The Emerald Scepter

'And you trusted him?' Pilos asked, his words harsh, clearly both incredulous and resentful. 'You know what kind of vile serpent he is, and you actually agreed to get him what he wanted,' the priest added, shaking his head and turning away.

'That's precisely why I did it,' Quill argued. 'I knew that he could make good on his threats, and I didn't see much choice. I didn't want to see Xaphira disappear again after… after so long.'

'Did Roundface manage to let slip exactly what he intended to do?' Hetta asked, her words no less harsh than Pilos's. 'Did he mention how he has been trying to destroy my entire family? Did you really think Xaphira would want anything to do with you once she found out your role in such a thing?'

Quill shrugged, his expression sullen. 'I wasn't thinking beyond just trying to save her life,' he muttered, looking down. 'I just wanted to protect her. I'm just one man. I can't save your entire House.'

Hetta snorted. 'You certainly can't if you don't even try. I'm glad you're not one of my children. I'm sure your mother would be very proud right now, if she'd heard your little explanation.'

Quill didn't say anything, but he continued to avoid his companions' gazes.

'So what happened?' Pilos prodded. 'You obviously set it up for her to be caught.'

Quill nodded and continued. 'He told me that all I had to do was meet her as I had originally agreed, then take her to 'meet a man who knew where he was.' He said he would take care of the rest. We set everything up in a shed in the alley behind the Silver Fish-that's the rathrur where I was to meet her. All he told me was, once I had entered the shed, I had better close my eyes. So I did.'

'And just like Emriana, he got Xaphira to gaze into a mirror,' Pilos said. 'She never had a chance.'

'Yes,' Quill said. 'Then he kept promising me that he would free her once he had dealt with the other members of the family who were troubling him. After he caught Emriana, I thought he'd be finished, but it was pretty clear that he never intended to let her out.'

'And now you know, too late, that you never should have trusted him,' Hetta said. 'So you learned your lesson. Now you have to live with what you've done.'

Quill looked up at the woman, sorrow and desperation clear in his mien. 'I'll help you find her,' he said. 'Let me do that.'

'Oh, absolutely,' Hetta replied. 'I would expect no less from you. I think you owe her that, at the very least.'

Pilos began to pace. 'But we have no idea where the mirror has gone. How are we going to find it now?'

Hetta looked at him. 'Isn't your magic strong enough to track it down, as you did before, with Emriana?'

Pilos shook his head. 'There are ways I could do it, but I have nothing prepared. By the time I do, it'll be too late.'

'Then we'll consider that a fallback idea,' Hetta said in a businesslike tone, 'and come up with other, more immediate solutions.'

'Laithe probably knows something,' Quill ventured. 'Can you ask her?'

'Yes,' Hetta replied. 'I could release her from the ring and let her back into her body,' she said. 'But it's doubtful I could overwhelm her a second time. She'd be ready for it, and her will is strong.'

'Then we need to make sure we have the upper hand,' Pilos said, grabbing the manacles he had worn. 'We'll bind and gag you before you release her, then we'll persuade her that it's in her best interests to aid us.'

Hetta considered Pilos for a moment, then she nodded. 'It's the best choice we have,' she agreed. 'Let's do it.'

It did not take them long to secure the wizard. Pilos and Quill locked her legs together and chained her arms behind her back, as theirs had been. After they stuffed a large wad of cloth in her mouth and tied it in place, they sat her down in a corner and took up positions on either side of her.

'We're ready,' Pilos said, and Hetta nodded.

For a moment, the woman's eyes glazed over, then her head snapped back and her eyes flared in anger. Immediately, she began to grunt and struggle, but Pilos and Quill held her down.

'Stop it,' Pilos ordered, grabbing her by the hair and jerking her face up toward his. 'You can't get out of them, so give it up.'

Slowly, with a sullenness in her visage, Laithe relaxed.

'Good,' the young priest said, releasing her. He reached behind her and slipped Hetta's ring from her finger, then pocketed it. 'Now, we have some questions, and you'd do well to answer them. Because if we don't find out what we want to know, we'll let our good friend take over your body again, and she might never give it back. Am I clear?'

Laithe's eyes widened, and she nodded.

'Excellent,' Pilos said. 'I'm going to remove your gag, but only if you agree not to call out. If you lie to us, I'll make sure you don't have any teeth left to talk to whomever comes to rescue you. Again, do I make myself clear?'

Once more, Laithe nodded.

Pilos reached out and began to untie the gag while Quill stood next to him, his fist drawn back menacingly.

When the Abreeant had removed the binding, Laithe spit the wad of material out of her mouth and made a sour face. 'You two fools ought to run while you have the chance,' she said.

'Shut your hole,' Quill said, drawing his fist back farther. 'We ask questions, you answer. Otherwise, no words better come out of your mouth.'

Laithe glared at the man, but she nodded.

'Fine,' Pilos said. 'Now, this is very easy. Where is the mirror?'

'What mirror?' Laithe asked.

Quill's slap echoed off the bookshelves, and the wizard grunted. When she turned back to face them, her lip was bloody.

'You know what mirror,' Pilos said. 'Where did Junce take it?'

'I don't know,' Laithe answered. She tensed, as though ready for another slap. Quill seemed to think about it, but he didn't strike her again.

'Are you sure you don't know?' Pilos asked. 'Because if I have to let my friend invade your body again to find out for sure, we can do that.'

'I told you, I don't know. I don't ask the man what he does when I'm not around.'

'Where did he likely take the mirror?' Pilos asked. 'Possible places?'

Laithe shrugged. 'I don't know anything about his mirror. Only that he uses it to catch people. I don't know where he got it or where he keeps it.'

'Liar,' Quill snarled, and he smacked her again.

'That's enough,' Pilos said. 'She's telling the truth.'

Quill turned to look at the young priest, a hurt look on his face. 'How do you know?' he asked.

'I just do,' Pilos remarked. 'She may not be volunteering information, but what's she's telling us is accurate.'

'So what do we-' Quill's words died on his tongue as the door to the library slammed open.

The three of them had chosen their hiding place wisely-the doors were not visible to them-but Pilos knew beyond a doubt that whoever had entered the chamber knew they were there, and had come to hunt them down.

Laithe apparently knew also, for she began to yell. 'Junce! I'm here! Hurry! They're both here!'

Quill moved to punch the wizard in the face, but Pilos grabbed him by the arm and stopped him. 'No time,' he said, handing the man a small vial. 'Drink this and follow me,' he ordered.

Without waiting for Quill to comply with his instructions, the young priest downed his own magical elixir, feeling the moisture vanish from his mouth and noting the familiar smoky taste. He felt himself become insubstantial, a cloud of misty vapors drifting off the floor. There was no weight to his body, no sense of push or pull in his legs. He just floated there, able to see in every direction at once, an ability his mind had a difficult time accepting.

Pilos willed himself toward the ceiling just as Junce came charging around the last of the bookshelves, a