Ancients Sovereign The Home of Lasidious and Celestria Lying in bed, Lasidious reached up to adjust his pillow, and then he put his hands behind his head. "George masterfully manipulated Southern Grayham. He was always two steps ahead and made the most unlikely, but useful allies, wouldn't you agree?"

Celestria rolled over and cupped the Mischievous One's face in her hands. "I've missed your smile, my love. I cannot tell you how often I thought of the fun you must be having. I would love to have watched your scheming mind carry out our plans, my pet." She licked the lobe of Lasidious' ear. "So ... you sent George to Western Luvelles to take care of our baby?"

"I did."

"You are a clever devil-G.o.d. Susanne will be a wonderful mother until we're able to bring our son to the G.o.d world. I hope George gives the baby a strong name."

"If I know George, our child will be given the perfect name."

"What about the war?" the G.o.ddess queried. "Will the distraction be enough to capture the attention of the Collective?"

Lasidious kissed Celestria's forehead. "This war will be the biggest Southern Grayham has ever seen. I've kept the G.o.ds busy. Mosley managed to sneak away now and again, but he doesn't know anything useful. I have a solid idea of what everyone is thinking. None of the G.o.ds know that George is on Luvelles. It'll be a fair number of Peaks before they figure it out."

"It gives me comfort to hear your confidence, my sweet."

Lasidious ran his fingertips along the contour of Celestria's body. "I'm pleased you're comforted. The Head Master of Luvelles isn't scheduled to meet with George for nearly 100 Peaks. After George kills the witches, there will be no need for him to use his magic. There will be nothing to draw attention to his family."

"How close are they to Floren?"

"They should arrive in Floren by the end of the Peak."

"Good. I don't imagine the others will divert their attention from the war because of the death of a few useless witches." Celestria frowned. "They drove me mad, my love." She nestled into Lasidious' arms. "Nevertheless, I knew you had everything under control. Please! Never make me have another child without using my power. The pain was excruciating. I don't think I could suffer it again."

The G.o.ddess reached up and touched the end of Lasidious' nose. "But on a more positive note, I did relearn how to bake. I shall make you an ospliton pie, my pet."

The G.o.ds enjoyed this simple thought as they began to ravage the night away.

The next morning, Lasidious woke and without saying a word. He left his G.o.ddess lying in bed and vanished. When he reappeared, he was standing in front of a large group of rats. As instructed, Keller was guiding Maldwin's family to the cliffs of Latasef.

Seeing the man appear out of nowhere, Keller took a defensive stance and growled at Lasidious. The demon was about to pounce when Lasidious held up his hand and spoke in the ancient language of all demons. "Ered'nash ban galar."

Keller snarled. The phrase Lasidious used was a command to elicit conversation. The cat was obligated to respond. "What do you want? This family is under my protection. I won't allow their journey to be hindered."

"You are a mighty escort," the Mischievous One responded. "I'm not here in search of conflict." He looked down at Maldwin. "I need to speak with the rat," the G.o.d said in the rodent's language.

Maldwin replied, "Who are you?"

"A friend. George informed me of his promise to provide your family a home."

"Where is George? Kepler's brother said he was taking us to the cliffs of Latasef, but he has no knowledge of what we're to do once we arrive."

Lasidious smiled. "George has seen to your comfort. You'll be taken care of. He has asked me to give your family a home like no other. Follow the mountains east until you come to a small opening just before the mountains drop into the ocean. What you will find there is a glorious existence. Your new home is protected by my power. Your family will always be safe."

Maldwin's nose twitched. "Thank you. I did not know George had such powerful friends. When you see him, please tell him I'm honored, and I'll be there for him if ever he needs me."

Lasidious squatted and waved his hand over the ground. A huge wheel of cheese appeared. Moving out of the way, he smiled as he watched the Maldwin's family swarm. Again, the Mischievous One waved his hand, and Maldwin floated into his arms. He positioned the rat so he could see the rodent's eyes. "You can tell George yourself. I'm sure you will see him again." With that, Lasidious lowered Maldwin to the ground and then vanished.

Keller looked down and watched as the rats ate. He growled, "You could've left me something!"

