The Compass Key (Book 5) (46 page)

“When did you first kill someone?”

“I might have been eight,” Sari nervously admits, relaxing her body and drifting through the water. She floats on her back and watches the candle light glinting off the icy ceiling. “My friend and I were playing away from camp when bandits attacked. We screamed for help, but the warriors of the clan wouldn’t have made it in time to save us. I had stolen a dagger from my father, which I kept on me because I thought it made me an adult. One of the bandits tried to grab me and I stabbed him in the throat. Everything was a blur after that. The bandits ran away and I cried for days about what I did. My father convinced me that the alternative was that I let him kill me. So, I give you the same advice.”

Luke sinks into the water until only his face is above the surface. “It isn’t that I killed, but t
hat I don’t care about doing it that worries me.”

“The fact that you’re talking to me about this means that you care
.”

“It’s not the same.”

“People tend to say that when things are practically the same.”

“This isn’t really guilt.”

“Of course it is,” Sari groans, drifting next to the half-elf. She flips in the water and gives him a kiss before sitting on his lap. “You feel guilty that you killed my former lover even though he didn’t give you a choice.”

“I can’t believe you’re not angry,” Luke whispers, gently kissing her lips. “I’d be furious if you killed Alyssa or Kira.”

“You really know how to enhance the mood,” she mockingly growls.

Bracing her feet against Luke’s stomach, Sari pushes off to
swim the opposite side of the bath. She goes underwater and rests on the bottom, quietly watching the half-elf floating above her. His legs gently kick while he waits for her to resurface. Expecting him to follow, Sari is surprised when she sees him pull himself out of the bath. The water swirls and carries her to the surface where she sits and watches Luke dry off with a thick, gray towel.

“I’m sorry,”
the gypsy says even though she is not sure she has to apologize.

“It isn’t
your fault, Sari,” Luke explains while wrapping the towel around his waist. A shiver runs through his body when he leans against the icy wall, forcing him to move away. “I understand that you’re happy to be free. I’m really happy that you’re back with us. With all of the stress and confusion, I think my energy is sapped and I’m numb. Maybe we should lie down and get some sleep.”

Sar
i glances over her shoulder at the large bed that is in ruins. The posts and their canopy are splayed on the floor, one of them snapped in half. A deep indent is in the middle of the bed as if the bottom has caved in. Spinning in a circle, Sari gathers some of the water from the bath and throws it at the wreckage. A new bottom solidifies to raise the mattress off the floor and new posts grow to lock everything into place. The gypsy frowns when she is unable to move the curtains onto the bed, giving up after a minute.

“Join me in the bed, my hero,” Sari requests with a wink. Hopping out of the
bath, she races to the bed and burrows under the covers. “It’s so warm under here. I need to find out how a mountain with so much ice stays so cozy.”

“I think your temple draws warmth and power from you,” Luke guesses while he crawls into bed
behind her. He wraps his arms around Sari, burying his face in her hair. “I just want to fall asleep here and wake up in a week.”

“Me too, but I need to practice my naiad powers and make sure this place is defended against the Baron
. I guess I can start all of that around lunchtime tomorrow. There are a few invisible servants around here that can clean up and bring us breakfast. Although, I think they only know how to cook and serve fish.”

“Kira is in Gaia,” Luke
says between kisses. He cringes when he feels Sari’s nails dig into his thigh. “I thought it’d be best to get this talk out of the way.”

“Don’t lie. Th
inking wasn’t involved,” the gypsy quips, turning around to face him. She wiggles away, so they are barely touching. “I don’t want to talk about her. I deserve my time with you now since she’ll have the rest of eternity.”

“I just-”

Sari kisses Luke on the lips, rolling him onto his back and pinning him to the bed. She releases the kiss long enough for him to breathe, but immediately kisses him again. Slowly moving his arms above his head, she whispers a spell that animates the fallen curtains. The soft fabric wraps around Luke’s wrists and runs to the bedposts, tying themselves into knots. Sari sighs contently as she breaks the kiss and sits on his chest, but she frowns when she sees that the half-elf has fallen asleep.

