Willum’s lips tightened. Even in defeat the imp would be difficult. “Your promise was that you would tell me ‘all about Tad’s death’. So tell me.”
“Oh-ho. I was careless with that promise,” said the imp. It let out an irritated sigh. “I only know what I saw. Tad, poor Tad came to me that night determined to win more powers. He played with more interest than I have seen from him in years. Oh-ho, even when he lost he settled for pain instead of loss of power.”
Willum’s teeth clenched. That’s why Tad’s face had looked so haggard that night. He knew there would be battles ahead and needed every ounce of help he could wring from the imp.
“When I asked him what powers he wanted, Tad was very specific. He wanted protection from mental attack. That was rare. He had never asked it before. No, but it was something I could provide.”
Willum nodded. “Tad thought that people were warming up to Doudy too easily and he was convinced that somehow he had some kind of mental power to control the whip beast that attacked us.”
“Ho-ho, well perhaps he did, but Tad made an error,” said the imp. “He asked for the wrong protection. Dann Dann didn’t use a mental attack. No-no. Poor Tad backed Dann Dann into a corner and when the man turned to monster Tad was unprepared.”
“What did Doudy do to him?”
“It tore him apart. Tiny pieces. I was sad. So sad. Poor Tad. He picked the wrong power.”
“Wait,” Willum said. “You could have saved him if he had chosen a different power?”
“The attack was not mental,” the imp said. “If he had asked for protection against paralysis, I would have been able to disperse the attack.”
“So he couldn’t move. That’s how Doudy beat him.” Willum’s hand moved to his forehead. “He couldn’t move and you just sat there and let him be torn apart? Tad, your companion for twenty years?”
“He chose wrong.” The imp’s voice was defensive. “I felt sorrow, yes. But the rules are the rules.”
“You could have saved him!” Willum walked up to the cloud. “There’s no reason for you to hide anymore. Disperse this so that I can look in your face.”
“I will not. That wasn’t part of the debt,” said the imp, sounding irritated.
“It is time for the rules to change. Do you know why Tad left you to me, Imp?” Willum asked. “It wasn’t because he died. He had planned to give you to me even before Dann Doudy killed him. He went to see Dann Doudy that night hoping to use your power for the last time.”
The creature fumed behind the smoke. “He tired of me. He told me so. I was bored with him anyway.”
“Tad was tired of being taunted and hurt, that much is true,” Willum said. “But he could have buried you in the earth or sealed you away somewhere you wouldn’t be found.”
The imp’s baleful eyes glared at him through the smoke. “Why didn’t he then, Willy Yum?”
“He had come to understand you over the years,” Willum said. “Tad knew why you craved the games so much and why you were so upset when he let days go by without speaking to you. The last words in his notebook were, ‘I think I understand the creature better than ever now and it makes me sad. To hide the axe away would be to doom it to solitude and that would be an unthinkable torture for this fiend. It is so lonely. Perhaps I can find it a new friend.’”
“Ho ho, a friend? A friend for a fiend?” the imp let out a bitter laugh.
“Tad chose me to be your new companion but it is up to you, imp,” Willum said. “Do you want a master that only comes to you when he needs something from you? I can be that, like Tad was at the end. But I don’t want to be. I can be your friend. I can play your games. I can keep you company when I have time to spare. But I won’t be bullied and I won’t be tortured. Do you understand?”
The imp grunted but this time it didn’t bother to mock him. “Go to sleep, Willy. If you survive tomorrow I will speak to you again.”
“No, we speak now,” Willum said. “I’m not finished, imp. We have a lot to discuss.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
“And Demon Jenn?” Darlan asked as they made their way towards the council hall in the dim morning light.
“Her death was a mistake as far as the imp knew,” Willum said. “She must have seen Tad enter the room, because she barged in just as Doudy started to change.”
“You are going to tell everyone what I am now? That was not in the deal,” said the imp. Their negotiations had taken up most of the night, but in the end it was agreed that he would allow the axe to monitor him and speak to him at any time. It couldn’t read his indirect thoughts, so the only way he could communicate back without speaking aloud was when he was in direct contact with it.
Willum touched the axe’s hilt. It was never agreed that I wouldn’t tell anyone. I am keeping no secrets from Darlan or my father. However I promise you now that I will be careful who I mention it to.
“Promise noted, but take care, Willy,” the imp grumbled. “Loose tongues, loose tongues.”
I am surprised you allowed the thing access to you during the day, Coal said. I’m not sure that was wise.
I grew up bonded. What’s one more voice in my head? Willum replied. The thing is lonely, father. Believe me, it will be much easier for me to listen to its comments from time to time throughout the day than wrestle with it every night.
“How sad,” Darlan said, her brow creased with a deep frown and it took Willum a half second to remember what remark she was responding to. “Poor Jenn. Poor Tad. Hell, poor all of us if we make a mistake this morning.”
