The Blood Sigil (The Sigilord Chronicles Book 2) by Kevin Hoffman Page A
Authors: Kevin Hoffman
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Continuum Protection Act, which decrees that all sigilcraft is a danger to the continuum."
Urus held his tongue. Subjugation of sigilords? Why would they have laws against being a sigilord? How can simply being a thing be against the law?
"You understand that what we do here is for the good of the multiverse, to preserve the balance each universe seeks out naturally?"
Urus nodded. "I understand what you do, but I don't understand why . I also don't understand what gives you the right to sit there and pass judgment on me. Who entrusted this balance to you? Who named you judge of what is and is not good for the universe?"
"Impudent wretch!" Vogon shouted. "You dare defy this council?"
Urus gave Vogon a wry grin. "I do."
"Your insolence is further proof of your guilt," Vogon pronounced, his face grim, his jaw clenched. "Since we have now seen proof that you choose to wield sigilcraft without thought or concern for the consequences, we deem you a severe and immediate threat to the balance. Your sentence will be carried out at dawn."
"What sentence is that?"
Vogon stood and smoothed his robes. "Death."
Chapter Five
Cailix sat on the back of the wagon kicking her legs back and forth, her back resting against a bale of hay. All of the grain had been loaded, Drayna was off getting the last of the eggs, and Bayard was who-knows-where. He always seemed to disappear whenever there was hard work that needed to be done.
"Where's that fool boy Colin?" Miss Orla shouted, tossing a bound sack of wool up onto the heap in the back of the carriage. "I'm not waiting for him or his family. If I'm late and all the buyers get full up and don't want any of my wares, I'll take it out of that boy's hide."
Orla was exaggerating, as usual—nothing would be taken out of anyone's hide, no matter how mad Orla got.
"There will be plenty of buyers this time, Miss Orla," Cailix said. "The harbors are full, and there are more sailors than there are supplies for them. You should consider raising your prices from last time since there will be so much demand."
Woss came out of the house and climbed up into the wagon, taking the reins. "The Denns have until Drayna and Bayard get back, but that's it. After that we're leaving, with or without them."
They didn't have to wait long. The Denns' wagon appeared over the ridge and the two horses pulling it trotted to a stop right behind their wagon. Colin sat next to his younger brother, Ben, each of them holding an overfull bushel of apples. He and Ben dismounted the wagon and unloaded the apples, leaving them on the front step.
"What's this all about?" Orla asked, hand on her hip.
"We heard that you wanted to make some pies and didn't have any apples, so we brought you some," Colin said, beaming proudly.
"What would give you the fool idea that—"
Cailix cut her off, flashing her a warning frown.
"I see," Orla said. "Well, thank you so much for the kind gesture. We sure do appreciate it."
Colin grinned and swung up onto the wagon next to Cailix.
"Cailix, can I see you for a minute before we head out?" Orla said, summoning her over to the bushels of apples.
Reluctantly, Cailix approached.
"You wanna tell me what this is all about?" she whispered. "I don't need no apples; I got four bushels in our cellar already. We're gonna be eatin' apple pie, apple dumplings, and drinkin' apple cider 'till we all turn ourselves into apples."
Cailix couldn't reveal that the apples had just been a distraction to keep Colin away from her and her activities in the cave. Cailix glanced back at Colin and smiled, then back to Orla, flashing her best, well-practiced innocent smile, letting Orla come to her own conclusions.
"That boy's sweet on you, ain't he?" the farm woman asked.
Cailix faked her best blush, mimicking the motions of awkwardly kicking at the dirt as she had seen so many other children do. Miss Orla chuckled and let out a little whistle. "And you're lettin' him fetch you things you don't
Urus held his tongue. Subjugation of sigilords? Why would they have laws against being a sigilord? How can simply being a thing be against the law?
"You understand that what we do here is for the good of the multiverse, to preserve the balance each universe seeks out naturally?"
Urus nodded. "I understand what you do, but I don't understand why . I also don't understand what gives you the right to sit there and pass judgment on me. Who entrusted this balance to you? Who named you judge of what is and is not good for the universe?"
"Impudent wretch!" Vogon shouted. "You dare defy this council?"
Urus gave Vogon a wry grin. "I do."
"Your insolence is further proof of your guilt," Vogon pronounced, his face grim, his jaw clenched. "Since we have now seen proof that you choose to wield sigilcraft without thought or concern for the consequences, we deem you a severe and immediate threat to the balance. Your sentence will be carried out at dawn."
"What sentence is that?"
Vogon stood and smoothed his robes. "Death."
Chapter Five
Cailix sat on the back of the wagon kicking her legs back and forth, her back resting against a bale of hay. All of the grain had been loaded, Drayna was off getting the last of the eggs, and Bayard was who-knows-where. He always seemed to disappear whenever there was hard work that needed to be done.
"Where's that fool boy Colin?" Miss Orla shouted, tossing a bound sack of wool up onto the heap in the back of the carriage. "I'm not waiting for him or his family. If I'm late and all the buyers get full up and don't want any of my wares, I'll take it out of that boy's hide."
Orla was exaggerating, as usual—nothing would be taken out of anyone's hide, no matter how mad Orla got.
"There will be plenty of buyers this time, Miss Orla," Cailix said. "The harbors are full, and there are more sailors than there are supplies for them. You should consider raising your prices from last time since there will be so much demand."
Woss came out of the house and climbed up into the wagon, taking the reins. "The Denns have until Drayna and Bayard get back, but that's it. After that we're leaving, with or without them."
They didn't have to wait long. The Denns' wagon appeared over the ridge and the two horses pulling it trotted to a stop right behind their wagon. Colin sat next to his younger brother, Ben, each of them holding an overfull bushel of apples. He and Ben dismounted the wagon and unloaded the apples, leaving them on the front step.
"What's this all about?" Orla asked, hand on her hip.
"We heard that you wanted to make some pies and didn't have any apples, so we brought you some," Colin said, beaming proudly.
"What would give you the fool idea that—"
Cailix cut her off, flashing her a warning frown.
"I see," Orla said. "Well, thank you so much for the kind gesture. We sure do appreciate it."
Colin grinned and swung up onto the wagon next to Cailix.
"Cailix, can I see you for a minute before we head out?" Orla said, summoning her over to the bushels of apples.
Reluctantly, Cailix approached.
"You wanna tell me what this is all about?" she whispered. "I don't need no apples; I got four bushels in our cellar already. We're gonna be eatin' apple pie, apple dumplings, and drinkin' apple cider 'till we all turn ourselves into apples."
Cailix couldn't reveal that the apples had just been a distraction to keep Colin away from her and her activities in the cave. Cailix glanced back at Colin and smiled, then back to Orla, flashing her best, well-practiced innocent smile, letting Orla come to her own conclusions.
"That boy's sweet on you, ain't he?" the farm woman asked.
Cailix faked her best blush, mimicking the motions of awkwardly kicking at the dirt as she had seen so many other children do. Miss Orla chuckled and let out a little whistle. "And you're lettin' him fetch you things you don't
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