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  “I don’t understand,” Isabel said. “We’ve been treated like pariah by the Sky Knights since we got here and just like that you accept her into your ranks?”

  “She’s bonded with a wyvern,” Bianca said. “Our law is clear. Wyvern hatchlings choose their riders. The circumstances of the bonding are unimportant. I suspect there will be those who object, but short of intervention by the triumvirate, the hatchling’s choice is final.”

  Isabel smiled. “Good. I’m confident that Abigail will make an excellent Sky Knight. Thank you for saving her life. I’m afraid I was a step too slow to stop him.”

  “You’re welcome,” Bianca said. “I’m told you are a queen and Abigail is a princess. It would not do to have either of you murdered while you are guests of the Reishi Coven.”

  A Sky Knight escorted Isabel back to her quarters. Abigail wasn’t there, but Wren was waiting in the sitting room. She shot to her feet when the door opened. The look of panic and worry on her face turned frantic when only Isabel entered.

  “Where’s Abigail?” she said. “Is she hurt?”

  Isabel smiled reassuringly. “Abigail’s fine, maybe a little beaten up but she’ll be all right.”

  “I was so worried,” Wren said. “I don’t know how that man knew where we were or why he tried to kill you.” She looked down. “I’m sorry I ran. But I didn’t know what I could do to help you.”

  “Hush, it’s all right,” Isabel said. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m afraid Mistress Bianca figured out your secret passage though. I suspect they’ll seal it off.”

  Wren nodded. “I don’t care about that, I’m just glad you and Abigail are okay.”

  “I do have good news,” Isabel said. “At least I think it’s good news. Abigail bonded with a wyvern. Mistress Bianca says she’ll be trained as a Sky Knight.”

  Wren looked at her with stunned amazement. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for her.”

  “Me too,” Isabel said. “Now, it’s late. Your parents are probably wondering where you are. Go home and we’ll talk more tomorrow. I’m sure Abigail will have some stories to tell us about her new friend.”

  Chapter 6

  Alexander strode into the permanent encampment with Conner Ithilian at his side and a throng of people following behind. It was a well-ordered and clean camp. Roads were clearly marked and well traveled. Oilskin tents were lined up in neat rows and organized in clusters. The soldiers were well equipped with serviceable-looking weapons and armor that was well maintained. These men were disciplined soldiers who took their profession seriously.

  Conner led them to the center of the camp and ordered an officer to provide tents for Alexander’s Rangers and offered Alexander his father’s tent. Apparently it was customary for deployed legions to maintain a well-appointed command tent in the event that the King arrived unannounced. It was a comfortable tent easily big enough to house a dozen men or more. A large bed sat opposite the entrance and the floor was lined with carpets. There was a table and furnishings but the place was cold and unused. Clearly it had sat empty for many months. Alexander had Lucky put Anatoly in the bed and ordered Boaberous to remain with them. Then he and Jataan and Jack went to the command tent to talk with Conner.

  Conner was waiting with the mage and another man dressed in full battle armor.

  “Please, share a meal with us,” Conner said, motioning to the table as they entered. “I’ll have food delivered to your tent for your men, and my healer will see if he can assist your injured friend.”

  Alexander took the seat at the head of the table which drew a look from the older man in plate armor, but no objection. Jataan and Jack took seats to his right. Conner sat at Alexander’s left, followed by the mage and general.

  “Lord Reishi, allow me to introduce Mage Dax, my chief advisor, and General Brand, my Second,” Conner said.

  “Thank you for your hospitality, Prince Conner,” Alexander said. “This is Jataan P’Tal, General Commander of the Reishi Protectorate, and Master Jack Colton, the Bard of Ruatha.” At the mention of Jataan P’Tal’s name, Mage Dax stiffened perceptibly and his colors flared with anxiety. Commander P’Tal was known to the man. Alexander decided to ignore the concern for now in the hopes that their conversation would ease any tensions.

