The Gray Tower Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Alesha Escobar

  “I’ll go get Izsak.” Mehara rose from her seat at our tiny table and headed for the door. She slipped out and shut it quietly.

  When Brande reluctantly rose from his seat, I remembered something and halted him. “When you were at Jakab’s building, did you sense Gregory there?”

  He shook his head “I sensed a lot of things. I couldn’t say for sure.”

  I nodded. “You know he’s a wizard, right?”

  “Yes, but...something’s off about him. Why was he at Jakab’s building?”

  I shrugged. “Believe it or not, he actually helped me. He’s also a Cruenti.”

  Brande’s eyebrows shot up. “Did he try to attack you?”

  I shook my head. “No, he saved my life. Isn’t that strange? He said he used to be a Cruenti. I didn’t think that was possible.”

  “If he shows up again, I’m going to have a talk with him.”

  “What if Gregory was telling the truth?”

  His face expressed doubt. “I’m going for a walk around the block.”

  Which really meant that he was going to see if Gregory was hanging around the neighborhood. He had turned and opened the door when we heard a knock. Mehara and Izsak stepped in. The librarian had a book with a few pages of notes stuck inside. When they left the two of us alone, I motioned him over to the table in the sitting area and handed him the Mehmed VI page.

  “Here’s the text. Now, explain.”

  He sat across from me, exhaling a deep sigh. He leaned over and took the page, reading the front side with the Turkish writing. He turned to a few of his notes, the ones Brande had retrieved for him, and after a minute or two, he looked up and met my gaze. “It says that Besart Frasheri, the first Drifter, closed the time rifts in the 13th Century using the Circadian Circle.”

  I gestured for him to turn the page over. “Is that the Circadian Circle?”

  He examined the sketch with the androgynous person within the Circle and nodded. “Are you familiar with the circadian rhythm?” When I shook my head, he continued. “We talk about our biological clocks or our internal clocks. We wake up at the same time every day, even without an alarm, and our bodies move along certain rhythms whether it be our fertility, heartbeat, or our consciousness. A Circadian Circle suggests that the workings of the human body corresponds to those of the universe, and that the Drifter can manipulate both the world and individual bodies through the Circadian Circle.”

  “That’s a lot of stuff to manipulate.” I exhaled a low breath.

  “With the Circadian Circle, you can apply it to a body and cause someone to grow fatigued, to lose consciousness, to move slowly or quickly, and you can even drain them of their health. You can drain wizards too! Now that I think of it, if you applied the Circadian Circle to the world, you could either heal it or destroy it.”

  “Luckily, I’m for Option A,” I said. “Now, how was this Circadian Circle used to destroy demons and close rifts? How did the first Drifter do it?”

  Izsak set the page down on the table and traced the Circle with his index finger. A string of numbers, 1.6180339887, followed the circumference. “This is the golden mean. This is the one constant number resonating throughout the universe and shaping it into balance. This number has energy, and it has power. Besart Frasheri understood that directly manipulating time itself opened rifts--I think because it caused imbalances. Perhaps it upset the 1.6180339887 by adding a number that shouldn’t be there, or taking one away.”

  I nodded in agreement, because I knew exactly what he was speaking of. When I had first used my Drifter abilities, I did so by reaching inward and following either quick mental ripples to speed up time, or controlled pulsations of my heart to slow time down. These, however, proved imperfect, because when I used the pulsations and ripples, shadow figures would slip into the world. Rifts in time, or doorways between this world and the one beyond, allowed these demons or shadow beings to come through and harm people--especially wizards. Those foolish enough to commune with these evil spirits--and even make pacts with them--became Cruenti, and they would eventually degenerate into the deformed beings known as Black Wolves. The Gray Tower arose to protect wizards--and the world--from these monsters. Unfortunately, part of this “protection” included executing the Drifter. The last one before me died a hundred years ago, and, by all accounts, I was the only female one.

  My gaze met Izsak’s. “If the first Drifter was able to use the Circadian Circle and restore balance, then why did the Gray Tower murder him? They could’ve worked with him to fight our enemies and make sure the rifts remained closed.”

