Lacy turned and saw the wall for the first time, a hundred feet tall and as sheer as a cliff. From the light at the other end of the tunnel, she could only guess that it was a hundred feet thick as well. She turned completely away from the greeting committee and stared in wonder at the massive fortification. Phane silently stepped up beside her, smiling in feigned wonder.
“How?”
“In truth, I don’t really know,” Phane said. “These walls were built long ago, though I suspect magic played a role.”
“If we’d had walls like these, my people would have survived Zuhl’s barbarity.”
“Lacy, let me take a look at your hand.”
She frowned, hesitating for only a moment before holding up her broken hand for him to examine.
He was gentle, cringing when his probing caused her the slightest twinge of pain. After a moment, he nodded to himself, waving his hand at the open air beside them. A door opened with a soft pop.
Lacy gasped in surprise. She’d seen magic since her ordeal had begun but nothing like this. Phane smiled, stepping into his Wizard’s Den and motioning for her to wait where she was. After a few moments of rummaging around, he returned, the door vanishing a moment later.
“Drink this,” he said, holding out a vial of pale liquid. “It will numb the pain so I can heal your hand.”
She looked at her broken, deformed hand, then back at him, hope shining in her eyes. “You can do that?”
“I can indeed, but it will be a very unpleasant experience without this,” Phane said, holding out the vial.
Lacy nodded, drinking the contents quickly, then turning her nose up at the bitter taste.
“I know it tastes bad, but I assure you it will ease the pain. Come, sit with me,” he said, motioning to the steps of the gazebo. When they were comfortably seated, he held up a white bandage and started to unwind it. “This is a very special bandage,” he said. “It will straighten the broken bones in your hand and then mend them correctly. By tomorrow morning, your hand should be fully healed.”
“Really?” Lacy asked, feeling a slight dizziness come over her.
“Indeed. Now, give me your hand.”
The rest of Lacy’s day was a blur. After Phane wrapped the bandage around her broken hand, he guided her back to the carriage before bidding her goodbye and entrusting her to Captain Erato. Drogan was gone, but his absence seemed like more of a curiosity than anything else.
Rolling down the street in the back of the carriage, she could feel the bones in her hand begin to move. Somewhere very far away, she knew she should be in pain, but she wasn’t, or more precisely, she didn’t seem to care.
Erato drove the carriage into the courtyard of a beautiful house and escorted her inside. A staff of ten met her in the foyer. They treated her like a queen, bowing and averting their eyes as if she might bite. She would have giggled except nothing seemed real.
One of the servants led her to a lavishly decorated room with a bed even bigger and softer than the one she’d left behind in Fellenden. The last thing she remembered was the servant helping her take off her boots. Then she woke to the light of dawn.
At first she didn’t even notice. Then it hit her; her hand was healed. It didn’t hurt anymore—not even a little bit. A weight lifted and sudden relief washed over her. She had tried to come to terms with her injury, but all she’d really done was deny the crippling nature of it, until now. Now that her hand was healed, the fear of lifelong suffering she might have endured faded away, leaving only gratitude.
She opened the door leading from her bedroom with a smile and found a young woman waiting for her there.
“Would you like a hot bath, My Lady?”
Lacy closed her eyes, trying not to cry. It had been so long since she’d felt safe, let alone clean. She nodded enthusiastically.
***
“My dear Princess, you are a vision of loveliness,” Phane said with a wide smile and a deep bow.
She had spent the day surrounded by dozens of servants as they fussed over her new dress. In her former life, Lacy would have thoroughly enjoyed the attention, but now, after all that had happened, it seemed so unnecessary, so frivolous.
People were dying and she was being pampered like a princess. She had tried to just accept the first dress offered, but the seamstress would have none of it. After several hours of trying on dozens of dresses, Lacy found herself caught up in the process like her old self, only to have reality return with a jolt of guilt.
