Phony Potions

Chapter 46

We entered the master bedroom. Not being threatened this time, I had a moment to admire the area; it was marvelously decorated. This was probably the last time I'd be in a high ranking sorcerer's room. I noticed several enchanted items: heatless lamps that burned silently inside of their monster oyster pearls, a small wash basin constantly flowing with fresh water next to a stack of folded, initialed towels. What was it with sorcerers and all the fountains?

Osoro moved to the fireplace, extinguished as there was no need of extra heat during the day. On the mantel was a painted miniature of a family. Two smaller boys, a man, and a woman. Osoro pushed it down flat against the top. The fireplace creaked. It spun as if on a mechanical pedestal, not knocking anything as it revealed a small dark door.

"What's that?" I asked.

"The stairs to the Divinis's lab. His secondary one. He had a normal one accessible by the cellar stairs in the garden's shed."

"That must have been the one Winsor gave me the key for." I fished into the coin pocket of my formal outfit and pulled out the key. I unlocked the door, and it swung inwards. The far edge disappeared into darkness. The path was dark, the glow of the faint oyster lights was far behind us. I only knew the key was there was because of the cool metal pressing against the soft pad of my fingers. My feet searched out each step. "You know, I'm thinking maybe we should have gotten Winsor's cooperation. He seemed concerned for Mallow. We didn't have to ruin his Age Day."

"Even if he would have cooperated in saving Mallow, I'm not sure he'd be so willing to extinguish his own life, Azark. You are letting his melancholy disposition and small stature trick you into pitying him. As if he is a helpless creature that must be coddled. He is still a dangerous, wretched abomination."

The ceiling was low, and the room spread out only a yard or two, with a door on both sides and in the center. I felt nervous about which one to take.

"Why are there multiple doors?"

"This sort of illusion spell is common with sorcerer valuables. Two of them are trapped," Osoro shushed me. "Now be quiet, I've got to cast and see where this spell leads us..."

Osoro breathed in deeply, and pressing his hands together, chanted.

"Door that hides misdeeds of misery, reveal a heroic path to me."

The third door in pulsed with a gentle light. He moved to it and reached down for the handle before stopping.

"If this knobs has spell or curse, be null. Do not make me worse."

The knob fizzled, and then, blackened. It fell to the ground, rolling across the stone with a hollow ringing sound. Osoro swallowed, and then pushed on the door with his gloved hands. It swung open silently, leading to another staircase.

The room gradually lit up with blue light as we moved along the stairs. Then, I heard something, faint. It was a child's voice, not Mallow's but younger, crying out softly. It was ragged and thirsty.

"Do you hear that?" I asked.

"Yes, quiet..." We reached the bottom, and there the crying continued. We came to another door, and it took Osoro a few tries to dispel this one. On his third failure, the door retaliated. It swung open, slamming into him along his entire body with enough force to throw him back against the near wall.

He wasn't wearing his armor; I was surprised by how much less dramatic it was then when he had been smacked around by the Boeren. No hollow ringing, no metal crunching, just a soft thud of fabric and flesh on stone. I couldn't see much, though this area was dimly lit. Alarm rose in me when I noticed a dark spot where his head, oversized wig and all, had crashed into the wall. Blood? He laid on the floor. I bent down and shook him, trying to wake him again.