Scholar of Magic (Art of the Adept #3) - Michael G. Manning Page 0,248

die, or if I succeed?”

“Either,” answered the Cath Bawlg. “Your ally is also your enemy, and she plays both sides of the game.”

Aislinn, thought Will. “Why are you telling me this? What outcome would you prefer?”

“Your death might be nice. If the accord collapses, my opportunities to seek revenge against the fae will increase. That is why I won’t aid you.”

“Then you may as well have not come,” observed Will. “Or are you playing both sides too? Do you have something to gain if I live?”

“Sammy would prefer it.”

Will couldn’t help but laugh. Had his cousin really won over a demigod simply by scratching his head and tying bows in his hair? He felt the knot in his chest loosen. Whatever would come, would come. It was best to face it with a clear head. The goddamn cat might not be willing to help, but if Sammy had won him over, at least he didn’t have to worry about her.

The cat began bathing himself, and Will stepped over him so he could proceed down the stairs. The Cath Bawlg’s voice said one more thing to his back. “Do you know why I choose the form of a cat?”

Will kept walking.

“Cats keep themselves clean.”

Utterly confused, Will turned around to look back, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. Shaking his head, he resumed his trip downward.

Chapter 56

The small room at the bottom of the stairs was still as it had been, though the powerful ward that protected the archway leading into the ritual chamber was no longer present. Will had destroyed it last time, to allow the goddamn cat to enter and confront the demon-lord Leykachak.

He could hear voices in the next room. Lognion and Lord Tintabel were talking to each other.

“There’s really no point in waiting, Your Majesty,” said Tintabel. “My scouts reported to me just before I came down. Your son-in-law and the others failed. Most of them are dead, and those who aren’t will soon number among our enemies. We have no other options remaining.”

The king sighed. “I had high hopes for him. At the very least, since he’s hidden my daughter, I can be sure she remains safe.”

“A great comfort, I am sure.”

“Assuming she returns and gives me a child. If not, I may have to marry again, and that’s always tiresome.”

Will stepped through the archway. “You may as well remarry then, for I’ll never let you have any child of mine and Selene’s.”

The king whipped around in surprise, his eyes snapping to Will’s face. “You?” He glanced at Tintabel. “But you just said…”

“He must have run from the battle,” suggested Tintabel.

“Or I succeeded and have come to report so to the king,” countered Will.

Lognion’s eyes were moving quickly between the two of them, and his face was full of suspicion. Will understood why. He’s trying to figure out how we could both believe we were telling the truth when the facts should be obvious to both of us.

Tintabel moved to stand protectively in front of the king. “Careful, Your Majesty. The vampire rumored to be leading them may have the ability to disguise his form.”

Will smiled. “Funny. That’s what I was just about to say. Instead, maybe I should point out that your entire family died in a fire a few days ago, but somehow you alone miraculously survived. Would that be because you couldn’t fool them into believing you were the real Lord Tintabel?”

The king acted suddenly and without hesitation. Taking two steps back, he raised a force-dome around himself. “The question is easily solved. Let me see which of you bleeds.” An earth elemental manifested by the archway leading to the stairs, and stone flowed up to block the exit. “Neither of you will leave this place until I am sure that the one who lies is the one who dies.” More elementals began to appear around the edges of the room.

Tintabel laughed and raised one hand. A beam of gray light shot from one of his fingers and played over the king’s force-dome, eating holes in the