Three days after his meeting with the sea elves, Alex headed south, leading a group of nineteen away from Valora. They would follow the edge of the mountains, trying to remain unseen by any of Jabez’s spies that might be in the area.

Whalen and the men of Darthon’s armies would be moving north the next day, but Alex wanted to leave while the weather was still clear. He was sad and worried when he said good-bye to Whalen, but knew that dividing their focus at this point might be the key to destroying Jabez and the evil he had unleashed.

“You will see Whalen again soon,” Alex’s O’Gash whispered, which made Alex feel better.

Alex and his small group had traveled for several miles before the sky darkened with storm clouds. Alex could smell the rain before it started to fall, and the sound of it dripping from the trees calmed his mind. The rain didn’t care about the evil of Conmar, and it didn’t care about the war in Westland. The seasons went on, unchanged, and that fact gave Alex hope.

In two or three days, if the rain cleared up, they would reach the southernmost pass over the mountains. Alex had promised Whalen that if the way over the mountains was clear he would travel that way. But if snow blocked their way, then Alex would lead the group further south and through the black lands.

Alex didn’t look back at the group he was leading, but his mind called up each of their faces, seventeen men whom Alex had chosen from the more than two hundred of Darthon’s army who had volunteered. He had taken Navar’s advice and had not let Lord Darthon order anyone to go with him, but the number of men willing to go had made things difficult for Alex. He had chosen just seventeen, and now he hoped that he had chosen well.

Alongside the men was Dogmar Longdrink, a dwarf who had also volunteered to go with Alex. Grimgold had reminded Alex that there were almost sure to be dwarves held captive in the dungeons of Conmar as well as men, and seeing the face of another dwarf would make any rescued dwarves more trusting and possibly more helpful as well.

The final member of the group was someone Alex had not wanted to bring along. Aliia, who was riding just behind him, had insisted on coming. Alex didn’t like the idea at all, and Karill had begged Alex not to allow her to go. Aliia had insisted, however, and declared that if Alex wouldn’t take her as part of the company then she would follow behind them on her own. Alex had tried to reason with her, and when that didn’t work he had asked why she should come. Aliia would not give any reason why, she simply said that she would stay with the company wherever it might go.

Alex turned his thoughts from his fellow travelers and concentrated on the trail before him. Aliia rode up beside him.

“You are still set on this path?” she asked. She kept her hood up, not only to keep the rain away, but to hide her face from the other travelers.

“I am,” Alex answered without looking at the sea elf. “It is not too late for you to turn back.”

Aliia shook her head. “How far do you think we will travel today?”

“A few more miles before the sun sets,” Alex said slowly, not really wanting to talk. “The sun will be down in an hour or two—we’ll make camp before we lose the light.”

“There is a small cave up ahead that might be a good place for camp,” Aliia said.

Alex looked at her. “You’ve traveled this way before?”

Aliia smiled. “Though we live our lives on the sea, we have not forgotten the land we once loved.”

“I know the black lands were once your home. I wish I could have seen them as they once were.”

“I wish that too,” Aliia said. “The black lands are a strange place, a place where you always feel that you are being watched.”

“By the shadows?”

“And the lights that linger there.”

Alex didn’t ask any more questions. It was clear that Aliia had been close to the black lands. It was also clear that her people had seen things that were both frightening and painful to remember.

They continued to travel through the rain until the dim light from the setting sun lit up the tops of the trees. Aliia motioned to Alex and led him away from the trail they had been following. They moved into the woods, riding around a large boulder. The boulder was much larger than it first appeared to be, and behind it Alex found a deep cave with an overhang that could be used as a shelter from the rain. The spot had been used many times, and Alex was grateful that Aliia had guided them here.

“We will rest here for the night,” Alex said to his men. “We are safe here from weather and any prying eyes that might be looking for us.”

Some of Alex’s men settled onto the dry ground while others tended to the horses. Dogmar gathered kindling to start a fire, mumbling to himself. Alex was glad there was enough real wood in the cave that they could use for a fire. He didn’t want to use his magic; he needed to conserve his energy so he would be ready for whatever lay ahead.

While Dogmar and two of the men fixed a meal for the group, Aliia came to sit beside Alex.

“Were you able to learn what you needed to know about darloch est messer ?” she asked.

“I know more now than I did,” Alex said. “But not everything I wish to know. I still do not know if it means ‘master of dragons’ or ‘destroyer of dragons.’”

“Is there a difference?” Aliia asked.

Alex nodded. “I believe there is, and I believe the difference might matter more than I might guess . . . I need to think about it some more.”

Aliia tucked her hands under her cloak. “I used to dream about dragons, you know.”

