Arcane Deception by Angela Knight

Author:Angela Knight [Knight, Angela]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BIN 010732-03489
Publisher: Changeling Press LLC
Published: 2023-04-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Sweat trickling down her spine, Kate examined the wall ward with closed eyes. When it had originally been cast, it had been a sprawling, vicious spell, designed to stop the hearts of anyone who crossed it without the proper charm. No wonder they had a gate guard -- this thing would kill the first curious kid who tried to climb over the wall.

On the other hand, it wasn’t a particularly complex spell, nor was it magically impressive. The Arc who’d cast it had been mediocre at best. Once she found a weak spot, she should be able to take it down without too much…

“Hurry up!” Zoe snapped, visibly battling outright panic. “You need to have that replacement ward up before they get back, and I don’t know how much time it’s going to take them to do that raid.”

Kate opened her eyes to glare at her in the blinding light of the spots mounted on the walls. “Give me a minute! It’s a damned death spell, not Silly String. It takes time to break.” Not really -- she was stalling, trying to buy Mark time to arrive.

“Then get to work!” Zoe pointed her gun at Eli, who shied back in the guard’s grip. “Or I swear to God, Granddad’s brains are going to be all over the driveway!”

I hope Mark eats your head, Kate thought viciously, as she began to pace along the circumference of the wall, looking for a weakness she could use to unravel the ward.

Then she spotted it. A sigil that was a little misshapen, making the magic flow there just a bit uneven. Spreading her hands above the uneven symbol, she shot a hard pulse of power into the flaw, introducing a competing magical vibration. Pressure began to build behind her eyes -- less from the effort of breaking the ward than the result of how much magic she’d been using to fight Zoe off. She ignored it. If I can bring this thing down, I’ve got leverage. And I may save some cop’s life.

The ward began to vibrate as she sent another jarring pulse of magic down its length. Then another and another, increasing the pressure on the flow of magic. Until, with a reverberation that shuddered through her skull, the spell burst, each sigil exploding in sparks like a string of detonating fireworks that seemed to slap her across the face again and again. Kate swore.

“Did you get it?” Zoe demanded, all but dancing in place.

“Yeah, I got it.” She clamped her teeth against the hot throb in her forehead. God, I hate backlash.

“Great. Now get to work on your own,” Zoe ordered, her voice high with stress and anxiety.

“Give me a minute! I have backlash.”

“Your own damn fault. If you hadn’t insisted on fighting me, you’d have more juice.”

“If I hadn’t insisted on fighting you, I’d be too damned high to work, you stupid cow,” Kate muttered.

“Watch how you talk to me!” The muzzle of a gun shoved against the back of her head.

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