Jen had never been to The Tower before. The black stone structure loomed over her, filling her with foreboding. How had Damien felt when he first arrived? Probably less nervous since Master Shen was with him. The Crimson Legionnaire that dropped Jen off hadn’t hung around for a second longer than it took Jen to climb down from the back of the oversized horse he flew. She knew he was in a rush, but she’d still hoped for an escort to the Headmaster’s office.

Oh, well. How hard could it be to find? According to her brother, non-sorcerers were only allowed on the first floor anyway. She’d just knock on every door until she found him or someone gave her directions.

The empty courtyard seemed a stark contrast to the usually bustling grounds of The Citadel. What purpose did the walled-in space serve if no one used it? The guards patrolling the wall watched her as she walked to the short flight of steps up to the tall black doors. Jen was used to men staring at her, but for some reason it bothered her more than usual today. Worrying about Damien had made her especially short-tempered. She shot the most brazen guard a one-fingered salute and yanked on the doors. Despite their size, they swung open with only a modest effort.

Inside, waiting in a foyer that reminded her of the night sky, was a beautiful woman in a scandalous black dress. She had to be Mistress Ann. Jen couldn’t imagine another sorcerer fitting Damien’s description so perfectly.

“Mistress Ann.” Jen bowed to the sorcerer.

“Just Ann, please. You’re Damien’s sister. I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you. Your brother is a wonderful young man. Will he be joining us?”

She didn’t know about Damien. Jen debated telling her then shrugged, unable to think of a reason not to. “Damien’s missing. We believe he’s been captured by Connor Blackman.”

The blood drained out of Ann’s already pale skin. “No. What happened?”

Jen gave her a condensed version of events. “I’m hoping Mariela can shed some light on the situation. Can you show me to the Headmaster?”

“Of course, he asked me to wait for you. He received a message from the archmage alerting him to your arrival.”

They started down the left-hand hall. As they walked Ann said, “I can tell you a little about the Kingdom of Alexious. When I was helping Damien research Connor I came across the name several times. It’s what they used to call the haunted lands before they became the haunted lands. King Alexious was the last ruler and a warlock. Apparently, he sacrificed the entire kingdom to power his ascension to the Horned One’s side.”

“So he’s like Connor’s idol.”

Ann nodded. “You could say that.” They stopped in front of a closed door marked with a pentagram. “This is it. I’ll wait out here for you.”

“Thanks.” Jen knocked and the door swung open on its own. She stepped inside a cluttered office and the door clicked shut behind her. “Headmaster?”

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The small, white-bearded man behind the desk smiled at her. “That’s right. Pleasure to meet you, Jennifer, though I wish it were under better circumstances. The archmage has provided me with a rough idea of what’s going on. I’m so sorry about Damien.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The old man chuckled. “You’re a great deal like him. I remember the first day he arrived, so stiff and proper. In fact, he was still stiff and proper when he graduated. Never could convince him to call me by my first name. Anyway, we’re at your disposal. Mariela is waiting in conference room one. Just tell Ann and she’ll show you the way.”

Jen bowed and turned to find the door already open. Sorcerers, heaven’s mercy, they were an odd bunch. Damien hadn’t been kidding about that.

Her jaw clenched. The Headmaster talked like Damien was dead. Jen refused to believe that. Damien was too strong to fall easily.

“Did your meeting go well?” Ann asked.

“He was very polite, but the conversation didn’t really amount to much. Can you show me to conference room one?”

Ann turned back the way they’d come, crossed the foyer and went through the opposite door. She stopped just inside. Through an open doorway, Jen saw a familiar face. Mariela’s dark hair had grown shoulder length and all signs of her near-death had vanished.

She got out of her chair and walked around the long table that dominated the room. “Jennifer, so good to see you again.”

Jen held out her hand, but Mariela brushed it aside and hugged her. Jen tensed, not used to such intimate contact. She should have expected it. After all, Jen had saved the woman’s life.

Mariela stepped back, but kept her hands on Jen’s shoulders. “What can I do for you?”

Jen glanced back at Ann who was still standing in the open doorway. “You’re welcome to join us. You studied this stuff with Damien so anything you can think of would help.”

Ann smiled and slipped into a chair. Jen and Mariela sat side by side. Jen repeated her story for the third time and when she finished Mariela said, “Since you already know the Kingdom of Alexious is the haunted lands, I can’t add much there, but The Harvest is a much more obscure reference, at least among people that aren’t members of demon cults. It generally refers to a mass sacrifice.”

“Like Alexious did when he wiped out his kingdom?” Ann asked.

“Yes, though not usually on that scale. The king’s sacrifice is the largest harvest ever recorded. More often it refers to the members of one cult slaughtering the members of a rival.”

That rang a bell in Jen. “You mean like the Horned One’s followers killing the followers of the Binder in Chains?”

“Exactly. The question now is, does The Harvest referred to by the captured cultists reference what Connor Blackman is doing, or to another slaughter altogether? There I can’t help you.”

Jen rubbed her temples. She hated this stuff. There was too much going on that she didn’t understand. All she wanted was to know where Connor had taken Damien so she could rescue him. “Let’s assume it refers to whatever Connor has planned. What part would the cult have played in it?”

Mariela gave her a blank look. “I couldn’t say. From what you’ve told me all the leaders are dead and as a general rule cult leaders don’t share more information with their underlings than necessary.”

“So I’m no further ahead than when I got here. Great, what am I supposed to do now?”

“There’s one person who might be able to help, but I must warn you, he’s a little eccentric,” Mariela said.

“I’ll take my chances.” Jen leaned forward, eager to seize any opportunity.

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Dorius was my mentor when I first began studying demonology. He teaches at King’s College, though about half the time he’s out prowling around some ruin or cult hideout. He’s a genius in his field, but like many geniuses has a one-track mind. Still, if anyone can help you he can.”

“If you’d like I’ll send a message to the college to make certain he’s there before you leave,” Ann said.

“How can you be sure I’ll go?” Jen asked.

Ann smiled though it looked a little sad. “What other options do you have?”