Page 21 of Killian
Rising to his feet, Killian didn’t have to brush any earth from his clothing. His magick kept such things at bay. The only thing that kept him from experiments like Aloisa’s was his duties as leader of the druids. Once he was finished assuring his people had everything they needed in a day, he spent every hour in the ever-growing garden he shared with his sibling.
“Have the leaves inspired any new projects?”
“Indeed,” Aloisa replied. “I will need to organize my thoughts and decide which idea to pursue first.”
Killian opened his mouth to commend her thoughtfulness but gasped instead. Reverent Knight ConleyGylde had teleported straight into the garden, and the look in his yellow-orange eyes sent an icy chill through Killian.
“Both of you, come with me,” Conley demanded, his words clipped.
“What is wrong, and where are we going?” Killian asked as his sister looped her arm through his.
“To my great hall,” Conley stated. “It is Chand. I must go get the Leolinnias.”
Conley disappeared, and Killian blew out a breath as fear consumed him. What was wrong with Chander?
“Cast the spell, brother,” Aloisa demanded.
With a quick nod, Killian used a teleportation circle to send himself and Aloisa to the great hall of the Reverent Knights. They arrived to the clash of steel.
“Get out of here, druids,” Baxter shouted.
“We cannot help Chand if you will not allow us to get closer to him,” Drystan roared, pivoting to push Benton back as Baxter charged toward him.
Killian’s gaze landed on the small form of Chander curled on the floor. He and Aloisa tried to step forward to aid the ailing necromancer, but the sentinels quickly switched their focus from Drystan to the advancing druids.
“Chand needs our help,” Aloisa pleaded, running to the wall to escape Benton. She was cornered, and Killian had genuine fear that the assassin would end the life of his dear sister.
“Enough!” Killian growled. Throwing his arms outward, he thrust the magick from his soul and coaxed vines from outside the thick walls of the keep to slip beneath the stones. He cocooned the sentinels in the foliage as the new Grand Warlock, Grand Summoner, and their parents arrived with Conley.
Heedless of anything else going on, Kaedan landed heavily on his knees at Chander’s side.
“His breathing is labored,” Kaedan shouted. “What has befallen him?”
“I know not,” Drystan replied, his wary gaze focused on the vines Killian continued to coax around the sentinels to stop their pursuit of everyone in the room. “He suddenly arrived here, and soon after, his sentinels changed. They donned their hoods and seemed to lose the ability to recognize us. We became enemies in a mere second.”
“An instinct maybe,” T’Eirick murmured. His eyes closed as the golden glow of Kaedan’s magic surrounded Chander. “Poison.”
“Yes, and it is tearing apart his insides,” Kaedan said, his brow creased and his blond ringlets falling onto his forehead. He’d already switched to his true warlock form, leaving half his skin painted gold, and his eyes switched to ageless pools of gilt. Killian was still busy imprisoning the sentinels, who were fighting diligently to free themselves, so he could barely see the dragony irises that had replaced Kaedan’s usual human-like ones.
“Wizard,” Kariston added. His true form was nearly identical to his brother’s, except the markings on his skill were a shiny silver. “A potion perhaps. And something else strange. A sense on his skin, not in the poison.”
“Dragon,” Drystan added morosely.
“Get Egidius here now,” Killian demanded. Little vines were sprouting on his fingers as he shoved further power toward the flailing sentinels. Conley popped out of the room to do as Killian ordered.
“He is very ill,” Saura lamented, her hand resting on Chander’s shoulder. “We need to get the poison out.”
“Only one way to do that,” T’Eirick commented.
“Yes,” Saura replied. “Hold him still now.”
Her sons and mate helped hold Chander as she stuck her fingers into the necromancer’s mouth to force him to vomit.
“Shite,” Kaedan snarled. “Some of it has moved past his stomach.”
“He will not live if we do not get as much out of him as possible,” T’Eirick remarked as Saura made Chander puke more of the vile potion out. Whatever concoction it was sizzled as it hit the wood and left behind pits in the smooth planks.
Conley returned, and Egidius arrived in a blur. The Arch Wizard rushed forward and closed his eyes as he rested his palm on Chander’s back.
