The Warrior Elf (85 page)

“Yes I can,” Kevin said as he used an energy ball to encase the five men. Then, without another word, he turned his key and left for Trendon.

~ ~ ~ ~

When Kevin arrived in the hallway outside Rolan’s office with Trevor and the assassins, the young pages snapped to attention, their eyes huge and their mouths open. Kevin looked at the one beside Rolan’s door and asked, “Is the sorcerer in?”

“N...n...no,” the young boy stuttered. “He...he...he doesn’t c...c...come in this early.”

“Would you run down to his bedroom and tell his guard that Myron, the Master Sorcerer of Terah, is here and wishes to speak with the Sorcerer of Brendolanth. I’ll give him fifteen minutes to get here before I head for his bedroom. It makes no difference to me where we talk.”

The young boy nodded and took off at a run. Before he’d made it down the hall, another boy stepped up to take his place beside Rolan’s door.

One of the other boys swallowed hard and stepped forward. “Sir, can I get you anything? Something to drink?”

Kevin smiled. “No, thank you, but if you could find the Captain of the Guard, I’d like to return these men. They belong to Rolan but they ended up in Milhaven.”

The boy nodded and took off to find Cpt. Yardner.

Kevin turned to his prisoners and released the energy ball. They were still on their feet, but barely. “Just relax and breathe.”

Cpt. Yardner arrived before Rolan, so Kevin explained that four of the men were assassins Rolan had sent after Landis. Then he pointed to Trevor. “He was one of our soldiers, but since he was also on Rolan’s payroll, I decided he belonged here. His spying days at my castle are over.”

Cpt. Yardner nodded. “Would you like for me to take them?”

“I don’t care what you do with them, but if any of them show up in Camden again, I’m going to kill them, and then I’m coming after the man who sent them.”

Cpt. Yardner nodded again. “Understood, sir.” He turned to the men. “Follow me.”

As they shuffled down the hall towards the interior of the castle, Rolan rounded the corner. He looked at the men and shook his head. “Incompetent fools!” Then he stormed up the hall towards Kevin. “I told you not to ever come to my castle again!”

Kevin cut his eyes at Rolan. “I’m not here because I want to be. I’m here to return the assassins you sent to Milhaven and the one you paid to spy. Your other two spies were doing it against their will. They’re out of your reach now.”

Rolan growled something unintelligible and flung his door open before his page could open it for him.

Kevin followed him inside and shut the door. “If you want to come after me, that’s fine. Go for it. Name the time and place and I’ll be there. But if you ever take aim at what’s mine again, I’m coming after you and you won’t survive it.”

Rolan snorted. “Are you saying the elf is yours?”

“Yes, I am,” Kevin retorted.

Rolan walked around his desk and sat down in his chair. “Doesn’t matter anyway. You can’t do a thing about it.”

“I’m so tired of people telling me what I can and cannot do.” Kevin took a deep breath as he approached Rolan’s desk. “Yes I can do something about it. I’ll turn you into a pile of ashes.”

“No, you won’t. The only way you’d kill me is in a duel, and that’s not going to happen. I won’t let you push me into challenging you like you did Gwendolyn.”

“I didn’t push Gwendolyn and you know it. But if you come after what’s mine again, I won’t wait for you to challenge me.” Kevin leaned forward and put his hands on the edge of Rolan’s desk. “I’ll challenge you.”

“You can’t do that.” Rolan had a big grin on his face as he leaned back in his chair. “You’re the Master Sorcerer. You aren’t allowed to challenge anyone.”

Kevin shook his head. “The Master Sorcerer’s not who I am. It’s a position I hold. One I never wanted and one I’ll gladly give up to put an end to you.”

“You can’t just say you’re no longer the Master Sorcerer,” Rolan sneered. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“Yes, it does.” Kevin leaned that bit farther into Rolan’s space. “Let me explain how. First, I’ll go to Glendymere and turn in my keys. He’ll take them, especially once I explain why. He’s still mad at you for stealing his opal. Then I’ll have him bring me here. He can set down right outside your front door. As soon as I challenge you for this seat, he’ll collect your key and take both of us to Broker’s Island. Once we’re there, Glendymere will find a couple of council sorcerers to serve as witnesses to the duel.” Kevin watched as Rolan’s eyes rounded and his jaw dropped. “By the end of the day, you’ll be gone and I’ll be the Sorcerer of Brendolanth.” Kevin paused. “Then, once Landis is ready to handle it, I’ll resign in her favor.” Kevin stood back up and nodded. “And that is how I’ll put an end to you.” Rolan’s nose flared and his eyes narrowed. “So, unless you’re ready to die, stay away from what’s mine.”

