Read Online Past Tense (Schooled in Magic Book 10) by Christopher Nuttall - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Nuttall
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the Nameless World. She’d often wondered just how humans had managed to evolve in a mana -rich environment, but perhaps they hadn’t. If she could be yanked across the dimensional barriers and dumped into the Nameless World, why not a few hundred thousand others?
“I’ve never heard of him,” she admitted. “Who was he?”
Master Wolfe gave her an odd look. “Only the sorcerer who managed to make magic work ,” he said, softly. “Without his work, none of us would be here. He shared his secrets.”
Emily met his eyes. “What happened before him?”
“Sorcerers would go mad very quickly,” Master Wolfe said. “They would start showing signs of magic as they grew older, then rapidly lose control as their powers grew. No one could reason with them ... they did terrible things to everyone unlucky enough to be nearby ... men were killed, women were enslaved, children were blinded merely for laughs. Smart villagers killed magicians as soon as they began showing signs of power, which didn’t make matters any better. But what choice did they have?”
“None,” Emily said, quietly.
“None,” Master Wolfe agreed. “You don’t know any of this?”
“I had a very sheltered upbringing,” Emily said.
Master Wolfe frowned. “Your tutor did you no favors,” he said. “But then, teaching women to use magic is frowned upon.”
He went on before Emily could ask why. “Master Myrddin was the first to work out how to control and channel magic to prevent accidents,” he said. “He devised the first true spells and taught them to others. In his later years, he would walk from village to village, taking magical children and teaching them how to control their powers. Those magicians, in turn, taught others.”
Emily considered it for a long moment. She had heard of Myrddin, she recalled now, but only as a throwaway line in Life of Whitehall . Offhand, she couldn’t remember if he’d been mentioned in any of the other history books she’d read. But then, there were so many legends about the time that it was impossible to tell just how much was true and how much had been added later. Lord Whitehall might well have overshadowed his former master.
“I see,” she said, finally. Necromancy drove its practitioners insane, but she’d never heard of other magicians going mad. And yet, all of the older magicians were a little erratic. Lady Barb had even suggested that Void was dangerously unstable. “I didn’t know any of this.”
“Then I suggest you learn,” Master Wolfe said. He gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re part of our commune now.”
He frowned down at his notes. “The spell structure will have to be built up, piece by piece,” he said. “Putting something so ... so big ... together would be impossible, even for us. I’m going to have to give this a great deal of thought. The binding we’ve placed on the nexus point may not last if we start fiddling with it.”
“Channel the power elsewhere,” Emily suggested. “Make it work for you.”
She closed her eyes in thought. It wouldn’t be hard to make one of her batteries—she’d practically have to make one of her batteries to expend her power, unless Whitehall kept her busy casting spells. They could channel the power from the nexus directly into a pocket dimension, then use it to power ... something. But they could only do that if they could tame the nexus.
Master Wolfe scowled as there was a sharp knock at the door. “Enter!”
The door opened. A boy—he looked around twelve, although there were faint hints of stubble on his dirty chin—stepped into the room and knelt before Master Wolfe. He didn’t look at Emily. “My Lord,” he said, “Lord Whitehall wishes to remind Lady Emily that she is to meet him in the courtyard.”
“Then she will go to the courtyard,” Master Wolfe said. He looked at Emily. “I’ll want to go through this in more detail with you later.”
“Of course, My Lord,” Emily said. If nothing
“I’ve never heard of him,” she admitted. “Who was he?”
Master Wolfe gave her an odd look. “Only the sorcerer who managed to make magic work ,” he said, softly. “Without his work, none of us would be here. He shared his secrets.”
Emily met his eyes. “What happened before him?”
“Sorcerers would go mad very quickly,” Master Wolfe said. “They would start showing signs of magic as they grew older, then rapidly lose control as their powers grew. No one could reason with them ... they did terrible things to everyone unlucky enough to be nearby ... men were killed, women were enslaved, children were blinded merely for laughs. Smart villagers killed magicians as soon as they began showing signs of power, which didn’t make matters any better. But what choice did they have?”
“None,” Emily said, quietly.
“None,” Master Wolfe agreed. “You don’t know any of this?”
“I had a very sheltered upbringing,” Emily said.
Master Wolfe frowned. “Your tutor did you no favors,” he said. “But then, teaching women to use magic is frowned upon.”
He went on before Emily could ask why. “Master Myrddin was the first to work out how to control and channel magic to prevent accidents,” he said. “He devised the first true spells and taught them to others. In his later years, he would walk from village to village, taking magical children and teaching them how to control their powers. Those magicians, in turn, taught others.”
Emily considered it for a long moment. She had heard of Myrddin, she recalled now, but only as a throwaway line in Life of Whitehall . Offhand, she couldn’t remember if he’d been mentioned in any of the other history books she’d read. But then, there were so many legends about the time that it was impossible to tell just how much was true and how much had been added later. Lord Whitehall might well have overshadowed his former master.
“I see,” she said, finally. Necromancy drove its practitioners insane, but she’d never heard of other magicians going mad. And yet, all of the older magicians were a little erratic. Lady Barb had even suggested that Void was dangerously unstable. “I didn’t know any of this.”
“Then I suggest you learn,” Master Wolfe said. He gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re part of our commune now.”
He frowned down at his notes. “The spell structure will have to be built up, piece by piece,” he said. “Putting something so ... so big ... together would be impossible, even for us. I’m going to have to give this a great deal of thought. The binding we’ve placed on the nexus point may not last if we start fiddling with it.”
“Channel the power elsewhere,” Emily suggested. “Make it work for you.”
She closed her eyes in thought. It wouldn’t be hard to make one of her batteries—she’d practically have to make one of her batteries to expend her power, unless Whitehall kept her busy casting spells. They could channel the power from the nexus directly into a pocket dimension, then use it to power ... something. But they could only do that if they could tame the nexus.
Master Wolfe scowled as there was a sharp knock at the door. “Enter!”
The door opened. A boy—he looked around twelve, although there were faint hints of stubble on his dirty chin—stepped into the room and knelt before Master Wolfe. He didn’t look at Emily. “My Lord,” he said, “Lord Whitehall wishes to remind Lady Emily that she is to meet him in the courtyard.”
“Then she will go to the courtyard,” Master Wolfe said. He looked at Emily. “I’ll want to go through this in more detail with you later.”
“Of course, My Lord,” Emily said. If nothing
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