Jean Lorrah - Sorcerers of the Frozen Isles

“Don’t listen to her,” warned Maldek. “I will win. Be my friends, not my enemies! Help me, and I will reward you well.”

He probably Read the skepticism with which they heard that offer, but again they remained spontaneously neutral, waiting to see the outcome- all heartily wishing they were not trapped between Maldek’s evil and the uncertainty of Rokannia and her friends.

The attacking forces again struck with fire- Torio had seen this method of attack many times before. In the City, several neighborhoods blazed up, people running helplessly, minor Adepts rescuing those they could, healers rushing to save people who had inhaled smoke or been burned.

But then there were no new fires as the three Master Sorcerers concentrated so hard that they could not be Read unless one knew where to visualize them-and overhead storm clouds gathered, black and threatening. As they were creating them in a cloudless sky, Torio knew they were working against nature, using a great deal of Adept power.

“You think thunder and lightning will frighten me?” Maldek demanded sarcastically-but his audience was not listening.

Something more was happening in those clouds- water droplets were being urged together, freezing wind condensing them into ice crystals, larger and larger chunks-

Hail the size of melons began to fall on the City and the castle!

People and animals were struck and killed.

Roofs were pierced-and those which first held gave way under further bombardment and the sheer weight of ice.

Even the castle roof was struck through, great ice balls smashing on the stone floors.

But Maldek grabbed hold of the wind, and sent the hail sheering from the upper atmosphere across the river to strike the people who had created it.

Shivahn moved her attention from forming the hail to melting what Maldek was throwing at them before it could strike.

He focused on her-and the sorceress’ heart shuddered and heaved as searing pain clutched at her chest!

Her attention focused on her own body as, shaking, she fought Maldek’s squeezing of her heart.

Fortunately for Shivahn, Maldek dared not concentrate for long on just one person-for while his attention was thus engaged, Rokannia and Borru were directing the hailstones to crush his castle walls-stone walls pierced by ice, driven by Adept powers.

The castle shook as the kitchen wing collapsed.

Maldek had to concentrate on melting the ice before it struck-and at the same time protect himself as the three Master Sorcerers launched an attack on his body, trying to stop his heart or paralyze his diaphragm so he could not breathe.

“Fools!” Rokannia stormed at Maldek’s visitors. “You are closer than we are! Kill him where he stands before-”

But it was too late. Maldek was calling upon the planes of power-Torio could Read a strange aura of energy around him, protecting, even absorbing the blows the others sent against him, thus increasing its own power.

Astonishment rang from Borru. “Maldek-what are you doing? You cannot control so much power!”

" I am doing what you taught me, Master!” Maldek replied cynically.

“We must stop him nowMI exclaimed the sorcerer from the far north. “Come-join with me!”

And the three joined hands, Borru reaching for the same source of power Maldek was tapping- but with a difference.

Maldek was using the power as an outer defense. The sorcerer from Meliard merely drew strength into his own body, as if to heal the weakness caused by the use of Adept powers. Thus strengthened, he joined his companions in the attack with powers Torio was only too familiar with.

Searing flames rose all around!

Hot fire of destruction!

The tapestries went up in flames, the paneling, the wooden throne, the rugs-

Kwinn screamed, and Gray yelped in terror.

The doors burst into flame.

The Readers gasped in disbelief as the very stone walls began to burn.

They were trapped!

Even Maldek had to have air to breathe-and the fire was taking all the air!

Torio choked and gasped, trying to Read a way out. There was flame in every direction.

Heat seared his flesh.

Melissa, Zanos, and Astra fought the fire, but succeeded only in creating a flameless circle around them-there was still no way out!

Maldek concentrated-and cold white fire leaped across the river, attacking the circle of sorcerers-

It burned through their nerves, not healing now, but draining them with searing pain until they shriveled, agony traveling up their spines to their brains, roaring through their minds and leaving them dead-empty!

Maldek had won.

But his throne room was surrounded by fire, the walls, the floor, the very air aflame.

Outside, the forest blazed.

The City roared to the heavens!

All the power their own small circle of Adepts could muster could not hold off the conflagration any longer-they were dying.

“Maldek!” Melissa screamed. “Stop the fire! It will kill you, too!”

He Read that it was destroying his castle, his City-and in pure selfishness he once again reached for that cold white flame-

“Not more fire!” cried Torio-

But then he saw what Maldek was doing.

The cold fire attacked the hot-absorbed it! It spread, circling the group of visitors, drawing power from the flames it fed on and leaving only ash in its wake. Cold ash.

Everyone stared, gasping for breath.

Up the walls went the cold white fire, feeding on the hot orange flames, consuming them and leaving refreshing coolness.

Melissa stared at Maldek. “Such power,” she whispered. “Blessed gods-he is truly invincible!”

Maldek grinned triumphantly, striding down the barren steps as the fire retreated.

About him was still that aura of cold fire.

“Melissa,” Torio warned, “do not touch him! That power is working through him!”

“Of course,” replied Maldek. “I am its route into this world-only I dare call up so much power. Poor Borru-all he ever tried to teach me was to control, control, never loose the true power of which I am capable. Now he knows, wherever he is, what power he could have had if he hadn’t been afraid!”

The Master Sorcerer held out his hands, one to Dirdra, one to Melissa. “All power is mine. Rokannia, Borru, Shivahn-their lands are mine now. And you are mine. I have won the right to you- all of you.

Please me, and I will reward you. Displease me-”

He had no need to finish the threat. Neither woman, though, touched him. “You fear me,” he said, obviously pleased. “That is wise.”

“I do not fear you,” said Dirdra. “Nothing has changed. You cannot do anything more to me than you have already done.”

“Dirdra is right,” said Melissa. “What have you gained, Maldek? More power? You didn’t know what to do with what you had. Read what is happening out there-the force you unleashed may put out the fires, but it will not restore the lives of the people who died. It will not bring the forest back, fresh and green.

Only time will heal those terrible scars-and even time will not help if you continue to destroy your land.”

Torio recalled his prophecy. “Maldek, your land is worse off now than before the attack. Your major trade city lies in ashes. You are your land-do not think that you have any more power than it has.”

“Do you think your nonsense frightens me, Torio? / decide my fate, not some foolish Reader who will not even see, let alone learn to use the other side of his powers. Borru tried to make me into someone like you-afraid of power-and see where he lies now. With my powers, I need have no fear of superstition!”

“Then what,” Astra put in, “are you going to do about the power you have unleashed? Can you control what it is doing now, Maldek?”