The guards showed them into a room then stepped out and shut the door behind them. Dexter heard an audible click of a lock being thrown. A glance to his wife confirmed that she’d heard it too.
“More waiting?” Xander muttered.
“Seems that way,” Dexter said. “Got a feeling it might be a while.”
“One of your hunches?” Jenna asked.
Dexter rubbed his knuckles on his chin thoughtfully. “Naw,” he answered. “Just making myself ready for it in case it happens that way.”
“Xander, can you check and see if there’s magic at work here? This place isn’t what I expected it to be,” Jenna explained.
Xander nodded and reached out to pull the sleeves of his robe up his arms. He reached into the air and began to twist and contort his fingers while chanting strange words that made Dexter’s ears buzz. A moment later he stopped and turned, staring at the walls, ceiling, and floor of the room. He shook his head a moment later and frowned.
“This room is warded,” he said.
“What’s that mean?”
“Magical defenses,” Jenna explained for him.
Xander nodded and added, “Such wards can be used to keep magic or magical beings from entering or leaving.”
“Which is it?” Dexter inquired.
“Both,” Xander said with a frown. “Strong wards too, place by a wizard who knew what he was doing.”
“Can’t you get through them? Been hearing about how much people respect your talents, doesn’t that make you a powerful wizard too?”
“You have a tendency to find areas of magic I spend little time or interest in studying,” Xander protested. “Enchanting and artificing are my greatest loves. Understanding the void and its mysteries are far more esoteric and fascinating then parlor tricks such as assembling a magical shield. Any wizard able to cast their first spell can create a ward.”
“So you can cast one too?”
“Of course!” Xander snapped.
“Then why can’t you take one down?”
Xander gaped like a fish for a moment, then he growled. “Bah, magic’s not so simple! It’s a complicated art requiring years of study. I’d need to know how this was fashioned, what components were used, and the base formulae it was constructed from. Then I’d have to unravel it, breaking it down one piece at a time until I found the keystone.”
“Xander, wouldn’t a ward like this be tied to the room?” Jenna asked.
“Of course,” he snapped. “Otherwise it wouldn’t be nearly as strong as it is. Free standing wards are temporary by their very nature. Without an anchor they’re subject to—”
Jenna waved him off. “Then wouldn’t that be a type of enchanting? The walls, ceiling, floor – they’ve been enchanted with a ward.”
Xander stared at her for a long moment, then turned and studied the room around them. Finally he looked back at her. “How could you think that way?” He asked. “It’s brilliant, you’ve reduced it to something unimaginably simple, but how could someone not in touch with the art conceive of such a concept?”
“So you can do it?” Dexter pressed.
Xander nodded. “It’ll take some time, but I’m sure of it.”
“Good, figure it out. Don’t do nothing until I tell you though.”
Xander jerked his head back in surprise, then shrugged. He turned to one of the chairs at the table and pulled it out.
“Bookworm, one more thing.”
Xander frowned but stayed sitting. “Yes?”
“Lady Brendera, I’ve seen her light up her finger like a match twice now. That make her some kind of wizard?”
“Witch,” Xander corrected. “And probably. It’s a simple enough trick; it may or may not mean she has any true talent with magic.”
“Any way to know for sure?”
“Short of talking to her, studying her at length using my spells, or fighting her — no.”
Dexter frowned. “All right, best get to your finger wiggling then.”
Xander rolled his eyes. The wizard pulled in a breath to calm his nerves then focused on summoning back the magical sight that allowed him to see the ward threaded through the confines of their holding room.
“Well now what?” Jenna asked, turning back to Dexter.
Dexter walked over and pulled out another chair. He sat heavily in it. “Now we wait some more.”
“It was nice to stretch my legs a little,” Jenna sighed.
Dexter smirked. After three days pent up in a small cabin with only meals delivered and chamber pots exchanged, the walk through Port Freedom had been welcome. Now they were stuck again – and this time without the benefit of any chamber pots!