  He shook his head. “Perhaps the Tower was unaware of the Circadian Circle.”

  “Yeah, they’re unaware of quite a few things when it comes to the Drifter.” I sneered. I was once told that throughout the Middle Ages, the Gray Tower had destroyed manuscripts and documents related to the Drifter because it feared future Drifters would learn from the texts and become too powerful to overcome. In its prejudice and arrogance, the Tower didn’t even stop to think that there could be a solution besides execution. The tracker wizards who hunted Drifters killed Besart Frasheri, the famous Nostradamus...and they had almost killed me.

  “Izsak, the only ability I can use without accidentally opening rifts is my Zaman’s Fire.”

  He nodded. “Yes, but don’t do those old meditations--those will most certainly open rifts and allow demons into the world.”

  Demons like Ammon. I wanted to vomit at the thought.

  “So how do I use the Circadian Circle to destroy demons and banish them from this world?”

  “The rifts occur because of an imbalance--of magic and energy. In order to send a demon back through the rift, you would have to make up for the imbalance using the golden mean--the Circadian Circle. You’ll have to apply the Circle to a demon so it could weaken him and push him through a rift--then, you must seal the rift shut. If you’re interested in the complete destruction of a demon, you’ll have to stack Circadian Circles upon him until he’s no more than a mere vapor.”

  I ignored the throbbing pain in my hands and feet. “So that means I have to use this golden mean when I lay the Circadian Circle?”

  He nodded. “What I gather from the text...it seems you’ll need to hold the number in your mind. Infuse it with your will, and direct it toward your target. I assume as a wizard you already know how to focus your magical power as such.”

  I allowed myself to grin. This was what I wanted--to be able to banish demons and seal rifts. Now all I needed to do was have the other wizards join me in defeating Octavian and his coven of warlocks instead of treating me the way they had the other Drifters. I didn’t know how much Izsak knew about wizards and magical energy, but at least for now, I would need him to continue explaining the text and guiding me on the Circadian Circle.

  “Izsak, I know this may be asking much, but...would you be willing to accompany us to Zagreb and train me in this? At least until someone with magical abilities could help me with this.” Someone like my father. If anyone could take over my training, it would be him. I hoped he’d catch up with me soon.

  Izsak’s eyes widened and, for a moment, he looked pleased that I had requested his help. However, soberness settled in, and he frowned. “This...this may be beyond what I am able to assist with. And there are warlocks hunting you. Agents Klaus and Dierk were only the beginning.”

  I couldn’t argue against that. However, I remembered why he was even interested in the Mehmed VI page to begin with. He expected fame and fortune from helping Professor Grey translate the text, so I’d have to appeal to that. “I understand why you’d turn me down, but our offer of protection still stands. And besides, not only will you still have access to the text, but you’ll even be able to see it applied to real life. How many academics and scholars will be able to say that they’ve studied and brought to life ancient Medieval texts? How many of them will flock to you, Izsak, as the sole expert? My brother worked with Professor Grey at Harvard University, and
he’d love to learn all this from you. Have you ever thought about going to America?”

  His lips curved into a smile, and his eyes twinkled. “I...suppose I can accompany you all the way to Switzerland, but I will not go anywhere near Octavian or the warlocks. And, I want to be able to write down my experiences traveling with you...as part of my autobiography.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Autobiography?”

  He let out a nervous chuckle. “The world is going to want to know about me...”

  I waved my hand through the air. “Okay, whatever. No wonder you and Professor Grey got along so well.”

  He stuck out his hand, and I took it. “I am pleased to work with you, Miss George.”

  We shook, and I pulled my hand away. “Thank you, Izsak.”

  52

  Zagreb, Croatia

  I felt like I was floating in my tub. I breathed in the scent of lavender oil as it rose with the steam from the hot water. It almost scalded me, but my muscles felt relaxed and I closed my eyes as I envisioned myself wrapped in a warm cocoon. A cool wisp of air entered the bathroom, and my nose crinkled at a stench that reminded me of rotten food. I opened my eyes and saw the demon, Ammon, standing at the foot of the tub. I sat up with lightning speed and drew my knees up against me. He kept the same appearance, a man with brown hair and a heavy, angular jaw. He was unassuming and average, to say the least, and perhaps if people saw him on the street or in the corner of a smoke-filled nightclub, they wouldn’t give him a second glance.

