vigorously. “How dare you? Even accusing me could get me–”
“In trouble?” Cabbot stepped forward. “You’ve been in trouble before, Snyder.”
“How do you know that name?”
“I want to see your truly hidden treasures.”
“Who are you? Take off that cloak!”
“What’s the matter? Worried about the Grey Wolves? Scared of Cabbot?”
“Cabbot?” His eyes narrowed for a long moment. “Why are you here? I haven’t dealt in majick for years, besides I thought the Grey Wolves were busy dealing with Diamond’s “Family” and your stupid little war.”
“We can handle that rat, and his stupid little “Family”. Besides that’s not why I’m here and I know you haven’t given up majick,” she growled. “Old dog and all that.”
His face paled. “Where are the others?”
“I’m a lone Wolf today. And I’m not here to kill you . . . yet. I need something.”
His sly smile reappeared. “What did you bring to trade?”
Cabbot pulled her gun and cocked the hammer. “Your life.”
Snyder gulped. “A fair price. What can I tell you?”
“Not tell. Do. ” She pulled the hood from her face.
Snyder jumped.
She reveled in his fear but revolted his pity. “Can you undo the curse?”
He stepped around a pile of artifacts and touched Cabbot’s face. Ran a long, thin finger down one of the spider lines on her cheek. “Felt like you needed a makeover?”
“Can you undo the curse or not?” she snarled.
“This is a strange fusion of Wild Majick and Treatus Spells.” He straightened. “Very powerful. I cannot undo the curse.”
Cabbot knew how to play this game. “How much will it cost me?”
“It’s not a matter of coin. I doubt anyone could undo this except the person who cursed you.”
Cabbot scowled.
“And,” he continued, “they’d have to do it voluntarily.”
“So, if there’s nothing you can do . . . ” Cabbot raised the pistol again.
The grin left Snyder’s face. “I didn’t say I couldn’t do anything . I said can’t get rid of it.”
“Make sense. Fast.”
“I can help you find this person. Persuade them.”
“Go on.”
“You know about magicians and sorcerers?”
“Of course,” she snapped, “I’ve spent my life destroying them.”
“Then you know the difference between them?”
“Magicians use the Treatus to cast spells and control majick. Never hard to kill.”
He nodded. “And sorcerers?”
“More of a challenge. More fun.” She couldn’t suppress a smile. “They use Wild Majick. Sometimes it controls them .”
“Yes,” Snyder nodded again, “but there is a third way to access majick. Terrible power. Put away the pistol, Cabbot, and I can make you more powerful than any sorcerer.”
She gritted her teeth. “I don’t deal in majick.”
“You and I both know you don’t have a choice.”
Cabbot considered him. Even being touched by majick was a capital offense. If the Ilsans found her she’d be executed. More majick couldn’t hurt, and if she found this girl, undid this and kept this bit of Majick a secret . . .
She slipped the pistol into her cloak.
“If Majick were a River,” Snyder continued, “there would be creatures in the water, right? Turtles and fish and the like. Some intelligent, some not. Some can leave the River, others are bound. Humanity is like men on a boat. They dabble in the water, drink it, and use it. Some even drown in it.” He paused for emphasis. “But some . . . ”
Cabbot understood. “Some eat the fish. You’re saying you can enslave these creatures?”
“They can be . . . ” he hesitated. “Persuaded to follow your will. Enchanting. It’s never a good idea – give a Phantom the chance and they will turn their power against you.”
“Can they make me whole again?”
“No,” he replied. “Only the sorcerer who cursed you can undo it. I told you that. This will give you the power to find the one you seek.”
“Don’t play games with me, Snyder.”
“No games. Just
“In trouble?” Cabbot stepped forward. “You’ve been in trouble before, Snyder.”
“How do you know that name?”
“I want to see your truly hidden treasures.”
“Who are you? Take off that cloak!”
“What’s the matter? Worried about the Grey Wolves? Scared of Cabbot?”
“Cabbot?” His eyes narrowed for a long moment. “Why are you here? I haven’t dealt in majick for years, besides I thought the Grey Wolves were busy dealing with Diamond’s “Family” and your stupid little war.”
“We can handle that rat, and his stupid little “Family”. Besides that’s not why I’m here and I know you haven’t given up majick,” she growled. “Old dog and all that.”
His face paled. “Where are the others?”
“I’m a lone Wolf today. And I’m not here to kill you . . . yet. I need something.”
His sly smile reappeared. “What did you bring to trade?”
Cabbot pulled her gun and cocked the hammer. “Your life.”
Snyder gulped. “A fair price. What can I tell you?”
“Not tell. Do. ” She pulled the hood from her face.
Snyder jumped.
She reveled in his fear but revolted his pity. “Can you undo the curse?”
He stepped around a pile of artifacts and touched Cabbot’s face. Ran a long, thin finger down one of the spider lines on her cheek. “Felt like you needed a makeover?”
“Can you undo the curse or not?” she snarled.
“This is a strange fusion of Wild Majick and Treatus Spells.” He straightened. “Very powerful. I cannot undo the curse.”
Cabbot knew how to play this game. “How much will it cost me?”
“It’s not a matter of coin. I doubt anyone could undo this except the person who cursed you.”
Cabbot scowled.
“And,” he continued, “they’d have to do it voluntarily.”
“So, if there’s nothing you can do . . . ” Cabbot raised the pistol again.
The grin left Snyder’s face. “I didn’t say I couldn’t do anything . I said can’t get rid of it.”
“Make sense. Fast.”
“I can help you find this person. Persuade them.”
“Go on.”
“You know about magicians and sorcerers?”
“Of course,” she snapped, “I’ve spent my life destroying them.”
“Then you know the difference between them?”
“Magicians use the Treatus to cast spells and control majick. Never hard to kill.”
He nodded. “And sorcerers?”
“More of a challenge. More fun.” She couldn’t suppress a smile. “They use Wild Majick. Sometimes it controls them .”
“Yes,” Snyder nodded again, “but there is a third way to access majick. Terrible power. Put away the pistol, Cabbot, and I can make you more powerful than any sorcerer.”
She gritted her teeth. “I don’t deal in majick.”
“You and I both know you don’t have a choice.”
Cabbot considered him. Even being touched by majick was a capital offense. If the Ilsans found her she’d be executed. More majick couldn’t hurt, and if she found this girl, undid this and kept this bit of Majick a secret . . .
She slipped the pistol into her cloak.
“If Majick were a River,” Snyder continued, “there would be creatures in the water, right? Turtles and fish and the like. Some intelligent, some not. Some can leave the River, others are bound. Humanity is like men on a boat. They dabble in the water, drink it, and use it. Some even drown in it.” He paused for emphasis. “But some . . . ”
Cabbot understood. “Some eat the fish. You’re saying you can enslave these creatures?”
“They can be . . . ” he hesitated. “Persuaded to follow your will. Enchanting. It’s never a good idea – give a Phantom the chance and they will turn their power against you.”
“Can they make me whole again?”
“No,” he replied. “Only the sorcerer who cursed you can undo it. I told you that. This will give you the power to find the one you seek.”
“Don’t play games with me, Snyder.”
“No games. Just
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