Mr. Vander grimaced at that. “Lord Elf. God, I hated that.”
“Er,” I said. “Should I call you…Lord Vander, then?”
“Just Mr. Vander,” said the Elf. He sighed. “That’s the happiest I’ve been in my life, as Mr. Vander. I teach shop and I work at Sergeant Bob’s. I go out for a fast food hamburger on Friday nights. There’s no death camps, no altars to the Void, no blood rites and spells.”
“You were an Archon,” said Riordan.
I looked at him, eyes wide. Nadia had killed an Archon during the attack in September. Two more of them had attacked the Marneys’ house, and they would have killed us all, but Lord Morvilind had slaughtered the Archons as easily as killing an annoying insect.
“Yes,” said Mr. Vander. “I was. I wore the three-headed dragon on my uniform proudly. I used to believe all of it. That we would throw down all false nobles and false priests, and create a world where all Elves would be equal. But I saw the truth. We killed millions, and all for nothing. The Archons have become worse that the nobles and the High Queen ever were. I was sick of it.”
“You helped the High Queen,” said Riordan.
“Yes,” said Mr. Vander. “I turned my coat. I spied for the High Queen. The Archon attacks in Houston and Seattle five years ago? The reason they failed so badly is because I gave the plan of battle to Lord Mythrender. After that, I was discovered, and I had to flee to Earth. I couldn’t settle among the other Elves. Both the common Elves and the noble Elves on Earth hate the Archons for our crimes. In reward for my services, the High Queen forged the Ghostwright Mask for me and allowed me to live as a human here.”
“Then…you’ve been an Elf this entire time, Mr. Vander?” I said.
“Yes, Russell,” said Mr. Vander. “My whole life, I’m afraid.”
“It’s a good story,” said Riordan, “but it has two holes.”
“Really?” said Mr. Vander. “I was unaware that my life had holes, but go ahead.”
“First, what were you doing to that woman?” said Riordan. “You were casting a spell on her. Second, why didn’t the High Queen just kill you? She hates Archons, and forgiveness is not in her nature.”
I started to say that was elfophobic, and I stopped myself.
“Ah,” said Mr. Vander. “Those are good points. Fortunately, both questions have the same answer. I’m too valuable to kill.”
“Because of your charm and good looks?” said Riordan.
“I would like to think so, but no,” said Mr. Vander. “I’m afraid I’m a bloodcaster.”
Riordan’s eyebrows climbed halfway up his forehead.
“Pardon my ignorance,” I said, “but what is a bloodcaster?”
“A kind of wizard,” said Riordan. “A magical talent. Bloodcasters can manipulate the flesh and blood of living creatures. It makes them very dangerous.”
“I try not to be dangerous,” said Mr. Vander. “That’s one of the reasons the High Queen granted me parole here. Human medical science has rather drastically improved over what it was before the Conquest, and many another Elven wizards and magi know at least rudimentary healing spells. But occasionally someone important is injured badly enough that only a bloodcaster can save them…and then I get a ride on an Inquisition helicopter to the hospital.”
An idea started to stir in my head.
“So, you can heal people?” I said.
“Sometimes,” said Mr. Vander.
“Can you heal illnesses?” I said.
Riordan gave me a sharp look.
“On occasion,” said Mr. Vander.
“Could you heal frostfever?” I said.
Mr. Vander hesitated. “Well…yes. But there is a complication.”
“What is it?” I said.
“Frostfever isn’t natural,” said Mr. Vander. “There are natural diseases, and magical diseases that occur naturally, but frostfever is neither. The frost giants created it to use as a weapon against their enemies, and humans are particularly susceptible to it. Frostfever is extremely difficult to dispel, and it usually takes an archmage to cure it. Which is why I suppose your family is in service to that old madman Morvilind the Magebreaker. Not a man to cross.”
“But you could cure frostfever?” I said.
“Yes,” said Mr. Vander, “if I had a dragon pearl.”
I blinked. “A dragon pearl? There are such things as dragons?”
“There are,” said Mr. Vander. “Not native to Earth, though. Or to the Elven homeworld. I don’t know where they come from. The old ones learn magic, and the older they grow, the more powerful they become. They can shapeshift when they feel like it, and I know that there are at least a few in disguise on Earth.”
“What is a dragon pearl?” I said.
“Dragons can create them,” said Mr. Vander. “They use them as repositories of magical power. They’re extremely rare, extremely powerful…and tapping the power of one is the only way I know of curing frostfever.”
“Okay,” I said. “That’s the deal I’ll make with you. I won’t tell anyone who you really are. In exchange, when I find a dragon pearl and bring it to you, you’ll use it to cure my frostfever.”
