. You better not let him destroy my canyon lands. And make sure his focus is better at our next practice. Another day like today, and it may be his last!”
Chris’s smile faded. “Understood.”
“Good!” Glendymere stood up. “Now I’m going to take a nap.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Kevin focused a lot better with Rhianna than he had with Glendymere, partly because he didn’t want to give her any more reason to find fault with him. She was still angry with him for not locking up the informants.
The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3) Page 65