“Come in,” said a deep voice from inside.
They entered a large room full of bookshelves, a few empty chairs, and a meticulously organized desk. A short heavyset man stood up when they entered. Large glasses magnified his green eyes as he reached out his hand.
“Welcome!” Lance said, his round belly jiggling as he shook Rex’s hand. “You must be Rex, and Jade, and Alina. I’m glad to meet you at last. I’m sorry I didn’t call for you sooner. Stormport and Jaden’s safety is a huge responsibility, but perhaps someday all the security will not be needed.”
They nodded their hellos, and Lance smiled at Alina. “We’ve waited a long time for you. Your birth encouraged me to leave Pria. You bring purpose to the resistance.”
Alina forced an uncomfortable smile as they sat in the chairs around his desk.
Lance ran a hand over his bald head, then stroked his beard with his fingers. “I understand you had an interesting journey from the portal to here.”
“Yes,” Rex said. “The wilderness didn’t get dangerous until we were close to Stormport. Maybe Sampson was concerned for Alina’s safety.”
“Perhaps he was at first, but the black mist is sent directly from him, so he must have known about Alina’s immortality by then and was trying to kill the two of you.” He pointed to Rex and Jade.
“How does anyone survive out there?” Rex asked.
Lance sighed. “It’s a constant fight. When we find a way to overcome one thing, he unleashes something new. And this time Stan is that new threat. What can you tell me about him, Rex?”
Rex’s eyes flashed with anger. “He’s a traitor, and, unfortunately, knows a lot about the resistance because he was part of it. He played both sides well—I had no idea.”
Lance put his elbows on his desk and interlocked his fingers. “This is bad news. Sampson may have found a way to penetrate our security. The stunning mechanism should have knocked Stan out cold.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then slammed his clenched fists on the desk and cursed. Jade and Alina jumped in their seats.
“Just when we get you” —Lance nodded at Alina— “he forces our energy back into protecting ourselves so we can’t proceed with our plans.”
Jade spoke calmly. “We can still proceed. We’ll go with Alina to Jaden while you take care of the security concerns here.”
He stroked his chin again. “It will be difficult to spare Baylor.”
“Then keep him here. We’ll be fine.”
“No,” Lance said. “You need him more than I do. I only hope Jaden is secure when you get there. Not to mention Millflower and the other towns—” He rested his head in his hands and rubbed his temples.
“Are there towns along the way?” Jade asked.
“There’s one between here and Jaden,” Baylor explained. “Millflower—a farming community and the hub of our food production. It has some security features, but not like Stormport and Jaden.”
“Yes, hopefully it holds,” Lance said, and sighed. “The time is here—we knew when Alina showed up. Time to unite and get everyone in Carthem involved in the Cause. They’ll be scared—no one is prepared for something like this.” He gave a small smile. “But it’s exciting, too.”
He met Alina’s eyes. “You need to be aware—Sampson will do whatever he can to bring you back to Pria and under his control. There’s a portal in the Blue Forest, so it can be done.”
“Do you know why Alina became immortal when she left Pria? Does the dagger reverse one’s condition?” Rex asked.
Lance leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been thinking about that since I heard. I don’t know why she changed, but I believe J’koby may have some ideas. He’s the expert on immortality and the serum dagger.”
“Can I ask a question?” Alina spoke up.
“Of course.”
“Rex told me the resistance doesn’t want me dead, even though my death would cause Sampson’s downfall. Why is that?”
Lance and Rex exchanged glances. Lance nodded. “How J’koby explained it to me,” Rex said, “is if you die, everyone who originated from the serum would also die.”
“So, people like Camden, J’koby, Trinee, and Baylor would be fine,” Lance said. “They were conceived by a mortal mother and father. But me, Jade, Rex—we’d die. Not to mention everyone in Pria, including the entire resistance. A tragic death toll. We hope to avoid that.”
“And Sampson would live?” Alina asked.
“Yes, Sampson would live. Pria would cease to exist, and he’d be mortal and vulnerable, but he could still slip through our fingers.”
“Is there any other way to weaken him?”
“Yes,” Lance said. “Camden and J’koby have developed a plan, and you are at the heart of it. If the plan fails, then there may be no other option than to let you and all those others die to save Carthem. But I want to live to see the end of Sampson’s rule if I can. How about all of you?” He forced a chuckle, and Rex and Jade laughed nervously.
“I will do whatever I need to. I want to help Carthem also,” Alina said. “Does this plan free those in Pria as well?”
Lance nodded. “Those who wish to be. Many of them fear mortality and will not want to leave. We won’t force them. The important thing is they have the choice.” He leaned towards her. “Your immortality is a blessing to us and to Sampson. Camden and J’koby were concerned about keeping you safe once you got here, and it’s a relief not to worry about that. Sampson’s world is getting shaky, and now our biggest concern is keeping our people safe as he tightens his hold.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’ll be honest, this worries me. Carthem has always been a necessary thorn in his side. He’d wipe this world clean and start over if he could.”
They went quiet as Lance tapped his fingers on his desk. “Well, you must leave tomorrow as planned. I’m happy to put you in Baylor’s hands. There’s no better guide.”
“Thank you,
