Magician's Redemption: Dark Mage Series, #7

By D. Bruce Cotton

At long last, the exciting conclusion to the Dark Mage Series!

 

When the Dark Mage merges his power with that of a deadly enemy from the future, the very bones of the earth shake in fear. Who can hope to stand against a monster of such horrendous power and transcendent evil?

 

Adam Gray knows he is utterly outmatched. Any chance at survival means fleeing as fast and as far as possible.

 

Yet what of his friends and loved ones? How can he contemplate running when it will mean agonizing death for everyone he holds dear?

In the end, a secret withheld makes all the difference in Adam's decision to fight or flee. It's a revelation that makes him question everything about himself as both man and magician.

 

Backed into a corner, to a place where no possible choices remain, Adam must answer one final question:

 

How do you kill something that cannot die?

• Language: English
• Publisher: D. Bruce Cotton
• Release date: May 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223828457

D. Bruce Cotton

D. Bruce Cotton grew up in a small rural town in central Kentucky. A certified bibliophile, when he wasn’t digging through the local store’s latest delivery of comic books, you could usually find him camped out in a corner of the town library, avidly reading the literary masters: Isaac Asimov, Edgar Rice Burroughs and J.R.R. Tolkien. After graduating with a somewhat useless degree in English, he went to work for Uncle Sam, serving as a statistical clerk at a nerve gas laboratory, a public affairs specialist, and for 28 years as a writer and editor for PS Magazine, an Army comic book designed to teach Soldiers how to care for their equipment. Now retired, Bruce lives in Cold Spring, KY, with his wife, Cindy, and 6-year-old standard poodle, Gracie. He’s the author of seven books in the epic Dark Mage fantasy series: Magician's Dawn (a prequel), Magician’s Heir, Magician’s Return, Magician’s Quest, Magician's Loss, Magician's War, and Magician's Genesis. To find more about these books and future additions to the series, go to: https://dbrucecotton.com

Book preview

Chapter 1, Revelations

Afull hour passed before Max Hendricks finished, weaving an incredulous tale of betrayal, abduction, addiction, heartbreak, and murder. Adam Gray trembled with each new revelation, never noticing when Alecia left her seat to stand at his back. She gently stroked his knotted shoulder muscles. Yet Adam felt none of it. Instead, he sat with fists clenched at both sides, awash in conflicting feelings: confusion, wonder, disbelief, uncertainty, and incredulity. All these paled, however, compared to the single emotion which grew steadily hotter and more irrepressible by the second.

Outrage.

You’re telling me the Dark Mage killed my parents? His voice seethed. That’s what Sheriff Burns was hiding? That son-of-a...

In his defense, Max cut him off, the Sheriff had little say in the matter.

Sandra Callahan chimed in, "The Dark Mage completely controlled Burns and a few dozen others. I am—was—a nurse, so you can believe me when I say zintaire is more potent, more addictive, than any drug I’ve ever seen. One taste and you’re hooked for life. You’ll do anything to get another dose."

And you cannot hope to resist its power, rumbled Colstone. To even try means a death more terrible than you can imagine.

Adam stared down at the tall black man sitting on the couch. He didn’t remember rising from his chair. And Colstone’s deep, rumbling voice reminded him too much of his friend Craigen. Still, he found it hard to believe this man was once a giant himself.

I don’t care, Adam replied. Choice or not, he followed the Dark Mage. As far as I’m concerned, he got what he deserved.

Horribly burned, the Sheriff still tried to kill Max and Sandra, only to die with a shaft of broken metal piercing his body. Adam shuddered at the thought.

A terrible way to die, he thought. Still, I can’t—I won’t—forgive him.

Alecia slipped an arm through his, steering him back to his seat.

The Dark Mage, she whispered in one ear, unable to keep a tinge of fury from her own voice, is responsible for many such crimes on my world as well. He should remain our focus now.

You’re right, he murmured. Turning back to Max, Adam said, You’ve been here a long time; years from the story you told me. Why didn’t you go back? You had the means, he said, referring to the bottle of magic beans left behind in the magic shop that day. But you sent me instead. Why?

