Blaise gave a short, evil laugh. "Well, I'll offer to stab Kerrigan to show you proof of it if he promises not to kill me for the affront."
Kerrigan narrowed his eyes on the mandrake as he pulled his dagger from his belt, then handed it to Seren. He removed the black steel vambrace from his forearm and exposed a portion of the red tunic sleeve. "Try and stab the fabric you created."
Seren honestly thought the man was insane. Both of them. The last thing she wanted was to harm him, but still he insisted that she stab him with the weapon.
Taking the dagger, she stared at him. "This is ridiculous. I'll only make you angry when I cut you."
"Nay, I promise. Try and stab the cloth."
Hesitant, she did as he asked. Sort of. She touched the dagger's tip lightly to the cloth and tried to push it in just enough that she would do nothing more than prick his skin.
The cloth held it.
Frowning, Seren pressed it harder, and still the tip of the dagger refused to breach the scarlet cloth.
Nay…surely she was dreaming.
She tried even harder to stab it. And again nothing happened.
"This can't be," she whispered as she fingered the undamaged cloth. There wasn't a single thread pricked by the dagger's tip. "I cut it with shears and I stitched it together. Why won't it part now?"
"Neither of those is a weapon of war," Blaise said in a low tone. "You can't be stabbed with a sword or dagger, but a pair of shears…deadly stuff."
Kerrigan nodded. "The loophole."
Seren scowled at the two men as they continued to talk about things that confused her. "What has the cloth to do with an archer's window?"
Kerrigan looked confused an instant before he appeared to understand her. "‘Loophole' is another word for a way out of something, Seren. A small out. Such as, your cloth is impervious to weapons of war, but not to common everyday instruments such as shears or needles."
"Beware a fence post or farmer's hoe," Blaise added dryly. "The tip of one would go right through it."
Kerrigan nodded. "It would seem that that is why you were able to sew and shape the cloth, but when I tried to stab Blaise earlier with my dagger, the cloth protected him."
Blaise gave her an impish grin. "Every one of the sacred objects has a secret that will render it useless. Usually the Merlin who was given the weapon knows the source of its weakness as well as its strengths. Your mother probably died before she could share the loom's secrets with you."
Seren still didn't want to believe it, but how could she not? There was no denying that the dagger was no more effective against the cloth than it was against the armor.
"I'm a Merlin," she breathed. "But why don't I have powers?"
"You do."
She looked up at Kerrigan as he took his dagger away from her and sheathed it. "How so?"
"When Brea was here—"
"Brea was here ?" Blaise snapped, interrupting him. "When?"
Kerrigan held his hand up to silence him. "You shot the lightning blast at him. I thought at first it was a holdover from your having taken Caliburn from me."
"She took Caliburn, too? When the hell did all of this happen?"
Kerrigan gave him a peeved glare. "While you were sleeping. We were also attacked by three gargoyles."
Blaise gaped. "And I slept through all that?"
"Apparently. I always said you were worthless. Now we have proof."
Blaise made a face at him.
"Children," Seren snapped, trying to keep them on topic, "could we please stop fighting?"
The men turned hostile glares toward her.
"Well, you were behaving as such, and if you persist, I shall make you go to separate corners."
Blaise's expression turned wicked. "I'd rather you give me a spanking."
Kerrigan's eyes flamed. "Try it and you'll have a disembowelment instead."
"Children!" But even though she said it harshly, she was totally enchanted by their playful air. It was such a welcome change from Kerrigan's normal frightening demeanor. Who knew that he could tease in such a manner?
"Back to the point," Kerrigan said. "Seren has manifested powers. To what other extent she has them, I don't know." His gaze turned dark as he faced her again. "We need to find that loom of yours before Morgen does. Whoever has it can use it."
That was simple enough. "I left it in my room, tucked in my small chest where I keep all my personal items."