Read Online Stolen Compass (The Painter Mage Book 4) by D.K. Holmberg - Free Book Online
Authors: D.K. Holmberg
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protections around the Rooster.
“I’m sorry about that, Jakes.”
“You don’t yet understand, but you will. We know the risks and take them willingly.” He turned so that his eyes scanned the area where the doorway had been. Without the Trelking having opened it, I’m not sure I would have known about this crossing. I knew of only two: the one where I’d originally ended up on the other side of the Threshold, and the one that Devan and I had used to return. I should have questioned why they both led to Conlin. “This is our task. We will continue to serve. Some will be lost, but if we do not adhere to our task, even more will be lost.”
I didn’t know enough about why the shifters had agreed to guard the doorways, but I knew enough to know that Jakes was right. If they didn’t stand watch, what else might cross over the Threshold? The Trelking was powerful, but there were other creatures nearly as powerful on the other side.
“There will come a time when you will need to choose, Morris. It’s a choice your father once made, and one he did as willingly as my father.”
I glanced at Devan. “I’m not the person you need,” I said, still not looking at Jakes. “I’ll do what I can while I’m here, but if the Trelking is right—and unfortunately, he usually is—I have a different task ahead of me.”
Jakes looked from me to Devan. I could tell from his expression that he didn’t know.
“He claims that before I complete my service to him, I’ll have killed the Druist Mage.” Jakes’s eyes twitched slightly. “Yeah, so you see, I’m not so certain you want someone like me watching over the city with you. From the sound of it, I might not be around for long.”
I grabbed Devan’s hand and pulled her with me. We left the area under the trees and headed back up the path and toward Big Red. At the top of the rise, I paused and looked back. Jakes was gone, but I saw a flash of golden eyes near the trees that told me the shifters still watched over the doorway. At least there was that.
----
T he drive back into Conlin passed in mostly silence. We reached the blacktop road again, and the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, enough to light our way back into the town. At the edge of town, I glanced over at the lighted welcome sign. Did it have the same patterns on it as the sign on the other end of town?
I slammed on the brakes and jerked the truck to the side of the road. Devan glanced over at me. “I’ll only be a minute,” I said as I climbed out of the truck.
Loose gravel crunched under my shoes as I made my way toward the sign. Made of brick with white lettering backlit by a soft yellow light, it spelled out “Welcome to Conlin.” The lettering on the sign on the other side of town was faded, but I had seen a series of patterns on it. At the time, I’d only commented on the fact that my father would take the time to place such patterns on a city sign. Now I wondered if there might have been more to it. Could there be something like the spiraling pattern of trees to the city welcome signs?
It wasn’t the best time to investigate. Without enough light, I couldn’t really see, not clearly enough to make out anything on the sign. What I could see didn’t look like there were any patterns made on it, not like the sign on the other side of town.
Devan came up next to me. “What are you looking for?”
I waved a hand at the sign. “My father.”
She laughed softly. “You think he’s the one welcoming us to Conlin?”
“When I was trying to find you, when Adazi had taken you, I noticed something about the welcome sign on the other side of town, on Highway 16. It had my father’s patterns on it.”
Devan nodded. The medallion on my chest went suddenly cold, and her skin glowed with a soft white light, enough for me to see. I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, not able to help myself. She looked damn cute when she was all magical like that. She smiled, and we walked around the
“I’m sorry about that, Jakes.”
“You don’t yet understand, but you will. We know the risks and take them willingly.” He turned so that his eyes scanned the area where the doorway had been. Without the Trelking having opened it, I’m not sure I would have known about this crossing. I knew of only two: the one where I’d originally ended up on the other side of the Threshold, and the one that Devan and I had used to return. I should have questioned why they both led to Conlin. “This is our task. We will continue to serve. Some will be lost, but if we do not adhere to our task, even more will be lost.”
I didn’t know enough about why the shifters had agreed to guard the doorways, but I knew enough to know that Jakes was right. If they didn’t stand watch, what else might cross over the Threshold? The Trelking was powerful, but there were other creatures nearly as powerful on the other side.
“There will come a time when you will need to choose, Morris. It’s a choice your father once made, and one he did as willingly as my father.”
I glanced at Devan. “I’m not the person you need,” I said, still not looking at Jakes. “I’ll do what I can while I’m here, but if the Trelking is right—and unfortunately, he usually is—I have a different task ahead of me.”
Jakes looked from me to Devan. I could tell from his expression that he didn’t know.
“He claims that before I complete my service to him, I’ll have killed the Druist Mage.” Jakes’s eyes twitched slightly. “Yeah, so you see, I’m not so certain you want someone like me watching over the city with you. From the sound of it, I might not be around for long.”
I grabbed Devan’s hand and pulled her with me. We left the area under the trees and headed back up the path and toward Big Red. At the top of the rise, I paused and looked back. Jakes was gone, but I saw a flash of golden eyes near the trees that told me the shifters still watched over the doorway. At least there was that.
----
T he drive back into Conlin passed in mostly silence. We reached the blacktop road again, and the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, enough to light our way back into the town. At the edge of town, I glanced over at the lighted welcome sign. Did it have the same patterns on it as the sign on the other end of town?
I slammed on the brakes and jerked the truck to the side of the road. Devan glanced over at me. “I’ll only be a minute,” I said as I climbed out of the truck.
Loose gravel crunched under my shoes as I made my way toward the sign. Made of brick with white lettering backlit by a soft yellow light, it spelled out “Welcome to Conlin.” The lettering on the sign on the other side of town was faded, but I had seen a series of patterns on it. At the time, I’d only commented on the fact that my father would take the time to place such patterns on a city sign. Now I wondered if there might have been more to it. Could there be something like the spiraling pattern of trees to the city welcome signs?
It wasn’t the best time to investigate. Without enough light, I couldn’t really see, not clearly enough to make out anything on the sign. What I could see didn’t look like there were any patterns made on it, not like the sign on the other side of town.
Devan came up next to me. “What are you looking for?”
I waved a hand at the sign. “My father.”
She laughed softly. “You think he’s the one welcoming us to Conlin?”
“When I was trying to find you, when Adazi had taken you, I noticed something about the welcome sign on the other side of town, on Highway 16. It had my father’s patterns on it.”
Devan nodded. The medallion on my chest went suddenly cold, and her skin glowed with a soft white light, enough for me to see. I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, not able to help myself. She looked damn cute when she was all magical like that. She smiled, and we walked around the
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