Will shook his head. “It isn’t that simple. His condition creates both advantages and disadvantages. He can’t be killed, not without destroying the phylactery that houses his soul, but he also can’t do some of the things he could do when he was alive.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Like what I did outside just a while ago,” explained Will. “Or the things I did during the war, destroying gates and turning magic into pure sound. Those are considered ‘talents.’ Special abilities that high-order wizards develop.”

  “Grim Talek could control storms?” asked Mark.

  “I don’t know what his talents were,” said Will. “Apparently they vary. But when he gave up his mortality, it took a toll on his abilities. His will is as strong as ever, but somehow the strain of maintaining his existence robbed him of his natural talents. I think the same is true of his vampire wizards too.”

  “I thought you killed the vampire wizard—what was his name?”

  “Androv,” Will supplied. “But there are a few others. I’ll know more when I meet them.”

  “What?”

  Will sighed. “That’s what I meant earlier. Grim Talek’s taken my place, but I’ve also taken his. He’s given me control of all his resources to accomplish the goal, including his servants and underlings.”

  The governor sat back down and rubbed his face with both hands. “This is too much. Do you think they’ll really obey you?”

  He nodded. “I can handle them. More importantly, I’ll be taking notes. I’ll make sure you have a copy for after this is all over.” His father stared at him blankly, so Will continued, “No one knows how many there are, or where they are. This is an opportunity to find out. I’ll learn as much as I can, and after I slay the dragon, you’ll be able to organize a long overdue cleansing.”

  “You can do it yourself,” snapped Mark. “If you can kill a dragon, that should be simple.”

  Will shook his head. “The price comes due once I slay Lognion. I won’t be able to. You and Selene can organize the operation while Grim Talek is preoccupied with me. Even if you don’t get them all, it will still be a significant victory.”

  Mark’s words grated out slowly as he replied, “You can’t pay that price. It’s impossible. You already know that.”

  “Probably,” admitted Will.

  “Then let me take your place,” said his father earnestly.

  Will sighed. “You can’t. You don’t have the power needed.”

  “No one does! It might as well be me trying and failing. I can pay the penalty in blood just as easily as you.”

  “He won’t accept you. The only reason he’s forcing this on me is that he thinks I might actually be able to give him what he most desires.”

  “Temarah’s tits!” swore his father. “How many impossible things should any one person be expected to do? I’m not helping you in this. It’s ridiculous and I won’t be party to it.”

  “I only have to do one impossible thing,” stated Will. “Kill the dragon. That alone will ensure everyone’s safety. Grim Talek’s promise will protect everyone else, even if I fail to satisfy his expectations.”

  “Even if we massacre his underlings?”

  Will grinned. “As long as I make an effort in good faith, he’ll keep his word. He won’t touch you or any of the others I’ve named—ever. No matter what you do. I was very explicit in the wording of our arrangement.”

  “You think he’ll honor it? He’s not one of the fae.”

  He laughed. “Grim Talek complained that I’ve spent too much time dealing with them, but he’ll keep his word. It’s all he has left. He gave up everything else, good, evil, lust, love, pleasure, pain—honor is all that remains.”

  Mark scowled. “He’s a monster. Don’t try to pretend he’s a hero of some sort.”

  Will shrugged. “Maybe he is. Considering his sacrifices, he’s probably more deserving than me. I can’t begrudge him his reward.”

  “Are you that tired of living?” asked his father sadly.

  Maybe, thought Will morbidly, but his words were lighthearted. “I’m not giving up. If an ancient lich thinks I might have the power to do these things, then at the very least I should have as much faith in myself.”

  The conversation died at that point and an extended silence took its place. Eventually, Mark rose to his feet. “You should get some sleep.”

  “I’m leaving in the morning,” Will announced.

  His father nodded. “I’ll handle the troll problem.”

  He shook his head. “Take your men back to Myrsta. I’ve marked the trolls. I’ll find them and clean up the rest of my mess.”