The World of Luvelles When George arrived in the village of Floren on Western Luvelles with Athena's family, it was just past Late Bailem. The mage loved this new world. Everything he had seen since their arrival had been created with magical influences. The magic on this world was much, much stronger than anything he had seen on Southern Grayham. In some areas, the air carried the sweet smell of it.

The people seemed friendly, but George and Kepler noticed that there was a dark side. Two-faced whispers and pa.s.sing glances told a story of a deeper, darker nature that lurked below the pleasing surface that many of Western Luvelles' inhabitants presented.

This journey had taken them through other villages of similar size, but they did not appear on George's map. The general look and feel of this world's smaller homes exuded cla.s.s, and magic was used to create many items that did not exist on Southern Grayham. It was nice to have a cold drink instead of a warm ale.

As the family entered Kebble's Kettle, Kepler did not need to hide. Along the way, they had seen many elves walking through the countryside with various breeds of animals.

The inn was comfortable, and Kebble's Kettle was like an upscale boutique hotel from Earth, but with many magical upgrades. The walls looked as if they were made of any normal construction material, but upon a closer inspection, George realized that they were made of flesh-the structure was alive.

As George pa.s.sed his hands across the surface, millions of tiny hairs tickled the palms of his hands. The walls possessed a natural warmth, just like the human body.

This is fascinating, George thought. I wonder how this is done? The magic on this world must be disgusting. How cool is this?

Aside from a small check-in counter to the left of the entrance, the dining area and the tavern occupied the rest of the s.p.a.cious room. George watched as one of the patrons ordered a drink. The man reached out and pulled the beverage from mid-air as the drink floated over to his table. "Now, that's what I call service," George said as he nudged Athena. "I'm going to like this joint."

Athena tugged at George's sleeve and whispered, "George, my family is scared. What should I tell them?"

George pulled her close. "Tell them I've got everything under control. I won't let anything happen to them. Besides, look at this place. It's amazing. Let's pa.s.s judgment once we've finished looking around, not before."

The colors of the inn were earth tones. They were pleasant to the eye, as was the vaulted ceiling that shot up above the fifth story. There were no stairs leading to the remaining levels of the structure, nor were there elevators. They watched a woman step onto a small circular platform and vanish. She reappeared on a balcony three floors up.

"No freaking way," George boasted. "This is like some kind of Star Trek garesh. The magic in this place is nuts."

Athena slapped George's arm. "George Nailer, watch your mouth."

George would have responded to apologize, but a dustpan flew past his head. As it did, it asked to be excused as it made its way to the far side of the room. A small, brown broom had followed close behind, and it pushed the dirt off the floor and into the pan. The tools then disappeared through a set of double doors on the far side of the inn. You've got to be kidding me! Even the cleaning is done magically. This is some Cinder-freaking-rella garesh, he thought.

Again, Athena tugged on George's shirt. "Honey, wouldn't it be great if our new homes cleaned themselves?"

"That would be cool, huh?"

"h.e.l.lo, friend," the innkeeper said after suddenly appearing on the other side of the counter. "I see we need a number of beds for the night."

A short, wobbly man, barely able to see over the counter, climbed up a set of booster steps. He had long, narrow, pointy ears, a pudgy nose, and a billowing pipe sat firmly pinched between his teeth. The sweet cherry-flavored tobacco had stained his graying mustache yellowish-brown over his seasons, yet somehow, the stains managed to complement his rosy cheeks. The smell of the tobacco was pleasant, and George could not help but notice the point of the innkeeper's ears that protruded through his hair.

The mage smiled and approached the counter. "Yes. We do need rooms. Thank you. My name is George, and this is my family. And your name is?"

"If you saw the sign out front, then you know my name," the innkeeper responded with a jolly grin. "I'm Kebble. You can call me ... well, Kebble works. Everyone in this village calls me Kebble. Welcome to Kebble's Kettle. What can Kebble do for you? He's in a delightful mood."

George turned to look at Kepler as if to say, Is this guy for real? He turned back around and reached out to shake the elf's hand.

Kebble stopped chuckling and took the mage's forearm. He counted everyone in George's group, doing it on three occasions since he kept losing count. After a while, he said, "I see you need enough beds for 31 and one giant kitty."