“I’d offer to stretch your legs for you,” Dexter said with a wink.
Jenna’s eyes widened. She glanced at Xander but the wizard was lost in his magic. She smirked and shook her head, then pulled out a chair and sat facing Dexter. “I’ve a better idea,” she said. She kicked off her boots and rested her feet in his lap. “Now rub!”
“Now wait just a minute! Who’s the Captain?”
“Behind every great man…” she said with a smile.
Dexter shook his head in mock disgust but his hands had already started to massage his wife’s small feet.
* * * *
Dexter jerked on his chair, nearly falling off when the door to their room opened. He shook his head, chasing the cobwebs of sleep from it, and stood up as an elf entered.
“Commander Banaris,” Dexter greeted him. He’d only seen the man one once, many years past, but remembered him because he hadn’t particularly liked him.
“Captain Silvercloud,” Banaris responded with a very brief nod. He turned to let his eyes take in Jenna and Xander. “Princess.”
Jenna’s breath hissed between her teeth at the use of her former title. It was an insult – even having stepped aside from her position the title of Empress was still hers.
“Wake the wizard up,” Dexter snapped, anxious to keep Jenna from saying or doing something rash.
Jenna jerked in reaction to Dexter’s words. She looked at the wizard and saw his lips moving as he continued his fight with the wards. She slapped him in the shoulder with the back of her hand, taking out some of her outrage on the defenseless magician.
Xander nearly flew out of his chair. He jerked in it and leaned away from her, reaching out to clutch his shoulder. “Hey!” He snapped, looking up at her. He saw she paid no attention to him and followed her gaze to the elven Commander. “Oh!”
“Not the typical quarters I’m accustomed to when visiting,” Dexter said, ignoring Xander’s outburst.
“Regrettably not,” Banaris said. “But it seems that these are complicated times.”
“Everybody keeps telling me that,” Dexter said. “The thing is, I don’t care about complications. I’m supposed to meet a man here and I’m guessing Lady Brendera sold me out to you thinking she could make a profit. That’s not my interest, and I’d take it kindly if you’d end this nonsense and set us free.”
Banaris laughed. “Ah, Dexter, so full of confidence. I always enjoyed that about you. It’s a weakness, you know, and one that I’ve been exploiting.”
“Dex,” Jenna hissed.
Dexter ignored her. “I’ve had my share of jokes and this ain’t one of them. Jenna, are you laughing?”
“Dex!”
“I didn’t think so,” Dexter continued as though she’d given him the wittiest of responses. “So let’s cut through this nonsense. What do you think you’re entitled to and what makes you entitled to it?”
“I’d say that I’m entitled to far more than this pathetic rock. I’d say the elves deserve more than to be holding hands with every inferior being in the void. I’d say all of that and I’d blame you two for all of it!”
Dexter felt a growing fight within himself between confusion and rage. Banaris sounded like one of the deposed elves, but the way he was carrying on cast a shadow of doubt in Dexter’s mind. He wasn’t happ
y with the words the man was saying, regardless of their source or intention.
Banaris laughed again, louder and with a echoing quality that sounded almost disembodied. Dexter looked around then stared back at the man. The hair on Dexter’s arms and neck rose as his stomach twisted.
Banaris let his laughter die down. “I’d say those things if that’s who I really was.” Before their eyes Banaris seemed to melt, or at least his facial features did. They shifted and morphed, the lines and shadows becoming smoother until, a few moments later, they stared at a blank and faceless oval. Dexter shook his head, having a hard time making sense of the creature’s featureless face. “I told you I’d have you brought to me when you got here, Captain.”
“I’m here,” Dexter snapped. He struggled to put aside thoughts wondering how Rolxoth breathed without a nose or how he ate without a mouth. Let alone how the creature could speak directly into their minds. “Where’s my daughter.”
“Somewhere safe,” Rolxoth said. “And she will remain there until our business is concluded.”
“And what business is that?” Dexter asked, signaling Jenna behind his back to restrain herself.
