Page 27 (1/2)

The ball didn’t move The worktable, however, did And the built-in cupboards that filled the workroom’s back wall tried to

"Stop!" Luthvian shouted

Jaenelle stopped She sighed

Luthvian stared If it had just been the worktable, she ht have dismissed it as an attempt to show off But the cupboards?

Luthvian called in four wooden blocks and fourthem on the worktable, she said, "Why don’t you work by yourself for athe connection between yourself and the object you’re trying to move I need to look in on the other students, then I’ll be back"

Jaenelle obediently turned her attention to the blocks and balls

Luthvian left the workroom in a hurry, her hands and teeth clenched There was only one person she wanted to look in on, and he’d damn well better have some answers

She felt the chill in the front hallway before she heard the giggle

"Roxie!" she snapped as she caught the doorway to stop her forward momentum "You have spells to finish"

Roxie waved her hand airily "Oh, I’ve just got one or two left"

"Then do them"

Roxie pouted and looked at Saetan for support

There was no expression on his face Worse, there was no expression in his eyes Hell’s fire! He was ready to rip out that lash-batting ninny’s throat and she didn’t even realize it!

Luthvian dragged Roxie out of the parlor and down the hall, finally shoving her toward the student workroom

Roxie stamped her foot "You can’t treat me like this! My father’s an important Warlord in Doun and my mother’s--

Luthvian squeezed Roxie’s ar with soin to understand"

"He likes me"

"He wants to kill you"

Roxie looked stunned for alook came into her eyes "You’re jealous"

It took all of her self-control not to slap the ninny hard enough to make her spin "Go to the workroom andstay there" She waited until Roxie sla to the parlor

Pacing restlessly, Saetan earing under his breath as he raked his fingers through his hair His anger didn’t surprise her, but the effort he wasfelt beyond this rooive Roxie a real taste of your te close to the door "Why didn’t you?"

"I have h Lord? Or just one?"

Saetan snapped to a halt and looked past her "Is the lesson over already?" he asked uneasily

"She’s practicing by herself" Luthvian hated talking to hiry, so she decided to be blunt "Why are you bothering to teach her the Hourglass’s hen she’s still untrained?"

"I never said she was untrained," Saetan replied, starting to pace again "I said she needed help with basic Craft"

"Until a witch has the basics, she can’t do , but it wasn’t out of anger Luthvian watched hih Lord nervous She didn’t like it at all "What haven’t you toldI wanted you to ot a lot of raer for someone who doesn’t wear Jewels"

"She wears Jewels Believe me, Luthvian, Jaenelle wears Jewels"

"Then what--"

A loud whoop sent the to her workroom

Saetan pushed the door open and froze Luthvian started to push past hi to his ar clockwise and also rotating as if it were on a spit There were now a dozen wooden boxes, so above it, and all of thehtly colored wooden balls were perforle object wastable

With a lot of effort, Luthvian thought shethat intricate, but it should have taken years to acquire that kind of skill You just didn’t start with one ball you couldn’t move and end up with this in a h

"I think I’ of this thread-to-object stuff," Jaenelle said as she glanced over her shoulder and

grinned at thean to wobble and fall

Luthvian extended her hand at the same moment Saetan extended his She froze the sht the table