“I love you, Luke Callindor
,” the gypsy whispers into his ear, hoping the exhausted warrior stirs. “I had to kill a version of you in my head and it felt like I was killing myself. I hate that I found you after Kira, but that’s how life worked out. I accept that as best I can even though I really want to steal you from her. I won’t, but . . .”

A pang of fear stabs at Sari’s chest when she remembers the Kira in her mind bringing up the love spell. It has been a long time since she used such magic to help Luke return to his normal form and she is sure she removed all traces of the spell. Muttering under her breath, she
casts magic sight and examines his aura. The blue and pink energy coiling around his heart brings tears to her eyes even though it is very weak.

“I’m so sorry, Luke. I
had no idea that I did this. I never wanted to manipulate you, but I guess part of me is terrified to be left alone,” Sari says while reaching out to remove the love spell. She absorbs the aura and immediately feels both sick and relieved. “I will always love you, Luke Callindor. No matter what happens, you will always be in my heart. I promise to play fair from now on and do my best to win this fight without magic. That’s how love should be and you deserve the purest love that you can find.”

“I love you too, Sari,” the half-elf mutters in his sleep. “I’m sorry I dragged you into my mess. Please forgive me.”

Sari cuddles up to Luke and kisses him on the cheek. “You’re forgiven, silly hero.”

*****

Trinity steadies her breathing as she walks down the dim hallway, a squirming kitten in the crook of her arm. Feeling a chilling gaze on her, the chaos elf looks up at a painting of the Baron standing over a slain paladin. The painting’s eyes shimmer and openly examine her until she waves her hand to cast a blinding spell. A booming laugh erupts from the room at the end of the hall, making her feel slightly better about being the bearer of bad news.

“He is in a surprisingly good mood,” whispers a female voice from the top of Trinity’s head. “He only killed a few demons instead of
punishing any of your people. Take that as a sign that you did nothing wrong.”

“Please g
et out of my hair, Yola,” Trinity hisses.

“I’m not in your hair,” the goddess of chaos states, dripping out of
her friend’s nose and appearing on the floor. Her black and white skin swirls in a chaotic mess while her green hair slithers around like a nest of serpents. “Did you bring me that dog? I always wanted a dog. They’re so pretty with their feathers. This one is only black and orange, but I’ll love it anyway. I promise I won’t lose this pet.”

“This kitten isn’t for you, Yola. This is for Baron
Kernaghan since I destroyed the visionaire and failed to get the Compass Key. Not much of a peace offering, but a pet for a pet should be fair.”

The goddess scratches her head with her foot.
“Why are mortals always trying to be fair? Will I be able to go with you next time? I’m so bored on Shayd.”

“If the Baron allows it, but you know the danger out there for you. It’s more importan
t that you stay safe and scry on our enemies,” Trinity whispers. She gently strokes Yola’s cheek and kisses her nose like one would treat a child. “None of us want you to get sealed away. Now I have business to attend to with the Baron. I promise to spend time with you afterwards.”

“I’ve been keeping your people safe.”

“I know you have.”

“You’re the only one that’s nice to me.”

“Because we’re friends.”

“I’m going to go make the Weapon Dragons dance.”

“Let me know what Nyder says about that.”

Yola grins and sinks into the floor until only the top of her head remains. She races down the hallway and bumps into a far door, a hand appearing to rub her
scalp. The hand casually tears the door off the hinges and hurls it through the wall before the Chaos Goddess turns and goes out the hole. Trinity tickles the kitten on the chin, watching the wall repair itself and a new door rise from the floor.

“You may enter, Queen Trinity,” the Baron announces
as if he is only a few feet away.