Max sighed, giving a slight shake of the head. He beat me, Adam. I was the most powerful mage of my generation, yet he beat me with no more effort than taking a breath. Had I returned, it would change nothing. He glanced over at Colstone and received a quick nod. "Even so, Colstone and I would have made the attempt. But we came to this world as disembodied spirits, our bodies destroyed by the Dark Mage. If we somehow made it back to Tantris, it is possible we would arrive in spirit form, unable to do anything but watch as the Dark Mage destroyed all we hold dear.

And if this body, he indicated himself, somehow made the journey, there is no guarantee I would regain even the meager powers I once had.

What chance, broke in Colstone, would a powerless mage and height-challenged giant stand against the Dark Mage?

None, I suppose, Adam granted. But that still doesn’t answer the rest of my question. Why did you choose me?

My boy, responded the old mage, do not think we came to such a decision lightly. My preference would have been to tell you everything and let you make the choice. But you already thought me somewhat unhinged when I visited your magic shop. How, then, would you have believed the truth?

Max licked his lips nervously. We had to send someone, if only to warn the people of Tantris. Had you known the truth, I reasoned, you would demand the opportunity to avenge your parents. I am truly sorry, Adam, but I did not know what else to do.

I’m sorry, too, Adam, Sandra muttered. I was against sending you from the moment Mags suggested it. Remember that day I visited the magic shop? At the young man’s nod, she continued, The truth is, I came to feel you out. I was looking for a reason to tell Mags he would have to send someone else. But when you pulled out that book...

"The Real Book of Magic," Adam sighed.

Yes. And you can imagine my shock when I saw the author’s name. What are the chances Mags ends up inhabiting the body of the man who first ignited your interest in magic? It’s like some poorly written movie. At that point, I felt like we didn’t have a choice.

Adam considered the couple’s words for a moment before nodding. I guess I can see why you did it. But, his eyes narrowed in puzzlement, why did you wait so long to approach me? You could’ve saved me a lot of worry and effort if you came forward after I returned from Tantris the first time.

Now Max looked flustered. First time? he mumbled, looking at his compatriots. They both shrugged in confusion. "This is not the first time you returned home?"

No, Adam responded. I returned one other time with Alecia’s father. Aristomus and I spent more than a month reconstituting the formula for the magic beans you left inscribed inside the dust jacket of my old magic book. At least, I assume you left it there?

Aye, Max replied, still looking distracted. "But Adam, the authorities forced us to flee following Sheriff Burns’ death. It seems they somehow linked us to what happened on the farm that night. Believe me, the decision to return was a dangerous one. We only arrived a few hours ago. You can imagine our surprise when Colstone reported lights burning in what we thought to be an empty apartment.

Adam digested this information before he continued. Look, you know about the time difference between here and Tantris, right?

The blank expressions he got from Max and the others told Adam everything he needed. Time doesn’t work the same between my world and Tantris. It goes by much slower here; about one day for every two years. If you’ve been on this world for as long as you said... He did a quick calculation in his head. It means over two millennia have passed on Tantris since you first arrived.

Max looked sickened. Sarkesian, he used the Dark Mage’s true name, hinted as much, though he did not indicate such a profound difference. Nor did I know whether to believe him. You are certain of this?

Yes, Adam nodded. "Like I said, I’ve been there twice now. The first time, I was away for several months, but I returned to find only a few hours gone. The second time, I spent even more time there, but only a single night passed here.

Then the world and families we remember exist no longer, rumbled Colstone. And the people of Tantris will have no warning of the Dark Mage’s return. What can you tell us of your time there?

Adam’s shoulders slumped. It’s bad, he said. The Dark Mage isn’t the same enemy you remember. He’s worse. Much worse.

In his mind’s eye, Adam once again saw the Dark Mage’s rebirth into the immortal body of Oxymedes. He shuddered before launching into an explanation of his travels through Tantris, both the first and second times. He finished by relating what he and Alecia faced in the fiery cavern beneath Stragos Island.

By the Power, Max breathed when Adam’s story ended. This is worse than I could ever imagine. Sarkesian’s desire for immortality has taken him down dark paths before. This, it would seem, is by far the darkest. You deem him unbeatable, then?

I don’t know, Adam replied. It’s hard to imagine anyone’s invincible, but...

The two of us never stood a chance, Alecia blurted. He killed Adam with barely a thought. I, too, would be dead had Adam not brought me here.

