“There’s dragon magic here,” I said.
“Yes,” Maveryck said. “Each of the talismans has been spellcasted. Be cautious. Do not touch anything.”
We circled the outer rim of the catacomb. I detected other sorts of magic radiating from many of the items we passed, and I tried not to gawk as we neared several objects of enormous power, their magic calling to me in quiet, seductive whispers.
As we rounded a corner, Kull stopped at one of the niches. Inside the glow of the dragon’s spell sat an all-too-familiar object—Kull’s sword.
Bloodbane.
Kull stared at the sword with wide eyes, and his mouth slacked open.
“Was this your sword?” Maveryck asked.
“Yes,” Kull said after finding his voice. “Is there any way for me to reclaim it?”
Maveryck shook his head. “No. As soon as the spell is triggered, we will only have a matter of minutes to escape from the chamber before the dragon’s guards catch up to us. The sword will have to remain here.”
“Is there a way to get past the spell?” Kull ran his fingers over the embellished stone surrounding the niche. “Couldn’t we get around it somehow? Break through the stone, perhaps?”
“Not possible. Not unless you’ve brought a chisel.”
“I could do it,” Kull said, “if I had my sword.”
“But it’s surrounded by a spell,” Heidel said. “Come, Brother. We do not have time to waste. We are here to retrieve the staff and nothing more.”
“Then go,” Kull said, “and I shall meet you at the elven door.”
“You want us to leave you?” Maveryck asked.
“Yes.”
“Kull,” I said, “do you think that’s wise?”
He turned to me, and I saw the desperation in his eyes. “What would you do if you were in my situation? We’re so close. I can’t leave it now that I’ve found it.”
I stared at the sword, at the familiar broad blade and simple, unadorned pommel. That sword was more than just an object to him—it was a piece of his identity.
“Fine,” I said, relenting. “I’ll stay with you. I’m sure I can come up with some sort of spell to remove it.”
“I don’t like this,” Maveryck said. “Removing that sword, if it’s even possible, will take time, which is a luxury we don’t have. You cannot expect me to wait for you.”
“This sword is causing you to lose your judgment,” Heidel said.
“I assure you, my judgment is fine. I am justified in reclaiming my sword. Go ahead without me if you wish. Olive and I will meet you at the elven door. I give you my word.”
Maveryck worked his jaw back and forth as he debated Kull’s request. Grace stood straight, her ears pricked forward as if listening to something, then raised her hackles and gave a low growl.
“We are wasting our time arguing,” Maveryck said. “Meet us at the door if you must, but if you do not return, we will have no choice but to leave without you.”
Kull nodded. “Very well.”
Heidel, Maveryck, and Grace turned away and continued walking down the path until they disappeared from sight. I turned to Kull, who stood staring at the sword.
“Do you know how to get past this spell?” Kull asked.
I reached out, feeling the enchantment glowing with a steady intensity. The characteristics of a protection spell encircled the sword, but I also felt something shielding the sword—another spell, almost imperceptible.
“That’s odd,” I said. “There are two spells. I can get past the protection spell, but I’m not sure about the other one.” I glanced up at him. “Are you sure you want me to do this?”
“Yes. I’ll never get another chance to reclaim it.”
“I agree, but I can’t promise I won’t trigger the spells.”
He smiled. “I’ve seen your powers. If anyone can free my sword, it’s you.”
I turned back to Bloodbane, its metal gleaming with a greenish tint under the light of magic. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Reaching out, I tried to come up with some way to remove the second spell. It would’ve helped if I’d known more about it. Dragon magic was fairly simple to understand, but this was different from any dragon spell I’d been taught.
As I scanned the foreign enchantment, I focused on finding the simplest information first. Splaying my fingers outward, I let my hand hover close to the spell, feeling as if the power were made of individual threads in a web. As I concentrated, I could almost see the spell, like a net covering the opening.
“The spell was created to function like a trap,” I said. “If anyone were to reach for the sword and grab it, the spell would be broken and most likely alert the witch.” I moved my hand just above the spell, up and down, left and right, looking for any sort of opening. “And if I were to send a spell through this one to remove the protection spell, I suspect it would also alert the witch.”
“Can you get past it?” Kull asked.
“I’m looking.”
After several minutes of searching and my hand tingling from the effects of the dragon’s magic, I gave up.
“There’s got to be a way,” I said.
Kneeling beside me, Kull scanned the stone surrounding the opening. Carved into the rock on either side of the niche stood two winged skeletons. Their empty eye sockets seemed to follow Kull’s movements as he scanned the encased sword. I wasn’t sure what he was searching for, but if it could help him free his sword, I wouldn’t argue.
After a moment of examining the stonework, he turned to me.
“Have you found something?” I asked.
“Maybe. Do you feel this?”
He took my fingers in his and placed them below the sword, in a small crack marring the stone casing.
“Is it an opening?” I asked.
“I’m not sure.” He pulled out a dagger and stuck the blade inside the gap. He looked up at
