Free The Crystal Legacy (Book 2) by C. Craig Coleman

and brought it to her attention, she wouldn’t fail again.
    “Fly across the Vos and pick up Saxthor’s trail on the western edge of Lake Pundar. He’s there somewhere; I’m certain of it. Don’t return without killing him, or I’ll see to it the king never releases your soul from torment.”
    The wraith searched by night along the shore, but the trail was cold and it lost days in the search. After going up and down the lake night after night and finding no trace of the prince’s party, the wraith searched creeks and streams that fed into it. With no sightings and no trail leading into the interior, the specter concluded the fugitives must have escaped along a streambed. It slithered up several watercourses before finally finding a single scrap of evidence. It then followed the faint trail over the rocky soil to the desert. Again, it lost precious time crisscrossing the sands looking for tracks. It was always lagging behind Saxthor’s party after dry winds blew away their trail.
    It was prowling around the desert edges when the forest elves spotted it from the observation ledge overlooking the border hills. They reported the creature to King Ahkenspec, who ordered it observed. They were adept at destroying wraiths from their days in the Wizard Wars. They would have relished the opportunity to dispatch one again, except it would bring its creator’s attention to them. Having seen Saxthor venture into the desert, they deduced the wraith was searching for him, and thus they had brought him into their world to warn him.
    Earwig went berserk when she felt the second wraith vanish. She ranted and raved in her tower for a full day. The poor duke trembled hiding behind his gold in the dungeon. Again his blood was too low, too weak, and his health too feeble to be of use. Servants fled the Earwighof, having again noted the sudden and unexplained disappearance of one of their own. The simultaneous appearance of some dark thing slinking from the tower started the stampede.
    The bedraggled witch became even more frantic to destroy the second in line to the throne. The Dark Lord would be watching her clumsy efforts to eliminate what he must perceive as a minor annoyance. He’d frown on her repeated failed efforts and question her usefulness. The thought of his retribution turned her stomach. What could she do now to strike at the prince who’d grown to manhood?
    * * *
    The exhausted travelers straggled into Botahar. The desert’s heat drained them even after their refreshing stopover in the elfin village.
    “Anyone want to offer advice about the town?” Saxthor asked.
    “All I want is rest, a decent meal of something fresh, not dried, and vegetables,” Bodrin said.
    “What can you tell us of Botahar?” Saxthor asked Hendrel.
    “Botahar is the most important trading center for Sengenwha’s interior. The products from most of northeastern Sengenwha come to Botahar for trade locally or shipment down the river to Lake Pundar and points south. There’re numerous shops and warehouses and fine homes of merchants made rich off trade with river traffic.”
    “Botahar boasted several inns for travelers before we left the continent,” Tournak said. “At least they were thriving when I last had news of the town.”
    No one thought much of four more men straggling into town with a dog. Flitting from awning to awning, no one even noticed Twit.
    “Let’s stop at the first inn we come to,” Bodrin said. “I’m too tired to think.”
    “We should find the Shepherd’s Crook Inn at the edge of town and away from the river,” Tournak said. “Once before I passed through Botahar, and that inn was a safe place then.”
    “It’s still there,” Hendrel said.
    Dropping back to let Hendrel lead, Saxthor patted Delia. The others caught up. “You lead the way then. I have no idea where it is. I’ve never been to Botahar before.”
    “Keep together and stay on the back streets to the inn,” Tournak said. “Tired as we are, we