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  “When we returned to the Keep and entered to search for the invaders, we found a terrible demon in the master gate room. It killed several of my riders. We saw no evidence of a battle and the Reishi Gates had been deactivated, so we can only assume that the one called Alexander has bonded to the Stone and that he fled through the master Gate, to where we do not know.”

  Isabel’s mind raced. If the Gates had been active for any length of time, there was a good chance that Phane had moved an army into Ruatha. He would’ve known that the Gates would awaken with the return of the Sovereign Stone. He would have been ready to seize the opportunity. If her assumption was correct, then Alexander would not have gone to Ruatha—so where then? She ticked off the islands one by one in her mind. She ruled out Andalia and Karth. He probably wouldn’t have gone to Zuhl. That left Tyr, Fellenden, and Ithilian. If the Reishi Protectorate was indeed loyal to him because of his bonding with the Stone, then Tyr was the most likely choice.

  “Thank you, Mistress Constance,” Magda said. “Please remain to clarify any questions that may arise.”

  Constance nodded her assent and remained where she stood.

  “A great many things have come to pass that we did not foresee,” Magda said. “The Seven Isles are in great peril. The Sovereign Stone cannot be allowed to fall into Phane’s hands and yet it is loose in the world. Phane, no doubt, knows this and is taking steps to bring it under his control. I have brought you here to humbly ask for your help. The Sovereign Stone must be brought here and placed under our care. Only here can it be safeguarded against Phane and his dark minions. Please, any insight you may have into young Alexander’s likely actions would be of great service to the future and may be the only course that will preserve his life.”

  Isabel and Abigail shared another look. By unspoken agreement Isabel turned back to Magda and replied to her plea. “What you ask is treason. I have sworn my life and my love to Alexander and I will not betray him for any price. More importantly, if the report we just heard is true, then Alexander is the Sovereign of the Seven Isles and you owe him your allegiance. Further, if he is bonded to the Stone, then he is our best hope for defeating Phane.”

  From the looks on the triumvirs’ faces, Isabel could see that she was telling them truths that they didn’t want to hear. She pressed on.

  “Phane is the enemy,” she said. “Since the day he woke from his long sleep, he’s hunted my husband. His agents murdered his brother and burned his home to the ground. Alexander will never surrender to the Reishi Prince and he will not rest until he has rid the world of the threat that Phane represents. Even as we speak, war is ravaging the Seven Isles, yet you’re fixated on Alexander and the Sovereign Stone. Your resources would be better spent fighting Phane’s armies rather than obstructing and harassing your one true ally. Join with us. Help us.”

  The three witches were quiet for a long moment until Cassandra broke the silence. “Perhaps some of what you say is true, but there are still many questions to be answered before we would consider such an alliance. Alexander is far too young to be an arch mage and yet by all accounts only an arch mage can bond with the Stone. How is it that he was able to accomplish such a thing?”

  Isabel frowned. She was out of her depth. There was so much she didn’t know about the history of the Reishi Empire and their ancient magic that she could only guess at an answer. But she did know Alexander. That would have to be enough. She considered the consequences of revealing some of his unique talents and decided that the risk was worth the potential gain.

  “He is a very powerful wizard,” Isabel said. “Only a week after he survived the mana fast, he was able to send his awareness from Glen Morillian in Ruatha to the Isle of Karth. Through this clairvoyance he was able to both see and hear the proceedings of a meeting between Phane and the Reishi Army Regency. I know little about magic but as I understand it, such a feat is beyond even the most accomplished mage. Perhaps the Sovereign Stone responded to his power even though he has not yet undertaken the mage’s fast.”

  “I find that difficult to believe,” Gabriella said with just a hint of derision.

  Isabel ignored her tone. She needed to win them over. “So did his parents and the wizard that guided him prior to the mana fast. I can attest from personal experience just how powerful his magic is—Alexander was able to send the essence of his being into the netherworld through a rift torn within my own mind and bring me back from the darkness. Is such a feat within the realm of any typical wizard’s power? If you doubt me, I can tell you the names of the shades.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Magda said.

  Gabriella still didn’t look convinced.

  “Where would he take the Stone?” Cassandra asked.

  Isabel shrugged. “The plan was to return to Blackstone Keep and secure the Stone within the Bloodvault where Phane would be forever denied his prize. After hearing your Sky Knight’s report, I suspect he’s changed his plans.”

  “Where would he go?” Gabriella demanded.

  Isabel smiled without any humor. “I don’t know. From the sounds of things, the Reishi Gates awoke when the Stone returned to the world of time and substance. Phane probably sent his army from Karth to Ruatha, so Alexander wouldn’t have been able to return home without being surrounded.”

  “The Stone must be returned to our care,” Gabriella said. “We will find Alexander wherever he is hiding and then he will surrender what he stole.”

  Abigail laughed derisively. “You think he’s hiding? Not a chance. He’s doing everything he can to raise an army and rally anyone with the wisdom to listen to his cause. If he wanted to hide, he would have stayed in Glen Morillian, or Blackstone Keep for that matter—but he didn’t. He chose the most dangerous course possible because it was the only path he could see that would preserve the Seven Isles from Phane. Every moment you work against Alexander is a moment you serve Phane.”

