"His memories of Tak's life are almost complete," said Lord Ruby with satisfaction, watching the two wizards in the imaging chamber. "All that remains is for him to remember how we were reunited after hundreds of years as raks living separately. How we created the Realms where we now live and the discovery of the terrible danger that now threatens to destroy us all. And not just us but worlds without number. Once those last few memories come to him, and it cannot be long now, we will be able to make direct contact with him." He looked around at the others gathered beside him. "Where's Lapis Lazuli?" he asked. "I'd have thought she'd have wanted to be here to see this."

     "I haven't seen her for some time," replied Topaz. He looked at Jasper and Garnet, who shrugged disinterestedly. The activities of Lord Sapphire's former apprentice and occasional lover was of no interest to them.

     "It's a pity Matthew Winterwell had to leave," said Garnet regretfully. "He was good for the host. Saved him a lot of heartache and smoothed the assimilation of the seed. Couldn't we have engineered his remaining as a member of the crew for a few months longer?"

     "Not easily," replied Lord Ruby, "and now that the host has come to terms with what is happening to him he doesn't need the support of his friend so much. Also, he has his wife. She will provide whatever help and support he needs."

     "Giving him Lord Sapphire's memories is one thing," said Topaz doubtfully, "but how do we know he will also gain his unique talent? His exceptional ability to see through to the heart of a problem and find the solution? Yes, he has successfully resurrected several of Tak's spells, but that isn't the same as being able to perfect the Star Dragons. We're not even sure the original Lord Sapphire could have done that. He himself said on many occasions that the problem was beyond him."

     "All we can do is resurrect what we can of our comrade and hope for the best," said the Gem Lord. "If he fails, what have we lost? Will we die sooner because of our wasted effort?"

     "No, but we might have put the time we have left to better use. Enjoyed ourselves while we can."

     "You can still do that. At least a thousand years remain before the end. Maybe many thousands..."

     He was interrupted as Jade rushed in looking badly scared, an emotion so out of place on one of their number that the others needed a moment to identify it. "We have a serious problem," she said, staring in wide eyed alarm at the images of Thomas and Lirenna in the imaging chamber. "I've found Lapis Lazuli."

     "Where is she?" demanded Lord Ruby. "What is she doing? If she dares to interfere..."

     "She went to Tharia. She passed through the Ruby Keep several weeks ago and has since made her way to Tara, to the teleportation cubicle up to Kronos. I think she's taken the place of a member of the crew of the Jules Verne."

     "Why in the world..." began Jasper, but then he gasped in horror. "She's going to try to kill the host's wife! She thinks he'll then come back to her. Love her the way Tak did."

     "We have to stop her!" cried Garnet, staring from one to another of his comrades. "You've seen how much he loves the demi-shae. If one of us is responsible for her death..."

     "He'll turn away from us," continued Jasper. "He'll never agree to help us. We have to do something!"

     "There's nothing we can do," said Lord Ruby, however.

     He looked stricken with sick horror. They'd worked and planned for centuries, labouring towards the one small chance for survival they still possessed, and against all the odds it had begun to seem as if they might actually succeed, but now one half insane old woman was going to doom them all. He sat heavily in a chair as if his legs had suddenly lost the strength to support him.

     "The Jules Verne has already passed through the portal," he added. "We can watch in the imaging chamber, but we can't intervene. They're totally out of our reach until they return."

     His gave a command to the imaging chamber, and a moment later the view shifted to another small cabin in which a young woman knelt by her bed, praying silently, her clasped hands holding a polished marble egg that hung on a chain around her neck.

     "It's Essca," confirmed Jasper, a tremor in his voice as he studied the fires burning in the heart of a crystal he was holding in his hand. "She's taken the place of the cleric of Ramthara. Taken a new body identical to that of the cleric. Disposed of her somehow and taken her place. Now all she's got to do is arrange a moment alone with the demi shae. A knife in the ribs is all it'll take."

     "No, nothing so obvious," said Garnet, however. "She'll want to come back to the realms, don't forget. She doesn't know we're on to her. She won't want to be charged with murder, and she doesn't want the host to hate her. She'll make it look like an accident somehow."

