Reyr the Gold (Dragonwall Series # 2)

Chapter 32 - Kane's New Plans

Shadowkeep

Kane gazed upon his wraiths in disbelief. Their failure shouldn't have surprised him, but he had allowed himself to hope. "Tell me again," he said, keeping his voice calm. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Two wraiths stood before him, another sixteen behind them. Behind the lot of them was the familiar backdrop of flames. Just recently, he had increased his numbers to twenty-five Vodar. That was how many he had used to attack Kastali Dun's keep. It took a great deal of strength to ensnare a single wraith, and each summoning took its toll upon him. It would be many days before he could replace those he had permanently lost. That alone was infuriating. How had this girl—this outsider—found a way to permanently destroy his assassins? The thought left him uneasy, which further angered him.

At his bidding, the two wraiths before him recounted their story again, but this time in greater detail. They explained that once given their mission, they had gone south to Kastali Dun. They converged on the king's tower while King Talon was away in the East, confronting the tower guards and storming the interior. The king's Shields arrived shortly thereafter.

While the human soldiers were no match for the Vodar, the king's Drengr had put up a real fight. "We were forced to split up. Most of our forces remained on the main floor, while the rest went below in search of the Stonesss. Just when we had the advantage, the girl thwarted us. Let us kill her and be done with it." The wraith who spoke hissed in frustration.

"As I have said, I want her alive."

"She is a threat. She knew of our intentionsss, that we were after the Stonesss."

Kane gritted his teeth. "Claire is still the protector." This was going to complicate things. "She may have handed the Stones over to King Talon, but she never truly relinquished them." He rubbed the smooth skin on his chin, considering the matter deeper. Yes, that was the only explanation for it. "She is drawn to the Stones; she sensed their danger."

"We did not realize her strength, my lord. We have failed you."

"Clearly, else I would have twenty-five of you instead of eighteen." He cursed under his breath. While some of his wraiths had been defeated, he still had enough. "Tell me again about the magic she used?"

"It is hard to sssay, my lord. All those present at the time of the girl's act have been vanquished."

"But you said before that it was fire? You are certain of this?" Kane thought about all the types of fire he knew of. In most cases of magic, fire was not simply fire. Case in point, the fire he used to summon his assassins wasn't normal.

"Yesss, It wasss fire. We are certain without a doubt. Her green flamesss turned our comrades to ash. We are most grieved to know they will not return."

"Most grieved?" He scowled. "And you are sure the flames were green? How do you know if you were not there?"

"I am certain, my lord."

Kane found it hard to believe the wraith. Had the flames been any other color, it might have been more straightforward. Vodar wraiths were curious beings, often capable of knowing things in a way that seemed unexplainable. In this case, all he could do was take them at their word. If what they said was true, and the flames Claire used were genuinely green, then Sprite magic was to blame. "Curse the gods!" he muttered as he began pacing. "This will not do." He could not afford to take anymore risks. He would have to keep his Vodar away from Kastali Dun...away from Claire. His nose flared in anger as he continued to pace, thinking...

The entire mission appeared to be a failure. What was worse, now Talon would know how desperate he was. Had there been any profit whatsoever? Yes, perhaps there was. The attack had not been entirely fruitless. "Tell me again about the king's soldiers." He stopped his pacing and turned to the Vodar. "You killed all of them?"

"Yesss, my lord, all but one. He wasss well protected. We dealt him a lethal blow, but there was another girl—a Seer. Her magic kept our poison at bay. Shortly thereafter he was evacuated."

"The Seer!" Kane knew immediately of whom they spoke, both the girl and the commander. "I should have known..." He closed his eyes for the length of several slow breaths then his lips curled into a smile and he said, "Such a shame...Yes, such a shame for poor Saffra. Very well then. What is done, is done. Your misstep will require a change of plans. I hope you understand how inconvenient this is."

"Our deepest apologiesss, my lord."

"Yes, yes. I am used to such apologies by now." He went to his large map still spread over his monstrous ironwood table. His eyes slid over it, landing on a small dot surrounded by little notes written in his own scrolling handwriting. He bent over the small dot and studied it. He had done the same thing several times that morning. It had become a daily habit: scrutinizing his choice. He needed to be certain that this was the place.

He had hoped to send Wrath away. Had the attack on Kastali Dun been successful, he would have. The clan leader had plans to carry out their biggest mission yet, a battle to bring down Fort Squall. Unfortunate as it was, now those plans would have to wait. He needed to hide the final Dragon Stone first. For that, he needed Wrath the Red.

He turned to face his dark assassins. "There's something I must do. In the meantime, I have a new use for you. Yes...one you will be most adept for." The Vodar stood silently, awaiting their next orders. "I have been too lax on King Talon. It is time for him to feel pain...closer to home. Travel into Eigaden. Begin killing the children first, then the women, then the men. One death each night. Let them feel terror." As he said this, he smiled. "I dare say you won't complain about adding a few more souls to your tethers."

"We would be honored..."

"Honored?! Like you have a choice! Come." He called them to his side where he leaned over the map. "There, there, and there—the Three-Horned Man. Focus your efforts on these villages. Split into three groups so that you might attack each simultaneously. One death in each village each night. I will summon you back when I have need of you. Now go."

After a murmur of acknowledgement, they fled, turning into black smoke that filtered through the cracks in the rocky walls of Shadowkeep.

When he was finally alone, he went to his desk and took a seat. From a drawer he removed a box. When he ran his hand over it, it opened for him. Wrapped in silk he found his final Dragon Stone. He had left this one for last because he liked the feel of it the most.

"Wrath—plans have changed. Our mission must wait. We will hide the final Stone first, then you are free to carry out the attack."

Wrath was flying over Ice Lake. He did not sound happy about the change. "I already prepared my clan for our coming feast. Now I must wait?"

"You must. Is that going to be a problem?"

There was a long silence—longer than Kane liked. At last Wrath answered, "We will wait. I will help you hide your remaining Stone."

"Be ready to leave at dawn."

"I will."

When dawn arrived, they departed south. In Kane's pocket, wrapped in silk, was the remaining Dragon Stone. He hated to give it up, but it would be safer this way. If he got caught with one...Well, he simply couldn't allow that to happen, and this would ensure that it didn't.

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