The Shattered Sigil Series by Courtney Schafer

Author:Courtney Schafer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Night Shade Books
Published: 2016-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

I spidered sideways along the garden wall, my fingers cramping from clinging to tiny imperfections on the stone. Beneath me lurked the thorny sea of rosebushes, and above, the wards that prevented me from touching the wall’s lip. Between roses and wards, the traverse was as challenging as an overhanging ascent up chossy sandstone. My forearms burned by the time I reached the wall’s end, and I nearly impaled myself on a set of thorns as long as my thumb when I jumped down to the flagstone path.

Lena sat on one of the benches beside the fountain, the vivid red of the cinnabar wood contrasting with the muted fabric of her uniform. After Martennan had left, she’d agreed readily enough when I asked if I might traverse the wall for a bit of exercise, though she’d watched me keen as a banehawk the whole while.

I dodged around flowerbeds to cross to her bench. The sun had set only moments ago, and the thin clouds streaking the sky glowed in a brilliant display of carmine and orange. Fireflies sparked green in the shadows, and the splashing of the fountain’s water mixed with a growing chorus of nightbugs in the trees. Beyond Lena, the door to the house stood open, a warm golden glow from the oil lanterns spilling out onto the lawn.

“Where’s Kiran?” I asked. Last I’d seen, he’d been pacing between the redbud trees behind the fountain, his shoulders up around his ears, but he wasn’t there now. If he’d gone inside, I thought it odd Lena hadn’t followed. I’d never seen a mage on guard duty let him get more than a room away.

“When Talmaddis came out to relieve me, Kiran said he was tired and went in. I thought I’d stay and enjoy the sunset.” Her smile involved her eyes more than her mouth. “I also enjoyed the climbing demonstration. You make it look so easy.”

“Ha. That’s because you don’t have anything hard, here.” I flexed my hands backward, one after the other. Coal hauling had helped me regain the strength in my back and biceps, but the small muscles of my wrists and forearms were sorely out of shape after two months without serious climbing. I had a feeling I’d need all my skills in Ninavel.

“And Ninavel does.”

“Ninavel has buildings more than three stories tall. And towers.” Not that I’d ever climbed one of the slender, soaring spires that formed Ninavel’s highest districts, though I’d given them more than a few longing looks. But the high towers were the province of mages, and every streetsider in Ninavel knew better than to piss off a mage.

Hard to believe I’d soon see Ninavel’s familiar skyline again. Martennan had said the Watch would have the translocation spell ready by tomorrow night. Kiran had tried to hide his dismay, but it was clear he felt that was horribly soon.

For me, the trip couldn’t come soon enough. I prayed the Council didn’t balk at releasing Kiran’s binding. The more I thought on Kiran’s plan for Melly, the more badly I wanted the chance to try it.

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