She felt a flutter of fear in her stomach. She’d been pushing Phane over and over, trying to see just how much he would take and what he would do about it. Now, she wasn’t so sure that had been wise. Anger and murder flashed in his eyes as he marched up to her while she struggled to draw a breath.
“I won’t ask you again.”
Isabel tried to answer but the pressure holding her against the wall was so great she couldn’t speak. Seeing her soundlessly working her mouth, he released his magic and she fell to the floor, toppling forward onto her hands and knees, gasping for breath. He gave her a few moments before lifting her into the air once again, this time holding her a foot off the floor.
“Well?”
“No.”
“Then explain why one of those infernal demon-spawn witches is lurking in the sewers under my city?”
“How should I know? Why don’t you go down there and ask her yourself?”
He released his magic, dropping her by surprise. She stumbled but caught herself before falling again.
“Ever defiant,” he said, shaking his head and walking away several steps before turning back.
“Tell me what you know of the Sin’Rath, and I’m warning you, Isabel, I can tell when you lie to me.”
She glared at him, returning to her chair and regaining her composure before answering.
“Before I came here to kill you, I helped the House of Karth kill ten of the Sin’Rath. Three escaped-I haven’t seen any of them since.”
He blinked, frowning momentarily, then smiled so disarmingly that she almost forgot how dangerous he really was.
“How wonderful,” he said, plopping down in a nearby chair, his anger completely transformed into childlike glee. “I hate the Sin’Rath. I would see them exterminated entirely … yet another piece of common ground between us. Tell me, how did you defeat so many of them? Whatever else they are, they do not die easily.”
“The Goiri bone,” Isabel said.
He nodded thoughtfully. “Well then, I’ll let you get back to your lessons.” With that, he left, whistling to himself.
“Shall we continue, Lady Reishi?” Wizard Enu asked pointedly just before Wren burst into the room, stopping in her tracks when she saw that Isabel wasn’t alone.
Isabel rubbed her shoulder and looked at the wizard. “I think I need a break and it’s almost time for lunch.”
“Very well, I’ll return in an hour.”
Wren looked at Issa, then back to Isabel.
“I think we’ll take lunch on the balcony of my room,” Isabel said. As usual, Issa followed until she shut the door in his face.
Once they were alone, Wren swallowed hard, her eyes going wide and welling up with tears. “I killed someone,” she whispered.
Isabel led her to a chair and sat her down. “Tell me what happened.”
Wren described her morning in detail, recalling every event as accurately as she could, starting with her cache of equipment, explaining how she found Druja, followed Captain Erato to Lacy’s quarters, snuck in and killed him. She finished her story by recounting the warning she’d given Lacy about the box.
Isabel let her talk without interrupting, processing each new piece of information and trying to piece together the puzzle she’d been presented. When Wren finished, Isabel hugged her and then held her at arm’s length with a smile.
“Well done. Killing is always difficult; it should always be difficult, but sometimes it’s necessary. Today was one of those times. Lacy is at the center of events … saving her life may have saved us all.”
“I was so scared,” Wren whispered.
“I know,” Isabel said, hugging her again. “But you acted decisively in spite of your fear. That’s courage.”
Wren nodded, smiling a little even though tears ran down her face. “What was Druja?” she asked. “She was so hideous.”
“She’s a very powerful witch spawned from a demon,” Isabel said. “I helped kill most of her sisters before I came here, so she’s going to try to kill me soon. This is important, Wren. She can charm men-make them do whatever she wants them to do, so you can’t trust any man in this city.”
“I already don’t trust anybody in this city but you.”
“Good. Just remember that Phane is trying to make me turn to the darkness, so you can’t fully trust me either. I want you to make friends with Lacy. Build a relationship with her. She’s all alone here; she needs a friend and so do you. Just don’t let Phane find out about it. The two of you talking is liable to make him nervous.”
Wren nodded. “She seemed confused when I told her the truth about Phane. He told her that Abigail was working for him on Fellenden, showed her Abigail and Prince Torin working together against Zuhl.”
“That bastard can twist just about anything to his own purposes,” Isabel said, shaking her head. “Tell her we know the shade is after her. Tell her that she’s been having dreams of her father telling her to go to Ithilian. Explain that those dreams are really Alexander posing as her father because Torin told him that she’s a terrible liar and he didn’t want to put her in the position of having to lie to Phane.”
“Do you think she’ll believe me?”
“I don’t know, but it’ll definitely get her attention and maybe cause her to doubt Phane enough to keep that box shut no matter what lies he tells her.”
Wren nodded, hesitating for a moment. “Then what? We’re not safe here-none of us are.”
“I know. I was hoping to have another stab at Phane, but he’s too well protected.” She thought for a moment. “We need to escape, especially now that we know Lacy is here with the keystone. Go to her now, gain her trust, explain everything. I’ll go into the sewers and look for a way out.”
“But what about Druja? Isn’t she dangerous?”
“In the extreme, but if she got into the city through the sewers, then we can get out the same way. I just have to find it.”
There was a knock at the door and Dierdra entered with lunch. Wizard Enu was waiting in the hall.
“I will await you in the library,” he said. “We must continue your lessons. Prince Phane is becoming impatient with your progress.”
Isabel snorted. “I’ll bet.”
Wren caught her eye. She was suddenly afraid.
“I’ll be down right after I eat,” Isabel said dismissively to Enu.
“As you wish.”
“I forgot,” Wren said, after Dierdra and Enu had gone. “Druja told Captain Erato that she wanted to meet Wizard Enu.”
Isabel looked at the door. “That’s good to know. With the captain dead, Druja will be looking for another proxy.”
After lunch, Wren left on her errand while Isabel went to the library, entering warily, watching Enu for any hint of danger, but saw none. Still, she remained vigilant, taking the chair closest to the door and watching his every move. For the first time since she arrived, she was actually relieved to have Wraithkin Issa in the room.
“You seem tense, Lady Reishi. Is something wrong?”
“You mean besides the fact that I’m being held prisoner by a madman who wants me to learn black magic against my will?”
Enu smiled mirthlessly, seating himself across the table from her.
“Your resistance is to be expected, though I assure you, it is only delaying the inevitable. Prince Phane has been working diligently to devise a means of circumventing your defenses. I have every confidence that he will succeed even if I fail.”
“Doesn’t that make you nervous? Failure, I mean. Phane isn’t known for his forgiving nature.”
“Were I any other, I would be very concerned, but I happen to be the only wizard other than Prince Phane on this entire isle.”
“That’s interesting. How did you manage to avoid the Sin’Rath for all these years?”
“Simple. I arrived from Andalia just last summer. Now, shall we begin?”