JК
The Floodgate :: Каннингем Элейн
Страница: 184 из 212I told her it was a spellof banishment in order to trick her into learning it. But no harm was done! There was a battle, and the dark fairies fled back into their hills."
"There was a battle," Kiva repeated with dangerous calm. "Between whom?"
"Three men in jordaini garb-but it was the wizard with his skyship who frightened the fey folk off."
Kiva let out a long, wavering breath. Dhamari had seen less furious exhalations emanating from a red dragon. He suppressed a smile.
"You idiot!" she raged. "It's too soon! You may have ruined all! At least tell me that the ship belonged to Procopio Septus."
Dhamari ducked his head as if to dodge a blow. "Basel Indoulur."
The elf woman shrieked, long and shrill. "He will carry this news back to the king's city! Lord Procopio will believe I betrayed him!"
The wizard tucked that information away for future use. "What can I do to amend?"
Kiva regarded him with loathing. "You can die slowly and painfully."
"You need me!" he wailed.
"I needed your spell. Tzigone can cast it."
"We made an alliance. I swore to you by wizard-word oath!"
"So you will keep silent, or die!" Kiva raged. "I swore no such oath, but those I did speak, I repudiate. I repudiate you! You are nothing but a hindrance to me. There is nothing between us. Do you understand?"
Dhamari understood full well. There was nothing between them. He had hindered Kiva's cause. When he was questioned by magehounds-and he would be-they would confirm this. He had what he wanted, and now he would dance without paying the piper.
A false tear slipped down his cheek. "You loved me, once."
The elf's face fell slack with astonishment, then her laughter rang out, harsh and derisive. She made a sharp gesture with both hands and slammed them together before her face. The moonstone globe shattered in Dhamari's hands.
The light from the magic sphere died abruptly. Shards of moonstone spilled from the wizard's hands and rained over his lap. He turned his hands palm up and inspected them. As he anticipated, they were unharmed.
After all, the shattered moonstone was his own doing-he had coaxed Kiva's fury from her. That was a foolish thing to do, but he was well and thoroughly protected from himself.
Dhamari lifted a heavy medallion from a hidden compartment in his sleeve. The magic in the talisman still hummed strong and true, but the medallion itself had been turned to iron. It was much heavier now-so heavy that it had fallen out of the cuff of Tzigone's boot to land, unnoticed, on the rough stone passage.
"There was a battle," Kiva repeated with dangerous calm. "Between whom?"
"Three men in jordaini garb-but it was the wizard with his skyship who frightened the fey folk off."
Kiva let out a long, wavering breath. Dhamari had seen less furious exhalations emanating from a red dragon. He suppressed a smile.
"You idiot!" she raged. "It's too soon! You may have ruined all! At least tell me that the ship belonged to Procopio Septus."
Dhamari ducked his head as if to dodge a blow. "Basel Indoulur."
The elf woman shrieked, long and shrill. "He will carry this news back to the king's city! Lord Procopio will believe I betrayed him!"
The wizard tucked that information away for future use. "What can I do to amend?"
Kiva regarded him with loathing. "You can die slowly and painfully."
"You need me!" he wailed.
"I needed your spell. Tzigone can cast it."
"We made an alliance. I swore to you by wizard-word oath!"
"So you will keep silent, or die!" Kiva raged. "I swore no such oath, but those I did speak, I repudiate. I repudiate you! You are nothing but a hindrance to me. There is nothing between us. Do you understand?"
Dhamari understood full well. There was nothing between them. He had hindered Kiva's cause. When he was questioned by magehounds-and he would be-they would confirm this. He had what he wanted, and now he would dance without paying the piper.
A false tear slipped down his cheek. "You loved me, once."
The elf's face fell slack with astonishment, then her laughter rang out, harsh and derisive. She made a sharp gesture with both hands and slammed them together before her face. The moonstone globe shattered in Dhamari's hands.
The light from the magic sphere died abruptly. Shards of moonstone spilled from the wizard's hands and rained over his lap. He turned his hands palm up and inspected them. As he anticipated, they were unharmed.
After all, the shattered moonstone was his own doing-he had coaxed Kiva's fury from her. That was a foolish thing to do, but he was well and thoroughly protected from himself.
Dhamari lifted a heavy medallion from a hidden compartment in his sleeve. The magic in the talisman still hummed strong and true, but the medallion itself had been turned to iron. It was much heavier now-so heavy that it had fallen out of the cuff of Tzigone's boot to land, unnoticed, on the rough stone passage.