AllFreeNovel
Share Us
How much can the conspirators even see in this darkness if they demand a peek?
“I’m dedicated to Kosmel,” I say, bringing out the answer I prepared. “I asked for a talent for forgery. There’ve always been things I wanted to do that my parents wouldn’t approve of. It’s helped… clear the way.”
I do have a talent for forgery, but it’s one I developed entirely without divine intervention. And the scourge sorcerers might see some use for it, sooner rather than later.
If I can get them to hand over any physical evidence of their plans—documents related to their schemes that they need false signatures on or adjusted duplicates of—that might be enough to bring the whole conspiracy down.
There’s a brief silence that makes me think the sorcerers are consulting with each other. Then one speaks up again. “Have you ever tried to create a forgery on a larger scale? An illusionary copy of a real object, for example?”
A shiver runs down my spine. Are they thinking I might be able to help with their clay creatures?
That wasn’t the kind of job I had in mind.
Well, I can answer honestly. “No. I’ll admit it’s a fairly small gift since it was a fairly small sacrifice. I was more cautious at twelve than I’ve become since.”
“Then if you could increase your power with a new sacrifice now, you would do it?”
My uneasiness grows, but there’s only one way I can answer that question that keeps me in the game. “Of course, if it’s for a good purpose.”
“This time, it’ll be for the purpose of showing us how committed you are to challenging what’s wrong in this world.”
I dip my head. “I can understand why you’d want to confirm that. But how would a new sacrifice work?”
“We wouldn’t ask it of you often,” the voice says. “Much can be gained by combining the gifts we already have. But what you can do on your own matters too. Come to the edge of the woods, and we’ll see what fits the moment.”
I don’t like the sound of this,Julita mutters as I tramp back the way I came.
Neither do I, but I don’t see how there’s anything she or I can do about it. At least I’m not having to kill living creatures with my bare hands tonight.
I stop in the shadows of the trees at the edge of the patch of forest. Moonlight streams down over the field between me and the back of the Quadring.
“We have decided,” the voice says as if from right behind me.
I suppress a flinch and glance backward, but no one’s in view. I will my muscles to relax. “What did you decide?”
“The Crown’s Watch carries out orders without concern for their legitimacy. They only care about their own power, not what pleases the gods. You’ve seen that, haven’t you?”
I let out a light guffaw. “Oh, yes.”
At least, I’ve seen them abuse their authority. I can’t say I’m sure of what pleases any of the gods.
“You could put a couple of them in their places. Remind them that there are greater powers at work in the universe.”
My gaze darts across the campus. The first figure it catches on has a pale face topped by glossy brown curls—the gifted guard who hassled me when I was stargazing. He’s walking next to the Quadring’s back wall.
Can I use any magic onhimwithout his gift reacting? Do the scourge sorcerers even realize he’s got magic he uses regularly?
How deep a pile of shit are they going to throw me into?
“How should I do that?” I ask tentatively.
“On the eastern wall,” the voice says. “Do you see the two soldiers stationed there who are speaking to each other?”
My attention jerks to the outer wall with a jolt of relief. Not that I know for sure the two figures I spot atop the stone barrierdon’thave gifts of their own.
I nod. At least one of the conspirators must be close enough to see me, because the gesture seems to be answer enough.
“You will ask Kosmel to expand your power so that you can ‘forge’ an object of your choice out of the air. You will use it to startle the guards. If you can start a fight between them, we’ll be even more impressed.”
