Soul of the Fire

"Nice touch, the rope used to open the door while you stay over there. Very effective."

"Who are you to tempt my anger?"

"Tempt your anger? Oh, dear no. You have it all wrong. I'm here looking for a sorceress."

"Take care, stranger, with what you wish. Wishes have an unpleasant manner of sometimes coming to be. State your name."

Zedd bowed dramatically. "Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander." He cocked his head to regard with one eye the woman in the shadows. "That would be Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, as in, First Wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander."

The woman staggered into the light, her fair features set in astonishment. "First Wizard…”

Zedd put on a disarming smile. "Franca Gowenlock, I'm hoping?"

Slack-jawed and wide-eyed, she seemed only able to nod.

"My, my, but haven't you.grown." Zedd held his hand out below his beltline. "You couldn't have been any bigger than this when I last saw you." He smiled with sincere admiration. "You look to have grown into a very lovely woman."

She blushed as she reached up to plump her hair. "Why, I have gray hair."

"The bloom of it becomes you. It truly does."

He meant it. She really was an attractive woman. Her nearly shoulder-length hair swept back to display proud features in a most appealing manner. The kiss of gray at her temples only enhanced her mature beauty.

"And you…”

"Yes," he. said with a sigh, "I know. I'm not exactly sure when it was that it happened, but I've grown into an old man."

A grin growing on her face, she stepped up and curtsied, holding out the skirts of her simple brown dress as she dipped.

"I am honored to have you in my humble home, First Wizard."

Zedd waggled a hand. "None of that, now. We're old acquaintances. Just Zedd would do fine by me."

She rose. "Zedd, then. I can hardly believe the Creator has answered my prayer in so direct a manner. Oh, but how' I wish my mother were still alive to see you again."

"She, too, was a lovely woman. May the good spirits watch over her kind soul."

Beaming, Franca took his face in both hands. "And you are as handsome as I remember."

"Really?" Zedd straightened his shoulders. "Why, thank you, Franca. I try to take care of myself. Wash regularly, and such-with a few herbs and special oils I occasionally add in the water. I think that accounts for my skin still being so supple."

"Oh, Zedd, you can't imagine how happy I am to see you. Thank the Creator." She was still holding his face in her hands. Her eyes welled with tears. "I need help. Oh, First Wizard, I so desperately need your help."

He took her hands in his. "Odd you should mention that." "Zedd, you helped my mother, once. Now you must help me. Please. My power has failed. I've tried everything I can think of. I've consulted books of charms, spells, and bewitching. None of them have been any help. I've had to tie that rope atop the door to fool people and keep them wary. "I've been worried sick. I've hardly slept. I've tried-"

"The chimes are loose."

Her lashes fluttered as she stared dumbly at him. Her silent home seemed to stretch with her, to turn an ear toward him with her, to hold its breath with her. "What did you say?"

"The chimes are loose."

"No," she said, appearing to be in a state of confused shock, "I don't think that's it. I think it may be a heating of my blood. Possibly caused by a hex placed on me by women of lesser talent but greater ambition. Jealousy, I believe it to be, along with a vengeful nature. I try not to step on people's toes, as it were, but there have been times-" Zedd grasped her shoulders. "Franca, I came here because I'm hoping you can help me. The Mother… my granddaughter-in-law…. unintentionally set the chimes free while urgently summoning the aid of powerful magic in a final recourse to save the life of my grandson.

"I need your help. That's why I've come. My gift, too, has failed. All magic is failing. The world of life is in terrible danger. I don't need to explain to, a woman of your talents the consequences of such an event. We need to see if there is anything we can do to banish the chimes. As First Wizard, I've come to call upon you for help."

"Your grandson? Is he… did he survive the ordeal? Did he recover?"

"Yes. Fortunately, with the aid of the woman then to be his wife, he survived and is now well."

She put a fingernail between her teeth for a moment, her dark-eyed gaze shifting about as she considered his words. "There is that much good in it, then, that he survived. But then in return for their help, that would mean the chimes could cross the veil…."

Her brow puckered. "Your grandson, you say. Has he the gift?"

A thousand things at once flashed through Zedd's mind. He answered with a simple "Yes."

Franca smiled briefly and politely, to show she was pleased for Zedd, and then moved into action. She threw back the drapes, took hold of his arm, and steered him to a table at the rear. She opened a heavy drape over a little window in the back to let light flood across the table. The dark mahogany tabletop had a Grace inlaid in silver.