The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3) (85 page)

Just in case they were running a bit late, she set up a seeing eye and searched the river upstream for a couple of miles. No sign of them, no sign of their boat. She’d just about decided to leave and come back later when she spotted the note.

She picked it up and opened it. As she read the first bit her eyebrows rose. So, Myron had the key. Interesting development. Definitely more fun than marching into some old sorcerer’s house and demanding the key. And she already knew where he lived. She would have to think about how she wanted to handle it. It would be easy enough to get the key back, he’d have to return it, no matter how much he didn’t want to. He wouldn’t have any choice. That would make the whole thing that much sweeter.

She’d demand the sorcerer who took it, too. A grin pushed against the corners of her mouth. Sparring was a lot more fun when it didn’t matter if your opponent survived.

Gwendolyn couldn’t wait to see the look on Myron’s face when she showed up in his office. That would almost made losing the key worth it. Almost.

She glanced down at her tunic. But not in her everyday clothes. No. She’d wear her full dress uniform. She’d have it freshly pressed as soon as she got back.

Her attention wandered back to the letter. As she read the last paragraph, the one explaining why her son wasn’t at the campsite, she rolled her eyes and shook her head. Stupid boy. How in the world did a son of hers end up so stupid? What made him think she’d ever trust him with a key again? And if she did, they could always recruit new raiders. He was on a fool’s mission. And how did he think he was going to get back to Landoryn? Did he think she was going to come looking for him?

It would serve him right if she left him in Camden and let him spend the rest of his miserable life in exile. That’s exactly what she’d do. It would be a fitting punishment for losing the key in the first place.

With a nod of her head, Gwendolyn turned her key and left for home.

~ ~ ~ ~

Three hours later, Gwendolyn stepped out of the energy flow right in the middle of Kevin’s reception area. The pages’ first reaction was shock. For a few seconds, none of them even breathed. This was unheard of. No one just showed up in Myron’s office.

Chris was the first to recover. “Gwendolyn, welcome to Milhaven. What can I do for you?”

“Tell Myron I’m here to see him, and I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Chris swallowed. Kevin wasn’t at the castle. He was in the canyon lands with Glendymere. “Did he know you were coming?”

Gwendolyn glared at him.

“The reason I’m asking is he’s not here, and if he’d been expecting you, he would have been.”

“Not here?” Gwendolyn asked, feigning surprise. “Isn’t it his job to be here?”

“Not always. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“You can give him a message for me. That sorcerer of his stole a key from one of my employees. I want the key returned and the thief surrendered. And since Myron couldn’t be bothered to be present when I arrived, I’ll take this young lady as payment for my troubles.” Gwendolyn reached out, grabbed Elin by the hair, and pulled her beside her. “Tell him he’s to bring the key and the thief to me before the council meeting Saturday. If he fails to do so, I’ll take another page as payment for being late, and I’ll return every day after that and extract more payment until he surrenders my property and the thief.”

Gwendolyn grabbed Elin’s arm and as Elin screamed, she pulled out her key. Chris launched himself at the two of them, hoping to break Gwendolyn’s hold on Elin, but right as Chris landed on her arm, Gwendolyn turned the key and the three of them vanished from the office.

~ ~ ~ ~

When Gwendolyn arrived in her office, Elin was still screaming and Chris was hanging onto her arm. Chris released Gwendolyn’s arm and stepped back as soon as he realized where he was.

“Well, what have we here?” Gwendolyn said with a wicked grin. “A would-be hero.”

Chris looked around. Six guards, all armed, all ready for a fight. He slowly raised his hands in surrender.

Gwendolyn walked around the two of them, looking them over. “The girl will make a nice bed warmer.” Then she patted Chris’s cheek. “And I know just what to do with you. Rolan would pay a pretty sum for the chance to question you. I’m sure you know all of Myron’s secrets, including the whereabouts of that half-sister of his. He needs to get that taken care of so he can concentrate on more important things, like helping me take down the House of Nordin.”

One of the guards stepped forward, holding chains in his hands. Gwendolyn nodded, so he put chains around both Chris’s and Elin’s hands and waists.

