Katie moved to the front of the group, crouching down slightly as her eyes flicked from spear to spear. She mimed out a couple of movements, planning out the route she’d have to take ahead of time.
“Maybe… you should consider waiting here?” said Jack. “Katie, this won’t be easy.”
“Fuck you,” she said. “I can do it. I’ll go first, and if I get injured, one of you can sweep in and save me.”
She was moving before Jack could mount another objection. The first spear was at shoulder level and parallel to the ground. Katie ducked slightly, standing just underneath it. The next two came out of the corners of the hallway at diagonals, grazing by each other at their full extent. Katie spun by them and immediately fell to her knees to duck under five spears which pushed out at stomach level in a neat row.
She moved gracefully, sometimes with incredible bursts of speed and dexterity. Jack was impressed and strangely turned on. He’d always known how capable Katie was, and he’d seen her perform similar feats before.
It was the same this time, but also different. She was confident in her movements and in her training. She’d made progress that went beyond just learning a few new spells, and it made Jack realize how lucky, perhaps even undeserving, he was of her loyalty.
“There,” said Katie, as she spun by the last set of spears. “Now come on. Let’s keep—”
Metal groaned as the two suits of armor at the end of the hall shifted into motion. Katie was only a few feet away from them, and the spears kept her from being able to retreat back the way she came. Jack saw her flinch in surprise and hesitate for a single, crucial moment.
“No!” He surged forward, casting Shadow Form and crossing the hallway with all the speed he could muster. He summoned his Spectral Sword as he reformed, and swung it in an upward arc to catch the swords of the armor constructs as they came down toward Katie’s head.
His blade went right through theirs. Jack let the momentum carry through, spinning and slashing again at chest level. His sword went through the first construct’s breast plate and then the second, the metal screaming as the darkness of his weapon reverberated with shadow energy.
The armor constructs fell to the floor, inert and disassembled. Katie stepped out from behind him, furrowing her brow as she looked at Jack’s handiwork.
“That was really cool!” called Ryoko.
“Primal and aggressive is how I would describe it,” said Mira. “I’d forgotten how much I enjoy watching you in action, my sweet Jack.”
Katie shrugged and rolled her eyes. “I could have handled it. But thanks.”
Jack grinned at her. “Any time.”
Mira and Ryoko had an easy time with the spears, the former dissolving into shadow to bypass them, and the latter splashing through in the form of a rolling wave of water. After having Katie double check that there were definitely no runes or traps on the door, Jack opened it, and the four of them progressed into the next chamber.
It was dark, with only two of the green bug lights dedicated to illuminating a massive chamber. Rows of shelves lined most of the space, and a few weapon racks were visible along some of the walls. A gated elevator stood in the center of the room, though it was hard to tell whether it was designed to go up or down.
“This looks like a cellar,” said Jack. “A… wine cellar?”
He pulled a bottle of wine off a shelf as the group moved further into the chamber.
“We should be checking for traps,” said Katie. “This seems too easy.”
“I don’t know,” said Jack. “Sometimes a wine cellar is just a wine cellar.”
He focused his blood essence, casting a spell he’d never named that produced a small, spectral corkscrew out of one finger.
“What are you doing?” asked Ryoko.
“I’m thirsty,” said Jack. “And I feel like I could use a drink after fighting enchanted constructs and making a deal with an imp.”
He took a sip of the wine. It was sour, almost like vinegar, with a powerful kick. Jack coughed as he took his next breath, and the sound echoed off the walls of a chamber for a split second before being eclipsed by a greater noise.
The elevator was descending. Jack frowned at his friends, who’d moved to stand alongside him. Katie had her wand out, but she kept it at her side as the elevator came to a stop and the gate opened.
A figure in a black robe emerged from the elevator and stared them down. Jack took a step forward and held up a hand.
