The Warlock Senator (Book 2) (19 page)

As his fire purified the senate chamber, the walls and seats in the room were charred or altogether disintegrated, leaving barely a skeleton of the grand room that had been before Erik unleashed his power.

When he was finished only Al, Braun, Lord Lokton, and Senator Mickelson remained in the blackened hall. Erik looked around and clawed at the stone floor. His talons cut through the granite as though he were slicing through cream. His breathing slowed and puffs of smoke snaked out from his elongated snout. He turned his eyes down to Al and could almost hear the dwarf’s thoughts.

“Enough” Al said. Except, the dwarf’s
mouth didn’t move. Erik cocked his massive, scaled head toward Al and scrutinized the dwarf more carefully. “Erik,” Al communicated with his mind. “This is enough, you must stop. We have to flee.”

Erik wasn’t sure whether to respond vocally or if Al could also hear his thoughts, so he just nodded his head. He looked down at his hands, really looking at himself for the first time. During the
heat of the moment he had understood what had happened, but now his mind was catching up with his instincts. Only now did it fully dawn on him. Somehow, he had turned into a dragon.

The boy within him became afraid. Would the book snare him now? What had he just done to the senate hall? What would Lepkin and Dimwater say?

Al came up and placed a strong hand on Erik’s forepaw. “Calm down,” Al communicated. “Close your eyes and think of your human form.”

Erik’s heart slowed and he did as Al instructed. The fire in his chest dwindled, and as it did he felt himself compress, as though a thick band were wrapping i
tself around him and squeezing him back to his normal form. Though it seemed to take several minutes, the transformation only last a couple of seconds. When Erik opened his eyes, he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Braun and Lord Lokton.

“That, was…” Lord Lokton started to speak but couldn’t finish his sentence.

Braun simply nodded in disbelief and cast his eyes about the room again.

“We must go, quickly,” Al said. “Perhaps we should split up.”

“Why?” Erik asked.

“Given what just happened, we might have a better chance of all escaping if
we go in pairs. Surely the guards will be looking for four men.”

“Three men and a dwarf,” Braun corrected. “Any way we split up, you are going to draw attention, I’m afraid.”

Al nodded. “Let’s not waste time discussing it.” Al pointed to Braun and Lokton. “You two make your way to the southern gate. A block away from there you will find a well. You can go down the well to an underground river. That river will take you out to the east, where it will emerge from the ground through a cave. If you are careful, you won’t need to go in the water as there is a small path along the bank.”

“How do you know that?” Lord Lokton asked.

“A few decades ago I was on the crew that dug that well and plotted the underground river. There is a gate at the cave, but you should be able to pick it easily, just take care as there are usually a pair of guards nearby.”

“Sounds better than trying our luck at one of the gates,” Braun said.

“We’ll go out the same way, but first I think we will need to get to the king.

“To the king?” Braun asked skeptically. “The two of you are just going to walk in and ask him to speak with you after this?”

“We have to tell him what happened here,” Al said. “We have to show him that Bracken was really a warlock.”

A shapely dark form dropped from a nearby balcony, catching their attention. A long, golden braid bounced over the woman’s shoulder as she somersaulted to the floor and began to walk toward them. “I will go with you,” she told Al. “I was investigating Senator Bracken, and I have some information that may help you prove your case to the king.”

“Who are you?” Al asked. His hand gripped his hammer.

“It’s Lady Arkyn,” Erik said. He would have recognized her green eyes anywhere.

“It is good to see you again, Master Lepkin,” she said.

“Can we trust her,” Al whispered to Erik.

“Yes, you can,” Arkyn replied. Al shot her a confused look. “I am half-elf, and my hearing is excellent,” she explained with a shrug. “Besides, Lepkin can vouch for me.”

Erik used his power to scan her intentions. He found them to be pure. “We can trust her,” he said.

“Very well,” Al said. He turned back to Braun and Lord Lokton. “The two of you should get moving. Hang around the mouth of the underground cavern until we come out, then we can head down to Hovart.”

Braun nodded his head and clapped Al on the shoulder. “Good luck,” he offered.

Lord Lokton extended his hand out to Erik. “Master Lepkin, you have my undying gratitude.”

