Morana watched the fool knight galloping toward the docks on his ridiculous horse. She sensed the towering soul force he flew toward. Unless Morana was badly mistaken that had to be the target. Connor hadn’t told Mikhail who they were supposed to capture for exactly this reason. He was entirely too stupid to be burdened with excess information.

She should have gone with Mikhail. That’s what Connor would have wanted. But she had everything all worked out. Morana knew just how she’d capture the boy, nice and quiet with no one the wiser. Attacking with Mikhail would probably rouse the whole city. She knew of at least six sorcerers living in Port Valcane and if even one of them showed up while she was trying to capture her target it would make failure much more likely.

No, her plan was perfect. Mikhail had already been defeated by the boy twice. She had no fear of him winning this time. He’d get beaten and flee with his tail between his legs, then they’d follow her plan like they should have from the start.

She nodded once and flew toward the city center. She landed ten blocks from the government building beside a grate that led to the city drainage system. Pincers made of soul force lifted the grate aside. Morana flew down, hovering just above the filthy water flowing down the stone tube. When the grate slid back in place she glided downstream two blocks before pausing in front of a particular stretch of blank wall.

A stream of hellfire opened a section of the wall revealing a connection to the labyrinth the cult had constructed over the years. She sealed the wall behind her and continued on through the newer, cleaner tunnels.

The cultists had been remarkably active considering their chief beliefs revolved around destruction and the end of everything. You’d think doomsday cultists would be more slipshod in their building techniques. Then again, even if you wanted the world to end that didn’t mean you wanted a tunnel collapsing on you.

Eventually the man-made walls gave way to rough, natural chambers. According to some of the older members they’d found these natural caverns when the first members arrived in the kingdom, back when it was still an imperial colony. Savage worshipers of the Horned One used the cave complex as a lair. Naturally the humans had killed all the goblins and taken over the complex, eventually expanding it as the city grew so they had access to all parts of the sprawling port.

Morana flew into one of the occupied chambers. Workers and sympathetic sorcerers had leveled the floor and brought in tables, chairs, and couches for sleeping. A handful of robed cultists stood around one of the tables studying an unrolled scroll.

One of her servants saw her fly in and bowed deeply. “Mistress. Welcome back.”

The rest of the cultists bowed as well before returning to whatever they were looking at so intently. From the next chamber over a bearded, grubby fellow with his hands thrust into the pockets of his ragged pants sauntered in, not showing her the least respect.

“Did he like your presents?” Koran asked.

Morana grimaced at the old cultist Connor had saddled her with. She’d seldom met such a coldblooded killer, but would it have hurt him to show her at least a little respect, or better yet take a bath?

“Connor was satisfied. More importantly is everything ready for the new prey?”

“Yeah. The Keeper of the Keys knows what he has to do. The rooms are all prepared. Now all we need is someone to show up.”

“He’ll show. Unlike you, he has proper respect for his superiors.”

Koran barked a laugh. “In that case he deserves to get captured.”