  “How dare you speak to us with such impudence!” Gabriella said, standing with anger. She raised her hand as if preparing to cast a spell.

  Isabel shot to her feet and interposed herself between Gabriella and Abigail.

  “If you strike us down, you doom any chance of an alliance,” she said. “Phane has bested your Sky Knights in every encounter. You have no hope of protecting the Stone here. The moment he learns you have his prize, he will come and you will deliver the world into darkness.”

  Magda placed her hand on Gabriella’s outstretched arm. “Hold, Gabriella. We still have much to consider.”

  “I concur,” said Cassandra.

  Gabriella reluctantly lowered her hand and took her seat with a visible effort.

  Isabel thought she saw something else in Gabriella’s countenance. She thought she saw hate. Again, she wished she had Alexander’s sight. He would know the truth of these three.

  She remained standing. “If you truly serve the Old Law, then you and my husband have the same master and the same enemy. The people of Ruatha are fighting for their lives against Phane’s armies. Help us. The time for patrols over the Reishi Isle has ended. Now is the time to wage war. Come with us to Ruatha and lend your strength against our common enemy.”

  “You speak with passion and conviction,” Magda said. “I’m convinced that you speak the truth as you know it. I’m equally convinced that you and Alexander stand against Phane. I’m less convinced that the Stone is where it belongs.

  “As a gesture of goodwill I suggest we should permit them to move freely about the island as guests,” Magda said to the other triumvirs.

  “I concur,” Cassandra said.

  “I disagree,” Gabriella said. “We should hold them and offer their lives in trade for the Sovereign Stone once it has been located.”

  Cassandra shook her head. “Such a course diminishes the possibility of an alliance that we may sorely need in the near future.”

  Magda nodded. “You will be assigned new quarters with locks on the inside of the doors,” she said to Isabel and Abigail.
“You will be given free access to the common areas of the island. I would ask that you not attempt to leave the island and that you respect the Old Law while you are our guests.”

  “Thank you,” Isabel said. She’d made progress. It was enough for now. “May I enquire about the antidote given to you by Mage Gamaliel?”

  “Of course,” Magda said. “I understand how urgently you must wish to be rid of the threat of death but we don’t yet fully understand the nature of the item. I’m sorry, but we must continue to study it for a while. You have my word that we will administer the magic before the poison becomes fatal. Until the threat becomes urgent, we believe there is greater wisdom in further investigation. I hope you understand.”

  “In truth, I don’t,” Isabel said. “But, I’m willing to accept your assurances that you won’t permit the poison to kill me.”

  “If there’s nothing else, the guards will show you to your new quarters,” Magda said.

  Abigail stepped forward. “If we are truly your guests, then I would ask that our weapons be returned to us. I give you my word that I will harm no one except in defense.”

  Magda looked to her two counterparts for their input. Cassandra nodded reluctantly but Gabriella shook her head angrily.

  “Your possessions will be delivered to your quarters,” Magda said. “We will hold you to your word.”

  ***

  The guards led them to a new suite of quarters on a higher level of the fortress island. The main sitting room was easily forty feet square with ten foot ceilings. The wall opposite the entrance had five arched windows looking out onto a wide balcony with several chairs around two tables and four comfortable-looking lounges lined up along the windows. The central window held a double door that opened outward. Heavy curtains of dark red velvet hung over each window, save for the central door, which had its curtains tied open. A large dining table that could seat a dozen people occupied one side of the room, and a sturdy low table surrounded by well-cushioned chairs and plush couches filled the other. There was a stand-alone fireplace in the center of the room with a chimney that rose directly up into the ceiling. Doors on either side led to small but comfortable bed chambers, each containing a large bed with plenty of blankets, a small table with a lamp, a chair, and an armoire.

  Most importantly, the hallway door had a sturdy bar, locking pins at the top and bottom, and a bolt that secured the room from the inside. They were no longer prisoners . . . or at least their prison had just expanded substantially. With free access to the fortress island, they could gather vital information about the capabilities of the Sky Knights and the Reishi Coven.

  Not long after they had made a thorough inspection of the rooms for anything out of the ordinary, they heard a knock at the door. Two men stood outside with their packs and weapons. Abigail was greatly relieved to have her bow back. Everything else was replaceable—but her bow, a gift from the Guild Mage of Ruatha, was priceless both in terms of gold and for the capability it gave her on the battlefield.

  “I’m starting to feel a little better about our situation,” she said to Isabel when the men left.

  Chapter 3

  “Alexander cannot possibly be capable of wielding the Sovereign Stone with sufficient power to stand against Phane,” Gabriella said once they had retired to the triumvirate’s private council chamber.

  “Yet he was able to bond with the Stone,” Magda said. “He may well be our best hope against the Reishi Prince.”

  “We must also consider the truth of history,” Cassandra said. “The Reishi failed. Their model of government led to war and horror. Can we permit the Reishi Empire to rise again, knowing that they will surely succumb to the seduction of power and lead the world back into darkness?”

