“YOU FOOLS!” SERENA SHOUTED ANGRILY. “HOW DAREyou suggest that the Recluse is impregnable? Didn’t you see what happened out there this morning? We grow weaker while the Conclave grows stronger!”
As she paced the confines of her sumptuous chambers, the Vagaries queen was beside herself with rage. She turned to look at Dagmar. The handmaiden sat in a chair on the room’s other side, suckling Clarice. The loving scene softened the queen’s expression briefly, but she soon turned back to again glare at her contrite servants.
The Conclave’s idea to mark her envelopers had been completely unexpected. Einar and Reznik had not been able to devise a way to remove the red stain from the creatures’ skins. From this day forward the envelopers would be prime targets for theJin’Sai ’s troops.
Worse, more than half of Serena’s envelopers and shrews had been killed in the latest attack. Although the Conclave’s losses had also been heavy, she correctly guessed that they were not as serious as hers. But Serena still held several tactical advantages.
Einar and Reznik were partly right-the Recluse would be exceedingly difficult to conquer. As far as she knew, there were no ways in or out through the castle’s lower regions. The walls were more than three feet thick, making them nearly impervious to attack. And although the water surrounding the Recluse was gone, the wide, muddy lake bottom that had been left behind would be very difficult to slog across on foot.
She also knew that each of the Black Ships was too large to set down in the castle outer ward. The Black Ships could bring the remaining Minion warriors near so that they could try to fly over the walls. But for theJin’Sai ’s mystics to effectively use their gifts against her, they would eventually have to put the ships at rest. From the guard paths she had watched the Conclave mystics dig the ships’ earthen cradles. The technique was clever, but would be very time-consuming to perform while under attack. Should the Conclave try to do it near the castle, her consuls would quickly take advantage of their vulnerability and strike down on them from above.
“With all due respect, Your Grace, there are two things regarding Clarice that need our attention,” Einar said, interrupting her thoughts.
Serena narrowed her eyes and looked at her lead consul. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“First, we must remove the spell that you conjured about Clarice after your tragic miscarriage. As I recall, it was designed to preserve her body while we furthered our research. Now that she is reborn, keeping it in place might harm her.”
Serena nodded. “Very well,” she said. “What is your second suggestion?”
“During my perusal of the Scroll of the Vagaries, I found mention of a ‘partial’ time enchantment,” Einar answered. “I read the formula, and it appears valid. I suggest that Clarice be immediately protected by its workings.”
Serena scowled. “What are you talking about?” she demanded. “There is no such thing as apartial time enchantment.”
As Einar walked toward Dagmar and Clarice, he dropped the hood of his robe to show his sharp features and intelligent eyes. Dagmar had finished suckling the child, and she was gently rocking the baby in her arms. For a moment Einar lovingly reached down to stroke Clarice’s downy hair.
“Ah, but there is such a spell, Your Grace,” he answered. Placing his hands into the opposite sleeves of his robe, he turned to face his queen.
“As we know, a time enchantment carries two distinct parts,” he said. “One part stops the aging process. The other protects the subject from disease. We had always thought that the two were inseparable. They aren’t.”
Serena was intrigued. She highly respected Einar’s intelligence. Moreover, she trusted him. But if her daughter was to be involved, she would need proof.
“Can you show me the calculations?” she asked.
“Of course,” Einar answered.
The consul produced a parchment from the folds of his robe. He unrolled it and started reading aloud. At the same time he caused the formula’s glowing numbers and symbols to hover in the air for his queen’s inspection.
Serena walked closer and read the calculations. What she saw surprised her. It was indeed a formula for a partial time enchantment. Unlike the full spell, this one held only those calculations that would protect Clarice from disease, and it had been formulated to work independently of the half that halted the aging process.
She immediately understood how this could greatly benefit her child. Granting Clarice a full-time enchantment would be counterproductive to the Heretics’ plans, because it would keep her from maturing to an age that would allow her to consciously employ the craft. But if Serena could forever protect her daughter from disease, the advantage would be enormous.
She looked back at Einar. “You are sure about this?” she asked.
Einar nodded. “Yes,” he answered. “The child’s health should be protected-especially because the Recluse was recently inhabited by lepers. The choice is yours. But should you proceed, I suggest that you first dismantle the other spell. Despite the strength of Clarice’s blood, I would not wish to see the two calculations entwine in a subject who is so young and vulnerable.”
“Of course,” Serena answered.
She walked to the balcony, thinking. She would remain that way for some time before deciding. Finally she turned back to look at Einar.
“Very well,” she finally answered. “I agree that it should be done. But after I dismantle the first spell, I want you to apply the partial time enchantment. You are more familiar with its workings.”
“As you wish, Your Grace,” Einar answered.
Serena’s lead consul could barely contain his delight. Finding the spell had been a stroke of luck. Not only would it protect the child, but it would further cement Serena’s bond with him. He had no doubt that after the war was won, he would become a high-ranking official in Serena’s new order.
He looked at Dagmar. “Bring the child to me,” he said.
Under Serena’s watchful eye, Dagmar stood and carried the squirming baby to the consul. Einar looked at his queen.
“With your permission, Your Grace?” he asked.
Serena nodded. From his place on the other side of the room, Reznik watched with rapt fascination. After handing the child over to Einar, Dagmar walked to stand beside the herbmaster.
Einar cradled the child in his arms. She cooed quietly as he looked down at her.
“Whenever you are ready, Your Grace,” he said.
Serena closed her eyes and started to dismantle the spell. She did so carefully, taking great pains to be sure that the convoluted formula had been completely eradicated. After she opened her eyes, she hurried over to check on her daughter.
Einar smiled. “Well done, Your Grace,” he said. “There seem to be no ill effects.”
Glad to see that the child had not been harmed, Serena lovingly took Clarice into her arms. She rocked her gently for a time before looking back at Einar.
“You may proceed,” she said. Einar could easily detect the ominous warning her voice carried. “But if any harm befalls her, you will die,” Serena added.
“I understand,” Einar answered.
Closing his eyes, he folded his hands before him and recalled the needed incantation. Although it was much like the one used for granting a full-time enchantment, it held subtle differences. Einar began the incantation:
“Your health shall remain forever true,
“Your strength and vitality shall always shine through.
“Of neither disease nor sickness shall you fear,
“Nor the world’s wasteful processes seem so near.
“From this moment on you shall walk with new life,
“Free of all ills, and with them, their strife.”
Serena watched as the familiar azure glow of the craft appeared all around the child. Then it faded away, leaving the room as quickly as it had come. She carefully examined Clarice for signs of distress. There were none. In fact, the child’s color seemed to have improved, as had her overall vitality.
Looking into her mother’s face, she wriggled about happily and smiled. Like she knew that she shared a sacred bond with the withered rose tucked into the bodice of Serena’s black mourning gown, Clarice reached out
