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POV: Alexandra
I had just come out of the daze of the memory catalyst spell that was cast on me. I was imploring my uncle to save Tyleesh. I was visibly shaking when I felt my uncle’s arms wrap around me, “Was what I did so awful?” I shook my head, “YOU didn’t do anything. He was tricked by Zero and some woman named U to walk through a portal into a dungeon.” I heard a voice behind me, “Dungeon you say?” I turned my head to see Dorothea standing there and nodded. She rubbed her chin and said, “I know where he is then. How awful they put him in a dungeon instead of the holding house like they did with me. I can help rescue him though since I know where he is. I just need to know his cell and I can portal straight in there. The problem would be timing at this point. If they put him in the dungeon, it is likely they have a guard watching him at all times. Did they threaten him with someone’s life?” I looked at Panshad, “Yes, they promised to kill Panshad and myself. He considers both of us sisters.” My father’s voice sounded out, “That’s likely that he would consider you a sister. I did promise to officially bring him into the family when he returned.” I had wondered when my father showed up but it wasn’t the time to be asking such things. Dorothea sighed, “He likely understood what was going on as soon as he was locked in the cell. Poor thing was probably promised something and he blindly followed them into that dungeon.” I sighed, “He trusted that they were sending him home when he did a spell for them in Zero’s cabin.” The thought occurred to me that I needed to speak to Ashton about this.
I looked around for him but he wasn’t there. He had been out there when we all filed out to the garden, “Where’s Ashton and Derek?” My father spoke, “They were summoned to the King so they took the passage to the Headmaster’s tower. They were told to meet him there so we could avoid Ashton being seen.” I stood up from my seating position and started to walk toward the house. I felt a hand on my shoulder, “Where are you going, Alexandra?” I turned to Blake and said, “I need to tell them something I found out about the necromancer.” His eyes widened, “What about him? Do you know who it is?” I nodded, “Yes but if I’m going to talk about it, I would like to have everyone in the same room. It will be tough for me to get it out after what I just witnessed so I will need to speak to everyone involved with the investigation. If His Majesty has called upon Ashton and Derek, that means he wishes to discuss the investigation into the necromancer. I’m going to the Headmaster’s tower.” He nodded, “Then I’m going with you.” He beckoned Panshad over, “We are accompanying Alexandra to the Headmaster’s tower.” She stepped forward with a determined look on her face, “I will do anything for Her Grace since my brother considers her sister she is now my own by fae law.” The three of us walked off to the study, and I pulled the bookcase that took us to the secret passage. I heard Jess call out to me from behind, “Xan! You can’t leave without protection!” Blake turned to her, “You may come but I assure you, Jess, that with Panshad and I around she is not in danger.” Jess caught up to us, “That may well be but I’m pretty sure His Majesty would have one of her three bodyguards punished for letting her go out without one of us. Since one of them was summoned and the other is away on an errand for the General, that falls on me and I don’t want the punishment. I’m fairly certain my best friend wouldn’t want that either.” I shook my head, “Indeed, I wouldn’t want that.” He sighed, “Very well. Let’s continue.”
We made our way to the tower, up the stairs, and to the door of the Headmaster’s office. Thankfully, Josiah was not around to give me a hard time. I knocked on the door and waited for Lucien to yell. After what felt like a long pause, Derek poked his head out, “Lex? Did you need me for something then?” I nodded, “Yes, is the General with you?” He nodded, “Yeah, we were just discussing how we are going to find this necromancer.” I shoved past him as he shouted, “Hey! Rude!” I looked over my shoulder at him, “Sorry, this is important and I need you all in the same room.” Lucien chuckled, “You do know how to make an entrance, Alexandra. I assume you have some information from your adventures in Talon’s memories.” I widened my eyes at him, “How did you know?” He waved at Derek, “He was letting me know how the investigation with your family’s ward is going.” He walked around his desk and brought Josiah’s desk chair with him, “Won’t you have a seat and tell us what you feel was important enough to interrupt an official meeting.” There was a little bit of annoyance in his voice and I knew I would have to apologize for this later. I sat down and turned to the four men who were sitting in front of me, “So I wouldn’t interrupt your meeting if it weren’t for something I saw in Zero’s memories.” This piqued the General’s interest and he leaned forward, “Please go on, Your Grace.” I drew in a deep breath and started, “So Zero was teaching Tyleesh revival magic so that he could bring plants to life that were long dead. The Order had a theory that this revival magic would work on beings that were once alive and have since been dead. They made him try it on a set of bones and the undead was made from this magic. I suspect the one he revived first is the assassin that is after me since they spoke of revenge.” Blake stepped forward into my view, “Did you recognize him?” I shook my head, “Unfortunately, no. I assume it was someone inflicted with my ability and it wore off and he probably hates me for it. That’s the only reason I can think of.” Blake sighed and looked disappointed, “I was hoping we could pin down who it was. Not that it matters, eventually, I will find him and make him pay. Doesn’t matter who he is. It’s best to know his motivation though. We already knew it was for revenge.”
