Page 55 of Professor and the Seer
Rather than cower at being caught, the woman screeched, “He’s trying to defile me. Help!”
Reaper flung the woman from him, and she went stumbling out of the circle and bolted, sobbing and even managing fake tears as she hid behind her husband. The man directed his rage on Reaper, who floated in the circle.
In a gesture of peace, Reaper held out his arms, the long sleeves of them undulating. “I did not touch her.”
“He’s lying!” screamed the lord’s wife. “He came here to rape me that you would cast me aside. We must banish him now, before he takes his revenge.”
Her angry husband barked a word I didn’t understand, and his sword began to glow. Reaper pounded against the boundaries of the circle holding him, soundless. The reason why became clear when I noticed the woman standing behind her husband, holding up her hands, concentration on her face. The bands on her arms glowed, but oddly, the one around her neck had gone missing. Odd because I’d have sworn it was there when Reaper grabbed her by the throat.
Her husband advanced on the circle with his sword, deadly intent in his gaze, and as the tip of his boot hit the edge of the magical construct, the room began to grow dark.
No need to look overhead. I’d lived through enough eclipses to know what to expect. I kept my gaze on the pillar, where a seam had formed and widened.
The portal.
The doorway of darkness materialized, and it must have had some kind of vacuum force, as it tugged at Reaper’s robe and the brazier went flying into the opening.
The husband didn’t seem to care, as he charged Reaper, who dodged but couldn’t escape the circle. It led to him being at a disadvantage as the blade swung close enough to shear some of his smoky cloak. He retreated to avoid the next stroke of the sword, but he didn’t quite account for the force pulling at him from the portal.
As he got sucked through, Reaper uttered one last thing. “I will return one day, and you will pay for betraying me.”
Reaper disappeared, and the portal closed as the eclipse passed.
“My savior.” The duplicitous woman threw herself at her husband. The kiss and grind she used to distract him led to him pressing her against the now harmless pillar for some action.
Before I’d finished turning my head, time shifted. The woman had returned to her room and lounged on her couch, the notebook atop the basket by her side. She rang a bell, and the servant girl from before entered. “Fetch my wizard.”
In the blink of an eye, a man stood in the room, his beard long and pointy, his robe dark but threaded in silver. “My lady, how may I aid you?”
“Remember the cavern you showed me under this castle?”
“Of course. The chamber of power. Did it prove satisfactory?”
She nodded. “As you predicted, it allowed me to complete the binding just in time for the eclipse to open the doorway, where I banished my enemy. Now that it’s done, I want to ensure that doorway never opens again.”
“Another eclipse in this particular location isn’t predicted for a long time,” answered her wizard. “Centuries by my calculations.”
“Not good enough. My enemy is no ordinary mortal. He will find a way to return. Already the pillar shows signs of his tampering.”
The wizard tugged on his beard. “Meaning he’s manipulating the space on the other side. How unexpected. Give me time to ponder a solution.”
A blink and I fast-forwarded in time and returned to the cavern. The woman, as beautiful as ever and wearing a toga that bared both her arms, paced. Of interest, I noted she still wore the ugly armlets but no collar. The basket had returned with her, the contents spilled once more, the notebook kicked to the side.
The wizard entered, and she whirled. “Well? What have you discovered?”
“You were right to be concerned. He’s done something to try and force the opening of the doorway.”
“Done what?” she snapped.
“If I’m reading the magic correctly, he’s made it so the island seeks out the needed eclipse for the portal to open.”
“I told you he was too clever,” she spat. “How do we keep it closed?”
“Not easily, my lady.”
“I don’t care if it’s easy or not. Can it be done?” she demanded.
“Yes. But it will require a powerful curse that will involve much sacrifice.”