“You did?” Alex asked.

“When I was young. I always dreamed the same dream about a dragon,” Aliia went on, talking more to herself than to Alex. “I thought it meant that I would meet a dragon one day.”

“A strange dream for an elf maid to have,” Alex said.

“I still believe it, sometimes . . . at least a little.” She looked at Alex. “Have you ever met a dragon?”

Alex thought about Slathbog the Red; Salinor, hidden on the Isle of Bones; and the golden dragon he’d seen in Darthon’s mind. Lastly he thought of his own second true form as a true silver dragon, and he simply smiled and said, “I have.”

Aliia sighed. “Then perhaps the dream of a little elf maid might come true.”

As the group settled in for the night, Alex found a comfortable spot to lie down, then closed his eyes and tried to clear his thoughts. He didn’t expect to run into any trouble, at least not yet, and as he listened to the sounds of men around him, Dogmar grumbling about having to sit next to Aliia, and the rain falling outside, Alex fell asleep.

It was near dawn when Alex woke, but the sky was darker than it had been the day before. The rain was still falling, but it was a colder rain than before, and it would probably turn to snow before the day was over. Alex put his blankets away and took a heavy cloak from his magic bag.

“Winter is closing in on us,” Alex commented, wrapping his cloak around his shoulders.

“Winter comes early in Westland,” Aliia answered. “We should eat and move on. If we move swiftly, we can reach the black lands before the weather becomes too cold.”

Alex nodded his agreement and helped Dogmar gather wood to make a fire to cook their breakfast. Aliia remained hidden in her cloak, lost in her own thoughts. Alex looked at her from time to time, wondering what she might be thinking.

A few hours after breaking camp, the rain changed to wet and heavy snow. Though the winter storm made traveling difficult, Alex knew the bad weather would also make it harder for Jabez’s spies to see them as they traveled.

He and his friends pushed forward through the snow and the growing cold without stopping. The sky grew thick with thunderclouds, and the wind blew harder as the day went on. In the early afternoon the storm grew so wild that it was difficult to make any headway. The ground was slick with mud and snow, and it had grown so dark that it was hard to tell which direction they were going. Alex thought about magically pushing the storm away, but decided against it. It would take some powerful magic to push this storm away, and so close to Conmar, Jabez was sure to notice.

An hour later, Dogmar rode up next to Alex. “We should try to find some shelter,” he yelled over the wind.

“I doubt there’s a dry spot to be found,” Alex yelled back.

Dogmar nodded. “If you are thinking of crossing the mountain passes, we’ll have to turn to the west soon.”

Alex had promised Whalen that he would first try to use the mountain pass, and for a moment he hesitated. “The storm is too bad, and there is too much snow,” he finally said. “We’ll never make it over the mountain pass.”

Dogmar brushed snow from his beard. “We’ll follow where you lead, Master Taylor. But are you sure you want to attempt crossing the black lands?”

Alex looked at Dogmar, then at Aliia, then at the other men who had volunteered to come with him. “We have no other choice,” he said. “We have to save the hostages, and I must face Jabez. Otherwise Darthon’s army—our friends—and all our hopes will fail.”

Dogmar nodded and rode back to his place in line.

“You are a good leader,” Aliia said. “The men trust you.”

Alex squinted up at the endless storm. “I hope they still do once we enter the black lands.”

There was no shelter on the trail, so they rode on into the night. When the storm finally ended it was almost dawn, and the horses and men were too tired to go much further.

“We are almost there,” Aliia said. “Almost to the black lands.”

Alex nodded his understanding, too exhausted to say anything. He simply followed Aliia’s lead as she turned off the path.

“Careful,” she said. “The way through the woods will be slippery after the rain and snow.”

Alex followed Aliia into the woods. They rode for almost a mile before Aliia stopped at the bottom of what looked like a cliff. She got off her horse and stepped close to the rock wall. Alex dismounted and joined her.

Aliia spoke an elvin word and the rock face slid back, revealing the dark opening of a tunnel.

“A well-hidden door,” Alex commented.

“And one that has not been opened in many years,” Aliia said, a note of fear in her voice. “I wish we did not have to open it now.”

“Will it lead us to the black lands?” Alex asked.

Aliia nodded. “The other end opens on the northern edge of the black lands. It is almost dawn. We can shelter here for now. Tomorrow night we will be in the black lands.”

Alex nodded his understanding and helped to set up their camp. They all needed to rest, and he knew that traveling through this dark tunnel would be harder for them all than the storm of the previous night.

