“No, it isn’t.” Rose looked past him, to Neridia. “Your Empress calls the shots. And I’m going to have to ask her to trust me.”
Chapter 22
He’d never thought that he would ever miss his old cell, but this new cage had him thinking wistfully of that stark, spartan room. At least it had had a bed.
Ash slept anyway, curled on the concrete floor with the single blanket Corbin had given him wadded up under his head. It was an old knack, perfected during the ten long years that he and the wendigo had hunted warlocks across the globe. When you were a fugitive, you learned how to snatch rest where you could.
You also learned how to sleep lightly. He was fully awake even before he knew what had disturbed him.
He lay still, feigning sleep, but let his eyes open the merest crack. The stars still gleamed through the bars of the cage overhead, though the fading hue of the sky suggested that dawn could not be far off. He held his breath, listening intently.
“…Only a small force, High Magus.”
The voice was distant, but coming closer. The speaker was the warlock who had bound Chase, if he was not mistaken. And evidently, Corbin accompanied him.
Quickly, Ash wrapped himself in the blanket. Subduing his inner fire as much as possible, he curled tighter, pretending to shiver. In truth, he’d recovered enough strength that the chill night air couldn’t touch him. But better for Corbin to think him still weak.
“I counted four,” the warlock continued. “All sea dragons, I am certain of it. They made a brief stop at the resort, then started swimming around the island, following the coast. I couldn’t maintain the spell for long, but it looked like they might be heading for that small cove near us, the one with the waterfall.”
“An advance party, I suspect.” Corbin sounded unruffled. “Scouting out our defenses. Well, they will not be returning back to the main force to make any report. Are the acolytes ready?”
“I have selected suitable candidates, High Magus.” That was the witch, the one bound to Hugh. “Our most talented and worthy, who I predict will be able to easily bind the shifters. They are most eager to acquire familiars at last.”
“We will take six with us. Some spares, in case any fall before all the beasts are subdued.” Corbin let out a dry chuckle. “A little competition will spur the acolytes to perform better, in any case.”
From the sound of it, Corbin had nearly reached his cage. Ash braced himself, and was unsurprised when the binding bit into his arm.
“Up,” Corbin ordered.
Ash pushed himself to his feet, taking care to move sluggishly, as though still exhausted. In truth, not all of his stiffness was feigned. He had been much younger the last time that he had slept so rough. He rolled his shoulders, wincing, before stepping out of the cage.
A small floating sphere of witchlight orbited Corbin, illuminating his glittering gray eyes and hungry expression. He was clearly looking forward to the coming fight. As well as the witch, he was accompanied by four other warlocks, all of whom Ash recognized. They were the ones who had bound Alpha Team.
“Magus Serena,” Corbin said, turning to the witch. “Are you also in readiness?”
The witch hesitated. “This assault has come a little earlier than anticipated, High Magus. I am still mastering the finer points of my familiar’s power. If you wish me to come, I shall, but…”
Corbin shook his head. “No. Sea dragons are too rare and valuable a prize to risk accidentally killing them. You shall remain here to guard the other acolytes. Even without you, we have a more than sufficient strength to deal with such a small force.”
“Er…” Griff’s warlock cleared his throat. His agile hands twisted together nervously. “My familiar has not yet recovered consciousness.”
Corbin sighed in irritation. “I told you not to draw so heavily on the griffin’s power, Adept. Let this be a lesson in how critical it is to conserve your familiar’s strength.”
The remaining three warlocks exchanged glances. To Ash’s secret delight, matching expressions of guilt spread across their faces.
Corbin had noticed too. His tone sharpened. “Adepts. Are any of your familiars fit for this fight?”
Dai’s warlock studied his shoes. John’s discovered a sudden interest in astronomy.
Ash stood still and silent in the shadows, unnoticed, but fierce jubilation beat through his veins. Even caged and tormented, Alpha Team were not yet defeated. They were fighting their warlocks, no matter how it ripped their minds and souls.
Corbin, you fool, he thought, watching the warlock’s expression darken. You always did try to grasp more than you could hold.
“Y-you ordered me to use my familiar’s power, High Magus,” Chase’s warlock stuttered. “A-and the pegasus shifter is much more willful than I anticipated. He fights so hard, so relentlessly…I can only force him to submit by driving him to the brink of exhaustion.”
“And that’s just a glorified pony,” Dai’s warlock said quickly. “I’m trying to tame an actual dragon. No one could do it in a day.”
“And yet, here I stand with the Phoenix leashed to my will,” Corbin said, in his iciest tones.