We were lucky. He reached out and took Alecia’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. When I die in Tantris, his lips clenched in a thin line, I’m transported back here. When Max started to speak, Adam cut him off with a wave. Don’t ask why. I can’t even guess. The only reason Alecia’s here is because she held me when I passed. If she hadn’t... He shook his head, not even wanting to consider the alternative.

The room went quiet for several moments as each of those gathered considered what they’d heard. Then...

We have to go back, Adam announced. "No one else can face him. Hell, I don’t have a chance, either. But I’ve got to try."

He turned to Max with a look of resolve on his face. The bottle of magic beans you left on the counter of my magic shop is gone now and the ones I made lost their power. Before Max said anything, he continued, There’s no time to make more. Please, he pleaded, tell me those weren’t the only ones.

A tense moment passed before Max offered a faint smile. Aye. Sarkesian created three bottles of the magic beans. One he used himself. The second I gave to you. A single bottle remains.

When Max didn’t move, Adam shouted, Damn it, man! Let’s have them! Don’t you understand? Every minute counts!

Max flinched under the sudden verbal assault. I... That is...

He doesn’t have them here, Sandra interrupted. We were afraid something might happen to them. They’re back at my uncle’s cabin.

THOUGH SANDRA ASSURED him of the cabin’s near proximity, Adam fumed at the loss of every second. Still, he took a moment to change out of the dirt-stained robe and into something less conspicuous. He thoughtfully fingered the charred fabric at the center of the robe before finally tossing it into a corner.

After signaling his readiness to the others, they headed out. When he shut the apartment door, a fluttering piece of paper taped there caught Adam’s attention. He snatched it down, reading even as he took the metal staircase to the street below.

An eviction notice, he realized. He wadded it up to throw away before changing his mind and stuffing the paper into a pocket. He couldn’t really blame his landlord for the eviction. He’d never been very prompt with the rent payment before, and he was already more than a month behind. Mr. Turner’s patience had to run out, eventually.

I’m not even sure what day of the month it is, he realized. Maybe going to this cabin is for the best.

When they reached the street, Adam did a double-take.

We’re going in that? he exclaimed.

A small, battered Pontiac sat waiting for them. Once black or dark gray, the two-door sedan’s paint faded considerably over the years to an almost dirty white color. And the rusty side panels gave it a leprous appearance.

Sandra fixed him with an angry stare. Would you rather walk?

Um, no, of course not, Adam fumbled. I just meant, will we all fit?

It will be tight, Max said in diplomatic tones, but we will manage.

Colstone stuffed himself into the passenger seat up front, his long legs sticking up well above the dash. Sandra slid the driver’s seat up to allow Adam, Max, and Alecia to squeeze into the back. Adam gave a grunt as Alecia’s elbow wedged into his stomach. She muttered an apology and retracted it, only to smack Max’s shoulder.

I sure hope this is a short drive, Adam commented.

Sandra slid into the driver’s seat, racking it forward until her knees pressed against the dash. It’s not the distance so much as the road conditions, she said. The cabin sits off an old logging road in the woods overlooking Elliston. Unfortunately, this car wasn’t built for off-roading and its best days passed long ago. I’ll do my best, but you should prepare yourselves for some bumps and bruises.

A few minutes later, they left the town limits, following a smooth country highway angling up into the hills surrounding Elliston. Only once did they suffer a moment of anxiety. A state police car passed by, going in the opposite direction. It slowed, brake lights flashing, before disappearing over the next rise. When the vehicle didn’t reappear, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Ten minutes later, Sandra’s Pontiac left the highway and pulled between two trees onto what Adam thought looked more like an animal track than a road. The left front tire hit an immediate rut and Adam’s head smacked against the ceiling. Alecia’s elbow gouged him once again as the car bounced up and down, then left and right.

Maybe try to miss at least one pothole, will you? Adam growled. His mouth snapped shut when he saw the look Sandra gave him in the rearview mirror.

The bumpy ride seemed interminable, though it took only a few minutes to arrive at the dilapidated old cabin. The company piled out of the old car, groaning at the slew of bruises they gained during the journey.

You call this a cabin? Adam muttered under his breath. He got an elbow from Alecia for his trouble, this one intentional.

