The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3)
Contents
Title Page
Character List
Maps
Chapter 1 Saturday, October 4
Chapter 2 Syrando
Chapter 3 More Surprises
Chapter 4 Sunday Morning
Chapter 5 Paddy's Men
Chapter 6 Laryn Lends a Hand
Chapter 7 A Busy Monday Morning
Chapter 8 Business As Usual
Chapter 9 Back to Ashmont
Chapter 10 Sister Janine
Chapter 11 Defensive Measures
Chapter 12 Dinner at Kyle's
Chapter 13 Brena Steps In
Chapter 14 Meanwhile, At Willow Canyon
Chapter 15 Caitlyn's Fear
Chapter 16 An Afternoon with Shadron
Chapter 17 Rhianna's Role
Chapter 18 An Evening with Allisandra
Chapter 19 Colby Falls
Chapter 20 Dinner at Danyelle's
Chapter 21 Landis and the Sea
Chapter 22 The Glenarbour Slave Auction
Chapter 23 Crinsor Run
Chapter 24 The End to a Long Day
Chapter 25 Lunch with Dayed
Chapter 26 Back to Crinsor Run
Chapter 27 Tying Up Some Loose Ends
Chapter 28 A Little Follow Up
Chapter 29 Fine Tuning
Chapter 30 Bridgeport
Chapter 31 Mapleton
Chapter 32 Rochdale
Chapter 33 Saturday, November 2
Chapter 34 A Piece of the Puzzle
Chapter 35 Landis Meets with Robyn
Chapter 36 Landis Visits Milhaven
Chapter 37 Saryn
Chapter 38 Repercussions
Chapter 39 Intruder in the Night
Chapter 40 Darrell Makes Some Plans
Chapter 41 Caitlyn's Story
Chapter 42 Working Out Some Details
Chapter 43 Sister Hayley
Chapter 44 Nikki
Chapter 45 A Decision Is Made
Chapter 46 Narrowing Down the Suspect List
Chapter 47 Sunday Morning in the Canyon Lands
Chapter 48 Petri's Story
Chapter 49 Wednesday, November 20
Chapter 50 A Busy Day
Chapter 51 Things Get Started
Chapter 52 The Reception
Chapter 53 Debra's Story
Chapter 54 Winding Down
Chapter 55 The Next Week
Chapter 56 The Wedding
Chapter 57 Making Plans
Chapter 58 A Busy Sunday
Chapter 59 Count Down
Chapter 60 To Catch A Spy
Chapter 61 Follow up
Chapter 62 The Old Year Comes to a Close
Chapter 63 A New Year Begins
Chapter 64 Reactions
Chapter 65 Questions
Chapter 66 Mikos's Plan
Chapter 67 Back in Milhaven
Chapter 68 Meanwhile at Mikos's Cave
Chapter 69 News from Wyndsor
Chapter 70 Visitors in Bridgeport
Chapter 71 Gwendolyn Returns
Chapter 72 Reactions
Chapter 73 More Reactions
Chapter 74 Meanwhile in Landoryn
Chapter 75 Preparations Begin
Chapter 76 King Merdin in Hendon Port
Chapter 77 More Preparations
Chapter 78 King Merdin at the Cave
Chapter 79 Rescue
Chapter 80 Showdown
Chapter 81 Loose Ends
Chapter 82 Last Minute Details
Chapter 83 The Duel
Chapter 84 Aftermath
The Fourteenth Key
by
Mackenzie Morgan
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, places, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.