“Hi,” he said. “Are you—”
The figure threw his hand forward, launching a massive blast of blindingly bright white energy in Jack’s direction. Looking at it felt like staring at the sun, and it crossed the space between them in the blink of an eye, slamming into Jack’s chest.
He careened backward, dropping the wine bottle and his grandfather’s staff as he came to a tumbling stop on the cold stone floor. Jack felt dazed more than injured, and he had to blink a couple of times to dispel the afterimage left from the bright blast.
Katie, Ryoko, and Mira had moved to engage the robed figure in the wake of the opening blow. Katie fired blasts of force with her wand, while Ryoko focused on trying to use gouts of water to knock the figure off their feet. Mira took on the role of the front line fighter, attacking with her enhanced speed and still somehow missing every blow.
Jack summoned his Spectral Sword as he charged back into the fray. The robed figure hit Katie with a smaller blast of blinding energy and cast a spell that took on the form of a shimmering, magical net over her, binding her to the floor.
Ryoko flowed forward, her body shifting to water as it struck against the robed figure. He didn’t react to the attack. As far as Jack could tell, he didn’t even get wet. Mira used the distraction of the moment to get behind the figure, throwing an arm around his neck for a headlock. His body shimmered and force exploded outward, knocking her off her feet. The robed figure used another net spell to bind her to the ground before she could react.
“Hold on!” shouted Jack. “If you’re Xepher, we aren’t here to fight you.”
The robed figure shot a blast of energy at Ryoko, just as she regained her physical form. She let out a tiny squeal as she went down. Jack jumped in front of her before the figure could do anything else, holding his sword in a defensive stance.
“Why are you here?” rumbled the figure.
“I thought you might be able to help me,” said Jack. “I’m Peter Masterson’s grandson. I came seeking your aid.”
“Peter’s grandson?” The robed figure hesitated for a moment before pulling back his hood. “Yes… I am Xepher. You have come to the right place.”
Xepher was old, with a bald head, wrinkled face, but reasonably tanned skin. He watched Jack with an analytical expression on his face, only breaking out into a smile after several tense seconds.
“Would you like to know something about that bottle of wine you opened?” asked Xepher.
Jack hesitated, unsure of whether it would be wise to let his guard down immediately. He gave a small shrug and nodded his head.
“Sure,” he said.
“It was extremely rare,” said Xepher. “Less because of the vintage, and more because of the fact that your grandfather gifted it to me.”
“Oh.” Jack winced. “Sorry about that.”
Xepher released the spell he was using to keep Mira and Katie bound. The girls pulled themselves up and came to stand next to Jack, watching the old man with similarly wary expressions.
“It is fine,” said Xepher. “I have a tendency to overreact when it comes to my wine. If you would join me, please. I’ll bring you into my sanctum.”
Jack looked over at Katie, and then at Mira. Neither seemed to have any objections, and Ryoko merely shrugged when he glanced at her. He stepped forward and led his companions onto the elevator, where Xepher was already waiting.
CHAPTER 33
The elevator lurched into motion without any obvious indication of Xepher having pressed a button or fli
pped a switch. It carried them upward at a surprisingly swift and smooth rate. Jack felt a slight anxious edge over where they were being brought to, but it faded into the background as the elevator came to a stop and the gate slid open.
It was a sunny day in paradise. Jack’s eyes widened at his surroundings as he stepped out of the elevator, and he found himself unable to believe how much of the island had been hidden from view. They were inside the dormant volcanic caldera that had looked like a mound of black rock to him from the beach.
It was a beautiful green valley, with a sprawling stretch of level, fertile land at the center. The walls of the caldera were rocky but still studded with grass and trees up to the former volcano’s lip, which was probably a few hundred feet above ground level.
There were several buildings near the elevator, all of them built in the style of Japanese architecture with sliding doors and tiled roofs. An enormous vegetable garden bordered a mixed orchard of cherry, apple, and pear trees. To top it all off, there was a hot spring the size of a small lake, with a nearby lodge that Jack assumed was some sort of sauna.
