Mageborn The Line of Illeniel by Michael Manning (interesting novels to read .txt) 📕

I didn’t wait for Penny or Cyhan to start hauling the debris away, instead I spoke a few words and using my will I quickly cleared away the large granite blocks and fallen lumber. Beneath it all was a hard stone shell. It looked as if the floor had flowed up over and around her to form a solid stone shield. I wasn’t sure how to undo or replicate the way the stone had flowed so I carefully reached out to explore the layout of Rose’s body within the shell.

Once I had a clear image of her body I created a shield of force within the empty space, around her and between her and the stone. Then I applied a sharp hammer-like blow with my mind, shattering the stone sarcophagus-like shell. As the stone broke apart I could see Rose’s frightened expression within. The moment the fragments fell away she tried to sit up, only to strike her head against the hard shield I had placed around her. “Ow!” she yelped.

If it hadn’t been for the serious nature of the situation I might have laughed. I made a mental note to remember this for future harassment, and then I removed the spell around her. “How in the world did you manage this Rose?”

She started dusting herself off carefully. I could almost imagine a cat cleaning its fur she was so meticulous. “I moved back to watch, and then the floor started moving. I fell down over here and the wall collapsed on top of me. I thought I was going to be crushed.”

“Well you survived somehow. How did that stone surround you like that?”

“I think that stone woman did it. When the wall collapsed she saw me, and I think she made the floor rise up around me...or something like that. I’m not really sure, it all happened so fast,” she said.

I glared at Cyhan, “My sleeping mind again I’m sure.” I don’t know why I kept trying sarcasm on him; he seemed completely oblivious to it.

“Most likely,” he replied.

I wasn’t buying it. Whoever the woman had been she was no fragment of my unconscious mind. She was real, and if her actions were any proof, she could not be malignant. Of course by that logic Marc’s goddess was a sweetheart as well. She had a pronounced proclivity for healing the sick and similar good works. I decided I would reserve judgment for the time being. The stone lady might have ulterior motives just as the gods did.

James Lancaster appeared at last, “Is it safe to come in yet?” He looked in through the shattered door-frame. “Damn! Mordecai every time I let you into my home this happens. I suppose you have a good excuse this time as well?” He was projecting mock anger but I wasn’t fooled.

“Sorry, Penny was holding hands with me and I got a bit too excited your grace,” I replied. Inappropriate? Sure it was, but after everything else that had happened I figured no one would care.

James stared at me blankly for a moment, and then Cyhan started snickering quietly. I had never heard him laugh before, but it set off a chain reaction as everyone’s nervous anxiety sought release. James laughed loudest of all, as usual. A great belly laugh, I made more mental notes so I could mimic him better next time.

Chapter 15

We started out bright and early the next morning. I offered to pay James for the damage to his home but he declined saying he owed me enough already for saving his life. I argued with him, but we had too many other things to do for me to put much energy into it.

We rode at an easy pace. We might have made better time but the mules carrying the gold couldn’t manage anything faster. Penny was back in her ‘traveling warrior’ garb, chain byrnie over padded gambeson. She wore her sword proudly now, the bond seemed to have improved it. I hadn’t enchanted it before but now it was every bit as sharp as the one I had done for Dorian.

I thought about that as we rode. Without being enchanted I assumed that the magic that gave it its sharpness must be continually renewed by the bond between us. That meant that the bond had some perpetual cost, a slight drain upon our personal energies would be needed to maintain it. I wondered what other costs there might be, but I knew too little to have any good guesses.

Penny was in a good mood. Exuberant would be the best description for it. She had been ever since the bond was formed; her new strength and energy had filled her with a joyful zest for life. I’m pretty sure she was looking forward to the evening’s training session with Cyhan. She had as much as said she had a score to settle. I hoped the two of them didn’t inflict any injuries I couldn’t heal.

Cyhan nudged his horse closer to mine, “Keep your eyes open, if they have anyone after us they’ll probably make their move tonight or tomorrow.”

I hadn’t forgotten our previous discussion, “I know. I’ve been scanning the hills around us. When they get close I’ll sense them. We should have plenty of warning.”

“Warning would be good, but I won’t count on it. Men can surprise you, they may think of some way to avoid detection you haven’t come across before,” he replied.

Typical, I could have told him they would attack us naked, armed only with spoons and he probably would have warned me how dangerous a spoon could be in the hands of a desperate man. I think he lived in a state of constant paranoia.

Marc leaned over to me, “You need to relax Mort. You seem tense.”

“I’m not the one that’s tense... or rather I wouldn’t be if he wasn’t such a worrywart,” I replied.

We rode until noon before we stopped to eat lunch. When we stopped Penny made a point of leaping