Search for the Crystal Key (A Continuation of Dark Escape)

Chapter 17

She felt like she was floating, or things were floating around her, she couldn't tell which. Tara held her fingertips to her temples in hopes that the mild pressure she applied would help her equilibrium, but it didn't. She heard, rather than saw the large dark cloaked figure before her. Where was Joshua? He'd whispered something in her ear, but she couldn't recall what it was. Did he say they'd arrived? Arrived where? Oh, yes. They'd arrived in Shadow Land and he needed to go. Where did he need to go? Oh yes, he was going to see his beloved Luella. Wasn't Lucy supposed to be his beloved? Didn't he think she was Lucy?

"Stand straight in the presence of our Lord and Master!" bellowed the guard as he cracked a small whip across her back.

Tara screamed in pain and fell to her knees. Even if the whip hadn't been used she was certain she'd have fallen to her knees anyway. Her legs were like rubber and her body was dangerously weak.

"Get up!" barked the head guard as he pulled his whip back in preparation for another strike.

"Leave her!" Balthazar bellowed, as he moved across the platform with regal grace to seat himself in the oversized gilded thrown that awaited him.

Tara could barely make out the features of the man before her as she wavered back and forth. She guessed it would be only a matter of seconds before she fainted.

She was right.

Balthazar stood up and looked down at her crumpled body with disgust.

"What have you brought me?" he asked with distaste.

"This is the young enchantress, milord," his guard replied.

Balthazar scowled.

"This isn't the enchantress you fool!" he barked.

The guard looked closely at Tara's slumped body with horror. Since he'd never seen her himself, he'd foolishly taken Joshua's word that this was the young enchantress. Just wait until he caught up with that scoundrel!

"Where is Joshua?" Balthazar spat between clenched teeth.

"I'm not certain, milord," the guard stammered. "Shall I send for him?"

"What do you think?" the dark lord bellowed.

"Yes, milord," he said as he half-bowed, half-cringed his way out of the room.

As the room scrambled to life, the dark lord's roamed over Tara as he inspected her more carefully. She certainly was the image of the young enchantress. Had he not held the young enchantress prisoner for almost a month and become familiar with her light, he might have even believed this was indeed Lucy O'Shea, niece and star protégé of the great and powerful Fiona O'Shea. Looking closely, he hesitated. Could it be? Was he looking at a doppelganger? Impossible! He'd have known if one existed. A doppelganger of someone such as the young enchantress could prove quite valuable. Yes, indeed. This might not be such a bad thing after all.

He ordered her lifeless body to be taken to the slave quarters along with instructions for the old witchdoctor to be summoned. He was to revive her, not eat her. The next time he laid eyes on the girl he expected her to be pert, chipper and full of life. If not, then the witchdoctor beware!

****

Adam cringed as he received his orders. He'd only just earned the position of palace guard and he already wished he was back on the farm with his mother and two brothers. Since he'd arrived at the dark lord's palace and been appointed his position not even a month earlier, he'd experienced nothing, but hardship and peril. Now, he was ordered to leave the safety of Shadow Land to summon the witchdoctor who lived just beyond the boundary.