Second Mage Questing by Barbara Lund

Author:Barbara Lund [Lund, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781944127367
Publisher: Barbara Lund

16

ARTIFACT MAGIC

Braedon, Ry, and Dirk cut and stacked blocks of snow under the blinding noon sun. Dirk’s ax came in handy, again, since the swords made more of a mess than they were worth. They built the blocks into a snow hut while Ava and Pamla built the fire. Ava followed Pamla’s directions exactly, about where to put which size branches. At least she could finally be useful outside the city… even if Pamla had to tell her what to do like she was a little of five summers instead of a woman of sixteen.

At Pamla’s nod, Ava snapped her fingers, using her gift to light the fire. A tiny enough spark shouldn’t be noticed by anyone but another firestarter, and there were none close by. Ava had checked.

“Aahh.” Pamla stretched her thin fingers out to the flames. “I have to admit, it’s nice not to worry if your tinder is wet or if the kindling is too big to light. You just snap your fingers.”

“I have to be good for something.”

“Ava—”

“Sorry, Pamla. I’m just tired. I never expected…”

Pamla bumped her shoulder into Ava’s. “I know.”

Within a candle-mark, the men had finished the snow hut and joined them at the fire. They dragged some larger logs close as chairs for now and fuel later. Once everyone was seated but Ava, she walked around her friends, scuffing her feet in the snow. Then she stepped inside her own circle and crouched down on her heels. “Wait.” Ava sank into a half-trance. She layered a soft passive shield on the outside that made it look like they had moved on to other topics, and then set up the harder shield on the inside to protect from seers, minders, and sensors alike.

When she finally looked up, four sets of curious eyes met her gaze. “All right,” she said. “Don’t move. I set up a shield that will protect us from their mages.”

“You think they have a seer.” Braedon frowned.

Ava nodded. “It makes sense.”

“Why don’t you put shields like this on us all the time?” demanded Ry.

“It takes a lot of energy,” Ava said. Her fingers shook. “I can’t keep it up very long, especially not if you get up and move. So, what are our alternatives?”

“Frontal assault,” said Dirk.

Ry laughed. “Confident, aren’t you?”

“I can pick the locks,” Ava said. “We wait till they’re sleeping and walk right through.”

“We don’t know what that ‘special’ mage can do,” Ry reminded her. “Or the layout of the buildings.”

Braedon shifted uneasily. “They’re pretty much identical. A wide hallway with bedrooms and bathing room on one side, a kitchen and living area on the other. Lookouts up above.”

Ava raised one eyebrow. As far as she knew, the layout of the guard buildings was not included in any school classes… Had he used his gifts to see inside? Ava focused her gaze on her hands. “We could go over,” she offered.

Ry stared at her. “Over the buildings? They’re built into the sides of the cliffs.”

Ava shrugged. She glanced at Dirk, who hadn’t said a word to her since she’d accused Braedon of treason.

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