The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  As the procession left the forest and approached the road that led to the castle, Glendymere spoke privately with Kevin. “Sorry you had to step in so quickly, but you knew you wouldn’t have a lot of time to spare. How are things going?”

  “All right, I guess, thanks to Laryn. I do have a question though. Can another sorcerer block my seeing eye? I hadn’t thought about that until we rode out to the burial site earlier this week I didn’t see anyone around, but I had the feeling that we were being watched.”

  “I imagine there were some brownies in the area and those were the eyes you felt. I’ve never heard of any way to block the seeing eye other than to cast a net, and you would have seen that,” Glendymere answered. “Now, unless you need me to hang around here, I’m going to head back towards Willow Canyon.”

  “Wish I could go with you,” Kevin said wistfully. Then he added, “Would you ask Tyree if he would mind joining us as soon as possible? I know he said he’d come next fall, but we could use his expertise now.”

  “I thought you might feel that way. I dropped him off at his home on my way here. He should be here in a couple of weeks.”

  “Thanks, and have a good trip home,” Kevin said as the dragon began to climb into the sky.

  Right before he vanished into the clouds, Glendymere said, “Myron, the power flows strong within you, probably stronger than you realize, and the stronger the power, the greater the danger of treachery. Be careful. Watch your back.”

  Chapter 51

  Saturday Night, March 23

  Earlier that morning, while Rolan was waiting for the funeral procession to begin, he observed the other seated sorcerers’ reactions as they watched the young man who was to be the next Master Sorcerer take his place behind his father’s coffin. Damien looked intensely relieved, Gwendolyn looked apoplectic, and the others fell somewhere in between. Rolan wondered what their reactions would have been had they seen what he saw earlier that morning.

  Around daybreak, Rolan had made his way through the woods to a vantage point across the river from the back of the castle. His intention had been to find his source and pump him for details about Myron, but he’d ended up having a ringside seat for the sorcerer’s morning exercises. At first Rolan laughed to himself that the Master Sorcerer of Terah was such a novice that he was still doing drills, but the laughter died in his throat when he realized that Myron was every bit as powerful as the stories claimed, if not more so.

  Later, on the way back from the burial site, Rolan lingered around the refreshment tables near the castle and eavesdropped as the castle staff answered questions about the new Seated Sorcerer of Camden. He sneered when he heard the obstacle to his plans described as considerate, polite, and kind. Hardly the qualities needed by a ruler.

  After a few minutes, Rolan figured he’d heard all he was going to hear, so he used his key to return to his office in Trendon.

  He was annoyed to find Captain Yardner waiting for him.

  “Sir, I hate to bother you, but you had a visitor a few minutes ago and I promised her that I would deliver her message at the earliest possible moment,” Captain Yardner said.

  “Oh? And who was this visitor?”

  “Gwendolyn of Landoryn.”

  “Gwendolyn came here? Why?!” Rolan’s frown was so deep that his eyebrows met.

  “I’m not sure, sir, but she definitely wasn’t happy. She wants to see you, today.”

  “Who does that woman think she is?!” Rolan said, sitting down behind his desk. He drummed his fingers on the desk for a few moments. “She didn’t give you any idea what she wants?”

  “None, sir. All she said was, and I quote, ‘Tell him I want to see him, and I mean today,’ and she was gone.”

  Rolan frowned. “Strange. I’d ignore it except that I am rather curious. Well, you’ve delivered the message. Was there anything else you wanted?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Then you may go,” Rolan said as he settled back in his chair to think. “And tell my pages that I want my dinner brought here, and I do not want to be disturbed until it arrives.”

  “Very good, sir,” Captain Yardner said as he let himself out the door.

  As soon as he was alone, Rolan got up and started pacing. He knew exactly what Gwendolyn wanted and he needed to figure out how to handle her before he went to Landoryn. He had all but guaranteed her that Myron would not show up at the April council meeting, and now that she’d actually seen him, she was furious that he was still alive, and for that she blamed Rolan.

  It wasn’t that she particularly wanted Damien to become the new Master Sorcerer, or even the five slaves a month that Rolan had promised to deliver once Damien did. She was angry because she hated Badec and everything connected with the House of Nordin. Rolan wasn’t sure what was behind the animosity; it was possible that it went back several generations and was simply passed from one sorcerer of the House of Cornet to the next, along with Landoryn’s seat, but no matter what its source, it was a powerful hatred. And one that he didn’t want channeled in his direction.

  He was going to have to convince Gwendolyn that this did not mean that he had failed; it was just a minor setback. There were other options, and he’d be quick to point those out to her, as soon as he could figure out what they were.

  He was still pacing and trying to come up with a way to pacify her when his page knocked on the door to let him know his dinner had arrived. While he was eating, it hit him that the situation hadn’t really changed. Whether Myron took his seat at the April meeting or not, his death would still leave the chair vacant. There was no other heir. Everything could proceed as planned.

  All Gwendolyn had to do was be patient and give him time to arrange Myron’s death. That should be simple enough to accomplish now that he knew where Myron was, especially with Captain Garen already in the area.

