The Warlock Senator (Book 2) Read online

  Leanor let her tears fall, but she managed to maintain a semblance of composure. She owed him as much as the lady of the house. She gripped her son’s hand and sat rigid, fighting against the urge to sob, to scream, to let her anguish out and escape the torment inside. She felt Eldrik remove his hand in order to wrap his arm around her shoulders. She closed her eyes, absorbing her son’s strength and pushing the sorrow deeper inside.

  She opened her eyes, wanting a final glance at her husband’s resting place. The casket descended below and the priests stepped aside to grab the shovels. As they moved away, Leanor saw another marble coffin. This one was thinner and shorter. The sight of Timon’s coffin pulled her from her seat. She ran forward, screaming and shaking her fist at Mikel.

  Darkness closed in around her as she cursed the bewildered priest. The ground beneath her lurched upward and she sprawled into the dirt in a fit of sobbing shrieks. Dirt and stone meshed with her tears on her cheeks as hands tugged and pulled her back. She dug her fingers into the grass, clawing her way toward Timon’s coffin. Then, all went black and her strength was gone.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Master Orres opened the secret passage and walked through to see Wendal sitting at the table, pouring over a series of scrolls. “Master Wendal, I wasn’t expecting to see you for another hour,” Orres said.

  Master Wendal turned. “Forgive me, Master Orres, I overheard something during the lunch recess today and came here to see if I could make sense of it.”

  “Surely you know Lady Arkyn?” Master Orres asked.

  Wendal leaned back to peer around Orres’ girth and saw Lady Arkyn step into view. Her long, blonde hair rested over the front of her left shoulder in a single neat braid. Her green eyes looked back to him warmly as she smiled and waved.

  “Yes, of course,” Master Wendal said. “The crusher of many fourth-year apprentices’ dreams.” He smiled and waved back to her.

  “I also have other skills,” she teased as she moved over to the table and looked down at the items Master Wendal was studying.

  Master Orres laughed and closed the door behind him. “She is also joining us,” he said. “We could use a ranger, I believe.”

  Wendal nodded and looked back to the map in front of him. “Shall I bring you up to speed?”

  Orres sat two chairs away and slid the map closer to him. “Please do,” he said. Lady Arkyn went to the chair on Wendal’s left, turned it around and sat leaning her chin upon the back of the chair with her hands crossed on the table in front of her.

  Wendal glanced to the two of them before proceeding. “Your brother was killed in a battle between House Lokton and House Cedreau, somewhere here,” he said as he pointed to a spot on the map between the two manors. “I thought it might be noteworthy that Senator Bracken arrived at Lokton Manor not long after the battle to arrest Lord Lokton.”

  Orres shrugged. “Doesn’t seem out of the ordinary,” he said. “I would expect arrests to be made after such events.”

  “But what is weird is the timeframe,” Wendal pointed out. “In order for Senator Bracken to have arrested Lokton so early, he would have to have been in the area already.”

  “Master Orres said that the magistrate was murdered a few days prior to the battle. Perhaps the senator was on his way to investigate that murder and then stumbled into the battle,” Lady Arkyn put in.

  Wendal smiled and put a finger in the air. “That’s what I thought at first, but while I was eating my lunch I heard Master Greenwood and Lady Hanzor speaking. Master Greenwood was discussing a recent trip he had taken to Drakai Glazei to purchase some alchemical supplies for his class. As you know, he is close friends with some of the senators, including Bracken. He said he had tried to call upon Senator Bracken during his visit, but that Bracken was traveling on business and was not expected back in the capitol city for at least a week.”

  “Where was he?” Orres asked.

  “Greenwood said that Bracken had been tasked to travel to Roegudok Hall, and afterward he had scheduled some other meetings,” Wendal replied.

  “Where were these other meetings?” Lady Arkyn asked.

  Wendal shook his head. “Greenwood told Lady Hanzor that Bracken’s steward wasn’t sure where the meetings were or who they were with, only that it would be some time before he was expected back.” Wendal waved an excited finger in the air. “Now here is the kicker.” He leaned forward with a toothy grin. “Senator Bracken left on business a couple of days before the magistrate’s murder. There was no way he could have been sent from the senate to investigate the murder.”

