The Seventh Stone: A Novel in the Alastair Stone Chronicles

by R. L. King

  No, Stone might be a talented mage, but even he could be wrong. Those tattoos on Trin’s arms were probably just some decorative thing, maybe coupled with an illusion to make them look creepier. His father’s concern wasn’t going to stop him from paying Trin back for everything she’d put him through, and everything she’d almost made him part of.

  Yes. The thought appealed to him. Stone wasn’t the only one he’d been holding out on, hiding his power. Trin didn’t know the extent of what he could do. That meant even at full effectiveness, her oath wasn’t something she could completely control him with. He’d spent many hours practicing on his own, taking the lessons she taught him and expanding on them. At the time, he’d expected to use that power against his hated father when the time finally came, but now—

  He leaped to his feet in one smooth, graceful motion and looked at Raider. He wanted to move, to act, to dash out of the house and track Trin down. She wasn’t at the place in Mountain View—his father had already called and told him that. It sounded like they had some other places to check, since he’d said they’d be home in an hour or two, but Ian didn’t know where those were. How was he going to find her if he had no idea where she was?

  His phone rang.

  He pulled it from his pocket, half-expecting to see his father’s familiar number again, but he didn’t recognize it. Who else would be calling him on a Sunday morning? “Hello?”

  “Hello, Ian.”

  Ian froze. He swallowed, and barely caught himself before he called her by the wrong name. “T—Blake? Where are you?”

  “Where the hell are you? Are you with Stone?”

  “Uh—yeah.” Ian’s mental wheels spun fast, already beginning to form a plan. “Yeah, I’m at his place. Are you okay? What happened? I don’t remember much after he knocked me out.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. He’s fucking strong—stronger than I remember. But so am I. We nearly beat the shit out of each other, and I had to get out of there. You didn’t tell him anything, did you?”

  “No, of course not. But he almost killed me last night.”

  “I’m surprised he didn’t. What happened? Are you okay now? Did you talk your way out of it?”

  “Verity healed me up. He’s still pissed at me, but he thinks something’s going on. He’s trying to figure out what it is. You know how he is—has to have a reason for everything. I think he’s asleep right now.” He injected contrition into his voice. “I’m sorry, Blake. I don’t know what happened. I had him, and then—”

  “Yeah, well, maybe we can still salvage this fiasco. Can you get out of there without him catching on?”

  “Maybe. Why?”

  “We need to regroup. This has seriously fucked up our plan, but I’m not giving up on Stone. Might have to go for the more direct approach, and you can help me with that.”

  “Where are you? Back in Mountain View?”

  “Nah. Can’t go back there—now that Stone knows who I am, he can trace me there. Let me give you another address. But make sure you’re not followed, okay?”

  “Yeah. Give me a little time—I have to sneak out.”

  “Hurry up. I’m pissed as hell that Stone caught on to us, and I’m not planning to let him enjoy that victory too much longer.”

  Ian hung up and stared at the phone, thoughts spinning faster than ever. She didn’t know about the blocked oath! She still thought he was under her influence.

  That gave him options.

  He tightened his grip on the phone and began to pace. What he should do, he knew, was call his father right now and tell him where Trin was. Or at the very least, tell him he knew where Trin was, that she’d called him and was expecting him, but that he wouldn’t reveal her location unless Stone agreed to bring him along. That way, he could see an end to this once and for all. He wouldn’t be truly free, nor would his father, until Trin was dead.

  He hovered his finger over the button for his father’s number. That was what he’d do—make Dad take him along.

  Are you sure that’s what you want to do?

  The thought came suddenly, and he was certain this time it wasn’t Trin messing with his head again.

  He didn’t have time to wait for his father. He had no idea where Stone and the others had gone—if they weren’t planning to be home for another hour or two, they might have driven farther than Mountain View, following some clue they found at Trin’s loft. Even if he called them, he’d have to wait for them to return. His car wasn’t here—he didn’t even have a way to get to them, to meet them somewhere.

  His gaze fell on the dining room table. A familiar keyfob with a BMW logo lay there where Stone had tossed it. His father and his friends had taken Verity’s SUV to Mountain View.

  Ian tensed. Did he dare?

  But even if he called them—even if he met them somewhere—he’d still have to wait. The address she’d given him was in Los Gatos—closer to them than to him. If he told them, they’d leave immediately, and if they got there first he was sure they’d go after her before he arrived. Protecting him aside, it made sense. They wouldn’t take the chance she’d slip away from them, or attack before they were ready. They’d do it, and either they’d take her down before he arrived, or she’d worm her way out of their grasp and then she’d know he’d betrayed her.

  No.

  He snatched the BMW key from the table, ignoring what he was sure was an accusing glance from Raider, and headed for the door.

  I’ll call them when I get closer, he assured himself. And if I get there before they do—well, she thought Dad didn’t expect me to attack him, and that mostly worked. She won’t expect me to attack her, either.

  He left the house and jogged toward the garage, his rage at Trin growing. She’d regret the day she ever messed with him.

  He is coming, Razakal told his minion.

