an experienced Vigors wizard,” she said. “But even he can’t help unless he is fully informed. I suggest you tell him everything that you told me.”
Leaning back in his chair, Tristan gave Aeolus a hard look. “Twice now, you have been invited to join the Conclave,” he said. “But I still have no answer. If I am to tell you all I know, it will only be after you accept membership. Will you join us or not?”
As Aeolus looked at the tabletop, a sea of emotions both old and new flooded through him. He looked back at the prince. “Aside from the fleet’s predicament, how serious is the overall threat?” he asked.
“It is the worst we have ever known,” Tristan said. “It is greater than the return of the Coven, Nicholas’ Gates of Dawn, and Wulfgar’s effort to pollute and destroy the Orb of the Vigors. I daresay it is even more dire than the Sorceresses’ War of three centuries ago. Conflicts and forces are in play that you couldn’t start to imagine.”
Aeolus looked over at Abbey. “We have known one another for a long time,” he said. “I don’t distrust theJin’Sai ’s word, but I want to hear you say it. Is the threat truly as terrible as he says?”
Abbey nodded. “Yes,” she answered. “Unless we stop it, everything we hold dear is doomed.”
For several long moments silence filled the room. Aeolus looked into Tristan’s eyes. “I accept,” he finally said.
Tristan was pleased by Aeolus’ answer. But before giving his final stamp of approval, he wanted to be crystal clear about some important points.
“I know how you feel about the craft and your school,” Tristan said. “You must promise to live here at the palace, to accept my orders at all times, and to willingly use the craft when needed. Do you agree?”
“Yes,” the wizard and martial master answered. Then he gave Tristan a smile. “I also promise to train you nearly to death in your pursuit ofK’Shari. ”
Tristan finally smiled back. “Fair enough,” he said. He looked over at Abbey. “The Conclave again numbers ten souls,” he said.
Abbey nodded. “So it would seem,” she answered, “if Traax still lives.” Realizing his oversight, Tristan nodded sadly.
For the next hour, Tristan told Aeolus all about his journey with Xanthus. Aeolus became nearly speechless at the tale. For several moments he looked at Tristan like the prince had lost his mind. “Is what you say true?” he breathed.
“Yes,” Tristan answered. “Had I not lived it, I would find it equally incredible.”
Aeolus shook his head in disbelief. “Amazing,” he said. “And yet, it explains so much. But you still haven’t discussed the immediate threat.”
Tristan’s face became grim. “Simply put,” he said, “unless we can stop her, Serena will soon have the ability to simultaneously change every right-leaning blood signature in our world leftward. With everyone of endowed blood so strongly influenced to worship the Vagaries, everywhere east of the Tolenkas, the Vigors will cease to exist. The Forestallment allowing this power is being held by thePon Q’tar. They have yet to trust its calculations to Serena’s mind. But when the right time comes, they will.”
“I beg the Afterlife,” Aeolus breathed. “Abbey told me that Wigg, Faegan, and Jessamay had found the formula allowing them to change blood signature lean. But I never suspected that all the signatures of one type or another could be affected at the same time!”
“Nor did we,” Tristan said.
“How is such a thing possible?” Aeolus asked.
“On Wulfgar’s death, Serena’s unborn child miscarried,” Tristan answered. “Before leaving for Eutracia, Wulfgar magically bound his life force to Serena’s, so that she would know if he died. But he underestimated the spell’s strength. When I killed him, the spell caused the miscarriage and nearly killed Serena. The dead baby was a girl. Serena calls her Clarice. She blames me for her child’s death.”
“Go on,” Aeolus said.
“Serena has enchanted the baby’s corpse, ensuring that it won’t decay,” Tristan said. “The corpse figures prominently in the Heretics’ plan.”
“But why preserve an infant corpse?” Aeolus asked. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Ah, but it does,” Tristan answered. “Before Wulfgar was killed, he spirited the Valrenkians away to the Citadel. Reznik, the most adept among them-and Einar, Serena’s lead consul-are conducting grotesque experiments. They are trying to refine a lost spell written by Failee, just before she died.”
“To what end?” Aeolus asked.
“To bring the dead back to life,” Tristan answered quietly.
For several moments no one spoke. Stunned, Aeolus sat back in his chair. “But why?” he breathed.
“They would use this spell to revive Clarice,” Tristan answered.
“But why is the life of one child so important?” Aeolus asked.
“Because that child’s living blood is the last piece of the puzzle,” Tristan answered. “If Clarice can be revived, she will be the only person in the world who carries the late Queen Morganna’s blood that has not been affected by a Forestallment, as mine and Shailiha’s have. It would be virgin territory, if you will. Because she is Morganna’s descendant through Wulfgar, her living blood will be of great power. It would not be as strong as mine or Shailiha’s. But it would reign third most powerful in our world-dwarfing even yours, Wigg’s, Faegan’s, and Jessamay’s.”
“Why go to all the bother?” Aeolus asked. “Why don’t thePon Q’tar clerics grant the Forestallment calculations directly to Serena’s mind now? Then she could imbue the Forestallment into her own blood and morph all of the right-leaning blood signatures at will.”
Leaning over the table, Abbey looked into Aeolus’ eyes. “Because even Serena’s blood, potent as it is, is not strong enough to accept such an amazingly strong Forestallment,” she explained. “Only Morganna’s blood or some derivative will suffice.”
“And Clarice’s blood is strong enough?” Aeolus asked. “Even though Wulfgar was your half brother, and his daughter is two generations removed from Morganna?”
“Yes,” Tristan answered, “provided her blood has never been imbued with any other competing Forestallments. In this, her blood is unique in the world. On bringing Clarice back to life, she will be the only living person of Morganna’s blood walking the earth with a left-leaning blood signature, and controlled by those who worship the Vagaries. When Clarice reaches maturity, thePon Q’tar will provide her mother with the Forestallment allowing all right-leaning signatures to be changed leftward at once. Serena will then grant that Forestallment to her daughter’s blood. Clarice will call it forth, forever sealing the Vigors’ doom everywhere east of the Tolenkas. It would be about twenty years before this could happen. But you and I know that twenty years is only a blink of an eye in the history of the craft.”
Aghast, Aeolus slumped back in his chair. He stared blankly down at the tabletop for some time before returning his gaze to the prince.
“It’s monstrous,” he whispered. “You’re right. This threat eclipses even the Sorceresses’ War. I assume that we three are the only Conclave members who know about it?”
“Yes,” Tristan answered. “But there is more to tell you. Despite your experiences in the Sorceresses’ War, you will find the rest of the tale difficult to hear.”
“Please continue,” Aeolus said.
“Both the Ghetto and the Recluse have been conquered by Serena’s forces,” Tristan said. “All the Minion warriors who once manned those strongholds are dead. Serena needed the Ghetto because there she could easily secure large numbers of vulnerable people all at once, rather than having to waste time scouring the countryside for them. The lepers are being taken to the Recluse and used as subjects for Reznik’s and Einar’s bizarre experiments. They are killing them and using Failee’s continually refined formula on them, trying to bring them back to life.”
“Aren’t they worried that the use of lepers might somehow alter or ruin their experiments?” Aeolus asked.
Tristan shook his head. “No,” he answered. “Dead is dead.”
Aeolus stared blankly at Tristan. “What will you do?” he asked.
“I will do the only thing I can,” the prince said. “I will order the fleet home.”
“But by now they must be near the Citadel,” Aeolus protested. “Why not let them continue on and capture Serena and her dead baby girl? If they succeed, the threat is ended and the Recluse can be dealt with later.”
