Lita takes Gentle Reader to the Enchanters of Sye world today, with an excerpt from her story, Tredan’s Bane.
Magical charms vendor Lanith, and Enchanter Nyle, have joined forces to search for Lanith’s missing husband Tredan. The two sleuths journeyed to the Rune School, and are now examining the various materials that Tredan left behind from his days as an Enchanter.
They discover that Tredan suffered from a long-term compulsion spell cast by the Enchanters’ adversaries, the Church Magicians. He left behind a charm that the Enchanter Grandmasters have safeguarded until now. Because the charm will harm any Enchanter that touches it, Lanith will check it while Nyle stands a safe distance away.
Nyle produced the case containing the tool set he had used earlier. He handed her a pair of magnifying spectacles. She removed the silk ties from the charm bundle, unfolded the sumptuous black velvet cloth, and spread it on the table. Tredan had created this charm under the pressure of a Church spell. He knew its magic was forbidden by the Enchanters. It must have been a horrible contradiction for him. Her heart was breaking.
A glance confirmed it was Tredan’s artistry. Lanith selected a tool. She slipped on the spectacles and adjusted the magnification. Lanith paused.
“Nyle?”
“Yes, Lanith?”
“Does the exposed charm affect you?”
“No effect.”
“Then it will stay dormant until fed essence. It’s one of Tredan’s standard designs. I don’t want to wake the interior spells. Instead, I’ll draw out the charm’s remaining essence. It’ll tell me plenty.”
She’d have this chance to taste his Enchanter essence after all. Lanith touched the charm with a tool, cleared her mind, and took the dot of her husband’s Enchanter magic from the charm.
Oh, Tredan.
What are these nasty spells doing inside of your lovely charm?
Lanith removed the tool, tucked it away, and set aside the spectacles. She clasped her shaking hands on the tabletop. Her tears came as a silent and anguish-filled trickle. Nyle put his hand on Lanith’s shoulder, leaned down, and pressed his cheek against hers. His sweet Enchanter essence warmed her skin. It soothed her heartache.
“What did you find?” Nyle asked.
“Tredan’s charm kills an Enchanter. It senses the closest Uslar Ring, extracts the Enchanter’s spirit, and captures the ghost.”
“Not even Sciomancers hold unwilling ghosts.”
“There’s more. Once a ghost is inside, this charm will animate the Enchanter’s body and allow the charm’s holder to control it. The holder can then command the Enchanter’s magic.”
“That’s terrible,” Nyle said.
“I knew nothing about Tredan’s proclivity with this ugly magic. Murder? Animating a dead Enchanter? I should have felt it with my magical empathy.”
“His Divine’s spell was thorough. It was impossible for you to have known.”
“This charm denigrates Tredan’s magic career,” Lanith said. “My heart doesn’t believe it. But the evidence is here.”
“The bad news is he’s written more spells after this one. Have you seen him with a journal?”
“Never.”
“Then he bewitched it with Look Away.”
(Tredan’s Bane excerpt Copyright 2012 by Lita Burke. All rights reserved.)
Read more in Chapter 1
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