Secrets of Yden (27 page)

An inviting stream meandering through a small forest presented a likely safe haven, so Jon aimed for a nearby clearing. Landing proved to be trickier than flying, unfortunately. He circled toward the ground easily enough, but the mechanics of actually setting down escaped him. He tried to picture how Adam did it, but Jon's extremely awkward skid wasn't pretty.
I guess any landing you can walk away from is a good one.
Nevertheless, he was glad no one was watching.

After he transformed himself back into a human, his arm and shoulder muscles were somewhat stiff. Nevertheless, Jon was pleased; his escape from the Executive Council had been a spectacular act of desperation, but he'd managed to pull it off. As his current predicament sank in, however, his elation was short-lived.

I'm in deep voodoo.

Pacing alongside the brook, he tried to formulate his next move. Naturally, Chairman Lux would make his capture a priority, but Jon had no intention of going quietly. Dorsit or Quixoran could find his clan ring using Efysian's locator spell, but they'd never tell Lux.
If I go home or to Dragon Isle, Lux will charge my dad and Quixoran with harboring a fugitive.
Hiding out with Charles or at Lynn's house would only put off the inevitable. No, the Executive Council had forced Jon's hand.

I need to get on with it and close the portal right now.

To manage it, he'd need the portal spell, which was tucked inside his locker in his bungalow on Dragon Isle. Could he risk a quick transport to retrieve it, or would he run right into an ambush? The Wizport pouch on his belt gave Jon an idea; maybe Quixoran could tell him whether or not a goon squad was waiting. Jon scribbled a note reading, '
Big trouble at Executive Council. Please advise
.' Since he knew his grandfather would recognize his handwriting, he didn't bother to sign it. If things got ugly, the note could be intercepted and held against Quixoran. He tucked the note into his Wizport pouch, where it vanished. The note would magically appear in Quixoran's Wiznet mailbox, and the reply would find Jon wherever he went on Yden.

A sudden thirst overwhelmed him, so he bent down to the stream for a drink of fresh water. As he drank, he wondered if his parched throat was a side effect of the transformation process.
Or maybe I'm thirsty because it's hot and I was in the air for a long time.
He threw off his suit jacket, opened up his button-down shirt and splashed water on his face and neck.
No need for formality anymore since I'm an outlaw and officially on the lam. I'll have to travel incognito from now on. Too bad I left my Zorro mask at home.

As Jon waited for Quixoran's reply, he watched the water gurgle along. Fish darted just beneath the surface, looking for their next meal. Fish were simple creatures, Jon mused, always straightforward with their plans. By contrast, it was nearly impossible to take wizards at face value. Lux, for one, had made an unexpected and shocking alliance with the cygards. Plus, Jon had a particular problem with how the chairman had treated Bailey. The young Shark Clan wizard was a human being — sort of — and he did have rights. Furthermore, the way Homa had set Jon up smacked of not-so-hidden agendas. Admittedly, Jon had never fully trusted Homa, so his behavior hadn't been entirely a surprise.

But Jon was disappointed that over half the Executive Council had voted to have him locked up. It wouldn't be the first time the council had tried to discredit the Dragon Clan and see its reputation ruined, but Jon meant it to be the last.
The dragonhide gloves are off now. As far as I'm concerned, we're at war… at least until I can close the portal.
After the crisis was over, it would be up to Quixoran, Jon's father, Dorsit, and the other Dragon Clan apprentices to set the Executive Council straight. Jon would have enjoyed fighting alongside them… but was a clash with Executive Council wizards the conflict he'd been fated to lose?

A tone from his Wizport pouch indicated he had mail.
That was quick.
Inside the pouch, he discovered a piece of parchment wrapped around an amulet. Puzzled, Jon peeled off the parchment and read the message written on it:

To: Jon Hansen of the Dragon Clan

From: Quixoran of the Dragon Clan

You have made a grave mistake, Jon Hansen. Return to the Executive Council immediately and present this amulet to the most honorable Chairman Lux with your most sincere apologies. I shall meet with you there to discuss your defense.

Your Grandfather, Quixoran of the Dragon Clan

Jon frowned. First of all, his grandfather never addressed him by his full name. Secondly, he'd never advise Jon to turn himself in. As he reread the note, he noticed the runes weren't even in Quixoran's handwriting. Obviously the Executive Council had either found a way to hack the Wizport network or council wizards were at Dragon Isle right now.

Jon peered at the amulet, which was in the shape of a spider and only moderately magical, according to its vibrations. Why on Yden would Lux send him a Spider Clan amulet? The answer came to him in a flash, but unfortunately it was too late. The thunderous sound of wizards transporting all around him was accompanied by Ophelia's immediate and painful warning. Lux had put a simple trace on the spider amulet, revealing his location as soon as Jon touched it.

His sparring instincts kicked in and he surrounded himself with a shield spell. Numerous attacks bounced off him without effect, but Jon seethed at Lux's treachery. As his adrenaline surged, he was tempted to lower his shield spell and engage the wizards, but he held off.
I'm not that arrogant — or that stupid.
Taking on four senior-level wizards wouldn't be a smart move. Jon flung the spider amulet into the stream and transported to the first safe place he could think of.

Noble Champion

"He knows what's going on right this second?" Jon exclaimed, backing away from Efysian's remains.

