Chapter 8

Six months later

Killian smiled as he knelt in the dirt to inspect a beautiful plant with petals of the palest pink.

"Well done," he said, glancing up at his sister.

Aloisa's cheeks reddened, and her gaze lowered to the ground. "Thank you, it took far longer than I expected."

"What was your biggest obstacle?"

"I feared the color would take patience, but it was the leaves. My choice to combine two different wildflowers gave me some interesting variations…some of them quite lovely."

Rising to his feet, Killian didn't have to brush any earth from his clothing. His magick kept such things at bay. The only thing that kept him from experiments like Aloisa's was his duties as leader of the druids. Once he was finished assuring his people had everything they needed in a day, he spent every hour in the ever-growing garden he shared with his sibling.

"Have the leaves inspired any new projects?"

"Indeed," Aloisa replied. "I will need to organize my thoughts and decide which idea to pursue first."

Killian opened his mouth to commend her thoughtfulness but gasped instead. Reverent Knight Conley Gylde had teleported straight into the garden, and the look in his yellow-orange eyes sent an icy chill through Killian.

"Both of you, come with me," Conley demanded, his words clipped.

"What is wrong, and where are we going?" Killian asked as his sister looped her arm through his.

"To my great hall," Conley stated. "It is Chand. I must go get the Leolinnias."

Conley disappeared, and Killian blew out a breath as fear consumed him. What was wrong with Chander?

"Cast the spell, brother," Aloisa demanded.

With a quick nod, Killian used a teleportation circle to send himself and Aloisa to the great hall of the Reverent Knights. They arrived to the clash of steel.

"Get out of here, druids," Baxter shouted.

"We cannot help Chand if you will not allow us to get closer to him," Drystan roared, pivoting to push Benton back as Baxter charged toward him.

Killian's gaze landed on the small form of Chander curled on the floor. He and Aloisa tried to step forward to aid the ailing necromancer, but the sentinels quickly switched their focus from Drystan to the advancing druids.

"Chand needs our help," Aloisa pleaded, running to the wall to escape Benton. She was cornered, and Killian had genuine fear that the assassin would end the life of his dear sister.

"Enough!" Killian growled. Throwing his arms outward, he thrust the magick from his soul and coaxed vines from outside the thick walls of the keep to slip beneath the stones. He cocooned the sentinels in the foliage as the new Grand Warlock, Grand Summoner, and their parents arrived with Conley.

Heedless of anything else going on, Kaedan landed heavily on his knees at Chander's side.

"His breathing is labored," Kaedan shouted. "What has befallen him?"

"I know not," Drystan replied, his wary gaze focused on the vines Killian continued to coax around the sentinels to stop their pursuit of everyone in the room. "He suddenly arrived here, and soon after, his sentinels changed. They donned their hoods and seemed to lose the ability to recognize us. We became enemies in a mere second."

"An instinct maybe," T'Eirick murmured. His eyes closed as the golden glow of Kaedan's magic surrounded Chander. "Poison."

"Yes, and it is tearing apart his insides," Kaedan said, his brow creased and his blond ringlets falling onto his forehead. He'd already switched to his true warlock form, leaving half his skin painted gold, and his eyes switched to ageless pools of gilt. Killian was still busy imprisoning the sentinels, who were fighting diligently to free themselves, so he could barely see the dragony irises that had replaced Kaedan's usual human-like ones.

"Wizard," Kariston added. His true form was nearly identical to his brother's, except the markings on his skill were a shiny silver. "A potion perhaps. And something else strange. A sense on his skin, not in the poison."

"Dragon," Drystan added morosely.

"Get Egidius here now," Killian demanded. Little vines were sprouting on his fingers as he shoved further power toward the flailing sentinels. Conley popped out of the room to do as Killian ordered.

"He is very ill," Saura lamented, her hand resting on Chander's shoulder. "We need to get the poison out."

"Only one way to do that," T'Eirick commented.

"Yes," Saura replied. "Hold him still now."

Her sons and mate helped hold Chander as she stuck her fingers into the necromancer's mouth to force him to vomit.

"Shite," Kaedan snarled. "Some of it has moved past his stomach."

"He will not live if we do not get as much out of him as possible," T'Eirick remarked as Saura made Chander puke more of the vile potion out. Whatever concoction it was sizzled as it hit the wood and left behind pits in the smooth planks.

