by E. J. Krause
Back when Ben first brought them the news of Cassie and Lee's deaths, to go along with Andi's abduction, Felix suggested either he or Heidi take a few weeks leave of absence from their job to take care of all the financial and legal things to do with their estate. Heidi didn't think her HR department would be understanding, and she didn't want to make waves, so he said he'd do it. He went to Jack, his boss, and the jerk not only tried to throw a guilt trip at him, but he also basically called Trent a terrible employee for even bringing it up.
When Ben and Andi had first been bound, Cassie and Lee tried to get him and Heidi to quit their jobs, but both declined. For one thing, neither knew what they'd do with themselves, something which Trent found funny now that he'd up and done it, but more than that, Heidi enjoyed her career. Trent couldn't say the same, but with a safety net firmly below him, he wanted that perfect opportunity to quit in a blaze of glory. Good old jerky Jack gave it to him a lot sooner than he ever thought he would. Trent hadn't blown up like he always dreamed he would, but instead calmly told Jack where he could stick the job and walked out. When he told the story that night around the dinner table, Heidi had rolled her eyes but giggled, Felix gave him a high-five, and Ben even managed a weak smile, which, at that point, was about as much emotion as he could muster.
Ben hadn't progressed much even three months later, but Felix and the Dragon Council members who'd been here to help – Angus and Ingrid, Sarah and Victor, and Gretchen and Reggie – as well as Max and Nix who occasionally popped over to see how they were all holding up, told him and Heidi not to worry. When Ben was reunited with Andi, he'd return to his normal self.
A fourth member of the Dragon Council, Vanessa and her guard, Byron, occasionally came to help, too. They pushed he and Heidi to talk Ben into returning peacefully to the Stronghold when his training was complete, but none of the others so much as brought that up. When he asked Felix about it, he got a shrug and noncommittal murmur to not worry about it. That spoke louder than any statement he could have made. They were going to break Andi out instead of pushing Ben in. At least that's what he, and Heidi, too, when he brought it up with her, took from the conversation. Neither was quite sure how they felt about it. From what everyone said, the imprisonment was comfortable, like staying at the finest five-star hotel-resort, but also safe. He and Heidi agreed they didn't like the things the kids had to face, especially if those dangers could kill Cassie and Lee, who had supposedly been two of the better warriors the dragons had to offer.
Speaking of Felix, Trent saw him walking up to the front door. Ben's magic trainer, who he and Heidi got along with well, stayed each night in Cassie and Lee's place, now Ben and Andi's house, but came over each day to keep Trent company. Since the heavy lifting of the estate was mostly taken care of, they usually wandered up to a nearby strip mall for breakfast, where they could choose a healthy meal at a juice bar, a quick and greasy one at a fast food joint, or a sit-down experience at a pancake house. Most mornings he let Felix decide the destination, but today he might push for the diner. Pancakes dripping in butter and syrup sounded like a winner.
Trent caught Felix's eye through the window and mimed for him to come on in. "Morning, Felix," he called when he heard the front door open and close.
"Good morning, Trent. I'm kind of hoping you're in the mood for pancakes this morning. I could use a hearty breakfast."
He laughed, and they met between the kitchen and living room with a hand shake. "You say you can't read my mind, but I'm never so sure. I was the one hoping I could talk you into the diner."
Felix winked. "Maybe you're the one who has a bit of a mental whammy going on. After all, you did sire one of the most powerful necromancers in history. At least potentially."
"I doubt that. Don't ask me where Ben got all that mojo. No one else in my family has any magic."
"I'm not saying you're wrong, but you might be surprised. Most people who carry the spark have no idea they have it. Strange things happen around them, but no one knows why. Maybe this has happened somewhere in your family line, maybe in Heidi's, or maybe it's a freak happening in the mystical world." A sly smile slid onto Felix's face, and he slapped Trent on the shoulder. "You're right about one thing."
"What?"
