Chapter 27

Ugalhar Monastery, Atop Mount Zomm

Athdar was furious. “Do you know how long it took to get those men! We were just starting to increase our numbers! With Arthur and his men, we would have had enough to go to war! So close! Now we must find more fae and vampire to change and we still have to get Arthur and his army. We can’t win this war without them!”

“Don’t just blame me. I told you the McGregors were hard to kill, and it was your choice not to change Rulm and his army yet, all because of some damn promise about your sister!”

“She’s not my sister! I owed King Rulm. He helped me kill Elspeth’s parents and took me in so I’d have a good place to use my magic. He always wanted Elspeth and he was waiting until she was ripe for his games. I never cared what happened to the little healer.

“That is why I brought her back from the monastery. He wanted to keep her and play with her. I promised him, and I keep my word that he wouldn’t be changed until it was time for war. I didn’t think we’d need them right away. Our numbers were up.

“It’s a small setback. We will get there again. But, make no mistake, I will kill Merlin, only after I’ve tortured and killed that damn Ian McGregor and my so called, little sister, while he watches. I will suck enough ether from Merlin so he won’t be able to lift a finger, let alone use his magic. They will pay and I know just how we’re going to do it.”

He grabbed his book, The Grimoire to the Dark, and slammed it to the table. “Bring me wine Drakkor, we have work to do.”

“Sir, excuse me we have a problem,” interrupted Damon from the doorway.

“What is the meaning of this, Damon? Do not disturb me, means do not disturb me! Can’t you see I’m busy? What the hell is it?!”

“There’s unrest with the men, sir. There’s talk of a revolt, after what happened. They are organizing and there is already a faction. One of them betrayed the others by coming to tell me.”

His voice grew shaky showing nerves. “A…group left in the middle of the night. The group calls themselves the Curce. They have a leader, but I don’t know who it is. They…”

“Bring me the man who told you this. Now!” he said, through gritted teeth. Enraged he pulled on his long dark blond hair, eyes blazing, trying to control his temper, but failing miserably. He grabbed his cup of wine and threw it against the wall, knocking off a painting of a group of angels overlooking children playing in a garden.

Red wine splattered the walls and ran down. He picked up a chair and busted it in pieces against the table, gripping a broken leg, sharp at one end, he pointed it at Damon, “Now!” then threw it, impaling the wall near his head.

“Right away, sir,” said Damon in a wobbly voice, and hurried from the room.

“I thought you had control of all these Kearals, Athdar. Didn’t you say they were bespelled as well as changed?” asked Drakkor.

“Yes,” he gritted. “I thought they were. I don’t know what they’re thinking of doing by themselves, but with so much evil in them, they must lack fear of me. Big mistake, as they will find out. I would use the dungeon at the castle, but our cover is blown.

“The big question is how many men Ian and his brothers have. I think when I’m done with this man, I’ll pay Merlin another visit and question him. In the meantime, we’ll find out how many men left, then organize a search party according to the number. They can’t get far, it’s cold and this mountain is steep. There’s only one path they can follow. We’ll get them.”

A knock sounded at the door. “Enter,” he shouted.

Damon walked in with a tall, thin, shaggy dark haired and bearded man, with a face that looked like it collided with charging elephant. The man had little eyes and reminded Athdar of a skinny little weasel. His first thought was to kill him. Maybe he would after he got the needed information. “Come in here, my good man, and give me your name,” he said with a forced smile.

“My name is Der,” he said in a thin voice.

“Explain to me, Der, who the instigator of this revolt is, and how many men left with him in the middle of the night.”

“His name is Juppar Heiwynn. I’m not sure the number of men went with him exactly, but I would say near a hundred.”

“How the hell could I not know about a hundred men leaving here!” he shouted. “What direction did they take? Why do you just come now to me? Speak up you damn troll, why?” he grabbed him around his throat.

Der tried to breathe and couldn’t talk. Finally, he released him.

“Because.” He coughed putting his hand instinctively around his sore throat. “When Juppar found out I wasn’t going with them he put a spell on me and left me in the cave.”

“A what on you? What cave? Make sense damn you!” He was beyond patience.

“When we all joined you, it was with the promise of wealth and taking over this veil and the two earths. We are all alike in your army. Except for Juppar. He thinks he can do a better job of things than you can. All who follow him have promises better than yours.

“He is different than all of us because he is a mage. You didn’t know because he didn’t want you to. He put a sleep spell on all the men before he left. When he saw that I hesitated in following, he put a spell on me. After that, I know nothing, but I do know he opened a portal. I’ve never seen it done before. Where it opened to I don’t know, but the men went through it. He is a powerful mage.”

“He’s nothing compared to me!” He grabbed Der around the throat with one hand and choked him. He angrily said an incantation and Der turned red, his blood literally boiling, his eyes and ears bleeding until he died and turned to ash.

“We are going to the cave and I am going to see if I can do a locator spell. I’m not sure how, but we are going to find those men. I don’t know what they have planned, but we are damn sure going to stop it. Then we are going to talk to our army.

“Drakkor, look in on Merlin make sure he still breathes. Come back and we’ll leave by portal. I’m going to check a spell in the book. Make it quick!” Drakkor left and he opened the grimoire.