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Tobin conjured a blue witchlight It bobbed just behind Keleios so as not to ruin her night vision They had couards?" Lothor asked
"There are no others," Keleios said
"The three of us to defend all the lower reaches of the castle Are you o back"
Tobin said, "The lower reaches are designed for just a sorcerer and a enchanter to guard A crystal ward guards everything in the lower reaches If anyone dares to dig under or breech the lower areas, it would kill them"
"Crystal wards are very rare," Lothor said "It is indeed the ulti"
Tobin nodded "That is why only the two of us Someone on this side would have to reain entrance"
"And what is to stop so just that?" Lothor asked
"No one would betray this keep," Tobin said
Keleios realized what he meant a moment before Tobin said, "Fidelis, but even she wouldn&039;t betray the entire keep"
"Mother Blessen save us," Keleios whispered
A scream shattered the quiet It froze thee, they couldn&039;t have broken through" They broke into a jog, weapons held close and pointing out and down
The sound ofthe herself unseen It was not ic, and thus not detectable, an elfish ability to blend with surroundings to sie doorway that led to the ht, and torchlight Keleios peered round the edge of the doorway and found a sea of ood soldiers, but their clothes spoke of the sea Arroup did not belong They were dressed all in black Torchlight fluttered off the device sewn on their chests: a decaying skull with green eyes It was the syod of corruption, Loth&039;s twin brother All five gave off a ic aura and they were black healers If she hadn&039;t seen Fidelis&039; treachery herself, she ht carips of one of the black-robed was Melandra Keleios bit her lip to keep fro out She would not lose Melandra, too A basket of carrots lay spilled at the girl&039;s feet Melandra had been a favorite of the cook&039;s and was often in charge of the kitchen crew Three others were captured with her The tall boy had his ar against a black-haired girl Keleios ought to have known the Zairdian girl but couldn&039;t place the name
The black healer jerked on Melandra&039;s ar much worse than that Keleios forced her hands to unclench Anger would not help the would
Keleios stood and searched the rooht a hundred All they could do was keep the fighters fro the upper areas They could not rush in and save the children and let these h She had to defend her post, to defend this keep, no matter the cost Her duty was clear but she cursed it
One black healer in particular seeic as he appeared, they would find out just hoerful the lower reaches&039; defenses were The only course was to whittle theher levels and hope that they didn&039;t kill the prisoners Keleios took one of the fire ward pouches frohtly in front of the doorway She sent a silent prayer to Urle that she would remain unseen
Two men were dispatched to see if that flicker ofThey hit the ward at almost the same time and the fire roared round them Their shrieks chased Keleios back to the others
She whispered her findings to Lothor and Tobin, then pulled them farther into the darkness away froht-black ar you, prince And if I find you&039;ve betrayed us I still ht"
"Why should I betray you?"
"Five below are black healers or dressed as such"
He was so silent that Keleios kneas hiding so When he spoke, it did not help him "Velen has won"
"Who is Velen?"
"My brother There is no time for more now But I did not betray this keep"
She turned from him because there wasn&039;t time "I set a fire ward that should keep them busy for a while," But as if her words had cursed it, a dull explosion sounded "Urle&039;s forge, the ward&039;s down" They ran back up the corridor
"That isn&039;t the only ward down Feel," Tobin said
The tingling of the keep&039;s one
"Lothor, set a ward across the hall, so Tobin, set a second just behind his; e"
"You could be killed, I know But it ork, and I haven&039;t the skill to do it My control of wardings isn&039;t fine enough for it"
Tobin had seen enough of her classwork to knoas true
Lothor asked, standing on the other side of his gloard, "And ill you be doing while he risks his life?" His as perfect, large and showy, as she kneould be They could notonly I can do"
She turned and pressed her body against the left-hand wall The spells were there, in the walls the to be activated She called enchantic Then she called sorcery to her as well, and it was a light tingling ether into a single rope or power The makers of the spell had intended two people to call the spell, for enchantment and sorcery were a rare coic as she knew her own hand or face in the mirror If she failed, it would be the sorcery that would betray her If you failed at instant enchantment, you simply failed to enchant your item Failed sorcery could lash back upon the spellcaster, and that possibility hy she didn&039;t often co rush of sorcery but quieter, stronger, controlled
She whispered to the stones, "Walls, hear ood, protect your own safety and those up above Bearms for this day" Keleios stood away froently The stones huht-hand wall and ed her poith it, also
Sweat beaded her face, but she s-arm enchantment and Venna&039;s trip spell Master Tally and Zeln the Just had invented it together
Keleios turned her attention to Tobin He was pressed inches frolare of the first ward She could see his sorcery tracing outward, delicate, possessing a restraint that the black healer did not even understand The lines of yellow-gold power spread outward fra His as a phantolare of Lothor&039;s
She srin "I knew you could," she whispered, and motioned them both farther down the hall
The second fire as poured along the floor
Keleios decided that the warding of pain would go just before the turn to the stairs but not yet There was scouting to be done
A second dull explosion cah those wards so quickly?"
Lothor said, "You show contempt toward my sorcery because it lacks delicacy" She stared at hiht to use raer to overcoht the saan to have an idea
When next she scouted, only two of the black healers strode in front
Walking a horse-length in front of them was a prisoner Keleios couldn&039;t put a nairl She was six or seven and in Fidelis&039; beginning herb-witchery class Her blue eyes stood out in a very pale face
She stopped, uncertain, looking back toward her captors for reassurance One in front, black hood thrown back to show him every bit as blond and blue-eyed as she, motioned her forward
Keleios could al
Keleios took one step away from the wall to warn the child but a soldier stepped into the enchantrabbed the an to crush and tear The yellow-haired black healer stopped the fighters froic out toward the walls
Keleios flinched at the power in the dispelling If it had been only sorcery, it would have worked, but enchant liain to dispel it as if he couldn&039;t believe he had failed
His next atte played along the hall
The child, waiting alone, stuht and fell into the fire ward Fla out her screaulfed in fire It rushed outward a sheet of fla
When the fire cleared, the irl had done her duty She had set off the ith thee Her bones were twisted and black, a charcoal heap
The ainst the wall It was the sorcery that tripped the enchanth the cold stone toward that sorcery Keleios wasn&039;t sure how to absorb it, so she held it in by brute will The stone arms on the left side vanished
The blond spellcaster smiled, pleased with hiht-hand wall straining after them When as many as possible were there, Keleios released her control The arrappled Metal screamed on stone to little effect
"You would have used that onfrom its sheath Lothor stood there and repeated his question "You planned to use that fire ward on edhere?"
"You have been gone a long tie of the stones
Keleios poured out the warding of pain at the bend to the stairs
Lothor said quietly, "I know the ic-user who leads them"
"Who is he and hoerful?"
"Tranisome the Smiler, and very"
"The sods are not with us, you&039;ll see soon enough"
"You are his prince Can you talk to him?"
Lothor considered it "Perhaps, but doubtful"
"Doubtful is better than facing seventy to eighty ain Keleios crept forward and spied upon them Another child walked before them This tihter to a Zairdian earl She was eleven and a sorcerer of so black hair froood
She stopped and flinched; she had seen it The girl looked backward and licked her lips; she was planning soht and called to her, "Girl, get on with it"
"Ihave found one"
Bella stepped a little back from it He approached and peered at the powder line She was standing just behind hiive a tiny push The ward flared brighter and vanished, his screa in the hall Bella ran past him over the now-useless ward