"I sense zero magic in you. I was kidding about you reading my mind. You couldn't do it, but that doesn't mean it's not somewhere in your family line. None of that really matters, though. He's powerful, and that's all that we need concern ourselves with. So let's go get some pancakes, eh?"
"First bit o' sense you've made all morning," Trent said. "By the way, how is Ben doing? He rarely says much to either Heidi or me. You see it at dinner. We try to draw out conversation, but we never get much."
"He's doing as well as can be expected. If he didn't have magic training to keep his mind occupied, I don't know how he'd be holding up. It sounds like Andi is finding ways to keep herself busy, too. The bigger problem will be getting them to focus on my training when they get back together. I have quite a bit to teach them as a unit."
"So the plan really is to break her out? Vanessa and Byron want us to talk Ben into returning peacefully to the Stronghold when you're done with him."
"I notice you haven't brought that up to Ben," Felix said as Trent locked the front door and they started walking to the restaurant.
"How do you know? Would he have told you?" Trent had no idea how close the master-student relationship between the two was. Did Ben tell him everything?
"He wouldn't have had a chance to say anything. He'd have exploded and stormed out. He certainly wouldn't be talking to either of you. I'm sure we could coax him back, but it would be a scene we'd all like to avoid."
Trent nodded. "That was sort of our fear. Glad we listened to our instincts. When is the big rescue mission?"
Felix stopped and turned to Trent. "This is one of those times where the less you know, the better. Not that either you or Heidi is untrustworthy, but you can't imagine what information those with strong magic can pry from your minds. I'm not calling you or Heidi weak-minded, but you're still basically human. Not entirely with your long lifespans, but close enough. Do you understand?"
"Of course." And he meant it. They continued walking out of the neighborhood towards the strip mall.
Neither said much the rest of the way until the diner was in sight. Trent broke the silence. "So, hypothetically speaking, should we expect to have to set another place at the dinner table sometime soon?"
Felix smiled. "Strictly hypothetically?"
"Yeah. Strictly hypothetically."
"Don't put those place settings in storage yet."
Chapter 5
Three books lay open in front of Andi on the table in the Grand Library of the Stronghold. She sat staring at the pages, taking nothing in. It went like this every day; she was good for a couple of hours of research, and then her thoughts turned to Ben, crippling her. It was a never-ending cycle, and she didn't know how much more she could take.
Each day started with breakfast in her room. The servants encouraged her to join whoever was in the Stronghold for the meal in the main dining room, but she always refused. She couldn't bear to eat a nice, civilized meal with her captors. Yes, they treated her great, gave her full run of the entire place, but she was still a prisoner, held against her will and away from her mate. At least the meals were tasty, and they didn't skimp on the portions, meaning she rarely had to ask for seconds.
After breakfast, she headed to the flying room where she zipped around for an hour or two, letting the rushing air and multitude of tunnels let her forget, or at least tune out, her problems. She imagined Ben did the same with his magic training, but, of course, she couldn't be sure. It's what she told herself to feel better. When she finished flying, she returned to her room for a luxurious bath with a book, usually a work of science fiction, fantasy, or horror, as she found those captured her imagination best to keep her mind occupied, even if the fantasy books never did get the dragons right. Then
it was time for lunch, which invariably went the same as breakfast in every aspect except for menu choices.
Once lunch was consumed, she headed down to the library, where she made it her goal to find out as much about her parents as she could. They'd been important in the dragon world before her birth, but she had no idea why, as they'd never shared. Not that she ever asked. Now they were gone, and she couldn't properly mourn them because every time she had a quiet moment, Ben took front and center in her mind. She figured that was a good thing, though. Silver linings, glass half-full, and all those other positive thoughts.
