Lon Shen flew north through the cold, clear sky on the back of his golden griffin. According to Thomas’s information Kat Gentul served at an observation post ten miles south of the northern border. Lon had no idea what the woman would have to say about Connor Blackman. Maybe he’d get lucky and she’d mention a secret place he bragged about.

Right. Nothing was ever that simple.

To say he’d been surprised when Thomas called him into his office and explained his next mission would be an understatement. If his mission came as a surprise the announcement that ships from the Old Empire were sailing toward the kingdom stunned him. It made perfect sense that the archmage would want Damien with her. Having seen the boy’s power Lon would have wanted him along as well. Hopefully nothing would come of it, but no one Lon had spoken to seemed optimistic.

Below him a vast expanse of white dotted with green spread out in every direction. Though spring had come in the south, up here winter still held sway. At least the Ice Queen hadn’t sent any more monsters south. After the slaughter four months ago it would take a while for her to rebuild her forces. He sent a silent prayer to any archangel willing to listen that his generation, and hopefully the next, wouldn’t have to deal with another invasion.

A little ways ahead a gray tower jutted up from the snowy expanse. Smoke rose from a chimney poking out the roof. At least someone was home. He circled once and frowned. Something was moving maybe a quarter mile out from the tower. Something that blended in with the snow, and from the feel of their soul force not human either. Maybe some ogres or trolls that survived the battle had decided to try their luck on this side of the border.

He conjured a sphere of energy and hurled it at the approaching figures. It hit the ground and detonated, sending snow and bodies flying. One of the monsters struck a tree and flickered, turning a greenish black. Before it disappeared Lon made out scales, an elongated jaw, and a tail. Crimson, hate-filled eyes glared at him a moment before the creature shimmered and turned white again.

The shutters covering a narrow window high up on the tower opened and a confused-looking woman poked her head out, her tousled red hair sticking up every which way. She looked down at the spot where his sphere detonated then up at Lon. He descended and had his mount hover outside her window. Up close the woman seemed far younger than he’d first thought.

“What the hell?” the girl asked.

“You’re about to have company. I’ll meet you on the ground.” Lon flew down, leaving the semi-coherent girl staring at him.

He hoped she hurried. Lon really didn’t want to be on the ground, out in the open, when those creatures arrived. Half a minute later the heavy oak door swung open. The girl had picked up an older companion, a tall, dark-skinned woman who looked little more than skin and bones. From the description he had, that would be Kat Gentul.

Lon bowed. “Ladies, Lon Shen at your service. Can we speak inside? There are evil-looking creatures on their way to pay you a visit.”

Kat moved aside and he scooted by her. Beside Kat the redhead glared. Kat slammed a heavy bar in place to lock the door. “So what are you doing here?” Kat asked.

“Yeah!” the girl added for emphasis.

Kat frowned at the girl. “Amanda, return to your post and watch for Master Shen’s visitors.”

“Aww, come on. This is the first interesting thing that’s happened since I arrived.”

Kat pointed at the stairs on the rear wall, silent and implacable. The sullen girl stomped across the room and up the stairs. When she’d gone Kat said, “The masters asked me to take the girl on to teach her patience. Amanda’s not thrilled with her assignment.”

“No kidding. Kat Gentul, I assume?” Lon held out his hand.

They shook. “How did you know?”

“Thomas told me you were assigned here and asked me to come talk to you. We were hoping you could tell us something about Connor Blackman.”

She flinched back. “No one’s seen any sign of Connor in years.”

“Unfortunately that’s no longer the case. He’s emerged from hiding as a warlock and he appears to mean the kingdom harm. Anything you can think of, about what he’s planning or where he might be hiding, would be valuable.”

Kat shook her head. Before she could speak something heavy slammed into the door.

“Master!” Amanda shouted from above.

Kat and Lon shared a look and raced up the steps. On the third floor the girl had her head and shoulders thrust out the window.

Kat grabbed her and yanked her back inside. “How many times have I told you not to do that?”

“I forgot. Anyway, if I don’t stick my head out I can’t see the lizard things trying to smash down the door. Can I blast them?”

Kat growled deep in the back of her throat and thrust Amanda aside. Kat poked her head out a little ways, swore and ducked back in. “Take a look.”

Lon took her place and peeked outside. Six of the black-scaled monsters stood in a semicircle facing the door while a seventh, bigger creature pounded it with a fist the size of Lon’s head. Corruption ran through the creatures’ bodies, but they didn’t appear to have a core of power to draw on. Not demons then, but if not demons then what?

“Have you ever seen such creatures out here before?” Lon asked.

Kat shook her head. “I’ve never even heard of things like them. Just looking at them I wouldn’t guess they belonged in a cold area.”

“Let me blast them,” Amanda said.

Lon followed Kat’s lead and ignored the girl. “Their aura is corrupt. That probably gives them the strength to function in any environment.”

Lon sensed Amanda drawing on her soul force, but he turned too late to stop her from dropping an energy blast on the monsters’ heads. The golden energy streaked down. Lon braced himself, but nothing happened.

Kat grabbed Amanda by the arm and yanked her away from the window. “Idiot! Did I give you permission to attack?”

Lon looked out, curious to discover how much damage she’d inflicted. No crater marked the snow and no bodies lay broken around the base of the tower. One of the monsters glowed with power, its core full.

Behind him Kat continued to dress down her apprentice. Lon tuned them out and focused on the energized monster. It looked like the creature had absorbed Amanda’s attack. The glowing monster brushed its larger cousin aside and struck the door. The crunch was audible from the third floor.

Kat stopped yelling at Amanda and turned to Lon. “What was that?”

“The front door. We need to go, now.”

“How?” Kat asked. “We can’t fit through the window and the door’s blocked.”

Lon stepped back and blasted a hole in the wall. “Sometimes violence is the answer.”

Another crunch from downstairs.

“Hurry,” Lon said.

The click of toenails on stone reached them a moment ahead of the monster.

Kat and Amanda leapt out the hole and flew a safe distance into the sky. Lon followed a moment later. Three hundred feet above the tower Lon sat on his griffin and Kat and Amanda stood on a glowing platform.

Amanda rubbed her hands. “We can blast them from here.”

Kat grabbed the scruff of the girl’s neck and shook her. “If you draw a drop of soul force without my permission, so help me I’ll feed you to those things. What happened?”

The last was addressed to Lon. “They’re soul force eaters. I’ve read about them, but never imagined I’d see one. That monster absorbed Amanda’s blast and used the extra power to batter down the door. Those things are the perfect tool for killing sorcerers.”

“Yeah, but where did they come from?” Amanda asked. She had the good grace to look abashed at almost getting them all killed.

“That, my dear, is an excellent question.”