Chapter Ten: "The Plan"

Daine awoke in a cold sweat. The image of Thayet's panic as she was carried off kept coming back to haunt her. Why had she done nothing? Why had she never set out for Numair herself? Why hadn't she gone with Alanna? She wouldn't be dead then. Why had all this happened?

"I can sit here and ask myself 'why's' all night, but it won't do any good."

Looking out her window, she could see only darkness... it was still night.

"Great. Just wondrous." She rolled her eyes, and went to put on some clothes.

The sky outside was stormy, clouds had shrouded the castle for days since the battle. The AKT had retreated while Daine was still being treated by a healer for her wounds. The fight lasted several days, and half of Corus was dead.

As Daine ran a comb through her thick curls, lightning flashed outside.

"I've always wanted to know what caused that."

Tying up her hair, Daine walked down the hallway through the mage's wing. Her first choice to ask would be Numair...but...Walking farther, she reached Lindhall's rooms... empty. His name plate had been taken down and his rooms scrubbed. Myles? no...Alanna? ...she didn't even want to think about that.

How many more people would die? Clearly the AKT wasn't through. Jonathon had an heir. Roald would be the king. Thayet had been taken for dead.

Numair awoke at the sound of footsteps. In his dull, dark cell, he listened. They had stopped. It was just tonight's guard, in case others decided to...add their own torture. Just Baum and Annot tonight... Numair knew that if he listened, and was silent, he could find plenty out.

When Baum looked into the cell, Numair appeared to be sleeping. Not soundly...but sleeping.

"So I finally asked him why we were doing this... And...He actually told me."

"The master told you?"

"Yes, he said- Baum, tell no one."

"Well how will I know if you told the truth that you know?"

"I know, but he says that I can tell you."

"Well..."

"Well?"

"Tell me, you blithering idiot."

"I just may not now."

"Come on."

"Maaaaaaaybe."

"Baum."

"Fine. The master says that we're going to collect all six of the black mages there are..."

"But they is seven."

"There is, fool. I know... but we ain't collecting the master now are we?"

"No."

"So we's collect the six and then we's torture 'em."

"To death?"

"No."

"Then?"

"We torture 'em till they's tortured souls."

"Oh..."

"Then we sacrifice them. And their power will go to the master. So he takes control of all the Eastern Lands, then with his undefeatable power, he goes for the Western Lands. Emelan and the like. Once he conquers all, then we get riches. Riches beyond our wildest dreams!"

"Doesn't this sound like he's handed the gold to us...on a silver platter?"

"No." Baum grinned. "It sound's like a golden one."

"But our job isn't complete yet...is it?"

"There's one who isn't a tortured soul yet."

"Who?"

"Ol' Salmy here. Master says he knows something and will hold on to it as long as he lives. We've got to tear it from him."

In the darkness Numair grinned. There was a scrap of knowledge that he held... Daine... it couldn't be Daine. Not possibly. And if he guessed correctly, the only way he could be tortured as a torture soul was emotionally. Not physically. Too much physical would kill him. But emotional... Daine wasn't his magelet. Or at least the real Daine was, but the one here... she wasn't she couldn't be...not possibly.

End Chapter Ten