“The writer of the note has been here but not recently,” Alaric stated, though there was no real need. Everyone in the group had the same tracking abilities.
“I assume we should split up and hunt this asshole down?” Skeleton Lord Eduard Daray asked quietly.
“I don’t have to tell you how to do your jobs. I have the D’Vaire stone in my pocket to teleport this asshole to our headquarters. Text me if you find him before I do.” Alaric slipped into the shadows and reached inside himself to start tracking the wizard. It wasn’t completely straightforward; many wizards had traveled to visit Jael, but it was easy to pick this one out. Alaric had most of the note written in his hand to guide him—tiny pieces of it had been torn and distributed to everyone on his team.
Letting his lashes fall to his cheeks, he teleported as far away as he could feel the essence. As Lich Sentinel, they’d learned his abilities were slightly superior to his men. He didn’t have to follow it step-by-step as they did. Alaric had no clue where the hell he was, but he was far enough from Jael’s home that the wizard he needed had a much stronger trail to follow. Once again, he cast the spell to move himself from one location to another.
This time he found himself at a place where the presence of the wizard was buzzing through his veins. The man was close and Alaric nearly grinned at the knowledge. In the distance there was a house nestled in the center of a small plot of land. Not as ancient or as large as Jael’s, this structure was still impressive. Whoever was making potions to harm people, he had resources.
As Alaric grew closer to the building, he sorted out the remnants of the people who’d traipsed through it. Pushing it all aside, he could feel that there was only one living entity inside and it happened to be exactly who Alaric had come to find. Knowing how easily he’d arrived, Alaric decided it would be beneficial to everyone if he waited a few minutes to allow his Skeleton Lords to finish their travels. Not one to sit idly, he walked around the entire perimeter and contemplated how to best make their entrance.
Resurrected presences registered and almost as one, the men he trusted with his life reached his side. Though they were still invisible, sentinels could see the outline of a person when they were in close proximity.
Alaric stepped out of the shadows once the Skeleton Lords formed a half circle around him. “No need for subtlety. He’s alone. We walk through the front door. We’ll make our presence known once we’re in the same room with him.”
Once Alaric concealed his presence they traveled into the house and took a sharp turn down a basement staircase. Alaric heard the humming before he saw the wizard. He was in a lab, mixing chemicals, and Alaric made himself visible. Strolling in, he stood for several seconds, surveying the scene while he waited for the wizard to notice him. There were potions and scientific equipment scattered around the room. While it might look a bit like a mad scientist at work, there wasn’t a speck of dust, telling Alaric everything was well-maintained.
After untold minutes, the wizard turned and let out a shriek. Knowing his glowing eyes freaked most people out, Alaric pushed his hood to his shoulders. A beaker of some substance crashed to the floor and shattered as the wizard put a hand to his chest.
“Who—what are you?”
“I thought everyone knew about sentinels,” Alaric drawled out as the Skeleton Lords shimmered into view. Like Alaric, all but Albrecht pulled their cloaks from their faces.
“Wh-wh-why would sentinels be here?”
To prevent the wizard from simply teleporting away, Alaric used the speed he was gifted with at his resurrection and slapped a pair of magic-nullifying cuffs on the wizard. The man had a great deal of power, but this would keep him from being able to use it. With a flourish, Alaric pulled an envelope from an inside pocket. “Thank you for sending this letter to my mate. We have a few more questions for you.”
“I-I never thought…well, I didn’t think you would track me down.”
“You poisoned His Majesty Emperor Ellery Draconis,” Alaric snapped. “You should’ve expected us.”
“It was thatdragon. He’s the one you should be talking to.”
“He was rather short on details. You have a choice. Either you willingly teleport yourself, or we force you to come along for more questions. It’s your call.”
The wizard straightened his clothing indignantly. “You call it a choice, but we both know it’s nothing of the sort. I belong to the Consilium Veneficus. I don’t answer to the Sentinel Brotherhood. Now get out of my home.”
Alaric pulled the D’Vaire stone from his pocket. “I did warn you.” He rubbed his thumb over the dragon image, then closed his eyes as they were transported back into one of the empty offices at Sentinel Headquarters.
“What in the world is that in your hand? How did you do that?”
“You might be crafty enough to create a potion to trap a man in his beast form, but we have a group of sorcerers with no match. They make history each time they take on a new project, including this little stone.” Alaric slipped the now-useless rock into his cloak. It would have to be recharged if it was to be used again. With his arm firmly wrapped around the wizard’s, Alaric led him through the door that separated the Sentinel Brotherhood from the Order of the Fallen Knights and guided him into the interrogation room set aside by Arvandus and Albrecht. “Have a seat, wizard. You aren’t leaving here until I am satisfied you’ve answered all my questions.”
“I demand to speak with a Council representative so I can be returned to the Consilium Veneficus.”
Alaric ignored him. He grabbed a chair and sat while the Skeleton Lords chose to stand behind him like sentries. “What’s your name?”
“I don’t have to answer that.”
“Look, wizard. You told my mate you wanted to help us. That the dragon used your potion in an unintended way. All we want is justice for His Majesty. I spent two thousand years in a prison as did the men behind me. We’re used to waiting. None of us are going to allow you to walk out of here until we get the truth.”
“One drop. I told that stupid dragon to only useone drop. It was never my intention to hurt His Majesty. I wanted to teach that dragon a lesson. You simply do not try and hurt your Fate-born leader.”
“I didn’t think the Consilium Veneficus believed in Fate.”
“There are some with that opinion, but I’m not one of them, Sentinel. Now I told you what dragon was at fault, and I want to go home.”
“You said it was Wesley Draconis. The problem with that, wizard, is that we’ve been unable to find any evidence to back up your claim.”
