Daktari swore in a language that no longer existed and threw the last of Silvermane’s books into a pile on the floor. For nearly a week he and Bane had done nothing but read everything in Silvermane’s lighthouse. They had stripped the bookshelves of her study and still they found no trace of where the princess might be.
Daktari rose from the soft leather chair and heard his back snap as he straightened. He’d sat hunched over that last book for two hours. “Bane, we’re leaving.”
His homunculus glided down from the bookshelf where he’d been resting and landed on Daktari’s shoulder. “Sorry, Master. I’d hoped for better luck.”
“As did I. You ever have the overwhelming desire to smash something?”
“Whenever you do, Master. Like right now for example.”
Daktari snapped his fingers and they were outside in the darkness facing the lighthouse. A quarter moon hung low in the sky.
He raised his hands and purple fire blazed around them.
A few feet away a huge pair of purple hands appeared and began to mirror his every motion.
He reached out toward the lighthouse and squeezed. Purple fingers sank into the stone.
With one great effort he wrenched the lighthouse free of its foundation and flung it over the cliff into the sea. It crashed into the rocks and shattered into a thousand pieces. Daktari sighed with a mixture of pleasure and disgust at his lack of control and let the hands fade. He took deep breaths, trying to get his strength back.
“Is it wise to waste your power like that, Master?” Bane asked.
“No.”
Like any exercise, using huge amounts of his power left him tired and weak. The more massive the effort the more tired he felt. On the upside every effort also increased his power once he recovered.
“But I needed that, Bane. I needed to vent the rage. Now my mind is clear, for a little while at least. Let’s go home. In the morning we’ll visit Kent and put the last player on the field.” Daktari snapped his fingers.
When they appeared in the cavern Daktari said, “Use the crystal ball and check on our agents’ progress. I must rest.” He staggered off to bed leaving Bane to his work.
Daktari collapsed onto the mattress. A week of using magic to keep his body constantly alert had taken its toll. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
It seemed no time had passed when Daktari found himself drifting through a dark void. There was no up or down, no sensation of any sort. Daktari had used spirit projection enough times to recognize that his spirit now wandered free of his body.
The question was why.
In the darkness time had no meaning. He tried to will his spirit back to his body with no success.
After an unknowable time he began streaking through the darkness. He fought the pull but seemed powerless to affect it. Soon he found himself floating before a huge black stone statue. All around him bursts of random light and magical energy exploded. Swirls of pure ether appeared and disappeared. The chaotic energy gave away his location.
The dark between solar systems. Out here, with no sentients to impose their will on it, the ether reverted to its true, chaotic nature.
So if that’s where he was, then the statue had to be…
“Daktari!” A voice of infinite depth echoed all around.
Balthis.
He’d forgotten to raise the spirit wards before he went to sleep. The elder demon must have dragged Daktari’s spirit here. “How much longer must I wait? The girl is ready.”
“Not long, my lord,” Daktari said. “There were some difficulties we didn’t anticipate.”
“I grow impatient, sorcerer. I have waited millennia to escape this prison.”
“I know, lord. But let us not rush now that we are so close. You will walk free soon.”
“Do not cross me, Daktari,” Balthis thundered.
Daktari grabbed his head as lances of pain shot through it. When the ringing faded he said, “I have never broken a pact, Lord Balthis. I will see the ritual completed as we agreed, you may depend upon it.”
“Well enough, Daktari.” Calm settled over the demon as quick as rage. “Besides, what is time to one who is eternal?”
With a mental flick Balthis sent Daktari hurtling back the way he’d come. Daktari sat up in bed. By the nine, their meetings never failed to overwhelm him. The elder demon’s presence was incredible.
Master? Are you all right?
I’m fine, Bane. What time is it?
The sun is up. Beyond that I couldn’t say.
Very well, I’ll join you in a moment.
Daktari sat on the edge of the bed collecting himself. If Bane had felt the psychic shock of his visit to Balthis, then it must have unnerved him more than he’d thought. Served him right for not putting the spirit wards up.
Daktari stood and stretched. His muscles ached. He must have clenched up in his sleep.