  “It has been many generations since anyone came through the Reishi Gate,” Conner said. “We were expecting an all-out invasion. When we saw a small party come through, we feared that Phane had come to force our hand. In truth, I don’t know what to make of your arrival.”

  Alexander smiled and nodded. Conner Ithilian’s colors were clear and steady. He was a man who spoke his mind without guile or apology. Alexander decided he liked him.

  “I come in search of allies against Phane,” Alexander said. “War has broken out across the Seven Isles. No corner of the world will be spared. Those who love life and liberty must stand together, or the future will suffer greatly for our failure.”

  “I have many questions that must be answered before I can take you to meet my father,” Conner said.

  “Ask what you will, I will answer what I can,” Alexander said.

  “If I may,” Mage Dax said.

  Conner nodded.

  “It is well known that the Sovereign Stone was lost during the Reishi War. How has it come to be in your possession?”

  Alexander smiled gently. He had asked Chloe to remain hidden when they arrived. He spoke to her without speaking. “I believe a grand entrance is in order, Little One.”

  In the center of the table she buzzed into a bright, scintillating ball of light and materialized in midair. She hovered two feet off the table, surveying the representatives of Ithilian before she locked eyes with an astonished Mage Dax.

  “Hello, Mage,” Chloe said. “My Love asked me to bring the Sovereign Stone out of the aether, so I did.”

  Mage Dax blinked several times as if he wasn’t quite sure that what he was seeing was real. Chloe flew over, landed on Alexander’s shoulder and sat down cross-legged.

  “You’re a fairy,” Mage Dax whispered with an undercurrent of awe.

  Conner and General Brand sat stock-still.

  Chloe shrugged. “Of course I’m a fairy.”

  Alexander smiled slightly.

  “How can this be?” Mage Dax asked. “The fairies withdrew from the world after the Reishi War. No mortal has even reported seeing a fairy in the past two thousand years, let alone bonding with one as a familiar.”

  “My Love convinced my mother that the world needed our assistance,” Chloe said. “I volunteered to sacrifice my immortality for the opportunity to experience mortal love.” She looked at Alexander with a smile. “I am very happy with my choice.”

  General Brand spoke into the stunned silence. He was a big man, gruff and plainspoken, clearly an experienced combat soldier with many years of command. He reminded Alexander a bit of Anatoly. “Our reports say that the Reishi Protectorate is serving Phane. How is it that the General Commander of the Reishi Protectorate is here with you if you are not in league with Phane?” There was no anger or antagonism in his tone, just the matter-of-fact question of a general officer.

  Alexander nodded to Jataan to answer the question.

  He cleared his throat. “I serve the Reishi Sovereign. Until last night I believed that Prince Phane was the last of the Reishi line and performed my duties accordingly. When I saw Lord Reishi take possession of the Sovereign Stone, I realized my error. At this time I have not yet had an opportunity to communicate the truth of the situation to the soldiers and agents of the Reishi Protectorate, so they are still acting on behalf of Prince Phane.”

  “How is it that you were able to bond with the Stone?” Mage Dax asked.

  “The Reishi are a branch of the Ruathan line,” Alexander said. “I am of the Ruathan bloodline and so I am also Reishi.”

  “I see,” Dax said. “Prince Conner, I believe we have ample evidence of Lord Reishi’s truthfulness. And the fact that he has bonded wit
h a fairy is proof positive of his moral character. I recommend we make haste for the palace in the morning.”

  Conner nodded and stood up, offering Alexander his hand in friendship. When Alexander stood to shake his hand, his cloak slipped off the hilt of the Thinblade. Conner’s eyes went wide and his hand went to his sword.

  “You have my father’s sword,” he said with alarm.

  Mage Dax stood, quickly muttering the words of a spell. General Brand drew his sword, and Jataan P’Tal suddenly had a knife in each hand.

  “Stop!” Alexander commanded. Everyone froze. He unbuckled his belt and held the hilt of the Thinblade out to Conner.

  “Have you ever held your father’s sword?” Alexander asked.

  Conner frowned and nodded.

  “How did it feel?”