Lucien cleared his throat, “So you’re saying that the memory you saw, showed you that your grandfather’s ward was tricked into becoming the necromancer for The Order. This doesn’t explain why in Vellum he would continue to work with The Order to produce an undead army.” I sighed, “They threatened to kill me and his sister if he didn’t cooperate.” Blake scoffed, “Little did he know that they were using his first creation to kill you.” I shrugged, “You can’t blame him, Blake. He is not entirely aware that this is the case.” Ashton asked, “So do we know where Tyleesh is?” I nodded, “Dorothea believes she knows where he is but she needs to know the cell he’s in.” Lucien looked at his brother, “Did you ever get to see the dungeon when you were there?” Blake nodded, “Yeah, I did see a kid in there but didn’t think much of it. It was likely Tyleesh.” I looked at him and rose from my seat, “He had long hair and teal-colored eyes?” He nodded, “Yeah, he was in cell number five, I believe.” I looked over at Panshad and she nodded, “I will let them know.” She opened a portal and left. Lucien cocked an eyebrow at me, “I wasn’t aware you were so close to our family’s ward. Care to explain what that was?”
Before I could answer him another portal was opened up and Dorothea and Panshad walked through. Dorothea looked around the room and smiled, “Oh. If I had known I was going to be in a room full of hunky men and of course the brat, I would have gussied myself up. Hey, hunkies!” She winked at Derek, Ashton, Lucien, and the General. She gave a sour look to Blake and stuck her tongue out at him. Blake clenched his teeth and spoke through them, “Why did you need to come, old woman?” She chuckled, “I figured it would be better if I came here so we can plan the rescue. Don’t you think so Alexandra?” I wasn’t thrilled to be pulled into their ugly banter that they usually have together so I sighed, “I agree. It is an efficient use of time.” She stuck her tongue out at him again and I rolled my eyes, “Just because I agreed with you doesn’t mean you should rub it in His Highness’s face.” I muttered under my breath, “It’s like scolding children, I swear.” Lucien smiled at me and winked at my quiet complaint. I think he was flirting with me in his own way at that moment, likely picturing me scolding our future children, knowing his thinking. Dorothea stepped forward and the General offered her a chair, she winked at him again as she sat down. She turned to Blake, “So brat, I hear that you know exactly what cell our young fae is in. Care to let me know?” He sighed, “I thought Panshad told you.” She smiled at him, “I only heard her say you knew exactly where he was and then I opened the portal so we could plan.” He narrowed his eyes at her, “You could have saved me the torment of talking to you more than I need to.” She folded her arms and looked at him smugly, “Well, I mean you’re talking to me more by complaining.” Lucien started to laugh hard and was slapping his knee at her calling out of his brother. Blake glared at Lucien, “Oh shut up, brother!” Lucien was breathing hard trying to stop laughing and was drying his eyes, “Sorry, she….she just had you there.”
I could swear that if Lucien knew of the human ritual of high-fiving, he probably would have offered one to Dorothea. I thought to myself that I could add Lucien to the list of children I had to reign in. I cleared my throat, “Can we stay on task?” Blake sighed, “I agree. So to answer the old hag’s question, it was cell five.” She grunted at him, “Was that so hard? Now I know I can open a portal straight to the cell. I will need to plan this properly and I don’t want to go in alone. I will need a Citadel soldier with me just in case.” Lucien spoke up, “When would be a good time to mount this rescue then?” She rubbed her chin, “Hmmm, I think the best time is to do it during the assembly. Many of the guards will be with the nobles and the rest will have to guard the entrances which means the dungeons will be unguarded except for a guard coming by briefly to feed the captives.” The General nodded, “Well thought out, madam. I believe your logic is tactically sound. Now, we need to figure out who it is that will be accompanying you.” There was a long silence as each of us were lost in our thoughts until Ashton got up from his seat. We all looked up at him and he said, “I volunteer to accompany Ms. Dorothea.”
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