"To whom are you calling for help?" Aurora asked sharply. She hoped that his quick answer would be the most honest."Blazing bees! You scared me!" Alaron yelled.Devrim hauled the boy to his feet by his collar. "Answer your mother's question."The prince realized he had probably been calling to Cafer for help, but there was no way he would admit that. "Anyone! It was just a reaction. It happened so fast and I was not sure who had grabbed me."Aurora did not believe him, but had no proof to the contrary. Instead, she directed all of them to sitting room.  They made Alaron sit on a cushioned sofa, while the rest stood hovering around him. Alaron could not help but feel intimidated.The Empress addressed the broad-shouldered soldier. "Junayd, call off the search for the prince, but continue to look for intruders. If Gandr is outside, as I suspect he is, send him in.""Yes your Majesty," Junayd bowed and left."Intruders?" Alaron was

Leaving the palace from the closer exit, Cafer came out and mingled among the people as quickly as he could. There was a decent crowd in the streets as workers headed home and young children played in the streets.Suddenly soldiers appeared in the avenue. They headed directly for the alley from whence Cafer had just come. They were obviously looking for him. The gnome moved quickly down the road as more troops appeared and began to question those in the streets. He needed to get out but turning the corner revealed a blockade. The gnome was cornered.Cafer bumped into a woman with long flowing hair. She was too distracted by the soldiers to notice him. "Excuse me!" The woman said as she passed on. Thinking quickly, Cafer grabbed at a strand of her hair. It broke from the woman's head and remained in his hand as she hurried down the way. Cafer took the bracelet from his pouch and held it to the bracelet. Concealing the bangle in his cloak, the gnome shielded the bracelet

"Of course." Brinn slipped the ring on her finger. It was thin and silver, barely catching small amount of light from the morning sun. It would alert her if anyone tried to enter the tunnels unannounced."Speaking of jewelry, I have been mulling over what to do with the ruby necklace that Cafer blessed us with." Rest had served the Empress well. She was no longer the emotional wreck from the night before. Instead, she was calm and collected."We could just destroy it," Devrim offered. He would like to be rid of it as fast as possible."That would be my inclination too," Aurora agreed, "And we should try that first. But I do not think it will be that simple.""Magical things are tricky beasts. They follow their own set of rules." Brinn had been in some sticky situations with magical objects. She knew too well how fickle they could be."If we cannot get rid of it, we need to find a way to store it. We may have to make some space in the container wher

It was only a day and a half journey to the western coast on horseback, and by late morning Nurlan could just make out the line of the ocean on the horizon. He dug his heels into his steed, wanting to arrive before the noonday meal was served to the troops. Outside the small town, a camp of soldiers' tents were erected around a larger tent and cookfire in the center. Reaching the edge of the camp, Nurlan dismounted and headed for the largest canvas building."General Nurlan!" The senior officer inside the tent stood and greeted the newcomer. "We have been expecting you." Both Nurlan and Junayd outranked all but the highest commander in the military. They each held the title of General. Had they not wished to be the personal guards of the Emperor and Empress, they could have had shining military careers."You have a large group here," Nurlan observed as the men sat down to discuss business. "Have you run into any trouble since you got here?""No sir," Lieutenant

"We need to locate Xander quickly," the prince said. "And find a way to meet with him quietly." Alaron looked out of his window at the coast. They had reached the shoreline after sunset the night before. Now it was bright, and the sun off the water was blinding. He had unrealistically hoped to see the pirate ship on the horizon as soon as they arrived. He had no idea how vast the ocean actually was. Across from him, the gnome clicked his tongue."Keep practicing your magic, my son. I have contacted some people to find out Xander's whereabouts," Cafer promised him.The words brought Alaron out of his brooding. "You still have human contacts?" The prince was surprised."You do not live as long as I have without picking up few tricks along the way. And I did not say my contact were human." The gnome left the rest up to the boy's imagination. "Now, how is your magic coming along today?"Since leaving the palace the day before, Alaron had been reviewing differ