“You live inside a volcano?” asked Mira, with an edge of disbelief in her voice.
“Of course not,” said Xepher. “I live inside a dormant volcano. Big difference.”
“Is it safe?” asked Ryoko.
“With my wards acting as they are, it is,” said Xepher. “They keep the fires below contained and in channels separate from my cellar.”
“You’re saying that this volcano would be active, if not for your magic?” asked Katie.
“Yes.” Xepher smiled at them. “It’s how I got such a good deal on the land. Scary place, for most people. Not me.”
He gestured for them to follow, which they did, after a second or two of incredulous gawking.
“I have a guest house,” said Xepher. “The four of you are welcome to it, though you may be unused to the style of beds.”
He gestured to one of the smaller, nearby buildings. Jack only then noticed the rows of solar panels on top of all the building’s roofs, which almost blended in to the sublime architecture. There was another building apart from the one that Jack assumed to be Xepher’s home, and it looked more like a temple than anything, complete with wind chimes and crystals hanging from chains.
“So, you’ll help me, then?” asked Jack.
Xepher took a breath, and gave him a very slight shrug.
“Perhaps,” he said. “You are a vampire. Very dangerous. If that’s why you came here, I’m afraid I cannot help you. Only through killing the vampire who turned you can you return to normal.”
“That’s been an issue for me, but it’s not why I came,” said Jack. “I’m under a spell. A loyalty oath, which I gave to a demon… a demon who inhabits my father’s body.”
“Ah,” said Xepher. “Interesting. A direct blood connection would certainly strengthen such a spell. It would be difficult to break, even without that.”
“I brought Peter’s staff,” said Jack. “I think it can be used to help.”
He didn’t want to directly infer that he’d had contact with Peter’s imprint, even if it would have made the conversation go a bit more smoothly. Peter’s imprint had warned him against it for the sake of preserving the staff’s essence, but Jack also got the sense that there might be a secondary reason why the ghost wanted to remain in the background.
“The staff of the Lestaron Fox.” Xepher accepted the weapon as Jack handed it to him. “So many memories. We worked on a number of projects together. Peter was a friend. A good friend…”
The old man nodded his head a couple of times. It was warm within the volcanic valley, and Jack could already feel sweat begin to coalesce in drops against his forehead.
“Yes…” said Xepher. “I will do what I can to help you. It may take a day or two for me to make the preparations for the spell. Until then, you are welcome to stay here, rest, and enjoy the sanctum as you please.”
Xepher gave Jack and his companions a slight bow, and gestured to the guest house again.
“Uh, there’s one other thing,” said Jack. “On the way in here, we encountered an imp. He made us promise to ask you for his freedom.”
Xepher let out a rumbling, throaty laugh.
“He has his freedom,” said Xepher. “I’ve given him the key to let himself in and out of the cellar several times over the past year. What he doesn’t have is a very good memory. I will give him the key again, and within a week, he will forget again.”
“What is he doing on the island in the first place?” asked Jack.
“Entertaining me,” said Xepher. “Very funny creature. Good for a laugh.”
He led Jack and the girls into the guest house, which was a simple, warm space. Six futons were set out across the floor, and a single room in the back led to the bathroom and shower. There was no kitchen, but it wasn’t as though they’d brought much food of their own to cook, anyway.
“I will provide meals,” said Xepher. “Relax for now. You’ve come a long way to find me.”
The old man leaned forward into a small bow, and then left without another word. Jack waited until he was out of sight and earshot before turning back toward the rest of the group. Ryoko and Mira were already sitting on the beds. Katie stood with her arms crossed, frowning slightly.
“What do you think of all this?” he asked them.
“Peter never mentioned a friend named Xepher, Jack,” said Katie. “I’d think that a powerful warlock with his own personal volcanic resort valley would have come up, at some point. I don’t like this.”
