Morgan, too, joined Duncan by the Transfer Portal. “Kelson is exaggerating a little, Cousin, but you were gone quite awhile. Anything wrong?”

“Not now,” Duncan said, smiling. “I just ran into an old acquaintance. Brother Jerome was in the sacristy checking up on things. I don’t think he saw me appear, though. And he’s too old and short-sighted to figure out that I didn’t enter through any of the normal channels. But he did have some rather interesting views on the current situation. Remind me to tell you about them sometime.”

Duncan stepped back into the transfer cubicle, then motioned Morgan and Kelson to join him. The compartment was small, but they managed to squeeze into the space provided. Morgan and Duncan both placed their hands on Kelson’s shoulders.

“Ready?” Duncan asked.

Morgan nodded. “Kelson, I want you to just relax and let your mind go blank. You aren’t able to operate one of these portals on your own yet, so we’re just going to carry you through between us like so many apples in a sack.”

“Very well,” Kelson replied.

The priest glanced at the boy sharply, made suddenly aware that, all unconsciously, the youth had spoken as a king giving consent—where no consent had even been asked. He wondered if Alaric had noticed.

Kelson closed his eyes, trying to think of nothing at all. He tried visualizing total blackness, letting his mind detach itself from its awareness. He was dimly aware of Morgan’s hand tightening on his shoulder. Then there was a sickening wrench in the pit of his stomach, a fleeting impression of falling, a slight dizzy sensation.

He opened his eyes to darkness. They were no longer in the study.

Duncan glanced around carefully. The sacristy was just as he’d left it—dim, deserted. Signalling Morgan and Kelson to follow, he glided across the room to ease the door open and peer through. Outside, in the nave, the cathedral was likewise deserted.

Morgan peered over his shoulder, then pointed toward the perimeter of the nave. “Circle around?” he whispered almost inaudibly.

Duncan nodded and pointed toward the rear of the nave, where the doorway leading to the royal crypt made a lighter patch against the dimness of the deserted cathedral.

“I’ll take the right; you take the left.”

Morgan nodded agreement, and the three began to circle toward the doorway. When they had almost reached their destination, Duncan slipped off to the right and melted into the shadows. Kelson took up a station in the darkness just outside the entrance to the crypt and positioned himself so he could watch Morgan approach one of the just-visible guards.

Morgan glided ahead like a spectre, darting from shadow to shadow, back and forth, each silent step bringing him that much nearer to his quarry. At length, he was within a few yards of the unwitting guard.