© 2014 Frog Street Press, Inc. Text © Jeffrey Stewart Lee Printed in China ISBN 978-1-63237-018-1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. ii table of contents part I solomon, the gatekeeper, and the prophecy I REBEKAH II THE CHAMBER OF THE GATEKEEPER III WIZARD FOLLOWERS IV THE GOBLIN CHAMBER V THE SECRET CAVERN VI THE GOBLIN SLAYER VII INSIDE THE WIZARD COUNCIL VIII THE CAPTURE OF MALKAVIC IX TOWER UNDER SIEGE iii part II age of the prophecy: present time X LINDISFARNE XI LURE OF THE FOREST XII THE MORNING AFTER XIII GATEWAY TO LAVENDELLE XIV THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAIN RANGE XV OGRES XVI BY THE RIVER XVII GOBLINS XVIII DWARVES XIX HOME OF THE ELVES XX FORGOTTEN TREASURE XXI OLD DWARF XXII THE TOWER XXIII INSIDE THE VOLCANO XXIV A DWARF’S JOURNEY XXV TREASURE XXVI DRUIDS XXVII DARK AND STORMY NIGHT XXVIII HYTTE XXIX ELIJAH AND DEMETRIUS XXX INTO THE FIRE XXXI SACRIFICES XXXII ENCOUNTERS XXXIII ESCAPE XXXIV ALLIANCES XXXV READING OF THE PROPHECY XXXVI LONG JOURNEY HOME XXXVII A PLAN IS FORMED XXXVIII MEDICINE FOR A SICK DWARF XXXIX A BOLD AND AUDACIOUS PLAN iv part III under the blood moon XL REFLECTIONS XLI RECONNAISANCE XLII ATTACK OF THE WIZARD XLIII ASSAULT ON NAUREN XLIV DEFENSE OF NAUREN XLV WAR XLVI GOOD FORTUNE XLVII DAWN THE NEXT DAY XLVIII ABDUCTION XLIX ESCAPE L REACTION LI REVELATIONS LII SIOBHAN’S NEW POSITION LIII MARTHA LIV HEALING LV TWO WIZARDS LVI THE THREE LVII WILD GOOSE CHASE LVIII NORTHERN ROUTE LIX FINAL INSTRUCTIONS LX UNCERTAINTY LXI TRAIL GOES COLD LXII REALIZATION OF THE PROPHECY LXIII INTO THE FIRE LXIV BROTHERS LXV DECEPTION LXVI OLAF IS TOO LATE LXVII FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY LXVIII BLOOD MOON LXIX WE WILL MEET AGAIN v There are a few Nordic and Gaelic names that need a little introduction to the American reader: Siv ......................................... Seeve Seamus .................................. Shay-mus Siobhan ................................. Sha-vonn Ciarra .................................... Keerah Aelhaeran .............................. Al-ah-ran cast of characters Old wizard council dwarves Solomon Siv Simon Ramsey Seamus Teige Enzo Elwin Gwendolyn Markus Camden Martha Leigh Yuri Patrick Aldwin Raven Hair followers Pudgy Elijah Caitlyn Demetrius Tobias young wizard council elves Elijah Olaf Siobhan Ryanne Gavin Osvald Margaret Ciarra Alexander William Hayley Johann Elizabeth Carl Demetrius Merckx Naomi vi dark forces druids The Gatekeeper of Souls Cael Malkavic Finn Aelhaeran humans creatures Roarke Fallon Drake Serpent of the Lake places Lindisfarne Lavendelle Mystic Forest Haunted Forest Nauren Volcano Bradán Lake of the Serpent Tower of the Wizards Wastelands vii x For Catherine 1 2 part I solomon, the Gatekeeper, and the prophecy 3 4 chapter I rebekah SIV pulled herself close to her father. His protective arm in- stinctively held her tight, but it was of no use. He could not protect his daughter from this evil. He knew someday Siv would have to face the Evil One—her mother Rebekah had told him as much. His mind raced back to Rebekah’s words fifteen years before . Rebekah cried out in agony, her breaths came in gasps. She looked up at Elwin and knew this was the end. She had to stay strong for him, for there was so much she had to tell him before she passed. She didn’t know how much longer she would last. Drenched with sweat, her matted red hair clung to her neck and the side of her face. She was in agony. Martha, Elwin’s sister, looked up at Elwin and shook her head no. Rebekah was not going to live through the birth of the child. The injuries she sustained had crushed her pelvis and it had healed in a way that prevented childbirth. Rebekah let out another loud cry as her abdomen became rock hard again as it contracted against the obstructed pelvis. “It is no use,” Martha said as she looked up at Elwin. “The baby won’t be able to pass. There is no room!” Elwin did not know what to do. He could not stand seeing Rebekah in pain. 5 “I cannot survive this,” Rebekah began. “You must cut the child out of me and save her! I know it is a girl. I feel it inside of me!” “I can’t do it Rebekah! I can’t,” Elwin cried out, clearly racked with grief at the thought of losing his precious Rebekah. “Look at me Elwin,” Rebekah began, “look at me and do as I tell