He debated telling her that he wasn’t the least bit claustrophobic, that he was more concerned with walking into a situation where he couldn’t defend her properly, but decided he enjoyed the feeling of being coddled. I assure you that you’ll be the first to know if I panic.
Good. She gave him a bright smile and a pat on the hand, which she changed into a quick kiss before hurrying off the metal walkway after the others. Lights had been strung in this part of the cave, along with long black cables that snaked across the floor, no doubt there to bring electricity and air down to the lower depths, where the cave art was located.
The low echo of voices reached them as they followed the walkway, emerging in a small, low-ceilinged room. A half-dozen wooden crates were stacked tidily along one side of the room, lighting equipment leaning drunkenly against them.
Cora took his hand, her fingers gently stroking his as a tall, thin black woman clad in an orange down vest and hard hat popped up out of an inky hole on the far side of the room.
“Oh, good, you’re on time. I can’t tell you how annoyed I get with groups who don’t understand that my time is very valuable these days. If you think it’s easy to convince people that a union is really for their benefit, well, you’re wrong. You must be Christopher.”
“Kristoff. I take it you’re the lichmaster?” Kristoff asked, eyeing the woman with open disbelief. If anyone looked less like the sort of person who controlled liches for her own end, it was the woman before them. She had close-cropped hair and wore a faded blue T-shirt that read Liches Are People, Too. “Erm . . . did you say union? ”
“Yes, I’m Jane Woodway, the head of the Liches International Union. The union encompasses the first liches to organize themselves into a group dedicated to the preservation and betterment of their members. I am not a lich myself, but I am wholly dedicated to their cause. We also fight for higher wages—well, actually, any wages, since liches seldom receive compensation for their services—health benefits, education, and job placement. It’s our goal that one day all liches will stand in such a way that members will no longer be used and abused. We will reign victorious over those who would subjugate our lich brothers and sisters!”
Jane’s voice rang out with fervor, echoing off the low stone ceiling.
“Er . . . yes.” Kristoff pursed his lips for a moment while they all considered the lichmaster.
“I like you,” Eleanor told her.
Jane eyed her. “You are an unbound lich, yes? Would you like to join the union? We have need for many helping hands.”
“I would, but I’m expecting to go back to my hour soonish,” Eleanor answered. “Although it does seem like a worthy cause. What sort of work do you need done?”
“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about Web sites, would you? We’re trying to start a social network for liches called Lichbook, but our Web person got sucked up by that fiendish Brother Ailwin, and we haven’t had time to replace her.”
“Lichbook, hmm? I might be able to lend a hand with that,” Eleanor allowed before turning to Alec. “I still expect you to find a way to send me home, if I do stay for a bit to help out this nice woman.”
He bowed. “I will do all that I can to make you happy, Eleanor.”
She snorted in derision, but said nothing more, leaving him hopeful that they might be able to have a little respite to take care of more troublesome problems before tackling hers.
She’s not what I expected, Cora told him, squeezing his hand. You’re not panicking, are you?
Not yet, no. Thank you for asking, though.
OK, good. Just let me know if you need me.
He thought the day would never dawn when he wouldn’t need her, but luckily, she was too involved in watching the union lichmaster to chase his thoughts.
“Now, if you’re quite ready, I’d like to get the summoning done, so I can get back to my members. We’re planning a rally to be held in Monte Carlo next month, and you wouldn’t believe how far off track the planning committee has gotten. Liches,” Jane confined to Cora, who stood nearest her, “are absolutely horrible when it comes to organization.”
“Are they?” Cora asked. “Then it’s good they have you.”
“Yes.” Jane beamed at her. “It is. Shall we get started? ”
Alec had seen a few ceremonies over the centuries, but never one to effectively steal a lich from one master to another. He assumed there would be a certain amount of ritual, however, and he wasn’t mistaken.
Jane began the ceremony by asking Pia for some personal belonging of Ulfur’s.
“I’m afraid the only thing we have is this,” Pia answered, pulling out a small wad of yarn.
“Yarn?” the lichmaster asked, looking askance.
“No, it’s Ulfur’s horse. A very nice Summoner taught me how to bind spirits to things, so we bound the horse to this so we could bring him here. Ragnor, we need you now.”
Cora scooted closer to him as the ghostly horse appeared out of nothing, bobbing its head up and down a couple of times before it tried to take a bite out of Kristoff.
“Don’t even think about it,” the latter told the horse, who just laid back his ears and snorted.
Is that what I think it is?
It is.
Cora whistled to herself. A ghost horse. OK. Horses can be ghosts. Don’t you think I’m handling this really well, Alec?
I think you’re acclimatizing yourself to the Otherworld very well, yes. Are you, by any chance, the one who is freaking out?
No! Not over a ghost horse. Cora looked at Ragnor as the horse snuffled her front. She put out a wary hand to pat it, but her hand passed right through its neck. OK, maybe a little.
He put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. You have nothing to fear, love. I will not allow anything, mortal or immortal, to harm you.
You know, that sort of an attitude could be cloying and very annoying.
But you understand my need to protect you and cherish you, he said, making it a statement and not a question.
Something like that.
Jane the lichmaster seemed to be suffering the same sort of surprise as Cora. “A horse. Yes. Well. Can it take a corporeal form?”
“For short periods, yes,” Pia answered. “Ragnor?”
The horse’s form solidified. Cora pressed against Alec. Not because I’m afraid, she told him.
Of course not.
She snorted, then smiled when everyone looked at her. “A ghost horse. So . . . yeah. Um. Do I need to do anything for this ceremony?”
Jane eyed her. “Are you related to the summonee?”
“No. Well, not unless you consider the fact that we’re now both—”
“She is not related,” Alec said quickly. Beloved, this woman is a lichmaster. I don’t think we need to tell her that in a few moments she’ll have two of the three Tools of Bael in her presence.
Oh! I didn’t think of that. She seems so nice. But you’re probably right. I’ll just keep my lips zipped on that subject around lichy people. How come she doesn’t recognize what I am, like Brother Ailwin?
Probably he’s much older than her, and has either seen a Tool or knows what signs to look for.
“‘Now both’ what?” Jane asked Cora, obviously curious.
“Both . . . having had contact with his boss. Alphonse de Marco, that is,” Cora said with a toothy smile.
“Ah. Shall we proceed?” Jane drew a circle in the dirt floor, chanting as she did so. She directed Ragnor to stand in the middle of the circle, which the horse did, then held out a small silver dagger to Pia. “The lich is to be bound to you, yes? He will initially be bound to me when I summon him, but directly after that, we’ll transfer him to you. This blood bond should help that transfer. If you would prick yourself with the dagger and squeeze six drops of blood into the circle, following with six strands of your hair. Then blow on the horse six times. I shall do the same.”