| More Secrets Revealed |
| Evil Wizard Keenan Series - Six |
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| �This spell will have the same effect as the soul-crystals,� the elderly wizard told Elayne. �Except that it will only work on warlocks. Along with their life-force, the user will gain their power and all the knowledge they possess.� Elayne paused as she considered the man�s words. Using this crystal, she could not only eliminate a serious thorn in her side, she�d gain his power and learn where the Vault of Taleisin was hidden and how to access it. A light touch on her arm brought her out of her reverie. �Elayne,� Keenan said softly, from his seat by her side. �You � you can seriously be considering this? It � it�s a forbidden spell and � and�� he broke off and shook his head, at a loss. �I want what�s in that Vault, sweeting,� she announced. Keenan looked into her eyes for a moment; then looked away. A thousand things went through his head � foremost among them that he couldn�t allow Elayne to succeed in this task. It would be like letting her throw her soul away and he loved her too much to allow that. Finally, the young wizard sighed and looked up at the elderly wizard who had brought the arcane spell to his lady�s attention. �What if the good mages were to learn of our plans?� he asked. �What�s to prevent them from stopping us, or even turning its power against Elayne in some way?� �As I said, my lord,� the old wizard said. �It only works on warlocks, but to answer your first question: the only thing that can prevent this spell from working is if the target wears a cloak imbued with a Potion of Transparency.� Keenan nodded silently. Being a master of potions, he knew exactly what that potion was, what it did and � most importantly � how to make it. After Elayne had dismissed the wizard to get to his work, Keenan rose and said, �I left a potion brewing in my workshop.� Elayne locked eyes with him, as if trying to see if he was lying to her. After a moment, she nodded and her quietly left the Great Hall. ** It didn�t Keenan long to reach his tower workshop. He glanced around and then called, �Bartholomew!� His familiar appeared and looked up at him intently. �What is it?� he asked, easily realizing that his master was upset by something. Keenan sighed. �I need to imbue Phillip�s cloak with a spell. Can you get into the Crystal Palace and steal it?� �Another attempt to kidnap him?� the rabbit asked tiredly. �Not this time,� Keenan said softly. �If I succeed, I�ll be able to save his life and Elayne�s soul.� Bartholomew�s ears came forward excitedly; then went back against his head. �Keenan, after that last attempt�they�ll be guarding against me.� �Damn,� Keenan swore. Sighing, he went over to his workbench and removed his own cloak. It would be somewhat large on the diminutive warlock, but it was only way. He quietly set to work mixing the Potion of Transparency. As soon as the mixture was complete and had boiled down to a thick paste, Keenan poured it into a low pan and set the pan in the oven to bake. After a few hours, the paste had dried to a brick, off of which Keenan broke a small piece. After he�d ground the piece into a fine powder, he sprinkled the powder of the cloak and spoke the words of power that would activate the spell. He set the remaining powder and brick aside and pulled the cloak on over his shoulders; then crossed the room to a wall mirror. �Here goes nothing,� he said softly, drawing the hood over his head. Just as he�d hoped, he vanished from view. The spell was complete and the cloak could now make its wearer invisible. Now he just had to find a way to get the cloak to Phillip without arousing suspicion by either the evil mages or the good ones. If either group caught him, he�d be punished for sure. ** Keenan finally decided that the only way to get the cloak to Phillip was to deliver it by hand. It was a daring plan, but it was also the only thing he could think of. So, once he was certain he wouldn�t be missed for quite some time, he crept out of the Dark Castle and headed for the place where he�d set up a transfer portal. With the cloak over his shoulders, he stepped into the ring of stones that marked the portal and spoke the spell. He vanished and reappeared a moment later just outside the Crystal Palace. Stifling a gasp, he drew the hood over his head. He breathed a sigh of relief when no one called out a warning that might indicate he�d been spotted; then looked around nervously. His timing was impeccable, he realized, when he saw Master Phillip and Master Alaric heading into the Palace. Taking a steadying breath, he raced across the yard that separated them and sneaked in along with them. The beautiful part of the Potion of Transparency was that it made you completely invisible. Even to people who could see auras, like Phillip. He followed the two older mages into the Great Hall and breathed a soft sigh of relief when he saw that Master Shadow was already there, seated with Master Silvanus and Mistress Pol. At least Shadow knew that what Keenan was about to say could be trusted. The spell-caster � annoying as he was � knew things about Keenan that no one else did. As soon as Phillip and Alaric took their seats with the other members of the Council, Keenan pushed his hood back and quickly removed the cloak. �Master Phillip,� he called breathlessly. The warlock looked over at the sound of his name and his eyes widened in surprise when he realized just who was standing before them. �Master Keenan!