Four warped wood walls leaned against one another, holding up a sagging roof topped by a crumbling stone chimney. The wood hadn’t seen a coat of paint in decades, Adam judged. Not that any amount of paint would improve it much.

I know it isn’t much to look at, Sandra shared. But it keeps the rain off.

She opened the rickety door and Adam noticed at once no lock protected it. Though, he decided, it would take quite the desperate criminal to pick this place to break into.

Inside, he found a single room with a tiny kitchenette sporting a mini fridge, a few sagging cabinets, and a dry sink. A set of bunk beds took up the far corner while a stained and drooping old couch sat in the room’s center. A card table with three folding chairs sat next to a small, wood-burning stove inset into the fireplace to finish the furnishings.

Another door stood at the back of the cabin. Adam assumed it led to a bathroom or a separate bedroom, but...

His mind went blank when he saw the small glass bottle sitting alone in the center of the table.

You just left it out, he asked, his voice incredulous, and didn’t even lock the door?

These walls wouldn’t keep out anyone who really wanted in, Sandra explained. And sometimes the best hiding place is out in the open. Why would anyone want to steal a bottle of beans?

Adam barely heard her as he strode over and picked up the bottle. It looked exactly like the one Max left on the counter of his magic store that day—about four inches tall and composed of clear glass with an old-fashioned cork stopper wedged tight in the neck. At first glance, the glass appeared cheaply made, with small pockets of air trapped inside the thick walls. Adam gazed at the label—noting the words Magic Beans hand-lettered in elegant calligraphy—before turning the bottle to find it filled with what appeared to be more than a dozen plain brown beans.

The Dark Mage made this, he thought, and felt a sudden weakness in his legs. He sat down hard on one of the foldout chairs and shuddered, licking lips gone completely dry.

Why three bottles? he asked. You never explained why he made more than he needed to return to Tantris.

Max frowned. Who knows? We can hazard only guesses. Perhaps it proved simpler to make this many with the ingredients on hand. Or perhaps he did it as a contingency should he ever need to return here.

Or, rumbled Colstone, perhaps he someday plans to come back and conquer this world.

Adam spat a curse. He’d never considered that. Just another reason to stop him, he mused. Though I don’t really need any more excuses.

All right, he murmured. Then louder, We’ve wasted enough time. Alecia, hold tight to me. I’m going to open this bottle so we can go home.

Elliston might be the place of his birth, but Tantris was his home now. And Alecia, his family. A single look at her smile reassured Adam of that truth.

I do not understand, Max broke in with a puzzled look. There are more than enough beans here.

Yeah, but there’s something weird about the potion used to create them, Adam explained. The ones Aristomus and I made worked for me, but not for him. He quickly explained how Alecia’s father never smelled anything after he opened the bottle.

Really? Max appeared thoughtful, sharing a look with Colstone.

Perhaps, drawled the giant, we omitted something when transcribing the original formula; something that makes the beans work for someone from our world.

Max remained quiet for a moment as he thought through the possibilities. Finally, I suppose anything is possible, he granted. However, this time it should not matter. The Dark Mage, he nodded at the bottle Adam held in one hand, created these beans himself. They worked well enough for him, so I see no reason they should fail the rest of us.

The rest of... Adam’s eyes bulged. You’re going, too? But you said it’s too dangerous.

Matters have changed. You will need my assistance if you are to challenge Sarkesian. While I cannot speak for my companions, he glanced at Colstone and Sandra, I will make the attempt.

Me, too, Sandra chimed in. I waited my entire life for the right man to come along, and I’m not letting you go anywhere without me.

I, too, will go, murmured Colstone, though I must admit to some reservations. It is possible my people will be less than welcoming to someone of my, uh, shorter stature.

Adam’s assessment of his newfound friends went up several notches. While Sandra should make the transition with no problem, both Max and Colstone risked arriving as disembodied spirits, unable to help themselves, let alone challenge the Dark Mage.

All right, he said. But we go now. With the time difference, we’ve already been gone for weeks. There’s no telling what may have happened. We can’t wait any longer.

The others nodded and gathered around the card table. Adam stood to join them. The moment seemed too significant to remain sitting. He took a deep breath and reached for the bottle’s cork. It pulled loose with a tiny pop...