Kepler growled, "I'm not a kitty! We need beds for 34 humans, not 31, and one jaguar." The demon then thought, What an imbecile.

"Whoa!" Kebble responded as he looked at George. "Looks like you have a testy little p.u.s.s.ycat on your hands. You can keep him in your room, but we have a special place for goswigs to relieve themselves. If you'd like, you can take your feline to the sandbox to the right of the inn."

"Goswigs?" George repeated with a confused look as Kepler continued to growl. "What's a goswig?"

Kebble stopped a moment to look at the human. "How could you not know what a goswig is?"

"Should I know?" George shrugged.

"Of course. If you travel with one, you should know something so trivial." Kebble pointed to Kepler. "He's larger than most, and I'm sure his garesh will fill my sandbox, but he looks goswig to me."

"Kepler isn't a goswig. He's my friend. We're new to this world, and we have no clue what you're talking about. We've recently arrived by way of the Merchant Angels."

Kebble's fat cheeks wrinkled as his smile widened. "Now I know who you are! You're the one who has come to study under the Head Master. I've been expecting you. It's an honor to meet you, George. Allow me to give you and your family complimentary rooms for your first night. I have a substantial sum of coin waiting for you as the Head Master requested."

George leaned over the counter. "Perhaps you and I could speak of the coin during some other series of moments. I'd like to get my family settled first."

"By all means. I also have a package for someone named Mary. Is she in your group?"

Mary heard her name and approached the counter. "I'm Mary, but I doubt you have a package for me. I've only just arrived."

Kebble grinned. "I think we'll let the package decide if you're the correct being it seeks."

"I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand, young lady. There are many things a young woman of your seasons has not experienced. Give me your hand."

Mary looked at Athena. "He called me young. I think I like this place."

Susanne pushed Athena aside. "Mother, give the man your hand. I want to know if the package is yours."

Mary stuck out her arm. The elf's hand was much smaller than hers as he pulled it toward him. He removed the note from the top of the package and placed her fingertips against it. Sure enough, the paper changed color from a bright yellow to a pa.s.sionate red. The package was for her.

As George watched the note change color, he thought, Holy freaking Harry Potter.

Kebble puffed his pipe, then nodded. "Yep, yep, yep ... this is yours, madam. A parchment's magic is never wrong. Someone has their eye on you." He leaned in and winked. "Someone important."

Mary was not sure if she should be happy or scared. She had never had anything like this happen before. "Thank you, Kebble ... I think."

"You're welcome, my lady." The chubby elf turned his attention back to George. "You must be a talented apprentice to be given such an honor. To be invited to this world by the Head Master is a rare occurrence. I'm sure you'll be a.s.signed a goswig. You'll be able to learn about them for yourself."

"Ohhh, Mother!" Athena exclaimed as Mary lifted the lid off the package.

Mary gasped. "I know! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" Mary held up an elegant dinner gown. "Blue is my favorite color. And..." She gasped again. "And it's my size. I wonder who it's from. How could this person know so much about me?" She looked at the innkeeper. "Mr. Kebble, do you know who sent this? Should I be concerned?"

"I do know the culprit, my lady, but I cannot tell you his name. I will say this ... you have nothing to fear. Your admirer is not a threat to you or your family."

Kebble looked at George, leaned across the counter and whispered. "As I was going to say earlier, tell your kitty not to pee on the floor. I don't normally allow animals who aren't goswig to stay inside my establishment. But I'll make an exception since you're new to this world. I know it's hard to keep an un-bonded animal in line. Filthy little critters, don't you agree?"

George could feel the jaguar's agitation. He thanked Kebble for his generosity and asked for the keys to their rooms. The family stepped onto the circular platform and appeared in front of their doors on the fourth level. Once inside, George familiarized himself with every detail.

As soon as Athena was settled, George gave Kepler the nod. "Are you ready to go?"

Kepler lifted from the floor and stretched.

George shook his head. "d.a.m.n, you're a big s...o...b.. It's a good thing this room is huge, or you wouldn't fit. I'll meet you out front in a bit. I want to say goodbye to Athena."

The demon left the room without responding. Kepler jumped over the top of the railing on the fourth floor and landed next to the front desk on the first.