Trinity is suddenly in front of
a door, which opens to a bubble alchemy lab. The ancient nobleman stands in the middle of the cauldrons and vials, his black hair slightly a mess from him scratching his head. His short beard shows signs of recently being on fire and his face is covered in sweat from the roaring flames before him. With a swift movement, he plunges his hand into the furnace and pulls out a bronze ring. A scowl is on his face as if the ring should not exist, the expression turning into a gentle sigh. With a low voice, Baron Kernaghan summons a small portal and drops the ring into it, sealing it with a wave of his hand.

“We will see what he do
es,” the Baron says while removing his ash-covered shirt and dropping it into the fire. “I apologize for my partial dress, but the sweat makes wearing a new shirt pointless. I see you have brought a new friend.”

“I know we don’t always get along, master, but I have brought you this as a peace offering,” Trinity says, falling to one knee and holding the mewing kitten out. She can feel little teeth pierce her hand and fights the urge to
growl at the small animal. “I destroyed the visionaire in anger and have brought you a replacement pet. Also, it’s cute and I thought that might help you forget my failure.”

“I am a cold, heartless warlord that rules over demons and you bring me an adorable kitten,” he states in
amusement. He approaches the chaos elf and leans down to get a closer look at his new pet. “The visionaire had a high chance of being useless, so I would have been surprised if you brought it back alive. I needed to get rid of it and did not want to waste my time doing the execution. As for your failure, I have yet to decide if you truly failed, your highness.”

“I didn’t bring you the
Compass Key, so I can’t see how I succeeded.”

The Baron plucks the kitten from Trin
ity’s grasp and holds the tiny animal up to his face. He is startled when the beast licks his nose. “I think we should do something about you before Trinity and I continue talking. I shall name you Raksha, but your current form simply will not do. Please allow me to transform you into a more suitable pet.”

“I don’t think the kitten understands, master,” Trinity mutters before she can stop herself.

“Do not be foolish, my dear,” he states, placing his new pet at his feet. He holds out his hands and focuses on the tiny beast. “All creatures can understand what an influential man says even they are unable to respond. You see how the kitten waits and does not cower? She knows to trust me already.”

Waves of crimson aura wash over the kitten, which releases a savage hiss. Its tiger-striped hair stands up and grows into coarse fur that can cut bare skin. The sound of snapping bone and stretching skin fills the room while the cat grows to the size of an adult lion. Two more tails squirm out of its body and they grow curved, jagged blades that Raksha uses to scratch her back. Bubbling blood rises from the wounds, so she sits to lick the wounds closed. When the Baron drops his hands, she roars to reveal retractable fangs and a putrid mist rises from her mouth.

“Thank you for my new companion,” he says to Trinity, leaning down to pat Raksha on the head. A camouflaged frill snaps over its face, the long barbs catching the Baron’s hand while she tenderly licks his fingers. “Very impressive creature if I say so myself. I will have to make some alterations later when I have time to think.”

“If you don’t need me, I will get back to my people,”
the chaos elf interrupts.

“You are surprisingly d
ocile, Queen Trinity,” her master points out, appearing in front of her and lifting her to her feet. “Your eyes are red and show your fatigue. My dear, you’ve worked yourself too hard. That is not good because I need to send you on another mission as soon as possible. With one champion awakened to her power, we need to work harder to stop the others from growing.”

“I will be fine once I get my affairs in order and rest among my people,” Trinity insists, mustering a defiant stare. She turns away from the yellow eyes of the Baron and pulls away from his grasp, her legs taking her to the door. “I’m happy that you don’t see my actions as failure since the champions have the
Compass Key. It was a simple mission and I made mistakes. I should have returned to Vile and Nyder.”

“You and Mr. Fortune have nothing
to worry about,” he assures her with a perfect smile that slowly fades as his attention drifts to the closed door. “I believe the champions require the Compass Key more than me at this present time. In fact, I have received some information that their use of the Compass Key might be necessary for my own victory. It needs to be charged and they are the ones to do it. So, we must continue corrupting their temples and pushing them forward.”