After the library, she retired to her room for the remainder of the day and night to watch television. The setup here was, she had to admit, totally cool. The selection put all of the streaming video sites to shame. She didn't know if it had every single movie and television show ever filmed, but she found every one she looked for. She was able to watch silent films she hadn't seen since the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Truth be told, many of those were way better than most of the stuff Hollywood churned out now. She'd watch whatever she felt like through dinner, which passed the same as breakfast and lunch, and on until bedtime. Often she had to replay the same movie or show two or three times to catch it all because her mind invariably drifted to Ben.
The next day would go exactly the same. And the next day. And so on and so forth.
So this was her eternity? Sure, it all looked nice, but it was a prison. Not to mention that she was already bored with it. With Ben here, it would be so much more tolerable, but she still wanted to be at home.
She sighed, looked at the three books open in front of her, and pushed her chair back to get up and reshelf them. She'd discovered plenty about dragon history she'd not known, but nothing specific about Mom and Dad. They'd been messengers of sorts for the Dragon Council for a few hundred years between when they'd been bound and she'd been born. Other than that, she had little to show for the last three months of research.
Before she stood, the door to the library opened, which never happened when she was in there. Servants acted as librarians, but they didn't use the main doors. Sasha walked in, a compassionate smile on her face. Timothy didn't follow, but he couldn't be too far away. She hadn't seen either of them since they'd offered her sympathy and advice days after she first got here.
"Alexandria, dear, how are you doing?" Sasha asked as she took a seat opposite.
She shrugged. What could she say other than she felt miserable? That wouldn't change without Ben.
"I see you decided to research your parents. Timothy and I never met them, except briefly, but we heard nothing but good things about them. They were revered in the dragon community. Have you turned up any information on them?"
"A few things, but nothing much. I figured there would be more." Andi sighed. "I guess I have plenty of time to keep searching."
Sasha stood and said, "Maybe, maybe not. I know which book you need. Let me get it."
Maybe not? "Wait, what do you mean?"
"We'll worry about that later. First, let me grab that book." She disappeared down one of the rows.
Andi sat back, breathing in shallow, ragged breaths. Had the council reviewed her situation? Were they thinking of letting her go, to be with Ben where she belonged? Those questions and more bubbled to the surface, but before she could ask any of them, Sasha reemerged, her sour expression, the one Andi remembered most from their first meeting, plastered on her face.
"Now listen and listen carefully, Alexandria." Sasha's voice now matched her expression. "Sometime soon, Benjamin will come for you. Go with him no matter what the danger. You will anyway, but Timothy and I must be sure you do. Even our…" She froze for a split second, almost so quick Andi didn't catch it, and then continued as if she hadn't stopped. "Even we have no idea when he'll come, other than the near future, so don't pollute the air with that stupid question. When you get back to your home, expect instructions from us. Be prepared, and tell no one before or after, especially your pathetic mate."
As Sasha finished speaking, a fog of sorts rolled through Andi's mind, muddling her thoughts. The insult of Ben, however, moved words to her mouth. "Ben's not pathetic."
The sour expression on Sasha's face turned dark, evil. "Shut your mouth when I'm talking to you. As I said, tell no one you're expecting word from Timothy and me. Follow the instructions you're given." A vindictive smile flashed across Sasha's lips. "And when you're back with your mate, I want you to act as if the chastity spell, the one that dropped when your parents died, remains in place. You should respect Daddy's wishes and remain celibate until you have a meaningless human wedding. If you survive that long."
Andi wanted to leap up and throttle Sasha, or at least tell her where she could stick the things she was saying, but her mind wouldn't work properly. Those little impulses in her brain that did work wouldn't trigger her body, so she had no choice but to sit here and listen to this awful woman.
"One more thing, Alexandria. You will like and trust both me and Timothy. You will be devoted to us. Now, I'm going to step back into the stacks, and when I return with your book, your conscious mind will forget this conversation. All you will remember is that I went in to get you a tome to help with your research of your parents. Your subconscious, however, will remember and obey."
