“That’s not easy to explain.” Thero paused, then held up his hands, palms facing each other a few inches apart. “Imagine that my right hand is our plane, where we exist. My left hand is a different plane, where we do not exist, but other people or creatures do, who do not exist in our world. Certain kinds of very difficult magic can build a sort of bridge between the two, and beings can cross from one place to the other.” He touched the tips of his forefingers together.

“Like Seregil did to himself,” Alec said.

Seregil looked at him in surprise. “How do you know about that? I’ve never mentioned it to anyone.”

“Nysander told me. It was that first time we went to the Orëska House, when you were so sick.”

All eyes turned to Seregil.

“When was this?” asked Micum.

“A very long time ago. I was trying to do some spell, and it went badly wrong, as most magic does with me.”

“What was it like?”

“I don’t remember much about it, except that it was the thing that ended my apprenticeship with Nysander.” He shrugged, then added pointedly, “That’s why I don’t talk about it.”

Thero graciously changed the subject. “There are planes without number, or so Nysander believed.”

“Have you ever crossed over?” asked Seregil.

“No. He refused to teach me how to work with them.”

“So if I understand you correctly our plane and some other one touched long enough for me to cross over?” said Alec. “How is that even possible?”

Thero shrugged. “I wish I knew. Given the presence of dra’gorgos, though, and whatever that was that attacked me when I cleansed Sedge, I do believe a necromancer is somehow involved.”

“What’s your opinion on Doctor Kordira these days?” asked Seregil.

“I don’t know. If she is one, then she’s powerful enough to cloak her magic, which does not bode well for us. She is charming, though, and that puts me on my guard.”

“She could just be charming,” said Micum. “Not that I’m defending her, but I have a pretty good sense for people and she struck me as being just what she appears to be.”

“When it comes to this sort of creature, it’s best not to be too trusting.”

“Assuming that you’re right about this plane thing, Thero, what do we do now?” asked Alec.

“I’ll investigate the corridor where you disappeared.”

“The question is, why did I pass over, and not Seregil? Or he and Micum today? And how did I get back?”

“That’s what I’m hoping to learn. Can you describe where you went again, in all the detail you can recall?”