After a quick but warming meal, the men settled into their blankets to get some much needed sleep. Alex stood for a time, looking at the tunnel that would lead them to the black lands. The darkness was forbidding, but darkness was the last thing Alex was worried about. So much about the black lands was still unknown, and he wasn’t sure that he could protect all of these men from the unknown dangers ahead of them.

“You should rest,” Aliia said quietly as she stepped up beside him.

“How long will it take to pass through this tunnel?” Alex asked.

“Half a day,” Aliia answered. “Or half a night. Rest now, you will need all your strength when we reach the black lands.”

Alex turned to look at Aliia, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He walked away without speaking, finding a place to rest, leaning against the roots of an ancient tree. He let his body rest while his mind continued to spin with questions. Slowly his mind emptied of questions, and without really falling asleep, he rested.

From under his mostly closed eyelids, Alex watched the camp and the men who were trying to sleep. None of the men were sleeping well, and most would jerk awake from time to time, glancing at the dark opening they had to enter, and then rolling over to try to sleep once more. Only Dogmar appeared to be sleeping well, and Alex wasn’t surprised. A dwarf would have no fear of traveling underground.

Alex also kept an eye on Aliia. She hid her fear well, but he could tell that she was terrified. For long periods of time she would stare at the dark tunnel, as if seeing what was waiting for them all at the far end. A slight shiver would shake her from head to toe, and then she would turn to look at Alex. It seemed, at least to Alex, that his presence there gave Aliia strength and the will to go forward. He wondered once more why she had insisted on making this journey, and once more he found no answer.

Late in the afternoon, Alex got up and put away his blankets. He didn’t wake any of the others, but quietly started gathering wood for the fire. Aliia, being an elf and not needing to sleep, had kept the fire burning. She soon joined Alex, helping to gather wood without speaking, but Alex knew what she was thinking.

“Let them sleep a little longer, if they can,” Alex said in a low voice. “This might be their last chance to rest for a few days.”

It wasn’t long before the men were up and moving around. A large hot meal was prepared, though the men didn’t eat as much as they could have. When the meal was being cleared away, Alex stood to address the men.

“It is time,” Alex said, looking at the faces around him. “We now must travel through darkness into the black lands. I must ask you all to search your hearts and decide if you will move forward with me, or turn back and ride with your people to war in the north. Once we pass through this magical doorway, it will close, and there will be no turning back for any of us. So if you have any doubts, if your hearts tell you to find another path, then I ask that you turn back now. No man will ever speak against any of you for the choice you make now, but for myself, I must go forward into darkness.”

The men all nodded their understanding, but none of them spoke. After a few moments of silence, a man named Robert Thorson, who had been one of King Darthon’s guards, stepped forward and spoke.

“We shall follow wherever you lead, and pay whatever price we must to save our people and our land from evil.”

“Thank you,” Alex said, bowing to the company. “Thank you all.”

Aliia now moved forward toward the tunnel opening, but Alex stopped her by raising his arm.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I will go first. We don’t know what dangers might be waiting in the darkness.”

Alex summoned several weir lights and the small glowing orbs hovered around his head.

“What . . . what are these strange lights?” Aliia asked nervously.

“They are called weir lights,” Alex answered, surprised by Aliia’s reaction. “They will go where I command them to, and remain as long as I need them.”

“Send them away,” Aliia said, her voice shaking slightly. “They look too much like the lights here in the black lands. I would rather take my chances in the darkness than have these lights close by.”

Alex nodded and didn’t ask any questions. With a wave of his hand the weir lights vanished, and once again the two of them faced the pitch-black darkness of the tunnel.

“You must think me foolish, being afraid of your small lights,” Aliia said after a moment.

“Not foolish,” said Alex. “I think you are worried about what might lay ahead of us in the black lands.”

“Perhaps we could light some torches,” Aliia said several minutes later, the nervousness gone from her voice.

“I doubt we could find anything dry enough to burn,” Alex said.

Alex knew what kinds of things lived in dark caves, and he didn’t want to lead his men into unwanted trouble. For a few moments Alex stood looking into the darkness, thinking about what he could do.

His magic sword, Moon Slayer, glowed blue in the moonlight, but that glow wouldn’t be bright enough to help him now. He could , of course, ignite the end of his staff into a brilliant light, but that would help only the men at the front of the company, leaving those at the back in darkness. This was an unexpected problem, and though it wouldn’t end his adventure, it needed to be solved.

The horses behind him shuffled and stamped impatiently, waiting to move forward. They didn’t like the cold or the wet any more than the men did. Alex looked over to where his horse was standing beside Aliia’s horse.

“I have an idea,” he said.

