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.The secret of their making was fiercely guarded by the church, but Devlin didknow they were extremely difficult to create.He had never encountered onebefore, for typically they were reserved for nightwalkers far more important159 Midnight Megan Derrthan he.Then again, one rune had broken it, which meant it was an extremelyweak hex probably not intended for more than causing guilty parties to flinch.It made him wonder what the hell the bastard was really up to.He took a step back as Winsted moved forward, hating to give ground but notwilling to be closer to the man than necessary if he was hiding further hexes."I'm flattered, Father.I had not realized I was worth a hex.You could havesimply asked, if you were not certain I was in league with the devil."Winsted said nothing, merely drew out his rosary.Devlin flinched again, despite himself, and drew three runes, casting them uponthe floor to create a protective wardSomething flashed, a light flaring up to blind him, and he realized far too latethat the first hex had merely been a trap, and breaking it part of the wholebloody plan.When the light cleared and he could more or less see again, he saw his ownrunes had triggered a spell cage.This was not Winsted's work.He was not important enough to be given a hex,nor skilled enough to lay such a complicated trap.Either a greater figure of thechurch was about somewhere, or Winsted had lent his services to another.He was betting on the latter, though he had not thought Winsted capable ofquite that level of hypocrisy.With an effort, he managed to laugh."Now you are flattering me, Winsted.I'mquite honored, but flattery ultimately leaves me unmoved.If you are hoping toadd lust to your envy and sloth, I am afraid you shall have to try harder."160 Midnight Megan Derr"Lust?" Winsted echoed, and let out a sharp bark of laughter."Do not besmirchme with your disgusting words, duke.""Ah, yes," Devlin replied."I am a duke, and close friends with Lord Tamor.If youthink to kill me, you will bring down his wrath, and a demon lord has nothing tofear from you.""I have nothing to fear from him," Winsted replied.Devlin examined the spell cage as best he was able without taking his attentionentirely away from Winsted."This is hardly a fair fight," he commented lightly."Idid not think you quite this cowardly.Why the spell cage?" He tried to step outof it, simply for the sake of experimentation, but wound up screaming in painfor his troubles.It reduced him to a shivering heap on the floor, doubled over and gasping forbreath.He could not even use his runes, for the supposedly broken hex was within andpart of the cage, rendering him incapable of using his magic.Damn it.Winsted laughed."Interesting that you referred to that creature of yours as adark angel.The way it killed my angel, I can see why the term is an apt one.Imagine how useful such a single-minded creature would be."Devlin stared at him in disbelief."You were just telling me I should die becauseMidnight is too much a threat.Now you are telling me you have become one ofthose threats?""Put to the lord's work, they would be as dark angels seeking redemption."161 Midnight Megan DerrThey would also, Devlin thought bitterly, be far cheaper and easier to make thantrue angels.Devlin looked at him in disgust."Your sister would be ashamed of you.Do yoursuperiors know what you're about? I think they will burn you alongside me."Winsted stepped close and backhanded him."Do not speak of my sister, witch.As to my superiors, they will see, once I take them a dark angel and show themwhat I have in mind.""Where did you get the hex?" Devlin asked."I borrowed it from a brother who died in the line of duty some years ago,"Winsted answered casually.Devlin wondered how, precisely, that brother had died.He had always knownWinsted was malicious, but it appeared he had underestimated him.Still, it did seem strange.Winsted was devoted to his cause a true slayer.It didnot fit him to act this way, to side with the nightwalker he hated, even for thesake of his church."It is time for you to depart," Winsted replied, kneeling to touch a mark in thespell cage and whispering a soft word.Devlin braced himself to dieBut instead felt only the cold rush of a transportation.When the cold faded, he was still within a spell cage, but the location hadchanged.Twin cages, woven with a transfer spell, made with the use of holy magic anddesigned to be triggered by his runes.162 Midnight Megan DerrOnly a sorcerer was that powerful.and the room he was in was dark.As his senses settled from the transfer, hepicked up on the musty, moldy smell of a cellar.Candles began to flicker, one by one, until the room was lit with a warm, yellowlight.Other scents began to reach him.Beeswax from the candles.Various herbs andspices.The smell of chalk.The clean scent of water, the coppery tang of blood,and the sweet-bitter scent of magic.He looked around the room, seeing all manner of sorcery paraphernalia booksand parchment, a profusion of them, for sorcery was the constant study andimprovement of magic, a complete mastery of the arcane arts.There was verylittle a sorcerer could not do, so long as he could figure out how to do it.Then he saw the body.It was under a preservation spell, he could see that much
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Tematy
IndexChristopher Nicole [Hilton 02 The Devil's Own (v1.5) (epub) i
Coulter Catherine Devil's Duology 01 W objęciach diabła
Chris Speyer Devil's Rock (v5.0) (epub)
Maxwell Megan Proœ mnie, o co chcesz 02 Dopóki jestem ( 18)
Memnoch the Devil Anne Rice
John Ringo When the Devil Dances
Kane Stacia Megan Chase 03 Opętany demon
krzysztof obloj strategia organizacji
William Inboden Religion and American Foreign Policy, 1945 1960, The Soul of Containment (2008)
Larry Samuel Rich, The Rise