Guardian (34 page)

Merlin stepped away from the giant book and it slammed shut, spewing sparkling dust from its pages in an iridescent cloud.

The old wizard moved to a spot just a few feet away from us and stopped, crossing pristine, long fingered hands in front of his glistening robes. He perused Ian with a speculative slant to his eyes. “You walk between two worlds, teetering on the edge of disaster at all times. But your distinctive position makes you invaluable to those you seek to protect. It also makes you uniquely vulnerable. Take care that you consider the consequences before you seek to control and limit those within your sphere, Elfaery.”

Ian’s aura flared bright and orange around him and, before I could blink, the point of his sword was at Merlin’s throat. “We have no time for your nonsense, Wizard. The worlds are a single foul breath away from total chaos. We need answers from you now. Not more prophetic gobbledygook.”

Merlin stood straight and unafraid. Behind him the big book vibrated on its stand. The wizard smiled and Ian’s sword softened and turned on him with a hiss, the diamond shaped head of a snake just missing a direct strike at his face.

Ian swore and flung it across the room. It hit the far, rock wall with a clang of metal and fell to the floor. He swore again.

Merlin chuckled. “Things are not always as they seem Elfaery.”

I stepped forward, placing a hand on Ian’s forearm. “I don’t know what business you two have with each other. And to be honest, right now, I don’t care. You’ll have to settle it later. Right now, Merlin, we need you to tell us about the spells you gave to Dawnia and Aubrie.”

Merlin turned to me with a smug smile. “I have no knowledge of what you speak.”

“You wish to gain from their scheme?”

He frowned. “I do not involve myself with the tricks and intrigues of the magical world. I am of the human realm.”

Then what prompted you to give them a spell to change physical appearance?”

He narrowed his purple gaze at me. “Oh. That little spell.”The savvy wizard flipped a hand dismissively. “That spell is merely a parlor trick.”

Remembering his bitter assessment of Aubrie’s disappearing act on the battlefield at Aelfdane, I kept my gaze determinedly from Ian’s. “And you gave them this
parlor trick
, as you call it, why?”

He shrugged, looking disinterested. But I noticed the slightest shift of his purple eyes toward the big book before he lowered his bushy, white brows over them.

“Prophecy?”

He shrugged again. Losing patience, I created a wrinkle with my mind and stepped into it. Jerking his head up in surprise, Merlin lost his composure and his mouth fell open. “See here!” His long arms lifted and flailed as he turned in circles trying to find me.

I emerged from my wrinkle beside the big book and grabbed it. I gave it a mighty heave but it wouldn’t move.

The wizard took a step toward me. He suddenly found Ian’s sword lying across the front of his neck.

The sword immediately turned into a snake but Ian ignored its hissing. Then it became acid that hung in the air and stung Ian’s skin. His handsome face tightened but he held firm. The sword became a baby dragon, whose razor sharp teeth snapped at Ian’s face from the end of its long neck.

Ian ignored it all, holding his ground.

Finally Merlin sighed and the sword returned to itself. “That book is filled with things that will affect the future of all worlds. You must not dabble in things you don’t understand, Warrior Spirit.”

I held the book with both hands, it was so big I had to stretch my arms uncomfortably to get both hands on it. The book felt alive. Where I touched it, the skin-like cover was warm. It wriggled. A moaning sound emerged from its pages. “I’ll destroy it if you do not tell me what you know. Everything, Wizard Merlinus. No tricks.”

Merlin sighed, lifting his hands in capitulation. “Very well. Step away from the book and I’ll speak.

I dropped my hands but didn’t move away.

He arched a snowy brow at me but I stood my ground. Shaking his head he sighed again. “I did not lie to you when you came before…exactly. The day you arrived things occurred as I told you. The elf and the faery left before telling me why they’d come. They seemed to be running from something…or someone. However, what I didn’t tell you is that they had come to me several weeks earlier and asked if I could help them with some spells. I told them no of course, preferring to remain outside of whatever machinations they were planning. But when they told me the human realm was involved…”

“Wait!” I said, “What?”