  “Because he was not with the senate when it was informed of the magistrate’s death,” Orres said.

  “So what does this mean?” Arkyn asked.

  Wendal shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said with a frown. “That’s why I came here, to try to figure it out.”

  “Perhaps someone got a message to him while he was in the field,” Orres said. “Surely another senator must have known where he was. Perhaps they sent him instructions to investigate based on his proximity.”

  Wendal wrinkled his nose and shrugged. “I guess that makes more sense than what I thought.”

  “What did you think?” Lady Arkyn asked with a nudge to his ribs.

  Wendal shook his head. “No, it’s stupid. My imagination just got away from me, that’s all.”

  “Master Wendal,” Orres said. “If you have a theory, I want to hear it. Sometimes a pair of fresh eyes are the best cure for a bleak and dreary world.”

  “I thought that perhaps the senator was on his way to meet Janik,” Wendal said. Orres sat back in his chair and folded his arms.

  Lady Arkyn leaned in front of Wendal and traced her finger over the map from Kuldiga Academy to Lokton Manor. “Why would he meet with Janik?”

  “I…” Wendal paused, glancing to Orres. The sight of the headmaster boring a hole through him almost stopped him from continuing. “Forgive me, but given the revelation about Janik’s involvement with the Order of the All Seeing Eye, I thought that Janik had invited the senator for a meeting.”

  “To what end?” Lady Arkyn asked.

  Wendal shrugged. “Maybe to kill him,” he offered. “Given the magistrate’s murder and the escalating hostilities between the two noble families, it seems to be the perfect time to ambush a senator.”

  Orres shook his head. “No, that can’t be it,” he said. “Why kill Bracken? What good does one dead senator do for anyone?”

  “Well, if Bracken is one of the senators who handles the high level investigations between noble families, perhaps the warlocks needed him out of their way. They could easily pin the murder on House Lokton and then slip away undetected.”

  “No,” Orres said. “The information I have says that Janik attacked Erik in a secluded part of the forest, away from the battle. Everything indicates that Erik was his target.”

  “Then maybe Senator Bracken was working with Janik,” Lady Arkyn said. The other two stopped and looked at her. She flipped her braid back over her shoulder and returned to her seat. “Think about it. We all know what Lepkin is training Erik for. If it is true, and Erik is the Champion of Truth, then perhaps that threatened Bracken somehow.”

  “That would help put Tukai’s uninvited visit and subsequent attack on Lokton Manor into better context. Tukai belonged to the same warlock order as my brother. Perhaps they formed a relationship with Senator Bracken.”

  “Why would a senator partner with an order of warlocks?” Wendal asked.

  Orres shook his head and thumbed his chin. “I don’t know, but I would like to find out.” He leaned forward again and dropped his hand on the map so that his thumb rested on Lokton Manor and his index finger touched Drakai Glazei. “Lady Arkyn, do you think you are up for some field work?”

  The blonde woman smiled and cocked her head to the side. “Will I get to use my bow?”

  Orres let out a belly laugh and held up a hand, waving her off. “Just some reconnaissance work,
” he told her.

  “What about me?” Master Wendal asked.

  “Tomorrow I have a meeting with Master B’dargen. During my interview with him I would like you to inspect his office,” Orres said.

  Wendal’s eyes shot wide. “Master B’dargen?”

  “He has been receiving some letters from House Finorel. I want to know what they say.”

  “Is House Finorel a concern for us?” Lady Arkyn asked.

  “Yeah,” Wendal answered quickly. “Lord Finorel governs the city of Pinkt’hu, which lies on the border with Verishtahng.”

  Orres nodded grimly. “There have been indications over the years that Lord Finorel is more interested in preserving his own wealth and standing than the integrity of our southern border, or even the lives of his people.”

  Lady Arkyn raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. “If that is the case, then perhaps I could travel south and use my bow there?”

  “You are bloodthirsty, aren’t you?” Wendal chided.

