Romijeer (Dani’s POV)

We all stood over the table comparing information on what we saw before us. There was no mention of a Mage with this one’s features in any books we could find, nor on any internet searches I made when I returned briefly to make sure Sheldon was fed and to gather clean clothes.

Lady Jura sat a tray of hot food down on the table beside us. “Marjorie made supper and I brought you all some food. Have you made any progress?”

We looked up at her and I gave her a head shake to let her know nothing new had been learned. She looked over the mess of paper before us when her eyes stopped on the drawing of the Mage. With a shaky hand she lifted the picture, her eyes round. “Is Romijeer involved in this?”

This time all our heads snapped up, but it was Tallyn who spoke. “Romijeer is a legend only.”

Jura shook her head. “I wish he were. The Mage that held me used to call on Romijeer for power all the time. I’ve seen his drawing hundreds or thousands of times.”

Hue closed his eyes considering the possibilities. “This is the face she showed me. Is this Romijeer?”

Lady Jura nodded, tears already streaming down over her face. I looked at Oliver and mouthed the name. With a gentle hand to the small of my back he guided me down the hall to an empty chamber. “Romijeer is an Arch Mage who gains his power by siphoning it from Fae and Darklings. He is very old and very powerful. The entrance to his Tower is near impossible to find. It exists on a plane that connects all realms between the living and the dead.”

“This sounds bad.”

He nodded. “It is bad. Very, very bad. If we are going to find her in time we need first to figure out who summoned him to our realm and why, because once the task is complete, her fate will be sealed and even if we get to her it will be too late.”

“I don’t understand,” I told him. “I mean, I get he is bad, but what do you mean someone summoned him?”

“In order for Romijeer to open the door of his tower in a realm, he must be invited. A Mage has called on him for help with a powerful spell. He will take a victim to basically fuel the spell. Once the spell is complete and the Mage who summoned him signs a contract in blood, the victim becomes Romijeer’s property and will be forever stuck between living and dead.”

“Oh, this is VERY bad.”