...just as a deep voice, enhanced by the metallic squeal of a bullhorn, shouted from outside the cabin walls, This is the Ohio State Police! Come out with your hands up!

Chapter 2, Alarm

Sandra’s eyes widened in sudden panic. They’ve found us, she gasped. What do we do?

Almost before the words left her mouth, the overwhelming scent of vanilla flooded her nostrils. If possible, Sandra’s eyes went wider still. Before she could process what happened, a hand, its fingers curled into claws, moved across her field of vision and toward the bottle of magic beans Adam clenched in one white-knuckled fist.

That’s my hand.

The thought pulsed dully through her head like an approaching migraine. Even as she ordered it to stop, the hand kept moving, fingers twitching as though gripped by palsy. As if expecting this reaction, Adam tilted the bottle, scattering several of the small, brown pellets across the tabletop, before letting it drop. The container landed with a thunk on the table’s padded surface, spinning once before coming to a stop.

Immediately, Sandra’s hand changed direction, launching itself toward the still rolling beans. Other hands joined it and she absently identified Colstone’s long, brown fingers alongside Max’s shorter, wrinkled ones. The slender hand of a young woman joined them—That’s Alecia, she thought dully—even as her own fingers closed around two of the beans and lifted them toward her mouth.

Sandra felt the tiny pellets in her palm, felt her fingers close tight around them even as her hand moved toward her now gaping mouth. But though she felt everything, heard the rustle of cloth as the others mirrored her movements, she was helpless to stop it. As though it belonged to someone else entirely, her hand sprang open and dropped the beans onto her tongue.

Instantly, the pleasant scent of vanilla disappeared, replaced by the nauseating taste of meat left to rot in the noonday sun. Stomach heaving, she tried to spit out the pellets, rid herself of something so awful it turned her guts to water.

Instead, Sandra’s mouth closed around the vile beans, and despite her heaving gorge, they slid down her throat to explode within her stomach. Not even the sorcery controlling her every movement stopped Sandra from throwing back her head, mouth stretching wide in a silent scream...

Then, mercifully, it ended. Blackness rose before Sandra’s bulging eyes, and she slid into the welcoming dark.

THE SPLASH OF COLD water enveloped Sandra’s feet and lower legs, bringing her instantly awake. Despite the shiver it sent up her spine, she didn’t open her eyes at once. The warm glow of sunlight against closed eyelids felt too soothing, as though she woke from a long nap on some unnamed beach. The gritty sensation of sand beneath her back just added to the illusion.

I should get up, she thought with almost hazy indifference. The sun will burn my skin and I don’t have any suntan lotion.

Suntan lotion?

The incongruous thought alarmed her somehow. But not as much as the faint taste of rotten meat lingering on her tongue. Sandra wanted it all to go away, to return to the fantasy of sun-drenched beaches from vacations past.

But a gentle pat to one cheek made those thoughts evaporate. Opening her eyes, Sandra saw an older man staring from just a few feet above. Loose, shoulder-length silver hair dangled past his cheeks, framing pale features highlighted by a bushy goatee; its gray still showing a few streaks of black. Startling blue eyes filled with concern, watched from behind round, wire-framed glasses.

I know this man.

Sandra? The light pat against her cheek came again. Are you well, Sandra?

The voice did it. Everything—the ramshackle cabin, the crackle of a police bullhorn, the horrendous taste of the magic beans—came back in a rush that left her feeling dizzy.

I’m... Sandra paused, swallowing hard and trying to ignore the nasty taste in her mouth. I’m okay, Mags... I think.

Where is Adam?

The slight edge of anxiety in the voice coming from a few feet away made Sandra try to sit up. She succeeded only with Mags’ help. At once, she saw the illusion of a beach made more sense than she expected. Sandra sat on a sandy shore; her tennis shoes and jeans soaked by lapping waves from an immense... lake? It couldn’t be the ocean, she thought. No sharp tang of salt marred the crisp morning air. So only a vast freshwater lake made sense. Another small wave splashed toward her, and she pulled both feet away. It’s not just cool, she thought. It’s cold.

Why is he not here?

The voice’s anxiety now tugged at the outer fringes of panic. It made Sandra forget about the impossible surroundings. Now the instincts and trained response of years spent as a nurse came to the fore.