She was a princess. And that had taken on a whole new meaning. In the past, her title had meant that everything she wanted was offered, that everything she needed was provided, that she needn’t lift a finger in her own service. Now she understood. Her station was not a privilege but a sacred burden, a duty to preserve and protect her people no matter the cost to herself.
While Captain Erato drove the carriage to Prince Phane’s banquet hall, Lacy reminded herself to be cautious. All evidence to the contrary, she couldn’t help feeling that events were out of her control, that there was some larger game being played and that she didn’t understand the rules.
The banquet hall was magnificent. Crystal chandeliers filled the long, high room with light, and minstrels filled the air with music over the murmur of the crowd. At a glance, most of the men in the room appeared to be Regency officers and the women, their wives.
The evening started with a receiving line, Phane leading her past each and every officer in attendance. By the time they were seated, Lacy’s head was swirling with new names and faces. The officers were mostly dour and serious men, many wearing battle scars like badges of honor. Their wives were another matter. Lacy was ashamed to realize that she saw much of her former self in them. None of them seemed the least bit interested in the historic events unfolding across the Seven Isles, focusing instead on clothes and jewelry, gossip, and their husband’s place in the pecking order.
The meal was elaborate and long, each course an attempt to showcase the wealth of her host, though she had to admit, some of the food was quite good. Mostly, Lacy endured the evening, biding her time until she could speak with Phane alone and make her case for transport to Ithilian.
Her time came late in the evening after all of the courses had been served and the guests were mingling. Phane drew her aside and offered her a glass of warm liqueur that smelled of cinnamon. They sat in a pair of comfortable chairs in an alcove off to the side of the banquet hall.
Phane smiled disarmingly. “I trust the cuisine was to your liking,” he said.
“Everything was delicious. I wanted to thank you for healing my hand. I’ve been in pain for so long that I forgot what if feels like to be whole.”
“You are most welcome,” Phane said. “If I may ask, what led you to leave Fellenden?”
Lacy’s mind raced. She realized once again that she was out of her depth and had made no plans for questions like this one. While Phane had been nothing but kind and hospitable, she couldn’t help remembering all of the old stories about the Reishi Prince, how he had brought down whole kingdoms with a well-placed lie. She wasn’t ready to trust him with her greatest secret, even though she suspected that he already knew all about it.
“I was fleeing Zuhl’s soldiers,” she said. “When they came, my father sent me to Ithilian, hoping I would be safe there, but I never made it. Zuhl captured me and Drogan at sea. I’d all but given up when your warships rescued us.”
“That must have been such an awful ordeal,” Phane said. “I’m just grateful that my people were in a position to help you.”
“Me too. Thank you,” Lacy said, pausing to gather her courage before making her request. “I need to get to Ithilian. Will you help me?”
“Of course, of course. It’s just that the oceans are very dangerous right now. Between Zuhl’s fleet and the Reishi Protectorate Navy, not to mention the pirates of Tyr, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee your safety. At least, not yet anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I’ve been building warships all winter, but my fleet isn’t quite ready yet. Once it is, I’ll be able to send you to Ithilian aboard an armada capable of fending off any of our enemies.”
Lacy frowned, staring into her rapidly cooling drink. It sounded so plausible.
“You spoke of something dark chasing you,” Phane prodded gently.
Lacy nodded, her mind focusing on the next lie she was going to tell. “When the soldiers came, they offered us peace if my father would give me over to them. He refused, and I think that made Zuhl mad. He’s sent soldiers, dragons, and demons after me ever since. One in particular is especially terrifying. It took control of the wizard I was traveling with and eventually killed him. It said its name is Rankosi.”
Phane sat forward urgently, slightly wild-eyed. “Hush. Don’t ever speak that name aloud … it can hear you,” he whispered, scanning the room.
“What do you mean?” Lacy asked, fear flooding into her belly.
“The creature you speak of is terribly dangerous,” Phane said, shaking his head in dismay. “If Zuhl can summon a shade, then things are much worse than I feared.”
