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He broke the silence first. “Are you done trying to prove your point?”
Her voice was quiet, yet firm. “You being here shows how badly you need me.”
His expression did not change, and he neither confirmed nor denied her statement. “I think it’s time for these silly games to end. We both have work to do and we need to move on.”
“I think I was quite clear regarding my terms for continuing to maintain the shield.”
A moment passed, and something shifted in Thirvar’s countenance. “The man you brought here is alive.”
“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“You have my word. That is not something I give lightly.”
She eyed him with reproach, debating whether to believe him. “And you’re not going to harm him?”
He paused again. “Unless he gives me reason to do so, no. I will not.”
“Very well. As soon as I have a drink of water, I shall make the necessary repairs.” She waited for him to leave, but he did not budge from his position beside the bed. “May I have some privacy to get dressed?”
“I want to make sure you perform your tasks as expected.”
“Don’t you trust me?” When he didn’t answer, she echoed his previous declaration. “You have my word.”
Another stalemate ensued, with neither one willing to yield. Thirvar finally grunted a response and turned to exit the tiny cottage. Once he was gone, Liora dragged herself out of bed and filled a glass at the sink. She hoped Tirani would arrive soon with food and other supplies, and she considered waiting to check the state of the magic barrier. An agreement had been made, though, and she proceeded to the cellar.
Sitting on the bottom step of the staircase, she closed her eyes and took her mental journey throughout Marindal. The shield hadn’t eroded too badly, and she pinpointed the flawed sections with ease. When she approached the sphere, she made the necessary adjustments and smoothed over the problems, despite her weariness.
Once she no longer had to worry about her responsibilities, she could concentrate on her own pursuits. Setting her hands on the sphere, she sought to find Stephen, to feel his presence, but she came up empty. She believed Thirvar had kept him in Marindal and she was determined to find a way to reach him. While she tried to formulate a better plan, she heard the familiar clicking of claws on the wooden surface above her.
“What were you thinking?” Tirani didn’t bother with a formal greeting upon Liora’s emergence from the basement.
“I know, I know.” She dug around in the fresh parcel on the table and produced a piece of fruit. “It’s going to be okay,” she told her friend through her mouthful of food. “Stephen’s here now. I’m going to find a way to get us back to our respective homes.”
“But you won’t be able to get even remotely near him, now that he’s being held at the castle.”
“I made contact with him once. I can do it again.” She leaned over to whisper. “I may need your help.”
“Liora…”
“Please. I won’t ask for much, I promise.” Her lips turned downward in a deep frown. “At the very least, can you make sure he’s okay?”
“If Thirvar knew what I was doing….”
“You’ll be careful. I know it.” She patted one of Tirani’s jointed legs. “Besides, I think you’ll like him once you get to know him!”
“I certainly hope so.” The arthropod watched as she sorted through the rest of the package and organized the contents into various piles. “Well, if I need to stealthily visit the castle’s dungeon, I should get going.”
“Thanks, Tirani!”
After she had tidied up, Liora again found herself alone in the house. She rushed back down to the basement and studied the sphere, waiting for inspiration to strike. It had provided a channel to Stephen before, and she was sure such success could be repeated. Bathed in a gentle blue light, she rubbed her hands together before placing them on the sphere and getting to work.
Chapter Seventeen
The underground cell was cold and damp. It was so dark, Stephen couldn’t see more than several feet in front of him. He had been stripped of all of his belongings, and the only thing on his body was a set of manacles which cut into his forearms and bound him to the wall. The unforgiving metal chafed his skin, but it was nothing in comparison to the painful throbbing of his right leg. He swore he could feel every plate and pin holding it together, and he found it impossible to warm up in his prison.
There were no windows in the immediate vicinity, and he had no way to judge the passage of time. The only light came from a flickering torch at the far end of the adjacent corridor, which sometimes extinguished, leaving him in total blackness. Water was delivered at sporadic intervals by wolf-like creatures who were more beast than man. If they were able to speak, it was not in a language he could understand. When he slept, it was a fitful, dreamless sleep, and he longed to be back in the fantastical paradise of Liora’s creation.
The loud grate of his door opening jolted him awake, and he would have fallen to the floor were it not for the shackles holding him upright. Instead of the uniformed guards, Stephen spotted what appeared to be a gigantic spider scurrying toward him. While he’d never had a strong fear of arachnids, they weren’t his favorite species. He was unsure of the intent of this multi-legged animal, almost two feet in diameter, heading his way.