  “What are you suggesting?” Magda asked.

  “Perhaps we should look for a way to destroy the Stone and end the Reishi line permanently,” Cassandra said.

  Magda took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking a moment to consider the suggestion before shaking her head. “That course would be a betrayal of our commitment to the Old Law. Alexander and his family did not violate our rights. They merely took action to accomplish the same end that we’re striving for. How can we justify killing them?”

  “They killed a number of our Sky Knights and trespassed on the Reishi Isle,” Gabriella countered.

  “I know you have suffered a great loss, Gabriella, but I would ask you to set your grief aside and view our dilemma through the prism of our common duty,” Magda said. “Ultimately, I fear necessity will guide our hand. The facts are indisputable. Phane must be defeated. Alexander has bonded with the Sovereign Stone and he is fighting to defeat Phane. Our choice seems obvious to me.”

  “I disagree,” Cassandra said. “Phane will destroy the boy and take the Stone. It’s only a matter of time until we are all lost. We must bring the Stone here where we can protect it.”

  “I agree,” Gabriella said. “Whether the Reishi line is permitted to survive or not is less important than protecting the Seven Isles from the Sovereign Stone.”

  “I suggest we locate Alexander and offer him an exchange—his wife and sister for the Stone,” Cassandra said.

  “I agree,” Gabriella said.

  Magda hesitated, searching the faces of her sisters. She acquiesced with a sigh. “Very well. But I would ask that I be the one to present the offer.”

  They both nodded agreement.

  “And if he refuses?” Magda asked. “We may find ourselves with two enemies. While I agree that Alexander is unlikely to pose a threat with magic, he does command an army and he has demonstrated control over the Reishi Gates.”

  “If he refuses, then we may have harder choices before us,” Gabriella said. “I am loath to suggest such a thing, but these are desperate times. We may find that a demonstration of our resolve is in order.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Magda asked.

  “Killing him would be counterproductive because he is standing against Phane, but killing his wife or sister would demonstrate our commitment and perhaps motivate him to accede to our demands.” Gabriella delivered her explanation in the most reasonable-sounding terms.

  Magda felt a chill run up her spine. “Or, such an action may drive him to wage total war against us as his wife suggested.”

  “I see a third option,” Cassandra said. “Isabel is in need of an antidote for her poison. We could tell him that the magic sent by the Guild Mage failed to work and offer her return so that he can seek an alternative remedy.”

  Gabriella nodded. “That option preserves the threat while reducing the potential of creating a committed enemy. I concur.”

  “Very well,” Magda said. “I disagree, but I will carry out the will of the triumvirate. First, we must locate Alexander and for that we will need the combined strength of the entire coven.”

  She wondered about the report given by Isabel of Alexander’s ability to see across the Seven Isles with his clairvoyance. Such power was indeed formidable if her account was accurate.

  “I will make the necessary preparations for the scrying,” Cassandra said.

  “I will summon the sisters to the scrying well at midnight,” Gabriella said.

  ***

  Isabel and Abigail had just settled into their new quarters when they heard a knock at the door. Wren stood in the hall with a tray of food and a timid smile.

  “I’m happy that the triumvirate has decided to free you,” she said as she placed the large tray on the main table. Dinner was a thick and hearty stew with big chunks of bison, potatoes, carrots, and onions served with half a loaf of bread and a large lump of butter.

  Isabel motioned to a chair and Wren reluctantly took a seat with them after she checked to make sure the door was closed and bolted. Abigail dished the stew and took her seat across from Wren.

  “There’s a lot of talk about you,” Wren said. “The rumor is that the Sovereign Stone was taken from the Reishi Keep and it’s loose in the world.” Her ey
es were wide as she spoke. “The coven is meeting in the gardens tonight but they won’t say why.”

  “What are the gardens?” Isabel asked. She was eager to learn anything she could but kept in mind that Wren was loyal to the Reishi Coven.

  “The top of the fortress island is a plateau,” Wren said. It’s covered with gardens, some for food and some for people to walk through. In the center is the scrying well. That’s where the sisters go when they want to discuss something important or cast a powerful spell.”

  “What do you think they’re planning to do?” Abigail asked.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say they’re going to try to locate the Sovereign Stone,” Wren said. “The whole point of the Reishi Coven and the Sky Knights is to protect the Seven Isles from the Stone. After all this time, someone just slipped in and took it right out from under their noses. I’ve never seen the sisters so afraid.”

  Abigail and Isabel shared a look. Isabel made a mental note to be more wary of the triumvirs. They clearly had an agenda. Her hopes for an alliance waned.

  “We’d like to take a look around the island,” Isabel said. “Would you be our guide?”

  Wren looked up excitedly. “I’d love to. When I was younger I used to explore everywhere I could. I know the island as well as anyone. I just have to return your tray to the kitchen first.”

  Isabel and Abigail followed her to the kitchen and waited in the dining area for her to finish her tasks. They drew more than a few looks from the Sky Knights and others eating dinner. Some looked on with curiosity, others with thinly veiled anger, and yet others with a hint of fear.