The Eight Lands of Pharr are in trouble, and the only ones who can help are a young princess and the sister she believes lost. They hold two of the four Magical Stones, created long ago by an Ancient Mystic to channel the magic of his bloodline. But when an evil witch named Patadora Coggs seeks to control the Stones, the two girls must join forces to save their unsuspecting world. With them is a motley crew gathered as they travel to retrieve the remaining two Stones. Airk Ranon, cynical Weapons Master. The Baret Wray and First Commander Dungan Weir, who command King Randel's army. Elke, a centurion who has never been away from home. Skotak, an Emini Plainsman who provides steeds for the travelers. Dreux, a young prince seeking adventure, and his lover, Estelle. And Kitt, a young orphan held enslaved by pirates. Chased by Patadora's Maelnords and her own shapeshifting daughter, and by the infamous Weapons Master's outlaw reputation, the young friends travel land and sea in their quest to find the last two Stones. Once they have the Magical Stones of Pharr in their possession, they must travel to the witch's lair and end her evil reign of terror.

The Magical Stones of Pharr

She gasped and spun around, releasing the waterskins. But it was only Airk behind her. “Did I scare you, sweetheart?”


Angry at herself for her reaction—and angrier at him for startling her—she didn’t say anything. Instead she splashed through the culvert, soaking her leather boots, and crawled beneath the natural bridge to retrieve the waterskins. Her voice resounded back to Airk, echoing inside the rocks. “You didn’t scare me. I was startled, that’s all. Where are those skins?”


Airk smiled. Yeah, he’d scared her. She’d probably been lost in thought, perhaps thinking about him. There was a concept to ponder. With a laugh, he followed her to recover the skins. It was his fault she lost them and, besides, that culvert would be nice and dark…


He was ducking down to enter the culvert when he heard Shaela scream. Water splashed ahead of him and he stepped out of the way as she burst into the open. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close.


Chapter 31