SEARCH FOR THE LOST SOUL (15 page)

Chris smiled
into the darkness. “That sounds like a good place to hide it. Terrill would
never suspect that you’d know about the loose stone and the space behind the
wall.” He looked at the walls as they made their way to the library. “You know,
these walls are probably riddled with secret passageways and hidey-holes.”

Kelly looked
around. “I’ll bet that’s the real reason why wizards live in castles, not space
like Dominic said.”

“I take
everything Dominic says with a grain of salt,” commented Chris. “He’s never
very forthcoming with information, and when he does say something he says just
enough to get you excited, then he shuts up.”

“You really
don’t like him, do you?”

“No, I
don’t. I can’t wait to get away from him.”

“He probably
feels the same way about you.”

Chris
shrugged. “I really couldn’t care less how he feels. All I want to do is get
your soul back to you. After all, I'm the one responsible for you losing it.”

“No you’re
not,” Kelly protested. “Gregory was responsible for that. You were just a
tool.”

Chris
grunted. He didn’t say another word until they entered the library. “Go get the
book.”

“This would
be a lot easier if I had a flashlight,” Kelly grumbled as she walked to the
fireplace.

“You know
how these people are about technology. They’d no more let a flashlight into
their castle than you and I would invite a dinosaur into our house.”

Kelly
laughed softly. “I think I’ll understand better once I begin my training.”

“Undoubtedly,”
Chris replied. She joined him a few minutes later. Chris grasped her lightly by
the elbow and led her to the courtyard. Once there, he led her to the stone
bench, requesting that she seat herself. Once she had done so, he pulled a
tapered white candle out of his pocket, followed a moment later by a match. He
bent down and rasped the match against the ground, lighting it.

Kelly frowned.
“Why didn’t you use that inside the castle?”

“Too much of
a chance that we’d be seen. Who knows what Terrill’s servants are doing at this
hour? Give me the book.”

She silently
handed it to him. He turned it over in his hand before walking to the pool. He
knelt next to the pool, dipping his fingers in the pool and sprinkling water on
the book.

“What are
you doing?” Kelly asked, coming up behind him.

“I
remembered what I had forgotten. In the magic book, it said that sometimes
books can be spelled to appear blank, but water or blood will make the words
visible.”

“Blood,” it
was a hoarse whisper.

Chris didn’t
look up. “I’m hoping that water will do the trick. But, if it doesn’t, I have
my knife in my pocket and I’m prepared to spill some blood to find out what’s
written in this book.”

Kelly peered
over his shoulder as he opened the book and began to leaf through the pages;
they remained blank. “Maybe you need to sprinkle water on the pages
themselves,” she offered.

Chris
shrugged, and then tried it, with no better results. He cursed softly before
pulling the knife out of his pocket. He pulled his jeans up to his knees and
nicked his left shin, kneading the skin to get as much blood as possible from
the wound.

“Why did you
do it on your leg?” Kelly wanted to know. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to do
it on your arm?”

“Yes,” Chris
replied absently. “But, on my arm there would be a better chance of the wound
being discovered before it had a chance to heal.” When he had a good-sized drop
of blood, he carefully scrapped it off with a finger and placed it on the front
cover of the book. To both of their surprise, the words suddenly leapt from the
page.

Chris cursed
again a moment later. “I don’t understand these words.”

Kelly leaned
closer. “I can read them.”

Chris looked
up. “Really. What language is it written in?”

Kelly
frowned. “I don’t know. But I can tell you what the book is. It’s a spellbook.”

“A
spellbook. What is that?”

“It’s where
a sorcerer or wizard keeps his spells. This must be Terrill’s.”

“In that case
I think we’d better return it to where we found it. He’s sure to miss it sooner
or later.”

Kelly shook
her head. “No, I don’t think it belongs to him.” She reached over his shoulder
and turned several pages back towards the front of the book. “See, it belongs
to Marcelondini.”