  She winked back and him and smiled coyly. “Can’t be a hero unless you do something that people remember.”

  Orres cleared his throat. The other two quieted down and blushed. “It is entirely possible that the letters are harmless. So let’s not convict anyone until we prove their guilt, understood?”

  “Yes sir,” they answered together.

  “Alright, now let’s get to it. I have some students waiting in my office,” Orres said.

  “Schoolyard fight?” Arkyn asked.

  “No, just letters of concern from their parents. Apparently, the dueling tournament with Erik has made quite a stir in the kingdom. All the students write home about how a couple of apprentices got injured and all of a sudden I am justifying the entire academy and doing damage control to keep the tuition money flowing in.”

  “Back to the boring job of headmaster then,” Arkyn teased.

  *****

  Al took a drink from his goblet and studied Erik. Seeing the boy’s mannerisms acted out through Lepkin’s body was unnerving to say the least, but Al found that if he concentrated on Erik’s eyes, it helped him look beyond the physical body to see the young man inside. “Well, at least you’re taller,” Al said with a grin.

  Erik frowned. “A lot of good that will do me,” he replied.

  Al shrugged. “Whether the boy is in Lepkin’s body or not, I have to take Lepkin to the tribunal. You know the consequences if Lepkin fails to answer the summons.”

  “So, that is how it must be,” Marlin said somberly.

  Erik shook his head. “They will see through me,” he said. “I may be in Master Lepkin’s body, but I am not him.”

  Al nodded and thunked his empty goblet on the table. “That is true, lad, but if you fail to answer the summons, then it will be used against us.”

  Dimwater conjured a shot of absinthe before her with a flaming sugar cube over the glass. She noticed Marlin’s disapproving stare as she reached for it. “It helps clear my head,” she said with a shrug. She tossed the glass back, swallowing the contents in a single, wide-mouthed gulp.

  “My sense of morality aside, such habits would kill a normal person,” Marlin commented.

  “You and I both know that I am anything but a normal person, Marlin,” Dimwater replied.

  “Still, it can’t be good for you,” Marlin retorted.

  Al shuddered as a puff of thin, gray smoke emerged from Dimwater’s nostrils. “Not very lady-like either,” the dwarf put in.

  Dimwater arched her brow and tossed the glass into the air, where it promptly vanished to another realm. “I never claimed to be a lady,” she rebuffed. “Now, shall we debate my habits, or get back to the matter at hand?”

  Al leaned forward and ripped a golden brown turkey leg from the platter. Steam snaked up as the skin cracked and the joint snapped apart. He tore a mouthful of the leg off and sucked in a breath around the piping hot bite.

  Marlin sighed. “Master Lepkin had been gathering allies to the king.”

  Dimwater folded her arms across her chest. “To neglect the summons is to further weaken the kingdom,” she agreed.

  “The Livonian order would likely remain true,” Al put in.

  “They would remain faithful to the king, but they would ignore Lepkin,” Dimwater countered. “As would everyone else. A failure to appear for the summons would be viewed as an insult to the king directly, if not an open act of defiance.”

  Erik pushed his empty plate away and slumped back in his chair. “Tell me what to do,” he said. “I can go, but I don’t know what to do when I get there.”

  The four of them sat for a few moments in silence.

  After a while Al tossed a clean leg bone to his pate and unceremoniously wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I am familiar with the senate,” he said. “I accompanied my father many times to senate hearings or other negotiations.”

  “I thought senators went to Roegudok Hall.” Dimwater said.

  “That is true now,” Al replied with a nod. “Since my brother assumed the throne he has demanded the senate create a liaison to come to Roegudok Hall, but that was not so during my father’s time.”

  “Very well,” Marlin said. “I don’t see an alternative.” He turned to Erik. “This will delay your training, but I can give you some exercises that will help you stay active. When you return, we will resume your training. In the meanwhile, we’ll work with Lepkin and find a way to switch you back.”

  “About that,” Al interrupted. “I may know a way.” He looked to Marlin and then to Dimwater before continuing. “Have either of you heard of the Golden Scale?”

