Chapter 12

"We are close to the end." Angelique said.

Adam nodded. He was almost glad. Whatever fate waited for them would take them, at least, away from this place.

"I can sense the door" her hand pointed to a spot on the wall, all covered with black slime.

"There?' he asked with dismay, thinking that he could not bear to touch that.

"Yes. There."


The wizard grinned. He had set the trap where he had sensed more spies were coming, and soon it would spring.

Then he would get to ask his questions.

There were ripples in the air above the door, and suddenly there was a man and a woman standing side by side.

He laughed. "You are inside my circle and can't step out of it. You cannot go back, either. I have you."

Angelique realized that it was true. They had fallen into a trap.

"You said..." Adam protested.

"This would not have happened if you had not gone in this journey by yourself." she whispered. Then she looked up, trying to sound pitiful m "he is right. We are caught"

"Who are you?" the wizard asked, mercilessly.

Angelique realized that their only chance was in his underestimating her. She had to look helpless. Youthful and inexperienced, not a real threat.

She went to her knees weeping.

He laughed to see this. "A mighty sorceress like you crying." he said, sardonically.

"I am no sorceress.".."

"He said that a sorceress sent him. Are you that sorceress?"

"There is no sorceress..." better let him believe that. "I will never be a sorceress... I will die drowned in a sack... I cannot do anything right."

She did not look like a sorceress. Not like the sorceresses he knew. They were old and powerful, and none of them cared for vanity. Looking young and lovely they saw as a waste to magic power... And this one was lovely.

"Who sent you?"

"My master."

"Your master?" the wizard spluttered. "You lie! Which sorcerer would take a female disciple and lie with her against the rules? Don't lie to me or you will feel such pain as your mistress never gave you."

She had made a mistake, Angelique realized. She had forgotten how things used to be at the Old, Old times.

So she did the next best thing. She went on a crying jag. He would not interrogate her while she carried on like this, and what she said, afterwards, he would believe more readily.

Her body shook. She could not wholly shield herself from he convulsions and mental turmoil that accompanied her weeping. Still, she managed to size the disciple. He could be a good potential ally. Disciples killed their masters in the Old, Old times. This one, he was itching for the chance...

"Who sent you?" the wizard insisted.

Angelique opened her mouth as if to answer, but made no sound, just as she had seen Ben Stokes do...

"Speak!" the wizard commanded.

She opened her mouth once more, as if she struggled against an invisible force that tried to silence her. Then she brought her hand to her throat and gasped for air.

The wizard gestured over her head. She paid it no heed, as she collapsed on the ground and began whimpering.

Adam wondered what she was trying to do. But if it was what he suspected, he'd better be ready to jump on the disciple.

With a cry of disgusts the wizard stepped into the circle himself. Whoever the Sorceress was, she certainly had picked a very dumb disciple.

The disciple studied the wizard, and his prisoners in the circle. Something told him that here was his chance, that he could not throw it away.

The wizard sensed a tension in the air, but he misread it. Would his unseen enemy now try to strike? He had to be quick or...

He stepped into the circle and bent to pick up Angelique.

She sent out all her power to him in a single bolt. He staggered and fell, his body breaking the circle.

"The disciple, Adam!" she shouted.

Adam did not need prompting. he fell on the young man and hit him on the jaw before he could think of using his power. He hit him again, to make double sure.

The wizard rose again. "So it is you, the Sorceress." he said, surprised.

"I wish you no ill. Do not force me to kill you."

"What do you seek? The way to restore those who have been turned to stone by my creatures?"

"Yes."

"And you think that I shall give it to you? With no payment, with no way to extract it by force? Just by begging?"

"I do not wish to harm you or yours. I erred in my way of seeking the answer, but I live far away, and I did not know of your existence. I would have approached you properly if I had known."

The wizard laughed "You apologize to me? A Sorceress, one of Wizard rank, who knows of the power, apologizing? You speak of peace after the battle has begun?

"I wish to call it back."

"Why? Because you are weak? If you are weak, then you shall be dealt with. No, you will pay the penalty for your attempt at theft.

They would do battle. Angelique had heard of such contests. The duels of wizards have caused whole islands to sink. The Old, Old time wizards were powerful and cruel. She wondered how she could hope to prevail.

Yet it was a fact that those wizards were gone, and it was her kind, reportedly weaker, which flourished.

"You know the rules, alien sorceress? Or do you ignore them as you ignore those of the couch, you who claim to have learned your craft from a man, and who takes a man as your disciple?"

"I will abide by the rules of the duel." Angelique said. "Yet I do not desire your life."

"Then you worship weakness, not strength. Do you wish to extend your neck before my knife?"

"I will fight you then. To the death."

"To your death, then"

She wished that Adam had brought a gun along. It might do some good.

The wizard lifted his hand high up in the air. An electrical spark danced on his fingers..

She jumped to the side as the bolt struck. He saw this and snickered. She was thus afraid of him and his power.

She sent two bolts at him. He did not move. He just intercepted them and made them fall harmless to his feet.

Angelique swallowed. He was so powerful. What chance did she have?

He let out another bolt and she jumped again to avoid it. He laughed at her, at her weakness, at he presumption in challenging him. She did not seek his life, indeed. She could not fight him at all. Not even to save her own life... so puny were her and her kind...

The disciple watched and Adam's hold on him loosened. "You could be free." Adam said. "You could be the wizard.

The disciple froze. They had not made any provision for the disciples. They would naturally oppose each other, both trying to bring about the death of their masters... but this disciple did not wish the death of his mistress... he wished to help her.

Then he knew who would win the battle.

He knew how to stop a human heart. He would have never dared use it on the wizard, as he was on guard against it. But now that his attention was on the duel, that the other disciple would not try to stop him...

He visualized his master's bloody heart in his hand. He felt it beat between his fingers.

And he squeezed it.

The wizard fell, gasping for air. The disciple continued squeezing.

"Are you killing him?" Angelique asked, out of breath.

"No. I have just killed him.."