Interruption Three
The Real Present Day
A Gated Community for Evil Mages
Seeking Assistance
The pocket dimension where The Lord of Darkness, Prince of Shadows, Bringer of Terrible Evil, The Great and Powerful Cyril lived was both more secure and easier to enter than the young apprentice’s dimension.
Yes, The Good Wizard had to argue with the guard at the gate, then return to the Good Wizard’s Council to file the proper paperwork to enter an evil dimension, then argue with the guard some more, then visit the Council of Evil for a day pass, then argue with the guard a third time simply because the guard was bored and liked arguing, but in the end, The Good Wizard did enter it, and that was the important part.
The Prince of Shadows lived in a two-story house that was a mesh between a proper manor and an evil lair.
Winged grotesques guarded the corners, glowering down at all who dared approach.
Bright flowers lined the drive, adding a pop of color.
The flowers drifted lazily in the breeze, their sweet scent inviting people to come closer.
The Good Wizard narrowed his eyes, suspecting the flowers were more dangerous than the grotesques, and walked down the exact center of the drive.
The front door was black with beautiful carved filigree that, upon closer inspection, hid a sinister sharpness of thorns and fangs and claws. It pulsed and shifted restlessly, primed to attack any intruders.
To the right of the door was a brass button. Above it, a sign warned: “Solicitors Will Be Devoured.”
The Good Wizard hesitated. He was, technically, soliciting help from the evil mage. Did that count? Then he remembered that he was a good wizard, not a common salesman. He would not cower before evil.
Still, he chose to raise his fist and knock, rather than pressing the button.
A high-pitched shriek tore through the air. The Good Wizard clamped his hands over his ears to drown it out, only to belatedly realize it was a noise of excitement.
“Oh, honey, they’ve finally returned!” The woman’s voice was followed by several thumps, and then the door was thrown open.
She blinked in shock as she stared at their visitor.
“You aren’t Rick. Or Brendon. Or Kit. Or Trey, or even Wilde, who I’m sure my husband is most excited to meet.
” She looked him up and down and her lip curled in displeasure. “You’re a wizard.”
“Cookie, who is—”
“Stay back, pumpkin. I’ll deal with him.” The woman stepped onto the porch, closing the door firmly behind her. “If you’ve come for him, you’re too late. He’s already retired.”
The Good Wizard’s brow furrowed. “That’s not in the records.”
“Damn your records. You come into my house, and threaten my husband, and you will feel my wrath.” Magic shifted around her, transforming her face from a lovely woman in her early-sixties into something fiendish. Long teeth, shadows in her eyes, a wild hint of the swamp on her breath.
“Ma’am, I assure you, I am no threat to your husband. I seek his help.”
The hag disappeared and the woman returned. She batted long, dark lashes at him and said, “Oh my, why didn’t you simply start with that?”
“You didn’t give me the chance.”
She ignored him and opened the door again. “Darling, you have a customer.”
“A customer? Dewdrop, I’m not a businessman.
” The man who came down the stairs was perfectly ordinary.
His graying hair was mussed from running his hands through it, and his clothes were clean but rumpled from sitting behind a desk all day.
Fine lines creased his face, but his back was straight, his body still strong and sure of itself.
The moment Cyril spotted The Good Wizard, his eyes narrowed in distrust. He snapped his fingers and his whole demeanor changed.
His clothes, previously a mix of white and soft gray, darkened to pitch black.
A black cloak to match settled around his shoulders, the hood obscuring his face. “You dare trespass—”
“Pookie,” the woman scolded. “Do you think I’d let him into our home if he meant to hurt you?”
Cyril paused, then lowered the hood. He did not change his wardrobe a second time. “Dearest, you know I value your opinion and your instincts, but he is a good wizard. They do not patronize evil, at least in the non-insulting definition.”
“I’m afraid we’ve had to make an exception,” The Good Wizard said. To add to the drama of his announcement, he pulled the prison crystal holding Brutus Arnulf out of his robes.
Cyril stared at the crystal for a moment then invited The Good Wizard inside.
The Good Wizard slowly lowered himself onto a black velvet settee.
The arms were disturbing, a replica of human hands scrabbling for safety as something unseen dragged them back into the shadows.
The cushions were the perfect mix of firm and plump to ease around his tired backside without swallowing him whole.
Lucinda bustled into the room, carrying a tray of tea and cookies. Thinking of the flowers outside, The Good Wizard sniffed his cup surreptitiously. The soft scent of assam wafted from the steaming liquid. He accepted the tea but avoided the cookies, afraid of what their sugar might mask.