  After he finished eating, he wrote a quick note to Captain Garen reminding him that he and his men were still responsible for Myron’s death and emphasizing the price of failure. Then he sent for Captain Yardner.

  “Send this to Captain Garen at once. At least now he can’t tell me that he doesn’t know where Myron is. He should be able to take care of his assignment within the next two weeks,” Rolan said as he handed the note to Captain Yardner.

  “Yes, sir. Anything else?”

  “I’m going to Landoryn now. It’s been a long day, and when I get back I want company waiting for me in my chambers. See to it.”

  “Any particular company? Or would you like someone new?”

  “Someone new, I think,” Rolan said with a smirk. “And pick her out yourself. The last one was a little hard on the eyes, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yes, sir,” Captain Yardner said as he walked out and shut the door.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Five minutes later Rolan was standing in Gwendolyn’s office, listening to her rant and rave about Myron. Finally, after she’d pretty much exhausted her anger, he said, “You know, nothing’s changed, Gwendolyn. He hasn’t taken the seat yet.”

  “What do you mean, nothing’s changed? Of course it’s changed! He’s the heir!”

  “But if anything happens to him, the chair will still be vacant. He has no heirs.”

  Gwendolyn paused and thought about that for a moment. “You’re right. All we have to do is get rid of him.”

  Rolan nodded. “And I have some men in Milhaven right now ready to do just that. They’ve been waiting until after the funeral to make their move.”

  “Good,” she said as she sat down and motioned him to a seat. “When do you expect to hear that it’s been done? Before the next council meeting, I hope.”

  Rolan nodded.

  “And just how sure are you that these men you have in place are going to be able to kill him? Are they sorcerers?”

  “No,” Rolan answered, “but he’s at home now. His guard is down. And I know that he goes outside by himself every morning to practice his magic. They can get him there, when he’s alone.
All the magic in the world won’t stop an arrow if you don’t see it coming.”

  Gwendolyn nodded. “That’s true.” Then she smiled a wicked smile. “Practicing his magic you say. Like drills?”

  Rolan grinned. “Just like the novice he is. But at the same time, his power really is strong, stronger than I’d expected at this point.”

  “That elven blood!” she spit out. “He should not be allowed on the council, and he wouldn’t be if it were up to the sorcerers today, but those fools hundreds of years ago decided to mark race by the father.”

  Rolan nodded and wondered if her hatred of everything that wasn’t human might be behind her feelings for the House of Nordin, or possibly it was the other way around. Her hatred for Badec’s family had led to her prejudices. Never mind. It didn’t really matter.

  “So, what’s your backup plan?”

  Rolan frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, there’s no guarantee that your men will succeed. What are you going to do if they don’t? If Myron makes it to the next meeting?”

  Rolan hesitated. He hadn’t thought that far.

  “Oh, I see. You don’t have one,” Gwendolyn said with a frown. “I guess I could challenge him.”

  Rolan considered letting her do that. He’d seen Myron’s magic. Unless he balked at the idea of killing, there was no way Gwendolyn or any of the other seated sorcerers could defeat him. But if Myron did freeze, and if Gwendolyn did become the Master Sorcerer, she’d find out about Earth and the key to the Gate would be in her hands. There would be no way he’d ever get his hands on it. No, that wouldn’t do at all.

  He shook his head and said, “You could, and I feel sure you’d win, but I thought you didn’t want to have to deal with the hassle of being Master Sorcerer.”

  “I don’t,” she admitted. “I just don’t want the House of Nordin to keep that chair.” She drummed her fingers on her desk and then broke into a wide grin. “I’ve got it. I won’t challenge him. I’ll trick him into attacking me!” She stood up and started pacing around her office. “Yes, that would do the trick.”

  “What?”

  “He’s Badec’s son. I bet he has all those same soppy notions about slavery that his father does. And I bet he’s got a soft spot for the sisters, too, and if I went after their pendants, I imagine he’d jump to their defense. After all, it’s Glendymere’s flame that burns inside them, and everyone knows how the House of Nordin feels towards that dragon. I’ll use that, too.”

  “To do what?” Rolan asked, frustrated that he didn’t know what was going on in her head.

  “Make him lose his temper, of course.”

  “What good will that do?”

  Gwendolyn sat down and folded her hands on top of her desk. “If I can make him angry enough, I bet he’ll throw an energy bolt in the council chamber.”

  Rolan narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. Then he slowly smiled. “And before he even realized what he’d done, half a dozen energy bolts would be back flying at him. Do you really think you could do it?”

  “No problem. I’ve had a lot of experience with young men and their tempers. My sons couldn’t stand to be yelled at or ordered around when they were that age, and they hadn’t been under anywhere near the pressure he’s been under. It’ll be easy to push him over the edge, and that’ll be the end of the House of Nordin. Even if he does manage to defend himself, he’ll be finished. No one could possibly object when we demand that he resign.” Gwendolyn leaned back in her chair and smiled. “That would be even better than his death. The House of Nordin forced out of the council in disgrace. I love it!”

  “Of course, he might not lose his temper,” Rolan cautioned. “I think I’ll still have my men kill him before the meeting.”

  Gwendolyn considered for a moment and then agreed. “But if he shows up at the meeting, he’s mine.”

