THE STOLEN WIZARD: A Joey Finch Novel by Peter J. Woods

Author:Peter J. Woods [Woods, Peter J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781922728005
Publisher: Stingray Press
Published: 2023-02-27T16:00:00+00:00

Devapriya had to get out of the car and open the door for me when we reached the hospital, since the rear doors were installed with more anti-social passengers in mind. I said thanks, to which Devapriya again replied with threats of further conversations, before she drove off with Constable Randall.

Sir Brandr leaned against one of the towering gum trees near the hospital’s main entrance with a cigarette in his mouth, maintaining a legally acceptable distance from the doors. He still wore a ponytail, but it held his hair back less tightly than before, with loose strands of white hair falling either side of his face. The baggy shirt under his purple vest was creased and smudged with dirt. The man still refused to wear shoes.

He sucked on his cigarette as he watched me approach, then plucked it from his mouth and flicked off the ash.

“Working with the police now?”

“Not officially,” I replied.

“Wizards and the local constabulary,” he said with a smirk and a slight shake of his head. “Times really are changing.” He took another drag and gave the area a quick scan before exhaling the smoke. His gaze rested on my arm. “I heard you boys got up to some mischief down on the railways.”

“The troll you sent us to visit got spooked and set a bloody rock monster on us.”

“Ahh, yes. Paranoid little buggers. Didn’t Mary warn you they startle easily?”

I looked up at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The design was a bit of a dog’s breakfast, having gone through several renovations over the past century. As such, you could be wheeled into a building made of sandstone, concrete, red brick, white brick or glass, depending on your what put you in the ambulance.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, then leaping to conclusions with both feet, added, “Has Alehtta been attacked?”

“Queen Alehtta is fine,” he said pointedly. “She’s visiting someone.” Then, realising I wasn’t shoving off until he gave me a bit more, he added, “An elf was ambushed today. You see, after conversing with you and your friend, Her Majesty was concerned about the increasing number of disappearances amongst your human population. I sent my people out to gather information. One of my scouts was attacked while visiting a squat house in Dulwich Hill. Before my man lost consciousness, he described several thralls who had hidden amongst the group.”

“But you guys can read minds, can’t you?” I said. “Shouldn’t you have been able to pick it up?”

“Our empathic abilities are not as potent as yours. The thralls took him completely by surprise.” He took a long drag of his cigarette. “He’s upstairs fighting for his life. A man who I consider a friend, and who has served under me for centuries. It is unlikely he will survive.” He scowled at the air and shook his head. “Such a damn waste.”

“We think a dreyrugr could be summoning them,” I said.

Brandr furrowed his brow. “That’s a possibility. It doesn’t contradict any information we have gathered thus far.

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