  Mark frowned. “That was a tracking spell you looked up earlier? How long will it last?”

  The timing was precisely the reason Will had needed a better spell than the simple one he had learned previously. “A week,” he answered.

  “You’ll still need help.”

  Will nodded. “I’ve got new allies. Better to let them share the load rather than risk more lives.”

  Once he was alone, Will took out a flat square of silver metal engraved with runes. It was a gift of sorts, from Grim Talek. Focusing on one particular collection of runes at the top, he channeled a trickle of turyn into the device. The surfaced shimmered and went from reflective metal to a dull, bottomless black. “Mahak,” he murmured.

  A full minute passed before a male face appeared in the blackness. There was a strange angularity to the features, which combined with a heavy black beard to make Will wonder where Mahak was originally from. “What?” asked the man with obvious irritation.

  “I expect a prompt answer from now on.”

  Mahak glared back with obvious contempt. “You haven’t even identified yourself.”

  Will’s response was calm and measured. “You know who I am. Grim Talek has placed you at my disposal. I suggest you make a good impression on me.”

  “He told me to help you. That doesn’t mean you deserve courtesy or respect.”

  Will stared back silently for several seconds. Allowing himself to be drawn into a verbal argument would only undermine his position. Threats only worked when the receiver believed them to be credible, and in this case, they would only make Mahak more adversarial. “You’re somewhere in Darrow, correct?”

  Mahak nodded silently.

  He continued, “I have a troll problem in the hills north of Myrsta. I need you to meet me with a contingent of warriors and however many spellcasters you can muster on short notice.”

  The vampire frowned. “Muster? You are mistaken if you think of us as an army.”

  “Deflection isn’t helping me,” returned Will. “I don’t care what you think of yourselves as. I know quite well the sort of things you’re capable of, as well as the assignments your master used you for. How many wizards do you have?”

  “A few.”

  “What does that mean? I need numbers.”

  “Myself and Theraven are the only ones in Darrow. Currently, we are near Maldon.”

  Will made a mental note of the information, feeling both hopeful and disappointed simultaneously. Two wizards weren’t enough, but at the same time he was glad to know how limited the undead were when it came to magical resources. “I need the two of you, along with as many reliable fighters as you can assemble, to meet me in Cotswold in two days.”

  “Two days? That’s not enough time.”

  With a sigh, Will replied, “You don’t need rest.”

  “We don’t travel during the day.”

  “Are you saying you’re too weak to protect yourself and your underlings from the sun?”

  Mahak hissed in anger, giving away his inhuman nature. “Fine, if that is what you wish, human, we will make haste. However, your present may suffer from such rough travel.”

  “Present?”

  The vampire moved aside and adjusted the view to show something large bound up in canvas in the shadows behind him. It appeared to be vaguely man-shaped, though it was too large to be a person. A head was exposed on the far end, but Will couldn’t see the face. If it was a man, he was extraordinarily large. “Who is that?” asked Will.

  “A present from our master,” said Mahak with a sneer. “I will do my best to make sure it’s still alive when we reach Cotswold.” The vampire severed the link without another word.

  Angry, Will tried to reach him again, but Mahak refused to respond. It took several minutes afterward for Will to get over his irritation. It was obvious that their first meeting would be a bad one. Mahak would do everything in his power to undermine him, without being guilty of disobedience to his true master, Grim Talek.

  No, Will corrected himself silently, that’s not necessarily true. He might go further than that. Grim Talek had described Androv, the vampire wizard that Will had slain, as a problem too difficult to deal with directly. Will had inadvertently solved the problem for him. A wizard as old as Mahak might very well be just as powerful as the lich. The lich’s advantages were primarily age, experience, and the fact that he had created the vampires originally. Physically, Grim Talek’s only advantage was being impossible to kill, while the vampires had two weaknesses, their need to feed and their fatal allergy to sunlight.

  Mahak’s loyalty to the lich might not be much more than lip service to avoid a direct conflict.

