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“Absolutely not!” shouted Daemona. “This is my friend who was cursed by a witch and turned into a miserable toad.”
The old Incubus jolted backward and fell over a pile of his collection.
“Wait,” said Daemona. “You have healing powers, maybe you can restore him?”
He shook his head. “I know how to heal, but I’m not a wizard, not anymore, not since the Drowning.”
“What if,” said Ivy, “What if he is Malkieth but during the Drowning, he was hurt, and it has affected his mind?”
Ghul Lykos shook his head. “He would be thousands of years old by now. No one lives that long.”
“No one knows how long an Incubus can live,” reminded Daemona. “I don’t even know how old I am.”
“But you’re young,” said Ghul Lykos.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Sorry,” mumbled Ghul Lykos.
She nodded in thanks and then turned toward the old Incubus. “Will you try and heal my friend?” asked Daemona, holding Harlin in her cupped hands out to him.
The old man nodded, slapped his hands together, and started rubbing them swiftly. The blue glow returned, and the ball of light rose up and kissed the toad. Suddenly the toad looked very healthy and strong but still a toad. “I’m sorry.”
“Ribbit,” Harlin croaked.
“If he can’t restore him, we should get back to the others. They’re probably worried sick by now,” said Ivy.
“If they haven’t left us already,” growled Daemona.
They stood and made their way toward a tunnel that forked in two directions.
“Wait!” cried the old Incubus. “Don’t go that way. It is a secret shortcut that will take you straight to Ghul Tark’s Manor! And you don’t want to go sneaking into his back door, do you?”
They all looked to each other in wonder.
“Which way?” demanded Daemona.
Chapter 14:
The longer they walked through the tunnel system with the old Incubus, the more they began to believe he could be Malkieth. He knew arcane history from thousands of years ago but would forget what one of them said a minute ago and ask again and again.
“Are we getting closer to the surface?” asked Ivy.
“We are, but because this leads to Ghul Tark Manor, I never considered it an exit. That’s why I felt trapped here.”
“A wizard as powerful as yourself and yet you’re afraid of Ghul Tark?”
Malkieth looked at them and said, “I may be old but I’m not daft. A vampire lord could sup upon my blood as easy anyone’s. My magic is for healing, not fighting.”
“How long have we been down here? It’s disorienting,” said Ivy.
“It’s hard to tell,” said Ghul Lykos. “But I would guess more than a day.”
“Good,” said Daemona, “that means that Miniver and Esmerelda have gone back to Tall Town where they can be safe.”
“That is, if nothing else got them,” muttered Ghul Lykos.
The old Incubus stopped short. “Why don’t we stop the whispering and just see what your friends are doing if you’re so concerned about them then?”