He stretched the kinks out as he walked between the bedroom and the work area. Bane flew over and landed on his shoulder as soon as he entered the cavern. Like a cat seeking reassurance, Bane rubbed his head against his master’s cheek. Daktari rubbed between Bane’s wings until he started to trill.
When he stopped Bane asked, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, though more through luck than anything.” Daktari related the details of his conversation with Balthis.
“We must make haste, Master.”
“Yes, Bane, but we mustn’t rush so that we make a fatal mistake. When the time comes, we may only get one chance to grab the princess. We must not fail.”
“We won’t, Master.”
Daktari smiled and scratched Bane again. “Of course not. Now, tell me how the others are doing.”
“I contacted Zin,” Bane said. “Nord has defeated one of his two main rivals. Zin says he used Heat’s Bane to good effect.”
“Excellent, I had hoped he’d get a chance to practice. Continue.”
“The nomads have besieged two northern towns. They’ve done little damage so far. Vilos has called up the army and plans to march north.”
Daktari nodded. “And the priests?”
“They reacted as planned to the dream you sent, but their champion failed.”
“Good, that should build up a large chunk of resentment. What about Kent?”
“When I checked he was alone in his office.”
“Well done, Bane. I’m going to pay Kent a visit. You get some rest.”
Bane flew off to find a niche somewhere to sleep. Daktari couldn’t remember how many times he’d offered to make a little bed for his homunculus. Bane always said he preferred to sleep in the shadows among the stalactites. Daktari shrugged and went to gather his golems.
Daktari appeared in Kent’s office. He’d been forced to arrive elsewhere in the city then make a second, line of sight teleport into the office. The man sat behind his desk reading some papers. He must have sensed something because he looked up an instant after Daktari appeared.
He smiled and Kent went pale. It seemed he knew with whom he dealt. Good, that would make things easier.
“You know me,” Daktari said.
Kent nodded. “You destroyed the White Palace.”
“Hardly destroyed. I’ve come to make you an offer, your brother’s stone soldiers in exchange for Princess Shara.”
“I don’t have the princess,” Kent stammered.
Daktari’s smile broadened. The fool was shaking in his boots. “I’m aware of that. What you do have is resources. Use them. Find the girl.”
“If I find her, I get to keep the golems?”
“Yes. In fact, you can have them now. Use them however you like. I warn you though, they will obey no order to harm me or help Vilos. Do you agree?”
Kent nodded, apparently not trusting himself to speak.
“Good.” Daktari snapped his fingers. “You will find the golems in your warehouse. When you find the girl tell one of the golems. Good day.”
Daktari wrapped a shield of invisibility around himself. It would appear to Kent that he had teleported away. He glided to the corner of the room. Now he’d see what Kent really planned to do. The former prince showed some patience. Daktari guessed he waited fifteen minutes before calling a wizard and a stunning woman into the room.
“He’s gone,” Kent said. “The meeting went as expected.”
The wizard looked nervous. He cast a spell meant to detect magical eavesdropping. Daktari smiled. That spell would ignore him as he stood right in the room.
When he finished the spell he relaxed. “All clear,” he said.
Kent said, “The sorcerer offered me the golems just as Vilos said he would.”
Daktari’s smile vanished. So, Kent had spoken to his brother. That was a surprise, considering their past.
“I agreed to look for Shara in exchange since we’re doing that anyway,” Kent said. “As for the golems, we can use them to guard our caravans but not help Vilos. With the nomads on the rampage they should come in handy. Yaway, make certain each caravan has three golems assigned to it.”
The woman nodded and walked out.
“I’m not certain you understand the danger you face,” the wizard said.
“Enough, Raven,” Kent said. “I understand the risks. Your nagging won’t change my mind.”
Raven nodded. “As you wish. Just try not to get the rest of us killed along with you.” The wizard left Kent alone in his office.
It appeared that Kent’s pet wizard wasn’t as keen on his plans as he might be. That could be useful. Perhaps a conversation with this Raven character would prove fruitful. Daktari teleported away with a thought, already weaving another layer into his plot.