Legend of the Sorcerer

by Donna Kauffman

  “I believe so.” She looked again at the beginnings of the sculpture. “This here is further proof. You know where the slumbering creatures lay.”

  “I’m a sculptor. Finding the creatures, as you say, is what I do. I don’t know that there’s anything particularly magical about it. This one is barely begun.”

  Dilys’ smile remained intact as she covered the dragon back up. “Ye’ve been through a lot in your young life, Mistress Jordalyn. Enough to thwart a trusting nature such as yours. And yet, you still want to believe. That is why I’ve come.”

  Jordy looked at Fred, then back at her. “How did you fix Fred’s tail?”

  “Are you asking because you are ready to know?”

  She wasn’t sure of any such thing. Dilys was right about one thing though. What had happened with Suzanne had made her less likely to trust anyone but herself. And yet the L’Baan men had gained her trust in precious little time.

  “They are deserving of it,” Dilys said, as if reading her thoughts.

  The idea that she might be doing just that spooked Jordy into backing up a step. This whole thing was making her more than a little edgy. “I was looking for you. Before I came out here.”

  She nodded, her knowing smile doing nothing to calm Jordy’s jumping nerves.

  “Do you have the key?”

  “Aye.”

  Jordy rubbed her suddenly sweaty palms along the sides of her shorts. Now what?

  “What is it ye seek there?”

  “Proof. About Isolde.”

  Dilys laughed, startling her with the rich, deep sound.

  “The most important possessions one owns are the least tangible. Faith, hope, trust.” She walked to Jordy and laid her hand over her own. Her palm was warm, her fingers were strong, and Jordy felt oddly reassured in her presence.

  “What you need is in here.” She tapped Jordy’s chest, right over her heart. “Ye only need this”—she tapped her forehead—“to guide it.” She turned to leave.

  “Wait! What are you saying we should do?”

  Dilys turned. “I believe you’ve been shown the path.”

  Jordy thought back over what Alfred had said. “You mean about finding Isolde?”

  “I mean about finding the Dark Pearl. Ye must retrieve it, bring it home to him. He’ll need the strength only the Pearl can give him if he is to defeat Isolde this final time.”

  “The Dark Pearl?”

  Dilys’ smile was not unkind, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes now. “Faith, hope, trust. Those are the only tools you’ll need.” Her hand was on the doorknob. “That and a passport.”

  “But—”

  She was gone.

  She couldn’t be serious. Jordy turned back and stared helplessly at Fred. He was swimming in circles.

  Right side up.

  I thought you needed a sign.

  “She wants us to what?”

  Jordy sat down across from Cai. “She wants us to go to Wales and retrieve the Dark Pearl for Alfred.”

  Cai started to speak, then stopped and sat heavily in his chair. It was all too much. His family was falling apart around him. Someone had to be the voice of reason.

  “What should we do?” she asked.

  “You should sculpt, I should write, and Dilys should continue to take care of Alfred.”

  “Oh, fine. And when we take our heads out of the sand, and acknowledge this won’t go away on its own, then what?”

  “Then I get him help, that’s what!” Cai spun his chair around and lunged out of it. “What the hell do you want me to do, Jordy, huh? My grandfather has slipped permanently into la-la land and Dilys is on the track right behind him. You can’t expect us to go hopscotching halfway around the world on some wild fantasy chase after a magic pearl.” And yet he feared that was the only path left to them. Maybe some part of him had known it all along.

  Cai stopped pacing. “No matter what else happens at this point, Alfred’s not going to rest until he feels it has been taken care of his way.”

  “So, what do you suggest?” she asked.

  “I don’t have any answers. I just keep getting more confused.”

  “Me, too.” She went to him, tugged at his crossed arms until he let her in. “I want to help him, too. Do what’s best. I wish it were easier to figure out what that means.”

  Cai held her cheek to his shoulder and rested his head on hers. They stood that way, drawing comfort from one another, for several silent moments. Maybe this was all family could do in a case like this, stay close and draw comfort from one another.