George grinned as he shut the door behind the cat. "I wish I could do that." The mage walked into the washroom, put his arms around his beautiful wife and then rubbed her belly. "I'll be back in a little while. I'm going to go pick up Susanne's baby."

"Ahhh, that sounds wonderful, honey. Take me with you."

George had to think fast. Taking Athena was impossible. "You know, babe, I just need some moments to myself. I'll make it up to you later. Can I do this on my own, please? I need to chill for a bit."

Athena smiled. "I just can't get over how funny you talk, George Nailer. I know our trip has been stressful on you. Just try and hurry back with ... with ... ummm. That's strange. I can't remember the baby's name. Honey, I'm a terrible aunt."

"Garrin. His name is Garrin," George replied as he kissed his wife on the cheek. "Tell your sister I'll be back in a bit. I'm sure you're going to be the best aunt this world has ever seen. The whole family will be happy to see the little guy."

George hated lying to Athena, but he could not figure a way around this one. The lie was necessary to get Abbie back. If he had to raise Lasidious' kid to get his daughter's soul released from the Book, then so be it. But he would be d.a.m.ned before he would allow lying to his wife to become a habit. He desperately wanted to protect their relationship.

Once downstairs, George found Kebble. "Do you know where the Rolfe family lives?"

"Sure," the innkeeper responded. "Kebble knows everybody. They're Ashdown. It's not a far trek. When you leave the inn, take the road south. You'll come across two bushes. You'll know they're the right ones because they fight a lot. The-"

George interrupted. "Kebble, you want me to look for fighting bushes? Aren't there any signs or something better to navigate by?"

"Well, of course, but this is far more fascinating. Trust me. The roses think the blushel berries have no right to be planted on their side of the road. Just between you and me, I agree. The roses are far more pleasant. I've seen the blushel berry bush throw its rotten berries at the roses on many occasions. It's not very neighborly."

Again, George stopped the elf. "Kebble, perhaps you could just tell me the signs I need to look for."

"Kebble could do many things, but let him write it down for you."

After a while, Kebble handed George a parchment. Everything was written in the Elven language.

You've got to be kidding me. I can't read any of this c.r.a.p, George thought. He looked up and smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure this will help. I'll have to visit the Rolfe family one of these Peaks. I'll find you in the morning and get the package that you said was left behind for me, if that's okay?"

"That's fine by Kebble. He has a safe place to store your belongings. The Head Master asked me to give you anything you needed. I wouldn't want to keep that much coin on my person if I were you ... especially in this village. We have many shady characters come through here. I'm sure you understand."

George nodded. "Thanks again, Kebble. See you tomorrow."

Once George stepped outside, Kepler was quick to speak. "Kebble is an irritating man. Can you believe the nerve of that elf? He has called me a kitty more than once. Ever since I watched you torture the Saber Lord, I've hated that word. I have half a mind to go back in there and devour him. 'Tell your kitty not to pee on the floor,' he said. 'It's hard to keep an un-bonded animal in line.' The nerve of that guy! The sound of his voice makes me long for blood. If his soul didn't smell innocent, I'd have my first skeleton on this world."

George reached up to pat Kepler's enormous back. "Once we kill these d.a.m.n witches, we need to lay low for a while. We've got to chill out until we're contacted by the Head Master. Let's not do anything stupid until we hear from Lasidious."

Kepler snarled. "But I refuse to garesh in Kebble's sandbox."

George grinned as they continued their midnight walk toward the witches' home, his magic lighting the way.

Later that night, George was standing over the stone bodies of the elven witch family as he studied their gray faces. The mage had used his magic to keep them silent while Kepler feasted on parts of each of them before the mage had turned what was left to stone. After a moment of staring at his handiwork, George looked for the baby. He found the G.o.d-child in one of the bedroom chambers and then lifted Garrin into his arms.

On his way out of the home, the mage waved his free hand over the witches' statues. They crumbled to the floor into mounds of powder. He opened the front door and commanded a small whirlwind to enter the home. After gathering the piles of dust, the funnel disappeared into the night to scatter their remains across a nearby field.

George looked down at the baby's innocent eyes. "Hey, little guy," he said, holding the child's tiny hand in his palm. "I'm your Uncle George, and this is your big kitty-cat, Kepler."