“Who is
that?”

“I have no
idea,” Kelly responded. “But, I can feel that it’s important that I have this.”

“I don’t
think that’s a good idea,” said Chris slowly. “As soon as Terrill realizes it’s
gone he’s going to be looking for it, and, if he finds it in your hands he
might hurt you.”

“Dominic
will protect me.”

Chris
laughed harshly. “I don’t think he’ll be able to. Remember what he said,
Terrill is a wizard, which means he has quite a bit of power. And, Dominic is
only an apprentice. If Terrill should attack you I don’t think that the two of
us will be able to protect you.”

Kelly
continued to leaf through the pages of the spellbook. “Look at this,” she said
excitedly a few minutes later. “This spell will make the spellbook mine. If
it’s mine, Terrill will never find it. He’ll be looking for Marcelondini’s
spellbook.”

Chris
frowned. “You can’t do magic without your soul. Loren said so.”

Kelly shook
her head. “No, what he said is that I can’t be trained until I regain my soul.
But, spells I can do. I’ve been doing them all my life.”

Chris looked
up at her in surprise. “You have?”

She nodded.
“Only I didn’t know that I was doing magic. Whenever I really wanted something,
I was usually able to make it happen. The power has always been there, I just
don’t have the control I need over it. Sometimes really strange things happen”

“I don’t
know. I think it might be too dangerous for you to try it.”

“Well, I
don’t care. I have to possess this spellbook, and to do that I need to perform
the spell that will make it mine.”

Chris stood
up and turned to face her. “Why must you have it?”

“I don’t
know. I just need it. It’s something I can’t explain, even to myself. But, I
can feel deep down inside myself that I must have it.”

Chris
sighed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to change your mind so I might as well
support you.”

Kelly smiled
at him. “Thank you. Now, hold that candle up so I can read the words. If I say
them wrong, who knows what’ll happen.”

“I’d hate to
think,” said Chris as he raised the candle.

Kelly read
the words several times, her lips moving silently, before she looked up. “I
think I’m ready.”

“Are you
sure you know what you’re doing?” Chris asked doubtfully as sudden fear gripped
his stomach.

Kelly shook
her head. “No. But there’s no time like the present to try it.” Before Chris
had the chance to protest, she began to chant the strange words in a singsong
voice. The recantation went on for several minutes before the spellbook
suddenly began to glow.

Chris was so
startled that he almost dropped the spellbook, but he managed to somehow hold
on to it. He stared down at the spellbook, it didn’t feel any different but it
was glowing brightly enough to bathe the entire courtyard in enough light to
make it appear as if it was daylight.

Kelly stopped
chanting and took the spellbook from him. As she closed it, the light died,
plunging the courtyard back into darkness. Chris looked down at his candle,
wondering when the flame had gone out, with all that had been happening, he
hadn’t noticed.

“Well,” said
Kelly gaily. “I guess we should return to our beds. I know that you’re probably
anxious to get back to sleep.”

“I won’t
argue with that,” Chris commented as he led the way back inside the castle.
“Morning and my training come all too early. Are you sure that you can keep
that spellbook safe?”

“Of course,
now that it belongs to me no one can take it. What I can’t understand is why
Terrill didn’t make it his. If he had done so, I’d never have been able to take
it from him.”

Chris
shrugged. “Who can understand wizards?”

“I hope I
will, one day.”

“I’m sure
you will.”

Once he
reached his room, Chris changed quickly and climbed back into bed. Despite his
desire to return to slumber land, he found that he was wide-awake. It didn’t
take much thought to realize the source of his state of mind, worry over Kelly.
He wished she hadn’t found that spellbook. Even with his limited knowledge, he
knew that it was dangerous.

He rolled
over and closed his eyes, determined to fall asleep. He quickly realized that
sleep was something that wasn’t going to come easily. Whenever he closed his
eyes, he kept seeing an image of Kelly bursting into flames. He knew the cause,
that spellbook.

