SEARCH FOR THE LOST SOUL (27 page)

Loren
touched Chris’ shoulder. “Fine work, my boy.”

Chris tried
to smile but was unable to.

A frown
crossed Loren’s face as he examined Chris’. “Come,” was all he said.

Chris
couldn’t protest as Kelly was pulled away from him. Almost immediately, a gray
blanket engulfed him, causing a sense of disorientation. Then the movement
stopped. Chris barely had time to look around enough to recognize Loren’s
castle before his legs gave out and he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Chris woke
to the sound of someone moving close to him. He turned his head; surprised at
the difficulty he had in completing such a simple act. Conrad was laying a fire
in the fireplace, obviously trying to make as little noise as possible. Chris
was surprised at the groan that escaped his lips as he sat up.

Conrad froze
for a moment before turning around. “Mr. Chris. I am sorry that I woke you.”

“That’s
alright,” Chris winced as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I don’t
know why but I have the feeling that it’s time I got up.”

Conrad
smiled uncertainly. “Loren has a standing invitation for you to eat breakfast
as soon as you wake.”

Chris nodded
as he looked around for his clothes.

Conrad
rushed to the door. “I am sorry. I must have forgotten to bring your clothes up
after they were laundered.” He hurried from the room.

Chris smiled
as he sat on the edge of the bed. He wished that the boy would relax; he acted
as if Chris was going to jump down his throat at the first opportunity. Chris
rolled his head in a slow circle, trying to ease the stiffness.

Conrad ran
back into the room. “Here you are,” he gasped.

Chris smiled
as he reached for the bundle. “You didn’t have to run.”

Conrad
blushed but said nothing.

Chris eyed
the boy, hoping he’d get the hint that he wanted to be left alone to dress.
When Conrad continued to stand in front of him, Chris cleared his throat.
“You’re excused.”

“Do ye not
want a fire?”

Chris
sighed; it was chilly in the room. “You can lay it after I go downstairs.”

Conrad
nodded. “As you wish.” He turned and rushed out the door.

Chris
dressed quickly, choosing not to think about how he’d come to be in the flannel
pajamas in the first place. He was anxious to get downstairs; he couldn’t
recall ever being so hungry. He smiled at Conrad, standing right outside his
door, as he passed. he waited to frown until the boy couldn’t see him; he just
wasn’t comfortable having someone waiting for his convenience.

Almost as
soon as he sat at the smaller dining table, a young girl Chris didn’t recognize
appeared, carrying a large silver tray laden with eggs, hash browned potatoes,
sausage patties and a pitcher of orange juice. She silently set the items on
the table and backed away. Chris ignored her, piling the china plate full and pouring
juice into the crystal goblet.

“Welcome
back to the land of the living,” Loren’s voice came from behind him.

Chris looked
up and smiled at the wizard.

“Continue
eating,” Loren said as he settled himself into the chair opposite him. “I know
you must be starved. I think this passes as a typical American breakfast.”

Chris nodded
as he shoved another forkful of food into his mouth.

Loren
watched him eat for several minutes before minutes before asking. “How do you
feel?”

Chris
swallowed his mouthful of food before answering. “A little stiff.”

Loren
laughed. “I will have Conrad arrange a Jacuzzi for you. Other than that, how do
you feel?”

Chris laid
down his fork, frowning as he considered the question. After several minutes of
thought, he shook his head. “I really don’t know. I don’t feel normal but I
can’t put my finger on why.”

Loren
laughed softly. “I can understand that. Actually, I know the answer, I was
curious as to whether you did. You were surrounded by magic from the time you
entered the monastery until I transported you back here. The mortal body cannot
tolerate the level of magic to which you were subjected. That is one of the
reasons I had to get you out of there so quickly. Had you been there much
longer, you would have—er—overdosed, so to speak. “

“Kelly?”

Loren
smiled. “She is fine. She had to remain behind until her soul could be
restored, then she was brought back here. She recovered much more quickly than
you did. Her lack of awareness protected her somewhat.”

“Why did
she—uhmm—become like she was? Is that the normal response to losing one’s
soul?”

“The loss of
a soul is traumatic for anyone. But the consequences for someone who has power
are much greater. The more power the person has, the greater the danger. Kelly
is the most powerful member of our community to be born in at least three
thousand years. For her, the consequences would have been deadly, had we not
restored her soul in time. As it was, she was nearly consumed.”

Chris shook
his head; this was more than he could understand. “What were the Soul
Worshipers doing to her soul that was causing her such pain?”

“They were
trying to extract the power out of her soul. As near as I have been able to
determine, they were not successful.”

Chris
frowned. “How did they know the power was there?”

“The
monastery itself is spelled to detect magic beyond a certain level. That is the
main reason why I could not accompany you there. You have no power, Dominic’s
level of power is just below the threshold they can detect, and without her
soul, Kelly was powerless. If I had accompanied you, they would have detected
my presence immediately and spirited her soul so that we never would have found
it.”

Chris
nodded. That explained so many of the mysteries he wanted answered.

Loren
laughed softly. “I know that you have more questions. Dominic said that you
were a fountain of questions.”

“Dominic,”
Chris mumbled, picking up his fork again.

“I am most
pleased with the way you and my apprentice worked together. You two made quite
a team, almost friends, I would say.”

“I
wouldn’t,” Chris commented as he raised a forkful of eggs to his mouth.

Loren
laughed again. “Dominic is not a social man, as I am certain you are well
aware. He has only one interest in life, the pursuit of knowledge. But, when it
mattered, the two of you worked as one unit. Dominic will never have friends,
in the traditional sense, but you are as close as anyone has ever come.”

Chris
grunted. “I think he’s a good man, deep down inside.”

“He is.
Otherwise, I would not have agreed to train him.”

