{"product_id":"gift-of-magic-isbn-9780425245200","title":"Gift of Magic","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGift of Magic\u003c\/i\u003e is the latest installment in \u003ci\u003eNew York  Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Lynn Kurland's breathtaking Nine Kingdoms  saga, which follows the daughter of a dreamweaver and the son of a mage  as they struggle to save the realm from a magic as dark as it is  powerful. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003eSarah of Doìre knows the pattern of spells is no accident. With each  page, each powerful rune, she and Ruith are being led somewhere, to  someone-but by whom, she cannot tell. Sarah's gift of sight only allows  her to see the spells themselves, not the person behind them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA reluctant sorcerer still learning to trust his own  magic, Ruithneadh of Ceangail knows he's woefully unprepared for the  adversaries they'll face. But he and Sarah must collect and destroy his  father Gair's spells soon. Many mages seek their power, and in the  wrong hands, Gair's magic would plunge the Nine Kingdoms into an  eternity of darkness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut as they pursue the final spells-acquiring strange companions,  welcome allies, and unexpected foes along the way-Sarah and Ruith  realize that their true quest has only just begun. The real enemy is  closer, darker, and more power hungry than they ever imagined; and  until he is defeated, the fate of the Nine Kingdoms hangs in dire  peril.\u003c\/p\u003e | Lynn Kurland is the New York Times bestselling  author of numerous novels and novellas all for Berkley.  Her website is www.lynnkurland.com. | \u003cp\u003ePraise for\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ethe novels of the Nine Kingdoms\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpellweaver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Kurland’s flowing prose combined with a strong multibook story arc and complex, evolving characters come together to make \u003ci\u003eSpellweaver\u003c\/i\u003e one of the strongest fantasy novels welcoming in the new year.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eFresh Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Kurland weaves together intricate layers of plot threads, giving this novel a rich and lyrical style. Not only does mystery and danger abound, but also the burgeoning of a love and trust that is wonderful to behold. Kurland is an elegant spinner of tales!”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Romantic Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Beautifully written, this tale is filled with mages, witches, spells, and shape-shifting, but also with plenty of intricate details of the incredible world around them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Romance Reviews Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Tapestry of Spells\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Charming, romantic, and verging on the wistfully sweet…Kurland deftly mixes innocent romance with adventure in a tale that will leave readers eager for the next installment.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Publishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Ruith and Sarah captured my interest from the very first page…Lynn Kurland’s time-travel series might occupy a favored place on my shelves, but I think she truly shines in the Nine Kingdom books.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNight Owl Romance\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lynn Kurland takes her audience back to the Nine Kingdoms with a strong opening act. Fans will feel the author magically transported them to her realm.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Midwest Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePrincess of the Sword\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Beautifully written, with an intricately detailed society born of Ms. Kurland’s remarkable imagination.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Romance Reviews Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An excellent finish to a great romantic quest fantasy…Readers will relish Ms. Kurland’s superb trilogy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Genre Go Round Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An intelligent, involving tale full of love and adventure.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eAll About Romance\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Mage’s Daughter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Engaging characters—family, friends, and enemies—keep the story hopping along with readers relishing every word and hungering for the next installment. [A] perfect ten.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Romance Reviews Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lynn Kurland has become one of my favorite fantasy authors; I can hardly wait to see what happens next.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Huntress Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Mage’s Daughter\u003c\/i\u003e, like its predecessor, \u003ci\u003eStar of the Morning\u003c\/i\u003e, is the best work Lynn Kurland has ever done. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Fresh Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I couldn’t put the book down…The fantasy world, drawn so beautifully, is too wonderful to miss any of it…Brilliant!”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eParaNormal Romance Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This is a terrific romantic fantasy. Lynn Kurland provides a fabulous…tale that sets the stage for an incredible finish.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eMidwest Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStar of the Morning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Terrific…Lynn Kurland provides fantasy readers with a delightful quest tale starring likable heroes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Midwest Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Entertaining fantasy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Romance Reviews Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An enchanting writer.