He approached his horse and held out his hand. The animal sniffed his fingers, and didn’t move away. Alex ran his hand over the horse’s nose and up toward the top of its head. He needed to make sure he didn’t use too much magic, but a little bit would still go unnoticed by Jabez. Whispering a few words, he patted the horse’s head, right between its eyes, and then slowly drew his hand up and away, pinching his fingers as he went, as if pulling on an unseen thread.

A thin, spiraled horn rose out of the horse’s forehead that glowed with a clear, white light.

Aliia gasped.

“Don’t worry,” Alex said. “It is made of magic, and won’t do the horse any harm. This will allow us to have light while we pass through the tunnel.”

Once the horn was about a foot long, Alex stopped and said a few more words.

The horse tossed its head, but seemed unconcerned about the horn or the light coming from it.

“Good boy,” Alex said, running his hand down the horse’s neck and patting its shoulder. He moved from horse to horse, repeating the spell, until all twenty horses had glowing spiral horns rising from their foreheads.

“I have never seen . . .” Aliia started and stopped.

“Are there no unicorns here in Jarro?” Alex asked.

She shook her head. “Perhaps they exist in other lands, but not here. They are beautiful. How is it done?”

“Horses are brave and loyal creatures, and they have strong hearts. I simply asked them if they would share their inner light with us for a time.” He remembered his first horse, Shahree, who had been killed in the Lost Mountains. Her name had meant “great heart,” and she had been a true friend to him. He still missed her. “The horns should give us enough light to make our way through the tunnel safely.”

Aliia looked at Alex and then bowed her head. “I knew you were a wizard, but I did not know you had such power.”

“Sometimes the strongest magic comes from asking for help,” Alex said, swinging into his saddle. He smiled down at Aliia and started into the tunnel, the light from his horse’s new horn leading the way.

The group followed Alex into the tunnel, and when the magical door closed behind them, it made no sound. The tunnel was expertly made, and large enough for riders to pass through easily. There were a few twists and turns as the path descended into the mountains, but nothing more.

Time underground seemed to drag on and on, but the light from the horses helped the men keep their nerve. The fact that the air in the tunnel was fresh, and that there were no cobwebs or even dust to be seen surprised Alex, but he didn’t say anything. After about four hours of riding, the tunnel began to slope upward, and before long the rock walls and ceiling of the tunnel vanished. They were now riding along a stone path that led them through a dense pine forest.

When they reached the edge of the forest, Alex stopped and looked up. The stars were shining above them, and a cold winter breeze blew across his face. Ahead of him, down a small hill, Alex got his first look at the black lands.

“We will stop here,” Alex said. He turned to look at the men following him. “Prepare a light meal and rest a little if you can. Then we must go into the black lands.”

The men dismounted and went to work building a fire and preparing a meal. Dogmar stretched his back and ran his hand down his beard. He looked out into the black lands, sniffed the air with an unhappy look on his face, and then turned to help with the meal.

Alex dismounted and ran his hand down his horse’s forehead and rubbed his nose. The horn slowly vanished under his touch. “Thank you, my friend,” he said.

His horse nickered softly in reply.

Alex did the same with all the other horses, removing the magical horns and thanking the animals for their help. When he was finished, he went to see what there was to eat, leaving his worries about what lay ahead of them at the back of his mind. Whatever dangers there were would come soon enough.

Aliia sat down beside him as they ate, and he smiled at her. Alex could sense her fear, and he was amazed by her willpower, a power that allowed her to move forward no matter what. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, hoping to let her know that everything would be alright. He wasn’t really sure that everything would be alright, but he wanted to do something, anything, to help his friend.

The wind was blowing harder as they finished eating, but the sky remained clear. Alex wondered if another storm was coming, but it didn’t really matter. Storm or no storm, the black lands were waiting for them.

“Onward, then,” Alex said as he led his horse to the edge of the forest.

Aliia was already standing there with her horse, but she didn’t move when Alex spoke. Alex looked back at the men following him, then back to Aliia, but she didn’t move at all. It seemed as if she was frozen in place.

“What is it?” he asked.

Aliia pointed into the black lands. “The lights. Look at the lights.”

Alex looked to where she was pointing and saw hundreds of lights winking off and on in the distance. They were small, like his weir lights, but even from where he was standing, Alex could feel their magical power.

Alex looked away from the lights, studying the land he and his friends would have to cross. At first, it seemed that everything was normal except for the strange lights, but he slowly began to see how not normal everything was. For the first time, Alex understood why the area they had to travel through was called “the black lands.”

Shadows lay thick on the ground, somehow even darker than the night. No moonlight or starlight reflected off the ground or anything else, yet it seemed to Alex that the ground rippled like water was moving over it, or maybe just beneath it. It made him dizzy to look at it directly, so he looked at the lights again, but that wasn’t much better.