Conley returned, and Egidius arrived in a blur. The Arch Wizard rushed forward and closed his eyes as he rested his palm on Chander's back.

"Oh dear," Egidius said, his voice thick. "Oh dear. Oh dear. How? Wait. I recognize this magick."

"You do?" Drystan asked, tearing his gaze from Killian's rapidly growing prisons to Egidius's white face.

"Yes," Egidius replied instantly. "A former friend of mine, Agnarr, had to have pupils removed from his home. Complaints of cruelty reached my ears, and I forbade him to teach again. His methods included vile punishments, including poisons. He is adept…and a High Arcanist."

High Arcanist was the highest title wizards could gain, which meant Agnarr was a gifted and rare sorcerer.

"I can lift the memory of his location," Kariston said, resting his arm on Egidius's.

"Go get him," Egidius ordered as Kariston filled the space with an image of Agnarr's home. "He has much to answer for."

"I do not recognize the dragon culprit, and I cannot understand how any of them would ally with a wizard," Drystan commented, his voice tense. "They hate sorcerers."

Once again, Conley disappeared to presumably capture Agnarr. Aloisa laid her palm on Chander's head, and her magick flowed around the warlocks and the Arch Lich.

"I believe his stomach is empty now," Saura said. "Let us heal what we can."

"Is that a fang?" Kaedan exclaimed.

The sound of tearing cloth was loud enough to reach Killian's ears, and he started as the sorcerers surrounding Chander jumped back.

"What is happening?" Drystan asked from across the room.

"What in the name of Fate?" Egidius asked.

"Th-th-those are wings!" Kaedan exclaimed as two inky black wings emerged from between Chander's shoulder blades.

"It would seem there are more mysteries to our dear Chand's birth than we considered," Saura said, tentatively moving forward and kneeling again next to Chander. The orphan Chander knew nothing of his origins. One of the former elders had found Chander on his doorstep. Recognizing the winged skull on his chest as something only Fate could imbue, the elder proclaimed him the first Arch Lich chosen by the goddess.

A power struggle had soon emerged as a group of former Arch Liches proclaimed themselves elders and spent the next thirty years attempting to manipulate Chander and circumstances to keep the ability to govern. Now, Chander was free of them, and Killian could not help but wonder what role they had played in his poisoning.

Thankfully, the sentinels Killian was imprisoning had finally stilled. It was a relief. Although he was a gifted sorcerer, it was taking all his strength to keep the elite assassins from attempting to kill the occupants of the great hall.

"Our dear Chand would appear to be more than a necromancer, yet I cannot detect much beyond the soul I still recognize as uniquely his," T'Eirick stated.

"Whatever this other half is that has emerged, it is aiding our healing," Kaedan said, shoving considerable magick into Chander.

"Yet I will not feel better until he awakes," Kariston commented.

"Do you see?" Aloisa asked, her palm settling on Chander's locks again. "His face has changed slightly. Even his hair texture differs. This mysterious other half of his sorcery is remarkable indeed."

"Without it, I doubt he would have survived this," Kaedan growled.

Egidius closed his eyes. "What apology can I offer for the brutality he has suffered today at the hands of one of my own?"

"It was not a wizard alone," Drystan stated. "My senses tell me necromancers were involved and the dragon. I cannot reveal which necro yet without properly examining his home, but your wizard did not act by himself."

"A wizard willing to be hired to do something so nefarious is hardly soothing to my soul," Egidius replied. "But I am glad of your skills. We need everyone involved to suffer for nearly killing the Arch Lich."

"Yes, Chand is a devoted ruler, and our Council needs him too," Saura added.

"His heart is beating normally again," Kaedan said, blowing out an unsteady breath.

With the sentinels no longer struggling, Killian rushed toward his friend and allowed what was left of his magick to touch Chander so he could ascertain his condition. He nearly smiled as he detected two distinct halves, though the newly added one was a dark abyss he could not read. But he believed it to be strong.

It had to be mending what the poison had wrought. Warlock magick was still flowing through Chander in thick waves, and Killian felt him stir slightly.

"He is close to consciousness," Killian murmured.

"Do not allow him to wake yet," Egidius ordered. "The light magick working to heal him will cause him excruciating pain."

