(eng) Lisa Shearin - Raine Benares 09 by Ruins & Revenge

Author:Ruins & Revenge [Ruins & Revenge]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

The key to getting the draw on mages at or near your own level of skill is not to think about it beforehand. You also can’t let it show on your face or even by a twitch of a finger. It’s kind of like a card game, except it gets lethal immediately. You don’t wait until your opponent cheats before unleashing on him—or in this case, her.

But in a mage duel, as in a high-stakes card game, there is one absolute.

Someone always cheats.

And I have never been more proud that that someone was my son.

Talon’s words to Sandrina had the attention of every pair of ears in the cave. He knew that Sandrina would be hanging on every word. Talon was a master spellsinger, and he had laced those words with the setup for a paralysis spell I’d seen him use before to great effect. He had spoken directly to Sandrina and those with her. It didn’t matter that the rest of us had heard him as well.

Talon wasn’t aiming at us.

It was so subtle that no one, including myself, had sensed it.

I had seen it.

In the eyes of Sandrina Ghalfari, and in the eyes of every Khrynsani with her as their pupils dilated wider with every word Talon spoke.

The four Sythsaurians were wild cards. There was no change in their slit pupils. But taking out every Khrynsani in the cave and leaving us with only four lizard men went a long way toward tilting the odds back in our favor.

If Talon had the power to complete his spell before the Khrynsani could block him . . .

I was determined to give my son every chance.

We all had shields at full strength, but when your allies and opponents alike were masters of black magic, things were going to get messy.

Jash had shielded Phaelan and taken his stand in front of him. Agata had shields of ample strength. That, plus her knack for unconventional warfare in a cave that for her was covered in ammunition, made me worry less for her safety. I had to worry less, because Sandrina wasn’t about to give me a chance to defend anyone except myself.

Talon channeled all of his power into his voice, piercing the chaos with notes ringing with a perfect blend of sharp command and silken seduction. A paralysis spell attacking on dual fronts. It was irresistible.

At least it should have been.

Talon froze the plain-robed Khrynsani, and slowed two of the inner circle. We quickly dispatched them, leaving Sandrina, three master Khrynsani, and four Sythsaurians to contend with.

Eight to eight.

If they had all been Khrynsani, I would’ve considered that even odds.

They weren’t, and it wasn’t.

I took a page from Das’s book and lashed out in a broad wave, beginning with Sandrina and the Syth leader, and ending with the Sarad’s fancy-robed friend. The friend was singed, Sandrina was flung across the cave, and the two-legged lizard just smiled.

That was bad.

What I had thought was just tacky jewelry turned out to be something else entirely.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.