The lights moved randomly, at different speeds and in different directions. Just when he thought he could see a pattern to their movements, the lights would shift or disappear unexpectedly. New lights, or perhaps the old ones, would suddenly appear in places where no lights had been, and for some reason Alex thought that they were searching for something.

“It’s worse than I expected,” Aliia said.

“What do you mean?” Alex asked.

“There are more lights than I thought there would be, and they are moving faster.”

“Do you think they sense our presence?”

“I don’t know,” Aliia answered, sounding worried.

“We must cross,” Alex said. “We have come too far, and we have no other choice.”

“I know, but I am afraid.”

The men had gathered around Alex and Aliia. The reflection of the lights danced in their eyes, and they swayed on their feet as if half asleep and still dreaming. A couple of the men shuffled forward, trying to move toward the lights.

“Stay back!” Alex ordered.

He pulled the men back toward the forest, away from the lights, afraid that his friends would suddenly rush forward. Speaking a few words, he put a spell of protection on the group, and then he turned his attention back to the lights.

They were beautiful to look at, and their power seemed to call out to him. Alex resisted the call. Standing perfectly still, he let his mind reach out toward the lights, searching for the source of the magic that created and controlled them. As he suspected, there was nothing there for his mind to find. Still, the lights seemed to call out to him.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there staring at the lights, searching with his magic, and thinking. He heard Aliia say something, but the words were distant and unclear. She spoke again, and slowly, her words made sense to him.

“Alex, come back to us. We need you.”

He turned to look at the sea elf, surprised to see tears in her eyes. He blinked, and she smiled in relief.

“What happened?” Alex asked. “Why are you worried?”

“I thought we had lost you to the lights.”

Alex shook his head. “No, I was trying to understand them, and the magic that makes them, but I am too far away. If I can get closer, I think . . .” He looked at his men. “Enough of this, we should leave. Now.”

“The lights?” one man asked.

“I will deal with them if I must,” Alex said.

The man shook his head. “I know I said I’d follow you, and I want to help rescue the hostages, but if we go down there, I don’t think we’ll make it out alive.” A few other men muttered their agreement.

“Let’s at least wait until dawn,” Aliia said. “The lights are less powerful during the day.”

“That’s exactly why we must leave now,” Alex said. “I sense something, and I’m not sure what. What I do know is that we must hurry, or something far worse than lights may find us.”

“What?” Dogmar asked.

“I don’t know,” Alex admitted. “And I really don’t want to find out if I can help it. We’ve all come too far to turn back now. To remain here means death, or worse. Forward is the only choice we have.”

The strange lights continued to move in the distance, and Alex climbed on his horse and started toward them. The others followed without a word.

He knew it was risky to approach the lights in the middle of the night when they were at their strongest, but it was also when they were most visible. He hoped it would be easier to avoid the lights if he could see where they were rather than trying to weave his way through them during the day, when the sunlight would render them all but invisible.

As they rode forward, Alex motioned for Dogmar to ride up beside him. The dwarf came forward with a puzzled look on his face, but didn’t ask any questions.

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Alex said quietly, in dwarfish.

“You need only ask,” Dogmar answered.

“We haven’t known each other long,” Alex went on. “I can see, however, that you are a dwarf to be trusted in all things. I do not ask this lightly, and I know your feelings about the elves, but . . .”

“But?” Dogmar prodded.

“I want you to promise me that you will stay close to Lady Aliia,” Alex said. “I want you to stay close and to keep her safe, no matter what happens.”

“You fear something?” Dogmar asked. “You fear that you cannot keep her safe?”

“Nothing I can name,” Alex answered slowly. “I just feel that she should have some extra protection, perhaps even protection from herself.”

Dogmar looked troubled as he ran his hand down his beard, but then his eyes brightened and a slight smile crossed his lips.

“Because you ask this as a friend, and do not command me as leader or wizard, I will promise to stay close to Lady Aliia and keep her safe,” Dogmar answered. “I will keep this promise until you and only you—or death—release me from it.”

“Thank you,” Alex said, smiling at Dogmar. “And let us hope that death has nothing to say in this matter.”

Dogmar gave a grunting laugh, and then returned to his place behind Alex.

As they moved forward, the disorientation Alex had felt on the hilltop returned, stronger now that they were actually in the black lands. The ground rolled and pitched like the deck of a ship in a storm, and the lights moved faster as Alex and the others moved closer to them. Alex thought that he could just hear the hum and buzz of them as they whizzed past.

“Stay close,” he ordered his men. “And stay alert. Don’t touch the lights, and don’t let them touch you. If you see one coming close, get out of its way.”