  “That’s fine,” muttered Will. “I know a thing or two about direct conflict.”

  Chapter 23

  The next morning, Will slept until one of the officers was brave enough to wake him so they could take down the tent. Dressing quickly, Will grabbed one of the folding camp chairs and carried it outside to sit in while the battalion readied itself to begin marching again.

  “Want something to eat?” asked his father when he returned from the morning inspection.

  “No thanks,” said Will politely. He was all too familiar with camp food, and he had far better stored in the limnthal. He wasn’t hungry yet, but it would be there when he wanted it later. “I’ll be leaving soon, but I need this chair for a little while. Mind if I keep it?” The ground was muddy, and he was glad for something that would allow him to meditate without sitting in the muck.

  The governor lifted one brow, then nodded. “Go ahead. How long will you be sitting? We need to move soon.”

  “No need to wait. I won’t be traveling with you. I’ll find my own way,” said Will, earning an odd glance from his father once more.

  “Suit yourself.”

  Will did. Taking a deep breath, he enjoyed the feeling of sunshine on his face for a minute before closing his eyes and adjusting his relationship with the physical world. In the past, it had been a matter of sensory deprivation, but with time he had developed a finer touch with regard to his soul and body. Slipping his earthly bonds, Will floated free and looked back at his body sitting quietly in the camp chair.

  He hadn’t slept well, even though he’d been thoroughly tired. He kept remembering the form on the ground behind Mahak. Will only knew one person that large, but it simply couldn’t be Tiny. He’d sent his friend back to Cerria with his doppelganger. Tiny would be safe in Cerria.

  It didn’t matter how big his friend was, how strong, how tough—Tiny was human. Human meant vulnerable, mortal, frail—dead. Sammy had once accused Will of trying to keep her home because she was a girl, but it wasn’t just her. I don’t want any of them with me, thought Will. His friends and family were a weakness. Grim Talek’s recent example, taking Erisa hostage to protect her, was a perfect lesson.

  Not only did they make Will more vulnerable, none of them had the power to reasonably fight the things he had to face. Tiny was only a match for vampires when he took a dragon-heart potion and that wasn’t a viable solution to be used on a regular basis. Trolls were even worse, and the egg guardians were impossibly hard to fight.

  No, from Will’s perspective it didn’t matter whether it was Tiny, Janice, Tabitha, Sammy—none of them had the power to help, only the ability to create vulnerabilities that he couldn’t afford. The lich’s deal was perfect. His friends and family would be guarded by his most dangerous foe, the most powerful spellcaster in existence. That left Will free to find a solution to the trolls and Lognion. If he died, he would do it alone.

  Disciplining his mind, Will sent his thoughts toward Selene, and seconds later she materialized in front of him. She was sitting at a table he recognized, a favorite spot for quiet breakfasts at the Nerrow house. It was located in the sunroom, and Tabitha sat across from his wife. Both women had stern expressions, but Will didn’t hold it against them. Mornings were tough for everyone.

  Selene looked up from a sip of hot tea, and her eyes flickered toward Will’s viewpoint. She stared at him for a moment, squinting to try and improve her vision. In a panic, Will withdrew, returning to his body. Opening his eyes, he blinked at the bright sun. “She’s definitely sensitive,” he told himself. Overall, it was good news. With a small bit of practice, they’d be able to communicate over any distance without needing the assistance of magical devices.

  In the past, they’d been able to do so using the heart-stone enchantment, but Will had released Selene from that a while back, despite her resistance. “I should have talked to her,” he muttered, while silently cursing himself as a coward. He didn’t want to have that conversation.

  She’d be furious with him for the choices he’d made. If he somehow survived, he would eventually have hell to pay, and he wasn’t sure what scared him the most, paying Grim Talek’s price, or facing his wife. A clean death at the hands of a troll or via dragon-fire might be preferable to either of those options.