Erik took his father’s hand and fought the urge to reveal himself. His throat caught so he nodded and shook his father’s hand.

“Come,” Al said. “We must go.”

Erik could hear shouting from
afar off. He nodded and they split up. Erik and Al were joined by Lady Arkyn. The three of them stopped just short of the hallway, where Senator Mickelson stood waiting for them.

“What you just did,” he started. “That will throw our land into civil war, there will be no way for me to keep the nobles from going at each other’s throats. How can I prepare the king? What do I do?”

Al looked up to Erik. It was obvious that the dwarf wanted an explanation as well.

“Take us up to see the king,” Erik said. “What I did, I did because there were those among the senate who would abuse their power to seek the throne.
They sought to do away with the law and subdue the kingdom to feed their own greed. Those who were spared, I spared because their intentions were honorable. It will be hard, but it is better to rebuild a kingdom with solid stones, than to use a faulty foundation.”

Mickelson
nodded and scrunched his brow and nodded. “Very well, Keeper, I trust that you have proof.”

“You did see Senator Bracken turn into a warlock, didn’t you?” Lady Arkyn chided.

Mickelson stiffened, glancing between the three of them. “Alright, let’s go see the king.”

“What in the name of Hammenfein happened here?” Rory gasped.

“I’m not for knowing,” Jasper replied. “Come on, let’s look around.” The two guards quickly scoured the chamber. Rory went along the right side, going from corpse to corpse. Jasper scurried on by the left side trying to hold his breath while examining each charred body for a moment before moving on, hoping to find someone alive. He halted at one of the balconies where he saw a man squirming slightly.

He tested the stone railing before climbing over. It was hot, but he clambered over it anyway, shaking his hands out after vaulting over the side to land next to the severely wounded man. Jasper cupped a hand to his mouth at the sight of the senator’s injuries. There was no way for him to identify which senator lay before him.

“Can you hear me?” Jasper asked.

“Help,” the man pleaded through labored gasps.

Jasper looked the senator over. There was nothing to be done. Jasper shook his head, fumbling for something to say. It didn’t matter though. The senator gasped his last and became still. Jasper sighed and moved on. He walked through the back hall, kicking up soot and dust with his footsteps.

“Jasper, come quick!” Rory called.

Jasper ran through the back hall and stopped on the dais. “Senator Bracken.”

“He’s been stabbed,” Rory said. He rolled Senator Bracken to his side and began checking for vital signs. “It’s weak, but he still has a pulse.”

“How is that possible? He must have been stabbed at least four times,” Jasper noted. Jasper quickly pulled his satchel up over his shoulder and retrieved a roll of bandages out. “Here, let’s get these on him as quickly as we can.

Rory took them, shaking his head all the while. “It’s hopeless, the injuries are too great.”

Senator Bracken slowly raised his left hand and placed it over Rory’s arm. “I still have some fight left in me,” he said softly.

“Of course, Senator Bracken,” Rory said shakily. He removed Bracken’s hand and went to work with the bandages.

“What happened?” Jasper asked. “Can you tell us who did this to you?”

“Lepkin,” Bracken sputtered. “He and his dwarf friend
came in and attacked us to free the traitor.”

Rory looked up to Jasper. “Master Lepkin?”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Jasper agreed.

Senator Bracken struck out with lightning fast reflexes, pulled Jasper’s dagger from his belt and slid it up under Rory’s armor and into his abdomen. Rory’s eyes went wide. Jasper looked up, but Bracken reached out with his left hand and seized Jasper’s arm. He dug his nails into his flesh and before either guard could move, the warlock drained each of them of their life forces. As their faces paled and drained, the warlock’s wounds healed and closed. His strength returned to his body and he could feel his magical reserves coming back as well.

When he was done he dropped the two corpses, cast a quick spell over their bodies to vaporize them, and then waved his hand in front of him. An egg of purple mist formed in front of his eyes and twirled, expanding with each second until a cloud of black and purple mist the size of a door hovered in front of him. He reached up and grabbed his amulet. He rubbed the cold, golden image with his thumb and spoke an incantation. Upon his command the mist opened to reveal a bright yellow tunnel. He stepped through and disappeared.