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—The Eternal Night\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMore praise for the novels of Lynn Kurland\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTill There Was You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Spellbinding and lovely, this is one story readers won’t want to miss.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eRomance Reader at Heart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWith Every Breath\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Kurland is a skilled enchantress…\u003ci\u003eWith Every Breath\u003c\/i\u003e is breathtaking in its magnificent scope, a true invitation to the delights of romance.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNight Owl Romance\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen I Fall in Love\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Kurland infuses her polished writing with a deliciously dry wit, and her latest time-travel love story is sweetly romantic and thoroughly satisfying.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMuch Ado in the Moonlight\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A consummate storyteller…Will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, unable to put the book down until the very last word.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e—\u003ci\u003eParaNormal Romance Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDreams of Stardust\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Kurland weaves another fabulous read with just the right amounts of laughter, romance, and fantasy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Affaire de Coeur\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Garden in the Rain\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Kurland…consistently delivers the kind of stories readers dream about. Don’t miss this one.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—The Oakland (MI) Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFrom This Moment On\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A disarming blend of romance, suspense, and heartwarming humor, this book is romantic comedy at its best.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Publishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTitles by Lynn Kurland\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Novels of the Nine Kingdoms\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnthologies\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTHE CHRISTMAS CAT\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Julie Beard, Barbara Bretton, and Jo Beverley)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCHRISTMAS SPIRITS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Casey Claybourne, Elizabeth Bevarly, and Jenny Lykins)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVEILS OF TIME\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Maggie Shayne, Angie Ray, and Ingrid Weaver)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOPPOSITES ATTRACT\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Elizabeth Bevarly, Emily Carmichael, and Elda Minger)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOVE CAME JUST IN TIME\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA KNIGHT’S VOW\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Patricia Potter, Deborah Simmons, and Glynnis Campbell)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTAPESTRY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Madeline Hunter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Karen Marie Moning)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTO WEAVE A WEB OF MAGIC\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Patricia A. McKillip, Sharon Shinn, and Claire Delacroix)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTHE QUEEN IN WINTER\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e(with Sharon Shinn, Claire Delacroix, and Sarah Monette)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA TIME FOR LOVE\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEspecials\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“To Kiss in the Shadows” from TAPESTRY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLynn Kurland\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGIFT of\u003cbr\u003eMAGIC\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBERKLEY SENSATION, NEW YORK\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished by the Penguin Group\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePenguin Group (USA) Inc.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSouth Africa\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePenguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCopyright © 2012 by Kurland Book Productions, Inc.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCover illustration by Dan Craig.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCover design by George Long.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCover hand lettering by Ron Zinn.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll rights reserved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBERKLEY SENSATION® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePRINTING HISTORY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBerkley Sensation trade paperback edition \/ January 2012\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKurland, Lynn.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGift of magic \/ Lynn Kurland.—Berkley Sensation trade paperback ed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep. cm\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN: 9781101554098\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI. Title.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePS3561.U645G54 2012\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e813’.54—dc23\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2011038763\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe spell slammed into him with the force of a score of fists.