Connor leaned back in his chair. His eyelids were heavy, his bones ached, and he was starving.

“Could we get something to eat while we wait?” he asked.

“A good idea,” Korvac said, “we might as well not waste time twiddling our thumbs.” Korvac stepped out and ordered one of his men to bring them food.

It didn’t take long before huge platters piled high with food were delivered to them.

Connor devoured everything he could. He didn’t worry much about being poisoned. Victor’s paranoia seemed to have rubbed off on Korvac, and he seemed to be on their side.

More than that though… he felt like if he didn’t eat soon, his body would start eating him alive from the inside out to fuel Panacea’s magic.

He felt like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. He stuffed his face, but even after several courses of food, he was still hungry.

When he finally looked up from his food, he found everyone staring at him.

A young woman entered the office and bowed. “The wizard has arrived, Guild Master,” she said.

“Well then,” Korvac said, “shall we see what our dear friend has to share with us?”

Connor grabbed a few sandwiches on his way out.

Korvac’s eyes went wide. “Where do you put all that?” he asked.

“What can I say? I’m a growing lad,” Connor said.

He didn’t want to mention anything about the divine magic working on him. He’d never heard of Panacea making deals for healing someone in her temple before.

It wasn’t like he’d ever been much of one for worshiping the gods and goddesses. Maybe it was more common? It still didn’t sound like what little he’d heard of Panacea in the stories.

Until he knew more about the deal Adelia had made, he didn’t want anyone else to know about it.

They walked down the stairs into the basement. Several men were packing illegal goods into the false bottoms of barrels, but what caught Connor’s eye was the woman. The very same one who’d left Korvac’s office when he and Adelia had met with him the other day.

She wore an elegant red dress and stood with her arms folded, impatiently tapping a blood-red fingernail against her flawless, pale skin.

Her black hair was tied back into a bun with a hairpin to keep it in place, and not a strand of hair dared to defy her will.

Her facial features were exotic and distinctive, no doubt from one of the kingdoms far to the East. Her beauty made her look almost elven, but from her rounded ears, it was clear that she was indeed human.

She looked regal and utterly out of place in the cellar of a thieves guild.

Yet, if she was nervous or uncomfortable, she didn’t show it.

“You’ve kept me waiting, Korvac,” she said in a haughty voice with a slight accent.

“You only arrived a minute ago, Maya,” Korvac said.

She held up her hand. “Time is money. I understand you have need of my services with an interrogation? I hope I needn’t repeat my warnings about the dangers of mental magic… and the costs,” she said.

“There’s no need for that, and I’m prepared to pay your exorbitant fees,” Korvac said.

“Very well,” she said without arguing the point about her prices, “let us proceed.”

Korvac pulled one of the sconces. A section of wall slid away, revealing a long passageway.

Anguished cries filled the basement, coming from the dungeon.

“After you, dear lady,” Korvac said.

Maya stepped forward without hesitation.

If the screams bothered her, she hid it well. She walked as though she were at a royal ball. She held her nose high and radiated arrogance.

The rest of them followed in after her.

Maya slowed down and fell back beside Connor, who was still being supported by Adelia.

“You are Connor, yes?” she asked.

How did she know his name? He thought of the wanted posters all around the city…

“Yes… why?” he said.

She smirked. “Then you are the one Elgar warned me about. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the old coot so angry. Did you really burn down his research laboratory, along with his prized Terra-globe?” she said.

“Terra-globe? You mean that big orb of the world?” Connor asked.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“That sounds about right,” she said, “I will take that as a yes then?”

“It was an accident,” Connor grumbled.

Maya laughed. “I would’ve loved to have seen the old goat’s face when you destroyed his prize possession. He worked on that globe for ten years. It was worth an absolute fortune, and it made him the envy of everyone. He must have been beyond furious,” she said.

“He was,” Connor said, “are they really so valuable? I mean… it looked beautiful, but it’s really just a fancy map isn’t it?”

Maya looked at Connor like he was an idiot.

“Accurate maps are hard to come by and expensive, but a Terra-globe is magically connected to the world itself. If rocks fall and block a mountain pass, a good Terra-globe will show you. It can even show you the weather.

“It’s more accurate than the best maps could ever hope to be, and Elgar’s was revolutionary. I can’t even imagine how much he could have sold it for. Not that he ever would. Like I said, it was his prized possession. No wonder he had you barred from any magical training,” she said, “I’m surprised he didn’t turn you into a toad.”

“I think it crossed his mind,” Connor said.

Maya laughed again, an almost girlish giggle. It sounded incredibly out of place amid the tormented screams.

They stopped before a solid iron door. Two guards stood at attention on either side. Each of them wore chain mail and carried nasty-looking axes.

Maya leaned closer to Connor. “My spell will help to loosen his tongue, use this time effectively,” she said.

The guards saluted Korvac and opened the heavy, metal door.

The inside of the cell was mostly bare stone with torches spread around. Their flickering flames cast a grim light over the tables of gleaming knives, pliers, salves, and other interrogation tools.

In the center of the room, strapped to a table was Bvorn. His body was covered in purple bruises where Connor had struck him with the runed rod, or where he’d landed hard on the cobblestone streets during the chase.

He glared at them with undisguised hatred as they entered and spat at Vadik. “I hope you burn in the twelve hells for eternity,” he said.

