Chapter 11
Marc grinned as Theo began ladling out the food into two small bowls. “You still don’t try any of Gisela’s fine food?”
“I have too much work to leave it unfinished due to an early death,” Eldric countered as he took a bowl from Theo. He sniffed the bubbling soup and wrinkled his nose. “What did you add to this pea soup?”
Theo blinked at him. “Pea soup? I thought you wanted pig soup. I threw in last night’s ham bone.”
Eldric licked his lips. “Well, that explains the saltiness.” He took another large spoonful before he turned his head to Marc. “Sit where you want. I’ll get to you as soon as I’ve finished with this.”
Marc cleared a spot on one of the many chairs scattered about the room and took a seat. “You mentioned just now about having trouble with secrets, and that trap wasn’t there the last time I was here. I’m guessing you’ve been having trouble with boarders.”
Eldric paused his meal and frowned. “It’s those damn groups always coming around asking me to do something for them.”
“Which groups?” I asked him.
He wrinkled his nose. “The Managers and the Admiralty, of course.” His eyes rolled over to Marc. “And the pirates that are foolish enough to traipse down the capital roads with his calling card on his face.”
Marc set a hand over his patch and chuckled. “I don’t have much of a choice. You told me yourself it couldn’t be hidden.”
“You’re damn right it can’t be hidden,” Eldric snapped as he stabbed the bottom of his bowl with his spoon. “It’s hard enough keeping that tempest trapped under that cloth. Trying to use more magic to hide it would only weaken its hold on your ugly face.”
Marc folded his arms over his chest. “I’m willing to try if you are.”
“Well, I’m not,” Eldric growled as he slammed his bowl down on the table. “You may be looking at a lot of years ahead of you, but I’d like to keep all the ones I have left.”
The pirate inclined his head. “We’ll do it your way, Eldric.”
“Of course you will,” our host confirmed as he marched over to a pile of books on the table in front of Marc.
He pushed them out of the way, and a tower collapsed onto the floor, sending the tomes scattering.
A cloud of dust puffed out, which he dutifully ignored as he cleared more of the table.
“Now let’s get this over with before I send you back into that cage. ”
Marc rolled up one sleeve and offered it to his old friend. “I’m ready for the offering whenever you are.”
Eldric grabbed his arm and pushed it down before staring Marc straight in the eyes. “You and I both know it won’t work twice. You need to offer something else.”
Marc dropped his arm onto his lap and frowned. “I thought you could just take some more.”
The professor scoffed. “And have nothing left of you? A shriveled corpse can’t pay me.” He paused and tapped his chin with one hand. “Unless I rummage through your pockets.”
“I don’t have the change you’re looking for,” Marc warned him.
Our host wrinkled his nose. “Then you’ll have to offer something else.”
“What else could you take?”
Eldric looked him over, and his attention fell on his left leg. He kicked his toes against Marc’s boot. “What about that?”
Marc’s face fell. “You have to be joking.”
“I’m not. This is a serious spell, and it needs a serious sacrifice. What about your other leg, then?”
“I’d like to keep both of them, and my arms.”
Eldric’s eyes had wandered up there, and he knitted his eyebrows together. “Well, what now?”
Marc’s eyes darted to me. “What about a song?”
His friend followed his gaze and blinked at me. “A song? What about a song?”
“My beautiful friend here has a very rare talent to conjure magic with her voice.”
Eldric stroked his chin in his hand as he studied me. “Does she?
I shrank beneath their attention. “I can’t really do anything.”
Our host grabbed a full chair, tipped its contents onto the floor, and turned the seat toward me. “Well, let’s see what this anything is.”
I reluctantly moved over to the chair while the others crowded around me. I’d been in front of many audiences, but none that made me as nervous as the one that now stood before me. I shut my eyes and cleared my throat before I started my song.
The music flowed freely out of my mouth, and the acoustics of the attic allowed my voice to echo around us.
The air vibrated with my song, and a gasp came from Theo.
I opened my eyes and beheld twirling dust storms that circled the room like ballroom dancers.
They ducked and arched around the furniture and occupants, picking up more of the dirt and grime until not a speck was left on the books.
That gave me an idea.
I jumped to my feet and hurried over to a window at the far end of the room.
The dust devils danced along behind me, and I flung open the glass.
I segued into a march, and my dirt creations lined up before marching out the window.
The last one passed me, and I slammed the glass shut.
My companions hurried over, and we crowded around the window.
I ceased my song, and the dust devils lingered outside the glass for a few moments before they broke apart and floated down
Eldric turned to me with sharp, curious eyes. “That was very interesting, Miss Rose. Where did you learn such magic?”
I shrugged. “I just sing and it happens.”
“Such a beautiful voice. . .” Theo murmured as he continued to stare out the window.
Marc patted his patch. “Do you think you can weave that magic into this? It might make it hold better.”
Eldric wrinkled his nose. “I could, but mixing magics, even ones that use the natural world, is dangerous. You might not survive the attempt.”
Marc laughed and clapped his hand on Eldric’s shoulder. “Don’t be so gloomy. I’ve seen you mix magics before.”
Eldric nodded at his hidden eye. “But not to cover the kind of thing that’s underneath that patch. We hardly know anything of what made it.”
“Then you can learn a little something more about it right now,” Marc insisted as he turned his face to me. “What do you say?”
My face drooped, and my hands fidgeted in front of me. “I’m not really sure how I can help. I mean, it’s just my voice, and all I’ve ever managed to do is make things float.”
“We’ll see if we can’t bottle a little bit of that wonderful tune,” Eldric assured me as he scooted behind me and set his hand on the small of my back. “Let’s just sit you beside Marc and see what we can do.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Alright. If you think I can help.”
“Excellent,” he replied as he guided me over to Marc, taking my empty chair as we passed by. “Theo, will you please bring my beaker set over here?”
“Of course, Professor,” he agreed as he scurried to obey.
Eldric set the chair close beside Marc and set me on the seat. “Just sit here as still as you can, and nothing should happen.”
“Should?” I repeated, but the professor had already turned to the table.
Theo and he went to work rigging up a round-bellied beaker and a long tube. One open end faced me, and the other ran into the beaker.
Theo tapped the tube’s mouth that faced me. “Shouldn’t we have something larger than the tube, Professor? That is, if you mean to capture her magic.”
“Yes,” he mused as he swept his eyes over the area. “Help me find something.”
The two scoured the room, and I grew more uneasy with each passing second. I grasped my pants with both hands and tried to stop the trembling my body so desperately wanted to do. I failed.
A soft tug on the hem of my pants made me look down. Ramaro sat at my feet with one paw on my pants. “You look as pale as a ghost.”
I managed a shaky smile. “I’m kind of worried I’m about to become one.”
Marc’s gentle voice floated over to me. “I won’t let that happen.”
I turned and found his blue eye staring straight at me. “I swear it. If anything happens, I’ll stop the process.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “It’s alright. I’m sure your friends know what they’re doing.”
A terrific crash came from the far end of the attic. Theo and Eldric were buried under a mountain of books and broken beakers. They swam their way out, both covered in slight knicks from the busted glass.
Eldric glared at his assistant. “I told you not to touch that book!”
“I’m sorry, Professor! I didn’t know it was holding up two piles of books!”
I winced. “I hope they know what they’re doing. . .”
“Did you at least grab what we were going for?” Eldric growled.
Theo popped his hand out of the mess and held aloft a small lamp cover. “Yes, Professor.”
“Good,” Eldric mused as he climbed out of the pile and brushed himself off. “Now we can begin.”