He nodded. “Apparently a guardian angel is involved in some way.”

I looked at Ian, my fists clenching at my sides. “Etta!”

He shrugged and stayed silent.

“They told me they would leave the human realm alone if I helped them. They spoke of gaining supremacy over all of the magical realm and having the power to extinguish the human realm. I must admit they convinced me. I do believe they have an entity of great power behind them. Very great power.”

I looked at Ian and he was scowling. I noticed he’d lowered his sword from Merlin’s neck.

“Go on.” I told the wizard.

“As you have already discerned, I gave them a spell to alter physical appearance, though I’m sure the effects were not pleasant as it is not one of my more stable spells.”

Ian finally spoke up. “Did they tell you whom the spell was meant for?”

Merlin glanced at him. “Nay. They did not, though I did try to worm it out of them.”

“Pollux?” I offered.

Ian frowned. “But why?”

Merlin’s purple gaze narrowed. “Why do you name Pollux, Warrior Spirit?”

Aubrie has demanded that we bring Pollux to him in exchange for Faerydae’s life.”

“Then does it not make sense that, whomever the lucky recipient of the spells was, it was not Pollux? For if he’d changed appearance he would no longer be recognized as Pollux.”

I frowned.
Well, yeah, if you wanted to look at it logically.

“And then, there is of course the second spell.” The old wizard had the good grace to look slightly ashamed.

Ian swore. “What else did you give them stupid wizard?”

The room pulsed with power and Merlin whipped a hand toward Ian, wrapping it around his throat with blurring speed. Ian lifted his sword and Merlin jerked his head in that direction. From his eyes a narrow band of purple shot toward the sword and ripped it out of Ian’s hand, flipping it away to clank against the wall. Ian’s face turned a deep, unhealthy red as he struggled to breathe.

He dropped to his knees.

“Let him go!” My hands were back on the book and I shot a jolt of power into it. As the power infused the book the moaning from within rose to a high pitched keening sound and smoke began to pour from its pages.

Merlin released Ian and turned toward the book, a look of horror on his face.

Before I could stop him, Ian reached out and sent a full jolt of his power into the unsuspecting wizard.

Merlin flew off his feet and sailed across the room, hitting the wall beside me with terrible force and sliding bonelessly to the ground.

I hurried over and knelt beside him, picking up one of his soft, long fingered hands and patting it. He looked up at me with dazed, white-blue eyes. The power was washed right out of them. “Are you all right?”

He scowled at me. “The book…” his voice sounded old and weary, “have you harmed the book?”

I glanced at the still smoking tome.
Who the hell cared?
“I don’t think so.” I pulled him to his feet and he wavered there, unsteady on his legs, as he shot Ian a glare.

“Tell us, Merlin.” I spoke quickly, before Ian could interfere again. “Tell us about the last spell.”

The old man turned rheumy, white eyes to me and licked his cracked lips. “It is one of my best. He’ll suffer no ill effects from the spell. But if it’s Pollux who was meant to use it, I can’t say the same for Zeus’s exclusion spell. Those spells are tenacious and ugly when crossed.”

I frowned up at Ian.

Fortunately he seemed to have regained his self control. “Tell us, old man. What have you done?”

Merlin squinted in his direction. “Unwittingly of course…it seems I may have altered the dynamic on the Court at Olympus…caused a shift of power.” He smiled. “It sounds as if I’ve helped a jealous sibling defy the powers who’ve held him back all his life.”

“What, Merlin? What kind of spell was it?”

The rheumy eyes sharpened on my face and I thought his power must be coming back. “I gave them a spell to allow spiritual usurpation of another corporeal body.”

