David Wells - Cursed Bones

“I’ll see to it,” Alexander said. “Would more infantry help?”

“Couldn’t hurt,” Duncan said. “Archers would be useful, too.”

“I’ll send you a legion of each,” Alexander said. “Abigail cut Zuhl’s numbers on Fellenden in half and Prince Torin has rallied about four legions from Fellenden to add to our strength. Most aren’t soldiers but they’re willing to learn so we’re integrating them into our forces.”

“At least there’s that,” Duncan said.

“I have to go, Dad,” Alexander said. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Son,” Duncan said as Alexander faded into the firmament.

He went to Kai’Gorn next, then Southport relaying the message to the witches and briefing General Talia and Kevin on recent events.

He was floating on the firmament, considering his next move when he suddenly slammed back into his body. The pain was almost more than he could bear. His head felt like it was full of molten lead, searing agony throbbing with each beat of his heart. He nearly screamed, but couldn’t draw a full enough breath past the torment.

Jack stopped shaking him and stood as Alexander sat up. Blood from his nose dripped onto the blanket. He felt a tickling on the sides of his cheeks and found blood leaking from his ears as well.

“When we saw you bleeding, we shook you out of your trance,” Jack said.

“Are you all right, My Love?” Chloe asked, worry rippling through her voice.

He shook his head as he fumbled for a healing draught. After quickly quaffing the potion, he lay back, waiting for the welcome relief of unconsciousness.

He woke several hours later.

“How are you feeling?” Jack asked.

“Much better,” Alexander said. “Apparently, I overdid it. After I went blind, I had similar headaches while my all around sight expanded, though none so intense. I’ll have to be more careful in the future.”

“I’ll say,” Jack said.

“I have bad news,” Alexander said, closing his eyes. “Abigail’s been taken by Zuhl.”

“Dear Maker,” Jack said, slumping back in his chair.

“I have a plan to get her back, but it’s risky.”

“I trust you’ll do everything in your power,” Jack said. “I just wish there was more I could do.”

“I know,” Alexander said, willing the door to his Wizard’s Den closed. “Zuhl wants the book, the one that will make him into an immortal undead. He called it a lich book, says he’ll trade it for Abigail.”

“As much as I want her back, you can’t give him that book,” Jack said.

“I know, but maybe this is an opportunity,” Alexander said.

“You want to give him the other book.”

“I think the ruse has a better chance of working against Zuhl than Phane,” Alexander said, “especially since he’s already done the hard work for us.”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked.

“Well, we’d have had to convince Phane that the book exists,” Alexander said, “then entice him to come and steal it. Zuhl already knows it exists and he wants it badly enough to abduct Abigail to get it. The more I think about it, the more I like it.”

“So how do we get it to him?” Jack asked.

“We’ll have a Sky Knight come and get it,” Alexander said. “Bragador might be reluctant but I think I can persuade her, especially once I tell her that Zuhl has collared half a dozen dragons.”

“What?” Jack asked.

“Apparently, he’s very interested in old books,” Alexander said, “seems he’s discovered the process for enchanting dragon collars. In fact, he was riding one during the battle, or so Abigail thought when she jumped off her wyvern in midflight and cut him in half.”

“What?!” Jack said.

Alexander recounted the battle for the Fellenden shipyards to a stunned Jack and explained how Zuhl had cheated death. Jack sat listening, slack-jawed and shaking his head slightly until Alexander finished.

“And she tells you to be more careful,” he said.

“My thoughts exactly,” Alexander said. “I have to give it to her, though. It worked. If she hadn’t taken that dragon out of the battle, there’s no telling how things would have turned out for us.”

The following morning, Alexander slipped into the firmament again, mindful of his limitations and intent on taking care with his new ability. He wasn’t sure what kind of damage it could do to him if he projected his illusion for too long but he didn’t want to find out, especially in the wake of such a painful experience the day before.

He went to the fortress island where he requested that Cassandra send two Sky Knights to the Spires. She was reluctant but agreed after he explained his reasons and assured her that Bragador was willing to permit the intrusion.

He’d spoken to Bragador the night before about Zuhl’s use of the collars to control dragons. She’d been incensed at the idea, nearly beside herself with rage. After she’d calmed down, Alexander explained his plan and the need for speedy couriers to take the book to Fellenden for the exchange. The fact that the Sky Knights were part of a plan to kill Zuhl was the thing that persuaded her to permit wyverns to encroach into her territory-an unthinkable breach of security under other circumstances.

Cassandra also reported that the coven was nearly fully assembled, and the Reishi witches were making preparations for the spell that would undo the link between Isabel and the Sin’Rath witch Clotus.

His message delivered, Alexander returned to his body.

“How do you feel?” Jack asked.

“My head hurts a little, but nothing serious,” he said. “I’m going to talk to Zuhl next … tell him that I agree to his deal.”

“Why don’t you wait awhile? At least until your head stops hurting,” Jack said.

“I agree with Jack, My Love,” Chloe said. “It always worries me when you’re away, but now more than ever. You should go slowly and be careful with this new power, at least until you understand it better and understand your limits better as well.”

“There’s just so much to do,” Alexander said.

“I know, My Love, but you only have one healing draught left. What happens if you overdo it again? There’s time to implement your plan. The most urgent part has been set in motion.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, relaxing into his bed and closing his eyes.

After lunch, he took the next step, sending his consciousness into the enormous white marble fortress on the southern tip of the Isle of Zuhl.

He found Lord Zuhl in a room that would have made Lucky giddy. It was easily a hundred feet square with forty-foot ceilings supported by a row of polished white marble pillars. The entire room was filled with worktables, each occupied by a different project. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled to overflowing with all manner of written works.

Zuhl was talking with another man about some obscure point of magic that Alexander didn’t understand. The man was old-judging from the magic swelling his colors, probably very old. He looked like the quintessential wizard, long white hair and beard, grey robes, and a staff leaning against the nearest bookshelf. The colors of the thin silver collar around his neck screamed of magic as well, dark and powerful.

As Alexander watched them from the firmament, Zuhl abruptly turned and looked right at him.

“Ah, hello,” Zuhl said. “I was wondering when you might pay me a visit. Welcome to Whitehall, we have some business to discuss.”

Alexander projected an illusion of himself in front of the two men.

“Quite impressive,” the other man said, turning to Zuhl. “You say he is still on Tyr with the dragons, Lord Zuhl, yet he’s capable of projecting all this way. Quite impressive, indeed.”