Page 105 of Tiger's Trek
The few books he saw were also common—simple classics most would include in a library. But there were a few standouts. Those were what interested him, in addition to a few simple items that sat on one of the shelves. His fingers itched to examine the books as well as the relics. Nik immediately knew them to be magic—he recognized a rune carved into what looked to be a wand.
Hearing footsteps, he reluctantly sat down, noticing only at the last moment the bowl of stones on the table beside him. He ran his hand over them lightly and felt power, but it wasn’t coming from the stones inside the bowl.Ah, he thought,a ruse. Sliding it aside, his eyes widened as he realized the entire table was a section of carved Sledovik cup stones that had been lifted from a glacier and polished to a high sheen. Running his fingers over the three indented cups, he could feel the hum of power coming from there.
“So,” Nik mumbled quietly, “you collect magic.”
Quickly, he moved the bowl back where it had been before and affixed a smile on his face, preparing himself to greet the man as he entered the room, knowing he’d have to do his best to play the part of someone else. Nik was good at acting. Hiding his true feelings and fears was something he was well accustomed to, especially when dealing with powerful men.
Still, when the man entered, the unexpected shock sent even a man as practiced as Nik aback. His smile faltered and his heart raced. It took him too many seconds to recover, but he managed and rose to shake the man’s hand, saying, “I certainly appreciate you seeing me on such short notice.”
“Not at all,” the gentleman replied. “Please sit. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from one such as yourself this evening?”
Nik studied the man he’d come to know. He was young. Much younger than when he’d met him, but there was something in his eyes. Yes. It was the same. He was still deadly. And clever. Oh-so-very clever.
Leaning forward, Nikolai rubbed his hands together, slowly, and glanced up at the man, seeing just a hint of impatience. Deciding to scrap his plan and go a completely different route, Nik began. “I’m not who you think I am,” he said.
“Is that right?”
“That’s right. But then again, you aren’t who people think you are either, are you? What are you called here? Do they refer to you as the Death Draughtsman yet? Or is that a name that comes to you in the future? Do you pose as a monk? I see you’ve been collecting magic. Have you discovered all the relics you seek yet? Perhaps you use your other name here. Grigor Sobol Petrovsky?”
The man was upon him in an instant, his dark eyes flashing daggers. He grabbed Nik by the collar and pulled him to his feet. “Where did you hear that name?” he asked softly. “Tell me quickly, before I slay you where you stand.”
Nik was surprised the man didn’t try to probe his mind or send clouds of magic or fog or summon his undead minions. He realized in that moment that the man hadn’t yet come into his full power. That meant they had a chance to kill him—a much better chance here in the dreamworld than they did on the outside. Nik smiled.
“I heard that name from your own lips, Grigor. How many years have you been trapped here?”
Shock registered on the man’s face. He thrust Nikolai back and he tripped, falling onto the settee.
The man began pacing. “You’ve met me, you said? In the future?”
“That’s right. You’re quite the magician.”
“And I’ve been collecting relics?”
“Yes,” Nik replied. “In fact, you’re the one who sent me.”
“I sent you?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m supposed to help you get out of here. But to do that, you’re going to have to help yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re going to have to show me exactly what magic items you’ve collected so far. One or more of them might be tying you to this place. Also, you’ve got to let the tigers go. You can’t get home until they do.”
The Death Draughtsman appeared to be considering Nik’s words but then dashed to the shelf and grabbed the wand.
Quick as a flash, Nikolai whipped off his shirt and disappeared. By the time his adversary mumbled an incantation and spun to aim it at Nik, he was nowhere to be found. Both men waited silently, listening for the tiniest sound, for an exhale or a shift of a boot on soft carpet. Finally, the man pocketed his wand and said, “I know you’re still here and that you do not possess the power to curse me. If or when you return, I will kill you on sight. I know a thief and a robber when I see one. You are a fraud, nothing more. If you want me to believe you, bring me proof. Show me evidence of a relic and I will listen. Otherwise, your life is forfeit.”
Lifting a bell, he rung it and a dozen men appeared immediately. “Sweep the room from top to bottom. When I leave, bar the doors. There is a thief inside. He is invisible. When you find him, kill him, and bring me his bleeding body. If he escapes, all of you will be killed in his place.”
The men immediately fanned out and locked the doors. Nik knew he had no choice but to follow the Death Draughtsman. Staying as close to the man as possible without touching him, he closed the gap between them, narrowly avoiding being sliced open by multiple swords as they methodically began sweeping the room from top to bottom, side to side. He barely made it through the heavy door as it was locked behind them, and he heard the cries of the men as they searched.
Quietly, he followed the man as he returned to his quarters and sat at his desk. He stood in the room as he gave orders, signed papers, examined artifacts, and even personally murdered an assistant. When the body was removed, Nik followed it out, hoping they were going to take it outside to be buried. Instead, he barely avoided spewing the contents of his belly when they hacked it to pieces and fed it to not one but seven large tigers.
He recognized three of the cats. One was Iriko. The other two were Veru and Stacia. But how had they ended up caged there? Four of the seven cats refused the macabre dinner, but three of them ate with gusto.
Nik approached cautiously. He’d have to find a way to rescue them, but there was no way to do it alone. He’d need Pasha’s help. He stopped at Veru’s cage first. She roared.