“Should we draw our weapons?” one of the men asked.

Alex looked at Aliia, who shook her head slightly.

“No,” Alex answered. “We don’t know how the lights will react to sword or steel. Perhaps if we approach carefully, the lights will let us pass.”

Alex took a deep breath and urged his horse forward. The path was dirt now, not the well-made stone it had been on the hilltop. It didn’t take Alex long to realize that the rippling was just an illusion, a trick of the eye caused by the shadows that the lights created. He moved forward with more confidence, but still cautious of the lights.

Alex tried to stay calm, hoping that the lights would leave them alone if they moved slowly and with care. Almost immediately, however, a swarm of lights came rushing in their direction.

“Watch out!” Alex yelled, ducking as the lights darted over his head.

The men closed ranks, changing from one or two riders following in a line behind Alex to a close group. Alex wasn’t sure which was the better approach. Single-file might make it easier to avoid the lights, but riding together meant they could try to protect each other.

More lights flashed and swooped toward the group. A man screamed and nearly fell off his horse trying to get out of the way.

“Steady!” Alex called. “Keep moving forward.”

The air seemed to hum around them, and the darkness had a weight to it. The lights continued to buzz and flicker, but Alex noticed that more and more of them were clustering around Aliia than any of the others. It looked as if the men at the back of the group were traveling without any lights bothering them at all.

Alex frowned. Aliia was a sea elf. The lights must be able to sense her, and for whatever reason they were drawn to her.

Aliia crouched low over her horse’s neck, trying to keep track of the lights flashing above her, but there were too many. Her horse stamped and quivered, and Dogmar moved to the outside of the group in an attempt to shield her. Alex was afraid that some of the horses might bolt, scattering the company across the black lands.

“Quickly, surround Lady Aliia,” Alex shouted. “We must protect her. The lights are targeting her more than the rest of us. If we surround her, they might leave the rest of us alone.”

The men obeyed, drawing their horses into a tight circle with Aliia in the center. She was still terrified, but at least the lights were no longer appearing right over her head.

Alex could still hear the hum of the lights as they dove and spun around the company. He thought he could hear words in the darkness, but if so, he couldn’t understand what they were saying.

“Keep moving forward,” Alex ordered.

“We’ll never make it,” one of the men shouted.

“Yes, we will,” Alex shouted back. “Just stay together, and keep moving.”

The horses snorted in fear, and the circular formation began to break apart as the men on the outside of the ring had to move in order to dodge the swooping lights.

“Hold steady!” Alex called.

One ball of light, larger than the others, suddenly appeared right in front of one of the horses. The animal reared back, and the man on its back fell off, landing on the ground with a loud and painful-sounding thud.

As soon as he hit the ground, the man was surrounded by lights, some large, some small, but all of them flickering madly and swooping closer and closer to him.

Alex spun his horse around, rushing forward to help, but he was too late. He bent low in his saddle, reaching out to pull the man to his feet, but before he could help the man, one of the balls of light struck the man’s chest.

An inhuman scream ripped through the darkness, and something darker than the shadows around them spread like oil across the man’s body. The blackness grew, swallowing the man slowly, bit by bit.

Alex watched in horror as the darkness covered the man, and he simply vanished into the night. All that was left were the echoes of his scream, and a ball of light that suddenly winked out.

“Alex?” Aliia whispered. “What happened? What should we do?”

Alex looked around at the swirling lights. “Close formation,” he ordered. “Get as close to each other as you can.”

The remaining men obeyed without question, though Alex could see how afraid they were.

Alex joined the group, his horse pressed up against the others. He stood up in his stirrups and reached his hand into the air. A half a dozen balls of light immediately flew toward his hand, as if it were a beacon of some kind.

“Alex, no!” Aliia screamed.

Alex gathered his magic and lifted his staff into the air. A ring of silver light expanded from the head of his staff, expanding outward to cover the company. When it had grown large enough to cover the entire group, the edges of it dropped downward to the ground. Alex had enclosed the company in a shimmering dome of light, a dome that he hoped would protect them.

The balls of light hit the dome softly at first, like a gentle rain, but they could not break through. Not being able to get through the dome seemed to anger the lights, and soon they were crashing wildly into the silver dome, perhaps trying to break it, but the dome held firm.

Alex sat back down in his saddle and rubbed his eyes with his hand. He had not wanted to use so much magic, but he didn’t have a choice. If Jabez was watching the black lands, he would almost certainly have noticed, but Alex had to protect the men who had chosen to follow him.

“What . . . what have you done?” Aliia asked.

“The lights!” one of the men said. “The lights touched Dongul and he disappeared.”

