The Complete Ridley Kayne Chronicles by Rachel Morgan

Author:Rachel Morgan [Morgan, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub

13

It wasn’t long before Ridley’s head felt like someone was trying to split it open with a chisel and hammer, but she managed to get the three of them into the next district and onto the flat roof of an apartment building. “Sorry, I can’t … I can’t go … any further.” She bent over, pressing her palms against her knees and breathing through the nausea.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Dad asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She waved him away. “You need to get rid of … your other amulet.”

“Maybe you should sit down,” Archer suggested.

“Yeah, okay.” She sank into a sitting position and pulled her backpack off. Then, deciding that being completely horizontal would be even better, she shifted forward and lay down, using the backpack as a pillow. “It won’t last long if I don’t use magic,” she told him. “Maybe just … I don’t know. A few hours.” Her gaze rose to the clouds hanging above the city, where lighting—or magic; she always found it hard to tell the difference from down here—zigzagged across the night sky. She squeezed her eyes shut against the bright light, flinching as pain seared through her eyeballs.

Sounds swirled around her: sirens in the distance, Dad speaking quietly to Archer, a bag unzipping. Dad said something about a blade and his arxium implant, and Ridley was relieved that Archer was the one helping him remove it. She didn’t particularly want to slice open her father’s skin to get his AI1 out. She also didn’t want to think about how he would no longer be protected once it was gone. Ridley’s own magic guarded her body from any harmful conjurations someone might want to use on her, but everyone else had an AI1 for that. Without it, Dad would be at risk. Not a huge risk, seeing as most people couldn’t pull magic anymore, but Ridley would feel better once he got himself a simple old-fashioned arxium charm to wear around his neck or on his wrist. She wondered where one got such things these days. Many decades had passed since anyone had needed to wear them.

“Ridley?” a quiet voice asked.

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, unaware of how much time had passed.

“I’m sorry, I think you fell asleep,” Dad said as he crouched beside her. The cat sat next to him, watching Ridley with unblinking blue eyes.

“Did I? I can’t remember.” She sat upright and added, “My head feels a little bit better.”

“I did a conjuration,” Dad said. “Just a simple one we used to use for headaches all the time. I didn’t know whether it would help if what you have is more of a migraine.”

“Well the pain’s definitely not as bad, and I don’t feel so sick.”

“That’s good.”

She bent to the side and tried to look behind his ear. “Did Archer get your AI1 out?”

“Yes, all done.” Dad turned his head so she could see the small adhesive bandage stuck to his skin.

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