Claimed by Shadow Page 0,55

enhancements-to compensate for some part of their magic that isn't as strong as they'd like or to add power in an often-used area. But to me they're necessities, unless I want to retire from our world entirely." He saw my confusion and smiled slightly. "I had a run-in a few years back with a spell that ate through my shields and attacked my aura. The physical wounds I sustained in that fight healed, but the ones in my metaphysical skin were permanent. That's why I didn't realize you were under a geis until you told me. With my own aura so damaged, I have to concentrate to read other people's.”

I stared at him, horrified at what he'd so casually revealed. It wasn't only what had happened to Mac that freaked me out, but the knowledge that there were spells that could actually do something like that. The more I learned about the mages, the scarier they got.

"But with the wards, you're okay, right?" I kept my attention on his face so I wouldn't focus on my own aura, to reassure myself it was intact and undamaged. Under the circumstances, it would have been tacky.

Mac seemed to understand where my thoughts were going anyway. He waved a hand in the air and my bright red and orange flames suddenly sparkled between us like a cheerful fire on a cold night. "My wards compensate to a degree, Cassie, but they'll never again be like this-a seamless, perfect blanket of protection. Most people couldn't get past my defenses, but war mages aren't most people. Sooner or later one of the dark ones would have found the chinks in my man-made armor, the places where the wards don't overlap perfectly. I was removed from active duty as soon as anyone realized what had happened, and told I couldn't take the field again." He saw my expression and grinned. "It's not all bad. I'm in much less danger these days!”

He sounded casual, but there was something in his eyes that told me he wasn't being completely truthful. I didn't know what usually happened to old war mages, but it was obvious that Mac, at least, wasn't content to just fade away. He craved the adrenaline rush of battle, maybe even the danger.

I decided on a change of subject. "So, my ward drew its power from the Circle, until they cut it off.”

He nodded. "Right, which gave it its strength, but also created a conduit between you. I suspect that John is right and the council got worried that you'd figure some way of turning their own magic back on them, so they shut down the connection.”

"Or they thought I'd be simpler to kill that way.”

Mac looked uncomfortable. "Perhaps. But what it means is that there's nothing wrong with your ward, except that your mother didn't have experience in doing the transfer so it got a bit warped. I can fix that, but its looks aren't the problem. The reason it doesn't work is the same as if a watch stopped. It needs a new power source.”

"What new source?" I was getting an idea about what the bad news was.

"The only one big enough to support something like this, other than the Circle itself." He smiled gently, as if he understood my dilemma. "The power of your office-the energy that makes you Pythia.”

"No. No way." I gestured at the curtain. "Give me one from the books out front." There were some pretty scary ones listed; surely we could find something that would work.

But Mac was shaking his head. "I have no way of knowing how strong your innate magic is. Your aura is confused with the Pythia's energy, and I can't separate them. There's no way to know whether you could support one of the larger protection wards on your own. If not, any tat I gave you would draw power from the reserve you inherited as Pythia, the very thing you want to avoid.”

"Then give me a smaller one, an easy one!”

Mac regarded me somberly. "You're going into Faerie, a place most mages won't venture on a bet. None of the smaller stuff would do you any good there. And none of the wards I have would protect you as well at that one. Craftsmanship like that is rare these days.”

"Maybe I'm stronger than you think." I was a clairvoyant; surely I could manage to support one measly ward.

Mac only shrugged, causing his lizard tattoo to scuttle for cover again, this time under the snake's