her secrets safe.
“I think we both have reasons to keep our true purposes to ourselves, Sir Duncan. Perhaps it would be best if we did what we came here for.”
“Fine. We will get started.”
Duncan immediately approached the steel box and held his hand out for the key. She hesitated briefly before letting him take charge but then handed it to him. He’d already proven his ability to resist the pull of the dark magic that had been infused into the coins. She’d yet to touch them directly, but even passing her hand over them had left her skin feeling unclean.
“Before you open that, I need to invoke the wards.”
“If you must.” His hands were clenched in fists, his knuckles white with the effort. “What do you need me to do?”
Yesterday he’d seemed far more relaxed around the coins. Why was he so tense now? She kept her own voice calm, her words slow and easy. Magic was unpredictable enough without the clumsiness that stress could bring with it.
“First, remove your weapons and leave them outside in the hall. Keep your smallest knife with you, though. You will want to use it to avoid touching the coins for as long as possible. When you’re done, stand next to the table, because the wards are not keyed to you. I will bring up each successive one and then join you in the innermost circle.”
Duncan quickly stripped off an alarming number of weapons and piled them out in the hallway. When he was ready, he stood in grim silence as she set to work. She pressed her hands against the wall at the far side of the room. Reaching for the natural power of the dirt and stone and life upon the hillside, she drew its strength into her and then set it free to flow through the structure of the walls that surrounded them. She didn’t know if Duncan could feel the pure beauty of all the living force that made up the world, but it washed her spirit clean.
She moved one quarter around the room and knelt to touch the first circle in the floor. The stones flashed brightly before once again fading to their normal color with only a faint sparkle to hint at the power of the ward.
Another quarter turn brought her to the innermost circle. This one flashed even more brightly at her touch. By now, her skin tingled almost to the point of pain from the various layers of magic that held them barricaded inside the circles of power.
Finally she approached the table and placed her hand on its center. She repeated the last invocation twice before the stone’s surface shimmered brightly with a flash of fire. When the last bit of energy sank deeply into the stone, she nodded to Duncan.
“Now you may begin.”
He studied her for several long seconds. A myriad of questions flashed in his eyes but remained unspoken. Eventually he would give voice to them, and she dreaded that moment. At least he realized that now wasn’t the time. He looked away from her with some effort and turned his attention to the table.
His hands steady, Duncan opened the lock and lifted the lid of the box. He inserted the tip of his knife into the loop of the leather thong that held the coin purse closed and lifted it out onto the table. He then closed the box and set it back down on the floor and under the table. Smart man. There was no telling what the magic in those coins could use as a weapon.
Already she could feel the throbbing beat of the dark magic. She closed her eyes and drew more of her own power to counter it. Duncan tugged at the leather thong to untie the bag. She hated the thought of those coins touching this place that had always been used to invoke the natural power of the earth, but she could think of no place better for dealing with them.
The two coins spilled out onto the granite with a dull thunk, sounding far too heavy for their small size. Duncan drew a small pair of tongs from the leather pouch he wore on his belt. She admired his forethought as he carefully lifted the first coin with the tongs rather than using his fingers.
He held
“I think we both have reasons to keep our true purposes to ourselves, Sir Duncan. Perhaps it would be best if we did what we came here for.”
“Fine. We will get started.”
Duncan immediately approached the steel box and held his hand out for the key. She hesitated briefly before letting him take charge but then handed it to him. He’d already proven his ability to resist the pull of the dark magic that had been infused into the coins. She’d yet to touch them directly, but even passing her hand over them had left her skin feeling unclean.
“Before you open that, I need to invoke the wards.”
“If you must.” His hands were clenched in fists, his knuckles white with the effort. “What do you need me to do?”
Yesterday he’d seemed far more relaxed around the coins. Why was he so tense now? She kept her own voice calm, her words slow and easy. Magic was unpredictable enough without the clumsiness that stress could bring with it.
“First, remove your weapons and leave them outside in the hall. Keep your smallest knife with you, though. You will want to use it to avoid touching the coins for as long as possible. When you’re done, stand next to the table, because the wards are not keyed to you. I will bring up each successive one and then join you in the innermost circle.”
Duncan quickly stripped off an alarming number of weapons and piled them out in the hallway. When he was ready, he stood in grim silence as she set to work. She pressed her hands against the wall at the far side of the room. Reaching for the natural power of the dirt and stone and life upon the hillside, she drew its strength into her and then set it free to flow through the structure of the walls that surrounded them. She didn’t know if Duncan could feel the pure beauty of all the living force that made up the world, but it washed her spirit clean.
She moved one quarter around the room and knelt to touch the first circle in the floor. The stones flashed brightly before once again fading to their normal color with only a faint sparkle to hint at the power of the ward.
Another quarter turn brought her to the innermost circle. This one flashed even more brightly at her touch. By now, her skin tingled almost to the point of pain from the various layers of magic that held them barricaded inside the circles of power.
Finally she approached the table and placed her hand on its center. She repeated the last invocation twice before the stone’s surface shimmered brightly with a flash of fire. When the last bit of energy sank deeply into the stone, she nodded to Duncan.
“Now you may begin.”
He studied her for several long seconds. A myriad of questions flashed in his eyes but remained unspoken. Eventually he would give voice to them, and she dreaded that moment. At least he realized that now wasn’t the time. He looked away from her with some effort and turned his attention to the table.
His hands steady, Duncan opened the lock and lifted the lid of the box. He inserted the tip of his knife into the loop of the leather thong that held the coin purse closed and lifted it out onto the table. He then closed the box and set it back down on the floor and under the table. Smart man. There was no telling what the magic in those coins could use as a weapon.
Already she could feel the throbbing beat of the dark magic. She closed her eyes and drew more of her own power to counter it. Duncan tugged at the leather thong to untie the bag. She hated the thought of those coins touching this place that had always been used to invoke the natural power of the earth, but she could think of no place better for dealing with them.
The two coins spilled out onto the granite with a dull thunk, sounding far too heavy for their small size. Duncan drew a small pair of tongs from the leather pouch he wore on his belt. She admired his forethought as he carefully lifted the first coin with the tongs rather than using his fingers.
He held
Similar Books