Copyright © 2015 by Mackenzie Morgan
Cover Design by John Ward
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law
Character List
Main Characters from The Master’s Chair and The Dragon’s Flame
Agnes - Resident sister at the Chapel of Light in Milhaven
Alek - Guard at the castle in Milhaven, one of Myron’s bodyguards
Ariel - Head page in Myron’s office
Ashni - Giant, Blalick’s wife, lives on Wildcat Mountain
Badec - Myron’s father, Master Sorcerer of Terah before Myron, deceased
Bianca - Seated Sorcerer of Dresland
Blalick - Giant, attends Glendymere, lives on Wildcat Mountain
Brena - Head of the Sisterhood, lives at the chapel in Timera Valley
Caezar - Retired soldier
Cameryn - Page in Myron’s office
Chanz - Robyn’s dog, lives in Mapleton
Chris - Kevin’s closest friend, Myron’s assistant, advertising executive on Earth
Colin - Sorcerer who helps Warren in Walnut Springs
Crandal – General in charge of Camden’s army
Cryslyn - Head of Housekeeping at the castle in Milhaven
Damien - Seated Sorcerer of Nandelia, lives in Prindley
Dani - Alysian Cat - lives with King Merdin in Farowood
Darrell - Captain of the Guard at the castle in Milhaven, college football player on Earth
Drusilla - Next in line for Head of the Sisterhood, trained Theresa, lives in Drisden
Duane - Elf, lives in North Amden, helped get Myron out of Milhaven when he was born
Dylan - District Sorcerer for Tamarack, lives in Fall Creek
Edwin - Seated Sorcerer of Farragon
Elin - Page in Myron’s office
Evelyne - Resident sister in the chapel in Abernon
Fenway - Owns the tavern in Milhaven
Garen - Captain of a squad of guards Rolan sent to Milhaven to kill Myron
Gaynor - District Sorcerer of Zander until he was removed and placed with Warren, killed by Myron in self-defense.
Geoffrey - Seated Sorcerer of Havernia
Gerry - Resident sister of the chapel in Glenco, Rolan’s girlfriend, responsible for the poison that killed Badec, helped steal the dragon’s flame lamp and pendant, killed by Rolan
Glendymere - Dragon, Head of the Federation of Terah, Grandfather of the dragons, Myron’s tutor, works with Landis, lives in Willow Canyon
Glenice - Resident sister in Mapleton, communication link between Myron and Robyn
Gwynn - Elf, Hayden’s wife, Rhianna’s and Duane’s mother, Landis’s foster mother, lives in Crinsor Run, North Amden
Hayden - Elf, Gwynn’s husband, Rhianna’s and Duane’s father, Landis’s foster father, lives in Crinsor Run, North Amden
Hayley - Aide in chapel in Milhaven who became Theresa’s assistant
Isak - Page in Myron’s office
Jana - Wrenn’s wife, lives in Milhaven, former governor’s assistant, helps Joan
Jason - Seated Sorcerer of Prosidian
Joan - Karl’s wife and assistant, farmer on Earth, worked at the Pioneer Village
Judith - Seated Sorcerer of Riordan
Kalen - Dwarf, Keeper of the Gate
Karl - Joan’s husband, Governor of Camden, farmer on Earth, worked at the Pioneer Village
Kevin, aka Myron of the House of Nordin - Master Sorcerer of Ter
ah, Seated Sorcerer of Camden, Badec’s and Yvonne’s son, accountant on Earth
Landis - Tsareth’s daughter, Rolan’s half-sister, Taelor’s half-sister, fostered with Hayden and Gwynn in Crinsor Run, Myron’s apprentice, lives with giants on Wildcat Mountain, studies with Glendymere
Laryn - Badec’s sister and Second, Myron’s aunt.
