The Wielder and the Source

Chapter 37

Aldeheid stared at his growing pile of ether stones and pressed his lips into a thin line. Is it enough? This place was huge and crawling with Vidaldi. Tafari would be an issue as well. Carrying the ether stones could prove troublesome unless...

He bit his lip. After all this time with Kitaya, he should know how to improvise. His eyes srifted around the room, from the small sconce holding the candle to the small cot under which he'd hid his stash of ether stones. Perhaps he could throw together a makeshift sack with the sheet. Ether stones weren't heavy, but the threadbare thing looked as though it would fall apart if he poked it too hard. It would have to do.

He piled the hay back atop his stash and sat back against the cool, stone wall. Perhaps he could siphon a little more before the Vidaldi came to yank him from his cell. He took a breath and closed his eyes. Spots of blue appeared in the darkness behind his lids. Some in clusters some moving.

One in the corridor.

Just outside his cell.

Aldeheid scrambled to the corner of the room just as the door swung open. Light from the hall washed over him and a lone Vidaldi walked in, her boots thumping against the dirt floor. She held her hands clasped behind her back, the red, vertical lines on her mask catching the candlelight.

Mellidius' pet, as Tafari had called her. She loomed over Aldeheid — her shadow falling on him — and made a come-hither motion with her hand. She didn't have the chain the other Vidaldi usually brought to drag him around by, but he caught the winking glint of her sickle as it caught the firelight.

Aldeheid stood and followed her out. She didn't utter a word as they navigated the many twists and turns of the labyrinth. No matter how many times he walked it, he doubted he'd ever learn its secrets. Even Kitaya had said she still got lost in castle Kon when she wasn't careful.

They stopped in front of the same door from yesterday, and Aldeheid grimaced. Was this going to be a rematch? Was she humiliated because he'd bested her in front of Mellidius?

They Vidaldi opened the door and stepped aside before motioning for him to enter. Part of him wished he could see what was hiding behind that mask. Contempt? Scorn? Embarrassment?

Aldeheid edged by her and walked into the room. A wall of desert-dry heat slammed into him. Glowing orbs lined the walls on either side of the room, each with a tongue of fire swaying in its center.

At the head of the room, before a chair, stood Mellidius his cape fluttering on his shoulders. As the fabric swayed out of the way, he spotted the symbols emblazoned on his coat—the same one the Vidaldi bore. He touched a splint to an orb and its wooden tip ignited, then turned to face Aldeheid. The fire wavered in his eyes and cast shadows along the angles of his face.

"Preservation of power," he said. Then cut his eyes to Aldeheid.

For a moment Aldeheid drew a blank. Then he remembered the many training sessions they'd had at the Etheria Bastion. The constant drilling on all the magical techniques he'd learned. "Storing up magic to release a spell in increments rather than all at once."

"So you remember."

"It was the first thing you taught me."

"So it was." Mellidius directed his attention back to the fire and turned to face the orbs again. "You've been training withSwordmaster Leandyr. And who else I wonder?" He trailed the splint along the orbs as he walked the perimeter of the room, filling the room with small clinks.

The orbs rolled along the floor and broke into small clusters of ether stones, that stood like tiny knolls on the wood.

Beads of sweat rose on Aldeheid's skin and every breath he took was akin to inhaling fire. But he kept himself leveled, posture relaxed and face impassive.