Gwendolyn put her finger under Chris’s chin and tilted his head back. “I won’t do anything with you yet, though. I’ll wait until Saturday morning. If Myron returns my key and hands over the thief, I’ll let him have you back, but if not, by Saturday night, you’ll belong to Rolan.” She stepped back and looked at Elin. “If Rolan pays me well, I’ll let him have the girl, too. He enjoys causing pain, and he likes having an audience. Might just loosen your tongue.”

Then she turned to her guards. “Lock them up. I’m done with them for now.”

Chapter 72

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As soon as Kevin returned to his office, something felt off. For one thing, he couldn’t hear a sound from the outer office, so he opened his door. Three of his pages were bunched together in the middle of the room. Their faces were white, their eyes were too large, and Cameryn was openly sobbing.

“What’s happened?” Kevin asked Ariel.

“Gwendolyn,” Ariel said. “At least I think that’s what Chris called her.”

“Short, skinny, bony face, dressed in black?” Kevin asked.

Ariel nodded. “She said something about wanting a key and the sorcerer who works for you handed over to her before the meeting Saturday. I think she was talking about Marcus. Then she grabbed Elin and said she was payment for her trouble and if you don’t do what she wants, she’ll be back to get more of us. Chris tried to stop her, but she turned the key and they vanished.”

Kevin pulled out a chair and sat down. “Gwendolyn has both Elin and Chris?”

Ariel nodded.

Kevin looked around. “Nikki. Where’s Nikki?”

Ariel frowned. “We haven’t seen her all morning.”

Kevin sighed. “Gwendolyn would have killed her if she’d been here.”

“She’s horrible! And she’s coming back for the rest of us!” Cameryn dissolved into sobs again.

“No, she’s not,” Kevin said. “I won’t let her.”

“But what about Elin?” Ariel asked. “And Chris?”

“I’ll get them back.”

“How?” Isak asked. “By giving her Marcus? She’ll kill him!”

“I’m not giving her anyone.” Kevin took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here and you had to deal with her, and I’m really sorry she kidnapped Elin and Chris, but I’ll get them back. And she’s not getting anyone else. I won’t let her.”

“If you can stop her,” Ariel said slowly, his eyes full of doubt.

Kevin took another deep breath and looked at Ariel. “I will stop her, Ariel. Trust me on this.” Then he stood up and said, “I need to see Marcus. And then I want to see Marshall. But I need to see Gen. Crandal first. Would you find Marcus and Marshall for me while I’m with Gen. Crandal? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

~ ~ ~ ~

When Kevin entered Gen. Crandal’s office, he and Cpt. Lawrence were bent over a report. Gen. Crandal straightened up and said, “Just the person I need to see. We have some news.”

Kevin shook his head. “Me first. Do you remember when your men came down here? The ones from the mountains. Before we took them to Pylar’s Landing.”

Gen. Crandal nodded.

“There was a man who fell to his knees when I entered the room.”

Again, Gen. Crandal nodded.

“Didn’t he say he’d worked in Gwendolyn’s castle?”

Once more, Gen. Crandal nodded.

“I need him. Can you send for him?”

“What’s going on?” Gen. Crandal asked.

Kevin explained about Gwendolyn snatching Elin and Chris. “I need to know the layout of her castle and I was hoping he could help me.”

“You realize it’s been years since he’s been there,” Cpt. Lawrence pointed out.

“I know, but it’s a castle. How much could it have changed?”

“A seated sorcerer lives there. It may have changed a whole lot,” Cpt. Lawrence answered.

“Okay, she might have made some changes, but the basic floor plan’s probably the same. Anyway, can you send for him? I’d like to have a basic idea of the layout before I go.”

“You’re going? To Gwendolyn’s castle? On a rescue mission?” Gen. Crandal asked.

Kevin nodded. “Don’t try to talk me out of it. These are my people she’s holding. I’m getting them out.”

Gen. Crandal shook his head. “I don’t want to stop you. I want to go with you. I told you that a long time ago.”

“I can’t make any promises until I come up with a plan, and I can’t come up with a plan until I have some idea of the layout. So, can someone please go get him? And what was his name?”

“Wythe,” Gen. Crandal answered. He looked over at Cpt. Lawrence and nodded.

“Feel free to promise him anything you have to to get his help,” Kevin added.

“That won’t be necessary,” Gen. Crandal said. “He’ll help just because you asked.”

“Well, the offer still stands, Cpt. Lawrence. And bring him back here as fast as you can.”

