Components of a Caster by D. Hale Rambo

Author:D. Hale Rambo [D. Hale Rambo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiercewood Press
Published: 2022-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter ten

A soft body landed on Laysa, and she groaned as the full weight of what she realized was an invisible Zizy impacted her.

“Sorry about that. I needed the momentum,” she said as she jumped off Laysa and helped her stand up.

Laysa got up shakily and wrapped her arms around the gnome for a tight moment. “I knew a quiet Zizy was a plotting Zizy.” She looked down at Vivian on the floor, her ash-gray hair escaping her bun. “I don’t know how long she’s going to last like that, but if we can grab my stuff quickly, I may be able to knock her out longer.”

Zizy dashed down the stairs, steps thudding loudly. Laysa leaned back staring at Vivian. She was clearly knowledgeable in a lot of ways, but perhaps the blanket’s constant use had done something to her. Changed her as it had changed the creatures she stitched together. She pitied her.

Zizy came thundering up the steps and a tossed bag appeared seemingly from nowhere next to Laysa as it landed. Laysa grabbed one of the last pale dragon feet petals out of the component box, chalked on the correct sigils, and laid it on Vivian’s chest.

She reached into the Hylo and took stock of her surroundings, letting the cold inky black envelop her. Laysa ignored Carmela’s teaching about pulling it toward her. Can’t hurt to experiment. She slowed her breathing and swam out toward the purple light, latching on to its guidance as Vivian advised. I don’t know what you are, but I know you’re there. The purple beacon bathed her in warmth, and she felt the energy pulse through her slowly. Once, twice, and it was gone. Tiny pinpoints of light encased Vivian, and the petal disintegrated into ash. It had worked. Well, she was telling the truth about that. Confused, Laysa looked around for Zizy, but the movement made her dizzy and she stopped, closing her eyes to balance herself.

“Zizy,” she whispered, “do you hear anything?”

“No, but we should get out of here,” came Zizy’s lowered voice directly in her ear.

Laysa jumped but quickly sorted herself and nodded. “On the wall downstairs, the blanket tacked to it. That’s the Maker.”

“To the Veil and back, that thing looked heavy. If you can get it, I’ll watch the hallway. I haven’t seen her two lackeys, but I’ll take advantage of not being seen for as long as I can.”

Laysa moved sluggishly down the steps. Every moment seemed to help the light-headedness fade. She pushed past the nausea and dragged a crate over to the wall, wincing at the noise, then started taking the blanket down.

It was softer than expected, more like the downy feathers of a bird, probably through age and use. Up close she could see that some squares and circles had definitely been made out of animal fur and hide but others not at all. She ran her finger over a circle of yellowed lace and wondered how this could be used.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she hurriedly untacked the blanket from its other corners.

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