� he growled. �You have a lot of gall coming into this Palace so boldly.� �Believe me,� the young wizard said, tossing the cloak onto a nearby rack. �I wouldn�t be here now, if it weren�t a matter of life and death. Just � just hear me out before you attack.� Barely had he gotten the sentence out of his mouth, however, when Silvanus rose and headed for the bell-pull that would summon the guards and Alaric�s eyes narrowed in concentration. Keenan�s eyes widened when he realized that the old man was most likely summoning plants to restrain him. �If you value your life, Phillip, you�ll wear that cloak whenever possible,� he said, already wringing his hands. He managed to activate the teleportation spell just before Silvanus could throw a counter-spell and prevent his escape. �Bloody Hell!� Phillip exploded. Turning to Shadow, he asked, �Why didn�t you stop him?� Shadow smiled knowingly. Without answering, he stood and crossed to the coat rack where the cloak was hanging. He tossed the garment to Phillip and said, �He was only dropping off a gift, Phillip. Why are you so touchy?� �He�s evil,� Phillip pointed out. Shadow shook his head. �You and I both know that isn�t true, Phillip,� he said calmly. �He kidnapped Phillip not too long ago,� Silvanus pointed out irritably. Shadow shrugged. �He also helped him to escape,� the spell-caster countered. Alaric slammed a fist on the table and added, �He kills plants with impunity and without remorse!� Shadow sighed and shook his head sadly. �Only when those plants attack him, Alaric,� he argued. �He just happens to be severely dendrophobic.� �He�s gone now,� Pol pointed out softly. �The question is, why was he here?� Shadow shrugged and held the cloak out to Phillip. �It�s imbued with an invisibility spell of some kind. If he risked capture to get this to you, I think you should do as he says and wear it.� Phillip scowled darkly and took the garment. �Just why should I trust anything that�that wizard brings me?!� Shadow smiled innocently. �Well, he�s been spying on the evil mages for me for close to four years now. Is that reason enough?� he stated softly. �Spying?!� the other members of the Council exclaimed. �Why didn�t you tell us?!� Phillip demanded. Again Shadow shrugged. �It didn�t seem important at the time,� he said, smiling disarmingly. �Is his information accurate?� Silvanus asked suspiciously. Shadow nodded. �He doesn�t tell me all their plans, just the most�dangerous ones, but he�s never kept anything from me and his information is always dead-on,� he admitted. Phillip sighed deeply and shrugged into the cloak. �From now on,� he announced. �If he tells you something, you let us know right away.� �I�ll tell him to call you directly from now on, Phillip,� the spell-caster said, nodding once. ** At Keenan�s insistence, Elayne sent the wizard who had brought the spell to her attention to perform the actual spell that would have sealed Phillip�s soul into the crystal his dark magic had wrought. The wizard attacked while Phillip was travelling to the land of the Shyninans on Loyalia. He appeared unexpectedly and spoke a single word, activating the soul-crystal. Much to everyone�s surprise, the spell struck Phillip and � rather than pulling his life-force out of him � it seemed to be absorbed by the long weathering cloak the diminutive mage wore. The evil wizard was so surprised that the spell failed, that he was easily captured by Phillip�s guards and his foul creation was destroyed by Phillip himself. Watching the whole sorry scene through a scrying crystal, Elayne sighed and looked up at Keenan. �His weathering cloak�� she started. �It must have been imbued with a Potion of Transparency,� Keenan finished innocently. Elayne nodded and set the scrying crystal aside. Pulling her consort close to her side, she said, �We�ll have to try a different way. At least it wasn�t me who was captured.� �Indeed,� Keenan said softly, closing his eyes and snuggling against her chest. �It�s a good thing that I trusted your judgement and sent him in my place,� Elayne said, smoothing Keenan�s hair. To her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her and began weeping softly. �Keenan? Sweeting, are you alright?� She felt his head nod and heard his muffled voice say, �Just � just relieved that everyone I care about is safe from harm, darling.� Elayne smiled and gently kissed his soft locks. �You are such a dear,� she announced; then she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Keenan lifted his head off Elayne�s chest and looked into her peaceful face. When she was asleep, it was difficult to believe that she was really the same person who so easily ordered executions and plotted against the Good Mages. How would she react if she were to learn of his deception? What would she do if she ever found out that he had betrayed her plans rather than see her change in any way, even if it meant she�d obtain the power she sought. That was the real reason he�d begun crying. He was afraid of how she�d react if she ever discovered that he was spying on her for the people who were her greatest enemies. Sighing, Keenan lay back down and snuggled as close to his love as he could. He felt reassured by her presence and the close contact and soon he too fell into a deep, dreamless slumber. End |
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