“He is gone!”

Marek opened his eyes, and immediately wished he hadn’t. Immediately, his entire body responded to the fact that he was awake. It throbbed from head to toe, and it was all Marek could do not to groan in pain. His shoulder felt as though it had been run over by a carriage.

Ako was immediately at his side and the cries faded away as Marek saw her worried face. “Do you need help sitting up?” she asked, placing a hand on his uninjured shoulder.

For an irritating moment, Marek considered telling her to go away and that he could sit up on his own. However, the moment he thought about doing so his entire body seized up, and this time Marek did groan.

“Yes please,” Marek muttered.

It took much longer than Marek would have liked, but in the end, he managed to sit up. It hurt, but the actual process of sitting up was much more painful than the act of sitting itself.

“Do you want food or something to drink?” Ako queried. She was still holding him up.

“No, I’m OK for now,” Marek said and nodded toward Talon’s side of the room, where the cries were still coming from. “What happened?”

Ako started as another shout came from one of Talon’s guards. “Can you sit up on her own?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Go,” Marek said, waving her off.

Ako smiled and let go of him gently. She took off toward the other end of the room, where Talon’s two guards and Anton were arguing.

“No!” one of the guards snapped. His voice was loud and echoed off the walls. “Talon was here last night, and now he isn’t. We didn’t see him leave or make a move to leave. What did you do?”

“I did nothing!” Anton said angrily. He pointed at the empty bedroll. “How did you let your master leave?”

The guard growled and went to stomp forward but stopped when Ako arrived. “Stop,” she said. “We are few, and they are many. We cannot let ourselves become divided.”

“And now we are one fewer!” the guard snapped. “Talon is gone, and—”

The doors leading to the courtyard flew open, smashing into the walls on both sides of the doorway. Marek flinched at the noise and scrambled for his wand. He stopped when his bandaged hands flared in pain, reminding him of what he had already lost.

Tantalizingly, the image of the rotating Dominion Wood staff floated up from within the depths of Marek’s mind. No, Marek thought, banishing the image. I’ll look for it later.

Marek looked up to see Wyatt standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the morning sun as it streamed in around him. He looked furious.

“Enough,” Wyatt growled. He was dressed in his full leathers and had a sword in hand. He walked across the room and sheathed his sword angrily. The three remaining of Marek’s hired men filtered in behind him, following him silently as he walked across the room. “I left as soon as you idiots began to argue,” Wyatt said the moment he arrived. “I’ve checked the courtyard and around most of the castle. None of the entrances are disturbed and the camels are where we left them. It’s as if he vanished into thin air.”

The guard sagged at Wyatt’s words, like a balloon that had its air let out of it. The guard scrubbed at his face, which was a mass of bruises and dirt. He was of medium height and build with a fresh scar on his cheek. “I don’t know what to do,” the guard admitted.

“Your name is Elyon?” Wyatt asked. He didn’t wait for an answer before he turned to the second guard, who jumped as he came under Wyatt’s attention. “Khavod?”

“Sir,” Khavod said. He was short and stocky. He was young, but old enough to shave regularly. He had long brown braided hair and a hooked nose. “What would you suggest?”

“I checked Ashenstead’s grounds. Talon is not there. We must check within the castle,” Wyatt said. “Anton and I will check upstairs, while Khavod, Elyon, and the rest of you search the first floor. Is that understood?”

“What about Marek?” Anton asked. He looked at Marek and grinned. Marek smiled back, in too much pain to do much else. “What is he going to do?”

“I’m going to explore the dungeons,” Marek said, raising his voice so that everyone on the other side of the room could hear him. He took some quick breaths and pushed himself to his feet. He managed to keep the pain from showing on his face as he wobbled slightly. “I feel something in this castle. I need to investigate it.”

“I will go with him,” Ako said. She glared at him warningly, and Marek nodded. She smiled, turning back to the group. “He will need my assistance going up and down the stairs and for whatever else is within this place.”

“It’s decided, then,” Wyatt said. He began walking toward the dais, where the doors would lead upstairs. Anton hurriedly jogged after him. “We will meet back here when we are done investigating,” Wyatt called back over his shoulder. “Marek, don’t strain yourself.”

“Yes, Mother,” Marek said, chuckling as everyone else in the room laughed. He nodded toward the group of Kulok, who were talking among themselves as they went toward the doors leading to the main floor. Ako walked toward him. She was smiling as the other group watched her for a moment, and when the group stopped looking at her smile vanished.

“Is this something you want to do?” Ako asked when she reached him. She was staring at him unblinkingly. “Are you prepared?”

“No, but this is something I have to do,” Marek said. “Let’s go.”

The staff and the room were just like his dream: the room was empty save for the pedestal and the staff floating above it. It was a small room, with stone walls and a fine layer of dust coating everything. It was the size of Marek’s living room back in Velaire. Ten people could stand within it, but more than a half a dozen people would be uncomfortable.

Ako stared at the staff open-mouthed. Her back slid down the wall as she sat down, uncaring of the dust. She seemed mesmerized by its beauty. Marek walked around like he had in his dream, admiring it also. The staff was either a part or complete branch from a Dominion Wood tree, he was certain of it. Even though his magic was mostly drained, he could feel the swirling magics that surrounded it. He lifted a hand and rubbed at his chin, where a beard was beginning to grow.

“Who put it here?” Ako said. Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she didn’t want to disturb the magics surrounding the staff. “Why is it here?”

Marek paused. “I haven’t considered that,” he said. “It could be an heirloom, or from the far north. There are rumours that there are still trees up there, at the roof of the world.”

“My people still rely upon the stores of Dominion Wood that we had from the Divinity War,” Ako said, sounding as if she was about to cry. “Even near my small village, we had a Zak with one.”