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuithneadh of Ceangail met the ground with equal force. He lay on his back, winded, and stared up into the darkness above him. He couldn’t decide if the stars he saw were ones his poor wee brain had created for his pleasure or ones twinkling in the sky for their own purposes. It was still at least an hour before dawn, so he supposed it was possible it was merely the heavens still displaying their sparkling finery.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe realized after a bit that he hadn’t noticed it had begun to sleet. Perhaps what was swirling in front of his eyes was less a vision of the heavens than it was the aftereffects of a spell he’d known was coming his way but had been unfortunately less prepared to counter than he would have liked. He would have blinked the stinging rain out of his eyes, but it was too much effort. Breathing was too much effort as well given that all that seemed to be left of him was a void in his chest where his breath was accustomed to reside.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat was his own fault, he supposed. He’d thought a little sparring with spells before breakfast might be a good way to begin his day. And why not? His opponent had been a worthy one, and he had himself been eager to take any opportunity to improve his rather meager magical strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut now that he had regained what good sense he’d lost somewhere on his way to the appointed field of battle, he was prepared to revisit the conclusion he’d come to years ago:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMagic and all its incarnations should be sent briskly along to hell.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e’Twas a pity he hadn’t clung to that very sensible belief as firmly as he should have.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn his defense, he had tried. He had spent the previous score of winters in a house on the side of a mountain, conducting his life by purely pedestrian means. His days had been amply filled by roaming through the woods near his home, occasionally sampling the local alemaster’s delicate apple-flavored ale, and continually stretching himself to perfect his recipe for unburned bread. Any magic he might or might not have possessed had been nothing but a distant and unpleasant memory, a memory that had occasionally plagued his dreams but never his waking hours—\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe pursed his lips, the only part of him that seemed to be capable of movement at the moment. Very well, so memories of magic had plagued his dreams more than occasionally and intruded more than he wanted to admit upon his daylight ruminations. He had made it his life’s quest to ignore those memories and dreams and other things that made him profoundly uncomfortable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt least he had until his peaceful if not exactly useful existence had come to an abrupt end one evening at twilight when a knock had sounded on his door. Answering it—against his better judgement, as it happened—had resulted in finding himself cast headlong into a rushing river of a quest that had carried him places he’d never intended to go again—\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Perhaps you shouldn’t have asked me to check mercy at the edge of the field.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith winced as his breath returned, followed rapidly by the feeling in most of his limbs. He imagined he wouldn’t be overly happy to discover what was left of his back after its meeting with the rock-hard ground, but there was nothing to be done about that. It would take his mind off the road in front of him, a road he knew would include death, danger, and duels of spells with men who would no doubt continue to suddenly and without warning appear from his past. Such as the one leaning over him, frowning thoughtfully at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe found he had breath after all to at least wheeze out a vile suggestion as to what his opponent might do with his annoying observations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMochriadhemiach of Neroche only laughed, grasped Ruith by the hand, and hauled him up to his feet. He stood back and looked him over critically. “I think we should have another go.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith thought quite a few things himself, namely that he had gravely underestimated the truly evil nature of the youngest prince of Neroche. They had spent a fair amount of time together as lads, slipping away from responsible adults to whisper along passageways as chill breezes only to regroup in private to have lengthy looks at books of spells housed behind sturdy locks. He was, if he could be permitted a bit of self-congratulation, a damned fine picker of sturdy locks, much better than Neroche’s newly crowned king.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA pity he hadn’t maintained the same sort of abilities with his magic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhich was, he supposed, why he found himself standing unsteadily in the middle of a muddy field with sleet stinging his skin where it struck him, gritting his teeth and fighting to ignore the particular draining sort of weariness the weaving of heavy spells caused, and finding it in him to be grateful for time spent with a mage he was fairly sure wouldn’t kill him as he stretched his own powers of endurance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt least there was no one there to watch him shake not only from weariness but from revulsion over the disgusting nature of the spells Miach was no doubt dredging up for his benefit alone. He had no desire to know from whence Miach had unearthed them. If the man hadn’t looked so damned casual about spewing them out, Ruith might have felt sorry for him that the like were rattling around in his wee head.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Perhaps you would rather return to seek out a soft seat and a hot fire?