He rose and
grabbed the candle and matchbook before going to Kelly’s room, determined to
talk her into giving up the spellbook. Once in her room, he lit the candle and
stood at her bedside, watching her as she slept. After several minutes, he blew
out the candle and returned to his room. Tomorrow would be soon enough to talk
to her.

Unfortunately,
Johan increased the level of sword training the following morning. Chris was
wakened earlier than usual and served his breakfast on a wooden tray long
before there was even a hint of the morning sun in the tiny window.

They young
boy who performed this service informed Chris that he was required to be down
in the training room in less than five minutes. Chris tried to question the boy
but gave up when he realized that the boy didn’t know enough English to answer
questions; he’d only been taught enough to deliver the message that whoever had
sent him wanted delivered.

Chris
quickly discovered that the early start of his training was not the only change
in the routine; he also increased both the intensity and the length of the
session. Chris grumbled with no effect other than Johan’s   rasping
laughter when Bertus translated.

the result
was that, over the next few days, he saw little of either Kelly or Dominic, not
that he minded Dominic’s absence. when he did see them, usually at the dinner
table, he was too tired to think straight. when either spoke to him, he
responded in grunts that quickly resulted in both leaving him alone.

each night,
as he drifted off to sleep, he remembered his vow to talk to Kelly about
getting rid of the spellbook but he lacked the impetus to actually get out of
the bed and do it. By morning, he had forgotten again.

Two days
passed before Terrill discovered that the spellbook was missing. Chris had to
hide a smile when four men entered the training area he, Johan, and Bertus were
using, looking into every nook and cranny and pulling open all the drawers and
cupboards so they could look inside.

Although he
knew what they were looking for, he plastered a bemused expression on his face
as he watched them. Johan asked several questions, in German, before joining in
the search. When Chris questioned him, Johan didn’t answer. He shrugged and
leaned on the sword, point down, as he watched the activity.

More than an
hour passed before the searchers decided that the item they were searching for
wasn’t in this room and moved on, allowing Johan and Chris to return to their
training. Chris had to fight to contain the laughter that threatened at the
nervous expressions on the faces of the searchers, wondering what Terrill would
do to them when they didn’t find the spellbook. Although he had to admit that
he didn’t know very much about sorcery, he was certain that you didn’t want a
wizard angry with you.

Luncheon
that day was a cold affair with sandwiches and iced coffee; the staff was
engaged in searching every inch of the castle. Chris avoided looking at Kelly
as they ate, fearing that he would burst into laughter. He hoped that she had
found a good hiding place for the spellbook; he doubted that their rooms would
be spared from this intensive search.

He was
right, arriving in his room that evening to find the bed in shambles and his
few possessions strewn about the room. He shook his head as he righted the
room. When he finished, he frowned at the spot where the large tub of water
should be; it looked as if he wasn’t going to get his hot bath on this night.
He shrugged before he changed his clothes.

As soon as
he was dressed he crossed to Kelly’s room. He opened the door after receiving
no answer to his knock, only to find that her room was as disheveled as his had
been. He considered cleaning her room for her then decided against it. He had
decided that it was better for him to be with her in case the spellbook was
discovered in her possession.

He found her
in the dark sitting room with Dominic, along with three other men that he had
never seen before. Chris had no idea whether they spoke English and decided to
play it safe. “What’s going on?” he asked as he seated himself.

Dominic
glared at him for a moment before answering. “It seems that an important
artifact that was in Terrill’s possession is now missing. Terrill is quite
upset. He has no idea how anyone could have discovered the location of a secret
safe, let alone opened the wizard’s lock that protected it.”

Chris shook
his head, mentally thanking his lucky stars that Kelly had obviously taken the
time to close the safe door and replace the picture when she took the
spellbook. Obviously, Terrill had forgotten that he had walked away and left it
exposed. “Are we considered suspects?”

