Cloak & Dagger: Book II of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page A

this statue had gone to great lengths to enhance every little detail, from the scales on the tail to the sparkling blue eyes that stared back at him. The eyes seemed to penetrate deep into his very soul, as though questioning who he was and what he did. The elf shivered and started past the statue, but stopped suddenly and returned his attention to the mermaid’s eyes. They still stared back at him. When he moved, the eyes continued to scrutinize him. Were the eyes following him?
    Finally Alric shook his head and turned his back on the statue. Ridiculous, he thought. It must have been his imagination. He thought instead about the street value of the mermaid’s eyes. Those orbs would fetch a healthy sum indeed! He would have to undertake that project another time.
    Before Alric knew it, the Tower of Sorcery loomed up before him. He looked up at the multi-domed tower and was impressed with its flawless obsidian domes. A tapered pinnacle rose from the center of the structure, indicating the heart of black magic in the human realm.
    Alric wished his people would accept black magic as humans had - indeed, that was the purpose of the black magic society back home. The elves in general were too peace-loving, and black magic went against their beliefs. It was also against their law. But not all elves agreed with this philosophy, so the black magic society was formed. Over the years, the society became larger and more organized. At present, nearly 7 percent of the elven population was involved in some way with the society. But there was far more work to be done before the society could come out in the open. It would be a long time before black magic was accepted among the elves as it was among the humans.
    Now, Alric was anxious to see what was in the vaunted Tower of Sorcery. The mage who had sent him on this errand had told him the invisibility cloak would gain him access into the tower. It was what happened next, however, that concerned him. What kind of dungeon would he be transported to? Would he be able to escape without being discovered? Could he find the drop off point for the package?
    All these things flashed through his mind as he prepared to enter the tower. His cloak was in place. Could he do this? He had never backed out of a job before. He wouldn’t start now. Alric steeled himself and took one step, then another. Each step brought him closer to the tower’s entrance - a narrow tunnel of pitch blackness that supposedly prevented anyone but a mage from entering. With each step he became more and more confident. By the time he reached the tunnel’s entrance, he was walking almost casually. He even grinned as he took a final step and walked through the entrance. There was simply a falling sensation …
    “Are you sure the intruder alarm went off?” asked Arch Mage Dalman. Dalman was a young but serious man with dark eyes and a rather long, pointed nose.
    “I’m absolutely certain of it,” answered a short, nervous-looking mage. He scratched his bulbous nose anxiously. “I double-checked the rooms but they were all empty.”
    “Did you go right inside?” asked Dalman. “Someone might have been hiding next to the door where you can’t see them through the grate.”
    “I - I suppose you could be right,” stammered the short man.
    Dalman sighed. “Come. We will check together.”
    The short man followed the arch mage down the corridor and had to run to keep up with the taller man’s long strides. They arrived at the first of a number of cells where intruders were teleported the instant they succeeded in entering the tower. Arch Mage Dalman removed the spell blocking the door and then unlocked it with a key. As the arch mage opened the door, he spoke a word of magic and caused the entire cell to light up as bright as day. With the exception of the two mages, the cell was empty.
    “One down, several more to go,” said the arch mage. He turned to the shorter mage. “Why don’t you check out the even numbered