Empyreal, Book 1

Chapter 29

The dark oak door creaked open as Max slipped into the manor library. Shelves of dusty books lined the walls, the only light coming from a flickering candelabra on a large mahogany desk. There, hunched over a map, sat Casper.

"Casper," Max said urgently, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.

Casper's head jerked up, surprise flashing across his pale face. "Max? What are you doing here?"

"It's Kai. He's gone to help Malachi."

"What? No. Why would he do that?" Casper stood swiftly, knocking over the inkwell on the desk. Black ink oozed across the map like a dark stain.

Max ran a hand through his tousled blond hair, a crease of worry on his brow. "I don't know. But we need to find Sarah and get out of here. Before it's too late."

Casper's eyes widened, the flickering candlelight making his face look haunted and gaunt. He glanced around the room furtively as if expecting Malachi himself to materialize from the shadows.

"You're right," he said finally. "We need to go. Now."

Casper rolled up the stained map and tucked it into his coat. The two young men hurried from the library, leaving only a wisp of smoke from the dying candle behind them. The warped oak door creaked shut once more, enveloping the manor library in darkness.

Casper and Max hurried down the long, gloomy hallway of the manor, their footsteps muffled by the threadbare carpet runner.

"Do you know where Sarah is?" Casper asked in a hushed voice.

Max shook his head, blond hair falling over his forehead. "No idea. This place is huge.

She could be anywhere."

They paused at a junction, uncertain which way to turn. A draft moaned through the manor, making the candles flare.

Suddenly, a scraping sound came from behind them. Casper and Max whirled around, their hearts pounding in unison.

There, half cloaked in shadow, stood the tall, thin figure of the stranger from the auction.

His pale eyes glinted as he stared at them, unblinking.

"Going somewhere, boys?" His voice was low and sibilant.

Casper stepped protectively in front of Max. "We want no trouble. Let us pass."

The stranger said softly. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

He raised a long-fingered hand. The air seemed to shimmer where he pointed, like a heat mirage. A whirling vortex of light appeared, yawning larger and larger.

Casper and Max stumbled back, shielding their eyes. An unearthly keening sound came from the portal, as if the fabric of reality itself was being bent.

"What are you doing?" Casper shouted over the noise.

The stranger smiled coldly. "Sending you on a little trip."

Before they could react, some invisible force pulled Casper and Max forward. With cries of alarm, they tumbled into the seething portal. It snapped shut behind them, leaving no trace but a whisper of light.

The stranger dusted off their hands with satisfaction. "My work here is done." With that, they turned and disappeared down the hallway, soft footfalls were the only sound in the now empty corridor.

The strange figure moved swiftly through the manor, sticking to the servant areas as they approached the ballroom. Though the extravagant wedding reception could be heard in the distance, the stranger kept their head low and footsteps light. This was not a night for celebration.

Slipping past the guards with ease, the figure spotted their target standing apart from the crowd - a tall, broad-shouldered man whose eyes scanned the party coldly. As the stranger approached, the man's lips curled into a sly grin.

"It's done," the figure said simply, their voice a low rasp.

The man nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Well done. And the girl?"

"Dorian has her. They should be back very soon."

"Excellent," the man said. He grabbed the stranger's shoulder with a strong, jewel laden hand. "You have served us well this night."

The figure gave a curt nod in response, then melted back into the shadows wordlessly. As they moved farther from the light and music of the reception, an owl cried out from somewhere in the darkness ahead. The stranger did not react or break stride, focused only on returning to the solace of the night's embrace.

The stranger swiftly navigated the moonlit forest, retracing their steps back to the hidden encampment. Though the night air was cold, beads of sweat dampened their brow underneath the dark hood. Each snap of a twig or rustle in the brush put the figure on high alert, their senses strained for any sign of trouble.

Finally, the flickering light of a campfire came into view between the trees. The stranger let out a small sigh of relief, their tense muscles relaxing ever so slightly. As they stepped into the light, a gruff voice called out.

"There you are. I was starting to wonder if you got caught."

The figure pulled back their hood, revealing a young woman with a long braid of fiery red hair. "All went according to plan, captain. The girl is secured."

The grizzled man seated by the fire grunted in approval, his one good eye twinkled. "No trouble from the mage?"

The woman shook her head. "None. He took her without argument once I said it was your orders."

"Good," the captain said, scratching his bearded chin. "Can't have that witch sniffing around in things too deep. The less she knows, the better."

He glanced upwards at the full moon peering through the trees. "Better get some rest. We break camp before first light."

The woman gave a nod and moved toward her bedroll. As she settled down to sleep, her mind turned to the girl now in Dorian's possession. A prisoner, just as she had once been. The thought brought a pang of sympathy, but she quickly hardened her heart. There was no room for doubt - not if she wished to reclaim what she had lost.