Read Online Frost Prisms (The Broken Prism Book 5) by V. St. Clair - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: V. St. Clair
Ads: Link
Trout and Master Kilgore, of all people, were there to greet him. Oliver’s familiar, Slasher, was perched on the floor nearby, standing inside of a small conjury circle that had been drawn in chalk right on the plush carpet.
“What just happened?” Hayden blurted out dumbly, caught off-guard by the abrupt translocation.
“I see you are still fond of questioning the obvious,” Mrs. Trout said in her typical curt manner. “You translocated away from Mizzenwald before my colleagues could bring you to the Crystal Tower to stand trial.”
Hayden released Bonk, who was beginning to squirm in his grasp, and said, “But I don’t know how to do translocation magic yet—not even inside Mizzenwald with the wards helping me.” He frowned. “And I wasn’t even looking through a prism or trying to think through the spell.”
The Master of Elixirs chuckled and said, “We performed the magic for you. Magdalene told us when the Council got formal permission to move against you, so we were able to plan your extraction. Speaking of which, I must return to the school before I am missed.”
Without explaining anything else to Hayden, Master Kilgore clasped his Mastery Charm and vanished from the Trout estate.
“I thought it was almost impossible to translocate someone from a different location without their assistance,” Hayden continued questioning Mrs. Trout, for lack of anyone else to pester. “Or else my father could just vanish people at will and bring them to him from all over the world, without ever having to leave the house.”
“It is extremely difficult, which is why we channeled the magic through Slasher and Bonk.” She gestured to the familiars, who were now perched on opposite sides of a grand fireplace mantel like gargoyles. “Magical creatures of one family can form a sympathetic link between them with long-term proximity—”
“Yeah, I know about that,” Hayden interrupted her. “It’s why I knew Cinder was in trouble during my third year in the Forest of Illusions—because he and Bonk were close and Bonk started feeling his pain.”
Thinking of Cinder was uncomfortable, given that they were probably now officially enemies.
“That link also enables us to channel some of the more difficult magic through them—especially as they’re dragons, the most powerful of familiars,” Magdalene continued, not looking upset by the interruption. “We weren’t sure that Slasher and Bonk were close enough acquaintances for it to work, but it seems we got lucky.”
Hayden frowned thoughtfully, his mind still racing to catch up with this new development.
“So why didn’t the Masters warn me to run if they knew the Council was coming after me?” he asked after a minute of silence.
“They would have been dragged into this whole mess as well. The last thing we need are more people on trial at the Crystal Tower, and Calahan is unstable enough right now to press the issue.”
“I thought the Masters were already in the middle of things, since they stopped those three mages from abducting me as soon as I came back through the schism.”
Mrs. Trout shook her head.
“They were well within their rights to protect you at that time, as no formal charges had been laid against you, nor did Calahan have a Writ of Extraction. Now he does, so the situation has changed, and the Masters can’t be seen helping you evade the Council.”
Well, that explains why everyone was conveniently avoiding my eye when those three goons barged in to haul me to a jail cell.
He looked around at his surroundings again to convince himself that they were really there. At the beginning of the year he had wondered if he would ever see this place again; he never thought he’d be enjoying the hospitality of his former nemeses again so soon.
“Why am I here, of all places?”
Mrs. Trout gave him that look she used when she thought he was being particularly obtuse. He was surprised by the wave of nostalgia it evoked in him.
“You
“What just happened?” Hayden blurted out dumbly, caught off-guard by the abrupt translocation.
“I see you are still fond of questioning the obvious,” Mrs. Trout said in her typical curt manner. “You translocated away from Mizzenwald before my colleagues could bring you to the Crystal Tower to stand trial.”
Hayden released Bonk, who was beginning to squirm in his grasp, and said, “But I don’t know how to do translocation magic yet—not even inside Mizzenwald with the wards helping me.” He frowned. “And I wasn’t even looking through a prism or trying to think through the spell.”
The Master of Elixirs chuckled and said, “We performed the magic for you. Magdalene told us when the Council got formal permission to move against you, so we were able to plan your extraction. Speaking of which, I must return to the school before I am missed.”
Without explaining anything else to Hayden, Master Kilgore clasped his Mastery Charm and vanished from the Trout estate.
“I thought it was almost impossible to translocate someone from a different location without their assistance,” Hayden continued questioning Mrs. Trout, for lack of anyone else to pester. “Or else my father could just vanish people at will and bring them to him from all over the world, without ever having to leave the house.”
“It is extremely difficult, which is why we channeled the magic through Slasher and Bonk.” She gestured to the familiars, who were now perched on opposite sides of a grand fireplace mantel like gargoyles. “Magical creatures of one family can form a sympathetic link between them with long-term proximity—”
“Yeah, I know about that,” Hayden interrupted her. “It’s why I knew Cinder was in trouble during my third year in the Forest of Illusions—because he and Bonk were close and Bonk started feeling his pain.”
Thinking of Cinder was uncomfortable, given that they were probably now officially enemies.
“That link also enables us to channel some of the more difficult magic through them—especially as they’re dragons, the most powerful of familiars,” Magdalene continued, not looking upset by the interruption. “We weren’t sure that Slasher and Bonk were close enough acquaintances for it to work, but it seems we got lucky.”
Hayden frowned thoughtfully, his mind still racing to catch up with this new development.
“So why didn’t the Masters warn me to run if they knew the Council was coming after me?” he asked after a minute of silence.
“They would have been dragged into this whole mess as well. The last thing we need are more people on trial at the Crystal Tower, and Calahan is unstable enough right now to press the issue.”
“I thought the Masters were already in the middle of things, since they stopped those three mages from abducting me as soon as I came back through the schism.”
Mrs. Trout shook her head.
“They were well within their rights to protect you at that time, as no formal charges had been laid against you, nor did Calahan have a Writ of Extraction. Now he does, so the situation has changed, and the Masters can’t be seen helping you evade the Council.”
Well, that explains why everyone was conveniently avoiding my eye when those three goons barged in to haul me to a jail cell.
He looked around at his surroundings again to convince himself that they were really there. At the beginning of the year he had wondered if he would ever see this place again; he never thought he’d be enjoying the hospitality of his former nemeses again so soon.
“Why am I here, of all places?”
Mrs. Trout gave him that look she used when she thought he was being particularly obtuse. He was surprised by the wave of nostalgia it evoked in him.
“You
Similar Books
