Alexander eased himself onto the bed and let Lita go to work. She cut away part of his trouser leg, then gently cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Only after she’d done all of the more mundane work of a healer did she cast her healing spell. Isabel had told him once how rare healers were among the Reishi Coven. While Lita couldn’t channel the realm of light like Isabel could, she was a very capable healer.
Alexander felt warmth and soothing detachment fill his leg, then spread into the rest of his body, lulling him into a deep, restorative sleep. He woke with a dull throbbing in his leg. Peeling away the bandages, he was surprised just how well it had healed, even though the wounds had yet to fully close.
Lita came bustling over when she saw that he was awake.
“Let me see,” she said, peering at the four crosswise gashes on his lower leg, shaking her head. “These haven’t healed as well as I would have liked. Let me make a poultice and put on a clean bandage.” She didn’t wait for Alexander to respond before hurrying away.
Jack pulled up a chair and sat down. “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“Suggesting you open that door,” he said. “Wasn’t such a great idea after all.”
“You couldn’t have known … but I could have, if I’d just looked. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”
“Do you think they’re still out there?”
“I’m hoping the overseers attracted their attention.”
“That would certainly make sense,” Jack said. “My money’s on the bugs.”
“There did seem to be a lot of them. Let’s hope we don’t run into another nest.”
“All right then,” Lita said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “This might hurt a bit.” She carefully spread a green paste into his wounds, then wrapped his leg with fresh bandages.
“You should eat something before I spell you again,” she said. “Have to keep up your strength.”
Just then Anja woke in the bed next to his, sitting up and stretching with a giant yawn. She seemed to come to her senses a few moments later and frowned, looking down at her leg. Her wounds weren’t as bad as Alexander’s, but even with Lita’s healing spell, her injury still hadn’t fully healed either.
“I didn’t like those bugs at all,” she said.
“Me neither,” Alexander said. “Hopefully, we can avoid them from now on.”
After breakfast, Alexander eased himself back into bed.
“Are we ready?” Lita asked.
“Not quite yet. I need some counsel before I go back to sleep.”
He smiled at her quizzical frown, then touched the Sovereign Stone, his awareness abruptly transferring from the world of time and substance to the Reishi Sovereign Council.
He sat down at the table and detailed everything that had transpired, starting with his voyage from the Spires right up to the present moment. He dredged his memory for everything of significance or importance that he could offer them: Anja, the Goiri, Luminessence, Demonrend, the Tyr Thinblade, the keystone box and Lacy, progress with his magic, and finally culminating with an exhaustive recounting of his experiences with McGinty and Siduri.
“The news about Anja is disturbing,” Balthazar said. “Protect her well; your life may depend upon it.”
“I know,” Alexander said. “Bragador seemed willing to accept her daughter’s decision for now, but I doubt she would forgive me if Anja got hurt.”
“Your magic seems to be progressing rapidly,” Constantine said, “especially given your experience with Siduri.”
“I agree. My ability to see coming threats has proven to be reliable and it’s dramatically improved my abilities in a fight. My all around sight continues to gain in range, though I still can’t see as far as my eyes could. My illusion magic is becoming easier and more versatile, though I still have to be meditating to use it.
“My most important questions center around Siduri.”
“Understandably so,” Balthazar said. “Are you certain that you transitioned physically into the firmament?”
All of the sovereigns leaned in with interest.
“Yes, absolutely. I was on the ground choking to death and then I found myself in the firmament. When I returned, I was standing in the cage and the slave collar was lying on the floor. Later, the Babachenko revealed that he has magic capable of showing all that has transpired in a given space over previous hours or days. His spell showed me locked in my cage, lying on the floor one moment, then simply gone the next, only to reappear standing up several minutes later.”
“Remarkable,” Dominic said.
“Indeed,” Balthazar said. “While in the firmament, what was your sense of it? How was it different than your usual experience?”
“Usually, I feel like I’m floating on an ocean, at the surface. I can focus my attention on any point in the world or I can spread out across the entire surface and listen to the music of creation, but this time, it felt like I was drowning in the ocean, like my consciousness was scattered and I couldn’t get it back. I’ve been scattered before by Phane and by the wards around the fortress islands, but I was always able to reassemble my consciousness. This time, it felt like I was slipping away-dying. Then I thought of Siduri and I was there with him in a constructed world of his making.”
The sovereigns shared looks across the table.
“Lies,” Malachi said, sitting back with a scowl. “None of that’s possible.”
Alexander ignored him.
“There is great risk in what I’m about to suggest,” Balthazar said, “but I see no other way to pursue this capability.”
Alexander nodded.
“I suggest that you project your mind into the firmament and then deliberately cause it to be scattered, but don’t reassemble it immediately. Allow yourself to reach that place where you feel like you’re fading away, and then think of Siduri.
“If you can place your mind into the same state as it was in while you were physically within the firmament, then you may be able to reach out to the first adept at will.”
Alexander felt a little thrill of fear. He had always felt panic and desperation when he’d been scattered into the firmament. Every time, it had been a mad struggle to reassemble his consciousness. Letting himself go-letting himself cease to be-allowing his unique identity to melt into the firmament was a daunting prospect.
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“You may die,” Balthazar said.
“I see. Are there any other suggestions for how I can pursue this new capability?”
“You could always kill yourself,” Malachi said with a malicious smile. “After all, that’s what it took to make it happen the first time.”
Alexander glared at him.
“Perhaps that’s not an entirely meritless suggestion,” Darius said.
“Yes, my son may have inadvertently offered something of value,” Demetrius said.
“How do you mean?”
“Your life was being threatened very slowly when you transitioned into the firmament,” Demetrius said. “If you were able to re-create such an experience in a controlled environment, you may replicate the event, though I would be concerned about exiting the firmament given that you required Siduri’s assistance the first time.”
“That seems a bit extreme.”
Malachi snorted derisively. “That’s why you’ll lose.”
“I would recommend that you pursue the first avenue and seek out Siduri’s assistance in the matter,” Balthazar said. “He may be the only one who can help you learn to control this ability.”
“He seemed reluctant to help me.”
“Then you must be persuasive,” Balthazar said. “From your account, this Siduri has a conscience. He feels guilt and remorse for the damage that he’s caused the world. He wants his children to be redeemed. Use these desires to help him see his only true path to redemption.”
“He’s afraid, and I don’t blame him. I’m not sure that anything can overcome that.”
Balthazar shrugged helplessly.
“Perhaps this constructed world of his deserves some attention,” Darius said.