Glyphbinder by T. Eric Bakutis Page B

responsible for maintaining the wards that guard this school, that extend across the Crystal Flats and beyond. They were penetrated once, when someone murdered my brother, and I vowed to myself they would never be penetrated again. I failed that vow today. I failed you, Kara, and everyone at our academy.”
    Kara leaned forward. “Elder Halde—”
    “I just don’t understand it. Any mage who wanted you would need to know the answer glyphs to every ward in Solyr, and only Ine, Gell, and I know them all. I trust Ine and Gell as I’d trust my kin. They did not betray us, but something broke through our wards.”
    Kara sucked in her breath. “Cantrall.” She imagined Halde’s twin brother screaming as he burned, the smell of scorched meat.
    “What?” Halde’s face turned ashen.
    “Cantrall knew the answer glyphs too, didn’t he? He was your equal here. You promoted Gell after Cantrall…”
    “Yes.” Halde shuddered. “If some Soulmage has managed to enslave Cantrall’s soul, after all this time, no one here is safe.”
    Kara squeezed his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
    “There’s no time to be sorry. We need to think. Now that a Soulmage has enslaved my brother’s spirit, he may enter Solyr and attack whenever he wishes. That’s how the Demonkin destroyed the Magic Academy of Terras. How they started the All Province War.”
    “You really think that could happen again?”
    “All I know is that someone tried to abduct you today, and I cannot guarantee it won’t happen again. It took little more than a moment for the chaos the Demonkin released in Terras to slaughter everyone in their academy. If the Demonkin are rising again, that could happen here.”
    “Elder—”
    “Halde.” Halde laid one big, warm hand on top of Kara’s. “From now on, always Halde.”
    Kara forced a brave smile. “You know that nothing like what happened at Terras could happen again. You know how that battlemage got in now. You can change the wards.”
    “Changing the complex web of wards around Solyr will take years. Each is linked to the other in a myriad of ways. Change one without the others and the entire network can fail, leaving us defenseless. It’s delicate work, but we’ll need to start at once.”
    “Is there anything I can do?”
    “Stay here with us. Tarna can wait, at least until we know who wants to abduct you.”
    “That’s why this mage sent graybacks, isn’t it? He wanted me paralyzed, not dead. Like Trell.”
    Why was her hunter so desperate to capture her? What terrible plans had he made? Kara did not dare think about it. Her mind would go places she did not want it to go.
    “I believe so,” Halde said. “That’s why you’re staying with me.”
    “You mean—?”
    “You’re in my quarters, under my protection, until we know why this man wants you. It’s the only way I can keep you safe.”
    Kara thought about that. If she stayed with Halde, how long would it take to track down the mage hunting her? Weeks? Months? How long did she have until her mother completely wasted away?
    “No,” Kara said. “That’s not the right course.”
    “What is?”
    “Living my life. I’m not letting this person lock me inside the elder quarters until I’m your age.”
    “Think about this. Think hard. I can’t change your mind?”
    “Now that’s a silly question.”
    Halde sighed. “There is logic in making your journey now. Tarna’s wards are impregnable. It is impossible for anyone save Anylus to penetrate them, and he, unlike my brother, is still alive.”
    “That was my thinking as well.”
    “If your hunter expects you to hide, leaving for Tarna could throw him off. Only a blind, stubborn fool would be so brash.”
    Kara snorted. “How sweet of you to put it like that.”
    “We’ll put up a glyphscreen here, make a show of putting you in elder quarters, glamour a Journeymage to look just like you. Make sure whomever happens by sees her. With luck, whoever hunts you will think you are here