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“We can see most things that happen in here if we wish. The attack, though … we didn’t see that. Never suspected something like that could happen. But we saw the devices used later.”
“You mean like scrying?” Harmiston asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, will you lower the barrier then?” Nadia asked.
“Yes, Sentinel, who was a Wraith last time? And you a chronicler?” she added to Harmiston.
“Um …” he said.
“A lot has changed since then,” Nadia said.
“It certainly has. We will help you. You too, Chronicler.” Suchin smiled then and called for another mage to come closer, a young woman. “Take over Chronicler’s protective shield.”
“Huh?” Harmiston looked startled, eyes wide and looking back and forth between the mages. But of course they sensed his protective shield.
“Never heard him become so taciturn,” Barkin said, sounding amused.
The young mage produced a shield similar to Harmiston’s which covered them all. “It will have the same effect and I’ll keep it over the group. Then you can focus only on your task.”
“Now,” Suchin went on before Harmiston could argue. “You have the sigils for the device? We assume it’s needed to control the emission from it to spread the poisons in a controlled manner?”
Harmiston looked like he was about to suffer from a severe jaw drop. Then he cleared his throat and nodded, seeing the futility of spending time questioning how the mages knew. They were willing to help more than anyone had expected and it would be stupid to not take advantage. Harmiston conjured a blue dome of shimmering blue lights. It hovered above them all, the sigils as unreadable to Nadia as they’d been when she saw them in Stonewater mansion. Harmiston must have been practicing then. The sigils were, however, not unreadable to those who mattered in this case.
“I see,” Suchin said, peering up at the magic. She stepped forward and nodded at Harmiston. “This will work, but you’ll find it hard. Who created this?”
“A witch called Lerah. She worked for Kassemyr.”
Suchin pursed her lips sideways a moment, but then seemed content. “This explains a lot. She didn’t quite master it, but close. Move this one here, and the other one below it, and then you will find it much more manageable.”
Nadia stared in ignorance, as did the other Ghosts when Harmiston waved one hand and two sigils, swirly in form and glowing white in the blue magical force, changed places, just like Suchin said.
“Oh yes,” Harmiston said with a smile. “I see it now. Thatisbetter.”
“Good luck,” Suchin said and indicated they could move forward. Kary gave her a quick nod of thanks and then led the way, stepping past the point of the barrier and into the part of the corridor covered with pieces of silver debris that had burrowed into the stone walls after Nadia threw her silver grenade when they escaped weeks before.
“At least they cleaned up the body parts,” Harmiston muttered, and she saw him cast a curious glance back toward the mages before they left that hallway.
The rest of the way passed by in a blur. Everyone was all attentive and made no sound, Suchin kept her promise there, and no one saw any hybrids. They hurried through more corridors and halls, and only when they reached the glimmering parlors did they slow down somewhat.
They were close now.
Kary called two Ghosts forward and sent them out to spy, while everyone took a narrow set of stairs up one floor. They would not enter the throne room. Instead, they followed back ways used by servants to move around quietly and unseen. It led them to the gallery which covered three of the throne room’s walls. Above the gallery was a viewing room. It was where Nadia and Harmiston had first spied on the unconscious courtiers after the attack.
It was in there that they’d set off the bomb.
The two spies reached them before they maneuvered the bomb that far.
“They’re in the throne room,” one of them said, a grimace of disgust on his face. “Feeding.”
What was there to say to that?
Kary gave a curt nod, and they moved on.
By sheer happenstance, Nadia was the first who rounded the last corner before the stairs to the upper gallery when she spotted a familiar figure walking down the hallway they were about to enter.
Darrow.
