In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

Rebecca had been defending against both Sophia and Jeribella who were lobbing spells at her. When Catrin took Sophia out of the fighting, she was able to put all her efforts into taking out Jeribella.

As Draconi, Rebecca had the strength of the Ley Lines above Ironlyn as backing, making her stronger than the other girl. Jeribella realized she couldn't punch through Rebecca's shield and opted for a more physical approach. She ducked under Rebecca's balls of fire and tackled her, knocking the wind out of the slighter woman as they hit the ground.

"Hold her," Catrin gasped at Selene, who had returned from seeing Owen and Lewys pulled into the barn by the stable hands. Catrin thrust Sophia at her sister, who caught her by her tied hands.

Catrin had seen Rebecca go down when Jeribella tackled her, and ran over to help. She grabbed Jeribella by the hair and yanked her off her sister. Catrin was a big strong girl; when her fist caught Jeribella in the side of the face, the girl simply folded up like a rag doll, out cold.

When Andre had reached McTavish and Oscar, he had taken Oscar out of the fight by simply killing his unicorn. The boy had been pinned under the thrashing animal and unable to dodge Andre's next sword thrust. Blood spurted from his side and he screamed in agony.

McTavish jumped down to help his son and immediately found himself on the defensive against Andre's slashing assault. Andre had fought Magi before. He knew most Magi were not good at close-in fighting, having always depended on being able to reach enemies from afar with a spell. They tended to panic when a sword came slashing at them. The secret to fighting them was to put them on the defensive and not to give them time to cast a spell. McTavish proved no different, although he did possess a small amount of skill with a sword.

Staggering to her feet, a winded Rebecca turned to look for Andre and saw him returning sword blow for sword blow with Simon McTavish. Ignorant of sword-fighting, she couldn't tell if Andre was winning the fight. She pulled hard on the Ley Lines again and they flashed into fiery sight overhead. She channeled a wave of strength and power from them to Andre. The Defender's sword glowed diamond bright, and Andre's next cut sliced through McTavish's blade as if it were made of butter.

Knowing he was outmatched, McTavish dropped to his knees in front of Andre, sobbing, "I yield! I cry quarter!"

Andre hesitated. The Merc Code forbade you to kill out of hand an enemy who surrendered. But this man wasn't a Merc, just a reaver so technically the Code didn't apply.

"He did something to Owen and Grandpa," said Rebecca, running to stand beside Andre. "Catrin says they are alive, but she can't rouse them. We need to know what spell he cast."

"I will reverse it, if you let us go," McTavish offered.

"And if we don't?" Andre asked softly.

McTavish looked into his merciless face and shivered. A glance at Rebecca showed no softening there either. The Ley Lines still flared overhead, and the sword Andre held easily was so bright it hurt the eyes to look at it. "Who—who are you?" he asked.

Rebecca answered him, "This is the Defender of Ironlyn, Drake Andre Benoit. Remove the spell you cast at my brother and grandfather."

McTavish looked puzzled. "You aren't Magi. I would know, but the sword—what is it?"

"Remove the spell, and I will let you live," Rebecca replied. "More, I do not promise."

After another glance at her face, McTavish nodded, and got unsteadily to his feet. He made a summoning gesture, and a gray cloud lifted from Owen and Lewys.

"It is done. My family?"

"If they honor your surrender, they will live. Otherwise—"

Geoffrey had crawled to his brother and was bent over him, attempting to stem the bleeding. McTavish stumbled to them and knelt. He extended his hands over the wound in Oscar's side chanting a spell. He managed to stop the bleeding before he slumped in exhaustion.

Andre poked him with the tip of the sword. "Who sent you here, Magi?"

"The Magi Proctor. We were caught, and in return for not splitting up our family, Proctor Julis Sandman sent us here. He said we could hold Ironlyn if we could take it."

"I'm taking Grandpa and Owen to the infirmary," Catrin said, from behind them. "They are awake, but I want to make sure all the ill effects from the spell are gone." She dumped Jeribella's limp form beside her father and brother.

"Move, you," Selene prodded Sophia over to her family. Sophia's hands were still bound, and she was blinded by the unicorn blanket. The woman tripped over her daughter and fell against the dead unicorn's rump.

"Unwrap her head," Rebecca told Selene, "and stand back."

None too gently, Selene jerked the blanket away. Dropping it on the ground, she followed Catrin and the stablemen carrying Owen and Lewys. Sophia looked at her husband, and at her sons and daughter through eyes still red from the peppery powder Catrin had dosed her with. She glared up at Rebecca. "You—"

"Enough, Sophia," said her husband. "I have surrendered, and they have agreed to let us live. It is over. Tend our son's wound."

"I need my hands unbound," Sophia said, sullenly.

Andre stepped around behind her and sliced the ropes binding her hands with the sword he still held bared. "See that you do nothing else," he told her.

She cast him a resentful look, but held her hands out over her son's wound. A soft healing light flowed from her, and Oscar McTavish's body slowly knitted itself back together. The wound had closed, although it was still raw and fresh when she slumped to the side. Her husband steadied her as she swayed.

"That is all I can do for now," she whispered through white lips. "He will live, Simon."

He looked up at Andre and Rebecca. "What