Dominic
frowned deeply. “I believe that at this moment everyone is a suspect.” There
was a long silence before Dominic spoke again, surprising Chris. “I will tell
you this, though, I pity the person in whose possession the artifact is found.”

Chris nodded
but resisted the temptation to look at Kelly, fearing that such a look might
throw suspicion in her direction. “What’s a wizard’s lock?”

Dominic eyed
him coldly for a moment before answering. “A wizard’s lock appears to look like
any everyday lock. however, when one tries to open it, a spell is required that
will allow the dial to function correctly.”

Chris
frowned. “You mean the dial is frozen without the spell?”

Dominic
shook his head. “No, not frozen. the opposite is true. the dial will spin with
tremendous ease. if one tries to spin the dial without the spell, you can
remove your fingers and the dial will spin for several minutes, as if no
gravity affects it.”

“Then, how
does it work?”

“The spell
allows the dial to stop. for example, spin the dial to the right to number
three while reciting the correct spell. pause on three for a moment, then spin
to the left while reciting the spell to stop at six. you get the idea?”

“Sounds
complicated. why not just spell it so that it burns your fingers if you don’t
know the combination.”

Dominic
frowned at him. “It will. a wizard’s lock allows two tries to open it before it
becomes too hot to touch.” Dominic's frown increased as Chris started to ask
another question. “Speak no more of it.” he commanded as he turned his
attention back to the other men.

Chris
resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the apprentice. He found his
thoughts dwelling on where Kelly had hidden the spellbook. Obviously it wasn’t
in her room and he doubted that she had spent much time exploring the castle on
her own. Could she have sneaked outside to hide it?

Somehow he
doubted that she would have done that; it was out of character for her to
venture out on her own. And, she appeared to be even more timid since the loss
of her soul. So, where could she have hidden it?

he
considered the possibility that  she had found a way to hide it magically.
Although she believed that Terrill couldn’t find it magically now that she had
made it her own, he wondered if she had enough skill to hide it from a physical
search? Once again he was staring at the wall of no information and he was
starting to get frustrated at bumping into it.

As his mind
continued to dwell on the subject a memory suddenly surfaced.
When he and
Kelly had been out in the courtyard after she found the spellbook, she had said
that she could always do magic, yet he had been told that magic, especially
strong magic, didn’t manifest itself until later in life.

He glanced
at Kelly but quickly looked away, fearing that he would expose her culpability
in the loss of the spellbook. Was it possible that she was mistaken in what she
thought had happened earlier in her life? Or, did she have so much power that
it had been forced to show itself earlier than anyone suspected?

He frowned as
he wondered if the loss of her soul was somehow corrupting her memories. He
shook his head. He just didn’t have enough information to answer his questions.
He glanced up and noticed that Dominic was watching him closely. He quickly
wiped the frown from his face, vowing to be more careful in the future; the
apprentice was too perceptive to allow Chris to let his guard down.

He
considered searching the library for a magic book similar to the one he head
been reading in Loren’s castle but quickly abandoned the idea. Terrill didn’t
appear to be as forthcoming as Loren and, even if he had one, Chris himself
wouldn’t have time to read it anyway. After the sword lessons he was too tired
in the evening to engage in such an activity.

Dominic
would probably know the answers but he didn’t dare ask the apprentice lest he
inadvertently reveal his knowledge. whatever his own desires, if he discovered
 the location of the  missing spellbook, would the sorcerer’s code
might require that he inform Terrill.

He sighed as
he realized that he had no way of getting his question answered. He couldn’t
even ask Kelly her opinion about it; who knew what kind of spells Terrill might
have placed around the castle to glean information about his artifact. He had a
sudden image of eyes and ears hanging from the walls and shuddered. Where magic
was concerned, anything was possible.