     "That could work quite nicely to our advantage," said Topaz thoughtfully. "He won't blame us for an accident, and without his wife he'll have only his son holding him to his former life. If another 'accident' could be arranged for him..."

     "No, you fool!" cried Lord Ruby, jumping out of his chair to grab the other gem rak by the collar. "If he ever discovered our role in their deaths he'd hate us with every fibre of his being! His love for the demi shae borders on insanity. His rage and grief would be so great..." He shook his head as if trying to drive away the thought. "One moment of stupidity and everything we've strive to achieve for a thousand years will lie in ruins."

     "So we've got to stop her," cried Jade. "We've got to follow her to Tara and then to Kronos..."

     "They're already through the portal," repeated Lord Ruby, his hands clenched into fists of helpless rage. "Even the creators of the ship cannot communicate with them. All we can do is wait for them to come back, and hope against hope that Essca fails in her murderous intent."

     His words stunned the others to silence and they could only stare in helpless horror at the seemingly young woman in the imaging chamber. She had gotten aboard the Jules Verne to commit murder, and there was nothing they could do to stop her.

To be continued.

Coming soon, the final volume of The Last Perfect Days

The Gem Lords

     Thomas Gown’s connection to a group of powerful wizards who lived thousands of years ago is finally revealed, and he learns that he may be able to save his world and his civilisation, along with others beyond number, from a threat that will manifest itself in the far distant future, but that the only way he can do this is by accepting a destiny that has been chosen for him by ancient, implacable powers centuries ago. If he does this, though, it would mean sacrificing any hope for a normal life and leaving his home, his wife and his child forever...

Have you read the first Chronicles of Tharia, The Fourth Shadowwar?

The Sceptre of Samnos
     At the end of the Third Shadowwar, the forces of evil were defeated so thoroughly, so completely, that no-one thought they would ever threaten civilisation again, but they were wrong. Terribly, disastrously wrong...

Defenders of the Faith

     War is coming, and the Beltharan Empire has only a few weeks to prepare for the greatest crisis in its history. Frenzied preparations are made, amongst which is an expedition to a lost and forgotten fortress to recover an ancient artifact, the creation of one of the mightiest wizards in history and possessing power beyond imagination. The fate of the world may depend on it, but the spies of the enemy are everywhere and the expedition may already have been betrayed…

The Sword of Retribution

     Once again the armies of darkness are sweeping across the world and this time there may be no stopping them. Only by standing together can the heroes of civilization hope to prevail, but at this hour of their greatest trial the mightiest of their number is absent, fighting a less important war in the World Below, unaware of the deadly peril facing all mankind. He must be recalled to stand beside his brothers in arms, but to reach him a small group of volunteers must cross some of the deadliest terrain on or under the world, facing dangers beyond their ability to imagine…

The Fallen World

     Lost and alone, disheartened by failure and wanting only to go home, Thomas Gown and his companions face the darkest hour of their lives when they stumble across a remnant of the once mighty Agglemonian Empire. There they make a stunning discovery that could mean the salvation of the world if only they can get word to the desperate, embattled armies of civilization, but instead they face a lifetime of crippling servitude, hopeless prisoners of the insane tyrant, Lord Basil Konnen…

The Caverns of Kronos

     Thomas Gown and his companions have escaped from captivity, but only by fleeing deeper into the unknown, to face new dangers. They are carrying a secret that could save the world, though, and they have a duty to take it to those who can make use of it, but to do that they must return to the city of Kronosia, to go back among those from whom they have only just escaped…

The Scrolls of Skava

     The fate of the world hangs in the balance. Belthar faces imminent defeat, and if the empire falls there will be nothing left to oppose the armies of darkness. One hope remains, one last all or nothing gamble, but for it to succeed the heroes of civilization have to find a way to team up with their bitterest enemies, creatures every bit as evil as the Bone Prince but whose existence is also threatened by the undead hordes. Side by side, they must march together into the very heart of the Shadow…