Page 55 of Twisted Magic

“You think I’m funny,” she replied winningly, dancing a little alongside him, enjoying how he tried not to smile. “You try all the time not to laugh at my jokes, but it’s a struggle and—” She broke off on a gasp.

“What?” Instantly, he’d thrust her behind him and mustered his magic, a blank metal implement in his hand, ready to make it into a weapon to kill whoever threatened her.

“That courtyard.” She pointed to the doors that had opened to an enclosed space, surrounded by sheer walls of a dense black substance, with no roof. “It wasn’t there before.”

“Most of this house wasn’t there before,” he observed wryly, but he studied the smallish area. “Interesting that those doors just happened to open as we came by and while no one else is around.”

“This is it.” She nearly squealed in anticipation, all other concerns forgotten. “Let’s go in.”

“I’m pretty sure those were the famous last words of many a now-dead person,” he observed, allowing her to tug him reluctantly along. “Along with, ‘hey, watch this.’”

“Hey,” she said with a grin, “watch this.” And she stepped into the courtyard.

To her disappointment, nothing happened.

Until Jadren set foot inside.

The moment he did, the doors closed with silent and seamless finality, sealing them inside what seemed to be a lidless box lined entirely with light-absorbing material.

Jadren went to one wall bending close to study it, then tentatively touching it, then with more assurance running his fingertips over it. “I think it’s made entirely of lead,” he commented thoughtfully.

Selly went to peer over his shoulder, touching the wall also. It felt like sueded leather, only hard, an almost fuzzy texture to the curiously dense-looking stuff. “What’s the significance of that?”

“It’s a kind of mineral that blocks all kinds of metallic and magical properties,” he answered absently, mind clearly racing in another direction. “We use it to store enchanted artifacts that give off debilitating energy or are likely to be dangerous in some way. Also, if you want to hide an artifact from a finder, they won’t be able to sense it through lead.”

“So this is basically a shielded room,” Selly said. “Except for the sky.”

“Maybe.” He turned in a slow circle, scrutinizing the blank walls rising several stories high. “I expected an arcanium to have more to it, however. Tools, supplies, works in progress.”

“How would you know?” she couldn’t help teasing. “Have you ever been in an arcanium?”

He slid her an unamused look. “Funny girl.”

“Told you.”

“I think,” he continued in that same thoughtful vein, obviously intrigued despite his misgivings, “that there is more, if we trigger the mechanism correctly.”

Right. El-Adrel and their endless fascination with toys. “You’re the El-Adrel wizard,” she acknowledged, “so you would know. How do we turn it on?”

“Arcaniums are for a wizard and familiar pair, so I understand,” he added hastily, before she could poke at him again, “so come here.”

She went happily enough, taking his hand and moving with him to the center of the room. Nothing happened. “Did you try turning it off and then on again?” she whispered.

He ignored that one, saying, “The lead won’t respond to magic, so there must be a trigger here that does, but where would it be?”

“I have an idea,” she said. “Kiss me.” She nearly giggled at the jaundiced look he gave her at that suggestion.

“I know you’re insatiable,” he commented drily, “but we do have an agenda here. Unless you want to run away with me to some hideout where we can forget this nonsense and I promise to service you as often as you like.”

“Tempting,” she replied in all sincerity, “but not yet. Nic says that sex and magic are rolled up together and that erotic play increases magic buildup.”

“Oh, well,” he drawled, “if the all-wise Nic Elal says so, it must be true.”

She poked him in the ribs. “You know it’s true, also. You’ve used it yourself.”

“I don’t know that,” he protested, far too innocently—and also drawing her into his arms, a wicked gleam in his eye. “Still, a beautiful, sensual, half-feral woman offers you sex and what can you do?”

“No sane man would say no,” she murmured, the heat billowing up in her belly, shimmering with anticipation.

---