"I nearly forgot about that," Saura responded. "Killian, dear, put him in stasis. We must finish our task. There is poison yet inside him. His beautiful new power is aiding us, but the potion was immensely strong."

Using his depleted well, Killian put his friend into a deep sleep that would last until the warlocks completed their task of saving his life. There was no time yet to deal with his fear of nearly losing Chander. What turmoil rested in the breasts of necromancers? Was this the first of many attempts to destroy their Fate-chosen leader, or was Chander safe from such future machinations? And dragons…why did they persist in their hatred of sorcerers? Did the dragon attached to Killian's soul feel such loathing toward him? Was that why Dravyn had failed to write to him?

Conley returned with fury boiling in his gaze. "I left Agnarr with our Venerable Knights."

Chander had resurrected two men to act as lieutenants to the Reverent Knights, and Venerable Knight Vann Ruarc and Venerable Knight Roman Calixtus were wonderful additions to their people and The Council.

"What was his demeanor?" Egidius asked. "Your mate says he did not work alone."

"Unrepentant," Conley stated, his lip curling in disgust. "Your former friend is quite proud of his work and is confident that Chand's life cannot be saved, for Agnarr is no novice."

"Allow me to speak with him," Egidius begged. "His life is forfeit, but I hope he has some honor left in him. I would have us remove every danger from Chand's life. It is imperative he remains the Arch Lich."

"We would welcome your aid," Conley assured Egidius. The Reverent Knight knelt next to the Arch Wizard and patted his shoulder. "Do not take on the burden of his guilt, Egidius. You knew nothing of his plans."

"He is still one of my own, and it is a mark against the entire Circle of Wizards."

"Rest easy," Killian told Egidius. "The warlocks have saved Chand. That is what is most important. He is our dear, dear friend, but our personal loss is nothing compared to what the necromancers and our Council would have suffered without him."

"He has had but months to experience ruling without the elders gainsaying him at every turn," Kariston groused.

"Uh…Killian?" asked a muffled voice Killian barely recognized as Benton's.

Killian stood and stared at the two thick cocoons he'd trapped the mated sentinels in. "You recall who I am?"

"Yes," Benton replied. "I cannot explain what happened. We shared a meal with Chand. Halfway through, his breathing grew labored, and he swayed. He whispered he must see Drystan and Conley. Then I suddenly could not control my actions."

"Why not?" Killian asked.

"Because Chand was near death," Baxter growled from the other cocoon. "Instinct took over. We would not allow another to harm him."

"It must be their spell," Drystan murmured. "They will stop at nothing to protect."

"We are quite ourselves again," Benton insisted. "But these vines are coiled through my clothing and digging into my skin. I cannot even teleport out or the vines will come with me."

"Very effective," Egidius said, praise in his voice.

"Yes, it is quite great," Baxter lamented. "Would you free us now? Chand is okay. I can sense it. You put him in stasis. He will live. Though his magick is starting to fight the light. You must stop."

Thanking the vines for their diligent aid, Killian freed the sentinels from their prisons.

"I feel it," Kaedan said, rising from the scarred floor. "I can do no more without hurting him."

"We will bring him home and keep an eye on him," Saura declared.

"Killian. Aloisa. You will stay with us too," T'Eirick said.

"You will have a few fallen knights to find chambers for too," Drystan stated. "They will remain until we have sorted this out."

"Thank you," Saura said. "Egidius, will you come to the castle for a visit after you speak with Agnarr?"

"Yes," Egidius replied. "I will appreciate the comfort of friends following such a tense meeting with someone I once cared for."

"Bring Jael and stay for a few days," Kaedan insisted, speaking of Egidius's only child.

Egidius smiled. "As you wish, Grand Warlock."

"I will accompany you to Castle Leolinnia until Drys sends over our fallen knights," Conley said.

"Step close, everyone, and I will teleport us," Aloisa encouraged with a wave of her arm.

Killian swallowed thickly and hardly knew where to start in sorting his emotions. He scooped Chander's still form from the hard floor and thanked Fate that his friend had survived. It was a lesson too for Killian to grow his magick. If he were any less of a sorcerer, he would have been unable to contain the sentinels. Their instincts would have prevented anyone from rescuing Chander. The Council had much to do to protect themselves, and Killian would be damned if he did not play his own part.