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I do know that I won't let him die.
Kory was looking around at the devastated grove. "This is what must be remedied. Unless
we do something soon, despite what you have done with your magic, Eric, we shall fall back
into Dreaming, and then die. That is why we came here, to the last lingering wisps of
magic."
"Wait a minute," Beth said suddenly. "Something just occurred to me ... if the magic is all
dried up, then where is our minstrel boy getting his juice from? Eric?"
Eric shrugged. "I've never thought about it before, but you're right, I must be drawing it from
somewhere." He closed his eyes, replaying what had just happened in his mind, how he had
reached out . . .
. . . and called the power, called it, drawn it from "From Ria's house," he said at last,
opening his eyes. "It's coming straight from her place in Bel Air. I guess I can tap into it, just
because" he felt his face warming, and tried to quell his embarrassment before it became
too obvious "because, uh, I was so, so close to her, for so long. They must have moved
the nexus there somehow."
"That makes sense," Beth said thoughtfully. "That's a terrific way to keep everything under
lock and key: kill the old nexus and plant a new one in your backyard."
"She is an accomplished sorceress," Kory acknowledged. "With her father aiding her, I do
not doubt that she could redirect the nexus, once its focal point had been destroyed, since of
course she would not be able to create a new nexus from nothingness. This must have been
Perenor's intent all along, to have all the magic of this region at his disposal."
"But there's one thing I don't understand," Eric said hesitantly. "How can you pick up a nexus
and move it around L.A. like this? I mean, what is a nexus, anyhow?"
"The nexus is only a tiny gap in the veil between this world and the world of our kind. Bard," a
flame-haired elf woman explained. "It must be small, or it would weaken the veil. To create
such a thing is beyond the skill of all, except "
Except
Terenil, sitting around the dojo after that workout, drinking and talking. ". . . and the Queen's
Bard, a human like yourself, created an anchoring point for the nexus ..."
A human Bard. Like me.
This is what I can do. This is how I can save Kory and his people.
His mouth suddenly felt very dry. Except that Perenor and Ria have already taken control of
the nexus. Which means I'll have to fight them for it -fight Ria
"Kory," he said, slowly, looking at his feet, "I can create a nexus. Creative magic that's
what Bards do. That's what the Queen's Bard did when you first came here "
Only I'll have to fight Ria to do it.
He looked up to see Beth watching him. " 'Bout time you figured it out, Banyon," she said
quietly. "Think you can handle it?"
Eric took a deep breath, then another. Kory and the elves were watching him as he spoke.
"I I don't know. I'm really not very good at this magic stuff, at least not yet. I mean, I don't
even know what I was doing, I just sort of did it off the cuff. By accident. Improvising. But this
is something that, if I screw it up, we probably won't get a second chance "
"I think you can do it, Eric," Beth said. "But we've got another problem. Even if you can do
this whole schtick no sweat, do we want you to put the nexus back here? This place is going
to be turned into condos in another couple months. Doesn't seem like the best place for a
magic nexus, next to the hot tub and laundry rooms, y'know?"
"She is very right," Val said thoughtfully. "We need another place for the nexus, one which is
not close to the humans' dwellings, so rife with Cold Iron. And one that is nearer to those of
the Lesser Court, trapped in their groves. A place that will be safe for many years to come."
Good luck, finding a place like that in L.A. This place is so overpopulated, even the
mosquitoes are having a hard time finding a place to breed. Everything that's not Federal or
State land is going to be developed into housing, sooner or later
Federal or State land
That wide, empty valley, with the oak trees growing among the tall grass. Federal land, that
no one can touch. An elven grove in the Hollywood Hills. And a dragon, starving to death
because no one came near enough to eat
that area wouldn't be so great, it's still too close to the city. But maybe if we go a little
further east
"How 'bout Griffith Park, in the Hollywood Hills? There's a lot of land up there where nobody
goes except maybe the real compulsive hikers. That might be a safe place for the nexus."
Kory glanced at Beth, who nodded. "That's a real solid idea, Eric. Griffith Park will never be
turned into houses or shopping malls, not so long as the city stands. I can't think of any place
that would be nearly as good." She gave Eric a wry grin. "Now you just have to do your
magic stuff, bucko, and we're back in business."
Eric hesitated as that dark thought reoccurred to him. "What about Ria and Perenor? We
know that the opposition isn't going to let us do this without a fight. I don't think I can do all of
that, restore the nexus and hold off two sorcerers." Ria and Perenor, they need the nexus, or
they wouldn't have gone to all of this trouble. They need it bad enough to kill for it, that's for
certain. To kill Phil, and all those other potential Bards
Ria. She used me, manipulated me but there's still part of me that cares about her, that
needs her.
If Ria comes at me again, throwing everything she has at me one of us is going, to die. We
can't fight like that again, and not kill each other. But could I really bring myself to kill her?
Could she kill me?
Eldenor clasped Eric's arm strongly, breaking into his thoughts. "We will guard you. Bard.
We will keep any from harming you as you work the Magic. Trust me as you will fight to
save us, we will battle to protect you," The muscular elf glanced down as Eric winced in
sudden pain. "Korendil, it seems that your stubborn skull is as thick as ever. Come see what
the Bard did to himself, trying to knock some sense into you."
"I think it was the helmet, actually," Eric muttered, as Kory carefully took Eric's hand in his
own. Beth moved in closer to look. Eric saw her eyes widen at the sight of his hand, bruised
and bloody, two of the fingers already purpling and swollen. Kory tried to bend the fingers,
and Eric bit back a yelp.
Damn, but that hurts!
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