Lawrence - Army captain, Gen. Crandal’s assistant, was Captain of the Guard under Badec
Lynda - District Sorcerer of Zander
Macin - Giant, Blalick’s and Ashni’s son, lives on Wildcat Mountain
Malcolm - Seated Sorcerer of Glyndal
Marcus - Sorcerer, Myron’s associate, lives at the castle in Milhaven
Merdin - King of the Forest Gnomes, gnome representative to the Federation of Terah, lives in Farowood
Miranda - Head of the kitchen staff at the castle in Milhaven
Myron of the House of Nordin aka. Kevin - Master Sorcerer of Terah, Seated Sorcerer of Camden, Badec’s and Yvonne’s son, human representative to the Federation of Terah, accountant on Earth
Neiven - Blacksmith and Head of Grounds at the castle in Milhaven
Nolan - Badec’s father, Myron’s grandfather, was Master Sorcerer before Badec, deceased
Pallor, aka. Paul - Elf, lives on Earth, godfather to Kevin O’Reilly, Hayden’s nephew, house in Crinsor Run
Paul, aka. Pallor - Elf, lives on Earth, godfather to Kevin O’Reilly, Hayden’s nephew, house in Crinsor Run
Ramen - Retired soldier
Regan - Seated Sorcerer of Silva
Rhianna - Elf, Hayden’s and Gwynn’s daughter, Duane’s sister, from Crinsor Run in North Amden, Landis’s assistant, lives with giants on Wildcat Mountain
Robyn - Tsareth’s son, Rolan’s brother, Landis’s half-brother, lives in Mapleton
Rolan - Seated Sorcerer of Brendolanth, Tsareth’s son, Landis’s half-brother, lives in Trendon
Ryan - District Minister of Ragenon, lives in Walnut Springs
Sandy - Gargoyle representative to the Federation of Terah, lives in Dresland
Sari - Giant, Blalick’s and Ashni’s daughter, lives on Wildcat Mountain, tends Theresa’s herb gardens
Shardin - Governor of Wyndsor, lives in Valez
Shelandra - Elf, Duane’s wife, lives in Crinsor Run, North Amden
Sheryl - Ryan’s wife, lives in Walnut Springs
Starvos - Seated Sorcerer of Jardin
Steve - Myron’s advisor, retired history teacher on Earth, lives at castle in Milhaven
Taelor - Landis’s half-brother, Rolan’s runaway slave, former chapel aide, lives with giants on Wildcat Mountain, helps Sari with herb gardens
Theresa - Sister at chapel in Milhaven when not on assignment for Sister Brena, college journalism major on Earth
Tolliver - Town Director of Milhaven, owns the dry goods store
Torrey - Warren’s wife, lives in Walnut Springs
Trivera - Seated Sorcerer of Wyndsor, lives in Valez
Tsareth - Father of Robyn, Rolan, and Landis, Seated Sorcerer of Brendolanth before Rolan, deceased
Tyree - Taught Myron about the government of Camden while Myron was in Rainbow Valley, occasional advisor, does not live at the castle or in Milhaven
Verna - Resident sister at the chapel in Timera Valley, helps Sister Brena
Warren - District Sorcerer of Ragenon, lives in Walnut Springs
Wrenn - Governor of Camden while Badec was Master Sorcerer, advises Karl, lives in Milhaven
Xantha - Pegasus, has a mind link with both Myron and Duane, lives in Crinsor Run, North Amden
Yara - Merfolk representative to the Federation of Terah
Yardner - Captain of the Guard at Rolan’s castle in Trendon
Yvonne - Myron’s mother, seer, died shortly after his birth
Chapter 1
Saturday, October 4
As soon as the October meeting of the Council of Sorcerers adjourned, Rolan, the Seated Sorcerer of Brendolanth, grabbed his page’s arm, turned his key, and vanished from Chamber Island. Seconds later he arrived in his office in Trendon. Before his page had recovered from his trip through the energy field, Rolan half pushed, half threw the boy towards the door.
Rolan started pacing before the page could get the door pulled to. Seeing Myron that morning had brought it all back. Rolan had finally managed to get rid of Badec only to have Myron arrive on the scene, and Myron just kept sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. Who did Myron think he was anyway? How dare he barge into Rolan’s castle and demand anything, much less the dragon’s flame pendant.
Rolan clenched his fists. He still couldn’t believe Myron had accepted Landis as an apprentice. By whose authority had those arrangements been made? Rolan was the head of the House of Gergin. He was the only one who had the right to decide her fate, and he’d decided she would die, provided he could find her.
And then there was Taelor. Myron offering protection to that slave made no sense at all. So what if he and Landis had the same mother? He was still a slave, and you didn’t mess with someone else’s slaves. They were property, nothing more, nothing less.
Rolan clasped his hands behind his back and spun around to face his desk. The only way Myron could know anything about Taelor was if the slave was with Landis. And since she was Myron’s apprentice, she would have to go to Milhaven, and more than likely the slave would end up there, too.
Rolan yelled for a page to send for Cpt. Yardner. While he waited, he sat down and drummed his fingers on the desk. With a little luck, he’d get rid of both of those headaches at the same time. And if Myron happened to end up dead too, so much the better.