“What’s a shade?”
“There are three of them, brothers, agents of the netherworld, lieutenants of the Master himself,” Phane whispered. “Sadly, my father used them to terrible effect in the war. Of all the things he ever summoned from the depths of darkness, the shades were the worst. If Zuhl has discovered the means of summoning such a creature, then he’s become far more powerful than I thought.”
“Can you defeat him?” Lacy asked.
“I don’t know,” Phane said after a long pause, shaking his head sadly. “I’m doing all that I can to stand against his unprovoked aggression, but his army is vast and his power … well, I just don’t know.”
“But there must be a way,” Lacy said. “So many people are suffering. There has to be a way.”
“I know how you feel,” Phane said, swallowing his sadness with visible effort. “I’d like to show you something.” He stood, pausing to collect his emotions before opening his Wizard’s Den, taking her by the hand and leading her into the little room.
“This is a very special mirror, made for me as a gift a long time ago. With it, I can see across great distances.” He touched the frame and the surface of the mirror shimmered. He concentrated and the image came into focus over Fellenden, rapidly narrowing in on the capital city. Lacy gasped when she saw the scope of destruction that had befallen her home, but then the image came into focus again and she put her hand over her mouth, tears falling from her eyes when she saw her brother.
“He’s alive!”
A weight she didn’t even know she’d been carrying lifted, leaving her feeling light and hopeful for the first time in a long time.
“Yes, and he’s done quite well for your people,” Phane said. “The woman seated at the head of the table is my cousin, Queen Abigail Ruatha. She’s leading my army against Zuhl’s invasion of Fellenden, with significant success, I must say.
“Listen …” he touched the mirror and Lacy heard her brother speak.
“I would have Fellenden’s legions lead the attack.”
“Torin, your people have been through so much,” Abigail said. “I’m impressed that you’ve been able to assemble four legions in such short order, but they aren’t well trained and they have little experience.”
“This is our home,” Torin said. “What our people lack in experience, they’ll more than make up for in commitment to victory.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Abigail said. “If you throw your people against the walls of Irondale, thousands will die and we can’t afford that. We’re terribly outnumbered and we need every single soldier we have to survive the day so they can stand with us in the next battle, and the one after that. I know you want blood—if your legions lead this attack, I fear you will have it.”
“I concur with Lady Abigail,” Magda said.
“As do I,” Conner said. “We don’t have to fight the enemy, we just have to kill them. That’s something Alex—”
Phane touched the frame quickly and the image vanished.
“Who was the older woman?” Lacy asked, reaching for the empty mirror as if she might touch her brother’s face.
“Magda Reishi,” Phane said. “She’s not actually of Reishi blood, but by long tradition, her coven takes the name to honor my mother, the founder of her order.”
“They’re planning an attack,” Lacy said. “How could Torin have raised four legions? Our father only had one legion and most of them died when Zuhl attacked.”
“You’d be surprised what people will do when faced with annihilation,” Phane said. “I have great faith in Abigail. She’ll lead them to victory … at least in this battle.”
“She seems so strong,” Lacy said. “She can’t be more than a year older than I am.”
“I’m very proud of her,” Phane said. “For one so young to stand so bravely in the face of such horror … well, it’s inspiring. But even with the sacrifices of so many good people, I fear it won’t be enough. If only …” He stopped, turning slightly away from her and shaking his head.
“Yes? If only what?”
With a gesture, the door to his Wizard’s Den closed. “What I’m about to tell you must remain a secret,” he said, facing her intently. “If Zuhl were to learn of this … I shudder to think.”
Phane took a deep breath and held it for a moment before nodding to himself and sighing in resignation. “My father created a device called the Nether Gate. A dark and evil creation to be sure, but possessed of such power that I believe it may be the only way to defeat Zuhl. I’m wary of it, afraid even, but I can’t think of an alternative, especially if Zuhl has learned how to summon the shades.”
