Book 4 - City of the Dead by Rosemary Jones

Author:Rosemary Jones [Jones, Rosemary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Forgotten Realms, Fiction
ISBN: 9780786951291
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Published: 2009-06-02T07:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

Gustin kept patting her shoulder. Briarsting offered her a thin papery leaf and advised “Blow hard.”

As for the topiary dragon, it collapsed in a sympathetic heap of quivering foliage at her feet.

Sophraea did not know what they were all so upset about. As she informed them repeatedly, she was hot crying. She was not.

“I am going to solve this,” she stated for the third time, pleased that she managed the entire sentence without her voice breaking, cracking, or doing any of the other distressing modulations that had plagued the first two pronouncements.

“Well, of course,” said Gustin just as briskly with one more pat. “And we are going to help you.”

“Absolutely,” said Briarsting, still tucking the leaf into her hand. “But what should we do next?”

“End the curse,” said Sophraea with a decisive nod. “Obviously. If the dead stop haunting Stunk, then Stunk will stop hunting for revenge. At least, I hope so.” She turned abruptly on the bench and poked Gustin in the chest. “You’re the wizard. How do I end this spell?”

Looking as serious as she had ever seen him, Gustin said, “I’ve been thinking about that. I’ve been thinking about it ever since this began. I don’t meddle with the dead. I have nothing in my very limited spellbook that even comes close.”

From a distance that sounded deep within the cemetery, Sophraea heard a thin cry. She glanced at the other two. Neither made any sign of hearing what she heard.

“But you do have a spellbook? You understand magic,” she continued. Wizards, her tone implied, should be prepared for anything, even a graveyard full of restless corpses intent on bringing trouble to her family’s doorstep.

Gustin reached into his tunic and withdrew the guidebook to Waterdeep that he’d shown Sophraea earlier. Once again he carefully unfolded the crudely printed map bound into the back, laying it flat on the bench between them. He tapped one corner of the map and the streets and buildings swirled together in a rainbow of colors, then faded away to show line after line of tiny writing.

There it was again, a scream that strangled away. Neither Briarsting nor Gustin seemed to notice it. A soft nudge against her shoulder made Sophraea start and clamp her mouth closed to keep from gasping. She felt soft leaves brush her neck.

When she turned her head, her eyes looked straight.into one of the dragon’s red berry eyes. It was wide open. The greenery of his brow drew into a deep wrinkle of worry. So she wasn’t imagining the cry. The topiary dragon heard it too.

“All my spells,” Gustin said, still looking down at his book. “All learned in bits and pieces, here and there. Animation of stone. That ritual is especially mine, but how is that going to help? Some defensive spells, which are not nearly as powerful as a good offensive spell. A few illusions, which work well. One spell that lets me run away from danger very fast. I’d be happy to use any of these in your service.

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