  “What are you doing here?” I snarled.

  He stared at me with his mud-brown eyes. “I’m tethered to you, remember? No more summoning circles for me.”

  “So, I’m a substitute for a summoning circle?” I snorted. “I can’t wait to get rid of you.”

  He smirked. “The gypsy woman tethered me to her and used her spirits to help keep me in submission. You don’t have the help of spirits, and you have yet to find any faith. I’ve destroyed kings, rulers of empires. I’ve brought low people who were far more strong-willed and virtuous than you--are you sure you want to play this game?”

  The water grew ice-cold, and I shivered. “Remember what I said...”

  “Yes, yes, I won’t be possessing anyone...yet. But you need to start dwelling on the benefits of having me tethered to you.”

  I glared at him. “Benefits.”

  He gestured toward the doorway. “You can send me places people can’t go, and I can obtain information for you. I’ll kill everyone downstairs at your behest--”

  “My friends are downstairs.”

  He feigned a shocked expression. “Oh? Master Lan is here, along with his group of wizards from the Gray Tower. Are those your friends too?”

  “Lan’s downstairs?”

  He nodded. “Do I even need to tell you how the Tower Slaves feel about you? How they’re gathered at the hotel down the street, discussing if they’d be able to overpower you and kill you? But what do I know about friends? Maybe that’s how they talk about each other.”

  The back of my neck began aching, and my jaw clamped shut. “We helped them escape Budapest. They would’ve died there or ended up on one of Jakab’s slave ships if we hadn’t intervened.”

  “Exactly. And look at how they wish to repay you.”

  Part of me felt wounded, and another part wanted to tear them to shreds. Before I realized what I was saying, the words flew out of my mouth: “Maybe I should send you down there.”

  “That’ll scare the hell out of ‘em.”

  I laughed. It faded away as quickly as it had come, and a twinge of guilt took hold of me. “The real enemy is Octavian.”

  “My offer still stands, Isabella. I can help you destroy the Cruenti Master and make him grovel at your feet.” He looked all too eager to get started.

  I knew he’d try to weasel his way in further. Siphoning magical energy from me and using me as a means to get around in the world wasn’t going to be enough. I’d been anticipating, with dread, the next time he’d show up, because not only was I worried about his ulterior motives, but also how he was affecting my mind and spirit. But I couldn’t banish him yet. I had only trained once so far with Izsak because we had to stick with our plan and leave Hungary. We followed Dani’s map and crossed the border into Croatia, and made it here, to the Mala Kuca Inn, where the manager was handsomely paid to shelter us and see to our needs. This morning, when I awoke in my room, I had tried casting a Circadian Circle on my own and I almost accomplished it, but, for some reason, it didn’t take hold and fizzled in a puff of smoke.

  “The librarian is not even a wizard,” Ammon said, reading my thoughts. “He may instruct you based on his interpretations of the text, but he doesn’t understand the nuances involved with casting Circles--whether it be a Circle of Healing, a Circle of Silence, or the Circadian Circle.”

  A chill crept up my spine. “And let me guess...you do?”

  His lips parted as he grinned. Thank goodness he had normal looking teeth. For a few seconds, his entire form flickered like a light bulb going out. He was less substantial than before. He rubbed his heavy angular jaw and approached me. My stomach churned, and I held my breath, flinching when he knelt beside the tub.

  “I need more energy.” His form flickered again.

  I glared at him and held my right hand up, palm facing forward. He mirrored my gesture and touched his palm to mine. A burning sensation spread through the tips of my fingers, and I felt both mental and magical fatigue. Suddenly, a realization hit me--and the anger that began boiling inside me made my neck sore again. “This is why you’re not afraid of me learning to cast the Circle...why I didn’t have the strength to hold it this morning. You’re like a parasite, just leeching off me.”

