“Is that why there were so few runes over the surface?”

“Yes. I needed a way for my daughters to come to me and return home, but I sense every time it opens. Nothing has come through that I did not allow.”

“You built it, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

She really was powerful. Maybe she was weaker now, but he would be smart to remember that the woman had serious juice. “If you know every time the Stone is used, then how did the Solarc’s minions get here?”

“The only way his creatures could be here now is if someone powerful allowed them passage.”

“So the Solarc sent them directly,” guessed Torr. “The same way you got here.”

“Yes, but he would not have sent them after me without some way for them to force my return.”

“Are you sure he wouldn’t just send his guys here to kill you?”

“He doubtlessly wants me dead, but my death will not be a simple one. Nor will it come quickly. He will make an example of me first.”

“And that means bringing you home,” he said. “What kind of minions are we talking about?”

“Wardens are likely.”

Torr let out a low whistle. “They’re hard to kill.”

“Extremely. They are designed to withstand the blade of a Theronai, so you will need to find the hammer of a Mason.”

“A Mason?”

“They are the Solarc’s craftsmen. They built the Sentinel Stones and will likely be here to erect a portal powerful enough to send me home. They work in pairs, so if you see one, know another is nearby.”

“Will my sword kill them?”

“For a time.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“They wield the power of creation.”

“So… what? They rebuild themselves?”

“Yes.”

“Then how do I kill them?”

“You do not. You may delay their efforts, but that is all.”

“So there’s no way to win.”

“The Masons are rare, precious creatures. Only the Solarc can create them, and the effort leaves him weakened for a time. The Masons will stay here only until their task is done. Once that happens, they will be sent to the next world to do the Solarc’s bidding.”

“That means we have to let them do their job, which is probably all kinds of bad news for us.”

“Precisely. He will have sent Masons who will carve their own portal. Once that is complete, I will have lost control of this world and what beings come here. That is why I sent for you.”

“You want me to find whoever—whatever—the Solarc sent here, keep them away from your people, then destroy their way in before any more bad guys can arrive.”

Brenya gave a tired nod. “The Masons have already created beasts to protect them—Hunters that will scour the area in search of me.”

“How do you know? Have you seen them?”

“Grace has. I have kept careful watch over her mind since you arrived, and it was easy to see what she saw earlier today. The Hunters are close. My magic will mask our village, but not for long. You must kill them.”

“Won’t that give away your location?” he asked.

“Not if it is done by a hand other than mine. There are many worlds like this one—many places the Solarc must search. He will assume my hatred for him will demand I fight back. He will be searching for the essence of my power in every one of his minions’ deaths. Nothing I do can give away my presence. If he cannot sense my power trying to keep him from this world, he will keep searching elsewhere.”

“You mean you can’t kill them yourself or he’ll know you did.”

“Indeed. He knows the feel of my magic too well for me to mask it. Your strength must be enough to defeat the Solarc’s minions. Do this in repayment for me saving the life of your precious Grace.”

There wasn’t even a question of whether he’d agree.

“I do so swear,” he vowed without hesitation, bracing himself for the weight of his word. Not only was the repayment a tiny one for Grace’s recovery, but she was still in danger so long as the Solarc touched this world.

With the life of the woman he loved at stake, he would find a way to protect this planet, no matter what it took.

Chapter 7

Torr sat outside all night waiting for the Solarc’s Hunters to appear. With Grace’s life—as well as those of many other women and children—on the line, he wasn’t going to trust the magical defenses of one weakened woman.

The tingling edge of Brenya’s protective barrier was at his back. The dark woods surrounding the village spread out in front of him, filled with the sounds of wild, alien creatures.

He saw a few small nocturnal animals scurrying about, but nothing more.

The morning sky was beginning to take on the color of burning embers when he heard someone approach from behind. He turned, sword in hand, to find Grace pushing through the brush at the edge of the village.

As soon as she saw him, relief eased the lines across her brow. “You’re safe.”

“Did you think I wasn’t?”

“Your bed was empty when I came to check on you in the middle of the night. I’ve been looking for you ever since.”

What he wouldn’t have given to have been there in his bed when she’d come. Nighttime had its own sort of magic. Maybe seeing him in the depths of night would remind her of all those times she’d sat with him in his suite back at Dabyr, holding a hand he couldn’t feel. He could see her touching him and know that she cared, but her warmth was a distant thing beyond his reach.

But not now. Now if she touched him he’d feel every gentle stroke, every bit of gliding pressure and heat.

It seemed that no matter how close he and Grace were, they were always destined to be separated. He couldn’t feel her touch before, and now that he could, she had no reason to touch him. He was no more to her than a stranger.

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he said.

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” She leaned against the thick black trunk of a nearby tree. The metallic leaves cast shimmering bits of reflected light across her face. “What are you doing out here?”

“Guarding against attack.”

“From those creatures? I thought Brenya was doing that with her magic.”