Dragon's Trial (The Demon's Blade Book 3) by Steven Drake

Author:Steven Drake [Drake, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21: Confrontation and Revelation

When Jerris had finally prepared himself, Darien led him swiftly and silently up the hall to the Archmage’s quarters. He felt the auras of the other mages. Rana and Ceres were asleep in their rooms. Geoffray had volunteered for the night watch, and was now some distance away at the gate. Oswald and most of the other members of the Golden Shield were bunked in the main barracks, several floors below. The Archmage was alone, and Niarie was next door. Her aura fluctuated oddly even in sleep.

Darien knocked forcefully on the door. A muffled sound came from inside the room of someone stirring. A few seconds later, the door opened and the Archmage appeared. Darien wasted no time, pushed into the room, and moved between the Archmage and the door, preventing a swift escape. Jerris fumbled through behind him.

“What is the meaning of this?” the Archmage asked. Darien shut the door behind him, and with a burst of white hot magic, melted the metal handle. To his credit, the Archmage did not panic, but stepped back, and calmly straightened himself. “I take it you will explain what you’re doing before you kill me.”

“I want answers, and I know you have them. Lie, and you will regret it.”

“I know that well enough. What is it you want to know?”

“On our way here, I made a discovery.” Darien’s voice sounded cold and distant, even to himself. “Niarie was able to use an enchanted weapon, an aetherblade given to me by the elves of Kadanar. This should not be possible, so I examined her aura, and found a strange spell, a blood enchantment. It was not an ordinary enchantment, but woven with great skill. It opposed me, and eventually forced me to break contact.” The Archmage stepped back, his face contorted with pain, and he looked away. “I find it difficult to believe that you did not notice this. I think you have a secret, and I want to know what it is.”

“What did you do to her?” Jerris added. “She’s your granddaughter, and you never told her. What happened to her? Did you really let the Demon King put spells on her?”

“What? No.” The Archmage fell to a knee. “Never, I give my solemn word, though I can understand why you might come to such a conclusion. How did you find out that your enchantment was related to hers?”

Darien took a step back, suddenly confused. He had just learned that from the pashka, and not yet mentioned it to Eldrick. How did the Archmage know the two were related? Was he working for the Demon King? The Archmage looked up, then stood. “I take it you did not expect me to know that. Well, it’s rather a long story, but it’s time you heard it. You both have a right to know.”

“What are you talking about?” Darien asked, trying to remain threatening. “Don’t try to confuse me. If you know who put the enchantment on Niarie, who was

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