Read Online The Tainted City by Courtney Schafer - Free Book Online

it.
    “It’s a mineral found in sandstone. Glassblowers and mosaicists use it for color. But if you mix it with copper and oil in the right ratios, you can burn out a charm. The cliffs in Cheltman had veins of it, but I didn’t get a chance to get any before I got dragged back here.”
    “Burn out a charm…” Kiran dropped to sit on a bench, thoughts racing. The kalumite and copper mix must provide an alternate conduit for the charm’s magic, diverting it from its intended paths in an uncontrolled release of power. “There are geological texts in the study. If I can identify kalumite’s properties, perhaps I can devise another way to produce the same effect.”
    Dev thumped a fist on the slate rim of the fountain bowl. “Good. Once past the house wards, I’ll go find the nearest merchant house that deals in exports to Ninavel. In high summer, merchanters send dispatches out by courier every few days. I’ll sneak in and slip a message for Cara into the next batch marked for delivery to Ninavel. I know a few secrets that can get her audience with a ganglord capable of brokering a deal with Sechaveh, and even keep her from getting stabbed in the back, if she plays it right.”
    Hesitantly, Kiran said, “But it’ll take some time for us to circumvent the wards, and then weeks for a message to reach Ninavel. Won’t it arrive too late?”
    Dev’s shoulders slumped. “Probably.” When he turned, his stark desperation hit Kiran like a blow. “That’s the best I can think of for now. I also mean to scout the Arcanum, try and find if they’ve got a stash of confiscated illegal charms. If we could get hold of that old amulet of yours, the one that blocks magic—”
    “Ah! There you two are.” Marten strode around the fountain, his smile as cheerful as ever. Dev shut his mouth and leaned against a bench as casually as if he and Kiran had merely been discussing the garden’s splendor. Kiran tried not to look guilty.
    Marten’s round face settled into serious lines. “Kiran, I have an important matter to discuss with you.”
    Kiran’s stomach curdled. Was the Council reconsidering their decision to give him asylum from Ruslan? “What is it?”
    “I know you understand the ramifications of the recent earth tremors,” Marten said. “I’m sure you’ve guessed the tremors are not the sole source of our concern.”
    Kiran nodded. The lump in his stomach grew heavier yet.
    “In short, we’ve seen some alarming fluctuations in the border wards, of late.”
    Kiran shut his eyes. He’d suspected since the moment he’d seen those dismaying voids in Stevannes’s spell. Yet to hear it confirmed…the icy ball of fear within grew razor-sharp claws. “How much longer will your wards hold against Ruslan?”
    “I fear I can’t discuss the wards’ specific state,” Marten said. “I can say this: Ruslan may not be the cause of the damage.” At Kiran’s incredulous look, he gave a mirthless chuckle. “Oh, we’d certainly assumed his involvement. Yet today we received a dispatch from our ambassador in Ninavel that throws the issue into serious doubt.”
    Kiran exchanged a wary, disbelieving glance with Dev. Ruslan was subtle and clever enough to have found a way to cover his spellcasting, but Kiran wouldn’t be fooled. From the skeptical scowl on Dev’s face, he felt much the same.
    “What did the dispatch say?” Kiran asked.
    Marten trailed a hand in the fountain bowl and flicked water from his fingers. “Our ambassador believes the quakes are related to a series of magical disturbances in Ninavel that have killed several mages and appear to be aimed at disrupting the city’s supply of water.”
    “What?” Dev straightened, his eyes narrowing. Kiran knew his concern. The Painted Valley held no natural sources of water. If the magic that kept Ninavel’s cisterns replenished were to fail, the lives of thousands of untalented residents would be at risk.
    Marten said to Dev, “There have been no serious