  Chapter 52

  A Brief Respite

  By the time everyone who was not spending the night at the castle had gone, it was well after sunset. Kevin and Chris dragged themselves upstairs and collapsed on the couch in Kevin’s room, exhausted by the week as well as by the day.

  A few minutes later, Laryn knocked on the open door and said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m worn out. Let’s take tomorrow off.”

  “I’m all for that,” Kevin agreed, “and let’s give the staff the day off, too. We can set the leftover food out in the dining room and let everyone fend for themselves tomorrow.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll go tell Miranda to let her staff know that they don’t have to report tomorrow. What about the pages?”

  “They need a day off, too,” Kevin answered. “Housekeeping and grounds, too. The animals have to be cared for, but everything else can wait until Monday. Do you need any help letting everyone know?”

  “No. I’ll tell Neiven and Cryslyn on my way to the kitchen. They’ll take care of letting their staffs know, and I’ll tell the pages myself,” Laryn said as she shut Kevin’s door and headed back downstairs.

  “What happened when we got to the chapel today?” Chris asked once he and Kevin were alone again.

  Kevin told Chris about the dream he’d had Wednesday night and the conversation he’d had with Freddy that morning. “After Freddy said that Rolan meant me harm, I felt like I needed to know what he looked like, so I asked Laryn to point him out. While we were walking up to the chapel door, she told me where he was standing, and as I turned towards you, I spotted him. Our eyes locked and it was like the breath was knocked right out of me. He’s the man I saw fighting that woman in my dream. I just wish I could talk to Yvonne and find out if what I had was a vision.”

  “I knew a girl in New York who had visions. She said that most of the time she didn’t know the people involved. Sounds just like what happened to you. She thought they were just dreams, too, until she started paying attention to the newspaper.”

  “Do you think I saw something that’s already happened or something from the future?”

  “I have no idea, but if I were you, I’d assume it’s from the future,” Chris said with a shrug. “How old did you say the woman looked?”

  “Late twenties or so. Other than that, all I can say about her was that she had long red hair, but I’d recognize her if I saw her.”

  Chris thought for a moment and then he asked, “Do you remember the girl Taelor told Karl about? Tsareth’s youngest daughter. Rolan’s sister. What was her name?”

  “Landis,” Kevin said quietly.

  “Didn’t he say that she would be twenty-five next year?”

  Kevin nodded thoughtfully. After a couple of minutes he stood up, stretched, and said that he was going outside for a bit.

  As soon as Kevin reached the gardens behind the castle he called Xantha mentally. Finally he heard Xantha’s voice in his head. “Why don’t you come on up and meet me?”

  “I need to talk to you about something and that’s easier on the ground.”

  After a couple of minutes Xantha landed beside him. “Where are my oats? Don’t tell me you called me all the way over here just to talk and didn’t even bother to set out some food!”

  “Sorry. I didn’t think about it. Next time. Look, I’ve got a question. You told me that we have a mind link. Does that mean that you see everything I see?”

  “No.”

  “Well, if I have a picture of someone in my head, can you see it?”

  “If you visualize it, I’ll get an image.”

  “Okay. I want you to find someone for me. Taelor.”

  “Taelor?” Xantha asked. “Who’s Taelor?”

  “The guy who traveled with us for a couple of weeks last year. I’m sure I thought about him some, especially after he left in the middle of the night.”

  “You might have, but I don’t remember every little thing that flows into my head from yours. Unless there’s some kind of major emotion attached to it, it’s in one ear and out the other, as you used to say.”

  “Oh. Well
, he was an escaped slave, from Rolan’s castle. I need to get a message to him.”

  “All right. Where is he?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Xantha looked at Kevin for a couple of minutes, and then he said, “Now, let me see if I have this straight. You’re asking me to search for some guy that you knew a year ago, and all you know about him is that he’s an ex-slave named Taelor?”

  “Well, I can show you what he looks like. Of course, he was half-starved at the time, and his hair was a bit scraggly, but it should help,” Kevin said as he tried to bring up his memories of Taelor.

  “You’re trying too hard. Relax. Let the memory surface on its own.” A couple of minutes later, Xantha said, “So now I know what this guy looked like ten months ago, when he was in pretty bad shape. And you have no idea where he was headed, what he’s doing, or anything else about him, right?”

  “I think he was going to look for Tsareth’s youngest daughter, Landis. I don’t know for sure whether or not he’s found her, and to be honest, if he hasn’t found her, then none of this matters anyway, but I want you to tell him something for me – if you can find him and if he has Landis with him.”

  “So I’m looking for the girl, too? And all you know about her is her name?”

  “I know it sounds crazy, but Xantha, please! This is important.”

  Xantha lifted his head and stared straight into Kevin’s eyes without saying a word.

  After a minute Kevin said, “Once you’ve found someone that you think might be Taelor, you can scan his mind. If it’s Taelor he’ll have memories of us, especially of Theresa.”

  “You want me to search through the chaotic mess cluttering up his mind for some sign that he knew Theresa a year ago, and he only knew her for two weeks out of his whole life? Do you know how buried that memory will be?”