Alex nodded. “I am sorry for that, but we’re safe, at least for now.”

“How long will the dome hold?” the man asked nervously.

“As long as I wish it to,” Alex answered. “But it can’t travel with us. It’s fixed in this one place.”

“So we either stay here, safe and protected but unable to move, or we take our chances with the lights?” Dogmar commented, shaking his head. “I don’t much like either of those options.”

“There is a third option,” Alex said. He looked through the dome at the lights. They were gathering into larger and larger groups, and to Alex it looked like they were starting to take a more solid shape.

“No, Alex, you can’t go out there,” Aliia said, suddenly seeing what Alex saw. “It’s . . . it’s far too dangerous. You can’t . . .”

“I have to,” Alex said calmly. “We can’t stay here, and we can’t move forward. Maybe I can drive them away, or maybe I can strike some deal with them.”

Alex dismounted and patted his horse’s neck. He turned to face the curve of the dome and took a deep breath. He tried to remember everything Navar had told him about the dark elves, the shadows they created, and the lights of the black lands. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had. Navar had thought that the lights were either the magic of the shadows the dark elves had created, or they were the lost souls of those who were somehow tied to this place. Now that he had seen the lights for himself, Alex wondered if both stories might hold some truth.

“It will be alright,” Alex said. “Stay inside the dome. Don’t try to follow me.”

He put his palm against the inside of the dome, which felt as solid as glass but as soft as water, and pushed. The silver light bulged outward, and Alex stepped forward. Walking through the wall of light was like walking through ice-cold water, but after the first few steps he was outside the dome, alone in the black lands with the lights.

The humming noise had grown louder, and the whispers he had heard before sounded more like words than before. Alex still couldn’t understand what the words were, but he knew they were words, ancient words that had long been forgotten.

Moving forward, away from the dome, he called into the darkness. “I am Alexander Taylor, wizard and warrior. I ask for safe passage through this land for myself and my friends.”

If the lights heard him or understood what he said, they gave no sign. The largest group of lights had gathered together into a shape about as tall and as wide as a man, and that figure floated closer to Alex.

“We seek to destroy a great evil beyond these lands,” Alex continued.

The figure was close enough to touch Alex, but it paused. The shape remained in place, hanging in the air. The outline of the figure was all light, but the inside was all dark, darker than the blackest night Alex had ever seen.

The whispered words that had been teasing Alex finally formed into a word that he recognized. “Evil?”

“Yes,” Alex said.

“Show us,” the figure hissed.

Alex felt the pull of magic against his mind, and he was moving toward the lights before he knew it. He heard Aliia screaming behind him, but it didn’t matter. All Alex knew was he had to communicate with this figure of light and darkness if he or any of his company were going to survive. Slowly, Alex stretched his hand out to touch the darkness.

The man-shaped figure reached out as well, and the two hands met. Alex felt a cold chill run up his arm, and there was a moment of total silence. The lights stopped moving and flickering. He felt magic all around him, and Alex suddenly realized that he now he could see what stood in the darkness surrounded by light.

Navar had said that the light of the sun had twisted the shadows into monsters, and Alex wasn’t sure what else he could call the creature that stood in front of him.

This shadowy figure was as tall as an elf, but its skin was a mottled-gray and slightly yellow-green in color. Where eyes, nose, and mouth should have been were pits of swirling darkness, and the long fingers of the creature were twisted and curled like claws.

A sudden and unreasoning fear took hold of Alex, and he reached for his sword, Moon Slayer. He tried with all his strength to pull his magic sword from its sheath, but the sword wouldn’t move. Moon Slayer was a powerful sword, forged long ago by dark elves. With his fear melting away, Alex suddenly wondered if the sword knew that these creatures had been created by the dark elves, and was now refusing to be part of the pain its creators had caused.

“You cannot destroy us,” the creature said. “Not at this time.”

Alex let go his sword and faced the creature that stood in front of him.

“Show us this evil you fight,” the creature whispered. It stepped closer and touched Alex on the forehead.

The magic engulfed him once more, and in his mind, everything he knew about Jabez, the Axe of Sundering, and the war coming to Westland rushed by. It felt like one jumbled mess, but somehow he knew the creature understood everything as well as he did himself. The pressure on his forehead increased, and suddenly everything he knew or suspected about the Brotherhood also flooded into his mind.

The creature of shadow paused, and then Alex heard a sizzling sound, like cold water hitting a hot pan, and he was thrown backward. He hit the wall of the dome and slid to the ground. He groaned at the impact and pressed his hands to his head. His entire body ached, but his head most of all.

