Karen Chance - Claimed by Shadow

"Good God." Mac dropped his etching tool. A small tornado carved on his right bicep started whirling even more enthusiastically.

"Describe them." Pritkin was looking pretty intense, but he wasn't gob smacked like his friend.

"I already did.”

"The symbols!" he said impatiently. "Which runes are they?”

Mac broke in. "If you draw them I can-”

I cut him off with a frown. They might think I was a dumb blonde, but come on. I was a clairvoyant-did they really think I didn't know my runes? "Hagalaz, Jera and Dagaz.”

"I'm on it." Mac jumped up and went into the next room and I heard him pick up the phone. It crossed my mind that he could be calling for backup, but I doubted it. They didn't know where the weapons were yet, and nobody would think that I'd drag stuff like that around in my bag. Come to think of it, I wasn't so thrilled with the idea now, either.

"Where did you get them?" Pritkin demanded.

I couldn't think of a reason not to tell him. "Same place I got the Graeae. The Senate.”

"They didn't simply hand them over.”

"Not exactly." I decided to change the subject. "Um, you wouldn't happen to know how I get the ladies back in their box, would you?" I had been wondering how to figure out the spell needed to trap Myra in their place. It would be very convenient if Pritkin would simply give it to me.

"Tell me about the runes." Damn, but he was single-minded.

“Tell me about the Graeae and I'll think about it.”

"They are required to work for you for a year and a day after their release, or until they have saved your life. Then they will be free to terrorize mankind again.”

I glared at him. “That's not what I asked. And I didn't let them out on purpose, you know!”

"You shouldn't have been able to do it at all! That is a very complex spell. How did you learn it?”

I decided not to mention that all I'd done was pick up the orb. Pritkin thought me enough of a danger already; no need to add to the impression. And maybe it didn't mean anything. The box could have been defective-there was no telling how long they'd been in there. Of course, if it wasn't working right, I couldn't use it on Myra. I wondered whether there was a way to test it.

"Well?" He was obviously not the patient type.

"Do you know the spell to put them back or not?”

"Yes." That was it, that's all I got.

"So maybe we can work out a trade. You give it to me, and perhaps I'll tell you where the weapons are.”

"You'll tell me anyway," he countered. "You won't get near your vampire without me, so you'll never get a chance to use them. And even my assistance may not be enough. We need every advantage.”

Mac returned before I could think up a good comeback. "Nick is very curious why I want to know, but I think I put him off." He consulted a scribbled note in his hand. "He says that two were purchased at auction from Donovan's back in 1872. The Circle was outbid by an anonymous bidder who paid a king's ransom for them. No one's heard from them since." He looked at me. "I'd really like to know where you found them.”

"She didn't find them; she stole them. From the Senate," Pritkin said.

Mac whistled. "I want to hear that story.”

"Maybe later," I said, hoping he'd get on with it.

"All right, but I'm going to hold you to that." He consulted his notes again. "This is composed mainly of hearsay, but Nick knows his rune lore, so it's likely as good as we'll get. Hagalaz cast upright causes a massive hailstorm that attacks everything in the vicinity except the caster and whomever he chooses to protect-I assume that means whoever is within his shields, although Nick wasn't sure. Cast inverted, it calms even the fiercest of storms.”

I brightened. That could prove useful. Mac read a few lines silently and cleared his throat. He glanced at me. "Er, Jera is… well, it's said to be, that is to say-”

"It's a fertility stone," I said, hoping to move him along. "Stands for a time of plenty and a good harvest.”

"Yes, quite. It is believed to cause… er, to aid in, rather, some believe that-”

Pritkin snatched the paper from him and read over the paragraph that seemed to be giving Mac so much trouble. "It was advertised as an aid to virility, something like a magical version of Viagra," he summarized, shooting Mac a withering glance. "Is that it? No other properties?”

Mac looked sheepish. "Nick didn't know. All he had to go on was the auctioneer's description, and those are known for being phrased to elicit the best possible bids. It may have other properties, but if so they weren't listed. But it was enchanted at a time when thrones ran through family lines. Ensuring the succession would have been seen as equally, if not more, important than any weapon. And having the power to take fertility away from your opponents would be a great asset, throwing their lands into turmoil and civil war at the death of each king, and giving you a chance to invade in the chaos.”

Pritkin frowned. "Perhaps, but it is of little use to us. And the last? Dagaz?”

"A breakthrough," I murmured. "A new beginning." I could really use one of those.

Mac nodded. "Traditionally, yes, that's the meaning. But how it is interpreted in the case of battle runes…" He shrugged. "Nick doesn't know.”

"Then what is his best guess?" Pritkin asked it before I could.

"He doesn't have one." Mac threw up his hands at our expressions. "Don't shoot the messenger! It wasn't purchased with the others-in fact, no one has heard of it ever being up for sale. So there's not a lot to go on.”

I felt frustrated. One rune that was no use to me was bad enough, I didn't need two. "What about other sources?”

Mac shook his head. "Nick said he would double-check, but the man has a mind like a computer, love. I doubt he missed anything, not about his favorite hobby. The rune is mentioned in several old sources, but they're mute about what it does.”

"There is one way to find out," Pritkin said. I raised an eyebrow. "Cast it.”

"Did you sleep through the story about the rampaging ogre, or what?”

"I will cast it if you are afraid," Pritkin said, assuming a sneer. "Where is it?”

I sighed and thought it over. I really needed to know what the thing did, and if Pritkin wanted to risk his neck to find out, who was I to stop him? Besides, he had a point: without his help, I might never get to Tony in the first place, and even if I did, what if the rune was another like Jera? I needed to know before I used it on the fat man and just ended up making him horny. I shuddered at the mental picture and Mac shot me a questioning look. "You said the runes have to recharge after every use," I reminded him. "If we cast it, we won't be able to use it again for a month.”

Pritkin answered before his friend could. "Perhaps. However, if it hasn't been used in centuries, it may have a cumulative charge built up that could last through many castings.”

"I don't know whether it's been used lately or not.”

"Or the cumulative effect may simply make the casting an especially strong one," Mac pointed out.

Pritkin looked annoyed with his friend, but I thought the guy had a point. "One thing is certain," Pritkin said testily. "We cannot plan how to use it if we do not know what it does. As it stands, it is useless to us. Casting it would not make it more so." I wanted to debate him but couldn't. "Where is it?" he demanded.

I sighed. "Promise you'll teach me the spell to trap the Graeae, and I'll tell you.”

He didn't even pause. "Done.”

I shrugged. "In that duffle over there.”

I thought the two mages were going to rupture something trying to get to the bag. Mac beat his buddy, but only because he was closer and Pritkin's unzipped pants tried to fall down on the way. I watched him zip up with some disappointment, then gave myself a mental slap. At the rate things were going, I was going to need therapy.