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith shot Miach a look. “I think I will manage another few moments without either, thank you just the same.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Truly, you don’t look well.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I appreciate your solicitude.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiach only lifted one shoulder slightly. “I’m altruistic.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith could have brought to mind several other things he would have preferred to call him, but the truth was Miach was a fairly decent soul, his vile collection of spells aside. He had been willing, after all, to abandon not only sleep but an inedible breakfast to march out into the gloom and toss a few spells about. Admirable traits, those.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe was also lazy, illustrated by the fact that he seemed content to simply stand there and yawn for a bit. Ruith was happy to take advantage of that to put off the torture for a bit longer, not only to catch his breath but also to look about himself to make certain they were still about their unpleasant labors unobserved. He noted nothing, but that didn’t surprise him. The inn was at least half a league behind them and surely no one else would tramp through heavy spring snow to reach the clearing Miach had noticed as he’d come on wing from his home in the west.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd even if anyone had known the glade was there, they wouldn’t have been able to take a closer look given that it was now covered by a glamour provided by none other than that illustrious king of Neroche. That spell, Ruith suspected, had been poached from Ruith’s grandfather. Ruith didn’t remember having been there for that bit of thievery, though he’d certainly accompanied Miach on several other forays into Sìle of Tòrr Dòrainn’s library under cover of darkness. To say Sìle had disliked Miach for those intrusions was to put it mildly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Ruith?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith pulled himself back to the present, then smiled briefly. “Sorry. I was just wondering when it was you filched that spell for my grandfather’s glamour and what you did to ingratiate yourself so thoroughly with him that he didn’t do damage to you for it when last you met.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Oh, he wasn’t at all happy to see me,” Miach allowed with a rueful smile, “but I had brought your sister to Seanagarra which earned me a bit of forbearance. I suppose nothing but good manners prevented him from killing me once he’d recovered from his surprise at seeing her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Did Grandmother Brèagha prevent him from forcing you to sleep in the stables?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiach laughed a bit. “Aye, she did, thankfully. And as for all that unwarranted animosity toward me he’d entertained over the years, I daresay he thought I was corrupting you, though I’m not sure how that’s possible.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Perhaps he was soured by all the times he caught you in either his library or his private solar?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“With you leading the way?” Miach returned politely. “No doubt. And whilst we’re discussing who corrupted whom, I seem to remember your having taught me several spells I hadn’t considered myself, most of them having to do with shapechanging so we could venture into other, more exclusive places mere mortals would have considered utterly unassailable.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith smiled faintly. “Did I? I don’t remember that.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“They weren’t your father’s spells, if that eases you any,” Miach said. “I imagine they were things Rùnach had stumbled across in his endless search for the obscure and elegant. As for King Sìle’s tolerance of me now—” He shrugged. “’Tis nothing I’ve done, I assure you. I enjoy his favor simply because your sister was good enough to insist on it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith only avoided wincing because he had enormous reserves of self-control. He had just recently learned that his sister lived still, which had been startling enough. Standing five paces from her betrothed was substantially more wrenching. That Miach had passed so much time with her when he had still been laboring under the belief that she was dead—\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe took a deep breath, but that left him coughing miserably. It was several uncomfortable moments later before he regained control enough to wheeze out a few words. “Stubborn, is she?” he managed, because he had to say something. “My sister, I mean.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiach smiled. “It is a characteristic that has served her well in the past, though I haven’t managed to convince her she doesn’t need it any longer. She has very definite opinions on quite a few things.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Then I’m surprised she stayed at Tor Neroche, instead of coming here with you on your little jaunt to lands not your own.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Well,” Miach said slowly, clasping his hands behind his back, “let’s just say I wasn’t entirely accurate about my reasons for the journey.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith blinked. “You lied?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I hedged,” Miach corrected. “I told her I needed to make a brief visit to Léige to discuss a trade agreement Adhémar had initially negotiated with King Uachdaran. Of course I had actually considered doing just that, though I was much more interested in several things going on elsewhere, things I thought merited my attention.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“And again, not within your borders.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiach smiled grimly. “I find myself suddenly feeling responsible for things I could have easily ignored in years past.