Black Magic by Megan Derr Page A

this long, it can wait a few marks more." Huffing, Koray nevertheless conceded the point with a nod. "Come, necromancer. We'll fetch some wine from the kitchen and occupy ourselves another way until the master librarian seeks us out with vengeance in his eyes." Not giving Koray a chance to argue, Sorin grasped his shoulder and guided him out of the library.
    Koray twisted free almost immediately, but went along without further protest. After successfully raiding the kitchen for wine and food, Sorin led the way to his room, quietly pleased when Koray did not comment, simply followed him inside and took up what had been his usual seat until he'd been given his own quarters.
    "So do you have any ideas about what might be behind the wall?" Sorin asked.
    "No," Koray replied. "I'm sure it's not good, whatever it is. If I'm involved, it's never good."
    The worst part about his statement was that it was said so matter-of-factly. There was no bitterness or whine to his tone, merely a pointing out of an inarguable fact. It made Sorin's chest ache in a way that had nothing to do with the Goddess. "It seems to me, necromancer, that you only bring good wherever you go, however dire things might be upon your arrival. Have you not said yourself that purifying a place makes it a better place to be?"
    Koray shrugged. "Speaking of what we do, should you not be sleeping? A high paladin too exhausted to fight is a fairly useless paladin."
    "I have gone for days without sleep, losing a few marks tonight will not be the end of me or anyone else," Sorin replied. "I'll return to my bed in due course." He turned the conversation to easier talk, then, discussing the paperwork he was avoiding, a matter of food going missing that proved to be a boy stealing to provide for his sick parents, and a trio of drunken fools who had fallen into the moat.
    When Koray finally nodded off in his seat, Sorin let the story trail off, a faint, fond smile curving his lips. Quietly standing, he carefully pulled Koray from his chair and carried him over to the bed, settling him comfortably. He then gathered up the dishes and stacked them neatly to be easily taken off in the morning, tended the fire, then stripped down to his hose before finally climbing into bed himself.
    Reaching out, he twined his fingers with Koray's and almost immediately fell asleep.
    He was jerked awake by a pounding on his door and a sharp, twisting sense of anguish in his chest. Sighing, wishing just once he could be awoken by something pleasant, Sorin dragged himself out of bed and opened the door. Emel immediately burst in, expression grim. "My lord, three bodies were found by the morning guard. They've been drained. I'm trying to keep it quiet, but that won't last long."
    "Damn it," Sorin said and went to get dressed, grateful when Emel stepped forward to help him put on his light armor. "Order everyone into light armor and tell them to be ready to go to full armor. If we have a turning demon in our midst, we could have more than one. I want everyone prepared.
    Sorin had just buckled his sword belt into place when Koray slid out of bed and began to straighten his own clothes. As he began to braid his long hair back, he asked, "Where were the bodies found?"
    "Behind the stable," Emel replied, and if he was surprised to see Koray in Sorin's bed, he made no show of it past the barest smirk in Sorin's direction. "The night guards swear they were not there on their last patrol, and I believe them. They're good men, that's why I put them on the night guard. So it had to have happened in the mark between the last patrol of the night guard and the first patrol of the morning guard."
    "So it's somebody familiar with the changing of the guard," Koray said.
    Emel made a face. "Someone too familiar, I daresay."
    "What do you mean?"
    Sorin grunted. "The guards have been known to skip patrols, especially at the beginning and end of their shifts. Whoever drained those bodies was probably counting on them