“We’ll be back by morning,” Cpt. Lawrence said as he left the office.

“So, you wanted to see me?” Kevin asked Gen. Crandal after they were alone.

“Well, it doesn’t seem quite as important now as it did a few minutes ago, but we found another slaver team, the one that was raiding around Longleaf Lake. They pulled another raid, but the guy with the key didn’t show up, so they didn’t have any way to get the captives out of Camden. They let the captives go, but then the slavers stayed at their camp. The captives brought soldiers back, and as they say, that’s all there was to it.”

“Did they arrest them?”

Gen. Crandal shook his head. “The slavers resisted, but my men had convinced a sorcerer to go with them. It was a pretty short fight.”

“Didn’t that gang kill several people along the way?”

“Three at one place, one at another.”

“Then I won’t lose any sleep over their deaths. Let your men know I appreciate their efforts. And if you’ll get the name of the sorcerer who went with them, I’ll send him a note, too.”

Gen. Crandal smiled. “I’ll do that. And I’ll let you know as soon as Cpt. Lawrence and Wythe make it back.”

~ ~ ~ ~

Both Marshall and Marcus were in Kevin’s reception area when he got back. Marshall had brought Nikki, so Kevin motioned for him to join him in his office first.

As soon as he shut the door behind Marshall, Kevin said, “Before I say anything else, you’re not in any trouble.” He leaned down and rubbed Nikki’s head.

The relief on Marshall’s face was obvious. “Then, why?”

“Something happened this morning,” Kevin began. “I wasn’t here, but one of the seated sorcerers used her key to come to the office. And with this particular sorcerer, if Nikki had been here, she’d have killed her.”

Marshall frowned. “Why?”

“Because she could, and there was no one here to stop her.” Kevin sat down on the edge of his desk. “If Nikki had been here, the sorcerer would have realized she was my dog, and she’d have killed her just as a slap at me. And that’s why I wanted to see you. From now on I’d like for you to keep Nikki with you unless you hand her over to me. I know it’s asking a lot, but until I get this taken care of, I’m afraid for her to be anywhere near my office if I’m not here to protect her.”

Marshall shook his head. “It’s not a problem. I’ll be glad to keep her with me, but what do you want me to do at the end of the day if you’re not here? I mean, I can take her home with me if you want me to, I’m sure Neiven won’t mind. She can sleep in my room.”

Kevin nodded. “Let’s say if it’s time for you to go and I’m not here, you take her with you. If Neiven has a problem with it, let me know and we’ll come up with something else. This is temporary, Marshall. I’ll get it taken care of, but for right now, I want to know she’s safe, and if she’s not with me, I think she’s safer with you than anywhere else.”

“What about with Chris?”

Kevin didn’t answer for a moment. Then he said, “That sorcerer who came today? She kidnapped both Elin and Chris, so Chris isn’t here right now, and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get him back.”

“She kidnapped Chris?”

Kevin nodded.

Marshall breathed out a low whistle. “I’ll keep Nikki with me, and we’ll stay out of the castle. When you’re going to be here for a while, send someone out to the stable to let me know and I’ll bring her to you.”

“I’ll come get her myself.”

Marshall nodded. “Do you want me to take her with me now? Or shall I leave her here with you?”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to take her. I’ve got a couple of errands to run, but I should be back around dinner.”

“Yes, sir,” Marshall said. Then he turned to Nikki. “Come on, girl. Let’s go chase some squirrels.”

After Marshall and Nikki left, Kevin motioned for Marcus to join him.

As soon as Marcus was in his office, Kevin shut the door. “Have you heard what happened in here this morning?”

“You mean about Gwendolyn?”

Kevin nodded.

“I heard.” Marcus sighed. “Look, if it’ll help, turn me over to her.”

“Not going to happen,” Kevin said. “First of all, you did nothing wrong. Second, there’s no way I’ll let anyone blackmail me into doing anything. That woman’s been looking for a fight since before she even met me. This isn’t about you. You, Chris, and Elin are just pieces on her game board. She’s trying to force me to decide who to sacrifice, and there’s no way that’s going to happen.” Kevin walked around his desk and sat down in his chair. “I want to send you someplace safe, away from Milhaven.”

Marcus shook his head. “I’m not afraid of her. The worst she can do is kill me, and I accepted that possibility when I became a sorcerer.”