Liliane stood and slowly approached the mirror. “I feel sorry for you, Lord EnchanterEvariste.”
“Are you evencapableof such a feeling?” Evaristeasked.
“You have no idea what you’re in for. You can’t evenfathomthe power that waits for you once we move you. You think you’re brave to make an escape attempt and brave to mockus.”
“Not at all,” Evariste said. “I merely don’t care what you think of me, so there is no reason to hold back what I am thinking. Which reminds me, please let me take this moment to say that your fashion sense is more that of a demented fairy than aestheticallypleasing.”
Liliane’s smile fell from her face, and she coldly stared Evariste down. Abruptly, she thrust her hand in front of her and twisted. Her vile, mint-green magic dropped from her fingertips and rammed through the mirror, striking Evariste in thegut.
His innards cramped and spasmed, and sweat broke out on his forehead. He groaned, “What happened to a punishment that wasn’t physicallypainful?”
Liliane’s beautiful face turned cold and ugly with her sneer. “Just remember as you live through your nightmares, Angelique willdie. Acri failed me, but I have hundreds of mages at my bidding, and hundreds of thousands of creatures at my fingertips. And after dealing with you, I’m not inclined to grant her the mercy of a swift and cleandeath.”
Evariste laughed outright. “You are right, Liliane. Iamsorry.”
“Oh?” She shifted a stepcloser.
“Yes.” Evariste savagely grinned at her. “Sorry I won’t be here to watch when she rips you to shreds—and she will, Liliane. Every time she uses her war magic, you lot should cower infear. AndwhenI get out and am reunited with my apprentice, together we’ll dismantle your forces until onlydustremains.”
Liliane blasted more of her magic at Evariste. It felt like something was eating away at hisorgans.
He grimaced and jerked in pain when Liliane yanked magic from him. It clouded around her in a blue mist. She muttered something guttural and black, and his magic surged forward. It dove through the mirror and slammed intohim.
For a moment, he was enveloped in red-hot pain, and then everything was dark. Several long moments passed, and Evariste considered theblackness.
Hm. As a punishment, this isn’t bad.The perpetual gray of the mirror was starting to drive me mad. This is almost…welcome.
Heavy breathing came from behindhim.
Alarmed, Evariste swung around and froze infear.
“Evariste, lad!” Clovicus staggered across the black landscape, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. “You have to run!” He fell to the ground with a wetcough.
“Clovicus!” Evariste threw himself to his knees and grabbed the older enchanter’s arm. His skin was warm to the touch, and Evariste couldfeelthe faint flutter of hisheart.
“They got us.” Clovicus winced and pushed his copper hair—matted with blood—off his forehead. “You have to…flee. Or else…” He grimaced, and his breath became more labored. “Or else…” He gurgled and fellsilent.
“Clovicus?” Evariste’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as he shook his master’s pronebody.
“Evar.”
Evariste yanked his gazeup.
Emerys, dressed in his kingly elf robes, stared sorrowfully at him. “How could you curseus?”
“It wasn’t me—it was the blackmages!”
“How could you lead them tous?”
“I tried to resist!” Evariste stood and took a step closer to hisfriend.
Emerys shook his head, his forehead wrinkling. “My people aredying, Evar. I’m...” He paused, then blinked as blood bloomed on the shoulder of his robes. “…dying.”
The Elf King collapsed, struggling tobreathe.
No…not this.Evariste stared in shock and grief at the nightmares playing out before him. He tried to close his eyes, but it was to no avail. Eyes shut or open, the visions werethere.
Liliane was right. This is worse—farworse.