  She gave a snaky smile, even though she couldn’t see him. “Good.” She stood on a rise, looking down on the burned-out hulk of what had once been a massive mansion. She’d been surprised to find it still there, uninhabitable after the fire that had nearly destroyed it ten years ago. Surely they’d have torn it down and built something in its place in the intervening years, but maybe the effort of clearing it away had been more than its owners had wanted to undertake.

  Either way, it was poetic that things should end here—where they’d started all that time ago. “You’re sure Stone isn’t following him?”

  He knows nothing. He is off with his friends, seeking you.

  “Ha, I’ll just bet he is. And he’ll find me, too—when I want him to. Are you ready to enjoy your little banquet?”

  I have been ready for quite some time.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you have. Thank you for being patient. But then, getting two for the price of one has to be worth something, right?”

  Oh, undoubtedly. You’d best make your preparations. He will be here soon. Do not underestimate him.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t. I know he’s holding out on me, but as long as that oath’s in place, there’s nothing he can do.”

  From somewhere else, Razakal watched with pleased amusement.

  Things were progressing exactly as he wanted them to.

  He had sensed the connection fading between the boy and his minion last night, but he’d expected the boy’s father and his people to find that. The other connection, however—the one between himself and the boy—remained as strong and hidden as ever. Stone suspected it, but he had no proof, and only the vaguest idea of what might be going on. He might get it, eventually—but by then it would be too late. In the meantime, it had been easy to play on the boy’s fears, his rage, his hatred of what the woman had done to him.

  From his place of concealment, Razakal smiled.

  All the pieces were moving into place now, and when the end came, it would be truly glorious.

  Indeed, getting ‘two for the price of one’ would be worth the wait.

  Getting three would be worth even more.

  65


  “What is that?” Stone demanded, striding forward to snatch the note from Jason’s hand. It was folded in half and read Dad on the outside.

  “I found it on the garage door.”

  Stone unfolded it with shaking hands and read it aloud:

  Dad,

  I need to get away from here for a while. I’m sorry I took your car, but mine wasn’t here. I’ll leave it at my place, with the key on the floor under an illusion. Yeah, I can do those. I told you, I’m a lot better at magic than I let you see.

  I’ll call you later today. If you find Trin before that, call me. I want to help, but I need some time to myself. Be careful.

  Ian

  “Bloody hell…” Stone murmured. He stuffed the note in his pocket and yanked out his phone.

  Verity and Jason watched him, tense and nervous, as he listened to it ring and ring. Finally, his son’s familiar voice spoke: “If you’re calling, you know why. Leave a message.”

  “Ian—it’s me. Please call me back as soon as you get this. I don’t know why you’ve decided to run off, but you’re in great danger. I can’t protect you if you’re not here, and I don’t think you understand how dangerous Trin can be. Please—call me.”

  He stuck the phone back in his pocket. “Come on. Let me grab a couple of things from the house and then we’ve got to go.”

  “Go where?” Verity asked.

  “Ian’s place. I’m hoping everything’s as it seems, and he truly did just feel he needed to get away from here for a while.”

  “What’s the alternative?” Jason hurried to catch up with him as he strode back toward the house.

  “We should never have left him alone. If something’s got its hooks into him, it might have taken this opportunity to make its move.”

  “Wait—how could that work?” Verity, shorter than both Stone and Jason, had to jog to keep up. “This place is warded like crazy.”

  “Yes…which means one of three things, assuming something is going on: either this thing, whatever it is, is a lot more powerful than I thought, it’s got a connection with Ian that allows it to bypass the wards entirely, or Ian voluntarily left their protection for some reason and it re-connected then.”

  “Or all three,” she said grimly.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Stone flung open the door and charged inside. “Give me a moment to get my ritual bag, and we’ll head over there. If we’re lucky, we’ll find him on the sofa having a beer and watching something inane on the television.”

  “You don’t really think that’s gonna happen, do you?”

  “Odds aren’t good,” he said with reluctance. “Back in a moment.”

  As he ran up the stairs, a confused Raider darting past him, he mentally kicked himself for leaving Ian alone. He pushed away visions of what Trin might do to his son, for no other reason than to get back at him for once again thwarting her plans. She’s not going to do that—not yet. You are her plans. She wants you, not him. If nothing else, she’ll use him as bait. Just keep your wits about you.

  When he returned to the ground floor carrying the black leather duffel bag, Jason and Verity waited by the door. “What are you gonna do if you don’t find him at his place?” Verity asked.

  He shooed them out the door and locked it behind them. “Let’s deal with that if it happens. Come on—we need to get going.”

  Verity glanced over at him as they reached Palo Alto. “Doc…”

  “Yes?” Stone sat in the shotgun seat, doing his best not to display his impatience when all he wanted to do was urge her to drive faster.

  “You’ve realized he might try going after her on his own, right?”

  “Yes. I’ve realized that.”

  “He was pretty frustrated when we left him behind.”