As Sasha moved out of sight, Andi shook her head to clear the cobwebs. No, she wouldn't forget, and she certainly wouldn't obey. As to whom she could trust to tell, besides Ben, of course, she didn't know, but she wouldn't forget. She couldn't. This was too important.
Sasha walked out with a large book in her hands and a sweet smile on her face. Something popped in Andi's mind like a soap bubble. What had she been thinking about? Probably Ben. Wasn't that where her thoughts always went when she wasn't focused on anything else?
"Here it is, right where I remembered." Sasha lay the book down in front of Andi. In black lettering across a stark white cover read, Modern Assassins and Adventurers for the Dragon Council. No picture, author, or anything else. Just the title. "It's an interesting read, one I'm sure you'll enjoy. And don't worry, dear, your parents were among the latter, not the former, as you'll see."
Andi stared at the cover, fighting back tears of gratitude. When she felt she had control of her emotions, she looked up at the smiling Sasha and said, "Thank you." She didn't trust herself at the moment to say anything else.
Sasha reached over and patted her forearm. "Of course. It's the least I can do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must run. Timothy will be waiting." She stood and started for the door.
"Wait! You're not staying?" She'd been so lonely these three months, and now she'd found a friend in Sasha.
"I'm afraid not. We have responsibilities at home, but we'll be back soon, I promise. Okay?"
Andi nodded and again blinked back tears.
Sasha smiled, said goodbye, and left. Andi stared at the closed door for a few moments before turning her attention to the book. Tentatively, as if it would snap at her fingers, she reached to open it.
Chapter 6
Felix conjured up small targets that looked like feathers and sent them floating haphazardly around the room. Ben, blindfolded, had to sense where each was and blast it with a bolt of dark energy. In order to accomplish this, he had to sense the bits of evil in the air. Felix wasn't evil, but the magic necromancy created carried that taint. It didn't mean it would corrupt a wizard who used it, unless he or she let it. Felix hadn't, and there was no way Ben would let it consume him, either.
"Well done," Felix said as Ben eradicated the last target. "You can work on your speed, but your accuracy is phenomenal."
Ben slid the blindfold off, and Felix tossed him a sports drink. He wasn't sweaty, but the sodium in it helped the recovery of magical energy. They plopped down and leaned against the far wall of Cassie's training room. It was funny how, after these three long months, he still thought of it as Cassie's. He took a deep breath. How was Andi holding up with the loss of her p
arents? He missed her so much that he often forgot that aspect of this whole situation. It had been mere hours after they'd been killed that Andi had been abducted.
Another thought popped into his mind. What if he had been struck down instead of her parents? Would he be able to resurrect himself, and hopefully Andi? If she died instead of him, would they be dead for good? The necromantic pirate captain had buried those questions in his mind on Christmas Eve night, and when he wasn't pining for Andi, that's where his thoughts invariably went. He'd yet to bring them up with Felix, and, really, he had no idea why. No better time than the present, right?
"Hey, Felix, do you know much about resurrection?"
"A little bit. What brought that on?"
"I don't know. It's something I think about. At least when I'm not thinking about Andi. That pirate captain we got the map to the Realm of Nightmares originally told me about it. Not that he said much."
"And I'm sure everything he said was trustworthy." He nudged Ben with his elbow.
"Probably not. Basically all he said was that if he killed me, I'd be able to resurrect, but if Andi died first, I wouldn't. Plus, no matter what I did to him, he'd be able to come back."
"Except for eradicating his soul. He didn't see that coming."
Ben shrugged. "I had no clue I could do it, so I guess he didn't think it would happen."
"If he still existed, I bet he'd be a bit more careful if he faced you today. Did he say anything else?"
Ben thought back. "Not really. He kept mentioning his realm, though, like it gave him a home field advantage or something."
"Ah, maybe his realm held different magical properties. If he killed you in most realms in the multiverse, you wouldn't have the knowledge to resurrect." He paused and stared at Ben, his mouth pursed in concentration.