Why had WyvernDarkmantle not told her about this gateway when they were married?How had he kept it such a secret all these years? Snowbelle wasboth disappointed and frustrated. She knew Darkmantle was up tosomething but what? There was still no real evidence that he hadcaptured Miranda. The guards had arrived very quickly at thegateway she had just come through, almost as if she wasexpected.
She flew down to asmall hilltop about a thousand paces from the manor on the sideopposite the gateway and changed back to her nymph form still withthe camouflage magic active and stood there looking at the manorthinking about what he might be up to. It was still a few days tothe queen’s ball. It had to be something to do with that.
Her heart nearlystopped when she heard a voice behind her.
‘Hello Snowbelle, I’vefound you at last.’
Snowbelle spun aroundready to attack and saw a nymph standing several paces fromher.
‘Who are you and whatdo you want?’
‘I’ve been sent by theCouncil of Seven to invite you to the Choosing.’ replied the nymphwithout bothering to give her name.’
‘Tell the Council I’mtoo busy to attend. I’ll come to the next one.’ said Snowbelle alittle surprised at how easily the nymph had found her.
‘I’m sorry.’ repliedthe nymph. ‘But the Council would really like you to attend. Thereis a serious problem that must be discussed. There will be aConclave before the Choosing.’
This was serious.Snowbelle had never been to either a Nymph Conclave or a Choosingas she had only been a nymph for twenty Moonmist years. In fact shewas surprised that the Nymph Council would accept her as she was anymph by reincarnation rather than by birth. She heard thatConclaves were only ever held to discuss extremely importantmatters and a Choosing was a nymph version of an orgy. Both wouldbe very interesting if she wasn’t preoccupied with finding Miranda.She found herself making excuses.
‘I still can’t come.I’ve got a problem with my daughter.’
‘Quiteunderstandable.’ replied the other nymph sympathetically.
‘I’ve been told you’venever been to a Choosing before. You probably need some persuasion.Wait here and I’ll be back shortly.’
‘Ha.’ thoughtSnowbelle. ‘The council is going to send someone to persuade me.They obviously don’t know me.’ and she waited.
A couple of minuteslater the nymph returned with another but this one was reallydifferent. Her heart suddenly sped up. She was looking at the mostgorgeous beautiful hunk of male nymph she could ever imagine.
He walked over to herwith the most alluring smile on his perfect face.
‘My name is Adonis.I’d REALLY like it if you were to come to the Choosing. I’m sure wecould find some interest in common.’
Snowbelle’s mindmelted, her hormones took over. A male nymph, someone who wouldn’tdie in her arms from an overdose of pleasure. She couldn’t stopthinking of the possibilities. This was amazing. All thoughts ofMiranda, Darkmantle or anything else were swept away in a flood ofdesire.
‘I’d love to come tothe Choosing with you. Why are we standing here? Let’s go!’ He tookher hand and off they teleported.
A short while laterWyvern Darkmantle received a mindspeak message and was happier thanhe had been for years.
‘I can’t believe it.She’s gone to the Choosing. The plan’s working.’
Chapter 21 The PrisonBottle
Garret stood on theedge of the garden maze looking at two statues frozen in eroticposes.
‘Good gracious,look at those statues, I never thought that anyone would show thattype of stuff in public.’
Aquitain now inthe form of a gnome didn’t much care. He had seen some prettydepraved statues back in certain places back in Panmagica.
‘This lookslike some type of pleasure garden.’ he replied.
‘From what Ihave heard the Elendari are very keen on all types of revelry. Theyreally take dance, music, and art seriously. It looks like they’vemade sexual pleasure an art form.’ quipped Slivver using Aquitain’svoice.
‘Yes and it’sdisgusting.’ replied Garret.
Aquitain wasgetting concerned about Garret. The wizard wasn’t behavingrationally. He said spider people had terrified him and hesuspected Aquitain was one as well so he would have to keep hisdistance.
Llalorax theRoyal Wizard sat viewing his scrying pool looking for something ofinterest when a small beep indicated one of his statues haddetected something at the outer edge of the hedge maze. He lookedat the indicator light on the map of the castle grounds anddirected his attention to that area using his scrying pool just intime to see a Newman and a gnome entering the maze.
‘Now this isinteresting. What are they doing out there?’
He looked onhis map for the next statue further into the maze, moved his gazein the scrying pool to there and waited. In a couple of minutes astout Newman in Mudrun attire came walking around the corner up tothe statue gaped at it and said a few disparaging words about it tothe gnome.
‘Of course.’ hethought. ‘The queen had sent for the artisan fellow that might beable to identify the sceptre. Her agents had brought him intoMoonmist only to have him kidnapped by Llanllean rebels. This couldbe him and perhaps a guide or protector of some sort.’
Llalorax couldhave sent some trixies to escort the Newman but decided that it wastime he got some exercise, so he changed to the shape of a trixie.No need to scare them yet. He walked over to the teleport circleand moments later he appeared beside the statues about ten pacesfrom Garret.
‘Well a Newmanand a gnome it is.’ he said. ‘Now what could you two be wanting inQueen Aurora’s maze garden.’
Garret jumpednervously when the trixie suddenly appeared, but otherwise was notunduly alarmed. The Queen’s people had found them. That wasfortuitous.
Aquitain tookone look at the so-called trixie and knew it was a brown-scaledlittle person. It was perhaps a little taller, its snout was alittle less prominent and its scales finer but it was definitelyclosely related to
