fire. Imprisoning her power withinher, so that she couldn’t fight or defend herself. Or even breathe …
It surprised her that this Gideon wielded magic. She hadn’t taken him for a mage. He looked like a warrior to her. Or maybe a tracker of some kind; one with special skills for an unusual quarry.
Chandra frowned, puzzled.
In that case, where was he now? Had he given her over, or had he abandoned his prey to superior forces?
Admittedly, Chandra hadn’t been at her best just then, but Gideon’s strength was impressive. Given that he was powerful, as well as quick with his hands, surely he didn’t have to back down in the face of a few soldiers?
Perhaps he had decided he couldn’t take on the soldiers
and
the gargoyles at the same time.
As Chandra watched the Enervants silently gliding through their pattern over and over in the dark dungeon, she realized that if Gideon had been ordered to kill her, then letting the Prelate’s men have her might accomplish his goal.
But she wasn’t sure he would leave such a thing to chance.
Chandra tugged against her chains, testing their strength as well as her own, and started thinking about how to get out of there.
She reached out with her senses, hoping to tap into the flow of mana. Even though she could feel its presence, she was having trouble concentrating enough to establish a solid bond.
What was
wrong
with her?
The Enervant who was guarding her suddenly hissed and turned its head away from her, which was something of a relief. She didn’t enjoy being the object of its unwavering, beady-eyed stare. Its attention was focused on the narrowmetal door across the room. Chandra looked that way, too, wondering what had drawn its interest.
A moment later, the hinges whined a little as the door opened.
“Oh, goody,” Chandra said. “Visitors.”
Two of the Prelate’s soldiers entered, accompanied by another who she assumed was a telepath. Based on her physical appearance, Chandra assumed the woman belonged to the same order as the two mages who had died in the Sanctum of Stars earlier that day. Or had it been the day before? Come to think of it, Chandra had no idea how long she had been chained unconscious in this room, although the stiffness in her limbs suggested it had been a while.
The Enervants didn’t look up at the newcomers, didn’t even pause in their perambulations. They just kept moving back and forth silently, tracing their figure eight on the floor, over and over and over.
“Just watching them makes me tired,” Chandra said as the mage, moving around the snake-headed wizards, approached her.
“No,” said the woman. “It is not the watching. It is what you are watching.”
“That is not a very encouraging start to this conversation,” Chandra muttered.
“We are not here to encourage. Quite the opposite, really.”
Chandra eyed her.
“They are Enervants.” The mage nodded toward the six individuals moving steadily in their pattern. “This is their work.”
“Yes, I’ve been told. They’re gathering sssstrength,” said Chandra imitating her captor. “I don’t see why they have to gather it
here
, though.”
The woman nodded. “They are gathering
your
strength.”
“I thought they were having a little snake dance in my honor.” Chandra scowled.
But Chandra understood. This was dark magic. These strange creatures were sapping her strength. She could feel the direct assault on her energy now that she knew about it.
And they were effective. Considering how exhausted she felt, she suspected they could quickly turn an ordinary mage into a useless husk.
Chandra glared at the telepath. “Your friends tried to read me, and they died for their efforts. Quit while you’re ahead.”
“I can be patient,” the woman said coldly. “You may still be strong enough to resist now. You may even be strong enough to resist on my next visit. But you’re much weaker now than you were yesterday, and tomorrow you will be weaker still. And
It surprised her that this Gideon wielded magic. She hadn’t taken him for a mage. He looked like a warrior to her. Or maybe a tracker of some kind; one with special skills for an unusual quarry.
Chandra frowned, puzzled.
In that case, where was he now? Had he given her over, or had he abandoned his prey to superior forces?
Admittedly, Chandra hadn’t been at her best just then, but Gideon’s strength was impressive. Given that he was powerful, as well as quick with his hands, surely he didn’t have to back down in the face of a few soldiers?
Perhaps he had decided he couldn’t take on the soldiers
and
the gargoyles at the same time.
As Chandra watched the Enervants silently gliding through their pattern over and over in the dark dungeon, she realized that if Gideon had been ordered to kill her, then letting the Prelate’s men have her might accomplish his goal.
But she wasn’t sure he would leave such a thing to chance.
Chandra tugged against her chains, testing their strength as well as her own, and started thinking about how to get out of there.
She reached out with her senses, hoping to tap into the flow of mana. Even though she could feel its presence, she was having trouble concentrating enough to establish a solid bond.
What was
wrong
with her?
The Enervant who was guarding her suddenly hissed and turned its head away from her, which was something of a relief. She didn’t enjoy being the object of its unwavering, beady-eyed stare. Its attention was focused on the narrowmetal door across the room. Chandra looked that way, too, wondering what had drawn its interest.
A moment later, the hinges whined a little as the door opened.
“Oh, goody,” Chandra said. “Visitors.”
Two of the Prelate’s soldiers entered, accompanied by another who she assumed was a telepath. Based on her physical appearance, Chandra assumed the woman belonged to the same order as the two mages who had died in the Sanctum of Stars earlier that day. Or had it been the day before? Come to think of it, Chandra had no idea how long she had been chained unconscious in this room, although the stiffness in her limbs suggested it had been a while.
The Enervants didn’t look up at the newcomers, didn’t even pause in their perambulations. They just kept moving back and forth silently, tracing their figure eight on the floor, over and over and over.
“Just watching them makes me tired,” Chandra said as the mage, moving around the snake-headed wizards, approached her.
“No,” said the woman. “It is not the watching. It is what you are watching.”
“That is not a very encouraging start to this conversation,” Chandra muttered.
“We are not here to encourage. Quite the opposite, really.”
Chandra eyed her.
“They are Enervants.” The mage nodded toward the six individuals moving steadily in their pattern. “This is their work.”
“Yes, I’ve been told. They’re gathering sssstrength,” said Chandra imitating her captor. “I don’t see why they have to gather it
here
, though.”
The woman nodded. “They are gathering
your
strength.”
“I thought they were having a little snake dance in my honor.” Chandra scowled.
But Chandra understood. This was dark magic. These strange creatures were sapping her strength. She could feel the direct assault on her energy now that she knew about it.
And they were effective. Considering how exhausted she felt, she suspected they could quickly turn an ordinary mage into a useless husk.
Chandra glared at the telepath. “Your friends tried to read me, and they died for their efforts. Quit while you’re ahead.”
“I can be patient,” the woman said coldly. “You may still be strong enough to resist now. You may even be strong enough to resist on my next visit. But you’re much weaker now than you were yesterday, and tomorrow you will be weaker still. And
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