Under the light of the dome, Alex could see the terrified look on Aliia’s face. It was clear that she didn’t know what to do, and at the same time she desperately wanted to do something, anything to help. Her eyes searched Alex’s face, begging for some explanation of what had just happened.

He wished he could explain, but he wasn’t really sure what had happened.

“We grant you safe passage, Alexander Taylor, wizard and warrior,” the creature hissed.

“I thank you—” Alex started to say, but the creature cut him off.

“For a price,” the creature went on.

Alex got to his feet and brushed himself off. “What price do you ask?”

The creature pointed a clawed finger at Alex’s heart, and then moved past him to point at Aliia.

Aliia’s face went white with fear and she shook her head. Dogmar moved in front of her, pushing her away from the dome’s edge. The look on the dwarf’s face was easy to read: “You’ll have to go through me first.”

Alex moved to stand between the creature and the dome. “I cannot pay that price.”

“She is a sea elf. We can smell her. She must come with us.” The black pits swirled faster in the creature’s empty eyes.

“No,” Alex said firmly.

“She is one of those who created us, who twisted us and left us here to suffer through the ages. She is a sea elf. She must pay the price.”

“It was not her doing. She is innocent.”

“All are guilty!” the creature roared. “All must be destroyed!”

“No,” Alex said again, his temper and his voice rising. “I warn you, if you ask this again, it will be you and the other shadows that are destroyed .” He recognized the heat building in his chest as the power of the dragon, and he felt his skin hardening as it had when he’d fought the wolf creatures in Midland. He knew that if he unleashed his power now, it would scour the black lands clean. He couldn’t do that, not now, or Jabez would be sure to flee. He didn’t want to destroy these shadows of the dark elves, because he felt pity for them. He remembered Whalen’s words about how they hadn’t had a choice in what they had become. He thought about how long these creatures had suffered, never able to find an end. There had to be another way. He calmed himself, and out of habit his hand rested on Moon Slayer’s hilt. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do and say.

As if the sword knew what he was thinking, the blade slid out of its sheath, free now when before it had been stuck.

Alex let the point of the sword drop to the ground in a gesture of peace. “I will give you this sword,” he said, “to hold in good faith while we cross the black lands.”

The creature seemed to take a step back as it looked at the blade, and the runes written in the language of the dark elves shone in the darkness as if they were made of white fire.

“We know of this blade and its power,” the shadow hissed.

“Then you know that I will return to claim it, once I have defeated the evil that is spreading across Jarro and the other known lands.”

The creature hesitated.

“You have seen my thoughts. You know that I believe the Brotherhood is working to keep you trapped here, in this half-life. If I am free to destroy the evil in Jarro, I will also strike a blow against the Brotherhood. And when the Brotherhood falls, you and your kind will be free.”

“Free?” the creature whispered.

“To become what you once were, to find a lasting peace.”

The lights pulsed around the figure, as if the creature was thinking. “And the sea elf?” it asked.

“She travels with me. Unharmed.”

“And if you fail?”

“Then I will return in his stead,” Aliia’s voice said softly from just behind Alex. “And I will pay whatever price you name.”

He turned in surprise. Aliia had somehow passed through the wall of the dome. Behind her, locked inside the dome, Dogmar was trying madly to follow her. Aliia pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders, but her back was straight as she faced the shadow.

Alex was impressed by her courage, and her offer. “Are you sure?” he asked in a low voice.

She nodded once. “I know you will not fail, Alex,” she answered in an equally low voice.

The creature reached out, taking Moon Slayer from Alex’s hand. “We accept your offer,” it said. “We will guard Moon Slayer until such time as one or the other of you returns to claim it.”

“And we are granted safe passage through the black lands,” Alex said.

The creature bowed its head. “Agreed.”

“I thank you, then,” Alex said, bowing slightly.

The creature of light and shadow flashed once more, more brilliantly than the sun, and then winked out. One by one, all of the lights winked out until finally Alex and Aliia stood alone in the darkness while the rest of the company remained inside Alex’s silver dome.

Aliia turned to Alex. “I feared for a moment that all hope was lost.”

“No, hope is never lost,” Alex said. “It can seem far away sometimes, but there is always hope.”

“When you touched the lights . . .” Aliia started and then paused, her voice shaking with fear and wonder. “You . . . you touched the lights and did not lose yourself in them. How is that possible?”

Alex didn’t know how to answer except to tell Aliia the truth, the whole truth.

“I was not lost because I am not just anyone.”

“You are a wizard, a dragon lord,” Aliia said before Alex could finish.

“I am both of those things and more,” Alex said, taking a deep breath. “I am also a dragon, and it seems that your dreams have come true.”