Lisa Shearin - Con & Conjure

He gazed down at me. “You’re going?”

“Not my first choice for a romantic getaway, but yeah, I’m going.”

Mychael tightened his arms around me. “The two of us, Carnades, Tam, Imala, Prince Chigaru, and four others.”

I knew Dad was one of the four others. For Tam and Imala, now was the time to move against Sathrik, and prevent their people from being slaughtered to feed the Saghred. I knew that Prince Chigaru was determined to rescue his fiancée before she was forced to marry Sathrik. After that, Chigaru only had two goals: take his brother’s throne, then take his brother’s life.

“Carnades can take ten people through that mirror,” Mychael was saying. “In weapons and supplies, we’ll essentially be limited to what we can carry.”

Vegard stepped forward. “Sir, what about—”

“I need you here, Vegard.”

“But, sir—”

“As acting paladin.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

“I need to know that you’re here,” Mychael told him, “working in my stead if we fail—”

“You won’t fail,” Vegard said vehemently.

“If we do, I want you to get the students off of the island.”

Justinius put a hand on Vegard’s shoulder. “I’ll make the announcement to the full Conclave within the hour. It would be good if you were there beside me.”

“Evacuate the students first, youngest to oldest,” Mychael told him. “Phaelan and Commodore Benares have offered their ships as transport.”

My throat threatened to close up. “And they’ll be damned fine guards,” I managed.

“Yes, they will,” Mychael agreed quietly.

Justinius dropped his hand from Vegard’s shoulder and motioned to me. He went to the far corner of his office, out of earshot, and I followed.

“Any sign of your magic?”

“No, sir.”

“It should have come back by now.”

“I was going with ‘if I don’t say it, it won’t be true.’ ”

“Doesn’t work like that.”

“I know.” I glanced at Carnades; he was glaring at me. I turned away so he couldn’t read my lips. “Does Carnades know?”

“Not from me or anyone else here. You play cards, girl?”

I knew where he was going. I nodded. “And I know how to run a convincing bluff.”

“Make this one your best.”

“Thank you, sir, but that goes without saying.”

Mychael was talking to Carnades. “If you want to destroy goblins, there are two in Regor that you’re free to cut loose on. Only on my command. You will not endanger the lives of this team, or we’ll gladly walk home from Regor.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Carnades snarled.

“No, I wouldn’t dare,” Mychael replied mildly. “I would do ; and as I just said, I would do it gladly.”

Carnades lunged at Mychael.

Mychael met him with an armored forearm against his throat.

A blue-white spark flared to life at the tip of my finger. It didn’t grow. It just pulsed there. As far as magic went, it was smaller than tiny.

But it was mine. I didn’t know how, but I’d made it.

“You don’t have a choice, Carnades,” I said, hardly daring to breathe for fear of blowing that spark out. “And neither do I.”

The elf mage’s stare was silent and icy.

“Yeah, it sucks to be us. If Nukpana wins, the two of us will be at the front of his kill line. Are you with us or not?”

His stare didn’t melt. “Yes.”

And the tiny spark didn’t vanish. Its glow was fierce and bright. Determined.

I looked at Mychael over the spark and smiled.

“Let’s go steal ourselves a rock.”

Lisa is the editor and quality control manager at an advertising agency. She has been a magazine editor and writer of corporate marketing materials of every description. She lives in North Carolina with her very patient and understanding husband, one cat, two retired racing greyhounds, and a Jack Russell terrier who rules them all.

For more information about Lisa and her books, visit her at www.lisashearin.com.

MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND

ARMED & MAGICAL

THE TROUBLE WITH DEMONS

BEWITCHED & BETRAYED

CON & CONJURE