‘My aura has been changed by the Dark Lord. I am now what youwanted me to be. I am now a Tempest and more powerful than you canimagine.’ Step aside Snowbelle or feel my wrath.
‘Adonis is going to help me to recapture Argenta back. I willbe Queen again and I will have a worthy and courageous king at myside. I couldn’t believe it was my own daughter that let them intoArgenta and killed and maimed her own people in such a callous way.It is obvious that Aquitain is behind your greed for power. Ishould have killed that cunning bloody bear when I had thechance.’
‘Mother it wasn’t like that. I was at Argenta but a Mentarinspirit possessed me and did all those horrid things. I had no sayin it at all.’ replied Miranda.
‘So you say.’ said Snowbelle. ‘and then you paraded around atthe ball wearing my armour, with my staff of authority, and claimto be the Queen of Argenta contending for the Elendari throne. Whyelse would Darkmantle kill the Queen but to get his daughter ontothe throne? Darkmantle hasn’t changed a bit, still just as ruthlessas ever. He has totally fooled you but not me.’
‘I’m going to take you back to the nymph camp where you willpay for your crimes. You will be humiliated, stripped of all yourdruid abilities and disowned by me. Your new brother shall inheriteverything. You will regret the day a hundred times over that youwere a traitor to me.’
‘Mother this isn’t you speaking. Adonis has done something toyour mind. He’s not what he appears to be. He’s something horriblepretending to be nice. Aquitain saw it, that’s why he wants to killAquitain.’ said Miranda desperately shocked by what her mother wassaying.
‘Enough. We are going back to the nymph camp. Do you wish todo it the easy way or the hard way?’ said Snowbelle.
‘No I’m not going mother! I have a job to do and I’m going todo it. So get out of the way.’ said Miranda.
‘Ha ha. So my renegade bitch of a daughter wants to fight doesshe? This should be amusing. It’s time you had a lesson frommummy.’
There was asudden surge of magic and Snowbelle froze. Prendergrass appearedand said.
‘Quickly, go through the gate. I have paralysed your motherbut it will wear off in a minute or two. Go and the Lady be withyou.’
‘Thanks, Prendergrass.’ said Miranda and ran off into thetunnel found the gate and passed through it back toMudrun.
‘Well, we meet again Snowbelle. I won’t thank you for theBlack Rot it wasn’t pleasant at all. You’re wrong about Miranda.She’s the innocent party in this game that we’re playing. You’llleave her alone if you’re wise as I’m not sure what the Lord Wardenwould do if she were to come to any harm. His power and authorityhave grown immense. You’d best be on your guard. Bye.’ and he leftbefore the paralysis wore off.
Snowbelle wasannoyed with herself. She should have been more careful. She shouldhave closed the gate and she should have been aware thatDarkmantle’s minions would be watching over her daughter. Of courseshe didn’t believe anything they said. They just didn’t know Adonislike she did. He was so wonderful.
When the powerword that had paralysed her wore off, she went into the tunnel andpassed through the gate. ‘I can guess what you’ll be getting up toso perhaps I can beat you to it.’ she thought with a smile.
Chapter 30 The LadySmiled
Garret smiled for thefirst time in days and breathed in the rich jungle air. He was backin Mudrun again. It was early morning just before sunrise. LordDarkmantle and six of the Lord’s most trusted guards accompaniedhim. He ordered his guards to set up a camp and wait for him toreturn.
‘May I have the teleport ring now, your Lordship. We will bein Templewood in no time.’
‘Is that where this Archwizard Featherdown lives?’ askedDarkmantle. ’I thought he lived in a place called TwinTowers.’
‘Er … he moves at will between both places, your Lordship. Ifwe teleport to my place we will be able to find out where he is atthe moment.’ replied Garret.
‘Okay.’ said Darkmantle, ‘Take us there.’ and passed him ateleport ring.
Garret wouldsoon be able to breathe a sigh of relief. He had his memory back.While Miranda was out playing with her strange little girl,Aquitain had unbelievably asked him to mindlink, had briefly puthim into an hypnotic trance and when he awoke he knew everythingthat had transpired up until Allen Amber had blocked his memory thenight they stole the rod. He couldn’t believe that Aquitain hadn’tbothered to read his memory and find out anything about him orabout that night but then again he did have many things on his mindand the rod did turn up so he guessed that it didn’t matter thatmuch.
LordDarkmantle, Gizel, Tigerlilly and Garret all teleported right intoGarret’s Magic shop which was closed. The cat teleportedseparately. They heard some noise in the workshop and went in thereto find his brother Wolfram sitting by a workbench sipping a cup ofhot beverage. He rose, smiled and came over to hug Garret.
‘It’s wonderful to see you back safely. How did it all go andwho is this?’ he asked.
‘I have an incredible story to tell but first let me introduceLord Darkmantle of the Elendari, Gizel and Tigerlilly and her cat.He needs to meet with the High Wizard as soon as possible. He hassome news of a possible threat to Mudrun.’ repliedGarret.
‘That may be difficult at the moment. It’s almost impossibleto get to see him. It seems we are at war and everyone is beingtrained to fight or make weapons. I’ve been drafted to help. Ihaven’t slept for three days as they urgently want lots of magicitems fixed, recharged and made. I’m glad you’re back and I hopethat you’re ready for some work. Perhaps I can send a message tohim via a guard as I was told if I needed any magical materials tosend a request to the druid headquarters.’
‘Who
