his shoulders sagged and Luke caught him in time to lower him back onto the settle.
“Rob Panton, return to me. See the path. Walk towards my voice. You are safe and need fear nothing.”
It took a while before Rob began to stir, like someone reluctant to come out of a beautiful dream. He put his hands over his eyes and groaned, then sprang to unsteady feet.
“Master, I fell asleep. I beg pardon. I was trying to clean behind the gallipots.”
“Did you have any customers, whilst I was away?”
“None, sir, at least, I don’t think so. I’m sure I would have heard someone come in even if I was asleep.” But a puzzled frown creased his face.
Luke sent him into the kitchen to prepare a meal, not because he was hungry, but because he needed time to consider this new tangle without the confused energy Rob was emitting. The question most on Luke’s mind was whether the girl was flesh and blood or a projection. If the latter, he must presume Nimrod was already aware of his activities, an assumption supported by his recent encounter in the palace. He should have questioned Rob more closely before using the purging and misremembrance spells.
Luke could almost hear Elemagus Dufay’s voice berating him for, yet again, acting before he had thought the matter through. That was a fine theory, but there were occasions when the first thought was the only time one had to act, and his instinct when the foreign aroma hit his nostrils had been to protect his kinsman.
What had been the aim of the hex? To get Rob to leave in search of the girl? And what would have happened then? A blow to his head, a watery grave in the Thames and Luke minus his most trusted companion, most likely.
The initial danger had been forestalled, but he must try and work out what Nimrod’s next action might be and counter it. Had the sunderer wanted the girl to bewitch Rob? Or mayhap, and this thought stopped him in his tracks, the girl was indeed flesh and blood and under a coercion spell, in which case, she was at risk as much as Rob.
Why was she sent when Luke was away from home? Simple. Rob would have no defense against a summoning spell and would be easy prey. Nimrod would then have been able to use Rob to trap Luke. Sunderers used and discarded their dupes as it suited them, but they understood the concept of loyalty, seeing it as a weakness in elemancers. Aye, Nimrod would know that Luke would try to rescue Rob should he be taken.
Furthermore, the girl leaving so abruptly before achieving Nimrod’s objective pointed to two facts. First, Nimrod would have known the instant Luke quitted the palace and how long it would take the apothecary to reach home. Secondly and more importantly, his retreat at this first hint of exposure indicated that the sunderer was using a proxy, and one by no means as accomplished as his master. Or
her
master, his brain added, thinking back to Gwenette’s comments. And, it was logical to assume that Nimrod did not want Luke seeing the girl either. Was this attempted abduction because his enemy wanted to know what Luke knew and assumed Rob was privy to his master’s thoughts? His mind returned to his vision. What had the voice said?
We are all powerful.
Do not fight us
.
A knock made Luke leap to his feet. He prepared to wrap an instant protection spell around the house as he edged the door open. The next moment, he had flung it wide, his face wreathed in smiles.
“Bertila. Come. May I get you some refreshment?”
Bertila Quayne seemed equally pleased to see him. She carried a laden basket and deposited it with a sigh of relief on the nearest settle.
“I know my father says I have a light hand with pastry, but these pies and pasties are heavy.”
“Then you must have some wine. Rob, we have a guest.”
“Did Master Panton not tell you I was coming? He spent enough time persuading me to bake pies for you when he visited.”
“Nay, but that makes the surprise all the more pleasant, especially when it involves
“Rob Panton, return to me. See the path. Walk towards my voice. You are safe and need fear nothing.”
It took a while before Rob began to stir, like someone reluctant to come out of a beautiful dream. He put his hands over his eyes and groaned, then sprang to unsteady feet.
“Master, I fell asleep. I beg pardon. I was trying to clean behind the gallipots.”
“Did you have any customers, whilst I was away?”
“None, sir, at least, I don’t think so. I’m sure I would have heard someone come in even if I was asleep.” But a puzzled frown creased his face.
Luke sent him into the kitchen to prepare a meal, not because he was hungry, but because he needed time to consider this new tangle without the confused energy Rob was emitting. The question most on Luke’s mind was whether the girl was flesh and blood or a projection. If the latter, he must presume Nimrod was already aware of his activities, an assumption supported by his recent encounter in the palace. He should have questioned Rob more closely before using the purging and misremembrance spells.
Luke could almost hear Elemagus Dufay’s voice berating him for, yet again, acting before he had thought the matter through. That was a fine theory, but there were occasions when the first thought was the only time one had to act, and his instinct when the foreign aroma hit his nostrils had been to protect his kinsman.
What had been the aim of the hex? To get Rob to leave in search of the girl? And what would have happened then? A blow to his head, a watery grave in the Thames and Luke minus his most trusted companion, most likely.
The initial danger had been forestalled, but he must try and work out what Nimrod’s next action might be and counter it. Had the sunderer wanted the girl to bewitch Rob? Or mayhap, and this thought stopped him in his tracks, the girl was indeed flesh and blood and under a coercion spell, in which case, she was at risk as much as Rob.
Why was she sent when Luke was away from home? Simple. Rob would have no defense against a summoning spell and would be easy prey. Nimrod would then have been able to use Rob to trap Luke. Sunderers used and discarded their dupes as it suited them, but they understood the concept of loyalty, seeing it as a weakness in elemancers. Aye, Nimrod would know that Luke would try to rescue Rob should he be taken.
Furthermore, the girl leaving so abruptly before achieving Nimrod’s objective pointed to two facts. First, Nimrod would have known the instant Luke quitted the palace and how long it would take the apothecary to reach home. Secondly and more importantly, his retreat at this first hint of exposure indicated that the sunderer was using a proxy, and one by no means as accomplished as his master. Or
her
master, his brain added, thinking back to Gwenette’s comments. And, it was logical to assume that Nimrod did not want Luke seeing the girl either. Was this attempted abduction because his enemy wanted to know what Luke knew and assumed Rob was privy to his master’s thoughts? His mind returned to his vision. What had the voice said?
We are all powerful.
Do not fight us
.
A knock made Luke leap to his feet. He prepared to wrap an instant protection spell around the house as he edged the door open. The next moment, he had flung it wide, his face wreathed in smiles.
“Bertila. Come. May I get you some refreshment?”
Bertila Quayne seemed equally pleased to see him. She carried a laden basket and deposited it with a sigh of relief on the nearest settle.
“I know my father says I have a light hand with pastry, but these pies and pasties are heavy.”
“Then you must have some wine. Rob, we have a guest.”
“Did Master Panton not tell you I was coming? He spent enough time persuading me to bake pies for you when he visited.”
“Nay, but that makes the surprise all the more pleasant, especially when it involves
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