The Sorcerer's Abyss (The Sorcerer's Path) (21 page)

“He is—healthy.”

“Why do you hedge? What is wrong with him?”

“Nothing is
wrong
with him. He is exceptionally bright and creative. I assume he gets that from you. He does mature at a rapid pace, which I attribute to his other father.”

Klaraxis laughed smugly.
I told you human. Your son is as much mine as yours. How that must stick in your craw!

“Shut up, demon, he is my son and mine alone. You will have no influence and you never will!” Azerick turned his attention back outward at the goddess. “You still hedge. What are you not telling me?”

Sharellan pursed her red, perfect lips and paused. “He is complicated.”

“Complicated how?”

“We are all but blind to his existence.”

Azerick tried to understand what the goddess was saying. “Who is blind, how?”

“We, the gods, and even the Sisters of Fate are unable to see him within the weave. Such a thing has never happened before. The Sisters are quite upset about it.”

Azerick swallowed, trying to digest this new information. “What does that mean?”

The goddess shrugged. “It means he could be the solution to saving your world or be the source of its destruction. The Sisters have been able to spot just a glimmer, for the briefest of instances, of his involvement on both strands. If it were up to me, I would simply drown the brat. I think his existence is a far greater threat than the possibility of his being a benefit.”

“You will stay away from my son!” Azerick screamed in fury and fear for his child.

“There you go making demands again. I must tell you, I do not find your complete lack of obeisance endearing.” Sharellan gave Azerick’s anger a dismissive wave of her hand.

Hearing about his son made Azerick even more anxious to return home. His son needed a father to help guide him into manhood, especially since he was so different from other children. He knew what could happen to the spirit and character of a person who was peculiar. The hardships of being different or strange affected people and seldom in a good way. Azerick only needed to look at himself to see that and desperately wanted better for his son.

“Tell me how the elf got out or so help me I’ll…!” Azerick warned.

Sharellan stood up, her patience at an end. “You’ll what? Your obstinacy was amusing for a time, but that time is over! This is where you belong now, and you will act in accordance to your…”

Before Sharellan could finish her rebuke, Azerick pulled from the Source and wrapped it around his abyssal power, creating a spell of enormous power. His fury was so raw and primal, had Klaraxis not been stunned by the swiftness of the unexpected assault, he likely could have seized control and dominated the human parasite. As it was, the demon was unable to react to Azerick’s incomprehensible action before he lashed out.

A black ray of abyssal power wrapped in silver arcs of lightning erupted from Azerick’s hands and streaked out toward the goddess. Her look of utter disbelief that anyone would dare strike at her was so profound it was almost comical. The ray struck her with astonishing power, knocking the goddess of death backward over her crystal throne.

You complete, utter fool! You have destroyed us both!

Before Azerick could form a single thought in response, Sharellan flew into the air, a billowing, black-shrouded form of pure fury. “You ungrateful, impudent, little shit!”

Azerick barely had time to brace himself when an invisible mountain of force slammed into his body. The blow sent him flying backward at a frightening rate. Azerick tried to brace himself for the inevitable impact with the unyielding wall a few score feet behind him, but it never came. The sorcerer opened his eyes and watched the blur of the alien landscape fly by as he continued his uncontrollable flight. Seconds and then minutes passed and still he did not stop.

Just as he began to wonder if he would fly forever, he struck something so hard he was certain his body would shatter into a thousand pieces. Azerick lay upon the floor back in his citadel, languishing in the pain caused by his abrupt impact with the wall.

“I think I could have handled that a little better,” Azerick quipped.

You are such an idiot that you make idiots look brilliant by comparison.

Azerick bit back a cry of pain as he rolled into a sitting position. “Come on, you can’t tell me you never wanted to do that. Admit it, it felt good, didn’t it?”

Azerick could feel Klaraxis’ smile.
I will never admit such a thing.

CHAPTER 8

Allister answered the insistent knocking coming from the main door. He grumbled to himself about being interrupted on his way to the dining room and then grumbled aloud when he saw who it was.

“I would ask what you three idiots want, but I already have a pretty good idea.” Allister glowered at the three Academy wizards.

“Allister!” Colleen admonished from behind him. “Such behavior is not appropriate. It sets a bad example for the children.”

“You’re right, my dear. I only know one of them as an idiot. I simply assumed the same for the other two based upon the company they keep.”

“It is still no way to speak to guests, no matter your personal conflicts,” Colleen insisted.

“They are not guests until someone invites them in. Until then, they are unwanted intruders, of which I am legally entitled to blast to smithereens if I feel the least bit threatened.”

“I assure you, magus, we have no intention of threatening anyone,” Magus Harvey responded.

“You see. We were about to have supper. Would you all join us?” Colleen said.

“And now they’re guests,” Allister grumbled as he stalked off to the dining room.

Colleen appeared in the dining hall a moment later, towing the three wizards behind her. “Allister, since you seem to know our guests, would you please make the introductions?”

Allister tried to glare at Rusty’s wife, but her ever-present smile crushed his attempts to be cross with her. “Everyone, this is Magus Robert Harvey, Oliver Parkes, and Melanie Brown.”

“Where would you like us to sit, Lady Colleen?” Magus Harvey asked.

“The bottom of the harbor has ample seating. I hear the fish is especially fresh,” Allister said.

“Allister, if you continue to behave this way you can eat in the living room with the dog!” Colleen admonished. “Anywhere is fine.”

“I must take the blame for Magus Allister’s brusque behavior, Lady Colleen,” Magus Harvey explained. “I’m afraid I did not act as politely as I should have on our previous meetings.”

Colleen fixed the archmage with a look. “You see there, Allister, he has apologized, so there is no need for further rudeness.”

Allister sank into his beard. “That was no apology. An apology is admitting you were a pompous ass.”

“And I accept your apology, Magus.” His guest suppressed a smile. “And who is this young man

“That is my son, Daebian, Magus,” Miranda said.

“Azerick’s son?”

“Yes.”

Robert looked at the boy quizzically. “Forgive me, Lady, I had thought he was not yet born when Magus Giles passed. Am I in error?”

Miranda smiled to cover her discomfort about talking of her son’s unusual maturity. “You are correct, Magus. Daebian is quite special.”

Daebian smiled as he shifted his gaze between the Academy wizard and his mother.

“It certainly appears so, Lady. Has he displayed any other unique traits?”

“Other than his enjoyment of music and poetry, no.” Miranda looked at her son. “Do you have a new poem for us tonight, sweetheart?”

Daebian smiled, showing his tiny, white teeth. “Yes, Mother.

Three hounds chase after a rabbit,

Hoping to track her to her lair.

But just when they think they have her,

They discover a badger,

And the battle is more than they can bear.

They thought their prey was weak,

And backed her against a wall.

The hounds picked a fight,

In the dead of night,

But it was not the rabbit who would fall.”

Wizard Harvey cleared his throat. “An interesting verse.”

Miranda smiled uncomfortably at her guests. “I admit we do not always understand them. Sometimes boys just enjoy being silly.”

Allister thought this a good time to return to the purpose of the wizards’ visit. “I assume you are here because of Ellyssa.”

“You assume correctly.”

“If you expect any help from us you can forget it,” Allister said. “As far as I am concerned, she has done nothing but take out the trash the Watch either cannot or will not deal with, and I won’t hand her over for inquisition for that.”