“It’s obvious that we would already be dead if this was a trap,” said Mira. “The obstacles we encountered heading in through his cellar and even the stone golem, on the beach, make sense, in retrospect. Xepher could have crushed us when we fought him, and he chose not to.”
Jack nodded, recognizing the logic in what she was saying.
“I like his garden,” said Ryoko. “It’s delicate work. I don’t think he’s a bad person. He reminds me of Mr. Masterson.”
“I’m leaning toward agreeing with that sentiment,” said Jack. “Especially since I was the one who came seeking him.”
“How did you even find out about him in the first place?” asked Katie. “I feel like this is a question I should have already asked.”
Jack shrugged. “My grandfather’s staff had a hidden message in it that only I could access, and he was mentioned in it.”
That seemed to satisfy Katie, though it did bring a small pang of guilt to his chest.
“Anyway,” said Jack. “We should get some rest. We weren’t exactly able to sleep much last night, and there’s no telling what will end up happening from here.”
The girls nodded in agreement. Jack was surprised to find it pleasantly air-conditioned inside the guest house. It was still bright outside, and the style of architecture made it impossible to keep the sun from leaking in, but they were all tired enough to fall asleep in short order, regardless.
Jack woke up to a soft tapping on the door. It was early evening, or possibly late afternoon, given how the volcanic valley’s bowl shape created so much shade. He got up and found Xepher standing outside the guest house, carrying a massive tray full of food. He smiled and passed it to Jack with a nod.
“Dinner,” he said. “Please, enjoy.”
“You aren’t going to eat with us?” asked Jack.
Xepher shook his head. “Not now. I am busy.”
“Oh,” said Jack. “Well, thank you. We really appreciate your generous hospitality.”
“You are quite welcome,” said Xepher. “I will see you again tomorrow. Treat my home as though it were your own. I especially encourage you to take advantage of the hot springs.”
He bowed again, and this time Jack had the sense to bow back before the old man departed. It was a little strange, but he chalked it up to how much time had probably passed since the old man had last entertained guests. He brought the food into the guest house. Th
e girls were waking up, and he heard a few eager yawns as they spied the food.
Xepher had prepared rice, grilled fish, spinach and seaweed salad, and a variety of fresh picked fruits for them. It made Jack’s mouth water, and he dug in with gusto. It was a lavish meal compared to what he’d been eating over the past few days, and he couldn’t help but feel reminded of the catering service back at his penthouse.
“He said we could use the hot springs,” said Ryoko. “Would anyone object if I decided to take him up on the offer?”
“Of course not.” Jack tried not to sound too eager. “It would be a great way for us to relax and blow off some literal and figurative steam. Why don’t we all head out to them, after dinner?”
Ryoko, Mira, Katie, all naked and washing up with each other in the hot springs. The idea of it was enough to send blood rushing to various parts of his anatomy. Katie raised an eyebrow at him, and then wagged her fork in his face.
“Nice try, pervert,” said Katie. “We’ll take turns. Women first, and then the men.”
“Oh, come on,” said Jack. “I’m the only man here. It’ll be lonely if I’m just bathing by myself.”
“I think that would be a healthy change for you,” said Katie. “Being alone builds character, which is something you could certainly use more of.”
Jack glanced over to Mira and Ryoko for backup. Mira gave him a small, teasing smile and said nothing. Ryoko was blushing a little, and she just shrugged.
“Fine,” he said. “We’ll take turns.”
“And no spying on us!” said Katie.
“Of course not,” he lied.
CHAPTER 34
Once they’d finished dinner, Katie, Ryoko, and Mira set off to bathe. They found fluffy towels in the guest house’s storage closet to take with him. It was late enough to be fairly dark outside, and a harmonious chorus of crickets echoed through the grass.
The hot springs were behind the guest house and Xepher’s lodgings, meaning that there was no direct line of sight for anyone inside. Jack didn’t plan on watching from inside, of course. He waited for a few minutes, giving the girls time to hopefully get comfortable in the water, and then put his plan into action.
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