Sovereign Stone Read Online Free

it was already too late? What if he’d been lost in the firmament for too long and his body was wasting away?
    It was the fear that saved him.
    It reminded him of the safe place within his psyche, the place where the witness lived. He retreated into the refuge where emotion had no power, where detached reason was master. Piece by piece, he reassembled his identity, searching throughout the firmament for the scraps of his scattered consciousness until he was whole again. Then he found a thin thread of consciousness leading back to his physical body, and with an effort of will he followed the thread. His awareness returned to his body with such force that he fell over. For several long moments, he lay on the cold black stone of his balcony, breathing hard and trying to calm his pounding heart.
    Trembling, he sat up and put his head in his hands. So many questions swirled around in his mind that he couldn’t focus on one before another pushed its way in.
    Things were moving much faster than even he had expected. In the last few days, he had managed to find the Thinblade and gain the loyalty of two out of nine Ruathan territories. Now he was facing a war with Headwater for control of the heart of Ruatha, a war that would likely be bloody and destructive whatever the outcome, leaving Ruatha weakened and vulnerable.
    Phane had already conquered one island, secured an alliance with another, and controlled part of a third. Worst of all, he was close to retrieving the Sovereign Stone and with it the loyalty of the remaining islands, not to mention the secret of Wizard’s Dust. The war hadn’t even started and already Phane was nearing victory.
    Alexander schooled his thoughts. Despair would not serve him; he needed reason and a plan.
     
    ***
     
    When he returned to the paddock, it was midday and the Rangers were cooking lunch. Despite his anxiety, he felt the rumblings of hunger in his belly.
    He found Abigail and Isabel talking quietly and watching the scourgling at the edge of the far abutment waiting for the bridge to become real again. Alexander wondered if the netherworld beast would fall for the disappearing bridge again or if it would simply hold its ground and prevent him from ever leaving Blackstone Keep.
    Isabel and Abigail turned when he approached. As one, their brows furrowed with worry at the look on his face. He told himself that he had to learn to control his emotions better if he was going to be taken seriously as King, Thinblade or not.
    “What’s wrong?” his sister asked.
    “Quite a bit actually, but nothing we can do anything about at the moment. How’s our dark friend?” he asked, motioning toward the scourgling with his chin.
    “It hasn’t moved since it stopped a few feet short of the drop,” Isabel said. “It did manage to kill several soldiers on its way back up here though. Unfortunately, everyone leading the little band of thugs managed to escape unscathed. I was really hoping it would knock Truss over the edge.”
    “I know how you feel. But at least it gave Jack some fodder for his story.” Alexander looked over at the bard, who was sitting on a nearby rock and writing in his little notebook.
    “That it did,” Isabel said. “He grilled me for twenty minutes about every detail of the encounter.”
    “I should probably go talk to him about it. I managed to be watching at just the right moment and had a pretty good look. I might be able to add a few things that he could use.”
    “So you were able to use your clairvoyance again?” Abigail asked. “It seems like it’s coming to you more easily.”
    Alexander nodded. “I feel pretty confident that I can make it happen when I need to, provided I have the time to meditate. I took a look at the army headed our way. It’s from New Ruatha and Mage Gamaliel is with them.”
    “Really? That’s wonderful. I was so worried for him when the palace collapsed.” Isabel smiled with genuine happiness.
    Alexander wanted to withhold the rest of