Scholar of Magic (Art of the Adept #3) - Michael G. Manning Page 0,187

He felt something for a while, but then it faded. Arrogan had told him that there had to be a bond, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Tiny was his closest friend. Why won’t it work?

He considered Laina for a moment but discarded her as a prospect immediately. She despised him. The only bond they shared was mutual distaste, and he didn’t feel like swimming through such negativity just to escape.

Darla! She was nearby and she would meet up with her ward soon enough. Then he could see what was going on with his body.

He tried that avenue for ten or fifteen minutes, but there was nothing. He simply didn’t know enough about the former assassin to even begin to find some sort of link between them. He considered trying Janice, but there wasn’t much point. She was locked away for the night and wouldn’t be able to see him anyway. Even if she could see him, she would only put herself in danger if she tried to leave before dawn.

In the end, there was only one option—Laina. Clearing his mind, he tried to envision her as he had seen her just a short while ago. Her face was blurry at first, until he started adding his emotions to the mix. She irritated him to no end, but deep down he was worried about her. The image grew crisp and began to gain solidity.

I’m worried about her, he told himself, but there was something more. Completely alone, he was still embarrassed by the thought. I’m not just worried, I care about her. She’s my sister, and in some strange sense, I love her.

With an almost audible ‘pop,’ the world sprang into existence, and he found himself in the middle of the street, not far from Wurthaven. Laina and the imposter were inside a force-dome, while Darla pounded helplessly on the exterior. Two very irritated elementals also stood by, though they didn’t waste their time attacking the dome.

He tried focusing on Laina, to draw him closer, but he was rebuffed when his point of perspective came up against the force effect. Unlike everything else, it felt completely solid. Remembering how Arrogan had once had him create a force-dome before they had a conversation, he could see just how effective the spell was now.

He would simply have to wait.

But he nearly lost his mind when he watched himself slip an arm around Laina’s waist and draw her in for a—Oh hell, no! He was relieved when he saw her push him back and he cheered when she delivered the first slap.

The second slap was even better. I just hope she doesn’t permanently maim my body, he thought. It would be awful if I get my body back and had to live with some terrible scar because of this fool’s bizarre behavior.

Will wished he could hear what they were saying, but the force-dome kept him from hearing any of the conversation. He was glad when it appeared that the imposter was apologizing, but the continued lewd gazes gave him an uneasy feeling. If she hated me before, this is going to take things to a whole new level.

Oh well, it couldn’t get much worse, could it? He watched as the imposter tried to shake her hand and was rebuffed. Then the force-dome came down. He quickly reoriented his point of view so that he was staring over the imposter’s shoulder. Will didn’t know if the spirit that had invaded him could see astral bodies or not, but it was better not to take the chance.

Laina’s eyes never glanced at him, so he soon gave up on being seen by her. The elementals were now fading back into their private storage spaces, so they were no help, not that they had shown any sign of being aware of him anyway. He looked at Darla and felt a sudden thrill.

Her gaze was firmly locked on him. Will imagined himself waving, and he saw the bodyguard lift one brow in unspoken acknowledgment. She can see me!

An orange glow appeared in the distance above the buildings to the south. The light was steady, but there were variations in its brightness. It flickered. “I think there’s a fire,” said Laina, pointing.