The Lord Protector stopped at a set of ornate double doors, pulling the bell cord once. A rich peal rang out, reverberating throughout the nearby halls. A few moments later, a guard wearing an enchanted smock opened the door and bowed respectfully to the Lord Protector.
“Please, come in,” he said. “The Babachenko is expecting you.”
From the looks of the room, it was the entry hall of the Babachenko’s personal quarters … a curious turn of events. Alexander focused on memorizing the layout and looking for anything he might use as a weapon while he followed the guard into a more austere portion of the suite, finally arriving at a large bare stone room with a stout circular cage set into the middle of it from floor to ceiling.
The Lord Protector opened the cage door and looked at Alexander pointedly.
He stepped inside, noting that the bars were arranged within a magic circle cut into the floor. When the door closed, the cage shimmered with color, revealing that it too was imbued with some form of magic, a fact that might prove problematic in the near future.
“I can’t get inside the cage, My Love.”
He could hear the worry in her voice and tried to reassure her, even though he wasn’t feeling terribly reassured himself.
After the Lord Protector and the guards left the room, Alexander sat down on the rickety little cot and considered his limited options. While Chloe could have easily moved the cell door of his previous prison into the aether, it was a near certainty that this cage was immune to her power. Coupled with the wards surrounding this part of the palace, escaping might prove to be very difficult without help.
Then there were the faint points of light floating all around the room, just like the ones in his other cell, just like the ones in his bunkroom in Grant’s stables. He still wondered about their purpose.
While he thought through his options and goals, the Babachenko and Nero entered.
“You see, he is intact and well in hand,” the Babachenko said, “and he will be quite unable to escape this cell.”
“Provided he doesn’t have help,” Nero said.
“It would be very difficult for anyone to penetrate our defenses in this area of the palace,” the Babachenko said.
“As difficult as assassinating your king?” Nero shot back.
“I have to admit, that was an unexpected turn of events. But, given our newfound understanding of his resourcefulness, we’ve taken additional precautions. You have my personal assurances that he will not leave this palace without your express consent, Lord Nero.”
Alexander watched with great interest. The Babachenko’s colors rippled with deceit and half-truth. Nero’s demon-stained colors radiated contempt and a kind of hatred that would burn up a normal person’s soul.
“I’m not comfortable with this,” Nero said. “We should make him ready for transport to Karth immediately.”
“You would deliver only half of Prince Phane’s prize? I wonder if he would consider that a success or a failure?”
Nero glared at him, uncertainty dancing in his colors.
“Give me a chance to retrieve the Sovereign Stone,” the Babachenko said. “My talents are uniquely suited to such a task, as you well know.”
Nero didn’t look convinced.
“Just imagine how much greater his gratitude will be when we deliver his most hated enemy along with the Sovereign Stone. Our actions will prove to be the turning point in this war, ensuring victory and earning a place of honor at Prince Phane’s table.”
“I’ll give you two days,” Nero said. “If you don’t have progress to report by then, I’m taking him.”
“As you wish, Lord Nero,” the Babachenko said, and while his voice was placating and conciliatory, his colors flared with anger and indignation.
Nero vanished without even looking at Alexander.
The Babachenko smiled warmly, approaching the cage, but remaining out of arm’s reach. “I trust the accommodations are adequate. While I regret such extreme measures, Lord Tyr’s recent actions have given me little choice.”
Alexander remained silent, scrutinizing his colors and waiting for the demands to begin.
The Babachenko forced a smile and pulled a chair over to the cage, sitting down and fastidiously adjusting his coat before returning his attention to Alexander.
“We have something in common, Alexander-may I call you Alexander?”
“It’s my name.”
“Straight to the point … how refreshing,” the Babachenko said, forcing another thin smile. “We both have better vision than most. In fact, I’ve been watching you carefully for the past year, and I must say, I’m impressed with what you’ve accomplished, especially given your limitations and disadvantages. Few could have stood against Phane for so long, but realistically, you had to know that it was going to end like this.” He gestured to the cage.
“Between you and me,” he said, leaning in conspiratorially, “I don’t like the idea of submitting to Phane’s rule any more than you do, but he’s just too powerful to resist, so it only made sense to join him early on. While I’ve been watching you from afar, now that you’re sitting here with me, I’m struck by how young you are.”
Alexander schooled his expression while he watched deceit ripple through the Babachenko’s colors.
“When I was your age, I was almost as idealistic as you are, but time and the pressures of responsibility have molded that idealism into pragmatism. I have countless people to think about-their well-being and security are my responsibility-so I chose the only honorable course that I could, the path that would cause my people the least harm.
“But I had something that you didn’t … I had the benefit of experience. I’m sure that if you knew then what you know now, you would have made different choices. And no one can rightfully fault you for that inexperience … except, of course, Phane. He’s become almost obsessed with you. I don’t believe he’ll stop looking for you until he’s certain that you’re dead.”
The Babachenko shook his head sadly.
“It’s such a shame to see one as talented as you, with such potential, lose everything for a few intemperate, youthful decisions.”
“Where are you going with this?” Alexander asked.
“Ah, to the point, yes of course,” the Babachenko said. “You see, I know what you really want-to live free. To live the simple life of a rancher without the cares and pressures of power, and I can help you get that. I can give you your life back. I can protect your family. You can have everything you’ve always wanted, Alexander, and Phane will never know. He’ll think you’re dead and he’ll move on to other enemies.”
“Let me guess … you’ll give me all of this for the Sovereign Stone,” Alexander said.
“Nothing comes without a price,” the Babachenko said with a helpless shrug. “I’m sure that if you think it through, you’ll realize that Phane won’t stop until he has the Stone. As long as it eludes him, he’ll scour the Seven Isles for it, and you’ll never be safe. But if he has the Stone, and he thinks you’re dead, you’ll finally be free.”
“Do you really think you can deceive Phane?” Alexander asked, leaning in with interest.
“Well now, that part won’t be easy, but I’m certain it can be done.”
“So what would I have to do?” Alexander asked.
The Babachenko smiled warmly. “I would need the Sovereign Stone to placate Phane, but I also have a price of my own. There’s a book within your Wizard’s Den-a dark and dangerous work that Phane could use to become all but immortal. That can’t be allowed to happen, so my price for helping you and your family is the delivery of the lich book along with the Stone.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all I want from you,” the Babachenko lied. “Deliver these two things and I will hand Phane a corpse that is indistinguishable from you. I will change your appearance, give you a house on a plot of good land, a herd and even provide you with protection. You’ll finally be free of this war, safe, comfortable.