Chris ate in
silence for several minutes before asking his next question. “What happened to
the Dragon Sword?”

“I have
returned it to Terrill, as promised. Terrill is no longer searching for
Marcelondini’s spellbook he knows that it has chosen Kelly.”

“And she
won’t get in trouble?”

“No.
Although theft is not allowed inside our community, technically what she did
was not theft. The spellbook arranged for itself to fall into Kelly’s hands. It
most likely caused Terrill to forget to close and lock the safe, arranged for
Kelly to be there at that time and hid itself from Terrill’s sight. Kelly had
no say in the matter. She will not be punished.”

“That’s
good. She’s not a thief.”

“I am well
aware of that.”

“So, what’s
going to happen to Kelly now?”

“She’s has
agreed to become my apprentice.”

Chris raised
one eyebrow in surprise. “Really. I wouldn’t have thought you’d want to have
more than one apprentice.”

Loren
laughed. “Dominic is technically not my apprentice any longer. He finished his
training years ago. But, he enjoys calling himself my apprentice. I think it
gives him a valid reason for remaining inside my castle.”

“Why would
he want to do that?”

“I own many
tomes that are not available any other place. In return for giving him a place
to live and access to my books, Dominic helps me when I need it. Kelly will be
my only apprentice and I am happy to have her. There was much debate in the
magical community over who would get that particular honor. In the end, it was
decided by the Wizard’s Council that the only fair thing to do was to ask
Kelly.”

Chris
grinned. “That gave you an advantage, didn’t it?”

Loren smiled
benignly. “I will admit that it did help.”

“Well,”
Chris looked up as the young girl returned with a second plate of food, which
she placed in front of him. Chris helped himself to a second helping before
pushing the plate towards Loren, who ignored it. “I have to admit that I’m glad
you’ll be the one who’s training her. I trust you to do right by her.”

“Thank you.”

“You know,”
said Chris around a mouthful of eggs. “I can’t remember being so hungry. I
guess it must have been because of all that magic, huh?”

Loren shook
his head. “More likely it is the result of you sleeping for three days.”

Chris
stopped chewing in surprise. “Are you kidding me?”

“No. After
we returned here, you fell unconscious. I had my servants give you a bath
before they dressed you and put you to bed. That was slightly more than three
days ago.”

Chris shook
his head as he resumed eating. “I have one more question.”

“Just one.”
a slight smile played at Loren’s lips.

“For now,”
said Chris. “What I want to know is, how difficult is it to learn to project
your thoughts into another person’s mind?”

Loren eyed
him for several minutes. “That is a particularly difficult feat to accomplish.
The power required to even attempt it is far beyond most of the sorcerers and
wizards alive today.”

Chris stared
at him. “Yet, Dominic managed to do it.”

Loren’s eyes
widened in surprise. “Are you certain of this?”

Chris
nodded. “While we were fighting inside the monastery. My arm was too tired for
me to continue to fight and from across the room Dominic told me to switch
hands. I know he didn’t say it out loud.”

Loren sat
back. “Ah, I understand now. That was not Dominic’s voice that you heard. It
was the Dragon Sword.”

“What?
You’re kidding right? I know swords don’t talk.”

“Not in the
usual sense, no. But, in the midst of a fight, special swords such as the
Dragon Sword have the ability to let their desires known. To get that
particular sword into your hand was the main reason that I sent you to
Terrill’s castle.”

Chris made a
distasteful sound before speaking again. “I thought it was to get the Angel
Charm for Kelly.”

Loren shook
his head. “Any of my friends along the way could have obtained that object for you.
Only Terrill has the Dragon Sword in his possession.”

Chris shook
his head but decided against telling Loren his thoughts concerning his friend.
“So, what happens to me now? Will you be sending me home?”

“That
depends on you. After your performance in this quest, it has been agreed within
the magical community that you deserve a reward. It will be up to you to
determine what that reward will be.”

Chris
frowned. “What do I have to choose from?”

Loren
laughed. “Almost anything is possible.” He rose. “I will leave you alone so you
can make your decision.”

Chris
watched him go then returned to his meal, his mind in turmoil. There were so
many possibilities. How was he to choose?

*     *     *
    *     *

Chris was
sitting in his chair in front of the roaring fire, still contemplating his
reward when there was a knock on the door. A moment later, the door opened and
Kelly walked in. Chris caught his breath; she had never looked so beautiful to
him.

Her hair had
been brushed until it shone like spun gold, falling down her back in thick
waves. She was dressed in a violet dress of medieval design; a tight bodice
with small buttons down the front with a full skirt that fell to the ground,
completely covering her feet.

Kelly smiled
tentatively. “Hi. How are you?”

Chris had to
force his voice around the lump that had formed in his throat. “I feel fine.”
He jumped up and pulled the second chair up to the fire so she could sit. “How
are you?”

“I feel
wonderful. I feel powerful and alive like I’ve never felt before.”

Chris
nodded. “So, have you begun your training?”

“Barely,”
she smiled slightly. “I have many years of instruction ahead of me. But, I
don’t mind.”

Chris
laughed but it sounded harsh to his own ears. “No, you wouldn’t. You always did
well in school.”

Kelly smiled
but didn’t respond. They sat in silence for several minutes before she spoke
again. “I wanted to thank you for your help in returning my soul. Dominic says
that you were instrumental in that feat.”

Chris
shrugged. “It was the least I could do. After all, I was the one responsible
for you losing it in the first place.”

Kelly
sighed. “I never blamed you. And neither does anyone else. Gregory is the one
at fault and he is being dealt with by the Wizard’s Council.”

Chris nodded
but said nothing. He couldn’t look at her as he realized that she’d be glad to
see the last of him. He bit back the sigh that formed in his chest; later there
would be plenty of time for that.