“So, Brutus finally found himself on both councils’ bad sides,” Cyril said, examining the prison crystal. He prodded it with a vicious glee. “And a pink crystal at that! Everyone knows they’re the weakest.”
“Brutus Arnulf is not my problem,” The Good Wizard stated. He wanted to snatch the crystal out of the evil mage’s hands, but it was clear Cyril had no intention of releasing his companion. “His apprentice is.”
Lucinda gasped with delight. “Do you mean Wilde?”
The Good Wizard’s brow furrowed. “You’re familiar with him?”
“We’ve never met, but I’ve heard so much about him. When we found out he was involved in Brutus’ plot, we knew he was the real mastermind.” She clapped her hands excitedly and clasped them to her bosom. “What’s he done? Did he succeed?”
The Good Wizard stared at her gravely. “Madam, he is a wanted man who has violated the laws and regulations of both councils.”
“Impressive,” Cyril said, finally setting the crystal down.
Lucinda sighed dreamily. “Ah, young love.” She glanced at her husband and smiled, “I remember those days.”
“Why have you come to me for help?” Cyril asked.
Finally, they were getting to the sticky center of the pie.
“Wilde has created an unregulated pocket dimension that I suspect he is losing control over. It has expanded to swallow a whole region, along with the unwilling citizens.” The Good Wizard left out the fact that Wilde could control time inside the bubble.
If the evil mage found out, he would want to utilize the chaos such magic unleashed.
“Ambitious,” Cyril said. He settled back into his own ominously comfortable chair and steepled his fingers. “But not my problem.”
“I understand you are friends with Their Highnesses Prince Frederick and Prince Brendon.”
“Of a sort,” Cyril agreed.
“They are also trapped in the bubble, along with their son Treasure.”
“Well, of course,” Lucinda said, nodding along. “That’s the only thing that makes sense.”
The Good Wizard frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Wilde is in love with their son after all, so why wouldn’t he want the whole family to be together? He’s probably trying to impress his future-in-laws.”
The Good Wizard gaped at this outrageous statement. “He is not marrying into Bane’s Royal Family!”
Lucinda smiled at him and a shadow of the hag returned. “Are you planning to stop him?”
Solicitors will be devoured. He thought it was the door he had to worry about. Apparently, it was the wife.
“The Good Wizards’ Council cannot allow this pocket dimension to threaten the primary one. Even the Council of Evil has agreed with our consensus. The bubble must pop, and the people inside must be released.”
Cyril eyed The Good Wizard thoughtfully. “And where do I come in?”
The Good Wizard sighed. “I need to enter the dimension and find the apprentice. His protections mirror the ones I’ve placed around the Desolated Lands.”
“Ah.” The simple sound refused to fill in the rest of what The Good Wizard wanted to say.
He would have to speak his request aloud. “Please tell me how you surpassed my defenses so I can do the same with his.”
“It wasn’t that hard,” Cyril explained. “I simply took a vacation.”
“A vacation?” The Good Wizard sputtered. “What on earth does that mean?”
“We were there for the wedding and nothing more.”
“We should take another vacation,” Lucinda murmured. “It’s been too long.” Her gaze became calculating and faraway, already planning the details.
“You cannot enter Wilde’s dimension as a good wizard,” Cyril said. “You’ll have to become someone else.”
The Good Wizard’s shoulders slumped. It’d been a long time since he’d been anything other than what he was. “Oh dear.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll come with you,” Lucinda assured him, patting the wizard’s hand helpfully.
“You’ll what?” The Good Wizard said at the same time as Cyril said, “We will?”
“This will be our vacation! Seeing a brand-new dimension, isn’t that exciting? And I know someone who will want to join us!”
“What?” The Good Wizard said, still confused.
“Who?” Cyril asked, sounding resigned.
“Why, Francesca of course!”
The Good Wizard stared at her with dawning horror. “You cannot mean Queen Francesca of Woe.”
“Can’t I? How odd, because I certainly do.
If what you say is true, her wife and daughter are trapped inside.
While Franny’s not one for adventure, she certainly would not be happy if we left her out.
” Lucinda gave him no time to reply, jumping to her feet and fluttering about the room, immediately launching into travel plans.
The Good Wizard watched her, mouth agape. He’d made a mistake. He should have done the quest on his own, found another way into the dimension. Now he was at the mercy of a hag’s whims, an evil mage’s plotting, and a queen’s revenge.