Magic Steps by Pierce Tamora

Author:Pierce, Tamora [Pierce, Tamora]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Scholastic Books
Published: 2011-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

With the pool cleaned up, they returned to the Rokat house. Now they had to face that nursery. Though she wished that she could leave Wulfric to do this bit, Sandry knew she could not. The unmagic had to be cleared from the room so Wulfric could get information about the killer, and so that she would not have the creeping sense that it might blight anyone who touched it. Another team of harrier-mages, with lenses like those carried by Wulfric and his assistants, got orders to inspect every Guard who had entered the house. Those who showed marks were to be held until Wulfric could cleanse them. During the afternoon he’d told Sandry that Winding Circle’s mages were working on something to get the stuff off human flesh harmlessly; clothes could be burned.

The blood-stink in the nursery was as bad as it had been in Jamar Rokat’s office. Sandry told herself to be grateful that the bodies had been removed, but long splashes and puddles of blood told their own nightmare story. The pool of it in the crib was the hardest to bear.

By the time they were finished, long shadows told her that night was coming on. Sandry was so weary she could hardly see as they left the house for what she devoutly hoped would be the last time.

Wulfric beckoned to Oama and Kwaben, who had spent the afternoon at the barrier, helping to keep out the curious. “Take her home,” he told them as they brought the horses. “She’s done good service for the realm today.” He helped her up behind Kwaben: Oama would lead the horse Sandry was too exhausted to ride. “Don’t you worry, Lady Sandry,” Wulfric said. “Soon as I extract that blood from the unmagic, we’ll be on these murdering animals like red on roses.” He grinned fiercely and patted Kwaben’s horse on the rump, sending them on their way.

Sandry napped during the ride to Duke’s Citadel, but the clatter of metal on stone woke her. They were passing through the tunnel that was the short cut between the Arsenal and the palace. The noise did not end or even lessen once they rode through the outer curtain wall, which confused her. She looked around, bleary-eyed. Each of the baileys was ringed with torches, and there seemed to be an incredible traffic of wagons and people on horseback. She expected it to get quieter as they passed through the protective walls, but instead the noise grew. The innermost courtyard, before the main residence, was littered with animals, people, and baggage. She even heard babies crying.

“Kwaben?” she asked, peering around the Guardsman’s back. “Where did all these people come from?”

He dismounted. When she slid from her seat, she staggered and would have fallen if Kwaben hadn’t scooped her up in his arms. “I’m fine, you know,” she told him sleepily.

She thought she saw a trace of a smile on his normally expressionless face. “You just can’t stand up, my lady.”

“What is this?” demanded Erdogun’s familiar voice.

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