  Conner hesitated for a moment. “Like it was made for my hand.”

  Alexander nodded knowingly. “Grasp the hilt of my sword, but do not draw the blade.”

  Conner’s frown deepened but he did as he was told. When he grasped the hilt, an unsettled look ghosted across his face and he released it quickly.

  “It feels like a snake writhing in my grasp.”

  “That’s because this is the Ruathan Thinblade. This sword is bound to my line just as your father’s sword is bound to yours.”

  “My apologies, Lord Reishi,” Conner said. “It looks exactly like my father’s sword. When I saw it, I feared the worst.”

  “You’re right to be cautious,” Alexander said, extending his hand to Conner.

  They spent an hour sharing a meal. Conversation revolved around the histories and traditions of Ithilian and Ruatha. Both islands were similar in size and resources. Ithilian had vast farm and range land. They grew grains and vegetables, cultivated orchards and vineyards that covered miles of hillsides, and raised beef, bison, and sheep. In the high central mountains, they mined iron, copper, and silver. In the west, they quarried fine marble. The people were prosperous and industrious. They had a united government that recognized the sovereignty of the Old Law and respected the individual.

  Conner spoke of the political infighting that was a staple at court but dismissed the power of the political class to do any real damage to the well-being of the people because of the protections of the monarchy. Alexander wanted to hear more about their system of government, but the meal ended and he had other things to do that were more pressing.

  He retired to his tent and found Anatoly sleeping soundly. Lucky said that a healer of considerable power had visited and cast a number of spells over the big man-at-arms. He was optimistic about Anatoly’s recovery and believed he would be able to ride by morning. After a brief discussion about the events of the evening, Alexander laid out his bedroll next to the bed.

  Jataan frowned and stepped forward. “Surely, you’re not going to sleep on the floor when there’s a bed for you to use.”

  “Anatoly needs it more than I do,” Alexander said as he pulled up a carpet to reveal the dirt below. He positioned a meditation pillow and carefully drew a magic circle around it.

  “You are Lord Reishi,” Jataan said.

  “So? Anatoly needs it more,” Alexander replied. “I’ll be fine on the floor. I’m going to meditate for a while before bed. See to it that someone checks on Lieutenant Wyatt.”

  Chloe buzzed into existence and flitted up to eye level. “Are you going to leave again, My Love?”

  “Yes, Little One,” Alexander said. “The magic circle will protect me from wandering spirits.”

  “I know, but I still don’t like it when you leave. I feel lonely when you’re gone.”

  “I have to do this, Chloe,” Alexander said. “I need information and Ruatha needs to know that I have the Stone. If they believe Phane has it, they may do something unwise.”

  “I understand,” she said as she landed on his knee. “I just don’t like it.” She sat down cross-legged and looked up at him.

  Alexander smiled at her and closed his eyes. With his all around sight, he could see Jataan P’Tal watch him for a long moment before sending Grudge to check on the Rangers.

  Alexander cleared his mind. He had a lot of thoughts insisting on his attention, but he put them aside one by one and found that place of empty-mindedness that led to the firmament. When he found his awareness floating on the ocean of potential, he listened to the song of creation for a moment. What he heard made him anxious. There was greater discord and fear in the collective consciousness of the world than he had ever heard before. He suspected the increased angst was the result of the armies that had just invaded Ruatha and Fellenden.

  He coalesced his awareness high above the Reishi Gate on Ruatha. What he saw intensified his anxiety. There was an army of at least ten legions of Reishi Army Regency. They had come through the Gate the night before and were busy establishing a defensive encampment and organizing for an attack.

  Alexander moved his focus to Blackstone Keep. The world rushed by with impossible speed and abruptly he was in Kelvin’s workshop. The Mage was nowhere to be seen. He floated over to his message board. There were two numbered messages.

  “Isabel and Abigail have been taken by the Reishi Coven. I have assurances that they are both alive and well. I have sent an item of great power that I believe is Isabel’s best hope for surviving the poison.”

