your father conjure a flock of fire-breathing eagles to chase off bandits that were plaguing a village,” Jonas told him. “And he did so with very little effort. You’ll need to show me more than a pair of flaming wings before I’m impressed.”
Ethan was about to say something back when he noticed Kat on her knees, weeping into her hands. He hurried over and touched her on the shoulder.
“Are you all right?”
Her eyes shot up. An instant later she slapped him hard across the cheek. The crack of the impact bounced loudly off the stone walls and left a bright red mark on his face.
“You should have warned us!” she yelled, wiping her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” said Ethan. “I was just excited. I didn’t think it would scare you so badly.”
Kat pushed herself to her feet and stiffened her back. “I wasn’t scared. It just surprised me.”
“Don’t worry,” said Markus. By now he had regained much of his composure, though was still looking a touch shaken. “It scared me too. How did you do that?”
“It was right at the end of one of those books,” Ethan explained. “Most of it is too confusing for me. It’s not like it just tells you to say something definite. It talks mostly about the essence of magic, how it combines with the elements, where you draw the power from…stuff like that. And even when it does give you words, it’s not specific words. It’s a series of possible words or phrases that may or may not be right, depending on what you’re combining them with.”
He shook his head, as if to clear away the muddle. “But then I found this one…and I understood it. Don’t ask me why, but it just made sense.”
“What was it?” asked Kat, doing her best to look calm again.
“Dragon fire,” he replied. “And you’re wrong, Jonas. It is useful. I only made wings because we’re inside this cavern. But I can make it into any shape I want. Well, I think I can. I can’t see any reason why not.”
“Then we should make arrangements for you to go somewhere with more room,” Jonas said. “What you’ve achieved may not be much compared with an experienced mage, but you could certainly stop a few soldiers with it. Or at the very least, scare them away.”
“I say that you should get the hell out of this dungeon and celebrate,” added Markus.
Ethan glanced over at the still covered crystal. “I think I should stay here and keep on working.”
“I think you spend enough time ogling that little b…” Kat stopped herself from uttering the next word. “Just for a little while. Please.”
Her pleading eyes and Markus’ inviting smile soon forced Ethan to give in – on the condition that Jonas came along too. The old man groaned unhappily but agreed.
“So long as this oaf of a bandit stops calling me an old sack of turnips,” he said.
“You make fun of my poor scarred face and then complain about that?” cried Markus, trying hard to sound offended.
“It wasn’t me who started with the insults,” Jonas countered.
Kat blew an exasperated breath. “And I’m the one who’s supposed to be a child.”
They headed upstairs and quickly came across an unused parlor. Markus found some wine and a few bowls of fruit to get them started, and soon they were talking and laughing as if the world around them had never gone awry. Even Jonas looked like he was having fun, especially when telling them stories of some of his boyhood misadventures. Birger stopped in briefly to tell Ethan that King Halvar would like him to join the council the next day. Ethan asked him to stay with them for a while, but the dwarf politely declined.
After another hour or so, Ethan struggled to his feet.
“If I have to see the council tomorrow,” he told them, moving toward the door on rather unsteady legs. “I need to sleep off all this wine.”
“You always were a lightweight,” teased Markus. “Even Kat here can outdrink you.”
She pursed her lips. “He just wants to get back to Lylinora.”
“She is quite the beauty,” Markus chuckled.
Kat snarled and punched him on the arm. “She’s not that pretty.”
His chuckle turned into a loud laugh. “Is that why you cover her with a blanket?”
“She looks better that way.”
Jonas wagged his finger. “Jealousy is unbecoming in a young woman.”
“I’m not jealous,” she protested, then promptly stamped her foot.
Smiling to himself, Ethan waved goodnight.
“Maybe I’m just a little jealous,” Kat admitted, once he was gone.
“Ah,