Page 93 of The Vampire's Mercy
“Okay,” I whispered, the king silent.
What was his objective here? Mage spells were about the intention and the will of the caster, usually with props and words as an aid, drawing on the power of Aidan’s Fire. The mage blood inside me made it possible for me to will the stakeblade into my hand, coupled with the goal of killing vamps.
Magic required a lot of intense study. Hal constantly read magical tomes well into the night, scribbling confusing diagramsand making notes, all to understand the intricacies, the limitations, the rules, and the possibilities of magic.
It all made my brain hurt.
“Listen to my voice,” Roy spoke. “Do not close your eyes.”
“Okay,” I said again.
“I will for the fragments to coalesce,” he said, his voice a strangely muffled sound. “Let us see the truth within these men.”
A ripple passed over the water’s surface.
“Give me the pieces,” the mage continued. “Show me the answers.” He rang the bell once. “Show me. By the holiest name of Aidan.”Ring.“I ask of the magic, I ask of Him, I ask of all.”Ring. Ring. Ring.
Aidan in an unholy place like this? Ha!
More rippling, and then the water began to slosh around the bowl.
“Hear my will.”Ring.“Hear it. Take my intention to see the truth. Take it.”Ring.“Take it.”
The water turned orange, becoming solid like a clump of colorful marshmallow.
“The will is met,” Roy said.
The marshmallow lifted out of the bowl a few inches, reshaping into a ball. It became translucent, a series of images appearing inside the sphere.
“What is this?” the king asked.
“Take it. Watch it.”
Silvanus took it, coming around to stand by my side. His arm pressed into mine, his body too damn close again.
I shuffled away to create an inch between us, watching the ball.
“It will show you,” Roy said.
I watched a replay of my dreams, along with the king’s. Lots of trees, the tower, petals, but no answers. They just played on a loop.
The ball cracked.
Roy coughed, joining us at the table. “What happened?”
“It—”
The ball exploded, the force throwing me across the room. I slammed into the wall, hands shooting out to brace my fall.
Shit.
My right wrist bent under me, cracking. The pain sent my vision into a swirl, shockwaves winding me. I rolled onto my back, hand at my chest, a billion dots of color in my eyes.
“By Aidan…” I rasped, shaking.
White-hot pain strangled any screams out of me, my brain struggling to keep up with the quick turnaround of going from vertical to horizontal. My body buzzed with the kickback from the magic, sharp scratching across every inch of my skin.
Silvanus growled. “What is this?”