*****

Eldrik stepped up to the apple stand and dug around his pocket and pulled a copper coin out. “How much for two?” he asked the short man behind the stand.

The man looked at Eldrik’s clothes and smiled wide, revealing big white teeth. “One copper for three,” he said.

Eldrik gave him the coin and picked three apples. He tucked two into his backpack and immediately tore a bite out of the third one. A bit of the juice squirted out onto the front of his chin. He wiped it with the back of his sleeve. He wandered down the road, glancing over the nearby buildings to the black tower reaching high above them.

“First time in the city?” a voice asked from behind. Eldrik turned to see a pair of boys standing a few feet away. He looked them up and down and kept walking.

“Hey, where are you going?” one of the asked.

He could hear their shuffling
steps trailing after him. He quickened his pace, taking a sidelong glance over his shoulder at his followers. Eldrik spotted an empty side street and turned down it. He didn’t need trouble, but he couldn’t have anyone following him either.

“Hey little man,” one of the boys called out. “Wait for a minute. We can help you find what you are looking for.”

Eldrik stopped and turned in place. “I don’t need any help,” he said.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” one of them said.

The other nodded his head. “He must be lost, otherwise why would someone like him come to this part of town?”

“Someone like me?” Eldrik asked. “I think you should turn around and leave,” he warned.

The two laughed and rolled up their sleeves. It was then that Eldrik noticed the scars over their knuckles. They were roughly the same size as Eldrik. Though they seemed a bit skinnier than him, they looked tough enough to fend for themselves.

“What do you want?” Eldrik asked.

The blonde haired boy stepped forward. “We’ll take your backpack.”

The brown haired boy pulled a short club from under his belt and slapped it in his other palm.
“And I saw you had some copper coins in your pocket, you can give us those as well.”

Eldrik shook his head. His father’s crossbow was hidden in the backpack. There was no way he was going to let them take it away from him. He pulled the bag off and set it to his side. “I’ll give you each a copper piece to turn and walk the other way.”

The blonde haired boy turned to the other. “If he offers us money to keep his bag, then there must be something good in the bag.”

The other nodded and stepped forward, raising his club up in the air.

Eldrik glanced behind them. The side street was empty. There would be no witnesses. His time to strike was now. Eldrik waited for the boy with the club to approach. He put his hands up, as if to wave him off. The boy with the club smiled and slapped his palm again. Eldrik burst into movement, striking out at the boy’s right knee with a sweeping kick, followed by a heavy bottom fist strike to the boy’s nose. The combination dropped the boy onto his back. Eldrik finished it with a kick to the boy’s ribs.

“Bad move!” the other boy growled. He drew a knife out and advanced on Eldrik. Eldrik deftly snaked his right arm up under the boy’s wrist, twisting it around and jerking the arm forward. The boy stumbled forward. Eldrik spun around his foe and dropped a savage elbow strike on the boy’s spine just between the shoulder blades. The boy flopped forward, tripping over his partner.
Eldrik bent down, took the club from the first boy and slammed it into the knife-wielder’s tailbone. The boy cried out and rolled off of his partner.

Eldrik dropped the club and quickly made his exit out t
he other side of the alley. As he did so he found himself staring at a black haired woman sitting inside an azure tent with golden stars painted over the opening. He glanced up and down the street, trying to decide which way to go, but something about the woman in the tent compelled him to go forward.

She reached out, beckoning for him to come to her. He studied the large, round glass ball on her table. He had heard about fortune-tellers from his mother many times while growing up. She had told him that many were no better than common thieves, but that every once in a while it was possible to find an authentic seer and gain the advantage in life. Perhaps this was a sign that his luck was turning for the better. He walked forward and stopped in the tent’s opening.

“Eldrik, I have been waiting for you,” the woman said.

“How did you know my name?” he asked.

She curled her finger, motioning for him to step inside. He did so and the tent flaps unfurled, closing the opening behind him. “I know many things,” she said slyly. “I also know why you are here.”

Eldrik regarded her curiously. “Alright then, why is it that I am here?”