“And you stay away from what’s mine,” Rolan snarled. “I want my slave back! And my sister!”

“Darius isn’t your slave. You brought him into Milhaven and left him there. He didn’t realize it, but he was a free man as soon as his feet hit our soil. As for your sister, she’s mine by her choice.”

Rolan jumped up and shook his head fiercely. “No! There’s no way you can say my sister is yours! She’s mine, to do with as I please. I demand you return her to me at once!”

“Not going to happen. She chose to be my apprentice, so you might as well quit sending your assassins after her. They’ll never find her. All they’ll do is get themselves killed and force me to come back here and deal with you. Landis is somewhere you can’t go, not even with your key. And speaking of your assassins and bounty hunters, call off the ones you have in North Amden. The elves are sick of them and ready to go to war. For two cents, I’d tell them to go ahead and attack, but if I did, a lot of innocent people would die. You have two weeks to have every one of your men out of North Amden or I’m coming back here and you’re not going to like it.” Kevin took out his key. “Are Shana’s parents still alive?”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Rolan huffed.

“You better remember right fast unless you want to die today,” Kevin hissed. “Now, are they alive or not?”

Rolan’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Kevin. Finally he jerked his head in a quick nod.

“That’s lucky for you. If they’re back in Milhaven, at the castle, before I leave for the council meeting, I won’t head for Willow Canyon first.”

Rolan’s eyebrows drew together. “Willow Canyon?”

Kevin rolled his eyes. “That’s where Glendymere lives! If they’re back home before I leave for that meeting, I won’t challenge you today. And that’s the best deal you’re going to get.” Then Kevin turned his key and left for home.

~ ~ ~ ~

When Kevin returned to his office, Chris and Gen. Crandal were waiting for him.

“So? How did it go?” Chris asked.

Kevin shrugged as he sat down at his desk. “I have no idea. I told him if he wanted to come at me, just name the time and place, but if he took aim at what’s mine again, I’d come after him.”

Gen. Crandal frowned. “Can you do that?”

“Sure, as long as I resign as Master Sorcerer and Sorcerer of Camden first.”

“You can’t do that,” Gen. Crandal said slowly.

“Actually, I can, and if I need to do it to stop his mess, I will.”

Gen. Crandal took a deep breath. “What I meant to say is we don’t want you to do that. We like having you here where you belong.”

Kevin nodded as he picked up his messages from the morning mail. “I hope I won’t have to. I’m hoping he took me seriously.”

“He’s not a complete idiot,” Chris said. “He saw you fight Gwendolyn. He’ll think twice before provoking you into challenging him.”

“I’ll get out of here and let you get back to work,” Gen. Crandal said as he stood up to leave. “If you need me for anything, I’ll be in my office.”

After the general left, Kevin asked, “Where’s Nikki?”

“Rhianna picked her up right after you left. She said they were going down to the house and she’ll bring her back later, probably around dinnertime.”

Kevin nodded. “Shelley needs to see that she’s okay.”

“Did you find out anything about Shana’s parents?”

“He said they’re still alive. I told him to have them here before the meeting or I’d challenge him today.”

Chris shook his head. “You didn’t give him much time.”

“He’s got a key. He shouldn’t need much time.”

“I’ll let the guards know to expect them.” Chris got up. “Do you want something to eat?”

“Maybe later, but I’d love a cup of coffee.”

“Coming right up.”

Kevin spent the next couple of hours at his desk, answering messages and thinking about his conversation with Rolan. He didn’t want to fight again, and he didn’t want to have to leave Camden, but the ball was in Rolan’s court. There was nothing he could do but wait and see what happened.

~ ~ ~ ~

As soon as Kevin left, Rolan bounded up from his desk and paced furiously. He wasn’t overly concerned about his assassins, they weren’t doing any good sitting around in that cave anyway, but he really hated losing his spies. He hated having to find new ones even more.

Calling the bounty hunters back from North Amden was something he’d been planning to do anyway, so that didn’t matter. But he hated letting Myron think he could order him around like some slave. He was tempted to leave them there just to spite him, but he had no doubt Myron would carry through on his threat. He’d have to let Myron think he’d won this round.