  The fact that she considered herself family at this point was not lost on her, nor was the warm way it made her feel. These weren’t the best of family times, but a real family didn’t only rally in the good times. She wanted to be a real part of this family. Maybe she was finding that new path after all.

  “There’s something else I have to tell you,” she said into the comfort of his shoulder. “Dilys did something else today.” She felt him stiffen. “She called it a sign.”

  Cai leaned back. “What are you talking about?”

  She looked him in the eye. “She fixed Fred.”

  Clearly surprised, Cai took a moment to respond. “Fixed Fred? As in … like, neutered? I didn’t know you could fix a fish. And what in the hell for?”

  Jordy laughed. It felt good after a day of heavy emotions. “No, no, not that way. She fixed his tail. He’s swimming right side up, or was when I left him.”

  “How on earth did she do that?”

  “I asked her and she said ‘it’s easy if you know the right words.’ I think she meant … you know … a spell.”

  Cai groaned. “Not this again.”

  Jordy stepped back. “Well, there’s no denying that whatever she did, Fred is swimming upright for the first time ever. His tail is still a bit crooked, but come on, this isn’t a normal type achievement here.”

  “And she said this was a sign?”

  Jordy nodded. “To help me follow my instincts and believe what Alfred says. Then she asked me to go to Wales and retrieve the Pearl.”

  “I suppose this is so she and Alfred can say some kind of incantation over it and make the evil Isolde go away? Did she give you a treasure map with a big X on it, too? I can’t do this anymore today, Jordy. I’m tapped out on playing Fantasy Island. I’m glad Fred is fixed, but I’m not buying into the rest of it.”

  “Precisely what she predicted.” Jordy shivered.

  “And your job is to do what,” Cai went on sarcastically, “seduce me into going to Wales with you?”

  “I know you’re upset, but that was low and totally uncalled for.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Which is why maybe we should just leave it be for right now. Okay? Just get back to the status quo for a bit, let things sort themselves out.”

  “Toddle off to the cottage and play with my clay, is that it?” She stalked to the door. “Men.” And slammed it shut behind her.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Cai ran down the path to the cottage. His heart was pounding, and panic began to swell inside him. “Slow down,” he schooled himself. “I’m sure they’re both there.”

  They had to be.

  He hadn’t seen Jordy since she’d stormed out of his office the previous afternoon. She’d missed dinner. Dilys had told him she was working late. She’d still been out there when he went to bed. He’d woken up alone. She hadn’t been on the dock at daybreak for their morning cruise, either. So he’d gone on his own.

  He hated having her angry with him. He’d barely made it around the Key when he’d turned back, intent on apologizing. He’d taken a shortcut he hadn’t used in years. It was only because he was in a hurry that he’d even remembered it. The mangroves were overgrown and a real bitch to maneuver in.

  It was there he’d spied the boat.

  Little bastard had been out there the whole time. And Cai had been doing just what Jordy accused him of, burying his head in the sand, wis
hing the whole thing would go away.

  Then, to top off the morning, he’d arrived back at Crystal Key to find a boat gone. He’d told himself it was no big deal, probably just Dilys running an errand. But the whole house had been empty. Once he’d got over the shock of not finding Alfred in bed, he’d convinced himself that he would most likely be with Jordy in the cottage. Dear God, let that be the case.

  He rapped on the door.

  His heart stopped, then started again when Jordy cracked the door open and peered out. Her hair was literally standing on end in ragged spikes. Her face was smudged with dusty dried clay. She wore baggy khaki shorts that rode low on her hips and a loose, midriff-baring tank top. There were circles under her eyes. She was the most beautiful sight in the world to him.

  “Thank God you’re okay.”

  There might be dark smudges under her eyes, but they exuded that inner fire she had when she’d been focused on a task. She didn’t look too happy at being distracted from it. “What? Why wouldn’t I be?”

  All he could think about was pulling her tightly into his arms and begging her forgiveness for putting her in danger’s way. He didn’t want to alarm her, but he’d have to tell her about the boat.

