Of Shadows and Darkness

Chapter 30

Lord Lankeshwar smiled, "I do get to decide the terms of our bet correct? Since you were the one who challenged me, it will be done on my terms."

My blood froze in my veins. What have I done?

"Alright," said the lord and turned to Earl Alfred. "The others in the council would be furious when they hear of this. We should have your powers stripped for even attempting to steal soul weapons. But given the current turn of events...how about if your pet project beats me I'll let this blunder go."

"Yes...uncle Ushakanta," muttered Earl Alfred like a reprimanded child.

"Good, good," said the lord. He summoned his weapon and opened a portal. "I'll have a good think about the terms of our bet and let you all know." It was unsettling just how much he seemed to be enjoying this.

Earl Alfred seemed oddly detached when the lord left. He stood up from his desk and walked over to me and Gregor. Gregor glared at him, standing between us like a guard dog.

The earl turned his hands up and showed Gregor his empty palms. "I won't hurt him. Even I won't go against the lord," said the Earl coldly. "I'm going to take off the spells I placed on him."

Gregor moved out of the way but stayed close. Earl Alfred reached his hand out to me but I hid behind Gregor.

"What spells did you cast?" I asked. "I know about the tether but what else did you cast?"

The earl sighed as if I was being a bother. "Besides the tether, I cast a soothing spell to keep you complacent and a marker which makes you easy to find."

My heart sank. Was anything real since I've been here? Was anything I felt or did or thought real? Or was it all under the influence of his soothing spell? Was my internal conflict and considering working with the earl even my own ideas?

"I can call my father if you don't feel comfortable with Uncle Alfred removing the spells?" asked Gregor.

"No. It's fine. I'll be fine," I said trying to convince myself more than trying to convince Gregor. I stepped back and let the earl place his hand on my forehead. I felt a crawling sensation under my scalp and my throat felt dry and scratchy. When he took his hand away from me I felt parched. Earl Alfred kneeled down and touched my ankle over my jeans.

"What is this for?" I asked, my tongue feeling tacky.

"I'm taking off the tether," said the earl. My ankle burned for a second and black vapour oozed out when he took away his hand. He stood up, expressionless, "it's done. You can leave."

"By leave you mean?" I muttered.

"Go to your room or have Gregor take you wherever you like. The lord is going to call us back at some point," grumbled Earl Alfred. "Just leave I don't care, now that Lord Lankeshwar is involved all this was just waste."

I felted knotted up and unravelled at the same time. I wanted to shout at him and tell him not to get mad at me and this was entirely his fault. I was never a willing participant. But I couldn't speak, my mouth was too dry and my feelings too jumbled to express.

"Let's go," said Gregor tugging my hand. I nodded and I followed him out. The door slammed behind us. We went back to my room and gathered my things. I didn't want to say goodbye to Cinnabar.

"Where do you want to go?" asked Gregor summoning his axe. He spoke softly and touched me like I was fragile. Maybe I was acting fragile.

"Anywhere.... except Gran's place. I don't want to go back there until everything is sorted out," I muttered.

"Are you sure? We don't know how long it'll take for my grandfather to get back to us," said Gregor.

"I don't care, anywhere is fine," I said, my eyes down cast.