“He’s alive!”
A weight she didn’t even know she’d been carrying lifted, leaving her feeling light and hopeful for the first time in a long time.
“Yes, and he’s done quite well for your people,” Phane said. “The woman seated at the head of the table is my cousin, Queen Abigail Ruatha. She’s leading my army against Zuhl’s invasion of Fellenden, with significant success, I must say.
“Listen …” he touched the mirror and Lacy heard her brother speak.
“I would have Fellenden’s legions lead the attack.”
“Torin, your people have been through so much,” Abigail said. “I’m impressed that you’ve been able to assemble four legions in such short order, but they aren’t well trained and they have little experience.”
“This is our home,” Torin said. “What our people lack in experience, they’ll more than make up for in commitment to victory.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Abigail said. “If you throw your people against the walls of Irondale, thousands will die and we can’t afford that. We’re terribly outnumbered and we need every single soldier we have to survive the day so they can stand with us in the next battle, and the one after that. I know you want blood-if your legions lead this attack, I fear you will have it.”
“I concur with Lady Abigail,” Magda said.
“As do I,” Conner said. “We don’t have to fight the enemy, we just have to kill them. That’s something Alex-”
Phane touched the frame quickly and the image vanished.
“Who was the older woman?” Lacy asked, reaching for the empty mirror as if she might touch her brother’s face.
“Magda Reishi,” Phane said. “She’s not actually of Reishi blood, but by long tradition, her coven takes the name to honor my mother, the founder of her order.”
“They’re planning an attack,” Lacy said. “How could Torin have raised four legions? Our father only had one legion and most of them died when Zuhl attacked.”
“You’d be surprised what people will do when faced with annihilation,” Phane said. “I have great faith in Abigail. She’ll lead them to victory … at least in this battle.”
“She seems so strong,” Lacy said. “She can’t be more than a year older than I am.”
“I’m very proud of her,” Phane said. “For one so young to stand so bravely in the face of such horror … well, it’s inspiring. But even with the sacrifices of so many good people, I fear it won’t be enough. If only …” He stopped, turning slightly away from her and shaking his head.
“Yes? If only what?”
With a gesture, the door to his Wizard’s Den closed. “What I’m about to tell you must remain a secret,” he said, facing her intently. “If Zuhl were to learn of this … I shudder to think.”
Phane took a deep breath and held it for a moment before nodding to himself and sighing in resignation. “My father created a device called the Nether Gate. A dark and evil creation to be sure, but possessed of such power that I believe it may be the only way to defeat Zuhl. I’m wary of it, afraid even, but I can’t think of an alternative, especially if Zuhl has learned how to summon the shades.”
Lacy felt a chill crawl up her spine, beads of sweat suddenly rolling down her back.
“What does it do?” she asked, fearing the answer.
“It opens a gate to the netherworld,” Phane said, holding her eyes with his.
Lacy shook her head in horror, taking an involuntary step back, entirely unable to disguise her feelings. “How would that help anyone?”
“I understand your fear and I share it,” Phane said. “Believe me when I tell you that I’ve seen enough darkness to last several lifetimes. I would never suggest such a thing lightly. The Nether Gate allows the person who opens it to control the creatures brought forth and then send them back where they belong. With such power, I could end Zuhl’s reign of terror in short order.” He turned away in exasperation, shaking his head and looking at the ceiling. “Unfortunately, I only have two of the three keystones I need to open it.”
A thrill of pure terror raced through Lacy at the mention of the keystone, the very same item that Rankosi was searching for and believed to be contained in the box she was carrying. All of the ramifications of failing her task tumbled through her mind. In the wrong hands, such power could end the world. Even in the right hands, little good could come from the netherworld. The weight of her burden magnified tenfold in that moment. Her father had impressed upon her the importance of her task. Only now did she fully comprehend just how much he had entrusted her with.
Phane was watching her reaction intently, scrutinizing her every gesture. The stories of his legendary deceit played in the back of her mind. She schooled her emotions, willing steadiness into her voice.
“Do you know where the last keystone is?”
“I have my suspicions,” he said, “but it’s been shielded by powerful magic. Even with my mirror, I’ve been unable to find it.”
“Maybe that’s for the best,” Lacy said. “It sounds so dangerous.” Her knees began to tremble.
“Indeed it is,” Phane said. “And perhaps you’re right. To my knowledge, my father never actually opened the Nether Gate, so there’s no telling what would happen. Tragically, without it, Zuhl will surely wear the world down, starting with the Isle of Fellenden.”
He touched the mirror frame again and the scene changed, showing the vast horde of soldiers assembled near Crescent Bay on the Isle of Zuhl.
“He has so many soldiers,” Phane said, shaking his head in dismay. “Worse, he’s built ships from your own Iron Oak Forest capable of delivering his armies to any shore in the world.” The scene shifted to five enormous warships being loaded with supplies and soldiers. “His port is nearly thawed. It won’t be long before his army spreads over the Seven Isles like a plague.”
Lacy knew Zuhl had a big army, but she never imagined such a horde. She didn’t know there were that many people in all the world, let alone soldiers preparing to invade her home. Seeing the vastness of the enemy’s numbers, she began to wonder if maybe the Nether Gate was the only path to salvation.
“I apologize, Lacy. I meant for this to be a light and joyous evening and I’ve ruined it with talk of war. Can you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Lacy said. “People depend on the decisions we make for their very lives. Our focus should be on their protection rather than our own comfort.”
“Spoken like a true princess,” Phane said with a warm smile. “So many who aspire to power do so for the wrong reasons. It’s refreshing to find a kindred spirit in you. Perhaps together we’ll find a way to defeat Zuhl without enlisting the aid of the netherworld.”
Lacy’s mind swirled with questions during her ride back to her quarters. Phane had been nothing but hospitable, he’d healed her crippled hand, and he’d made her feel safe for the first time in a long time. And yet, the first thing on his mind was the Nether Gate and by extension the box she was secretly carrying.
After returning to her bedroom and changing out of her dress, she dismissed her staff and found her pack, still stuffed under her bed where she’d left it. She pulled the black box from its hiding place. Such a small thing, and yet it contained the future of the entire world. She looked at the box closely, frowning for a moment. She’d been carrying it for so long but had only really looked at it closely once or twice … and this time it seemed somehow different. Unable to place her odd feeling, she deliberately hardened her resolve, wrapping the box carefully before putting it back in her pack.
She spent several minutes facing her choices … just as they were, ugly and messy. War with men and wizards she could almost understand, but war with the netherworld was the height of madness. Her certainty grew slowly, bubbling up from a place within her that she’d rarely heard from before.