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KADE DILIGENTLY FOLLOWED the instructions for the binding spell. He’d practically memorized the enchantment by now, but he was careful not to make any mistakes. He had a feeling he would only have one shot at casting this spell. If he failed, their chances of defeating the Immortal Triumvirate would be ruined.
Halloween was always a night that was full of power, but it felt different this year. Kade could feel a different type of magic mixed in with the innate energy of Nox. Whatever it was, it gave him a bad feeling. He suspected it was Crowmon’s olde-worlde magic. The trickster god had mischief planned for tonight. Normally, Kade would have been worried, but the deity had inadvertently helped his cause. Crowmon’s machinations were going to distract the Immortal Triumvirate, which would give him time to cast the spell without being detected. Or so he hoped.
His allies listened to the chaos that was raging to the east in the Shifter District as he added the ingredients he’d brought along into the bowl. It took all of his concentration to chant the foreign words. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know what their meaning was. All that mattered was that he said them correctly and that he channeled his power into the bowl in a steady stream. Normally, he’d use a cauldron to mix the spell in, but the bowl would have to do.
Energy began to build as the enchantment progressed. The master vampire and demon lord barely shifted, except to turn towards the other Districts every now and then. Sweat ran down Kade’s face as he neared the end of the spell. Lord Dallinar suddenly spoke inside his head. For once, Kade didn’t block the projection. He paused to listen to the ruler.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lord Dallinar said in a voice that was tight with suppressed rage. “As I’m sure you’re aware, treachery has occurred on a grand scale tonight. Crowmon, the trickster god, has betrayed our trust. He has broken the laws of Nox and he must be punished. Instead of collecting the Energy Tax from every uncursed being in Nox, I will extract it from Crowmon and his priests and priestesses.”
He pushed the images of what was happening inside the brick building in the City Square where magic was housed into the minds of the uncursed population. Kade was almost finished with his spell. He ignored the jester’s suffering and added the final few components. He only had one line left to recite, so he took out the vial of dragon blood. He added a few drops to the spell and finished the chant, then waited for the enchantment to take effect.
For a moment, nothing happened, then power like nothing he’d ever sensed before zoomed towards him. It was almost like it was being funneled from another person nearby. Then energy rushed into him and spread to his allies. All three men dropped to their knees and threw their heads back as the spell and the strange power spread through them, linking them together permanently.
“It is done,” Kade Sinclair said to his allies shortly after Lord Dallinar made the same pronouncement to the population of Nox.
“Is that it?” Sebastian asked in a hoarse voice. “Have we become a triumvirate?”
“Can’t you feel it?” Raum asked. He held his hands out and clenched his fists. “We three are bound, just like our rivals are. We now have a chance to take them down.” Fierce triumph danced in his eyes, along with a hint of hellfire.
“We can’t face them yet,” the warlock said and reached into his bag for a final item. He’d only used a few drops of dragon blood to boost their spell and he still had plenty left. They were going to need it if they intended to follow Xiara Evora’s advice. “We still have a task to perform before we can attempt to challenge the Immortal Triumvirate.” He pulled a sheet of paper out and handed it to Sebastian.
The master vampire read the note, then handed it to Raum. The demon read it, then passed it back to the warlock. “So,” the Demon Guild Master said in a musing tone. “If we truly wish to be able to match our rivals, we must each bind a powerful and dangerous woman to ourselves to increase our strength. May I ask where this advice came from?”
“From a source I believe we can trust,” Kade said. “It came from the Guardian of Nox.”
“Xiara Evora told you we must do this?” Sebastian asked in surprise. “I thought she couldn’t turn against her masters.”
“I think this is the only way she can stand against them,” Kade said, gesturing at the note that Ms. Evora had written. “We must link suitable partners to ourselves using a soul binding spell, but they’ll have to agree to it. We can’t force them to make this choice.”
“Ms. Evora’s note said we need to find these women soon so that we can challenge the Immortal Triumvirate next Halloween,” Raum added.
“In order to defeat our enemies, we must eliminate an obstacle that will stand in our way,” Kade added in a regretful tone as he scanned the note again. “We must kill the Guardian of Nox.”
“If we only have one year to find these mysterious women and convince them to allow us to bind their souls to us forever, I suggest we begin searching immediately,” Raum said briskly. “Must they be bound to us at the same time?” he asked as they climbed to their feet.
The warlock shook his head. “I’ll need to cast the enchantments separately. Good luck, gentlemen,” he added. “I have a feeling our task isn’t going to be easy.” With that, they headed down the fire escape and went their separate ways.