  Alexander read the message twice. The weight of worry that had burdened him since he last saw his wife and sister lifted and relief flooded into his soul.

  They were alive.

  Everything else paled in the face of that one simple truth. He turned his attention to the second message. It was more hastily written.

  “The Reishi Army Regency has invaded through the Gate. They are led by three wizards and they have a scourgling. Since the Gates are open, I can only assume that Phane has recovered the Stone. There is great fear within the ranks of your army. Please send word when you see this message.”

  If the first message lifted his spirits, the second troubled him deeply. A scourgling under the control of an advancing army would be nearly unstoppable. Alone, it might be contained, but with troops behind it, the Ruathan Army would have little chance against it.

  He floated in the Mage’s workshop for a time, thinking about his options. There was so much to do and all of it was important. He decided to finish with his clairvoyance before pondering his next move. With a thought, he brought his focus into the sleeping room. There were three Rangers sound asleep awaiting his message.

  Alexander picked one and gently moved into the sleeping man’s consciousness and manifested in his dreams. He found himself standing on a trail in the Great Forest. The Ranger rounded a corner riding hard and came to an abrupt stop in front of Alexander. He dismounted and approached tentatively.

  “Ranger, I am Alexander, and I come with messages for the Guild Mage and General Valentine,” Alexander said.

  “Lord Alexander, I’m happy to see you,” the Ranger said. “What messages can I deliver?”

  “I have recovered the Sovereign Stone, and much to my surprise, it has bonded with me,” Alexander said. “The Gates opened when the Stone came back into the world but I closed them as soon as possible and they are now under my control. The invading army will receive no reinforcements through the Gate. Fellenden has been invaded by Zuhl. I am on Ithilian seeking an alliance. I will send word before I return.”

  “I will deliver your message, Lord Alexander. Your words will give our soldiers hope,” the Ranger said.

  “In the battles that come, protect the people. Buildings can be rebuilt,” Alexander said and then extracted his awareness from the mind of the sleeping Ranger. He floated up and saw the man come awake and hastily pull on his boots.

  Alexander thought of Fellenden and his focus shifted across the entire Seven Isles. The world rushed by impossibly fast and then he was floating high above the island. A great army filled the gently rolling fields surrounding the Gate. They had separated into two forces—two legions surrounded th
e Gate and eight legions had moved a small distance before making camp for the evening. Alexander wondered what Zuhl wanted with Fellenden. He feared that he would find out all too soon.

  Next, he shifted his focus to the Angellica and came to float high over her mast. She was holding position between Ruatha and the Reishi Isle. Alexander pushed into the interior of the ship and found Captain Targa sleeping in his quarters. He gently entered the man’s dreams and instructed him to make best speed for Southport. He also told him to inform Kevin of the invasion force that had arrived through the Gate.

  He saved his final target for last because he was worried about having his awareness scattered into the firmament. He knew that the fortress island was guarded by magic. If Isabel was there and he tried to look in on her, he would fail. So he focused his awareness on Slyder. Again he moved with terrific speed, stopping abruptly just outside the fortress island. Perched on the railing of a balcony was Slyder.

  Alexander carefully drew closer until he was floating just a few feet from the balcony. He peered through the windows and saw Isabel and Abigail sitting at a table with a young woman with wispy dirty-blond hair. They were talking like friends. Alexander spent several minutes simply looking at his wife and sister. They were alive. He couldn’t be sure if they were safe, but their room was well appointed and comfortable-looking. They might be prisoners, but they were being treated well.

  The weight lifted even more. His greatest worry and all of the uncertainty that went with it vanished and left him with a feeling of hope that swelled within him and buoyed his soul. With a great sense of relief, he returned to his body and opened his eyes.

  Lucky was snoring gently. Anatoly was sleeping soundly, as well. Jack sat at the little table working on a story or a song. Jataan sat watching Alexander.

  “Isabel and Abigail are alive and well,” he said softly.

  Jack looked up quickly with hope and expectation.

  “I saw them,” Alexander said. “They’re on the fortress island where the wyvern riders live. They both look well.”