“You wish to avenge your father’s murder,” she said. “I can help you with that.”

Eldrik’s mouth fell open and his hand trembled as he reached out to take the seat in front of him. “Who are you?” he asked.

She smiled and pulled a curved knife from under the table and placed it in front of her. She then waved her arms and cloudy mists swirled through the glass ball on the table. “The senate tribunal will not end Lord Lokton’s life. He will escape. You will be able to find him in an alley near a well. Wait for him there. You may use your father’s crossbow, but be sure to also use this knife if you wish to restore your family’s honor.”

Eldrik looked at the knife, then he glanced to the woman’s smiling face. How could she know so much? Could she be telling the truth? He reached forward and took the knife in his hand. “What do you want from me?”

The woman laughed and shook her head. “I want only to make things right.” She waved her left hand and Eldrik felt himself falling away, as if the ground swallowed him. A moment later he found himself sitting on a small wooden stool next to a pile of crates. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. A horse and cart moved away from before him and as it disappeared behind a building Eldrik spied a large well made of stone. He slid his hand and went to stand up but stopped when he heard something hit the dirt below. Eldrik looked down and saw the knife the fortune teller had given him.

He bent down to pick it up and then glanced up and down the alley. He tucked the knife into his belt and
crouched down by the crates to wait for his target.

*****

“Sir, wait here and I will go check the well,” Braun said.

Lord Lokton nodded and stepped back into the alleyway. He watched Braun pull a cowl over his face and walk out into the square. He wiped the sweat from his face and rubbed his wrists. His skin still stung from the iron cuffs he had been trapped in. He ran his fingers over his dented skin and sighed.

“So, she was right after all,” a voice said from the shadows.

Trenton looked up and peered into the darkness.
The setting sun had begun to cast long shadows in the alleys and behind buildings. He could only make out a pair of legs and most of a torso. Judging by the voice and the person’s stature, it was a young man. “Who’s there?” Trenton asked. “Erik?”

The voice laughed. “No, I’m not your son,” he said. The legs stepped forward to reveal Eldrik Cedreau’s face. “You should be hanging from the gallows for what you have done.”

“Eldrik,” Trenton said. “I haven’t done anything.”

“Tell that to my brother, and my father,” Eldrik retorted.

Trenton held up his hands and patted the air. “Your father and I have had our differences, but I would never have allowed my men to attack your house. You have my word.”

“Your word,” Eldrik repeated with a curt nod. He sucked in his lower lip and glanced over his shoulder briefly.
“Your word won’t heal the hole in my mother’s heart. It won’t replace my father, and it won’t bring back my brother.”

“Eldrik, listen,” Trenton stopped short as a pain ripped through his chest. He coughed and sputtered, staggered sideways and reflexively moved his hand up. He looked down when his fingers bumped into something hard sticking out of his chest. His eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw the shaft of a crossbow bolt protruding from his body.

“Now, we are even,” Eldrik said as he stepped closer. “Don’t bother trying to yell for your bodyguard. I dipped the tip in the venom of a tree viper. You are as good as dead.”

“I didn’t kill your family,” Trenton
said.

“One more thing,” Eldrik said quietly as he leaned in close. “I want you to know that I will find your son, and I will kill him. There is nothing you can do about it.”
Eldrik drove the dagger up into Lord Lokton’s side, just under the ribs. Eldrik pulled the dagger back.

Trenton opened his mouth, but his strength was already fading. His vision blurred and he slid down to his rump. He barely noticed Eldrik walk away as a fever gripped him and burned him from the inside. Beads of sweat fell from his forehead and his stomach knotted and churned. His hands grew numb and his arms and legs tingled. He tried to focus on breathing, which was becoming more difficult with each passing moment. He fell over to the side, nearly splitting his head on the ground as a vice-like pressure gripped his lungs and heart.

*****

“We did
n’t expect you so soon,” a short servant said.

The warlock regarded the short man
with his cold eyes. “There has been a change of plans,” Gondok’hr said grimly.

“So, no more pl
aying the senator then?” the servant asked.

“No.” Gondok’hr rubbed a hand over his chest, checking that his wounds had healed entirely. “
Where is Master Gilifan?”