“I’m no good at dominion.”
Koar grinned as he slipped on a shirt. “They have a plan for that.”
“They?”
“Her grandmother, Izzy, and the elf we found to train her, Lhorine.” He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. “They’re creating a team of misfits,wildcardsthey call them, and you’re in.” He shrugged. “Who knows, it’s a crazy enough idea, it just might work.
Then the world of light and sky spun into inky, oily darkness as Koar shifted between realms.
Me? On a dominion team?
I’d always been curious to play but never thought I’d be any good.
Apparently, Izzy had other ideas. I shouldn’t be surprised. She was brilliant. And if I could serve her in some way — especially to humiliate Saldrea — then I was all for it.
Time to find out what my partner in spirit had planned.
IZZY
I disguised myself as an elf,one of the many illicit forms my grandmother had acquired over the years. This elf was exquisitely crafted to have all the elven traits, without standing out in any way. Non-elves would see an elf and let them pass, while elves would likely dismiss their rather “mundane” cousin.
That got me to the sigil point in El’Anderyn, and back to campus, travelling with Lhorine and my grandmother, with Safir as our attendant. We’d decided we could all go together since I wasn’t myself and nobody was looking for two elves, a nymph, and a shifter.
Once back on campus, I quickly found Tala in the lesser residence, showed her my true form, and explained to her the plan to have my grandmother look like her for the dominion match.
“It will still be dangerous for you,” I said, “simply by associating yourself with me, and by going against Saldrea in an active way.”
Tala knew this, I could see it in her worried features.
“We can hide you, get you off campus for a while, till things die down,” Grandma Oli offered.
“I will be creating a safe place where you could stay,” Lhorine added.
Tala sat heavily, slumped in her desk chair. I had no idea what she might be thinking. Then her jaw went tight as she drew in a deep breath. She’d reached a decision.
“Many of us have known for ages that Saldrea and her mother are bad for this realm. If there is something I can do to stop them, I will.” She looked at my grandmother. “I’m not strong, but if you could train me… maybe I’ll find some way I can help… eventually. For now, yes, I’ll allow this.”
Then my new friend, whom I barely knew, but who had more of a backbone than I’d thought, turned to me. “And I want to stay. If you have some place you’ll be hiding on campus, I’ll join you. We can train together.” She smiled.
I returned her smile. “Thank you.” I went to her as she rose, hugging her tightly. “I have so few friends in this world, it’s good to know you’re one.”
“After this, you’ll probably be my only friend, so… here’s hoping this all works out,” she whispered. I realized then how much she was giving up: her life, her freedom, going into hiding… all for me.
I embraced her all the tighter.
Olinara took a picture of Tala on her phone, which she’d use to turn herself into my friend later. Lhorine assured the nymph that she would construct a hidden place off campus for all of us to hide and train. Though… if we lost the dominion match, Lhorine would take Tala with her when she left campus.
Next, we went looking for Rook.
Once again, I ventured out hidden as an innocuous elf,Safir led us to Svokol’s office. Lhorine knew the dwarf, if only in passing, so she led our little group in to see him.
“We’re looking for a man in your service, the incubus Rook,” she said, voice silken and soft.
Svokol eyed her. “Why?”
Lhorine smiled. Safir had assured us Svokol was no friend of the crown, but this was still a risk. “We’d like to recruit him for the dominion team fighting against Saldrea.”
Svokol’s brows shot up. Instantly his gaze searched the four of us, landing on Olinara and lingering there before he nodded, then looked at me.
