Tara Duncan and the Spellbinders by Princess Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian

Author:Princess Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2012-09-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

DEADLY VORTEX

The empress and emperor were satisfied and had Sheeba perform with Sparrow. Then Tara miniaturized Gallant, and the two friends left as another pair of apprentices took their places.

Once back with Cal and Robin, Tara was finally free to touch her neck. To her horror, her hand came away covered with blood.

“What happened to you?” Sparrow screamed.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I was trying to maintain the flaming hoop when something stung me. I lost my focus and very nearly killed Gallant and set the palace on fire.”

“You mean you didn’t do that on purpose?” exclaimed Cal, wide-eyed. “It was a terrific show.”

“I didn’t do any of it,” Tara said bitterly, who was in pain. “I have no idea what happened.”

When Robin examined her wound, he got a surprise. “That’s a blood fly sting!”

“A what ? ”

“A blood fly, an insect that mostly bites cattle. There’s no way it could have gotten into the palace by itself. There are insect-repellent spells all over the place.”

“Someone was trying to make you lose your concentration, and I think I know who,” said Cal, who was scanning the crowd. “Wait a moment.” Quick as a fox, he darted off between the spellbinders and courtiers, and disappeared.

Robin couldn’t stand the sight of Tara in pain, so he put his hand on the sting and said: “By Healus, let the pain be gone, let Tara’s wound be cured anon!”

To her great relief, Tara felt the pain fade, then disappear. She gave Robin a warm smile, which seemed to embarrass him.

Cal came back, muttering angrily.

“The little brat was careful to stay close to the thrones. She knows that if I get my hands on her—”

“Who in the world are you talking about?” asked Sparrow, baffled by Cal’s doings.

“Angelica! I’m sure she’s the one who planned this. That’s why she did her best not to be selected. She was holding something in her hand when she came into the hall. I didn’t pay any attention at the time, but I’ll bet it was a blowgun. Just wait until I catch her.”

In spite of her intense dislike of Angelica, Tara didn’t want Cal tackling a girl who was twice his size and a much better spellbinder. Somewhat reluctantly, she decided to calm things down.

“But you don’t have any proof, Cal. You can’t go around accusing people without proof.”

“You want proof?” he asked, glowering. “Wait here. I’ll give you proof!”

Ignoring her protests, he again disappeared into the crowd.

While Tara’s group was arguing, the two apprentices performing for the imperial couple were asked to create Portals, those magic passageways created by the dragons and later used by spellbinders to travel great distances. (For short trips, levitation, flying carpets, and “Transmitus” spells were perfectly adequate.)

The exercise was somewhat dangerous. A poorly mastered Portal could escape its creator’s control and send everybody somewhere else—to a place from which no traveler returns.

The hall was completely silent.

The two apprentices seemed to know what they were doing, and together they said: “By Transferus, Portal, open wide.

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