“We’ll be fine,” Willum said, trying to sound encouraging. “Now that we know what we’re up against, we’ll be prepared.”
“I’m not worried about Doudy,” she said. “It’s the rest of it that makes me nervous.”
They walked in through the back door of the council hall and headed down the corridors, Willum keeping a hand on the axe. To Doudy and the traitor, this meeting should seem no more important than any other, but he still felt on edge, seeing possible danger in every shadow.
“Ho-ho, how jumpy you are, Willy!” the axe said. “There is no one in this corridor but you and the scary wizardess.”
You can sense that? Willum asked, relaxing a little. Sense the people around me?
“Of course,” it replied. “Living things always give off a certain . . . flavor.”
And you just give me that information freely?
“We made a deal, did we not? Free use of my powers for twelve hours?”
That doesn’t start until tomorrow after the fighting begins, he reminded.
“Oh-ho! I must have forgotten,” it said.
Willum smiled. I think you’re just enjoying the extra freedom I’ve given you.
“The freedom I bargained for, you mean,” it said.
Willum didn’t bother to correct it. They were nearing the council chamber. Just before they reached the waiting room, Darlan turned to him.
“You know what to do,” she said with a firm nod, then patted his cheek and walked inside.
At that moment Darlan reminded Willum of his mother. Not Becca, the woman who had raised him, but his real mother, the one that had been taken from him when he was four. It was the same firm but affectionate look his mother had given him the day she left him with his nursemaid and went to her trial.
Willum’s sense of unease came rushing back. He followed her into the waiting room and found it difficult to stay behind with the other assistants as she entered the council room proper. He stood right next to the door, waiting for the signal to come in.
Silent Josef laughed. “What was that little pat on the cheek about, Willum?”
He had hoped they hadn’t seen that. Kathy the Plate was giving him an amused smile and Lyramoor rolled his eyes. Willum’s cheeks colored. “I don’t know. She says I remind her of her son.”
“Oh?” Josef said. “Does she tuck you in at night too? Maybe sing you a lullaby?”
“No, but she does make
me stand there and hold her yarn while she knits me a sweater,” Willum said.
“No way! Really?” Josef guffawed.
“No,” Willum said, straight faced.
Josef’s smile faded and this time Kathy laughed.
“Ho-ho! Willy with a stinger!” said the axe.
Father can you switch my eyes to spirit sight again? Willum asked. He felt that click within his mind and the magic objects in the room started to glow again. There was nothing new to be seen. Lyramoor was still the only one with spirit magic on him. Willum rested his hand on the axe handle. Imp, can you sense anything of interest on them? Anything that might link them to the mother of the moonrats?
“No, Willy. But the elf is covered with protective charms.”
He’s a half-elf, Willum sent as he glanced at Lyramoor.
“Oh? Is that what he tells you? Ho-ho, I can see why. His body has been carved on too many times for a fighter. I would say that one was a blood slave.”
Willum swallowed. Keeping an elf as a blood slave was one of the darkest of crimes. Wouldn’t that make him a likely accomplice to a dark wizard like Ewzad Vriil?
“Not likely. Those scars are old and his charms would protect him from any sort of spirit influence.”
There was a shout of alarm in the council room and Willum threw the door open. The assistants sprung to attention and the four of them rushed inside, hands on weapons. The councilmen were sanding around the large square council table staring at Darlan. She was giving them a pointed look in return.
“I didn’t like his attitude,” she said.
“How did you do that?” Sabre Vlad said, pointing at Representative Doudy.
The man was on the far side of the table sitting precisely upright and Willum could see thick bands of air magic binding him to his chair. Another wad of air had been shoved in his mouth so that he couldn’t speak. To a person without mage sight, it would look like the man had been bound and gagged with invisible ropes.
“I have bound Representative Doudy so that he won’t cause a commotion when I say what I have to say,” Darlan said.
“I can see that, but how?” he asked.
“She’s a wizardess, Vlad,” Oz said. “I just learned the other day, but Tad knew about it.”
“Does Faldon know?” Vlad asked.
“Of course he knows!” Darlan said.
“It wasn’t that close kept of a secret,” said Hugh the Shadow, who seemed completely unsurprised.
Stout Harley looked at the rest of them with wary eyes. “Looks like the Training Council representatives are unsurprised by this stunt of yours, Darlan. What is this about?”
“Come on in, assistants,” said Oz the dagger, motioning the rest of them to come closer. “This involves you too.”
Willum walked quickly over to Darlan’s side, but the other three were more cautious as they moved to stand behind the leaders of their respective guilds.
“Alright, Oz. Darlan,” said Hugh the Shadow, resting his elbows on the table and peering at the two of them over steepled fingers. “Tell us what you have to say.”
“We have some very important things to discuss regarding the war,” Oz said. “But before we can speak candidly, we need to root a traitor out from our midst.”