  Refocusing, Will stopped delaying and turned his attention to Tiny. Grim Talek had promised. The big man would be in Cerria. He would be safe. Seconds later, sunshine surrounded him, falling warmly on and through his astral form. Looking around, Will saw he was on a cart that was primarily loaded with large clay jars. In the center was a massive bundle that looked exactly like the one he’d seen behind Mahak the night before.

  Shifting his perspective slightly, Will found himself staring directly at Tiny’s unconscious face. Given the sunlight, the big man had to be unconscious, for if he had been dead, Will wouldn’t have found him at all.

  Will’s heart sped up, and his former uncertainty transformed into anger.

  He already had a teleport spell prepared, and for the first time, he found the perfect balance as soon as he attempted it. His perception slid halfway to his physical body and stayed halfway with Tiny. Activating the spell he appeared in the back of the cart, sitting now on a wine jar rather than the camp chair. For a split second, Will was annoyed that he’d forgotten to bring the chair.

  The cart had only two wheels, but it still had a wide wooden board at the front for the driver. Two broad-shouldered individuals sat there, cloaked and hooded, while the rough country road jostled them up and down. Will stared at the back of their hoods for several seconds, fighting the urge to kill them before saying a single word.

  The road noise gave Will a chance to collect himself and decide what to do. The two driving the cart were probably vampires, but even their superior hearing didn’t help when it came to such a noisy environment. They may react violently if I startle them, thought Will. If it hadn’t been for the wind against their faces, their noses would have already alerted them to his presence, even though their ears had not.

  Tiny seemed whole, but Will could feel the heavy aura of sleep magic keeping the big man unconscious. He could remove the spell, but that might result in even more chaos if Tiny started thrashing about. Will felt reasonably sure that Mahak had thought to use his friend as some sort of leverage, and even if not, he had no intention of leaving Tiny alone with such predators for even a minute longer.

  The solution was simple, and it arrived on Will’s face with a grin. Taking care not to alert the drivers, he lifted one hand and prepared a fresh teleport spell. That task took him a minute, and then he immediately slipped free of his body again, seeking a safe place to take himself and his friend. Finding the balance between here and there, Will put his hand on Tiny’s chest, and they were gone.

  ***

  Janice was reading a book in the parlor when Will and Tiny arrived at Rimberlin House. Their appearance displaced a considerable amount of air, creating an odd whooshing sound, which combined with the sound of Tiny’s body settling onto the parquetry of the floor. Surprised, Janice let out a sudden squeak. Her arms flew out, sending the book perilously close to the hearth while her involuntary attempt to stand and simultaneously back away caused her comfy chair to tip backwards.

  Will got his bearings in time to see the chair tilt and teeter, Janice’s legs flailing as she tried ineffectively to right herself. Reflex casting, he created a tiny force-dome beneath the back of the chair and the floor, stabilizing it, which left Janice awkwardly lying back with her feet in the air. The hem of her dress followed the dictates of gravity, creating an awkward confusion of fabric around her hips that didn’t quite expose her, but was enough to make Will turn his head in sympathetic embarrassment.

  “Will!”

  “Yes?” he answered.

  “In the name of the Mother, why? No, save that, how? How are you here? No, save that too. Why am I stuck like this?” Janice demanded. Her initial shock had passed, and now she sounded merely annoyed.

  “There’s a force-dome bracing the back of your chair,” Will replied. “Just lean forward.”

  “I can’t. I’m too far back, stuck like a pig in a wallow. Can you pull the chair back down?”

  “You aren’t wearing any undergarments—are you?”

  “If you’ve seen enough to ask that, it’s an academic question, isn’t it?” snapped Janice. “Just fix this. No, wait.” Will could hear her shifting in the chair, then she continued, “All right, now help me.”

  Risking a look, Will saw that she had tucked her skirts in around herself enough to cover up all the interesting bits. He rose to his feet and quickly grabbed the front of the heavily cushioned armchair and pulled it back down, taking care not to jostle Janice any more than was necessary. “Sorry about that,” he told her.