I wish you’d give me more warning before doing that, Anders thought. Let’s just wait and see how he does.
Max held the crystal in his hand, pointing it at the tree Kirsten had scorched. It flashed, a bright light emitting from his palm, then went dull again in an instant. The tree remained charred from Kirsten’s attempt, unchanged by Max. Max grunted and flexed in frustration. He continued to strain, holding the crystal out in front of him. A dim light shown in his palm, much weaker than during his first attempt, but it held, not getting brighter or dimmer.
“Max,” Anders said, reaching out after a minute of no change.
Max exhaled and sank back fatigued. “I’m sorry, Anders. It doesn’t work for me,” Max said.
“But it does work. I saw it flash bright for a moment on your first try.”
“You saw that, too?” he asked sounding surprised.
Anders nodded.
“I thought I was imagining it.”
"Who else saw the bright flash the first time he tried?” Anders asked, looking around at the group.
“I saw it,” Kirsten said with a smile.
Thomas nodded, as did Evans and Sanka.
“You can do this, Max. Just focus and believe,” Anders said. “Withdraw into your mind’s eye and focus on channeling the crystal’s source.” As Anders spoke, he withdrew his consciousness into the recesses of his mind. Suddenly he was interrupted by Zahara’s touch. He could feel she’d sensed something. Looking to her, he saw her sitting up at attention. His heart dropped and he feared the worst, What is it Zahara?
It’s Raffa and Maija, she said. They’re nearly here.
Anders felt a wave of relief.
I feel a third presence with them, she added.
Anders paused. He instantly sent his mind searching for them. Probing the area as far as he could reach. Anders felt Maija’s distant mind and the firm thoughts of her dragon. Zahara was right, another person was with them, yet Anders couldn’t tell who or what it was from such a distance. Something about the presence was familiar, but at the same time muted and disguised.
Suddenly a bright flash exploded near Anders’ face. He leapt back just in time, forced back into the present. He nearly responded with a deflection spell, but then realized that Max had finally tapped into the crystal’s power. Anders followed Max’s shocked gaze to see a smoldering tree branch. “Excellent!” Anders said, slapping him on the shoulder.
Max stood in awe, staring at the crystal in his hand.
“Now if you’ll excuse me. I must greet Maija and Raffa on their return.”
“They’re back?” Kirsten gasped.
Anders nodded, “Keep practicing, all of you. Just don’t point the crystals at one another and you’ll be fine. I’ll be back soon.”
***
“Return to the elven city at once,” Merglan growled into the glass of his mirror.
“Shouldn’t we go after the ships? They won’t be more than several days’ ride from here,” the rider asked.
“It’s more effort than it’s worth,” Merglan said. “We’ve wasted too much time on the crystals already. I need you here to command while I complete the processes. I’m close to the true source.”
“You want me to command?”
“A small force, yes.”
“What’s the task?”
“Another rider,” Merglan said. “That Northland witch destroyed the barrier before I killed her.”
“Will they be a threat?”
“I’m not sure,” Merglan said. “My demon spotted them in the mountains. So far, they seem to be observing, but we can’t have them taking sides.”
“We’re on our way back now.”
Merglan placed the mirror glass down on the table and walked to the edge of the treehouse’s flat decking. He looked out over the elves’ capital city. Looking at the wreckage left in the wake of his takeover, he peered down at the building where the prison had been, now flattened. Connecting his mind with Killdoor, he said, Go to the released prisoners. I have a job for them. We need to make sure the humans in the Plains don’t join the fighting.
He felt his dragon’s obedience and then saw Killdoor fly out away from the nearby cliff wall. Merglan focused on the hole he had bored into the center of the tree, revealing access to the magic at its core. He thrust his hand inside, feeling the overwhelming power of the true source of magic. He grabbed at it, finding it in his grip. Now, let me bend you to my will, he said, feeling it resist. He refused to let go. He had magic’s true source in his hands, and he would control it, no matter the cost.
Chapter 82
Maija’s Return
Anders ran from the grove of trees outside Brookside, Kirsten and Max’s shouts becoming muffled as he focused on contacting Maija. Touching on her and Raffa’s minds he felt their barriers and thought to Zahara, Why are their walls up?
Maybe they encountered more of Merglan’s monsters nearby? she answered.
Let’s fly, he said and in three strides he’d used a pulse of magic to power himself up onto Zahara’s back. Anders held onto the back end of her saddle and crouched as she broke free of the forest canopy. Spitting brown leaves that had managed to cling to their thinning branches, Anders pulled himself into the saddle and felt its magnetic seat lock him in. Make a pass over Rune’s place. I’ll fill Bo in so he doesn’t call out a false alarm if he mistakes us or Raffa for the enemy.
Zahara glided over the rooftops and circled in low around Rune’s two-story medical practice. Anders jumped from her back, landing firmly on the roof where he’d left Bo. Striding up to the peak where Max’s younger brother had been leaning against the brick chimney, Anders paused when he found a broad-shouldered man with a salt-and-pepper beard in Bo’s place.