  His rotten stench disappeared, and his skin took on a supple look. He folded his arms on the edge of the tub and eyed me as if he wanted to bore a hole into my head. “You wanted that page, and I gave it to you. A fair trade.”

  My eyes narrowed at his words, and I began wondering if it would’ve been better to let him burn the text rather than tether him to me. He would leave me in a weakened state so that I could never muster the strength and concentration needed to cast the Circadian Circle. It would be like asking me to run at my strongest and fastest after just having completed a marathon. It wasn’t going to happen. If I wanted to cast the Circle and destroy him, I would have to cut him loose first. As a matter of fact, now would be a good time.

  There was a knock at the door. “It’s me,” I heard Brande’s voice say.

  “What is it?” I asked in a shaky voice. My entire body stiffened as I prepared for Ammon to blast through the doorway or somehow make himself known to Brande.

  Ammon dug his nails into the side of the tub and leaned in, his breath tickling my ear. “Go ahead...cut the tether and turn me loose this very moment. You will see what I am capable of.”

  Brande said from the other side, “Are you all right? You didn’t answer your door and then...I thought I heard voices coming from here.”

  My throat constricted at first, but I managed to respond. “I’m okay. I’ll be out soon.”

  “And I’ll start with him,” Ammon said. “Especially him.”

  I heard Brande’s voice again. “Master Lan and the others are downstairs. I’ll meet you at the lounge.”

  “Okay, thanks!” I said a little too forcefully. When I heard his footsteps retreat, I sighed and wiped the moisture from my face. A tiny part of me wanted to call out to him and tell him that he heard correctly, and that I desperately needed his help. However, my doubts and fears washed over me in paralyzing waves.

  Ammon barked with laughter, his jaw protruding at an unnatural angle. “Do you think he’d want to be near you, if he knew I was here too? Why don’t you tell him about our arrangement and see what he’ll do then?”

  I reached for my towel on a stool nearby. He didn’t know Brande, not like I did. “He’d help me.”

  Ammon rose to his feet. “Not now. Not
anymore. When will you learn that you’re alone in all this?”

  Before I could tell him to get out, he slipped through the wall like a shadow, perhaps to leave the building and go out into the streets and gorge himself on the crimes and vices of others. He could return in a few hours or even a few days. Either way, I couldn’t stand it any longer. This “arrangement” was too dangerous. I needed to deal with this before it grew completely out of control.

  The inn manager closed off the lounge, leaving our group with the privacy we needed. There were a few German Armed Forces in Zagreb, but they were mostly in the city to fuel up and grab supplies before heading east. Now that Russia was the Nazis’ enemy, the German Army had to fight on the Eastern Front. Like Hungary, Croatia had allied with Germany. While we weren’t in Nazi-occupied territory, we still wouldn’t be clear until we reached neutral territory--Switzerland.

  We locked the lounge doors, arranged the couch and cushioned chairs into a semi circle near the fireplace, and drew back the curtains to let the light from the noonday sun in. I sat on the couch with Brande to my right and Mehara to my left. Cliff and Sadik sat near Mehara, and Master Lan was in one of the chairs to Brande’s right. An alchemist, who introduced herself as Christine, sat by Master Lan. Master Skye had declined a seat, instead choosing to pace back and forth in front of the unlit fireplace. I wondered if he was nervous or just wanted to revel in the use of his improved leg.

  Master Lan cleared his throat. “Thank you,” he said to Brande, “and thanks to your friend Dani for what you did for us in Zagreb. The other wizards are in the hotel down the street, resting and waiting. We didn’t want to make any further moves until you arrived, so I think now would be a good time to decide where we’ll go from here.”

  I crossed my arms and studied Lan, wondering if he had agreed with the other wizards who were at the other hotel “resting and waiting.” They were probably waiting to ambush me. Brande acknowledged Lan’s comment with a nod, but his expression remained unreadable. “First, I want to make it clear to you--and the wizards traveling with you--that Isabella is with us. She isn’t a threat.”