And now that he’d lost Shana, taking her parents back wasn’t that big a deal, except that, once again, Myron would think he’d won. And that’s what ate at him. He was tempted to plop two bags of ashes on Myron’s desk and say Shana’s parents were back home as ordered. After all, Myron hadn’t said one word about them being alive.

Rolan shook his head. Myron would kill him for sure if he did that. No, this time he’d have to let Myron think he’d won. He didn’t see any other choice, but this wasn’t over, not even close.

As he headed back towards his bedroom, he stuck his head in Cpt. Yardner’s office. “Send letters to the men in North Amden and tell them I want them back here in ten days. They’ve wasted enough time there. And find that girl’s parents. I think they’re in the slave quarters.”

Cpt. Yardner jotted down a quick note and looked up. “What girl?”

“The one in Milhaven.” At Cpt. Yardner’s blank look, Rolan rolled his eyes. “The girl who spied for me.” When Cpt. Yardner frowned, Rolan stomped his foot. “Find the people I brought back from there a couple of years ago and get them cleaned up. I want them in my office in two hours.”

“Do you happen to know their names?”

“Of course not!” Rolan roared. “They’re slaves!”

Cpt. Yardner nodded slowly, thinking it was a good thing he’d anticipated this day and made a note of who they were. “I’ll see what I can do, but you haven’t given me much to go on.”

“Find them!” Rolan growled. “And do it fast!”

Chapter 52

Aftermath

A couple of hours later, there was a quiet knock on Kevin’s door. Ariel cracked it open and said, “Shana’s parents are here. Where do you want me to put them?”

Kevin stood up. “Show them in.”

As they walked into Kevin’s office, he asked, “Could we get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”

“No, thank you,” the woman said as she clasped her hands in front of her.

Kevin could see traces of Shana in her face, but she looked old enough to be Shana’s grandmother rather than her mother. She was pencil thin and so pale he doubted she’d seen the sun in at least a year. Her husband was in the same shape, entirely too thin and pale, with sunken eyes, gray hair, and a straggly gray beard. Their clothes were clean, but hung on them like shrouds.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to rescue you. I didn’t know he had you until yesterday.”

Tears ran down the woman’s cheeks as she looked at Kevin. “Where’s our Shana? Is she still alive?”

“Shana’s fine. She’s in Ardmore with my aunt. I’ll take you down there as soon as you’ve had something to eat and Sister Agnes has seen you.”

“What about our home?” the man asked.

“It’s fine, but I think it would be best if Rolan had no idea where you are right now. Cryslyn will get a few changes of clothes together for you as well as anything else you need.”

“Will we be able to come back home?” Shana’s mother asked.

Kevin hesitated. “I’m not sure. I don’t want Rolan to grab you again just because he’s angry with me, and believe me, he’s angry right now. If you like, I can put a ward over your house so none of your stuff will get gone.”

Shana’s father nodded. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

Kevin walked around the desk and offered his hand. “Again, I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through. I’m sure it’s been quite a nightmare.”

Shana’s mother nodded as her father shook Kevin’s hand. “Thank you for taking care of our girl and for rescuing us. You could have let it go, but you didn’t.”

Kevin took Shana’s mother’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “There’s no way I could have let that go. I’m just glad you survived it.” He opened the door and called Ariel over. “See that they get some lunch, and ask Cryslyn to get some clothes together for them. When they’re done, take them to the chapel and ask Sister Agnes to check them out.”

Kevin turned back to Shana’s parents. “Stay at the chapel with the sisters until I come for you. I’ve got to go to the Council of Sorcerers meeting in a few minutes. I don’t think Rolan would come by while I’m gone, but you never know with that man. You’ll be safe with the sisters.”

Shana’s father nodded and put his arm around his wife as they followed Ariel out of the office.

~ ~ ~ ~

Kevin and Chris left for the council meeting at quarter to twelve. Kevin wanted to be there when Rolan got there and see what, if anything, he might be up to. As the other sorcerers arrived, some spoke to Kevin, some didn’t, but most went in the chamber and took their seats. Rolan was one of the last to show up. He didn’t say anything to anyone, just gave the young page, who couldn’t take his eyes off Kevin, a shove towards the chamber door and went inside. Kevin and Chris followed.