“As you can see, Commander Banaris and I have a special relationship.”
“You killed him?” Jenna growled.
“Surprisingly, no. He’s attending to matters of state, assuring his end of our agreement.”
Dexter nodded. “Handy, I got to admit. You stay here pretending to be him so you get to run the show and he doesn’t have to spend so much time so far from his fellow conspirators at Flasgoryll. But you’re wanting this without the hassle of being someone else?”
“Indeed, you’re a shrewd man, Captain Silvercloud. Your time among the elves has served you well,” Rolxoth said. “Indeed, the elven soldiers and merchants here have nothing more than rumors of your recent actions.”
“Fine, I’ll command them to return home,” Jenna snapped. “The elves are busy enough with their own troubles I doubt they’ll be in a hurry to reclaim it. Port Freedom has no real advantage to the Empire, other than as a means of inconveniencing the Federation. When I left the elves were trying to work with the humans, not against them.”
“How quaint,” Rolxoth said. “And entirely irrelevant. But your plan has merit. Especially when the elves learn they acted on the orders of an Empress without a throne!”
Dexter didn’t need to look at his wife to feel her grinding her teeth. He stepped forward, putting himself in front of her to slow her down in case her temper got the best of her. “You want a fight,” Dexter accused.
“I do. And I’ve the men standing ready for it. Port Freedom will be united against the elves this time, and they’ll have me to thank for it.”
“Problem is, you’re telling us all about your plan,” Dexter pointed out. “It’d make us traitors in the elves’ eyes, probably end up with prices on our heads. How’s that make me likely to help you out?”
“I have your daughter,” Rolxoth reminded him. “Is the good of the many worth more than the good of the one?”
Dexter cursed, then turned to Jenna. He saw the fire burning in her eyes. Her hand inched towards her belt where her weapons rested. Rolxoth chuckled, the sinister sound penetrating their minds directly. Jenna’s eyes began to widen then they froze, locked on Dexter. Her hands had stopped moving but her chest still rose and fell with each breath.
“You bastard, let her go!” Dexter growled, turning back to Rolxoth.
The faceless being chuckled again. “Don’t forget I’m no simple man you can threaten or coerce. Your full crew, even the construct you had with you before, were no match for me. What makes you think the three of you can contest me?”
“Captain, he is from another realm,” Xander spoke up. “His type thrive on chaos and power.”
“That right?” Dexter asked the question to buy himself some time to think.
“There’s more. The chief unit of barter amongst the beings of that realm is the souls of others.”
Dexter’s head snapped around to stare at Xander. Xander, he saw, was unnaturally still as he returned Dexter’s stare. Dexter turned back to Rolxoth. “That true?”
Rolxoth shrugged. “It is, but I left that realm behind decades ago. It is another dimension. Another layer of existence. It is beyond your mundane understanding. What you would do well to take from this is the comfort that I know many beings that are capable of dealing with stolen souls – whether that means to release them or to bind them for their own personal interests.”
Dexter started forward, reaching for his pistol as he did so. He toppled forward, his limbs refusing to obey him beyond his initial half step. The stone floor against his cheek promised a bruise days in healing, but he couldn’t give voice to the pain and the rage beyond the air bursting from his mouth.
“I’ll leave you all to dwell on it. Choose quickly, Captain, should this opportunity pass my contingency plan leaves you and your daughter fairing far less favorably.”
Rolxoth turned and left the room. The door slammed shut behind him and they heard the sound of a heavy bar being slid into place. Dexter slumped onto the ground, his paralysis released.
He sat up and rubbed his cheek, then looked to the sore spots on his shoulder and knee. “This is bad,” Jenna hissed, hurrying over and kneeling beside him.
“Aye,” Dexter said, wincing at the pain in his jaw. “Unless I’m a fool he means to make sure we fall in the battle. Wouldn’t do him any good to have our side of the story come out down the road, would it?”