Riordan looked at me, and Mr. Vander laughed.
“Russell,” he said. “You’re a smart boy, but where are you going to find a dragon pearl?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ll work on it.”
Because if I could find one, then Mr. Vander could cure my frostfever. If Mr. Vander cured my frostfever, that would remove one of the holds that Lord Morvilind had over Nadia. I doubted that Morvilind would let her go, but it would give her room to operate, maybe even to negotiate, knowing that if she failed one of Lord Morvilind’s missions that it would not mean my death.
Mr. Vander shrugged. “All right. If by some miracle, you walk up to me with a dragon pearl, I will cure your frostfever.” He looked at Riordan. “Can I put my Ghostwright Mask back on now? If someone happens to walk back here, it will be awkward.”
“Undoubtedly,” said Riordan. “However, once you do, you’re going to help us find the cognophage. If it keeps attacking, sooner or later, it’s going to draw the attention of the Inquisition or the Elven nobles.”
“It has,” said Mr. Vander. “You’re here.”
“I’m a contractor,” said Riordan. “Right now, the Inquisition only cares that the cognophage is stopped. If I fail, they’re going to show up in person. I imagine getting involved in anything suspicious would prove unfortunate for your parole.”
He stepped back, and Mr. Vander sighed and put the bracelet back on his wrist. He blurred, and the Elven version of Mr. Vander disappeared, replaced by the illusion of his human appearance. He got back to his feet with a grunt, and Riordan dismissed his blade of shadow.
“All right,” said Mr. Vander. “The cognophage. We…”
Right about then, the cognophage attacked.
To this day, I’m still not sure why the cognophage chose to attack at that moment. It had crept up the corridor while we were talking, and it must have decided that we represented a threat. It also had decided that Mr. Vander, as an Elf, was the most dangerous threat, and it tackled him first.
There was a screech, and the creature bounded forward, slamming into Mr. Vander and driving him back to the floor. The cognophage kind of looked like a leech, albeit a leech four feet long and three feet thick with spindly arms and legs. Its mouth was a pit lined with spikes, and as its mouth moved towards Mr. Vander, it started to ripple and flicker with white light as the creature sucked on his memories.
It had assumed that Mr. Vander was the most dangerous threat, but that was a mistake.
I pointed the gun and squeezed the trigger, and put five rounds through the side of the cognophage. It let out a squealing shriek and flopped sideways off Mr. Vander, and Riordan took one sharp step and brought his sword of shadows down.
The cognophage’s head rolled off, and the creature shuddered and went limp.
Mr. Vander scrambled b
ack to his feet, breathing hard, and we stood in silence for a moment.
“I really hate those things,” said Mr. Vander.
###
Later I walked Riordan to his car.
“I need to go back to New York,” he said, “but I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.”
“Nadia will like that,” I said.
Riordan hesitated. “We shouldn’t tell her about this.”
“Probably not,” I said.
“This business with the dragon pearl…”
“You know why I’m doing it,” I said. “It’ll help her with Lord Morvilind. And if we can find a dragon pearl, it might save her life.”
“We?” said Riordan.
I smiled. “You want to save her too, don’t you?”
Riordan snorted. “You are your sister’s brother, aren’t you? Thank you for the help, Russell. I will see you later.”
I watched him go and went back to work.
It had been a good day. We had saved some lives, and I now knew how to save my sister.
All I had to figure out was a way to do it.
THE END
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Other books by the author
The Demonsouled Saga
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK is a wandering knight, fearless in battle and masterful with a sword.
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The priests of the San-keth plot and scheme in the shadows, pulling lords and kingdoms upon their strings. The serpent priests desire to overthrow the realms of men and enslave humanity. Unless Mazael stops them, they shall force all nations to bow before the serpent god.
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Caina Amalas of the Ghosts opposes these mighty enemies, but the cost might be more than she can bear.
Read Child of the Ghosts for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames, Ghost in the Blood, Ghost in the Storm, Ghost in the Stone, Ghost in the Forge, Ghost in the Ashes, Ghost in the Mask, and Ghost in the Surge, along with the short stories Ghost Aria, Ghost Claws, Ghost Omens, The Fall of Kyrace, Ghost Thorns, Ghost Undying, Ghost Light, and Ghost Dagger, and the prequel novels Blade of the Ghosts and Champion of the Ghosts. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One.
The Ghost Exile Series
Caina Amalas was a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning saved the Empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation.
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The Third Soul
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Read Mask of Swords, Mask of Dragons, and Mask of Spells along with the short stories The Ransom Knight, The Bronze Knight, The Serpent Knight, and The Rune Knight.
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