The Heart of Alchemy by James Wisher (i like reading books txt) 📗

and Corina something else to worry about. One of the vulture creatures opened the door for Otto, who climbed inside. He felt naked without his mithril sword, but still had plenty of power at his disposal. If this was a trap, his enemies wouldn’t find him easy prey.

As soon as he was settled, the bearers picked the palanquin up and they set off at a brisk, but smooth, trot. Otto brushed the curtain back, but saw nothing but fog. It seemed like they traveled in a bubble surrounded by endless mist. Clearly his hosts were paranoid about him getting even a tiny look at their city, assuming there was a city. He could have been in the middle of nowhere for all he knew.

At last they stopped again and the bearers lowed him to the ground and opened the door. Otto stepped out in front of a black tower about five stories high. Gargoyles in the shape of vultures jutted from scores of ledges. When Otto looked closely, he would have sworn their eyes glowed red.

The tower’s front door opened and Lady White stepped out. The warm glow of firelight gave her pale skin a healthier appearance. She had changed from the black robe she’d worn earlier into something more formal. Calling it a gown seemed wrong. No one had ever worn such an outfit to a gala. It was all black of course, with red highlights. A high, stiff collar framed her face and tapered down to merge with a tight bodice and short skirt that left her legs bare from midthigh down to black leather shoes with four-inch dagger heels. A black cape that ended just above her ankles made a perfect frame for her.

“Welcome, Otto.” She bowed and smiled without it reaching her eyes. “I’m so pleased you decided to join me tonight. I believe you will gain a great deal from our ritual. It will certainly enhance my own power. If my superiors in the cult had any clue of the wondrous pelt you’d brought, they never would have put me in charge of greeting you.”

Again with the pelt. He still couldn’t understand how the skin of a dead animal was worth everything she claimed. “I’m looking forward to observing. Any sort of new magic is of great interest to me.”

“Please.” She beckoned him in and Otto stepped through the door which closed behind him with a rather final-sounding thud. “This way.”

She led him through empty passages that looked more like tunnels than the inside of a manmade structure. They encountered no one else, but more than once Otto would have sworn he sensed eyes on him.

From behind him came a powerful, burning rage. Otto spun but found only emptiness.

“Don’t mind my familiars,” Lady White said. “They’re jealous of anyone I bring for a visit. The poor things have never been good at sharing me. They’re harmless, unless I wish it otherwise.”

The subtle threat made Otto smile. Lady White was clearly a woman after his own heart. The featureless stone passage continued, along with the subtle flashes of malice, for another minute or so until they finally reached a door. She pushed it open revealing a round chamber with a symbol carved in the center. It wasn’t one Otto had seen before.

Wait. Yes, he had. It was the same design as the opening in Lady White’s dress from that morning. It must have some significance in the Cult of Astaroth. He made a point of memorizing it for future research.

She closed the door and spoke a word in a language unknown to Otto. The ether surged around them, forming a barrier.

“There, now we can begin. This is my private summoning chamber. It’s warded so that even my superiors can’t see what I’m doing. A girl needs her privacy now and then.”

“Especially when binding demons,” Otto said.

“You recognize its purpose? I’m impressed. I had assumed you knew nothing about our magic.”

“I don’t,” Otto said. “The name of this country is the Land of the Demon Binders. It didn’t take a genius to guess the purpose of your most secure room.”

She laughed and clapped her hands together, a rather girlish gesture considering what was about to happen. “True enough. Now, on with the demonstration. To bind a demon, you need something to bind it to. Your litter bearers, for instance, were stitched together from dead slaves and parts of giant vultures, a bird we have in great quantities. The power of the demon you can bind is directly related to the strength of the body you bind it to.”

“Do beasts make better hosts than humans?”

“Depends. If I want to create a warbeast, for example, an animal, specifically a powerful predator, is ideal. Echoes of its savagery linger in the remains, calling to a more powerful demon. If you want a subtle servant, humans tend to be better.”

Otto nodded. The explanation made sense, though he’d never heard that a corpse was anything more than an empty shell of flesh. “Is there anything I can do to assist you?”

“No. I must do this alone. Remain still and silent and whatever you do, don’t manipulate the ether. The slightest uncontrolled vibration will ruin the ritual and set free an insane warbeast.”

Otto appreciated the level of trust it must have taken for her to allow him to watch. Of course, it wasn’t like he wanted to fight a demonic warbeast. He didn’t even know what one was, much less what it could do.

Lady White moved to stand in the circle directly in front of the pelt. She threw her hands up and crimson light flowed from her fingertips into the magic circle. The light didn’t stop until every inch glowed.

In the ether, only the corrupt flecks responded to her magic. The pure ether acted only as a conduit for the corruption. He’d never seen anything like it.

The ritual continued.

Next she made a circle, combining the thumbs and forefingers of both hands. Inky blackness filled that circle then slowly oozed down into the