Help me up, she ordered.

Once on her feet, she took a full step back from the lapping waves and turned to assess the situation. Mags she discounted at once. Not because of any lack of concern, but because of the magician’s background. If anyone could feel at home in such crazy circumstances, Mags fit the bill.

Colstone sat staring at his outstretched hands, a look of shocked awareness on his features as though he never expected to return here in corporeal form. The former giant, now a tall, lean black man, had returned home, albeit two millennia later than he would’ve preferred, and without the body he remembered.

When she turned her attention to Alecia, Sandra felt the first pangs of empathy. Though far older than her—as a mage, she aged much slower than a normal person—Alecia appeared at least half a decade younger than Sandra’s thirty-six and stood an inch or two taller. Auburn eyes wide with panic, Alecia clutched her thick, reddish-brown curls as though trying to hold the bones of her skull together. Turning in all directions, she continued to look for something which should be, but obviously wasn’t there.

Where is he? she groaned.

Sandra went to Alecia at once, wrapping her in a tight hug as the young woman’s sobs began. Even while trying to comfort the other woman, Sandra scanned the beach for some sign of Adam. Nothing. Other than the four of them, the surrounding beach remained empty.

What the hell went wrong? Sandra asked. Where’s Adam?

Mags recognized at once she directed the questions at him. I do not know. He should be here. It makes no sense!

And where exactly is here? came Colstone’s rumbling voice. Apparently, the giant made peace with his translation, accepting the fact that his giantish form would remain a part of the past. Our first order of business is to ascertain our general location. Only then can we determine where we need to go.

Any ideas? Sandra asked.

Mags approached and laid a gentle hand on Alecia’s shoulder. We need your help, Alecia. Sandra has never been here and mine and Colstone’s knowledge of the land is sorely out-of-date. Look around you. Have you seen this place before?

Sandra quietly approved of the question. Giving Alecia something else to focus her attention would provide them all enough time to figure out what to do about Adam.

Alecia held tight for a moment longer, then let go with an inward sigh. Tear-filled eyes met Sandra’s, followed by a quick nod of thanks. Wiping her cheeks, she turned to inspect their surroundings.

I... she started. Nose scrunching, she took a deep breath. I smell no salt. And Tempest Lake is the only freshwater lake of this size in all Tantris.

Mags nodded thoughtfully. Aye. Tempest Lake also existed in my time. Go on, please.

Very well. She nodded at the miles of empty beach. "If this is Tempest Lake, her voice left little doubt what she thought, I can only hazard guesses as to our exact location. Plains lap much of the boundaries to the lake’s east and north, while the south is mostly tangled wildlands and cliffs. Flooded wetlands and open beaches make up most of the western shore. I deem it likely we stand upon one of the lake’s eastern inlets."

So, rumbled Colstone, if we travel directly east...

...we will eventually intersect the northbound road! Mags broke in, a look of excitement transforming his face.

Aye. The dullness of Alecia’s voice made Sandra wince. Lakepass Road. Follow it far enough north and it will take you to Seir.

The men seemed oblivious to the implied meaning behind Alecia’s words. Sandra caught it at once.

You’re not going. It came out as a statement rather than a question.

No, she replied at once. I will remain here and await Adam. If he returns, this is the place he will appear.

Before the others could argue, Alecia continued, There is more. She extended her hand, palm up, and stared at it in concentration. A moment later it dropped, and she sighed, I cannot touch the Power.

Are you certain? Mags asked. I can sense the Power, though without a staff, I cannot channel it. Perhaps a staff will restore your connection as well.

Alecia shook her head, defeated. Clearly, she did not share his hope. Some time back, I pushed too hard and lost the ability to channel the Power. But Adam... her voice cracked at the memory, ...Adam healed me. From that moment, I could channel the Power as he can, without aid of a staff. The ability is now gone.

Sandra nodded, recalling the story told back in Adam’s apartment. At the time, she suspected the young man glossed over much of what happened. But the love in Alecia’s eyes as he spoke expressed just how much the return of magic meant to her.

But this, Alecia continued, feels somehow different. Though I cannot sense or touch the Power, the emptiness I suffered before has not reappeared. I do not understand it.

