Was there an actual hole in his spells?
He cursed for quite a lengthy period of time, then started again from the beginning, rechecking each spell. He wasn't sure how much time had passed; all he knew was that he had indeed found a hole in one of his spells of defense.
Large enough for a single man, perhaps. Not large enough for a company of creatures. He sat back down in his chair and considered. There had been no sign of anything like that after Adhémar had been ambushed in the fall, which made Miach wonder how those creatures had come so near Tor Neroche. There had also been no disturbance in any of his spells that would explain how any of the other creatures had entered Neroche.
So, how had those nightmarish beasts come into Neroche without breaching his spells?
And who had come in after brazenly making such a rent in his defenses?
He turned his attentions to the gap and rewove the surrounding spells until there was no sign of any opening. He reexamined everything one last time to make certain he'd missed nothing.
Apparently that took him far longer than he'd suspected.
He came to himself to find that he was standing in the middle of the room. He had no idea how he'd gotten there.
Of how long had he been at his task.
But there was a late-afternoon sky visible through his window.
He bolted for the door, then leaped down the stairs, cursing as he did so. He ran through the passageways, up and down more steps, and burst into the chamber where the company was being housed.
Only Glines was there, pacing uneasily before the fire.
Miach came to a skidding halt. "Where are they?" he asked, feeling panic descend.
Glines crossed the chamber quickly. "I couldn't stop her."
"Where did she go?"
"I don't know, but I sent the other lads with her. I remained behind in case you came. She put all her weapons on the bed over there and left, holding a knife in one hand and a ring in the other." He paused again. "My lord, she was not herself."
"I daresay not," Miach said. Morgan had left her gear behind? He could only imagine what was going on inside her head. He turned and made for the door. "Follow me."
"Trouble?"
"That doesn't begin to describe it," Miach said grimly as he jerked the door open and strode out into the hallway. "How long ago did she leave. "
"Half an hour. I would have come for you, but?"
"My fault," Miach said unflinchingly. "I never should have left her."
"Do you know where she's going?" Glines asked.
Miach looked at him briefly. "The great hall."
"Why?"
"You'll see."
And he would. Miach cursed. The entire bloody castle would see and then the future would be changed forever.
Without him having told her who he really was.
He began to run.
Chapter Twenty-four
Morgan clutched Nicholas's blade in one hand and the ring in the other. She had thought she might be able to drown out their singing that way, but it wasn't so. The blade not only sang, it glowed. The ring merely laid in her hand without any otherworldly manifestations. She slipped it into her finger for safekeeping, then continued on her way.