  Dimwater and Marlin glanced to each other. Dimwater’s mouth fell open, and Marlin leaned forward to rest his chin on his knuckles. “The Golden Scale was given to the first dwarf king of Roegudok Hall,” Marlin said. “It is rumored to have many magical properties, chief among them is its healing power.”

  Al nodded and ripped the other turkey leg off and held it up for a moment, offering it to the others. Marlin shook his head and Dimwater dismissed the offer with a wave of her hand. Al grinned and ripped a steaming hunk off the leg and chewed with an open mouth. As he blew some of the heat out, he spoke through a mouthful of half-chewed meat. “On the way back from Drakai Glazei, I’ll get the scale and bring it here.”

  “That could help Lepkin at the very least, if not reverse them both back,” Marlin said with a nod.

  Al winked and took another bite.

  Lady Dimwater tapped a finger on the table a few times. “Will your brother give it to you?” she asked at last.

  “He shuns the Ancients,” Al said through a hard swallow. “I doubt he would mind.”

  “Then why not get the Golden Scale first?” Erik asked. “Then Lepkin could answer the summons himself after we are switched back.”

  “Not enough time,” Al said just before taking another bite.

  Erik opened his mouth as if to ask something else, but stopped himself and stared at the roasted turkey carcass instead. “And because you know your brother won’t give it to you,” Erik observed.

  Al stopped chewing and set the leg down. He glanced to Erik and reached for his goblet. He raised it to his mouth to wash the rest of his bite down, but the goblet was empty. He set it down and hurriedly chewed the remaining meat. “I guess there is no point in shielding you from it,” Al admitted.

  “He can see through it,” Marlin commented.

  “Reaching through with reflexive power,” Dimwater added quietly.

  “What will your brother do when you ask for the scale?” Erik asked.

  Al sighed and folded his thick fingers together. “For now, let’s concentrate on the senate. I will deal with getting the scale afterward.”

  Erik reached for his plate and filled it with bread and turkey meat. The others did the same. The crackling fire and utensils scraping against ceramic plates were the only sounds made for the rest of the dinner. Each person ate in silence, occasionally stealing glances at each other from acro
ss the table as they dealt silently with their own demons.

  As the candles burned low and the food disappeared from the table, Lady Dimwater was the first to leave. She dabbed her lips with a napkin and conjured another glass of absinthe.

  Marlin departed shortly thereafter. He patted Erik’s shoulder as he passed.

  Al and Erik remained until the candles were nearly completely diminished. The dwarf popped the last hunk of bread into his mouth and looked to Erik. “I can help you learn what Lepkin would do,” he said.

  Erik sighed and pushed his empty plate across the table. “You expect me to have the presence of mind to act as Lepkin would when I will be attending a tribunal that claims my father is a traitor.” Erik finished his water and turned the glass over in his hand, watching the candlelight refract through it. “I don’t think I can do that.”

  Al nodded. “I only expect you to do your best,” he assured him. “Besides, Braun is on his way to the tribunal as well. He’ll help us if we get into trouble.”

  Erik smirked. “Or he will cause trouble,” he said.

  Al licked his forefinger and then began gathering bread crumbs by sticking them to his finger. “You might be right,” Al said. He raised his breaded finger up to his mouth and sucked the crumbs off. “Lepkin has a powerful role to play here, Erik. When he is summoned for a tribunal, he gets a vote for the verdict. He also oversees the tribunal itself to ensure there is sufficient evidence against the accused, and that the proper protocol is followed.”

  Erik jumped to his feet, knocking his chair back to the floor. “How am I supposed to do that? I don’t know the proper protocol, and I have never even seen a senator. Just standing in front of Master Orres at Kuldiga Academy makes me nervous, and here I am trapped in Lepkin’s body and on my way to a tribunal that is deciding whether my father is a traitor.” Erik folded his arms and turned away from the table.

  “I will be with you the whole time,” Al promised. “I have been there many times. I can coach you on everything that is to be done. Besides, I have never known you to back down from a challenge when it comes to protecting your family.”