Mags frowned, and Sandra guessed at once what he thought. He once told her losing the Power took a terrible toll on magicians from his world. Most often, it led to a deep depression. Very few, he said, had the inner fortitude to resist eventual suicide. Had the Dark Mage not kept them both in a drug-induced, though tortured, sleep for nearly three years, would Mags still be alive today? She wondered.

Regardless, you cannot remain here alone, Colstone insisted. It might be weeks before Adam comes, if he comes at all.

Sandra winced at the giant’s blunt words. Once again, she gazed at their surroundings, this time praying for Adam’s appearance. She didn’t understand what happened to Alecia, but if she truly lost the Power, the young mage might well prove her only chance at survival.

I think I know how to find out exactly where we are, she announced.

My dear, snorted Mags, how do you intend to do that?

Sandra nodded in a direction leading away from the lake. Why don’t we ask him?

Though her renewed search for Adam proved futile, it led to another discovery. Inland, peeking above a small dune, she saw a mop of messy black hair and two dark eyes staring back at her.

As soon as the others turned to look, the mop of hair dropped from sight.

Wait! called Sandra. We won’t hurt you! We need your help!

Motioning for the others to stay back, Sandra climbed the dune as fast as her squishing sneakers allowed. She needn’t have worried, however. The boy stood only a few dozen steps away, eyes sparkling with mischief as he favored her with a broad smile.

Quite young—Sandra guessed his age to be seven or eight—the boy wore a wool jerkin and a tattered pair of tan pants at least two sizes too large for his skinny frame. He kept tugging at them, despite the knotted length of cord serving as a belt. A small filleting knife hung from a leather sheath at his side. The boy held tight to a long bamboo pole in one fist while the other clutched a pouch bulging with string, chunks of cork, and other odd items.

Hello, she called to the young fisherman.

The boy dug at the sandy ground with one bare toe. Hi, he returned shyly. My name is Liam. Who are you?

I’m Sandra. My friends and I don’t recognize this place. Do you think you can help us?

Liam frowned. Lost? Boy, is that dumb. All you gotta do is follow the lake till you get to the village. Everybody knows that, even me.

Sandra smiled. You’re smart, all right. I’m glad we met each other. Now then, she looked first left and then to the right, which way do we go to get to this village?

The boy chuckled. "You really are lost, ain’tcha? Don’ matter which way you go. You will get there, either way. Hard to get lost on an island."

Island? Sandra rubbed her chin, perplexed by this revelation. Mags mentioned no islands near Tantris. Was it possible they ended up farther away than they realized?

Um, is it okay if my friends join us? she asked. I’m a stranger here and they might understand better what you mean.

Liam shrugged. Sure. ’So’kay with me.

After the others gathered around, Sandra made introductions.

Really? Liam beamed at Mags. I ain’t never met a mage before. And you, mister, he pointed at Colstone, are tall, all right. But you ain’t no giant.

The others burst out laughing. Even Alecia managed a faint smile.

Now, then, Mags declared, what is this about an island?

It took several minutes of questioning before Mags reached any conclusions, mostly because, to Liam, the island had no name. He simply knew it as ‘home.’

So where are we? Sandra asked when the questioning stopped.

Mags arched one eyebrow, for him a gesture of outright astonishment. "This is Tempest Lake, he murmured. And it appears we have arrived on the Isle of Ciote. It seems we were very lucky. Had our translation happened even a league in some other direction, we might now lie dead at the bottom of the lake."

The words were out before Sandra could stop him.

Is that what happened to Adam? Alecia’s voice quivered with despair. Is he... dead?

Once again, Sandra wrapped the young woman in a hug while casting a dark look at Mags. Now, now, dear, she crooned. We know no such thing. Something must’ve delayed Adam, that’s all. With the time difference, even a few minutes might mean weeks on this side. Don’t give up hope.

Alecia’s despair visibly flustered Liam. He put out a hand, patting her leg softly. Please, lady. Don’ worry. I can go fishing later. Come with me and I will take you to my village. My ma will know what to do. She always does.

Forcing a smile through her tears, Alecia bent over and gave Liam a hug. A blush creeped up the boy’s sun-darkened skin.

It seems, Sandra thought as she hid a grin, Liam suffers from his first boyhood crush. Glancing at the mage, she could hardly blame him. Even with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, she’s quite a beautiful young woman.

