Wizard Dawning (The Battle Wizard Saga, No. 1) by C. M. Lance Page B

flowed across his tongue. He tried to spit, but her hand clamped across his jaws.
    He attempted to jerk away but found he couldn't. His body wouldn't respond to his wishes. He drooped and fell sideways onto the shelf. He heard, but didn't feel his head smack the rock.
    His eyes stared at rock walls illuminated by the torch. Fingers passed in front of his face and then pressed his eyes closed to slits.
    He heard her steps recede and then heard a thump. "Ow! Damn! The torch!"
    Splash.
    "Hmmm. The torch works underwater," she said.
    "My, but that water is deep. I don't see your amulet down there. Well, I don't need it. I have this flashlight and your rope to help me find my way out. You'll have light from the torch down there, at least until the batteries run out.
    "I know you can hear me even if your body is frozen. I'm sorry about this, but the Dark Mage has knowledge I need. This is my payment to him. He must fear and hate you a great deal to want me to do this to you."
    He heard foot steps moving away.
    "My advice is to sleep—sleep as much as you can. It will make it easier." She said over the sound of her receding footsteps.

 
    He was an adorable boy, but the Dark Mage promised to reveal the secrets of demon summoning. Not just any demon, higher order demons.
    The boy took such delight in the cave and its geologic features. It will be a suiting place to entomb him for all time.
    She picked her way back along the rope trail laid out in the cave.
    Funny that the Dark Mage needed her help against a Battle Wizard. The problem was his talisman. Total resistance to magic, potions, charms, incantations, curses, and, perhaps, even riddles, jokes and jests. Although vulnerable to physical attacks including lightning, fireballs, knives, bullets, bombs, and demons in all forms, his Battle form and that sword were potent offensive and defensive weapons. The Dark Wizard hadn't been able to kill him so far.
    That's why a witch is called for. What chance did a wee witch have to cope with him? He is a male and thanks to magic, this girlish figure has been maintained for over 500 years. Two hundred with White magic, but Black magic has been needed to make it even better for the last three hundred years.
    Luckily, a secret she learned centuries ago is that when magic won't work, pressing pert breasts in a man's face and furnishing an expert shoulder and neck rub, turns the male brain to mush more effectively than any known potion.
    That, in combination with a potion providing short periods of supernatural quickness, taken after arrival at the underground lake allowed removal of his amulet.
    Unfortunately, the boy in his normal form was almost supernaturally quick too. The Dark Mage wanted the amulet. With its built in resistance, magic won't retrieve Sig's talisman out of the underground lake. If the Mage wants it badly enough, he can dive to the bottom for it. The pool appeared very deep, and very cold. He lips peeled back in a feral grin.
    Guided by the rope Sig had provided, she arrived at the tunnel entrance with only one mishap, stepping into the same puddle that soaked Sig's feet on the way in.
    Outside in the sun, she retrieved her cellphone to call the Dark Mage. Before dialing she was startled to hear, "I take it you administered the potion. Let's have the amulet." Whirling and looking up she saw him standing atop the large bolder that hid the entrance.
    She looked down as she folded the cellphone and put it in her pocket. "It fell into the underground pool," she mumbled.
    His lips thinned as he stared at her.
    She threw her hands up. "Come on. We struggled over it and he knocked it into the pool. I can't swim. Sorry. You can still jump in and look for it," she said defensively.
    "But you did administer the potion? You haven't answered." He glanced nervously at the cave entrance.
    "His body is frozen. He is aware. His vision and hearing work, but he is entombed in an unmoving body. Without his amulet the task was simple, and it