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I doubt that,” Ruith said with a snort. “You were always poking your do-gooding nose into places it shouldn’t have gone. Obviously that gaudy crown of Neroche hasn’t changed you any, though I will say that in this instance, I’m grateful for it. I need every opportunity I can find to stretch what feeble powers I have left.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I won’t flatter your enormous ego by choosing another word besides \u003ci\u003efeeble\u003c\/i\u003e,” Miach said dryly, “though I’ll concede that lazing about for the past score of years in your luxurious accommodations in Shettlestoune didn’t do much past coming close to turning you to fat. I’m not sure we can remedy that in the next pair of days, but we can try.” He started to turn, then paused and looked at Ruith closely. “What did you tell your lady you were planning on doing this morning?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I told her the truth, but I gave her strict instructions to remain at the inn.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Best of luck with that.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith shook his head. “She had her reasons for not wanting to watch us this morning.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiach nodded. “I imagine she did. And I imagine her sight makes mine pale by comparison.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I suppose you two could spend the day trying to decide if that’s the case or not,” Ruith said, “though I’m not sure Sarah would oblige you. As for what she does see, aye, it is quite a bit. I locked her out of Uachdaran of Léige’s lists for that reason alone.” He suppressed a shiver. “I wish I’d locked \u003ci\u003emyself\u003c\/i\u003e out of his lists, for I’m heartily sorry I saw a fraction of what he threw at me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“How were his spells?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Very old,” Ruith said, “old and more tangled than anything my father had ever done, to be sure.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“More powerful, would you say?” Miach asked, looking more interested than was polite. “I wouldn’t know, of course, having only scratched the surface of his collection myself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith pursed his lips. “You can continue to bleat out that tale as often as possible in hopes that someone will eventually believe you. But as for the truth of it, I’m not sure there’s a way to qualify his spells. If you’re a weary traveler, are you more intimidated by a sheer mountain face jutting up hundreds of feet into the sky or a mighty river tumbling over man-sized boulders and fells?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiach’s ears perked up. “I wouldn’t presume to offer an opinion, and I don’t suppose you memorized any of those very tangled spells—”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I suppose I did,” Ruith said shortly, “but I haven’t the stomach to teach them to you right now. The material point is that Uachdaran seemed determined to crush me under the vilest of the lot, no doubt as retribution for our having sneaked into his solar that one evening whilst our mothers and siblings were enjoying the delicate entertainments of his minstrels.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I never stay long enough at Léige for any invitations to the king’s lists, which I can see now has worked in my favor.” He frowned. “I had no idea he even \u003ci\u003ehad\u003c\/i\u003e lists, though now I wonder why it never occurred to me. I can’t imagine they were very comfortable.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“They weren’t,” Ruith agreed. “I was very happy to leave Sarah in his solar, enjoying the fire. Much as I’m hoping she’s doing at present.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Whilst you stand here in the mud, shaking with weariness and fear?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith snorted. “I’m not afraid of you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe look Miach gave him made him wonder if he might have spoken too soon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Then I’m obviously doing something wrong,” Miach said mildly. He turned and walked away. “I’ll rummage about in my memory and see if I can find things equal to keeping you awake.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith took a deep breath, then quite suddenly found he couldn’t even do that any longer. Miach’s enthusiasm for the task at hand was matched only by his boundless imagination and what Ruith soon realized had been only the start of what he could do. Where Miach had dredged up those spells…well, it was likely best not to speculate. It was all he could do to keep himself from being crushed beneath things he couldn’t see coming at him, though he could certainly feel them when they arrived.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA bit like his life, actually.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot that his life should have been shrouded in that sort of mist. The quest that lay before him was rather simple, all things considered. He was going to find all the scattered pages of his father’s private book of spells, put them back together, then destroy the whole bloody lot of them. There were several people he could bring to mind without effort who might want a different outcome once the spells were gathered, but with any luck he would have his task completed before any of them caught up with him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe studiously ignored the fact that he wasn’t entirely confident that would be the case.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe wrenched his thoughts away from unproductive paths and concentrated on fighting off what Miach was throwing at him. He recognized the occasional spell, but he was the first to admit Miach seemed determined to keep him off balance with things Ruith imagined had come from places his future brother-in-law likely wished he hadn’t gone. Unfortunately, he could readily envision when and for what purpose he himself might need those very things.