“Wait!” I called.

The huntmistress kept walking.

“Goddammit, stop. At least do me the courtesy of hearing me out!”

Kartara drew to a halt but didn’t turn around. “Why?”

“Because I have a plan—a workable one.”

“Unlikely.”

“I do,” I insisted. “Really. Trust me.”

The huntmistress finally swung round. “Why should I believe any lies you spew… Havick?” she asked with undisguised contempt.

I stared at her. This was not the first hint of mistrust I’d picked up from the huntmistress, but this was the first time she’d spoken my ‘name’ with such naked disgust. “You know I’m wearing a disguise.”

“Yes,” she said flatly. “I gave you ample opportunity during our little talk to reveal yourself. To come clean. But you chose not to. Leaving me with only one conclusion: you are up to no good, Havick.”

It was the wrong conclusion, but I doubted anything I said would convince her otherwise just yet.

“How did you figure it out?” I asked quietly. “That I am not who I say I am?”

For a moment, the huntmistress didn’t respond, and I thought she wasn’t going to, then she shrugged, “We have a diviner watching the teleportation portal.”

“A diviner… you mean a player who specializes in analyzing players?” I asked, recalling Wilsh, the blackguard captain who I had met so many months ago also alluding to one.

She nodded. “Fiona was unable to pierce your disguise. However, she was able to sense that you had one.”

“And she told Texalo about it,” I guessed. “By farspeaker link, presumably.”

“Correct.”

I had not sensed the mental communication between the diviner and the customs official, and as close as I had been to Texalo the entire time, that was disturbing in of itself. It was a timely reminder not to underestimate the brotherhood.

“So, you knew all along. Why bother meeting me in the first place, then?”

“I wanted to take your measure myself. Hardly anyone has succeeded in getting the better of Menaq and his mantises before.”

I blinked, thrown by the unexpected reference. “Menaq and his ilk was a long time ago. Who told you about that? Kesh?”

Kartara shook her head. “No. But the connection was easy to make.” The ghost of a smile touched her lips. “What are the odds, after all, that the emporium customer who bought a rare skillbook from us and the emporium customer requesting our aid in the nether are two different people?”

Hmm. When she put it like that…

Kartara watched the dawning realization on my face. “It is not often that Kesh takes it upon herself to deal directly with us. And the moment I received her recent missive, I knew. I knew the one we were dealing with this time to be the same one on whose behalf she approached us last time—the void mage with the nether absorption skill.”

At the tail end of her words, an alert from the Game flashed for attention.

Your task: Brotherhood Obligations has been updated. You have kept your word to Kesh and the brotherhood, and have met with their huntmistress, albeit under the guise of someone else.

Objectives outstanding: Join the brotherhood on 3 expeditions into the nether.

I dismissed the message irritably. Now was not the time for it. “All that still doesn’t explain why you won’t hear me out,” I pointed out to Kartara.

“I thought I made that clear already? You’re a liar, Havick.”

I winced. The huntmistress appeared intent on wielding my assumed name like a stick with which to beat me. “Kesh vouched for me,” I said stubbornly.

“She did,” Kartara agreed, “And that’s the only reason you’ll walk out of here when we’re done.”

I ignored the implicit threat. “What can I do to redeem myself?”

“Reveal your true self,” the huntmistress retorted instantly.

I shook my head. “I can’t do that.”

Kartara’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

“There is more to fear in the world than stygians,” I replied softly.

Surprise, suspicion, and a hint of calculation crossed the huntmistress’ face. “You are being hunted.”

I nodded mutely.

“By whom? Menaq?”

I chuckled, but it was a sound devoid of mirth. “Menaq is the least of my worries. Those that hunt me are not ones you want to tangle with—ever.”

She stared at me searchingly. “And is that all you’re willing to say on the subject?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Kartara began turning away. “Then, like I said before, we’re done here.”

“Wait! What if I told you it was only one stygian Power your people would have to face?”

She threw me a sardonic look. “Only one? I thought it was—what was it again?—‘four overlords and one young void tree?’”

Ignoring her tone, I pressed on. “And what if I told you it was a harbinger?”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

That grabbed the huntmistress’ attention, as I knew it would. Sadly, though, it was not enough to overcome her doubts. “I’d say you are a liar willing to spout whatever tale gets you your way,” she stated flatly.

“I’m not asking you to believe me. I’ll show you. In fact, I’ll take you there right now.”

She snorted. “Why would I go anywhere with you?”

“Because—” I held up the netherstone between my thumb and forefinger—“I’ll do it with this.”

The huntmistress shook her head. “I told you, I won’t—”

She broke off, her jaw dropping open as she caught sight of the black stone.

I smiled. I had her. There was no doubt in my mind.

And about time too.

✵ ✵ ✵

That was not the end of the matter, of course.

In fact, it was only the beginning, and I got the distinct impression the real negotiations were yet to come.

Kartara had more questions—many more—all of which I pleaded off answering, repeating time and again that she was better off seeing the truth for herself.

Eventually, she agreed to withhold judgment.

She did not, however, accede to accompanying me on her own. Her advisors—the three I’d seen her sparring with—would be joining us as well.

“Are you sure about this?” Duskar, the orc voidknight asked the huntmistress for what felt like the tenth time.

“I am,” she replied.

“But—” he began anew.

“It’s a netherstone, Dusk,” she interjected. “We have to see where it leads to.” Her gaze found me. “No matter how objectionable we may find its owner’s character.”

I didn’t let the insult faze me. I’d given the brotherhood more than enough cause to doubt me.