Lacy felt a chill crawl up her spine, beads of sweat suddenly rolling down her back.
“What does it do?” she asked, fearing the answer.
“It opens a gate to the netherworld,” Phane said, holding her eyes with his.
Lacy shook her head in horror, taking an involuntary step back, entirely unable to disguise her feelings. “How would that help anyone?”
“I understand your fear and I share it,” Phane said. “Believe me when I tell you that I’ve seen enough darkness to last several lifetimes. I would never suggest such a thing lightly. The Nether Gate allows the person who opens it to control the creatures brought forth and then send them back where they belong. With such power, I could end Zuhl’s reign of terror in short order.” He turned away in exasperation, shaking his head and looking at the ceiling. “Unfortunately, I only have two of the three keystones I need to open it.”
A thrill of pure terror raced through Lacy at the mention of the keystone, the very same item that Rankosi was searching for and believed to be contained in the box she was carrying. All of the ramifications of failing her task tumbled through her mind. In the wrong hands, such power could end the world. Even in the right hands, little good could come from the netherworld. The weight of her burden magnified tenfold in that moment. Her father had impressed upon her the importance of her task. Only now did she fully comprehend just how much he had entrusted her with.
Phane was watching her reaction intently, scrutinizing her every gesture. The stories of his legendary deceit played in the back of her mind. She schooled her emotions, willing steadiness into her voice.
“Do you know where the last keystone is?”
“I have my suspicions,” he said, “but it’s been shielded by powerful magic. Even with my mirror, I’ve been unable to find it.”
“Maybe that’s for the best,” Lacy said. “It sounds so dangerous.” Her knees began to tremble.
“Indeed it is,” Phane said. “And perhaps you’re right. To my knowledge, my father never actually opened the Nether Gate, so there’s no telling what would happen. Tragically, without it, Zuhl will surely wear the world down, starting with the Isle of Fellenden.”
He touched the
mirror frame again and the scene changed, showing the vast horde of soldiers assembled near Crescent Bay on the Isle of Zuhl.
“He has so many soldiers,” Phane said, shaking his head in dismay. “Worse, he’s built ships from your own Iron Oak Forest capable of delivering his armies to any shore in the world.” The scene shifted to five enormous warships being loaded with supplies and soldiers. “His port is nearly thawed. It won’t be long before his army spreads over the Seven Isles like a plague.”
Lacy knew Zuhl had a big army, but she never imagined such a horde. She didn’t know there were that many people in all the world, let alone soldiers preparing to invade her home. Seeing the vastness of the enemy’s numbers, she began to wonder if maybe the Nether Gate was the only path to salvation.
“I apologize, Lacy. I meant for this to be a light and joyous evening and I’ve ruined it with talk of war. Can you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Lacy said. “People depend on the decisions we make for their very lives. Our focus should be on their protection rather than our own comfort.”
“Spoken like a true princess,” Phane said with a warm smile. “So many who aspire to power do so for the wrong reasons. It’s refreshing to find a kindred spirit in you. Perhaps together we’ll find a way to defeat Zuhl without enlisting the aid of the netherworld.”
Lacy’s mind swirled with questions during her ride back to her quarters. Phane had been nothing but hospitable, he’d healed her crippled hand, and he’d made her feel safe for the first time in a long time. And yet, the first thing on his mind was the Nether Gate and by extension the box she was secretly carrying.
After returning to her bedroom and changing out of her dress, she dismissed her staff and found her pack, still stuffed under her bed where she’d left it. She pulled the black box from its hiding place. Such a small thing, and yet it contained the future of the entire world. She looked at the box closely, frowning for a moment. She’d been carrying it for so long but had only really looked at it closely once or twice … and this time it seemed somehow different. Unable to place her odd feeling, she deliberately hardened her resolve, wrapping the box carefully before putting it back in her pack.
Linkershim (Sovereign of the Seven Isles: Book Six) Page 8