“Doudy?” Harley snorted dismissively. “He’s a blowhard and most likely a shill. But he’s harmless. Even if he is spying for the enemy, there’s no way he can tell them our secrets from inside these walls.”
“Oh, we think he can,” said Darlan. “But Doudy’s the enemy we know about. Our first concern should be finding the enemy hiding among us.”
“One of the rest of us?” Sabre Vlad said. “There’s not another man or woman in this room I wouldn’t trust the life of my wife and children with.”
“That’s what makes this so difficult,” Darlan said. “It’s the reason Tad never brought his concerns before the rest of you.”
“Is this about Tad’s death?” Hugh asked.
“Just spit it out,” said Harley.
“Tad was convinced that someone in this room was telling the enemy the academy’s patrol routes and troop movements long before the siege began,” Darlan said.
“There’s no way,” said Silent Josef.
“Tad didn’t want to believe it either,” Oz said. “But the evidence is overwhelming. How else would an army this size be able to sneak up on us?”
“What Tad didn’t know was how the traitor was getting his information to the enemy,” Darlan said. “But just recently we learned what is controlling this army and that gave us the information we need . . .”
As Darlan told them about the mother of the moonrat and her capabilities, Willum was scanning the room looking for anyone with a hint of spirit magic.
Do you see anything father?
No, sent Coal. If anyone here is holding a moonrat eye, they have it well hidden. However, Dann Doudy is undoubtedly one of the men transformed by Ewzad Vriil’s power. He is pulsing with it, struggling to break free. Fortunately, Wizardess Sherl’s binding spell seems to be keeping it at bay.
What about you, imp? He asked, touching the axe handle. Do you sense anything?
“There is something . . . ho-ho, two signals! One is coming from Mister Dann Dann, the other is hard to see.”
“A moonrat eye?” said Hugh. “Astounding. Imagine what we could do with that sort of long distance communication.”
“So what do you want us to do, Darlan? Empty our pockets?” Sabre Vlad said. He stood. “Go ahead, search all of us. I’m telling you there’s no way someone in this room would betray the academy.” He gestured to Doudy. “Purple face over there excluded, of course.”
“Even if it isn’t on someone’s person, they could have one back in their rooms somewhere hidden away,” Swift Kendyl reminded.
“No, it’s somewhere in this room,” Willum said. “Representative Doudy has one, but someone else is hiding another.”
“Willum here has a talent at being able to see spirit magic,” Oz said. “That’s why he was assigned to Darlan.”
Willum was watching Lyramoor’s reactions. The elf was eyeing everyone in the room with suspicion, his fingers twitching near the hilts of his weapons. The more he thought about it, the more likely it was that Lyramoor was the one. A blood slave would have been captured by a dark wizard. What if that wizard had been Ewzad Vriil. What if he had never truly been freed?
“What are you looking at?” Lyramoor growled. The elf’s voice was low and ragged.
“Lyramoor has spirit magic on him right now,” Willum said. “His earring is one piece, but he has something else. Something around his belt buckle.”
The elf stepped back, his hands clutching his sword hilts. Now everyone was watching him, their hands on their own weapons.
Sabre Vlad raised a calming hand. “Lyramoor has nothing to hide.”
“Then why is he acting like that?” asked Stout Harley, frowning in suspicion.
“Lyramoor,” Vlad said. “Show them it isn’t one of those eye things so we can move on.”
“I refuse,” said the elf and Sabre Vlad looked back at him in surprise. “I don’t show that to anyone, Vlad. Not even you.”
“Come on. I don’t think he meant-.” Vlad looked back to Willum. “What part of his body did you say it was?”
“His abdomen. Just above his belt buckle on his right side,” Willum replied.
“What could possibly be so secret, I wonder?” said Hugh eyeing the elf thoughtfully.
“I will not say,” said Lyramoor, his hands still clutching the hilts of his swords. “Only that it has nothing to do with this witch you speak of.”
“That’s it, half-elf,” said Stout Harley, pulling his warhammer free of the straps holding it to his back. His hammer’s name was Thud and it glowed black with earth magic. He took great pride in its ability to dent any armor he came up against. All of his armor radiated black, made of the same material as the hammer.
The men of the Swordsmans
hip Guild were taught not to draw their swords unless they were prepared to kill. Lyramoor slid his falchions half-free of their scabbards. “Please don’t make me slay you, sir,” he warned.
“Threaten me?” shouted Harley, his face red. He stepped towards the elf, his hammer raised. “I will pound you to jelly!”
“Stop it, both of you!” shouted Vlad, standing between them.
“No, it’s not coming from him! Not the elf,” said the imp.
“Wait!” said Willum. “It’s not Lyramoor. He doesn’t have it.” Everyone turned to glare at him. “I’m sorry, whatever Lyramoor has, it’s not a moonrat eye. It’s here somewhere in this room though.”
The War of Stardeon (The Bowl of Souls) Page 42