Sovereign Stone Read Online Free Page A

his news just to enjoy her smile, but he needed counsel and they needed to know the truth of their situation.
    Her smile faded at the grim look on his face. “What is it?”
    “I saw Phane,” Alexander said. “We have a lot to talk about and I’d like the rest to hear it, too. Let’s discuss it over lunch.
    “Is it really that bad?” Abigail asked, more from the look on his face than what he’d said.
    He nodded as he took Isabel’s hand. The three of them walked back to the cook fire with Jack in tow and were soon joined by Anatoly and Lucky. Alexander sent a Ranger to find Erik, who showed up moments later with Chase at his side.
    They sat at a makeshift table cobbled together from the remnants of an old, broken stable door that had managed to withstand the ravages of time. Lunch was rice and beans with salt pork. It was simple fare but filling and hot. No one complained. Lucky even seemed to enjoy it.
    Once everyone had eaten, Alexander recounted his experience with Phane. He held nothing back, not even the offer Phane made to spare his family if Alexander bowed to his authority. Everyone listened quietly until he was finished, then remained silent for several long moments.
    It was Abigail who broke the silence. “Sounds to me like the easiest item to clear off the table is the ridiculous offer Phane made.”
    Alexander nodded without hesitation. “Agreed.”
    Chase looked surprised and dismayed. “But how can you reject such an offer out of hand? He’s offering to spare you a war that could devastate all of Ruatha. Surely, that deserves some consideration, Lord Alexander.”
    “You speak out of turn, Chase,” Erik said to his Second.
    “No, it’s all right,” Alexander said. “He wouldn’t be at the table if I didn’t want to hear what he has to say.”
    Alexander turned to Chase. “Phane can’t be trusted. His offer isn’t genuine and would only lead to the enslavement of every life on Ruatha. But more than that, I value the integrity of my soul and I will not give my allegiance to a man who would bring something like that thing into the world of the living.” Alexander pointed toward the scourgling standing stone-still across the chasm. He could see from Chase’s colors that he wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t object.
    Anatoly weighed in next. “Phane’s swift victory in Karth and his alliance with Andalia are troubling, but at the moment there’s nothing we can do about either island. As for his plans to conquer Ruatha by summer’s end, I’m afraid the Prince will be disappointed. Headwater may be able to raise an army, but I doubt they’ll be a match for the combined forces of New Ruatha and Glen Morillian’s Rangers. With the strength of the Wizards Guild behind us, I’d wager that Ruatha will be united under your flag rather than his by midsummer.”
    “I tend to agree with you,” Alexander said, “except for the fact that Phane can send more creatures from the netherworld to support his army. We need to unite the rest of the territories quickly and assemble our army as soon as possible.”
    “The force headed our way is a good start,” Anatoly said, “but you’re right, it’s nowhere near the numbers we’ll need.”
    “It’s good to hear that Mage Gamaliel is with them,” Lucky said. “I was worried for his survival. His counsel on these matters may prove invaluable, but the issues of armies and troop movements are of less concern to me than the other two parts of your story.”
    “I agree with Lucky,” Jack said. “If Phane gets the Sovereign Stone, then all is lost.”
    Lucky nodded. “But more immediately important, you’ve discovered that Phane can harm you when you view him with your clairvoyance. I would caution you not to spy on the Prince again. He was able to scatter your consciousness into the firmament. I’ve read accounts of such attacks before. What he did could have very easily been fatal, and we don’t know if he withheld some of his power to