"No, only if I tell him. The guardian spell links us together permanently."

A crazy, wild idea formed in Jon's mind. If Lialia could communicate with Efysian, Jon could strike a deal with him. He'd rid Yden of the Wolf Clan wizard permanently and close the portal at the same time.

"Lialia, ask Efysian if he'd be willing to tell me the spell to open the portal. In exchange, I'll restore him to life and take him with me when the portal opens. He'll be able to live out the rest of his miserable life on Earth."

"That's a horrible idea, Dragon Wizard! He'll return to Yden to enslave me again!"

"No, he won't. He'll be stripped of magic forever and won't remember much about who he is, but don't tell him that part."

"Stripped of magic?"

"The wizards who hid the Portal Key didn't want it used any longer," Jon replied. "As a penalty, any wizard who goes through the portal now forfeits his magic. Because he used a copy of the Portal Key, Guinn's ability to stop time has lodged in an unstable portal. I have to go through to make sure it's closed again, otherwise time will stop on Earth and Yden."

Lialia's big blue eyes regarded him with dismay. "But you're a force for good on Yden. If you do this thing, your magic will be lost to us forever."

Jon didn't have time for a debate, and Lialia wasn't going to say anything he didn't already know. "Just ask Efysian if we have an agreement. Please."

She nodded. "As you wish." A faraway look came over Lialia's face, as if she were listening to some unheard, inner voice. "Yes," she said finally. "Efysian will strike that bargain with you, Dragon Wizard."

Nothing like making a deal with a real devil, up close and personal
.

"Let's get on with it, then."

Efysian was the definition of untrustworthy, so before Jon restored him, the wizard would have to be rendered harmless. Although Jon had already taken his transporter cuff many months ago, that wouldn't stop Efysian from working magic. He found the wizard's right hand, broke the ring finger off at the base, and removed the clan ring.
No matter what happens, I have to make sure Efysian can't get his clan ring back.

"No way will I let you inflict damage on anyone, ever again."

With all his strength, Jon flung the ring into the darkness of the cavern to ensure nobody would find it. Now Efysian had no transporter cuff, no clan ring, and no power. Satisfied, Jon focused his attention on repairing Efysian, causing all the little pieces of stone scattered on the cavern floor to fly into place until his statue was whole again. Jon exchanged an apprehensive glance with Lialia and took a deep breath. "I guess I'm ready."

Jon raised his palm toward Efysian and said the spell of undoing. As the magic did its work, it appeared as if the Wolf Clan wizard was thawing from the head down. Within the space of a few seconds, he was human again, but clearly not healthy. As much as Jon hated the idea, he gave Efysian some of his life energy. Unfortunately the newly revived wizard was like a super-sponge and the process took more out of Jon than he'd anticipated.

Efysian pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Greetings, Dragon Wizard. You've restored me to flesh. How ironic."

Jon desperately wanted to spring to his feet, but he'd been so weakened he lurched backward instead, onto his behind. As Lialia hastened over to pick Jon up off the cavern floor, Efysian watched him as if he were a bug.

"Does your daddy know what you've done?" he sneered. "Or your grandfather? I doubt they would approve."

"That's none of your business," Jon snapped. "We have a deal, so tell me the spell."

The Wolf Clan wizard moved his right hand in a gesture that probably would have landed Jon on the far side of the cavern if Efysian had been wearing his clan ring.

"Oops," Jon said. "Looks like the wolf has been neutered."

Efysian's yellow eyes narrowed as he realized his finger was bare.

"The spell," Jon repeated.

"If I understood Lialia correctly, Guinn of the Fox Clan opened an unstable portal to Yrth?" Efysian asked.

"Yes, and his ability to stop time is now threatening Earth and Yden. I must close the portal before that happens."

"That's so sickeningly noble. If I had anything in my stomach, it would be forcibly expelled," Efysian said.

"Yeah, well, you can be part of the solution, pal. Give me the spell like you agreed. After we both pass through the portal, I'm sure Lialia will be happy to tell everyone how you acted the hero."

"I'm not certain I can live with the idea Jon Hansen of the Dragon Clan will become a legend."

Jon rolled his eyes. "Since hardly anyone knows about the anomaly, nobody will care."

Efysian rose and folded his arms across his chest. "No," he said with a smirk. "No deal. I suppose you'll just have to kill me now."

Puleden road apples
.

Knowing Jon could never kill him in cold blood, Efysian had just called his bluff. Since Jon was already feeling a little testy, flames shot from his fingertips in response to the anger spreading through his veins.

Unperturbed, Efysian spread his hands in invitation. "Come, Dragon Wizard, put me down. Here's a perfect opportunity for you to get revenge. No one could possibly blame you."

"I certainly wouldn't," Lialia said.

"She's right," Efysian continued. "In fact, you'd be much admired and envied as the wizard who finally killed me. Come on, do it."

Jon gritted his teeth as he fought the temptation to take a swing at Efysian… one little swing.
Hitting a defenseless old man isn't my style, even if he's an evil wizard
. He extinguished the flames and regained his cool.

"I'm not like you, Efysian. I won't let you taunt me into losing my soul."

The golden strands of a binding spell flew from Jon's palms and wrapped themselves around Efysian's arms, holding him fast.