At Ako’s voice, Marek turned around to see Ako silently. She was sitting with her knees up and was hiding her face in between them. Marek went to her, mentally cursing his broken body as he slowly sat down beside her.

“Ako?” Marek asked as he put an arm around her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t do this, Marek,” Ako sobbed, pushing her face into his shoulder. “In the dream I had, I saw you fighting something. It’s a warning. I think it was the Dominion Wood staff, Marek, and whatever is protecting it. It consumes you, Marek. If you try to take it, you will die.”

“I won’t let it,” Marek said, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. “But if we need it to escape, then I will do whatever I can to seize it.”

“You’re like a brother to me,” Ako said. She sniffed pathetically as she wiped her tears off her face. “I’ve already lost my family, Marek. I can’t lose you too.”

“I never had a family,” Marek said. He stared at the staff as he spoke. “But if I had a family, I hoped it would be like you, Ako. Loyal, kind, caring… you’ve been the one person who’s had my back from the very beginning, and I hope you’ll trust me now.”

“I do, Marek,” Ako said. She raised her tear-stained face and glared at the staff. I trust you with my life, but I don’t trust that staff.”

“If we want to leave this place, I’ll do whatever I must to save us,” Marek said stubbornly. “We don’t have enough to resist Yarran, but if I have a staff of Dominion Wood, we’ll be able to leave unimpeded.”

Marek felt Ako sigh next to him and sit up. “How long will you need?” she asked.

Marek ripped his eyes off the staff to look at Ako, who returned a gaze of determination. He stared at her for a moment, uncomprehending, until he realized what she was talking about.

“Three days,” Marek said. “I need at least three days to try and claim the staff. My magic will return to me later today, and I will be able to try to glean what I can from the staff. By tonight, I’ll make my first attempt, but I will have to go slow because I no longer have my wand.”

“Three days,” Ako repeated. She nodded and stood, scrubbing her face. “I will talk to them.”

“Them?” Marek asked, unable to keep the alarm out of his voice. He stood, his shoulder and stomach throbbing as he climbed to his feet. “Who are they?”

“My people,” Ako said simply. “They will be nearby; I know they will. I will go up onto the walls and speak to them and give you your three days. Do you have a weapon?”

“No,” Marek said, dazed. He patted his sides. “I lost my sword, and my wand tried to eat my hand. It nearly succeeded.”

Ako laughed, but it was fleeting as she passed over a small knife. “Keep this, close the door, and don’t allow anyone in,” she said. “I don’t want to leave you alone, but for all we know, Yarran may attack at any moment.”

“Time is Essence,” Marek said, repeating the first phrase he had learned in the Citadel. He nodded toward the staff. “I won’t do anything, Ako, I promise. I can’t do anything yet anyway, but I will make this promise to you: I will not touch or interfere with the magics surrounding the staff in anyway until you return.”

“Thank you,” Ako breathed. She moved to hug Marek, but at the last moment, stopped and patted him on the head instead with a smirk.

“Thanks,” Marek said drily. “Now go, Ako. I’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Marek,” Ako said, turning and leaving the room at a near-run. Marek listened, and eventually, her footsteps faded as she went up the stairs. Eventually, he closed the door behind him.

He turned back to the staff, and immediately it felt different. It was open, welcoming. Marek wrenched his gaze from it, grunting from the strain. He turned away from it, panting. The pendant on his chest was warm again, and Marek glared down at it.

“I’m done having my chest burn because of you,” Marek growled. He reached down and began to fish the pendant out of his robes, which began to grow warmer the longer he held it. He ripped the cord off his neck. Marek felt alarmed in the back of his mind, something foreign and not his own. With a grunt, he threw the pendant away, where it bounced off the wall. It rolled, coming to a stop near the pedestal.

“Impressive, a voice said from behind him. “I find it remarkable that you were able to resist a Coercion. Extraordinary work, Marek.”

Marek whirled, ignoring his protesting body. His knife was in his hand, ready to stab, but he stopped when he saw the owner of the voice.

It was a woman, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had long blonde hair, gray eyes, and a small nose. She wore a white gown and was smiling at him gently.

“Who are you?” Marek asked, disturbed by her sudden appearance. “How did you get in here? How do you know my name?”

“My name?” the woman asked in a tone of surprise. Her smile grew. “You may call me Claire, Marek. And as for why I’m here and how I know your name, I know everything that goes on within my castle. In fact, I’m here to help you relieve me of a curse that I and many others are trapped beneath.”

“A curse?” Marek asked dubiously. He took a step back from her, holding up his knife. It wouldn’t do much of anything against a determined foe, but it was something. “What curse?”

“The curse upon this castle,” Claire said. Her eyes left Marek’s and flitted to over his shoulder. That staff is the key, Marek. Let me help you claim what’s rightfully yours, and you can use that staff to save you and your friends. Together, we’ll both get what we want.”

“If this is your castle, why are you giving me the staff?” Marek said. He could feel pressure behind him, a pressure that wanted him to look at the staff and get lost within it forever. “Why not keep it for yourself?”

Claire’s smile flickered, and Marek could see the anger underneath it before it smoothed out again. “I’m dead,” she said. “I’ve been dead for a long time. I seek to pass on peacefully, but the curse upon this castle prevents me and many others from doing so. Will you help me, Marek?”

I wish Ako was here, Marek thought. He felt trapped. He was stuck in here with the most beautiful woman he had ever met and the most powerful object in the world with some sort of magical defense surrounding it. He felt like he was a rabbit being chased by two wolves. I need to buy myself some time.

“I’ll help you,” Marek said at last. “What do you need?”