Cpt. Yardner knocked once on Rolan’s door, opened it, and walked in. “What can I do for you?” he asked as he shut the door.
“I want the six best marksmen we have, and I want to see them today.”
Cpt. Yardner nodded. “I’ll get right on it.”
“And tell them to pack a bag.”
~ ~ ~ ~
One of Rolan’s targets was standing in a small cavern in her bare feet concentrating for all she was worth and getting nowhere. “I don’t understand how to do this!” Landis stared at the ground in frustration. “Stand still and draw the energy of Terah up into your body. Right.”
“Oh, stop fussing,” her best friend, Rhianna, said. “It can’t be that hard. All the other sorcerers can do it.”
“Not all of them.” Landis tossed her red hair out of her face. “Myron doesn’t have to.”
“He’s part elf. He doesn’t count.”
“That’s why he’s so powerful. He doesn’t have to stand around pulling energy up through his toes.”
“And you won’t either once you learn how to do it. You’ll do it automatically, just like he does.”
Landis shook her head. “He gathers it like you do, like all elves do, directly from nature.”
Rhianna stood up and stretched her long, lean body. “I don’t know whether we gather it or not. It flows through us, but I don’t know how.”
Landis shook her head and glared at the ground. “I’ve spent two months trying to do this and I’m no closer now than I was when I started. Maybe I’m not meant to be a sorcerer.”
“It hasn’t been two months. We’ve only been here five weeks.”
“Seems like years,” Landis grumbled. “Isn’t it time to call it a day? My head hurts.”
“We’ve got several more hours before we have to head up to the house. Stop whining and get back to it.”
“How will I know when it works? Am I going to start glowing or something?”
“You’ll feel a warmth inside and it may tingle the first time you draw the energy in,” Glendymere, the huge gold dragon who had agreed to teach her to harness magical energy, answered.
“Sorry. I don’t mean to complain,” Landis said. “I’m just tired.”
“You’re frustrated. Every apprentice goes through this.”
“Even Myron?” Landis asked.
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Glendymere nodded.
“He was a complainer, too?” Rhianna asked.
Glendymere hesitated a moment before answering. “Everyone expected him to learn a lot and do it quickly. He didn’t think he was progressing fast enough, so he was frustrated on a daily basis. It came out as complaining.” Then he looked at Landis. “Give it time. It’ll get better.”
“If you say so.”
Glendymere chuckled. “You sound just like him.”
“If they’re that much alike, I don’t know if I can take it,” Rhianna mumbled. Then she turned back to Landis. “All right. Let’s get back to work, but let’s try a new approach since yours doesn’t seem to be working.”
“Such as?”
“Close your eyes and relax. Clear your mind. Then picture strands of energy rising up from the ground and flowing into you.”
“What do strands of energy look like?”
“I don’t know. Maybe like waves of heat from a fire, or the steam from boiling water.”
Landis closed her eyes and shook her arms to relax her muscles. She rolled her head to loosen her neck and concentrated on breathing. After she felt some of the tension leave her body, she pictured waves shimmering up from the ground. When nothing happened she focused harder on the flickering waves, trying to force them into her body. As her concentration increased so did the frown lines in her forehead.
“No, don’t tense up,” Rhianna coached. “Relax. Let the picture form in your mind. Don’t do anything else, let the mental image stay there, block everything out. Hold it. Just hold it.” Rhianna’s voice dropped to a whisper. “See it flow. Relax.”
As Landis concentrated on Rhianna’s voice, she felt the tension slip out of her body again. Before long a gentle warmth began to seep into her feet. As it spread up her calves, her eyes popped open, her jaw dropped, and the warmth vanished.
Landis frowned. “Did I do it? Or was it my imagination?”
Rhianna shrugged.
Landis walked out of the small room she and Rhianna used and into Glendymere’s sleeping chamber. The dragon was curled up against the far wall but his eyes were open.
“Glendymere? Do you know? Was it my imagination or did I really connect?”
Glendymere nodded. “For a couple of seconds. Not enough to do anything with, but a good start. Try it again, but this time, see if you can keep the connection a little longer.”