The ork bouncer found a parking spot, muttered a pleased-sounding, "parking karma strikes again," deftly maneuvered the Argent into it, then killed the engine and gestured at the house just ahead of them. It had a turret on one side and a broad porch stretched around the front. The drapes were drawn and the looming windows stared out onto the street like dark eyes.

"That's it," he said, getting out of the car. Kellan followed him up the stairs to the house's front door, which featured a brass knocker shaped like the head of a gargoyle.

G-Dogg smiled mischievously. "After you," he said, gesturing toward the door. Kellan wondered what sort of game the ork was playing, but she would be damned if she was going to take the bait. She reached out to grab the brass handle and knock on the door.

Before her hand even touched it, the door swung open silently and Kellan nearly jumped out of her skin. A glowing spot of light, about the size of a softball, appeared in the air at eye level and bobbed there, shedding a golden glow like a disembodied torch.

"He's expecting us," G-Dogg said, as if that explained something. The ball of light drifted slowly away from the door and then paused, as if waiting for them. Kellan looked from it to G-Dogg and back again, then stepped across the threshold and into the house, followed closely by the ork. The door swung closed behind them with a quiet click as the ball of light bobbed down the hall.

The interior of the house was quiet, and lit only by the glowing sphere. Very little light came through the heavy drapes covering the windows, even though there was a streetlight directly across from the house. The sphere passed through an open doorway at the end of the hall and disappeared, so Kellan followed it.

The room beyond seemed fairly large, though it was difficult to judge the size, given the clutter it contained. Every available bit of wall space was covered with shelves, each containing more books than Kellan had seen in her entire life. Not dataslates or flatscreens, but actual, honest to God, dead-tree books, printed on paper with bindings of leather and cloth, stamped with gold and silver, some of the titles too faded to read in the dim light. In and around the books were scattered all sorts of trinkets and bric-a-brac: a crystal ball, a gnarled wooden wand decorated with feathers, strings of beads, dried flowers, half-melted candles, odd-shaped rocks, a silver goblet or two. A horned skull grinned from a top shelf. The air was musty and thick with the smell of old paper, dust and the faint spice of dried herbs and rose petals.

"Well then, G-Dogg," a voice rumbled. "What is it you've brought me this time?"

Kellan turned as the sphere of light drifted across the room to illuminate a large, shadowy figure seated beside a desk near the window. He was a troll, though not like any troll Kellan had seen before. Even sitting down, it was clear that he was huge; his curved horns probably brushed perilously close to the high ceilings in the house when he stood. His hair was thick and iron gray and he had bushy eyebrows that drew together over his dark eyes. His features were as craggy as if they had been roughly carved from stone, and his skin was greenish-gray.

He held open a broad, flat palm and the little light settled into it like a well-heeled pet. Its gleam highlighted the golden symbols running down the edges of the open robe he wore over a dark shirt and pants. An amulet of gold and gemstones rested against his barrel chest. Those dark eyes looked Kellan over, assessing, appraising.

"Kellan," G-Dogg said, "this is Lothan the Wise-"

"Master of mysticism, arch-arcanist, and initiate of the inner mysteries," the troll interjected, rising from his seat. He cast the ball of light up toward the ceiling where it hovered, shedding its glow on the room, and bent to scoop up one of Kellan's hands in his own, bowing and bringing it to his lips. "At your service. And you are:?"

"Um, Kellan: Kellan Colt," she managed to reply, and the troll allowed himself a small smile.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Kellan Colt," Lothan said, gesturing to the room around him. "Please, make yourself comfortable." He stood aside so Kellan could reach the red settee wedged under the window. Stacks of papers and books that had obviously occupied it before their arrival now surrounded it.

"Thanks," she replied. G-Dogg made himself comfortable on the settee next to her, squeezing Kellan off to one side, while Lothan settled back into his broad chair.

"My friend G-Dogg told me only a little about you when he called," the troll said. "He said that you displayed some skill in the arts arcane of late."

"Huh?" Kellan said, glancing at G-Dogg.

"He means the way you flash-fried Horse, kid."

"Oh. Well, like I told G-Dogg, I don't know how that happened."

"So you have no previous experience with magic?" Lothan asked.

Kellan shook her head. "Not really. I mean, I learned a little about it in school, the Awakening and all that, and I knew this guy in Kansas City who was a shaman-"

Lothan cut off the recitation by holding up a hand. "But no previous personal experience with magic?" he asked.

Kellan shook her head again.

"Hmmm," the troll rumbled, stroking his chin. He sat back and slowly looked Kellan over from head to toe and back again, scrutinizing her carefully. Kellan felt her skin crawl. There was just something unsettling about the way the troll looked at her.

"Um, Lothan-?" she began, but G-Dogg shushed her.

"Quiet kid," he whispered. "He's working."

If Lothan noticed the exchange, he chose to ignore it. A moment later, he glanced up at Kellan, his eyes seeming to come back into focus.

"Would you mind if I examined that trinket around your neck for a moment?"

Kellan's hand immediately went to the amulet.

"No, I guess not," she said. She lifted off the chain and held out the necklace to Lothan, who plucked it from her hand and gently turned it over, his thick fingers surprising her with their dexterity. His eyes took on the same unfocused look as he examined the amulet from every angle, gently waving one hand in the air around it, as if he was feeling something invisible all around the jade jewelry. For a moment, Kellan saw one shaggy gray eyebrow raise in a quizzical expression. Then Lothan raised his head once more and held the necklace out to Kellan, who took it from him and started to put it back on.

"Wait a moment," the troll said. "Please hand that to G-Dogg." The ork nodded reassuringly, and Kellan did as Lothan asked.

"Now then," the troll said, in an authoritative voice, like a professor lecturing a class, "close your eyes." Kellan hesitated and he added, "Please." When Kellan complied, he continued. "I want you to picture in your mind a sort of egg around your body, made of glass or crystal. It can be whatever color you want, but I want you to picture it as clearly as you can."

Kellan concentrated on imagining what Lothan described. She saw the crystalline egg shape as sort of pinkish, glowing like it was made of light.

"Do you have the image?" he asked and Kellan nodded.

"Good, good," the troll purred. "Just relax and keep concentrating on that image. Make the egg as smooth and perfect as possible."

Kellan sighed and focused on the egg image. She was starting to wonder what sort of nut-job this Lo-than character was. Why was he having her imagine pretty shapes? She would have preferred him to offer some help in looking for work.

Suddenly, there was a flare of greenish light in her mind's eye. Kellan felt it strike against the pink crystalline egg like a sharp blow and pain flared behind her temples like someone had stabbed her in the brain with an ice pick.

"Ow!" she yelled, pressing the heels of her hands against the sides of her head.