Into the Light

24 | AN INTRUDER

Within the solitude of his hidden library, Khadgar sorted through the tomes he had summoned, searching for the answer he sought. A glass of conjured wine floated in the air beside him. He waved his hand and leafed through the volume hovering before him.

Finding something interesting, he caught the glass and drank deep, letting the alcohol soothe his tattered nerves. Before he knew it, the wine was gone. He conjured another glass, craving more, something about the latent magic soaked into Karazhan's walls improved even the most basic spell.

Lost deep in thought, he read through the pages, seeking a powerful enough spell to break the wards sealing the entrance and exit to the tunnel leading from the collapsed temple in Hope's End to the Chamber of the Eye. There had to be a spell which could overcome what he had seen, but so far . . . nothing.

Ideally, they would go in quietly, imitating the spells used by the Eredar. Khadgar sighed, and sent another book back its shelf. The wards on the tunnel were powerful. From what he'd sensed, he would need arcane power strong enough to match Gul'dan's fel. Khadgar sat back in his chair, and gazed up into the tower, filled with books. There had to be a way. He just had to find the right book. But that was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

A sound, behind him. He turned and listened, footsteps. No, he wasn't imagining things. Someone was here. He caught sight of a shadow behind one of the bookshelves. He threw up a shield as blue light exploded from his hands. A strangled cry, and a woman fell on all fours, scrabbling at her neck, suffocating. He stared, astonished. What the . . .

"Idira! How in the name of--? Oh!" He ended the spell with an abrupt gesture and rushed over to her. She fell back onto her backside, massaging her throat, sucking in air. Tears streamed down her face.

"Forgive me, I thought you were someone else. Are you alright?"

She nodded and looked up, pale and trembling. He fell back onto his haunches. Her eyes. He could lose himself in them. He looked away, wishing he had not had so much wine. He stood and held out his hand, helping her up.

"How did you get into my office?" he asked, sharper than he meant to.

"The door was open," she answered, wary, her voice husky.

He shook his head. "Impossible. I locked, sealed and warded it."

"Well, it was open for me," she shrugged and looked around, curious. "What is this place?"

"Never mind that, how did you even get in here?"

"There was a doorway, like a portal, I walked into it. I was looking for you."

He felt his chest tighten. She was looking for him. Why did he like the sound of that so much? Once more, he cursed his earlier imbibing, it was stopping him from thinking straight. He took hold of her elbow. "Show me how you got in here."

Looking at him like he was crazy, she led him back to where he had stepped through his teleport. There was nothing there. He arched an eyebrow at her, waiting. She sighed and stepped forward. She disappeared. He turned full circle. She must have cast blink. He called her name, annoyed. This was no time for games, he had work to do.

"Yes?" she answered, her voice faint, as though speaking from a great distance.

"Where are you?"

"In your office. In Dalaran. Can't you see me? I can see you." She sounded perplexed, and a little frightened.

"Come back to me, if you can."

She stepped through the air, materialising before him. He stepped back, incredulous.

She smiled, shy. "You look surprised."

"I am. What you are doing even I cannot do."

She turned and looked into the empty air. "What do you mean? Can't you see the portal into your office? It's right here." Her arm disappeared up to her elbow.

Disturbed, he grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her away from the invisible rent. He didn't like the idea of something going wrong, and her losing her arm. "Don't do that, it's dangerous."

She came up against him, caught inside the crook of his arm. Her hair smelled like roses. "Alright. I'm sorry, I didn't know." She stepped away, oblivious to what she had just done to him, looking around, her eyes bright. "I like it here. There is so much power. It makes me feel strong . . . like I can do anything."

As she walked along a row of shelves, several books fluttered free and approached her, curious. She reached out, entranced, and touched them. At her touch, the books glowed bright blue. Others slipped free, and surrounded her. Soon she was lost in a torrent of books, circling her, clamouring for her attention. Violet light glowed in her eyes, becoming so bright Khadgar had to turn away.

He fell back into the shadows of a bookshelf and let the books satisfy their curiosity. They wouldn't go to just anyone. He heard Idira laughing, delighted. A dark thought crossed his mind. What if . . . No. Could it be? He tried to stop the thought but it pushed its way forward, settling at the front of his mind. What if she could open the way into the Chamber of the Eye? Her power was astonishing, certainly if she could use echoes of magic, she would be able to open the way in total silence into Gul'dan's lair. It seemed too good to be true, for her to arrive just when he needed her abilities.

He stopped, his suspicions rising. It was too good to be true. Who was she really? She had come out of nowhere. What if she was a demon, hiding among the Kirin Tor, biding her time to destroy the city from within . . . and now she was in his private sanctuary drinking in the knowledge of his books.

Alarmed, he called out the tomes, ordering them back to their places. They fled, rustling, indignant, leaving her standing alone once more. She looked at him, uneasy. He strode back to her, his hands crackling with arcane power.

She stepped back, frightened. "What--?"

He threw a barrier around her, enclosing her. He raised his arm and she lifted from the ground, hanging suspended before him. "Who are you?"

She gaped at him, as though he had gone mad. "I told you, I am Idira, from Westfall."

"Whom do you serve?"

"I . . . No one? You?"

He roared, increasing his power. "I do not believe you. You are demon, pretending to be one of us. No more will you hide the truth from me!"

Her eyes widened, fearful. "Archmage?"

He let go of a blinding bolt of blue. It smashed into her through the barrier. She juddered as it crackled across her body, burning her. She screamed, writhing in agony. Not a drop of fel green showed through. He staggered, filled with disbelief. She wasn't a demon after all. Driven by suspicion and haste, he had attacked an innocent woman--he had been so certain his spell would reveal the fel in her.

He swept up his staff, casting the spell to free her. She screamed, thrashing, desperate to escape, fearing another onslaught. Her violet eyes met his, filled with anguish. Violet light pulsed around her. She cried out as the light gathered, rotating around her torso, building in intensity. It burst outwards, a wall of burning light, throwing him back against the bookshelves. The barrier collapsed, and she fell to the floor with a dull thud.