Read Online The Compass Key (Book 5) by Charles E. Yallowitz - Free Book Online

and my armies.”
    “Oh, I’m sure they will,” Stephen bluntly states. He reaches over to grab a vial of liquefied diamonds off a nearby shelf. “I’m going to take this and see what it does to the gypsy girl. I want to get inside her head.”
    “Now you wish to be like your pathetic sister,” the Lich says, his voice dripping with condescension. “Is there anything that you don’t want to do?”
    Stephen thinks for a few seconds before pocketing the diamonds. “I have no intention of dying.”
    “We’ll see if you have a choice in that matter,” the Lich retorts. He conjures a goblet of steaming liquid and holds it toward the other man. “To the most loyal goes the praise and spoils. Let’s see which one of us is the last to fall.”
    Stephen sneers at the arrogant Lich and disappears from the room. The Lich takes a deep drink from his goblet, relaxing as the warm liquid drips down his dry throat. When exhaustion sets in, he lets the goblet clatter to the floor and spill its contents. Ideas forged from desperation and cunning float through his foggy mind until one plan looms above all others. He takes a bronze ring off one of his fingers and examines the delicate etching of a graveyard that runs along the dull metal.
    “You will be my secret salvation,” he whispers before kissing the ring. A spark of energy passes from his lipless mouth to the ring. “Fly and find the one we need.”
    The ring vibrates and rises into the air, stopping at eye level with the Lich. With a small burst of power, the bronze ring launches out the window and disappears over the horizon. The Lich breathes a sigh of relief and stands with a renewed sense of confidence. He reaches out to a book that floats to his open palm and flips to a page near the back.
    “You’re a fool, Stephen,” the Lich happily says as he examines the ritual steps he will need. “Death would never claim a Lich. He loves us far too much.”
    *****
    “That was a rough one,” Mira states as she sits on the cold floor. She looks around the room where jagged spires of ice have erupted from every surface. “I didn’t think you would make it through that.”
    Sari groans as she stops shivering and her limbs slowly shift back to their natural position. The ice around her body is coated in blood that rushes back into her body. Shuddering breaths help her regain control of her senses, but the residual pain is still too strong for her to stand against. The floor beneath Sari grows and shifts until she is sitting on a throne of ice. She forces a weak smirk at Mira, who shrugs and takes a seat on one of the throne’s wide arms.
    “A show of power?” the woman asks with a fake yawn. “You realize you’re trying to intimidate one of your own thoughts and memories, right? I’ve told you several times that I’m nothing more than the embodiment of your guilt.”
    “Then, you should listen to me and leave me alone,” Sari states in a weak voice that gradually gains strength. “I’m tired of you sitting there and mocking me. I don’t need your commentary when my body is broken and shredded. If you’re a part of my mind then you need to obey me.”
    Mira hops off the throne and stands in front of Sari with her arms crossed behind her back. She leans forward until her face is an inch from the other woman’s nose. With a wide grin, Mira hums a lilting tune that the nervous gypsy immediately recognizes. The funeral song of her murdered clan echoes throughout the icy room, growing in intensity. Hundreds of voices join in the song and hazy figures emerge from the shadows.
    “Oh no you’re not!” Sari angrily shouts, using her legs to push Mira away. She leaps to her feet and focuses her thoughts on the solidifying forms. Her eyes fall on the figure of a short, slender woman with sparkling green eyes. “Leave my mother out of this!”
    “Don’t get angry at us,” Mira says, taking a seat on the ice throne. “We’re created by the guilt held deep in your