Linsey Hall - 03 Queen of Light by Linsey Hall

Author:Linsey Hall [Hall, Linsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bonnie Doon Press
Published: 2020-02-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Magic shivered over me as I raised the old silver key to the huge mirror. The keyhole-shaped shadow beckoned, and I inserted the key, watching as it disappeared into the glass. I turned it right, and the mirror shimmered, magic sparking on the air. The reflected glass dissolved until it disappeared.

A small, dark foyer beckoned, revealing a square spiral staircase that led upward.

I whistled low. “That’s some secret entrance.”

Iain drew in a slow breath, scenting the air. “No one’s been in here in hundreds of years. The air is completely stale.”

I stepped over the threshold, shivering at the cold chill. It was so dark that I could barely see the steps, so I called upon a fireball to light the way. It exploded into being, far too big and bright.

I lunged back, blinded, and killed the magic, snuffing out the fireball.

“Whew.” I grimaced. “I definitely need to find this crown and sort myself out.” Irritation swelled. “I hate being unpracticed with magic that I’ve had my whole life.”

Iain gripped my arm comfortingly. “It’s just stronger now, that’s all. It would slow anyone down to have to adjust to as much power as you have.”

I squeezed his hand gratefully, realizing with a start that we were doing the kind of thing that old couples did. Trying for nonchalance, I withdrew my hand from his and approached the stairs. “We can just let our eyes adjust. And with any luck, magic will ignite some candles like it did in the rest of the house.”

Iain followed me to the stairs, and I lifted my foot to step onto the first. Magic sparked beneath the sole of my shoe, and I hesitated, grabbing Iain’s arm. “Wait.”

“What is it?”

I crouched low, hovering my hand over the stair. Magic fizzled against my palm. “There’s a charm here. Something that will fight back.”

Iain held his palm over the next stair, then the next. “There’s nothing coming from these.”

“Maybe we just skip the first. Anyone who came here often would know that and avoid triggering the protections.”

“The rest of the stairs?”

“We can take it slow, test each one, but I bet they aren’t protected. It’d be too annoying if you lived and worked here.”

“Let’s try it then.”

We started up the stairs, skipping the first. I moved at an awkward crouch, briefly hovering my hand over each stair as we went. As expected, none of them buzzed with magic. The farther we went, the better my eyes adjusted.

On the downside, I sensed more and more dark magic the higher I got.

And it felt just like what had poisoned me.

“Do you feel it?” I asked. “The evil?”

“I do,” Iain’s voice was soft. “It grows stronger. The source of it must be at the top of the tower.”

Why was it up there? How was it up there? I’d only ever seen it come from deep within the ground or another person—but from the top of a tower?

Was the Crown of Truth haunted?

I lost track of the number of times we went around the spiral, my attention was so focused on the stairs.

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