“You first, old man,” Vadik said.

Maya took position behind the table with her hands hovering on either side of Bvorn’s head. She began to chant.

Her chanting had a hypnotic rhythm that tugged at Connor’s mind even though he wasn’t the target of the spell.

Her arrogant posture and haughty expression were gone. Replaced by determination, focus, and respect for the forces she was commanding.

Bvorn strained against his restraints. His muscles bulged, but he scarcely moved. He writhed and screamed profanity, but Maya didn’t even seem to notice and continued her work.

Bvorn’s struggles grew weaker until they became little more than feeble twitches.

Connor stepped forward. His legs were still shaky, but he forced himself to stand without Adelia’s help.

“Hello, Bvorn. Remember me?” Connor asked.

“I saw you get gutted like a fish. You should be dead,” Bvorn snarled.

“What can I say? I’m hard to kill. Now, I’m going to ask you questions, and one way or another you’re going to tell me everything I want to know. Trying to resist will only make you suffer needlessly. In the end, we both know it’s only a matter of time,” Connor said.

“Is this the part where you promise to let me go if I tell you everything I know? Save it. I’ve done my fair share of interrogating. Do you think you’re the only one who’s used mind magic?” Bvorn said.

“The thing is, Bvorn. I keep my promises. You tell me what I want to know, and you can walk out of here. The truth is, I don’t care about you. Not really. You’re a bastard, and the world would be better off without you, but we both know you’re just a small fish in the end. I’m after much bigger game,” Connor said.

Bvorn smiled. “Take my advice, kid. Run. The bigger game will eat you alive,” he said.

“Then it’ll choke on me,” Connor said, “so tell me… did you know about the breach in the palace?”

Bvorn’s smile died, and he struggled again. He clenched his jaw as though he were physically fighting against opening his mouth. “Yes,” he growled.

“Were you involved in it?” Connor asked.

Bvorn strained more this time. “Not personally, no,” he said.

“What does that mean?” Connor asked.

“I wasn’t there, but I sent some of my men to help out with the mission,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Is Victor still alive?” Connor asked.

Bvorn trembled, his muscles bulged, and he turned his head away. Maya chanted louder, and he shuddered.

“Is Victor still alive?” Connor said.

“Yes,” Bvorn hissed through gritted teeth.

Connor felt like a weight had been lifted. His uncle was alive. There was still hope.

“Why was he targeted?” Connor asked.

Bvorn smacked his head back against the table and writhed as though he had a hook through his guts.

“Hold him down,” Connor said.

Adelia held Bvorn’s head still while he thrashed his limbs what little he could.

“Tell me why he was targeted. The magic will only make it worse the longer you resist,” Connor said.

“I don’t know!” Bvorn cried, “they never told me! They paid for the services of my men, and that’s what they got!”

He let out a sigh after the last words left his lips.

“See? Isn’t it easier when you don’t resist? Now tell me, have you been selling slaves to The Syndicate?” Connor asked.

Bvorn trembled, he closed his eyes and whimpered. Maya kept chanting.

“Yes,” Bvorn croaked.

“Where are they keeping the slaves?” Connor asked.

Bvorn thrashed against his restraints and screamed.

“Something is wrong,” Maya said, interrupting her chants, “ask something else!”

“Where is Victor being kept?” Connor asked.

Foam bubbled from Bvorn’s lips, and Maya’s chants grew louder and more desperate.

“Who are the Syndicate? Who is behind them? What are their goals?” Connor yelled, desperate to find a question that would stop Bvorn from seizing up completely.

He was so close to getting the answers he so desperately needed.

Bvorn locked eyes with Connor. They were still filled with a shrewd intelligence, and something in them made it look like he came to a decision though his body continued spasming violently.

“They… want… the world…” Bvorn said. Each word came out as a strangled, rasping whisper.

“I don’t understand! He’s stopped fighting against the spell!” Maya yelled before chanting even louder than before.

Blood dripped from Bvorn’s lips.

“D… d… don’t…” his words trailed off, and his body went still.

“Don’t what?” Connor yelled, “what is it? Tell me!”

Maya screamed and collapsed.

Connor grabbed Bvorn and shook him. “Answer me!” he yelled.

Adelia put one hand on Connor’s shoulder. “He’s dead, Connor,” she said calmly.

“He can’t be dead!” Connor shouted, “I need to know! Korvac, get your healers in here!”

It didn’t make sense. How could Bvorn be dead? Why would the magic do that? He’d been so close!

Around him, Korvac yelled orders. Men and women rushed to take care of Maya. Others tended to Bvorn, and tried to resuscitate him with some of the many powerful herbs and salves, but nothing they did worked.

It was hopeless.

Connor’s legs crumpled beneath him, and he sank to the ground.

He’d kept himself awake and moving through sheer force of will, and he just didn’t have anything left. Not now when his last lead to getting Victor back lay dead on the table beside him.

He barely noticed the cold stone beneath him. People talked all around him, but it was like so much noise, and he didn’t pick up any of it.

He fell into a waking dream… no… it was a nightmare.

A nightmare where all hope was lost and all that was left was his utter exhaustion. He was vaguely aware that he was moving somewhere… but he didn’t care enough to exert the force of will required to pay enough attention. It didn’t matter.

Nothing did.