Zanderbolt and the Ice Queen (Urban Wizard Fantasy / New Adult / Romance)

Dark Secrets Unveiled

"This is—what is this place?" she asked with bewilderment in her voice.

"It's called the Ephemeral Light," I replied, "a place beyond time and space which can be used to get from one area to another."

"It's... so calm here—peaceful."

"Yes, but we can't stay for too long." I lifted my right hand. From the surface of its skin, tiny sparkles of light ascended: in fact, it was happening to every inch of my body. "If one is not pure of heart and stays here for too long, they will be disintegrated by the light's purity."

"I see," she looked at her own hand, which appeared to be unaffected. "Nothing is happening to mine, however."

"Interesting." My arms folded across my chest. My countenance was reflective and stern. "Looks like you're not as bad as I heard"—my tongue clucked—"not as bad as you try to seem."

She scoffed. "This place must be broken. I've done things—horrible things that you can't imagine."

She scrutinized my body. The sparkling points of light continued to ascend from it and into the light. "You should be more worried about yourself, Dark Wizard. Look at you, I wonder what you must have done for this place to want to destroy you so quickly?"

I chortled. "You know what you've asked me to help you do, should it be so surprising then?"

"Well, let's get you out of here before you completely expire." Her right hand was still grasped in my left—I didn't think she realized, but I felt a little squeeze after the words left her mouth.

"Is that concern I hear?"

She huffed. "Nonsense, who will assist me if you die here? You better stay alive." Her eyes lowered to the clasped right hand. She quickly pulled it away and rubbed it tenderly with the other. "You said you would explain things in the mirror."

"That's right, we should go over the plan to take down Jackson."

"Here? Now?"—she eyed my body—"we can do that after we get out of here can't we?"

"I'll be fine. It's better to do it here since time and space are meaningless." I nodded and looked about. "It's not uncommon for wizard-folk to plan things in here."

"Well, go on then if you're so brave." Her arms folded under her bosom as she kept looking warily here and there around my body. "This mirror will lead us into the wine cellar of Kent's mansion."

She seemed skeptical. "Just like that? So easily?"

"Not so easy, not if it hadn't been for a friend of mine. He's very resourceful."

"Explain."

"Of course, I told you in the letter the real reason he's hosting this masquerade."

She nodded. "The fucker wants to cast a spell and control everyone there."

"Yes, there will be many important people there from the realm of the Enchantless. Politicians, entertainers, business magnates. My sources informed me that Kent will be employing dark magic to bind them and gain more influence over the world of the Enchantless."

"It's almost unbelievable that you could get all of this information."

"My family has many connections with those who are... very observant."

"I see. You said in your letter that one of your accomplices will be posing as a guard there."

"Yes, he provided me with all I needed to infiltrate through a mirror there."