Faegan closed his eyes. "So it's true after all," he said softly.
"Who are the Valrenkians?" Duvessa asked.
Opening his eyes, Faegan looked over at the Minion. "Until this moment, I believed them to be more myth than flesh and blood," he answered. "Now I'm not so sure. Legend says that they were originally formed by the Coven of Sorceresses. They were supposedly converted to the Vagaries, and then taught their grisly trades. Right or wrong, these rumors were one of the major factors in the Directorate's decision to banish the partials."
Faegan looked back at Abbey. "Did this man tell you where their community was located?"
Abbey shook her head. "But if what we surmise about Geldon's death is true, then a clue to their whereabouts might be right under our noses."
"What do you mean?"
"You said that one of the ingredients in the poison used to kill Geldon was gingercrinkle, did you not?" she asked. Faegan nodded.
"Gingercrinkle grows only in one place," she went on. "On the southwestern border of Hartwick Wood. Trying to send out search parties to look for this assassin would be pointless. We don't even know what he or she looks like. But if the killer acquired this potion from the Valrenkians, then that would be a good place to begin our search. If we can find them, they might lead us to him."
Faegan looked down at his hands and then back up again. "This issue of the gingercrinkle will probably be a mere coincidence," he said. "But in good conscience I cannot let it go unexplored."
Silence fell over the room for a time as the wizard carefully considered his options. He finally looked over at Duvessa.
"Go and fetch Ox," he said. "I have a new mission for the Minions."
CHAPTER XXXVI
When Tristanfirst heard the incessant pounding, he thought he must be dreaming. Then he saw that the rising azure fluid licked the soles of his boots. His feet burned, and he knew it was the end.
Even though he was close to passing out, something made him look upward. Marble dust fell onto his head and into his eyes. He still heard the muffled sound of hammering, but he couldn't imagine how or why.
Then a wide crack snaked jaggedly across the ceiling. Several others followed. With a great tearing sound, a chunk of the ceiling suddenly fell away, barely missing the four of them.
Hands quickly reached down and grabbed them. With an upward heave, they were all suddenly hauled to the relative safety of the floor above, and then dragged away from the edge of the smoking hole. As Tristan tried to understand what had just happened, Jessamay fainted in his arms.
At least fifty Minion warriors stood there, chests heaving. They held iron mallets. The floor of the room was a broken, smashed disaster. Celeste and Wigg stood weakly next to the prince as they all tried desperately to catch their breath.
Tristan felt his legs start to buckle, and one of the warriors took Jessamay from him. Then he and Celeste suddenly felt strong hands under their shoulders, helping them to remain upright. One warrior took the blood criterion and the signature scope from Celeste and placed them on the floor a short distance away.
Wigg seemed able to stand on his own. Through blurry eyes, Tristan watched the wizard walk back over to the gaping hole in the floor.
With Failee's grimoire still in his hands, Wigg looked down. The ever-increasing azure fluid was still swirling upward. He opened the grimoire, and searched through it. Finally finding what he wanted, he held the book in one hand, raised the other, and began reading aloud from the text.
Almost at once an azure glow surrounded the hole in the floor. The deadly fluid in the room abated, and then finally disappeared altogether. Closing the book and lowering his arm, Wigg let go a sigh of relief. He walked tiredly back to the others.
The wizard examined Tristan and Celeste, and told them that they would be all right. Then he placed one hand upon Jessamay's forehead. In a few moments she began to stir.
Tristan looked around to see Alrik standing there. What the prince could see of the room looked bleak and unfurnished. The Minion officer smiled broadly.
"Thank you," Tristan said thickly. His head was still swimming, but he was starting to feel better. He brushed the marble dust from his hair and clothing. "Where are we?"
"We are still below ground," Alrik said. "When I saw the iron door close I immediately ran, ordering my warriors to follow me. We grabbed our tools, and we barely arrived here in time. But as you can see, fifty Minion warriors with iron mallets are a force to be reckoned with. The floor did not want to surrender to us, but we finally broke through."
"You weren't able to find the counteracting spell in time, were you?" Tristan asked Wigg.
The First Wizard shook his head. "I needed more time. If it hadn't been for the Minions, we would be quite dead by now. I considered trying to use the craft to blow a hole in the ceiling, but by then we were too close."
"What about all of Failee's texts and scrolls?" Tristan asked. "Have they been destroyed?"
Wigg nodded sadly. "But we still have her grimoire, and her blood criterion and signature scope," he answered. Looking down at the leather-bound volume in his hands, Wigg ran one palm over its cover. "If I could have saved only one thing from that horrible place below, it would have been this."
Jessamay groaned. She still lay in the arms of one of the warriors. Her eyes fluttered. Wigg walked over to her and, gently lifting one of her eyelids, peered into her eye.
"She will be all right, but she has been through a great deal," he said. He looked around the room for a moment, and then back at the prince.
"We need to get her back up to the Recluse."
Tristan took Celeste into his arms. He searched her face. "Are you all right?" he asked.
She coughed and scowled a bit. "I think so," she said. She looked around the room again. "But let's get out of here."
Tristan looked back at Alrik. "Escort us back to the surface," he ordered. Then he smiled. "This time, we'll follow you."
Tristan picked up Failee's rescued instruments. With a click of his heels, Alrik led the way out of the room.
The walk back to the surface took some time. When they finally reached the first floor, everyone was glad to take a deep breath of fresh air. Wigg ordered Alrik to take them somewhere where Jessamay could be made comfortable. After another short walk, Alrik stopped before a door.
"This room should serve your needs," he said.
Handing the instruments over to Wigg, Tristan took Jessamay back into his arms. "You may leave us now," he told Alrik. "And you may dismiss your warriors. But we shall need some food and drink brought to us. I have no idea how long we might remain."
Alrik clicked his heels. "Jin'Sai," he said.
As Alrik went about his orders, his warriors obediently following, Tristan carried Jessamay through the open doorway.
The renovated room was spacious and well-appointed. Wide balcony doors lay open to the outdoors, letting in golden rays of sunlight and a cool, welcome breeze. Patterned carpet lined the floor, and a large, four-poster, canopied bed stood against one wall. An ornate writing desk and matching chair sat on the far side of the room, and a door across from it was open to an elaborate washroom.
Celeste carefully placed the instruments on the desk, while Tristan laid Jessamay down on the bed. As Wigg sat on the edge of the bed, his daughter came to stand near him.
Wigg placed one palm upon Jessamay's cheek and smiled. "You're safe now," he reassured her. "After all of these years, you can begin to live for yourself again."
Jessamay shook her head, and her eyes filled with tears. "I can feel my powers starting to return," she said softly. "And there is something I must tell you."
Smiling again, Wigg took his hand from her face. "Your time enchantments are still in place," he answered. "There is all the time in the world to tell us about your experiences with Failee. Rest assured, we want to hear them all."