Asunder by David Gaider Page A

date," the Lord Seeker announced. "Four initiates and two apprentices. What ever other numbers you've heard are speculation. Those six, however . . . they were interesting." He indicated that Evangeline should explain. She seemed unconvinced this was a good idea, but acquiesced.
                "All of them were stabbed in the heart and allowed to bleed out," she began, her tone clinical. "No weapon was discovered. No evidence was found on the victims. As near as we can tell, whoever did this was able to get past the guards, unlock the cells, and leave without being noticed. By anyone."
                A sneaking suspicion wormed its way into Rhys's head. He tried to refuse it, banish it from his mind completely, but it wouldn't go away. With out being noticed . . . by anyone . It was all he could do to keep his thoughts from giving him away, and from the way both templars stared at him it seemed he wasn't particularly successful.
                The Lord Seeker leaned forward on the desk, steepling his fingers as he stared intently. "Now, it is possible that a templar could do this, and have his fellows cover up the deed. Perhaps a group of them, dedicated to acts of maliciousness against the very people over whom they are supposed to watch. It is deplorable, but has been known to happen."
                "I questioned the templars first," Evangeline explained to Rhys, perhaps a little defensively. "We began alternating guard duties, transferred—"
                "It is also possible, " the Lord Seeker interrupted, "that a blood mage could cause a guard to fall asleep or make him forget what ever he witnessed. Such spells of mind control are one of the reasons blood magic is forbidden. Blood spilled from a sacrifice, meanwhile, could be used to power something much, much worse. Something we can't even guess at yet."
                "It could also be a demon," Evangeline offered.
                "If so, then it is a demon powerful enough to influence the mages of this tower." The man shuffled through the pile of parchments until he found one in particular. He tapped it. "It says here that you are a medium, Enchanter."
                Rhys kept his face calm. "Yes."
                "You have a rare talent to detect and communicate with spirits and demons."
                "Yes."
                "Have you ever detected or communicated with any here in the White Spire?"
                Another bead of sweat found its way into Rhys's eye. He wiped it away, hoping his hands weren't visibly shaking. "Yes, but . . . the Veil is thin here. That's part of my research. It should all be accounted for in the First Enchanter's—"
                "I'm aware of your research," the Lord Seeker snapped, his tone carrying heavy disapproval. "I'm also aware it was discontinued almost a year ago, after the rebellion in Kirkwall. Well before the murders began. What about recently?"
                "No, there's been nothing." That much was true, at least.
                "It seems to me that someone with such talent wouldn't allow templars to keep him from doing as he wished. We cannot follow you across the Veil. You could be speaking to demons on a nightly basis, and no one would be the wiser."
                "It's not that simple," Rhys insisted. "Consciously entering the Fade requires preparation, a group of mages working together. My research required painstaking work to protect me from the spirits I was contacting, in case—"
                "In case you were corrupted," the man finished for him.
                "Learning more about spirits is important if we're ever going to protect ourselves from them more effectively. Knight- Commander Eron scrutinized me after every ritual. He trusted me. If he didn't . . ."
                The man neatly replaced the sheet of parchment in the pile.