Helmuth
finally entered the sitting room, apologizing profusely over the turmoil inside
the castle. Dominic quietly inquired as to whether they would be served an
evening meal that night. Helmut appeared startled, as if the subject hadn’t
occurred to him. He apologized again, leaving the room to find the cook and see
to it.

Almost half
an hour passed before Helmuth returned, bearing a dented silver tray piled high
with sandwiches. Behind him walked a young girl with a large pitcher of some
dark liquid and a boy with another silver tray with glasses.

Chris
frowned as he chose a sandwich, lifting the top piece of black bread to look at
the meat. It didn’t look very appetizing; a fatty piece of unidentifiable meat
with a bit of what he hoped was mustard spread on the bread.

Chris sighed
as he replaced the slice of bread and bit into the sandwich. It was as dry and
tasteless as it looked. He addressed himself to Dominic. “How much longer are
we going to stay here?”

“Until the
Angel Charm is in our possession.”

“What’s so
important about an Angel Charm?”

“There is
only one in existence and it is vital that we obtain it to protect Kelly once
we enter the monastery. She will be in extreme danger from the souls that we
will release. Any one of them can inhabit her body, should it desire to do so.
We cannot allow that to happen. Kelly must be reunited with her original soul.
That is what the Angel charm will do, keep other souls out of her body.”

“Why
couldn’t we wait to release the souls after we’ve restored Kelly’s soul? Then
we wouldn’t need to wait for this Angel Charm.”

Dominic
shook his head. “You do not understand. It would be too dangerous for Kelly to
enter the monastery without the charm. In such a place there could be souls
floating around, either called out or escaped from their jars.”

Chris
frowned. “Why would souls be hanging around such a place? It would seem logical
to me that escaped souls would be anxious to get as far away from their place
of imprisonment  as possible.”

Dominic took
a sip of the dark liquid before answering. “Just because a soul has escaped
from its jar does not mean that it is free to go. A spell must be said over it
or it will be tied to the site. If one of these souls was to—er—sense Kelly’s
soulless body on the premises it would be most anxious to attach itself to her,
for then it will be free to go.”

“But won’t
Kelly be able to stop it from going anywhere until we can extract it and put the
right one inside her?”

Dominic
shook his head. “The soul has quite a bit of influence over the body it
inhabits. That is why we must replace her original soul. It is the one she has
had for her entire life and her body is attuned to it. Its desires will be
those of Kelly. A foreign soul may have desires that would be detrimental to
her well being.”

Chris shook
his head. “Ok, that explains the released souls, but why would other souls be
there?”

Dominic
frowned at him. “Questions! You always ask so many questions. Can you not just
accept what I say and be done with it?”

“Nope,”
Chris answered calmly.

Dominic
sighed. He remained silent for quite some time before speaking again.

“Other souls
are sometimes drawn to the premises of a soul worshiper, mostly out of
curiosity, we believe. But, it is impossible to say for certain because a soul
cannot be questioned about  its motives. It may be that souls in distress
can signal to others in some way that we cannot perceive. It is possible that
other souls are hanging around to try to rescue their friends.”

“That’s an
encouraging thought,” said Kelly. “I always thought that souls were pleasant
things. I prefer to accept your last premise.”

Dominic
shook his head. “Souls can be either good or bad, there is no way to determine
which way it leans except by the actions of the body where the soul resides.
But, I will tell you this; I prefer to leave souls to their own devices. Were
it not for Kelly’s condition I would not be going in search of souls.”

“They can’t
hurt you, can they?” Chris couldn’t help teasing the apprentice.

Dominic
glared at him for a moment. “If a soul desires to do so, it can do many things.
I am certain that you have heard of hauntings and such. There are documented
cases of so-called ghosts causing extensive fears. Imagine what would happen
should a ghost chose to say prevent a pilot from flying his aircraft. If the
soul was to manifest itself across the controls, it could prevent the pilot
from touching them long enough for the plane to fly into a mountainside and
kill all those aboard.”