Jenna swore, causing Dexter to nod in agreement with her. He’d sailed some troubled routes and survived some impossible odds before, but he’d always had a plan. Even a bad plan was better than what he had now.
Chapter 10
The Voidhawk sat adrift in the void. The helm was unmanned while Tasha called for every available body to give the ship the final modifications Celia had suggested. She also had the ship thoroughly cleaned out of a desire to please Dexter. There was more than just pleasing him behind it, she also did it because she knew the dangers of boredom.
Tasha opened up a chest filled with spare rigging. The ropes were coiled and stored properly, but good enough was anything but. She reached in and dragged the coils out, tossing them on the deck. She turned, her eyes falling on the woman she’d given the task to. Trilliana stared at her, her lips parted in shock that started to turn to outrage.
“Trilliana! Do it again,” Tasha snapped at her. “One bad wrap and you’ve knotted a line. A knot at the wrong time can cost minutes – minutes that can get us killed!”
Tasha walked away before giving Trilliana a chance to show what she thought of Tasha. If she witnessed it firsthand she’d be forced to act. Her goal was to keep the crew busy and united, not mutinous.
On the bow deck she looked at the scarring still present from the scuffle against the three elven scouts. The spixers had repaired the cosmetic damages to the hull, but Dexter had sent them back to the bilge before they could move on to the main deck. “Sayara, when you’re finished join me on the fo’c’sle!”
“Aye Ma’am!” Sayara said, snapping off a salute from where she was scrubbing a portion of the main deck.
Tasha ignored the salute. It showed respect, even if the crew might not feel any respect for her at the moment she appreciated the respect for her position. She turned to study the stars while she waited. One spot, in particular, caught her interest. She turned and walked to a chest on the deck, wondering how Dexter and Jenna managed to spot ships too far for her naked eye to be sure of. She pulled out the spyglass and returned to the railing, focusing the magnifying device until she confirmed her fears.
“You needed to see me, Ma’am?” Sayara said, startling her.
Tasha spun, scowling. “Damned elves and their quiet feet,” she muttered.
“Sorry, Ma’am.”
Tasha waved it away. “When we get a chance, I need you to fix up the bullet marks on the fo’c’sle and railings.�
�
“When we get a chance?”
“Aye. I need you back on the helm right now,” Tasha said, turning to stare into the star dotted blackness of the void. It took her only a moment to spot the shadow that slipped between whit specks.
“Another ship?” Sayara sounded as incredulous as Tasha felt.
“Seems that way.” Tasha turned away from her to stare across the deck until she spotted Celia on the stern deck. “Hurry now, I need to see how much longer Celia’s work will be.”
“Aye, Ma’am!”
Tasha strode across the deck, ignoring the looks the other crewmembers gave her. Even Keshira glanced at her and noted her determined stride while the pleasure golem single handedly folded and repacked the spare mainsail.
“Celia!”
Celia yelped, falling away from the rudder sail she’d been working on and landing on her bottom.
“How much longer?” Tasha asked. She felt bad for the girl but their situation wasn’t one that kind words and tenderness would aid.
Celia stood up and rubbed her latest bruise. “I’m all but done. I’ve nailed it in and affixed the sail. This gives us more freedom to use the rudder to aid in maneuvering, but it will require another set of hands.”
“Good, stand at post, we’ve got company headed straight for us.”
Celia gasped. She turned to stare into the void. Tasha was amazed when Celia’s eyes focused on the approaching ship faster than she’d have imagined. “It’s elven,” Celia said.
Tasha nodded. She’d guessed as much from what she’d seen through the spyglass, but even magnified it was too small for her to make out more than that. “Another scout?”
Celia squinted before finally frowning. “It’s an older design, a scout built during militant times. Most of them were destroyed during the battle with the elders.”
“Lucky us,” Tasha admitted. She regretted the words immediately. “We’re bigger and better armed then.”
“We’re running a skeleton crew, too,” Celia opined.
Tasha offered a thin lipped smile. “You’ll get used to it, now stand your post and make ready.”
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