  “I was just worried. You weren’t on the docks this morning.” He touched her then, had to, just a trace of a finger down her clay-smudged cheek. “I’m sorry, Jordy. More sorry than I can possibly say.”

  The abstract look faded from her eyes. “I’m sorry, too, Cai. I know this is difficult for you. I just get impatient.”

  “I think we should talk to Alfred about all this again. Can I come in? He’s here, isn’t he?”

  “Alfred? Here? He’s not in his room?”

  The panic resurrected itself. “No. I was hoping he was out here with you.”

  She shook her head, as if to clear it, then stepped back from the doorway, opening it wider for him to come in.

  As disturbed as he was about Alfred’s whereabouts, Cai couldn’t help but be immediately drawn to the piece of sculpture that sat at the center stage in the small room. It could have commanded that spot in an auditorium.

  He walked past her and stared at it. “It’s …” Suddenly words failed him. He walked all around it in awe. After a long while, he looked at her. The fatigue showed clearly now, along with obvious discomfort. “He’s magnificent. You’re …” His gaze was drawn to the dragon. “You’re incredible.”

  “He’s not done,” was all she said. She pushed by him and flipped the plastic over the beast.

  As a writer, Cai understood the vulnerability that came with the feeling of someone looking over his shoulder while he was working. But it didn’t stop the hurt he felt at being so cleanly shut out. Not that he deserved her trust right now. “I’m sorry,” he said. “About everything. I wouldn’t have intruded. But we have to talk. It’s important. We’ve got to find Alfred, first.”

  Jordy’s irritation fled as concern filled her face. “You say he’s not in the house anywhere? What about Dilys? Could they be off somewhere together? Did you check his office?”

  “I checked everywhere. Dilys isn’t home. One of the boats is gone, so I figure she’s in Mangrove.”

  “Could he have gone with her?”

  Dread doubled up like a fist in his stomach. What if Alfred had collapsed again? Or worse. “Oh God.” He turned and took off at a run.

  Jordy was hot on his heels. “Wait, I’m barefoot, I can’t keep up.”

  “I’ve got to call Dr. Fashel.” He never should have taken the jet boat out alone. He should have been here.

  Jordy caught up with him in the kitchen.

  “No note.” There’d been none in his office either. “Run to my room and check for a note while I call Frank.”

  Clearly alarmed, she did as he asked without questioning him. She came running back as he hung up the phone. “Nothing.”

  “Damn!” Cai dug his fingers into his hair. “Fashel’s secretary says he’s been gone all morning and there was no call from Dilys.” He called information and then dialed the number for the closest hospital. He argued with the admissions nurse, then, frowning, he hung up. “He hasn’t been admitted and there’s no record of him in emergency.” He swore viciously under his breath. “I should have been here, dammit!”

  “You couldn’t possibly have known—”

  “I found the delivery boat this morning, Jordy. The son of a bitch has been out there watching us the whole time.”

  Jordy sank into the nearest chair. “You don’t actually think that he … that someone came right on the island and—” She broke off and covered her mouth with her hand.

  “I don’t know what to think. The boat was tied up in the mangroves, but empty. I’m not sure where he was.” He slammed a fist on the counter. “Damn it to hell, how could I have been so arrogant to think I could handle this.”

  Jordy went to him and held his face in her hands. “Stop it, this isn’t going to help them.”

  He looked down into her eyes, feeling like a failure. “I left him alone, Jordy. And you. Dear God, she could have tried to do what she threatened to do. When I couldn’t find you—” He buried his face in her hair.

  Jordy tensed. “What do you mean, threatened to do?” She pulled from his grasp and looked up at him. “What didn’t you tell me, Cai?”

  The time for protecting her was over. Little good it had done him anyway. “I should have told you, I know that now, Jordy. I was stupidly trying to protect you, to protect Alfred, oh hell.” He rounded away from her and stalked to the window. “Margaron sent an e-mail almost a week ago. Apparently our deliveryman passed on word of your existence to her. She wasn’t happy.” He slammed his palm against the wall. “And I’ve been parading you under his nose all week. I should have sent you home to Virginia, but no. I thought you’d be better off with me. Goddamn it, how much more of an ass could I have been!”