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe began to wonder, after a bit, why it was that he recognized not so much what Miach was sending his way, but how he was arranging the battle. Of course Miach had trained with his father, no mean swordsman himself, but somehow Miach’s skills in using spells as a sword had improved to the point that Ruith wasn’t sure he could credit that to happenstance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You haven’t been studying swordplay with Soilléir, I’m sure,” Ruith managed when the barrage paused long enough for him to gasp out a comment, “given that he wouldn’t know which end of the sword to point away from himself if his life depended on it. Who has improved your paltry skills to such a degree?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You talk too much.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith would have argued the point but found speech was simply behind him for quite a while. He would have considered it mean-spirited of Miach to leave him in such a state if it hadn’t been so useful. As he’d noted before, anyone else he faced would have absolutely no reason to show him any mercy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTime wore on in a particularly unpleasant way. Ruith suddenly noticed a streak of blue out of the corner of his eye, but supposed he was just imagining things. Considering how many spells Miach was flinging his way, seeing unusual things was perhaps nothing more than he should have expected.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe froze, then frowned. There was something about that flash that seemed…off. It was perhaps unreasonable to assume he could tell as much given the alarming nature of what was assaulting him, but he couldn’t dismiss the impression. He countered a trio of very vile spells of Olc, then quickly held up his hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Did you see that?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“See what?” Miach asked, sounding not at all out of breath, damn him anyway.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“That blue flash.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You’re stalling.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith would have protested, but he didn’t have the chance. He continued to fight off an alarming number of increasingly powerful spells until he realized that at some point during the past few moments, he had crossed the line from scarcely managing things to being completely overwhelmed. As unpleasant a conclusion as it was to come to, he realized that if he didn’t do something drastic very soon, he was actually going to perish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat was a dodgy place to be given that Miach wasn’t paying attention to him any longer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe opened his mouth to point that out only to watch Miach’s spells disappear as if they’d never been there. He looked up from where he’d fallen to his knees in the muck to find the king of Neroche trotting off the field.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Where are you going?” Ruith gasped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiach paused, then swore just before he disappeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuith supposed that was answer enough, then he froze. Miach hadn’t run off the field to search for a drink, he’d gone because there was something more in the surrounding woods than wildlife. Something Ruith had feared would find them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe cursed and crawled unsteadily back to his feet. The next time he left Sarah behind at an inn, he was going to either put a better spell on the door or spend more time pointing out the dangers of walking in woods that might potentially contain more than just the usual complement of man-eating creatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause the sinking feeling he had in his belly told him that Sarah had just encountered just that sort of thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSarah of Doìre stood in the middle of a fairly well-used road that cut through a heavy forest of pines, facing what looked to be certain doom, and wondered where it was that morning that she’d taken a wrong turn. The possibilities were numerous, actually, and surely merited further investigation lest she make the same mistake again in the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAssuming, that was, that she had a future in which to make those same sorts of mistakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe turned her mind back to an hour ago when she’d woken from sleep with the feeling that there was something very foul going on in the world. Looking back on it now, she supposed that had simply been the smell of a breakfast that someone—or two someones, apparently—should have pitched onto the compost heap instead of leaving on the table. Instead of ignoring the smell and simply turning over to go back to sleep as she likely should have done, she had given up on any more rest and gotten up to face the day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe had tended a fire that had been still burning thanks to a spell left there by some enterprising mage or other, then spent a few minutes pacing quietly so as not to wake the other occupant of the large gathering chamber. She had stopped more than once to look at him, on the off chance that the king of the elves had felt something amiss and woken from sleep because of it, but apparently he’d felt safe enough in his surroundings to continue on with his very sensible rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe wondered now if it had been a mistake to breakfast on bread that was almost free of bits of sand and butter that was still a few days away from rancid, or the extremely vile ale that tasted more like water\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48338544066789,"sku":"NP9780425245200","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425245200.jpg?v=1769572616","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/gift-of-magic-isbn-9780425245200","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}