Liam grabbed Alecia’s hand and gave it a tug. This way. My village is close by. And you can stay with me! I am sure my ma and pa will not mind.

Alecia looked unsure, glancing back toward the beach. Sandra understood her hesitance at once.

It’s okay, Alecia, she assured. When we get to the village, we can ask for someone to come back and watch for Adam.

The mage frowned but nodded her assent. Liam beamed in response and immediately took off to the west.

He stopped after a few steps and motioned for them to follow. Come on, slowpokes! he yelled. My sister’s faster than you and she is too young to walk!

Chapter 3, Authorities

Even as Alecia, Mags and Colstone faded, evaporating like fog before the first rays of morning sunlight, Adam’s body reacted without thought. Still holding his breath, he scooped up the two beans remaining on the table and brought them toward his mouth.

Hold on, Adam! his mind screamed. There’s something you’ve got to do first!

Adam’s hand froze a few inches away. With his other hand, he snatched at the bottle still resting on the table. Stabbing fingers missed and knocked the container toward the edge.

No!

Adam lunged and felt his fingers wrap around the cool glass just as the card table collapsed beneath his weight. He fell sideways and a table leg, bent in half from the stress, reached up to meet him. Its foot jabbed hard into his stomach as he crashed to the floor.

With a whoosh, the already burning breath he held exploded from his mouth. At once, his lips peeled back in a silent cry, even as his tortured lungs tried to draw in even the tiniest gasp of air.

Like a landed fish, his mouth gaped. Diaphragm paralyzed from the blow, Adam couldn’t breathe at all. Black stars danced before his bulging eyes. But he kept just enough awareness to jam the beans back into the container and thumb the cork in place.

Adam rolled off the wrecked table onto his back. Holding the bottle against his bruised stomach, he concentrated all his remaining energy on trying to breathe.

It can’t end like this! It just can’t!

His vision went gray, fading to black, just as desperate lungs pulled in a mouthful of air. Adam groaned and managed another tiny breath. Color leeched back into his vision as he realized something important.

I don’t smell anything, his mind gibbered. The vanilla is gone.

What’s going on in there? Come out now or we’re coming in!

The squelch of the bullhorn brought Adam fully back to himself. It reminded him of the reason he delayed joining the others. Rolling off the destroyed card table, he got his knees under him and forced himself to stand.

I’ve got to find someplace to hide them, he wheezed aloud. If the police get ahold of them and open the bottle...

The rest went unsaid. Adam well remembered his first trip to Tantris. Even now, he marveled at how he avoided being fitted for a straitjacket with permanent accommodations in a rubber room. How could he put someone else through that?

Buy some time, Adam!

It’s okay... The words came out in an unintelligible croak. Swallowing hard, he tried again. Hold on! I’m coming out!

But Adam didn’t move toward the door. Instead, his gaze raked over the room, looking for somewhere, some place, to hide the bottle of magic beans. At last, his eyes landed on the old fireplace. Built of disintegrating stone, the chimney leaned perilously to one side. Much of the ancient mortar which once held it together had crumbled into powder, and he thought it likely only the ash and soot coating the chimney’s interior kept it in one piece.

Maybe...

He hurried over to the fireplace. With care, he felt some of the weaker stones, looking for one he could pry loose. He avoided those closest to the wood-burning stove, reasoning the mortar there would be newer. At last, Adam found what he needed: a round stone loose enough to remove without jeopardizing a collapse of the rest.

This is your last warning! Come out with your hands in the air!

I’m running out of time!

Adam took another deep breath and popped the cork once again. After shaking two of the beans into his palm, he replaced the cork, shoved the bottle into the hollow, and replaced the stone. For just a moment, he feared it wouldn’t fit, and he couldn’t risk pushing too hard without breaking the bottle. Then the stone slid into place.

He took a moment to make sure it looked right before turning away. Opening his palm, he stared at the two beans and then looked at the door. A strange thought entered his mind, and he smiled.

Why not? They just about scared me to death. Maybe I should return the favor!

Adam walked toward the door. Already, his lungs were burning. He needed to do this fast.

Swinging the door open, he raised both hands and stepped into the late morning sunshine. Arrayed around the cluttered yard, he saw three State Police vehicles and at