“We’ll be the ones to hold the netherstone, though, won’t we?” the elven nether witch asked.

This had been one of the sticking points during my earlier discussion with the huntmistress, but eventually I had conceded the point, realizing I wouldn’t get her to trust me otherwise.

“Of course, Cait,” Kartara replied. “You will be the one opening the portal.” She glanced at me, and in response, I obligingly tossed the netherstone the elf’s way.

Senzo and Duskar inhaled sharply, their eyes fixed on the black stone as it arced through the air.

I chuckled. “Relax, fellows. It’s not as fragile as all that.”

Cait caught it deftly, and the pair relaxed—but not before glaring at me, which only caused my grin to broaden.

“What will we face on the other side?” Kartara asked, ignoring the byplay.

I shrugged. “If things are as I left them, nothing but open desert and a whole lot of mist.” I paused. “I should be the one to go through first, though. Just in case.”

Duskar snorted derisively.

My amusement faded. “I mean it.” I turned back to Kartara. “Will everyone be able to conceal themselves?”

“I’ll handle that bit,” Senzo replied.

I didn’t bother asking how. “Very well.” I paused. “Is someone going to lower the dampening field? If not, I suggest we depart from somewhere other than here. I need to cast my buffs before we enter the nether.”

“Key him to the shield, Dusk,” Kartara ordered, ignoring the mulish look on the orc’s face.

Muttering resentfully, the voidknight complied, and a moment later a Game message dropped in my mind.

You have been granted temporary casting privileges while under the influence of the brotherhood spell: brotherly shield. Duration: 5 minutes.

You are no longer ability-locked and scry-locked.

“Thank you,” I murmured. Drawing stamina, I wasted no time in cloaking myself.

You have cast vanish. You are invisible.

“I’m ready,” I said from a spot of nothingness.

Senzo whistled softly. “Damn, is that… vanish?”

“Yes,” I replied, enjoying the looks of amazement on their faces. “Now, open the portal and let’s get this over with.”

Cait looked at Kartara who nodded sharply. “Do it.”

Closing her eyes, the elf summoned a doorway into being, and without hesitation, I slipped through.

Transfer through portal commencing…

…

…

Passage completed!

Leaving sector 45,104 of the Forever Kingdom.

✵ ✵ ✵

You have entered sector 30,199 of the Nethersphere.

I rolled out of the portal prepared for anything.

But just like I’d told Kartara, the area was devoid of mindglows. Rising into a half-crouch, I turned about and waited for the others.

Senzo was the first to come through.

You have passed a Perception check! You have detected a hidden entity.

Senzo has failed to detect you!

The spymaster’s head swiveled frantically from left to right, and back again, his eyes growing wilder by the second. He must have received an alert warning of danger, I realized.

“Relax,” I whispered. “It’s only me. There are no stygians nearby.”

Senzo’s gaze snapped to the spot where my voice was coming from. “You’re sure?” he whispered back, but already I could see he was calming.

“I am. Where are the others?”

“They’ll come through in a moment.” Not explaining further, the spymaster closed his eyes and began muttering under his breath.

Sighing, I set myself to wait.

A few seconds later, a Game message unfurled in my mind.

Senzo has cast covert lookout post, concealing all allies within 10 yards beneath a tier 5 cloak.

You are cloaked (invisible to all entities outside the cloak). Duration: 5 minutes. Note, taking any hostile action will destroy the cloak.

“Impressive,” I murmured, letting the weaves of vanish dissipate so that the others would see me.

Senzo grunted. “As is your own spell. Where’d you find it?”

I smiled. “Maybe I’ll tell you one day—assuming all goes well, that is.”

No disappointment marred the spymaster’s face. No doubt, he’d been expecting such an answer. Glancing around, he took in the thick mists and the soft sand underfoot. “Where are the stygians?”

I pointed out a nearby dune—which I was not sure the man could see through given his lack of nethersight. “Beyond that hill.”

“How—”

The spymaster broke off as the portal opened again and Duskar, Kartara, and Cait spilled out in quick succession.

“All clear,” Senzo reported in a low-voiced whisper.

Nodding absently, Kartara turned about in a slow circle, bare blades in hand. “Cait?” she whispered.

“Working on it,” the elf replied, before rushing through the weaves of another spell.

Cait has summoned a witching eye.

The witching eye is an ephemeral construct that grants its buffs to all allies within line of sight.

A moment later, a softly-glowing purple orb, that looked disturbingly like the eye it was named after, materialized above the elf’s head.

Cait has activated a witching eye’s clearsight buff.

You are now clear sighted (able to see through all non-solid obstacles) Duration: infinite. This buff will remain in effect as long as the source spell is being channeled.

My eyes widened. The elf’s spell was another powerful casting and demonstrated how well-suited the brotherhood were at combating the void.

The huntmistress spun to face me. “Where?” she rasped.

Wordlessly, I pointed out the dune in question, and as one, the four brotherhood players raced soundlessly up its slope. I followed more slowly, watching my allies as much as I did the surroundings.

When I reached the top of the dune, no one turned around to acknowledge me. The four were too intent on the distant nether army to pay me much heed. Glancing in the rift’s direction myself, I saw that nothing had changed since my last visit.

No, that wasn’t quite true. There were fewer nagas this time around. Where had the others gone? Back to the other side of the rift?

Probably.

But it made little difference which sector the nagas settled in. They’d have to be dealt with either way. Shrugging, I made my way back down the slope. I’d seen enough. Let the four drink their fill of the nether army.

Once they were done, the negotiations could begin in earnest.