Read Online The Royal Sorceress by Christopher Nuttall - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Nuttall
Tags: FIC002000 FICTION / Action & Adventure, FM Fantasy, 3JH, FIC040000 FICTION / Alternative History, FIC009030 FICTION / Fantasy / Historical, FJH Historical adventure
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slipping from Moving to Blazing, enough magic to burn right through Cannock. If she was fighting for her life.
“ ENOUGH ,” a voice said. “STOP FIGHTING, NOW! ”
There was enough Charm in the voice to control an entire crowd of angry magicians. Gwen felt her rage dissipate slowly, the magic she had raised to defend herself fading away. Master Thomas was coming down the long flight of stairs, his face as angry as anyone else Gwen had ever seen. It struck her, suddenly, that she was no longer at home. If he felt that she had grossly overreacted to their provocation, she was likely to be in real trouble. Her father had let her run wild, but Master Thomas believed in discipline. It was the key to effective magic.
“I do not expect to see student magicians fighting one another with the food,” he said, sharply. Cannock and his friends looked as if they wished to be somewhere – anywhere – else. Gwen, for once, found herself in agreement with them. Her head was starting to pound again, suggesting that she might have overreached herself. How much Moving could a person do before they risked permanent damage? “I would insist on none of you having any lunch, except you will have exhausted yourself through your silly fighting.”
For the first time, Gwen took in the scene before him. The dining hall was wrecked, with soup and bread scattered everywhere. The massive oak table had been smashed, while the soup was soaking into the carpet, paintings had been torn from the walls and a set of cutlery was embedded in the stonework. It would take hours, perhaps days, for the servants to clear up the mess, if they didn’t give their notice as a body when they recovered from their hysterics. She felt a flash of shame, despite the wooziness that threatened to send her to her knees. They hadn’t meant to tear the room apart during their fight.
“You will all spend the afternoon cleaning up the mess,” Master Thomas decreed. His voice was flat, perfectly controlled. It was clear that any argument would only make the punishment worse. “You have disgraced yourselves in front of your tutors.”
He stepped forward, the tip of his cane tapping against the stairwell. “Control and discipline are the keys to your magic,” he said. “I do not want to see any of you lose control, not again. Losing control could mean that someone – perhaps someone innocent – gets hurt. I will not tolerate that on my watch.”
It took nearly four hours to clean up the mess. The table was beyond repair – the intersection of two different magical forces had shattered its structure – and had to be sent to the bonfires. Gwen found herself scrubbing the floor for the first time in her life, along with a handful of students who had probably never done a day’s real work in their lives. It was a bitter insight into how the servants had felt during her temper tantrums as a young child, with the added threat of malicious magic for those that worked at Cavendish Hall. Afterwards, she had to change again. The green dress had been totally ruined.
She vowed, in the aftermath, that she wouldn’t lose control again. The results, she decided, were too dangerous. Magic was far from safe.
Chapter Six
D on’t look around too much,” Lucy said, as she ushered Jack into her living room. “I haven’t decided if I want to keep you here yet.”
Jack smiled at her as he took one of the comfortable seats. Lucy had done well for herself over the years, but then owning a brothel was always a licence to print money. Her living room had been decorated to her tastes, with a number of comfortable chairs, a drinks cabinet and a double-sized sofa intended to allow her to share time with a lover – if she had a lover. It was luxury on a scale that made Jack think of the people outside, who would have killed for just one of the chairs in the room, but he refused to allow himself to feel guilt. He would do what he could for them by destroying the system that
“ ENOUGH ,” a voice said. “STOP FIGHTING, NOW! ”
There was enough Charm in the voice to control an entire crowd of angry magicians. Gwen felt her rage dissipate slowly, the magic she had raised to defend herself fading away. Master Thomas was coming down the long flight of stairs, his face as angry as anyone else Gwen had ever seen. It struck her, suddenly, that she was no longer at home. If he felt that she had grossly overreacted to their provocation, she was likely to be in real trouble. Her father had let her run wild, but Master Thomas believed in discipline. It was the key to effective magic.
“I do not expect to see student magicians fighting one another with the food,” he said, sharply. Cannock and his friends looked as if they wished to be somewhere – anywhere – else. Gwen, for once, found herself in agreement with them. Her head was starting to pound again, suggesting that she might have overreached herself. How much Moving could a person do before they risked permanent damage? “I would insist on none of you having any lunch, except you will have exhausted yourself through your silly fighting.”
For the first time, Gwen took in the scene before him. The dining hall was wrecked, with soup and bread scattered everywhere. The massive oak table had been smashed, while the soup was soaking into the carpet, paintings had been torn from the walls and a set of cutlery was embedded in the stonework. It would take hours, perhaps days, for the servants to clear up the mess, if they didn’t give their notice as a body when they recovered from their hysterics. She felt a flash of shame, despite the wooziness that threatened to send her to her knees. They hadn’t meant to tear the room apart during their fight.
“You will all spend the afternoon cleaning up the mess,” Master Thomas decreed. His voice was flat, perfectly controlled. It was clear that any argument would only make the punishment worse. “You have disgraced yourselves in front of your tutors.”
He stepped forward, the tip of his cane tapping against the stairwell. “Control and discipline are the keys to your magic,” he said. “I do not want to see any of you lose control, not again. Losing control could mean that someone – perhaps someone innocent – gets hurt. I will not tolerate that on my watch.”
It took nearly four hours to clean up the mess. The table was beyond repair – the intersection of two different magical forces had shattered its structure – and had to be sent to the bonfires. Gwen found herself scrubbing the floor for the first time in her life, along with a handful of students who had probably never done a day’s real work in their lives. It was a bitter insight into how the servants had felt during her temper tantrums as a young child, with the added threat of malicious magic for those that worked at Cavendish Hall. Afterwards, she had to change again. The green dress had been totally ruined.
She vowed, in the aftermath, that she wouldn’t lose control again. The results, she decided, were too dangerous. Magic was far from safe.
Chapter Six
D on’t look around too much,” Lucy said, as she ushered Jack into her living room. “I haven’t decided if I want to keep you here yet.”
Jack smiled at her as he took one of the comfortable seats. Lucy had done well for herself over the years, but then owning a brothel was always a licence to print money. Her living room had been decorated to her tastes, with a number of comfortable chairs, a drinks cabinet and a double-sized sofa intended to allow her to share time with a lover – if she had a lover. It was luxury on a scale that made Jack think of the people outside, who would have killed for just one of the chairs in the room, but he refused to allow himself to feel guilt. He would do what he could for them by destroying the system that
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