you!” Elwin turned and faced her. “I cannot have this child. I told you I would die when my time came. I told you I saw this coming. You have known this. My time has come, but this child must live! You must cut her from me, or she will surely die with me. I beg you, Elwin, I beg you, do not let this happen!” Elwin looked at Rebekah and then at Martha. Martha nodded her head and went to retrieve the knife. “Hand me my pouch,” she said gently. Elwin retrieved the pouch that she had set out earlier that morning, before her labor set in. He handed it to her and she removed the pendant from around her neck and placed it in the pouch. She held it tight. “We will have a daughter. You shall name her Siv for me. I need you to do this for me,all right?” She clutched his arm. “Yes, my dear, it will be as you wish.” The thought of cutting the baby from Rebekah was overwhelming to Elwin. Rebekah squeezed his hands and said, “Stay focused.” Elwin nodded. “Do not talk to Siv about me. Do not tell her anything. Do not give her anything that is mine. Burn my clothes, burn my body after I pass. Do not leave any sign that she is my daughter! Promise me you will do this for me!” Rebekah searched Elwin’s face for his answer. She squeezed his hand with all her strength. “Promise me!” He turned away from her as tears flowed down his cheeks. “I promise, Rebekah.” Elwin turned to her and nodded. 6 “There is only one thing of mine that I wish you to give her.” She looked up at Elwin to make sure he was focused on her instructions. “You need to give this pendant to Siv when her time comes. You will know when it is her time. She will need this to protect her from the Evil One. Do you understand?” Elwin nodded yes. He wasn’t sure if he really understood, but he did not want to add more stress to Rebekah. She placed the bag with her pendant in his hand as another contraction set in. This was worse than any of the ones that had come before. She did every- thing she could not to yell out and further distract Elwin. She had to tell him one more thing. Rebekah’s breaths began to come in gasps once again. It looked as though she was fighting to stay conscious. Finally, she looked up just as another contraction hit and cried out: “You need to cut this child from me before I pass. I cannot hold out much longer.” Elwin nodded and Martha came over with towels and a knife. Neither of them had done anything like this before. Neither of them would know what to do if it was not for Rebekah. Both of them were in fear of what they were about to do. The contraction abated. Rebekah grabbed Elwin’s hands and looked at him. This time, more gently, she said “Raise Siv as your own! There is no one else to protect her!” She forced a weak smile, as a tear rolled from her eye. Elwin understood Rebekah’s tear. Rebekah had peered into the future and foretold Elwin of her fate. He did not understand the powers she possessed. She had tried to prepare Elwin for this day as she had seen it coming for many, many months. Nothing she said, though, prepared him for this day. As he caught the tear rolling down her cheek with his finger, he understood the deep sadness that Rebekah previously expressed that she would never hold her daughter, look into her eyes, watch her grow up, or share in any of the things she longed to experience with her. Elwin’s thoughts snapped back to the present. The memories 7 were too painful for him to continue. Elwin held Siv close with his left arm. His right hand reached down to his coat pocket and he felt the pouch that Rebekah had given him those fifteen years ago. It never left his pocket. He took it everywhere with him as it was his only connection left with Rebekah. As he grasped the pouch, ready to take it out, Solomon, as if reading Elwin’s mind turned and looked him in the eye and shook his head no. Elwin was shocked that the wizard seemed to know what he was thinking and even seemed to know about the pendant Rebekah had given him! He withdrew his hand from his pocket. He felt powerless to do anything to protect Siv from the evil that was descending upon her. Solomon reflected on the times and the events surrounding the Prophecy that he scribed 750 years ago and all that had transpired since that time . 8 chapter II the chamber of the gatekeeper (750 years earlier) THE volcano towered above all Lavendelle.