  “What were we supposed to do?” he snapped. “Deliver him to her bloody doorstep?” He caught himself and stared at his hands in his lap. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It’s okay.” Her voice was gentle. “But if we really did block the oath so it’s not working anymore but she doesn’t know it—which I think we did—he might have thought he could fool her into thinking it’s still affecting him.”

  “And get close to her without her knowing he’s been compromised.” Stone’s voice came out dead and inflectionless. “Yes, I’ve thought of that too. And based on what little I know of him, it seems quite likely that’s exactly what he has done.”

  “There’s a chance he might succeed, right?” Jason asked from the back seat. “He’s a smart guy, and if he really is better at magic than he’s letting on—”

  “There’s a chance.” Stone glanced back up, watching the meandering Saturday-afternoon traffic passing blithely by, oblivious to the fact that his world was blowing up around his ears. “But if there really is some sort of connection between Trin and some other entity—if she truly has promised him to it, and didn’t just say that to put me off my game, then he’s likely walking into a trap.”

  “Let’s make sure he’s not just at home,” Verity said. “But even if he’s not, you should be able to find him. Remember, she won’t kill him right away—not if she wants you. More likely she’ll use him as bait, right? Try to lure you somewhere?”

  “She won’t have to lure me anywhere.” Stone gripped the armrest. “If I can’t find him the mundane way, or reach him, then I’ll do a ritual. Trin knows I’m powerful, but she’s got no way to know how powerful. Just let her try to hide him from me.”

  Verity and Jason exchanged glances, but said nothing.

  A few minutes later, they pulled into the long-term residence inn where Ian had been staying while he and Stone sorted out their situation. “There’s the car,” Jason said, pointing.

  Stone’s black BMW sedan was parked in a space in front of one of the units. Verity had barely pulled in next to it when he was out. He flung open the car door and almost immediately found the key, hidden under a simple illusion just as Ian had said it would be. Without pausing, he slammed the door shut again and jogged to the door of Ian’s unit, where he forced himself to knock like a normal human rather than pounding.

  No answer.

  Verity and Jason came up next to him, and all of them waited while Stone knocked again, louder this time.

  Still no answer.

  He pulled out his phone and tried to call Ian, but once again got voicemail.

  “He’s either not here or he’s not answering,” he said, even though it was obvious to everyone present.

  “Should we go in?” Verity asked, eyeing the door. “What if he’s hurt in there?”

  “I don’t think he’s here,” Jason said.

  “Why?”

  He nodded at the parking area. “I don’t see his car. There’s enough empty spaces that if it was here, he’d have parked near his place.”

  Stone let his shoulders slump. “He has gone after her.” He wanted to bust into Ian’s apartment and search for him—it would be so easy to do with magic—but he didn’t. If, for some reason, his son was inside and choosing not to answer, that meant he hadn’t gone after Trin. Ignoring his privacy and breaking in just because he could didn’t make it any more right. But Jason was right—if his car was gone, he must have gone somewhere.

  You’re never going to see him alive again.

  Enough of that, he told his traitorous little voice. He straightened, whirled away from the door, and stalked back out to the BMW. “Come on. I’ll meet you back at my place.”

  “What are you going to do?” Verity asked.

  A sudden idea struck him as he was about to open the door. He pulled his phone out again and hit Ian’s number, holding up a hand for his friends to wait. When he got the voicemail message, he waited for the beep and said, “Ian, call me. I think I know where Trin is. If you want to have a go at her, get back to me soon. I won’t wait long.”

  “You lied to him,” Verity murmured as he pocketed the phone and got in the car.

  “Yes, well, sometim
es parents have to lie to their children for their own good.” He slammed the door shut before she could respond, and drove off.

  Ian hadn’t returned Stone’s call by the time he arrived back at the house. He pulled into the garage and snatched the phone from where he’d tossed it on the passenger seat. His heart pounded, a constant and growing low-grade tension gripping his body. He glanced at his watch: it was already almost two p.m. How long had Ian been gone? He couldn’t even be sure the boy had been at the house when he’d answered the phone initially. He could have been anywhere by then, and Stone had no way to know.

  Every minute he wasted without starting the ritual gave Trin more time to enact whatever plan she’d been cooking up.

  He strode out of the garage as Verity’s SUV pulled in behind it. “Anything?” Jason called, swinging out.

  “Not a damned thing. He didn’t call back. Come on—I want to get the ritual started.”

  “You should eat something,” Verity said. “You haven’t had anything since dinner last night, have you?”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m not hungry. If you want something, you’re welcome to whatever you find in the kitchen. I need to get started.” Without waiting for a reply, he stepped over Raider and hurried upstairs toward the attic ritual room.

  By the time he reached it, his mind already whirled with formulas and customizations for the tracking ritual he’d need to do to find Ian. A simple one wouldn’t work—too much chance Trin had him behind wards or otherwise out of tracking range. If she’d been preparing for this all along and Ian had left right after they’d headed off toward Mountain View, they could be well out of the area by now.

  He flung the bag down in a chair and began pulling components off the shelves, pausing occasionally to dash off an idea on his rolling blackboard. He barely noticed that Jason and Verity hadn’t followed him up.