  “Stop it!” Jordy yelled. “Stop. It’s done. I’m here, I’m okay.”

  He turned on her, strode across the room, and took hold of her arms. “I was selfish. I wanted you with me, for myself, for Alfred, for your art, for all the wrong reasons. I should have sent you home, Jordy.”

  She looked him dead in the eye. “I wouldn’t have gone, Cai. But you’re right, you should have told me.”

  “Do you have any idea how much I care about you?” he asked bleakly. “It makes my heart hurt, makes my head stupid.” She smiled a little at that and he relaxed a fraction. He kissed her then, and his world tilted a bit closer to center. “I want to do the right thing, Jordy,” he murmured against her mouth. “By you, by me, by all of us.”

  “Then let me help you instead of trying to take this on all alone. When will you realize that I’m not a burden to be shouldered, but a woman who can share the burdens with you?”

  “Maybe now.” He held her tight.

  She reached up and kissed him again. “I’m not going anywhere, Malacai L’Baan. I’m in this for the long haul. Get used to it.”

  “Maybe that’s just it, it’s very easy to get used to you being here. Always.”

  She faltered a bit at that and he felt the pinch of pain around his heart. Now was not the time to pressure her for future plans.

  “You said a boat was gone,” she said. “Something tells me our deliveryman isn’t involved in this little caper of theirs. I can’t see him ordering Dilys to do anything she doesn’t want to do. And if Alfred had become sick again, she’d have come to the cottage and told me, or left a note.” She took his hand. “Come on, there has to be a note somewhere around here. Dilys wouldn’t have just left without a note, no matter what the circumstances.” Her eyes widened and she turned back to Cai. “Oh, God! You don’t think … They wouldn’t do it themselves, would they?”

  “Do what?”

  “Go to Wales. To get the Pearl. They wouldn’t up and go there on their own, would they?” She put her hand to her forehead, understanding dawning in her eyes. “That’s what Alfred wanted Dilys to
do! When I heard them arguing. He wanted her to help him retrieve the Dark Pearl.” Cai didn’t want to believe it, but even before he left the kitchen to search Alfred’s room, he had a sick feeling that was exactly what had happened.

  He stared into Alfred’s closet. Clothes were missing, as were two of his suitcases. “Shit!”

  Jordy picked up the phone on the nightstand.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “Dobs.”

  Cai started to question her, then nodded in approval. “Good thinking.” He had to calm down, try to stop worrying so much, it was clouding his judgment.

  She hung up moments later. “The boat is there, but he was out fishing this morning. It was in the slip when he got back. He doesn’t know anything.”

  Cai grabbed the phone and punched in information, then called the airport in Miami. Minutes later he slammed the phone down. “Only one flight to London this evening that wasn’t already booked up. They wouldn’t tell me if Dilys or Alfred is on the list of passengers.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on, we have to go check. There’s time to get there before they board.”

  The phone rang and they both jumped. Cai picked it up. It was Kuhn.

  “We want to come down there and talk to you,” he said without preamble. “This afternoon. Your grandfather, too.”

  Cai’s gut tightened. “I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible. Listen—”

  “You don’t have a choice in this matter, L’Baan. We’ve traced the meaning of the tattoo. It dates back to the Dark Ages. Your grandfather is an expert in that area, isn’t he?”

  The suspicious tone sent the hairs on the back of Cai’s neck standing on end. Kuhn suspected Alfred now? This he did not need. Not now. Thinking quickly, he said, “There has been a new development. I was just about to call you.”

  “Oh?” The suspicious tone increased, making Cai want to throttle him. “And what new development would that be?”

  Cai reined in his temper and spoke as clearly as he could. There was no time to waste. “We’re being watched. I found a boat in the mangroves just off the Key less than an hour ago. It’s the same boat that the deliveryman used to bring me the crate containing the statue.”