Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains by Jeff Inlo Page B

expression. "You knew you had a
choice, but there is more to it. You could have defended the town against the
goblins that entered, but you decided not to. He is paying you! Isn't he? This
Prilgrat has purchased you and you sold out the town you were supposed to
protect!"
    She almost slapped him. She wanted
to, with all her heart. Her fury burned with deep personal emotion. She had
been an elf guard. She accepted that duty as if it was a covenant with a divine
being. The responsibility of protecting her camp became her purpose and her
identity. She devoted her being to that responsibility and never looked upon it
as a sacrifice.
    In fact, sacrifice became a foreign
concept because there was nothing in the land that meant more to her than the
honor of her position. She achieved all she could possibly desire, and thus,
there was nothing left to forgo. The only thing that forced her from that duty
was the knowledge that it was the only way for her camp to survive. In an act
of pure sacrifice , she gave up
everything for her duty. She ceased being an elf guard to her camp. It hurt her
more than she could ever reveal, but she accepted it as would any true elf
guard, and here was a man who could be bought with a few handfuls of shiny
metal, nothing more.
    Being in his presence disgusted
her.
    "We are leaving your
town," Holli growled. "Be satisfied with that. Do not attempt to
follow us and send no message to Prilgrat. Inform your men to disregard this
event... that our capture was a mistake. Do you understand?"
    The officer nodded, but said
nothing. The response was insufficient and Holli made her meaning clear.
    "Then understand this, just
because I have left does not remove me as a potential threat. Magic can strike
from a great distance. If you know anything about me, you know I have power
beyond your imagination at my disposal."
    Before they released the captain
and his escort, Ryson made one last demand of his own.
    "The man you sent forward is
unconscious in an alley. The guard you sent for help is tied up around the
corner. See to them."
    Drawing the magical energy back
within her essence, Holli ended the spell that was only a light show, a
harmless incantation to impress children, nothing more. As the green orb
disappeared, she turned from the captain, quickly chose a side alley, and
motioned Ryson to follow her. She leapt away with the grace of an elf.
    Ryson followed. Once out of
earshot of the captain, he pressed Holli for their true objectives.
    "Are we really leaving? Or
should we check out that warehouse first?"
    "No, the goblins are
pawns—always have been and always will be. I am more concerned with the one who
is influencing the events of this region. We will go see Prilgrat before he can
be warned we know about him."
    "You think the captain will
talk?"
    "No, but I do not have the
same faith in the soldiers that were with him or the ones in the station. They
saw you move. They saw my ears. They know you are a delver and I am an elf. One
of them will talk. Word will spread that we were here and escaped. This
Prilgrat will discover it. I want to find him first."

 
 

Chapter
8

 
    Pressing his own perception into
the thoughts of a sorceress who once begged for his aid, Enin probed Heteera as
if he had taken a physical presence in her mind. The bizarre complexity of the
labyrinth always amazed the wizard. As opposed to layers of thought and
consciousness that blended together like the petals of an intricate flower,
Enin wandered through distinct segregations defined by absolute borders and
harsh obstacles. He understood it didn't matter how deep he penetrated the
sorceress' thoughts, depth was inconsequential. The ability to maneuver and
navigate through the confusion proved to be much more important.
    The portion that made up Heteera's
open awareness appeared to the wizard as a flat, near lifeless, wasteland.
Enough responsiveness existed to allow Heteera to remain alive, even to walk
and complete simple