I gasped, suddenly realizing what Aubrie and Dawnia were trying to do.
A spell to allow a spirit to take over a physical body? Trojan Horse, jealous sibling, exclusion spell…
“Oh my gods…Castor!”

“Yes,” Merlin agreed. “The oustered brother gets his revenge…and a chance to finally become a god.”

Chapter Twenty
-One

The Trojan Horse

W
e landed on the grounds beside the lake, looking up at Faerydae’s castle. In the warm light of a waning day, the castle looked normal and untouched. No signs remained of the battle that had been waged there, aside from some trampled vegetation where the bodies used to lie.

Ian glanced at me. “He won’t be holding her in the dungeons.”

I nodded. “She’s probably with him.” I opened a travel layer and stepped into it, drawing Ian in with me.

We entered the castle and looked around. Usually a busy place, the foyer where we stood was empty and silent.

We moved toward Faerydae’s throne room. As we approached, the doors opened and a pale faced servant girl scurried out. I saw tear tracks on her cheeks as she slipped past.

We slid through the doors before they closed.

Aubrie sat on Faerydae’s throne with servant girls surrounding him. He was dressed in royal robes of gold and silver, a band of gold decorated with fat rubies adorned his head like a crown.

Faerydae sat on the floor at his feet. Her face was mottled and filthy, covered in bruises. She held one arm protectively against her middle. Her gown was torn and dirty.

I glanced at Ian. His eyes were spitting flames and his jaw was clenched. Suddenly I almost felt sorry for Aubrie.

Almost.

We stepped out of my travel layer and faced Aubrie. He didn’t look surprised. The arrogant elf fixed Ian with a smug gaze, ignoring me totally. “Look, my queen, an ill wind has blown some refuse into my castle.”

Faerydae’s eyes stayed fixed on the floor in front of her. She looked as if she’d taken her mind to a safer place.

I threw a look toward the serving girls around the throne and they stepped away, scurrying from the room with wide eyes.

Ian’s aura built to orange and throbbed around me, making it hard to breathe. “Your reign of terror is over, elf. We know all about your plans and treachery.”

Aubrie’s aura was cool, as if he had no reason to fear us. I was anxious to disabuse him of that notion. “You’re too late, half breed. The Trojan Horse is nestled happily amongst his victims as we speak.”

Ian took a step toward the throne. “That’s impossible.”

Aubrie shook his head. The rubies in his crown caught the light from the wall of windows and sparked, throwing red dots across Ian’s face. “Monad Warrior Keane was most helpful in informing the gods of my request for Pollux’s presence. In their arrogance, they wasted no time sending him to me.” Aubrie chuckled meanly. “He actually thought he could control the situation.”

Ian lifted his sword and stepped toward Aubrie. Suddenly Ian was airborne, flying backwards, away from the elf. I stepped back into my wrinkle and moved toward Faerydae. Aubrie watched, laughing, as Ian fought against his invisible assailants.

Shadow people. It had to be. I silently cursed King Rapha. I suspected he was playing all the odds in the current battle. Whether his daughter was in on that strategy was a question for another day.

I pulled Faerydae into my travel layer. Aubrie barely glanced our way. Apparently he no longer cared what happened to the queen.

I had to wonder why.

I pulled her to her feet but Faerydae continued to stare at a spot on the floor that only her eyes could see. I shook her and spoke to her but she didn’t react in any way. I lifted her arm and examined the familiar band around her wrist.

I’d known the bands could block magical ability. But I hadn’t known they could dull the mind as well.

I glanced toward Ian and was gratified to see one shade on the floor bleeding. Ian was continuing to fight the other shade, although he couldn’t see him.

I dragged Faerydae to a spot behind the throne and pulled a velvet drape around her so she couldn’t be seen. Then I stepped out of my layer, determined to help Ian.

Aubrie, apparently deciding Ian was in danger of escaping, had stepped from Faerydae’s throne and was pulling his sword. I slid my long knife from my belt and moved toward him.