magic in the disks and in Stone.” I glanced at Zay, who didn’t look like he approved of that idea either.
“Let us do this part,” I said. “Dad knows what he’s doing with Stone and Collins understands how the disks work if something goes wrong. I think Terric should close the well and you should set the spells to keep people out of it.”
I looked between the three men. Grim, but silent. “Glad we all agree,” I said. Besides, if I had to work with my dad—let him take over my body—they had better not complain about letting Collins pull his weight too.
“Come on, Stone,” I said. “Let’s get closer to the well.”
We do need to be closer, right?
I asked Dad.
I would assume so. You’ll need a disk.
Right. I turned to ask Zayvion for one. But he was already handing one to Collins and giving him his patented glare of death.
Collins took the disk without a flicker of emotion, but when he turned my way, I could see the fire of curiosity in his eyes as he studied the glyphs carved into it.
“Beautiful,” he said, walking my way. “Just. Stunning. To hold a working product after all those years of trial and error.” He glanced up at me. “Your father is possibly one of the greatest minds ever to modify magical techniques and technology. Think of what he could have done if the accident could have been avoided.”
His smile faded as he saw my scowl.
“Murder isn’t an accident,” I said.
“Not that,” he said. “Not his death. The accident. When you were younger?” He pushed his glasses back on his face, then tipped his chin just a bit as if suddenly realizing I had no idea what he was talking about. “Well, perhaps you were too young to remember. Shall we?”
Shall we, hell. I wanted to know about that accident.
Allison,
Dad said,
the well.
“Allie?” Shame said from the other side of the room. “Really be great if you’d get in the game here, love.”
Magic—well, black tar sticky, smelly stuff—was lapping up the walls of the well, splashing just over the edge of the marble floor. Where it touched marble, it burned, sending up steam that stank to high heaven.
“Anyone else see that?” I asked.
“Magic burning through stone?” Terric said. “Yes. Even without Sight. Need help?”
“We got it.” I looked at Collins. “I’m going to let Dad forward, but I’ll be here too.”
He nodded, not looking at all concerned. “He and I will figure this out. If I know your father he already has a plan in place.”
We stepped as close to the well as we could get, about three feet away from the edge so the sludge couldn’t reach us.
Stone hesitantly padded up next to me, his wings unfurled and quivering. His ears were back, and he was no longer crooning. He didn’t look like he wanted to be here at all.
“It’s okay, Stone,” I said, putting my hand on his head to comfort him and keep him beside me. I knew he didn’t like working with my dad. “I’ll be right here.”
“Ah,” Collins said, eyeing the magic that was steaming and burning its way closer to us. “We should get to this immediately.”
I stepped aside in my mind, allowing Dad equal access to my eyes, body, hands.
Please, Dad,
I thought.
Do this right.
He paused, and I could feel his sigh.
I have never endeavored to do anything less.
Then, with my mouth, he said, “Eli, I’ll need you to simply hold the disk. I want toalleviate Allison’s sensitivity to the poison in magic as much as I can.”
Eli’s smile spread into a grin. He held the disk across his right palm. “Good to be working with you again, sir.”
“And you,” Dad said. “I’ll tap into the Animate. Do not activate the disk yet.”
I felt my head turn to look down at Stone, which was, as always, a weird sensation. “As I understand the desired outcome, we’ll be performing this on all four wells. Is that correct, gentlemen?”
“Yes,” Zayvion said, his voice tight.
Oh. I hadn’t put a lot of thought into it before, but
“Let us do this part,” I said. “Dad knows what he’s doing with Stone and Collins understands how the disks work if something goes wrong. I think Terric should close the well and you should set the spells to keep people out of it.”
I looked between the three men. Grim, but silent. “Glad we all agree,” I said. Besides, if I had to work with my dad—let him take over my body—they had better not complain about letting Collins pull his weight too.
“Come on, Stone,” I said. “Let’s get closer to the well.”
We do need to be closer, right?
I asked Dad.
I would assume so. You’ll need a disk.
Right. I turned to ask Zayvion for one. But he was already handing one to Collins and giving him his patented glare of death.
Collins took the disk without a flicker of emotion, but when he turned my way, I could see the fire of curiosity in his eyes as he studied the glyphs carved into it.
“Beautiful,” he said, walking my way. “Just. Stunning. To hold a working product after all those years of trial and error.” He glanced up at me. “Your father is possibly one of the greatest minds ever to modify magical techniques and technology. Think of what he could have done if the accident could have been avoided.”
His smile faded as he saw my scowl.
“Murder isn’t an accident,” I said.
“Not that,” he said. “Not his death. The accident. When you were younger?” He pushed his glasses back on his face, then tipped his chin just a bit as if suddenly realizing I had no idea what he was talking about. “Well, perhaps you were too young to remember. Shall we?”
Shall we, hell. I wanted to know about that accident.
Allison,
Dad said,
the well.
“Allie?” Shame said from the other side of the room. “Really be great if you’d get in the game here, love.”
Magic—well, black tar sticky, smelly stuff—was lapping up the walls of the well, splashing just over the edge of the marble floor. Where it touched marble, it burned, sending up steam that stank to high heaven.
“Anyone else see that?” I asked.
“Magic burning through stone?” Terric said. “Yes. Even without Sight. Need help?”
“We got it.” I looked at Collins. “I’m going to let Dad forward, but I’ll be here too.”
He nodded, not looking at all concerned. “He and I will figure this out. If I know your father he already has a plan in place.”
We stepped as close to the well as we could get, about three feet away from the edge so the sludge couldn’t reach us.
Stone hesitantly padded up next to me, his wings unfurled and quivering. His ears were back, and he was no longer crooning. He didn’t look like he wanted to be here at all.
“It’s okay, Stone,” I said, putting my hand on his head to comfort him and keep him beside me. I knew he didn’t like working with my dad. “I’ll be right here.”
“Ah,” Collins said, eyeing the magic that was steaming and burning its way closer to us. “We should get to this immediately.”
I stepped aside in my mind, allowing Dad equal access to my eyes, body, hands.
Please, Dad,
I thought.
Do this right.
He paused, and I could feel his sigh.
I have never endeavored to do anything less.
Then, with my mouth, he said, “Eli, I’ll need you to simply hold the disk. I want toalleviate Allison’s sensitivity to the poison in magic as much as I can.”
Eli’s smile spread into a grin. He held the disk across his right palm. “Good to be working with you again, sir.”
“And you,” Dad said. “I’ll tap into the Animate. Do not activate the disk yet.”
I felt my head turn to look down at Stone, which was, as always, a weird sensation. “As I understand the desired outcome, we’ll be performing this on all four wells. Is that correct, gentlemen?”
“Yes,” Zayvion said, his voice tight.
Oh. I hadn’t put a lot of thought into it before, but
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